Array From the 7100 who are there, it means (according to MY mathemonics, that only 5600 human beings are being underequiped and get to die.AND HARRY OF WALES IN ONE OF THEM!How happy is this republican?I just can’t put it into words.I don’t care if he has a retinue of bodyguards, I don’t care if he’s just there to make us think the sponging germans who rule us are doing their bit. Maybe now SOMEONE will listen to the cries of the working classes who found themselves, through poverty, in a hell hole with a weapon and too little equipment and fully measured up for a body bag. All because Harry (son of James Hewitt) Wales is nearer to Osama than the government would like him to be.When a working class Scot gets sent home (if we have the body, obviously) in a body bag no-one gives a damn.
link
-ne
I recently discovered the writing of Andy Whitman (fellow Ohio University alum) in Paste, where he most recently found himself relating to Bob Dylan’s melodic middle-finger salute. Whitman admires Dylan’s When the Ship Comes In from The Times They Are A-Changin’, and believes it to be the greatest apocalyptic revenge song ever written. Why settle for a mere insult when you can summon wholesale destruction on an epic, biblical scale? Whitman asks.Whitman says, deep in his heart he wants to smile on his brother–but it’s so hard to hold on to that sentiment as you are being cut off on the freeway, or when a brazen telemarketer interrupts your dinner.Though I’m sure I’ve probably read his stuff in past issues of Paste, this particular piece in the Scrapbook really sang to me. After learning he is from Westerville, Ohio–a place where I’ve had the pleasure of munching on freshly baked doughnuts in a quaint bakery at 2 a.m. on a balmy winter night–I wanted to know more about him. I googled him and found his blog, Razing the Bar. A particularly old post about his beef with American Idol hit a nerve with me. I felt strongly compelled to leave a comment along with the 57 other people. I signed up with blogspot, and acquired this very blog that you are reading now–just so I could tell Andy the story below. Unfortunately, his blog only allows comments from team members. I’m still new to this blog thing, but I think that means, You werent invited to this party. Loser-face.”I dont want this venting to go to waste. So enjoy:Andy,Ive only recently discovered your writing, but consider me your newest fan. Though Im rather late to the table on this post, Id like to contribute to the discussion. This reminds me of an equally soul-sucking show that is brainwashing our country. Dancing with the Stars. Maybe youve heard of it. Ive never sat through an episode, but it is something my mom has been known to watch… and therefore I am fully aware of the spectacle. I have to say Im with you on the possessing a true desire to love mankind… but this show is only one of the many reasons why that is a most challenging goal.Let me cut to the chase and share with you a conversation that I overhead in an elevator about a month ago. Two women, one in her early 30s and the other approaching 40, were discussing what a blessing Dancing with the Stars is for the citizens of this great nation. They continued to praise the show saying it is exactly what people need–it is bringing culture to our dumbed-down society. I bit my tongue. Held my breath. Tightened nearly every muscle in my body. Waited till I reached my floor, and exited the elevator. Suddenly, I could breathe again. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
link
-ne Monday:Breakfast: smoothie (kale, romaine, pom juice, pineapple, banana, flax)Lunch: salad (romaine, red onion, walnuts, a little blue cheese, balsamic vinegar)Dinner: burrito (homemade refried beans, lettuce, salsa in 1/2 of a whole wheat pita)Non-ETL food: candyExercise: 30 min Cardio with Yourself!Fitness, 30 min walk with CammieTuesday:Breakfast: smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, banana, flax)Lunch: Golden Austrian Cauliflower Soup with KaleDinner: Salad (romaine lettuce with homemade refried beans and salsa), 1/2 whole wheat pitaNon ETL food: 3 small chocolates, about 6 Nutter-ButtersExercise: Rest DayWednesday:Breakfast: smoothie (spinach, blueberries, strawberries, banana, flax)Lunch: Golden Austrian Cauliflower Soup with KaleDinner: burrito (homemade refried beans, lettuce, whole wheat pita)Non-ETL food: pudding cupExercise: 30 min jogging on the treadmill (not walking!)I have been getting back on track slowly.
link
But when I am in a hurry, spending to on a frozen entree is a lot cheaper than the to 0 tab for a tuna fish sandwich and soup.Teri Gault of the Grocery Game stressed the money-saving benefits of frozen foods when I interviewed her for a newspaper column. She pointed out that a family of four might spend 0 on four frozen meals (.50 x 4) versus about 0 to 0 at a restaurant.Caution: Not all frozen food items are a bargain.
link
-ne
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the parents out there who have just learned that their child has diabetes. What would I say if a mother approached me and said, “My child was just diagnosed with diabetes yesterday.”? Is there really anything that can be said? There are really no words of comfort to give. There is nothing to say to make it better. But, I’d try.If nothing else, I’d be there to hold their hands and answer their questions. Even though, unfortunately, a lot of the questions they might ask really have no answers.I know I’d try to convey to them that things will get better, but they probably wouldn’t believe me.I remember when Riley was first diagnosed, I kept hearing, “It will get easier.” And, I kept thinking, “No it won’t. It might have gotten easier for you, but it won’t for me. My son has a chronic disease and that is not going to change.”But, somehow, even though the chronic disease part isn’t going anywhere, things did get easier, at least a little.I think maybe the worst part for most parents is worrying that they’re not doing everything right. (which is impossible by the way)I mean, we spent one night in the hospital and then I’m supposed to come home and be a pancreas for my 3-year-old son. I was armed with the knowledge of drawing up and injecting insulin and a vague understanding of counting carbs, but that was pretty much it. And, there is so much more to it than that. The hard part is realizing that you’ve got to learn as you go. Of course your endo is there to guide you a bit. But, they can only do so much. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that taking care of diabetes is a lot of guesswork. Now, once you get the hang of it, it’s an educated guess, but it’s still a guess nonetheless. You’ve got to get to where you’re OK with that. There is no x y = good blood sugar. That was really hard for me. I thought you give him the insulin to cover the carbs and his sugar will always be in range.I quickly learned that his sugar is often not in range no matter how hard I try.When Riley was first diagnosed, I would sit for hours and look at his log book trying to figure out what I did wrong, why his sugar went up to 350 and then down to 57. I’ve learned that usually it’s not anything I did wrong or anything that Riley did, it just is what it is. That’s a hard pill to swallow.As parents we are supposed to protect our kids. We are supposed to fix things and with disease there’s no “fixing it”. Try as hard as I might I can’t fix it. I can’t make all of his sugars be in range.Now, does that mean I should just give up? Heck no. It just means I have to be resilient. No matter how I tired I am of trying and not getting the results I want, I have to keep trying. I don’t have a choice. So, for any parents out there who might be reading and your child is newly diagnosed I wanted to leave you a few tidbits that have helped me.#1) Keep good records. Even if you’re tired at the end of the day, log those sugars. They are your key to recognizing patterns. And recognizing patterns lets you know where you might need to make adjustments in insulin. And, by pattern, I mean at least 3 days worth of similar sugars at similar times. #2) Don’t obsess over a few high sugars. (Yeah, I know, it seems impossible.) I used to freak out ANYTIME Riley’s sugar got high. I’ve kept all of his records and one time I went back and looked at his sugars from his first few days home. There were a few high ones, but they were way better sugars than what I would see down the road. But, I remember panicking a lot back then if his sugar went over 250. Now, at the end of the day, I go through and average his sugars. It’s really helped a lot to put it all into perspective. All of the sugars are not going to be OK, but I know at the end of the day if his average blood sugar is OK, then we’re on the right track. This is also another good way to notice patterns. If he has a few high days in a row, I know some adjustments might be needed. ( This only takes a few minutes. I usually do it while I’m watching TV.)#3) Don’t forget to let your kid be a kid. (That probably should have been #1 on the list) I try very hard to let Riley be like everyone else as much as I can. I let him have cake and ice cream at birthday parties. He has a cookie or two for dessert every night. He got a sucker after getting his hair cut yesterday. When he was first diagnosed I would freak out about birthday parties. I would go in the bathroom and cry when he ate his cake. But, I’ve since figured out how to dose for birthday cake and for ice cream. The only way to learn how to deal with things, like cake and ice cream, is to let them have it and learn what it does to their sugars and then figure out how to fix it. There is not really much that your child can’t do. Really.#4) Test their sugar and test it often (kind of quoting Wilfred Brimley there) Don’t ever let someone tell you you’re testing your child’s sugar too much. You are the parent; you’re paying for the strips, test as much as you need to. I tested more than Riley really needed to be tested in the beginning. It was more for me than for him. It helped calm my fears. But, since then the testing has decreased. But, I still test anywhere from 9-12 times a day (on average). If he has a string of lows I test more, of course. You will know how often you need to be testing. And, to go along with that, don’t let anyone tell you you’re getting up to test too much at night. Again, you do what you’ve got to do. #5) Never stop being an advocate for your child. (That kind of goes with what I said in #4. Don’t let their endo brush you off when you feel like you need to talk to them. (If they keep doing this, find a new endo. Riley’s endo lives 3 hours away. But, I trully believe she’s the best there is and it’s well worth the drive.)Don’t let others make comments about your child having bad diabetes
link
-ne These are the results of a Gallup Poll conducted this month:The Feb. 9-11, 2007, poll asked Americans whether they would vote for a generally well-qualified presidential candidate nominated by their party with each of the following characteristics: Jewish, Catholic, Mormon, an atheist, a woman, black, Hispanic, homosexual, 72 years of age, and someone married for the third time.
link
In 1997 he was re-elected by a wide margin, carrying four out of New York City’s five boroughs.As Mayor, Rudy Giuliani has returned accountability to City government and improved the quality of life for all New Yorkers. As news of the City’s resurgence has spread around the nation and the world, tourism has grown to record levels.Mayor Giuliani is committed to nurturing and empowering New York City’s children. These improvements have increased hope and opportunity for all New York City’s children and laid the foundation for our City to be even stronger in the 21st century.To turn around the nation’s largest urban public education system, Giuliani has worked tirelessly to restore accountability and raise standards throughout the City’s schools. The fund is the most recent example of the Mayor’s commitment to both providing quality educational alternatives to all City families, regardless of their income, and to spurring the New York City public schools to improve through competition.Under Rudy Giuliani’s leadership, New York City has become the best-known example of the resurgence of urban America. From his success at cleaning up Times Square and other public spaces around the City to closing the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, Mayor Giuliani has worked tirelessly to pass New York to the next generation better and more beautiful than it was before he entered office.New York has established itself as the City others look toward when they want to study the most innovative strategies for reducing crime, reforming welfare, encouraging economic growth, and improving the overall quality of life.
link
(more…)