rehab centers,The Trashcatchers (Phases 1, 2 and 3)

Submitted by: Fabio Santos

Describe your idea. What will you do?

This project will engage young people from across the globe in a creative dialogue about environmental issues.

The Trashcatchers will be divided into four phases: (we are requesting support from the Innovation Fund to run phases 1, 2 and 3).

Phase 1 will involve a mixed group of 10 young people living in the UK -- UK Trashcatchers. The group will be made of young refugees, ex-offenders, newly graduate performing artist and science students. This phase will take the young people in an intensive learning process (10 daylong sessions) mixing talks, discussion, research, arts and technical sessions. The UK group is currently working with Project Phakama UK, and are already experienced young performers and peer-leaders with knowledge of facilitating intercultural dialogues and multidisciplinary creative learning processes.

The daylong sessions will be divided into two parts:

1.Creative exploration of project's themes based on talks offered by specialist in the field (scientists, environmentalists, artists creating work based on the theme of global warming and recycling specialists).

2.Facilitation skills, filmmaking, photography and web management training. The UK Trashcathers will learn how to plan, film and edit moving image material and still photography. They will also devise a plan to manage the global dialogue, identify, recruit and manage other young people's contribution from around the globe -- Global Trashcatchers- via the Internet. The Trashcatchers website will be launched in Phase 1.

In Phase 2, two of the UK Trashcatchers, visiting partner organisations, will work with local young people (Global Trashcatchers).

The young UK group will visit and work / volunteer with organisations such as recycling centers, youth arts groups, secondary school and Higher Education institutions. Together with local young people, they will document their journey investigating innovative ideas and models of best practices in relation to recycling, ways of minimizing carbon emission and other solutions to environmental problems applied locally with specific focus (but not exclusively) on young people's initiatives.

The young UK group will share their skills by facilitating sessions putting into practice what they have learned in Phase 1. The UK Trashcatchers will share filmmaking and photography skills with the newly recruited Global Trashcatchers, so they can document together local projects / initiatives to be posted on the web and to feature later on in Phase 4. The Global Trashcatchers will be encouraged to disseminate the project's idea to their wider communities and recruit other participants.

Organisations the UK Trashcatchers will visit / develop partnerships with will be both from the UK and International.

Phase 3, via the Trashcatchers website, we will launch an international Trashcatchers web competition. Young people from around the globe (existing participants and new ones) will be invited to submit a short film, an album of stories and photography or a podcast documenting their involvement in a new or existing local project tackling environmental issues. They will also be asked to submit a short description of the project and the reason why 'they care'. Young people will be encouraged to approach their initiatives creatively and use a multitude of art forms to document their journey. It may include getting involved in the cleaning of a local street and the making of a large-scale artwork in a public wall showing messages of a cleaner environment, a tree-planting ceremony involving singing, dancing, drumming or drama, a book of poems developed in partnership with local recycling workers, a public feast with food harvested from a local allotment or any other project that exemplifies the wide spectrum of innovative ideas from across the globe.

The wider international audience will be invited via the Trashcatchers website, the UK and international partners' links and social networks such as facebook and myspace to vote on their favorite project. A final group of 10 Global Trashcatchers will be selected to take part in Phase 4 of the project in London.

The UK Trashcatchers and the 10 selected Global Trashcatchers will be supported to put together a portfolio reflecting their learning journey to be accessed and accredited at levels 2 and 3 by the Arts Awards.

Arts Award is a national qualification, which supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders. Young people aged between 11-25 can achieve Arts Awards at levels 1, 2 and 3 on the national qualifications framework. Project Phakama UK is an Arts Awards centre and is currently negotiating with the Arts Awards the accreditation of young people we work with from outside the UK.

Phase 4 is the finally of the project, which will see the celebratory culmination of a creative global dialogue around environmental issues led by young people coming to fruition.

The Global Trashcatchers (the 10 winners of the web competition) will come to London to work together with the UK Trashcatchers to create a final event called the Trashcatchers Ball. Using rubbish, recycled material and found objects, we will lead the young people through the creation of beautiful costumes, sculptures and installations to be animated in an evening of celebration of recycling. All the material produced by the young people from around the globe will feature in the Trashcatchers Ball.

What will the benefits be?

The arts have the power to unlock creativity and innovation. Mix it with young people's desire for change and a lateral way of thinking and we will be on a road to a better world.

The Trashcatchers will be led by Project Phakama and the young UK Trashcatchers group and delivered in partnership with other organisations interested, or already involved, in the global dialogue around environmental issues. It will engage young people globally in a creative examination surrounding waste and consumerism and the idea of recycling as a potential solution. Through workshops and talks delivered by experts in the field, exchange visits, the Trashcatchers' website, short films, photography and the project's finale -- the Trashcatchers Ball -- young people from different parts of the globe will be encouraged to reassess the beauty and use of the things that at times get thrown away carelessly and imagine a world where the lack of resources make this an imperative. It will encourage young people to think creatively about practical actions to implement in their day-to-day lives and in their communities. It will enable young people from different cultures, countries and social backgrounds to exchange ideas and explore real solutions to a very urgent global problem.

The main benefit of this project will be the creative engagement of young people (our future leaders, consumers, scientists, artists) in a debate that often leaves them on the periphery. In addition, the project will enable young people from diverse countries to learn about different approaches to tackling environmental issues they wouldn't be able to otherwise.

The project aims to enhance its impact by collaborating with high profile organisations and individuals and to produce a documentary and a photography / stories' book with examples of good practices implemented by young people and communities in different parts of the planet. This material will then be disseminated to other organisations wanting to work with young people in similar ways. It will also be sent to policy-makers from all countries involved and beyond.

Who will you target?

We will target young people (16 to 25).

The UK Trashcatchers group will be made of young refugees, newly graduate performing artists, science students and ex-offenders.

For the Global Trashcatchers (young people contributing to the creative debate via the internet), we will draw on partners' networks to recruit diverse groups including for example: secondary and Higher education students from India, young performers from Brazil, young people interested / already involved in politics from Africa, filmmakers from Argentina, young graffiti artists from France, young poets from the UK and young fish men / women from Bangladesh.

A total of 10 Global Trashcatchers will be selected via a web competition to take part in Phase 4 of the project in London.

Is your idea linked to a particular town or region?

The project will be managed and run from London by Project phakama UK / UK Trashcatchers group. On a national scale we will be working with participants from County Durham, Leicester and Manchester.

Other participants (Global Trashcatchers) will be from countries as diverse as: Brazil, South Africa, India, New Zealand and France.

Phase 4 of the project, will be staged in London.

What kind of assistance would you like from others?

Building on our existing international network and experience in delivering intercultural collaborative processes, we would like to hear from any organisation interested in nominating Global Trashcatchers to take part in the project. We envisage that the project will offer further opportunities for collaborations and welcome feedback and suggestions from any individual or organisation especially from / with links in Canada, China, Russia and The USA.

rehab centers,Summer Vacation 2008 - Part III - Petoskey & Harbor Springs

Saturday 2008-08-16
This was definitely a recuperation day. We took it easy in the morning and then Beth and Andy headed for points south before lunch. Rachel and I headed out for our first bike ride and quickly discovered that a ski-out chalet is not the obvious choice for biking. Rather, you can bike out but coming home again is work! I wound up biking ahead and then walking Rachel's bike back up to the condo.

After naps we went looking for a beach. We (okay, I) quickly rejected the two small beaches in downtown Harbor Springs and we wound our way along the shore to the Petoskey State Park where we realized we'd left nearly all of our money back at the room. We scrounged up the annual state park fee ($29) almost entirely in change which says something about the state of our van... We only had about an hour since we wanted to get back to the lodge for the evening's events but the kids loved the sandy dunes, shore, and big waves.

We grabbed a quick dinner at the condo and were first in our seats for the raptor presentation put on by a local rescue/rehab organization. They had three owls (barred, screech, and barn) and Rinnah, of course, was wowed. They also had a bonfire with s'mores so the kids were all good.

Sunday 2008-08-17
Sunday morning we had home church. Often we find a local church when we're traveling but this time we took the easier path of gathering the family, reading from the Bible, praying, and singing a few songs.

The resort runs a single chair lift up to the top of the mountain from Thursday to Sunday, mostly for mountain-bikers up to the bike park they have setup along the ski trails, but you can also ride up and down if you're staying on site. It made us a bit nervous with Toby since he's really not large enough to ride but we made it without mishap. After lunch I jumped back on the lift to tackle the trails myself and quickly concluded I'm better off staying on the ski trails. I tried one of the bike park trails through the woods and had to bail when it went airborne on a 12 inch wide path 4-6 feet above the ground. Umm, 'nuff said...

Once everyone was awake again we took our second trip to the beach. Very breezy but we still had to drag the kids away...

Monday 2008-08-18
Monday we actually started the day at the beach and went to town making sand castles. We made our largest (admittedly not terribly creative) tower which, measured against Rachel, was just shy of 4'1". As we were leaving we heard a family comment as they were walking by. Kid: "Mommy, look at that sand castle!" Mom: "Yep, it's a big one!"

The girls and I went down to the lodge during naps today to try out the kayaks and paddle-boats on the pond by the lodge. Fun but damp. I didn't count on the foot wells in the 2-person kayak draining into the back seat and wound up drenching most of my person including my wallet but at least missed my cell phone which was in my front pocket. Can't win 'em all.

We took an outing down to Petoskey proper for dinner and tackled a Japanese restaurant, Tokyo Japan. The girls already love hibachi-style but were nervous about a sushi place. In the end they loved it and devoured everything but the actual sushi rolls - even the tame ones we selected were too much. Even so, miso soup, edamame, vegetable and shrimp tempura, teriyaki chicken, and rice is a pretty good start. Toby had a good meal of teriyaki chicken and rice which is huge progress over just a couple of months ago. He even tried the edamame/soy beans without much prompting.

After dinner we walked down to the pier and watched goby's being caught and fed to the sea gulls. Rinnah tried her hand as well but her first catch was a small sunfish which had swallowed the hook pretty deeply. It wasn't pretty after that.

Finally, we made our way for dessert at the American Spoon, a sorbetto and gelatto place, of course. Deadly stuff...

Tuesday 2008-08-19
This was our coolest day of the week, at least according to the forecast. Really, it was one more day of clear blue skies (I can't count how many times I looked up this week and realized I couldn't find a cloud in the sky) but a high of only 70 degrees. We decided this would be a good day to check out Harbor Springs so we started at the Boyer Glassworks. We stopped there a few years ago and were fascinated watching the glasswork being done by hand. It's a little different with 3 kids in tow - at one point Rinnah pointed out a really cool life-size pelican eating a fish. Only $1900 so it wasn't long before I wound up outside with Toby...

We wound up doing a bit more fudge tasting next and then decided looking at dessert before lunch was foolish so ducked into a 50's-style diner, Mary Ellen's Place, for lunch. We then took a walk along the marina and then back for ice cream at Kilwin's Fudge. As we were headed home we got a call from the raptor rescue place and quickly ran up to their barn to see their operation. Several other hawks and a golden eagle (plus the 3 owls we already saw) were worth the visit but Toby was falling down by the time we made it home for naps.

After an early dinner we opted for another stab at a bike ride from the condo with the whole family. Positive spin - I didn't have a heart attack working back up hill (with Toby in the trailer) on my way to fetch the van to rescue Rachel. Once again, 'nuff said.

Wednesday 2008-08-20
The forecast for Wednesday had a high of over 80 so we figured on another beach morning. It was only 62 degrees when we got there but the wind had finally calmed down after Tuesday's cold front moved through. Rinnah was disappointed not to have the big waves any more but it made it much more comfortable to be there. Today we found a ball in our beach basket and Toby discovered the joys of building sand ball ramps. He spent most of the morning directing traffic and our excavations were, humility aside, impressive.

We had an early dinner tonight (Toby had pan-fried fish, watermelon, and a toasted hamburger bun!) and then went down to checkout the pool and paddle-boats at the lodge at bit more. The pool was definitely not designed for kids, 3 to 5 feet, but Toby's pretty happy in his Cookie Monster pool ring. And the girls are fish at this point so as long as they have goggles, we're all good.

Our musical theme for the week has been a song from Phineas and Ferb, the verse includes something like "chick-a,chick-a, boom, baby, I love you". The funny part is Toby knows the whole thing and we finally caught it on video. :)

Thursday 2008-08-21
One more beach day today. We made it to the beach by about 10:30am, made something like 7 ball ramps (all captured on video, of course), and just had a great time. I was pretty sun-burned after yesterday so I wasn't unhappy to get out of the sun by about 1.

We tackled the mountain again after naps, the family took the chair lift up and down and I made two runs down the bike trails. Some of these trails are nuts (apparently there's a 17 foot cliff/jump in one spot but I didn't find it) and I'm only able to do about half of them, even excluding the jumps. I finally found one I liked that was just my speed (pretty steep, lots of moguls, through the trees) but managed to blow my front brake and screw up my rear brake trying to get around the last jump. Just as well it was my last run of the week...

We had a quick dinner polishing off leftovers and then finished up in the pool before bed time. We've had a great week here and tomorrow we head for points south..

rehab centers,Leptin Works in Many Brain Areas

A handful of individuals have a rare genetic mutation that causes
them to make no leptin at all.  These individuals become morbidly obese
because they never get a proper full signal.  By comparison, 99.99% of
overweight people make too much leptin; however, the leptin does not
get into the brain properly (leptin resistance), so they basically behave
like the person who makes no leptin at all.

When researchers give leptin to the rare person who makes none, the
person quits eating all the time, gets a proper full signal, and loses
weight.  When researchers give leptin to the other 99.99% of
individuals, it simply makes blood levels of leptin rise even higher
and leptin resistance worsens.  Researchers are trying to make nasal
sprays that enter the brain directly, which has some possibility of
working.  However, it is far easier to simply eat in harmony with the
hormone as explained by The Leptin Diet, which reduces leptin
resistance, allowing leptin to enter the brain in the natural way and
provide a normal full signal.  Individuals are often amazed at how
following the Five Rules of The Leptin Diet stops their obsession and
craving for food.

Fascinating new research
on rare people who make no leptin at all is showing that leptin has a
profound influence on numerous regions in the brain.  It is already
well known that leptin communicates directly to the hypothalamus gland, thus
controlling the subconscious core of appetite and energy-producing
brain circuitry.  What is new about this study is that leptin is shown
to activate numerous other areas in the brain, including the cerebral
cortex executive centers of the brain that are involved with rational
self control. 

In fact, leptin actually caused the cerebral cortex to grow, literally
strengthening the structure and function of this area of the brain. 
This is a dramatic discovery.  It means that leptin resistant
overweight children are at risk of poor brain development and leptin
resistant adults are at risk of accelerated brain aging based in part
on atrophy of the cerebral cortex.  The cerebral cortex is vital for
many cognitive tasks in addition to issues of food acquisition and
appetite control.  In fact, this problem cuts to the core of any
addictive tendency in any subject relating to a lack of self control.

The researchers also found that the cerebellum was activated by
leptin.  The cerebellum is involved with the coordination of physical
motion.  A weak cerebellum contributes to problems such as anxiety and
learning disabilities such as dyslexia. 

It is well known that leptin acts as a primary antioxidant in the
brain, a main way in which the brain buffers the stress of
excitotoxins.  Excitotoxins are a primary cause of brain stress, developmental brain issues, and age-related decline.  A
combination of leptin deficiency in the brain and excitotoxin excess is
linked to ADHD, Down syndrome, and Autism spectrum disorders, as well
as age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. 
Common dietary excitotoxins include MSG, food coloring, aspartame, and
flavoring systems used by fast food restaurants and packaged food
producers to addict consumers to their brand.  Immunizations prime
brain cells to become hyper-responsive and thereby magnify excitotoxic
stress.

While there is much we do not know this new research demonstrates that
proper leptin levels within the brain are vital for intelligence and
the ability to make and follow through on healthy choices in one’s
life. 

alcohol detox symptoms,Flourless Poppy Seed Cake

My oven and I are going through a rough patch and frankly, I don't think it can be fixed*.

You see, it has been behaving in the most erratic manner this fall, and if there's one thing a cook doesn't need, it's an unreliable oven, one that takes forrrreeeeevvver to preheat, turns itself off mid-baking, refuses to turn itself back on, or burns the food that's placed too far out in the back. Oh, and I almost forgot the best part: mine is also an oven that chooses to not demonstrate any of the above symptoms when the Oven Doctor comes to examine it. Mischievous, no?

Considering the tears of frustration that have been shed because of this -- about a fourth of a cup -- it seems heroic, or perhaps foolhardy, to attempt to bake anything for company. But Maxence's grandparents were coming for tea that Sunday, both had just had their birthdays, and I couldn't get my mind off Lilo's flourless poppy seed loaf cake**, so I decided to brave my oven's capricious temperament.

Maxence did, however, go out to buy an assortment of macarons so we wouldn't find ourselves unprepared, should disaster strike.

I scaled Lilo's recipe down to use the four eggs I had, and modified it to use part butter, part almond butter, and a little less sugar. I also flavored the cake with the zest of an orange (instead of vanilla), baked it in the heart-shaped pan my grandmother once gave to me, and because the tip of the heart got a little too dark (see what I have to put up with?), I whipped up a simple orange glaze to use as a concealer (it didn't quite set the way it should have because I didn't have time to let the cake cool properly).

To my relief, my oven behaved in a relatively cooperative way (only shutting down once or twice during the baking) and we were able to enjoy this marvelously aromatic cake, fine-crumbed and moist, its every bite sparking an explosion of poppy seeds beneath our teeth.

I feel compelled to add this one caveat, especially if you're considering this for an office party or some such awkward occasion: when you're done eating your slice, you may want to excuse yourself and check your smile in the nearest mirror. Poppy seeds are sneaky that way.

~~~

* Having just received an estimate of what it would cost to fix what needs fixing, and found out that it is -- surprise, surprise! -- almost the price of the oven, I think I'm going to have to redraft my letter to Santa.

** Note that the French use the English word un cake for a cake that's baked in a loaf pan; a regular round cake is un gâteau.

Last week's saffron roasted cauliflower was included in Bon Appétit's holiday slideshow, which features many more inspiring recipes by fellow bloggers. I myself have earmarked Sarah's rosemary nuts, Ilva's herb cannelloni and Nick and Blake's coffee cake.

Continue reading "Flourless Poppy Seed Cake"

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lenox,Wednesday with Dorie - Lenox Almond Biscotti

The word of the LORD came to me: 

"What do you see, Jeremiah?"  

"I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied. 

The LORD said to me, 

"You have seen correctly, 

for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." 

Jeremiah 1:11-12 

As usual, I am behind. I meant to make the biscotti yesterday - the proper TWD day, but something came up, and I did not have the time. So today I was determined. Wednesday is also the day for the "Life Group" meeting at our house, so that meant that I would have eaters, and that's always a good thing.

I started out the day trying to straighten up the sitting room on the second floor. I had discovered that when I had asked Annie and Christian to clean the room up, all they had done was shove all the obviously offending objects into the already full closet. And then, after I got that stuff out of the closet I discovered that at some point a great deal of my sewing stuff had been shoved into that closet unbeknownst to me. Things I had really been wondering what happened to them, like the material for the curtains in the back room. And then finally, I discovered boxes of stuff that should have gone to Goodwill, not to the closet.

Well that made for a bit of a mess in the room, but I feel as if I've got a good start on that problem. But I left it in a bit of a mess, though one can now walk into the closet - YES!

It was about 4:30 when I finally got started on the biscotti, as I needed to get the kitchen all cleaned up. Well actually, I got it almost all cleaned up, I tend to lose interest in such endeavors. I got out the cookbook, and the needed ingredients, and as soon as I started the mixer to cream the butter and sugar, Emily heard the noise and came running, saying "Baby try!" She grabbed a chair, shoved it to the mixer area, and climbed up.

I let her push down the creamed butter and sugar, before adding the eggs. I also let her add the eggs, which I placed in a very small bowl for her to us to pour in the eggs, one at a time. She was very conscientious and nothing went astray. We then added the dry ingredients, and she was fine to let me guide her hand as she spooned them in.





We got the dry ingredients all mixed in and I took out the bowl and set it lower, so that Emily could add the nuts. I told her to stir in the nuts.















She carefully sized up the situation and then began to turn the bowl with her left hand as she held the rubber scraper steady with her right hand.









Then Emily got the pan ready to put the dough onto it. She greased the pan a bit so that the parchment would stick.



She did her best to get the dough worked into shape, but she did not like getting her hands so messy. She could hardly wait to get her hands washed.



Final analysis: These were really nice cookies, and I can't wait to make more of them - different flavors just for the fun of it.

"Reality is merely an illusion, 

albeit a very persistent one." 

Albert Einstein

mikasa,Those Snowbabies Have A Lot To Answer For

Was it not enough that the Mikasa Outlets had to close down on me? What a great place that was for Xmas gift shopping for the likes of school teachers, bus drivers, office mates, etc. To say nothing of the brides! How many happy hours did I spend there admiring the play of light on the cut crystal, choosing just the right fine items at discount prices and cheerily loading up a shopping cart? Ah, well, at least the company is still in business and you can still find decent prices, although nothing like the variety or discount of the outlet. [Department stores and gift shops are loaded with the stuff, but those prices even on sale are for chumps.]

So what was a girl to do? Pay retail? I think not - I transferred all of my tchachkes shopping affection to the giant Lenox Warehouse Outlet in Cranbury NJ. What a place! Not just dinnerware, not just Gorhamn crystal and Towle metalwares,  but stacks and stacks of boxed giftware at ridiculously low, low prices. They're not open all the time - you have to know when the sales are - and even though they have a regular street address in a light industrial park, it is something of a challenge to actually find the place. But so worth the effort to get there. I am excessively diverted!

Now what do I hear but that Lenox has filed for bankruptcy protection !? [interrobang] Lordy lordy.

I happen to know somebody who knows somebody who happens to know that its pretty much for certain that Lenox will be out of business next year. Can you imagine? America's premiere fine china maker designer and manufacturer of the White House China in continuous use for 80 years - going out of business. And not just an American company - but a New Jersey company.

Go
back and read the details of that bankruptcy article:

"Lenox was called Department 56 until 2005 when it changed its name
after buying Lenox Inc., a fine-china maker, to offset declining demand
for its collectibles. Debt stemming from the acquisition and the
weakening financial markets lead to the filing, Lenox Group said."

Declining demand? I guess so! Have you seen the shit that Department 56 produces?  And so now Lenox China is to be sacrificed to save the goddam Snowbabies.What kind of world are we living in? I'm perfectly willing to live a life without Fords and Chevys, but a life that does not include Lenox China?

Unimaginable.

domain registry support,Obesity Causes Thyroid Problems

You are not alone if you think a sluggish thyroid is causing you to gain weight.  Contrary to this popular belief, in most cases it is just the other way around.  Gaining weight is actually causing the thyroid to become sluggish.  If your thyroid is struggling the problem tends to get worse the more times you go on a diet and lose some weight and then gain it all back again, typically with a few extra pounds for good measure.  Once in motion thyroid and weight problems feed off each other like a chicken and egg, locking in a nasty metabolic catch 22 that is quite difficult to solve.

Leptin is the key hormone that governs body weight.  Leptin is produced in fat, travels through the blood and up to the brain, enters the brain and informs the subconscious brain how much fat is in reserves.  If there is an adequate amount of fat in storage leptin permits the thyroid system to set a faster basal metabolic rate.  Leptin is in control of thyroid, thyroid does not control leptin.  Think of thyroid hormone as the drummer in the band, setting the pace or tempo.  Think of leptin as the conductor of the band, determining what piece of music will be played.

This leptin and thyroid relationship is fundamental to survival.  During evolution there was often a scarcity of food.  This required that stored fat be broken down to use as fuel.  The stored fat now produces less leptin, which means to the brain it is time to slow down metabolism to conserve energy so as not to perish.  If a faster basal metabolic pace was allowed a person would die from malnutrition at a quicker rate.  Thus, leptin intentionally creates a hypothyroid state in order to survive.

Then, when more food is available, leptin commands that fat storage is replenished before thyroid is allowed to go faster.  This is a mode your body uses to recover from a period of famine, otherwise known as a diet.  This mechanism is the bane of any dieter, and the cause of the yo-yo dieting response.

The curse of prosperity is that we now have ready access to too much food.  Our bodies did not evolve with overeating as the primary issue.  Too much food really creates a lot of stress.  Extra pounds of fat crank out way too much leptin.  At the same time extra fat in the blood (triglycerides) blocks leptin from getting into the brain, inducing a problem called leptin resistance.  This makes your subconscious brain think you are starving even though you have plenty of extra fat on hand.  This is a false state of perceived starvation, with the undesirable side effect of slowing down thyroid function to set a slower metabolic pace (hypothyroid).

Now it is certainly possible to create a thyroid problem in some other way, such as chemical poisoning of the thyroid gland by exposure to fluoride or perchlorate.  This will slow down metabolism and make a person more likely to gain weight.  However, once the person starts gaining weight then the leptin problem makes the thyroid problem worse.

The problem isn’t too bad if a person can cut back on calories and increase exercise and lose the extra weight.  However, this leptin-thyroid conundrum is at the root of difficult weight loss and ongoing sluggish thyroid problems in overweight people.  Such people run out of energy and get in a really bad mood from cutting calories long before they reach their goal weight.  And they easily gain weight back eating even moderate amounts of food. 

The only way out of this trap is to understand leptin and to eat in harmony with the hormone.  By following the Five Rules of <i>The Leptin Diet</i> you can readily improve thyroid function.  This enables your metabolism to run faster while eating proper portions, permitting weight loss without inducing the thyroid-deteriorating starvation response that is invariably followed by weight gain.  Those who consistently follow the Five Rules for a number of months in a row have the best results.  Nutrients that support thyroid function and leptin function are also helpful tools, along with consistent exercise, to assist you in overcoming this thyroid and leptin rut.

See Byron's new Leptin & Thyroid Weight Loss Blog at: www.byronrichards.com

domain registry support,All I Want for My First Day of School is...

Ah, the changing of summer to fall. I love it. Of course it won't actually happen here in Texas for another couple of months, but I still love it. What is happening right now is the beginning of a new school year which means several things for our family. Stephanie begins a new semester of teaching at TCU today and Rainey starts the 1st grade at her new school, W.A. Porter (Go Panthers!). Emily will begin Red Apple School after Labor Day.

However, before any of that could take place, we had to have one more birthday celebration for Rainey. We had a party before we left for Hawaii. Then, we celebrated her actual birthday in Hawaii. But when we returned home she reminded us that we had promised when she turned 7, she could have a sleepover. We had forgotten that promise. She had not.

Thankfully we managed to get away with a party of three. Ashlyn, Trinity and Rainey.

Before making their own pizza's and birthday ice cream sundae's, they put on a show for us complete with home made costumes, make-up (they had various diseases and were turning into animals) and a plot that was a bit difficult to follow (perhaps it was the fourteen intermissions), but visually exciting nonetheless. Maybe it was just over my head. I may have missed the nuances of the story.

A quick rendition of Happy Birthday before the candles melt the ice cream, a movie...

and finally, sometime around 1:30 or 2:00 AM, they fell asleep on their beds made from couch cushions. Do these girls know how to party or what?

The other new beginning for us is our adventures in orthodontia. I had the pleasure of pulling one of Rainey's front teeth Thursday night after dinner. A little after dinner entertainment, if you will. She was very excited!

Then on Friday, feeling lonely and after losing the only support it really had, the other front tooth fell out while we were at the water park.

Rainey has always been beautiful, but never has she been this cute. Later that evening we attended "meet the teacher night" where we had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. LeRoy and checking out Rainey's new school. We ran into several neighbors and other familiar faces which helped ease my own nervousness about this new experience.

This morning it was time for the real deal. Rainey Bailey, 1st Grader.

We have heard a lot of great things about Porter Elementary and Mrs. LeRoy and we are looking forward to a great year!

discover,"The Human Enhancement Revolution"

By Dr. Michael G. Zey

We are in the midst of a somewhat quiet revolution, one in which startling breakthroughs in science and medicine promise to make individuals stronger, smarter and more durable. Evidence of this revolution is everywhere. People routinely undergo LASIK surgery to achieve "super-vision" of 20-15 and receive cochlear implants to regain or dramatically improve their hearing. Although it is considered controversial for athletes to use drugs and supplements such as steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) to better their performance, various clinics in California and elsewhere legally administer HGH to older clients to literally rejuvenate them, helping these seniors feel younger, stronger and more vibrant.

Moreover, millions of Americans are utilizing a variety of pharmaceutical methods to increase their mental agility and intelligence. Students, soldiers and executives are discovering that the drug Provigil can boost intelligence, memory and concentration. A full 20 percent of the academics, scientists and researchers responding to a 2008 informal Nature magazine survey revealed that they used Ritalin and Provigil to improve their concentration, focus and memory. The U.S. and Israeli military as well as the French Foreign Legion have administered Provigil, Donepezil and other "smart drugs" to soldiers and pilots to enhance their alertness and performance.

And the best is yet to come! In as little as 10 years, people could temporarily boost their intelligence through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which delivers microsecond pulses of energy a few centimeters into its wearer’s brain, inducing electrical activity in brain cells. Tests have found that such pulses can increase the recipient’s reaction time on tests and enhance memory. By 2030, it is predicted that we will use nanotechnology and implanted nanobots to restructure the limited and flawed architecture of the brain’s neural region. As a result, humans who receive such implants will possess a more efficient memory and an increased capacity to think. University of Washington scientists are working on a contact lens that will give the wearer "ultra-human" power to see holographic driving control panels, visually surf the Web on the go, and electronically generate forgotten key information about old acquaintances they might meet simply by focusing the lens on the person.

Scientists are also looking to increase physical strength by restructuring the human body. Physicist Yoseph Bar-Cohen at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory hopes to someday replace muscles in the body with a little-known material called electroactive polymer. Proponents of nanotechnology foresee a time when we will be able reengineer our skin into a material that would be lightweight, more adaptable to environmental changes and veritably indestructible. It is likely that someday science will enable parents to genetically program their offspring for a host of enhanced characteristics, including advanced intelligence and more resilient bodies.

For decades government, civic leaders, teachers, the media and the public have enthusiastically endorsed the concept of human enhancement, albeit by "natural" means. Over the last few decades millions have turned to aerobic exercising and dieting as the magic elixir to unlock and extend the body’s potential. We gulp down vitamin supplements by the bottle. "Human potential" even had a movement named after it. For years the U.S. Army’s motto and recruitment logo was, "Be all that you can be."

Paradoxically, now that scientific and technological breakthroughs are promising to unleash human potential to an extent unimaginable for most of the 20th century, many people are greeting such innovations not with open arms but with a combination of fear, anxiety and often outright hostility. Some members of the President’s Council on Bioethics, which strongly influences government science policy and funding, hold a decidedly negative attitude toward new human enhancement technologies. One-time council chairman Leon Kass has outspokenly opposed research into human enhancement and anti-aging technologies, fearing such technologies could undermine the moral fabric of society. Council member Francis Fukuyama has labeled the potential liberation of the human race from its biological constraints a "dangerous" trend that government must oppose.

One of the criticisms of human enhancement advanced by those opposed to such research is that the use of enhancement technologies is tantamount to cheating -- the individual using steroids, HGH and smart pills has an unfair competitive advantage over the non-enhanced person. The cheating argument has gained credibility in some circles mainly because many enhancement technologies have been introduced to the public in the context of sports. However, the ultimate purpose of most organizations and their members is to provide useful goods and services, not win Olympic medals or the Super Bowl. Under what moral logic, for instance, would we prohibit a scientific team from using "smart drugs" or "creativity pills" that could help them more quickly discover the cure for cancer or AIDS, simply because we perceive such use a form of "cheating?" Similarly, if you were drowning, would you rather that the lifeguard swimming your way be an enhanced individual that could reach you in 30 seconds or a non-enhanced lifeguard that would reach you in two minutes?

Ironically, countries will eventually endorse human enhancement technologies for the very reason that such breakthroughs do, in fact, make them more globally competitive. Studies have revealed that the higher a country’s citizens’ IQ scores, the higher its GDP. This makes sense — creative and intelligent people tend to work smarter and more efficiently, learn more quickly, and invent more products. Governments prohibit the use of smart drugs at the risk of falling behind in the global marketplace. In addition, confronted with aging populations, the U.S., Europe and Japan will eventually embrace substances such as HGH that promise a workforce that at age 50 or 65, instead of being ready to retire and collect Social Security, is rejuvenated, physically vibrant and craving new career challenges and productive work experiences. As we have seen, various countries already enthusiastically embrace a host of enhancement technologies to unlock the performance potential of their soldiers. The U.S. Air Force surgeon general’s office endorses the use of amphetamines by pilots. According to one of its statements, in order to extend operations, "prescribed drugs are sometimes made available to counter the effects of fatigue during these operations."

Some people refer to this enhancement process as "transhuman," as though the resulting product of all these technological and scientific activities is somehow "not human" or lies outside the human sphere. I prefer the label "ultra-human," a smarter and more physically adroit human whose new powers owe their very existence to the brain power and creativity unique to our species. The enhancement process is helping us discover what being human really means. In the process of enhancing ourselves, we should embrace, not deny, our humanity.

Most importantly, instead of looking for ways to limit the creation and implementation of these technologies, we should enthusiastically endorse them as methods for improving the human condition.

---

About this Week's Guest Blogger:

Dr. Michael G. Zey is the author of Ageless Nation (New
Horizons/Kensington), The Future Factor: Forces Transforming Human
Destiny (Transaction Publishers, paperback; McGraw-Hill, hardcover),
as well as Seizing the Future: The Dawn of the Macroindustrial Era
(Simon and Schuster) and several other books. His next book, The
Expansionary Vision, is
due out in 2009. He is a professor at Montclair State University,
consults to major corporations, is director of the Expansionary
Institute (zey.com), and regularly interviewed on radio, TV and in
print publications.

PHOTO: iStockphoto (Top) | Courtesy of Michael Zey (Bio photo) |

discover,Featherdale WILDlife Park

This past week we finally had the motivation to go out and do and see some of the things we have been really excited for locally. We had so much fun with Dave and Kendree. The first stop on our trip was Featherdale Wildlife park, located just 15 short km's from our house.

It was GREAT! Unlike a zoo, there are several places in the Park that have animals OUT of their cages just wandering around. Typically the animals are native to Australia, so there were Wallaby's, Kangas, Wombats, Kookaburras, Koalas, Dingos... the usual. There were many other interesting animals I had never seen or heard of before as well.

This is us FREAKING-out at the one little baby wallaby as we came through the door. Little did we know there would be PLENTY more where they came from! They are so cute! Yes, Gabe does think Business Casual is appropriate ZOO attire.

I wish we had a better pic of this goose! It had a tiny LIME green beak and MASSIVE black feet

Besides the goat story coming up, I probably laughed the hardest at this juncture in our journey. We arrived at a place where there were tons of little wallabys and kangroos running around. You could buy these ice cream cones and fill them with food to feed the little guys. What luck! Laine and I were having the time of our lives feeding them, at least until the obnoxious emus would come from no where and snatch the food. It was very scary! Please enjoy the following montage I have prepared:

Laine, peacefully enjoying feeding the kangaroo

Oh, what is that coming up behind her. An emu. At this point she suspects nothing. Notice the crowd who came to see the show. There were many more on the other side where I was taking the shot. This actually was like the 5th time we'd put her through this. Girls gotta learn.

Wait for it, wait for it... Here he comes, she is about to discover the large bird, 3 times her size, pecking at her hand.

She peers around to see him, throws the cone, and runs away screaming.

Laine discovered she likes her birds muli-colored and behind a cage.

This was the most fascinating creature we saw! Isn't he amazing! And definetely the most adorable!

Next Montage:

"Oh, sweet little goat. Hello!" Isn't he cute!?

"Wait a minute, get out of there! Mom! He's eatin da stroller!"

This was followed by some SERIOUS finger wagging at the goat, of which I am extremely disappointed we didn't get on film. The goat didn't like being bossed around. He SERIOUSLY backed up and came running and RAMMED Laine! Also of which I am extremely disappointed we didn't get. Since she wasn't hurt, it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. It was like circa 1925 when in Heidi of the move "Heidi" gets rammed by the goat as she bends over, and is sent sailing like a sack of flour. Good times.

Not sure why I thought Gabey would want to ride the goat after what he just witnessed, but it was worth a try!

We made it through, and everyone is still smiling! Cheers!

discover,Boat Shuttles and End Feed Shuttles

I have both end feed shuttles (2 makes) and boat shuttles (2 makes). I am going to write here about my Crossley (no longer made, were also sold in the U.S. as AVL) and Schacht 38 cm end feed shuttles and my Schacht boat shuttles.

I also have an Ashford shuttle, for some reason this one likes to dive down and vanish to the floor through the middle of my warp threads. Instead of weaving with this shuttle I use it when tying on my warp to the apron rods (!) I'm keeping it for this use and because I'd like to give it a try with a jack loom someday. As Ashford make jack looms I expect it is designed for them.

Thoughts on using a boat shuttle compared to an end feed shuttle.

• Boat shuttles weigh less (Schacht boat shuttle, 159g, Schacht end feed 188g)
• When I throw a boat shuttle, if I'm using a plastic bobbin, the bobbin rattles as the thread unwinds. This indicates uneven rate and feed of thread.
• End feed shuttles are silent. Nothing rattles. Thread release is smooth and even.
• As above, the thread unwinds smoothly from the end feed, but not from the boat. The first difference I notice when I recently used a boat shuttle for the first time was that when I had tucked the end of my thread in the warp before the first shuttle throw, the shuttle pulled it out. It was pulling on the thread already laid. This does not happen with the end feed. One conclusion from this is that an end feed shuttle is better for fine and delicate threads.
• For bulky threads and novelty threads, I believe the boat is better because the tension device on the end feed shuttle is designed for a certain range of yarn diameter. I first used my boat shuttle when I had a chenille weft.

Shuttle type and good selvedges.
What about selvedges, you may ask?

Everyone says to use a well tensioned end feed shuttle for good selvedges.

I had been weaving about 2 1/2 years with end feed shuttles before I first used a boat shuttle. When I used a boat shuttle for the first time I was surprised to discover I had no problem with selvedges, I expected problems because everyone had said this was why the end-feed shuttles are better.

However, I have learnt that when my bad shoulder & arm are playing up (I have problems with the nerve that runs from neck to finger tips tightening up) I can't get good selvedges with any shuttle. This should be no surprise, as it also messes up my piano playing and my typing - I'm normally a 70 wpm touch typist but when the arm is bad then it is slow and the left hand works faster and leaves it behind. The only answer to bad selvedges is to leave the loom alone for a couple of days and do all my physio. exercises and stretches.

Now let's look closely at my shuttles:
Here's a photo of my Schacht end feed shuttle and one of my Crossley shuttles. The Schacht shuttle is maple, 38 cm long, has a plastic pirn and weighs 159g. The Crossley is made of Persimon wood - hard and dense - weighs 331g and has a Honex double tensioner. I have two other Crossley shuttles, both single tensioner, another in Persimon wood weighing 341g and one in a very dense light-coloured wood weighing 398.5 g.

So, some basic differences between the Schacht and the Crossley are weight. Also the tension system, and the means of retaining the pirn.

One of my Crossley shuttles needs a crochet hook to pull the thread through, the other two don't. This is down to how the tension device fits in the shuttle. Tension is adjusted on the Crossley shuttles by using a small screwdriver to turn a screw.

Curiously, all my Crossley shuttles have different Honex thread tensioners. This reflects the fact that I bought the last 2 when they were closing down the business and clearing out their building in June 2006. When I phoned with my order they had to look around to find what they had left before ringing back to take my order.




The Schacht end feed shuttle needs a little allen key to change the tension, and is very easy to thread by wrapping the thread through a slot in the shuttle and lifting over a pin.



This (below) is what the underneath of the shuttles look like, the Schacht shuttle is shown in the middle of two Crossley shuttles. The thing to note here is that the Crossley shuttles are semi- closed, but the Schacht has same opening around the pirn either way up. This makes the Crossley shuttles bottom - heavy. I find that bottom - heavy shuttles tend to be easier to control, not sure why, curiously I have found as a motorcyclist that low centre of gravity makes a motorcycle more stable. I'm sure there's some relationship between these findings.

That hole near the front of the Crossley shuttles gives access to a screw for unfastening the tensioner. This reflects the fact that Crossley handweaver's shuttles are based on industrial fly shuttles, but without the metal tips.

The Crossley shuttles are very well finished and smooth - see the shine on the wood in the above photo. The Schacht shuttle is adequately smooth, but without the polished feel of the Crossley shuttles.

I paid £49.50 plus VAT each (£58.06) for the Crossley shuttles, £85 for the Schacht.

Another difference is how the pirn is retained in the shuttle. Both have steel shafts to take the pirn, split and sprung open. The Schacht pirns fit tightly on the shaft, and need gentle twisting to ease them off.

The Crossley shuttle has one extra feature. See above, and below. There is a short bar accross the shuttle, under the shaft, that retains a collar at the top of the pirn, clipping it in place.




Both systems work, however, the Crossley shuttles are clearly the product of the development of industrial shuttle design. They are especially beautiful.

Which do I prefer to use?

The Crossley shuttle is lovely to hold and works perfectly. They are my favourites.
BUT
The Schacht shuttles are lighter weight, so there is less hand and arm fatigue when using the Schacht.

I wish I had one of the Bluster Bay end feed shuttles, and a Leclerc end feed shuttle so I could see how they compare.

Looking at the Schacht boat shuttle

I've got two sizes of these shuttles, and for the larger one I have both cardboard and Schacht plastic bobbins. I prefer to use the cardboard bobbins. Why? Because the plastic bobbins poke out above the top of the shuttle by a few millimetres, and this sometimes catches a warp thread. I e-mailed Schacht about this, and they kindly replied. This is not a mistake. It is designed like this, and is no problem on a jack loom because the angle of lifted threads is such that there is clearance for the bobbin.


I prefer the larger shuttle size as the end of the shuttle fits neatly and effortlessly in my hand to throw & catch. The other is a little too small and so I have to concentrate harder.

Pirn winding

I used to wind my pirns with an adaptation to my spinning wheel.

Now I use a bobbin winder. The hole in the pirn is much wider than the shaft of the bobbin winder. However, with a cardboard bobbin on the bobbin winder and a piece of folded paper as a wedge I can wind pirns too.


How many shuttles and pirns/bobbins does a weaver need?

This was a question I could find no answer to when I started weaving. I especially found it was no use asking the advice of the people selling them! Now I can safely say there is no single answer to this question.

My opinion of my own requirements is:

I need end feed shuttles for smooth delivery of delicate yarns and because they are lovely to use.
I need boat shuttles for yarn that won't go in end feed shuttles.
I need as many different shuttles for each type of weaving as I might use colours in a short repeat.
Ideally, I need as many pirns / bobbins as I am using colours in a piece of weaving.
I need rug shuttles for rug yarn, minimum 3 for different colours.


Other bits and pieces:
On a shelf near my weaving bench, next to the bobbin winder is this little wooden box. It has three trays, the top one is open here. In the top tray are all the little bits and pieces that I need to hand when I'm weaving.


Here is the most recent "gadget" to go in the box. I found it at a dressmakers shop. It's a little ruler with inches and centimetres marked and a sliding guide. Useful for measuring hem allowances when sewing, or inches woven on the loom.


Just to finish, here's a different gadget, made of cotton string and a fir cone. This is invaluable for distracting Annie cat when she decides to help out with the weaving by cutting dangling threads and chewing on Texsolv!