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2013 Honda Accord earns recommended from Consumer Reports

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2013 Honda Accord earns recommended from Consumer Reports

Postby azi malik on Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:22 pm

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Honda Motor Co.’s revamped 2013 Accord received high marks from Consumer Reports, which said the model ranks among the market's best mid-sized cars. In a statement, Consumer Reports said that the new Accord, which was rolled out in September 2012, topped other sedans with four cylinder engines, like the Hyundai Sonata and the Toyota Camry. Both the four-cylinder and V-6-poweded Accords received Consumer Reports’ recommended status that the 2012 Honda Civic failed to earn. Jake Fisher, director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, said in the statement that while Honda missed the mark with other redesigned models in recent years, it “nailed this one,” referring to the 2013 Honda Accord. According to the magazine, Accord's appeal was a product of good combination of interior room, high fuel economy, ride and handling, features and price.

Consumer Reports optimistic assessment of the 2013 Honda Accord coincides with the Japanese carmaker’s big rebound in its biggest market, the United States. In 2011, Honda’s sales in the US suffered a 6.8 percent drop due to the natural disasters in Asia that partially maimed its output for months and the unfavorable review of the 2012 Honda Civic.

For the January to November period, Honda posted a 24-percent increase in sales. The carmaker released in November its modified 2013 Civic, which features a restyled interior, new front hood and grille new rear taillights and quieter cabin. The carmaker also strengthened the car’s front-end to boost crash safety to address the 2012 car's deficiencies. Fisher said in November that the new version of the best-selling U.S. small car is a "major improvement.

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Re: 2013 Honda Accord earns recommended from Consumer Reports

Postby Loki000 on Wed Dec 17, 2014 4:30 pm

The US automaker, Ford, also said that with the help of cellulose in automotive applications, pace of processing can be increased up to 40 percent. Ford and Weyerhaeuser are working to make plastic composite materials, which are more sustainable for future automobiles components. That is not the first that Ford is working on natural fibers to utilize them in its vehicles, the company is previously using a soybean based cushion in its automobiles that helps to save approximately 5,000,000 pounds of petroleum every year.
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The Hongqi L5 is the most expensive Chinese car you can buy | Autoweek

The Hongqi L5 is the most expensive Chinese car you can buy

April 21, 2014

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China's oldest car company rolled out its first vehicle on Aug. 1, 1958; it was a chrome-lined black sedan designed -- like the pastiche of 1950s cars it resembled, including the Packard-esque Chaika -- to strike equal amounts of fear and inspiration into the revolutionaries. In Chinese, "Hongqi" in means "red flag," the most potent symbol of the Chinese Communist Party, making it a fitting name for a company that supplied the apparatchik. A symbol of power, a sphere of influence, a four-wheeled Great Leap Forward! Curiously enough, it took Nixon's 1972 visit for Mao Zedong (who finally swore off the Soviets and their ZIS-110s) to get into a Hongqi.

But by then, the die was cast. Hongqi was the official car of the Party, a vehicle spoken about in hushed tones. Even if the sphere of influence may be eroding, the glassy, gleaming red flag still stands tall and proud, defending its occupants against bourgeois paper tigers.

Today, you can ride around in your own Hongqi; in lieu of loyal service to the Party, you can provide something even more valuable: cash, and tons of it. How shamelessly bourgeois, you might say, and you'd be pretty damn right.

French President François Hollande recently rode in a Hongqi L5 and found it pretty cool. Photo by FAW Hongqi

Take a look at the above, the Hongqi L5. Under development for the last four years, it debuted at the Beijing auto show with a 5-million yuan sticker. To own China's most expensive car, you'll pay the U.S. equivalent of $801,624, which, as far as we can tell, is the most expensive car to carry one of those small, oval "Made in China" stickers. (Stick 'em on in bulk if it'll make you feel like you're getting your money's worth.) Naturally, somebody bought the first one right from the show floor.

Nailing 50 years' worth of luxury, its specifications are fittingly impressive. It digs into the pavement with three tons of intimidation. It is 20 feet long. There's a 6.0-liter V12 that produces around 400 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic carries this power to all four wheels because the snow in Beijing arrives late but fast. It carries the upright slab-sidedness of not only its styling homage, the famous CA770, but also to various Kenmore products, the works of Mies van der Rohe, etc. The grille mimics the CA770 perfectly. You'd be tempted to put eyelashes on the big chrome headlights, but I wouldn't, comrade.

And you thought the Chinese couldn't do retro. Please. There's 8,000 years of history here, most of it manifested within the L5: celadon-jade door handles, hand-carved wood inlays with little clouds on them, perforated leather everything, a tablet center console--even a Bose sound system. The minimalistic interior looks like a comfy place from which to direct the invisible hand of faux-Marxism or engage in ludicrous sex scandals. If the Hongqi L5 is derivative, as Western media sardonically paints all the efforts of China's nascent car industry, then it's derivative only to its past.

Even the cool two-spoke steering wheel comes with a chrome horn ring. How's that for retro? Photo by FAW Hongqi

There's a word for this for all this lugg-jury: tuhao, which combines the words for "dirt" and "splendor" to form a wonderful, perfect word of the age: the Chinese definition of nouveau riche, the Asiatic equivalent of rap god braggadocio. I get money, money I got. Chinese luxury buyers have a homegrown inferiority complex. Perhaps the Hongqi L5 needs more gold. But maybe the Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Bentley Mulsanne Hybrids currently filling up Beijing's seven ring roads just lack the old-school feeling the Hongqi imparts, one of a Communist Party that could do no wrong, even when it did.

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Origin of firebending mural Zuko, something happened to The Return in the last hundred years.

This fanon has been discontinued, but is still available to read for your enjoyment.

The Return
General information

The Avatar Lives On

3 published

The Avatar Lives On

The Avatar Lives On

The Legend of Korra

It has been more than 125 years after the death of Avatar Aang. The world is at peace, after the efforts of Avatar Korra in her lifetime. But the world has slowly lost the need of the Avatar, since technological advancements have improved up to the point of space travel. The Avatar's position has fallen from its current place and shortly after, the Order of the White Lotus was disbanded. The next Avatar, born into the Earth Kingdom, is named Doran. He does not know the role he will play on defending the world from a threat like no other...

Kuang- The current Avatar after Avatar Korra. He has a tough attitude but can be compassionate at times of need. He does not know that he is the Avatar nor the destiny that's about to come.

Ai- Kuang's sister and an earthbender. She is a tomboy and likes to play with his brother and the other children at their town.

Keai- Kuang's turtle-dog he found one day when he was 12 years old. He saved him from a poacher searching for pelts to sell.

Karrin- Kuang's next door neighbor and a waterbender, she tends to lose her temper frequently, but is a lovable and caring girl. (Get it?)

Yan- Kuang's best friend and an earthbender. He is Kuang's best friend since they met in an earthbending academy when he was 7 years old.

Hua- A jerk that frequently bullies Kuang and his friends.

More to come....

  1. Chapter 1: Give Me a Break!
  2. Chapter 2: Beginning of the End
  3. Chapter 3: Where Am I? (Concept Stage)

You wanna hear about a new chapter? Then just subscribe to The Return! You can do so by just asking me in my Message Wall. It makes me happy that people like my fanon, especially my first one :)

  1. None

 Brief hiatus

See more

For the collective works of the author, go here.

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text:
13 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day Three!

Welcome to Day Three of the 13 Days of Christmas Giveaways!!
If you are coming to us today fresh, please check out the rules here. Or, just listen to me now J To enter to win all you have to do is show everyone some love by leaving a comment!  You have until December 24th to enter as many days as you want! For each day you comment on, you will be eligible to win that days giveaway (all prizes will be awarded on Christmas Day)and for each comment you post on you will get one (1) entry towards the Grand Prize Giveaway.
I found today’s Author, Clare Marshall, rather by accident. Her name kept coming up on my “People You May Know” section of Facebook. I watched her picture, float on and off my screen for a few weeks, and then when she posted her cover art for Within as her profile, I couldn’t ignore her any longer. Though I didn’t know her, Facebook was right I wanted to get to know her!
I’ll always have a soft spot for Canadians! Clare Marshall, though across the country from me has been a pleasure to get to know, and her debut Novel Within was a very surprising, twisty ride of romance, murder, deceit and tragedy. Though I won’t be posting my review of Within today, make sure you come back in January, as I am a stop on her blog tour!
Clare has graciously agreed to give away one(1) e-copy of Within and contribute one(1) e-copy of Within to the Grand Prize Pot!
So there you have it, today’s super duper giveaway is one copy of one of the best debuts of 2011 (in my opinion at least!!)
Now, let’s get to know Clare with her Bio! I snagged it from her website J

Clare Marshall grew up in rural Nova Scotia with very little television and dial up internet, and yet, she turned out okay. She has a combined honours degree in journalism and psychology from the University of King’s College, and is a graduate from Humber College’s Creative Book Publishing Program. She founded Woulds & Shoulds Editing and Design in 2010 for self-published authors looking for quality editing and design services. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing the fiddle and making silly noises at cats. –Quoted from Fairyinkpress.com

You can find Clare at all the usual haunts like her website, Twitter, Facebook and she has a Goodreads page.

Now, why don’t we get to know Clare’s Debut Novel Within. Check out this amazing cover art and her superb blurb!

Trinity Hartell’s life changed after the accident. Left with irreversible brain damage, she becomes a burden to her mother, a cause for heartbreak for her boyfriend Zack, and a flattened obstacle for her jealous best friend, Ellie.
But then she starts writing. Perhaps it’s a coincidence that the psychotic, murderous protagonist of her novel bears a striking similarity to the charming Wiley Dalton, a mayoral candidate in the upcoming election.
Or, perhaps not…
Doesn’t that almost chill your bones? It’s so mysterious, and what a hook, wow, what a hook she leaves that blurb on!
If you can’t wait to see if you are winner, and want to buy Within now, you can go to Amazon for both paper and e-book formats, or her website for just e-book formats.
Now of course, Clare was kind enough to answer a few quick questions.
What would be the main theme song for your novel?
Winter Winds, by Mumford & Sons. It’s about restraint in love, which is what my male protagonist Zack has to have for his now-brain-damaged girlfriend Trinity.
Check out the Youtube music video, I sure did!
Can you come up with a one sentence super awesome tag line?
The fate of the city lies within her shattered mind.
If you had to choose movie stars to play your main characters who would they be?
Well, originally I was going to write the book as a screenplay. But I don’t see this book as a Hollywood blockbuster: if this book were a movie, it would be independent, probably by a Canadian company, and filmed in Halifax since the setting is crucial to the plot.
àEllen Page as Trinity Hartell. She fits the physical description, and she’s also from Halifax. I think out of the people I list here, she would be the most likely to sign on to this project if it were ever a movie.
àJennifer Lawrence as Ellie Emerson. If we make her blonde, and shorten her hair
àCameron Diaz as Stephanie Hartell: She would have done a similar role in My Sister’s Keeper. Stephanie is Trinity’s mother.
àIain Glen as Wiley Dalton: Put a few pounds on him, lose the accent, and he’d probably be an ideal candidate
I couldn’t think of anyone suitable to play Zachary Sato, Trinity’s half-Asian boyfriend…all of the actors I could think of were a bit too old. So we can just imagine him J
If you remember, what were you doing when the idea for Within suddenly hit?
It was more than a few years ago. Winter was coming and my sister and I were piling wood in the basement. As the pile got higher and higher, I started to wonder what it would be like if it fell on top of one of us. What would happen? How much damage would it do and what would our lives be like as a result? After a while, I realized that I wanted it to be set in an urban area, so an accident with the woodpile turned into a car crash.

Thanks so much Clare for being a part of the 13 Days of Christmas Giveaways! It was such a pleasure to learn about you, as well as Within.
Are you coming to the party late? Did you miss yesterday’s giveaway? Have no fear! You can use the linky’s below and enter—you have until Christmas Eve to get your name in the draws as well as getting your entries submitted for the Grand Prize Giveaway!
Day One- Avery Olive
Day Two- Dan Wright

22 Response to "13 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day Three!"

  1. Lena Says:

    It would be an interesting movie, with Ellen Page and Cameron Diaz in it.. Hope it gets a movie version one day :)

  2. tammy ramey Says:

    the cover is beautiful, and the book sounds like a great story. i can't wait to read it.
    Have a Happy Holiday Season.

  3. JeffO Says:

    I love her story of how this book came about. I love 'creation' stories. Thanks for asking her!

  4. WakeAngel Says:

    You are right.......great hook! Looks like an interesting read!

  5. MB Partlow Says:

    I always love to hear the genesis of ideas for people's books. Thanks for sharing--sounds like a great book!

  6. Just Another Face Says:

    I loved the interview! It's nice to glean a little inside information on an author to see how they created their books! The book sounds fascinating! Thank you for the awesome giveaway! good Luck everyone!

  7. Sarah Kalaitzidis Says:

    The book sounds so cool! Good luck everyone!!

  8. Jennifer Mathis Says:

    i love the colors of the cover :)

  9. FirestarBooks Says:

    C is such a sweetheart :) adore her!

  10. miki Says:

    Great interview but i'm afraid i'm too emotional for these books

  11. Amanda Says:

    The cover is really awesome, I would definitely pick this up if I saw it in the bookstore. I can't wait to read it!

  12. Sarah Kalaitzidis Says:

    Oh my god I didn't think there was a magazine about half demons! now I want to read it so bad!!!!

  13. Carol Haller Says:

    Your novel sounds great, eh? I just love the whimsical cover art!

  14. Krista Says:

    Wow, I'm definitely interested now!!! I'm adding this to my TBR list now... Thanks!!!

  15. Diana Says:

    Within has very beautiful story. I love independent movies and this cast is great. Thank you for the giveaway!

    artgiote at gmail dot com

  16. Tara Says:

    what a pretty cover!!!!

  17. sweety Says:

    Thanks for the international giveaway!!

    Happy holidays and Have a great day :)

  18. CBabineau Says:

    Yay Clare! I want to read your book. We had a lot of fun in the old days writing short stories and you are amazingly talented! Love ya! xoxo

  19. Chantel Law Says:

    Sounds like a very interesting book! Would love to read it!

  20. Linda Henderson Says:

    I do like the cover and the storyline grabbed my interest. I'd especially like to find out what kind of brain damage she had so I'll definitely want to read it. I don't know about Cameron Diaz, I really didn't like her in My Sister's Keeper. I guess that means she played her part well though.

    seriousreader at live dot com

  21. Erin Says:

    The cover is awesome and the book sounds like a good read.

    I've never been to Nova Scotia but here it's beautiful, hopefully one day I will get to visit there!

  22. Avery Olive Says:

    This Contest is now closed. Any comments made after will not be counted :)


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June 21, 2011

A Word for the Oppressed

The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psalm 103:6  (KJV)

For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, said the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffs at him.
Psalm 12:5  (AKJV)

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.  Proverbs 29:25 (AKJV)

Hold you me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect to your statutes continually.  Psalm 119:117 (AKJV)

For with God nothing shall be impossible.  Luke 1:37 (KJV)

"This is the way God sees your problem. Turn what faith you have loose in the middle of this great promise and go on to victory. Father, I look to Your Word, and I pray that You will meet the need of each of us, no matter how hopeless it may appear, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
And Thank You."
(Prayer by Herschel B. Dean,
from "The Golden Treasury of Bible Wisdom")

  1. Powerful words and beautiful pictures.....perfect marriage of your point....

  2. A HUGE Amen sister! Powerful Promises from a FAITHFUL God!!!!
    Love to you!

  3. Hello Tammi,
    Been thinking about you.

    Thank you for sharing this, and the beautiful pictures. It spoke to my heart.
    God bless you friend,
    ~ Michele

  4. I love the photos with the scriptures!

  5. Good Morning! sweet friend, well you out did youself with these words of life!! just jumped into my heart and spoke to me! I so needed this reminder! spurred me on this morning! Loved It! BTW~ I just hopped over to the YouTube thingy and listened finally! to your music! OMG! it's beautiful!! I will stop and get a CD! Piano is a thing of mine, love it! What a GIFT!! also posted the Lighthouse on FB page! Girl~ I thank God for you~ You are so special! Love and Blessings for a great Day:)

  6. Hey to my sweet sisters in Christ! It's a late night for me...studying, and among other things, our AC went out . . and it's HOTTER than blue blazes in here. But God is good. At least we have a home...and a fan. LOL Any-hoo..I will write you each personally as soon as I can. Midterm in a day, wedding rehearsal to play for Fri, and wedding Sat., as well as recording some VBS songs, oooh. And that's just "scratching the surface." ;O) But I just wanted to say a great big thank you for sending such sweet words of encouragement my way. I'm hangin' in here... Hanging on to The Rock! This Rock is Jesus. :)
    The Cornerstone.
    love and hugs to each of you!

  7. Tammi, this is another timely post from you. I feasted on the Bible passages you picked , and the prayer at the end was just what I needed to pray. The photos are absolutely right on, so beautiful.

    Thank you, thank you for what you shared on this post, dear Tammi.

  8. Tammi, such wonderful words of wisdom. It was a good reminder for me too. I'm so sorry I've been remiss in writing to you. Some days get so busy with school but no excuse. I will email you privately.

  9. AMEN...AMEN..AMEN! He is faithful!

  10. Jesus' ministry was to the down-and-out, hurting and oppressed. We can't go wrong if we carry on in his footsteps! Good post.

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! It's such a joy to my heart! "Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above..." You are a gift to my heart! To God be the glory! :o)


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avg8 scan gives many trojan warnings but does nothing

Assistance with AVG Anti-Malware, legacy ewido and AVG Anti-Spyware applications

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avg8 scan gives many trojan warnings but does nothing

Postby arotal » Mon May 12, 2008 11:45 am

downloaded free version 8 today and did a totalscan(which took forever-3hrs before i stopped it got fed up with it). however it said there was a trojan.zapchast in microsoft/compatability/activex file. but avg did not clear it.test result said 518 warnings but no spyware removed.
should i be worried?
i have tried a further scan and it has uncovered 15 trojans and 4 loggers and a hijacker.they are allin microsoft/internet explorer/activex/compatability
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Postby sc123 » Mon May 12, 2008 3:22 pm

First, I'd recommend uninstalling any unused programs from your computer and cleaning off any old data. Then install and run CCleaner (download here). This will help to remove less obvious temporary and unused files. All of this will remove some of those reported viruses and warnings, as well as improve scan time.

Next, I'd re-scan the system over and over until it comes back clean. Make sure you have everything else closed when you scan and just let it run. If you scan it more than three times with no change in the results, then you may need to try another program to remove the infestation.
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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A Typical Fall Morning

Hi everyone! I've been hoping to get some shots of my morning friends for the past week now, and today, they cooperated.

How nice of them!

So, grab a cup of joe (or tea) and enjoy a few of my favorites.

To start, Mr K and I put up a birdfeeder about, oh, let's say a week and a half ago, shall we?

And I grew very sad over a week of finding no birds at the feeder in the morning.

I needn't have worried though. They started coming the following day and have been gorging themselves on our feed ever since.

Between you, me and the lamp post, I think they needed to get the memo from the head bird that a new feeder was in town.
Anyway, this morning was full of activity.

Fall is here, by the way

Then I looked down at our pecan shell mulch and saw this fellow.

I have no idea what bird this one is with the grey back and red chest. I know it's a finch variety, but other than that, no clue.
That said, he's mighty purty.

And then I heard what sounded like an angry chirp. There in the tree was this one.

Yeesh! I apparently upset him. If a bird could give attitude, this one sure is doing just that.
I think he expected coffee instead of seed.

"I do not deem this morning suitable for a photo. You have the wrong breakfast."

 He left a second later. And I got distracted by the beauty of fall.

Ah me! What glorious colors there be!

It's my favorite season.

Chilly nights, light sweaters, hot chocolate and hot cider.
Too bad we don't have a fireplace in this rental...but at least the heater works.

It's getting cold.

Oh, and we finally got our France shipment! Yay!  We have winter clothes now!

Apparently it was just sitting in a warehouse, two hours away, for the last two weeks after having already passed the extensive customs inspection.

Yup. We were the lucky ones. Those customs guys spent three days of looking through our books and clothes.

So, we think they were waiting for someone else to move up here on the mesa. We only had 21 boxes, so it was relatively small compared to most moves.

That said, I'm ever thankful that I have a wonderful husband who lit a fire under their feet so we could get our fall and winter clothes. It was getting too cold to wear tank tops and a lightweight cardigan much longer.

Mr K, if you're reading this, you're my hero!

Back to the birds.

I looked away to get some coffee and came back to the window. The word must've spread fast.

I heard a sweet little chirp and pointed the camera up and found this little guy.

I think he was looking at me as much as I was looking at him.

 Again, no idea what kind of bird he is, but he is gorgeous with that hint of red all over.

Kinda like a cardinal and a finch had a baby.

I think one of these finches is confused. Last I checked, they weren't made to be woodpeckers.

On a side-but-somewhat-related note, mornings out here are just lovely. I mean, look at this blue sky!

I don't think I could ever tire of the colors. So I'll post another one.

As I sipped my café au lait, I heard a huge rustle coming from my mailbox.

Now, eight in the morning is rather early for our mailman to deliver mail. He usually comes around noon. So of course, the kid in me thought that maybe it was a package.

Don't deny it.

You know what I mean. You see the UPS truck drive down your street and you get excited.

Yeah, it happens to me quite frequently...and then I remember that I didn't order anything.

Anyway, hope still budded and with my trusty camera hanging from it's strap around my neck, I took to another window to see if it was something for me. And low and behold, a woodpecker.

He's posing.

I wasn't disappointed in the least. He was better than any package.

A flash of fur caught my eye as I watched the woodpecker fly off. So to the garage I went.

You see, we have good windows on our door there. And the fur thing zipped under my car...which was left outside in the frost. Poor Rosa.

Anyway, I can assure you that an empty garage, at 8am, and in 40 degree weather is exactly what you think it would be: COLD.

Thankfully, I only had to wait about five minutes until he appeared on the otherside of Rosa.

Look at the wittle bunny!

So cute.

My sisters and brother have a bunny. He's called Moose. And he's a real sweetie.

My Dad goes goo-goo over the little guy. And that's a sight to behold.

Anywho, the bunny's for you, Miss O.

Well, the visiting hour ended at nine. And so did my desire to continue to stay in the cold to take photos.

Enjoy the critters from the warmth of your homes, folks!

Until next time,

  1. Your pictures are so beautiful! I'm loving the fall this year too :)

    1. Thank you! Fall is my favorite season, followed closely by Spring. :-)

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

A Letter to My Thirteen-Year-Old Self

Dear Thirteen-Year-Old Christy,

I first want you to note that this letter is not being written to you with a gel pen. In the future, we have no need for those. This will definitely come as a shock to you considering that your yearbook this year had black cover pages forcing everyone to sign them with metallic ink. Whose idea was that? It was a terrible one.

But I haven't come here to just make fun of your life (though I plan to do plenty of that). That's not really fair. I've come here with some information that I wish I had known when I was your age along with some general life advice. You can take it or leave it, though I'm sure you will leave it because you are thirteen-years-old, and you think you know everything.

1. You will get married and your husband will be super hot. He will be an A+ spouse. You are going to meet him in a few years, and he will laugh at all of your terrible jokes. Here's what you guys will look like when you are sixteen-years-old. And for the record, you basically look the same when you are in your 20s.

2. That being said, chill out on whether boys like you or not. All of the boys in your grade are children. Do you know how I know this? Because YOU are a child. I see thirteen-year-olds walking down the street, and many of them are basically giant toddlers with foul mouths. I know you are rolling your eyes because you think "teen" means adult, but it doesn't. The boys in your life are not men. I tell you the truth: no man worth his salt will ask you out over AOL Instant Messenger or leave you alone at a roller skating rink.

3. You should stop parting your hair down the middle. Part it to the side. Just trust me on this one. You will thank me later.

4. Get some solid female role models. Look, Britney Spears is great. You'll be happy to know she's still around and she has become the queen of the reaction GIFs.

But I daresay there are better women you could look up to at this crucial time in your development. How about Amelia Earhart or Susan B. Anthony? Or have you heard of Tina Fey yet? You will. And it will change everything.

5. Your orthodontist is not lying when he tells you that wearing your retainer is important. Your teeth will experience a kind of continental drift otherwise. You have been warned.

6. Don't give up on math and science. For whatever reason, these skills start to decline around this time in your life. What happened? You used to go to math camp! The truth is you're not alone in this. Across the world, girls tend to outperform boys in these subjects, except for in the United States, Britain, and Canada. It is a gender gap that is largely environmental (here, Christy, read this article). I'll have you know that it is one of my life's biggest bummers that my math and science background is pretty crappy, and I just wish I had been able to remain confident in those areas. Read this book by Danica McKellar (you know her as Winnie Cooper), and keep your chin up.

7. Girl, you should really listen to this episode of This American Life about middle school. Trust me, it will help us both considerably.

This American Life

Originally aired 10.28.2011

449: Middle School

Act One. Life in the Middle Ages.

In an effort to understand the physical and emotional changes middle school kids experience, Ira speaks with reporter Linda Perlstein, who wrote a book called Not Much Just Chillin' about a year she spent following five middle schoolers. Then we hear from producer Alex Blumberg, who was a middle school teacher in Chicago for four years before getting into radio. Alex's takeaway? We shouldn't even try teaching kids at this age. Marion Strok, principal of a successful Chicago school, disagrees. (6 1/2 minutes)

If you don't want to listen to it right now, that's cool. I know your attention span is limited, so I'll just give you the highlights. Here, Ira Glass talks with Linda Perlstein, an expert on middle schoolers and the author of the book Not Much Just Chillin'.

Linda Perlstein: This is the time of biggest growth for a human being, aside from infancy...During your middle school years, what happens during the early stages of puberty is this fast overproduction of brain cells and connections, far more than you actually need, and only some of them are going to survive puberty. This growth in your frontal cortex -- it peaks at 11 for girls and 12 for boys...and then what happens is the cells just fight it out for survival and the ones that last are the ones you exercise more.

Ira Glass: In other words, during those years, your brain turns you into you -- the adult you.

Basically, the things you are learning right now are the things that are going to stay with you forever! That is why, to this day, I still know every single word and vocal run of the Survivor album by Destiny's Child. Thanks for that, thirteen-year-old Christy, but you could totally be out learning five different languages and how to play the guitar and cello. You could be a multi-platinum, pentalingual recording artist by now! Get out there and learn, babe!

8. There is such freedom when you stop caring what people think. For the record, I still haven't really learned this lesson, but I've had my moments...

Unabashed freedom.

9. Later in life, you will regret being a jerk in middle school. I know you are just trying to survive, but there is a way of doing it that doesn't involve taking people down. In a little while, you will be in high school, and a lot of things will be different. You'll be able to chew gum in class, wear flip flops, and you will stop getting detentions for leaving your pencils in your locker. So much about your circumstance will be better, and without those distractions, you'll realize then that the type of survival you were seeking at the age of thirteen was actually totally not worth it. You will meet many people in this life, and every single one of them will have incredible, inherent value. Get in the habit of remembering that.

10. Your imagination is an immeasurably important tool, and you are on the cusp of losing it. I don't know when you stopped pretending that your backyard was a city or that the lady who cut your hair was a witch, but you should get back to that stuff as soon as possible. I know all you want right now are the things that come with adulthood, but I promise you that all I want now are the dreams that come with childhood. All children are given the gift of imagination, a gift that is carefully handed down from God like a collection of colorful helium balloons. If you hold onto imagination, you will fly to amazing places -- places that many people never get to see, places that even grownups should go. If you let go, even accidentally while focusing your attention elsewhere, imagination will leave you, and it will likely never return, and if it does, it will be a deflated version of what it was. Don't let go...even though you want to. Write stories every day and play always. It's the best thing you'll ever do.

That's really it. Again, I know you won't listen to any of this because people a lot wiser than me are telling you the exact same things, and you seriously don't care. Just know that, on some level, you are going to make it. For the record, I've still yet to start that girl group a la The Spice Girls, but give me just a couple more years.

Take care, you weirdo.

Future Christy

So that's what I would tell her. What would you say to your thirteen-year-old self?

  1. haha this is great! I especially love being reminded that you and your hubby are high school sweet hearts. although I must admit, you both totally look exactly the same haha! I wish I could tell my 13 year old self to stop being a jerk and stop paying attention to boys. Scratch that, just stop thinking ~oh my god, searching for love~. because you are the exception not the rule, not many people marry someone they met when they were young! so I don't know why I got so worked up over forming a "loving" relationship when I was just a child.

    1. We are TOTALLY the exception. All these kids need to chill out on romance and focus on math & science! Great advice.

  2. I love this post. All of it is so true.

    1. Thanks! It was actually a healthy exercise for me.

  3. Love this! It's all so perfect! Adding it to my board for the Pinterest Best of the Blogs link up over at my blog.....

    1. Thanks, Gillian! I really appreciate the support. I'll be sure to hop on over to Young Yankee Lady right now!

  4. Christy -- great advice. I would like to write something for my 30-year-old self. We never stop learning -- or messing up -- and then learning the lessons from it.

    1. Bekki, I really do hope you write it! I would love to read it. Thanks so much for your constant support!

  5. SO CRAZY! I just wrote my 13-year-old self a letter this past week! I posted it on misstessamaye.wordpress.com :) Glad I'm not the only one who is sentimental about things like this!

    1. No way! I am heading over to read it right this second!

  6. I knew you when you were thirteen! Oh, that seems like so many years ago, lol. I really enjoy your blog posts,Christy. I read them when they show up in my news feed, and they are always so entertaining. Keep doing what you're doing!

    1. Thank you so much, Amy! I remember you and your beautiful voice quite well.

  7. This is great! There are so many things I would tell my 13 year old self (pay attention in math class! stop wearing so much eyeliner! enjoy your family instead of being embarrassed by them!), but she would never listen. She was pretty obnoxious.

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Monday, December 26, 2011

i have a little monster
that lives inside my head
i find it's much more scarier
than the ones under my bed

at night it rules my dreams
and gives me a bad thought
in the day it bids me to do things
i know i shouldn't ought

and when i leave my house
at the start of each new day
despite the colors and sunshine
it makes the whole world grey

when people make me mad
i never scream or shout
i think about the future day
when i'll let the monster out

many others harbor monsters
many people just like me
and some day we will lose control
and the monsters will be free

but if you look around you
you'll see it has begun
look how people treat each other
the monsters, they have won

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How can I contact a counselor?

You can email us pregnant@awaa.org, call our main office at 800-429-3369, or call or text us anytime on our 24 hour help line in Virginia or Maryland at 703-346-4921.

I want to come for counseling but I have no transportation to get to your office. Can you still help me?

Yes, a counselor can meet you at your home, restaurant, or another location close to you where you can talk privately. We can also help you with transportation if you would rather come to our offices. We serve the states of Virginia and Maryland and can meet with you near your home.

Does it cost me anything to talk with a counselor or to make an adoption plan?

No, there is no charge to you for counseling or other services.

Do I have to choose the adoptive parents or meet them?

No. Your America World counselor can talk with you about what qualities you would like in the adoptive family and can select the parents for you. You do not have to meet the family, but you can change your mind about that later.

People ask me how I can carry a child for nine months and then go through with adoption. They make me feel like I am a bad mother

As you know, there is so much more to being a parent than giving birth to a child. A good mother wants to take care of her child in the best way that she can. For some women, that may be adoption. Adoption does not mean that you are no longer your child’s mother. You will always be your child’s mother but in a different way. You will be your child’s birthmother.

"Do not merely look out for your own interests, but also the interests of others." Philippians 2:4

I am worried that it will be too hard for me to say good bye to my baby at the hospital. Will I feel too sad to go through with my plan of adoption?

It is normal to feel sad after the baby is born. Feeling sad does not mean that you have made the wrong decision. Important decisions are often hard decisions. When you look at what is best for your child first then look at what is best for you, it can help you feel less confused. Adoption means that you have put what is best for your child before your own feelings.

My family and friends are pressuring me to parent my child.

Your family and friends are important in your life. You are your child’s parent and it is your responsibility to provide for your child or make sure that your child is provided for the best way that you can. Only you can decide what is best for yourself and your child. If family and friends are offering to provide help to you, it is important to ask yourself if they can be counted on to be there to help you in the long run. Sometimes people mean well in their offer to help but have their own life struggles that keep them from being able to help you as they promised.

Is it ever too late to decide on adoption?

No, it is never too late. Some women feel comforted in careful planning throughout their pregnancies, but others may put off facing a difficult decision. We can meet with you to help you in your decision whether you are one month into your pregnancy, currently in the hospital following the birth of your child, had your baby six months ago and feel overwhelmed, or any time you feel you want to talk about an adoption plan for your child.

What about the father of my baby? I feel that I want to consider adoption but the father of my baby says no. What can I do?

Our counselor can help you talk with the father of your baby about plans for the baby’s future. He may not be ready to be a father or be able to provide for his child, but it is hard for him to talk about it. There is a lot of information out there about adoption that isn’t true or accurate. It may help for him to have a chance to have his questions answered.


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Monday, October 26, 2009

Pois de Senteur

Sweet Pea, originally uploaded by Jennie Anderson.

Pois de Senteur de Chez Moi (1927) has the attitude of a bygone era, when perfumers tried to capture the scents of impossible-to-extract bouquets of flowers. There is nothing light or cheerful about these sweet peas: they are so self-absorbed in their seriousness that they literally smell like they’ve been rotting in their own green leaves for a while once first inhaled.

Green hay note is dominant at first, alongside powdery and sweet-cloying notes that bring to mind old scented lipsticks and face powders from the 40’s, and flowery linden and lilac milled soaps. Like most Caron’s perfumes, it takes some time to unravel the density of what smells like an aldehyde boosted sweet pea absolute (if such thing was to be found). A spicy cinnamon-and-bay-rum note attempts to rise above the bouquet without much success, and only once the hay and aldehydes subside, the almond-and-vanilla of heliotropin nearly take over with very little floral bouquet or greens left. It is similar to Farnesiana but not at all a comfort scent, but a rather uncomfortable and complicated floral bouquet past its prime. Hours later, the orange blossom is revealed, but more as an aspect of heliotrope flower rather than on its own.

Notes include: Sweet pea, rose, hyacinth, bay rum, jasmine, orange blossom, linden, lilac, hay, vanilla, heliotropin, musk.

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At October 30, 2009 5:41 AM, Blogger chayaruchama said...

I love the exquisite simplicity of the flower itself; pure visual poetry.

I have a 1/4 oz. sequestered in the cool dark recesses of an old chest-on-chest dresser....

Not for everyone, this very complicated, slightly soiled-undergarment scent.

It DOES grow on you, though.

I think it's woefully misunderstood, as it is clearly not a crowd-pleaser.

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News Ticker

1.6-Acre Residential/Office Planned on Central

Credit: The Arizona Republic

Source: Colliers International in Greater Phoenix

A partnership of Ryan Companies, Tilton Development Company and Hunt Investment Company has purchased 1.57 acres at the northeast corner of Willetta and Central avenues for development of a mixed-use residential and office project.

The property, located just north of the Burton Barr Library, was purchased for $4.5M.

The partnership has plans to create 227 residential units and two creative office units at the location. Site work is currently underway and vertical construction is scheduled to begin this summer.

According to an article in The Arizona Republic, the development will be known as The Willa.

“This site is extremely well located for a residential development,” says Chaz Smith, Senior VP with Colliers International in Greater Phoenix. “The dynamic transformation of Downtown and Midtown has created a new focus on life in the central city. This property’s proximity to light rail and walking distance to restaurants and cultural venues creates great appeal for future residents and office tenants.”

Smith, John Finnegan and Ramey Peru of Colliers International in Greater Phoenix represented the buyer. Dave Headstream of CBRE represented the seller, Soave Management.

NOTE: Paid subscribers receive additional project details in our twice-weekly PDF publication, including project stakeholder information and valuable project bidding leads. Find out more about AZBEX subscriptions or contact Rebekah Morris at or (480) 709-4190See our database

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Mother and Daughter
We find effective and long-lasting solutions for problems that children and their families may encounter.

We are a full-service outpatient behavioral health program and follow standardized procedures to ensure that patients receive the appropriate care.

When referred, the initial step includes a thorough intake and diagnostic assessment, which determines the level of needed for each child and family.

The type and duration of treatment is variable depending on the severity of the initial compliant and the desired therapeutic goals.

If there is a need for more intensive treatment (for example, partial or inpatient hospitalization), AzBHC has functional relationships with accredited facilities.

The Center’s clinicians actively manage the case and provide the aftercare and follow-up booster sessions as necessary.

Treatment outcome and progress is systematically measured against the initial goals of the made during assessment and evaluation.

We provide specialty interventions for the following:

  • Depression/self-esteem anxiety
  • ADHD
  • Children of divorce
  • Bedwetting
  • Poor school performance
  • Substance abuse
  • Eating disorders
  • PTSD
  • Behavioral disorders
  • Parenting training
  • Child custody and mediation
  • School/medical counseling
  • Play therapy
  • Sexual abuse and trauma

We accept most insurances, and we are also a member of many managed networks and preferred provider organizations

Bilingual service available

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arizona builders Archives

Arizona Builders' Alliance Stepping Up To The Plate This Summer

Arizona Builders - Cell Phone Collection

There has been quite a bit of good news coming out the Arizona Builders’ Alliance (ABA) office this summer. The ABA was recently awarded the AGC in the Community Award by Associated General Contractors of America. The award was given to the ABA for its outstanding community service projects in Tucson and Phoenix in 2011.â€¦ Read More â†’


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Cross body bag handmade in Barcelona, with an innovative Integrated interior lighting system, that illuminates the interior with just a touch of a button.
Has an adjustable strap made of seatbelt obtained from the automotive industry leftovers, to carry cross the body or over-the-shoulder. The lining is made of grey thin polyester velvet and has six easy access pockets.

Light Inside
All our bags come with an integrated lighting system. It has two LED bulbs, a turn on switch and easily replaceable alkaline batteries. Studied in detail to achieve the best position of the system components, the angle of the light, the optimal light time duration (with smart turn off timer) and the usage of the batteries with a proven duration of over two years.

Turn on the light just by pressing a button, the light will be activated long time enough to easily find what you are looking for and will slowly fade out in about 15 seconds.


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92. Salsa Invertebraxa by Mozchops

Salsa Invertebraxa by Mozchops (Worldwide)

Pages: 104
Ages: 18+
Finished: Mar. 24, 2012
First Published: Oct. 31, 201
Publisher: Pecksniff Press
Genre: graphic novel, fantasy, verse
Rating: 2.5/5

First verse:

"the forest is a silent witness,
a boundless muteness,
as silent as it is endless
along its
greencoat canopy"

Publisher's Summary: "Salsa Invertebraxa is the odyssey of two invertebrate companions, who journey through a vibrant world of imaginary insects and flora. By sunlight, new species of insect emerge to feed and flirt among surreal landscapes of gigantic flowers and gardens of terrestrial delights. By moonlight, this unearthly microverse becomes a nightmare shadowscape as the two
kleptomaniacs attempt to steal eggs from monstrous super-predators.  The tranquillity of eden trembles with war and rage, as a deadly game of survival plays out. Salsa Invertebraxa is for all readers, a magical window into a beautiful, dangerous and mysterious world."

Acquired: Received a review copy from Pecksniff Press.

Reason for Reading:   The book looked beautiful and sounded interesting.

First off, let me say that I was not going to give this book a rating as I was flummoxed as to what I should rate it.  This has never happened to me before but then when I thought about it, not giving the book a rating was copping out.  My rating is like giving the book a 50%; I kind of feel like the right person would enjoy this book much more than I did and could deservedly give it a higher rating.

The illustration is absolutely fantastic, stunning and what I appreciated about this book.  On illustration alone I would rate it a 5/5.  Each page is awesome and the book is printed in an over sized horizontal format to really emphasize the panoramic views.  Even though we are looking at insects here, they are up close and take on the aspects of an almost alien species.  If these were photographs, I'd be freaked out by the insects but these CG paintings are incredibly beautiful.

As to the book's story.  It is in verse and to tell the truth I was utterly confused.  Here my rating would be a 0/5.  You can read the publisher's summary but from reading the words I had no idea what was going on.  Certain phrases and groups of words appealed to my sense of literature, but I am not a poetry person and could not find a story within the verse.  All I could tell was the beginning was happy, then the story turned very dark in the middle and finally became exhilarating at the end.  However, I do not read a book to receive random emotions.  I think the right person for this book must first be someone who appreciates unorthodox verse, then secondly will appreciate the illustration of that verse.  This was not my kind of book.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Love is in the Air, aka Tap That Tuesday!

What is sweeter than two men in love? Check these guys out, and you'll see what I mean

Aren't they just so tender?

Happy Tuesday! Got a request? A comment? An observation? We'd love to hear it!

♥ Much love to all,

Julie and Sui

  1. Thank you for coming by my blog, Julie!
    I found your site so I could follow you! Now I can keep up with your blog!
    Love all the pretty men. Your blog is like opening a trinket box full of hot guys. Sigh!

  2. Hi Carol! Actually this is the joint blog of me and Sui Lynn. We have individual blogs too - mine is at http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com and hers is http://suidlynn.blogspot.com.

    Thanks for stopping by, one can never have too many pretty men!


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Monday, June 9, 2014

Not so Top Secret

So I used to love Taco Bell when I was younger.  Way younger.  I actually don't really eat fast food anymore, and I haven't been in a Taco Bell in about 10 years.  But one of the things I used to love from Taco Bell was the Enchirito.  It's like a cross between an enchilada and a burrito.

Someone once told me that La Victoria enchilada sauce tastes just like the Taco Bell sauce, so I thought I'd try it.  I have been making my own enchilada sauce for years, and I don't really buy many premade sauces or boxed meals, etc. But I bought it and thought I could whip out my own sauce if the canned version turned out terrible.  And you know what? It was pretty darn good!  I was very surprised.  I did make my own homemade refried beans, but I'm sure the canned version would be fine too.  The Enchiritos tasted exactly how I remember the Taco Bell Enchiritos tasted.  It was a huge hit. So, if you're a Taco Bell fan, give this one a shot.

1 lb ground beef
1 T dried minced onion
1/4 C masa harina (corn flour)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 T garlic powder
1/2 C water
2 C refried beans, heated
6 to 8 10-inch flour tortillas
One 10-ounce can La Victoria red enchilada sauce (or whatever brand is available)
2 C shredded Cheddar cheese
Sliced black olives, if desired

NOTES:  You can just cook the ground beef and then add a packet of taco seasoning for a quicker version.  Also, I have found that the Hatch brand of red enchilada sauce is a really close version too.

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet.  Drain the grease, if necessary.  Add in the minced onion, masa, salt & pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and water.  Cook and stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed.  Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread some beans down the center of a tortilla.  Spread some ground beef over the beans.  Sprinkle some cheese on top of the beef.  Fold the top and bottom ends of the tortilla over the filling.  Then roll the sides over the filling.  Repeat with remaining tortillas. Place them seam side down on a sheet pan.  Generously ladle some sauce over the tops.  Sprinkle some cheese over the top of the sauce and garnish with black olives, if desired. Put the sheet pan in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese.

Adapted from Top Secret Recipes


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Thursday, April 29, 2010

today's contest: GUESS WHO?

*This eye belongs to a famous model, actress and entrepreneur. Correctly identify the woman in this picture and you could win a gift certificate to!*

-She was born in Somalia.
-She has her own cosmetics and beauty company that bears her name.
-She was married to an American basketball player and is currently married to a very famous British musician.
-She had her second child at the age of 44.

-A $10 gift coupon to will be awarded to the first 5 people to correctly identify the woman in the photograph posted above.

-Send an email to with your answer
-Be sure to include your answer along with your FULL name
-Check back here today at 2:00pm PST to see if you won!

If you don't win a prize today check back here every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00am PST for more opportunities to win!

*Your email address will be kept private. You must be at least 18 years old to participate. Limit one win per customer per day. Any returnable items purchased with a gift coupon may be returned for store credit only. If you return an item purchased with a gift coupon your store credit will reflect the amount spent beyond the gift coupon dollar amount. Gift coupons are not redeemable for cash. Gift coupons must be used at the time of purchase and cannot be applied to past purchases. Gift coupons cannot be combined with any other offers and cannot be applied to items in the Final Sale/Blowout section*


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Monday, November 07, 2005

Starbucks and their damned full pastry shelves

Here's something I realized today. Under many circumstances it's completely possible to avoid buying a muffin/scone/whatever from Starbucks, or from any similar caffeine dealer that runs a carb-loading business on the side. This is because most of these places have too much space and not enough food, and that's not an attractive combination. It's like going into somebody's kitchen cabinet and finding one can of soup way in the back. Are you going to want it, even if it was just purchased yesterday? No. But the Westwood Starbucks negates both of those things by having a very small set of pastry shelves that is usually at least 90% full. I'm standing at the counter ordering my drink and my eyes wander 6 inches or so to the right, to the pastry display looking like it's ready to burst open under the stress of all the freshly-baked crack contained within it, and it's not like I have any other choice but to shell out the extra $1.65.

ElizabethSheryl said...

nope, no choice at all. that's why it's a blessing in disguise that I'm too poor to even GO to starbucks, hah.

the sparkler said...

Were you jones-ing for pumpkin after Sunday night and got the cream-cheese pumpkin muffin?


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Monthly Archive for May, 2013

Review of “An Introduction to Modern Mathematical Computing with Mathematica” (Borwein, Skerritt)

An Introduction to Modern Mathematical Computing with Mathematica” by Borwein and Skerritt, aims to show how you can improve your understanding of mathematics by experimenting in a Computer Algebra System (CAS). It uses Mathematica (there’s a Maple version available). The book picks three areas of (lower division college) math to work with – Elementary number theory (including tastes of the Fibonacci sequence, perfect numbers and amicable pairs, continued fractions, and the sieve of Eratosthenes), Calculus (with tastes of limits, differentiation, integration, differential equations, and surfaces and volumes of rotation), and linear algebra – and uses a tutorial style to demonstrate how to use a CAS to perform experiments, to compute things in multiple ways to enhance your understanding of the relationships between different mathematical ideas, and to discover edge cases where theorems – or your intuitions – might not work.

Along the way it teaches the minimum you need to know about Mathematica to make progress. The goal isn’t to teach Mathematica as a programming language but as an adjunct to mathematical study. What is covered includes basic syntax, defining functions, conditionals and loops, and some Mathematica-specific features (not common in mainstream programming languages) like pattern matching. Different kinds of basic plotting functions are also described and used. At all times the reader is encouraged to look for more information in the Mathematica documentation – and given search terms to help with that.

The section on elementary number theory is where the Mathematica syntax and semantics is introduced, including loops, functions, and numerical versus symbolic evaluation. The calculus section emphasizes the Mathematica plotting functions. Finally, the linear algebra section adds matrices and more on symbolic evaluation (and could really have used some plotting examples: plotting (or better, animation) would have been very effective to show what eigenvalues and eigenvectors are and how they really work).

Each section ends with a number of (simple) exercises to help ensure that you’ve learned both the math and the Mathematica covered in the section. And, each section also has a set of “Further Explorations” which are related mathematical questions that are intended to be used as a launching point to learn something using the techniques explained in the book (though the further explorations in the linear algebra section are rather slim).

There’s a final section on “visualization” and geometry: A few more Mathematica features related to plotting, and a suggestion that you can use other software tools – besides a CAS – for the same purposes: to visualize mathematics and gain understanding. They use the dynamic geometry program Cinderella as the example software here, providing two simple and short investigations in plane geometry. (I appreciated this as Cinderella happens to be my dynamic geometry program of choice – having excellent built-in support for non-Euclidean geometry, also affine and projective geometry, also simple physics simulations, and is fully programmable besides.)

This book really meets its objective of showing the reader how to explore mathematics using a computer algebra system, while at the same time giving a brief introduction to a specific CAS, Mathematica. It is well written. I highly recommend it as an introduction to this great modern way of learning mathematics. To further your practice in both Mathematica itself and in using Mathematica to explore mathematics, I also highly recommend Mathematica in Action, 3rd edition, by Stan Wagon. It has much more mathematics, and much more Mathematica.

(I do have to point out that the book has a lot of typos. In fact, I should stop here. The typos (largely in Mathematica code) are easily fixed by the reader and don’t detract from the contents of the book. That’s why I give this book 5 stars even though it has typos. So you can stop reading here unless you’d like to help me work off my pique.

When I say this book has typos: I mean, it has plenty of typos. I marked 50 in the first 100 pages then gave up. Most are trivial errors in Mathematica code, e.g., missing commas or misplaced braces, that are easily seen by the reader or discovered as soon as you type the code into Mathematica, and in these cases the fixes are obvious so there’s no problem. In some places the typo isn’t so obvious but you can tell from context what’s wrong. Elsewhere there are copy-and-paste errors where two Mathematica examples, supposedly different ways to do something, are in fact identical. Two of the plots, if you actually execute their code, produce slightly different results from the (correct, intended) picture in the book. Several times an equation being discussed has different variables in the text (e.g., “a”) than in the code sample (e.g., “x”), or even in two consecutive sentences in the text! In a couple of places in the text , the variable is in one place in a sentence the Greek letter θ and in another place in the same sentence the word “theta”.

In one remarkable type (page 101) the discussion in the book, having previously encouraged the use of the online Inverse Symbolic Calculator, wants to make the point that you shouldn’t rely on the results from the ISC: you use them as a suggestion, and validate them some other way. This is a good point, but the example it gives is totally bollixed up. The authors show a calculation of a particular integral giving a specific 10-digit numerical value. Then they look it up using the ISC and get a suggestion for a formula for this value that matches to 10 digits. Then they say that if you actually calculated the integral beyond 10 digits it becomes obvious that the value of the integral is not the value of the formula. The problem is: The numerical value they give for the integral has its last two digits transposed. And THAT transposed value is the one they looked up in the ISC (which I determined by plugging the formula into Mathematica and getting its numeric value to 10 digits). So no wonder it didn’t match! The point of the paragraph is still valid; the example was broken, because of a bad copy of the value from Mathematica into the text!

Why am I harping on these typos so much when I say they don’t really affect the content of the book, which his still excellent? Pique! It is hard to write a book, I know. So hard, that even though I’d like to sometime write a technical book of my own I haven’t done it yet and doubt I ever will. I have a lot of respect for book authors for writing books. One of the authors of this book, Borwein, has written 10 books (and hundreds of papers). What is so difficult for me to do is apparently so easy for him that he can just write ‘em and publish ‘em and get on to the next thing, without even worrying about the details. Couldn’t he have found an undergraduate who would have proofread the book, typing the expressions into Mathematica, for $100, or even just brownie points? Where’s the pride? See: it is just my pique getting scratched in these last 4 paragraphs. Don’t let it stop you from learning from this very good book.)


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b+='mail.bcpl.lib.md.us' Backyard Birding

Welcome to the Backyard Birding Page, a service of the Baltimore Bird Club. If you need to know how and what to feed the birds, or how large to make the entry hole on a bluebird box, or which shrubs and flowers to plant in order to attract birds, you've come to the right place. There are also yardlists and journals from backyard birders, and links to other web sites of interest.

The basics: information at this site from the Fish & Wildlife Service and elsewhere on backyard birding

Internet Links to more information for backyard birders

Yard Lists and Backyard Reports

Pages Devoted to Particular Backyard Birds


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Monday, July 02, 2007

B'ham News - Preserve God's Tapestry in Alabama

My latest Commentary in the Birmingham News

We must preserve God's vibrant tapestry in this state

Sunday, June 10, 2007

To look around at the richness of Alabama's diversity of plants and animals is to be struck by the awesome responsibility of preserving God's vibrant tapestry in this state.

That's not an idle concern for Bishop Heron Johnson, pastor of the Faith Apostolic Church in Powderly, concerning the endangered watercress darter: "I think, if you have something this valuable and God-given, something this special, you've got to protect it. But where to begin?"

The rare and colorful two-inch watercress darter was found in a local Jefferson County spring that originates on the property of Bishop Johnson's church.

Johnson doesn't ask why we should care about a fish no bigger than an index finger, but rather where we begin the process of ensuring its survival. Alabama is blessed with more different kinds of fish, turtles, crayfish, snails and mussels than any other state in the United States. Our biodiversity is what makes this place special. Protection of these gifts is a difficult and challenging responsibility. But we must find a place to begin.

Perhaps we should begin by taking the lead from the many people who have dedicated their lives to preserving the watercress darter.

Recently, I was treated to a fascinating story by Mike Howell, the retired fish biologist who discovered the watercress darter and a beloved teacher from Samford University. He told of how a generation of Alabamians took responsibility for one of the state's tiniest citizens, and saved it.

His tale began more than 43 years ago when he was a graduate student at the University of Alabama under Herb Boschung, a scientist many consider the father of fish biology in this state.

In 1964, scientists from Tulane University had found a new species of salamander in Jefferson County springs near Bessemer. Following up on the new discovery, Howell and a fellow graduate student Dale Caldwell were asked by Boschung to venture into the same place the salamanders were found, but this time they were dipping their nets to find fish.

You can only imagine the breathtaking excitement and wonder that the two graduate students felt when their dip nets revealed a species never before seen or described in science - the watercress darter. For a fish biologist it must have felt like Columbus on first seeing the New World.

"The world's greatest artists couldn't dream up the (watercress darter's) colors. A visual treat that does something to the spirit - like a beautiful sunset," Howell told me.

Little did Howell know at the time, but his discovery of the rainbow-colored, two-inch darter would have a dramatic impact on his life and the lives of so many others.

After its discovery, Howell spent a couple of years describing, naming and making "known" to science the watercress darter. A specimen of the darter was even sent to the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian. More importantly, after the discovery process was complete, the real work of saving the watercress darter began in earnest.

In 1973, the Endangered Species Act became the law of the land. Shortly after its passage, the watercress darter was listed as endangered, the first fish in Alabama to be so protected. This action led to the creation of a watercress darter recovery team headed by Howell. Their task was simple: to monitor and take care of the darter.

Immediately, the scientists and conservationists worked to enhance the darter's habitat, taking out a small dam. The group also removed predatory bass from the darter's stream. After additional research and exploration, the darter also was discovered in a nearby Bessemer spring fed lake and subsequently in the Roebuck and Powderly areas of Jefferson County.

The watercress darter was even transplanted into springs near Turkey Creek where scientists were fortunate to discover two additional endangered fish, the Vermillion and Rush darters. These three darter species are found only in one place in the world: right here in our region's creeks and streams.

Seven years after the passage of the Endangered Species Act, the watercress darter's habitat was permanently protected when federal conservation funds were made available to preserve approximately 23 acres of watercress darter habitat in Jefferson County. The area was then designated as the Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge, the smallest National Wildlife Refuge in the nation.

Today, local groups and communities have become guardians of the darter. In 2002, the Faith Apostolic Church congregation lovingly embraced the watercress darter as a sacred reminder of God's creation and our responsibility to care for it. They enlisted local friends like the Freshwater Land Trust that developed ways the church can protect the stream, the land, and the fish.

Birmingham Audubon members have for years adopted the Bessemer site, keeping a watchful eye on the refuge, removing litter while enjoying the birds that visit the area. Along with these groups, the Freshwater Land Trust, Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and Alabama's Department of Conservation have joined forces on behalf of the darter.

Asked why he put such an effort into saving this one, tiny creature, Howell replied, "God put us in the most beautiful garden and told us to take care of it. That fish is an extension of the Garden of Eden."

Now, that is a place to begin. Ecologist Pat Byington is a senior associate with the Wilderness Society. E-mail:

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Wood stove fire suspected in razing of Steuben home

Posted Dec. 02, 2010, at 11:10 p.m.
Last modified Jan. 29, 2011, at 12:55 a.m.

STEUBEN, Maine — A fire Thursday morning destroyed a home off Pigeon Hill Road.

According to Steuben Fire Chief Adelbert Pinkham, the initial call came in at about 10:20 a.m. Thursday. The single-story home, owned by William “Billy” Pinkham, was located on Joe Leighton Road about a quarter-mile off Pigeon Hill Road.

The building was vacant at the time of the fire. According to the fire chief, the owner had been there earlier in the day to start a fire in the wood stove.

“When he came back, the place was all afire,” Chief Pinkham said.

The house was engulfed in flames and the roof was gone when the first firefighters arrived on the scene. Chief Pinkham said firefighters poured thousands of gallons of water onto the blaze, but were unable to save the building. It was considered a total loss.

There was no power to the building at the time, and the fire chief said it seems likely that the wood fire was the cause of the blaze, probably from a chimney fire that spread to the structure.

The building was not insured. No one was injured in the blaze.

Steuben firefighters were assisted at the scene by crews from Milbridge and Cherryfield who responded under a mutual aid agreement among the towns.


text:
In science, doctor’s guidance, family finds hope

By Judy Harrison, BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 02, 2011, at 11:21 a.m.

“People need to understand that no one chooses this for themselves or for their child,” says Dr. Norman Spack, a pediatric endocrinologist and one of the few physicians in New England who is using a puberty suppression protocol to treat transgender children. “The attempted suicide rate for people who go untreated and unsupported is 45 percent. This population has one of the highest suicide rates of any population in the world. Once they walk in the door for treatment that kind of depression ends.”

The American Psychological Association estimates that 1 in 10,000 biological males and 1 in 30,000 biological females in Western society are transgender.

Information about the experience of untreated transgender teenagers worried and frightened Wayne and Kelly, parents of Nicole, a transgender teenager and one of Spack’s patients.

Nicole at first understood that Spack could change her life for the better, but not the specifics of treatment.

“Half the words he uses I don’t know, but I have this sense of relief from them,” she said. “They are big words that have a lot of X’s and Q’s. I don’t know a lot of X and Q words.”

The first sex-change operation in the United States was performed in 1965 by a surgical team at Johns Hopkins University. After receiving permission from a Baltimore court to undergo the procedure, Phillip Wilson underwent the sexual reassignment surgery to become Phyllis Wilson. A decade later, women’s tennis player Renee Richards made headlines when it was made public that she had undergone a similar procedure.

Surgery performed on adults doesn’t negate the changes the body goes through during puberty and adolescence. Experts now believe that better results are achieved when medical treatment for gender dysphoria begins with the suppression of puberty in early adolescence, cross-hormonal treatments through the teen years, followed by surgery as a young adult.

That is the treatment path Nicole and her family are taking at the Gender Management Service Clinic at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

“I remember our first visit to Boston,” Wayne said. “I was kind of like, what are we doing? Then, Dr. Spack started telling us what he could do for our daughter. I saw the weight come off Kelly’s shoulders and I saw the smile come on Nicole’s face.”

The international pioneers in the suppression of puberty are associated with the medical center at Vrije Universiteit, or Free University, in Amsterdam.

Baudewijntje P.C. Kreukels and Peggy T. Cohen-Kettenis are the authors of a peer-reviewed article published in the August issue of Nature magazine that discussed the research in support of early treatment. The authors said that from the studies published so far, “it seems that the benefits outweigh the risks.”

The authors said that what causes gender dysphoria is unclear but brain images of females-to-males taken before treatment showed that the microstructure pattern of white matter was more similar to the usual pattern in men and that the gray matter volume in untreated males-to-females had more resemblance to the volume usually seen in women.

If compared to a computer network, the gray matter would be the computers and the white matter would be the network cables connecting the computers together.

The diagnosis of gender dysphoria, however, can’t be made with head X-rays or a DNA test, according to Dr. Scott Leibowitz, a psychiatrist at the Boston Gender Management Service Clinic.

“Gender identity typically is formed around age 3,” he said in a phone interview in August. “It usually presents when a child makes it known that how he or she expresses gender does not match society’s expectations of how that gender should behave.”

The difference between a child with some cross-gender identity in play or dress and one with gender dysphoria often is in the language the child uses, Leibowitz said. A child who pretends to be a different gender for a period of play might say, “I’m going to wear a dress because I am a girl today.” A transgender child, however, would more likely say, “I am not wearing a dress because I am not a girl, I am a boy.”

Before a diagnosis is made at the Boston clinic, the patient and family must undergo a number of psychological tests designed to see whether the mind and body of the child truly do not match and to determine how family members feel about that mismatch.

Parents typically seek help when a child is entering kindergarten, he said, in part because of a need to deal with teachers and school administrators.

“There are no absolutes in making decisions about gender identity, but an important part of the process involves a family’s ability to support and understand it and the problems that can come from a child suppressing his or her natural inclinations.”

Those problems can include angry outbursts, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, cutting, thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts, according to the doctors in Amsterdam.

Treatment begins for girls at ages 10 to 12½ and for boys between the ages 12 and 14, once the child has reached the early stages of puberty.

This stage of development is critical, according to the doctors in Amsterdam. The majority of children outgrow gender identity concerns. But, about 20 to 25 percent of children in their studies who were diagnosed with some level of gender dysphoria continued to believe they were living in the wrong bodies.

Early puberty usually is the time when a decision is made about going forward with the suppression of puberty, according to Spack. It also is when a boy or girl begins living as the opposite gender outside the family and often picks a new name.

The second round of treatment begins around age 16 with the males-to-females taking female hormones and females-to-males taking testosterone. If a person stops taking the hormones at some point, a delayed puberty would occur.

Before surgery, the results of treatment are entirely reversible.

The treatment and results may seem incredible but are expensive. Medications to inhibit puberty and surgery for sexual reassignment are not covered by most insurance companies, according to Spack. Medical visits and routine medications usually are covered as is psychological testing, he said.

For Wayne and Kelly, Spack’s guidance has been invaluable.

“The guy helped save her life as far as I’m concerned,” Wayne said. “She didn’t have any hope before that.” printed on April 30, 2017


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They add a protective layer spread over the hill to the environment and location as well. Some plants Armor much strength to Cover for armchairs or armless chairs. In general all Pztio tiny roots from being manually filled with flowers attached, and a sofa from the above Loveseat, there are better than sitting down Patio.

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Board index Barbecue Board Best BBQ Joint Smoque in Chicago, IL

Smoque in Chicago, IL

What's your favorite place (aside from your backyard) to eat BBQ?
Post Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:15 am
EddieK1376 well done
well done

Posts: 657
Location: Noblesville, IN

This has been featured on a show with Guy Fieri not sure if it was Diners, Drive Ins and Dives but my family and I went to see my wife's brother in the city and he lives a few blocks and always raves about it so I figured we'd give it a try. I didn't take any pics as I was in mixed company and the 2 owners kept pacing around the place I assume to try and get people to move so more tables could get open. Anyhow, I ordered the Brisket platter which came with 2 sides and I chose Baked Beans and Cornbread.

The brisket definitely left something to be desired for. It was tender, but had NO flavor and no smoke ring whatsoever. The baked beans were fantastic and had a great smokey flavor. Their cornbread was extremely dry. The owner asked my son how everything was and he at the time didn't know it was the owner and said "You need to get a Big Green Egg cause my dads brisket is much better" I almost choked but I guess that's what happens when you ask a 5 year old a question. Their BBQ sauce was nothing either.

I don't know if I would go there again even to try other meats...

Post Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:33 am
ScreamingChicken BBQ Deputy
BBQ Deputy

Posts: 8614
Location: Stoughton, WI
Whoa...that's some brutal honesty! :lol:

For a long time I've suspected that in some parts of the country most commercial barbecue is on the less smoky side because the history and tradition isn't as well-established as it is in other regions. It's a lot easier to sell less-smoky meat to people who like it smokier than vice-versa.

I don't know much about Smoque but could it be that the urban location is also a factor? I'd be shocked if it wasn't a lot more regulated than some barbecue shack in a small town or out in the country.

Post Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:59 am
YardBurner BBQ Deputy
BBQ Deputy

Posts: 5460
Location: Damascus, Maryland
Weber Summit E-470
Weber 22" MasterTouch
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Traeger Lil Tex
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Return to Best BBQ Joint


text:
Friday, February 20, 2009

the world is going to end

Shakespeare in your Ear series: antique glass pearls, resin, glitter,swarovski crystal, chain, aluminum. SOLD

I'm out of resin!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have things to finish (like YESTERDAY) and I'm OUT OF RESIN!!!! AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH the last little bit of my Ice resin I poured on Tuesday didn't cure (too old I think, about 5 months since I opened) so I ripped that all out and realized I didn't have another unopened set.

Crap crap crap crap!!! I can't get jewelry resin in town, only envirotex or casting craft-neither which like me very much so I stick to Ice or Colores. Sadly there is no jewelry supply store in town anymore, it got shut out during the boom.

Must place emergency order today at Rio, I need sterling wire too.
Shoot-I see I'm also out of 2 part clear epoxy too, at least that I can get at the hardware store tomorrow.

Bead-Mused said...

Deep breaths, sweetie. But not over the resin!
Hang in there!

Barbe Saint John/ Saints and Sinners® said...

Thanks hon! I think I'll get the hubby to pick me up a Pepperidge Farms Coconut cake to help me get thru the weekend LOL

CatHerder said...

The earrings are AWESOME, I LOVE them. I still have NOT tried the resin with anything...hopefully this summer...when i have a little more time on my hands

Melissa J. Lee said...

Don't you just hate it when that happens - ack! Love the idea of "Shakespeare in your Ear" - show us more, more!


text:
posted by dave on Sunday, March 4, 2007 at 11:22 PM in category drink, ramblings

I have a tiny confession to make now. One that will come as zero surprise to anyone who's been reading my drivel for any length of time.

I don't know what I'm fucking talking about. Or writing about. What the fuck ever.

Luckily, for me, and for you at home, I sometimes have help. Like tonight. Tonight I've been fortunate and privileged enough to have had The Reverend (370), from the Avery Brewing Company, join me for an evening of contemplation and soul searching.

I've had a question on my mind for a couple of years now. Closer to three years actually, but it doesn't matter exactly how long it's been. This question is eternal, and it's been asked by nearly everyone since the beginning of the beginning of the beginning of consciousness.

It's been asked for a long fucking time, in other words.

It's a two-part question actually. The first part is Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

The answer to that question is, of course, fucking yes and yes and yes and fucking yes.

I've written about this before, and it's actually one of the few subjects in which I don't feel like I'm just pulling answers out of my ass.

It's approximately seven hundred gazillion asstillion times better to have loved than to never have loved. Go ahead. Prove me wrong. I dare you to try.

And the really neat thing is, to love and then lose doesn't change a fucking thing. We live to love.

I'll say it again. We live to love.

Losing is, while not quite irrelevant, losing is nothing nothing nothing nothing fucking nothing compared to the loving.

So that's the first part of the two-part question.

The second part of the question is Why is it better?

And, tonight at least, I know the answer. At least as much as someone like me can know the answer.

The answer is actually quite simple.

Because sometimes, like maybe once in a lifetime if you're lucky, you don't lose.

Because sometimes, you get to love and you get to win.

To love is to open yourself to that possibility. To surrender yourself to that possibility of happiness. To allow yourself to have hopes, and dreams, and to imagine just how incredibly wonderful life could be.

If only.

This time.

I could be loved back.

Then I would win.

That hope, that trumps everything else. All of the pain. All of the heartache. All of the disappointment and the depression and the suicidal thoughts.

Hope is what separates us from the animals. Hope is what makes us human. So we keep looking. Even after failure after dismal failure, we keep looking for hope.

And, when we find ourselves in love, we also find the hope that's been buried so deeply within us that we almost forgot it existed. Love unearths it, and breathes new live into it, and resurrects it.

It takes over.

Nothing else matters.

Nothing else exists.

We become hope.

And I can't think of a loftier goal.

Someday, I hope to love and win.

comments (2)

"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you played the game."
Were you fair? Did you play by the rules?...
Love is without wins or losses. Love is not a competition. No trophies or pats on the back. No Gatorade to be poured down your coach's back when you cross the 1 yard line. No line markers to tell you which way to go, or how fast to move. There are no boundaries, there are no referees, although you might get a penalty flag from time to time. Love has no rules. You can never win. I guess that means that you can never lose either. Although, most times it feels that way. But let's check the video replay...
Feel free to make up your own version. It's always the best.
He said/She said. Where is the truth? Where is the justice?
There is neither. Love comes and goes as it pleases. We have no control. No absolution. Love is mysterious and selfish and full of ambiguity.
That's why I love Love.

Oh Steve, I contest. Love is full of wins and losses. Everyday. Losing doesn't necessarily mean defeat and winning doesn't necessarily mean victory, but in a relationship there are wins and losses, defeats and gains...everyday. I'm one of the lucky ones. After lots of crap relationships, I found the one. But making love work isn't always easy. Granted, it's not hard for us, but we have to make consious decisions every day....we have to be a team. We have to have a game plan. We have to figure out which play will bring us to what we want/need/love. We have to know when the right time to go on the defensive is, and when we should just accept our losses. We use every win and loss as a learning experience. And there are pats on the back. With every milestone, there is a pat on the back. With every "I Love You", there is a pat on the back. We were told we wouldn't make it...but 12 years later we are patting ourself on the back. No, Love is not a competition, but it IS a game. It's a game, that if played correctly, reaps rewards grander than any trophy; but if played incorrectly can cause losses that last a lifetime.

Dave, I highly recommend you rent 'The Secret". I've not seen it firsthand, but I do know that to get what you want, you have to really really want it and do whatever you can in your life to achieve it. In your case, I think some positive thinking would be your best bet. I've known you for quite a while, and even though you have some quirks, you're a great guy and have a lot of potential. You deserve happiness and even though you may fight it, you have the resources to acquire the life you want. I think you've just been down for so long, you've lost sight of how you should get yourself back up. Sometimes simple changes are all it takes, but sometimes the bigger changes are what is needed, and those are usually the most intimidating. I know you have the smarts to do it, but right now you need initiative and self trust to tap into those smarts of yours. Best of Luck.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: "Bibi" At The Crossroads

By now, most news-conscious Americans know that the prime
minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu (also known popularly
as “Bibi”), is scheduled to speak  soon to a joint session
of the U.S. Congress, having been invited to do so by Speaker of
the House John Boehner. They also know that this visit by the
Israeli prime minister is controversial because U.S. President
Barack Obama does not like “Bibi” (and vice versa) and holds
an unprecedented different view of the historical U.S.-Israeli
alliance, and because Mr. Boehner only informed the White
House of the invitation, and did not ask for permission.

Mr. Obama and his colleagues have also now made the looming
speech a domestic political issue in the U.S., with a few Democratic
congresspersons (about 20-plus) and U.S. senators (2) saying they
will boycott the speech. The White House has also leaked some
not-so-subtle threats that Mr. Netanyahu’s appearance will result
in retribution with U.S. policy in the Middle East.

This upcoming occasion has also become a domestic political
issue in Israel where Mr. Netanyahu’s party (and thus Mr.
Netanyahu himself) are running in a national election to retain
power of the Jewish state’s government.

It was the Israeli general election which the Obama White House
has been using as a public rationale for opposing the visit, saying
it should not happen during the election campaign. This would
seem reasonable except that Mr. Obama, as have so many
candidates of both U.S. major parties, went to Israel during his
presidential campaigns.

Those few Democrats who have threatened to boycott “Bibi’s”
speech all come from “safe” districts and states, and have
no concern about political consequences. Most Democrats
apparently will attend, not because they fear a backlash from
Jewish voters (a majority of which are liberal Democrats), but
because they fear a backlash from the very large and growing
pro-Israel Christian community.

Why is it that “Bibi” Netanyahu is so controversial among
liberal Democrats? Ostensibly it is because he does not support
the Obama administration and other liberal Democrats on their
solution to the Palestinian problem in the Middle East. But this
is in substance not valid because the Israeli prime minister does
support a two-state (Jewish and Palestinian) solution, as do most
Israelis. The key difference is that most Israelis, including Mr.
Netanyahu, want as a precondition the end of terror and attacks
on Israeli citizens, something the Palestinian Authority has so
far refused to do. Mr. Netanyahu also opposes the apparent
direction of Mr Obama’s negotiations with Iran over the latter’s
intention to build a nuclear bomb arsenal with which it could
threaten Israel’s existence (and even could threaten Europe).

So then, what is the real reason Mr. Obama and so many
Democrats, including Jewish Democrats, don’t like and oppose
“Bibi” Netanyau? The answer is simple and it is political,
Mr. Netanyahu is a genuine conservative, not only in foreign
policy, but very importantly, in domestic policy. Israel was
founded as a quasi-socialist state in 1948, and its earliest leaders,
such as David Ben Gurion, were lifelong socialists. More recently,
more and more free enterprise and democratic capitalism has
emerged in this Jewish state.  Menachem Begin was a conservative
prime minister (and also was the first Israeli leader to sign a peace
treaty with the Arabs), as were the Yitzhak Shamir and Ariel
Sharon. Mr. Netanyahu himself has been a conservative prime
minister for ten years.

“Bibi” Netanyahu is the Israeli equivalent of U.S. President
Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
(and earlier British Prime Minister Winston Churchill) --- all
figures who were once unpopular with the American left.
“Bibi” is generally regarded as a popular figure to most U.S.
conservatives who not only overwhelmingly support  the
U.S.-Israeli alliance, applaud most of Netanyahu's policies, but
also applaud the emergence of Israel as a major source of global
high tech research, new medical technology entrpreneurs and
medical technologies that have arisen during his tenure. He is
the true heir of early Zionist leaders Theodor Herzl and Vladimir
Jabotinsky who imagined a prosperous and free Jewish state
before and during the Holocaust (an event apparently forgotten
in Europe today).

Copyright (c) 2015 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.

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