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Blog Archives
I've come a long way.
When I started graduate school, the only thing I knew about publishing was how to write a blog post, and the only thing I knew about my library was that I hated their website. I didn't know what open access … Continue reading
How to root & install a custom ROM on the AT&T Nexus S running Android OS 2.3.4 (Windows or Ubuntu 11.04)
I grabbed one of the free Nexus S phones that Best Buy was giving away, and since for my last phone I was too far into using it before I thought about rooting, I wanted to be sure to start this one off right, so I literally rooted before I even put the sim card in. This was my first time rooting, so I still had to synthesize the method from a bunch of sources, filter out the sketchy sounding "download my super cool ROM from my .ru server and you'll get 8 times the battery life" posts, and fill in the gaps with educated guesses. The actual process itself is really simple, looking back at it. This basic process will probably work for most Android phones if you get the right recovery image and ROM for your phone. Continue reading
Criticize tag clouds if you must, but this does give you a good summary of my research at a glance
This is kinda cool, too: I added the biggest 10 words from the wordle as page tags, and the Mendeley "Related Research" plugin in the left sidebar pulled in the major papers which influenced my work. This isn't an entirely … Continue reading
Real innovation in scientific publishing
Many attempts have been made to re-imagine a scientific article, but just adding semantic markup or visualizing the document in a different way has never quite felt right. Previous efforts have felt like they're just trying to prop up a … Continue reading
Public anywhere is public everywhere.
There are three parallel stories flowing past me via Tweetdeck and on Friendfeed right now: One story is about Facebook and their hubristic attempt to declare everyone's personal information public. Another story is a librarian debating whether it's OK to … Continue reading
If I published in or reviewed for PLoS, I'd be pissed off too.
Cameron Neylon responds to the allegations that PLoS is a pay-to-play vanity press: That an author pays model has the potential to create a conflict of interest is clear. That is why, within reputable publishers, structures are put in place … Continue reading
No Twitter at ASCB
An anonymous source has informed me that the ASCB has banned "replication of data" by visitors, but has presented Twitter as the poster child of conference data leaks. No word on whether ASCB attendees will be subjected to memory scans … Continue reading


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SoBo council adopts budget
- Last Updated on 07:43 AM 06/26/13
- BY Doug Ford
South Boston Town Council convened as a whole and adopted a $9,765,854 budget for 2013-14 on its second reading before Monday's June work session.
The proposed budget contains no new taxes, nor any increased taxes or fees.
Real estate continues to be taxed at 19 cents per $100 of assessed value and personal property at $2 per $100 of assessed value.
The machinery and tools tax rate is set at 31 cents per $100 of assessed value, and the mobile home tax rate is set at 19 cents per $100 of assessed value
Meals tax will continue to be set at 4 percent and occupancy tax at 5.5 percent of room rate.
A total of $9,559,927 is allocated for general fund revenues, and a total of $205,658 is allocated for cemetery fund revenues in the proposed budget.
Also at Monday's meeting, the current issues committee studied a planning commission recommendation to conditionally zone the property at 311 Berry Hill Road to permit the operation of a vehicle general repair establishment.
The property is zoned B-1 Neighborhood Business and formerly housed the Sadler Machine Shop.
The applicant is Raymond Perkins, formerly an employee of Wyatt Chevrolet in South Boston.
The planning commission had recommended the conditional zoning with three conditions: that all automotive repair work be completed in the enclosed building, and all inoperable vehicles be stored inside the building or completely screened if outside; that the conditional zoning apply to the current owner and applicant business owner only; and if approved, and the conditional use of the building for automotive repair is discontinued for 12 months, the property reverts to the applicable underlying zoning.
The current issues committee advanced the issue to a public hearing at the July 8 council meeting.
The current issues committee considered a vacancy on the South Boston Industrial Development Authority created upon the death of Jim Burton, asking Town Clerk Jane Jones to prepare a list of potential candidates.
Finance report
With one month remaining in the current fiscal year, the town's general fund had revenues of $8,309,034, or 72 percent of budget; with expenditures reflecting a total of $9,859,593 or 86 percent of budget, according to Daniel.
The cash operating general fund had (-)$989,401 in activity as of May 31, with a year-to-date balance of $1,341,795.
Five of nine selected general fund revenues have exceeded budgeted amounts for the current fiscal year, with the occupancy tax at $145,989 or 117 percent of budget; current personal property tax collections at $495,467 or 114 percent of budget; business license tax collections at $555,071 or 113 percent of budget; meals tax collections at $1,068,599 or 102 percent of budget; and personal property tax relief collections at $295,432 or 100 percent of budget.
Two others are nearing 100 percent of budget, including current real estate tax collections at $849,100 and local tax collections at $376,324, both at 98 percent of budget.
Year-to-date revenues for categorical aid reflected totals of $1,745,033 or 65 percent of budget.
The delinquent tax report reflected a total of $165,479.45 in delinquent taxes, penalties, fees and interest collected as of June 17, out of a cumulative dollar amount budgeted for all categories of $130,350.
Request for purchase of town-owned land
Beverly Caldwell of 1505 Penick Avenue approached council with a request to purchase additional property from the town, a plot of approximately 37x148 square feet adjoining the back of her property.
Caldwell had earlier purchased a 30x197-foot portion of Grove Street to allow better access to her property.
Council asked town staff to notify adjacent property owners in advance of a public hearing at its July 8 meeting to receive citizen comment on Caldwell's request.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Patch's daily snapshot of sports in Brewster.
Ice-hockey sectionals
Brewster is the No. 1 seed in the Section 1 Division 2 Tournament and will play its first game in the postseason at home at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the Brewster Ice Arena against No. 8 Scarsdale.
See MSG Varsity for more postseason information.
Women's basketball
Brewster graduate Emily Tapio and here Fordham teammates took on visiting Duquesne in the Rose Hill Gym Feb. 15 and fought hard but fell to the Dukes 56-50.
Tapio tallied four points for the Rams.
The game was also Fordham's `Play4Kay' to honor former North Carolina State Head Coach, Kay Yow, who succumbed to breast cancer in 2009. The team, support staff, and even the officials, honored Yow by wearing something pink. And the fans in attendance were treated to a terrific basketball game that came down to the very end to determine a winner.
For more game details, click on this page on Fordham's website.
The below was taken from the Brewster Sports Center website:
Serious AAU Players Wanted for 2 National Boys Teams
(7TH and 9TH grade)
Note: They can be a young 8th grader for the 7th grade team and a young 10th grader for the 9th grade team as well.
For the 7th grade team: we are looking for a player who plays the 3, 4 or 5 position.
***If you are interested, please contact Al Morales at 845-406-0130 or via email email@example.com
On tap today:
Brewster H.S.:
No games scheduled.
Source: http://sportspakdb.lhric.org
The Daily Sports Digest is designed for you to add your best photo and/or video to share. If you'd like to send in an update or see anything that requires updating, please email email@example.com. Thanks!
Parents, coaches and boosters are invited to share scores, standings and other news to this column, as well as upload photos and videos directly to this article. Here are complete step-by-step instructions.
About this column: Your daily stop for the latest on sports in your town, from little league, to recreational soccer to varsity football.


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SARASOTA -- Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are finding their next big idea in the elderly capital of America.
While the world's biggest firms have struggled to develop products targeted at older consumers, a group led by former Apple, Microsoft and EBay employees this week unveiled Lively. The system of tiny sensors helps the elderly maintain their independence, letting far-flung relatives know whether they take their pills on time or exit the house.
Lively marks the first result of an effort by Sarasota County -- which boasts the highest concentration of elderly people of any large U.S. county -- to transform the region into a test market for companies eager to tap into the $8 trillion buying power of seniors. The Institute for the Ages, a Sarasota nonprofit, played a key role in Lively's creation, connecting the San Francisco-based company with residents who provided feedback to improve its product.
They included Bill Tavolga, a 91-year-old self-described tech geek who helped Lively's developers find bugs in the system. The outcome was a tool that helps shrink the 350-mile (560-kilometer) distance between Phyllis Bek-gran, 89, and her son by letting him know when she doesn't pick up her TV remote.
To Sarasota's elderly, "we're saying we want to capture your voice, so that any issue that you've got insights on, we'll find the connections that can make that voice valuable," said Tom Esselman, 52, a former Hallmark Cards executive who now heads the Institute for the Ages, which is part think tank, part market research company.
For years, businesses have conducted trial runs in cities such as Columbus, Ohio, where the population breakdown mirrors that of the United States overall. In an aging world, Sarasota is seeking to become the new Columbus -- and, in time, the new, innovative Silver Valley counterpart to Silicon Valley in what is called the "aging space."
With the massive baby boom generation beginning to move into the ranks of the elderly, companies are trying to front-run the trend by figuring out the next hot products for seniors. So far their search has remained largely unfulfilled because of a marketing conundrum: Graying boomers, even more than previous generations, don't want to be identified as elderly.
The idea for the Institute for the Ages emerged after Scope, a nonprofit community group whose name stands for Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence, sought advice from hundreds of residents on the topic of aging in 2008. Sarasota County Commissioners approved $1.2 million to get the institute off the ground, and a recruiting firm found Esselman. He was 22 years into a ca
reer at Kansas City, Mo.-based Hallmark, where he had helped invent talking greeting cards and served as director of innovation.
Meanwhile in Silicon Valley, Iggy Fanlo was looking for opportunities in large, growing yet neglected areas of business. He had spent the past dozen years at Internet companies, including San Jose, Calif.-based EBay.
"What jumped off the page was aging," said Fanlo, 51. Finding the existing market for passive home monitors for the elderly expensive and clunky, he decided to start there.
At a forum early last year sponsored by Maveron, a venture capital firm that Starbucks Corp. founder Howard Schultz helped create, Fanlo met David Glickman, 42.
Glickman, then an entrepreneur-in-residence at Maveron, had worked at Apple, where he helped develop the Newton, a 1980s precursor to the iPad.
Soon after, Fanlo and Glickman, along with Keith Dutton, a former software engineer at Microsoft, founded Lively, and its eponymous first product was born.
In the startup's hunt for market-research firms, Sarasota's institute stood out. For one, it was cheaper -- at about $25,000.
Yet its primary appeal was the promise of qualitative feedback through hands-on access to seniors, Glickman said.
"There's nothing more valuable than putting things in front of people and actually being in peoples' homes to talk about it," he said. Between him and and Fanlo, they visited all 30 pilot study participants -- chosen because they lived alone -- after arriving in Sarasota in February.
One was Bek-gran, whose husband of 68 years died in 2010. Lively sensors throughout Bek-gran's two-bedroom condo log when she opens her refrigerator and exits the front door. The data is then transmitted to a secure website for her youngest son, Peter, to view from his home in Key West.
"I also had one on my TV remote, because we all know if I didn't pick that up, there's something wrong with what's going on in the world," Bek-gran recalled with a laugh.
One day, Bek-gran didn't open her pillbox by 11 a.m. An email alert popped into Peter's inbox, and on Lively's website, a red, frowning face replaced a green smiling one next to Bek-gran's medication icon.
Her phone soon began ringing; it was Peter, with a reminder to take her pills.
For Bek-gran, who's been active all her life and still shows her paintings at art exhibitions, maintaining her independence is crucial. Lively helps her do that, part of the growing "aging in place" market for products and technology, such as walk-in bathtubs and higher toilet seats, that assist people at home as they get older.
The market is forecast to rise 10-fold to $20 billion by 2020, according to a report by research firm Aging in Place Technology Watch.
Fellow participant Tavolga, a former marine biologist, wasn't shy about pointing out the system's flaws.
"I added a sensor on the front door," Tavolga wrote to Glickman in a Feb. 26 email. "Works O.K., but I cannot change the name from 'Custom 4.'"
Three days later: "O.K. I found out why the label change would not take. It would not accept 'Front Door' as two words."
Sensors throughout Tavolga's home often failed.
"The Medication sensor is still red-face" online, which indicates inactivity, he wrote. "This time I took my pills before 7 a.m." On March 26, he noted that it needed to be "strongly shaken" in order to register.
"It was fun; for one thing, I'm a computer geek," recalled Tavolga, who emails his "sweetheart" every morning from a Samsung tablet, reads books on a Kindle and updates the online music archives of a local library twice a week.
In addition to logging a senior's daily routine, Lively solicits news and photos weekly from designated family members and friends via email. It compiles them into a booklet, called a LivelyGram, and snail mails it to the senior's home.
The concept was developed with Glickman's late grandmother in mind, he said. She wasn't online, and when family members mailed photos to her, it made her feel more connected.
The system gives both sides peace of mind without feeling intrusive, users say.
"It doesn't feel like monitoring because it's not the specifics of what I'm doing -- it doesn't say where I'm going or what I'm doing," Bek-gran said.
Next year, Lively plans to add a feature that could detect falls or allow the senior to call for help in the event of an emergency -- the most-requested add-on during the trial run, including by Bek-gran, Glickman said. Lively now sends two pillbox sensors, up from one initially, after learning in Sarasota that most seniors use more than a sole dispenser, he said.
One in three of Sarasota Countuy's 386,000 residents is 65 years or older, the highest proportion of any county with a population of at least 250,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That's a snapshot of what the rest of the developed world will look like by 2050, according to RTI International, a nonprofit research institute based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Sarasota has advantages as a research center: It's wealthier, healthier and better educated than most retiree hubs, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Worldwide, 60-and-older consumers spent more than $8 trillion in 2010; by the end of this decade, they will spend $15 trillion, according to data tracker Euromonitor.
When Sarasota County approved $1.2 million in development grants in 2011, it was based on the promise that the Institute for the Ages would help create 840 jobs and contribute $159 million in economic impact for the area within 10 years.
The institute will also measure itself based on the size of its volunteer senior database. It's currently at 1,500; by 2016, it hopes to have as many as 10,000 and, eventually, 50,000.
In July, the institute signed a deal with a joint venture between Intel Corp. and General Electric Co. to test a product called Connect Caregiver, which helps keep track of an elder's doctors' appointments and diet, among other things, via an online portal.
Juvent, a device to boost bone density made by Palm Beach Gardens, Florida-based American Medical Innovations LLC, will be next, Esselman said.
Instead of money, the men and women who took part in the Lively study were offered a free yearlong subscription for the product. They also attended a pizza party with 10 pies Esselman made from scratch using his Italian family recipe.
"We couldn't think of a more genuine way to thank them in a personal way -- these people had become like family," Esselman said. "At one point, three of the older ladies came up to me while I was punching the dough and shared stories of them baking bread in their kitchens with their mothers."
Boyle reported from London. Wei Lu contributed from New York.


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Bug: Weedle lol
Dark: Vullaby (its name and appearance is enough ugly for me)
Dragon: Druddigon (what the heck)
Electric: Electivire (meh, not very appealing to me)
Fighting: Conkeldurr (I'm sorry but its nose...its face...just ugly...no offense...)
Fire: Magmortar (its lips are just wrong)
Flying: Swanna (just a swan with a seashell bra to me)
Ghost: Misdreavus (a floating head? really?)
Grass: Exeggutor (meh, eggheads on a tree)
Ground: Palpitoad (its name, ts look, its cry, its evolution line, pretty much everything about it annoys me)
Ice: Jynx (its cry and look both annoy me)
Normal: Rattata (not because of Youngster Joey, though, never knew about the top percentage of rattata thing until very recently because I never added him to my Pokégear because I only add the people who say something like hey I find stuff on the floor from time to time I'll share it with you if you give me your number lol)
Poison: Garbodor (I'm not a big fan of garbage to be honest)
Psychic: Hypno (its nose...)
Rock: Sudowoodo (it just annoys me)
Steel: Bronzong (????)
Water: Shellos (seriously, why does everyone think it's so cute? it's a lame copy of Lapras if you ask me)
no offense to anyone though


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Adventurer & photojournalist Jeffery R. Werner not only will travel anywhere on the planet for the perfect photo story, he'll stay there to find others as well as keep a close (camera) eye on the evolution of the subject for years to come.
As owner of Incredible Features Inc. an exclusive international stock and photo-assignment agency based in Los Angeles, Werner syndicates to magazine and publishing markets in more than 25 countries, specializing in human interest, stunts, action, animals, business, people, celebrities, at-home shoots, sports, medicine, science, show business, location and on-set movie stills, technology and, the bizarre and unusual.
His more than three-decade career includes has taken him to 60 countries and including an photo-expose on the search for a cure to the lethal Marlburg Virus by extracting serum from dangerous Komodo Dragons in Indonesia, and then to Russia for the research in the remote Vector lab, a treacherous trek through Amazonian jungles to break bread with the homicidal and hermitic Mayoruna Indian tribe, the world's most pierced woman in Scotland, a healthy woman whose body is only half in the US Northwest, hanging out with late legend Evel Knievel, plus stuntmen and daredevils in Australia and with TV star Rex Linn on the set of CSI Miami – from shooting the luxurious Las Vegas home of magicians Siegfried and Roy to the transformative beauty of Vegas' first Transsexual Beauty Contest.
Avidly interested in how people work to make the world better, Werner has photographed the flying hospital in Kazakhstan and traveled with expeditionary biologist Terry Fredeking extracting live saving agents from natures' pharmacopeia.
Called the "Incredible but True Photographer" in a 16-page portfolio of his work in French Photo, and "Davinci of Daredevil Photography" by the Adventurers TV Show, Werner's work has appeared in People, Newsweek, Time, Life, Maxim, National Geographic Work, Smithsonian, GQ, Psychology Today, London Sunday Times Magazine, Hello!, Paris Match, German Max, Stern, In Touch, the Daily Mail, Penthouse, and many others worldwide.
Werner's extensive experience makes him as comfortable shooting 12-camera remote-controlled stunt photography for production companies as he is setting up lights in celebrity homes, features, news and video stories for the web or print.
Incredible Features offers a unique collection of still images for editorial and commercial usages, plus the capability of multiple-capacity assignment work in both film and digital 35 mm photography


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I will be remodeling my basement and, at the same time, re-wiring my house (a rambler, so ethernet cable distance won't be an issue). I'm planning on putting a homerun in the utilities area and am thinking of getting this switch for the whole-house network. I also have a Linksys WRT54GL Newegg.com - Linksys WRT54GL 802.11b/g Wireless Broadband Router up to 54Mbps/ Compatible with Open Source DD-WRT (not pre-load) and would like to keep the wireless capability for my laptop, iPod Touch, and Droid phone.
Whatcha think?
Newegg.com - D-Link DGS-1024D 10/100/1000Mbps 24-Port Green Technology Rackmountable Switch 24 x RJ45 8K MAC Address Table On ship: 500KB Buffer Memory per Device Buffer Memory


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Kangaroo Fleeting Foot Facts
- Kangaroos are a part of the macropod family. Macropod means big feet, perfect right?
- The front limbs of a red kangaroo are small and short with five heavily clawed digits (fingers).
- Kangaroos are flight animals, meaning they are more likely to hop away than turn and attack. They use their powerful legs and feet to escape predators.
- Male kangaroos use their legs and feet to defend themselves and fight for females. Standing up on their hind limbs, they attempt to push their opponent off-balance by jabbing him or locking forearms.
- If the fight escalates, they will begin to kick each other. Using their tail to support their weight, kangaroos deliver kicks around the sensitive belly area with their powerful back legs.
- The Red Kangaroo can travel at speeds as fast as 65kph (40mph).
- The red kangaroo can jump six feet (1.8 meters high).
- The hind foot of the kangaroo is long and narrow with 4 digits (digit I is absent). Digits II and III are extremely slender and delicate, together forming what is essentially a single functional toe; digit IV is the large, weight-bearing digit; and digit V, the most lateral, is slightly smaller than digit IV. Ivis.org (sighted 5th May 2012)
This is a great You Tube clip of kangaroos using their hands and feet for fighting.
This You Tube clip shows a perfect close up of their feet. Watch them hop!


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The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will once again brighten up the Coachella Valley sky when they flip the switch this weekend on their giant Christmas tree.
This year's celebrity tree lighter is singer and actor James Darren of Gidget and T.J. Hooker fame (along with his extensive resume).
"The festivities begin at the Mountain Station at 5:30pm with the Palm Springs High School Choir singing a selection of holiday songs," Tram Spokeswoman Lena Zimmerschied said.
Normal tram hours and prices apply-- first tram up at 8 a.m., last tram down at 9:45 p.m.
Once the tree is lit, carols will be sung by choirs from throughout the Inland Empire at 5pm and 7pm at the Mountain Station on the following dates:
- December 7 – Twenty-Nine Palms High School
What's more, Santa will visit on Saturday, December 15, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m..


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Simple quinoa recipe; wack stress attack.
July 26, 2010 § 4 Comments
Howdy folks,
I've missed blogging the past few days; but believe me, I am going to have SO much new insider naturopath info to share with you guys in the future, haha! Yeah but, no but, seriously-like, my brain must have a knowledge baby right now cos that thing is FULL! After 4 days of the course, I feel like i've learned more than during the past 2.5 years of uni. May or may not be attributed to my complete disregard for attendance, note-taking and all things studious in former degree, but let's blame the institution for now.
First things first.
I've obviously needed to unleash my inner organisational goddess and plan lots of meals in advance to cater for the long hectic days running between college and work. This meal of red quinoa and greens was something really flavourful, quick and packable to whip up. (Pssssst red quinoa is the bomb! Only just tried it the other day, and for some reason it cooks really nicely and has an awesome texture that I think trumps the white).
Into the mix went (serves 1 regular person, or 2 frugal students):
1/2 cup red quinoa, cooked in 1 cup vegetable stock
1 tspn extra virgin coconut oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tbspn diced red onion
cubed eggplant
small broccoli florets
fresh green beans
baby spinach
juice of 1/2 lemon
celtic sea salt
cracked black pepper
So easy y'all. Cook up your quinoa; sautée garlic & onion in coconut oil until translucent; add greens (omitting spinach) and fry for a minute; add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan and cover for 3 mins to steam; add cooked quinoa; add spinach leaves; squeeze in lemon juice with a pinch of sea salt & lashings of pepper, and enjoy!
I'm learning that simple flavours are so vibrant and fresh, and ultimately supremely satisfying.
All packed up with one place to go; belly town.
My goodness I am so tired right now. My flatmates just got home and handed me my keys…that i'd left in the lock of the front door. Total vague-out moment. But i'm soldiering on!
Looking forward to waking up to this in the morning:
Rice milk, spirulina, spinach, banana, berry, chia seed, cacao smoothie. These things hold you over big time!
Other things brightening my days; sweet potato butterflies!
Anyhoo, I noticed something interesting the other day in regards to stress, and how sensitive we can become to it after living such a leisurely life of, well, leisure. After an unfairly long bout of holidays, and not too much to tax my mind other than choosing between traditional as opposed to tuscan kale, getting back into time-management left me a little shaky and anxious the other night. Scheduling enough sleep, planning meals in advance, organising textbooks & notes, babysitting, working, driving, living, breathing became all a bit much for this frettish gal. I could literally feel the adrenalin coursing through me as I tried to comprehend how I was going to physically be in all the necessary places over the next 3 days… Next morning I woke with a headache (highly unusual), and felt like I was walking around in a fog. Today has been the same, with sore sketchy eyes, sudden onset dyslexia, and decidedly lower capacity for wit and intelligence…
My point is, I realised a) how toxic stress hormones can be & their profound effect on your energy levels/concentration/well-being and b) i have poor stress management!
What do you all do to de-stress? A lot of my new friends at college are heavily into yoga and I think it may finally be my time to take the plunge. Why am I so scared of the stretchy calmness?!?!
Seriously, there is so much I want to talk about, but my head is flopping from side to side in a fairly flaccid manner so I think this is my cue to crawl under the covers.
I'll leave you with a parting picture I took of a radish, hehe.
Impromptu (almost) raw Thursday; attracting positive energy; skin picking.
July 23, 2010 § 6 Comments
I woke up yesterday ready to tackle my first week of homework with alacrity, when I realised I had yet another hugh-jass blemish coming up…in exactly the same place as the last 2 or 3 Etna-style eruptions. Cue meltdown. I know it sounds dramatic, vain and all things superficial, however some of you may know the utter frustration of a skin condition, especially when you are trying so very hard to be healthy, happy and generally monk-like in your efforts.
I engaged a battle plan after dragging myself out of my ditch of self-defeat, and did what any person would do in my situation – ambled on over to High on Health to consult the experts. I ended up learning something very important – something that I hadn't considered in my ongoing quest to solve the skin issue.
Picking is baaaaaaad news folks.
Of course, we all already knew this. I knew it myself, but didn't consider what I was doing as 'skin picking'. One huge sqeezing attack wasn't picking per se – that's what everyone does right? Wrong! Now I realise why the same big angry inflamed red monster keeps emerging in the same place – I have been continually damaging the follicle/deeper skin cells and the whole vicious cycle is on repeat.
Read this article – it's changed my perspective on caring for my skin.
Because my usual cleanser is also running out, in a spur of un-characteristic impulse buying (…ok, so i'm a consumer whore, what of it?) I also got me a High on Health skin care pack with a hemp cleanser, bee-yummy skinfood moisturiser and neem oil (a spray-on antibacterial miracle product that I am so excited to try). I'll be letting you all know how it goes!
Yesterday I also had a bit of an impromptu day of raw-dom. I've been meaning to do this for a while, but always fall back on the old 'too hard' mentality, which of course is rubbish. Inspired by new college friends who are high-raw (vegan), I want to make more of an effort to eat living foods and dabble in a bit of experimentation.
For breakfast I had my usual smoothie; frozen wild blueberries, small banana, bunch of spinach, 3 tspn chia seeds, 1/2 tbsp spirulina, 1 tbsp raw cacao powder and rice milk.
I went for an awesome long run, and by the time I got back to the park on my big merry loop, I had the urge to fling off my joggers and go barefoot the rest of the way home. I'm a vibrams girl now!
Lunch was experimental.
Raw pizza. I used ground almonds & flax seeds, grated zucchini & carrot & a dash of Tamari to make the base. I then formed it into a respectable shape & left in the oven on the lowest temp with the door ajar for about 3-4 hours. Could definitely improve on this random recipe dictated by my dwindling grocery supplies, but it dried nicely and I was left with a cute malleable flat-bread.
Topped with diced avocado, tomato, red onion, cracked pepper & lemon. Could have used some herbs, and a bucketload of inspiration – but again, the veggie situation was lacking.
Later, I had some sprouted wheat bread (NOT raw, but raw-er than usual bread. Counts, no?) with a big bowl of fresh fruit salad.
Before going out in the night to a comedy show, I sucked back a huuuuuge spinach, wild blueberry & orange smoothie. So my friends, I am quite pleased with my rawr efforts, and hope to keep up this un-cooking aspect of my life.
Speaking of life (check out the segue skills)… as you know I am happy as a happy thing right now with my study situation, and the world in general.
The other day however, I was feeling a bit off, my mum was leaving to move to another state, and I was possibly battling some kind of internal hormonal forces. Well, I had absolutely one of the worst afternoons of my life. Not only was everything going wrong (getting lost while driving, short for parking by 50c, late for work) I also had a huge run-in with a customer at work that left me a blubbering mess. Usually, I'm happy to say that I don't get in fights, or promote confrontation – I would rather just smile and let it go, practicing my zen-like powers of calm (that are probably equally as infuriating for the unhappy party!). This night, I must have been radiating negative energy because a woman of the heinous-wench variety stopped by to play verbal jujitsu. I took the bait; I fought back; I teared up and the rest is history.
In a funny way, I knew something like that was bound to happen that day. I was obviously projecting a hearty amount of bad vibes outwards, and of course this affects those whom we encounter in greater ways than we care to admit. People sense it – this lady obviously did. On some energetic level we clashed, where on an average day I may have avoided the situation with a more positive attitude.
I am affirmed in this belief because days like yesterday, when I am beaming my little heart out as I go about my business, the opposite occurs. Whilst shopping, in every store I had fantastic conversations with the staff; even strangers. At the health food store, a lovely girl complimented me profusely on my hair, and in another I made friends with a like-minded outdoorsy fitness type who was keen to hear about my course and everything in between. It was an awesome day, confirming that your mood and energy can certainly dictate the ways in which you interact with others, and the situations you find yourself in.
What think you, dear readers?
My, this has turned out much longer than expected. Must dash to cram in some study before work – stay happy!
Recovery, for weaklings (me).
July 15, 2010 § Leave a comment
Flatmate bonding night, otherwise known as let it rain wine!
So maybe a bit of an overstatement, you know i'm not a huge drinker (read: haven't drunk in months…and I call myself a student!) but I do enjoy a cheeky verre du vin every now and then, especially of the tasty, gutsy, shiraz variety. Despite my weakling status amongst these two seasoned drinkers you see before you, I still needed to rehydrate this morning, and am feeling decidedly weary today.
When I woke up, I threw back a huge stein of water with the juice of half a lemon for good measure. Later when my appetite crawled out of hiding, I whipped up a thick-green-goo shake.
1 small banana
around 10 frozen pitted cherries (new obsession)
handful baby spinach
1.5 cups rice milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp spirulina
1 tbsp cacao
Much better! Ready to assemble the IKEA bookshelf that arrived on my doorstep last night courtesy of loving bf and his super-size station wagon.
Much like my lack of respect for recipes, I also harbour contempt for instructions, directions and all things fiddly & detailed. Just do it I say!
Once I messed up the very first step however, I decided to shelve my gung-ho attitude and take IKEA's advice. Result – completed bookshelf, sans drama. What can I say? D.I.Y genius! I am now basking in the joy of my newly arranged room and staring at my alphabetized literature. (What a geek!)
Lunch was yet another variation on the sweet-potato boat. This time, stuffed with tempeh in a homemade tomato sauce.
I just crumbled some tempeh into a pan with olive oil & fresh garlic, sautéed until golden, then added some canned tomatoes, tomato paste, cracked pepper & salt, some herbs (basil, oregano), bit of hot paprika for a kick, and of course a splash of left over red from last night. Stuff steamed sweet potato and marvel at the endless versatility!
Have a great Thursday night! I'm having a friend over for dinner so I need to pull myself together and decide on something vegan to cook. Ugh, decisions!
See you round x
Salt & Pepper Tempeh.
July 12, 2010 § Leave a comment
Hello there!
Again, apologies for being MIA – i've been flitting about spending far too much money and basking in the final glorious weeks of holidays!
Mornings have been characterised by the consumption of thick, gooey, mud-sludge smoothies that have usurped porridge as my breakfast of choice. I've been trying to avoid oats for the past few weeks, mainly because I realised I was helping myself to unhealthy amounts of them and something inside my little bird-brain was telling me that I must break the oatey addiction. I still believe that oats should be soaked before use due to the phytates they contain (can inhibit the absorption of some nutrients etc) and considering my skin and whatnot, I just felt perhaps they weren't meshing with my system. So now for brekky, I alternate between quinoa flakes or the above murky bevvo.
This aesthetically challenged, yet supremely delicious concoction contained:
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 fistful of baby spinach
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
almond milk (maybe 1.5 cups?)
BAM! I love that these are so thick you sometimes have to use a spoon!
Pre-sludge shake I've been downing a huge glass of water with fresh lemon too, and can I say the naturopath's detox plan + lemon-ey goodness + no agave or refined sugar + vegetable bonanza + ginger & turmeric tea + lots of vibram 5-finger running has left me feeling SUPER HAPPY AWESOME AMAZING!
I've almost finished stage 1 of the gut-cleansing, so coming up next is he 'renew' phase, whereby I cultivate my intestinal flower-beds and blossom from within!
A girl with a squeaky clean intestinal tract!
The MAIN point of this post however, is to alert you to the wonderful, dynamic vegan delight that is tempeh.
Looks a tad bizzare and off-putting, however once you get the hang of cooking with it, it's a great source of protein and nutrients for vegos, vegans and omnivores alike.
As you know, I prefer to be soy light, however tempeh is a little different (to tofu, soy milk etc) and I will happily be adding it to my diet as a 'sometimes' food! It is made from fermented, whole-soy beans and from what I've read, does NOT share many of the attributes of processed soy products that I was concerned about when I decided to break up with them last year. This article is an interesting scientific explanation of the soy dilemma.
This week, to honour my new-found soy ally, I created Salt & Pepper Tempeh. Nothing too flash, but quick, simple and evoking a decidedly sea-side, fresh summery vibe.
For the salad:
baby spinach leaves
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 red capsicum, diced
1/2 small cucumber, diced
1-2 tbsp red onion, diced
handful chopped coriander, to toss through & garnish
For the tempeh:
3 x 3 inch block of fresh, organic tempeh (can find in cold section at supermarket, or in health-food stores)
celtic sea salt & cracked black pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil
excessive amounts of fresh lemon
2 tbsp 'tahini' dip (I found one in the health food store that is basically a creamy tahini dressing with sesame seeds, garlic, lemon, salt and not much else – so something vegan and 'aoli-like' would be ideal if you can't find that particular item)
How to:
- slice tempeh as thinly as possible (2-3mm 'slabs) until the block is in about 5 thin sheets. I then cut diagonally across to form mini triangles – but you can go with whatever geometric pattern that takes your fancy!
- melt coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and add the tempeh. sprinkle salt & cracked pepper over exposed side while cooking – will take about 5 mins on either side to crisp up.
- while the tempeh is sizzling away, dice your salad veggies, and arrange over a bed of baby spinach.
- once tempeh is browned to protein-ey perfection, stack artistically (or otherwise) atop your dainty salad.
- serve with the tahini dip, lashings of lemon juice, and as much coriander as you can handle.
Okay so this is when I made it a second time…the following day.
Well, that's it for the moment – off to whip myself into an organisational frenzy pre course commencement. Wheeeee new stationary!
Operation; Cure me!
May 15, 2010 § Leave a comment
Zzzzzzz. I woke up this morning with a scratchy throat, headache and that weak feeling that screams PATHOGEN ATTACK!
Well, enemy swine, THIS IS WAR.
It's actually a rare day off for me and in usual style I had planned everything out in miniscule, to-the-hour detail so as to best milk the day of it's juicy juicy goodness. Plans involved:
- wake up, whip up a giant bowl of cacao porridge w/ Stevia & Dandelion tea.
- head to get groceries early, before I have to beat through the crowds with a giant stick. Hate. Busy. Shops.
- cleaning spree of house, involving loud music, daggy attire and rubber gloves.
- read SMH and catch up on cultural happenings in order to appear intelligent & informed.
- blog.
- tackle an epic run around the beaches.
- write a letter to my lovely Nan – we dig snail mail.
- plan trip to Brisvegas to see extended family.
- cook up kitchen wonders.
- maybe attend friend's 20th tonight if Nanna alter-ego permits.
Instead, had to bail on the run & preemptively cancel plans for tonight because of mystery illness. Did however, buy some amazing groceries, clean the house like an anally-retentive madwoman, and blast some sweet tunes, so still a happy Saturday so far :)
Grocery loot highlights:
Spelt wraps that were a million dollars, but will make excellente pizza bases.
Tray of baby sweet potatoes; the fetish grows stronger daily & shows no signs of abating.
Radishes on sale!
Replenished nut stocks with fresh Cashews, Almonds & Brazil nuts. Glorious.
Recent eats:
Yep. you guessed it; still rocking the steamed sweet potato craze. Served with salad & artichokes.
When I ran out of spicy veggie tapenade, I just mixed hummus, beans, tomato paste & hot sauce together to achieve a similar taste sensation. ANYTHING would work for this baby, it is the meal of champions – screw you weet-bix!
Have been drinking & eating a lot of young coconuts this week, because my amazing boyfriend brought over a whole stash as a present! He knows me too well; I was beyond stoked! I've been finding the coconut water & flesh really delish just blended up with some cacao powder. Simple, yet mind-boggling tasty.
You put the spoon in the coconut and…shove it in your face!
Drinking green smoothies from a stein. What of it? Us impoverished uni students can't afford fancy glassware. Is it wrong that I try and pour it like a beer too, so it comes out with a head? Soon i'll be carving shamrocks into the top and dancing around like a leprechaun.
I will never tire of the spirulina, cacao, berry, banana, spinach & rice milk combo. Too good.
Some random buckwheat pasta, tahini, spinach, lemon, corn & garlic combo. With savoury yeast flakes, of course.
Aaaaaand back to curing myself of the dreaded plague, which I have thought about some more and deduced it's probably infected sinuses because of all the damn hayfever i've been getting lately. I think it's the time of year, and living in a house with carpet may also be aggravating it a little. Not used to plush, cushiony floor coverings, more of a floorboards kinda gal.
So for lunch, I aimed to kick whatever it is that is inhabiting my head in the butt.
Because radishes have an extremely high vitamin C content, I thought they'd be a great thing to include in copious amounts in my meal. I don't usually eat them, but I heard they're brilliant for your skin too because they contain sulphur, so i'll check my glow-meter tomorrow and report back!
Best colour and shape. Aren't they pretty?
Made a very simple salad with mixed greens (rocket, spinach, lettuce), sliced radish, fresh lemon & sea salt. The radish is quite bitter, and I had visions of creating a salad with pear, walnuts & red radish to detract from the tartness. I was still really impressed with my chic llittle salad though; keeping ingredients natural & letting them speak for themselves is something I want to try & do more.
KA-POW. Punch to the illness factory with a kale, orange & banana smoothie. This was good. Real good. Vitamin C overload!
And the crowning glory – steamed sweet potato with hummus, tahini & melt-your-face-off chilli sauce (i'll smoke it out!). The sweet potato thing would have to be one of the best discoveries of the past few months. I mean, I've always used them but making them like this has, i'll be honest, changed my life & made me a better person. Oh, sorry, that was W.U.O.I (Written Under Oprah's Influence).
I'm like a proud mother; glad I brought this meal into the world & gave it a home.
Also planning to ingest some of this here ginger later on in hot water to try and help my poor, gummed-up face.
Hopefully, all this goodness will see the infection on it's merry way. I am much too busy to be sick, let's face it. Who has that kind of time?
Enjoy your Saturday my sweets! xx
Things that make you go….MMMMM!
May 2, 2010 § Leave a comment
Hello friends! Well, after another long hiatus, i've returned with many-a delicious recipe to share, and some controversial news about one of my most treasured ingredients, TEAR! In health and body news, I'm STILL battling the epic breakout, but trying to stay positive despite the overwhelming urge to hide away indoors, and only address people through an artfully constructed paper-bag with eyeholes. Failing that, I tilt my head to a practiced angle so as to conceal the most offending areas. Oh now, this is terrible talk…I apologise for my blatant self-pity!
Tactics for getting over mystery break-out:
- drink an obscene amount of water (nb: remain within 0.5 km radius of toileting facilities at all times)
- continue to be dairy-free and gluten-sparing (would do this anyway – seriously the best thing I've ever done)
- continue to take Spirulina
- take Zinc supplement (a little bit behind this philosophy here)
- get plenty of outdoor sun time
- have temporarily stopped drinking dandelion tea…perhaps it was detoxing my liver and there was nasty stuff hidden down there? Who knows, will only drink my old faithful green tea for a while and see if there's a change
- continue to exercise to improve skin circulation
- soaking my oats for porridge religiously now (see: this article by Fran) Maybe the phytic acid was blocking my body's absorption of nutrients like zinc and B vitamins?
- be HAPPY and don't let crazy baby-sitting kiddly-winks wake stress-monster from slumber
So you may be wondering what the controversy involves? Well I hate to say it, but my beloved Agave has been in the spotlight recently due to it's high fructose content. Although this is it's calling card in that it helps keep blood-sugar levels stable as opposed to sweeteners which instead have more glucose, it is now argued that the fructose is actually more stressful for your body to process and can have implications for your kidneys & liver. GAH! My favourite, secret ingredient! See this article at high on health for a more accurate summary of the debate. I have such a sweet tooth, and am despairing a little as I use Agave every day. I might try and find some alternatives and let you know how I go! Still using it in moderation for now.
I also experienced a proud moment this week when I made my flatmate NO-CHEESE-PLEASE Vegan Pizza.
She took a bite and LOVED THE PANTS OFF IT! Prouder still, was when she added some ham to the very last slice (without which no vegan meal is complete…) but begrudgingly admitted that she wrecked it and it tasted better sans pig! I was radiating smug!
I've been eating a lot of Kale, and find it a really great alternative to lettuce, of which i've never been the biggest fan. I have it with avocado squished through, some olive oil, fresh lemon juice and a touch of sea salt then add cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sprouted beans, grated carrot etc. Tasty goodness!
Have been buying Hummus seeing as my blender is a P.O.S and can't deal with chickpeas, and it's so darn convenient!
At least the ingredients are all-natural, and it's locally made.
Making superfood balls, in a cup – the laziness continues. This satisfies my schweet cravings and has a bunch of super-hero foods to boot! I blended up some oats, almonds & goji berries then mixed in raw cacao, spirulina, coconut oil, shredded coconut and agave and ate with a spoon. Is that weird?
Loving on this smoothie with 1 cup Kale, 1 banana, 2 tsp spirulina, 1 heaped tsp cacao & rice milk. Gotta thouroughly blend it's ass though because the Kale tends to resissssst!
Mixed salad plate with carrot sticks, hummus, steamed & raw veg and random fruit! I love to chomp through a whole lot of different flavours and textures in the one plate – it takes ages and gives you a chance to realise that you're full!
Over and out!
Should we fast for health?
March 27, 2010 § Leave a comment
You've probably heard along the line somewhere the benefits of having a 'fast' day every once in a while – some spiritual gurus and health yogis even promote a day a week dedicated to fasting & reflection. There have also been a lot of studies that show a lower calorie diet (as in, below normal recommendations) actually contributes to longevity, not to mention the arguments that support giving your body one or two days every now and then to just detox and take a breather.
There are numerous methods of sustaining a fast – the complete fast that is just water; the juice fast; a fast where you drink only herbal teas or tonics…the list goes on. Naturally these have sparked my own curiosity for a number of reasons – could a fast be a beneficial detoxing process for me? Is it healthy to allocate a regular day to just 'being' in a spiritual sense without the distraction of food and consuming? Is it something that could break the emotional connection I seem to have with eating? Could it teach me that I won't die if I don't eat for a day?
I've been contemplating how i'd go for even a day without food, and I tend to arrive at the same conclusion each time. I've always been someone (my mum & grandma are the same) who needs to eat regularly to prevent getting sick, shaky…that ole' stomach-imploding-in-on-itself sensation. Definitely there has been a dramatic improvement in my ability to sustain activity without food since I improved my diet…my stomach seems much more calm and my body has more reserves to keep me going in general. But yesterday, after concluding that I probably couldn't hack a food-free-day, I had an inadvertent fasting experience to test the theory.
I stayed at my boyfriends house and because of his work, he has very different sleeping patterns, so doesn't get up until much later in the day. Also, he pretty much keeps NO food at his house as he just buys everything out. So i'd had a very small dinner the night before, then stayed at Jarad's only to not eat until 2pm the next day. You may be thinking….that's nothing, I do that all the time! I know, many people do – my flatmates can just 'forget' to eat and they are fine. But seriously, I'm hungry when I go to bed, having naughty porridge dreams until I wake up, and usually eat breakfast at around 7am.
By 2pm, after being out and about, and getting over the I want breakfast stage…then the I want lunch stage…I thought I was doing ok. I didn't have a stomach ache or anything and I felt very clear-headed and calm, but then later we were walking around this shopping centre and I just really started to feel fragile. I was so frustrated that I hadn't eaten, I didn't want to be there, I was being sulky and glum, and actually started to tear up. At this point Jarad recognised my need for sustenance and bought me a big veggie juice with Spirulina…but even so, I didn't end up eating solid food till around 3 or 4pm. I was an emotional wreck by the afternoon, and realised that unless I was in some kind of shaman trance or had the day just to quietly relax and reflect, I don't think I could easily give up eating for a full 24 hours.
I do however believe that it has immense benefits just from what i've read, and perhaps at a higher level of eating raw, unprocessed foods, my body would be able to see me through a fasting period. Have you tried fasting before? How did it go?
So to honour eating, here are a few recent eats;
Bean + tomato, lettuce, avocado & nooch wrap (was craving that old el paso taco flavour, but just couldn't achieve it without the mysterious taco seasoning that is probably terrible for you…ah well).
Morning porridge with apple, cinnamon, chia seeds, coconut, sunflower seeds, walnuts & agave.
Post-run electrolyte booster and brain food to get me through my french homework! This is such a treat; water & flesh of one young coconut, bit of rice milk, 1/2 banana, handful berries, Spirulina & Chlorella. Get in mah belleh!
Ok, time to stop procrastinating and get my uni-work ass into gear. Have a great weekend!
Recent eats and attempted meaningfulness about dieting.
March 23, 2010 § Leave a comment
Hey friends!
You know, I would post on here A LOT more if it didn't take a mind-numbing age to upload photos with wordpress. Does anyone else have this problem? Well, I'm moving beyond the rage to bring you some more snaps of my recent gastronomic adventures!
I have this app. on my iPhone called Vegan Yum Yum and it's a really cute little thing with delicious looking vegan recipes, so i made it my mission this week to try a couple. I made this Nearly Raw Tahini Noodles the other night, but thought it needed some adjusting. I'll post the recipe anyway as I still quite enjoyed it (after I added more Tamari and lemon juice & copious amounts of fresh mint and coriander) so if you're making it just beware that it needs a bit of surgery to bring it up to salivatory standards.
You'll need (to make; a shitload):
200g whole wheat spaghetti (I think this would work equally as well with any healthy noodley doodley food you can find)
2 small carrots, shredded (I grated mine)
1/4 head green cabbage, shredded
1 stalk broccoli, cut into v. small florets
handful of fresh mint, chopped (I used a heap of coriander too)
sesame seeds
For the Tahini Sauce:
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbs Tamari
3 tbs water
1 tbs Agave
1 tbs Rice Vinegar
1 chopped chili
1 tspn Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
- Cook you noodles, rinse & set aside
- Shred carrot, cabbage, chop broccoli & herbs
- Mix together ingredients for sauce, toss with vegetables and noodles
- Garnish with more herbs, and heaps of sesame seeds
To tell you the truth, even though it's great because this recipe is allllmost raw, save the spaghetti, I heated mine up a little before I ate it, cos it just didn't taste right. I don't know if this one's a keeper….but definitely makes a stack so i've been using it for pre-packed lunches & dinners which is handy.
I've of course been guzzling ugly green drinks that are my favourite thing in the entire world, and making particularly tasty ones with:
1 banana
handful frozen berries
handful baby spinach
Spirulina & Chlorella
topped up with rice milk
Continuing to pack dinners and lunches due to cursed night classes and a severe lack of any spare time at all. I took this for dinner last night to my audio class – mashed sweet potato & a big sprout salad with lemon to squeeze over.
Sunny happy Tupperware dinner!
How delectable is sweet potato? I mash it with a splash of rice milk, a bit of butter (cannot find earth balance vegan margarine yet! Devastated) lashings of salt and pepper, and the secret ingredient….nutritional yeast flakes! This is a recent acquisition that may leave you positive that i've gone too far & am now scoffing yeast and claiming it's a food. It is! It is! It's not yeast like, beer yeast, or like…yeast infection yeast…but it is a kind of yeast that looks like yellow fish food/parmesan cheese and it's great for vegans because it's fantastic for you (lots of B vitamins and awesome amino acids) and adds a cheezy taste to dishes. So I add about a tspn of this little guy to my mash and it makes it taste of parmesan!
As always, changing up my oatmeal every morning! This is a particularly mouth-watering batch that i've been making.
oats cooked on water
when almost done, add 3 tspn chia seeds
handful frozen mixed berries
tspn coconut oil
topped with apple, walnuts, goji berries, coconut flakes & agave
Moving on from mouth-watering cuisine, there's something that's been plaguing me for, oh, I don't know, EVER. It continues on from when we were talking about weight loss, and I think i've suddenly realised the most important, stellar, number one thing that holds people back, and keeps resurfacing in my own 'journey' to better health/weight loss. It's guilt. Eating out one night and feeling like you've ruined everything…having a week of eating leftover birthday cake…late night snacking on your housemates stash of Arnott's family assorted… (I am waaay too familiar with this behaviour…). Then because of this, engaging in negative self-talk and carrying around a whole lot of guilt that you're a failure and you'll never succeed in being healthy, or thin, or whatever. This is something that STILL gets me, every time.
For example, a few weeks ago I felt on top of the world. I weighed myself for the first time in eons and realised that since the same time last year, I'd lost 6 kilos. Woah! Awesome! Great! Maybe a little embarrassed that I was 6 kilos more of a person not too long ago… But anyway, I felt really happy and confident and like I'd reached a point where I could be comfortable with myself. How long did this elation last? A depressingly short time, because it happened that I ate some dessert, or binged on almond cacao cookie dough balls for a few nights, and POW I felt like I'd let myself down, started telling myself that I was already fatter, and what do you know, it became a lot easier for me to reach for another treat because I considered my good work already undone.
It's sad that this is the case for so many of us. We wouldn't talk to someone else in that derogatory manner, so why ourselves?
So I made it my mission to end the fat talk, because in fact, feeling guilty and terrible only facilitates bad habits, as we are not respecting ourselves and aren't finding happiness in our health.
When I was feeling particularly dismal, I decided to get out and be active to try & allay my big mopey aura. I went on a run that felt so good; it was beautiful, I realised I was fit, healthy and strong, I was looking like a big goofy idiot with a grin plastered across my face because I was out doing something positive, and relaxing, and appreciating our glorious coastline. I told myself I looked great and healthy. Instead of saying to myself, 'you're getting fat again, you're going to feel like shit and be a slave to food forever', I changed it to 'I have attractive, feminine curves, and feel strong and healthy and am doing great things for my body'. I thought then that no matter how you see yourself, I can guarantee there is someone who thinks you're gorgeous. I know this because I have friends who battle with their appearance daily, but to me, all I see is amazing hair, awesome eyes, beautiful skin etc. People don't do the nit-picky thing of thinking 'oh gosh, her features are slightly disproportionate', they see things about you that are pretty, and in this way, all my friends to me, are stunning.
So Oprah-esque, inner-journey talk aside, I just wanted to point out how hugely important it is not to be horrible to yourself, because even though you're only saying it in your head, those negative affirmations are manifesting themselves into general feelings of hopelessness and unhappiness. Challenge yourself to think nice things about your body & appearance, and though it may sound silly at first, it is much more constructive than feelings of guilt or frustration. You'll find that once you allow yourself to be happy and content, wanting to be healthy will come naturally – and if you're trying to lose weight, positive thinking will work wonders.
Your mission? Respect yo fineeeee self. Good luck!
Including more veggies in your diet & replenishing your weary self after a night out!
March 17, 2010 § 2 Comments
Howdy health fiends! I've been trying to post today but my browser kept crashing, so I took it as a sign…that I really need to invest in an external hard-drive so all my shite stops clogging the electrical arteries of my darling computer. But we have success! And in honour of St Patrick's day, i've created a decidedly green theme for this entry.
Green is my new favourite colour. It sounds silly, but drinking green smoothies and eating lots of vibrant, fresh green veggies is really generating some seriously peaceful hippy trippy vibes for me.
I made a HUGE batch of veggie smoothie to drink throughout the day yesterday, which included:
frozen berries
goji berries
spirulina & chlorella
water to dilute this potent living beast of a juice
I've been thinking that I need to step up my daily dosage of the Spirulina & Chlorella from what was advised on the bottles, because after researching it, it seems a case of the-more-the-merrier with my algae friends. So double doses for me! I'll be glowing a nice shade of nuclear green in no time!
Yesterday was a particularly good day for veggie consumption, and I've been realising more and more the importance of trying to base a majority of what I eat around alkaline-forming fresh produce. What I mean by that is (and i'm still not too well informed about this food science) but it's 1000 times better for our bodies to try and eat foods that do not produce acid in our system – this is what causes premature ageing, fatigue, disease, all those things we know and loathe. Alkaline-forming foods like vegetables, citrus, sea foods (dulse, kombu), sprouts, millet, quinoa are non-toxic for our bodies and help to cleanse & detoxify. They also do not create mucus (who wants to be a big phlegm head?) and contain alkalizing minerals like magnesium and calcium. Foods like dairy, alcohol, all processed things, bread, meat etc are 'acid-forming' and should be eaten in moderation.
So yesterday, after my breakfast super-oatmeal ritual, I downed green smoothie, and had a big salad with a rye bread tortilla & hummus & MORE salad inside for lunch.
I then packed my dinner in advance because I was babysitting, then galloping madly straight to night-class. On the menu was 'mystery' quinoa (every time I cook quinoa it's a culinary surprise!) which had fresh ginger, chili, spinach, broccoli, red-onion, lemon, olive oil and other random flavourings paired with yet another monster salad.
With my green smoothie (double batch!), lunch and dinner efforts, I really gnawed through a large chunk of the contents of my crisper! I seriously can never have enough fresh fruit & veg to keep me going more than a few days.
Anyhoo, last night I was a dirty stop-out tired little thing dragging myself home at 10.30am this morning after not coming home…I always feel like I need to rejuvinate straight away when I get back after a night with less sleep than usual (and later breakfast…I was feeling pretty darn anxious to wrap my face around a big spoonful of porridge by mid-morning! Nanna trait #1). Plan of action? Superman change into stretchy pants/top, mini-facial with some exfoliating and moisturising action, big drink of hot lemon water, then onto more important matters like CHOCOLATE PORRIDGE.
wholegrain oats
3 tsps chia seeds
frozen mixed berries
heaped tspn cacao powder
topped with chopped apple, walnuts, almonds, coconut & agave nectar
Mmmm choc berry bonanza!
Needless to say, I coupled this with three zillion cups of green tea, and later on, a big green monster drink.
For lunch I had 2 rye tortillas, baked into pizza-like creations.
I put tomato paste, shredded spinach, salt & pepper & basil for the sauce, then topped with tomato, zucchini, red onion, mushroom, capsicum, avocado & nutritional yeast and baked for about 10 mins. Pretty darn tasty!
I'm hoping to blog about cutting out sugar, and more on weight loss soon! Hope you're all cooking up creative new things and exploring interesting food options!
New favourite smoothie.
March 15, 2010 § 1 Comment
I just blended up a storm, making a green smoothie that would probably be palatable to a regular human! Visually though, these monsters will never be pretty, let's face it.
It wasn't a big veggie fest like I usually make, but is still very healthy with the inclusion of Spirulina & Chlorella.
To brew:
1 banana
about 1/2 cup (or more) frozen mixed berries
daily dosage of S & C
top up with your choice of milk (I used rice milk…ideally would like to always use almond, but it's too pricey for my thin little wallet)
Delicious post-run treat.
Other new stuff i've discovered is brazil/cashew/almond nut butter. Holy jeebus this is some tasty paste! Of course, only buy the kind that is natural, raw, blended nuts with no added salt or oils or anything – the only ingredients should be the nuts themselves. The reason I've strayed from my loyal staple of Peanut Butter is (as well as seeing delicious almond butter condiments everywhere in the blogosphere) I was reading about how peanuts can play host to this mould (aflatoxin) that is toxic…ahh yet another crazy realisation about a staple food and it's evil dark side! I probably will still eat natural peanut butter occasionally, but to tell you the truth, I'm pretty smitten with almond (etc) butter so the separation shouldn't be too painful.
I have some other discoveries too, but this is just a really short post before I have to go out. Hopefully posting won't fall by the wayside like it has the last week or so!
Til next time…


text: Hello, I'm Goodboy. Going outside, running, and chewing bones are just a range of things I like to do on my free time. But my life isn't all free time; sometimes I have to rescue my family from the horrible, dreadful hair dryer or worse--the vacuum. Other days are very busy. I have to work--I usually bury bones or play with the other animals. After a full day of burying bones and having free time, I love to sneak on the couch and take a long nap.


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User Reviews & Ratings - Errin Oral
Read user comments about the side effects, benefits, and effectiveness of Errin Oral.
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Reviewer: dianamarie6288, 25-34 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder nearly 3 years ago. I tried Lamictal, and a few anti depressants. The Lamictal made me "neutral." The Anti depressants made me miserable. I finally became pregnant with my daughter October, 2012, and had to be put on progesterone because she was a potential miscarriage, even in the 2nd trimester. Even though I was scared of losing her, it was ... Show Full Comment
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Reviewer: Sassy, 35-44 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)
Ease of Use
From day 1, my breasts were sore and on the 30th day I started my cycle which turned very scary where I had abnormal abdominal pain, cold sweats, heavy bleeding and burning chest pain. I will never take another hormone regimen again.
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Reviewer: carolina, 25-34 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)
Ease of Use
I'm on day 8 of taking this pill. Prescribed due to migraine and inability to tolerate estrogen (bloating/headaches/irrability). I hate this Errin stuff! Weirdest part was on day 5 I got so nauseated I threw up at work. Only mild nausea since. In general I have seen a mild increase in my impatience, what's weird is that I have extreme anxiety and paranoia in the hours leading up to pi ... Show Full Comment
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Reviewer: Female (Patient)
Ease of Use
I experienced major depression while on this medicine. I cried at the drop of a hat, got upset/angry at stupid little things, and just didn't feel like me. My sex drive also tanked. I've been off the pill for less than a month and already feel better emotionally and my sex drive is back.
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Reviewer: Female on Treatment for 1 to less than 2 years (Patient)
Ease of Use
I am 32 years old and I have been taking this pill for a year and a half. I have gained some weight but when changing my diet, the pounds start to come off. Otherwise, I am very satisfied with this pill. I no longer have a period which was odd at first but I am ok with it now.
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Roger Kay, Contributor
I cover endpoints and how they relate to the cloud.
In the aftermath of the jury's verdict in favor of Apple on almost all counts in the epic trial over intellectual property, analysts and journalists have been quick to ferret out the possible implications of the decision to the likely consequences for the market. One of them is that Apple could rapidly turn into a monopoly.
Most watchers have assessed correctly that it's really Google in Apple's crosshairs rather than Samsung. Apple's vehemence in this case, its unwillingness to license its intellectual property to Samsung on reasonable terms, is really aimed at Google. Apple's crucifixion of Samsung is just a head piked on a stake at the edge of Google's territory.
Google has been the most extraordinarily silent partner, the most absent un-indicted co-conspirator ever not to be in a trial. Its cryptic statement on Monday did little to change that status. As Microsoft has pointed out time and again, Google has failed to indemnify its customers and properly license intellectual property it uses in its software, which it gives away to its customers and on which it collects no royalties.
Rather, Google has perfected a business model in which it gives away things of value in return for eyeballs on the back end. Money enters Google's system via advertisers. Hard for any rival — or any public authority, for that matter — to connect the software Google makes and gives away with how it makes money. It's a model Google has used to threaten the more traditional business models of companies like Microsoft, which sells software, and Apple, which sells hardware.
In this matter, Microsoft and Apple are allies, more alike than either is similar to Google.
In all of history, there has probably never been a situation in which one company (Microsoft) collects nearly half a billion dollars in annual royalties from another company's (Google's) customers. Microsoft collects Android license fees from Samsung based on holdings in its own mobile patent portfolio.
But Apple doesn't want money from Samsung. Of course Apple is happy to add the jury-verdict winnings (to be appealed) to its already staggering hoard, but this matter is not primarily about money. It's about wanting Google dead, at least in the high-mobility-platform business, and, really, entirely, just for being cheeky.
So, now Google stands facing the cobra of Apple's wrath with only the shred of Motorola's patent portfolio to shield it.
Unfortunately for Google, its Motorola purchase has not been enough to gain it a seat at the main table with Apple, Microsoft, and a handful of others with big portfolios of intellectual property. This group horse-trades among its members. Whatever disputes they have in other areas, Apple and Microsoft have a gentleman's agreement not to sue each other. All quiet on the Apple-Microsoft front.
When the Nortel patents came up for sale, a group that included Apple and Microsoft made sure Google didn't get them. They were keystone patents that could have blocked others in mobile communications, enabling Google to get in on the horse trading. And Moto's patents? Not so potent.
So, one message here goes out to the absent, silent, non-indemnifying Google: You need to grow up and become a real business.
Just because you make some software and give it away doesn't mean you don't have to clear the intellectual property rights. Microsoft has chosen to play a license-fee game, but Apple wants only blood.
Steve Jobs harbored a well-known vendetta against Google based on his belief that Eric Schmidt, while sitting on Apple's board, had leaked the iPhone's critical characteristics to his own design teams, who then copied it. Jobs swore he would spend as much of Apple's considerable wealth as necessary to stop Google cold, and he wasn't interested in licensing to Google's partners. The offer that Apple made to Samsung, which came out during the trial, would have absorbed all of Samsung's profit. In other words, the terms were unreasonable, and Samsung rejected the offer. But Apple wasn't serious, or else it would have done something more like what Microsoft has done: license on reasonable terms.
Apple seems to want to drive all viable competitors from the high-mobility game (in which the pieces are smartphones, tablets, Ultrabooks, and basically any device you can carry around and operate all day without plugging into a wall socket). If Apple succeeds, then it will have no viable competitors and might draw attention from public authorities around the world.
Microsoft may gain a better position in high mobility over the next few years with Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 on tablets. And the aforementioned gentleman's agreement between Apple and Microsoft will allow the latter at least the opportunity to give it a go. But Microsoft has no position in this market today. Only Google does, by way of Samsung, HTC, and others.
There are questions about whether Jobs was alone in his passionate Google-hate and whether Tim Cook is prepared to carry on the battle in Jobs's name. Some people think that Cook is less emotional and might seek an accommodation, but so far there's no evidence of that. It's likely that Jobs wasn't the only one who felt the way he did and that some of his team still want the heart of Google's city burnt to the ground.
It would be a bad thing for the market if Apple were to become the only supplier of high mobility products, software, and related services. And yet, that's where we're heading.
Samsung has said it will request that the judge set aside the verdict and otherwise will appeal to a higher court. A higher court might be more sympathetic to Google's proxy if it sees Apple starting to look more like a monopoly. The Supreme Court would likely weigh heavily the potential harm to consumers of there being no viable competitor to Apple.
Intel has made good use of Advanced Micro Devices as a straw competitor and has thus avoided some of the problems that, for example, Microsoft faced. And that Apple could face.
A proper settlement of this case would be for Apple to license on a reasonable basis to Samsung and other Android customers. Microsoft already does. A lot of consumers like Android.
Google can argue that Apple's patents are overly broad and should be invalidated. It can say, Apple, with its filings on "ways of doing things" is trying to patent the blue of the sky and the warmth of the sun. And that's not right. Apple can't claim to have invented "roundness" or "black."
Over the years, whatever the final disposition of the case, the outcome will affect the shape of the high-mobility market — and our lives — dramatically.
For more, read:
Why The Apple vs Samsung Verdict Is A Big Mistake
Will Apple's Latest Move Against Samsung Seriously Trash Its Reputation?
Twitter: RogerKay
Okay, this is an article that makes it SEEM like it is providing an impartial look but it is "Apple bashing" in a very subtle way. Come on, statements like,
"Samsung has said it will request that the judge set aside the verdict and otherwise will appeal to a higher court. A higher court might be more sympathetic to Google's proxy if it sees Apple starting to look more like a monopoly. The Supreme Court would likely weigh heavily the potential harm to consumers of there being no viable competitor to Apple."
Is the author trying to sway the courts who have not even been asked to intervene yet? I hope the author does NOT have any AAPL stock, because I sure would not want him to profit from a corporation who is "going to be an evil monopoly." OOOOOOOOOH!
Now that is Apple bashing, Roger. You give yourself away.
I don't think Apple trash talks like its competitors. When it does – say on Flash or 7″ tablets – it's usually been proven right.
No. Being critical is not bashing, agreed. But trying to sway opinion against Apple, when a jury of its peers found that Samsung DID indeed infringe on its patents IS bashing.
I guess you and I will have to agree to disagree.
aapl has innovations, integrity, and creativity. It never tries to kill others like goog does to every little companies in its way such as yelp or trip and many others. Google is more a monopoly than aapl. Simpley creating a super product does not make you a monopoly. Samsung is always a copycat company. I personally do not like their many
galaxy phones. They are not cheaper than I-phones nor any other apple product.
Google is over rated. No clear direction other than just pushing all of their ideas out regardless of how it is actually integrated.
Then apple should sue the whole china, pay more get less doesn't make it super product. That only make you stupid. My teenage kids want expensive sneaker like their peers but they are not much better than 39.99 sneakers. Samsung is beating crapple cuz consumer've spoken. Did your daddy bought you crapple product or you have a job???
Wouldnt it just ruin your world to find out that Steve Jobs got all of his ideas from someone else. And that Samsung made Apple with their technology and capability to make the Iphone pieces. You have no idea what was being passed around in korea and Japan well before any iphone. Dont think that the iphone was overly inventive, more like taking a chance that there was demand to turn people into sheep addicted to phones.
Roger, does it ever occur to anyone that Google is already a Monopoly in most parts of the world. How do you compete with Free?
So making almost 79% of the profit in the mobile industry is not a monopoly? Do these people commenting here just not want to use their own brains to think?
Look at their publishing rules for the App Store. Then discuss whether "It never tries to kill others" is a valid statement.
And ever figured out why OS level calls are forbidden in iOS?
1) complete reactionary BS. Apple has 17% of the global smartphone market. That is nowhere NEAR a monopoly, and even if Samsung dried up tomorrow (which it won't) Apple STILL wouldn't have a monopoly.
2) "Apple can't claim to have invented 'roundness' or 'black.'" Can Coca-cola claim to have invented "curvy bottle"? Because they do. It's not just "roundness" OR "black", it is the complete look of the phone. Just as Coca-cola can claim that a bottle which looks like THEIR bottle is part of their brand, so can Apple claim that a phone that looks like an iPhone is part of their brand.
Now, some may counter that Coke's bottle is far more unique than the appearance of the iPhone, but isn't that why there was a lawsuit to begin with? To establish in a court of law, with experts, testimony, jurors, and deliberation as to whether Apple can make such a claim?
And after such due process, the legal system produced a ruling that Apple CAN claim a particular visual appearance is part of the brand of their product, AND that Samsung willfully attempted to copy that appearance in its attempts to promote its own products.
Sorry if you don't like the outcome, but that is the rational way the legal system works. When you start talking about patenting "warmth of the sun", you've passed beyond rational opinion and into emotional venting…
It's an EXTREMELY slim possibility — a virtual improbability, the way I see it.
And the reasons for that are even in your own article: Microsoft has gone after handset makers in their protection of their IP. Why? Because Google is not a winnable case, in their analysis. So they are just getting handset makers to pay for licensing.
Apple doesn't have more footing against Google than Microsoft — all three, from that perspective, are just smartphone OS providers. But Apple has a stronger position against handset makers than even Microsoft because Apple MAKES PHONES, TOO.
But Google doesn't, or at least didn't, and then did, and then doesn't, but now with the Moto thing, maybe they will again. Honestly, Google's defense against Apple is probably better if they DON'T actually make phones.
Anyway, as much as Apple saber-rattles and would LIKE to go after Google, I don't think it will happen. And even if they do, AND they win, it won't be the end of Android. Especially with all the overblown calls of "monopoly" after this case, Apple won't be deaf to that criticism now, nor in this hypothetical future where they sue (and win) against Google.
No, just like Microsoft knew decades ago, Apple NEEDS Android to live on in some shape or form for EXACTLY the reasons of avoiding anti-trust/monopoly action from the Feds.
As satisfying as it might be for some at Apple to drive a stake through Android's heart, they won't cut off their nose to spite their face. But victories like this one WILL make if very easy for Apple to demand almost any licensing terms from Google and/or handset makers. Reasonable ones, of course. :-D But still extremely painful.
Roger, it's also possible that Microsoft's phone could take off, or that Yahoo or Facebook could launch a mobile phone.
Mr Roger, I think you are very correct in your reasoning. Apple is already making about 79% of the mobile industry profit, if that is not a monopoly let the Apple fans I see all over the comments tell me what is.
And to think that they are helped by the courts and the broken patent system to get to 98% of all the profits, that is a sad thing in itself.
First off, Apple is a beast of a company and why would you want a corporation that powerful to begin with? I think that it should be broken up by the government in to a hardware and software company. Then, they should have to release their OS software for reasonable terms to other companies that want to include it in their hardware. Who cares about what share they have in the world market? I only care about the US market where I live, and Apple is close the a monopoly in the United States, especially if this verdict can't be appealed.
Secondly, I don't think that a corporation should be able to hide behind the US government with patents. The government is there to protect its citizens, not a corporate entity. So, I think that only individuals should own patents, and then they can lease them, not sell them to a company. Then, if another person violates that patent, then they can have the protection from the government step in and stop the other from violating and collect compensation.
How, precisely, does Apple become a Monopoly? The writer presented no evidence, not even any conjecture. Everyone is throwing around words without knowing the actual meaning.
Does Apple control all supplies that others need? No.
Does Apple control all technologies that others need? No.
Does Apple control all patents so that others can never hope to build the same type of products? No.
Where, pray tell, is the monopoly?
Apple wants to "drive all competitors" from the mobility game? What do you think Google is trying to do with Android? Deliberate and convenient ignorance? What can be more sinister that creating a free OS and send it into the wild? Do you think that Apple destroyed the businesses of Nokia and RIM all by itself? Did you even research the sales and product types of Nokia (Symbina) and RIM (BOS) and how they competed against Android and failed?
Who, really is out there to "monopolize" the market? In Search, in Ad and in mobile OS?
As for Jobs-Schmidt, there definitely was "theft" of product strategy and ideas. How else does one explain Google's timely purchase of Android and then quickly changed it from KB to touch-interface? All while Schmidt remained on the Board?
Regardless of whether you like or hate Apple, at least get the facts straight and then create a logical argument to support your love-hate position. Twisting and deliberately ignoring facts to support your position just renders the whole discussion meaningless.
It is like people who want to intelligently debate the Science of Evolution but then base their counter-position on Intelligent Design. There is no much to discuss.


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Ladies, Take Time for Your Health
Silver Cross physician shares prevention tips for most common diseases in women Feb. 16
Joliet, IL (Feb. 1, 2011)— Every woman deserves to thrive. That means handling stress, getting good health care, and nurturing themselves. "Women need to be in charge of their health: work in partnership with their doctors, educate themselves on health risks, and pay close attention to their bodies," says Dr. Corinne Nawrocki, family practice physician at Silver Cross Hospital.
Join Dr. Nawrocki for a Spotlight on Women's Health on Wednesday, Feb. 16 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Silver Cross Center for Women's Health, 1870 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox. Women will learn the facts about cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and how you can prevent them. A drawing will be held for a free Baseline Cardiovascular Risk Assessment. Register to attend this program online or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325) to register to attend this free program.
While some illnesses cannot be prevented, it is important for women to know the risk factors and symptoms for the most common diseases. Being proactive and discussing screenings with your physician makes good health sense, and can help detect an illness at an earlier stage. Some of the most common illnesses in women are heart disease, breast cancer, and osteoporosis.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is still the leading killer for women. However, the bigger danger is the growing number of women who continue to remain undiagnosed for heart disease. This is why it is so important for women to stay in tune with their bodies and recognize the symptoms of heart disease such as chest pain, but also less noticeable symptoms such as jaw pain, shoulder ache, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath.
Another illness women need to be concerned about is Breast cancer because it is the most common cancer in women. Early prevention habits including an annual mammogram and daily self-breast exams can be lifesaving. While cancer can be frightening, it can be treated. Early detection of breast cancer greatly improves your odds for survival. That's because the smaller the cancer is when it's found, the better the chance for a surgical cure. Smaller breast cancers are also less likely to have spread to lymph nodes and other organs such as the lungs and brain.
In addition, Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become weak and fragile. It's caused by bone loss, which accelerates in women after menopause. Over 68% of women suffer from Osteoporosis in America, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. However, this disease is largely preventable. Adequate calcium conception and weight-bearing physical activity are essential to building and maintaining strong, healthy bones.
"Your body will do what it can to repair itself, but you have to provide the tools for it, such as annual checkups, a healthy diet, and physical activity," says Dr. Nawrocki. "The key is to really listen to your body."
About the Silver Cross Center for Women's Health
The Silver Cross Center for Women's Health represents a unique concept in women's healthcare. The Center was the first in the region to provide an advanced level of diagnostics coupled with specialized care for women in one convenient location. The Center is located at 1870 Silver Cross Blvd. Set in a soothing, spa-like environment, the Silver Cross Center for Women's Health offers a variety of healthcare services designed around a woman's needs and lifestyle. The Center's crown jewel is full field digital mammography—the latest breast cancer testing available. In addition to digital mammography, the innovative center offers women diagnostic breast ultrasound and breast biopsies, bone densitometry, and baseline heart screenings. Take a video tour of the center. To schedule an appointment, call (815) 740-7076. A physician's order is required. If you don't have a physician, call the free Silver Cross Physician Referral Service at 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).
About Silver Cross Hospital
Silver Cross Hospital is a not-for-profit health care provider serving Will County and southwest suburban communities since 1895. Silver Cross has been recognized as a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals National Award winner for the last six consecutive years and a one of America's Most Customer Friendly Hospitals by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. With nearly 3,000 employees, physicians and volunteers, Silver Cross operates a 304-bed acute care hospital and 10 satellite facilities providing outpatient services and physician offices. Construction is underway to build a state-of-the-art replacement hospital opening in 2012 in New Lenox. To learn more about Silver Cross Hospital or a referral to a physician on staff, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).


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The Funeral
Christopher Walken
Directed by Abel Ferrara
Abel Ferrara continues to make dark, brutal, punishing movies that piss people off. Obviously, the director of Bad Lieutenant and King of New York is doing something right. The Funeral isn't up to those twin Ferrara peaks, but this Depression-era crime drama, with a script by Nicholas St. John, has some of the same jangling tension. When racketeer Johnny Tempio (Vincent Gallo) is shot down after seeing Humphrey Bogart in The Petrified Forest at a movie house, his family joins his fiancee, Helen (Gretchen Mol), to mourn at the coffin. Johnny's two brothers, Ray (Christopher Walken) and Chez (Chris Penn), search for the killer. A rival hood, Gaspare (a superb Benicio Del Toro), is the obvious suspect in a film that works hard to dodge the obvious.
Ferrara is less interested in who done it than why they done it. Flashbacks reveal the three Tempio brothers, raised in savagery by a sadistic father, in emotional conflict. Johnny wanted out of the crime game to pursue leftist politics. Ray, married to the canny Jeanette (Annabella Sciotra), hides his anger. Chez, married to the fearful Clara (Isabella Rossellini), can't control his. In a film of strong performances, Penn's is the standout. He finds the madness in Chez that is the key to Ferrara's tale of blood ties that choke off compassion and hope.
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Student safety is in question at Dunbar High School after a report of weapons on the campus Thursday.
It happened the same day deputies rushed to break up fights at the school.
Calling these situations isolated and separate incidents, the school's principal made it clear they will not tolerate this type of behavior.
The principal's stern warning comes after a day at Dunbar High not seen in more than a decade - fights, a stun gun and pepper spray all on campus within hours of each other.
Student Camri Calhoun said, "Extremely upset. My brother was knocked out and teachers and administrators just standing there not doing anything. No help."
Calhoun remembered the kicks and the punches that knocker her brother unconscious at Dunbar High School.
"He was bleeding real bad. His mouth was bleeding real bad," said Calhoun.
On Thursday, she was cuffed and charged with fighting.
Deputies accused 19-year-old Jessica Nash of starting the brawl, which was triggered by a bump in the cafeteria claimed Calhoun.
"[It was] something very stupid," said Calhoun.
School leaders call the violence unacceptable. They stress that it was isolated.
"We won't allow the mistakes of five or six students affect the overall success," said Dunbar principal, Carl Burnside.
In a separate, alarming arrest Thursday, another girl told investigators she carried a pink stun gun and pepper spray for personal protection.
Fellow classmates alerted teachers.
"Supervision and vigilance is what we do. Staff members are always on guard," said Greg Adkins with the Lee County School District.
The school plans to conduct a thorough investigation into the fights.
"It does make me nervous. People carry that kind of stuff," said Calhoun's aunt Joyle James.
Calhoun's family insists safety starts with more arrests and accuse staff of giving some a free pass.
"Just because they play football, don't mean they shouldn't be punished. They fought as well," said James.
"I think I'm going to switch schools because I don't want to be there no more," said Calhoun.
The school district claims deputies diffused the situation quickly. They stress this was a dispute between two families.
Calhoun's family filed a police report late Friday afternoon - accusing four other students of taking part in the beating.


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Textbooks can be returned within seven (7) calendar days from the first day of class. Books must be in the same condition as when purchased and must be accompanied by a receipt. The Campus Store will buy textbooks back at any time for up to 50% of the value of the book depending on its need. The Campus Store is operated for student convenience Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and at other times for special occasions. For more information you can visit the campus Bookstore website at http://gmc.bkstr.com.


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Half of Americans Don't Have a 401(k) or Pension
78 million Americans work for employers that do not sponsor a retirement plan
Fewer than half of U.S. workers participate in any kind of employment-based retirement plan. Just 40.4 percent of employees utilized a 401(k) or pension in 2008, down from 41.5 percent in 2007, according to a recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. That translates to about 63.7 million workers who saved for retirement through a workplace program last year, considerably below the 67.1 million employees who participated in 2000.
[See America's Best Affordable Places to Retire.]
Part of the problem is that only 50.6 percent of Americans work for an employer that sponsors a retirement savings plan. But even among full-time workers between the ages of 21 and 64, the group most likely to be offered a retirement plan at work, just 54.8 percent utilized the retirement account or pension plan, down from 55.3 percent in 2007. Significantly more public-sector employees (75 percent) participated in a retirement plan than private-sector workers (41 percent). And employees on the verge of retirement between the ages of 55 and 64 participated in higher numbers (55 percent) than young workers age 21 to 24 (19 percent). Among large employers with 1,000 or more workers, 56 percent were saving for retirement through a workplace plan, compared to 16 percent at companies with 10 or fewer employees.
[Check out these 10 Resolutions for Retirement Readiness in 2010.]
That leaves 78 million Americans who work for an employer or union that did not sponsor a retirement plan and 94.1 million workers who did not participate in a plan, the study found. Craig Copeland, a senior research associate for EBRI and author of the study, says additional decreases in retirement plan participation are possible in 2010. The continued freezing of traditional pensions and shift to self-directed 401(k) retirement plans may continue to diminish the use of retirement savings plans, he writes. But the growing incidence of companies automatically enrolling workers in 401(k) plans unless they opt out could contribute to retirement account participation remaining near the level it is now.