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Without much ado -- at all -- Ford launched a new teeny-tiny SUV called the EcoSport. It's been hanging out at auto shows for a few months. But there was no big reveal or press launch.
It was, one day, simply there.
An interesting way to introduce an all-new utility to the US market, where SUVs these days are all the rage. Especially since this little vehicle has a lot going for it.
The EcoSport looks a lot like an Escape that got shrunk in the dryer. It has a lot of the same design elements and horizontal lines. Even the shape of the nose looks similar.
However, the EcoSport does have a couple of quirks you can't find on the Escape. The first of which is how you open the tailgate. There's a lever hidden in the left taillight. Plus, rather than hinged at the top and opening upward, the tailgate swings open. Wide. Too wide if you're backed into a garage.
Other than that, there's nothing particularly spectacular about the exterior design.
The interior is clean and simple with intuitive buttons and dials for the controls on the center stack. The available 8-inch infotainment screen is affixed to the top of the dash, and I'm still trying to decide if it blends well or if it looks like it's tacked on.
Another thing I'm still undecided about: visible exterior trim that enters the cabin on the A and B pillars. When I asked people on social media what they thought, I got a variety of answers from unfinished to cheap to retro.
The test vehicle was a Titanium model with reverse stitching on black leather seats that added an air of refinement to a vehicle that tops out around $28K.
Ride & Handling
I have to admit I was skeptical about a vehicle that has a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine. I am an aggressive driver, and I need that instantaneous acceleration to merge well in urban traffic.
Even though the EcoSport only delivers 123 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, I found it had a nice off-the-line start, which is really good for city driving. I didn't notice any hesitation turning into traffic, and I was able to merge fairly easily without the fear of being hit.
The highway merges are a bit slower, but still an unexpected surprise for a 3-cylinder engine. I'd have no problem recommending this powertrain to anyone.
If, however, you do need more power there is an available 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine that delivers 166 horsepower and 149 pound-feet of torque. This engine is standard on the top-tier SES trim, but available at every other level.
One interesting thing to note: If you do opt to add this engine, it is only available with all-wheel drive, and it increases the price by $1,591. While AWD is available at every trim, it is only available with the 2.0-liter engine. You cannot get AWD with the 1.0-liter engine.
Overall, I found the EcoSport to be peppy and maneuverable, and I thought any road or ambient noise that entered into the cabin to be on par for a vehicle at this level.
Fuel economy
This is where the EcoSport trips up a bit.
EPA estimates that fuel economy should ring in at 27 mpg for city driving and 29 for highway driving. I got nowhere near that in the 150 miles I put on this vehicle.
In fact, when I was driving in the city alone, I was hard pressed to hit 12 mpg – and that was with leaving the auto engine stop/start on. It was only once I took a 2-hour drive on the highway that the MPGs started to climb and I topped 20 mpg.
My final combined fuel economy was less than 23 mpg.
Tech & gadgets
For such a small vehicle, it has a lot of available features. The EcoSport comes equipped with Sync, and offers a lot of connectivity such as a 4G LTE hotspot that accommodates up to 10 devices, Alexa integration, Waze integration, FordPass and Sync Connect.
If you get a trim other than the base S, EcoSport will have Sync3, which offers embedded navigation, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and enhanced voice recognition.
I played around with CarPlay during the test period, and while I'm still not a complete fan, I found that as long as I stayed within the Apple environment of texting, maps and phone calls, it worked fairly well.
The enhanced voice recognition was a huge part of that. I didn't feel as though I had to shout at the car for it to understand me, and since CarPlay mirrors your iPhone, all the controls on the home screen are familiar and easily tapped.
Apple maps is still a huge fail for CarPlay, but a lot of the other glitches are starting to get worked out.
The base engine for the lower three trims is the 1.0-liter EcoBoost. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost is available but only when also paired with AWD.
S ($20,990): This trim comes standard with remote keyless access, 16-inch alloy wheels, Sync with a 4.2-inch display, rear-view camera and 2 smart-charging USB ports. This is the only trim that offers an available full-size spare that will be mounted to the rear tailgate.
SE ($23,991): This trim adds features such as a moonroof, heated front seats, 6-way power driver's seat, automatic climate control, reverse sensing system, Sync3 with a 6.5-inch touch screen, SiriusXM radio, passive entry and push-buttons start.
Titanium ($26,874): This trim has all the features of the SE model and adds the 8-inch touch screen, navigation, 17-inch wheels, Sync Connect, a 10-speaker Harmon B&O Play audio system, leather seats, rain-sensing wipers, HD radio and heated side mirrors.
SES ($27,874): This highest-priced trim comes standard with the 2.0-liter engine and AWD. It has all the features included with the SE trim and it adds a sport-tuned suspension, distinctive grille, blind-spot monitoring, a 7-speaker audio system.
Because the test vehicle was a Titanium model, it didn't have – or offer – a lot of options. It added the Blue Candy Paint ($395) and the 17-inch painted machined aluminum wheels ($470), but that was it.
As-test price was $27,739.
While you won't see a lot of the high-end semi-autonomous tech on the EcoSport, there are a fair amount of available features on this vehicle designed to keep you out of harm's way. A rear camera is standard, and available features include the reverse park aid, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Because the EcoSport is so new, it hadn't been rated by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at the time of posting this review. However, if you click on NHTSA or IIHS, you can do a search and see if that's changed.
Not sure what the safety ratings mean? We break it down for you here.
New for 2018
EcoSport is all-new for 2018, and even though it's an entry-level SUV, it has a lot of neat high-tech features, including Alexa and Waze integration and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
A few of my favorite things
Though it took me a while to find the tailgate release, I thought it was cleverly placed in the taillight.
For a compact entry-level vehicle, I loved the large number of available high-tech features. I find this to be a huge win, since Ford doesn't make you opt for the biggest and most-expensive vehicles to get the coolest technology.
Another bonus: Voice commands work flawlessly. It was very easy to maneuver through the controls with only my voice, enabling me to keep my eyes on the road.
I also appreciated the up-front, easy to access USB ports. Both my husband and I were easily able to plug in to charge at the same time.
What I can leave
I'm not really a fan of the tailgates that open out instead of up. It requires a huge amount of space since the door swings wide, and if you are backed into a garage or parking space, you won't be able to open the door without hitting the wall or car parked behind you.
Though I understand this was done to accommodate the available full-size spare on the S trim, an upward opening tailgate is much more space efficient.
I'd also like to point out the rear legroom is pretty much nil behind someone who's an average-sized driver or passenger. So if you're going to be carrying back seat passengers often, you might need to look for something a tad larger.
Another point of contention: Fuel economy. Though I averaged 22.3 mpg in combined driving, this is well below the estimated combined average. Plus, when I was driving in the city only, I averaged around 12 mpg – not great for as small as the EcoSport is.
It was only once I took a 2-hour highway trip that my miles per gallon started to climb.
The bottom line
Though the EcoSport has a couple of quirks I'm not fond of, overall I was surprised and impressed by this tiny SUV. It has excellent cargo volume, decent ride and handling and a really peppy 3-cylinder engine.
I love the fact that you can get the AWD and up-level engine at any trim, and if you want to completely deck out this vehicle with every option, you'll top out around $30K. Once again, Ford proves that small and entry-level don't have to be synonymous with cheap.
To find your next new, used or certified vehicle visit www.driveautonow.com today. Local car shopping made easy!


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Yang Rui Chinese Watercolor Woodcut Prints
Morning Song
Edition Size = 100
Image Size = 15.5" x 22.5"
Price = US$240 (shipping included)
*New York residents add sales tax
To Order:
Send check or money order (in US dollar)
payable to
Chinese Art Net
Chinese Art Net
P.O. Box 278
Patterson, NY 12563 U.S.A.
Chinese Art Net
P.O. Box 278, Patterson, NY 12563 U.S.A.
Tel: 845-878-3012 Fax: 845-878-7127

subset: commoncrawl


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Currently on the baby making process. Besides that, just trying to survive the everyday life wh00t!As for future. I have my heart set on stability more than anything else. Can't ask for more really, living the american dream, blond wife, white fences and off course... the Lab. Long terms goals, I'd say being able to take courses to being able to learn how to write music. My own little personal passion, regardless of the outcome. It will only be a side thing.
I rather keep on growing as an Engineer and in the future a Scientist instead that going in to management (hopefuly with my companies Skunk Works division) .
Career: Currently happy where I am at but I want to move forward to even more challenging projects from the technical side as even tho I do have some administrative responsabilities I rather keep on growing as an Engineer and in the future a Scientist instead that going in to management (hopefuly with my companies Skunk Works division) .I am also hoping to apply for my first patent either this year or the next:).Education:To finish my Masters in Engineering and complete my sweet Thesis on smart controls.Personal:I am currently looking to buy a house as I am tired of renting and it seems I will be doing less work related traveling for the next year. I also traced a map with my gf of places we want to visit before we go ahead and start making children. It will probably finish with Japan as pretty much everyone else interested in travel here :O Peter is on a journey to be a daddy? Congrats man all you have left to do to pull it off is let yourself grow a mustach . So maybe for the next time I am in Chicago I will see a little pedro? By the way I am proud of you Pedro achieving the American Dream with the exception of your Labrador must of them are really nice and playful, yours is pretty much an ass. I went to Nomad's house last year and his dog wanted to eat me alive, then he would relax and sit right by me looking at me so when I would finally start relaxing he would start barking at me again right by my ear!!Grrr your dog better behave next time for I will come prepared tothrow firecrackers at him or use my sweet dog whistle Iphone app.
Ha same here I just turned 18 and have no idea what to do
Ha, it's not all that bad.With some work you'll find something to be passionate about (and hopefully you'll end up with a job doing it )Right now my short term goals are to just keep saving up money, lose about 30 lbs (never gonna happen), and look for a decent desk chairLonger term goals are saving up money for my trip to japan next year (also known as Shayryuken's Buy-as-much-f**king-berserk-merch-as-he-can vacation) and all the preparations that would go with a trip to another country.Even longer than that I am working on getting my certificate in cinematography and hopefully moving to San Francisco to finish up my Education at the Academy of Art there. I wanna be a movie editor
As for my long-term goals, I'd like to take more art classes, possibly go back to college and learn more about cartooning and animation (2D and 3D)... And some day I would like to have my own cartoon series, either in comic book or TV animation form.
Nice man, I'm about to obtain my B.S. in Mechanical and Material Science Engineering. My GF just got a job at Northrop and I'm hoping to get a job somewhere that has a lot of machining and manufacturing besides just being stuck in an office.I actually want to go into management and start my own company when I'm 40. I want to machine custom parts and design peoples' ideas. "You think of it, I'll design it and make it."
I need to buy a new vehicle now... my motor scooter got stolen last night while I was out of town.
Anyway, I'd also like to know about more unlikely wishes you may have. An example of mine would be:1) To see blue butterflies by chance.
I want to attend Sheridan Institute in Oakville, ON to take their BAA in Animation.
Filed my FAFSA and waiting to hear back from the UC system on my admission status. Then it's decision time on whether or not I want to move in order to continue my education.
In this economy, it's really best to stick to education if that route is still open to you. There are few decent jobs available and they don't pay much. Most industries that pay well are locked down and not expanding. Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I wish I were still in college myself...
I'll be moving to the other end of the country at the end of the year
I'm already looking at a new career path, since Print Journalism has been dying for about a decade, and is now in the final death throes. I'm looking at a variety of options, and I've even actually considering becoming a video game journalist, combining my two big loves, but I hear that industry is shedding jobs as well. As long as I get to write, be creative, and get paid for it, I'll be happy. But that path is becoming more and more narrow.
So who wants to pay me to be a full-time SKnet admin?!


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Photos by Chris Wellhausen
Words by The Goblin
Some time ago in history, a human of Polynesian descent stood on a beach looking at the waves. Maybe it was a group of dolphins in the surf, perhaps a random piece of wood washing in. Something gave this person the crazy notion that they could capture this natural, seemingly endless motion, and make it their own. For no apparent reason except that they could.
Possibly about the same time there was a human of northern European descent standing on the frozen arctic tundra. Maybe it was penguin on its back, the wind blowing a chunk of ice. Maybe something weirder. Either way this person got the idea that they could slide across this frozen surface much easier than walking and it was fun.
Now this may be going way too far back to reasonably explain what snowskating is, where it comes from, or where it may be going. Back a little bit past surfing on fiberglass or downhill skiing with metal edges. Past big pants, skinny pants or a grass skirt instead of pants. Way down the branches of the "extreme" family tree is snowskating. A perfect hybrid, a red-headed step-child that will go the way of the mono-ski. Who knows? But like a pod of dolphins riding a piece of wood down a mountain in Norway, snowskating has arrived.
On January 16 is known amoungst the snowskate community as National Snowskate Day. Ralston Snowskates assembled a crew, including snowboard legends Mike Basich and Monty Roach, to Boreal and rode the greatest snowskates available at this time. Both Mike and Monty left indelible marks on the world of shredding in their own right. So there is no question of their ability level. This was Mike's first day on a snowskate in several years and Monty maybe has five days under his belt in the last two seasons. Have a look the photos, these guys aren't just trying to live to see the bottom of the hill, they are shredding it. So what is snowskating? FUN. Who is a snowskater? Anyone who wants it.
PS. All tricks in these photos were landed. Just sayin'.
To check out more about real snowskating, visit here: RALSTON SNOWSKATES
And for updated stats on Boreal, click this link: BOREAL


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Flashback Trailer Shows a Re-imagining of a Platforming Classic
The classic '90s platformer, Flashback, is being re-imagined and making the leap to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The original game was dubbed a "cinematic platformer," in the same vein as games like Prince of Persia. Players took on the role of Conrad B. Hart, a man whose memories were erased, as he battles aliens across space. He could run, jump, climb, use guns, activate shields, and carry around force fields in order to successfully traverse the side-scrolling levels in the game.
This re-imagining takes everything that made the original such a classic and uses modern technology to dress everything up and give us excellent graphics to complement the timeless gameplay.
Just watch the trailer below to see how Conrad's adventures have been updated and let us know if you'll be jumping into the sci-fi escapades when the game is released for Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PlayStation Network.
No official release date has been set, but we'll let you know as soon as more information becomes available.


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Medical marijuana users don't have protections from sub-par pot
SEATTLE -- Everything about medical marijuana is based on trust.
Michael Van Ditto had been a card carrying medical marijuana smoker for years. It gave him respite from his the emotional pain he was suffering after his son died in a tragic plane accident.
"I started smoking it when I became depressed and it helped me tremendously," Van Ditto said from his north Seattle apartment.
But nearly a year ago, he said he stopped smoking his comfort weed after becoming very sick.
"I've never been so sick in my life," he said. "I had total weakness, inflamed lungs, total disorientation and I could only get out of bed for an hour or two for almost 12 weeks."
He suspected his sickness was brought on by fungus that may have been in the marijuana he bought from the North Seattle Medical Collective, a new dispensary he had started to use.
"I only became ill when I started shopping at this particular marijuana medical shop," Van Ditto said.
He said his doctor couldn't identify his illness, but his symptoms where akin to fungal pneumonia. For people with compromised immune systems, fungus in pot could can lead to a deadly infection call Aspirgoelosis, a condition where the fungus begins growing in a person's lungs.
Van Ditto considered the medial pot he bought a health hazard and wanted it tested by authorities. But he quickly realized a predicament facing all medical marijuana users: There's no public agency he could turn to for help because he allegedly got sick using an illegal drug.
Van Ditto asked for help from the KOMO Problem Solvers.
Since he no longer had the marijuana that he believes got him sick, he went back to North Seattle Medical Collective to buy some more for testing.
In a December visit, Van Ditto bought a small amount of marijuana called Grand Daddy Haze. He let the attendant at the Collective make the suggestion on what to buy and Van Ditto bought it.
State testing marijuana
We asked the Washington state Department of Health if it tests marijuana. The Department of Health is charged with protecting state residents from health hazards.
"The Department of Health has no authority to inspect or check quality of marijuana," said Donn Moyer, the spokesman for the department.
We also went to the Washington State Liquor Control Board, the agency that will be overseeing the rule making for Washington's new recreation use of marijuana. Language in Initiative 502, which decriminalized the possession of one ounce or less of a marijuana, provides some form of consumer safety and protection from bad pot.
"We are supposed to set quality standards, making sure consumer safety is involved in this," said Pat Kohler, administrative director for the WSLCB.
But Kohler admits there's no protections the state can offer for medical marijuana users, many whom are sick and may need the medicinal effects of marijuana the most.
"The state has no responsibility in the regulatory functions of medical marijuana and initiative 502 doesn't impact medical marijuana either," Kohler said.
Jonathan Modie of the Oregon Health Authority said Oregon is in the same boat. He said medical marijuana users here have to do their own research into providers and product.
"The packaging on medical marijuana doesn't contain nutrition labels or ingredients lists," he said. "You don't know precisely what you're getting without that."
"It's sending a wrong message to people," said Douglas Hiatt, an attorney representing users and growers of marijuana.
He blames the mixed messages on conflicting and poorly-written laws. He said marijuana is flat-out illegal in the eyes of the federal government, and because of that the state won't get involved in pot testing.
"You're subjecting state employees to federal criminal law," Hiatt said.
There is a proposed law in Oregon that would license and regulate marijuana dispensaries under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act. It would require testing for pesticides, molds and mildews.
Private labs will test pot
Concerned marijuana users are leaving it up to a growing industry of private laboratories like Analytical360 in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood to perform quality testing on pot.
"There is an issue of things being tainted," said Randy Oliver, Chief Scientist for Analytical360. "You can't tell what it is by smelling it, by tasting it. You have to have a chemical analysis done."
John Brown, the Chief Technical Officer for the lab, said Van Ditto's marijuana exceeded the acceptable range of fungus for therapeutic marijuana, but was in the acceptable range for recreational standards. The results suggest that sick people with compromised immune systems should not be smoking it.
In January, Van Ditto went back to the Collective and bought another sample for testing. This time the attendant suggested a strain called A-Train. Analytical360 performed the same series of microbial tests as they did on the Grand Daddy Haze.
Once again, the lab says the results shows fungus at levels above the acceptable range for therapeutic marijuana, but at lower levels than the Grand Daddy Haze.
We emailed links to Analytical360's results the collective. The lab has a full transparency policy. All of its test results are posted on its website so marijuana users can see the quality of product circulating the market.
"We inspect all the product, it seemed ok to us and we smoked it. Obviously, we try everything" says Lisa Dank, spokeswoman for North Seattle Medical Collective.
Dank said all of the product the collective sees from its growers undergo testing for fungus and mold using a ultra violet light.
"If there's anything that's moldy it would show up green," she said.
But after viewing the results online of Analytical360's testing, Dank said the collective has pulled Grand Daddy Haze and A-Train from its product line.
"It's no longer available and growers have been alerted," she said. "It's not acceptable".
Dank defends the product the collective sells as being the highest quality available. She said customers who have compromised immune systems should not be smoking anything at all, let alone marijuana.
She said buying marijuana is like buying fresh blueberries from a farmers market.
"You going to find a few bad berries because that's what happens with plants. Marijuana is the same way," she said.
Van Ditto never told the Collective he believe the marijuana he bought from it got him sick.
"We operating on certain level of trust with the patient," Dank said. "If there's something wrong or they are experiencing a negative side effect, they come and tell us".
Because of the test results done by the Problem Solvers, Dank said the collective will now offer full microbial testing on all of its fresh products.
"Trust is what our business is about," Dank said.
Van Ditto said he's not going to smoke marijuana anymore, at least not until there's a quality control system in place that he trusts.
"I don't want to take the chance of getting deathly ill again," he said.


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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. -Matthew 5:6
These words are addressed to those of God's children who have been pierced with the arrow of infinite desire, who yearn for God with a yearning that has overcome them, who long with a longing that has become pain.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."...
A dead body feels no hunger and the dead soul knows not the pangs of holy desire. "If you want God," said the old saint, "you have already found Him." Our desire for fuller life is proof that some life must be there already....
In nature everything moves in the direction of its hungers. In the spiritual world it is not otherwise. We gravitate toward our inward longing, provided of course that those longings are strong enough to move us. Impotent dreaming will not do. The religious urge that is not followed by a corresponding act of the will in the direction of that urge is a waste of emotion. The Size of the Soul, 17-18.
"Oh, God, I have that longing to know You, that hunger and thirst for righteousness, that 'desire for fuller life.' Move me along in the direction of that hunger, Lord, and give me the strength to follow 'in the direction of that urge.' Amen."
Reprinted from Tozer on Christian Leadership by A.W. Tozer, copyright © 2001 by Zur Ltd. Used by permission of WingSpread Publishers, a division of Zur Ltd.
Tozer on Christian Leadership is protected by copyright and may not be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, translated, transmitted or distributed in any way.
Tozer on Christian Leadership was compiled by Ron Eggert.


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The body of a 37-year-old man was found inside the gazebo in the rear of the Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave., on Sunday, Oct. 21 at approximately 9:33 a.m., according to Officer Tanya Little, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Police Department.
The unidentified man was pronounced dead at 9:45 a.m. by a medic on the scene. Preliminary evidence suggests the man committed suicide. No other information is available at this time, including the name of the young man. Police said they are continuing to investigate the matter.
–Sue Ann Rybak


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You can join a
class of fellow students for whom an ordinary freshman year just won't
do. We've developed a freshman program that will be a great launch pad
for your successful college career.
Every GSU freshman will
be focused on one of three overarching academic themes - Civic Engagement,
Global Citizenship or Sustainability - regardless of the major you have in
mind. This focus will provide you a solid foundation of values- based learning
and prepare you for a world that changes almost daily.
In your first two
years, you'll fulfill general education requirements in full-time, day-time
classes. You'll explore majors and programs through your sophomore year.
Enroll for GSU's freshman class today!
Transfer Credit Exam Options


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Ford Repair Questions? Ask a Mechanic for Answers ASAP
This could be a wiring issue as things tend to expand when hot and its possible a poor or partial electrical connection is being pushed apart on one of the major sensors so check the connection plug and wiring to the following;
Airflow meter
Crank position sensor
Cam position sensor
O2 sensor
Throttle position sensor
Also worth checking the connections to the fuel pump for the same reason - unplug each in turn and give them a good squirt of switch / contact cleaner - Not WD40
and also unplug and inspect the main power relays and fuses for signs of overheating or corroded terminals - so the ones for the ECU and the fuel pump
And also unplug the wiring loom connections in the engine bay one at time and inspect for corroded or recessed pins.
Check the resistance of the spark plug leads - if fitted ( 13-15Kohm / metre) and replace if any doubt or high resistance - Also replace the spark plugs if any of them fail this checklist:
Also its worth checking that the electric pump that feeds the injectors is working correctly, it should run for a few seconds then switch off when you first turn the ignition on. If the connections to this are corroded or damaged then the pump could stop at any time. Check that its relay switches in and out and the relay contacts are clean and bright – replace the relay if in any doubt and do the same for the fuse, ideally measure the voltage at the pump and check its getting 12V


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Whether Fort Worth is your hometown or your wedding day destination, we know one thing is certain: the sister-city to Dallas is set on making a name for itself.
read more
Our mission is to set ourselves apart from the competition through promptness and customer service by surpassing all of our clients needs.
Lavish Limousine Service offers service for weddings and other special occasions. Our main goal is to satisfy all of our clients and give everyone the opportunity to ride in a luxury limousine.
We have professional uniform drivers and pride ourselves in "Grade A" customer service! We can assist you with a first class engagement party, rehearsal dinner, wedding .
Silver West Limousines was established in 1984. Count on Silver West Limousines for the highest quality service.
We offer special services for weddings.
We offer special services for weddings.
We are a full-service transportation company, equipped and available for all occasions. We work hard to assure our clients will have a worry-free and efficient trip to the destination of their choice.
DeMarco Limousines has been in business for 10 years.We value our clients by giving them professional service.We carry new limos, and sedans. Give us a chance to make your wedding unforgettable!!!!!
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VIP Limousine & Sedan Service is THE choice for professional Limousine and Car Services. We offer packages to fit any special occasion and budget.
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We are passionate and excited about what we do. It shows in the supportive and encouraging ways we treat each other and our clients.
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Crossroads Limousine Service provides the highest quality of transportation for weddings, proms, airport travel and any other special occasions.
We are Premier Choice for all of your Limo Services in the Austin area. True Luxury at affordable prices. Isn't that quite the concept. Whether you need superior transportation for business,wedding, pleasure, or any special event, M&M Car Service in Austin will take you there with the unmatchable Austin car service.
What is the Marriton Difference when it comes to weddings? We can confidently say that no other transportation company in Austin takes weddings as seriously as we do.
AAA Limousine, Inc. has been operating in Texas with a sterling reputation for many years. We continue to pride ourselves in providing impeccable on-time service to our large base of clients.
We offer luxury limousines for your wedding night.
Bluebonnet Limousine emphasizes selection and style, for a reliable, punctual and comfortable service that stands superior in excellence, and commitment.
We are a customer oriented, full service limousine company, here to satisfy all your limo service and transportation needs in the Austin Texas area and Central Texas.
Abbey Walker Executive Cars & Limousines has a wide range of luxury rental cars and vans in San Antonio and Austin designed to suit every purpose.


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Speaking of Xbox Live game updates correcting issues with previous updates, last month's Shuffle Party version 1.1 update actually introduced a nasty texture bug into the game. Microsoft quickly pulled the game itself while they investigated the issue. Developer Babaroga found the culprit, and now both a new update and the game itself are back on the Marketplace.
Shuffle Party version 1.2 release notes:
- Improved stability when connected to Network
- Avatar no longer turns backward
If users happened to have completed the 1.1 update a few weeks back, then this update also corrects the following:
- Incorrect textures on table
That's it; the developers just wanted to make sure the game experience consistently stable and polished. Thanks guys! Now we can all get back to knocking down bowling pins and collecting coins with our shuffleboard pucks. And when we're done with that, we'll play Shuffle Party! To learn more about Shuffle Party's many game modes and unlockables, read our review.
Shuffle Party is free and offers 50 GamerScore worth of Achievements. Get it here on the Marketplace.


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Avioians appear to be the evolutionary descendants of both birds and apes. Their general body shapes are similar to those of apes, with large feet that they are able to use with as much dexterity as their hands. However, their fur has a feathery appearance and they have wings that sprout out of their forearms. They are also deceptively light, having hollow bones and their eyes are adapted for flying, having a second, clear eyelid that protects their eyes from wind. The Avionians live at high altitudes in the Mystic Mountains in the City Of Avion. As a race, they tend to be xenophobic and prefer to avoid dealing with outsiders. Avionians are magically linked to the Egg Of Avion, which is the reason for their flying abilities. They are known for their two magical talisman: The Emerald Staff Of Avion and The Staff Of Avion.
LUOGO DI ORIGINE : City Of Avion
CORRELAZIONI : Hawk, Stratos


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On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton
O! our hearts with joy are thrilling
Tarleton Ringtones
|Hey, TSU! (m4r)
|Hey, TSU! (mp3)
|Color Song (m4r)
|Color Song (mp3)
|Fight Song (m4r)
|Fight Song (mp3)
Want to Hear More?
You can also listen to the Color Song and Fight Song on the Instrumental Studies page! Just scroll down to the Marching Band section to listen.
Tarleton Fight Song
On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton
Break right through that line.
Ever forward, Ever onward
We'll get there or die.
On Ye Tarleton, On Ye Tarleton
Fight for Victory
Fight Texans, Fight, Fight, Fight!
And win this game.
Tarleton Color Song
O! our hearts with joy are thrilling
when the Tarleton colors wave,
And our spirits rise with rapture
when the Tarleton sons are brave.
Fight for Victory,
Fight for Honor,
And success will crown the fight;
All hail the proud defenders
of the Purple and the White.


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Braggart Soldier: Three Stooges Meets Dr. Strangeloveby Wade Coggeshall, Journal Review • April 18, 2006 Share:
The Wabash College Theater Department's last production of the school year serves as a balm of sorts for a troubled nation and a fitting challenge to one of the best senior classes in years.
"The Braggart Soldier" runs today through Saturday with an 8 p.m. start each day at Ball Theater in the Fine Arts Center. Tickets are free and may be reserved through the box office by calling 361-6411.
The play, written by Professor of Theater James Fisher, is in the spirit of commedia dell'arte and is adapted from comedies by Plautus, a Roman playwright pivotal to the tradition's popularity during the Renaissance. Just like commedia dell'arte, "It's got every kind of low-comedy humor," said Fisher, describing it as " 'Three Stooges'-meets-'Dr. Strangelove.' " Calling it "wildly farcical, raucous and satiric," he thinks "The Braggart Soldier" will appeal to many age groups, exempting very young children.
It centers on a cocky but dimwitted soldier named Capitano Georgulio, played by senior Matt McKay, who gets between two lovers. The lovers are helped by various servants and misadventures.
One trait Fisher respects about commedia dell'arte is its ability to be topical.
"Comedy isn't about character so much," he said. "The characters represent one or two recognizable human traits, usually with flaws. The stereotypes are used to allow the playwright to comment on human behavior in a broadly humorous way."
Fisher relates Georgulio to our country's current commander in chief, right down to using "Bushisms" in his dialogue.
"No names are mentioned, but the connection will be impossible to miss," Fisher said.
"Things aren't going as well in the country as they might. We could use this satiric form as a way to make our point about that. This is not by any means serious; it's as silly as a play can get. But you can still make a point. We're trying to do that."
While "The Braggart Soldier" alludes to current events, it's also vaguely set during the Renaissance, which one character explains to the audience. The bizarre blending of eras only adds to its zaniness.
More than slapstick, though, a play of this type demands much from its participants. With such a simple plot, it's up to the actors to add flesh to its bones.
"For the actors, it's not only acting, it's performing," said Fisher, who wrote an original script years ago in this same theatrical vein. That includes a lot of movement and interplay with the audience, with some liberty to ad-lib on the latter.
"It's dependent on a cast that works well together," Fisher said. "Most of the humor is generated through interaction among the characters and comic bits involving several people at once."
The cast for "The Braggart Soldier" is a mix of the experienced and the tenderfooted. Freshman Dustin Foster has a large role, while seniors Matt Ripley, Ali Ahmed and Joe Martin are making their Wabash stage debuts. Even with significant roles, Denis Farr and Richard "Dickie" Winters also are designing all the costumes. The cast and crew are working tirelessly to make an intricate production look effortless.
"The odd thing about this kind of theater is when you go to see it as an audience member, it seems so simple," Fisher said. "But the doing of it is so difficult. It's like great dancers. When they do it perfectly, it almost makes you feel like you could do it. But when you think about it, you know you couldn't. The effort that went into making that simplicity was so great. That's what's true of this kind of theater. We're working very hard not to let the effort show, to make it look like they're making it up on the spot. That's a hard thing to achieve."
This article first appeared in the Crawfordsville Journal Review


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LONDON — Warner Bros.' U.K. arm has inked a strategic alliance with Pathe that will see WB distribute all of the French major's films in the U.K. and Ireland as well as work together on English language co-productions.
Pact, which starts April 13, means that Pathe has effectively pulled out of U.K. distribution to focus on its desire to become a production powerhouse in the wake of its Academy award-winning triumph with "Slumdog Millionaire," which it co-produced.
Pathe inked a five-year development, production and sales pact with "Slumdog Millionaire" producer Christian Colson's new shingle Cloud Nine Films on Monday.
Pathe's U.K. division aims to produce four or five English-language features a year in addition to its French language productions. Its U.K. office will continue to devise the marketing campaigns for the titles, which WB will release.
"To address the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital world, we felt the most rational response was to develop an alliance with a U.S. studio," said Pathe exec VP Francois Ivernel and Pathe U.K. managing director Cameron McCracken.
"By our continuing management of the whole filmmaking process from development, through production to the marketing of our films, we will continue to provide a bespoke service to filmmakers whilst also allowing them to benefit from studio backing."
The Pathe-WB deal will not affect Pathe's distribution and production in France or the Gallic company's home vid distribution deal with Fox in the U.K.
Pathe will also continue to operate its international sales arm for both its own productions and third party titles.
Pathe and WB have already teamed up to co-produce a $50 million live action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale "The Jungle Book." The test shoot, directed by John Downer, is in post-production.
Stephen Frears' "Cheri," starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend, will be the first former Pathe title to be released under the Warner Bros. banner in the U.K. and Ireland.
It is believed that Pathe execs initiated the conversation with WB about the studio taking over its distribution.
"We didn't need any convincing about the benefits of the relationship though," Josh Berger, prexy and managing director of Warner Bros U.K. told Daily Variety. He said the financing model for future co-productions will vary from project to project.


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The Cuco bath accessories provide a delicate beauty that adds a modern touch to the bath.
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- Height: 1.89" (48mm)
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- All mounting hardware is included.
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BURBANK HIGH — The Burbank High girls' volleyball team's CIF Southern Section Division II-A first-round opponent entered Tuesday's match as the third-place team from the Olympic League.
Cerritos Valley Christian sure did not play like a third-place squad.
The Crusaders surprised the Bulldogs from the outset, taking the first game in just 19 minutes en route to upsetting and eliminating the Pacific League champs with a 25-13, 19-25, 25-21, 25-21 victory at Burbank High.
"They came from a tough league," said Burbank Coach Sarah Brown, whose team suffered its first home loss of the season. "We knew they were going to be a good team."
Valley Christian (18-6) — which was 4-4 in league play — was the better team Tuesday night.
It showed from the start.
The Crusaders started the first game on a 4-0 run and then used a pair of 5-0 spurts later in the game to easily win.
"In the first game, we came out nervous," Brown said. "We made too many mistakes, especially at the end of the games, and that's when it counts. It's hard to dig yourself out of a hole."
The Crusaders gave themselves 4-1 leads in the second and third games, but the Bulldogs made defensive adjustments in the second to tie the match.
Burbank trailed, 7-5, early in the second game, but scored 10 of the next 12 points to build a comfortable advantage.
The Bulldogs couldn't sustain their momentum in the following game, as Valley Christian used its arsenal of talented hitters to silence Burbank.
The fourth game was the closest, as a loud fan base tried to encourage the Bulldogs. The game featured nine ties and seven lead changes.
The last tie was at 20-20, but two consecutive unforced errors by the Bulldogs, a kill by Valley Christian and another two unforced errors ended Burbank's season.
"I don't know them as a team, but it seemed like they had good hitters," Brown said. "They had lots of hitters, and it makes it harder for our blockers. We couldn't focus on one player."
Outside hitter Alyx Henry had a match-high 15 kills and Amanda Chamberlain added 10 kills for the Crusaders. Teammates Morgan Haner (nine kills) and Karly Dantuma (seven kills) also contributed key performances for the Crusaders.
"Having hitters in good spots allows us to have three or four on, and that gets us a good win," Valley Christian Coach Brett Rinks said.
Denise Daniel led the Bulldogs with 11 kills, and teammate Katie Hooper had eight kills. Stephanie Eskander, who holds the school record for most kills in a season, was limited to seven kills and Jamie Gonzalez had five kills. Senior Tyler Brooks, who holds the school record for most assists in a season, had 14 assists for the Bulldogs.
Burbank finished the season with a 18-4-1 mark, including 13-1 in league, sharing the league championship with Arcadia. It was the Bulldogs' first league crown in 37 years,
"The tough part of the season is that only one team gets to end the season with a win," Brown said. "It stinks we end on a loss, but we try not to forget how good of a season we had."


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Adidas has measured the work rate and movement of Argentina and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi through his adidas F50 miCoach boot.
The stats were gathered from the recent friendly between Argentina and Germany, which saw the South American side beat the Germans 3-1, with our man Lionel scoring one - though he did also miss a penalty.
The stats show Messi ran 8.49 km, sprinted 44 times throughout the match and reached a maximum speed of 30.71 km/hour. Adidas has revealed a summary of the stats in a graph and pie chart form.
The adidas F50 miCoach boot - which the company describes as being "the world's first boot with a brain" on account of its being fitted with a microchip - was unveiled in September 2011 with Messi endorsing the boot from the beginning.
However, it's not just the world's best player who can get hold of the adidas F50 miCoach boots: they're available to the Sunday park footballer too, complete with Speed Cell and dongle that helps in capturing your performance stats.


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Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Hershey's Spat with UK Imports
There are a lot of people legitimately upset that they're not going to be able to buy some candy that they like.
Hershey's, which holds the exclusive rights to KitKat, Cadbury and Rolo in the United States, defended their trademark against LBB Imports (based in NJ) and Posh Nosh (based in CA) who were bringing in the UK versions of those bars. KitKat and Rolo are made by Nestle and Cadbury is now owned by Kraft/Mondelez. The importers have now agreed to stop selling those products in the US.
The items under contention include:
Fans of their favorite candy bars are vowing to #BoycottHershey. But it's clear that they preferred something else before, that they were eschewing the US version of Cadbury chocolate for the UK version, so the threat is a little hollow. (Here's my comparison of the two chocolates.)
The thing about trademark is that it has to be defended in order to be maintained. Unlike copyright, which you can selectively choose to defend, but it still applies, all trademark violations must be defended in order for the trademark to remain valid. Otherwise another company can point to a small infraction that the trademark holder ignored and say "why was that okay and this isn't?" And Hershey's did pretty much look the other way with the novelty flavor KitKat bars from around the world, even though they sell KitKat here in the United States.
Hershey's successfully defended itself against a company in Colorado that was making marijuana-enhanced confections with novelty names similar to existing candy bars. In that case it could be that not only would Hershey's be harmed by the perceived association with marijuana but also any instance of a child or less-than-sharp adult ingesting the candy might make Hershey's culpable. It's easy to make fun of it, if you look at the labels and say "no one would mistake those," but it happens, I've grabbed the wrong candy bar at the store ... and I'm a candy blogger!
So, in order to win those cases, Hershey's has to show that it has not abandoned its trademarks by defending them in all cases that come to its attention.
But Hershey's is taking a pretty broad brush to this, and as I've pointed out before with their Malteser/Maltesers issue, I think some of it is pretty slimy.
Hershey's has a clearly defined deal with Kraft/Mondelez to be the exclusive maker and seller of Cadbury in the United States. I think some of that is ignored for specialty items that have no like product. I see the Cadbury Roses at some import shops, which is probably against that deal, but does Hershey's no harm because it doesn't poach any existing sales of Hershey's-made chocolate roses ... because Hershey's doesn't make any chocolate roses. But Hershey's does sell Cadbury Creme Eggs. And for the record, the chocolate on the American Cadbury Creme eggs has no vegetable oil fillers in it. The UK version does (or did, I haven't seen the new one).
Hershey's also has a long-standing contract with Nestle (the deal was made with Rowntree-Mackintosh back in 1969 for Rolo and KitKat in 1970) to exclusively make the candy in the United States.
It's easy to get all up in arms about Hershey's and their lack of quality or decline in quality and then say that the stuff that they're preventing from being imported is better. Honestly, I've had most of it and it's all marginally decent stuff. The UK tends to use more cacao in their milk chocolate but then they allow up to 5% vegetable oil and sometimes whey. American milk chocolate often uses less cacao but all cocoa butter with no extra whey fillers. Some of Hershey's items do use mockolate, but in the list of items under contention, they're all real chocolate items. Do any taste great? That's up to you. But calling Hershey's mockokate when Cadbury's also qualifies for the same moniker, well, that's just silly.
It's not silly to miss your favorite candy bar.
All these confectionery giants need to realize it's a global economy and they can no longer keep the rest of the world out. America is not an island and if Hershey wants to be a world player in confectionery, it needs to play a internationally-focused branding game. Yorkie and the York Peppermint Pattie are completely different products and no one will confuse them. The KitKat bars, well, that's a sticky wicket that should be worked out between Hershey's and Nestle. The Mars Malteser and Hershey's Maltesers problem is pretty thorny as well.
Consumers are caught in the middle. And there's not likely to be a resolution until we have one global candy company ... which isn't something I wish for. So, in the mean time, just go back to candy swaps.
So, do I hate Hershey's for their behavior? No (except for the Maltesers thing.)
Will I miss those import products? Probably not. No offense, none of them were that good, but this is coming from someone who didn't grow up with them. I understand that there's a difference between good and comforting and comforting can be just as good as good.
Do I think the marketplace should be opened up? Yes, but that's a far bigger problem than just a few competing candy bars and 50 year old licensing agreements.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 5:51 pm Curious News •
Sunday, November 07, 2010
NaNoWriMo 2010
Screen Name, a short novel for NaNoWriMo 2010.
Synopsis: Dana finally gets a big break, a studio commissions one of her movie pitches, but she's already overwhelmed with a staff writing job at a Spanish-language daytime drama. She knows if she doesn't meet her deadline she'll never get hired again, but she also can't abandon the job she has.
She finds her solution online with a "paper writing service" to create her first draft. When the actual script turns out to be better than anything she could have written herself, she decides to track down the talented writer behind the screen name.
Update 11/16/2010: after hitting 25,000 words I decided to change the title to Screen Name, which I think fits better. Though I was also toying with Screen Name/Screen Credit as the full title.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
According to Google, Candy Blog reviews are not news
For years I've had Google Alerts set up for many key words related to candy and chocolate. (As well as some related to whales & dolphins.) I find a lot of great coverage via these that I wouldn't ordinarily find and I probably wouldn't go to Google News and just search there regularly. I find candy reviews as conducted by web-only content providers such as The Village Voice or Associated Content but never ones from those whom I consider my candy blogging peers (the blogroll) and of course none from Candy Blog.
I've submitted Candy Blog to Google News many times. Here are the reasons that Candy Blog has not been included as a Google News source:
I can understand the position of not using "singular voice" websites as news sources, but Candy Blog is an opinion site for the most part. Sure I throw facts in for context, but for the most part it's about a first hand experience with a product.
My argument all along is that a review for a candy product is the same as the review for an album, a TV show, a movie, a book or a vacation spot. It's news because it's relevant to everyday life because Americans are consumers. Candy is a $30 Billion industry in the United States alone, few other American food review blogs have had the consistency of content that Candy Blog has and just because it's about candy doesn't mean that it's trifling or should be shuttled off with the "advice columns" as entertainment. The content on Candy Blog is 99% original (I say it's not 100% because I do quote from press releases & packaging plus I use candy company photos for the Candy Tease features), there are few newspapers who can say that.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:40 am Curious News •
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Some things about Beckett
Beckett weighed 20 pounds when we got her at the Beagles & Buddies Rescue on Labor Day weekend 1994. For most of the rest of her life she weighed about 40.
Beckett liked to "get the moth" which was, in her limited vocabulary, the word for any insect. If it was a particularly large moth, she'd kill it and take it to the center of the rug in the living room and roll on it.
Beckett once ate a whole bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures. This was followed by a visit to the vet. When my brother picked her up at the vet, he was offered a little container with the aforementioned RPBCs. He took the dog and left.
In Beckett's early years with us she had a problem with vomiting, a lasting effect from distemper. To treat her long episodes, I'd give her a small dose of Pepto-Bismol. It'd administer it in a little syringe, made for babies. One day I came home from work and found the syringe chewed up and stuffed under the fridge.
Beckett really liked to look out for us when we were away. For the most part she kept watch in the living room window. However, if the balcony door was open, she was known to squeeze under the railing and go out onto the peak of the roof to stand watch for our return. (We first found this out via a note left in our mailbox by a neighbor that simply said, "you know your dog was on your roof.")
Beckett was mostly uninterested in food. At least her own, unless you were interested in it, and then she'd at least be territorial.
Beckett had a weird toe that stuck up on her left front paws. She was also afraid of opening doors. In my fiction of our dog's past, I imagined that she broke that paw as a pup by a door.
Beckett loved to go in the car.
Beckett always wore a harness in the car, she was buckled into the center of the back seat.
Beckett was very soft, softer than you'd imagine a beagle mutt would be (I always thought she had some sort of spaniel in her). She also shed more than three normal dogs combined.
We bought our furniture and carpeting to go with this dog hair.
Beckett acted more like a cat than a dog. She would walk up to me and rub her head on my legs and often do the same sort of cat-like snuggling on the couch.
Beckett did not like to wear hats.
Beckett loved to zoom. In the early days when we would let her off leash to play fetch at the dead end of our street, sometimes she would tear off, up the stairs. Even in the house she would go so fast racing around the house she'd bank off the walls.
Beckett was once stung by a bee, I think she was trying to eat it (see the above "get the moth"). It stung her on the inside of her mouth. At first I thought she'd stuffed a tennis ball in her mouth. For several days her cheek was swollen up like she was hoarding nuts.
I don't have enough photos of Beckett.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:41 pm Curious News •
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Go Max Go! Use Twitter to Ruin Your Brand Equity!
The week of February 15th, I reviewed a set of four candy bars on Candy Blog from the company called Go Max Go Foods: Mahalo, Buccaneer, Twilight & Jokerz. They're vegan versions of popular candy bars - no dairy, no hydrogenated oils, no animal products and all natural. I bought them at Whole Foods back in January and took photos of them and posted them within the review. (I also reviewed two other vegan candy bars - one before and one after that set - it was an unofficial vegan week.)
Some I liked and some I didn't. I took issue with the use of palm oil instead of real cocoa butter, the fact that they were three times the price of a regular candy bar, and the taste profile was overall too sweet. The review results ranged from 4 out of 10 to 6 out of 10.
I reviewed them at the request of a reader. I like to make sure I have something to offer all my readers - especially those with special dietary restrictions. The posts didn't get much traffic or comments, no biggie.
On Friday, February 26th. someone identified as "susan" left a comment on the review of the Jokerz Bar (a vegan version of a Snickers):
The email address associated with the comment (visible only to me as the blog owner) was from the domain of the candy maker itself. My commenting policy clearly states that sock puppets are not tolerated and will be outed. As I was responding to that comment, susan left similar comments on all the reviews.
(Link to Mahalo review.)
I didn't want to assume that it was a sock puppet, since a commenter can leave any address, there's no verification process. First, I tried to respond to the email address to verify that she was a representative of the company - what I learned while waiting for a response was that she had also twittered from the official account of the company:
I considered that verification that this was a true representative and published my response calling her out in my comments area of the site. I responded there with a Tweet to my followers pointing to her Tweet to me:
Within that time she posted two more times on Twitter, this time not replies but original tweets with links to my reviews:
It's not the first time I've had a sock puppet on the blog. Heck, it's not even the 10th time. I've had candy makers themselves comment on my posts as well - on both the raves and the pans. (I don't consider giving a candy a 6 out of 10 a pan, I consider it a good candy, just not one I personally plan to keep buying but likely to be someone's favorite.) But this was definitely a first for me where the company tried to rally support for the their product after a perceived bad review. (Candy Blog has been around longer than Twitter or the use of Facebook by companies.) The comments that followed, some apparently arriving via her tweet link, were clear, cogent and both positive about the product itself and negative. Some were from regular readers of my blog, some were not people who had commented before.
As if the comments and the initial posts on Twitter weren't bad enough, the train wreck continued as she engaged the Candy Blog followers.
You can reread the whole thing here as a screengrab of the Twitter conversations.
My followers started checking out what @GoMaxGoFoods was saying and replied. @GoMaxGoFoods started replying to them, often insulting them and ranting about how someone who doesn't like fake fur or fake meat shouldn't be reviewing vegan candy.
Choice comments:
And this one:
And the last one of note:
The strange part is that @GoMaxGoFoods had some interesting points hidden in those tweets and the comments.
I took issue with the use of mockolate (replacing cocoa butter with palm oil) for two reasons. One, mockolate doesn't taste good. Two, palm oil isn't forest-friendly - which is apparently something important to people who are vegans because they don't believe in harming animals. (I don't know how the health vegans feel.) Eventually she said that they used sustainably grown palm oil and that real chocolate made with rice milk was not stable enough to be used to cover candy bars. (I pointed out that if its sustainable palm oil, that should be noted on the website at the very least. She agreed.)
I did a little more reading on the company, most of what I found out that wasn't quotes from their official website on blogs or webstores was from this article from the Daily Vanguard from November 2009. The founders of the company are noted as Scott Ostrander and Susan Francovig. The article says:
I guess she changed her mind about the nonvegans.
The stupid part was how fixated she was on my statement that I didn't like faux fur or fake meat. I can only assume that she thought that meant that actually liked the real thing - which is quite clear to regular readers. I haven't eaten red meat in 23 years. (No I am not currently a vegan, mostly because I like gummi bears and real cream caramels too much).
For the record, I've reviewed hundreds of candies that are considered vegan. I don't treat them any different because they have special rules.
UPDATE 11/30/2012: Go Max Go is currently under recall in Canada due to some labeling issues. They use shared equipment with dairy products, yet advertise their products as dairy free. (More from Vancouver's Straight.com.) The Go Max Go Twitter feed is again saying abusive things, this time to a customer (Meagan H) who said she had a reaction.
UPDATE 4/24/2013: The FDA announced a voluntary recall by Go Max Go for labeling issues.
Bars include: Snap!, Cleo's, Jokerz, Twilight, Buccaneer, Mahalo and Thumbs Up.
The issue comes down to the front of package saying that the products are dairy free, but the actual products are made on shared equipment with dairy products, so it is possible they could contain traces of dairy. That is labeled on the back of the package underneath the ingredients list, at least the ones that I've seen.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:00 pm Curious News •
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Candy as Currency
I've been cruising around old issues of Life Magazine in search of confectionery-themed morsels that might give me a glimpse into how candy was regarded in our culture in the past. I found this one and thought I'd share it.
The Licorice Lira Problem by Dora Jane Hamblin from LIFE magazine November 26, 1971
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:22 pm Curious News •
Thursday, February 04, 2010
The Ranking of Nuts by Preference
Here are the nuts I prefer, based on eating them whole or in other foods. (Nut butters are a whole other thing.) I've included seeds and legumes as well.
(I'm allergic to Walnuts.)
POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:38 am Curious News •
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Consumables on My Desk
I don't often worry about my perparedness in an emergency. I think I could live for at least a week off of what's in my office.
Here's what's on my desk (not in my desk, just on the surface):
1. Cheez-It (with special offer for Star Trek Captain's Tee)
POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:47 am
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
My Guide for Twitter
Here's how I use Twitter. No, this isn't a guide on how everyone uses it, or what it was designed for, but here's what I'm doing:
If you follow me you'll find that I update about three to four times a day. I try to make a mix of personal stuff such as new candy I've picked up, whale watch results, photo shoot updates, other oddities along with links I'd like to recommend and any official Candy Blog status updates. (Here's the most recent Follow Cost - at this writing I'm an awesome mix of replies, not too many tweets and full tweets.)
What you won't find is an auto-feed of new blog posts. I don't do that. If you want a notification of a new post on Candy Blog, just use the RSS feed.
I follow what interests me. I don't follow you just because you follow me, just like I don't read the blog of every Candy Blog visitor. No offense, but I have a pretty narrow (but eclectic) bunch of interests. I'd like to keep Twitter relevant to those. And I'd like to be a good follower to those whom I follow.
I do look at everyone who follows me and it's entirely possible that I've added you to my feed reader based on you following me ... at the very least I visited your site based on your follow.
For the most part, I see all replies (though that all depends on Twitter showing them to me). I don't always respond, but please know that I read them and probably enjoyed them. By the same token, if I reply to you, I don't need a special reply back unless it's necessary by the conversation.
I don't follow auto feeds of new blog posts if that's all the Twitter timeline reflects. (Chances are I'm already following your RSS - I have about a thousand in my various readers & notifiers and if they're not in there I also get keyword notifiers from Google & Technorati for those times when you blog about something I am interested in.)
I don't follow people who update too often. I know it sounds weird, but I use Twitter exclusively via the web. I don't want to come to the page and see it dominated by one person. I go to Twitter for little droplets, not a stream.
When I read I start at the most recent post and go backwards until I reach the spot where I last visited.
I don't follow people who use serial posts like they're paragraphs in a blog post. If your thought takes more than two consecutive Twitters, please make a blog post & put up a link to it.
I don't follow people whose streams are requests for me to retweet everything they say or requests for my help in getting them followers. I see no point in following a person who offers nothing but empty promotion (when the entire stream is nothing but follower building without offering any content worthy of reading).
I don't follow people who live-Twitter events. I know Twitter is great for telling your friends what seat you're in at that seminar, or letting us all know how you feel about a TV show as it's broadcast, but I'll probably unfollow you, at least for the duration of the event.
I follow & unfollow some people, as the above dictates apply and then don't. Some people I never follow, only view their page via the web ... I just can't handle the load (which explains how I might be retweeting (RT) or responding to you).
Don't follow me just so I'll follow you back. I don't think Twitter is that kind of social media. Either you're interested in me & what's going on behind the scenes at Candy Blog, or you're not. It's not that big of a deal to me. I'm not out here to be the most popular ... I'm just out here being my real self, I'm not trying to prove anything.
You might want to fill in your profile and make a few posts before following others. If I come to your page and there's nothing there, well, I'm not much of a gambler and I won't follow. However, I might give it another look-see if I get a reply on something I've posted or catch a RT.
I rarely request to follow people who have a private Twitter feed unless I know them in real life. You might have something interesting in there, but part of me respects your privacy.
I don't believe in publicly shaming people or calling them out on the their Twitter habits. It's a tool. Some folks use blog software for stuff that isn't blogs, I've seen some amazing uses for blenders that don't involve food ... some people use Twitter for stuff that isn't really Twitter-like. Sometimes I wish the whole stats feature of Twitter wasn't front and center on everyone's profile so people could simply enjoy the actual content that flows before them.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:28 am Curious News •
Friday, November 07, 2008
The Redeemer Available from Crazy Dream Sound
Back in June I was contacted by Norm Kern. He'd read The Redeemer (via Playscripts) and was interested in producing it as an audio play.
Oddly enough I'd often thought about how well this particular play of mine would do as a radio play. And the play has always been very well recieved in readings. It plays with the imagination, that so much of it has to take place in the audience's head that it was ideal.
It all happened very quickly. A week of rehearsal in July and then the full day of recording. A month or more of post production with full sound design and original music. I went back for the final mix and to record a talk with the author (hey, there are two CDs, may was well fill them up!).
It's available now directly through Crazy Dream Sound (you can listen to the first scene as a sample).
Directed by Norman Kern, starring Anna Bullard and Darren Bridgett.
Produced by Aifen Wang, original score by G.D. French & Norman Kern. Production assistants were Stephen Gozza and Deborah Taylor Barrera.
Original painting by Sally Ann Rodriguez & package design by Eric Akeson.
This production is the first of many that Crazy Dream Sound is planning and I think this is a fabulous direction for American theatre to go. There's been a huge resurgence in interest in audio, and this sort of top quality production is going to set the bar very high.
See Theater Dog's profile of the project.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:06 pm Playwriting •
Saturday, November 01, 2008
The New Novel: First Day
Yeah, it's that time of year again! That time of year where I post idiotic lists of numbers in an attempt to quantify the perfect writing conditions. This is the fifth year of my 15 minute record of my writing.
time…...running tally….words…words/minute
The novel at the moment is called The Retaining Wall and is based loosely on some of the events in The Redeemer, my play. I'm hoping that this work will either inform the next play I'm going to write, or just become a decent novel by the end of the month.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:54 pm
Monday, September 22, 2008
Things that happen after you're on the the Today show
The traffic on Candy Blog doubled.
My web host handled the increase in web traffic admirably.
I got many nice emails & comments.
I was interviewed by my "hometown newspaper". The story became the front page story on the following day.
I got at least a dozen emails suggesting I try alternative chocolate products. Nine of those suggestions were for the same product, which makes it sound like there are some very passionate people out there about high-antioxidant chocolate.
Strangers now know how to pronounce my name.
The sweater I bought to wear for the piece is now known as The Purple Today Show Sweater.
(I was honestly in a bit of a panic about it after I did the interview. Perhaps I watch too much of The Daily Show & Colbert Report, but I could see how they could edit the piece together to make me look like some obsessed nutjob.)
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:20 am Curious News •
Friday, September 05, 2008
I Can't Deny My Support for McCain (at least not to get off their mailing list)
Earlier this year I tried to do a cute story for Candy Blog on the presidential candidates' favorite candies. I contacted all the candidates (via email for the most part) through their press contacts and requested the information. Yes, I approached them not as a supporter but as a person doing a story.
In some instances I got a reply. In other instances I was subscribed to email newsletters as if I was interested in voting for them or donating money. The worst was the Obama campaign, which not only had trouble getting me off their email lists, they also started calling me. (I gave them my cell number, because, well, I was contacting their press office and thought that my question was legitimate - not something they'd just filter into their fundraising queue.)
The oddest part was last night, however, when I got an email from John McCain that said that he accepted the Republican Party's nomination for president. (And asked me to donate ... maybe some other stuff, I didn't read it, I just skipped to the bottom to unsubscribe.)
I clicked the unsubscribe link and was taken to this page.
I am a McCain Supporter but don't wish to be contacted until closer to the election.
I am a McCain Supporter but I am receiving too many emails. Please only send me newsletters and urgent alerts.
I am a McCain Supporter but do not wish to receive email any longer.
I am no longer a McCain Supporter and want to be taken off the email list.
Two of those aren't even unsubscribe options, they're "less subscribe" options.
Anyway, as I was never a McCain Supporter (and never opted into their email system) I didn't pick from the list, merely stated in the optional comments box that I never subscribed to this list and hit unsubscribe.
The form bounced back with a red error message: Reason Required (go ahead and make jokes about politics and how reason is even present in much of the presidential race).
How can I tell the man who might be president a lie just to get off of an email list? I am not and have never been a McCain Supporter ... how can I select a reason from their list that's accurate? I want to unsubscribe because I'm not a McCain supporter. Not only that, I never subscribed and I don't have to give a reason for requesting to be removed.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:50 am Curious News •
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
How Not To Conduct Customer Service
I sent Hershey's an email via their web request form on Monday looking for the ingredients for the Krackel Bar, which is part of the Miniatures assortment. (They stopped making the full sized bars in 2006.)
I emailed them because I didn't really want to transcribe the list on the phone. Let them do the typing.
Instead of sending it to me in the response, they replied with a case number and told me to call them during business hours (9-4 Eastern) to get my answers.
Okay, I called this morning and gave the representative my case number and she read back my request: What are the ingredients in the Krackel bar. The ingredients list on the Miniatures bag lists them all together and I want to know just what's in that bar.
She asked me why I want to know.
I stammered that I wanted to know what I'm eating.
She asked if it was an allergy issue.
I replied that I wanted to know what was in that bar. If I ate only that bar, what would I be eating? (The package does say "something for everyone" so Hershey's understands that sometimes people just pick through and eat only one variety.)
She said she did not have that information. It doesn't exist in her records. If she wanted she could escalate me to a supervisor, but they had only the same info that she does.
That seemed pretty useless.
She asked if I wanted to be transfered. I said no, if they were comfortable with me publishing that they are unable to give me the ingredients for that bar, then I think we were done.
So there it is, no way for you to know what's in a Krackel. Well, there's a long list on the back of the package of what could be in a Krackel. So as long as you're comfortable with some combination of those ingredients, go ahead and enjoy.
UPDATE 8/22/2008: I got another email from Hershey's and it said this:
However, if you read the ingredients on the Hershey's Miniatures package, it includes the ingredients for all four mini bars combined. It goes like this:
Based on what I know of the Mr. Goodbar's ingredients, which is also a mockolate bar (Sugar, peanuts, vegetable oil (palm, shea, sunflower and/or safflower oil) chocolate, whey (milk), nonfat milk, contains 2% or less of milk fat, soy lecithin, salt, vanillin.) and the last known ingredients of the true Krackel I've extrapolated the following as the likely ingredients of Krackel:
If you're going to give someone a bag of candy with the motto of "A Little Something For Everyone" you should be prepared that folks are not only going to have a favorite, but they might actually eat ONLY that one and they might want to know what's in just that individually wrapped candy. That candy that says on the wrapper nutrition information 1-800-468-1714 ... which they also cannot provide separately.
But really I don't think that it's because the "recipe is proprietary" (believe me, I don't wanna make these at home), it's because they're ashamed.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:03 am Curious News •
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Is not giving change illegal?
I got my car washed yesterday, mostly in an attempt to get rid of the bird crap crusted on the front of the car from the Santa Barbara trip. (Note to self: while parking under a tree might seem like a good idea at the marina, it's really just a roosting place for gulls.)
Since there was a line, I sat at the little input system long enough to really look at it this time.
The price of all washes ends in 99 cents. I pay at the pump with my gas purchase, so I just input my little code and go. But if you decide to purchase the wash here you have the choice of inputting only 1 or 5 dollar bills or quarters ... in any combination. Now I'm no math whiz but I can tell that there is no way to put in $6.99 with those as your sources. Not only that, the machine will not give change and doesn't take cards of any kind.
So if you want to pay cash right there, let's call it a one penny convenience fee. (I think the more convenient thing to do is to price the washes at $7.00, $8.00, $9.00 and $10.00 and have a clear conscience about your pinching of pennies.)
Oh, and the bird poop ... not really gone.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:29 am Curious News •
During November it's all about me writing a novel. Sometimes it's about whalewatching. You know, and then there's other stuff.


text:
Consumers won't see much change in the price of a box of corn flakes or a package of corn tortillas, but growth in U.S. ethanol production — and its increased demand for corn — will push the price of meat, eggs and dairy products higher, a University of Missouri economist said.
"It's not the food made from corn, it's the food from animals that eat corn that will increase," said Ron Plain, MU professor of agricultural economics.
"This is a major shift for agriculture. In the past, corn producers have grown food for people and feed for livestock. And now we add fuel for our cars to the list. I don't see us doing that without having a lasting impact on the face of agriculture."
With corn currently trading around $4 per bushel, crop farmers are enjoying the highest corn prices in more than a decade while livestock producers are feeling the pinch of higher feed costs for their cattle, hogs and poultry. Plain said this most recent price increase is unlike others the industry has experienced.
"In the past, for example, we've seen the corn price go up in a drought year," he said.
"But the next year, we plant a new crop, we harvest that crop, and prices come back down.
"This new demand for corn for ethanol production isn't like a drought. This demand will be sustained before, during and after the crop gets planted and harvested. I know it's bullish, but I see corn trading around $4 per bushel for the foreseeable future."
Plain explained that during the past century, the average U.S. corn price can be broken into three price plateaus. For 35 years before World War II, corn traded for an average price of 76 cents per bushel.
This price plateau lasted until after the war, when price controls were removed and supply decreased.
"That ushered in the next plateau, and corn traded at an average of $1.26 per bushel until the 1970s," Plain said.
"That's when an increase in corn exports pushed the price to the next plateau of around $2.37 per bushel, which is where we've been until now. We're due for this step up."
Even with this year's anticipated increases in planted corn acreage across the Midwest — Plain predicts Missouri could be up by as many as a half-million corn acres — the continued ramp-up of ethanol production will keep corn prices around $4 per bushel.
Plain said as more acreage shifts to corn, prices for other commodity crops would increase.
"Prices for soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice will go up as we plant more and more acres out of those crops and into corn," he said.
As a result, livestock producers — especially those without ready access to distiller's grain, a protein-rich ethanol byproduct — will continue to pay more for feed.
For every dime increase in the corn price, there is a $5 per head drop in the price feedlot operators are willing to pay for feeder cattle and a $2 per head decrease for feeder pigs, Plain said.
"Higher feed costs put pressure on the livestock industry to cut production," he said. "When you consider that we've pushed up the price of corn by 16 dimes, that's $80 less per head for the cow-calf operator."
Plain expects U.S. cattle, swine and poultry inventories to shrink, resulting in higher prices at the local grocery store.
"I would argue that ethanol and inflation will raise the prices for meat, eggs, milk, cheese and other dairy products around 12 percent by 2009," he said.
"I don't expect consumers to reduce meat and dairy consumption much because of the increase, however."
Of larger concern is the willingness of foreign customers to pay more for U.S. corn, he said.
"The real winners are the owners of land that can grow corn because land values will continue to increase," Plain said. "It's not good news for the big corporate livestock producers such as Tyson and Smithfield.
"It's going to be tough for the next couple of years."


text:
Pirelli Cinturato P7 245/45Y18 (96)
The Green Performance tyre for high performance cars
Key Features
- Low rolling resistance - reduction in fuel consumption and harmful emissions. High mileage. Excellent wet and dry handling
- High resistance to aquaplaning
- High standards of active safety.
- Load Index : 96


text:
Datsyuk looking to repeat as Selke winnerNHL.com @NHLdotcom
NEW YORK (AP) - Pavel Datsyuk is going for a rare repeat.
The Detroit Red Wings star joined fellow centers Mike Richards of Philadelphia and Vancouver's Ryan Kesler on Tuesday as finalists for the Selke Trophy, given to the NHL's top defensive forward.
Datsyuk was last year's winner, when he also captured the Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play and skill) for the third straight season. If he completes the double honor, Datsyuk would be the first to claim both awards in consecutive years. Ron Francis is the only other player to win both in the same season, in 1995 with Pittsburgh.
Datsyuk was second in the league with 89 takeaways and third with a plus-34 rating. Richards was a plus-22 and led the NHL with seven short-handed goals. Kesler was tops on the Canucks with 74 takeaways.
The winner will be announced June 18 in Las Vegas.


text:
Home > Colleges > College of Engineering and Built Environment > School of Surveying and Construction Management > Articles
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What is RSS?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an XML-based format for sharing and distributing Web content, such as news headlines. RSS provides interested scholars with convenient feeds of newly posted Articles content.
When new articles appear in Articles, our corresponding RSS feeds are updated and your RSS reader alerts you of the new content.


text:
Select Regional Settings
| Brand: Alfawise
Function: Answering Phone,Bluetooth,Microphone,Multi connection function,Noise Cancelling,Song Switching,Voice Prompt,Volume Control
Material: ABS,Metal
Model: HBQ - Q13S
Type: In-Ear
Wearing type: In-Ear
Product Details
| Application: Running,Sport,Working
Compatible with: iPhone,iPod,Mobile phone
Connectivity: Wireless
Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: -42db±3db
Charging Time.: 1 - 2h
Music Time: 5 - 6h
Standby time: 120h
Talk time: 5 - 6h
Extended Function
| Bluetooth: Yes
Bluetooth distance: W/O obstacles 10m
Bluetooth mode: Headset
Bluetooth protocol: A2DP,AVRCP,HFP,HSP
Bluetooth Version: V4.1
Battery Information
| Battery Capacity(mAh): 65mAh Li-ion Battery
Battery Type: Built-in
Dimension and Weight
| Package size (L x W x H): 8.00 x 8.00 x 3.00 cm / 3.15 x 3.15 x 1.18 inches
Package weight: 0.0520 kg
Product size (L x W x H): 3.00 x 2.00 x 1.00 cm / 1.18 x 0.79 x 0.39 inches
Product weight: 0.0040 kg
Package Contents
|Package Contents: 1 x Earphone, 1 x USB Charger, 2 x Eartip
Nov 03,2018
Sep 13,2018
Sep 12,2018
Nov 14,2018
Jan 10,2019
Nov 06,2018
Sep 13,2018
Dec 29,2018
Mar 07,2019
Feb 18,2019
Why the headphones does not charge?
Why the headphone disconnect with the mobile phone within 10 meters?
There is no audio signal, what can i do?
Why can't I use the headphones to adjust the volume or select the track on the App of mobile phone?
Why the headphones cannot pair with mobile phone?
1. Please check whether your headphone is in pairing mode or reconnect mode and check whether your mobile phone Bluetooth search function is opened;
2. Check your mobile device's Bluetooth menu and delete / forget the headphones, then reconnect the headphones following the instructions in the user manual.
What does the headphone certification logos mean?
How to choose a headset?
Why my smartphone can't find my Bluetooth headphones?
1. Make sure your smartphone and headphones are close enough to one another when you want to connect them;
2. Check the manufacturer's recommended pairing process;
3. Try turning them off and on again;
4. Turn off or remove any interfering devices;
5. Move away from the WiFi router.
Why there is static whenever I listen to music on my Bluetooth headphones?
1. First you should disable or turn off any other unused Bluetooth devices in the area;
2. If the static doesn't go away try resetting your headphones;
3. Turn on your media player, then disconnect your headphones for 30 seconds and then re-pair them;
4. Reduce the distance between your smartphone and your headphones, as this also helps reduce any static.
How to differentiate category of headphones?
Why the device doesn't recognize headphones?
1.The Bluetooth feature in the phone is not turned on.
2. The headset is not in pairing / discoverable mode. The phone will not find the headset unless the headset is in this mode.
Can this item be shipped to my country?
We can deliver orders to most countries. For a detailed explanation of each shipping method, destination and approximate delivery time, please check our website:
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text:
8:00 pm
NOVA "Meteor Strike" A 7,000-ton asteroid crashes into the earth's atmosphere, explodes and falls to earth across a wide swath near the Ural Mountains on February 15, 2013. Dubbed the Siberian Meteor, it explodes with the power of 30 Hiroshima bombs, damaging buildings and sending more than 1,000 people to the hospital. Countless digital dashboard cameras record the event creating crowd-sourced data that allows NOVA crews and impact scientists to hit the ground in Russia in search of debris from the explosion, and clues to the meteor's origin and makeup. The program also explores some even greater explosions of the past, asking if Earth is in the cross-hairs of a celestrial shooting gallery.G
9:00 pm
NOVA "Hunting The Elements" David Pogue ("Making Stuff") travels the globe to learn why copper is king, gases are noble and gold is "stand-offish." He spins through a world of weird, extreme chemistry on a quest to unlock the secrets of the 118 unique elements that make up the periodic table - with a few explosions along the way.G
11:00 pm
Charlie Rose NULL


text:
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A BioShock Infinite interview on Kotaku talks with Ken Levine about BioShock Infinite, the next installment in the BioShock series, of which Irrational's creative director says: "We have not made any determinations about multiplayer." That said, he does express his skepticism: "I will say that we experiment with things, but for us we are never interested in making a multiplayer mode you could just play in some other game. Because, A) that's not creatively interesting and B), financially, you're wasting your time. They're going to go play Halo. They're going to go play Call of Duty," he explains. "If we do something new — if we do something like Left 4 Dead that has something new to say — people will come to your game. If you don't, don't waste your time."
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text:
I'm sure that at least a few of you have heard or read about the latest trend in weight loss called "intermittent fasting." The very word "fasting" is probably less than appealing, as it pretty much means you don't eat or drink anything (except perhaps water) for a specified amount of time. Starvation is not exactly recommended among health professionals. But intermittent fasting is different. Is it something you should try?
What is intermittent fasting, anyway?
Intermittent fasting has been the talk of the town, so to speak, thanks to two recent books to hit the market: The Fast Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer, and The Overnight Diet by Caroline Apovian, MD. Intermittent fasting essentially means that you skip a meal or severely restrict calories on certain days of the week with the intention of losing weight, controlling blood glucose, and/or decreasing heart disease risk. But on the other days of the week, you can pretty much eat what you want (within reason, of course). For many people, this concept sounds appealing. Limiting calories for a couple days a week doesn't sound that bad if you can eat what you want the rest of the time.
The Fast Diet, also called the The 5:2 Diet has you eat between 500 and 600 calories (women get 500 calories, men get 600 calories) for two days out of the week, spread over two meals of about 250 to 300 calories. These fast days should not be right in a row, and your food choices ideally should be more plant-based and emphasize protein. The premise is that after several hours of fasting, the body burns up its carbohydrate stores and shifts to burning fat for fuel. Many claim that intermittent fasting also helps to blunt appetite.
The Overnight Diet emphasizes getting enough sleep; a lack of sleep can disrupt metabolism, making it hard to lose weight. Sufficient sleep, according to the author, will reduce hunger pangs. The diet part of this involves drinking homemade smoothies once a week, and eating a low-calorie, high-protein diet the remaining six days of the week.
Does intermittent fasting work?
In many ways, these two diets sound like just another fad to come around the bend. And maybe they are. However, there actually is some credible science behind fasting. Restricting calories in the diets of animals appears to increase their lifespan, for example. Recently, a team of researchers in the UK looked at the various approaches to intermittent fasting, with a focus on how they might help (or hinder) those with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. They found that intermittent fasting is as effective as or even more effective than simply cutting calories to lose weight.
They also found that intermittent fasting has other health benefits, including reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, lowering heart rate, lowering cholesterol, and reducing insulin resistance. This unique approach may even help prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes. Followers of the diet also believe that intermittent fasting can prolong your life and prevent Alzheimer disease.
Is intermittent fasting for you?
Sound appealing? Before you jump on the intermittent fasting bandwagon, realize that not a whole lot of research has been done in this area, at least with humans. The few studies thus far look promising: In one study, fasting was shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and on "regular eating" days, the subjects did not overindulge, which has been a concern. But again, we still don't know a whole lot about intermittent fasting.
Wondering what you might eat? A sample 500-calorie menu from The Fasting Diet is steel-cut oatmeal with 1/2 cup of blueberries for breakfast, and then chicken stir-fry made with 5 ounces of chicken and some vegetables, along with a tangerine for dinner. That's it. Would that hold you?
Could intermittent fasting be harmful? Well, that depends. If you take insulin or sulfonylurea drugs to control your blood glucose, intermittent fasting can considerably raise the risk of low blood glucose unless you make appropriate adjustments. This way of eating is not suitable for pregnant women, people under the age of 20, people who are underweight, and people who have an eating disorder. It may also not be good for people who take certain types of medicines, such as beta-blockers.
Another question to ask yourself: Can you stick with this way of eating? It may sound simple to just eat 500 calories for two days a week, but 500 calories isn't all that much. On those days, you're likely to feel tired, grumpy, anxious, and irritable. You also may not sleep well and your breath might not exactly smell like a bed of roses.
But, if you'd like to give intermittent fasting a try, talk it over first with your health-care provider and decide together if it's something that could work for you. And if you have tried this, feel free to share your experience!
Want to learn more about diabetes and fasting? Read "Can Fasting Help Diabetes?" and "Fasting During Ramadan."
Learn more about the health and medical experts who who provide you with the cutting-edge resources, tools, news, and more on Diabetes Self-Management.
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