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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

More Drama...

Because I seem to be all about drama these days.  We had a scary little thing happen to our family this week.  It is sobering to realize how close we all are to losing the things we take for granted.  I need to get this traumatic thing off my chest and also create a little record for myself in case it happens again.  You can feel free to read or skip it as it's LONG.

On Sunday I was shopping with the kids.  We were having a good time together, talking about the garden we hope to have and what kind of flowers the kids want to plant when it's warm enough.  We bought a lawn mower, some soil for the flower beds and a shovel.  Then we headed to Fred Meyer to get some things from the deli for dinner with Daddy (he was working overnight at the base).

As we're checking out, Elsa points out the Isaac is crying.  I turn around and see that he is really pale and a little panicky.  I asked it he was going to throw up and he said he felt like it.  So we pulled out of line and started walking around to get to the bathroom.  He kept getting paler and paler, and within a couple of aisles was not seeming able to walk on his own.  I picked him up and held him cradle style and decided to leave the cart and go to the car if he was that sick.  As I looked down at him, his lips were turning I bee-lined for the pharmacy, thinking maybe he was having some sort of allergic reaction to something, though I couldn't imagine what.  Adin and Elsa were pushing the cart with Ephraim sitting in it.  As I sat down on the bench there, he threw up some and I used his shirt to catch it. I kept looking around wanting to ask someone for help, but not sure what kind of help I needed.  I was feeling irritated that no one was stopping to help me on their own, but looking back on it, I was WAY too one probably even realized there was anything wrong.

After a couple of minutes, I flagged down a checker and asked for some paper towels.  She went to get them and about that time, a sweet lady named Anne stopped and asked if she could help me with anything.  I asked her for some baby wipes to clean him up and then I took his shirt off.

(This time period lasted about 10-15 minutes, though it sounds super short)  Right about this point, his body went almost completely limp.  I laid him back in my arms and tried to keep him awake.  The whole area around his chin, nose and lips was turning blue and he was doing no more than moaning and sometimes responding to my talking to him by barely opening his eyes.  He had no body muscle control at all, especially his neck and head which were completely limp.  I never felt like he didn't have oxygen, but I did feel like something in his body was failing.  Anne told me she thought we should call an ambulance.  I agreed and so the checker did so right away.  That's the moment I started to feel true panic, but I was thankfully able to stay calm.  I called Dave to tell him I needed him to try to find a substitute so he could leave and meet me at the ER.  About that same time, Isaac looked up at me and said "I can hear you" and his color started coming back.  Then the paramedics walked in to assess the situation.  They asked Isaac how he was and he nodded.  He even made a little smile at a joke the EMT made.  And then he lifted his head a little.

They didn't take his vitals, but looking at him, they felt he didn't need an ambulance ride.  I agreed.  Looking back, I should have insisted that they at least taking his blood pressure and pulse, based on what I know now.  I think they thought I was overreacting and that the blue must be due to excessive vomiting and crying, none of which were the case here.  Anne told me later that Isaac looked so bad, she didn't think the paramedics would make it in time to save him.  That's how bad these minutes felt.  It makes me sick just thinking about it.

We got another cart for Isaac to lay in since he was too sick to walk and then Anne watched the kids while the checker quickly moved me through the checkout with my purchases.  Then we left after I profusely thanked those 2 lovely women.  I was on the fence about going to the ER at that point since Isaac seemed to be okay.  I called Dave to let him know what was going on and he said he really wanted to see the kids.  So we decided to go to the base and have our picnic.  I stayed in the car with Ephraim and Isaac and Dave spent some time playing with the older 2.  I got to chat with Isaac as he was fully coherent and chatty by this point.  He told me he couldn't hear me for a long time, and that his tummy had felt really sick.  He didn't remember what had happened after he threw up, but he was all better now.   "My arm is better too Mommy!" I asked him which arm and he said his left one.  I asked him what it felt like and he said at first it hurt, but then he couldn't feel it.  He said he finally could feel it when the cart hit a bump on our way to the car.

I decided to get the kids home so we could get ready to go to the ER and find out what really happened.  This was no flu bug.  We said goodbye to Daddy and went home.  Isaac got a shower while the other kids changed and got some toys and books together for a long night at the ER.  Isaac was doing so well at this point he was singing commercials in the shower.  His color was completely all better and he was super perky.

We got to the ER 4 hours after the whole incident.  I told them what had happened and I was concerned about a possible heart attack or stroke.  They got us right back in there and hooked Isaac up with the basic heart monitors, a blood pressure cuff and a pulse monitor.  All of which looked fabulous, and completely normal.  The Dr came in and did an assessment, then they did an EKG.  Which also looked great.

The Dr. then told me this whole thing was most likely a seizure.  He said basically that kids often just do "weird things that scare us" and we never know why.  A heart attack or stroke in a normally healthy 5 year old would be incredibly rare.  Isaac's reactions and responses to questions showed no damage or side effects from anything that had happened.  He said I did exactly what I should have, and getting him in there earlier in this case wouldn't have mattered.  If it happens again (which is very unlikely) then they would observe him for 24 hours and run some mild tests.  If it happened a third time, then they would start to do the full gamut of tests to figure out if something more serious was going on.

We were only in the ER for 2 hours, which was so nice.  And it was relieving to know that my boy is okay, even if he did scare the life out of me.  I aged 10 years for sure.  The terror of the whole thing didn't hit me until about 4am that night.  I have delayed reactions to trauma.  This is what I found regarding random childhood seizures .  It appears to be a "Simple Partial Seizure".

Other seizure types are less dramatic. Shaking movements may be isolated to one arm or part of the face. Alternatively, the child may suddenly stop responding and stare for a few seconds, sometimes with chewing motions or smacking the lips. These may be called simple partial or complex partial seizures depending on whether the child remains aware.
Seizures may also cause "sensations" that only the child feels. As an example, one type of seizure can cause stomach discomfort, fear, or an unpleasant smell. These feelings are simple partial seizures, commonly referred to as auras. A child usually experiences the same symptoms with each seizure aura. Sometimes, a seizure aura can occur before a convulsive seizure. (See "Overview of the classification, etiology, and clinical features of pediatric seizures and epilepsy".)
After a seizure (postictal state) — With some types of seizures, the child may appear to be awake during the seizure, but is actually unaware and will have no memory of the event.
The period following a seizure is called the postictal state. During this time, the child may be confused and tired, and may develop a throbbing headache. This period usually lasts several minutes, although it can last for hours or even days.
In some children, the postictal period comes with other symptoms. For example, the child may experience mild to severe weakness in a hand, arm, or leg.
Other people have difficulty speaking or experience temporary (partial) vision loss or other types of sensory loss. These symptoms usually resolve over several minutes and can be important clues about the type of seizure and the part of the brain that was affected during the seizure.

It's just incredible how you take health and life for granted.  We are always grateful for our kids, but looking at how different things could be...when you try to imagine your life without even 1 of's enough to make you take stock of your life and priorities.  This was so scary for us, and I am SO very thankful our sweet boy is okay and that we don't have to worry overmuch about a future incident. Seeing this precious face every day is all the blessing I need right now.

  1. ((hugs)) Scary indeed! I'm glad he is ok!

  2. How scary!! I'm so glad he is sound like you did a great job!!!

  3. That really *is* scary! But it doesn't surprise me that you were calm. During the storm, when we moms need to be in charge, we're calm. It's when the storm has passed that we can have a minor breakdown. I'm so grateful he's okay! *hug*

  4. WOW!
    I just stumbled across your blog and I just had to say I am so very happy it turned out ok.
    Much love and care,

  5. Oh my goodness! That is so scary! I am glad he is okay and you are too. :)

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Friday, August 30, 2013

Seen outside the Freakin' Frog at about 11 p.m., August 29th, 2013

White-haired and stooped, he confides the lyrics like they're some big secret: "you know, girls just wanna have fun." The group laughs at him, but if Arthur is not mistaken, the men take Cyndi's advice into serious consideration: perhaps their female companions want smiles and accidental touches and oldies and booze more than they want devotion. Devotion is heavy.

It is not Arthur's most successful pop music intervention. Once he saw a woman rushing down the sidewalk in high heels, skirt straining against her thighs, sweat beading in the corners of her frowning mouth. He grabbed her arm and said, "you can't hurry love." The next day he saw her waiting for the bus. After watching a young man take five shots in rapid succession at the local bar, Arthur sidled up to him and whispered, "happiness is a warm gun." You can guess what happened later that evening.

Arthur considers himself to be life's disc jockey, a benevolent voice who helps you recognize your own soundtrack.

Went to the Freakin' Frog last night for a drink. Went again today to toast to the memory of Seamus Heaney. Probably going again tomorrow, since we befriended a waiter and the owner and they're going to let us come to their cask party at a steep discount. Adventures ensue.

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Saturday, December 10, 2005

Winter Break

So today's the last day of the Fall 2005 term. I took my last final, Earlier Romantic Lit. Since it's Saturday, there was no one to watch my sis, so she came with me to the final. She was disappointed cuz I told her how my prof always wears a bow tie, but he didn't today. And he wore a sweater vest instead of a jacket! Wow, he really does get casual on Saturdays. It was nice having her sit next to me reading The Bell-Jar while I took my final. The final was like all Wordsworth, and he didn't have a single Jane Austen question on it! Then my sis and I had fun at Northpark (they had ballroom dancers!) and at Mockingbird Station.

So far I know I got a B in Biochem (although I did make an A on final), an A in Dante's Poetic Vision, and an A in Health Psychology. Access is down for maintenance until 8 pm tomorrow, so I won't know until then what I got in Seminar: Literary Theory or Earlier Romantic Lit. Now that I don't have classes, I don't know what to do to occupy my time. We'll just have to see.

Anne O'nymous said...

Hey, congrats on finals being go to SMU? I've seen your posts on SDN (i'm Anne O'nymous there.) and found your blog. I go to SMU too. I guess the reason i suspected you go to SMU is because of access being down until sunday! That was a pain because i'm addicted to checking my grades. I'm still waiting on ONE professor to turn her grades in! GOSH, don't they realized how much anxiety it causes me to wait?! hahahaha

Viscous said...

update merium!


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Blake Lewis - Audio Day Dream - таба, видео

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Blake Lewis - Audio Day Dream - таба, видео

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I tabbed the chords out for the whole album, not the Intro and Outro and not a few
But i'll tell you the Intro to the album "Silence is Golden.." is in the key of Em, so work
that. this is a great album as his debut, blake is amazing. this is good for just an
guitar to sing along or have someone sing with you. I'm not entirely sure of this,
most of it is right. Enjoy!

1. Break Anotha

Verse - Em, C, B (repeats for the chorus and bridge and pre choruses)

2. Gots to Get Her

Intro - Am, Am/G#, G, E (x2)

Verse - Am, D, Am

Chorus - Same as Intro

3. Know My Name - No Chords Available

4. How Many Words

Verse - Em, C, D

Pre- Chorus - G, C, D, C

Chorus - Em, C, G, D

5. Surrender

Verse, Chorus, Intro, Everything - Am, F, C, G

6. Hate 2 Love Her

Everything - Am, C, G, F

7. Without You

Intro and Chorus - G, D, Em, D, C

Bridge - Em, C, G, D

Second time for the Bridge - Em, C, D

8. Here's My Hello

Verse - Cm

Pre Chorus - G#, D#, G#

Chorus - Cm, D#, A#, G#

9. What'cha Got To Lose - No Chords Available

10. She's Makin' Me Lose It

Verse - G# (strum the E and B notes (4th fret or 16th fret, switch it up) of the G#
make it sound funky)

Chorus - G#, Db, F#, G#

Post Chorus - B, Db

11. BShorty Grabs the Mic! [Live] - No Chords Available

12. End of the World

Everything - G#, Db, Eb, Db

13. 1000 Miles

Intro - D
Verse - D, Bm, A, G

Pre Chorus - Bm, G then Bm, A, G

Chorus -  D, A, Bm, G

Post Chorus - Bm, G

Bridge - Bm, A, G, A

14. I Got U

Everything - G, C, Em, D

Now this is very etchy, and all of it may not be right. It may be confusing. Just listen
the songs. These are close to what is being played, or it could be spot on. It might
be wrong. But you decide and you can change it to make it sound better to your own ear.
sounds right to me. Anyway, this album rules and this tab is just for acoustic guitar
singing (cause Blake is Dance Beats, this is a different style, kind of). anyway, enjoy!

ps - some of the songs had no chords cause either A - they really had no guitar or B - i
like the song that much, and i found it to hard to find out the guitar. It's hard cause
is dance music, so it's going to be cool if you just sing it (or find a singer) and play
guitar on it (or find someone who plays guitar). anyway, enjoy!
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Indira  Goswami

Indira Goswami

New Delhi ~ India

The Prince Claus Awards Committee regards Indira Goswami as an outstanding writer, who reveals how ordinary people experience reality. Her powerful and lively descriptions and memorable images show how the body is central to human affairs, how political, religious and cultural systems affect the body and how the body determines life processes, gender, age, poverty and conflict. Indira Goswami is a woman of letters, who specialises in Assamese and Ramayana literature. She was first a professor and later the head of the Institute for Modern Indian Languages and Literature at Delhi University. With others she translates her books into English and is active in translating literary works from English to Assamese and vice versa. Goswami is a courageous woman and an intellectual who never hesitates to fight publicly for various disadvantaged groups. Through her involvement in the recent peace talks in Assam, she has contributed to an attempt to solve a conflict that has cost some 10,000 lives. Indira Goswami (also known as Mamoni Raisom Goswami) is a woman of unique insight and strong convictions; she was honoured with the Principal Prince Claus Award because of her work’s inimitable quality, and because she recognises and describes how cultural values are imposed and attributed to the body. Moreover, she deploys her literature as a means of effecting social and cultural change.


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Saturday, November 10, 2007

It's never going to end, is it...

If there's one thing that relationships teach you, and here I talk exclusively of failed relationships, because that's my primary area of interest and is that there is absolutely nothing to learn. If anything, I believe it calls for a lot of unlearning.

It's a rude awakening into reality, being shaken and mercilessly (mercifully?) stirred out of an episode of make-belief happiness and unadulterated joy. Me, when I'm in love, I can't shake the smile off off my face. And I think that's disgusting.

It's a bit like a hangover. It's intense, it's heightened, and it's an unnatural state of being. Of course the accompanying headaches, nausea, numbness in the head, heart and the limbs, strengthens the analogy. Everything else pales in comparison. You can almost feel the world go by in slow motion with people talking in a voice that echoes but says nothing in particular. The duration of course depends on which which end of the spectrum you are in terms of experience.

So I'm pretty much covered there.

In fact, now, if a relationship starts to last too long, I get withdrawal symptoms. I think by now evolution has kicked in. I have adapted to my environment, heightening all that is vital and essential to flourish in my reality. Every now and then I am stirred with the desire to be devastated with grief. Happiness is not a state of being I enjoy for very long. In fact, I think I feel guilty about it. The world is full of miseries. And it's only right that we all get to experience and live out our share. That way, we all consume what is rightfully ours and no one gets to suffer more than their own share. Of course here I assume that God did a fair division to begin with. But that should be a fair enough assumption. I mean, why would he want to be particularly mean to any one of us. If miseries are important for us to experience, I'm sure he's distributed them in all fairness.

I like the sound of this. I'm hearing me think this for the first time. It's a very comforting thought. If memory serves, each time I'm devastated the first thing that crosses my mind is "Why me?". So I can safely deduce, that despite being crushed and devastated, my primary line of thought is "why is this not happening to someone else".

So it's nice to know that all of us are suffering. [I'm sure there are more meaningful and real challenges to life. And for my sake I hope having resolved this, I am able to move on to things that are bigger and better. But for now, this seems to be my toughest spot, so I'll ramble on. But I want to make a note here - that in the face of all the worlds' problems, I feel a little guilty and self-centered going on and on about unsuccessful relationships. But that's the cross I bear.]

And the physical realm is very closely connected with the emotional. It's a cross-hatch. Coping mechanisms (have to) change according to age. In your 20s, there's nothing that a shot of tequila cannot help blur momentarily. But when you're 35, you're not so much watching out for your emotional well being as you are for your curves. And that makes it so much more challenging. Having to live through heartbreak with soups and salads is that much tougher. Being 35, a woman, single, and fairly vain - I heal and practically resurrect myself from diet food. No alcohol, chocolates, or creamy pastas for me.

But I like healthy. I really do. On a serious note, I think we should all eat healthy, no matter what the intensity of the trauma we are called upon to live through.

Another landmark I have achieved in my mid-30s is to see life minus the tints. In fact, shades have come where tints used to be. You are pretty much all you have thats dependable, bankable, and will forever be there by your side. You are never going to walk away from yourself in a huff. You can never decide not to see you again. You'll forever be there for you. So you learn to really see yourself in a new light and begin to treat yourself well. Like I no longer put anybody else over and above my own needs and desires. Sounds self-centered perhaps. But if you don't respect the most important thing in your life, what have you got? It also makes you appreciate friends and family that much more.

Getting back to what's there to learn...having said that there is absolutely nothing to learn from the relics of a failed relationship, each time I look long and hard. I know there is something that I can take from this - something that will make me a more mature, enlightened, confident, and successful person....but for the life of me I can't figure out what that something is. I live with the belief that there is something that I need to know, it's just that I need to be in a point in time and at a frequency where I'll be able to "get it". And my whole life is a state of preparation for being in that point in time and at the frequency where I am able to finally get it.

That's what keeps me hopeful. I just know that I'm going to step in to the light.

My belief is that each one of us has a tough spot (or several tough spots). It could be money, faith, happiness, fulfillment, peace of mind, a chronic or debilitating disease. I'm sure each one of us has at least one area of life that poses a challenge, or perhaps a disappointment or disillusionment. Someone around you will seem to be doing that thing effortlessly. But you struggle on. I guess that's what is meant when they say we all have our crosses to bear. And I believe the crosses are custom-made. And they are unique. I wouldn't be surprised if the crosses are practically as unique as one per individual. I think they break the mould with every cross.

I sometimes wonder what the point could be.

You're born, and at the end of it you die.
You sleep but then you wake up.
You fill up your eat and you drink. But it's not like you do it once and you're good to go forever. You have to do it every day, several times a day. But then you have to empty that out as well.
You earn, you spend.
You are free to choose but then you also have to live out the blueprint.

For every act, there's practically a counter-act.
So where really is the point.

I'm not sure. It just sounds like lots and lots of cloclwise and counter-clockwise circles.
And we're busy doing the circles. Day in day out. Where's the time for doing lines? We're all busy doing circles. We do a circle, then we undo the circle. And then we've got to move on to the next circle, quickly. Life's busy.

And I'm getting a liitle dizzy with this. So I'm going to end this right here and now.

Next time I write, I'll probably try and simplify this so it makes sense. Or I'll just move on to the next rambling.

Maybe it's too soon to start making sense.


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Friday, December 09, 2005

Pro Bono fellowships awarded

This is very, very cool. Skadden Arps is not only one of the best law firms anywhere, it is one of the most generous when it comes to meaningful contributions to pro bono service.
Law Students Snag Fellowships Published On Friday, December 09, 2005 5:14 AM By LULU ZHOU Crimson Staff Writer Last Friday was a dream come true for nine Harvard Law School (HLS) students who learned that they had received the Skadden Fellowship—a grant that supports legal projects aimed at helping disadvantaged people—making them the largest group of fellows HLS has seen. “This fellowship is great because it basically allows you to design your own dream job and somebody gives you the funding to do it,” said Nisha S. Agarwal ’00, a third-year HLS student and newly named fellow. Awarded to 27 recipients this year, the two-year Skadden Fellowship is granted by the law firm Skadden, Arps. Applicants, who must be recent law school graduates or judicial clerks, are asked to design public interests projects, and the fellowship funds the winning selections. Almost two decades old, the Skadden Fellowship Program seeks to provide civil legal services to disadvantaged people, said Susan B. Plum, the program’s founding director.
The rest of the story is here, and it is definitely worth your consideration. If all big law firms took pro bono services as seriously as Skadden Arps, think what a difference that would make.

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Pink & Purple Plush Unicorns

Every day can be magical with these plush unicorns! These assorted pink and purple mythical creatures have soft & cuddly bodies with shimmering hooves and horn, giving them a friendly appearance meant for all ages. The perfect party favor at your next princess party, or you can give them away as prizes at your next school carnival.

Plush Flamingos

* 12 in. Long* Pink plush material* All ages

Smiling Lips Plush

* Size: 7 3/4" L. * Assorted red and pink colors * Made of soft plush * All Ages

Plush Multicolor Hanging Monkeys

* 14 in. Long* 3 Assorted bright colors include blue, pink and purple* Fuzzy white facial hair* Velcro palms* All ages

Plush Alien Monsters /3-PC

* 9" Tall* 3 Assorted neon colors: Pink, Orange, Green* All Ages* US Toy Exclusive!

Plush Monkeys With Bendable Tails

* 18 in. Long* Assorted brown, yellow, orange, hot pink and blue colors* Plush material* Wire in the tail makes it bendable* All ages

Plush Standing Big Eyed Gators

* 6 in. Tall* Assorted Green, pink, blue and orange colors* Plush material* All Ages

Plush Neon Bean Bag Teddy Bears

* 6 1/2 in. Long from head to feet* Assorted red, orange, yellow, green purple and hot pink fabric* Plush material* Filled with plastic beans* All Ages

Plush Telescopic Eye Aliens/ 3-PC

* 4 1/2" Wide Body* 8" Tall including eyes and legs* 3 Assorted colors: Pink, Green, Orange* All Ages * US Toy Exclusive!

Plush Neon Puppy Dog Bean Bag Animals

* 6 1/2 in. Long from head to tail* Assorted pink, orange, blue, red, purple and green fabric* Plush Fabric* Filled with plastic beans i* All Ages

Jumbo Plush Multicolor Hanging Monkeys - Dozen

* 25 in. Long* 3 Assorted bright pink, blue and purple colors* Fuzzy white facial hair* Velcro Palms* All Ages

Polka Dot Slap Bracelets

* Plush Cloth* Pink, Purple, Red, Green, and Blue assorted polka dot designs * 9 in.L x 1 in. Wide* Metal bracelet with cloth wrap* Ages 3+

Mini Stuffed Animal Assortment

* 2 1/2 in. Tall* Assorted plush material colors include pink, green, yellow, blue, black and orange* Assorted animals include pigs, elephants, teddy bears, and bunny rabbits* All Ages

Rabbit Costume Accessory Set

* 3 piece set includes tail, ears and bowtie* Made of plush polyester fabric* white and pink* Head band - one size fits all, ears are 12 in. Long* Tail 3 in. Diameter* Bowtie 4 in. Wide* Ages 3+

Plush Valentine's Day Hearts

* 4 in. Diameter* Soft plush material* Assorted red and pink colors* All ages

Plush Fancy Dogs

* 9 in. Long* Assorted green, blue and pink* Super soft plush material* All ages

Plush Fairy Tale Unicorns

* 11 in. Long x 8 in. Tall* Super soft plush material* Assorted pink, purple and white colors* Iridescent fabric horn* All ages

Plush Baby Bunnies w/Carrots

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Vegan(ish) Purchase: Makeup and Kiehl's!

I haven't updated my swiftly dwindling stock of makeup and skincare products for months and months and months, so when I landed at the King of Prussia mall on Sunday, I went a bit crazy and purchased a mini-stockpile. Here are the highlights, all of which I think are vegan, but I'm never really sure with makeup and skincare products unless its clearly marked one way or the other (such as Kiehl's stylist haircare line that includes silk -- eek -- that was my favorite pre-vegan!). As for the companies I purchase from, I have no idea what their policies regarding use of animals for testing are (either on their completed products or as to their suppliers). Please don't pounce on my choice of companies or products. Transitioning a life to eating vegan, dressing vegan, and using only vegan products is complicated and takes time; for me, the products that land in my bathroom or makeup case seem to be the biggest challenge. Regardless, here's some of what I got:

To begin, I replenished my supply of Laura Mercier's foundation primer. I use the original, created in 1995, to "prime" the skin before application of foundation and other layers. It is $30; available here.

While I was replenishing my supply of primer, I noticed, and fell in love with, Laura Mercier's shimmer bloc. I purchased it in the peach mosaic and intend to wear it over foundation to add a bit of shimmer to an otherwise matte face. The shimmer bloc is $38; here.

For my eyes, I've been craving a purple-hued shimmery eye-shadow. Naturally, I went to MAC for that and ended up purchasing the mineralize eye shadow duo in odd couple (pictured), a combination of purple with gold mixed with lavender and bronze veining. The eye shadow goes on sheer and leaves a soft shimmer. The eye shadow duo is $19.50; find it here. To apply the eye shadow, I also purchased a tapered blending brush ($28; here).

Finally, I bought a bag-load from Kiehl's, including intensive treatment for dry and callused areas, which is the best I have found for swiftly taking care of ultra-dry areas ($22.50 for a tube; here).

Jennifer said...

You should be able to tell if these cosmetics test on animals by checking out the Caring Consumer web site.

becka said...

Dude. I have the Peach shimmer bloc and I never use it. You could have raided my stash first, I'm trying to get rid of almost everything!

The Professional Vegan said...

I'll raid your stash soon . . . I desperately needed something to hold me over . . . and I love the bloc, so I will take yours as well as backup. ;)

becka said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
becka said...

You won't need a back up! That thing will last you forever. You can still have mine though -- if I don't swap it in the meantime ;)


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Wood Plate Carving Video Tutorial – Part 4

Wood Plate Carving Video Tutorial – Part 4

Wood Carving Wood Plate Engraving ImageIn Part 4 of  this “How To” Video Tutorial, Dr. Lew takes us through the following steps:

  • Lettering the Outside Border
  • How to make the stencil film “not so sticky”
  • How to Properly Position Stencil for Lettering
  • Tracing Lettering through Stencil Film
  • Final Staining and Sealing
  • Proper Presentation
  • Delivering to Your Customer (professional image)

Play the Video below:

Click the Play Button to Start the Video

If the video above does not play well – or stops to “buffer” – please press the “PAUSE” button to give the video additional time to download (buffer) from the web server. Just a minute or so should solve the problem.

The video above is Part 4 of 4 of the wood carving video tutorial.

Make sure you Subscribe by E-Mail to be notified when future video tutuorials, featured artists, free engraving patterns and more are added.

Wooden Plates for Wood Carving / EngravingAlder Wooden Plates for Carving – Available Here.

WAIT – At Profitable Hobbies next Free Webinar, Dr. Lew is going to take us through a Wooden Plate Carving he is doing right now for Utah State University.

This is no ordinary wooden plate, the one is 36 inches in diameter – and worth thou$and$!

Register Now for the Webinar

Dr. Lew’s Wooden Plate Project Webinar is Wednesday, May 26 at 7:00 MDT – it is free to attend.

You can see all of our Upcoming Webinars at our Upcoming Webinars Page.

If you missed any of the first three parts to this Wooden Plate Engraving/Carving Tutorial Series,  here are the links to where you an access them –

Part 1 – Wooden Plate Engraving Video

Part 2 – Engraving a Wooden Plate

Part 3 – Wood Plate Carving

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One Response to Wood Plate Carving Video Tutorial – Part 4

  1. Peter October 29, 2010 at 3:31 pm #

    Dear sir, I have just finished watching your videos on Kenny Rodger’s plate. I must say that they are truly remarkable and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them and learning a potential new hobby at the same time. I can honestly state that I couldn’t take my eyes from what I was seeing. Amazing!!
    Just one question if I may, you mentioned in your videos about stencils. I presume that you make your own clear stencils. I have never come accross this process before, do you have a video which explains this method of stencil manufacture? Any information / guidance you can offer would be very gratefully recieved. Thank you in advance for you help, and thank you for posting these videos. I will be looking forward to seeing some more soon.
    Kind regards, Peter.


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20 July 2007

Did an 8 mile run with a bunch of cadets early this morning... I held up better than I thought I did (and I didn't finish last!). I'm sure my knees will have something to say about it tomorrow, but the weather was wonderful, the scenery was great, and I'm glad I did it (and I'm glad it's done!)

Kim said...

Whew is right! Awesome. :)

Deb said...

Shewwwww.....I am so tired for you! I'd have trouble walkin' 8 miles!! :)

Dan said...

It's Sunday afternoon, and I've mostly recovered from Friday's run... wow, I was tired yesterday


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Fidelity to the Word
Our Lord and His Holy Apostles at the Last Supper

A blog dedicated to Christ Jesus our Lord and His True Presence in the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist

From whence can any one fill them with bread here in the wilderness ?

Mark 8:4

Friday, November 02, 2012

All Soul's Day

For friends and family no longer with us, and for those poor souls with no one to pray for them, let us pray:

Kyrie eleison
Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.

The Holy Card (a poem for today)

Labels: , ,

Blogger Michael said...

For David L. Heim (August 26, 1955 - November 16, 2012), a friendly musician:
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace. Amen.

12/06/2012 10:24:00 PM

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Monday, 18 July 2011

Rohan's 'Propaganda on the hitler rule the world'

Propaganda within Nazi germany was taken to a new and frequently perverse level. Hitler was  aware of the value of good propaganda and he appointed Joseph Goebbels  as head of propaganda.

Propaganda is the art of persuasion - persuading others that your 'side of the story' is correct. Propaganda might take the form of persuading others that your military might is too great to be challenged; that your political might within a nation is too great or popular to challenge etc. In Nazi Germany Dr Joseph Goebbels was in charge of propaganda.Gobeels official title was Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. Hitler and many of the higher Nazi leaders harbored racism and wished to begin the extermination of races they deemed inferior.This anti-Semitic material formed the second main body of German propaganda. It was implemented through the recently invented radio, as well as through speeches from the main Nazi leaders. Posters and other visual material were also widely circulated and vital to the persuasion. Much other visual and printed material, such as books and leaflets, was only circulated to specific groups, such as Nazi party members or soldiers. However, almost all the propaganda was spread though a variety of media.

As Minister of Enlightenment, Goebbels  had two main tasks: His main tasks were  to ensure nobody in Germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaged to the Nazi Party and the views of the Nazis were put across in the most persuasive manner possible.
To ensure success, Goebbels had to work with the SS and Gestapo and Albert Speer who might produce articles defamatory to the Nazis and Hitler while Speer helped Goebbels with public displays of propaganda.

Why was so much effort put into propaganda?
At no time up to 1933, did the Nazi Party win a majority of votes at elections. They may have been the largest political party in 1933, but they did not have a majority of support among the people. Therefore, those who had supported the Nazis needed to be informed on how correct their choice was with an emphasis on the strength of the party and the leadership. Those who opposed the Nazi Party had to be convinced that it was pointless continuing with their opposition. The fact that Goebbels had so much power is indicative of how important Hitler thought it was to ensure that the people  won over or intimidated into accepting Nazi rule.

Propoganda posters
 Posters, first from the top which advertises a paper drive were related to production propaganda posters. These types of posters urged German citizens to conserve materials for the war effort. During the war, many materials that would have been commonplace and easy to produce during peacetime began to get scarce. Posters such as these prompted the viewer to help give to the Nazi cause. Like the production and labor posters, many conservation posters also displayed images of battle and urged the average person to “do their part.” When they did not show battle, conservation posters, such as this one, often depicted contributors cheerily giving to the war effort, pleased at being able to aid their government. In most cases, however, German citizens were reluctant to give up their luxuries. This type of propaganda is often titled “conservation propaganda” and was especially common in America and Germany during World War II.

This poster, second from the top shows that spies are listening which were not particularly common in wartime Germany. However, they were important to the propaganda effort. These implied that spies were everywhere and would hear any gossip or loose talk about the war effort and  the implication that spies were close and listening in also helped to bring the reality of war home to most people. In most cases, this served to make the public work harder and be more careful about conservation, two of the main other reasons for propaganda. As long as the public felt threatened, they would obey commands that would, in their eyes, remove that threat.

This poster, third from the top which reads “One People, One Reich, One Führer,” was a piece of one of the most important parts of the German propaganda. By establishing a rudimentary worship for the Führer who was a leader that was almost mythological,Adolf Hitler was established as the absolute head of the government and to some a semi-deity. This inspired the public to work harder and do more for the Reich, having been convinced by the Führer propaganda that the war was a sort of holy quest or crusade. The Führer worship also helped instill pride in Germany and the Reich among the German population. This type of propaganda was also heavily reinforced by speeches and radio broadcasts. Goebbels himself often spoke about Hitler members, showed Hitler being adored by the public, especially by the German youth. This type of propaganda was very important to the Nazi cause in that it defined the Führer as an embodiment of all the good of the Nazi Reich and  also persuaded many people to further follow its commands. This helped in the war effort and also generated pride in the German nation and the Reich.

Posters like this one at the forth from the top, which advertises the Nazi film “The Eternal Jew,” served to dehumanize the German Jews. The film which is  “The Eternal Jew” itself compares the Jewish people to rats. By dehumanizing Jews, the Nazi leaders began to prepare for Hitler’s “Final Solution stereotypes about cheating with money. The propaganda was able to play off the existing racial difficulties in Germany has well as ,to enhance the original nationalistic pride of the German people that they were somehow chosen or holy.

This picture at the fifth from the top, which depicts a supposedly innocent German citizen paying a Jewish man as the he sprays lies onto him. This is probably because propaganda that demeans races or political groups, other than the enemy, does very little to boost or aid the wartime effort. However, propaganda of a type very similar is much more common than thought today, and comes to us in the form of political cartoons or political advertising. Political cartoons often demeanor mock groups based of stereotypes or prejudices. Although the purpose of these cartoons is undoubtedly different from the German anti-Semitic propaganda, many comparisons can be drawn between the two.
German propaganda was extremely important to the course of World War II. By taking control of the media and only printing or broadcasting Nazi material, the Reich was able to effectively flood Germany with its propaganda. This, which is combined with the genius of men like Joseph Goebbels, created one of the most potent barrages of wartime propaganda in history.

PROPAGANDA (my summary)

Information extracted from (
1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
2. the deliberate spreading of such information, rumours, etc.
3. the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.
As you can see, that propaganda is not real. It is fake advertisement usually by political parties. This is done so people will trust by giving fake hopes. Examples of propaganda are like Japan, Germany, Russia and many more. These are the few political propaganda. Propaganda is basically about giving the better rule or country to people.
In this project the emphasis will be on Nazis’ propaganda. Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party. He was the leader of the Nazi. The propaganda led to get in power and sustaining it. Not only that and also the holocaust were caused by the propaganda.
The propaganda was spread through newspaper, speakers, posters, films, books, comics, magazines, radio and even through fine art. This propaganda promoted ideology. The Nazis believed in the supremacy of an Aryan master race and claimed that Germans represented the purest Aryan nation. They argued that Germany's survival as a modern great nation required it to create a New Order an empire in Europe that would give the German nation the necessary land mass, resources and expansion of population needed to be able to economically and militarily compete with other powers. The Nazis claimed that Jews were the greatest threat to the Aryan race and the German nation.
information from

vinod 3C

LhfsNinontooee's Research!!!(Propaganda)

After the Great Depression that left the Germans in total Poverty and Jeopardy all over. Hitler used all these, including the various crimes broken out, and blamed them on the people he considered not of the Aryans( a “Perfect race” made up by Hitler, suggesting they were the real inhabitants of Nazi Germany) He used Propaganda, during his election rallies, to bring this over to his people. So they would have someone to put the blame on for their plight, therefore, many Germans turned to Hitler and his Nazi Party and with some even calling him, their last hope.
Hitler used propaganda to teach the Aryans that they are superior to other races, and thus, making them supports the Nazi’s plans to exterminate them or exclude them from the Reich. What we have seen above, is one expect I have found Hitler to have made use of propaganda. Therefore, from what we have seen above, the over view was that, Hitler to use Propaganda to get the public to believe what he wanted them to, so they would support him in his, and the Nazi’s plans
The Poster reads: " Hitler, our last hope"
By: Kelvin Lim (30) 3B (KL)

Hitler Propaganda
  The coordinated attempt to influence public opinion through the use of media is called propaganda. It was used by the Nazi Party in the years leading up to and during Hitler Leadership of Germany. It provided a crucial instrument for acquiring and maintaining power, and for the implementation of their policies.
     Mein Kampf, Itself a propaganda tool, used to study and practice propaganda.The argument that Germany lost the war largely because of British propaganda efforts, expounded at length in Mein Kampf, reflected then-common German nationaloist claims. German propaganda during WWI was mostly more advances than that of the British which became the official truth of Nazi Germany thanks to its reception by Hitler.
A 1973 anti-Bolshevik Nazi Propaganda Poster
Poster art was a mainstay of the Nazi Propaganda effort, aimed both at Germany itself and occupied territories. The striking visual effects would reach viewers easily and they were difficult to avoid.  Hans Schweitzer, under the pen name “Mjolnir” produced many Nazi posters.

Done By-->Saravanan (36) 3A

in order to make sure that the views of nazi were being told to the people in the most persuasive manner and nobody in germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaging to the nazi party  as the minister of enlightenment,goebbels had these two main tasks. goebbels had to work with the ss and gestapo and albert speer, the former hunted out those who might produce articles defamatory to the Nazis and Hitler while Speer helped Goebbels with public displays of propaganda.

imagine that you were in a country and the only thing you can see or read were those that were cencored by the government and what you learn in school were just how great your government is and what so ever... you will never whats happening outside and you don't even know that you are being taken advantaged by the govrnment... you still think that the government treat you very well and so. these are how hitler uses proganda to control his people. he controled the newspaper and the education of the country..these even limited the way the people in germany because people only think that arian way is the superior way these will cause racial discrimination and riot .like discrimating the minority of the country  like the jews..
by ng choojing (07) 3B>.<

Hilter's propaganda

Propaganda within Nazi Germany was taken to a new and frequently perverse level. Hitler knew the value of good propaganda and he appointed Joseph Goebbels as head of propaganda. Propaganda is a form of psychological manipulation, usually to further a political agenda. It involves the promotion of specific ideas or views to persuade others that `your side of the story ‘is correct.
As Minister of Enlightenment, Goebbels had two main tasks:
1) To ensure nobody in Germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaging to the Nazi Party.
2) To ensure that Nazi’s view were put across in the most persuasive manner as possible.

To ensure success, Goebbels had to work with the SS and Gestapo and Albert Speer.
The former hunted out those who might produce articles defamatory to the Nazis and Hitler while Speer helped Goebbels with public displays of propaganda. Hitler introduced a system of censorship. You could only read, see and hear what the Nazis wanted you to read, see and hear. In this way, if you believed what you were told, the Nazi leaders logically assumed that opposition to their rule would be very small and practiced only by those on the very extreme who would be easy to catch.
The weekly Nazi newspaper Der Stürmer (literally, "The Stormer;" or more accurately, "The Attacker") was a weekly tabloid-format Nazi newspaper published by Julius Streicher from 1923 to the end of World War II in 1945 was devoted to anti-Semitic propaganda and promoting hatred against the Jews. The motto of the paper was “The Jews are our misfortunate “and it was widely ready by the lower classes. In 1927, it sold about 27,000 copies every week; by 1935 circulation had reached around 480,000.
Hitler came to power in January 1933. By May 1933, the Nazi Party felt sufficiently strong to publicly demonstrate where their beliefs were going when Goebbels organised the first of the infamous book burning episodes.  Books that did not match the Nazi ideal was burnt in public - loyal Nazis ransacked libraries to remove the 'offending' books. "Where one burns books, one eventually burns people" commented the author Brecht. The most notable is Adolf Hitler’s Mein kampf or My struggle which was a best seller during the Nazi years.
To ensure that everybody could hear Hitler speak, Goebbels organised the sale of cheap radios. These were called the "People's Receiver" and they cost only 76 marks. A smaller version cost just 35 marks. Goebbels believed that if Hitler was to give speeches, the people should be able to hear him. Loud speakers were put up in streets so that people could not avoid any speeches by the Fuhrer. Cafes and other such properties were ordered to play in public speeches by Hitler.
Film released to the public concentrated on the Jews; the greatness of Hitler; the way of life for a true Germans; how badly Germans in Eastern Europe were treated. "Hilterjunge Quex” (1933) told the story of a boy brought up in a communist family in Germany who broke away from this background, joined the Hitler Youth and was murdered by the communists in Germany for doing so. "The Eternal Jew" was a film that vilified the Jews- comparing the Jews in Europe to a hoard of rats, spreading disease etc. However, the cinemas were not full of serious films with a political message. Goebbels ordered that many comedies should be made to give Germany a 'lighter' look.

Sieg Heil-Hail victory
Sieg Heil literally means “Victory Hall” or “hail victory” .During the Nazi era, it was a common call at political rallies like Nuremberg when meeting someone, it was customary in Nazi Germany to give the Hitler salute and say the words “Heil Hitler”.”Sieg Heil” was reserved for mass meetings such as the ones at Nuremberg where “Sieg Heil” was shouted in unison by thousands .At such rallies there was often a display of banners carrying the slogan “Sieg Heil” along with the Swastika.
Nuremberg Rallies
The first rallies took place in 1923 in Munich and 1926 in Weimar. From 1927 onwards, they were held in Nuremberg. The rallies reached over half a million from all sections of the party, the army and the state, including the Wehrmacht,SS,SA,Labor services ,Hitler Youth,etc. The Nuremberg rallies to strengthen the personality cult of Adolf Hitler, portraying Hitler as Germany’s saviour. Crowds listened ecstatically to the Fuhrer’s speeches, swore loyalty and marched before him. Images of the hero worship of Hitler are often from Nuremberg.
                     “All Germany hears the Fuhrer on the people’s receiver"

 By:Chia Hwee(18) 3C


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Saturday, April 30, 2005

There's no escaping the fact: Laser sailing hurts.

When my sons were teenagers and just starting to sail Lasers they used to complain about the minor bumps and aches associated with sailing. I used to tell them, "Laser sailing is mainly about pain". An exaggeration of course and, looking back, a scary thing to tell kids. But I don't seem to have caused them too much psychological damage and they are both fine young men now. And they both still enjoy sailing. Or perhaps the pain.

At the sailing seminar I recently attended, the guest instructor, Brad Funk, confirmed my point. He was telling the class one evening that most of us weren't hiking hard enough. "How do you know when you're hiking hard enough? If it hurts it means you're hiking properly!"

The publicity for the course promised "fun and torture". It was accurate on both points. After 5 days of such torture I have the following injuries...

A bruise on my head when it was bumped by the boom. Too tired or too stupid to remember to duck in time.

Aching shoulders.

A nagging pain just below my right shoulder blade that doesn't respond to Tylenol. It gets worse if I sit in the car for several hours. The only cure seems to be Laser sailing. When I sail it goes away.

Bruises on both arms. I think these are caused when I do a capsize recovery. Certainly when I was learning to sail a Laser over 20 years ago I used to get more of these bruises.

A sore on my right finger caused by a hole in my full finger gloves. Sores on both index fingers caused when I switched to my 3 finger gloves. Just can't win.

3 sores on my left knee and 1 sore on my right knee caused when I used my short hiking pants. They got worse when I switched to my 3/4 length hiking pants that cover my knees. Go figure.

A bruise on my thigh caused by walking into a boat on the land. Just shows I don't look where I'm going enough on the land or on the race course.

A very sore big toe. Never had this before. My theory is that in this warm water my feet swell a bit and my hiking boots are too tight for these conditions. The love of my life says it will drop off. I'm not exactly clear whether she's referring to the toe, the toenail or something else.

So if hurts so much why do we do it? Are we all masochists?

No. I think we do it for one reason and one reason only. In the words of the song we do it because...."the pleasure is worth all the pain".

Friday, April 29, 2005

Run Rabbit Run

On Thursday at the Rick White Sailing Seminar we did one drill - Run Rabbit Run - almost all day. Each sailor in turn, the "rabbit", was given a pre-determined lead at the start of a race - the stronger the sailor the shorter the lead. Then it was the rabbit's job to try and protect his lead all the way around the windward-leeward-windward race course using tactics to stay between his strongest opposition and the next mark. All the other boats in the fleet just tried to pass the rabbit if they could.

The guest instructor on the course, Brad Funk, sailed in his Laser behind each rabbit to give him or her advice on boat handling and on tactics too, if asked. Brad is ranked the #1 Laser sailor on the US Sailing Team which means he is currently the favorite to win the US Spot in the Laser class for the 2008 Olympics. To say he is in a different league to us weekend warriors attending the seminar is an extreme understatement. Meanwhile Rick was in his motor boat videoing the rabbit's sailing. The videotape would be reviewed by the class after sailing.

So the rabbit is the focus of attention for that race and I had mixed feelings about adopting that role. But I hoped Brad would be able to give me some tips and that I might also learn something from watching a close-up video of my sailing style. My turn to be rabbit came in the middle of the afternoon.

Brad sailed up to me before the start of one race and said in his polite way, "Is it OK if I work with you in this race?"

"Sure!" I replied. "How much of a start should I take?"

"What do you think?"

"10 seconds?"

"OK. I think I'll just race you".

What does he mean? Just race me? Isn't he supposed to be going slow and giving me advice? Who does he think I am?

Still it is flattering to be treated as an equal though we both knew that, in truth, our abilities are far from equal. So I start the race 10 seconds early with Brad on my tail and we head for the favored left side of the course. When I tack back to cover the fleet, one of the other students, Jim, crosses in front of me.

"Jim got a good shift. You'll have to hike harder if you want to catch him", Brad suggests.

So I hike harder. Just my toes under the hiking strap. Body flat out. Hope it looks good on the video. And it works. I arrive at the windward mark in first place. Ease the sail controls before the mark. Smooth rounding. Raise the daggerboard. This is going to look good on video. Bear away to sail by the lee and catch a wave. Geeze - I'm sailing waves downwind with Brad Funk and it's all going to be on video.....

WHAM. Before I know what hits me, the boat rolls over and capsizes to windward. A classic Laser "death roll". And I'm swimming. The rest of the fleet sails past. Where is that damn video camera?

Oh well. My only capsize of the whole week and it happens when I'm "on stage". I laugh at myself, right the boat and then I just try and copy Brad's superfast downwind style as the other Lasers disappear into the distance.

As the seminar notes say, "It doesn't matter if you win or lose. The important question is: Did you learn something?"

I just returned from a 2+ week sailing road trip. The first week was spent at one of Rick White's Laser sailing seminars in Key Largo. This is billed as "an intensive race-training camp" - and it sure was intensive. Most days we spent 5 to 6 hours on the water in 10-20 knots of wind doing drill after drill to improve our racing skills. One day was spent entirely on mark-rounding. Another day we did nothing but starting drills.

Rick himself has over 30 years of experience in various classes of boats but is mainly known as a catamaran sailor. The course is so well designed that, although he worked us hard, I enjoyed every minute of it. Rick told us a story toward the end of the course that explained his approach.

Warning. Viewer Advisory. If you are an extreme feminist, of a sensitive nature or despise old men who tell politically incorrect stories that demean the role of women, then read no further.

This is the story. An entrepreneur somehow acquired a 3-storey building and was wondering how to use it to run a business. He decided to turn it into a brothel. On the first floor his staff were all models; on the second floor his ladies were housewives (anyone remember Belle du Jour); and the top floor's service providers were all schoolteachers.

After a few months a friend asked him which group of women was the most successful for him in his business.

"Oh, the teachers are the most popular by far," he replied.

"Why is that?" his friend asked.

"Well the models were too prissy for most customers...'Mind my hair'....'Don't mess up my nails' just didn't work out".

"And the housewives were too bossy....'Hang your pants there'.....'Put your shirt there' really discouraged the customers".

"But the schoolteachers told their clients 'We're going to do this...and then we're going to do that...and then that....and we're going to keep doing it and doing it until we get it right".

I don't know if that's a great formula for running a brothel. But it certainly made for a rewarding sailing experience.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Bumper Stickers

Driving down the highway I love to read bumper stickers. People find so many interesting ways to express their patriotism, political views, passions or sense of humor.

My other boat is a Sunfish. No - that's not a bumper sticker but I suppose it could be. I mention it because my Sunfish trailer has various flat surfaces ideal for decorating with bumper stickers. Over the years I've collected a few. Some are the usual sailing stickers handed out at trade shows or sent by vendors every time you order some parts through the mail. Others are ones that just struck me as funny.

Here are a few....

evildoer - this was acquired at a time when it was the most common word in the president's speeches. I bought it to commemorate the time when after an awful start in a Wednesday night race I accidentally said out loud "General Recall". I was just thinking, "I hope there is a general recall". Honest. Anyway half the fleet thought it was the race officer that had shouted out the recall and stopped racing. Oops.

BEWARE OF DOGMA - has a scary picture of a fierce looking doggie

HARKEN Black Magic

Bike - It's Patriotic - is it? Never quite understood this one. Maybe it's about not driving around in gas-guzzling SUVs?

So Many Christians - So Few Lions

SAIL - from SAIL Magazine

Don't Pray in Our Schools and I Won't Think in Your Church

North Sails

Get your MOJO working - a reference to Colie Sails MOJO Laser rigging package

Team Vanguard

Atheism is Myth Understood

Team McLube

Old European on Board - this one is a reference to Mr Rumsfeld's speech where he dismissively talked of old Europe. As I really am an old European it seemed appropriate.

LASER Other boats are just practice - this came with my 2005 Laser class renewal. Just about sums up my view of the Sunfish these days. As some of my stickers seem to be designed to piss off the religious right, I might as well piss of Sunfish sailors as well.

SF - this one of those national letter plates that you see on European cars. In America they always seem to be referencing Long Beach Island or the Outer Banks as if a barrier island connected to the mainland with bridges is really a foreign country. I suspect 90% of the people that see this think it's something to do with San Francisco - but there is a Sunfish logo if you look carefully.

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully" - G W Bush 09/29/2000 - this one has a cute little picture of Mr Bush looking a lot younger than he does now. I never quite knew the context of this profound expression of our president's political philosophy. Perhaps he was expressing his personal support for the US Sunfish Class Association? Anyway it's a reminder of those innocent days pre-911 when he had the luxury of talking about fish.

WHY BE NORMAL? - Exactly.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Dip and soar in the breeze

Noodling around the web this morning I found this quote that sums up what I was really trying to say in my "Culture of Life" post yesterday. And much more eloquently than I could have expressed it.

"For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know. The day will come when I will die. So the only matter of consequence before me is what I will do with my allotted time. I can remain on shore, paralyzed with fear, or I can raise my sails and dip and soar in the breeze." - Richard Bode, First you have to row a little boat.

All right. Enough talk of death.

It's struck me as somewhat ironic that I've been trying to write a blog about sailing for 3 months and I haven't done any real sailing in that time at all. By "real sailing" I mean racing my Laser. Winter can be a frustrating time for me. But all that's going to change. At the end of this week I head off on a two week road trip.

First I'm going to Rick White's Sailing Seminar in the Florida Keys. It's billed as "five days of intensive training, fun and torture". Sounds like just what I need.

Then on the way back I'm going to sail in the Laser US Nationals at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. I've never done a US Nationals before so I expect it to be a humbling experience. But Wrightsville Beach is one of the few dinghy racing locations on the east coast that actually races on the ocean - as opposed to a sheltered bay or sound. So there should be a chance to sail in BIG WAVES - something I rarely have the opportunity to experience. I'm looking at the Nationals as another opportunity to practice and learn.

The last few days I've been checking out my boat and trailer, doing a few minor repairs, making sure everything is in good shape for the coming "fun and torture". Then next week once again I will be out there on the water a-dippin' and a-soarin'.

Monday, April 04, 2005

When I worked in the corporate world and had to write annual appraisals on my staff, it was politically incorrect to draw an employee's attention to his or her "weaknesses". We used some euphemism such as "area requiring improvement". Thank goodness I don't need to be so mealy-mouthed any more. When I come to think about my own sailing performance there are plenty of real "weaknesses". But the recommended approach in my Eric Twiname book is to focus on no more than three at a time. So what are they?

1. Starts

Sailboat racing is a silly game. The truth of the matter is that in a race that may take over an hour, it is the first 5 seconds that are the most crucial. Get off the starting line slowly and you may never recover.

In a running race it's OK to start slow. Indeed the runners that start too fast may quickly burn out and not be able to maintain their pace. But in a sailing race the reverse is true. This is because races usually start in an upwind direction and the boats that get out in front at the start are sailing in clear wind. Boats just a few feet further behind are sailing in wind that is disturbed by the leaders and so the trailing boats will sail more slowly. The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer.

I'm not as good as I need to be at starts. If I can get consistently better at starts I know my finishing positions will improve dramatically.

2. Heavy air

Last season I sailed a lot of races in heavy wind in the fall. I can go fast in these conditions but I also capsized too much and got tired too quickly. If I can stay upright and keep going all day in heavy winds, I will do well.

3. Strategy

I know the consistent winners have a plan. They think about the current and the wind and what course around the buoys is likely to be that fastest. Do I want to go right or left on this leg? Which side of the course is the wind strongest? Will the wind change direction, and if so how, and how do I position myself to take advantage of it?

I know the theory of all this but I don't execute. I get so involved in trying to make the boat go fast and how to beat the boats around me that I lose sight of the big picture. I have to "get my head out of the boat", as sailors say, and start thinking strategically more.

So that's it. Just three things. I will start analyzing how to work on these areas and keep track through the year of how I'm doing.

In the corporate world if you don't make progress on your "areas of improvement" we may need to consider "other options". Yikes. Sounds scary.

Culture of Life

The news is all of death and dying.

First of all we had the intense news coverage of the feuding over Terri Schiavo. Illuminated with old video of this unfortunate brain-damaged woman. Clearly the body was well and the mind was gone. Sadly her mind had really died 15 years ago and her life was much too short and unfulfilled.

Almost at the same time we had the pope's death. The mind was active almost until the end but we had watched the body slowly and painfully deteriorate in recent years. A long life and one of outstanding achievement. But still a slow, painful end full of suffering.

Then this weekend I learned of the recent death of one of my cousins. Actually the first death of a cousin. And she was almost exactly my age and had fought cancer for 10 years. One is reminded of one's own mortality when a parent dies. But when the first family member of the same generation as oneself dies, it becomes even more apparent that our time is not unlimited.

To make things worse yesterday we watched the movie Notebook. It's a chick-flick of course. A sweet romance. But interlaced with a story about a deranged woman in a nursing home whose connection to the young lovers is not immediately apparent. Another sad way for life to end.

How depressing. A brain damaged vegetative state. Painful diseases piling on top of each other. A long, losing fight with cancer. Senile dementia. Fates that none of us wish for ourselves.

What to do? Just keep on living every day to the full. Sailing is a big part of my attempts to stave off the decline of old age as long as possible. Physically it keeps me active and gives me a motivation to stay fit. Mentally it challenges me. Socially it keeps me involved with people of all ages including young children.

Maybe it's just denial. But I do sort of believe the old saying that we all have an allotted number of days on this earth but the days we spend sailing don't get counted.

Or as Jimmy Buffett put it, "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead".

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Goose Bumps

So there I was on a cool January morning in Florida. It was about 5am and still dark. I was sitting on a huge parking lot while dressed in grungy old sweatshirt and sweatpants. All I could see were thousands of legs standing around me - bare legs - about half of them bare female legs - most of them covered in goose bumps. What am I doing here? Am I nuts? Is this a dream?

It all started the previous September as I finished my summer sailing job and was thinking of what to do in the fall to keep fit and avoid gaining weight over the winter. "Why not enter a marathon?", I thought. I reckoned I would need 3 months or so to get into shape and a quick search showed that the Disneyworld Marathon in January was at about the right time of year. So I entered the race, booked a room at Disneyworld, reserved some flights, and told everyone I was running a marathon in January. Now I was committed.

I had an old book about running your first marathon. First problem was that the book reckoned it would take more than 3 months to get fit. So I just started part way through the program running the recommended time each week. Bad idea. I got terrible shin splints from running too far, too fast, too soon.

But I stuck with the program through the fall. It wasn't too hard as the book said that speed didn't matter, just do the times recommended, running as slowly as you like. Except I discovered that for the longest week, a couple of weeks before marathon date, the book told you to run 150 minutes on one day and this would be about 20 miles and "if you can run 20 miles you can probably finish the marathon".

Hmmmm. 150 minutes is 20 miles if you run it at seven and a half minutes a mile. For me the 150 minute run was more like 15 miles. And I knew all the marathon programs said you should do at least one run of 20 miles or more. Luckily I had arranged the program to give me a couple of weeks in hand in case I got sick or hurt. So I repeated the heaviest 2 weeks of the program and extended the long run to 20 miles.

I felt great after the 20 mile run. I felt like I had more miles left in me and could have done it faster. Only problem was that I was doing these long training runs in New Jersey in December with the temperature in the thirties. Race day temperature was eventually in the sixties. Not quite as easy.

The other thing I had overlooked was that the marathon race start time was 6am. When I read the small print in the info provided by Disney it said you had to catch a bus from your hotel at 4am. After the bus ride there would be a long long wait until the start of the race. Yikes.

So that's how my wish to keep fit for sailing led me to be sitting in a parking lot in the middle of the night surrounded by thousands of bare legs covered in goose bumps. I hope this sacrifice is reflected in my sailing race results next season.....

Oh yes, I did complete the marathon. Everything I had read about marathons is true. They ARE long and hard. The last 6.2 miles ARE much much harder than the previous 20 miles. There IS a wall. But I've signed up to do it again next year.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

DHMO Scare

First published April 2004

Members are warned that DHMO has been detected at unusually high levels in our lake. DHMO, Di-Hydrogen Monoxide, a colorless and odorless chemical compound is also known as Hydric acid. Its basis is the unstable Hydroxyl radical, the components of which are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

Should we be concerned about DHMO?
Yes, we should be concerned about DHMO! Although the US Government and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not classify DHMO as a toxic or carcinogenic substance (as it does with better known chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and saccharine), DHMO is a constituent of many known toxic substances and disease-causing agents, and can even be lethal to humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.

What are the dangers associated with DHMO?

Each year, DHMO is a known causative component in many thousands of deaths and is a major contributor to millions of dollars in damage to property and the environment. Some of the known perils of DHMO are:
Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.
Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.
DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions.

Is it true that using DHMO improves athletic performance?
Absolutely! With the numerous allegations of amateur and professional athletes using anabolic steroids and/or blood doping to enhance performance, virtually no attention has been paid to the performance enhancing properties of DHMO. It is perhaps the sporting world's dirtiest of dirty little secrets that athletes regularly ingest quantities of DHMO in an effort to gain a competitive edge over an opponent.
Sports-medicine physicians warn that ingesting too much DHMO can lead to complications and unwanted side-effects, but do acknowledge the link to improved performance. DHMO is not currently considered a banned substance, so post-race urine tests do not detect elevated or abnormal levels of DHMO.

What are the symptoms of DHMO overdose?
You may not always recognize that you have been a victim of accidental DHMO overdose, so here are some signs and symptoms to look for. If you suspect DHMO overdose, or if you exhibit any of these symptoms, you should consult with your physician or medical practitioner. The data presented here is provided for informational purposes only, and should in no way be construed as medical advice of any sort.
Excessive sweating
Excessive urination
Bloated feeling
Nausea Vomiting
Electrolyte imbalance
Hyponatremia (serum hypotonicity)
Dangerously imbalanced levels of ECF and ICF in the blood
Degeneration of sodium homeostasis

How can sailors protect themselves from DHMO?
Because of the exceptional levels of DHMO now entering the reservoir, it will be extremely difficult for sailors to avoid exposure entirely. However, the risks can be minimized by wearing a full body dry-suit with latex booties together with latex rubber gloves. Ensure that seals at neck and wrists are in good condition and form a very tight fit. Wear goggles and do not sail if there is any risk of splashes to the face.

What is our club doing about this problem?
Rest assured that the Executive Committee is doing everything we can to address this unprecedented threat to our sailing activities.

State Liaison C.E. commented, “I had no idea that DHMO levels were so high. I will be working with other local organizations to see what we can do. With the support of club membership, we will stamp it out”.

Commodore R.B. also expressed his concern. “We will have to look into what the liability of the club and its officers will be if any of our members are exposed to DHMO. Members should be aware that the club assumes no responsibility if they suffer problems with DHMO during unsanctioned activities”.

Why is the press not covering the DHMO scandal?
It is true that this problem has been largely ignored by the press locally and nationally. But coverage of DHMO can sometimes be found in the mainstream media…... usually around the beginning of April each year.

How can I find out more about the risks of DHMO?
Check out Much of the information above comes from this website.

Race Officer Guidelines

First published in April 2003

All members scheduled to serve as race committee on Wednesday nights should become familiar with the following guidelines.

1. Fishermen at our lake have a boring life. All they do is stare at the water. Try to make their life more interesting by setting the start line between some anchored fishing boats. Fishermen love to watch the boats sailing nearby and to chat to the sailors.

2. In light winds, make sure you set very, very long courses. If you don't, you'll only have to run more races making for unnecessary work.

3. Most sailors hate to tack. Try and set the first leg of the course so that they can reach the first mark without tacking.

4. Most sailors find it really hard to work out which is the upwind end of the start line. Help them out by setting a start line so that they have to beat to get to one end. Then it is so much easier for the sailors to identify the favored end.

5. Start sequences can be very boring for the sailors. Try livening things up by stopping a 3-minute sequence at any time and restarting it without warning. Another option is to make the 2-minute and 1-minute signals at some random interval after the 3 minute signal. This keeps the sailors on their toes.

6. Don't bother to call any boats that are over the start line. It's not really your job. Alternatively call out a few sail numbers that are over and add "and those other boats that I can't see". Keeps everyone guessing and that is a lot of fun for everyone.

7. Liven up the first leg by driving the committee boat up to the windward mark, and then when everyone is halfway up the beat and spread out on both side of the course, pick up the mark and move it. This is really exciting for the sailors who guessed wrong about where you were going to drop the mark.

8. Have a good rest while the sailors are racing. You have earned it. Chat to the sailors that showed up late for the race. Don't bother to watch the racers. The first boat will always give you a shout when he or she is about to finish.

9. Set a really long finish line. Don't worry if it is so long that you can't read the sail numbers at the other end of the line. You can always ask the sailors to shout out their numbers when they know they have crossed the line.

10. If you get bored, you can always shorten the course. To do this, drive over to the mark that the sailors are approaching and put it in the committee boat. Let the racers guess how they are supposed to finish. Makes them think - which is good for them.

11. If any guests or potential new fleet members show up to race, remind them that the races are for members only and that they should keep clear of the racecourse. This is especially important if the newcomers are juniors, because kids need to be put in their place.

12. If any of the anchors on the buoys look old or dirty, just untie the line and dump the anchors in the reservoir. The rear commodore will be delighted to supply new ones.

13. Set the course as far away from the club launching area as possible. You can usually rely on the wind to die later in the evening, and the sailors really appreciate the chance to practice their light air skills on a long sail back to the beach in the dark.

14. Remember when you are race officer, you are always right. Do not be distracted by advice and comments from any of the sailors. If a sailor persists in telling you how to do your job, it is OK to teach him or her some new nautical terms that may not be in the dictionary.

15. Please make sure that these new race officer procedures are used for all races on or after April 1st 2003.

Happy Sailing!

I am newsletter editor for my sailing club. Every month I edit and publish an 8 page newsletter of sailing news, announcements of upcoming events, advice, pictures, ads and so on. I've been doing this for 3 years and have established a tradition of using the April issue to perpetrate an April Fools joke on my readership.

In 2003 I wrote a spoof article on how to do race committee - but it was actually a list of all the awful things that a race committee can do to screw up the racing and ruin all the sailors' enjoyment. The in-joke was that one poor guy had actually managed to make every single mistake on the list on one memorable Wednesday evening the previous season. He must be very thick-skinned because he's still talking to me.

Then last year I stole an idea I found on the web about this terrible substance in our lake called DHMO. The article was full of dire warnings about how it causes death if inhaled in small quantities, that some athletes are actually ingesting it to improve performance, that it causes thousands of deaths per year etc. etc. DHMO stands for Di-Hydrogen Monoxide. I didn't think you'd need to be a chemist to recognize the jokey name for water, but it fooled a number of club members.

I'll try and post those two article to this blog.

This year for my April 1 edition of the newsletter I included 3 short jokes. One was asking members to look for some propeller cleaning fluid called Prop Wash. Another was a spoof tuning tip about negative mast bend complete with a picture of a boat with extreme mast bend (which was actually an ice boat). And another was bizarre advice about how to avoid infringing the illegal propulsion rule which including such absurdities as holding the tiller in the central position while hailing "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi".

I mailed the newsletter on the last day of March and am awaiting the reaction.

Yesterday I received a desperate email from an out-of-state sailor who had won a trophy at a local regatta. Apparently he took the trophy to an engraver to have his name added to it, and in the process the trophy had been damaged beyond all hope of repair. As the trophy is actually a memorial to a deceased sailor he was devastated and he wants to see if he can replace it without the family and host club finding out about the breakage. He was asking me if I knew where the trophy had been bought originally.

Unfortunately I don't know the history of the trophy so I sent him a short, sympathetic reply with a suggestion of who else he might ask. Aaaaaaaagh. Of course it was all an April Fools joke and I was well and truly fooled.

Guess it serves me right.

Friday, April 01, 2005

12 Ways of learning

The 2005 sailing season is almost upon us. And it's time to think about what I can do to improve my racing performance this year. OK - I know it's too late - I should have started thinking about this at the start of the winter. But it's too late to worry about that now.

One of my favorite sailing books is 'Sail, Race and Win' by Eric Twiname. It is essentially a book about how to coach yourself to sail better. Twiname identifies 12 ways to improve your racing. I'll list them in this blog and then use this as a structure in future postings to talk about my sailing year and my attempts to go faster.

1. Race experience. Twiname points out that for many people this is their only way of learning to race successfully, but it's not actually all that effective. To improve you have to experiment. And most people won't make radical experiments with technique in the middle of a race. He advocates using some races as classrooms and forgetting about the results.

2. Observation. Was it Yoga Berra who said you can observe a lot just by watching? We never have the time to observe ourselves and others while racing. So get out on the RC and watch other racers closely. Have someone take photos or videos of yourself and study the results.

3. Solo practice. Sailors practice so much less than athletes do in other sports. Twiname says this is the fastest and easiest way to improve.

4. Crewing. Crew for a champion and learn from him.

5. Physical fitness. As a Laser sailor I know how important this is. But knowing it and doing something about it are different things.

6. Swapping boats and classes. Each class emphasizes different skills so switching forces you to work on different skills.

7. Paired practice

8. Team and match racing

9. Race post mortem and analysis

10. Reading and seeking advice

11. Group coaching

12. Mental fitness. Once again Yogi Berra said it first, "Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical". Even more true in sailboat racing, I suspect.

What Twiname recommends is to choose 3 major weaknesses that you need to work on and then think about how each of these 12 techniques can contribute to eliminating that weakness. So that's what I will do. I will use this blog to develop my self coaching plan and report on how it works out.


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Poverty Stays Static, But Income Inequality Widens

As economists keep telling us, the Great Recession is officially over. The U.S. gross domestic product grew by a sad 1.8 percent last year. Here's why you probably don't know it: Just about every ounce of economic gain went to the top.

The Census Bureau released 2011 numbers from the annual population survey: The median household income was $50,100, which is 1.5 percent lower than in 2010. Overall, it has fallen 8.1 percent since 2007, the last year before the Great Recession. Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Jared Bernstein, an economist and senior fellow there, noted in a conference call with reporters that, before 2007, middle-level incomes were stagnant—so they were holding steady before falling. If we go back to 1997—remember those heady Clinton years?—median household income was $51,704 in 2011-adjusted dollars.

Poverty didn't increase—it held steady at 15 percent—which wasn't expected because it had increased for every one of the last three years, and economists expected that trend to continue. That means the middle-income levels shifted downward. Bernstein attributed it to the fact that jobs being added to the economy are, in disproportionate numbers, low-wage jobs. More men and women of working age were working full-time last year, 1.7 million and 500,000 more, respectively. If you isolate the incomes of working-age households, the median income fell 2.4 percent. Still the supplemental poverty measure isn't out until November or December, so we don't know the whole poverty story. The supplemental measure includes some forms of income, like food stamps and tax credits for low-income families, and excludes some expenditures, like the large out-of-pocket expenses for health care many seniors face, so it tells you more about the effects policies have on the poor. To a large extent, increases in food stamps and the earned income tax credit, for working families with children, cushioned the Great Recession and prevented poverty numbers from being higher. The Making Work Pay Tax Credit, which was passed as part of the stimulus, expired last year, so the supplemental measure will capture the effects of that.

The only income bracket to see its income rise at all was the top 20 percent, by 1.6 percent. The top 5 percent of American households saw their incomes rise by 5.3 percent.

A bright spot was that, for the first time in a decade, the number of people with private health insurance stayed steady from the year before. Analysts contributed that to the number of 19- to 25-year-olds who are insured because of the health-care reform's law allowing them to remain on their parents' plans. Half a million people that age were added to private insurance plans, which made up for the decline on insurance rolls of people aged 26 to 65, which continued from previous years.

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Protune Remapping

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ECU Remapping and Chip Tuning FAQs

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Are plug 'n' play tuning box's or pre-modified files on the internet any good?

There are a number of basic power upgrades available in the plug 'n' play format and downloads from the internet. Whilst some of these items can offer slight increase in power, they operate merely adjusting a specified signal within the ECU by a set tolerance, in most cases the fuel pressure, or by signalling to the ECU that the engine is running cold. It's impossible to compare these inferior upgrades with a full custom remap based upon your original software which measures and adjusts hundreds of signals and data files within the ECU.We advise that these generic files and unsupported devices for sale on the web should be avoided at all cost. We've seen too many customers come to us after a bad experience - and there was no one else to turn to either. We're always happy to advise on your tuning needs.