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Hawthorn Herb Information and more Hawthorn Herb for health Benefits
The berries of this flowering shrub are best used for the heart, says McQuade-Crawford. Hawthorn aids the heart's pumping action by opening the coronary arteries to nourish the heart muscle. The herb can also slow a rapid heart rate and strengthen a failing heart. Hawthorn usually lowers high blood pressure, especially a raised diastolic high blood pressure, and it benefits low blood pressure due to weak heart muscles with arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm).
" Hawthorn takes a long time to do its best six months or longer. In the style of a true herbal tonic, it can be taken safely and effectively over time for its best effects," notes McQuade-Crawford.
Hawthorn is a common, thorny shrub that grows up to five feet tall on hillsides and in sunny wooded areas of North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. The Hawthorn plant produces small berries, called haws, which sprout each May after the flowers of the hawthorn plant bloom. Hawthorn berries are usually red when ripe, but may be much darker. Hawthorn leaves, while usually shiny, may grow in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Bioflavonoid complexes (including oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs), vitexin, quercetin, and hyperoside) found in the leaves, flowers, and berries of hawthorn are believed to be responsible for the herbs positive health benefits. Hawthorn is well know for the cardiac benefits it provides, including improved coronary artery blood flow as well as improved blood flow in the extremeties. Hawthorn may also be helpful when used in connection with other conditions such as angina, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and some arrhythmias. It is believed by some professionals that chemicals in hawthorn may act directly on the heart muscle to increase the force of heartbeats and to relax the arteries around the heart. Hawthorn may also work indirectly by widening blood vessels close to the surface of the skin. As a result, it may assist in stabilizing blood pressure.
Based on evidence provided by clinical trials it has been confirmed that hawthorn extracts benefit individuals with early-state congestive heart failure.
In recent animal studies, results indicated that hawthorn herb may be able to lower cholesterol levels by reducing the production of cholesterol and by augmenting the body's ability to breakdown cholesterol. An additional human study also produced similar cholesterol-lowering results, but evidence is still lacking to verify the validity or applicability of these results.
Many of the active contituents found in hawthorn exhibit potent antioxidant properties.
Dosage and Administration of Hawthorn Herb
Hawthorn products standardized to contain either 4 to 20 mg flavonoids/30 to 160 mg oligomeric procyanidins, or 1.8 vitexin rhamnoside/10 procyanidins, are recommended. When supplementing with hawthorn make sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
Hawthorn herbs for heart failure or angina may require at least six weeks of use, three times per day before an effect is noticed.
Precautions and Side Effects of Hawthorn Herb
Most researchers are in agreement that hawthorn is a relatively safe herb. Notwithstanding, it is always recommended to follow recommended dosages or consult with a doctor before taking any supplement.
Thank natural to make herbals for good life!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Hawthorn Herb Information and health Benefits
Hawthorn Herb Information and more Hawthorn Herb for health Benefits


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August Weather--95 and above Rides--1/2 of one (too short to call a ride) Whine level--Extremely high
Last 2 weeks--Weather 80's Rides--about 6
Smile level--Extremely highI have had several good rides lately. Like most things, to appreciate riding and not take it for granted, you need to go a month or so without it. Today I was able to ride with a young cousin who in the past kept his horse at our house.
He and his family and I have made some wonderful memories riding. He is married now to a wonderful girl who loves riding also. But she had to work today so he called see if I wanted to ride. I think I say yes and was changing shoes before he finished talking.
He is so much fun to ride with. He rides in field trials throughout the winter and works horses in the summer keeping them in shape. So he keeps a go-ey gait most of the time. It seems like he and I always go off the beaten path whenever we ride. Our riding gang has a saying, "if there is blood on the leg or arm--it was a good ride." Just means the ride turned into a bushwhacking trail. Well today there was blood on both legs from briars and limbs--great ride. I know that is crazy sounding from from a fifty something (late something) woman but when are riding you are free and adventurous. I will go back to being a sensible grandmother when I get home.
I had taken a "shortcut" riding with a friend earlier in the week, and had got us into "some" briars and tall tall grass.Well, without thinking (I am good at that) I took us right back to that same spot from the other direction. Like once wasn't enough. "Lets go on this trail through those 3 ditches. Once we got there--same path. So this boy who used to be a little afraid and now is not afraid of anything took me down a ditch (lets call it a ravine, that sounds deeper) with Kudzu vines up to the horse's neck. I tried to take a picture but truthfully my hand was shaking too bad. Here he is on the other side.
|You okay back there? Breathe
It was a Great Ride

subset: commoncrawl


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A retrospective on a career that spans from being a lead singer for the Walker Brothers to "The Drift" album, will a documentary on Scott Walker's creative process shed more light on his artistry?
By: Vanessa Uy
"Scott Walker: 30 Century Man" a "Rockumentary" released to whet the appetite of dedicated Scott Walker fans. Being young, I've only known Scott Walker's circa 1960's musical career with the Walker Brothers after seeing this documentary. I never knew that the Walker Brothers' fame at the time rivaled that of The Beatles. Also, the deep baritone voiced Scott Walker was named as one of the most influential people of Rock music history and one of his famed admirers were David Bowie. Despite of this, Scott Walker is not exactly a household name in either Britain or America. But if you can manage to find a dedicated fan from both sides of the Atlantic (there are more of them than you think), you might gain a first-hand experience of what it means to be a dedicated Scott Walker fan.
After his success during the 1960's, Scott Walker withdrew from the public limelight. Now 64 years old, Scott Walker still receive god-like devotion from his fans and most of them (even the under 35's) claim that they stuck by him since the "Walker Brothers" days. "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man" is a documentary directed by Stephen Kijak documenting Scott Walker's creative genius and his legacy with the attendant live performance footage from the 1960's to the present. This documentary serves to spread awareness of Scott Walker's works and even his existence (!) to the uninitiated.
In assessing the merits of "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man", I also reevaluated my views on Scott Walker's last two albums: "Tilt" and "The Drift". I can say that Scott Walker is one of those gifted musicians who are terrified by fame even though he truly deserves praise for his talent. To me, Scott Walker probably single-handedly influenced the "anti-fashion" musical movement of the 1990's with his Richard Wagner meets Heavy Metal style. After first hearing "Jesse" from Scott Walker's "The Drift" album, my first impressions are- Did Scott Walker just invented a new genre of music? "Jesse" is a trippy sounding Oriental Modalism meets Guitar-Driven-Rock. This is a very radical departure from the sex-drugs-and-rock n' roll that we have come to know and love of "conventional" Rock music. "Difficult avant- garde musician" is a description that comes to mind after hearing Scott Walker's latest album. And the DVD of "Scott Walker: 30 Century Man" is also worth it because it caters to the uninitiated-and successfully-at that. Although the documentary raises more questions than answers about weather Rock music in its current format needs revision beyond its dogmatic "three chords and the truth" format.
If you like Keiji Haino or love those Miles Davis' albums that are a tribute to the passing of Jimi Hendrix like "Bitches' Brew" and "Agharta" then you will surely love this documentary and the attendant music. Scott Walker just reminded me why I love listening to music in the first place.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
30 Centuries of Scott Walker
Labels: Modalism, Music Reviews, Scott Walker
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My ears always hurt on the descent of a plane ride, so when the wheels finally found the ground I was both relieved and annoyed: relieved of the searing pain which I had been experiencing for the last fifteen minutes but annoyed from the inability of my ears to find the correct pressure at ground level in Indianapolis. Neither of these emotions, though, lasted farther than the smiling attendant stationed at the exit, ushering everyone from the vessel. Instead, my mind turned to the coming reunion and, right on cue, my gut excreted the perfect ingredients required to fulfill the recipe for anxiety and uncertainty. I followed the crowd through the unfamiliar terminal toward the correct baggage claim, my palms slightly sweaty and a wave of shyness overtaking me. It was there that my older brother would pick me up. My gay brother.
I have memories, both vivid and vague, of life in the church. The musty smells, the not-quite-sweet-enough Kool Aid and races beneath the pews on dust covered tile floors. There is a great deal of comfort and belonging as I remember the relationships and faith which I took for granted as a small child. These memories I am profoundly grateful for. But there are other memories that I recall with lesser reverence.
On our birthdays when we were little, my mom allowed my siblings and I the distinct honor of sovereignty over television programming. For whatever reason, I was infatuated with a show called "Kids Incorporated" on the Disney Channel. (I know, it's embarrassing). That is until… the great boycott. My family decided to join with some conservative Christian leaders in shunning all things Walt (we had previously boycotted Proctor and Gamble and had an ongoing feud with Halloween as well). Walt was sympathetic to "those gay people". I often heard derogatory remarks aimed at a talking head inside our family television, usually consisting of nothing more than personal attacks against the pundit's disgusting lifestyle. Needless to say, aligning with the boycott was a no-brainer.
This was the world in which I was raised. On the one hand, spiritual and physical love and encouragement were never at a loss. With great thanks I am able to say that this hand was the more prominent of the two. But still, firmly grasped in the other hand, was a hatred and judgment working to undermine the truths being instilled in me. Bolted high atop a pedestal was that very sin trumping all others. Higher than pride, greed, lust and even murder sat the disgusting evil singularly responsible for the collapse of great empires, that would inevitably be the demise of the American family structure: homosexuality.
When my brother revealed to my sister and I that he was gay, he cried. I remember being shocked at this reaction. He cried because he was fighting a battle between his sexuality and the childhood beliefs which, up to this point, we hadn't had any reason to question. This was not a battle he had chosen, desired or been conditioned socially to enter into. His reality was quite the opposite. If only he could have been rid of it, then he would raise children and be accepted as a "normal" Christian man.
Eventually the fight became too difficult and he chose to embrace homosexuality rather than continue to push back. In response to this, I did what any good Christian would and should do: I wrote him a letter. With Bible in hand, I used the concordance to find every scripture which condemned his hedonism and offered a stark rebuke. Upon sealing the letter, placing it in the mailbox and my brother reading its words, our relationship began a quick spiral downward and, within a few months and arguments, it ceased to resemble anything beyond a silent, tense coexistence during holidays. Soon after, the grave news spread to my parents and throughout the rest of the family. We were at a loss as to how to handle the situation.
While there was silence between my brother and I, there was a loud cry for understanding inside myself. The tension between the black and white doctrines of my upbringing and the grey and beige situations of real life tore my brain and heart in two directions. Was reconciliation to be had or must I simply choose one side over the other, opting to fight with my brothers in Christ on one side or my brother in flesh on the other?
I am not here to demoralize doctrinal truths or dogmas. These are the things which outline and give the Christian faith its foundation and identity (though they are also heavily debated and disagreed upon). Nor am I offering my view concerning homosexuality as sin or not. There are honest, faithful and God fearing people on both sides of the issue who are to be respected. In them you might find stimulating debate. (See below)
Instead, I am here to speak of a seven-year journey that forced me to engage and question a belief that I dared not previously converse with. Along this journey I learned about myself, my faith and how that faith should be manifest in this world. After all, doesn't the model of Christ demand us to be manifestations of him in the world? Aren't we meant to embody this model in a dynamic way that speaks to the situation around us? Is it acceptable to formulate a "perfect understanding" of the faith, separated from the immediate context, and, in doing so, become people content with hiding behind our truth monopolies because reality would render that system inadequate and irrelevant?
Prior to discovering the character which was my brother's sexuality, I would have found it difficult, if not downright sinful, to allow the water of my life to be dirtied through personal interaction and relationship with a gay. I could have, of course, prayed fervently for and evangelized them, but true friendship or relationship was too dangerous. But when a person is connected to you by DNA (a connection which brings with it memories of the Eiffel tower and lost teeth and Christmas at grandma's) somehow the old adage "hate the sin, love the sinner" seems to objectify and justify attitudes toward individuals which Christ himself sought to remove. It's funny how intimately knowing a person makes it more difficult to write them off as subhuman in need of a good "fix". It is impossible to view them as an issue easily proven wrong and condemned to hell by the utilization of a few well-placed verses of Holy writ.
There was and is so much that I couldn't understand. I know my journey in truth and action has only begun. What I do know without any doubt, though, is that my former methods of dealing with my brother were unfruitful and ungodly at best. "There must be another way," I thought, "a better way."
Thus began a process of reconciliation between two brothers, motivated on my part by a desire to encapsulate and exemplify the story and ministry of Jesus as best I could; both with my brother and the rest of the world. The actual story was and is not as tidy as this recounting paints, but progress is progress.
On the last day of my trip to Indy, my brother and I walked around the campus of Indiana University where he is working on a Doctorate in some sort of music study. (He has always been pridefully technical in his explanations of anything music, usually losing me somewhere between baroque and Rossini). We had spent four long days together, many hours of which were spent in his 1997 Saturn Sedan, windows down for lack of A/C, forced to bask in Midwestern countryside and one another's company. Conversation flowed, silence existed without awkwardness and love was expressed in subtle words and understanding nods. Though my heart weeps as a result of what has been done to him and so many like him, and because I fear he might never draw near to Christ again on account of it, I feel for the first time I was able to express my faith in a way which pleased the faith-giver. In this I am encouraged.
Our last meal together found us in a local Turkish restaurant on the outskirts of the campus. We were the only customers present and it was perfect, though I would regret later my decision to order the beef kabob on a warm autumn day with such a long trip home.
I did not regret, however, descending upon the skyline of Central Texas with burning eardrums, content in knowing that I once again had a big brother.
(For a more progressive view, see Allen Verhey's work The Holy Bible and Sanctified Sexuality from Interpretation 49 (1995): 31-45; for a conservative view consider Tony Campolo's book Speaking My Mind and his chapter on sexuality. Also, Tony and his wife Peggy disagree on the issue and their debate here is both interesting and enlightening.)
Monday, November 19, 2007
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By protecting your PDA both physically and from a software amount of orientation you will motion its utile time significantly. As with any finance it is statesmanly to protect it and get your money's designer!


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High IQ people is often envied by most of the people. It is recognized that high IQ people has so much advantages than the general population no matter in work or study nearly by all.It seems like they are entitled to special treatment.Is high IQ really unassailable?May be the damn research will subvert your impression on high IQ:
Method: From charts of 117 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years with high IQ ( ≥ 120) who fully met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD, data on 8 normed measures of executive function (EF) were extracted: IQ index scores for working memory and processing speed, a standardized measure of auditory verbal memory, and 5 clusters of the Brown ADD Scale, a normed, age-graded rating scale for ADHD-related executive function impairments in daily life. Significant impairment was computed for each individual relative to age-appropriate norms for each measure and comparisons were made to base-line rates in the general population.
Results: Sixty-two percent of participants were significantly impaired on at least 5 of these 8 markers of EF. Chi-square comparisons of scores from these high IQ participants were significantly different (p < 0.001) from standardization norms for each of the eight EF measures.
Through this experiment,the researchers conclude that high IQ children and adolescents with ADHD, despite their cognitive strengths, tend to suffer from significant impairments of executive functions that can be assessed with these measures; incidence of these impairments is significantly greater than in the general population. These results are fully consistent with data on high IQ adults diagnosed with ADHD.
(source:SCIRP/ Psychiatry)
Most popular papers about Psychiatry,you can get here.


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A rugged forward with size (6-2, 205 lbs.), Benn has the rare combination of physicality and talent. Of late he has been showcasing his offensive upside with a point in each of his last four games (3g, 3a). Benn has been productive on offense for much longer than a handful of games as he has produced 14 points in his last 14 games while firing at least four shots on goal six times. He could be on waivers if you are in a shallow league, and if he is you should give serious consideration to adding him to the mix.
OK, so he isn't on "fire," but at least it's a start. The overall numbers are atrocious -- 13 goals and a minus-27 through 44 games -- but perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Kovalchuk has lit the lamp three times in his last three games, and over his last four outings he has five points. He's even been a plus-3 skater in that time. The situation in New Jersey is dreadful, but that doesn't mean that he couldn't go on a massive scoring streak the rest of the way, so don't sleep on him if his current owner will give him up on the cheap.
A sixth round draft pick in 2004, he recorded three points in 32 career games with the Predators before being moved to the Panthers. It was more of the same at first in the Sunshine State, but of late Santorelli has been on quite the hot streak. Not only does he have a single point in six-straight contests, he also has points in 10 of 11 games. As a center eligible player there isn't an extreme level of interest, but he is a name to consider adding if you need a boost.
Last season was the "good Gaborik" as he brought many a crowd to its feet on his way to 42 goals and a career-best 86 points. This season we've seen the downside of what Gaborik can bring to the ice as injury has limited him to 33 of the Rangers' 47 games. Even worse, Gaborik hasn't been the offensive force that he always is with a mere 11 goals scored, including a drought of eight-straight games without a goal. The injury concerns will never go away but there is no disputing his elite talent. If you can, buy low on the Czech born sniper.
Horton opened the year on fire with nine points in eight October games, and through 22 contests he had 18 points. Since then he has dealt with minor injuries and poor performance, which has resulted in a mere four goals scored in his last 21 contests, including just one in his last 15 games. Add it all up and Horton is on pace to pretty much match what he did last year in Florida (20g, 37a), a far cry from what was expected from him in his first season in Boston.
Last year's Rookie of the Year has been a disappointment. Myers is on pace to roughly match his goals, hits and PIM total of last season, but his point production has fallen from 0.59 points-per-game down to 0.40. Myers has also seen his plus/minus mark dip from +13 to a (-15) this year, including a (-7) mark in his last seven games, and you can forget about him lighting the lamp because he hasn't beaten a keeper since Nov. 15 -- that's over two months if you don't have your calendar handy. All in all, it's been a rather dreadful follow up to a terrific rookie season.
With Tim Connolly scoring just one goal in 11 games, he will lose his spot on the top line, allowing Mr. Hecht to be promoted to play alongside Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. This obviously boosts the value of Hecht, who has been doing quite well of late, skating with inferior linemates as he has recorded points in seven of 10 games and nine of 13. However, given Hecht's track record, even this "promotion" doesn't figure to keep him fantasy relevant for much longer unless you are in deep leagues (in 11 seasons he has never bettered 22 goals or 56 points).
Immensely gifted, Shirokov was a star in Canucks' camp last year, but when the season started he was a bust, lasting only six games before being demoted. This season the 24-year old has excelled in the AHL -- he's currently sporting a 12-game point streak at that level -- which resulted in his recall for the first time this season. While his recall alone is enough of a reason to get interested, the fact that he is likely to replace Jeff Tambellini on the second scoring line is even more reason to get excited about the Russian winger.
The Flames ace is dealing with awful struggles of late. Kipper has allowed 17 goals in his last six starts, leading to a 3.41 GAA and a .862 save percentage. In those six games he has failed to reach even 30 minutes of action before being pulled. The Flames will continue to rely on him most nights, but if you are a Kiprusoff owner you have to be feeling nervous about the fact that his save percentage has been just .880 in his last 17 starts.
Jimmy Howard's injured knee is healing quickly, and he will likely return to action this week. In the meantime MacDonald is starting for the Winged Wheel since Chris Osgood is also on the shelf after groin surgery. Whomever starts for the Wings has to be given fantasy consideration, and in four appearances this season MacDonald has done pretty well with a 2.37 GAA. He'll slide back into a support role, likely by the end of the week, but with Osgood out for a while MacDonald is the backup to Howard that you want to own.
The Sabres MVP has made 21-consecutive starts for the club, going 11-8-2. However, Miller has given up four goals six times in his last 10 outings, and in the month of January his GAA sits at 3.07 to raise his season-long mark to 2.72, a half a goal worse than his 2.22 mark from last year. He's in a slump, but the Sabres will continue to let him work his way through it (he is scheduled for a 22nd straight start against Montreal).
* Thirteen teams play four games this week: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Florida, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Jersey, NY Islanders, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tampa Bay.
* One team play only two games this week: Chicago


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Today is a very early start as I am up at 5am to drive to Bournemouth for work. For those of you who aren't familiar with the UK, Bournemouth is a large university and resort town on England's south coast, in Dorset, situated to the west of Southampton.
It takes about 2.5-3 hours to drive to Bournemouth from Tunbridge Wells, depending on traffic and my colleague and I are going only for the day. This means leaving at 6am and getting back at 9pm, with a day's work sandwiched in between. I feel tired already!
So I was wondering what to wear for the journey and for some reason I am in the mood for patchouli. I'm not sure why - perhaps I feel the need for inward contemplation and patchouli sometimes assists me in that respect.
So I'm wearing Noir Patchouli by Histoires de Parfums on one arm and Intrigant Patchouli by Parfumerie Generale on the other.
What perfume do you like to wear on a long (ish) journey? Would travelling by aeroplane change your mind?


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This time its some people around Bethel, New York who would just like to get to the lake, but can't because of a gated community of well offers.
Friends of the Toronto Reservoir is planning a short march and what organizers describe as a "speak-out" on Saturday, August 4 at 11:30 a.m. Demonstrators will gather at Route 55 and Moscoe Road and walk to the gate at Chapin Estate on Route 55. They want to be able to get to the lake along a road now cut off by private development, huge homes, and a gated community.
In June 2006, the group demonstrated at the controversial gate on Town Road 62 blocking access to Toronto Reservoir, which is hidden from public view because of its remote location. According to demonstration organizer Mary Anne Burke, the group chose the more public gate this time with the goal of reaching more members of the public, and perhaps bringing their cause to the attention of residents who reside in Chapin Estate.
The developer of the gated community has been locked in a legal battle with residents of the community for more than four years over public access to Toronto Reservoir through private property within the development. Alliance Energy Renewables, which in May purchased the reservoir, and is charged with maintaining public access to it, has not yet indicated how it intends to handle the dispute.
The new gate was erected by Woodstone Development, which is trying to keep private the road into its tony Chapin Estates development. Toronto Reservoir, however, was owned at the time by the hydroelectric company Mirant Corp. (and now Alliance Energy), is required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to provide public access.
There's an entrance from Moscoe Road in Bethel, but the Smallwood entrance from Pine Grove Road leads to the preferred beach and boat launch. Woodstone's position on the matter, as expressed in a statement from their lawyers: Their property has no public access. All roads on the Chapin Estates property are private.
This brouhaha may not seem like much to you, but to folks who for generations have been able to go down to their little lake for a picnic or to fish or to swim or whatever, it matters.
These are certainly not the poorest folks in the world (or in the country, or in New York), and this is not the biggest issue facing all of humankind. The topic of lake access is, I'm pretty sure, unlikely to come up in a Presidential debate near you.
No, it's just another one of those everyday irritants that get people's dander up and deserve someone at least paying attention.
And like most everything else in America, class plays a part.
The following story comes from the Times Herald Record (Bethel, New York)
Gated beach entrance angers Bethel residents
Bethel — Once again, Bethel developer Steve Dubrovsky is facing protests. Last summer, it was 27 people holding signs saying he was a greedy developer. This Saturday the same protestors are coming again.
The issue of access to the Toronto Reservoir won't go away quietly for The Chapin Estate developer. Residents said they are not going to stop protesting until Dubrovsky removes a gate at the end of Town Road 62, once the most popular access point to the deep waters.
On Monday as a dress rehearsal to a larger protest coming Saturday, Mary Ann Burke and other residents stood outside the gated community of million-dollar homes in the heart of western Sullivan County, holding signs. This is becoming a recurring nightmare for the man who is marketing a quiet lake club retreat to Manhattan's doctors and corporation heads.
"Dubrovsky: locks out the public from the right to use the Toronto Reservoir," one sign said.
"Dubrovsky: tear down this gate."
Nothing has changed about the issue. Town Road 62 peters out about a mile from the Reservoir, and Dubrovsky owns the private road, and he put up a gate. For nearly four years now, Burke and other residents have been fighting Dubrovsky to remove it.
Dubrovsky has won some recent rounds. Last year, state Supreme Court Judge Robert Sackett ruled in his favor, saying he had a right to stop non-Chapin residents from tramping along his private road.
"The court has ruled against them on this access issue," Dubrovsky said in a release this week in response to the protesters.
"However this is a free country, and if they want to protest the courts decision, they certainly can."
To calm waters in the past, Dubrovsky offered to build a road to another access point. He and the town couldn't reach a deal. And as he pointed out, providing access to the reservoir is not his problem.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said it is the dam owner's problem.
In this case, Alliance Renewable's problem. That company, which recently purchased the dam from Mirant, must provide two public access points, as required by their FERC operating licence. With the Smallwood entrance blocked, that leaves just one access point — off Moscoe Road on the other side of the lake.
"Nothing has changed," FERC spokeswoman Celeste Miller said. "They have to comply with the terms and conditions of the license."
Alliance did what it has frequently done since taking ownership of Mirant's dams this year: to not comment.
Dubrovsky, who is viewed by many in Sullivan as something of a savior for boosting the tax base in Bethel, is looked upon differently by his neighbors.
The bottom line, said Burke, is that for 25 years, any resident rich or poor could walk down Town Road 62, lined with lush trees, and eventually reach a white sandy beach, swimming holes and a trout stream flowing nearby.
That is, she said, until Dubrovsky put an iron gate across the road and big, red no trespassing signs along their walk.
Now only rich weekenders can get through.
And that's why protesters carrying signs will be camped outside The Chapin Estate this Saturday.


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This week was a remarkable week. On two levels, I witnessed now badly the situation has unfortunately deteriorated in la belle province.
I am of the opinion that under the guidance of Premier Jean Charest, Quebec has devolved into a kleptocracy and Charest has become a modern day despot exercising his control over the entire state including the judiciary.
Early in week, the report leaked to the press from the Quebec Government's anti collusion squad was damming. It went as far as to say that some functions of the state had been overtaken by a consortium of public servants working for the Ministry of Transportation, engineering firms, and the criminal element, supported by a clandestine financing of Quebec's major political parties in the way of kickbacks which arise from charging overinflated prices for construction projects and a portion of which eventually reach their way to the political party in power.
In other words, everybody in the consortium is taking a cut while the taxpayer is being ripped off for the replacement of the crumbling infrastructure at a cost that is 40% higher than the rest of Canada and is of lower quality. It goes as far as having the Ministry of Transport contracting out to the private sector to do the required inspection and supervision of the construction performed by the private sector firms. The report details how the consortium will arrange to charge the government for 1000 truckloads of contaminated earth to be removed when in reality it takes only 100 truckloads to perform the task.
No wonder the Quebec Government announced in the same week a 800 million reduction in budget expenditures, including funding for Health and Education. Faced with a mountain of debt, the Quebec Government has to find some way to keep the infernal money machine operating.
Incredibly, when Premier Charest faced the media, had the audacity to say that it was thanks to the determined efforts of his government that we have become aware at how corrupt it has become. He went as far as too say that he hadn't even read the report. Imagine going in front of the nation without having read the document leaked to the press and is available on the Internet that asserts that your government is the most corrupt in living memory.
Yet, Charest has something up his sleeve that most Quebecers are only vaguely aware of despite the recent public hearings of the Bastarache Commission that investigated irregularities in appointing judges to the bench.
During his press conference, Charest would keep coming back to the point that we live by the rule of law, evidence must be obtained, and that the government is determined to prosecute those who have engaged in illegal activities.
What is left unsaid is that Charest and his Liberal cronies effectively control the legal system. They decide where and how legal resources will be deployed concerning who is targeted for investigation and who will be charged. Moreover, they have put in place many of the judges who preside over the trials and more importantly the judges that decide which of their peers will hear which cases. In short, the fix is on as we should expect when candidates applying for positions on the bench have their resumes forwarded to Premier Charest with post-it notes that indicate whether they have supported the Quebec Liberal Party in the past.
At a personal level, I have first hand experience with how political power controls the judiciary. As any reader of my Taking On The System blog would know, we have filed a motion to have the first-past-the-post electoral system declared unconstitutional.
This week we received the decision from Quebec's Court of Appeal that I would liken to the insult to their intelligence that Quebecers felt when their Premier appeared before them to defend himself from the accusations from a report that he commissioned but couldn't be bothered to read.
Not surprisingly, the decision did not support our motion to have the electoral system declared unconstitutional. After all, for better or for worse, the first-past-the-post voting system distorts the popular vote to give dictatorial control of the government to the leader of the party that wins the most seats. The political power that the Premier enjoys results from a manipulation in the manner the votes cast are transformed into seats in the legislature and that power is used to appoint judges. Simply put, judges are human and they are not going to bite the hand that feeds them.
Intellectually, I understand the systemic bias that protects the status quo, but what I didn't expect is a decision that would make Kafka laugh in the way it was rendered.
In rendering his decision, Judge Dufresne did toss us a crumb in asserting that the lower court judge had erred when saying our case wasn't judicable. Wow! This question had already been addressed when Quebec's Attorney General tried and failed to have our case declared inadmissible at an earlier instance in the proceedings. Moreover, even a cursory reading of the jurisprudence would indicate that the Court is obliged to hear a case when reasonable doubt on the constitutionality of electoral practices has been produced.
However, when it came to the real question that was put forward, it was as if the three judges put their hands over their ears and started singing and uttering the phrase, "we can't hear you".
In our case, the judge accepted what was obvious, the first-past-the-post voting system distorts the popular vote, but declared that this in itself wasn't sufficient to grant our motion since all voting systems produce distortions.
Well then what about the scale of the distortions and the manner in which they are produced? We have provided expert testimony that demonstrates that the level of distortion is beyond that of the distortions caused by other electoral practices and were subsequently declared unconstitutional and that the manner in which it is done is unclear violation of the equality guarantees of the Charter.
No matter. We won't give that evidence proper consideration. In the lower court decision not a word was devoted to our most compelling evidence in the analysis and the Appeal Court Judges decided that this slight of hand did not constitute a judicial error.
Excuse my language but "What the Fuck!"
Again, I would accept the decision if it were demonstrated that we had erred in claiming that the fact that first-past-the-post denied representation to as many as a million voters that voted for the Greens in the 2008 federal election was an infringement of their democratic rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
But this was not done. They simply dodged this inconvenient fact with dismissive silence concerning how such an electoral anomaly could be countenanced. To date, the contestable prejudice caused to those who have their votes discarded by an electoral system that is unique in that it doesn't possess a mechanism to aggregate votes or voting preferences has not been addressed and thus gives us grounds for an appeal.
Moreover, Judge Dufresne went on to make two outlandish statements that suggest that he doesn't understand or chooses not to understand the fundamental democratic principles upon which the case is founded.
The first was to suggest that the fact that the reversal of the democratic result of the Quebec 1966 and 1998 general elections (the party that won less votes than another went on to form a majority government) and the fact that almost a million voters who voted Green did not gain any representation in the 2008 federal election did not constitute a grave injustice. At the same time, Judge Dufresne uses a statistical outlier, a once-in-a-hundred year electoral result from the 2007 Quebec General Election (the three major parties gained more or less representation proportional to the popular vote) to demonstrate that the distortions inherent to first-past-the-post are not systemic yet ignored that two smaller parties that together garnered 7% of the vote were denied any representation at all.
He then suggests that the most recent federal election in which the Conservatives form a majority government with only 39% of the popular vote and in Quebec the Bloc is reduced only 4 out of 75 seats despite amassing 25% of the popular vote while the the NDP gains 70% of the seats with only approximately 40% of the vote is evidence to the contrary. In making such a claim, Judge Dufresne is suggesting that black is white for in no way do these electoral results conform to the principles of democracy, in particular that each and every vote carries equal weight.
One has to wonder what is the frame of reference being used to apply the concept of effective representation for each and every citizen. Do the egalitarian values inherent to democracy enter the equation? Apparently not in Quebec at this time.
Clearly, an appeal grounded on democratic principles would go nowhere in Charest's Quebec because to grant our appeal would upset the very power base that political parties rely upon to gain absolute control of the state and their subsequent ability to redirect a large portion of the collective wealth into private hands. Too many people profit handsomely from this dysfunctional form of governance to let it be replaced with a democratic electoral system.
In order to seek justice, we will need to have our case heard in a different political context, which we hope to find in having our appeal heard at the Supreme Court of Canada.


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Day without Art is a movement that was started on December 1 1989. It is a day to take a stand and morn those lost to AIDS. We have learned a lot about AIDS since that time as we have learned that it can touch everyone, inspire positive actions and watched as individuals came together.
The first Day Without Art shut down museums and the staff that would have worked gave the time as volunteers at AIDS services or sponsoring special exhibitions of work about AIDS. Since the first day the movement has grown and now includes museums, galleries, art centers, AID service organizations, libraries, high schools and colleges take part.
This day later changed to Day With(out) Art and highlights the proactive programming of art projects created by artist living with HIV/AIDS


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|1500 UTC (0800 MST) 22 Nov 2011 IR Image
It is perhaps a sick and demented dream of mine to have a surge of hurricane-related moisture into Utah in November. Imagine the high-density, heavily rimed snow and graupel that would result in the upper elevations, just what is needed to build a snowpack.
Alas, the moisture from Kenneth is presently forecast by the Global Forecast System (GFS) to surge up through western Mexico and then into New Mexico.
|GFS sea level pressure (contours) and integrated water vapor (color fill)
for 0600 UTC 22 Nov – 0600 UTC 25 Nov 2011


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Crazy, huh?
Well, it was an almost. Inspiration to write pops up every so often, but unfortunately, the time &/or energy didn't follow. You know how it is. My blog silence doesn't mean anything more than that.
Oh, & yes - I still drink wine. Quite a bit of it.
I have some things that I want to write about, but guess what? I'm short on time. Perhaps if I hadn't stayed up until 2:00 a.m. drinking wine with our friends...but whatever.
What can you expect of me in the future? Well, not much, really. I'll write when I want about what I want. I'm not going to write about every wine I drink - now, there's an exhausting concept - & as always, I won't just write about wine. After all, my life is pretty entertaining.
So, with that, I hope to not be such a stranger.
Dow's Late Bottled Vintage 2008 Port
20 hours ago


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Last year I had the honor and the privilege of getting to help one of my dear friends plan her wedding. Briana and I have been friends since high school, and I could not be happier that this sweet girl found such a great man!
Briana and Max had a charming, fun and romantic ceremony surrounded by all their friends and family on picnic blankets in Heritage Park overlooking Dana Point Harbor. Their wedding was full of DIY charm! Bridal party and family members were working up until the last minute to make sure every detail was perfect and had "The Penders" written all over it. This wedding was truly a community effort, with everyone pulling together to make sure this sweet couple could have a magical day.
The reception was held in Dana Point Harbor. Once again, all of the DIY touches transformed the space and made what is normally a simple meeting room into a reception hall worthy of a legendary party. There was a white color palate with splashes of orange and yellow to add some fun, with touches of lace and gold to bring in a vintage flair.
Briana, my dear, you made a STUNNING bride! I am so happy that I was able to help you put on such a fun event. I hope you and Max have a very long and very happy life together.
Event Coordinator - Cassandra Dyane Weddings & Events
Ceremony Venue - Heritage Park
Reception Venue - OC Sailing and Events Center
Florals - Mackenzie Roberts
Photographer - Sarah Fields Photography
Caterer - Creations by Karen


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Sunday, October 19, 2008
Phoctober Day 2 (Or Sunday in da City)
Adam and I this time took ginger extract rather than Travel Calm which made us totally trippy last time and headed out in quite a swell. Not as choppy as before but boy that boat was rising and falling like the Dow Jones! It's a four hour sojourn through the harbour and beyond the heads into open ocean. Today it was boaties day. The harbour was jam packed with pleasure craft, tour boats, sailing races, jet boats and hoons in wannabe speed boats. We identified at least five different kinds of yachts competing for goodness knows what in a spinnaker raising wind and a few ending up in the drink. So here's our glorious 30 degree spring day in arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I'm not precious about Australia, it's just another country, but the harbour? Totally awesome! You can click for various bouts of bigness.
SO Sydney, popping into Circular key, one of the regular ferries in green and gold and a cruise charter longship exchanging greetings and that gorgeous lady in the background is of course the Sydney Opera House
This little Lady dwarfed the skyline . . Rhapsody of the Sea . . just popping in of for the day trippers (the big rectangular thing on the back is a rock climbing wall!)
Pulled into Circular Quay, the main ferry terminal to pick up others. Jet Boat boy was waiting for punters who feel comfortable in purple dry suits . . I'm sure he drives a Subaru Impreza!
Little boats were capsizing all over the place . . .these guys had about 4 attempts to right their skiff!
Fort Denison, "Pinchgut" to the locals was built to dissuade Russian would-be invaders during the Crimean War . . um the Russian's weren't coming. Never been there but it's on your travel agenda Notsoanonymous!
Many prefer to watch from a cliffside vantage point. There are cliff walks on both sides of the harbour and beyond . .
Look at all those tourists crowding onto Bondi beach . .possibly the most overrated beach in the world next to Copa Cabana . . . but you all wanna go there!
Then a little spurt and a brown bit!
Then a little tantalising glimpse . .we were pitching so hard on a 1.5metre swell (look at the horizon) that staying steady meant one hand on the bars and single handed camera work.) These dudes were 500metres away . .they're BIG
Something interesting down there . . .six week old calf needs a breather.
Baby fluke . . there was a very shy but enormous mum who insisted on holding her breath longer than the younglings so I missed her big breach and flap thanks to the selfish little cow who jumped up in front of me. There were three but so hard to see. Mum, a juvenile 6 year old and a tiny calf . . .Ok nothing like the gorgeous breach shots of Southern Right's that AV has on Absolute Vanilla (seriously if you like whales she's got some amazing shots) but I put my camera down for a while to look (and hang on) rather than just photograph.
Travelling back through the heads there was a swag of seaplanes heading north.
How the rich and famous go home from Catelinas Restaurant at Rushcutter's bay or Doyles at Watson's Bay . . nice flight home after a slow lunch!
Back at Darling Harbour and the thunder clouds were rolling in while the sun still shone from the west. Centrepoint tower gleamed gold . . .I like this shot and if you make it larger, you might just be able to see Egyptian Ibis in the palm trees (dirty smelly honkers - hate 'em)
One of the fountains at Darling Harbour, when we rushed over to King Street Wharf there were children paddling in the stream. Adam commented that we have to fence any pool deeper than 400cm but for some reason kids can splosh around in this. We were running late so no time for happy snaps. Darling harbour is a weird place. There's an Imac theatre, convention centre (the Motor Show was on) and one half is decidedly westy and appeals to the working class. The other side - lovely restaurants and Monaco boats. Today the Dragon Races were on which are great and really colourful but I was saving memory and we were running late so I didn't snap 'em.
We needed food and a toilet. The signs were pretty but of no use . . so we succumbed to MacDonalds (they have clean loos) and ate our Big Macs on the steps outside.
Bloody seagulls are big around here . . .and they go 'honk' not 'mine'
27 comments:
- Lehners in France said...
Phoctober!!! I love it!!! And what wonderful photos. I am so glad you saw the whales at last. Thanks for posting the photos, it's made my Sunday. Debs x
- 10:13 pm
- Kath Lockett said...
Great pics, Baino. The Centrepoint tower shot is brilliant - you should sell it to 'em.
Like the idea of Phoctober too - sounds very naughty!
- 10:18 pm
- Grannymar said...
I could almost feel the swell!
Was that really a seagull????
- 11:51 pm
- Absolute Vanilla (and Atyllah) said...
Gorgeous Sydney pics, Bains! And that big bird, isn't that a sacred ibis??? So glad you finally got to see the whales! Amazing experience, isn't it.
Now, you're probably going to hate me... doddled off to snap the pingus (penguins) and tootling along the coast, no more than 15 mins from home, there were whales. No schlepping to Hermanus in future, False Bay was full of them. Got down onto the rocks and watched them playing - no more than 200 meters from me - totally awesome. Haven't checked the pics yet, about to do so now, but hoping for some goodies. If so, they'll go up on the blog later. And then, if not whales, it will be penguins. It's been another hellish day in Africa...
- 12:40 am
- Ces said...
I am going to New Zealand and Australia.
How much money do I have to have in order to overcome the age requirement for immigrating to Australia?
- 12:44 am
- Moon said...
Brilliant !!, what a great trip, love all the photos, but the whale tale, perfect ! The other phtos bring back some wonderful Syndey memories... and I agree, Bondi is a nothing place for me !
- 1:18 am
- Miladysa said...
Fascinating photographs Baino!
My line of thought is the same as Ces - how much dosh to qualify?
- 2:30 am
- Miladysa said...
BTW - That seagull's bloody weird looking.
- 2:30 am
- Ropi said...
Well I am not sure if I go to Australia one day I will be watching whales. I have bad relation with ships.
- 3:13 am
- Nick said...
Can't wait to go back. I didn't realise there were cliff walks around the harbour. Will have to find them. Must say I prefer Coogee to Bondi.
- 3:25 am
- Don't Bug Me! said...
I am not a big city fan, but as far as cities goes, Sydney definitely ranks up there for me.
As far as countries go, Australia is something special - I could go back and visit over and over again. Oh, wait a minute, I have!
Love the whale shots. As you know, Mr. DBM and I are travelling South America at the moment. We are heading to Brazil next, but then down the coast of Argentina to Patagonia - hopefully we will see some whales along the way, and I am definitely going to find me some penguins!
PS Hated Bondi Beach - everyone kept laughing at my sock line tan! Well, who would want sunburnt feet!?!
- 4:15 am
Hi Baino,
Why did you need the toilet at Ronald's when you travelled out and back through the 'heads'? ;-)
- 5:53 am
- Megan said...
I'm glad the whales showed up for you! Great shots (even one-handed).
What is a hoon?
- 6:12 am
- Bimbimbie said...
Tsup*!* Glad you got to see the whales this time around - loved photo of centre point tower and the seagul lol *!*
- 6:34 am
- Baino said...
Yep it was a thrill Deb but no shenanigins or breaching unfortunately. Gorgeous day though and there's always something different to see on the harbour.
Nothing naughty about Phoctober Kath, it's all in the pronunciation! The Centrepoint one was my fave have to admit.
Granny Mar of cours not. Seagulls look the same the world over, it's a smelly Egyptian Ibis! Just as annoying!
AV I'm very jealous. I'll really have to wonder up to Harvey Bay or down Kath's way in South Australia, they seem to prefer them as playgrounds, they're just passing through in Sydney. We did have a big brown fur seal turn up and check us out but my pics were too fuzzy to publish.
Ces, you need to be under 45, have a job to come to or be sponsored by a resident or a prospective employer . . unless you're a legitimate refugee then we put you in a detention centre for 'processing'!
I guess because Bondi is so iconic, everyone at least wants to 'see' it for themselves. Personally I prefer the northern surf beaches - I'm definately not a city person but it's hard not to love it on a clear 30 degree day!
Miladysa, get famous, get a book deal and we'll bring you over to receive your Miles Franklin award! Gratis!
Ropi Travel Calm if you want a trippy ride. Ginger Root if you want to stay awake! You'd have been barfing over the side for sure! It's only rough outside the heads, the harbour is generally pretty sheltered.
Nick you can walk from Vaucluse to Bondi and Tamarama or on the other side through West Head or from the Spit to Mosman. I've never done it though it's a day's work and I prefer mucking about on boats!
DBM - you'll have the trip of a lifetime. I'd love to see Patagonia or even the Galapagos Islands. Bondi appears to be full of tourists with bad tans or raging sunburn. It's the beach with the most surf rescues in Australia!
Ian its Sunday aren't you supposed to be 'reverent' today! Heads indeed! For the record, I didn't need a pee . . I don't do public loos!
Megan a 'hoon' is a young, driver of those souped up little cars with boom boxes that screech around the streets showing off.
"Tsup!" Bimbimbie. Hate those things, he was after Adam's chips and kept 'honking' at us before walking away in disdain!
- 6:58 am
Great photos. Made me feel once again fortunate and grateful for living here. I have to say I felt it when I first visited, I remember thinking to myself, I love it! I could live here.
11 years later... I love it, I can live here forever. :)
Awesome photos!
- 7:23 am
- laughingwolf said...
neat pics baino...
don't understand whale behavior - you say they hug the coast so orcas and sharks won't attack their young, but both are a LOT smaller than are the humpers, and orcas, at least, are just as intelligent... what gives?
or is there a pact to let the young grow? kinda like 'farming'?
- 7:48 am
- Baino said...
Thanks Gaye, I was disappointed with the quality of the whale ones but hey, I can always go and steal AV's! The harbour makes it. I still get a thrill when I drive over the bridge and a pang of disappointment when I get stuck in the tunnel lane instead.
Wuffa, the orcas go for the young calves (sharks aren't fussy) which aren't much bigger than a shark or a seal by the time they come back from Harvey bay. Orcas were common 'assistant's' to the whaling community in southern NSW helping whalers to corral migrating whales in return for a go at their tongue would you believe. I should post the story of "Old Tom" one of these days.
Does seem a little canibalistic eh?
- 8:24 am
- Ernest de Cugnac said...
wow, you do a better job than the aussie tourist board. If I didn't already live in a fabulous country I'd be making tracks.
- 8:59 am
- Quickroute said...
great photos - damn I miss the place!
- 2:33 pm
- Baino said...
It's easy to take good shots with a good subject Ernest but I wouldn't be moving over here too soon, you're in a sensational part of the world.
Quickie so are you! At least you know exactly what I'm on about!
- 2:47 pm
- Thriftcriminal said...
That's a seagul? Jesus, it looks like an unsavoury egyptian god!
- 5:36 pm
- Baino said...
Thrifty . . everything's bigger out here! You should see the spider on my bathroom mirror! They're smelly old ibis and they honk and poo like dogs and pinch yer chips! True tho . .Thoth had the head of an Ibis.
- 7:38 pm
- steph said...
Grannymar got confused 'cos we don't have seagulls in Ireland...
we have 'shitehawks' ;-)
Great shots, Baino
btw You must have the bladder of a camel!
- 6:46 am
Great Pics Baino
I have visited Sydney 5 times so far and am determined to visit again and again.
Note to self - must get saving for my next trip down under!
- 12:32 am
- Miladysa said...
hee hee - if only! *grin*
- 4:48 am
- Baino said...
Steph, I just have an aversion to public loos! Last record was 14 hours! I was busting by the time I got home (good pelvic floor hehe)
Hello Taffy's Mum, welcome over. It's a fun project but I'm only posting on Sundays due to time constraints. Nothing like the city on a sunny day (sadly it's pouring here today)
Miladysay, don't underestimate yourself!
- 6:40 am


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Antique billiard cues are well crafted. It is hard to tell them apart from modern ones unless you know what you are seeking. They are made from the finest woods and are meticulously crafted so that the cue is perfectly balanced and perfectly sized. Antique billiard cues are quite a feat of engineering since they were made before the advent of modern day machines and materials
Billiard cues made their first appearance in the 17th century. The earliest cues did not have tips. Hitting the ball with just the wood did not give the player much control over the trajectory. The cue tip was invented by Francois Mingaud in the 19th century, and it was invented while he was in prison. He was an avid player, and he actually asked to remain in prison so he could have the time to perfect his invention. He made the first cue tip using a piece of leather cut from his own shoe. Cues were made of wood until the 20th century when graphite was used to make the most expensive models.
Brunswick made its first billiard cue in 1845. Brunswick cues were made with maple, rosewood and ebony. France was where billiards first became popular. Henin Aine was one of the most popular French cue makers, and his cues featured embedded mother of pearl. In Germany, antique billiard cues were made by The B. Finck Co., which opened in 1839 and made some of the most elaborately styled billiard cues. They featured inlays of exotic woods.
Antique billiard cues have intricately carved handles. Many, especially the European ones, will have inlays of precious metals like gold and silver as well as mother of pearl. The cues may be wrapped in materials like silk.
There are several features that will give hints as to the age of the antique billiard cues. Two-piece cues appeared in the early 20th century. Cues made before that would have to be one piece. The maker will have engraved his mark on the cue. Check the condition. It should show natural wear. In the older cues, the edges of the letters would be starting to wear away. The butt end of the cue will be thicker in older cues, and the fore part will be thinner than in modern models.
Antique billiard cues are very collectable. The handles can have such intricate carvings that they are like works of art, and many collectors display them on the wall of their billiard room. There is a great demand for antique billiard cues, and that makes them increase in value, making antique billiard cues an excellent investment.
There are really hundreds of billiard cue makers, both big companies and individual craftsmen. Those who play billiards will be familiar with them. Yet, if you are new to the sport and collecting antique billiard cues, focus on one maker. Study all about what woods and decorations it used. There will always be someone trying to market a cue as being older than it is.


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From Twin Cities.com
By Chris Polydoroff
You might not believe that a Methodist founded the St. Paul Seminary. In 1896 James J. Hill endowed and built the institution in honor of his wife Mary, a devout Catholic. Since then, the seminary has ordained about 3,000 priests from 60 dioceses.
Justin Kortuem, 28, is a former General Mills scientist and college athlete in his first year of theological studies. He credits his childhood cancer at age 16 as one factor that led him towards God, but thought that his calling would be to work as a pediatric oncologist.
He heard the call to the priesthood during Mass one day.
"I just felt the Lord say this is what I want you to do, and you don't have to try and figure it out anymore," Kortuem said before the start of daily Mass at the chapel one recent morning. He said he had a great peace and joy in knowing what God has created him to do.
If you are actively discerning a vocation to the Priesthood, Diaconate, Consecrated Life, or Marriage and you are looking for information to help in your discernment, BE SURE TO CHECK the section at the bottom of the right sidebar for the "labels" on all posts. By clicking on one of these labels it will take you to a page with all posts containing that subject. You will also find many links for suggested reading near the bottom of the right sidebar. Best wishes and be assured of my daily prayers for your discernment.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Seminarian credits cancer as one factor in his call to the Priesthood
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Earlier we were watching tv, when that really sad animal commercial came on. It's about donating and helping the animal shelter, and it shows all these beaten up dogs and cats. Of course it was playing the really sad music, by that famous chick.. I forget her name. Anyways, as soon as it came on, Kyle started saying "mama, oh, no", "yuckies", "okay?" and words like that. As they kept showing pictures, he would get more serious, and that's when I noticed he started getting teary-eyed. I kept trying to tell him that it was okay, and the doggies and kitties were okay. But then, they showed a clip of a tiny kitty, and he said "oh, no, kitty stuck!!!".. and he started CRYING. That made ME start crying. I had to try and get him calmed down, but he was so worried about this cat, he wouldnt stop crying. Doesn't that break your heart? After the commercial ended he said "kittty..stuck..key".. I asked him "key?" and he said "yeah, key..car". I guess he wanted us to get in the car and get the key to get the kitty out. Kyle is wild, hyper, and sometimes crazy, but he sure is one loving kid who melts my heart.
ETA: It's the ASPCA commercial and the song's Angel by Sarah McLachlan. Thanks, Ro!
Jul 24, 2008
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Sometimes you just like you a band or artist because they fit in with your preferences. Sometimes because they remind you of someone else you dig. Or maybe for reasons that aren't even related to music. Sometimes – especially if they don't necessarily fit your mould – you can't quite put your finger on it.
Linda Ronstadt was always one of those last cases for me. I mean, very talented, but not terribly original, and maybe a tad on the commercial side. I mean, she was certainly not Led Zeppelin. So I couldn't figure out what it was I liked so much.
But I think I finally have: she was so great because she was the whole American thing: country, rock and roll, rockabilly, blues - oh, and a little gospel. Punk too. She could deliver in each style with unassailable conviction – sometimes mixing in more than one of 'em in the same song.
And then for good measure she went and got Peter Asher, friend and protégé of The Beatles, to be her producer. Pretty hard to miss with all that jammed into a record.


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LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell freshmen Menley Denham (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) and Katie Carroll (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) were named to the All-Patriot League Women's Rowing Team on Wednesday. Denham earned a spot on the First Team, while Carroll was a Second Team honoree. They helped the Bison earn a third-place finish in the team standings at last week's Patriot League Championship.
Denham was a member of the varsity eight that won its heat and then placed fourth in the final. Denham rowed in the eight seat.
Carroll also rowed in the stroke seat, but she was positioned in the Bison second varsity eight, which was victorious in both its heat and the finals race. It marked the first time Bucknell's second varsity eight won gold at the Patriot League Championship since 2011.
Bucknell, which has finished in the top three of the team standings at the Patriot League Championship every year since 2006, had its first freshman named to the All-Patriot League Teams since Amanda Chikowski was a First Team choice in 2012.
Navy won the team title last week, but Boston U. captured the varsity eight race, earning it both Boat of the Year and Coach of the Year (Stacey Rippetoe) honors.
2016 All-Patriot League Rowing
Patriot League Coach of the Year: Stacey Rippetoe, Boston University
Patriot League Boat of the Year: Boston University Varsity Eight
First Team
Killian Ballard, Boston U., Sr.
Bridget Behmke, Boston U., Sr.
Jo MacCune, Boston U., Sr.
Marlaina Miller, Boston U., Jr.
Menley Denham, Bucknell, Fr.
Christina Johnson, Georgetown, Jr.
Larking Sayre, MIT, Jr.
Julia Arthur, Navy, Jr.
Miranda Kosmides, Navy, Jr.
Second Team
Dominique Baker, Boston U., Sr.
Emily Lerhe, Boston U., Sr.
Annalise Routenberg, Boston U., Jr.
Katie Carroll, Bucknell, Fr.
Sabrina Gosman, Georgetown, Jr.
Bridgid Carey, Holy Cross, Sr.
Ellie Brewer, MIT, Fr.
Maeve Broeg, Navy, So.
Alexandria Switzer, Navy, Sr.


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Hello world wide web, as we've got some pretty cool stuff coming up, I thought I'd do a quick post just to let you all know about the happenings over the next couple of weeks.
Firstly, on Sept 27th, we will be playing at camden's Proud Galleries, as party of the awesome 'Call the Landlord' club night. Last time we played this event I stumbled across a pretty large guy pole-dancing in one of the booths. And that was before we went on.
click HERE to go to the Facebook event page.
and then, only a few days later we are thrilled to announce we're supporting the absolutely insane and fantastic David Goo Variety Band at their 'World Domination' album launch at The Bowery on New Oxford Street on the 1st October.
Here's a video of David getting slapped and sung about.
In other news, Camberwell Grove is now available for your auditory pleasure on our myspace and Facebook profiles, so go have a listen and let us know what you think.
Until the next time, stay classy, internet.
Grant, -JF- x


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Not as funny as I was lead to believe. But there were still a couple of laugh out loud moments.
Kelly's stories of her life, begin in her youth. I felt like I was reading the diary of a young girl who was having the same awkward time in life. Then as her tales progressed into her teenage years, I became uninterested. Who doesn't have a story at one point in high school of trying to impress their friends or getting black-out, puke all over a car drunk? (You don't have to admit it, but I know Kelly and I aren't the only ones)
It wasn't until her adulthood that I was able to relate to her. Mother, wife and partyer. That is the Kelly I liked. She reminded me of a stretched out (she refers to herself as such because of giving birth to 3 kids), married version of Chelsea Handler.
I guess she is trying to reach all audiences, because depending on where you are in life, you will be able to connect on some level with at least one part of her book.
I might have high standards for comedic memoirs because I have read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling, Bossypants by Tina Fey and I love the vulgarity in all of Chelsea Handler's books.
Overall, this was funny. There were at least 4 moments on the train where I was choking back audible laughter, it had to do with urine, David Copperfield, her husband and Disneyland (all 4 were different stories). So I do recommend it, and I will just chalk this up to the book being over hyped for me.
But I hope you enjoy!


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This past weekend the GeekGrl and I had a family function to attend near Salt Lake City and so of course we looked for a race to enter since we would need to get a run in anyway and it's always fun to check out local events from locales other than where you live. The only thing I was able to find that fit our schedule was a half-marathon in its inaugural year called the Run Elevated Half Marathon. The race begins near a ski lodge in Alta, UT at an elevation of close to 9000 feet and it descends through the canyon and ends at the base of the mountains in Sandy, UT. According to my Garmin there was almost 400 feet of elevation loss on the course and the majority of it takes place in the first 9 miles.
The race starts at 6:30 in the morning but you have to arrive at the finish line by about 5:00 a.m. in order to park and catch buses to the start line. It was cold and dark when they dropped us at the start line and we ended up waiting form maybe 45 minutes though it seemed longer because the GeekGrl and I hadn't brought any warm clothes. Runners were allowed to bring a drop bag for warm clothes that would be transported back down to the finish line but for some reason the information that it would be about 50 degrees at the start line didn't register with me as being particularly cold.
For some reason I've been having difficulty with the concept of relative experiences lately. My mind has been defaulting to extreme cases so when I saw the 50 degrees warning I immediately thought about how 50 degrees felt relatively warm compared to winter. I can recall several winter runs when I was blessed with a "warm" day of 50 and ran comfortably in shorts and a singlet. I did not think about all the other runs I've done in the summer when 50 degrees feels pretty cold compared to the average 90 degree temps. In a similar vein, when we ran the Squak Mountain marathon earlier this year and I read that there would be 7,000 feet of climbing it didn't seem all that bad in comparison to the 27,000 feet of climbing at Wasatch but again, I didn't consider the relative distances, 100 miles versus a marathon, and then appreciate that Squak Mountain was mile-for-mile every bit as hard as Wasatch.
In any case, there we stood huddled out of the wind holding each other behind the port-o-potties waiting for the start. The race began exactly on time and predictably people tore out at the starting gun like they were on fire. I've done this enough times to appreciate that you really have to be conservative at least for the first mile just to see how your body feels so that's what I did as all kinds of people surged past me. Almost as soon as the race started we were hit with a light sprinkle that turned into a cold rain and I was thankful at least that it had held off until after the start. The rain, however, didn't last long and I was feeling increasingly good so I picked up the pace.
Running downhill used to be something I really excelled at; even my fastest friends had to run hard when it came to going downhill. However a couple nasty spills and a fractured hip changed that dramatically. I would say that during the 2011 and 2012 running season I was not myself as a downhill runner. I became slow and cautious. For the longest time I couldn't really put my finger on what it was that slowed me down so much. I mean, sure, I had lost confidence but it wasn't the loss of confidence per-se that caused me to slow, there was something behind it and lead to less confidence.
A few months back the GeekGrl and I took up Olympic Weightlifting and this has resulted in doing a lot of squats of every description. We don't just do the half-squat that you often see people at the local gym doing, we do the deep full squats of an Olympic weightlifter. We do front squats, back squats and overhead squats. We also do a lot of split squats, which is akin to a weighted lunge, and a lot of dumbbell jumps, which is really doing what box jumps are intended to do except instead of jumping up onto some platform you are simply doing your vertical jump while holding dumbbells.
After about a month of the Olympic weightlifting I noticed my legs started to feel solid when they hit the ground as I ran the foothills behind my house and that is when it clicked and I finally realized what had been going on and what had caused my lack of confidence in my downhill running. During my various injuries I had lost a lot of leg strength and that resulted in a slightly spongy, unstable feeling when my feet hit the ground as I ran downhill. It's nothing that I ever noticed except in contrast to how I feel now but somewhere in the recesses of my mind I did sense this slight instability and so I slowed and became more cautions, lost confidence.
Regaining that solid feeling was pretty amazing because when I first noticed it returning it was like seeing someone you think you recognize but aren't quite sure. I was tentative at first but the longer I paid attention to the feeling the more recognition set in, "Yes, this is how my legs used to feel when I hammered the downhills, like steel springs not like worn out shocks."
This race put my newfound leg strength to the test but what was great is that my confidence was back and I knew in my heart that it would be a very rare person who could beat me on the downhills. After about a mile and a half I just decided to attack the hill and let fly. I quickly started passing people one, two, three at a time. I then started catching entire groups of people, the cluster at the front of the back of the pack, the cluster at the back of the middle of the pack, the cluster at the middle of the middle of the pack and so on. By the time I left the canyon at mile nine I could tell from the dispersion of people that I was in that more thinly populated training edge of the front of the front of the pack.
However, by this time I had developed a pretty large blister on the heel of each foot. I could feel them there and they hurt. Despite having my leg strength back my feet weren't used to that kind of pounding. It may have been wiser to have backed off but the way I saw it the blisters were there already so there's no point in backing off. The worst that could happen is what, they could get slightly larger? They could tear and be a little more painful? The point is I really didn't care because I had two other tests I wanted to run on myself.
The first thing I was curious about was an article that I had read in Scientific American Mind called "No Brain – No Pain." Basically the article lays out the research that points to the current consensus that pain is really more of an emotion than it is a physical state. In lay terms this is the whole "mind-over matter; if you don't mind it don't matter" idea but in far less macho terms. Obviously it's not actually the case that pain is only an emotion and that you could basically get stabbed in the face and not care. It's more like the severity of our pain is a function of our emotional relationship to it. The degree of actual tissue damage plays a role but out "pain emotion" really cranks up the suffering. What I wanted to do is kind of play with this idea as it was happening, observe my sensations and see if I could turn the pain up or down. I do not recommend turning it up. It works and is, duh, painful.
What I found interesting is that any mental reference to the idea of pain, struggle or doubt made it hurt worse. So, for example, if I told myself "I just need to suck it up and run through the pain" it hurt worse. In fact bringing the word pain or suffering to mind is what made it hurt worst of all. It was also the case that I felt more pain if I had any thoughts of doubt or struggle so the thoughts "I doubt I can catch that guy" or "I need to dig deep and push so I don't get passed by the guy I just passed" brought about more pain but not as much as if I was actually thinking about pain. What diminished the pain the most was when I was just thinking "let's see if I can catch that guy" or "I bet I can catch that guy" or at times when I was thinking strategically like "I'm going to back off a little on this uphill so I can conserve some energy."
These thinking strategies worked well for me until maybe the last mile when I was physically spent and quite realistically, there was nobody left to pass unless they blew up before I did and everyone was turning on their kick and trying not to blow up before the finish line so getting passed back was a very real possibility. The last mile, I'm not ashamed to admit, was pretty brutal. It was a struggle, I had several doubts and man was it painful but this brings me to my second self-test. I wanted to see how fast I might be relative to other runners.
Last year as the Slam wore on I lost more and more speed and gained more and more weight. I entered last season at about 197 and hit a low of 187. This season I started at 208 and despite what I felt were good efforts I have been unable to lose anything. I did drop to 207 for one day but I've mostly been hanging out at between 208 and 210. My attempts at losing weight and regaining speed involved starting the Hanson's Marathon method, which includes a lot of speed work and running at faster paces, and trying everything I could with respect to dieting including a couple of "fad diets." The fad diets resulted in immediate weight gain and my regular just eat right and watch your portions resulted in no weight loss at all.
To top it off, the paces I was trying to run using the Hanson's method were just killing me. I think I made it two weeks into the plan and I was so smoked that I was falling farther and farther off my paces. Of course my paces were based on times that I was able to run when I was 10 to 15 pounds lighter but that didn't really matter much to me because those were the paces I wanted to run, the paces that would get me to another Boston.
I began to feel increasingly desperate and despondent. All I could think about was that my time as a fast runner was over and I just had to accept that one simple fact. Desperation and despondency is a really bad place for me to be because that is when I eat the most and eat the worst. I was heading for a serious downward spiral and I knew it but then I thought of a quote I had heard somewhere, a quote about the F-4 Phantom fighter jet that is attributed to a Vietnam fighter pilot named Clarence "Dick" Anderegg. He said, that the F-4 was "proof positive that if you put enough thrust behind a brick you can make it fly. It's a brute but the power and magnificence of this machine were a joy, always."
If you put enough thrust behind a brick you can make it fly…that thought really resonated with me. I'm not the biggest guy around but let's face it, as fast runners go, front of the pack runners, I am pretty much a brute and I've always known that I do not run off my talent as a runner, I run off my power, my leg strength.
I actually spoke to Luke Humphrey once, the guy who wrote the Hanson's Method book, and told him about how when I ran my Boston qualifying time it was the weekend after I had run back-to-back marathons, both sub-4 and one was my previous marathon PR. I told him, "That was the year I had trained for my first Leadville." His response, "You must have just been so strong that you were able to pull it off." All these thoughts started rolling around in my head and that is what actually lead me to Olympic weightlifting in the first place. As far as lifting goes, it is simply the best kind of lifting to do for runners, period. In the absence of being able to lose weight I was hoping to generate enough power to propel my brick of a body fast, or at least faster than I have been able to pull off so far this year.
So, with the second test in play, the test of "did the Olympic Lifting make me faster" I gutted out the final mile and finished the race in 1:31:54. That is a pretty fast half-marathon for anyone and yes, I understand that were it not for the downhill I probably could not run a half that fast but here's the deal, I finished 27th out of 408 runners putting me in the top 7 percent. When I ran my BQ time at Tucson I was number 113 out of 1079 placing me in the top 10 percent. Tucson is also a downhill race.
I'm not yet prepared to say I'm back to my BQ form given that I'm still 10 pounds heavier and this was only a half-marathon but I am saying that things look promising and as far as the lifting goes, relative to the experienced lifters, I am still a total whimp. My coach has me focusing on form, not strength but the strength is coming bit my bit. My first real test will be the Air Force Marathon coming up here in just a few weeks. My original intention was to attempt a BQ there but I'm really on the fence. On the one hand I do want to make a BQ attempt but on the other hand I want to make it a serious attempt and I'm not quite sure I'm ready.
Because of the 5 minute drops in BQ times I would have to break my old marathon PR, which has stood for two years and nine months now, by at least 3 minutes and 14 seconds. What I may do instead is just run Air Force hard enough to get a sense of where I'm at and then save a serious attempt for later in the year either at Marine Corps of Honolulu. Who knows, I probably won't make that decision until race day when I'm picking which pace group to line up with.


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This week saw the opening of a "rare display of original specimens and documents from two of Britain's greatest scientists. Find out how Alfred Russel Wallace jointly discovered the theory of natural selection and why Darwin's pigeons contributed more than finches did to his study of evolution."
The promo for this new temporary exhibit at the Natural History Museum at Tring includes this photo of a nice assortment of beetles:
Wallace is well known for writing an 1858 paper on the concept of Natural Selection prior to, not jointly with, Darwin: "On the Tendency of Varieties to Depart Indefinitely From the Original Type".
Due to Wallace's belief in spiritualism, Darwin became far more popular among anti-religion zealots of the late 19th century. Here we have 2 classic examples of people, scientists actually (not Pennsylvanians like me), who tended to cling to religion…
"If I listen long enough to you
I'd find a way to believe that it's all true
Knowin' that you lied straight-face while I cried
And still I look to find a reason to believe"
Song of the week: "Reason to Believe" by The Carpenters (click the song title to visit Amazon; click here for a 28-second sample; 360kb).
G.M. Grena
Chephirah–The Biblical Village Roars Again, 186 views
Royal Banquine, 81 views
ASOR 2007 (p. 6), 62 views


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Again I remained inside today and spent a considerable amount of time making this card.
I started out making the Large display card the Dawn showed in her video but something happened along the way and I ended up making my own different card fold. The finished size is 6 by 4". The stamp set "Seaside Shore" is used.
This is the card closed
This shows the card opened
Supplies Used:
Stamp: Seaside shore
Inks:Dapper Denim, Calypso Coral, Mint Macaron, Basic Gray
Papers: Dapper Denim, Very Vanilla, By the Seaside DSP
Accessories: Layering Circles framelits, dimensionals


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Last week I made a casserole my family absolutely loves. I make it at least once a month, I make a lot, and there's never any left. Cheeseburger and French fry casserole. I'll post that one soon, I promise, but while I was making it, my husband had an idea. Tacofy it.
I'm sure most of you have heard of the Dorito chicken casserole...It's very good and my family loves it, too, but I like to make a lot so we have leftovers. My husband takes them to work for lunch and when our sons are home, it gives them something to eat that doesn't use up all my groceries. The thing is, once the Dorito chicken casserole is cold, it doesn't reheat well. The chips are soggy and it's just kind of gross.
So! The hubs suggested changing the cheeseburger casserole into a taco casserole. It's very good and reheats great! If you're from the southwest, you know places like Taco Bell sell seasoned tater tots (Mexitots). I'm from the Midwest, and the closest I've found is Taco John's potatoes ole, and I didn't find a Taco John's until we moved from Utah (hub's home state) to Iowa.
I took ground beef and seasoned it with store bought taco seasoning, but you can use homemade if you prefer. I also tossed a bag of frozen tater tots with a packet of taco seasoning. I mixed the meat with refried beans, topped it with canned soup and the seasoned tots, baked it, then added cheese. Really freaking good!! Not healthy, but...
If you prefer chicken, you can use it...Cooked and chopped, shredded, or ground. Just replace the beef with your choice.
Oh! It just popped into my head! Rotel! Mixed in with the meat! Ohhh! Gotta try that next time!
Mexitot Casserole
Serves 8-10 (may be halved)
2 pounds ground beef
2 packs taco seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 C water
1 can refried beans (15oz)
2 lbs frozen tater tots, semi-thawed (let them sit out for an hour before using them)
2 C shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
1 can nacho cheese soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 C milk
Heat oven to 350°F
Place tots in a large bowl and sprinkle with about half of a seasoning packet, gently toss to coat.
Brown beef and onions untill meat is cooked through. Drain and rinse with hot water. Put meat back into the skillet. Stir in 2 seasoning packets and water. Heat to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in refried beans.
Spread meat mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13" baking dish.
Combine soups and milk, whisk until well blended. Spread over meat mixture.
Arrange tots in a single layer over soups.
Bake 20 minutes, until tots start to brown. Top with cheese and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve with sour cream, chopped onions and tomatoes, and shredded lettuce.


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The Lizard Diaries, part 4.
So, this entry is going to be a short one as the human keeps moaning that I have to use her laptop all the time! Well, if she's that bothered, she should buy me one!
Tonight has been pretty eventful, I've started a work out, I really need to get in shape as all the meal worms I've been eating are really starting to make me pile on the pounds!
Anyway, I reckon my workout is that good that I should make my own fitness DVD! It involves a lot of running around and jumping off fairly high surfaces, so it would not be a suitable work out for those who are at a tender age.
What you need to do is, you start at the bottom of your workout space For me, my workout space of choice is my vivarium. What you then need to do is start to climb up the side of the wall and hang from the top for a while, you then wait for your human to get nice and relaxed in bed and you drop your entire body weight to the floor making a huge thud. This will annoy your human, so you're bound to get told off which will then get your blood pumping! I suggest you repeat that simple step until your human decides to feed you again in hope it will shut you up.
A Best Friend in Lizard Form
"How can your pet be one of your closest friends?"
I don't know, maybe it's because..
They're always happy to sit with you no matter what your mood is.
Maybe it's because they're never going to tell anyone anything that you've said that could get you into trouble.
Or maybe it's because when you feel really bad about something, they some how know.
Cleo's only tiny and half the time doesn't show an interest in me at all, but I love her to bits. I am quite happy to let her sit on my shoulder all night while I carry on with my own thing.
She comes across as if she doesn't like me very much, but deep down, I know she loves me.. But, if she doesn't, then she'll just have to get used to me talking to her in a baby voice and sticking my face against her viv, because she's got it for the next 10 years, sorry Cleo, I'm going no where!
The Lizard Diaries, part 3.
The human came home today saying she had bought me some presents, I wasn't too interested at the time because I thought she meant 'presents' that benefit her more than me. I was wrong, she bought me a new pot to play in AND some juicy, juicy meal worms! I do love the human sometimes.
Daddy-human tried to get me out of my vivarium but he scared me so I shook my tail at him. You don't just barge into someones room while they're asleep and start grabbing at them, it's scary and rude! When I finally trusted him enough, I grabbed onto him, but as soon as I saw the human I jumped onto her, for some reason, she seemed less scary than usual.
I was allowed to have a little play on the bed with Daddy-human and the human while they took it in turns to tidy my room. I kept running up the humans arm repeatedly and sitting on her neck so she couldn't get me, I found this fun and amusing, the human however, did not.
After a while, all the fun I was having ended up making me very sleepy, so I cuddled up to Daddy-human while the human finished tidying my room. I was nodding off next to Daddy-human when all of a sudden FLASH! The human had got that weird device out again, I think it's called a camera.
When I got back into my room, everything had changed, I had a new floor, my logs had moved and I had a new pot. I thought to myself, I don't remember entering myself onto DIY SOS! The human put me onto my new pot and I sat there for a while, I then decided to explore the rest of my newly decorated viv. As I went to jump onto my log, I missed and slid down the wall and landed on my side, this was really embarrassing, but it made the human panic, muahaha!
Crested Gecko Handling Tips
This is one of my favourite users on YouTube.
Click here to go to their fantastic channel!