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"Dee is not only giving you an effect here. He is giving you a full routine that packs so small but plays so big, hits hard and leaves them with no where to go. An astouding little routine which lets you seem like a true time lord."
- Alan Rorrison
You hand a small box to an audience member at the start of your show. You have never met them before and they need not even leave their seat. You just tell them that the box will prove important later on. As your show is coming to a close, you call out for your box holding spectator and ask them to join you on stage. You ask your spectator what the time is, they say that it's about 8:45pm - And how long have you been on stage? About 45 minutes.
You then tell the spectator to put their hand over their watch and that you are going to try and move the hands all the way back to when you first came on stage tonight, as if it never happened. You make your gestures breathe deeply and have them look at what time their watch now says.
8pm. Amazing.
But it doesn't stop there, the fact is that you have been on stage for 45 minutes and several incredible things have happened. You open up the box and inside is a slip of paper, the spectator removes it and in a loud voice reads out a prediction which foretells the outcomes of many effects in the show!
This is a show closing routine - A way to perform a show prediction that has an inbuilt psychokinesis demonstration.
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Sometimes I like to revel in the oldest prehistoric animals, put aside the great saurian to which we are accustomed to seeing and who are better known and delve me at the beginning of life, dive into the origin of evolution. When existing evolutionary branches were more diverse and where we find primitive animals and, in a way, awaken our imagination.
The Jaekelopterus is a good example. If we read a book of science fiction, books describing other worlds and invented creatures living in it, we could find a Jaekeloptero swimming in its waters.
Brief description of the animal: this prehistoric animal, it is the order of the eurypterids, namely Scorpions sea. Among all species of these ancient scorpions, the bigger the Jaekelopterus.
Its dimensions are tremendous, we are talking about more than 2.5 meters long (just imagine a scorpion 2.5 meters long (82 ft.) coming through the door of the room by going directly to you ... scares eh?) So great was that it is considered a predator who held one of the highest positions in the food chain....
How they hunted?
Together with those dimensions, hunting is the most amazing of all. The Jaekelopterus had two pincers of no less than about 50 cm (16 ft.) in two of its appendages that could extend to grab its prey tightly. Close and personal with a rapid expansion of its appendices remained motionless at predated while it was eating it.
This last detail makes us think one thing. We have said that could reach 2.5 meters long (82 ft.). But when his paws and claws extended, the length of this increased to one meter, reaching measuring 3.5 meters long (115 ft.).
However, no one seems to ensure that it was a true predator, and it seems that this animal could get most of their food from the carrion of other dead animals.
As is understood by the name, this animal was aquatic. But it is thought that did not live in seas, but in swamps, rivers, etc ...
He lived in the Devonian, 390 million years ago, when many of the mainland were still together.
Finally, these animals are a bit in no man's land. It is not known exactly whether they are really related to scorpions, with arachnids or the horseshoe crab.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sarasota, Florida Real Estate Market Update
March pending home sales in the Sarasota, Florida market rose by an unexpected 3.2 percent. Some believe that the southwest Florida real estate market might be forming a bottom. Pending single family homes in Sarasota and Manatee counties are currently near 2,500. Condos for the same area are near 750.
The increase in sales is largely due to falling home prices. Buyers who couldn't buy in 2004 and 2005 are finding some tremendous deals out there right now. As sellers adjust themselves to the realities of the current market, buyers are responding.
Some consider this a perfect storm for buyers. There are plenty of properties to choose from, many distressed sellers, interest rates are historically low and prices have retraced dramatically.
Realtors are also seeing what seemed a bygone boom phenomenon: multiple-offer situations. It is not uncommon to put a property on the market at an aggressive asking price and immediately receive multiple offers.
Let's compare 2008 and 2009 home sales in Sarasota, FL: Continue reading this post


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This is an 8 hour program that incorporates extensive class room lecture with experienced oil and gas instructors, computer modules with testing, and hands-on training aids. This course incorporates both written and practical exams that are based on the requirements of OSHA regulations CFR 1910 and 1926.1400, AESC, ASME, API and ANSI standards and manufacturers recommendations. This program provides a certification.
There are currently no classes scheduled for this course. Please check back at a later time or contact Workforce Development to see when the course will be offered again.


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Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Yves Saint Laurent : Rock & Baroque Fall collection
The eyeshadow duo (£27) in #31 Midnight Blue-Solar Gold contains a sheer shimmery old gold and a matte dusky blue/purple, not a straight up blue as per the name. I know it looks blue in my photo but honestly I do think it leans more purple than blue in real life.
I've not been overly impressed with YSL shadows in the past, however although these are not the smoothest in texture, I really love the colour combination.
The Peche L'Eclat Collector Palette (£35) is marketed as "barely-there shades" however as soon as I swatched it I knew it would have enough pigment for me to use as a blusher. The combination of a very sheer pink and peach beige create a warm flush of healthy colour. The only issue I have with this is that the shimmer/micro glitter that I had thought was an over spray is still there after 4 days of use, I can't say if it will go all the way down but I'll update this post if it does disappear.
Swatches L-R: pink,peach/beige, both shades combined.
I also bought two of the volupte perles which I'll show you soon. I am still tempted by the nail duos but I've not tried YSL varnish before so wonder what the quality is like ?
7 comments:
They look fabulous and are the most amazing colours together. Thank you !!!ReplyDelete
I think the eyeshadow duo looks lovely. It's so tricky to get purple to pick up well on camera without it looking blue tones.ReplyDelete
I hadn't seen the blusher at all when I had a look in Selfridges. It looks like a really interesting pattern. I did have a look at the Volupte pearl when I was there and they swatched nicely. I look forward to hearing how you got on with them x
Thanks for the review and swatches. I haven't been impressed with YSL for their eyeshadows but may have to look at them again.ReplyDelete
I love your blog, its very current and has good swatches. Although I cant say your helping my wish list get any shorter! >_<ReplyDelete
Thank You :)
Hi Ballet news,ReplyDelete
They do make a nice combo, thanks for stopping by :)
Hi Jane,
I'll try and get my VP review up soon, I seem to have gone on some crazy "must have all fall collections" spree so have more stuff than I have time to write about! x
Hi Kristie,
I know what you mean, I don't favour them as a shadow brand,but the colours do pair nice together.
Hello Kei Kei,
Thanks, really nice of you to say, I do like to be an enabler ;)
I feel so cut off from everything here at the sea in Sardinia, luckily I've got you to show me what's going on in the beauty world!! Great combo, there are others from past collections that I was intrigued by but never got...though you can bet I have an YSL eyeshadow to post about...among 1000 other things!!!! Going back home on Monday, will be able to comment assiduously again, yay!!! xxReplyDelete
Hi Anna,ReplyDelete
well I'm slowly buying all the fall collections it would seem so you won't miss out!


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February 18, 2013
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Now the real work begins! This is the beginning of Phase 2: Foundation / Build. You'll be adding strength work and cross training to your daily training routine.
Fit to Climb: Week 3 Schedule
|Rainier Dozen (*see below) / Easy Hiking ( 30 min)
|42 min.
|Rainier Dozen / Stair Interval Training (40 min)
|52 min.
|Rainier Dozen / Rest
|12 min.
|Strength Circuit Training x 2 (*see below)
|38 min.
|Rainier Dozen / Rest
|12 min.
|Rainier Dozen / Cross Training (1 hr)
|72 min.
|Rainier Dozen / Hike (2 hrs)
|132 min.
|6 hrs
You've been doing the Daily Dozen for two weeks, going forward the new Daily Workout will be the Rainier Dozen. The Rainier Dozen is based upon the Daily Dozen and it's a more advanced workout.
Here are a list of the exercises. You may be familiar with all or some. A description is added below for each exercise. Following the Rainier Dozen, you'll find a description of the Day 4 Strength Circuit.
1. Steam engine
2. Three quarter squats
3. Turkish Get Up
4. Lunge
5. Arm extender
6. Triceps Dip
7. Deep squat
8. Steam engine laying down
9. Mountain climber
10. Push up
11. Ranger crawl
12. 8 Point Body Builder
If you have any concerns about performing these exercises, consider hiring a coach or fitness trainer to help you learn how to get the most from each movement.
1. Steam Engine
How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands clasped behind your head. Lift your left knee, simultaneously twisting your body to the right, while keeping the muscles of your core engaged. Alternate the movement, using your right knee and left elbow.
2. Three Quarter Squats
How to do it: Stand with legs shoulder width apart and arms at your sides. Swing your arms forward and up, raising them above your head, palms facing forward. At the same time, bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair. Hold the Squat briefly, then stand up by pushing through your heels, until you are in a full upright standing position.
3. Turkish Get Up
How to do it:
Step 1: Starting in a laying down position, with the right hand vertically toward the sky, bring the right knee into a bended position, while rolling towards your left. Placing the left hand on the ground, bring the right foot over the body and placing it on the floor. From here, keeping the right arm vertical, bring your body into the lunge position. From this position, push down on the right leg to bring your entire body into the standing-upright position.
Step 2: Drop back to the lunge position, with your left foot back. Place your left arm on the ground. Simultaneously rotate your body towards the right, while extending the right leg. Place your bottom on the ground, proceeding to lay flat while the right arm remains vertical throughout.
4. Lunge
How to do it: Stand upright, feet and legs together, hands on hips, elbows out to sides. Step your right leg backward. Bend your left knee until the kneecap is directly above your foot, causing the leg to form a 90-degree angle. Simultaneously lower your right leg until the knee almost rests on the ground, forming another 90-degree angle. Step back to starting position, and repeat, stepping backward with the left leg. Continue to alternate legs.
5. Arm Extender
How to do it: Standing upright, start with the hands and elbows at shoulder level. Simultaneously extend elbows outwards three times, and on the fourth time, completely extend the arm to finish with arms completely straight out to the side. Pause, and repeat.
6. Triceps Dip
How to do it: Find a solid object, such as a wall, stairs, or a bench. Facing outwards, place the hands behind your body on the edge of the object. Your legs can be straight, or to reduce the resistance, they can bent at the knees. With the core muscles engaged, simply lower your body until the angle behind your forearm and upper arm is approximately 100 degrees. Be careful to not lower yourself more than this, because to do so will place undue strain on the shoulders. Reverse movement to start position.
7. Deep Squat
How to do it: Stand with your feet a little wider than hip distance apart, toes pointing out at 45-degree angles. Put your hands on your hips and bend your knees out to the sides, making sure to keep them in line with the toes. Lower your body in a Squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, and then push up through your heels to a standing position. Repeat.
8. Steam Engine (on ground)
How to do it: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, head slightly raised, taking care not to pull on your neck. Extend your legs fully, holding them an inch or so off the ground. Bend the left knee in toward your body as you extend your right elbow to touch the left knee. Alternate the movement, touching your right knee to your left elbow as you extend the left leg fully.
9. Mountain Climber
How could the mountain climber not be good for mountain climbing! Seriously though, the mountain climber is a great exercise for core strength, hip flexor extension, agility in the calves and strength in the feet and ankles. How this benefits the climber is through the improved flexibility, coordination, strength and endurance required during the stepping-up motion.
How to do it: Starting in the plank position, bring the right foot forward as if you were in the starting blocks of a 100 meter sprint. From here, simply alternate your left and right legs between this position with a small hop or jump, as if running or bounding. The length of the movement can be shorter or longer depending on your level of ability.
10. Push Up
How to do it: Start with palms and toes on the ground, body in the air, as straight and strong as possible. Your arms should be directly underneath your shoulders, and you can spread your fingers wide for stability. (If this is more of a challenge than you'd like right now, do a modified Push-up with your knees on the ground.) Keeping the back and neck straight, inhale, bend your elbows and lower yourself until you are about 2 inches off the ground. Exhale as you push back up into the starting position. Repeat.
11. Ranger Crawl
How to do it: Starting in the plank position, bring the right knee towards the right elbow. Pause, then return to the start position. Then, switch feet and bring the left knee towards the left elbow, again, pausing, before returning to the start position. Repeat. What's important with this exercise is to engage the core muscles and the arm and shoulder muscles prior to beginning the movements. Keep the hips low to maintain the plank position.
12. 8 Point Bodybuilder
How to do it: Starting in the standing position, drop to the ground and then thrust both legs back to the plank position. Perform a push up. Then, perform a scissor, spreading the legs wide, then returning them to the start position. From here, bring the feet forward into a position to be able to perform a power jump. Finally, perform the power jump, finishing with a hand clap before returning to the start position (see this video for an explanation).
A. (Rainier Dozen to warm up) - 12 minutes
B. The 8 exercises for this circuit (40 seconds on, 20 seconds rest) x 2 - 16 minutes, based on the Rainier Dozen, are:
1. Stem Engine
2. Push Up
3. Squat
4. Lunge
5. Plank
6. Jump rope / Jumping Jack
7. Mountain Climber
8. Side Lunge
C. (10 Minute Cool Down) - 10 minutes. See the Home Stretch for exercises.
- John Colver
Have a question? See the Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program.
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book, Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
Great question about using a training mask to simulate altitude. They have been marketed quite heavily and are certainly significantly cheaper than using an altitude tent! In looking through available research, however, the use of a training mask doesn't appear to correlate with increased athletic performance at any altitude and certainly hasn't been shown to increase performance at altitude. Rather than altering the ratio of oxygen in the air the way an altitude tent does, the training mask simply creates resistance to inhalation. This has been shown to increase strength in the muscles of the diaphragm, however, hasn't shown increased performance because the strength of the diaphragm is rarely the limiting factor in performance.
It also strikes me that the principle of the training mask is inverse to normal altitude training theory. In general, for any high-intensity sport, the mantra is to sleep high and train low. When you sleep at a high altitude, your body is stimulated to build more red blood cells, adjust the pH of the blood, and generally begin the process of acclimatization. Training at high altitude, however, means that you are always oxygen limited when you are training, thus the upper end of the intensity that you can achieve is decreased significantly. This can have an impact on muscle development. Typically athletes do most of their high-intensity training at low altitude to allow them to push as hard as possible for the muscular development.
Otherwise, the routine you describe seems like a great workout as a part of a mountaineering training plan. Climbing 1,300 ft in 40 min probably equates to 2,000' in an hour, which is about twice the pace that we typically climb (1,000 ft per hour). 33 pounds is a reasonable load as well. Your pack will probably be slightly heavier on the approach to Camp Muir, and slightly lighter on summit day. Remember that this is only a piece of the training program, however. Accommodating for varying terrain is a really important piece to be prepared for the climb, as a stair master is far more consistent than the actual climb will be.
-The RMI Team
Posted by: RMI Expeditions on 4/13/2017 at 8:41 am
What is the efficacy of using a training mask while working out on a moving staircase. I've been using this exercise for some time carrying 33 lbs. and going vertical 1300 ft in 41 min.
Posted by: John Chirinko on 4/8/2017 at 10:53 am
April 27, 2015
Posted by: Dave Hahn, JJ Justman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: 17,575'
At Camp One, we were up before dawn, boiling cups of instant coffee and hurriedly packing. It wasn't going to be an ideal scenario, by any means… Being "rescued" from 20,000 ft on Mount Everest, along with perhaps 180 of our closest friends… But we weren't likely to get any better offers… The Icefall Route that should have been a two hour descent to Basecamp was decidedly out of order and couldn't be fixed while the earth was still shaking. We got out in the cold shadows in our down suits and thankfully saw clear and calm conditions. Perhaps we all did have a chance to escape the Western Cwm. It seemed unlikely that ninety plus landings and take offs -at what was a record breaking rescue altitude for helicopters only twenty years ago- could be accomplished without chaos or catastrophe… or at least unworkable delay, but sure enough, the first B3 powered on in at 6 AM and the great Everest Air Show began. A fear of the team leaders was a helicopter mob scene ala Saigon '75, but we'd arrayed our helipads in a way that didn't allow for mobbing and everybody seemed to understand the need for superior social skills on this day. There was one way out and nobody wanted to get put on the "no fly" list. Eventually there were four or five birds in the air at any time, flying a dramatic loop from BC to Camp One to BC. A line of climbers with packs formed at each pad and a stream of climbers from Camp 2 made their way into what was left of Camp 1 and then joined the queues. It took four laps in Kiwi pilot Jason's B3 to get our team down. Although it seemed already like a full day, it was only about 9:30 AM when Chhering and I got off the final RMI chopper. There was no back-slapping. No cheering. No high fives. We'd put down at the epicenter of a disaster and we could barely believe our eyes. Whatever relief each of us felt at being off the mountain was quickly replaced with sadness and awe at the destructive power on evidence all around us. Hearing on the radio about the quake triggered Avalanche that blasted BC did nothing to prepare us for experiencing the aftermath first hand. It was as if an enormous bomb had detonated. We each walked slowly through the obliterated camps, stopping to understand how much force had bent this or that bit of steel. We finally understood the enormous death toll and the nature of the numerous injuries to the survivors. When we reached our own greatly altered camp and heard a few stories from neighbors, we finally understood Mark Tucker's heroism of the last few days, helping to stabilize and transport dozens upon dozens of seriously injured, bloody and broken people. He and our Sherpa team had gone immediately to help others, even though their own camp was largely destroyed. By now, we are not even mildly surprised to learn that they somehow found time and energy to rebuild camp for our arrival. Our "ordeal" seems trivial by comparison… we had to stay a bit longer in a beautiful and legendary hanging valley and deal with a bit of uncertainty. Now back down to earth… we understand just how lucky we've been and we are sad beyond words to learn how unlucky others have been.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
It is beyond words the devastation, and yet I am so glad to hear you are safely down off the mountain and pray for a continued safe journey to you and the many others involved. Thanks for communicating.
Posted by: michele on 4/29/2015 at 11:39 am
As Hemingway once said in defining a "hero", it is one who shows Grace Under Pressure. You guys are all Heroes in my book. Have a safe trip home.
Posted by: John Hawkins on 4/28/2015 at 6:26 pm
April 26, 2015
Posted by: Dave Hahn, JJ Justman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: 20,000'
Dave Hahn calling from Camp One on Mount Everest 20,000'. That was a day of waiting and watching for us. The weather improved a little bit, this morning it was sunny and clear. And couple of helicopter and courageous helicopter pilots made use of that time flying out from sick and hurt people from Camp Two to Camp One. But the big work that they did was trip after trip flying casualties out from Base Camp. We followed some of that on the radio. Our efforts to get our selves out of here, two of our Sherpa team Wingen and Sunam, made a valiant effort coming up from the bottom of the Ice Fall, to see how far they could get before the damage of the earth quake stopped them. They got about a third of the way. Additionally, we were part of supporting a team, coming down from the top trying to do the same thing. They probably got about a third of the way down, luckily both teams, got out safely. There was a massive aftershock this afternoon at about 1 o'clock local time. But it seemed almost as powerful as yesterdays quake. And we are worried, as everybody is, about putting people in the Ice Fall again. That is probably not going to be our exit plan. And now we are looking to helicopter out in the next day or two to get down to Base Camp. And that probably will be what we do, but the timing is still up to mother nature. If it keeps on snowing as it did this afternoon, and making flying impossible. But perhaps we'll keep you updated. We'll let you know how it goes. We are safe. We are in a good spot. And we are not in panic mode. Thank you.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calls in from Camp One with an update.
Hi Dave! Praying for you and everyone else on Mount Everest and the people of Nepal.. Safe descent.
Posted by: Jean Tanner on 4/27/2015 at 9:27 pm
Where is the rest of the blog that was there a few days ago. It had a lot of detail that I would like to read again.
Posted by: Greg on 4/27/2015 at 7:27 am
April 25, 2015
Posted by: Dave Hahn, JJ Justman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: 19,900'
This is Dave Hahn with RMI's Everest Expedition. This morning, early this morning we got up from Camp 1, five climbers Jeff Justman, Chhering Dorji and myself. We completed a good circuit, climbing up to 21,300 feet Advance Base Camp and back to Camp 1. We were here about 11:30, 11:15 this morning. And then shortly after that, at about noon, there was a major earthquake and resulted in avalanches off of all the mountains around us. Our camp was in a good place we got dusted but here at Camp 1 we were just fine. Our concern then shifted to Base Camp. We are hearing reports of some pretty destructive action down there, injuries and loss of life. Our entire team is ok. We have talked with our Sherpa team down below and with Mark Tucker [at Base Camp]. And so our team is okay. About the same time as the earthquake a pretty good snowstorm commenced up here in the Western Cwm and down at Base Camp. We're sitting things out safely at Camp One. But we don't have the ability to travel right now, good mountaineering sense dictates that we stay put and ride this storm out. This may take a little time to ride the storm out and that's what we'll do. It may take this a little time but we are okay. We are self sufficient up here and our concern is with our friends at Base Camp. We're hearing the strenuous efforts that our Sherpa team and Mark Tucker are going through down there trying to help with the injured and those who haven't fared so well. We'll try to be in touch. We obviously are in a situation where we won't have great communication. It's likely that the earthquake destroyed any cell service around the Base Camp area. We are calling you on a satellite telephone, we got some batteries and we will nurse those batteries to make them last.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn calls from Camp One with update on the RMI team.
On The Map
Our family has been praying for Mark and all of you since the news broke. Mark, you guided us up Kili in 2012 and I have no doubt were one of the best to deal with the tragedy you faced. Continued prayers for your safe return. Dennis
Posted by: Dennis Mulherin on 4/28/2015 at 4:42 am
JJ, glad to hear you are safe! Worried when we heard the news. We're sad to hear about all the casualties, and our hearts are with everyone in Nepal!
Posted by: Leslie on 4/27/2015 at 11:02 am
February 4, 2013
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
This is officially the first training week Fit To Climb and of your Mount Rainier adventure. Much like fastening up a coat, it's really important to get the first button in the right hole, or no amount of effort at the other end is going to make the process successful!
In physical training, a core foundational principle is to develop correct movement patterns, this so we can use our bodies efficiently while avoiding injury. The method we'll use to practice this week is the Daily Dozen. (Download a description of the Daily Dozen here).
During this first week of training, measure your success by performing the exercises with the greatest amount of skill possible. Consider how you'll want to move on the mountain during your climb, moving over rocks covered in ice, wearing crampons and a heavy backpack, potentially in a snowstorm. At that point, you'll want your foot to end up exactly where you want it, and you'll want to have the strength and coordination to efficiently move your body upwards.
The very first step toward getting there is to figure out how to move your body right. Therefore, do not worry about how many exercises you can do or how intensely you can do them; simply focus on the quality of movement and make a strong commitment to quality training during this week and for the weeks to follow.
Fit to Climb: Week 1 Schedule
|Daily Dozen (Crux Workout)
|12 min.
|30 Minute Hike
|30 min.
|Daily Dozen / Rest
|12 min.
|30 Minute Hike
|30 min.
|Daily Dozen / Rest
|12 min.
|1 Hour Hike
|60 min.
|2 hrs 36 mins
- John Colver
Have a question? See the Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program.
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book, Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
The link to the Daily Dozen is the last word "here" of paragraph 2 at the top.
Busted not reading the introduction.
Posted by: Barry Reese on 12/17/2016 at 11:25 am
I see the daily dozen in day 1. I have read the FAQ and all the comments, and while the question has been asked it is not explained anywhere obvious.
Please explain or send me a link that explains this and the other exercises.
Thank you very much,
Barry Reese
Posted by: Barry Reese on 12/17/2016 at 11:20 am
February 28, 2013
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Below are some answers to help to common questions that we receive regarding the Adventx Fit To Climb Program:
How do I complete the Stair Intervals?
First, find a set of stairs. They can be outdoors, indoors, at a stadium or even a stairmaster or eliptical trainer at the gym. Warm up with steady walking for 10 - 15 minutes. Then make repeated high intensity efforts - about 2 minutes is a good length of time (this may mean two or more flights/sets if your stairs are short). In between efforts, rest for 2 - 3 minutes until you can breathe comfortably before starting again. If you are new to interval training, start with 3 or 4 efforts. Don't worry about your performance level today as you'll see gains as the weeks progress. The 40 minutes is an average time frame, the amount of time it will actually take you depends on the number of efforts you put in. Be sure to allow 10 minutes to cool down at an easy pace.
What is a Turkish Get Up (from the Rainier Dozen)?
Steve Cotter offers a great instructional video on the Turkish Get Up using a variation I find very helpful for climbers in building strength for the big steps often found on climbs. Using a kettle ball or additional weight, as demonstrated in the video, is optional depending on how challenging this exercise is for you. See the video below. Be sure to complete the exercise on both your left and right sides.
How do I complete the Timed Run?
The Timed Run (or walk) is a benchmark that allow you to see progress over the sixteen weeks. When not setting benchmarks, it's easy to 'feel' fitter, or even less fit, at times. The Timed Run is a timed effort over a short distance that allows you to see tangible gains. You can choose your actual distance, I suggest about 1 mile, four circuits of an athletic field or the perimeter of a city park - but it can be any moderate distance that you choose and can follow again over the coming weeks. The Timed Run also acts as an improvement target, providing focus for this workout.
What is the Fitness Test all about?
In Fit To Climb we'll do the test every four weeks to act as a measurement of overall fitness as well as specific core muscle endurance and agility. The repeated test is designed to show progress and these sessions should also be fun. Be sure to record your results from this week's test and we can compare them to the results of the next test. As with all training, there should be an emphasis on safety and self care. Push your limits but don't place undue stress or strain on your body. Rather than go all out, try to nudge your results forward in a controlled and sensible way, much like a successful mountain climb.
I don't have the time or the right terrain to fit in all of the training!
There is no doubt about it, the Fit To Climb Program is a demanding training routine and asks for a significant investment of time. Additionally, ideal training takes place on terrain that can replicate the demands of the mountains. Finding both the time and the terrain to fit in all of your training is a difficult task. Check out our Time and Terrain Tips for Mountaineering Training, a collection of ideas, suggestions, and tips that our guides and climbers have used over the years to get the most out of your training. Be creative with the time and terrain you have available! Additionally, consider alternate activities like cycling to get your workouts in, see Cycling for Mountaineering Training for more ideas.
-John Colver
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book, Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts with John and other readers on the RMI Blog!
You can read the past Weekly Mountaineering Training Series on the RMI Blog.
Regarding the stair climbing interval training, would it be acceptable to use a steep hill as a substitute for stairs? Where I live there are several nice long steep hills that would be perfect for running, but no long flights of stairs.
Posted by: Rob on 3/6/2018 at 7:37 am
Any specific exercises you would recommend for the strength circuit training? I have an elliptical at home but no weight set to use. Are there some weight-free or gym-free strength circuits I can use as supplement?
Posted by: Greg Duncan on 1/12/2016 at 8:34 am
November 5, 2012
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Mountain Climbing has a high requirement for energy. Quality nutrition is a key component of training success. In this conversation with Registered Dietician Sally Hara of Kirkland, Washington, I had a chance to ask some of the questions which often come up in training for mountaineering.
John Colver: How much protein do I need?
Sally Hara: Most athletes require 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (1 kilogram is equivalent to 2.2 pounds). Ultra-endurance athletes may require up to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This is typically not difficult for an athlete to get if he or she is eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet and is responding appropriately to hunger cues. An ounce of meat, fish, poultry, or cheese contains about 7 grams of protein. Other good sources of protein are 1 to 2 tablespoons of nut butter, one egg, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, and 1/2 cup cooked legumes. A slice of bread, 1/3 cup of pasta or rice, or 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal can contain about 3 grams of protein each - check the nutritional label to be sure.
JC: How much water should I drink?
SH: The general recommendation for daily fluid intake is about 64 to 80 ounces per day. This includes all fluids consumed, not just water. When you factor in endurance exercise, an athlete's fluid needs will increase. Although specific needs may vary depending on duration and intensity of the exercise, the ambient temperature and humidity, altitude, and individual differences between athletes, the following are general recommendations appropriate for most athletes.
• 2 to 3 hours before exercise? Drink about 20 oz. water or sports drink
• During exercise? Drink 6 to 12 oz. every 15 - 20 minutes
• After exercise? At least 20 oz. after exercise, with continued regular hydration for the remainder of the day. Ideally, enough to replace water lost via sweat, urine, and respiration. Consume 24 oz. for every pound of body weight lost during exercise.
*Source: ADA. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance, 2009
JC: How often should I eat during a normal day?
SH: To optimize metabolism and both physiological and psychological performance (including mood, focus, and efficiency), I recommend eating every three to four hours. Serious athletes sometimes need to eat at least every two hours because of their high metabolism and energy needs. Spreading food intake throughout the day helps ensure that your brain and body will have enough energy to function properly during the day. Eating at regular intervals helps prevent overeating at the end of the day caused by extreme hunger. It seems paradoxical, but eating frequently can actually help regulate body weight better than skipping meals and snacks. If a person is in tune with their natural hunger and fullness signals, the best advice is simply to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're satisfied. Unfortunately, people who have a history of dieting often are disconnected from these signals because they have a history of ignoring them. If you are truly hungry, eat high-quality, nutrient-dense food. Hunger is a signal that your body is asking for more energy. Just respond to hunger with the most nutrient-dense food available.
JC: How do I know when I'm getting the correct mix of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fat) to enable my best performance?
SH: This is one issue a sports dietician can help you determine. Most athletes think they need much more protein than they actually do, and many vastly underestimate their need for carbohydrates. While protein is necessary to build and repair muscles and other tissues, carbohydrate is the preferred fuel for exercise (even for strength training). Protein is building material, carbohydrates are fuel. The more you work out, the more fuel you need.
JC: Do I have to eat breakfast?
SH: For optimal health and performance, yes. When we wake up in the morning, our glycogen stores are significantly depleted, because that is our primary energy source when we sleep.
JC: What do you eat before a morning training session?
SH: Usually a light but balanced meal or snack is best; something that contains mostly carbohydrate and a little protein for longer workouts is ideal. The size of the meal depends on the duration and intensity of the workout. Yogurt with granola or fruit can work well. Including a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates provides both an immediate energy source (simple carbs) and one that is digested more slowly, giving you more energy over time (complex carbs). An example of a meal that serves this purpose could be oatmeal with soymilk and raisins.
JC: Should I eat before a workout? What can I eat and how soon before the workout?
SH: Yes. I recommend a snack with carbohydrates (fruit, granola bar, smoothie, etc.) within two hours prior to exercise. If you will be training for over ninety minutes, it is also good to include a protein source (peanut butter, yogurt, meat, soy products, etc.) to help stabilize your blood sugar for a longer period of time. How close to your workout you eat depends on you. Some people can eat a three-course meal five minutes before intense exercise, while others can barely tolerate a small yogurt two hours before the workout. This is very individual.
JC: What should I eat after a workout and how soon after?
SH: The most important requirements for recovery are carbohydrates, fluids, and electrolytes. The perfect recovery snack is chocolate milk - it offers all of this plus a little protein. There are other options, of course, but the focus should be on carbs and hydration. A small amount of protein may also be helpful for post-exercise recovery, but the bulk of your post-exercise meal should be made up of carbohydrates. Remember to eat something within one hour after exercise to get a jump on replenishing your glycogen stores.
JC: Should I take a multivitamin?
SH: In theory, we should be able to get all of our vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. Even if there is a slightly higher nutritional need in endurance athletes, the increased amount of food necessary to meet energy demands should contain the additional vitamins and minerals needed as well. That said, not everyone has a perfect diet, so a basic multivitamin may not be a bad idea. There is no need to overspend on specialized vitamins, however. For instance, those little packets with four to six vitamin pills in them are mostly a marketing ploy.
JC: I don't eat fish - should I take fish oil supplements?
SH: Fish oil supplements are an excellent idea. The omega-3 fatty acids in these supplements have multiple documented benefits, including cholesterol balance, anti-inflammatory effects, and mood stabilization. A good substitute for vegetarians would be flaxseed oil.
JC: What type of beverage should go into my water bottle when I'm exercising - something with electrolytes?
SH: For anyone exercising over sixty minutes, I recommend a sports drink containing both electrolytes and carbohydrates. Since you should be fueling as you go, this is a convenient way to take in the recommended carbohydrates.
Alternatively, you could fill the bottle with an electrolyte-only drink and eat solid foods as an energy source. It really depends on the sport and whether or not you typically eat while training. Either way, fluids and electrolytes are both important to have in your sports bottle.
JC: How does alcohol affect my performance?
SH: It's all about timing and moderation. Alcohol is a known diuretic and can lead to significant dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. If you have an occasional beer, rehydrate before turning in for the night and limit yourself to one to two drinks per day. Alcohol is a known toxin that can hinder liver functions, including the ability of the liver to produce blood sugar from glycogen (for fuel) during exercise.
JC: How much fiber do I need?
SH: The current recommendation is about 30 grams of fiber per day. Consuming whole grains most of the time and getting at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day will likely provide this amount of fiber easily.
JC: What if I don't have much time to cook?
SH: This is a big problem in our society. Some strategies could include cooking once a week and freezing several meals that you can easily heat up later. One great tool for athletes is a slow cooker. You can chop meat, vegetables, and spices, put them in a slow cooker for eight hours, and you'll have wonderful meals. Personally I enjoy curries, chilies, stews, soups, and even baked potatoes. It's easy, safe (you can leave it on all day), inexpensive ($50 to $100), and nutrient dense, as the cooking method used does not leach vitamins or minerals, nor does it destroy nutrients with excessive heat.
JC: For vegetarians, are there specific things to know about eating for athletic performance?
SH: The basic needs for vegetarian athletes are the same as for other athletes. What differs is the source of some of the nutrients (especially protein, iron, B12 and calcium). A great resource for this is the book The Vegetarian's Sports Nutrition Guide, by Lisa Dorfman, RD, CSSD.
Vegetarians should pay particular attention to getting enough protein, but it's not that difficult to do. The main sources of protein for vegetarians are legumes (such as dried beans, peas, and lentils), soy products, and (for non-vegans) milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. The good thing about vegetarian protein sources is that most also contain carbohydrates, which are an athlete's best friend.
Iron, one of the nutrients that all vegetarians must be aware of, is found abundantly in animal products but sparsely in plant products. Some good sources of iron for vegetarians include dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables. Iron absorption is increased by eating foods containing vitamin C together with iron-rich foods in the same meal.
JC: If I am a vegetarian, how can I get enough vitamin B12?
SH: Vitamin B12 is found only in animal products. Lacto-ovo vegetarians can get B12 from dairy products and eggs. Vegans (who eat only plant products) need to supplement their diet with B12 either by including nutritional yeast, foods that have been fortified with it (like some soy milks), or by taking a B12 supplement. The recommended intake of B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms daily. Inadequate B12 can result in a condition called macrocytic anemia, in which you will be overly tired and have difficulty training and recovering from exercise.
JC: How do I know if I'm getting enough iron?
SH: Iron deficiencies are common in endurance athletes, especially runners. There is controversy over why this occurs. Iron plays a key role in transporting oxygen to the muscles. This increases the need for iron in endurance athletes. Athletes who overtrain will often develop iron-deficiency anemia despite consuming what should be adequate iron, because a body that is in a stressed state from overtraining makes the iron unavailable. If you have a history of iron deficiency (determined by simple blood tests your doctor can order), taking an iron supplement routinely is a good idea. If this doesn't fix the problem, you may need to examine your training and nutrition habits. Certainly, making sure to include iron-rich foods (especially red meat, which is very high in iron) is very important.
- John Colver
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle.
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May 19, 2009
Posted by:
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest
Elevation: Top of the World
Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs reach the summit of Everest.
January 28, 2013
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
We are excited to share a weekly trainings series from the book Fit to Climb: The Adventx 16 week Mount Rainier Training Program authored by former RMI Guide John Colver! This conditioning plan is designed to help you train for a successful Mount Rainier climb.
As the plan unfolds you'll quickly gain momentum, achieving milestones, and navigating each phase of training. Before you're halfway through, you'll feel confident in your abilities and have experienced significant physical gains.
Features of the Fit To Climb plan are:
• A progressive training schedule with measurable milestones
• A weekly chart with day by day workout descriptions
• The 'Rainier Dozen' daily strengthening workout
• Tips on cross-training and alternative training options
• Instruction on aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, and strength training
• Nutrition for training and climbing
• Tips on motivation, goal setting, and mental preparation
The Fit To Climb Program is designed to be done anywhere and with the minimal of equipment. No matter where you live, you'll be able to participate and each week you'll build strength and endurance for the climb ahead.
The 16 weeks are comprised of four phases:
• Phase one = Adaptation Training (Weeks 1 - 2)
• Phase two = Foundation Training (Weeks 3 - 10)
• Phase three = Peak Training (Weeks 10 - 15)
• Phase four = Expedition (Week 16)
These phases are the building blocks, each ending in milestones. We start with general conditioning, then add endurance, followed by the addition of high intensity interval training in the peak phase and ending with a short 'tapering' phase during the final preparation in the week before your climb.
The timing commitment of the Fit To Climb Program varies. The Adaption and Foundation Training Phases ask for 4 - 7 hours a week of training. During the Peak Training Phase the focus is on building solid and aerobic endurance with long training sessions and the plan calls for 10 - 15+ hrs of training per week. It's a big time commitment so plan ahead and try and prepare your schedule to handle the increased training demands. For some tips, see RMI's collection of ideas to maximize the time and the find the right terrain for your training.
The timing of the sixteen weeks is designed to prepare you for Mount Rainier climb that is four months away. If your climb is later or sooner you can adjust the timing as necessary, either getting a head-start or beginning in the appropriate week.
The Fit To Climb Program can easily be tailored to prepare you for any mountain beyond Mt. Rainier. In developing training plans for other climbs, plan your training with the end in mind: is the major challenge the high altitude, extreme temperatures, heavy pack, or multiple days or weeks?
As you create the training map, ensure that there are stepping stones to gain new skills and strengths as well as milestones where you can "test" your ability. One principle of training for mountaineering in all ranges, is that aerobic endurance conditioning is the primary training component for most climbers. Start by making sure that you have what it takes to "go long," then focus on the specific challenges of your climb or expedition.
The Fit To Climb training program is rigorous and to complete it in its entirety requires a substantial commitment of time and effort. Do people follow it to-the-letter? Sometimes yes, often no - people become ill, work or family situations come up and the best plans work on the basis of flexibility. A paradox of training for a major climb is that we want to set the bar high in training in order to replicate the demands we'll have during the expedition, however, we also want to maintain confidence if we fall short of a training session or goal. It's rarely a linear process; sometimes we feel awful just when we expected to be strong, sometimes our perfect plan goes sideways, and sometimes we feel doubt when everything has been completed perfectly.
As you start the process, think of the key elements of success: Maintain momentum, rest when you need to, push hard when you feel strong, and constantly think about how you can recover well. And most importantly, be confident that your efforts will pay off; many people have climbed and succeeded in their goals while having not completed all of the training or while feeling sub-par. I remind myself that one can miss a few classes and still graduate. It's progress, not perfection, that counts.
- John Colver
Have a question? See the Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program.
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book, Fit To Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
I am interested in getting feedback. I have a good general plan for the climb, but could use further insight. Thanks, Mike
Posted by: Micheal Black on 10/26/2017 at 10:52 am
I've signed up for the five day Rainier climb starting on 6/23/17. I would like to know since I want to start training now if I should do two weeks for each of the sixteen week steps so that I finish my training just before the trip.
Posted by: John Chirinko on 10/10/2016 at 12:14 pm
November 19, 2012
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Interval Training is a training technique employed in many endurance sports. It refers to a training session where periods of high intensity effort, followed by rest, are repeated during a training session.
The benefits of interval training:
Benefits include improved cardiovascular fitness, increased aerobic performance and increased anaerobic threshold. It has its place in a weight loss program too, due to the high levels of energy burned during and after the workout.
It's true that during a climb, the goal is to ascend at a steady pace and to conserve energy, which begs the question;
"Why do high-intensity interval training"?
There are several reasons. One is that as we climb higher, the air is thinner and every effort becomes more taxing. Interval training, by raising the anaerobic threshold, will simply extend the range of effort we can make before we get out of breath. It also helps us to recover after a short, hard effort.
Some ideas to implement this type of training:
As a general rule, you'll want to be fully warmed up with some mobility exercises (for example, try the Daily Dozen) and 10 to 15 minutes of moderate walking or running, just enough to get your blood flowing and your muscles ready for a hard effort.
Stairs: If you have a set of stairs available in town or at an athletic stadium you can use them for interval training. Simply push hard up the stairs for about a minute then rest by going easy down the stairs. How many times you'll want to repeat this depends on your fitness ability. To start off, you may chose 3 or 4 efforts. During the peak phase of training a dozen or more will provide significant benefits.
Steep grade: Same as above and use a stopwatch or mark a spot as your turn-around point.
Indoors: You can do intervals on treadmill, bicycle, stair-master and elliptical machines
None of the above? You can even do intervals with a step, a low wall or even a box you might find in a gym. Simply use your watch and do repeated step-ups. You can even wear a pack, hold weights or a medicine ball while you work.
Example workout: Short high intensity interval training.
Here is the timeline for a one hour interval training session:
• 0:00 Daily Dozen
• 0:12 Ten minutes moderate walking or running
• 0:22 Two minutes rest
• 0:24 One-minute high intensity
• 0:25 Repeat six times
• 0:43 Ten-minute cool-down walk
• 0:53 Stretch
• 1:00 Finish
If you are new to interval training, expect to feel both exhilarated and fatigued. When I do interval training with groups it's always easy to see the effort evidenced by sweat and hard breathing.
Another version of interval training is 'Fartlek' training. The word originated in Sweden and means 'Speed Play'. It's popular with cyclists, runners and cross-country skiers. You simply chose random 'targets' like the top of a hill, a loop of a track, a tree or trail marker and then get after it with gusto! Increase your effort level as high or moderate as you feel like and mix up the length of the intervals. I like this type of training very much as it replicates the unpredictable nature of mountain terrain. It's fun too, helping to pass the time while training alone, or to add a competitive challenge with friends. If you lack stairs, you can use any uphill grade and no matter what the terrain, you can always increase intensity by adding weight to your pack. Learn more about Fartlek Training…
Other ideas for interval training include:
• The 4 x 4 Interval Workout
• Ladder Interval Training
How often to include Interval Training?
I find that two times per week is a good amount and I'll choose days of the week where I'm likely to be fully rested and recovered. Avoid doing back-to-back sessions as you'll need a day or two to recover after the effort.
In summary:
Interval training is a valuable part of a mountaineers training. It's energetic, gets the adrenaline flowing, boosts your cardiovascular system, burns energy and helps your body cope with the stresses of a high altitude, low oxygen environment.
As with any training session, make sure you are rested, hydrated and properly fueled before interval training. It's hard work - you'll need good energy to complete the sessions.
- John Colver
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle.
Questions? Comments? Leave a comment to share your thoughts with John and other readers!


text:
Cosmo Challenge: Go to a bar or restaurant where there's a single-stall bathroom. Stop inside together and make out.
As you may or may not remember from my last blog, 77 Positions in 77 Days, D. and I were once escorted out of a bar for trying to get busy in a bathroom stall. (And I once got kicked out of a bar at college for bringing a guy in with me.) But bouncers and rules be damned! I would not let a history of making-out-in-public-bathrooms problems stop us from completing the challenge at hand. (That said, we took extreme measures not to get noticed by anyone who worked at the bar. Because, honestly, if we were kicked out of a bar for a third time, my friends might start to judge and call me an exhibitionist behind my back.)
D. and I were at a friend's birthday party that had devolved into nothing more than a Thirsty Thursday. Read: everyone was pretty boozed up. Read: they wouldn't notice if D. and I sneaked away for a few minutes. I wasn't drinking (headache) and D. had drank only a couple beers so we were very sober compared to the rest of the group. Which I think worked in our favor. (If we were to flash back to the past two times I attempted this—and was subsequently booted—you would see that I was far from sober and that's ultimately what got me caught. Basically, what I'm saying is don't get silly-drunk and try this challenge. It's one that's much better executed with your wits about you.
D. and I stood by the beer pong table and when everyone around us seemed completely riveted by the game, I whispered to D., "Three minutes. Bathroom. Prepare to suck face."
And then I proceeded to shimmy on over to the bar. (That's the second secret to completing this challenge without getting caught: don't both head over to the bathroom together. Amateur mistake. Dead giveaway.) Once I was sure no one was looking (and yes, I did feel a bit like the female James Bond, in case you're wondering) I walked over to the bathroom, which was around a corner. A minute later D. joined me.
We locked the door and operation makeout commenced. We knew from the beginning we weren't going to have sex in there, but we hadn't discussed in detail exactly what we would do. We just said we'd just play it by ear.
Well, apparently "play it by ear" means "finger blasting" in D.'s dictionary...
We started by just kissing. Then D. stuck his hand up my dress and started caressing my thighs. And ladies, I'm not going to, ahem, beat around the bush. I got wet really quickly. I think it was a combination of the the fact that I knew we could get caught and the urgency of the situation. D. didn't even remove my underwear. He just pushed them aside and inserted two fingers in me. He alternated stroking my G-spot and rubbing my clitoris. And within about three minutes (or the length of one song played by the DJ on just the other side of the wall), I climaxed. And here's where we come to lesson number three: do this challenge in a loud bar. When I climaxed, I got suuuper loud. OK, some of it might have been slightly exaggerated just for the hell of it. Hey, when else can you yell, "Oh, D., yes, yes, yesssss!" in a public place?
After my little show, I slumped against D. and told him that this was one of the best birthday parties I'd ever been to.
After basking in the moment for, oh, 15 seconds (everything's accelerated when there's potentially someone standing outside waiting to use the bathroom), we gathered ourselves and I reached for the door handle.
"Wait!" D. exclaimed. And I swear, for a second I thought he was going to ask that I reciprocate. Which would have been totally cool if it weren't for the aforementioned potential someone outside the door. "I need to wash my hands."
Ahh, D. Ever the hygienic person.
After he washed, I slowly opened the door to check for people. Nobody was waiting and not a single bouncer was in sight. Phew.
I walked out first and made a beeline for the bar. D. must have followed because when I got back to the beer pong table, he was standing there. And the game wasn't even finished. That's how quick we were.
Have you ever hooked up in the bathroom of a bar or restaurant? Did you get caught?


text:
backupify necesitaba un nuevo diseño de otro y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 89 diseños de 18 diseñadores freelance.
Backupify sells peace of mind. We are a data control and data liberation company. We allow users to control, manage, backup, etc... all their data that is locked up in SaaS applications.
On a more detailed level, we backup data in the cloud. Our key business offering is a Google Apps backup product used by small businesses who move to Google Apps and want to protect their important business data. We also have a social media backup product for Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress, etc that is used by consumers and by businesses who need to archive their social media data for legal reasons.
Our website is in flux right now, so don't take cues from that as to what we like.
The target audience is technical/web oriented attendees at conferences. This background should stand out at SXSW or some similar event.
The background should resonate with investor groups as well.
We need 4 slides, and 1 extra color iteration (6 slides total). So the deliverable is a Powerpoint background that consists of:
- 1 Title slide background
- 1 Data slide background (the most common slides in a presentation)
- 1 Section Title slide background (to divide sections)
- 1 "Eureka" slide background - this should have some feature that makes it stand out slightly from the other slides and show that this slide makes an important point.
In addition, there should be another color iteration of the data slide background and section title slide background, so that we can alternate colors to keep people in sync about the sections.
Overall, the slides should be simple and clean. They should convey security and trust. The attitude of the background should incorporate these ideas but also convey a hidden energy, like the rebel at work who wears a suit, but wears it in a way that makes everyone realize it isn't really his style (but it still looks good). The slide should almost convey that the Powerpoint format can't quite contain the brand.
Every design will receive feedback within 8 hours max. I have uploaded our logo if you would like to use it in the design.


text:
Top Items:
Ryan Grim / The Huffington Post:
Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell Reach Filibuster Reform Deal — FOLLOW: — Video, Filibuster, Filibuster Reform, Filibuster Reform 2013, Harry Reid Filibuster, Harry Reid Mitch Mcconnell, Harry Reid Mitch Mcconnell Filibuster, Harry Reid Mitch Mcconnell Filibuster Reform, Jeff Merkley Filibuster Reform …
Discussion: Hot Air, Fix the Senate Now News, The National Memo, Mother Jones, CNN, The Atlantic Online, Left in the West, Slate, The PJ Tatler, The Political Carnival, Firedoglake, The BRAD BLOG, Daily Kos, The Moderate Voice, Hullabaloo, The Plum Line, Washington Monthly, Weekly Standard, Outside the Beltway, Booman Tribune, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Maddow Blog, The Reaction, New York Times and Wonkblog
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Open thread: Feinstein assault-weapons ban stage show
Jason Sattler / The National Memo: Senate Leaders Agree To Weak Filibuster Reforms
David A. Graham / The Atlantic Online: How Senate Graybeards Killed Real Filibuster Reform
Bob Brigham / Left in the West: Max Baucus Again Helps Kill Filibuster Reform
David Weigel / Slate: Final Filibuster Reform Deal Largely Based on John McCain and Carl Levin's Proposals
Matt Vespa / The PJ Tatler: So, How About Harry Reid's Filibuster Reform
GottaLaff / The Political Carnival: Harry Reid never really wanted to change the filibuster. He and Mitch McConnell reach a deal.
Jon Walker / Firedoglake: Senate Democrats Really Don't Want to Govern
Brad Friedman / The BRAD BLOG: Harry Reid's Failibuster
Joan McCarter / Daily Kos: The missed filibuster reform opportunity
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice: Reid and McConnell Reach Filibuster Deal: Far Less Than Many Democrats Sought
Jonathan Bernstein / The Plum Line: Why Senate reform fizzled (for now)
Michael Warren / Weekly Standard: Senate Dems, GOP Cut Deal on Filibuster
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: McConnell And Reid Reach Filibuster Deal
Steve Benen / The Maddow Blog: Reid, McConnell strike a deal on Senate reform
Richard K. Barry / The Reaction: P.M. Headlines — (The Huffington Post): "Harry Reid …
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times: Bipartisan Filibuster Deal Is Taking Shape in the Senate
Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:
Harry Reid: "I'm not personally, at this stage, ready to get rid of the 60-vote threshold" — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have come to a deal on filibuster reform. The deal is this: The filibuster will not be reformed.
Discussion: The Huffington Post, Post Politics, Mediaite, Washington Post, driftglass, Talking Points Memo, The New Republic, National Review, Los Angeles Times, The Maddow Blog, Taylor Marsh, Multi Medium, The Fix, The Impolitic, The BRAD BLOG, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mother Jones and Booman Tribune
Joseph A. Palermo / The Huffington Post: Flaccid Filibuster Reform Throws a Wet Blanket on 'Audacity'
Rachel Weiner / Post Politics: Senate filibuster deal disappoints reformers
Tommy Christopher / Mediaite: Why Harry Reid Is, And Is Not, An Idiot For Failing To Reform Filibuster
Paul Kane / Washington Post: Senate leaders reach deal modifying filibuster rules, keep 60-vote hurdle
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo: Why Filibuster Reform Died
Timothy Noah / The New Republic: Filibuster Reform Squelched
Lisa Mascaro / Los Angeles Times: Modest filibuster changes taking shape in Senate
Chris Cillizza / The Fix: Why filibuster reform didn't happen
Libby Spencer / The Impolitic: Filibuster reform fail - Updated
Brad Friedman / The BRAD BLOG: Colbert's 'Alpha Dogs of the Week': Virginia GOP for State Senate's Shameless Redistricting Coup
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: McConnell, Reid agree on rules reform package
Joan McCarter / Daily Kos: The Senate approves rules for a sort-of reformed filibuster
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones: Filibuster Reform Stumbles to the Finish Line
Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Dems Rally Around Reid's Scaled Back Filibuster Deal
Dems Rally Around Reid's Scaled Back Filibuster Deal
Discussion: Slate
Alan Fram / Associated Press:
Top Senators Reach Deal to Curb Filibusters
Top Senators Reach Deal to Curb Filibusters
Discussion: Politico
Ginger Gibson / Politico: Senate to act on Sandy aid
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Bipartisan Filibuster Deal Is Reached in the Senate
Bipartisan Filibuster Deal Is Reached in the Senate
Discussion: Taking Note, The Caucus, The Raw Story and Prairie Weather
David Firestone / Taking Note: So Much for Filibuster Reform
Jonathan Weisman / The Caucus: New Senate Rules Designed to Speed Things Up
Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Senate Leaders Finalize Scaled-Back Filibuster Deal
Senate Leaders Finalize Scaled-Back Filibuster Deal
Discussion: Truthdig, Main Street, The Daily Dish, ACS Blog, Firedoglake and Alan Colmes' Liberaland
Seth D. Michaels / Main Street: After Disappointing Filibuster Compromise, Effort to Fix the Senate Must Continue
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish: The Amazing Awfulness Of Harry Reid, Ctd
Jon Walker / Firedoglake: Reid Considering Incredibly Watered Down Bipartisan Rules Reform. Update: Deal Reached
Dave-Dr-Gonzo / Alan Colmes' Liberaland: Filibuster Deal Not Looking Like Actual Reform
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Reid and McConnell reach tentative deal to change filibuster rules
Reid and McConnell reach tentative deal to change filibuster rules
Discussion: Politico, Right Turn, msnbc.com and LifeNews.com
Manu Raju / Politico: Why Reid defused the nuclear option
Jennifer Rubin / Right Turn: Out of step? — Much of what the elite media think is attainable …
Sarah Muller / msnbc.com: Senate agrees to watered-down filibuster reform
Steven Ertelt / LifeNews.com: Harry Reid Forced to Back Down on Killing Senate Filibuster
The White House:
Statement by the President on the Opening of Combat Units to Women — Today, by moving to open more military positions—including ground combat units—to women, our armed forces have taken another historic step toward harnessing the talents and skills of all our citizens.
Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, Hot Air, Weekly Standard, ABCNEWS, National Review and Twitchy
Dorian De Wind / The Moderate Voice: Women in Combat: It Is 'Official'
Lolita C. Baldor / Associated Press: Panetta: Women are integral to military's success
Allahpundit / Hot Air: Quotes of the day — Statement by the President on the Opening of Combat Units to Women
William Kristol / Weekly Standard: Women in Harness? — President Obama has released …
Chris Good / ABCNEWS: It's Official: Women Will Serve in Combat
David French / National Review: Demilitarizing the Military — The decision to open up ground combat …
Brett Taylor / Twitchy: Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Nancy Pelosi praise lifting of combat ban as step toward equality
Greg Myre / National Security:
Women In Combat: 5 Key Questions
Women In Combat: 5 Key Questions
Ronald Bailey / Hit & Run: Two Cheers for Lifting the Ban on Women in Combat
Katie Glueck / Reuters:
Allen West rips call for women in combat
Allen West rips call for women in combat
Discussion: Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, The Maddow Blog, Hullabaloo and Politico
Meenal Vamburkar / Mediaite: Allen West Blasts 'Misconceived' Policy On Women In Combat: Could Lead To 'Demise' Of Military
David Martosko / The Daily Caller: Allen West: Putting women in combat a 'misconceived' liberal policy
Steve Benen / The Maddow Blog: How not to respond to a breakthrough for equality
Digby / Hullabaloo: QOTD: General Jerry Boykin
Reid J. Epstein / Politico: No culture war over women in combat
Adam Serwer / Mother Jones:
The Silly Conservative Freak-Out Over Women in Combat
The Silly Conservative Freak-Out Over Women in Combat
Discussion: BuzzFeed, Wired, Weekly Standard, The Raw Story, FishbowlDC, Washington Monthly, National Review and Eschaton
John Stanton / BuzzFeed: Marco Rubio Backs Women In Combat Decision
Spencer Ackerman / Wired: Here's How the Military Will Finally Accept (Most) Women in Combat
Jessie Jane Duff / Weekly Standard: Women in Combat: Be Careful What You Wish For
Megan Carpentier / The Raw Story: Man who coined 'Axis of Evil' worries that non-Americans will rape female soldiers if women …
Piranhamous / FishbowlDC: Twitter Wars: Someone You've Heard of is Attacked by Someone You Probably Haven't
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly: Already In the Line of Fire
Stephanie Gutmann / National Review: Women in Combat: The Devil's in the Details
Heather Mac Donald / National Review:
Wrong on Women Warriors
Wrong on Women Warriors
Discussion: NewsMax.com, The Week, msnbc.com, City Journal and The Daily Dish
David A. Patten / NewsMax.com: Donnelly: Women in Combat Order 'Dangerous Social Experiment'
Marc Ambinder / The Week: 5 silliest reactions to women in combat
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish: Females At The Front — The outgoing defense secretary …
Fox News:
Tancredo vows to smoke pot, in promo for film about Colorado's successful legalization effort — FILE: Nov. 12, 2007: Former presidential candidate and Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., at a press conference at the Marriot Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa.REUTERS — Tokin' Tom Tancredo? Not exactly.
Discussion: Hit & Run and Balloon Juice
Mike Riggs / Hit & Run: Tom Tancredo Lost a Bet, So Now He Has to Get High
John Cole / Balloon Juice: Plug It, Unplug It, Don't Strain
Talking Points Memo:
Tom Tancredo To Smoke Pot — Anti-immigrant firebrand and former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) says he will make good on a past bet he made to smoke marijuana if Colorado legalized it by referendum. Tancredo, who supported the marijuana reform proposal but said he did not partake in drugs himself …
Discussion: Mediaite
Justin Sink / The Hill:
Former Rep. Tom Tancredo loses bet, will smoke pot
Former Rep. Tom Tancredo loses bet, will smoke pot
Discussion: The Greenroom
Allahpundit / The Greenroom: America's newest pothead: Tom Tancredo
Alan I. Abramowitz / Sabato's Crystal Ball:
Republican Electoral College Plan Would Undermine Democracy — Republicans are struggling to right their ship after the defeat of 2012. The unfavorable demographic trends for the GOP that we describe in our new book, Barack Obama and the New America, have sunk in, and the party knows it must do something.
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: Allocating Electoral Votes By Congressional District Is A Bad Idea
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice: Sabato's Crystal Ball: Republican Electoral College Plan Would Undermine Democracy
Walter Hickey / Business Insider: Republicans Are Getting Slammed For Their Plan To Rig The Electoral College
Seth D. Michaels / Main Street: Virginia Republicans Replace "One Man, One Vote" With "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose"
Benjy Sarlin / Talking Points Memo: NAACP: VA's Electoral Vote Scheme Would Leave Minorities 'More Disenfranchised Than Ever'
David A. Graham / The Atlantic Online: How to Win States and Disenfranchise People: The GOP's Electoral-Vote Plan
Steve Benen / The Maddow Blog: If you can't win elections, rig them
Ian Millhiser / Center for American Progress …:
Grand Theft Election
Grand Theft Election
Discussion: Taylor Marsh and msnbc.com
Zachary Roth / msnbc.com: The GOP's new strategy: Rig the game
Benjy Sarlin / Talking Points Memo:
Group Working To Reform Electoral College Condemns GOP's 'Indefensible' Virginia Scheme
Group Working To Reform Electoral College Condemns GOP's 'Indefensible' Virginia Scheme
Discussion: Virginian-Pilot, Balloon Juice, No More Mister Nice Blog and American Prospect
Julian Walker / Virginian-Pilot: Lawmakers move to change Va. electoral vote system
Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
How Republicans Plan To Rig The Next Presidential Election, In Six Pictures
How Republicans Plan To Rig The Next Presidential Election, In Six Pictures
Discussion: The Agonist, American Prospect and National Review
Steve Hynd / The Agonist: "The only Constitution that Barack Obama upholds is the Soviet constitution"
Jamelle Bouie / American Prospect: Will the Virginia GOP's Electoral Vote Rigging Pass?
Aviva Shen / ThinkProgress:
New York Post Goes After Hillary Clinton With Blatantly Sexist Cover — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is taking flack from conservatives over her angry outburst during a Senate committee hearing on the Benghazi terror attacks. When pressed by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) …
Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Hullabaloo and The Maddow Blog
Noah Rothman / Mediaite: John McCain Blasts Hillary Clinton's 'Adoring' Media For Ignoring 'Cover Up' In Benghazi
Steve Benen / The Maddow Blog: Ron Johnson, still struggling
Robert Spencer / Front Page Magazine:
Hillary Lets the Jihadist Cat Out of the Bag
Hillary Lets the Jihadist Cat Out of the Bag
Discussion: Doug Ross, Nice Deb and Jihad Watch
Nick Gillespie / Hit & Run:
3 Incredibly Outrageous Evasions by Hillary Clinton About Benghazi
3 Incredibly Outrageous Evasions by Hillary Clinton About Benghazi
Discussion: Michelle Obama's Mirror, neo-neocon, The Heritage Foundation, AMERICAN DIGEST and Wall Street Journal
Dewey From Detroit / Michelle Obama's Mirror: If it weren't for low integrity...
James Phillips / The Heritage Foundation: Benghazi Terrorist Attack: Why it Matters
Gerardvanderleun / AMERICAN DIGEST: 'What Difference Does It Make?': A small collection of reactions to more mush from the wimpette
Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:
New Mexico Bill Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As 'Tampering With Evidence' — FOLLOW: — Video, Abortion Tampering With Evidence, Cathrynn Brown Abortion Bill, New Mexico Abortion Bill, New Mexico Abortion Evidence, New Mexico Abortion Law, New Mexico Rape Abortion, Politics News
Kaili Joy Gray / Daily Kos: New Mexico bill would send rape victims to prison for having abortions because it's lifey!
Erik Loomis / Lawyers, Guns & Money: Today in the Coming Republican Coalition
GottaLaff / The Political Carnival: New Mexico bill would criminalize abortions after rape as "tampering with evidence"
Little Green Footballs: Insane New Republican Bill Would Send Women to Jail for Having Abortions After Rape
Neetzan Zimmerman / Gawker: GOP Lawmaker Wants to Charge Rape Victims Who Have Abortions with 'Evidence Tampering'
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice: Report: New Mexico Bill Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As 'Tampering With Evidence'
Rebecca Schoenkopf / Wonkette: New Mexico Will Prosecute You for Borting Your Rape Baby, Because You Are Borting 'The Evidence'
Kate Sheppard / Mother Jones: New Mexico GOP Rep. Wins Prize for Abortion Trolling
Michael J.W. Stickings / The Reaction: Republicans want to turn rape victims into criminals
Melissa McEwan / Shakesville: Today in the War on Agency
Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller:
Feinstein calls for banning more than 150 types of firearms during dramatic press conference — WASHINGTON — California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein staged a dramatic press conference Thursday on Capitol Hill with 10 weapons at her side and unveiled legislation instituting a government ban …
Bryan Preston / The PJ Tatler: Feinstein's Ban Would Outlaw Dozens of Firearms By Name
Nickarama / Weasel Zippers: Feinstein: "Weak Gun Laws Allow Massacres Like Sandy Hook", List Of Guns She Proposes To Ban
Charles C. W. Cooke / National Review: Feinstein's Second Assault Weapons Ban
Tommy Christopher / Mediaite: Sen. Dianne Feinstein Holds Press Conference To Introduces New Assault Weapons Ban
Allahpundit / Hot Air: Biden on assault weapons: You're more likely to hit someone with a shotgun, you know
Directorblue / Doug Ross: Dianne Feinstein's Scary-Looking Weapons List
Donald Douglas / American Power: On Assault Weapons Ban, Senate Democrats Must Reckon With Angry Gun-Owning Constituents
Ashley Killough / CNN:
TRENDING: Biden's gun advice for earthquakes
TRENDING: Biden's gun advice for earthquakes
Discussion: Business Insider, Politico, Hit & Run and Guardian
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Sen. Feinstein introduces sweeping ban on military-style assault weapons
Sen. Feinstein introduces sweeping ban on military-style assault weapons
Discussion: New York Times, The Moderate Voice, The National Memo, ACS Blog, The Hill, Weekly Standard and Nice Deb
Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times: Senator Unveils Bill to Limit Semiautomatic Arms
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice: Sen. Feinstein introduces Assault Weapons Ban (Unlikely to Pass)
Jeremy Leaming / ACS Blog: Sen. Feinstein Meets Vitriol with Introduction of Ban on Military-Style Weapons
Michael Warren / Weekly Standard: Feinstein Opens Gun Control Presser with Prayer by Clergyman
GOP chief plans major overhaul to party — Washington (CNN) — The chair, perhaps the most famous chair in political history, stands in the office of a large, nondescript cement building just a stone's throw away from the U.S. Capitol. — That's right, the chair Clint Eastwood used as a prop …
Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Associated Press
Doug Mataconis / Outside the Beltway: Clint Eastwood's Chair Finds A New Home
Caitlin McDevitt / Associated Press: Eastwood chair finds a home
Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast:
GOP Attracting Minorities?
GOP Attracting Minorities?
Discussion: NationalJournal.com, The Week and TheBlaze.com
Beth Reinhard / NationalJournal.com: GOP Plots Path Back to Power
Eddie Scarry / TheBlaze.com: 'Watermelon jokes' and Michael Tomasky
James Hohmann / Politico:
Reince Priebus makes nice with Ron Paul forces
Reince Priebus makes nice with Ron Paul forces
Discussion: Hit & Run
Brian Doherty / Hit & Run: RNC Chief Reince Priebus Fends off Paulite Rebellion
Lucas Shaw / The Wrap:
J.J. Abrams Set to Direct Next 'Star Wars' Film (Exclusive) — J.J. Abrams will direct the next "Star Wars" film for Disney, taking stewardship of one of Hollywood's most iconic and lucrative film franchises, an individual with knowledge of the production told TheWrap.
Discussion: The Atlantic Online, All, The Huffington Post, New Jersey Online and Inside Movies
Christopher Orr / The Atlantic Online: J.J. Abrams Directing the New 'Star Wars': Exciting or Terrifying?
Jason Serafino / All: J.J. Abrams Is Set To Direct "Star Wars: Episode VII"
Christopher Rosen / The Huffington Post: 'Star Wars: Episode VII': Why J.J. Abrams Is The Right Director For This Job
Vicki Hyman / New Jersey Online: J.J. Abrams to direct 'Star Wars: Episode VII'
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Medicare improperly paid $120M to ineligibles — Illegal immigrants and prison inmates received more than $120 million in Medicare services from 2009-2011 despite federal law that makes them ineligible for the program, according to two new reports from the HHS inspector general.
Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The PJ Tatler
James Hohmann / Politico:
Bobby Jindal: GOP a 'populist party' — CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Watch out, Washington: Bobby Jindal called Thursday on Republicans to take an axe to the federal government. — The Louisiana governor suggested "re-thinking nearly every social program in Washington" in a speech to members of the Republican National Committee gathered here.
Discussion: CNN
Gregory Wallace / CNN: Jindal urges GOP to stop being 'stupid'
Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Obama's Inaugural Address 'One Of The Hardest Speeches I've Written,' Jon Favreau Says — FOLLOW: — WASHINGTON — It is surprisingly difficult to write speeches for President Barack Obama, one of the most gifted orators in recent political history. — Yes, written words tend to sound better when he's reciting them.
Discussion: Weasel Zippers
Orlando Sentinel:
Analysis: 201,000 in Florida didn't vote because of long lines — An earlier version of this article and an accompanying graphic incorrectly characterized Volusia County as among the state's worst for Nov. 6 voter lines. — The long Election Day lines around Florida may have turned away …
Discussion: The Political Carnival and Politico
GottaLaff / The Political Carnival: At least 201,000 did not vote in Florida because of frustration with long lines
Charles Mahtesian / Politico: Report: Long lines cost Fla. 200K votes
Andy Banker / FOX2now.com:
Brawl At Social Services Office Caught On Video — EAST ST. LOUIS, IL. (KTVI) - An alarming video of a Tuesday afternoon brawl at a social services office in East St. Louis had workers and clients concerned for their safety and brought calls for action. — A witness told FOX2 it began as a dispute over a place in line.
Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Daily Caller and nation.foxnews.com
Bill proposed in Oregon would make cigarettes prescription-only drugs — If you're a regular smoker, you may want to keep an eye on a new bill in the Oregon Legislature. — Rep. Mitch Greenlick, from Portland, is sponsoring a bill that makes cigarettes a Schedule III controlled substance …
Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Poor Richard's News, Gawker, The Raw Story, National Review and Liberal Values
Benjamin Franklin / Poor Richard's News: New Oregon bill would make cigarettes prescription only
Neetzan Zimmerman / Gawker: Lawmaker in Oregon Seeks to Outlaw Non-Prescription Cigarettes
Katrina Trinko / National Review: Oregon Bill Would Make Cigarettes Only Available with Prescription


text: As stated in the title, I was wondering how I would go about creating computer graphics in a move, say like Ice Age 2. What skills would i need to do something like that? I know that i'm really far off, but i'd like to get started as soon as possible. Even if i only make a small clip of animation, but how would I do that?


text:
Understanding the Principles of Feng Shui
Everyone appreciates the benefits of beautiful, comfortable living environments; America's billion-dollar interior decorating industry attests to this fact. However, Feng Shui takes the approach that your surroundings affect not just your level of material comfort but also your physical and mental health, your relationships, and your worldly success.
Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") examines how the placement of things and objects within it affect the energy flow in your living environment, and how these objects interact with and influence your personal energy flow. Your personal energy flow affects how you think and act, which in turn affects how well you perform and succeed in your personal and professional life. Feng Shui affects you every moment of the day — whether you're aware of it or not.
As you begin to discover more about Feng Shui, remember that you need to have an open mind and should use the methods that are most comfortable for your particular circumstances.
Demystifying Feng Shui
If you've already read a bit about Feng Shui, you may be somewhat confused by the seemingly contradictory advice you've encountered. People who are unfamiliar with this method may have some misconceptions and apprehension.
Feng Shui is not
- A get-rich-quick method of Asian interior design that guarantees impossible results for mystically rearranging your furniture
- A superstitious or magical belief system, or a New Age fad that disconnects you from reality or from your daily life
- A simple home and garden makeover
- A quick fix to be tackled in one afternoon
- A luxury only the rich and famous can afford
So the million-dollar question is, what is Feng Shui?
- On the surface, Feng Shui is the simple interaction of humans and their environments. Taken a step further, Feng Shui enables you to influence these interacting energies to achieve specific life improvements. This influence is achieved by positioning or designing your surroundings in harmony with principles of natural energy flow. As a result, you (and your life) can achieve harmony with your surroundings. Feng Shui is practical and grounding, and it helps you right where you live and work.
- Feng Shui is often referred to as the art of placement. How you place your furniture, possessions, and yourself within your surroundings largely determines your life experience at every level. Feng Shui offers a unique way of looking at yourself and your environment, and it provides a way of bringing balance, comfort, and harmony into your environment in a manner that is difficult to achieve by any other means.
- Feng Shui is the study of the relationships between the environment and human life. Discovered by the Chinese, Feng Shui has been practiced for centuries to design environments that enhance conditions for success in life.
Interesting bits of historical Feng Shui confirmation are starting to emerge. For example, recent scientific research indicates that 28,000 years ago, Neanderthal cavemen (located in present-day Croatia) chose which caves to live in based on three criteria: The caves held the high ground in the area, the surrounding area was easily seen from the entrance of the cave, and the water source was easily accessible. These findings show that even our ancestors were naturally aware of the effects of placement in their environment. Interestingly enough, all three of these criteria are in harmony with the basic principles of Feng Shui, which has evolved and become more sophisticated along with humankind. Thus, Feng Shui is as relevant and beneficial to humankind today as it was 28,000 years ago.
Feng who? The meaning of the term Feng Shui
Feng Shui is a term composed of two Chinese words: feng (wind) and shui (water). Wind and water are the two natural elements that flow, move, and circulate everywhere on Earth. They are also the most basic elements required for human survival. Wind — or air — is the breath of life; without it, we would die in moments. And water is the liquid of life; without it, we would die in days. The combined qualities of wind and water determine the climate, which historically has determined our food supply and in turn affects our lifestyle, health, energy, and mood. These two fundamental and flowing elements have always profoundly yet subtly influenced human individuals and societies.
The essence of these life-giving elements is chi, or life force. Wind and water are direct carriers of chi, as their flowing quality reflects their essential nature. All living organisms are largely composed of these two elements. Thus, Feng Shui is the art of designing environments in harmony with the flow of chi through one's living space, and this flow supports and enhances one's personal chi or life force.
The big picture view of Feng Shui
Feng Shui is rooted in a holistic worldview. It sees all things and creatures as part of a natural order, a vast environment that is alive and in flux, ever moving and changing. Each thing in this natural order is equally alive and has an energetic value or component. So everything — plants, animals, people, and things — exists in a vast landscape that swirls with vital energy. The same energy that flows through the world flows through you as well. In fact, according to this view, your essence — the part of you that makes you alive, unique, and vital — is this energy. And your body is the vehicle or environment in which this essence flows.
Feng Shui divides the vast environment or landscape that is the universe into more manageable units — like human beings and their homes, property, offices, living rooms, and bedrooms. You can't control the Feng Shui of the world at large. But Feng Shui enables you to design your personal environment according to the same universal principles of energy flow by which planets spin in their orbits and galaxies wheel through space.


text:
Foraged Ink Painting 007 - Giclee Print
Foraged Ink Painting 007 - Giclee Print
from 5.00
You are purchasing a print of an original painting.
All of our paintings are made from hand-made foraged inks. This painting was made with pokeberry, safflower, and turmeric alcohol inks.
Each print is archival quality and printed on 100% cotton Reich Savoy Natural 118# stock.
The smallest print available is a greeting card and comes with a matching envelope. These are printed on an off white card stock.


text:
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Jul - a different kind of Christmas
Part of me was really looking forward to Christmas. I was most looking forward to The Lorax's reactions. Ever since we had decorated our Christmas tree, he would stand next to it every night, after we had lit the lights, and sing a medley of Christmas songs he had made up, some about the tree itself, some about train stations, etc. Then he would park a chair in front of the tree for an hour or so and look up at me and say "looking at the Christmas tree now" and smile.
But there was another part of me that was really worried about Christmas. It is a little hard for me to write about, because it seems kind of unbelievable, but I have been suffering from violent anxiety attacks on and off at night since I was about 5 weeks pregnant. I get this combined feeling of fatigue, low blood sugar and fear and start yelling. It has really frightened the kids. Heck, it has frightened me, too. Immediately after I am done with the screaming, I enormously regret my outburst.
In the couple of days before Christmas, it was at its absolute worst. I had been alone with the kids for about 4 days, working full time and trying to get everything ready for Christmas. I not once, but twice, screamed at The Lorax in public, so loudly that people looked at me and he began crying. At one point, when I was changing The Lorax, he hit me and I got so extremely close to hitting him back. I called SR and his parents and told them I needed someone else to watch them for a while. Thank God I did. I so badly needed a little time to relax. Being pregnant is one thing. But being pregnant with two kids and a full time job and for multiple days without help is a totally different ball of wax. Perhaps that alone is the explanation for all of my additional nausea this this pregnancy.
Christmas arrived (it's celebrated the 24th here) and I felt good again. Our Christmas was held at SR's mother's sister's house by The Lakes in Copenhagen (which I've written about running around before). From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, there was one tradition after another that needed to be fulfilled. And these are not traditions exclusively within SR's family, as far as I understand it, they are simply Danish traditions.
Some of the best food, in my mind, was the sweet pickled cabbage and the sweet pickled potatoes.
Then everyone eats a supposedly French dish called "ris a l'amande", which is sweet rice with cream and almonds. The lucky person who gets a whole almond in their dish receives a gift. The gift this year was Peter Høeg's latest novel.
We moved on to Santa Claus arriving and giving all the kids a gift. Then we lit the candles on the Christmas tree, held hands, sang carols and really danced around the tree. After this, we opened presents. And then we got to feast on fine liquor and marzipan bread. Do I even need to mention I threw up (no I didn't drink the fine liquor).
So there you have it - the Danish Christmas, jul. No one got tired or cried - not even the two babies there. Not even me. It really was a magical night.
But almost better was the next day: the 25th. Nothing is open, no one does anything. Well, there were a few other people running when I was out on mine. But other than that, we (SR's parents, Natali, The Lorax & I) sat around and, talked, read or watched tv. It was just what I needed. And probably just what we all needed. I just wish SR had been there to relax, too. But finally, after tomorrow, he's got 6 days off.
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!
7 comments:
- The Chapples said...
I have been a total bitch this time around with no explanation other than hormones. I picked a fight about laundry yesterday. I think my husband is terrified.
- 27 December 2010 at 00:39
- cherelli said...
Merry Christmas SLG!! Sorry to hear about the crazy pregnant woman hormones but I'm glad you got to have a chill-out Christmas with the family (minus SR)...enjoy the countdown to 2011!
- 27 December 2010 at 06:08
- olga said...
We have sweet pickled cabbage and sweet rice with cream, and we also find a button hidden in Russian dumplings - and that person gets a gift. Funny how Europe is similar in things:) Happy holidays.
- 27 December 2010 at 06:41
- SteveQ said...
The tradition here - which I don't follow, because no one else does - is to bake a cake for Twelfthnight (Jan. 6, the 12th day of Christmas, the one with Lords a Leaping) that has a dried bean or coin in it to decide who's the lucky one. The cake made turns out to be the same as a Mardi Gras King Cake, another one I skip.
Happy jul!
- 27 December 2010 at 17:44
- Kirsten said...
Don't be afraid of writing about these attacks - it's important to get it out and you are not the only one! As I probably told hundreds of time, I've got three kids and they are quite close in age. It's so hard being pregnant when you have another two who want attention etc. and you just are too tired. Well done that you got somebody to help you and you have to do that once in a while. After giving birth - that was the time when it hit me big time and I just wanted to throw this little screaming thing that didn't let me sleep, out the window! Sorry to write this, but that's what hormones do to you. I didn't do it and that's why I've got three kids.....
So young lady, take some good care of yourself and get those grandmothers and aunts and teenagers to do some of the work for you! The Lorax will love some teenager who has the patience to play with him for hours!!
- 28 December 2010 at 12:45
- SteveQ said...
Please, I need you to make a resolution for the new year: no discussion of the mechanics of sex when 6+ months pregnant.
Have you figured out on which continent the baby will be born?
I saw a touristy TV show about the island of Mon (I'm skipping the slash diacritic) not far from you. Looks like a good place for a trail race, but I'm holding out for the 2012 Bornholm 6 Day.
- 28 December 2010 at 19:46
- sea legs girl said...
All this time living here and I've never been to Møn! Møns klint (Møn's Cliff)is such a famous landmark. I'm hoping we can get there this spring. The Lorax is now big enough that he can walk around on his own.
Um, the mechanics of sex after six months pregnant? I really don't remember much changing, so it shouldn't be too hard to abstain (from talking about it, that is, haahahaha).
The babe will be born in Europe. Paying a hopsital bill like that in the US without insurrance would ruin us! Here - we don't pay a cent!
Olga, that is fascinating - makes me wonder where those dishes originated. Cute about the button in the dumpling!
Kirsten, The Chapples, Cherelli - thanks so much for you thoughts and support!
- 29 December 2010 at 08:03