Most women hate going to the gas station, I know that I do. For various reasons, we don’t want to stop and “fill ‘er up.” However, when your car, your body, your mind, your spirit and your energy are on ‘E,’ you need to refuel so that you can get to your desired destination.

There’s not much that feels better than a good night’s sleep. Doctors have shared that when people aren’t sleeping as well during the night, they aren’t as productive during the day, and they’re not as healthy. Did you know that with proper sleep, your brain can reorganize and restructure, which may result in more creativity? So as you can see, all of that exhausting yourself is actually counterproductive. Get some rest, and then come back and get it done at your maximum capacity.

Let this also serve as a lesson or a reminder: If you have a big decision to make and you’re tired, wait. When your mind is too fuzzy, you may decide something that you’ll regret later. As they say, sleep on it. In the morning, things will look different.

As I return from a girlfriends get-away filled with learning and laughter about the texture of our lives and the textures of our hair, that now has me on a new journey of discovering my roots, hair roots that is, thanks to for the education; I am also reminded of the stories that we tell ourselves or accept from others and choose to believe. Are you telling yourself that you don’t have enough time to take care of you –your hair, your health, your soul?  What do you need to do to change that? How can you rearrange the dynamics in your life to get more of what you need?

I’m sure there’s something that you can do differently. It may be as simple as taking a nap for lunch if you feel sleep deprived, turning off your phone and TV at night so you can have a restful sleep. Experts say taking a 15-minute power nap during the day can restore one’s energy and increase concentration. They also point out how insomnia feeds on the minor details of modern life, like the soft blue glow from a cell phone, PDA, or digital clock resting on your bedside table. The short waves of blue light may interfere with sleep, so turn off TVs, computers and other blue light producers at least an hour before sleep. Cover any blue displays you can’t shut off. Whatever you’re worried about missing on TV, you can DVR. And whoever wants to call, e-mail or text you can wait, but your well-being cannot. Little changes make a big difference.

Today, give yourself permission to get what you need. Your life is worth living, which is why you need to figure out the things that refresh you and do them as much as possible. Is it a massage, getting your hair done, working out regularly, taking a long hot bath or shower? Whatever it is, go for it to help you relax.
Stop feeling guilty for taking some time away from your stressors or for doing something nice for yourself that makes you feel good. Taking moments for yourself helps you to reconnect with your innermost being. Rest and time alone are literally fuel to rejuvenate your tank.

When you keep going and going without a break, what you don’t realize is that because your brain and spirit are clogged up, you are not moving or even thinking at your maximum level.

That’s why when you stare at the computer for a long time, you have to step away for a few minutes because your eyes get blurry. That same concept is true in life. If you learn to step away for a period of time, you will be able to see clearer, be more creative, work faster and achieve a higher quality result.

Let this serve as a notice for you to release yourself from guilt, shame or self-deprecation. Stop and sit down. Do it. Make no excuses and make no apologies. As one mother put it, when you’re frustrated, tired, and your emotions are high, sometimes taking a break from your child will save their life.

DEYA DIRECTIVE: Bless yourself with rest, relaxation and a good time. Not only will it increase the quality of your life, but, as a result of your being good to yourself and feeling good about it, you will ultimately be in a better position to enhance each life that you touch.

QUESTION:  I want to hear from you.  What areas of your life do you need to pay more attention to and take care of better?  Share your comments and tell me what you’re going to do differently.

Also On Black America Web:

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The Book of Negroes, a television adaptation of Lawrence Hill's book, makes its television premiere on CBC on Jan. 7.

The internationally co-produced, six-part miniseries follows the story of an African woman named Aminata Diallo, played by Aunjanue Ellis, who is kidnapped from Africa and sold into slavery in the southern U.S.

Stars from the six-part miniseries include Academy Award-winning actors Lou Gossett Jr. and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Aunjanue Ellis, The Book of Negroes

Aunjanue Ellis appears in a scene from the miniseries The Book of Negroes, based on the acclaimed novel by Lawrence Hill. Ellis stars as Aminata Diallo, who is taken by slave traders from West Africa to the U.S. and her life through the American Revolution, escape to Canada and her ultimate freedom in England. (CBC)

Lou Gossett Jr., who plays Daddy Moses, an African American slave who helped lead a band of runaway slaves to freedom, says The Book of Negroes is a fresh take on the theme.

"Slavery is very much involved in this lady's life," Gossett told CBC News before November's North American premiere in Toronto at Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox. "But it's really a triumphant story about this woman who can tell the story. In that way, it's better than Roots, and 12 Years a Slave because it's a portrait."

Gossett talks more about the miniseries in the video above.

Hill's 2007 novel was named after the actual historical document which recorded the names and descriptions of thousands of Loyalist slaves who were granted their freedom and sent to Nova Scotia.

The Book Of Negroes

Cuba Gooding Jr. said he was blown away when he heard the story. He hadn't known of the story until the project was pitched to him.

"[It] was one of those moments in my career where I just shook my head and [said] 'what was I doing in school? What was the curriculum that we didn't learn anything about African American history?''

Not only was he intrigued by the project, he couldn't put the script down.

"[The producers] send you all six episodes, and you read one or two and then you give them an answerI couldn't stop and read all six," said Gooding, who plays Sam Fraunces, a freed slave from Jamaica who runs a tavern in New York.

The 2007 novel, which was published in some countries under the title Someone Knows My Name, earned widespread praise.

It sold nearly a million copies worldwide and also won a host of honours, including the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for best overall book and the 2009 edition of CBC's Canada Reads. It was also set to music by the Nathaniel Dett Chorale in 2012.


FXStreet (San Francisco) - The Euro bottomed at 1.3330, nearly 9-month lows , against the US Dollar and now the pair is attempting to recover ground around 1.3355 following the narrowing in the US deficit in trade balance in June.

The US trade balance showed a 41.54 Bn deficit in June, lower than expected and a decline from revised 44.66 Bn in June.

Currently, EUR/USD is trading at 1.3350, down -0.19% on the day, having posted a daily high at 1.3377 and low at 1.3333. EUR/USD spot is in neutral territory according to the hourly FXStreet OB/OS Index, while the FXStreet Trend Index is slightly bearish.

EUR/USD sentiment

"EUR/USD has rebounded to the low 1.3350 after slipping as low as 1.3334 earlier in the day on poor Italian GDP and a big drop in German factory orders," comments Jamie Coleman from FXXBeat. "Looks like we may be in for some backing and filling for the time being."

First resistance lies at 1.3360 ahead of 1.375 and 1.3400. On the downside, supports are at 1.3330, 1.3300 and 1.3250.


10.9 #10744 (DL Qual #3634

Jan 18, 2013 11:19 PM  Disneyland Talk Land

Sounds familiar - ScooterMike  1963.0 #89 11:25PM
We posted at the same time. 😄 This has happened so many times in my 3 years here.😬 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 11:30PM
I get recognized a bunch at the parks. - ScooterMike  1963.0 #89 11:36PM
I wonder why? You only have 1,000 photos posted here 😄 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 11:38PM
I don't think SIC was around the last few times its happened to you Mike haha. Those were some funny posts. - RickChavez  3671.6 #43 11:38PM
Haha Rick. I dot know if I have seen one for Mike, but I've seen them for plenty of others. It used to happen more when we could first post photos in the lounge (yes, we used to not be able to post photos in the lounge at all). 😊 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 11:41PM
It was like a Bigfoot sighting or something - ScooterMike  1963.0 #89 11:42PM
Gezz, that's not cool. Those should always be reported, IMO. 😁 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 11:43PM
I was kinda being cool with the guy, although I thought it was creepy. Dave called him out, and the whole thing just evolved from there. The guy's username is "mainstusa". I'm sure you can still find it. I posted some pics that day making fun of the whole thing. There was even a VMT. - ScooterMike  1963.0 #89 11:50PM
I bumped it - ScooterMike  1963.0 #89 11:53PM
I saw scooter mike get off of astro orbiter once and took a photo. It was awesome! - Slotherini  1079.8 #178 12:58AM
It happens to banana boy a lot. - vincentchase1  672.9 #311 12:33PM
I took a picture of Dave and Gia today and posted it in the newspaper....JK-bahahahahaha! 😂😂😂😂 - TinkerSchelle  2046.1 #82 10:00PM
A friendly booty slap to say hi. - Mouse4life  1681.4 #104 12:34PM
Oh hey now👍 - PinkElephants  745.7 #270 12:47PM
just a friendly one though. no lingering. - nicoleface  1752.7 #101 2:25PM
But what if they're really cute @nicoleface ? - PinkElephants  745.7 #270 2:27PM
if this is about me and you you know you don't need to ask. - nicoleface  1752.7 #101 3:43PM
😂😂😂😂😂 - MEHlanie_Mouse  1116.2 #171 9:40PM
Bring a conch shell, blow into it loudly, stand on something tall and exclaim: "MouseWaiters, ASSEMBUUUUUUUULLLL!!!!" - JRDrummer_CM  875.4 #215 12:31PM
And yes, I do know how to spell assemble, it was just for effect. ;) - JRDrummer_CM  875.4 #215 12:32PM
Hey it works for Ron Burgundy - ScooterMike  1963.0 #89 12:42PM
First, look for anyone who has a white iPhone cable coming out of either their pocket or bag. Also, a dead giveaway is that they're either staring down at their phone most of the time and/or are quickly walking up to an attraction, look down at their phone and continue to walk away to the next attraction. But really, just ask them if they've heard of MW and see how the conversation goes from there. - BaseballMickey  7892.8 #11 11:24PM
Honestly, just introduce yourself. Most people will reciprocate. If you've stumbled upon an open meetup, you can join in if you want. If it isn't, after you've exchanged pleasantries, unless you receive an invitation ("hey, we're going to space mountain next, DO YOU WANT TO COME?" that last part is important 😜) assume that you will part ways. Try not to take that personally. Sometimes people just want to spend time with their families/friends or are playing tour guide, nothing wrong with that. 😊 - bluefairy  643.8 #324 9:12PM
Run up to them yelling, "hey mousewaiter" then give them cash - Villescas8  607.0 #346 11:21PM
I like this idea. - FindMeAtTheCove  237.4 #1553 11:23PM
This I'm ok with! 😄 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 11:25PM
If anyone ever sees me, PLEASE introduce yourself. I'm harmless 😉 - TinkerSchelle  2046.1 #82 12:18AM
Were as I bite, so be warned. 😉 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 12:19AM
O-a challenge! - TinkerSchelle  2046.1 #82 12:34AM
If you meet a rude one, don't be discouraged. - Katrayher  781.0 #251 2:08AM
Creep up slowly behind them, get really close to their ear and breathe heavily and whisper your MW name. Works like magic! - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1402.8 #130 5:13AM
Pleeeeease do that to me!! - MickeyFan  1205.7 #153 12:14PM
This is my favorite😂 - PinkElephants  745.7 #270 12:15PM
@mypark...I have....;) lol jk jk @PE this is how we met! - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1402.8 #130 1:17PM
Well do it again then! - MickeyFan  1205.7 #153 1:24PM
😂😂😘 - PinkElephants  745.7 #270 1:31PM
I haven't done this yet as I've only met one MWer, but I would totally just walk up and introduce myself...if they weren't who I thought they were, I'd tell them to join MW and not be a stranger! 😀 - DisneyDavidEMT  2764.1 #52 9:31PM
At a certain point you get the courage to ask them if they are in MW. If they aren't you just get this wierd look and walk briskly away. - MeridasHair  346.5 #711 9:53PM
Just say hi!! Met a lot of nice people that way - JollyRoger5  3950.4 #39 11:20PM
Don't just take pictures from across the street and post them in the lounge. It's really not cool. Saying "hi" is way more appropriate. - ScooterMike  1963.0 #89 11:23PM
Haha. Jinx! 😉 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 11:24PM
That's a great question. I've wondered that about the meet ups. So nervous! Haha - joybells  214.6 #1859 11:33PM
Don't be nervous. Come to the Garden Walk meetup on Feb 17. You'll meet a bunch of us and the nerves will go away. - MickeyFan  1205.7 #153 11:58PM
Or the more obvious method... yell MOUSEWAIT!! - MickeyFan  1205.7 #153 11:35PM
I would love to have someone just come up to me and say Hi! I like meeting MWers. - Sharkgrrl19  256.5 #1327 11:53PM
If I see you I'll come up and say Hi - MickeyFan  1205.7 #153 11:56PM
I think I would like it too.. Unless I was in line for the restroom or doing something awkward. Lol - FindMeAtTheCove  237.4 #1553 12:13AM
Lol! - Sharkgrrl19  256.5 #1327 12:21AM
Chipanddalefan and I ran into you on Main St and gave you a hug! - LaPearleNoir  2355.0 #70 12:39PM
I see MWers a lot and have been afraid to bother them. I did say Hi to Coaster but he is a celebrity and has to expect to be bothered!!!!! - Boundin  778.3 #253 11:59PM
He's a normal guy - MickeyFan  1205.7 #153 12:00AM
He's a nice guy. He put up with me yacking at him! LOL - Boundin  778.3 #253 12:04AM
I've seen a few at the parks and just said hi. Most are really friendly.. - FindMeAtTheCove  237.4 #1553 12:14AM
Most? 😉 - MousekaNinja  422.4 #543 12:19AM
Yeah.. Most. 😁 - FindMeAtTheCove  237.4 #1553 12:22AM
😳 - PinkElephants  745.7 #270 2:28PM
Introduce yourself and then invite yourself along to lunch. Or dinner. They loooove that! 😜 - bluefairy  643.8 #324 1:02AM
And pretty much the rest of their stay at the parks 😂 - Sweet_Irish_Cream  4409.5 #34 1:09AM
That's my MO - Katrayher  781.0 #251 2:06AM
High five, SIC! ✋ - bluefairy  643.8 #324 5:09AM
If you see us just say hi. We love makingnew friends. - chipanddalefan  733.4 #273 1:50AM
I've had so many people see my button, stare me down and not say anything... Creepers. - cynDOLEwhip  1175.7 #157 2:12AM
I've said sorry millions of times, what more do you need?!?! ;) - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1402.8 #130 5:12AM
😂😂😂 - LaPearleNoir  2355.0 #70 12:40PM
Imma stare you down next week - PinkElephants  745.7 #270 2:28PM
I would love to say hi or for someone to say hi to me! I've never met a fellow mouse waiter before. Is anyone going to be at the park Feb. 24-26? - RebelSpy93  79.3 #4050 12:12PM
22nd is my birthday. I'm planning on it! - MickeyFan  1205.7 #153 12:13PM
I will!!! :D look out for me on dapper day! I'll be in a red number, red lips, with a black veil hat! - AvidDisneyThrifter220  1402.8 #130 1:19PM
I will be there the feb 25-26!! - Echoingecho  134.2 #3033 1:21PM
I'll be there the 24th & 25th, staying at the grand! Woohoo! - Twitterpated  276.2 #1133 2:35PM
So excited to see you all! :D Can't wait for Dapper Day!... Just need to figure out what to wear lol - RebelSpy93  79.3 #4050 2:44PM
I have an idea. For anyone that posts a picture of themselves saying "if you see us don't be afraid to hi". Post a secret word. Anyone that see the person just say the word and we automatically you are part of mw. - cinderella85rivas  197.4 #2072 2:08PM
I can just use my safe word - madsdad  1868.2 #98 2:26PM
Mine is Banana😜 - Mouse4life  1681.4 #104 2:42PM
😂😂😂 I can just see everybody going up to Madsdad, "Hi. Uh... Wreck it Ralph?" - Waites4DodgerEars_CM  1002.5 #195 2:51PM
My word would be mahna mahna - cinderella85rivas  197.4 #2072 3:11PM
lol waites4dodgerears!!!!!! - madsdad  1868.2 #98 3:38PM
How about, "excuse me. You look like someone I have seen on MW. Is your name Donald Duck, by any chance? I'm DaisyDuck." and if they look at you weird, well, it's a big park. No, actually you will continue to run into them 13 more times that day! Or you could go to a scheduled meetup. But I don't think there's anything wrong with simply asking someone if that's who they are. Have fun! - MeridaFan  4244.1 #36 3:03PM
As long as you don't follow them and/or post a picture...I think you're safe. 😜 - bluefairy  643.8 #324 9:13PM
Im not a stalker, dont worry. Wait, isnt that what a stalker would say???? - pinkmonkeys  543.4 #397 10:00PM
I'm work at an elementary school and sometimes the kids tell me they saw me somewhere. I get panicky because I don't know what I was doing, with whom, and if any of that can be misconstrued! I always ask them, "Why didn't you say hi?" because I need to know if I need to do damage control. 😂😂😂 - bluefairy  643.8 #324 10:17PM
A friendly I'm (place your name) and I am a MWer too is a good way to meet - E-Ticket  1472.5 #120 9:57PM

Thanked by:  Plutoin702 15.7 #8633

- LaPearleNoir  2355.0 #70 7:22PM
- teapotsandteacups  477.4 #465 3:50PM
- tina7321  160.6 #2609 10:07PM
- sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 7:45AM

Thank you for reading! - Admin  6:26PM
  - teapotsandteacups  477.4 #465 10:17PM
- sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 7:40AM

1. Fantasmicfan1

2. Winnie111286

3. Melody_CM

4. secretagentangel

5. ShariRenee

6. Coaster

7. grumpypapa

8. jacdanfan

9. dizneedude

10. goofygal

I love Disneyland! - Melody_CM  17466.5 #3 11:30PM
Me too - LaPearleNoir  2355.0 #70 1:11PM
Wow I've never made a list before. Thanks - disneybob49  807.9 #235 9:59AM

Ours is blank too with no plans anytime soon. That's why I come to ☺☺☺ - DisneyMom13  312.5 #868 7:30PM

Thank you! - Admin  5:04PM
Oh very cool!!  - sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 9:45AM

Thank you LiveLaughLoveDisney! - Admin  5:59PM

1. Winnie111286

2. Melody_CM

3. Fantasmicfan1

4. secretagentangel

5. Coaster

6. ShariRenee

7. grumpypapa

8. goofygal

9. dizneedude

10. Tom

Yea!  We'll be looking for your pics and "live" posts, too. Have a wonderful trip! - Ilovegoofy  54.1 #4731 3:36PM
Go Winnie! - DarthFairy  476.8 #466 7:17PM

Here are the top 10 News Contributors:

1. BaseballMickey

2. Stitch_Legacy

3. RickChavez

4. ScooterMike

5. SPandEvLover

6. caramiapoohluvsbb8

7. DLKenCA

8. IDVandalSkipperCM

9. Dave

10. LilSterner

May 31, 2016 06:00pm

Jun 03, 2016 06:00pm

Aug 06, 2016 12:00pm

MouseWait Meetups 2016
what is happening for one last time on aug 6? - MsTikiMermadam  1252.7 #142 12:31AM
It was January 8 I think but I left it as I think it's funny😂😂😂 I'll have to delete it😭😭 - secretagentangel  6447.1 #20 7:55PM
ok,  last time for btr....  😹 - MsTikiMermadam  1252.7 #142 6:03AM
i keep ending up with tues classes,  and missing the tues meetups.  so glad i have made a few of them! - MsTikiMermadam  1252.7 #142 6:05AM
I'll post the ones I know about, I'm switching some to weekends too. And maybe get a few others too! 😊 - secretagentangel  6447.1 #20 8:49PM
Hope you can, one day. Loads of fun!! - misschurro...  7279.9 #14 3:31PM
I posted that for last years end of some attractions but it made it August so now I need suggestions on what to do one last time😂😂😂😂😂😂 - secretagentangel  6447.1 #20 12:35AM

Yes, 1 question every 24 hrs was difficult to stick with.  - DisneyMom13  312.5 #868 6:28PM
Oh 😂😂 just realized that post was 2+ years old😂😂 well people are still taking turns very slowly. Maybe it's the app, not the players.  - DisneyMom13  312.5 #868 6:34PM
Can't wait! - sawman911  2824.2 #50 6:30PM
There should be a droid version of this. I. would love to play  - bryanjung1997  1.1 #68435 2:19PM

- RetroDisneyPins2002  42.7 #5222 8:01AM
- CT4625  45.4 #5101 8:30PM
- sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 12:25PM
 Cutest Plaid ever at your service! - Ilovegoofy  54.1 #4731 6:36PM

- MommyandBash  428.8 #527 4:52PM
- MissAmericaSings  428.0 #533 7:58AM
We want more books - sctoaonk75  286.1 #1037 7:42PM
- sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 12:55PM

1. DisneyMakesMeSmile

2. Goofytom

3. teapotsandteacups

4. sheridanrabbit

5. DisneyMom13

6. mamabeam

7. Dolewhipped

8. Moog

9. beentoall

10. Mckenzie1307

👋❤ - Tom  12307.0 #5 11:47AM
Yay !!!  - otilegna  2783.0 #51 9:42AM
 YOU!!! Having fun playing!! - DisneyMom13  312.5 #868 5:01PM

Here are the Top 10 MouseWaiters of All-Time:

1. Coaster

2. Winnie111286

3. Melody_CM

4. Dave

5. Tom

6. jacdanfan

7. goofygal

8. ShariRenee

9. Plumiegirl

10. uscdisneyteacher

Such great people on this list, many who doSo much for the app. 😍😍 - secretagentangel  6447.1 #20 2:09PM
Congrats - superdisneyman80  224.6 #1720 8:22PM

1. secretagentangel

2. jacdanfan

4. leopardditz2000

5. teapotsandteacups

6. DisneyGrandma

7. DarthFairy

8. debbiev

9. Melody_CM

10. MinnieMyLove

And they share - suzieq65  140.1 #2944 9:06PM
!!! And I thought working up to 73 credits was good lol - sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 12:21PM

unFORECAST for the month of May 2016

6 of us going Sunday 11 6 year have use that annual pass - jmmm  0.6 #75673 12:12PM
Have Saturdays been less busy then Tuesdays or Wednesdays recently? - TiDoubleGuhErr  0.3 #88333 12:07AM

thanks admin - Fantasmicfan1  3861.1 #40 9:42PM
  - jacdanfan  12150.4 #6 6:08AM
  - JediKitty  1148.8 #164 10:32PM
I miss the  - DisneyMom13  312.5 #868 1:34AM

Admin - Winnie111286  17540.7 #2 4:46PM
Great place!  - CT4625  45.4 #5101 6:29AM

Monorail REOPENS MAY 20
River Belle Terrace transforms into a table service restaurant Feb 10
Big Thunder Ranch and Barbecue CLOSED permanently
Fantasmic! Jan 10-TBA
Disneyland Railroad Jan 10-TBA
Mark Twain Riverboat Jan 10-TBA
Sailing Ship Columbia Jan 10-TBA
Davey Crocket Explorer Canoes Jan 10-TBA
Tom Sawyer Island Jan 10-TBA

Silly Symphony Swings closed -- TBA
Grizzly River Run closed April 18 -- May 17
Disney's Aladdin is permanenly closed--Frozen will take its place

hopefully never - Dave   13817.4 #4 9:27PM
Bully - secretagentangel  6447.1 #20 1:57PM
It was open today - AngieC  238.3 #1538 10:58PM

1. CobbPR

2. uscdisneyteacher

3. Winnie111286

4. Dave

5. BaseballMickey

6. misschurro...

7. Plumiegirl

8. Duchess_SMK

9. pikarich

10. Stitch_Legacy

is this just a standing thing? Never changes? - DarthFairy  476.8 #466 8:06PM

Just installed the MW app on my new phone yesterday. This will be very helpful for me since I am used to the android version. Thank you. - teapotsandteacups  477.4 #465 11:41PM

Weeeeee - MommyandBash  428.8 #527 10:29PM

i am so glad i got to experience it,  but did not have to go thru it! - MsTikiMermadam  1252.7 #142 5:56AM
Nice, my first time on the list and I have 2! Thank you!   - sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 11:56AM
Oops! It didn't seem to post the first time lol. Sorry for the double post.  - sunvalgifts  146.3 #2832 11:58AM

what is MSEP? - markchop  87.5 #3867 9:35PM
Main Street Electrical Parade - sawman911  2824.2 #50 9:33AM
!!! - DisneyMom13  312.5 #868 7:43PM
Nice pic!📷 - Stitchcrazy62622  22.6 #7121 10:18PM
Awesome!! - stanvoodoo  46.8 #5047 7:25PM

- DisneyMom13  312.5 #868 10:32AM
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Vaccine  2013;32(7):881-887.
PMCID: PMC3922536  PMID: 24360890
2.  Parafoveal preview during reading: Effects of sentence position
Two experiments examined parafoveal preview for words located in the middle of sentences and at sentence boundaries. Parafoveal processing was shown to occur for words at sentence-initial, mid-sentence, and sentence-final positions. Both Experiments 1 and 2 showed reduced effects of preview on regressions out for sentence-initial words. In addition, Experiment 2 showed reduced preview effects on first-pass reading times for sentence-initial words. These effects of sentence position on preview could result from reduced parafoveal processing for sentence-initial words, or other processes specific to word reading at sentence boundaries. In addition to the effects of preview, the experiments also demonstrate variability in the effects of sentence wrap-up on different reading measures, indicating that the presence and time course of wrap-up effects may be modulated by text-specific factors. We also report simulations of Experiment 2 using version 10 of E-Z Reader (Reichle, Warren, & McConnell, 2009), designed to explore the possible mechanisms underlying parafoveal preview at sentence boundaries.
PMCID: PMC3140553  PMID: 21500948
reading; eye movements; E-Z Reader; parafoveal preview; wrap-up effects
3.  Larger Extrastriate Population Receptive Fields in Autism Spectrum Disorders
The Journal of Neuroscience  2014;34(7):2713-2724.
Previous behavioral research suggests enhanced local visual processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Here we used functional MRI and population receptive field (pRF) analysis to test whether the response selectivity of human visual cortex is atypical in individuals with high-functioning ASDs compared with neurotypical, demographically matched controls. For each voxel, we fitted a pRF model to fMRI signals measured while participants viewed flickering bar stimuli traversing the visual field. In most extrastriate regions, perifoveal pRFs were larger in the ASD group than in controls. We observed no differences in V1 or V3A. Differences in the hemodynamic response function, eye movements, or increased measurement noise could not account for these results; individuals with ASDs showed stronger, more reliable responses to visual stimulation. Interestingly, pRF sizes also correlated with individual differences in autistic traits but there were no correlations with behavioral measures of visual processing. Our findings thus suggest that visual cortex in ASDs is not characterized by sharper spatial selectivity. Instead, we speculate that visual cortical function in ASDs may be characterized by extrastriate cortical hyperexcitability or differential attentional deployment.
PMCID: PMC3921434  PMID: 24523560
autism; perceptual function; population receptive fields; retinotopy; tuning; vision
4.  Eye Movements When Reading Transposed Text: The Importance of Word-Beginning Letters
Participants’ eye movements were recorded as they read sentences with words containing transposed adjacent letters. Transpositions were either external (e.g., problme, rpoblem) or internal (e.g., porblem, probelm) and at either the beginning (e.g., rpoblem, porblem) or end (e.g., problme, probelm) of words. The results showed disruption for words with transposed letters compared to the normal baseline condition, and the greatest disruption was observed for word-initial transpositions. In Experiment 1, transpositions within low frequency words led to longer reading times than when letters were transposed within high frequency words. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the position of word-initial letters is most critical even when parafoveal preview of words to the right of fixation is unavailable. The findings have important implications for the roles of different letter positions in word recognition and the effects of parafoveal preview on word recognition processes.
PMCID: PMC2662926  PMID: 18823209
reading; eye movements; word recognition; transposed letters; parafoveal processing
5.  Using E-Z Reader to examine the concurrent development of eye-movement control and reading skill
Developmental review : DR  2013;33(2):110-149.
Compared to skilled adult readers, children typically make more fixations that are longer in duration, shorter saccades, and more regressions, thus reading more slowly (Blythe & Joseph, 2011). Recent attempts to understand the reasons for these differences have discovered some similarities (e.g., children and adults target their saccades similarly; Joseph, Liversedge, Blythe, White, & Rayner, 2009) and some differences (e.g., children’s fixation durations are more affected by lexical variables; Blythe, Liversedge, Joseph, White, & Rayner, 2009) that have yet to be explained. In this article, the E-Z Reader model of eye-movement control in reading (Reichle, 2011; Reichle, Pollatsek, Fisher, & Rayner, 1998) is used to simulate various eye-movement phenomena in adults vs. children in order to evaluate hypotheses about the concurrent development of reading skill and eye-movement behavior. These simulations suggest that the primary difference between children and adults is their rate of lexical processing, and that different rates of (post-lexical) language processing may also contribute to some phenomena (e.g., children’s slower detection of semantic anomalies; Joseph et al., 2008). The theoretical implications of this hypothesis are discussed, including possible alternative accounts of these developmental changes, how reading skill and eye movements change across the entire lifespan (e.g., college-aged vs. older readers), and individual differences in reading ability.
PMCID: PMC3774954  PMID: 24058229
Computer model; Eye movements; E-Z Reader; Lexical access; Reading; Reading skill
6.  Anti-cocaine antibody and butyrylcholinesterase-derived cocaine hydrolase exert cooperative effects on cocaine pharmacokinetics and cocaine-induced locomotor activity in mice
Chemico-biological interactions  2012;203(1):212-216.
We are investigating treatments for cocaine abuse based on viral gene transfer of a cocaine hydrolase (CocH) derived from human butyrylcholinesterase, which can reduce cocaine-stimulated locomotion and cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in rats for many months. Here, in mice, we explored the possibility that anti-cocaine antibodies can complement the actions of CocH to reduce cocaine uptake in brain and block centrally-evoked locomotor stimulation. Direct injections of test proteins showed that CocH (0.3 or 1 mg/kg) was effective by itself in reducing drug levels in plasma and brain of mice given cocaine (10 mg/kg, s.c., or 20 mg/kg, i.p). Administration of cocaine antibody per se at a low dose (8 mg/kg, i.p.) exerted little effect on cocaine distribution. However, a higher dose of antibody (12 mg/kg) caused peripheral trapping (increased plasma drug levels), which led to increased cocaine metabolism by CocH, as evidenced by a 6-fold rise in plasma benzoic acid. Behavioral tests with small doses of CocH and antibody (1 and 8 mg/kg, respectively) showed that neither agent alone reduced mouse locomotor activity triggered by a very large cocaine dose (100 mg/kg, i.p.). However, dual treatment completely suppressed the locomotor stimulation. Altogether, we found cooperative and possibly synergistic actions that warrant further exploration of dual therapies for treatment of cocaine abuse.
PMCID: PMC3572300  PMID: 22960160
7.  Leptin-based Adjuvants: An Innovative Approach to Improve Vaccine Response
Vaccine  2013;31(13):1666-1672.
PMCID: PMC3596421  PMID: 23370154
8.  Reading Direction and the Central Perceptual Span in Urdu and English
PLoS ONE  2014;9(2):e88358.
Normal reading relies on the reader making a series of saccadic eye movements along lines of text, separated by brief fixational pauses during which visual information is acquired from a region of text. In English and other alphabetic languages read from left to right, the region from which useful information is acquired during each fixational pause is generally reported to extend further to the right of each fixation than to the left. However, the asymmetry of the perceptual span for alphabetic languages read in the opposite direction (i.e., from right to left) has received much less attention. Accordingly, in order to more fully investigate the asymmetry in the perceptual span for these languages, the present research assessed the influence of reading direction on the perceptual span for bilingual readers of Urdu and English.
Methods and Findings
Text in Urdu and English was presented either entirely as normal or in a gaze-contingent moving-window paradigm in which a region of text was displayed as normal at the reader's point of fixation and text outside this region was obscured. The windows of normal text extended symmetrically 0.5° of visual angle to the left and right of fixation, or asymmetrically by increasing the size of each window to 1.5° or 2.5° to either the left or right of fixation. When participants read English, performance for the window conditions was superior when windows extended to the right. However, when reading Urdu, performance was superior when windows extended to the left, and was essentially the reverse of that observed for English.
These findings provide a novel indication that the perceptual span is modified by the language being read to produce an asymmetry in the direction of reading and show for the first time that such an asymmetry occurs for reading Urdu.
PMCID: PMC3934859  PMID: 24586316
9.  Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
Measles, mumps, and rubella are viral diseases that may adversely affect non-immune pregnant women and their fetuses/neonates. Prevention of these diseases and their complications can be achieved through measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination prior to pregnancy. The vaccine is contraindicated during pregnancy because it contains live, attenuated viruses that pose a theoretical risk to the fetus. However, accidental receipt of MMR vaccination is not known to cause maternal/fetal complications. MMR immunization is recommended to non-immune obstetric patients upon completion or termination of pregnancy.
PMCID: PMC3334858  PMID: 22510638
Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine; Measles; Mumps; Rubella; Congenital Rubella Syndrome; Obstetrics
10.  Replication of Associations between Cytokine and Cytokine Receptor Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Measles-Specific Adaptive Immunophenotypic Extremes
Human Immunology  2012;73(6):636-640.
Our objective was to replicate previously reported associations between cytokine and cytokine receptor SNPs and humoral and CMI (cell-mediated immune) responses to measles vaccine. All subjects (n=758) received two doses of MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccine. From these subjects, candidate cytokine and cytokine receptor SNPs were genotyped and analyzed in 29–30 subjects falling into one of four “extreme” humoral (Abhigh/low) and CMI (CMIhigh/low) response quadrants. Associations between seven SNPs (out of 11 in the discovery study) and measles-specific neutralizing antibody levels and IFN-γ ELISPOT responses were evaluated using chi-square tests. We found one replicated association for SNP rs372889 in the IL12RB1 gene (P=0.03 for AbhighCMIhigh versus AblowCMIlow). Our findings demonstrate the importance of replicating genotypic-phenotypic associations, which can be achieved using immunophenotypic extremes and smaller sample sizes. We speculate that IL12RB1 polymorphisms may affect IL-12 and IL-23 binding and downstream effects, which are critical cytokines in the CMI response to measles vaccine.
PMCID: PMC3368081  PMID: 22504412
Measles immunity; SNP; Cytokine Receptor; IL12RB1; Replication Study
11.  Exploring the building blocks of social cognition: spontaneous agency perception and visual perspective taking in autism
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders have highly characteristic impairments in social interaction and this is true also for those with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome (AS). These social cognitive impairments are far from global and it seems likely that some of the building blocks of social cognition are intact. In our first experiment, we investigated whether high functioning adults who also had a diagnosis of AS would be similar to control participants in terms of their eye movements when watching animated triangles in short movies that normally evoke mentalizing. They were. Our second experiment using the same movies, tested whether both groups would spontaneously adopt the visuo-spatial perspective of a triangle protagonist. They did. At the same time autistic participants differed in their verbal accounts of the story line underlying the movies, confirming their specific difficulties in on-line mentalizing. In spite of this difficulty, two basic building blocks of social cognition appear to be intact: spontaneous agency perception and spontaneous visual perspective taking.
PMCID: PMC3190214  PMID: 20934986
theory of mind; mental state; social cognition; eye movements; triangle animations
12.  Distributional Effects of Word Frequency on Eye Fixation Durations
Recent research using word recognition paradigms such as lexical decision and speeded pronunciation has investigated how a range of variables affect the location and shape of response time distributions, using both parametric and non-parametric techniques. In this article, we explore the distributional effects of a word frequency manipulation on fixation durations in normal reading, making use of data from two recent eye movement experiments (Drieghe, Rayner, & Pollatsek, 2008; White, 2008). The ex-Gaussian distribution provided a good fit to the shape of individual subjects’ distributions in both experiments. The frequency manipulation affected both the shift and skew of the distributions, in both experiments, and this conclusion was supported by the non-parametric vincentizing technique. Finally, a new experiment demonstrated that White’s (2008) frequency manipulation also affects both shift and skew in RT distributions in the lexical decision task. These results argue against models of eye movement control in reading that propose that word frequency influences only a subset of fixations, and support models in which there is a tight connection between eye movement control and the progress of lexical processing.
PMCID: PMC2948239  PMID: 20873939
13.  Vulnerability to (+)-Methamphetamine Effects and the Relationship to Drug Disposition in Pregnant Rats during Chronic Infusion
Toxicological Sciences  2009;111(1):27-36.
Chronic (+)-methamphetamine (METH) use during pregnancy increases the health risk for both mother and fetus. To provide insights into these risks, the relationship between changes in METH disposition and METH-induced pharmacological effects were studied in Sprague-Dawley rat dams and litters. Timed-pregnant rats (n = 5–6) were given saline or METH (5.6–17.8 mg/kg/day) by continuous sc infusion from gestational day (GD) 7 (before organogenesis) until GD21 (0–2 days before delivery). By GD11, all rats in the 17.8-mg/kg/day group died or were sacrificed for humane reasons. There were significant (p < 0.05) dose- and gestational time-dependent decreases in maternal body weight in the 10- to 13.2-mg/kg/day groups, which slowly recovered to near normal by GD21. Continued METH dosing in the surviving groups did not affect the mean pups/litter weight at the end of the experiment on GD21. While maternal and fetal METH and (+)-amphetamine serum concentrations were similar on GD21, brain concentrations were significantly greater in the dams (p < 0.05). Importantly, brain-to-serum ratios in the dams were 9:1 and 3:1 in the pups. METH systemic clearance (ClS) in dams significantly (p < 0.05) decreased from 52 ± 14 ml/min/kg on GD10 to 28 ± 6 ml/min/kg on GD21 in all dose groups, indicating late-gestational stage reductions in METH ClS. Overall, these findings suggest that there were two periods of increased susceptibility for dams and fetuses during chronic METH treatment. First was the period after the start of METH dosing in which neuroadaptation and tolerance to METH occurs in the adult. The second was at the end of pregnancy when METH clearance was significantly reduced.
PMCID: PMC2726297  PMID: 19520673
methamphetamine; pregnancy; rat; drug abuse; pharmacokinetics
14.  Visual information capture during fixations in reading for children and adults
Vision research  2009;49(12):1583-1591.
Two experiments were undertaken to examine whether there is an age-related change in the speed with which readers can capture visual information during fixations in reading. Children’s and adults’ eye movements were recorded as they read sentences that were presented either normally or as “disappearing text”. The disappearing text manipulation had a surprisingly small effect on the children, inconsistent with the notion of an age-related change in the speed with which readers can capture visual information from the page. Instead, we suggest that differences between adults and children are related to the level of difficulty of the sentences for readers of different ages.
PMCID: PMC2692560  PMID: 19328823
children; eye movements; reading
15.  Investigating the causes of wrap-up effects: Evidence from eye movements and E-Z Reader
Cognition  2009;111(1):132-137.
Wrap-up effects in reading have traditionally been thought to reflect increased processing associated with intra- and inter-clause integration (Just & Carpenter, 1980; Rayner, Kambe & Duffy, 2000; cf. Hirotani, Frazier, & Rayner, 2006). We report an eye-tracking experiment with a strong manipulation of integrative complexity at a critical word that was either sentence-final, ended a comma-marked clause, or was not comma marked. Although both complexity and punctuation each had reliable effects, they did not interact in any eye-movement measure. These results and simulations using the E-Z Reader model of eye-movement control (Reichle, Warren, & McConnell, 2009) suggest that traditional accounts of clause wrap-up are incomplete.
PMCID: PMC2682724  PMID: 19215911
16.  Eye Movements and the Use of Parafoveal Word Length Information in Reading
Eye movements were monitored in 4 experiments that explored the role of parafoveal word length in reading. The experiments employed a type of compound word where the deletion of a letter results in 2 short words (e.g., backhand, back and). The boundary technique (K. Rayner, 1975) was employed to manipulate word length information in the parafovea. Accuracy of the parafoveal word length preview significantly affected landing positions and fixation durations. This disruption was larger for 2-word targets, but the results demonstrated that this interaction was not due to the morphological status of the target words. Manipulation of sentence context also demonstrated that parafoveal word length information can be used in combination with sentence context to narrow down lexical candidates. The 4 experiments converge in demonstrating that an important role of parafoveal word length information is to direct the eyes to the center of the parafoveal word.
PMCID: PMC2668122  PMID: 19045993
eye movements; reading; parafoveal length information
17.  Children’s and adults’ processing of anomaly and implausibility during reading: Evidence from eye movements
The eye movements of 24 children and 24 adults were monitored to compare how they read sentences containing plausible, implausible, and anomalous thematic relations. In the implausible condition the incongruity occurred due to the incompatibility of two objects involved in the event denoted by the main verb. In the anomalous condition the direct object of the verb was not a possible verb argument. Adults exhibited immediate disruption with the anomalous sentences as compared to the implausible sentences as indexed by longer gaze durations on the target word. Children exhibited the same pattern of effects as adults as far as the anomalous sentences were concerned, but exhibited delayed effects of implausibility. These data indicate that while children and adults are alike in their basic thematic assignment processes during reading, children may be delayed in the efficiency with which they are able to integrate pragmatic and real-world knowledge into their discourse representation.
PMCID: PMC2662929  PMID: 17853235

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EAMFE.A. Mundkowsky Finishing (West Springfield, PA)
EAMFEqual Access Multifrequency
EAMFÉcole des Apprentis Mécaniciens de la Flotte (French: Fleet Mechanics Apprentice School)
EAMFÉcole des Arts Martiaux Français (French: French School of Martial Arts)
EAMFElizabethtown Area Music Foundation (est. 1963; Elizabethtown, PA)

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The arts can increase teacher retention and engagement

Arts education helps prepare students for college and careers

The research base suggests that arts education develops a set of skills and capacities closely aligned with those that policymakers and education leaders believe are necessary for success in the 21st Century. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, communication, and collaboration—skills key to tackling the intellectual and professional challenges students will face in high-tech environs. They also include the social skills and capacities necessary for citizenship in an increasingly plural society and global world—including empathy and cross-cultural understanding (read more).

The arts can turn around low performing schools

Arts education can help close the achievement gap

Studies finds that arts education engages students who are often underserved in public schools, including students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds and English language learners; that these students do better in arts-rich schools than in schools that do not have robust arts programs; and that they show the greatest relative improvement in academic achievement when participating in the arts. The more time they study the arts, the more pronounced are these effects. Studies further find that arts integrated instruction offers an alternative avenue for students to access and learn information in English language arts and mathematics and may be more effective than traditional remedial programs, thus offering a resource in helping to close the achievement gap. Teachers who integrate the arts into their curricula find that they are better able to understand and meet the needs of all of their students. Research suggests that policymakers should consider increasing rather than reducing the role of the arts in schools where an achievement gap persists between students from low-SES backgrounds, English language learners, and other student groups (read more).


Sacred Land: Intuitive Gardening for Personal, Political and Environmental Change by Clea Danaan, Paperback | Barnes & Noble
Sacred Land: Intuitive Gardening for Personal, Political and Environmental Change
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Sacred Land: Intuitive Gardening for Personal, Political and Environmental Change

by Clea Danaan

Clea Danaan breaks new ground with Sacred Land—a fresh approach to sacred gardening that goes beyond your own backyard.

In this positive and practical handbook, Danaan shows how organic gardening can germinate environmental awareness and political change while feeding your spirit. You'll learn how to plan and plant your garden, create compost, save

In this positive and practical handbook, Danaan shows how organic gardening can germinate environmental awareness and political change while feeding your spirit. You'll learn how to plan and plant your garden, create compost, save seeds, conserve and transmute water, connect with garden goddesses, and incorporate planetary energy in your garden.

Sacred Land explores the benefits of native plants, organic food and agriculture, buying locally, and eating seasonally. It suggests simple yet effective ways of spreading the message of ecology and sustainability to your community. You'll discover how to get along with ants, bats, bees, butterflies, fairies, frogs, gnomes, worms, and other creatures who share our gardens. This one-of-a-kind gardening guidebook also includes inspiring stories of women activists, farmers, artists, and healers who are making a difference in the world.

Book text printed on recycled paper

2007 Foreword Book of the Year Finalist

2008 Independent Publisher Book Award for "Most Likely to Save the Planet" - Bronze Medal Winner

Product Details

Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.
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Read an Excerpt

The Sacred Soil

The soil is a vast kingdom beneath our feet, home to giant and minute earthworms, billions of bacteria and microspiders and ants, and wise, ancient stones. Rich black, sandy red, or pale and gritty, it is in the soil that life on land begins. But not all soil is the same-far from it.

The first step to getting to know a garden is to meet and appreciate the soil. The health of a garden depends on its soil. Just as a good house needs a strong foundation or a healthy child needs a stable home, a garden needs well-balanced, healthy soil.

Soil is a garden's immune system. Since soil builds a garden, and the garden brings health and healing to the gardener and the land, we begin our magic-making and world-healing in the dirt.

A few summers ago, I prepared a garden bed that had not been touched for years, a plot of mostly hard-packed clay. I turned over piles of the dark, slate-gray soil with my shovel. The sandy clay, granular but compact and moist, supported a few worms, including two behemoth night crawlers. Bits of charred wood and carbon specked the soil, perhaps remnants of an old burn. It smelled like a dripping cave, damp and cool. I felt a sense of the soil awakening, seeing sunlight for the first time in many years. I also sensed a curiosity from the soil itself and a willingness to explore the co-creative journey of garden-making.

In another bed in another garden, I met very different soil. Pale and gritty, the land had baked beneath Colorado sun for years. Digging it was like scraping ice, hard and unyielding. I felt a mistrust from it, like a rattlesnake eyeing me askance. Beneath this top dry layer lay clay, stone, and bedrock, layers that would give my garden a hardy, determined energy.

Whether you have worked a garden space for years or you approach a new bed that you have never met, take time to get to know the energy, perand style of the land. This is the beginning of any sacred gardening partnership.

Getting to Know the Soil
In this book, I offer meditations for getting to know the garden better, and for sinking more deeply into yourself. We begin with the soil, the literal and energetic ground of the garden.

Find somewhere you can touch soil-a comfortable place outside or with a potted plant indoors. Sit in front of your plot of earth, and place your hands gently on the dirt. Feel its temperature and texture. Scoop up a handful, and look carefully at the soil, perhaps with a magnifying glass. Smell the soil.

As you interact with this earth, ask yourself how it relates to your own body. How do you express the qualities of strength and groundedness or of creativity and fertility in your life? Ask the soil aloud or in your mind what it has to teach you about being solid, about growing muscular roots. Feel any shifts in your body as you respond to the soil and it responds to you. When everyday mind-chatter slips in again, let it go, and bring your awareness back to your body and the soil. Take a few moments to still your mind and just be with the soil.

Expand your awareness of soil to include your entire garden, be it acreage or a window box. Walk through your garden, picking up handfuls of soil and extending all your senses. What do you notice? What does the land tell you about its history? How does each area interact with water or sunlight differently? How does the soil smell? Keep checking in with the sensations in your body. How does your heart respond to the soil?

Your hands? Your breath, your muscles, your mood?

Open-minded, openhearted observation is the first step in working with any garden space. Each garden is unique, with its own personality needs, and quirks. Just as you would in meeting any new friend, spend time listening and looking to know the land on its own terms.

You may wish to start a gardening journal, where you record your journey as a sacred gardener. Begin now by writing down what you discover about the soil. Add to your journal frequently, including drawings, photographs, and observations that are both objective and subjective. All of this information will aid you in working with your garden; testing the soil and feeling it with your heart are simply different ways of listening to the earth. Let your journal and your relationship with the land and its parts evolve like a poem written over time.

Draw a map of your garden in your journal, indicating what you discover from and about your soil, including sense impressions and soil tests. Record different colors of soil, size of the particles, water retention, and other observations. Which areas of the garden are in shade, and which are baked by sun? How does this change throughout the year? From which way does the wind blow in the summer? The winter? Do power lines cross the garden? Is there a nearby source of water? Does a neighboring tree drop leaves, needles, or fruit on your yard? What other elements affect your garden? Include the date of your observations, just to see how your skill of observation using all of your senses, including your "extra" senses, develops and changes over time.

You can also get to know your soil on a more "scientific" level by observing what types of soil make up your land, including its components, pH, and nutrient levels. This is valuable information in co-creating a garden with your land. What you discover about levels of nutrients can confirm what you sense in your body and can provide important information about the land.

Soil Components
Since soil is so complex and so important, an understanding of what lives there is crucial in creating a vibrant garden. It is also important to know what kind of soil you have in addition to having a felt sense of your soil's energy.

There are three kinds of particles that make up dirt: sand, silt, and clay. The balance of these particles determines how well the soil retains water and supports nutrients and microbes. Most soils are a combination of these particles. A combination of sand, silt, and clay is called loam.

To identify the type of soil you have, rub some moist soil between your fingers. Sand feels gritty, while silt feels smooth, and clay feels sticky. Now squeeze a moistened ball of dirt in your hand. Sand or sandy loam will break with slight pressure. Silty loam stays together but changes shape easily, and clay loam resists breaking when squeezed.

The soil type can also be determined by observing how well it absorbs water. Dig a cubic-foot-sized hole and let it dry completely over a few days (cover with a tarp if rain is due or your climate is dewy in the mornings), then fill the dry hole with water and monitor how long it takes for the water to drain. Sandy soil will drain in less than five minutes, while clay soil can hold water for more than ten minutes, depending on how much silt the soil contains. Silt retains water, but not as much as clay.

Ideal garden soil varies, depending on what you wish to grow (and what your land wishes to grow), but gardeners generally aim for what is called humus. Humus is a balanced loam rich in organic matter. It drains well but retains moisture, contains lots of nutrients, and allows the right amount of air and water to penetrate the soil particles. To create humus, regardless of what kind of soil you have, you need to add organic matter, which is discussed more fully later.

Soil is like a plant's immune system, and like our own immune system it requires plentiful and balanced nutrients. To determine what nutrients and minerals are present in your soil and which ones need boosting, use a soil test kit. They are relatively inexpensive, available at good garden stores, and are a fun science experiment. Test your soil at the end of a season, long after applying any fertilizer, manure, or compost to the garden. Scoop three tablespoons of dirt from two to six inches below the surface, taking care to not touch the soil with your hands. Let it dry in a paper bag in indirect sunlight. Following the directions that came with your kit, mix the soil with the test solutions. Your test will tell you the soil's pH, or acid level, and the presence of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash. Some tests include other crucial nutrients like calcium. I will discuss later how to amend and fertilize your soil as needed for optimum garden growth.

Many things affect the makeup of your soil, from weather and climate to the history of the land. These variables determine what aggregates form in a given place, and also who lives there. Earthworms, bacteria, and other earthy creatures have a big affect on soil. Healthy populations of these earth allies mean a healthy garden.

Earth Ally:

There are 1,800 known species of earthworms. Most garden worms are one of four kinds: night crawlers, red worms, manure worms, and garden or field worms. Worms plow the soil underground by eating decaying vegetation and dirt. They bore tunnels in the soil, allowing the air needed by microorganisms and roots to penetrate the soil. What worms don't use for their own energy is excreted as worm castings, which are full of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, all necessary nutrients for living soil.

Worms till thousands of pounds of soil per acre each year. By tilling so much soil and turning organic matter into worm manure, these little annelids improve soil fertility. They fertilize and enliven the soil just by going about their business, providing an invaluable service to gardeners. Their work affects bacteria populations, the porousness of the soil, and overall soil health. Cindy Hale of the University of Minnesota points out, "Worms are literally ecosystem engineers. They are at the base of the ecosystem. Their actions drive everything else that happens." 2

Worms are hermaphroditic, sacred to Hermes. The messenger of the gods, Hermes rules over communication, profit, travel, and the cross-roads. He leads the dead into the Underworld. Originally he was joined with Aphrodite, giving us the term herm-aphro-dite, god and goddess in one. Worms bring a gender balance to the foundation of every garden.

"Worms are redeemers," writes Amy Stewart in The Earth Moved. "They move through waste and decay in their contemplative way, sifting, turning it into something else, something that is better.” 3

In what ways might worm energy help you in sifting through your own life and bringing about transformation? How might they bring nutrition and balance into your garden—the one in the soil and the larger garden of life?

Meet the Author

Clea Danaan (Colorado) has been gardening organically for over twenty years. Her articles on ecology and spirituality have appeared in SageWoman, Witches & Pagans, GreenSpirit, and Organic Family magazines. She is the author of Sacred Land, Voices of the Earth, Living Earth Devotional, and The Way of the Hen. Her background in Reiki, expressive arts therapies, outdoor education, and somatic psychology inform her integrated and ecumenical writings. Visit her online at

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We are funded primarily by donations by people just like you:
people who are grateful to have enough food on the table,

Our policy is to try to give enough food and personal needs items to last a household for a week.
We ask guests to try to limit their visits to once a month, and then we also provide them
with information on additional sources of assistance they can find throughout the community.

We welcome all who come through our doors, with compassion and respect.
People often need more than just food.
It is our goal to comfort and encourage those who are hurting,
by listening and offering friendship and understanding when they need it most.

What a blessing it is to help a mother to find diapers for her child and maybe some laundry soap to wash her family’s clothes.
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How amazing it is to pray with someone seeking healing and peace.

It has become our mission to serve joyfully,
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and to share the hope of a better future.

And it all begins with the gift of food


Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...: Sir Elton John

Sir Elton John

Elvis and Elton explore Elton John's love and passion for many of the musicians who've had an impact on his life and career - with some candid and hilarious anecdotes along the way.

Other Spectacle: Elvis Costello with... videos


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1.  Histone acetylations mark origins of polycistronic transcription in Leishmania major
BMC Genomics  2009;10:152.
Many components of the RNA polymerase II transcription machinery have been identified in kinetoplastid protozoa, but they diverge substantially from other eukaryotes. Furthermore, protein-coding genes in these organisms lack individual transcriptional regulation, since they are transcribed as long polycistronic units. The transcription initiation sites are assumed to lie within the 'divergent strand-switch' regions at the junction between opposing polycistronic gene clusters. However, the mechanism by which Kinetoplastidae initiate transcription is unclear, and promoter sequences are undefined.
The chromosomal location of TATA-binding protein (TBP or TRF4), Small Nuclear Activating Protein complex (SNAP50), and H3 histones were assessed in Leishmania major using microarrays hybridized with DNA obtained through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-chip). The TBP and SNAP50 binding patterns were almost identical and high intensity peaks were associated with tRNAs and snRNAs. Only 184 peaks of acetylated H3 histone were found in the entire genome, with substantially higher intensity in rapidly-dividing cells than stationary-phase. The majority of the acetylated H3 peaks were found at divergent strand-switch regions, but some occurred at chromosome ends and within polycistronic gene clusters. Almost all these peaks were associated with lower intensity peaks of TBP/SNAP50 binding a few kilobases upstream, evidence that they represent transcription initiation sites.
The first genome-wide maps of DNA-binding protein occupancy in a kinetoplastid organism suggest that H3 histones at the origins of polycistronic transcription of protein-coding genes are acetylated. Global regulation of transcription initiation may be achieved by modifying the acetylation state of these origins.
PMCID: PMC2679053  PMID: 19356248
2.  The promoter and transcribed regions of the Leishmania tarentolae spliced leader RNA gene array are devoid of nucleosomes
BMC Microbiology  2007;7:44.
The spliced leader (SL) RNA provides the 5' m7G cap and first 39 nt for all nuclear mRNAs in kinetoplastids. This small nuclear RNA is transcribed by RNA polymerase II from individual promoters. In Leishmania tarentolae the SL RNA genes reside in two multi-copy tandem arrays designated MINA and MINB. The transcript accumulation from the SL promoter on the drug-selected, episomal SL RNA gene cassette pX-tSL is ~10% that of the genomic array in uncloned L. tarentolae transfectants. This disparity is neither sequence- nor copy-number related, and thus may be due to interference of SL promoter function by epigenetic factors. To explore these possibilities we examined the nucleoplasmic localization of the SL RNA genes as well as their nucleosomal architecture.
The genomic SL RNA genes and the episome did not co-localize within the nucleus. Each genomic repeat contains one nucleosome regularly positioned within the non-transcribed intergenic region. The 363-bp MINA array was resistant to micrococcal nuclease digestion between the -258 and -72 positions relative to the transcription start point due to nucleosome association, leaving the promoter elements and the entire transcribed region exposed for protein interactions. A pattern of ~164-bp protected segments was observed, corresponding to the amount of DNA typically bound by a nucleosome. By contrast, nucleosomes on the pX-tSL episome were randomly distributed over the episomal SL cassette, reducing transcription factor access to the episomal promoter by approximately 74%. Cloning of the episome transfectants revealed a range of transcriptional activities, implicating a mechanism of epigenetic heredity.
The disorganized nucleosomes on the pX episome are in a permissive conformation for transcription of the SL RNA cassette approximately 25% of the time within a given parasite. Nucleosome interference is likely the major factor in the apparent transcriptional repression of the SL RNA gene cassette. Coupled with the requirement for run-around transcription that drives expression of the selectable drug marker, transcription of the episomal SL may be reduced even further due to sub-optimal nucleoplasmic localization and initiation complex disruption.
PMCID: PMC1888695  PMID: 17517143
3.  Trypanosoma cruzi mitochondrial maxicircles display species- and strain-specific variation and a conserved element in the non-coding region
BMC Genomics  2006;7:60.
The mitochondrial DNA of kinetoplastid flagellates is distinctive in the eukaryotic world due to its massive size, complex form and large sequence content. Comprised of catenated maxicircles that contain rRNA and protein-coding genes and thousands of heterogeneous minicircles encoding small guide RNAs, the kinetoplast network has evolved along with an extreme form of mRNA processing in the form of uridine insertion and deletion RNA editing. Many maxicircle-encoded mRNAs cannot be translated without this post-transcriptional sequence modification.
We present the complete sequence and annotation of the Trypanosoma cruzi maxicircles for the CL Brener and Esmeraldo strains. Gene order is syntenic with Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania tarentolae maxicircles. The non-coding components have strain-specific repetitive regions and a variable region that is unique for each strain with the exception of a conserved sequence element that may serve as an origin of replication, but shows no sequence identity with L. tarentolae or T. brucei. Alternative assemblies of the variable region demonstrate intra-strain heterogeneity of the maxicircle population. The extent of mRNA editing required for particular genes approximates that seen in T. brucei. Extensively edited genes were more divergent among the genera than non-edited and rRNA genes. Esmeraldo contains a unique 236-bp deletion that removes the 5'-ends of ND4 and CR4 and the intergenic region. Esmeraldo shows additional insertions and deletions outside of areas edited in other species in ND5, MURF1, and MURF2, while CL Brener has a distinct insertion in MURF2.
The CL Brener and Esmeraldo maxicircles represent two of three previously defined maxicircle clades and promise utility as taxonomic markers. Restoration of the disrupted reading frames might be accomplished by strain-specific RNA editing. Elements in the non-coding region may be important for replication, transcription, and anchoring of the maxicircle within the kinetoplast network.
PMCID: PMC1559615  PMID: 16553959

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Prince Charles and Camilla visit Hindu prayer ceremony in India - video

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visit a Hindu temple in Rishikesh, northern India, on the first leg on a nine-day trip to the country. The royal offers his sympathy following mass flooding and rain which ravaged the town in June. He claims people need to 'rediscover their connections with nature' to ensure a better future


From the UK’s Telegraph:

“Demand for power from homes and businesses will exceed supply from the national grid within eight years, according to official figures. The shortage of supplies will hit the equivalent of many as 16 million families for at least one hour during the year, it is forecast.

Not since the early 1970s when the three-day week was introduced to preserve coal has Britain faced the prospect of rationing energy use. The gap between Britain’s energy needs and demand throws fresh doubt on the Government’s assertion that renewable energy can make up for dwindling nuclear and coal capabilities.

Over the next 10 years, one third of Britain’s power-generating capacity needs to be replaced with cleaner fuels. But last night the Conservatives said that Labour had refused to face up to the problem.

Renewable energy may have a role to play in energy markets, but not at the expense of rolling brownouts or blackouts. Reliable electricity is a basic need that should not be sacrificed to meet an artificial renewable energy mandate. By creating a federal renewable portfolio standard, governments are essentially forcing costlier, less reliable energy on the people. The central criteria for any country’s energy policy should be that it is cost-effective and able to compete without any subsidies, mandates or special tax breaks from the government.

Windmills and solar panels are being built all over the world, but both typically only supply a small fraction of a nation’s electricity supply. In the United States, for instance, renewable energy provided 8.4 percent of total U.S. electricity generation in 2007. Of that 8.4 percent, only 9 percent came from wind and 0.2 percent came from solar. And this is after years of government subsidies and tax breaks. Most (71 percent) came from hydroelectric power.

Any subsidy, whatever the source of energy or product, distorts normal market forces, drives prices higher, and encourages government dependence.

Consumers shouldn’t have to worry about whether their lights will turn on but if the government starts rationing energy as a result of bad energy policies like renewable energy mandates that Congress is considering, , that will be the direction we’re headed.


Welcome to a new era of holistic well-being

Hanna has gathered together a network of highly skilled, experienced and pioneering practitioners to manifest her vision: making a difference in your world makes a difference in our world.

Choose from Amarant’s suite of ready-made courses and events or invite us to create a bespoke Amarant Experience for your yourself, family, friends, group or organisation. And, if you share our ethos and philosophy, you are welcome to hire this remarkable venue.


To hear tracks from Nozuka's debut release Holly, click here.

Half Japanese, half American Justin Nozuka was born in New York and grew up in Toronto. Raised by a single mother, Justin was the sixth of seven children, where all four of his brothers are artists in some form. As a teen, he spun Motown, folk and hip-hop as he fleshed out his music skills learning guitar with his Mexican friends at boarding school.

During his short career, Justin has already snagged stage time with greats like John Cale, Crowded House and Ziggy Marley and with up-and-comers Sam Roberts, Jully Black and Xavier Rudd.

It's open aired honesty tightly knit. You've discovered something that's all your own yet it spans backstories and countries to fill a million yards and a hundred theatres. This could be Central Park, could be Massey Hall.


Robert Sheaf

CFC Industrial Training

Robert J. Sheaf Jr., is the founder and president of CFC Insustrial Training, formerly Certified Fluid Consultants, part of CFC-Solar Inc. CFC-Solar provides technical training, consulting, and field services to any industry using fluid power technology.

Troubleshooting Challenge: Hoses Pull Away from Fittings
Technicians at a paper mill were puzzled by hydraulic hoses pulling loose from their end fittings.
Troubleshooting Challenge: HPU Is Too Noisy
Despite the manufacturer's tests to the contrary, hydraulic power units were shipped back because they tested above the 85-dBA noise threshold with the customer.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Cargo Ship Pressure Buildup Problem
What circuit issue caused a cargo ship's hydraulic power unit (HPU) to delay opening and closing hatch doors when pressing the solenoid button?
Troubleshooting Challenge: Mill Removal Circuit Doesn’t Move for Large Rolls
Technicians tried to solve why the cylinder of a temper mill's roll-removal system was struggling with heavier rolls.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Post-Hole Hammer Undergoes Pump Failures
The pressure-compensated pump in a hydraulic attachment for a front-end loader that hammered fence posts into the ground failed after only about two to three months of operation.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Cylinder Speed Running Slow
A progressive die press, designed to form shell casings for use in military tanks, started cycling slower after reassembly.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Accumulator Pre-Charge Changing
A mushroom farmer needed to solve the problem of their lift slowing down, and tried different methods to address possible issues with the HPU.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Compactor Return-Line Filter Problem
A large cardboard baler at a paper mill started blowing return filter elements off of the filter housing. The baler chamber would start off with little cardboard in it, then the large baler cylinder would extend until cardboard was compressed enough to cause hydraulic pressure to reach 4,500 psi. The piston rod would then retract based on pressure, not stroke position, for the next cycle.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Hydrostatic Side Thruster Stops Working
Despite flooding of the Ohio River this past spring, a large party riverboat was able to continue operating using its side thruster to facilitate docking, even though high forces from the rushing river occurred. But one day the thruster simply stopped working.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Lumberyard Stacker Cylinder Drops
A lumber company had an older yard stacker machine that they wanted to put back into service. The problem: The boom lift cylinder would drop when the operator also rotated the forks at the same time.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Elephant House Doors Open on Their Own
St. Louis Zoo officials asked Valtec Hydraulics Inc., St. Louis, to design a preventive maintenance program for hydraulic system in the zoo’s elephant house. A problem occurred after Valtec changed all five pressure filters during normal scheduled service.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Pump Keeps Losing Its Prime
Why wouldn’t the hydraulic pump hold its prime, and why did the flapper check blow out?
Troubleshooting Challenge: Pump-housing Cracking
A paper mill’s pump showed extensive piston barrel and shoes damage. But what caused it?
Troubleshooting Challenge: Speed Control Causing Unwanted Jolt and Pressure Spike 1
A casting plant used a simple two-speed circuit to extend a hydraulic cylinder at high speed, then shift to a slower speed for forming. The maintenance supervisor used the accompanying schematic to plumb the circuit.
Troubleshooting Challenge: Unexpected Pressure Loss while Testing A New Hydraulic Power Unit
In preparing for a retest of a hydraulic power unit experiencing quick pressure drops/rises, the oil was drained from the reservoir and panels removed, only to discover construction debris and beads of excess pipe dope at the bottom of the reservoir.
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In space…no one can hear you laugh

Joel Ivy’s 59-second Web video “Astronauts falling on the moon” is a compilation of slips, trips, and pratfalls, all of them in slow motion because the slippers and trippers in question are all astronauts, falling (as advertised), in zero gravity, on the moon. This is weird, amusing stuff (amazingly, we hadn’t seen anything like it before). But the way these astronauts manage to look dignified even as they’re falling on their faces is weirder still.


Tuesday, May 31, 2016

U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Team

The U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball team will be named soon.

This would be my 12 man roster.

C=DeMarcus Cousins
C=Andre Drummond

PF=Anthony Davis
PF=Kenneth Faried

SF=LeBron James
SF=Kevin Durant
SF=Kawhi Leonard

OG=Jimmy Butler
OG=Klay Thompson

PG=Stephen Curry
PG=Russell Westbrook
PG=Chris Paul

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Seth Curry, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbook would be the core of this team.  The question for these guys would be health and willingness to play (as most have played late into the playoffs).

Andre Drummond and DeMarcus Cousins appear to be the class of the Center position.  Anthony Davis can also fill in here.  If Drummond or Cousins were to bow out, you could look to Karl-Anthony Towns or Dwight Howard.

Anthony Davis is the class of the power forward spot (he can swing to the Center spot too).  Kenneth Faried provides some muscle upfront and was a key cog of the U.S.A. team that won the last World Championship, I don't know how you can leave him off the team.  Blake Griffin and Draymond Green should also get some consideration here.

The small forward spot is stacked with LeBron James and Kevin Durant.  You could swing either of those two to power forward too if you want to go fast.  I like Kawhi Leonard for his defense.  I'd have no problem adding Paul George to the mix here too.

At the off guard spot I like Jimmy Butler, he just may be the best two way player in the league.  Klay Thompson would provide outside shooting.   Both of these guys can also swing to the small forward spot if needed.   James Harden would be in the running here too.

At point guard, how do you not pick Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook?   I'd add Chris Paul too for his international experience and to give the team a more traditional point guard.  Others in the mix here would be Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard and John Wall.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Seth Meyers on Hillary Emails

Thank you Seth Meyers for pointing out the obvious to the frothing media!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

AZ Tidbits

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Samantha Bee Feels the Turn

Samantha Bee puts Bernie Sanders and his supporters on blast.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Donald Trump Clinches Nomination

It appears that Donald Trump has unofficially clinched the GOP nomination for President of the United States.  What a sorry indictment of the U.S. political system.

What are we getting with a Trump nomination?   Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Well done GOP voters.  On the bright side, they have guaranteed a Hillary Clinton Presidency.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Know Thy Enemy

I'm a huge Bernie Sanders fan, I even voted for him in the recent Arizona Presidential primary.  What I'm not a huge fan of though are his supporters.  I love their passion, but they can't seem to see the forest for the trees.  I keep hearing comments from them about how the election is being stolen from Bernie Sanders, how Hillary Clinton is evil, how Hillary Clinton is Republican-lite, how they will never vote for her.  It really gets me blood boiling.  Hillary Clinton is more than qualified to be President and I will happily vote for her come November.

The whole idea that the Presidential primary has been stolen from Bernie Sanders is probably the most egregious claim.  The primary system has been in place for years, all the candidates knew the process before they got into the race, if they didn't like it they should have voiced their concerns prior to jumping into the race.  As for the Super Delegates, who do you think they should support, the long time loyal Democrat who has been a part of the party apparatus for years, or the candidate who reluctantly joined the Democratic party only to run for President?  Sure it sucks for the underdog, but Hillary has paid her dues and I don't have a problem with her being rewarded for it.  Perhaps Bernie should have joined the Democratic party years ago.  I also don't understand the argument about how Independents have been left out of the process.  If they wanted to be a part of the process, perhaps they should have joined a political party, don't you think?   Do you really want someone from outside of the party having a voice in the selection of the party's candidate for the highest office in the land anyways?   Besides that, Hillary Clinton has 3 million plus more votes than Bernie Sanders.

The argument that Hillary Clinton is Republican-lite also irks me.  She was the 11th most liberal member of the Senate while she was in Congress.  She fought for Universal Healthcare, she fought to stem climate change, she has been a long time fighter on women's health issues and she has moved left on issues like trade, LGBT rights and criminal justice reform.  She's actually very close to Bernie Sanders on a whole slew of issues.  And no, she did not vote for the Iraq war, the painting of her as a neo-con has got to stop.  We would have in no way gone to war in Iraq had she (or Al Gore for that matter) been President back in 2002.

What does that leave?  Attacks on Hillary Clinton's character?  If you believe them, any of them, you are rewarding 25+ years of Republican slander, I would have hoped that most progressives were better than that.  Bill & Hillary Clinton are perhaps the most investigated politicians ever.  Kenneth Starr looked under every nook and cranny trying to dig up dirt on them and all they could find was that Bill lied about getting a blow job.  Benghazi has been nothing but a political hit job meant to harm Hillary (and where was the concern over the embassy attacks under George W Bush?).   No charges have been filed against her with regards to the use of a private email server (and where was the concern over this when past Secretaries of State did the same thing?).  Please don't fall for the right wing slander.  As for the Wall Street donations, who among us would have turned down big money to give a speech?  Let's not vilify all of Wall Street either, they can play a vital part of an economy that benefits all of us.

If you want to know who the real enemy is you need look no further than the Republican Party.  By my estimation they are the ones responsible for almost all of the current problems facing this country.  Their tax cuts for the wealth expanded income inequality, their loosening of regulations resulted in the recent recession, their trade policies lead to the great exodus of jobs out of the country, they have weakened voter rights, they have exploded the debt, they have lied us into wars, they have turned their backs on the needy, they have worked to dismantle union membership, they have loosened gun laws, they have been working to take away a woman's right to choose, need I continue?   And some progressives consider Hillary Clinton the enemy?  Give me a break.

You could argue that none of the above problems would have occurred without Democratic help but I'm not buying that.  Sure Bill Clinton passed some shitty bills like NAFTA, welfare reform, CFMA and repealed the Glass-Stegal Act but the fact is, those were all Republican policies backed and passed mainly by Republican votes in congress.  If Bill Clinton had a Democratic majority in the house and Senate I think it's safe to say that none of them would have seen the light of day.  I know that Bill Clinton could have, and should have, vetoed them but he was trying to get things done in a time of massive gridlock in which congress was for the most part controlled by Republicans.  Same goes for Barack Obama, don't think for a second that he wouldn't have gotten more accomplished had he had a Democratic majority in the House and Senate.  What I'm getting at here is that the real problem is that Democrats have a tendency to fail to show up and vote, especially in the mid term elections.  Why are we electing Democratic Presidents then hamstringing them with a congress that fights and obstructs them every step of the way?   If you are a Democrat and only vote once every four years, you are part of the problem (I'm looking at you Bernie Sanders supporters).

I know Bernie Sanders want to start a revolution, but let's face fact here, it's not going to start with a Bernie Sanders Presidency, he's got virtually no chance at this point.  So my question now becomes, why can't the Bernie Sanders revolution still move forward with Hillary Clinton as President?   Wouldn't that make more sense than waiting 4 years for the next election to run a Bernie Sanders clone?   Donald Trump could do a lot of damage in those 4 years, a SCOTUS appointment or 3 by Donald Trump would hamstring Democratic Presidents for decades to come.  Wouldn't it be much easier to overturn Citizens United with a liberal majority in the Supreme Court?   Wouldn't it be easier to get voting rights restored with a liberal majority in the Supreme Court?   Wouldn't it be easier to move forward without haphazardly getting ourselves into another war?   Do you really want to put off any action of climate change for another 4 years when we are at a tipping point in the fight against global warming?   A Hillary Clinton Presidency doesn't have to mean the end of the Bernie Sanders Revolution, you could still push for changes to the primary process with Hillary Clinton as President, you could still push for more progressive policies with Hillary Clinton as President, you can still support candidates who promote said policies with Hillary Clinton as President.  My advice?  Get involved, vote, work within the system and most importantly know thy enemy (hint, it's not the Democratic establishment).

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Monday, May 23, 2016

TPSG 2016 NBA Mock Draft 1.0

The NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone and the NBA Draft is sneaking up on us, so I thought that it would be a good time to post a mock draft.   Here goes:
  1. Philadelphia 76ers - Ben Simmons - SF - LSU
  2. Los Angeles Lakers - Brandon Ingram - SF - Duke
  3. Boston Celtics - Dragan Bender - PF - Croatia
  4. Phoenix Suns - Jaylen Brown - SF - California
  5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jamal Murray - OG - Kentucky
  6. New Orleans Pelicans - Kris Dunn - PG - Providence
  7. Denver Nuggets - Buddy Hield - OG - Oklahoma
  8. Sacramento Kings - Henry Ellenson - PF - Marquette
  9. Toronto Raptors - Marquese Chriss - PF - Washington
  10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jakob Poeltl - C - Utah
  11. Orlando Magic - Skal Labissiere - C - Kentucky
  12. Utah Jazz - Timothe Luwawu - SF - France
  13. Phoenix Suns - Deyonta Davis - PF - Michigan State
  14. Chicago Bulls - Domontas Sabonis - PF - Gonzaga
  15. Denver Nuggets - Taurean Prince - SF - Baylor
  16. Boston Celtics - Denzel Valentine - OG - Michigan State
  17. Memphis Grizzlies - Wade Baldwin - PG - Vanderbilt
  18. Detroit Pistons - Tyler Ulis - PG - Kentucky
  19. Denver Nuggets - Furkan Korkmaz - OG - Turkey
  20. Indiana Pacers - Brice Johnson - PF - North Carolina
  21. Atlanta Hawks - Damien Jones - C - Vanderbilt
  22. Charlotte Hornets - Malik Beasley - OG - Florida State
  23. Boston Celtics - Ante Zizic - C - Croatia
  24. Philadelphia 76ers - Malachi Richardson - OG - Syracuse
  25. Los Angeles Clippers - Dejounte Murray - OG - Washington
  26. Philadelphia 76ers - Zhou Qi - C - China
  27. Toronto Raptors - Juan Hermangomez - PF - Spain
  28. Phoenix Suns - Thon Maker - PF - Australia
  29. San Antonio Spurs - Cheick Diallo - PF - Kansas
  30. Golden State Warriors - Stephen Zimmerman - C - UNLV
Simmons & Ingram are without a doubt going 1-2, it's just a matter of who goes where.
I'm guessing the Suns are hoping that Dragan Bender falls to number 4, if he doesn't, I'm guessing they go with the best frontcourt player still on the board (in this case that would be Jaylen Brown).  Kris Dunn is a possibility too if they want to go BPA, same with Henry Ellenson.  I would think the Suns would be happy though to come out of the draft with Jaylen Brown, Deyonta Davis and Thon Maker
I wouldn't be surprised if the Timberwolves try to use the 5th pick as part of a package to trade for a veteran player to help their young core.  If they hold onto the pick, I think they look at shooters and power forwards, to me that means either Jamal Murray, Buddy Hield or Henry Ellenson.  I could see them reaching for Marquese Chriss too, and don't rule out a defensive minded point guard like Kris Dunn either.  In other words, I have no idea.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Seth Meyers on Single Payer

I'm loving Seth Meyers "A Closer Look" segments.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Friday, May 20, 2016

Thursday, May 19, 2016

TPSG Top 100 Movie Roles

Don't take this as a ranking, just a list of the Top 100 Movies Roles.
  1. James Bond - Sean Connery
  2. Vito Corleone - Marlon Brando
  3. Indiana Jones - Harrison Ford
  4. Forrest Gump - Tom Hanks
  5. "Dirty" Harry Callahan - Clint Eastwood
  6. Tyler Durden - Brad Pitt
  7. Luke Skywalker - Mark Hamill
  8. Darth Vader - David Prowse
  9. The Joker - Heath Ledger
  10. Hannibal Lecter - Anthony Hopkins
  11. Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski - Jeff Bridges
  12. Ace Ventura - Jim Carrey
  13. Ellen Ripley - Sigourney Weaver
  14. Michael Corleone - Al Pacino
  15. Jason Bourne - Matt Damon
  16. John McClane - Bruce Willis
  17. Rocky Balboa - Sylvester Stallone
  18. The Terminator - Arnold Schwarzenegger
  19. Ferris Bueller - Matthew Broderick
  20. Neo - Keanu Reeves
  21. Travis Bickle - Robert DeNiro
  22. Ron Burgundy - Will Ferrell
  23. Tony Montana - Scarface
  24. Harry Potter - Daniel Radcliffe
  25. Marty McFly - Michael J. Fox
  26. Tony Stark - Robert Downey Jr
  27. Lucas "Cool Hand Luke" Jackson - Paul Newman
  28. Frank Drebin - Leslie Nielson
  29. Napoleon Dynamite - Jon Heder
  30. Keyser Soze - Kevin Spacey
  31. Atticus Finch - To Kill A Mockingbird
  32. Jack Torrance - Jack Nicholson
  33. Jerry Lundegaard - William H Macy
  34. Norman Bates - Anthony Perkins
  35. Martin Riggs - Mel Gibson
  36. Sarah Connor - Linda Hamilton
  37. Lisbeth Salander - Noomi Rapace/Rooney Mara
  38. Rick Blaine - Humphrey Bogart
  39. Ben Obi Wan Kenobi - Alex Guinness
  40. George Bailey - James Stewart
  41. Jack Sparrow - Johnny Depp
  42. Jacques Clouseau - Peter Sellers
  43. Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle - Gene Hackman
  44. William Munny - Clint Eastwood
  45. Austin Powers - Mike Myers
  46. Gordon Gekko - Michael Douglas
  47. Randle Patrick McMurphy - Jack Nicholson
  48. Bill "The Butcher" Cutting - Daniel Day Lewis
  49. Anton Chigurh - Javier Bardem
  50. Henry Hill - Ray Liotta
  51. Jules Winnfield - Samuel L Jackson
  52. Lloyd Christmas - Jim Carrey
  53. Tommy Callahan - Chris Farley
  54. Clark Griswold - Chevy Chase
  55. Bruce Wayne - Christian Bale
  56. Andy Dufresne - Tim Robbins
  57. Alonzo Harris - Denzel Washington
  58. Hans Landa - Christoph Walz
  59. Ethan Hunt - Tom Cruise
  60. Patrick Bateman - Christian Bale
  61. Will Hunting - Matt Damon
  62. Maximus - Russell Crowe
  63. Frank Costello - Jack Nicholson
  64. Alex Foster - Glenn Close
  65. Axel Foley - Eddie Murphy
  66. Oskar Schindler - Liam Neeson
  67. John Rambo - Sylvester Stallone
  68. Leonard Shelby - Guy Pearce
  69. Benjamin Willard - Martin Sheen
  70. Mike McDermott - Mat Damon
  71. John H Miller - Tom Hanks
  72. Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels - Dustin Hoffman
  73. Colonel Nathan R Jessup - Jack Nicholson
  74. William Wallace - Mel Gibson
  75. Gunnery Sgt Hartman - R. Lee Ermey
  76. Ralphie Parker - Peter Billinglsy
  77. George Taylor - Charlton Heston
  78. Daniel LaRusso - Ralph Macchio
  79. Jake LaMotta - Robert DeNiro
  80. Dr Malcolm Crowe - Bruce Willis
  81. Tony Manero - John Travolta
  82. Avner Kaufman - Eric Bana
  83. John Nash - Russell Crowe
  84. Chris Taylor - Charlie Sheen
  85. Howard Beale - Peter Finch
  86. Daniel Plainview - Daniel Day-Lewis
  87. Reggie Dunlop - Paul Newman
  88. Mahatma Ghandi - Ben Kingsley
  89. Martin Brody - Roy Scheider
  90. Ben Braddock - Dustin Hoffman
  91. Eddie Felson - Paul Newman
  92. John "Scottie" Ferguson - James Stewart
  93. Vincent Vega - John Travolta
  94. Crash Davis - Kevin Costner
  95. Jeremiah Johnson - Robert Redford
  96. "Mad Max" Rockatansky - Mel Gibson
  97. Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher - Chevy Chase
  98. Randy "The Ram" Robinson - Mickey Rourke
  99. Hans Solo - Harrison Ford
  100. Jeff Spicoli - Sean Penn

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

AZ Tidbits