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Yesterday we looked a how low heart rate variability in alcoholics (active and in recovery) may influence self, emotion and stress regulation, and have a limited effect on impulsivity, and result in a "locked in" attention to alcohol-related cues, all of which have obvious consequences for relapse.
Here we cite and use excerpts from an article by Eric Garland et al (1) which addresses the effects of mindfulness meditation on those with alcohol dependence.
Although Garland suggest mindfulness could be an alternative to other treatment and recovery programs, I suggest that it can be used most effectively with other treatment and recovery programs, e.g. with step 11 of 12 step programs.
I believe the consequence of emotion dysregulation over many years of addiction leaves behind numerous unprocessed emotions which have not been consigned to long term memory and as a result float around the mind as resentments, shame and guilt based memories etc.
Emotion dysregulation has not allowed us to consigned them properly to the past (the so-called wreckage of the past) or long term memory and only an intensive process of emotional processing these e.g. via step 4 or 5 or via an alternative stock taking of our pasts seems to resolve this problem.
I know from my previous experience of intensive meditation involving various 10 day intensive courses and meditating on a very regular basis, before realising I am an alcoholic, would always result in relapse via the distress of the past being resurgent in my mind.
Some method of addressing all of these past behaviours, which invariably have hurt someone, need to be addressed and processed, even making amends to those hurt by our previous behaviours, before we profoundly ease the distress of the past and help facilitate a greater recovery and more effective meditation practice.
Anyway, that's my vies, on with the article…
"When attention is fixated on visual or olfactory alcohol cues, alcohol dependent individuals exhibit significant psychophysiological reactivity (Carter & Tiffany 1999). In turn, this alcohol cue-reactivity may lead to increased craving, which can trigger alcohol consumption as a means of reducing distress. Many persons recovering from alcohol use disorders attempt to suppress cravings, which, paradoxically, can serve to increase intrusive, automatic alcohol-related cognitions (Palfai, Monti, Colby, & Rohsenow 1997), dysphoria, and autonomic arousal (Wenzlaff & Wegner 2000). Indeed, among alcohol dependent persons, thought suppression is negatively correlated with vagally-mediated heart rate variability (Ingjaldsson, Laberg, & Thayer 2003), a putative index of emotion regulation and parasympathetic inhibition of stress reactions (Thayer & Lane 2000).
As thoughts of drinking intensify and are coupled with psychobiological distress, the impulse to consume alcohol as a form of palliative coping may overcome depleted self-regulation strength (Muraven, Collins, & Nienhaus 2002; Muraven & Shmueli 2006) leading to relapse. The attempt to avoid distress or allay its impact through compulsive alcohol consumption results in negative reinforcement conditioning that may perpetuate this cycle by further sensitizing the brain to future stressful encounters via allostatic dysregulation of neuroendocrine systems (Koob 2003). Components of this risk chain may be especially malleable to targeted behavioral therapies.
One such intervention, mindfulness training, which originates from Buddhist traditions but has been co-opted by Western clinicians, has recently gained prominence in the psychological and medical literatures for its salutary effects on stress-related biobehavioral conditions (Baer & Krietemeyer 2006; Ludwig & Kabat-Zinn 2008). Mindfulness involves self-regulation of a metacognitive form of attention: a nonreactive, non-evaluative monitoring of moment-by-moment cognition, emotion, perception, and physiological state without fixation on thoughts of past or future (Garland 2007). A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness affects implicit cognition and attentional processes (e.g., Jha, Krompinger, & Baime 2007; Lutz, Slagter, Dunne, & Davidson 2008; Wenk-Sormaz 2005) as well as heart rate variability indices of parasympathetic regulation (Tang et al. 2009).
Mindfulness treatments may enhance clinical outcomes in substance-abusing populations.
Bowen et al. (2007) found that mindfulness training of incarcerated inmates reduced post-release substance use, substance-related problems, and psychiatric symptoms to a greater extent than standard chemical dependency services offered at the prison. Other pilot studies of mindfulness-based interventions with substance abusers have found significant reductions in distress, negative affect, stress-related biomarkers, and substance use (Marcus, Fine, & Kouzekanani 2001; Marcus et al. 2003;Zgierska et al. 2008).
To that end, a randomized, controlled design was used to compare the therapeutic effects of a mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement (MORE) intervention to those of an evidence-based alcohol dependence support group (ASG).
We hypothesized that, relative to ASG, MORE would result in significantly greaterdecreases in perceived stress, impaired alcohol response inhibition, craving for alcohol, psychiatric symptoms, and thought suppression and significantly greater increases in mindfulness and in heart rate variability (HRV) recovery from stress-primed alcohol cues.
Among recovering alcohol-dependent individuals, mindfulness training appears to be a potentially effective stress reduction technique. MORE reduced perceived stress to a greater extent than did ASG, which is noteworthy given that social support reduces stress reactivity and buffers deleterious effects of stressful life events (Christenfeld & Gerin 2000). The stress reduction effects of mindfulness training among nonclinical populations are well known in the literature (Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, & Walach 2004), but it is notable that significant effects were obtained in a sample of clinically-disordered, alcohol-dependent adults with extensive trauma histories who may be more vulnerable to stress-precipitated relapse due to allostatic dysregulation of neural stress circuitry (Valdez & Koob 2004).
Like stress, thought suppression significantly decreased over the course of ten weeks of mindfulness training. In turn, decreases in thought suppression among MORE participants were significantly correlated with decreases in impaired alcohol response inhibition, raising the possibility that participants who improved their ability to regulate drinking urges may have done so via reductions in thought suppression.
In the context of alcohol dependence, thought suppression seems to enhance the conscious awareness of alcohol-related cognitions and affective reactions. MORE, with its emphasis on nonjudgmental, metacognitive awareness of present-moment experience, appeared to counter this deleterious cognitive strategy and therefore may have prevented post-suppression rebound effects from exacerbating negative affect and intrusive alcohol-related cognitions that can promote relapse.
In sum, the unwitting attempts of recovering alcohol dependent persons to suppress appetitive cognitive-emotional reactions towards alcohol may obscure these responses from consciousness only to perpetuate and intensify them within the cognitive unconscious. In the domain of unconscious mental life, automatic processes run smoothly and efficiently uninhibited by volitional control (Kihlstrom 1987). Hence, by shunting appetitive reactions into the unconscious, the alcohol dependent individual may increase the very appetitive response towards alcohol he or she is trying to suppress and exacerbate psychophysiological reactivity to alcohol cues. Mindfulness training may serve to undo this process, making unconscious responses conscious. Thus, practice of mindfulness may promote the recovery of alcohol dependent persons through: a) deautomatization of alcohol use action schema, resulting in diminished attentional bias towards subliminal alcohol cues and increased craving as a result of disrupted automaticity; and b) decreased thought suppression resulting in increased awareness of alcohol urges over time, increased HRV recovery from alcohol cue-exposure, and improved ability to inhibit appetitive responses.
Accordingly, mindfulness training may be a tractable means of promoting enduring behavior change. Although brief motivational interventions may be highly effective at impelling the desire towards sobriety, participants of such motivational enhancement therapies remain prone to eventual relapse; indeed, relapse is often a part of the recovery process. As such, interventions that consolidate short-term treatment gains into broader lifestyle change are of major significance to the addictions treatment field. During the gradual practice of mindfulness, one learns to work with negative emotions in a metacognitive context, resulting in nonreactivity to difficult mental contents and improved self-regulation in the face of stressors. The developmental process of cultivating and embedding mindfulness principles into all aspects of one's life may solidify gains made in prior treatment and provide an effective, long-term approach to coping with stress-precipitated relapse.
Despite evidence suggesting that stress appraisal and attentional biases are key components of alcohol dependence, the form of addictions treatment most available to poor and marginalized persons, social support groups, does not target these pathogenic mechanisms directly. In contrast, practice of mindfulness may attenuate stress reactivity and thought suppression while disrupting addictive automaticity, resulting in increased awareness of craving and greater ability to cope with and recover from alcohol urges in stressful contexts. Hence, mindfulness training may hold promise as an alternative, targeted treatment for stress-precipitated alcohol dependence among vulnerable members of society."
Equally mindfulness meditation may be used alongside other treatment regimes. For example, it can be used in a daily manner as part of step 11 in the 12 step program. It is also used as part of DBT, for example.
I think that there are ideas out there, is so-called different treatment regimes, which can simply compliment each other. Whatever works, works.
I personally meditate using both Christian and Buddhist meditation techniques.
Sometimes appreciating the therapeutic strengths of different treatment philosophies and practice can augment one's own main treatment and recovery program.
1. Garland, E. L., Gaylord, S. A., Boettiger, C. A., & Howard, M. O. (2010). Mindfulness training modifies cognitive, affective, and physiological mechanisms implicated in alcohol dependence: results of a randomized controlled pilot trial. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 42(2), 177-192.


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Tagged: Giancarlo Stanton
Spring thoughts
I have been thinking of many titles for this post.
"Putting today's technology in perspective."
"Baseball is still more art than science."
As an analyst, I want to be able to explain to the viewer what the new technology we're using means on a particular play and I have about eight seconds to do it before the next pitch. Quite a challenge.
As fans, you will soon be exposed to Statcast. MLB has invested a lot of money in it. Without trying to make it too complicated, I will give you one example. A center fielder runs down a fly ball in the gap and makes a spectacular catch. Statcast says he ran 35 feet in x.x seconds to make the play. What I need as an analyst to put this in perspective for you is how much ground does the average center fielder cover in the same amount of time this center fielder covered. Also, did he get a good jump on the ball off the bat? What was his reaction time? From a TV producer's perspective, he or she will have to put together a replay showing all of this after the next pitch is thrown and get it to you in about eight seconds. Welcome to the new age of technology in baseball.
Viewers can have a lot of fun with this and it could be very entertaining, but we have to be able to make it understandable for you watching at home. MLB will be testing this in Spring Training and educating us so we can make it clear to you.
My job as an analyst and former player is to communicate to you that baseball still is more art than science. I hope someday there are two MLB Network channels. One that can show all the technology applications explaining the speed with which things happened on the field. The other channel would show the game as an art form. The athleticism of a shortstop making a play in the hole, twisting and turning and making an off balance throw to get the runner by a step. I saw Derek Jeter make those for 20 years! That's the part of the game I enjoy. I don't really care how many seconds it took him to do it or how much ground he covered. I just enjoy the beauty of the play because having played the game, I understand the difficulty and the skill involved.
We have also been introduced to many new statistics, metrics, analytics or whatever you choose to call them. OPS, WAR and many more too numerous to mention. We often hear a statement prefaced by, "They say." My question has always been, "Who is or are this They?" For example, I was preparing for a game a couple of years ago and the advance notes said "They say" a particular pitcher is now using a lot more cutters than he did in previous starts. I asked his pitching coach about it and his answer was, "The pitches that were entered as cutters were normal fastballs."
My point? Who is entering this data and can we trust its accuracy? When a hitter has a high OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging) did he do his damage in the fifth inning when the score was 8-0 or did he get a key hit in the eighth against an elite pitcher in a 1-1 game. My teammates Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva got a lot of their hits off top-level pitchers late in close games. Can we measure that? What I cannot overlook as a former player is that the game is played by humans not robots. We feel slightly different each time we perform. Body function, family life and outside distractions all can affect the way a player performs on a particular day or night. There is no acronym for that.
Another item I take issue with are Spring Training stats. Sure, go ahead and keep the game score, but not individual stats. Why? the conditions that games are played in are completely different than when they are played in Major League multi-tier stadiums on flawless fields. Florida and Arizona fields get baked out and hard and are more difficult to field ground balls on. The wind usually blows out in Florida, turning routine fly balls into home runs. The challenge for management is to be able to evaluate the talent without using statistics.
I remember back in the late 60s when Graig Nettles made a few errors on the hard, rocky infield at Tinker Field in Orlando. Consequently, our owner and GM Calvin Griffith had him moved to the outfield because he didn't think Graig could play third base. Two years later, the Twins traded him to the Indians and most of you know he eventually became a terrific third baseman for the Yankees and was a big part of their World Series-winning teams in 1977 and 1978.
I like the way my friend, Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, handled veterans in preseason football games. At some point in training camp, he would tell the player that he had to show him he could still "do it." I would feel the same way about a veteran baseball player. You don't need a stat sheet, you just need several sets of eyes that can evaluate talent. It is called "Spring Training," not "Spring Performing." I think we might have fewer injuries if we treated it more like training.
I have seen highlights of a few games and I see pitchers taking signs from the catcher and throwing breaking pitches, but the radar gun — if accurate — shows fastballs in the high 90s. I never used catchers signs my first few times out in spring training. It was like pitching batting practice to the opposition. I honestly can say I never left Spring Training with an arm issue and was fresh most Septembers, usually ending up with over 250 innings (and a couple years over 300) innings pitched. Today's pitchers are stronger and more talented than I was, and maybe with more relaxed training in the spring and less interest in performance, we can eliminate some injuries and see our stars healthy in September when it counts the most.
It's a wonderful time of year for all of us who are baseball fans. At Spring Training games you have more access to the players, thanks to less expensive seats closer to the field, where you see all the young talents who will be stars in the near future. I remember watching Giancarlo Stanton a few springs ago when he was still Mike Stanton. I was standing next to Hall of Famer Tony Perez and Tony was telling me how he warned all the Marlins coaches to leave Stanton alone. "Don't change a thing and he will become a star." Now, $325 million later he is a mega-star. I would encourage you to just watch the agility, the foot work, the power and the speed of today's players first, and then if you enjoy the technology available, you can do that for fun.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gracie Keal - Big Frizzy Pink - Rosie
Rosie is a Devoted Member of the Thornbury Bowls Club.
Gracie Keal friends are made from recycled fabrics and faux fur and are stuffed with a fabulous fill made from recycled bottles. They are made in Melbourne and all of their insides are manufactured in Australia.
Approximately 45cm tall.
Not suitable for children under 3 years.
Remember, They are NOT A TOY.
(They're a lifelong companion!)
About the Maker!
Designer-Maker, Cian Cottee studied Printed Textile Design back in England, her homeland, before moving to Melbourne and launching Gracie Keal in 2016.
With an affection for colour, shape and rummaging through peoples old treasures, Cian was destined to arrive at this space. As a collector herself, she loves the connection people make between things and a certain time or place. All of the fabrics featured in the Gracie Keal collection were once adored and lived by someone else, before they found new life in her small studio
As the brand evolves with bigger ideas and new products, Cian's belief as a designer remains the same; support your community, protect your environment and do what you can to brighten people's day.
She's been stocked at Think Thornbury since we opened and we're oh so proud to continue to support this amazing local.


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We are a Social Development Organization (A registered Charitable Trust in India) with a few like minded people from different parts of world who share among us a drive to do our bit towards the making of a cognitive society. With an intention to put collective efforts, We are here to work together and gather people who find themselves inspired to uplift the lives of those children who grow with inadequate education, resources and psychological supports - several calls them as "Underprivileged" and "Orphans". Check out What We Do to know what all we do and what all we want to do. If you think you can relate to our cause - check out You Can Help to see how you can change the lives of unfortunate children yourself. Thank you.
Our Mission is dedicated to the service of the underprivileged and unfortunate children in our society.
Bring a Smile. Make a Difference. Come Join Us.
What we do and what we want to do?
At this moment, our focus is on the prevailing issue of lack of basic education and health of the children who live in slums.
We want to create a volunteering movement where educated people like you and us can take charge of destiny of the underprivileged children and thus proudly - and together - build a stronger, vibrant, empathic and developed society. Working for causes like - care of the slum kids, disabled or orphaned or uncared children to improve the quality of their childhood is our prime motto.
We continue to identify with and work along the economically and socially deprived, the physically and mentally challenged - starting with children, so that they become educated, skilled and aware.
We at ~Pankhudi Parivaar realize that the need of the hour is awareness first and ensuing actions. To sensitize people to the difficulties faced by underprivileged children would not only help them understand the problems, but will also lead to a chain reaction of receptive attitudes that endeavor to alleviate these problems.


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Don't settle for less.
Don't sell yourself short.
Don't be rushed into a feeling, a decision, an opinion.
Don't let anyone talk you down.
Drop the mic often.
Prioritize, for our time on earth is short.
Think for yourself.
Find your vision. Listen.
Do not hide tears; they're yours.
Trust God. Take heart. Keep passion.
Fight the good fight, fellow traveler.


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Touring a puppet show is always challenging, but when the show in question involves shadow puppets, things become especially tricky.
Shadow puppetry depends on the interaction between light and objects (usually flat cutout puppets made of cardstock). This means that controlling light sources becomes even more vital than it would be for another kind of puppet show. In a theater, that is fairly easy. Most theaters are built without windows, so there's no extra light spill to interfere with the shadows. But our show Saudade was intended from the beginning to be an outreach show; a piece that is shared in community spaces such as schools, churches, libraries and community centers. And almost all of these spaces have, well, windows.
When we get to a new performance space on tour that has windows, placing the stage becomes extra important. We've had lots of discussions as to how we can achieve the best lighting: do we worry more about light spilling onto the screen from the front and perhaps washing out the shadows? Or do we worry about light spill from behind, which could distort the shadows or reveal certain images before they are intended to be seen?
Sometimes we attempt to cut off the light with curtains, venetian blinds, or shutters and hope for the best. Often we are setting up the show a good hour before we start, which means that the sun can sink lower in the meantime, finding its way through cracks in the curtain or blind. We have fond memories of how various venues have gone the extra mile to try and block windows, including covering them with trash bags (at a transitional school in Winnipeg, Canada) or with large sheets of cardboard (at a church in Minneapolis). For the record, cardboard works the best.
In the end, not all light spill is terrible. It can be helpful to have just a little bit of light as we go through scene changes and prepare puppets for upcoming moments. It can also help the audience feel more comfortable. We did one show in Winnipeg at an after-school program where we were performing in a gym with no windows and it was pitch black when the lights first went out. Not only did that make several of the children scream (whether with fright or anticipation I'm not quite sure) but it meant we had no help whatsoever when trying to find the next puppet if one screen light had gone out and the next one wasn't on yet. As a result, there were a few fumbles when the wrong puppet was picked up and had to be fixed quickly.
Light is essential to shadow puppetry and controlling it is a must when considering where and how to take a shadow puppet play on tour. We hope this post can help other people with these challenges when taking shadow puppets on the road.


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I work as a system engineer in the travel industry. To save costs, the Suits on the business side are constantly engaging external contracting firms to develop applications and complete smaller projects. The owner of one firm, "Tom," had impressed them enough to be brought on to deliver and maintain a sales application.
My role was to provide two systems and turn them over to Tom's firm to complete the work. I completed my part, then handed the systems over to the contractors. Soon, the trouble started.
[ Get a $50 American Express gift cheque if we publish your tech experiences. Send your story of a lesson learned, of dealing with frustrating coworkers or end-users, or a story that illustrates a relevant takeaway to today's IT profession to firstname.lastname@example.com. | Get a new tech tale delivered to your inbox every week in InfoWorld's Off the Record newsletter. ]
I received a call from Tom that a simple command was not working correctly. My immediate thought was that perhaps there was a hardware or connectivity issue. Tom was running a command to list files inside a particular folder, but no files were being listed. I did a quick check and everything seemed normal, then dug a little deeper and discovered the folder was empty. Tom did not know how the utility worked and assumed it would inform that the directory was empty rather than returning nothing. He apologized and explained that he was very new to this platform.
A couple of days later, I received another call from Tom. He informed me that the network connectivity was extremely slow between the two systems while copying files. We had seen network glitches before, so I approached the problem by reading the logs, checking the configurations, and doing the basic troubleshooting. Everything seemed normal. I questioned Tom some more. What kind of throughput were you getting? Did it just start happening?
After five minutes, I realized the problem.
The two systems were positioned right next to each other in the data center. Tom, however, was hundreds of miles away and accessed the systems over an Internet link to his home. Rather than copying the files from one system to another across the local connection directly, he was moving the files through hundreds of miles and untold number of routers between the data center, to his slow home connection, through his laptop, and back across hundreds of miles to the other system.
Over the next few months, it got worse. Tom, a purported expert in his field, would inform that system errors were causing delays in the schedule. Tom's firm was supposed to maintain the systems, but after exhausting their meager troubleshooting skills would call me or someone else in the group. The problems inevitably turned out to be because of Tom's lack of experience. I resolved one two-week-old problem that had stumped him by doing an online search for the error he reported and literally following the first link.
Most recently, Tom managed to delete the entire configuration of one system, causing two days of downtime.
At this point, the best solution is to fire the contractor and start from scratch, but so far our recommendations and concerns have fallen on deaf ears. The systems are now in such a sad state that they could not even pass our compliance requirements. Alas, the application is quite entrenched, so the systems cannot be brought offline to fix the dozens of problems. After repeated excuses from Tom and his employees, I've learned to keep detailed documentation. The sad part is that Tom's firm may be an "eternal" contractor through the lifecycle of the application and may never leave.
We've been pushed to run IT as a business. This approach may work for budgeting, but it falls apart quickly if not managed with a grasp of the technical aspects. IT's role is not only to engineer solutions requested by the business side, but also to tell them when a project is unworkable. That is, say no and say no loudly when the nonsense meter is going crazy. In this situation, I can only hope that eventually we'll be heard.
This story, "We're paying the contractor for what?" was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more crazy-but-true stories in the anonymous Off the Record blog at InfoWorld.com. For the latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.


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Hmm… I've been sitting here for five minutes wondering what to write next – I blame it on a lack of tea.
I've sat back from blogging for most of April because I know a lot of my regular visitors are taking part in the A-Z Challenge, so they really don't need me clogging up their feeds. I've visited a few, and the topics are as interesting and varied as always. I don't comment for the same reason – these bloggers are probably starting to wilt a bit now.
I've not been writing much recently. Without any new ideas, I've been playing around with some old short stories, and then abandoning the changes anyway – so there's very little to report there. My novel is still out on submission to agents – one requested a full, and I'm still waiting to hear back from that before I send anymore out.
There are some changes at work too, and a lot of my focus has been on that. Nothing too major – I have to take on a few exercise classes, when my preference is one-to-one training in the gym, so it'll definitely take me out of my comfort zone, and I'm not keen on that. I don't have a writing comfort zone of any kind, so I think I deserve one in my day job. Alas, my boss does not.
Aside from that, April is passing in a blur of birthdays, cake, shopping, sunny days and watching #2 son in his first 'proper theatre' play (as opposed to school or community halls – both of which are completely proper and always very well done).
What takes you out of your comfort zone?


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Mardi Gras. What's that? Fat Tuesday? Not around here.
In one of my first posts I shared my low-calorie shrimp jambalaya with egg noodles recipe with you all, but I thought I would push myself to make it EVEN healthier. And what can be healthier than salad? I assure you this salad is still full of zesty flavor, filling and super quick to prepare (I made this in less than 30 minutes). A triple threat. In fact, I nearly lifted my shirt it was so good, but then I decided to just keep it on. I have enough of those stinkin' beads already (yes, that was a bad Mardi Gras joke).
As I've mentioned before, I don't really measure ingredients, but rely on my good ol' fashioned taste buds. I encourage you to do the same with this recipe as you really can't mess it up. No, really, you can't.
This jambalaya requires four simple to prepare parts, made in the following order – homemade Cajun salad dressing (I'll admit this is quite close to tasting like a Greek dressing, but it uses a basic Cajun seasoning mix – so, it's Cajun!), seasoned croutons, jambalaya flavored shrimp and salad fixin's. I added a few croutons on the salad because I had some day old bread to use up, but if you want to lighten this up even more than just omit these or substitute with some pepitas for some added crunch and nuttiness. In the future I might switch out the croutons for some quinoa for some added protein.
Yum. Yum. Now let's get started.
Homemade Cajun Salad Dressing
Make the dressing first and set aside. If time allows, make a day ahead to let flavors meld together.
Red wine vinegar – start with a 1:2 ratio of vinegar to oil and add more to taste depending on how vinegar-y you like your dressing
Extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried onion powder
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Mix all ingredients in a shaker bottle or mason jar. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Set aside while you prep the rest of the salad ingredients. Keep leftovers in refrigerator.
Seasoned Croutons
Day old bread, cut into cubes – I used rosemary bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Dried onion powder
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking pan with foil. Place bread cubes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add seasonings and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer on foil lined pan and place in oven. Bake until golden brown with crunchy texture – approximately 5 minutes. Keep an eye on these babies so they don't burn 🙂 Take out of oven and set aside to cool.
Jambalaya flavored shrimp
1 lb shrimp – deveined and shelled
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. cumin
Couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Cayenne Pepper (add more if you like it spicy!)
1 Tb. butter (or your favorite meltable fat)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1-2 Tb. finely diced celery
1/4 chopped tomatoes
1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
salt to taste
1. Place shrimp in a bowl and toss with dried herbs and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
2. Heat up a skillet to medium heat and melt butter. Add in garlic, celery, tomatoes and jalapeño and cook for a few minutes until tomatoes start to get mushy.
3. Add shrimp into cooked vegetables, turn down heat and mix to coat. Add salt to taste. Cook shrimp JUST until they turn pink and then remove from heat. Do not overcook.
Salad Fixin's
Feel free to use up whatever veggies you have in the fridge as that is exactly what I did 🙂
Chopped lettuce or salad greens
Thinly sliced red and orange bell pepper
Grape or cherry tomatoes
Sliced cucumber
Sliced avocado
Sliced red onion
Sliced green onion
After you have prepared the Cajun salad dressing, jambalaya flavored shrimp and the croutons (unless omitting). Put the salad fixings in the bowl and layer on the shrimp and croutons and drizzle with yummy Cajun dressing. Stand back and admire. Take a picture or two. Post to Instagram and taunt your friends with the delicious healthy meal you just made. Oh, and then eat the damn thing!


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by Sean Croxton
Stop what you're doing!
I know you want to watch today's video, but last night's radio show was an Instant Classic that you must listen to NOW. And when you're done, please send it to as many friends as you can.
Dr. Dan Kalish rocked the UW Radio house, as we discussed neurotransmitter deficiencies and how they related to weight gain, cravings, depression, anxiety, and more. It was certainly one of my favorite shows ever.
As I was getting prepared for our show, I decided to go to Whole Foods and pick up a few of the supplements he recommends. I feel amazing! I guess I had a dopamine deficiency going on. A little 5-HTP, tyrosine, and B6 has me happy as a lark today (and super productive, too!).
Click HERE to listen to the show!
Once you're done, come on back and check out the video below, which is the last episode of our Gut and Psychology Syndrome series.
You can check out Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's full-length lecture HERE.
To learn how to make your own sauerkraut, click HERE for a video I made a few months ago with Jennifer McGruther of Nourished Kitchen.
I'll be back next Tuesday (Monday's are always hectic) to start a series of videos on fat loss, leptin, and a bunch of other fun stuff!
Enjoy your weekend!
Sean Croxton
Author, The Dark Side of Fat Loss


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Mama Mia – What A First Day At The Republican National Convention!
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Sunday was travel day in my quest to document the GOP Convention:
The alarm went off way too early this morning – 3:15 am – to be exact. I slowly slipped out of bed and got my self together for a 4 am shuttle pick-up.
Not such a bad deal, right? However, my flight was scheduled to leave at 8 am, and I live 30 minutes away from PHL. Thanks to Dave's shuttle service, I found myself at Philly's Airport watching a spectacular sunrise as I sat at my assigned gate. Wolf Blitzer buzzed in the background relentlessly obsessing over hurricanes Gustav and Katrina.
According to Air Trans flight schedules, I had to fly south on order to go north. The journey to MSP had a pit stop in Atlanta, Georgia. The first leg of this flight was lightly filled and I had the luxury of a row of seats to myself. Atlanta to MSP was a whole different enchilada. A two hour layover in Atlanta was spent in a one sided 'discussion' of ethanol as a the alternative energy source. Yikes, lobbyists! On a GOP delegate packed flight, I had the honor of spending quality time with Mr. Marbles, a rather large and rather drugged cat. His owner had her own set of peculiarities, such as covering Mr. Marbles in her lap with her skirt, hoping the stewards would not notice. Oh, the joys of travel.
At long last, I reached Minneapolis-St.Paul and all was golden. A quick phone call to the hotel and a shuttle was dispatched to whisk me to my final destination. The concierge was careful to describe the shuttle van – White with Marriot written on the sides. Within 10 minutes a white van with Marriot written on the side pulls up and I am leaping out to greet him. "Airport Marriot?", he asks. That would be me, I told him as I tossed him my suitcase and jumped in the shuttle. It turns out he meant another 'airport' Marriot than the one I meant. The good people at the wrong Marriot explained to me that they could not shuttle me to the Marriot where I had reservations, but would take me back to the airport shuttle pick up, where I could wait for the right shuttle. Yep, I could not make this stuff up, even if I tried.
Once at my hotel, I had to quickly request a cab to get to Minneapolis Convention Center to pick up my press credentials. Shuttle service does not start till Monday. Brilliant, just brilliant. On the way to the Convention center my cabbie, named Muhammed Ali, struck up a conversation with me regarding all the planning going on for the convention. He asked if I worked as a journalist, and I quickly informed him that I am a blogger. He began relating his encounter with journalists he recently transported between St. Paul and Minnesota. He mentioned their comments stating the DNC convention was a great party and they weren't too pleased to have to cover the RNC. Interesting factoid, no?
I wandered outside the convention center after collecting my press credentials, where I encountered Code Pink in anemic numbers. Susie Benjamin was present, and I noted that she had no fake press pass on her person. I videotaped a discussion with one of the Pinkies. A waste of good space on the hard drive! Not thirty feet from the clueless peaceniks were two gentlemen handing out copies of "Obsession", quite the juxtaposition of women without a clue and noble intellectualism with South Beach style.
Minneapolis is a fantastic city to walk about. I took some time to walk along Marquette Street taking photos as the images presented themselves to me, before heading back to St. Paul. Another impression of this city comes from its citizens. They are the most sincerely friendly people I've come across – outside of the Sheepdogs.
Fantabulous discussion with cabbie on way back to my hotel. I got a good feel of the mid western perception on social and political issues. Governer Pawlenty was mentioned often, I am considering recruiting Pawlenty to run for Governor in Pennsylvania. As Pennsylvania is in desperate need of principled leadership and good governance. Oh, I had plenty time to discuss these issues as the cabbie got lost on the way to my hotel. He stopped the counter when he realized his mistake. Like I said above, quite good people.
It was a long day but well worth the opportunity to be part of history in the making. I would not change this day, no matter what may come.
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Health Care Providers Warned To Raise Defenses As Feds Charge 91 Individuals Bilked Medicare For Approximately $430 Million
A total of 91 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Brooklyn, Baton Rouge and Chicago are facing health care fraud charges for their alleged participation in false Medicare billings totaling approximately $429.2 million to Medicare fraud schemes under federal indictments unsealed in a joint Department of Justice and HHS Medicare Fraud Strike Force nationwide takedown jointly announced by Attorney General Eric Holder, Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other agencies today (October 4, 2012). Coming on the heels of President Obama's touting of the health care fraud fighting success of his Administration during his debate with Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, the indictments are the latest warning to health care providers of the advisability of tightening their Medicare and other health care billing and other compliance practices.
Highlights of The Latest Strike Force Action
Together, dozens of charged individuals were arrested or surrendered as federal officials unsealed indictments charging more than $230 million in home health care fraud; more than $100 million in mental health care fraud and more than $49 million in ambulance transportation fraud; and millions more in other frauds.
The defendants charged are accused of various health care fraud-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, violations of the anti-kickback statutes and money laundering. The charges are based on a variety of alleged fraud schemes involving various medical treatments and services such as home health care, mental health services, psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy, durable medical equipment (DME) and ambulance services.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary and oftentimes never provided. In many cases, court documents allege that patient recruiters, Medicare beneficiaries and other co-conspirators were paid cash kickbacks in return for supplying beneficiary information to providers, so that the providers could submit fraudulent billing to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary or never provided. Collectively, the doctors, nurses, licensed medical professionals, health care company owners and others charged are accused of conspiring to submit a total of approximately $429.2 million in fraudulent billing.
"Today's coordinated actions represent one of the largest Medicare fraud takedowns in Department of Justice history, as measured by the amount of alleged fraudulent billings," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. "We have made it one of the Department's missions to hold accountable those who abuse the Medicare program for personal profit. And there are Medicare fraudsters in prisons across the country – some who will be there for decades – who can attest to our determination, and our effectiveness."
In Miami, a total of 33 defendants are charged for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving a total of $204.5 million in false billings for home health care, mental health services, occupational and physical therapy, and DME. In one case, three defendants are charged for participating in a fraud scheme at LTC Professional Consultants and Professional Home Care Solutions Inc. which led to approximately $74 million in fraudulent billing for home health care. In another case, five defendants are charged for participating in a fraud scheme at Hollywood Pavilion which led to $67 million in fraudulent billing for mental health services.
Sixteen individuals, including three doctors and one licensed physical therapist, are charged in Los Angeles with participating in various fraud schemes involving a total of $53.8 million in false billings. In one case, four defendants are charged for allegedly participating in a fraud scheme at Alpha Ambulance Inc., which led to approximately $49.2 million in fraudulent billing for ambulance transportation. The case represents the largest ambulance fraud scheme ever prosecuted by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. According to court documents, the defendants provided beneficiaries ambulance rides that were medically unnecessary.
In Dallas, 14 individuals – including two doctors and two registered nurses – are charged for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving a total of $103.3 million in false billings. In one case, three defendants – a medical doctor and two registered nurses – are charged with participating in a fraud scheme at Raphem Medical Practice and PTM Healthcare Services which led to approximately $100 million in fraudulent billing for home health care services. According to court documents, Dr. Joseph Megwa signed approximately 33,000 prescriptions for more than 2,000 unique Medicare beneficiaries from 2006 to 2011. Many of these Medicare beneficiaries had primary care physicians who never certified home healthcare services for them. In order to handle the volume of prescriptions, Megwa allegedly signed stacks of documents without reviewing them.
Seven individuals are charged in Houston for their participation in a fraud scheme at a hospital which led to $158 million in fraudulent billing for community mental health center services. According to court documents, the defendants who served as administrators at the hospital paid kickbacks – in the form of cigarettes, food and coupons redeemable for items available at the hospital's "country stores" – to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for those beneficiaries' attendance at the hospital's partial hospitalization programs (PHP). Allegedly, beneficiaries watched television, played games and engaged in other non-PHP activities rather than receiving the services for which the hospital billed Medicare. Previously, on Feb. 22, 2012, the assistant administrator of the hospital, Mohammad Kahn, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and paying kickbacks related to $116 million worth of fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare. After his guilty plea, an additional $42 million in fraudulent claims were discovered that are included in today's totals.
In Brooklyn, 15 individuals, including one doctor and four chiropractors, are charged for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving a total of $23.2 million in false billings. In one case, nine defendants, including a medical doctor, are charged with participating in a fraud scheme at Cropsey Medical Care PLLC which led to approximately $13.8 million in fraudulent billing for physical therapy and related services. According to court documents, the defendants paid cash kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for physical therapy that was not medically necessary and on some occasions never provided to beneficiaries.
In Baton Rouge, four defendants, including a licensed practical nurse, are charged for their roles in fraud schemes involving approximately $2.4 million in false claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment.
In Chicago, two defendants, including a dermatologist and a psychologist, are charged for their roles in fraud schemes involving, according to court documents, millions of dollars in false claims for medically unnecessary laser treatments and psychotherapy services.
In addition to the criminal indictments, HHS also used recently expanded health care fraud powers granted as part of the Affordable Care Act to suspend and took other administrative action against 30 health care providers following a data-driven analysis that HHS claims showed "credible allegations of fraud." Under the Affordable Care Act, HHS is able to suspend payments until the resolution of an investigation.
According to today's announcement the charges and other actions announced today resulted from coordinated health care fraud investigations conducted by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force as part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint initiative announced in May 2009 between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.
Federal officials now credit strike force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,480 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion since strike force operations began in March 2007.
Charges Part of Widening War Against Health Care Providers
The charges unsealed today are the latest and among the most sweeping of an ever-lengthening list of flashy prosecutions and federal program disqualification actions that federal officials are conducting against health care providers using expanded health care fraud laws and investigatory and prosecutorial powers granted under the Affordable Care Act and other legislation.
Through these and other flashy prosecutions, as well as a continuous campaign of audits and other activities, federal officials are trying to reduce Medicare and other health care expenditures, both by prosecuting health care providers for intentionally submitting false claims, as well as using the treat of audits, program, disqualification or civil or criminal prosecution to scare health care providers to reduce legitimate billings that could trigger a federal audit or other federal scrutiny.
Federal officials are aided in these efforts by an arsenal of new health care fraud statistical profiling and other health care fraud detection and enforcement tools granted by Congress in recent years that make it easier for federal officials to target and successfully prosecute or bring other sanctions against health care providers whose billing or other business practices come under scrutiny.
Coupled with the ever-lengthening list of civil settlements and civil monetary penalties, program disqualifications, and audits, Federal officials use high profile criminal sweeps like those announced today both to send a message to health care providers generally, and as a tool to pressure and encourage health care providers to accept settlements proposed by federal auditors and prosecutors to avoid the potential threat of more serious criminal, civil or administrative prosecutions.
These activities are intended to send a strong message to health care providers that bill Medicare, Medicaid, or other public or private health care programs that they must be prepared to defend any charges billed to these or other federal health care programs and to defend their other business practices.
In response to these threats, health care providers should take steps to strengthen their billing, referral, audit, medical and other recordkeeping and other compliance and risk management practices to enhance their ability to defend or prevent these exposures. While most providers already are moving to tighten these practices, the move to electronic health records, changing rules and other pressures are undermining the sufficiency of these efforts.
In the case of physicians and certain other professionals, these plans need to include both efforts to manage potential government investigation risks and management of their practices to mitigate peer review or other disciplinary or practice regulatory oversight that often arises when the practices and hospitals start tightening oversight and controls on practices as part of their own efforts to protect their organizations from fraud or other audits.
While almost all health care providers can find room to improve their documentation and tighten other compliance, it also is important that providers also plan for how they will finance the cost of defending an audit or other investigation. Often, the financial cost of defending these and other charges prevents physicians or other health care providers from lodging effective defenses of legitimate practices. To help avoid this quagmire, providers generally will want to explore getting special liability coverage, indemnification or other protection as part of their planning arrangements.
For Help With Compliance, Investigations Or Other Needs
If you need help providing compliance or other training, reviewing or responding to these or other health care related risk management, compliance, enforcement or management concerns, the author of this update, attorney Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, may be able to help. Vice President of the North Texas Health Care Compliance Professionals Association, Past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section and the former Board Compliance Chair of the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas, Ms. Stamer has more than 24 years experience advising health industry clients about these and other matters. Ms. Stamer has extensive experience advising and assisting health care providers and other health industry clients to establish, audit, administer and defend billing, referral, privacy, staffing and recruitment and other compliance and risk management policies, to health care industry investigation, enforcement and other compliance, public policy, regulatory, staffing, and other operations and risk management concerns. A popular lecturer and widely published author on health industry concerns, Ms. Stamer continuously advises health industry clients about compliance and internal controls, workforce and medical staff performance, quality, governance, reimbursement, and other risk management and operational matters. Ms. Stamer also publishes and speaks extensively on health and managed care industry regulatory, staffing and human resources, compensation and benefits, technology, public policy, reimbursement and other operations and risk management concerns/ She also regularly designs and presents risk management, compliance and other training for health care providers, professional associations and others. Her publications and insights appear in the Health Care Compliance Association, Atlantic Information Service, Bureau of National Affairs, World At Work, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insurance, the Dallas Morning News, Modern Health Care, Managed Healthcare, Health Leaders, and a many other national and local publications. You can get more information about her health industry experience here. Contact Ms. Stamer at (469) 767-8872 or via e-mail here.
About Solutions Law Press
Solutions Law Press™ provides business risk management, legal compliance, management effectiveness and other resources, training and education on human resources, employee benefits, compensation, data security and privacy, health care, insurance, and other key compliance, risk management, internal controls and other key operational concerns. If you find this of interest, you also be interested reviewing some of our other Solutions Law Press resources including:
- Recent OIG Audit Reports Provide Insights Where Fraud Audits Likely To Look Next
- Hospital Chain HCA Inc. Pays $16.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations That Hospital
- Detroit-Area Doctor Charged for Role in Alleged $40 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
- Five More Individuals Charged in Detroit for Alleged Roles in $24.7 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
- Massachusetts Ear Group To Pay $1.5 Million To Resolve HIPAA Charges
- Personal Consumer Information Protection In Health Care Operations Topic of Stamer's 11/1 Speech
- ONC Releases First Wave of EHR Test Procedures; More To Come
- OCR Releases HIPAA Compliance Training Tool As Enforcement Risks Rise
- Health Care Orgs Disability Exposure High As $475K Paid To Settle Justice Department Charges Medical Fitness Screenings of EMTs, Others Violated ADA
- HIPAA & Texas Require HIPAA Training! Register for 8/14 HIPAA Update Workshop Now
- HHS/DOJ Partner With Private Health Plans To Further Ramp Up Health Care Fraud Heat!
- AHRQ Issues New Guide for Use of Interactive Preventive Care Record
- Nextcare Inc. $10 Million False Claims Act Settlement Shows Qui Tam Role In False Claims Act Prosecutions
- Pharmas Face New Pressure To Put Patients Before Profits After GlaxoSmithKline Record $3 Billion Health Care Fraud, FDCA Conviction & Settlement
- Baton Rouge Area Women Heading To Prison For DME Health Care Fraud Participation
- Houston Man Gets 24 Month Prison Sentence For Anti-Kickback & Other Health Care Fraud Convictions
- Oklahoma's Harmon Memorial Hospital, Physician Pay $1.5M Qui Tam Health Care Fraud Settlement
- OCR's Shares HIPAA Audit Program Protocols As Announces $1.7M Resolution Agreement Against Alaska Medicaid
If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information – including your preferred e-mail – by creating or updating your profile here. For important information concerning this communication see here.
©2012 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, P.C. Non-exclusive license to republish granted to Solutions Law Press. All other rights reserved


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The popular Koreanovela 'My Love from the Star' returns to GMA, this time as a 'throwbackserye'.
Due to popular demand, the Kapuso network decided to once again re-air 'My Love from the Star', which stars Jun Ji-Hyun and Kim Soo-hyun. The re-airing of the said Koreanovela begins this Monday, at the same time as the premiere of ABS-CBN's remake of 'Inday Bote'.
'My Love from the Star' first aired on GMA from April 21 to June 27, 2014, opposite Julia Barretto's debut teleserye 'Mirabella'. The Koreanovela fared well enough in both Kantar and AGB Nielsen that GMA decided to re-air the series every Sunday morning, during the months of May, June and July.
Unfortunately for the Kapuso network, ABS-CBN quickly turned the tables soon after 'My Love from the Star' concluded. The Kapamilya network made up for the shortcomings of 'Mirabella' by airing 'Pure Love' and then 'Bagito', in the process regaining its foothold on the sunset slot.
Meanwhile, GMA's local series 'My BFF', 'Seasons of Love' and 'Elemento' failed to maintain the momentum of 'My Love from the Star'. Not even Koreanovelas like 'Prime Minister and I' and 'Future's Choice' kept the timeslot's fortunes from slipping off GMA's grasp.
As a result, GMA made a crucial decision. Still feeling the throwback Asianovela high after all those months, GMA decided to bring back 'My Love from the Star', even though it had only been a year since it first aired.
Now GMA must hope that 'My Love from the Star' will fare well again in the same manner as 'Meteor Garden' on ABS-CBN. But it won't be easy this time around, not when the Kapamilya network's new teleserye 'Inday Bote' has proven stars in Alex Gonzaga and Matteo Guidicelli to lean upon.
It will be an interesting battle between the two series that begins this Monday at 5:45 p.m., so good luck.


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Jose Cortez
Emergency Preparedness & Security Manager
Phone: 619-425-9600 Ext. 181358
Email: [email protected]
The Chula Vista Elementary School District has emergency procedures to be followed in the event of an earthquake, fire, or other emergency. Staff members are pre-assigned to school Emergency Response Teams and have specific duties during an emergency. The pro-active actions of individuals during an emergency may save another's life.
The Chula Vista Elementary School District has identified four major hazards that affect our geographic area: earthquake, flood, wildfire, and tsunami. Procedures to be followed in the event of an earthquake or other emergencies are practiced at least four times a year. School bus safe riding practices and bus evacuation drills are held annually. Child Nutrition Services personnel are prepared to operate the cafeterias as directed if it is necessary to feed children during an emergency.
School staff members will remain on duty until all children have been safely checked out by a parent, guardian, family member, neighbor, or childcare personnel designated on your child's school emergency card as being responsible for your child in case of an emergency. It is very important that you keep the information on your child's school emergency card up to date. Your child will not be released to persons other than those listed on the emergency or disaster card. Please see our Community Resources page for safety contacts. Click here for more info on Emergency Preparedness.


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Unbelievably, my 12 months of maternity leave is almost up and I'll be returning to work in mid March. So it made sense to make a work appropriate dress in anticipation. I chose a relatively simple style, #106:
It's deceptively simple though, because matching up all those horizontal seams required a high level of precision sewing, which quite frankly I'm too tired these days to achieve. I think I sewed the side seams and back seams at least four times each until I was happy with the matching. In the end I did what I should have done in the first place and handbasted those seams and the invisible zipper before machine stitching - sometimes the shortest way is not always the quickest way if you can follow my logic there!
I used the blueberry coloured ponti knit fabric I bought from Tessuti's when we had our sewing meetup back in November, which is more work appropriate than the shimmery silk used in the magazine. This fabric is so lovely - it's such a rich colour, and the fabric has a good amount of four way stretch without being clingy. Even better is that I bought 2m and it is a wide fabric so I have quite a bit of fabric left for another project.
The only changes I made to the pattern were to achieve a better fit. The line drawing may indicate that the pattern is nicely curved in at the waistline, but the photo of the 'real life' model shows how what an unfitted potato sack it really is. I ended up taking in the side seams quite a bit - 3cm starting from the underarm and tapering out to nothing below the bottom horizontal seam, and I also did a faux swayback adjustment by curving the centre back seam inwards in the middle panel. It was all I could do really since there were no vertical darts in the front or the back, and it really could use a bit of pinching in under the bust line but overall I think I achieved a fairly good fit:
The invisible zip does a funny bulge at the end just above my butt, but as you've all pointed out in the past no one should be looking too closely there anyway! Besides I sewed that zipper in way too many times trying to match up the horizontal seams to redo it.
The only thing I'm annoyed with is the visibility of the hem, although I'm not sure if that's due to the exposure of this photo. I hand stitched it in because I'm terrible at machine invisible stitching, and in real life it doesn't look too bad, so it's also going to stay as is. I contemplated top stitching around all those horizontal seams and the hem, but I didn't want to risk the fabric puckering and becoming wavy due to the stretch, so I've just left it as is.
So it's straight into the cupboard with this dress since I don't need it yet - I've got a month of 3 child free days a week coming up before I head back to the office since Toby is starting daycare next Monday to ease him into before I go back to work. Oh the plans I have now that I have a bit of time up my sleeve!


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"In the past 24 hours Israel has made it clear that it will not tolerate rocket and missile attacks on its civilians. I hope that Hamas and the other terror organizations in Gaza got the message. If not, Israel is prepared to take whatever action is necessary to defend our people." (PM Netanyahu)
Enough is Enough. The escalation of events over the past few days forced Israel to react to the Hamas attacks.The civilians of southern Israel have been under sustained attack from Gaza since last Saturday, November 10th. More than 120 rockets were fired before Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defense on 14th Nov 2012. An Israeli ground offensive is now almost assured. Hamas probably assumed that Israel won't launch broad military campaign before Israeli elections, it seems that they made a serious and for many a fatal miscalculation.
The toll the rockets from Gaza have taken on Israeli citizens is heavy. Over one million civilians has lived in range and their lives are threatened with every launch. Now with use of Fajr-5 missiles even two million Israelis are under thread. Approximately 800 rockets and mortar shells have launched since the start of the year a record amount since the end of Operation Cast Lead (January 2009). This peak is similar to the attacks that occurred in 2007-8. Daily life in southern Israel has been totally disrupted. Some 200 rockets were fired at Israel on Thursday 15th, with about 30 intercepted by the Iron Dome system, including between one (IDF version) and three (Hamas version) Fajr rockets fired at Tel Aviv. However, the escalation of events over the past few days forced Israel to react to the Hamas attacks.
For the first time since the Gulf War, a rocket has hit Tel Aviv by Fajr-5 rockets, Iranian-made weapons which can reach a lot further than the ordinary Grad missile. Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for the attack. This strike is the furthest Hamas has ever struck into Israeli territory and signals a major escalation.
More about terrorism from Gaza see the report Terrorism from the Gaza Strip since Operation Cast Lead: Data, Type and Trends, by The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
Pilar of Defence aka Amud Anan
Aircraft dropped leaflets in Gaza stating that the residents should "keep their distance from Hamas terror operatives". There were similar warnings also via twitter a a couple of days ago. These early warnings were not enough.
This operation – Operation Pillar of Defense aka Amud Anan – was planned months ago, but an official launching of it was on Wed 14th when Israel targeted Ahmed Jabari, Hamas' military chief in Gaza who was responsible for all Hamas terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip in the past decade. Marwan Issa has been named the new commander of Hamas's military wing. Issa was the deputy of Jabari. Issa headed the Hamas military delegation that traveled to Tehran and Beirut last September and signed secret mutual defense pacts with Iran and Hizbollah. Mr. Jabari (Israel's OBL) was the first target.
The second phase of the operation was an aerial attack which targeted 20 different targets, all underground, which served as launching pads for various kinds of rockets. So far the IDF has targeted some 70 underground, medium range rocket launching sites in Gaza, and some 200 launching sites in overall. IDF special forces which are already inside Gaza, and another which says that armored battalions are already situated around Gaza, ready to go in. The IDF also deployed more infantry troops to the Gaza Strip, as well as armored combat units that largely comprised Merkava Mark IV tanks fitted with Rafael's Trophy active protection system that effectively neutralizes the threat of antitank missiles. More and live updates from IDF.
The Israel Air Force carried out precision strikes on the bunkers where Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 rockets had been stored as well as on other caches and launching sites, reducing Hamas' ability to launch these long-range missiles which are capable of hitting Tel Aviv. As in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, which began with Israel destroying Hezbollah's long-range rockets, the most pressing objective was to deny Hamas (and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad) the ability to disrupt the lives of those in the greater Tel Aviv area and central Israel by means of long-range rockets.
The aim of Operation Pillar of Defense is to remove a strategic threat to Israeli citizens including by reducing the capabilities of Hamas' long and short range rocket forces. Additionally, Israel is acting to impair Hamas' command and control system. According IDF all options are on the table, including ground maneuvers. IDF has not yet confirmation that one part of these rockets have been launched from Sinai, Egypt, which would bring new international aspect on the table.
The role of civilian population in Gaza seems again to be that of cannon fodder and their value only propagandist. Hamas and the other terrorist organizations hide among the civilian population of Gaza. They also direct their fire at the civilian population of Israel. These actions constitute a double war crime.
I well understand that Israel as no other state would allow a million citizens to be targeted by terrorist organizations without responding. Despite Israel left the Gaza Strip in 2005 , Hamas has continued to attack Israel, so one could conclude that they are not fighting against Israel's (non-existent) presence in Gaza but against Israel's very existence. Presuming Israel is not about to re-take Gaza permanently, some experts and commentators in Israel have been recommending the latter option.
My view
I really don't understand the strategy of Hamas during last weeks. In my opinion Hamas is closing the window of opportunity which was opened this autumn. Arguably one of the most powerful men in modern Arab political affairs, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani personally broke the politico-economic blockade in place over Gaza. His meeting with Haniyeh, along with the $400 billion he brought with him, is the first event of this kind since the Islamist movement gained power in 2005.
The official visit of an Arab head of state in Gaza should be considered as a trigger of a developing inclination which will likely alter the Israeli-Palestinian equation. Along with Qatar, Sheikh Al Khalifa, Bahrain's ruler, is rumored to prepare his own trip to the Gaza Strip. This would in fact echo an implicit blessing of the Saudi royal family in regards of a new policy aimed at effectively fracturing the Arab-Palestinian relations.
In my opinion these visits could give both a recognition and the boost for Hamas to show political leadership in Gaza. To be recognized as political force – instead to be a terror organization – Hamas could be the partner to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. However Hamas made opposite choice, it started again a military campaign. The reasons for this are unknown to me but might it be so, that Hamas has lost control to more aggressive organizations?
In addition to these diplomatic shifts, Prince Hasan Bin Talal of Jordan stated at the beginning of the month of October that the West Bank is historically linked to the Hashemite Kingdom, thus opening the road again to the integration of these territories to Jordan. By empowering Hamas, Al Thani may be successful in terminating the two–state solution while providing to the Jewish state the possibility to have a multi-faceted approach toward peace negotiations, directly separating the talks with the West Bank from the ones with Gaza, effectively opening the road to a three–state solution. Palestinian statehood in Judea and Samaria would be possible through mutual recognition and far reaching security agreements. Such a deal should no longer be attached to the situation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza strip.
The history of Gaza conflict is known. Israel left the Gaza Strip down to the last soldier, settler and to the last square mile. Hamas, an organization committed to the destruction of Israel, seized control of Gaza. Since the rocket fire continued, an (light) embargo was put in place. Hamas and its satellite organizations proclaim war without end, fire rockets at population centers. The Palestinians could have taken advantage of Israel's departure from the Gaza Strip in order to prove to the world that they are capable of doing something for themselves – in human development, industry, education, social welfare, etc. Capital is flowing but it is hard to see it on grassroots. But Hamas leadership seems to have different priorities than capacity building of civil society. From my point of view this is their fatal miscalculation.
Some of my related articles:
- Palestinians Put Jordanian Option on the Table
- PaliLeaks, land swaps and desperate search of peace,
- The Three-State Option could solve Gaza Conflict
- The Third Intifada – To Fade or Escalate
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – Negotiation Slot for a Month
…and then


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Saturday, August 23, 2008
Okay, it's our last hurrah: we're off to Wellfleet. If you're on the Cape, look for me, okay? I'll be the one at Moby Dick's, laughing beerily beneath my lobster bib.
New wondertime columns are here and here.
Be well and happy!
Below: Ben's "fancy drinks." Yes, he already has bartending inclinations. Yes, we bought maraschino cherries.
21 comments:
I could go for a fancy drink right about now...those look delicious!ReplyDelete
Have fun on the Cape!
Maraschino cherries, while nutritionally somewhat horrific, are NECESSARY for fancy drinks. Actual cherries do not suffice.ReplyDelete
Have fun!
You can substitute yellow squash for zucchini if you like...my 2-year old loves these!
Tomato Fritters
1 1/3 cup seeded, peeled, diced plum tomatoes
2/3 cup finely chopped zucchini
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons fresh mint
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch cinnamon (or to taste)
1. Combine veggies in a medium bowl
2. Combine dry ingredients and add to veggies
3. Fry dollops of batter in olive oil over medium high heat
4. Drain on paper towels
Serve hot. Also good at room temperature or chilled.
Recipe can be doubled.
While living in Florida, we enticed our kids with shirley temples to get them away from caffienated soda. We even called them "Pirate Drinks."ReplyDelete
One summer, we stocked up on plastic swords, cherries, grenadine and sprite for the little bartenders.
My white formica counter, stained with the red sticky stuff and took weeks to recover.
Lovely looking drinks! I bet they tasted wonderful too! I kinda not like it when people leave links to their own blogs in "famous" people's blogs, but I'll break this little rule of mine to show you what your skirts have inspired. My daughter had a birthday party yesterday, and I made her a shirt and a skirt following the instructions in the "Albama ..." book you commented on. She absolutely loved it! Come over and have a look if you have the time/desire:ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10:39 AM
O, I am so jealous! I have been going to Wellfleet since I was 18 (huh, guess that makes is 30 years!). This year, because my about to by husband has a house on a lovely island in Maine, we spent two wonderful weeks there, and sadly did not go to Wellfleet. Kids (my own Ben same ages as yours, and his 5 yr old brother) and I both missed it - the ponds, the bay, boggie boarding at Whitecrest beach, the square dancing - hoping to get there for a weekend in the fall. Have a great time! And, if you've never made it Dyer pond, figure out how to get there - it is really lovely. I love all those fiddler crabs on the Great Island paths! And the salsa at Macs food stand in the town center parking lot....sighReplyDelete
- Anonymous10:40 AM
Hey, have fun in Wellfleet! If you run into the Potter's give Sharon and Caleb an extra hug from all of us pulling for them!ReplyDelete
I loved "laughing beerily." what a perfect turn of phrase.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous12:55 AM
Hey Catherine,ReplyDelete
Have a great trip! If you cross paths with the Potter clan, give Sharyn and Caleb a big hug for me. Thanks for introducing them in your blog last year, they have been a big inspiration.
Love the photos of the libations!
- Anonymous6:22 PM
Catherine, I just read your wondertime post and wanted to say...Judy and Liz had babies! I'm so happy for them, and happy that Judy is well. After Waiting for Birdy I wondered how Judy fared...and I'm so happy that your friends are well and blessed with little ones.ReplyDelete
I'm insanely jealous!ReplyDelete
I love Wellfleat, but I'm roasting away in CA, lobsterless, without a pond in site.
Have a wonderful time.
Ben needs some plastic flamingo stirrers too!
While on our last hurrah in the north channel, a lovely child from some other boat informed me of some of the horrors that maraschino cherries are preserved with, but still, I'm thinking of offering up a bartending gig for said fancy drinks to my almost four year-old, if he will only, only start pooping on the potty. sigh.ReplyDelete
by the way, the new wondertime post, oh. my. I am sitting here crying into my mac, for the loss of those children, for the shared envy and joy of brand new babies, for the fact that my husband is insisting on the big snip, and I keep thinking, "so this is it? no more? never again?" and then I weep, even though I have a six month old who just may be attached to my nurseys for, like, the next 10 years. A friend once said "you have to go down the sadness tunnel whether you have three kids or 30. You have to let go of that instinct to give birth at some point." Sigh. I need a brand new baby around here like a hole in the head, but still...a hole in the head might not be SO bad afterall:)ReplyDelete
hi Catherine, sorry about the double comment, but I just read your wondertime about the new born babies. Just today, I had the privilege of visiting my new born nephew at the hospital. It's the first time I have ever been able to see one of my own siblings' children as newborn. My brother (the father of the baby) is my only sibling in the US; the others live in Argentina. My daughter, who just turned 6, was out of herself with excitement. We love babies! Even my own baby, who'll be 2 in a couple of months, was singing quietly to the tiny baby she was holding while my brother and I put our hands around her to catch the baby in case something happened (ie: she dropped him). But nothing bad happened, and we left the hospital with the feeling of being in the presence of an angel.ReplyDelete
I'd love to have another baby, but I already have four! My husband just rolls his eyes when I tell him I feel there's someone missing in our family. Still, we won't take any tragic measures (surgical birth control), just in case.
Sorry for the long post, but your post was so timely!
I'll be praying for your brother's friends. That's literally one of my recurring nightmares, being hit by falling airplanes. It's a billion times worse to think of that nightmare and my children in the same picture!
- Anonymous11:45 PM
You have seen the http://saltandchocolate.blogspot.com/, right? This has nothing to do with this post really except you would love it (I think) and Ben's drink photo reminded me of Mary Beth's pictures which are a particularly great part of what she does.ReplyDelete
Ooo. Yummy drinks!ReplyDelete
I just wanted to comment on your recent Wondertime post and they doggone site won't let me in. Grrr.
Anyway, I wanted to say that I think you are giving your children the greatest (and often most difficult to achieve) gift. They truly see themselves. The talents and positive qualities, and also their shortfalls. And they love themselves because of it. That is absolutely amazing. It gives them a sense of humor about themselves that will help them get where ever they want to go in life. And it will also make it that much easier to be what they want to be because they are not trying to be who they are not.
I hope I can do the same for my children.
You should be so proud!
- Anonymous9:09 PM
yum, I love Moby Dick's in Wellfleet. So much better than any of the other fried seafood joints on Rt. 6. Delicious.ReplyDelete
Oh dear. I just read the new (last!) ben and birdy post over at wondertime. I turn 40 in 3 weeks, and you have been with me my entire parenting journey thus far. I have a 4 (almost 5) year old and a 9 month old. I had hoped to hear about Ben and Birdy for many years to come, if perhaps not all the way to armpit hairs and IUDs. I will miss hearing from you. And yes, I love to read about food, but no, it's really really not the same.ReplyDelete


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Mechanicsburg, PA – "Patsy!", Doug Brode's nonfiction novel relating Lee Harvey Oswald's perspective on the Kennedy assassination, was #1 upon release thanks to media attention, including the Dennis Miller show. Anthony Julian's "Pit Bulls," a collection of vintage photos of these pets and their families ranked #2 due to heavy interest from dog shelters and dog rescue supporters.
Sunbury Press experienced its best April ever. In fact, it was the company's best month since December 2011 and the best non-holiday month in its history! Sales for April 2013 were up 92% over April 2012, with growth in eBooks outpacing growth in print. "We're moving at a good clip heading into BEA," said publisher Lawrence Knorr. "Sales are up 52% year-to-date. We continue to expand our distribution channels and grow our direct-to-consumer and direct-to-store sales."
The late Linnea Jepson's "Linnea's Kitchen: Yummy Ayurvedic Recipes and Life Lessons" has been selling briskly since the author's unexpected passing. A second print run is being contemplated by her heirs.
"Emeralds of the Alhambra," John Cressler's soon-to-be released historical novel about religious harmony in medieval Spain has been bolstered by advance sales.
Susan Emmi's newly released "As a Guest of Clive Barnes – Journeys through the Ballet with Clive Barnes and Others," grabbed the 5 spot due to author activities in New York City.
Jess Steven Hughes' novel "The Sign of the Eagle," set in ancient Rome, was #6 in sales thanks to author activities.
"The 3-5-7 Model," Darla Henry and Associates' program to counsel grieving children, took the 7 spot thanks to author events.
"In the Shadow of a Mountain," Susan Dahlgren Daigneault's memoir about her famous father, WW2 hero Ed Dahlgren, "The Sergeant York of Maine," stayed on the chart at #8 thanks to author appearances.
Mike Campbell's "Amelia Earhart – The Truth At Last" continues to sell well, taking #9 on the list.
Steve Troutman's "Tulpehocken Trail Traces," detailing the remnants of the old Indian path from Shamokin to Conrad Weiser's homestead returned to the chart thanks to author appearances.
Following are the top overall print sellers by category:
History / Memoir – "As a Guest of Clive Barnes" by Susan Emmi
Fiction – "Patsy!" by Doug Brode
Horror/Mystery – "Of Guilt and Innocence" by John Scanlan
Children/YA – "The Ghosts of Laurelford" by Margaret Meacham
The Arts – "As a Guest of Clive Barnes" by Susan Emmi
Self-Help – "Linnea's Kitchen: Yummy Ayurvedic Recipes and Life Lessons" by Linnea Jepson
Metaphysical/Spiritual – "Messages from Beyond" by Michele Livingston
Reference – "Linnea's Kitchen: Yummy Ayurvedic Recipes and Life Lessons" by Linnea Jepson
The company released five new titles during the month of April:
"Pit Bulls" by Anthony Julian
"As a Guest of Clive Barnes" by Susan Emmi
"A Matter of Love in da Bronx" by Paul Argentini
"Patsy!" by Doug Brode
"Translations of Favorite German and English Poems" by Fritz VonderHeiden
For a list of Sunbury's all-time best-sellers, please see the Sunbury Press web site:
For a complete list of recent and upcoming releases, please see:


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Meeting with Dr. "Steven" Ordog, the Hungarian Deputy Minister of Immigration, it was fascinating to hear him speak about his country's reformation of their border patrol, their struggle with integration, and his hopes to make asylum issues more of an important subject in public discourse. [CAT Report]
When Hungary joined the E.U. in 2004, they began the process of dissembling their elite border patrol and transitioning this role to the regular police. In Hungary, as with many eastern European countries, the Border Patrol had been the crème de la crème, outfitted with the best technology, public acclaim, and pay. With their new permeable border, Hungary changed its border enforcement to the regular police, much to the dismay of those who had appreciated their power in these much sought-after positions. [For more information, visit: http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members/hungary/index_en.htm]
As Dr. Ordog spoke of the problems with the Border Patrols' treatment of some Somalis and other minorities, it was hauntingly close to home. In his country, these "protectors of the border" were trained to use whatever force necessary and sometimes abused this power, particularly against asylum-seekers. In Hungary, once asylum-seekers report their asylum claim to the office of immigration, they are protected until the resolution of that claim. Some members of the Hungarian Border Patrol, however, would patrol the grounds outside this office, picking up asylum-seekers mere meters away from the front door of safety. The Border Patrol praised such action for a time, as it considerably boosted their number of apprehensions and public image.
In the United States, the reverse is true creating similarly perverse incentives. If an asylum-seeker shows up at a border crossing or a port of entry and asks for asylum, that individual is whisked away to a detention center until their asylum petition is either granted or denied. This creates the incentive for asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. and keep their asylum petition secret until they have done the requisite research.
Dr. Ordog also spoke about Hungary's struggle to integrate the Somali and Iraqi refugees in his country. Traditionally, these resettled refugees have viewed Hungary as a gateway country en route to Scandinavia or other European economies. As a result, integration services were minimal because these migrants were expected to leave soon.
Ordog worries that insufficient integration mechanisms for the growing number who have decided to stay could spell trouble for Hungary's future. Hungary is still largely a native-born, white population, and minorities will undoubtedly struggle to get jobs, learn Hungarian, and find housing. Racial discrimination is rampant and not explicitly illegal. House showings can turn into racial profiling, and job interviews might turn into status quo screenings. Although the current number of immigrants to Hungary is scant, Ordog worries that they are ill-prepared for any increase in immigration
As Dr. Ordog spoke, the themes of integration, nativism, and fear of outsiders all rang loud and clear. Though America certainly deals with more immigrants annually, it is similarly confronted with the quality of its welcome.


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Nope, not a better mother than your neighbor, than your friend, or than the president of your local PTA…but what makes you the best mother you can be? Going even further than that… What makes you successful as a person? As a human being?
John C. Maxwell defines "success" as:
"knowing your purpose in life,
growing to reach your maximum potential, and
sowing seeds that benefit others".
Very recently I was approached by www.inspiringwomeninsurgery.com to provide some words of advice or encouragement, and while my 4 year old was brushing his teeth at night I thought about work/life "balance", envisioned a set of scales, and came up with this.
Why am I a #bettermother because I am a surgeon? Because I know my purpose in life, I am growing and I am sowing seeds. I know that this mother may be sad that I miss my son's soccer practices, but I also know there are lots of other mothers out there that are glad I did… because I was able to help their children in their time of need. And although my children may miss me at times, I know they also gain valuable lessons from my career – independence and selflessness chief among them. My children always know that I love them, and they are important to me… whether I am sitting at their bedside, or at the bedside of one of my patients.
And no, you don't have to be a trauma surgeon or work outside the home to be successful, or a #bettermother. Again, look at the definition. Nowhere in that definition does it mention spending every moment of every waking day with your child(ren). It doesn't mention making your child's first birthday cake by hand, or becoming Vice President of a company. Nor does it mention "leaning in" to the point that you are about to fall over.
YOU are at the center of your success, and you have to give back to yourself in order to be in a position to give to others – whether that is your spouse or your children or your community.
An example for you. The wife of one of my partners volunteers with her daughters' Girl Scout troop. This makes her a #bettermother – not because she spends time in an activity that involves her own children, but because she gives of her time to an activity that gives many children joy when other mothers can't. Another friend is a #bettermother because she is a Crossfit addict… She is teaching her daughter that strong is beautiful, and physical health helps build emotional health.
Taking time in activities, away from your family, work related or not, that develop your sense of self, fulfill your purpose in life, and replenish your soul is not selfish. In fact, it is essential to being a #bettermother and a successful human being.
So what makes you a #bettermother? Is it the 30 minutes you spent exercising this morning? Or is it the 2 hours over the weekend you took to train for a marathon? Is it the overnight business trip in another city that allowed you to present a project that will better your company? Is it the hours you spend volunteering at your child's school because other mothers can't? Is it that extra time you took at the hospital treating a patient who needed you? Is it the time you spend organizing a book club giving women the opportunity to fellowship with other women, building their support system?
Success doesn't require a title, or a degree, or a paycheck. It requires YOU being the best YOU possible.
So take that time to develop yourself, replenish yourself, fulfill your purpose.
Enjoy it. Own it. And snap a photo of yourself doing it. To keep as a reminder – when you are coming home late, or have 18 loads of laundry piled up, or serve Cheerios for dinner for the umpteenth time that week, or in any way feeling like you are "failing"…that you are, indeed, not.
I am a #bettermother, and so are you.


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As promised in my last Post, here is another poem written by Robert H. K. Browning, a golf writer, magazine editor, historian and poet of the first half of the 20th century. As a writer, Browning is most famous for his book, A History of Golf, first published in 1955 and still widely available.
Browning's poem is titled "Wordsworth Re-worded." On the surface, the poem is a reminder that your score, even on a meaningless hole, is governed by the rules of golf. Read the poem a couple of times and I'll meet you below.
Wordsworth Re-Worded
An aged man,
Racked by a ceaseless cough,
And shivering in his wretched clothes,
What should he know of golf?
But when he saw me start to play
His sides he well nigh split;
He said, "I'll take you round today
For the mere fun of it." "
With strokes and misses, empty head,
How many have I had?" –
"You've taken seven to here," he said.
His answer made me mad. "
And how d'ye think that that can be?" –
He answered, "Take my word;
Two strokes to knock it off the tee,
And bunkered from your third.
"And other two to get it out,
And also — here's the rub —
Two more, because beyond a doubt
I saw you ground your club."
"But this is not a match," said I,
"For cups I do not strive;
And leaving out the penalty,
It seems I've taken five."
"Two on the tee – and one – makes three" –
He checked them on his hand –
"Two to get out, and other two
For grounding in the sand."
"But they don't count; those two don't count;
The slip must be forgiven." –
Twas throwing words away, for still
That ancient man would have his will;
"I say you've taken seven."
So, Browning's poem leaves us with some questions. First, why the title with its reference to the famous romantic poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850)? Second, who is the "aged man?" Is he real or is the poem in some way about the conversation we have with ourselves when adding up the score during a bad hole? And third, did Browning really know a golfer who was this big a duffer? No doubt!
To answer the first question, we would need a Wordsworth scholar. From the title it would appear that the poem is a kind of a parody. Does anyone have any ideas? The aged or "ancient man" in the last stanza might represent the rule book which even a hundred years ago, when this poem was written, was old. The rules, as we have seen again recently, make no exceptions. Maybe Browning is using the poem to characterize the cruel reality of playing golf by the rules. What do you think? If you like, leave a comment as to how you read the poem.


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