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Thursday, February 24, 2011

putting it out there...

I haven't mentioned it a whole lot on here, but currently I am in the final stretch of earning my Masters in Counseling. This final stretch involves completing a 100 hour practicum and 600 hour internship. The first portion of those hours I spent at an elementary school doing social skill lessons. I transitioned to the high school a little over four weeks ago and I absolutely LOVE it! After being at the elementary school, I wasn't sure that I still wanted to be a school counselor, but now that I am at the high school, I want to be one more than ever. But, that's really besides the point. Besides the age of the students, what I also enjoy about the high school is the comraderie among the staff members. Each day the staff in the office sit down to eat lunch together and, as someone who loves to socialize, it's totally up my ally. One of the best parts about lunch is that the cafeteria has an amazing selection of food, so if my frozen meal is looking less than appealing I can just hop downstairs and find something better (although, I try not to do it too often as the food isn't the healthiest I could choose).

Where is this leading? I've almost forgotten! day I went down just for a side salad and ended up getting a turkey reuben. I'm a sucker for reubens and I just couldn't resist giving in that day. BUT, because the sandwich was made with deli meat, I decided to microwave it, just to make sure my risk of listeria was really low. Two of the ladies in the office (the secretary and the registrar) saw this and kind of looked at me funny. I decided to just tell them the truth: I was microwaving my already warmed up reuben because my husband and I tried for two years to get pregnant and I'm not willing to take any unnecessary risks. I think they were surprised by my response to such a benign question, but lately I find myself looking for ways to share our infertility journey however I can. They asked what IVF was and I explained that it's the procedure where my eggs and my husband's sperm were mixed in a petri dish to creat embryos and those embryos were then put back inside me. I went on to say that this was cool because it means we have a picture of our daughter from when she was three days "old". The registrar then shared that there is a teacher in the building going through the exact same thing and she was having a really hard time. Apparently this teacher got OHSS and they cancelled her egg retrieval...and now the teacher wasn't sure she still wanted to go through IVF. The registrar then asked if she could pass along my information to this teacher in case she wanted to talk to anyone who had gone through the same thing. I said "OF COURSE!!! I went through it twice and it is soooo hard!" The registrar left it at that and hasn't mentioned much since that day, but you better believe that I have been thinking about her, wondering if she was cycling again.

Well, today I got my answer. I happened to be leaving at the same time as the registrar, so we walked out together. She told me that the teacher who joined us (briefly) at lunch was the one going through infertility. She then shared that last Friday was her egg transfer and next Wednesday is her beta. I felt hopeful for the teacher because we had two snow days this week, Monday and Tuesday, which means that the teacher had five whole days to sit on her butt and let the embryos settle in. And boy do I hope they do!! It's funny because I've never officially "met" this teacher and yet I feel like she and I have a connection. We're both infertiles. We've both had heartbreaks from IVF and we've both managed to still go on. All I really want to do is give this girl a hug and some chocolates and tell her that I am rooting for her! I want to commiserate over how much IF sucks!! I want to exchange cycle stories. But, since I can't do that, I will just root for her and continue to talk about my infertility with others in hopes that just knowing someone else has gone through it is somehow helpful. I know having friends who shared their IF journeys helped "normalize" it for me...I didn't feel like a failure because I knew I wasn't alone. Hopefully knowing my story somehow helped this teacher...gave her hope...and boy do I hope she gets a positive on Wednesday!!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

my big love.

Today marks the 34th birthday of my big love AKA my husband! To me, birthdays are a big deal, or, at least they should be. MBL does not necessarily approach them with the same fervor that I do. Case in point? He spent my birthday moaning about having to go places with me (dinner, the store, etc...). He will even openly admit that he was a bit of a boob that day. I think he behaved badly because holidays/birthdays stress him out because of the pressure he feels to make a big deal out of them. Anyways, when I was thinking of what I could do to make MBL's birthday a big deal without spending a whole bunch of $$, I decided that it would be fun to make a bunch of treats for him to bring in to his coworkers. I asked him what treats he wanted and he was like a kid in a candy store when we went to pick the groceries up. It was adorable to see him get all kinds of excited over orange supreme cake mix and the prospect of cupcakes made from it. In addition to the cupcakes, I also decided to make buck.eyes and ore.o truff.les. With my tight schedule I knew that I had to pound them all out in the three hours I had between my internship and my monthly small group dinner. When I first started the baking extravaganza I was feeling overwhelmed and defeated...all I really wanted to do was lay down and take a nap. But then I started thinking about why I was putting all that time and effort into baked goods that I wouldn't even get to enjoy.

In order to fully comprehend my appreciation for my husband I need to give a little background on my romantic history. I didn't really date in high school as I was a total geek and thought grades and extra-curricular activities (like student council and french club) were more important than boys. Plus, my high school didn't have the greatest selection. I became less crazed about grades in college and, thus, was better able to date. I spent those years dating here and there, but it wasn't until my senior year that I had my first "serious" relationship. He was my first love and the biggest disaster. I think of that relationship now and just shudder. Blech.

After that ended, rather messily I might add, I felt completely out of place. All of my friends in town were either engaged or close to it. I spent most of my Friday and Saturday nights watching movies alone in my apartment. I was lonely and miserable. I decided to do something about it (after several months of self pity), so I joined an online dating site. I met some nice guys through it and went on several pleasant dates, but never really felt the "connection" with anyone. In June of 2008 I moved to a new apartment, by myself, and joined a new website. One of the first few emails I got was from a VERY handsome guy who seemed to have a lot in common with me. So, I emailed him back. After a month and a half we met in person and he was even more charming in person than he was through email. I fell and I fell hard, he absolutely swept me off my feet. By the end of 2008 we were married and we've been living happily ever after since then. Back to my original story, yesterday when I spent three hours standing in the kitchen baking I couldn't help but think about how flippin' lucky I feel to have my husband. He's more than everything I ever wanted in a spouse and I still wake up most mornings in absolute amazement over the good looking man sleeping next to me (heck, I even find myself laughing when he snores because oh my freakin goodness I have a handsome man in my bed and he is snoring!). The thing is, I don't know that I would appreciate my husband near as much if I hadn't had that one absolutely horrific relationship. As a matter of fact, I know I wouldn't. And MBL has said the same thing about his past relationships, that he knew I was the one because of how different (and easy)* everything was. We both appreciate and value each other because we have been in bad relationships with people who were not right for us and we know just how awful that can be.

And, of course, I have to bring this full circle and relate it back to infertility. On Monday night I got in bed and my feet felt rather throbby, so I took a gander at them and discovered they were twice their normal size. I pointed this out to MBL and he agreed that they were rather puffy and then he asked me why I was smiling at them. I had really been hoping to skip the whole swollen feet thing this pregnancy, and, truthfully, I expected it to bother me a whole lot more than it did. When I thought about why I felt so "pleased" over my fat feet, I realized it's because I spent a whole lot of money for my feet to be that ugly. And yesterday when the baby flipped in such a way that I literally almost peed my pants? I also couldn't help but smile/laugh. You see all these things that most people think of as annoyances of being pregnant, I see as absolute miracles. Much like I find my snoring husband to be absolutely endearing. I know that not everyone gets to meet and marry their soul mate and I know that there are women out there who would kill to have fat feet and a weak bladder. And because of this knowledge I will treasure the time I have with my husband. And when this little girl joins our family I will do my darndest to appreciate even the most stressful of situations (like getting up every 2 hours and functioning on no sleep)...because I'll know that I am beyond lucky to have that "inconvenience"** in my life.

*No, I'm not easy in that way...just less high maintenance and more open about my feelings.
**And, no, I do not think having a baby to be an inconvenience, but I know of plenty of parents who consider having to get up several times a night to be one.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Today marks 100 days until my due date!! It seems unreal that we have reached this point already. I have been on auto pilot for so many months that I am in utter disbelief that tomorrow we will be in the double digits to her expected arrival. When I realized that this day was coming up, I wrote it in my day planner, our family calendar, and my weekly scheduler. It just seems like such a milestone. How am I celebrating? By working. I am currently on day five of my ten in a row before I get a day off. At least work is slow and I have time to blog :). I'm truly fine with being at work, as long as MBL is at home working on our mile long list of projects! To give you a taste of how we will be spending our next 100 days, here is what we need to get done before our little girl comes into this world:

-We need to prime her room. We bought the paint a few weeks ago, but when MBL went in to do some pre-priming work he discovered that the former owners had painted over wallpaper in just some places in the room... So, he had to scrape and peel and "mud" the walls before he could even consider putting primer up. It was just one more thing in our house that showed us that the people who used to live there were complete morons.
-Next we need to paint her room!! I might actually help with this. I don't mind painting and the process goes by so much faster with two people. I read that I can paint as long as the room is well ventilated and I take plenty of breaks. Considering the fact that I have to pee every 30-45 minutes if I stand for longer than 30 seconds, that shouldn't be a problem. Oh, I should mention that we are painting her room brown, toffee crunch to be exact. Some people may think brown is dull for a baby's room, but I like the mellowness of it.
-After that we will need to put up trim. I don't participate in this process because MBL likes to cut his own and saws scare me.
-Once the trim is up I get to do what I am dying to do right now...DECORATE!!!! Right now her room is such a disaster that I can barely picture it all put together and I so want to see it all ready for our baby. This is another reason I don't mind being at work and not at home... I don't have to look at all that needs to be done and have a panic attack! We have had her crib since August. I actually bought it during our (successful) IVF cycle. They were having a sale where if you bought the crib you got the changing table for free and my mom graciously offered up a $75 gift card towards it's purchase, so we went for it. At that point I figured I'd either get pregnant through our shared risk IVF program or we'd adopt, so there was no way I wouldn't have a use for a crib!! We also already have our bedding. I picked it out early on, it's gender neutral because we're hoping we will be able to use it again. I just *love* all the girl bedding out there, but overall I'm glad we went with something neutral and playful. You can see our bedding here. When we were at IK.EA over Christmas break we also picked out a leaf that will go over her bed and a frog clothes/diaper organizer that we will hang either on the wall or on the back of the door.
-Once I get all of our already purchased items in the room we still need: a rug, a rocker/glider and ottoman, wall decor, and a dresser. So, we don't have a ton to buy, which is nice! Something I really want to do is put her name up on the wall...I will eventually need to pick out the letters/decorations for that.
-Outside of her room we still need to rearrange things in the living room to make it more baby/mom friendly. Right now it is very cluttery and I can't wait to move the big stuff to a more permanent location!!

Other than the above, we don't have too much more that we absolutely *have* to do before she gets here. Don't get me wrong, we still have a lot of projects to do in our house, but that list encompasses all the must haves.

I was getting kind of scared that nesting was never going to kick in, but I think this post proves that I am ready to prepare our house/lives for this little one!!

p.s. MBL and I decided on a name this week! But, I'm a butthead and won't be sharing it until she's born!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

one step forward.

Yesterday I took a big step. Well, actually big steps. After getting a glance at myself in my skivies Monday evening, I decided that I need to take action and get back into a work out routine. Actually it was more than just the view of myself that caused me to come to the realization that I needed to get back into exercising. Last week I found myself watching quite of bit of tv and basically just sitting on the couch until my left hip fell asleep. That accompanied with my dimpled thighs got me motivated. I went into Tuesday knowing that once I got out of my internship I needed to change into my workout clothes and get back on the proverbial horse. I haven't taken a single step for the purpose of my health since Thanksgiving when I walked a 5k with my family. And before that I hadn't worked out since before my BFP, so I've basically been on a 163 day hiatus. Now in my defense, I haven't been working out because I am so dang scared that doing so will cause something catastrophic to happen like my water to break or contractions to start. Those fears have been the primary reason I have put it off for this long. That and the fact that sometimes sitting on the couch is just so much more enticing than walking or doing one of my two pregnancy workout videos.

I decided that I shouldn't really let those fears keep me from doing something that I know will not only benefit me but also the baby. Everything I have read suggests that working out in pregnancy is not only safe, but also quite beneficial for the birth process and for post baby recovery. And since my pregnancy has been remarkably uneventful I really have no reason to be scared of working out, except for the fact that I am an Infertile and therefore believe that this amazing gift will be taken away from me at any second. You could say I've been holding my breath for the past 6.5 months. Part of my motivation for lacing back up my sneakers was that I wanted to give infertility the one two punch and show it who's boss (me). My return to the treadmill was better than anything I could have expected. I decided from the get go that I would only go as fast as felt comfortable and if anything felt "off" I would get off immediately. With that in mind I hopped on and started walking. I ended up going for 2 miles and I felt awesome. Sure I was a little jittery when I got off, but with all the extra blood I have pumping through my body that's to be expected. Overall, I felt awesome. It felt good to be doing something so healthy! In a lot of ways I felt like my old self again and I realized that I really like that girl.

All that being said, I have to admit that all the jostling definitely caused "stuff" to move around and I had to keep analyzing whether or not what I was feeling was contractions or just gas. Turns out it was the latter. So while I enjoyed the walk, I still spent most of it trying to convince myself that I was not going into labor. Oh, and just to make things more stressful, last night I dreamt that the baby's heart stopped beating. I pulled out the doppler as soon as I woke up and her little heart was just fine. PHEW!! I could do without that nightmare after my next walk...

Saturday, February 5, 2011

I have a confession. I am a worrywart. Now this does not normally interfere with my every day activities, but due to the current season (brutal winter), I find myself concerned about each thing I do. For example, I am finishing up my internship in school counseling and I literally live right across the street from my placement. It's perfect because it means that I do not have to drive icy roads to get there. BUT, I still have to park and walk into the building and as much as they try to keep the parking lot and sidewalks clear, they can still be quite slippery. Normally a one minute walk from my car to a building wouldn't make me think twice, but due to my current condition, I spend the whole walk praying that I make it into the building without falling. I realize that this sounds like I am bordering on becoming a hermit, but I promise it's not that bad. I guess I just realize that the worst case scenario is always a possibility. I know that I could fall on my way into my internship and that doing so could cause my water to break or a placental tear or pre-term labor and now that I am so close (and yet so far) from holding this baby in my arms, I am freaked out that something is going to happen.

To help you understand why I think this way, I need to go back about 5.5 years. When I was in college I spent every summer working at a camp with 4th-6th graders. In July of 2005 I was working as a lifeguard at the camp, but one Friday I got special permission to leave early so that I could meet up with my family. I was able to leave camp on time and I headed south towards my family. I made it to the main highway, merged on, and then was passing a truck when my car started to shake uncontrollably. I knew that I needed to pull over immediately so I started to slow down when all of a sudden I loss all control of my car**. The semi I had nearly passed was now directly beside me and when I looked up I realized the front of my car was facing the side of the truck. I hit the side of the truck and then flipped three times on the highway. That accident changed my life forever. It was the kind of accident where I should have died, not many people survive hitting a semi and flipping three times on the highway. I knew that I was lucky to be alive after that, but the accident left me with more than a deep appreciation for the life I had been given. It left me with the understanding that even when we think we know what is going to happen, even when everything looks perfect, the unexpected can happen.

In light of what happened to me 5.5 years ago, I know that I cannot just walk through each day expecting it to go as it normally would. And while I don't want my worries to paralyze me, I still need to approach each day with caution. I can't just walk across a snowy/icy parking lot without considering what could happen if I were to lose my balance or footing. I also can't let MBL drive to work and just assume that he will make it there and back safely, instead I have to remind him every time he leaves the house to drive safely. He doesn't totally get it. He thinks I'm just being paranoid. But I know how special it is that I am pregnant and I will do just about anything to protect myself and this little girl inside of me. Because while I may not always be able to predict the outcome of each day, I can do everything in my power to make it through safely. So, when the blizzard hit us I made up my mind that neither MBL nor I would be taking any unnecessary risks. I arranged with work to have someone else cover my shift on Wednesday and made MBL stay home. I had a snow day from my internship on both Wednesday and Thursday, but I was supposed to help out at a training Thursday night. Well, according to the local news the roads were still icy on Thursday and the training was 25 minutes from my house. So, I made the decision that it was not worth it to me to drive all that way, on less than ideal roads, just to help out with the training. The training coordinator gave me a less than understanding response, to my email all she had to say was: :/. An emoticon that suggested she disproved of my decision. I was furious!! While I totally believe in following through on commitments, I do not believe in risking my life to fulfill them. And for me driving there would have been just that, taking an unnecessary risk. And ever since her email I have felt the need to defend my choice. Thanks for listening/reading so I could do just that :).

**I should note that the accident happened on a completely dry, summer day. After investigation it was discovered that the tires were faulty and the tread had actually separated from the tire, something that should not happen. There was absolutely no way I could have done anything to avoid it happening which makes it all the more scary...


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Bangalore’s love-hate relationship with water now on film

Dear reader, our work is empowering citizens: in-depth stories, research and open data that catalyse better cities. This is rigorous, painstaking and time consuming work, that is made possible by your donation.
Please become a Sustaining Member today. A regular annual contribution from you will ensure this work continues. Rs 4800 / Rs 12000 / Rs 24000 / any amountDonate NOW

The residents of Kaverinagar in North Bangalore have not received water from the BWSSB for about two years now. But bills from the water board have been delivered regularly. The only relief they have now is because of one of their neighbours Victoria who took it upon herself to help her neighbours by distributing water freely from her borewell.

A kilo litre (1000 litres) of water costs the BWSSB Rs 34, including production, distribution and so on. An average consumer receives this water at a highly subsidised rate, paying around Rs 18 per kilo litre. It’s those who purchase them through other means like tankers and pots, who pay a higher price, some even Rs 300 per kilo litre.

Siddikatte tank, Sampangi tank, Dharmabudhi tank, Chennamma tank are now KR Market, Kanteerva stadium, Majestic bus stand and a burial ground respectively.

Forty-two year old Swati Dandekar has documented all this and much more in what could possibly be a first-of-its kind film for Bangalore. Titled ‘Water and a City‘, this documentary film traces the journey of urban water supply in the city. This 52-minute film was screened on February 13th at the Centre for Film and Drama, Millers Road.

a still from water and a city

A still from the film ‘Water and a city’ by Swati Dandekar. Courtesy: Swati Dandekar

Water and a city‘ is an attempt at presenting the water supply scenario in the Bangalore from a holistic perspective. "As I started to think more about it, I realised there’s a vaccum in understanding the holistic picture – in the government, resident welfare associations, etc. Everyone had only their own view", says Swati, who is a Malleshwaram-based independent filmmaker. All of this prompted her to make this film to bring in various aspects related to water supply in Bangalore including social, economic, legal and environmental challenges.

For a city that receives about 500 million litres of water per day as opposed to the required 1000 million litres per day, Swati’s film reiterates ground realities. From the time of Bangalore’s dependence on the northern Arkavathy to the more recent Cauvery Water Supply Projects, the cost of water to the lack of water supply itself, improper sewerage treatment to sustainable water solutions like rainwater harvesting, the film delves into all these and more.

swati dandekar

Swati Dandekar. Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal

Incidentally, as the film itself disclaims towards the end, the BWSSB did not participate in the film. This, after more than four months of chasing after BWSSB officials, for interviews and permissions to shoot on their locations, says Swati. "I tried telling them that my critique is not against them but is more at a systemic level. They feared I’ll say negative things about them". Swati also could not speak to the city’s BWSSB in-charge minister Katta Subramanya Naidu. But she says she received a lot of inputs from other government departments, who gave her information ‘off the record’.

Swati also spoke to former municipal corporators who did not think actively about water issues because they felt they have no say in BWSSB, also thanks to the absence of a city council.

DVDs of ‘Water and a city‘ are available for sale.

To purchase or organise a screening of the film, Swati Danekar can be contacted at svati22[at]gmail[dot]com or waterandacity[at]

A Kannada version of the film will be available in a month’s time

The film took Swati about a year to make and she says the experience has been very interesting. "It all adds to your own understanding of the subject. But it was a struggle to get it all together in one film". The film follows a narrative format, interspersed with sound bytes and music. The title song was composed by Siddarama Kesapura, the Bangalore! Bangalore! song by Janardhana Kesaragadde, who is also the song writer, and the background score by Jatin Vidyarthi.

Swati says that through the film she hopes people understand the complex relationship that cities have with natural resources especially water. "But there are ways in which something can be done. You have to start thinking of ways more seriously. You need to get this full picture before you start to look for solutions", she emphasises, adding that this film will also make sense for other cities and not just Bangalore, since water supply needs to be looked at in an integrated way.

As one of the interviewees in the film, Joseph Arogyaswamy, standing near the depleting Hessarghatta lake (which last filled up in 1998), says, "What will you do in the future? Can you buy water from the market?"   ⊕

About Vaishnavi Vittal 139 Articles
Vaishnavi Vittal is a Bangalore-based journalist.

  1. I finally got an opportunity to watch the film yesterday. It is a great film – required watching for every Bangalorean

  2. Wow! This is a brilliant attempt by Swati Dandekar. Showing the reality and making people aware of it is a tough task. Hopefully this film reaches out to most of the Bengaluru crowd and creates awareness not only on the problems but also on the optimum use of natural resources. In this case water.

    Thanks for writing up this piece on the film.

  3. Swathi Dandekar is a gem.

    Good for her that she has taken the time, effort, and talent to highlight water woes in the Silicon Plateau of India. Maybe, her dedicated effort will lead to concrete positive action.

    The conversion of erstwhile lakes into urban uses in a large metropolitan area is not uncommon. What is uncommon is not making alternate arrangements to supply potable water to all the residents of a rapidly growing metropolis.

    Thank you Citizen Matters for bringing attention to this negligent conduct in such an evocative fashion.

Comments are closed.


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SUN JOE SPX 3000 Review

Powered by electric, SPX 3000 houses an 1800-watt/14.5amp motor, turning to produce 2030 PSI & throwing out 1.76 GPM of water flow to have an impressive Cleaning Unit (CU) of 3572.8. The machine is perfect to get your dirty jobs done in a jiffy. Easily removes tar and grease from concrete, heavy mildew stains, oil stains, rust from steel, caked mud on equipment, and other stubborn gunk and grime.

 The company has claimed it as their best selling unit & on the other hand nearly all customers using it has a positive review for the product. Equipped with two 0.9-liter detergent tank, which can hold two different solutions & can be used simultaneously with a knob, situated over the tanks. The long 34” extension spray wand with 20 feet high pressure hose will help you reach places you could never imagine with a scrubber, be it the second floor of your home or the underneath of your truck, if you can imagine a place SPX 3000 can reach it. It comes with 5 different nozzle tips to simplify your work on the ground. (00, 150, 250, 400 and soap) all are coloured & marked clearly. Tips can easily be clipped on or removed. You can adjust or change the nozzle to change the water pressure depending on what you want to clean. Last but not the least TSS or Total Stop System is a great feature which helps save energy & prolong motor life. It will basically turn the motor off when the trigger is released even when the main power button is on. Weighing in at 31lbs fitted with two sturdy wheels & a place to hold everything from the pressure hose & power cord to the nozzles & detergent tanks. All are nicely fitted & are easy to carry & move around. The wheels are sturdy & can easily go on concrete as well as on softer grounds. Other features include 35-foot power cord, garden hose adaptor & manual trigger lock which can prevent any unfortunate or haphazard triggering. SPX 3000 is CSA listed & is GFCI approved to prevent any sort of electrocution on wet areas.

  “A versatile power house of a machine.” SPX 3000 can be summed in one sentence.

Anybody or anyone can buy the Sun Joe’s SPX 3000. It will help you clean wooden decks, patios, outdoor furniture, concrete drive way, cars, trucks, boats etc. It will remove all kind of strong or mildew stains, tar, paints, rusts to mud cakes. Other than cleaning all the dirt from your outdoors you can use the pressure washer for to spray bug or mosquito killer solution over a small area. Also solutions for grass or plants can be used to spray on your backyard garden.

Considering the hard work & time that has to be allocated every time for cleaning our outdoors, a product priced at $145.72 with the ability to clean all sorts of places with any sort of stains will be a blessing. It is not very hard on pockets too.

Read user Reviews on amazon

SUN JOE SPX 3000 Key Features

For a standard pressure washer SPX 3000 is having a monster of motor. Housing an 1800watt or 14.5amp motor, producing a 2030 PSI & throwing out 1.76 GPM of water flow, having a stunning CU of 3572.8. Form strong or mildew stains, tar to mud cake in your patios, drive way to cars it can handle all stains in all areas. With the long 34” long extension spray wand it is easy to reach places which is hard to imagine with scrubbers.

The best part of SPX 3000 is the ease of use, everything from the power cord, pressure hose to the nozzle tips & detergent tanks fits right in the machine. The handle is up to the waist height & wont require bending down to move the unit as a whole. Weighing in at 31lbs & fitted with two sturdy wheels which works well in all hard & soft surfaces. Made up of strong plastic & doesn’t feel flimsy. Comes in four colors Green, Black, Blue & Red which looks bright & good.

Fitted with two 0.9 liters detergent tanks, can hold two different solutions & can be used simultaneously. Selecting of solutions is easy & is done with spinning a knob clockwise or anticlockwise situated right above the tanks.

Comes with five different nozzle tips (0º, 15º, 25º, 40º and soap) which can be clipped on or removed easily. Tips are clearly marked on both sides & are colored differently. You can change the tips depending on the pressure needed & the cleaning surface. 00 nozzle tip has the most pressure & 450 tip being the lowest one.

  • 0 Degree Nozzle: Best for concentrated areas to remove stains, tar, mud cake & dirt
  • 15 Degree Nozzle: Best to clean marks from a hard object to strip off paints, rusts etc.
  • 25 Degree Nozzle:   Best for home siding, driveways, patios etc.
  • 45 Degree Nozzle: Best for Cars, Furniture etc.
  • Soap Nozzle: Used to spray soap on all surfaces.

NOTE: For spraying soap, soap nozzle has to be clipped on.  Should not be sprayed on skin, as it can tear it off.

SPX 3000 comes with TSS or Total Stop System which works seamlessly. It turns the motor off when ever the trigger is not engaged even when the main power adopter is connected. It is a handy feature which saves power as well as prolong motor life.

Other safety features include GFCI approved power cord which is shock proof even in wet areas. So don’t worry about getting your power cord wet.

Lastly it also has manual trigger lock, which prevent unfortunate or haphazard triggering.

  • NOZZLE TIPS: On one hand different tips provide a lot of utility but are made up of plastic which can make them tricky some times. If mishandled it can break off.
  • PRESSURE HOSE: SPX 3000 is fitted with a long 20’ pressure hose, even though if you want to change it to a longer one it can be tricky as the original hose comes with a proprietary fit with a common size. Make sure, if you need the power hose to be changed the aftermarket one fits the spray gun & the main motor properly.
  • TWO WHEELS: Since it has two wheels to move it around, the attachment of the pressure hose sometimes hit the ground while moving the whole unit.

  • AR BLUE CLEAN AR383, 1900 PSI, 1.5 GPM, CU of 2850 priced at $90.56
  • Greenworks 1700 PSI, 1.2 GPM CU of 2040 priced at $97.99

Priced at $127.76 in Amazon with 2 years of warranty, it is one of the best buy. A handy machine, tailored for all round use. A gem of a motor making 2030 PSI throwing out 1.76 GPM, capable of cleaning your driveway, backyard, cars, boats, trucks, side walls etc. It can clean off strong stains, tars, rusts, oil to mud cakes.

Dual detergent tank of .9 litres can hold different solutions at the same time & can be used simultaneously. Five different nozzles do everything one can expect from a pressure washer. TSS works seamlessly & is a great feature to have on board. No more grimes, no more frowns & more happiness is what SPX 3000 stands for. Comment down below if you have any more reviews or features that is worth mentioning. this is best pressure washer in the market.

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Maternal Care

Maternal Care

“I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had some interesting discussions with my colleagues around some of the topics included in the book.” — Dr Thethe Kankolongo, Emmaus Hospital, KwaZulu Natal

“Identified by the National Department [of Health] as [a] key element in the improvement of health care worker practice” – Centre for Health Policy, Health Systems Programme, 2002

Recommended by the Department of Health for nurses working in women’s reproductive health — The Primary Health Care Package for South Africa, March 2000

Recommended reading for all Dip Obst(SA) students at The College of Medicine of South Africa.

From the acclaimed Perinatal Education Programme, Maternal Care is a comprehensive programme for healthcare professionals, covering all the common and important problems that occur during pregnancy, labour, delivery and the puerperium:

  • Antenatal care
  • Assessment of fetal growth and condition during pregnancy
  • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
  • Antepartum haemorrhage
  • Preterm labour and preterm rupture of the membranes
  • Monitoring the mother during the first stage of labour
  • Monitoring the fetus during the first stage of labour
  • Monitoring and managing the first stage of labour
  • The second stage of labour
  • Managing pain during labour
  • The third stage of labour
  • The puerperium
  • Medical problems during pregnancy, labour and the puerperium
  • Family planning after pregnancy
  • Regionalised perinatal care.

Skills chapters teach:

  • clinical examination in pregnancy and labour,
  • routine screening tests,
  • the use of an antenatal card and partogram,
  • measuring blood pressure,
  • detecting proteinuria and
  • performing and repairing an episiotomy.

Maternal Care is especially important for midwives and doctors working in labour wards in level 2 hospitals.

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-920218-27-0
ISBN (PDF ebook): 978-1-920218-45-4
ISBN (reflowable ebook): 978-1-920218-89-8

About the series editor

A previous head of neonatal medicine at UCT, David Woods consulted to UNICEF and the WHO, and is developing distance-learning courses and innovative, power-free medical devices for health professionals in under-resourced countries.

Acknowledgements for Maternal Care

Maternal Care has been edited from the Maternal Care manual of the Perinatal Education Programme. This learning programme for professionals is developed by the Perinatal Education Trust and funded by Eduhealthcare. We acknowledge all the participants of the Perinatal Education Programme who have made suggestions and offered constructive criticism over the years. It is only through constant feedback from colleagues and participants that the content of the Perinatal Education Programme courses can be improved.

Contributors to Maternal Care: Prof H van C de Groot, Dr D Greenfield, Ms H Louw, Ms M Petersen, Dr N Rhoda, Prof G Theron, Prof D Woods

Bettercare would like to acknowledge Dr Kenneth Beviss-Challinor for his contribution towards the proofreading of this book.

Editor-in-Chief of the Perinatal Education Programme: Prof D Woods

Editor of Maternal Care: Prof G Theron


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Russ logo

All information gathered first-hand, since 1995

  Sites / Roman Sites / Trophée des Alpes

The world's oldest, largest (and best) website about Provence

Trophée des Alpes

Gallery of 10 photos for Trophée des Alpes

La Turbie | Trophée des Alpes |

The Trophée des Alpes, or Trophy of Augustus, was a 50 m high monument to the power of Rome and the glory of Augustus. Now only 35 m high and half in ruin, it's still an imposing monument, over 2000 years after it was built.

In 13 BC, during the reign of Augustus (who had been Octavian until 31 BC) the Romans planned a new coast road into Gaul (Provence). This road became the Via Julia Augustus (or Via Julia, later to merge into the Aurelian Way that was built 150 years later. Augustus used this route to conquer the Ligurians and bring the Pax Romain to Provence. At La Turbie the road passed over the lowest point on a ridge that ran out from Mont Agel. This was not only a strategic site, it was also the highest point on the long Roman road into Gaul and marked the gateway between Italy and the Roman conquests of Gaul.

The Trophy that was built in 6 BC on this Alpine Summit (Summa Alpe) was a massive structure, and even the truncated ruin dominates the village today and is visible from long distances to the east and west. Only a few of the columns that once circled the colonnade remain today [photo 1], and the stepped conical roof, topped probably by a statue of Augustus, are long gone. A model of the presumed original can be seen in the museum.

The ruin of the Trophy began about 15 centuries ago, with the decline of the Roman Empire. In early 400 AD the Wisigoths entered Provence, the Vandals passed through and other "barbarians" added to the general destruction of the area and the Trophy.

The religious powers that increased towards the end of the Merovingian dynasty disliked the Trophy, considering it as dedicated to the pagen Apollo, and around 700 AD, the Monks of Lérins arrived to destroy the statues.

During the Middle Ages, the site was converted into a fortress, and occupied by the troups in command at the moment (see La Turbie history).

Louis IV ordered the Trophy blown up in 1705, but the 17-century-old construction largely withstood his efforts. The durable stone was pillaged to build the Saint-Michel church as well as numerous other constructions, a typical sequel to chateaux at the end of the Middle Ages.

Just before the Conté de Nice and Savoy were reattached to Fance in 1860, the Savoy royal family ordered restoration to begin. Not much was actually done, but it prevented further decay. Casimir, a local archeologist began excavations in 1900. The archeologist Formigé became interested and, in the 1920's, the wealthy American Dr Edward Tuck worked the Formigés (including the architect son) to restore the Trophy, including replacing stones to where they deduced they belonged. The restoration was completed in 1934.

Trophée d'Auguste - Trophée des Alpes
This small but interesting museum is located on the grounds of the Trophy. The entry price is a bit high just to see the trophy and the museum, but a must if you're interested in history, especially Roman history. The entrance is around to the left of the village (when facing the trophy hill from the road).

The grounds are in a nice garden setting, but not extensive, although there is a great view from the edge down onto Monaco below. The museum contains a model replica of what the original Trophy was thought to look like [photo 4], statues and busts of Augustus [photo 5; [ 6]], Roman milestones and other artifacts, and drawings and photos of the restoration.

Open: 21 Sept - 31 Mar, 10h-17h
open: 1 Apr - 20 June, 9h30-18h
open: 21 June - 20 Sept, 9h30-19h
Closed: Mondays
Entry: about 5 €

• GPS: 43.744778, 7.401803

IGN (1/25,000) #3742 OT "Nice-Menton"

Didier Richard (1/50,000) #26 "Pay d'Azur"

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A Brief History of Democracy

Monday, May 16, 2011

Add Bill 19 as Another Reason Why the Court Should Intervene in the Quebec Charter Challenge of First-Past-The-Post

Last week, the Charest-led Liberal Government introduced Bill 19 in order to have an electoral map in place for the next Quebec general election, which is due to be held within the next two years.

The problem is that the proposed map does not address the fundamental flaw of the existing map that there are a number of rural tidings that do not respect the constitutional requirement with respect to the relative number of electors per riding, no more than a 25% deviation from the provincial average.

Previously, the Director General Elections had drawn up a new map that would respect this constitutional requirement by adding three new electoral districts to the more populous regions outside of Montreal and by removing three electoral districts in the sparsely populated outlying regions.

Unhappy with the fact that the Director of Elections would not comply with Charest's wishes to ignore the constitutionality of a new electoral map, the Premier decided to suspend the powers of the Director even before getting the necessary legislation adopted in the National Assembly.

He then introduced Bill 19, which essentially adds the three new ridings without removing the three targeted ridings. The problem of the inequality of voting power between rural and urban ridings remains: there are a number of urban ridings that have twice the number of electors than their rural counterparts. Consequently, the vote of a citizen in a riding that was targeted to be removed is worth twice the vote of a citizen who casts his vote in a more populated riding.

At the heart of the issue is the inability of the first-past-the-past voting system to accommodate demographic trends in Quebec. People are leaving the outlying regions to live in the more populated urban centers. As well, immigrants also choose overwhelming to do the same. Inevitably, if single member districts are to be used something has to give, and if a change to multimember electoral changes is not implemented, the outlying regions will bear the brunt of the redistribution.

Given the choice of respecting the fundamental democratic principle of the equality of vote or keeping in place an institutional practice that does not have the capacity to adapt to Quebec's demographic reality, Charest is clearly clinging to the outdated voting system that allows him to form a majority government with the support of only a minority of the electorate. Clearly, Charest's desire for political power overrides his responsibility to put and keep in place a democratic electoral system.

Although the question now before the Quebec Appeal Court is larger, the constitutionality of using single member electoral districts in conjunction with a plurality method to determine representation, by striking down the first-past-the-post system the Court would prevent the Charest government from adopting what is without question the most discriminatory electoral map in North America.

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Goats Can Form Accents, Study Finds

Experts had thought only a select group of mammals had the ability to modify vocal sounds to reflect surroundings.

Humans, elephants and dolphins do it, and apparently goats do, too.

The horned ruminants pick up accents as they get older and join social groups, according to researchers at Queen Mary University, London, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.

Experts previously thought only a select group of mammals has the ability to modify vocal sounds according to their surroundings, and that other species' "voices" were determined solely by genetics. Whales and bats pick up accents as well.

The researchers recorded the bleats of four groups of pygmy goats at one week old, when kids, as young goats are known, from the same litter remain with one another, and again at five weeks old, when they form social groups with other goats of the same age.

Not surprisingly, the study found genetically related kids produced similar calls. But it found the vocal calls of goats raised in the same social groups also became more similar as the kids grew older.

"This suggests that goat kids modify their calls according to their social surroundings, developing similar ‘accents,’" said Dr. Elodie Briefer, one of the researchers.

Briefer said she and her colleagues don't know whether other mammals may be able to form accents, but suggested that if goats' calls can be affected by their environment maybe all mammals' calls could be too.


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Friday, January 25, 2013

Missouri Republican Proposes Bill to Require Teaching of ‘Intelligent Design’

Legislation proposed in the Missouri House of Representatives on Wednesday would require schools to treat the theory of evolution and intelligent design equally.

The Missouri Standard Science Act states the theory of evolution must be taught side-by-side with intelligent design in public elementary and secondary schools. The bill also requires any textbook that discusses evolution to “give equal treatment to biological evolution and biological intelligent design.”

Proponents of intelligent design, a variant of creationism, believe the complexity of life cannot be adequately explained by natural processes such as biological evolution.

The bill was introduced by State Rep. Rick Brattin, and cosponsored by State Reps. Andrew Koenig and Kurt Bahr. All three lawmakers are Republicans.

Brattin introduced a nearly identical bill last year. He told local media outlets the bill was “just good science” and promoted “objectivity in the science room.”

Brattin, Koenig, Bahr and other Missouri lawmakers also introduced legislation this month that would encourage teachers to discuss the “scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses” of the theory of evolution. Critics said the law was intended to undermine scientific teaching by presenting evolution to students as if it was a controversial topic among biologists.

“It’s ironic that creationist strategies continue to evolve,” Eugenie C. Scott of the National Center for Scientific Education said. “At first, creationists tried to ban the teaching of evolution in the public schools altogether. When they were no longer able to do so, they tried to ‘balance’ it with the teaching of Biblical creationism, or scientific creationism, or intelligent design. After the Kitzmiller trial in 2005, in which teaching intelligent design was found by a federal court to be unconstitutional, there’s been a shift toward belittling evolution — as just a theory, or as in need of critical analysis, or as the subject of scientific controversy.”


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STEM Starter Academy Science Workshops

STEM - Brain ImageThe STEM Starter Academy at Bunker Hill Community College will be offering free STEM Workshops in August and January! These 3-day Workshops are specifically designed to prepare students to successfully complete college science courses, as well as introduce students to a variety of STEM careers.

The focus will be on biology or engineering, but all STEM majors are welcome to apply!
Stay tuned for information on the dates of the January workshops.

 The workshops will feature:

  • Specially designed hands-on curriculum.
  • Free lunch.
  • Engaging and relevant field trips.
  • Assistance from LifeMap coaches.
  • Study skills and strategies.
  • Laboratory skills training.
  • Fun biology or engineering themed activities!

These workshops are just a sample of many new and exciting opportunities for STEM students as the STEM Starter Academy continues to develop incentives and programs to further enhance student success.

For more information, contact STEM Coordinator Joye Thaller at 617-936-1953 or email


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Saturday, June 07, 2008

There's roads and there's roads
And they call, can't you hear it?
Roads of the earth
And roads of the spirit
The best roads of all
Are the ones that aren't certain
One of those is where you'll find me
Till they drop the big curtain....Bruce Cockburn

I have been a fan of Bruce Cockburn since the 1990's even though Cockburn has been on the music scene since the late 1960's. Cockburn is not a household name in this country but he is somewhat of a legend in his native country Canada. My introduction to Cockburn's music was the result of a fluke encounter unless one wants to attribute it to fate or providence which is o.k. with me. I was sitting in my pastors office one afternoon and I picked up a denominational church magazine and read a review of his album, Nothing but a Burning Light. I found the article intriguing and his "over the hill Generation X" look somewhat rolled the dice and went down and purchased the album without ever having heard any of his songs. I then went home... sat on the patio... and listened to the album maybe three or four times before I came back into the house. It was an instant connection and the rest is history. Shortly thereafter I bought another album and loved it as well...but...the big bonding moment came when I attended a three week conference at Humboldt University later that summer. One afternoon I walked into a little hole in the wall record store and it was there I found almost all of Cockburn's cassettes. I purchased maybe eight or nine of them and feasted on the music of Cockburn for the entire three weeks....

There is a lot I like about Cockburn's favorite aspects of his music are the rhythm and the lyrics. Most of Cockburn's songs are on the slow side which fits my own preferred pace of life. Although I can hang with the likes of Pearl Jam and Green Day, on most days, when I am home or in the car I prefer the slow, drip, drip, sound of a good Cockburn song...regarding his lyrics...Cockburn's lyrics are poetic and considered some of the best in the industry...but...don't take my word, here is a sampling of some of the lyrics from some of my favorite Cockburn songs. I'll begin with the last stanza from one of my favorite Cockburn songs, A Child of the Wind.

Little round planet
In a big universe
Sometimes it looks blessed
Sometimes it looks cursed
Depends on what you look at obviously
But even more it depends on the way that you see

Not a knife throw from here you can hear the night train passing
That's the sound somebody makes when they're getting away
Leaving next week's hanging jury far behind them
Prisoner only of the choices they've made
And everyone's an island edged with sand
A temporary refuge where somebody else can stand
Till the sea that binds us like the forced tide of a blood oath
Will wear it down - dissolve it - recombine it

Anyone can die here they do it every day
It doesn't take much effort though it goes against the grain
And the ultimate forgetfulness of violence
Sweeps the landscape like a headlight of a train
Ice cube in a dark drink shines like star light
Starlight shines like glass shards in dark hair
And the mind's eye tumbles out along the steel track
Fixing every shadow with its stare
And in the absence of a vision there are nightmares
And in the absence of compassion there is cancer
Whose banner waves over palaces and mean streets
And the rhythm of the night train is a mantra

Sunset is an angel weeping
Holding out a bloody sword
No matter how I squint I cannot
Make out what it's pointing toward
Sometimes you feel like you live too long
Days drip slowly on the page
You catch yourself
Pacing the cage

I've proven who I am so many times
The magnetic strip's worn thin
And each time I was someone else
And every one was taken in
Powers chatter in high places
Stir up eddies in the dust of rage
Set me to pacing the cage

I never knew what you all wanted
So I gave you everything
All that I could pillage
All the spells that I could sing
It's as if the thing were written
In the constitution of the age
Sooner or later you'll wind up
Pacing the cage

Sometimes the best map will not guide you
You can't see what's round the bend
Sometimes the road leads through dark places
Sometimes the darkness is your friend
Today these eyes scan bleached-out land
For the coming of the outbound stage
Pacing the cage
Pacing the cage

Wild things are prowling - storm winds are howling tonight
Everything's transforming into pure crystals of light
The heart is a mirror; it throws back the blaze of love
Bathed in that glow it's no secret what I'm thinking of
I want to wait no more
Wait no more
Wait no more
Sipping wine with angels in this torch-lit tavern by the sea
What does it take for what's locked up inside to be free?
Fold me into you, you know where I'm dying to be
When my ship sets sail on that ocean of deep mystery
I want to wait no more
Wait no more
Wait no more
What does it take for the heart to explode into stars?
One day we'll wake to remember how lovely we are
Lightning's a kiss that lands hot on the loins of the sky
Something uncoils at the base of my spine and I cry
I want to wait no more
Wait no more
Wait no more

I've seen a high cairn kissed by holy wind
Seen a mirror pool cut by golden fins
Seen alleys where they hide the truth of cities
The mad whose blessing you must accept without pity

I've stood in airports guarded glass and chrome
Walked rifled roads and landmined loam
Seen a forest in flames right down to the road
Burned in love till I've seen my heart explode

You've been leading me
Beside strange waters

Across the concrete fields of man
Sun ray like a camera pans
Some will run and some will stand
Everything is bullshit but the open hand

You've been leading me
Beside strange waters
Streams of beautiful lights in the night
But where is my pastureland in these dark valleys?
If I loose my grip, will I take flight?

You've been leading me
Beside strange waters
Streams of beautiful lights in the night
But where is my pastureland in these dark valleys?
If I loose my grip, will I take flight?

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I have had some wonderful adventures in the cheese world lately thanks to a New York standby, Murray's Cheese. They just opened a cheese bar (restaurant) downtown and it is perfection! I ate there a couple weeks ago to the tune of fried cheese curds, a giant cheese plate, and a beautiful 3 cheese grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. A cheese Mecca served on beautiful slate boards. It was decadent, way too much cheese, and just perfect.
The second round of fromage bliss came a week later at Murray Cheese Shop. My sweet friend, Alana, and I took a mozzarella making class. We learned all about these milky cheeses by sampling them of course. My favorite is the buratta, which I discovered this year in my food expeditions. Buratta is a fresh cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is mozzarella, but the inside is filled with mozzarella and cream. CREAM!! Essentially heaven!! Also, did you know that buffalo mozzarella is made from the milk of water buffalo?! What is a water buffalo anyway? pictured below. It has a super high fat content which makes it so delicious. Anyhow, after all the cheesy talk, we made mozzarella balls from stretching, rolling, and pulling the cheese curds. Very hot water but very fun!
My mum is coming to NYC for Easter and I am taking her to Murray's cheese bar this weekend. I think I might have a problem. Is there a Cheese Lovers Anonymous?

Alana & me
Sampling the mozzarella, the burrata is the one pooling in the back.

Cheese curds ready to be made into mozzarella
My friend, Alana
Learning for the instructor


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Mike Curak and friends are at it again, this time on a desert adventure over the Thanksgiving weekend. As seen in the video, the fat bikes take on some sand, technical terrain, and even ice. For photos, trip reports and videos check out lacemine29.blogspot.com. (photo and video/ Mike Curak)

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Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Creek

Stood in the creek today until the snow started coming down a bit too hard. I like the abstract quality in this.

"Christmas Creek"
16" x 20, oil

1 comment:

Art with Liz said...

You have my total admiration standing out in that kind of weather! But the result was definitely worth it.


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Breaking News: Ward Churchill Changes Ethnicity

Boulder, Colorado--Controversial writer and college teacher, Ward Churchill, who has long claimed American Indian heritage, today announced that he is no longer an American Indian.  Instead, says Churchill, "I am seven-sixteenths Jewish, three-sixteenths Irish, and one-sixteenth rare, endangered Siberian Tiger."The American Indian Movement and Keetoowah Cherokee tribe have for years denied Churchill credentials as an Indian. Nonetheless, Churchill maintained he was in fact either one-sixteenth...(read more)


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Friday, April 15, 2011

Watch the Sabres Playoffs in Boston!

Scorpions -  "Winds of Change":   Soundtrack to the New Buffalo Experience
*If you are looking for information on Sabres games and not a detailed account of my morning commute please scroll down.*

        This morning felt different and even my Ipod understood.  The first half of my morning routine was above average.   The Sabres won.  I had a great ironing session.  The sun was out.  A Golden Retriever seeing eye dog may have smiled at me.  My heart was warm.  Little did I know this was just the beginning and my morning commute was about to get downright spiritual.
        As my train passed Hynes Convention Center my Ipod sent its first volley:   Goo Goo Dolls:  Slide.  I was startled and questions sprang to mind.  Is this a fluke?  Does it know the Goo Goo Dolls are from Buffalo?  Does it remember that it was purchased at Best Buy in Big Flats? Is it a hockey fan?  Has it remained loyal to WNY despite spending most of its life in Boston?
        As my train closed in on Park Street and the chorus of "Why don't you slide" began to fade out my Ipod gave a firm answer:  Scorpions: Winds of Change.  With my mind already focused on Buffalo this ballad took on a whole new meaning.  Lyrics and internal monologue below:

The world closing in   (Internal Monologue - Bruins / Patriots fans all around)
Did you ever think     (IM - Think what?!  I hope an answer comes soon.)
That we could be so close,like brothers  (IM - Well  maybe brothers is a bit strong - amicable acquittances who share more high fives then conversation?  Sure.)
The future's in the air  (IM - YES IT IS!  No longer will 1 goal leads scare me! No longer do I expect failure!  Ooh ooh ooh Fitzmagic <- Diagnosed with ADD at 10)
I can feel it everywhere  (IM - I wonder if all these people in Park Street realize the level my false sense of superiority is at right now?)
Blowing with the wind of change (IM - Oh yeah - blow me you Winds of Change!  *People on train react to grown man letting a giggle slip*)

Take me to the magic of the moment    (IM - No need to take me,  Danny be already there)
On a glory night     (IM - Last night and every Buffalo game night from this point on)
Where the children of tomorrow dream away   (Children of WNY it is ok to dream again)
In the wind of change  (Honestly who stands in place on an escalator holding hands?  This would never happen in Corning.)

Saturday April 16th at 5 pm is next Sabres game.  Bleacher Bar will be showing the game.  Please note that the Red Sox have a home game at 1:10 pm. If you want to guarantee yourself a spot please try and arrive early as the Sox game will get out at about the same time the Sabres Game starts.  Note this game is NOT on local TV.

Monday April 18th at 7 pm is Game 3. Note this is Marathon Monday and there is a Red Sox game at 11:00 am.  This game WILL be on local TV but we encourage you to watch the game with us at Bleacher Bar.

Wednesday April 20th at 7pm, is Game 4.  Game is NOT on local television and the Red Sox are out of town.     Get ready for a big Wednesday.

Favorite Best Buy Store:   Big Flats - Consumer Square
Least Favorite Green Line Stop:   Boylston - Honestly it is like 30 feet from Park Street.
Least Favorite Pizza that people in Boston Believe In:   Pizzeria Regina
Least Favorite Couple who stands in place on the escalator holding hands:   Guy in black coat - girl in Northface Fleece - just because you are in a serious relationship does not mean you have to give up.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

An Easter Miracle: Sabres Playoffs at Bleacher Bar

Watch the Sabres at Bleacher Bar in Boston!

As most of you know, the Sabres locked up the 7th playoff position by taking control of their own destiny and going 8 - 1 - 1 in their last 10 games.  As soon as the schedule was announced, I immediately turned my thoughts to putting together some playoff viewing parties.  I was a bit taken aback when I realized that only 1 of the Sabres 1st round games would be broadcast on local TV in the Boston area.  I started to get scared - based on previous searches of the area I knew that only bar with the NHL package in the Boston area would be inundated with Bruins fans this Thursday and not a viable option.  My fears were alleviated this morning when the hand of god manifested as the Bleacher Bar management - sent me this unsolicited email from Ryan Jones, General Manager of Bleacher Bar:

"Hey Dan, Just wanted to say congratulations on the Sabres clinching a playoff berth.   I know we talked a few times about hosting some Sabres playoff viewing parties this year.    I checked the local TV listing and saw that the only way we could do this is if we bought the NHL Center Ice package.    We have gone ahead a contacted Direct TV and purchased the full package.   I hope you can get a bunch of people to come out.    Thanks for yours and all the Bills Backers of Fenway support these last two years."
This goes to show just how much Bleacher Bar is committed to  our club.   All the Sabres first round games will be on at Bleacher Bar.   (Schedule below).    So come on out - grab a Labatt bottle - order a Beef on Weck - and join your fellow WNYers at Bleacher Bar for all the Sabres playoff games.

Sabres 1st Round Schedule
Thursday April 14th:   7:30
Saturday April 16th - Sabres @ 5:00
Monday April 18th - Sabres @ 7:00
Wednesday April 20th - Sabres @7:30
Firday April 22nd - Sabres at 7:30

***Remember, Bills draft party April 28th at 8 pm!***
Beer Specials - Beef on Weck - Bison Dip - WNY related competitions.

Favorite Draft Pick:   Von Miller
Least Favorite Draft Pick:  Cam Newton
Least Favorite Animal That Made a Home In My Car's Engine:   Rats
Favorite Former Energy Product Now Used to Clean My Keyboard:   Compressed Gas
Least Favorite Overused Office Term:   "Low Hanging Fruit"
Favorite "Kill" That I Cross Once on I90 and Again on I88:   Norman's Kill


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Digital Marketing Series: Serious Games for Marketing
Dates: December 07, 2007
Times: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Location: UK Trade and Invest, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
Event Type: MITX Event
Event Sponsor:

          Series Sponsor

           Event Sponsor

Panelists to Date:
Jeremi Karnell, President, One to One Interactive
Jeffrey Bardzell, PhD, Indiana University School of Informatics
Shaowen Bardzell, PhD, Indiana University School of Informatics

 “Serious games” refers to the use of games and game technologies for non-entertainment purposes. Traditionally, the education, health, and military sectors were the primary actors in this domain. But in the past few years, marketing has arisen as a major subdomain of this area. Examples range from the selling of advertising inside video games, to dozens of small, experimental corporate-sponsored spaces in virtual worlds such as Second Life, to the fully realized first-person shooter America’s Army, developed as a recruitment tool for the U.S. Army. The results have been uneven, as most of these early efforts have had an experimental edge. This session will compare player engagement in some of Second Life’s most successful user-generated areas compared with some of the more ambitious corporate-sponsored efforts in Second Life. Data is derived from a combination of interviews and Quantemo™ neuromarketing analysis.

Click here to read our Registration Policy

Fees: Members: $35 Non-members: $70
Registration: Deadline: December 5, 2007 at 4:00 PM

The Digital Marketing Series, developed by MITX and One to One Interactive, addresses current and emerging internet enabled technology platforms and their application to enterprise marketing and communication efforts.


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Monday, March 15, 2010

Autodesk Webcast of "updated' products March 25!!!!

This just in....On March 25, Autodesk will officially announce their updates to the portfolio of software.

I know this is what all you BIMheads have been waiting for and you know Revit3D.com will be one of the first places on the planet to get up to the minute information. I'd recommend you subscribe to the blog so you can read it here first.

Date: 3/25/10
Start Time: 9:00 SF/12:00 New York/16:00 UK/17:00 CET

Register today to join Autodesk CEO Carl Bass and Senior Vice President Amar Hanspal for
an exclusive live webcast to learn about updates to Autodesk’s portfolio of design software
for the AEC, manufacturing and general design industries.

Register: Autodesk Webcast

Here's some speculation from another blogger:

In Autodeskspeak, “general design” means AutoCAD, so you can expect this to be the same kind of thing as the AutoCAD 2010 launch I attended last year. (Note: ‘launch’ does not mean ‘release’). At this event, selected bloggers will probably get to see the big production effort that goes into the launch webcast (no, it’s not done on Shaan’s laptop webcam). They can expect to be transported, housed, fed and watered by Autodesk, which I trust we’ll see disclosed by everybody this year.

More importantly, they will most likely be given access to various significant Autodesk people, such as my video interview on the Autodesk Listening theme. These events are both worthwhile and great fun, and my best wishes go out to those bloggers who will be attending this time round.

For the previous three years, you will have seen bloggers reporting on the contents of the new release in early February, but this has not happened not this time. Why is the information being held back so long this time, with the launch 48 days later this year than last? I genuinely have absolutely no idea. Feel free to speculate.

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Friday, November 26, 2010

2011 Electrical Setting: Run Calculations for Loads in Spaces - The #Revit Clinic

I always wonder as I make Revit MEP posts as to whether Revit Architecture users are telling their engineers that they have to make the switch (no pun intended) to Revit MEP from AutoCAD.  After all, wouldn't you want to have them working live in your model so you can reduce coordination conflicts?  What would be the point to working in Revit and having your engineers work in 2D.  How much time do you lose each year answering RFIs from the GC and subs as to coordination conflicts up in the ceiling.  Are your engineers telling you it's too expensive for them to make the switch?  What if when they told you that, you told them you'd bill them for every hour you have to spend resolving MEP conflicts on your projects.  I'm sure that would get their attention.

Just something to think about on ThanksBIMing Day.

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Sunday, April 13, 2014

US Calls it Quits in the Global War on Terror

One of my pastimes in writing involves speculation – speculation about historical events, speculation about current events, and speculation about what these might mean toward future events.  I can get to rambling a bit on this topic – I am trying to put into meaningful form ideas that are often abstract speculation still being worked out in my head. Often, my writing is just me in the process of working things out.

I suspect I will ramble through this post….

I have looked quite a bit at the history of the last couple of centuries – the history of the American Revolution, the maneuverings of Anglo-American power, the World Wars and Cold War of the 20th century.  Much of this has been done via reviews of books with a viewpoint different than the mainstream; some has been my own (although I doubt ever original) formulation for a different answer to two-plus-two.

Generally, my interpretations are guided by a few assumptions: 1) politicians lie for public consumption, 2) there are rarely big mistakes in desired outcomes on the big things (although, as they are human, mistakes happen, therefore making lemonade out of lemons is a developed skill), 3) there are individuals more powerful than the actors we see on the stage, and 4) these powerful individuals are not completely aligned toward common outcomes – they aren’t always on the same team; however, they share common objectives to the point where they will defend their common toolkit for control (for purposes of this post, the important tool in the toolkit is to create an enemy in order to rally and further control the masses).

Without reviewing every step of the road I have travelled, I am generally settled in a place where I believe a major shift is coming in the structure of the world order away from the Anglo-west; it seems fairly easy now to draw common thread through the growth and expansion of two-hundred years or more of Anglo-elite power, and to see the primary tools for the execution of this power transfer from Great Britain to the United States.

As I have written often, it seems to me that we may have seen the zenith of Anglo-domination – the west may have played its last hand.  Long-time readers will be familiar with my speculation that we are headed toward a world where power will shift to a loosely-aligned group including China, Russia, Germany, and maybe Japan and Australia.  (See a recent post on this here.)  One can find signs in many recent events that point toward this.  I am also not the only one making such speculations – rarely is anything truly original under the sun.

Events in the Ukraine can certainly be interpreted along the lines of my general premise – the zenith of Anglo-elite power through the west is behind us; the world is re-shaping along the China-Russia-German lines mentioned above.

What does any of this have to do with the United States calling it quits in the global war on terror (GWOT)?

It can also be considered that the west has played its hand with the whole GWOT thing – the invented enemy after the Cold War enemy didn’t have a very long shelf-life.  Perhaps it is because fewer and fewer people are buying the story (anyone with half-a-brain and an internet connection can at minimum find reason to doubt the official version of 911).  Or perhaps it is because the Muslim terrorist (as the stereotype is portrayed) – never truly capable in replacing the Red Army as bogeyman – has conformed to his reality: he isn’t much of a true threat, because the average Muslim is just like the average everyone else – someone who just wants to get by in this world.

There is ample evidence that the west is behind the explosion of violence throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  Yet, so far at least, this hasn’t yielded much fruit it placing the fear of the other in the minds of the average westerner.

It would certainly benefit the west to have a better (in a cynical use of the term) enemy.  As it apparently is not yet possible to convincingly demonstrate that the world is under threat of alien invasion – they couldn’t even get us to believe the whole terror-of-global-warming thing – perhaps an old dance partner is being trotted out: the Soviet Union, in the face of Putin’s Russia.

So I guess I have two thoughts about this: first, is this a sign that the US is calling it quits in the GWOT?  Or, to state it more accurately, has the GWOT well run dry?  For me, it seems reasonable to speculate that the answer to this is yes.

Second, what does this say about those above the politicians?  Do the same people who control the west also control Russia?  For this, the answer is not any clearer to me today than it was yesterday.  Are there multiple criminal gangs fighting for turf, or one gang using the toolkit to control the rest of us?  Criminal gangs don’t have to be permanently aligned to find reason to work together in common cause.  Or perhaps more precisely, the same event can be beneficial to both sides; therefore, both sides have reason to promote the same event.

Renewing the Cold War solves many problems in both the West and Russia.  This is good for the elite and not-so-good for the rest of us, no matter how the elite are aligned.

But back to the subject of this post – perhaps, in the Ukraine, we are seeing the end of the global war on terror…because we are seeing the return to the Cold War.

The interesting question will be the alignments – whither goes Germany?  Japan?

  1. A further speculation, on my part would be that the US gov. has armed itself against their own people, because they know, that soon, convincing us of a credible enemy will no longer be possible, and that will convince many not to co-operate at all.
    Germany will go with Russia, because of oil, anything else would be foolish. And Japan may do the same, the added bonus being a counter to China.

    1. Its kind pof hard to fight terrorism when you are the terrorists. The criminals in Washington would have to fight themselves.

  2. Dear Bionic: your alertness to this shift is helpful to many who attempt to understand the chess playing on a world scale. Someone once said if a country is not at war, about a third of its workers will be unemployed. Even with the contrived wars and anti-terrorist efforts, unemployment is ~22% in the USA (source: ShadowStats). The recent Clive Bundy/Nevada cattle ranch standoff with the Bureau of Land Management shows how militarized a government bureau is when it shouldn't be. The railroads have security forces. The airports are full of redundant and ineffective security. The FBI is nosing in areas where it shouldn't. The CIA is active on-shore when it is supposed to be an overseas operation. It's all about jobs. When the first cold war vanished with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall, the FBI was left with no agenda to chase down imagined Soviet spies on shore. So it has been given investigative authority overseas. It is all about jobs, many redundant and worthless jobs. Every once in a while they have to contrive up some bombing like what occurred in Boston which was actually a reality drill complete with actors and stage makeup (fake blood). Government doesn't know how to drum up jobs, at least not real jobs. Solyndra is its shining effort -- complete with political pay offs under the guise of government-backed private enterprise. Keep up the good work.

  3. It's not over for Anglo-America-Israel. They know the key to control of the world is control of Eurasia, following the theory of Halford Mackinder. That's why there is mayhem in Syria, war threats against Iran, and regime change in Ukraine. It's all directed against Russia. Anglo-America must gain military control to the oil and gas fields of the Caspian and central Asia. If they do that, then the power of Russia will be broken and they will have their hands on the throat of China for the foreseeable future

  4. What about our increased interest in Africa? There is some blood left to be wrung from the terrorism stone. The center of things is moving I agree. I can't believe power will shift to places where we are obviously financing things. Japan, Korea...don't think so. Australia! Where did that come from? How about China or SE Asia quite possibly with an Islam flavor to it. It could well come from the opposite of where the administration is looking.

    1. Japan? Because growth will not be found in the US; it will be found in Asia.

      Australia? It is a big hole in the ground, and they will need to sell to someone able to buy.

      As I wrote... it is speculation. And the further I get from Germany / Russia / China, the more speculative it becomes.

  5. @Bionic Mosquito, you should have a look at this essay by FW Engdahl from 2006. It shows the Anglo-American strategy very clearly

    [quote]NATO encirclement of Russia, Color Revolutions across Eurasia, and the war in Iraq, were all one and the same American geopolitical strategy, part of a grand strategy to ultimately de -construct Russia once and for all as a potential rival to a sole US Superpower hegemony. Russia - not Iraq and not Iran - was the primary target of that strategy. [/quote]

  6. Its kind pof hard to fight terrorism when you are the terrorists. The criminals in Washington would have to fight themselves.

  7. The ongoing increase of the police/surveillance state along with the continual theft of individuals' rights & freedoms, will not halt until the introduction for a globalist NWO comes to a head via Russia + China teaming to go to world war with 'our' Anglo-American empire some time next decade...likely through North Korea as the final catalyst.

    1. I am not so sure about a new global war - at least not in the conventional meaning of war. It is my sense that the elite believe this too dangerous for their own well being.

      But I would agree that the end of the war on terror will not result in the pullback of the surveillance state.

  8. I think the best lens of analyzing the foreign-policy decisions of the US and its allies is that of the "dollar hegemony" (i.e. the US dollar's status as the global reserve currency). This hegemony was established by the Bretton Woods Agreement and was originally maintained by the system constructed by that agreement. In the aftermath of the US government unilaterally abolishing that system, the dollar hegemony has been maintained solely by the influence of the US and its allies. Ultimately, as with all other hegemony, this influence relies on military power.

    Even the Cold War can be analyzed using this lens. Indeed, if one analyzes the Cold War in terms of the dollar hegemony, one will find that it's the actual reason that the Cold War occurred at all. More specifically, one will find that the Soviets never ratified the Bretton Woods Agreement. As a result, a huge part of the world wasn't hooked into the dollar hegemony for almost 50 years. The entire policy of "containment" that was characteristic of the US and its allies during the Cold War seems to have been aimed at preventing any more of the world from breaking away from the dollar hegemony.

    Since the end of the Cold War, the policy of "containment" has persisted, but given different rationales. The "Global War on Terror(ism)" seems to be in response to various countries in the Middle East (Iraq, Iran, and Libya, at least) threatening to pull away from the dollar hegemony. Now the Middle East appears largely pacified - on the surface. In the meantime, however, the dollar hegemony is starting to crack all over the place. The military forces of the US and its allies may soon be faced with a real "asymmetric war", i.e. a global rebellion against the dollar hegemony. Whether this rebellion will be described publicly as "terrorism" or something else remains to be seen, but it won't make a difference to those who know what's really going on.


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Monday, August 31, 2009

Bath Body Works Online Stores

Bath body works online stores are the ideal place of buying bath body gifts. Bath Body gifts are great for your body. They come in hosts of fragrances and are used to pamper one's body and mind. They come in gift packs or as loose items according to the varying needs of the consumers. One can choose anything from style to fragrance. Nowadays, bath body gifts have nature friendly botanical ingredients which are mild to the body also. And this is where Bath body works online stores come into play. The customers can also use them as often as they wish without worrying too much about the adverse effects chemicals can cause to their bodies.

Bath Body gifts can be purchased from online stores where one can choose amongst a host of options. These Bath body works online stores also provide an easy option to the customers and saves their precious time. Many of these online stores provide doorstep delivery option as well. Some of the most commonly purchased products are:

Foam Baths and shower gels. Foam baths and shower gels are made with jojoba spheres are the most common product at these bath body works online stores. They are applied on the skin to prevent it from drying very quickly and also makes the ir soft, supple and radiant. It is available in both men's and women's fragrances.Hand and body lotion. They are also used on the skin for the purpose of skin replenishment as well as cell rejuvenation.Soaps. Mostly glycerine soaps are used for proper skin care. They also do not make the skin dry as other soaps do.Body Creams, Oils and Moisturizers. They are an integral part of body and skin care and come in various fragrances and types depending on the needs of the customers.Bath salts. They are made from special blend of salts and help ease the tired muscles as well as soften the bath water.Perfumes and Deodourants. They are eco friendly sprays which prevent body odour. Customers have a host of fragrances to choose from.

Bath body works online stores provide comfort to the purchasers in terms of saving their precious time and effort. They also provide unlimited options, special packages and attractive offers to the customer. However, one has to pay a tad bit extra from his pocket as shipping and transportation charges while using these bath body works online stores.

Click Here to Read More..

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Wild Bird Identification

Wild Bird Identification is an intriguing task and requires some scientific knowledge other than some general knowledge. Watching birds is fun, but it is even more fun if you can put a name with the bird. Most of us know what a Robin looks like. We probably fed Mallard Ducks at the pond. We could even identify a Bald Eagle or a Canada goose without much effort. But what do you do when something totally new appears? Learning Wild Bird Identification is easy if you become familiar with the birds in your yard. As you get better at bird identification, you can expand to birds in your home town.

A field guide will help you attach a name to the birds you see. Field guides are books with pictures and descriptions of the birds. A field guide typically shows birds of just one country or even one part of a country and hence field guides are important for Wild Bird Identification.

Here are some tips to make wild bird identification easier. First see "How big is the bird?" Is it as big as a sparrow, a robin, a pigeon, a chicken or an ostrich? Is the bird fat or skinny, long or short? Look at each part of the bird. Is its bill short or long, thick or thin, curved or straight? How about the tail? What shape is it? Is it forked? Are the bird's wings pointed or curved, long or short? After you do all this then notice the main colors of the bird? The colors of a bird can play tricks on you. A bird's colors look different when the bird is at the top of a tree at sunset than it does at noon. Check the color of each major body part. Sometimes just the color of a bird's legs can help you in Wild Bird Identification.

Finally, look around you. Are you and the bird deep in a forest, on your lawn or 50 miles out at sea? Each bird likes a certain habitat and serves as another criteria for Wild Bird Identification. Habitat refers to things like plants and trees in the area, the climate in the area and the type of water nearby. See if the bird is swimming or wading. Can the bird climb trees? Does it wag its tail a lot? If you can answer many of these questions, you have a very good chance of finding your bird in the field guide. When you understand how your field guide arranges all of the birds, it will become even easier to quickly turn to the right page. The birds are arranged in Taxonomic order. Really good birders can "see" more birds with their eyes closed than you and I can see with our eyes open! They know the songs a bird sings. Even one chip note might tell them a bird called a Rose-breasted Grosbeak is hiding in the bushes. Finally, you need to know the names of the parts of a bird. You already know most of the important names. You will soon discover that birders seem to have given a name to every little line on a bird. This is how one takes a step for wild bird identification.

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Monday, August 24, 2009

Washington State bird watching

Bird watching is fast becoming a hobby of many and gaining popularity in all parts of the world. During the past also bird watching is one sport that always held an important position but now various efforts are being made to renew interest in bird watching. Washing is an important and sought after destination for bird watchers. Washington state bird watching is fast gaining the status of prominent bird watching places of the world. Its flora and fauna attracts tourists from all over the globe.

Given the variety of bird habitats that Washington boasts of like the mountain peaks, coasts, rain forests, deserts and inland waterways, Washington state bird watching is a spectacular sport. It offers variety which can not be found anywhere else and can boasts of being home to a wide variety of birds. Washington supports rare species of birds as well in greater abundance.

You can spot Bald Eagles, Hutton's Vireos, Layson Albatross, Hermit Warblers, Spotted Owls, Marbled Murrelets and many more species of the world�s most beautiful birds here. Not only this, numerous pelagic species can also be seen like Sooty Shearwater, Cassin's Auklet, Black-legged Kittiwake, Blue Grouse and Rock Sandpiper. Washington state bird watching can be started from any of these exciting places like Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Olympic National Park, Ocean Shores, Westport, Sequim and Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

For bird watching having a good guide may make your experience even more memorable by giving you all the valid and required information on the birds that you spot. Sometimes even spotting the rarest birds for you and making your experience something to cherish for a lifetime. A lot of guides and paid tours are available in Washington state bird watching and you can choose from a plethora of options.

Washington state bird watching is not only a sport or a hobby but has become an attractive option for the tourism industry to lure tourists to the diverse bird watching sites. So if you are a bird lover and Washington is still alien to you then explore it right away or you will miss nature�s beauty at its best.

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August 13, 2007

Two nights in nature are good for the soul.

True nature has no connectivity, so you can't check your email. In my rebellion against technology, I didn't even shower until we got home even though we took a 6 mile hike (and boy are my calves sore).

Of course, we brought a coleman gas stove, and next time we discussed how we should bring the aerobed, so I guess it's not really a rebellion against technology.

Shocking, but it's more of a rebellion against work. I'm in the middle of two huge projects and several smaller ones at work. But I needed to get away. I needed it so much that I left on Friday morning by telling E that I'd be home by 4:30 PM to camp, even if it meant that I got fired.

It didn't even come close to that.

But there's something about the practice of high-intensity law that makes me feel like I need to be ready to quit at any time. I need to be ready to get fired. I need to remind myself that I don't need the job as much as they need me, so I can draw some lines.

Perhaps I'm overdramatic. Maybe this mindset isn't needed. But I find it comforting and oddly necessary. I have to constantly remind myself that I *choose* this life and therefore I get to have quite a bit of say in how it all goes down.

Now if only I could convince myself that the 8 AM Monday conference call I'm headed to wasn't a bad omen for the rest of the week, I'd be in good shape.

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Straw defies EU

There are unofficial reports that Jack Straw has defied the EU and delivered a personal pledge to the Turkish to accelerate their entry to the EU. Apparently he was overheard in Waitrose this week saying he’d definitely get Turkey in before next weekend.

Thanks to Chubby Bat for another piss-poor Whitaker Christmas joke.

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