Baseball crowds are down, but not at every ballpark

The best seats in the house are empty. The cheap seats and all-you-can-eat sections are packed. Big markets are struggling to retain attendance while small markets are enjoying prosperity.Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of Major League Baseball, where teams are battling more than ever to stay ahead of the economic recession.In Cleveland, they are giving away bedroom slippers. In Houston, young professionals are encouraged to watch an Astros game at the tequila bar while looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right. And in South Florida, being unemployed will get you four free Marlins tickets to selected games.Attendance is down 5.2% compared with the same number of home games at each park a year ago, according to Baseball-Reference.com, but not for a lack of effort from teams.TEAMS SEEK SOLUTIONS 5 FACETS"We're seeing things we've never seen before," says Pam Gardner, Astros president of business operations. "It's kind of fun now because there's such a challenge."The New York Yankees have learned that opening a $1.5 billion stadium and spending $440 million on players this offseason doesn't mean folks will pay exorbitant prices to watch them. They cut prices on selected premium seats at the end of April, and attendance remains down 11.9% compared with last year."We're not one of the horror stories you hear around baseball," says Mark Tilson, vice president of sales for the Kansas City Royals, whose attendance is up 15.1% thanks to a refurbished stadium and winning team. No market has plummeted more than Washington, D.C. Nationals attendance is down 35.2%; the team has the National League's worst record."I'm not worried about attendance," Nationals president Stan Kasten said. "Our focus is to fix the product on the field, and when we do, the attendance will be there."Contributing: Mel Antonen, Seth Livingstone ***CLUBS COPING WITH A TOUGHER SELL1 Promotions punched up for fans seeking knockout Executives cannot simply market a team these days. Fans want pizzazz. They want a deal. They want, in the words of Team Shop Premiums, "Sports-tainment."The San Francisco Giants brought in Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao to throw out the first pitch on Filipino-American Heritage Night on April 21 against the San Diego Padres.The Giants, handing out Pacquiao bobbleheads, drew 39,314, which was swelled by a walk-up crowd of 11,000, flooring Giants president Larry Baer."A totally unheard-of response," Baer says.Team Shop Premiums general partners Scott Nash and Bob Nanberg and accountant executive Jason Kubik sit in their Phoenix office each day brainstorming ideas to boost attendance at sporting events.They work with eight teams in Major League Baseball, as well as selected teams in the NFL, NBA and NHL."Teams are asking us all of the time, 'Give us something new. Give us something fresh. And we want to beat everyone else doing it,' " Nanberg says."When you have 6 million people out of work, it's tough to get them to come out and pay money for tickets."The Los Angeles Angels, perhaps baseball's most innovative team, Nanberg says, have offered retro alarm clocks, with plans of handing out of salt and pepper shakers in 2010. The Houston Astros are giving out a crystal replica of their ballpark this month to commemorate its 10th anniversary. And, of course, there is always the bobblehead doll promotion, a guaranteed winner, which costs teams about $2.25 per figurine."The giveaways are old school. Some sort of entertainment to go along with the game experience is new school," Kubik says. "That's where you have sports-tainment. It's the new wave."***2 Corporate cutbacks affect premium seating They may be the best seats in baseball, but some fans are having reservations about sitting there.For the first time since the opening of new ballparks in Seattle and St. Louis, as well as in both new ballparks in New York, premium seats are going unused.Harry Sloan, chairman and chief executive officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM), kept his tickets but declined when offered the opportunity to move behind the plate. He says he prefers staying out of the camera's way. Instead he sits several rows back on the third base side.Joe Strohm, Cardinals vice president of ticket sales, says premium seats left behind in St. Louis are from corporate sponsors looking to save money."Corporations that maybe bought bulk tickets in those areas are definitely trimming back on their spending," Strohm says. "We are marketing those on an individual basis, and we're having some success, but at the end of the day it's still going to be down."What we're seeing is all fans are looking for added value, not only in baseball, but in all of their purchasing."Most teams won't release detailed information on premium seat sales, but they are talking about the losses, which are easy to see when watching a game on TV.The Yankees slashed prices in April on selected premium locations, including cutting some tickets to $1,250 from $2,500. The Mets' prices are cheaper at Citi Field, with their top ticket selling for $595 a game, but David Howard, Mets executive vice president of business operations, concedes about 10% of seats have not been sold.The Mariners, whose overall attendance has declined by 7.1% compared to last year, also have empty seats behind home plate for the first time in the stadium's nine-year history."You just see (empty) pockets," says Mariners president Chuck Armstrong, whose team has finished in last place four out of the past five years. "Hopefully, the economy turns around, but winning helps a lot. If we win, those things will take care of themselves."***3 In Detroit, sales down; Phoenix holding steady Detroit's auto industry is in shambles, and the housing market has hit the skids in Phoenix. But the teams in those two cities are getting different results at the ballpark."We anticipated a difficult time, and we're seeing it," says Detroit Tigers President David Dombrowski, whose attendance has declined by 27%, nearly 10,000 fans a game. "Our downturn started last year. We're still not sure exactly where it's all heading."But I still believe that people in tough economies are looking for escapisms."The Arizona Diamondbacks, whose $35,000 per capita income is the lowest among the 26 metropolitan markets that have a major-league team, are holding steady though, averaging 28,205 per game, down 0.6% from last year. Not bad considering the team entered Monday with a 13-19 record and fired its manager last week. "We've got challenges and at times like this," Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall says, "you have to be creative."We're hoping too that with the economy the way it is, maybe families will stay home this summer, and let us entertain them."***4 Phillies, Rays, Brewers defy 2009 trend in stands with help of '08 success on fieldYou can schedule giveaways, throw concerts and have all the player autograph sessions you want, but the best way to get people to the ballpark hasn't changed: winning.The defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies have already drawn more than 725,000 fans this season, tops in baseball, and an increase of 10.2% from last season. The Tampa Bay Rays, coming off the American League pennant and their first winning season, have had their attendance soar by 61.6% to 26,413 fans a game, the biggest increase in baseball.But the Milwaukee Brewers are showing it doesn't take a World Series appearance to excite fans the following year. They reached the postseason last year for the first time since 1982, losing to the Phillies in the first round, and this season have sold out half of their home games. They are averaging 36,581 fans a game, an increase of 3.3% from last year."Just winning, getting to the playoffs," says Brewers executive vice president Rick Schlesinger, "was the best marketing tool we had all offseason. We've had a 20% jump in our season-ticket base to about 27,000, an all-time high."We know we're trending against the grain. But this team was down so long, and after people supported it all of these years emotionally and financially they're ready to embrace the team fully. And now that they got a taste of postseason, people want the whole meal."The Rays drew 1.8 million fans last season, despite their incredible last-to-first-place run. Yet, even with a 15-18 start this year, folks are still buying tickets like never before in Tampa Bay's 11-year history. "Hopefully with our success and our World Series appearance, we'll see a significant jump," Rays President Matt Silverman says. ***5 For the frugal fan, it's BYOF: Bring your own foodEvery dollar counts in a recession. Outside the New York Mets' new Citi Field, Patti Lettieri is using an old money-saving trick: bringing her own food and drink to the ballpark."For me, to spend $7 on food and $8 on a beer is ridiculous," says the native New Yorker. "The money I save on food allows me to come to an extra game or two."Nearby, Beth O'Brien from Bay Shore, N.Y., and Claire Schmaeling from Levittown, N.Y., are toting in soft-sided coolers packed with food and water from home. "If you have a family with four kids, you have to do it," O'Brien says.Most teams don't publicize it, but at least 21 of 30 major league clubs allow fans to bring some food and drink items to ballparks, according to a review of team websites. Another eight allows fans to bring their own bottled water. One, the Houston Astros, prohibits all outside food and drink. Some such as the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners are touting their Bring-Your-Own-Food (BYOF) policies on their sections of the "Fan Value Corner" at MLB.com."Obviously, we're in business to promote our products including our food. However, we'd rather folks come to the game than not come at all," says Jim Leahey, the A's vice president of sales and marketing. "If that means bringing their own food, we're certainly OK with that."Brown-bagging rules vary from club to club. Subject to inspection, fans are generally allowed to bring food in see-through bags, single-serve water and juice boxes, baby food and soft-sided coolers. What can't you bring in? Anything hard that can be thrown at players, or each other, such as glass bottles, cans, and hard-sided coolers. All clubs ban outside beer and alcoholic beverages. Budget-conscious fans can always pack their own grub, then splurge for a few "treats," notes Washington Nationals spokeswoman Chartese Burnett. "Maybe you treat your kids to cotton candy. And bring peanut butter and jelly."Despite the economy, there are plenty of fans who consider hot dogs and Cracker Jack part of the ballpark experience, notes Tampa Bay Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn. "It's one of the most endearing things about baseball," he said in an e-mail.Thanks to the popular "Taste of the City" food court, lower prices and better quality, average fan spending on food and drink is up 40% at Citi Field compared to Shea Stadium, says Dave Howard, Mets executive vice president of business operations. "We think we're offering enough quality and value that, even if people bring things in, they'll still be attracted to what we're offering," he said. Contributing: Mike Dodd in Chicago, Seth Livingstone in Kansas City, Mo., Michael McCarthy in New York, Bob Nightengale in Phoenix, Jorge L. Ortiz in San Francisco and Mel Antonen and Paul White in McLean, Va.***Team-by-team attendance

when is the next long wkend?

I would say this LOOONNNNGGG wkend was well-spent.Fully packed with activities to keep me on my toes.Dear offered to help colleague for some wedding shoot and I thought the final effects were marvellous! I, being the KPO kia, tagged along as well, providing inputs for their poses (well, credit goes to those wedding magazines I've been browsing lately).Of course my cam can't take a pic as nice as their's. But at least I thought this angle was great! =)The 2 masters at work.As the time goes by, owning a DSLR is becoming so common for all. As long as you're familiar with your camera settings and you have some eye for beauty, wa la....everyone can take beautiful photos!!Was a 'stood in' model while awaiting for the newly wed's arrival. The guys were testing their lenses against the bright morning skies of Sentosa.Haha...was trying to do a 'Harry Potter' shot.The day ended at Botanical gardens..... all sweaty and tired... It's an interesting experience for all. Marcus & dear for their first serious photography, XG for her first serious make-up customer, and the couple even gotten a 'chauffer' and finally myself as the assistant for the 1st photographer... hahah..For a girl who loves taking photo & to be taken, I should be quite excited for my wedding shots in future. (But i must first shed at least 3kg....haha)Saturday was spent meeting the squash gals at some peranakan restaurant along Tanjong Pagar.Interesting cuisine. At least something different from what we always have. Will bring my family there someday....After which was meeting up with my JC senior plus close neighbour. The self-proclaimed 阳光宅男 was still as chatty as ever.Caught 'Tropic Thunder' together and he was laughing like really loudly beside me. Quite a good watch!Well, i think smiling is really contagious. When you're with someone who's always smiling, you can't help but to mirror that as well. =) Knew him for nearly 7 yrs now... *gaspFinally, spent my Monday with my dearest darling. Thought I haven't been shopping for a really long time already.Regretted not getting this cap though....shucks...Quite happy buying a top+shoes..but with my jobscope, really quite difficult to doll up and wear my nice clothings leh...Always thought that if I don't doll up now, when can I do that? Definitely nt when I'm an old hag......Fancy bumping into Janet & her bf at Far East...and she was 'forced' to take this shot with us... haha....Looking forward to Xmas sales....hur hur hur.... anyway guys, is it really boring to shop with girls? My dear was much more of a shopper than I am...but now.....he's a little 'sian-sian' already... is age really catching up or what? But I'm still thankful for his company today! Thanks dear! *hugsArgh...no mood for work tmr.... happy times end fast.

Ask the Organizers: Storage Baskets for Cubbies

Want to put baskets or bins in your shelving with cubes/cubbies? On the last Twitter #askorg session, someone asked about baskets for 13" by 13" cubbies: something between IKEA and Gracious Home - with quality, but not too pricey. Well, I've been able to find a few square storage containers that would fit. Pottery Barn has some nice 12" by 12" baskets, in dark and light shades.This basket from the U.K. is a 12" cube - maybe too pricey, but I couldn't pass up this photo.Tomo Tala in the U.K. has cube baskets, too, measuring 30 cm (11.8").And I'm totally taken by the raffia baskets sold by TakaTomo.de, in three different color options. These measure 30 x 30 x 20 cm. You can also see them at the Rice web site.Not quite square - the larger size measures 12 x 11 x 10.25"h - are these baskets from Land of Nod, "featuring sturdy, hand-woven paper rope construction."And if the storage doesn't have to be a basket, you could consider canvas options. The one above comes from World Market; there are a number of different patterns, plus some solid colors. These are collapsible, and they measure 12" by 12".

Should I give up my car?

Hi all, I've been following this forum for a while. Want to explain my situation and get some advice from the "experts." To start, I've been commuting by bike in some way or the other since 1996. Currently, I have an old '85 Subaru wagon that serves as my back-up should I need to haul something extremely heavy or if I'm feeling under the weather. To tell you how little I drive this car, I've owned it for 14 years now and there are only 19,000 more miles on it from when I acquired it :-) I really want to go TOTALLY car-free. I don't feel I need a car for the following reasons: 1. I rely on bicycle transportation for 99% of my commuting. Last month (april) I put a total of 7 miles on the Subaru and just a little more than 400 miles on my bikes. 2. I live in an apartment within a 5 miles of everything I need: work, family (my parents, brother's family), groceries, big-box retailers which I try to stay away from but still use from time to time), entertainment, g/f...everything is within a 10-15 minute bike commute. 3. Even though my old Subaru is reliable and paid for, I added up the cost of ownership: with insurance, taxes, repair (with a 25 year old car, something always needs replacing), gas, etc., I'm spending close to $1000/year to have a car mostly sit and driven under 2K miles a year. That right there is a NEW bike a year!! 4. I have a stable of bikes: a 2001 Trek 520 I use for heavy hauling/grocery shopping (+ a 90's B.O.B. YAK trailer), a 2000 Specialized Crossroads (when they were still steel framed) for monsoon weather commuting, a 2008 Redline 925 set up FIXED with one brake that I use as my daily commuter, and a 2008 Kona Honky Tonk that I use for riding with buddies on the road. With this reliable fleet, I always have a backup bike or two in case something goes wrong, and I have the know-how and tools to fix just about anything that can go wrong. 5. I'm strong and healthy. Only get a cold once a year, but can usually bike through it. I ride a FIXED gear bike daily and go weeks without using the one brake on it...that takes strength. Reasons I don't want to give up my car: 1. It's paid for! I have a title! 2. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't cost me too much. 3. Even though it has the eccentries of a 25 year old car, it always cranks on the first try and is generally reliable. So what do I do? The past couple years, I've become more and more anti-car. I can't stand how the car is a status symbol. I feel like folks are enslaved to car images and payments associated with automobiles. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE. Another question: I'll be 36 in a couple months. How long could I sustain a car-free lifestyle? I feel fairly bomb-proof right now, can any of you middle-aged car-free folks speak up (late 30s, 40s, beyond)? Sorry for the long thread, but I know this group is honest, and I'm sure I'll get lots of good advice. Cheers!

New York Is Not the Only Place for a Restaurant

I blog by day and wait tables in a New York City restaurant by night. I'm excited to bring you Served, dispatches from the front of the house. Enjoy!
On Friday, I got up early, sat in front of my computer, and banged out the conclusion to my last college paper ever. I handed it in with a big smile on my face.
Feeling triumphant, I took a shower and went to work. “Are you going out to celebrate tonight?’ a customer asked when I shared the news: I was officially finished with college.
“Maybe,” I said, stifling a yawn.
After my shift, I hailed a cab, dragged myself up four flights of stairs to my place, and crawled right into bed. I did not pass go. I slept blissfully.
Paradise on the Delaware
Almost two years ago, my parents bought a house on the Delaware River in Frenchtown, New Jersey. It looks a little like Noah’s Ark, a neighbor joked, and they’re right. It sits on high stilts so that a flood won’t disturb the big wood house. The front is all glass, so from the inside it looks like the walls are made of river. The draws: a hot tub, a pool, the canal path which stretches for many miles in either direction, a town that is ridiculously charming, and, well, the river. So much green and quiet is totally exotic for any city girl.
In the morning, I sat on the fire escape with friends from school. Our view was an ugly/beautiful mélange of garbage, barbed wire, broken glass, and other fire escapes. I loved it. After chatting and sharing a pineapple, I ventured back to my room to start packing up books.
My dad arrived to do a preliminary move-out load. We filled his car with three years of books. Lacan, Levi-Strauss, Saint Augustine, Brecht, Camus, McCluhan, Friedan, Marx.
My friend and neighbor Matt walked into my room and saw an empty bookshelf. “What is going on?” he asked, alarmed. “This is so unsettling.”
I, too, was deeply unsettled. Unsettled as the books went one by one into bags, and again as I unpacked them onto empty Frenchtown bookshelves.
Who’s Who in Frenchtown
I got up in Frenchtown on Sunday, Mother’s Day, and went for a run on the path outside. “There’s some people who want to meet you,” my mom said upon my return.
Our first stop was The Frenchtown Inn. It’s not an inn at all, but a restaurant. The bar is the most hopping place in the tiny town. My parents can be found there on Friday nights drinking martinis and chatting with the regulars.
Coleen owns the place with her husband, who runs the kitchen. They live upstairs, above the restaurant. Coleen’s sister tends bar; her two kids pitch in, too. “We’ve heard so much about you!” Coleen said, and shook my hand. They had two hundred on the books for Mother’s Day and the place would open any minute, and yet she took some time to show me around and tell me her story.
“I’m lucky,” she said, “I found a cook who wanted to have a family. Most chefs—well, you know.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “I know very well.”
“It’s hard work,” she went on, “but don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it or shouldn’t do it. We don’t have off for holidays or weddings, but everyone ends up here anyway. It’s so rewarding.”
And then she showed me another room, and handed one of her employees a reservation list, and yelled something about bringing more chairs down from the attic. She seemed enormously happy.
“I have to go,” she said, “But call me.” She handed me a card. Maybe I will.
At the Bridge Café, my mom introduced me to Ken, the owner. I looked at the beautiful pastries in the case by the door. There were donuts with wrinkly skins and big muffins that glistened with sugar.
“Ken’s wife makes those,” my mom explained.
Ken was understaffed for Mother’s Day, he explained, but he came to say hi anyway. “You’re the foodie!” he exclaimed as we shook hands. That’s me.
Ken went to the CIA, and then to cook in a resort in Bermuda where he made a lot of money and met his wife, Lisa. They came to Frenchtown, where they’ve run the Bridge Café since 1987 (the year I was born). Twenty-one years later, they still love doing it.
I can’t wait to go home to New York. I need traffic noise to sleep properly. But meeting these people who have done their own thing and followed their hearts is pretty damn inspiring.

Taking one for the team

In times of global financial crunching, aka negative growth (why they can't say shrink is beyond me), it is up to those who are financially capable of doing so doing something for the economy at large.I've made much (well, some) of having a shitheap of a car. We've always had shitheaps. Well, that's not true. Some have been shitheaps. Others have been reasonable 2nd hand cars that lasted a while. In fact we had a delightful 2nd hand mazda that alas we wrote off when we rear ended an older car with a fuck off large towbar. Anyway, of late we've had a 20+ year old Mazda that was on its last legs - despite a replacement engine. Pipes need changing, the aircon fan rattles, the thermostat is unreliable and the car actually leaks during rain - with water dripping on the driver. We'd had enough. TheWife put on her calculating pants and did some investigating. It turned out having a leased new car was financially more sensible than the ad hoc repair of Mr Shitty. So ... area couple have a new car. The old one will be sold off (with issues made known) at a low, low price. I'm sure it will get bought since it has some rego on it. I think that's how it works at any rate.It's the first new big ticket item we've bought in a while. And I have to say ... it is awesome having a new car. It has mod cons in it like controls on the steering wheel for the stereo (instead of that blind man feeling the face of a new friend fumble at the controls method in the old effort), and cruise control that is simple and easy to use. It even has a doodad for the MP3 player to hook into the stereo. The glove box can hold more than just three maps, the manual and (presumably) gloves. The foot well for a short arse like me means I can stretch out. And we don't have to pray the car will make it up a hill without overheating like the last effort.In short ... awesome. Don't bother thanking me leading economists for taking one for the Australian economy. I'm just happy we were able to do our part in stimulating things by buying an imported car and ... oh ...Imported ... Nothing to see here, move along.On a side note we had the car less than a week when we backed it into a pole. Needless to say we were somewhat upset...

Interior, Web & Style Design Freebies

Image courtesy of Design ShrineThis is a pretty interesting website that I stumbled upon last night. While most of us run freebies websites and blogs, Design Shrine on the other hand, is sharing web freebie resources via RSS feed style. I find it different but one thing you can be sure of, there's nothing but freebies here.What you can expect to find here are free software, free font, free screensavers, free desktop wallpapers, free web templates, free ebooks, free graphics, free icons, free patterns, etc. Well, you get my drift!I can say that of the many stuff that have been featured here on Design Shrine now, there are quite a few that I myself have not come across yet so there's plenty of free web stuff to look forward to on Design Shrine all the time.

Bradford County 4H Shooting Sports Club FITA Archery Competition

Bradford County 4H Shooting Sports Club will host a FITA Archery Competition on August 30, 2008 at Northside Baptist Church in Starke, FL starting at 9:00AM. Cost is $15.00 per shooter. This tournament is open to all 4H members in good standing. Practice range will open at 8:00AM.EQUIPMENT STANDARD:PERMITTEDNOT PERMITTEDRECURVEOne adjustable sight pin or multiple hunting style sight pins may be used; clicker and kisser buttons permitted; Participants may have as many sight pins as deemed necessary; Torque compensators are permitted.String peeps and mechanical release aids.COMPOUND (freestyle)Release aids, String peeps, optical sights, spirit levels;60 lb. maximum draw weight.Overdraws may not place the arrow rest further than 6 cm from the pivot point of the bow.ARROWSMust meet AMO minimum weight standard; 6 grains arrow weight per pound bow peak draw weight or IBO minimum weight standard; 5 grainsNo arrows larger than 23/64ths in diameter are permitted.Archery Recurve – sight pins – One adjustable sight pin or multiple hunting style sight pins permittable. Participant may have as many sight pins as deemed necessary.COURSE OF FIRESeniors: 3 ends of 6 arrows each from 60 and 50 meters;6 ends of 3 arrows each from 40 and 30 meters;Intermediates: 3 ends of 6 arrows each from 50 and 40 meters;6 ends of 3 arrows each from 30 and 20 meters;Juniors: 3 ends of 6 arrows each from 40 and 30 meters;6 ends of 3 arrows each from 20 and 10 meters;TIME LIMIT4 minutes per 6 arrow end and 2.5 minutes per 3 arrow endSCORING10-1 from the center outward, compound teams will score inner 10’s. Tie breaks will follow the NGB Rules.NGB RULESUSA Archery/FITAINFORMATIONhttp://www.archeryworldcup.org/UserFiles/Document/FITA%20website/05%20Rules/01%20C&R%20Book/2008RulesENG_Book2.pdfAPPLICATION FOR AUGUST 30, 2008 FITA TOURNAMENTName: _____________________________________ DOB: _________________Address: ___________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________Phone: ___________________________Parent or Guardian Name: ___________________________Division: Senior Intermediate Junior4H Club Name: ________________________________________4H Agent: _____________________ Phone #: ______________Bow: (please circle) Compound – Sighted Recurve - Sighted Longbow - No sight - No sightPlease make check or money order payable to: Bradford County 4H. $15 per shooter.Mail checks with application to:Bradford County Extension Office2266 N. Temple AvenueStarke, FL 32091-1612Deadline for entry is Wednesday, August 20, 2008.The tournament will be held at Northside Baptist Church, which is located on the corner of CR 225 & SR 16 in Starke, Florida. Start time is 9:00AM. Practice range will be open at 8:00AM.Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.Any questions please call Barbara Martin at (352) 258-2901 or the Bradford County 4H Office at (904) 966-6224. You can also e-mail questions to martigolf@bellsouth.net.

Obama Administration: Repeating Failed History?

by Reverend J. Vance Tyree I was doing some economic research recently and came across a political cartoon, one that merged the swine flu scare with Obamas spending. I wish I would have saved it because I couldnt help but cackle loudly after reading it. The image was Obama in a hospital bed after contracting the flu, and there were two men standing at his bed. One man said to the other, Keep him under, because every time he wakes up he spends a trillion dollars. I wont deny that I was an avid supporter of Obama before the elections, but I was fooled along with the rest of the world. Few presidents actually fulfill their promises during election period, and many of them, once in office, work contrary to what they said they were going to do. Sometimes this is intentional and other times it is basic stupidity. In Obamas case, dealing with the current economic environment, I am going to put faith in the latter: The Obama Administration is just being downright stupid in its efforts to resolve the economic slump were in. Obamas deficit is constantly changing and constantly being rejected. Why? His numbers arent in line and the deficit under his administration will reach an all time high of $17 trillion—thats almost $11 trillion more than the Bush Administrations! Perhaps Im being premature in criticizing the current administrations economic plan, but history and logic tell me their plans are no good, thus the promise to tackle the economic crisis is fueled by decisions that will either keep us on the same path or sink us further. Quote: Originally Posted by CNS News By 2019&a whopping 82 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) will go to pay down the national debt. This means that in future years, the government could owe its creditors more than the goods and services that the entire economy can produce. Although the stock market has recently received good news and is starting to recover, GDP is still in the negatives. Although the GDP report isnt actually verified for a year until seven years later, the numbers released tend to be fairly close to the mark. The fourth quarter of 2008 saw -6 percent in growth. That means production was extremely low and what production existed earned no real money. In the first quarter of 2009 GDP shows -6 percent. If we look at all of 2008, GDP was down -3 percent, which means 2009s GDP will need to reach 6 percent in order for the nations economy to begin growing again. The economy during the Bush Administration wasnt contracting but there was very little growth—so little to be almost irrelevant. The average economic growth in the Bush Administration was 2 percent, a sluggish rate of growth. (This is what Britain saw after the Era of Public Reform starting around 1848, which allowed the U.S. to become the dominant economic power in the world.) The Reagan Administration saw a 4 percent rate of growth, which is basically the status quo the U.S. maintained for so long before WWI. Gross Domestic Product alone doesnt account for the entire scope of the economy, however the figures are important as they display production and trade. During WWII production was up and unemployment down, however there was no actual growth in the economy. Even though the GDP from 1940-1946 shows immense growth, we know that, although production was high, there was no growth because wages were low; rationing was in effect, limiting supplies; and a large majority of the labor population was forced to receive pay in war bonds, which devalued by 50 percent in 1949—basically meaning those workers didnt get paid. We have to take GDP with the stock market and with the value of the U.S. Dollar (not to mention the ratio in wages VS. progressive taxation). Inflation is a reality that will never vanish; but as long as wages are high and taxation is low, particularly when income per annum surpasses the rate of inflation, there will be economic prosperity and growth because money is being invested in the economy. However, inflation climbs when the Federal Reserve prints too much currency—that is, when the Fed prints more money than the economy requires. Inflation devalues currency and people stop investing and move into commodities (part of the reason oil prices climbed recently). Obamas spending requires more dollars than is in current circulation, thus in turn requiring the Fed to print more dollars to meet the demand the government is creating. But this is not a demand that will stimulate the economy; it is a demand for increased spending that will keep the economy in a slump. Stimulus packages are a joke, a fiction, because by nature they create more money to circulate through the economy, further devaluing the currency in question. A stimulus package that requires the printing of more dollars will in turn devalue the dollars, therefore not actually stimulating the economy but keep it stagnant. If more money is printed then we will receive a return to the 1970s paradigm of stagflation—that is, inflation will continue to rise whilst the economy remains stagnant. To make matters worse, Obama aims to let Bushs tax cuts expire, which will cause an increase in taxation by 2011. This is a stupid move to say the least, and many an administration in the recent past made the same mistake followed by economic troughing. There is a key equation that equals economic prosperity, one that has been used successfully a number of times after WWI, and when administrations ignore it there is economic stagnation and even crises. That equation is simple: tighten money (stop printing money), cut taxes, and raise interest rates. Tightening money will halt inflation; cutting taxes will increase revenues which will then be invested into markets; and raising interest rates will encourage people to keep their money in the bank and not withdraw to invest in commodities. Obamas deficits have been so extreme that the United States primary deficit investor, China, has refused to purchase our debt. China would invest in our debt and we repay them through trade. But, as mentioned above, Obamas deficit plans are so outrageous that the U.S. would have to export to China for free for decades to repay the debt! And since China knows that isnt going to happen, they refused to purchase our debt. Whats the solution according to the current administration? Let the Federal Reserve purchase the debt. Are you kidding me!? Thats the first step in causing hyperinflation! And how are we to repay our own debt? Taxes will have to increase substantially and new tariffs raised, which will actually slow down trade. U.S. debt should be purchased by a country with a stable currency—which is why it has been China for a while—because their industrial and economic growth over the last few decades is outstanding, thus stabilizing their currency, making it one of the most stable in the world. Pick up a newspaper and watch other currencies climb compared to the USD; this is an unofficial (and inaccurate) indicator of domestic inflation, but it gets in the ballpark. Quote: Originally Posted by Lawrence H. White, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics In the United States, the inflation rate is most commonly measured by the percentage rise in the Consumer Price Index, which is reported monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A CPI of 120 in the current period means that it now takes $120 to purchase a representative basket of goods that $100 once purchased. Because the CPI basket is not identical with the specific basket of goods and services that you consume, the percentage rise in the CPI is, at best, only a rough approximation of the percentage rise in your cost of living. The same is true for any alternative measure of inflation, such as the gross domestic product deflator. The GDP deflator is arguably more representative of the economy as a whole, but is less relevant to ordinary consumers because its basket includes the prices of nonconsumer goods (such as new business equipment) that consumers do not buy, and excludes the prices of the many foreign-produced goods that consumers do buy. Quote: Originally Posted by Lawrence H. White, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics In a nutshell, inflation occurs—that is, the purchasing power of the dollar shrinks—to the extent that the nominal supply of dollars grows faster than the real demand to hold dollars In summation, Obamas current and planned spending will do nothing positive to the current economic environment, and will possibly contribute to even more economic rough patches that could last years. The current plan of attack, like many past ones, is a return to the failed Keynesian economic parody. John Maynard Keynes, an early 20th-century British economist, and father of Keynesian economic theory, denounced his theory almost immediately after proposing the elements of the theory in publishing his 1936 article The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. Unfortunately, he died before publicly denouncing Keynesianism, which is why the U.S. government has seen a number of economic slumps since by employing the theory. Obamas administration is returning to the failed Keynesian model, and that decision will keep the American economy in a slump. Until the administration does a little historical legwork, and realizes Keynesianism is a crock, there is no hope for the future of the United States return to economic prosperity under the current regime. ArmageddonOnline.com

Broken, But Not De-Feeted

Youve gotta be #@$#!% kidding me! This was the thought scrolling through my head as I heard the bones in my right foot snap last Thursday. Yes, if youve been in my little blogging family for a while, you already know that in February 08, while running along my favorite trail, I wiped out in some mud, rolled my ankle and fractured a biggish bone in my left foot. Well, its just a little over a year later and, through some freakish convergence of karma, stupidity and nature, Ive now taken out the other foot&same exact bone, on the same trail, at almost the same point, wearing the same shoes. But, this time, its a complete break, two pieces. So rather than walking around with a boot for 6 weeks, Im on crutches, one-footed, for at least a month, before I even get to the walking air-cast stage. Ive been injured before, but never something that took away my mobility in any meaningful way. And, Ive got to tell you, this really sucks. I dont like being on crutches. I dont like that I have to plan my trips to the kitchen. I dont like that I cant drive myself around. I dont like that I had to eat my sandwich standing in the kitchen, because I didnt realize I couldnt carry it with crutches in both hands. I dont like that I have to ask for help for things that Ive done for myself for 43 years. But, mostly, I mortified at how open Ive become to the notion of man-fannypacks! And, I am not loving the potential for imbalances, misalignment, atrophy, weight gain, loss of condition and wellness that this whole experience has the potential to rain down upon my life. Because, I have to be honest, I didnt exactly go into this injury the picture of health. In fact, Im pretty confident that this injury was due, at least in part, to some major postural dysfunctions that resulted from my lack of attention to the changes in my body that occurred during my not-so-complete recovery from last years foot-astrophe. I didnt respond nearly as aggressively as I should have, from both a nutritional, postural and fitness standpoint. And, it left me with a lot of aches, pains, lack of fitness and excess weight. But, this time around&Im not rolling over. Ive spent the better part of the last week researching the stages of repair for bone breaks, along with the activities and nutritional approaches that facilitate healing. Knowing that one part of my body will essentially be an orphan limb for 4-12 weeks, I am drawing upon my fitness and yoga background the create a staged conditioning and dynamic myofascial repatterning program designed to counter the effects of my unbalanced workloads. One of my biggest challenges, though, will be cardiovascular exercise. My ortho says everything weight bearing is out and I cant even swim, unless I strap my legs to a board and only use my upper body. Ill be trying that out this week and reporting back on how it worked. But, Im in the early stages of brainstorming ways to get my heart moving&without using my feet. If anyone has suggestions, Im all ears. And, one more thing. Though its only been a week on crutches, Ive already begun to work in shifting my mindset away from the suck-factor and back onto the learning factor. Already, what Ive experienced has opened my eyes to what people who rely on crutches or other aids for a lifetime are challenged with. I am truly humbled by how many little things have to be done differently when your body doesnt function the way other peoples bodies do. Im awed by those who live with physical challenges far beyond what Im experiencing with such grace. And, Im thankful to have so many people in my life who are here to support, inspire and encourage me. To share in the journey. Normally, Id turn most of my energy inward at a time like this and focus on helping myself. But, I figure weve grown a pretty phenomenal community here, one thats certainly made my life richer. And, one thats collectively waaaaayyyy smarter than me. So, this time around, Im going to try something different and open up to your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. On ideas for effective cardio that doesnt use the legs (tough challenge). For me, and also for anyone else going through a time of physical and, yes, even emotional recovery. So, feel free to share away, gang

East Anglia mend your talk video face.

I be stylin’! (Not. Oh, sooo NOT!)

So it seems that last month I was using my knee walker as a crutch (so to speak), which prompted my meanie doctor to force me to give it up so I’d put more weight on my foot. I was not happy to give up my knee walker because it made living with a broken ankle bearable. I could get around incredibly quickly, use my hands, and carry stuff from place to place in the handy-dandy basket. Once my knee-walker was gone, I was forced to use crutches to get around. While I hated the crutches, I had no choice but to use them. Fortunately my cool storm trooper boot provided my foot comfort and security and I was pretty mobile using both together. I dreaded the day when the powers that be would mandate that I give up the boot, but I assumed it was still a few weeks off. Wrong. I went back to Harborview’s Foot and Ankle Clinic today, expecting to be told that it was time to give up the crutches and walk using just the boot. But nooooooo… Instead, Dr. Benirschke the meanie, insisted that I lose the boot and keep the crutches! Nooooo! Say it isn’t so! But it is. Over the next week or so, I need to phase from wearing the boot all the time, to wearing it less and less and wearing – gasp!! – SHOES more and more. Shoes? But not a single shoe in my closet fits my still-swollen left foot! How on earth will I transition out of my sweet, secure boot? After my medical appointment, Tom and I went to our favorite Mongolian Barbeque, where I got this fortune: Uh – huh. Wonders! You want to see my new look? Well, there’s this corset-looking brace gizmo (very Little House on the Prairie, isn’t it?) that gets laced up and strapped around my foot and goes inside my shoes. Are you wondering where all those straps go? Yeah, me too! They get pulled and wrapped and tightened around my foot, like this: And then… (Now don’t laugh. Really, it’s been a tough year and a tough week, so be nice.) Over that lace-brace (which my insurance company will pay a hundred frikken dollars for!), I put on this: You better believe I need that wide width! Getting the shoe on my foot was excruciating, but I did it. (That wide gap between shoe hemispheres reminds me of my rectus abdominus muscle after my twin pregnancy!) So yeah, this is my new look that, according to my fortune, will “do wonders”: Thank goodness for wide sizes and long, stretchy laces! I’d like to tell you how I feel about all this, but I really don’t know how I feel about it yet. Yes, I know that I need to progressively get back on my feet (so to speak) and that it won’t be comfortable to get there. And yes, I know that the pain, even when it’s in my foot, is actually more in my head. And yes, I know that fear and stress play a big role in how well -- or poorly -- one heals. (Stress? By the time I stopped work in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday morning, I’d already put in 31 hours!) I know all that. But I still miss my trusty knee walker… and I will miss wearing my secure storm trooper boot. I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah, and in a few months you’ll say how much you miss your old lady sneaker.” No way! That, I will NOT do!

some good info....

11 Ways to Get Extra Cash by Cameron HuddlestonFriday, May 1, 2009provided by Who couldn’t use a little more moolah these days? If you’ve lost your job, taken a pay cut or are just looking for ways to boost your income, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance can help. Here we offer 11 smart tips for generating extra cash. See if any might put more money in your pocket by clicking the navigation bar to your right. Sell Your Stuff Online Kiplinger’s senior editor Jeffrey Kosnett and his wife recently made $200 selling flatware they no longer used through the popular online auction site eBay. You, too, can unload everything from furniture and furnishings to collectibles and clothing on eBay or Craigslist. Sell your old, unwanted books on Amazon. Kosnett’s wife, Deborah, says the key to selling your wares on the Web is to research similar merchandise that has been sold recently through the site and price competitively. Be a Shopping Spy You can get paid up to $20 if you agree to browse a store and provide feedback on customer service, merchandise quality, and other quality-control metrics. Start by visiting the Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s Web site (www.mysteryshop.org) to see a database of jobs with legitimate companies. Sign up with several companies because it can take a while to be contacted. If you like to shop, can pay close attention to detail and can be dispassionate, this could be a good money-making opportunity. More from Yahoo! Finance: • As Prices Rise, Some See $2 Gas • Celebrity Charity Auctions• More Travelers Redeeming Miles for Merchandise Visit the Family & Home Center One word of warning: Watch out for scams that require you to pay a fee or wire a cashier’s check. Operate a Call Center From Your Home You might consider a job (for up to $14 an hour) with a virtual call center, such as Arise Virtual Solutions (www.willowcsn.com), West Corp. (www.west.com) or Alpine Access (www.alpineaccess.com). As an independent contractor (or, in some cases, an actual employee with benefits), you would provide customer support for companies such as Office Depot, Sears, J.Crew and even the Internal Revenue Service. In general, you must provide your own computer, designated telephone line and high-speed Internet connection -- and, in some cases, pay for your training to become a certified agent. But if you have the time, companies need “operators standing by.” Tutor Students Some parents are willing to pay big bucks to see Junior and Janie succeed. So if you speak a second language, such as Spanish or French, or have great math, science or writing skills, you might be able to earn extra cash imparting your knowledge to kids -- even college students -- for $20 to $30 an hour. Check with local schools and universities to see if you can advertise your services on their bulletin boards. Or post your services on Craigslist. Join a Street Team This is a relatively easy way for young adults who are outgoing and articulate to earn some fast cash. Street teams promote products, films, albums, events and more by handing out samples, interacting with people on the street, or dressing as mascots. To get a job at $17 to $25 an hour, sign up with a company such as Street Team Promotion.com or A.D.D. Marketing. Actually, if you sign up with several companies, you’re more likely to get a steady flow of jobs, says James Aquafredda, managing director of Street Team Promotion.com. Make sure, though, that the company has a contract that specifies when you’ll get paid. Walk the Dogs Why not get a little exercise while you earn anywhere from $15 to $30 an hour? Working folks will pay plenty for you to take Rover or Scruffy on a daily stroll while they’re at the office. If you don’t want to brave the elements, you might consider pet sitting for people while they’re on vacation. Advertise your services in veterinarians’ offices and on Craigslist. Be a Babysitter Just graduated and can’t find a job? Retired and looking for a little extra dough? Like children? From full-time gigs to occasional stints, babysitting can be a fun way to put money in your pocket. In big cities such as New York and Washington, expect to earn up to $20 an hour as a babysitter or nanny. (In small and midsize cities, the going rate is closer to $7 to $10 an hour.) Advertise your services on Craigslist, the bulletin board at your local house of worship, or by word of mouth. Write for the Web Sorry, Kiplinger.com isn’t hiring. But plenty of Web sites are looking for freelancers to write blogs, commentary, and reviews for about $15 to $30 an hour or article. For example, if you know a lot about a particular subject or region, you might be able to be a “guide” and write articles for About.com (http://beaguide.about.com/ ). In all major U.S. cities, Craigslist has ads for writing gigs. Demand Studios (www.demandstudios.com) offers freelance work for writers, copy editors and filmmakers. Make Your Hobbies Pay Off Amateur photographers are in demand to shoot weddings and events, especially in a recession when people are reluctant to hire high-priced pros. If you’re a great cook, you could hold a workshop or prepare meals for a busy family. Tech-savvy? You could teach classes on Web design. See what your services might fetch by checking out ads on Craigslist or in your local paper or community Web site. Then hang out a virtual shingle. Sell Your Unwanted Gold Jewelry Although the price has dropped a bit since the beginning of 2009, the going rate for this precious commodity is still near $900 an ounce. That’s a pretty penny for jewelry you no longer wear or bling that reminds you of a best-forgotten suitor. Gold-buying shops are popping up at malls across America. Adjust Your Tax Withholding This is probably the fastest and easiest way to put more cash in your pocket. If you got a big refund this year, you’re not alone: The average refund so far this year is $2,700. But think about it: You're letting Uncle Sam hold on to your money for a whole year and paying you 0% interest. Why wait until next spring to get the money you really need now? To see how much you could gain by adjusting your withholding, try our easy-to-use withholding calculator. Copyrighted, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. p

Obama refuses to 'meddle' in Iran

US President Barack Obama resists pressure to side with Iran's opposition, as protests over the election continue.

If Only Life Were A Musical

Now that I am all the way across the building, Corey and I can no longer chitchat freely so occasionally we have to use the corporate closed-channel IM, which is moderately creepy because someone somewhere in the building sits and reads all the IMs to be sure we're not being humorous or having any fun. It's the corporate version of domestic wiretapping. Luckily, we're two fairly tame renegades, and neither one of us has much time for instant messaging. But a few days ago we were messaging back and forth about an Excel spreadsheet problem (scintillating!) and that was when I discovered Corey is someone who completely gets my "If life were a musical..." train of thought! I just think life would be better if it were a musical, with ordinary people in ordinary situations suddenly breaking into song and dance: [ imagine a few boring lines about spreadsheets] [ not going to repeat them here] [ too mind-numbingly dull] corey: I think someone should do a skit that is just IM text. It's OK to read, but can you imagine if we talked like this? laurie: OMG great idea laurie: we should make it a musical corey: The musical of lost conversation threads corey: That's a job for Stephen Sondheim laurie: I wish real life were a musical like at the book fair we would have all broken into song and yesterday we would be like the factory scene from Carmen corey: Several folks did start singing at the book fair once the Ella started playing corey: Have you seen that YouTube of the Antwerp train station? So she sent me the video below, which of course was blocked at work but I went home at watched it and about peed my pants with glee. (Glee! The new pee!) It made me so happy I squealed like a little child and must have watched it eleventeen times: Oh, if only life were a musical! Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start!

1998 Ford SVT Cobra Mustang IMMACULATE, NEGOT. PRICE (Richboro/Bucks County) $12499

I have for sale a 1998 Ford SVT Cobra Mustang. This car has been babied since day 1 I’ve had it. Very clean, immaculate condition. Garaged. Never raced or beat on. Non-smoker. Have carfax in hand. This cobra is the last year of SN95 body style. Is a definite must see and drive. Always put in 93 octane and so has the owner before me. This is a straight sale, please no trade offers. Contact Chris or Lou at 215-364-0140. Feel free to call/email for best offer or any questions. Serious inquires only. Price is $12,499, however it is Negotiable. It has recently just been inspected; added new front brakes with brake flush. Has a brand new Duralast Gold battery. New sparkplugs and fuel filter put in 4k miles ago. Oil has been changed every 3 months with synthetic oil. Have service records. Has original paint, 79k original miles. It has extras but it's still relatively stock. Engine: Hand-built by SVT 4.6L 4v DOHC 305 hp at 5800 rpm, 300 ft/lb at 4800 rpm Redline: 6800 rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual VIN: 1FAFP47V9WF209117 Tags: cobra svt mustang black clean muscle fast sn95 dohc v8 rare clean 1998 98 ford gt hand-built tan manual exhaust corvette gto trans am pontiac mach 1 gt500 acura rsx vette g35 g37 infiniti chevy civic honda jetta gli gti m3

Wedding post

Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy

Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy Breitbart Big Hollywood A lot of the difference, the change if you will, between Obama and Bush has much to do with the word humility. George Bush is and was a humble man. Obama thinks the world counts on him and him alone to lead us. Bush went to church and prayed often. Obama puts out press releases about his supposed piety. The left sold a great bill of goods to the American people claiming that Bush, et al. were arrogant while insisting that Obama was a “man of the people.” The 65th Anniversary of D-Day is fast approaching. Barack Obama will attend the events on June 6th as George Bush did in 2004 for the sixtieth memorial service. Here is the rub, as of now Obama’s State Department has asked (read demanded) the French government not allow tour guide services to operate that day. It is a big day for Normandy tourism. Yet, the king will not allow those not connected with government to enjoy the day. Obama is very important you know. This is an unprecedented request. I hope the French come to their senses and deny it. Compare that with 2004. Security was tight as President Bush and other world leaders were in attendance, but the event was still open to all. A friend relayed the story of waiting in line to use a port-a-potty (a French port-a-potty no doubt, yuck, believe me.) She looks to her left and who he is in the next line waiting patiently? President Bush. Sure he had Secret Service nearby, but he waited like everyone else. Contrast that with Team Obama not even allowing regular people near Colleville-Sur-Mer that day. A shame indeed. Especially as the last of our WW II vets are expiring. As the Bamsters unemployment rate pushes 10% (double the Bush average) and his 3.5 trillion dollar budget breaks the USA (the press of course focuses on his 17 billion in “savings.” Way to go 4th Estate.), Obama has more to worry about then denying people the right to attend a memorial service on June 6th. It’s as if Obama has to let it be known that he is more important than honoring the events and the 9,387 mostly young Americans who died invading Normandy 65 years ago. Will Obama apologize for American actions during WW II at the event? I think the following quote from Obama himself sums it all up: “a light will shine down from somewhere…. You will experience an epiphany. And you will say to yourself, ‘I have to vote for Barack.’” Watch for yourself: The guy can’t even bring himself to say “shine down from heaven.” Do you really expect him to line up to use the can with the commoners at a Normandy celebration? Americans may start to miss the guy with the humility. Universal Healthcare, unchecked unions, government run banks, government run autos, cap and trade, turning the 20 million undocumented Democrats into voters: That isn’t America and it surely isn’t what those young boys died at Normandy for. We elected a fairy tale. We can start the road back to reality in 2010 with the mid-term elections. . . Wild Thing's comment......... This will be the 65th anniversary of D-Day. For Obama to go to Normandy is ABSOLUTE sacrilege!!!!!! Obama hates our history, he doesn't even have enough interest in it to read and know that more then one bomb was dropped at Pearl Harbor. Rev. Wright and his preaching constantly lied and re-wrote history their way packed with propaganda.Obama never has shown respect for our military, our troops today or for our Veterans. He went to a gym instead of visiting the wounded in Germany. He walks past our troops on stage only shaking the hands of officers because he has to. Not even a glance in the troops in the stands watching him. His trip in June to Normandy is nothing more then a photo op and of the worst kind. Those men died to stop fascism. Now our country has a fascist going there as president. One of my Uncles was at Normandy D-Day and I'm glad he's not around to see this. It was bad enough when Slick Willie walked on the Normandy beach and played with those little stones in the sand while a battle ship floated in the distance behind him and a tear rolled down his fat, red cheek for that phony, staged photo. When President Bush went there : Security was tight as President Bush and other world leaders were in attendance, but the event was still open to all. A friend relayed the story of waiting in line to use a port-a-potty. She looks to her left and who he is in the next line waiting patiently? President Bush. Sure he had Secret Service nearby, but he waited like everyone else. Contrast that with Obama not even allowing regular people near Colleville-Sur-Mer that day. A shame indeed. Especially as the last of our WW II vets are expiring. For him to walk among all these brave heroes .. I could just cry. God rest their souls. Here is the story about Bill Clinton's visit there from someone that was there. " It was the fiftieth anniversary of the Normandy landings. We were standing with a group of veterans and their wives on the bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, where they had come ashore on that historic morning at what cost only they could really know. All of them had visited the military cemetery where so many of their buddies lay, and all of them were deeply moved by the day and by the memories it brought to the surface. As we stood there some of the Clinton advance crew, the public relations arm of the administration, came along and asked the veterans to move off. These were the men, some walking with canes, a couple in wheelchairs piloted by wives or children, many feeble, in whose honor we were supposed to be there. But there was another agenda for the White House staff. The veterans never understood why they’d been moved away, but as accredited correspondents we were allowed—no, encouraged—to stay there, along with press photographers and reporters. And what we witnessed was a couple of White House aides surveying the beach, looking around to find something, then picking up some stones, studying them and finally choosing one which they placed with care at a strategic spot near the shoreline. Moments later President Clinton arrived, was escorted to the spot, and as the entourage stepped back out of camera view, he looked around at the scene and then down at his feet where he seemed to spy something—yes, a stone—which he picked up, looked at and then held in his grasp as he bit his lip and let a tear dampen his cheek. Deeply moved, you see. There was some grumbling among the more assertive of the veterans who had been shunted away from the important action, but the pictures in the French press of Bill Clinton spontaneously picking up a stone on Omaha Beach and then staring out at the sea as he teared up and bit his lip were very effective. The New York Times never described the scene or the staging by the keepers of the Clinton image."

Day Seven in Vietnam: 19 May

19 May, Hanoi Viet Tri Road HANOI/THANH THUYHosted by MCC Vietnam.Go to Thanh Thuy District to visit MCC rural development projected.Hosted by Thanh Thuy Women’s UnionToday is my and Liam's tenth year anniversary. That he has agreed to let me go off to Vietnam and spend our anniversary apart is a testament to his respect and love for me. Liam, I miss you and love you very much.After returning to Hanoi and cleaning up as best as possible in a truly dive hotel next to the train station, we were off again; this time in a bus headed for Than Thuy. Than Thuy is a district in Phu Tho Province (for more info, see the wiki article.), one of the places where the Mennonite Central Committee is engaged in aid that "includes working with partners in projects in agriculture, income generation, women’s reproductive health, children’s nutritional needs and HIV/AIDS prevention."We were pleasantly surprised to be housed in a very nice complex where retired government officials from Hanoi come for R and R. We met with the local province dignitaries who gave speeches about the great things the Communist Party is doing in their province. That night we had a "cultural exchange" which consisted of three hours of karaoke-style singing by the local Vietnamese (dressed in their finest), with three songs thrown in by our students (Including "Do Re Mi" from the sound of music)(I must finish this post later as we have just enough time to catch some dinner before our busleaves forthe train station.)

Another JAWS update

Greetings. For those JAWS purists that love having the "latest and greatest," FS released another update earlier this week. Take a lookat the extensive range of fixes (or, perhaps not so much):The Yahoo Instant Messenger.jss script file has been updated and included in JAWS 10 to provide support for the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger 9. Make sure to download the latest Yahoo! Messenger for full compatibility with JAWS 10. The message history in AOL Instant Messenger and the e-mail messages in the Gmail Inbox are now visible to JAWS. Previously, the virtual buffer would appear to be blank if you tried to read message history or Inbox messages. When navigating through the Gmail Inbox, you can once again select and open an e-mail message by pressing ENTER when focus is on the text in the Subject column. In a previous release, it was necessary to turn off the Virtual Cursor or use the JAWS cursor to open the e-mail message. Resolved an issue related to certain Web pages with frames, which, when updated, created a situation where JAWS would not read the text present in the updated frame. This problem was reported for both Gmail and the Webinar software used by the Freedom Scientific Training department for the new Webinars, both free and paid, now being offered. The default JAWS dictionary file (default.jdf) has been updated to include the correct pronunciation of two Russian symbols. In the JAWS help file, the Using the JAWS Cursor topic now describes the Real Window and the Focus Window restriction options that are available for the JAWS Cursor. Previously, this topic only mentioned the Application Window, Current Window, Unrestricted, and Frame restrictions.Regarding the Gmail fixes, there's no indication of whether these fixes apply to the Standard or the Basic HTML views. As always you can download the update from the FS site or perform a "check for updates" from the JAWS Help menu/submenu, depending if you have JAWS in its own window or in the system tray. Since it has only been 2 weeks since the last update, I'm thinking that something was broken 2 weeks ago and fixed now. Ah well, so goes tech and assistive tech. Enjoy.

'Housewives of New Jersey' adding bite to the brand

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. - Last summer, America met a pit bull with lipstick from Wasilla, Alaska. This summer, the country will be introduced to a pit bull with a pixie cut from this northern New Jersey town who growls a tagline far more intimidating than "You betcha!""Let me tell you something about my family," snarls Caroline Manzo in a preview episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Bravo's fourth and, some are saying, fiercest installment of the so-catty-it's-almost-camp franchise. "We are as thick as thieves, and we protect each other to the end."Manzo is the matriarch of the five newest members of Bravo's Housewives family, who make their debut Tuesday night (11 ET/PT), three years after cliques of affluent, socially ambitious, amply coiffed chicks from Orange County, Calif. and then New York and Atlanta began extending their claws on national TV.Although the audiences are relatively small the recent fourth season of Orange County averaged 2.2 million viewers, and Season 2 of New York Cityhas averaged 1.7 million they're building every season. The latest edition of Orange County was up 45% from Season 3, and while New York City has shot up 62% over last year. Three seasons of Housewives, one each from Orange County, New York City and Atlanta, stand among Bravo's current top five shows. And there's impact far beyond the Housewives' corner of cable. The franchise has spawned swag (Ramona Singer of New York City and her Tru Renewal skin-care line), books (New York City's LuAnn de Lesseps, an aristocrat by marriage, and her new etiquette guide, Class With the Countess) and, of course, scandal (the aforementioned countess' split from her count husband, largely over e-mail)."People like seeing inside other people's lives when they're fun and dramatic and relatable and sometimes shocking," says Bravo general manager Frances Berwick. "There's pure voyeurism that makes it utterly compelling."Each series constitutes "the perfectly made reality show," says Richard Lawson, who has wryly recapped the New York City episodes on gossip blog Gawker and plans to do the same with New Jersey. Thanks to the editing, the characters are "treated half kindly and half, really, mocked." The result is that "you don't hate these people, but you don't like them. They're fun to laugh at and maybe you're laughing with them."'Take a gander' through the gates Their cluelessness is part of the charm, watchers say. Living on a gilded, sometimes gated, cloud, "they think their life is so glamorous, but sometimes it doesn't really look that glamorous," says Annie Scudder, editor of TrsSugar, a sex and culture site that blogs regularly about the Housewives. "These people think they have everything," but take a gander through those gates, "and would you want that?"Some say the show hit critical sass or crass when it moved to New York and the new crew continued those shamelessly big-spending ways, scooping up a $16,000 handbag, for instance, despite the deepening recession.But if anyone fears that real-world slump plus reality-TV sumptuousness equals unbridled backlash (and reduced ratings), fear not. The response has been quite the contrary, Berwick says."It's escapist TV, which is more important now than ever," says New York City's Alex McCord, a mother of two whose published topless photos caused a castmate tiff on a recent episode.But if New York City has been a town-car wreck junior-high style fights between grown women; lace-up red leather pants worn by a grown man New Jersey is shaping up to be a Range Rover wreck, from talk of Colombian cartels and kidnapping to enough combined cleavage to fill a K cup to, most memorably, a fully set table silverware, white linen that gets overturned in a fit of apparent rage."There were a lot of crumbs on the table," deadpans New Jersey housewife Jacqueline Laurita, 39, Manzo's sister-in-law and the apparent comedian of the group. Longtime friend and castmate Teresa Giudice was "trying to get them off. She was very upset about that. She's a very clean person.""Of course they had to put that in," says Giudice, 36, who is understandably coy about revealing what led her to go primal on a piece of furniture. "Nobody wants to watch a boring show."New Jersey is the first family-centric version of the franchise aside from Manzo and Laurita, there's Dina Manzo, who is married to her sister's husband's brother. Even before the cameras descended last summer, "there was always drama and laughing," Laurita says. "Everybody's pretty open and honest. We used to joke around, 'Can you imagine if we were on a reality show?' "When putting together a season of Housewives, via casting calls and word of mouth, producers typically look for one or two women and build the cast around their inner circles. With obvious nods to Desperate Housewives and The OC, the original, Orange County, emerged thanks to a tip from one of the residents of a gated community there, Coto de Caza.Producers were "intrigued enough to shoot tape of some of the women," says Bravo programming and production chief Andy Cohen. A phenomenon was born."We interview a ton of people and sort of whittle them down," Berwick says. (For New Jersey, 15 to 20 were under consideration.) "We want women who we feel are reflective of our audience, so we look for an educated, articulate, smart" and, yes, affluent mix.The new, New Jersey family dynamic "could either make it boring, because they could hold back," says McCord, who has met all of the Jersey girls. "Or it could make it bloody."'Sopranos'-like in New Jersey Speaking of bloody, consider the setting: The imposing beige-brick houses, the North Jersey locale, the Italian last names, the aspirations of strip-club ownership (as relayed by Caroline Manzo's middle child, the appropriately named Christopher) it's all so seemingly Sopranos."Oh, bring it on!" says cast member Danielle Staub, 46, the relative outsider of the clan, whose tastes range from tanning beds to phone sex to bikini-and-high-heel outfits. The comparison is "so funny," she says. "I mean, we do cook, we do live in New Jersey and we do fight with our families and we're loud." But "we're not whacking people, although we might give them a good thrashing verbally."The Sopranos was "unbelievable," says Caroline Manzo, 48, relaxing in the nearly 30-foot-high great room of her 6,000-square-foot house. "Did I relate to a lot that was going on? Absolutely not. Did I relate to the family aspect of it? Totally." Take Carmela Soprano. "She brought the cannolis to school. Guess what? That's what Mommy does."She may lash out once in a while with take-no-prisoners tawk "If there's an issue, I don't back away, and when I bite, I bite with teeth" but behind the tough accent, "there's a total opposite side to me that's a marshmallow."Manzo brandishes a tray brimming with doughnuts for visitors and keeps their coffee mugs filled. When oldest son Albie was an undergrad at Fordham University in the Bronx, she'd drive the 30 minutes to deliver homemade eggplant parmigiana. She'd do his laundry, tucking notes among the clean clothes: "Mommy loves you. Study hard."So Dina Manzo, 37, is almost believable when, sitting next to her sister, she innocently responds to a query with "What drama? What are you talking about?" Her tagline? "If you think I'm a bitch, bring it on."The Manzos have become increasingly infamous in their leafy suburb. Patrons at the gourmet food shop snub Dina Manzo. "It's hard to shop at the Market Basket these days, but that's OK," she says.Some residents, however, are eagerly awaiting the peek into their neighbors' windows. Walking to her silver BMW SUV in the parking lot in front of the Market Basket, town newcomer Melissa Elliott says she plans on gathering weekly to watch at the house of friends who happen to live on the same street as one of the cast members."They say (the show) looks accurate," says Elliott, 45, who is neither a housewife nor a wife (she works in retail management). And she can see why: "Oh, my God there's drama here without being on TV."One might think that by now, the pool of women willing to broadcast their cringe-worthy gaffes and subject themselves to oh-no-she-didn't guffaws would have shrunk. But Atlanta Season 2 is in production, Orange County Season 5 has been announced, and Berwick assures that the franchise's momentum hasn't crested.The ever-growing interest is indicative of our increasingly over-shared, over-documented culture, Berwick says. Housewives is "the ultimate Facebook, and you're friending everybody" or, perhaps, frenemy-ing them

Cold? Snow? Revisited

Thanks, Karen, for these lovely photos of Winnipeg's November 7th snowfall. It looks to me like these pictures were taken along the street in front of their house; is that right, Karen? And...Thanks, Maureen, for all the Winnipeg weather updates you include in your letters and postcards.Thanks, Christy, ccap, Bev, Brenda and Gina for your comments on Manitoba weather and local news-type happenings.Thanks to friends who include stuff like that in their blogs...It's amazing, I know.I didn't think I'd ever say it.But when it comes to talking to people from "home" I actually like to talk about the weather. I guess I feel a little "far from home" sometimes.

Goonch Catfish

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

*sigh*Those words by are so true. I am feeling very blessed and quite content today. Easter at my cottage was beyond wonderful. Having all of my family home, with the two newest family members are all this girl could ever ask for. (and I have over 400 pictures to prove it...but I promise not to turn this blog into a complete Gramma brag log!)Speaking of baby pictures, indulge me with just a couple more of them...The little man wore the Easter outfit that his uncle wore 25 years ago. His uncle was also a December baby, so they were the same age at the time of these photos. (I do believe that Mr. Carter is a bigger baby than his uncle was at this age!) And, look at little Miss Isabelle up at the top. Doesn't she look a lot like her Daddy's baby picture? We wrapped up the weekend with brunch together on Sunday and there were tearful goodbyes. (as always) After everyone was gone and the house was quiet, took a long bubble bath and thanked God for all of the wonderful gifts he has given me. I am rich beyond measure. I hope you all had a blessed Easter too!

Hettich Prisma dishwasher slides

[KBIS 2009 Review] Hettich Prisma does first-class job in dishwashers. The upper basket Prisma slide is ergonomically tailored to the dishwasher workflow, ensuring unfailing performance under extreme conditions, constantly meeting the toughest demands on operating smoothness when wet and at high temperatures. With Prisma, Hettich makes one of the most convenient appliances even easier to use, proving that the little details can deliver the biggest impact. When the dishwasher is full of dishes, the extra weight on the upper basket can make unloading the dishwasher sticky and difficult to maneuver. With the unique technology of Prisma, the added weight of heavy dishes does not affect the smooth movement, and the upper basket is extended just as easily as if it were empty. Prisma also includes an optional height adjustment feature, which accommodates oversized dishes. Simply adjust the basket downwards for tall glasses or those with long stems. Adjust the basket upwards when bulky items, such as pots and pans need to be washed in the lower basket. The adjustment components, located on the four corners of the basket, substantially increase the lateral stability of the upper basket. Prisma has two variations - the Hybrid and the LV. The Hybrid allows for full or over extension of the upper basket, while the LV allows for partial extension. Both versions are extremely durable, having been tested to withstand up to 150 N and 100,000 cycles. Adding Prisma to a dishwasher is easy and convenient because the upper basket runner can be assembled in the cabinet after the welding process or can be welded to the tub during the process. Completely safe to use in dishwashers, both versions conform to RoHS. The combination of stainless-steel profiles and plastic rollers allows the system to operate without the need for greasing and also provides good running properties throughout its long life. The open, self-cleaning profile geometry makes it almost impossible for dirt particles to become trapped as they are simply flushed out during the dishwashing cycle. Hettich America.

2009-2010 Science Curriculum (Ages 7 & 9)

I confess, I love a traditional text book. I know it is not a popular thing in the homeschool world but the Harcourt Science texts are just some of my favorites. I never did well in science as a child. There didn't seem to be continuity from grade to grade. Consequently I had some gaping knowledge holes and nobody ever wanted to go back and fill them in. So I just struggled. When I married my science guru of a husband, he tried to get me to watch technical shows with him so that I could understand different engineering feats that he appreciated. I tried to explain to him that I just didn't get it and that I need to be brought back to basics and taught from the ground up. Well that is exactly what Harcourt does.They teach science in a spiral so that each year the students are exposed to the same topic with just deeper layers of knowledge added onto the instruction. I love that! I also appreciate that every single lesson in the book has an experiment. The experiment is presented with pictures of children doing the activities followed by simple instructions. Basically it is so spelled out that even I can get it. (Prior to using this series my husband had to do all of the science experiments because things weren't broken down enough for me to be able to explain to my kids why we were doing what we were doing and what we were suppose to conclude from our activities. There are 3-4 lessons with 3-4 experiments in each chapter. Each chapter then concludes with additional related cross-curricular activities; there might be a graphing project, a literature suggestion or an art project explained. In addition to the activities contained in the text, I also have a Science Scope and Sequence from a school that uses this text. It provides book tie-in suggestions, list objectives and vocabulary words for each lesson, and provides links to online videos and websites for further exploration of each topic. Additionally Harcourt has its own website with links and activity extensions broken down by specific chapter. And one of my favorite things about the text is that I got it free from PaperBack Swap. For next year I requested only the text as I found we didn't really use the workbooks but the user who sent me the text was so sweet. She also sent me the workbook, the assessment book, the videos for every chapter and audio tapes of every chapter! I was thrilled with this surprise! So, needless to say, next year we will be doing Harcourt Science during group time for our science lessons. I am not going to try to tie it into our history lessons as I found that becomes a whole lot of extra work.Instead our science lessons will be held during group time on Wednesdays. Our routine will be:Use a literature selection or video to introduce the science topic. Read the corresponding lesson from the text.Have girls answer "Think About It" questions at the end of the passage.Complete investigative experiment from the text. All notes from the experiments will be kept in a spiral "lab book".

The dance continuesFelix Salmon

Back in January, Google's Eric Schmidt was dismissive when asked about whether he had any interest in buying the New York Times, although he did say he was interested in doing a peculiar thing where he would “merge without merging”, whatever that meant. In any event, it seems to have meant that when a real opportunity arose, he spent a good deal of time looking at it: Scott Galloway, a Web entrepreneur and New York University Business School professor who is one of two Harbinger appointees on the Times board, made an overture to Google co-founder Larry Page about Google buying the Times Co. Even though Google CEO Eric Schmidt has publicly lamented the state of the newspaper industry and dismissed the notion of Google investing in it, people involved said the company looked seriously at the opportunity before deciding to pass. My feeling is that there's no point in Google talking to Harbinger: unless and until the Sulzberger family has serious interest in talking, it makes essentially no difference who owns the B shares. But at that point, there are all manner of interesting structures which might be created, some of which might well involve Google's charitable arm, Google.org. Schmidt's claim that he didn't want to mix philanthropy with business was always the least convincing part of his claim not to be interested in the NYT.

Can you recognize the caracter on it?

Cloud,seen at this height

THE EPICUREANS / HIGHWAY / THE MURPHY BROTHERS BAND

Por Steve MurphyTHE EPICUREANS Highway e A Murphy Brothers Band compartilham a mesma raiz musical como uma banda da região sul do Minnesota chamado The Epicureans. Nos anos posteriores foram referidos como Fairmont, Minnesota Beatles.Em 1965 Fairmont duas bandas, a Corvairs e o Pacers se fundiram para formar a Epicureans.Em 1966, eles gravaram os primeiros compactos em 45 rpm recorde registrado no IGL Estúdio em Milford, Iowa e liberado em 1969 o seu segundo registro em 45rpm no Áudio Universal Studios em Winona, Minnesota.Nos seus primeiros anos eles se apresentaram em todo o sul e do norte de Minnesota, em Iowa e os seus últimos anos em todo o Midwest.Nos últimos 60's foram atribuídas NBOA um prêmio pela Associação Nacional Ballroom operadores. Foi um prestígio da sentença, dando-lhes um fácil acesso todos os salões da região.Em 2005, o Epicureans foram introduzido no Minnesota A Mid-América Music Hall of Fame.HIGHWAY Em 1971, depois de muitas mudançasde membro, O Epicureans decidiram mudar seu nome para Highay. Naquela época eram cinco membros na banda.A banda vivia em uma fazenda em na area rural de Minnesota. Enquanto estavam tocando em um bar em Minneapolis uma noite, sua casa pegou fogo. Os meses seguintes foram de muita luta. O ex-vocalista começou uma discussão que terminou com Steve Murphy que acabou quebrando o nariz dele.O Steve não não lembra sequer qual o motivo que levou à briga!Dentro de um ano O Highway era um trio que avançava para gravar seu álbum debut Highway.Em 1975, após um baixista jogador mudar, eles gravado a sua auto-intitulado álbum de Westminster A As gravações foram no estúdio Otho, Iowa não muito longe da Fort Dodge.O álbum foi lançado regionalmente e Highway foi abrindo para bandas como Reo Speedwagon, Styx, Bob Seger, Dr. Hook, Cheap Trick e muitos outros.Em finais de 1975, O highway trocou de baixista, ao mesmo tempo acrescentado ex-membro do Epicure/ Highway tecladista, Tim Messerli, e eles estavam de volta a ser uma banda com 4 membros.Em 1976 discoteca estava começando a crescer em popularidade,justo quando o Higway começava a se destacar fo um golpe mortal na banda.Não conseguiam muitas casas para tocar e com poucos rendimentos eles resolveram se separar.Depois de anos vendo muitos caras deixar a banda, Steve Murphy, que tinha sido o único que nunca desistiu. e finalmente fez dissolveu o Highway.É por sorte o Highway gravou vários dos seus espectáculos ao vivo em todo o seu tempo. No futuro não tão distante, o plano é fazer com que essas faixas disponíveis para os seus fãs. THE MURPHY BROTHERS BAND Um Pouco antes do Highway ser dissolvida, Steve Murphy's Brother, Mike, que lhe tinha dado seus primeiros dois violões e foi sua inspiração para tocar guitarra, voltou para Minnesota.Mike e Steve tinha sempre quiseram tocar música em conjunto e mais tarde em 1977, após meses de ensaio, eles começaram O Murphy Brothers.Tocavam como um duo de dois anos e meio. Em 1980, acrescentaram O antigo do Epicure baterista, Dick DUSEK, ex- Highway baixista John Goossen.Havia mais lugares para tocar e agraderam a Dues que a maldita discoteque estava perdendo terrerno e a banda tinha mantido o seu espaço.Mike Murphy Senior tocou com a banda por 10 anos. O filho dele, Mike Murphy, Jr., tomou seu lugar e por 10 anos. Em 2002 a banda fez duas alterações e membros com Greg George na Guitarra e Jason Anderson baixo.Ambos os tinham tocado em muitos grupos diferente, e foram uma grande adição aos Murphy Brothers Band.Por esta altura, de música country era o que era bom para a Banda devido à sua música baseado no Rock.Parecia que mais pessoas entendiam suas músicasar e tornou possível para eles comporem mais músicas no estilo que gostavem de tocar.Em 2007, a banda gravou e lançou seu primeiro CD intitulado "Synergy" e a música parece que a música tenha m evoluído para trás e com a intensidade que eles todos gostavam de tocar. O Murphy Brothers se apresenta muitos festivais e eventos maiores nestes dias. As coisas estão indo muito bem, e a banda já iniciou as gravações do seu segundo CD, que espero que seja lançado ainda este ano. É impressionante a quantidade de chamadas e contactos que têm vindo ao longo dos anos sobre o Álbum do Highway e os muitos CDs que foram vendidos, a partir do E.U.A. Inglaterra, Alemanha, Itália, Bélgica e Brasil.É a banda da esperança e otimismo que os grandes fãs que gostam do material do Highwayl também irá desfrutar O Murphy Brothers Band CD "sinergia". "É uma continuação do mesmo movimento que começou já em meados dos anos 60's, e continua hoje e sobre o futuro.1. THE EPICUREANS 1965 - 19712. HIGHWAY 1971 – 19783. THE MURPHY BROTHERS BAND 1977 – PRESENTSTEVE MURPHY GUITAR 1, 2, 3JERRY CLARK GUITAR/BASS 1TOM BROCKMAN DRUMS 1PHIL MESSERLI KEYBOARDS 1WAYNE WOLTERS BASS 1DENNIS THATE DRUMS 1TIM MESSERLI KEYBOARDS 1, 2DICK DUSEK DRUMS 1, 3JOHN GOOSSEN BASS 1, 2, 3CHRIS SKILLMAN SINGER/ONLY 1, 2SCOTT BODINE DRUMS 1DAN CAMMARATA DRUMS 1, 2TOM OLSON DRUMS 2JERRY BECKLEY SINGER/ONLY 2ERIC BANNISTER BASS 2RON CURTIN BASS 2MIKE VELASQUEZ DRUMS 2MIKE MURPHY SR. GUITAR 3DENNIS DOBIE BASS 3MIKE MURPHY JR. GUITAR 3GREG GEORGE GUITAR 3JASON ANDERSON BASS 3DALE BJORKLUND DRUMS 3 Download

On the death of a child

[I feel like I’ve had too many death posts of late; I apologize, but it's the order of the day.]I don’t use profanity; the gemara is very clear about how repellent it is when a person cannot control his tongue, and uses his gift of speech for base purpose. Presumably, the same applies to the keyboard. So I won’t say what’s on my mind.And there’s nothing meaingful to say, anyway. What would you say?What do you to someone who carries a baby to term, only to discover upon birth that it is not viable? What do you say when you stand there in the NICU and look at a baby, born yesterday, that will not see tomorrow’s sunrise? What do you say afterward, as the body lies, still, on a table designed for serving up life and joy and celebration?Forget what you say to the family, to the mother. There is nothing to say; you’re just there.But what do you say to yourself in order to shut out the image, so that when you look at your own happy children you don’t see those closed eyes, the miniature fist that should be clenched, not lax?What do you say to calm your mind, so that when you look in the mirror you are not awash with guilt for having been spared this calamity?What do you say to relax your nerves so that every pregnant woman doesn’t suddenly seem to be a disaster in the making, so that when you finally drift off tonight – eyes closed like the baby, don’t you know - you won’t see visions of what you saw today?And what do you say to others, to people you meet who waste their breath and time and happy moments on turf wars and pride and who-did-what-to-whom? Or to people who have done nothing wrong, beyond being concerned with a passing, comparatively trivial matter at time when you are enveloped in this? I know pediatricians, hospitalists, NICU personnel; they see this more than I do. I want to ask them, but I don’t want to know the answer. I know many, too many people who have endured this personally and managed to live life, sometimes birthing more children, sometimes adopting, sometimes not, but finding a way to survive.I don’t want to know that you can’t learn to live with it. But I certainly don’t want to know that you can learn to live with it.

Baby Names

You know? None of the eleventeenmillion blog posts I've written in my head in the last couple weeks involved any discussion of baby names whatsoever. But I'm tired and achy and just a little bit blown away by life at the moment. Because dude.I mean, Ish and I moved in together, into this apartment, last February 15. If all goes well, we'll be leaving it soon. And I tell you what. I knew when we moved in that I could not possibly foresee the circumstances under which we'd be moving out again. Would we be moving out together or separately? If separately, would our break-up have been amicable? Or would we be moving together to another apartment? A bigger one? A smaller one? A place we'd...own? Never did I think that just one tiny little year later I'd have left my job and that we'd be moving to a house, in Napa, and that we'd be married and I'd be pregnant.See? Dude.And yes, I am looking forward to it all, of course I am. But it is a lot to take in, and not just because I've come a long way from where I was a year ago. Let's be fair. It hasn't been that long since I was splayed on the bathroom floor in a big stupid house in Connecticut, sobbing hysterically to no one because my husband had left me and my mother was dying and I couldn't envision my future, or any future at all.Which is to say that all these life changes are great and huge and when I start to put them in context, they're even greater and huger and I'd love to have some time to just let it all sink in.Ha! Except!I can't very well just go flitting about, pondering and pontificating and tra-la-la-ing while things magically sort themselves out. (Although that would be cool. I picture myself skipping through a meadow with some ridiculous sun hat on, and when I return from my jaunt I discover that all our stuff got packed up and moved by elves! And there were no issues with the mortgage! And we're settled in our home and oh! The baby was born! Fiddle dee dee!)But right. No. And all this is a very roundabout way of saying that, while I'm busy trying to sort out all the emotional "whoa"ness going on, life isn't getting put on hold.Which brings me -- yay! -- to the point of this entry.The baby is still due in a few months and we haven't bought any baby anything yet. I haven't taken a single class, or read more than a few pages here and there in a couple books. I still mostly think this pregnancy is totally surreal, and I'm in some fairly considerable disbelief about it.Thus this baby most certainly does not have a name yet. So, ah, wanna help?Here's where we're coming from:We are trying to avoid names in the Top 100 most popular lists, and if possible, even names in the top 500. We like a lot of old-fashioned and traditional names, but surprisingly, many of those are on the current most popular lists. (Ex: Isabella)We do like untraditional and interesting names, too...from history, Hollywood, or literature especially. We're very open to last names as first names, and even to boy names.I do not, however, like made-up names. And if it's something you can imagine Britney liking, I will probably hate it. (Anything of the Brayden/Jayden variety is really just not my style.)We don't care if the name is hard to spell.I don't plan to change my last name, but the baby will have Ish's last name of Bartlett.We are primarily of British, Celtic and German descent.I also personally like French names, and I really like names with long and short A sounds.I don't really want to provide examples of specific names we're considering, because I'd prefer not to have them shot down (everyone does it, myself included). But just to give you a small taste, one of my most favoritest names is Ava -- and see? It has both the long and the short A sound. Unfortunately, it's the #1 name for 2008 and also Ish vetoed it. So oh, well.One of our actual still-on-the-list possibilities is the name Maeby. (Yep.)So...any thoughts? Suggestions?We'd love your help!

[Fulltime] - Web (PHP) Developer - MTV Networks at MTV Networks/Neopets

Location: Glendale, CA Position SummaryAs a Web Developer (Technical Development) this individual is responsible for development of internet software products for high-traffic consumer-facing digital properties, with concentration upon development of PHP/MySQL and related LAMP-based web pages, applications and solutions. The Web Developer will be responsible for designing, coding and supporting the development, implementation and execution of all web page, application and software development projects within the Technical Development organization. Responsible for phased design, development, unit & regression testing and version gating of all web and LAMP architecture-based initiatives, including version control, documentation and ongoing administration of web systems ensuring the accurate, timely, cost-effective execution and delivery of all technical programs in accordance with business requirements, marketing & sales goals and objectives, best practices and procedures. The successful candidate must possess strong technical development, communication, organization and project development skills, and must exhibit exceptional follow-through. You must be able to work independently and take action to achieve goals and objectives, while remaining productive and focused in a fast-paced and evolving environment. Most of all, we are looking for candidates who can deliver exceptional technical delivery of complex projects and programs on behalf of the Technology & Product Development organization. Role Requirements (Essential Responsibilities) 2+ years experience in web-based page, architecture, application & systems design  Demonstrated ability to interact with external and internal customers, vendors, and senior management  Excellent interpersonal and problem resolution skills; consistently exceptional oral, written, and presentation skills  Strong technical background in LAMP architecture, open-source technology protocols and languages, multi-tier distributed systems and effective technical project delivery experience is necessary to succeed in this role.  The position will require working closely with related technical design & development teams (including multimedia, database, application & systems) both domestically and internationally  Manage large-scale projects and initiatives that extend and enhance Neopets intellectual properties, including work estimation, resource allocation, architecture review, schedule forecasting, capacity planning, and delivering on near and long-term initiatives.  This individual will tackle configuration and debugging tasks through issue isolation and deductive reasoning, understand technical service interdependencies, drive towards technical solutions for multi-tiered systems and support effective teams.  Web page and application development and integration of end-user digital products  Design, development and administration of PHP/MySQL & LAMP systems architecture  Responsible for analyzing assigned tasks, providing accurate work estimates, and managing own time relative to ensuring that developed projects are delivered on time, to specification and with quality  Code and system documentation experience Technical Skills The Technical Skills sought for this position include:  Subject-matter expert in LAMP, PHP 5, MySQL 5, AJAX, OOP design patterns, Java, JSP, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, DHTML, DOM, LAMP technologies and associated editing programs  Experience w/ Version control (including Subversion)  Linux  Backend administration tools, including ability to work at the command line Creative problem solving ability Ability to work in a fast-paced team-oriented environment and be adaptable to the demands of all levels and types of production duties Capable of leading peer-level developers Solid communication, documentation skills Capable of understanding business objectives and able to translate business goals into technical design A solid understanding and practical application of current online virtual worlds (MMO’s, MMOG’s, MMORPG’s), online games development, web technologies, object oriented languages, service-oriented architectures, distributed computing, and agile development methods would be beneficial Experience Level Minimum 2+ years experience in web architecture, application and page development  Minimum 2+ years of successful track record of commercial web development experience This is a fulltime position. To Apply: Send resume to mia.burgess@mtvstaff.com or visit our jobs page at www.mtvncareers.com. Click here to read the whole listing