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Photo by Romulo Yanes
YIELD: Makes 4 servings
Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, then add oil and onion to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 4 minutes.
Add asparagus and sauté, stirring, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
While onion is cooking, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta in a colander.
Return pasta to pot along with asparagus mixture, 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, and cheese. Add remaining 1/2 cup cooking water to skillet and deglaze by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add to pasta and toss over moderately low heat until combined well, about 30 seconds.
Serve pasta sprinkled with bacon and with additional cheese on the side.


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Dining Room
- Soft Terrain C21-3
- Gargoyle Shadow F15-1
- Cotton Blossom DW21
* Due to individual computer monitor limitations, colors seen here may vary slightly from actual Dutch Boy® paint colors. Visit your local Dutch Boy® product retailer to view the actual sample and confirm your color selection.
Country Warmth
The fireplace acts as the focal point of the dining area, and the dark gray accent wall helps define the other end of the room.


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Making The Best Of It All-Garlic
It's a bit early but this morning I harvested my garlic and the bunching onions. As is the case every year, some of the garlic is poor, some fair, most good and a few are amazing. In good years, years when we can afford to be cavalier about the food we harvest, the very poor, small bulbs would have gone to the compost or the pigs. This year, as drought threatens so much crop land, I will not toss any of it. Here's my plan. The small, puny bulbs are heading for the dehydrator. Once dried I'll spin in the blender until they are a fine powder. Vacuumed sealed, they will become garlic powder and season many meals. The next smallest are getting pickled. I love pickled garlic. I won't have many jars but I'll have enough to add to an otherwise pedestrian dinner now and then. The average heads will be saved for cooking. This is the bulk of what I grow. We eat a whole lot of garlic around here and not just for the health benefits although they are considerable. I want to make a jar or two of honey, garlic, lemon syrup for treating the occasional cold.
The best of the best, the prize-winning, top-of-the-line perfect garlic will not get eaten at all. It will be set away in a dry, dark corner to await planting in October. It is not easy. I would love to roast that perfect garlic. I want to spread it warm over crusty bread and treat myself and my family to perfection but it is not to be. I need to save garlic for next year's crop. For that, I need the best. Over the course of years, my garlic has adapted to my land, my climate, my place and I can't afford to squander a clove. Each year I have more of the good and great garlic and less that is good for not too much.
I'm also setting aside some that I will let go to seed. It will share a bed with some garlic from a nearby farm. I'll save the seed and grow out some starter garlic from that. I hope to have some genetic diversity in this staple crop so I need to import the DNA.
It seems like a lot of work I suppose. Garlic is pretty cheap and I could buy enough to get me through the year with a small outlay of cash. But I'm not just growing for myself. I'm growing the seeds of a food secure future for my family and my community. I pass on seed and knowledge and a love of good food grown in our good earth.
Gardening In The New Depression
"It's a recession when your neighbor loses her job. It's a depression when you lose yours."
I have to disagree with this. Our town just learned that one of our few employers of local people, a residential program for troubled youth, is closing its doors. It will throw a whole of people out of work. I know several of these families. The jobs didn't pay for cruises to the Mediterranean. These jobs put food on the table. It feels like a depression to me when good friends can't send their kids to college in the fall and cry because they can't see a way forward.
I'm so glad that I saved those lanky, unhealthy tomato starts. They have blossomed into these beauties thanks to compost, water, lots of heat and sunshine. I'll eat my fill of tomato sandwiches but most will end up canned as sauce and dices, catsup and salsa. I'll feel guilty if I lose any, given that my neighbors may be happy to share the bounty with me.
Tonight we eating an abundant garden meal. I sautéed 1/2 a chicken breast in some oil. Now I'm simmering the chopped chicken with some of last year's tomato dices, the first of the zucchini and some kale and chard. I added a lot of Italian seasonings and a dash of salt. Like love and friendship, everything is better for a dash of it. It's delicious meal and a good way to stretch expensive meat. I might slice up the end of some mozzarella and if a friends stops by I'll throw on a pot of rice or pasta. Lots of vegetables can go in a dish like this, peppers and onions, corn and beans. In hard times we make do and I have always believed that hard times are made easier when they are shared with people who care about you. If you have the means, make an extra jar of sauce and share with an elderly neighbor or a single mom. Seek out the unemployed young man or the student away from home. The only way to get through is to hold hands. Peace.
Incubating Eggs
I have been dreadfully remiss in posting. To say things have been busy really doesn't speak to the magnitude of what this spring has been like. First is my incubation project. It has taken some fiddling around to figure out just what I need to do to keep the eggs at the proper temperature for hatching. I was too cheap to spring for the automatic egg turner so I have to manually turn the eggs several times a day. Along the way, the original 17 eggs was reduced to 15 as one exploded and created a horrible, stinky mess and another just cracked. The I added another 8 eggs from another clutch, a combination of both turkey and chicken eggs. Today, four wild turkey eggs were added when the rest of the nest was destroyed by a raccoon. I'll try to hatch them and a friend who runs a wild bird rescue center will raise them for release into the wild.
The pigs have also taken up a lot of time. They will not stop tipping over the water trough so I have to check every hour or two to make sure they have water. They also seem to have gotten mange so Bruce is off to the farm stand to get the medication and they'll need to be treated for that. The garden is producing like gangbusters and I have started the round of preservation.
Then there are the house issues. The roof was being replaced when the first tropical storm hit. We lost the new insulation and the living room ceiling. That's been taken care of but we've had so much rain the chimney man can't get the outside work finished. I have a huge hole in one wall because the windows never arrived. Maybe next week. Great.
By far, the biggest drain on my time is the farmer's market. There is the prep, the loading and loading, reloading and unloading every Thursday and then the cooking and candle making and labeling and making pretty. I need to do a market analysis to see if the whole thing is worth it to me.
In each spare moment I try to get some writing done. I'm working on a novella about what I think the next decade will look like. There are no zombies and nobody is raped or murdered. It's a much slower, much less dramatic collapse and I'm not sure just how interesting it will be unless you're a fan of herbal medicine and permaculture. If it's too boring I may have to throw in a love story.
Here's the thing about collapses. They are rarely as dramatic as most writers would have you believe. They are often felt more on a personal level long before they hit the main stream consciousness. I am beginning to notice some changes and I expect to feel even more come winter. We have yet to get our field hayed as it hasn't stopped raining long enough to let it dry. If we don't have Northeast hay we will have to purchase hay from the West. But the West is blistering under extreme heat and drought while we mold. If there is a poor hay year, the price is paid in the supermarket. Beef and milk, butter and yogurt will all cost more. I saw today that the interest rate for student loans is going to double while CEO's are post their best year ever. How nice for them. Not so nice for the young man with $50,000.00 in student loans and no job. The re3cent graduate facing an uncertain future might feel personal collapse today. If you live in Arizona and you don't have AC in triple digit heat my guess is a melting arctic feels pretty real. I guess you don't need m
Gardening In Hard Times
Gardening when times are easy is easy. You can go for riotous color or award winning tomatoes. A year of blight is annoying and should you loose the squash to drought or bugs, well, these things happen and you head off to the supermarket. Gardening in hard times is a different story. Every plant matters. Every inch of space has to count and there is little room for error.
More and more I am doing hard times gardening. This morning I headed out to the greenhouse to get the last of the tomato plants in the ground. The main crop was planted a week or so ago. They were the lovely, healthy plants that I had babied along from saved seed. What I had left were a few dozen runts. They were leggy gifts form friends with extras and a few that I never transplanted into larger pots. There was a time I would have just tossed the losers but not this year. As I look at the latest climate data and watch the instability of the world financial markets I realize that I don't want to waste anything. I loaded a makeshift raised bed that Bruce created on the south side of the greenhouse with compost and eggshells and planted six plants there. I had two huge, empty pots that house another couple of starts. There was some room at the end of the green bean bed and another place near the basil. I even poked a plant in an empty corner of the herb garden. The final three found homes in between the greens in the greenhouse.
These plants will probably not produce as abundantly as my earlier starts but I have every reason to expect some production. I can always ripen green tomatoes on a shelf in the kitchen and make relish from them too. I haven't had fried green tomatoes in years but it may be time to resurrect my mother's recipe.
I'm going back out in a moment to start more cauliflower and cabbage. The cabbage is such an important crop in a hard times garden. It keeps well in the root cellar and provides us with the basis for fermented kraut and kimchee. If I find a spare spot, something is going in, preferably something that I can keep in the root cellar or can for long term use. Kale and potatoes, squash and beans, tomatoes and carrots; we will eat well and healthy, hard times or not.
Hatching Turkey Eggs In An Incubator
One of the problems with being someone who blogs about my homesteading activities is that in January, when I have all the time in the world to write, I have nothing terribly interesting to write about. Come summer, when my life is full of exciting things, I have almost no time to sit at my computer. There are things to plant and things to harvest, animals to care for and new projects to begin. By the time I sit down at night I have no brain cells left to work with. It's time for a cold pack/hot pack on sore back muscles and escapism reading. So never think I have disappeared. I'm here and busy and I promise to get to this page at least once a week.
The above picture is of my turkey eggs, sitting in my new incubator. It was never the plan. The turkeys we got are a heritage breed that are supposed to be good mothers, a fact that is totally lost on said birds. They lay eggs all right but then promptly forget about them. This is a problem because we spent a chunk of change on the poults last year and then an even bigger chunk replacing the fox-eaten Toms. I have no other good option for organically raised, free range birds that won't cost a king's ransom in the volume I need to get me through a year.
The solution, when we couldn't find a broody hen to help out, was to buy an incubator. I got mine from Lehman's. It's a very light Styrofoam box with a bottom tray for hold water (the humidity needs to be quite high), a mesh screen to hold the eggs and a simple heater to keep the eggs at a constant 100 degrees f. I did not buy the automatic egg turner as turning eggs several times a day is just not that much work, certainly not the almost $80.00 the turner would cost.
The process take 28 days and there is not much for me to do until the end. I marked each egg with a penciled X so I will know that I have turned each one. I check the temperature several times a day and I make sure the bottom channel is filled with water. I will need to candle the eggs in 10 days to be sure that they are all fertile with embryonic chicks forming. I have never done this before and I think I'll have Bruce put up a video when we do it.
My poor husband. We now have the incubator in the kitchen so I can keep an eye on it as well as the worm farm. I have canning jars everywhere and there is usually something fermenting somewhere and herbs drying in baskets. It's glorious mess most days. Added to the general working kitchen clutter is the mess from the leaky ceiling in the living room. It's being replaced today and what a mess! The new roof is on and the gutters will be on by Friday. Next up is the chimney, then windows and siding, along with a lot of insulation and a new parlor stove. The goal is to have this end of the house tight and ready for next winter. That seems far away tod
The Gift of Abundance
I often write about the gifts of abundance: good food, good friends, terrific community, loving home, but in truth not one of these things is an actual gift. All are more like wages earned for the investment of time, energy and resources. I was pondering this as I spent this past week on several time-consuming but necessary projects. The freezer needed to defrosted and rearranged. Some closets had to be organized. Our pigs needed to be moved here from a friends sty for space reasons and we needed to invest in hog fencing and posts as well as troughs and watering containers and hosing so I would not need to haul water. It was expensive and hard labor but the job is done and our pigs will thrive in what is a much better location. The fall meat is not a gift but payment for the excellent care we will give out animals and the respect with which we will treat them at butchering time.
The cheese in the picture is result of many things. A friend was going to be out of town and offered me her milk share. I took it gladly and made this cheddar. Making cheddar is a time consuming project and it requires a lot of milk. My friend offered me her milk in return for us doing the drop off at the bus station. While I had the cheese press out another friend dropped by to give it a look as he hopes to make on for his own use. While visiting he happened to mention that he had a spring lamb to dispose of. Said lamb now resides in my freezer. It will be cooked with the mint jelly I made last week. I'll be delivering a jar of the jelly to the same friend as he took care of the logistics of getting it butchered and delivered.
I get a lot of email about our community and our life. Several of these refer to my "luck" for living in such a good place and having such amazing friends. I appreciate the things I have been gifted with. Good health for sure. My roots are in this place which is a lucky thing as there is no place else I would rather make my stand. But much of my luck is not luck at all. It is the result of hard work and good choices. It results often from sacrifice. I would rather read and write than weed the garden but I would MUCH rather consume great vegetables than poor ones so the choice is made. I would prefer to spend the afternoon tincturing some herbs but I made a commitment to attend a deacon's retreat and I would not even consider disappointing the folks putting it on.
Am I luckier than many people? I am. I live in a place untouched by war or recalcitrant hunger. My climate is better than in many places and the water here is a blessing. I chose my husband before I was wise enough to understand just what a good choice that would be. For the gifts and the ability to do the work, I'm truly grateful.
PS: For some reason my own comments and replies are not showing up in the comment section. I'm working to resolve the issue.
Great Greens
While the cold, wet weather has not been great for a lot of the garden, the greens are loving it. And not just the greenhouse and garden herbs and lettuce either. The wild greens are taking off. Nettle, plantain and lamb's quarters are abundant right now and it's time to take advantage. As soon as it dries up I plan to harvest some plantain to make an infused oil.
It could not be easier. I'll fill a pint mason jar with bruised, dry plantain leaves and cover with some organic olive oil. That will sit for 2-3 weeks on a sunny window sill. It's important to check the level of oil as the herbs must be completely covered. It's also important that the greens be completely dry.
Any moisture can lead to the growth of mold, not what you want in an infused oil. When the oil is a deep green I will strain out the herb and bottle it in a dark bottle and store it in a cool, dark cabinet until it's time to make a plantain salve.
The basic recipe is easy. 1 ounce of beeswax to 1/2 cup oil will make a salve with a good consistency. I like 1/4 cup calendula oil, 1/4 cup plantain oil and a 1 ounce beeswax bar. Melt together in a double boiler over simmering water. You can add essential oil if you like. Pour into any small container and use for rashes or bug bites.
The greens are also gearing me up for pesto making. We think of pesto as only being made with basil but presto can be made with any combination of greens. If your family won't consider eating nettles, add a handful to their favorite pesto recipe for a nutritional punch.
Whether you live in a country cottage or a city high-rise, greens are easy to grow. Check out small varieties for container gardens. If you live somewhere that won't allow gardens (perish the thought!) add some edibles to your landscape. Edible sedum and kale are beautiful additions to both your landscape and your dinner plate.
May 20th, 2013
To Market, To
I am a bit distracted. Farmer's Market
opens on Thursday and I've been getting ready for weeks. Still, there are a lot
of last minute things that have to be at, well, the last minute. Bread baking in
particular has to be done just before we leave. I make a wonderful
chocolate/caramel popcorn that is also best done no more than 24 hours before
being consumed. What I have been doing is making jelly, jams, sauces and candy
as well as finishing up some hand creams and salves. Labeling everything is the
most time consuming part of all.
The part I really hate is figuring out
pricing. Too much and nothing sells; too little and you work for nothing. There
is so much hidden cost in what homesteaders do. Having a jar of honey ready for
the market starts the year before. Bees must be purchased to replace the winter
die-off. The new bees have to be coddled and nurtured. We plant pollen producing
herbs to insure lots of bee food and endure countless stings when we work the
hives. The finished hives must be removed, the honey extracted, the wax
processed and everything turned into product, creams and lotions, candles or
jars of honey. Everything has to be labeled and then transported to a location
for sale. What doesn't sell is packed up and brought home to try again the
following week. Bee suits and hive tools, jars and labels, extractors and bee
food are all expenses that have to be considered in our final costs. And time!
Did I forget to mention time? I figure we work for a lot less that the average
store clerk. I am certain we don't make minimum
So why bother? It's a legitimate question.
I bother because the money I earn is in direct proportion to the labor I expend.
The product I provide is useful and ethical and I can be proud of it. I bother
because I prefer blue jeans to business suits and Muck boots to high heels. I
love the way the lights hits the side of the greenhouse in the early morning and
how you can hear every bird in the stillness. I like to feel connected to my
planet. Every detail matters. How hot will it get? Will it rain today? Do I
expect frost tonight? Has the clover bloomed? If we hay today will it disrupt
the fledglings in the field? If I wait will I have enough time for a third
I like the people who do what I do. They
judge me not by the number of patches on my boots but by the way I manage my
hives. Their talk is plain and real. They don't say much but what they say
matters. When my neighbor was ill with cancer, a huge crew showed up and got his
hay cut in one long afternoon and they all came back to get it bailed the next
day. They went home without a word. It's just what neighbors
I'll figure out the pricing. I'll calculate
cost and labor and know I'll work for love rather than money. In my world, love
Baby, It's Cold Outside
The weather was warm and sunny and then we got much need rain. Predictably, the trees blossomed and the asparagus popped up. My herbs are growing and all is well with the world. Well, it was until last night. We were struck with a killing frost and we can expect another tonight. A lot of my town escaped it but we sit low and near the river. It a good thing as far as our soil goes but it means we get hit with frost later in the spring than most and protecting the garden is really important.
The asparagus is relatively easy. It just needs a cover but our bed is 3+ sheets long. I have found that the sheets must be kept off the plants or they will still freeze so I had to come up with a way to do that. My temporary solution is to put stakes in each corner and along the edges as well as 1/2 gallon Mason jars in a line down the center. I can then lay sheets and have them supported. It works but I think I need to put up some wire hoop frames. It will be easier to work with and less likely to cave in on me. The new herbs were easy. I covered them with 6 gallon buckets and boxes. Most are pretty hardy but a few of the annuals (stevia and lemon verbena) can't take a frost.
I had put out my squash plants and added some Wall O' Waters to shelter them. There was frozen water in the top of the water channels but the plants are just fine.
The fruit trees were the biggest headache. They are too big to cover and I don't own smudge pots. We went out at 11:00 last night and sprayed them all with the hose. It worked great! I don't think we lost a blossom. The Arctic Kiwi did not fare as well. We have lost the first leaves every year since we planted the darn thing and, after 8 years, have yet to see a blossom. I'm about ready to bag this particular experiment and admit we are just the zone for Kiwi, no matter how hardy they are.
Preserving our abundance in the face of a changing climate will be a tall order. It will demand perseverance and attention and the sharing of tips and information. So what's your best tip? This inquiring mind needs to know.
Where Do I Start?
When we talk about new years, we all have our own perspective. January 1 works for a lot of people. The calendar is easy and familiar and it's the time most of us make resolutions. The academic calendar begins in September. I always loved the new clothes and the perfect pencil box. The sense of a fresh start came with a notebook unmarred by pen marks and doodles. The fiscal year works if your a business person. It usually happens in July. Not being a business person, it's one I never paid attention to. For the gardeners though, the new year begins with the day you put that first seed in a bed of healthy soil.
Inherent in the new beginning is the ending and it's another milestone that must be considered. Today, as I contemplate the abundance that I hope my garden provides I am also looking at what is left behind from last year.
I have three freezers. There is the small one over the refrigerator. It's not good for much but the things I use every day. I keep my yeast and the cultures for cheese and yogurt there as well as staples like peppers and onions. I keep short-term leftovers in this small space as they are less likely to get lost. Add in ice cubes and ice packs and ice cream and there isn't room for much else. My second freezer was a mistake. It's a small upright. I didn't pay much for it, thank goodness, as it doesn't suit at all. It isn't frost free and being an upright, the cold air falls out every time I open the door. The only good thing about it is the location. It's right outside my kitchen door in our mudroom. I use it for fruits and vegetables and nothing else. This time of the year I empty it out and I won't plug it back in until the strawberries start to come. My main freezer is huge. We use it for our meat and cider storage as well as lard and extra tomato sauce.
Today is the day for defrosting the middle freezer. I found, as I always do, some things I had forgotten about. Several bags held enough strawberries to do something with. They are a big freezer burned so I decided the best use for them is to cook them down, let the juice drain out and make a beautiful strawberry jelly. The pigs and chickens will eat the pulp and everyone wins. I found a meatloaf and a bag of peas and a few bags of corn as well as a lot of cauliflower. The next few days will be leftover days. I'm busy in any case and I refuse to waste the food. So this is where I begin, right at the end, finding abundance everywhere I look.
Kathy Harrison
Author of Just in Case.
July 2013


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MURRAY, UT (11/24/2009) – Being thankful is a matter of perspective. For Greg Michels, being thankful this Thanksgiving is a matter of the heart. Literally.
Michels breaks into a big smile while visiting with his former nurses at Intermountain Medical Center. "I remember the night before my heart transplant when we went down to the cafeteria and I ordered a big bacon cheeseburger. I've sworn off those since," he laughs.
Michels, 41, has returned to the Utah Artificial Heart Program at Intermountain Medical Center to visit with nurses and staff who once took care of him on a daily basis. These were the individuals who, for four consecutive months earlier this year, were responsible for managing Michels' total artificial heart and getting him ready for a human heart transplant. They were there whenever he wanted to leave his room, walk on the treadmill or go outside for fresh air and sunshine.
With Thanksgiving approaching this week, Michels is reflective and thankful for many things.
He's thankful for NOT being recognized. Walking through the Thoracic Intensive Care Unit at Intermountain Medical Center, some staff might easily mistake Greg for a healthy family member coming to visit a loved one. Some do a double take having not recognized him at first. Michels looks good, fit and trim. He takes a deep breath and walks tall through the unit, a new man with a new heart – and a new purpose.
Michels and his wife, Joni, traveled to Intermountain Medical Center in April of 2009 to complete his evaluation for heart transplant. That same month, Michels heart function rapidly declined with both his right and left ventricles completely failing. On May 1, 2009, surgeons at Intermountain Medical Center completely removed Michels' gasping heart and implanted a CardioWest Total Artificial Heart in its place.
The CardioWest is a newer version of the same heart that Barney Clark received in Utah in 1982. It includes two prosthetic ventricles, or pumping chambers, which are powered by pulses of compressed air. The artificial heart is able to pump high volumes of blood (up to 9.5 liters per minute) safely through the body. Due to the special equipment needed to power the heart, there can only be 10 patients in the United States on these machines at one time. Thankfully, for Michels, Intermountain Medical Center is one of only a handful of heart centers in the country that implants the total artificial heart.
The Utah Artificial Heart Program at Intermountain Medical Center is one of the leading center in the United States for artificial heart technologies. For the past 16 years, Intermountain Medical Center's Artificial Heart Program has been one of the most active centers in the country and is a national leader in extending lives, conducting research, and testing experimental devices that are now being used around the world. Since 1993, the program has been caring for patients and their families throughout Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wyoming.
Michels is thankful for independence. He recovered quickly from his artificial heart implant, but was forced to remain in the hospital though he felt otherwise healthy. He was attached to a 400-pound console, nicknamed "Big Blue", which powered and controlled his heart. He was only able to leave his room for exercise and to spend time outside, but had to be accompanied by at least two specially trained staff. Now, out of the hospital, Michels happily relies on himself rather than others.
He's thankful for "the obvious". On Thursday, August 20, Greg and his family were told a donor heart was available. After nine hours of a challenging surgery, surgeons at Intermountain Medical Center successfully removed Michels' total artificial heart and replaced it with the donor organ.
"In April I had only two weeks to live, and now its Thanksgiving. I have physical stamina and can do things I haven't been able to do in 15 years. I'm thankful for my life, I'm thankful for so many things that I previously took for granted," he says.
He's also thankful for new shoes. After his transplant, Michels felt like a free man, like everything was new to him. "I went into the stairwell just for the heck of it. It had been so long since I could walk up stairs. The first thing I did when I left the hospital was buy new shoes. I do a lot of walking now that I can." Michels makes exercise a priority, going on three to four hour hikes at least every other day. He takes a pocket-sized GPS with him to track his mileage. It's not uncommon for Michels now to trek eight miles in one day.
He's thankful for family. Michels and his family have spent the past seven months making a new life in Utah, relocating from Montana to Park City. From May through August, their life was based out of his hospital room at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. Their young children, Alex, 11, and Jade, 4, spent time with dad every evening at the hospital – playing guitar hero, coloring and sharing meals. Now they are finally living together in Park City. "Those times were pretty stressful on us. It can be difficult for young children to understand why dad isn't coming home," says his wife, Joni.
He's thankful for healthy food. Michels tries to minimize his medications with his diet, which might make his Thanksgiving meal a bit simpler than most, but he is determined to eat healthy. There are no boxes or cans of anything in his house – too much sodium. Same problem with going to restaurants – one meal out and he might gain two pounds. Everything needs to be fresh and prepared properly to prevent any strain on his new heart.
He's thankful for petty complaints. Michels used to have a good deal to complain about. At one point there were tubes coming out of his stomach, making it hard to lie on his left side. There was a constant mechanical pounding in his chest and ears. Today, he takes a strict regimen of medications to prevent his body from rejecting his new heart. He experiences a bit of nausea. But he says these things are trivial compared to what he has been through. "My complaints get pettier every day – it's great!" he laughs.
Michels looks forward to when he can return to his home in Billings, but for now he will continue to work hard to stay healthy and get stronger. "You don't struggle with heart failure for 15 years and just forget what it took to conquer this disease," he says. The struggle is part of Michels. It's why he naturally continues to fight and stay healthy. This is Michels' perspective, and he is thankful for it.
"A lot of people worked very hard to save my life, then to keep me alive for four months," he says. "I'm so grateful for all the people at the hospital who worked so hard to give me back my life. For them and the miracles of modern technology, I'm truly grateful."


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COSTA MESA, Calif.—The colors, design, and tradition in Shen Yun Performing Arts all caught the attention of Mr. Stanley Dehrens.
The artists of Shen Yun—a New York-based company totaling some 300 artists— make sure the aesthetics, design, inner spirit and story all work together like brush strokes of a painting, each a part of the whole experience. The result leaves audience members around the world in awe.
Mr. Dehrens could clearly see that focus: "I love the balance of the design of the choreography. I think that was excellent."
Mr. Dehrens, a semi-retired investment banker who saw the performance on Saturday night at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, said he was moved by both the fantasy and the historical context of Shen Yun.
Shen Yun's artistic creators include designers, choreographers, and technical experts. Their creation encompasses a performance of dozens of dancers who perform classical Chinese dance, as well as ethnic and folk dance, adorned with handmade costumes, accompanied by a live orchestra, and accentuated by digital backdrops.
The creators take painstaking effort to be true to genuine, traditional Chinese dance, so that this priceless art will be preserved forever. In their quest to protect their divine heritage, Shen Yun dives into the legends of its grand 5000 year history, which often reveals heroic tales of faith and the inner beauty of Asian religions, such as Buddhism and Taoism, and illustrates the universal Chinese values of truth, compassion and tolerance.
The Shen Yun Orchestra, a unique ensemble of both Chinese and Western instruments, also grabbed Mr. Dehren's praise: "I love the music, it's wonderful and the orchestra is great."
Interwoven through a series of short dance pieces ranging in length up to ten minutes is a story of the birth of Chinese civilization to a potential destructive moment. The last piece touches upon a battle of good and evil, "an enduring theme in all cultures," according to Shen Yun's program book. At a key juncture, divine intervention assists spiritual believers against suppressors.
"You have to have that dream of hope, even if you have disaster," said Mr. Dehrens. "You've got to build with what you've got and believe in yourself. The concept should show hope."
With its pure intention to salvage and preserve the lost traditions of China and to uplift all of its audience members with traditional virtues and stories of heroism and goodness, it is no surprise that people around the world, from all cultures and nations have embraced Shen Yun's message of hope and kindness.
Reporting by Flora Ge and Albert Roman.
Shen Yun Performing Arts will perform at Segerstrom Center for the Arts Jan. 20, then to Thousand Oaks at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Jan. 22 and 23, and finally to downtown Los Angeles at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Jan. 25 through 27. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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Steve Saint grew up among the Waorani tribe. Today he is a missionary, a pilot, and, more recently, the inventor of a flying car. Steve is one of the most powerful icons of forgiveness in modern times. His own story is told in the film, End of the Spear. Steve founded the Indigenous People's Technology and Education Center, or ITEC, to help transform the lives of indigenous people.
Learn more about ITEC at: http://itecusa.org/ Check out the flying car: http://mavericklsa.com/
Visit Renew's YouTube Channel for more videos.


text:
Thursday, May 19, 2011
© Copyright 2015 Newton Citizen
Norfolk Southern's asking price for the portion of its rail line within Covington city limits is $1.2 million, more than some council members are willing to pay.
That does not include $500,000 in SPLOST 2005 dollars already set aside for acquisition of a small parcel near the proposed site of the downtown civic center, which would bring the total cost to purchase the rail line that runs through the city to $1.7 million.
The City Council voted 4 to 2 in closed session Monday night not to send a letter of intent to purchase to the railroad. Council members Chris Smith, Keith Dalton, Ocie Franklin and Hawnethia Williams were opposed to sending the letter, with Janet Goodman and Mike Whatley in favor.
"There was a lot of discussion about it, and I am adamantly against spending that kind of money for it," Smith said, noting that less than 5 miles of the rail line are located within the city. He added that he was open to considering the purchase if it could save the city money in the long run, but, "Once I saw the price, that's not a fair deal."
Norfolk Southern had originally given a sale price of $1.8 million for the entire stretch of approximately 15 miles of rail line running from Covington on to Porterdale to just outside Newborn. About two-thirds of the property is in unincorporated Newton County.
Two grants totaling more than $1 million were awarded to the county from the federal government for purchase of the rail line; one of those was earmarked for conversion of the rails to a multi-use trail.
Smith said he was also concerned that there was nothing in writing stating that the earmark to the county could be transferred to the city.
"I don't have any regrets about what I did. I think it was the right thing," he said.
Dalton said there has been talk that the city could benefit from owning the property because it wouldn't have to purchase those easements for utilities in the future. But the cost outweighed the benefits in his mind.
At $27,000 an acre, "It's just ridiculous in these times. I don't think there's a private person or business, not anyone, who's going to come out and buy this rail, not with economic times like they are," he said, adding that in some spots, the right-of-way is only 9 feet wide, making it of little use to anyone else. "I'm not saying it might not be beneficial to the city at some point, but right now, no."
The purchase cost would cover the expense of removing the tracks but not the cross ties. Dalton said no environmental studies have been done on the property for contaminants like arsenic or asbestos, and it's not clear who would be responsible for that or how much it would cost.
"If we're going to spend that kind of money, why not get sidewalks so people can actually move from their houses to the store to get necessities?" he said. "I am not against trails. There is a lot of stuff I'm not against, but I don't think we should take other people's money to pay for it."
The council voted more than a year ago not to pursue purchase of the rail line. At a working retreat earlier this year, Mayor Kim Carter asked the council for authorization to enter into discussions with the railroad to get more information after Norfolk Southern sent her an email giving a 30-day deadline to commit to the purchase. Officials authorized the city's legal team to handle those discussions instead, but the mayor participated despite the council's instructions, Dalton said. Now, for the second time, the council has voted not to pursue the purchase.
"I've voted no on it so many times I've lost count. For me, in my mind, it's almost becoming a conflict of interest for her to be the one driving this thing because her husband is the president of (Newton Trails, an organization that has partnered with local municipalities to support the purchase)," he said.
Carter declined to comment on the council's recent decision.
Councilwoman Janet Goodman said her position on the issue has never changed.
"All I've got to say is I've always been in favor of it. My decision has not changed because I know it would be an asset to Covington," she said. Goodman said she isn't sure if the issue is dead or if it may come up again in the future.
Other council members did not return calls seeking comment.
More like this story
- Railroad discussion not over ( November 2, 2011 )
- City votes against railroad purchase ( April 20, 2010 )
- City to form railroad committee ( November 22, 2011 )
- City votes no on railroad ( May 17, 2011 )
- City Council still sparring over railroad ( June 21, 2011 )


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Dallas, TX (PRWEB) June 17, 2014
Benefiting from the rise in automobile production and sales, the growing car ownership as well as higher requirements of consumers on vehicle comfort, the automotive air-conditioning market shows rapid development. In 2013, China's automotive air-conditioner output hit 23.41 million units, up 14.9% year on year, with the CAGR of 22.5% in 2007-2013; meanwhile, Chinese automotive air-conditioning market size jumped by 13.8% year on year to RMB13.93 billion with the CAGR of 22.0% during 2007-2013.
In China, automotive air-conditioning compressors are mainly divided into swash plate, rotary vane and scroll types. The low-cost and high-efficient swash plate compressors are favored by the majority of automotive air-conditioning system suppliers, enjoying about 70% market share; rotary vane compressors are mainly used for small engine vehicle, including micro, small and compact sedans and microbuses, accounting for roughly 10% market share; while scroll compressors, compared with the above two types, are featured with higher efficiency and lower costs, but stricter requirements on operating conditions, so such compressors are commonly installed in small engine sedans and minibuses, occupying about 20% market share.
Key Players in China
Toyota Industries Corporation (Denso), Halla Visteon Climate Control Corp. (HVCC), Valeo, Panasonic, Keihin, Nanjing Aotecar, Chongqing Jianshe, Mudanjiang Futong Automotive Air Conditioning Co., Ltd, Suzhou ZhongCheng Auto A/C Compressor Co., Ltd, Shanghai Velle Automobile Air Conditioner Co., Ltd, Hefei Dyne Automotive Air Conditioning Co., Ltd, Zhejiang Chunhui Group Co., Ltd, Shuanghua Holdings Limited.
Complete report is available @ http://www.chinamarketresearchreports.com/114837.html.
There exist two kinds of suppliers -- supporting suppliers and independent suppliers in Chinese automotive air-conditioning compressor market, wherein, the former embraces some international brands mastering 70% market share together, such as Sanden, Denso, Halla, Dongguan Keihin; independent suppliers seize 30% market share jointly, including AoteCar, Chongqing Jianshe Automomotive Air Conditioner and Panasonic and other companies.
The report mainly conducts the following studies:
Purchase a copy of this report @ http://www.chinamarketresearchreports.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=114837.
Few Points from Table of Contents
List of Charts
Schematic Layout of Automotive HVAC System
Comparison of Different Automobile Air-conditioning Compressors
Performance Comparison of Compressor Drive Solutions
Revenue and YoY Growth of China Automobile Manufacturing Industry, 2006-2013
Total Profit and YoY Growth of China Automobile Manufacturing Industry, 2006-2013
R&D Expenditure, YoY Growth and % of R&D Costs in Revenue of China Automobile Manufacturing Industry, 2005-2013
Automobile Output and YoY Growth in China, 2005-2017
Passenger Car Output, YoY Growth and % in Automobile Output in China, 2006-2017E
Total Output of Buses in China, 2009-2014
Automotive AC Compressor Output in China, 2006-2013
Automotive AC Compressor Market Value in China, 2006-2013
Top 10 by Output of Automotive AC Compressor in China, 2013
Supporting of Leading Automotive AC Compressor Suppliers in China
Output of Automotive AC Compressor in China, 2013-2017E
China Automotive AC Compressor Market Size in China, 2013-2017E
Automotive Swash Plate Compressor Market Value in China, 2006-2013
Automotive Swash Plate Compressor Market Value in China, 2013-2017E
Automotive Rotary Vane Compressor Market Size in China, 2006-2013
Automotive Rotary Vane Compressor Market Size in China, 2013-2017E
Automotive Scroll Compressor Market Size in China, 2006-2013
Automotive Scroll Compressor Market Size in China, 2013-2017E
Development Course of Sanden in China
Revenue and Net Income of Sanden, FY2010-FY2014
Revenue Structure of Sanden by Product, FY2013-FY2014
Key Compressor Series of Sanden
Compressor Sales Volume of Sanden, 2012-2013
Compressor Sales Volume of Sanden by Region, FY2013-FY2014
Capital Structure of SSBA
Overseas Sales Network of SSB
Domestic Sales Network of SSB
Supporting of Key Automotive AC Compressors of SSBA, 2013
Main Investment Projects of SSBA, 2013
Main Subsidiaries of SSBA
Revenue of SSBA's Main Subsidiaries, 2010-2012
Automotive AC Compressor Output of SSBA and Its Joint-stock Companies, 2010-2012
Revenue and Net Income of TICO, FY2010-FY2014
Revenue of TICO by Product, FY2010-FY2014
Browse more reports on Automotive & Transportation Industry @ http://www.chinamarketresearchreports.com/cat/automotive-transportation.html.
About Us:
ChinaMarketResearchReports.com (http://www.chinamarketresearchreports.com/) is an online database of market research reports offer in-depth analysis of over 5000 market segments. The library has syndicated reports by leading market research publishers across the globe and also offer customized market research reports for multiple industries.


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Family Scholar House is changing lives, families, and communities through education.
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Family Scholar House is changing lives, families and communities
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Our mission is to end the cycle of poverty and transform our
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The inaugural Wine, Women and Shoes event kicked off the 2014
Spring season with a bang that was as loud as the guest's heels on
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Family Scholar House is pleased to announce the publishing of our new blog, Our Stories Matter! The blog is designed to help readers/subscribers experience the stories of Family Scholar House participants and supporters in ways that further our mission to end cycles of poverty through education!
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text: Soccer – FA Cup – Fifth Round – Cardiff City v Wigan Athletic – Cardiff City Stadium by Alan Duffy | 16th, February 2014 Tweet Wigan Athletic manager Uwe Rosler celebrates after the FA Cup, Fifth round match at The Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. Posted in | No Comments » By Alan Duffy on February 16th, 2014 in . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Like Us Follow @waatpies Share this article Tweet


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It can be so frustrating to wait for all of your RSVPs to come in so you can determine who is actually coming to your wedding and who isn't. For the most part, snail-mail RSVPs are a thing of the past. Here's why:
1. They're not Convenient
We are a society conditioned to expect convenience in all areas of life. Why visit the department store when we can order online? Why cook something from scratch when we can pick it up from a restaurant? With the super busy lives we lead, convenience is a must. Therefore, filling out the little card and putting it in the mail isn't convenient when individuals can talk to each other via text or on social networking sites. This is why a wedding website RSVP option is so great!
2. They Get Lost Easily
Your guest might have the best intentions but RSVP cards are super easy to lose. A lost RSVP card equals one RSVP card you're not getting.
3. Lost in the Mail
Not only can RSVP cards get lost at your guest's home, but it's possible for the entire invitation to be lost in the mail. If this happens, not only will your guest not be RSVPing, but they'll assume they weren't invited. Or, the RSVP card can get lost on its way back to you.
This is why it's so important to allow your guests to RSVP through your wedding website. It's easier, faster and you're much more likely to get your answers quickly.


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Hey guys, I've written a few blogs here on Giant bomb and I was wondering how I could improve upon my writing. Here are some examples -
Any tips on how to improve are much appreciated.
Hey guys, I've written a few blogs here on Giant bomb and I was wondering how I could improve upon my writing. Here are some examples -
Any tips on how to improve are much appreciated.
I don't even have to read any of your stuff to tell you the answers; write more and submit for peer review. Those two things will always make you better.
But more specifically; don't try so hard to be funny.
If you're not opposed to buying and/or borrowing some books then here
@Rudyftw said:
Clever titles that have nothing to do with Ashton Kutcher or Shakespeare.
@SoldierG654342 said:
I don't even have to read any of your stuff to tell you the answers; write more and submit for peer review.
But more specifically, don't try so hard to be funny.
Ha, anything else besides the bad titles?
Make fewer mistakes. But seriously, just keep writing. Maybe let a few other people that you know will give constructive criticism read over it to see if everything looks alright (not necessarily close friends because they may go "Oh yeah, this looks good." just because you're friends and they don't want to make your work seem bad). And be sure to look over it yourself when you're finished to see if it all sounds right to you.
@NekuSakuraba: With the exception of the review, what you posted is all casual writing. There's no real criticism I can give you about a blog post; it's a fucking blog, do what you want.
I'll give the review a thorough read and get back to you. Because I genuinely enjoy doing this type of thing.
Practice, practice, practice! Always be writing!
Look over your stuff for mistakes. Have friends look over stuff for mistakes. Proofread, in other words!
And trust me, I know what I'm talking about. I'm writing a novel.
Keep writing, and trust yourself.
As I'm sure it will be said many times, just keep doing it and you will improve. As bad as my writing is now it was god dam atrocious when I started posting online, and now it's somewhat passable. It got better for me by writing constantly, most of the posts that make up that post count next to my name were paragraphs/pages and not sentences, and it started when I decided I wanted to write reviews over at Anime Vice. Sadly shortly after starting to really get into it Whiskey killed the site and that passion kind of died with it, but I did get a desire to improve my writing and I noticed that if you want to be taken seriously when trying to argue any point online it helps if people can read it.
Use more semicolons.
Use at least four semicolons in each paragraph but strive for six semicolons if you really want to push yourself.
I don't know if you regularly do, but reading novels etc. is beneficial too.
I found that when I read a lot of books (not so much anymore), my vocabulary improved and writing tended to flow better.
Write more. That is probably the best piece of advice anyone can give you. You have to write a lot to find your voice. The more you do it, the more you will become comfortable and sort of find your own style and all the subtleties that make your writing unique.
It helps me to write like I am just talking to you. I don't try to be funny or sound extremely smart, because I'll most likely come off as trying too hard and basically make an ass of myself. If you don't have a joke or anything clever to say, don't force it, keep moving.
I then reread anything I write before submitting it for public viewing. And the reason I do that is so I can fix any mistakes or pick up on words that I might have used a bit too often. Like, I said "just" in nearly every sentence of this post, so when I noticed it I went back and changed it. I just didn't want to use the word that many damn times.
don't try so hard to be funny.
Like everyone else is saying, practice. You're doing the right thing by exposing your writing to people who will read it. Just keep doing that. That being said, I read the all of them except the review on isaac. Since blog posts don't really have any rules, I'll treat them as opinion pieces. I found it a little hard to stay interested in what your point was. Granted that might be because I'm watching the walking dead right now, so I'll revisit them later and edit this if that changes. I understood what you were trying to say in the three, it made sense, but I felt like you never really brought it all around to a satisfying point for the reader. It just kept going and going and going without bringing everything together. Also as a general rule, keep in mind that word choice can make things all the better.
Keep at it. Just by posting these and looking for help you've proven that deep down you have what it takes. Read more, write more, and learn how to use more subtle humor.
Cut 10 percent of your words. Let it sit for a half an hour, go back, and see if you can cut 10 percent more. Don't stop until you can't cut any more.
Figure out what you want to accomplish with each piece and organize it into a logical structure. Knowing whats relevant to your topic will keep things concise, on track and save a lot of time from rewrites and becoming distracted by asides. Read other articles and analyze them from this perspective. See how their paragraphs flow into each other as an exercise- how they go from talking about story, to character to gameplay etc. Don't worry about finding a voice until you are comfortable with the basics.
After reading just 2 paragraphs of the first article I can tell you that you need to learn the proper uses of a comma and a semi colon. I've added notes to the paragraphs to show you what I mean.
Games are fairly expensive,* aren't they? Not all of us can afford $60 every time a new game comes out,* so this is what this is for **- I'm going to help you, yes,* you, find games that are relatively cheap ($10 or less) that will keep you busy for a good amount of time.
The first is something I have recently been playing, The Binding of Isaac. It's a mix of rogue likes, zelda and even a bit of bullet hell thrown in there. The game is created by Edmund Mcmillen of Super Meat Boy fame,** he made Binding of Isaac in 120 days! That's pretty awesome if you ask me. The game starts off when Isaac's mother tries to sacrifice him and he jumps down to the basement where, for some reason, there is a shit load of scary stuff down there so you have to fight your way out and defeat your own mother.* = Comma splice. You shouldn't put a comma here.
Your actual writing is pretty decent - like others have mentioned, you don't have to try to be funny with your titles all the time. It's something I do for my reviews on here, and I always hate it, even if I can't stop myself doing it! - but the only thing I really noticed was the overall focus of your post on the Binding of Isaac. It starts off being a personal blog, sort of becomes more informative/review-esque in the middle and floats back to the blog-style for the last few paragraphs. It wasn't posted as a Blog by the looks of it, just a thread in the forum, but the weird focus threw me off a bit. Stick to one style for a piece of writing rather than mixing it up - a blog allows for more personal experiences and opinions, and a bit more of a casual tone, whilst I feel a review should feel a little more formal and bit a less personal (opinionated, yes, because that's the point of critical discourse).
As others have said, just keep at it. Keep writing and you'll grow to spot your own strengths and weaknesses, but remember you will never catch every mistake you make. Proof reading it yourself before - and after! - posting is essential any way, for both spell checking and seeing if you think you've got your intentions and ideas across, but let other people read it! An extra pair of eyes helps, they might notice something that you didn't, be it spelling/grammar issues or even if they don't understand the way you've worded a particular sentence. Don't just be satisfied after the first draft - there's always something you could improve or add to make a piece better!
1,000 words a day. They can literally be about anything. ANYTHING. The important part is that you're writing. Reading is a big part of it too, because that's who you learn from the most: your favorite authors. I'm not talking about going through every literary classic that's ever been just for the sake of reading about it, I'm talking about reading things that you enjoy and could see yourself writing about in the future. If you read War and Peace just for the sake of being able to say you did, you won't get anything out of it, and it'd be a waste of time (a lot of fucking time...).
When you're starting out it's easy to get discouraged because you'll probably sound like a watered-down version of your inspirations. This is a completely natural and essential step in developing your own unique voice, so just keep pushing and eventually you'll find a voice you're comfortable with. When your daily 1,000 words stop feeling like work and you find that you actually want to write (you may already be at this point, I don't know you) you're doing it right.
Don't take this to heart, but just from reading your titles, I can tell you've been heavily influenced by the sarcastic prose of the GB staff. They're fine writers and all, but bare in mind that they're writing for a very specific audience. Humor is perfectly fine to have in your writing, but there's a fine line between disinterested sarcasm and douchey cynicism (COUGH ALEX COUGH COUGH COUGH I HAVE A BAD COLD YOU'LL HAVE TO EXCUSE ME).
Another thing I've found helpful is using the same voice for online conversations/posts/blogs and my papers/projects. I have a pretty conversational tone in my writing. While I consider my vocabulary to be more varied than the average dude's, I don't go out of my way to use "big words" when the simpler stuff does just fine. You don't seem to have any problems with overusing big words, but I've seen it happen plenty of times by new writers who just want the approval of their peers. The way I write papers is hardly any different than the way I approach a post here, minus profanities and drug references.
I'll leave you with just one book reccommendation: On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft by Stephen King. King is my favorite author of all time and if you're a fan of his work you'd be doing yourself a disservice not checking it out (kind of like how I continue to do so by not reading The Stand) as it contains some great insight on breaking in as a writer and continuing to improve. It's not a self-help book so much as it is a "Hey, I know writing is a bitch to get into and make money off of, and this book won't do it for you, but I can pass on some pointers to help the industry not kick your ass as much as it potentially and probably will."
I hope this all helps dude, and good luck on the path. Remember everyone is constantly learning and don't get discouraged.
Use more semicolons. Use at least four semicolons in each paragraph but strive for six semicolons if you really want to push yourself.This; semicolons are the new period; they show that you're a high-minded intellectual and stuff; if you don't use semicolons, people will think you're fucking stupid.
Reading is the best way to improve your writing; head down to your local library and check some stuff out. Here's some books that really helped me as a writer:
The Physician by Noah Gordon
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov
We by Evgenii Ivanovich Zamiatin
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Cien Años de Soledad by Gabriel García Márquez
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kessy
American Gods by Neil Gaimen
Amerika by Franz Kafka
The Satanic Verses: A Novel by Salman Rushie
Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner
You should give them a spin.
Also, practice makes perfect, so write as much as you can. If you try and be as conversational with your writing as possible, you'd probably be in good shape.
I'll leave you with just one book reccommendation: On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft by Stephen King.You want Neku's blogs to end with some bullshit plot twist, like he only likes The Binding of Isaac because aliens are holding his dreams hostage :P?
@Video_Game_King said:
@Everyones_A_Critic said:I'll leave you with just one book reccommendation: On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft by Stephen King.You want Neku's blogs to end with some bullshit plot twist, like he only likes The Binding of Isaac because aliens are holding his dreams hostage :P?
Yup. And then a skeleton popped out.
Do not use words like don't can't they're or got, get.
Do not incorporate a parenthesis for your own thought, it is needless IMO, use commas.
Do not ask a question to immediately answer and NO exclamation marks
Titles are the hardest thing. Be catchy, grab your reader but NO cliches. Opening sentences should also grab your reader. Do not say what you are going to say. Just say it.
Read more, write more, repeat.
@LordXavierBritish said:
Use more semicolons. Use at least four semicolons in each paragraph but strive for six semicolons if you really want to push yourself.
I see u trollin'
I started writing reviews on opinion sites around about your age. I don't do that any more. I prefer to keep the stupid shit to blog form. But if I hadn't typed all that crap out from an early age, I wouldn't be where I am at now. Someone actually plagiarized me at one point (I think). Read stuff too. Doesn't have to be the complete works of Shakespeare. Look up the editorials of newspapers like WSJ or NYT. The fun ones. Like this guy
Charlie Brooker often writes about games over at The Guardian, but he's funny on most topics. I'd love to see him interview/be interviewed by Giant Bomb. Plus they are one of the few mainstream newspapers to actually devote actual space to video games.
@mosespippy: I think the first em dash he uses is completely defensible. A semicolon in that position would look extremely awkward and out of place. It would make more sense to put a semicolon there if he was writing a formal paper, of course, but he's not. The dash makes the introduction snappier and matches the tone he is going for.
Go buy an AP style book take some journalism classes and write about something more important than video games.
Write more and understand that your first draft is never gold.
Thanks for all the help guys.
A quick question, what is the rule on multiple question marks if you are asking multiple questions in one sentence, like this for example - Even if we were to filter the topics we wanted to view, what is the point? Why don't we just go to the dedicated websites and discuss the subject there?
@NekuSakuraba said:
Thanks for all the help guys.
A quick question, what is the rule on multiple question marks if you are asking multiple questions in one sentence, like this for example - Even if we were to filter the topics we wanted to view, what is the point? Why don't we just go to the dedicated websites and discuss the subject there?
You want to say "What would be the point?" remember your tenses, haha. Other than that I don't see anything wrong with the way you just wrote it.
Oh, and feel free to use contractions and simple language. If anyone attacks you because you talk like the average fucking person and not some scientific jerk-off then they aren't worth your time to proofread your work. Write the way you feel comfortable, if that's in a dialect that isn't exactly "formal", then go ahead. Creativity is only hindered by these bullshit rules.
@NekuSakuraba said:
Hey guys, I've written a few blogs here on Giant bomb and I was wondering how I could improve upon my writing. Here are some examples -
Any tips on how to improve are much appreciated.
Whether you're writing a 3-page essay, 50-page dissertation, 500-word news story, or a personal blog, never.ever. start off with a question. Also, you ask way too many rhetorical questions within the body of your blogs. I understand that it's somewhat conversational, but if you want to make quality points, say what you want to say with authority and skip the rhetorical jargon before it.
I also noticed that you try to say more than one thing in just one sentence a lot. That type of writing always reminds me of that ditzy blond girl from high school who would talk at the speed of sound and not know when to properly end a sentence. Here is a quote from one of your blogs:
Some people might claim - Fifa needs it to update the roster or Call of Duty needs more weapons and maps but isn't that what DLC is for? (besides charging $40 for skins,tsk tsk Epic games!) adding minor changes for a small price? there is no arguing that they make more money by charging $60 a year for the game but we can only hope they will wait a little longer next time!
Okay, not sure if you meant this to be multiple sentences or something else, but it looks like you just tried to say something, ask something, ask something else, then yell something all in the same sentence. It's convoluted and unfocused, but most of all it's just a chore to read.
Hope this helps. Too many people told you to read more books or have other people critique your work.
Just write and write and write. Everyday if you can. Even if you don't post it online, just write in a notebook. Anything from short stories to game reviews can only help your writing process. Maybe try writing everyday, and posting one article a week online. That way you can see a change in your writing overtime, and you won't have a million blogs, just 52-ish.
Oh, and another thing: write what you know. This doesn't really apply to any of the samples you provided, but if you ever delve into fiction, write only what you have had personal experience with. If you don't think you've done anything exciting enough to warrant a piece, write it anyway, trust me. I just handed in a three page sample to my creative writing professor that centers around two kids sitting in the cab of a truck doing nothing. You can get a good story out of anything, just make sure you're adept in the subject matter.
Learn how to use grammar, stop putting in effort to be funny and read more. Good stuff too.
Use your keyboard!
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We have often discussed the value and importance of High Intensity Intervals (HIT) here at Pez. There is a reason, of course, they are a central component of racing success, yet questions remain, so let's dive into the lactic acid pool once again!
You've spent months preparing mentally, endless hours physically, all building towards THIS EVENT, this focus. Or maybe it's just a Saturday and you went racing. Either way the let down and psychological weight of a sub-par performance can be a slippery slope, so what can you do to move forward?
You lean forward, driving down on to the pedals, legs exploding, chest burning, mouth wide open, sucking as much air as possible into your hungry lungs. That process of laboured breathing and ventilation is a primal force. Can we train our respiratory muscles to decrease the stress of breathing or even ride faster?
The heart is a muscle, and can be trained just like any other muscle in your body. Cardiovascular mechanisms and the inability to supply blood and nutrients to the different tissues in the body remain at the "heart" of many of the proposed models of fatigue, so this seems a good place to start our exploration…
Cycling, while generally pleasurable, is ultimately all about pain and suffering at the sharp end of competition. Fatigue and exhaustion is something we have all felt at some time or other. However, why do we actually get tired on the bike and what constitutes fatigue?
Fasted and 'controlled carbohydrate' training is getting increasing amounts of attention. There are suggestions that these protocols could even 'remodel' muscle in favour of using fat as a fuel. PEZ explores what the scientific evidence says, how pro cycling teams are using these approaches and what we could learn to enhance our performance in practise.
Watching the final crush of Milan San Remo is to view the crescendo of many hours of impressive metabolism. 1000 kilojoule/hour are common place in the racing peloton, and most surely the last hour of M-S-R is way above that value. Those guys are lean and mean. Are You? Look, I'm not saying…
If cycling is a sport of suffering, most of the time that suffering comes down to our muscles feeling like anchors on a climb or exploding in agony in a sprint. But fatigue, like love, is a many-splendored thing. Does the type and location of fatigue occur at different parts of our nerves and muscles depending on the type of exercise that we do?
With the eventual approach of (hopefully) late winter in the northern hemisphere, most of us are transitioning out of preparatory or base training and looking towards incorporating higher intensity efforts into our programs. What are some of the thoughts behind planning intervals properly?
How many times have you finished a race and not had that last extra effort needed to win or get a top finish? Let's look at a few possible explanations as to why this common occurrence may happen and what you can do to remedy the problem.
It is now several months into indoor trainer season for many northern cyclists, and the same workouts are getting a bit repetitive. With some of us facing another month or more before reliably being able to get outside, what are some ways to spice up some tried and true workouts for the great indoors?
Chances are if you are reading this you race bikes. You may be a seasoned veteran of the two wheeled wars, or perhaps you are just dipping your toe into the ocean of experiences that racing brings. Either way, you can learn and help others learn by embracing skills development as the starting point to racing success.
Late January is typically the depths of winter in the northern hemisphere, so many of us have been riding indoors for more than a month. Cabin fever gets us debating whether to dare a ride outdoors or head back to the trainer. Anyway, it seems like a good time to go over some rules concerning exercising outdoors in the cold.
Lots of miles in exotic locales and riding with your favourite cycling heroes - you really can't beat a training camp as a perfect working holiday. However, what if you can't or don't want to join an organized camp and want to design your own camp solo or with your team?
Another New Year is upon us and what better way to start it here at the Pez Toolbox than with a list of 10 New Year's resolutions for your cycling. Throughout the 2015 season, when things are going both good and bad, check back to this list to keep your training on track:
As the 2014 event season is winding down (or has become a distant memory), a natural and necessary transition begins to happen toward 2015. This time of transition provides cyclists (from enthusiasts to experienced racers, from development riders to masters) the opportunity to review, establish, and/or reinvent the process to having a successful 2015 campaign.
With the off-season coming to a close and turkey dinners and mashed potatoes upon us, it is most definitely time to put some thought into your training plan for the coming year if you haven't already done so. Within this planning session you will surely come up against the seemingly interminable argument of base miles vs. high intensity. Is there a preferred approach?
It's a razor-thin line that we as athletes walk between being extremely lean and fit on the one edge, and the precipice of overtraining and increased risk of infections and illness on the other. With flu season upon us, what should we be considering about maintaining our off-season health?
As a career competitor, coach, and idea-seeking sponge for over half a century, I'm reflecting on the performance evolution as a fact of untenable certainty. Being and developing a champion athlete has become more complex in the 21st Century and, for a creative, spirited athlete/coach, this is a very good thing.
Another article on goal setting? Really? How hard can it be? If 2014 was everything you planned it to be, congratulations and no need to read any further. However, if things got away from you or you are ending the year feeling that things were left undone, read on for more information on how to make the most of your goals.
SEARCH TAG / TERM: training


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Forbes names Avik Roy opinion editor
Forbes has tapped Avik Roy, the author of its online health care blog, to serve as opinion editor for the magazine.
The appointment, which Forbes is expected to announce later today, comes ahead of an expansion of the magazine's contributors: Forbes says it plans to add an additional 75 to 100 contributors to its roster.
Roy, a conservative, is the author of "The Apothecary," a column on health care policy and entitlement reform that has earned praise from the likes of Ezra Klein and Paul Krugman. He currently runs a health care research firm and previously served as an analyst and portfolio manager at Bain Capital, J.P. Morgan and other firms.
Short URL:http://politi.co/1kUBs2Z
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The high cost of your low-tech credit card
May 04, 2011
A recent analysis in the Christian Science Monitor (CSM) found that American businesses pay more to process credit card purchases than those in other countries. In some cases, such as when you compare a $50 purchase at a supermarket in the U.S. to a supermarket in Australia, the interchange rate is nearly five times higher in America.
The simple explanation for the disparity is that most other countries in the world use microchip-embedded credit cards that carry a customer's financial data on a computer chip and require the customer to key in a personal identification number for every purchase.
Although Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase recently announced plans to introduce a microchip card to some of their customers, the U.S. marketplace is overwhelmingly dominated by magnetic stripe credit cards. These old-fashioned cards, which have been around for 50 years, are "swiped" at a point of purchase, and each time they are used, the credit card companies charge merchants a "swipe" or interchange fee.
So why are American merchants--and their customers, assuming the prices they pay are determined in part by the amount the store has to pay the credit card company in swipe fees--paying so much more for the privilege of using a credit card?
Paying more for less
One conclusion the CSM analysis reached was that swipe fees are higher in the U.S. because magnetic stripe credit cards have such a higher fraud risk than the microchip cards. Credit card companies lose an estimated $8.6 billion in fraud each year from stolen or lost credit cards, and those losses are recovered from customers through fees, interest and late payment penalties. According to Security News Daily, thieves can use a cassette tape record to make a copy of the sensitive financial information embedded on a magnetic stripe card.
But the so-called EMV cards--named for Europay, Mastercard and Visa, the three card companies that rolled out the microchip technology in 1999 as a way of standardizing payments--are much more secure. A study by Aite Group LLC, a Boston-based research firm, concluded earlier this year that chip card technology would significantly help mitigate those fraud losses.
It certainly helps in Europe, where swipe fees seem to be determined in large part by fraud risk, CSM said. France, for instance, gives its lowest interchange fee to the microchip credit cards.
Is the U.S. behind on the times?
So why aren't credit card companies in the U.S. joining the rest of world in deploying the EMV cards? Some merchants, including Wal-Mart, say they are eager to have the chip-and-PIN cards, but issuers are dragging their feet because, Wal-Mart claims, they don't want to lose the revenue from interchange fees.
The argument that it would take too long and cost too much to change over point-of-sale terminals to EMV technology from magnetic stripe technology doesn't hold much water; Wal-Mart says their payment terminals are ready for the new technology. Other retailers are holding off on investing in microchip technology until card companies move ahead with the technology.
In addition to having large retailers like Wal-Mart squawking, two other things could convince card companies to move forward to EMV technology: demands from customers and/or a cap on interchange fees, such as those that have been proposed on debit card transactions. Swipe fees on debit cards are expected to be reduced significantly by the Federal Reserve this summer.
As it is, the two U.S. banks rolling out the EMV cards are targeting their customers who travel frequently to Europe and other parts of the world. Increasingly, those travelers are finding that they can't buy things with their old magnetic stripe credit cards. If that keeps happening, and credit cards keep losing the revenue from rejected European purchases, they may be convinced to join the rest of the world with EMV technology.
Your responses to 'The high cost of your low-tech credit card'
Showing 2 comments | Add your comment
T. Guerlain
28 September 2011 at 2:50 am
The article states that , "two U.S. banks rolling out the EMV cards are targeting their customers who travel frequently to Europe" but fails to state WHO are these two banks?? Can anyone tell me who these banks are???
Jonathan Ryshpan
8 June 2011 at 1:06 pm
Another reason is market failure. I have been told the following. Please correct it if not true: Mastercard/Visa have an effective monopoly on credit cards in the U.S. Their contract with vendors who use their service requires (1) That the vendor not disclose the transaction fee. (2) That the vendor not charge a fee to the customer for the use of the card. If vendors were allowed to charge a fee for using the card, and/or different fees for different cards, there would be price competition between cards, which now does not exist. Also the fact that the vendor is not allowed to charge a fee for using the card makes it possible for the credit card company to provide customers a discount for using the card, by offering a "reward" for using it (typically about 1%)


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Enter to win a trip on the team plane when the Huskies take on Oregon on Saturday, October 6th!
Game - Saturday, October 6th
Contest Ends - Friday, September 28th @ 11:59PM PST
Click the 'Enter' button to the right for a chance to win!
Share the contest using one of the share links above to increase your chances of winning. (One extra entry per social media platform shared on)


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Later today, Apple is set to announce its iPad 3 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. However, ahead of the announcement two of the company's partner carriers – AT&T and Verizon – have posted what would appear to be iPad 3 teasers on their respective websites.
First up, AT&T has a message on its home page: "Coming Soon!," the message readers, "Get ready to see an exciting new addition to our line-up." Below the message, users have the option of entering their email address, so they can "Be first in line" once the super-secret announcement AT&T refers to has been made. Verizon, on the other hand, has a message which reads: "Something is coming. Be among the first to hear the news."
Clearly, both AT&T and Verizon are on-board for the iPad 3. In fact, if you cast your mind back to last June, we heard that the iPad 3 – or iPad HD – would be AT&T's first LTE-compatible iOS device. Since, a number of rumors have indicated that Apple's third-generation iPad will indeed support LTE, with The Wall Street Journal noting that an LTE iPad 3 will launch with both AT&T and Verizon.
Besides support for LTE, we're expecting the iPad 3 to launch with a Retina display, an improved processor and perhaps even a better pair of cameras. Take a look at our round-up post for a collection of all our favorite rumors in one place.


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The Crusades Studies Forum will convene to discuss the article by Savvas Neocleos, "Byzantine-Muslim Conspiracies Against the Crusades: History and Myth," from the Journal of Medieval History 36 (2010): 253-74.
The CSF will meet in the CMRS seminar room, third floor, Adorjan Hall.
Copies of the article will be made available in advance in the History Office, located in Adorjan Hall.
The Crusades Studies Forum at Saint Louis University is a venue for the presentation of current research, the discussion of recent scholarship, and the exploration of new directions in topics relating to the Crusades. Participants include those local to the Saint Louis region as well as distinguished scholars from across the globe. All are welcome to attend and participate in the forum. For more information about The Crusades Studies Forum, visit: http://crusades.slu.edu. For more information about the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, visit http://cmrs.slu.edu.


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March 2, 2006 4:48 PM PST
Pioneering Net politico dies at 72
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They call him Dr. No for good reasonJuly 1, 2002
Browne was the Libertarian Party's nominee for president in 1996 and 2000 and co-founded DownsizeDC.org, a Web-based network of activists who campaigned for a smaller government. He also served as a director of the Free-Market News Network and hosted a weekly video Webcast for the organization, and contributed to the LewRockwell.com blog.
Though Browne eventually turned to the Internet for libertarian activism, he first became known for his books. He wrote "How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World," which was well-received among free-market aficionados, but Browne's "You Can Profit from a Monetary Crisis" was what reached No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.
Lew Rockwell, president of the free-market Ludwig von Mises Institute, wrote in an essay on Thursday that after Sept. 11, 2001, Browne painstakingly "defended personal liberty against the surveillance state, less government against the homeland-security state and peace against the war on terror." An Internet-distributed essay that Browne wrote a day after those attacks said "it was only a matter of time until Americans would have to suffer personally" for their government's foreign policy missteps.
Browne's associates said he died after a long battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. DownsizeDC.org, the group he co-founded, said Browne is survived by his wife Pamela and his daughter Autumn. It has also posted its own obituary.
Browne's history as a presidential candidate was controversial. One contender for the 2004 nomination called Browne a "disgrace to the Libertarian Party," according to Liberty Magazine, because Browne pledged to spend the money he raised during the campaign on advertising--and instead spent it on personal travel, generous staff salaries and building a fund-raising base for future use.
See more CNET content tagged:
Webcast, candidate, government, president


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Join Dr. Charlie Bamforth as he takes you on a journey through the psychophysics, physics and chemistry of beer foam in pursuit of the perfectly presented pint. You will learn more than you ever thought possible about the little bubbles in beer. Chemistry has never been more refreshing.
"Getting A Head Through Chemistry: Great Beer and A Frothy Foam" A short presentation followed by Q&A with Charles Bamforth, Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting & Brewing Sciences at UC Davis.
What You Will Learn
- The factors that promote beer foam stability
- The factors that jeopardize beer head retention
- How beer foam can be quantified
- How to pour the perfect pint
- And much more…
Webinar Details
Date: Thursday, March 14, 2013
Time: 2:00-3:00 pm ET
Fee: Free
Meet Your Expert
Dr. Charlie Bamforth is Professor of Malting & Brewing Sciences at UC Davis. In brewing since 1978, he was formerly with Brewing Research International and Bass. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling and Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.
Dr. Steve Carlo is a PhD physical chemist who manages the Technical Services Division at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He has over 10 years experience in technology transfer and technical management with TreMonti Consulting and research and development with Mitsubishi Chemical America and Avon cosmetics. Steve has received several R&D awards and has been granted 3 US patents, with 2 US and 2 WIPO filings pending in the general areas of non-linear optics and personal care. Among his many hobbies, he enjoys brewing his own English style ale, SCUBA, yoga and being with his family.


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The senate yesterday confirmed Sanusi Lamido Aminu Sanusi as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, NigeriaFirst reports.
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had submitted his name on 1 June to succeed Prof Chukwuma Soludo as Governor of Nigeria's apex bank.
Sanusi Lamido was grilled for over three hours by the senators and senate President David Mark expressed satisfaction over his responses.


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Driven: Ferrari 458 Italia
Posted: 30 Jun 2010
Wow. If you've ever been lucky enough to drive a 430 Scuderia and thought you'd reached motoring nirvana, then I'm afraid the world has just moved on. The Ferrari 458 Italia makes that car very old school...
Click through the gallery to read the full story.


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Donate your car in Irvine California
Irvine residents can donate their unwanted vehicles to benefit a nonprofit of their choice. The Vehicle Donation Processing Center handles the business of donating your vehicle in Irvine, and channels the proceeds to one of the local nonprofit agencies in Irvine, or to one you choose from scores of nationwide organizations. Let the Vehicle Donation Processing Center help you get rid of a car or truck you no longer need, while contributing to a worthy cause at the same time.
CNNMoney.com recently ranked Irving California as Number 4 in the top 100 Best Places to live in the U.S. Irvine was born in the 1960s, when the University of California commissioned architect William Pereira to design a new campus and town. Today, its population hovers around 200,000, yet it feels much smaller thanks to its tight-knit neighborhoods and more than 16,000 acres of green space. Families say Irvine is pretty close to perfect.
The Vehicle Donation Processing Center will pick up your vehicle for you anywhere in Irvine, from the area around UC-Irvine's Aldrich Park to the Village of Northwood, which was developed beginning in the early 1970s Just call our toll-free number to speak with an operator 24 hours a day, or fill out the online donation form for the non-profit you select.
Car donation is a quick and easy way to be rid of unwanted property, help a good cause, and get a nice tax deduction. The Vehicle Donation Processing Center will arrange for free pick up and handle all the paperwork. Call or go online now to get started!
The following charities can accept car donations in Irvine. You can choose to donate a car to an organization that serves Irvine. If we do not represent a charity offering car donation specifically in your area we represent many charities that operate nationwide.
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Charities accepting donations in Irvine
View the list of charities accepting car donations who will pick-up your vehicle donation and use proceeds to further their charitable work.
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Boston, MA (PRWEB) August 01, 2012
Industry analyst and market research firm Hypatia Research Group announces availability of a new primary research study entitled "Social Analytics & Intelligence: Converting Contextual to Actionable". Featuring the unique Hypatia GalaxyTM Evaluation, in which 24 software vendors are evaluated by 12 criteria, this report showcase current trends, organizational challenges, best practices, and return on investment metrics utilized by top performing organizations via 50+ pages, 21 tables or figures and several case studies that focus on business return on investment.
Hypatia Research Group surveyed more than 1200 global organizations for this research and found that only 526 respondents actually utilize, recommend, influence, and hold budget or veto power over the purchase of social analytics and intelligence software at their place of employment. As a result, only analysis derived from these 526 respondents was utilized for this research.
Leslie Ament, vice president, and senior analyst at Hypatia Research Group stated, "Early adopters have jumped on social analytics for measuring tactical and/or operational metrics primarily. As a result these companies are grappling with which metrics, trend analysis, and/or key performance indicators to utilize (available through dashboards, visualization or other types of reporting) in order to gain the - Clients know they need metrics but are uncertain as to what to use in order to be effective;
Ament summarized, "Ideally, social analytics and intelligence software tools should help organizations measure the effectiveness of social media on business results. Thus, software is a major part of an overall strategy, operational workflow and executable plan."
Other research findings include:
Company size of respondents is: 37.5 % large enterprises, 33.9% mid-market and 28.6% SMB. Geographic breakouts are: 49.1% North America, 26.7% EMEA, and 24.5% Asia PAC: Australia, China, Japan, and Korea. Potential customers of this research may download a 20 page executive summary by signing up to receive Hypatia Research Group newsletters using this link; http://store.hypatiaresearch.com/index.aspx?dc=HRG:SocAnal&Intel.
Industry analyst and market research firm Hypatia Research Group http://www.HypatiaResearch.com delivers high impact market intelligence, industry benchmarking, best practice, and vendor selection research for how businesses use technology and service providers to capture, manage, analyze and apply customer and market intelligence to enhance performance and accelerate growth. Coverage includes: CRM, Business Intelligence, Customer Analytics, Social Media, Marketing Automation, Information Management, and GRC. Since 2001, clients have relied on us for industry insight, expertise and independent market research for guidance in assessing various technology and service options.