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Doxorubicin should be administered only into a vein. However, it may leak into surrounding tissue causing severe irritation or damage. Your doctor or nurse will monitor your administration site for this reaction. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: pain, itching, redness, swelling, blisters, or sores in the place where the medication was injected.
Doxorubicin may cause serious or life-threatening heart problems at any time during your treatment or months to years after your treatment has ended. Your doctor will order tests before and during your treatment to see if your heart is working well enough for you to safely receive doxorubicin. These tests may include an electrocardiogram (ECG; test that records the electrical activity of the heart) and an echocardiogram (test that uses sound waves to measure your heart's ability to pump blood). Your doctor may tell you that you should not receive this medication if you have an abnormal heart rate or if the tests show your heart's ability to pump blood has decreased. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any type of heart disease, a heart attack, or radiation (x-ray) therapy to the chest area. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking or have ever received certain cancer chemotherapy medications such as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), daunorubicin (Cerubidine, DaunoXome), epirubicin (Ellence), idarubicin (Idamycin), mitoxantrone (Novantrone), paclitaxel (Abraxane, Onxol), trastuzumab (Herceptin), or verapamil (Calan, Isoptin). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: shortness of breath; difficulty breathing; swelling of the hands, feet, ankles or lower legs; or fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat.
Doxorubicin can cause a severe decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. Your doctor will order laboratory tests regularly before and during your treatment. A decrease in the number of blood cells in your body may cause certain symptoms and may increase the risk that you will develop a serious infection or bleeding. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking or have received azathioprine (Imuran), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), or progesterone (Provera, Depo-Provera). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: fever, sore throat, ongoing cough and congestion, or other signs of infection; unusual bleeding or bruising; bloody or black, tarry stools; bloody vomit; or vomiting blood or brown material that resembles coffee grounds.
Doxorubicin may increase your risk for developing leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells), especially when it is given in high doses or together with certain other chemotherapy medications and radiation (x-ray) therapy.
Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease. Your doctor may tell you that you should not receive this medication or may change your dose if you have liver disease.
Doxorubicin should be given only under the supervision of a doctor with experience in the use of chemotherapy medications.
Doxorubicin is used in combination with other medications to treat certain types of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, and ovarian cancer; Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system); and certain types of leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells), including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML, ANLL). Doxorubicin is also used alone and in combination with other medications to treat certain types of thyroid cancer and certain types of soft tissue or bone sarcomas (cancer that forms in muscles and bones). It is also used to treat neuroblastoma (a cancer that begins in nerve cells and occurs mainly in children) and Wilms' tumor (a type of kidney cancer that occurs in children). Doxorubicin is in a class of medications called anthracyclines. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.
Doxorubicin comes as a solution (liquid) or as a powder to be mixed with liquid to be injected intravenously (into a vein) by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility. It is usually given once every 21 to 28 days. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.
Doxorubicin is also sometimes used to treat cancer of the uterus, endometrium (lining of the uterus), and cervix (opening of the uterus); prostate cancer (cancer of a male reproductive organ); pancreatic cancer; adrenocortical cancer (cancer in the adrenal glands); liver cancer; Kaposi's sarcoma related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); Ewing's sarcoma (a type of bone cancer) in children; mesothelioma (cancer in the lining of the chest or abdomen); multiple myeloma (a type of cancer of the bone marrow); and chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL; a type of cancer of the white blood cells). Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Before receiving doxorubicin injection,
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
Doxorubicin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:
Doxorubicin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online ( Web Site ) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at Web Site. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.
Symptoms of overdose may include the following:
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests to check your body's response to doxorubicin.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
¶ This branded product is no longer on the market. Generic alternatives may be available.
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
Selected Revisions: January 15, 2012.


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Portrait of a Girl Dressed in Blue, Johannes Cornelisz. Verspronck, 1641
Why is this portrait so popular? Because it depicts an adorable child dressed in her Sunday best? As was the custom of the day, the young girl is portrayed as a small adult lady. That she is playing a role is betrayed only by her facial expression. Unfortunately, we know nothing about her identity or her family. Perhaps she resided in Haarlem, like the portraitist Verspronck.

subset: commoncrawl


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Smell a rat? Flawed GM cancer study highlights flawed media approach
The study itself has been widely criticised, but at a time when pressure is on reporters more than ever to be the first news organisation to 'break' a story, many members of the public will have read nothing but the initial, scaremongering reports – which reflect exactly what the researchers intended.
There are several issues that bother me here. However, as a journalist, top of the list is the fact that reporters given pre-embargo access had to sign an agreement that they would not speak to any outside experts before the embargo was lifted.
This more or less guaranteed that no early reports would question Séralini's findings – and, worryingly, some pretty well-respected news outlets agreed to this condition. The contract was essentially an abuse of the media, and of the embargo system, to quash early criticism.
It also took advantage of journalists who failed to grasp that the peer review process is not gospel; even published studies need to be questioned.
Nearly immediately, anti-GM groups started leveraging the reports to push their agenda, leading Russian authorities to temporarily ban imports of the crop and the French government to call for an EU-wide ban.
Passion and urgency, but a lack of data
There are few issues in food today that stir up such impassioned – and such ill-informed – views as GM materials in our food supply. As such, Séralini et al knew that many news outlets would take their results as presented, run with them, and never take a second look, and in many cases they were right.
Meanwhile, the researchers have refused to publish their full data set.
Frankly, this is bizarre. It is normal and expected for scientists to make their data available so others can assess their methodologies and attempt to replicate results.
However, even without the full data, there were some glaring faults, as EFSA and other food safety agencies around the world have pointed out.
I smell a rat…
Some of the most obvious were the small sample size (just ten per group) and that the rats used were genetically predisposed to develop tumours. In fact, the Sprague-Dawley rats have a 70 to 95.8% chance of developing tumours within their two-year lifespan – that's before any treatment of any kind. Especially if they only number ten, these rats were not suitable controls, and it's hardly surprising that five of the ten Sprague-Dawley rats in the control group developed tumours.
In addition, Séralini listed no conflict of interest for this study, but Embargo Watch – which has an interesting take on this issue – pointed out that he also has a book on GMOs out this week. Coincidence…?
In short, it doesn't matter what your ideologies are, this study was hugely flawed. Nevertheless, it managed to get a lot of publicity with little analysis by taking advantage of the media's desire to be first on a story in a high-speed world.
It actively took advantage of widespread paranoia about GM foods and a lack of understanding of scientific methodologies.
So what next?
We need a cool head to examine what is going on with the safety or otherwise of GM crops, without the baggage of a predetermined viewpoint. Unfortunately, few individuals have that, even researchers, as this study underlines.
My hope is that there are lessons to be drawn anyway; it could lead to better testing of the safety of GM crops, including the development of methodologies that will be acceptable to global food safety authorities…as well as a much larger dose of scepticism among journalists next time someone tells them to whom they can and cannot talk.


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The final iteration of Q2 GDP reaffirmed the previous estimate released last month, showing that the US economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.5% in the second quarter. However, a few adjustments might portend a slowdown rather than an acceleration for the rest of the year:
Real gross domestic product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States — increased at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the second quarter of 2013 (that is, from the first quarter to the second quarter), according to the "third" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 1.1 percent.
That's better than Q1, which finished at a paltry 1.1%, but still not terribly impressive four years into a recovery. In order to generate enough jobs to put the marginalized millions back to work, we need to see sustained growth at the 4% level. We hit that level only once in the past four years, and haven't come close to sustaining it. Instead, the Great Recession has been followed by the Great Stagnation, and this is just another installment of it.
The good news is that real final sales of domestic product nearly kept pace at 2.1%, which means that most of the growth seen in Q2 didn't come from inventory expansion. The bad news is that the expansion — such as it is — won't continue into Q3 at the same pace, according to the Associated Press:
Many analysts believe growth is slowing to a sluggish rate at or below 2 percent in the current quarter. Economists had initially hoped growth would improve in the second half of the year.
If economists are correct that economic activity slowed this summer, it would mark the third quarter in the last four that growth rates have been 2 percent or lower. Growth in the fourth quarter of 2012 nearly stalled out at a barely discernible 0.1 percent rate and then improved slightly to 1.1 percent growth in the January-March quarter. …
Economists had initially thought that growth would accelerate in the second half of the year behind steady hiring and fading impact from government spending cuts and higher taxes.
But early activity for the quarter has been discouraging. Consumers spent more cautiously in July as their income barely increased. The government spending cuts have weighed on defense spending and business investment. And higher mortgage rates now threaten to slow a housing recovery that had been a solid contributor to growth in the first half of the year.
Even the job gains from earlier in the year appear to be slowing. Employers have added an average of just 155,000 jobs a month since April, down from an average of 205,000 for the first four months of the year.
Some economists worry that growth remains too weak to accelerate hiring, boost pay and encourage Americans to spend more. Consumer spending drives roughly 70 percent of economic activity.
The "jobs gains" has never been much above the treading-water level anyway. Adding 155K jobs a month only barely keeps pace with population growth. Even a sustained level of 205K per month would take six years to make up for 4 million workers who have left the work force since the recovery began. We need job growth of 350K-400K to make a serious dent in the chronic unemployment problem, and again, we're not even getting close to having that kind of expansion.
What could provide that spark? Aggressively producing more of our own energy would help lower business costs and create jobs on their own, as would a reduction in costly regulatory overhead on businesses — especially that imposed by ObamaCare. The White House implicitly admitted that much when it postponed enforcement of the employer mandate after businesses stopped hiring full-time workers this year, but that didn't stop employers from rationally adjusting to future costs. Incentivizing capital investment through tax reform would also boost the economy. Until we start pursuing those rational policies, though, don't expect the Great Stagnation to get any better, and prepare for it to eventually get worse.


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BIRD, CURTIS JAMES, doctor and legislator; baptized 1 Feb. 1838, in St John's parish, Man.; d. in London, England, 13 June 1876.
Curtis James Bird was the son of James Curtis Bird*, former chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and his second wife, Mary Lowman, a widowed teacher at the Red River Academy (Winnipeg), and was born at his father's estate (present-day Birds Hill). Curtis James was educated at St John's College (Winnipeg) and later studied medicine at Guy's Hospital, London. He returned to the Red River to practise medicine and in 1862 married Frances, a daughter of Donald Ross who had been a chief trader in the HBC. By Frances, Dr Bird had four children. After her death, he married his sister-in-law, Annabella Ross McDermot, the widow of Charles Edward McDermot, and they had two children.
Following the death of Dr John Bunn* on 31 May 1861, Dr Bird served as coroner of the District of Assiniboia; at the meeting of the Council of Assiniboia, 8 and 11 April 1862, he received formal appointment as coroner. He held this position successively under the Council of Assiniboia, Louis Riel*'s provisional government, and the province of Manitoba. At one point during the period of the provisional government, concerned over the loss of life among the poor in the Red River Settlement, he proposed a crude medicare programme whereby two publicly supported surgeries would be established in the settlement.
Dr Bird's political career began with his appointment to the Council of Assiniboia, 23 Jan. 1868. He served on the council until its dissolution at the outbreak of the Red River disturbances in the fall of 1868. During the disturbances he was elected twice to represent the people of St Paul's parish. In the fall of 1869 he was chosen to meet with representatives of the other communities to decide whether or not a provisional government should be formed; in January 1870 he was a delegate at the meeting that decided that a "list of rights" should be presented to the government of Canada. In the convention that met from 25 Jan. to 11 Feb. 1870, Dr Bird was selected to serve on a committee of six to draft such a list.
After the creation of the province of Manitoba in 1870, Dr Bird continued to be interested in politics. He was nominated for the federal constituency of Lisgar in opposition to Dr John Christian Schultz*; he was also nominated for the provincial constituency of Baie de Saint-Paul. Following his victory in the provincial election of 30 Dec. 1870, Dr Bird withdrew from the federal campaign. He was re-elected in the same constituency in 1874 and remained a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba until his death.
On 5 Feb. 1873, Dr Bird was elected speaker of the assembly and held this position until 1874. While he was speaker, a bill to incorporate the city of Winnipeg was introduced into the assembly [see Francis Evans Cornish]. To this bill the Legislative Council attached amendments which impinged upon the provincial government's taxing powers; Dr Bird, as speaker, declared the bill out of order. Since a new bill could not be presented in that session of the legislature, the proponents of the bill were infuriated by Dr Bird's action. Early in the morning of 7 March, Dr Bird was lured from his house on the pretext that a patient needed immediate medical attention. While driving in his cutter to the patient's home, Dr Bird was attacked, dragged from his cutter, and soaked with heated oil. Though the government of Manitoba promptly offered a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the offenders, they were never discovered.
In the spring of 1876 Dr Bird was in poor health; in the hope that a visit among old friends in England would improve it, he travelled to England. Instead of improving, his health worsened and he died in London on 13 June.
PAM, Church of England registers, St John's Church (Winnipeg), baptisms, 1828–79, no.1077. Begg and Nursey, Ten years in Winnipeg, 19–20, 22, 41, 47, 49, 79–80. Begg's Red River journal (Morton). Canadian North-West (Oliver), I, 71, 485, 582. Hargrave, Red River. Manitoba Free Press (Winnipeg). Manitoban (Winnipeg). Nor'Wester (Winnipeg). R. B. Mitchell, Medicine in Manitoba; the story of its beginnings ([Winnipeg, 1955]), 47–48, 49, 54, 68–69, 107.
© 1972–2024 University of Toronto/Université Laval
Cite This Article
W. D. Smith, "BIRD, CURTIS JAMES," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 10, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed February 22, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/bird_curtis_james_10E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
Permalink: | http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/bird_curtis_james_10E.html |
Author of Article: | W. D. Smith |
Title of Article: | BIRD, CURTIS JAMES |
Publication Name: | Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 10 |
Publisher: | University of Toronto/Université Laval |
Year of publication: | 1972 |
Year of revision: | 1972 |
Access Date: | February 22, 2024 |


text: Giveaways Giveaway Results: Nintendo Wii & Family Game Night 3 (2 Copies) Thank you all for your entries into our contest! We are excited to announce that the winner of this giveaway is Neda (Commenter #154)! We are so happy to share this with her family and hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! Editor's Note– Don't forget to enter our Tassimo T20 Coffeemaker Giveaway from Monday (valued at $139), our $1,300 Prize Pack from The Talk, & Cheer brightCLEAN Detergent for One Year. Check back tomorrow for more!! Oh, Christmas just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? As promised, I have been working hard to share some fabulous giveaways this week and I can think of nothing more fabulous than sharing a Nintendo Wii and two copies of Family Game Night 3. Our Wii has provided hours and hours of family entertainment for all of us! Now you can play all of your favorite Hasbro board games on the Wii and no need to even keep track of all those little board game pieces. Hasbro Family Game Night 3 is a classic board game compilation for Wii that allows players both new and an experienced with the original versions of the games included to discover their fun and addictive appeal for the first time, or all over again. The compilation includes new interpretations of classic board game favorites from different sub-genres, including: The Game of Life, Clue, Twister, Mouse Trap and Yahtzee Hands Down. Additional features include: a variety of gameplay mechanics, including interactive gameboards; an in-game theme park environment that houses separate areas for for each game, as well as regions in-between; full Mii integration throughout the game; four-player support; and the return of Mr. Potato Head who takes on the new role of Park Guide in-game. I don't know what could say awesome family night than that, do you? I am so excited for you guys! To enter to win a Nintendo Wii with two copies of Family Game Night 3… Leave one comment for each item that you complete to enter: First Entry Required: Required to enter this giveaway"RT for a chance to win a Nintendo Wii and Family Game Night 3 from @momadvice http://tinyurl.com/34z9web." If you do not have a Twitter account, it is quick and easy to sign up! Leave a comment here with your twitter handle to let me know once you have tweeted this! Additional Entry: Let us know your favorite game night activity in your house! Additional Entry: Let us know you are a fan of MomAdvice and join the MomAdvice.com Fan Club today on Facebook. Additonal Entry: Follow me on Twitter and get an early scoop on all of our giveaways and articles that we are formulating for the year! Additional Entries: Subscribe to my feeds and never miss another thing on our site again! We have a landing page where it makes it easy to subscribe to our blogs. For each one you subscribe to, leave one additional comment. One winner, chosen at random, will receive a Nintendo Wii & two copies of Family Game Night 3. Please submit your entries by Sunday (12/22) at 8PM EST. Our winner will be drawn at random. Good luck, everyone! MomAdvice Giveaway Guidelines: Want to know more about how things are handled here at MomAdvice? Be sure to read our Disclaimer which clearly states how things work and know that we will always offer only the best reviews and giveaways to our readers. In full disclosure, the email addresses that are collected for this giveaway will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner(s), and will never be sold or given to anyone. This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older. Entries that do not follow the above criterion will automatically be disqualified. This giveaway will close Wednesday, December 22 at 8PM (EST). I'll announce the first name of the winner(s) that will be added to the top of this current giveaway post and contact the winner(s) by email. I will draw the names of the winner(s) by using the random number generator at Random.org from the eligible entries received. If a winner does not contact me within 72 hours by email, I will draw a new winner. The winner(s) will receive their prize from the PR agency/company responsible for this giveaway. The above link(s) are an affiliate link and provided for reference for our readers. There is no guarantee that this item will be received by Christmas. Published December 15, 2010 by: Amy Allen Clark is the founder of MomAdvice.com. You can read all about her here.


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Apple Apologizes to Chinese Consumers Over Warranty Policy
Apple Apologizes to Chinese Consumers Over Warranty Policy
Apple CEO, Tim Cook has recently issued an apology -- on Apple's Chinese website -- over the company's warranty policy. The apology was a response to criticism by China's state-run media over how Apple handles defective products. Apple was accused of short-changing Chinese consumers by refurbishing faulty products of certain models (iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S) instead of replacing them, as well as offering reduced warranty coverage compared to other countries. According to Mashable, China Communist Party's official newspaper, The People's Daily wrote that Apple was "greedy and dishonest", and even called for a boycott of Apple's products due to the company's "unparalleled arrogance."
In the apology letter, Cook said that the offending warranty policies would be improved upon moving forward. Broken phones would be replaced instead of repaired, and phones repaired after April 1 2012 would receive extended warranties. Cook also mentioned that the warranty policies on Apple's Chinese website would be updated to be "concise and clear," probably with hopes that it would help Apple avoid future disputes and misunderstandings. Apple would also improve the training of supervision of its Chinese retail partners, as well as make it easier for customers to send feedback to Apple.
"We always harbor immense respect to China," Cook wrote. "The Chinese consumer is always the top priority of our hearts." The Chinese market is growing faster than any other market where Apple operates. In the most recent quarter, it accounted for almost $7 billion in revenue; over the same period a year ago, it was just $4 billion.
According to a report on Fortune, Apple could lose as much as US$13 billion in sales due to a Chinese boycott. The figures were predicted based on China's previous state-sponsored campaigns against foreign brands like Toshiba (1999) and HP (2010).
To calculate the damage the current campaign could do to Apple, Yeung uses Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) experience as a template:
Recall that a similar campaign hit HP in 2010, leading to a ~50% reduction in their PC share in China. Apple derives ~16% of its sales in China (CY12) and China accounted for ~24% of Apple's revenue growth in the past 2 years (2010-2012). If Apple were to lose as much as 50% of their China market share, this would equate to ~$13.1B/$3.62 in revenues/EPS. We add this to our list of concerns about Apple's market share dominance and still do not recommend the shares at this time. "While bulls remain stubbornly optimistic about Apple's opportunities," he writes, "these attacks put a wrench into Apple's ability to strike a deal with China Mobile to open opportunities further in China. More importantly, however, we believe the undermining of Apple's brand value can have a more insipid and long-lasting impact. Despite overwhelmingly positive ratings from our peers, we do not recommend Apple shares at this time and stand by our 12/16/12 downgrade to Neutral."


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Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gary Rossington On Their New Album And Bassist
Southern rock godfathers Lynyrd Skynyrd have released seven albums together since reuniting in 1987, a decade after the tragic plane crash which claimed the lives of three band members, including original vocalist and primary lyricist Ronnie Van Zant.
The band will add another notch to their legacy of recordings with the release of 'Last Of A Dyin' Breed' on August 21 (September 17 in the UK). The album is the band's first to feature former Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt, who joined the band on bass earlier this year.
Guitarist Gary Rossington identifies Colt as someone who has been a very important addition to the group, delivering high praise for his playing in a new interview with Classic Rock. "He plays things Leon Wilkeson-style," referencing the band's original bassist, who passed away in 2001. Colt "has revitalized us," Rossington says.
Musically, the new album brings things back closer to the band's Southern roots following a country fried detour with 2009's 'Gods & Guns.' Rossington points to 'Mississippi Blood," which he calls, "an old, swampy, bluesy-type thing" and 'One Day At A Time,' a "cool tune that sounds like something the original band might have written" as a couple of album highlights that fans can look forward to.
2012 marks the 35th anniversary of the Mississippi plane crash that would change the course of Lynyrd Skynyrd forever. "You end up reliving it everyday," Rossington says. "Who knows what would have happened if things had turned out differently?"
"We could have gone on to make five more albums and still be going strong or we could have broken up the following year." Rossington, the lone remaining member of the original group, continues. "I'm just happy to be keeping the names of the old guys alive."


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A question that almost every runner will have during this year is: "Should I run with a cold?"
The simple answer is no. But obviously that isn't what a runner wants to hear, since she or he is used to getting in their daily run. With that in mind, I'd like to highlight the key reasons why trying to run with a cold is a bad idea.
The first concept you should be thinking of is taking steps forward versus taking steps backward. If you can find the discipline to take days off from running when you are sick, then you will probably miss fewer days in the long run. But if you run while you have a cold, you typically prolong the duration of the cold. Yes, you got in a couple of days of running, but you're delaying getting 100 percent well, and therefore you're delaying the date of running a workout or a long run.
For example, if you got sick on a Sunday evening (after a long run that morning perhaps), then you could take off Monday and Tuesday from running. If you feel 85 to 90 percent well on Wednesday, then you can go for an easy run. You will likely feel even better on Thursday, which means that on Friday you can do a workout.
But if you decide to run on Monday and Tuesday, you'll likely still have your cold on Wednesday. If you run Wednesday, the chances that you'll feel well on Thursday are slim. Fast forward to Friday and you likely won't feel like working out.
More: 3 Foods to Treat Your Cold
Obviously this is a theoretical example, but the point is, in the scenario where you take a couple days off completely from running, you end up getting to do a workout a few days later. But in the scenario where you try to run when you're sick, you end up prolonging the sickness and pushing the date of your next workout back.
No one likes to be sick, and runners hate taking days off. But if you're a runner and you're sick, you need to have the discipline to take a couple of days off from running, which will allow you to get back to easy aerobic runs and workouts sooner.
More: 3 Reasons to Include Recovery Runs in Your Training
If You're 85 to 90 Percent Well
I have a simple rule for dealing with sickness among my online clients and the running group I coach in Boulder, Colorado. You can't start running again until you feel 85 to 90 percent well. This has worked well, and helps runners with the first scenario above.
When you're honest with yourself when you have a cold, chances are that you're less than 85 percent, so you simply take that day off from running. If you wake up the new day and are better, then you need to try to quantify how much better you are. Obviously there's some subjectivity to saying "85 to 90 percent," yet the question does force you to take inventory of how you feel. Often this means a second day off from running.
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Guest poem submitted by Sunil Iyengar:
(Poem #747) The Player Piano I ate pancakes one night in a Pancake House Run by a lady my age. She was gay. When I told her that I came from Pasadena She laughed and said, "I lived in Pasadena When Fatty Arbuckle drove the El Molino bus." I felt that I had met someone from home. No, not Pasadena, Fatty Arbuckle. Who's that? Oh, something that we had in common Like -- like -- the false armistice. Piano rolls. She told me her house was the first Pancake House East of the Mississippi, and I showed her A picture of my grandson. Going home -- Home to the hotel -- I began to hum, "Smile a while, I bid you sad adieu, When the clouds roll back I'll come to you." Let's brush our hair before we go to bed, I say to the old friend who lives in my mirror. I remember how I'd brush my mother's hair Before she bobbed it. How long has it been Since I hit my funnybone? had a scab on my knee? Here are Mother and Father in a photograph, Father's holding me.... They both look so young. I'm so much older than they are. Look at them, Two babies with their baby. I don't blame you, You weren't old enough to know any better; If I could I'd go back, sit down by you both, And sign our true armistice: you weren't to blame. I shut my eyes and there's our living room. The piano's playing something by Chopin, And Mother and Father and their little girl Listen. Look, the keys go down by themselves! I go over, hold my hands out, play I play -- If only, somehow, I had learned to live! The three of us sit watching, as my waltz Plays itself out a half-inch from my fingers. |
Maybe because Jarrell was such an impulsive critic and essayist, he was all the more careful to conceal the logic of his characters in poems such as this one. Not to say that the logic of the narrator in "The Player Piano" is obscure, only that we are lulled by a sort of pastoral until the fifth stanza, when remorse infiltrates the poem. Considered to be his last before Jarrell died -- in 1965, sideswiped by a car while strolling down a lonely North Carolina lane -- "The Player Piano" begins with a charitable couplet: "I ate pancakes one night in a Pancake House/Run by a lady my age. She was gay." The generous tone is suggested not by the parenthetical, if halting, remark, "She was gay," but by the short phrase that precedes it: "Run by a lady my age." This identification with other human beings, those who share a collective memory, becomes the narrator's redemption. The reference to Fatty Arbuckle and Pasadena is not so much a throwback to Jarrell's California childhood as it is a clutching after a common likeness. The question that the narrator asks herself, "Fatty Arbuckle/Who's that?" suggests a mischievous joy in the "something that we had in common," something from which the reader might feel temporarily excluded. Fishing for specimens of that "something," the narrator trots out, a bit awkwardly, "the false armistice," or the calm between the wars. Then follows the quaint example of "piano rolls." But the armistice, or rather its falseness, lingers in the reader's mind and will erupt later in the poem. Confidences are exchanged between the narrator and the pancake lady. The former shows her grandson's picture, a gesture that supports her characterization of an earlier life, and her new acquaintance boasts a modest enough accomplishment: "She told me her house was the first Pancake House/East of the Mississippi." The combination of this provincial detail ("Pancake House") with the panoramic image, "East of the Mississippi," heralding the next stanza, is a quality to be admired in Jarrell's work generally. The narrator goes home -- home to her hotel, she can't resist adding -- and hums what sounds like a faded show tune, until we are lurched into the present tense with "Let's brush our hair before we go to bed,/I say to the old friend who lives in my mirror." Here our attention is commanded not by the simple declarative sentence, nor by the substitution of "we" for "I" in the first line, launching a new stanza, but of course by the startlingly accurate metaphor of "the old friend who lives in my mirror." I've never heard it used before, and it captures the sense of buried life, an alternative existence, which the narrator invokes with the seemingly innocent questions: "How long has it been/Since I hit my funnybone? had a scab on my knee?" The less said about the last three stanzas, the better. The narrator is old and wise enough to absolve her parents from any blame in her upbringing, after seeing them in a photo; as with the mirror, she wants to go beyond the picture -- through the picture -- to identify with the lives therein. As for the domestication of the armistice in Line Two, Stanza Six, and the imperative, "Listen," in the first line of the final stanza -- what commentary is needed? The "piano rolls" from five stanzas back resurfaces in the titular theme, the player piano: "Look, the keys go down by themselves!" The grown-up narrator, not the little girl sitting with her parents, holds her fingers a "half-inch" from the keys. At the same time, she laments, reminiscent of Kafka or Rilke: "If only, somehow, I had learned to live!" Yet one cannot imagine many poets saying this outright, nor extracting the fullest force of sincerity that Jarrell does. The final line evokes the close at hand, yet unattainable; a virtual reality, one that will not submit to the speaker's control. In closing, and with dubious relevance, I quote the poem "Here" by Philip Larkin, of whom I am gratified to learn that Jarrell approved: "Here is unfenced existence:/Facing the sun, untalkative, out of reach." Sunil.


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Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Vengeance
This add-on works with:
Season Pass owners should NOT purchase here and instead download in-game. Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Vengeance comes fully-loaded with four new Multiplayer Maps: Cove, Detour, Rush, and Uplink: a reimagined adaptation of the fan-favorite Black Ops multiplayer map Summit. And in Treyarch's latest epic Zombies chapter, Buried, players will be challenged to face their deepest fears, trapped inside a long-forgotten subterranean Old West mining town infested with swarms of flesh-eating undead. Call of Duty: Black Ops II Vengeance owners and Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Season Pass holders will also receive a brand-new bonus Wonder Weapon -the Ray Gun Mark II -available for use in every Call of Duty®: Black Ops II Zombies map.
- 4/16/2013
- Treyarch
- Activision
- Action & Adventure, Shooter


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Take Control of Weather-Related Flight Delays and Cancellations
Nobody wants their vacation delayed before it even starts. But bad weather can sometimes keep planes grounded. Worse, some airlines—and sometimes even hotels and rental-car companies—will invoke bad weather, or "Acts of God" as an excuse for cancellations that may actually be due to mechanical problems or other mishaps.
Why would an airline blame the weather for a delay or cancellation? Airlines are not legally obligated to provide travelers with lodging or meals if a delay or cancellation is due to weather.
But you are not powerless in these situations. Here, The Air Traveler's Take-Control Cheat Sheet:
In the days before you fly, check a reliable source such as The Weather Channel for weather forecasts for your departing airport, any connecting stops, and your destination. Also, as a precaution, keep a list of hotels at each of those airports (an app such as Hotel Tonight can put this info at your fingertips). Oh, and stock up on chocolate bars for your carry-on bag (more on that later).
Check on your flight before you leave the house or on your way to the airport. For most people, the nastiest thing about a flight delay or cancellation is that punch-in-the-gut moment when you're standing in front of an airport monitor learning that your vacation is not going to start on time. Use TripAdvisor's GateGuru app to check weather conditions and flight schedules before you get to the airport. (And make sure you've got chocolate in your carry-on!)
If your flight is cancelled or delayed, immediately call the airline's reservations number or visit a gate agent. Whoever you speak with, treat them like your new Travel BFF—sure, you're stressed, but a friendly, calm approach (and a complimentary chocolate bar!) may go a long way. Be the customer who isn't throwing a tantrum! Ask to be booked on the next available flight. If you are worried about missing a connecting flight, tell them—airlines can sometimes offer special services to connecting passengers. If no flights are available, politely ask for a hotel and meal voucher—no, they are not obligated to give them to you, but just might anyway because you were as sweet as the chocolate you offered them.
Some travelers like to ask—politely—whether the delay is purely due to weather or perhaps a "combination of weather and other factors." If your airline rep admits that some other factor, such as mechanical problems, is at play, repeat your polite request for hotel and meal vouchers. (But please don't invoke the legendary "Rule 240," which some travelers believe obligates airlines to book them on the next available flight, or a flight on a competing airline. A holdover from the days when airlines where more heavily regulated, Rule 240 won't mean much to most airline personnel these days.) If you are fairly certain that weather was unfairly cited as the cause of a flight delay or cancellation, you can hire a forensic meteorologist to match your flight data with weather conditions and make the case that you are owed compensation for hotel and meals.
If, despite your best efforts, you are stuck checking into a hotel while you wait for a hurricane, blizzard, or volcanic ash to blow over, ask the hotel if they offer a "distressed traveler" rate. The Hotel Tonight app specializes in last-minute bookings and can really help in these emergency situations.
We get asked all the time if travel insurance can protect you from weather-related cancellations. We recommend that you carefully review conventional travel insurance policies due to their high prices and relatively low reimbursement rates. But if you are booking a package tour or cruise, you can often purchase an affordable policy that allows you to cancel for any reason at any time. And if you're traveling anywhere remotely off the grid, appropriate insurance for medical evacuation should be on your list.
We recommend always packing a carry-on with "emergency" items, but it is especially important when weather threatens your travel plans. Keep a change of clothes, a jacket, and all medication you might need in your carry-on. A sleeping mask and ear plugs are also valuable items to carry with you - they don't take up much weight, but they are solid gold to have if you need to catch some zzz's at the airport.


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In the later part of the 1990s technology surfaced that allowed a new kind of surveillance camera. We were now able to spy on people in our home without expensive and complicated equipment, and we could do it without them knowing it was happening.
Camera manufactures developed a reliable board or pinhole camera that could be hidden in any common object in the home. This camera used very little electricity and could even be operated on batteries. Board cameras were black and white with a low resolution or poor quality picture. Later the higher resolution camera for a quality picture that could be used to identify someone was developed. We found that in determining who was being watched, a color camera could be a great help and later a low light camera was developed. The name pinhole camera, board camera and spy camera became interchangeable. It was called a board camera, because it comes on a circuit board with the associated electronics. The name pinhole comes from the fact the camera only needs a "pinhole" to view through, so that it would not be detected when installed in an object. Anytime you use a camera without someone's knowledge, it could be called a spy camera.
Black and White Board Cameras:
These come in two categories; one being the camera that sees in the dark without an infrared illuminator (IR illuminator) and the other that uses an IR illuminator to see clearly in the dark with great detail. The IR illuminator is purchased separately and can be placed in the room to illuminate, the field of view for the camera. An infrared illuminator's illumination is not visible to the naked eye, and can be placed in a lamp or floodlight. These cameras produce from 350 to 410 lines of resolution and can produce an image from .01 lux of light to .0003 lux of light. That is from a low light room to a completely dark room. However in many situations you would have normal ambient light in the room with the camera.
Color Board Cameras:
The color board camera is usually a little more expensive. Also they require more light for good color definition and resolution. (.5 lux to 1.0 lux) The requirement for light can be accomplished either by ambient lighting in the room or infrared illuminators. These color cameras produce 380 to 480 lines of resolution.
Other Available features:
The most prominent feature is the small size, generally 1 to 11/4" square. Durability is another feature and usually not too important if the camera is installed in a common household object such as a radio or lamp. Most board cameras have a 70p field of view, but you can select up to 120p field of view in some cameras. In that these cameras are very small and designed for installation into an object, normally the field of view and focus is fixed, however there are more expensive options with movable lenses that can be remote-controlled.
CCD or CMOS Cameras:
Both types of digital cameras perform the same function by using image sensors that convert light to digital pictures. CCD sensors use more power and generally create high-quality, low-noise images. The CCD sensors have been mass-produced for a longer period of time and have higher quality pixels and more of them. The CMOS sensor has the advantage of lower power consumption, trading off picture quality for power.
The image the nanny cam produces can be recorded on a memory card to be read by your computer later or connected to the internet, so that you can see in real-time what is going on via your laptop or smart phone. The Nanny camera can be completely self-contained with a memory card and digital video recorder (DVR) in the object with the camera or it can be wired or wireless to your computer or DVR. With modern DVRs for this purpose, you can hook the DVR directly to a monitor without a computer if you would like to monitor in another room. The most inexpensive option would be to have a wired camera hooked up directly to your computer to record on the hard drive or use a USB DVR to your computer to go directly to the internet.
A Nanny Cam requires a camera, DVR and memory card (hidden camera with build-in DVR) or camera, DVR and monitor (wired nanny cam). A wireless system uses a camera, transmitter and receiver. Then the receiver is connected to a DVR or USB DVR to connect to your monitor or computer. Some DVR's have a card slot for a memory card if you don't want to connect to your computer while operating the camera.
Now let's look at why we would want a nanny camera (Nanny Cam). Many times we hire people who come and work in our homes when we are not there. While we are gone we worry about things like are they snooping into our personal stuff, doing the work correctly, stealing things or the worst imaginable thing like abusing our child. A Nanny Cam can be any normal object in a room that has enough room to fit the camera inside. Normally these objects still function as originally intended. A few examples are a radio, CD player, lamp, mirror, picture frame, fan, clock, exit sign, speakers or room deodorizer. Literally a pin hole can be drilled if necessary in the object and the camera glued to the other side. The Nanny Cam or Hidden Camera with a built-in DVR can literally be placed in a room and plugged into the wall outlet for installation. The memory card can be retrieved at any time to view events on your computer. The wired or wireless nanny Cam can be connected to your computer by a DVR or USB DVR for viewing while on vacation or at work. For extended times away from the camera, some hidden cameras with internal DVR can be motion activated so you only use space on the memory card while there is activity in the room.
The ideal setup is a low light color board camera with wireless transmitter and receiver to a USB DVR connect to my computer so I can monitor my home at any time and from anywhere. This can cost from $425.00 to $700.00 if you build it your-self and supply the object to put the camera inside of. Or for about the same amount if you buy it assembled and it will include the object you want the camera to be located inside of, and be ready to operate.
Sexual Assault Defense for Women
Women incur the violence in nine out of ten cases of violence. One out of every three women report sexual or physical abuse in their lifetime, and these are the ones reported.Mace Pepper, Gel, Foam & Triple Action Sprays
Since 1970 Mace has been the leader in innovative defensive sprays. Their full line of products can fulfill the needs of anyone who needs personal self-defense. Mace is the most trusted name in women's self-defense items and nonlethal self-defense products.Closed Circuit Television Cameras
We use Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) for surveillance, security, property protection, monitoring employee performance and to monitor areas that may be deemed unsafe for human habitation.


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Cory Jeacoma Joins the Jersey Boys Tour as Bob Gaudio
Cory Jeacoma will be the newest member of The Four Seasons in the Jersey Boys national tour. Jeacoma will play Bob Gaudio, beginning September 15 in Syracuse, NY. The tour will play the Landmark Theatre through September 18 and is scheduled to make stops in Baltimore, Boston, Houston, San Antonio, New Orleans, Madison, Indianapolis, Omaha, Miami, Portland, Kansas City and more.
In addition to Jeacoma as Bob Gaudio, the cast of the Jersey Boys tour includes Aaron De Jesus as Frankie Valli, Matthew Dailey as Tommy DeVito and Keith Hines as Nick Massi.
Directed by two-time Tony-winner Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys is written by Oscar winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.
Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide—all before they were thirty.


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HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) – Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have recorded increased seismic activity on the flanks and summit of Mauna Loa over the past 13 months.
The observatory said in a weekly activity update June 13 there is no sign of an impending eruption.
Earthquake swarms were detected prior to previous eruptions of the volcano.
Seismic activity was elevated for at least three years before the mountain's 1984 eruption.
Scientists recorded 28 earthquakes greater than magnitude 3 and two earthquakes greater than magnitude 4.
Over the past year, four distinct earthquake swarms have occurred.
Each swarm began with earthquakes northwest of the summit, followed by shallow earthquakes at the summit several days to one month later.
These earthquakes have all been less than magnitude 2.2, except for a magnitude-3.5 quake on May 9. (end)


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Sunday, December 13, 2020
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
I've moved to http://cherylwyatt.com/blog/
Guess what? I've moved. :-)
Your readership is important to me. Please join me at my new blog:
Thank you so much!
Endless love and boundless prayers,
Cheryl Wyatt
Monday, June 25, 2012
Recommending Bees in the Butterfly Garden by Maureen Lang
Don't you just love this title and gorgeous cover?
I do!
Here's more about this recommended book from outstanding author, Maureen Lang:
A note from Maureen:
I always say whatever book I'm working on is my favorite, but even though I'm on to a new project I readily admit having had special fun with Bees In The Butterfly Garden.
First, it's set in New York City's Gilded Age—a time easy to romanticize if you stick to those who gilded the era. Lots of wealth to be found amid a developing brand of American aristocracy . . . a world in which a thief's daughter never should have been invited.
That's right, my heroine Meg is the daughter of thief. Only Meg never knew that her father has been a thief since she was a bit older than a toddler, after the death of her mother. He protected her from the truth by sending her to be raised at an exclusive New England school for girls. Living among the rich, trained to be a lady, Meg nonetheless missed the one thing she's never had in her life: a father's love. Little did she know he loved her in the only way he knew how, by shielding her from himself.
So when he dies and his young and handsome protege tries—but fails—to keep the truth hidden from her, she is enraged but determined to prove her father wrong for having barred her from his life.
Although her father had asked Ian, his young protege, to keep an eye on his daughter, Ian was told to do it from afar . . . The message was clear enough: Ian clearly isn't good enough for her. She's a lady and he's a thief, just like her father was.
Meg's determination to prove her father wrong inspires her to become just like him, even posthumously. And Ian is presented with one temptation he can't pass up: not only working with the girl he's secretly loved since he was a boy—but through her gaining access to some of Fifth Avenue's wealthiest residents.
Who will catch them first? The Law . . . or God?
Not only was this book a lot of fun to write, it reminded me of the depth and availability of God's grace. Enough grace to cover a multitude of sins.
Early reviews for Bees In the Butterfly Garden:
Library Journal:
This character-driven historical set in the American Gilded Age represents Lang (Look to the East; Whisper on the Wind) at her best.
Romantic Times
4 Stars
"Lang's talent shines through in this first of the Gilded Legacy series. She clearly depicts the difference between grace – an undeserved gift – and mercy – when one is spared a deserved punishment. The grandeur of the era is evident in the story, the charming characters, the beautifully descriptive prose and even the cover!" - Leslie L. McKee, RT Book Reviews, July 2012
Special Bonus Recipe
The fictitious school in Bees In The Butterfly Garden is "Madame Marisse's School For Girls." My heroine, Meg, would have received a special cookie recipe awarded to each graduate, meant to be given to whatever staff the wealthy heiresses would oversee. Although this recipe doesn't appear in the book, this is what I imagine it might have been:
Madame Marisse's Morsels
1/2 Cup Oleo*
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 teaspoons extract of Almond
1 teaspoon extract of Vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 Cups Flour
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Using a teaspoon, shape 1 inch sized balls and place on baking sheet. Press lightly with thumb.
Bake in 375 degree oven for 9 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom.
Dust with more powdered sugar if desired.
*Note from Madame Marisse: although Oleo will be hard for your staff to find, especially without the added unpalatable pink coloring that competing butter manufactures demand must be added, it is well worth the extra tax if your staff can acquire it. If they cannot find Oleo, they may use Lard instead. An entire Cup of butter is discouraged; using half Oleo or Lard along with flavorful butter will allow your cookies to maintain a softer consistency and not entirely flatten.
Note from Maureen Lang: Oleo is margarine and we no longer have any trouble finding it—or any added taxes or coloring other than yellow to make it look like butter. Oleo (margarine) or lard really does provide cookies with a softer consistency than using all butter.
About Maureen:
Maureen Langis a reader who figured out at a very young age how to write what she wants toread. She penned her first novel at age ten, and has been writing ever since.In fact, she'd rather be writing or reading than doing just about anythingelse—but with a family and a dog depending on her for breakfast, lunch anddinner, she feels like she's in the kitchen more often than at her desk or inher favorite chair with a book. Maureen is the author of a dozen books and hasbeen nominated for a Christy, Rita and Carol. She's won a Holt Medallion andthe Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, but none of that compare to the dayher daughter told her she was a good writer. Ah, recognition at home is rareindeed. Visit Maureen on the web at maureenlang.com
Bees In The Butterfly Garden can be purchased wherever fine books are sold, or online at:
Pick up this book and enjoy!
Cheryl Wyatt
Friday, June 15, 2012
Recommending A Dream of His Own by Gail Gaymer Martin
Hey all! Here's info on another great book by a beloved Love Inspired author, Gail Gaymer Martin. Enjoy!
Trust and giving of talent, time and treasures opens doors to God's love and a love neither expected.
Back cover blurb:
The only thing philanthropist Quinn O'Neill wants is to forget the accident that took his wife and son. He doesn't expect a fender bender with a lovely stranger to change his life in a major way. Struggling single mom Ava Darnell and her teenage son have their own hardships.
What better way for him to lend a hand than through the Dreams Come True Foundation? But helping Ava means earning her trust…and having faith that dreams of healing and family just might become reality.
Touching finale. 4-1/2 Stars from Romantic Times
A Dream of His Own was everything I was hoping it would be another sweet and sentimental book that speaks of the love that can be found even in the heart of someone who has known great pain. I loved this book just as much as I have loved this entire series. I highly recommend it! from Carly Bird's Home
Multi-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin writes Christian fiction for Love Inspired and has written for Barbour Publishing, where she was honored by Heartsong readers as their Favorite Author of 2008. Gail has sold over fifty novels with three and a half million books in print. She is the author of Writers Digest's Writing the Christian Romance. Gail is a co-founder of American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Christian Authors Network, a keynote speaker at churches, libraries and civic organizations and a workshop presenter at conference across the US. She was named one of the four best novelists in the Detroit area by CBS local news. Gail lives with her husband in a northwest Detroit suburb.
Purchase where all books are sold or at online bookstores. Available on Kindle and other ebooks. Order http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007JJEVQO/novelistrgailgaymermartin
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Excerpt! The Doctor's Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt
Hey all! Here's an excerpt of my upcoming novel! The Doctor's Devotion is available for pre-order now and will be on sale and in stores, wherever books are sold, on July 1, 2012. Maybe sooner in digital version for those of you who prefer ebooks.
Without further ado...here's Chapter One. Be sure to let me know what you think!
"Change of plans, carrottop."
Suitcase in tow, Lauren Bates smiled at Grandpa Lem's voice coming through her cell phone. "What, you're picking me up in your tractor?" She exited Refuge Airport.
Southern Illinois welcomed her with breezy warmth and a bouquet of bright June colors she wasn't accustomed to in Texas.
Lem chuckled. "Ought to since you haven't come to see me in five years."
Guilt whooshed in like planes on runways nearby. "I know, Grandpa. I'm sorry. What's this plan change?"
"Accompany me to the ribbon-cutting of a new trauma center Doc Wellington founded at Eagle Point? Starts in half an hour."
Anxiety knotted her gut. Not only was she weary hearing about Dr. Wellington, a medical facility was the last place she wanted to be. She sighed. "For you, Grandpa, I'll endure it."
"Good. We're in a blue Dodge Ram. See you in a few."
"We?" She maneuvered past people cluttering the sidewalk.
"Yes. Dr. Wellington's helping me pick you up."
"Why would you need help?" Lauren canvassed curbside cars and spotted a spiffy blue truck near the front.
"I don't drive on streets anymore. Only fields."
Alarm slowed her steps. "Why not?"
"In case you forgot, I'm nearing a hundred."
She almost pointed out he was only turning seventy, but swift remembrance of her reason for this spur-of-the-moment trip halted her. Anticipation spiked as Lem exited the truck.
"Look who's here!" Grinning and hunched, he seemed older and slower than she remembered.
Lauren rushed him with a hug. His bear strength was gone. Tears welling, she squeezed thin ribs.
She'd come because of his sudden uncharacteristic fear over turning seventy. Terror struck her now, too, but according to that Dr. Wellington he always spoke of, Lem was healthy. Still, she'd had to come see for herself. She should've come sooner.
"I'll take your bags," a deep voice said behind her. Strong hands reached around and deftly lifted Lauren's purse and colossal suitcase from between her and Grandpa.
Lauren turned. Grandpa leaned aside. Up stepped the most gorgeous creature ever.
Lauren gulped then remembered her manners. The tall man looked less like a doctor and more like a landscaper, with his deep tan and fit build. Intense and chiseled, yet polished like an airbrushed movie star. And he was her age. Not Grandpa's.
The doctor's easy smile tilted her world. His eyes were a stunning mixture of mostly silver with hints of blue. She gawked like a junior high geek facing the football captain.
"Mitch, this is my granddaughter," Lem said.
"Lauren, pleased to finally meet you."
Ooh, his voice! Pleasant. Deep. And, wow. He knew her name? She blinked. He blinked.
Her gaze inched to the hot pink handbag draped over his manly shoulder. She tried not to laugh at the sharp contrast of megamuscles toting a tiny pink purse.
As though the striking doctor with the black hair cut in a military buzz and epic
eyes suddenly caught on about the purse—and also diagnosed this weirdness between them as attraction—he lowered her handbag. He offered a sheepish grin and a masculine hand. When she settled hers into the strength of his, the warmth flowing from it enveloped her entire being.
No dead-fish handshake here. His was firm. Confident. Alabaster teeth gleamed from a mouth framed by a strong jaw. His grin gave way to a shy laugh.
She knew the feeling. She'd been bamboozled by attraction, too. "Nice to meet you,
Dr. Wellington." She rescued his endangered ego by retrieving her purse from his fingers.
"It's Mitch." He tilted his head, openly assessing her. His hearty smile expanded and he seemed in no hurry to look away.
She cleared her throat and searched for something else exciting to stare at.
Unfortunately, sidewalk cracks weren't near as interesting to behold as the dashing doctor.
Observing them, Grandpa chuckled as if having a private party with himself. Mitch moved first. He placed her suitcase behind the seat then assisted her in so she sat in the middle of the truck's seat. His grip was as sturdy, warm and steady as his fond gaze.
Mitch approached Lem. "Up you go, Gramps."
Lauren's irritation overrode Mitch's appeal, as he helped Grandpa in, then approached the driver's side. His shoulders were broad enough to require a rather pleasant pivot to enter the vehicle and, once inside, for her to move closer to Grandpa.
Not that she noticed.
"Where to?" Mitch asked Lem.
"Since Lauren's flight was delayed, she's coming to the ribbon-cutting so you're not late to your own party," Lem said.
Mitch laughed. The sound both grated and soothed. Grated because of the closeness he obviously shared with her grandpa, which stirred a surprise pot of jealousy. Soothing because Mitch's Grand Canyon voice could make a typhoon swoon.
At a red light, Mitch caught her stare. The corner of his mouth slid into a colossal smile.
"I expected you to be older," Lauren explained. "Grandpa talks about you nonstop."
"Likewise," Mitch said. "I feel like I know you."
Yikes! What all did he know? The failure she'd been?
"So, Lauren, how long will you be in town?" Mitch asked.
"Three months!" Lem announced. "I couldn't be happier." He beamed. Mitch did, too, which meant he obviously cared about Lem. How close were they? Drizzles of dread seeped into her stomach.
"How'd you manage to get so much time off?" Mitch asked.
"I'm between jobs right now. I'm opening a specialty shop in Houston with a friend this fall. We started the business from scratch in her home a year ago. Our client list and workload grew to the point where we needed more space."
"What's the specialty?" Mitch kept a keen eye on traffic.
"Sewing. We're leasing an historic building in town after receiving permission from local government and the Historical Society to open it. It'll be called Ye Olde Time Seamstress Shoppe. We're restoring the building's nineteenth-century period decor. Took a lot of wrangling and red tape but it's in the renovation stage now, so this was a perfect opportunity to finally visit Grandpa."
"She's getting over a much-needed breakup," Lem inserted.
Lauren smirked. "Grandpa's not letting me live it down."
Lem harrumphed. "Told you from the start he was no good."
Lauren noticed that Mitch navigated the roads with extra care. "You're a very safe driver," she commented. "I like that."
"A welcome change from her ex who regularly drove ninety. I know because she called me, often upset," Lem announced.
"My ex got arrested for speeding past a school bus and almost striking a child. That was my last straw," she explained.
"He was reckless in general. With others' lives and their relationship." Lem relaxed. "I'm glad she refused to marry a man who'll have little regard for his future children's safety."
While Grandpa was right, Lauren felt like sinking into the seat. She didn't like
Mitch knowing about the poor judgments she'd made.
"Do you miss him?" Mitch asked gently.
"No, actually I don't."
He'd not only ignored Lauren's frequent pleas to slow down, he'd ridiculed her for caring. Mitch was obviously the precise opposite kind of person. One who cared deeply about the safety of others. If only that would ease her concern over his closeness with Lem. Maybe in time. Right now, it hurt. Badly. Still
"It makes me feel better knowing Grandpa has someone like you looking out for him." Lauren meant it. She shouldn't be jealous. The men's friendship should ease her guilt about living in Texas. But being here with Grandpa and the fear that he contended with made her never want to leave him again.
Unfortunately she'd given her word to her best friend, who'd forfeited her career to start the specialty business with Lauren. They'd poured their talents, time and savings into it. The first pangs of doubt about her decision assailed Lauren.
Lauren studied Mitch. Did he know why Grandpa's fear surfaced now? He needed to. Maybe he could help alleviate Grandpa's anxiety. Just because Lem's grandfather and father died in their seventieth year didn't mean Lem would. Right?
For a fleeting moment, she hated that she'd taken out a loan to start her seamstress shop and bound herself to be a business partner with her friend. It hog-tied her to Texas.
"He misses his only granddaughter." Mitch raised his chin in a perceiving manner. "Lem tells me your parents died within hours of one another. I'm deeply sorry. What was it?"
His frankness surprised her. "Carbon monoxide poisoning. Their room sat over the garage of a house we'd moved into that winter. Daddy started the car to warm it up before taking me to school and Mom to work. They lay back down and never woke up."
Lauren blinked swiftly against a wave of emotion.
"Losing her mama and daddy made Lauren want to become a nurse to help people," Lem inserted. "And educate on safety and accident prevention."
"I hear you," Mitch said soberly. "I believe every accident is one-hundred-percent preventable. My dad perished in a motorcycle wreck."
"Across the road from the trauma center site," Lem added.
Had that inspired Mitch to build it? Lauren studied him.
Mitch turned onto the interstate that led Refuge to Eagle Point. "Dad was critically wounded. He could've been saved by surgery, had a hospital been closer, and if the person who pulled out in front of him had been looking."
Lem clicked his tongue. "He also lost his mama. She died from cancer not caught in time. She didn't have insurance and put off going to the doctor until too late."
"But thanks to Lem inviting me to church chili-suppers and becoming like a second dad, I turned out all right." He grinned.
Lauren's heart arched toward Mitch. "I know what it feels like to lose someone to something preventable."
Lem harrumphed. "Yeah, preventable like me losing you to Texas again when your building renovations are complete. I hope you hired horrible contractors who delay the timeline."
"Grandpaaaa. Don't be cranky. My friend sacrificed a lot to go into business with me. She'd be devastated if I bailed."
"Yes, it's prudent to honor your word, but that doesn't make up for the fact that you made this big decision out of duress."
"I'm glad you're here, Lauren." Mitch's chuckle dissolved the squabble. He sounded like he really meant his words.
She crammed her hands under her knees. "Thanks. The seamstress shop will specialize in costumes and uniforms. A percentage goes toward charities for children who've lost parents." For some reason her formerly noble plans felt barren.
"She makes specialty clothes for free to needy little kids and nursing home patrons, too," Lem added. "Nice, although I hate that she's not using her nursing skills like her sewing gift."
"Grandpa! We don't discuss that," she remarked gently. Futile since she inherited her stubborn streak from Lem.
A determined scowl bore down on Lem's bulbous nose and farm-freckled grin. "She don't like me pestering her about it."
"So I won't tread there, either," Mitch said with another tension-diffusing smile, which thinned into a tenacious line as his gaze gripped Lauren's in the mirror. "Yet."
What did that mean? She eyed Lem, smug now, then Mitch. Neither man's expression offered clues. "This smacks of conspiracy." She folded her arms and refused to look into that mirror, or Mitch's arresting eyes, again.
Her resolve lasted an entire eighth of a mile.
At the next red light, she caught Mitch studying her through the rearview mirror. He said nothing at first, then, "Feels almost like we're having a family spat here."
"Yeah. Hatfield and McCoy caliber," she quipped. Especially if he joined forces with Grandpa and tried to talk her back into nursing. Not happening. Even if Lem put him up to it. And no one softened her like Grandpa could.
He'd essentially raised her every summer since her tenth birthday after her parents died. She spent the rest of the year changing homes with the seasons, depending on which relative had room. Lauren's mom was Lem's only daughter. Grieving over her had bonded the two like suture glue.
Now it seemed as if Mitch's bond with Grandpa was stronger.
She shifted in her seat to put some distance between herself and Mitch. His overwhelming presence in the truck's cab made her feel snuggled next to a nuclear reactor with a compromised cooling system. Lem stretched, scooting her closer to Mitch again. She shot Lem a that-did-not-help look.
Which he ignored with fervor.
The whistling old scamp clearly had matchmaking in mind, which meant he was out of his mind. Lauren would no more date a doctor than Grandpa would give up his greasy biscuits and gravy.
These last twenty minutes were going to be one long ride.
Despite her pulse pounding, the ribbon-cutting was not something she could bring herself to joyfully anticipate. Hopefully her unruly heart rate had nothing to do with notions of romance.
Mitch never thought this day would come. Or end.
But here he was, standing at the door of a dream. He poised an outrageously large pair of scissors over the ribbon. "They're heavier than my military rifle."
Laughter erupted from the crowd. Bulb lights flashed and popped from every angle. Townspeople and reporters snapped images of Eagle Point Trauma Center's grand opening.
Surgery tech Kate Dalton leaned over the microphone. "You'd think our top trauma surgeon would slice right the first time," she teased in reference to this being Mitch's second attempt.
"Cut me some slack. These are duller than your bedtime stories."
Actually Kate's stories coaxed countless soldiers to sleep, though she claimed she bored them into oblivion instead.
"Come on, Mitch! Those scissors can't be older'n me," Lem heckled good-heartedly from the crowd.
Laughing, Mitch sought out his friend in a sea of onlookers but snagged on a stunning redhead instead. Her gaze hit the ground like platelets in a blood storm, and her face turned just as red.
Same attraction that had jolted them earlier. Mitch hadn't counted on this distraction.
Therefore his inner guard better be on its best behavior.
Lauren was profoundly attractive in pictures Lem so proudly displayed, but exponentially more beautiful in person. Her eyes were so unique he could barely look away. Mitch diverted attention to Lem, who watched him studying Lauren with peculiar interest. Lem's grin heated Mitch's neck.
He shifted uncomfortably at the podium, unable to recall the last time
he'd blushed.
"To-day, Dr. Wellington." Kate gave a dramatic sigh.
Though the sash-cutting delay was staged by request of news camera crews, Mitch's team joined the crowd in genuine laughter.
Getting cues from reporters to continue the stall, Mitch pivoted. "If I had a scalpel rather than these turn-of-the-century scissors, I'd be set."
Kate's eyebrow cocked. Having worked with her in Afghanistan performing combat surgeries, he knew the look.
Mitch turned his palm up. "Scalpel?" He used his official surgeon voice. Kate produced the stainless steel instrument.
The crowd went wild. Cheers and clapping abounded. Jubilation escalated when Kate raised the blade and saluted the building's flag with it. The curved edge glinted in sunlight.
"Scalpel," she repeated per surgery protocol and gently smacked its handle into Mitch's palm.
How he loved that feeling. Only this was epic. The moment turned surreal. Mitch hardly believed they were standing at the newly built trauma center, set to open part-time the first of next month. Seventeen days, and his team's battlefield dream would become reality.
Next the mayor started a speech about how the center would bring their town economy-reviving revenue.
Mitch's gaze drifted to the building, an undeniable answer to prayer.
Awe for God engulfed him as he studied the magnificent steel and glass structure. It took his breath away, because despite titanium faith, he was a frontline fighter who'd wondered if he'd ever live to see this day.
Thank You, God, for bringing us through and to.
His eyes caressed a scripture etched above the Eagle Point Emergency entrance logo. A battlefield promise he'd clung to and prayed over every service member his scalpel came in contact with. His architect cousin had engraved it on the building: "The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:26"
Speech ended, the mayor left the podium.
Ian Shupe, Mitch's best friend and head anesthesiologist on his trauma team, stepped up and pulled the ribbon taut. "Ready?"
Mitch drew an elated breath and inhaled pure joy. "Ready."
"Don't amputate your fingers." Ian slid his hands farther apart and grinned, evoking more crowd laughter. "Or mine."
Mitch chuckled and set scalpel to ribbon, camouflage to celebrate the team's war veteran status.
He opened his mouth to utter the dedication, but sounds of distantly approaching helicopters ripped wings from his words. Probably news choppers.
Mitch didn't look because he really didn't fancy the notion of slicing or suturing his best friend's finger.
That instant, Ian's hands went lax. The uncut ribbon fluttered like a feather to the ground. Mitch looked up at Ian.
But Ian wasn't looking at the fallen ribbon.
He stared at the sky. And he definitely wasn't smiling.
Mitch turned, saw what Ian saw and straightened. Sheathed the scalpel and handed it to Kate who said, "Hey, are those…?"
"Trauma choppers," Mitch finished for her.
"What a show!" a crowd member yelled. Mitch and Ian stared at the two incoming helicopters. Medical, not news.
If this was part of the show, Mitch had missed the memo. He faced Ian.
"You set this up?"
"No, you?" Ian followed Mitch, who stepped off the stage. They headed toward an adjacent field where the choppers seemed destined to land within minutes.
"What, have mock trauma teams come?" Mitch shook his head, adrenaline surging. "No. This is no drill. This is the real deal."
Order The Doctor's Devotion on:
Barnes and Noble.com
CBD or Christian Book.com
Hope you enjoy! Please, feel free to share this link and the excerpt on your blogs.
Thank you sooo much!
Cheryl Wyatt
Monday, April 30, 2012
Story Starter Scene Prompts-33
Story Starter Prompt
• Write a 500-3500 word scene using five of fifteen Prompt Words.
• Begin each scene using one of three Scene Starter Sentences.
• Use any combination of (1) sentence/(5) words.
• Do three separate scenes with each prompt sentence if you want.
• Or if you're really brave, try using ALL 15 prompt words in their proper usage and incorporate all three sentences into your scene hook ins or hooks out.
• Most of all, have fun!
Prompt Words:
Scene Starter Sentences:
A. "I knew things wouldn't keep going well."
B. "This is it."
C. "I have no choice."
Happy Writing!
Cheryl Wyatt
• Write a 500-3500 word scene using five of fifteen Prompt Words.
• Begin each scene using one of three Scene Starter Sentences.
• Use any combination of (1) sentence/(5) words.
• Do three separate scenes with each prompt sentence if you want.
• Or if you're really brave, try using ALL 15 prompt words in their proper usage and incorporate all three sentences into your scene hook ins or hooks out.
• Most of all, have fun!
Prompt Words:
Scene Starter Sentences:
A. "I knew things wouldn't keep going well."
B. "This is it."
C. "I have no choice."
Happy Writing!
Cheryl Wyatt
Monday, April 23, 2012
Story Starter Scene Prompts-32
Story Starter Prompt
• Write a 500-3500 word scene using five of fifteen Prompt Words.
• Begin each scene using one of three Scene Starter Sentences.
• Use any combination of (1) sentence/(5) words.
• Do three separate scenes with each prompt sentence if you want.
• Or if you're really brave, try using ALL 15 prompt words in their proper usage and incorporate all three sentences into your scene hook ins or hooks out.
• Most of all, have fun!
Prompt Words:
Scene Starter Sentences:
A. "I'm never coming here again."
B. "What seems to be the trouble?"
C. "This broke her heart."
Happy Writing!
Cheryl Wyatt
• Write a 500-3500 word scene using five of fifteen Prompt Words.
• Begin each scene using one of three Scene Starter Sentences.
• Use any combination of (1) sentence/(5) words.
• Do three separate scenes with each prompt sentence if you want.
• Or if you're really brave, try using ALL 15 prompt words in their proper usage and incorporate all three sentences into your scene hook ins or hooks out.
• Most of all, have fun!
Prompt Words:
Scene Starter Sentences:
A. "I'm never coming here again."
B. "What seems to be the trouble?"
C. "This broke her heart."
Happy Writing!
Cheryl Wyatt
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text:
The Snakehead
Hey, Sudhir,
I'm glad you steered us in this direction for our final exchange, because The Snakehead is in some ways the story of law enforcement's gradual learning curve in confronting Fujianese human smuggling and, more broadly, in grappling with the globalization of crime.
When large numbers of undocumented Fujianese began arriving in the 1980s, the NYPD and the FBI suddenly needed Fujianese speakers. As the snakehead trade and the attendant kidnappings, beatings, and gang clashes escalated, they started plucking Fujianese cadets out of the academy just to work these cases. During Sister Ping's first brief stint in jail, in 1990, the Feds wanted to send an agent to see if she might cooperate. The best they could do was a Cantonese-American rookie, Peter Lee.
Still, even as the authorities wanted Fujianese recruits, they were also wary. The Fujianese community in America was so close-knit, and the ongoing connections to the old country so extensive, that some feared a Fujianese-American cop with a vulnerable family still in China might be co-opted with threats by street gangs looking for a source inside the department.
This might seem paranoid, but the FBI, INS, and NYPD were all confronting the limits of their own jurisdictions whereas their adversaries were playing a truly global game. New York cops would get panicked phone calls from Chinatown residents who had received ransom demands from Fujianese gangsters. But the people being held hostage were in China, and the instructions were to remit the ransom payments to China (using services like Sister Ping's). So the police were hamstrung.
Sister Ping's operation involved associates in dozens of countries, and corrupt officials in a string of strategic entrepôts. In the early '90s, she funneled passengers through Bangkok, Thailand, where corrupt airline inspectors turned a blind eye to phony documents. By the late '90s, she was sending ships full of migrants to the shores of Guatemala, from whence they could proceed overland through Mexico. She didn't need to worry about the Guatemalan navy. She had them on the payroll.
This was one of the most surprising (and daunting) themes to emerge in my research: If criminal organizations, like multinational corporations, are mobile and opportunistic and can migrate wherever they like, engaging in a kind of jurisdictional arbitrage and seeking out an optimal environment in which to do business, then all it takes is one spoiler country, like Thailand or Guatemala, to render them virtually untouchable. When Sister Ping fled the United States after the Golden Venture incident, she settled in her home village in Fujian Province, where she enjoyed the protection of the Chinese authorities and proceeded to continue running her business for six long years. The FBI knew exactly where she was. But when they asked China to extradite her, Beijing brushed them off.
At least she was confined to China, you might say. But she wasn't. She traveled all over the world during those years—even, amazingly, to the United States. How? When she was finally arrested in Hong Kong in 2000, she had a passport with her picture and someone else's name. It was issued by Belize, a classic spoiler country.
Another fascinating hurdle for law enforcement was that whereas the Italian mob was hierarchical, with a leadership pyramid you could diagram on a cocktail napkin, the snakeheads were more networked and fluid in their associations. A group of smugglers and gangsters might come together in a temporary joint venture, then split up and go their separate ways. There were no oaths of loyalty, and few enduring partnerships—the whole ethos was more mercenary and business-minded. For the same reason, people tended not to hold grudges. Sister Ping developed a fateful association with a ruthless gangster named Ah Kay, but only after Ah Kay robbed her family at gunpoint—twice.
"That's what happened in the past," she told him when she proposed they cooperate. "We're talking business now."
But here's where it gets really interesting: The sometimes hostile, sometimes cooperative relationship between criminals and cops that you mentioned eventually came to play a major role in Chinatown. What Ah Kay didn't know when Sister Ping so readily forgave him is that she had already taken a quiet revenge. She had been secretly cooperating with the FBI, and had given information about Ah Kay to the agent who visited her in prison, Peter Lee. In a criminal universe this opportunistic, loyalty has no place, and you're as likely to find a temporary symmetry of interest with the Feds as you are with a thug who robbed you. Ratting on Ah Kay was the expedient thing to do.
The irony for Sister Ping is that this same expediency would ultimately be her downfall. When Ah Kay was arrested following the Golden Venture incident, he immediately returned the favor, telling the FBI, in so many words, "I can give you Sister Ping." Ah Kay became one of the most valuable cooperators in FBI history, assisting in more than a dozen federal cases. One official told me it was "like having a good Fujianese FBI agent on the case." It took more than a decade, but he would ultimately be the star witness in the government's case against Sister Ping.
In fact, at different points in the story, every major criminal figure in The Snakehead ends up secretly cooperating with the feds. Unlike the situation you encountered in Chicago, or the familiar Hollywood scenario—Die Hard's Johnson and Johnson ("No relation") being my personal favorite—the FBI in this story ended up developing very good sources and becoming plugged into the Chinatown community.
And there might be one simple reason for this: They were already in the neighborhood. New York's FBI field office literally overlooks Chinatown. Sister Ping's restaurant was always just a couple of blocks away.
I've really enjoyed this conversation about immigration, underground economies, law enforcement, and the shady side of getting by in America. Thanks so much for doing it, Sudhir.


text:
Only a subset of the Solaris packages installed on the global zone are completely replicated when a non-global zone is installed. For example, many packages that contain the Solaris kernel are not needed in a non-global zone. All non-global zones implicitly share the same Solaris kernel from the global zone. However, even if a package's data is not required or is not of use in a non-global zone, the knowledge that a package is installed in the global zone might be required in a non-global zone. The information allows package dependencies from the non-global zones to be properly resolved with the global zone.
Packages have parameters that control how their content is distributed and made visible on a system with non-global zones installed. The SUNW_PKG_ALLZONES, SUNW_PKG_HOLLOW, and SUNW_PKG_THISZONE package parameters define the characteristics of packages on a system with zones installed. If desired, system administrators can check these package parameter settings to verify the package's applicability when applying or removing a package in a zone environment. The pkgparam command can be used to view the values for these parameters. For more information on parameters, see Package Parameter Information. See Checking Package Parameter Settings on a System with Zones Installed for usage instructions.
When a patch is generated for any package, the parameters must be set to the same values as the original package.
Any package that must be interactive, which means that it has a request script, is added to the current zone only. The package is not propagated to any other zone. If an interactive package is added to the global zone, the package is treated as though it is being added by using the pkgadd command with the -G option. For more information about this option, see About Adding Packages in Zones.