ATV SAFETY EDUCATION WORKSHOP

Alachua County Public Safety / 4-HATV Safety Education WorkshopFor youth ages 8-16LEARN ATVSAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLSIN AFUN, SAFE, FAST PACEDCLASSROOM ATMOSPHEREThere is no ATV riding in this workshopJuly 18,2008At Christian Life Fellowship Church19817 W Newberry RoadNewberryFREE PARENTS’ ORIENTATION 9:00-9:45 AMYOUTH CLASSES 9:00-4:00 PMYouth supervision is possible 8-9 am and from 4-5 pm with advance notice.To Register call 352-384-3106 or email lsw@alachuacounty.usRegistration Fee: $ 5.00 payable at the workshopMake checks out to Alachua County 4HBring a lunch, drinks and snacks will be provided.For persons requiring special accommodations to 4-H activities contact Ernie Terry at (352)955-2402 or TDD/TYY (352)955-2406. Please call at least five working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request. Upon request, for persons with print-related disabilities, this information is available in alternate formats. 4-H is for youth ages 5-18. Membership is open to all youth regardless of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, handicap or geographic location within Alachua County.

Honda, GS Yuasa JV to make lithium-ion batteries for 2010/2011 Honda Civic Hybrid

greencarcongress.com :
The Nikkei reports that Blue Energy Co, the newly-formed joint venture between Honda and GS Yuasa will begin mass-producing high-performance lithium ion batteries for hybrid vehicles in the spring of 2011. This 51-49 joint venture of Yuasa and Honda is expected to start building a lithium ion battery plant this month at Yuasa's Osadano plant, in Kyoto Prefecture, at an estimated initial cost of 10 billion yen [US$100 million] or so. The production is expected to begin at a level sufficient for 100,000 vehicles a year. Honda plans to start using lithium ion batteries with the 2010/2011 Honda Civic Hybrid.
- Thanks to greencarcongress.com for the heads-up, though some details are scarce at this point in time, and I'm not quite sure on the date or year (2010? 2011?) of the next version of the Honda Civic Hybrid as well. But it is starting to look like Honda is getting serious about adopting lithium-ion battery technology for its next generation of hybrid vehicles.
I hope to see the questions that need to be raised being answerered in time. Questions on factors such as safety, reliabity, longevity, price, temperature response and so on. Another point to note is that apparently the Japanese players (Nissan, Toyota and now Honda) are going their own way, perhaps on a divergent path from the Americans (A123Systems, Chevrolet) in this nascent field of lithium-ion hybrid batteries. We'll see how things turn out.
Update #1 : Okay so I missed the earlier announcement with some of the details :
GS Yuasa 6Ah-class prismatic Li-ion EH6 cell ... the new venture will explore modifying the cathode materials and cell structure to optimize performance for next-generation hybrid vehicles. The EH6 ... is a 3.7V, 6Ah cell with a LiNiCoMnO2 cathode and carbon anode. Specific energy for the cell is 67.1 Wh kg-1 ... the cell can provide 10 seconds of boost power at 50% SOC of 1.2 kW (3,600 W kg at 25° C).
Update #2 : Some info about low-temperature response :
It has excellent low-temperature characteristics, maintaining 90% capacity even at -30*C.
Update #3 : And some more info on safety and longevity, and probably a little bit more than you or I have ever wanted to know about SOC measurement, calibration, and data acquisition chips :
The safety of Li-ion was a concern, but new battery technologies like the A123 nanophosphate cell, the EnerDel Spinel-Titanate chemistry, the GS Yuasa EH6 design and others are as safe as NiMh, offer extremely high power (200A peak discharge rates), and last 10 to 15 years with proper charge management. By model year 2012, the majority of hybrid cars and trucks will use lithium battery technology.
It's assuring to see that this Yuasa EH6 battery is being mentioned in the same sentence as A123Systems' nanotech cell. I would like to see more data to be sure, but if this means that the next generation of lithium-ion hybrid batteries from the Japanese could be as competitive as those from the Americans, then I probably wouldn't need to worry about having to switch away from my preferred brand :)
See also :
1. 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid preliminary specifications released
2. 2010 Honda Insight specifications released : 41 mpg, 1.3L, 98hp, i-VTEC, CVT
3. 2010 Honda Insight hybrid concept to debut at 2008 Paris International Auto Show

Make up

The Peter Pandemic

Three days ago, I felt like crap. Sudden onset aches, chills, and nausea with a 100 degree plus fever. I didn't go home because I did not want to expose my family to Mexican pig flu. I had not been south of the border recently, but plenty of people around here have been, so I figured my exposure was not zero. I called my doc from the car and headed to the hospital. He called back and persuaded me to go home. Without respiratory symptoms, he wasn't worried about swine flu. I slept in a separate part of the house anyway, just to make sure. And felt better the next day.A flu scare is not a trivial thing. In sight of my office is one of the largest wards of the disastrous 1918 flu pandemic -- Oakland's Kaiser Convention Center. But 2009 is not looking like 1918. We do not know what course the H1N1 virus will take but it is hard to build a bad scenario out of the numbers we have seen so far. An unfortunate toddler hauled to Texas from Mexico is the only US casualty of this wimpy epidemic. Imagine if instead of one death this week, we had seen 1,400 people dead from flu -- 200 a day. The media would be in a panic -- and so, trust me, would everybody with a fever caused by dodgy seafood.But 1,400 deaths per week from flu is normal during flu season in the United States. Tragic and worth fighting -- but normal. Some 36,000 people die during the six cold months of each year that we call flu season. How big a threat is H1N1? It looks like an outbreak that refuses to grow up. Last Wednesday, as I recovered, there were about 85 confirmed swine flu cases in the US. On Thursday, there were 109. Today there are 141. Mexico, which last week thought several hundred people had died from swine flu now believes that the number is 15 -- and in many of those cases nobody figured out what the disease was until too late. In general, swine flu has caused very mild symptoms. Nobody should ever turn their back on a potential pandemic virus. I keep six weeks food and water for my family in my basement, along with an assortment of emergency supplies. We have disaster plans, go bags on our cars, back up phones, and rendezvous plans. I never miss a flu shot and have faithfully issued paranoid warnings about flu risk here, here, and here. I live on an earthquake fault, trained as a paramedic, and frankly bow to nobody in my disaster preparedness. When I came home sick Tuesday, I asked my wife to scrub with alcohol any surfaced I had recently touched. I may be a barking certifiable disaster crank (sue me, I sleep better), but as disasters go, H1N1 is not looking all that disastrous. Exponential growth of the sort that a truly contagious virus brings would have added a zero to the number of incidents every few days. Keep your fingers crossed, but if the US does not see 1,000 flu cases by this time next week, this thing is a goner. H1N1 will Peter out -- at least from the headlines. Even the CDC decided not to interrupt normal seasonal vaccine production to crank out emergency H1N1 vaccines -- the epidemiological case for doing so is way too weak, even if the political pressure is not. This turns out to be an odd virus -- so odd, that I wonder if the smart move is not to deliberately become infected. The disease is trivial at this stage -- less lethal than seasonal flu -- but the risk is that it mutates over the summer and comes back lethal in the fall. If exposure to the H1N1 now conferred immunity later in the year, I'd consider the risk carefully. By the way, one reason that H1N1 may not be so lethal is that the virus has been circulating, thanks perhaps to bugs that got out of a germ warfare lab. Even though health officials are calling this new virus H1N1, that's also the type of virus that's in wide circulation today. And it has an interesting history. It was the dominant flu virus through the 1920s, '30s and '40s. (John Oxford of the Royal London Hospital) says it disappeared in 1957, when it was displaced by another flu virus. But then a strain of H1N1 suddenly reappeared in 1977. "Now where could it have come from?" he asks. "We reckon now, in retrospect, it was probably released accidentally from a laboratory, probably in northern China or just across the border in Russia, because everyone was experimenting with those viruses at the time in the lab." It was nothing malicious, Oxford believes, just some flu vaccine research that broke out of containment. The descendents of this virus are still circulating. He notes that most people who have encountered the newly emerged H1N1 virus seem to have developed only mild disease, and he speculates that's because we have all been exposed to a distant cousin, the H1N1 virus that emerged in the 1970s. "That escaped virus perhaps will provide some benefit now in the face of this pig thing," Oxford says. If the virus dies off over the summer, many will bow and take credit. Applaud, but don't believe it. The 1917 flu died out and came back lethal a year later. So in spite of a really impressive national (CDC) and global (WHO) response to H1N1, if the virus turns out to be too weak to spread efficiently or fails to mutate to a more viral form, our day will have been saved not by heroic human efforts but by the force of nature that shields more people than vaccines ever will -- dumb luck.

Spicy Start to the New Year!

A Spicy Start to the New Year! To start 2009 off, we couldn't have forgotten our "lucky" black-eyed peas. And since we thought of home, i.e. Texas, we made some spicy black-eyed pea casserole with spanish rice:Spicy Black-eyed Pea Casserole15 oz can black eyed peas, drained1 4 oz can green chiles15 oz can diced tomatoes, canned, unsalted1 1/4- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano1/4-1/2 tsp Mexican seasoning1/2 tsp cumin1 med. garlic, minced1/2 cup onion, diced2/3 cup green bell pepper, diced1/4 tsp salt3/4 cup canned corn1/4 tsp jalapeno powdercooked spanish riceolive oilChop vegetables (garlic through bell pepper) and saute on stove slightly. While sauteing, combine spices. Once veggies cooked, add rest of ingredients except rice and oil, and heat through. Serve over spanish rice, drizzled with olive oil. Sprinkle more spices to taste.How about more spicy authentic Spanish food - Tortilla Soup!This is the best tortilla soup! Spicy, flavorful, healthy, and authentic!Spicy Tortilla Soup1/2 cup chopped onion1 -2 cloves minced garlic1 Tbsp Bragg's2 cups water1/2 cup fresh salsa1 can no-salt added diced tomatoes (~1 3/4 cup), with juice1/8 tsp salt (omit if have salted tomatoes)3/4 - 1 cup black beans (from a can, rinsed)1 tsp ground cumin1/2 fresh chopped cilantro (we like lots, and used about 1/4 cup?)1/2 Tbsp lime juiceoptional: cooked corn, green chiliesWhen serving: avocado slices and tortilla chips, optional nutritional yeastWe actually had this soup with Just Tomatoes' "Just Veggies (freeze-dried peas, corn, bell peppers...), which was good, but we would like to try corn in the summer and green chiles. Even sundried tomatoes would be a different but good addition.To cook, we just prepped everything to have the soup later in the week, but you can cook this soup in a slow cooker (add all ingredients except avocado and tortilla chips) or just heat soup over the stove in a big pot, making sure to saute onion and garlic slightly first.Top your soup with avocado, tortilla chips, and nutritional yeast!Hope you get enough spice this new year to kick off a new you (hey, maybe that spice will motivate you in keeping your resolutions!). - LK

Eco Chick’s Totally Unofficial and Entirely Subjective Earth Day Fashion and Beauty Awards

Everyones doing awards these days (Treehuggers Best of Green, The Daily Greens Heart of Green), and most of the sites include some kind of public participation and voting of some sort. Well, I wanted to do awards for some of my favorite things from the past year, and the only voter was ME! Ive been doing the green thing for quite some time and I like to think I know a little something, after all! (Really I wasnt organized enough to get a post up last week and didnt know how to tabulate votes and stuff). Without further ado, here are some of my favorite fabulously green things from the past year: Best Eco Fashion and Beauty Coverage from a Mainstream Publication 1st Place: Lucky Magazine wins this one hands down! The last year has featured not one, but TWO beautiful, entirely ecofashion spreads, and at least four natural beauty articles (including one with the fantastic Summer Rayne Oakes). Their support of eco fashion designers and boutiques is unsurpassed, and in their inexplicable (and totally enviable) way, they make everything look extra fabulous and totally easy to incorporate into ones own life. Check their online eco sourcebooks (including beauty, denim, shoes and more) for ideas and brands that have been covered in the mag. Thanks Lucky! 2nd Place: Elle Magazine has done some serious work this past year covering eco friendly designers, in the always ahead-of-the-trends way that only Elle does. Elle gets special mention for digging up lots of amazing jewelry designers who use recycled metals, unusual materials (ancient walrus tusks anyone?) and Earth-friendly processes in their designs. Honorable Mention: Shape Magazine isnt a fashion mag- I read it for the strength training tips because Ive become an obsessive gym rat in the last six months (its the BEST way for dealing with stress and makes your legs way more sculpted than a vodka martini). Shape gets kudos not only for their kick-butt strategies and healthy-eating tips (though more veg recipies would be nice!) AND their love-your-real-body stories, but sprinkled throughout each and every issue are small ways to go green (from products to new foods and drinks to actions and new companies), indicated with a little green leaf. Their April environment issue featured several great eco articles; thanks to the (no-doubt superfit) women at Shape for connecting the dots between womens health and the health of the planet. Best New Beauty Product Trend 1st Place: Oil! We spent the nineties and aughts banishing fats and oil from our diets and from our skin care routines (and from our skin). Well, turns out, our bodies need (good) fat and our skin definitely need oil- in fact, as Eco Chick beauty writer Stephanie Rogers pointed out, one of the best ways to a less-oily complexion is to use some good oils on your skin, since the skin overproduces oil when its lacking it- so organic facial oils actually cut down on shine. I swear by Saaf facial oil- it is completely organic, smells amazing, and both Stephanie (oily combo skin) and I (dry/very dry skin) use it with great results. I also use facial oil for my decolletage and neck before I go to bed. 2nd Place: Getting Beautiful from the Inside Out- One of the simplest ways to get great skin and hair, prevent aging, and reduce acne is a healthy diet filled with lots of high-antioxidant fruits and veggies, healthy fats from sources like nuts (especially coconut), green tea rather than coffee, and of course, plenty of filtered tap water. Ive been supplementing my pretty damn healthy (except for the aforementioned martinis) vegetarian diet with aloe supplements and Murads Pure Skin Clarifying vitamins , which have worked wonders on my skin by providing a boost of yellow dock, burdock, Vitamin E, and Zinc. Honorable Mention: DIY Hair and Face Masks- Ive been using the inside skin of papayas and mangos as a natural fruit acid treatment, and avocado and honey hair masks for the last couple of years, but lately Ive seen quite a few mainstream pubs pushing this old-school hippie idea. Probably because its super-affordable with so many women are looking for less-expensive alternatives to high-priced treatments, this one is way low-impact on the planet too (no packaging!). Best New Ecofashion Trend Talla Cuteness 1st Place: Attention to Dyes- never before have there been so many natural or low-impact dyes been available (well, since the Industrial Revolution anyway; before that ALL dyes were pretty ecofriendly). And none too soon! Heavy metal pollution from dyes is a serious concern in Third-world Countries where our clothes are colored-up. From Virginia Johnsons graphic printed scarves, to Tallas bright floral patterns on silk, there are tons of eco designers working to find more sustainable dyes. While natural colors still tend to dominate (see Barneys house line by Philip Lim and John Patrick Organics dreamy prairie visions) as a color-lover I never have any problem finding fun, bright colored outfits from my fave eco fashion designers. In fact, Im wearing a fun Mediterranean-blue organic linen dress by NaturevsFuture right now! :) 2nd Place: HOT Shoes- This year saw ecofriendly shoes go from cute and totally wearable to Damn!! Cri de Coeur doesnt seem to make an unsexy shoe (even their boots scream yank me off and do me! - or maybe thats just me) to Olsen Haus sharp yet kicky vegan stilettos and Charmones yummy pumps. Best Tech to Green Up Your Life on the Go 1st Place: iPhone Applications- So Apple is hardly the greenest computer company on the planet (far from it, and shame on you Apple!) but I have an iPhone and despite the fact that Ive broken one and had one stolen, I keep going back- the applications are awesome! From HopStop, that helps me navigate the ever-confusing isle of Manhattan (Ive saved money and gas NOT hopping in cabs because I get such good directions from HopStop instead) to Craigsmobilelist, there are just lots of ways you can use your phone to cut down on energy use, and shop smarter. How great that one can find local green businesses (restos, dry cleaners, green salons, and more) at Greenopia.com (there will be an iPhone application coming in the next month, for now you can search using the web browser). Power of information, for the planet! 2nd Place: Proliferation of Laptops as Primary Computer- They use 90% less electricity than a desktop, and these puppies are powerful, as well as portable- what could be better? Ive been using a Macbook as my only computer for about a year now and Ive been able to do everything I need to do, and Im on a computer all day, every day as a blogger, writer and editor.

My cheap shoes

My shoes, the white one,99yuan

yellow,39!CHEAP LOL!~

Pure white

Keeping the Bar Tab Down

I often get questions from readers who are having tented weddings, or weddings in locations where they can provide their own alcohol. This is a great plus, but, if you aren't careful, it can end up being nearly as costly as having a bar package at a catering hall or restaurant. Here are some great tips for keeping your bar costs down:1) Taste Test and Budget. Even if you are only serving beer and wine, you can blow all that savings by selecting a pricey vino. Have a night of taste testing where you invite some friends over to bring their favorite bottle of wine that's $10 or less. Do a blind tasting and decide on a winner together.... the next day.2) Limit the amount of hard liquors you serve. You don't need to offer the same varied selection that one might find at their local pub. Pick a few crowd pleasers: vodka, rum, a whiskey and you should be more than fine with all the right mixers.3) Consider a location for purchasing the alcohol that allows "buy back". Guests drink an average of 6 drinks at a wedding. That's a lot of liquor. However, most couples are so afraid of running out, that they over purchase. See if you can buy from some place that "busy back", it will make it much easier at the end.4) Add a signature drink. Consider only offering Beer, Wine and a great signature drink. We did a wedding with a gorgeous limoncello recently and it was served in an awesome glass dispenser. It made a great showpiece and kept the costs down. Are you offering a full bar? Do you have any cost saving tips to share?

Chinese red

Easiest choth

Fantasy Errata has given up on the Nationals bullpen

Washington Nationals, I quit. You have defeated me. I am a relentless save vulture-r, nose constantly to the ground for the faintest whispers of an injured stopper. But, having gone through Beimel, Wells, Tavarez, and Hanrahan in multiple leagues, some of them more than once. I am done with this situation. -- Poor Greinke. Too bad you aren't in the NL, like Yovani Gallardo, who knows how to get shit done himself when his teammates suck. The entire Kansas City lineup better have avoided eye contact with Zack the rest of the night. For what's it worth, Hanrahan saved (in ugly fashion) the last game, so I guess go with him. -- Rivera seems like he did just fine tonight. -- Carl Crawford had one of the ugliest lefty v. righty pitcher at-bats I have ever seen tonight. Yeah, Papelbon throws gas, but maybe he should have been able to identify THE SAME PITCH THROWN SAME FOUR STRAIGHT TIMES! -- David Ortiz=stick a fork in him. I think Abreu and B.J. Upton not only homer before him, but have more homers than him. He looks like he can't get his hands sorted out to power on breaking balls, and his bat speed is to slow to get around on anything but a mistake fast ball. He just looks awful, and the fact that he apparently has no intention of adjusting his stance or getting off the plate does not bode well. It's amusing to watch other owners play David Ortiz every day, for fear that he'll suddenly break out. -- I hate it when Yahoo runs articles on players I have waiver claims on. Chris Coughlan* (*I'm not even going to go look it up) should be 2B/3B/OF eligible within two to three weeks, and stolen base potential from an MI position is gold. He had 34 in the minor leagues last year in less than 500 at-bats, and we all know how the Marlins run. -- Two questions: why is Ben Zobrist not starting in the OF for the Rays every game, and why is he unowned in so many leagues? Gabe Kapler (who should have been cut after Swisher struck him out before he even got back to the dugout) is blocking him? HAHAHAHAH. Gabe Kapler may have the body of a greek god, but he should be getting out of the way for Zobrist soon. -- Verlander buy low opportunities are long gone, but maybe Edwin Jackson is available? Only one walk (and that was in the last frame of his appearance) in his last start made me a believer. -- So many vulture opportunities ... yeah, they say it's only 15 days, but who knows when Soria gets back? I'd pick up Cruz immediately (he's a damn good reliever anyway, even if he only weighs 145 and is 6'2"). Farnsworth ... oh boy. Well, maybe the Royals turn to Farnsworth, and closing gigs are actually easier than middle relief, but I'd have to be desperate. -- Grabow owners, hope you cut him when you heard Capps was coming back. I know I did. Whew. -- Latroy Hawkins is doing pretty damn well. I actually think he's a buy low, not a sell high. Find an owner convinced that Valverde will be healthy for the rest of the year and offer up some scrap for him. -- Christian Guzman: NO. -- I only have Adam Dunn in one of my two leagues this year. Damn. Every one of his ratios is pointing to a career year, particularly the line drive rate. -- Jose Reyes has been heating up lately, but not enough to satisfy me! Produce shithead! -- Aramis Ramirez=complete bitch. Alexei Ramirez owners, he's doing EXACTLY what he did last year. I'd buy low on him/pick him up off the waiver wire. I mean, shortstop is a blackhole this year. He still may go 20/20, and given that he has six stolen bases already, 15/30 ain't that bad, either. -- Brad Lidge has just been awful. Awful. Should have gone with my gut and taken Broxton (I thought Broxton would come back to me). Gotta own Madson, folks. These lingering knee issues have all the signs of being with Lidge for the rest of his career.

trading under book value

A Company's Book Value is defined by Investopedia as follows:1. It is the total value of the company's assets that shareholders would theoretically receive if a company were liquidated.2. By being compared to the company's market value, the book value can indicate whether a stock is under- or overpriced.The Price to Book ratio is used to compare a stock's market value to it's book value. The following stocks have been beaten down to the point where their market price is actually less than their liquidation value (book value). Therefore in a way the company is getting little credit for any future earnings, and in fact the market is betting earnings will decline and is valuing the company at less than the sum of it's parts. Another way to look at it is that the market is betting that book value will decline due to company specific issues.TD Bank (TD) 0.96x bookCP Rail (CP) 0.93x bookPetro Canada (PCA) 0.83x bookGeneral Electric (GE) 0.86x bookFord Motor (F) 0.75x bookBank of Montreal (BMO) 0.81x bookDow Chemical (DOW) 0.54x bookWhen you look at the Price to Book ratio for a stock it is important to note what assets the company owns and how they earn money. For example Microsoft (MSFT) has a very high Price to Book ratio of 4.4x because their main income source is from selling software that smart people develop in offices, versus Toyota Motor (TM) who manufactures automobiles in enormous facilities filled with expensive equipment and supplies; they have a low Price to Book of just over 1x. Generally companies that own and market softer goods bearing well recognized brands and having competitive advantages will have higher Price to Book ratios. This contrasts against more economically sensitive firms, and hard goods firms who's goods or services trend more toward commodities and less towards brands and intellectual property.thanks for subscribing to the moneygardener...

Wemen alike flowers

Who don't love RED?

is technology making people lazy and overweight?

DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE HAVE BECOME LAZY AND GOTTEN FAT BECAUSE OF TODAY'S

TECHNOLOGY? WHEN I WAS YOUNG WE DIDNT HAVE MICROWAVES AND REMOTE CONTROLS. WE

HAD TO GET UP AND CHANGE THE CHANNEL MANUALLY. IT SOUNDS CRAZY AND DREADFUL.

I DONT WANT TO SCARE YOUNG PEOPLE OUT THERE IN myLot LAND BUT YES WE ACTUALLY

HAD TO GET UP AND CHANGE THE CHANNEL DIRECTLY. WE ALSO HAD TO USE THE STOVE

TO HEAT THINGS UP. WHEN MICROWAVES CAME OUT, PEOPLE WERE AMAZED. MICROWAVE

POPCORN WAS INGENIUS. COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY THOSE THINGS SEEM SO

SMALL. DVD'S AND DIRECT TV HAVE MADE IT SO WE DONT HAVE TO GO TO THE MOVIES.

WE CAN JUST STAY AT HOME. NO MORE DRIVE-INS, MINI GOLF,NOT TOO MANY ARCADES.

WE CAN GET IT ALL AT HOME. EVEN IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO DOGS, YOU CAN NOW ADOPT

A VIRTUAL PET. ALL THESE THINGS ARE GREAT. HOWEVER, PEOPLE ARE BECOMING LAZY.

WHY SHOULD THEY GO OUT WHEN THEY CAN GET ON THE COMPUTER AND DO THINGS

VIRTUALLY. THE AVERAGE WEIGHT INDEX IS HIGHER. THEY HAVE TO CHANGE THE

CRITERIA. NOW ITS BASED ON LOTS OF TECHNOLGICAL FACTORS. DO YOU THINK PEOPLE

ARE BECOMING LAZY AND OVERWEIGHT DUE TO THE WAY TECHNOLOGY HAS MAD OUR LIVES

EASIER? WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON TECHNOLOGY?

Fear-conditioned respiration and its association to cardiac reactivity.

Related Articles Fear-conditioned respiration and its association to cardiac reactivity. Biol Psychol. 2009 Feb;80(2):212-7 Authors: Van Diest I, Bradley MM, Guerra P, Van den Bergh O, Lang PJ This study aimed to investigate ventilatory correlates of conditioned fear responses. Respiratory, end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PetCO(2)) and heart rate changes were studied in a differential fear-conditioning paradigm. Forty-two participants viewed pictures of faces. One picture (CS+) was followed by a human scream (US) during the acquisition phase, but not in a subsequent extinction phase. Conditioning of PetCO(2) (decrease), respiratory cycle time (decrease) and inspiratory duty time (increase) was established and subsequently extinguished. When participants were clustered according to their conditioned PetCO(2) responses during acquisition, only a group showing a conditioned decrease in PetCO(2) showed also a differential cardiac acceleration, a decrease in expiratory duration and an increase in inspiratory duty time in response to the CS+. These results suggest that preparation for defensive action is characterized by a tendency towards hyperventilation and cardiac acceleration. PMID: 18955105 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

A little advice

Okay, so basically I'm trying to shift my diet here. And, I'm trying to start off with a bit of a wheat grass cleanse. I'm putting about two scoops of powder in a glass of water and trying to take it straight. Kinda treating it like my new "real man's whiskey".
On the one hand, when I get the stuff down, I get this sort of energetic hum from my body. I don't really know how to describe it, you could kinda call it a warmth. I just call it "the hum", and take is as a nutritional yes from some part of my system.
On the OTHER hand, this stuff tastes like booty. Pure, hot, wet, booty. I can usually only take four or five drinks from the glass before I am borderline vomit-gagging. This is followed by a comical routine from my gastro-intestinal tract...a symphony of gurgling and bubbling that I can only refer to as "the bog of eternal stench".
I then end up standing in front of the mirror, thinking about my next glass of wheat grass, chanting to my self, "chase the hum". I then realise what I'm doing -- a grown man standing in front of the mirror, talking about a mystic hum, worried about my next helping of something people buy for their pets at petco...and I'm drinking it.
So, my questions:
1) Are you guys really sure humans are supposed to eat this stuff? Don't get me wrong, I've come around to the belief that we aren't nearly as designed for meat and animal products as we think -- but THIS stuff? ARE YOU SURE? Why would my body react so nausiatingly to something so good for it?
2) Is there something that I can mix with the wheat grass and water, like some sort of juice or something, that will make this more palletable but NOT interfere with the work of the cleanse, or this whole acid-alkaline thing I'm trying to accomplish? I'm all about the hard road, but come on...seriously, two minutes after drinking this, my farts smell like wheat grass and my significant other walks in and goes, "why does it smell like the pet store in here?".
I'm trying to get a handle on reforming from the standard american diet, and the health issues that has caused, and yeah, I was about as standard american diet as you could go.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Roseville Antique Market...part 2

As I had begun to share in my last post, the Tattered House coordinated this event, and they did a phenomenal job. The morning began slowly with a kick off time of 8:00 a.m. (it was Sunday after all) and things really picked up speed by 9:30 or so. So many shoppers, nice people and blog readers!!! When our booth wasn't filled with shoppers, the other Tracey and I took turns walking around through the other booths, meeting people and shopping. Oh, the display ideas we saw! Clinton and Becky had a booth space right in front of the Tattered House. They have a room at the Tattered House and their taste and style were absolutely amazing. She's an artist, and he is a natural born design guru...and on top of that, they were the nicest folks anyone ever met! Linda from La Maison Rustique was there, with her hubbs and her sweet, sweet lil' egg shaped trailer, which was part of her booth. (Talk about a fabulous idea!!!!) The trailer filled about half of her booth, and she had wonderful items set up outside as well. Jacque's booth was mainly rusted garden items and salvage. Her sweetie was there helping also, and they certainly have great style.Oh! The wonderful things she had in there....carts, trays, old gates...and spectacular old treasures for inside the home too. (The other Tracey got a vintage typewriter exactly like mine!) The Tattered House itself was open for shopping as well. It was eye candy heaven, I swear.Here are some shots of just a few nooks and crannies inside the shop. Um...just a couple shots of some details in Clinton and Becky's room in the Tattered House.... (I told you they were talented!) If you're ever anywhere near Roseville California, you have simply got to stop by. Erica and Sandy completely reaarange the fabulous shop every week! Our booth space looked like a sad, picked over yard sale by the end of the Market (and that's a very good thing!!!) and we headed for home, so happy we both felt we might explode from the overwhelming feeling of contentment and satisfaction...from bliss

Anne hathaway

Half

Bestest Wkend

Have been having fun since Thur! Took 0.5 day off from work and started our entertainment night! Caught Wolverine at Marina sq before meeting up with the guys for Cats.I have been looking forward to this musical since last Dec when we bought our tix. It's definitely worth watching!! though dear preferred Phantom to this..Overall setsHaving bought the most ex tix, we had the chance to come really upclose & personal with the 'cats'.. one actually brushed herself against me (shd be Rumpleteazer) with her mane (since I sat the closest to the aisle) during the interval!and another who mischieviously took an audience's umbrella to play..The casts were really marvellous! I wonder how long they've actually observe the real cats to portray those lazy stretchings, elegant walkings and many other detailed movements!! They must be great gymnast as well! Every moves seemed so easy n light!!My fav part was the 'Macavity cats' scene.. very catchy tune and I love their moves.. I recalled back in KC when the ELDDS actually acted this scene as well... "Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity....He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity....And when you reach the scene of crime Macavity's not there!"And of course, the most famous 'Memories' song was pretty touching."Memory All alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then I remember the time I knew what happiness was Let the memory live again ..."All in all, Cats was really breathtaking! Was soaking in the atmosphere and counting to the beat of the music... Shall catch Les Misérables when they are here in Spore the next time round!Met the guys for a drinking session last night at City Space. Another great pat-toh location with soothing live music & stunning night view on the 70th floor. Thanks hh for organizing! I must also applaud sq for making the effort to gel his hair. The first time in 2 yrs I've seen him so prim & proper.The guys gave cheers to each others' '5 yrs from now, I will......'May all their wishes comes true and I truely love this bunch of guys!

Lady Blackbird, but not Lady Blackbird

Last week we had decided that our Wednesday game this week would be a playetst for Revolucion, a game I've been working on. Prior to the game I had been thinking about having the scenario be the Crimson Sky rebellion against the Empire in the Lady Blackbird setting, but I wasn't sure John would be cool with expanding the setting under another set of rules. John, on the other hand, was thinking I'd be sick of Lady Blackbird (or something) and wouldn't want to use this playtest to run it. Once we figured out that we both had the same idea, the rest of the group got on board.So yeah, we played Lady Blackbird (the setting) without Lady Blackbird (the rules). Revolucion is a game where you play out the overthrowing of some power (The Regime) by your revolutionaries/insurrectionists (the Movement). This fits great into something John mentioned in Lady Blackbird, The Crimson Sky movement against the Empire.We ended up making up lots of details for an area that isn't touched much in the existing Lady Blackbird text, so I thought it might be fun to share the details. Here's how it went down:I ran the game, with the players being John, Paul, Shannon and Adam. As we filled in the details of the Regime (the Empire in this case) we ended up with these Mottos:- All Worlds are better under the rule of the Empire (John)- Magic belongs in the hands of the few (Shannon)- Naval technology is for the Empire only (Paul)- Peace through regulation (Adam)We decided the Empire derives its power from the land it controls, land being a very limited resource in the Blue. Ruled by Empress Sadhara Serra and the assembly of nobles, the Empire was turning out to be a pretty decent enemy.The player characters flowed pretty well from this. We ended up with these Rhetorics:- All worlds should be free! (John)- Magic belongs to everyone (Shannon)- Naval technology should be distributed (Paul)- Prosperity through republic (Adam)Everyone really brought it when fleshing out their characters, giving us this cast:Jefferson Picket, anarchist bomber (John)Hazel Winter, hippy Windblood (Shannon)Tomas Grzeszczak, commander of the destroyer ISS Hollas (Paul)Sir Lee Perkins, Professor (Adam)Shannon brought some interesting elements in with her bloodline. Apparently when a noble bloodline (Stormblood, Ghostblood, etc.) breeds into the general population you end up with lesser casters. Hazel had a noble ancestor somewhere way back (before life on the commune) who was Stormblooded, so Hazel is a Windblood. More light cloud cover than destructive storm, but handy to have around.Scenes were pretty snappy after creation was finished and we had an introductory scene as Lt. Tomas met the Illysium cell of the Crimson Sky movement. The action hinged on Lt. Tomas' interest in defecting, along with his ship, Red October style.As we moved into the spotlight scenes, Lt. Tomas got a new conspirator in the form of a Petty Officer who worked as a clerk and could pass on informaton on likely sympathizers. Hazel tried to round up some Stooges in a sailor's bar, but it feel flat as the sailors become more interested in what she could offer, not what the Crimson Sky could. Jefferson did what he did best and blew shit up under weather cover provided by Hazel, and Sir Lee started an after-hours discussion group of potential Crimson Sky students with the help of a grad student feeding him loaded questions in lecture.We also tried something new that worked out great, reaction scenes for the Regime. With marines filling the streets, Tomas got caught on base, lowering the Opposition against the Regime, but Hazel stopped an attempt by some marines to "make this walkin' park into a lookin' park." Picket stood his ground in the face of a brutal interogation with the help of his crazy girlfriend, and Sir Lee was able to get through lectures with marines sitting in by talking over their heads.At that point we had to cut it for the night, but we'll pick back up next week. Overall, it was a lot of fun to see another part of the setting, fill in what life is like on Illysium and how the Crimson Sky are taking on the Empire.

162 Garfield Place

162 Garfield PlaceArea: Park SlopeWeb ID#: 1530062Property Type: CoopBeds: 2.5Baths: 1Price: $699,000view full listingDescriptionGarfield Place~ One of the most charming center Slope Blocks! Near all one could need as far as 7th Ave. amenities, transportation and lush Prospect Park~ This 2 bed plus features a dining room and windowed renovated kitchen, one windowed bath with original claw foot tub and more. Tin ceilings, gorgeous moldings and hardwood floors too~ All this in a cozy 8 unit self managed walk up building in the center of PERFECT PARK SLOPE. The icing on the cake is the shared landscaped garden complete with magnolia trees and teak benches. There is private and common basement storage and a bike area as well. Please call for an appointment, there will not be open houses.Contact:Jessica Buchman, SVP(718) 832-4193jessica.buchman@corcoran.comAutumn Weems(718) 369-8788AWeems@corcoran.com

Felix & Oscar

Felix & Oscar are growing and changing. Not those little tiny fluffy babies now. I often see them away from Bonnie, investigating on their own.They are still shut off from the chooks and the ducks, having a safe area to run and grow.Felix is now bigger than Oscar and at times seems to really want to be with the ducks, more so than her family. She's still too little as I worry that she'll get hurt or drown in the big pond.Being bigger helps when wanting to push siblings out of the way.Oscar is a pure Sussex bantam crossed with an Isa brown. Oscar has great colouring on her wing bars.But on her back she's snow white still.Hoping both babies are little girls.I still have to watch where I put my feet at meal times as they tear around their area like there is no tomorrow.Until next time....hoo roo technorati tags: ducks, ducklings, chickens, chooks, hens, Sussex bantams

Don't they have any shame?

I am posting a couple of pictures from the Pro-Köln/Anti-Pro-Köln rallies. They are in no particular order and they speak for themselves. I have kept my comments as brief as possible, too.Just one general remark: A lot of them are from leftist websites. What appalls me most, is the disgusting obvious smugness that leaves no doubt that those people, preposterous, simpering cartoon characters at best, violent thugs most of them, seriously think they are proud and valiant "resistance fighters"."Today we're sending a signal that democrats stand united against right-wing radicalism, racism and agitation," said Reinhard Bütikofer, former head of the Green party who attended the spectacle, while Mayor Fritz Schramma stated that the peaceful protests by "residents" showed that the city is "open and tolerant."Don't they have any shame?Resident jeweler's shop, anticipating open and tolerant protesters.Patriotic residents, proudly displaying their German identity cards.Anti-Nazi in open and tolerant anti-totalitarian outfit.The imprint says: "German Muslim -- Here at home -- That is good" (the latter in the local Cologne dialect).And more Colognophone residents.Aftermath of a peaceful, open and tolerant anti-Nazi-rally performed by residents.Open and tolerant anti-Nazi-residents rallying.Open and tolerant... oh well whatever.More open and tolerant dimwits whatevers.Unthreatening, peaceful, open and tolerant anti-Nazi-residents rallying.Open and tolerant residents against Nazis.The agenda.Peaceful resident protesting Nazi-presence.Non-resident pro-Pro Köln protester.Pro-Köln protesters with what looks like Filip Dewinter third from the right.A link to this entry at Roncesvalles will, in the future, replace the boring, lengthy, repetitive (but obviously necessary because most people are unable to think outside "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" categories) "disclaimer", saying that I do not endorse the treatment of Pro Köln by the authorities.Cross-posted at Roncesvalles.

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