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Saturday, April 08, 2006
Depression: Ten Ways to Fight It Off, Part 2
"Saying NO to Suicide"
Part 1 | Part 2
Last week I covered the first steps I found necessary to fight off depression. A good night's sleep, a balanced meal, and lots of exercise you ask? Well, I might try those someday, but mostly my steps involved developing self-awareness and a proactive attitude, or in other words, know when you are depressed and decide to do something about it. I found once I put myself in the proper frame of mind I could pull myself out of the funk. Sometimes, willpower alone was enough, but often I needed a bag of tricks to rely on.
Continuing my list of ten ways to fight off the black beastie, here are the six steps I use to distract myself away from depression, and who better to guide you than a Master of Distraction? After all, getting distracted was what got me in trouble in last week's example. I'm a natural.
5) Ignore it
Believe it or not, once you develop the ability to see your depression from the outside you can actually push it away like the annoying gnat it is. This technique requires self-confidence and willpower or hyperfocus on another project. I'd like to say I bat depression away by virtue of my manly will, but more often than not I simply procrastinate giving in to it by burying myself into a project. When I finish the project I usually come out well balanced having given my mind a chance to regulate itself, but sometimes ignoring the depression doesn't work.
6) Do something fun
Get up and go do something that usually cheers you up that doesn't involve high calories. In fact, it is important to have a preset list in your mind to pick from because depression shapes thought. Leaving that moment to pick something fun to do might yield such delights as going for a walk in the cemetery, eating an entire box of cookies, or rereading 1984. Instead, watch a comedy. Go to the movies. Work at one of your many hobbies. Get together with friends or give one of them a call. Anything that will be pleasant and get your mind off depression and on something more upbeat. Sometimes I may need to do several "somethings" before the funk is left behind.
7) Engage your mind
Read a book (NOT 1984). Read the news. Watch a documentary. Organize a messy drawer or your family photos. Too scary? OK, then play the daily Sudoku or Crossword puzzle. Call up a friend and discuss politics or religion if you like high energy conversations, or just discuss the latest Oprah and ragchew for a while. Do anything that makes you think. Deciding which TV channel to flip by doesn't count. TV itself isn't bad, but vegging out is. That only prolongs depression. Many studies show that taking up new hobbies, learning new instruments to play, making new friends, etc. can give us positive experiences and healthy endorphins while occupying our minds, all important activities to occupy one's brain with. Find something that piques your interest and pursue it.
I chose this method the other day. I read some news, which peppered my brain with new info. Then I experimented over at Newsvine - a recent but ex-distraction. When I was done, the depression was gone. It was a combination of step six and seven that helped stop the wave of sadness and turned my mood around. Sometimes, though, I need to do more to fully succeed.
8) Change your surroundings
The very act of changing your surroundings starts a sea change within your mind. I don't mean just changing the drapes, although sometimes cleaning up your surroundings can be therapeutic. I'm referring to something more active. Get out of the house. Get out of the office. Get up off the couch and walk away from the TV. Go for a walk in the park. Go for a drive. Take a different way home from work. Visit an art gallery. Attend a concert in the park. Paint "Take Me!" on the roof of your car and cruise out to Area 51. Whatever you do, break your routine. Give yourself something new to look at and experience. You may have to force yourself to do this one, but when the doldrums set in and everything seems bland, don't be blasé. Be bold. Otherwise you're stuck in a funk.
9) Pray or meditate
Many people find spiritual activities comforting and uplifting. Regardless of your religious beliefs, scientists have discovered recently that spiritual experiences access different parts of the brain than other activities. Although they would have you believe that "Finding Jesus" or obtaining Nirvana is simply a chemical aberration of the mind, scientists also tend to believe love is simply a chemical process. Consequently, they don't get many dates.
Prayer with Deity can be emotionally fulfilling and intimately satisfying, but most people seem to associate prayer with confession, guilt, and ducking behind bushes to avoid your local clergy. Try praying as a mental exercise for health. Keep it positive. Results may vary, but I have found prayer helpful during some of my darkest hours. Meditation can have healthy effects as well, though if you have AD/HD you may find long sessions of meditation impossible. I'm more likely to be able to walk on water before I can sit still and think about nothing. Still, if depression is caused by an overawareness to stress indices as some suggest, then meditation can be perfect for soothing the soul and calming the mind. Both prayer and meditation engage the mind. I have used both to my benefit.
10) Work it out
Although a healthy diet, consistent exercise, and proper amounts of sleep can help regulate the mind and prevent the onset of depression, all of that doesn't do squat when you want to crawl under the desk with the lights out while thinking miserable thoughts. Try taking some of that self-loathing out in the gym. You've heard before about the healthy release of endorphins we experience when exercising. I wouldn't recommend starting an exercise regimen for the first time when suddenly battling depression, but forcing yourself to exercise when you've been doing it regularly beforehand can work wonders for the psyche. I don't exercise as much as I would like, but I know many people who use exercise as medicine and they successfully thwart depression because of it.
There you are. My ten steps. Hopefully, I have made you think and smile here and there. If we find ourselves depressed unexpectedly, we don't have to remain victims. There are things we can do to drive depression away. Life is too short to spend it moping about and miserable. When medication fails us, we need to have other arrows in our quiver to strike quickly at the black beastie. We may need to unload the entire arsenal, but we can overcome it. Even if the victories are minor and the steps taken are small, we can eventually live a life of quality and mirth. That's what I believe, and that's how I live.
28 comments:
- Douglas Cootey said...
11) Visit http://www.cuteoverload.com/ for about 10 minutes. Do not visit before operating heavy machinery.
This has been by far the longest column I have ever written (almost 1200 words). I imagine my AD/HD audience has long since moved on to other webpages. However, because I struggle with depression but have mastered it to some extent I wanted to share my experiences with others. I couldn't do it under 900 words, which is my usual goal. The two parts combined equal almost 2100 words! At the very least, this two parter might be a great substitute for sleeping medications. ;)
I invite you all to leave comments on how you fight off depression. In fact, I'll probably leave comments open on this column for some time just so we can get an ongoing flow of ideas for everyone to learn from.
Although my column today is geared towards reaching people like myself who are sensitive to anti-depressants and need alternatives, please don't take my column as medical advice. I'm just this guy. Remember? Maybe something I write can help you. Maybe it can help you ask the right questions with your doctor. But if you stop taking your meds and are found riding shopping carts stark naked in Wal*Mart while shouting "Tally ho!", don't blame me! :p
- April 08, 2006 3:05 AM
- Douglas Cootey said...
RE: this week's illo... I have had a hard time this week. It's been pretty bad as far as ticking is concerned. So if I can work up a new illo by Sunday, I'll post it. Otherwise, I'll let the first illo stand for both of them so that I can stay on track for next week.
- April 08, 2006 3:08 AM
- KristieSue said...
Just make the font smaller :p Nobody will count the words ;)
I enjoyed reading the last two posts. I feel like I have a few extra bullets in my gun for the next time I spot the black beastie ;) And I also know what to look for now :)
- April 08, 2006 10:01 AM
- Heidi the Hick said...
May I add a step 11 that may not be for everybody?
11) Go get your hair dyed pink! Every time you look in the mirror, you'll go, "OO!" instead of "blahhhh".
Does me some good!
Thanks Douglas. Good to have some extra tools for my tool box. I think I'm going to print this off for my friend too.
- April 08, 2006 1:51 PM
- ScarletSphinx said...
This couldn't have come at a better time. I find depression licking my face all too often these days. Thanks for the tips, Doug.
btw, word ver: gagjoy
How ironic
- April 09, 2006 10:06 AM
- Susanne said...
I think for me it's important changing the "borders" sometimes - I mean that sort of borders that only exist in my head - and doing "crazy" things then...
That's so refreshing and drives away any depressive moods.
- April 09, 2006 12:45 PM
- Sandra said...
I put out a bunch of calls and emails - to friends or to people I would like to get to know better - asking them to schedule a coffee or lunch date with me. Pretty soon I have several to look forward to. Spending time with others, whether they be old or potential new friends, gets me out of my own head and thinking about them. If I'm in a funk, I find it's helpful to have things on the schedule, things that are above the routine and grind of what often feels like my overwhelming responsibilities. I refuse to say that I don't have time for me. It is mandatory and if the laundry doesn't get done or I miss an hour of work, so be it. I'm no good to the family or my boss if I'm melting down. Thanks for your awesome list Douglas. Off to check out your tip #11!
- April 10, 2006 11:04 AM
- KristieSue said...
:D I tested out one of your steps. I actually PLAYED paintball this weekend instead of just working on the field! (We run a paintball field btw) It was so much fun and I'm on my second day without getting in a funk! :D I can tell the difference in my husband too, he is more at ease and my kids seem happier and are fighting less. I've heard at church they say the wife/mom sets the tone of the home and family. I think there is some truth to that ;) Thanks for the advice!
- April 10, 2006 1:11 PM
- Douglas Cootey said...
KristieSue ~ Shoot straight! Nobody should remain depressed when there are ways to fight it off.
Heidi the Hick ~ Nifty! I've always wanted to dye my hair electric blue. That ought to scare away the blues! waitaminute...
ScarletSphinx ~ Depression licks you in the face? Are you sure that isn't just your dog? Get him some breath bisquits and I bet you'll be feeling better immediately!
gagjoy? I don't follow. I can't appreciate the irony. LOL
Susanne ~ There you go! Go on a crazy road trip within your own mind. :)
Sandra ~ Scheduling time with friends... That's a great tip. I forgot to mention I do the same thing. I schedule a get together with my friends for every Saturday. My kids' social life has been messing that up of late, but for the most part my friends just show up and force me to laugh. My wife claims that it does wonders for my stress levels.
"Thanks for your awesome list Douglas. Off to check out your tip #11!"
Ooh, be careful. I hope you have a high cuteness stamina. That site is going to slam you hard with hearts, bunnies, and furry critters faster than you can say "smoochies"
KristieSue ~ Glad you and your husband are benefitting by fighting off depression with positive activities. I've heard my church say the same thing for some time about mothers setting the tone of the home. I find it to still be true even though my wife works fulltime and I'm the fulltime parent.
- April 10, 2006 2:00 PM
- Slain said...
oh, i dont know pal..sumtimes mine distractible persona gets in the way far more than helps!!!
..in the sense that im kept away from what i really should be doing, and could accomplish much if i just did that and stuck to it. ::sigh::
the 'manly will' part really cracked me up ;)
i was thinkin yesterday..i prolly need to engage my mind more. like, learn a new language or something. what do you think..
sometimes when i feel like changing my surroundings i think drastic. like, getting the hell outta whatever and wherever i am and run off somewhere, preferably isolated and un-manned environment.
too extreme inside..
haha. methinks scientists get more dates than me. wait. don't i also research stuff?? okay, scratch that lol
i lost my faith in 2001. sorta regained bits n' pieces by 2005. still pickin' up the pieces..sometimes i wonder if they're best left on da floor..
unfortunately, what arrows i have tend to want to lodge themselves into yours truly.
exercise is da bomb. then again, i have hurt myself wailing on a punching bag in a fit of stress-induced anger..
ps. if you ever walk on water, do let me know ::wink::
ps2. my latest 2 (prolly 3) posts talk bout my struggle with the biological aspect of things.
- April 14, 2006 9:27 PM
- BiPolar Guy said...
Personally I like to rather call it "easing the depression", than "fighting the depression". When I'm down, the last thing I feel like doing is fighting. You might like my own list:
- April 15, 2006 4:40 AM
- p)syche said...
11) Go get your hair dyed pink! Every time you look in the mirror, you'll go, "OO!" instead of "blahhhh". - Heidi the Hick
Oh! I do this all the time too! Cut/ colour/ whatever my hair; if it is too short already, then I'll get some colour on it etc. The correlation of the number of times I visit my hairdresser is directly proportionate to how down I am feeling. I think it links nicely with 8) Change your surroundings. To me, it is also a physical action - when I change my hair, the reflection staring back after that 45 mins is different and she will be able to handle whatever that was ailing her 45 mins ago. Pink, blue, blonde, or jet black - just bring it on.
Your 10) Work it out helps a lot too. I was did a half-marathon last year and now I am aiming for a full one this December. There are amazing physical and mental benefits to this. In addition, the mere completion of it is also training my ADD mind to complete something so challenging that it scares me still.
Sharing my #11: A bit of unconditional affection. A giggle from a child, a leap from a thousand-wag-a minute puppy, or a bear hug from a loved one etc does provide slight relief.
- April 15, 2006 11:04 AM
- Poetwoman said...
Hi Doug,
I just read your 2 posts about beating depression,and your suggestions are excellent! I would add one though: play with your cat/dog/pet dinosaur. If you don't have a pet, get one if you can. Having cats have kept me going many times. There have been times I wanted to stay in bed and do nothing, but I have to get up to take care of them, and they love me unconditionally. They don't care about my disabilities!
- April 19, 2006 11:04 AM
- ScarletSphinx said...
*dumps ice down Doug's back*
Bad Doug! Bad!
- April 19, 2006 1:28 PM
- Douglas Cootey said...
Sorry for the delay in commenting. I'm between ISPs at the moment so my access to the internet is temporarily limited.
Sol ~ Learning a new language is a great idea, provided you can follow through. As for distractions, they have their place. However, what I'm referring to is distracting yourself on purpose FROM depression doing something that absorbs you. This is different than getting depressed because you became distracted instead of doing something that was important to you.
Thanks for commenting.
BiPolar Guy ~ I'll be sure to check out your list as soon as I have regular internet access again. In the meantime, I wanted to respond to your comment.
When I realize I have allowed myself to sink into depression I see the struggle out as a fight. I throw my whole energy into it - like a fight for my life. I suppose I am that way because I have lost too many years to the dark stupor of sadness. I won't sink into that blackness again. So I snarl and I hiss and I fight my way out like a caged animal.
I do not need to fight so savagely now, but I still remember how hard it was to reclaim my life and so I feel the metaphor is still apt today.
That's not to say that your way is wrong, but to say that my way works for me. Take it for what's it's worth: one man's method of fending off depression.
p)syche ~ I like what you had to say. I may be in a bit of a funk now because my hairdresser went and got married on me and moved away last January. I haven't had my hair cut since. Hmm, maybe it's time to find someone new... ;)
As for your #11, I think that's something my girls did for me. I have four of them and they are so sweet and full of light that right from the first girl there was no place for my gothic funk to hide. I found them especially helpful in giving me a reason to stop hating myself. Haven't done that for a long while.
Great comments!
Poetwoman ~ Pet dinosaur!?! My yard's not big enough for that much love!
ScarletSphinx ~ I can't be serious all the time... :)
- April 21, 2006 2:07 PM
- Slain said...
Douglas ~ me currently working on expanding my mental horizons. mebbe will post a lil on that in future.
no prob, man!
- April 23, 2006 7:25 PM
I suffered from depression for years and finally got help in 2002. Through medication and talk therapy, I was able to overcome it, temporary. Some days I just wake up and can't function. There is no reason for it, I'm not down on myself, thinking depressive thoughts, it's something physical. The next day, I'll be fine. I have a good job, great family, and are normal in every sense, nobody would suspect. I exercise regularlly, run about 12 miles/week. In fact, I ran a marathon last year.
What I'm trying to say is that these cute little tips are nice and all but some of us have a physical disorder. These won't help. I've tried everything, have a positive outlook, but sometimes the depression takes hold of me and nothing will cure it. I have to live with that.
Running magazine had a great article on a runner that was paralyzed by depression. She did the meds, therapy, but somedays just couldn't function. It reminds me of how I feel some days ...
- June 29, 2006 9:36 PM
- Douglas Cootey said...
ISM - Cute little tips? You're not being condescending at all, now, are you? Basically, what you are saying is that because I manage my depression and you can't because "some of us have a physical disorder" my depression must not be TRUE depression. That's just dopey.
Look, I'm just this guy who has learned a few things from therapy, research, and personal experimentation that I share here. I have never made myself out to be more than that. Just because these "cute little tips" don't work for you doesn't mean that they don't work for me or others, that I don't have "real" depression, or that I'm delusional as another happy chap suggested on Part 1 of this column.
My depression hasn't gone away. I had a really hard time with it today, in point of fact. I was absolutely miserable. Could barely move. But these techniques really help me overcome the worst of it. I say to myself, "OK, I've done the depression thing. I'm bored with it already. Time for something new." The depression doesn't magically evaporate, but the proactive thinking puts me in the proper frame of mind to overcome the sadness. I'm not talking about sticking a flower in your ear and whistling "Don't Worry Be Happy". I'm talking about coaxing your brain out of the funk with positive thoughts.
I can see you're frustrated. And I think it's great that you have tried so many positive, healthy approaches to dealing with your depression. I'm hardly in shape to run a marathon. But don't bust my chops because life handed you a fuzzy lollipop. I don't speak for you. I only speak for me and others who have had great success with Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I realize it's a bit much to expect you to be happy for me. Afterall, you're depressed! But when you have those days when you're mind decides to take you offline for a bit, in my experience tips like these can help you shorten that time.
- June 29, 2006 11:50 PM
I did not mean to sound condescending at all. If I did, I am sorry.
I wanted to separate "feeling the blues" with clinical depression. Having suffered with clincial depression, I (as well as many other people) know how debilitating it can be. This is different than feeling down because you had a bad day of paintball.
I can folow all of your tips, and still be overcome. For example,
- Do I have a reason to be depressed? No - I have great family, great job, and great house. I have no reason but still get depressed.
- Develop the desire to not be depressed. I wish it was that easy. I certainly have no desire to be depressed but some days, it overcomes me.
- Ignore it. Again, I wish it was that easy.
- Do something fun. I do this all the time. And this helps.
- Engage your mide. I use my mind all day long at work and at home (such as playing chess and reading extensively)
- Pray or meditate. This might work for the "believers" but not for me.
- Work it out. As I mentioned, I exercise on a regular basis.
My point is that I have taken meds, seen doctors, read books on the subject, and tried the tips and techniques. These have all helped. When I think back to my lowest point back in 2002, I am so much better today. However, some days I wake up and struggle to make it through the day. The next day, I am fine.
So your tips are good ones and I'm glad they have helped people. But I also know that I have a chemical imbalance that will be with me for the rest of my life. And I've accepted that.
- July 01, 2006 8:02 AM
- Douglas Cootey said...
ISM ~ I'm really glad you took time to respond again. I love open dialogue with people, even if we disagree. I apologize for being oversensitive when replying to you. I was struggling that day with a very bad bout of depression - the deepest I had experienced in some time. When you referred to my tips as "cute" I'm afraid I took that rather personally. From time to time I am accused of NOT being depressed because I've been able to manage it whereas the accuser has not. It is irritating to me and I must admit my patience is thin at those moments. Once again, I apologize.
Let's take your comments one by one so I can respond to them properly. I'm sure my readers will find this conversation fascinating:
- Do I have a reason to be depressed? No - I have great family, great job, and great house. I have no reason but still get depressed.
I don't own a house yet. That always depresses me. Maybe I will change that this summer. ;) But putting that aside I believe you have correctly identified that your depression isn't caused by any real life situation. It is an imbalance in your mind that is causing it (as you mention later in your comments). My theory, as well as the theory of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, is that you can do something about this type of depression now that you know it isn't "real". Let's see how you do...
- Develop the desire to not be depressed. I wish it was that easy. I certainly have no desire to be depressed but some days, it overcomes me.
Right, it wouldn't be disabling if it didn't overcome us. Let me word this another way. You need to develop the will to not be depressed. This isn't easy by any means and I am sorry if my 900 word constraint for each column made it seem that way. This is the keystone to CBT - the will to change that affects change. So, obviously, you don't want to be depressed. Who really does? We miss out on so much of life when we are overwhelmed by these feelings. So for me I became angry and was determined to fight my depression, but I'm a hot head (don't know if you noticed or not ;) and such anger comes easily. I believe that inside of you there is a key you can turn to find that resolve. In fact, the resolution to conquer this problem is only the first step. It in itself doesn't change anything. It just facilitates the next steps you need to take. In all honesty, you sound like you've already taken that step. I was addressing that point to people who are overcome with hopelessness - who seem resigned to be miserable forever. I don't believe that is you.
- Ignore it. Again, I wish it was that easy.
I wish I had made that Point #10. It was off-putting for many people. I can ignore my depression. That doesn't mean it goes away, though it often eventually fades away as the day progresses. It just means that after reaching a certain level of control one can push depression aside and go about their day without impedance. The operative words here are "after reaching a certain level of control". It's an advanced technique. Even I can't always use it as I state in the article.
Here's another way of looking at it. Right now my body is bright red and hurting from way too much sun. Like depression, the sunburn can be overwhelming and debilitating. However, sunburns can be ignored. They don't stop hurting, but you can still move around and get things done. Depression can be ignored the same way, but like I said in the article, I usually need to bury myself in a project and distract myself from it. Perhaps this is a gift of AD/HD in this case.
- Do something fun. I do this all the time. And this helps.
Yeah, this is a really effective tool. I utilize it often to keep depression at bay, though I may have to do several somethings before seeing results. The big problem I have with it is that I have AD/HD and can consequently get distracted from what I'm supposed to be doing. :p
- Engage your mide. I use my mind all day long at work and at home (such as playing chess and reading extensively)
Great! Sometimes it is enough for me to engage my mind. The chemical imbalance can abate over time and often I can ride out the storm by pursuing something intellectually exciting and engaging. YMMV
- Pray or meditate. This might work for the "believers" but not for me.
You don't believe in meditation? Well, some people find this technique helpful. They calm their minds and still the effects of the depression. As for prayer, I can't say that Heavenly Father has miraculously lifted depression from my heart every time I've prayed, but when depression had it's worst grip on me years ago prayer was one technique I used to help me not hate myself and be suicidal. YMMV
- Work it out. As I mentioned, I exercise on a regular basis.
And I'm sure it helps. Remember, my tips were to help you minimize the effects of depression. They were framed as the tools I use. I wasn't sure if they would be helpful to everyone. You didn't mention changing your surroundings, btw. Not sure if that was an oversight or intentional. I find that step also very helpful. Some of the ladies who've posted here have suggested that step can be accomplished with a new hair style or color. I think that's a great variation.
Depression will always lurk in the background of my life. And it sounds as if it lurks in your life as well. Sometimes we can be victorious over it. Sometimes we cannot. I suppose my whole point is that we must fight it with every tool we can imagine. To give into it is a kind of death. None of my tips will cure depression, but they'll help me ease its burden. If you have tips that help you I'd love to hear them.
Thanks again for a thoughtful post.
- July 03, 2006 4:12 AM
- phoenix said...
I, too, have been struggling with depression for a long time (over 15 years). I was excited to find your steps for dealing with depression- I have also developed many of the same techniques over the years, and now I have more for my arsenal. I have tried most of the antidepressants out there- they tend to work for me for the first few months, and I get a taste of how good I can feel, but then they just stop working and I am back to battling the demon on my own.
I have been going thru a very stressful time right now (which of course kicks the anxiety and depression into high gear), so I was looking for support online from others who struggle with depression, since I feel like no one around me can really understand. My spouse takes it very personally, like he is responsible for it when I am depressed. It sounds like your wife is very supportive- do you have any ideas for me on how can I help my husband understand?
When I am in the midst of depression, I get very confused about my feelings- is it a false perception born of depression or is it real? Am I taking things personally and blowing things out of proportion because I am depressed or is it valid? I am constantly analyzing. Sometimes I don't know what is really me and how much of what I feel is the depression clouding my perceptions. This confusion, along with the feeling that no one can understand, makes me tend to withdraw into myself. Does this happen to you? I put on a happy face because who wants to hang out with someone who is depressed (no one), but then I just feel like a fraud wearing a mask.
Sometimes depression wins the battle on the days I can't break free, but overall, the techniques you have listed have been very effective in helping me beat it back down. I also have trouble with anxiety, and find that these steps are also helpful in managing that. This all helps reinforce that I am on the right track and that I am not alone. Thank you.
- July 11, 2006 2:44 PM
- Douglas Cootey said...
phoenix ~ Yes, I do withdraw from time to time. I find myself often over sensitive and consequently try to minimize social contact when I'm like that to avoid difficulties.
Self-analysis is the greatest tool we can utilize to take control of our lives. To give in and say "I can't do anything about it. It's too hard to fight it." means to me more years of misery. I *must* fight depression. I know already what it's like to let it win. I won't live that way again.
I, too, use these techniques with anxiety. I used to be diagnosed with an acute anxiety disorder - even took medications for it. But it was the first disability I conquered. I don't experience panic attacks too often these days. The inclination is there, but I use analysis to defeat it.
Great comments. Thanks for posting.
- July 14, 2006 5:39 AM
- Claire said...
You didn't respond to phoenix's question about helping a spouse understand. I am the spouse, trying to understand and figure out what I can do to help my husband. Short of telling him in the morning before we head off to our day "I want you to stay alive today" (aka: please don't kill yourself!), which was a suggestion from our counselor to reassure ME that he's not suicidal. Seriously, we've been at that point a couple of times. Our counselor suggested I ask him point blank if he was considering suicide, because he'd answer honestly, and I could avoid my own anxiety all day. That came up because we lost a student in my school last year (quoting her parents "she lost her battle with depression"), and that same week my husband told me he wanted to give up fighting it and just fade away. YIPE! I spent two hours at work that day (whenever students weren't in my room) bawling and praying because I was so worried. My husband has been our children's primary care provider this year, since he got fired last October (due to the depression's effects on his brain). We all want him around! Anyway, that was too long to just say: Is there anything I can do to make his depression better? Is there anything I should avoid doing to prevent it getting worse? Am I just full of myself thinking I have any affect on it whatsoever?
- July 29, 2006 8:51 PM
- Douglas Cootey said...
Claire ~ You're right. I didn't address that issue. I have no idea why. Please chalk it up to AD/HD. I certainly didn't ignore it on purpose. It was a good question. In fact, it's such a good question I will base my next column on it. Would it be OK if I answered your questions there? That will be next Thursday.
- July 30, 2006 9:35 AM
- Claire said...
I'll look forward to it!
- July 30, 2006 6:10 PM
- Claire said...
Me again. I'm just wondering if you forgot about this topic with all your distractions. I totally get the busyness factor. I just still want to hear about what you need from your spouse, and see if it correlates to my life.
Does that make sense? I'm so self-centered!
- August 15, 2006 9:51 PM
- Douglas Cootey said...
Claire ~ Me? Forget!?! Pshaw! I actually touched upon this in my other blog, The Absentminded Bookshelf. Yeah, I sort of forgot. :/
I plan on addressing this issue for you in an upcoming article. I want to research it a bit, but hope to have something for next week. Thanks for your patience.
- August 25, 2006 6:19 PM
- Douglas Cootey said...
I have answered Phoenix's question here. I'll answer Claire's next. ;)
- October 22, 2006 4:18 AM


text:
Grateful escape
North Korea | Two North Korean refugees sleep every night in their own struggling restaurant—and count it a blessing
LOS ANGELES—She sits in the middle of her Los Angeles restaurant, piling a big spoonful of kimchi, tofu, and pork filling into a damp dumpling skin. Her fingers work deftly, folding the thin sheet into neat corner pleats. Press, pinch, fold over. Repeat. The tray quickly fills up with plump, flour-dusted parcels.
"They're a blend of North and South," Kim Jung Yi said of her dumplings, her nimble fingers never stopping. "I try to tailor to Southern tastes by including one or two ingredients they like, but the recipe is Northern."
By north, she means her home country, North Korea. She fluffs her fat kimchi dumplings with minced tofu—North Korean style—but also adds handfuls of sweet potato starch noodles, a popular ingredient in South Korean-style dumplings.
Kim, a 5-foot-tall moon-faced woman, looks like any other Koreatown ahjumma (middle-aged woman) with her tight, cropped perm and plump, generous hands. Customers who tuck into her steaming boats of spicy fish stew and Korean blood sausages look into her bright, crinkle-eyed smile, and never guess that she was once a North Korean military officer. They also never guess that every night, she and her husband push dining chairs together to create two makeshift beds, because their only shelter is the restaurant. Or that they are two months behind on their car payment.
Kim and her husband are just two of the thousands of North Korean refugees struggling to adjust to the world outside of North Korea's Kim regime. In North Korea, they struggled to survive famine and a totalitarian system. Outside of North Korea, they still struggle, this time to survive discrimination, loneliness, and financial hardship.
After retiring from the military, Kim started selling clothes over the border in China to survive, determined not to be another North Korean who starves to death as an obedient communist. But her private clothing business led her deeper and deeper into Chinese terrain, until she realized she was too far away from the border to return safely.
Not that she wanted to. While interacting with Chinese businesspeople, Kim listened to them talk about South Korea's wealth and advanced technology. She was amazed. From her youth, she had heard tragic tales about starving orphans in the impoverished brethren country: "That's when I realized how I've been deceived my whole life. The more I heard about South Korea, the more my heart opened and my curiosity got piqued. I got hooked, mesmerized, by this different image of South Korea."
Kim took a boat from China down to South Korea, leaving behind all her family. She still remembers gazing in wonder at the gleaming night lights and skyscrapers in Seoul. But she most fondly recalls walking out into the streets at night to the rows of pojangmachas (Korean street food carts), biting into skewers of boiled fish cakes, and slurping down bowls of vapor-crowned broth that warmed her belly. "I can't ever forget the taste," she said. "It all tasted so good and fascinating to me."
She met her now-husband, Charles Kim, in Seoul, while working as a receptionist at a hospital. Her husband, a former trader, defected from North Korea during a three-year business trip to Russia. Out of 10 co-workers, he was the only one to survive the escape. They married and then moved to the United States.
They've lived in Arizona, New York, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C., working in kitchens and learning how to cook so that one day they could open their own restaurant. Yu Hyang Soondae restaurant is the fulfillment of their American Dream. "I can't tell you how many tears I've shed," Kim said. "So many tears, so much suffering. At times I even just wanted to die."
Other refugees don't ever adjust. Homesick and overwhelmed by life in South Korea, some re-defect to North Korea. This year alone, about 100 North Korean refugees returned north, causing policymakers in South Korea to fret over what they're doing wrong.
According to an International Crisis Group report, North Koreans are "sicker and poorer than their Southern brethren, with significantly worse histories of nutrition and medical care." Nearly half of the more than 23,000 defectors were unemployed as of January 2012. Many who do find employment try to keep their status secret.
That's why Kim considers her story a success. Although she and her husband struggle financially day by day, they still own a business with potential. In a few months, the restaurant Yu Hyang Soondae will be celebrating its three-year anniversary. Customers trickle in and out throughout the day, while the Kims bustle around with big smiles, scampering around to serve the banchan (side dishes) and barley tea they prepared that morning.
Despite being able to earn several times more on Sundays, the Kims shut down their restaurant in observance of Sunday worship. Instead, they prepare food for their church the night before, and open up their restaurant at dawn to people who want to have morning prayers.
Kim said she realized how futile humans are without God: "People who know us wonder, how do they live so brightly with so little? But I tell them I couldn't have done this without God. Every time I get down on my knees to pray to God, He works miracles." After all her experiences, Kim said she has no fear now.
Instead, every night, as Kim and her husband drape thick blankets over dining chairs to sleep in, she reminds her husband how fortunate they are to be sleeping in a warm, cozy room. "Even when I'm washing the dishes, I'm thanking God," she said. "And I ask Him to humble me more, to teach me how to empathize and help other people because I understand what it is like to suffer."
North Koreans in South Korea
Neither Kim misses South Korea. While living there for eight years, Charles Kim felt South Koreans "closing their hearts" to their Northern brethren. "We just couldn't connect on all levels," he said. He prefers America because "everybody is equal with a fair chance to achieve the American Dream"—all immigrants go through the same hurdles—whereas in South Korea, being a North Korean comes with indelible stereotypes. "I've found freedom and peace here," he said.
Hannah Song, president of LiNK, a grassroots organization that helps North Korean refugees, said many North Korean refugees have a hard time adjusting to life in South Korea. "The North Korean people are seen as 'the other,' especially by South Koreans," she said. Even if the North Korean refugees don't reveal their origins, it's easy to detect them, "from their shoes to their socks to their accent." (North Koreans speak with a fluctuating accent.)
Since North Korea has been stuck in a 1950s-era culture for so long, North Korean refugees have to relearn everything, from riding public transportation to using credit cards. One woman, for example, stared in amazement at the ATM machine, wondering how a person could fit into that little box. Kids and teenagers especially have a hard time adjusting, because bullying is rampant in South Korean schools. Song recalled a teenage boy who dyed his hair a shocking pink, thinking he was following Korean pop fashion.
But the biggest hurdle for them is rebuilding an identity. "In North Korea, there's not a strong sense of identity, because their identity is in the ideology and propaganda," Song said. "So when they escape, they really have to figure out for themselves: Who am I? What are my own dreams?" The idea of liberty and working hard toward personal success is a foreign concept to them, because they didn't have many choices in North Korea. Sometimes it is easier for North Korean refugees to restart their life in the United States, despite language barriers. —S.L.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Check it out here.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Rafa
Check it out here.
Labels: player quotes, Rafael Nadal, tennis, The New York Times
12 comments:
"And the most important part is the head."ReplyDelete
Honey, you said it. That's my favorite part, too. ;)
And sweetie? Honestly, nobody lasts forever. They and we said/say it because we have seen it before, especially with your type of body. I hope you last forever. I really do. (And if you do, you'll be the new human Viagra! ;)) Prove they and we wrong, and I promise, you can spank us.
*drops trou*
As Sonja said, now on to important matters: He looks like he's being engulfed up by a large, green vagina. I'm surprised you didn't notice this, Richie, and make a remark in my direction. *blows kisses*
natch: No need to point out the obvious. Besides, i know i can always rely on you for (s)natch jokes.ReplyDelete
In any case, one should always be concerned when the vag goes green. NO ONE likes a moldy munch.
- AnonymousJune 17, 2009 at 2:28 PM
In other words:ReplyDelete
stfu already. and thank you.
"when the vag goes green"ReplyDelete
Sounds like a new tv show. I'm not sure if that's an environmentally friendly program, or one of those, "When Testicles Attack" deals...
- AnonymousJune 17, 2009 at 3:58 PM
Grumpy Loser irked....You are going down, mate!ReplyDelete
natch: HAHAHA - "love a green vag, save the world"ReplyDelete
now there's a charity i could get down with - or is it go down on?
- AnonymousJune 17, 2009 at 4:08 PM
the caption might just as well be.....Im' drowning in Shame,Please Help me get out of this Mess.My head is ok, but my legs wont hold me up"(lol!!!!)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 17, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Vamos Rafa! I hope he beats Federer and his newly grown balls again at Wimbledon. More tears from manly Whaaager, rotl.ReplyDelete
I'm normally indifferent to Federer, but I have to say I hope his testicles hang low .. to and fro .. and Rafa kicks him and makes him cry buckets. Oh wait, that was a little mean, right? Yeah well ...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 17, 2009 at 4:59 PM
That's the best quote I've read from Rafa in a while. Awesome article, too....Rafa is the best. Can't wait to see him back on court! VAMOS!ReplyDelete
I have to say, my pervert thoughts go in whole another direction (as opposed to green vaginas):ReplyDelete
In that picture Rafa looks like one of those guys waiting in a copse - lurking around and suddenly jumping at an unsuspecting young woman (read: Sonja/natch/Babz/you name it) who walks by.
Oh rolling around naked on the turf with Rafa... that reminds me of Wimbledon! LOL
Ah I'm so lost. I do need therapy I think. XD
It sounds like Rafa's getting angry, fed up with the media, even. GOOD. It's about time. Maybe this will help spur him on. An angry Rafa is a dangerous Rafa, muahaha.ReplyDelete


text:
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text:
Life or death
With international adoptions harder and harder to process and a slowdown in Ethiopia, the second-largest source of hope for American parents wanting to adopt overseas, the outcome can be heartbreak, or worse
GREENVILLE, S.C.-When an Ethiopian woman found an abandoned baby girl on the steps of a government building outside the capital city of Addis Ababa in 2008, she reported the discovery to local police and called the baby Bethel: The woman prayed the needy child would eventually belong to a Christian family, and knew that Bethel means "house of God."
More than two years later, the child is fulfilling her name: Grace Bethel leans across the couch in the living room of her Greenville, S.C., home, watching a video of the day her adoptive parents-Scotty and Kerry Anderson-met her at an Ethiopian orphanage. "That's you, daddy!" she says to Anderson, an associate pastor at a nearby church. The curly-haired toddler makes another observation: "I was a tiny baby."
It's true: Like many children in impoverished Ethiopia, Grace was underweight and underdeveloped when the Andersons met her in 2008, but that quickly changed, says Mrs. Anderson: "Three weeks after we brought her home, she rolled over and sat up."
Joseph and Heidi Bayly can relate: When they met their adopted son in an Ethiopian orphanage in 2009, the 8-month-old weighed just 12 pounds and functioned like a small infant. But Bayly says Tate quickly improved: "In just a couple of months we went from having a 1-month-old to having a 10-month-old."
On a recent Sunday afternoon, Tate swayed in the living room of his Indianapolis home, strumming a tiny guitar and singing the Doxology. Bayly-a pastor in Indianapolis-contemplates what a few more months in an orphanage might have meant for his son: "In the case of Tate, it may well have been that he died."
Video provided by The Good Shepherd Band
That reality adds sobering weight to an announcement that has jolted families trying to adopt children from Ethiopia: The U.S. Embassy reported that Ethiopian officials plan to process new adoption cases at a dramatically slower rate-as few as five cases a day.
For a country that processes some 4,000 inter-country adoptions a year-including 2,500 to the United States-such a slowdown would mark a dramatic decline: Ethiopia represents the second-largest source of international adoptions to American families over the last two years. (Only China processed more adoptions to the United States in the same time period.)
The Ethiopian government hasn't offered an official reason for the slowdown, but the announcement followed at least two developments: Government officials said the swelling volume of cases overwhelmed their limited capacity, while U.S. news reports claimed that corruption had permeated the system.
The first problem seems likely: A small staff in a developing country could struggle with processing a rapidly growing number of adoption cases. But evidence of the second accusation-widespread, systematic corruption-seems far less clear.
Indeed, a deeper look reveals a different picture: Adoption experts say that while problems exist in the Ethiopian system, grievous adoption scandals in countries like Guatemala and Vietnam led Ethiopia to build a better system with more oversight of the process.
And the U.S. State Department reported encouraging results from a January visit to Ethiopia to examine 4,000 adoption cases: Officials said that while they found problems in the program-and the system needs improvement-the children they investigated met the U.S. definition of an orphan.
The Ethiopian slowdown represents a critical moment for one of the largest populations of orphans in one of the poorest countries in Africa. For government officials, agencies, and parents, the moment calls for a crucial balancing act: evaluating claims of corruption fairly, offering practical help to improve the process, and remembering children who will never be adopted.
Ethiopia burst onto the international adoption scene as the rate of foreign adoptions dramatically declined over the last several years: International adoptions by Americans fell from a peak of 22,991 in 2004 to 11,058 in 2010.
The reasons varied: Countries like China tightened adoption requirements, and a handful of orphan-related disasters tarnished the international process. One of the most egregious: In April 2010, a Tennessee woman placed her adopted Russian son on a Moscow-bound plane with a note saying she could no longer care for the child.
But beyond isolated debacles, adoption programs closed in Guatemala and Vietnam after reports surfaced of systemic corruption. Guatemala's adoption program had grown quickly: The country was the second-largest source for U.S. adoptions in 2006. By 2008, Guatemala had surpassed China for the most adoptions to U.S. families: Americans adopted 4,112 Guatemalan children that year.
But problems also grew: In March 2007, the U.S. State Department advised Americans against adopting from Guatemala, saying investigations revealed the system was "rampant with fraud." By 2008, Guatemala closed its international adoption program to new cases, saying it would improve the process. The program remains shut down.
Similar problems plagued Vietnam: The U.S. embassy in Hanoi began investigating reports of fraud in the country's growing adoption program in 2007. By January 2008, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalek cabled the U.S. State Department with the results: "These cases offer compelling proof that government-run clinics and orphanages are actively engaged in baby buying and are lying to birth mothers to secure children for international adoption." Later that year, the United States didn't renew its adoption agreement with Vietnam, closing the program to Americans.
As adoptions to Americans in the two countries ended, Ethiopia's program soared: In 2004, during the peak of U.S. international adoptions, Americans adopted 284 Ethiopian children. By 2010, that number had risen more than tenfold to 2,511.
The swelling adoption program brought serious concerns: How could Ethiopia avoid the pitfalls that ensnared other countries? Tom DeFilipo of the D.C.-based Joint Council on International Adoptions says the scandals pushed Ethiopia to develop a better system.
The Ethiopia model-developed in conjunction with adoption agencies and advocates like DeFilipo-includes government audits of orphanages and adoption agencies, and a demanding process with layers of protections.
Consider an adopted child's journey: Since Ethiopian law doesn't allow a birth parent to surrender a baby to an orphanage, the parent presents the child to local officials. The officials investigate and report to regional officials. The regional officials review the case and refer the baby to an orphanage. The orphanage reviews the child's background and eligibility for adoption and forwards the information to an agency.
After the agency reviews the case and matches the child with an adoptive family, agency workers forward the information to the Ethiopian government. The Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs issues a letter of approval before a judge reviews the case in an Ethiopian court. When that process is complete, the adoptive family forwards the paperwork to the U.S. Embassy. The embassy reviews the information and approves the child for a visa, paving the way for U.S. citizenship.
That's a far different process than Guatemala's system: The country allowed adoptive families to work through notaries who handled many parts of the process for a fee, instead of allowing layers of government checks.
But layers of checks don't make corruption impossible: Birth parents could lie about why they need to surrender a child. Officials could fail to investigate adequately. Orphanages could fail to check a child's background or-worst-case scenario-solicit children for adoption. Courts could falter. Agencies and parents could ask too few questions or fall into corruption of their own.
DeFilipo believes the layers of safeguards do protect against systematic fraud in Ethiopia, but he doesn't deny the potential for trouble: "There's no such thing as eliminating corruption in any human endeavor."
Allegations of corruption in Ethiopia have surfaced on internet adoption forums: Some adoptive parents say their Ethiopian children later told them they weren't truly orphans. Others reported deplorable living conditions in some orphanages.
Last year, a CBS News report about Christian World Adoption (CWA), a Charleston, S.C.--based adoption agency, included an interview with an adopted Ethiopian teenager alleging that CWA paid her father for her and her sisters. In an interview from his Charleston office, CWA's attorney, Curtis Bostic, told me: "CWA pays nobody-period-for children, and there's no need to do that."
Bostic also disputed the report's implication that a CWA worker tried to recruit Ethiopian children for adoption. A video showed the worker telling a crowd of Ethiopian villagers: "If you want your child to be adopted by a family in America, you may stay."
Bostic said the CWA worker traveled to the village with a local orphanage at the invitation of village leaders interested in establishing an orphanage for needy children. He says the worker was explaining the purpose of the team's visit. Bostic also said that an Ethiopian investigation of CWA didn't return negative findings, and that the government allows the agency to continue facilitating adoptions.
A month after the CBS report, the U.S. State Department said it was concerned about media accounts of agencies recruiting children in Ethiopia. An April 6 State Department notice said adoptive families must file more information for the U.S. Embassy to complete investigations of adoption cases. The Ethiopian government also announced additional steps for adoptive parents. By December, the State Department repeated concerns, but didn't warn families against pursuing adoption.
The obvious question surfaced: If corruption had infected the Ethiopian adoption system, how bad was it?
A series of reports by news agency Voice of America (VOA) painted a dire picture. A Dec. 14 article-"Ethiopia Plans Crackdown on Baby Business"-said Ethiopian officials planned to close dozens of orphanages they said served as transit homes for adoptions.
The article also cited a study by Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform (PEAR) that reported evidence of unethical practices by adoption agencies. But the article didn't mention that the PEAR website reports that 134 families responded to the survey-far fewer than the 4,000 cases the U.S. State Department later investigated.
Three days later, a VOA report proclaimed the Ethiopian system "rife with fraud and deception" and quoted a UNICEF official calling the adoption program "a free-for-all." But the report's evidence of widespread corruption was limited: An Ethiopian judge said she believed some birth families lied about their history because they are destitute; some adoptive families shared bad experiences online; and the U.S. embassy reported it had identified "a few bad actors" in the system.
Three months later, the Ethiopian government made a dramatic move: Government officials told the U.S. Embassy in March that they would reduce sharply the number of cases processed each day. The U.S. State Department warned adoptive families to expect "significant delays," and American families braced for long waits.
One thing seems clear: The growing number of adoption cases has stretched the Ethiopian government's limited capacity. As early as 2007, Haddush Haleform, an Ethiopian official, told The New York Times he didn't think the country could handle the swelling work load: "We don't have the capacity to handle all these new agencies, and we have to monitor the quality, not just the quantity."
With a small staff to review paperwork-and a single court to approve adoption cases-the country faces a steep task to manage a bustling international adoption program.
Since the announcement, the U.S. State Department has offered resources to help the Ethiopian government manage the system. (Resources could include anything from more computers to more training for staff.) The State Department says the Ethiopian government hasn't yet indicated what it might need.
But the larger question still looms: Is the program systemically corrupt? A month after Ethiopia warned of a slowdown, the U.S. State Department offered a significant assessment of the country's program. Officials from the State Department and U.S. Customs traveled to Ethiopia to review 4,000 adoption cases by U.S. families. The results: The children generally fit the U.S. definition of an orphan.
That was good news for orphans and adoptive families. It meant that while the system has problems, the State Department wasn't reporting large numbers of exploited children, and it wasn't declaring the system a free-for-all.
But the good news came with concerns: The State Department reported logistical problems in the Ethiopian system, including inconsistencies in paperwork and missing documents. The U.S. embassy has asked agencies to improve documentation about how children arrive in orphanages, and to include more information about their backgrounds.
Sometimes that information is hard to track: Some children are abandoned, leaving their background a mystery. Other children don't have birth certificates. Some birth mothers are reluctant to share the circumstances of their pregnancy, especially if it involves abuse.
But adoption experts agree that some orphanages and agencies could do a better job managing documentation. Chuck Johnson of the D.C.-based National Council for Adoption says agencies and parents could be tempted to bend rules in a foreign country with needy children: "But we're saying: No bending rules."
For adoption agencies, the process brings a dilemma: Agencies need to maintain a healthy distance from children before orphanages recommend them for adoption. This ensures that agencies aren't recruiting children. But despite the distance, agencies are also accountable for ensuring the children are truly orphans.
Daniel Lauer of Holt International-one of the oldest adoption agencies in the United States-describes the dilemma. "At one point we're being asked to be intimately involved with our [orphanage] partners, and also kind of hands-off," he says. "That's a real tension."
That tension has led to painstaking measures for at least three U.S. agencies facilitating some of the largest numbers of Ethiopian adoptions: America World Adoption (AWA) and Bethany Christian Services-both Christian adoption agencies-and Children's Home Society and Family Services (CHSFS) say they conduct independent investigations of every child's case.
After an orphanage refers a child for adoption, each agency says it sends Ethiopian staff to investigate paperwork, travel to the child's village, and videotape interviews with family members, villagers, or local police if possible.
Sara Ruiter of Bethany says her agency contracts an independent company to conduct the video profile and employs a full-time investigator trained by the U.S. Embassy: "We're taking it on ourselves to make sure that any case that comes to us has all the i's dotted and all the t's crossed."
The agencies say they have found cases that need further review, but they haven't found cases of blatant fraud. And Ruiter says when Bethany grew concerned about one orphanage's inconsistent paperwork, the agency stopped working with the orphanage.
With UNICEF estimating as many as 5 million Ethiopian children have lost one or both parents, only a small percentage of Ethiopian children will find adoptive homes. Agencies are working to help non-adopted children, too. Indeed, adoption agencies say that international adoption should be the last option for Ethiopian children: The first priority is to help families keep children.
Holt International reports it helped 3,400 Ethiopian children last year, serving half through family preservation programs that include education, nutrition, and micro-business, according to Lauer: "Everything from capital for a small roadside store to an ox to plow fields to a donkey to move goods to chickens to produce eggs."
Bethany conducts child welfare projects in Ethiopia. AWA helps single mothers develop life skills, and the agency is developing a domestic adoption program. Kjersti Olson of CHSFS says her agency has provided two schools for local children-one serves 625 students in a rural community with no other school. The agency also runs a maternal and child healthcare clinic that serves 40,000 patients a year and conducts family development projects. "A lot of it is family preservation," says Olson. "And a lot of it is trying to break the cycle of poverty as well."
Agency workers say newer adoption cases have moved at a significantly slower rate since the announcement. And while they hope the program doesn't slow even more dramatically, they support the government's desire to make sure they are processing adoptions correctly.
The U.S. State Department says that it's committed to the Ethiopian program and that the agency is considering a pre-approval process that would add another layer of investigation before cases reach the U.S. Embassy for final approval. Adoptive families, who already pay at least $25,000 per adoption (including travel costs to Ethiopia for two adults), can do more by making sure they choose agencies with good track records and with clear policies on how they review the backgrounds of orphans.
Back in Washington, DeFilipo says he hopes a resolution comes quickly so that children eligible for adoption can avoid spending more time in institutions. For children already struggling with health issues in the impoverished country, more time in an orphanage could produce long-term problems.
For families like the Baylys, they've seen what an adoptive home can mean for an Ethiopian child like their son Tate. And they're hoping to adopt again: The couple decided to continue with plans to adopt another Ethiopian child just days after the government announced a potential slowdown. Mrs. Bayly says contemplating the possibility of a long wait is difficult, but they've already seen the rewards of waiting for their first son: "You start to process every delay by knowing that this is God's sovereignty directing us to the child that He wants to place in our family."
Back in Greenville, the Andersons say they saw the same dynamic in their own family when they brought Grace home. "It's very clear that she knows who her parents are," says Mr. Anderson. "And there's not a hesitation in the world."


text:
Microsoft Research Asia, in partnership with National Palace Museum and National Taiwan University, hosted the 2010 Microsoft eHeritage Workshop, May 18–19, in Taipei, Taiwan.
Exploring Cultural Heritage Preservation through Advances in Technology
Advanced computing research and practices have played, and will continue to play, an important role in helping to preserve, represent, and provide public access to cultural heritages.
The eHeritage workshop will unite researchers who are interested in applying their research towards eHeritage efforts with scholars, curators, librarians, designers, and educators from museums and heritage sites, who are using information technology and facing challenges to provide more digital services. The workshop will provide these experts with an opportunity to meet and exchange research results and to foster collaboration.
Microsoft Research will provide updates on selected research developments and activities, presentations of best practices from university faculty members, a poster session, group discussions, and exciting demos. We welcome invited speakers and invited poster presenters to present their current research in areas including, but not limited to, the following:
- Data Acquisition in cultural heritage, including 2-D/3-D scanning systems, photogrammetry, web cams, mobility and site monitoring, remote sensing, and GIS for heritage.
- Data Processing and Analysis in cultural heritage, including 3-D and large-scale sites' modeling, data storage and process via cloud platform pattern recognition, metadata mining and retrieval, interactive visualization, and processing of digital information (images, graphics, video, and audio) to aid research.
- Data Utilization for digital archives, exhibition, dissemination, and education, including new ways to display via any devices; novel Internet-based cultural heritage applications; and usability, effectiveness, and interface design.
The goals of the 2010 workshop include the following:
- Build a bridge between art, humanities, and archaeology scholars and information technology researchers to share, exchange, and identify eHeritage solutions.
- Foster inter-disciplinary collaboration between experts in computer science technology and cultural heritage to improve delivery of preservation and dissemination.
- Discuss a vision for eHeritage technologies moving forward.
eHeritage Workshop 2010
Related Links
- eHeritage Workshop 2008
Beijing, China
- eHeritage Workshop 2009
Dunhuang, China
Silks Palace at National Palace Museum
221 Chishan Road Section 2,
Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan
Sheraton Taipei Hotel
No.12, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao W. Rd.,
Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100, Taiwan
Phone: +886 2 23215511


text:
Yes elk are really tough animals. I heard of a bull shot that had a round ball in his hind and broadhead in his shoulder!
More problems than a married man. Lol. I like it.
Yes elk are really tough animals. I heard of a bull shot that had a round ball in his hind and broadhead in his shoulder!
Cool Story thanks for Sharing !!
Shot my 6x6 elk in Wyoming this fall and noticed that he was blind in his right eye from a fight... so I thought. When I got back home the taxidermist called me and asked if I wanted it scored for P&Y! I told him I would love to but I shot it with a rifle. He then asked what that muzzie broadhead and 3" arrow shaft was doing in it's eye??? Yup, an archery hunter is either a very good shot or shouldn't be taking a head on shot at any elk!! I was thankful that I could harvest the elk to take him out of his misery and the broadhead in the eye of the skull mount is an interesting talking point.
GMAN would love to see some pics of that bull with the arrow in eye.
Will send a pic but will take awhile so hang in there!! We had a great hunt and will try and send some other pics along with "one eye."
Here you go!!
A pic of "one eye."
My son's elk. He was running with " One Eye."
GMAN - Great picture!!! That is a neat and unique trophy for sure. Thanks for sharing.


text:
Intel® Xeon® Processor-based Workstation Selection Guide: Brief
Choosing the right workstation is a smart investment. Many engineers, designers, researchers, financial analysts, and other highly trained professionals depend on their workstations more than any other single tool to support their creative efforts. A sufficiently powerful system is essential to get the most out of their abilities, and to avoid the difficulties that can result when a workstation cannot keep up with its workload, introducing delays that can stall and even derail the creative process.
Workstations are purpose-built systems that offer enhanced reliability, stability, and often times performance. It is not a singular solution in that there is an entire portfolio of workstation solutions each geared for a certain kind of user from entry to expert.
Typical office workers running standard office applications will get all the performance they need from a standard business PC. Anyone running more demanding applications can expect to be more productive, creative, and satisfied using a workstation.
Read the full Intel® Xeon® Processor-based Workstation Selection Guide Product Brief.


text:
I was really hoping to find a more light-hearted story to write about for today's Daily Dickhead, mostly because I miss adding a little satire into my writing. However, I simply cannot ignore the fecal matter being spewed from the mouth of Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
If you're a political junkie like me, you're probably already aware that the Iowa caucus is on the minds of every 24 hour news station 24 hours a day. In which case, you're probably also aware that former Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, is surging in the polls and quite possibly may end up winning the Iowan Republican caucus later today.
It'd take wayyyyyyyyy too long for me to go down the list of appalling things Santorum has said over the years. Plus, why spend time looking for old soundbites when, in the past few days, Santorum has been nothing but a walking soundbite waiting to happen. However, even for Santorum, he was in rare form yesterday when he not only promised to invalidate all gay marriages should he become President, but he also managed to throw down another racist comment to go with one from early 2011.
Quite a busy 24 hours of hate, dontcha think?
In response to a question from Chuck Todd about what would happen to existing marriages if he signed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages, Santorum said: "Well, their marriage would be invalid. I think if the constitution says 'marriage is this,' then people whose marriage is not consistent with the constitution… I'd love to think there's another way of doing it."
In the clip below he keeps talking about marriage being a 'special' relationship. And I just don't get why people think it's OK to give special privileges to one group of people over another. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but what on earth is the point of denying people happiness? At the end of the day, does it make these Republicans happy that they're preventing a specific group of people from having a chance at a loving life with one another?
Next, Santorum decided to make a very off color, blatantly racist comment about black people and government assistance.
He said: "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families."
*Interesting side note: The amount of white people on government assistance FAR outnumbers the amount of black people.
And now a little history..
While speaking about President Obama's views on abortion earlier last year, he said: "I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say, 'No, we are gonna decide who are people and who are not people.'
Watch all 3 videos below.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


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Julie's Salad
From the kitchen of Susan Dyer
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, drained - Summer Crisp, bi-color, super sweet
Any chopped veggies you want to add, diced
Green, red and yellow pepper
grape tomatoes, halved
yellow squash
red onion
The point is a colorful mix of your favorite veggies, more is better.
Pour on about 2/3 bottle of Italian dressing (if you want to be adventurous, use balsamic vinaigrette) Mix together and voila!
Chill completely before serving.
Susan mixed this up in a bright yellow bowl, it was simple and gorgeous!
- What a great way to eat healthy and teach your children all the fresh vegetables. Let them choose their favorites and help cut them up.


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What is different about the 2014 model?
Hello Jesses, here is what they have done with the new 2014 over last year model. The new XTX Tungsten regulator is based on our very popular limited edition Black Pearl regulator. With its own definite look, it has a very different luxurious but hard-wearing PVD coating finish. The operating design is based on the new Apeks XTX200 regulator. The XTX200 pedigree speaks for itself and it has certainly proven its ability over the last few years. The 2nd stage is now manufactured with active protection against infection as all moulded parts are produced with an additive that kills MRSA, protects against E-Coli, bacteria and fungi, and is also very effective against viruses, mould, yeast and algae.
The XTX Tungsten is built upon the XTX200 platform but with a truly unique, added feature: it is protected with a hard, durable PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish. This tough-as-nails finish is better than traditional chrome plating. The coating is made of high quality grades of Titanium, Zirconium and Chromium. The result is not only rich, but protects your investment from normal diving abuse.
Features the innovative Diver Changeable Exhaust (DCE) System allowing the diver to change from a large exhaust tee to a smaller exhaust tee. The larger exhaust tee provides the best exhaust bubble dispersion while the smaller tee is lighter weight and compact, both are included with the regulator.
The XTX Tungsten can be converted from a right handed hose configuration to a left handed one. The process of changing the regulator to a left handed configuration is both quick and simple. However this procedure MUST only be performed by an Apeks Authorized Service Technician
The ergonomic venturi lever of the XTX range has been designed to reduce the amount of grit ingress
Available in yoke or din configuration
The silicone exhaust valve used on the XTX demand regulator range improves the breathing performance of the regulator.
Compatible with EAN40, out of the box
Available for shipment to U.S. zip codes only


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I'm definitely a character. I can be really comedic and make people laugh. I'm also very musical, I play guitar and sing.
Ari558300 is a 23yr-old single man in Stoney Creek, New BrunswickView Profile


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It makes no sense to me, just switch the Jets with either the Predators or Jackets. Messing up the conferences is foolish. Is there any other reason as to why they are planning this?
Am I the only one who thinks this is stupid? Why change what works and seperate teams that have been rivals for years?


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only left in this size
Mid-rise cigarette. A classic cigarette cut with a medium rise exudes refined poise. With a streamlined silhouette and pale-grey tone, this 5-pocket style is the definition of understated chic. Luxuriously soft sateen with power stretch ensures a flattering, comfortable fit. Designed with tonal stitching, zip fly, and single-button closure.


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p.s. KT sounds great on "Suddenly I see". I love Shawn's rendition of Gnarls "Crazy". St. Vincent's "Paris is Burning" should be a nice introduction for you.
I have KT's "Eye to the Telescope" album, and I'm a fan. However, she's mid-30s and hasn't had a hit in years. Maruuk stated the following earlier:
But. Jessica does not sing anything a kid would want to listen to. She sings diva songs and mature R&B stuff, she sings like a polished 40-year old. Not hip at all. Adult music. What 14-23 year old would buy her records? Nobody. She's in that whole Whitney-Celine-Blige bag and truly kills it, but she's way out of her own demo, and that's a problem for a 16 year old.
When Katharine McPhee sang "Black Horse And A Cherry Tree," it was current. There's nothing wrong with making an older song sound fresh in my opinion, but Maruuk's statements earlier made it sound like he wouldn't agree with that, so...
As I stated, I haven't heard anything new from Shawn in years... "Nothing On You" was the last song I heard from her, so I don't really consider her very contemporary either.
I may have to check out St. Vincent... that song title sounds familiar, so it's possible I may be aware of them, and simply not aware of their name.


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See All Contributors »
Oh what could have been... I got sick watching this, but wanted to share it with you CF'ers.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBIBxLf9bO0]YouTube - KUSports.com Jayhawk Flashback: Nov. 26, 2005 vs. Iowa State[/ame]
1337 Internet. Serious Business.
WHY would you post that?
I was there, and it may have been the low point in my life. ISU dominated the entire game until the very end. You knew it was over once we went into OT.
Kansas wears Adidas.
Oh and NICE ******* TRACK around the field.
Black Saturday. urgghh. With the kick of a ball, one programs' fortunes we're changed for the better, one for the much worse. (obviously coaching/plan/etc. had more to do with this than just the kick(s))
I'm not one to dwell in the past, but I think it should be engrained in every player, coach, and fans mind just how close we were and that we should not accept being a doormat. We can succeed at this level.
(I just hope that 2-year span wasn't our one golden chance to change our status in the Big 12 & college football)
The defense on that 2005 team had an unbelievable knack to get turnovers. If the offense could have been a little better. They would have won 10 games that year. Off the top of my head they lost @ NU in OT in a game they were in control of, at MU in OT (or double OT) in a 14 point lead at the end and the @ KU game obviously.
As a Cyclone fan, this was hard to watch, but I would hope the current players realize that it is possible to succeed in the Big12 at Iowa State. That entire 2005 season could have been the best season if a few plays would have went the other way.
Nebraska was the double OT loss...
thanksgiving dinner that Saturday really sucked after that game.
Are you a member?
Wow, bad post.
Hey, man... remember that tragedy in your life? Yeah, that was really gut-wrenching, wasn't it. Let's talk about how awful you felt.
I'm going to go puke now....
Need neg rep.
College Football Analytics on Twitter & Facebook
Wide Right & Natty Lite - Loyal Sons, Forever True. With beer!
Originally Posted by isuno1fan
WHY would you post that?
Very good question. 30 lashes!
It's weird to watch that, even as a KU fan. If KU had lost that Mangino might not have been around long enough to turn the program around. Plus we had no business winning that game. You guys had outplayed us all day and then you got conservative with the lead and let us back in it. From that point on KU has spent tons of money on football and now look like they are two years away from completely redoing the stadium and yes finally getting rid of that track. I was at KU's open practice last week and after watching that clip it really shows me how much Mangino has upgraded the speed on his football team. I'm not sure anybody on that team could see the field today.
Hard to believe Mangino may have not survived at KU if ISU wouldn't have stopped throwing the ball against us in the 4th quarter. But it also shows you guys how quickly you can come back and start winning games again.
Originally Posted by Ace000087
Nebraska was the double OT loss...
and ISU would have won if Nick Leaders could of come up with that interception. Hit him right in the numbers!
Why did I put myself through that 5:00 when I knew the outcome? I hurt inside.
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Hey guys!
I figured out another fun little thing to do while we wait for the first episode. If there ever will be a Monkey Islandmovie, who would you cast as Guybrush, Elaine, LeChuck, Voodoo Lady, Stan, Murray etc etc. ?
Just write below something like this.
My Cast:
Guybrush - ?
Elaine - ?
LeChuck - ?
Stan - Jim Carrey
Voodoo Lady - Whoopee Goldberg
Murray - Christopher Lloyd :p
and continue the list


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Director: John Oliver
Associate Director – Coordinator of Academic Programs: Rebecca Lopez (562) 985-5655
Undergraduate Program Coordinator/Undergraduate Advisor: Nancy Meyer-Adams (562) 985-4658
Admissions Coordinator: Candace M. Smith (562) 985-8180
Coordinator of Field Education: Marian Klemek (562) 985-8178
Distance Education Coordinator: Marilyn Potts (562) 985-5183
MSW / BASW 24 Hour Information Line: (562) 985-5654 / 985-5427
Department Office: SSPA, Room 161
Department Telephone / FAX: (562) 985-4616 / 985-5514
Faculty: Paul Abels (Emeritus, 2000), Jan Black (Emerita, 1999), Jolae Brocato, Lester Brown (Emeritus, 2004), Ruth Chambers, Kenneth Chau (Emeritus, 1998), Agathi Glezakos, Catherine C. Goodman, Jean M. Granger (Emerita, 2002), Yolanda Green, Jillian Jimenez, Chistine Kleinpeter, Jeffrey Koob, Brian Lam, Cheryl Lee, Isaiah C. Lee (Emeritus, 1998), Rebecca Lopez, Nancy Meyer-Adams, Chikako Nagai, Julie O'Donnell, John Oliver, Eileen Mayers Pasztor, Marilyn Potts, Molly Ranney, Susan Rice (Emerita, 2005), Janaki Santhiveeran, Phillip Tan, Thomas Alex Washington, Steve Wilson
Assistant to the Director: Ann Radzicki, (562) 985-1878
Full-time Field Faculty: Venetta Campbell, Rashida Crutchfield, Tom Crowe, Michael Foster, Judy Green, Marian Klemek, Stacey Peyer, Joy Rubin, Susana Salas
Students desiring information should contact the numbers listed above. Program applications (BASW, MSW) are available on the department's website (www.csulb.edu/depts/socialwk/).
Social Worker • Hospital Discharge Planner • Services Eligibility Worker • Psychiatric Social Worker • Probation or Parole Officer • Delinquency Prevention Program Worker • Medical Social Worker • School Social Worker • Child Welfare Caseworker • Community Organization Administrator • Health Care Administrator • Director of Social Services • Researcher • Organization Administrator • Health Care Administrator • Researcher • Employment Program Supervisor • Industrial Social Worker • Health Educator and Hospice Services Coordinator • Case Management • Gerontological Social Work • Community Organizer • Social Policy Analyst (For more information, see www.careers.csulb.edu.)
The mission of the profession of social work is to
improve the quality of life for all people and to enhance human potential for full and productive participation in society. As such, social work has universal application to meet human needs arising from personal-societal interactions. Social Work, based on the history and philosophy of the profession, is committed to working with disenfranchised groups to alleviate poverty and oppression and to empower at risk groups including families and communities.
The social work method is a change-oriented process which helps individuals and social units of all sizes, structures and functions to discover, mobilize, develop and use their own and outside resources to change personal and social conditions which are barriers to meeting their needs. Change is accomplished through direct service, supervision, consultation, education, community organization, program development and evaluation, organizational and administrative advocacy, policy development, and social or political action.
Social workers are employed in varied settings, such as major societal institutions, health and mental health, child welfare, family services, government, corrections, aging services, recreation, and labor and industry. They work in many job classifications: direct service, community organization, supervision, consultation, management, administration, education and training, policy analysis and research.
The mission of the Department of Social Work is to prepare a diverse student population for Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) and Master in Social Work (MSW) degrees for professional social work practice. The graduates of these programs are able to:
Additionally, the mission is to provide BASW and MSW education which is broadly accessible so that graduates can serve the needs of local, state and international communities in which they practice. In order to accomplish the mission, the Department draws on a diverse faculty who provide quality social work education and contribute to the community, the profession and the advancement of professional knowledge.
The Departmental curriculum assists BASW and MSW students to gain professional knowledge and values and develop an understanding of, and skill in social work methods and techniques required to undertake quality practice within the full spectrum of professional tasks. These expectations are accomplished with the student through the integration of the information and theories of the classroom with supervised practical experience in a variety of social agencies.
The BASW and MSW programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (Council on Social Work Education, Commission on Accreditation, 1725 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, phone number: 703-683-8080).
Departmental, University and Council on Social Work Education regulations do not permit the substitution of life or work experience for curriculum or degree requirements.


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The 13th Map-of-the-Week release is the first in a series of lair maps in the post-devastation swamp and lake area of the fallen Æsir Empire. This week, we see the cavern lair of Yrsung, a good-aligned, female red, black and yellow-white dragon wizard-warrior. After the devastation of the fallen empire, the Darkness send the evil-aligned dragon Ófnir into the swamp and lake area. The elven King Dáin of Álfheim then sent Yrsung into the area to keep Ófnir in check.
1. As a JPG flat map, 1360 x 1020 pixels (1 MB), available above.
2. The original FM8 map in FMP format, fully editable, from our Jörðgarð web page (11 MB). This version includes a PDF pamphlet that tells you how to use the layers that are built into the map.
Both versions are released for personal and commercial use under the Open Game License Version 1.0a, which you can read on the Jörðgarð web site.
To get the original FM8 map, go to the Jörðgarð web site:
Next Week: The Evil Dragon Ófnir's Lair
Mark Oliva
The Vintyri (TM) Project


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Davis Moore is a fertility doctor in Chicago specializing in reproductive cloning, a controversial and closely regulated new practice, when his 17-year-old daughter is brutally raped and murdered. The case is investigated but never solved. Months later, Moore retrieves her belongings from the police, and finds among them a vial containing the killer's DNA. Tormented by grief, Moore entertains a monstrous thought: the possibility of cloning not his daughter but the man who killed her. How far would you go to look into the face of your daughter's murderer?
Justin Finn, at three, looks like any other child. Bright, joyful, sweet; an innocent toddler to his unsuspecting parents and to all who know him. But his face, one day, will be the exact match of the cold-blooded killer of whom he is a perfect genetic replica. Can a three-year-old have a past? Where does evil come from? What happens to the soul when we die? What are you duplicating when you duplicate a human life?
Cast of Shadows is a spectacularly original, hair-raising novel about the fate of a little boy brought into the world to solve a crime. Relentlessly gripping, profoundly unsettling, and visionary, it introduces a major new suspense novelist.
©2006 Kevin Guilfoile; (P)2009 Random House
"Guilfoile's tricky, high-concept plot continually subverts and plays with the reader's expectations....Gripping." (The New York Times)
"Guilfoile's engrossing debut novel takes a high-concept look at the age-old but still provocative question of nature vs. nurture....The novel as a whole is rich and involving." (Publishers Weekly)
"Original to a fault"
This book is so many things -- a science-gone-wrong story, a whodunit, a thriller, a personal drama. It starts off being a story about a doctor who violates his own ethics in an attempt to find his daughter's killer in the future...As such, it's not bad. The characters and their dilemmas are real and compelling. Still, you wonder -- how is he going to keep this going for the entire book? But THEN! The plot twists and turns and gets better and better and better. With all the pieces coming together perfectly -- and totally unexpectedly. I don't always like Scott Brick as a reader, but he is pitch perfect here. Giving it drama without being melodramatic.
The only reason I took one star off in the "overall" rating was because the first fourth or so of the book, while good, was not up to the last three quarters. Still, if you're looking for roller coaster entertainment, I most definitely recommend this novel.
"I've discovered a new author!"
I love it when I discover a new favorite author. Kevin Guilfoile is writing intriguing, intellectual thrillers that ask, "What if?" "Cast of Shadows" seems to be set in the not-to-distant future ??? or else in a slightly altered present ??? where reproductive human cloning is just coming into common use. It asks the question: "What if reproductive cloning were (mis-) used to catch a killer?" Guilfoile deeply and thoughtfully explores the potential ramifications and consequences of such technology. The earlier reviewer who objected to the "Christian theme" of this novel must not have listened to it for very long; because "Cast of Shadows" definitely does not have a Christian theme at all: only a sub-plot following the radical Christian right's violent reaction to the use of human cloning technology. In fact, the thread of this sub-plot, woven intermittently into the main story, stays entirely in the background until the very end, when it finally emerges to reveal a deliciously surprising plot twist. Any intelligent, thinking person will love this book. The narrator, Scott Brick, is a good actor with an unpleasant voice; but the story will soon have you overlooking this one small drawback. I am now listening to Mr. Guilfoile's next novel, "The Thousand," which is providing me with at least as much enjoyment as "Cast of Shadows" did. I highly recommend this author.
I am an artist, living in Cairns, Queensland, Australia right next to the Great Barrier Reef. I listen to audiobooks everyday while making art and on into the night. I really like mysteries with a good serving of suspense on the side that keep you wondering right to the end. However, I won't say no to any entertaining and well written book which has been read by an excellent narrator.
"I'm impressed!"
Kevin Guilfoile, you've got tons of talent; keep the books rolling off the press. I can hardly wait until the next one. You managed to keep a cast of numerous characters, plots and sub-plots tightly woven together and cohesive. The story was beautifully narrated by Scott Brick who sometimes over does things, but not this time. This book was definitely a thriller in every sense of the word. Well done!
"The shadows were too present"
Although the general thread is engaging with all its twists and turns, and has a reasonable ending, the final third was a let down. The Shadow World game, which is full of holes and does not add anything to the story, was too prominent towards the end. The bit where the Shadows are dancing in the night club is just awful. One wonders if the author has ever used a computer game.
"Riveting intellectual thriller"
I hadn't read or listened to anything by this author before, but this is a terrific book. It poses interesting philosophical and moral questions wrapped around a compelling, fast-paced murder mystery with several unexpected turns in the story. I would love to read more of this author. Oh, and narration by Scott Brick is excellent as usual!
"Another issue of unexpected animal cruelty"
Very enjoyable until again the issue of animal cruelty appeared . Maybe a warning would be helpful as this seems to happen frequently. If this bothers you , skip it. Otherwise not a bad story with excellent narration. I had to stop in the middle because of this.
Looking for good murder mysteries that don't consist mostly of cheesy love stories. Example of what I am looking for, J Deaver & JA Jance.
"Loved it!!"
Excellent choice. Kept me glued to my ipod. New ideas and intriguing.
Scott Brice great reader and performer.
Hope I find more stories like this.
"Ending with a twist!"
Hard to predict
No but Scott Brick narration adds to the dimension of the book
WOW - This was the best book I've listened to so far! So many twists and turns, so much to think about, so many interesting characters. I bought it to listen to while driving (downloaded to GPS), but ended up bringing the GPS into the house as I couldn't wait to hear what happened next! The word 'unsettling' describes it well... definitely one I'll keep thinking about for a long time. Wish the author would write another book. Super author and super narrator (Scott Brick). You'll LOVE it!!!!!
"Cast of shadows"
If novel has a Christian theme it should be noted
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook- I like a concept that makes me think and the nature/nurture debate is considered in an original and thought provoking way. I was gripped throughout and was not disappointed at the end as it still left me with much to think about. Would recommend.
"Cast Shadows"
This was a very clever story this poor doctors life is turned upside down when his daughter is murdered he clones dead peoples cells to help couples to have kids of their own,but he goes a step to far this time trying to catch his daughters killer just fantastic how this story goes but it will keep you guessing who did this and the twists at the end is awsome
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Virginia Tech's Lumenhaus Wins the 2010 European Solar Decathlon!
This the second time in one year that the team from Virginia Tech has competed with the Lumenhaus. Back at the US Solar Decathlon in October, the team finished 13th overall out of 20 teams with 704 points. In the ensuing months between October and May, the
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May 25, 2016
Leon County, FL - Bear sightings are up in the Leon County area.
Florida's fish and wildlife conservation commission says that in 2009 they had 26 black bear sighting in neighborhoods, but in 2010 they had 213.
The FWC says that number has been the norm, so they're trying to deter the bears from rummaging through trash in neighborhoods.
"Leon County has decided to accept our offer to cover costs for people to try bear proof trash cans. We would select a community of about 200 homes and we would have them try it free for six months," said FWC Black Bear Management Coordinator David Telesco.
The metal reinforced trash cans would not be able to be opened by a bear's paws, hopefully keeping them from coming back to the neighborhoods. The FWC says they've seen bear issues decrease in the four other counties they have distributed the cans.
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