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Diving sculpture – one of many sculptures made of fiberglass to create a dynamic visual spectrum that complements the rhythmic flow of water. The impressive Waterfall at the Dubai Mall runs through the entire height of the mall and is adorned with these sculptures of human divers.
Every time I return from Dubai I need a few days to process my experience there. My parents have been living there for a little under 20 years now so I've been going back on a regular basis. Even before that, while we were living in Qatar we'd often fly over to Dubai with our school for various sporting events. I've literally seen Dubai rise from the dust like a bright shiny phoenix.
Putting morals and my thoughts on carbon footprints aside, I am always flabbergasted at what incredible visions have been realized in the city. The city began developing in the 90s at such a furious speed it was mind boggling every time I went back at what had been achieved. A new superlative was literally stumped out of the ground each month! As the bubble around Dubai grew and the media pushed the hype on Dubai further, I often wondered when that bubble would burst. No one believed it would - but it did!
Dubai was hit badly by the financial crisis and things began tumbling down like a house of cards. Property prices in Dubai collapsed by nearly half in the past year, which was the result of easy credit and overbuilding during the big real estate boom. It was the oil-rich neighbor Abu Dhabi who rode to the rescue and pumped billions of dollars into Dubai last year as it struggled to pay enormous debts.
For the first time I was going back to Dubai after a long gap of close to 2 years. I wondered what would await me. Had the once booming city of Dubai really boomed out?
Burj Khalifa: What was initially known as the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) was renamed after the ruler of the richer neighbor Abu Dhabi pumped several billions of dollars to save Dubai from the crisis. At 825m it is the worlds tallest building.
Burj Al Arab: has become the international landmark of Dubai. It is the world's tallest hotel and the world's only 7 star hotel
I was pleasantly surprised. While it is obvious things in Dubai have slowed down and, for one who has often been to Dubai and experienced the turbulent rise, there was an eerie lull, nonetheless I experienced Dubai very differently this time. One would not really have been able to tell that Dubai was suffering a crisis by looking at the Dubai lifestyle people were living.
Between high heels, Arabian Coffee and fresh flowers Dubai offers everything
The Creek Club on the Creek
Bars, restaurants, cafés - and there are many in Dubai - were pleasantly full of vibrant and vivacious people enjoying a snack or a drink. Shopping malls - yes several of them in Dubai - were packed with people carrying bags containing designer labels and hotels - once again hundreds in Dubai - were alive with tourists. Dubai was, at least the illusion, alive and kicking. After the serenity of smallville Weimar, for me Dubai happened like a breath of fresh air.
While I love the quaintness and calmness of Weimar, I am a city girl at heart and it was easy for me to get caught up in the boisterous lifestyle. My parents live in the fashionable and upcoming area of Jumeirah Lake Towers - very much slap bang in the middle of newer Dubai. From their apartment we had lovely views of the Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab and Dubai Marina. The ocean is a stone's throw away and the air every morning was fresh and salty.
View from my parents apartment towards the Burj Al Arab
View from my parents apartment across the Dubai Marina
Dubai Marina Harbor – view from parents apartment
It is the perfect time of year to visit Dubai with temperatures between 22 - 26 degrees C you can very much enjoy Dubai in all it's green glory. Yes - green! Painstaking efforts have been made to plant grass greener than anything I have seen in Germany, colorful flowers and a multitude of palm trees. Street side and beach side cafés were bubbling over with lively chatter and it was often difficult getting tables outside.
Relaxing at the pool of the Madinat Jumeirah
Madinat Jumeirah: one of many courtyards
Coffee culture – macarons and latte at Paul's located at The Walk on Jumeirah Beach
Abra at the Madinat Jumeirah
Soeren probably enjoyed the swimming pool the best, which is located on the 37th floor of their apartment building, offering exceptional views of the Jumeirah skyline.
Out on the horizon – Soeren at the beach
Almost every time we are in Dubai, I must make a trip to the older parts of Dubai - the "real" Dubai, if you'll have it. The area around the creek is still the part of Dubai I love spending time in. Those are where the souks are - the gold souk, spice souk, electronic souk, textile souk, where colorful wares are displayed in small aging shops and where I really feel the aura of history. Because let's be honest Dubai does not have a very old history. We spent an afternoon mingling amongst the tourists and bargaining with the peddlers at the spice souk. But a word of advice - what used to be cheap is now a tourist trap so if you are not too good at bargaining (like my mother who is the true Queen of Bargaining) you're better off going to one of the supermarkets for your spices.
Colorful spices at the Spice Souk
Hot chilies at the Spice Souk
Food in Dubai is plentiful. Whatever you are craving for you will certainly find it here. Famous chefs and restaurants have all set up their outlets and branches in Dubai, often in several areas dotted across the city. You can indulge in South Indian idlis, Lebanese mezze, Japanese teppanyaki and French Macarons all in one day! And I did - which probably was the reason my tummy rebelled on me a day after I got there causing me to spend quite a bit of time in the bathroom. For a gourmet Dubai is exciting, for a gourmande dangerous but paradise!
The big bite – Burger at Paul's at The Walk on Jumeirah Beach
Teppanyaki at Tokyo in the Emirate Towers
Sushi at Tokyo in the Emirate Towers
Macaron variety from Paul
The two weeks flew past us as we spent our days, relaxing with friends at the beach or the pool, shopping, sight-seeing, visiting friends, eating out or just relaxing at home with my family. Family time was important and Soeren got to spend a lot of it with my brother going to the movies or just hanging out - like boys do!
Colorful "hubbly bubbly" pipes
I loved meeting up with friends - I had the pleasure of getting to know Komal a fellow blogger over a few cocktails, cherished meeting TA, my old school friend and catching up over Starbucks coffee and spending time with my Weimar girlfriend BS and her family, at the beach.
Komal and me at Paul's after enjoying a few cocktails at The Walk on Jumeirah Beach
Macaron variety from Paul
Earlier, when asked how many days one needs for a vacation in Dubai, I would say 3-4 would suffice. Now however, one would certainly need a week or 10 days to enjoy everything Dubai offers.
I've taken you away to Dubai a couple of times before. In 2007 when I showed you how Dubai was booming, then in 2008 we went behind the scenes of a pastry kitchen and I hope you enjoyed the trip this time round too.
H2Ope for Haiti
Before I send you off on your weekends with my best wishes I'd like to take the opportunity to inform you about a charity event for Haiti. H2Ope for Haiti is being organized by my absolute dear friend Jeanne of Cook Sister. From Sunday, February 21 - Sunday, February 28th, BA-CFF will be running H2Ope for Haiti, an online raffle to raise funds for Concern Worldwide's relief effort in Haiti. For full details and how you can help please visit BA-CFF as well as the H2Ope for Haiti JustGiving donation page. Justgiving will pay all the money raised directly to Concern Worldwide, less their processing fee, and donations can be made via international debit or credit cards as well as Paypal. Once the raffle goes live on 21 February, a list of prizes will be available on my site and the BA-CFF site and you can start buying tickets (£6.50 or $10 each)! The prizes will have international appeal and the generous donors will ship anywhere - or if you like you can just make a donation without buying a raffle ticket.
We need all the promotion we can get, so if you have a blog or Facebook/Twitter account it would be wonderful if you could mention this event to your readers on Sunday. If you would like to donate a prize, please contact Jeanne at emailcooksister AT googlemail DOT com.
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2010 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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Quality is Paramount The raw materials we purchase for our products are the safest, highest-quality, pharmaceutical-grade ingredients available in the world. We package under the purest possible clean-room conditions, and materials undergo lab testing to confirm purity greater than 98% (or we reject them!). Advisor Biographical Notes Dr. Jonathan Wright is the best-selling author of Dr. Wright's Guide to Healing with Nutrition, Dr. Wright's Book of Nutritional Therapy (over 600,000 copies sold), and Natural Hormone Replacement for Women Over 45. He is the medical director of the Tahoma Clinic in Kent, Washington and publisher of his own newsletter, Nutrition & Healing. Dr. Don Kleinsek is the president of GeriGene, Inc., a Wisconsin biotech company devoted entirely to life extension through gene therapy. Dr. Kleinsek was the hand-chosen successor to life extension pioneer Dr. Johan Bjorksten as President and Director of the Bjorksten Research Foundation. According to two-time Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, Dr. Bjorksten was an innovator and "one of the most active and effective students of longevity in the world." Will Block is a researcher, writer, and speaker specializing in the life extension, life enhancement and cognitive enhancement aspects of nutritional science. His writings have appeared widely in newsletters, magazines and books. He is also the author of Tools for Privacy. a book about public-key encryption and speaks about futurology, nootropics, nanotechnology and freedom. Innovation is our Driving Force We were the first company to market DHEA, making it commercially available in the summer of 1995. We were also first to market pregnenolone, 5-HTP, vinpocetine, mastic gum, the world's first DNA support supplement, galantamine, and now MHCP. We've been out there pushing the envelope and building acceptance for the enhancement of life since 1985, when the concept of life extension supplementation first gelled. Often we hear from doctors saying they really appreciate what we're doing for this field.

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THEIR Bad Mother
woohoo! congratulations!
Yippee!!!! Congratulations to you all!
Will you be changing the name of your blog to TheirBadMother????
Congratulations! My very best wishes for a happy, healthy, uneventful 9 months. And just to show I mean it, I won't even tell you my "second child born in car" story.
okay - now it's time for me to confess. i stumbled on your blog awhile ago but was never sure how to tell you as i felt like i was tip toeing around in places where i hadn't been invited. and well, i hadn't been invited. that, of course, has not stopped me from being an avid reader and huge fan of your written work. i'm obsessed really...but not in a weird stalker sort of way...more a friendly, curious, wow - i wish i could express myslef that way, sort of stalker.
whole-hearted congratulations from your neighbours across the street! i don't think we'll be far behind you, although we won't know for another week yet!
god, i REALLY REALLY hope this doesn't totally weird you out and make you not want to say hello on the street! :) or like, move your blog to a new address to hide.
- S, M and Mister Jakob
As I say sometimes to PunditGirl, "You're a sneaky pete!" I had a feeling there was something more going on there -- congratulations!! :)
Um yeah, I figured we three + was a message, but I don't know you well enough to call you out :) congrats to you
Congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you.
PS on a totally selfish note - I'm pregnant too - and beyond excited to know that you'll be blogging about it and I won't feel so alone. (I'm already scared)
Totally figured it out, but you know I didn't want to say anything!
Congrats! I am definitely feeling the urge....
Congratulations :) I am so happy for you. Wishing you a safe and happy time x
Wahoo! :) I just thought that I was too hungover to "get it" when I read yesterday's post. I knew I was missing something... important... but it was beyond me.
Their Bad Mother, huh? Wow....
Congrats! We are currently on the fence about # (gulp) 4.
Congratulations!!! Wonderbaby will be a great older sister.
I soooo did not figure out it was coded.
I am so very happy for you.
Um. Are you moving out of the West end? I think that needs to be discussed to see if it meets with the West End Girls Blogging Committee.
Very cool.
Take care of y'all. I hope to be right behind you.
congrats! you know, I wondered about that anniversary poem...
Oh!!!! Congratulations!
That's wonderful!!!!
Woohoo!!! I am so excited for you all. Congrats, Catherine. This is great.
Ooh. I had wondered about your anniversary message, but didn't want a raging case of foot in mouth.
Congratulations congratulations congratulations! This is so fantastic for your family.
And are you leaving the west end? We, too, are on the fence about that decision right now. Sigh.
Yay!! Congratulations! How exciting!
So happy for you (and just a little jealous!)
congratulations, knew something was up but definitely did not figure it out. look foward to reading about their bad mother! maybe one day I will be courageous enough to blog myself :)
congratulations, and on being brave enough to tell all too. I've never been able to keep it quiet for long enough to get to the magical 12 weeks either!
wohoo! I thought so! Congrats! Hurray for you 4!
Gulp! That's a bright line, that is!
Congratulations! Ain't life grand?
Holy shit, that's awesome. Congrats. You know, I've been wondering, but I wasn't going to be the one to ask.
Seriously, congrats. I'm so happy for you all.
Holy crap!
What WONDERFUL news!
Hey, that's great!
Pink always looks best through those two windows.
Warmest congratulations to you and your family! Babies rock.
Wow! Congratulations!
I was writing you a heartfelt note of congratulations and then Henry hit the Shiny! Blue! Button! and turned the whole computer off. Again.
I'm really excited for all of you. And WonderBaby will become WonderSister.
Congratulations!!! That is great news. Hope you have a healthy and easy pregnancy!
Congratulations THEIR bad mother!!! That is very exciting (and I'm a teensy bit jealous).
Congrats!!! Having two kids means there will be four times as much mess and a billion times more love.
Congratulations! Having two kids is SO much fun!
Congratulations! I sort of wondered about that message (and you not feeling like blogging/being preoccupied). Looks like there will be a whole slew of babies at BlogHer this summer!
Congrats!!!! I'm so excited for you and your family! Mazel Tov!
I did wonder! I am so glad for you.
Oh, awesome! Congratulations! I have a daughter about a month younger than Wonderbaby. Then I had twins! Heh. maybe you'll be so lucky...anyway, here's to a wonderful, easy pregnancy! It'll be fun chasing that girl around...
and I was so busy being mesmerized by your beauty that I didn't look for code. congratulations! having 2 is totally fun!
You make pretty babies. You should make more. So good on ya. And a hearty congrats!
Wa-fricken-hooooooo!!! xoxo to ALL of you. :)
That is one definitive second line.
I have to admit I wondered when I read your anniversary post. Congratulations again and again and again, my dear friend.
Ha! I wondered about that PLUS...
Congrats, lady. Shall I start cooking a post for MBT about welcoming a new baby, then?
Yeah! Welcome, Baby! Can't wait to meet WonderSibling...
Such wonderful news! I am sure you are radiant right now!
How exciting! Congrats to you and family!
Wow! I will join in as well and say congratulations!
Yes, was that really coded? Cuz, y'know, it didn't seem all that coded.
Happy Happy! You'll love having two, I promise.
Wooo congrats!!
So I take it you need more space?
That bathroom just got finished.
You know what this means don't you?
Congrats 4000000 times over.
So cool! Congratulations.
I had this feeling...
Congratulations! :D
Well, look at all those congratulations above me! Let's add one more to the mix, shall we?
Yay! Congratulations!
Wow! Congratulations!!
Woo HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Congratulations, Catherine. What fabulous news!
I think Their Bad Mother has a very nice ring to it.
That's wonderful! Congratulations!
Congratulations! Now that your little girl is a WonderGirl, it is time to have another WonderBaby!
DUDE! Suh-weet! Congratulations!
Hah I knew it! Congratulations and what a nice anniversary surprise. :)
Congratulations!! I may lurk a lot but some good baby news can always make a mom come out of hiding.
Why, just the other day I was wondering whether you would change the name of your blog once #2 came around...
Yeah!!! My happiest congrats to you!!
I'm a blogger but posting this one anonymously. Seems like we have 2 things in common. Anniversaries and pregnancies. (You can probably figure out who I am but who wants to go to that much trouble really?)
I haven't announced on my blog yet as it is also very early for me. I figure I'm due May 30. What about you?
Oh yeah...CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations, Bad. Now that is something to celebrate.
I should have read this post first. Congratulations!!!
Aw, y'all warm the heart!!!
More news on the real estate later. NOT moving to the east side (although, it depends upon how one defines 'east'). Due late May, I think. Haven't had the math formalized yet.
Is it bad that I am very happy it's you and not me?
What lovely lines. Congratulations!
Genuine, if it were you it'd be a miracle of science. And, there'd be excessive tearing of your nether regions and you prolly couldn't handle it. So. Not bad at all.
(the whole internet is pregnant, I swear)
WHOO HOO! Let the sequel begin!
Congrats! Welcome to the world of multiple kids. Start stocking up on coffee.
Ohmygosh! Congrats gorgeous!
I'm ridiculously happy for you and grinning like a fool. But, whoa. Why is everyone suddenly getting pregnant? And oh my god, what if I catch it??
Anyway, back to me being happy and sitting here smiling like an idiot. Wheee!
I love myself a good baby! Congratulations!!!!!
WOO HOO! Congrats!!!
What wonderful news and no I didn't figure it out either.
well, I was clueless...
Congratulations! That's lovely news.
Holy Crap, Batman!
I totally missed this!
And, may I be the 88th to wish you congratulations? Yes, I may.
Break a leg!
Happy happy joy joy!!
If YOU'RE pregnant, how come I am hyperventilating??
Wow, great news! Congratulations!
holy crap! congratulations, lady!
Mazel tov! (what more can I say?)
I now look like at idiot grinning at my laptop in a dark hotel room, typing quietly so as not to wake the Magpie - but I can't let this slide! CONGRATS!! :)
OMG!!! Congratulations! This is awesome! I'm so happy for you!
and someone is right... all the internet is pregnant!
i would just like to point out that i was the first commenter on that last post to bring that up, thankyouverymuch. many congrats to you and the whole bad family. :)
I blame (credit really) the RV camping trip. Nothing like 29 feet of Class C motorhome to set the mood.
Oooh, congrats. And I love HBF's comment above. Classic ;) Just don't name the baby Winnebago.
Well if anyone can blow my theory -- twice the children, half the blog -- it's you honey. Then again WTF didn't I have you penciled in for drinks next month???? Right Da Babies screw me again!
I am SO HAPPY for you all.
ps... Little Rabbit's New Baby is a must, just in case Kittenpie forgets.. But I recommend setting the stage with the Day the Babies Crawled Away (often special order, but worth it nonetheless) ... She gonna be some big sister!
And here I had been hoping I could recommend a realtor in the West but the hints seem to point elsewhere.
boo hoo.
Wow! I hope it's not contagious! (EEK!) CONGRATS!
Welcome to the two club! :-D Congrats to y'all!!
WOOHOO!! Congratulations! What exciting and wonderful news, thanks for sharing! :)
GOD, I'm jealous! I mean, happy for YOU, of course. WAY happy for you. In an aching, wistful way. Congratulations.
Congratulations HBM. I'm very happy for all three of you.
I've never been good at the whole coded thing. Damn.
Heartiest and happiest congratulations, Catherine. I'm SO excited for you (and them, too!)!
Woot! Congratulations!!
Oh hooray! Congratulations Catherine! I'm absolutely thrilled for you.
Congratulations! That anniversary post did seem kinda suspicious, but since I don't know you all that well, I didn't want to say anything. Have you told Wonderbaby yet?
Fantastic! Congratulations, I am jealous!
Oh congratulations! This is awesome news!
fantastic news, Catherine!
How wonderful! I thought (and hoped) that might be what was going on. Congratulations to the whole Bad Mother family!
Congratulations, Catherine! That is wonderful news!!
oh YOU! i thought so...plus one.
YOU! nicely done!
Awesome news! Congrats to you and the family.
i know i don't reply much but i stop by everday, congratulations!!! we just brought home our new baby benjamin andrew a week ago, so we are now a family of 4 as well( with a 2 yr old, lord help me) welcome to the club!
I'm so happy for you! Thrilled! I'm off to get uber, yummy recipes for non-alcoholic martini's...
Congratulations! WB is gonna be the coolest big sister evah!
It's funny your say you Realtor knows. When we were looking for a house our options change when we found out we were expecting our new addition and we told our Realtor before others.
Congrats! Loved the anniversary message, BTW.
And now we know what that stomach bug really was ;) Congrats!
Congratulations! I can only imagine that reading about your pregnancy will be a riot.
Huge congratulations to Wonderbaby, as well!
Congratulations, HBM! (And family!)
The second is always easier then the first.. you already know what your doing.
Wishing you an uneventful and slightly comfortable 9 months!
Congratulations!! Wonderful news!
Congratulations and best of luck to your growing family! I'm only 1 month into the adventure of having two, but it's much easier the second time around so far!
Hooray! Congratulations.
Ahhhhh!!! CONGRATULATIONS! Oh. my. god. So so so excited for you over here!!!!!
A big congrats from NYC!!!
I absolutely am ROTFL at your blog...it's one of my favorites!!!
Figured since your 10 million cyber friends know, you might as well tell darling hubby!
oh, and that would mean a GEMINI child...be prepared...very prepared...oh my!
With friendship,
(Glad you're joining the club!)
Geez oh petes, what did they put in the blogger water? There's so many of you pregnant.
congratulations! (from the tube-tied 44 year old...)
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Congrats, Catherine and family!
woo-hoo, from me too!
Yeah I totally missed that, and you so bah and tired and SYMPTOMATIC and all.
So WOO HOO and CONGRATS to you!!!!
Here's to happy and healthy pregnancy, childbirth and baby!
(I admit to pulling a little on the pink side here.)
Using My Words
Yay! Congratulations! Race ya'!
(wait, just a few more)
(for good measure)
THEIR bad mother indeed! Congrats! :)
WOW! So cool! Congratulations, Catherine. I am so glad for you all! (And also, happy belated anniversary.)
Hooorayyyy!!! I definitely got that in your anniversary message. :)
I thought so! Woot! Congratulations, Catherine, I am so very very happy for the lot of you.
YEAY! SO happy and excited for you all!
Woohoo!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!
You know, I was wondering about that part of the anniversary message, but I figured I was just reading too much into it.
So excited for you all.
congrats! such wonderful news.
Well done, Catherine, well done!
AHHH! congratulations HBM!
Congrats to you! Just when you think there is no possible way you can love anyone as much as you love WonderBaby, along comes # 2, and you are shocked to learn that your heart just keeps growing to make room!
Hope you have a smooth pregnancy!
Can't wait to read your blogs as a mother of 2. Life becomes more than twice as crazy! But also more than twice as amazing!!
Congrats! Many warm wishes for an easy and healthy pregnancy.
Maybe now they'll take pity on you in your newborn haze and won't Put Stuff On Their Bad Mother next year at BlogHer. ;)
May the pregnancy go swimmingly.
Late to the party, but congrats and best wishes!
Congratulations! Wishing you sticky, big belly, healthy easy pregnancy thoughts.
160th to say Congratulations! That is wonderful news!
Wow. Just...wow.
Holy smokes!
A happy and healthy 9 months and beyond!
Awesome! 2 is exasperating, impossible, delightful, joyous, insane, and so much friggin' fun. Congratulations!
Fabulous! Congratulations!
I have been off the radar for a while, sorry I missed this (but I guess if your realtor knew before everyone else anyway, then...hey what's a few days?!).
yay Bad! and HBF!
may it be a long, dull, and happy pregnancy. :)
Woo hoo! 2 is sooooo much fun, really!
Congratulations! I am so excited for you!
Yah, Bossy figured... she just didn't say anything because she was being discreet. For once.
First we share the same anniversary now we are both newly pregnant? Are you trying to be me?
Congrats : )!
Oh, grrrl...what happy news!
Big congratulations. And a happy anniversary! Our tenth is coming up next month as well.
Holy Fucking Shitballs. I'm so late BUT CONGRATULATIONS!!!! AHHHH!!!!
A very warm and hearty congratulations.
WHOO-HOO! How wonderful! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!
I am always late to the party, but CONGRATULATIONS!
Oh my freaking God!!
How do I rate?
Have you figured out when you are due yet... I think I am due around May 22nd....
I am so super excited for you! We can share pregnancy woes :)
Oh Catherine - what wonderful news- for all of you!
oh catherine thats so wonderful.how exciting for you.congrats!!oh,wonderbaby is going to love being a big sis.LAVENDULA
How wonderful! Congratulations!
P.S. I have to admit that I still didn't get the post title until just this second. Now I get it!!!! WhoooOOOOoooOOO HoooOOOOOOoooOOO!
Oh my goodness this is so incredible! I am so so so so so so so happy for you (and annoying for typing so many so's).
Congrats to your wonderful circle of 3+.
Wow! I hope your swim is a relaxing one, and the shore definitely worth the wait. Congratulations! And just look at all these people wishing you well!
Congratulations you badass mama you!
Woo hoo!!!! Congratulations! Awesome, awesome news. Very happy for you, their bad mother.
best wishes and super congrats!! eeeee!!!
I'm glad I am not the only one who posts pictures of sticks that they've peed on on their blog!
Congrats! We will be due around the same time :)
is it weird that i looked at the pregnancy test and got all teary? i think so.
God bless and congratulations. two babies so double the fun for us readers. let me tell you from this side of the fence.. two babies are the greatest!
WOW! Congratulations!
First time around we are all scared to talk lest we jinx things. This time we know that no matter how it goes we'll want to talk about it.
Congratulations and the best of luck to you.
Wow. Enjoy! The second pregnancy goes too fast!
I am so late to the party -- but still had to throw in my congratulations! So happy for you, my friend.
Goodness..>Where have I been?????
Congratulations to you...
Oh happy day! Congratulations!
wow!!! congrats to you and hubby!
now, what will you do about the blog name? :)
MOTR - I think that the blog name will stay the same. TBM doesn't have the same ring as HBM. But we'll see - Her Bad Mother (squared)? His'n'Her Bad Mother?
Wonderful news! I'm slow, see, having just weathered the whole October thing, but am pleased for you, nonetheless.
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Let's say that in honor of Spread The Word To End The Word day, which is today, you decide to do a little project: For a few days you will message people on Twitter who use the word "retard" and let them know the r-word is derogatory to people with disabilities. You don't actually expect the word to disappear anytime soon or that people will instantly chop it out of their vocabularies. But maybe, just maybe, you can raise a little awareness.
You will set up alerts for tweets that contain "retard." And you will find that there are so many mentions of the word—thousands a day—this could be your full-time job. People in the U.S., England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Kuwait say the word. Men, women, teens (lots and lots of teens), people of all races and all spelling abilities.
You will not fault people for their use of the r-word, because the term has become slang. They don't mean to malign people with disabilities. Heck, you used to call annoying situations "retarded" before you understood. You have no problem with the words "stupid" or "dumb" or worse. Sure, call your friends names if you'd like, it's your conversation. But maybe you don't have to toss around the word "retard." Or say even worse things:
You'd expect most people to ignore you, which they do. You'd expect some to be defensive, as the very act of tweeting at them is confrontational, even though you try to keep your tweets even-handed: Hi. Mom of kid with disabilities here. The word "retard" is demeaning. But still, you will surprised by how people dig in their heels:
Those alerts for "retard" will keep popping up. Forty six alerts, 373 alerts, 1452 when you wake up one morning. And you will keep tweeting: Hi. Mom of kid with disabilities here. Would u help end the use of the word "retard"? It hurts. http://www.r-word.org
Some people will use rationale...
But some will inspire you to keep going:
You will tweet at him and point out that the word is demeaning to people with disabilities.
And he will tweet:
And you will not give up:
He won't give up either:
And then:
And you will feel a little bit of hope. For all the times you felt sick to your stomach to see a string of smiling faces jokingly calling people "retard," for all the nasty responses you got and for all the non-responses, you will know that even if you've changed a few people's minds, your efforts will have been worth it.
But you will not be able to stop looking.


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A history made even more colorful when the clown-headed pink dog is pooping a giant pink rose.
(So, in his defense, this clown's poop really does smell like roses.)
Over the years, the plastic clown heads have really gotten around:
And around...
After all, they were so darn versatile!
I mean, what better way to perk up your flowers?
Or add a lively accent to that jungle theme?
In fact, this time honored tradition continues today, only with slightly more modern sensibilities:
And the sprinkles aren't bad, either.
Yep, you could say today's Wreckerator knows just how to take these classic tools of the trade and use them to their fullest and most meaningful...uh...
I'm sorry, but do these uteri look funny to you?
Hey! Guys! What are you doing here? Your post was last week!


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I'll usually wait until March to start parading around ale-infused sweets, but since beer-flavored truffles make a great Valentine's Day gift for the guy in my life, exceptions are made. Plus, a thought occurred to me while watching my Grizzly Adams-bearded hubby eat a heart shaped cookie – maybe he deserves a break from all the pink and frilly that comes from my kitchen.
Frequent readers will find this a familiar flavor combination. There's something about the deep malty flavor of Guinness paired with chocolate and that crunchy, salty last bite of pretzel that just does it for me. What's better, these are a snap to make so there's no good reason to turn up empty-handed on Valentine's Day -or even St. Paddy's Day.
The thing I really love about these truffles – there's no heavy cream involved. Because of this, the ganache is slightly more firm when chilled. And if you're one of those people who have trouble palm-rolling ganache because you have very warm hands, then this may be your truffle recipe.
These look nice all lined up on a party tray, and skewering them with cocktail forks will make for easy pick-up!
You can find some of my other chocolaty Guinness treats, here.
Guinness-Pretzel Truffles
Yield: 16 truffles
Prep: 30 minutes
Total with chilling: 3 hrs 15 minutes
12 oz. bottle Guinness Extra Stout (divided)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup finely pulverized pretzel rods
3/4 cup crushed pretzels for rolling truffles
- Place 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. Guinness Stout in a 2 cup
saucepan. Set aside. - Pour the remaining Guinness Stout in a separate small
saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook
until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 15- 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on this because, once
reduced considerably, it can burn easily. - Chop the chocolate into pieces and place in the saucepan
with the Guinness Stout. Place the saucepan over medium- low heat and let stand
until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir
with a wire whisk to blend together the chocolate pieces, but don't whisk
vigorously – we're not trying to incorporate air. - When the chocolate is melted and smooth, begin to add
butter 1 tbsp. at a time. Whisk gently
until butter is melted, and then add the 1 tbsp. Guinness Stout reduction. Stir in the pulverized pretzels. - Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and chill in the
refrigerator until firm (or overnight). - Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Scoop out ganache out
by the heaping tablespoon and quickly roll between your palms. - Once all the chocolate is used up, chill the truffles in
an air-tight container in the fridge until ready to roll in crushed pretzels.
These chocolates will keep for 7 days when stored properly in the refrigerator. Roll truffles in crushed pretzels just before
serving (so they'll be crunchy!).
- Pretzel rods can be finely pulverized in a food
processor. Avoid getting large pretzel
pieces in the ganache, it will give the finished truffle a lumpy, undesirable
texture. - If crushed pretzels resist sticking to the chilled
truffles, roll the truffles between your palms to warm them up, and then roll
in the pretzels. The pieces should stick. - If you're watching your salt content, unsalted pretzels may be used in the ganache mixture.


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The St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Saints' struggles on the court show no signs of stopping after a 69-55 rout at St. Albans on Saturday.
But it wasn't all bad news for the Saints, as seniors Justin Goldsborough and Phil Guglielmo scored 16 points a piece in the road loss. Though St. Stephen's took an early lead, St. Albans put together two 20-point-plus quarters to finish off the Saints.
The defeat, their second consecutive since overpowering St. Anne's Belfield earlier this month, puts the Saints at 2-8 on the season and 0-3 against conference rivals.
They take the court next against a 16-2 Bullis squad Saturday.


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Now showing items 1-1 of 1
Obesity and Life Expectancy with and without Diabetes in Adults Aged 55 Years and Older in the Netherlands: A Prospective Cohort Study
(Public Library of Science, 2016)
Background: Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Limited evidence exists regarding the effect of excess weight on years lived with and without diabetes. We aimed to determine the ...


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Dave Brubeck, the legendary jazz pianist and composer, known for defying jazz conventions and for recordings like "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo a la Turk," has died.
Brubeck died of heart failure in Norwalk, Conn. He was one day short of his 92nd birthday.
His All Music biography says Brubeck distinguished himself from the popular jazz musicians of the West Coast by playing unusual time signatures, "adventurous tonalities," and proving that complex music could find a larger audience.
Perhaps a testimony of that was that in 1954, Brubeck became only the second jazz musician ever featured on the cover of TimeMagazine. The first? Louis Armstrong.
Born Dec. 6, 1920, Brubeck grew up on a 45,000-acre ranch in California and he came to music through a circuitous route. In a 1999 interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross, he said his first love was rodeo roping. But his mother, who spotted a special talent when he sat at the piano, insisted he not rope anything larger than a yearling.
"She didn't want my fingers to become hurt," Brubeck said. "My uncle, who was also a rodeo roper, got his finger caught between the saddle horn and the rope, and it took his finger off. And he used to kid the other cowboys and say, 'I would've been a great pianist like my nephew Dave, had I not lost this finger.'"
Brubeck went on to college but a zoology teacher told him he should focus on what he had spotted as his true love: Music. So Brubeck started taking classes, except there was one huge problem — Brubeck never learned to read music and the dean at the college threatened not to let him graduate.
"But when some of the younger teachers heard this, they went to the dean and said, 'You're making a big mistake, because he writes the best counterpoint that I've ever heard,'" Brubeck said. "So they convinced the dean to let me graduate. And the dean said, 'You can graduate if you promise never to teach and embarrass the conservatory.' And that's the way I've gotten through life, is having to substitute other things for not being able to read well. But I can write, which is something very few people understand."
NPR's Felix Contreras tells our Newscast unit that Brubeck's "Take Five," released in 1959, changed jazz "by adding an extra beat to jazz's standard 4/4 time."
As Hedrick Smith wrote for PBS, "Take Five" was in 5/4 time and other songs in the "Time Out" album were just as odd. "Blue Rondo a la Turk" was in 9/8 time.
Critics didn't like it and Brubeck even lost some gigs for playing those odd time signatures and for his use of polytonality.
Smith reports:
"'Much of the earlier European music was in one tonality,' Brubeck explains. 'We've become so used to that. Gradually musicians and composers wanted to stretch that and get it more complicated.' But as Brubeck remembers, it took some time for his unique approach to catch on. 'I wrote [a piece] for Stan Kenton when I was 22 that had some polytonality, called Prayer of the Conquered,' Brubeck recalls. 'He said 'Bring it back in 10 years.' He thought it was complicated.'"
In the end, however, the masses embraced Brubeck. "Time Out" sold more than a million copies and became the first jazz record to hit gold.
Our friends at NPR Music will have more on Brubeck over at The Record. They've also put together an "artist page" for Brubeck.
Update at 3:01 p.m. ET. Our friends at KQED have more on Brubeck's influence on his home town.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Gains in housing and manufacturing propelled the U.S. economy over the winter, according to reports released Tuesday, and analysts say they point to the resilience of consumers and businesses as government spending cuts kick in.
U.S. home prices rose 8.1 percent in January, the fastest annual rate since the peak of the housing boom in the summer of 2006. And demand for longer-lasting factory goods jumped 5.7 percent in February, the biggest increase in five months.
February new-home sales and March consumer confidence looked a little shakier. But the overall picture of an improving economy drove stocks higher on Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 gained 12 points to close at 1,563 — a point away from its record high reached in October 2007. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 111 points, its biggest gain in three weeks.
"There is nothing in this data that says the economy is falling back," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors.
A recovery in housing has helped lift the economy this year and is finally restoring some of the wealth lost during the Great Recession.
The year-over-year rise in home prices reported by the Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller 20-city index was the fastest since June 2006. Prices rose in all 20 cities and eight markets posted double-digit increases, including some of the hardest hit during the crisis. Prices rose 23.2 percent in Phoenix, 17.5 percent in San Francisco and 15.3 percent in Las Vegas.
The strength in home prices has far from erased all the damage from the crisis. Home prices nationwide are still 29 percent below their peak reached in August 2006.
Still, steady gains should encourage more people to buy and put their homes on the market, keeping the recovery going. And higher home prices make people feel wealthier, which leads consumers to spend more and drives more economic growth.
Sales of new homes cooled off in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000, the Commerce Department reported. That's down from January's pace of 431,000, which was the fastest since September 2008. But February's pace was still better than every other month since April 2010, when a temporary home-buying tax credit was boosting sales. And sales are 12.3 percent higher than a year ago.
"We are still far from the healthy level of 700,000, but we're slowly making our way in that direction," said Jennifer Lee, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets. "We just have to accept the fact that the path will be interrupted once in a while and that's what happened in February."
Manufacturing is also boosting the economy this year, and factories were busier in February, according to a separate Commerce report on durable goods orders.
February's increase was driven by a surge in commercial aircraft orders, which tend to be volatile. Still, orders for motor vehicles and parts increased solidly, suggesting demand for cars and trucks remains strong.
Orders for machinery and other goods that signal business investment plans fell sharply in February. But the decline followed the biggest monthly gain in nearly three years. Economists had expected companies to ease up after January's spending spree. When looking at the two months together, business investment has accelerated from the end of last year and should contribute to economic growth.
"The picture of business spending to start the year is fairly healthy," said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG
One concern is that tax increases and government spending cuts could stunt the economy's momentum. Both weighed on consumers' minds in March.
The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said its Consumer Confidence Index fell to 59.7 this month, down from 68 in February. The decline was mainly due to a drop in expectations for the economy over the next six months, though consumers also were more pessimistic regarding current economic conditions.
Some economists think the timing of the survey may have exacerbated the decline.
The survey was conducted from March 1 through March 14, just as $85 billion in automatic spending cuts began. Consumers were already feeling pinched by higher Social Security taxes that have reduced take-home pay for most workers this year. And gas prices rose sharply in February, before easing slightly this month.
"It was sort of a perfect storm," said Chris G. Christopher Jr., director of consumer economics at IHS Global Insight. "I do expect confidence to rebound as long as there is no government shutdown and the political bickering in Washington doesn't reach a fever pitch."
A healthier job market is also likely to make people feel a little better about their finances.
Employers have added an average of 200,000 jobs per month since November. That's nearly double the average from last spring. The job gains helped lower the unemployment rate in February to a four-year low of 7.7 percent.
Christopher expects economic growth in the January-March quarter to rise at a 2.9 percent annual rate. That would follow a meager gain of 0.1 percent in the October-December quarter, which was largely due to temporary factors, including sharp cuts in defense spending.
Naroff says the government spending cuts taking effect, known as sequestration, could reduce growth by a full percentage point this year. Still, even with the drag, he expects economic growth for 2013 to be around 2.6 percent. That would be better than the 2.2 percent growth in 2012.


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Facing heightened expectations from gay rights supporters, the Obama administration is considering urging the Supreme Court to overturn California's ban on gay marriage — a move that could have a far-reaching impact on same-sex couples across the country.
The administration has one week to file a friend-of-the-court brief with the justices outlining its opinion on the California ban, known as Proposition 8. While an administration brief alone is unlikely to sway the high court, the government's opinion does carry weight with the justices.
Opponents of the Proposition 8 ban believe the president signaled his intention to file a brief when he declared in last month's inaugural address that gays and lesbians must be "treated like anyone else under the law." An administration official said Obama — a former constitutional law professor — was not foreshadowing any legal action in his remarks and was simply restating his personal belief in the right of gays and lesbians to marry, though the official said the administration was considering filing a brief.
The Proposition 8 ballot initiative was approved by California voters in 2008 in response to a state Supreme Court decision that had allowed gay marriage. Twenty-nine other states have constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, while nine states and Washington, D.C., recognize same-sex marriage.
Solicitor General Donald Verrilli is consulting with the White House on the matter, according to a senior administration official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to address the private deliberations publicly.
While the Justice Department would make the filing, the president is almost certain to make the ultimate decision on whether to do so.
"I have to make sure that I'm not interjecting myself too much into this process, particularly when we're not a party to the case," Obama said Wednesday in an interview with San Francisco's KGO-TV.
He said his personal view was that gay couples should have the same rights as straight couples and said his administration would do whatever it could to promote that principle.
Obama has a complicated history on gay marriage. As a presidential candidate in 2008, he opposed the California ban but didn't endorse gay marriage. As he ran for re-election last year, he announced his personal support for same-sex marriage but said marriage was an issue that should be decided by the states, not the federal government.
To some, Obama's broad call for gay rights during his Jan. 21 inaugural address was a sign that he now sees a federal role in defining marriage.
"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law," Obama said during his remarks on the west front of the Capitol. "For if we are truly created equal, than surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."
Seeking to capitalize on growing public support for gay marriage, advocates are calling on the administration to file a broad brief not only asking the court to declare California's ban unconstitutional but also urging the justices to make all state bans illegal.
"If they do make that argument and the court accepts it, the ramifications could be very sweeping," said Richard Socarides, an attorney and advocate.
The administration could also file a narrower brief that would ask the court to issue a decision applying only to California. Or it could decide not to weigh in on the case at all.
The Supreme Court, which will take up the case on March 26, has several options for its eventual ruling. Among them:
— Uphold the state ban on gay marriage and say citizens of a state have the right to make that call.
— Endorse an appeals court ruling that would make same-sex marriage legal in California but apply only to that state.
— Issue a broader ruling that would apply to California and seven other states: Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island. In those states, gay couples may join in civil unions that have all the benefits of marriage but may not be married.
— Rule that the Constitution forbids states from banning same-sex unions.
For weeks, supporters and opponents of Proposition 8 have been lobbying the administration to side with them.
Last month, Theodore Olson and David Boies, lawyers arguing for gay marriage, met with Verrilli and other government lawyers to urge the administration to file a brief in the case. A few days later, Charles Cooper, the lawyer defending Proposition 8, met with the solicitor general to ask the government to stay out of the case. Those kinds of meetings are typical in a high court case when the government is not a party and is not asked by the court to make its views known.
Boies and Chad Griffin, president of the advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, also had a meeting at the White House on the case.
Ahead of next week's deadline, nearly two dozen states have filed briefs with the court asking the justices to uphold the California measure.
Public opinion has shifted in support of gay marriage in recent years. In May 2008, Gallup found that 56 percent of Americans felt same-sex marriages should not be recognized by the law as valid. By November 2012, 53 percent felt they should be legally recognized.
One day after the court hears the California case, the justices will hear arguments on another gay marriage case, this one involving provisions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The act defines marriage as between a man and a woman for the purpose of deciding who can receive a range of federal benefits.
The Obama administration abandoned its defense of the law in 2011 but continues to enforce it.
Associated Press writer Mark Sherman and News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2013 Capitol Hill Blue


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The Proper Attitude Toward Riches*
1Wakefulness over wealth wastes away the flesh,
and anxiety over it drives away sleep.
2Wakeful anxiety banishes slumber;
more than a serious illness it disturbs repose.
3The rich labor to pile up wealth,
and if they rest, it is to enjoy pleasure;
4The poor labor for a meager living,
and if they ever rest, they become needy.
5The lover of gold will not be free from sin;
whoever pursues money will be led astray by it.
6Many have come to ruin for the sake of gold,
yet destruction lay before their very eyes;a
7It is a stumbling block for fools;
any simpleton will be ensnared by it.
8Happy the rich person found without fault,
who does not turn aside after wealth.b
9Who is he, that we may praise him?
For he has done wonders among his people.
10Who has been tested by gold and been found perfect?
Let it be for him his glory;
Who could have sinned but did not,
and could have done evil but did not?
11So his good fortune is secure,
and the assembly will recount his praises.c
Table Etiquette*
12Are you seated at the table of the great?
Bring to it no greedy gullet,
Nor say, "How much food there is here!"
13Remember that the greedy eye is evil.
What has been created more greedy than the eye?
Therefore, it weeps for any cause.d
15Recognize that your neighbor feels as you do,
and keep in mind everything you dislike.
14Toward what he looks at, do not put out a hand;
nor reach for the same dish when he does.
16Eat, like anyone else, what is set before you,
but do not eat greedily, lest you be despised.
17Be the first to stop, as befits good manners;
and do not gorge yourself, lest you give offense.e
18If there are many with you at table,
do not be the first to stretch out your hand.
19Does not a little suffice for a well-bred person?
When he lies down, he does not wheeze.f
20Moderate eating ensures sound slumber
and a clear mind on rising the next day.
The distress of sleeplessness and of nausea
and colic are with the glutton!
21Should you have eaten too much,
get up to vomit* and you will have relief.
22Listen to me, my child, and do not scorn me;
later you will find my advice good.
In whatever you do, be moderate,
and no sickness will befall you.
23People bless one who is generous with food,
and this testimony to his goodness is lasting.g
24The city complains about one who is stingy with food,
and this testimony to his stinginess is lasting.
25Let not wine be the proof of your strength,
for wine has been the ruin of many.
26As the furnace tests the work of the smith,
so does wine the hearts of the insolent.
27Wine is very life to anyone,
if taken in moderation.
Does anyone really live who lacks the wine
which from the beginning was created for joy?h
28Joy of heart, good cheer, and delight
is wine enough, drunk at the proper time.
29Headache, bitterness, and disgrace
is wine drunk amid anger and strife.
30Wine in excess is a snare for the fool;
it lessens strength and multiplies wounds.
31Do not wrangle with your neighbor when wine is served,
nor despise him while he is having a good time;
Say no harsh words to him
nor distress him by making demands.
* [31:1–11] Solicitude for acquiring wealth and anxiety over preserving it disturb repose and easily lead to sin and ruin (vv. 1–7). Cf. Mt 6:25–34. The rich who have not sinned or been seduced by wealth are worthy of highest praise (vv. 8–11).
* [31:12–32:13] Whoever observes etiquette at table avoids greed and selfishness (31:12–13), is considerate of a neighbor's likes and dislikes and is generous toward him (31:15, 14, 23, 24), observes proper manners (31:16–18), is moderate in eating and drinking (31:19–20, 25–30). A good host is solicitous for the guests (32:1–2), provides conversation and diversion (32:3–6), is modest in speech (32:7, 8, 10), is respectful of elders (32:9), polite in comportment and grateful to God for his favors (32:11–13).
* [31:21] Get up to vomit: the practice of induced vomiting, well-known among Romans, and less well-known among the Jews, seems to be referred to here.
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text: It was only third period, but Tracy had already visited the bathroom six times that morning. Sometimes she barely had time to ask the teacher for permission because the urge to pee was so intense. Did she drink too much orange juice for breakfast? Nope — although she really had to go, only a little urine came out each time. And every time she peed, she felt a burning sensation. What was going on? Tracy's experience is not unusual. Her problem, a urinary tract infection, is one of the most common reasons that teens — especially girls — visit a doctor. What Is a Urinary Tract Infection? A bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common kind of infection affecting the urinary tract. Urine, or pee, is the fluid that is filtered out of the bloodstream by the kidneys. Urine contains salts and waste products, but it doesn't normally contain bacteria. When bacteria get into the bladder or kidney and multiply in the urine, a UTI can result. There are three main types of UTI. Bacteria that infect only the urethra (the short tube that delivers urine from the bladder to the outside of the body) cause urethritis (pronounced: yur-ih-threye-tis). Bacteria can also cause a bladder infection, which is called cystitis (pronounced: sis-tie-tis). Another, more serious, kind of UTI is infection of the kidney itself, known as pyelonephritis (pronounced: pie-low-nih-fry-tis). With this type of UTI, a person often has back pain, high fever, and vomiting. The most common type of UTI, the bladder infection, causes mostly just discomfort and inconvenience. Bladder infections can be quickly and easily treated. And it's important to get treatment promptly to avoid the more serious infection that reaches the kidneys. Bacteria Are to Blame UTIs are usually caused by E. coli, bacteria that are normally found in the digestive tract and on the skin around the rectal and vaginal areas. When the bacteria enter the urethra, they can make their way up into the bladder and cause an infection. Girls get urinary tract infections much more frequently than guys, most likely due to differences in the shape and length of the urethra. Girls have shorter urethras than guys, and the opening lies closer to the rectum and vagina where bacteria are likely to be. Some people seem to get frequent UTIs, but they often have other problems that make them more prone to infection, like an abnormality in the urinary tract structures or function. The most common functional problem of the urinary tract is called vesicoureteral reflux (pronounced: veh-zi-coe-you-ree-tur-al), a condition in which some urine flows backward, or refluxes, from the bladder into the ureters and even up to the kidneys. Bacteria can get into the urethra several ways. During sexual intercourse, for example, the bacteria in the vaginal area may be pushed into the urethra and eventually end up in the bladder, where urine provides a good environment for the bacteria to grow. This is the reason why females who are sexually active often get UTIs (UTIs are not contagious, so you can't catch a urinary tract infection from someone else). Bacteria may also be introduced into a girl's bladder by wiping from back to front after a bowel movement, which can contaminate the urethral opening. The use of spermicides (including condoms treated with spermicide) and diaphragms as contraceptives also may increase the risk of UTIs. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may cause UTI-like symptoms, such as pain with urination. This is due to the inflammation and irritation of the urethra or vagina that's sometimes associated with chlamydia and other STDs. If untreated, STDs can lead to serious long-term problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility. Unlike UTIs, STDs are contagious. Symptoms of UTIs A number of symptoms are associated with UTIs, including: frequent urination burning or pain during urination the feeling of having to pee even though little or no urine actually comes out pain in the lower abdomen pain above the pubic bone (in women) a full feeling in the rectum (in men) bloody or foul-smelling urine mild fever a general feeling of shakiness and fatigue A kidney infection may involve more serious symptoms, including: high fever chills nausea and vomiting abdominal pain cloudy or bloody urine pain in the back, just above the waist If you have any symptoms of a urinary tract infection, you'll need to go to a doctor right away. The symptoms won't go away if you ignore them — they'll only become worse. The more quickly you begin treatment, the less uncomfortable it will be. Call your doctor's office or clinic immediately. If you can't reach your doctor, you can visit an urgent care center or hospital emergency room. The most important thing is to take action as soon as possible. Battling the Bacteria Only your health care provider can treat urinary tract infections. The first thing a doctor will do is confirm that a person has a UTI by taking a clean-catch urine specimen. At the doctor's office, you'll be asked to clean your genital area with disposable wipes and then urinate into a sterile (bacteria-free) cup. If an infection is suspected when the specimen is examined, a doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics. Because there are many different antibiotics available, the doctor may send the urine specimen for a urine culture, which is a test to identify the exact type of bacteria causing your infection. It takes about 48 hours to get results from a urine culture, and a doctor may ask patients to switch antibiotics depending on the results. Although antibiotics begin fighting the infection right away, they can't stop all the symptoms immediately. If someone has a lot of pain from a UTI, the doctor may recommend a medication to help relieve the spasm and pain in the bladder. This will turn urine a bright orange color, but it's harmless and will usually make a person much more comfortable within hours. In the case of a kidney infection, a doctor may prescribe pain medication. For some infections, a person may only have to take antibiotics for 3 days, but usually people with UTIs need to stay on medicine for 7 to 14 days. It's important to take the antibiotics until the prescription is finished. Many people stop taking medication when they begin to feel better, but that doesn't allow the antibiotics to completely kill the bacteria, which increases the risk that the infection will reappear. If you've been diagnosed with a UTI and symptoms continue after you've used up all your medication or if your symptoms aren't much better after 2 to 3 days of treatment, contact your doctor. It's important to drink lots of water during and after treatment because each time you urinate, the bladder cleanses itself a little bit more. Cranberry juice may also be helpful. People with UTIs should avoid coffee and spicy foods, which can irritate the bladder. Smoking also irritates the bladder, and cause bladder problems later on. People who get a doctor's help for a UTI right away should be clear of symptoms within a week. For a more serious kidney infection, most people have to return to the doctor's office for a follow-up visit to ensure that the infection has responded completely to the medication. In either case, a doctor may tell people with UTIs to avoid sexual intercourse for a week or so, which allows the inflammation to disappear completely. Preventing UTIs There are several ways people may be able to prevent urinary tract infections. After urination, girls should wipe from front to back with toilet paper. After bowel movements, be sure to wipe from front to back to avoid spreading bacteria from the rectal area to the urethra. Another thing both girls and guys can do to prevent UTIs is to go to the bathroom frequently. Avoid holding urine for long periods of time. Males and females should also keep the genital area clean and dry. Girls should change their tampons and pads regularly during their periods. Frequent bubble baths can cause irritation of the vaginal area, so girls should take showers or plain baths. Avoid prolonged exposure to moisture in the genital area by not wearing nylon underwear or wet swimsuits. Wearing underwear with cotton crotches is also helpful. And girls should skip using feminine hygiene sprays or douches — these products can irritate the urethra. If you are sexually active, go to the bathroom both before and within 15 minutes after intercourse. After sex, gently wash the genital area to remove any bacteria. Avoid sexual positions that irritate or hurt the urethra or bladder. Couples who use lubrication during sex should use a water-soluble lubricant such as K-Y Jelly. Finally, drinking lots of water each day keeps the bladder active and bacteria free. Remember that although urinary tract infections are uncomfortable and often painful, they are very common and easily treated. The sooner you contact your doctor, the sooner you'll be able to get rid of the problem. Back to Articles Related Articles Dehydration Dehydration is when the amount of water in the body has dropped too low. Read about what causes dehydration, what it does to your body, and how to prevent it. Read More Understanding Medicines and What They Do Medicines can cure, stop, or prevent disease; ease symptoms; or help in the diagnosis of illnesses. This article describes different types of medications and offers tips on taking them. Read More Kidneys and Urinary Tract The kidneys perform several functions that are essential to health, the most important of which are to filter blood and produce urine. Read More Vaginal Yeast Infections What are vaginal yeast infections? Can anything be done to prevent them? Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.


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They may not be ready to accept GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's invitation to stand with him "shoulder to shoulder," but conservatives at their biggest annual gathering gave him a reception Friday that at times rose to rousing.
Tacitly acknowledging that his past positions on abortion rights and health care mandates have made him suspect with a swath of his party's base, Romney used his speech to describe his "path to conservatism" as a mix of family values, faith and his "life's work" in business.
"I know conservatism because I've lived conservatism," Romney told the receptive American Conservative Union crowd that packed the ballroom at a Washington hotel. "I want to get my hands on Washington, D.C."
Focusing his fire almost exclusively on President Obama, Romney made perhaps his most impassioned and complete case to date for his candidacy, which, despite superior organization and money, has failed to catch fire with the base.
He tailored his language to place himself as one with his audience, frequently invoking "we conservatives" and "as conservatives."
"This election is a defining moment for America, for the conservative movement," he said, a time to "go forward shoulder to shoulder."
What distinguishes the candidates running for the GOP nomination, he said, is the "nature of our life's experiences." He stressed his 25 years in business, and elicited applause when he said he was "not ashamed to say" he was successful at it.
He also defended his tenure as governor in Massachusetts, and characterized himself as the only candidate who has not worked in Washington. (He did try to get there twice before, running for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 1994, and for the GOP nomination in 2008.)
"I fought against long odds in a deep blue state," he said. "But I was a severely conservative governor."
Romney's much-anticipated speech came at a critical moment for the former Massachusetts governor, who, after big victories in Florida and Nevada, was snubbed last week by Republican primary and caucus-goers in three state presidential contests.
He's also been taking fresh and hard fire from the surging Rick Santorum, who won those contests in Missouri, Colorado and Minnesota — though none added to his presidential delegate count.
In a speech earlier in the day, Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, without naming Romney, ripped into him for his support of a health care overhaul in Massachusetts that served as a model for Obama's health care legislation.
Republicans, Santorum said, can't cede the "Obamacare" issue before the general election race even begins. He characterized the Massachusetts plan approved when Romney was governor as the "stepchild of Obamacare."
It's become the major refrain from Santorum, who, backed by his wife and six of his seven children, drew thunderous applause and a few standing ovations.
Santorum also hit on what has been a common theme at this year's convention: how to define "electability" — someone who can appeal to the broad middle needed to win a general election, or someone whose staunch conservative bona fides can excite the party.
"We need conservatives now to rally for a conservative to go into November to excite the conservative base," he said, "to pull with that excitement moderate voters, and to defeat Barack Obama in the fall."
Romney took a fairly big step Friday in his attempt to position himself as that conservative and to convince his harshest critics that he's one of them.
"Let's do it together," he said.
Later Friday, GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will get his star turn at the convention, ready, like Santorum, to direct his fire at Romney, too.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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In recent pursuits, we have come upon accounts of once-practiced — and somewhat, shall we say, curious — sports that have long since faded into obscurity.
Competitive walking in the 1870s and 1880s, for instance. "In the decades after the Civil War there was mass urbanization in the United States," Matthew Algeo — author of Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport — recently told NPR. Millions of people were moving into cities "and there wasn't much for them to do in their free time, so pedestrianism — competitive walking matches — filled a void for people. It became quite popular quite quickly."
Such pedestrian contests were rather, shall we say, pedestrian when compared with other peculiar American pastimes of the past. Herewith we proffer a quartet of odd sports:
Gander Pulling
The following account will indeed offend modern sensibilities; no doubt, it also disturbed some citizens at the time of the abhorrence. But it is what it was.
When Thomas C. Fletcher was but a young lad in mid-19th century Missouri, according to the Atlanta Constitution of 1894, he observed rustic gentlemen competing in a sport called "gander pulling."
This was in the days before organized football and baseball, said Fletcher. A group of two dozen or so men would convene at a crossroads store "where 18-cents-per-gallon corn whisky was dispensed." The men contributed $1 apiece to a kitty. They then obtained — by hook or crook — a tough old gander, plucked the feathers from its neck and covered the shorn neck with soap and grease. Then they suspended the goose by its feet from a tree — so it was dangling.
On horseback, the men rode in a circle, and each attempted to grasp the gander's slippery neck — as if it were a golden ring. The man who grabbed the goose from the tree took home the pool of money.
"It was a little rough on the fowl," said Fletcher, who was governor of Missouri in the 1860s, "but as a feat of strength and horsemanship, it was worth seeing."
Mimic Pistol Dueling
Nearly a century before paintball or laser tag, there existed the exotic endeavor of mimic pistol dueling. As reported in the Chicago Tribune in 1909, a French inventor created bullets made of wax that worked in dueling pistols and the Army's standard-issue revolvers. Duelists wore loosely fitting garments and wire-and-glass masks for protection; pistols were fitted with hand shields. Opponents faced each other, at a distance of 25 paces. A director barked the command: "Fire!" Officials were on hand to judge the accuracy of the shots. That same year, there was a New York Times account of a bloodless duel at the city's Athletic Club. Two men — wearing long black gowns and protective masks — faced each other in the gymnasium. "All agreed," the paper reported, "that it was a fine shooting game."
Centipede Vs. Tarantula
At a Columbus Avenue bar in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reported in 1894, men liked to gather and tongue-wag and wager as they watched a battle-to-the-death between a tarantula and a centipede. "The strange contest takes place, as a rule, in a circular box about two feet in diameter, such a box as cheese is generally shipped in," according to the reporter. "A large pane of glass is laid over the box to prevent the escape of the contestants." During one such contest, 10 men watched as the tarantula killed the centipede — and then died from battle wounds. All of the spectators "were pledged to secrecy," the reporter noted, "as the S.P.C.A. might have concluded to interfere had they learned of the affair."
Telegraph Bowling
By the late 19th century, athletes in America were combining sport and technology in creative ways. Newspapers reported "telegraph bowling" matches between teams in two distant cities. Seattle and Spokane, for instance. Boston and Brooklyn. Buffalo and Chicago. Officials in each city marked the frames and relayed the scores to the opposing team. By 1899, the idea was spreading to other competitions. The New York Times told of a "telegraph revolver match" between gun clubs in Brooklyn and Louisville. Skype darts, anyone?
The Protojournalist: Experimental storytelling for the LURVers – Listeners, Users, Readers, Viewers – of NPR. @NPRtpj
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Building a kind of "web business card" for yourself doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. There are several professional nameplate sites that give you the tools to build a page you can put on your business cards or in your email signature that anyone—employers, friends, and business partners included—can visit to learn more about you, how to reach you, and even see some of your work or connect to you through your social networks. Here are the five best professional nameplate services, based on your nominations.
Earlier in the week, we asked you which sites you used for your professional nameplate when you want to market yourself (without being sleazy, of course.) You responded, and your suggestions are very different from the last time we asked about your favorite landing pages. Now we're back to highlight the top five.
The poll is closed and the votes are counted! To see who came out on top, head over to our hive five followup post to see who the winner is!
About.me didn't really exist the last time we asked about your favorite landing pages, but since its rise to popularity, it's easily become one of the most popular services to build a personal or a professional nameplate with a short, URL. About.me is free, and the page designs highlight a single image that you can select from a gallery or a photo of yourself or your work that you can upload. You can then fill in information about yourself around the image, including a short bio, links to your social networks, other blogs, or even your professional portfolio. The page designer is easy to use, and even the advanced tools don't need a lot of experience to get a handle on, and within minutes you'll have a great-looking nameplate for yourself. Plus, you get analytics, so you can see how many people are visiting, and About.me even partners with other companies to offer perks, like business cards from Moo and email services.
Flavors.me was one of the first nameplate sites to the game that focused on design instead of essentially being a web-based resume. It's the only site that made the top five for a second time, and for good reason—it's easy to use, the drag-and-drop page builder is intuitive, and setting up a personal portal is quick and simple. Upload a photo or choose from the site's gallery, fill out a few details about yourself, and then add in some links to your social networks, blogs, portfolio, or even the company you work for currently. Flavors.me is free, but you're limited to connecting only five blogs or social network accounts and seven starter layouts. If you want more, including 17 layouts, as many connections as you'd like, a mobile site, analytics, even a contact form or the ability to use your own URL with your nameplate, you'll have to fork over $20/year for a premium account.
Zerply's approach to a professional landing page focuses on the professional. Your landing page looks and behaves like a resume, complete with your work history in chronological order, along with a short bio at the top. We've mentioned Zerply before, but it's caught on with a number of you as a fast and free way to build a web-based resume you can link anyone to, and a social network you can join that will help you connect with other people looking for candidates who do what you do. You, on the other hand, have the ability to connect with and contact other professionals in your field or in your area, and share your profile with them. Plus, it's completely free.
Re.vu is another service we've discussed before as a fun, web-based resume alternative that's also a sharp looking landing page that you can invite anyone to see. Re.vu is free, and will automatically create a profile for you if you connect our LinkedIn account. It will pull in your work history, current position, credentials, and recommendations, and then let you fill in the rest or connect other social networks or websites. Then, when you're finished, you can even tell Re.vu to let visitors download a copy of your resume if you want to offer one. Once you're all set up, you can see how many people visited your profile and how many people clicked through with detailed analytics to help you understand if the page is making the impact you want.
Another popular option a number of you mentioned is that you'd prefer to simply host or build your own. Many of you have your own websites already, and want to use your own URLs (even though most of the services in the roundup also allow you to use your own URLs), and the best way to go about it is to just host it yourself. Some of you noted you use Wordpress to host your own nameplate site, and then lay over a business card theme like John Saddington's digital business card theme or the Elegant Themes Business Card Theme to get the job done. It's definitely a DIY approach, but if you're already paying for web hosting, it's free, and you can build it to look the way you want and offer as much or as little information as you choose. You have total control, and you don't need to pay anyone for premium features.
Now that you've seen the top five, it's time to put them to an all-out vote to decide the winner.
Honorable mentions this week go out to Google Sites, where you can set up a free site or link to your Google Profile with nothing more than your Google account. Whichever service you choose, all of them will have you up and running with a sharp-looking professional nameplate in minutes that you can link to anyone who needs to find you on the web.
Did your favorite not make the cut? Have something to say about one of the contenders? Remember, the Hive Five contenders are based on your nominations in the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Even if your favorite didn't make the list, let us know why you think it's better than the others in the comments below.