Many witnesses of Saturday night's fatal accident at the monster truck show in Madison said it's the worst thing they've ever seen. And for many parents, the worst thing might be the emotional and mental toll on the youngest fans who were a witness to the tragedy.
On Saturday, a night of family fun was going off without a hitch at the Monster Truck Nationals at the Alliant Energy Center. Many young children were on hand to see a spectacular show of strength and size.
During the show, announcer George Eisenhart Jr., 41, of Chardon, Ohio, died when he stepped into the path of one of the huge trucks. Eisenhart died on Sunday from his injuries. Coroner John Stanley said preliminary investigation shows neither the victim nor the driver saw each other before the collision.
Sarah Killerlain, of Sun Prairie, spoke with WISC-TV moments after seeing a tragedy unfold.
"We got my boyfriend's 7-year-old son and my 3-year-old son and they're just, 'What happened? Is he OK?' We're trying to cover their eyes and 'Everything is OK, buddy. It's going to be OK.' They're just devastated," she said.
Many parents said that they wondered how in the world they would explain such a horrific scene.
Dr. Tom Murwin of Stoughton Clinic suggested parents level with their children.
"Keep your answers short but truthful," he said.
Murwin said in these traumatic events, some parents wait for kids to bring it up or just start a conversation appropriate for the child’s age.
"So, if they bring it up and they want to talk, go ahead and be able to take five minutes and talk because 8- and 10-year-olds aren't going to want to talk for 20minutes. They just want a couple short answers then there," he said. "I think the best way to do it is to either make a statement that reflects what they've just said back to you so that you understand what their question is or ask a few leading questions to figure out if what you think they asked is really what they asked."
He said that a 5-minute talk will suffice, but other times, the traumatic event can lead to anxiety problems. He said that if a child has trouble sleeping or is having trouble in school, it might be best to talk to a psychologist in order to approach the situation the best way for his/her age.
Killerlain said she's grateful her 3-year-old son is young enough. He might soon forget what he saw.
"I've never seen something so horrific and terrifying in my entire life, and it just breaks my heart that my kid had to see it," she said.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Superstars of Dance
Superstars of Dance is a reality television show that debuted on January 4, 2009 on the NBC Network. The show features dance routines from eight different countries from six continents. It is hosted by Michael Flatley, co-creator of Riverdance and creator of Lord of the Dance, and is co-hosted by former Miss USA title holder Susie Castillo. It was created by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, co-producers of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol.
On November 17, 2008 NBC announced it had ordered a new reality program titled Superstar Dancers of the World, which would feature competitors from eight international teams and would be produced by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe of American Idol fame.[1] NBC billed the show as "equal parts sporting event, rock concert, and artistic exhibition" and Lythgoe called it "the most challenging and exhilarating project I've ever done."[1] By mid-December, the show was renamed Superstars of Dance and the debut was set for January 4, 2009. Michael Flatley was chosen to host, and Susie Castillo was given a co-hosting position.
Superstars of Dance differs from similar TV dance competitions in a number of ways. It features professionals instead of amateurs, including several world champions. Additionally, the contestants were chosen by their respective countries, rather than by the show's producers. Flatley has said Superstars is a lot like a sporting competition, even comparing it the Olympic Games.[2]
The winners are not decided by audience votes, but rather by a panel of eight judges. The producers felt that it would be unfair to decide the winner by phone-in votes, assuming the American public would probably just vote for the American team.[3] Furthermore, unlike most reality-based competition shows, Superstars does not have a live component.
On November 17, 2008 NBC announced it had ordered a new reality program titled Superstar Dancers of the World, which would feature competitors from eight international teams and would be produced by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe of American Idol fame.[1] NBC billed the show as "equal parts sporting event, rock concert, and artistic exhibition" and Lythgoe called it "the most challenging and exhilarating project I've ever done."[1] By mid-December, the show was renamed Superstars of Dance and the debut was set for January 4, 2009. Michael Flatley was chosen to host, and Susie Castillo was given a co-hosting position.
Superstars of Dance differs from similar TV dance competitions in a number of ways. It features professionals instead of amateurs, including several world champions. Additionally, the contestants were chosen by their respective countries, rather than by the show's producers. Flatley has said Superstars is a lot like a sporting competition, even comparing it the Olympic Games.[2]
The winners are not decided by audience votes, but rather by a panel of eight judges. The producers felt that it would be unfair to decide the winner by phone-in votes, assuming the American public would probably just vote for the American team.[3] Furthermore, unlike most reality-based competition shows, Superstars does not have a live component.
8 babies born at the same time
Paying for one baby's tough enough these days, but one California woman won't let that worry her. The mother in question just gave birth to eight babies -- only the second time in history live octuplets have been born, according to doctors. No one's saying whether the mom took fertility drugs, but she did get one big surprise on delivery day: baby No. 8. Doctors had only seen seven on the sonogram. What a pleasant surprise!
The six boys and two girls, who weigh between 1.8 pounds and 3.4 pounds, were delivered by cesarean section in just five minutes by a team of 46 doctors and nurses in four delivery rooms. So far, all of the babies are doing well and are said to be breathing on their own. They were nine weeks premature and will likely remain in the hospital for two months. Doctors say the mother is resting comfortably and will be out of the hospital in a week.
Now she and the father are probably trying to figure out how they're going to pay for all those diapers.
The six boys and two girls, who weigh between 1.8 pounds and 3.4 pounds, were delivered by cesarean section in just five minutes by a team of 46 doctors and nurses in four delivery rooms. So far, all of the babies are doing well and are said to be breathing on their own. They were nine weeks premature and will likely remain in the hospital for two months. Doctors say the mother is resting comfortably and will be out of the hospital in a week.
Now she and the father are probably trying to figure out how they're going to pay for all those diapers.
petals paws calendar
When the Petals & Paws calendar debuted last May, 1,000 of the 3,000 copies were snapped up immediately. At press time the WCHS had grossed $25,500, with sales ongoing both locally and online at www.goldsboro-wchs.org. Along with other fund-raising efforts, the calendar has helped the humane society get three-quarters of the way to its $150,000 goal. The all-volunteer staff is still working to raise the rest of the money, but that didn't stop the new shelter from opening on August 16. Landscaped with crape myrtle trees and outfitted with spacious pens and brightly lit visiting rooms where potential owners can bond with pets, the new Wayne County Animal Adoption and Education Center is a far cry from the depressing pound it once was.
Though it's unlikely they'd ever have to pose half-nude again, you get the sense that the women of Goldsboro would do whatever is necessary to protect their four-legged friends. Said Barkley, who agreed to the project despite worries that her recent heart-surgery scar would show, "I'd have run naked in the streets to give a shelter animal one more day of life so someone could adopt him."
As a plus, most of the models were happy with their photos, and their husbands found the whole thing a hoot. "We probably sold 30 or 40 calendars to friends and relatives," says Bob Crenshaw, co-owner of the local health-food store, whose wife, Susan, is Miss October '09. "When people see the opening shot, where the girls are topless, they all say, 'I wish I'd been there!'"
Though it's unlikely they'd ever have to pose half-nude again, you get the sense that the women of Goldsboro would do whatever is necessary to protect their four-legged friends. Said Barkley, who agreed to the project despite worries that her recent heart-surgery scar would show, "I'd have run naked in the streets to give a shelter animal one more day of life so someone could adopt him."
As a plus, most of the models were happy with their photos, and their husbands found the whole thing a hoot. "We probably sold 30 or 40 calendars to friends and relatives," says Bob Crenshaw, co-owner of the local health-food store, whose wife, Susan, is Miss October '09. "When people see the opening shot, where the girls are topless, they all say, 'I wish I'd been there!'"
baltimore city public schools
"Instability and poor performance have been hallmarks of Homeland Security since its inception," reads a press release from the school system, released on Jan. 22. "There have been four changes in school leadership in four years, and the school's original partners have left, leaving its thematic program nonexistent. Against this backdrop, student achievement at the school has consistently lagged, with state assessment scores significantly below the City Schools average. The climate at the school has created an unsafe environment for students and staff, making the ability of students to learn and grow impossible. And given its unwieldy physical structure, the school currently is extremely difficult to secure, making it impossible to transform Homeland Security's climate."
Today the Baltimore City Public School System announced that it will seek permission from the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to permanently shutter Homeland Security High School, an underperforming city school that has been plagued by violence.
The school, which is located in the Walbrook High School campus, opened in the 2005-06 school year.
Today the Baltimore City Public School System announced that it will seek permission from the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners to permanently shutter Homeland Security High School, an underperforming city school that has been plagued by violence.
The school, which is located in the Walbrook High School campus, opened in the 2005-06 school year.
calvert county public schools
On Tuesday evening, while some were attending inaugural balls, advocates for Relay for Life praised past accomplishments and rallied troops for a new year of fundraising.
This year's Calvert County Relay for Life fundraiser has some big shoes to fill to meet last year's record number of participants, donations and awards.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Relay for Life and it is the 12th event held in Calvert. Relay for Life is a national fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society, with funds going to research, treatment, advocacy and services.
Calvert High School's drum line set a celebratory tone as it drummed at the back of the school's auditorium when people arrived and made its way to the stage performing a few selections before the ceremonies began.
Paula Rosnage, this year's co-chair, announced that the relay will move this year to Hallowing Point Park, increasing available space.
"The biggest event in Calvert County has now gotten bigger," she said.
Calvert's goal this year is $475,000, and if the goal is reached, it will be the most raised ever for relay, she said.
"We plan to attack it in little pieces, from all angles," Rosnage said.
Co-chair Kristin Batson said, "We always have high hopes and expectations because the community seems to support this cause like none other." The relay is reinforcing that small donations are just as important as large donations because they can work together to make a larger piece of the pie, Batson said. "We'll focus on that this year," she said.
At Calvert's relay last year, 130 teams with 2,160 participants raised $461,000 and netted $457,000 for the American Cancer Society.
This year, the relay is asking all participants to raise $100 each, and created the slogan, "Be a hero, don't be a zero."
Calvert won a Region Award for largest online donations last year, raising $162,000 with online donations making it fifth in the nation.
Calvert also won the Region Award last year for the largest per-capita money raised, with $5.02 raised per person. At the rally, Calvert County Board of County Commissioners member Susan Shaw (R) accepted last year's national per-capita relay award on behalf of the commissioners, and it will be on display in the commissioners' hearing room, Rosnage said.
Judi Coyle, who co-chaired the event last year, received a citation of recognition from state Sen. Roy P. Dyson (D-Calvert, St. Mary's Charles) for her many years of contributions to Relay for Life.
Superintendent of Calvert County Schools Jack Smith was honored as superintendent of the year for 2008 and was presented with the award at the kickoff rally. Calvert County public schools also received an award for 100 percent participation last year. The awards will be displayed at the Calvert County public schools Board of Education building.
"It's a privilege to work with Relay for Life, both as an individual and as a representative of the school system," Smith said. Every person in the community has been touched by cancer, whether it's a family member, friend or co-worker, he said.
There is a "no pressure approach" in the schools in regards to fundraising, but the school system allows relay fundraisers to use the schools to support fundraising efforts off school time, Smith said. "We try to find the right balance," he said.
Already businesses and teams are fundraising, but Batson said she understands that this year may be tougher for some businesses to become corporate sponsors and donate because of the economy. Both Sneade's Ace Home Center and PNC Bank have already agreed to sponsor the 2009 relay, and Batson said she hopes many more businesses will follow.
The schools have also begun fundraising efforts, with Barstow Elementary hosting a fundraiser on Jan. 20. Relay participants took advantage of the school's in-service day and provided breakfast and lunch for teachers, earning more than $300, Rosnage said.
This year's Calvert County Relay for Life fundraiser has some big shoes to fill to meet last year's record number of participants, donations and awards.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Relay for Life and it is the 12th event held in Calvert. Relay for Life is a national fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society, with funds going to research, treatment, advocacy and services.
Calvert High School's drum line set a celebratory tone as it drummed at the back of the school's auditorium when people arrived and made its way to the stage performing a few selections before the ceremonies began.
Paula Rosnage, this year's co-chair, announced that the relay will move this year to Hallowing Point Park, increasing available space.
"The biggest event in Calvert County has now gotten bigger," she said.
Calvert's goal this year is $475,000, and if the goal is reached, it will be the most raised ever for relay, she said.
"We plan to attack it in little pieces, from all angles," Rosnage said.
Co-chair Kristin Batson said, "We always have high hopes and expectations because the community seems to support this cause like none other." The relay is reinforcing that small donations are just as important as large donations because they can work together to make a larger piece of the pie, Batson said. "We'll focus on that this year," she said.
At Calvert's relay last year, 130 teams with 2,160 participants raised $461,000 and netted $457,000 for the American Cancer Society.
This year, the relay is asking all participants to raise $100 each, and created the slogan, "Be a hero, don't be a zero."
Calvert won a Region Award for largest online donations last year, raising $162,000 with online donations making it fifth in the nation.
Calvert also won the Region Award last year for the largest per-capita money raised, with $5.02 raised per person. At the rally, Calvert County Board of County Commissioners member Susan Shaw (R) accepted last year's national per-capita relay award on behalf of the commissioners, and it will be on display in the commissioners' hearing room, Rosnage said.
Judi Coyle, who co-chaired the event last year, received a citation of recognition from state Sen. Roy P. Dyson (D-Calvert, St. Mary's Charles) for her many years of contributions to Relay for Life.
Superintendent of Calvert County Schools Jack Smith was honored as superintendent of the year for 2008 and was presented with the award at the kickoff rally. Calvert County public schools also received an award for 100 percent participation last year. The awards will be displayed at the Calvert County public schools Board of Education building.
"It's a privilege to work with Relay for Life, both as an individual and as a representative of the school system," Smith said. Every person in the community has been touched by cancer, whether it's a family member, friend or co-worker, he said.
There is a "no pressure approach" in the schools in regards to fundraising, but the school system allows relay fundraisers to use the schools to support fundraising efforts off school time, Smith said. "We try to find the right balance," he said.
Already businesses and teams are fundraising, but Batson said she understands that this year may be tougher for some businesses to become corporate sponsors and donate because of the economy. Both Sneade's Ace Home Center and PNC Bank have already agreed to sponsor the 2009 relay, and Batson said she hopes many more businesses will follow.
The schools have also begun fundraising efforts, with Barstow Elementary hosting a fundraiser on Jan. 20. Relay participants took advantage of the school's in-service day and provided breakfast and lunch for teachers, earning more than $300, Rosnage said.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Arsenic and Old Lace
ow calling all sweet, homicidal spinsters (or at least those who have dreamed of being one on stage): The Town Hall Players of Stockbridge are having auditions for their production of the classic black comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace." No experience making elderberry wine required.
You won't want to dawdle, though. Auditions are 6 to 8 p.m. today and tomorrow at the historic Stockbridge Town Hall at the corner of Clinton and Main streets in downtown Stockbridge.
Those auditioning will be asked to read from the script. They are looking for a total of 14 adults — 11 men and three women. Performance dates are February 28 and 29 and March 1, 6, 7 and 8
A synopsis (just in case you have somehow avoided this community theater staple and the classic 1944 film) is after the jump.
The play is a farcical black comedy revolving around Mortimer Brewster, a theatre-hating drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn, New York, as he debates whether to go through with his recent promise to marry the woman he loves. His family includes two spinster aunts who have taken to murdering lonely old men by poisoning them with a glass of home-made elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine, and "just a pinch" of cyanide; a brother who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and digs locks for the Panama Canal in the cellar of the Brewster home (which then serve as graves for the aunts' victims); and a murderous brother who has received plastic surgery performed by an alcoholic accomplice, Dr. Einstein (a character based on real-life gangland surgeon Joseph Moran) to conceal his identity and now looks like horror-film actor Boris Karloff (a self-referential joke, as the part was originally played by Karloff). The film adaptation follows the same basic plot, with a few minor changes. It is customary, after the cast takes several curtain calls, for the final one to finish with the "murder victims" (often well-known local personalities) entering from the basement and joining the cast for the final bow.
You won't want to dawdle, though. Auditions are 6 to 8 p.m. today and tomorrow at the historic Stockbridge Town Hall at the corner of Clinton and Main streets in downtown Stockbridge.
Those auditioning will be asked to read from the script. They are looking for a total of 14 adults — 11 men and three women. Performance dates are February 28 and 29 and March 1, 6, 7 and 8
A synopsis (just in case you have somehow avoided this community theater staple and the classic 1944 film) is after the jump.
The play is a farcical black comedy revolving around Mortimer Brewster, a theatre-hating drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn, New York, as he debates whether to go through with his recent promise to marry the woman he loves. His family includes two spinster aunts who have taken to murdering lonely old men by poisoning them with a glass of home-made elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine, and "just a pinch" of cyanide; a brother who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and digs locks for the Panama Canal in the cellar of the Brewster home (which then serve as graves for the aunts' victims); and a murderous brother who has received plastic surgery performed by an alcoholic accomplice, Dr. Einstein (a character based on real-life gangland surgeon Joseph Moran) to conceal his identity and now looks like horror-film actor Boris Karloff (a self-referential joke, as the part was originally played by Karloff). The film adaptation follows the same basic plot, with a few minor changes. It is customary, after the cast takes several curtain calls, for the final one to finish with the "murder victims" (often well-known local personalities) entering from the basement and joining the cast for the final bow.
Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15
Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 is not yet around, so we have to wait a little guys, I know we want that everyday there would be Gundam 00 episodes! This is the best anime of all time and it deserves all the recognition!
I can give you some info about Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 or s02E15, but just a few. expect that I will update this post because almost everyday I am searching for info about Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15. Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 will be released on January 18, 2009 in Japan, so that's the raw version, but in the USA, the release date is not yet set.
The title of Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 is "Paean of the Rebellion", or "Hanko no Gaika" in Japanese, What will happen in Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15? Let us just wait for a while & if we find somw spoilers, we will update this post immediately.
Anyway, Gundam fans, here is a music video of Gundam 00 Season 2, just to have some time of and relax. This is high quality guys I love this!
Watch Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 and I am sure you will be lucky for the year 2009!
I can give you some info about Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 or s02E15, but just a few. expect that I will update this post because almost everyday I am searching for info about Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15. Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 will be released on January 18, 2009 in Japan, so that's the raw version, but in the USA, the release date is not yet set.
The title of Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 is "Paean of the Rebellion", or "Hanko no Gaika" in Japanese, What will happen in Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15? Let us just wait for a while & if we find somw spoilers, we will update this post immediately.
Anyway, Gundam fans, here is a music video of Gundam 00 Season 2, just to have some time of and relax. This is high quality guys I love this!
Watch Gundam 00 Season 2 Episode 15 and I am sure you will be lucky for the year 2009!
Portfolio Diet
The goal of the eating plan's creators was simple: to see if a "portfolio" of foods, each with some minor cholesterol-lowering benefits, can have a larger effect when eaten together as part of a regular diet.
The concept was developed by David Jenkins, professor of nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto and a strong proponent of using food to help reduce blood cholesterol, high levels of which increase the risk of heart disease. Funding for research came from the Canadian government; Unilever, the maker of Take Control, a margarine-like spread that helps to lower blood cholesterol; Loblaw, Canada's largest food distributor; and the Almond Board of California.
But the Portfolio approach won't be for everyone. Strictly followed, it's a near-vegan regimen, meaning no meat, eggs, poultry, fish or dairy.
"It's a real challenge for people to stay on this kind of diet," notes Alice Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition at Tufts University and chair of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.
In carefully controlled scientific settings, however, the Portfolio plan's cholesterol-lowering benefits rivaled those of statin drugs. That's important because millions of people take these prescription drugs long-term to control their blood cholesterol levels. Research suggests that about 25 percent of users stop taking their medicine within the first year of treatment because of complications. Without the drugs, cholesterol levels usually rise again to unhealthy levels.
When a low dose of statins isn't enough, doctors prescribe more. But there's a diminishing return: doubling the lowest dose only reduces cholesterol by about an additional 6 percent.
That's why the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute also recommend cutting saturated fat, trans fatty acids and cholesterol while boosting fiber as well as using drugs to help control cholesterol.
So can the Portfolio approach help even people who don't strictly follow this eating plan? To find out, Jenkins and his colleagues at the University of Toronto enrolled 66 adults with elevated blood cholesterol in a one-year study of the diet.
Participants were instructed to eat a mostly vegetarian diet rich in soy foods, almonds, fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans, as well as some healthy oils and margarine made with plant sterols (substances proven to lower cholesterol). They were also advised to skip or limit fat-free and low-fat dairy products and were encouraged to forgo eggs as well as poultry, fish and lean meat. Those who continued to eat these foods were urged to limit them to three or fewer meals a week.
The study found a direct link between how closely participants followed the portfolio plan and how much their blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) improved. LDL is directly linked to heart disease risk.
Nearly a third of participants who stuck closest to the plan's goals lowered their LDL levels by 20 percent or more, an improvement that rivals use of low-dose statins.
"There's no question that you can have very good results with diet," notes Robert Eckel, president of the American Heart Association (AHA) and a faculty member at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. What the latest findings suggest, he notes, is that for some people, "diet can match that doubling of statins." And for others, altering their diets may mean a reduction in dose, "or help them avoid adding a second cholesterol-lowering drug."
Here's how you can apply some of the lessons from the study:
· Nuts and healthy margarine proved easiest to add. About 79 percent of participants ate almonds while two-thirds used Take Control spread. But there's no need to stick with these foods, which were used because of the study's sponsorship. Other healthy spreads, including Benecol and Smart Balance, also are proven to help cut cholesterol -- if they are eaten daily. Additional options fortified with plant stanols or sterols include some brands of orange juice and chocolate.
Branch out with different nuts, too. "Any that are low in saturated fat would be just fine," Lichtenstein notes. Participants ate about two ounces daily, or roughly two handfuls. Just remember that both nuts and margarine are high in calories. So if you add them, you'll need to subtract other items to avoid weight gain, which also raises blood cholesterol.
· Include okra and eggplant . Both are among the more potent cholesterol-lowering vegetables. Skip fried versions of either, because frying almost always adds saturated fat (and, when such dishes are commercially prepared, may add unhealthy trans fats). Pickled okra is one option. Another is baked eggplant. To prepare: Wash and prick an eggplant. Cover in foil. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about an hour. Cool. Scoop out the inside. Use as a meat substitute in spaghetti sauce or as a dip mixed with garbanzo beans (good source of protein and fiber) and a little tahini (sesame paste, a healthy type of fat).
· Add soy, beans and fiber. Recent research questions soy's ability to lower blood cholesterol. But as a food low in saturated fat and high in fiber and protein, "soy can be beneficial when it is used to displace animal foods from the diet, such as hamburger," Lichtenstein notes. Beans, oat bran and psyllium were some of the other high-fiber foods that helped to improve LDL blood levels. ·
The concept was developed by David Jenkins, professor of nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto and a strong proponent of using food to help reduce blood cholesterol, high levels of which increase the risk of heart disease. Funding for research came from the Canadian government; Unilever, the maker of Take Control, a margarine-like spread that helps to lower blood cholesterol; Loblaw, Canada's largest food distributor; and the Almond Board of California.
But the Portfolio approach won't be for everyone. Strictly followed, it's a near-vegan regimen, meaning no meat, eggs, poultry, fish or dairy.
"It's a real challenge for people to stay on this kind of diet," notes Alice Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition at Tufts University and chair of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.
In carefully controlled scientific settings, however, the Portfolio plan's cholesterol-lowering benefits rivaled those of statin drugs. That's important because millions of people take these prescription drugs long-term to control their blood cholesterol levels. Research suggests that about 25 percent of users stop taking their medicine within the first year of treatment because of complications. Without the drugs, cholesterol levels usually rise again to unhealthy levels.
When a low dose of statins isn't enough, doctors prescribe more. But there's a diminishing return: doubling the lowest dose only reduces cholesterol by about an additional 6 percent.
That's why the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute also recommend cutting saturated fat, trans fatty acids and cholesterol while boosting fiber as well as using drugs to help control cholesterol.
So can the Portfolio approach help even people who don't strictly follow this eating plan? To find out, Jenkins and his colleagues at the University of Toronto enrolled 66 adults with elevated blood cholesterol in a one-year study of the diet.
Participants were instructed to eat a mostly vegetarian diet rich in soy foods, almonds, fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans, as well as some healthy oils and margarine made with plant sterols (substances proven to lower cholesterol). They were also advised to skip or limit fat-free and low-fat dairy products and were encouraged to forgo eggs as well as poultry, fish and lean meat. Those who continued to eat these foods were urged to limit them to three or fewer meals a week.
The study found a direct link between how closely participants followed the portfolio plan and how much their blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) improved. LDL is directly linked to heart disease risk.
Nearly a third of participants who stuck closest to the plan's goals lowered their LDL levels by 20 percent or more, an improvement that rivals use of low-dose statins.
"There's no question that you can have very good results with diet," notes Robert Eckel, president of the American Heart Association (AHA) and a faculty member at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. What the latest findings suggest, he notes, is that for some people, "diet can match that doubling of statins." And for others, altering their diets may mean a reduction in dose, "or help them avoid adding a second cholesterol-lowering drug."
Here's how you can apply some of the lessons from the study:
· Nuts and healthy margarine proved easiest to add. About 79 percent of participants ate almonds while two-thirds used Take Control spread. But there's no need to stick with these foods, which were used because of the study's sponsorship. Other healthy spreads, including Benecol and Smart Balance, also are proven to help cut cholesterol -- if they are eaten daily. Additional options fortified with plant stanols or sterols include some brands of orange juice and chocolate.
Branch out with different nuts, too. "Any that are low in saturated fat would be just fine," Lichtenstein notes. Participants ate about two ounces daily, or roughly two handfuls. Just remember that both nuts and margarine are high in calories. So if you add them, you'll need to subtract other items to avoid weight gain, which also raises blood cholesterol.
· Include okra and eggplant . Both are among the more potent cholesterol-lowering vegetables. Skip fried versions of either, because frying almost always adds saturated fat (and, when such dishes are commercially prepared, may add unhealthy trans fats). Pickled okra is one option. Another is baked eggplant. To prepare: Wash and prick an eggplant. Cover in foil. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about an hour. Cool. Scoop out the inside. Use as a meat substitute in spaghetti sauce or as a dip mixed with garbanzo beans (good source of protein and fiber) and a little tahini (sesame paste, a healthy type of fat).
· Add soy, beans and fiber. Recent research questions soy's ability to lower blood cholesterol. But as a food low in saturated fat and high in fiber and protein, "soy can be beneficial when it is used to displace animal foods from the diet, such as hamburger," Lichtenstein notes. Beans, oat bran and psyllium were some of the other high-fiber foods that helped to improve LDL blood levels. ·
Houston Marathon
Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga won the men's Chevron Houston Marathon in an unofficial course record time of 2:07:51.
Women's champion and fellow Ethiopian Teyba Erkesso crossed the finish line in a 2:24:18, which is also an unofficial new course record.
Americans take half marathon
Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi won the men's Aramco Houston Half Marathon on Sunday with a time of 1:01:25 and a pace of 4:42.
Keflezighi took a lead before the first mile and never looked back. He finished a full 10 seconds in front of the second place runner Dathan Ritzenhein.
Keflezighi won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics and finished in third place in the Houston Half Marathon in 2007.
On the women's side, it was Magdalena Boulet who took the top spot in the half marathon. She finished in 1:11:47 with a pace of 5:29.
Keflezighi, born in Eritrea, and Boulet, born in Poland, are both naturalized Americans.
Sean Wade, the defending champion, took the men's masters race in 1:07:09, while the women's masters half marathon winner was Peggy Yetman in 1:18:43.
Women's champion and fellow Ethiopian Teyba Erkesso crossed the finish line in a 2:24:18, which is also an unofficial new course record.
Americans take half marathon
Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi won the men's Aramco Houston Half Marathon on Sunday with a time of 1:01:25 and a pace of 4:42.
Keflezighi took a lead before the first mile and never looked back. He finished a full 10 seconds in front of the second place runner Dathan Ritzenhein.
Keflezighi won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics and finished in third place in the Houston Half Marathon in 2007.
On the women's side, it was Magdalena Boulet who took the top spot in the half marathon. She finished in 1:11:47 with a pace of 5:29.
Keflezighi, born in Eritrea, and Boulet, born in Poland, are both naturalized Americans.
Sean Wade, the defending champion, took the men's masters race in 1:07:09, while the women's masters half marathon winner was Peggy Yetman in 1:18:43.
Fleet Foxes
On Saturday, I flipped on NBC around midnight to see Taylor Swift doing a rather bland performance on "Saturday Night Live" and wondered, 'Why is Taylor Swift even on 'Saturday Night Live'?"
Yeah, she's the biggest-selling artist of 2008, but aren't there enough late-night and awards shows for her to play?
Shouldn't "SNL" be a little more left-of-the-dial?
Part of show's early reputation was built on throwing something out there that might shock the audience, or at least keep them awake. If you were around in the late '70s/early '80s, you'll recall the B-52's hitting the stage like surf-rock aliens on "Rock Lobster," Patti Smith torching the place with "Gloria" and Talking Heads resembling preppy robots on "Psycho Killer."
That was cutting-edge stuff being exposed to an audience probably more accustomed to Paul Simon and the Rolling Stones. Nowadays, there's still a thriving underground, but it seems like "SNL" just rounds up the biggest mainstream stars.
This Saturday, though, we get something different when the show gives the stage to Fleet Foxes, a bearded Seattle band from Sup Pop that frequented Top 10 lists this year with a debut record that brings CSNY-style harmonies into a new musical context. Mom and dad and their teenage kids will probably be digging this one.
At a time when the music industry really needs more new bands breaking out and replacing the old guard, it would be nice to see "SNL" go more in this direction and offset the superstars with contenders from indie-rock and indie hip-hop scenes.
Yeah, she's the biggest-selling artist of 2008, but aren't there enough late-night and awards shows for her to play?
Shouldn't "SNL" be a little more left-of-the-dial?
Part of show's early reputation was built on throwing something out there that might shock the audience, or at least keep them awake. If you were around in the late '70s/early '80s, you'll recall the B-52's hitting the stage like surf-rock aliens on "Rock Lobster," Patti Smith torching the place with "Gloria" and Talking Heads resembling preppy robots on "Psycho Killer."
That was cutting-edge stuff being exposed to an audience probably more accustomed to Paul Simon and the Rolling Stones. Nowadays, there's still a thriving underground, but it seems like "SNL" just rounds up the biggest mainstream stars.
This Saturday, though, we get something different when the show gives the stage to Fleet Foxes, a bearded Seattle band from Sup Pop that frequented Top 10 lists this year with a debut record that brings CSNY-style harmonies into a new musical context. Mom and dad and their teenage kids will probably be digging this one.
At a time when the music industry really needs more new bands breaking out and replacing the old guard, it would be nice to see "SNL" go more in this direction and offset the superstars with contenders from indie-rock and indie hip-hop scenes.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
BCS National Championship 2009
The biggest game in college football is on as the Florida Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners play in the 2009 BCS national championship game on January 8 in Miami, Florida.
There were seven other teams with one loss at the top of the rankings, just like the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators, both at 12-1. Two more finished the season a perfect 12-0, that’s the Boise State Broncos and the Utah Utes. But since nobody dominated the last two months of the season like Oklahoma and Florida did, they got the go to play in the national title game despite having a loss each.
The Oklahoma Sooners and the Tim TebowFlorida Gators, after dominating the rest of the field during the last few weeks, were ranked No.1 and No.2 respectively in the somewhat controversial BCS standings to end the regular season. And although some people may argue if Florida and Oklahoma were the right choices to play for the national title, both teams are still two of the best programs on the college gridiron and we’re still in for a treat in Miami.
Besides, the two quarterbacks playing for the two competing teams on January 8 were the top two candidates for the 2008 Heisman trophy. Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford won it while Tim Tebow of Florida had to settle for runner-up honors.
Personally, I thought Tim Tebow will bag the Heisman for the second straight year for sure. The guy has to be disappointed right? Well, a win in Miami will sure fix that. Led by Tebow, Florida averaged 49.4 points during the remarkable nine-game winning streak they were able to put up. Nobody has come within single digits of the Gators since their 31-30 loss to Ole Miss. Tebow should have something to prove against Oklahoma and winning the national title is one sure way to prove stuff.
As good as Tim Tebow has been for Florida, Sam Bradford was the same kind of force for Oklahoma. The Sooners lost 45-35 to Texas in October, but still ended up with an NCAA-record 702 points this season. They ended the season by becoming the first team since 1919 to score 60-plus in five straight games.
This will be the first meeting between these two powerhouse programs, each seeking their second title this decade. You just know it’s going to be good people. Oh yes it is.
There were seven other teams with one loss at the top of the rankings, just like the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators, both at 12-1. Two more finished the season a perfect 12-0, that’s the Boise State Broncos and the Utah Utes. But since nobody dominated the last two months of the season like Oklahoma and Florida did, they got the go to play in the national title game despite having a loss each.
The Oklahoma Sooners and the Tim TebowFlorida Gators, after dominating the rest of the field during the last few weeks, were ranked No.1 and No.2 respectively in the somewhat controversial BCS standings to end the regular season. And although some people may argue if Florida and Oklahoma were the right choices to play for the national title, both teams are still two of the best programs on the college gridiron and we’re still in for a treat in Miami.
Besides, the two quarterbacks playing for the two competing teams on January 8 were the top two candidates for the 2008 Heisman trophy. Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford won it while Tim Tebow of Florida had to settle for runner-up honors.
Personally, I thought Tim Tebow will bag the Heisman for the second straight year for sure. The guy has to be disappointed right? Well, a win in Miami will sure fix that. Led by Tebow, Florida averaged 49.4 points during the remarkable nine-game winning streak they were able to put up. Nobody has come within single digits of the Gators since their 31-30 loss to Ole Miss. Tebow should have something to prove against Oklahoma and winning the national title is one sure way to prove stuff.
As good as Tim Tebow has been for Florida, Sam Bradford was the same kind of force for Oklahoma. The Sooners lost 45-35 to Texas in October, but still ended up with an NCAA-record 702 points this season. They ended the season by becoming the first team since 1919 to score 60-plus in five straight games.
This will be the first meeting between these two powerhouse programs, each seeking their second title this decade. You just know it’s going to be good people. Oh yes it is.
Oprah Download
If you want your chance to get a free download of Suze Orman’s latest book, then head over to oprah.com/download. The book is called Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan, for free, and is available for download until January 15, 2009, from the Oprah Winfrey website.
The book is copyrighted, you are able to view the download file, but you are not allowed to copy, share or forward the file to any other person. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to see the file, which is also free.
The Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan book is available in both English and Spanish for both PC and Mac users. On a PC right click, Ctrl-click for Mac users on the Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan link. Firefox users select “Save Link As,” Internet Explorer users, select Save Target As.
oprah.com/download
www.oprah.com/download
The book is copyrighted, you are able to view the download file, but you are not allowed to copy, share or forward the file to any other person. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to see the file, which is also free.
The Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan book is available in both English and Spanish for both PC and Mac users. On a PC right click, Ctrl-click for Mac users on the Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan link. Firefox users select “Save Link As,” Internet Explorer users, select Save Target As.
oprah.com/download
www.oprah.com/download
Palm Pre 3G Mobile Phone
Palm today announced its long-awaited new operating system--called Web OS--as well as the new Palm Pre smart phone to match. The Pre will be available exclusively on the Sprint 3G Network in first half of 2009. The announcement was made at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.
As rumored earlier this week, the new phone marks Palm's effort to regain leadership in the smart phone market. Aiming for the coveted niche between iPhones and BlackBerrys, the Palm Pre with Web OS attempts to seamlessly bring together enterprise and entertainment into one device. You can see a gallery of Pre images here.
Palm did not announce pricing or an exact availability date for the Pre. (Stay tuned for PC World's in-depth look and hands-on analysis of the new phone and its OS.)
The Palm Pre Handset Specs
The Palm Pre is a multi-touch screen device with a full vertical slide-out QWERTY keyboard and accelerometer. The EVDO-capable device is Wi-Fi-enabled, and comes with GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 with stereo support, and 8GB of storage.
The Pre has a 3.1-inch size display with 320-by-480 resolution. The multi-touch extends beyond the display to the center button, which Palm calls the gesture area for launching applications on the device.
The Pre also has a 3.0-megapixel camera with an LED flash and depth and field DSP software. Additionally, the phone has high speed USB 2.0 support as well as a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack.
The phone's elegant, curved form factor is designed to comfortably fit in your hand as well as next to your cheek. The Pre is smaller in size than the iPhone and other smart phones on the market--it weighs 4.8 ounces.
The Palm Web OS
The open-source Palm Web OS strives to bring together all of the facets of a busy lifestyle and put it into one place for quick access to information with the flick of a finger.
The homescreen user interface (UI) has customizable application widgets running at the bottom of the display. Touch a widget and the app instantly pops up. All of your open applications appear on the UI as a deck of cards. Flicking from right to left and left to right on the gesture pad allows you to scroll through your "deck" of applications.
As rumored earlier this week, the new phone marks Palm's effort to regain leadership in the smart phone market. Aiming for the coveted niche between iPhones and BlackBerrys, the Palm Pre with Web OS attempts to seamlessly bring together enterprise and entertainment into one device. You can see a gallery of Pre images here.
Palm did not announce pricing or an exact availability date for the Pre. (Stay tuned for PC World's in-depth look and hands-on analysis of the new phone and its OS.)
The Palm Pre Handset Specs
The Palm Pre is a multi-touch screen device with a full vertical slide-out QWERTY keyboard and accelerometer. The EVDO-capable device is Wi-Fi-enabled, and comes with GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 with stereo support, and 8GB of storage.
The Pre has a 3.1-inch size display with 320-by-480 resolution. The multi-touch extends beyond the display to the center button, which Palm calls the gesture area for launching applications on the device.
The Pre also has a 3.0-megapixel camera with an LED flash and depth and field DSP software. Additionally, the phone has high speed USB 2.0 support as well as a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack.
The phone's elegant, curved form factor is designed to comfortably fit in your hand as well as next to your cheek. The Pre is smaller in size than the iPhone and other smart phones on the market--it weighs 4.8 ounces.
The Palm Web OS
The open-source Palm Web OS strives to bring together all of the facets of a busy lifestyle and put it into one place for quick access to information with the flick of a finger.
The homescreen user interface (UI) has customizable application widgets running at the bottom of the display. Touch a widget and the app instantly pops up. All of your open applications appear on the UI as a deck of cards. Flicking from right to left and left to right on the gesture pad allows you to scroll through your "deck" of applications.
Costa Rica Earthquake
San Jose - A strong earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter Scale, shook Costa Rica on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was centred about 35 kilometres underground and 35 kilometres north of Costa Rican capital San Jose, where the tremor was strongly felt.
The earthquake took place at 1:21 pm (1921 GMT) and caused widespread panic in San Jose, with residents rushing out of shaking buildings.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.1-magnitude temblor was centered 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of the capital of San Jose in the early afternoon, near the Poas Volcano national park.
The Red Cross said in a statement that a young girl, who hasn't yet been identified, was killed by a landslide unleashed by the quake near the city of Alajuela, north of the capital.
Local TV station Teletica showed broken windows, fallen ceiling panels and cracked walls in Alajuela. The quake was felt strongly throughout the small Central American country, Teletica said. Cell phone service was interrupted briefly.
Thousands of people ran from homes and shopping centers, frightened by the quake. In the capital, women kneeled to pray in plazas. Others cried.
There were at least four aftershocks.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was centred about 35 kilometres underground and 35 kilometres north of Costa Rican capital San Jose, where the tremor was strongly felt.
The earthquake took place at 1:21 pm (1921 GMT) and caused widespread panic in San Jose, with residents rushing out of shaking buildings.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.1-magnitude temblor was centered 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of the capital of San Jose in the early afternoon, near the Poas Volcano national park.
The Red Cross said in a statement that a young girl, who hasn't yet been identified, was killed by a landslide unleashed by the quake near the city of Alajuela, north of the capital.
Local TV station Teletica showed broken windows, fallen ceiling panels and cracked walls in Alajuela. The quake was felt strongly throughout the small Central American country, Teletica said. Cell phone service was interrupted briefly.
Thousands of people ran from homes and shopping centers, frightened by the quake. In the capital, women kneeled to pray in plazas. Others cried.
There were at least four aftershocks.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Garage Storage
The garage is often one of a home's key storage areas. But because the space it offers is rarely used efficiently, the garage is a prime candidate for storage improvements.
You can buy modular storage system kits with components that can be mixed and matched to solve many storage problems. Or you can build your own storage solutions.
The improvements shown here may help you to reduce clutter, improve organization, and store seasonal items more conveniently.
The most popular types of garage storage and organization aids are cabinets, shelves, various wall-mounted racks, and plastic containers. Cabinets work well for hiding clutter and protecting their contents from moisture and dust. Shelves tend to be more affordable than cabinets; they efficiently save space and make paraphernalia more accessible by getting it off the floor. Wall-mounted racks, the most affordable of all, are great for keeping tools as well as equipment handy.
Store items that need to be protected from moisture inside of plastic containers. Buy the type that stack; clear plastic works well because it allows you to see what's inside.
You can buy modular storage system kits with components that can be mixed and matched to solve many storage problems. Or you can build your own storage solutions.
The improvements shown here may help you to reduce clutter, improve organization, and store seasonal items more conveniently.
The most popular types of garage storage and organization aids are cabinets, shelves, various wall-mounted racks, and plastic containers. Cabinets work well for hiding clutter and protecting their contents from moisture and dust. Shelves tend to be more affordable than cabinets; they efficiently save space and make paraphernalia more accessible by getting it off the floor. Wall-mounted racks, the most affordable of all, are great for keeping tools as well as equipment handy.
Store items that need to be protected from moisture inside of plastic containers. Buy the type that stack; clear plastic works well because it allows you to see what's inside.
Exercise DVDs
Congratulations! You've made the decision to do something good for your body, mind and spirit by starting a home exercise program. That's right — exercise is about a lot more than just looking good. In addition to giving you a toned physique, exercise relieves stress, helps you sleep better and gives you a wonderful feeling of wellbeing that follows you throughout your whole day. And exercising at home with DVDs is an excellent way to stay fit, especially if you feel self-conscious walking into a gym or health club. You can practice an aerobic dance routine until you get it just right (and no one has to know how long it took you to get there!).
You can do a toning DVD one day, a Yoga DVD the next, and a cardio routine over the weekend. If you only have 10 minutes to fit in a workout, there are DVDs for you. If you have the luxury of spending an hour or more with a flowing Yoga routine, there are DVDs for that too. New to working out? There are beginner's routines. Are you an experienced exerciser? There are lots of DVDs for you. Home workouts give you so much versatility you'll never have to worry about becoming bored. When you're tired of your current DVDs, you can always find something new.
If you're new to the world of home exercise, you're probably a little confused by all the choices you see out there. Exercise DVDs vary widely in quality. They don't always say whether they're for beginning or advanced exercisers. Some workouts require tools and props, like dumbbells, exercise bands or a step. Here are a few tips to help you navigate through all those exercise DVDs and create home workouts that are exactly right for you.
Whether you're in the mood to twist yourself into a pretzel or dance off calories, the options are seemingly limitless. We narrowed down the choices for you, and present our top picks for spring and summer.
1. Best for: Making You Sweat
Amy Bento: Hi/Lo Xtreme
Estimated calories burned: 500
Equipment: None
Why we love it: The tough routines combine aerobics and plyometrics.
Tester says: "Bento offers 10 variations for the perfect workout every time." (67 minutes; $16.95; nrgfitness.net)
2. Best for: Head-to-Toe Sculpting
NYC "A New You Coming"
Estimated calories burned: 470
Equipment: 3- and 5-pound dumbbells and a step (optional)
Why we love it: Instructor Kelly Coffey-Meyer never slows down, so you burn mega calories and hit every muscle group.
Tester says: "Switching from upper-body to lower-body moves makes the routine feel easier." (55 minutes; $20; coffeyfit.com)
3. Best for: Stability-Ball Makeovers
Keli Roberts Time Saver Workouts: A.S.A.P. Abdominals, Spine, and Posture
Estimated calories burned: 140
Equipment: Stability ball
Why we love it: The ball moves target your back, core, and legs.
Tester says: "The opposite arm/leg lift really helped improve my balance." (32 minutes; $14.95; keliroberts.com)
4. Best for: Yoga in a Hurry
Perfect in Ten Yoga
Estimated calories burned: 30 (per 10-minute session)
Equipment: None
Why we love it: You'll feel energized, stronger, and more flexible in minutes.
Tester says: "My posture drastically improved." (60 minutes; $9.99; stratostream.com)
5. Best for: Back to Basics
Jillian Michaels: The Complete Workout for Beginners
Estimated calories burned: 370-460
Equipment: 3- to 5-pound dumbbells and a resistance band (optional)
Why we love it: Michaels makes circuit training effective and easy to follow.
Tester says: "I toned up -- no gym required!" (97 minutes; $24.95 for a two-DVD set; jillianmichaels.com)
6. Best for: Sashaying Away the Pounds
Dance Off the Inches: Sizzling Salsa
Estimated calories burned: 180
Equipment: None
Why we love it: Three routines get hips moving and heart rates soaring.
Tester says: "This was fun and challenging." (55 minutes; $14.98; anchorbayentertainment.com/fitness)
7. Best for: Trimming Your Tummy
10 Minute Solution: Blast Off Belly Fat
Estimated calories burned: 40 (per 10-minute session)
Equipment: None
Why we love it: From Pilates to crunches!
Tester says: "I get bored, so the variety was perfect." (54 minutes; $14.98; anchorbayentertainment.com/fitness)
8. Best for: Burning Mucho Calories
Get Ripped 1,000 with Jari Love
Estimated calories burned: 1,000
Equipment: 10- and 15-pound dumbbells
Why we love it: There's no downtime -- the strength moves and cardio keep you moving nonstop.
Tester says: "It's as intense as some classes I've taken at the gym, but the instructions are clear." (70 minutes; $14.99; jarilove.com)
9. Best for: Getting a Pilates-Perfect Body
Pilates Core Challenge
Estimated calories burned: 225
Equipment: None
Why we love it: It targets your entire core and is friendly enough for beginners, but still challenging for Pilates vets.
Tester says: "There were crazy-hard side planks that worked my whole body." (60 minutes; $14.98; amazon.com)
10. Best for: The Totally Time Starved
Denise Austin: Boot Camp Total Body Blast!
Estimated calories burned: 350
Equipment: 3- to 5-pound dumbbells
Why we love it: You get three great workouts -- cardio, strength, and stretching -- all in 20 minutes or less.
Tester says: "It's like attending an awesome kickboxing class with sports drills thrown in." (50 minutes; $14.95; collagevideo.com)
* Look for trusted names in the world of exercise. There are some fitness instructors who are known for their excellent workouts — Kathy Smith, Billy Blanks, Tracy York, Tamilee Webb, Chris Freytag and The Firm are some names you may want to look out for. If you are a beginning exerciser, Leslie Sansone and Denise Austin are good instructors for you, and so are any of the "For Dummies" series of exercise DVDs. Interested in Yoga? Yoga Journal Step-By-Step DVDs are good, as are DVDs made by a company called Gaiam. The Total Yoga series is also highly recommended. If you're looking for power yoga, Baron Baptiste and Bryan Kest are excellent instructors. When it comes to Pilates, Ana Caban and Rael Isacowitz are top instructors, as is Marie Winsor. When you get a DVD featuring an experienced, well-respected instructor, you'll know you're getting a safe, effective workout. As you become more experienced with home exercise, you can experiment with lesser-known instructors and companies (and you may find some fresh, innovative workouts!) but at the beginning, stick with the big names.
* Make sure you have all the props. If you see an exercise DVD that says it is a "step workout," that means you'll need an aerobic step! Most toning and sculpting DVDs require one or more pairs of . Yoga and Pilates workouts require mats, and some Yoga routines even require blocks, straps and bolsters.icon Other exercise DVDs may require a stability ball or their own special equipment. Take The Firm, for example. The Firm is not just a DVD workout - it's a system that has its own set of props, and every few years, they update the workouts and the props. If you were to just buy the DVDs, you'd probably be disappointed when they arrive because you'd be missing crucial equipment and wouldn't be able to do the workout. The Firm's exercise routines are some of the best out there, but if you're new to the system, instead of buying just the DVDs, make sure you get the accessories along with the workouts. If you make exercising at home a regular part of your life, you will eventually want to get a number of props — several sets of dumbbells, a step (which can double as a weight bench, a mat or two (a thinner, "sticky mat" for yoga and a thicker one for Pilates and ab work), a stability ball and perhaps some exercise bands or tubing. You can find all these items inexpensively around the web (eBay, for example) and combined with your exercise DVDs, you'll have a great home gym.
* Wear the right shoes! Don't pull out last year's running shoes for a cardio dance workout. They don't have enough bounce or ankle support. If you plan on doing a lot of choreographed exercise routines, get a good pair of aerobic shoes. If cardio or aerobic dance is just part of an overall fitness regimen, at least invest in some good quality cross trainers. And if you're exercising 3 to 5 hours a week, you should get new workout shoes every 6 to 12 months. Don't worry — the old ones are still good to wear for casual walks or when you're running errands, so they won't go to waste. But fresh footwear is essential to get the most out of your workouts.
And while we're discussing shoes, we might as well talk about clothing too. Wear comfortable, stretchy clothes. Don't wear jeans, and don't wear outfits that are too tight. And for women, a supportive, no bounce sports bra is a must. Most athletic wear these days is made from a special material that wicks sweat away from your skin. So buy some good quality athletic clothing. It'll make your workout all the more pleasurable.
* Give some real thought to your exercise preferences. And don't try to say that you hate all exercise! Even the most dedicated couch potatoes have some way of moving that moves them. Did you hate sports during your school days? So did I — and I was terrible at them! But I loved dancing and I now enjoy a variety of cardio dance styles. Maybe weight training at the gym didn't do much for you, but there are many DVD instructors who make it fun. There are hip hop exercise DVDs, kickboxing DVDs jump rope DVDs, and many mind-body-spirit exercise DVDs that are about as far from the world of sport as you can get, while still getting your body fit. And of course, there are bootcamp-style workouts for you jocks out there.
So ask yourself: In a perfect world, what would make your body want to get up and move? Start off your home exercise program with that type of workout. Did you say that in a perfect world, you'd be exercising out of doors? Guess what — your home exercise routine can enhance outdoor workouts! A toning DVD that strengthens your legs and teaches you balance will give you skills for hiking. If you love to run in the fresh air, you still need to exercise your upper body. Are you passionate about golf? Exercise at home a few times a week and see how much it improves your game. Exercise DVDs are great supplements to workouts away from home.
* Go for variety. Of course, you'll want to start off by doing your preferred exercise styles. But eventually you'll want to branch out. A good fitness program contains 3 elements: cardio workouts, strength training and flexibility. Make sure you include all of them in your DVD collections. Build your library gradually and when you outgrow a DVD, or find that you've purchased one that is not really for you... well, you can always sell it on eBay!
* Pace yourself. One of the biggest reasons that people give up on their fitness programs is because they go full blast the first few weeks and burn themselves out. If you haven't exercised in a while (if ever), go very easy on yourself. Get beginner's exercise DVDs and do them 2 to 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. You need to give your body a day's rest between workouts. Here's a fact that most people don't consider: it's not the actual workout itself that creates changes in your body, but the recovery time. The workout stresses your body; the recovery makes it stronger and better. So when you're beginning, allow your body to do its thing and rest between your workouts. When you're more experienced, you'll be able to workout every day, if you so desire — just so long as you work different body parts on consecutive days. For example, you can do a lower body workout DVD one day, yoga the next, then an abdominal routine or an upper body routine the day after. If you listen to your body (instead of your head), you'll know when it needs a rest and when it's raring to go.
* Always have a bottle of water and a towel nearby. They tell you this in a lot of exercise DVDs. Believe the instructor — you will get thirsty and you will sweat. Get the water bottles with the sports tops so you don't risk spilling water all over your living room floor.
* Most of all, have fun! The process of becoming healthy and fit should be a happy one. If you enjoy what you are doing, you're more likely to come back for more. When you're starting out, it may seem a little tough, but find DVDs and instructors who you like, and keep at it. As your body becomes more fit and you start to feel better, you'll begin looking forward to your workouts. People will start telling you how great you look, and they'll want to know what you're doing. Tell them! In fact, don't just tell them — invite them to join you. Fitness is meant to be shared. Even those of us who prefer exercising in the privacy of our own homes can spread the word in our own circle of friends and family.
And here's one final tip for you: stop thinking about exercising and do it! Take action. Every day you put off your exercise program is one more day you put off looking and feeling your best. Start now!
You can do a toning DVD one day, a Yoga DVD the next, and a cardio routine over the weekend. If you only have 10 minutes to fit in a workout, there are DVDs for you. If you have the luxury of spending an hour or more with a flowing Yoga routine, there are DVDs for that too. New to working out? There are beginner's routines. Are you an experienced exerciser? There are lots of DVDs for you. Home workouts give you so much versatility you'll never have to worry about becoming bored. When you're tired of your current DVDs, you can always find something new.
If you're new to the world of home exercise, you're probably a little confused by all the choices you see out there. Exercise DVDs vary widely in quality. They don't always say whether they're for beginning or advanced exercisers. Some workouts require tools and props, like dumbbells, exercise bands or a step. Here are a few tips to help you navigate through all those exercise DVDs and create home workouts that are exactly right for you.
Whether you're in the mood to twist yourself into a pretzel or dance off calories, the options are seemingly limitless. We narrowed down the choices for you, and present our top picks for spring and summer.
1. Best for: Making You Sweat
Amy Bento: Hi/Lo Xtreme
Estimated calories burned: 500
Equipment: None
Why we love it: The tough routines combine aerobics and plyometrics.
Tester says: "Bento offers 10 variations for the perfect workout every time." (67 minutes; $16.95; nrgfitness.net)
2. Best for: Head-to-Toe Sculpting
NYC "A New You Coming"
Estimated calories burned: 470
Equipment: 3- and 5-pound dumbbells and a step (optional)
Why we love it: Instructor Kelly Coffey-Meyer never slows down, so you burn mega calories and hit every muscle group.
Tester says: "Switching from upper-body to lower-body moves makes the routine feel easier." (55 minutes; $20; coffeyfit.com)
3. Best for: Stability-Ball Makeovers
Keli Roberts Time Saver Workouts: A.S.A.P. Abdominals, Spine, and Posture
Estimated calories burned: 140
Equipment: Stability ball
Why we love it: The ball moves target your back, core, and legs.
Tester says: "The opposite arm/leg lift really helped improve my balance." (32 minutes; $14.95; keliroberts.com)
4. Best for: Yoga in a Hurry
Perfect in Ten Yoga
Estimated calories burned: 30 (per 10-minute session)
Equipment: None
Why we love it: You'll feel energized, stronger, and more flexible in minutes.
Tester says: "My posture drastically improved." (60 minutes; $9.99; stratostream.com)
5. Best for: Back to Basics
Jillian Michaels: The Complete Workout for Beginners
Estimated calories burned: 370-460
Equipment: 3- to 5-pound dumbbells and a resistance band (optional)
Why we love it: Michaels makes circuit training effective and easy to follow.
Tester says: "I toned up -- no gym required!" (97 minutes; $24.95 for a two-DVD set; jillianmichaels.com)
6. Best for: Sashaying Away the Pounds
Dance Off the Inches: Sizzling Salsa
Estimated calories burned: 180
Equipment: None
Why we love it: Three routines get hips moving and heart rates soaring.
Tester says: "This was fun and challenging." (55 minutes; $14.98; anchorbayentertainment.com/fitness)
7. Best for: Trimming Your Tummy
10 Minute Solution: Blast Off Belly Fat
Estimated calories burned: 40 (per 10-minute session)
Equipment: None
Why we love it: From Pilates to crunches!
Tester says: "I get bored, so the variety was perfect." (54 minutes; $14.98; anchorbayentertainment.com/fitness)
8. Best for: Burning Mucho Calories
Get Ripped 1,000 with Jari Love
Estimated calories burned: 1,000
Equipment: 10- and 15-pound dumbbells
Why we love it: There's no downtime -- the strength moves and cardio keep you moving nonstop.
Tester says: "It's as intense as some classes I've taken at the gym, but the instructions are clear." (70 minutes; $14.99; jarilove.com)
9. Best for: Getting a Pilates-Perfect Body
Pilates Core Challenge
Estimated calories burned: 225
Equipment: None
Why we love it: It targets your entire core and is friendly enough for beginners, but still challenging for Pilates vets.
Tester says: "There were crazy-hard side planks that worked my whole body." (60 minutes; $14.98; amazon.com)
10. Best for: The Totally Time Starved
Denise Austin: Boot Camp Total Body Blast!
Estimated calories burned: 350
Equipment: 3- to 5-pound dumbbells
Why we love it: You get three great workouts -- cardio, strength, and stretching -- all in 20 minutes or less.
Tester says: "It's like attending an awesome kickboxing class with sports drills thrown in." (50 minutes; $14.95; collagevideo.com)
* Look for trusted names in the world of exercise. There are some fitness instructors who are known for their excellent workouts — Kathy Smith, Billy Blanks, Tracy York, Tamilee Webb, Chris Freytag and The Firm are some names you may want to look out for. If you are a beginning exerciser, Leslie Sansone and Denise Austin are good instructors for you, and so are any of the "For Dummies" series of exercise DVDs. Interested in Yoga? Yoga Journal Step-By-Step DVDs are good, as are DVDs made by a company called Gaiam. The Total Yoga series is also highly recommended. If you're looking for power yoga, Baron Baptiste and Bryan Kest are excellent instructors. When it comes to Pilates, Ana Caban and Rael Isacowitz are top instructors, as is Marie Winsor. When you get a DVD featuring an experienced, well-respected instructor, you'll know you're getting a safe, effective workout. As you become more experienced with home exercise, you can experiment with lesser-known instructors and companies (and you may find some fresh, innovative workouts!) but at the beginning, stick with the big names.
* Make sure you have all the props. If you see an exercise DVD that says it is a "step workout," that means you'll need an aerobic step! Most toning and sculpting DVDs require one or more pairs of . Yoga and Pilates workouts require mats, and some Yoga routines even require blocks, straps and bolsters.icon Other exercise DVDs may require a stability ball or their own special equipment. Take The Firm, for example. The Firm is not just a DVD workout - it's a system that has its own set of props, and every few years, they update the workouts and the props. If you were to just buy the DVDs, you'd probably be disappointed when they arrive because you'd be missing crucial equipment and wouldn't be able to do the workout. The Firm's exercise routines are some of the best out there, but if you're new to the system, instead of buying just the DVDs, make sure you get the accessories along with the workouts. If you make exercising at home a regular part of your life, you will eventually want to get a number of props — several sets of dumbbells, a step (which can double as a weight bench, a mat or two (a thinner, "sticky mat" for yoga and a thicker one for Pilates and ab work), a stability ball and perhaps some exercise bands or tubing. You can find all these items inexpensively around the web (eBay, for example) and combined with your exercise DVDs, you'll have a great home gym.
* Wear the right shoes! Don't pull out last year's running shoes for a cardio dance workout. They don't have enough bounce or ankle support. If you plan on doing a lot of choreographed exercise routines, get a good pair of aerobic shoes. If cardio or aerobic dance is just part of an overall fitness regimen, at least invest in some good quality cross trainers. And if you're exercising 3 to 5 hours a week, you should get new workout shoes every 6 to 12 months. Don't worry — the old ones are still good to wear for casual walks or when you're running errands, so they won't go to waste. But fresh footwear is essential to get the most out of your workouts.
And while we're discussing shoes, we might as well talk about clothing too. Wear comfortable, stretchy clothes. Don't wear jeans, and don't wear outfits that are too tight. And for women, a supportive, no bounce sports bra is a must. Most athletic wear these days is made from a special material that wicks sweat away from your skin. So buy some good quality athletic clothing. It'll make your workout all the more pleasurable.
* Give some real thought to your exercise preferences. And don't try to say that you hate all exercise! Even the most dedicated couch potatoes have some way of moving that moves them. Did you hate sports during your school days? So did I — and I was terrible at them! But I loved dancing and I now enjoy a variety of cardio dance styles. Maybe weight training at the gym didn't do much for you, but there are many DVD instructors who make it fun. There are hip hop exercise DVDs, kickboxing DVDs jump rope DVDs, and many mind-body-spirit exercise DVDs that are about as far from the world of sport as you can get, while still getting your body fit. And of course, there are bootcamp-style workouts for you jocks out there.
So ask yourself: In a perfect world, what would make your body want to get up and move? Start off your home exercise program with that type of workout. Did you say that in a perfect world, you'd be exercising out of doors? Guess what — your home exercise routine can enhance outdoor workouts! A toning DVD that strengthens your legs and teaches you balance will give you skills for hiking. If you love to run in the fresh air, you still need to exercise your upper body. Are you passionate about golf? Exercise at home a few times a week and see how much it improves your game. Exercise DVDs are great supplements to workouts away from home.
* Go for variety. Of course, you'll want to start off by doing your preferred exercise styles. But eventually you'll want to branch out. A good fitness program contains 3 elements: cardio workouts, strength training and flexibility. Make sure you include all of them in your DVD collections. Build your library gradually and when you outgrow a DVD, or find that you've purchased one that is not really for you... well, you can always sell it on eBay!
* Pace yourself. One of the biggest reasons that people give up on their fitness programs is because they go full blast the first few weeks and burn themselves out. If you haven't exercised in a while (if ever), go very easy on yourself. Get beginner's exercise DVDs and do them 2 to 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. You need to give your body a day's rest between workouts. Here's a fact that most people don't consider: it's not the actual workout itself that creates changes in your body, but the recovery time. The workout stresses your body; the recovery makes it stronger and better. So when you're beginning, allow your body to do its thing and rest between your workouts. When you're more experienced, you'll be able to workout every day, if you so desire — just so long as you work different body parts on consecutive days. For example, you can do a lower body workout DVD one day, yoga the next, then an abdominal routine or an upper body routine the day after. If you listen to your body (instead of your head), you'll know when it needs a rest and when it's raring to go.
* Always have a bottle of water and a towel nearby. They tell you this in a lot of exercise DVDs. Believe the instructor — you will get thirsty and you will sweat. Get the water bottles with the sports tops so you don't risk spilling water all over your living room floor.
* Most of all, have fun! The process of becoming healthy and fit should be a happy one. If you enjoy what you are doing, you're more likely to come back for more. When you're starting out, it may seem a little tough, but find DVDs and instructors who you like, and keep at it. As your body becomes more fit and you start to feel better, you'll begin looking forward to your workouts. People will start telling you how great you look, and they'll want to know what you're doing. Tell them! In fact, don't just tell them — invite them to join you. Fitness is meant to be shared. Even those of us who prefer exercising in the privacy of our own homes can spread the word in our own circle of friends and family.
And here's one final tip for you: stop thinking about exercising and do it! Take action. Every day you put off your exercise program is one more day you put off looking and feeling your best. Start now!
Healthy Snacks
Snacking has become a way of life for both adults and children. A recent study reported that over 95 percent of the women and children in this country have at least one snack each day.
Many common snack foods are high in fat, sugar and sodium. If these foods are used for snacks frequently, they can affect our health.
Snacks can be good for us if we make good choices. Children especially may benefit from healthy snacks. They often cannot eat enough at three meals a day to satisfy their hunger and provide all of the nutrients they need. Snacks can provide the additional foods they need.
Snack Tips
* Plan snacks as a part of the day's food plan.
* When shopping, let children help pick out fruits, vegetables, and cheeses for snacks. They will be more interested in eating these foods if they have been involved in selecting them.
* Set aside a "snack spot" in the refrigerator and cupboard; keep it stocked with nutritious ready-to-eat snacks.
* Offer snacks at regular times, such as midmorning and midafternoon. Don't let children nibble constantly during the day.
* Avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks, such as candy and soda pop.
* Snacks are a good way to introduce new foods. Include a game or activity to learn about the new food and let the child help fix it.
* Plan snacks to help meet the suggested number of servings per day from the Food Guide Pyramid: 6 to 11 servings from the breads, cereal, rice and pasta group; 3 to 5 servings from the vegetable group; 2 to 4 servings from the fruit group; 2 to 3 servings from the milk, cheese and yogurt group; and 2 to 3 servings meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and dry beans group.
* Never offer food as a reward for good behavior.
Simple Healthy Snack Ideas
* Raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green pepper, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms or zucchini may be served with a lowfat dip.
* Fresh fruit in season, cut in slices or halves, such as apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, grapefruit, grapes, melons, pears, plums or strawberries.
* Lowfat quick breads and muffins, such as pumpkin, zucchini, banana or bran.
* Non-sugared cereals, snack mixes made with popcorn and whole grain cereal.
* Lowfat yogurt with fresh, frozen or canned fruit.
* Shakes with lowfat milk or yogurt and fruit.
* Unsweetened fruit juices.
Many common snack foods are high in fat, sugar and sodium. If these foods are used for snacks frequently, they can affect our health.
Snacks can be good for us if we make good choices. Children especially may benefit from healthy snacks. They often cannot eat enough at three meals a day to satisfy their hunger and provide all of the nutrients they need. Snacks can provide the additional foods they need.
Snack Tips
* Plan snacks as a part of the day's food plan.
* When shopping, let children help pick out fruits, vegetables, and cheeses for snacks. They will be more interested in eating these foods if they have been involved in selecting them.
* Set aside a "snack spot" in the refrigerator and cupboard; keep it stocked with nutritious ready-to-eat snacks.
* Offer snacks at regular times, such as midmorning and midafternoon. Don't let children nibble constantly during the day.
* Avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks, such as candy and soda pop.
* Snacks are a good way to introduce new foods. Include a game or activity to learn about the new food and let the child help fix it.
* Plan snacks to help meet the suggested number of servings per day from the Food Guide Pyramid: 6 to 11 servings from the breads, cereal, rice and pasta group; 3 to 5 servings from the vegetable group; 2 to 4 servings from the fruit group; 2 to 3 servings from the milk, cheese and yogurt group; and 2 to 3 servings meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and dry beans group.
* Never offer food as a reward for good behavior.
Simple Healthy Snack Ideas
* Raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green pepper, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms or zucchini may be served with a lowfat dip.
* Fresh fruit in season, cut in slices or halves, such as apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, grapefruit, grapes, melons, pears, plums or strawberries.
* Lowfat quick breads and muffins, such as pumpkin, zucchini, banana or bran.
* Non-sugared cereals, snack mixes made with popcorn and whole grain cereal.
* Lowfat yogurt with fresh, frozen or canned fruit.
* Shakes with lowfat milk or yogurt and fruit.
* Unsweetened fruit juices.
Kari Byron
Kari Elizabeth Byron (born December 18, 1974) is a San Francisco-based artist and television personality, best known for her featured role on the Discovery Channel show MythBusters.
Byron graduated from Los Gatos High School and went on to study film and sculpture at San Francisco State University, graduating magna cum laude in May 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Sculpture.[2] Byron spent the following year backpacking—mostly in South Asia, including the Himalayas—and was also involved in a number of art projects. She also worked as a secret Martini shopper for a liquor company.[3]
On the show MythBusters, Byron is featured along with fellow Build Team members Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara and also assists co-hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman in testing the plausibility of various myths. She became involved in the show after persistently showing up at Hyneman's M5 Industries workshop in a desire to get hired at his company. On her first day as a paid employee, she was asked by Jamie and MythBusters producer Peter Rees to help out with the "vacuum plane toilet" myth, and she was asked to model her buttocks for a cast: a job which would later have her comment (jokingly) that she was hired "for her butt".[4] She was given a more prominent role in the show starting with its second season. Not having had a long history in show business, at first she found it hard to act naturally with this more visible position but gradually became more used to it.[5]
Art and sculpting are important aspects of her life, and she has claimed that she creates some form of art every day, stating, "I would go crazy if I didn't." Some of her preferred sculpting materials are polymer clay, various found objects, acrylic gouache, wood and metals. Byron showcases some of her art on her personal website [2], and photography from her public exhibit debut Stray Doll in September 2004 is available at Anno Domini.[6] She believes being an artist is a hard career to choose, but has found inspiration in artists such as various SECCA award winners in the past. Preferring to make her audience think, she has had the following to say about her art:
“ I do portraits or I make sculptures exploring my cynical view of contemporary issues. Artists that over-explain their art always take away from my experience as a viewer. I try to let my viewer make their own message. Art becomes more personal if you let yourself become involved. I will always explain my motivations and themes if someone asks but I prefer to hear theirs. ”
Following the success of MythBusters, she still makes sculptures, but she no longer displays them in exhibitions. She felt exposing her inner self through art exhibitions could conflict with the success of MythBusters, with visitors approaching her being more interested in talking about the show than her art. She has also expressed actually enjoying the freedom of working only for herself in this way.[7]
* Byron has made a guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.[4]
* Byron, along with the other Mythbusters build team members, was a guest of the Gen Con gaming convention in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2006 and multi-genre Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006 and 2007. In February 2007 she was a guest at the Portland Rod & Custom Show in Portland, Oregon and in March 2007 she was a guest at I-CON in Long Island, New York.
* Byron has done an interview and photo shoot with popular men's magazine FHM. In the photo shoot, dressed in a red bra and lab coat, Byron recreated the popular "Diet Coke and Mentos" experiment that sparked the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment on the show.[8]
Byron graduated from Los Gatos High School and went on to study film and sculpture at San Francisco State University, graduating magna cum laude in May 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Sculpture.[2] Byron spent the following year backpacking—mostly in South Asia, including the Himalayas—and was also involved in a number of art projects. She also worked as a secret Martini shopper for a liquor company.[3]
On the show MythBusters, Byron is featured along with fellow Build Team members Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara and also assists co-hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman in testing the plausibility of various myths. She became involved in the show after persistently showing up at Hyneman's M5 Industries workshop in a desire to get hired at his company. On her first day as a paid employee, she was asked by Jamie and MythBusters producer Peter Rees to help out with the "vacuum plane toilet" myth, and she was asked to model her buttocks for a cast: a job which would later have her comment (jokingly) that she was hired "for her butt".[4] She was given a more prominent role in the show starting with its second season. Not having had a long history in show business, at first she found it hard to act naturally with this more visible position but gradually became more used to it.[5]
Art and sculpting are important aspects of her life, and she has claimed that she creates some form of art every day, stating, "I would go crazy if I didn't." Some of her preferred sculpting materials are polymer clay, various found objects, acrylic gouache, wood and metals. Byron showcases some of her art on her personal website [2], and photography from her public exhibit debut Stray Doll in September 2004 is available at Anno Domini.[6] She believes being an artist is a hard career to choose, but has found inspiration in artists such as various SECCA award winners in the past. Preferring to make her audience think, she has had the following to say about her art:
“ I do portraits or I make sculptures exploring my cynical view of contemporary issues. Artists that over-explain their art always take away from my experience as a viewer. I try to let my viewer make their own message. Art becomes more personal if you let yourself become involved. I will always explain my motivations and themes if someone asks but I prefer to hear theirs. ”
Following the success of MythBusters, she still makes sculptures, but she no longer displays them in exhibitions. She felt exposing her inner self through art exhibitions could conflict with the success of MythBusters, with visitors approaching her being more interested in talking about the show than her art. She has also expressed actually enjoying the freedom of working only for herself in this way.[7]
* Byron has made a guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.[4]
* Byron, along with the other Mythbusters build team members, was a guest of the Gen Con gaming convention in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2006 and multi-genre Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia in 2006 and 2007. In February 2007 she was a guest at the Portland Rod & Custom Show in Portland, Oregon and in March 2007 she was a guest at I-CON in Long Island, New York.
* Byron has done an interview and photo shoot with popular men's magazine FHM. In the photo shoot, dressed in a red bra and lab coat, Byron recreated the popular "Diet Coke and Mentos" experiment that sparked the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment on the show.[8]
Ultra Battery
Discharge and charge power of the ultra-battery is approximately 50% higher and its cycle-life is at least three times longer than that of the conventional lead-acid counterpart. Furthermore, the ultra-battery is able to be produced as either flooded-electrolyte or valve-regulated designs in the existing lead-acid factory and also able to reconfigure for a variety of applications, such as conventional automobile, power tool, forklift, high-power uninterruptible power supply and remote-area power supply.
Traditionally, supercapacitor and lead-acid batteries are separate components relying on electronic controllers and complex algorithms to switch power between both units, whereas this newly licensed technology eliminates the need for additional electronic control and multiple energy storage devices.
A breakthrough technology is holding forth the promise of charging electronic gadgets in minutes, never having to replace a battery again, and dropping the cost of hybrid cars. Indeed, the technology has the potential to provide an energy storage device ten times more powerful than even the latest batteries in hybrid cars -- while outliving the vehicle itself.
The new technology, developed at MIT's Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems, should improve ultracapacitors by swapping in carbon nanotubes, thereby greatly increasing the surface area of electrodes and the ability to store energy.
Ultracapacitors, a souped-up version of the capacitors widely used in electronics, have been around for decades. They're well-known for being powerful, that is, able to quickly absorb and release electricity. But they can't store much energy so their stored electricity is depleted in a matter of seconds. As a result, they've been limited to niche applications, such as providing quick bursts of power in some hybrid transit buses.
Now researchers at MIT have found what they believe is a way to improve the endurance of ultracapacitors several-fold -- allowing the devices to retain the power and longevity advantages, while storing about as much energy as the batteries used in hybrids.
The amount of energy ultracapacitors can hold is related to the surface area and conductivity of their electrodes. The researchers have increased surface area by "more than an order of magnitude" by using carbon nanotubes, says Joel Schindall, professor of electrical engineering at MIT and one of the researchers on the project. One square centimeter of conductive plate when coated with the nanotubes has a surface area of about 50,000 square centimeters, compared with 2,000 square centimeters using the carbon in a commercial ultracapacitor today. The highly pure carbon nanotubes are also extremely conductive, which should increase power output over existing ultracapacitors, the researchers say.
The technology may find applications beyond hybrids, too. Ultracapacitors could allow laptops and cell phones to be charged in a minute. And unlike laptop batteries, which start losing their ability to hold a charge after a year or two, they could still be going strong long after the device is obsolete. "Theoretically, there's no process that would cause the [ultracapacitor] to need to be replaced," says professor John Kassakian, another of the researchers.
The main hurdle the new technology is likely to face is not technical but economic. "The nanomaterials are probably a hundred or a thousand times more expensive, today, than the materials that we use," says Michael Sund, spokesperson at Maxwell Technologies, San Diego CA, a maker of commercial ultracapacitors. "The markets that we serve are price-enabled. If our product stored a hundred times more energy, but cost a hundred times more, there might not be any market for it."
However, the MIT researchers hope that over time, and with help from economies of scale, nanotube ultracapacitors can be made for the same cost as batteries.
The next step is to measure the performance of a device using the carbon nanotubes and to grow the nanomaterials on a flexible substrate that can be rolled into a large-scale ultracapacitor.
Traditionally, supercapacitor and lead-acid batteries are separate components relying on electronic controllers and complex algorithms to switch power between both units, whereas this newly licensed technology eliminates the need for additional electronic control and multiple energy storage devices.
A breakthrough technology is holding forth the promise of charging electronic gadgets in minutes, never having to replace a battery again, and dropping the cost of hybrid cars. Indeed, the technology has the potential to provide an energy storage device ten times more powerful than even the latest batteries in hybrid cars -- while outliving the vehicle itself.
The new technology, developed at MIT's Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems, should improve ultracapacitors by swapping in carbon nanotubes, thereby greatly increasing the surface area of electrodes and the ability to store energy.
Ultracapacitors, a souped-up version of the capacitors widely used in electronics, have been around for decades. They're well-known for being powerful, that is, able to quickly absorb and release electricity. But they can't store much energy so their stored electricity is depleted in a matter of seconds. As a result, they've been limited to niche applications, such as providing quick bursts of power in some hybrid transit buses.
Now researchers at MIT have found what they believe is a way to improve the endurance of ultracapacitors several-fold -- allowing the devices to retain the power and longevity advantages, while storing about as much energy as the batteries used in hybrids.
The amount of energy ultracapacitors can hold is related to the surface area and conductivity of their electrodes. The researchers have increased surface area by "more than an order of magnitude" by using carbon nanotubes, says Joel Schindall, professor of electrical engineering at MIT and one of the researchers on the project. One square centimeter of conductive plate when coated with the nanotubes has a surface area of about 50,000 square centimeters, compared with 2,000 square centimeters using the carbon in a commercial ultracapacitor today. The highly pure carbon nanotubes are also extremely conductive, which should increase power output over existing ultracapacitors, the researchers say.
The technology may find applications beyond hybrids, too. Ultracapacitors could allow laptops and cell phones to be charged in a minute. And unlike laptop batteries, which start losing their ability to hold a charge after a year or two, they could still be going strong long after the device is obsolete. "Theoretically, there's no process that would cause the [ultracapacitor] to need to be replaced," says professor John Kassakian, another of the researchers.
The main hurdle the new technology is likely to face is not technical but economic. "The nanomaterials are probably a hundred or a thousand times more expensive, today, than the materials that we use," says Michael Sund, spokesperson at Maxwell Technologies, San Diego CA, a maker of commercial ultracapacitors. "The markets that we serve are price-enabled. If our product stored a hundred times more energy, but cost a hundred times more, there might not be any market for it."
However, the MIT researchers hope that over time, and with help from economies of scale, nanotube ultracapacitors can be made for the same cost as batteries.
The next step is to measure the performance of a device using the carbon nanotubes and to grow the nanomaterials on a flexible substrate that can be rolled into a large-scale ultracapacitor.
Erica Enders
Erica Enders, the popular Pro Stock racer, will reportedly compete full time in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Erica will be behind the wheel of Jim and Gloria Cunningham's Mastercam Ford Mustang.
Enders will receive technical support from Ford Racing and will begin the season in the same car she drove when she filled in for Cunningham earlier this year at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
"After personally seeing Erica's incredible fan base and how she conducted herself with the fans and in the car at Indy, we asked her to drive for Jim next year, and she agreed to race with us," said Cunningham Motorsports crew chief Marcus Bowen. "She did an outstanding job driving our car and produced four outstanding runs. We are pleased to have her driving the car and marketing Cunningham Motorsports and Ford."
Enders, 25, is already the most successful female racer in class history with the most races entered, most final-round showings, most low-qualifier awards, and most round-wins.
After several meetings with Brian Wolfe, director of Ford Racing, and Doug Hervey, operations manager of Ford Racing North America, as well as several others from the Ford Racing Technology group, the Cunninghams have agreed to fully fund the program until appropriate corporate funding can be found.
The plan is to take the current A500 Pro Stock cylinder block and E460 cylinder head and make some much-needed revisions to the current tooling used to cast these parts in an effort to drastically improve their current powerplant. In addition to this project, Ford Racing has approved engine-block and cylinder-head development of its Ford engine. The new combination is being tested internally at Ford Racing Technology and could be available to Cunningham Motorsports in late 2009.
In addition to the engine-development program, decorated chassis builder Don Ness has been contracted to design a '10 Ford Mustang Pro Stock body. In support of Ness' work, Ford aero engineers have already scheduled multiple wind-tunnel sessions to bring the Mustang body to appropriate levels for Pro Stock competition. Cunningham Motorsports plans to take delivery of the first '10 Mustang in spring 2009.
The 25-year-old Enders already is the most successful female racer in class history with the most races entered, most final-round showings, most low-qualifier awards, and most round-wins. No female racer has ever won a Pro Stock race.
Enders is perhaps best known for the Disney Channel movie Right on Track, which chronicles her and sister Courtney's time in the Jr. Dragster ranks. It remains one of the most viewed movies in Disney Channel history.
The first public appearances of Enders and the Cunningham Motorsports/Mastercam Ford Mustang GT Pro Stock will be at the Ford Racing booth throughout the PRI Show Dec. 11-13 in Orlando, Fla.
Enders will receive technical support from Ford Racing and will begin the season in the same car she drove when she filled in for Cunningham earlier this year at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
"After personally seeing Erica's incredible fan base and how she conducted herself with the fans and in the car at Indy, we asked her to drive for Jim next year, and she agreed to race with us," said Cunningham Motorsports crew chief Marcus Bowen. "She did an outstanding job driving our car and produced four outstanding runs. We are pleased to have her driving the car and marketing Cunningham Motorsports and Ford."
Enders, 25, is already the most successful female racer in class history with the most races entered, most final-round showings, most low-qualifier awards, and most round-wins.
After several meetings with Brian Wolfe, director of Ford Racing, and Doug Hervey, operations manager of Ford Racing North America, as well as several others from the Ford Racing Technology group, the Cunninghams have agreed to fully fund the program until appropriate corporate funding can be found.
The plan is to take the current A500 Pro Stock cylinder block and E460 cylinder head and make some much-needed revisions to the current tooling used to cast these parts in an effort to drastically improve their current powerplant. In addition to this project, Ford Racing has approved engine-block and cylinder-head development of its Ford engine. The new combination is being tested internally at Ford Racing Technology and could be available to Cunningham Motorsports in late 2009.
In addition to the engine-development program, decorated chassis builder Don Ness has been contracted to design a '10 Ford Mustang Pro Stock body. In support of Ness' work, Ford aero engineers have already scheduled multiple wind-tunnel sessions to bring the Mustang body to appropriate levels for Pro Stock competition. Cunningham Motorsports plans to take delivery of the first '10 Mustang in spring 2009.
The 25-year-old Enders already is the most successful female racer in class history with the most races entered, most final-round showings, most low-qualifier awards, and most round-wins. No female racer has ever won a Pro Stock race.
Enders is perhaps best known for the Disney Channel movie Right on Track, which chronicles her and sister Courtney's time in the Jr. Dragster ranks. It remains one of the most viewed movies in Disney Channel history.
The first public appearances of Enders and the Cunningham Motorsports/Mastercam Ford Mustang GT Pro Stock will be at the Ford Racing booth throughout the PRI Show Dec. 11-13 in Orlando, Fla.
Now and Then
Now and Then is a 1995 film directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and starring Demi Moore, Melanie Griffith, Rosie O'Donnell and Rita Wilson. It was filmed largely in Statesboro, Georgia, highlighting the downtown area and Louisville, Kentucky.
The film tells the story of four friends that have been busy with their lives until an important event reunites them in their home town of Shelby, Indiana. Most of the film, however, is a flashback to the summer of 1970, in which the four 12-year-old girls (played by Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann and Ashleigh Aston Moore) divide their time between gathering money to buy a treehouse in search for "independence" and investigating a local mystery. Both happy and unfortunate events occur, which help them realize they're growing up. Once they achieve their goal and buy the treehouse they make a promise to be there for one another.
"Sam" Albertson
Sam (Gaby Hoffman/Demi Moore) is the sci-fi-loving, curious oddball in the group. She likes anything paranormal and often convinces the others to have seances in the graveyard. She is the unofficial leader and tries to stand up for what's right. She lives with her mother and younger sister Angela. She finds out after her father leaves that her parents are getting a divorce, which disturbs her, and then her mother goes out with another man, Bud Kent. She later grows up to be a science fiction author who smokes. Her colors are red and black. She is close to Teeny.
Roberta Martin
Roberta (Christina Ricci/Rosie O'Donnell) is the playful, daring tomboy of the group. She loves sports and games. She lives with her father and 3 older brothers and her golden retriever. Her mother Catherine died in a car crash (which her father lied about) when Roberta was 4 years old. She was traumatized and always carries a picture of her mother with her wherever she goes. She does dangerous things like faking her death to make death seem funny, to make it easier for herself. She hates acting like a girl and tries to hide her sexuality by taping her breasts. She at first dislikes Scott Wormer (oldest brother of the girls' rivals, the Wormer brothers) but they later kiss. She grows up to be a softball coach and a doctor- in fact, Chrissy's doctor and delivers her baby. Her colors are green and brown. She is also close to Chrissy.
Chrissy DeWitt
Chrissy, (Ashleigh Aston Moore/Rita Wilson) a naive, caring, conservative sheltered girl. Her mother hides a lot of things from her, and when Chrissy asks her what sex is, she compares it to gardening, which confuses her a little (and also makes her obsessed with gardening in her adult years). She hates to get dirty, cussing, and playing rough games. She lives with her parents, but it's unknown if she has siblings. She was about to save Roberta's life when she fooled them into thinking she had drowned, and was so upset when she found out, she punched Roberta and showed true backbone. She grows up to be a housewife, mother, and wife to Morton Williams (a dentist) who used to be the nerdy kid who adored Chrissy in their youth. Her colors are pink and white. She is close to Roberta.
Tina "Teeny" Tercell
Tina (Thora Birch/Melanie Griffith) is precocious, immature, and an incredibly big flirt. She is fixated on boys and not afraid to show off her sexuality. She wishes she had bigger breasts, so she puts pudding-filled balloons in her bra and then admits to receiving breast implants as an adult. Teeny also loves attention, especially from boys. She lives with her parents but they are rich country clubbers, so they are rarely around, and according to Sam, that's a "typical upbringing for actors and pathological liars". She grows to be an actress who is married 3 times (the first marriage is annulled). Teeny's colors are blue and orange. She is close to Sam.
The film tells the story of four friends that have been busy with their lives until an important event reunites them in their home town of Shelby, Indiana. Most of the film, however, is a flashback to the summer of 1970, in which the four 12-year-old girls (played by Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann and Ashleigh Aston Moore) divide their time between gathering money to buy a treehouse in search for "independence" and investigating a local mystery. Both happy and unfortunate events occur, which help them realize they're growing up. Once they achieve their goal and buy the treehouse they make a promise to be there for one another.
"Sam" Albertson
Sam (Gaby Hoffman/Demi Moore) is the sci-fi-loving, curious oddball in the group. She likes anything paranormal and often convinces the others to have seances in the graveyard. She is the unofficial leader and tries to stand up for what's right. She lives with her mother and younger sister Angela. She finds out after her father leaves that her parents are getting a divorce, which disturbs her, and then her mother goes out with another man, Bud Kent. She later grows up to be a science fiction author who smokes. Her colors are red and black. She is close to Teeny.
Roberta Martin
Roberta (Christina Ricci/Rosie O'Donnell) is the playful, daring tomboy of the group. She loves sports and games. She lives with her father and 3 older brothers and her golden retriever. Her mother Catherine died in a car crash (which her father lied about) when Roberta was 4 years old. She was traumatized and always carries a picture of her mother with her wherever she goes. She does dangerous things like faking her death to make death seem funny, to make it easier for herself. She hates acting like a girl and tries to hide her sexuality by taping her breasts. She at first dislikes Scott Wormer (oldest brother of the girls' rivals, the Wormer brothers) but they later kiss. She grows up to be a softball coach and a doctor- in fact, Chrissy's doctor and delivers her baby. Her colors are green and brown. She is also close to Chrissy.
Chrissy DeWitt
Chrissy, (Ashleigh Aston Moore/Rita Wilson) a naive, caring, conservative sheltered girl. Her mother hides a lot of things from her, and when Chrissy asks her what sex is, she compares it to gardening, which confuses her a little (and also makes her obsessed with gardening in her adult years). She hates to get dirty, cussing, and playing rough games. She lives with her parents, but it's unknown if she has siblings. She was about to save Roberta's life when she fooled them into thinking she had drowned, and was so upset when she found out, she punched Roberta and showed true backbone. She grows up to be a housewife, mother, and wife to Morton Williams (a dentist) who used to be the nerdy kid who adored Chrissy in their youth. Her colors are pink and white. She is close to Roberta.
Tina "Teeny" Tercell
Tina (Thora Birch/Melanie Griffith) is precocious, immature, and an incredibly big flirt. She is fixated on boys and not afraid to show off her sexuality. She wishes she had bigger breasts, so she puts pudding-filled balloons in her bra and then admits to receiving breast implants as an adult. Teeny also loves attention, especially from boys. She lives with her parents but they are rich country clubbers, so they are rarely around, and according to Sam, that's a "typical upbringing for actors and pathological liars". She grows to be an actress who is married 3 times (the first marriage is annulled). Teeny's colors are blue and orange. She is close to Sam.
Bucky Paper
Buckypaper is a thin sheet made from an aggregate of carbon nanotubes.[1] The nanotubes are approximately 50,000 times thinner than a human hair.[1] Originally, it was fabricated as a way to handle carbon nanotubes, but in 2008 is being studied and developed into applications by several research groups, showing promise as a building material for aerospace vehicles, body armor and next-generation electronics and displays.
Buckypaper is a macroscopic aggregate of carbon nanotubes (CNT), or "buckytubes". The idea for buckypaper came when British scientist Harry Kroto and Rice University scientists were attempting to create the conditions found in a star when it forms elemental carbon.[1] It owes its name to buckminsterfullerene, the 60 carbon fullerene (an allotrope of carbon with similar bonding that is sometimes referred to as a "Buckyball" in honor of R. Buckminster Fuller).[1] Richard Smalley, Sir Harold Kroto, and Robert Curl shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of buckminsterfullerene.[1] Their discoveries and subsequent work with carbon nanotubes led to a revolution in the fields of chemistry and materials science.
The generally accepted method for forming such CNT films involves the use of non-ionic surfactants, such as Triton X-100[2] and Sodium lauryl sulfate,[3] which improves their dispersibility in aqueous solution. These suspensions can then be membrane filtered under positive or negative pressure to yield uniform films.[4] The Van der Waals forces interaction between the nanotube surface and the surfactant can often be mechanically strong and quite stable and therefore there are no assurances that all the surfactant is removed from the CNT film after formation. Washing with methanol, an effective solvent in the removal of Triton X, was found to cause cracking and deformation of the film. It has also been found that Triton X can lead to cell lysis and in turn tissue inflammatory responses even at low concentrations.[5]
In order to avoid adverse side-effects from the possible presence of surfactants, an alternative casting process was developed involving a Frit Compression method that did not require the use of surfactants or surface modification.[6] The dimensions can be controlled through the size of the syringe housing and the through the mass of carbon nanotubes added. Their thicknesses are typically much larger than surfactant-cast buckypaper and have been synthesised from 120 μm up to 650 μm; whilst no nomenclature system exists to govern thicknesses for samples to be classified as paper, samples with thicknesses greater than 500 μm are referred to as buckydiscs. Beyond 5mm thickness, the sample is termed a buckycolumn. The frit compression method allows rapid casting of buckypaper, buckydiscs and buckycolumns with recovery of the casting solvent and control over the 2D and 3D geometry.
Aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) growth has been used in CNT film synthesis through the domino effect.[7] In this process, "forests" of MWCNTs are pushed flat in a single direction, compressing their vertical orientation into the horizontal plane, which results in the formation of high-purity buckypaper with no further purification or treatment required. By comparison, when a buckypaper sample was formed from the 1 tonne compression of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) generated MWCNT powder, any application of a solvent led to the immediate swelling of the film till it reverted into particulate matter.[8] It appears that for the CNT powder used, compression alone was insufficient to generate robust buckypaper and highlights that the aligned growth methodology generates in-situ tube-tube interactions not found in CVD CNT powder and are preserved through to the domino pushing formation of buckypaper.
Buckypaper is a macroscopic aggregate of carbon nanotubes (CNT), or "buckytubes". The idea for buckypaper came when British scientist Harry Kroto and Rice University scientists were attempting to create the conditions found in a star when it forms elemental carbon.[1] It owes its name to buckminsterfullerene, the 60 carbon fullerene (an allotrope of carbon with similar bonding that is sometimes referred to as a "Buckyball" in honor of R. Buckminster Fuller).[1] Richard Smalley, Sir Harold Kroto, and Robert Curl shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of buckminsterfullerene.[1] Their discoveries and subsequent work with carbon nanotubes led to a revolution in the fields of chemistry and materials science.
The generally accepted method for forming such CNT films involves the use of non-ionic surfactants, such as Triton X-100[2] and Sodium lauryl sulfate,[3] which improves their dispersibility in aqueous solution. These suspensions can then be membrane filtered under positive or negative pressure to yield uniform films.[4] The Van der Waals forces interaction between the nanotube surface and the surfactant can often be mechanically strong and quite stable and therefore there are no assurances that all the surfactant is removed from the CNT film after formation. Washing with methanol, an effective solvent in the removal of Triton X, was found to cause cracking and deformation of the film. It has also been found that Triton X can lead to cell lysis and in turn tissue inflammatory responses even at low concentrations.[5]
In order to avoid adverse side-effects from the possible presence of surfactants, an alternative casting process was developed involving a Frit Compression method that did not require the use of surfactants or surface modification.[6] The dimensions can be controlled through the size of the syringe housing and the through the mass of carbon nanotubes added. Their thicknesses are typically much larger than surfactant-cast buckypaper and have been synthesised from 120 μm up to 650 μm; whilst no nomenclature system exists to govern thicknesses for samples to be classified as paper, samples with thicknesses greater than 500 μm are referred to as buckydiscs. Beyond 5mm thickness, the sample is termed a buckycolumn. The frit compression method allows rapid casting of buckypaper, buckydiscs and buckycolumns with recovery of the casting solvent and control over the 2D and 3D geometry.
Aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) growth has been used in CNT film synthesis through the domino effect.[7] In this process, "forests" of MWCNTs are pushed flat in a single direction, compressing their vertical orientation into the horizontal plane, which results in the formation of high-purity buckypaper with no further purification or treatment required. By comparison, when a buckypaper sample was formed from the 1 tonne compression of chemical vapour deposition (CVD) generated MWCNT powder, any application of a solvent led to the immediate swelling of the film till it reverted into particulate matter.[8] It appears that for the CNT powder used, compression alone was insufficient to generate robust buckypaper and highlights that the aligned growth methodology generates in-situ tube-tube interactions not found in CVD CNT powder and are preserved through to the domino pushing formation of buckypaper.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Closet Organizers
Organizing your closet is a task that sounds like it should be simple, but all too often is not. Take these top tips from the experts at Calgary Custom Closets to help you work your closet space to your best advantage.
1. Show it off!
Show off your neat organization — don’t hide it. Don’t put folded items in drawers – place them on shelves, where they can be seen. Chances are, if you can see it, you will use it.
2. Divide and Conquer.
Use drawer dividers to keep small items such as socks, lingerie or jewelry neatly organized, separate, and distinct in drawers while expanding space.
3. Hook, Line and Sinker.
Use hooks to store robes, night gowns and “around the house clothing.” Hooks can also be used in entries and mudrooms to organize children’s coats and backpacks.
4. The Off-Season Switch.
Store off-season clothing on high shelves or in another space if possible. Switching clothes with seasons also helps you to analyze what you have so you can purge those items you no longer require.
5. Fine Tune.
Adjustable closet systems allow placement of the rods and shelves so that there’s no wasted space. Place rods twelve inches from the back wall to provide hangers with at least 2 inches of clearance. Place shelves no more than twelve inches apart.
6. Take my hangers, please!
Get rid of empty hangers; they waste valuable space. If you know you will need some spares, place empty hangers in a basket at the bottom of the closet. Return wire hangers to the dry cleaner for re-use.
7. What’s your Hang-Up?
Choosing the right hanger can make a big difference. Wire hangers get easily tangled. Wood or sturdy plastic hangers are neater and help you retain the shape of your clothes.
8. Get labeled!
Label boxes with contents listed, or better yet, attach a photo of what’s inside.
9. Time to purge!
Get in the habit of purging on a regular basis — preferably at least twice per year, with the change of seasons (as mentioned in Tip 5). A great way to purge hanging items is to place all hangers with the hook facing out. As you use items, place them back with the hook facing in. At the change of the season, take a look at the items with the hook facing out and decide whether you still need them.
10. To Hang or to Fold — That is the Question!
This depends on a few important factors: fabric, design, use. Always hang items which are prone to wrinkles or delicate fabrics that crush easily. Fold items such as knitwear, sweaters, t-shirts and active wear. This will prevent them from losing their shape.
11. Colour Your World.
Grouping clothes by colour is as attractive as it is helpful. Colour-coding makes getting dressed in the morning quicker and easier; it also shows if your wardrobe is out of balance so you can shop more wisely.
12. Live, Love, Laugh.
Create a more enjoyable living space in the bedroom. Remove storage furniture such as a dresser or chest of drawers and place drawers in the closet. Now perhaps you can create a comfortable reading corner in the bedroom, maybe even with a romantic chaise lounge. Sit back and enjoy your little oasis of relaxation.
13. Look Beautiful on the Inside.
Incorporate a jewelry drawer into your closet. Our velvet lined jewelry organizers keep rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings separated, making them easy to locate, while protecting their delicate finish.
14. Display Your Shoe Fetish.
Did you know the average woman owns 40 pairs of shoes? It’s true! Organize your collection with adjustable shelves to allow for differing shoe styles and height profiles.
15. Unleash Your Inner Neat Freak.
Use shelf dividers to keep handbags organized. Some leftover dry cleaner bags inserted in soft-sided purses will help them stand upright and hold their shape.
1. Show it off!
Show off your neat organization — don’t hide it. Don’t put folded items in drawers – place them on shelves, where they can be seen. Chances are, if you can see it, you will use it.
2. Divide and Conquer.
Use drawer dividers to keep small items such as socks, lingerie or jewelry neatly organized, separate, and distinct in drawers while expanding space.
3. Hook, Line and Sinker.
Use hooks to store robes, night gowns and “around the house clothing.” Hooks can also be used in entries and mudrooms to organize children’s coats and backpacks.
4. The Off-Season Switch.
Store off-season clothing on high shelves or in another space if possible. Switching clothes with seasons also helps you to analyze what you have so you can purge those items you no longer require.
5. Fine Tune.
Adjustable closet systems allow placement of the rods and shelves so that there’s no wasted space. Place rods twelve inches from the back wall to provide hangers with at least 2 inches of clearance. Place shelves no more than twelve inches apart.
6. Take my hangers, please!
Get rid of empty hangers; they waste valuable space. If you know you will need some spares, place empty hangers in a basket at the bottom of the closet. Return wire hangers to the dry cleaner for re-use.
7. What’s your Hang-Up?
Choosing the right hanger can make a big difference. Wire hangers get easily tangled. Wood or sturdy plastic hangers are neater and help you retain the shape of your clothes.
8. Get labeled!
Label boxes with contents listed, or better yet, attach a photo of what’s inside.
9. Time to purge!
Get in the habit of purging on a regular basis — preferably at least twice per year, with the change of seasons (as mentioned in Tip 5). A great way to purge hanging items is to place all hangers with the hook facing out. As you use items, place them back with the hook facing in. At the change of the season, take a look at the items with the hook facing out and decide whether you still need them.
10. To Hang or to Fold — That is the Question!
This depends on a few important factors: fabric, design, use. Always hang items which are prone to wrinkles or delicate fabrics that crush easily. Fold items such as knitwear, sweaters, t-shirts and active wear. This will prevent them from losing their shape.
11. Colour Your World.
Grouping clothes by colour is as attractive as it is helpful. Colour-coding makes getting dressed in the morning quicker and easier; it also shows if your wardrobe is out of balance so you can shop more wisely.
12. Live, Love, Laugh.
Create a more enjoyable living space in the bedroom. Remove storage furniture such as a dresser or chest of drawers and place drawers in the closet. Now perhaps you can create a comfortable reading corner in the bedroom, maybe even with a romantic chaise lounge. Sit back and enjoy your little oasis of relaxation.
13. Look Beautiful on the Inside.
Incorporate a jewelry drawer into your closet. Our velvet lined jewelry organizers keep rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings separated, making them easy to locate, while protecting their delicate finish.
14. Display Your Shoe Fetish.
Did you know the average woman owns 40 pairs of shoes? It’s true! Organize your collection with adjustable shelves to allow for differing shoe styles and height profiles.
15. Unleash Your Inner Neat Freak.
Use shelf dividers to keep handbags organized. Some leftover dry cleaner bags inserted in soft-sided purses will help them stand upright and hold their shape.
Wedding Venues
Your wedding is a big deal! And a venue can really set the tone for the entire affair. That's why it's important to choose the right venue, and we've got just the questions to ask before you start your mission. The answers will lead you to the perfect place for your Big Day
1. Where's it going be? Where have you always envisioned getting married? Is it a local or a destination wedding? If you can pin down the general location, then half your work is done.
2. Indoors or out? This question will quickly narrow down venue choices as many places offer one or the other. Hotels, on the other hand, usually offer both choices.
3. How many guests? Sometimes, the number of guests will determine where you have the wedding, as there is always a maximum capacity at most venues.
4. What's included? Does the venue have its own caterer, florist, bakery, bar, wait staff or music equipment? What about linens and tableware? If a venue does it all, it can really save you time and hassle with separate vendors.
5. What are the extras? It's easy to envision the reception when you're at a venue, but don't forget the other optional extras, like a dance floor, picturesque grounds for taking photos, an area for other ceremonial acts.
6. What's your style? Does the venue reflect your style? If you want a casual summer wedding, you might want to look into a golf club or beachside restaurant, not a stuffy hotel in the middle of downtown.
7. Good for both the ceremony and reception? Is the venue ideal for both the ceremony as well as the reception? Having both on the same site can also save on costs.
8. Is there a bridal room? This can be a lifesaver for brides who will get ready at the venue. A spare room that locks is also perfect to store any valuables of the wedding party.
9. Ample parking for guests? Though this may not seem like too big of an issue, lack of dedicated parking spaces can really put a damper on things. Make sure the venue has easy parking for your guests.
10. Room accommodation nearby? There's nothing worse than having guests travel miles away to turn in after a night of celebration. See if the venue has nearby hotels.
11. What's the reputation? If you can get word-of-mouth recommendations for a venue, you're in luck. You can always research for second opinion online.
12. Have you read the fine print? A contract with a venue is a binding document, so you want to make sure you agree with all the disclaimers and conditions before signing. You don't want to deal with unwanted surprises on your Big Day.
13. Are there any extra costs? Make sure you get a break down of all the costs that will be incurred, including potential costs if the bar tab goes over, if something gets damaged, etc. Some venues offer wedding insurance for the day, which might be a wise idea.
1. Where's it going be? Where have you always envisioned getting married? Is it a local or a destination wedding? If you can pin down the general location, then half your work is done.
2. Indoors or out? This question will quickly narrow down venue choices as many places offer one or the other. Hotels, on the other hand, usually offer both choices.
3. How many guests? Sometimes, the number of guests will determine where you have the wedding, as there is always a maximum capacity at most venues.
4. What's included? Does the venue have its own caterer, florist, bakery, bar, wait staff or music equipment? What about linens and tableware? If a venue does it all, it can really save you time and hassle with separate vendors.
5. What are the extras? It's easy to envision the reception when you're at a venue, but don't forget the other optional extras, like a dance floor, picturesque grounds for taking photos, an area for other ceremonial acts.
6. What's your style? Does the venue reflect your style? If you want a casual summer wedding, you might want to look into a golf club or beachside restaurant, not a stuffy hotel in the middle of downtown.
7. Good for both the ceremony and reception? Is the venue ideal for both the ceremony as well as the reception? Having both on the same site can also save on costs.
8. Is there a bridal room? This can be a lifesaver for brides who will get ready at the venue. A spare room that locks is also perfect to store any valuables of the wedding party.
9. Ample parking for guests? Though this may not seem like too big of an issue, lack of dedicated parking spaces can really put a damper on things. Make sure the venue has easy parking for your guests.
10. Room accommodation nearby? There's nothing worse than having guests travel miles away to turn in after a night of celebration. See if the venue has nearby hotels.
11. What's the reputation? If you can get word-of-mouth recommendations for a venue, you're in luck. You can always research for second opinion online.
12. Have you read the fine print? A contract with a venue is a binding document, so you want to make sure you agree with all the disclaimers and conditions before signing. You don't want to deal with unwanted surprises on your Big Day.
13. Are there any extra costs? Make sure you get a break down of all the costs that will be incurred, including potential costs if the bar tab goes over, if something gets damaged, etc. Some venues offer wedding insurance for the day, which might be a wise idea.
Wolverine Trailer
20th Century Fox has now officially revealed the new trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine online which you can watch using the player below or in High Definition QuickTime by becoming a friend of the film's MySpace page.
Opening May 1st, the Gavin Hood-directed action-thriller stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Will.i.am, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, Daniel Henney and Lynn Collins. The prequel tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program.
The claw-pawed man-mutant cuts in front of his fellow X-Men with his own creation story, which traces how Logan’s macho rivalry with Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) and his thwarted love affair with Silver Fox (Lynn Collins) set the stage for his tranformation into Wolverine. So why did Hugh Jackman’s character get the first Origins nod? ”It wasn’t always part of the plan, but Hugh brought that character to vivid life,” says producer Lauren Shuler Donner, recalling the endurance test he faced filming this water-tank scene where his character is injected with a substance that makes him impenetrable. ”We tortured the man. he is an animal. A normal person could not do that.”
Opening May 1st, the Gavin Hood-directed action-thriller stars Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Will.i.am, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, Daniel Henney and Lynn Collins. The prequel tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program.
The claw-pawed man-mutant cuts in front of his fellow X-Men with his own creation story, which traces how Logan’s macho rivalry with Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber) and his thwarted love affair with Silver Fox (Lynn Collins) set the stage for his tranformation into Wolverine. So why did Hugh Jackman’s character get the first Origins nod? ”It wasn’t always part of the plan, but Hugh brought that character to vivid life,” says producer Lauren Shuler Donner, recalling the endurance test he faced filming this water-tank scene where his character is injected with a substance that makes him impenetrable. ”We tortured the man. he is an animal. A normal person could not do that.”
Battlefield Earth
Battlefield Earth is a science fiction novel written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in celebration of 50 years as a writer. He also composed a soundtrack to the book called Space Jazz.
The subsequent film adaptation, released in 2000, was a notorious commercial and critical disaster and has been widely criticized as one of the "worst films ever made.In the year 3000 AD, Earth has been ruled by an alien race, the Psychlos, for a millennium. Humanity has been reduced to a few scattered tribes in isolated parts of the world while the Psychlos strip the planet of its mineral wealth. Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, a young member of one such tribe, lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Depressed over the death and disease affecting his tribe, he leaves his village to explore the lowlands and to disprove the superstitions long held by his people involving ancient gods and monsters. However, he is captured in the ruins of Denver by Terl, the Psychlo chief of security. The Psychlos, hairy 9-foot (2.7 m) high, 1000-pound sociopaths, originate from a planet with an atmosphere very different from that of earth. Their "breathe-gas" explodes on contact with even trace amounts of radioactive metals, such as uranium. For his greediness and incompetent planning, Terl had been assigned to Earth, and he eventually learns that his term has been extended with no word of relief. Fearful at the thought of spending several years on Earth, he decides to buy his way off the planet and return home a wealthy Psychlo. From the very beginning, the reader learns that Terl has discovered a lode of gold up in the Rocky Mountains that he wants to get his hands on "off the company books" but is surrounded by uranium deposits that make Psychlo mining impossible. Terl captures Jonnie by accident while searching for "man-animals" to train to mine where he himself cannot.
After a time, Terl captures Jonnie's girlfriend and her little sister and uses the threat of their deaths to ensure cooperation from Jonnie. Jonnie is afterwards free to move around the mining area. Shortly thereafter, Terl and Jonnie travel to Scotland and recruit 83 Scottish youth, old women, a doctor, and a historian to help with the mining. Jonnie, however, has different plans. Due to the fact that Terl does not understand English, Jonnie is able to convince the Scots to help him overthrow the Psychlo rule on Earth.
During the next several months, Jonnie and the Scots try to mine the gold as well as develop a means of defeating not only the Psychlos on Earth, but also nullify the threat of counterattack that could come from Psychlo (the Psychlos' home planet). During the semi-annual teleportation of personnel, goods, and coffins (all dead Psychlos are shipped home for burial) back to Psychlo, Jonnie and the Scots manage to pack several of the huge coffins with nuclear dirty bombs and "planet busters" in hopes of destroying the Psychlos' home planet. After the teleportation firing, the humans use the Psychlos' own war planes, tanks, and weapons against them and regain control of Earth.
This is, however, not the end of the story. Unsure as to whether the bombs sent even reached Psychlo and under the imminent threat of counterattack, Jonnie must now defend his newly-retaken planet against the predatory interests of several other interstellar races, including a race of intergalactic bankers seeking to repossess the Earth in lieu of unpaid debts, as well as a newly-emerging group of humans seeking to wrest control of Earth from him. In order to ensure the security and independence of humanity, he does something that no other race in 300,000 years has been able to do: uncover the secret of Psychlo mathematics and teleportation.
The subsequent film adaptation, released in 2000, was a notorious commercial and critical disaster and has been widely criticized as one of the "worst films ever made.In the year 3000 AD, Earth has been ruled by an alien race, the Psychlos, for a millennium. Humanity has been reduced to a few scattered tribes in isolated parts of the world while the Psychlos strip the planet of its mineral wealth. Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, a young member of one such tribe, lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Depressed over the death and disease affecting his tribe, he leaves his village to explore the lowlands and to disprove the superstitions long held by his people involving ancient gods and monsters. However, he is captured in the ruins of Denver by Terl, the Psychlo chief of security. The Psychlos, hairy 9-foot (2.7 m) high, 1000-pound sociopaths, originate from a planet with an atmosphere very different from that of earth. Their "breathe-gas" explodes on contact with even trace amounts of radioactive metals, such as uranium. For his greediness and incompetent planning, Terl had been assigned to Earth, and he eventually learns that his term has been extended with no word of relief. Fearful at the thought of spending several years on Earth, he decides to buy his way off the planet and return home a wealthy Psychlo. From the very beginning, the reader learns that Terl has discovered a lode of gold up in the Rocky Mountains that he wants to get his hands on "off the company books" but is surrounded by uranium deposits that make Psychlo mining impossible. Terl captures Jonnie by accident while searching for "man-animals" to train to mine where he himself cannot.
After a time, Terl captures Jonnie's girlfriend and her little sister and uses the threat of their deaths to ensure cooperation from Jonnie. Jonnie is afterwards free to move around the mining area. Shortly thereafter, Terl and Jonnie travel to Scotland and recruit 83 Scottish youth, old women, a doctor, and a historian to help with the mining. Jonnie, however, has different plans. Due to the fact that Terl does not understand English, Jonnie is able to convince the Scots to help him overthrow the Psychlo rule on Earth.
During the next several months, Jonnie and the Scots try to mine the gold as well as develop a means of defeating not only the Psychlos on Earth, but also nullify the threat of counterattack that could come from Psychlo (the Psychlos' home planet). During the semi-annual teleportation of personnel, goods, and coffins (all dead Psychlos are shipped home for burial) back to Psychlo, Jonnie and the Scots manage to pack several of the huge coffins with nuclear dirty bombs and "planet busters" in hopes of destroying the Psychlos' home planet. After the teleportation firing, the humans use the Psychlos' own war planes, tanks, and weapons against them and regain control of Earth.
This is, however, not the end of the story. Unsure as to whether the bombs sent even reached Psychlo and under the imminent threat of counterattack, Jonnie must now defend his newly-retaken planet against the predatory interests of several other interstellar races, including a race of intergalactic bankers seeking to repossess the Earth in lieu of unpaid debts, as well as a newly-emerging group of humans seeking to wrest control of Earth from him. In order to ensure the security and independence of humanity, he does something that no other race in 300,000 years has been able to do: uncover the secret of Psychlo mathematics and teleportation.
Stevia
Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. The species Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.
With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is an attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. However, health and political controversies have limited stevia's availability in many countries; for example, the United States banned it in the early 1990s unless labeled as a supplement, but reversed this decision in 2008 with the announcement of Truvia brand sweetener. Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan, and it is now available in Canada as a dietary supplement.
PureVia is PepsiCo's brand of stevia extract and PureVia Reb A is the brand of RebA ingredient marketed to the food and beverage industries by PureCircle . [1]
Rebiana is the trade name[2] for a zero-calorie sweetener containing mainly the steviol glycoside rebaudioside A (reb-A), which is extracted from stevia.[3] Truvia is the consumer brand for Rebiana marketed by Cargill and developed jointly with The Coca-Cola Company
The genus Stevia consists of 240[5] species of plants native to South America, Central America, and Mexico, with several species found as far north as Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.[6] Human use of the sweet species, primarily S. rebaudiana, originated in South America. The leaves of the stevia plant have 30–45 times the sweetness of sucrose (ordinary table sugar).[7]
The Swiss botanist Moisés Santiago Bertoni first described the plant and the sweet taste in detail.[8] But only limited research was conducted on the topic, until in 1931, two French chemists isolated the glycosides that give stevia its sweet taste.[9] These compounds were named stevioside and rebaudioside, and are 250–300 times sweeter than sucrose, heat stable, pH stable, and non-fermentable.[10]
The exact structure of the aglycone and the glycoside were published in 1955.
In the early 1970s, Japan began cultivating stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and saccharin, which are suspected carcinogens. The plant's leaves, the aqueous extract of the leaves, and purified steviosides are used as sweeteners. Since the Japanese firm Morita Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. produced the first commercial stevia sweetener in Japan in 1971,[11] the Japanese have been using stevia in food products, soft drinks (including Coca Cola),[12] and for table use. Japan currently consumes more stevia than any other country, with stevia accounting for 40% of the sweetener market.[13]
Today, stevia is cultivated and used in food elsewhere in east Asia, including in China (since 1984), Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia. It can also be found in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in parts of South America (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and in Israel. China is the world's largest exporter of stevioside.[13]
Stevia species are found in the wild in semi-arid habitats ranging from grassland to mountain terrain. Stevia does produce seeds, but only a small percentage of them germinate. Planting cloned stevia is a more effective method of reproduction.
[edit] Medicinal use
For centuries, the Guaraní tribes of Paraguay and Brazil used stevia, which they called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb"), as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments.[14] More recent medical research has shown promise in treating obesity[15], high blood pressure, and hypertension.[16][17] Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance;[18] therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.[19]
Possible treatment of osteoporosis has been suggested by observations that eggshell breakage can be reduced by 75% by adding a small percentage of stevia leaf powder to chicken feed, and that pigs given 2% stevia leaf powder in their feed experienced a doubling of serum calcium.[20]
With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is an attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. However, health and political controversies have limited stevia's availability in many countries; for example, the United States banned it in the early 1990s unless labeled as a supplement, but reversed this decision in 2008 with the announcement of Truvia brand sweetener. Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan, and it is now available in Canada as a dietary supplement.
PureVia is PepsiCo's brand of stevia extract and PureVia Reb A is the brand of RebA ingredient marketed to the food and beverage industries by PureCircle . [1]
Rebiana is the trade name[2] for a zero-calorie sweetener containing mainly the steviol glycoside rebaudioside A (reb-A), which is extracted from stevia.[3] Truvia is the consumer brand for Rebiana marketed by Cargill and developed jointly with The Coca-Cola Company
The genus Stevia consists of 240[5] species of plants native to South America, Central America, and Mexico, with several species found as far north as Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.[6] Human use of the sweet species, primarily S. rebaudiana, originated in South America. The leaves of the stevia plant have 30–45 times the sweetness of sucrose (ordinary table sugar).[7]
The Swiss botanist Moisés Santiago Bertoni first described the plant and the sweet taste in detail.[8] But only limited research was conducted on the topic, until in 1931, two French chemists isolated the glycosides that give stevia its sweet taste.[9] These compounds were named stevioside and rebaudioside, and are 250–300 times sweeter than sucrose, heat stable, pH stable, and non-fermentable.[10]
The exact structure of the aglycone and the glycoside were published in 1955.
In the early 1970s, Japan began cultivating stevia as an alternative to artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate and saccharin, which are suspected carcinogens. The plant's leaves, the aqueous extract of the leaves, and purified steviosides are used as sweeteners. Since the Japanese firm Morita Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. produced the first commercial stevia sweetener in Japan in 1971,[11] the Japanese have been using stevia in food products, soft drinks (including Coca Cola),[12] and for table use. Japan currently consumes more stevia than any other country, with stevia accounting for 40% of the sweetener market.[13]
Today, stevia is cultivated and used in food elsewhere in east Asia, including in China (since 1984), Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia. It can also be found in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in parts of South America (Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and in Israel. China is the world's largest exporter of stevioside.[13]
Stevia species are found in the wild in semi-arid habitats ranging from grassland to mountain terrain. Stevia does produce seeds, but only a small percentage of them germinate. Planting cloned stevia is a more effective method of reproduction.
[edit] Medicinal use
For centuries, the Guaraní tribes of Paraguay and Brazil used stevia, which they called ka'a he'ê ("sweet herb"), as a sweetener in yerba mate and medicinal teas for treating heartburn and other ailments.[14] More recent medical research has shown promise in treating obesity[15], high blood pressure, and hypertension.[16][17] Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance;[18] therefore, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to diabetics and others on carbohydrate-controlled diets.[19]
Possible treatment of osteoporosis has been suggested by observations that eggshell breakage can be reduced by 75% by adding a small percentage of stevia leaf powder to chicken feed, and that pigs given 2% stevia leaf powder in their feed experienced a doubling of serum calcium.[20]
Facebook Breastfeeding
Earlier this week we posted about Facebook’s ban on breast feeding. The debate has gained a lot of coverage in the media. So much that the CBS early morning show recorded the following segment on the topic. Included in the clip is a section where a group of women have joined together outside of Facebook’s Palo Alto offices, protesting about the breastfeeding policy. They have even put together a short jingle about the issue.
So which party has gone to far in this debate? According to Facebook, not all breastfeeding photos are banned, only those that have fully exposed breasts. Some of the women on the site continue to protest as they wish to have freedom of expression. Jeff Jarvis and the author of “Mama Knows Breast” were called into the early morning show to comment on the issue.
Facebook is standing firm on a policy that has led to the removal of some photos posted by women that show breastfeeding.
The deletions have spurred Facebook members to stage protests both online and offline. Dozens of supporters gathered last Saturday at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., while online, more than 11,000 members participated in a virtual “nurse-in,” or changed their profile photos to images depicting women breastfeeding.
The controversy began after several women began noticing photographs of themselves nursing their children that were flagged for removal. They formed a group called “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding is Not Obscene!” to protest a policy that prohibits members from uploading any content deemed to be “obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit,” which can include images showing exposed breasts.
Stephanie Knapp Muir, 40, one of the organizers of the Facebook group, said the company’s policy was unfair and discriminatory towards women. “If they were removing all photos of any exposed chest — male or female — in any context, at least that would be fair,” Ms. Muir said. “But they’re targeting women with these rules. They’ve deemed women’s breasts obscene and dangerous for children and it’s preposterous.”
Facebook has said that it has no problem with breastfeeding, but that photos showing nipples are deemed to be a violation and can be removed. It has said that the photos flagged for removal were brought to the company’s attention almost exclusively by user complaints.
As Facebook swells beyond 140 million members, regulating content on the site becomes more difficult. Barry Schnitt, a spokesman for the company, said that banning nudity was a clear and consistent line to draw.
“We think it’s a consistent policy,” said Mr. Schnitt. “Certainly we can agree that there is context where nudity is not obscene, but we are reviewing thousands of complaints a day. Whether it’s obscene, art or a natural act — we’d rather just leave it at nudity and draw the line there.”
The pro-breastfeeding group has attracted more than 116,000 members. Mr. Schnitt noted that other protests around Facebook policies, like when the company rolled out its News Feed feature, drew more support.
Ms. Muir estimated that hundreds of photos showing women breastfeeding their children had been removed from the site. “The vast majority of the removed images were in people’s private profiles — you’d have to look for them to find them,” she said. “You can opt not to do that – just as I choose to not check out the ‘Girls Gone Wild’ group. It’s not anyone’s responsibility but my own to make that decision.”
Ms. Muir said she understood how hard it is for Facebook to deal with millions of photos and other user contributions. “But they need to be more discerning as to what they’re classifying as obscene,” she said. “It’s highly offensive to mothers and babies to be lumped in as true obscenity.”
Mr. Schnitt said the company had no plans to change the policy.
So which party has gone to far in this debate? According to Facebook, not all breastfeeding photos are banned, only those that have fully exposed breasts. Some of the women on the site continue to protest as they wish to have freedom of expression. Jeff Jarvis and the author of “Mama Knows Breast” were called into the early morning show to comment on the issue.
Facebook is standing firm on a policy that has led to the removal of some photos posted by women that show breastfeeding.
The deletions have spurred Facebook members to stage protests both online and offline. Dozens of supporters gathered last Saturday at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., while online, more than 11,000 members participated in a virtual “nurse-in,” or changed their profile photos to images depicting women breastfeeding.
The controversy began after several women began noticing photographs of themselves nursing their children that were flagged for removal. They formed a group called “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding is Not Obscene!” to protest a policy that prohibits members from uploading any content deemed to be “obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit,” which can include images showing exposed breasts.
Stephanie Knapp Muir, 40, one of the organizers of the Facebook group, said the company’s policy was unfair and discriminatory towards women. “If they were removing all photos of any exposed chest — male or female — in any context, at least that would be fair,” Ms. Muir said. “But they’re targeting women with these rules. They’ve deemed women’s breasts obscene and dangerous for children and it’s preposterous.”
Facebook has said that it has no problem with breastfeeding, but that photos showing nipples are deemed to be a violation and can be removed. It has said that the photos flagged for removal were brought to the company’s attention almost exclusively by user complaints.
As Facebook swells beyond 140 million members, regulating content on the site becomes more difficult. Barry Schnitt, a spokesman for the company, said that banning nudity was a clear and consistent line to draw.
“We think it’s a consistent policy,” said Mr. Schnitt. “Certainly we can agree that there is context where nudity is not obscene, but we are reviewing thousands of complaints a day. Whether it’s obscene, art or a natural act — we’d rather just leave it at nudity and draw the line there.”
The pro-breastfeeding group has attracted more than 116,000 members. Mr. Schnitt noted that other protests around Facebook policies, like when the company rolled out its News Feed feature, drew more support.
Ms. Muir estimated that hundreds of photos showing women breastfeeding their children had been removed from the site. “The vast majority of the removed images were in people’s private profiles — you’d have to look for them to find them,” she said. “You can opt not to do that – just as I choose to not check out the ‘Girls Gone Wild’ group. It’s not anyone’s responsibility but my own to make that decision.”
Ms. Muir said she understood how hard it is for Facebook to deal with millions of photos and other user contributions. “But they need to be more discerning as to what they’re classifying as obscene,” she said. “It’s highly offensive to mothers and babies to be lumped in as true obscenity.”
Mr. Schnitt said the company had no plans to change the policy.
Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper (born September 15, 1922) is an American Academy Award-nominated actor, Emmy Award-winning TV director, and TV producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to transition to an adult career.
Cooper was born John Cooper, Jr.[1] in Los Angeles, California. His father, John Cooper, left the family when Jackie was two years old. His mother, Mabel Leonard Bigelow (née Polito), was a stage pianist[2] and former child actress.[3] Cooper's maternal uncle, Jack Leonard, was a screenwriter, and his maternal aunt, Julie Leonard, was an actress married to director Norman Taurog. Cooper's stepfather was C. J. Bigelow, a studio production manager.[4] Cooper was an illegitimate child; his mother was Italian American (her family's surname was changed from "Polito" to "Leonard") and his father was Jewish
Cooper first appeared in the short Boxing Gloves in 1929, one of the Our Gang comedies. He was signed to a three year contract that was to expire in 1932. He initially was only a supporting character in 1929, but by early 1930 he had done so well with the transition to sound films that he had become a major character. He was the main character in the episodes The First Seven Years, When the Wind Blows, and others. His most notable Our Gang shorts explore his crush on Miss Crabtree, the schoolteacher played by June Marlowe, which included the trilogy of shorts Teacher's Pet, School's Out, and Love Business.
Other movie studios liked Cooper's work. In the Spring of 1931, Paramount signed him as well as recurring Our Ganger Donald Haines to a long term contract to star in features. Both Jackie Cooper and Donald Haines walked off the Our Gang set during the production of the second to last episode Bargain Day to begin work on their first feature film over at Paramount. His first non-Our Gang role was in 1931, when Norman Taurog hired him to star in Skippy, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor—the youngest actor ever (at the age of 9) to be nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor. Jackie would remain at Paramount while at the same time Donald Haines would leave Paramount to return to the more child-friendly Hal Roach Studios and resume his recurring Our Gang role on time for the start of the 1931–1932 season (when Our Gang was depleted because several long-time major characters would not return for the new season) until 1933 and continue on in other Roach short subjects after that.
The movie catapulted young Cooper to super-stardom. Our Gang producer Hal Roach sold Jackie's contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in mid-1931, as he felt the youngster would have a better future in features. He began a long on-screen relationship with actor Wallace Beery in such films as The Champ (1931), The Bowery (1933), Treasure Island (1934), and O'Shaughnessy's Boy (1935). A legion of film critics and fans have lauded the relationship between the two as an example of classic movie magic. However, Cooper later revealed that Beery was a violent, foul-mouthed drunkard who was disliked by those with whom he worked. Cooper said Beery had been abusive toward him and was one of the cruelest, most sadistic people he has ever known.
Cooper has been married three times: to June Horne (1944–1949) (with whom he has one son, John "Jack" Cooper, born 1946); Hildy Parks (1950–1951), and (since 1954) to Barbra Krause (with whom he has three children - Russell (born 1956), Julie (1957–1997) and Crissy (born 1959)).
Cooper's autobiography, Please Don't Shoot My Dog, was published in 1982. The title comes from director Norman Taurog's threat to shoot young Jackie's dog if he could not cry in Skippy. Cooper has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1501 Vine Street.
Cooper announced his retirement in 1989, although he was still directing episodes of the syndicated series Superboy (TV series). He began spending more time raising horses at his home outside San Diego. He occasionally returned to the soundstage for retrospective and documentary programs about Hollywood in which he had toiled for the entire sound period to-date, and even some silent films.
Cooper is one of the few living Our Gangers from the original series. Other surviving members are Dorothy DeBorba, Dickie Moore, Shirley Jean Rickert, Jean Darling, Robert Blake, Jerry Tucker, and Jackie Lynn Taylor.
Cooper was born John Cooper, Jr.[1] in Los Angeles, California. His father, John Cooper, left the family when Jackie was two years old. His mother, Mabel Leonard Bigelow (née Polito), was a stage pianist[2] and former child actress.[3] Cooper's maternal uncle, Jack Leonard, was a screenwriter, and his maternal aunt, Julie Leonard, was an actress married to director Norman Taurog. Cooper's stepfather was C. J. Bigelow, a studio production manager.[4] Cooper was an illegitimate child; his mother was Italian American (her family's surname was changed from "Polito" to "Leonard") and his father was Jewish
Cooper first appeared in the short Boxing Gloves in 1929, one of the Our Gang comedies. He was signed to a three year contract that was to expire in 1932. He initially was only a supporting character in 1929, but by early 1930 he had done so well with the transition to sound films that he had become a major character. He was the main character in the episodes The First Seven Years, When the Wind Blows, and others. His most notable Our Gang shorts explore his crush on Miss Crabtree, the schoolteacher played by June Marlowe, which included the trilogy of shorts Teacher's Pet, School's Out, and Love Business.
Other movie studios liked Cooper's work. In the Spring of 1931, Paramount signed him as well as recurring Our Ganger Donald Haines to a long term contract to star in features. Both Jackie Cooper and Donald Haines walked off the Our Gang set during the production of the second to last episode Bargain Day to begin work on their first feature film over at Paramount. His first non-Our Gang role was in 1931, when Norman Taurog hired him to star in Skippy, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor—the youngest actor ever (at the age of 9) to be nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor. Jackie would remain at Paramount while at the same time Donald Haines would leave Paramount to return to the more child-friendly Hal Roach Studios and resume his recurring Our Gang role on time for the start of the 1931–1932 season (when Our Gang was depleted because several long-time major characters would not return for the new season) until 1933 and continue on in other Roach short subjects after that.
The movie catapulted young Cooper to super-stardom. Our Gang producer Hal Roach sold Jackie's contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in mid-1931, as he felt the youngster would have a better future in features. He began a long on-screen relationship with actor Wallace Beery in such films as The Champ (1931), The Bowery (1933), Treasure Island (1934), and O'Shaughnessy's Boy (1935). A legion of film critics and fans have lauded the relationship between the two as an example of classic movie magic. However, Cooper later revealed that Beery was a violent, foul-mouthed drunkard who was disliked by those with whom he worked. Cooper said Beery had been abusive toward him and was one of the cruelest, most sadistic people he has ever known.
Cooper has been married three times: to June Horne (1944–1949) (with whom he has one son, John "Jack" Cooper, born 1946); Hildy Parks (1950–1951), and (since 1954) to Barbra Krause (with whom he has three children - Russell (born 1956), Julie (1957–1997) and Crissy (born 1959)).
Cooper's autobiography, Please Don't Shoot My Dog, was published in 1982. The title comes from director Norman Taurog's threat to shoot young Jackie's dog if he could not cry in Skippy. Cooper has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1501 Vine Street.
Cooper announced his retirement in 1989, although he was still directing episodes of the syndicated series Superboy (TV series). He began spending more time raising horses at his home outside San Diego. He occasionally returned to the soundstage for retrospective and documentary programs about Hollywood in which he had toiled for the entire sound period to-date, and even some silent films.
Cooper is one of the few living Our Gangers from the original series. Other surviving members are Dorothy DeBorba, Dickie Moore, Shirley Jean Rickert, Jean Darling, Robert Blake, Jerry Tucker, and Jackie Lynn Taylor.
Audiko.net Audiko
Audiko.net is an international site that allows you to make your own ringtones. There are three easy steps in creating your own ringtone. First you must upload your song or enter the URL.
Then you choose what part of the song you want to use as the ringtone. Maybe you have a favorite phrase of the song, or maybe you want the chorus to be the ringtone. Choosing your favorite section is the second step. The third step is downloading your ringtone onto your cell phone or placing it on your blog. Creating your own ringtone at Audiko.net is as easy as 1,2,3. You can listen to the top ringtones on the site that are featured on the homepage.
““audiko” word exists in no language all over the world.
audiko is a simple service which helps you to make a ringtone of your favorite song!”
Audiko.net has a great colorful logo. The site is easy to navigate and the instructions on how to use the application are very clear. It is great that users can browse through all of the different ringtones and the top ringtones.
Although there is barely any writing on the site, the English translation is not perfect and could use a grammar check. Will Audiko.net be available in more than three languages in the future?
Then you choose what part of the song you want to use as the ringtone. Maybe you have a favorite phrase of the song, or maybe you want the chorus to be the ringtone. Choosing your favorite section is the second step. The third step is downloading your ringtone onto your cell phone or placing it on your blog. Creating your own ringtone at Audiko.net is as easy as 1,2,3. You can listen to the top ringtones on the site that are featured on the homepage.
““audiko” word exists in no language all over the world.
audiko is a simple service which helps you to make a ringtone of your favorite song!”
Audiko.net has a great colorful logo. The site is easy to navigate and the instructions on how to use the application are very clear. It is great that users can browse through all of the different ringtones and the top ringtones.
Although there is barely any writing on the site, the English translation is not perfect and could use a grammar check. Will Audiko.net be available in more than three languages in the future?
two a days where are they now
Fifty feet off the ground, the former star linebacker for Hoover (Ala.) High heard yelling in broken English coming from below.
"Two-A-Days!" a native yelled. "Two-A-Days!"
It had been more than three years since MTV's 28 cameras moved into the Birmingham suburb to film the popular reality show that debuted on Aug. 24, 2006. The public has not forgotten Binder, nor any of his co-stars from that first season, which ended with a fourth consecutive Class 6A football state title.
"I was floored," said Binder, who has seen both sides of the fame.
When he was arrested in the summer of 2006 and charged with breaking and entering a motor vehicle, it affected not only his family and friends, but also his new fans.
"They should know I didn't have my head on straight," Binder said. "I have everything worked out now. I know I let a lot of people down, and hopefully, I'll make it up to them."
With the spotlight turned off, the "Two-A-Days" cast has scattered. Two featured stars from Season 1 play college football -- receiver Cornelius Williams (Troy) and rover Max Lerner (Furman). From Season 2, Brandon and Byron Clear play at Clemson, while Michael DeJohn walked on at the University of Alabama.
To a man, players say they are different. Some, like Ross Wilson, the quarterback for both seasons, changed sports. He's a standout Crimson Tide baseball player.
Others, like defensive lineman Mark McCarty, changed the way they live. Once addicted to pot and pills, McCarty said he "gave my life to the Lord" when his mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. He kicked drugs and is thriving.
"I wish I would've been the way I am now on the show," McCarty said.
As for Binder, he left the Bevill State (Sumitom, Ala.) baseball team because of two shoulder surgeries and legal woes. Eyeing a return to the field, he works at a Birmingham car dealership, providing for his wife, Danielle (whom he met with cameras rolling), and their 10-month old child, Maria Grace.
Players looked back on "Two-A-Days" through different lenses.
"I loved being on TV," said Williams, a starter at Troy. "Just getting to know so many different people."
"I just wish I would've had more fun with it," said Lerner, who has 36 tackles and one interception as a Paladins rover. "I kind of let it make me miserable."
Some aspects were a chore. Already in the spotlight as the younger brother of Crimson Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson, Ross Wilson was the only player featured in two seasons. He briefly considered whether he liked the show.
"No," said Wilson, who hit .295 with 15 home runs as a freshman second baseman. "Not at all. There were some parts that were fun … not really. You never knew how they were going to portray you, so you had to watch. It turned out well, but it was a lot to worry about."
Players did some nitpicking. Wilson complained that even though he was the MVP of Hoover's game against Nease (Fla.) High and future Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, "They made me look like I was terrible."
The ever-present camera changed daily interactions: "People would say, 'Is this person acting this way because of the show?'" Williams said.
Geared toward MTV's audience, the dating scene received plenty of airtime.
Binder caused a controversy when he ended his relationship with Kristin Boyle (now an Alabama student) and began going out with his current wife. Wilson (who is still with Elliot Mayson) and defensive end Dwarn "Repete" Smith both said they kept their girlfriends away from the cameras, while Jonathan "Goose" Dunham complained that his friendship with Kristin was misrepresented.
"They tried to make it out as if I was trying to steal Kristin away," said Dunham, a former defensive lineman from Season 1 who lost 85 pounds and has a 4.0 GPA studying chemical and biological engineering at UA. "We are real good friends, and that's as far as it goes."
Then there was the focus on Hoover coach Rush Propst, a wildly successful, yet controversial figure. The current coach at Colquitt (Ga.) High, Propst resigned from Hoover amid allegations in his personal life and of a grade-changing scandal.
Propst provided one of the most indelible moments of the show with this remark to players: "Some of you guys think you scholarship worthy. Guess who holds that key? Ding!" Propst said, pointing to himself. He was criticized for cursing and yelling.
Smith -- who played at Auburn for two days and is now a student at Jacksonville (Ala.) State -- was equally adamant.
"Everybody took things the wrong way about Coach Propst," said Smith, who is considering walking on at Alabama. "He'd scream and fuss, and I got four state rings on my fingers."
Such is the price of being famous, one might argue. None of the principals regretted doing the show. Neither did their fans.
Smith was in an Atlanta mall when a child ran up to him asking whether he was Repete.
"Then he ran off [yelling], 'That's him! That's him!' " Smith said. "Every day."
When the Trojans played at Ohio State, two opposing fans sought Williams out for a picture. Dunham said he grew tired of the attention, adding, "The show made me realize how much I don't want to be famous."
Michael DeJohn, a linebacker from the second season, which ended with a state-final loss to Prattville High, ponders the show only when his Crimson Tide teammates remind him.
"It's brought up every now and then, especially when guys are cutting up," said DeJohn, a 6-foot, 220-pounder. "It's one of those little things you're allowed to say in the locker room. It just brings back high school memories."
The Clear twins, who transferred to Hoover for one season, still sport Bucs gear. Particularly when MTV shows a marathon, the references return.
"They'll go, 'No, that's not you. You're not the twins from "Two-A-Days,"'" said Byron, a redshirt freshman defensive end. "Then we'll hear, 'You were on that show. The Clear twins!' But we want to be known for our own merits."
The Clears did see the positive side of it, too. They were starving for recruiting attention, so playing for Hoover "kind of catapulted things," Byron said.
The former Bucs are not above checking out an episode when it comes on TV.
"Brings that passion for the game back," Dunham said.
In the end, most appear ready to shout how much they've changed. No one more than McCarty.
His scenes often involved his then-girlfriend Brittany Benton, the cheerleading captain.
Though they are no longer dating, McCarty and Benton (now a UA student) stay in touch, unlike most of the characters.
Still, McCarty said, "I think they showed too much of my girlfriend and not as much who I am. I guess that's who I was at the time."
Not now.
The summer after the second season, his mom's brain cancer relapsed after being in remission for nearly nine years. The prognosis was grim. Except that recently, doctors told McCarty they found no trace of the cancer.
"That's when I found the Lord," he said. "Completely gave my life to Him. I got rid of [the drugs] and found a new group of friends who actually care about who I am."
MTV recently attempted to follow up with the players and provide an update. All but Wilson agreed. "I'm just done with it," he said, though not bitterly.
That's the consensus. They embraced their own celebrity and appreciated the show, but they are slightly embarrassed about it. Most take no credit for their fame.
"It was really cool at the time -- we took a lot from it," Byron Clear said, "but you move on. You put it all behind you."
"Two-A-Days!" a native yelled. "Two-A-Days!"
It had been more than three years since MTV's 28 cameras moved into the Birmingham suburb to film the popular reality show that debuted on Aug. 24, 2006. The public has not forgotten Binder, nor any of his co-stars from that first season, which ended with a fourth consecutive Class 6A football state title.
"I was floored," said Binder, who has seen both sides of the fame.
When he was arrested in the summer of 2006 and charged with breaking and entering a motor vehicle, it affected not only his family and friends, but also his new fans.
"They should know I didn't have my head on straight," Binder said. "I have everything worked out now. I know I let a lot of people down, and hopefully, I'll make it up to them."
With the spotlight turned off, the "Two-A-Days" cast has scattered. Two featured stars from Season 1 play college football -- receiver Cornelius Williams (Troy) and rover Max Lerner (Furman). From Season 2, Brandon and Byron Clear play at Clemson, while Michael DeJohn walked on at the University of Alabama.
To a man, players say they are different. Some, like Ross Wilson, the quarterback for both seasons, changed sports. He's a standout Crimson Tide baseball player.
Others, like defensive lineman Mark McCarty, changed the way they live. Once addicted to pot and pills, McCarty said he "gave my life to the Lord" when his mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. He kicked drugs and is thriving.
"I wish I would've been the way I am now on the show," McCarty said.
As for Binder, he left the Bevill State (Sumitom, Ala.) baseball team because of two shoulder surgeries and legal woes. Eyeing a return to the field, he works at a Birmingham car dealership, providing for his wife, Danielle (whom he met with cameras rolling), and their 10-month old child, Maria Grace.
Players looked back on "Two-A-Days" through different lenses.
"I loved being on TV," said Williams, a starter at Troy. "Just getting to know so many different people."
"I just wish I would've had more fun with it," said Lerner, who has 36 tackles and one interception as a Paladins rover. "I kind of let it make me miserable."
Some aspects were a chore. Already in the spotlight as the younger brother of Crimson Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson, Ross Wilson was the only player featured in two seasons. He briefly considered whether he liked the show.
"No," said Wilson, who hit .295 with 15 home runs as a freshman second baseman. "Not at all. There were some parts that were fun … not really. You never knew how they were going to portray you, so you had to watch. It turned out well, but it was a lot to worry about."
Players did some nitpicking. Wilson complained that even though he was the MVP of Hoover's game against Nease (Fla.) High and future Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, "They made me look like I was terrible."
The ever-present camera changed daily interactions: "People would say, 'Is this person acting this way because of the show?'" Williams said.
Geared toward MTV's audience, the dating scene received plenty of airtime.
Binder caused a controversy when he ended his relationship with Kristin Boyle (now an Alabama student) and began going out with his current wife. Wilson (who is still with Elliot Mayson) and defensive end Dwarn "Repete" Smith both said they kept their girlfriends away from the cameras, while Jonathan "Goose" Dunham complained that his friendship with Kristin was misrepresented.
"They tried to make it out as if I was trying to steal Kristin away," said Dunham, a former defensive lineman from Season 1 who lost 85 pounds and has a 4.0 GPA studying chemical and biological engineering at UA. "We are real good friends, and that's as far as it goes."
Then there was the focus on Hoover coach Rush Propst, a wildly successful, yet controversial figure. The current coach at Colquitt (Ga.) High, Propst resigned from Hoover amid allegations in his personal life and of a grade-changing scandal.
Propst provided one of the most indelible moments of the show with this remark to players: "Some of you guys think you scholarship worthy. Guess who holds that key? Ding!" Propst said, pointing to himself. He was criticized for cursing and yelling.
Smith -- who played at Auburn for two days and is now a student at Jacksonville (Ala.) State -- was equally adamant.
"Everybody took things the wrong way about Coach Propst," said Smith, who is considering walking on at Alabama. "He'd scream and fuss, and I got four state rings on my fingers."
Such is the price of being famous, one might argue. None of the principals regretted doing the show. Neither did their fans.
Smith was in an Atlanta mall when a child ran up to him asking whether he was Repete.
"Then he ran off [yelling], 'That's him! That's him!' " Smith said. "Every day."
When the Trojans played at Ohio State, two opposing fans sought Williams out for a picture. Dunham said he grew tired of the attention, adding, "The show made me realize how much I don't want to be famous."
Michael DeJohn, a linebacker from the second season, which ended with a state-final loss to Prattville High, ponders the show only when his Crimson Tide teammates remind him.
"It's brought up every now and then, especially when guys are cutting up," said DeJohn, a 6-foot, 220-pounder. "It's one of those little things you're allowed to say in the locker room. It just brings back high school memories."
The Clear twins, who transferred to Hoover for one season, still sport Bucs gear. Particularly when MTV shows a marathon, the references return.
"They'll go, 'No, that's not you. You're not the twins from "Two-A-Days,"'" said Byron, a redshirt freshman defensive end. "Then we'll hear, 'You were on that show. The Clear twins!' But we want to be known for our own merits."
The Clears did see the positive side of it, too. They were starving for recruiting attention, so playing for Hoover "kind of catapulted things," Byron said.
The former Bucs are not above checking out an episode when it comes on TV.
"Brings that passion for the game back," Dunham said.
In the end, most appear ready to shout how much they've changed. No one more than McCarty.
His scenes often involved his then-girlfriend Brittany Benton, the cheerleading captain.
Though they are no longer dating, McCarty and Benton (now a UA student) stay in touch, unlike most of the characters.
Still, McCarty said, "I think they showed too much of my girlfriend and not as much who I am. I guess that's who I was at the time."
Not now.
The summer after the second season, his mom's brain cancer relapsed after being in remission for nearly nine years. The prognosis was grim. Except that recently, doctors told McCarty they found no trace of the cancer.
"That's when I found the Lord," he said. "Completely gave my life to Him. I got rid of [the drugs] and found a new group of friends who actually care about who I am."
MTV recently attempted to follow up with the players and provide an update. All but Wilson agreed. "I'm just done with it," he said, though not bitterly.
That's the consensus. They embraced their own celebrity and appreciated the show, but they are slightly embarrassed about it. Most take no credit for their fame.
"It was really cool at the time -- we took a lot from it," Byron Clear said, "but you move on. You put it all behind you."
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