text:
Nasal strips, cotton wool, plastic clips, everyone is shoving something on or up their noses these days looking for an edge. I've finally decided to put these methods to the test myself.
In 2008 I had endoscopic sinus surgery on my sinuses (including septoplasty and turbinectomies). In summary, I had a permanently blocked sinus and left nostril, so it was operated on... and they did some airway renovations while they were there. Giving nose-birth to the packing post operation was definitely a highlight.
Right, onto testing these nose products/methods...
Wahoo Kicker (10mins warm up, spindown calibration performed).
Garmin ANT+ heart rate strap.
Garmin 800.
Garmin 800.
Specialized S-Works Shiv TT bike (Tests 1-4) with a Quarq power meter.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4 road bike (Test 5) also with a Quarq.
Method & Tests:
4 minute constant ergo efforts with the Wahoo Kickr set to 350W holding a cadence of ~100rpm. Each interval started with 2 minutes on the TT bars, then 2 minutes off the TT bars on the 'outs'.
Test 1 - Nothing up my nose.
Test 2 - Rhinomed Turbine.
Test 3 - Blocked nose.
Test 4 - Cotton wool balls dipped in inhalant decongestant pre interval
Test 4 - Cotton wool balls dipped in inhalant decongestant pre interval
Test 5 - Nothing again... On the Tarmac road bike.
Test 1 - Stock standard interval.
Test 2 - Getting the Turbine to sit right required some finger gymnastics. Not the most pleasant thing to get into place. Breathing in though the nose felt easier, at the cost of comfort. Clearing the airways (blowing my nose, or rocket snotting) was difficult during the interval. Mouth breathing far outweighed airflow through the nose.
Test 3 - Nose completely blocked was initially uncomfortable for the first 30 seconds. Mouth breathing more than adequate.
Test 4 - Initial stinging when the decongestant dipped cotton wool touched the Turbine scrape points. The decongestant worked, clearing my airways prior to the interval. Decongestant smell went away at about 2 minutes.
Test 5 - Bike swap to the road bike. Full 4 minutes done in standard upright road position may have contributed to lower overall HR for this interval.
So why didn't I see an improvement with 'more air' through my nose or a variance in results with a completely blocked nose?
"The hemoglobin in our blood dictates how much oxygen gets to the working muscle. Hemoglobin is a protein connected to red blood cells. It is responsible for transporting the oxygen in the blood to the muscles that require it. During exercise the hemoglobin sites are usually 100% saturated with oxygen. This means that it does not matter if you take in more oxygen by wearing the nasal dilator, because the rate at which oxygen can travel from the lungs to the blood is at a maximum." - Do Nasal Dilator Strips Help Performance? Michael Carrera, MSc. and Natasha Vani, MSc.
Oxygen intake isn't a limiter. The journey for that 'edge' continues....


text:
The record for covering this traverse was set last March by two South Africans, Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel who crushed the previous record finishing the entire thing in 41 hrs 49 min. They were gracious enough to share their GPS track with us as it turned out that this traverse would have been impossible without it due to the confusing landscape and often thick fog his time of year. One night shortly before we left for the traverse we were hanging out at our local friends house, the Bensons. Alcohol may have been involved. Their son had 2 hobby horses (one horse, one zebra) that he had gotten for Christmas. I started to ride it around the house and then had an idea. Lately many people we know have been doing a variety of crazy things that have never been done before to get the "Only Known Time" and thereby setting a record. Without doing any research, I was pretty sure that no one had ever ridden a hobby horse/zebra across the Drakensberg Mountains and I decided that I wanted to be the first one to do this. Luke Benson (without his knowledge) donated his hobby zebra to the mission. Other local friends also helped us out with the logistics. Georgina Ayre offered to meet us in the middle for a resupply and Andrew and Suzie Jed offered to drive us down to the trailhead. None of this would have been possible without the help of everyone listed above and we want to say a HUGE THANKS for their help. Also a big thanks goes to Dawn Greensides and Paul Pleva (Home Base South Africa) where we have spent a lot of our time. I have watched the movie Madagascar pretty much once a day with their 2 year old, so in Piper's honor, the zebra was named Marty.
Day 1: We were given a ride to the trailhead where we found ourselves within a cloud with the wind blowing and a heavy mist making everything wet. I pulled out Marty the Zebra and off we rode into the fog. The first few kilometers was the only real trail we would see for the next week. This trail led up to the Chain Ladders which climb up a ~40 foot section of cliff. Not a good place to slip. Once above these cliffs you are on the escarpment and the terrain becomes more rolling. There is also no trail after this point and the navigation across the alpine landscape began. The fog made it difficult to see any landmarks but using the GPS we were able to head in the right direction to Mount Aux Sources, our first peak. From the top of the Chain Ladders we started to pass Basotho tribesmen dressed in leather shorts, rubber boots, and a brown cloak. As it became afternoon we were able to gain enough elevation to get above the cloud cover. At 5pm as we were contemplating where to camp a tribesman came to the other side of the river from where we were and started to do a dance. He chanted, danced, shook his stick, yelled, and leaped into the air for over 5 minutes. We just sat there with our mouths hanging open. We weren't sure if we were being challenged, if he was praying to the setting sun, or what was going on. When he was done he just walked off and disappeared over the hill. We hiked a little further and found a place to camp. 5 tribesmen came over to check us out. They spoke no English but gave us a lot of thumbs up. When I rode Marty around they were in hysterics and when one of them grabbed him and started to ride him also the other tribesmen had tears in their eyes they were laughing so hard. Marty ended up being a great ice breaker. Through hand gestures they told us that it was ok to camp where we were and we had an uneventful night.
Day 2: The Marty rider and his friend came back in the morning. These people do not seem to see many white people. They were fascinated by our tent. They kept wanting to touch the material and when I folded up the tent poles they yelled out and were very excited by that. The day started by climbing up a river valley. We found a sheep path to follow for part of it. Occasionally we would find a cliff blocking our way and would have to traverse around it. The terrain was often fairly flat so once again the GPS was very useful to find the correct way. We only met one Basotho who spoke English and it was on this day. He already knew about us. It appeared that news travels fast in these highlands. We passed many more Basotho that day. They were as fascinated by us as much as we were them. Fathers would call their sons over to look at us. We saw no women or young children- only men and adolescent boys. The day remained sunny where we were but below us was a solid sea of clouds.
Day 3: Each day usually started with us climbing out of a river drainage and moving into the next watershed. Today we did this twice. We saw fewer people but there were multiple times where Kathleen and I both felt like we were being watched. Around mid-day the clouds rose up from the valley below and rolled over the edge of the escarpment in huge waves. When we were enveloped by fog the visibility was only about 10 yards. However breaks in the cloud would open up so we could see the route ahead. When we got to the saddle above the river it was very difficult to determine which way to go. We could tell that there were cliffs all around and needed to be careful so we ended up camping earlier then we had hoped.
Day 4: We started very early to try to make up for lost time. The fog was still present but not as thick. The mornings goal was Cleft Peak, the second checkpoint. I became completely turned around at one point when my brain said we needed to go one way and the GPS said the complete opposite. We followed the GPS. The top of the Peak was on the edge of the escarpment cliff – a drop of over a thousand feet with mist swirling around below so that the bottom could not be seen. Luckily the fog dissipated as the next section involved climbing around the side of a mountain called Ndudemi Dome on a series of narrow ledges. Even with the GPS this would have been a stupid place to be stumbling around in the fog. Luckily we could see what we needed to though we occasionally got cliffed out again. Today was a musical day. We passed two teenagers playing harmonica, had 2 younger boys ask us for sweets (they got a granola bar), and then another teenager playing a single stringed instrument made out of an old can with his friend dancing down the trail in front of him. This was a long day that led to us being camped high on a ridge line. To go get water took an extra hour of hiking into the valley below that night.
Day 5: We saw a beautiful sunrise though the red sky made me worried about the weather to come later in the day. The first part of the day was easy as we followed the ridgeline for several miles. It was sunny but very windy. This led to Champagne Castle, the third checkpoint, which reminded me of neither champagne nor a castle. This was another cliff where it would have been a great place to BASE jump. We needed to meet Georgina with our resupply at Giant's Castle Camp so looking at the map it looked like it would be a shortcut to descend Ship's Prow Pass and follow a trail on the map to the camp. This ended up being the wrong decision. Ship's Prow Pass was a super steep grass and rock slope that descended into the valley below. We had to be very careful not to slip. This led to one of the worst bushwhacks we have ever done in the mountains. It took us 6 hours to go 4 kilometers and we ended up having to camp in the middle of this area due to a thunderstorm starting and running out of daylight.
Day 6: It was another frustrating couple of hours for us to finally bash our way out of the bushes, trees, rocks, and creeks. We then had to scramble up a steep grassy hillside using clumps of grass as hand holds. We found a faint dirt trail overgrown by grass which made us excited but after 20 minutes we lost the trail and it took us 30 minutes to find it again and another detour around more cliffs. A troop of baboons moved across the hillside in front of us. After the third time of losing the trail we realized that we were never going to make it to Giant's Camp in time so we elected to go to Injisuthi Camp which was the closest ranger station. It was also during this section that I stepped on a Berg Adder, one of the three types of poisonous snake in the park. The effects of the venom are described as "disorientation, double vision, and deterioration of the other senses". I didn't even notice that I had stepped on it. Kathleen watched the whole thing as I stepped on its head. Luckily it was early in the morning and cold so the snake was still lethargic and I pinned its head with my foot instead of stepping on the tail. This was the final straw that made us decide to quit the traverse when we met Georgina and to come back in April when the weather was better. Both Kathleen and I had been having a 6th sense that we had recently been pushing our luck in the mountains and that this was a time where we should not push so hard. It wasn't any one thing, just an accumulation of small things that we were feeling in our gut. We were able to get to the Injisuthi Camp within a few more hours where cold beer, red wine, and a cabin was found for the night. A fierce thunderstorm hit the area that afternoon.
Day 7: This day was an adventure in hitching rides. We initially caught a ride with the camp's handyman named Robert who was taking employees into the town 1 ½ hours away to buy groceries since it was payday. We left first thing in the morning and as we drove down the road there were hundreds of children walking from every direction going to school in their uniforms. Robert was a Zulu and had grown up in the area. He was able to explain a lot about peoples living conditions, the schools, hospitals, and how things had changed in recent years. Once in town he talked to some other park employees from Giants Castle and arranged for us to get a ride with them that afternoon when they returned. That ride was in the back of a 2 ½ ton truck. There were a large group of employees returning home with their groceries in this truck. Live chickens wandered in the back with us and one of the employees and I shared beers and did vodka shots on the way to Giant's Camp. The employees were definitely not used to white people hanging out with them in the truck. They kept talking to us in Afrikaans and were surprised when we told them we were from America. Georgina and her friends Tim and Rich showed up later that night and cooked us a great feast of a BBQ.
Day 8 and 9: We spent the next two days with Georgina, Rich and Tim hiking up to Bannerman Hut and spending the night there. The original plan was to camp in Spare Rib Cave but the weather turned and we were not able to climb that high. We met a South African named Mark that night and he soon became a part of our party. The next day we hiked up Bannerman Pass to the top of the escarpment (passing Spare Rib Cave along the way) and then walked south to Langalibalele Pass. We had been warned that hikers had been roughed up in this area by tribesmen but we were a big enough group that we didn't have to be worried about this. The views from the edge of the cliffs were like being in an airplane. It was a nice mellow couple of days with new friends. As we drove away from the mountains to go back to Pretoria the entire mountain range was covered with very dark clouds and we were hit by repeated violent thunderstorms for the rest of the day and night. We were very glad that we were not up in the mountains that night.
We found the Drakensberg to be an amazing place. We only had positive encounters with the Basotho people, the scenery was like no other, the danger of poisonous snakes and lightning, the wild horses and baboons, and the challenge of the navigation made it a place where we want to return to. Our plan is to come back in April when the weather is more stable and make another attempt. Marty the Zebra now has his own Facebook page (Marty Marty) and is recruiting Facebook friends for his next attempt to be the first hobby horse/zebra to cross the Drakensberg. Please feel free to support his effort.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
New Delhi: WhatsApp is reportedly working to add video calls to the app so that consumers can talk face-to-face using data connection on phones. The feature would bring WhatsApp in competition with apps like Skype and Apple's Facetime.
'Video calls' is just one of the major features that WhatsApp may add to the app. The other features likely in the work include call back, voicemail, and zip file sharing support.
According to a report by Android Police, screenshot from a beta version of WhatsApp shows the video calling feature that the app may add to publicly available versions later.
Rumors of WhatsApp adding video calling feature have been doing rounds since December last year, but speculations recently resurfaced when some users received new strings to translate. The users who help WhatsApp translate into other languages received string like "Video call," and "Video calling is unavailable at this time" along with other messages. One of the users shared a screenshot in which he was asked to translate 'Video Call and Video calling is unavailable at this time'.
Earlier, WhatsApp had added the voice call feature to the app. That feature was initially rolled out through "invitation" system. It is not clear how the video calls feature will be rolled and out and when.
According to Android Police, another interesting feature that WhatsApp plans to add is the option of sending group invites via links and NFC tags. Further, the addition of 'Voicemail' will enable users to send recorded messages. It is similar to voice messages but these can be recorded and sent without hanging up the voice call. It is just like leaving a voicemail on a phone call.
Also, the addition of 'zip and vcf' sharing would allow users to share compressed files or even share music files. Pdf files, text files, excel documents, and Google Drive docs and spreadsheets can already be shared on Whatsapp.


text: Trick Flow® header build kits contain high-quality 304 stainless steel components with a natural finish for long-lasting good looks and unbeatable performance. These kits are not prefabricated weld-up parts like many others on the market; they're for automotive enthusiasts who want to build their own stainless steel headers. Only the header flanges and collectors are prefab, leaving the creativity in the hands of the builder. Each kit includes laser-cut flanges, J-bends, collectors, and filler diamonds to connect the tubes together. The construction possibilities are endless with a Trick Flow® header build kit.


text:
So, I got bored a couple of weekends ago and pulled out my art supplies. Well, more like dug out, it has been quite awhile since I used them. I wanted to try something new, so I searched the internet for different pictures of flowers and I settled on this one. So I started, it's like riding a bycycle, for the most part; the method comes easy, the skill takes some work. However, I noticed something this time around, since I was trying to replicate something, not just produce something from my mind: I was reproducing angles. In the past when I drew, I would for the most part get the shape right, focusing on how closely the drawing matched the object, noting the angles only when I was dealing with perspective. This time around I paid attention to the angles through-out the drawing and once I noticed what I was doing, there was almost no going back. Either way, I scanned it, printed a copy, and decided I'd try to illustrate what I meant, this being a scan of the printed copy. See what I mean about being an engineer.
-Steve :)


text:
Justin Fox Burks
KISS, Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Kansas, Big Star, and Styx, to name a few, rocked out before crowds of Memphians in the 1970s during the short-lived existence of Lafayette's Music Room.
But now Lafayette's Music Room is reborn, thanks to a revitalized Overton Square. The new Lafayette's is offering live music daily along with a Creole pub grub menu from Jennifer Chandler, Beale Street Blues Co. culinary manager. Beale Street Blues Co. owns the
place, along with B.B. King's Blues Club and restaurant Itta Bena, its other prominent venues in Memphis.
I met up with general manager Alex Boggs to tour the space before Lafayette's opened to learn more about the venue. Hiring Boggs, 26, adds another layer of historical significance to Lafayette's back story. His father, the late Thomas Boggs, who founded Huey's, was the first general manager of Lafayette's Music Room when it opened in 1972. It's also where Thomas met Wight Boggs, his future wife and Alex's mom, who worked the door.
"To come full circle in our family's history like that is pretty awesome," Boggs said.
The address and essence of the old Lafayette's remains, but the disparity between old and new is now an equal emphasis on food and music. The old Lafayette's was a true music hall, raucous and rockin', where food was just an afterthought, Boggs said.
The new Lafayette's features state-of-the-art acoustics, but the vibe is cozy. Walls are covered in rustic reclaimed wood and a long copper bar reflects light from modern fixtures. In the center of the room, the stage is impressive but not imposing, surrounded by plenty of seating for lunch or dinner.
Upstairs there's a second bar equipped with a wood-burning pizza oven, more seating overlooking the stage, and an outside balcony with a panoramic view of Overton Square. (My guess: hot new brunch spot.)
Lafayette's will have live music daily; two bands most nights. For dinner, musicians play jazz or blues, "music you can still talk over," from 6 to 9 p.m. And a second set will start around 9:30 p.m. with rock, bluegrass, or zydeco for a party-going night crowd. Depending on the band, there may be a cover charge. Singer-songwriter night takes place every Sunday.
"Late-night diversity is key," Boggs said. "We are bringing in a nice mix of local and regional acts from New Orleans, Austin and Nashville."
Once a month, the venue books headlining-act ticketed events. Coming up: Country music star Junior Brown plays Oct. 21, and Leon Russell performs Nov. 16.
"We want this to be the place artists get discovered by booking agents, talent agents," Boggs said. "Acoustically, this place is a musician's dream."
The restaurant doesn't take reservations but can seat 250 to 300 people. Lafayette's does upscale Southern-meets-Creole cuisine with some wood-burning oven pizzas tossed in too. Chef Jody Moyt, formerly of Owen Brennan's and Lulu Grille, collaborated with Chandler to develop the menu.
I couldn't wait to try the food, so I grabbed a friend and went to Lafayette's soft opening for lunch. We requested the upstairs outside balcony. To start, we shared an order of fried green tomatoes topped with a corn maque choux (braised corn, bell pepper, tomatoes and onion and native to southern Louisiana) and Cajun remoulade.
I had the paneed chicken with lemon caper butter sauce plated with an arugula salad. A simple dish cooked and seasoned just right. My friend decided on the Lafayette griddle burger dressed with smoked cheddar, caramelized onions and tomato jam.
We finished by sharing Grannie's Chocolate Chess Pie, an original recipe straight from Chef Moyt's grandmother's kitchen. Grannie Moyt, we thank you.
Other options from the extensive menu include an enticing variety of appetizers, small plates, salads, baked oysters, po'boys, and wood-fired pizzas. Appetizers range from $5 to $10, an average entrée will cost about $15 and a pizza around $10.
Lafayette's Music Room, 2119 Madison (901-207-5097)


text:
Notice is hereby given that the Albany County Board of Commissioners will receive sealed bids until 3:00 P.M. Local Time, May 1, 2019 for all costs, necessary for the
The services include conducting custodial/cleaning services at County buildings. Bids will be accepted for all buildings or any other combination (i.e. one, two or three buildings). Bids should be in the form of monthly services.
Responses must be submitted in a sealed envelope with the statement thereon "RESPONSE ENCLOSED" "Custodial Services at (insert building location(s))." Bids must be submitted to the Albany County Clerk, 525 E. Grand Avenue, Courthouse, Suite 202, Laramie, Wyoming, prior to May 1, 2019 at 3:00 P.M. local time, after which bids will be opened publicly, read aloud, and tabulated by the County Clerk or County Designee, at the time of opening, in the Chambers of the Albany County Board of Commissioners, unless an alternate site is designated in writing and posted at the Albany County Courthouse. Bids may be withdrawn prior to the Bid Opening; however, unless otherwise specified by the County, all formal Bids submitted shall be binding for forty-five (45) days following Bid Opening. Certain companies or individuals may be selected for personal interviews based on the initial evaluation of the proposals. Bids which are not prepared and filed in accordance with the Instructions for Bidders may be rejected. Albany County shall award the Contract to the lowest responsive and responsible Bidder complying with all provisions of the Instructions to Bidders, provided the bid price is reasonable and is in the best interest of Albany County to accept. Albany County reserves the right to cancel this Advertisement to Bid or reject any or all bids, and the right to waive any irregularities or technicalities in the bidding. Any bid received after the time specified will not be considered.
A complete set of the Request for proposal documents, including specifications may be obtained electronically after March 20, 2019 by contacting the County Clerk, Jackie R. Gonzales at email@example.com and /or on the Albany County website at http://www.co.albany.wy.us/. Phone contact is (307) 721-5533.
Albany County does not discriminate against a bidder or offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability or any other basis prohibited by Federal or State law.
Publication Dates:
March 23, 2019
March 30, 2019


text:
NorCal Estate Sales & Liquidation ServicesRedding Red Bluff ChicoLocal Online Auctions Serving Northern CA530-366-1659
Lot # 247 - Fenwick Fishing Pole, Ugly Stick Fishing Pole, Reels, Tackle Box, Tackle, Cutco Knife, Sweden Knife & Tool Set - Table not Included
Please bring your own boxes, packing & help to load. Non - Smoking Estate
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text:
Case Detail
Paul Hilst
Case Details
Case Type: Homicide
Height: Unknown
Case Status: OPEN
Weight: Unknown
Identifying Marks:
Incident Date: 11/20/1973
Agency: Denver Police Department
City: Denver
Date of Birth: Unknown
County: Denver
Date of Death: 11/20/1973
Agency Case #: 73-129216
Age: 64
Judicial District: 2nd Judicial District
Gender: Male
Year Solved:
Race: Caucasian
NamUs Case #: Unknown
Eyes: Unknown
NCMEC Case #: Unknown
Hair: Bald/Balding
About this Case:
On November 20, 1973, 64 year old Paul Hilst was found inside his home located in at 256 Bannock Street. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to his head. Mr. Hilst lived alone in his Baker neighborhood home and rarely had visitors. Mr. Hilst also owned several Denver area bars as well as a vending and juke box business. Anyone with information regarding this case, is asked to please contact the Denver Police Department.
If you have any information about this case, please contact:
Denver Police Department
ColoradoBack to Top


text:
Barbara H. Rosenwein is the author of 'The Making of the West, Volume 1: To 1750: Peoples and Cultures', published 2018 under ISBN 9781319103651 and ISBN 1319103650.[read more]
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text:
I recently have been plagued with the Security Tool Anti-Virus Hoax malware on my laptop. I've tried repeatedly to do a full scan with McAfee but it does not detect it. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge abot how to get rid of this malware?
Malwarebytes is a good start if not go to you tube if you can.They usually have some good removal procedures there and will walk you through.Or http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-security-tool here is a removal guide from bleeping compter.com
good luck Jack
I also have this problem and have tried both suggestions however they will not run as the security tool warning comes up and I think it is blocking it.
Is there anything else I can try or do I have to have McAfee go in and fix it.
Thank you for your help.
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text:
Ok, so, this post is going to be cheating just a little bit. It's the last post of the month, and I'm sure I could think of something else to talk about if I tried, but this is what I've been thinking about for a while now.
I'm starting a new blog.
Don't worry, I'm going to keep this one, too. I just probably won't be updating it for at least a month.
Here's my concept for the new blog: knitting a sweater.
Now, I know what you're thinking – a knitting blog? Not exactly a revolutionary idea. And it's really not.
But I want to use it as a tool, just as I've used this blog as a tool to keep myself putting words on a page. And I'm going to use this new blog as a tool to – you guessed it – knit a sweater!
The thing is, I've never knit a sweater before. I've tried, I've searched, I've even cast on and ended up frogging on attempt. It's just that a sweater is such a time commitment, and so I've had a really hard time starting and keeping going.
It doesn't help that I was determined for a while to knit a sweater with fingering weight yarn. And not even fingering weight yarn that would make a really nice sweater. I hated the texture of the wool, it was not good for a sweater, but I kept trying to convince myself that it was fine.
No more. I have yarn that I've worked with before and know that I love and I have a cardigan pattern all picked out that should be perfect for me.
And yes, I know that a cardigan and a sweater are not the same, but I don't wear a lot of sweaters. I do, on the other hand, wear a ton of cardigans. I collect them, in fact, so that's much more appropriate, even if it might be a bit more time consuming.
So anyway, I'm starting this knew blog, and it's going to be my journey through my first sweater!


text:
There's a shit storm going down on TV right now on CSPAN as the health care bill hits the floor of the House.
Thank you Democrats, for making women take a punch in the throat from a bunch of old men who have spent the better part of the last century avoiding their own problems. So Rahm and Obama (who did nothing to stop it) can have their "w":
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops delivered a critical endorsement to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday by signing off on late-night agreement to grant a vote on an amendment barring insurance companies that participate in the exchange from covering abortions.
"Passing this amendment allows the House to meet our criteria of preserving the existing protections against abortion funding in the new legislation," the Bishops wrote in a letter to individual members. "Most importantly, it will ensure that no government funds will be used for abortion or health plans which include abortion."
Well, you have to give the culture warriors something, so they can go around cheering about the big victory that they got in this bill. So happy to have the chance to line it all up for you all.
Thank you, Planned Parenthood and NARAL, from the bottom of my heart, for sitting on your hands and enabling this shit. Hope you have fun at all those Common Purpose meetings, those cocktail parties at the Pelosi's.
You own this one.
It's not like they haven't been perfecting this act for a long time. Helping the Democrats stay in power by giving them the Official Good Gyno Seal of Approval even when they do things like - oh, I don't know, voting for Samuel Alito and tell rape victims to take a cab to another hospital if they want to get Plan B contraception.
Never Miss a Beat.
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Could they whip the pro-choice women to block the rule if they want to? Of course they could. Yank their endorsements and they could cause havoc in the Democratic party. But they won't, because Nancy Keenan and Cecile Richards value their own personal position in the veal pen pecking order WAY too much for that.
One of the things that made a fight for a public option possible was because there were no "veal pen" validators occupying the health care space. Nobody knows who HCAN is. The White House tried to press the unions and other veal pen groups into service but progressives standing there ready to shoot on sight made everyone else back away for fear of losing their own credibility.
People think the "veal pen" phenomenon is insignificant, but it's not. The abortion fight - like the environmental fight - is extremely difficult to wage online, because you can't activate those who care about the issue if the "brand names," the issue validators, are telling them everything is fine either by action or inaction. And that's exactly what the Democrats - from the White House on down to Nancy Pelosi and the House leadership - want right now.
But let's be clear about this. The only reason that we are in the position where the price of passing health care reform is allowing even liberal Marcy Kaptur to sneeringly dismiss choice activists as narrow class warriors who don't care about working women is because Planned Parenthood and NARAL have allowed it to happen. They collect millions of dollars in revenue each year. They've exacted no price from the Marcy Kapturs of the world, who actually have to care what liberals think of them, and focused instead on anti-choice Republicans who are only empowered by their ire. They have no scalps. There is no price for bucking Planned Parenthood and NARAL. It isn't a fight that the Democrats want to spend "political capital" on, and these groups insure that they don't have to.
Forget about the fact that more Americans are now anti-choice than pro-choice for the first time since Gallup has been polling the issue. More and more Democrats in Congress each year are anti-choice, despite the fact that the party is pro-choice. It's acceptable now. These groups have the lobbyists, the money, the access, and their leadership uses it for their own personal advancement while the cause they purport to defend withers on the vine.
The national Planned Parenthood organization listed $126 million in assets in 2007. Cecile Richards made $385,163 (PDF). The state chapters whose employees put their lives on the line so women can have the right to choose deserve support and protection within the Democratic party that she is not providing.
NARAL paid Nancy Keenan $145,538 from the Foundation (PDF) in 2007, which listed total assets of $4,119,329. But the NARAL PAC reports $87,125 cash on hand as of September 30, 2009.
They knew this was coming since at least July 1 - and they didn't even raise money for the fight.


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October 27, 2017
For devoted fans of certain prestige directors, it's always a little disarming to see them make a true children's film. Expectations have to be readjusted in real time as you submit to something else, something different. That exercise can yield disappointment, but sometimes, maybe even most of the time, the results are transcendent. Think about Alfonso Cuaron's "A Little Princess" or Martin Scorsese's "Hugo." When a master of cinema decides to look at the world from a child's perspective, we should all line up.
"Wonderstruck," the latest from "Far From Heaven" director Todd Haynes is very much for the young — for those who still find pleasure in tactile simplicity, who pour over pop-up books and paper dolls, who fantasize about the past, and whose imaginations are richer, more elaborate and darker than most adults care to remember.
. . .
Previous columns:


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A woman found dead in her Ohio home last week was likely killed by her Great Danes, authorities said Monday.
Police in Clearcreek Township, south of Dayton, said that Mary Matthews, 49, may have been so intoxicated that she didn't realize how badly she'd been bitten and didn't call for help, NBC News reported.
Matthews was found Friday afternoon by her husband, Dale Matthews, who was released from the Warren County Jail that day, and his son.


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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
This is why I have no time to write blogs.
Oh well. I can maybe blog again in like 17 years...at least she is really cute!
8 comments:
- Unknown said...
Two words: safety latches.
- March 27, 2013 at 10:54 AM
HAHA! So glad I am not the only one whos kitchen looks like that!
- March 27, 2013 at 3:10 PM
- Allison said...
LOL My 11 month old is the same way. Someday I'll be able to have toilet paper on the actual holder instead of on the back of the toilet or on the sink...
- March 27, 2013 at 4:19 PM
- ebg said...
Two weeks ago my not quite 18 mth old son figured out for the first time how to open a door. The door he opened he went through, out of the house, into the driveway.
I was oblivious until two strangers walked into my house carrying my son. I desperately hoped they would notice that I had another toddler running up behind me so they would take pity on me and not call child services for neglect.
Pretty scary when the 2 footers are outwitting the adults!
- March 28, 2013 at 9:31 AM
- Alyse C said...
When we had our first child, I thought....why do they sell all that safety stuff? I mean, you tell a kid no, and they don't touch it. Parent your kids people!
And then the second baby showed up. (also a surprise! after fertility treatments to conceive the first)...her nickname is Gozur the Destructor. Need I say more?
- March 30, 2013 at 3:01 PM
- starcrossedmommy said...
yes, yes. I know this all too well. Extra fun when you are trying to clean and they are right behind you mucking everything up. hugs, and happy chocolate day.
- March 31, 2013 at 1:33 PM
Davie did the same thing with box after box of Ziplocks! Only, you can't see the ziplocks. 'Til you're sitting on your ass in the middle of the kitchen floor. Then you can see it stuck to the bottom of your foot just fine.8
- April 3, 2013 at 6:42 AM
- Unknown said...
I positively enjoying each little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you.
sadia romi
Health Fitness | Pakistan Politics
- April 3, 2013 at 7:41 AM


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Robert Szrot, Product Development Team Manager
in Benefit Systems since 2009
There are a few important reasons why it is worth working with us. I value the fact that we have a young, smiling and friendly team and a unique atmosphere, often even family-like. Obviously, you cannot complain of boredom here. There is always something going on. :) I have been working for Benefit Systems for over 6 years now. It has been wonderful to see the company develop over the years and participate in it. Being aware that I have contributed to the success of Benefit Systems and will continue to do so gives me huge satisfaction.


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Just in case anyone missed me the past few days, I was having a time with my computer. It was constantly locking up and would not allow me to do anything once I logged onto Ex. Grrrrrrr! All seems to be ok now that I removed Google's "My Way" program, which really should be called "Google's Way".
Today's Food for Thought....
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It's what the sunflowers do."
~Helen Keller
Irish Rose


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If Nepal was a family, Kathmandu would be the younger brother with a drug addiction and hygiene problem (that you can't help but love), Annapurna region would be the hippy dad who meditates on mountains tops, Everest region would be the rich grandma who drinks champagne for breakfast and Pokhara would the older sister who obviously shares genes with the others but is disproportionally trendy in comparison.
Pokhara is the 2nd largest city in Nepal, located in the NW, about 7 hours (by bus) from Kathmandu. The Seti Gandaki River has created several gorges and canyons in and around the whole city which gives intriguingly long sections of terrace features to the city and surrounding areas. From Sarangkot Hill you can see the magnificent Annapurna range with the river and rice terraces before it, Phewa lake on the other side, and a metropolis of buildings sandwiched in between. Besides walking to the top of Sanagkot, I didn't venture far from my hostel in lakeside, an area lined with cafes, bakeries, fake outdoor gear, travel agencies and fabric stores (usually yak wool).
From talking to fellow travelers I have realized that my experience in Pokhara isn't typical. Nearly everywhere I went people just wanted to talk. This made me very uncomfortable at first because I was just waiting until the end where they would switch to their ulterior motive....but there wasn't one. When I picked up my laundry, the couple who owned the laundromat talked to me for 2 hours then invited me over to dinner. Similarity, when I was interested in buying something at a store the salesman sat me down to discuss the price. He then invited a hilarious Chinese guy to join us and we ended up talking for more than 4 hours. At the end we all forgot why we were there in the first place and parted ways. My hostel owner was a jolly Nepali man who lives to make people happy. He told me that he saw American baked goods on TV and begged me to show him how to create them. I enthusiastically accepted his request and we had a bake-a-thon using Nepali substitutes. We made cheesecake brownies, peanut butter cookies, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake! My friends at my guesthouse (an animated French Canadian and an Irish woman, both over 40 years old) gave them excellent reviews.
On my last day, I decided to make like a bird and go paragliding (why not?)! After I woke up, I went into a travel agency. Ten minutes later, I was in a truck heading to Sarangkot hill with a terrified 20 year old Nepali guy waving goodbye to his family. My pilot was a Hungarian man with a dry sense of humor and a sunglass tan; his calm demeanor calmed my heartbeat before it had a chance to race. Aside from feeling a little nauseous, it was a beautiful experience; not only because of the view but because of the freedom riding the wind.


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If you're looking to learn how to safely clean your ears at home, you may be experiencing excessive buildup of earwax or ear blockage. In fact, this is an extremely common issue that most people experience at some point in their life. While having an impacted ear is common, the process of wax removal is […]Continue reading
Have you ever wondered, "Are there ways to improve your hearing naturally?" Simply put, yes! There are several ways you can improve your hearing naturally on your own with very little effort. for a few simple ways to improve your hearing naturally.Clean Your Ears Regularly to Improve Your Hearing NaturallySometimes mild hearing loss […]Continue reading
Your ears are one of your most valuable possessions, and like anything else you own, you've got to take care of them. The importance of learning how to safety clean your ears cannot be understated. But most of us are not ear or hearing specialists, and you don't want to do something wrong and damage your […]Continue reading
Finding a tinnitus cure or tinnitus relief greatly depends on the underlying cause of the disorder. Tinnitus is the awareness of noise or sound in the head or ears not the result of an external sound. Although there are several different types of tinnitus sounds, the most common are: Whirrs RingsBuzzesWhistlesHisses From time to time, the […]Continue reading


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I hope you have been enjoying reading the emails, and reading the book if you have time! I read it once years ago, and it gave me so many great ideas that I've implemented and now rely on daily. Surprisingly, I'm finding a whole bunch of new ideas and motivation reading it again now.
Today I wanted to simply focus on the difference between reference files and someday/maybe files. Understanding the difference was huge for me personally, as I tend to be a bit of a 'knowledge hoarder'. Okay… a bit is a vast understatement. I find it really tough to throw out paper, but at least I've had complete control over the organizing and retrieval of paper since I implemented this system. I may still have a bunch of filing cabinets, but if you ask me where my passport is, for example, I can find it in less than a minute. Actually, I could find it in 10 seconds now, but that's only because I remember that Important Documents are in Reference Folder 42.
Okay. So reference files are for things that have information on them that you might want to retrieve sometime, but they are not part of a current project. If they were, they'd be in a project file. I use a digital organization system for my papers called 'the Paper Tiger' that relies on numbered rather than named folders so you can always add to the system without needing to worry about alphabetizing a new folder. The key is that for each folder, I put any possible key words into the program that I might use to look for it later. So, for example, my auto folder (can't remember the number) has key words such as auto, car, vehicle, car insurance, 'company name' of insurance company etc. I don't need to stress over "did I call that auto or car?" I just list them all, And when I use the search feature, it doesn't matter if I put in car or auto or vehicle, it pops up the folder number and I can grab it. You can, of course, set this up in excel by yourself, or you can have a look at The Paper Tiger. http://www.thepapertiger.com/ I am not an affiliate, although I probably should be. I've used this program for many, many years, and absolutely love it.
The other thing that's important to understand is the someday/maybe file. This is a file for things that you don't simply want to store, never to be seen again unless needed. This is a file for ideas and places to visit and things to do. If you just reference them, they'll disappear unless you actually go looking for them. The secret to these files is that they need to be in categories that make sense, and accessible when you want to plan something. It's a place for 'to-do items' that you haven't fully committed to doing yet. For example, 'take a cruise' isn't really a to-do item you can check off. Yes, you can choose to file cruise info in a travel file in your reference folder, but you could also put them in your someday/maybe file and have a reminder every month or so to grab that file and browse your ideas. Things like "take a French course" doesn't really belong on a to-do list, nor does it belong in reference, but having it out of your mental clutter and listed on your someday/maybe list means you'll be reminded of it whenever you review your list (on a regular basis) and you can let the idea gel for awhile. David Allen recommends you use this list for things like:
"-things to get or build for your home
-hobbies to take up
-skills to learn
-creative expressions to explore
-clothes and accessories to buy
-toys to acquire
-trips to take
-organizations to join
-service projects to contribute to
-things to see and do."
(This list is taken from page 178 of his book).
It's a list/file you keep handy somewhere, whether it's a digital folder or a notebook. It's sort of a 'half-way" point between action items and reference items, and understanding its purpose really helps those decisions when you are looking through things trying to decide where to put them.
Happy Organizing, and Happy Dreaming of things to put on YOUR someday/maybe list!


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From what we can tell, the hoop monster in question was a part of Seattle's May Day protests. Or at the very least, he was using the day as a chance to go all Monstars on the hoop. The Seattle Police Department had a good sense of humor about it at least:
- Reposted by


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Overheard while in line for coffee at the University Center:
Guy: (to friend) I got my warrior tank defense capped!
My ears perked and I wiped around.
Me: (in an annoyed voice) It's not a cap, it's a minimum.
Ok, I lied. This never happened. And the fact that I fantasize about these kinds of conversations says a lot about me.
Anyway, this week's Shared Topic was suggested by Oath from Dressed to Cuddle and it's all about overhearing conversations about WoW in the offline world. Most of the stories shared so far are quite funny so I suggest you check them out by heading over to the Shared Topic forum at Blog Azeroth.
As open as I am about my gaming, I don't come across other WoW players too often. When I do, it's usually planned, as in, ooooo you should meet my friend/brother/cousin/dog, they play WoW too! The only random conversation I recall overhearing was, in fact, an unpleasant one. I was studying at the coffee shop when my ears suddenly groaned in pain.
Girl 1: So, my, like, boyfriend, is, like, playing WoW with his friends right now? Like, I don't get it? Like, why would any want to, like, play a stupid video game for, like, hours?
Girl 2: I dunno, it's, like, so stupid? Like, people get, like, so obsessed over a, like, game? They, like, starting playing and, like, that's all they, like, do? I'd rather, like, have a social life?
No, I'm not exaggerating their speaking style. Their brain spasms probably retained my attention way more than the fact that they were mindlessly bashing WoW.
I could have jumped into the conversation. I could have told them that playing WoW is a hobby, no different from taking guitar lessons, or playing volleyball on Mondays, or watching TV on Tuesday nights. I could have told them that the average WoW player is an average person, with a social life no different from non-WoW players.
But I didn't.
I didn't see the point.
I hate arguing. I like discussion. I like being corrected, I like firing back with my train of thought, I like coming out of conversations feeling as if I've grown as a person. Arguing does nothing of that. When I argue, I quickly realize that I'm getting nowhere, that nothing I say is going to matter because the other person isn't listening. I just get heated up and leave the conversation angry and feeling stupider than I was before.
The problem with preconceived notions such as "WoW = not a fun game, an obsession and must be aquired by trading in your social life" is that they're not based on anything reasonable. Based on anecdotal experience maybe, based on "I heard that…", based on old stereotypes. Trying to reason with that wasn't going to get me very far.
I was reminded of a colleague I had, in the summers where I worked at a camp for children with ASD. There were other camps on the site, one of them was a DnD-style camp. The kids ages from about 9 to about 12, wore medieval costumes, beat each other with foam swords and acted out adventure stories. The type of thing I would have loved when I was 9. I told my colleague how much fun it that camp must be for the kids. She gave me this haughty look and replied with the most disgusted voice: "Really? I was just thinking about how stupid their camp is."
Again, no reason behind it. She thinks it's stupid for 9 year olds to get dressed up and play make-belief. There's no point in arguing because she's not going to hear anything different.
I was also reminded of this really weird guy I ran into at a party once. One of the first things he said to me was: "By the way, I hate your province". Being a homesick expat, I tend to be very patriotic. I asked if he'd ever been there. His answer? "No, but I don't have to be kicked in the balls to know that it sucks."
I was stunned for a second, stuck somewhere between wanting to burst into tears and wanting to punch him in the face. He was obviously one of those guys who like to talk politics without actually knowing anything about politics. (He, also, sadly, was a WoW player, the type who reinforces the stereotype of the 20something scrawny looser with a bad haircut who can't hold a job and lives with his mommy. When I meet WoW players like that, I kinda forgive the two coffee shop girls.) I just gave him a pity look and turned away.
So back to the coffee shop girls with the cliched notion. I just shook my head and wondered how many hours they've wasted on Farmville.