Sauna Thermometer Guide

To have a perfectly functioning sauna where the temperature is at the highest possible heat you should see if your sauna thermometer is working as it is supposed to. To find the best type of sauna thermometer you will need to look in sauna companies for their various accessories and tools.
These different sites will be able to show you the various sauna thermometers that you can choose. When you have looked through these various sites you will be able to buy the one that you want.
These sauna thermometers are needed to make sure the sauna becomes hot and stays heated at a certain temperature setting. You will need to look for a sauna thermometer that has the ability to work with your sauna. (more&)
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Garage Sales - Love Them or Leave Them?

Me, personally? I've never had a garage sale (or yard sale or tag sale), and I can't remember ever going to one, either. But if you're trying to decide if a garage sale is right for you, here are some things to consider.1. You can make a reasonable amount of money.A commenter on Creative Organizing wrote, "A few years ago we had a lot of items to sell, furniture, lots of kids/baby clothes, lawn equipment and tools, etc. Held it over two days and made over $500. It was worth it for the amount we made and what we had to sell."Matt on Unclutterer took in about $500, too.And over on Ask MeFi, Mozzie says, "If you live in a nice area, having a yard sale can be crazy productive."2. A lot of people don't make much money."Your stuff is worth less than you think," says Lori, on Unclutterer. And timgray chimes in, saying,"If your $100.00 jeans are in a yard sale they are worth $1.00."And here's some perspective from Real Simple: Carey Rademacher, creator of ItsDeductible, a donation-valuation software program, always donates clothing instead of trying to sell it. "A bagful of brand-name or designer clothing could be worth a $250 tax deduction versus a fraction of that at your sale―if the clothes sell at all," she says.Stephanie on Get Rich Slowly says she actually lost money participating in a neighborhood yard sale.3. It delays the "getting rid of it" process until the day of the sale, which can be frustrating. Many people want something gone as soon as they decide to part with it.As a commenter on Creative Organizing wrote, "There is nothing worse than making the decision to get rid of something...and then have it hanging around."4. It's a lot of work.Chris, commenting on Unclutterer, says, "The best time for a yard sale is NEVER. The time spent organising, running and cleaning up after a yard sale makes them pretty pointless as a cash-generating exercise. Do yourself a favour: call up a charity, estimate the value of the goods, and use the receipt to lower your taxes."And over on I'm an Organizing Junkie, Lucinda writes, "I’d rather have my teeth cleaned than have a G-Sale."5. There's a chance of theft, if you're not careful.One bit of obvious advice here is to keep your house locked, and don't allow people in to use your bathroom. MrVisible says on LifeHacker: Keep your money in a belt, something like a toolbelt at your waist. Don't use a money box. People run off with them. It can be annoying.And Get Rich Slowly concurs: Do NOT use a cash box. Carry your money on you at ALL times. You don’t want to present a target for casual thieves. More than that, you don’t want to be duped by professional swindlers who run distraction con games.And keep an eye on your merchandise. As SaraAB87 says on Consumerist: Don't leave cd's and other disks in their cases, THEY WILL GET STOLEN!But here's another issue, mentioned by Chip Thomas on Unclutterer: "We listed that we had multiple TV’s for sale in our ad in the paper. ... Unfortunately, we didn’t realize this made us a target for a night before burglary attempt."6. Some people think they're fun!As Mark Silver one commented on steve-olson.com: "I would grieve to lose the yard sale as a social form. It’s just fun to drive through town, or bicycle, and come across yard sales. It’s like a treasure hunt."And, when we did it, we had fun at it - hanging out in the yard, chatting with people who came by, including friends. When we’ve gone through neighborhoods where several yard sales are in the same block, it’s clear that many of them are having a great time, sipping ice tea, hanging out while the kids play."As a financial opportunity, it’s just eh. But, as a social ritual, and a way to keep the secret economy of junk circulating, it’s quite fun."And Matthew Cornell added, "For me the biggest plusses of a garage sale is 1) socializing locally, 2) selling locally (reduced pollution, gas use, …), and 3) just hanging out."If you want to have a garage sale, here are some useful guides:Yard Sales: An unclutterer’s ultimate, how-to guide, by organizer Geralin Thomas.The Yardsale Queen.The Ultimate Tag-Sale Guide, from Real Simple.How to Operate a Successful Garage Sale.[Picture: Garage sale sign sold by Sassy Signs]Related information, from my newsletter:10 Ways to Get Rid of Your Stuff

The Coolest Gadgets we missed this week - 8th May 2009

It is almost the end of the week here at geeky gadgets, we have seen lots of cool gadgets and gizmos this week.
As usual I have seen so many cool new gadgets, gizmos and geeky gear, unfortunately I haven’t been able to cover every one of them, so here is our weekly round up of the coolest gadgets we missed.
RAPHaEL Hand Easily Grasps Heavy Cans or Fragile Light Bulbs
Laptop Pillow
Xerox Solid Ink Cuts Print Costs by 62%
USB hub in Grape shape
MV CoilMaster Mark1 Coil Gun
Whisky Bottle Case Mod: I’ll Drink to That!
Plus Minus Zero LCD Television Disguised As a Retro CRT
Digital Recipe Reader
Star Trek in LEGO: 15 unearthly designs
Cool Star Trek Gadgets and Toys Calling All Trekkies
Trek Aerospace Exoskeleton May Just Be The Most Badass Form Of Personal Transportation Ever Conceived
Next-gen iPhone to have digital compass?
Phone fake: Lamborghini Vertu phone made by the Chinese
Play 95 Classic Console Games Online
iLamp Flexible Light Source for Modern Home
Video: Intel, we are rock stars
The Heart Handbag Necklace USB Drive
Pentax K20D Titanium Limited Edition DSLR [K20D DSLR Gets More Desirable, Surely Not?]
Sponsored: Shell Ecomarathon: The Green Challenge
Sub-Machine Gun Beer Bong
Clickfree Traveler External SSD
This is a post from Geeky Gadgets, who bring you the latest news on the coolest Geek Gadgets.
The Coolest Gadgets we missed this week - 8th May 2009

Best Pitches of the Year So Far

After the 2007 season John Walsh looked at the best pitches of each type for 2007. For example, that year Heath Bell had the best fastball. For every 100 fastballs he threw the opposing team scored 2.7 runs less than expected. For this quick post I wanted to check in on pitchers so far this year and see who had the best of each pitch type. Like John I am going to measure a pitch by its run value (in the link John has a great description of the run value of pitch). +-+ Four-Seam Fastball Number Run Value per 100 +-- David Aardsma 101 -4.6 Jonathan Broxton 89 -4.3 Brian Stokes 75 -4.2 Frank Francisco 76 -4.1 Dan Haren 201 -4.1 It is incredible that over twice as many pitches and as a starter Dan Haren's four-seam fastball is right up there with those of four hard throwing relievers. Heath Bell's fastball is still very good checking in at 9th on this list. + Two-Seam/Sinker Number Run Value per 100 Derek Lowe 44 -7.8 Josh Beckett 32 -7.8 Jamie Shields 37 -6.3 Rick Porcello 64 -6.3 Ramon Ramirez 32 -5.3 It is my understanding that the new pitchf/x pitch classification system calls two-seam fastballs sinkers for some pitchers, so I grouped both of them here. Tiger's fans must be thrilled to see Porcello's name on any list that includes Lowe, Beckett and Shields. +----------+ Changeups Number Run Value per 100 Dallas Braden 79 -6.5 Shairon Martis 45 -6.1 Anthony Reyes 100 -5.2 Jered Weaver 44 -4.8 Johan Santana 74 -4.4 +-+ Shairon who? Luckily Harry Pavlidis broke down his stuff for us about a month ago. Curves Number Run Value per 100 Javier Vazquez 62 -6.5 Wandy Rodriguez 133 -5.1 Jeff Niemann 44 -4.9 Jose Veras 42 -4.6 Paul Maholm 48 -3.9 +--------+ Wandy had the top curveball in 2007. Erik Bedard just missed the top 5 with -3.6 runs per 100 on his 127 curves, so on a total run value basis he is second only to Rodriguez. Sliders Number Run Value per 100 ++ John Danks 55 -6.0 Kyle Davis 32 -5.1 Santiago Casilla 34 -4.8 Yovani Gallardo 29 -4.8 Mark Lowe 30 -4.6 +-------+ This is an interesting list with mostly younger pitchers. One HUGE caveat here is that I did not adjust for the strength of the batters faced. So if a pitcher has only faced poor batters his numbers could be artificially inflated. Also if a pitcher tends to throw a particular pitch only against very good or very bad batters that could throw things off. When I make these lists again at the all-star break or at the end of the year I will properly adjust for the batters faced.

blog action day (poverty): mofo with no fo

Tonight's mofo will have no fo- no food, that is. It's because today is Blog Action Day, and this year's theme is poverty. In the past year, as food prices rose in many parts of the world, a lot of us began taking a second look at the relationship between food and justice. As many vegans come to realize, issues of ethics and justice are inextricably bound up with what we choose to put on our tables and in our mouths. However, many of us feel powerless to truly affect change in the global problems that so many face- poverty, hunger, malnutrition, disease, and the plethora of other challenges brought on by the lack of food. I don't pretend to offer a sweeping solution. Just a small suggestion. Fasting. I have never really fasted before, for any reason. Growing up in Iran, I saw adults all around me go without food or water from sunrise until sunset for the month of Ramadan, but I never took the plunge myself. For an entire month, you are supposed to go without food or water when the sun is out. You are supposed to pray. You are supposed to make charitable donations. You are supposed to keep your mind and your thoughts pure and filled with good thoughts. This year, Ramadan was in September. While I didn't fast in the religious sense of the word (I am not really a religious person at all), I did experiment with fasting fully for a few days. I decided that, leaving religious dogma aside, I would fast for those days to get closer to the purpose of Ramadan as I understand it- to feel empathy for fellow human beings who are not fortunate. And you know what? Fasting is a powerful form of meditation. When you take yourself out of the daily ritual of food (what am I making? what am I eating? what am I buying? what am I preparing? what recipe am I using? what am I blogging about?) you free up a lot of brain space to instead think about what all those acts represent. You begin to see how incredibly fortunate you are that you get to be picky about what brand of soy milk or bread you buy, and what kind of water you like better. We are so fortunate to be able to eat not just to nourish our bodies, but also for fun, for health, for entertainment, for learning. Of course, I am not saying that food is bad, or that those with ready access to food are bad people. What I wanted to point out was how easy it is to become detached from our place in the cycle of food and justice in the world- to forget the roles we play and can play. On one of the days I was fasting, we were holding a birthday celebration for my grandmother. I made and decorated a cake for her. And when the sun went down and I broke my fast by sharing a slice of cake with her, I was reminded of how powerful food truly is.

"Cash For Clunkers?"

Interesting piece of the economic pie... Quote: How the 'Cash for Clunkers' Plan Would Help New-Car Buyers The CARS Act would give buyers up to $5,000 back. Here's the list of vehicles that would qualify By Paul Bedard Posted March 24, 2009 Auto industry and congressional supporters of legislation to reward people who trade in clunkers for new, fuel-efficient vehicles are looking to build pressure on the administration to back it. The legislation, H.R. 1550, would pay up to $5,000 for trading in a vehicle at least eight years old. "It's a triple winner," said a Detroit executive based in Washington. "It helps the economy, it saves fuel and oil, and it helps the environment." So far, the administration hasn't aired an opinion on the legislation, also called the CARS Act, though the president's auto task force has indicated support. It has the backing of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the UAW, and most automakers. Those pushing the legislation said that they plan to step up pressure on the administration to back it, especially as the industry looks a week ahead to reporting historically poor sales figures for March autos. "Sales reports will be pretty miserable," said the executive. The supporters are considering advocacy ads and plan to highlight comparable programs unveiled overseas. In Germany, for example, a similar program has boosted auto sales by 20 percent for American carmakers. The CARS Act would cover about five to 10 fuel-efficient cars and trucks from each North American carmaker or assembler in the program. The following companies would be included: General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Vehicles expected to meet the CARS Act fuel-efficiency requirements: * Chevrolet: Aveo, Cobalt, Colorado, Equinox, HHR, Malibu, Malibu Hybrid, Traverse * Chrysler: PT Cruiser, Sebring, Town & Country * Dodge: Avenger, Caliber, Caravan, Journey * Ford: Edge, Escape, Escape Hybrid, Flex, Focus, Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Ranger, Taurus * Honda: Accord, Civic, CR-V, Element, Odyssey * Hyundai: Santa Fe, Sonata * Jeep: Compass, Patriot * Mazda: B-Series, Mazda 6, Tribute, Tribute Hybrid * Mercury: Milan * Mitsubishi: Eclipse, Galant, Outlander * Nissan: Altima, Quest, Sentra, Versa * Pontiac: G6, Solstice, Vibe * Saturn: Vue * Toyota: Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Highlander, RAV4, Tacoma, Venza * Volkswagen: Jetta How the 'Cash for Clunkers' Plan Would Help New-Car Buyers - US News and World Report :dunno: Discussion? I rarely buy new cars, and I know there are plenty like me. I really don't see any cars on the projected list that would catch my attention.

Free Web Graphics & Desktop Wallpapers

Image courtesy of Darlene SanguenzaIf you haven't noticed yet, I really love websites by graphic designers. This includes digiscrapping sites, of course. I stumbled upon the website of Darlene Sanguenza last night and I would say that I am absolutely in love with her range of desktop wallpapers.First of all, I love her awesome template. I wish I have something like that for my website too but I don't even know where or how to start. Anyway, it's funny that while I was searching for new desktop wallpapers for my computer and laptop, I couldn't find one that I like enough to use. When I wasn't particularly searching for one, I chance upon it. You can bet I am already using one of these, though I shall not disclose which one. LOLIf you are also looking for creative desktop wallpapers, drop by this website of Darlene Sanguenza!

Wish List, Likes, Dislikes...

I had a brainstorm idea this morning. (Watch out world!) I belong to several online stitching groups and each group has a questionaire asking about wish lists, likes, dislikes, etc. I find it time consuming to be typing the same things over and over, so I thought... Why not put it all in my blog, and then reference this entry? Good idea, eh? I thought so! So here goes:FAVORITESFavorite fabric: 28/32ct evenweave/linen, hand-dyedsFavorite needles: 26ct petite needlesFavorite Threads: WDW, Victoria Clayton Silks, GAST, Glissen Gloss Colorwash Silks, DMC Linens, SSS (needed floss for the last 2 are in my wish list link below). Love specialty flosses.Colors (include favorites & least favorites): Favorites: soft pretty colors such as pastels; Dislikes: dark, drab colors.Themes (include favorites & least favorites): Likes: oriental themes, Fobs, Stitcher Accessories; Least favorite: religious, folksyMagazines (include favorites & any that are subscriptions): Any UK mags, Stoney Creek , JCSFavorite Designers: Lorri Birmingham (elegant designs), The Sweetheart Tree (fobs), Joan Elliot (oriental designs), as well as a few others.Favorite Foods/Drink: ice tea (or flavored hot teas), cocoa, skittles, jelly belly jelly beansCollections (things you collect other than stitching): old cameras (I’m a photographer too)Scents (include favorite & least favorite): Lilac. I have allergies and asthma so strong scents don’t work for me.Favorite ONS: Needle in a Haystack www.needlestack.com123 Stitch www.123stitch.comKeepsake Needlearts www.keepsakeneedlearts.comFavorite LNS: Don’t have one close to me. There’s a Walmart, JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels and Hobby Lobby.WISH LISTPictorial Wish List located HERECharts wanted: see link aboveKits wanted (including just charts from kits): see link aboveThreads/beads wanted: anything but DMC/Anchor floss. I don't use Anchor, and I have 2-3 complete sets of DMC.Accessories/Gadgets wanted:Leather Scissor sheaths#26 Stitch FixerDMC Brand Plastic BobbinsOtherDo you have an online photo album? My AlbumHow do you store your threads? On bobbins in plastic storage casesFloss bags or bobbins? (Cardboard or plastic bobbins?) I use both bags and bobbins. Mostly bobbins. I’m in the process of switching from cardboard to plastic DMC bobbins.Do you have pets? Yes. A little 4lb. dog named Celeste

How the US Empire Contributed to the Economic Crisis

by Ivan Eland May 09, 2009 A few — and only a few — prescient commentators have questioned whether the U.S. can sustain its informal global empire in the wake of the most severe economic crisis since World War II. And the simultaneous quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan are leading more and more opinion leaders and taxpayers to this question. But the U.S. Empire helped cause the meltdown in the first place. War has a history of causing financial and economic calamities. It does so directly by almost always causing inflation — that is, too much money chasing too few goods. During wartime, governments usually commandeer resources from the private sector into the government realm to fund the fighting. This action leaves shortages of resources to make consumer goods and their components, therefore pushing prices up. Making things worse, governments often times print money to fund the war, thus adding to the amount of money chasing the smaller number of consumer goods. Such “make-believe” wealth has funded many U.S. wars. For example, the War of 1812 had two negative effects on the U.S. financial system. First, in 1814, the federal government allowed state-chartered banks to suspend payment in gold and silver to their depositors. In other words, according Tom J. DiLorenzo in Hamilton’s Curse, the banks did not have to hold sufficient gold and silver reserves to cover their loans. This policy allowed the banks to loan the federal government more money to fight the war. The result was an annual inflation rate of 55 percent in some U.S. cities. The government took this route of expanding credit during wartime because no U.S. central bank existed at the time. Congress, correctly questioning The Bank of the United States’ constitutionality, had not renewed its charter upon expiration in 1811. But the financial turmoil caused by the war led to a second pernicious effect on the financial system — the resurrection of the bank in 1817 in the form of the Second Bank of the United States. Like the first bank and all other government central banks in the future, the second bank flooded the market with new credit. In 1818, this led to excessive real estate speculation and a consequent bubble. The bubble burst during the Panic of 1819, which was the first recession in the nation’s history. Sound familiar? Although President Andrew Jackson got rid of the second bank in the 1830s and the U.S. economy generally flourished with a freer banking system until 1913, at that time yet another central bank — this time the Federal Reserve System — rose from the ashes. We have seen that war ultimately causes the creation of both economic problems and nefarious government financial institutions that cause those difficulties. And of course, the modern day U.S. Empire also creates such economic maladies and wars that allow those institutions to wreak havoc on the economy. The Fed caused the current collapse in the real estate credit market, which has led to a more general global financial and economic meltdown, by earlier flooding the market with excess credit. That money went into real estate, thus creating an artificial bubble that eventually came crashing down in 2008. But what caused the Fed to vastly expand credit? To prevent a potential economic calamity after 9/11 and soothe jitters surrounding the risky and unneeded U.S. invasion of Iraq, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan began a series of interest rate cuts that vastly increased the money supply. According to Thomas E. Woods, Jr. in Meltdown, the interest rate cuts culminated in the extraordinary policy of lowering the federal funds rate (the rate at which banks lend to one another overnight, which usually determines other interest rates) to only one percent for an entire year (from June 2003 to June 2004). Woods notes that more money was created between 2000 and 2007 than in the rest of U.S. history. Much of this excess money ended up creating the real estate bubble that eventually caused the meltdown. Ben Bernanke, then a Fed governor, was an ardent advocate of this easy money policy, which as Fed Chairman he has continued as his solution to an economic crisis he helped create using the same measures. Of course, according to Osama bin Laden, the primary reasons for the 9/11 attacks were U.S. occupation of Muslim lands and U.S. propping up of corrupt dictators there. And the invasion of Iraq was totally unnecessary because there was never any connection between al-Qaeda or the 9/11 attacks and Saddam Hussein, and even if Saddam had had biological, chemical, or even nuclear weapons, the massive U.S. nuclear arsenal would have likely deterred him from using them on the United States. So the causal arrow goes from these imperial behaviors — and blowback there from — to increases in the money supply to prevent related economic slowdown, which in turn caused even worse eventual financial and economic calamities. These may be indirect effects of empire, but they cannot be ignored. Get rid of the overseas empire because we can no longer afford it, especially when it is partly responsible for the economic distress that is making us poorer. AntiWar.com

Happy Mothers Day

I really was excited to go to Women's Conference. After all, I have only had three days away in all of my motherhood career of 15 years as stated and those were even taken on three separate voyages. I felt I deserved a little break. I was excited about returning to my old stomping grounds, my college campus that I have not set foot on since I left it in 1991. I was even going to stay in the dorms with my old college roomie. I busily prepared meals, finished the laundry, had all lists and chores finished. My plane landed and we arrived on campus. We walked into the dorms and I had a sick feeling come over me. I was suppose to be excited, I was suppose to feel a bit of freedom and enjoy the walk down memory lane. But, the minute I walked into that dorm which mind you have not changed one bit, my stomach turned. I had had a dream about a year ago that my Dad was taking me to college. I was 18 again but I knew that I really was 36. I had five kids. My Dad told me that I was wrong. I was 18. I was going to college. He dropped me off. I cried. No one believed me . I had to start over. I had to be 18 again, looking for a husband,waiting for kids. It was a horrible dream. The minute I stepped onto that campus again, I felt that dream. I felt total loneliness even though I was surrounded by women. In that very moment, the moment I should have been rejoicing in to have some peace and freedom, I felt for absolute surety that being a mother was what I was born to do. It was the only thing I wanted. Even accounting all the horrible days that I wanted to leave and not return, I wanted nothing else. I wanted to cuddle my children. I had only been gone a few hours and I missed them terribly. I love being a mother. They wear me out from head to toe on a daily basis but I love them to pieces. Thank you for making me a mother my little angels. Thank you for allowing me all the opportunities to be better, stronger and more charitable than I ever thought I could be. Thank you for forgiving me for all of the times that I wasn't. Thank you for teaching me on a daily basis how far love can go and that through the hard times we become stronger and closer. It is a hard job. No doubt about it. However, there isn't a better job on the planet. The pay is horrible but the hugs and kisses make it all worth it. Happy Mother's Day to you all. I hope you all get spoiled. A special "Thank You" to my own wonderful mother who taught it all to me and still is. She is the perfect role model. I love you.

Olden white wedding dress

Anthony Kiedis Talks About His Roommate... His Son!

"He's the little love of my life, that boy, and I feel very lucky to be his dad," said Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, speaking of his 18-month-old son, Everly Bear. "You can't really care about yourself as much as you used to. It kind of takes the focus off yourself, which for me is a good thing. It also gives me a cool guy to hang out with." Anthony gushed about his son at the opening of the new shopping complex the Malibu Lumber Yard. "[Everly] is the best roommate I ever had. He's just a good hang. He's funny. He doesn't cost a lot to keep up. He's a good dancer." Right now Anthony is working on writing music, rehearsing, and surfing, then shooting a pilot for an HBO TV show, Spider and Son.Full Story: PEOPLE Technorati Tags:pregnancy maternity maternity clothes fashion style maternity style baby anthony kiedis the red hot chilli peppers

Gearing up for astrophotography

All the positive feedback Ive received for my recent attempts at lunar photography have made me more enthusiastic than ever about getting into astrophotography. Ive already got a few books on the subject; truth be told, theres a bit of a learning curve. Its going to take me a while to get good at this. And thats not a bad thing, because astrophotography can be awfully expensive: its going to take me a while to assemble all the equipment required for a basic astrophotography rig that can do more than just photograph the Moon. Ive already got two main pieces of equipment. I have a telescope geared towards astrophotographers: an 80mm Sky-Watcher Equinox apochromatic refractor, with really good colour correction (as far as I can tell) and a short (500mm, f/6.25) focal length. I also have a digital SLR sufficient to the task: a Nikon D90. (Most astrophotographers use Canon, whose noise reduction algorithms are better for stars, but a Nikon is hardly unacceptable.) In addition, I have a number of accessories for the D90 that will help: an external battery pack (to aid with multiple long exposures in the cold), a corded remote (to reduce camera shake when pressing the shutter), and a right-angle finder (to aid in focusing and allow me to see through the camera when its attached to a refractor or catadioptric telescope). I also have T-ring adapters to connect my camera to a telescope: one for a two-inch focuser (like my refractor), and one for Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. So, what else do I need? The first piece of equipment Im likely to get is a Televue Powermate. You may have heard of a Barlow lens, which increases the magnification of an eyepiece; Powermates add another doublet lens to this design to correct diverging light rays. Increasing the magnification of my refractor would really help my lunar photography. A 500mm refractor doesnt magnify the Moon very much: it presents a very small image on my cameras sensor. Doubling the focal length with a 2× Powermate would put the Moon on more pixels, making for a better image. (Alternatively, I could use my 125mm Schmidt-Cassegrain instead  it has a focal length of 1,250 mm  but its not as sharp and contrasty as an apochromatic refractor.) What clinches it for me is that Powermates have T-ring adapters (sold separately), which simplifies things: I can just stick the camera and T-ring into the Powermate, rather than sticking the camera and T-ring into a separate T-ring adapter that then slides into the Powermate. Total cost: A 2× Powermate for two-inch focusers lists for around $350-400 at Canadian stores; the T-ring adapter runs around US$50. If I want to take pictures of anything other than the Moon or the planets, Ill need an equatorial mount that will track the sky. The mount Ive settled on is the HEQ5 Pro from Sky-Watcher, which Orion sells as the Sirius EQ-G. It costs around $1,200 and has a capacity of around 30 pounds (13-14 kg): more than enough for my three-kilogram refractor. But Im thinking ahead a bit: this mount would also be able to handle Newtonian, Schmidt-Cassegrain and Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes with an aperture of eight inches (200mm) or less, or Maksutovs of six inches (150mm) or less  more than enough for a good long while. Its also light enough  about 20 kilograms  to be reasonably portable, which is a factor when you dont plan on setting up a permanent observatory any time soon. The HEQ5 Pro has a go-to computer and an autoguider port (more on which anon), as well as periodic (but not permanent) error correction (a way to train the computer to compensate for regular tracking errors in the gears; permanent PEC would have been better). An autoguider corrects tracking errors brought on by imperfections in polar alignment and gears: it connects a small digital camera to the mount and a computer: when the camera catches a guide star moving in a way it shouldnt, the computer pulses the mounts motors to correct it. This is essential in long-exposure photography. How essential it will be for me is another question: an f/6.25 refractor is pretty wide-field (and presumably more forgiving of tracking errors), and a D90s sensor will overheat if it runs for too long  and heat is a definite no-no for astrophotography (it adds noise). But if it turns out that five-minute exposures (for example) require autoguiding, then I think Ive figured out which one to get. The one generating the most buzz is Orions inexpensive $280 (U.S.) autoguider, which plugs into a computer for power and control and into the mounts autoguider port. It also requires a separate guide scope (or, presumably, an off-axis guider, which is less preferred nowadays), which would be problematic with my refractor, which has a built-in dovetail rather than using rings. On the other hand, KW Telescope in Kitchener, Ontario, has assembled an autoguider package that uses a 50mm finder scope and connects via the main telescopes finder bracket  which my refractor has. Costs $350. I was worried that 50 mm would not be enough aperture to provide the camera with a guide star to lock onto, but Alan Dyers review in the March-April 2009 issue of SkyNews assuaged those fears. (Youre on the hook now, Alan.) This will not only save me from having to buy a guidescope-and-rings combination (Orion sells packages from $325 to $380), it will also take a few pounds off the mounts, er, shoulders. Finally, if Im getting an autoguider, Im going to have to have a laptop computer to operate it  unless I opt for Orions new standalone autoguider, which doesnt require a computer but which does require a power source, to say nothing of $600 (U.S.)! And, I hate to admit it, but that computer is going to have to run Windows (gakk!): all the autoguiders under discussion here use PHD Guiding for software, and while PHD Guiding is Mac-compatible, the drivers required to connect to these autoguiders arent. (Mac-compatible cameras are more expensive; what are you gonna do?) Besides, Im not sure Id want to subject a precious MacBook to the elements. My criteria for an astronomy laptop are that it (a) be inexpensive (so as not to cause grief if I break it) and (b) have crazy-stupid battery life. I just so happen to have a candidate in mind that appears to fit these criteria: the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, a Windows netbook with a 10-inch screen, a 1.6-GHz Atom processor, a 160-gigabyte hard drive  and a battery life claimed to be as high as nine and a half hours. (See posts about this computer at Engadget and Gizmodo.) Staples has it in stock, and sells it for $450. By the time I actually get around to buying one, however, it will almost certainly be supplanted by a newer model, but its good to know that what Im looking for is more than theoretically possible. By this point, of course, I will have spent something like $2,600 including tax. This is a shopping list for the long term  in the next year or two, not the next month or two. Ill have to save my pennies and work a couple more lucrative government contracts first. Then, once this is all bought and paid for, Ill probably start thinking about a dedicated astronomical camera. But thats something best left for another post &

Climate Change and the Yolo County General Plan

I chair a group called the Climate Change Compact of Yolo County. We have been meeting for well over a year now discussing a host of issues that impact climate change in Yolo County. Every city and most every school district in the county has been attending regularly to share ideas. This past Friday we met at the Alumni Center at UC Davis for a meeting that I though was possibly our best. After we went around the room to update people on what each jurisdiction has done -- we had three presentations. The first was from Jillian Rich of PMC with an update on stimulus funding. The second presentation was from Clifford Rechtschaffen. He is a Special Assistant Attorney General. He talked about climate change and how it relates to land use planning. I have attached his power point here. I am not joking when I say that this was probably the best presentation I have ever heard on the topic. This guy was good. I walked into the meeting with 50 questions. He answered 48 of them in his presentation. I may not agree with his rationale but he really was solid and had a great understanding of what was going on in this policy area. He recognized the effort that has been put in place by the Yolo County General Plan team to address the climate change issue. We did not have any press there - but now I wish we would have taped it. The highlight of this part of the program was when Woodland Mayor Skip Davies prefaced his question with " I come from a practical community not a theoretical community." Somehow everyone knw exactly what he was talking about. The final presentation was from Mitch Sears about the City of Davis and their "Low Carbon Diet" Program. You can learn more about that on the Davis website.

Jealousy in a relationship, is it unhealthy?

Is it wrong to get jealous when some one else is moving close with our partner? People say that those who are not secure of themselves/confident of themselves get jealous. Do you agree with that? There are situations when you can't help getting jealous. Suppose if you don't get jealous at all, does it mean you don't care for the relationship enough? I think every one has his/her own limit and if some one crosses that limit he/she will definitely get jealous. A man may be loving truly his partner. At the same time if some very attractive female gets close to him, he may stumble and lose his morality. So there is nothing wrong in his woman getting jealous on the other woman in his life. If you say it is narrow mindedness to suspect your man, then you may lose him fully at one stage.

Can you smell that smell?

I love the smell of a list in the morning!
TeeVee
I watch Jeopardy. I don't Tivo it, but I try to be home by 7 p.m. so I can see it, I usually make it a few nights a week. I play along with the TV, saying the answers out loud, like I am competing. And when I know the answer and none of the contestants do, I say the answer LOUDER as if that will help. I also get irrationally attached to people on Jeopardy, for example I'll be rooting for one person to win and then I'll feel real, actual disappointment if they bet a lot on a daily double and lose the game, or if they lose in Final Jeopardy. I feel bad for them. Probably because I am loose in the brainial area.
Carry on my wayward son
The gardeners and I are in a fight. I'm not sure they know it yet, but we are, and they will know it for sure on Saturday. Last weekend they left me a nasty note on the timer mechanism for the sprinklers along the lines of "If you turn off the automatic timer again we'll report you to the landlord nah nah nah." So I called my landlord and told him I don't want mean notes from the gardeners and we are in a DROUGHT and the city has a list of ordinances (like you cannot serve people water in a restaurant unless they ask, I mean really) and if you break the water law you could be fined and if you exceed tier 1 usage your bill will cost more and WHO WILL PAY IT? The mean gardeners have the timer set to run six days a week for 45 minutes. PEOPLE. That is EXCESSIVE. So I turn off the timer and run the sprinklers manually because I don't want an $800 water bill. WILL THE MEAN GARDENERS PAY IT?
So I typed up a letter to the gardeners along those lines and attached the entire city ordinance with appropriate areas highlighted and tagged with post-it flags. Basically it says they either change the timer or they can pay my water bill. I am sure their love will grow exponentially for me.
And I can't believe I am going to say this, but I miss Francisco. I miss his strangely pruned shrubbery and bizarrely hacked trees. We used to have a beer, hang out, sometimes he wouldn't come for weeks and that was fine. The new gardeners lecture me and scold me and tell me not to walk on my own grass. They're so strict. Such grassophiles. And now we're in a fight.
The Ghetto Garden
Which brings me to this year's gardening efforts, which I plan to call The 2009 Ghetto Garden. It's my attempt to combine my countryass love of gardening with my need to annoy the gardeners. Thanks to the many readers who sent me this article about Lasagna Gardening, [no idea why the link only works half the time -- you may have to go to that site and search for it] I got the idea to use my old cardboard boxes from the storage shed out back to make walkways between my gardening piles and that will mean NO GRASS and the gardeners will probably have their little heads pop off as soon as they see it. I don't have the winter ahead (obviously) to make a real lasagna garden like in the article, but I'm going to use some of the techniques there since I can't till the soil (landlord's request -- and I have to stay on someone's good side.) On Saturday I plan to be up at the buttcrack of dawn running all my gardening errands. My budget for this masterpiece is $100, and I need soil and mulch and seedlings and other stuff. The gardeners come on Saturday so I'll be out shopping for the Ghetto Garden supplies when they find my awesome Water Wars note attached to the sprinklers, and then just as they are recovering from that they'll arrive next week to find a cardboard jungle.
This makes me so happy and I can't express why. Probably because I am evil, and should be destroyed.
No rest for the wicked
Of course I also have to work this weekend, which is going to cut into my gardening time. I don't know why I can't just drink wine and garden and read books for a living.
Reading is my cardio
I'm on this big Michael Crichton kick right now. It started right about two weeks ago in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep and needed to read something that would take my mind off the thoughts that were keeping me awake. You know how you can worry about something and think about it so much that the thoughts start thinking you? That's where I was. So I picked up an old Michael Crichton favorite, Timeline. Of his books that I've read it's probably my favorite. And then I watched the movie on Netflix (I love the movies you can watch right on your laptop! Best invention EVER!) (Not that I loved the movie, by the way.) And then I re-read State of Fear and then Terminal Man (his stuff from the 1970s is great, I love the descriptions of L.A., the technology talk, the way no one had a cellphone.) Then I re-read Prey, and moved on to Jurassic Park which I finished yesterday and of course ordered the movie off Netflix to watch tonight, and now I'm on to The Lost World. Yesterday I realized all I have left at home is Congo, so I ordered all the books I don't have off Amazon.com because books count as essentials for me, and because I'm obsessed. Obsessed! I do this with books, I get into an author and need to read EVERYTHING that person has ever written, including postcards and napkin notes.
I like Crichton because he writes this insane dialogue, where an expert character will explain to a lesser, dumber character all the exposition -- not just little details, but HUGE tumbling blocks of exposition. It's his way of combining character development and technical exposition at the same time, and I think very few writers really pull that off and keep a story moving. I thought State of Fear was a little too heavy in the oratory but I never get bored with his books, I always want to know how it all ends.
Winter
The weather changed back, so the 100-degree spell ended and now it's nice and chilly and foggy out, like winter. You know, 65 degrees. Almost cold enough for a wool scarf.
Moving
Even though my office move is really boring and not dramatically far away, it's still weird. Moving is not my favorite thing to do. I forget sometimes how much I am a creature of habit, liking things to be steady and constant and yet nothing ever is. Everything changes. Things end, new things begin, nothing really ever stays the same. Sometimes that feels exhilarating because when life is crappy you can count on it to eventually change, which is hopeful. But sometimes it's disconcerting too, because you have to move along with the flow and nothing can be relied upon to stay the same forever.

Pieter-Dirk Uys (1945 - ) performer, satirist.

Uys was born in Cape Town, the son of a Calvinist Afrikaner father and a Berlin-born Jewish mother. He was active in theatre in Cape Town and Johannesburg in the 1970s and 1980s. He has written and performed 20 plays and over 30 revues and one-man shows. In 1976 his soon-to-be major persona, Evita Bezuidenhout, ‘the most famous white woman in South Africa’ appeared. Inspired by Barry Humphries’ Dame Edna Everage, she was used by Uys to satirize and expose the absurdity of the then Apartheid regime. Most of their work was not censored, indicating closet approval by members of the ruling class. They also lampooned the sometimes hypocritical white liberals. Evita published her autobiography in 1990. After the first non-racial elections in 1994, Evita starred in a television series interviewing Nelson Mandela and other politicians. Pieter and Evita are also active in HIV/Aids campaigning, especially in teaching Aids awareness to children. In 2001 they gained a Truth and Reconciliation Award. They live in the town of Darling outside Cape Town where Pieter has converted the old railway station into a cabaret. In 2009 they wrote a play MacBeki: A Farce to be Reckoned With, which satirized contemporary politics reading Duncan as Nelson Mandela, Jacob Zuma as Macduff and Thabo Mbeki as Macbeth. Lionel Friedberg (dir). Across the Rubicon. With Pieter-Dirk Uys. South Africa 54 mins 1987. Pieter-Dirk Uys. A Part Hate, a Part Love: The Biography of Evita Bezuidenhout. Sandton, South Africa: Radix, 1990. Julian Shaw (dir & scr). Darling! The Pieter-Dirk Uys Story. With Pieter-Dirk Uys, Evita Bezuidenhout, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu. Australia 54 mins 2007. David Smith. “Jacob Zuma's ANC a target for South African satirists”. The Guardian. 19 April 2009. www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/19/satire-zuma-johannesburg-mbeki. “Pieter-Dirk Uys”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter-Dirk_Uys. www.evita.co.za. www.pdu.co.za.

Comfortable shoes

Fiat, Dick Cheney, Space Shuttle: What's the Buzz

by Claudine Zap Our top picks from the day's hottest searches. Fiat 500 (Searches increased by 441%). The future of American autos seems to rest on the cute frame of this Italian minicar. Dick Cheney (+299%). The former veep says the controversial radio personality Rush Limbaugh is the future of the Republican Party, not moderate Colin Powell (who backed Obama over McCain). Space Shuttle launch (+270%). The last mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is scheduled for today. The long-planned trip aims to fix up the observatory station. "SNL" (+137%). The comedy sketch show will be adding a prime-time special to air this month, "Saturday Night Live Just Shorts." Andy Samberg will host. Halle Berry baby (+265). The star and her baby girl caught buzz in a photo stand-off with the Paparazzi. Follow us on Twitter

Not Forgotten

You're going to be so moved when you see the full set reveal for Gina's "Not Forgotten" tonight, a new set from Gina K Designs that will be a must in any stampers collection. Sometimes we need to hear fro people the most on days when we are missing our departed loved ones, and those times can be the hardest to find the right words for or right card. This set has you covered. This DP is one of my favorite prints from the Basic Grey Offbeat pack, aren't those colors and pattern amazing?? The brown in it is a perfect match for the new Gina K Pure Luxury Chocolate Kiss CS I used for the base and mat. The greeting is beautiful enough to be it's own focal point when paired with a pretty DP or stamped background, here I framed it up in Petite Classic and Scalloped Nestabilities, sponging some bordering blue on before removing the die. The chocolate gingham I strung through the slit and tied is from the Floral Frenzy kit. What's this? Did I sew for you today? No, that was using my new favorite tool, the Scor Bug, I went all the way around the card using that and my Scor-Pal with three quick turns and faux- stitched it with a brown pen! I LOVE IT!! (and you will, too! Inside I added the strip of DP I had left after cutting the mat for the front and pierced and faux stitched across the top and bottom. I used the same shimmery CS from Paper Temptress for the inside, adding a greeting from the same set, along with a white paper flower adhered with a glue dot. Although many of the sentiments in the set are appropriate for those difficult "firsts", (anniversaries, holidays without a loved one), this greeting is a great one for any time you want to convey "I'm thinking of you both today, for no reason other than I love you..."For more inspiring sneak peeks from our team, please see: Carolyn King, Donna Baker, Emily Giovanni, Erika Martin, Gina Krupsky, Jessica Fick, Theresa Momber and our "In the Spotlight" designer Beverly Cole! Tonight is the party!!! I hope you can all join Gina K and her team ffrom 7-10 PM CST for one of our best and biggest releases ever!

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

c Waterloo Public Library 2008If you have read either of my previous reviews on the well crafted Maisie Dobbs series (over her first appearance in Maisie Dobbs and then in the fourth book, Messenger of Truth), you will recall that the series takes place in the years after World War I in England, and that the main character is Maisie Dobbs, who served as a nurse during the war, was injured, and now has opened her own practice as an investigator. I want to focus on the second book in the series, Birds of a Feather.As the book begins, Maisie's practice has grown enough to hire Billy as her assistant. We learned before that when Maisie served as a nurse in a field hospital, one of her patients was Billie. His leg was severely injured; however, due to the skill of the surgeon (who was also her boyfriend Simon). Billy feels tremendous loyalty and affection and credits Maisie and Simon for saving his leg. He and Maisie later meet in London, because he does odd jobs in the building where her office is located, and soon he is helping her in a number of ways.Maisie has also made a good impression on Scotland Yard's Inspector Stratton, who is investigating a murder. Maisie is hired to find the missing daughter of a very wealthy man, and soon uncovers a link to the murder...and further evidence of the damage done by a war that changed countless people's lives forever.The title of the book turns out to have a chilling meaning: in the efforts to get more young men to enlist in the military, some women took to handing out feathers on the streets, as if challenging men to step up and prove something. As Billy tells Maisie, many underage boys went off to fight--and die--in the war, while many others returned home with terrible wounds both in their bodies and minds. Maisie herself paid a terrible price for her service: a bomb exploded near her and Simon at the field hospital and she still bears a scar to show for it. Simon's physical injuries healed but he retreated within himself and is hospitalized in an institution for victims of shell shock.If books like Bubbles All the Way and the Stephanie Plum series seem a little light on substance, like cheesecake, the Maisie Dobbs series is a lavish feast with many courses. It's evident that Winspear does a great deal of research, and her work consistentally contains rich detail, description, and dialogue. All of this helps transport the reader back to the days of post-war London. Maisie is also a remarkable character--a strong, intuitive, intelligent and resourceful person. Each book gives readers additional insight into her life and a sense of better understanding this period of time. Birds of a Feather is available in the Adult Fiction area of the WPL.If you are interested in learning more about the books, or their author, visit Jacqueline Winspear's website.

Big Dreamzzz for Your Baby at The Corner Stork!

This is a great gift idea for every parent since we all have big dreams for our little ones. Available at The Corner Stork is this adorable pajama set, The Big Dreamzzz Baby MD. This unique, three-piece baby gift set where ECG stands for "Exceptionally Cute Garments." This adorable gift set comes with 100% cotton bodysuit that looks like sea foam-green "scrubs," mock hospital booties, a cozy cap that looks like a surgical cap, secure snap closure for the legs and the outfit comes in a white "doctor's bag" gift box. Check it out at The Corner Stork $24.99

Afternoon Links

Today in the links Karla Gomez cant seem to keep her clothes on, a couple of Mother Lovers, a mother of four gets naked for Playboy and the worlds fastest tow truck. Karla Gomez cant seem to keep her clothes on (Pics) Beth Fithen, Mother Of Four, Gets Naked For Playboy (Pics) Mark Twain Motivational Posters (Pics) Happy Birthday Audrina Patridge (Pics) How you Like Me Now: Hakeem Olajuwon Was Smooth (Video) Celebrate Mother’s Day With Jessica Biel Uncensored Clips From ‘Powder Blue’ (Video) The search for Internet’s biggest creep continues (Video) Gossip from a noted Bammeroid Buster (Sports) Mother Lover (Video) Pierced Glasses (Pics) World’s Fastest Tow Truck Driver (Video) Get out of the way! (Pic) Gabriela Endringer In May 2009 Issue Of FHM Portugal (Pics) Wag Watch #6: Aída Yéspica (Pics) Gamer Poster is Cool, Synopsis is Better (Movies) Straight to DVD - Yao Ming in My Left Foot (Sports) In Honor of LeBron’s First MVP, We Present an MVP Showdown (Video) The Zen Master Drops a F Bomb (Video) 15 of the Worlds Greatest Living Rocks (Pics) Afternoon LinksAfternoon LinksAfternoon Links

Bull Shark

Shooting Birds

This is my first post here at DadCentric and before I just kick the door down and start stomping around, I figured I should say... hi and that my name is Ryan. I maintain things over at my blog Pacing the Panic Room. You can also take a quick look HERE for a little more info about me. There. We are all properly introduced.So let's get started.When we offered to pack up the family and drive out to see our Midwife over on the East Coast of Florida and drink in her neck of the woods for an afternoon, my Wife and I thought this would be an awesome way to bond even more with her. After all, this woman is going to be teaching me how to check my wife's vagina so I can report the rate of dilation to her during the start of labor, the least we could do is go and see how she lives her life a little. When Jason first asked me if I wanted to figure out a way to contribute some photography over here at DadCentric, I honestly couldn't think of anything that would be interesting enough for a first post to get things rolling for him. I have been racking my brain, and finally a couple weeks ago, while my my wife Cole and I were finishing up a visit with our midwife, she asked if we wanted to come out to where she lived to check things out. She had been bragging about a blueberry farm and chicken ranch that she and her partner had been working on for awhile (and immediately the lights were flashing and bells dinging). I would not only get fresh eggs and blueberries out of the deal, but an opportunity to get old school and tap into my manishness and actually slaughter and prepare my own chickens... there it was. My first photo project for DadCentric was born. I was excited to have this idea for my first post. I figured a post about killing your own food for your family was a good first hello, and there's nothing more Dadly then that. But I wasn't sure how to bring it all together, until I realized I could take you all on a trip from the slaughter to a delicious dinner. I got it! DadCentric was missing some super manly cooking posts. This blog needed a cooking post! With pictures! So here we go. Here is dinner... I named the big one Broccoli (they say never to name them.) As in I will be "chopping broccoli." That was awful. I'm rarely funny. After surveying their property and admiring all the breeds of chickens, I wandered to the very back corner of the lot. I just knew these poor bastards were dinner as soon as I saw them. It was such an odd notion to see your food standing there looking back at you. "Hi, you're protein and you have been delicious my entire life." I have never killed anything before, the exception being some dumb fish I pulled out of the Gulf of Mexico, but nothing on this level. Nothing at all like what I was preparing myself to do. My father grew up on a farm; he was the youngest boy of 3 and this was second nature to him. I on the other hand grew up watching my mother sift thru plastic packages of chicken, trying to figure out which was the best buy and had the least fat. Now here I was getting ready to learn how to turn this clucking friend into food. Just to the side and out of view from this corner coop was this ominous little piece of turf. I didn't need anyone to tell me what went on here. When asked how I would like to select which one of my chickens I wanted to prepare first, I just figured, which ever one walks to the door and steps out. There was no panic, or break for it, no escape attempts. As soon as the door opened, a bird stepped out, and put up no fight when picked up and walked over to a chair. The chair was positioned just behind the coop. Here the bird was placed into a lap, on its back, and pet until it was so relaxed it fell into sleep coma. While witnessing this hypnosis by this chicken whisperer, the bird was thanked for the food it was going to give, and no sorries were said, just graciousness and calm soothed over the bird. The feet were bound and secured, so that after the head was severed it could be hung upside down to bleed out. Which only takes a surprising minute. There was no ringing of the neck, or chopping off the head and watching a bird bounce and throw itself around the yard. Immediately following the hatchet blow, the bird is hung from the hook. From there it is taken to a pot of scolding water at about 170 degrees and dipped in for about a minute and a half. This opens up the pores and loosens all the feathers for plucking. The plucking is tedious and the most labor intensive. And by far the messiest part. It took about a good 30 minutes to clean two birds. As soon as they are cleaned, they are put on ice and we finished preparing the other birds. These weighed in at about 5 and a half pounds. They were corn fed, ranged chickens. almost no fat what so ever on these guys. While plucking the chicken I realized for the first time how clean this process was. I immediately felt good about what I was preparing. For my entire life, chicken has been this thing that you purchase in a store in a plastic wrapper. As soon as it is in your home and unwrapped, it is treated like a bio-hazard. Don't let the juice get on anything, scrub your kitchen, wash your hands with hot water, keep it away from everything. Raw chicken makes you sick. It was this slimy wet germ ridden thing. Here I was with this fresh chicken and there was none of that fear. The next step is to lop off the feet at the joint, and then you can trim up the neck some. I left out the gutting pictures for the sensitive readers, but after you trim the drum sticks, you squeeze out the colon, you cut a triangle into the butt and reach in and pull out the insides. All of the innards on these birds are cooked down and fed to some happy dogs that reside on the property. Next, some final washing and last looks for any missing feathers before storing the bird on ice for transport home. And there you have it. It took about 2 hours all said to prepare 4 birds. Looks just like it does at the grocery store, don't it? Maybe minus the miserable existence of factory farming. And minus the hormone injections. I won't get into all of that. I have eaten my fair share of chicken buckets with no regrets. So on to dinner. It was getting late into the afternoon and we didn't want to stop at the store so I decided I would just make do with what we had at home to prepare this guy. There had been an old method of grilling a roaster chicken that I hadn't tried before and figured while I was on a roll I would just go for it. So we decided on Beer Butt Chicken for dinner. For anyone not familiar, Beer Butt Chicken is a method of grilling your bird with a 16 oz cool can of beer shoved up its ass filled with yummy aromatic goodness. I wasn't exactly sure how to do it, but figured it would be all the better to make it up as I went along. We got the bird ready and washed and all set to cook. I got the grill going and set it to full heat. Waited for it to hit 400. I rubbed the bird down with coconut oil and added salt and pepper to taste. Cracked open a 16 oz Pabst Blue Ribbon and drank about a 1/4 of it. I took a can opener and got that top off of the beer. Then I Filled the can with fresh crushed garlic, shallots, and lemon, and oiled up the can for insertion into the bird's ass. The can slides right in, and holds firm. So then I carefully took the bird and placed it onto the grill, using the legs to support the whole thing. Before I closed the lid I sliced up a fresh pineapple and got it grilling with the bird. Careful closing that lid down on the grill. This was a tight squeeze and I got lucky that it all fit. While I let the bird get cooking I wanted to make a nice Barbecue sauce for basting. I didn't have any sauce so i made my own, which is always better in the end then anything I buy at the store. Except for when I can afford Stubbs. So good. I realized I was out of ketchup for a base, but scored when I remembered our ketchup packet stash. So to the ketchup I added, salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, green onions, shallots, worcestershire sauce, cumin, brown sugar, vinegar, and the amazing and magical sriracha sauce (for a little kick). I started basting the chicken once it was about halfway done. I used a liberal amount and really got the flavor cooked in. This is the finished bird. It looks like it should be reading a newspaper, right? I let this cook about 2 hours. I prepared roasted corn with this meal, chopped up a watermelon to go with the grilled pineapple, steamed saffron rice and prepared black beans for a side. I took the bird off the fire and chopped it up and laid it out over the beans and rice. A really great filling meal, the chicken was juicy and delicious and worth every bit of fuss. While we feasted on this dinner, my wife looked over at me, and with a mouth full of food and pride, she said, "I guess I can stop worrying about what we would do if we were ever stranded on an island." Ha! Like they would have a cool Pabst 16 ouncer on an island. fin

Who like smoking most?

Women: biologically the pickier sex?

A while back, a scientific revelation was made when researchers in Germany decided to investigate how exactly women go about finding a mate. Through extensive research (conducted through a controlled speed dating event), lead researcher Peter Todd of the cognitive science program at Indiana University, Bloomington, concluded that when it comes to dating, we follow the Darwinian principle: women are the choosier sex. The reason? Sex can be much "costlier" for the fairer sex, according to an episode of the Discovery Channel's "The Science Of Sex Appeal". Apparently men can have sex and walk away, yet women can face nine months of pregnancy and years of childcare. Hence women look carefully for a man with "good genes and deep pockets". The episode also talked about a survey carried out in Austria which showed that women can change their perception of a man from the car he drives. (Strange, but true.) This got me wondering: if women are indeed biologically inclined to be pickier than the gents, is that the real reason so many women are still struggling to find a man? Is it our biological make-up that prevents us from "settling" with one bloke and forcing us to think that there's always going to be someone better suited to us out there? ...

R&B's Ciara writes songs, her own ticket on 'Fantasy Ride'

NEW YORK - "You will never ever catch me," a sexy cartoon figure warns in the album art for Ciara's new Fantasy Ride.She is called Super C, "which is also my nickname," says Ciara, 23, flipping through the CD jacket after a photo shoot. Unlike Mariah Carey's Bianca or Beyonc's Sasha Fierce, C is not her alter ego. "She's my superhero character, and the superhero in all of us. She's the inner strength and drive that we need to overcome obstacles."A conversation with Ciara Harris is in part a friendly lecture on self-empowerment. "I used to be insecure about being tall," says the 5-foot-8 R&B singer, also a model who has been represented by Wilhelmina. (She's now a free agent.) "When I was younger, it seemed like all the cute girls in school were shorter. Now I love my height. It's like, 'OK, girl it's beautiful, embrace it, love it.' It's all good."She describes Fantasy Ride, originally conceived as a three-disc set ("I had planned on doing more songs") as a reflection "of me being confident and strong, and somewhat aggressive but in a fun, playful way, and a sensual way. I'm getting older, becoming a woman, and learning to embrace who I am."That doesn't mean Ciara has forsaken the fondness for collaboration that has marked her work dating back to her 2004 triple-platinum debut, Goodies, which featured Ludacris, Missy Elliott, R. Kelly and T.I. In turn, she has popped up on tracks by Elliott, Bow Wow and Enrique Iglesias.Ludacris and Elliott are guests on Fantasy Ride, along with Chris Brown and The Dream. Young Jeezy and Justin Timberlake respectively appear on the singles Never Ever and Love Sex Magic. The songs reached No. 6 and No. 13 respectively on USA TODAY's urban and top 40 airplay charts. Each has surpassed 550,000 in digital sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan.A bevy of co-writers and producers including Rodney Jerkins, Tricky Stewart and Polow Da Don also pitch in. "I love writing, but it's always cool to mesh up different worlds and create something new. I also wanted to make sure this record felt different from what I'd given fans before, while showing my growth."Ciara, who was inspired by Janet and Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna, is also pursuing an acting career. She appears with Lynn Whitfield and Patti LaBelle in the DVD adaptation of the gospel musical Mama, I Want To Sing! later this year.Though Ciara says she "wouldn't mind doing more musicals," she is itching to do an action-adventure movie, "maybe something like Die Hard. Or I could have an Angelina Jolie moment, do something like she did in Tomb Raider. I love that kind of stuff the power in it, you know?"Another goal is a clothing line. "It will take time, but it's on my list of things to accomplish." Jennifer Lopez has been a source of inspiration: "She's really dope with fashion."Former Vibe and Spin editor Alan Light considers Ciara's "multimedia approach" practical. "Certainly, she'll continue to get played on radio, but there's no reliable measure that airplay translates into record sales anymore. Having the modeling and the acting and the guest appearances is more imperative in terms of building a mass career."It makes for a hectic schedule, which in June will include a gig supporting Britney Spears on her European tour."I haven't been able to do anything much other than work and sleep," says Ciara, who aims for six hours of shut-eye a night, "though lately it's been more like four."Ciara isn't sharing downtime with anyone special at the moment. "Music is my love right now. When people ask me what my fantasies are, I always say, 'To be married, to be happy with a family.' But everything's about timing."Right now I'm getting to learn a lot about myself, and that's cool."

Lion foot shoes

buckpassing

[last baby-related post I promise...I wrote this for my other 2 kids so I guess I want to make sure it applies to Junior as well!!!]As sure as darkness can be full of many dangersAs sure as little children shouldn’t talk to strangersAs sure as night follows day you’ll ask me the questionAs sure as Mother Nature cannot be predictedAs sure as one to nicotine can be addictedI’m sure I can safely say you’ll ask me the question“Daddy, what’s really going on?”Well, I could give you a bible and tell you to readI could give you commandments and tell you to heedBut could I honestly say they’d answer your question?Ask me how,I’ll show you ways in which you can proceedAsk me whereI’ll show you places you will not believeAsk me any of the above and I’ll gladly replyThere’s just one thing thoughDon’t ask me whyNow if you wonder why I question my abilityMy train of thought it’s greatly lacking in mobilityIn fact, when it comes to this, it’s stuck at the stationI asked the conductor what on earth the whole delay was forHe just laughed and said “Stop using stupid metaphors!You can dodge all you like but they’ll still ask the question!”“Daddy, what’s really going on?”Ask me how, ask me where,Ask me which,I’ll help you choose the one that serves you wellAsk me what,I’ll give you things to use for show-and-tellBut with one small request I cannot complyYou get the pictureDon’t ask me whySee in my soul, there’s a voidThat I can’t avoid any longerWhenever I try another year goes byAnd the feelings can’t get any strongerSo when you ask me why I’ll sing this lullabyIn the hope that one day you’ll seeI’ll always learn more from youThan you could ever learn from meAsk me how, ask me where, ask me which, ask me what,Ask me when,I’ll take you all the way through historyAsk me whodunit,And I’ll help you solve the mysteryBut if it’s reasons you seek then don’t even tryI sure can’t help youDon’t ask me why© JL Pagano 1994click here for a full index of my poetry and song lyrics

Welcome back Bishop Richard Wills

Bishop Wills and area delegates at the Southeastern Jurisdictional ConferenceThe 2008 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference concluded with the joyful news that Bishop Richard Wills, Jr., has been reassigned for another four years to the Nashville Area of the United Methodist Church.Bishop Wills has gained support across the country from persons who have appreciated his strong emphasis on Spiritual Preparedness through the reading of scripture and prayer. He leads by example through Faith Journaling – a technique for studying each daily scripture reading, reflecting on how that scripture passages applies to the situation in which the reader finds him or herself, and praying that that God will make the scripture passage come alive in the lives of the reader.“God’s ways are not our ways. This is where I can often get tripped up,” notes Bishop Wills. “If I do not stay daily in scripture and prayer, I find myself adopting the thinking of the world and trusting my own ‘good ideas’.”“Trusting God and trying to live the way Jesus would live if he were in my body is hard work. I would much rather trust in what I can see rather than trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit which I cannot see. I spend my day searching for God’s Will and here it is right in scripture each morning.”In addition to Bishop Wills’ strong emphasis on Spiritual Preparedness, he has also found major support throughout the Tennessee Conference for his focus on the following:·An emphasis on the wholeness of persons which includes the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of life. Wills stresses healthy life-styles, reflection and renewal.·Renewed stress on the importance of the small church·Strong emphasis on reaching out to the un-churched (Bishop Wills often does his journaling in public places like Starbucks—because he finds that strangers note what he is doing and ask him about it (a major conversation starter)·Restructuring of the conference to enable a more effective relationship between the Annual Conference Staff and the more than 600 local churches – all to augment each local church’s mandate “to make disciples.”·Strong support of special offerings to help recovery from natural and man-made disaster – from Katrina recovery on the Gulf Coast to medical defeat of malaria through “Nothing but Nets.”·Sponsorship of the Bishop’s Convocation for Church Renewal – with one day specifically for lay leadership, and a three day retreat for clergy – a Convocation that drew over 500 people.·For pushing the conference-wide reading and discussion of pivotal books such as Restoring Methodism by Dr. James B. and Dr. Molly Davis Scott.We welcome back Bishop Richard W. Wills, Jr., as Episcopal Leader for the Nashville Area of the United Methodist Church

Technical Officer, Project Heart

Job Summary In close collaboration with Project Director, Deputy Project Director, and project team provides technical guidance and programmatic support for a multi-country HIV care and treatment project (Project HEART) funded by CDC. Maintains information to promote, track and support the project with specific attention to agreement management, including budget and financial reporting activities. Works in close collaboration with the Foundation’s program, finance and budgeting, and contract and grants staff. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Project Agreement Management • Provide support to Project Heart objectives and direction, while ensuring that country programs and projects are implemented in accordance with donor (O/GAC, CDC) technical, programmatic and operational guidelines and are consistent with Foundation’s mandate and goals. • Develop CDC-required requests and correspondence to CDC/country and/or CDC/Atlanta in support of project work. Develop electronic and paper tracking systems for Project HEART documentation. • Coordinate preparing, editing, compiling Project HEART annual reapplication and semi-annual and annual program reports. • Review sub-agreements for accuracy, inclusion of language and requirements for CDC approval. • Represent the Foundation and/or the CDC-funded Project HEART program at external inter-agency meetings, program symposia and conferences. • Supply key programmatic information for proposals and external communication requests; update materials that describe and promote programs. • Support the Project HEART agreement management team and the budget analyst responsible for the CDC agreement to ensure compliance with the CDC agreement and support project financial activities. • Lead the development of CDC-required requests for funding carryovers, redirections, and supplemental funds. • Work closely with contract and grants and budgeting and finance to close out and liquidate project year funding.

Photoshop Video - harsh reality

Before you watch the video, the photograph used belongs to this girl.Taken from comments:The girl in this picture is a 12 yr old child who was abducted and raped in 2003. (Shevaun Pennington - Google it). She didn't choose to have her pic on the news, in the papers or on the net in the same way she didn't choose to be abducted & raped. Imagine how she would feel if she saw this vid and read comments from people on how ugly she is. Don't you think she's suffered enough? The guy who made this vid should have used a pic of himself. Read on (I googled for the girl's name. Kids out there should be careful of who you meet in online chat rooms. She met the fiend in Neopets. 'Xue-te' And I thought Neopets is a pretty safe place. Prevention is better than cure. Don't meet anyone you know online.) Bits and piecesSHE was just an innocent child of 12 when she was whisked abroad and sexually violated by evil US Marine Toby Studabaker-sparking an international manhunt. And only now, five years later, does pretty Shevaun Pennington, feel strong enough to talk of her terrifying ordeal for the first time. In an exclusive interview with the News of the World she told how vile paedophile Studabaker, now 36:GROOMED her for a year by internet chat roomDRAGGED her from one sordid hotel room to the nextPLIED her with vodka andCAJOLED her into sex. Bravely waiving her right to anonymity, Shevaun, 17, said: "It began as an adventure and for a long time I felt I was to blame. Now I realise what an evil pervert he truly is. "If I ever saw him again I'd shake his hand and thank him for making me the strong resilient person I am today. "Then I'd turn around and knee him where it truly hurts-so he'd feel what it's like to trust someone and then have it all ripped apart and abused." Widower Studabaker, who was with US forces in Afghanistan, is now serving 11 years in America for abduction, child sex and possessing kiddy porn, after completing a 4-year sentence in Britain.

calling all book tour photos - win a LIAV t-shirt!

I'm in the process of creating a wee video of my extraordinary completely grassroots supported by readers 32-city book tour beginning last September (in anticipation of my next book, coming in Spring 2010 - more on that soon!).If you have photos from any of the Life is a Verb book tour stops (of the reading, of me and you, of the knitting you completed while I read to you about saying hi to Yaron), would you email them to me at patti(at)pattidigh(dot)com with the subject line BOOK TOUR PHOTOS--your city name? Would love to include as many as I can!Many thanks! On Monday, May 11th, I'll do a drawing for a LIAV half-marathon t-shirt from those folks who send photos!Next stop on the book tour? DEERFIELD, NEW HAMPSHIRE on June 2nd!

Eliza

Runes of Magic new dungeon is a Treasure Trove of pirate fun

Since the official launch of Runes of Magic in March, the team at Frogster Interactve and Runewaker Entertainment have been incredibly busy developing more and more tasty content for players to enjoy - for free! With more than 1,600 quests in the world so far and counting, Runes of Magic is proving to be a really solid, feature-rich free-to-play title. Now we've received word that the RoM team is at it again, this time including more piratey content based on the recently introduced Black Sail Pirates. This new dungeon for players to explore is called the Secret of the Treasure Trove, and it will offer lots of swashbucklin' adventure for those scurvy dogs brave enough to step foot in there. This new area, a cave located off the new area Ravenfell, will be home to a bevy of new monsters - from undead pirates and skeletal warriors, to weird mutated part-squid monsters. Players will also have the chance to test their skills against a variety of named mobs from a giant octopus named 'Will's Curse' to the missing pirate leader, 'Snow Blake', and her fearsome phantasmagorical crew. So if ye be lookin' for a Treasure Trove of adventure, this sounds like it may just be your Runes of Magic ticket, mateys. Gallery: Runes of Magic Gallery

geordie & scouse national identity

Liverpool convincingly trounced Newcastle United yesterday, which set me thinking about the cultural similarities between the cities.The recent appointment of Alan Shearer - who looks eerily like a cross between Robson and Jerome - as manager of the ailing Newcastle United caused great jubilation in the city.This wasn't just about a club hero coming home, there was something in the delirious optimism of Toon fans that few others could ever deliver.In Pies And Prejudice, Stuart Maconie speculates that Newcastle United's fans are so derangedly passionate about their team because the city is anomalous in being so large with only one club.But why isn't this true of Leeds at three times the size (even if you allow for a little split of affection with the rugby team)? Why doesn't it apply to cities of similar size to Newcastle such as Leicester?It's not to do with a unitary focus of club, but the passion with which a people focus on their culture. A serious proportion of Geordies regard themselves as Geordie first and foremost rather than English or British. It is, in many sense, a nationality. It shares much in this with Scousers. This may be to do with their geographical positions as ports facing the outside world, but whatever the cause they both have a very separate identity, and there is nothing else like it in Great Britain outside of Welsh and Scottish national feeling.All four nationalities are prone to sweeping up their compatriots in huge swells of unshakable, ineffable pride, stuff dismissed by baffled outsiders - those more in thrall to English reserve - as sentimentalist claptrap.Not even Cornwall, despite its historical distinction and linguistic heritage, can muster the strength of patriotic emotion that readily pours forth with little prompting from these other four.For the cities with more than one club, there is usually a deep-seated rivalry that can never be overcome. Yet, as Maconie notes elsewhere in the same book, Scousers attending the Liverpool-Everton FA Cup final in 1986 sang in unison 'Merseyside Merseyside Merseyside'. I guatrantee that you won't hear the whole crowd at Manchester United vs Wigan singing 'Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester'.As Merseyside was one of those weird administrative regions put together in 1974, it seems scarcely credible that the unity of feeling was really about affinity to a recently contrived municipal district. They took to this new identity because it cut them away from the greater Lancashire with which they never identified and gave them an administrative body that recognised what they had felt for centuries, that they were a breed apart.(It should be noted that with the typical idiosyncratic twists of boundary makers, Merseyside has a long sliver only a couple of miles wide sticking all the way up to encapsulate the swanky seaside resort of Southport. Here, more than thirty years after it was deemed to be in Merseyside, you can still find car stickers huffily proclaiming that the town is really in Lancashire - they too see Scousers as a separate identity).

We are back, with actual rock star Jonathan Coulton

We last left our hero, the hypersensitive F.W. Thomas (only slightly renowned as a novelist, attorney, bureaucrat, bon vivant, D.C. fixer, and devoted friend) in the clutches of a certain Washington Post reporter, whose tart-tongued ministrations forced Mr. Thomas into months of seclusion from which he has only just emerged.His raging self-doubt and inner turmoil notwithstanding, Mr. Thomas drops to his two knees and pleads with you to attend this, the Fourth Inaugural Edition of the F.W. Thomas Performances.We are convening Monday, September 18 at 7:30PM in the big room at the Warehouse Theater. For the demonstrably ludicrous admission of $3, you will enjoy the best efforts of: Jonathan Coulton. The singer/songwriter whose cover of "Baby Got Back" is a bona fide sensation on The Internets. Click here if you have no faith. Reihan Salam, a writer living in Washington, D.C., explaining the hilariously lamentable phenomenon of the "Beta Male." Elspeth Reeve, a reporter at the New Republic, on her forbidden love for Ann Coulter. T.M. Lowery, F.W. Thomas artist-in-residence, presenting his cartoon journalings.And F.W. Thomas Impresario and Master of Ceremonies Adam Mazmanian will explain what it is like to watch one's father slowly but inexorably transform into a doppelgangerof Kim Jong-Il.The Warehouse Theater is located at 1017-1021 7th Street NW. It is a short and not altogether unpleasant walk from the Chinatown/Gallery Place Metro. Phone is 202-783-3933.Mr. Thomas has missed you lo these many months, and bids you to rejoin him. Please do not disappoint him, as he is very, very fragile.

Do you beleive in sportdrinks?

When You are exersicing your fatburning are going on. And to have a sprotdrink after is one way to provide your body with fast kalories. But how do the fatburning then respond. I for one think that sportdrinks are full of kalories and are no god for the fatburning. I think that suply your body with that is losing the reason for exersicing in the first place. I beleive that some water is the best way to have for quench one's thirst, and that is what you need to do after a god exersice. Not put in new kalories. I take a bottle of water, go home an prepare a god healthy meal.

American Clean Energy Act Of 2009

The initial draft of the Anerican Clean Energy And Act Of 2009 has been released by the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee for initial review by Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Chairman Edward J.Markey respectively. Subcommittee hearings will begin the week of April 20th with the intent to complete consideration of the legislation by Memorial Day. The Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 if passed, will be the the consummate legislative act of the progressive fascists, that are currenlty reign in Congress and the Presidency. Barack Obama and the progressives currently in control of Congress are determined to usher in a new socio economic order in the United States of America. The 648 page bill outlines their objective to control energy distribution by promoting renewable energy through various programs administered by a plethora of acronymical bureaucrats. The bill has been written by environmental special interest groups which serve to benefit through this legislation by exerting additional influence on government policy as it impacts the environment and directs American energy policy through 2050. The bill addresses four titles including: Clean Energy, by promoting renewable sources of energy, carbon capture, electric vehicles and the smart grid Energy Efficiency, addresses energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy Global Warming, that fully embraces the progressive position on the topic  Transitioning, to promote green jobs during the transition to a green economy The bill, if enacted, will limit choice in this nation. It will expand the reach of the federal government through the development of a super bureaucracy and the creation of numerous Councils and Advisory Boards including the Offsets Advisory Integrity Board or the National Climate Change Adaptation Council which will administer the appropriately named National Climate Change Adaptation Program. The bill also creates the Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Panel and the Renewable Electricity Deployment Fund within the Treasury Department to name but a few of the councils and board required to administer the legislation. Additionally, the bill creates numerous oversight Boards which include among others, the Secretaries of Energy, Commerce, State, Treasury, Transportation and Agriculture. This proposed legislation is Orwellian in its breadth and vision as it encompasses every aspect of our lives from the water pressure in our shower to the electric vehicle in our garage to the reading lamp at our bedside. This bill if enacted by Congress, will certainly be signed into law by Barack Obama. It will lead the United States further along the progressive path toward Eurotopia and provide the foundation to further restrict American choices and freedoms. Ceo4adaybelieves that all Americans should be conscientious and voluntary stewards of our environment. We believe that concerns for the environment should be in balance with market economic forces and not be dictated by the National Academy of Science, the Sierra Club, or Greenpeace. We believe that market forces should dictate whether or not consumers elect to drive electric vehicles or gasoline fueled SUVs. This bill will result in the federal government dictating that choice for consumers and create a socio economic environment where the energy and environment police will become a prevalent element in our American life. This bill will result in a further incursion of our freedoms and a massive victory for progressive fascism.  Fight For The Right   ceo4aday

Harry and Louise ride again

Will insurers once again scupper health-care reform?THE final nail in the coffin of Hillarycare came when Harry and Louise appeared on television. Hillary Clintons effort to introduce a government-run health system over a decade ago fell apart when two worried, middle-aged Americans were shown equating reform with bloated bureaucracy. That ad was paid for by the health-insurance lobby. Now Barack Obama says that reform is a priority again. He argues that the recession only adds urgency, as there is no way to tackle long-term deficits without fixing health care. Kathleen Sebelius, his new nominee for the post of secretary of health and human services, this week pointed out to a Senate committee that nearly half of all recent home foreclosures have resulted, in part, from families being hit by health expenses not covered by insurance. ...

Swallow Your Pride

"It's kinda like an Amish barn-raising. Except with strippers." The Wing Bowl in Philadelphia began as a competitive eating contest hosted by a local radio station and has grown into an event witnessed by crowds of more than 20,000. What kind of person becomes a competitive eater? Filmmakers Joshua Camerote and Brian Dwyer followed six individuals through a variety of events on their way to the Wing Bowl, and the result is the documentary Swallow Your Pride, now available for free streaming courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms. Frankly, the doc initially teeters between being fascinating and being repellant; it's not the most pleasant experience to watch people stuffing their faces with all manner of food items as rapidly as possible. But if you can get past that, fascinating, sometimes funny human stories emerge. One of the competitive eaters, who calls it the "sport of the common person," is married to a woman who is fighting to lose weight. Another contest participant is married to a vegetarian; she doesn't agree in principle with what her husband does, but she can live with it because she views his competitive eating as a sport, not a way of life. The doc also covers the I.F.O.C.E. (International Federation of Competitive Eating), the self-appointed governing body of the sport, which was formed by two brothers in 1997. The organization seeks to organize, supervise, and regulate eating contests around the world, but not everybody appreciates what they do. One competitive eater says: "I don't want to eat for Wal-Mart. I want to eat for Mom and Pop." And thus a competing body is formed, the A.I.C.E. (Association of Independent Competitive Eaters). Everything leads up to the Wing Bowl. We've embedded Swallow Your Pride below for your viewing convenience. As always: no wagering, please.

TEST & EVALUATION ENGINEER

Location: Seattle, WA Job Description: Yoh Aviation has a contract opening for a Test & Evaluation Engineer in Seattle, WA. Duties and Responsibilities: Work in Flight Test Engineering to support developmental and certification flight testing of all BCA models and military derivatives. Provide certification expertise in support of aircraft ticketing, Certification Plan reviews, FAA Specification submittals, Type Inspection Authorizations, Type Inspection Reports, and First of Model testing. Support test program reviews with FAA Flight Test and foreign regulatory authorities, address certification issues that arise in the course of certification test programs, and participate in occasional First of Model test flights. Job Requirements: Applicants must have excellent communications and interpersonal skills, and have worked closely with a diverse community including airplane manufacturing personnel, design engineering, customers and suppliers, FAA, pilots and management. Certification background within the context of flight testing is required. Familiarity with FAR Parts 21 and 25 and the certification tools and processes used by BCA in the certification of Large Transport Category aircraft is also required. The applicant should have familiarity with computing applications including mainframe, PC based applications and test specific computing tools. Requires educational credentials meeting the standards for engineers. Certification experience required. Discover all that's possible with Yoh Aviation. Type: PermanentLocation: Seattle, WACountry: United States of AmericaContact: Yoh Managed ServicesAdvertiser: YohReference: JSJ8H2VG620KQN842YYNQ

Of Interest

This morning Ish woke up, showered, and shaved. He opened three boxes before finding his clean "work" jeans, and transported much of the clothing he found in the first two boxes to his side of the closet. After he got dressed, fed the cats, and cleaned the litter box, he drove to Starbucks. He returned to the house shortly thereafter with a half-caf soy latte (and a kiss on the nose) for me, and left again for work. He will probably be in his office before I finish this paragraph.Do you have any idea how mind-blowing this is? After nearly three years of his commuting 60-70 miles each way?(Btw? Ish just popped up on IM.)* * * * * * * * * *Thank you for your kind words of support from the post below. I definitely got into a snit over the anonymous comment, but I snapped out of it, too. Your thoughts helped a lot.Now that I've had some time to put things in perspective, I want to make a few points for the record. A few small ones and a really big one.First, I do not expect people to agree with me all the time, and I don't have an issue with people who take the time to comment and to respectfully dissent. As Em pointed out, saying that the house we picked seems "out of sync" with me is a fair -- and, as it happens, accurate -- statement. One I've had to think about for a while to be able to answer. However, couching that statement in insults clouded the point and, well, insulted me. Second, for what it's worth, I won't ever turn off commenting. The thing is, there's a difference between someone who says something totally off-the-wall stupid (like that guy who told me he can't enjoy reading my blog because he knows he wouldn't want to have sex with me because of my "fatness") (true story), and someone who says something mean that resonates with me because it hits a sore spot.The anonymous commenter did the latter. I'm not especially concerned about being "uncool" (good lord, I'd never leave the house), and I think "mid-brow" is completely debatable, given this house's relative expense and specific location. BUT I did have a lot of hesitations about moving to a tract home. To be perfectly honest, I didn't even really know what a tract home was a few months ago -- I'd heard of them but coudn't have defined them accurately and had to ask Ish if this was one. We turned down many houses for that reason. In fact, one of the most gorgeous homes we looked at was so close to the other houses in its development, and the development was so in the middle of nowhere that I actually started crying on the way home from going to look at it.But this house seemed totally different. It's not, I guess, but it felt that way to us -- which is why we selected it.And so yeah. I'm sensitive to it. The anonymous commenter knows exactly what s/he is talking about, right down to the effing hollow-core doors, which was the very first thing Ish said he'd be replacing. (Those and the silver-and-gold-tone faucets in the bathrooms.)I'm sensitive to it because this isn't how I grew up. This isn't the kind of suburb I know. This isn't anything I'm familiar with at all. How 'bout that, huh? And so we come to the big point.Do you have any idea how "interesting" the house I grew up in was? No, of course you don't. And that's totally my fault, because I haven't the skills to write it yet. It is my greatest challenge as an aspiring writer to ever, ever put into words that house and all that happened there. Part Anne of Green Gables, part Running With Scissors, with maybe some Pippi Longstocking and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant thrown in. But funny, and not in a dark way. Not Sedaris. More like Gene Shepard (the guy who wrote the series of stories that the movie, A Christmas Story came from). Yeah, much more like that.And this? This newly constructed home? Oh, I get it. I get anyone who aspires to have something more unique, more inspired, less like the others and more full of "character." Of course I do. I get the difference. I know exactly what our anonymous commenter means.I lived and breathed "interesting" for over twenty formative years. Our over-a-century-old farmhouse had the most charming brick floor throughout the entrance and giant kitchen. Our kitchen, where we spent most of our time, featured a huge brick fireplace in the corner. Charming, yes. But have you ever tried to clean a floor made of bricks?The farmhouse had five-and-a-half bathrooms, but never once did all 5.5 work correctly at the same time. Leaky faucets. Drafty windows. A crack here, a hole there. Rip in the screen door. A sliding door stuck shut. A bathroom carpet perpetually damp. Lights that went out and never went back on again. For whatever conflation of reasons, my parents simply did not keep up with the constant repair needs of the house; mostly when things would break, they'd just stay broken. So you know what is completely novel to me? Having a house where all the bathrooms work at the same time. Living in a home where I don't have to worry that a leaky faucet may mean a plumbing "problem" that would cost half the home's value to repair.Here, everything works. Everything is clean, or at least possible to clean in a way that homes built before 1940 are not. I don't have to worry about faulty wiring or lead poisoning or how I'm going to plug a television AND a dvd player in the livingroom. I don't have to pull up decades-old carpet or paneling or linoleum. If a door or faucet or window or light fixture breaks, we have a warranty.From the outside, I know. I am in a home in a somewhat cookie-cutter neighborhood, and no one out there could possibly see or guess what informed my decision to move here. But you can.

A Zoom Zoom

With two new stadiums in my neck of the woods in the new Mets and Yankees digs, I'm hoping to make a solid effort to pay a little attention to baseball this year. I say it every year and it usually lasts about two weeks before the reality sets in that fantasy baseball sucks dong and watching games is only fun at the ballpark.Still, this year, I will stick it out. Hell, I made it out to the first ever baseball game played at Citi field, even if it was a St. John's game. Nice place though, Citi Field. The food is not all its cracked up to be, but there are lots of good spots to hang out besides the actual seat, Caesars Palace and up by the scoreboard being the best.Anyway, the problem is the Tigers look like crap again. Off to an 0-2 start against the Jays, things are looking a little grim. The starting rotation looks fine as does the offense, so it's clear that the success or failure of the entire season rests in the hands (or Sega Thumb) of one man, Joel Zumaya. Without Zumaya, we have no hope. Maybe that's hyperbole, but with the likes of Rincon, Rodney, Lyon and Robertson in the bullpen, I honestly think with Zumaya there's playoff potential, without, there's 90 loss potential.Zumaya is allegedly about a week away from resuming activity in the minors and hopes to be back in two weeks. Thus in about two months Zumaya should be back and playing Tiger baseball. Are the Ghosts the least bit optimistic? No, but the thought of his return would certainly increase the odds of an interesting season for a Tigers fan. After last season's disappointment, we could sure use a little zoom zoom in our zoom zoom.