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Am I Tom Brady Yet?… A journey in plant based fitness

If you Google “Tom Brady Diet”, you will be bombarded with upwards of 4.5 million articles and blog posts about his infamously exclusive and unnecessarily dramatic diet plan. So naturally I decided to try it.

Well, a watered down version of it. According to the interwebs, Brady eats 80% organic vegetables and 20% lean meats. For my personal journey, I’ve decided to go 100% meat-free. I made the decision based primarily on two factors: I love animals (ever since I got my doggie Molly Belle, I’ve become more convinced that all animals have souls. You can read more about my adoption story here.) Also, meat is expensive. A pound of organic rice is $1.99, while a pound of organic chicken is closer to $11.

The rules he follows are seemingly simple:

  • Organic vegetables, but no nightshades
  • No white sugar, dairy, caffeine*, or gluten
  • No iodized salt**
  • Only whole grains
  • Only organic food***

Disclamer time:

* Real talk, I had a cup or two of black coffee a day. Sorry not sorry.

** In the early 20th Century, iodine was added to salt to account for a nationwide dietary iodine deficiency. Apparently this isn’t something we have to worry about anymore, and eating a balanced and varied diet will give you the iodine you need. Instead of using salt with a whole bunch of other weird stuff in it (I’m looking at you sodium aluminosilicate), I used Himalayan Pink Salt. Sea salt would also suffice. You can actually buy both of these options in bulk, which is WAY cheaper!

*** I did pretty well with organic food. The only thing I didn’t buy as organic was blueberries. Because organic blueberries are stupid expensive. Stupid. Expensive.

So, what did my first week look like?

  • 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
  • 1 TBSP of peanut butter (bought in bulk, natch)
  • 1 banana
  • Blueberries
  • A handful of walnuts

  • 2/3 cup brown rice
  • 2/3 cup black and red lentils
  • 2-3 TBSP organic salsa****
  • 1/2 avocado

  • Organic mixed greens
  • 1/2 cup sweet potatoes roasted with turmeric
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 TBSP sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup garbanzo beans
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Raw purple carrots (peeled and cut into coins)
  • Leftover rice and lentils
  • A liberal dousing of this dressing. Honestly thank goodness for Tessemae’s.

  • This protein shake
  • Coconut water
  • Mixed unsalted nuts

****Disclaimer again: Homeboy Tom does not eat “nightshades” because they cause “inflammation”. Nightshades include things like tomatoes and peppers. But it was unreasonably hard to find things to eat that would add color and flavor. So I added Whole Foods 365 Organic Mild Salsa. Again, sorry not sorry.

After a week of eating like Tom Brady, I wasn’t miraculously able to throw a football approximately 437 yards, nor did I wake up married to a Brazilian supermodel. But I will tell you what did happen-the good, bad, and ugly…

  1. I felt better. Really. My stamina was up, my workouts were more sustainable, I slept better, my mental focus was sharper. I swear to you this is not a gimmick. Even people close to me noted that I seemed to have a spring in my step.
  2. My skin cleared up a bit. Not all the way, but significantly improved from the beginning of the week.
  3. Fiber shock is a real thing. The bloating is real. The toots are real. Cut yourself some slack (and maybe open a window)
  4. I never felt deprived. You have to make sure you are eating enough calories and an appropriate distribution of nutrients. But this means (in most cases) the volume of food you get to eat is HUGE!

I plan on sticking to this vegan diet for the foreseeable future. I am aiming for about 90% vegan to start out with, just to make the transition easier. My body feels great and my conscience is clear. What more could you want?

This was my experience with a plant based diet. Obviously I am not a dietician or medical expert, so do your own research and discuss with your physician to determine what is best for you and your uniquely beautiful body. But I’m telling you, these plant based people might be on to something. I encourage you to implement plant based meals into your daily/weekly diet, if nothing else to save money!

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There is an old saying that references the “smells and the bells” as essential components of the act of worship, particularly the celebration of the Eucharist. It is a reference much more applicable to the liturgical traditions that are for the most part long past, but it nonetheless can remind us that when we enter into worship we entering into an alternate reality, a spiritual experience if you will. One part of that experience is of course the scriptural stories that we often share, especially those stories that have mythological components that people who prefer the unvarnished application of the scientific method to the telling would find unacceptable. Today’s story is one such example since it speaks to us of a mysterious pregnancy, the visit of an angel, and the power of dreams. Not one helpful reference to data or reliable application of proven scientific principles can be discovered.

Of course, and this may not be at all helpful for some people, the traditional formulation for speaking about religious mystery is usually within the context of mythological story telling. It is the chosen formulation because what is important about the religious story is not so much the details of the story but rather the truth of what the story teaches. This is most certainly not the case in the application of the scientific method where the details are all important. For example, in this morning’s gospel what is important about the story is that it tells us that the birth of Jesus was a specific manifestation of the power of God, an intervention into human history. That being the case the manifestation of God’s power nonetheless became dependent on the cooperation of real people who are invited to cooperate in the mystery, in this instance Joseph and Mary.

We could and often do benefit from the telling of the story. Since we are also anticipating the completion of the story in just a few days when we celebrate Christmas, we are preparing ourselves for what is not only a religious feast of great importance but also a family celebration that extends across our entire culture, embracing both believers and non-believers alike. At the same time however there is something in the details of the story that can actually enhance our celebration if we take time to pay attention and to contemplate the reality.

It is not just a story, this story of Mary and Joseph. It is not just religious mythology but it also captures something of the reality of two real people and their encounter with the sacred. We do not want the smells and the bells to obscure this reality.

Mary, as the story unfolds, discovers that she is pregnant. We do not know how she experienced this reality or what thoughts and feelings she might have experienced, but we do know that this experience was explained to her as an act of the “spirit of God.” She turns to Joseph, the man to whom she has been betrothed and it does not turn out well, at least initially. Joseph, although he is a righteous man, decides that he will divorce her. In the culture and in society in which Mary lives that is a death sentence, either literally for example being stoned to death, or figuratively as she will be turned-out in the streets and abandoned by friends and family. It is his intent to divorce her quietly, thus perhaps avoiding some of the shame but not all of it, when he dramatically changes his mind because of the intervention of an angel. This intervention is life-changing for both Joseph and Mary. They begin together a journey that neither of them anticipated but which now becomes their shared experience. Needless to say it is not just a marriage and the building of a family but, because of the intervention of angels, is also a spiritual pilgrimage that will stretch and mold them in ways that no one could imagine or even comprehend.

There is a spiritual truth in this detail for each of us that goes beyond the original intent of the mythological retelling of the original story. The spiritual truth it demonstrates is that when two people, regardless of circumstances and the details of how they arrived at a given point, nevertheless determine it is important and necessary for them to share their lives together. In a very real sense their story becomes one and in the unity there is both joy and sorrow, mystery and clarity, confusion and purpose but it all seems to make some kind of sense because it is anchored in relationship. There may not be angels in our personal relationship stories but there are certainly men and women who play significant roles for us who are mentors, friends, and companions with us on the journey and they are often for us moments of grace and blessing.

Just because we have heard a mythological story today does not mean what we have listened to is a work of fiction. It is most certainly not fiction but is rather one way to tell us something important about ourselves, the formation of our families and our relationships, and to introduce to us the idea that somehow, and in some unexplained manner, the spirit of God is very much present to us as we continue on our journey. Ultimately it is a life journey, and as such it is also a spiritual journey, a pilgrimage of faith and love.

Think of all of this the next time you look at the plaster statutes of Mary and Joseph in the cribs and managers which will soon join the smells and the bells of our shared worship and Eucharist. Today Mary and Joseph are symbols of something more, something greater than ourselves, but a long time ago they were just two scared people in love, trying to figure out what everything might mean, all the while living in fearful anticipation of the birth of their son whom they knew, as all parents intuitively understand, will change their lives forever.

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Dog Parents … Avoid Treats Made in China

Yesterday at the grocery, I “almost” bought a package of chicken jerky strips for The Murph. Then I happened to notice that they were Made in China, so I put them back on the shelf. The treats I reluctantly bought were “Distributed by Kroger“. Now I know from my former Marketing career, that manufacturers are permitted to use this ‘distributed’ type of label if the product or components were made in several countries and sometimes packaged in the USA. So there is a possibility that the treats I purchased could in reality use ingredients made in China.

Today on Twitter, this China alert was noted by a local news station. It linked to a Cleveland article about a chicken jerky product that has caused some kidney problems in dogs. Click here to read the complete article.

I also wish we could buy pet toys that were made in USA. I worry that the current toys available – which are all made in China – could also contain harmful ingredients. Maybe I should buy a couple of socks and make my own toys but I likely will have trouble finding Made in USA socks!

Comments are closed.


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Ontario. Ministry of the Attorney General

Site: Kitchener Location

Service: Family Mediation Services

Add Record Add Record | Suggest Update
Contact Information
Office Phone 519-741-3200 ext.3174
Website www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca
Address and Location Information
Areas Served Waterloo Region
Located In Community Kitchener
Address & Map
85 Frederick St
Kitchener, ON N2H 0A7
Intersection Weber St. W and Frederick St.
Physical Access Fully Accessible
Organization Details
Description (Service) Family mediation services are available at family court locations in Ontario. These services include mediation of all legal issues arising upon family breakdown: custody, access, support, and equalization of net family property.
Mediation is available on-site in the court facility, and off-site in the mediators' offices. User fees for off-site mediation are charged to clients on a sliding scale based on their income and number of dependents.
Description & Services
Hours Please contact
Eligibility Families involved in a separation
Application Please contact
Languages English
Fees None
Service Categories Divorce Assistance

Agency Overview

Locations for this Service


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Big Brook Preserve

88 Hillsdale Rd., Colts Neck, NJ 07722

The Big Brook site consisting of 143.44 acres, has been recognized by Federal, State and local environmental specialists as one of the most unique environmental areas both in Monmouth County and New Jersey. Its uniqueness includes being long recognized as a major site for fossils of both the Cretaceous and Pleistocene ages (70-65 million years old). Many school groups, elementary through college, currently visit the resource each year, thus providing both educational, as well as scientific benefits. Major fossil types found at the site include hundreds of specimens ranging from sharks teeth (relatively common) to rare Cretaceous marine reptiles and Ice Age mastodons. The site also includes large sections of green sand deposits, used as a natural fertilizer, which are fully exposed for study. In addition, numerous historic bottles, tools and farm implements dating from pre-revolutionary times to the early 20th century have been found in and around the Big Brook area. The site is also very aesthetic and awesome, with a wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as being transverse with the Big Brook stream. Parking is in the lot on Hillsdale Road or along Laurelwood Drive.

  • Fossil Hunting

Archeological Areas

Big Brook Preserve is one of the few sites on the East Coast where fossils may be readily found. The area is noted for a variety of sharks teeth and other marine specimens. In recent years, the Big Brook site has been a concern to the Township in regard to the major increase in the use level of the resource. Due to a increase in the population of both Colts Neck and Monmouth County, plus the nature of the resource becoming known to more people within the New York Metropolitan Area, there has been increased usage by both individuals, schools and organized groups. The biggest concerns have been the type of excavation of the walls of the Big Brook stream bed, and the type of equipment used in the collection of fossils. As a result, it is now necessary to obtain a permit.  The permit fee for groups of 15 - 29 people is $25.00; for use by groups of 30 people or more the permit fee is $50.00 and to adhere to the regulations posted at the entrance to the area. Groups of 14 or less do NOT require a permit.  You may learn about the fossils at the Big Brook Identification Page.  Permit requests may be sent via email to BIG BROOK PRESERVE IS NOT LOCATED AT 14 HEYERS MILL ROAD

Equestrian Facilities Horses are welcome to share the hiking trails in Big Brook; however, detours around some of the smaller bridges will be necessary.

 Hiking Trails The only formal development to date has been a hiking trail system maintained by a local Boy Scout troop. The trail runs along the brook from Laurelwood Drive to Hillsdale Road (1.25 miles one way) to Boundary Road (1/2 mile from Hillsdale Road).

 Nature Studies Big Brook Preserve is in its natural state and contains several ecosystems including meadows, woods, stream area, and mashland. It is a good place for observing a variety of flora and fauna.

 Rules and Policies (2015)

Big Brook Preserve is one of the most rare and fragile resources of its type within the United States. As such we request that you adhere to the general park rules which will help to preserve this facility.

Rules and policies regarding the use of Big Brook Preserve include:

Visiting with less than 15 people? NO PERMIT IS REQUIRED.  Formal permits for the use of the preserve for fossil collection and other such activities by all groups of 15 or more is required. Permits are obtained by contacting the Department of Recreation and Parks, via email at, indicating the desired date of your visit, the number of visitors in your group, and a contact telephone number. The group permit fee may be mailed in the form of a check or money order made payable to the Colts Neck Department of Recreation and Parks, in the amount of $25 for parties of 15 to 29.  Parties of 30 or more the permit fee is $50.00.  Please send your group permit fee to the Department of Recreation and Parks, 14 Heyers Mill Road, Colts Neck, New Jersey 07722. Once the payment is received and the date is scheduled for your group, you will receive your permit via email. If there is a conflict in scheduling, you will receive a telephone call and a mutually agreed upon date will be scheduled.
Permits for fossil collection are issued on a daily basis and are in effect from 8 a.m. to dusk.
Permits must be kept with the person in charge of the group, and must be presented to enforcement officials upon request.
Large group buses are restricted to the formal preserve parking area located on Hillsdale Road.
The collection of fossils within the preserve is limited to those fossils found within the actual stream water line. Fossil extraction is prohibited from the walls of stream bed above the stream water line.
The use of equipment for the collection of fossils is restricted to trowels with a maximum blade of 6 inches, and small screens with an 18 inch square maximum at all times.
No person may harvest more than five fossils per day.
Any person violating any of the rules listed herein, or any other policies related to the general operation of Township Preserves shall, upon conviction, be subject to the replacement, repair or restoration of any damaged property, and subject to fine or imprisonment.
Big Brook Preserve is NOT located at 14 Heyers Mill Road.  Parking can be found for the Preserve on Hillsdale Road.  Directions:  127 Hillside Rd. (Four JGs Winery) is approximately 1/4 of a mile south of the entrance to Big Brook Preserve.

  • Big Brook Preserve
  • 88 Hillsdale Rd.
  • Colts Neck, NJ 07722
88 Hillsdale Rd.,Colts Neck,NJ,07722


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The Importance Of Avoiding Certain Medication Before Plastic Surgery

The Importance Of Avoiding Certain Medication Before Plastic Surgery

The decision to undergo surgery is rarely a simple decision, especially when it comes to plastic surgery. Unlike other procedures performed to save the patient’s life or improve health, plastic surgery is commonly performed with aesthetic goals in mind. Plastic surgery is elective, and in a vast majority of cases, the procedures are performed long in advance to give the patient time to prepare properly. The preparation for plastic surgery is an important stage of the process. Any surgery performed for cosmetic purposes requires mental and physical preparation.

In this article, we will discuss the preparation for plastic surgery and the importance to avoid certain medication before the procedure.

Getting ready for plastic surgery

There are certain things you need to do to make sure you are well-prepared to undergo plastic surgery. The preparation stage is important both to ensure a fast and smooth recovery period and to achieve the best results possible.

Get to know the plastic surgeon

When undergoing plastic surgery, you choose the plastic surgeon. This means that you need to find someone who you can trust with more than your aesthetic appearance, but also with your health and well-being. The plastic surgeon needs to be well-versed in the practice of plastic surgery, board-certified, but also with a deep knowledge of aesthetics and the human body and someone you have great communication with.

Often, patients undergoing plastic surgery achieve unsatisfactory results due to poor communication with the plastic surgeon. This can be avoided if you find someone who you can talk honestly and openly with even from the first meeting. Communicating your goals in clear words is important, and it will also give the plastic surgeon the opportunity to tell you if your expectations are reasonable and can be accomplished. You can research the plastic surgeon online and find all the information you can about him, then schedule a meeting to see what his recommendations are for your particular case. During the pre-operative consultation, the plastic surgeon will also provide you with a list of medication to avoid before undergoing the procedure and ask about any current treatment you might be taking.

Get all the details about the surgery

Most patients interested in undergoing plastic surgery will research online about the details of the surgery and how it is usually performed. However, it is only during the consultation with the plastic surgeon that you will get the whole picture of what the procedure entails. Each procedure is customized to the patient. This means that there are no two breast augmentations alike, even if they use the same kind of implant. The results of the procedure as well as the surgical plan to be followed are greatly dependent on the initial anatomy of the patient and the condition of the tissues, as well as the goals he or she wants to achieve with the surgery.

Knowing what will happen during the procedure is important to reduce the pre-operative anxiety that can occur before plastic surgery. Moreover, you will get information about how you need to behave before the procedure to avoid complications. For example, when talking about medication to be avoided before plastic surgery, it is a well-known fact that certain medication, as well as natural supplements, can trigger post-op complications such as excessive bleeding and blood clotting. The risk of developing these complications can be significantly reduced if the patient understands how taking these medications can influence the post-op development.

Share your full medical history

It is crucial to the success of your surgery for the plastic surgeon to know all the medical aspects of your condition, especially ones related to chronic conditions such as pulmonary conditions or diabetes. Nowadays, most plastic surgeons will operate on patients with chronic conditions or patients under treatment, but it is essential for them to know what they are dealing with to better prepare for the surgery. Moreover, the plastic surgeon and the anesthetist should also know if you have different allergies to medication or if you ever had an allergic reaction to anesthesia in the past.

If you are taking treatment before the procedure, chances are your plastic surgeon will work with your doctor and reduce, increase, or stop treatment for a few weeks before and after the surgery, depending from case to case.

Make sure to talk to the plastic surgeon about the supplements and vitamins you currently take. Some of these can cause complications. The plastic surgeon will tell you what medication can be taken without problems and what is important to avoid before plastic surgery.

Importance of avoiding certain medication before surgery

Many patients want to know if there are medications that need to be avoided before or after a plastic surgery procedure. Depending on the type of procedure to be performed and the anesthesia used, the plastic surgeon might ask you to stop or reduce the quantity of medication that you normally take.

Nowadays more and more patients take natural supplements. While these natural products can be beneficial for all sorts of health conditions, taking them before plastic surgery can be dangerous and increase the risks of developing a complication during or after the operation.

Generally speaking, if you haven’t discussed the issue with the plastic surgeon during the pre-operative consultation and you can’t get in touch with him before the procedure, the recommendation is to avoid any type of natural supplements two weeks before the date of the surgery. Among the natural supplements that should be stopped or avoided before surgery are:

–   Ginger: It is a good anti-spastic and anti-inflammatory medication. Ginger supplements are often used to prevent nausea and for appetite. While it can be beneficial to fight post-operative nausea, using ginger supplements can interfere with blood coagulation and can also interfere with cardiac medication and anti-coagulant medication.

– Ginkgo Biloba: It is used as an antioxidant and blood circulation activator. It has an anticoagulant effect that can trigger excessive bleeding during or after surgery.

–   Ginseng: Also known for its anticoagulant properties, it is used to improve physical and cognitive performance, as well as mood and metabolism. It can alter the effects of cardiac, hypertensive and anti-diabetic medication, so it should be avoided at least two weeks before plastic surgery.

Aside from natural supplements, there are other types of medications to be avoided before plastic surgery, such as:

–   Medication containing aspirin and certain types of anti-inflammatory medications: These types of pills have a negative effect on the ability of the blood to coagulate and increases the risk of intra-operative and post-operative bleeding. For at least two weeks before surgery, you should check the indications on any pill that you take, even if a prescription was not necessary to get them, to make sure they don’t contain aspirin and they don’t have an anti-coagulant effect. If you are experiencing a minor discomfort or pain during those two weeks before the procedure, ask your plastic surgeon what medication is safe to take.

–   Birth control pills: Treatment with birth control pills needs to be stopped a month before the procedure. The patient is advised to find and use another contraceptive period during this time as birth control pills interfere with blood coagulation and can trigger the formation of blood clots after the procedure. This is a severe complication that can be avoided by not taking birth control pills close to the surgery date.

It is important for the patient to understand that the preparation stage is an important part of the process of achieving satisfactory results after plastic surgery and avoiding severe complications. The details of the operative plan and the list of dos and don’ts before and after plastic surgery will be discussed with the plastic surgeon during the pre-operative consultation.

Certain medication, as well as natural supplements, taken in the two weeks before the procedure can increase the risk of the patient developing complications. Taking certain anti-inflammatory medication and especially ones containing aspirin can trigger excessive bleeding during and after surgery due to their anticoagulant effects. At the same time, not interrupting birth control treatment a month before the procedure can cause blood clots that are a severe and life-threatening complication.

Make sure to discuss the issue of what medication to avoid before plastic surgery in detail with your plastic surgeon.

You can contact his office by email at cosmeticinfo@drhourglass.com. Phone #: 713-636-2729. Text message: 713-636-2729. Also, you can contact him through social media, including direct messaging through Instagram at dr_cortes, Facebook Messenger at Dr. Wilberto Cortes, and WhatsApp at 936-499-8075. To view Dr. Cortes’s impressive results, you can also follow him on the following social media sites.

To view Dr. Cortes’s impressive results, you can also follow him on the following social media sites:

Facebook – Dr. Wilberto Cortes

Twitter- @drhourglass

Instagram- dr_cortes

YouTube – Wilberto Cortes M.D.

YouTube – Wilberto Cortes

Snapchat – Dr. Cortes

Whats’ app – 936-499-8075

Linkedin – Wilberto Cortes

Google Plus- Dr. WilbertoCortesLive

Vimeo- Wilberto Cortes

Pinterest- Dr. Wilberto Cortes Plastic Surgeon

Periscope- Dr. Wilberto Cortes – @drhourglass

To view Dr. Cortes’s impressive results, you can log on to his multiple websites:

  1. https://www.rejuvenusaesthetics.com
  2. http://www.hourglasstummytuck.com
  3. http://www.babygotbutt.com
  4. http://www.wonderbreastreduction.com
  5. http://www.wonderbreastlift.com
  6. http://www.bestbreastsandbutts.com
  7. http://www.houstonbestbreasts.com
  8. http://www.buttimplantsbydrcortes.com
  9. http://radio.rejuvenusaesthetics.com
  10. http://operatingroom.rejuvenusaesthetics.com

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My neighbors were evicted yesterday.

I came home to find their worldly belongings—a couple of dirty sheets, a filthy pink pillow and assorted clothing—piled in a puddle outside my front door.

They previously lived crammed together in one of the tiny, windowless rooms that line our alleyway. Apparently our landlord (the same tough old lady owns a bunch of the housing around here) decided that their drunken arguments were too much to put up with. So mother, father and four kids (ranging from ages one to 12) were thrown out on the street. They were gone before I even realized it. Their bleak existence just became bleaker.

But here’s the dilemma: There’s no doubt that the mother’s relentless drinking and fighting contributed to the situation they now find themselves in. She was hard to like and even harder to help. She neglected her kids in order to sit drinking and playing cards with the neighbors. She would scream at her daughters when they forgot to cook the rice or wash the clothes, while she sat around doing nothing.

So, why should I help her?

Have you ever noticed that there’s something in our human nature that seeks to divide people on the margins, into the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor”? We easily deem “undeserving” those living in poverty who don’t seem like they’re working hard enough, those who may be alcoholics or drug users. While we put children and those we deem have simply fallen on hard times into the category of “deserving” our compassion and help. But asking whether people are “deserving” or “undeserving” of help is the wrong question. And when you ask the wrong question, you’ll get the wrong answer every single time.

Interestingly, Jesus dealt with this problem. In His time, disability and poverty were viewed as the result of sin. Much of the world today believes this way. It’s called Karma—the idea that your sins in previous lives directly impact this life. But Jesus rejected that analysis. When the disciples came across a blind man, they wanted Jesus to tell them whose sin caused his predicament. Instead, Jesus chose to pivot to the more important truth:

“‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life’ (John 9:1-3).

Jesus makes it clear that God’s work in transforming lives is more about God’s love than whether the beneficiaries are deserving or not. No one is worthy. That’s why we need God’s grace. In Matthew 25, Jesus does not categorize people based on whether they were “sinners.” Nor did He judge them by whether they had already had multiple chances. His call was simply to reach out to those whose needs are unmet and love them: “I was hungry. I was thirsty. I was unclothed. I was in prison. I was sick.”

I’ve learned to keep three principles in mind as I engage with those who might be viewed as “undeserving” in my own life and ministry. And I think they can help you, too:

Extend the Same Grace You Have for Yourself

“Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you” is beautifully applicable in this situation. After all, we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards for our lives. If we measured how much each of us deserve grace, forgiveness and love, you and I would both fall short.

I am not advocating ignoring sin or enabling anyone in destructive behaviors. I am passionate about transformation. But I recognize that: “There, but by the grace of God go I.” I don’t know what demons my neighbor is seeking to escape. I don’t know what trauma or abuse she has suffered at the hands of others. I don’t know her enough to judge her. Only God does. So my role is simply to love and serve, and pray for change.

Seek to Understand, Rather Than to Judge

We’re quick to label those we view as undeserving, using terms like “Welfare Queen,” and “layabouts.” And in doing so, we judge them unworthy of our love and effort. I don’t believe this attitude reflects the love of Jesus. Instead, seek to understand what happens at an individual level to a person who is demoralized, engaging in destructive behaviors, or seeking to meet their needs in unhealthy ways.

Secondly, seek to understand the systemic reasons for poverty and how people end up being marginalized and shut out of the system (and thus demoralized and engaging in destructive behavior). For those of us from privileged backgrounds, seek to understand your privilege, so you can then understand poverty better. Recognize it is much easier for someone with resources to get help with an addiction or hide the problem. This is a blind-spot for most people from affluent and educated backgrounds, but it’s absolutely crucial that we engage in this kind of hard thinking, or we will end up doing more damage.

Ask the Right Questions

The question is not whether this person is “deserving” or “undeserving.” Instead, the question is “How can I best extend God’s love to this person today?” or “What action will be the most loving and transformational in this person’s life?” These questions invite us to step away from judgment and toward transformation. These questions allow us to respond with the kind of grace Jesus first offered to us.

One night a couple of weeks ago, I heard the sound of sobbing outside my front  door. I switched on the lights and opened the door to find my alcoholic neighbor lying shivering on the ground, weeping and moaning. She’d had too much to drink and was nursing a swollen eye. She’d had another argument with her husband and was settling down to sleep it off outside. I knelt down beside her, trying to avoid the filth she was lying in, and I listened to her talk about her problems for a while.  She was at rock bottom and she knew it. But she couldn’t see a way out. My calling in that moment, and in every interaction with her, is simply to extend love and grace, and try to help her find a better pathway.

I know Jesus can heal her and set her free. I know when God looks at her, He sees a beloved daughter who desperately needs love, grace, forgiveness and transformation. She may not be what most folks would think of as “deserving.” And neither am I. And that makes us the perfect candidates for grace.

This article originally appeared on Used with permission.


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#vikinggrub Fish Cakes

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on an Estonian blog. You can find the original on my Viking Grub board. I translated it from Estonian, changed the units from Metric to US Customary (Thanks internet!), and ended up tweaking the amounts of ingredients to my taste.

I have found that there is some adaptation of a fishcake in many of the Nordic cuisines. The original recipe was more in the Finnish syle. In fact, there was a very interesting bit about the food pyramid in Finland that accompanied the original recipe. Another of the recipes I consulted while I was working on this adaptation was Danish, and called Fiskefrikadeller. The recipe contained many of the same elements: types of fish, lemon, capers etc. Anyone who knows Nordic/Scandinavian cuisine well, feel free to comment & school me on the subtle differences between a Finnish fishcake & a Danish fishcake.

The process of making the fishcakes was not dissimilar to making potato latkes. The key to success is getting the batter to the proper consistency, and having your oil at just the right temperature.

Fiskefrikadeller (Danish Fishcakes)

makes 18 mini-cakes

  • 1 (14oz) can salmon, drain & reserve liquid, pick out any skin/bones
  • 4 tilapia filets, cooked (I bought mine frozen & poached them for around 8 mins.)
  • 1 large egg
  • the juice of half a lemon (around 2 tbsp)
  • 1/2 tbsp dried dill OR
  • 3 tbsp chopped, fresh dill
  • 2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 C panko bread crumbs
  • canola or peanut oil, for frying

  1. In a food processor or blender, blitz the fish until they form a thick paste. Add 1-3 tbsp of the reserved salmon liquid, if needed, to facilitate the blending.
  2. Dump fish mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Add egg, lemon juice, dill, and capers. Stir until combined.
  3. Refrigerate mixture for about 10 mins. Meanwhile, heat oil in shallow pan over medium/medium high heat.
  4. When the mixture is chilled, add in the panko, and stir to combine.
  5. When the oil is hot (around 350F), you can begin dropping scoops of the batter into the hot oil. I used my medium sized Pampered Chef scoop, which is around 2 tbsp, & spread the mixture a bit with the back of the scoop until the cake got to the desired size.
  6. Fry cakes about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Serving Suggestions:

  • serve with oven roasted, skin-on, red potatoes
  • serve with fries
  • enjoy with remoulade or tartar sauce
  • make a Fiskefrikadellar slider
  • make a Fiskefrikadellar Eggs Benedict #putaneggonit

Finnish Pulla Bread with Cinnamon & Cardamom

This recipe is the Scandinavian version of a cinnamon roll. But better. Not as sickeningly sweet as their Amercian counterparts, the dough is yeasty & just slightly sweet, the filling is flavorful and not excessive, and they are delicious without any type of gooey white icing on top. If you would like, you can top with crushed cardamom seeds or almonds after the egg wash. Completely by accident, I made these the same night I made chili for my kids for dinner. Chili & cinnamon rolls are some sort of weird Midwestern combo that I have never understood. Possibly a native Midwesterner can explain it to me?

A side note: cardamom is awesome & a cornerstone of the Nordic flavor profile. It is expensive, but a little goes a long way. I would recommend *not* buying the pods if possible. Use seeds or ground seeds. I had the pods leftover from when I made spiced rum & it was extremely time-consuming & labor-intensive to open a pile of pods & remove the seeds from within.

As I was taking the seeds out of the cardamom pods, I was reminded of this passage from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. #nerdalert

Pulla Bread with Cinnamon & Cardamom

makes 16 large rolls

for the dough:

  • 4 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 2C warmed milk (2% or whole is best)
  • 7C all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2C granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cardamom seeds
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

for the filling:

  • 18 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1C granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp ground cardamom
  • 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
  • slivered almonds, or crushed cardamom seeds, for garnish (if desired)

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Warm the milk in the microwave. As with any liquid you are adding yeast to, you will need it to be warm, not hot. In my microwave, it took about 1 min.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm milk and yeast. Set aside for at least 5 mins, or until frothy.
  4. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, sugar, cardamom and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until combined.
  5. Add the butter, a tbsp at a time, waiting for each addition to combine before adding the next.
  6. Knead for 6-8 mins, until dough is elastic & slightly sticky.
  7. Put the dough in a larger bowl that is oiled or buttered (here I recommend either butter or cooking spray), cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
  8. Meanwhile, prep the filling: combine the butter, granulated sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl and mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
  9. Lightly dust your work surface with about 2 tbsp of flour. Turn the risen dough out and divide in 2 (I found that this was alot of dough to work with at once).
  10. With a rolling pin, roll it out to about 1/2″ thick. Ideally, the shape of the dough should be as close to rectangular as possible, but don’t worry if your dough is slightly rounded at the edges.
  11. Spread half the filling evenly over the dough, reaching all the way to the edges, then, beginning with a long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 8 rolls.
  12. Repeat the above process with the other half of the dough.
  13. On two baking sheets with parchment paper arrange eight Pulla on each sheet, making sure they are about 2 inches apart. Cover Pulla with plastic wrap and allow them to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. They will double in size. (Hence the spacing.)
  14. Brush the pulla with the beaten egg and sprinkle with cardamom seeds or slivered almonds, if desired.
  15. Bake for 10 mins or until golden brown. Serve warm with a cup of strong coffee.

    adapted from a recipe from

Creamy Salmon Soup AKA “Lohikeitto”

Remember the Legit Fish Stock I made the other day? It made 4 quart-size mason jars full, and here’s what I made with 2 of them. This recipe is for a salmon soup, known in Finland as Lohikeitto. You pronounce it like this. It’s a simple, hearty soup that’s surprisingly filling. I actually adapted it from a recipe, translated from Finnish with metric measurements changed over. You’re welcome. If you’re interested, you can find the original recipe on my Pinterest board, Viking Grub.

Creamy Salmon Soup

makes 4-6 servings

  • 1 15-oz can Pink or Red Alaskan Salmon
  • 2 quarts fish Stock
  • 1/2 large white onion, diced fine
  • 4 cardamom pods, smashed open
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 C half-and-half
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • dill or chives for garnish (optional)
  • salt & white pepper (to taste)

  1. In a medium dutch oven or a large pot, bring stock to a boil.
  2. When the stock is boiling, add onion, cardamom pods, nutmeg, and bay leaves.
  3. Add the potatoes to the boiling stock and cook for about 10 mins.
  4. Remove the cardamom pods and bay leaves from the broth.
  5. Remove the salmon from the can. Examine it for any small bones or residual bits of skin, and remove these. The can that I used contained most of a spinal column and a few pin bones and I’m not really too into having that in my soup so I pulled them out.  IMG_1019
  6. Break the salmon into bite-sized chunks and add to the soup. Simmer soup at medium-high heat for about 5 mins.
  7. Add the half-and-half and the butter, heat for about 5 mins at medium heat, or until the butter is melted.
  8. Taste the soup and add salt and white pepper to taste. I found the fish & stock to be salty enough, so I didn’t feel that I needed to add any salt.
  9. Serve warm and topped with dill or chives, if desired, with a few slices of dark bread for sopping up the broth.

Legit Fish Stock

Nordic is the new black. I’m not kidding. Check out my new Pinterest board Viking Grub. Nordic food & the Nordic diet are getting ready to have a serious moment. Mark my words. What constitutes a Nordic diet? That’s a great question & I’m glad you asked… berries (think the lingonberries you get alongside your meatballs at IKEA), root vegetables, dark grains (like rye), a subtle flavor profile with spices like cardamon & dill, and seafood. Lots of seafood. Hence my preparation of a legit fish stock. You can make a “cheaters” fish stock of sorts using things like shrimp shells to provide the “fishy” flavor. This is not an option for me since I shouldn’t really be eating shellfish (allergies: sad face). And so,with temperatures dropping, and autumn imminent, I bring you the prelude to my upcoming adventures in Nordic cuisine…

I felt very special when I arrived at Whole Foods and received these… **BONUS** He spelled my name correctly!

Legit Fish Stock

  • 2 pounds fish parts (heads, tails, bones etc) You don’t want to use any fish that are too oily to make stock. I ended up using red snapper, and 2 pounds ended up being 2 full snapper carcasses.
  • 1 pound of carrots, roughly chopped (Remember, when you’re making stock it’s OK to leave the skins on.)
  • 1 large white onion, roughly chopped (I chop the top & bottom of the onion off & remove the skin.)
  • half a head of celery (4-6 stalks), roughly chopped (Leave on the leaves!)
  • 2 tbsp EVOO
  • 12 C water
  • 1/4 C apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 C dry white wine
  • 1/4 C dried parsley
  • 2 bay leaves

  1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven heat EVOO over medium high heat.
  2. Add celery, carrots, and onion & sweat until translucent but not browned.

    See? I leave the leaves on my celery and the carrots are not peeled…

  3. Season with salt & pepper, if desired.
  4. Pour in white wine and bring to a boil. Breathe in the delicious aromas deeply…
  5. Add the fish carcasses and cover with water. I like to use water that I have already heated in my electric kettle because it makes the wait-time until boiling shorter.
  6. Add the vinegar and bring it to a boil.
  7. At this point you may want to skim off any scum that rises to the top. I use a tool that looks like this:  skimmer
  8. Add the parsley & bay leaves to the pot. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 4 hours.
  9. Let stock cool for 1-2 hours, fish out the large bits of bone & veggies with a slotted spoon.
  10. Strain stock through a cheesecloth and can or freeze until ready to use.

**NOTE** You can carefully sift through the bones & pick out some lovely bits of fish that you can use in your soup or in place of canned tuna in a later application. Let me emphasize the word CAREFULLY. Fish carcasses have a lot of small, sharp bones, so be safe!  safety


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Interview: Elisa Martínez, from &

1. What do you do for a living, how did you become a digital nomad / remote professional and where you are based now?

Since 2006 I work as an SEO and I am specialized in online marketing.
I left my last job in agency in 2010 with the goal of becoming a freelance and I started to work from my home, in Madrid.

In the summer of 2012 I decided to leave Madrid for 2 and a half months to travel around the north of Spain staying with friends friends who lived along the beach. They didn’t have Internet but I could do my work using my phone as a router and some days from Internet cafes. Every 3 weeks I went back to my parents house to work hard and use their Internet connection.

Beach from Elisa answered the Remoters Interview

Just now, I´m doing the interview from here (you can see the picture) and I´m waiting for improve the sea´s conditions and could gone to the water before sunset.

2. Do you work by yourself or in a team?

Until the beginning of this year, 2015 I have been working with another person, but currently I’m working alone.

3. How many people work at your company? How many of you work remotely? / Where do you work from (where is the team based)?

There were two of us and both of us worked remotely from different places, 900 km away from each otherI worked from Santander or Madrid and he worked from Benidorm.

4. Why did you decide to start working remotely?

Since I began to work by myself, I realized that it was my dream to be able to work from anywhere.I love surfing and when I started surfing I tried to come to the north of Spain from Madrid, two or three times per month. This hobby, probably, was the most important factor to love my condition of remoter. And in fact, I have now been living close to the sea for almost two years. This is possible only because I am a “remoter”.

5. How do you keep connected with the team? Do you meet somewhere frequently? If this is the case, where and how often?

You can find me connected on Skype every day. The team are working with Slack and it´s amazing for us.  We meet sometimes in Madrid, and I use that time to also meet up with my clients whose headquarters are in the capitol. The periodicity of the meetings has been very different throughout these years. Some years we met only 3 times and other times we have seen each other 3 times per month.

6. Which are the biggest benefits and advantages that you have found by working remotely?

I have no doubt that the main advantage is the mobility. The fact that I don’t have to stay in a specific place is a luxury. Anyway, each person enjoys different situations. For me, this kind of life allows me to travel to see my parents often, to spend where I choose and finally to live where I had always desired to be. I can live on the waterfront instead of in a big city.

7. What are the biggest challenges you face working remotely and how do you overcome them?

The biggest challenges are solving the problems through skype and the phone. I think that it is very necessary to have more confidence in your team than when you work in an office, where you can see everyone face to face. There have also been some customers that have needed to have physical and face to face meetings, but usually only at the beginning of our contracts.

I overcome these challenges with professionalism, as I already mentioned,  some customers preferred to see us quite often in the beginning, and after some months they saw that it was not necessary because the work and the objectives were carried out  successfully although we hadn’t presented the results in person.

8. Do you think that you have lost something by working remotely?

Yes, you lose the social relationships and companionship which you can find in an office. But I find balance with people who do not share the work with me. I work sometimes from a coworking and these places help me find people to share work related moments with.

9. Which are the benefits and disadvantages for them to work with someone remotely? Have they ever told you something about it?

Yes, I commented that some clients needed to meet me physically, especially at the beginning of the relationship. However there are many clients who don’t ask where you live and don’t require that kind of face to face relationship.

10. What’s the working philosophy and environment you look to have?

My work philosophy aims to find a balance between my work, my hobbies and the liabilities. The most important factor in my work environment is to feel comfortable where I am working and I would like to collaborate with other professionals that look for the same things and who do not give importance to where you work.

11. Which places, cities, countries have you work from since becoming a remoter? Which has been your favorite one?

Mainly I have worked in Spain, except for some trips I have taken, in which I have been able to combine holidays or a professional conference, and work, a sort of “workation”. I do not have a sole favorite place, but I can tell you some of my favorite places… these are the places where I can work from my van or close to it. I love waking up in my van, going into the water and surfing and then starting my day.

Either a sunrise

12. Which type of place do you work from in particular? Cowor
king spaces? Coffee shops? Somewhere else? Why and which are your favorite ones?

Not especially, I adapt pretty well. I only I need a table to work comfortably, it´s the most important thing for productivity.

13. Can you describe a typical work day in your life?

I have two kind of typical working days: When I am at home, at my home base (in Santander), I usually wake up at 8 am, have breakfast and go to the coworking where I work until 15. I come back home, have lunch and continue working until 18 or later. Afterwards, I try to do some sports or meet up with friends.  In the summer, I try to not work in the  afternoons and I try to start to work early.From a BarFrom above

14. How do you manage work-life balance?

I would not change it for anything. I give my life a 10 just now. I get to balance my life and my work at maximum. Like in every job, there are periods with a lot of work, at those times, being a remoter is negative because you can´t separate the hours and I am thinking about work all the time, but I try hard for that not happens.

15. How being a digital nomad has changed you?

Specially, I notice it in the rhythm of life and the way of seeing it. I´m calmer and I am much happier with my work.

16. What do you do to avoid distractions when working?

I go to the coworking when I need to focus, but if I am concentrated I can work from anywhere without distractions. Some tricks are, when I am at home, to do the home works to taking advantage of breaks and not merge work with obligations. When I am away from home I deactivate the notifications to avoid distractions.

17. What would you say to companies that don’t believe in hiring people working remotely?

I would tell them, that they should try it because a lot of people have less distractions in their homes than in the offices. Working at home you can´t go to take a coffee, nobody comes to your computer to show you something, etc. I think that at home you can work much more than in an office.

18. Which tools do you use that facilitate your life as a remoter?

My essential tools for communication are: Skype, Hangout and Slack. For the project manager: Trello (for tasks) and Paymo (to count hours). And for the documentation management: Dropbox and Drive are vital.

19. Which places would you like to visit next -enjoy and work from- in your remoter journey?

Any beach could be a good place. I have yet to make a tour around Cantrabrico Sea and Portugal with my van, my board and my computer. Working, surfing and taking pictures on the road. Maybe I could do part of it this summer. I am also dying to work from Asia and South America.

20. Which is the best of working remotely? Which is the worst?

The best of working remotely is  the sensation of freedom that you can feel. The worst things are the moments when you need to share or to ask some things to other people and you are forced to solve them by mail or skype. And the other thing is the difficulty to take some holidays. It´s very easy to take some days off, but it is almost impossible to take a week, or two weeks at a time. At the end the solution is to have “workation”, but it´s not enough many times.

21. What advice would you share with people looking to start working remotely?

Well, I don’t know if my advice could be useful to anyone, but I will try to give you things that have worked for me. You need to be very organized and you need to manage the lack of routine to try to improve your productivity. It is also important to be happy from the beginning to see the advantages of this kind of life and become a real, good and productive remoter.
If you think that I could help you somehow or you have more questions, you can tell me and I will be happy to answer you.

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Let’s Work Together

Think of me as your yenta for all things food-related:
Do you need a concierge or tour guide (or just a font of info) for your NOLA trip?
On the hunt for a writer, tester, or editor for a cookbook project, or professional recipe development for your next campaign?
Maybe you—like me—are a home cook in search of strategies for more seamless and intuitive meal planning, more confidence and intuition as you cook, or a good kitchen life hack.

Pull up a seat to my table! I’ve got plenty to share. This quick discovery form will help clarify your needs and ensure we’re on the same page so we can get right to daydreaming and problem-solving. It won’t take long, I promise. I’ll reach out after!


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Category: Job

Recommendation Saturday: Laughter is the Best Medicine!

He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. – Job 8:21  I just love to laugh!!  Sometimes it makes my head hurt, but it never fails to leave my heart feeling refreshed!… Read More

Asking Why

You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. – Job 42:3 I have asked God why,… Read More


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30A Bike Rentals

Add on Umbrella Home Delivery

Please add this product if you are interested in adding an additional umbrella to your home delivery beach service order.

This product can only be added onto orders that include the home delivery beach service package.

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This rental is for one beach service umbrella in your desired location. Rent Gear Here can only set up this service rental if the following requirements are met:

  • Service is to be set up along the beaches of 30A or Inlet Beach only
  • Guest specifies a public beach area for beach service set to be set up (i.e., public walk over name and location.) Rent Gear Here cannot set up a beach service set on any beach that has a contracted beach service. On 30A, these areas include, but are not limited to Rosemary Beach, Water’s Edge, Seacrest Beach, Alys Beach, WaterSound, Seaside, and WaterColor. In Destin, these areas may include, but are not limited to: Sandestin Beach Resort, and most beachside condos. If you are staying in Destin, we strongly recommend you check with your rental agent to see if a contracted service is available.

We reserves the right to delay service set up in the event of inclement weather. Rent Gear Here also reserves the right to expedite pick up in the event of impending inclement weather.

*Rent for five days, and get the sixth for free! $180/weekly price is listed for six full beach day set ups. The seventh day of rental(s) is the start of a new week and therefore will be charged accordingly. Please begin your rental on the first day you wish to have your beach service set(s) set up. Please end your rental on the last day you wish to have your beach service set(s) set up. In the “delivery address” box in the online check out page, the delivery address needs to be the public beach service access number, with an address. Thank you!

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Commercial food is killing our pets

Well-meaning cat and dog owners are causing long-lasting damage to their pets by feeding them commercial pet foods, according to a new book.

Veterinarian Tom Lonsdale claims in his book that all cats and dogs need bones as part of their diet to keep them healthy.

But he says many vets promote and sell the processed foods despite the problems they cause, because of their close links with the multi-billion dollar pet food industry.

“If you own a dog or a cat which you feed with processed food from the supermarket or corner store, you will probably
find this book deeply disturbing,” Dr Lonsdale said in the preface.
The launch of the book coincides with a campaign by the American pet food company, Ralston Purina, using Sydney University veterinary students to promote its products in supermarkets.

The company claimed last week it had hired the students to promote its “optimal nutritional excellence” petfoods because Australian consumers were the most uneducated in the western world about pet nutrition.
But Dr Lonsdale argues in detail, using his own experience as
a vet at South Windsor, the experience of other local vets and overseas research, that dogs and cats need to chew on bones to prevent mouth disease.

According to pet food company Hill’s, seven out of 10 adult pets have some degree of dental problems. Without bones, their gums quickly become diseased, leading to tooth problems, bad breath and an array of systemic problems including a drop in white blood cells.

As a result, they could develop serious immune deficiencies which Dr
Lonsdale likened to the AIDS in people, although it is not caused by a virus. “It’s not a matter of whether artifical pet foods and food-induced periodontal disease give rise to ill health, it’s more a matter of which disease, when and how,” he said. Dr Lonsdale advocates giving cats and dogs raw chicken wings, chicken necks and ox tail to young kittens and puppies when
they most need to chew.

“Older larger dogs need raw bones and cats need raw meat on the bone,” he
Dr Lonsdale said the book was intended to give pet owners the information to challenge their vets and overcome the most common problems for cats and
dogs. He said pet owners often did not notice the problems until they were
far advanced, especially in dogs which intuitively hide ailments.
Although opening a can or a bag of dried food was convenient, he said most
pet owners cared deeply for their animals and wanted the best for them.
“People have been led to believe that owning a cat or dog is a simple matter
and feeding can be dealt with using commercial offerings,” he said.
“But if they start to see themselves as responsible zoo keepers, looking after
animals without bars, they will enjoy pet ownership much more and have
fewer problems.”
Dr Lonsdale had to fight the veterinary profession to make his claims, which
included that the Australian Veterinary Association had become too closely involved with commercial pet food
When he first raised his concerns in 1996, he was accused of professional misconduct and threatened with being struck off the veterinary register.
He was even threatened with jail if he revealed the nature of four complaints
which were made about him to the NSW Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee (VSIC), all of which were later dropped.
The investigatory committee claimed then that Dr Lonsdale was “stating
extremist views in a very public forum that he has not supported publicly by
scientific data”. NSW MLA Paul Lynch has raised Dr Lonsdale’s treatment by the VSIC in Parliament several times as well as other concerns
about the committee.
Another of Dr Lonsdale’s targets is the Petcare Information and Advisory Service, which promotes dog and cat ownership.
Although it does not declare this, Petcare is funded by Uncle Ben’s, a subsidiary of Mars Group (which also makes Mars Bars), Australia’s biggest pet food company.
A Petcare spokeswoman declined to comment on Dr Lonsdale’s views and said the service did not really advise people on nutrition.
However, its website strongly advocates the use of commercial foods.
“The most reliable and convenient way to provide a balanced and palatable diet is to feed high quality prepared dog food, both
canned and dry,” it says on its website.
“Puppies have different nutritional requirements to adult dogs and for this reason it is essential to feed your puppy with
specially formulated puppy foods in canned and dry forms.”
Source: Dr Tom Lonsdale, author, “Raw Meaty Bones”.

  1. Bad breath. This is not natural in dogs and is a sign of “mouth rot”.
  2.  Lack of a shiny glossy coat, itchy skin. Dog looks poor, unkempt, unhappy.
  3.  Prolonged sleeping, dull eyes, too thin or too fat.
  4.  Gastroenteritis, persistent diarrhoea, liver problems.
  5.  Arthritis, stiffness, poor circulation, collagen disease.

Raw Meaty Bones is available from the wesbite,

Understanding drug addictions

Loving someone that has an addiction is a struggle that is widely known. The fact that it’s not all in their hands nevertheless, doesn’t seem that familiar to the public. We, as a society, tend to think that drug users are in that situation because they want to. They are seen as criminals, as people to avoid, as dangerous individuals, as selfish people who started fooling around with drugs, or just seen as scary folks. But what would happen if we started changing our perception? Would that help?

Let’s see how it worked out in Portugal:

In 1999, 1 in every 100 people were drug addicts. In 2001, Portugal approved a law to decriminalise the personal possession of all drugs. This meant users would be encouraged – not forced – to give up drugs. They created a Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction, formed by legal, health and social work professionals.

The Bill meant:

Click here for a pdf explanation

  1. Whenever a user was caught doing drugs, he or she would get arrested and fined, but not imprisoned.

  1. One is then noted and told to join a treatment programme financed by the government.

While the same quantity of money is spent fighting against drugs, the criminal department distributes it differently. This is because the targets are only those who sell drugs, rather than the ones who consume drugs. Results are astonishing:

Werther Ramalho completed his masters in Criminal Law in Brazil and also studied in Portugal. He tells us his opinion comparing both countries. “Portugal’s experience inspired a variety of transformations in the legal treatment of users that have taken place across the continent.”

Werther reveals that Portugal has achieved a movement that promotes seeing the issue as a health problem, rather than a crime. This has had a global impact that affected Latin America as well, and Brazil, influenced by Portugal, started to apply this theory in 2006 and made a similar measure in the same direction but Brazil still see it as a criminal offence. What both politics have in common is they haven’t looked at what kind of self harm is tolerable. “For example”, he explains, “Uruguay considered that marijuana is acceptable and they regulated its use. This made Uruguay able to invest much more in public health policies”

The use of drugs in Portugal after 10 years since the law was approved was completely astonishing:

Screen-Shot-2016-11-20-at-16.40.53While the same quantity of money is spent fighting against drugs, the criminal department distributes it differently. This is because the targets are only those who sell drugs, rather than the ones who consume drugs.

After doing a wide research I came across a study done by Robis, Davis and Nuco in 1974. The results altered my views on drug addictions. Let me explain it, I will try to take you there with me: We are going back to the Vietnam War.

It’s the summer of 1971 and the military are carrying out urine tests on their soldiers. They are worried as the number of servicemen addicted to heroin reached epidemic proportions: 73% of results came out positive. Both army and government are concerned; they won’t be able to cover the costs of adequate programmes, facilities and medication for the soldiers when they get back to the USA. Six months later, after a follow up and some more urine tests, they find out that of all the drug users in Vietnam, only 10% of them are using drugs at home. How can this be possible? Click here to see the whole study

Well, it is much more simple than what we tend to think. The addiction was there for a reason, which was the war. Soldiers were forced to turn to drugs as a way to escape from the reality of killing people and seeing friends die every day. Once they were back home, their reality was a nice environment in which family, friends and a peaceful way of life surrounded them – so the addiction instantly disappeared. This means that our concept of drug addiction is wrong.

Our own case study is Stuart, who has been a drug addict and is now an alcoholic living in North West London. Stuart’s girlfriend committed suicide a few years ago and he has no family left. He is dealing with his own Vietnam War.

Stuart inherited the house that he now lives in. His daily routine is drink a few beers, walk the dog, go to the shop to get dinner and sometimes more alcohol. From what he tells me, he is isolated from society, as he doesn’t have a job or belong anywhere. His front teeth are missing from previous addictions, and even though he looks scary, he has a good heart. His dog, he tells me, keeps him alive and away from harder drugs.

Screen Shot 2017-05-23 at 14.19.17

[Stuart’s clip is available at:

Scientists carried out the same experiment using rats: They put one rat in a cage with two bottles, one had morphine and the other one had water. After a few days the rat became addicted to the morphine and overdosed herself to death. But what they found out is if the rat was put in a cage with some other rats and fun entertainment activities to do it wouldn’t become addicted, instead the rat wouldn’t feel the need to use drugs.

Stuart’s life could change if some regulations and the society had a different approach. It’s our laws and our judgements that separate us.

Monica Sanchez


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Protocols and Reports

Document Type

Technical Report

Date of this Version

The purpose of this document is to show how to use the surface profilometer to measure residual film stress in deposited thin films.

Quattrone Nanofabrication Facility

Date Posted: 20 February 2017

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

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Compositional Approaches in Supervisory Control with Application to Automatic Generation of Robot Interlocking Policies
Doktorsavhandling, 2006

The work presented in this thesis concerns verification and synthesis in the Ramadge and Wonham supervisory control framework. Supervisory control constitutes a formal framework for the design of supervisors for discrete event systems. These systems usually model high level descriptions of logical behaviours in applications such as flexible manufacturing processes, chemical batch processing systems and communication systems. The supervisory control framework has the potential to solve many safety and flexibility issues in such systems. Unfortunately, the analysis of discrete event systems involves an intrinsic difficulty known as the state-space explosion problem---a combinatorial explosion that soon occurs when problems of real-world complexity are analysed. The state-space explosion problem has given rise to much research and in the last decades many ingenious approaches to solving the problem have been presented. However, most of these approaches have in common that they can only be applied to special classes of supervisory control problems or that they only give partial solutions. Therefore, in a new attempt to overcome the state-space explosion problem for general supervisory control problems, this thesis develops compositional methods for verification and synthesis in the supervisory control framework. Compositional methods exploit the inherent modularity of discrete event models by using abstractions to incrementally hide already analysed behaviour of the system. A major part of the thesis concerns developing a methodology for calculating these abstractions and for applying the compositional approach to complex problems. Furthermore, a very important part of this work is the implementation of the compositional methods in a software tool for supervisory control. Experimental results from this implementation are also presented in the thesis. As a matter of fact, earlier work on computational complexity have shown that it is impossible to solve the state-space explosion problem efficiently for general problems. Even so, the results presented in this thesis show that ``large'' supervisory control problems found in the litterature typically have enough structure in them to be solved efficiently by compositional methods. Another contribution of this thesis is the development of a method to automatically generate models of the necessary interlocking requirements with respect to robot collisions in industrial robot cells. The generated models are suitable for supervisor synthesis in the supervisory control framework as well as for work-cycle optimisation. Automatic model generation and synthesis are important factors for shortening the development time and improving the flexibility for industrial robot cells.

finite state automata

Discrete event systems

model reduction

supervisory control

10.00 EF
Opponent: Professor Ryan Leduc, Department of Computing and Software, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Hugo Flordal

Chalmers, Signaler och system, System- och reglerteknik, Automation

Datavetenskap (datalogi)

Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 2542

10.00 EF

Opponent: Professor Ryan Leduc, Department of Computing and Software, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Mer information


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Ohio 2021

Ohio 2021

Matt Triplet

Lacrosse Dublin Coffman High School (Defensive Coordinator 2000 – 2005) St. Francis DeSales (Head Coach 2005 – Present) State Championship in 2012 Final Four appearance in 2013 US Lacrosse Central Ohio Coach of the Year – 2011, 2012 OHSLA Division 2...

Matt Lee

Elite Teams/Recruiting Director Lacrosse -Native of Oceanside, New York -Lettered all four years at Ohio State -Academic All Big 10 -10+ years experience coaching lacrosse -TEAM 614 Head Coach and Founder -U-13 Central Ohio US Lacrosse Head Coach -Former Upper...

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Resolving Timeline Issues

Archive for September 2nd, 2008

Everyone knows the US election is in full swing (or it will be after the Republican National Convention which may or may not occur on time depending on what Hurricane Gustav does).

North of the 49th, we’re also potentially, maybe headed for an election as well. Prime Minister Stephen Harper thinks that Parliament has become dysfunctional. Over the last week or two, he’s been meeting with the leaders of the opposition parties to see what can be done. Its apparent that he hopes to call an election for the fall. Take note: the Canadian election, if its allowed, will take place before the US election. National news stations are positing October 14th.

Canwest News Services is reporting that so far:

PQ Leader Gilles Duceppe and NDP Leader Jack Layton met with Harper Friday and Saturday respectively. Both Duceppe and Layton came away from those meetings convinced that Harper wants a general election and was not interested in finding a compromise that would allow the House of Commons to resume sitting on Sept. 15. Liberal insiders say Dion goes in to his meeting Monday with Harper with low expectations that any agreement will be reached that would put MPs back in the Commons on Sept. 15.

So what has to happen? Here’s a bit of a history and political system lesson.*

Like most countries that are former British Colonies, Canada still has some constitutional hangovers. In this case, the Governor General (who represents the Queen in Canada) is the only one who can dissolve Parliament. Normally, when a bill fails in Parliament (and usually a money bill of some sort), the Prime Minister will make a symbolic walk to her residence and ask the Governor General (GG) to dissolve Parliament. Generally, the GG is considered a figurehead and does what the Prime Minister asks.

However, the GG plays an important role when it comes to minority governments. More often than not, the party with the majority of seats forms the government (Cabinet). Bills and laws extend from Cabinet and are approved by Parliament. With a majority government this isn’t a problem – laws are passed and we trundle along quite merrily for a few years. Parliament tows the party line (or is that toes? I always get that mixed up), bills are passed, and a bit later an election rolls around.

In a minority government situation (like now) more often than not, the party with the most seats forms government.

If the minority government falls, the GG has a couple of options. First, she can dissolve Parliament which results in a call for an election. Second, she can meet with leaders of the “opposition” parties to hear petitions on Why My Party Should Be the Government, and appoint another party to become that government.

With me so far? Alrighty, then. Here’s the history part.

Back in 1925-26, Prime Minister Mackenzie King asked the Governor General Lord Byng to dissolve Parliament. Like the current government, King was in a minority government position. The Conservatives had won the most seats but were in a minority situation. When Byng refused to dissolved Parliament, King resigned and the GG asked the opposition under Meighen to form a government.

Within a week, the new minority government lost a confidence vote and an election was called.

(you can read more about the King-Byng Crisis here)

Now, the King-Byng Crisis was important; it redefined the role of the GG and put that position more as a figurehead than an actual decision-making position. The order of the day since then has been non-interference from London on Canadian matters.

Hopefully this provides some background on the role of the GG in Canadian Politics.

Now, fast forward about 80 years, and we have almost the exact same situation again – a minority Conservative government (following a minority Liberal government). When they came in, they put in fixed election dates (I know! Amazing! Fixed election dates! Whod’a thunk?!). And now Prime Minister Harper wants an election, ostensibly because Parliament can’t function in the fall.

Well, there’s a legal question about this. Because of the fixed election date, unless the government falls in a confidence vote, its entirely possible that an election call will be illegal. But that’s one for  the lawyers.

It ultimately rests with the Governor General: in order for an election to happen, she must dissolve parliament. And you can damn well bet she’s going to ask legal advice before that occurs.

So will we be going to the polls in October? Likely, but not etched in stone. Harper always has the option of putting forth some really controversial bill, forcing a confidence vote that will fail if the GG refuses to dissolve Parliament.

Hopefully, this provides a bit of an explanation of WTF is going on in Ottawa. We’ll see later this week if there’s an election call (probably next Sunday, which sets the stage for an October 14 election).

*I’m planning a series of future posts on the various parties, current status, more detail on the system, and the leaders themselves. If anyone wants to guest post, let me know.

September 2008
« Aug   Oct »

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Find element with class and append div without jQuery

jQuery is a wonderful library that allows you to achieve cross browser support a lot more easily than writing with pure Javascript as well as making it relatively straight forward to traverse and update the DOM. Sometimes, however, the project you are working on will not have jQuery available so you are faced with the question: Do I include jQuery for this small bit of fuctionality, or, do I learn how to write it with vanilla Javascript?

This is precisely the issue that I was facing with the secondary sidebar navigation on this site as part of the redesign. The team at No Divide provided me with clean semantic markup for the navigation, and the enhanced version used Vue.js for the interactivity — no jQuery to be found anywhere.

Here is the mark up:

   Responsive HTML

       Am I responsive?

       Viewport meta element

CSS //etc etc

Each li for the nav has a class of .nav__item, and if that has any child elements there is also a div added with the class .nav__expand and a span for the toggle icon.

From there is the next ul for the sub list along with the li‘s and links as well.

For anyone that has every used WordPress (or any slightly opinionated CMS) will know all too well that the markup you would like to use and the markup that is generated by WordPress will not always match.

The markup provided by the wp_list_pages() function in wordpress comes packed with a whole bunch of default classes which is never likely to match up with something BEM focussed. If you’re working with a team that delivers WordPress sites a lot you’ll likely get something that matches the output of WordPress, however, I don’t think this is necessarily a good thing. If at some point you want to migrate from one CMS to another you’re porting a set of markup that is irrelevant. I’m all for doing things the right way and using a CMS that isn’t opinionated (something like Craft I’ve been told) or manipulating WordPress in a way that delivers what you need.

Here’s the wordpress code out of the box:

   CSS

      CSS3 Multiple Columns

How do I organise my CSS?

Frameworks

I’m sure there is likely to be a function that could be written and added to the functions.php file to manipulate the output, and I would encourage tweets in reference to how to do that, but for now this is what I’m having to work with (and I’m guessing a lot of you as well).

In the end I went back to the CSS, took the styles applied via the BEM method and reapplied them to a javery_overrides.scss file. This solved the issue with the class names, but it didn’t solve the issue of the
....
 issues.

The jQuery way

I’m not great at Javascript but I’ve become more and more comfortable when dabbling with jQuery over the years. First I had to target the instances where the .page_item_has_children was found, and the a directly following it.

$('.page_item_has_children_jquery > a')

Once I found all those I just had to add in the additional markup by using .after('//div I need here').

$('.page_item_has_children_jquery > a').after('

');

That took about 5 minutes for me to get sorted (maybe even less).

Alas, though, there was no jQuery included on the project and I didn’t want to load up the whole script just so I could achieve that small piece of funtionality. Of course, there is native JS shipped with everything these days….

The Javascript way

let x = document.body.querySelectorAll('.page_item_has_children > a');
 let index = 0;
 for( index=0; index < x.length; index++ ) { var navArrow = document.createElement('div'); navArrow.className = 'nav__expand'; navArrow.innerHTML = '';
      x[index].parentNode.insertBefore(navArrow, x[index].nextSibling);

To Javascript, or to jQuery

My Javascript is certainly not one of my strong points, and in fact, could be considered the weakest area of my skill set. Even so, it wasn’t that difficult to take a straight forward jQuery approach to this problem and make it work using Javascript alone.

The next time you feel yourself reaching for jQuery, or any Javascript library for that matter, I encourage you to spend a few minutes to see if what you’re trying to achieve could be done just as easily without the library.

If you would like a few more basic things you can do then check out You Might Not Need jQuery For That

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Everything Omelette12.00$

Grilled ham, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, celery and American cheese.

Smoked Bacon & Omelette Ham14.00$

Grilled diced ham, applewood smoked bacon and American cheese inside and out.

Farmer's Omelette13.00$

Applewood smoked bacon, country sausage, onions, green peppers and American cheese.

Granny's Country Omelette18.00$

Diced ham, onions, celery, green peppers, American cheese and cheese sauce. With hash browns inside and out.

Blueberry Banana Multigrain Pancake Platter16.00$

Two multigrain nut pancakes loaded with blueberries and topped with fresh bananas. Served with scrambled Egg Beaters and two chicken apple sausage links. 560 calories

Belgian Waffle Platter11.00$

Our homemade Belgian waffle with two eggs and choice of two applewood smoked bacon strips or two sausage links.
Belgian Waffle.
Add cool glazed strawberries or warm glazed blueberries and whipped topping for an additional charge.

Southern Fried Chicken Biscuit Platter*20.00$

A fried chicken fillet and American cheese inside two fresh baked biscuits, topped with cream gravy. With two eggs, two applewood smoked bacon strips and choice of hash browns, breakfast potatoes or fruit.

Spinach & Mushroom Scramble22.00$

Egg Beaters scrambled with slow-roasted tomatoes, onion, fresh spinach and mushrooms. With three chicken apple sausage links, fresh fruit and dry whole wheat toast. 505 calories

Chicken Strips6.00$

Lightly breaded chicken strips served with Honey Mustard dressing.

Served with Marinara dipping sauce.

Onion Rings6-8.00$

Served with Chipotle Ranch dipping sauce.
Full Order and Smaller Portion available (price varies).

Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla12.00$

Grilled chipotle chicken, applewood smoked bacon, grilled onions with Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheeses. Drizzled with Chipotle BBQ sauce, served with salsa and sour cream.

Fried Pickles9.00$

Breaded and crispy-fried, served with Ranch dressing.

Banana Cream10.00$

Loaded with hand-sliced bananas and topped with real whipped cream and chopped walnuts.

Caramel Apple11.00$

Luscious apples with a crumb topping and rich caramel icing.

Lemon Meringue13.00$

Tangy lemon filling, light and fluffy.

Wildberry (No sugar)13.00$

Seasonal ripe berries.

Honey Mustard Chicken Crunch23.00$

Crispy chicken strips, red onions, green peppers, tomatoes, American cheese, applewood smoked bacon and Honey Mustard dressing on fresh garden greens.

Tuscan Grilled Chicken24.00$

Lemon grilled chicken atop steamed spinach, topped with slow-roasted tomatoes and seasoned feta cheese. Served with herb rice. (No sides). 550 calories

Apricot grilled salmon30.00$

A flaky, tender fillet with choice of:

  • Apricot balsamic glaze
  • Lemon pepper seasoning
  • Cajun seasoning
Chicken Strips Dinner25.00$

Crispy all-white chicken breast strips, served with Honey Mustard dipping sauce.

Butterball Turkey & Dressing28.00$

Oven-roasted and hand-carved slices, served on homestyle sage dressing with hearty turkey gravy and cranberry sauce.

Jumbo Shrimp Dinner30.00$

A generous portion of crispy jumbo butterfly shrimp served with zesty cocktail sauce.

Mushroom 'n Swiss Chicken24.00$

A grilled chicken breast seasoned with lemon pepper, topped with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, served on herb rice.

Fresh Baked Chicken Pot Pie26.00$

Chunks of tender, all-white chicken with carrots, onions, celery and peas in a rich cream sauce and served with a garden salad.
Baked fresh daily, so we may run out!
Available after 11 a.m. No sides

El Gaucho Special40.00$

Mixed Meats (700g) for 2 persons - Entrecote, Asado, Chicken (or Sirloin). Served with Vegetable Pincho and 4 grilled half-potatoes

Pincho Skewers40.00$

Pincho Entrecote 200 g. with roasted vegetables

Steak Filet40.00$

Soft and tasty meat with spices and greens

Watermelon smoothie5.00$

Heallthy and refreshing

7color cocktail7.00$

Nice to look at and drink!

Tropical Cocktails7.00$

Orange, Lime and Grapefruit tastes!

Katinka cocktail4.00$

Contains alcohol. Lemon juic and peppermint.

Tonic, Lemon Juice, Lime, Olive