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liquid silicone rubbers lifesciences medicalimplant

  • Two-part, translucent silicone system designed for use with injection molding equipment
  • Cures with heat via addition-cure chemistry
  • 1:1 Mix Ratio (Part A: Part B)

  • For the injection molding of parts requiring a material with a medium durometer including: molded rubber stoppers, gaskets, seals, valves, o-rings and other precision parts
  • Suitable for over-molding applications
  • Can be used with NuSil’s Healthcare color masterbatches for applications requiring colored silicones

Product Details

Property Average result
Durometer 43 Type A
Tensile 1,180 psi
Elongation 590 %
Tear 245 ppi
Appearance Translucent
Cure 5 minutes / 150 C
Cure System Platinum
Extrusion Rate 225 g/minute
Mix Ratio 1:1
Specific Gravity 1.12
Stress @ Strain 450 psi / 200 %
Work Time >72 hours
Comment Injection Molding Elastomer
Display in metric units

The above properties are tested on a lot-to-lot basis. Do not use as a basis for preparing specifications. Please contact NuSil Technology for assistance and recommendations in establishing particular specifications.

What is Medical Grade?

Discover how Medical-grade silicones are specifically designed, manufactured and purified to meet the strictest needs of the healthcare industry.

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National Vulnerability Database

National Vulnerability Database

National Vulnerability

CVE-2007-5730 Detail

Current Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in QEMU 0.8.2, as used in Xen and possibly other products, allows local users to execute arbitrary code via crafted data in the "net socket listen" option, aka QEMU "net socket" heap overflow. NOTE: some sources have used CVE-2007-1321 to refer to this issue as part of "NE2000 network driver and the socket code," but this is the correct identifier for the individual net socket listen vulnerability.

Source:  MITRE
Description Last Modified:  10/30/2007
View Analysis Description

CVSS v2.0 Severity and Metrics:

Base Score: 6.6 MEDIUM
Vector: (AV:L/AC:M/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C) (V2 legend)
Impact Subscore: 10.0
Exploitability Subscore: 2.7

Access Vector (AV): Local
Access Complexity (AC): Medium
Authentication (AU): Single
Confidentiality (C): Complete
Integrity (I): Complete
Availability (A): Complete
Additional Information:
Allows unauthorized disclosure of information
Allows unauthorized modification
Allows disruption of service

Vendor Statements (disclaimer)

Official Statement from Red Hat (11/02/2007)

Red Hat is aware of this issue and is tracking it via the following bug: The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this issue as having low security impact, a future update may address this flaw.

References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

By selecting these links, you will be leaving NIST webspace. We have provided these links to other web sites because they may have information that would be of interest to you. No inferences should be drawn on account of other sites being referenced, or not, from this page. There may be other web sites that are more appropriate for your purpose. NIST does not necessarily endorse the views expressed, or concur with the facts presented on these sites. Further, NIST does not endorse any commercial products that may be mentioned on these sites. Please address comments about this page to

Hyperlink Resource Vendor Advisory

References to Check Content

Check System:

Technical Details

Vulnerability Type (View All)

Change History

3 change records found - show changes

Quick Info

CVE Dictionary Entry:
NVD Published Date:
NVD Last Modified:

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What do we mean by secure voting?

The expression has different meanings depending on context. On one hand, we can speak about secure voting in the general context of cybersecurity. On the other, secure voting has more specific definitions in the academic research literature into voting systems. In this post we try to clarify the meaning of secure voting, starting from general intuitions leading to more precise technical definitions.

In a general context, secure voting is understood to be about methods, software and systems that aim to protect an election from fraud and disruption. It a question of correctness and integrity. A voting system is secure in the sense that we can trust that the results of an election are fair and correct. The main threats faced by a secure voting system are those typical of any computer security problem: hacking, intrusion, manipulation, disruption. If we restricted our discussion to this general context, secure voting would be “just” another problem in cybersecurity.

However, election integrity is not the whole story. Although the concept of cybersecurity includes concerns about data theft and privacy, the emphasis on privacy in the case of voting is critical. It’s what separates secure voting from more general problems in cybersecurity. This emphasis stems from voting’s nature as a political activity, where the crucial importance of the secret ballot is well established. The importance of the secret ballot has been recognized since roman times, and is even enshrined in the declaration of human rights[4].

Article 21.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “The will of the people…shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which…shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”

Accounting for this, the goal of secure voting is then protecting voter privacy as well as election integrity. It turns out that these two objectives are fundamentally opposed. For this reason, secure voting as a technical discipline is about finding methods that allow achieving both objectives simultaneously. It is in this domain (the academic literature on secure voting) where we find more precise definitions that factor in the core tension that general considerations about cybersecurity fail to address. And it is in this technical domain where voting-specific cryptography is employed to solve the unique problems that arise. Thus, the term “cryptographically secure voting” seems a reasonable choice to refer to this refined, more specific meaning.

At a high level[3], the goals of cryptographically secure voting are described by[1]

One of the most challenging aspects in computer-supported voting is to combine the apparently conflicting requirements of privacy and verifiability. On the one hand, privacy requires that a vote cannot be traced back from the result to a voter, while on the other hand, verifiability states that a voter can trace the effect of her vote on the result. This can be addressed using various privacy-enabling cryptographic primitives which also offer verifiability.

We stress that the use of cryptography is a means to an end, not the end in itself. A voting system that includes cryptographic techniques is not necessarily a cryptographically secure voting system. This mistake is commonly made when assessing blockchain systems: these systems use cryptography, but this cryptography has no bearing on privacy[5]. Cryptography is there to satisfy certain requirements, not the other way around.

Let’s now pin down exactly what these requirements entail.

Starting with privacy[2]

Privacy: In a secret ballot, a vote must not identify a voter and any traceability between the voter and its vote must be removed.

An alternative statement is[1]

Ballot-privacy: no outside observer can determine for whom a voter voted

Note that the expression “no outside observer” refers to anybody that is not the voter. The important implication is that not even the administrators of the voting system or anyone with privileged access to hardware/software can violate this privacy. If this condition is not met, a system does not support privacy and is therefore not a secure voting system. Solutions that simply “forget” data, or merely store data at different locations, do not satisfy privacy. It is not enough for the system to voluntarily disregard privacy-compromising information; said information must not be available at all. Relaxing this privacy requirement makes a building voting system trivial, typically reducing to the use of SSL for communication.

The literature presents several variants[1]:

Individual verifiability (IV): a voter can verify that the ballot containing her vote is in the published set of “all” (as claimed by the system) votes.

Universal verifiability (UV): anyone can verify that the result corresponds with the published set of “all” votes.

These two requirements appeared first in the literature, and were later augmented with[1]

End-to-end verifiability: a voter can verify that:
– cast-as-intended: her choice was correctly denoted on the ballot by the
– recorded-as-cast: her ballot was received the way she cast it,
– tallied-as-recorded: her ballot counts as received.

The notion of verifiability of a voting system is directly related to integrity, and is in fact a strictly stronger property. Not only must the system operate correctly and election results must be fair, but it must be possible for participants and external observers to certify this unequivocally. Verifiability is one of the areas in which electronic voting systems may offer better guarantees than traditional voting. This is accomplished through cryptographic proofs and publicly available bulletin boards that collect election data.

End-to-end verifiable voting systems

With these defintions in hand we can suggest:

A cryptographically secure voting system is one that supports privacy and end-to-end verifiability.

For brevity, these systems are referred to simply as end-to-end verifiable. End-to-end verifiable systems are considered the goal standard for electronic voting. When these characteristics are further combined with general computer security techniques the result is a generally secure voting system.

We have seen that

  • The term “secure voting” is generally thought to refer to cybersecurity and resistance to cyberattacks.
  • However, cybersecurity is a general property of hardware/software that does not reflect the specific requirements of voting as a political process. The secret ballot is an established and indispensable requirement for voting.
  • Secure voting systems must support privacy as well as integrity; these two requirements stand in opposition.
  • In a system supporting privacy, no one, not even system administrators or other privileged observers can violate the secret ballot.
  • In a system supporting end-to-end verifiability, voters can ensure that their vote was cast, recorded, and counted correctly.
  • Cryptographically secure voting systems employ cryptographic technology to satisfy these two properties simultaneously. The gold standard are end-to-end verifiable voting systems.
  • A secure voting system is an end-to-end verifiable voting system that also employs general computer security principles.

This last point expresses our view of what it means for a voting system to be secure. Although this definition is very demanding, we believe it is appropriate to be conservative in an area that overlaps with political decision making. Unfortunately this approach implies that many systems that are labelled secure voting systems do not in fact belong to that category.

[1] Privacy and Verifiability in Voting Systems: Methods, Developments and Trends [https://eprint.iacr.org/2013/615.pdf]

[2] A framework and taxonomy for comparison of electronic voting schemes [https://www2.ee.washington.edu/research/nsl/papers/JCS-05.pdf]

[3] The literature includes many other properties relevant to secure voting, we concentrate on the essential ones. Please refer to [2] for further info.

[4] Secret ballot [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_ballot#International_law]

[5] Unless you include specific cryptographic techniques such as zk-snarks (zcash) or linkable ring signatures in addition to the blockchain. One of our proposals is related to the first case, found here. Another proposal related to blockchain’s distributed nature is here.


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Experienced Journeyman Electrician Needed!

Nwestco is an established leader for over 20 years in the sales, service, and installation of fuel service and car wash equipment throughout the Northwest and the Rockies.

Successful Candidate may qualify for RELOCATION ASSISTANCE and SIGNING BONUS!!

We offer GREAT BENEFITS and career advancement opportunities: 401K, Healthcare, Dental, Long and Short Term Disability, Vacation, Holiday Pay, Clothing Allowance, Cell Phone, Vehicle, and more.

A full-time electrician is responsible for working with all electrical aspects of fuel dispensers, pumps and various other service station equipment (Gilbarco, Veeder-Root, Red Jacket and more) and retail Point of Sale (POS) systems (VeriFone, Passport).

Electrical license must be current! Travel is required throughout the state and surrounding areas with expenses fully paid.

Preference given to individuals with industry experience. The successful candidate will have the following qualifications:

Must be mechanically and technically inclined, familiar with computer operations and an aptitude for learning.
2 years of experience working with commercial electrical systems. Strong customer service and inter-personal skills with an ability to communicate effectively with customers and co-workers.
Must be self-directed and able to work independently, but also be able to act in a leadership role to provide oversight to others.
Candidates must maintain a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and be able to pass criminal background check and a pre-employment physical.

If you are interested, please respond by sending a resume or brief work history, along with salary or hourly requirements.


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  • UPDATE, 11/9: As of November 8, the USGS has successfully restored all of the operational gages that stopped transmitting due to an issue with the satellite telemetry system that records and transmits data. The USGS will now focus on restoring other equipment that experienced the telemetry issues, including about 85 rapid deployment gages that are used periodically for emergency response. Read more
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Water Quality Samples for the Nation

USGS 385023076012601 TA Be 83

Talbot County, Maryland
Latitude  38°50'23", Longitude  76°01'26" NAD27
Land-surface elevation 68 feet above NGVD29
Site Type: Well
The depth of the well is 37 feet below land surface.
The depth of the hole is 37 feet below land surface.
This well is completed in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system (S100NATLCP) national aquifer.
This well is completed in the Aquia Formation (125AQUI) local aquifer.

Period of record
Begin Date End Date Samples
1988-07-20 2001-11-07 3

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text:
York Avenue East Side WW1 Centennial Commemoration

Our aim is to honor and commemorate the heroism and the service of the soldiers and civilians, New Yorkers and other Americans, who upheld the American cause in World War I. We also want to encourage reflection on the legacy of this war. In what ways is World War I still with us? What can we learn from this long-ago conflict that will help us to face the challenges of our time?

The East Side WWI Centennial Commemoration Committee is a partnership with neighborhood leaders to host events to commemorate WWI.

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Breaking News

Stan Lee dead at 95

STORY SO FAR: Wilbur Wright has come to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to test his glider. He has spent the night on board the Curlicue, a weathered fishing schooner now anchored in Kitty Hawk Bay.

Kitty Hawk

September 1900

Wilbur woke at first light. His back ached from the bailing he’d done on the Curlicue, and his stomach ached, too; over the last two days he’d eaten almost nothing.

Will stood and rubbed the sore muscles that he could reach, took in deep breaths of the sea air, and looked back across the Bay. Somewhere beyond the gleaming water lay the mainland. He turned toward Kitty Hawk. The sun, barely off the horizon, was already fierce and hot. Gulls, buzzards, and chicken hawks circled over sand, low trees, and weathered shacks and docks. Dayton seemed impossibly far away.

Will said his good-byes to Perry and made his way into the little fishing village. A boy led him to a two-story frame house that lacked paint or plaster and was blasted by wind and sand. A hand-painted sign, nailed to a post on the porch, read “Kitty-Hawk NC Post Office.”

“This should be it,” Wilbur thought to himself. “Mr. William J. Tate’s.” Tate was Kitty Hawk’s postmaster, notary, and county commissioner. His house was where Wilbur had arranged to stay. Wilbur stepped onto the porch and knocked on the plank door.

After a moment a man opened the door. He was dark-haired, with a full mustache and sunburnt skin. He looked at Wilbur through tight eyes, as though some exotic creature had just appeared on his porch. Then he said, “Must be Wilbur Wright,” and smiled, and held out his hand. “I’m Bill Tate. Welcome to Kitty Hawk.”

“Thank you,” said Wilbur. He shook Tate’s hand and stepped into the house.

Wilbur settled in with Tate and his wife, daughters, and son, and began work on his glider. The Tates were warm hosts, but their house was as spare on the inside as on the outside. So when Orville arrived, two weeks after Will, it was more than brotherly affection that made Will glad to see him.

“I’m glad to see that coffee,” Will said.

“And it’s good to see you, too,” said Orv.

In addition to coffee, Orville brought a tent, cots, sugar, and, for relaxation, his mandolin. Together the brothers hauled the load toward Tate’s. “The Tates are the warmest hosts,” Will told Orv, “but it’s a hardscrabble life here. You’ve never seen skinnier cows or horses. The only thing fat around here are the bedbugs.”

“Well, we didn’t come for the lodging or the farming,” Orville said. “We came for wind and sand.”

Wilbur nodded. “Those we have,” he said.

The brothers set up their tent about a half mile from Tate’s house, and began assembling the glider. It was a biplane machine, over seventeen feet from tip to tip. The chord-the distance from a wing’s leading edge to its trailing edge-was five feet. Wilbur used Mrs. Tate’s sewing machine to alter the fabric that covered the frame.

Soon the glider took shape. The operator would lie on the lower wing; by lying rather than sitting, there would be less wind resistance. A front rudder, called an elevator, extended outward from the front of the machine. These were important innovations, but there was one more, and it was the most important of all.

The uprights that joined the two wings were attached with flexible joints. The rigging in the wings connected to a T-bar in which the operator’s feet would rest. When the operator pushed one way or the other on the T-bar, a slight twist would run through the wings, a twist such as the one Wilbur had seen in the inner-tube box more than a year ago. This would allow the operator to control the angles at which the ends of the wings met the air. That would alter the lift that each wing generated and, in theory, allow the operator to control the roll of the plane.

Finally the glider was done. Finally Wilbur was able to say, “Well, we’re ready.”

“But Kitty Hawk isn’t,” said Orville. Wilbur had chosen Kitty Hawk as a testing site because of its average wind speeds, but now the brothers realized how often the wind swung above and below that average. Some days there was no wind at all. Other days it roared in off the Atlantic, churning sand and shaking their tent.

Soon enough, though, the brothers woke to a steady wind blowing in from the northeast. It felt fine and strong on their faces. “This will do,” Will said. He and Orv fastened their stiff collars, knotted their ties, straightened their caps, and stepped onto the beach. Bill Tate joined them. “We’ll try it like a kite first,” Wilbur told Tate. “We’ll learn to control it from the ground, and then we’ll try riding it.”

“Right,” Tate said. His voice was confident, but his expression was uncertain. Neither Wilbur nor Orville could blame him. They were a little uncertain themselves.

Orville and Wilbur attached lines to the machine, and the three men carried the glider out over the sand, holding it aloft until the wind caught it. Quickly the lines pulled tight, and the glider rose into the air.

“Well, I’ll bea” said Bill Tate. Wilbur and Orville smiled.

The testing of Wilbur’s theories had begun.

(To be continued.)

Text and illustrations copyright © 2003 by Brian Floca

Sponsored in part by Inventing Flight, Dayton, Ohio

Reprinted by permission of Breakfast Serials, Inc.


text:
Breaking News

Stan Lee dead at 95

I ran into Julie Taymor, the director of “The Lion King,” at last week’s Fred Astaire Awards.

She’s hard at work on “Spider-Man: Turn Out the Dark,” which appears regularly in this column due to the fact that its budget has exceeded the gross domestic product of Guam.

It’s hit $40 million, and it isn’t even cast yet.

“Are you going to kill us before we open?” Taymor wanted to know. “Give us a chance, please.”

Of course I will, Julie. I’m the very definition of fair-minded, and I always root for a new show. Besides, you’re a genius and you’ve created some of the most goosebump-inducing moments I’ve ever come across in the live theater.

Only a fool would bet against you.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to torture your producers on the way to opening night.

So let’s get out the bastinado!

The Hilton, a dreadful barn of a theater that reduces even a great lug of an actor like Mark Kudisch to the size of Marylouise Burke, is being ripped up and reconfigured for “Spider-Man.”

But this week, you could see people milling around the place, twiddling their thumbs. Work had ground to a halt.

Sources say the reason is that a bank loan to redo the theater didn’t come through, triggering a rumor that the show itself could be in jeopardy.

“Not true!” insists a “Spider-Man” spokesman. There was indeed a work stoppage, but it was due to a problem with permits and has since been sorted out, he says.

I’ve also heard that some heavy-hitting investors have been approached about putting up an additional $10 million in priority loans should the show go over budget.

(Should? When is the better word; a genius like Taymor can’t be penned in by a budget, for heaven’s sake.)

Priority loans aren’t unusual in the theater. Many shows go over budget, and a producer can raise money quickly by securing a priority loan, which simply means that, if you’re the last-minute lender, you get your money out before everybody else.

The spokesman for the show says: “There is nothing preferential out there. Every investor is on an equal footing.”

Still, the producers of “Spider-Man” are looking for money, according to several people who’ve been approached.

But here’s the question: Is the money going into the show itself or into the redesign of the theater?

“What you should be asking,” one person says, “is: Are the budgets for the show and the theater separate — or are they being co-mingled? If they are, this could wind up costing so much that it simply cannot pay back.”

Another producer who’s chuckling over the finances of “Spider-Man” says: “By the time they’re done building the show and the theater, they could easily be spending $50 million. They’ll have to run at capacity for five years just to break even. That is impossible.”

The “Spider-Man” spokesman says: “There is separate financing for the theater modification.”

And how will that investment be paid back?

“That is a private business arrangement between the producers and the theater owner.”

And one last smack of the bastinado:

Negotiations with Alan Cumming to play the role of Green Goblin have gone off the rails, with the producers balking at his quote.

I say hold out for all you can, Alan, and let’s see if we can pump this sucker up to $60 million!

JEFF Daniels, who’s delight fully obnoxious in “God of Carnage,” is performing his own songs June 22 at City Winery, 155 Varick St.

“I know it sounds like singer-songwriter stuff,” Daniels says, sighing.

In fact, it’s a fun act, built around some hilarious stories of Hollywood life.

Daniels doesn’t take showbiz too seriously, as you can see from my interview with him on


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July 4th, 2013: I Don’t Feel Very Proud of Being an American Today – With Latest Revelations About Postal Service Copying All Our Envelopes

by on July 4, 2013 · 1 comment

in American Empire, Civil Rights, History, Media, Organizing, Politics

american flag-upsideYes, it is the Fourth of July, that glorious day where we Americans celebrate our history – honoring the day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed and passed by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

But, no, I don’t feel very proud today of being an American. Why not, you ask, as you bundle up your family, hot dogs, beach umbrellas and head out for your own family’s festivities.

It now turns out that our own Postal Service has been spying on our mail for years. About 160 billion postcards, packages – and yes, envelopes were photographed by the good ol’ US Postal Service last year.

This is all part of … drum roll please … because you probably have never heard of this before … the Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program. Under this nefarious program Post Office computers take photos of the exterior of every piece of mail – snailmail we’re talking her – that Americans mail out and which goes through our postal system.

The The New York Times reports that the postal mail is being subjected to similar surveillance to our phone calls and emails by the National Security Agency. CBS picked up the story, using this headline: Report: Postal Service uses “spying” programs similar to NSA.

We’re told ‘nobody’s opening your mail’, which is similar to President Obama’s assurance that ‘nobody’s listening to your calls’.

Plus we’re told letters and packages cannot be opened without a warrant. The tracking program reportedly only collects images of the outsides.

A former F.B.I. agent who spent 34 years at the agency, James J. Wedick, told the Times:

“Looking at just the outside of letters and other mail, I can see who you bank with, who you communicate with — all kinds of useful information that gives investigators leads that they can then follow up on with a subpoena.”

The New York Times reports that tens of thousands of pieces of mail each year are screened through the mail covers program.

Even without opening the mail, officials can obtain valuable information this way — information that many would consider an invasion of privacy. Computer security expert Bruce Schneier tells The Times that the program can track “names, addresses, return addresses and postmark locations, which gives the government a pretty good map of your contacts, even if they aren’t reading the contents.”

Law enforcement officials claim these programs are essential to national security.

No, I don’t feel very proud today, what with our government pressuring other countries not to give NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden a home due to all his disclosures of our government’s surveillance programs – programs that go back to the dark days of the Bush administration.

I will feel better I hope after I attend a rally today called “Restore the Fourth” – meaning restore the 4th Amendment – which has been fairly trashed of late ; it’s in Balboa Park at the Fountain at 11 a.m. today – the glorious Fourth of July.

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Judi Curry judi curry July 4, 2013 at 12:40 pm

April Fool’s. Right?

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People today have a high interest in forming their own organic garden in order to have a healthy lifestyle. With the increasing awareness of eating healthy foods that are free from chemicals and pesticides, people are looking for all possible ways to shift to organic foods, especially from their own backyards, in most cases. The benefits of this toxin-free idea are really high, and the good thing is that people have started realising about it. The organic produce might demand a little work from you, but when it gives you all goodness of fresh fruits and vegetables, you can definitely owe back a little time and effort for it. Reading this post will help get a basic idea of setting up your own organic garden, cost-effectively.

Creating a Cost Effective Garden

Organic garden in your farm or backyard has several benefits such as healthy produce that are free from toxins and chemicals, but another main benefit of setting up your own organic garden is the cost-effective quality of it. Instead of buying organic produce from the market, if you put in a little effort to set up your own garden, you can really save a big amount. There are various tools and equipment that are available for a minimum cost, but with huge benefits for your farming. Well, make sure to mow your garden before you start the procedure. Well, the mower will does the work in your garden as you slack checking out the Janome Magnolia 7034D Serger review.

Little Space is Enough

True that more the bigger your area is, more you can farm. However, an ultimate tip for beginning your organic gardening is to start with few vegetables and fruits within the minimum space available to you. Start from simpler and basic essentials and upon the success of it; you can feel free to expand depending on your availability.

Many people think that farming needs really huge area and heavy maintenance, but it is not the case. Setting up an organic garden in the backyard with the minimum availability of resources and space will give good results. It is always good to do a soil test before setting up the organic garden might help to avoid wastage of the process.

Grow Local

When it is always good to eat local, it is simply that you have to always grow local. Understanding your climate and your land geography is the key for a successful organic garden. Talk to experts and get views about your local rich fruits and vegetables and plant them first. Gardening is not about planting all that you like to eat, but it is about planting all that is best friendly to your geography and climate. Pick labor free farming plants that will demand only low maintenance from you.

Gardening is Passionate

Be passionate and considerate about your gardening routine and enjoy the moments of it, because whatever you do with full interest will bring in full results.  Nothing is right or wrong about gardening, because it is all about how you explore it.

Cultivation is creation! Invest your full interest and dedication to your garden for growing up healthy, organic and pesticide-free vegetables and fruits. An organic garden is the best gift you can owe to your next generation. Just go for it!


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Diggers Hotline

If you are planning digging or excavating anywhere on your property, you are required to call Diggers Hotline at least three working days prior to beginning the work. Diggers Hotline will contact the owners of any underground facilities on your property. The facilities will be marked so you know where they are located. Your private facilities such as septic lines will NOT be located.

• It’s The Law
Wisconsin Statute 182.0175 requires all excavators – including homeowners and construction contractors – to call Diggers Hotline at least three working days before starting the work.

• Protect Yourself
If you don’t call before you dig, you are putting yourself and your neighbors in danger. A shovel could easily cut through a buried underground electric line, and a damaged gas pipeline would put your entire neighborhood in jeopardy.

• Dig Now, Pay Later
If you dig without calling Diggers Hotline and you damage underground facilities, not only will you be financially responsible for the damage, but you could also be subject to a fine of up to $2,000.

diggers hot line logo

Click here to visit their website for more information. You will be able to email a locate request from their website or you can call 811 to make a locate request.


text:
Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Confession Tuesday: New Year's Resolutions Edition

Wishing you a passionate year...

Dear Reader,

It's the last day of 2013.

I was just telling my daughter that 1995 seems as if it were just 10 years ago.  She looked at me oddly and said, "What do you mean, Mom?"

I confess I lost a decade somewhere.  I was writing poetry, or raising a daughter, or writing a book, cleaning the house, editing, or mountain biking and I somehow misplaced about ten years.

In certain ways, ten years feels as if it were such a long time ago.  When I think that my first book, Small Knots, came out in 2004, I can hardly remember it.

But I'm also realizing my best poet friends have been my friends for over a decade now.  I've lived in the same house for 17 years.  Things I thought were choices (such as my daily breakfast of coffee and raisin bran) are actually habits.

Which makes me consider my life, and my life passing: Am I living deliberately or what I think are choices are actually habits?  Am I paying attention to what matters to me?

Or more visually, like the photo above-- Am I being kissed or am I the onlooker?

I confess, I am a Capricorn, so I make lists--To Do lists, books to read lists, goal lists, shopping lists, and of course, resolutions falls in this category.

So today's Confessions are less confessions and more of my resolutions for 2014... And this is just a guide for living my life, not an instruction manual I need to follow perfectly.  I'm nowhere near perfect, so I tend not to worry too much if I'm not hitting every resolution, not eating organic, not always exercising. I enjoy my vices actually.

So maybe these are more guidelines for 2014, or suggestions I hope to incorporate into my life.

What I want to do is this year is:  to continue to live fully with experiences, with others, with poetry and writing, deepen relationships, push boundaries, share generously, be compassionate, extend love, support others, write with an openness, a vulnerability, and continue to stretch myself as a writer.

What I don't want to do:  feel pressured to participate in things I don't want to, show up out of obligation and not want, let others control my time, feel judged.

Either way, this is what I'm thinking about on the last day of 2013 as I clean up my office, toss out the old and make room for the new--

2014 Guidelines  (aka "Resolutions")

1)  Read more longer content, less shorter content

     (Basically less Facebooks, more book-books).

2)  Consider the opposite.  Question more.

     Be wary of what the media and people are trying to sell me.

3)  Read email less. Write more paper letters.

4)  Always discover the beauty.

5)  Find myself on more balconies.

6)  More walks with Buddy Holly.

7)  Less work, more play, less work.

8)  ___________________________ (always include space for spontaneity)

9)  Say yes to experiences I feel would add to my life as an writer and artist.

     Say no to things and people that don't.

10)  Be a little more Anais Nin:

I don’t really want to become normal, average, standard. I want merely to gain in strength, in the courage to live out my life more fully, enjoy more, experience more.
I want to develop even more original and more unconventional traits.

I confess, mostly I want to make sure I am participating fully, actively, and passionately in my life.

“Never miss a party...good for the nerves--like celery.”
―  F. Scott Fitzgerald

~ Kells

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Friday, December 27, 2013

Finishing Up the New Year: How Do You Want To Live Your One Wild and Precious Life?

I plan on making New Year's Resolutions.
I also plan on cleaning up my home, which is Christmas madness.

I came across this article and thought it was a good one for anyone examining their life this time of year.

Yes, it's A LOT of questions the writer is having you ask yourself. I got overwhelmed at 7 and had to start again.  But they are important.

And I think it's a good way to look at things.  We forget we only get one life.

Here's the article: 30 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Die

Here are some things I'm asking myself as the year ends--

1)  What am I doing that I can be doing better or differently?  What is holding me back, bringing me down?

2)  Who do I want to keep in my life, and who do I need to let fade away?

3)  How do I want to spend my mornings before the day begins?

4)  How can I be more present in the world?

5)  What am I afraid of and is it serving me well?

6)  What do I want to focus on in 2014?

7)  How can I make the world a better place in small ways?

8)  How can I be of service to others?  How can I help improve others' lives?

9)  How do I want to spend my time?

For me, one of the most important questions I ask myself every year is who I choose to keep in my life.

I make a circle and fill in the names of friends and family I can trust with everything--all my flaws, struggles, goals, dreams, etc.  These are the people who I will turn to in 2014 when I need support or when I have good news to share.  This is my tribe.  These are my people.

I make a circle around that.  These are my second group of friends.  They are friends I love and I tell them most everything, but not everything.  They are people I still love and want to be in touch with, but I hold a little back with them.  Just a little.

Another circle.  The circle around this group.  More good friends, but less details.  Less of the vulnerable stuff.

One more circle.  Friends I love, but I'm more guarded with them.

The first two groups will get most of my time and attention for the year.  The third group of friends will either be moved up to a more trusted position or fade into the background.  Same with group 4.

It's a little literal, a little formal, but it helps me when I am sharing information so I don't get hurt or overshare, or my writing projects stay safe (meaning, they are at their infant stage, I can't have negativity early on...) or say something that later makes me feel uncomfortable.

Most of my friends fall in the center circle or circle 2.  Honestly, if I can't trust people or they aren't adding anything positive to my life (or vice versa), why stay connected?

But sometimes there are people you have to interact with because they are parents that have kids at your child's school, or someone in your book group, or neighbor, who you need to be ready for.  You need to remember not to share your good poetry news with someone who makes you feel weird or worthless.

This little bullseye helps me remember who I want to give my time and energy too.

It also helps me not share the right news or stories with the wrong people.

So, what are your resolutions?  Do you make any?

And the end of a poem--

From Mary Oliver's "The Summer Day"

Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

~ Kells

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Being a Writer in a Family of "Normals"

The holidays have a beautiful and uneasiness of bringing families back together.

Though you are now 44, a writer, and living your life, you may still be seen as the lazy entitled twelve-year-old who never helped with chores or the perhaps, when they look at you, they see what you’ve become and well, aren’t 100% comfortable with it.  Mostly because it doesn’t fit their idea of “what is normal.”  They are regular folks just trying to live their lives and your poems about death are freaking them out.

Here are a few things that my family (and some friends) have said to me over the years:

“Why do all your poems have to be dark?  Why can’t you just write a poem about flowers and happy stuff?”

“I don’t understand why you have to leave your family to write?”

“It’s so great that your husband let’s you leave for a week just to write.”

“I don’t think you should write about that.”

“Billy just dropped grease and started an oven fire. You should write a poem about that!”

“It’s nice your husband is so understanding about your writing.”

“What does ____________ (fill in the blank) think about that poem?!”

“All you asked for were books? Why does one person need so many books?”

“You know what you should do?  You should write a bestselling novel.”

Other things writers and friends of mine have heard—

“You were always kind of the odd duck/black sheep/weirdo in the family.”

“Why do you have to dress/look like that?

“Shouldn’t you be home more with the kids? Why do you have to do all that writing/poetry/memoir stuff?

“Maybe you should find a real job.  One with a secure paycheck.”

“I think it’s weird you like being alone so much.  Normal people like spending time with their families.”

It can get tiring.  It can feel as if you’re always being judged.  Or not accepted.  Or that they want you to be someone else.  Or maybe they want you to be who you were when you were five—Remember how you used to love wearing dresses to kindergarten?  You should wear more dresses.

Sometimes you fit in.  They notice you have a Kate Spade purse.  Or compliment your hairstyle.  You talk about easy subjects—funny memories of holidays past, the kids growing up, everyone’s iPhone.  You hope the subject doesn’t move to “what’s your next book about” or your art, especially any new projects, or the topics you’re writing about.  You hope the subject doesn’t move into your plans for the year, how you may be spending your time and with whom with/doing what.

The family always has an opinion about what’s appropriate and how what you are doing is just a little off.

The family doesn’t want you walking close to the dark side—Come over here, sister.  Let’s listen to some Michael Bublé.

The family is concerned you aren’t 1) making enough money  2) aren’t worried enough about money  3) aren’t being a good enough mom or dad  4) so interested in “unnormal” things (shopping, TV, etc.)  5) aren’t normal enough.

They worry your weirdness will reflect poorly on the family.

They worry you’re so strange and you write about such strange things (and in first person!)

They read everything you write as truth about you.  There are no such things as “persona poems” in their minds.

They love you, but oh how they worry about you.

They love you, but want you to be more like them.

The truth is, families are families and they like similarities.  If you’re "normal" in a family of artists, you can be judged/criticized/concerned about just as much.

It’s just that usually there are more normal types in families than artistic types.  This is just our culture.  Go to school.  Go to college.  Get a good job.  Get married.  Have kids.  Live your life as others do.  Die.

Anything that sways out of the normal path, can make people uncomfortable.  But remember, they are not uncomfortable with you, they are uncomfortable with themselves.   Their comments have nothing to do with you or what you’re doing.

Sometimes you can see how proud they are of you.  They have never heard of Prairie Schooner, but can tell it's a big deal that you were published in it.

They love that you publish books.  They can tell their friends that their son/daughter is a writer!  A published author!
They love that weird sense of famousness you bring to the family.

But sometimes they say things that make you feel a little weird yourself.

Many times their thoughts, feelings, and actions reflect a time in their life when they were happier.  When things were more under their control, when you were more under their control.

Sometimes they judge who they are by what you are.

Sometimes as big or small or medium of a as a success you are in the writing world, does not equal the doctor/lawyer/_________fill-in-the-blank they wished you became.

Because they want to believe their decisions are right in their life, your opposing decisions seem wrong.  They don’t realize there is more than one way to live a life.

We can love our families without changing our own passions.

We can exist with our families without feeling as if we aren’t enough or that we’ve disappointed someone. . .again.

We can walk into our families understanding that we’re not the only ones who are broken, everyone’s broken, we just happen to write about our brokenness a little more, or maybe sometimes we hold hands with it, or aren’t afraid of it, or don’t push it into our Kate Spade purse, or maybe sometimes we do.

Sometimes we take out our brokenness and we put it on the bookshelf.  That’s okay.

Holidays and family can also remind us of who we were and not who we are.  And that can be uncomfortable too.

Mostly, when I feel a little uneasy about the writing stuff at holidays, I focus on the good things.  For my family, they are hilarious, laugh a lot, they love me, they will always be there for me, they are tough, strong, and full of mama bears, and they would take down the world for me.

They don’t always understand me.  But that’s okay.  (I don’t always understand myself.)

I hope you each found a little love during your holiday season, whenever and wherever that was.

And I hope you find love and compassionate in even the most ridiculous comments or moments. And that you realize you are being the person you are and they are being the person they are, and sometimes that means you’re wandering off to Bora Bora and they’re traveling to a sale at Target.  And that’s okay.  Different goals, different directions.

I hope you realize there are other people like you out in the world and dealing with the same things you dealt with.

And that you keep writing into 2014 and throughout.

Cheers to a new year!

Merry Everything.

~ Kells

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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Support Women Poets: No More Measuring Bathing Suits

See this photo above?  It's about women in the 1920's being judged whether they were too sexy in their extra fabric one-piece bathing suits.  If they were, they had to pay a fine.  Now it's 2013 and some people still question if women are showing "too much skin" or dressing too sexy.

Pull out your one-piece bathing suits, ladies.  We're heading back to 1920... well, kind of.

The NY Daily News wrote this story about poets.

Young women poets like Camille Rankine, Trisha Low and Lisa Marie Basile bring new

 energy to world of words:

In the article features a photo of each poet, a short sample of her work, and her age.

I started seeing this story show up in my newsfeed, first with praise "Look at these featured poets!" and "Congrats!" then with concern "Why do these women have to undress?"

Conversations began.

So I went back to look at the photos.  No one is naked.  Some women are in jeans, a tanktop, a crewtop t-shirt.  All the parts of a woman's body that might be censored are covered up.  It's tame.  It's summer attire or cocktail party attire or I-want-to-wear-this-today attire.  There are no nipples, no bare butts, no bellybuttons even. All vaginas are safely hidden from view.

I kept reading responses to this article-- There was disgust, concern for these women "selling sex," being in their underwear (they aren't, in my opinion), using their sexuality to get noticed, making other women (maybe some men too? I'm not sure) uncomfortable.

One man wrote: "pretty freaking lame. Just write your damn poems, ladies and save the décolletage for your love lives."

(This is me making my "yikes" face.)

Sometimes as women, we say, It shouldn't be about the way we look, but about our minds!  Then we trash women for not dressing the way we would.

My first thought when I read the article?  -- Oh, I wish they would have had some poets over 40 in there. Though I do realize "young" was in the headline, but 40 is young.  So is 50, 60, in my eyes.

My thoughts were "Am I old? Am I an old poet?"  The oldest poet is 36.  I wasn't even thinking about what they were wearing.

Here were my thoughts as I looked at the photos:

Where do you get a blow-up clear plastic couch? Bizarre. I've never seen one.
Cute red rain jacket with plaid.  I could use a red rain jacket.
Oh, I know her.
She looks like her Facebook photo.

In all the comments, no one mentioned this quote by Lisa Marie Basile:

      I'm inspired by everyday women: their loves, beliefs, fears, pain, their secrets...

Or Monica McClure's

    Women are writing the most interesting work,

People were having a hard time getting past the photos.

Women have it hard enough as poets without people bashing them for what they are wearing (or not wearing).

Are they too pretty?  Not pretty enough?  Too revealing?  Not revealing enough?  Photos aren't good enough?  Are too good?  Are they trying to hard?  Not hard enough?  Can they be taken seriously?  Are they too serious? Too sexual?  Are they wearing too much make-up?  Is their lipstick too red?  What are they suggesting?  Maybe they're not edgy enough? Hair is too frizzy? Hair is too big or too long? Too old for that hair or that outfit? Too much cleavage?  She shouldn't wear that.
And we wonder why one in four women are taking anti-depressants or drinking a couple glasses of wine at night just to feel at ease.

We wonder why women hold back, are fearful in sharing themselves.

      I'm inspired by everyday women: their loves, beliefs, fears, pain, their secrets...

I return to this.

Here's a comic from a young 20-year-old artist named Katarzyna Babis, which shows what women face in their lives:

Babis writes:
[I wanted to start a] discussion about the problem with the way women are perceived by the society, about huge and often contradictory expectations that are put on their shoulders," Babis told the Huffington Post in an email. "In this reality, a woman’s body doesn’t belong to her –- it is either a public property, intended only to be admired, or a source of sin, shame and guilt."

It bothers me when I see poets knocking down other poets.
It bothers me when I see poets judging poets on what they are wearing, their bodies, or on images of them.

Yes, you may disagree with their choice of attire.  Yes, you may choose not to wear a bustier.  Yes, you may feel someone is in their underwear (or halter top, as I saw it) and it's not appropriate.
Cool.  All fantastic opinions.

I respect your opinions and your right to have them.  In fact, I love that you are passionate about them.

So don't dress that way.

And maybe, don't believe because you feel something in "inappropriate" for you that it's inappropriate for others.  Or that others are judging them as harshly for it. . .some of us may not care.  Or even notice.

Some of us may have focused on the poems.  Or the ages.  Some of us may have been wondering who made that cute red raincoat.  Or noticing how much we love red shoes.  Or thinking what's for lunch.  Some of us are writing a blog post eating a tin of homemade toffee.

These women are smart and they are writers.  Let's focus on that.  And that an article was written about them.  Let's not bring down the women.

Women have it tough.  So let's have conversations about our culture, acceptance, changing things in positive ways for our daughters and our sons, but leave the women alone. (And for the record, I did see some very good conversations about this happening, where individual feelings were discussed, but the women poets were not slammed.  These were the conversations I appreciated.)

When it comes to poets-- read their poems and decide if they are someone you want to read more from.  Read their thoughts and opinions.  Knocking down another woman (and for what she is wearing) helps no one. Change the culture, not the women who are just trying to do their best in it.

Your choices may not be my choices.  My choice may not be yours.  But I will support you as women and as artists.  Yes, sometimes it may be hard (or confusing, or complex, and we may not always understand each other or our choices), but it's worth it for all of us in the end.  Extend love, not judgment.

And everyone, poets, non-poets: please don't tell them (tell us) what to do, what to write, or what to wear.  It's sort of like grade school, "Focus on what you're doing, not what your neighbor is . . ."  It works in life too.

For me, here's what it comes down to-- I don't care what you are wearing (male or female). Show up to a poetry reading in a giraffe suit, jeans & a blazer, a formal gown, a bowtie and boxers, or lingerie.  Just bring good poems.

And be kind.

You know the quote:

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

~ Kells

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Interview with Esther Altshul Helfgott: Dear Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Diary & Poems

      Two Sylvias Press has now released Esther Altshul Helfgott's book:

Dear Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Diary & Poems for the Kindle

Dear Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Diary & Poems:

A poet's chronology of caregiving for her spouse who struggled with Alzheimer's. An intimate recording of how the disease acts as a slow moving wedge to separate us from the ones we love. A powerful testament to all who love, care give and ultimately say goodbye.

Esther's book explores her years of caregiving for her husband, Abe, after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.  I interviewed about a few questions I had about writing the book, what advice or thoughts she had for other caregivers as well as her new projects, here's what she had to say--

      KRA:  Your book is about your husband, Abe, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease a few years ago. Tell us a favorite memory you have of Abe that isn't included in the book.

EAH: I love the way he loved my mother. He called her Anna. For Mother’s Day he bought her Birds of Paradise. He looked her in the eye when they spoke, sometimes into the night. He admired her politics and spunk. He took her seriously. She loved him back. “A good man,” she said. “A mensch.”  She died in 1996, the year he retired. A huge loss for both of us—mother’s death and his retirement— in many ways. I wish he would have known my father. They would have played chess together.

KRA:   What do you want to tell someone who is currently a caregiver to a spouse with Alzheimer's disease?

EAH:  Keep a diary of your caregiving experience, not for the purpose of publishing necessarily, but to remember what you were doing all those years of caregiving. For me, eight years was like one long day. If I had not recorded the events of those days, they would have run into each other and I would have lost a big part of my history. Recording the days’ events will include conversations you had, or wished you’d had, with your loved one. Take selfy pictures with your LO, no matter how you guys look—tired, sad, doesn’t matter—and place them in your diary. You will have even more to write about once you see yourselves together on the page. Most of all, be in the moment with your LO, in his reality. Listen to what she’s saying. Don’t ask questions about the past. Hold his hand.

       KRA:  What has been the most difficult struggle you've had in writing this book?

      EAH: Writing can be at once healing and debilitating. It relieves stress and anguish. But revising and editing can keep the anguish alive. People have said “move on.” Some can. I will, but my writing buries me into the moment I’m writing about. It keeps me within the experience, all the while it eventually helps me understand the experience more. Moreover, the results of organizing my scribblings into a work that people can hold in their hands and I can do readings from. Well, I’d say that’s an honor I’ve been given. The hard work is worth it.

      KRA:  Tell us about your life now and what you working on...

EAH:  After “Dear Alzheimer’s” I began writing notes to Abe which turned into short poems, many of them tanka. I didn’t know I was writing love letters to him but that’s, in effect, what they turned out to be. These evolved into “Listening to Mozart: Poems of Alzheimer’s” which will be out from Cave Moon Press in 2014.

Now I‘m working on “My Two Dead Sisters: Autobiography in Verse,” which is about my family-of-origin and the shadows that followed us during the McCarthy Era. It’s a painful story to write. If I’m lucky I’ll finish it 2015. That’s what I’m shooting for.

Simultaneously, I’m working on and intend to complete by the time I’m 80 – that’s only eight years away – a book I started researching in the 1990s, “She Led with Her Mind: Edith Buxbaum and Psychoanalytic Pedagogy.” it’s about Viennese-born and trained Seattle child psychoanalyst, Edith Buxbaum (1902-1982) who sought to promote psychoanalysis as an educational tool for the purpose of building a healthier society.

Then, when I I finish the Buxbaum project, I’ll apply to an MFA program in poetry. That should take me till about age 90, which should leave me about a decade or so to write a few more poems, God willing!

KRA:  Thank you, Esther and wishing you the best in all your projects!

Esther's book is available both in print and eBook version:

Dear Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Diary & Poems.

~ Kells

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Confession Tuesday

Dear Reader,

I missed last Tuesday's confession, what can I say? I almost missed today.

I don't have a lot to confess or perhaps, I'm a bit wrapped up in the tinsel, or maybe a bit of both.  I'm kind of bored with myself these days and I don't want to subject you to my intense blahness... of course, maybe I can spice things up.

Let's see...

I confess tomorrow I'm putting on my most comfortable clothes and going to a friend's house to write the entire day with a few good friends.  We each are bringing writing prompts, favorite lines from poems.

I'm bringing white bean hummus, roasted red pepper dip, milk chocolate, bottles of red & white wine, and I'm going to disappear for the day.

I know, as writers we want to publish, be successful, submit our work, seek a larger audience, but honestly, I am most happy when I'm writing.

I'm most happy when I'm connecting with another writer or having a nice dinner.

The publishing stuff, it's nice, but it's not what I dream about.

Seriously, most of my dreams take place at writer's retreats.  I'm in a cabin, an apartment, a room and I'm writing.  I'm unpacking my suitcase and falling in love with a new room.

Really, I'm a simple girl. I don't need much--- books, a place to write, my laptop, a some quality time / connection with another human, but more than that, is excess.

My favorite places are:  in bed, the shower, writing, sitting on my deck and watching the world go by. I'm easy.  I'll take a pass on the business cards, on the fast-track career.

Give me my golden retriever and some inspiration.  Give me a day in bed.  Give me some warm socks, a space heater.  Give me hours to get lost in my writing or another person.

Let's buy a few albums at Goodwill and sit on the couch with a glass of red wine.

I confess I hate driving.  I must have been royal in a previous life.

I confess I like frosting a lot.

from gingerbread house decorating.
I wore more frosting than what was on my house.

I confess it's Tuesday, but I'm listening to The Cure's "Friday I'm in Love." And maybe I am.

~ Kells

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Monday, December 09, 2013

Favorite Poetry & Nonfiction Books of 2013 (An Incomplete List...)

Here's a list of some of the books I read in 2013 and that had an impact on me, that I loved, that I will read again, or that became my favorites.

I'm sure there are other books I read, probably earlier in 2013 that I've forgotten.  I'm sorry about that. I'm especially sorry about it if it's your book I forgot.

So apologies to the unmentioned book and applause to the books below (organized in no particular order...)--

Unexplained Fevers by Jeannine Hall Gailey

*****One of my favorite books from JHG!

Our Andromeda by Brenda Shaunnessey

****I'm in love with everything Brenda has written.  Sadder poems compared to Human Dark with Sugar (another book I recommend), but incredible writing.

Vow by Rebecca Hazelton

****Discovered this book of poems this year and found a new poet I love.

Young Tambling by Kate Greenstreet

****Creative.  Smart.  Interesting.  And physically a beautiful book by a talented poet.

Search For a Velvet-Lined Cape by Marjorie Manwaring

****I've always been a fan of Marjorie and was SO happy that she has a full collection of poems!  What a smart poet, witty, entertaining, and interesting poems.

A Commonplace Book of Pie by Kate Lebo

****This book is sold in Whole Foods too.  Pie, poetry, what's not to love.  And another physically beautiful book you can give to non-poetry readers.

Pacific Walkers by Nance Van Winckel

****Nance is an amazing writer.  Another great collection from her.

The Boss by Victoria Chang

***Have been a fan of Victoria's from the wayback.  Happy to see this new book out with more great poems...

Burn This House by Kelly Davio

***Kelly's first book, though I'm sure there are many to come.

All The Odes by Pablo Neruda (HUGE book!)

***If you love Pablo, here's the book you need.

The Still Point of the Turning World by Emily Rapp

***Beautiful and sad, made me appreciate the details of my life.

Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger

***Interesting ideas of why certain things catch on and others don't.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Won't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

****Smart book and recommend for the introverts of the world.

Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris

****Some people didn't like this book, but I felt it was David back to his old self after the talking animal book mishap.  There is one story where he talked to a telemarketer that had me laughing hard.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

*** Good storytelling.  And being made into a movie.

Again, apologies for all the books I forgot and didn't mention--

Feel free to leave me your favorites of 2013 in the comment section or mention any great book I forgot.

~ Kells

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Sunday, December 01, 2013

Gift Guide for Poets & Writers: My Favorite Things

Oprah does her Favorite Things List, here's mine (specifically for poets, writers, authors, and the creative types...)

Sylvia Plath Literary flats (Shoes made to order):  $50
Just crazy cool.  She also have Batman, Edgar Allan Poe, and To Kill a Mockingbird too.

The Daily Poet: Day-By-Day Prompts For Your Writing Practice
by Martha Silano & Kelli Russell Agodon

Had to mention this -- 366 writing prompts so you can write a poem a day!

Moby Dick iPhone 5 Case (book case) $14.99
This is my iPhone case.  It looks like a book (or a Bible).  There's a hole in the back for the camera which is perfect!  They also have War & Peace covers in black.  Good quality for a lower price than BookBook.

Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Everyday by Todd Henry

Todd does the Accidental Creative Podcasts.  Also has the book Accidental Creative: How To Be Brilliant At a Moment's Notice, which I recommend as well!

The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson's Envelope Poems
A friend bought me this and I was amazed at the quality.  It looked as if the actual letter/poem in her writing is on the page.  This book makes me want to cry when I open it because it's that beautiful.

Mark Twain Tie Tack $13.71
For the Huck Finns and Tom Sawyers in our lives...

Tommy Hilfiger Books Shirt Dress $89 Macy's

For the Ladies--
I have this dress and love it.  But I wear it with leggings because I'm tall and it's short.  Runs a tad small in the shoulders (I'm a 5' 8"& a size 6-8 in dresses, but got size L because of my giant back and monkey arms).  I think it would okay on someone who isn't built like a billboard (as I am).

Aqua Notes:
These are in my shower and I love them.  Only $7.95 too.  Mine have lasted a long time.

Beauty is Embarrassing: The Wayne White Story $18.50

My favorite documentary this year.  LOVED it.
Incredible creative person/artist who worked on PeeWee's Playhouse and does these incredible paintings with words...  Lots of F-bombs for anyone who may be offended, but another inspiring film.

Who Does She Think She Is?  DVD Documentary $14
I watch this 2-3 times a year.  For the creative woman/mother in your life.  It's all about the struggle to create and be a mom.  Fantastic and inspiring.

Midnight in Paris DVD $7.49
Woody Allen's best movie ever.  I've watched it into the double-digits.  Love the literary cameos.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Book Purse ($60 lots of other books too)

Glassybaby "Imagine" $44

This is a good gift for anyone who is hard to shop for because they are handmade and beautiful by a Seattle woman who used these to help keep her calm and centered during cancer.

This is what I use.  Help your writer friends avoid carpal tunnel.  Not a sexy gift, but useful.

Typewriter iPhone 5 Case:
Also cases for iPhone 4 & others, just search...

Retro & cute

RayBan Classic Wayfarers:
For the cool hipster writer.
But do not get New Wayfarers, as they are way too big on everyone.  Tortoise is my favorite.

~ Kells

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Four ways to teach your toddler to share

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Until they’re about three years old, toddlers think that the world revolves around them. Basically, it’s not in their nature to share! But sharing can be learnt through teaching and practise, and having a good example to follow. Here are some simple ways to show your tot that sharing is caring…

1. Start early

Early toys provide first sharing opportunities, so practise taking turns with your child right from babyhood. For example, you might give your baby a rattle to shake then take it, shake it yourself and return it to him. This helps teach your little one that he can share and still have fun. Continue sharing with him when he’s a toddler, being verbal and giving lots of praise (“Can Mummy have a turn? Thanks for sharing...”). Keep things positive, trying not to give in to tantrums or get angry when he doesn’t want to hand things over. Be patient.

2. Share alike

Sharing your own things builds the concept of sharing, so avoid labelling everything as someone’s. Rather than saying, “That’s Mummy’s, don’t touch!” try saying, “That’s not a toy, no playing with it,” and give your child an alternative toy. Obviously some things are unsafe or precious, but otherwise try to share. Let him play with your keys, drink from your favourite cup or try on your shoes.

3. Family affair

Family playtime can be great preparation for sharing. When your child is playing with blocks, ask him, “Can Mum and Dad have some, too?” If he refuses, remove yourself briefly then try again. This teaches that sharing leads to more engagement and fun play.

4. Start small

Begin with less-favoured toys, and set firm rules that no sharing means the toys go away (bring them back out saying, “Let’s try again to share...”). This teaches that selfishness allows no fulfilment.


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Good grief…

Well, it’s been a while. I’ve been wasting time on here reading past posts and comments. Some of the posts definitely made me laugh. Some of the posts made me cringe a little.

I’m quite the head strong personality.

New things lately? I moved out of my parents house and into my own apartment this year and I’m single, again. Starting a new treatment for my skin, i know, again?!

As much as I love to continue blogging I know I’d easily fall away. We’ll see how well I can do. Hit/miss by this point.

The Worst Series of Encounters Pt. 2

Remember Part 1?

It’s been such a long time since I’ve blogged, I had to look at my most recent post. Sadly and shamefully, it’s dated May 29. It is now nearing the end of summer.

Goodness gracious! How time has flown.

Anyway, back to the series of worst encounters (ever), if I may add…

So as Renxkyoko pointed out…maybe he needs a second chance? First dates hardly go well…right?

Well, the following Saturday we were scheduled to hang out. I say scheduled because it was a group event.

Oh how I love group events. It allows me the freedom to either personalize my attention to one person….or to the group.

So. Saturday. My sister’s college had this rally going on and since my cousin works at her school his family was going to be there.

More specifically his daughters who are 2 years old and 11 months. (At the time, they were those ages 🙂 )

Kyleigh (2y)

Kloeigh (11mos)

 Before I pick up the kiddos, I drop off my sister around 9am to help set-up.

I’m sitting in my car relaxing. I’ve got the seat back and I’m leaning back.

I receive a text. ‘Hey. What you up to?’

Me: Nm.

I’m relaxing in my car right? And when I’m in my car it should be as if I’m in my own home. Doing what I want…right?

Well, I’m in my car and I’m stretching, getting comfortable, cracking my lower back. . .

Text: Why are your hands waving in the air.

Me: O M G . . . FREAK OUT!

Who is this guy? and why is he watching me!?!?!?!

Now, I’m upset. I pull out my phone and text and call everyone I can think of who would be available to talk at this very moment so I can vent.

I find someone in a few minutes and before baring my soul, I look around to make sure no one is standing too close to my car just in case I get too loud as I vent.

O M G . . . there HE IS!

About 500 feet from my car, standing under a tree, with a friend, FACING MY CAR!!!!

Now I’m really upset! I let him have it through her (my friend on the phone!) LOL

And yes… I’m attending this group event later on in the evening and he is going to be there!

I ignore him the rest of the time I’m there with the kiddos.

Oh and I definitely gained another shadow that day.

Walk over this way with one of the kids… and someone will follow and stand around that area.

Walking over the other way and yup… there he is walking over the other way…

(Although I have tunnel vision my friend conveniently noticed. Actually she said it was so obvious and for my friend to notice that it HAD to be obvious. Her tunnel vision is worse than mine!)

To end the rally… I’m standing a bit close by to a circle he is in and he turns to me…

HIM: Hey Mel, what time are we meeting up tonight.

Me: I don’t know. Text darlene I won’t be answering my phone tonight.

WAIT A MINUTE! Did anyone notice anything weird?

EXCUSE ME! How long have I known you? Yet again, how many times have we spoken to each other?

Part 3 coming soon. . . I promise this time, it will be soon 🙂

Blogging about this definitely gets me all irked up again! LOL

The Worst Series of Encounters Pt. 1

I think enough time has passed that I can safely blog about the recent happenings of my life…

Specifically the dating aspect of it.

Remember my “Boy, Do Me A Favor, Please” posts?

There was a more specific reason for those posts.

Let’s skip over to the first “date”.

I’m heading over to the coffee shop for my date with ex-marine, 20 minutes before I’m supposed to be there I get a text… “Hey, I’m on my way”

5 minutes later a.k.a. 15 minutes before we’re supposed to meet up… “Hey, I’m inside.”

My first thought: He’s early…

My second thought: OMG. He’s 15 minutes early.

My spiraling thoughts: Oh great. He’s way too excited. 10 minutes is ok but 15 minutes?! O me. What have I gotten myself into.

I walk into the back of the coffee shop because I know this boy is waiting for me in the front.

Correct, I walk up and he’s staring at the front door each time it opens. (Mind you there are glass windows)

Anyway, I say “Hey”

We don’t talk about anything substantial at least not worth blogging about…just yet.

The boy looks like he just woke up so I comment on it…

“Did you just wake up or something?”

Him: What? No, I took a nap earlier and woke up around 6:30.

Blabber blabber blabber

Melanie yawns… to cover up I say something stupid…

“Oh I’m so sorry. It’s probably after 9.”

::Looks at cell phone for time::

8:40 p.m.

My thoughts:  oh great what do i say to cover that?

Me: It’s been such a long day for me. I haven’t been home since 7am.

I don’t know what he says but we continue our conversation for 15 more minutes…

It just goes downhill from here…

He asks… When is your birthday?

Me: uhm… in the summer…

Him: Ok..when?

Me: In the summer time. I don’t really tell people my birthday. It’s not even on my facebook..

Him: I know. Nothing is on your facebook actually.

Me: What are you a facebook stalker?

Him: No…i don’t jump facebook profiles!

A few minutes pass….

Him: So what kind of music do you like?

Melanie’s thought: OMG this is the most controversial subject anyone can ask on a first date.

After this subject….

Him: So what else is there?

Me: Uhm, what? What do you mean?

Him: You know…what else is there to know about you?

WOW!!!! Here’s this cheat sheet it’s called: All about Melanie. I totally typed it out for you.

stay tuned…there’s more horrendous to come.

Hard to believe, huh?

I’m alive!

I know it’s been several weeks since I’ve blogged.

Nothing new.

I’m still loving my job.

I love the people I work with especially my office mate. We get along so well. It’s awesome.

I went to SC/GA at the beginning of this month and need to post my foodie experiences.

I also went to the Georgia Aquarium which was amazing. I loved it.

My ex-bf’s mom let me borrow her car for the whole week which was incredibly sweet of her.

Still going on dates and enjoying it.

Not in a hurry to start dating.

I’m still drinking at least half a gallon of water M-F.

It gets kind of difficult on the weekends since I don’t lug around my half-gallon water bottle wherever I go.

I’m excited for Star Tours.

Oh, I upgraded my Disneyland pass to a Deluxe.

As the Maid of Honor for my cousin’s wedding, I’ve made the invitations for her bridal shower now to print them.

Kung Fu Panda II is coming soon!

Rio is such a cute movie, loved it in 3D.

I’m not enjoying this crazy weather. Sunny, cloudy, rainy, makes me bi-polar just like it!

I went to the Getty Center friday. I ate at the restaurant and walked around the exhibits.

Next time it’ll be the Getty Gardens.

Surprisingly it wasn’t traffic on my way home when I left the center at 5:30ish.

I got home a little before 7pm.

Honestly, Best Buy totally hates me. My laptop is perfectly fine but now my phone doesn’t charge when I plug it in.

I have to plug it in in different ways and move it around different ways to see what makes it charge. And even when I pay attention to how I plug it in it doesn’t really make a difference. It’s completely bi-polar.

I’m enjoying my volleyball class.

On my way to my volleyball class I saw BBG at the intersection waiting to cross as soon as I drove across. WEIRD.

What are the odds?

I must see World Of Color again.

They added Tangled and Pirates 4 to the show.

I miss blogging. I really do.

I think of blogging often.
I think of my readers.

I think of my subscriptions.

I think of my commentors.

Oh how I miss it all.

Life is good. God has been good and he didn’t come back yesterday so I have more days to live for him and get to know him better.

Marc is craving Roscoe I wonder when I’ll be able to go again.

Thanks to the Reich family I now know what book I should purchase, Fountainhead.

Also, I got to test out a nook. Pretty snazzy I like it a lot. Maybe I’ll buy one probably not anytime soon though .

Oh and I’m legit now. I have a key to the building and an access code to set up the alarm for the building.

Pretty cool right? I also have a Staff Id picture and all!

Well, I guess that would be an update of my past 2 months and what I want to do pretty soon.

Until next time and I hope it won’t be several months or weeks til I post again. This was fun. I need to do it more often!

Boy, do me a favor, PLEASE! Pt 2

This is one of those posts that will continue… Click here to read the first post

Do not text me if you’re planning to ask me out. Call me. Ask me in person. If you text me I’ll take it as a casual “Let’s hang out, friend”

Yes, I expect you to pay. You asked me out. I’m taking time out of my schedule to “entertain’ you. You pay. If you would rather go dutch, let me call my girls to join me.

I see you ogling the girl. I’m not blind or stupid. I know when it’s a glance and a stare. 1+ looks are considered staring/ogling.

I hate hearing the word trust. Sadly but honestly, you are guilty until you are proven innocent. That’s how it goes with me.

Be a player and I will never talk to you again. I have high standards for friends and I have even higher standards for potential boyfriends. If you’re a player, you’re not my friend and will never be my boyfriend.

Don’t waste my time. If you don’t know what you are doing with your life and you aren’t even making steps to find out what you want to do, stop talking to me.

Call me. If you don’t want to be considered a bother then text me and ask if you can call tonight.. If you never text or sometimes text and you never call me, you and I are just friends.

Consider this a warning or a challenge: You have competition that already have priority in my life. My dad, my brother, my cousins, and my guy friends. They have set the bar and I love them dearly. You are required to stand out from the rest of them or you’re just another friend.

Boy, do me a favor, PLEASE!

I’ve had my share of dates the past month. One of the things that really irk me is that guys don’t really study up on a girl when they are given a chance. You can see my in my element, my environment. Me talking with my friends, me talking with adults, me sitting by myself, me playing with the kids. You can kinda get a feel of who i am. Do a little psycho-analysis. Please.

This is for all the guys that don’t want to do the homework…

Oh, me helping you means you’ve just slid into the friend category. Sorry 😦

Please talk intelligently. I’m not asking you to use big words; I’m asking you to use complete sentences. We were taught what complete sentences consist of in grade school. We have practiced complete sentences all our lives, do not start now to talk in incomplete sentences. I do not care if it’s a simple, complex, compound, complex-compound sentence; just make sure it is a sentence.

Do not make fun of other people in front of me. I have a sense of humor but my sense of humor does not consist of making fun of another or stepping on another person to put self above another. Some people are very witty. If you don’t know what witty means or what it consists of: you’re not witty and that means I don’t think you’re funny.

Do not buy me with your money. I always try to believe it’s the thought that counts. Anyone can flash around money and throw it down for everyone else. I notice when you’ve put thought into a gift or a date. Anyone can pick a place and pay for it but it really takes time and effort to make a date memorable but enjoyable.

Don’t refer to me as “man/dude”. Better yet don’t use the words “man/dude/bro”, etc in your conversation. I hardly use those words when I converse with you please do the same.

I just want to help, let me. I don’t know what it is with guys and not letting me plug-in the address to a gps so we can quickly start driving to our destination. I just want to help, I’m not trying to take over. Don’t be offended when I take something out of your already full hands, I know you are capable but I just want to help. I’m not expecting you to be perfect and mr. macho man. If that’s what you want to be though, you’re trying to woo the wrong girl.

Do not mock me. If there is one thing I hate is being mocked. The next thing I hate is being mocked with a high girly pitched voice.

Get your focus of yourself, now. Stop worrying if I like you or if you’re doing it all wrong because you are. I look for friends. I want a friend before I attach boy to the beginning of the word ‘friend’. If you won’t be my friend first and allow me to talk nonstop about stupid things and let me get comfortable around you, it will not work. EVER. Then you won’t notice that I’m really quiet and answer with mono-syllabic answers. You won’t notice that I haven’t answered your text 3 hours later. When I start talking to you again it means you’ve slid further away from boyfriend material and into friend category.

Sometimes, I want you to let me be. People have bad days. I do not need you to try to make me laugh. I just want you to listen to me vent or to just talk about something else other than my situation. I don’t need you to make me laugh. If you really wanted to brighten my day we would go do something. It doesn’t have to be fancy but something little, simple, and nice.

Do not say the same joke over and over again. After you’ve said it the second time, it’s no longer funny. After you’ve said it for 3 weeks in a row, I will hit the delete contact on my phone, Facebook, email, etc. Every now and then repeat the joke but every time we hang out? Get another joke and use it once.

Lastly, but the most important, Do NOT try to impress me. You WILL fail. It irks me to no end. It rubs me the wrong way. I will start to ignore you. I will run away when I see you.

So, this is the basics of Melanie. I know, it’s far from basic but that’s why I’m still single. Honest, I’m not hard to please; I just want and need to know: I’m worth it-he risk of being wooed and courted even if it doesn’t work out between us. Call me old-fashioned but that’s me, Melanie.

Awww…you’re such a good brother!

My brother knows about my bucket list. This past Saturday he experienced what I had to go through on my casual date this past week. We all hung out as a group. My family was there and a bunch of my sister’s friends. Today my brother sends me a text:

11:43 am Bro: I know going on a blind date to knotts isn’t really what you want but too bad it’s what works haha april 16th if everything works out

ME: huh? blind date? lol

Bro: Nvm

ME: What? What are you talking about? I know you want to go to KBF but you never mentioned blind date

Bro: I know I was planning one for you but it didn’t work out

Me:: aw…..:: tears…::

ME: Hahahaha awwww… you’re such a good brother lol 🙂

Bro: I know :p haha

Me: Dork so what happened? Why didn’t it work out? Haha

Honestly, I was wanting to know how my brother would explain wanting to set his older sister on a blind date. Personally, I think the dude would’ve been freaked out and like Why in the world does this girl need her little brother setting her up on blind dates?! Right?! Anyway I digress.

Bro: He kinda likes someone. He’s a youth pastor. I guess he’s busy? And I don’t think he’s into blind dates??

Me: Omg lol who is this guy??

Bro: Blind date called blind dates for a reason =P


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Hair Salons near Enid, Oklahoma

What are the closest Hair Salons from Enid?

Sorry, we could not find any Hair Salons within 100 miles of Enid, Oklahoma

General Info
Relocation & Residential
Local Businesses
Legal Services & Attorneys
Health and Wellness
Landmarks & Points of Interest
Bodies of Water
Local Salary Statistics


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As an agent for United Van Lines, in addition to thousands of local and international moves, Armstrong performs over 13,000 interstate moves annually. United recognizes agents for a variety of noteworthy reasons, largely driven by Customer Service Survey feedback Armstrong has recently earned recognition in a number of noteworthy ways.

Customer Feedback Performance

  • Customer Choice Award for overall quality performance in multiple size categories
  • Heart of Quality Award for Move Coordinator performance
  • Van Operator of the Year Award for Driver performance
  • Van Operator of the Month Award for Driver performance

Operations Performance

  • Performance Excellence Award for operational quality
  • IMPACT Award for claims minimization
  • Fleet Safety Award for overall risk management performance
  • Top Hauler Award for both Regional and Continental categories

Sales Performance

  • President’s Club Award for overall booking volume
  • Sales Achievement Award for overall booking for both National Account and Government categories
  • Inner Circle Award for booking volume in both Residential and Overall categories

Internal Recognition of our Team Members

  • In order to encourage customer-centric behavior, we recognize the following performances with a cash bonus, trips and featuring via internal communication platforms.
  • Servant Spirit Award monthly to any employee for extraordinary performance on behalf of a Customer
  • Driver of the Month Award for overall quality performance
  • Driver of the Year Award for overall quality performance
  • President’s Club Award for sales volume and growth performance

As leaders in our industry and active contributors in our communities, Armstrong team members are recognized frequently in a variety of ways. While customer-driven recognition is actively sought and encouraged, good stewardship in the community is its own reward and in keeping with our DNA, which says “Generosity: Succeed greatly so you can give generously.”

International Recognition from Partners

  • Packimpex of Switzerland: Global Partner Quality Award
  • Asian Tiger Outstanding Partner Award for volume and service quality
  • Santa Fe Global Quality Award for service quality


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In new York exposed a million fraudulent scheme in the field of health

In new York exposed a million fraudulent scheme in the field of health

Four new York doctor among the 20 detainees who are charged with the organization of large-scale fraud schemes in health care. The criminals managed to get around Medicaid, Medicare and other government-funded insurance companies, to the detriment of tens of millions of dollars.

The fraudulent scheme continued for 3 years. Criminals are focused on areas with a population of low-income. Information about people received from the employment agencies and social canteens. In the scheme took part not only doctors, but also recruiters, office staff, managers, and business representatives.

In new York exposed a million fraudulent scheme in the field of health

The selected «candidates», the scammers were paying $ 30-40 for a visit to the clinic to undergo a completely unnecessary person expensive analysis or test. Further, the money for the procedure debited from account supposedly of the patient, which in the end could just visit the clinic, spend an hour and leave without receiving service. The funds received on the hospital’s account, the fraudsters laundered through Bank accounts of shell companies in China, Singapore, Lithuania, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey. After that, the money was distributed among criminals.

The leader of a criminal syndicate was the 35-year-old Christina Mirbabaev from Brooklyn. Its main «business partner» in the fraud was Dr. Curtis responsible for designation and passage of patient treatments.

Among the other accused, 46-year-old Vladislav Yakubov (Brighton beach, Brooklyn), which is the Manager of the recruitment Agency, 49-year-old Kamal Zafar (South Huntington, new York). Financial matters (money-laundering) were 54-year-old Natan Yusufov (Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn), 47-year-old Igor Shamaev (Midwood) and 58-year-old Vitaly Efremov (Ocean Parkway).

The participants of the criminal organizations bought expensive real estate. For example, Mirbabaev newly purchased apartment in the heart of new York city for 3.25 million dollars, Yakubov bought an apartment in Brighton beach for $ 2.8 million.

All law enforcement officers found 11 properties acquired by criminals allegedly with the stolen money, a total value of more than $ 10 million. For houses and apartments seized. Was also frozen more than 100 Bank accounts belonging to members of the group.

If the crooks are found guilty in court, they are threatened by punishment in the form of deprivation of liberty for a term up to 25 years.