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Rumsfeld's Fear Of Dissent
(Rumsfeld believes any dissenter is pro-Hitler).
In a recent speech to the American Legion, Donald Rumsfeld compared critics of the Iraq war to people who "ignored the Nazisâ€? and who tried to "appease Hitler.â€?Â
He accused critics of "moral or intellectual confusionâ€? for their failure to recognize fascism. This perspective has since been echoed in other political speeches leading up to the 2006 elections.Â
Let us consider the meaning of these words. Webster's New World Dictionary defines fascism as "a system of government characterized by rigid one-party dictatorship, forcible suppression of opposition, private economic enterprise under centralized government control, belligerent nationalism, racism, and militarism.â€?Â
Appeasement is derived from the Latin word for peace, and refers to a policy of settling disputes through rational negotiation and compromise to avoid violent conflict. The word gained a negative connotation in the wake of a failed British policy to cede ground to Hitler in the hope of avoiding war. It has since become an accusation.      Â
As a people of conscience, we are called to be aware of inequities. But we are also called to be aware of what is good, and to protect and defend it. "Fascismâ€? and "appeasementâ€? are being raised repeatedly in the political arena, primarily to shut down discourse and to taint opponents. What is the consequence of this form of speech? As a people of conscience, we have a responsibility to consider the impact of such words. Do they inspire courage, or fear?Â
Do they promote liberty and tolerance, or do they justify pre-emptive war, unwarranted surveillance, and imprisonment without representation? Do they build reasoned dialogue, or do they restrict national policy to a single perspective? Do they support our founding principles, or negate them?  Â
America's history inspires people to liberty, hope, opportunity, tolerance, creativity, democracy, and positive action. These are things worth protecting, for the sake of all people. If we want to spread democracy throughout the world, we will do it by inspiring others by the way we live our lives, and not by fear-mongering or the suppression of human rights.Â
We must develop a clear focus on what we value, and allow that to guide our actions. We need a beacon, not a whip. According to Alexis de Tocqueville, "America is great because she is good, and if she ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.â€? Steve Irwin, the enthusiastic and indefatigable crocodile hunter of Discovery Channel, died suddenly in the field last week. In a television interview with Larry King, he called himself a warrior for conservation. He did it for love. He loved animals, and he loved people, passionately. He bridged a gap in understanding, and was probably the only person in the world who could have endeared reptiles to millions. This one man brought so much interest in the natural world to so many, he enlarged conservation everywhere. This is what one person can do, focused and clear, seeing what needs to be done to protect something glorious.Â
We have a choice. We can focus on fear, or we can focus on what we love. Do you love liberty? Do you cherish your privacy, the freedom to practice your faith? To engage in critical dialogue? To explore? These things are endangered. If you love them, you will do what can to protect them. As Steve Irwin taught us, living in the passion of what we love changes everything.  Â
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Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...


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Four clubs that stood the test of time share their secrets for staying in business.
The majority of small businesses go under two years after opening. Most clubs qualify as small businesses, and they are no exception to this statistic.
For this reason, it's important for club operators to keep an open mind and search out for successful models to emulate. Often, operators can further their business education by looking at other clubs — even clubs in their own market.
While it's easy to be negative about your competition, it's not necessarily smart. Instead of dismissing other clubs, operators should examine successful businesses and their practices. Learn from competitors and study their plans.
While many new clubs do shut down, a select few stand tall and prosper. Chances are these clubs went into the business with practical plans and step-by-step goals. Or if they didn't, they learned from their shortcomings and changed for the better.
Club Industry's October cover story focused on the common business mistakes many clubs make. This month, we present the other half of the picture: what clubs do right. Specifically, we examine four clubs that have stood tall and prospered.
Running the gamut from large, high-end facilities to smaller businesses, from hospital-affiliated centers to women-only gyms, these four clubs have passed the test of time. All have been in the business for at least 18 years. One has even been around for more than a century.
In profiling these four clubs, we paid close attention to their business practices. In the end, we discovered that, while it is indeed easy to be negative, you'll be a lot more successful if you're positive.
New Orleans
Just the stats: Coed, 40,000-square-foot club with more than 2,300 members, this business was established in 1872. Monthly dues range from $54 to $59 for single adults.
Moral of the story: Community is key.
Situated in a city famous for jazz and blues music, as well as culinary and cultural delights, the New Orleans Athletic Club (NOAC) is a veritable grandfather of a health club. Established almost 130 years ago in the heart of the French Quarter, the NOAC resembles an old gentleman's eccentricities — decadence-meets-function as this three-level club winds around the many nooks and crannies of a Southern mansion.
Spacious, column-lined ballrooms are used for strength training and more than 50 group exercise classes, such as yoga, cycling and cardio kickboxing. Marble-lined pools and steam rooms delight and invigorate the senses. Barbershops and salons beautify, while rooftop jogging paths and squash courts nestle next to the sun decks. Members socialize in the card room or in the pub, or satisfy their hunger at the kitchen and restaurant. A little food for thought takes place at the club's on-site library, and some thoughts on food abound at the nutritionist's office.
For exercisers looking for a change of pace, the club features a boxing ring, indoor track, basketball and volleyball courts, and a weight-training museum where members can actually work out with weights from the John Sullivan-era (more "modern" weights are also available for those who like progress). At one point, the NOAC even featured a bowling alley.
The club, while the ultimate in architectural elegance at present, grew from much humbler roots. Founded in 1872, the club began with two gymnastic bars in the backyard of J.C. Aleix, who served as the club's first president.
Members paid dues of 50 cents to use the bars, hand-built from oak. Amenities consisted of a bucket of water and dipper — for an additional 35 cents.
By 1929, the club had shifted to its current location, but up until 1991, NOAC was very much a members-owned men's club. Women only started coming to the facility when member Bill More, a lawyer, bought NOAC from the rest of the members, numbering 300 men at the time.
The boy's club mentality is no longer present within the club's many rooms and catty-corners. With membership numbering more than 2,300 people, half of whom are women, NOAC has managed to keep long-time members happy while attracting new members with a delicate mix of tradition and trend. A veritable New Orleans institution, the club has weathered the test of time.
"I used to come here as a kid," remembers NOAC General Manager Bill Johnston. "My high school wrestling team practiced here. It just had this aura and this reputation and this tradition."
NOAC's reputation was the reason why Val Vogel joined the club 46 years ago. A champion handball player at the time, "I found out the good players were at the New Orleans Athletic Club," he says. Still active, Vogel visits the club daily to do abdominal work, strength training, cycling, stretching, swimming and/or walking.
Vogel originally came to the NOAC because of its tradition, but he stayed because of its community. "I love the people of New Orleans, and this is a good bunch of those people," he says.
The 71-year-old first settled in the Big Easy 50 years ago when he got out of the service and met a "New Orleans tomato." Now the proud father of six children and grandfather to 15 more, Vogel continues to frequent the NOAC even though he has tried other clubs in the past (his HMO provides memberships at certain other clubs for free).
"This is not really convenient for me, but I love it," he says.
While Vogel may have remained a consistent member for nearly five decades (the longest-term member has been with the club 67 years), the club itself has gone through many changes, and both good and bad times. Financially speaking, the New Orleans area "is not way up there on the economic ladder," according to Johnston, so dues, while competitive to the market, are under-priced compared to many cities.
Still, making the switch to coed has helped the NOAC. After taking control of the club a decade ago, More charged a lower membership fee for women (still in effect today). In doing so, he attracted the gender into what was traditionally men-only territory. He also invested in club renovations that impressed more upscale corporate clients.
One thing More didn't change, however, was the club's variety. "It was just a well-rounded club," Johnston says.
And it still is. Besides the usual fitness offerings, the club gives members "clubs within clubs." There are card clubs, "early bird" clubs for morning exercisers, basketball clubs, handball clubs, billiards clubs and more.
All of the clubs build communities within the NOAC, and these communities, in turn, build up NOAC, making it an important part of members' lives. Just ask Vogel.
"This exercise club is part of my life community," he says.
West Chester County, N.Y.
Just the stats: Club Fit's Jefferson Valley location was established in 1971. The Briarcliff location was established in 1985. Both clubs are coed, multipurpose facilities with 350 employees total. Club Fit Briarcliff is 100,000 square feet and has a membership base of 10,000 (dues are $102 per month). Jefferson Valley is expanding to 100,000 square feet with a membership base of 3,500 (dues are $93 per month).
Moral of the story: Don't shortchange on change.
To stay on top of the game, health clubs must be open to changes, sometimes even drastic ones. While a club's vision may remain constant, its parameters can't be set in stone.
New York's Club Fit underwent some tremendous changes since its inception. Originally a tennis club, the business charged members by the hour to use the courts.
President Beth Beck, who co-owns the club with David Swope, became involved with Club Fit in 1979. Despite a lack of experience in health club management (she was a tennis player at the club), she set out to turn around the ailing facility.
Beck decided to transform the business into a multipurpose club and set up a monthly dues system. "We were one of the first people in the early '80s to have [monthly dues]," she explains. "We felt it would be a much more even cash-flow process, and it also takes away the decision-making process of whether or not to join again."
Over the years, the club has expanded. Club Fit Jefferson Valley's sister facility, Club Fit Briarcliff, opened in 1985. Both sites are constantly upgrading and renovating. Briarcliff had a recent $9 million "face lift," while Jefferson Valley is currently in the process of an $8 million revamp.
"I think the clubs are a home away from home [for many members]," Beck says. "They want it to be comfortable and they want it to be updated."
As it stands today, both sites offer a great deal of services to members. Jefferson Valley boasts indoor tennis, racquetball, an on-site nursery, physical therapy, a salon, café, massage center, wellness programming provided by the Hudson Valley Hospital Center, a group cycling studio and more.
When renovations are completed in the fall of 2002, Jefferson Valley will include a supervised play area for kids ages 5 to 12. Also in the works is an aquatic center with two pools, and revamped fitness and group exercise areas, including a women-only fitness area and new massage rooms.
Briarcliff, currently the larger of the two Club Fit facilities, offers much the same as Jefferson Valley, including hospital-affiliated and children's programming, café and massage.
Services and programs such as these, along with a dedication to renovation, put Club Fit ahead of the pack, according to Human Resource Director Mary Taglianetti, who has worked with the club for 15 years in various capacities. And her praise isn't just because she's an employee. Even during her early days as an exercise instructor — before she worked for Club Fit — she admired the company.
"Jefferson Valley was always the place I aspired to be," Taglianetti says. "In our area Jefferson Valley was the place to be. They had the latest and greatest, and they were bigger than everybody.
"At the time there were no exercise programs in our industry. Jane Fonda was just starting. I ended up walking to Jefferson Valley and joined as a member because I thought that's how I could get in."
Taglianetti attributes the club's longevity to the owners' treatment of staff (employee education is a priority) and "pioneering" business practices.
"They are always willing to go out there and try things," she says. "The monies that are made in our clubs are dumped back into the club (for remodeling, etc.)…
"We're kind of like the first people to do things," Taglianetti adds.
Missoula, Mont.
Just the stats: A 20,000-square-foot health club for women only, converted from a coed facility in 1983. Formerly Sparta Health Center, established in the mid-'70s. Current membership numbers 1,700 people. Dues run $44 a month, with this year's revenue estimated at $850,000.
Moral of the story: Niche is nice.
In an age where bigger is touted as better, where many businesses try to be everything to everyone, niche marketing can go a long way. Because niche marketing is not, in fact, for everyone, its uniqueness has appeal.
Case in point: the Women's Club. Originally a coed club established in the mid-'70s, the business switched to women only when Pat and Sandy Lawler bought the club in 1983.
This market switch has allowed the Lawlers to grow the business. Once a 13,000-square-foot facility, the Women's Club expanded an additional 7,000 square feet last year.
As the club has grown, it has faced off against stiff competition. Despite a large YMCA nearby, as well as four bigger for-profit clubs, the Women's Club is a thriving business with its eyes firmly on the future.
"We have as many or more members than those clubs do," explains Camie Mueller, the general manager for the Women's Club.
Why has membership remained strong? "So much of it is atmosphere and energy and what we provide," Mueller answers.
Furthermore, Mueller credits the club's success to its "air of community." "We emphasize being open to everyone," she says. "You don't have to be an athlete to be here. You don't have to be overweight."
One member who appreciates the club's openness is Tara Stout, a 48-year-old who joined in 1986. "I think there is a big difference in a women's only club and an all-women club," she says. "The Women's Club is for all women with all different kinds of needs and focuses. I have gone to other clubs with friends as a guest. I just feel like our facility has more to offer."
Indeed, the Women's Club differentiates itself by recognizing women's time constraints and providing services that make life easier. For example, a seamstress comes in twice a week, and a nearby station will drop members off at the club, then give their cars an oil change while they exercise.
Naturally, the club also focuses on women's specific needs. It features a nutritionist, physical therapy, menopause support groups, specialty arthritis classes, prenatal exercise classes and a "Go-Go Girls" exercise program designed for women ages 60 to 90.
Members can take dancing lessons (salsa, swing, belly dancing, ballroom, cha cha or tap) and treat themselves to massage or day spa services. The club has also hosted "mini-retreats" for women, led by both a yoga instructor and a psychotherapist, in which the members were given the opportunity for reflection and self-renewal. One of the more successful programs at the club is a water exercise program that offers everything from aerobics and seniors programming to prenatal exercise and kickboxing.
"We've always tried to stay ahead of the game in the industry," says Mueller. "We try to keep a pulse on trends nationwide as well as what people in the community want. That's a continuous thing. We are always planning ahead."
Mueller herself is a big fan of the club — so much so she's been there 18 years. Starting off as a group exercise instructor, she progressed through the ranks to her current position.
Mueller's story is not unusual. Staff longevity is quite common, with the average staffer staying eight years. This is because the club has focused on team building for more than a decade, according to Mueller. The club operates as a community, with employees involved in decisions.
"The staff has a lot to say about how their job is performed because the staff know what the members want," Mueller explains.
"People have ownership and they feel connected to [the club]," she adds.
This sense of ownership, in turn, influences the ways in which employees relate to the members. The atmosphere is one of comfort, friendship, community and a healthy lifestyle. According to Stout, it is the atmosphere that makes the club unique — a view shared by other members.
"We have a bulletin board in the locker rooms, and time and time again I see, 'I love this place.' 'This is wonderful.' 'Thanks so much,'" Stout says.
"It's an atmosphere that is empowering and supportive of women."
Dedham, Mass.
Just the stats: Established in 1977, Dedham Health and Athletic Complex is a 240,000-square-foot multipurpose athletic and wellness facility on a 7.5 acre property. The club claims 4,300 single adult members. An additional 1,600 members join Dedham's various summer programs, and 2,500 patients take part in the club's physical therapy programs. Dedham employs 97 staff members during the winter, and 130 during the summer months. Member fees start at $74 a month for an adult. Fees for summer memberships, family memberships, camp memberships and couple memberships vary.
Moral of the story: Be diverse.
While niche marketing has its place, mass appeal, when done properly, can also benefit a business. Clubs that wish to draw diverse members must offer diverse programs — from children's classes to rehab. On the other hand, clubs that become too specialized may find that their exclusivity severely limits their market.
Dedham Health and Athletic Complex knows all about overcoming limitations through diversification. An extremely large, multi-faceted club, Dedham originally grew out of a chain of tennis facilities that appealed to a limited number of people.
The tennis clubs, established in 1972, were "econo"-style facilities without employees. Members bought their court time up front for a year and used a key card system to get in and out of the facility.
By 1978, the business consisted of eight clubs, including Dedham Health, built in 1977. But change was needed, according to Lloyd Gainsboro, director of business development and owner.
"We decided we could do better with one club than eight," he says.
By 1980, seven of the eight facilities were sold, and Dedham had been converted to a full-service club with monthly dues and staff. "In the '80s we decided we wanted to be a major club and that some day we would be involved in the medical world and that people would come to us for conditioning," Gainsboro explains.
As part of its goal to become part of the medical community, Dedham brought an independent physical therapist on board in 1992. In exchange for working at the facility, she received a third ownership of the club.
"She was not part of a hospital system, but we did this because we wanted to some day be part of a hospital system," Gainsboro says. By showing that it could provide physical therapy, Dedham hoped to prove its worth to potential hospital partners.
Dedham succeeded. Today, the club features on-site physical therapy with New England Baptist Bone and Joint Institute experts, diabetes programming courtesy of the Joslin Clinic, and both chiropractic and orthopedic medical staff and services.
Not that the club has limited itself to just medical partnerships. Besides attracting both rehab and medical patients, the club opened itself up to all kinds of members — the young and old, families, single adults and more.
"We're a very diverse club," Gainsboro says. "We don't follow the normal pattern."
As a sign of its diversity, Dedham Health is divided into four components: adult fitness/recreation, summer programs (including a water park with wave pool), medical programs, and kids' programs. In fact, the latter component is getting a boost with a current expansion. Dedham is constructing a separate area within the club that will offer kids' programming, medical services and exercise space. The youngsters will even get their own separate locker rooms and pool.
"We're going to have one of the first — that I know of — cardio centers for kids in the country," Gainsboro says.
Kids aren't the only group getting attention at Dedham. The club has set a goal of reaching 8,000 single adult members (counting families as two adults) and growing total revenue to $11-$12 million within the next three to four years. To help make this happen, Dedham offers personal training free of charge. The logic is that this gratis service will improve retention, thereby bringing the club closer to its goal. "You can be on the right track, but if you don't move, you'll be run over," Gainsboro explains.
Dedham also hopes to grow to 8,000 members by marketing the club to a broader audience. To promote the feeling that everyone is welcome within the facility, advertising is geared toward the 80 percent of people who don't exercise.
"The 20 percent that do will find us one way or another," Gainsboro rationalizes. "Plus, I'm competing with other clubs for them.
"I am trying to get away from [advertising that says], 'You can join us for nothing and there's a lot of spandex around.' Our industry will never grow up if you do this."
Recipes for Success
While clubs can achieve success through various means, we have found that the best clubs share certain traits. Here are some of the things that successful clubs have in common.
Live Long and Prosper
How long has your club been in business? What's the secret to your success? We want to know. Write to us at: Letters to the Editor, Club Industry, One Plymouth Meeting, Suite 501, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. E-mail: [email protected]. Fax: (610) 238-0992.

subset: commoncrawl


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French Silk
Unabridged Audiobook
Written By: Sandra Brown
Narrated By: Renee Raudman
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Date: September 2010
Duration: 15 hours 52 minutes
Like the city of New Orleans itself, Claire Laurent is a vibrant beauty laced with a mysterious elusiveness. The founder of French Silk, a fabulous lingerie company, she has fought hard to make it a worldwide success. Then a TV evangelist attacks French Silk's erotic sleepwear as sinful. And when he is killed, Claire becomes the prime suspect. District Attorney Robert Cassidy knows Claire is damning herself with lie after lie about the murder, even as he feels her drawing him into her world and her very soul. But neither Cassidy nor her protests of innocence can save Claire unless she reveals a shocking truth - one she has sworn to take to the grave...


text:
Monday, 30 January 2012
11 comments:
Loving the swoon blocks. I'm in full decorating mode too. A whole house that hasn't been touched for over twenty years. Wholly depressing, but making inroads slowly. I'm going for white everywhere, so much easier when armed with a roller. The little squares are great - it's going to be a star? Looking forward to seeing it.ReplyDelete
Those blocks really are 'swoon-able' What a lovely quilt that will be. And nesting already? Is that baby coming soon?ReplyDelete
Woohoo! Your swoon blocks are just stunning. I am just so impressed you can still fit close enough to your machine to sew. Good luck with the renovations and thank goodness for accupuncture.ReplyDelete
Your swoon blocks are fantastic. Good luck with your pregnancy and the nesting!ReplyDelete
Love your swoons, hope the acupuncture keeps helping!ReplyDelete
OMG your swoon blocks are just gorgeous! Make sure you take it easy these next few weeks Mrs, take care xxReplyDelete
Lovely blocks. Hope you keep well and acupuncture keeps helping. I love the look of the hat for your new wee man. JuliexReplyDelete
- Anonymous31 January 2012 at 23:12
Love both of the quilt-a-longs you're doing, your swoon blocks are really beautiful. I am seriously tempted to have a go.ReplyDelete
Hope your last few weeks of pregnancy go well - great stripy baby hat!
Love the swoons especially the background fabric. Lucky you going on Katy's course - I learnt how to do hexies from her at FofQ, would love to do more hand piecing.ReplyDelete
Swoonsome blocks - love that bright pink. Hope these last few weeks of pg pass nice and quickly for you.. enjoy the nesting xxReplyDelete
Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Your swoon blocks are looking fabulous. The Lipstick Sketch really complements the fabrics. Have fun EPP with Katy.ReplyDelete


text:
This job has expired, please see additional jobs below
Automotive Store Manager
Job Details – this job has expired, please see similar jobs below
Company Description
Monro is a strong, growing company. Founded in 1957 in Rochester, New York, we now have over 1100 company-owned locations servicing over four million cars each year in the US in 27 eastern and mid-western states. Monro offers customers a wide range of tire choices and repair services, such as exhaust, brake, suspension, alignment, ride control, tire, battery, electrical, air conditioning and scheduled maintenance services. We are a publicly traded company and a top performer on the NASDAQ both in our results and our return to our investors.
Job Description
For over 60 years, it has been our mission at Company to provide our customers with superior maintenance and repair services, quality replacement parts, and name brand tires, all at affordable prices. We are country's top company-owned automotive repair chain, and our success is driven by employing great people who commit everyday to putting the customer first--selling them only what they need and making sure the work performed on their cars is done right the first time, every time. When you join our team, you become an important part of one of the fastest-growing, most profitable companies in the industry. Our continued growth creates promotional opportunities for top performers at all levels of the company.
We have an immediate career opportunity for a results-oriented, self-starter to drive the success of one of our high-tech automotive service centers. The ideal candidate will have previous automotive and/or tire service, sales and management experience. This position offers a highly competitive base salary plus incentives, one of the industry's top benefits packages, and tremendous opportunity for advancement. Average compensation for this position is $65K/yr., with our best performers earning $100-120K/yr. Benefits include medical/dental/vision, 401k with matching, paid vacation, disability, stock options for top performers, stock purchase plan, ASE certifications reimbursement, parts and service discounts for employees and relatives, direct deposit, and more. So if you're tired of that dead end job and want a career with unlimited opportunities and earnings potential, contact us today!
Responsibilities include:
- Leading, training and motivating service team
- Consistently providing superior customer service
- Generating results for customers, service team and your store
- Ensuring all work is performed in a timely and safe manner
- All aspects of store operation, including profit and loss
- High School diploma or GED
- 2+ yrs sales management experience preferably in automotive service
- Minimum of 2 years of experience with vehicle repairs
- ASE certifications desired
- Able to explain and sell products and needed repairs to customers in a friendly, understandable manner
- Strong customer service orientation and a high level of professional integrity
- Lifting ability up to 50 pounds
- Flexible schedule to cover store hours, including Saturdays & Sundays
- Must be 18 years of age
- Must have a valid driver's license
- Strong work ethic
- Background check
Additional Information
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Equal Opportunity Employer
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text:
"And when they ask us what we're doing, you can say, We're remembering...." (Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The PGP Classic Soaps Blog has a strict policy against taking sides in any viewer disagreements. All fans have a right to their opinion, and we appreciate their passion for our shows and the soap opera genre in general.
However, anyone who can call an infant -- even a fictional one -- "disgusting," "spawn," "ugly," "second rate," and fervently hope for it to die, deserves the ultimate punishment to fit their heinous crimes:
Being forced to look at said babies until their ultimate, fundamental, coochie-coochie-coo cuteness brings about world peace and goodwill toward all men and women -- and tots.
So in the spirit of the season, behold: Hallie Munson and Eliza Ryan!
More where those came from, only on As The World Turns!
17 comments:
- schiffeg68 said...
Sweethearts. Thanks for the pics.
- LovingLight said...
Thanks for theses very cute pictures !
I always love children's pics.
Let's hope every fans'll be happy and will have a happy new year.
- freepaul said...
where is a photo of emily with her baby girl? oh, right- meggit killed her.
why should meggit get a spawn when she took emily's little girl away from her?
More biased crap from pgp.
- ATWT Fan said...
Sorry but the Will & Gwen fans will not be happy until Gwen delivers Will's child. For the record, the spawn in the picture is NOT nor will it ever be Hallie! Hal's namesake should be his own flesh & blood not the product of two low life losers.
Emily's inability to be a proper mother is what killed her baby, not Meg. And by the looks of it, someone should have stopped your mother from spawning you.
- Meringue said...
Freepaul is correct...this blog is biased. This blog along with the show just loves to insult the Will & Gwen and Emily & Paul fans. It is not fair that Emily and Gwen's children were killed off while the spawns of Meg and Sophie were allowed to live. Sophie should have been killed off when she pregant with her first spawn since the show killed off while pregnant anyway.
- realwillenfan said...
Whoever runs this blog and wrote this column Attacking the fans is not only Unprofessional and should be fired from her position, but also deliberately wrote this article just to stick it to certain fanbases who don't agree with her very biased opinion! If you can't handle negative viewer feedback, then maybe you should start applying for a new job, like say Peg fan ass kisser! Oh wait, that already is your job now isn't it? I am so happy that Peg are getting divorced soon and that Meg will be marrying Dusty! It serves you and the other Peg fans right to have to watch Dusty raising the Peg SPAWN!!! But hey, at least you got a kid right? Even if it means your couple is dead and over!
And seriously, how dare anyone judge fans opinions about a fictional character even if it's a baby! How come it's ok to wish adult characters dead but not baby characters? They are all just fictional characters. Is this really such a difficult concept for judgemental people to understand? There is no Hallie or Eliza! They aren't real! So if certain fans don't want these characters to exist then guess what? That is their perogative isn't it? They are entitled to their opinions too aren't they? I think it's bad enough that other fans are bashing REAL people over their opinions about a soap opera, but now we have the person who runs the blog attacking us and "punishing" us too! That's real sweet of you, but you don't need to punish us anymore because the show that you work for has already punished us enough by killing off the baby Characters that we wanted to live in favor of two baby Characters that shouldn't have ever existed! We were already punished, so you don't need to continue to rub it in. But maybe you enjoy hurting real people, because god knows the rights of fictional babies are far more important than real human beings!
But congrats to you on helping ATWT continue to punish us mean, horrible fans! You are such a Nice person to deliberately Attack fans who don't agree with your sacred, holier than thou opinion of babies that don't really exist in real life! Or maybe you just can't grasp the concept of fictional, you know that they don't really exist? Oh well, go see a shrink then to figure out your fictional baby issues and stop taking it out on fans AKA Real people!
And Maybe you should spend more time listening to what the fans want instead of thinking of new ways to "punish" them. Maybe then your blog might be interesting and less biased. But I guess you like kicking people when they're down. Perhaps this is why both the blog and ATWT itself sucks. Because neither the people who run the blog or the show give a damn about what the fans want. They just piss on them and punish them for fun I guess. Maybe that's why most fans are unhappy with ATWT and it's nearing cancellation? When it does get cancelled, I guess that will be the fans who you so happily trashed punishment to you! We'll see how you like being punished with no show or blog left to use to screw the fans over anymore! Most fans are unhappy right now, but who cares about the fans opinions? Not you, not Goutman! We don't matter. We just deserve to be punished and taught a lesson right? You will Never force fans to feel the way you do so stop trying! One day when there are no fans left watching we'll see who gets the ultimate punishment!
- Scarlett Echo said...
In the words of Charlie Brown, "Good grief!"
Check the meaning of spawn, remember this is fiction and over-reaction to said fiction is a little...loony.
Showing such bias in this blog and favoring only a few characters and their few fans is NOT good for ATWT, PGP's beloved product for decades.
Spread the love, promote the show and shelve the judgment of the people who have supported ATWT and PGP all their lives.
Biting the hands that feed you is true folly.
P.S. I've never encountered anyone mocking the young, helpless, baby actresses on ATWT. Ever.
- freepaul said...
Keldon, are you insane? Attacking a real person because they dare to bash a FICTIONAL character? I hope next time you are pg, someone lock you up in a cold, filthy barn, kill your baby and then have sex on the baby's grave.
Alina, where was this blog when the meggit fans bashed Emily's baby and had a campaign to have her killed? Or when they sent hate mail to Kelley for daring to have more chemistry with Roger? Are you on Marie's payroll list to give her so much free publicity and bash other fanbases to defend her?
- Sharing Cherie said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Sharing Cherie said...
for those of you who would criticize these babies you're just cruel.
meg didn't kill emily's daughter. even though peg is broken up, it's obvious that they are the story, like it or not. they didn't just have a baby for nothing. so. deal. with. it. and just b/c a child isn't biological doesn't mean it's any less loved or wanted. i'm glad will loves hallie and has named her after his father. i didn't know some of you were so juvenile.
- ATWTGHAMCFan said...
The author of this blog definitely needs to be reprimanded for bashing viewers of the show. When your shows are struggling, the last thing one needs to do is run off your viewers by bashing them.
Apparently the author of this blog is new to soaps. Soap fans are passionate about their favorite shows, characters, and/or couples. As viewers of shows, we have the right to say when something does not go our way. I have seen much worst said about soap characters both adult and babies from fans of other shows. I have even seen people change their screen names to reflect the characters some of which are babies that they wanted to die. In none of the above circumstances, did I ever see one person say anything about the people, who wished death to the characters including the babies.
I can really sympathize with the viewers, who didn't have things go their way as it has happened to me with some of my favorite couples on various shows over the years. It is definitely upsetting when your favorite couple is having a baby that you have wanted for them. Then for the show to turn around and kill it off for no reason and without any warning is very upsetting. When the same show then turns around and gives a couple what your couple were deprived, it makes fans very bitter. This is something that a lot of fans can't get over easily if ever.
I definitely do feel for the Emily and Gwen fans. It was very upsetting to see these two lose their babies. IMO, there was no reason that these two should have lost their children especially Gwen. After all the death in Munson family, it was despicable that the show made Gwen pregnant only to turn around and kill off the Munson baby. I really thought it was very cruel and unnecessary after the deaths of Hal and Jennifer. In addition, Gwen had already lost Billy. All I can ask is why give hope to the Munson family for no reason?
If I was a die hard Gwen and Will fan, I would have been outraged watching them adopt Sofie's child. Sofie was a useless character, who was not needed at all. Gwen was pregnant, so there was no need at all for this character or her child. If I had to watch this same story unfold with one of my fav soap couples, I would be furious too. I would not want to watch some newbie going through a pregnancy when it should have been my favorite character. I think that I would also despise the child they adopted because this child was created just so my character's baby would be killed off. Again this was so uncalled for and unnecessary.
As long as viewers are upset, unhappy, bitter, or feel cheated by soaps, they will continue to let it be known. As viewers, they have the right. It gives them hope that things will one day go their way and their favs will get what they want for them. I hope that the unhappy bloggers here continue to let ATWT know how they feel.
- CakeBaker said...
Thank you for the cute pictures. And a big hug for acknowledging the baby's name 'Eliza Ryan'.
- Jackie said...
where their ever names released on the babies who played Hallie
- Sarah Saad said...
- Sarah Saad said...
شركة نقل عفش بنجران
شركة نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
شركة نقل اثاث بابها
شركة نقل اثاث بحائل
شركة نقل اثاث ببريدة
- Sarah Saad said...
شركة نقل عفش بالدمام
شركة نقل عفش بنجران
شركة نقل عفش بخميس مشيط
شركة نقل اثاث بابها


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Graduate Program Plan A - Thesis
Students will complete: 1) a total of 29 coursework units of study (with a minimum average grade of B), and 2) write and defend a thesis (6 units).
Core courses: Comm 200R, Comm 201, Comm 297, Comm 297 with comprehensive exam
11 units
Electives: (approved 200-level courses)
18 units
Thesis work: (Comm 299)
6 units
35 units
Thesis Examination
Write and defend a Thesis (6 units). Note: There must be a prospectus meeting conducted before a committee of no fewer than three members approved by the departmental Graduate Committee to be chaired by the faculty member responsible for supervising the thesis. The committee may decide to involve a suitable person from outside the University. Students should submit their prospectus at least 10 working days in advance of the date of the meeting. The prospectus meeting provides final guidance to the student prior to conducting, completing and defending the thesis.
Students must have taken and passed their final oral defense to participate in university commencement exercises. The graduate committee discourages the practice of students participating in departmental commencement activities prior to passing their oral defense. Exceptions requested by a student's faculty advisor will be considered by the committee.
Download, complete, and print out the Request for Plan A Thesis Committee form.
Note: Students admitted prior to Fall 2009 should contact the Graduate Coordinator prior to submitting a proposal to the Graduate Committee.


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Thanks for taking a look anyway. I'm trying to decide how much I like it myself - was a bit of a shock to wire it up and have it turn pink and blue!
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One of the most critical properties of composite materials is the residual strength after impact: How much degradation has resulted from a tool strike, a collision, or some sort of impact.
Instron offers a family of instrumented and non-instrumented impact testing systems for determining the impact-resistance properties of composites and other materials.
Drop Towers
The most popular form of impact testing of composites involves a drop tower which lets a well-understood impactor strike a composite plaque under defined, energy-controlled conditions. The impacted panel is then tested in compression for residual strength (Compression After Impact).
Instron/CEAST high precision impact testing systems include instrumented striker "tups" to measure impact load and energy at very high speeds - to capture the energy absorbing properties of all sorts of materials and structures - at room and non-ambient temperatures.
Pendulum Systems
Whereas Drop Tower systems can be used for partial damage (rebound) or destructive testing (puncture), pendulum systems are typically designed to overwhelm a test coupon in bending and measure the energy absorbed during failure. Instron/Ceast offer a family of instrumented or non-instrumented, digitally-controlled pendulum systems for composites, plastics, and other materials.
Examples of Testing Solutions


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Greg Wilson and Damien Mandrioli are also blogging about the new Tour de Flex real time dashboard today. Greg is the inspiration behind everything "Tour de Flex", including the idea of the dashboard. He has the story behind the genesis of this project on his blog. Damien (from IBM/ILOG) did a fantastic job at building the client-side of the dashboard using the very cool ILOG Elixir components, and he walks you through the details on his blog.
My contribution to the project is the "real-time messaging" infrastructure. I provide the details below.
First the overall workflow…
The reason we are combining PHP and Java in this workflow is mostly historical. In the initial version of Tour de Flex, there was no Java involved: Greg was persisting loaded samples data (sample id and timestamp) directly from his PHP page. We later added LiveCycle Data Services to the picture to support the data push requirement of the dashboard, and we took the opportunity to move some code (such as the database persistence) from PHP to Java. Note that we are using LCDS for the performance and scalability of its high-end channels, but the application could also be deployed on BlazeDS.
A more straightforward architecture would be for the client to communicate directly with LCDS. For example, the client could invoke a remote object that would directly publish the loaded sample data (sample id and geolocation of the client) to the message destination. Alternatively, the client could use a Producer object to directly publish the message to the destination. Because some logic (such as geolocating the IP address and persisting the data) has to be executed at the server-side before routing the messages to the subscribed clients, you would have to write a custom message adapter if you used this approach.
We will probably streamline the workflow with one of these two approaches in the future, but in the meantime here is the source code for the servlet (logging and non-essential code removed for brevity):
package com.adobe.tdf; import java.io.IOException; import java.io.PrintWriter; import java.util.Date; import javax.servlet.ServletConfig; import javax.servlet.ServletException; import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet; import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest; import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse; import com.maxmind.geoip.Location; import com.maxmind.geoip.LookupService; import flex.messaging.MessageBroker; import flex.messaging.messages.AsyncMessage; import flex.messaging.util.UUIDUtils; public class TDFServlet extends HttpServlet { // Unique clientID for the message service private String clientID = UUIDUtils.createUUID(); // The geocoding service protected LookupService lookupService; // A DAO to store sample requests in a database protected SampleRequestDAO dao = new SampleRequestDAO(); // The LCDS message broker protected MessageBroker messageBroker; // The LCDS messaging destination where real time sample requests information is pushed protected String destination; public void init() throws ServletException { ServletConfig config = getServletConfig(); destination = config.getInitParameter("messaging.destination.name"); String path = config.getInitParameter("geocoding.database.path"); try { // Load the geocoding database in init() to make sure we load it only once lookupService = new LookupService(path, LookupService.GEOIP_MEMORY_CACHE); } catch (IOException e) { // We swallow the exception here. If the database is not available, the feed // will still work but won't provide the location info. } } protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException { if (messageBroker == null) { messageBroker = MessageBroker.getMessageBroker(null); } SampleRequest sampleRequest = new SampleRequest(); try { sampleRequest.setSampleId(Integer.parseInt(request.getParameter("sampleId"))); } catch (Exception e) { String message = "A valid sampleId is required to process this request"; throw new RuntimeException(message); } sampleRequest.setTimestamp(new Date()); String ipAddress = request.getParameter("ipAddress"); // Geolocate the IP address and add the info to the message if (lookupService != null && ipAddress != null) { Location location = lookupService.getLocation(ipAddress); if (location != null) { sampleRequest.setLatitude(location.latitude); sampleRequest.setLongitude(location.longitude); sampleRequest.setCountry(location.countryCode); sampleRequest.setCity(location.city); } } try { dao.create(sampleRequest, ipAddress); } catch (RuntimeException e) { } String subtopic = request.getParameter("subtopic"); if (subtopic == null) subtopic = "flex"; // Publish the message to specified destination and subtopic. AsyncMessage msg = new AsyncMessage(); msg.setDestination(destination); msg.setHeader("DSSubtopic", subtopic); msg.setClientId(clientID); msg.setMessageId(UUIDUtils.createUUID()); msg.setTimestamp(System.currentTimeMillis()); msg.setBody(sampleRequest); messageBroker.routeMessageToService(msg, null); PrintWriter out = response.getWriter(); out.println("ok"); } }
The servlet is responsible for three things:
- Geolocate the IP address of the client requesting the sample. We currently use the MaxMind Geolocation API. The API is straightforward and the results seem pretty accurate.
- Save the information about the loaded sample in a database. We keep track of historical data to be able to support future data visualization projects.
- Publish the data about the loaded sample to a message destination. The servlet uses the Message Service Java API to directly push messages to the Flex destination (lines 97 to 104). Note that the same API exists for ColdFusion, so CF developers could use a CF page instead of this servlet to push messages to the client.
The messaging destination is set up to support different communication channels: RTMP, long polling, and regular polling. The client-side developer can decide which channel to use to communicate with the server. For example, if you wanted to use RTMP as the primary channel, fall back to long polling if the RTMP connection fails, and fall back to regular polling if the long polling connection fails you could set up your client-side ChannelSet as follows:
<mx:ChannelSet id="channelSet"> <mx:RTMPChannel id="rtmp" url="rtmp://hostname:2037"/> <mx:AMFChannel url="http://hostname/context/messagebroker/amflongpolling"/> <mx:AMFChannel url="http://hostname/context/messagebroker/amfpolling"/> </mx:ChannelSet>


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Recently, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has made it a personal cause to challenge the media for its distorted coverage of the tea parties. "I think the media has blown the tea party themselves out of proportion," he said on Meet the Press last week. "There's just no clout behind this movement," he told Fox News this weekend, adding that "a rally to have stronger laws to protect puppies" would draw a bigger crowd than the tax day and anti-health care protests. Rendell argued that while anger in the country "is real," much of it is directed at the weak economy rather than actions by the Obama administration.
This morning, Rendell again appeared on Fox, this time pointing a finger at the network for its role in galvanizing the anti-Obama movement:
RENDELL: The tea party movement deserves some real credit because, without much of an infrastructure, without much of a following — and 1,000 people, guys, is no following — they have captured the attention of the media because of their passion and because of their anger. […]
I would say you guys (Fox News) deserve more credit for marshaling that anger than the tea partiers do. I'm being serious, and I think it's your right to do so.
GRETCHEN CARLSON: Well, we're just showing both sides of the story.
Indeed, while introducing the Rendell segment, co-host Brian Kilmeade did his part to promote the tea party movement, stating matter of factly, "[It] has been growing in size and intensity as we get closer and closer to the mid-term elections." Watch it:
Rendell has been castigating his fellow Democrats of "cowering behind the shower curtain" as Republicans exude passionate responses against their policies. "We have been out-spun and we are scared," he said. "And when you are scared, you can do one of two things: you can circle the wagons and hide inside…or you can get out and fight for what you believe in."


text: We are the professionals. Let us worry about the fitment. All you need to worry about is finding the wheel and tire package of your dreams. With the year, make and model, we have all the necessary information we need to secure the proper fitment for your car or truck. Please note: if you already have a modified suspension please inform your All Star representative to help guarantee fit. Order your All Star package today!


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Kia's all set to reveal a sports coupe concept car in Frankfurt this September. The 2+2 concept's coming out of Kia's Euro studio run by chief designer Peter Schreyer. The name may remain a secret at present, but what we do know from the grinning shot above is it should have less of the dour and sad face we saw in the Kia ex_cee'd cabrio concept shown in Geneva earlier this year. Full press release after the jump.
Kia Motors Corporation has confirmed that its all-new sports coupe concept car will make its World Premiere at this year's Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September.
Conceived by Kia's design team in Europe under the guidance of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, and manufactured in Europe, the new concept car, whose name remains secret at present, is a 2+2 coupe with an imposing road presence.
Revealing the first 'preview image' of the new car, Schreyer enthused, "Kia has given me the opportunity to shape its whole brand design and character. Seldom does a designer have such a clean sheet to work with. We started this exciting journey with the Kia ex_cee'd cabrio concept at the Geneva Show back in March, and at Frankfurt I'm sure Kia will surprise the entire automotive world when people see our new sports coupe concept in the metal."
Schreyer was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his contribution to automotive design by the Royal College of Art (RCA), the UK's pre-eminent school of art and design. The 53-year old Bavarian studied transportation design at the RCA in 1979/80 and worked at Audi and Volkswagen for the next 25 years, producing designs for vehicles such as the Audi TT and the new VW Beetle. He was appointed to his newly created role at Kia Motors in September 2006.


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text:
That's what San Francisco's "Natural" Resources Department (NRD) spends to:
- Fell trees: Some 18,500 trees are to be cut. (For more details about where, CLICK HERE.)
- Block trails and access: Around 10 miles of trails would be closed or "relocated"; dog-play areas would be closed down; public access to park features would be blocked or restricted. (CLICK HERE for more details of what and where.)
- Apply toxic pesticides: The Natural Resources Department uses more Tier I (most hazardous) herbicides than any comparable park area. For more information about NAP's pesticide use, CLICK HERE. For information about the chemicals they use, CLICK HERE.
(The rebranded "Natural Resources Department was formerly known as "Natural Areas Program" or NAP, and since the change is recent, this website will often refer to NAP. For more details on NAP's plans, CLICK HERE.)
San Francisco Forest Alliance is a 501(c)4 not-for-profit organization with a mission of inclusive environmentalism. We fight to protect our environment through outreach and providing information. We oppose the unnecessary destruction of trees, oppose the use of toxic herbicides in parks and public lands, and support public access to our parks and conservation of our tree canopy. We stand for transparency in the use of public funds.
To see our latest post on our BLOG, CLICK HERE.
Meanwhile, clubhouses are closed because they can't pay the directors $40 thousand annually; preschool programs are terminated because they won't pay teachers; restrooms are closed because they can't keep them clean and functional; and 23,000 street trees become the responsibility of nearby homeowners to save the city $300 thousand.
If you are a neighbor, parent, hiker, runner, outdoor enthusiast, dog walker, or environmentalist, please help keep our parks natural and accessible for all to enjoy!
Sign our ONGOING online petition! Forward it to your friends!
Ask the Sierra Club to stop advocating for tree destruction and supporting pesticide use!
Six other important ways you can help:
- Subscribe to this site to keep updated (click on the Keep Me Informed button, top right).
- "Like" our Facebook page – follow us on Twitter – follow us on Instagram
- Write letters to your Supervisor, the Mayor, Recreation and Park Department, & Recreation and Park Commission. Our political action page has ideas and contact information : http://sfforest.net/political-action/
- Spread the word! Encourage your friends and neighbors to sign our petition online!
- Write or email us, help build our "critical mass" of supporters. Tell us what you think, give us your ideas. Our email is SFForestNews at gmail.com
- Donate to SFFA. You can send a check to SF Forest Alliance, and mail it to SFFA, P.O.Box 460668, SF, CA 94146 or click on the button below to donate via our Paypal account (Note: you do not need a PayPal account to make your donation):
(Donations are not tax-deductible. Why?)


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This site has moved
This site has moved.
Please click on the following link.
Bread shortages reported in Addis Ababa
Private media are reporting a bread shortage in Addis Ababa, where residents of the city are complaining about their difficulty to find affordable, smaller size breads. Addis Guday a weekly Amharic magazine, says the lack of flour might have led to bread shortages in the city, quoting some bakery owners. The magazine also said there has been slight price increase in some food items that are made with wheat flour.
A quick survey conducted by the magazine staff in some bakeries of the city conformed that there has indeed been an acute bread shortage in the city, especially the often consumed smaller size breads. The breads that were mostly available were those bigger ones, which cost around ten birr.
The Ethiopian government has not acknowledged a bread and wheat shortage in the city. Addis Guday quoted Kelemework, vice-chair of the Ethiopian Agricultural Agency, as saying he is not aware of the city's bread crisis.
Bread is a staple in the Ethiopian diet, eaten with almost every meal. People are largely dependent on private bakeries amid an acute bread shortage there. The government often says the country has enough wheat reserves for one year and a half.
Chinese investemnt in Africa 'exaggerated'
An Ethiopian researcher says it is the West, and not China, that still has the bigger economic impact on Africa.
The professor of economics at Addis Ababa University, Alemayehu Geda told China Daily that while the current spotlight might be on the impact of the world's second-largest economy on the continent, it is former colonial powers and the United States that are the largest investors. "The conclusion one would make from all the media coverage and even the views of ordinary people is that China is this huge foreign investor
"Yet 90 percent of the (cumulative) foreign direct investment into Africa is still from the West, the United Kingdom, France and the US. China's contribution is actually quite small. China combined with India is less than 6 percent. This gets lost in all the reports," he says.
Alemayehu, who is regarded as a leading authority on the Ethiopian economy and a renowned development economist says China has had its biggest impact on just a narrow select number of resource-exporting countries.
The full story could be found at China Daily Africa website.
Ethiopian scientist wins UNESCO award
Ethiopian scientist Doctor Segenet Kelemu has been named the 2014 African Laureate in the 16th annual L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards. Currently serving as a director general of the Nairobi-based International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology, Dr. Segenet is the first Ethiopian to win the prestigious award. She joins five exceptional women scientists from around the world, one from each continent, who were recognized for their contribution to science at an awards ceremony, held at the Sorbonne in Paris last week (March 19) before an audience of personalities from the worlds of science, economics, academia and culture.
Read more…
Affordable Addis Art Fair
For the first time in Addis Ababa, a massive art fair is offering contemporary Ethiopian art for sale to collectors and first-time buyers. Some 1 000m² of floor space at Boles Millennium hall is filled with a great visual feast with the inauguration of the four day Addis Art Fair, running from 15 to 18 March. The art showcase included its range of traditional works, like paintings, drawings and sculptures, as well as patchwork, installations, print and ceramics pieces from both established and promising newcomer artists.
Bail denied for activists arrested during on women run
An Ethiopian court Friday began considering whether to prolong the detention of ten activists and members of the semayawi, or Blue Party jailed on charges of unauthorized protest after they chanted slogans during the Great Ethiopia Run last Sunday. The federal first instance Yeka district court on Friday morning opened a hearing into the activists, seven of them women, who launched a protest on the 11th edition of the annual women run, on Sunday 9 March to demand the release of jailed journalists and politicians. The court rejected a request for bail for the activists who have been held in custody for six days. Read more…
Muktar Kedir becomes head of OPDO
Muktar Kedir, a loyal politician and trusted ally of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, has been elected as head of the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO). Following the departure of the former chairman Alemyehu Atomsa, OPDO appointed Muktar, a civil service minster, as chairman of the party.
Muktar has been an active member of the OPDO since the 2000s. He was governor of the Jimma zone from 1999 to 2003. He was also head of the office of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary democratic front (EPRDF) council from 2008 to 2010, and vice president of the Oromia region.
Under the late Meles Zenawi, Muktar enjoyed considerable influence especially after he was appointed to run the affaires of the prime minster's office in 2010. He also joined the national security council at the time, a post that helped him to gain a great deal of knowledge and skill managing large operations.
Muktar is known as a politician of considerable will, and ego. He is an orator given to addressing mass meetings, and is one of few senior EPRDF figures who can communicate with the people. His biggest problem could come from OPDO where there are already two distinct factions, one supporting him, from Islamic areas and the other from largely Christian areas. Muktar was unpopular with the later faction for approving Wahabist groups to organize gatherings when he was vice minster of the Oromia region, a job with much influence in the party.
A native of Jimma, Muktar graduated from the civil service college with a degree in law. He also studied international leadership in Asuza Pacific University of California in August 2008.


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Lately I have been running a lot. I had begun to train for a half-marathon, but have put that on hold for the time being. I had a heel injury that led to some blood work, that led to some results that say that I may be doing more damage to my body than good by doing so much cardio & endurance training. So, that left me in quite a quandary. I had discovered that I loved to run. It was such an outlet, a stress reliever. Plus, I was excited to train and run in a race. However, after doing some reading & researching, I made the decision to put the race on hold for now and back off on my cardio a bit. I started to read about the PACE program by Dr. Al Sears, MD. This program was very hard to wrap my mind around at first. All the information on cardio & aerobics that I had ever been taught or read about was blown out the window. High intensity intervals with periods of recovery are much better for your body. Endurance training shrinks your muscles to make you more efficient, your heart is one of those muscles, as are your lungs. Smaller lungs mean loss of lung power. Dr. Sears found that Dr. Dean Ward uncovered clinical evidence connecting the loss of lung power to aging and that lung capacity is the key indicator to how long you will live! Fascinating stuff, really.
So, my workout at the gym this AM consisted of an interval session that last roughly 26 minutes, including warm-up & recovery periods. I think I was more worn out from that than I get from running for 7 miles! As far as mileage goes, I only logged a total of 3.5, that includes my cool-down walk. 30 minutes. I then headed to the free weights and did some are work and also used my own body weight to do dips, push-ups & ab work.
Now, for those of you who know how high-strung I am, I can't believe I am saying this, but I have started to "practice" Yoga and am really, really enjoying it. I haven't ventured outside of my house yet to practice to save myself a lot of embarrassment. I have been using yogadownloads.com and I just discovered Dave Farmar and the podcasts that I hope to try out tomorrow AM. What inspired this you ask? Well, first, the need to stretch. The running makes for tight leg muscles. Secondly, Tina at Carrots N Cake is doing a 31-Day Yoga Challenge and I thought this was a great way to learn some yoga, stretch my body and possibly learn some new ways to relieve stress & learn some new relaxation techniques. I am excited! It is a new challenge for me, a sort of goal, if you will. If I do all 31 days, great. If not, no biggie, it is a great place for me to start. So far, so good. I have done 3 days of yoga. Yesterday was a short, 15 minute session, but tomorrow AM will be a longer 30 -45 minute session as it is a day off from the gym and I want to wake up refreshed and start the day with a great positive attitude.
My overall goal is to be healthy so that I can be around for my kids & family for a long time to come. 🙂
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text: In My Life song There are places I'll remember All my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better; Some have gone and some remain. All these places had their moments With lovers and friends I still can recall. Some are dead and some are living, In my life I've loved them all. But of all these friends and lovers There is no one compares with you. And these mem'ries lose their meaning When I think of love as something new. Tho' I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before, I know I'll often stop and think about them, In my life I love you more. Tho' I know I'll never lose affection For people and things that went before, I know I'll often stop and think about them, In my life I love you more. In my life I love you more. "In My Life" Song by the Beatles from the album Rubber Soul Released 3 December 1965 Recorded 18 October 1965EMI Studios, London Genre Baroque pop Length 2:28 Label Parlophone Writer Lennon–McCartney Producer George Martin Rubber Soul track listing 14 tracks Side one "Drive My Car" "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" "You Won't See Me" "Nowhere Man" "Think for Yourself" "The Word" "Michelle" Side two "What Goes On" "Girl" "I'm Looking Through You" "In My Life" "Wait" "If I Needed Someone" "Run for Your Life" "In My Life" is a song by the Beatles written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney). The song originated with Lennon, and while Paul McCartney contributed to the final version, the extent of his contribution is in dispute. George Martin contributed the instrumental bridge. Released on the 1965 album Rubber Soul, it is ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" as well as fifth on their list of the Beatles' 100 Greatest Songs. The song placed second on CBC's 50 Tracks. Mojo magazine named it the best song of all time in 2000. Please note the text from Wikipedia is imported without editing or authentication. In My Life (The Beatles 1962-1966) In My Life (Rubber Soul) ©1965 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission.


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ROCK FALLS – A teacher at Rock Falls High School wants to change her community over a bowl of soup.
Heather Shore, an art teacher and the yearbook adviser, is organizing the first-ever soup group on March 10, to raise money not only for the yearbook, but also for a deserving community project.
The local event is part of a national movement based on a simple recipe: People come together to eat soup. They listen to a few proposals about how local groups might use a portion of the proceeds from the event for a worthwhile project, then vote on the project most deserving of the funds. The top vote-getting group leaves with a little cash, and the people leave full and fulfilled.
Soup groups have bubbled up throughout the country, mostly in large, metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Detroit and Philadelphia. They are catching on in small cities and towns, too.
Shore values the grassroots origins of the soup movement.
"I love the idea that it's very community centered," she said. "We're bridging Rock Falls High School with the community. We want to work with the community and be a part of it in a very symbiotic way."
People who attend will pay $7 for a bowl of soup, a beverage and four tokens (each valued at $1) to use to vote for local projects.
They will hear presentations from as many as 10 local groups, including school-based initiatives, church groups and community groups, such as the homeless shelter, food pantry or animal shelter. They then will vote, using their tokens, for the most deserving projects; people may give all their tokens to one group or spread their tokens among several groups.
The high school yearbook group will get $3 from every ticket sold, while local groups will get the rest, based on the votes. All projects that receive votes will walk away with some money – whether it's a few bucks or a few hundred bucks.
Shores hopes the event drums up a sense of community.
"It's the local people voting, deciding what we need in our community, helping people in our community," she said.
"So many times, when people give money to something, they don't really know where it goes. But if it stays local ... it gives them a better feeling; they know exactly where it's going ... and they have that connection."
How it works
To make a pitch:
Any groups or organizations in the Sauk Valley that wish to pitch their project for funding to the Rock Falls High School Soup Group Community Project should submit a brief synopsis of it to Heather Shore at email@example.com by March 5.
Only 10 groups will be allowed to present their projects, which must benefit the local community; groups may not seek money for a national cause.
Groups selected to present may bring as many people as they wish, but all members must buy a ticket to the event. Groups also must supply any visual aids or technology required for their presentations.
To cast your vote:
The pitches will be heard from 5 to 7 p.m. March 10, in the Rock Falls High School cafeteria, 101 12th Ave.
Admission is $7, which includes a bowl of soup and a beverage and four tokens to use to vote for local projects seeking funds.
Tickets are available in advance at the high school office or at the door. Only 220 are available.
Call 815-625-3886 for more information.


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New York City has notoriously poor recycling; for a time it was done away with completely (as part of what was considered a money-saving proposition that actually ended up costing the city more money than it saved), and for the past several years it's been paper, glass and aluminum only.
No plastic, Almost no plastic, which everyone knows makes up a huge part of our garbage these days. (Add'l Note added 12/21/12: Large plastic jugs for milk and detergent are accepted, but not plastic food containers, smaller drink bottles, etc. This extremely limited acceptance of plastics, and the confusing rules about what is or is not accepted means many apartment buildings, both large and small, often don't bother recycling plastics at all).
But that's all about to change, with the construction of two new recycling centers in the city, and the plan is to bring the city's recycled materials from about 15% now to 30% by 2017. And starting in 2013, plastic will finally be recycled. Yard waste composting is also included in the plan, as are the addition of hundreds of public recycling bins.
"The city's Department of Sanitation currently sends three million tons of solid waste to landfills annually," administration officials told the New York Times Green blog. This waste costs the city $300 million a year to ship to landfills, but it looks like the new changes, when implemented, can save NYC about $55 million a year, so it's an economically sustainable plan. (It will also reduce emissions which contribute to air pollution by about 7%.)
"If we're going to be the most innovative city in the world, we also have to be the greenest – because that's how you attract the most talented individuals and most forward-looking companies," Mayor Bloomberg said in a press conference on the State of the City.
Part of the challenge to recycling is creating a market for the recycled products - whether that be newsprint into more newsprint, plastic bottles into yarn to make shirts from, or aluminum cans to construction beams. But with resources being ever more costly to extract from the earth, the markets for recycled products are increasing.


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CRYSTAL LAKE – A colorful tile mosaic welcomes visitors to the renovated half of NISRA's offices, and gives them a glimpse of what lies ahead.
The artwork shows a piano, colored fruit, an artist's palette and two hands reaching for each other. Thumbprints of Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association participants also are included.
The mosaic is just the beginning of a 5,600-square-foot renovation of the building, adjacent to NISRA's administrative offices at 285 Memorial Drive in Crystal Lake. Beyond is a brand-new community room, computer lab, art studio, teaching kitchen and music room.
The Sage Therapeutic Recreation Center, named for its largest donor, was made possible by a brief but effective capital campaign. The association began raising funds in September, and by December had secured enough to move forward. In total, $375,000 was raised through corporate sponsorships and private donations.
"We didn't want to put a lot of tax dollars into the project," NISRA Executive Director Brian Shahinian said.
Supported by 13 member park districts and municipalities, NISRA's board of directors also agreed to kick in $200,000 to complete the project.
The majority of NISRA programs run in the 13 communities as demand for programming grows.
Over a five-year period, total registration has increased 21 percent, Shahinian said. Each year, NISRA serves more than 1,600 individuals with disabilities who sign up for more than 8,000 activities.
What the Sage Therapeutic Recreation Center offers is more specialty programs and a space that participants can call their own.
"There just wasn't enough space for quality instruction," said Jim Wiseman, the association's superintendent of recreation. "There was more demand than there is space in the community."
The computer room is used to teach Internet and word-processing skills. The community room is complete with couches, a Wii and XBox gaming systems. The brightly lit art studio has adjustable drafting tables and a wheelchair-adaptable, clay-throwing wheel. The music room is available for private music and voice lessons or classes, and the teaching kitchen is fully loaded with new appliances.
With the additional space, the association was able to add a new LIFE skills program. LIFE stands for "Leisure Increases Freedom and Enjoyment." The lineup is geared toward individuals with mild to moderate disabilities who have aged out of school programs to learn the skills necessary for life on their own.
"One day I would like to have an apartment with all my life skills," said 24-year-old Ashley Ottaviano, 24, of Elgin.
She and other participants come to the two-day-a-week courses. Recently, the group was baking holiday cookies in the teaching kitchen.
The participants in the LIFE program prepare their own menus, budget money for groceries, and take shopping trips for food. They also learn computer skills and exercise often, but the activities are tailored to their needs and wants.
"I like to eat a lot of food; when they talk about the food, it makes me drool because I like food so much," 24-year-old participant Michael Asher said with a laugh.
Although it is relishing its new space, the association doesn't plan to stop. As Shahinian said, the center has "freed us to dream even bigger."


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|Pakistan policeman gunned down while guarding polio workers
|UN-backed vaccination campaign target of violence due to militant propaganda, Zero Dark Thirty confusion
Gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot and killed a police officer protecting polio workers during a UN-backed vaccination campaign in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, police said.
The attack took place as dozens of polio workers — including several women — were going door-to-door to vaccinate children in Gullu Dheri village in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a mountainous region near the Afghanistan border.
None of the polio workers the police officer was protecting were hurt in the attack, said senior police officer Izhar Shah
"The polio workers were terrified and immediately went back to their homes after the attack," Shah told The Associated Press.
"The anti-polio drive in that village has been suspended."
It was the second day of a three-day campaign against polio that was launched by the provincial government. No one claimed responsibility for the killing, but suspicion fell on militants.
Some Islamic militants in the area have previously accused health workers of acting as spies for the U.S. and claim the polio vaccine is intended to make Muslim children sterile.
Bin LadenÂ's killing heightens suspicion
Militant suspicion of vaccination campaigns was racheted up after it was revealed that a Pakistani doctor helped the U.S. hunt for Osama bin Laden.
Physician Shakil Afridi ran a hepatitis vaccination campaign on behalf of the CIA to collect blood samples from bin Laden's family at a compound in Abbottabad, in Pakistan's northwest, where U.S. commandos later killed the al-Qaeda leader in May 2011.
The samples were intended to help the CIA match the family's DNA to verify bin Laden's presence in the garrison city.
|Posted by:tipper


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ELqabbary Specialist Oncology and Palliative Care Centre was the 1st comprehensive centre of oncology and palliative care in Governmental Egyptian Ministry of health.
Its mission is to provide the best care with the recent updated protocols, by the most qualified specialists according to the international guidelines. It has dedicated multidisciplinary teams in oncology, haematology, and paediatric cancers as well as palliative, home health care and screening programmes.
The centre comprises: 84 inpatient beds, 30 outpatients beds, 5 consultation offices , Linear accelerator, CT simulator, CT planning system for 3DCRT, one medical Director and 20 specialist medical oncologists, one palliative care consultant, one nutrition consultant, three internal medicine specialists, two pain management and control specialist, one health care quality specialist, one data-manager, two infection control specialist, 10 clinical oncology and palliative care residents, two consultants for medical biophysics, four specialists for physics, 60 nurses, 10 radiotherapy technicians, 10 radiology technicians.
We have dedicated multidisciplinary teams who treat and give healthcare services in the field of all common, rare solid cancers, paediatric cancers as well as palliative and screening programmes. Moreover, the staff is dedicated to teach young professionals.
The cancer centre provides different services: Medical Oncology, Clinical Haematology, Chemotherapy Unit, Internal Medicine, Paediatric Oncology, Hepatology, and Cancer Screening programme, Palliative Care Service, Psycho-Oncology and Nutrition Unit.
Complete radiological and laboratory assessment are provided through our radiology and laboratory departments. Also, our centre provides interventional radiological procedures such as palliative measures for ascetic fluid tapping and pleurodesis and PEG tail and PEG tube insertion.
ELqabbary specialist Oncology and Palliative Care Center offers diagnosis and treatment for patients with early and advanced solid or haematological malignancies. Our team includes highly qualified Oncologists, haematologists, palliative care consultant, internal medicine specialists, pain management specialist, nutrition consultant, infection control specialist, clinical pharmacist and well trained nursing staff in addition to home health care team.
Palliative and supportive care
The centre incorporates expert medical and nursing care in palliative care unit. The palliative care service is provided by one palliative care consultant, four consultant oncologists, and 20 specialists in clinical oncology in addition to 10 residents. The service is also supported by physiotherapist, nutrition specialist, psycho-oncology specialist, pain control specialist and sixty nurses fifteen of them in palliative care unit. Our centre provides home visits by home health care team. Patient awareness meetings are regularly organized.


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Hot TWOT – 43 Hours on The Wild Oak Trail
2013 has been an amazing year of running for me. My nutrition, training, meeting the most fabulous running friends in Team Gaylord and my passion for ultrarunning all came together this year to give me several personal bests and more fun than I could have ever imagined on trail. All year long I had Grindstone 100 as my goal race. I was excited to return to the course and significantly improve my time over last year. When rumors started that it may be canceled due to the government shutdown, I really didn't think that could possibly happen. Until it did. When Clark, the RD, sent out the first email alerting runners that it was postponed a week and would be cancelled if the government didn't open by Wednesday, I knew I had to have an alternate plan. My dear friend Kirstin suggested the VHTRC "Hot TWOT" – a low-key 100 miler run on The Wild Oak Trail (hence the name, TWOT). I signed up for Hot TWOT…just in case. It was a good thing I did, as Grindstone was cancelled. I turned my thoughts to Hot TWOT and repacked the drop bags. Again. Nothing like a 3-week-roller-coaster-waiting-game-taper ride to get you ready to run 100 miles! YAHOOO!
Hot TWOT is a basically unsupported 100+ miler. The course is a 27+ mile loop that you run four times. It is not marked, other than with the white trail blazes. You can have two dropbags that are placed on the side of the trail at mile 10 and 16 (with fingers crossed that no one messes with them) and your car back at the parking lot (the TWOT Lot) as your sources of aid. This year we were lucky to have several volunteers who manned an aid station in the TWOT Lot and helped out by supporting runners throughout the weekend at Camp Todd and the road crossing. A huge thank you goes to Quatro, David Snipes, Hannah, Jill Quivey and Deb! Seeing your smiling faces every loop made such a difference.
The day started off cool and cloudy, but luckily the rain held off for the first loop. Seventeen of us gathered in the TWOT Lot for the brief briefing from Quatro and then we were off for the 8am Friday start. We all started out counter clockwise, which meant Little Bald was our first fun mountain to
climb! I spent the first loop chasing Art and Larry and absolutely loving the feeling of running on these trails. After a 3 week taper, my legs were so ready to go. I felt like a puppy who had been cooped up in a kennel for a week. I couldn't wait to get out on trail and RUN! The Wild Oak Trail is beautiful, rustic, pure and pristine. It has grueling climbs, rocky descents, some sweet and welcoming jeep roads to run, spectacular views and a lot of autumn magic in October. The first loop flew by and in exactly 8 hours I found myself back in the TWOT Lot. Antoinette, who completed 4 loops the prior weekend and was back again for another 4!, had advised me to change clothes after each loop and I took her advice. I put on a fresh change of clothes, ate some chicken sausage, sweet potato gu and a banana and took off. My pacer Kelley hadn't arrived yet for my Loop 2 but Quatro assured me she would meet me at Camp Todd – 10 miles later. A huge thanks to him for giving her a ride there!
I started Loop 2 with Betsy – Art's pacer, who was trying to catch up with him – and enjoyed a few minutes of climbing with her. I quickly realized that there was no way I could maintain THAT pace and let her carry on to meet up with Art. I settled into a steady pace, climbing, running and enjoying the early evening peace on the trail. I really loved running a good portion of those first 37 miles by myself. I did a lot of reflecting, thinking and celebrating all the good that has happened in my life over the past year. I realized that afternoon on the trail how genuinely happy I am. Even (especially?!) while climbing a mountain in the rain.
I picked up Kelley at Camp Todd right after dark. After having a little scare by some lost guys in a pick-up truck yelling at us, we flew up the trail leaving Camp Todd and settled into a comfortable pace. The rain had started and it was quite cold on the ridges but Kelley and I were having fun, talking and laughing – enjoying being out on the trail together. I don't get to run with her very often and it was just great spending some trail time together. Then the first wave of sleepiness hit me. I knew I had some strong Tazo Awake iced tea in my drop bag so I powered through, knowing that caffeine would soon rescue me. We arrived at the drop bag and I sat down to get out some more fuel – GoGo Squeeze fruit pouches, a sweet potato, a banana and the wonderful caffeinated tea. And then came my lowest point of the entire race. I spilled the tea. I watched as it dumped over in slow motion….debating how much I could suck out of the pile of moss it spilled on. I remembered the wonderful advice Bill Gentry gave me going into this race, "Think Small. Translation: control what you can control. Ignore the rest. And the worse it gets, the smaller you need to think." (advice that got me through the week before the race and works quite well in life outside of ultras too) I may have yelled some choice words…but quickly realized there wasn't a thing I could do about it. Kinda like the rain…it was out of my control so no need to spend any time thinking about it. No worries, Hankey Mountain was up next. And that was sure to wake
me up. We climbed Hankey (wow, that mountain is a beast) and then ran the jeep road – moving at a pretty good pace despite the rain, wind and my tiredness. Kelley was an awesome pacer, keeping me awake and chatting it up as we climbed and descended. We finished that loop in about 10 1/2 hours and arrived back at the TWOT Lot with Loop 2 done. I had been warned that continuing after Loop 2 could be the most challenging point of the run. It never entered my mind that I would not do the full four loops. I was tired, but otherwise felt great – and tired could be easily fixed! The parking lot was full of people and a lot of people had dropped after 2 loops. It was a huge boost seeing everyone and hearing so many encouraging words. I went to my car and changed clothes. I then found a caffeine pill (the only one I had to take the whole time), drank some iced tea and kombucha, ate some chicken sausage, chicken broth, a banana, veggies and goddess dip and got ready to head out on Loop 3!
Kirstin woke up from her cozy nap in her warm Element, and was ready to pace me for Loop 3. We took off around 3:30am Saturday in a cool rain and began the climb up Little Bald – for the 3rd time. Kirstin and I had a blast talking about everything under the sun – including favorite vegetables and shouting a few obscenities at the lack of switchbacks on the trail. As the sky began to lighten, we arrived at Camp Todd for a quick refuel and then we continued on our merry way. The rain continued off and on, and the ridges were cold, wet and windy. Our rain jackets were on and off and on and off and on and…until Kirstin's ended up left on the trail. Thankfully Dave Quivey found it and delivered it safety to her in the parking lot. Loop 3 was a lot of fun – we refueled again before Hankey with cashew butter, bananas and sweet potatoes. Then we tackled that bitch Hankey with a vengeance. At the top of Hankey we saw a bunch of mountain bikers (or unicorns?) getting ready to ride down and back up
Hankey. Seriously?! Now that's a special kind of crazy. After the climb we ran strong on the jeep road. It felt so good to run after that climb. KIrstin was an amazing pacer – giving me lots of encouraging words, good conversation and many laughs. Halfway up Hankey our talk of food and recipes got the best of us and I had to text my mom to bring us hamburgers to the TWOT Lot. We were both starving! The rocks were quite slippery by this point so we weren't able to run as much of the descent back down to the bridge, but still made pretty good time – arriving back in the TWOT Lot at 2:00pm Saturday, in a little under 11 hours. My mom met us with WARM (amazing) hamburgers from Jack Brown's in Harrisonburg which I ate with avocados and kombucha. It was a little slice of awesomeness. OK – maybe a BIG slice. It tasted so good…almost as good as knowing that I was headed out on my final loop!
Brett was there and ready to pace me for Loop 4. He told me that Nick, Dave, Bur and me were the only ones still going for 100 miles. I had the privilege of meeting Dennis Herr and thanking him for letting me run this amazing race. He promised me my apple butter if I finished the last loop. Best prize ever. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. Four loops is what I came here for. I felt great and was so excited to be headed out on Loop 4. I ate my hamburger, changed clothes again and put on dry shoes. At this point my feet were fine. No blisters, no hot spots and feeling really good in spite of being quite pruny from being wet for the previous 12+ hours. My legs were still feeling strong and the tiredness from the night before had not returned. Jill and Deb
were in the parking lot and were pacing and crewing Dave. They took a cooler with my food and iced tea to have at Camp Todd. I was so grateful for this because I was really sick of the sweet potato gu and GoGoSqueeze fruit pouches that were in my drop bags. Thanks to them, I had shrimp, olives, V8, sweet potato chips and bananas for the final loop. Brett and I took off and the miles clicked by. We saw several of the runners who were there on Saturday doing one loop and I loved hugs from Carter and Kate. Nothing better to brighten the day! We climbed Little Bald in the blowing rain and wind for the last time and arrived at Camp Todd just as it was getting dark. We navigated across the river with only one foot getting soaked, and found the drop bags. I had crossed that river three times before with no problems, but for some reason the fourth time was quite a challenge! I was getting quite cold at this point and was so grateful to have an extra dry shirt in my drop bag (thank you Bob Gaylord for that advice!). We put on the head lamps and started up the next climb. The rain and wind continued but we were moving pretty steadily. I got a little nervous through the bushwhacking section where the trail was difficult to spot. I hadn't gotten off trail at all the prior 3 loops (which was HUGE for me – since I've been known to have some navigational issues…) and I really wanted to stay on trail for the final loop. We navigated through that portion without any problems, other than a few more gashes on my legs from the thorns, and happily saw the pond – a welcome sight that assured me we were on the right trail and done with the thorny overgrowth. The fog had settled in and it was a bit surreal. The wet leaves glittered like crazy and the rain and fog played major tricks with my vision through the headlamp glow. We arrived at the road crossing around mile 93 and saw
the Quivey's Element with Jill and Doug inside – a beautiful sight from the trail. Brett and I stopped to refuel and had "freaking Thanksgiving dinner" as Brett put it – Key West pink steamed shrimp, olives, V8, sweet potato chips and iced tea. It was amazing. My stomach felt good, I was hungry and taking in a lot of calories with no issues, my legs felt strong and my feet were ok – just a few hot spots forming. I changed into dry socks and lubed up my feet – hoping they would hang in there for the final miles. We left and began the final climb up Hankey. I must say I was pretty happy to have that one be the last journey up Hankey for a while. As we were starting up Hankey we saw headlamps. We assumed it was someone doing the loop clockwise. It was Nick and his pacer Dave Frazier – but they were not doing the loop clockwise. We found out later that they had gotten turned around in the fog at the top of Hankey and ended up doing the "Hankey Yo-Yo" – climbing it, descending it, realizing they were going the wrong way and climbing it again. Ack. Now those are some bonus miles.
Brett and I ran most of the jeep road – with his gentle and awesome pacing reminders to "let's run!". I was still feeling pretty good
but could feel some hot spots on my feet and a few small blisters forming on my pinkie toes that were hurting a bit when I ran. I started seeing some hallucinations – cats in trees, cars on the side of the trail, and SO much glitter everywhere – the rain on the leaves and rocks was like running through a field of diamonds, it was amazing – but no dinosaurs like last year, unfortunately. Ha! The last few hours were a weird deja vu like loop in my head. I was certain that we were running the same stretch of trail over and over again and was convinced we were off trail (we weren't). Thankfully, Brett calmly kept reassuring me that we were on trail, that we were going the right direction and that we were almost there! He was an awesome pacer! I was so happy to see the swinging bridge and the headlights on the road. We saw Quatro, crossed the road and then ran to the finish at the TWOT Lot. We finished around 3:15am Sunday – 43 hours, 13 minutes total time. It was a 108+ mile race, with 32,000 feet of climbing. I was the second finisher (out of four) and the only woman finisher.
I truly loved every minute out there on that beautiful trail. It was such a fun, extraordinary experience. Running trails in the mountains makes me feel alive and happy. I'm so lucky to be able to do this and to have the amazing friends I have who support me in so many ways. Thank you to my wonderful pacers, Kelley Fitzsimmons, Kirstin Corris and Brett Lance. I couldn't have done it without you. It was a pleasure sharing laughs, quad busting climbs, slippery descents, good running, lots of stories and a rollicking good time on the loops with you. Thank you to my mom and Susan who delivered the burgers. Holy yum. You got me through that final loop. Thank you to Team Gaylord – for taking me into your group and making all those training miles this year so fabulous. Each of you helped me finish TWOT. Thank you to the many friends who texted me, messaged me and believed that I could do this. Having people believe in you and not think you're just plain crazy – or at least consider you a "special kind of crazy" in a loving sort of way, (which is a totally different kind of crazy), makes all the difference in accomplishing a challenge like this. And thank you to Dennis Herr, Quatro Hubbard and David Snipes for organizing and making TWOT what it is – a pretty awesome Fat Ass on a sweet little trail with good people, good running, good climbing and good vibes. Happy trails and happy running!
Many people have asked me about my nutrition before, during, and after this ultra. I fueled the entire race in a strict Paleo way (no sugar, grains, dairy, legumes, processed food) and I will write up another post in the near future with the details. It worked amazingly well – I had no stomach issues, constant and steady energy and recovered very quickly. Check out this post for more information.


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Obama's day: Washington state to Tokyo
David Jackson
President Obama begins a week-long trip to Asia on Tuesday, but first makes a stop in Washington state.
The president travels to Oso, Wash., to "view the devastation from the recent mudslide and meet with the families affected by this disaster, as well as first responders and recovery workers," says the White House schedule.
The March 22 mudslide killed at least 41 people and buried dozens of homes in Oso, which is about an hour northeast of Seattle.
After the Washington stop, Obama heads on to Tokyo for the start of his Asia trip.
In the coming days, Obama will also visit South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.