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Thursday, September 22, 2011
Thought for Thursday
14 comments:
- AnonymousSeptember 22, 2011 at 11:59 AM
Thanks for your post, it's food for thought.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 23, 2011 at 8:21 AM
b! the gracious pantry website has a recipe for whole wheat pancakes, (actually now after i relooked at the recipe... its for brownie waffles.) but i revamped it for pancakes...ReplyDelete
here is her link http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-brownie-waffles/
and here is my revamping
1. c of oat flour
1/2c oats
1tbsp baking powder
1-2 old bananas (1 large 2 small) (i freeze the ones that go past edible date and theyre naturally sweet)
2 -3 egg whites
2scoops vanilla protein powder
cinnamon (i add alot bc i like it)
blueberries however many you like
1/2c almond milk
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
*if you want 1tsp pure vanilla*
wisk it all together, and make pancakes :)
if its too wet, i add a little more oat flour (sometimes the banana makes it wetter than it should be)
if its too dry.. i add a little more almond milk
i dont add sugar or honey or anything to sweeten, the protein powder helps... and i usually use honey on top
Thank you so much! That recipe looks great, I will be sure to give it a try :)ReplyDelete
You're so welcome :)ReplyDelete
I love your blog!
Ps. If you add some baking powder and soda. And 1/2c unsweetened apple sauce with a littttle more vanilla... the pancakes turn into some mean muffins!
Sometimes I add an extra banana. And some chopped walnuts and make banana walnut pancakes/muffins :)Replies
When you make muffins with this recipe, what temp and time do you bake them for? And do you use liners in the muffin tins or does a non-stick spray do the job? Thank you!!Delete
Little B--I know what you mean. I've tried several different protein pancake recipes and it has left little to be desired...ReplyDelete
Until now! :-)
Megan--I tried this recipe and it's not bad at all. Even more fluffy like a regular pancake. I made them exactly as you listed and was very pleased. I am looking forward to trying different add ins. I'm still in the beginning phases of my weight loss/muscle gain journey so I still watch my calories closely. I put this is FitClick.com's recipe maker. It makes 8 pancakes and each one is 176 calories, 3g fat, 27g carbs, 11g prot. I ate 2 with a little drizzle of SF syrup and was plenty full. Any way...
I love this blog and everything I learn from it, along with learning from other readers.
Fluffy is exactly what I'm looking for! Will try these this week and let you know how it goes :)ReplyDelete
Katrina....Yay!! Glad I could help! The mix is awesome for add ins! Strawberrries.... almond butter... peanuts and more banana! Limits are endless! You can even swap out the vanilla protein powder for choco... and add a few tbsp of cocoa powder for a choco pancake!ReplyDelete
I'm not too calorie strict @ this point of my journey... I usually have 1pancake and a buncha egg whites on the side... on a Sunday... makes me feel like I'm cheating... cleanly ;) but again... glad I could help! ;)
I found a recipe for some awesome protein pancakes.ReplyDelete
1 ripe banana mushed
1 tsp cinn or more
1/2 heaping cup of oats
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
8 oz egg whites
1/2 cup blueberries microwaved for a few seconds
1/2 cup of strawberries microwaved for a few seconds
Mix all together and cook like a reg pancake.Its about 2 grams a fat,60 calories,and 6 grams of protein.They taste amazing!Replies
- MichelleMay 3, 2012 at 9:44 PM
How many servings does this make?Delete
With 1/2 cup oats and 8 egg whites I would say it's closer to 2 servings.Delete
Megan, thanks for sharing the banana pancake recipe! Just made it and WOW. Hard to believe they're clean, they're the best banana bread flavor and texture only in a pancake form. This will be my go-to recipe from now on and I'm excited to try them with different add-ins. So good I'm sure my toddler and not-so-clean-eater husband will be all over them too!ReplyDelete
I never make protein pancakes except for the weekends! Oatmeal is my go to quick breakfast 4 days a week! I made protein pancakes 2 weeks ago but wasn't super impressed with the end product so I looked for another recipe for this weekend, and I found one that turned out pretty good. Here is the link http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/08/15/greek-yogurt-pancakes/ I changed it a little though, instead of all purpose flour, I used oat flour, I added a scoop of vanilla protein powder, 3 egg whites instead of 2 because the batter was too dry after I added the protein powder, and I used plain greek yogurt, and we just put whatever toppings we wanted on afterwards.ReplyDelete
I love your recipes! Thanks so much for the great tips. I have been eating clean for 3 weeks now and am always on the look for new things to try.
I have made these 3 times in 2 weeks, and have them in my freezer. I LOVE them.ReplyDelete
Banana Protein Pancakes
1C Flour (whichever kind you like)
1/2 C Vanilla Protein Powder, I use Isopure Zero
1 T Baking Powder
2 eggs
1 Banana
1 and 1/2 C Water
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 C Quick Oats
Blend wet ingredients together with mashed banana. I throw it all in a blender. Mix dry ingredients together and slowly add to wet ingredients so they are well combined. I let my batter sit for a few minutes so the oats soften up and absorb some of the liquid. Use a 1/4 cup scoop of batter each pancake and you will end up with 14 pancakes per batch. They are filling and easy. Each serving would be 2 pancakes.


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R&B singer Robin Thicke has scrapped an upcoming show in Canada.
The Blurred Lines hitmaker was slated to perform at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on 27 March (14), but now bosses at concert promoter Live Nation have announced the concert has been axed.
No reason has been given for the cancellation.
A statement reads, "The Robin Thicke performance on March 27th at Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena has been cancelled. Tickets purchased online or by telephone will be refunded automatically. Ticket holders who purchased in-person are eligible for refunds at their point of purchase."

subset: commoncrawl


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We teamed up with Converse for the One Star BBQ Tour at the end of 2016.
The team was strong: Sean Pablo, Sage Elsesser, Brian Delatorre, Mike Anderson, Zered Bassett, Bobby De Keyzer, Jake Johnson, Kenny Anderson, Aaron Herrington, Bryce Golder, Al Davis, Andrew Brophy and Dean Palmer. We trailed them on the streets and hung out for a few days on their nationwide tour, and the results were too good not to share. A few fast days in Sydney resulted in this limited edition zine, put together with images from Converse lensman Jon Coulthard, team riders Bryce and Bobby, and lifestyle photog James Adams.
We gave a bunch out to our Monster Children magazine subscribers, so the only chance you've got left to get your hands on a copy is by heading to one of the following Converse retailers: Converse Chadstone, Melbourne Emporium or Macarthur Square Sydney.


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- Hand-numbered with matching Certificate of Authenticity
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A fight between two men turned violent after one of the men pulled a knife and stabbed the other one in the abdomen.
The fight happened around 9:45 p.m. Sunday at mile marker 82.8 on the Old Highway at a venue for the annual "Beach Road Trip" Caribbean music event in Islamorada.
Roger Harrison, 33, from New York, was flown by helicopter air ambulance to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami for treatment and surgery. His condition was not available, said Deputy Becky Herrin, spokeswoman for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
A security guard working the event briefly held the attacker, but he broke free and ran away, Herrin said.
The man detectives and deputies are looking for a man who was wearing all white clothing.
Anyone with information regarding the case can call 305-853-3211.
David Goodhue: 305-440-3204


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Aly faced the large door again for the fourth time in ten minutes. It wasn't that she was scared, Alianne of Pirate's Swoop wasn't afraid of anything. Rather, she was nervous, anxious. At 16 she should have been returning from the Convent, a fully-trained Lady or Lady-in-Waiting, ready to snag a noble husband. Or she could have been a squire by now, waiting for a Knight to choose her.
But Aly hated long, tight-fitting dresses, like her mother, and she hated bows and arrows, like her father. She could have gone to University, like her older brother Thom, but she had opted not to. She had studied at the Palace with the Princesses, which, although unconventional, her godparents had allowed. She had some lessons on her Gift from her mother, when she was home and numerous lessons from her grandfather Myles. She had even been privileged enough to "shadow" her Uncle Gary, Uncle Jon and even Aunt Thayet as she witnessed what the realm's highest-ranking people did. All of her education had been unconventional and impromptu, even with her grandfather: she learned her realm's history straight from the books, but she demanded other realm's histories, unwritten Tortall history, and little known facts. She was even privileged enough to be one of few people to get her hands on a copy of the Bazhir history that King Jonathan had acquired when he became the Voice.
So at 16, Aly was already forging her own path, choosing not to follow her mother or brothers, and certainly not her father. Although being a spy did have its intrigues…
She took a deep breath and pushed open the door, smiling, "Your Highness," she curtsied deeply.
King Jonathan stood, his sapphire eyes twinkling, "You're late, Lady Alianne."
She grimaced as he took his seat again, gesturing her towards her own, "Must we be so formal?"
"You're the one who called me 'Highness'."
She sighed, "Fine, fine, Uncle Jon. Why did you call me in for such a private meeting? You scared me half to death."
Jon smiled, "How are your lessons going?"
Aly looked at her godfather skeptically, "You wanted a private meeting to discuss my studies?"
"Aly, you're mother is going to start asking you soon what you're going to want to do, we both know that."
"I figured," she grumbled, slouching slightly in her chair, "so you want me to narrow down my studies?"
The King nodded, "Unlike my own daughters, you have a number of options. You can learn more of Healing magic, join the Queen's Riders, anything you want."
Her fingers slipped through her long, strawberry-blonde hair, twirling a few strands, "So what do you suggest?"
"Well," Jon's eyes twinkled, "your mother and I think you should meet with Numair, have him officially examine your Gift, and than maybe you could study with Sir Neal for a while if you want to study healing."
Aly's green-hazel eyes widened, "Can I study with Nealie anyway?"
Jon laughed, "I suppose so, if that's okay with Sir Neal."
"And I can continue with Grandpa?"
"Yes," he paused, "now, I haven't talked to your mother about this, but your father, grandfather and I discussed this a few years ago, but we feel that you'd be an excellent addition to the Royal Spies -" he held up his hand to keep her quiet, "- when you're 18."
"You're serious?"
"Of course."
"And Pops agrees?"
Jon laughed, "Yes, and I think Alanna will eventually too - if she'll allow Alan to be a knight, and if she traveled, your father traveled and she'll allow your brothers to travel, you should be able to travel."
Aly smiled, "I'm sure if you, Uncle Jon, and Pops convince her, maybe Grandpa too, she'll be more okay with it."
Jon's eyes twinkled as he leaned back in his chair, "So in a few months, you'll begin you training with your father and grandfather, but, I think you should train in healing first, since your Gift is so strong."
Aly smiled, "Yes, Highness."
Jon grinned, "All right, all right, enough Alianne, your dismissed," he paused as they both stood, "and if I had heard correctly, I think Alan might have been picked by a knight earlier this morning."
She laughed as she approached the door to leave, "I had thought so."
She made it to the pages' wing within minutes and she was instantly pounding on Alan's door. "Alan! Alan! Open up!"
The door swung open, revealing a tall, muscular, red-headed, young man, grinning. He gave his twin a big bear hug ad ruffled her head, "Guess who got a Knight-master today?" he asked in his deep voice.
"Alan, who?" she whined.
"Uncle Raoul."
"Just tell me."
"Nealie picked you!" She jumped up and hugged him again.
"Yes!" he laughed, setting her down, "and I heard you had a meeting with Uncle Jon?"
"Oh, come on, we can talk about that later, you're a squire! Did you tell Mom and Pops yet?"
"They knew before I did - you know Neal asked Mom before, he's still afraid of her."
"So you want to study healing?"
Alan nodded as he folded some shirts into his trunk, "Why not? I have a Healing Gift, and I'll still be learning and practicing my fighting…"
"Although you'll never beat me in daggers…"
"Oh, hush, Lady-I-won't-touch-a-bow."
She stuck her tongue out, "Well, Uncle Jon said I could practice Healing with Nealie," she laughed, "and I guess you too now."
Alan laughed, "I'll never be rid of you!"
She grinned, "Never. Now come on, let me help you pack. We should go visit Thom, tell him all our news," she paused, "and Uncle Jon wants me to meet with Numair."
Alan grinned, "Why?"
She shrugged, "I guess to see how my Gift is, I'm not sure, and," her eyes twinkled, "Jon said I could be a Royal Spy when I turn 18."
Alan spun around his violet eyes wide, "No!"
She grinned, "Yep! I could be a Royal Spy! I could start out in the field like Pops, maybe high up if I'm good enough," she saw Alan's skeptical look, "come on, we know I'd be perfect! I could be a member of the Queen's Riders, be a squire or something, a Player, a commoner, a Bazhir."
Alan sighed and smiled, "You know, you're right. And your hair isn't as red."
"And my eyes aren't violet," she pointed out.
Alan laughed, "You're right. And Mom might actually be proud."
Her eyes got larger as she got more excited, continuing to help Alan pack, "Maybe I could be an Ambassador with the Prince and Princesses or a Knight and be a Spy."
"You'd have to be a lady…"
Aly laughed, "You forget, Squire Alan that I became a Lady with Princesses Lianne and Kalasin."
Alan laughed too, "I did forget, I'm just always so used to you in these clothes, wrestling with the pages, practicing your daggers, which reminds me, you'll need to practice your swordplay."
Aly grimaced, "You know I'll never be as fast as you or Ma…"
Alan smiled, "But you'll be better at wrestling if you keep practicing your Shang."
"Do you know if Lady Knight Keladry came back with Nealie?"
Alan thought, "I think so, why?"
"Well, maybe I could be formally and officially introduced and maybe she'll teach me that glaive, that pig-sticker thing that Ma hates."
The two laughed and continued to pack until some Palace servants came in to move the trunks to Alan's new quarters. It was only mid-afternoon, so the twins decided to go see their older brother.
On the ride over to the University, Aly had time to actually think. She loved her Uncle Numair, but she and Alan had always thought he was a little too intense; not only was he intense with his magic, but with everything. He was a wonderfully talented and loyal man, but he was always too intense for the twins, even with simple tasks. And Aly was skeptical of meeting with him alone to have him examine her Gift and Sight.
Aly and Alan got along with their Aunt Daine too, but they rarely saw her, Numair or their kids. Daine had once attempted to teach Aly how to use the bow and arrow, but Aly never took to that.
She urged her mare, Cinnamon, to a cantor to keep up with Alan and his Duke. They had been given their horses from their parents on their thirteenth birthdays. She smiled at the memory: her parents had never given her or her brothers many actual, tangible gifts aside from the few necessities like clothes, a few formal outfits, weapons and a few books, because their numerous aunts and uncles, Grandpa Myles and Grandma Eleni, Coram, Rispah and Maude, were always spoiling them. Aly had learned to appreciate this, and so their thirteenth birthday was especially exciting.
Unlike what most other nobles believed, Alanna had been a terrific mother and was a wonderful aunt. As the King's Champion, she wasn't always around, and she was sometimes harsh or strict, but Alanna taught her children everything she knew and supported everything they did. When Alan was deciding between University and Knighthood, Alanna supported him. When Aly decided to not be a Knight and decided to become a Lady while still getting various aspects of knight and University educations. Alanna had even suggested that she could join the Queen's Riders or become an Ambassador. Alanna, like George, supported their children, whether or not they did what was expected of them as nobles, as the grandchildren of a wealthy knight, the godchildren of their Highnesses.
And for that, Aly was grateful.
Most people who didn't know the Pirate's Swoop family intimately thought Aly was closest to her father, but Aly was just as close to her mother, making her go dress shopping at Lalasa's store, promise to teach her Shang and promise to take her to the Bazhir.
Aly and Alan gave their horses to the University stable hands and entered the University, walking to the students' wing. To their delight Thom's door was open.
"Hear ye, hear ye."
"The Court presents the dashing Squire Alan -"
"- And radiant Lady Alianne," Alan finished.
"Oh, honestly you two," Thom came to the open door, "just come in, I knew you were here, why do you think the door was open?"
Alan grumbled, "Your Sight makes you no fun."
Thom laughed and punched his younger, yet taller brother's shoulder. "Sorry, little brother," he gave Aly a hug, his hazel eyes twinkling, "and hello, little sister. What brings you two here to the University, and before Mother and Father visit?"
Aly laughed and reached up to ruffle his deep-red hair. "We both have exciting news!"
The three siblings all had different shades of red, which always caught people off-guard when they saw the three Cooper children together. Thom's was darker red, with more brown, which suited him. He had dark hazel eyes and was shorter than Alan, who was the tallest in the family. He looked the most like his father, complete with a crooked nose. Alan had bright red hair with violet eyes, just like their mother. He was tall and lean, yet extremely muscular. He was quick with a sword - nearly as quick as Alanna of herself. His Gift, while strong, was the weakest of the three, which was still stronger than most. His face looked almost exactly like his father as well, except with a stronger jaw than his father and brother. Aly had the lightest hair color of the three: it was strawberry-blonde, but heavy on the strawberry. Her eyes were also hazel, but more green than even her father's. She too had a strong jaw line, but she had her mother's delicate nose. She was thankfully taller than her mother, but not by much. She too had a strong Gift, but not as strong as Thom's. Since she was the smallest and youngest sibling, she had to be the quickest: she was the quickest wrestler of the three, although not the strongest, she was able to maneuver, roll, and wrangle herself out of holds. She was also the quickest with daggers, almost able to best her father.
The three were close; even though Alan and Aly were twins, they were still close with their older brother. Even when they were all busy or in different cities, they always sent detailed letters. Aly and Alan always made sure Thom interacted socially with other so he wouldn't get too involved with his magic. And Alanna and George always made sure he never got too cocky or ambitious, afraid he'd turn out like his late uncle. But Thom, unlike his namesake, cared too much about his family, friends and realm; and he loved to go to feasts and balls, interact with nobles and other mages and flirt with the Court Ladies. And unlike his uncle, he made sure to be apt in wrestling, daggers and a bow.
Thom was extremely excited for his brother's luck in knight-master, especially since he'd be able to learn more about his Gift. "You're Neal's first squire than, yea? You'll have to keep him in check. Make sure he actually teaches you how to heal and use your Gift properly without draining your Gift or straining yourself," Thom laughed, "he'll be so fun though, you'll have so many ridiculous Neal stories."
Aly clapped her hands, "Oh, I love Neal stories!"
Thom looked at his sister, "And what's your exciting news?"
"Well," he green-hazel eyes twinkled and she told Thom all about her meeting with their Uncle Jon.
Thom laughed, "So you'll be studying with Neal too than, eh?"
Aly grinned, "And I'll be continuing with my studies."
"And you'll finally be able to put that fragmented, fractured education to good use, huh? And Uncle Jon really wants you to join the Spies?"
Aly nodded, "After I turn 18 and I train."
Thom though for a moment, "Having a noble, who is a lady, who could pass for a Queen's Rider, a squire, a lady, or really whatever. You'd be more valuable than Pops' Rogue spies and you wouldn't be in too much danger…" he trailed off. "I think it's a perfect match - but I still think you would make a wonderful Ambassador -"
"- Or a Player," Alan joked as he avoided Aly's fist.
The three continued to talk in Thom's room until the early evening, about Thom's studies, Alan's first day with Neal in the morning and Aly's anxiety over her meeting with Numair the next day. When Alan's stomach rumbled, Aly suggested that they head to the Dancing Dove for dinner. It was still light out when they headed down to the city - Alan and Aly were already wearing plain riding clothes and only had to wait briefly for Thom to change and for Alan to put a hat on to hide his hair. They all had daggers hidden on their person, like they normally did.
They hitched their horses outside the pub and walked in, waving to Marek as they sat at an empty table. An attractive young man came to take their orders. Alan and Aly ordered a tankard, much to Thom's dismay. Aly made sure to bat her eyelashes and flip her hair as they ordered. The waiter was tall with blonde hair and brown eyes and Aly could tell he was strong through his shirt. She winked as he walked away and Alan groaned. "You managed to flirt with him just by ordering your food."
Aly shrugged, "It's a gift. And why's it matter, he was cute and I'll probably never see him again after this and it's all a bit of fun."
Alan rolled his eyes and Thom laughed, "Alianne, you need to stop flirting with all these young men, breaking all their hearts."
Aly shrugged and smiled flirtatiously as their waiter brought their food over. The three began to eat when Marek wandered over. "Well, hello my three favorite young people."
"Marek, old chap, how are you?" Thom asked.
He laughed, "I assume your folks don't know you're down here?"
"Do they ever know unless we're with them?"
"What they don't know won't hurt them."
Marek laughed, "The old King himself would be proud if he knew ye's were pulling old tricks like these."
They talked with Marek for a while about what was going on in the city recently, including the planned celebrations for the King's birthday. It was getting dark when the three siblings left the Dancing Dove - Aly brushed past their waiter on their way out when he lightly grabbed her wrist. She immediately tensed up and brought her free hand to her back in case she had to reach for a dagger. She smiled, trying her best to imitate the Players. The young man's voice was deep, "Will I see you again?"
"Maybe," she whispered flirtatiously.
He let go of her wrist, "I'm David." Aly nodded and without saying anything, left the Dancing Dove, catching up to her brothers.
Aly woke up early the next morning, wanting to get her meeting with Numair over early so she could pester Neal and Alan before lessons with Myles.
She dressed in another set of casual riding clothes: dark green breeches and a thin, cream-colored tunic. She threw her hair into a horsetail and headed off towards the stables, opting to skip breakfast until after her Gift was examined.
Soon she arrived at the University and went to Numair's office. There, she was greeted by a female mage, "Alianne of Pirate's Swoop?"
"Yes, sorry, I was looking for Numair."
"Yes, I'm one of his apprentices, Melanie. He was called away late last night, so he asked me to examine your Gift."
Aly nodded and smiled at the mage, "So, let's get started!"
Aly felt slightly woozy when she got back to the Palace and so decided to take a nap before visiting Neal and her brother.
Soon she was wandering the Palace looking for Neal. She couldn't find him in his rooms, on the practice courts or in Duke Baird's offices. Defeated and annoyed, she decided to go visit her Uncle Raoul who had just returned with the King's Own, Lady Knight Keladry and Sir Neal.
She walked through the King's Own barracks and knocked on Raoul's door. Before she could even look up to see his face, he had picked her up in one of his infamous hugs. "How's my favorite niece?" he growled.
"Glad that her favorite Uncle is home!" She laughed as he set her down and ushered her into his office. "Did you hear that Nealie picked Alan?"
Raoul laughed and poured Aly a drink of water, "Indeed, I had, Kel just told me," he took a sip of water, "actually, she should be back in a moment. Have you two officially met?"
Aly shook her head, "Is she doing those glaive lessons again?"
Raoul laughed, "We'll have to ask her. And I hear you might be studying with Neal too."
Aly grinned, "Won't he be thrilled?"
Raoul laughed, "He'll have a great time with the terrible twins, I'm sure."
"Oh, Raoul, I haven't been terrible since I was eight!"
There was a knock on the door and Lady Knight Keladry walked in with two men behind her. "Ah, Lady Knight Keladry, this is Alianne of Pirate's Swoop."
Aly grinned and shook Kel's hand, "It's Aly, actually, and Uncle Raoul here keeps forgetting I'm a Lady now."
Kel laughed, "And it's Kel. I hear your twin is Neal's squire. He'll be in for a treat."
Aly laughed and Raoul cut in, "Lady Aly will be studying healing with Neal as well, and Kel, are you still holding those glaive sessions?"
Kel smiled, "Right as the sun rises in the practice courts, you're more than welcome to come, Aly!"
"Oh, that's wonderful, thanks!"
"Oh, and Aly, this is Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle, Neal's cousin and Kel's beau."
Aly smiled and stuck out her hand for him to shake. Instead he bowed and kissed her hand, his blue eyes twinkling, "Please, it's Dom. And Aly, I feel for you, having to study with Meathead."
Aly laughed, "Meathead, hm? That's much more original than Nealie."
Dom, Kel and the other man laughed and Dom remembered his manners, "Oh, right, Raoul, this is my nephew and the newest member of my squad as it's just his 18th birthday, James of Irismere."
Raoul shook the man's hand and welcomed him, but Aly barely heard the words because she was too preoccupied staring at James. He was taller than Dom and leaner too; he had dark hair, not as black as Uncle Jon's, but dark and it was cropped short. He had a hard jaw line and almost the exact same nose as Neal and Dom. But it was his deep sea-green eyes that caught her off guard. They were by far the greenest eyes she had ever seen.
James turned towards Aly and shook her hand grinning a gorgeous smile at her, which she returned, "Aly, best of luck with Neal."
She grinned, "And good luck in the Own," she said as Dom and James left to return to their duties.
Raoul tried to hide his knowing smile, "Kel, do you know where Neal is?"
"He just got back, I think, probably in his rooms." She excused herself and left.
Raoul turned to Aly, "You didn't even attempt to flirt with him?"
"Who, Dom? He's dating Kel."
"No, you silly niece! James! You always flirt with the young men, break their hearts."
Aly looked hurt, "I never! And why does everyone keep saying that?"
Raoul shrugged, "Because it's true. He's in the Own and can't get married anyway."
"Oh, honestly Uncle Raoul!" She hesitated for a moment. "So Kel and Dom won't be able to get married." Raoul shook his head. "Does that bother her? Doesn't she want to get married?" Raoul shrugged again and his eyes got wide. "Don't you even think about going to change that silly rule, Alianne Cooper of Pirate's Swoop."
Aly grinned, "Why not? You can get married, can't you? Why can't your men? Now," she walked towards the door, "if you'll excuse me, I have to visit Neal before my lessons with Myles."
Aly sauntered into Neal's room and announced in a clear voice, "Oh, Sir Nealie, I have arrived, when shall we commence our studies?"
She tried not to laugh when she heard Neal groan, "Aly, dearest, how many times have I told you to not call me Nealie?" She threw herself at him and gave him a hug.
"Nealie, it's been too long! And thank you for making little Alan your squire! Mithros, we were all so worried he wouldn't get a Knight-master!"
"Hey! I heard that!"
Neal laughed, "Now, Aly, my flower, Alan and I have things to attend to, but we can study tomorrow after breakfast - you have lessons in the afternoon?"
She stood at attention and tried not to laugh, "Sir, yessir, I will see you at the third bell. Here?"
"Yes, here is fine. Farewell, Aly love."
"Farewell, Nealie, twinnie."
"I hate when she calls me that…"
Aly sauntered into her grandfather's office, "Sorry I'm late, Grandpa, I had to search forever for Neal and Alan - you heard the news, right?"
Myles smiled at his granddaughter, "I had heard - and did you hear your parents are coming this evening?"
Aly froze, half-way to her seat, "What?"
"Your mother and father are riding up today - Neal has been given an assignment, your mother has been given an assignment too, so they decided to come to the Palace a little earlier."
"Mithros, do you know when they're coming? Is Uncle Jon holding a dinner for them?"
Myles nodded, "No one told you?"
"Oh, Great Mother Goddess, I have to bathe and change and oh no it's going to be a big meal, isn't it?"
Myles chuckled, "Course, especially since Jon knows Alanna hates these big dinners."
Aly ran towards the door, "We'll have an extra-long lesson tomorrow or something, see you at dinner!" She ran to her room to bathe quickly and dress in a decent enough dress. There was the letter with the Royal Seal, signed by Thayet, asking for her presence at dinner. Groaning, she turned the water on, shedding her clothes to hop in to the tub.
She hadn't seen her parents in a few months, since her last short visit to Pirate's Swoop. She was excited to see them, excited to show them just how lady-like she'd become, how graceful. They knew how intelligent she was, but given how un-lady-like Alanna was, the fact that Aly could walk like a lady would be a huge accomplishment.
Aly tried to make her hair dry faster with a towel as she searched through her drawers for a dress. She decided on a pale blue cotton dress that fitted looser than the dresses that all other court ladies wore. As a force of habit she put her daggers in their usual places underneath her dress, in the back of her breastband, in the top of her socks, under the bands she wore on her arms, like her dad. When she realized what she was doing, she sighed. She wouldn't need daggers for a dinner with her extended family, but if she had learned anything from her paranoid parents, it was that you could never be too safe.
Aly decided to meet up with Neal and Alan to go to the feast. Yuki was in Queenscove for the month, getting acquainted with her new family, decorating and organizing while Neal stayed in Corus. She would come back to Corus for a while in a month; once Duke Baird retired in a few years, Neal and Yuki's primary residence would be the Palace.
Aly knocked on Neal's door and Alan answered, wearing Queenscove colors, "Sir Nealan is preoccupied -oh, it's you."
Aly smirked, "Some welcome. Are you two almost ready for the dinner?"
Neal yelled from his bathroom, "In a moment!"
"Do you know who else is coming tonight?"
Aly shrugged, "The usual, I should think, but since Neal's coming tonight too…" she laughed as Neal bounded out from the bathroom.
"Well, come along, kiddies, let's go." The three walked down the halls and ran into Gary and Raoul, who were also heading towards the feast.
"Ah, Squire Alan, congratulations on getting a Knight-master."
"Sorry it had to be Sir Nealan," Raoul said and Alan laughed.
"Thanks Uncle Gary, Uncle Raoul."
A palace herald was stationed at the door. "Oh, Mithros," Raoul muttered, "and Buri had to go to Goldenlake for a visit."
Aly laughed, "Uncle Jon would do this, just to irritate Mother. Well, come on, Sir Nealie, you'll have to escort me since I'm a Lady now," she picked up her skirts with her left hand.
Neal groaned. "Lucky me."
The herald opened the door and announced Neal and Aly, followed by Raoul, Gary and than Alan. Alanna and George were already present in the hall, taking with the King and Queen. Once she was in the room, she curtsied to Neal and delicately flicked her long hair behind her shoulder. She did her best lady-walk down the hall and curtsied to her Aunt and Uncle first before turning to curtsy to her parents. Jon and Thayet tried to hide their smiles behind their hands, but Alanna openly blanched. George was grinning, his hazel eyes twinkling. "Well, lass, you seem to be a proper lady."
She grinned as George kissed both her cheeks, as custom required: he was continuing the formalities Aly had started. She turned to her mother. "You glided. You glided across this floor. My daughter was able to walk like a lady," she laughed and blinked her violet eyes.
Aly smiled and leaned in to whisper, "But I can still fight like a man." Alanna laughed and gave her daughter a hug as Alan came up behind his twin.
"Mom, Pops," he shook George's hand who grinned and Alanna gave him a hug too as Neal cleared his throat. Alanna stood up to her full height, her hands behind her back. "Sir Nealan," she nodded gravely.
Aly noted the fear and respect in his green eyes as he stood to attention, "Sir Alanna, may I present my squire, Alan of Pirate's Swoop. He will be my charge for the next four years and I shall teach him all I know about the art of war and the art of healing, which I learned from my own Knight-master."
Alanna nodded her lips twitching and Aly let out a laugh as George cut in, "Come on love, give the poor lad a break. Look how frightened he is."
"I'm - I'm not -" he stopped when Alanna's eyes landed on him again and he let out a soft yelp.
Alanna smiled, "Oh, Neal, come on, you're not actually afraid of me, come here," she shook his hand and laughed.
Lady Knight Keladry and Sergeant Domitan were the next ones to be announced and they came in to greet their Highnesses, never had the privilege of meeting either. Raoul came over to talk with Alanna and Kel as Neal became the recipient of teases from Dom as Aly laughed. Alan was talking to their father - she'd talk to him after the meal. Dom looked at Aly, "So, I hear Alianne here is calling you Nealie instead of Meathead." Neal grimaced.
"But I think Nealie is almost childish, so during my studies with you, I'll make sure to think of new nicknames."
Thom was the last one to be announced, and soon everyone was being ushered to sit at the large table. Aly looked around at the servers and noticed that they weren't wearing pages' uniforms, but rather uniforms of the King's Own. Dom, who was sitting close to Aly answered her unspoken question. "The pages had already been given the night off, so at the last minute Raoul rounded up the newest recruits and got them to serve."
Aly nodded, reaching for her glass. The chance of her seeing those terribly attractive green eyes suddenly increased dramatically.
She was talking with Princess Lianne who was sitting on her left when James, Dom's nephew, served Alan his first course. She looked up for a moment and met his deep green eyes. Her stomach lurched and she looked away quickly, bringing her attention back to Lianne, who hadn't noticed Aly's eye contact.
It seemed as though James was serving everyone who was sitting across from Aly. And she couldn't look away enough. It wasn't just his eyes that were mesmerizing, but his face, the way he moved; he walked with a gracefulness that most men lacked, even knights. Aly could only imagine the way he must have fought.
Dom watched his nephew, nervous that he would trip in front of all these important nobles. But Dom's worry was unnecessary, since he knew how poised he was both in a fight and apparently serving food. He took a bite of his food and looked up at James again and saw him staring at something. He followed his gaze and was surprised to see Aly staring back at James.
He smiled. This would be interesting.
Aly was able to snatch her father away from her Uncle Raoul after the meal as everyone was standing around, talking. "Pops," she grinned as her dad grinned back, his hazel-green eyes twinkling.
"Ah, daughter, let me take a look at you, yes, yes, you are a lady," he reached for her arm and smiled, "but still my child, I see," he said as he felt the dagger on the inside of her arm.
"Force of habit, Pops," she sighed, "so have you heard the news? Not only am I a lady, but I'll be studying healing with Sir Nealie. And," she whispered, leaning in so her dad could here her, "Uncle Jon tells me there's a spot for me amongst your ranks when I'm 18."
George tried to hide his smile, "Aye, I knew he would tell you sooner or later. And yes, but I think with all of your training and education, you'll be a higher-ranked spy."
"Among the Ambassadors?"
He laughed at her eagerness, "We'll see, we'll see, first I think you need to complete your training with Neal first."
Aly sighed, "Yes, yes."
George smiled as Thom came over, "Ah, Thommy my boy, have you seen lady-like your sister is?"
Thom grinned, "Soon, father, we'll have to fend-off knights, mages -"
"- Members of the King's Own," Alan whispered in Aly's ear.
"- who'll want to take our dear sister's hand in marriage," Thom finished, unaware of what Alan had said. Aly scowled at her twin, daring him to say something again.
"Ah, here's our resident squire! Alan, how does it feel to be a squire?"
Alan smiled, "Feels fine, Pops!"
Alanna walked over and put her arm around Aly, "Oh, daughter of mine, I am proud that you can walk and act like a lady," she laughed, "and that you can wrestle and use daggers as well as any man."
Aly grinned, "Not just any man, Ma, I can wrestle better than Alan and use daggers just as well as Pops. And I'll be joining Lady Knight Keladry's morning glaive sessions."
Alanna smiled, brushing her daughter's hair behind her shoulders, "Than I'll see you there," she and George bade their children and everyone goodnight.
Aly turned around and saw James watching her from a dark corner, but as soon as he saw her notice him, he turned away. Aly felt that she should have been apprehensive, but she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.
Dom walked up beside her, "He's a good kid," he said, smiling. "I know we barely know each other, Lady Alianne," he said dramatically, "but from what I've heard, you seem like a nice enough young lady."
Aly laughed, "Well, thank you, Sergeant Domitan. And from Neal's constant complaining, I feel as though I can trust you, but I don't really know what you're talking about."
Dom nodded, "Of course, Lady Alianne, of course. But I think if you got to know James, you'd like him. And I'm not just saying that because I'm his uncle."
Aly smiled, "How does that work? You're not that much older than he is…"
Dom's blue eyes twinkled, "I knew I liked you. No, I'm the baby of the Masbolle clan, and he's the second brother of my second eldest brother. Out of ten siblings."
Aly nodded, "And I thought my adoptive extended family was difficult to explain."
Dom laughed, "The Masbolles have a lot of children -"
"- And they're all crazy," Neal cut in.
"Just as crazy as the Queenscove clan!"
Aly went to sleep quickly that night, trying not to think of James' deep green eyes: it wasn't like she hadn't had crushes before, but she was older now, and she needed to stop having silly, girly feelings like this.
But James was nice to look at.
She woke up early to get down to the practice courts. There were already a few women there, including her mother, Kel, Queen Thayet and Princess Lianne.
She walked back to the Palace with her mother, who had a breakfast meeting with Jon, Gary and the rest of the council. Aly bathed and changed quickly and hurried to the mess hall, to eat with Neal and Alan before practicing Healing.
"Good morning, teach."
Neal groaned into his porridge, "Wonderful, an extra half-bell of teasing."
"Oh, Neal, come, I'm not going to tease you during our lessons. I want to learn how to heal, Neal. I want to be able to learn more about my Gift without having to go to University."
Neal blinked. "Aly, I knew you were serious about your studies, but I had no idea how serious you were about your Gift," he paused as her stirred his porridge, thinking. "The King has assigned me to the Bazhir - specifically the Bloody Hawk tribe since I was made a member when I was your mother's square, and since that school is still there…"
"Oh, Neal please ask if I can come! Technically I'm a member of the tribe and I could learn so much from them! And if you go, my studies will be disrupted and -"
Neal smiled, "I'll try, Aly, I'll ask. I'll see what I can do."
Aly walked into Myles' room that afternoon, "Sorry I'm late, Grandpa, Nealie really worked us hard today." She sat down in her usual chair and didn't notice the person sitting next to her until Myles acknowledged him.
"Aly, your father and I wanted to talk to you a little bit about spies and about the training you'll have to go through before and after you turn eighteen."
Aly grinned, "Yes, of course, of course. And before you say anything," her voice turned serious, and both her father and grandfather knew she was putting on another of her infamous Player-worthy performances. "I know that this training will be hard, I know that with this training and my previous and on-going education, I will be a higher-ranking spy, by being anything from a peace envoy to a princess' lady-in-waiting. Yet, I will still be in danger as all other spies, and so must take the Spy Oath in the event that I get discovered and questioned. Even when there are no potential threats to our realm, spies are needed for even the most mundane of jobs."
George laughed, "Aye, sounds good to me. Practicing that one, were ya?"
Aly feigned innocence and sat back, waving her hand, "I don't know what you mean by that comment, father. It came straight from the heart."
Myles laughed too, "Fine, fine, that was all well and good. But yes, you're training will become intensive, and secretive, closer to your 18th birthday. Until than, you are expected to focus your time and energy on studying healing with Sir Nealan, continuing your fighting," he paused.
"And perhaps trying to take up archery again, yea?"
Aly grimaced, "I'd rather just learn to throw swords or javelins or something."
"And you will continue your current studies, since they will be valuable to your life as a spy."
Aly grinned, "Let's the games begin!"


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text:
Fighting the Fungus
There's the basic stuff about candida we all know (those of us with the problem anyway) about not eating sugary stuff and getting the probiotics in etc. We know that antibiotics, birth control pills and steroids make it worse. I won't reiterate the basic stuff about candida overgrowth here as there's plenty of material on various good websites on the subject. But there are a few little nuggets I've learned more recently about controlling candida that I'd like to share, just in case others have missed them too.
Candida can be tough to get rid of once it becomes systemic, i.e. embedded in the intestinal wall and even in organs and tissue deeper in the body. If you have systemic candidiasis, it will take several months of sustained effort before you will win the battle because the whole of the intestinal wall has to have time to renew with clean tissue. We know we can starve the candida out by eliminating sweets, carbs and alcohol; kill it with antifungal supplements and both kill and crowd it out with probiotics.
There are other things we can do in addition to all that, using some of the herbs and supplements that have become available more recently. Many of these are available at Raw Living, and I shall mention those in bold. For instance, you can help your own immune system to overcome candida with immune-building supplements. The most potent of these, perhaps surprisingly, isreishi mushroom. All of the noble mushrooms are good for this against candida, includingchaga, cordyceps, maitake, shiitake, lion's mane, agaricus blazei, trametes versicolor etc, but reishi is the king of anti-candida supplements. A good product to try if you want to cover all the bases is STR-12 but any of the reishi products will be very potent too. The reishi thing seemed counter-intuitive to me when I first learned about it as I was always told to avoid eating anything with mushrooms in it because they're supposed to encourage candida growth. But in fact the noble mushrooms should be the first mode of attack according to David Wolfe. He also says we need to take big doses. These medicinal mushrooms cannot do us any harm so you can't overdose though you may get some detox discomfort initially if you dive straight into a high dose regime. David Wolfe's philosophy, rather than the allopathic conventional medic's idea of 'take two and call me in the morning', is 'take 2,000 and email me next month!'
The next effective treatment that can seem counter-intuitive is to do a series of colonics. Some people, who may have spent months on end improving their internal garden of flora with a long course of probiotics feel reluctant to have colonic treatment because they worry, quite reasonably, that it will wash away the good bacteria they've worked so hard to build up. In fact, a colonic will only temporarily wash away some of the good bacteria and since we lose quite a lot with every bowel movement anyway, it's not really a problem. The reason a series of colonics is beneficial is that candida thrives on all the muck and mayhem in our gut while the good bacteria prefer a clean environment. So colonics will tip the balance in favour of the good bacteria by providing the right environment for them while the candida will have less putrefaction to hide out in. By a colonic, I include enemas as well as professional colonics so grab an enema bag and do yourself a favour!
While we're talking about brilliant supplements that have only recently become available, I once again have to trumpet the angelical, magical properties of Adya Clarity. This stuff has a very powerful capacity to kill candida and for some people will eradicate the problem completely. For more on Adya, see the two other RL blog articles on it, my own and another byPolly Noble. While Adya hasn't eradicated candida altogether for me, there is a good reason for that which I'll come to in a minute and I do find it keeps it under control even when I'm naughty and eat honey or dried figs.
The next items that may not be obvious anti-candida allies are the fermented foods –sauerkraut, kim-chi, kefir and kombucha for example. I used to think these would be bad for me. The word 'fermented' rang alarm bells and I avoided them. Now I know that such foods are potent probiotics, and that I can get more billions of living probiotic organisms into me this way than I can get from any of the probiotic pills and powders. I still use the pills and powders – I want it all! – but I have noticed a positive difference in my health since beginning on the fermented foods. I especially notice that my bowels seem to work better and I have less gas. I absolutely love sauerkraut and eat it almost daily but I confess I am not yet 100% sure about the kefir yet. I've been brewing water kefir and drinking a small glass each evening. It tastes wonderful, a bit like cider, but I can't get my head around how it can be an anti-candida substance. I know it contains a (small) amount of sugar and although I've been using coconut sugar crystals which are fairly low-glycaemic, it still worries me. Plus I know kefir contains alcohol. It's a tiny amount (about 0.7% apparently) but it's enough for me to feel it, I do get a bit of a rush. Since alcohol is rocket fuel for candida, I find the idea so contrary to what I know about candida control, that drinking kefir does blow my fuses a bit. As I mentioned at the beginning, I am having a slight candida flare-up at the mo, but this may be due to causes other than the kefir so I will persevere and see what happens. I'd be interested to know what other people's thoughts are on this one.
Earlier I said that I believe I know why I've not yet completely eliminated candida from my system, despite all of these powerful weapons. In my case, I think it's because I still have two mercury amalgam fillings in my mouth, and I don't think I'll ever entirely get rid of the candida while they are there. The reason I still have them is partly budgetary reasons and partly that my system hasn't been strong enough to withstand removal. Mercury amalgam removal is a big deal and is potentially dangerous if not done correctly or if done when your immune system is weakened. I know where I want to go to have it done so I've been saving my pennies and trying to build up my immune strength. Then I'll be ready with the Adya, the zeolites and the colonics for after the procedure. Interestingly, I've read some conflicting facts about candida and mercury. One is that candida converts mercury to its most poisonous form, methyl mercury. As if mercury wasn't poisonous enough, candida actually makes it worse. The other thing I read is that candida has one good quality in that it buffers the body against some of mercury's most poisonous effects and so the body in its wisdom, hangs on to candida while mercury is present, because it helps deal with the toxicity. An interesting thought. I wonder which is true, or if it's possible both things could be true at the same time?
Finally I feel it worth mentioning a few things which, while they are neither counter-intuitive nor new, they are things I find really helpful in the battle against the beastly yeast, things I'd hate to do without. One of these is pau d'arco tea which is the best tasting of the medicinal teas in my opinion. I was fascinated to hear that when a pau d'arco tree dies and falls in the South American jungle, it doesn't rot. It's so resistant to fungus and bacteria that it just sits there, not rotting. Anyway. Another thing is coconut butter, which is of course not only the most delicious substance ever but is anti-fungal too. As an aside, I never worry about putting on weight eating coconut either, because I gather the fat consists of medium-chain triglycerides which the body can't store as fat. Moving on, colloidal silver is great because you can use it internally and externally. Last but by no means least is the Terminator zapper, which gets top marks for killing all kinds of parasites including candida.
Good luck with your own efforts to keep the candida in check, and may you have a very happy, fungus-free autumn.


text: This past Sunday, together with the residents of our retirement home here in Cambridge, the Community celebrated the Solemnity of Corpus Christi beginning with a beautiful Mass offered by Father Tim Higgins followed by an outside Procession with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It is always moving to hear the thoughts of our dear seniors on these special occasions. One elderly woman began to cry after the Mass and procession saying that she hadn't had the privilege of attending a Eucharistic Procession in so many years and was so grateful to God for having allowed her to experience it once again…may we too always experience that gratitude of heart for such love shown to us in His constant and abiding presence among us on the altar.


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Saturday, September 28, 2013
Rooibos and books. Ройбос и книги
2 comments:
Ysterplaat! I've been there! :D It's an old fishing community but also an air force base.ReplyDelete
"Lord Nelson" made me smile. It reminded me of the most gorgeous (and pinkest!) hotel in the world, the Mount Nelson in Cape Town.
Aww, now you've made me all nostalgic.
So happy that you love rooibos. You do realize that you're going to have to come with me to South Africa one day so that we can have rooibos in Stellenbosch? I want to take you here:
PS: Now I can't remember. Have I shared that Hillcrest link with you before? It's my favourite "koek en tee" (cake and tea) place.Replies
Does Yster mean Easter?Delete
Wow, that hotel is really pink O_O Is it also cute? ^^
As soon as Pirozhok becomes a superstar with lots of money, he'll take me first to Tokyo and then to Stellenbosch :D I see there are yummy berries there. I love berries ^.^ You won't mind meeting Pirozhok, right?
"Raspberry and Blackberry vinegars" - I didn't know such existed!
How to leave a comment.
Как оставить комментарий.
Спасибо за ваши комментарии :)
Thank you for your comments =)
Kiitos kommenteistanne ;-)
コメントありがとうございます ^_^


text:
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text:
Apple is to pursue further legal action against Samsung with a view to barring its newest, flagship phones from sale, it has emerged.
Last week, Apple won a landmark case in a US court when the jury decided that the Samsung Galaxy S and its massive-selling successor, the Galaxy S2, infringed on the Cupertino tech giant's patents.
The ruling, which Samsung is set to appeal, requires that the South Korean gadget-maker pays Apple $1 billion. It also clears the way for a secondary legal action that will see Apple try to get the phones withdrawn from sale in the US.
Not satisfied with that victory, today it has emerged that Apple is also seeking damages for what it claims are patent infringements on the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note phablet.
Samsung's revenues mean it is able to pay the sum ordered by the US court. However, the addition of the S3 and Note to the patent list could be far more punitive in the long-term.
A sales ban at this key stage in the S3's life and during the six-month window when the handset is at its most in-demand, could severely damage the company in the US.


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Sweet Sweet Balls of Energy!!
I have found an amazing recipe for a little healthy snack. Something you can make and have them ready for the week when you need a little pick me up. Maybe you need to get ready for your workout or even to fuel back up afterwards. Perfect to get rid of those sweet cravings also!… Continue reading Sweet Sweet Balls of Energy!!


text:
Open-source software's hidden snags
And even if you're only planning to use the software internally, it's important to ensure that the legal department understands the numerous types of licenses available, Driver says. "Restrictions vary, sometimes dramatically," he says. "You don't want to get a letter from your lawyer with an injunction because your open-source solution violated someone else's intellectual property."
Fitting open-source technology into your current infrastructure is another thorny issue. Three years ago, Roy Mentkow, director of technology for the city of Roanoke, Va., decided to transition from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice. However, for some users, desktop applications were heavily integrated with Lotus Notes workflows. "We had to ensure OpenOffice worked well with Notes on an application-by-application basis," Mentkow says. "That was something that snuck up on us."
In the end, the city migrated about half of its 900 users, resulting in $140,000 in savings. Still, Mentkow says, the savings won't come all at once but rather when those desktops would have been upgraded to a new version of Microsoft Office.
It's also important to look beyond another widely touted benefit of open-source software: the ready pool of developers who are familiar with the technology and see the prospect of using it as a retention or hiring plus. While it's true that developers are plentiful and eager to work with open source, that expertise can come at a price.
"If you asked a developer if they'd like to work with open-source or commercial software, eight times out of 10 they'll say open source," Lyman contends. And some developers may charge less than developers who work with commercial products.
Hamadeh says that with SugarCRM, it's even possible to "have a local student come in and program something in a couple of hours," Hamadeh says, or a tech-savvy business person can create custom modules. But, he cautions, while there are some SugarCRM consultants who will do a great job, they can be expensive, so having internal IT talent can help you avoid added costs.
Brisbin points out that the success of open source at NPC is due largely to the fact that its developers have a breadth of knowledge and are willing to work outside of narrowly defined silos.
"We have small development teams, and we cross areas of responsibility," he says, noting that he routinely moves among RPG, Java, Web front-end development, PostgreSQL and the underlying application system. "There is a critical mass of information you need to have as a developer to do open source effectively," Brisbin adds.
And then there's one of the more hard-to-quantify costs: cultural change. Mentkow says Roanoke's move to OpenOffice involved changing the culture as much as it did changing the desktops. "Cultural change does not happen in moments," he says. "As we move to different platforms and different standards, what we have to see is an acceptance of those changes."
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text:
Nick Lutz's story is so 2017.
His beef with an ex-girlfriend went from an inside joke between friends to an international news story overnight, all thanks to a wildly viral tweet that earned over 120,000 retweets.
The tweet showed him giving an apology note from his ex-girlfriend a letter grade of D-minus.
After posting a photo of the graded letter online, Lutz received thousands of social media notifications, texts, emails and phone calls, he told local TV station, telling him the tweet was "hilarious" and "relatable," Lutz said.
From everyone except his ex-girlfriend, that is.
His ex, whose first name is visible in the posted letter, felt she was being cyberbullied, Lutz's lawyer, Jacob Stuart, told the Miami Herald. She filed a grievance with the University of Central Florida, where Lutz is a senior studying sports management. The woman is not a student at UCF.
Five months after posting the tweet, on July 6, Lutz was suspended for the summer and fall 2017 semesters after he was found responsible for "disruptive conduct" and "harmful behavior" as outlined in UCF's student code of conduct, Stuart told WFTV 9.
But just days after filing an appeal of the decision on July 17, Lutz's suspension from the university was reversed after the UCF student conduct office found that there were "irregularities" that could have affected the outcome of Lutz's conduct hearing.
In the documents attached to a statement from Lutz and Stuart, Michael Gilmer, the director of UCF's student conduct office, wrote that the "charges brought forward in this case were not supported by the original documentation received."
"Upon review, it appears that the conduct charge on disruptive behavior was improvidently levied," Gilmer wrote.
Gilmer added that though Lutz's ex-girlfriend, whom Gilmer identifies as a "high school student with plans to attend UCF in the future," experienced "substantial emotional distress," Gilmer could not conclude that her distress was due to Lutz's tweet or to the attention that the tweet received.
Stuart had previously argued in an appeal letter that Lutz had said nothing demeaning, derogatory or threatening about his ex-girlfriend and had no control over how others reacted to the tweet. Stuart also argued that UCF was violating Lutz's right to freedom of expression.
"The right to enjoy freedom of speech is by no mean absolute," Stuart wrote in the appeal letter. "Yet, there is only specific and extreme situations that this fundamental right is restricted by the government."
Though Gilmer revoked all sanctions imposed on Lutz from the previous decision, Gilmer also called for a new hearing with new charges, "if appropriate charges are identified."
Lutz and Stuart commended UCF for taking "their immediate and decisive action of revoking these ill-founded sanctions."
"We look forward to this matter being resolved once and for all in the near future with UCF standing-down and not pursuing this matter further," Lutz and Stuart's statement said.
Prior to the reversal of the decision, UCF spokeswoman Courtney Gilmartin told USA TODAY College in an email that in very public cases, UCF has "the option to ask the student involved to waive their FERPA rights so a more clear picture can emerge." She indicated that Lutz had not yet done so, and did not comment further.
Though Lutz previously expressed regret about sharing the letter on social media in a February interview with the BBC, he now stands by the tweet, which remains pinned to his Twitter profile.
"This is the right thing to do, and I still feel that way, that there's nothing wrong with what I did," Lutz told WFTV 9, referencing the tweet as a method of standing up for himself after the relationship ended.


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Arrests announced from Monroe Park Occupation
Richmond Police have charged nine people with misdemeanors for unlawfully staying in Monroe Park after dark on March 17.
Matthew J. Castle, 21, of no fixed address, and Moriah M. Karn, 24, of the 2000 block of Barton Avenue, were both issued a misdemeanor summons each for unlawfully remaining in a public park after dark and released at the scene.
The seven people below were all charged with misdemeanor unlawfully remaining in a public park after dark as well as misdemeanor obstruction of justice for failing to identify themselves to a magistrate.
Katheryn M. Petrick, 29, of no fixed address,
David C. Stubbs, 26, of Charlotte, North Carolina,
Lawrence W. Oleksa, 18, of Henrico County,
Leilani R. Combs, 19, of the 1300 block of West Cary Street,
Daniel Fargason, 26, of no fixed address,
Stephen J. Loughman IV, 20, of the 2000 block of Barton Avenue, and
Darick Neth, 23, of no fixed address.
The group will be tried together during a court hearing on Tuesday, April 12, in the General District Court of the Manchester Courts building.


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Amazon Web Services Won't Launch Blockchain-based Services, Says CEO Andy Jassy
Despite previous rumors, Blockchain-based services will not be offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) anytime soon. CEO Andy Jassy made the announcement at the AWS annual re:Invent conference held in Las Vegas in late November. Jassy presented his views on Blockchain technology, claiming there are


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Final part of US 421 widening project begins Monday
Final part of US 421 widening project begins Monday
Crews will begin to put the finishing touches on the US 421 widening project in Boone on Monday, weather permitting.
The $15.2 million project to widen the road from Hardin Street to N.C. 194 east of downtown is expected to be completed in mid-July. It began in 2009.
NCDOT officials also are warning drivers of delays over the Memorial Day weekend as construction is scheduled to take place then as well.
The project entails putting down the final layer of pavement, as well as installing permanent road markings.


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What is CCCC?
15 Lectures | Full Syllabus Covered | Theory and Practical | Separate Mat |
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Reuters Staff
1 Min Read
Dec 4 (Reuters) - Experience Co Ltd:
* ANNOUNCES $60M UNDERWRITTEN ACCELERATED NON-RENOUNCEABLE ENTITLEMENT ISSUE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.
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Simpler cooking is the trending style among people!
Technological changes influence the modern lifestyle of people on a greater level and all of such changes ensure their comfort of living. Even with such changes, some factors remain unaltered throughout the history of mankind. One among such would include the cooking that provides the tasty dishes that meets the hunger requirements of people in a more delightful way. And with the improved socialization and the various cultural practices, the art of cooking remains more of a unique way to represent them. It is because of such reason the people prefer popular dishes around the particular area to get the best idea of the lifestyle of people around the place. With the improved business interaction, the need of such traveling to other places has increased greatly. This, in turn, has also increased the food industry on a greater scale resulting in a greater increase in the modern food restaurant and hotels etc. And the best attraction to such places depends on their taste factor which clearly depends on the culinary skills of the professionals involved in it. And in the recent times, many of the people prefer the innovative cooking styles that bring out the best flavors of taste in the food items. Speaking of which Chef Kanida Chey in Canada is well known for his simpler cooking style which has attained quite a lot of people's attention.
Cooking and its style!
Cooking is more than just preparing food; it involves various factors that determine the quality of the food which in turn would determine their people's preference. The first and the foremost thing is the taste which completely depends on the cooking style of the professional. KanidaChey is a renowned chef with more than 15 years of cooking experiences who has been the executive chef in the branca a Canadian restaurant owned by himself and his childhood friend James Bateman who has been fascinated with chey's style of cooking. The secrecy of chey's cooking is all about making use of live fire with the slow roasting technique for cooking. And such a method has interested people more and that could be more easily witnessed with their numerous awards including the Toronto's Top new restaurant and the best romantic restaurant etc.
Live flame cooking and the menu!
According to Kandia Chey live flame cooking is one of the most natural methods in which the live fire are used and the ambers of such fire are also used to heat the grill. The in house smokers are the best attractive feature of this restaurant which consists of the concrete pit in which the wooden pieces are lit and the food items are smoked to the desired level. And the other most important factor about the restaurant is its menu items. They serve the best food items based on various seasons for people to enjoy their meals. However, in spite of this factor, the culinary skill set of a cooking professional is what it matters the most! With the wide availability of the modern media platforms, it becomes easier for people to get the best ideas from the experts such as the Chef Kanida Chey with an ease. All it ever requires is to find the suitable online site for getting the required information.


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The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is closely monitoring developments regarding the Zika virus. While we are located 30 miles north of the current travel advisory region, we continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
The following is helpful information and resources to clarify any misconceptions about Zika virus and help visitors make informed decisions about travel plans to Broward County.
Key factors to note regarding the Zika virus:
- There are currently no locally acquired cases and no areas of active transmission or investigation of Zika virus in Broward County.
- There are no travel advisories for visiting Broward County and there no longer are any identified areas with active Zika transmission.
- The Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito, which carry the Zika virus, have a very short flight distance, typically 150 yards, during its short lifecycle.
- Broward County's Department of Public Works/Mosquito Control Section continues to be vigilant with mosquito control measures, coordinating aggressive preventative efforts, including Deploying VectoBac WDG mosquito larvicide, an organic product not harmful to humans, pets, bees, acquatic areas, or environmentally sensitive areas. The active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti, strain AM65-52), a naturally occurring, biodegradable biological to areas of standing water
What is being done to stop the spread of the Zika Virus to Broward County?
- Broward has been tracking Zika since it first appeared in South America two years ago in order to be prepared if it breached our shores. The County Commission has committed whatever resources are needed, including increased funding for mosquito mitigation efforts.
- The Broward County Department of Public Works / Mosquito Control Section has responded rapidly with mosquito control measures, coordinating aggressive preventative efforts to protect it's residents and visitors while considering their health and welfare, including:
- Deploying VectoBac WDG mosquito larvicide, an organic product not harmful to humans, pets, bees, acquatic areas, or environmentally sensitive areas. The active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti, strain AM65-52), a naturally occurring, biodegradable biological to areas of standing water
- Allocating an additional $300,000 in funding toward aerial and ground mosquito control initiatives
- Conducting door-to-door backpack spraying
- Draining standing water where possible
- Eliminating mosquito habitats and setting up mosquito traps
- Sampling adult mosquitoes to gauge effectiveness of the above-mentioned treatment
- Broward has successfully combated other mosquito-borne viruses (such as Chickunguna) carried by the type of mosquito that can transmit the Zika virus in the past
- Broward County has mosquito control staff experts and registered nurse on staff to address any questions relating to Zika
- Deploying turbine engine trucks, a new tool as part of the overall aggressive and preventative strategy in the fight against the Zika virus. The advantage of spraying using the turbine engine is the ability to have larvicide reach into the backyards of our residents from the street, including areas with heavy tree canopies. In addition, spraying efforts with turbine engine is less affected by weather conditions compared to aerial larviciding. Broward County is the second location in the U.S. to use the turbine engine for larviciding and the larvicide product used in the turbine engine is the same organic and biodegradable product that we use for our aerial larviciding (VectoBac WDG - active ingredient is Bti).
- The Florida Department of Health – Broward County has been educating residents and business owners how to prevent mosquito breeding sites.
What is the travel advice for visiting Broward County?
- There are no travel advisories for visiting Broward County and there no longer are any identified areas with active Zika transmission.
- Residents and visitors are encouraged to use recommended insect repellents on exposed skin and to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants while outdoors, particularly during dawn and dusk hours.
Travelers can also find the latest information at:
- Florida Zika Virus Information Hotline: 855-622-6735
- Broward County ZIKA FAQs
- Florida Department of Health Zika Virus Information
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Zika Virus Information
- U.S. Travel Association Zika Virus information
- VISIT FLORIDA Mosquito-Borne Disease information


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Student Life
Student life at Saint John's includes many opportunities to grow and learn. We encourage our students to participate in a variety of co-curricular experiences which develop character and interpersonal skills. There are clubs and organizations for every interest. Whether your passion is playing the guitar, speech & debate, skiing, or film-making, there is a place for you at SJCP.
Civil War Field Trip 9
Yearbook Day 13
Fine Arts Night - Band & Percussion Ensemble 1
Fine Arts Night 20
Honors Biology Spring Planting 8
Mr. Viking 2018 77
Latin I Edible Models 8
SJCP Redesign Challenge 30
Fallingwater Field Trip 11
Spring Musical 4
Haiti Donations 4
Chinese New Year 4
March for Life 13
World Religions Field Trip 5
Christmas Window Painting 7
Kennedy Center Ballet 4
Science Olympiad 8
Latin III Roman Armies Activity 5
Students Perform at Beef O'Bradys 13
Maintaining Campus Flower Beds 7
Halloween 22
Visit to Pittsburgh 20
Sophomore Retreat 24
Photography Class Projects 6
Homecoming Dance 6
Homecoming Football Game 11
Spirit Week - Green and Gold Day 8
Spirit Week - Throwback Thursday 51
Spirit Week - Twins Tuesday 34
Spirit Week - Maryland Monday 35
Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival 7
Book Buddies with SJRCS 69
Senior Class McElroy Day of Service 8
Harvesting and Processing Hops 18
Club Fair 17
Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Orientation 6
Freshman Orientation 11
Campus Ministry Team 11
Student Ambassadors 6


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Hello again. October has arrived and while the federal government may be shut down, things are humming along here at Stanbridge. Our Middle Elementary students returned Friday after a three-day adventure in Westminster Woods and our junior high students will be heading there soon for their fall experiential trip, October 15-17. Lots of highlights from these trips, including the High School trip to Web of Life School in September, and we're still sorting through the hundreds--thousands--of pictures that everyone took. Be sure to check in our Media Room next week when we will post a selection of these photos.
This past week, the Stanbridge Parents Association held their monthly SPA meeting which featured a full agenda. There's a lot coming up on the calendar, particularly in the second half of this month: The High School Service Day, the first dance of the school year, and the Halloween carnival, just to name just a few. Anna Zara is compiling the minutes from Wednesday's meeting and we'll post them on the SPA Spot page this week.
This coming week is a fairly quiet one here at Stanbridge, but please note that Tuesday, October 8 is picture day. Please ensure your student is dressed appropriately for their photo on Tuesday. Elementary and Junior High students should follow the dress code guidelines in the Parent-Student Handbook. We inadvertently neglected to include the High School student dress code in this year's handbook, but you can find the guidelines in this post on the Bridge Blog. An order form for additional prints can be found on the Files & Forms page.
Also, check your mailbox in the days ahead for a packet on our 2013-2014 Annual Fund. This year's campaign begins in earnest this week and there are a number of incentives for giving and giving early. The mailed packet includes a in-depth look at all of the programs and activities impacted by the Annual Fund and illustrates how your donation helps to make a difference. And making a difference is easier than ever now that you can make your donation online--simply click over to our Support Us section for details. Our school has always prided itself on the idea of the "Stanbridge Community"--parents, guardians, students, teachers, and alumni working together. The Annual Fund helps to ensure that our program remains strong and continues for the next 30 years and beyond. Together, we are Stanbridge, and on behalf of the Stanbridge Community, I thank you in advance for your participation in our Annual Fund Campaign.
Before signing off, two more reminders: First, the Common Ground Speaker Series kicks off its 2013-2014 season this week with Po Brosnan speaking at three Bay Area venues on October 8 and 9. You can read more about his presentation on our Lectures & Workshops page, which also includes a number of other upcoming events of note. Secondly, the donations for our November 16th "Cheers to 30 Years!" fall gala keep coming in. Just this week we received more restaurant gift certificates, jewelry donations, gift baskets and more. If you know of any friends, family members or businesses who would like to contribute auction items, we've made the process easy--simply click over to the Files & Forms page and download our two-page Auction Donor Packet. Thanks to everyone who has donated so far; it's going to be a spectacular night!
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!


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2 years ago
1,195 posts
So sorry that you had to see the motorcycle accident, the death of the man and the the death of your friend's nephew. That would be enough reason to cause you to be tearful. Meditation can also bring feelings to the surface and make you tearful. You are probably going through something that will pass on its own after you have processed the emotions.
You might try a meditation on impermanence and death. The one I was taught involves thinking that:
"I could die in 1 year...11 months...10 months...." just keep counting down until you get to "one week...6 days...tomorrow...one minute...etc"
I did this for a week at a Buddhist center and left feeling very calm. It puts things into perspective. There are others on impermanence on Youtube but I don't know what they are like.
I hope you feel better soon:)


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End screen
What next? - Give an answer
The HTML5 video player for the webGet the new version replay video
Lead your audience to related topics on your site by presenting an end screen once they have enjoyed your video. With Flowplayer end screens are completely customizable and require no scripting. Just make use of the
is-finished CSS state class to make it appear.
view standalone page | alternative version with overlayed screen
More info
Show details during playback
Helsinki railway station Sunday 8:30 AM 10:09 AM from Malminkartano 12:15 AM to Riihimäki 11:25 AM from Kerava 2:55 PM to St. Petersburg 5:25 PM from Vaasa
Here we set some cuepoints for the player. These are pre-defined points in time during playback. Every time a cuepoint is fired an indexed CSS class name is assigned and you can do your thing. This is our thing.
view standalone page | alternative version with clickable cues
Video art
Layer video over changing background
Here cuepoints change the background image. Here is the CSS code.
Generated and visible cuepoints
Here cuepoints are automatically generated and styled with CSS.
view standalone page | variant with manually configured cuepoints


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Written by: Shannon Murphy
With contributions by; Pina Capuano, Emily Guterres, Jocelyn Courneya, and Patricia Michelena
The uOPRA blog team hopes that you have enjoyed the 12 days of PR this year. We have enjoyed every minute and every word typed in producing articles about old memories, current traditions, and classic PR tips and tricks. The 2014-2015 team has and continues to refine what uOPRA embodies; and in fashion with our holiday-themed series, four of our uOPRA members have shared some insight into what uOPRA has done for them.
uOPRA has helped me learn how truly passionate I am about the world of PR. Working alongside others who are just as driven as I am is a blessing and I wouldn't be where I am today without everything uOPRA
Pina Capuano, ACPR
VP Social
The University of Ottawa Public Relations Association has allowed me to build strong and meaningful professional relationships. It has also given me the chance to channel my ambition and drive with other likeminded individuals who are passionate about public relations. I have had the opportunity to use my creative ideas and build them into realities. I am confident that the skills and connections I have made through uOPRA, will be extremely advantageous for my career in public relations.
Emily Guterres, Public Relations
uOPRA Writer
The second year of uOPRA, and even though we are only at the halfway point, it has proven to be a very successful year so far. Two fantastic networking events, some great articles by our bloggers for 12 days and an amazing team of students. I have no doubt that the new year will be even better, and can't wait to see what this team has to bring.
Jocelyn Courneya, Communications and Globalization
uOPRA Writer
I have been in uOPRA for a year and a half now and I have to say I have learned more than I could have imagined. My favourite thing about this organization is definitely the people that you work with, and the activities that we do within the organization! We help each other grow and learn through experience, all together, which is great for our future careers since we will be probably working together in similar projects. It feels great to look back and see how much you have achieved since you first started and I can't wait to see how much we develop as people and as an organization itself in 2015!
Patricia Michelena, Public Relations
VP Secretary
uOPRA is an organization that promotes the success of young professionals by offering support and opportunities to expand their knowledge and portfolio in the public relations field. On a personal level, uOPRA has given me the opportunity to work with the most amazing and talented people in the city. My team this year is an extension of the success uOPRA experienced last year and they continue to inspire me every day with their creativity and determination. I am extremely thankful for everything each member brings to the table, and am so proud of the positive changes that they've made for the organization and for their peers. I cannot believe how lucky I am to collaborate with uOPRA writers and event planners, and I cannot wait for everyone to see our work come to life this year at our second annual conference in March!
We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a long relaxing break before the 12th!


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Before we get started, allow me to introduce myself. My name is JT Mistr. I am an Army Veteran of 8 years and have been an elementary physical education (PE) teacher for the last 18 years. You could potentially say I traded one battlefield for another, but we won't get into that. I love what I do. I love being a physical education teacher. I also think my time as an Army Captain prepared me for my greatest mission in life – and that is helping my students build a solid, healthy foundation that will put them on a path to become the strong, healthy leaders that tomorrow deserves. I also know that I could not say this without having a fitness assessment tool that is administered annually to my PE students. You'll hear me repeat this a few times, but I unequivocally believe this: you can't manage what you don't measure!
Let me start with this – teachers cannot be all things to all students. There simply isn't enough time, more on that in a moment. The old adage "it takes a village to raise a child" is absolutely true and raising a healthy "whole child" quite frankly takes a whole community working in concert together. As teachers, we get our students for less than eight hours a day. As PE teachers, we get our students for a fraction of that, and for many, we're lucky if we see them a couple of times a week for a few fleeting moments. What can we fit in, what do we focus on, what's the most important information piece of the puzzle…all questions I'm guessing we all have asked. This very issue speaks to the heart of why I wholeheartedly believe in fitness assessments, and for the purposes of this blog, FitnessGram, for my students. Now let me tell you why.
If you've ever used FitnessGram, you've probably had that monotonous voice stuck in your head on repeat, "the FitnessGram Pacer test is a multi-stage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult…" You may even have seen the inventive memes and videos on social media involving Sponge Bob and John Travolta. Never underestimate the power of a creative teenage mind with a computer and a Twitter account. However, I have heard on good authority though, that the music and cadence voice are being updated, and will include, for the first time, multiple options, which I will take complete credit for due to my relentless "suggestion-ing" to The Cooper Institute.
Needless to say, the generation we teach today are facing a serious health crisis. This is about as real as it gets – our youngest students are the first, ever, to be predicted to NOT outlive their parents. I urge you to consider this, if we successfully graduate them into the world, but we send them off with obesity, diabetes or early onset cardiovascular diseases, can we really call that a success? As physical education teachers, what we do today, and more importantly, how we do it, will make all the difference in the lives of countless students who cross our paths. It's not just about checking the "PE" box, it's about ensuring our students actually attain the physical literacy they need to be strong adults. As I said earlier, "you can't manage what you don't' measure", and fitness assessments, like FitnessGram, help my students maximize their physical literacy.
First, FitnessGram was developed by The Cooper Institute (The Institute) over 30 years ago. Side bar, I have had the opportunity to work directly with The Cooper Institute and the "Father of Aerobics" Dr. Kenneth Cooper himself during my tenure. Let me say this – the man is, quite simply, awe inspiring, unassuming, and a true pioneer in the field of exercise and preventive medicine. Dr. Cooper always says," It's far easier to raise a healthy child than heal a sick adult." Hard to argue with that logic. I've also had the opportunity to really understand why and how FitnessGram was developed.
There is a reason that FitnessGram is the "gold standard" in youth health-related fitness assessments. FitnessGram is arguably the foundation for all other youth health-related fitness assessments out there. Why? It's backed by years of science and continual scientific evaluation by the FitnessGram Scientific Advisory Board, which includes the best of the best from pediatric physicians, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, academic measurement and evaluation experts, teachers, and more. The test and program is a continually evolving battery of health-related fitness assessments that provide students, and subsequently teachers and parents with some of the most important pieces of information they may ever receive.
I say all this as a preamble to a very important fact: I was not pro-fitness assessment when I began my PE teaching career. In fact, the only reason I administered FitnessGram at first was because it was mandated by the State of Texas in 2007. My first thought was, Really? Mixed reviews, limited resources, lack of motivation and memories of my military days had me questioning whether or not this was a sound route to take. Within a short time of seeing it action, any question of validity was erased. Why you ask?
Let's start by getting back to the basics and apologies for getting that voice stuck in your head, but let's revisit the aforementioned multi-staged test that gets more difficult...for starters, we test kids in math and reading, so why wouldn't we test them in PE? What's the overall goal of PE? It's not difficult for students to learn how to do a push up or to run a lap, You could, arguably plug in any number of YouTube links to show kids how to run, but do they actually know why aerobic activity is important and more importantly, do they know whether or not they can do it? So no, it's not difficult to educate students on PE concepts, what's difficult is whether or not they actually can do them and if they're doing them with a proficiency that a) improves health outcomes and b) builds healthy habits that student can carry with them into adulthood.
Before we get down to business, I would like to get one thing out of the way – and that's time. There's simply never enough time to do everything we want. Period. It doesn't matter what we're doing, we could always use more time. I urge you to not let "time" be an excuse for not doing something that is fundamentally important for your students. Keep in mind; many students don't have the luxury of having an annual physical or seeing a family pediatrician. Their primary health touchpoint very well may come from school, so don't we owe it to all students to provide them with a basic health-related fitness assessment if we have the means to do so?
Here's how FitnessGram (and fitness assessment in general) works for me and my students in both a tangible and intangible way.
Functionally, here's how the components of FitnessGram make an impact on my students:
The Intangibles of FitnessGram:
Bottom line:
Do fitness assessments administered at the elementary school level make an impact? No question, yes. What evidence do I have to back that up? Eleven years of experience administering FitnessGram to over 2,000 students.
You may read the above and feel like I'm sold on FitnessGram, and you would be correct. While I could entertain the potential downsides to testing my students, I would ardently argue that the benefits of helping my both my students and myself, far outweigh any negatives. If I do not take the time to see where my students are and what health-related benchmarks they've achieved, then how do I know where we both need to improve? How do I improve my curriculum in an effort to help my students improve their overall physical heath? I have to take the time to consider what I'm teaching in my classroom. As detailed as my instruction is in teaching my students how to skip or jump rope, what type of teacher am I if I do not create my workouts and exercises based upon the trends and needs that I have on my campus? Do the upper body exercises that my students do during their warmups, circuit stations, or any number of skill-related activities actually help them improve the musculoskeletal components they will be assessed on during FitnessGram?
You bet it does - as it should - otherwise what in the world am I doing all day with these amazing students?
What I am doing is building lifelong lessons that I believe will serve them as they continue to grow into adults with methods to improve their own overall fitness, because they know and understand how to set goals, how to work towards them and most importantly, how to achieve them. What we don't test we accept. What we accept, we allow to become the new standard. I do not wish to accept the current trend of increasing obesity, which is linked to lack of movement and exercise along with dietary trends. As a PE Teacher I am committed to do everything I can to help my students become aware of areas they can impact and testing them via the FitnessGram Test is an important part of that process.
Our students deserve the best, and as PE teachers, we owe them our best and that includes showing them where they are, and helping them to do better. Once again, you can't manage what you don't measure.
JT Mistr
Pink Elementary PE Coach
Frisco ISD PE Coordinator
The article above is my personal opinion and my opinion alone - I do not work for The Cooper Institute nor did I seek any outside information other than my own personal research and experiences while both administering the test and teaching Elementary PE since 2000.