text:
Can't believe this is dairy-free.
A good kind of muffin top.
What to say to someone who has cancer (or anyone going through a tough time).
What a cool, easy (cheap) mobile.
A charming windowsill garden.
Have a great weekend!
Can't believe this is dairy-free.
A good kind of muffin top.
What to say to someone who has cancer (or anyone going through a tough time).
What a cool, easy (cheap) mobile.
A charming windowsill garden.
Have a great weekend!
Let us continue on in this journey.
This week I couldn't wait to try out this coconut hot chocolate because I had been eyeing/drooling about it for some time. It is fairly easy to make and it comes from one of my favorite bloggers so I don't know what my holdup was. I mean just look at it.
Cutting to the chase, this stuff was so so rich. And coming from me, that means a lot. I can handle a fair amount of decadence, but I couldn't even finish a small mug of this! It is very thick, so much so that I thinned mine with some milk. But it is delicious.
The thing is, I saved the leftovers in the fridge, and the next day it was like a pudding. And by jove I liked it better this way! I just enjoyed it plain with a spoon and actually preferred it to drinking it. I keep going back to the fridge and sneaking spoonfuls. You could probably add the whipped cream and coconut flakes to this new 'pudding' and have a pretty rad dessert.
Verdict: Unsure
I'm really waffling on this one. The 'pudding' of this is so dang good. But there are so many other desserts out there to make and I can't decide if this should be part of the rotation. If you're a fan of coconut though, definitely worth a shot. I just prefer it as not a beverage.
image is from original recipe post
Have you ever watched a baby play?
Simona (provided she's in a good mood) can play with one toy for like 20-30 minutes. She stares at it, chews on it, shakes it, finds the tag (she's obsessed with tags) and sucks on it. Some of her favorite toys are the simplest things, like a polka-dot burp cloth or an empty wrapper. In fact, sometimes when I'm moving her to the next activity, I feel bad because I worry I'll transfer my poor attention span to her when she was perfectly happy where she was.
The other day as I changed her diaper and she played with her little Pooh bear, I looked at her to see her grinning at the thing with a smile bigger than I think I've ever smiled about anything. She shrieked in delight as she moved him to her mouth to suck on his eyes. Poor Pooh.
But it's so amazing to me that we're born like that, finding so much joy in the simplest things. Simona doesn't need to be facebooking while she eats lunch and watches TV and paints her nails. Where did this hyper-multi-tasking come in? It makes me sad that I have a hard time doing one thing at a time, and really focusing on it.
The simplest things in life are truly the best things. A home-cooked meal with good friends, a long walk on a summer evening, a good book and a cup of tea…these are the things that really enrich us. As much as social media "scratches an itch", it's like this compulsion that doesn't usually make us feel better anyway, but it's hard to stop.
I want to take a lesson from the babies of the world: focus on one thing at a time, and truly enjoy that thing. Be present in the moment and don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Obsess over the tag on your little blue elephant toy or stare out the window at nothing. Just don't pee your pants.
I've had the pleasure of trying two new beverages this week. See below.
The alo APPEAL was an impulse purchase at Jewel, and it's such a unique drink. It actually has little chunks of aloe in it, which was a little weird to get used to (I'm not one to usually order the tapioca balls in my bubble tea, for example), but once I did get used to drinking and chewing at the same time, it was good. The taste is nice and refreshing, and feels healthy. Pretty low in calories (120 for the bottle, but 60 per serving) too. The only thing is you have to drink it in small sips or else you'll get a whole mouthful of aloe.
The evolution FRESH was bought at Starbucks. It's probably only like my new favorite drink (I'm imagining that sentence being said in Kip's voice). My husband likes it too and that is saying a whole lot because he doesn't really like green juice unless it was made right in front of him, and even then he's a little jumpy about it. He said it's probably his favorite green juice he's had. What I like about it (besides the taste and the fact that it's just plain good for you) is that it is straight juice, no added sugars. The sugar content is like 10g per serving, 20g for the bottle. Also the whole bottle is 100 calories. I wish I could order a case of this. They also sell these at Whole Foods.
Yesterday was kind of a blah day.
(And you thought this was motivational monday…)
We were all tired, one of us was jet-lagged, the other one kind of depressed, and the smallest one a tad bit grumpy (still cute though). A frustrating trip to get breakfast and some snippy words about a work project were the icing on the cake at my pity party, and I was left feeling disconnected from my husband and questioning my decisions as a mother.
I felt better after a nap and after we reconnected over Portillos for dinner, and as Joseph retired early for the night, I stumbled upon this article that was just perfect. It starts by suggesting that you have more bad days than good ones. Sounds encouraging, right? It really is. Take a look! If we never had bad days, could we fully appreciate the good ones?
This Australian treat (pictured above) looks awesome.
I really need to get some houseplants.
I get such a kick out of these creative designs.
Play your iPod retro style.
Can't stop thinking about how I'm going to make this soon and have girls over so we can be stereotypical girls and eat a bunch of chocolate.
If you haven't yet, I suggest reading part 1 first. (P.S. The wedding was the 24th, I had said it was the 26th.)
That night after the wedding, I felt my first mild contractions. They weren't bad and were pretty far apart, but I don't think I've ever been so happy about feeling pain. I didn't even wake my husband, cause I didn't want to keep him up if this wasn't the real thing. And sure enough, come Sunday morning, they had stopped. Joseph and I decided to head home that morning though, just in case, rather than hanging out for the day with family in Madison. As we drove South on the expressway, I once again tried to will contractions to happen. I've discovered that doesn't work.
We hung out together all day Sunday, just the two of us relaxing and trying to not think too much about the pressure we felt to have that baby before 8PM on Monday.* We were still up around midnight (normal for us at the time) when I felt more contractions. This time stronger, and closer together. Joseph whipped out the stopwatch (or smartphone, whatever) and began the timing. We took a walk outside, excited through the pain. I was having contractions of about a minute each, five minutes apart, for an hour when we called the doctor. That's when they say you should call (the 5/1/1 rule), but I didn't think it was that bad yet.
When the doctor found out the situation he told Joseph to take me in right away. What? Already? I had wanted to labor mostly at home, but…doctor's orders. So we grabbed our bag and went, calling Joseph's sister and my mom (our chosen labor helpers) as we whirled away.
As I sat in triage (where they measure you and ask you a bunch of personal questions), Joseph's sister came and marveled at the fact that I was still talking and even smiling sometimes, as every time she'd been in that room she wasn't able to answer any questions. I started to think, 'hey, maybe I'm gonna be one of those lucky ladies who breezes through labor!' That's when they told me I was only like 2 centimeters dilated or something ridiculous like that, and they couldn't admit me yet. I could either hang out around there or go home. I chose home.
We got home around 3AM and I had a few more contractions along with a snack and we decided to try to get some sleep. That was a silly idea because literally as I crawled into bed my water broke.
Again we made the calls, but this time I was able to labor at home for a few hours with the help of Joseph's sister (what a champ). I ended up going to the hospital around 7AM when it got pretty bad. Since I had already gone to triage earlier that morning, I got to skip it and was whisked away to a room. That was nice, because at this point I could see how Joseph's sister hadn't been able to talk during her time in triage. I could also see that I was not going to be one of those aforementioned lucky ladies.**
I labored at the hospital for 6 hours (for a total of 13) before our sweet girl was born. It was kind of crazy how fast the time went even though it was so painful. You'd think it would go slow, but I think since my contractions were pretty close together the whole time I didn't have much of a chance to clock-watch. Another crazy thing is that it's hard to remember what the pain was even like and how terrible it must have been. I remember saying, right after she was born, "No wonder women forget labor pain. You'd have to in order to ever want to do that again." But now it's all getting foggy. I do remember yelling out a couple times and worrying about scaring or disturbing other mommies down the hall.***
I pushed for an hour (I didn't have one of those movie-perfect two push deliveries) before she came. And then it was over, and the doctor was holding her and announcing, "It's a boy!" Seriously, he said that. We were all shocked because they had told us girl the whole time. The shock lasted about 2 seconds before he corrected himself. "No, it's a girl!" We're still not sure if he was messing with us or if the cord was hanging just so.***
There she was, a perfect little bundle, and it was the most surreal thing. She was dark-haired and quiet. I couldn't believe that the little human the doctor was holding had been in my tummy that whole time. It's hard to explain. My first thoughts were relief and disbelief and my second ones were something about fingers and toes. But she was here, and beautiful.
Simona Myla was born at 1PM on August 26th, exactly 7 hours before I was supposed to be induced.**** And she waited until after the wedding, from which she had a window of 48 hours to make her appearance on her own. So I got to be at, and fully appreciate, my brother's wedding. I had thought I wanted her out before then so I could bring her, but now I see that I would have been very preoccupied and tired, had I even made it there at all. (My expectations about what having a newborn was like were very skewed, but that's another story for another time.) The timing really could not have been better. God's plan is always perfect and always better than what we can dream up, and I remind myself of this story when I'm doubting or worrying or all caught up the way that I think things should go. I'm very thankful. The end (or the beginning).
*Looking back on it, maybe we should have spent all day sleeping, but how were we to know that our we had already had our last night of good sleep for quite a long, long time?
**While I wasn't one of the rare women who breeze through labor with hardly a whimper, I feel very fortunate to have the labor story I did. I am not in any way complaining about how it happened, because I know that some women experience much worse and that mine was fairly average.
***Yeah, even in labor I'm a people pleaser.
****He is an excellent doctor. Really. No lie.
*****I know that not all induced labors are really that bad, and that there are women who have had good experiences with it. Unfortunately though, the stories that you hear, or at least the ones that stick with you, tend to be the negative ones.
It was a warm summer night and we were on a walk. I loved our night walks, we'd often walk the mile to the main street in town and get ice cream or dinner. This walk was different though. I didn't feel as relaxed as I normally did, couldn't fully enjoy it because I was trying so hard to conjure up a contraction.
I was overdue, by a week. We had been trying every labor-inducing technique in the book (save for castor oil, which sounded disgusting) for a couple weeks at least. I wasn't really uncomfortable, and wouldn't have minded my belated baby except for the fact that my brother was getting married in less than a week and I needed to get that baby out by then. I couldn't bear the idea of missing his wedding, which by the way was 2.5 hours away in Madison, where we had planned to stay for a few nights with all of the family.
I was due on the 11th of August and his wedding was the 24th. Plenty of time to get the baby out and come to the wedding, we thought. But as the days went by and nary a contraction (not even Braxton-Hicks) came to pass, I started to get a little anxious. I think we all did, except for Simona, who was perfectly happy where she was. (And God, who knew exactly what He was doing.) My doctor said we should schedule induction, so we scheduled for August 26th at 8PM.
By the time Tuesday the 20th came and went, we all started praying the opposite of what we'd been praying up until that point: that the baby would stay in until after the wedding. We got the okay from my doctor to go up to Madison, he assured us that if contractions started there, we'd have plenty of time to get back in time if we left right away. Most women have pretty long labors with their first child, he told us. (Super.) But we were happy to have his approval and so on Thursday I sat in the passenger seat as my husband drove North on the expressway. I had a stomachache, but that wasn't going to stop us from going, and it also wasn't stopping me from eating a big chocolate chip cookie as I talked to my sister on the phone about my pains.
Fast forward through the favor-making, family-bonding, girls-shopping-trip hours before the wedding (all so fun) and I had made it Saturday with my belly. I sat there for the beautiful wedding, not without tears, and marveled that I could be there to fully enjoy it. Once we got to the reception, I gave the okay to the baby that she could come out now. But she decided to stay in that night as I got down with my (big) bad self on the dance floor and had a general blast celebrating.
After the reception, I made sure the baby had gotten the message about coming out now. I really wanted her to arrive before my scheduled induction on the 26th. I'd heard terrible stories about induced labor, involving drugs and C-sections and many many hours. It has to happen sometimes, and I'm grateful for modern medicine, but it just wasn't what I wanted. And now the clock was ticking. I had two days until then.
Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!
Ah, Pinterest. It somehow has the dual ability to be a time suck and an inspiration to do more. We pin and pin for hours with lofty dreams of the perfect baby shower, the cutest snack for the kiddos, and a kitchen filled with the smell of your perfect banana bread-stuffed cookie-brownie baking in the oven.
But how often do we actually take action on these pins? I have over a thousand pins and I know I won't ever get to all of them. But I can at least start! I decided that I want to try at least one pinned item a week, whether it's a baked good or a home improvement idea or a workout or a craft.
I know that not everything will turn out perfectly (there's a whole blog dedicated to this – here's one of my favorites), but I'll share the good, the bad and the ugly. Here goes!
This week I tried this coconut nutmeg pudding. It looks so pretty and delicious, and since my husband is out of town and this is not his jam but it is totally my jam, I decided to give it a go.
So, this pudding is not very sweet. I don't know if it's because I didn't use full fat coconut milk or not, but I ended up adding honey to make it sweeter. You should know I have a pretty sick sweet tooth, but nonetheless I thought it needed it. And perhaps I let the pudding cook too long so it was too thick to strain, but by the time I strained it, I had one serving. ONE. (It's supposed to make four.) It was fine because it hadn't turned out how I'd hoped anyway, and I almost just decided it was a lost cause. But after it cooled off a bit and I added the toasted coconut on top, it really wasn't bad at all. It says serve warm but I enjoyed it…a little less than warm. Not chilled, but almost like room temp. I polished off my one serving, to my surprise. The flavor of the nutmeg was nice and the honey gave it the right amount of sweet. If you try it, perhaps use full fat coconut milk. And perhaps don't cook it as long, and perhaps add honey.
Verdict: Not saved.
A little more trouble than it was worth for me, since my results were the way they were.*
*This is to say nothing about the quality of the recipe. There are many variables that could have made my result the way it was, and the original pudding does look wonderful. I'm just sharing my imperfect personal experience.
I also tried this:
I don't know that it made my towels particularly more fresh or fluffy. Kinda hard to tell. They were nice and absorbent but my towels usually are. I guess it's nice to skip detergent and go with a more natural cleaning method.
Verdict: (probably) not saved.
If the next time I wash my towels with regular detergent I notice that they don't seem as great as they did this time, I will let you know. Otherwise, it's easier for me to just use detergent. I like to use my baking soda and vinegar for other things and this requires a fair amount of both.
images are not mine, they are from the original posts (pudding)
Do you frequent Trader Joe's like I frequent Trader Joe's? It's my #1 shopping spot now. This happened largely due to their ready-made meals that we practically lived on for awhile after I had Simona. I was not one of those people who had freezer meals made in advance before she was born, and I was (am?) also not one of those people who found the energy to cook a meal after a day of napping and eating (on Simona's part). (Why does that take so much energy from mom?) We had the help of friends and family for some meals, but when that died down and I was on my own, Trader Joe's came to the rescue.
Anyway, I digress.
Mr. Trader Joe is so solid for a ton of things – he keeps it fresh and interesting and pretty cheap. There's always something new to try (which I try to do every trip), but there are quite a number of things I buy on the regular. See below for installment #1 of my favorites and stay tuned for more!
1. Minty Mallows – I don't know if these are seasonal, but I've been buying them for a couple months. They are so tasty and refreshing. I'm sure they would be excellent in a cup of hot chocolate, but I've never gotten around to doing that because I eat them all up first.
2 & 3. Greek Style Chicken and Tzatziki Sauce – This chicken dinner (found in the refrigerated section) is really good on it's own, but the tzatziki really amps up the awesome factor on this dish. We also add some extra crumbled feta and a couple squeezes of lemon juice. Okay so I guess we kind of doctor this one up. Like I said, it will be tasty alone, but it will be really tasty with those extras. Great meal.
4. French Vanilla Ice Cream – A staple. It's rich and creamy and not airy like some other big brands. A nice substitute for Haagen-Dazs. I'm not saying it's as good, but it's pretty darn close and you get more for your money too.
5. Mushroom and Black Truffle Pizza – I am a non-truffle lover (I know I know), and I really enjoy this pizza. So I don't really know if I need to say anything else about it.
6. Lacey's Cookies in Milk Chocolate Macadamia - I am also not a big huge fan of macadamia nuts and these are awesome. It's not like you're eating whole nuts, they must be crushed in the caramel-y cookie part. And then there's chocolate sandwiched in-between those wafer-thin cookies. Anyway, it tastes like toffee and chocolate and heaven.
7. Sparkling Raspberry Lime Spring Water – This is a great way to make drinking water a little extra special, and a nice halfway between water and soda. It has no sugar or calories and the flavor is really good. All the variations of this water (lime, lemon, etc) are good, but I think the raspberry lime is my most favorite. As you can see by the half-drunk bottle up there.
What are your favorites? What can't I miss?


text:
on the cover of W — who plays a beautiful robot named Ava in the new A.I. film, "Ex Machina." And based on her look at Monday's premiere of the movie at the Crosby Street Hotel in New York, she's also a master of the low-key red carpet appearance.
Clad in Louis Vuitton, Vikander is both put-together and unbothered. Just look at that floral neck tie blouse, which stands in perfect proportion to her knee length skirt and metallic extras, but is pushed up above her wrists and kind of falling where it may. Effortless is a stupid word, but this is damn near close to it.
I would suggest wearing this look: to brunch with your significant other's parents, to work, to purchase some expensive old oil paintings, on a date with an architect, in Paris and certainly to your ex's little brother's graduation. Aim to cultivate an expression of unfocused amusement. Because as Vikander demonstrates here, that is truly the best complement to any outfit.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Pawns in a losing game: Britain's policy in tatters
Published in The Indepenent, on April 8, 2007
Excerpt: … In Tehran, meanwhile, a top Iranian official has said Britain apologised for entering Iranian waters in a secret letter that was a condition for the captives' release. "They didn't make a threat to us," said Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister who now advises Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, on foreign policy. "They said sorry, we won't trespass again." Mr Ahmadinejad said at his press conference on Wednesday that "the British government sent a letter to our Foreign Ministry, and said that this will not be repeated".
The Foreign Office flatly contradicted Mr Velayati, who also claimed Britain sent a delegation to negotiate in Tehran. He was seeking to defend the Iranian government from hardliners' anger at the release of the sailors, and went on to suggest the crisis arose in response to Iranian fears about a Western military build-up in the Gulf.
For all the British denials, the remarks look certain to fuel speculation about a back-room deal. Both sides have said the release – which Mr Ahmadinejad called a product of "Islamic compassion" – was unconditional. But Tuesday's release of an Iranian diplomat, kidnapped in Iraq in February, was seen by many Iranians as a precursor to the sudden announcement that the Britons would be freed.
The propaganda war has scarcely let up since. Iranian channels broadcast Friday's press conference by the freed captives, now in uniform rather than their Iranian-issue suits, in which they spoke of being blindfolded, kept in isolation and led to believe that their execution was imminent. Ms Turney, who was not present, was said to have been told that all her colleagues had gone home, and that she was the only one still being held. But viewers in Iran saw a banner that warned that the freed personnel had been coerced into their statements by the Ministry of Defence.
The latest shot in this war was the appearance yesterday of the freed Iranian diplomat, Jalal Sharafi, who said he had been tortured by the CIA during his detention. He was questioned about Iran's relations with Iraq, and assistance to various Iraqi groups. "Once they heard my response that Iran merely has official relations with the Iraqi government and officials, they intensified tortures, and tortured me through different methods days and nights," he said.
Whatever the truth or otherwise of his claim, it underlines that this was never simply a bilateral spat: there were four parties to the dispute, with the US and Iraq in the other two corners. They, rather than Britain, were in a position to give Iran rewards for letting the service personnel go. Along with Mr Sharafi's sudden reappearance, five Iranians seized in Arbil in northern Iraq – diplomats, according to Tehran; special forces operatives, according to Washington – were allowed the consular access Iran had vainly been demanding.
Britain insists its only written communication during the crisis with Iran, sent last Saturday, restated that the incident happened in Iraqi waters, refused to admit responsibility for the crisis and did not offer an apology. However, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett did express "regret" that it happened, and the tone of the note is understood to have been conciliatory.
The softer message coming from the Foreign Office contrasted with the tough language used earlier by Mr Blair, and gave Iran room to back down. Iranian insiders say that it was Mr Blair's decision to take the matter up with the UN Security Council that prompted a harder Iranian line in the first week of the crisis. A conversation on Tuesday night between Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, and Mr Blair's senior foreign policy adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, then laid the ground for the surprise release of the prisoners on Wednesday.
But the Iranians kept the British guessing until the last minute. Mr Larijani told Sir Nigel that people should watch Mr Ahmadinejad's intervention until the very end. Only after the President had spent more than 40 minutes denouncing Britain's historic interference in Iran, and had awarded medals to the Revolutionary Guard officers who captured the sailors and Marines, did he suddenly announce that they were to be freed.
Aware that Mr Ahmadinejad's gracious pardoning of the 15 was a propaganda coup beamed live around the world, and a humiliation for British diplomacy, officials went on the offensive, explaining that the release had been a vindication of Britain's "dual track" strategy: dialogue plus consolidating international and regional support.
Some positive developments have emerged from the two-week crisis, it is said, not least a continued improvement in relations between the UK and Syria, whose offer to mediate was taken up by Britain. There is also some hope that Britain can exploit its new channel with Iran to help with Iraq. The Iraqi foreign minister, Hoshair Zebari, was "very active" in passing messages to the Iranians, said a senior government source, who denied any link between the hostage release and the positive developments inside Iraq with the "Arbil five" Iranians.
But now that the hostages are home, there will be concerns in Whitehall that Iran will seek to press its propaganda advantage on the nuclear issue, with an announcement expected at a nuclear facility tomorrow. One senior source said ruefully: "They caught us on the hop when they seized our guys, and now they have caught us on the hop the way they have been freed."
But according to some hardliners in Iran, it is their country that has been made to look weak. They interpreted Mr Blair's comments on Tuesday, talking about a "critical 48 hours", as an ultimatum. When the Britons were released, in their view, it seemed that Tehran had backed down. They had wanted to see the sailors and Marines tried and a public apology forced from Britain.
"The release of the sailors gave the message to the West that in negotiations with Iran they need to respect its dignity," said Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, a former newspaper editor who is close to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran's powerful former president. "Iranians say the map of their country looks like a cat – and this cat needs to be petted and stroked rather than cornered. Because that makes it scratch and fight."
In an occupation of Iraq that veered off course almost as soon as Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled in Baghdad, the greatest unintended consequence of all has been the trump card it has handed to Tehran. Having alienated Iraq's Sunni minority and given power to a majority Shia community which will always see Iran as its natural ally, Britain and the US have no choice but to seek Iranian co-operation if they are to extricate themselves without ignominy. For Mr Blair, that means restraining Mr Bush as much as seeking to restrain Iran.
Far more is at stake here than Britain's dwindling force in southern Iraq, or jousting between British inflatables and Iranian speedboats in the Gulf. The American-led "surge" in Baghdad, which is aimed at curbing violence at least to a level that might make an exit strategy possible, depends on some degree of Iranian acquiescence.
America's most hostile Shia opponent, the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, might or might not have gone to Iran to escape the security crackdown, but the political wing of his movement has spoken in favour of giving the "surge" a chance to succeed. If Tehran had shown open hostility, it would also have been difficult for the US to secure the co-operation of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, for Sunni-friendly measures such as reinstating former Iraqi army officers and paying pensions to sacked Baathist officials.
The days are long gone when Washington's triumphant neo-conservatives, having seen the Iraqi regime fold within weeks, talked openly of conquering Iran next. But Tehran still complains that it has Western forces to both its west and east, in Iraq and Afghanistan, while two US carrier groups are in the Gulf to keep alive President Bush's implicit military threat on the nuclear issue. Britain and the US are both accused of supporting separatist groups who have carried out bombings and kidnappings on Iranian soil.
Dealing with the Tehran regime and its passive-aggressive approach to the rest of the world has never been easy. But Britain, which is about to dispatch Prince Harry into the dangerous environment of southern Iraq, where Iran has unquestioned influence, is compelled to grit its teeth and do its best. Explaining this to a public which is already bemused about the reasons for Britain's continued presence in Iraq is another matter.
Victims of war … (full text).


text: On Sunday January 14, 2018, I was honored to be with the good people of Lord of Love Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. As part of my visit, Pastor Becky Sells and the congregation's stewardship team invited me to preach on stewardship at both services and also present during the Adult Forum time. The congregation


text:
Amazing Race is in their 3rd leg, starting in Indonesia. Teams have to join a bicycle club, reenact the Dutch bicycle patrols of the 1940's and ride through the street. Apparently this involves dressing up like zoo rangers with safari style hats.
After a leisurely ride, teams have to head to a restaurant in the countryside via taxi. Snowboarders are in the lead still follow by around the world Laurence and Zac. Jennifer wipes out into the bushes on the bike. Ernie lost a pedal and him and Cindy get passed by the Doublemint Twins, Jeremy and Sandi and the old people. A shoestring repair and they're back, down 4 teams from where they started.
Teams now have to choose between Rice Field or Grass Fed. Either delivering a meal and plant 300 rice seedlings or fill 2 bags with grass, bring a sheep to the shed and fill a bucket from a well. Snowboarders start it off with Grass Fed and get their grass and sheep but have to go back to get more grass for their bags. Superfull bags, they try again. Zac and Laurence fail to read their clue and use 3 buckets when only allowed 2. They get their clue, so a penalty looms at some point. Uh oh.
All the other teams arrive close to the same time, most choose Grass Fed, except for the Vegas showgirls and Doublemint Twins. Teams are wiping out all over the place, especially Cathi. Amani and Marcus are lost in their cab and not even there yet. The twins finish very quickly while Cathi loses her sheep. Amani and Marcus finally arrive but switch their task midway through to do the rice field instead.
Snowboarders are way ahead at the next spot- a beautiful temple. Roadblock! Teams have to count Buddha hand positions and then do the hand positions. They work together with around the world dad and son on this challenge.
Jeremey and Sandi's cab breaks down 1km from the temple and they get out and run. Everyone else is arriving at the temple and counting up the buddha's. They are throwing out all sorts of crazy numbers. Anyone want to actually read the clue besides the snowboarders and around the world? No. Laurence gets it right with the hand positions! Snowboarders are close behind and they both start to look for the pit stop. Snowboarders totally give Amani and Marcus the answer to the clue as they arrive last at he temple.
Laurence and Zac find Phil and the Pit Stop first….but…. they used the 3 buckets, so they get a 15 minute penalty, which based on the ridiculously wrong answers all the other teams are giving at the temple, shouldn't be a problem. Andy and Tommy snowboard into 1st and win a trip to Dubai from Travelocity. They are still far enough ahead that Laurence and Zac are still number 2.
Finally four of the teams figure out what they are supposed to be counting. Marcus wasn't paying attention at all to the snowboarders and is now lost counting buddha's. Stupid move, if someone gives you the answer, listen! Old Bill is working on is own and figures it out next. The gang of four all figure it out as do Jeremy and Sandi and Marcus. Jeremy and Sandi are the only ones beside Marcus and Amani who don't have to settle up with a cab, so they can finish quicker. The showgirls can't find their taxi.
It's down to the twins and the showgirls as to who can find their cab first. The twins do and finish as team number eight. The showgirls finish last and Kaylani and Lisa, you are the last team to arrive, I'm sorry to tell you that you have both been eliminated from the race. Yet another team that wanted to proved they were more than just looks, turns out to be nothing more than just looks. It takes some smarts too, ya know.


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First Twinterview EVER with Joline Jolink!!
March 31, 2010
Today we interviewed Dutch designer Joline Jolink via Twitter. She's known for her twitter skills, and she uses it as a platform for her brand and inspiration. The comments are used in the designproces. For 15min we were able to ask here everything we wanted…Interested?? Click here to read the whole interview..
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Chocolate Pudding Jelly Beans
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Jelly Belly Chocolate Pudding jelly beans in a 16 oz re-sealable bag. Portable and convenient size for candy. Made with real chocolate.See more...Quantity
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Made with real chocolate, our Chocolate Pudding jelly beans are sure to please the chocolate lover in your life.

16 oz re-sealable bag.

Approximately 400 beans per pound.

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All Jelly Belly jelly beans are OU Kosher. Gluten free, peanut free, dairy free, fat free and vegetarian friendly.
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Jelly Belly Chocolate Pudding beans in bulk. Creamy and realistic flavor! Made with real chocolate. Perfect for events like weddings!See more...Quantity
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10 lbs of Chocolate Pudding flavor Jelly Belly jelly beans, bulk packaged. Approximately 400 beans per pound.

Colors shown are represented as accurate as possible, but may vary depending on your video and/or monitor settings or other factors.

Your 10-lb. case is shipped in a sterile food-grade box to maintain the quality of the Jelly Belly jelly beans inside. The case does not use a plastic liner or bag as doing so, at this volume, may cause them to become sticky and clump together. If you're not using all your delicious candy at once (we know it's hard, but please remember moderation), we recommend storing Jelly Belly jelly beans in this food-grade box at room temperature away from sunlight to preserve quality all the way to the "Best By" date.

All Jelly Belly jelly beans are OU Kosher, gluten free, peanut free, dairy free, fat free and vegetarian friendly.
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Using a BG5.1, with a Mackie 1202 VLZ-pro. Volume is much lower with phantom power on Mackie turned on, which I need to power my guitar and other mic at present.
The performance of the BG5.1 should be nearly identical whether the mic is powered by the internal battery or external phantom.
Please perform this experiment: Connect only the BG5.1 (with an internal battery) to the mixer. Turn off phantom. Set all mixer controls to their normal setting. Place the BG5.1 exactly 12 inches in front of a hi-fi loudspeaker. Set the hi-fi FM tuner between stations to get a steady white noise from the loudspeaker. Note the level indicated on the mixer output meter.
Next, remove the battery from the mic and turn on the phantom power. Repeat the experiment exactly as indicated above. What level difference is indicated on the mixer output meter? The difference in level between battery power and phantom power should be no greater than 3 dB.
If it is greater than 3 dB, contact Shure Service as the mic may have a problem.
For repair or parts information please contact our Service Department at 800-516-2525.


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It's always great to admire the view while you eat. At the Sandals Golf and Country Club not only is the golf course easy on the eye but it is dotted with palm trees and water features, all amidst the gentle hills of Cap Estate.
Breakfast is served daily from 9 am in the clubhouse and lunch is served from 11.30 am to 3 pm. Membership is not necessary. In addition to the a la carte lunch menu, there are two- and three-course specials which change weekly. Vegetarian options are available.
The Sunday brunch is great value and includes a complimentary glass of Prosecco. It could be your treat after a round of golf or your indulgence at the weekend. Either way, it's a delightful way to spend a few hours in convivial surroundings.
In Addition
Do you fancy combining two of life's pleasures? How about 'Swing and Sip'? – an hour's golf class followed by a drink; separate classes for ladies and men. For children there is a golf clinic (without the alcohol!) Besides the opportunity to play golf, on Wednesday the Sandals Golf and Country Club presents Games Night with bridge, backgammon and other board/card games. Whether you attend as a group, couple or single, the staff will ensure a warm welcome. Late afternoon at the Club sees a Happy Hour that lasts from 4 pm until 7 pm with 2 for 1 deals on most drinks. Extend your Friday fun with the once-a-week BBQ dinner from 7 pm to 9 pm (reduced prices for members).
For more information on dining options
and on golf, contact:
Tel. 450 9324
See advertisement on page 13


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Mike Figliuolo of thoughtLEADERS, LLC, joined me for this audio discussion in which we talked about how he and co-author Victor Prince differentiated themselves as authors with their book, Lead Inside the Box. And what their approach teaches about how to differentiate yourself. Not least how to think about your market challenges in fresh and compelling ways.
To begin with, Mike explains the core message of Lead Inside the Box, whose unique model is illustrated below:
Now listen to our discussion:
Dr. Liz discusses differentiation with Mike Figliuolo
If you're listening carefully enough, the market tells you exactly what's different about your offering @Figliuolo Click To Tweet
What follows is the transcript, which you can also download here.
Dr. Liz Alexander Interviews Mike Figliuolo of thoughtLEADERS, LLC
How to Differentiate Yourself in a Crowded Space
LIZ (L): Well, I went on to the Amazon site a few minutes ago to search for leadership books and got almost 150,000 results. So there's certainly no shortage of books already on the topic of leadership, many of which I suspect say a lot of the same things, not least how smart leaders can guide their teams to exceptional results. Which of course just happens to be the subtitle of your new book, Mike: Lead Inside the Box. But what I really like about your book is that while it offers a fresh and different angle on leadership, there's nothing so far out that the model and argument isn't easily and readily grasped, which to my mind is the best of both worlds. So that's why I wanted to talk with you about how it's possible to own a really different perspective on a well-worn topic like leadership that our listeners can apply to their own challenges around differentiation of their brand or message, which is something Gallup calls the sine qua non, or essential element, of branding. But before we get into that, Mike, please tell us a little bit more about the book Lead Inside the Box and the model it showcases.
MIKE (M): Yeah, it's about how do you lead your team members more effectively. And the way the model works is it's a 2×2 matrix, which is the box, and we call it the Leadership Matrix. And on one axis you look at individual results. So what are the results the team members are turning out, from low to high? And on the other axis you look at what we call Leadership Capital Invested. So how much of your time, energy and effort as a leader do you have to put into them to drive those results? And you end up with more boxes in the matrix. Depending on where somebody's performing, they're going to end up in one of those boxes. But they can shift depending on their performance changing or your performance as a leader changing. So that's what it's all about. And it was interesting to come at it from that angle. And the piece that's really different is so many leadership books out there focus on the individual team member and say, "This is what's wrong with them. This is how you change them." And we said, "Well, what's missing here is the leader's behavior and the impact that that has on the individual's performance." So that's sort of the new wrinkle on this that I think really differentiates it.
L: That's great. Well, let's take — you've had two experiences now Mike writing books. There's One Piece of Paper, which you wrote by yourself, and then Lead Inside the Box, which is co-authored — the latest one. So maybe we can take, you know, both of those experiences and use it to unpack how anyone, whether they intend to write a book or not, can begin to think more about their market challenges in a fresh and compelling way. I mean, in short, how differentiation happens in a practical sense. So to start with, were you conscious of how much competition you had around the topic of leadership when you decided to write both One Piece of Paper and Lead Inside the Box?
Differentiation and Emotions
M: Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, I've been working in this space running my leadership firm for over a decade. You know, spent time in leadership roles prior to that. I've been on Amazon. I write my blog. I get guest submissions all the time from other leadership bloggers who want to do guest posts on our blog. So I was very cognizant of what that space looked like, yes.
L: So it always seems to me that the ability to truly differentiate hinges on a couple of key emotions: fear and passion. So maybe from what you've just said, we can start with the fear factor. I mean, you know, that most human beings stick to a herd mentality that says if you stray too far from the herd, you're likely to get attacked or killed off. To what extent was fear — I mean, not necessarily fear as such, but you know, this awareness that there was a lot of competition around the topic of leadership — did that worry you in any way around how you were going to be able to successfully differentiate your books given the vast competition?
M: You know, and maybe this is just me being stupid or naïve or reckless — I didn't care. SO there's this element of fearlessness to it that says, "Do you believe in the topic" — which we're going to get to in passion in a moment — "do you believe in it? Do you believe you have a perspective, and do you have indications that there are people out there who value it — people whose opinions you value and say that their thoughts are valid?" And therefore you've just got to believe that OK, it's going to work. And maybe it goes back to my experience starting my business. I left a very successful corporate life and went out on my own. And I had some indications that my courses were going to be well-received and there was client demand for them because I had done a little bit of piloting for a couple of years. But I didn't know how big it would be or could be. But you believe in the product. You believe in the passion. And I threw caution to the wind on that one, and it worked out great. So the book was like, "OK, well, it worked last time, so let's try it again."
L: Oh, that's fantastic. And I mean, we both operate in the space of thought leadership as well, and one of the things that Craig and I always say is that thought leaders are brave. I mean, you may call it stupidity or, you know, "Oh, I wasn't aware" or what have you, but at the same time there's something driving you that says, "Hell, you know, I've got something to offer here. I'm going to do it and I don't want to be the same as everybody else."
The Courage of Thought Leadership
M: Yeah, exactly. And we teach our course on thought leadership, and one of the principles we espouse there is courage and endurance. And that's what it takes to be a thought leader. Because people are going to throw rocks at you. I mean, I got another awesome review on Goodreads the other day on One Piece of Paper, and it was two stars. And the guy's like, "I didn't get anything out of it other than write some inspirational stuff on a piece of paper." And I was like, "OK, then you completely missed the point and I'm really not worried about your perspective because I wasn't writing it for you." I'm writing it for the people who read it and go, "Oh my gosh, this is such a different way of looking at things. It's incredibly helpful." So if I was afraid of getting bad reviews, well, you know, it's one of those things where I probably shouldn't be writing a book. And I watch a lot of animated movies. I don't know if you have ever seen Ratatouille, but there's the critic in the movie, Anton Ego, the food critic. And he writes this one thing about the way that critics really have no courage. And the people who have true courage are the creators because they're putting themselves out there to get kicked and spit at and, you know, have their work derided by people who create nothing. And he says the critic takes no risk. It's the creator who takes all the risk. And that really speaks to me a lot in my perspective. And it's like, "Alright, if you're going to critique, how about you go write a book and then we'll see how it goes?"
L: Yeah though, you make an interesting point or a useful point there too regarding that two-star reader that it's knowing your target audience. I mean, we've had a conversation before where I know, you know — it's so important to be client-centric, to be really focused on who am I speaking to and what will they most be receptive to and how can I help them. So it's also about knowing who you're trying to help and why you're trying to do that, isn't it?
Know Your Target Audience
M: Yeah, it is. And I guess writing the blog has given me that a lot too. My perspectives on the blog can be a little bit in-your-face, edgy, provocative, snarky, sarcastic. And some people love that writing, and other people hate it. And it's like, "OK, go read another blog. I don't care. I'm not writing for you. I'm writing for the people who are looking for these types of perspectives delivered in this manner."
L: Yeah, I mean, listen, I write very, very similarly. And I think it speaks to the second emotion that I'd like to speak with you about, and that's passion. I mean, when you're passionate about something, you're so driven by a strong desire to do your own thing that in a sense saying and doing things that are so different from anyone else means you automatically find yourself holding fresh ground idea-wise. Would you say that was true for you for both writing One Piece of Paper and Lead Inside the Box?
A Different Perspective
M: Yeah, I think so. On One Piece of Paper, I think the very different perspective there was — and I didn't go into it thinking about this necessarily, but it was something that I realized as I was writing it and as people were reading it — is so many leadership books out there tell people, "We want you to be an authentic leader." And then they're highly, highly prescriptive that says, "For you to be authentic, you have to walk, talk, dress, act like this." Wait a minute. I'm telling you to be yourself, but then I'm telling you exactly how to behave, which may be completely counter to who you are. And what I realized with One Piece of Paper was what I had written was a book that said every leader is different, but the questions they ask themselves are all the same. But that the responses they're going to give are going to be very different. And it was really interesting to see the reaction. People would write me and say, "I loved the book because what you're telling me is it's OK to be myself. I just need to understand who I am and be able to explain it and translate it to the work I do." And it was a very counterintuitive perspective that didn't, you know, dawn on my until after I'd written it and had people read it. But that was the new ground that I found myself on.
L: Now that's — and that's fascinating too. Because you know, when I work with clients, they're all so — you know, at the beginning, having — knowing exactly what it is they want to do. And I always say, "Look, you know, if we're just going to be able to take what's in your existing head and putting it onto paper, I'm not sure that we're going to get something that's that different from what, you know, someone with the same background and experience has." Don't you think sometimes there's a discovery process around this differentiation — that, you know, as you're actually doing something, you find what your new ground is rather than necessarily determining what it is before you start the project?
M: Yeah, I think that's absolutely right. As I — with this one, with Lead Inside the Box, as I've talked with people and explained the book to them — and you know, people hear you're working on the project and you start explaining what it's about or as you're doing guest blogs and interviews. It really starts becoming clear what are people interested in. And what they're interested in is what's different. And you'll hear them say, "Wait a minute. It's different. That's an interesting way to look at it." And when they say that and you hear it 10 times in a row, you go, "Oh, that's the differentiated piece of this book that people hadn't thought of before." So it's really neat the way that the pitch evolves. And you may have an interview with somebody and you say something a certain way and they really latch onto it. They say, "That sounded really good" and then that was the whole encapsulation of this idea. I'm going to say that again and again and again. And it gets further and further revised. So on the back end I think you do have a much clearer perspective of what's different. You don't necessarily have it going in.
L: Yeah, and the whole thing about being successful around, well, anything I said I guess, but differentiation certainly, is that it's not a one-way train. It's not about, you know, "Let me speak all the time." It sounds like there's a lot of listening, too, to be aware of what your target market is saying and to leverage and focus on those things where they're saying, "Hey, that's different. That's new. I haven't heard that before."
Your Market Tells You What's Different
M: Yeah, absolutely. If you're listening carefully enough, the market tells you exactly what different about your offering. When I started Thought Leaders, I had been teaching a course on communications when I was at Capital One. And after class, people would come up and say, "I really loved the class, and the framework's cool and the process is cool. But what made this awesome that was different was you're a business guy and you understand how this applies in the real world." And after you hear that 10 times and go, "Huh, that's interesting. That's what people are valuing." And when I started Thought Leaders, I said, "I'm going to hold that up as a point of differentiation — that all of our instructors are practitioners of the concepts we teach." And then you go to the marketplace and you hear your clients sourcing vendors for training, and you tell them, "Go ahead and ask the vendor who they're going to put on the podium and ask for that person's resume. And when you get the resume, are they a career trainer or a career facilitator, or are they a business person like me?" And every single time the clients come back and go, "Yeah, you have a much better business background. You and your instructors understand this stuff because you've done it, so we're going to go with you." The market will tell you exactly what's different.
L: Oh, I love that. It's something I've been saying all the time. It's actually easier than we think. The hardest thing is putting your ego to one side and stop thinking that you know what other people need or you know what other people are attracted to and listen to what they say.
M: Yeah, exactly. I mean, it applies in software development when people build websites and you look at some of the Agile principles and the whole "fail fast." It's like, you know, build something, throw it up, and then look at the analytics. Look at how people use the site. It's like Craigslist. That thing is a visual disaster, but guess what? It works, right? Because they understand — they're letting the users dictate what the best experience is for them. They're listening.
L: Yeah, absolutely. Mike, I always love speaking with you and I wish we had more opportunities to do. I'm sure we will in the near future. But thank you so much for sharing your time and insights. And good luck with Lead Inside the Box.
M: Thanks so much. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Please be a part of this discussion. What challenges have you faced around differentiating yourself from your competitors? What insights can you share about what you learned from that experience? Contribute your comments below. We will respond to all comments.


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Ukraine's Economy: Which way forward? Rainer Kattel
Ukraine needs to focus on a bold agenda of managing or rather creating its own dynamic and competitive industry and gearing financial structure towards this industry.
Ukraine_Economy (Download the full text in PDF format)
(This article was originally published in "Diretorio, the South from Everywhere" on December 15, 2014.)


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Michael Clark Proves That (20/10 Vision) Does Exist In The Basketball World
If you don't know Michael Clark then it's about time you get...
I mean it would be parental malpractice. How could any parent let their kid play football for Lane Kiffin anywhere? It could be USC,Tennessee or Podunk.Kiffin has set a new low for coaches. He has set a new low for human beings. He may cost Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton his job simply because he defended Kiffin when he made outrageous allegations against Florida's Urban Meyer. Kiffin left Tennessee after a year and only seven wins for greener pastures at USC.He did it with no notice to anyone and invoked an $800,000 buy out which either he or USC will have to pay. His last press conference to announce his departure was so acrimonious that he had to be escorted out of the building by the police. Students were burning Kiffin objects nearby. Tennessee has two great basketball coaches in Bruce Pearl and Pat Summitt. The Lady Vols coach has over 1,000 more wins than Kiffin and has never had another job other than Tennessee.
Coach Pearl will never leave Tennessee on his own. Coach Summitt expressed huge disappointment over the Kiffin departure on a local morning radio show.Even more outrageous is the fact that Kiffin tried to convince some Tennessee players not to enroll at UT for the second semester so that they could transfer to USC immediately.
That's just unheard of.Let's hope that Kiffin doesn't make it at USC. Let's say that he has a five-win season next year. How will the natives in California feel about their new coach?
Or maybe it won't matter to the 34-year-old Kiffin. If let's say the Patriots come calling for more money, he will be out the door.
That is Lane Kiffin for you.


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Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas from Dash
This is at Motat Lights. The man made these yummy lolliops. I Wish the man could make me one every day.
I learned to walk backwards and forward on the stilts.
The man was funny.
We had a tug-o-war too. We beated the man. He lost balance. It was fun.
Here is my last day at School. This is my teacher Mr Dyer. He was a funny teacher.
Here is the present I gave him. My mum made some rocky road.
We went on the train to see santa in town. I don't like this photo but my mum is making me put it on.
Here's is me sitting on santa's knee.
Here is a Christmas Elf Dance of my family for you to watch (it's really funny)
And here's one of me and my freinds...
Labels: Christmas
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Rugby Union Lineout
Rugby Lineout
Rugby Line-Out
Yes, you can believe your eyes; you just saw a number of two metre tall players lifted into the air to try to catch the ball. What you've just witnessed is the rugby lineout. The biggest players from each team lineup alongside each other while one of the players throws the ball down the middle of the two lines. What follows is as graceful and orchestrated a dance move as two tones of players can perform. In one lineout you may some major shuffling of feet, shadow games of running backwards and forwards, and often up to four players being thrown up into the air to compete for the ball. It is in stark contrast to the forceful and explosive energy witnessed in a scrum.
Read on to find out what causes a lineout, and what is actually happening. For a more in depth analysis, check out this article on the rugby line-out.
Watch a selection of lineout moves in the below video:
Rugby Lineout Video
Rugby Union Line Out
What is a lineout?
The picture on the right shows Paul O'Connell from Ireland competing for a lineout against Wales. He is considered to be one of the best lineout jumpers currently playing.
A lineout is formed whenever the ball crosses the touchline on either side of the field. The players in the lineout execute moves to try to gain possession of the ball for their team. This may include lifting teammates high into the air so they can make attempt at catching the ball.
Watch the video below for an animated demonstration:
Rugby Union Line Out Video
Rugby Union Books
Why does it happen?
A lineout occurs whenever the ball passes over the touchline, providing it doesn't come forward of a player's hand or at the kick off. In those cases a scrum would ensue instead.
It is a common attacking weapon from a penalty. If a team is awarded a penalty they can either kick for goal, kick to the sideline for a lineout or take a scrum. They can decide whatever suits them best tactically at that time.
Teams often kick to the sideline in general play also, in the hope that the gain in territory makes up for the loss in possession. The lineout is taken wherever the ball goes out, unless it is kicked out on the full, in which case it is taken from where it was kicked. The exception is a penalty or from behind the team's 22 metre-line, assuming it was not passed back to the kicker.
International Rugby Lineout
Lineout Exponent Victor Matfield
Who competes in the lineout?
Whoever wants to contest the lineout, can. However, the hooker is inevitably the player who throws in the ball. Usually a lock or flanker is thrown in the air to catch the ball, with the props and anyone else lifting them. It is very rare to see a back in the lineout.
Some Lineout Techniques
The video below offers the following advice:
The lineout jumpers should always have their eyes on the ball as they drive upward to secure the ball. They must then control its delivery to support players. While it is up to the jumper to initiate the jump, the support players must coordinate their movements to be in a position to step forward and grip the jumper on the waist and drive him up from a low position using their legs. It is important that they stabilize the jumper by locking the elbows with their arms held at full stretch, feet shoulder width apart. The jumper must be lowered to the ground regardless of the success of the jump.
Support players may have different roles according to the target area chosen.
Lineout ball can be delivered in several ways. The most common are: pulled in and driven, pulled in and fed to a support player, or fed to a support player off the top.
The thrower should throw form a stable base with fingers spread on the ball, pushing their elbows through with power coming from the wrist and forearm with a good follow through.
It is important for the jumper to have confidence in his support players when contesting for lineout ball. This allows him the freedom to concentrate on predicting the opposition's throwing.
Watch the video to see this demonstrated.
Instructional Rugby Union Lineout Video
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Rugby Links
- All Blacks Rugby
The All Blacks rugby team are widely considered to be one of the most successful teams in sport. Since their inception in 1884 they have maintained a 75% winning record and have only ever been beaten by five teams.
- Rugby Union Merchandise
- Rugby Union - Rugby Union Books
Rugby Lineout Books
Lineout Opinion Poll
Is it too hard for a team to win their own lineout?
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Macular thickness changes at third month after phacoemulsification
Poster Details
First Author: C. Gürez TURKEY
Co Author(s):
Abstract Details
To compare macular thickness before and after cataract surgery using ozil versus ultrasound phacoemulsification technique.
Bagcilar Education and Research Hospital, Eye Clinic
A prospective study was conducted on 158 eyes of 104 patients who had phacoemulsification. This study was comprised of consecutive eligible cataract patients operated with phacoemulsification technique performed by the same surgeon. using either a machine. Phacoemulsification was performed ozil vs ultrasound technique with infiniti. Group 1 was operated with Infiniti ULTRASOUND type handpiece (transversal) and group 2 was operated with Infiniti OZil IP handpiece (torsional) . Measurements of macular thickness were performed preoperatively and postoperatively at 1. week and at 3. month using the OCT technique.
The 104 patients had a mean age of 71 ± 6.7 years. Baseline characteristics in the groups were similar. Group 1 has 54 patients and group 2 has 50 patient. The median nuclear sclerosis grade was 2 (2-4) in the first group and 3 (2-4). The mean macular thickness at baseline were 224 ± 67 μm in group 1, and 220 ± 62 μm in group 2 (P >0.05). At third month the mean macular thickness were 235 ± 70 μm in group 1, and 233 ± 68 μm in group 2 (P >0.05). There was statistically significant difference in macular thickness between baseline and third month (P<0.05), but there was not statistically significant difference between two groups (P >0.05).
Mean macular thickness increased after cataract surgery with phacoemulsification, but the phacoemulsification technique is not effective on changes of macular thickness.
Financial Disclosure:


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Oops. 0 for 2. I guess Cole Hamels is pretty good, after all.
I'm heading to the game tomorrow, and if the Cubs get dominated by that piece of shit Kyle Lohse again, I might just ask for my money back. I'm sort of expecting that to happen, though, as there's a good chance the Cubs will play their "B" squad, what with it being a day game after a night game. That happened to me in the only game I went to in 2003, the day after the Cubs clinched the division. Nothing like a Sergio Mitre start, with Troy O'Leary as the cleanup hitter to boot!


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Everybody is acting like tonight's City Section final will be the last baseball game Doug MacKenzie ever coaches. It's the ultimate send-off: 61-year-old Canoga Park High coach of 37 years finally rises above the mediocrity of a lifetime .500 record with his 300th victory and first City title.
Wrap it, slap on a bow, hand it to MacKenzie and send him home with a handshake and Hunter-green tie clasp. Thanks for the memories, Mac.
Time out! Any fan knows it ain't over until the last out is recorded and MacKenzie, forever feisty and forever looking forward, wants extra innings.
Sure, he retired from teaching on April 28, but Mac is insisting that so long as some school, somewhere, will have him as a coach, he is not saying so long. The outcome of tonight's game will make no difference.


text: Accenture, eB2B Commerce in outsourcing deal Published on March 27, 2001. New York--Accenture and eB2B Commerce Inc. have entered an agreement to jointly develop electronic exchange software. The software will be used to support Accenture's logistics outsourcing business. EB2B will supply connectivity and transaction processing services, while Accenture will provide related implementation and consulting. Most Popular In this article: BtoB


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Monday, June 4, 2012
Do you believe in love at first sight? (by anon)
3 comments:
- AnonymousJune 6, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Love at first sight is actually infatuation and lust at first sight. It is seeing that person and being like, "Wow, you seem really awesome and kind of mysterious. I must love you."ReplyDelete
Now when those relationships happen but end, nobody says anything about it. However, in the freak incident that this happens and the relationship actually works out then people were like, "I always knew. It was love at first sight."
No, it wasn't. You just had some crazy cute crush on somebody and you were lucky enough to have it work out. Many people don't try to distinguish, but the love part comes after awhile. That's why people who break up after a few months get over it really fast.
- AnonymousJune 8, 2012 at 11:03 AM
You had me at hello. Love is never having to say that you are sorry. Love is a many splendid things. Love makes the world go round.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 8, 2012 at 7:32 PM
I've been in love. I still love those people that I have loved and lost. Whether I loved them when I first saw them I can't say. I liken love to a kind of insanity. It's not reasonable. That it could happen at first sight is something I can't logically deny. The June 6 post makes a valid point, but in the end who can really say? What is love anyway? Where is the line drawn between infatuation, lust, love, or any other emotion that leads one to admire another person?ReplyDelete
-Free Willy


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Happy Birthday to our very own Coach Amy KB, Nicole Santarelli, and Benjamin Porter!
- TEAM WOD* (Teams of 2) For time:
20 Calorie row
30 Burpees
30 Barbell ground-to-overhead (95lb / 65lb)
30 knees to elbow
100 m Overhead walking lunge (45lb plate / 25lb)
100 m sprint
Teams of 2. Both athletes perform the entire workout. The first athlete starts and completes the Row. When that athlete has completed the row, they move on to Burpees, and the second athlete may begin the Row. This pattern continues, in order, through all of the movement. No athlete can begin their next station until the athlete ahead of them is clear from that station. A team's result is the total time for both members to go through the workout."
*modeled after 2011 CrossFit Games Regional WOD
LURONGERS: if you have waited to make up your LuRong WOD's...Saturday is it! Do the work, Get measured and get it all in!!!


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Video Games, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, nintendo, wii, ds, sony, microsoft, PSN, XBLA, Onlive, Playstation Vita, Wii U,
From the creators of the award-winning Just Dance franchise and Michael Jackson The Experience comes ABBA You Can Dance. Featuring 25 timeless songs, including "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "Fernando," "Waterloo," and "Take A Chance On Me," ABBA You Can Dance invites you to hit the dance floor and relive the golden era of pop music with one of world's biggest music sensations. Dance with up to four players or sing along; ABBA You Can Dance is unforgettable fun for friends and family of every generation. Key Features: The Timeless Music of ABBA: Enjoy all the hits — 25 in all — from ABBA's rich catalogue of classic songs, now digitally remastered for Wii™ and your home entertainment system. You Can Dance: Designed for the "Dancing Queen" or "Fernando" of the group, you can dance for fun or set a new top score to challenge yourself and others. Play any way you want with up to four friends. Mini-Musical: Perform a story
Sale Price:[productprice id=B005HTMH2S web=co.uk]


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Flooding information
Cumbria County Council flooding advice
Advice on emergency planning and financial support
To help prevent the flooding of homes in the area, we have stocks of sandbags at the following depots:
- Ulverston: North Lonsdale Road Depot, LA12 9DZ
- Kendal: Canal Head Depot, Kendal, LA9 7BY
- Windermere: Ecclerigg Depot, Ecclerigg, Windermere, LA23 1 LJ
You can collect sandbags during normal office hours and have up to 10 per property. In some cases the depots will stay open for longer so that sandbags can be collected outside of office hours.
In exceptional circumstances we will attempt to deliver sandbags to the elderly and infirm. To arrange this please call our contact centre on 01539 733 333.
There is no charge for the service however we cannot guarantee that there will be enough sandbags or that we can deliver them during emergencies.
We are not able to provide sandbags for commercial premises.
Flooding maps and warnings
Floodline: 0345 988 1188 or 0845 988 1188
Flooding and extreme weather guidance
Long term flood risk assessment
If you have been affected by flooding
Report a flood
Report a flood or possible cause of flooding
Report a flood incident to Cumbria County Council
Health advice
How to clean up safely after a flood
Flooding: questions and answers about health
If you have been made homeless due to flooding
Contacts and support if you have been made homeless
Insurance advice
Insurance advice to people who have suffered flood damage
Flood re: affordable insurance for householders who have suffered flood damage
Rebuilding work after a flood
Contact Trading Standards for consumer advice concerning work on your property after a flood.


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Over the years, you have probably had at least one desktop computer in your life. But really, are you an expert about what makes it tick? If you aren't certain, then you will see how much it pays to study up on this subject. This piece has some great tips.
Try to find computers that are being given away. This will help you to save a lot of money during the process. These computers are usually in good working condition, but you should make sure first.
You should have an anti-virus program on your computer. If not, you could end up with malware. It can steal all of your personal information and affect the speed of your computer. A lot of programs are out there to regularly scan and repair if you want.
A boot check is important if your speeds are less than optimal. You'll find the start menu on the bottom, left-hand corner of your desktop. Click it to start it, and type in "ms config" on the command line. Look at which applications start when you boot up the computer. Find applications that you do not use a lot, and make sure that they are disabled. This will give your system added speed.
If your computer is running slowly, you should do a boot check. You will be able to find this information in the start menu. This menu lets you see exactly what programs all start at the boot point of your machine restarting. Disable anything you don't use. Your system will run quicker once you make this change.
Look for a desktop computer that is affordable, with only the features you use and need. Many try to buy models that go beyond their budget with many extras that they don't use or need. Be selective about the features and components in your desktop purchase to save money.
If you have PC programs but want a Mac desktop, you can invest in Parallels for Mac. Parallels for Mac lets you run a virtual Windows on a Mac. Using this method, you can run an PC application that you own. You will also need to buy a PC operating system to use on it.
In order to keep your desktop computer running at its maximum efficiency, and to ensure the fan is cooling the components dust the interior once a week. It is not hard to unscrew and remove the outer casing and use compressed air to eliminate dust. This will keep the computer clean, and allow the fan to do its job.
Because desktop manufacturers limit documentation on paper, be diligent. What you find on the Internet must be sufficient so you won't have issues accessing downloads.
Get a warranty for a computer that you're buying. This is important in case the computer locks up or becomes unusable. Generally, you can take it back to the store so that you can get it fixed or a new one that's the same model.
Dvd Drive
If you want to buy a new Mac, but use PC software, Parallels for Mac can help. This software gives you many contemporary features. This means you will have the ability to run any software that was made for a PC. Remember the PC systems must be purchased separately.
Buy a computer with a writable DVD drive to transfer large files. Bigger multimedia files may require a drive larger than a CD drive. You will likely require the space of a DVD drive. It costs more but saves you money and trouble in the long run.
When you go to shop for your desktop, make sure you can get legal software for it. You need the CD to prevent legal trouble and so you can receive updates later.
Do you know if the desktop computer you have has a sufficient amount of memory? This is a vital aspect of a new computer. Are you going to store a lot of information on the machine? Do you take tons of photos? Such questions are critical considerations when you are shopping for your next computer and need to know your must haves.
Watch for price drops, but be cautious. Many people get caught up waiting for the perfect deal. They always feel a much better deal is just around the corner so they miss out. Typically, though, the price difference in the deals will be minimal, so you should grab one soon after you find a deal that's right for you
If you want an energy-saving alternative, consider a mini PC. They do not require a great deal of electricity but usually give you plenty of processing power to complete most tasks. If you mostly use computers for social media sites, e-mail, and word processing, consider this route.
If you are considering upgrading your desktop before buying, see if it can be done during the process of buying. Many times the seller can accomplish these goals for a lot less money than you can, no matter how you went about it.
Keep the peripherals in mind when shopping for a new desktop. You will definitely need a mouse, keyboard, speakers and a monitor at the least. But it could be that you also need a printer and some sort of hardware for your Internet connection. Think about all that you need.
You can't get an original warranty with a used desktop. There aren't many manufacturers that will honor a warranty for a secondary owner. If a used computer is what you choose, you're going to have to remember the warranty will not be there.
If you'd like to upgrade a desktop computer before you buy it, ask if this is possible as you buy the machine. A lot of times, the seller can upgrade things for less than you'd spend buying parts separately and getting them installed by someone else.
Be smart when shopping around for the lowest price. Buying a computer can be pricey. You should know what you want from a computer. Research the hardware of the computer. It's important to find a good balance of value and performance.
If you get a used machine, do not count on the computer's original warranty. Hardly any manufacturers are willing to do warranty transfers. If a used computer is what you choose, you're going to have to remember the warranty will not be there.
In the past it was common for people to buy their monitor, printer, and actual computer in a bundled deal. Steer away from this now. It can be difficult to find monitors for computers, but many flat-screen TVs can work just as well. Know that if you have a keyboard and mouse, they'll still work.
In the past it was common for people to buy their monitor, printer, and actual computer in a bundled deal. Try not to do this when buying. You can just use a cheap monitor or small flat-screen TV instead. If you have peripherals already, you can use them with your new machine.
Read reviews of any computer you're thinking about buying. Don't buy a computer because the price is right. It is common for inexpensive machines to come with serious problems.
To be certain that you're really saving money on any particular desktop computer, you need to take the time to check out reviews about it. Don't purchase a computer simply based on price. You'll notice that dirt cheap computers have a lot of problems.
Think about how you will use the computer before you start shopping. Make a list of the things you do with your computer, as well as what you'd like to learn to do. Make sure you cover everything so nothing is missed.
There are two basic hard drive types. Most people are aware of the standard HDD hard drive, and the newer version is the SSD. Usually, the SSD costs more and holds less data, but it operates a higher rpm.
Most desktops in today's world have WiFi built in, but you should check to see if the one you're looking at is up to date. WiFi without N levels will not be as fast. It can make surfing the Internet and downloading material faster.
If you decide to buy a secondhand desktop, remember that often it is not possible to transfer the warranty. If it needs repairs, you have to fix it. Consider this and then decide if buying used is really a good idea for you.
What kind of operating system would you like? Windows 7 and Windows 8 are completely different, as an example. Make certain you are looking at computers that give you the operating system you want, and the version that you are familiar enough with that you'll use it.
Most desktops in today's world have WiFi built in, but you should check to see if the one you're looking at is up to date. You may miss out on fast WiFi speed if only certain levels are supported. This makes all the difference in download and web surfing speed.
When you purchase a new desktop computer, look for good build quality. When your desktop is sitting on the floor, it is going to take a few knocks in its life. It should be sturdy enough to last through these dings. It can be well worth the few extra dollars to upgrade from a flimsy case to a more durable one.
Operating System
Some computers actually come with multiple video cards. These cards, depending on their type, usually run in Crossfire or SLI setups where they work in pairs. People who do a lot of gaming find this to be a necessary part of playing games. But if you are not a gamer, more than one is probably not necessary.
What operating system is your favorite? When you're used to Windows 7, Windows 8 might throw you for a loop. Make sure you buy a desktop that has the operating system you want and are familiar with.
Any computer you purchase today should include various option on connecting to the internet. It should at minimum be equipped with Ethernet and Wi-Fi capacity. Bluetooth connectivity is even better, since it means you can hook up with mobile phones and wireless media devices.
A desktop is a great choice for a fast machine. Desktops can store more information, and are overall just quicker than any tablet or laptop. They usually cost less than laptops too. That is why a desktop is such a great choice.
There isn't a single brand which stands out in regards to computers. However, it's easier to decided about your new computer when you consider certain factors. Consider whether or not the hardware is sufficient for your needs. What software is provided? Is there customer service available if you need help? Consider these things when buying a computer.
Some high-end desktops have multiple video cards. These cards are in setups called Crossfire or SLI, depending on what you get. These cards are great for gaming machines, but for the typical user it probably isn't necessary to get more than one video card.
A used or refurbished computer can be an excellent choice. Think about buying from private sellers or get a refurbished desktop from a retailer. Those computers work just great, and won't cost a lot. Not only that, but you'll be able to upgrade them affordably yourself.
Your computer should be able to get online in a few different ways. It must have a wifi card and ethernet port at least. If you have a Bluetooth connection, you will be able to get your phone connected too, as well as other wireless devices.
Brand name matters when buying new desktops. Brands such as Sony, Dell, HP, Acer and Asus are some of the best on the market. If the name is familiar, you know you will get the support you need.
Remember to verify the computer's processing speed prior to making your purchase. Some computer retailers may try to overclock the processor to scam you. You should know the specifications of the computer when you buy it. If you can, try taking a peek at the processor.
Carefully choose the online suppliers that you purchase from. Check out reviews to find out if the company is on the up and up. Also, take a look at the return policy that they have. This will keep you covered in case there are any issues later.
As said in the beginning, it's likely you've had a desktop computer before. However, you probably now know more about them than you thought possible. Use the information located above to help you better understand these devices.
To save a few dollars and do something fun, consider building a computer yourself. This sounds difficult, but there are dozens of online videos. This will give you more flexibility when deciding on parts and it will be cheaper than buying from a big manufacturer.


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Name Last modified Size Description
Parent Directory 23-Feb-2015 23:45 - BMVLink_V200.zip 04-Apr-2013 21:43 3.7M BMV-602BatteryMonito..> 04-Apr-2013 21:14 728k
After retrieving BMVLink_Vxxx.exe it first has to be unpacked. This is easily done, by starting BMVLink_Vxxx from the directory where you stored it. BMVLink_Vxx suggests a directory where it should be unpacked, which you may change at need, as long as you remember the exact location. After unpacking you start C:\Program Files\BMVLink Preinstal\setup.exe (Replace the path with your own location at need). From here, please follow the instructions from SETUP.EXE


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Hand-selected by The TimeformUS team, Horses in Focus stand out on our feature sets, such as pace projector, TimeformUS speed figures, spotlight ratings, trainer ratings, pedigree ratings, etc. Expect to see TimeformUS Horses in Focus on this blog typically every Wednesday-Sunday. If Horses in Focus are available for tracks with a later post-time, they will be added to this post throughout the day.
Race 2:
Mark Twain (#8)
Dropping out of a much tougher spot.
Ran well enough two back, earning a competitive 90 speed figure after making an early move into a fast pace.
Gets a positive rider switch to Eric Cancel.
8/1 on ML
Race 5:
Pegasus Red (#5)
Appears to be enough speed to set up his late run.
Was compromised by a slow pace in his only start at this level for Asmussen.
Has been overmatched in his last two starts.
8/1 on ML


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A Report On "Drones: Is the Sky the Limit?" At The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Drones Kill, Yes, But They Also Rescue, Research And Entertain
" One day in 1945, the crew of the aircraft carrier Intrepid gathered on deck for a group picture with what looks like a model airplane, not too much larger than the radio-controlled planes that hobbyists had been flying since the 1930s. It was a drone.
Named for the buzzing sound it made in flight, and manufactured in the thousands during World War II, it served as a remote-controlled target for gunners.
The toylike drone had a nifty feature. If the gunners failed to bring down the drone, an operator on deck could send a radio signal that released a small parachute, allowing the drone to float down, ready for pickup and reuse."
" The real thing, on loan from the National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie, Ind., hangs overhead, an ideal Intrepid-based starting point for "Drones: Is the Sky the Limit?," a wide-ranging, fascinating exhibition at the former aircraft carrier, now the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum."


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Welcome, Welcome!
I sent you this information in the email, but want to make sure you receive it.
- LIKE my Facebook page: Facebook.com/LauraErdmanLuntz. (I do alot of fun Live Streaming here.
Here is the bevy of goodies I put together as support material for you. Click on it and it should download for you.


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Shadwell boosts its U.S. presence
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Rick Nichols might have been happier than anyone about Jazil's win in the Belmont Stakes.
Nichols helped Jazil's owner, Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum, develop the American wing of his Shadwell breeding and racing empire back in 1985. Now 56, Nichols is especially gratified to see that program paying dividends, in the form of Grade 1 and classic winners, in the United States. The stable achieved its first Grade 1 victory in the United States on
May 19 when Invasor took the Pimlico Special. Three weeks later, Jazil's narrow decision over Bluegrass Cat in the Belmont landed Shadwell its first American classic.
Shadwell has long been a force in major English and European races, winning nine classic races in France, Ireland, and England since 1989. But in the last five years or so, the operation's North American division has gotten a boost as Sheikh Hamdan has turned greater attention to making his stallions in the United States more successful and popular with domestic breeders. That has meant pointing some of Sheikh Hamdan's most promising young racing prospects for United States dirt races instead of European turf.
Interestingly, neither Invasor nor Jazil was bred by Shadwell, which has a formidable 100-mare band in Kentucky. Invasor, last year's Uruguayan Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, was a private purchase Sheikh Hamdan imported to the United States. Sheikh Hamdan purchased Jazil for $725,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale.
But a homebred Grade 1 winner in the States is almost certainly in the cards, if Sheikh Hamdan remains intent on raising his American profile. The modern realities of the American stallion market will probably make sure he does.
"We put about 250 yearlings into training every year worldwide," said Nichols, Shadwell's vice president and general manager in the United States. "We've always bought about 20 to 25 from the States, most of them colts. Standing stallions and the commercialization of that has changed so much, and that's the main reason we've changed our
philosophy on running more in America. Years ago, when we first started, you had all these great stallions standing in the U.S. - Nureyev, Blushing Groom, Nijinsky, Northern Dancer. A lot of [their offspring] performed well in Europe, and you could take a Blushing Groom over to Europe, let them run well, and then bring them home and stand them here. But you can't do that anymore, because Americans won't breed to them. Americans love turf racing, but they don't want to breed for it. You've got to have a horse that won on dirt."
Sheikh Hamdan has upped his chances for those winners by leaving more 2-year-olds in the hands of American trainer Kiaran McLaughlin each year.
"This year, I have 10 2-year-olds for him," said McLaughlin, who trains both Jazil and Invasor. "I only had one for him three years ago, and last year I had six or eight."
The process itself won't change much, Nichols said, but the quality will.
"Once we've got all the yearlings, we still go through them and pick out which ones to stay and which ones will go" to England, he explained. "In the last two years, he's left us the best that he's ever left. There are only 12 babies coming up this year, but they're a very, very good bunch."
Sheikh Hamdan, the older brother of Darley owner Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum, first came to the racing public's attention in the mid-1980's, when the Maktoum brothers cut a wide swath through Kentucky's yearling auctions to stock their fledgling stables. Sheikh Hamdan purchased his first Kentucky farm in 1985 but later traded it in a deal with Nelson Bunker Hunt, who was then facing financial trouble after his failed attempt to corner the silver market. In the trade, Sheikh Hamdan got more than 700 acres of prime bluegrass property. Since then, with Nichols playing a central role in design and development, Shadwell's Kentucky operation has grown to some 3,400 acres with about 100 mares.
Nichols first met Sheikh Hamdan in 1981 at the Keeneland November sale, when the sheikh purchased the broodmare Mashteen from Spendthrift Farm, Nichols's employer at the time. The mare was young, but her early foals had been crooked, and Nichols told Sheikh Hamdan so. The sheikh bought the mare for $1 million anyway, and he must have remembered Nichols's honest assessment, because four years later he hired Nichols to be his American farm manager. (Mashteen, incidentally, went on to produce Narjis - "a filly who was very crooked," Nichols adds - who became the dam of three stakes performers, including a Group 3 winner.)
"Originally, I was hired to manage a 350-acre farm with a maximum of 20 mares on it," Nichols recalls. But Sheikh Hamdan's quest to win the greatest racing prizes in the world prompted him to expand. Still, the operation's focus back then was mainly on English and European trophies, not American ones. And while Sheikh Hamdan purchased yearlings from American auctions and bred many more in Kentucky, he still sent many overseas to race. He had great success with those, winning the Arc de Triomphe (with Sakhee), the Epsom Derby twice (Nashwan and Erhaab), the Epsom Oaks (Snow Bride), the English 1000 Guineas twice (Shadayid and Harayir), English 2000 Guineas (Nashwan), Irish 1000 Guineas (Mehthaaf), and French 1000 Guineas (Ta Rib).
And the European racing program made sense on a personal level for a hands-on owner who likes to keep up with his horses' progress and has been known to give jockeys their prerace instructions himself.
"He lives in England, and he likes watching his horses race," McLaughlin said.
Sheikh Hamdan has had some notable stakes winners in North America before. Two fairly recent ones, Intidab and Kayrawan, scored in a total of four Grade 2 races. But both started their careers in England.
Sheikh Hamdan will likely always have a string in his adopted England, but it is clear that Americans can expect to see more Shadwell juveniles and 3-year-olds debuting in the States. Not just because of their potential stallion markets, either.
Sheikh Hamdan, who didn't attend the Belmont, came to his first Kentucky Derby this year, when Jazil ran fourth. What he saw there gave him another reason to concentrate on dirt racing. He was impressed by the crowd and its enthusiasm for the sport, Nichols said. Now, perhaps, he is getting a taste of why his younger brother is so eager to win America's most famous race.
That would be just fine with Nichols and McLaughlin, both of whom would be thrilled to see Shadwell colors in the Churchill Downs winner's circle on the first Saturday in May.
"It would be fabulous, because he's a great owner and a great man with a great team," McLaughlin said. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather win it for."


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I had a taste for curry tonight. Coconut curry to be exact. But my favorite recipe site didn't have what I was looking for. I didn't have any curry paste on hand, only powder. So I went searching. I ended up blending this recipe with this one and came up with my own. Here it is if you want to give it a try. I don't want to forget what I did so I'm going to Pin It in order to be able to make it again! Below is the recipe, the way I made it.
Olive oil (about 1 T)
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 cups cauliflower florets
2 T grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1-2 thai chilis or 1 large pinch cayenne pepper
2 t cumin seed
1T curry powder
2 tomatoes, chopped (can use canned with some juice)
green, red or yellow pepper, diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (depending on how juicy the tomatoes are)
salt to taste
1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1/4 in cubes
1/2 can (14 oz) coconut milk
2 T sugar
1. Heat oil in a 12 in skillet.
2. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chilis. Cook until it begins to brown, about 5 mins.
4. Add cauliflower and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly about 1 min.
5. Add chopped tomatoes with juice, water, salt and peppers.
I served it over jasmine rice. This would be great with some cilantro, but since I didn't have any I had to leave it out. It's still very yummy!


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A call to GTD practitioners: An invitation to share your top questions, tips, and insights
This collection seems to be reaching a tipping point, and as part of a new project I'm soliciting your favorite "aha," insight, or question that most dogged you before you made the system click. I'll be sharing the results (with surprises and answers, of course!) in a future work, and I'd be very grateful for your input.
So how about it? What information wasn't clear from reading the book, but helped you the most? Was it dealing with too many next actions? A tool or gadget that you found crucial? Maybe blocking time for the "heavy lifting?" Or was there something that just didn't make sense to you?
I'd love to hear what you have to say. Please leave a comment below or send your wisdom to firstname.lastname@example.com, and stay tuned for the results. Cheers!
- [1] I am not associated with The David Allen Company in any way, and I don't use copyrighted materials in my business. Additionally, all my knowledge has been gained the hard way - reading, studying many competing systems, applying it to different domains, teaching, and collaborating. The overall strategy: Pour ideas into head, try out, wait for synthesis to create something new. Then share!
- [2] Some GTD-related articles you might find useful:
- Are daily to-do lists and GTD compatible?
- Best practices for GTD and administrative assistants
- Dealing with Meeting Notes - GTD to the Rescue!
- Dealing with multiple/dependent next actions in GTD
- Depressurize your email with a 24 hour response time
- Four Planner Hacks for Paper-Based Productivity | D*I*Y Planner
- GTD Workflow Assessment/Tips Checklist
- Organizing Electronic Documents GTD-Style?
- Reading Books The GTD Way
- Some GTD warning signs
- Some answers to "Should I keep it?" when filing
- Some common GTD questions, with answers
- What are the essential habits of GTD?
- What's in a name - GTD project naming conventions
- What's your maximum response time?
- When inputs exceed your workflow system's capacity
- Why every problem should be a GTD project
- Plus a few fun ones: A GTD WorkFlow tool: The five stages on a business card cube and Personal Productivity Playing Cards!
- Are daily to-do lists and GTD compatible?