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Why Lance Armstrong's Doping Doesn't Matter
Manny Ramirez. Mark McGwire. Barry Bonds. Baseball is no stranger to superstars using steroids. Sprinter Ben Johnson was disqualified from an Olympic victory decades ago. More likely than not, every sport has players who use 'performance enhancing drugs' – it's just that the player's performance is not generally enhanced to superstar status. Now Lance Armstrong has admitted to doping, and once again the world is shocked.
For me, the most unfortunate part of this whole story is that Armstrong lied to so many people for so long about doping. He sued people who 'lied' about his doping. He put out press statement after press statement about how he was a clean athlete. He threatened teammates and others. It's the hypocrisy that bothers me, really. I have the same sort of scorn for politicians who blather on about family values and the sanctity of marriage after cheating on their spouse with a gay prostitute the night before. It's not the sex that bothers me, it's the lying.
For the moment, let's put that aside. Armstrong broke the rules. Somewhere in the professional cycling handbook there's a 'no doping' clause, just as there is in most other sports handbooks. As The Verge points out, doping can mean anything from manipulating blood through transfusions and hormones to taking performance enhancing drugs. My contention is this: A 'no doping' clause is a terrible rule. Not just because it's easily circumvented by creating new drugs that aren't on the official 'banned' list, and not just because it encourages athletes who want to cheat to find clever ways to evade the tests. It's not even terrible because the extent of doping's impact isn't very clear. Does anyone really question whether McGwire, Bonds, Johnson, or Armstrong were excellent athletes who would have had great success even if they hadn't been doping? It's quite likely that all these athletes would have been very good – perhaps even great – but doping made them better. Maybe just slightly, but it was enough. The rule is stupid, because 'just slightly' is about to become greatly.
Whenever I make this contention, people inevitably come back with something along the lines of a fairness argument. It's not fair to allow doping because these dopers are cheating. They have an unfair advantage. It's not natural, etc. Yes, dopers are cheaters. If no one was doping, there would be no cheaters. This is clearly the goal of the expensive and invasive testing processes designed to detect dopers and the suspensions and revocations of awards after dopers are caught. It's a system designed to detect and then punish, with the goal of scaring would-be dopers straight and eliminating cheaters. You know what else eliminates cheaters without the expense, invasive tests, and asterisks next to awards or revocation of medals? Allowing doping. If it's not against the rules, then there are no cheaters. Instead of all the extraordinary measures taken to combat doping, sports authorities could get rid of cheaters entirely (of the doping variety, anyway) by deleting a couple of paragraphs.
Allowing doping largely takes care of the unfair advantage argument as well. If it's neither secretive nor banned, then anyone who wants to enhance their performance is free to do so. It might be an advantage, but it's no longer unfair. But I suspect that people who use the unfair advantage argument generally mean the third thing: That it's not natural. This, I think, is the worst argument of all.
Can we just get rid of the idea that because something is 'natural' that it's better? That argument is already a fallacy for cripes sake. But it's not just that the argument is technically wrong – it's just plain stupid. If an athlete gets sick, we don't get bent out of shape about them taking antibiotics or Nyquil. Hell, we don't even get mad if they're taking steroids as part of a recovery process. Humankind's distinguishing characteristic is arguably our ability to use tools to improve our condition. We nearly all use drugs when we're sick. Many of us will huff steroids to get rid of a simple allergy. Is it really that unbelievable that an athlete being paid millions of dollars to do well wants to use a tool to help them become better? Why do we all of a sudden get bent out of shape about their using an unnatural substance to run better when we were fine with that athlete using the same substance to recover from a torn ACL a year prior?
It comes back to the unfair advantage argument. These athletes aren't 'pure humans' or something like this, and so by taking a substance to get better it's ruining the core of the sport. Consider this argument in two different lights.
The first light is something like: This athlete wouldn't naturally be this good, so it harms the sport to allow her to take a performance enhancing substance to get better. Let's take American football as an example. Ryan Fitzpatrick (starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills) is not as good as Tom Brady (starting quarterback of the New England Patriots). As far as I know, neither of these athletes are illegal dopers, though I suspect they probably use legal substances to get rid of the aches and pains of, say, getting sacked by Brian Urlacher. As far as I know, both QBs put in a ton of work, are smart guys, and are dedicated to their jobs. That is, it isn't the case that Tom Brady is more motivated than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Certainly the surrounding team helps Tom look better than Ryan, but if we stripped that away and just looked at their statistics in running, passing accuracy and passing distance, I think we'd find that Tom is perhaps a little quicker, a little more accurate, and has a little more arm than Ryan.
Tom, it seems, has slightly better genes than Ryan; at least for the purposes of throwing a football while avoiding large guys trying to tackle him. They've both worked hard, put in the effort, but Tom just has a higher capability ceiling than Ryan. It's how he was born, and that's fine because it's natural. But is it really? Isn't this really the ultimate unfair advantage? There's nothing about Tom's greater ability that 'ruins the game of football' like we might argue were the case if we found out he'd been doping. In fact, if Ryan started doping and became as good as Tom and then got caught, we'd probably say that it was Ryan who was ruining the game of football by doping, even though he only improved to the same level as Tom. Tom, through random chance, is better at football than Ryan, but Ryan is the bad guy if he uses a tool to get to the same level as Tom. What kind of sense does that make?
The second light to the natural-is-better statement has already been hinted at. Tom Brady, being a great quarterback, doesn't ruin the game of football. Michael Phelps didn't ruin swimming because he was perhaps the best swimmer who ever existed. Naturally great athletes don't ruin their sport, no matter how good they are. Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Lance Armstrong didn't ruin their sports by being great either. When we were unaware of the fact they were doping, they provided a spark to their sport like we hadn't seen before. These folks were legends because they were good, and arguably revitalized their sport. I'd even argue that most people wouldn't even care about cycling (to the extent that anyone cares about cycling, anyway) if it weren't for this Lance Armstrong guy who won a ton of titles. A quarterback who comes in and is better than Tom also isn't going to ruin the game of football. Great athletes make for great sports, and doping is arguably a way to make great athletes better. Great athletes are the reason we watch the NFL instead of high school football games.
That is exactly why we ought to allow doping. If it's legal, if it's not an unfair advantage, and if we get rid of this silly and fallacious notion that natural is better we will have better athletes. Maybe the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and professional cycling don't want to allow dopers into their leagues. That's fine. Create a new league where it's legal.
We are approaching a time where steroid doping is going to look like drinking a cup of coffee in the morning – maybe it provides some advantage, but it's miniscule. The Daily Mail ran a story a few months ago about amazing Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen and the (extremely unlikely, imo) possibility that she was genetically enhanced. Past that claim, they did a pretty good job of explaining what genetic enhancement could look like. Athletes whose blood carried more oxygen, who are stronger, faster, and have more endurance. Athletes with quicker reflexes and more durable ligaments and bones. In short, professional athletes doing what they do, but better.
Outside of sports, some people are talking about modifying soldiers to give them superior capabilities. A decade ago, DARPA was looking into the possibility of modifying soldiers "to reduce their susceptibility to stress, sleep deprivation, fatigue, pain and blood loss while enhancing their memory and learning." DARPA's "Metabolic Dominance" program was covered by Wired nine years ago – and consider that we were allowed to know about that program. Generally, human enhancement is catching on and becoming more acceptable:
For its part, the National Intelligence Council expects some resistance to biomods. "Moral and ethical challenges to human augmentation are inevitable," the Council advised. Americans, especially, tend to have deep reservations about changing people's biology, [Georgetown researcher Andrew] Herr points out. That doesn't mean they won't do it. He points out increasing acceptance of cognitive-enhancing drugs among American college students. "Seventy to 80 percent of upperclassman have at least once taken these drugs illegally to get better grades," he says. "If the younger generation in our country is more comfortable with this, then that would make the use of these kinds of things in society, and by extension the military, very different." – Wired
Soon, doping isn't going to mean taking a shot of steroids or getting a blood transfusion, but rewriting our DNA and making it more efficient. As soon as it's feasible a military, somewhere, is going to embrace it. If genetic modification is acceptable for our military, then it will become acceptable elsewhere too. For instance, what happens the first time a soldier leaves the service and, say, wants to play football again like they did in college? Will the NFL let him in?
If the NFL does let this player in, they're likely to be much better than other players – that is, after all, the point of the modification. And this athlete will be better in a way that the current doping scandals don't even begin to approach. It might be like dropping Tom Brady into a high school football match.
That brings us to the second point. If the NFL refuses to allow the player, then surely someone will start another league. This league will be better (more exciting, faster, etc.) than the NFL to the same extent as the NFL is better than high school games. There will be no cheating as far as modifications go because modification will be specifically allowed. The advantage won't be unfair, and there won't be some suggestion that the athletes ought to be natural in the sense we mean now.
In less than a decade, someone will take Lance Armstrong's place. There will be another great cyclist, because sports never stop just because one athlete got busted. Maybe this athlete will be a 'natural' and surpass Lance's abilities because the athlete was lucky enough to have excellent genes. Maybe the athlete will be modified to an extent Lance never imagined. Either way, the sport will go on. Before long, enhanced athletes will become the norm, even if we still have quaint throwback leagues for unenhanced humans. Modification and doping makes sports better, and that is why Lance Armstrong's doping doesn't matter.
January 26, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Ok wow. I'll be honest, I disagree with most of what you said. I'm not sure how muh you know about steroids but they have serious side effects. Many people don't want to take them because of that. Also, they are illegal. There's something to be said for hard work. Now, you said "Can we just get rid of the idea that because something is 'natural' that it's better?" The way you put it is wrong. The problem is the level playing field as much as it is a FAIR playing field. Certain people react differently to those substances and Bonds may have reacted more favorably than McGwire or Canseco. And there are players that took steroids that made it out of minor league baseball to MLB because of steroids. They aren't as good as the best MLB players.
Your final statement makes me writhe in pain: "Modification and doping makes sports better." I really don't think there is much that can be said about this. I just hope that you are in the extreme minority. I have argued that Lance and Bonds saved their sports — but in a WAY different manner than you are arguing: http://bit.ly/lancearmstrongbarrybonds
And then there's this: "Tom, it seems, has slightly better genes than Ryan; at least for the purposes of throwing a football while avoiding large guys trying to tackle him." Are you kidding me? GENES?? Sure, there is a biological factor that gives certain guys an advantage but to say it's because of GENES is laughable. Have you read about Brady's story? Seventh round pick, backup QB, comes in and wins the Pats a Super Bowl. And you're saying it's genes? Wow.
Some people are going to have better natural ability. Some are going to work harder than others. Let's see the best of both worlds and not have natural talent and hard work be covered up by a chemical concoction. We have anti-doping agencies for a reason.
January 26, 2013 at 5:03 pm
It becomes a battle of whose body can tolerate the best roids. Whose kids take steroids the earliest and who has the best doctors. Keep steroids out.
January 19, 2013 at 2:21 pm


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Bree Murphy is stuck. Forced to grow up too fast after the tragic death of her mother, she has little time for any sort of life for herself. Now in her early twenties, she is coming to the realization that she deserves to put herself first.
Drew Dougherty is also stuck, in a state of merely existing. Memories and secrets of the day he lost both of his parents haunt him, forcing him to cope the only way he knows how...by fighting.
When these two worlds collide, hidden truths are revealed and relationships are put to the ultimate test. At a crossroad in their lives, they must decide if taking a risk is worth everything.
Or will their love be…
Totaled is a full length, new adult contemporary romance novel. Due to mature content, profane language, and sexual situations, this book is recommended for ages 18 and up.
Title: Totaled (Totaled #1)
Author: Stacey Grice
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Buy from: Amazon | B&N | IBooks | Kobo | CreateSpace
I am a mother, wife, Registered Nurse, avid reader, and most recently pursuing taking my own writing to the next level. I appreciate honesty but not cruelty, a wicked sense of humor, and a good cup of coffee, blond with enough creamer to coat my tongue yellow.
Being an astute people watcher and having an extremely judgmental mind gives me constant inspiration for my stories. But my characters, like many authors, are conceived from actual people in my life. A hodgepodge of personality traits, real world instances, and conversations that I have directly taken part in are the foundation for my fictional world.

subset: commoncrawl


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JERUSALEM, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Israel Chemicals (ICL) said on Sunday it expects the annual impact on its bottom line from a new law that boosts mining taxes to be less than previously expected given lower potash prices.
As part of the 2015-2016 budget approved by parliament on Thursday, taxes on mining companies - of which ICL is by far the largest - were sharply raised. A progressive tax of 25 percent will now be levied after the companies reach an annual return on investment of 14 percent, and that jumps to 42 percent for returns above 20 percent.
The government had aimed to bring in up to an extra 500 million shekels ($129 million) a year as part of the plan. ICL, which has exclusive permits to extract minerals from the Dead Sea, fought hard against the tax hike and, in protest, has frozen or put under review nearly $2 billion in domestic projects while expanding activities outside Israel.
ICL said on Sunday that the net impact of the legislation in future years could be less than previously estimated since it is significantly dependent on the prevailing prices of potash.
"If applied on 2015 average potash prices, the company estimates that the net impact of the new legislation on the company's annual profits is expected to be lower than the expected net impact of $90-$100 million - based on potash prices in 2013 - as previously disclosed by the company on Nov. 12," ICL said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
ICL is one of the three largest suppliers of the crop nutrient potash to China, India and Europe. It is controlled by conglomerate Israel Corp.
$1 = 3.8855 shekels Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Digby Lidstone


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Steve Parker
Honoring Yahweh...Reaping Rewards
I teach the principle of seed, time and harvest which simply means, if a man sows seed in some way, i.e.. time, finances, encouraging words; in time, he will reap a harvest of that seed. Fortunately, most people get it! It is revelation to them and therefore, they become sowers of seed and soon after, receivers of the harvest. These are the ones who do not give up because the harvest didn't come the next day. They are those who planted when it was raining (easy) and when it was dry and desolate (hard). They understand that seed will produce nothing if it is not placed into the ground. Watermelons do not grow out of pockets and bank accounts, they grow out of fields where the seed was sown. I am not speaking only of money, yet, that is a big one to speak of. I am also speaking of one's time, talent, gifting and skill. Those with the revelation of seed, time and harvest understand and therefore are blessed. They are the ones others look at with jealousy, disdain, and contempt. They are the ones getting the promotions, raises and accolades while the others continue to complain and accuse. Do you hear that sound? Is it familiar to you? Maybe if you are not hearing it, it is because you are making it.
There was a season in my life when I was strongly considering going into politics. I lived in Tennessee at the time and heard and saw enough accusers and askers to consider a political career in order to bring change. I thought if I could at least be positioned in secular government, I perhaps could enact legislation to quiet the noise. I met the woman who would be my wife and she encouraged me to stand down from that direction. Wonderful wife! We're happily married eighteen years now, and she still encourages me to stand down on many issues unless I can sneak one by her. Such as this. I have found, not because of ministry, mind you, but through my life, that those who are always asking for the most, always do the least. They accuse him who is doing of growing up with a silver spoon in his mouth, or being lucky, or connected to the right people, or whatever, while asking for handouts from that same doer. When a handout is given, the accuser and asker aren't thankful, after all, it was the doers responsibility to provide for the lazy, unfaithful, ungrateful, unbelieving slug that he is. For example, I have sat with people in my office who have found every way to not pay tithe, even arguing it's scriptural significance. Yet, when they have a need, they do not think twice to ask for help from those who do pay tithe. This is the reason why at The Rock, if one does not tithe and sow seed for a harvest, when that one is hungry and cold, there will be no food or blanket. There is a consequence for sin and disobedience. Hunger and cold. Unfortunately, the church has overlooked the consequences of disobedience in men and catered to their lawlessness causing a splurge of accusers and askers to proliferate throughout the church. Not at The Rock. There is grace for those who are learning, but severe consequence for those who are perpetually lawless. At some point all of us must recognize the accusers and askers and stop feeding their sin. In time, if they have an honest heart, they to will come to the revelation of seed, time and harvest.


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As someone who is a bit sports obsessed, I am going to miss the Olympics. Thanks to DVR I stayed up late nearly every night for the last two weeks watching even sports that most people only care about every four years. My new favorite athlete is Missy Franklin. Not to sound too unpatriotic, but my favorite Olympic moment was Mexico winning the gold medal in men's soccer. People in Mexico will remember their win over futbol-super-power Brazil the way Americans remember Lake Placid's "Miracle on Ice."
For some reason, watching the olympics made me think a lot about the late Neil Postman. I met Neil almost 20 years ago at a retreat on technology and faith when I was working on my dissertation. Neil taught for many years at NYU in an area he liked to refer to as "Media Ecology." He's probably most famous for his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business which lamented what he saw as the dumbing down of Western culture as it transitioned out of the literate age and into the video/technological age.
At the retreat he read the amazing introduction to the book he was working on at the time (and my favorite book of his) called The End of Education. (I love Amusing Ourselves... but the lesser-known The End of Education and a book entitled The Disappearance of Childhood are my favorites). We ended up in a small group together over the weekend, and for some reason he kind of liked me and so we ate a few meals together over the weekend and corresponed a few times in the years that followed. Neil was a crusty, sometimes crass, stereo-typical New Yorker, but I really liked him personally.
I thought about him during the olympics because of what he would so often say about the nature of television. Borrowing the famous line by Marshall McLuhan, Neil would often lament that when it comes to TV "the medium is the message." Television by nature is good at some things but not so good at others. In particular Neil thought sports made for great television. Sports are usually fast-paced, filled with drama, often has unexpected endings (just ask McKayla Maroney), and is completely unscripted. In other words, its primarily entertaining and relatively unimportant.
And there is no question that the London olympics made for great television. Even when I knew the outcome ahead of time (thanks a lot espn.com and yahoo.com!!), I still found myself jumping off the couch with excitement.
But then I would see the political ads that frequently ran inbetween the events and I'd be reminded of what Neil feared about television - it's effect on social discourse. Politics, Neil believed, made for terrible TV. Not because it couldn't be exciting, but because television, by nature, has to be entertaining to be good. Because that is the case, he knew that careful, thoughtful social discourse would make for horrible television (just try watching CSPAN). Therefore, Postman beleived that politics in a technological age would increasingly be about sound-bites, personal appearance, and the manipulation of the truth in easy ways. In other words, the most important social conversations a culture can have - because they have to make for good TV - would inevitably become trivial. The medium is the message.
In Amusing, Neil compares the careful, thoughful, WRITTEN debates between Lincoln and Douglas from the print dominated 19th century, to the short, sound-bite, talking-points oriented political debates that will fill our television screens for the next several months here in the twenty-first. He didn't like the comparison:
If politics is like show business, then the idea is not to prusue excellence, clarity or honesty but to appear as if you are, which is another matter altogether. And what the other matter is can be expressed in one word: advertising... The point is that television does not reveal who the best man is. In fact, television makes impossible the determination of who is better than whom, if we mean by "better" such things as more capable in negotiation, more imaginative in executive skill, more knowledgeable aabout international affairs, more understanding of the interrelations of economic systems, and so on. The reason has, almost entirely, to do with "image"... For on television the politician does not so much offer the audience and image of himself, as offer himself as an image of the audience. And therein lies one of the most powerful influences fo the television commerical on political discourse. - Amusing Ourselves to Death (p. 126,133-134).
So I'm sorry to see one set of games come to an end. But let the other (and unfortunately much more serious) games begin!


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Welcome back everyone! Illinois Biodiesel Initiative is undergoing many exciting changes this semester! We hope to recruit new members who can help continue our sustainability efforts at the University!
New Lab Space
IBI has finally secured lab space in 250 Noyes! All of our equipment has been relocated to this location. New members interested in attending open lab will need to complete required safety training before attending.
A new class has been created, that will hopefully carry into future semesters. If you are looking for a way to get involved, learn some new research/lab techniques, and get course credit, then this is the class for you! The class meets twice a week and biodiesel related lab experiments are performed, which assist with our sustainability efforts on campus. The class can be taken multiple semesters and students who do take the class multiple times will have the opportunity to perform more advanced lab techniques and possibly obtain a paid position in future semesters.
Open Lab Days
Members of the club who are not in the class can still do stuff in the lab during our designated open lab times. During this time, a graduate student along with executive board members will be present to assist members in lab work. Currently there are lab days scheduled most Tuesdays from 5-7pm, but these can change depending on peoples availability.
Projects We Are Working On
Members of the IBI are working on many different projects currently! These range from basic biodiesel production from waste vegetable oil from the dining halls, soap production, and coffee grounds oil extraction. Special Projects is also working to troubleshoot the Methanol Recovery Unit. No experience is required to become involved in one (or many) of these projects!


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a little too sportsy for my academic tastes, and the production quality can be much higher, but impressive nevertheless:
a clever and creative way to bring together disparate parts of the campus community.
[via jeff young at the wired campus]
Friday, December 07, 2007
happy holidays from the university of maryland
1 comment:
- Tanu Sankalia said...
Way too sportsy and a bit too "Americana", particularly in the suburban campus sense: sports fields, long vistas, ubiquitous european neo-classical campus architecture, and people all cloaked in RED. No urban, authentic edge whatsoever. (I watched it without the sound).
- 9:24 PM, December 11, 2007
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Well, we have been in our home for one year! Wow, does time go by fast! I decided that I would write on the things I love about our home and the things that I would change. let's start with the things that I would change so we can end the post with things I love and a good note:
Things I would change:
1. I would have not upgraded the carpet in the upstairs. Why? Because I really don't see much difference and I'm going to pay to have the upstairs and the downstairs flooring replaced within 5 years. Let's just say, even the upgraded carpet leaves much to be desired.
2. I would have paid for the stone fireplace. I don't mind the standard but I still dream of the stone and it's going to be a task to alter the one I have. I can do it, but I cringe at how dry my hands are going to get with all the cement.
3. I would have asked them to place an outlet on both sides of my kitchen island. It's amazing how many times I wish I had another outlet on the other end.
4. Thermostat placement. It is currently smack dab in the middle of the wall that it is on. I had to decorate around it. That is just annoying.
5. SWITCH for garage light INSIDE mudroom. It would be more convenient.
6. Bannister? Maybe...I like the look and I occasionally would like that formality, however I do also like the extra wall to back my piano against. Even still, I think if I had gotten bannisters, I would not be wishing I had a half wall. I do like how my cat and dogs can be blocked out of the upstairs though.
7. Add another basement window. I love light. I really would love another window or two in my basement.
8. PAY for a deadlock sliding door or different type of walkout door for the basement. It makes me nervous that it is just a latch.
9. Upgrade the master bathroom counter to granite. I don't mind the standard white, but I would love granite. But then again...I also like a lower mortgage.
10. INSIST on better topsoil. Our yard is ridiculous. We have put a lot of time in it and we are actually treating it with something called Claymend. I feel that we shouldn't have to do this. The "topsoil" is a joke.
11. Upgrade trim. Can you upgrade to a real wood trim? The standard stuff we have seems to nick too easily.
12. Paint the garage before hanging stuff up. I know it seems silly to paint a garage but I love aesthetically pleasing things. It's the first thing I see when I come home...I'm going to have to do some work to paint it now.
13. Insist on seeing the new boxes from all the light bulbs. I know this sound crazy BUT I've had more lights than I care to count burn out just a couple months in the house. They are florescent and definitely shouldn't be doing that! They are not cheap to replace either.
14. ADD A FRONT PORCH. I didn't realize how much I like to sit on our stoop. I would definitely love a front porch. It didn't come with our elevation but it should.
15. BEG for the panel glass door to the basement. I've seen in it in other Venice models and still love it and wish I had it. If anyone knows where they come from, please let me know.
16. UPGRADE the dishwasher. IT works...but that's about it. It's kind of noisy and it was already rusting on the racks! Fortunately we called GE before the 1 year warranty expired and they sent us new ones, but we know they will end up rusint too. It's just a bad design for a dishwasher.
17. INSIST on a hose bib on the FRONT of the house and not in the garage. It is just annoying to have to juggle a hose through cars. We ended up moving our ourself. It would have been nice if it was already done. We did utilize the old hose bib for a utility sink though....so that's nice.
Things I would KEEP:
1. I LOVE the recessed lighting in my kitchen. LOVE IT.
2. Morning room. I would hate this house without it. I LOVE IT!
3. Upgrade tile in master bath. It just looks and feels better.
4. WAIT to paint until after my 10month/year inspection. This was a wise choice on my part. When they came to do all the little fixes, Ryan Homes easily painted them for me too. A neighbor of mine had to paint the fixes herself because she had already painted.
5. Pay for a basement window. The benefit of this is indescribable.
6. Upstairs Laundry room. It makes my life so easy and I love it.
7. Pay for garage door opener. I like that we have never had to mess with this. I know we could have done it or hired someone, but I like that from DAY ONE we were able to get in and out with ease.
8. Cottage Elevation. I love the way my house looks. I adore the brick and I think it will stay in "style" for a long time. I love stone and originally wanted it but didn't want to pay the extra. I'm glad we have the brick because I'm still happy with the money saved and the way the house looks. I LOVE the cedar vinyl siding on the face of the house. The flower box allows me to do a lot of creative things to give the house character too. I think it is much better than just plain siding (no offense).
9. Placement of fireplace. I'm on and off about this, but when I have my deck, I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it. Our fireplace is on the opposite wall of the kitchen. The furniture placement is a little more challenging than if it were on the side wall, however I know I can deal with that and would be more annoyed if it was taking up deck space.
10. VENICE house. I think that the venice is awesome. Sometimes I think I want a different model but then I always find something that turns me off. For instance, most other houses may have more rooms on the first floor or a beautiful foyer (like the Victoria Falls) BUT the size of the bedrooms are much less than the ones I have. I think the Venice is perfect for families who need space and don't mind that they don't have the "WOW!" facter upon entering the front door. The Vitoria Falls is a beautiful house with an amazing foyer and 1st floor layout upon entering. The Venice is more practical and utilizes every and all nooks and corners. I like that. Now wasted space.
9. Using Ryan Homes. I think Ryan Homes is great for a first time home buyer building a new home. The customer service has been exceptional in the sales office and from NVR for the 10 month check. Everything I asked to be adjusted, fixed and/or changed has been done in superfast time. I really appreciate that and I really appreciate the opportunity to have issues addressed close to a year after owning my home.
10. Building in a subdivision. Although you run into a few grouches here and there or someone who knows everything about everyone, I really like the diversity and safety provided by a subdivision. When I enter my little development, I immediately feel safe and at home. Neighbors look out for each other and invite one another to little picnics and get togethers. I like seeing kids play in the front yards or selling lemonade down the street. I like a "Hey" or a wave from a passerby.
So there you go. For us, it was the best decision of our life to build this home. Everyday we feel good about working hard for this house purchase. It is exactly the house of our dreams and we would definitely do it all over again if we had to....with maybe a little better topsoil. :)
(Update/// One thing I did super super right! It's right here: www.marikinavalley.com! Not an mlm. Just a super awesome way to take courses and learn how to stay at home or make extra income. It's killer!
This is our new home building journal with Ryan Homes......the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are not paid by Ryan Homes or receiving any type of incentive to do this. We just want to document for ourselves and share with others so that they know what to expect. This is our first and hopefully last home together! We hope you enjoy this as much as we've enjoyed and learned from others blogs about the home building process...which isn't as scary as we originally thought. :)
Monday, August 12, 2013
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This Florida wedding is so full of lovely vintage inspiration, it just might be my absolute favorite. The bold punches of color are complete perfection. But wait till you here this – ALL of this fabulousness came together because of a wonderful vintage headpiece that the bride picked up at an antique shop. How is that for inspiration? For more of those tropical hues, check out the gallery filled to the brim with wonderful photography by Pezz Photo.
see more fab vintage details here!
From the bride:
Jeff and I wanted to have a small casual wedding with family and close friends--more of a great party than a traditional wedding. I grew up in Florida and Jeff grew up in North Carolina, and we both now live in Minneapolis. Florida seemed like the perfect location, the nice weather a bonus for all the guests who had to travel. My parents own a lovely piece of property on the bay and it with the beautiful views and mossy oak trees, it was an ideal spot for the event. Right after we settled on the location, I took a trip to Florida to visit my family, and went vintage shopping with my mom and sister. We found this amazing showgirl headdress (with giant sequin oranges and leaves) which I fell in love with. Between the headdress and the old Florida feel of the site, I had my inspiration for planning. The citrus orange was the main color I used to tie the decorations together.
For our 'Save the Date' cards, I ordered a bunch of vintage Florida postcards online and had a custom rubber stamp made with the details. I also used vintage postcards as the RSVPs in our invitations. Since so many people were traveling to our wedding, Jeff and I thought it would be nice to use postcards from the location of each guest, which we then displayed at the wedding. I made the invitations as well--I designed a simple graphic motif inspired by a modern take on oranges that was repeated on the menus, signage, and the design for the playing cards that we gave as favors. The centerpieces were a group project--my mom, sister, Jeff and I worked on them the day before. I ordered a flat of succulents that we planted in vintage ceramic vessels found at thrift stores. The candle holders were glass vases (also from thrift stores), which I sprayed with silver spray paint on the interior to replicate mercury glass. Orange tulips and ranunculus (also ordered online) were arranged casually in yet more thirft store vases (this was Jeff's project!). For place cards, we pinned paper leaves with each guest's name to clementines. The playing card favors were wrapped in pretty paper and displayed at a front table to greet the guests and function as escort cards. Each box of cards had a sticker on the back with a vintage citrus crate label that designated the table where the guest was seated. My favorite part of the centerpieces was the fabric. I found two patterns that evoked the vintage feel I wanted and had orange as a major accent color: my mom and I sewed the fabric into large squares which were the base for each table display and looked great with the orange napkins.
Mason jar lanterns (again, another one of those many craft projects!) were set up to create a path for guests that led to the site. A table was set up where the guests were 'greeted' by Jane--she was the mannequin head I found online (a woman in North Carolina makes them from actual vintage mannequins that she collects) and she looked perfect in the citrus headdress! We organized lawn games during the cocktail hour and served Key Lime martinis, Greyhounds, and appetizers. A brief ceremony on the lawn was held before we gathered everyone in the tent for dinner (I wanted everyone to settle in and enjoy themselves before the ceremony--so we flipped the traditional order of events). Rather than a traditional wedding cake, I wanted a variety of cakes in different flavors. Inspired by a painting by Wayne Thiebaud, I had 11 cakes made to match the painting, which was one of my favorite parts of the whole event (though we were eating leftover cake for days!).
Photography: Pezz Photo / Dress: 'Anju' by Monique Lhullier from Ultimate Bride in Chicago / Alterations: Studio One Eleven / Shoes: 'Lady Dragon' Vivienne Westwood for Melissa, from Zappos / Cakes: Beautiful Cakes by Ron / Catering: Libby's Cafe / Bar: The Crow's Nest / Hair and Makeup: Marmalade Salon, Sarasota / Mannequin head: Marge Crunkleton / Playing Cards: Customized Playing Cards / Succulents online: Cactus Limon / Flowers online: American Floral Distributors


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there right now and book-mark it. It's an absolute winner and a fount of knowledge about London. I have been alerted to many London gems by this blog and Lower Robert St is one of them (you can read the entry on View From the Mirror here). The remnants of a grand late 18th century housing development on the banks of the Thames, near what is now the Victoria Embankment, Lower Robert St is a slightly spooky, tunnel of a street that seems to only be known to cabbies and canny central London drivers who use it as a quick route to the river. Before the Embankment was reclaimed, the Thames was wider and had a more natural river bank and the Adelphi was a riverside development of 24 snazzy houses. To ensure it was level with the Strand side of the building, the river side of the development had a series of vaulted arches underneath it. Once the river was narrowed and the Victoria Embankment Gardens and road were built between the Adelphi and the Thames (in the mid to late 1800's) the tunnels became an area of disrepute and vice - not surprising really when you have a dark, hidden tunnel-like streets in central London
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Lower Robert St - WC2
Labels: Lower Robert St, WC2
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Tuesday, May 13, 2014
mother's day
we'd had plans to have my mom over for brunch or dinner to celebrate mother's day last sunday, but gianna came down with a cold. we didn't want to give her the sniffles along with our love, so we decided to postpone. then sunday morning, after a delicious breakfast (my husband made waffles, bacon and mimosas!) i had a brilliant idea and decided to go out with just my mom. my gracious husband happily wrangled the kids while i was out. my mom and i looked at sewing machines, fabric, and had lunch. it was the first time she and i had done something just that was just the two of us since i was pregnant with gianna, over 4 years ago. it felt like a vacation. then i returned home to antics with the umbrella outside, a bit of gardening, and an amazing pizza dinner. i love my little family and am so happy to be sharing my life with them.
the next evening, continuing my adventures outside the house without my kids, i met anna downtown in the evening to hear my favorite illustrator, heather ross, read from her new book. it was glorious. the evening was gorgeous, it wasn't crowded, she was funny, real, and very nice. she told me she once had a goat named Cassie, so she drew a goat as a part of the inscription to my book. she gave away little prints, info about her next fabric collection, and fabric swatches - which ran out right before anna and i got up to the table. at least i'll be able to buy some in july. i'm planning on using fabric from her last collection (briar rose) and the next collection (far far away) to make a quilt for each of my kids when we move them into a room together. it was a very inspiring evening. this book is a memoir and i can't wait to find a moment to dive into it.
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Bobcats host Lakers in basketball action
Los Angeles Lakers vs Charlotte Bobcats Odds
Time Warner Cable Arena will feature Bobcats vs. Lakers action on Friday as both teams try to pay off for bettors in NBA action.
This season the Bobcats are 11-37 overall and 18-30 ATS against the number, while the Lakers are 23-27 and 20-30 ATS. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). As for the totals, Charlotte is 23-24-1 on the OU, and Los Angeles is 25-24-1.
View LA Lakers vs Charlotte Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new Power Rankings at Odds Shark, it's the No. 30-rated Bobcats and the No. 12-rated Lakers in this matchup. Predictive computer formulas point to a 101-91 win for the Lakers on Friday.
How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Lakers rank No. 3 in the league with 45 per game. That compares with Charlotte's No. 24 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Charlotte is the NBA's No. 25-ranked team at 5.8 per game, while the Lakers rate No. 4 with 8.6 per contest.
Defensively, the Lakers feature the league's No. 29-rated defense on the road, giving up 104.6 points per game. Charlotte, meanwhile, comes in at No. 22 in the league in scoring at home.
Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 116-95 loser as they battled the Celtics on the road. The Lakers failed to cover in the match as a 1.5-point underdog, while 211 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Los Angeles was run off the court by the Celtics on Thursday as Boston blasted them 116-95 at TD Garden.
In their last action, Charlotte was a 122-95 loser on the road against the Cavaliers. They failed to cover the 6-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (217) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Charlotte was run off the court by the Cavaliers on Wednesday as Cleveland blasted them 122-95 at Quicken Loans Arena.
Los Angeles Lakers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Miami are 9-1
After playing Boston are 6-4
After a loss are 3-7
Charlotte Bobcats Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Philadelphia are 4-6
After playing Cleveland are 4-6
After a loss are 2-8
A few Lakers at Bobcats trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games when playing Charlotte
LA Lakers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
LA Lakers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Charlotte
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games
Charlotte is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Charlotte is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Next up:
LA Lakers at Miami, Sunday, February 10
Charlotte at Philadelphia, Saturday, February 9


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Human Biology -
Humanity is a failure if evolution is our primary force. I mean, biology is sufficient to maintain the survival of animals and plants, and actually they are reliant on it to survive, but this same biology when applied to human beings is the source of our gradual destruction. In other words, if we took it upon ourselves to behave in the same exact way as do plants and animals, which destroy each other in order to maintain their own survival, we would be morally disgusted, G-d willing. If evolution's "survival of the fittest" was made the center of the human paradigm, we would either be dead or completely unhappy. This shows that first there is a difference between humans and animal and plant life, and second that that difference is qualitative in nature, not quantitative; the difference between animal/plant life and human life does not fall on a spectrum, we are essentially different from them. What occurs in the animal kingdom and is required for life to continue, such as when ants invade another colony of ants and kill and dominate that colony, is seen as morally neutral, but when such a thing occurs in the human kingdom, this thing as recognized as one of the dark disasters of human history. Even the evolutionist must hold the view that he is grotesquely disgusted by such historical occurrences, but to hold such a view would go against his view that humans are the products of biology no more and no less than are bacteria. Bacteria wipe out other bacteria every single day, but in human terms this would be called "genocide" and is recorded in the human memory. Bacteria, plants, and animals do not record past events in type of memory bank; when one bacteria wipe out another bacteria, the bacteria kingdom continues on as if nothing occurred - this is because their sole purpose of existence is their own procreation, anything that gets in the way of this is merely a lifeless and valueless (and worthless) obstacle. The difference between humans and other life forms is that we have a built in perception of quality and value, we understand that other humans contain value and that killing them violates that inherent value, and therefore we are agitated by the concept of killing others even if their death is beneficial for the natural order of things. We rather violate the order than violate the value of human life, this is why we try to find ways to feed the whole world rather than to say that the death of some few million people will balance out the economic system of the world. Historical figures whom have enacted systems in which a person kills an entire group of people because he sees them as useless is acting upon a morally reprehensible drive, but if it were applied to the animal, plant, or bacteria kingdom it would completely acceptable and even necessary for the survival of that species. An evolutionist feels this way by the very merit of his being a human being; being a human trumps his being an evolutionist whether or not he opines that evolution is his primary essence. Therefore, human biology does exist, but it is qualitatively different than animal biology; the primary evolutionary force of humanity is to improve the quality of human life, while the primary evolutionary force of animals is to survive. Even apes, whom are the closest animals to human beings in the entire animal kingdom, do not care about improving life, i.e., they do not perceive morality. They perceive kindness and maybe even a primitive version of love, but to say that they perceive an existential understanding of morality that extends to their fellow ape is impossible. They are nothing more than extremely intricate bacteria. One human folly is to attribute human characteristics to animals simply because we have them. The problem with doing is that we do not feel like we have a reason to protect animals unless they are exactly like us, and therefore, in the name of protecting them, we raise them to our level or lower ourselves to theirs, and this is the most disgusting and degrading things that we can do to ourselves - to liken ourselves to the animals, even if our cause is noble, ensures that we will be like them. Rather, we can still protect them regardless of their lower nature than ours, for example, even though children are more primitive than adults, do adults not find it moral to protect children? Clearly they do.
Also, consider this - how can the belief in G-d develop as a biological function? What would be the function of belief in G-d, and why has only humanity developed with this specific attribute? If we go by the evolutionary argument, which says that a species with a trait not beneficial to its survival dies out, we must conclude that religion and spirituality are traits that help to keep humanity around because we are still around. This means that human biology is largely spiritual; just like an animal is basically entirely physical, a human is physical and spiritual. We cannot say that G-d's existence is a biological trait taking form as a mental development that exists only in the minds of men as some massive evolutionary placebo, for such a belief indicates that evolution, which evolutionists declare is a mindless process, cannot create a trait which tricks the being which possess it. If we declare that evolution indeed "tricks" beings into doing things which make them survive, we are attributing intelligence to evolution and are left with the striking impression than there is actually an intelligence behind the smoke screen of existence. The other option would be to believe that the human brain itself has this power.Taking a slightly different path right now, what about prayer? How can evolution create an intelligent and intricate being such as the human being to believe in a G-d that does not exist as a means to survival, and then endow the human being with its ability to develop its own evolutionary processes, such as the invention of prayer, which it uses to communicate with this non-existent Being? Surely in the way that animals affect their physical surroundings, humans affect their spiritual surroundings, but to hold this view is to hold the view that spiritual surroundings exist, just as we must hold that physical surroundings also exist. Also, assuming that prayer works, which many, including myself, works, we have to attribute essentially endless and infinite abilities to the mind.
For example, if I pray for something, and not necessarily to receive something, but a more intricate prayer involving an occurrence or the delay of an occurrence, for example, and that thing occurs, can I attribute it to coincidence? Some say yes, but after prayer has worked successfully time after time, can I still say that several coincidences have occurred in repeated succession? I can offer a rebuttal to this by saying that my own biased perception has allowed me to believe that my prayer has actually been answered, but in reality I am simply manipulating a natural event in my own mind to conform to my biases. But there is still a rebuttal for that, because I can pray for things that have absolutely nothing to do with my preconceived mental biases, such as that praying for a needed thing to occur at a certain time, a thing which lies outside my realm of control, or is based on a person's making a certain decision, also something entirely out of my realm of control. If I pray that a person gets a sum of money that he or she needs soon, and I don't pray specifically how he or she should get that money, and then in a short period of time that person (whom did not know of my prayer) receives that sum of money in some way and THEN informs me, then that prayer has been answered positively.
This has nothing to do with coincidence (which would be an unfathomably low rate of probability) or with mental bias (because the event occurred away from both our knowledge) and it justifies the view that an ever-present Consciousness exists that listens and responds to utterances made to Him. If you don't believe that prayers work, and you are skeptical, then take a step of courage, concentrate, identify something that you really need, and ask G-d for it to be delivered to you, and then go on your normal path. If G-d desired you to have it then you will. If you get it, can you explain biology or the human mentality or the wonders of the space-time continuum to have produced this "coincidence?" Try it because you have everything to gain.
Why would the best sages of the Jewish tradition (and the Christian and the Muslim, etc...) spent valuable effort and time delving into the questions of prayer and other spiritual matters in order to refine their and others' ability to connect with G-d? Why is that spiritually connected people of all ages have sensed a reality outside of themselves and have pursued an active relationship with it? If we add it all up, it is only until recently in human history where atheism became an active paradigm in human thought and it is therefore atheists that hold the world's most marginal viewpoints. So much quality wisdom and illuminating perspectives of human nature have stemmed from the wisdom of the Torah and other monotheist paradigms - what has atheism offered to humanity? Atheism veers away from anything that is of any value to humanity, yet adherents to that paradigm hold that they are trying to bring the world into a new era, but atheism is incapable of bringing anything good to the human race or to anyone/anything.
To assert the point more clearly, we do not live in a vaccuum where nothing outside of ourselves exists - G-d is real.


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My Assistant
Custom Search
Simple Export To Excel, Any Version
Aug 10 2013, 02:13 PM
UdderAccess Admin + UA Ruler
Posts: 19,557
Joined: 27-April 02
From: Upper MI
There are many occasions when a developer needs to export a table, query or a form's current RecordSet to Excel. However, the "ExportTo" or "Transfer" methods just fall short of the criteria for which such an export needs to take place. First, note please that this demo is NOT for Web apps.
After seeing ipisors' (Isaac's) "Generic Output to Excel Function", I was inspired to take it fews steps further. I basically took his slick concept, re-wrote the code and wrapped it all up into a callable form in Dialog mode.
Basically, this demo allows a user to select an existing table or query and export it to a specifically named Excel file in a specifically selected folder. The Excel ouput centers and 'bolds' the header (column names) and a font may be selected. (Currently, the font selection list is just 'Arial', 'Calibri' & 'Times' and is just a Value List in the Row Source property of the font selection combobox. You may add more at your leisure.)
It also has code that can be added to a new command button on a form that will set that form's underlaying recordset as the source data for the Excel export. To call from a form, add a new command buton and in the new command button's "On_Click" event procedure, simply use: DoCmd.OpenForm "dlgExportToExcel", , , , , , Me.Form.Name
By using the Me.Form.Name, that action will pass the calling form's name to the dlgExportToExcel form's 'txtFrmNm' text box as an 'OpenArgs' value and hide the table/query selector combobox and provide the calling form's current recordset, including any filters (and I assume any sorting as well) that have been applied at the moment the dlgExportToExcel form was so opened.
Calling the dlgExportToExcel form without an OpenArgs value will simply open the form and allow the user to select a table or query.
After clicking the "Export" button, the user will see a message stating the full name and path of the saved Excel spreadsheet; then it displays the spreadsheet in Excel, bring the focus to the Excel window. This behavior is modify-able.
In this demo are two tables (one to house the list of "Special Folders" for the current user's setup and another "USysObjectCodes" to order the table & queries in one of the comboboxes), a simple form and a couple of modules to be able to select a specific target folder, and provide a list of the current machine's set of "Special Folders" that are based on the current user's settings, (stored in the tblSpecialFolders table.).
tblSpecialFolders (table)
USysObjectCodes (table)
dlgExportToExcel (form)
modAPIgetSpecialFolders (module)
modAPI_SelectFolder (module)
modObjExists (module)
This attachment contains demo files for Access 97, 2000, 2003 & 2007 - all have been tested in their respective versions and the Access 2007 version has been tested in Access 2010 and 2013.
1) Import all the objects if this demo into your project. (The dlgExportToExcel form can be simply opened to select a table or query for export.)
2) To call the dlgExportToExcel form from another form for the purpose of exporting a form's current recordset, create a new command button on the form you want to export data from, and in the command button's On_Click procedure use:
DoCmd.OpenForm "dlgExportToExcel", , , , , , Me.Form.NameWhen the command button on the form is clicked, the dlgExportToExcel form will open with the name of the form calling the dlgExportToExcel form into the 'Currently Opend Form' text box.
3) That's pretty much it.
I could probably have employed "Public Types" for a couple of things code-wise, but I just wanted to generate a working concept demo.
Comments are not very prolific and the error handling is minimal, and what error handling is there can easily be stripped to replace with your own.
Please feel free to tweak it to your heart's content.
THere are some screenshots . . .
exp01.PNG ( 20.25K )Number of downloads: 65
exp02.PNG ( 25.45K )Number of downloads: 33
exp03.PNG ( 29.19K )Number of downloads: 26
exp04.PNG ( 20.91K )Number of downloads: 16
exp05.PNG ( 26.04K )Number of downloads: 11
exp06.PNG ( 26.69K )Number of downloads: 15
exp07.PNG ( 20.2K )Number of downloads: 11
exp08.PNG ( 29.1K )Number of downloads: 14
exp09.PNG ( 21.54K )Number of downloads: 29
And finally, the zipped attachment:
ExportToExcel.zip ( 212.89K )Number of downloads: 598
Enjoy! :hattip:
Mar 15 2017, 10:09 AM
UtterAccess Editor
Posts: 18,324
Joined: 29-March 05
From: Wisconsin
I noticed that the form only allows you to select tables that reside within the file itself, but ignores linked tables. If you want to export a linked table from the form without creating a query based on it, you can alter the form's combobox to include them like this:
Open the form dlgExportToExcel in Design Mode, move the textbox "txtFrmNm" away from the combobox "cboQuery" so you can select the combobox. Change the combobox's rowsource to this:
SELECT Name, IIf([Type]=1,"Table",IIf([Type]=6,"Linked Table","Query")) AS ObjType
FROM MsysObjects WHERE Type In (1,5,6) AND Left$([Name],1)<>"~" AND Left$([Name],4)<>"Msys" AND Flags>=0
ORDER BY Type, Name;
Put the textbox back on top of the combobox where it was, close the form and save changes.
You should be able to export data from linked tables now.
(;,;) Li'l Cthulu says: Please talk about what you're trying to do, as well as how you're doing it.
Changing your real table name to "Table1" and your real form name to "Form1" in your posts makes it more difficult to understand what's going on, not easier.
Guidelines for Posting Questions
Apr 6 2017, 09:32 AM
UdderAccess Admin + UA Ruler
Posts: 19,557
Joined: 27-April 02
From: Upper MI
Yeah, I initially overlooked the entire concept that the USysObjects table is hidden and will not import as easily as originally suggested.
NOTE: Tables that have the prefix "MSys" or "USys" are by default hidden tables. Those that begin with "MSys" are usually generated andf managed by Access. The "USys" prefix is a means for developers to create tables that are hidden by default without confusing them with the system tables created and used by Access.
_Cybercow (moo) _______ Microsoft Access MVP
_ "Don't let your talent take you where your character can't keep you."
_ Carpe notitia ● How to Post a Good Question ● Newcomer's Reading List ● Differences in Access Versions
_ There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate data from incomplete information.
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Welcome to Triple Tiara Tuesday for Queen Kat Stamps. We were given a very colorful and animated photo to start with this month that just made me feel cheery. I picked the brightest and happiest colors from that mixture and selected an great image to go with it. Here's my card using a wonderful stamp from artist Myka Jelina stamp called "Daisy" and the "For You" saying comes from a stamp set "Lighter Side of the Dark."Hope you enjoy Triple Tiara Tuesday. Be sure to stop by and all three blogs and leave a comment for your change to win a wonderful prize from Queen Kat! Here's a link to the main blog, CLICK HERE.
Project Materials: Cardstock (Bazzill, Neenah); Rubber Stamps (Queen Kat Stamps); Ink (Memento, Colorbox Chalk); Border Punch (Martha Stewart); Butterflies (Confetti); Brads (Queen&Co); Adhesives (Pop dots, Glue All); Die Cut (Spellbinders Nestabilities); Color (Copic Markers);
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Triple Tiara Tuesday
Posted by Holley (Tondre) Barnhart at 6:00 AM
Labels: Myka Jelina, Nestabilities, Queen Kat Stamps
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The Good: I went to Hallmark to pick up a card. I counted out the money and handed it to the cashier. She counted it again and handed back a dollar. She could have pocketed it and I obviously wouldn't have known the difference. I thanked her for counting diligently and walked out deciding that the next time I need a card, I will definitely head to Hallmark again instead of the other card shop that I sometimes frequent.
The Bad: I tried to order a pair of pants from J. Jill. Every part of the order was wrong--the billing address, the shipping address, the email address and the item itself despite the fact that the woman taking the order read back all the information to me. I called J. Jill and asked if they could ship the correct pants to the brick-and-mortar store nearby and I would exchange the wrong pants for the right pants. They insisted (despite the fact that this was their mistake) that they could not do that and the only solution would be for me to pay for the pants again that day (and have a second charge to my credit card) and return the other ones to the store whenever I could (and get the reimbursement on the credit card). They officially lost a customer.
I went to the mall to return the pants and the employee at the desk tried to make it right by reordering the correct pants for me, waiving the overnight shipping, and charging the original amount. Which was fine and they can keep the money from that purchase BUT they have lost me as a loyal customer of 9 years. In the end, though she fixed the problem, I received nothing for my trouble (due to their mistakes) and wasted another 2 hours of my life between phone calls and driving. Had they offered me anything for my trouble--a credit at the store, a coupon--they could have kept a customer. But there are too many stores that also have clothing I like and I don't want to shop with a company that makes me spend an additional two hours solving their problems with no nod towards the idea that they care if I stick around.
The Ugly: I wanted to get the twins a new sticker mosaic set, but we've exhausted the limited supply from toy stores in our area. I called A.C. Moore and asked if they carried sticker mosaics by Orb Factory (Orb Factory, if you're reading this, make more sets. We have literally accumulated enough sticker mosaics to wallpaper an entire room). The operator passed me first to a man and then to a woman. The woman went to check the shelves and came back to inform me that they had many sets currently in stock. I asked her if they had the mermaid one and she placed me on hold again to check. She returned to tell me that while they didn't have the mermaid one, they had many of the other ones. I was on hold for a total of 10 minutes. I thanked her and made plans to stop working early and drive to the store.
I went to the store and couldn't find the sticker mosaics. So I asked one employee and she didn't know what I was talking about. She asked a man who told me that he had been the first person I spoke to. He didn't think they carried sticker mosaics, but told me the name of the employee who kept me on hold for 10 minutes checking the shelves. He sent me to speak to a manager who told me they didn't carry sticker mosaics at all. She shrugged her shoulders when I told her the story and said, "I just don't know what happened." She had no other solution than shoulder shrugging.
I left the store and will not be getting art supplies at A.C. Moore in the future. The reality is that she could have assuaged my feelings by apologizing, or telling me that she'd be speaking with that employee to find out why she would tell someone to drive out to the store for an item that they've never carried, or offer to help me find a similar art project for the twins. There were so many things she could have done as a manager that could have (1) gotten the store a sale and (2) ensured that a customer didn't leave the store upset. But now they've lost a customer who shops at the store several times a month to keep the twins in art projects. Again, there are other art supply stores in town, and I'd rather drive out of my way or even pay more to have a better shopping experience.
Feel free to vent your own frustrating shopping experience. In fact...
When Nora asked us to do it, she sent us this picture and told us the story about the original head on a stick. The point of his story is I MET THE ORIGINAL HEAD ON A STICK. It is none other than extremely cool Karen MEG at A Day in the Life. When I met her at the conference, I had no idea her connection to the head-on-the-stick story, but once I got home and saw her blog, I found out that she is the original head. And, the best part of the story is that she is a fellow ALI blogger which goes to show that ALI bloggers are the coolest ones in the blogosphere.
Are We There Yet? has a post about her frozen embryos. She can keep them for one more year at her doctor's office and then they need to be transferred. She writes, "I'm having difficulties with thinking of them being transferred somewhere else. Perhaps it's a concern that something will happen during the transport, or not knowing and trusting the staff at the off site facility, or even something else entirely that I don't even know." It is posts like these that, for me, illustrated the difference in an Iffers world even after parenthood has been achieved. Why people say once an infertile, always an infertile. Because it's not just that the emotional wounds run deep; it's that in some cases, there are constant reminders.
This one from Outlandish Notions because it made me laugh so freakin' hard. That's all I can say; anything else would ruin it.
Awful But Functioning has a beautiful post called "Gravitational Pull." It is a heartbreaking post examining what is "normal" parenting after the death of a child's sibling. She writes: "But time is funny now, defined mostly by six particular days. At times those days seemed so painfully long, so brutally eternal, we pleaded with any deities listening to end it and now. And at times, so brief, faster than a insect's life span, caught in a whirlwind of paperwork and decisions and kleenex, before we could know -- before we could know her." My G-d, how can you not click over to read the whole thing after seeing those gorgeous words? It is a post about her living daughter's birthday and your heart will break when you read the analogy of the sun and moon. Your heart will literally break with the beauty and truth and sadness of the words.
Sell Crazy Someplace Else has a post that kicks ass, calling out her disgust at an article titled "Woman Overcomes Obesity to Adopt Child." Jendeis relates it to her own experience at the clinic. It is not a matter of a true health concern such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, but instead a glance at a number, a cut-off system based on BMI rather than overall health. It is a rallying cry post, one that should be read by everyone.
The roundup to the Roundup: Bitch about your favourite retail experience; you know you want to. I met the original head-on-a-stick! And lots of great blogs to read. Have a wonderful weekend.


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Looking for flatmate near Schuman (Brussels)
I have left for Istanbul and I am leaving behind a super new and stylish apartment in the best location of Brussels (to my opinion :)). The apartment is in Rue Belliard, in front of park Leopold and in between Schuman, Maelbeek and Jourdan.
1 room of the 2 bedroom will be free from Feb 15th onwards and I am looking for someone to take over that room and share it with my previous flatmate who is from the UK.
You can find pictures and more details on this site: Protected content
Let me know if you are interested so we can schedule a visit.


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In just one short week the tide of anti-war rhetoric in both the mainstream media and among Democratic presidential candidates has done a 180 degree turnabout, with former doom and gloomers now saying a military victory just might be possible!
To what or whom do we owe this sudden turn of events?
First, let's give credit where it is due, to the troops who are taking the fight to the terrorists and doing it with obvious success. In that light we should also give a big chunk of credit to Gen. David Petraeus and his revised strategy dubbed The Surge. The troops actually have been whacking terrorists in massive numbers ever since the war began, but the Surge seems to give the media a chance to change direction without being overly obvious.
With an influx of troops working in conjunction with increasing numbers of Iraqi forces, and a clear and hold strategy now in place, our forces also are keeping the newly pacified neighborhoods free of returning bad guys.
But this has been ongoing for some time now, too. So why the sudden change of heart?
Two words. Political expediency.
Last week President George Bush gave a speech in Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. that was reminiscent of the speech he gave at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT in June. In both speeches the president outlined in great detail just who we are fighting, how, why, and the efforts the terrorists have been making to wreak havoc on our country since 9-11, so far unsuccessfully.
In Charleston the president tracked the movement of the late terrorist leader Abu Al Zarqawi from the Taliban forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan where he was wounded fighting against the US, to Iraq and the welcoming arms of Saddam Hussein where he was setting up a new terrorist network in conjunction with Al Qaeda. President Bush showed exactly how the Al Qaeda terrorists are and were established in both places well before we invaded Iraq.
As I have written here numerous times before, the terrorists shifted their base of operations from Afghanistan to Iraq after coalition forces beat the stuffing out of them in Afghanistan. Some commentators said the president was releasing newly declassified information to explain why they hadn't written this before.
Actually, all of this information was in author Stephen Hayes' book The Connection several years ago.
This information also was available to any news sources that chose to print or broadcast it rather than the WMD mantra that was so easy to repeat and so irrelevant to the real reasons we were in Iraq. The connection between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein's regime was well known and openly discussed prior to 9-11 but then conveniently forgotten when it was seen as an opportunity to attack the Bush administration.
Right on the heels of the president's speech came Democratic Sen. Joe Biden's honest appraisal of the war during the last Democratic 'debate,' the one where questions were asked by a bunch of UTube contestants, some of whom were dressed in costumes reminiscent of the old Gong Show.
Biden, and only Biden, had the courage to state outright that regardless of which party wins next year's presidential election no one can, nor will, be able to drop what we are doing in Iraq and suddenly withdraw all our troops as the Democrats in Congress have been screaming for several years now.
Faced with irrefutable evidence that their main claim against invading Iraq was false - that there was no link between Saddam and Al Qaeda - and a realistic appraisal of what we are going to have to do in Iraq for the next two or three years, and how, the position taken by the Democrats and some turncoat Republicans in Congress folded like a house of cards.
The last place any candidate wants to be is on the losing side of a winning war. It is obvious that many candidates who only a week or so ago were claiming the war is lost and unwinnable now want us to forget that and see them only in their newly created aura of pro-troop patriotic zeal.
I should note that not every Democrat and turncoat Republican has jumped on the victory bandwagon - yet. Or maybe not every Democrat and turncoat Republican in Congress got the memo in time.
For instance, even as the New York Times was reporting successes in battle, Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold was saying on Fox News Sunday that he had access to secret information showing our side is getting its ass kicked something fierce. He couldn't reveal the source of this information, or course, and there is nothing other than his word to support it, but he said it and he is stuck with it.
When pressed hard by Chris Wallace, Feingold said he is willing to listen to Gen. Petraeus's report to Congress in September, but since he has numerous other, and presumably contradictory, sources of information, they will be the factors that have the most impact on his point of view. In other words, regardless of what is happening in the war in Iraq, Feingold and his buddies, like New York Sen. Chuckles Schumer, fully intend to give the General a fair trial, and then they'll hang him.
But the General has a hole card. The Gathering of Eagles, Move America Forward, Purple Heart association, and many other veterans organizations have again joined forces to sponsor a huge pro-troop rally in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 15, to coincide with the General's report to Congress.
The pro-terrorist, communist and anarchist group ANSWER also is staging a pro-terrorist rally the same week, complete with a scheduled 'die-in' on the Capitol steps to commemorate all the terrorists killed fighting against coalition troops or or who committed suicide while murdering thousands of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous other countries around the world.
In March at the first Gathering of Eagles vigil to support the troops and protect our nation's Memorials from planned acts of vandalism by ANSWER participants, the the Eagles vastly outnumbered the pro-terrorist faction in a wildly successful peaceful event. That was without the support of the mainstream veterans organizations or so much as a word of pre-publicity by the mainstream media, and damn little mention afterward.
But a major statement was made by the Eagles, Move America Forward and the other pro-troop groups in March and they are working hard to have even more Americans attend the September 15 rally. Move America Forward will again host a caravan of pro-troop forces, the Fight For Victory Tour, from California to DC, and will be hosting a series of pro-troop rallies along the way.
This time, the gathering also should be able to expect support from the major veterans organizations including the 3 million member American Legion, which did a major article in its monthly magazine on the March gathering. Presumably, having been duly exposed for its pro-terrorist agenda by its lock-step non-coverage of the Eagles in March, the mainstream media just might do an occasional news brief.
Regardless, the Internet is again buzzing with information on the Sept. 15 gathering, and conservative talk radio hosts are gearing up to provide heavy coverage.
The goal is to again hold a peaceful pro-troop vigil in D.C., to show the country and the world that the pro-terrorist point of view is not the only point of view in this country.
Personally, considering that Gen. Petraeus is walking point position for the rest of us, I want him to be able to look over his shoulder and see not a squad, not a platoon, not a company, regiment or even division. I want Gen. Petraeus to look over his shoulder and see an entire army of patriotic pro-troop, anti-terrorist supporters, providing a visible and effective backup for his words and his winning strategy!
Who knows, maybe he'll even see a few presidential candidates supporting him too!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Bush, Biden Turn Tables on Iraq War Lies; Gathering of Eagles, Move America Forward Building Momentum
1 comments:
David M said...
Trackbacked by The Thunder Run - Web Reconnaissance for 08/01/2007
A short recon of what's out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day...so check back often.


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Dear Family and Friends,
It's the time of year when the chameleons are h-h-hesitating across the roads; when thin, agile, sports-model snakes slither at break neck speed up the trees and snatch fledgling birds from their nests and when the grass grows lush and thick and soft under your feet.
For much of 2014 we all kept saying that everything was six w
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Dear Family and Friends,
The milk in my fridge has a sign on it boasting that it is "Proudly South African." The cheese, custard, butter, frozen vegetables, fruit juice and mayonnaise have the same sign. The cereals in the cupboard have labels announcing that they are "Proudly South African" so does the rice, coffee and biscuits. It's t
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Ted Kennedy and the Beak
Due to an arbitrary law my agency was set to fire around 1000 term employees. The work would have to be done on overtime. Many of these jobs were in Vermont. Not surprisingly Bernie Sanders was MIA as were the other local politicians. According to our Union rep the sole person that stepped up to save the jobs was Ted Kennedy.
While there is legitimate reason to bash Kennedy for bad behavior in the Cold War and Immigration policy it is important to point out one he did get right.
18 comments:
For decades, Edward Kennedy and the rest of his family were at the forefront of fundraising for both Noraid and the IRA – and is therefore, by any definition currently employed, a terrorist – and is soaked in the blood of thousands.
I hope the murderous terrorist scum-bag rots in hell.
- beakerkin said...
This is true as are many other things but now is the time to wish him well.
- Always On Watch said...
I'll leave it to the Judge to decide Kennedy's heart.
I do wonder how Joan Kennedy will react. That breakup was ugly. He broke her heart.
- Justin said...
Like all people Kennedy made life choices that were good and bad.
I did not have respect for the man because of many of the shadey things in his past and his "socialist" views and the direction he wanted to take this country.
However, I would not wish him to rot in hell as I would not wish this on anyone.
Speak no evil of the dead for their fate will be yours one day. Will you be remembered lovingly or with bitterness?
- Ducky's here said...
Well Beak, we'll have some sanctimonious clowns talking about whether or not they respected the man or not. But the right has been so bereft of any reasoning or humanity for these 30 years that it doesn't matter.
Kennedy tried to stand up for working class America and he tried to make this a more just nation. Those aren't values of the right and they would certainly rather have us believe that a man must be judged by one grave act.
So we'll have the Texans and assorted crackers talking about "socialist" views and talking about deciding who rots in hell as if they on have achieved some sort of holiness.
And the beat goes on as we try to save the world from the American south and its perversions of religion and justice and democracy. Ted Kennedy was a good soldier in that fight.
- Ducky's here said...
Beak, tie a can on it. Why is the British government speaking well of him for what he did to resolve the Irish standoff?
And what the bleep do you know about any ethnic violence outside Israel anyway?
- beakerkin said...
You have me confused with Scott.
Ted Kennedy did try to work against Reagan in the Cold War. He did make a mess of immigration policy.
Ducky I don't think along class lines as I am an individualist. The nation should be more like the South.
- Ducky's here said...
Worked against Reagan?
When? When the moron cut and ran from terrorists in Beirut after that fat punk Sharon started writing checks his ass couldn't cash?
When Ronnie the Dipstick was selling arms for hostages?
The Cold War was effectively over when Kennedy's brother backed down the Soviets in Cuba. Reagan was a right wing circus clown.
- The_Editrix said...
Goodness, Beak, that man ought to to rot in hell for so many reasons. If you do not want to say anything unkind (which speaks for you) don't say anything at all.
- beakerkin said...
That is revisionism and ignores the reality of the Cold War. Communism expanded under Carter.
- beakerkin said...
He was not a great person and his politics were dreadful. He was a mediocrity who largely got by on his brothers name after martyrdom.
However, when the workers in my agency needed a friend he was there.
- Ducky's here said...
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
Egalitarian immigration. You should know all about his first bill, Beak.
What was revisionist, Beak? The part about Sharon being a fat punk or the part about the Cuban missile crisis? Because if you think Ronald Raygun had anything to do with winning the cold war you are insulting a lot of people who did the lifting. And none of them were named Reagan.
- Justin said...
We Texans have a simple word for socialist dimwits like yourself and we generaly flush it down the toilet with the rest of the socialist crap that comes out of your mouth. :)
By the way Ducky poo isnt the term "cracker" black use to slur the white people? Is your true color showing through?
- beamish said...
I wasn't going to say anything bad about the murderer and drunken sod Ted Kennedy, but screw it.
I always wondered why Kennedy translated the Nazi Weapons Law of 1938 nearly verbatim into the 1968 Gun Control Act.
Not so much why he plagiarized the Nazis, being that he was a fellow leftist and his daddy such a fan of Hitler, but rather why he didn't even try to rephrase the plagiarism to make it less obvious.
- The Pagan Temple said...
Kennedy won the Cold War? HaHaHaHa, that's the best one I've heard yet from the Duckster. Kennedy CAUSED the Cuban Missile crisis, and he got out of it by tucking his tail between his legs like the little cur he was and agreeing to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan. The only "heavy lifting" Kennedy ever did was when he had to lift himself up off the floor after Khruschev mopped it with him in the course of their first summit.
In the meantime, Kennedy got us into Vietnam, where he and his little punk brother Bobby conducted the assassination of the rulers of South Vietnam, the Diem Brothers, something Ducky would be raising the roof about had it been done by a Reagan or a Bush.
For his next trick, the little punk Bobby, presumably with Camelot John's blessings, kidnapped a man without a hearing and had him dumped in the jungles of Guatamale with nothing but the clothes on his back and the money in his wallet, and did all this without even so much as allowing the man a hearing, an appeal, or even the time to pack a suitcase or call his family to say goodbye.
Translation-the Kennedy's were too bit motherfuckers who took abuse of power to a previously unheard of level while trying to turn government cabinet departments, especially the Justice Department, into their own private little fiefdoms for the imposition of their will on the country.
All of that said, I agree with Beak that Ted Kennedy did do some good things. It would be awful hard for somebody to achieve his level of national prominence and authority over such a long period of time and not do some good things, and still manage to get elected, even if he is a Kennedy.
The trick is balancing the good with the bad and judging him accordingly. I have done so and decided that he comes up seriously lacking.
As far as rotting in hell goes, I am far more concerned with the hell Kennedy has tried to turn this country into for the rest of us than I am about the private hell he created for himself.
- The_Editrix said...
"However, when the workers in my agency needed a friend he was there."
When Mary Jo Kopechne needed a friend, he was NOT there.
- beakerkin said...
This is true, but life is filled with ironies. I know all the criticisms are 100% valid. Yet I know that when my coworkers needed a friend he was there for us.
I had a very difficult time grasping this concept when it happened. It would be easier for me to echo the sentiments I read here. He did do all those dreadful things. Yet he did the right thing
a few times.
History will not be kind to him and his legacy will be as you stated.
Why is the British government speaking well of him for what he did to resolve the Irish standoff?
Because it is politically expedient for the to do so and it helps to keep a peace.
But that is the government - ask the average man / woman on the street of any mainland city and you will find a near universal loathing of the entire Kennedy clan .. and Edward Kennedy in particular.
Giving Edward Kennedy a an honorary knighthood earlier this year was the single most unpopular act of the current Labour British government - even more unpopular than dragging us into America's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - so that is saying something.
Look at the newspapers at the time and you wont find a single newspaper editorial - from either the left of right - which wasn't outraged.


text: Although this is a global project, involving so far research in a number of West African countries, the United States, and Egypt, our core research has taken place in a few key areas: the Siin and Saalum regions of Senegal, Dakar, and villages in Mauritania such as Maᶜṭa Mulāna. Some Association members did research excursions to Gambia and other West African countries. Joseph Hill is now in Cairo, where many Taalibe Baay from around the world are studying. Here is a list of all the places Association members have conducted research between 2004 and 2009.


text:
Every day more than 30 million American kids get their lunches at their schools. For the past three decades, child obesity has skyrocketed, but today, school lunches are healthier than they have been for a long time.
Every school lunch now requires, by law, a serving of of fruit or vegetables, lean protein and foods rich in whole grains, while one-third of schools offer self-serve salad bars.
But while it is true that schoolchildren are eating healthier and more nutritious foods, Jessica Donze Black, Director of the Pew Charitable Trusts' child nutrition project argues that this is the time for policy makers in Congress to provide schools with finances for more training and tools for continued improvement in child nutrition.
"When the updated meal standards took effect in 2012, The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation surveyed school meal program administrators nationwide and found that 88 percent of districts reported needing at least one new piece of kitchen equipment to serve healthier meals, such as ovens to cook baked potatoes and large-capacity slicers to cut fruit and vegetables. Almost two-thirds reported staff training needs, but only 37 percent said they had the necessary funding to provide the training."