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As the federal government shutdown neared the end of its first business day, the House failed to pass a series of separate bills to restart funding for national parks, veterans' services and the city of Washington, D.C.
The measures, designed to eliminate some of the most unpopular consequences of the ongoing shutdown, required a two-thirds majority vote under the House's rules.
Democrats remained mostly united against the funding bills, which they argued amounted to the GOP's "cherry-picking" of politically palatable federal spending while ignoring the problems of the larger government funding lapse.
The vote on restoring funding for the Veterans Affairs Department was 264-164, with 33 Democrats voting in support. A measure to fund the city of D.C. failed by a similar margin. And a bill to keep national parks and museums open also failed to get the two-thirds majority needed.
Even if passed, the piecemeal continuing resolutions -- dubbed "mini-CRs"-- would have faced a quick demise.
Democratic leaders immediately rejected the plan earlier Tuesday, holding to their demand that Republicans relent and pass the six-week extension of government spending sent to them by the Senate.
"These piecemeal efforts are not serious, and they are no way to run a government," White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said, adding, "The President and the Senate have been clear that they won't accept this kind of game-playing, and if these bills were to come to the President's desk he would veto them."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the Republican effort a "wacky idea" that would simply "cherry-pick some of the few parts of government that they like."
"First, we need to end the government shutdown, and then Democrats are happy to agree on funding specific items," Reid said.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the GOP plan was akin to "releasing one hostage at a time."
A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner called the White House's veto threat "unsustainably hypocritical."
"How does the White House justify signing the troop funding bill, but vetoing similar measures for veterans, National Parks, and District of Columbia?" said spokesman Michael Steel. "The President can't continue to complain about the impact of the government shutdown on veterans, visitors at National Parks, and DC while vetoing bills to help them."
Earlier, President Barack Obama continued to place blame for the shutdown squarely on the GOP.
"This Republican shutdown did not have to happen. But I want every American to understand why it did happen," Obama said during remarks in the Rose Garden. "They've shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans."
Obama scolded the GOP for its focus on his signature domestic achievement, urging Congress to take up a simple continuation of government spending or risk the economic fallout that would come as a result.
"This is only going to happen when Republicans realize they don't get to hold the economy hostage over ideological demands," Obama said. "It's all about rolling back the Affordable Care Act. This, more than anything else, seems to be what the Republican Party stands for these days."
Complicating matters for Obama, his Democratic allies and Republican adversaries in Congress is that they must now venture onto uncertain political terrain, given that this shutdown is the first one in 17 years.
The shutdown itself came to pass following a flurry of activity late Monday, which ended after Democrats rejected an 11th-hour attempt by Republicans to convene a "conference" committee – the formal process of resolving differences between House and Senate legislation – after their repeated attempts to both fund government and undo either part or all of Obamacare were rejected by the Democratic Senate.
On Tuesday, Reid said that Democrats would be happy to engage in a conference committee – but only after Republicans relented, and passed the extension of government spending through mid-November favored by Democrats.
"We will not go to conference with a gun to our head," Reid said late Monday on the Senate floor.
In the absence of a solution, leaders in both parties shifted to playing the blame game, as Republicans accused Democrats of having forced the shutdown, and vice versa.
And new polling released Tuesday morning suggested that blame was likely to fall unevenly upon both political parties, with Americans directing their ire more toward Republicans in Congress than Obama or Democratic lawmakers.
A Quinnipiac University poll found that Americans gave Republicans in Congress their lowest marks ever, with 74 percent disapproving of the way the GOP is handling its job. (Sixty percent of Americans said they disapproved of the way Democrats in Congress were handling their job, and 49 percent disapproved of the way Obama is handling his job.)
Moreover, the poll also found that voters broadly oppose – 72 to 22 percent – shutting down the federal government to block the implementation of Obamacare, the core element of Republicans' strategy to date.
NBC News' Frank Thorp and Domenico Montanaro contributed to this report.


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If the New York Mets opt to trade NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, they should have no shortage of suitors.
New York has fielded inquiries from six or seven teams that are interested in meeting to discuss a deal for the veteran knuckleballer, CBSSports.com reports. The Mets have indicated they would not trade Dickey before baseball's winter meetings, which begin Monday in Nashville.
The Kansas City Royals, in desperate need of pitching help, are one of the teams that has talked to the Mets, according to the report. The Royals have been dangling super prospect Wil Myers, Baseball America's 2012 minor league player of the year, but would prefer to send a package of younger prospects to the Mets in a Dickey deal.
MLB.com reports that the Texas Rangers also are one of the teams that have contacted the Mets.
The CBSSports.com reports does not identify the other teams, but speculated that the list could include the Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals.
The Mets, who already have picked up their 2013 option for Dickey, have been trying to work out a contract extension for the past two months. The team reportedly increased its contract offer recently, but the two sides still are apart.
Dickey's option will pay him just $5 million in 2013, which makes him a valuable commodity given the free agent market is thin on starting pitching. The team reportedly wants a few high-end prospects or major leaguers, likely outfielders or catching help, and if they don't get it, probably would not trade him. But some observers are skeptical that a 38-year-old knuckleballer, even the Cy Young winner, would net that kind of return.
Dickey reportedly is agreeable to a two-year deal, which means extending him should cost somewhere in the $30 million range.
Dickey went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA and 230 strikeouts for the Mets, who finished in fourth place in NL East.

subset: commoncrawl


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When's the best time to run if your a night shifter? I'm exhausted by 7 am when I get off but its hard to go running at 8-89 at night for me cuz of my fam. What do you think?
Night shifters advice needed
Down some coffee/caffine at 5am and run at 7am. It's a whole lot cooler in the summer and you won't need a headlamp in the winter.
Whenever I was on a night shift, I had the opportunity to cut out for a little while to do short runs during my shift. There is honestly nothing like being the ONLY person up and outside at 3am when all is still and dark. GREAT feeling. If you are not allowed to do that, I would second Ronniewo's suggestion, go run right after work, then shower and eat some small breakfast, before going to bed.
Guess it depends on your hours.
I work 12hr+ shifts from 5:45PM-6:15AM...
One week I work 5 days total, the next 2 days total. Panama schedule.
Sometimes I wake an hour or so early at 2:30PM and go run, or run after work. I find seeing the sunrise when I get off to be somewhat energizing. Depends on weather and how I feel as well.


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Will wrote:Namdrol wrote:Mariusz wrote:Is it possible to progress through...
without necessity of sutra methods or not?
From the point of view of Nyingma, Sakya and so on, definitely.
N. - you mean that the sutric ethical, dialectical & meditative foundation are never used as a preliminary practice? Surely in every lifetime those basic methods & practices must be recapitulated by everyone? For the very advanced that revisiting of such basic practices may take only a few years (or less?), but all must have that foundation.
I never engaged in them. I entered Vajrayāna from the beginning without engaging in lam rim teachings.


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PSC hearings on Sandpiper pipeline this week
BISMARCK -- North Dakota Public Service Commission hearings on a proposed crude oil pipeline will be in Grand Forks and Devils Lake this week.
Enbridge's Sandpiper project would bring Bakken crude across northern North Dakota and northern Minnesota to Superior, Wis. It is expected to have an initial capacity of 225,000 barrels per day to Clearbrook, Minn., and 375,000 barrels per day to Superior.
The Grand Forks hearing begins at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Baker Courtroom at the University of North Dakota School of Law.
The Devils Lake hearing is at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Robert Fawcett Auditorium at Lake Region State College.
Another hearing will be at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 27 in the Minot City Council Chambers.


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From 2010 Dr McColl was Vice-President of Business Development at Starpharma where he was responsible for completion of partnering transactions with global and regional companies. He initiated and had a lead role in the development of Starpharma's in-house docetaxel oncology drug program.
Prior to returning home to Australia in 2010 Dr McColl spent three years based in the UK at NYSE-listed global healthcare company Hospira as Business Development Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. In that time he led negotiations and due diligence for a significant number of licensing and acquisition transactions with a focus on oncology.
Prior to this role he was Director of Business Development for the Asia Pacific region at Hospira (previously Mayne Pharma) and also 13 years with CSL in roles in its Animal Health Division including four years based in the USA as Global Vice-President Business Development.
Announcing the changes, VLA's Executive Chairman Paul Hopper said he is delighted to appoint someone of Dr McColl's calibre to lead the Viralytics team.
"Dr McColl's experience with big pharmaceutical companies such as CSL and Hospira and proven ability to negotiate at the highest level is ideal for Viralytics," Mr Hopper said.
"Viralytics is at an important stage in its development and we're determined to do everything we can to maximise value for shareholders. Every good Chairman knows that a strong CEO appointment is essential in enabling the value inflexions."
Dr McColl brings more than 20 years biotechnology experience to the position. He has spent most of this time developing or acquiring new products and maximising commercial returns by way of partnerships with global and local pharmaceutical companies. He has completed approximately 50 research, development, licensing, M&A and other partnering transactions in his career.
Dr McColl said, "The Viralytics platform has enormous scope and using oncolytic virotherapy to treat cancer is emerging as a compelling new technology in cancer research and treatment. Viralytics is well-respected with excellent programs already in place thanks to the good work of current and previous management. I look forward to making a substantial contribution to the future success of Viralytics and driving the programs forward."
Dr McColl has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree with first class honours from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from the Melbourne Business School.
About Viralytics Ltd: Viralytics is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX code: VLA), Viralytics ADR trades under VRACY on the OTC market in the USA. Viralytics' principal asset is the intellectual property relating to CAVATAK™, an Oncolytic Virus technology. CAVATAK™ is the trade name for Viralytics' proprietary formulation of the Coxsackievirus Type A21 (CVA21). EVATAK™ is the trade name for Viralytics' proprietary formulation of the Echovirus Type 1 (EV1). CVA21 and EV1 are viruses that occur naturally in the community. CVA21 and EV1 attach to the outside of cells, using a specific 'receptor' on the cell's surface (like a key fitting a lock). CVA21 uses the receptors, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and/or decay accelerating factor (DAF) to bind and infect target cells. Both of these receptor proteins have been demonstrated to be highly expressed on multiple cancer types, including: melanoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, multiple myeloma and others. EV1 uses the receptor, integrin (2®1 to bind and infect target cells. Integrin (2®1 has been demonstrated to be highly expressed on multiple cancer types, including: prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and others.
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iHerb Customer Reviews
A God-send for Thyroid Patients!
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A God-send for Thyroid Patients!
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I can't say enough about Thyroid Energy. This is my second bottle and I LOVE IT! I have had hypothyroidism since I was about 25 (I am 30 now) and taking prescription Levothyroxine is a joke. It makes my levels look good on paper, which pleases the doctor, but my symptoms are still pretty bad. This product helps me feel a lot better. I take 2 caps in the morning with Acai supplements and then 1 in the afternoon. If I don't take the Thyroid Energy, I have that "must lay down and take a nap right now" feeling, which I hate! This really helps, I am a firm believer in it! I had to do something when the Levothyroxine wasn't enough! This is a God-send for me! I highly recommend!
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I suffer from migraines and can't take triptans used to treat attacks. I read online about a study done on migrainers that found that 78% of them had an underline thyroid test. I did have most all the classic symptoms of a low thyroid and it runs in my family but my blood test came out in the normal range. So I bought Thyroid Energy to give me a boost and it has. It works and within days. I take 1 in the morning & 1 in the late afternoon and it has cleared up most symptoms and given me new energy. Finally I can think straight and have a bounce again. Less migraines too but that could be a result from other products or a combination of them.
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text: Innerviews: Identity built on downtown bar scene By Sandy Wells January 13, 2013 Story Share Chris Dorst A recognizable figure behind the bar at Sam's Uptown Caf� on Capitol Street, Paul Greco tended bar there, managed the place and ended up buying it. The New York native, a bass player, also owns the Boulevard Tavern. Chris Dorst "Joey's was a hard job to get. ... Chris Dorst ... They hadn't hired a bartender off the street in 15 years. ... Chris Dorst ... It was cool to get in there." Courtesy photo A photo from Paul Greco's 1982 yearbook at Holland Patent High School in New York shows him in what he calls his "rebellious" stage. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- On the entertainment scene in downtown Charleston, he's what they call a player, an icon of sorts. At 43, New York transplant Paul Greco, known mostly as "PG," owns two of the hottest spots in town -- Sam's Uptown Café and the Boulevard Tavern.The affable son of a lifelong bartender, he arrived in Charleston 20 years ago intending to play a little music and move on. He loved it enough to stay. He tended bar and played his bass wherever the best gigs took him.Tracking someone in the bar business is like watching moves in a checkers match. Here. There. Back over there. Eventually, PG found his place. In this case, his places.He never imagined he'd own a bar. Call it a dream come true times two. "I was born in Utica, N.Y., about an hour east of Syracuse. When I was 3, we moved to a city way out in the country. Basically, I grew up milking cows and baling hay."When my father got out of World War II, he went straight to Vegas and was a bartender until he was 72."It's a hard way to make a living. You're out late hours and not home a lot, and when you are home, you are sleeping during the day. But we had a lot of fun as kids. We were real outdoorsy and played in the woods."My father worked for a buddy who had an Italian restaurant, so we were at the restaurant three or four times a week. I started working the door at a bar in Utica when I was 18. My buddies and I were also playing music in bars when we were very young."My brother had a band. He was a couple of years older, but I was the only guy around who could do the part. I play bass."I learned to play in school. They needed a standup bass player. My conductor gave me a one-two-three-how-to-play-the-standup-bass book. Three times a week, I was in the basement at the junior high school learning how to play that bass. I don't have a good working knowledge of the instrument, but I've been playing a long time, so I've developed an ear. "I worked in a grocery store and department store all through high school and did some construction. I was a plumber by trade. In New York, a friend of my mom had a buddy who was striking out on his own, and he taught me from the ground up. I've been doing construction stuff ever since."In March of '92, we left Utica on a Sunday evening and got here Monday morning and played to a packed house at the Empty Glass on Monday night. A friend, Mick Bondy, was already here. He had moved down here with his wife. I used to play music with him. He said I should come down here and check it out. He's moved back to New York since then. But I fell in love with Charleston."New York, even the small towns, is very cutthroat. You've got to bust your butt to make it. It's carefree living here. I enjoy the atmosphere, and I've made the best friends I could hope for."I was here on a trial basis, and we started to play every Monday at the Glass doing a Grateful Dead tribute. I got involved in the Todd Who Project, and we played every Tuesday at the Glass. I was playing at the Glass two or three times a week. "After a while, we formed the one band I still play with, Tastes Like Chicken. We've been playing around more than 10 years. When I left Sam's and opened the Boulevard Tavern, my schedule got a little jumbled, so I haven't played much music lately."My first full-time bar job here was at the Rivertown Pub. We played music there. I was working in these bars and booking my band at the same time. "Once I got going with music, I was doing it pretty much full time. It wasn't a good living, but it was a lot of fun, being able to play music and not do anything else."I went wherever the best gig was. I went from the Rivertown Pub to upstairs at Sam's to the Edge to No. 8 and back to the Edge. I managed it and left it. The Edge used to be the place to go. That place was exciting."Finally, I'd had enough of the dance music and the really young crowd. I was probably 30 years old. Joey's was a hard job to get. They hadn't hired a bartender off the street in 15 years. It was cool to get in there and get on the main bar. I was there maybe three years. I miss that place. It was such a cool place to be."When Joey's was on its way out, a friend called on Thanksgiving Day and said Joey's wasn't going to stay open so they were all coming to Sam's. I was working. I didn't have anything to keep me from it. Next thing you know, Sam's was packed. From then on, for the next 10 years, Sam's was the most popular bar in town. I was just bartending there. In 2001, I took over the managerial duties after I worked a season at the Red Dog in Fayetteville. "I wasn't making a lot of money in Fayetteville. I was living in a shack. You could see through the walls. If it rained, you were soaked. I just couldn't live like that."I was working at Mulligan's when Paul Saddler bought it. Paul, John Sanese and I had purchased the basement at 405 Capitol St. We took over the 405 catering business. We made it six months. A water main broke and flooded the whole basement -- 670,000 gallons of water pouring through the place. We barely got out of that intact and just wanted to get rid of the place."On the bar scene, it's all the same players just doing different things at different times. Scotty Miller ended up getting Mulligan's, the building and the bar, and immediately I started managing Sam's and Mulligan's at the same time. I was always Scotty's go-to guy for a lot of stuff."At the tail end of my management run at Sam's, I had an opportunity to come to the Boulevard Tavern. Hoppy [Shores] just wanted a tenant. I didn't have to buy anything, just pay rent. So we fixed it up. I told Scotty I didn't want to go, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. So I own the Tavern."I quit Sam's to open the Tavern, and we had really good success the first few years. Laura and Scotty Miller had great success with Ichiban and had a lot going on. Two years after I opened the Tavern, Laura called me about buying Sam's. I said I would buy Sam's from them, but I had to have the building, too. It was the right time for everybody. So now I own both of them. That took me 20 years in Charleston."It's very hectic. This year has been very rough with my injury. When we were remodeling Sam's, I developed tendonitis. I was working through it. We only had so much time to get open. In April, I got my foot tangled in yard hose at the house. My Achilles tendon ruptured. They referred me to Dr. Santrock at Morgantown."They did an MRI and said it was bad. Normally, an Achilles incision is really small. Mine took 42 stitches. And it got infected. I went up for a routine follow-up, and the guy looked at my leg, said, 'Better call your wife and tell her you are not coming home tonight.' They operated four hours later. I spent the next week alone at Ruby Memorial, the worst week in my life."I probably won't have a limp. They are expecting up to 80 percent recovery. I have diabetes in my family. The doctor said three or four years from now, they probably wouldn't have been able to save my life. So I'm very fortunate."In Charleston in the bar-restaurant business, slow and steady wins the race. There's a lot more competition now, and it's a lot harder to do business than it was 15 years ago. The bar end is a little off, but having Sam's and the food end of it has helped tremendously. At the Tavern, it's the music. Sam's was known for music the whole time I managed it, because that's my thing. We're going to start back to doing music at Sam's."It's a tough life, still. I have a child. I've tried to accommodate her. Before the injury, I was usually working 9 to 3 in the day, and I'd stay home two or three nights. I always tried to come down Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the times when the most can go wrong and the most people are out. You really need to keep an eye on your business."We've got a long way to go. But the past four years, I've lived my dream, just to be able to play music and own my business and call my own shots. None of it would be possible without my wife, Julie. She helped me realize my goals."I didn't think I was going to stay here 20 years. I was young. I thought I'd maybe stop here and go see some other stuff, and I just never left. I have three other guys from my high school who have moved here. Two of them play guitar. The other one just took over the kitchen at Sam's."At Sam's, I'm on a lease-to-own agreement, so I'm committed there. I'm on a lease with Hoppy at the Tavern. We'll see what happens when the lease is up."Reach Sandy Wells at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-5173. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Police seek car driven by woman found dead in Kanawha River 2 Teen pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 3 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 4 WV school district apologizes for 'Trump Perry' sign at football game 5 Man allegedly cuts father in Rand over argument about a sandwich New '8.5' program meant to help Putnam students discover careers Previous Story Jefferson County sheriff resigns Next Story


text:
I love the Thanksgiving holiday. It's one of the few times each year that we really take the time to recognize how fortunate we are to be alive in the USA in the 21st century. The material wealth, food security, peace and prosperity we take for granted most of the other 364 days of the year are but the lofty, heartfelt aspirations of much of the rest of the seven billion people with whom we share this planet.
Despite our problems, our struggling economy, our partisan politics, our cultural and religious animosities that divide, rather than unite us as nation, as Americans we have a long litany of things for which we can spend Thanksgiving Day expressing our gratitude.
Here are three things for which I'm particularly grateful:
1). Animal welfare issues. Yes, we have extremists on both side of the debate—the implacable activists, "vegan abolitionists," as Green Mountain College Professor Steven Fesmire labels them, who will never accept anything less than elimination of livestock production, and the industry attack dogs whose only goal is to criticize, marginalize and demonize anyone who pipes up about any aspect of animal agriculture.
But as a result of more than three decades of often acrimonious discussion, the industry has changed its methods and policies in many positive ways. I'm here to testify that when I started as a rookie reporter in this business, conditions at many of the smaller, less well-run packing plants were horrendous. Workers were poorly trained, abuses we no longer tolerate ran rampant and management cared solely about the bottom line, dismissing as "idiots" anyone who criticized industry practices.
Virtually all of those plants—and their owners—are out of the business today, and the operations that remain are not only more efficient but arguably more humane, for both animals and people. And for that, I believe everyone in this industry should be grateful.
2). Environmental debates. We've all had our fill of the "cattle are the leading cause of global warming" nonsense, but over the years, the various studies, reports and even anti-industry campaigns warning about climate change, deforestation and resource depletion have not only leveraged most companies to adopt "greener," more sustainable business tactics, it's opened the door to legitimate conversations about how best to optimize the use of land, water and energy resources necessary to feed a burgeoning world population.
Partly as a result of this never-ending debate, "sustainability" has morphed from a marketing buzzword to a business priority, not just in food production but across virtually every manufacturing sector. That's beneficial to all of society, and the eco-activists who keep up the pressure for change deserve a sincere thank you—at least for a few minutes tomorrow.
3). Nutritional controversies. I think back some 20 years to the initial debates over mandatory nutrition labeling processed meats, a regulation bitterly opposed by almost everyone drawing a paycheck at a meat or poultry processing company. What eventually occurred when the regulations were implemented, however, proved to be a boon to industry. Once the actual calories and fat percentages were displayed on lunchmeat and other processed meats, not only did marketers have a positive message to promote, but the mandate paved the way for a rollout of low-fat and even no-fat products whose remarkable nutritional values could now be prominently displayed on the packaging.
Beyond that, the constant focus by health authorities and veggie activists on meat's (alleged) dietary downside provides a context for industry to fight facts with facts. So many arguments of importance to how people perceive meat-eating are emotionally based—intentionally so, as activists understand all too well how to manipulate public opinion. Debating the calories, fat content and nutritional composition of today's meat and poultry products is one conversation that industry could, and should, dominate.
For all these reasons, I'm grateful to be an observer and a reporter engaged with one of the most important, most fundamental industries on earth. Career-wise, I'm grateful for one more reason: When you cover animal agriculture and meat and poultry production, there's never a dull day.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers, our supporters and yes, our critics.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dan Murphy, a veteran food-industry journalist and commentator.


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Every year I make New Year's resolutions and every year I break them. So this year, I'm trying something a little different: resolutions for other people. Hey world — here are the changes I'd like to see YOU make in 2013!
1. Cell phone owners
No more blathering on cell phones in public. This includes public restrooms. I consider the time I spend sitting on the toilet to be both private and sacred. I don't want to hear about your boyfriend, your PMS or your stock portfolio.
2. Corporations
Ax the phone trees. When I phone customer service in 2013, I want to talk to a person. And I want that person to speak my language at least as well as I do. I don't want to speak with a robot.
When I phoned the local Apple store customer service department recently, I got a robot who refused to give me the option to talk to a person. Instead, she told me that her name was Julie and proclaimed proudly that she could "understand entire sentences."
"F--- you, Julie!" I responded.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't understand that last sentence."
In 2013, I want to get an actual human being who will do the appropriate thing if I curse her out, which is to call me a witch and hang up on me.
3. Bankers
Donate every penny of the obscene bonuses you received in 2012 to charity. Buy warm coats and give them to homeless people. Embrace Elizabeth Warren as your personal savior. It's not too late to regain some humanity.
4. Oprah
Either marry Stedman in 2013 or cut him loose.
5. Magazines
Stop running articles about people losing weight and people gaining weight. This world is going to hell in a hand basket and the last thing that matters is how plump or lean we are on that particular journey.
6. Kardashians
I don't want to ever hear, read or even think the word "Kardashian" again. Anywhere. Ever. Got that?
7. People who text while driving
Cut that out. The life you save may be your own. Or, even more important, mine. Or the life of the baby in the stroller being pushed by the nanny who just stepped into the crosswalk and is too busy talking on her cell to notice that you are too busy texting to notice the stop sign that you are about to blow through. You get the idea.
Put the tiny hand-held device away and focus your complete attention on driving the large potentially lethal automotive device.
8. Children who have grown up and are no longer living at home
Phone your mom. Tell her you love her. Even if you don't.
9. Library patrons who returned the DVD late, but want to weasel out of paying the fine
Shut up. Pay the fine. Thank you.
10. Self-loathing straight-identified politicians who vociferously gay bash and sponsor laws that gay bash, and spend every waking moment trying to do and say everything possible to distance themselves from anything even remotely gay
Come out of the closet already. You aren't fooling anybody.
Happy 2013!!
Roz Warren's work appears in The New York Times and The Funny Times. An earlier version of this essay originally appeared in Humor Times.
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Strictures, Fistulas and Fissures…Oh My!
Unfortunately, IBD isn't as simple as just having an inflamed gastrointestinal tract. Frequently if you have active inflammation in your intestine, you might also have the added inconvenience of suffering from a stricture, fistula or fissure. How does each of these complications differ and how are they treated?
Strictures occur when the intestine narrows due to multiple rounds of inflammation and healing, which can lead to the development of scar tissue. Accumulation of scar tissue over time can result in the bowel becoming obstructed, or completely blocked. While strictures are more common in Crohn's disease, they also develop in 6-11 percent of colitis patients. The severity of the stricture determines the type of treatment needed. While anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve small strictures, more severe strictures may require using an endoscopy tube outfitted with a small balloon to stretch the opening of the intestine where it is narrowing. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to open up the narrowed portion of intestine.
Fistulas are tunnels that form between two body cavities or between a body cavity and the skin. These usually form from an abscess (a pocket of pus) and when the abscess drains, the tunnel doesn't heal properly because it is constantly filled with fluid. About a quarter of people with Crohn's develop fistulas, but colitis patients can also have them. Fistulas are often a complication after surgery; as the wound drains, a tunnel can form from the surgery site out to the skin. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, immunosuppressants and biologics have all been shown to help heal fistulas. As with strictures, more severe cases may require surgery.
A fissure is a tear or an ulcer in the lining of the anus, which can affect both Crohn's and colitis patients. Fissures are usually easily treated with sitz baths, laxatives, or topical creams.
You may be thinking, "Isn't it enough that I have stomach pain, exhaustion and diarrhea?! Do I really need THIS on top of it?"
It seems like this disease provides enough misery without having to deal with any of the additional intestinal complications. The good news is that many of the medications to treat the usual symptoms of IBD perform double duty when it comes to strictures and fistulas. Letting your doctor know if you think you have any of these problems, might help stop them early before they become extremely uncomfortable.


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Get Ready for Fair Trade Month with a Blissmobox
Fair Trade USA has partnered with blissmo to bring you your favorite Fair Trade goodies during Fair Trade Month in October
Fair Trade Blissmobox
Imagine coming home from a long day at work to find a box on your doorstep full of delicious organic chocolate, perfectly roasted coffee, handmade soaps, and more. Can you feel your daily concerns fading away already?
Well, don't pinch yourself, because this blissful image isn't a dream. It's what you'll get in this month's blissmobox for Fair Trade Month. We've partnered with blissmo once again to share a box of Fair Trade Certified goodness with you, because we want to show you how easy it is to make a difference in the world with small, everyday purchases. You can feel confident that everything in this box aligns with Fair Trade's mission of creating quality products that improve lives and protect the environment.
What's Inside
October's Fair Trade Month box contains a wide variety of Fair Trade Certified goodies from brands like Green Mountain Coffee, Akoma Skincare, Eco Lips, Larabar, Hand in Hand, and Sjaak's Organic Chocolates.
How it Works
Blissmo is a monthly subscription ($19.95) through which you get a new box of safe, healthy products you can feel good about supporting each month. If you join blissmobox today, you'll get FREE SHIPPING on the Fair Trade Month box (usually $4.95/month).
Hurry though, because this offer expires on October 1st and there are only 50 available. We want to make sure our biggest supporters get the best chance of trying out all these fantastic Fair Trade Certified goodies.
Fair Trade fans: Get these 50 blissmo boxes while they last!
There's nothing better than opening a box filled with surprises, and Fair Trade ones at that! Enjoy discovering new products that are better for people and planet at blissmobox.com because Every Purchase Matters!
blissmo supports Fair Trade USA's strong community of passionate people—like you— who seek to vote with their dollars in favor of people and the planet.


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" Brand: Walkers / Type: Crisps "
* Prices may differ from that shown
I'll start by saying that I'm a chocolate person rather than a crisp person, but now and again I do love buying a big bag of crisps and scoffing the lot. When we had our recent good weather, like many others we became barbeque obsessive and one of the main ingredients to a BBQ at our house is accompanying crisps on the table. I went overboard in Tesco one week when these Walkers Extra Crunchy crisps were £1.99 and on a buy one get one free offer. I've bought the sweet chilli chicken and the king prawn cocktail flavours in the past but my review will be based on the sweet chilli chicken ones as those are the ones I've eaten umpteen times now. I have also bought packets of these chilli chicken ones in the bargain stores (B and M) for 69p in the past. The large bag contains 150g of crisps and give a whopping 477 calories per 100g. Other flavours include simply salted and cheese and red onion, salt and vinegar, steak and cheese and sour cream.
I wasn't expecting much from these at first - when it said 'extra crunchy' I expected them to be slightly thicker with a slightly bigger crunch than normal crisps but nothing significantly different - I only bought them the first time because they were the first big packs of crisps that I came across. Walkers say that to make these crunchier the potatoes have been thicker cut. These are surprisingly crunchy - so much more than I expected and definitely significantly more than usual crisps. They need a really good chew to devour them. Not so much of a chew that they're hard to eat, but I have been known to eat a full bag to myself and afterwards my jaw starts to ache a bit from the constant movement up and down - not something I've noticed with a usual large bag of crisps. I put that down to me being incredibly greedy! I think these are probably either a love them or hate them sort of food - I love them, but I know others than aren't keen on them due to their thicker consistency.
I personally find these a perfect compromise between thicker kettle chips, which I like but find hard to eat lots of as my stomach feels heavy afterwards and normal walkers crisps, which I also like but don't find very substantial. I can devour a normal multipack bag of those within a minute or two and they leave me wanting to open another bag. I find it fairly easy to open these and eat just a few before feeling satisfied enough to seal the bag up again. That's another good thing about these - there isn't any seal on the pack but I've found that just folding the bag over neatly keeps them fresh for a couple of days without them losing their crunchiness.
The flavour of the sweet chilli chicken is quite spicy (presumably from the chilli) but not so much that I need a drink on hand. I find them to have a bit of a kick but it's more than bearable. These are incredibly tasty crisps which although I find satisfying enough to eat just a few, I can't help but sneak a few extra sometimes from the bowl when no-one's watching!
Nutritional Info (Per 100g)
Energy (KJ): 1998
Energy (Kcal): 477
Protein: 6.5g
Carbohydrates: 59.9g (Sugars (KJ) 4.2g)
Fat: 22.5g (of which saturates are 1.8g)
Fibre: 4.8g
Salt: 1.16g
I rate these extra crunchy crisps 4 dooyoo stars - they are extra crunchy, extra tasty but are extra expensive too at £1.99 for one bag. If they're available on offer in Tesco then they're not too bad but they don't seem to be on promotion all the time as with other foods.
Thanks for reading :o)
I love crisps and salt and vinegar are by far my favourite flavour so when my mum offered me a large sharing bag of the Walkers Salt & Malt Vinegar extra crunchy crisps I could not resist. My mum had purchased several of these bags at a reduced price from Tesco as they were coming up to their use by date.
My mum paid just £0.44 for a 150g sharing bag of these crisps in the Salt and Malt Vinegar flavour but at full price they retail at £1.75 so my mum got quite a bargain.
These extra crunchy crisps from Walkers are one of their newest products and also come in the following flavours:
- Simply Salted
- Cheddar And Sour Cream
- Sweet Chilli Chicken
- Flame Grilled Steak
The crisps come in a large foil packet which has the Walkers logo, a picture of the crisps and basic nutritional information on the front. On the back you can find the ingredients listings some information about how the crisps are made and full nutritional information.
It states that the crisps are made with British potatoes that are sliced thicker and cooked a little longer to make them crunchier than regular Walkers crisps. The crisps are also made with sunseed oil which is lower in saturates than vegetable oil. But this still does not make these crisps good for you but it helps you feel a little better when eating them. The nutritional information per a 30g serving is:
- Calories - 139
- Protein - 2.0g
- Carbohydrate - 18.0g
- Fat - 6.2g
- Saturates - 0.5g
- Sodium - 0.15g
I thoroughly enjoyed these crisps they had a great texture and fantastic strong flavour. Although the crisps are cut thicker they still seem quite light too which is one thing I love about the original Walkers crisps. They are also very crunchy and the salt and vinegar flavouring is very strong which is just how I like this flavour to be. I am not sure I would pay full price for these crisps as they are a little expensive but they are very tasty so I will be looking out for special offers.
When it comes to crisps I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to them! I love most varieties of them on offer on the market and particularly eating crisps I have never seen before tempts me big-time.
I didn't realise till I spotted the advert on the tv with Gary Linekar and Lionel Richie that these were new out as I was munching them but I do like a bag of Walkers from time to time and picked these due to them being in a large bag and me being a right piglet lol!
I purchased these in the Salt & Malt Vinegar flavour and the foil bag holds 150g of the crisps. On the creamy coloured bag we are told in dark green, white and black writing that they are indeed Walkers 'Extra Crunchy' Salt & Malt Vinegar Flavour Potato Crisps 'Made To Share', there is an at a glance nutritional chart shown and the weight is stated (as I have listed already). On the back of the bag other information listed includes being told a bit about the crisps and other flavours from this 'Crunchy' range, there is a full nutritional chart shown as well well as the ingredients listed and contact details for Walkers are given. The photograph on the front of the bag of the crisps looks nice and of course the bag is informative as it needs to be and easy enough to open.
The Crisps:
Well these crisps are of course made of potato and are rather thick compared to many Walkers crisps I have eaten in the past and although highly flavoured with salt and vinegar do really still remain to taste potatoey and do not look or taste greasy (in fact in my opinion these are slightly dry!) they are a nice beigy colour and look natural.
Personally I wasn't really all that keen on these. I appreciated the thickness of them and have to agree that these really are extra crunchy however the thickness and crunchiness meant hard to me and my mouth and they were hard work and incredibly filling to eat.
Flavourwise, well these get a giant thumbs up from me. Salty and tasting and smelling of real vinegar I liked the strong blend though as I did touch on just a minute ago I did find them to be rather dry not only cos of lack of grease and feeling that these have been oven baked but because the flavour is so strong and tongue tingling!
I liked them, I have to admit they are very good quality and have a nice flavour though for me I couldn't get over how hard they were to munch on and for that reason I doubt I will be buying these in future!
Nutritional Information Per 30g Serving:
Calories: 139
Sugar: 0.9g
Fat: 6.2g
Saturates: 0.5g
Salt: 0.39
Available in all good supermarkets around the £1.30 a bag mark and in different flavours too!
I picked these up when I saw the 'newness' of them and was tempted to see what they were like as I'm already a fan of Walker's and crispy goodness. Whilst these are nothing particularly out of this world, and some would probably say the ready salted variety is quite bland and too salty, they were still tasty and crunchy enough for me to want to buy them again.
The bag itself is quite hard plastic compared to the standard Walkers crisp bag, making it feel that bit more special and higher quality. It says 'made to share' on the front, due to it's 150g size. If you're on your own it would be a good idea to seal these very well once opened, because I'm not convinced they'd stay too fresh for too long.
Each 30g serving contains 142 calories and 6.9g of fat, which is relatively similar to your average packet of crisps. Of course, that's on the assumption that you eat just 30g; when faced with a bag like this, however, even when sharing, knowing how much a serving is and actually stopping when you've had said serving is easier said than done!
As expected now from Walkers, these are cooked with Sunseed oil, which is 'naturally lower in saturates'. I find crisps also taste better with this, or at least slightly less greasy. British potatoes are used here, and the end result is a packet of crisps with no preservatives or artificial colours, no MSG and are still suitable for vegetarians.
What sets these apart from regular crisps? They're supposedly sliced thicker and cooked a tad longer, making them 'extra crunchy'.
Do they live up to their claims? I think they do pretty much, though I didn't find them to be anything extra special. They did seem thicker and packed more of a crunch, and most crisps also seemed a fair bit larger too. Their appearance was similar to regular walkers in terms of colour, being a slight mix of lighter and darker shades. They looked yummy, which I expected from the tempting image on the front, and they smelt potatoey and welcoming when I opened the bag. The texture was crisp and crunchy, but they were also quite dry and salty, meaning that although you may love the taste and want to eat the whole bag, that would probably hurt your mouth.
Whilst sharing these means you could probably get through them in one sitting, you can store them for upto 3 days once opened. I did this and kept them sealed at the top, then stored in a clippy box, and they seemed to retain their freshness.
If you're not a fan of the plain and simple ready salted nature (which I love, but I can see that they may be a little boring for those wanting more of a flavour sensation) then they come in other varieties : Flame grilled steak, cheddar & sour cream, salt & malt vinegar, and sweet chilli chicken.
The RRP for these varies depending on where you go; I've seen them for £1.70-ish, but I don't think I'd pay that for them. I bought these for £1, strangely enough from Poundland (please do check the use-by dates on them first though!). At £1 I couldn't complain and would buy them again. They're a bit different, give you more a crunch and bite to get your teeth into, taste great and come in a large bag for sharing. Just don't expect anything out-of-this-world unique or extraordinary, and you shouldn't be too disappointed.
I saw these crisps advertised on the television with Lionel Richie and Gary Lineker and I had to try some. Not only are they made by my favourite brand of crisps, Walkers, but also they're in a bigger packet meaning munching for longer on them.
I bought these from Morissons for about £1.50, pretty expensive for crisps, but I think they're worth it.
The crisps come in a creamy coloured bag with the flavour colour around it, ie blue for cheese and onion. They have the walkers logo quite big on the top so you know immediately what they are. The nutritional calues are on the back saying that the bag ontains 150g and each 30g portion contains 139 calories, meaning one bag contains over 600 claories! So try not to get carried away and eat a whole bag like I nearly did.
The packet says that the crisps are made from fresh potatoes sliced thicker than regular walkers making the crisps thicker and crunchier.
The crisps themselves are lovely, bigger and thicker than normal crisps and darker in colour. The flavour is quite rich, not much different from the normal walkers flavours really. They are heavenly though, I personally like to sandwich them which is lovely!
These are really good for a long car/train ride rather than taking lots of packets of crisps, you can just take one big bag of tasty crisps, although I dont know how much you'll want to share them, I know I don't!
They come in a small vareity of flavours including: simply salted, flame grilled steak, cheddar & sour cream, sweet chilli chicken and salt and malt vinegar. I've only tried the salt and vinegar and the cheddar and sour cream, both of which I've since bought again and love. I intend to try more of these and will update my review when I do.
Definitley recommended!
You'll recognise these new crisps from the TV advert featuring Lionel Richie and Gary Lineker.
Seeing these new crisps from Walkers I had to purchase a packet to try. For one they were in a big packet which is always good (not for the waistline though!), two, they were my favourite flavour and three I love Walkers crisps, my favourites being this flavour, prawn cocktail, tomato and salt and vineger squares.
I purchased these from Asda for £1 on special offer. I know the full price is around the £1.50 mark however I bought some more yesterday over a month later and they were still £1!
They come in a cream bag with the Walkers logo and 'extra crunchy salt & malt vinegar made to share' written on. It also tells me that there are 150g in the bag and each 30g portion contains 139 calories and 6.2g fat 0.5g of which saturates.
The way these are different to normal walkers is explained on the back:
'New Walkers extra crunchy is made with lovely British potatoes, sliced thicker & cooked a little longer to make them crunchier than regular Walkers.'
So what do you get? Well inside you find crisps that are thicker than standard crisps and more irregular in shape. They are a darker colour, probably due to being cooked for longer. Bite into one and you will find that yes they are crunchy. They remind me of other brands of crisps that are sold in big packets like this, which is probably what they were going for.
As for taste, well they are yummy! Similar to salt and malt vinegar from other brands but slightly different in that they taste a little like normal Walkers salt and vinegar. The pack of the pack also says they are tangy which I agree with.
I really like these and have already purchased and eaten mostly by myself, two packets. They say they are made to share but once I start eating I find it hard to stop although not as bad as Pringles.
Other flavours in the range are: sweet chilli chicken, simply salted, flame grilled steak and cheddar & sour cream.


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Greetings! You are a solitary space adventurer on the mission of all missions! Unfortunately, your super awesome spacecraft has suffered near fatal damage and you must make an emergency landing for parts. Luckily for you, you have landed on a planet full of spare parts and scrap metal! The down side? They fight back! Prepare yourself for battle and remember your space cadet training!
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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Penciled in as fifth starter, Penny to pitch Tuesday
ATLANTA -- It remains subject to change, but for now, Brad Penny is getting the nod as Miami's fifth starter.
Manager Mike Redmond made the announcement official on Saturday afternoon, noting that Penny will make the start on Tuesday against the Mets at Marlins Park.
With Penny back in the rotation, left-hander Brad Hand will go back to the bullpen.
Penny, 36, has made two starts this season, going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA. He's also pitched twice in relief, including throwing one scoreless inning in Friday's 5-2 loss in Atlanta.
"He's done a nice job," Redmond said. "He's been in big games, big situations. He's earned it."
Before joining the Marlins in early August, Penny had not pitched in the big leagues since 2012. The veteran right-hander, who has All-Star and playoff experience, has been a bit rusty with his command. In 10 innings as a starter, he's walked seven and struck out six.
Hand has bounced back and forth from the bullpen to the rotation, going 2-6 with a 4.71 ERA. In his last start -- a loss at Colorado -- he gave up four earned runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
As a starter, Hand is 2-6 with a 4.82 ERA, compared to a 4.34 ERA and no decisions in 15 appearances as a reliever.
Although Penny is getting the start on Tuesday, the team is handling the fifth spot on a per-game basis.
"We'll see," Redmond said. "I think I've been pretty consistent that we will take it one start at a time and see how Brad [Penny] does. We've kind of kept it open going from start to start at this point."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. He writes a blog, called The Fish Pond. Follow him on Twitter


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Segments Sponsored by
This article, originally titled "Skin Care—Then and Now: Product and Professional Regulations," is an edited version of an article that originally ran in the January 2013 issue of Skin Inc. magazine. All rights reserved.
Laws and regulations provide guidance and shape many aspects of the professional skin care industry. Federal laws, and the regulations put into place to enforce them, dictate how skin care products are made, advertised, used and sold. Professional regulation, and what it entails from state to state, has also become a significant part of the professional skin care industry as a whole.
To truly understand the evolution of skin care ingredient regulations in the United States, let's rewind to 1938, when Congress gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to oversee food, drug, and cosmetic safety. It's also important to examine two laws and regulations that have played crucial roles in the beauty industry: the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) of 1938, which established definitions of "drugs" versus "cosmetics"; and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA) of 1966, which prohibited marketing of misbranded and/or adulterated products. Also important, the Wheeler-Lea Act (or Advertising Act), passed in 1938, provided the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) authority to regulate advertising on food, drug, cosmetics and medical devices.
Since the inception of legislation and regulation overseeing beauty, cosmetics and personal care products, the federal government and the professional beauty industry have worked to protect consumers. The FDA's authority over cosmetics and personal care products is wide-ranging. Manufacturers of beauty and personal care products are required to ensure their products meet the standards set forth by law.
The Fair Packing and Labeling Act, established in 1966, requires consumer products to contain a proper informative label. Professional skin care products may be considered misbranded if any of the following examples exist:
Established in 1976 with the support of the FDA and the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) expert panel was formed to determine the safety of ingredients under their intended conditions of use. The panel, comprised of seven members, including a dermatologist, toxicologist, consumer representative and an industry scientist, review and assess ingredient safety data, extensive research, literature and studies. The CIR safety assessments are available for public review and are published in the International Journal of Toxicology.
Chemicals contained in a product, as well as the designated use of a product, help determine the product's skin care category. Because skin care products can have the effects of both a cosmetic and a drug, the distinction between cosmetics and drugs may be blurred.
According to the FDA, a drug is defined as a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, AND is a substance (other than food) intended to affect the structure or function of the body. A cosmetic is intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled or sprayed on, introduced into or otherwise applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance.
Products that move past the cosmetic definition, such as a prescription acne treatment, are considered drugs under these definitions. But many drugs can have cosmetic properties—antiperspirant deodorants and dandruff shampoo, for example. Skin Protectant Drug Products is one of the most important over-the-counter drug categories. Other categories include medical devices, such as devices used for microdermabrasion services and hair removal.
The final Monograph, or detailed report/study, issued in 2003, confirmed that claims of "moisturizes, soothes, smoothing, rubbing, friction and lubrication" are cosmetic claims.
The intended use of skin care products influences the classification of that product. The Wheeler-Lea Act, mentioned previously, gave the FTC the authority to regulate advertising claims of FDA-regulated, nonprescription personal care products. Marketing a skin care product with a drug claim or a drug with a cosmetic claim can result in warning letter from the FDA.
Challenges facing skin care regulation emerge when the process of compliance differs from the standards set in place by the federal government. This is the case with skin care regulation in some individual states. How to regulate and what to regulate must be clear. Over-regulation could have a negative effect and derail the goals of legislation.


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Punxsutawney is one of the most famous small towns in America thanks to a furry little guy named Punxsutawney Phil.
Every year on Groundhog Day (February 2), thousands of people make the trek to Gobbler's Knob to hear Punxsutawney Phil's prediction for the length of winter. If he sees his shadow when he emerges from his burrow there will be six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow foretells an early spring.
So where exactly is Punxsutawney? To be exact, it's is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, 84 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The actual name "Punxsutawney" derives from a Delaware Indian term, which translates to "town of the sand flies."
Punxsutawney was originally a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and Susquehanna rivers. It is located on the earliest known trail to the East, the Shamokin path. The area was, at times, occupied by Shawnee or Delaware Indians and, sometimes, by Senecas or Iroquois.
In the 1900's Punxsutawney became the commercial shopping center for many miners, the railroad men, and their families.
An industrial development hike started around 1880 and in 1908 Punsutawney built it's first "sky scraper". It was an eight-story building called the "Spirit Building", which housed one of the two local newspapers of the time. It remains one of the tallest buildings in town.
The history of Punxsutawney has been marred by several floods, the worst of which occurred in 1936. There was upwards of eight feet of water in some downtown buildings, which caused many thousands of dollars worth of damage. The destruction of infrastructure was minimal, however.
In 1949, the threat of flooding was minimized by the construction by the Army Corps of Engineers of a dike along the Mahoning Creek, which runs through town.
Present day Punxsutawney is much quieter and cleaner than it was in the days of steam engines and coke ovens, but Punxsutawney is far from dead. There is a thriving machine shop industry, and coal still mined there.
In 1993, the film, Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray put the spotlight on Punxsutawney. While the film was nightmarish for the main character, it shed some light on the charming tradition that draws people from far and wide, year after year.
Learn more about Punxsutawney by visiting the links below:
* Punxsutawney.com
* The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club
* The Punxsutawney Spirit
* Groundhog Day Fun and Events
Punxsutawney History
ePodunk: Punxsutawney.com


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By Joyce Slaton
Here's another fun post from our friends at Baby Center!
You don't know M. Alice LeGrow. But if you give her $100, she'll come to your house for an hour in a big poofy dress and carefully styled wig to sing songs, dance, and play party games with a houseful of kids.
M. Alice is a party princess. On the weekends, she gets dressed up as Cinderella or Snow White, drives to the suburbs of Philadelphia, and convinces parties of three- and four-year-olds that there's really magic in the world. She loves her job. What she doesn't love? Smiling for an entire hour, hostesses that serve cake with green frosting, and driving in hoop skirts.
You wear wigs and big costumes at parties — how how uncomfortable are they to wear?
My boss arranges with every party to put on the AC where we're performing, even in the dead of winter, because it's so hot under that giant poofy gown and hoops and a big wig and makeup. If they don't turn on the AC, I sweat and then the pictures come out sweaty and people call my boss and complain. Incidentally, we don't wear any glitter, and neither do the Disney park characters, because glitter comes out in pictures looking like sweat.
What's the hardest part about being a party princess?
Smiling for an hour straight. I literally come out with dents in my makeup at the end of a party. I smile all the way through the party, even when I'm singing, and then I say goodbye to each guest, smiling, and smile as the host is paying me, and say "Have a magical day!" and turn away and then my face just sags down.
That voice you just used…
That's the princess voice. It's up high. If you watch the Disney princess movies, you'll notice that they had high voices, particularly the earlier ones. I don't like playing Snow White as much for that reason. She's ear-splitting. Rapunzel has an easier speech pattern and I can speak more naturally and say "Oh gosh!" or "Wow!" instead of [princess voice] "How wonderful!" Also, Rapunzel wears flat shoes and doesn't have hoops in her skirts.
You say that a lot? How wonderful?
We have these things to say that are like princess static. Half the time you can't hear what a child is saying to you in a roomful of people all talking, and so you say something like "How wonderful!" or "Oh my!"
How long does it take you to get ready for a party?
Oh, maybe an hour — you put on your moisturizer and let it soak in, they you put on your primer and let that soak in…Snow White has darker brows than the other princesses, and redder lipstick, but most of the others are just generic, it's heavy stage makeup because with a big costume and a big wig, if you don't have lots of makeup on you look weird. The wig is already styled, you do that after each party, so you put it on like a hat. You put on your hoop skirt; you can't exactly show up at a party and ask to change, so then I have to drive in it. If you stuff it under the wheel, it's okay.
You mentioned there was a cutoff age for parties?
At age 7, the kids are long beyond princesses. I really like to do parties for children who are 3 or 4; even at 5 some of the girls will be more mature and will stand around at the edges, making comments. Managing older siblings can be hard too.
Why? What do they do?
They'll say things to try to trip you up: "I don't think you're the real Snow White." So I say back, [princess voice] "What's your name? I don't think you're the real Melissa." They have no answer for that, and the parents laugh. Then I move on to a game. The kids ask you a lot of questions like "How did you get here, Cinderella?" and you say "Oh, I rode in a carriage. Have you ever been in a carriage?" It's all about deflecting back.
What do the girls who are into having you there do?
They hug me, they kiss me; I love how happy they get, but I also can't let them smudge their pizza and cake-covered faces up against the costume; I have to clean it after wearing it each time anyway, and getting food on it doesn't help. So what you do is you hold them by the wrists and dance around with them, la la la, and they get so excited to be dancing with you that they don't rub against you. Green frosting is the worst; there's something in green frosting that makes it really hard to get out. And grass stains. One time I was Cinderella at an outdoors party and I got so many grass stains on my skirt that it was easier to cut it off and make a new skirt for the costume than to clean it. We don't eat or drink in the costumes before or during the party for fear of getting things on it.
You mentioned Disney before — what do you have to do to avoid Disney getting on you for infringing on their copyrights?
Several princess firms that I know of has gotten cease and desist letters, especially in Florida and California. We can't sing the Disney songs from the movies; we do have these party princess mixes Disney licensed that we can sing along with. Some people are surprised to learn that Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are in the public domain, they were fairytales long before Disney came along. But we can't call someone Tinkerbell, she is Fairy Bell; our Belle is Rose Beauty. Aurora and Briar Rose are both copyrighted, so we have to use only Sleeping Beauty. And we can't do the movie costumes exactly, but Disney has color-coded its princesses so well that if you're blue you're Cinderella, if you're yellow, Belle.
What do little girls do when they see you?
Well, it helps if we come in the right way, that is, maintaining the illusion by showing up at the door, rather than the kids standing outside and watching me walk up the block. We park far away so the kids won't see us getting out of our car and arranging our skirts — it's really ideal to knock on the door and have little Skyler Eva open it up. She pretty much goes nuts, and then starts listing off every princess item she has with your face on it. Which people say, 'Oh, that's so materialistic!' But really, what is she expected to have in common with a princess who she just met? They can't say, 'I have a horse and castle just like yours!' Also, if you notice, this is what adults do when they meet celebrities. "Oh, I saw all your movies, I have all your boxed sets." You just want to prove you're a fan.
Last question, and it's one I'm uncomfortable asking: Do the dads ever hit on you?
Thankfully, no. Most of the other princesses who work for my boss are in high school; the clients know that. I'm older, but they aren't really sure how old, so they don't want to risk it. Also, their wives are there, little kids are around. Sometimes an old grandpa will be like 'Let me get a picture with this little honey, I was in World War Dos and so I can call everyone honey.' But that's usually the worst of it.


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Visit Manhattan for the Holidays
Friday, December 14, 2012
Where and When
Time: 7:30am - 6:00pm
Location: Leave from Newtown Campus
Contact: email@example.com
Event Information
Spend a free day taking in the holiday sights of the Big Apple: Rockefeller Center, Times Square, St. Patrick's Cathedral, department store windows and more. Start and end at Bryant Park. Your choice of two days. A BCCC holiday tradition!!!!
Students $25
Public $45


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Making The Film
Navajo Talking Picture
Film student Arlene Bowman (Navajo) travels to the Reservation to document the traditional ways of her grandmother. The filmmaking persists in spite of her grandmother's forceful objections to this invasion of her privacy. Ultimately, what emerges is a work which abruptly calls into question issues of "insider/outsider" status in a portrait of an assimilated Navajo struggling to use a "white man's" medium to capture the remnants of her cultural past.
Bowman herself emerges as a sympathetic character from an absurdist comedy as both her ancestry and film goals elude her.


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Been away researching what will hopefully be my next book - a non-beer book! And back in the hot seat to bullshit so familiar it's almost reassuring.
I don't want this to become an obsession, but maybe it already has. Our friends at the BBC are up to their usual tricks, using this familiar image today:
to illustrate "Courts get 'booze ASBO' powers" to cut down on the scourge of drunken behaviour.
So how did they illustrate the main drinks story this weekend - the new report from the BBPA which shows that alcohol consumption is down, and that Britons drink less alcohol per head than most other European countries. Um... they didn't. They completely ignored it.
I not anticipating them being too interested either in this new study, which shows that moderate drinkers suffer less depression and anxiety and have better social skills than teetotallers.
If you see any mainstream media outlet covering either of these two positive stories about alcohol consumption, please let me know.


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The West Indies squeezed out a last ball win over the White Ferns in the ICC World Twenty20 warm up match to win by three wickets at St Mary's Park in St Kitts.
Deandra Dottin laid the foundation with a blistering 31 off 17 with tail enders Pamela Lavine (17*) and Merissa Aguilleira (11*) sharing an unbeaten 19 run partnership for the eighth wicket as the hosts chased down the White Ferns total of 153 for seven.
Aimee Watkins was the pick of the White Ferns bowlers with three for 23 while Nicola Browne chipped in with one for 22.
Related Links
Earlier, White Ferns batsmen Watkins (56 off 48), Rachel Priest (11 off 19) and Browne (30 off 17) retired out to give other players some time the middle ahead of the first match against India on 6 May.
Speaking after the match Watkins said she was pleased with their progress and used the warm up matches to acclimatise and get the players match fit.
"We retired three of our batsmen and all our batsmen have now had some time to observe the conditions.
"Our middle order batted well today after a slow start so it is a matter of constructing the innings the best we can to maximise our good batting power."
"We have tried to give most people some sort of opportunity over the last two days and there is healthy competition for places," she added.
The bowling attack was guilty of delivering ten wides and three no-balls and Watkins knows that this is an area they need to concentrate on.
When asked what the team had taken from the loss Watkins replied, "That we need to execute our basic skills more consistently and that the game is never over - one big over can change the momentum so quickly."
The victory follows the West Indies recent three match clean sweep of Sri Lanka to go with their win over the world champion England team late last year.
"The West Indies are genuine contenders - they bowl and field with accuracy and hit the ball very hard and very big," Watkins concluded.
Short Scorecard
White Ferns 153 for seven (Bates 8 off 14, Watkins 56 off 36, McGlashan 20 off 19, Devine 7 off 7, Priest 11 off 11, Browne 30 off 19, Perry 8* off 5, Fahey 9 off 4, Bermingham 0* off 2; Selman 0/9, Taylor 0/13, Daley 1/15, Jack 0/10, Dottin 1/23, Campbelle 0/17, Mohammed 1/19, King 0/28, Lavine 0/17)
West Indies 154 for 7 (Taylor 18 off 14, Nero 20 off 31, Jack 10 off 7, Dottin 31 off 17, Cooper 10 off 11, King 13 off 14, Lavine* 17 off 16, Daley 8 off 8, Aguilleira 11* off 5; Browne 1/22, Bermingham 0/25, Devine 1/33, Satterthwaite 0/34, Dodd 1/14, Watkins 3/23)
ICC Full scorecard:
* Teams can use 14 players for warm up matches, 11 batting and 11 fielding
2/05/2010 - White Ferns vs Australia - Warm up match
Molyneaux, St Kitts
+1day NZ, 2:00am
Result: White Ferns won by 21 runs
3/05/2010 White Ferns vs West Indies - Warm up match
Molyneaux, St Kitts
+1day NZ, 6:00am
Result: West Indies won by 3 wickets
6/05/2010 White Ferns vs India - Group B match
Warner Park, St Kitts
+1day NZ, 6:00am
8/05/2010 White Ferns vs Sri Lanka- Group B match
Warner Park, St Kitts
+1day NZ, 6:00am
10/05/2010 White Ferns vs Pakistan - Group B match
Warner Park, St Kitts
+1day NZ, 2:00am


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A rapidly expanding commercial hub, fly to Sialkot with Qatar Airways and discover one of Pakistan's industrial powerhouses. Sialkot boasts several manufacturing industries, and is the world's largest producer of hand-sewed footballs, with local factories manufacturing 40-60 million footballs a year, roughly 70% of the total world production.
Flights from Sialkot with Qatar Airways connect to the most important locations in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East including London Heathrow, Manchester, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Rome, Dammam, Abu Dhabi and New York.
Because of its relatively compact size, visiting all of Sialkot's attractions is easy, and most can be reached on foot from the major hotels. This gives tourists a chance to immerse themselves in the spirit and vibrancy of this city, and is the best way to experience everyday life during a trip to Sialkot. In the very heart of the city is Sialkot Fort, a centuries-old military fort with a dramatic and vivid history.
The most recognisable local landmark is the Clock tower in the Saddar Bazaar, which is a striking brick tower decorated beautifully in white. Around the Cantonment area you'll find a cluster of sights including the architecturally fine Sialkot Cathedral, the Puran Bhagat Well and the Seerat Study Center.
The birthplace of writer, philosopher and politician Muhammad Iqbal, along with a museum charting the extraordinary life of the man credited with starting the Pakistan Movement, can be found on Iqbal Road in the Old City.
Take a trip to Sialkot and you'll be struck by the sheer number of open spaces and parks, giving the city a light and airy feel. The main parks are Gulsan i Iqbal Park, Sialkot Park, Garrison Park, Sinbad Fun House (which has plenty of entertainment for children) and Khayaban e Iqbal. Take a relaxing stroll through any of these flower-filled oases of calm.
Head Marala is approximately 40 minutes' drive from Sialkot, and is a beautifully tranquil spot for an evening picnic.
Sport is hugely important in Sialkot, and in particular football and hockey. Sialkot is the world's largest manufacturer of footballs, and a tour of one of the many factories is a strangely fascinating experience and something a little different from the norm.
There is plenty of variety when it comes to food and during your trip to Sialkot, and you will be able to sample both local specialities and a plentiful supply of international cuisine, ranging from western fast food through to Chinese and Asian street food.
Head for Ghazi Road for more upmarket eateries, while many of the fast food outlets can be found along Aziz Shaheed Road.
Travel to Sialkot and you'll discover an industrious city that's full of small enterprises making everything from leather goods, sportswear, and even bagpipes!
Most shopping and retail is done in the centre of the city, so head for the iconic Clock Tower and then explore the surrounding area on foot to discover hidden gems and small, select outlets in the narrow streets surrounding the Fort and the centre of the Old City.
Flights to Sialkot arrive at Sialkot International Airport, which has the largest runway in Asia.
Visa restrictions for entry into the country will depend on your country of origin, length of stay and whether your trip is for business or pleasure. So before you fly to Sialkot please check the visa and passport requirements.
Currency: Pakistani Rupee (PKR)
Voltage: 220 V 50 Hz
Plugs: Type C / D
Language: English / Urdu
International dialing code: +92
Our Business Class cabin combines thoughtful amenities, sublime comfort and superb service centred around your needs.
Join Privilege Club and make travelling with Qatar Airways even more rewarding
Explore Discover Qatar's stopover packages offered by Qatar Airways Holidays. Book hotels, desert safaris, city and architectural tours including visits to Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif and The Pearl.


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By Varietal
The Northwest coast makes up part of the Pacific Rim so we therefore have many Asian influences that have become part of our culture now.
Crispy fried catfish is one of the south's favorite dishes. This crispy pecan crusted catfish burger captures all the traditions of the south in one flavorful delicious burger.
This Thai-fish Burger is fit for a Queen. The delicious taste of mint vinaigrette mixed with fresh fish,vegetables and tomato dressing is irrestible.


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Energy Flash – Vinyl Life from Tape Theory on Vimeo.
Here's two videos that bring you back into the techno 90s. Above we have a pretty cool remake of Joey Beltram's classic track Energy Flash (iTunes link) from Vinyl Life. Next we have some video from one of Peter Gatien's clubs The Tunnel. I first went to the Tunnel around 1986 (I was 16). The dancing around 1:00 in will get you laughing.
I have a lot of stories from The Tunnel none of which I'm going to commit to "print". Do you have any you care to share?


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The former treasurer accused of taking thousands from a Solano County animal rescue organization pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement charges Friday and repaid a portion of what was allegedly stolen.
Jacqueline Bailey, 44, of Benicia, who served as Solano Friends of Animals' treasurer from 2006 through 2008, repaid the group $35,000 and must repay another $5,000 during her four years' probation. Two lesser charges were dropped as part of the plea deal.
She must also serve a short jail sentence -- likely 30 days -- but the formal sentencing was postponed until Jan. 10, at her request.
When asked for a comment Friday, Bailey said she had none, except that, "no one's ever cared about the truth before."
Her lawyer, Tony Finkas, didn't return calls for comment Friday.
Solano Friends of Animals members expressed both relief and annoyance as they left the Vallejo courtroom Friday.
Though significantly less than the more than $100,000 the nonprofit's members say Bailey embezzled between Aug. 1, 2006 and Jan. 31, 2009, the deal cut was likely the best they could attain, current treasurer Jill Coe said. Bailey was arrested in May 2011 after a two-year investigation.
"It's a plea bargain, so at least we know we get something," Coe said. "It's nowhere near what was taken, but you take a chance if you go to court. It was a difficult decision."
Organization members say two large donations were made in 2006 to the charity, which rescues, fosters and spays and neuters cats and dogs. As treasurer, Bailey failed to mention one and said the other was made on the condition that the amount be kept secret, members said. She then made herself the agency's checking account's sole signatory.
In 2009 interviews with the Times-Herald, Bailey acknowledged taking some $3,000 from the group, but said she had returned it. She explained the organization's depleted bank accounts saying the group had expanded its work, spaying and neutering more cats, buying a vehicle and paying off large vet bills.
But, according to a Benicia police report obtained in 2009, bank statements suggest the group's funds paid for gas, groceries, restaurant meals, shopping at various stores, carpet cleaning, online gambling and ATM withdrawals at banks and casinos.
Upset with the sentencing delay, longtime organization member Ruby Waderich said it's not just about the money.
"We need the money but there has been no justice," Waderich said.
The organization suffered the loss of donors who feared their contributions wouldn't go to help the animals, she said.
"We had to repair our image," Waderich said.
If there's a bright side to the story, it's that new policies and procedures were instituted to prevent such a thing happening to the organization again, Coe said.
To volunteer or donate to Friends of Animals, call 552-3323.
Contact staff writer Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter at RachelVTH.


text: The "pocket veto" can operate only in the case of bills sent to the President within ten days of Congressional adjournment. If he retain such a bill (figuratively, in his pocket) neither giving it his sanction by signing it, nor withholding his sanction in returning it to Congress, the bill is defeated. The President is not bound to give reasons for defeating a bill by a pocket veto which he has not had at least ten days to consider. In a regular veto he is bound to give such reasons. [James Albert Woodburn, "The American Republic and its Government," Putnam's, 1903]


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Clinch Gear now brings us the new Crossover 2 Series of premium performance shorts. Constructed of a suede microfiber fabric that offers the utmost in durability and lightness, along with moisture-wicking qualities. A nylon saddle gusset provides plenty of stretch and mobility while training and the Notched Flex Zones on the sides of the shorts feature sublimated graphics that won't peel or crack with time. Both of these stretch materials have moisture-wicking qualities to keep the shorts nice and light.
Store personal items such as mouthguards in the side pocket, which is secured by a hook-and-loop strip. The side pocket is also ideal for keys, contact lens cases, and other items... Making these shorts perfect for cardio, circuit, and cross-training.
Clinch Gear Shorts Sizing


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Restaurateurs dogged by allegations of unpaid debts have closed their latest Peninsula restaurant.
Le Normandie in Pacific Grove abruptly shut down two weeks ago, leaving many in the community confused as to why.
The Lighthouse Avenue restaurant in the Holman Building was owned by Christine and Francis Richard — previous owners of now- shuttered Chez Christine in Carmel and Bistro Christine in Monterey — and family friend Nancy Lewis.
"We're done opening restaurants," Christine Richard said Thursday. "... I've had it."
The owners admit they were six months behind in rent but also allege their landlord, Nader Agha, sold them on a building that needed a lot of work and pressured them to buy the restaurant.
Agha said Thursday he was the only person left in the area who would still rent to Christine Richard.
"I am the only one who felt sorry for her," he said. "She came to me and begged me saying, 'No one will rent to me.'"
He said the agreement he made with the Richards was for them to clean the property in exchange for three months' free rent and that it was Christine Richard who said she would buy the restaurant. Le Normandie opened in 2010.
Agha decided to kick out the owners after he said he found out Christine Richard was lying about the sale of her mother's home in France — money she allegedly told him she would use to buy the restaurant.
"She still owes us the $40,000," he said, "and we are going after her to collect."
Lewis, who was not involved in the Richards' previous establishments, said Agha offered to sell the restaurant space to them last month for $125,000 because he had four interested buyers.
Stories of the Richards not paying back loans from customers and friends have floated around the business community for years, said Moe Ammar, president of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce.
Christine Richard said stories were "exaggerated."
The Richards had been briefly under investigation by the county District Attorney's Office two years ago, said Chief Assistant District Attorney Terry Spitz.
He said Wednesday an investigator was looking into a complaint about "false representations" to obtain loans.
"The investigation she did produced no evidence of any fraudulent representations," he said. "So we closed out the case. That basically put an end to it as far as we're concerned."
The Richards have been taken to small claims court in Monterey County three times since 2008, records show.
Charles Brauer of Carmel said this week that Christine Richard had asked him for money in 2008 while he dined at Chez Christine.
"She said her husband ... had some serious medical issues and had to go in the hospital and didn't have any insurance," he said.
When she didn't pay the roughly $7,000 back, he said, he took her to court the next year.
Despite the judge ruling in his favor, Brauer said he never got any payments from the Richards.
In 2011 he turned it over to a collection agency and, in the last six months, has been getting $100 to $150 checks each month.
Although no criminal charges have been filed against the Richards, their reputation has not been repaired.
Ammar believes the Richards are unethical and said in his 20 years with the chamber he has not witnessed "such bad business dealings" as he has with the pair.
"It is certainly not a reflection on the restaurant owners in Monterey County," he said.
Many of the owners of surrounding business on Lighthouse Avenue were unsure what was going on with the restaurant.
There are no signs to announce the closure; several potential customers could be seen trying to open the door Wednesday afternoon.
By most accounts, the restaurant was fairly good.
Juanita Coleman, owner of the Grove Nutrition Center three doors down, said Le Normandie always seemed packed and it was hard to get a parking spot on nights it was open.
Sixty-seven reviewers on the user-generated review website Yelp gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 in the three years it was open.
The restaurant had 48 seats but employed just the Richards and their daughter. Financial hardship had steadily decreased the days it was open from five to three.
"We couldn't afford to have employees," Christine Richard said. "... We did the best we could and we think people loved what we cooked."
Phillip Molnar can be reached at 646-4487 or email@example.com.


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I've owned a Vermona DRM1 MKIII for a while. It's one of my most beloved machines. It sounds so sharp and vintage it's really incredible. I noticed the insert jacks but never realized you could use them not only as outs but to route the audio back in! Thanks to The Tuesday Night Machines for posting this. Time to find some pedals!
"The effects insert feature lets you route processed drum sounds back into the drum machine's internal stereo mixer." – The Tuesday Night Machines
For more info: vermona.com/index.php/en_drm1mk3


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In recognition of current and former servicemen and women, all 398 national parks will offer free admission over the Veterans Day weekend.
The $7 entrance fee to Muir Woods National Monument, the only one of Golden Gate's national parks with an entrance fee, will be waived Saturday, Sunday and Monday, park officials said.
"The national treasures that are embodied in Muir Woods, Fort Point and the many beaches and military features that are scattered through Golden Gate National Parks are examples of what our veterans have kept safe for us," GGNRA Superintendent Frank Dean said.
This Veterans Day weekend is the last of the National Park Service entrance fee free days for 2012. More information is available at http://www.nps.gov/finda park/feefreeparks.htm.


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I'm reposting this trade scenario to see what, if anything, everyone thinks about it. Personally, I think this would be a great final piece for our Pacers.
Stephen Jackson
6-8 SG 16.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.8 apg in 35.9 minutes
Jeff Foster
6-11 C 5.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 0.8 apg in 25.1 minutes
John Edwards
7-0 C 1.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.1 apg in 7.4 minutes
P.J. Brown
6-11 PF 9.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.2 apg in 31.8 minutes
Ben Gordon
6-3 SG 16.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.0 apg in 31.1 minutes
Analysis: We get rid of SJax, in return we pick up similar production (albeit losing considerable height, while gaining considerable speed). I hate seeing Foster go, but under this trade we'll pick up similar production at the back up PF/C spots. Edwards is to make it work, and add another big behind Wallace.