text:
Use Agreement Clears Way for Formal Purchase of Community
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 29, 2004 – U.S. Senator Pete Domenici and Congressman Steve Pearce today announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has formally committed to using the town of Playas for training purposes, a move that clears the way for New Mexico Tech to purchase the community to establish a security training center.
Domenici and Pearce were informed by DHS officials Wednesday that they have finalized a five-year use agreement with New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to use the small Hidalgo County town. New Mexico Tech plans to establish a National Emergency Response Training, Research and Development Center there. The use agreement will make the DHS the first client.
"The use agreement is a key step in the quest to find a new, innovative use for this community and its infrastructure. I am very pleased the Homeland Security Department sees the merit and potential in the training that can be carried out there to improve homeland security," Domenici said. "I am committed to moving this project forward, and the use agreement is welcome news."
"This announcement is great news for Southwestern New Mexico and a unique opportunity to play a very important role in our nation's homeland security by training first responders from across the country. The training center will create new economic opportunities for the region by utilizing New Mexico's unique infrastructure while providing a realistic training environment," Pearce said.
Domenici, who serves on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, has advocated development of a training facility at Playas for homeland security needs since Phelps-Dodge announced that it was discontinuing use of the community.
New Mexico Tech is leading a collaborative effort to establish a center that would provide DHS and other federal agencies a facility that offers, among other things, standardized emergency operations training for first responders, and advanced training for emergency operations and medical personnel.
The FY2005 Defense Appropriations ACT includes, at Domenici's request, $3.0 million to install the primary instrumentation grid for the new homeland security and emergency responder facility at Playas. The funding for instrumentation will give all of the operations at Playas the critical data necessary to complete vital training and research that will begin in 2005.
The town of Playas was developed in the late 1970s by the Phelps Dodge Mining Company to provide housing and services for approximately 500 workers employed at its nearby copper smelting operation. The town has been almost empty since the Phelps Dodge copper smelting operations were suspended in 1999. The community includes 259 homes, 25 apartment units, a community center, bank, gas station, post office, fire station, medical center, and recreational facilities.
CONTACT: MATT LETOURNEAU/Domenici (202) 224-7098
RICARDO BERNAL/Pearce (202) 225-2365
Matt Letourneau
Deputy Press Secretary
U.S. Senator Pete Domenici


text:
Australian Xbox 360 owners will be able to receive Foxtel television via Xbox Live thanks to new service unveiled today. Foxtel by Xbox Live — which will launch "later on in the calendar year" according to a media release — will let people use the Foxtel service without a dedicated set-top box from the pay TV company.
Channels like Fox Sports, Discovery, Nickelodeon, Disney, MTV, and others are expected to be available via the service. Pricing is yet to be revealed. Other features, like video-on-demand movies and TV series, will be available on Foxtel by Xbox Live. The service will be available Australia-wide and will require a Foxtel by Xbox Live subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
"Foxtel by Xbox Live will provide our 1.6 million subscribing households, as well as new customers, a transformative way of receiving and enjoying Foxtel over the internet," said Foxtel Managing Director Kim Williams in a statement.
Microsoft has previously partnered with broadcaster BSkyB in the UK, and CANAL+ in France.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Poll: Approval of Congress hits new low, but it's worse for Republicans than Democrats
As things stand now, the consensus among the political cognoscenti is that Republicans likely will make at least a few gains in this year's mid-term elections.
But THIS suggests to me that Democrats might hold their own if they play their cards right:
The number of Americans who approve of their own representative in Congress has reached an all-time low, according to a poll released Tuesday.
In a Washington Post-ABC News poll, 51 percent of Americans said that they disapprove of the way their member of Congress is "handling his or her job." Forty-one percent approve of how their member handles his or her work, the lowest approval rating that The Washington Post and ABC News has found. This is the first time in 25 years that the number of Americans who disapprove of their own Congress member has risen over 50 percent, according to the Post.
Still, Democrats are seeing more favorable ratings than Republicans. Of those polled, 49 percent said that they have a "favorable impression of the Democratic Party," while only 35 percent answered the same for the GOP.


text:
LeBron James is a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, but that hasn't clouded his opinion of Robert Griffin III.
The Washington Redskins' rookie quarterback was courtside Tuesday night to see the struggling Wizards stun James and the visiting Miami Heat 105-101. One night earlier, it was James who watched Griffin upset the New York Giants in grand fashion on "Monday Night Football."
"He's an unbelievable talent, and he's a great quarterback," James told USA Today. "He doesn't play like a rookie at all. They've got a great one."
James sees what we all see. RG3 has turned the wandering Redskins into a wild-card threat and a team nobody wants to deal with down the stretch.
RG3 has shredded the NFC East over the past month, and opponents haven't found a way to neutralize Griffin's gifts. That might take a while. Like James, RG3 shows promise of redefining the position he plays, and those are the rarest of athletes.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.


text:
Mariani, John
Grilling For Dummies
Now updated your guide to becoming an expert grill master!
Are you gearing up to grill? This hands-on guide explains how to purchase, use, and maintain everything from charcoal and gas grills to smokers and rotisseries for your grill. You get the latest on the different types of grills and food prep and grilling techniques, as well as dozens of new and improved recipes that will stretch your skills and tantalize your taste buds!
- Get ready to grill understand grilling lingo, choose the right grill for you, and start and safely maintain a grill-ready fire
Add spice to your life stock your griller's pantry with the latest herbs, rubs, flavored oils and marinades, including Asian and Mediterranean seasonings
Grilling the oldies but goodies from burgers and sausages to kebabs and ribs, make everyone's favorites taste fabulous
Go beyond the BBQ basics expand your grilling skills with tasty tips for grilling pork, beef, poultry, lamb, fish and shellfish, vegetables, pizza, and more
Open the book and find:
- The difference between regular grilling and barbecuing
Full-color photos of mouthwatering recipes
Highlights of the latest and best grilling equipment
Extended coverage on grill set-up and maintenance
Expert advice on direct and indirect grilling
Figures and charts featuring meat cuts and food prep techniques
Must-know tips and tricks to master control over the grill
Advice on using smokers and rotisseries
- Author(s)
- Mariani, John
- Rama, Marie
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
- Publication year
- 2009
- Language
- en
- Edition
- 1
- Page amount
- 384 pages
- Category
- Food, Drink, Domestic Science
- Format
- Ebook
- eISBN (ePUB)
- 9780470504123
- Printed ISBN
- 9780470421291


text: I am trying to compile lamp server with suphp. I installed all of it and i am getting php info page with normal apache handler but when i try to use suphp i am getting errors with libmysqlclient.so.18 cannot open shared object no such file or directory i am using mysql 5.5 php 5.4 and apache 2.2 . I installed sql server in /sql directory .i can see /sql/lib/libmysqlclient.so.18.0.0 .But why it is not working .Anyone please help me out thanx


text:
Ingleside Real Estate
Ingleside and Merced Heights are two close-knit neighborhoods in San Francisco, California. The community is a short commute from San Francisco State University which makes the area popular among students and young professionals. Since these two neighborhoods are tucked away from the buzz of San Francisco, the area draws quiet seekers. However, the bustle of the city is never too far away for those who desire it. Some preferred restaurants are Jo Jo's Café, Beeps Burgers, and an array of fish joints serving fresh fish.
Ingleside Homes For Sale
Search for properties in Ingleside


text:
Being fond of cooking, I've tended to collect recipes, utensils and gadgets. One thing that had been missing was a cast iron skillet. I'd been hearing about the wonders of these (naturally non-stick over time, holds heat, evenly distributes heat) for a long time and have been disillusioned with the non-stick stuff (though a small non-stick pan for eggs is handy). So we finally decided to pick up a Lodge cast iron skillet. Though it's sold as pre-seasoned, we seasoned it once before use.
Our first attempt at using it was to make pan seared steak for Christmas lunch, using directions (1, 2) from Alton Brown. A juicy 12 oz ribeye, seasoned with kosher salt and coarse ground pepper. Seared for 90 s on the oven top and then put into a 500F oven for 3 minutes each side resulted in a beautiful medium steak. While the steak was resting, we put together a simple sauce with red wine, shallots and the brown bits from the pan.
The result was heavenly! Looks like cooking will be fun with the new skillet.


text:
Posted 10/09/13 (Wed)
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
While North Dakota as a whole saw taxable sales and purchases take a small dip during the second quarter of 2013, that same slowdown was not happening in McKenzie County nor in Watford City.
According to figures released by the office of the North Dakota Tax Commissioner, during the second quarter of 2013, Watford City saw sales increase by 2.12 percent, while countywide sales numbers increased by 4.89 percent.
According to Tax Commissioner Cory Fong, during the months of April, May and June of 2013, Watford City's taxable sales and purchases totalled $51,347,106 compared to $50,282,767 during the same time period in 2012.
As a whole, McKenzie County's taxable sales and purchases increased from $57,566,949 to $60,381,711, a 4.89 percent increase, in the second quarter of this year.
Watford City's sales numbers in the second quarter of 2013 make it the 11th largest city in the state in terms of taxable sales and purchases and ahead of Devils Lake ($45,757,922), Wahpeton ($30,686,671), and Valley City ($22,890,261).
McKenzie County's taxable sales numbers make it the 10th largest of the state's 52 counties.
While the continued strength of oil development continues to spur the economic growth in much of western North Dakota, the remainder of North Dakota saw an overall slowing in sales.
Statewide, according to the new quarterly numbers, North Dakota's taxable sales and purchases in the second quarter of 2013 was $6.293 billion compared to $6.451 billion for the same quarter in 2012. The slowdown reflects a drop of 2.4 percent, or $157.3 million, comparing 2013 to 2012 for the same quarter.
"While this report reflects a slowing when compared to 2012, it is still a good report. The late spring blizzard and excessive rains hampered certain industries; however, the retail and wholesale trade sectors grew, suggesting that consumer confidence remained strong even with an overall slowing in spending," said Deputy Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger.
According to Rauschenberger, North Dakota experienced a record-setting year for taxable sales and purchases in 2012 and that level of growth was not sustainable.
"When we compare 2013 to 2011, spending levels grew by 39 percent, reflecting the strength of North Dakota's economy," states Rauschenberger.
Retail trade, the sector generally looked to as a measure of the economy, was up 1.9 percent during the second quarter of 2013 when compared to the same quarter in 2012. Wholesale trade, which reflects business-to-business transactions, was up 2.1 percent during that same timeframe.
"The mining sector dropped in the second quarter, suggesting that the rapid growth of energy development may be leveling off to a more sustainable pace," said Rauschenberger. "In addition, the late spring and early wet summer affected activities in a number of sectors, such as mining and oil production."
"The agricultural industry is an important sector for North Dakota and one on which we tend to rely," states Rauschenberger. "During the second quarter, our producers dealt with late spring winter storms and excessive rains in May that hampered our agricultural producers getting into the fields. We continue to watch the agricultural industry, especially as the harvest wraps up."
Of the 50 largest cities, the biggest percentage increases for the second quarter of 2013 were New Town, up 30.9 percent; Northwood, up 27.8 percent; Cooperstown, up 27.3 percent; Ellendale, up 27.2 percent; and Beach, up 26.3 percent.
The biggest percentage second quarter decreases for the 50 largest cities were in Tioga, down 28.2 percent; Cavalier, down 27.6 percent; Stanley, down 19.7 percent; Bottineau, down 13.5 percent; and Rugby, down 11.4 percent.
Counties with the highest percentage increases were Grant, up 70.9 percent; Richland, up 25 percent; Golden Valley, up 23.9 percent; Steele, up 22.4 percent; and Benson, up 22.2 percent.
The counties with the biggest percentage decreases were Logan, down 25.4 percent; Burke, down 22.5 percent; Bottineau, down 22 percent; Pembina, down 19.5 percent; and Williams, down 13.7 percent.


text:
Best Kids Parties: The Letter "B"
Name: Bruna (2)
Location: Brasilia, Brazil
Party 'B as in... Bruna' (the birthday girl) was all decorated and embellished with objects starting with the letter B: ballerinas, balloons, bycicles, [soap] bubbles, biscuits, and bonbons, to the sound of bossa-nova (a style of Brazilian music developed and popularized in the 1950s and 1960s).
A Save the Date video was sent to all guests by e-mail; invitations were a pack of biscuits wrapped as a bonbon; and many crafts (in fabric and in scrapbooking format) were designed exclusively for this party (tagged #festabdebruna at Instagram).
Pink vintage furniture and delicate shades of pink, yellow, blue and turquoise were chosen to embellish everything I had imagined to impress our guests. Cotton-candy, small spoons with decorations, colored popcorn, butterfly-shaped cookies inside cages, waffle biscuits (so hard to resist!) wrapped in fabric were some of the different details of this party.
A giant balloon, inspired by the movie Up!, surprised all guests, who were encouraged to take fun photos simulating balloon rides.
- Birthday girl dress: The Kids Club
- Pink vintage furniture: Festa Provençal
- Cake, cupcakes and candy: Doce Talento
- Wall panel and crafts: Vera Carmona
- Invitations and personalized stationary: Lollipaper
- Photos: Panoptes
- Videos: Coletivo Capital
Thanks Iza! Readers, see more of Bruna's party at Roteiro Baby.
(Images: Panoptes Fotografia Criativa)


text:
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Beating a dead and lonely horse
"You have reached the maximum number of missed IMs. Your IM to user ****** could not be delivered as an e-mail because you have reached the maximum number of missed IMs that may be sent in a 24-hour period."
Translation: "Asshole, why'd you waste another $39.99 to be ignored by women for another month? Haven't you been humiliated enough? DO YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF LEARNING DISABILITY???!!!!"'
I guess I do, but it's one of those disabilities that I was able to get away with for a while until it got out of hand. Kind of like Theo on "The Cosby Show"....only there's no warm and fuzzy ending, or a laugh track here. Just utter humiliation.
I'm putting myself on a schedule, though. I'll only go on twice a week until the membership runs out. That plan should last until I'm done posting this blog entry.
13 comments:
they told you to walk away, but you couldn't listen.
- August 7, 2007 at 12:21 AM
- Dori said...
Could there be something unintentionally off-putting about your profile? Maybe it doesn't convey your wit and intellect? It seems odd that you'd be declined so often given how well you come across on your blog. Have you asked a female friend for feedback?
- August 7, 2007 at 9:11 AM
- Shoshana said...
I think you might be dealing with an addiction here. The first step is admitting that you have a problem.
- August 7, 2007 at 9:20 AM
- Marc F. said...
Dori, my profile is as witty as they come. I assure you. I have male friends who have the most generic and lame profiles, and whose pics are nothing special, who do amazingly well on that site. So it's a mystery to me.
Shoshana, I admit I have a problem. Is there a Jdaters anonymous meeting you can direct me to? I'm familiar with the blog by that name, but there are no actual meetings where I can get up and say, "Hi, I'm Marc and I'm addicted to Jdate."
- August 7, 2007 at 10:03 AM
- Shoshana said...
Hmm, I'm currently unaware of such meetings, but there definitely should be. It would probably be a great place for you to meet women ;)
- August 7, 2007 at 10:55 AM
- Hilary said...
Welcome back...everyone always makes a return visit.
- August 7, 2007 at 11:25 AM
Why dont you start a virtual meeting
Jdaters anon online!
(and charge 39.99 per month to join)
- August 7, 2007 at 11:49 AM
Eat the $39 and just stop going on at all. You'll save thousands in therapy for less then 40 bucks.
- August 7, 2007 at 3:25 PM
Oh, Marc, I used to feel your pain; remember, it took me 10 YEARS on JDate and other various dating websites to finally find Mr. Right! Had to suffer through many countless lame first-dates and three failed relationships (one was 13 months, the next 4 months, the third 3 1/2 years!) before I met the best boyfriend I've ever had (seriously!). We've been together 10 months, moving in together at the end of September. Please be patient with yourself, she's out there somewhere, but it will take time to find her (hopefully not 10 years)!
- August 7, 2007 at 6:25 PM
- Matthew said...
How many ims do have to send to reach the limit?
- August 7, 2007 at 7:52 PM
- Marc F. said...
There's no limit on IMs, but if a woman doesn't respond to you and you close the dialogue box, the IM gets sent to her as an email. There's something like a 35 email a day limit to prevent spam....or in my case, excessive humiliation.
- August 8, 2007 at 12:22 AM
- Matthew said...
35 emails? Umm...That is ALOT!!! Are that many women worth sending IMs too? Well good luck on the 12 Step Program. Love the blog. Got all my friends that are on Jdate reading it.
- August 8, 2007 at 9:56 PM
- Marc F. said...
It's a volume business, man. Are they WORTH sending IMs/emails to? Probably not, but you just can't sit around and wait for them to email you because they rarely do. But thanks for the support.
- August 8, 2007 at 10:32 PM


text:
eval() is the best for all sorts of things
If eval() is the answer, you're almost certainly asking the wrong question.
egg bacon sausage spam spam baked beans
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text:
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Simple Things.
Simple things make me happy.
Picking tomatoes and herbs from my garden.
Going for a bike ride to the see the waves at sunset.
Listening to my man play the piano, deconstructing Beatles songs.
And sometimes, more time consuming things make me happy.
Like sanding ceramic tiles in my kitchen.
Oh good golly, what a great way to spend a Monday afternoon.
3 hours of dust, intense noise and arms that ache.
Oh, and leftover pie dough makes me really happy.
Filled with tomatoes, triple cream brie, black olives, fried shallots, basil leaves, oregano oil, a touch of cream.
Labels: sides, vegetarian
8 comments:
- kirsten said...
To the simple things in life!
- September 13, 2010 at 9:07 PM
- {lovely little things} said...
Mmm, delicious! Love the fresh picked veggies.
- September 13, 2010 at 9:29 PM
- makescoffeenervous said...
yum! that looks delicious!
and here here to the simple things in life. :)
- September 14, 2010 at 3:48 AM
- Shine Little Light* said...
Happyness! And triple yum!
- September 14, 2010 at 5:11 AM
- Cara said...
- September 14, 2010 at 8:56 AM
- Georgia said...
The simple things are definitely the best, your dish looks delicious!!
- September 15, 2010 at 2:14 AM
- Jelly Shot Test Kitchen said...
Well, I would have to say that this post makes me happy! De-lish!!! Cheers, Michelle
- September 16, 2010 at 7:44 PM
- pinkghost said...
this post makes me happy!
- September 21, 2010 at 2:04 PM
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text:
Research & Analysis by T. Lynn Fisher
The Retirement Research Consortium: Past, Present, and Future
This article provides an overview of the Retirement Research Consortium (RRC) from the Social Security Administration's perspective, including a brief history of the development of the RRC, a discussion of the aims of the RRC, and some thoughts on its future. The mission of the RRC is to plan and conduct a broad research program to develop Social Security and retirement policy information to assist policymakers, the public, and the media in understanding the issues. The RRC has been a remarkably successful extramural research venture that has advanced the knowledge base on Social Security and retirement issues, trained new scholars to become the next generation of Social Security and retirement policy experts, and provided objective, research-based input to the policymaking process.
Measurement Issues Associated with Using Survey Data Matched with Administrative Data from the Social Security Administration
Researchers using survey data matched with administrative data benefit from the rich demographic and economic detail available from survey data combined with detailed programmatic data from administrative records. This article focuses on survey data matched with administrative data from the Social Security Administration and addresses the strengths and weaknesses of each in four specific areas: program participation and benefits, disability and health information, earnings, and deferred compensation The article discusses the implications of these strengths and weaknesses for decisions that researchers must make regarding the appropriate data source and definition for the concepts in question.
Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments and the Consumer Price Index
Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI, Social Security) benefits are indexed for inflation to protect beneficiaries from the loss of purchasing power implied by inflation. In the absence of such indexing, the purchasing power of Social Security benefits would be eroded as rising prices raised the cost of living. Recently, the Consumer Price Index used to calculate the Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) for OASDI benefits has come under increased scrutiny. Some argue that the current index does not accurately reflect the inflation experienced by seniors and that COLAs should be larger. Others argue that the measure of inflation underlying the COLA has technical limitations that cause it to overestimate changes in the cost of living and that COLAs should be smaller. This article discusses some of the issues involved with indexing Social Security benefits for inflation and examines the ramifications of potential changes to COLA calculations.
Measuring the Relative Importance of Social Security Benefits to the Elderly
Provided is a discussion of the cumulative effects of the measurement alternatives described in the three previous articles: considering family income of persons rather than aged units, using administrative data in place of survey reported data, and switching the data source from CPS to SIPP. The current-methodology CPS statistic of 17.9 percent of beneficiary aged units receiving all of their income from Social Security in 1996 falls to a substantially smaller estimated 4.5 percent of elderly beneficiary persons based on family income when using the SIPP and Social Security administrative data.
The Impact of Survey Choice on Measuring the Relative Importance of Social Security Benefits to the Elderly
This article provides insight into how measures of elderly economic well-being are sensitive to the survey data source. In Social Security Administration's publication Income of the Population 55 or Older, data are based on the national Current Population Survey (CPS). The preciseness of the survey statistics depends upon the willingness and ability of CPS respondents to answer questions accurately. This article contrasts income statistics calculated using the CPS and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Administrative data for Social Security benefits and SSI are also used to evaluate the accuracy of the income estimates.
Estimates of Unreported Asset Income in the Survey of Consumer Finances and the Relative Importance of Social Security Benefits to the Elderly
Through the 1990s and the early 2000s, the Income of the Population 55 or Older has reported a decline in the proportion of the elderly receiving asset income and the corresponding rise in the proportion receiving all of their income from Social Security. This analysis uses the Survey of Consumer Finances from 1992 to 2001 to examine financial asset holdings of the elderly and to determine if those who do not report asset income in fact might hold assets that are likely to generate income. Imputing asset income from likely income-producing holdings, the article examines the impact of probable missing asset income information upon measures of elderly income.
The Impact of the Unit of Observation on the Measurement of the Relative Importance of Social Security Benefits to the Elderly
Other publications using the same data source as Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2004 have produced different statistics for income and the relative importance of Social Security that appear contradictory. Depending on the unit of observation and whose income is considered, the estimates of the percentage of the elderly receiving all of their income from Social Security in 2004 varies from 13 percent to 22 percent. This article explains how the choice of the unit of observation impacts measures of the relative importance of Social Security benefits for the elderly.


text:
Now that T is sleeping solidly at night (knock on wood, salt over shoulder, etc etc), we've moved on to the next Stressful Thing About Parenting, which, for a couple of introvert parents, is not having enough time to be by ourselves quietly and do whatever it is we like to do, be it crafty things, reading non-parenting books, watching a sporting event, or Internetting.
Thanks to the holidays, my dear hubby has had many days off, so I've gotten used to sleeping in. If I were charming and British, I'd say (in my kickass British accent), "I've been able to have a bit of a lie-in." This extra time with him at home also made me realize we've been sharing the parenting load and trading off more, which lets each of us get that daily alone time.
|Us in Nov 2011. (C) Mariah Gentry Photography
We'd totally use this for our holiday card if we sent out photo cards.
Here are four things we've done lately that help me "find" more time in my schedule.
1. Daycare Dropoff/Pickup Switch
This one has been AMAZING and I'm surprised we didn't come to it sooner. When T started daycare, TJ dropped her off because it was on his way to work, and it was more socially acceptable for him to come in later and stay late at work. Bonus for me, because I did NOT want to face dropoff related tears because it made me feel like a horrible mother. (Not that it didn't make TJ feel bad, but he is much more resilient about it. I'm just a huge crybaby.)
So the deal was that I'd get up early, and get myself to work post-haste while TJ would wait for Trillian to wake up, get her fed and dressed and drop her off between 8:30 and 9am. I picked her up around 5:15pm and TJ was free to work as late as he needed on those two days. We wanted to minimize the length of her day, so that she wasn't spending 10+ hours in daycare regularly.
I'm NOT a morning person so it was a struggle for me to wake up earlier than 7, much less get to work by then as I had hoped, since I had to leave by 4:45pm to pick her up. As I've mentioned before, the pickup round trip took twice as long at that time of day and we were racing the clock to get home and eat before bedtime (never mind "quality time"). Not to mention that T was especially tired on daycare days, so bedtime had to be earlier or else we'd all pay for it at night.
A few months ago, we had a day where we needed to swap the usual routine. I think it was because TJ needed to go to work really early that day to make progress on something. Something just clicked with the new routine and we kept it. It worked so much better for us, personality wise - TJ is a super early riser and is sometimes out of the house before T or I wake up. I'm happy to sleep in and use T as my alarm.
I felt like I had been given a HUGE gift of time by having a couple of extra hours to work in the afternoon, rather than being constrained by daycare pickup and the resulting stress. On a few occasions, I've been able to stay at work until 9 or 10pm to work on something uninterrupted. I'm definitely a night owl and do better work at night, and TJ is just the opposite.
T does not cry at dropoff - in fact, her teachers have to remind her to say goodbye to me because as soon as she gets to "baby school" she gets engrossed in a book or toy and doesn't even notice I'm still there. This totally changed our schedules and our stress levels. The bonus of TJ going to work super early is that he can come home before T's (ridiculously early) bedtime.
2. Mundane Chores During Awake Time
This one is probably obvious to moms of older/multiple kids, but it took me a while to learn it. My new mama guilt, conveniently installed at T's birth had me thinking if she was awake, we should be doing delightfully enriching things together constantly. After all, she's only awake for a short time, right? I wanted to MAXIMIZE the time with her, and plan all sorts of fun and educational things for us to do.
Obviously, we do those things, but I found HUGE value in letting her play by herself (at first in her crib, then in our babyproofed living room) for the 30 minutes it takes me to shower and get ready. Before that I'd get dressed while TJ was still home in the morning, and shower at night after T went to bed. I changed this when she was about 8 months old, and then a few months later, it became our regular routine. When she was a baby, I would shower quickly, always listening for her, and jumping out of the shower if she pitched a fit. One day I listened to her cry, but gave her a little time and realized she worked it out. I "peeked" at her from our bedroom and noticed she had gotten the toy she was reaching for and was happily playing with it.
Now that she's a toddler, she's all over our living room, talking to her toy dinosaurs and teddy bear, making them "food" in her kitchen, etc. I can not only shower and get ready at my leisure but can even put away the laundry while she plays happily. I realized how little time she gets to play by herself each day - we're so busy with daycare, errands and planned activities, so there are whole days where she spends no time alone with her toys. Judging from how engrossed she is with them when I shower, I think it's good for both of us. I am especially happy that she's learning how to play by herself.
The other part of this came just a few months ago. I started a chore "routine" to keep it a bit more predictable - unload/load/run the dishwasher every day, and do the laundry a few times a week rather than a HUGE pile on weekends. This actually takes me less time, and is definitely less stressful, because it's not hanging over my head. For the first couple of weeks, I'd "save" these chores, including a quick pass to pick up toys, for T's naptime or after she went to sleep. But I realized they were eating into the precious alone time I have when she's asleep.
So now while she eats meals or a snack, I load or unload the dishwasher. I ask her to play by herself for a bit while I collect and load the laundry, and sometimes she actually helps me sort the clean laundry (surprisingly, this is actually helpful!). I discovered by accident that she LOVES to clean up her toys once she knows where everything goes, so she actually does this chore herself.
This lets me spend naptimes and evenings after she goes to bed, to craft, watch (non-kid-approved) TV with TJ, or get a little (office) work done. I've "reclaimed" a LOT of time this way. It's stunningly obvious to most experienced mamas, but took me a long time to figure it out.
3. Morning Bath
Nearly everyone I know and read about, bathes their kids at night, as part of the bedtime/cooling down routine. I never liked that because by the end of the day, I'm often mentally fried, and end up rushing through everything just to get that "down" time after T's happily in bed. That was shortchanging BabyT for what should be a nice, relaxing bedtime, so I started bathing her earlier in the day. We didn't do baths on the days I worked, and somehow having a "random" bath time made it easier for us to forget (horrible parents, I know!).
With winter approaching and T's sensitive skin needing extra care, I realized we needed to get into a routine, just like we do (religiously) for naps. Bathtime is one of the "joys" I'd love to share with the hubby (aka, foist off on him occasionally) so moving it to first thing in the morning ensures two things: that either of us can do it, and that we are consistent since our early mornings are all the same.
At first it sounded like a HUGE hassle, and T was not happy about waiting for her morning soy milk. But it's working well - she's gotten a bath every day like she needs to, it's faster since we need to change her anyway, and since we go into daycare relatively late on the days I work, we have plenty of time to add this into our schedule. And of course the secret bonus is that on the days TJ is around when T gets up, he handles morning bath and food. Hooray!
4. Big Meal Sunday
Feeding a toddler healthy food 5-6 times a day is a hassle, no doubt about it. And obviously, it's not something I'd like to outsource (Lunchables? McDonald's? no thank you!). I struggle with meal planning in general. It's such a simple idea - plan what we're going to eat for the week, do all the shopping and prep when I have some time. I just can't seem to get it together. We're lucky that T still eats a lot of "toddler food", ie ingredients rather than elaborate meals, like fruit, soyogurt, pasta and sauce, BBQ chicken, oatmeal, edamame etc. So a meal for her is usually just 3 or 4 different items from a small list of things she's likely to eat.
This doesn't really work for grownups, though, so I've taken to making ONE REALLY BIG pot of something on Sundays - Thai curry, chili, stew, etc. We eat it for dinner on Sunday, and are usually able to get at least 2 more meals out of it for all of us. This also helps for the days that one of us isn't home for dinner - there are leftovers in the fridge that comprise an actual, balanced, homecooked meal. If it's something T really likes, she'll happily eat it for lunch and dinner, which gives me the peace of mind that she's eating healthy, real food with protein and vegetables, and not just subsisting on fruit leather and soymilk.
This alone has reduced the money (and health cost) of "desperation eating out", which is what happens when we look in the fridge/pantry, decide there's nothing to eat, and call the pizza guy or go out to some vaguely unsatisfying chain restaurant within 5 miles of our house. I just finished reading The End of Overeating by David Kessler, and OMG was it eye-opening about the food industry. So depressing but really motivated me to think about what I eat in a different light.
It also saves time, since meals are often quicker when we just stay home and eat something, rather than getting ready to go out, waiting for our food, vigilantly watching T to avoid a meltdown, and then heading home, *not* relaxed and only partially nourished.
It helps that I love to cook. I also have two favorite new cookbooks, Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan and America's Test Kitchen: Slow Cooker Revolution. So far everything I've made from either one has turned out great, which makes the initial time investment on a weekend afternoon *totally* worth it.
Those are the top things working for me these days, and keeping the beasts of stress and not enough 'me' time at bay. Got any tips for me? I'm a TOTAL time management junkie, so would love love LOVE to hear what works for you!!


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Mint Painted Dot Beanbag
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- Overview
Plop and prop yourself comfortably on the floor for movies, games or afternoon lounging.
- 41" diameter
- Plush beanbag inserts are eco-friendly and filled with 13.5 cubic feet of up to 30% recycled polystyrene.
- Cotton canvas slipcover is removable for cleaning.
- Machine wash slipcover.
- Slipcover and insert are available individually or as a set.
- Inserts are not intended for use without a slipcover.
- Personalization is available for an additional $8.50.
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- Imported.
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- Dimensions + Care
- Overall: 41" diameter
- Weight: 4 pounds
- Slipcover is made from 100% cotton canvas.
- Recycled fill may contain a mix of dark and light beads, creating the appearance of small black specks within the insert. This is perfectly normal and safe.
- The zippers on the beanbag inserts have been sealed to protect the fill and ensure lasting quality.
- For best use, insert and slipcover seams should both run vertically; horizontal seams can make the bag appear flat.
- To clean, remove interior components.
- Wash slipcover in cold water by itself.
- Do not use bleach.
- Spot clean with damp white cloth, blot to remove excess water.
- Air dry.
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The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is tough for sports writers. (Just look at this site you're reading.) It's the time of the year when a desperate columnist will reach for just about anything to meet a deadline.
The year-end review stories are already filed, the NFL playoffs are stuck in the waiting room, the HOTFUCKINGSTOVE has turned ice cold, and no one wants to even think about basketball or hockey. What do you talk about when there's nothing to talk about?
I've spent part of my today scanning newspaper websites for the most unnecessary sports story of the week. I'm not talking about poorly written columns (although they often are) or stories that have no discernible argument. You can find those any day of the year. I'm talking about the mundane, ridiculous or just plain boring stories that don't really have any reason to exist—and wouldn't if the writer didn't need something, anything to meet his quota. The kind of stories you only see when there's nothing else worth thinking about.
What's the biggest reach you've seen in the last week or so? My nominees so far: A tribute to UNLV's swimming coach and a story about Rod Thorn's dad. (Fine gentlemen, I'm sure, but whatever.) Post your favorites in the comments and/or use the tag #thatsunnecessary. And keep adding to it as you stumble across them at any time of the year.
And no, you can't nominate this post, because I already called dibs.
O'Connor: A soldier taught Nets' Rod Thorn how to survive and advance [Bergen Record]
ED GRANEY: Unsung UNLV coach deserves tip of hat [Las Vegas Review-Journal]


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JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville State University fired Jack Crowe on Friday, bringing an end to the head football coach's 13-year career with the Gamecocks.
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville State University fired Jack Crowe on Friday, bringing an end to the head football coach's 13-year career with the Gamecocks.
Jacksonville State Athletics Director Warren Koegel said the school had released Crowe from his contract in a statement issued Friday night.
"I want to thank coach Crowe for his years of service and recognize the work he and all of his assistants have done in support of our student-athletes," Koegel said. "It is never easy to make a coaching change, but during this time of transition, the expectations of our department remain the same."
Crowe was the second-winningest coach in JSU history and went 87-57 during his tenure. But the support wasn't there for the 65-year-old coach.
"I'm honored to have been the coach at Jacksonville State University," Crowe said in the statement released by the school. "I felt like we have moved the program forward over the last 13 years. There is still a lot left to be done.
"After several discussions with Warren I realized I did not have the support to get those things done. I have decided, in my life, I didn't want to wait too late in finding new opportunities."
Crowe signed a contract extension in June of last year that was supposed to pay him $162,000 plus incentives through 2014.
Crowe led the Gamecocks to three Ohio Valley Conference championships, including last year. His teams made three appearnces in the postseason, but were ousted in the first round each year.
"Our vision and mission are winning conference championships and advancing to the postseason on a regular basis," Koegel said. "We continue to value student-athlete success academically and expect them to be great citizens in our community."
Crowe, who originally is from Birmingham, has been in coaching for more than 38 years. Before arriving at JSU, he made stops at Auburn, Clemson, Baylor and Arkansas, among other places.
He was named the 2004 OVC Coach of the Year and was the winningest coach by percentage in the conference.
A national search now begins for what will be the program's 13th head coach in the modern era (1945). It likely will be an attractive job for potential candidates, as JSU boasts some of the nicest facilities in the Football Championship Subdivision, including the school's $47 million renovation of Burgess-Snow Field that was completed in 2010.
The Gamecocks also have an abundance of young talent returning for the 2013 football season.


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68 facts
Something you may or may not have known about each team in the field, in no particular order
1. Coastal Carolina: The team's Chanticleer mascot — a rooster — is taken from Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales."
2. Wofford: Student section is known as "Youngstown," after longtime coach Mike Young.
3. Eastern Kentucky: Most famous graduate: Lee Majors, below, the Six-Million Dollar Man.
4. Harvard: Last year's first-round upset of New Mexico was Crimson's first-ever NCAA tournament win.
5. Delaware: The Blue Hen is the state bird of Delaware.
6. Manhattan: Actually located in the Bronx.
7. Gonzaga: Has made it past the first weekend just four times in 14 NCAA tournament appearances under Coach Mark Few.
8. Milwaukee: Coach Rob Jeter was the leading scorer of Portugal's pro league in 1992-93.
9. Wichita State: WuShock, the team's mascot, predates the Wu-Tang Clan by 44 years.
10. Mercer: Making first NCAA tournament appearance since 1985.
11. Virginia: Cavs star Joe Harris is a self-professed Katy Perry fan.
12. George Washington: Coach Mike Lonergan won the Division III national title as Catholic's coach in 2001.
13. Mount St. Mary's: Got away with having six players on the court late in their Northeast Conference quarterfinal win.
14. North Dakota State: Changed nickname to "Bison" in 1919 because football coach hated "Aggies" nickname.
15. American: 65.7 percent of the Eagles' field goals come off assists, the best mark in the nation.
16. Kansas: The "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk" chant originated with the school's Science Club in 1886.
17. Kentucky: Making its 53rd NCAA tournament appearance, the most in the nation.
18. Villanova: One of two programs to make an NCAA tournament appearance in every decade since the 1930s.
19. Ohio State: The other program to make an NCAA tournament appearance in every decade since the 1930s.
20. Creighton: Doug McDermott is likely to become the first three-time first-team all-American since 1985.
21. Florida: One of two schools to repeat as NCAA champion since tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
22. Oklahoma: Lon Kruger is the only coach to take five programs to the NCAA tournament.
23. Massachusetts: Made seven straight NCAA tournaments from 1991 to 1998. Only other appearance was 1962.
24. Dayton: Lost in national title game in 1967. Has won just six NCAA tournament games since then (three in 1984 alone).
25. VCU: Coach Shaka Smart is named after the famous Zulu warrior.
26. Michigan: School does not have a mascot, saying it would be "undignified."
27. Wisconsin: Badgers had eight winning seasons from 1954 to 1995. They have had one losing season since then.
28. Michigan State: 17 straight NCAA tournament bids is third-longest active streak behind Kansas (25), Duke (18).
29. Duke: Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Royal Blazes and Blue Warriors were also considered for Duke's nickname.
30. North Carolina: Hasn't lost in first round of the tournament since 1999 (11 appearances since).
31. Pittsburgh: As a player at TCU, Coach Jamie Dixon once hit a half-court shot to beat Texas in 1986.
32. Saint Louis: According to the school, a Billiken is "an elflike creature with pixie ears, a mischievous smile and a tuft of hair on his pointed head."
33. BYU: Out of this year's tournament teams, Cougars have most all-time wins without a national title.
34. Nebraska: Has never won an NCAA tournament game in six appearances.
35. Arizona: Coach Sean Miller shares a home town — Beaver Falls, Pa. — with NFL legend Joe Namath.
36. Saint Joseph's: The Hawk mascot flaps his wings an estimated 3,500 times per game.
37. Texas: In 9 of 14 NCAA tournament appearances as Longhorns coach, Rick Barnes has lost to a lower-seeded team.
38. Iowa State: Coach Fred "The Mayor" Hoiberg" scored 1,993 points during his player career for the Cyclones, and he also received several write-in votes during the 1993 Ames, Iowa, mayoral election.
39. Louisville: Plays home games in the KFC Yum! Center, the downtown location of which was decided in a 16-1 vote by a municipal task force; the lone dissenting vote came from Papa John's founder John Schnatter.
40. Cincinnati: "Bearcats" nickname dates back to 1914 and was originally "Baehr-cats," a reference to star football player Leonard K. "Teddy" Baehr.
41. San Diego State: Forward Dwayne Polee II is part of just the second father-son duo to win Los Angeles player of the year honors.
42. Connecticut: Last had a losing record in 1986-87, former coach Jim Calhoun's first season guiding the Huskies.
43. UCLA: The 31 points scored by Coach Steve Alford's son Bryce against Oregon stand as the second-highest single game total by a freshman in school history.
44. Baylor: Star center Isaiah Austin is blind in his right eye and wears a prosthetic eye cover.
45. Oregon: Honors the U.S. troops it met while opening season in South Korea by breaking huddle with "Hoo-ah!" instead of the traditional "Team!"
46. Memphis: Plays at the FedEx Forum, where it has the most home wins in the country since the 2004-05 season.
47. Oklahoma State: In November, Marcus Smart became the first active student-athlete to pick a game on ESPN's "College Gameday;" he correctly chose the Cowboys to defeat Baylor.
48. Stanford: The Tree is the official mascot of the Stanford Band, not the school's athletic programs.
49. Syracuse: In 1991, John Feinstein (then with the National sports newspaper) called Jim Boeheim the worst in-game coach in America. Boeheim now has 947 career wins.
50. Texas Southern: As No. 15 seed, almost upset second-seeded Arkansas in 1995, when Razorbacks advanced to national title game.
51. Kansas State: Located in Manhattan, Kansas, a little over 1300 miles from Manhattan, New York.
52. Arizona State: 7-2 center Jordan Bachynski broke his own Pac-12 single-season record for shot blocks.
53. Albany: In 2006, No. 16 Great Danes led No. 1 U-Conn. by 12 with 11 minutes left, lost by 13.
54. New Mexico: Home court at "The Pit" is 37 feet below street level.
55. Western Michigan: Four NCAA tournament bids in 101 years of competition.
56. North Carolina Central: Two teams from Durham, N.C., in NCAA tournament. Indiana, Illinois have zero combined.
57. Tulsa: Almost were called the Golden Tornadoes, but that had been taken by someone else so Golden Hurricane it is.
58. Iowa: Forward Aaron White is the only player in the country to shoot better than 55 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line.
59. Colorado: Making third straight appearance after missing tournament in 12 of previous 14 years.
60. Xavier: One of two teams from non-BCS conferences in Forbes's list of the most valuable college basketball programs in the country.
61. Tennessee: Claims one national championship from 1916, before the NCAA existed.
62. Weber State: Forward Joel Bolomboy was born in Russia, where his mother is from; his father is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
63. Stephen F. Austin: Lumberjacks fans make a hand signal meant to convey the phrase, "Axe 'em, Jacks!"
64. N.C. State: Assistant coach Dereck Whittenburg put up the air ball that Lorenzo Charles dunked to win the 1983 national title.
65. Providence: Guard Bryce Cotton leads the nation by averaging 39.9 minutes per game and averaged 41.9 minutes per Big East game.
66. New Mexico State: Freshman Tanveer Bhullar is 7 feet 3, 335 pounds, just a little smaller than older brother and teammate, Sim, who checks in at 7-5, 360.
67. Cal Poly: The lowest seed (No. 7) ever to win the Big West tournament.
68. Louisiana Lafayette: The school is adamant that its name should never be abbreviated to "ULL."