Tiffin University's Master of Humanities Degree

The Master Of Humanities Degree:

Real flexibility. Real convenience – For Real Results!

The Master Of Humanities Degree Offers You Real Flexibility For Your Real-World Success

The Humanities are the study of the arts (including visual art & music), philosophy, literature, language, classics, religion, and sometimes subjects such as communications and cultural anthropology. It's any field that speaks to the human condition—what it means to be human. Subjects that deal with the big questions (Why are we here? What is art? What is beauty? Is there one truth? What makes us human?) are central to the Humanities. Learning about the Humanities is to join in a conversation with the greatest minds since the dawn of recorded history.

“If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
—Isaac Newton, 1676

Tiffin University’s Master of Humanities (MH) degree program is both flexible and practical, leading to your real-world success. The program offers graduate study in liberal arts for those students who seek a broad, interdisciplinary approach to knowledge. The MH program is designed for adults facing career changes who are interested in exploring disciplines in the liberal arts, which supply added skills in critical thinking, analytical writing, and communication; for adults desiring promotion and needing to supplement their professional education through continued intellectual growth; and for lifelong learners who seek to satisfy their continuing intellectual curiosity and creativity.The integrated MH program of study has a core of courses with a unified, thematic perspective requiring students to become critical thinkers with competence in written analysis – yet the program is highly individualized, allowing you to focus on your own area of interest. This combination of core courses and individualized study gives you the freedom to explore themes across disciplines.Beginning Fall of 2009, the Master of Humanities program will consists of a total of 35 semester hours: 26 shall be in Tiffin University courses; and up to 9 hours may be transfer credit (as electives (or equivalent area requirement courses) from other accredited graduate schools (a “B” average is required to transfer), or other
Tiffin University graduate program courses.

Real Opportunities For MH Graduates

Tiffin University MH graduate students can find numerous opportunities for employment in a wide variety of fields, or increase their ability in their current fields. Because of the personalized and individualized nature of the MH program, you can write your own ticket for real success!
Examples of types of careers for MH program graduates include:

Federal, State and Local Agencies, such as The Smithsonian Institution, The Library of
Congress, the Park Service, Museums, Libraries, and Historical Sites

Human Services Agencies, Advocacy Groups, and Non-Profit Organizations

The Arts (Artist, Museum Docent, Musician, Composer, Photojournalist, Painter)
Political Campaigns, Fund Raising

Law Firms

Public and Private School Systems (K-12)

Colleges and Universities

The Media, Public Relations, Journalism, Writing, Historians, Archiving, & Film

Tiffin University MH graduates can also utilize their degree as freelance consultants, tutors, or to succeed in many other career paths.

L-Carnitine

1) L-Carnitine - Overlooked Supplement for PCOS?

The most popular nutritional supplements by far for PCOS are the d-pinitol formula,
vitex(chasteberry), and saw palmetto.

But other specialized supplements are often overlooked, such as l-carnitine. L- carnitine is a vitamin-like substance that performs important functions in your body.

Why would L-carnitine be important to you?

1) Women with PCOS appear to have lower carnitine levels than other women.
2) Helps the body convert fat into energy. L- carnitine carries fat into the little furnaces inside your cells where the fat is burned and convertedinto useful energy.
3) May help you deal with hair lo.ss. It may stimulate hair shaft elongation and reducehair cell death.
4) May reduce your risk of bone loss if you'vehad your ovaries removed.
5) Helps to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer ofwomen. Women with PCOS are at a higher risk than other women. L-carnitine has a number of potential benefits and no side effects. It's worth considering as part ofyour long-term nutritional supplement program.

Read the full article about carnitine on our website:www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/news95.htmlCarnitine can be found here:www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/store/carnitine(copy and paste the link into your browser if link isnot clickable)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Spoonful of Vinegar Makes the Blood Sugar Go Down? By Jack Challem

http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/food_and_nutrition/spoonful_of_vinegar.html

Strange as it might seem, including some vinegar in your diet may improve your blood sugar. Although vinegar has a bit of a checkered past — it has too often been hyped in weight-loss diets and miracle cures — solid research has clearly shown that it can improve glycemic control. “Scientific studies over the past 10 years show benefits from vinegar consumption,” says Carol Johnston, Ph.D., head of the nutrition department at Arizona State University, Tempe. Vinegar decreases both fasting and postprandial (after-meal) glucose levels, she says. “It’s inexpensive and can be easily incorporated into the diet. Used in combination with diet and exercise, it can help many people with type 2 diabetes.” Much of the vinegar research comes out of Johnston’s laboratory and that of Elin Ostman, Ph.D., at Lund University in Lund, Sweden.

The biologically active constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, also the source of the liquid’s lip-puckering pungency. Nobumasa Ogawa, Ph.D., of Tokyo University in Tokyo, discovered that the acetic acid inhibits the activity of several carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, including amylase, sucrase, maltase, and lactase. As a result, when vinegar is present in the intestines, some sugars and starches temporarily pass through without being digested, so they have less of an impact on blood sugar. According to Johnston, some people have far greater responses than others to vinegar. However, she says, “We documented small but important average decreases in hemoglobin A1C in people with type 2 diabetes — over the course of 12 weeks, taking a couple teaspoons of apple-cider vinegar daily,” she says.In another study, Johnston found that taking 2 tablespoons of apple-cider vinegar along with 1 ounce of cheese before bedtime led to a 4 to 6 percent decrease in fasting blood sugar levels, according to an article in Diabetes Care (November 2007). Meanwhile, Lund University’s Ostman found that people were less hungry a couple hours after consuming vinegar with bread, as opposed to bread alone, according to a report in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (September 2005).Because taking a teaspoon or two of vinegar alone seems to cause burping and acid reflux in a lot of people, Johnston suggests that people include vinegar with food. The easiest way is by using oil and vinegar salad dressing, made with balsamic, red wine, apple-cider, or any number of flavored vinegars (avoid the fruity, sweet ones, of course, or you may cancel out the benefit). When making the dressing, use about 50 to 75 percent vinegar, and add some diced garlic, dried oregano, and basil — or stir in a little Dijon mustard.Johnston recommends also using vinaigrette dressings drizzled over steamed veggies, such as cauliflower. Another option is to dip small, thin slices of whole-grain bread into a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Or, better, try sourdough bread, which contains a substance that also seems to mediate blood sugar response.Vinegar is a natural meat and fish tenderizer, so you can use it to marinate meat and chicken. It’s also used to cook brisket, sauerbraten, and in the preparation of the spicy Korean vegetable, kimchi. Look for low-sodium versions of dill pickles, and consider other condiments and veggies pickled or preserved in vinegar. As for the weight-loss claims attributed to vinegar, Johnston noticed in one study that people consuming a tablespoon of vinegar before lunch and dinner lost an average of 2 pounds over four weeks. It may be a case of “if it sounds too good to be true…,” but consider this: The study was conducted in November and December, when people often eat more than usual. There may be something to it after all.

SOURCES:Telephone interview with Carol Johnston, April 25, 2008.Ogawa N, Satsu H,
Watanabe H, et al. 2000. Acetic acid suppresses the increase in disaccharidase activity that occurs during culture of caco-2 cells. Journal of Nutrition 130:507-513.White AM, Johnston CS. 2007. Vinegar ingestion at bedtime moderates waking glucose concentrations in adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 11: 2814-2815.Johnston CS, Kim CM, Buller AJ. 2004. Vinegar improves insulin sensitivity to a high-carbohydrate meal in subjects with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 27:281-282.Ostman E, Granfeldt Y, Persson L, et al. 2005. Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59;983-988.Leeman M, Ostman E, Bjorck I. 2005. Vinegar dressing and cold storage of potatoes lowers postprandial glycaemic andinsulinaemic responses in healthy subjects. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59:1266-71.Liljeberg HG, Björck IM. 1996. Delayed gastric emptying rate as a potential mechanism for lowered glycemia after eating sourdough bread: studies in humans and rats using test products with added organic acids or an organic salt. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 64:886-893.Johnston CS. 2005. Strategies for healthy weight loss: from vitamin C to the glycemic response. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 24:158-165.

Reviewed by Susan Weiner, R.D., M.S., C.D.E., C.D.N. 10/08

Bye Bye Beer!!

I LOVE beer but.....is it okay for people who manage insulin resistance and PCOS?

The Alcohol: Although alcohol is often lumped in with carbohydrate, it acts differently in the body. For one thing, when there is alcohol in the body, its calories are used first for energy, before carbohydrate or fat. It can also have some unpredictable effects on blood sugar. This is because when alcohol is present, the liver goes to work on it immediately. The liver’s job is to get rid of toxins in the body, and alcohol is like a poison in that way. While the liver is working on breaking down the alcohol, it isn’t doing its other jobs as well, including regulating the amount of glucose in the blood. So blood glucose can drop quickly. To minimize this, don’t drink on an empty stomach, and limit alcohol to two drinks per day for a man, or one drink for a woman. (A drink is 12-ounce beer, 4-ounce wine, or a jigger of distilled alcohol.)

The Carbs: There is some confusion about maltose in beer because of things written in some low-carb diet books. Although the malted barley used to make beer produces maltose, a sugar that has a glycemic index higher than glucose, the fermentation process uses up all the maltose in the beer while it is being brewed. The USDA database shows that there is no maltose in beer. However, there is carbohydrate in beer that should be counted as you would count any other carb. The amount varies depending upon the brand of beer. Regular beer averages about 12 grams of carbohydrate per 12 oz can or serving.

Light beer isn’t necessarily low-carb beer -– some light beer has almost as much carbohydrate as regular beer. Most, though, is in the range of 3 to 7 grams of carbohydrate per serving. Read each label when deciding.

Ale generally has somewhat less carbohydrate than regular beer (5-9 grams per serving), whereas stout is the worst kind of beer you can drink on a low-carb diet –- it has around 20 grams of carb per 12-oz serving.

Inositol Improves Ovulation and Hormone Balance in PCOS Women
We have more very good news about inositol, a member of the B-vitamin family.
Two recent studies confirm earlier studies that inositol improves hormone balance and helps to restore normal cycles in women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome.

In the most recent study, from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, 25 overweight PCOS women were given 2 grams of inositol daily for 12 weeks. Menstrual cycles were restored in all women who did not have a normal cycle. Insulin resistance, a primary cause of polycystic ovary syndrome, was reduced.

The authors of the study conclude: "Myo-inositol administration improves reproductive axis functioning in PCOS patients, reducing the hyperinsulinemic state that affects LH secretion."

The other study is from the University of Perugia in Italy. It is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which medical authorities say is the "gold standard" of medical studies.

The researchers divided 92 PCOS women into two groups. One group was given a placebo, while the other group received 4 grams of inositol daily.
Compared to the placebo group, the inositol group had a shorter time to first ovulation, and had a higher frequency of ovulation. The effect on ovarian follicles appeared to be rapid, starting in the first week of treatment.
In addition, the inositol group lost weight while the placebo group gained weight.

The researchers conclude: "These data support a beneficial effect of myo-inositol in women with oligomenorrhea and polycystic ovaries in improving ovarian function."

These and other medical studies suggest that therapeutic doses of inositol would be beneficial for ovulation, reduction of insulin resistance and luteinizing hormone, and possibly for weight loss.

search terms:


Forensic Mortgage Loan Document Audit

Bad Credit Broker

Liberal arts degree

"...liberal arts education will give them skills for life and that will get them a job."

You know what they call the guy who graduates last in his class at medical school?

Doctor.

How to Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control

How to Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php

The advice you will find below is an edited, updated version of the excellent advice written by a lady named Jennifer , which has helped thousands of people bring their blood sugars down to the level that gives an A1c test result in the 5% range. Note: The Jennifer who wrote the advice is not the same person as the Jenny who maintains these pages.

How to Lower Your Blood Sugar

Step 1: Eat whatever you've been eating and write it all down Eat normally, but use your blood sugar meter to test yourself at the following times. Write down what you ate and what your blood sugar results were:

Upon waking (fasting)

1 hour after each meal

2 hours after each meal

What you will discover by this is how long after a meal your highest reading comes... and how fast you return to "normal." Also, you may learn that a meal that included bread, fruit or other starches and sugars (carbohydrates) gives you a higher reading.

Step 2: For the next few days cut back on your carbohydrates Eliminate breads, cereals, rice, beans, any wheat products, potato, corn, and fruit. Get all of your carbohydrates from veggies. Test your modified meals using the same schedule above. See what impact you can make on your blood sugar by eliminating various high carbohydrate foods. The closer we get to non-diabetic readings, the greater chance we have of avoiding horrible complications. Here are what doctors currently believe to be non-diabetic readings:

Fasting blood sugar
under 100 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L)

One hour after meals
under 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)

Two hours after meals
under 120 mg/dl (6.6 mmol/L)

If you can do better than this, go for it. At a minimum, The American College of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends that people with diabetes keep their blood sugars under 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L) two hours after eating. When you achieve normal blood sugar targets, you can start cautiously adding back carbohydrates, making sure to test after each meal. Stop adding carbohydrates as soon as you get near your blood sugar targets. Recent studies have indicated that your "after meal" numbers are those most indicative of future complications, especially heart problems.

Step 3: Test Test Test!Remember, we're not in a race or a competition with anyone but ourselves. Play around with your food plan. Test, test, test! Learn what foods cause blood sugar spikes and what foods cause cravings. Learn which foods give you healthy blood sugars. No matter what anyone tells you, if a food raises your blood sugar over the targets you are aiming for, that food should not be part of your diabetes food plan. Your blood sugar meter will tell you what the best "diabetes diet" is for your body. Use it and regain your health!

Naked Carbs May Lead to Insulin Spikes

http://www.gardenoflifeusa.com/OurCompany/Articles/DailyHealthArticleDisplay/tabid/1539/ContentPubID/373/settmid/3463/Default.aspx

Naked Carbs May Lead to Insulin Spike

You probably know that you should not eat your carbs naked, but do you know why you shoudn't? It has something to do with the glycemic index.
You may have heard of the glycemic index. Simply put, the glycemic index is a measure of how fast insulin (a hormone released by the pancreas to manage blood glucose levels) rises in response to the amount of glucose or sugar entering the bloodstream. Here’s how it works: the faster glucose arrives into the bloodstream and the higher the amount of that sugar, the higher the glycemic index of that food.
Carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates, have a higher glycemic index and will enter the bloodstream much faster than proteins or fats do. Most of us know that too many carbohydrates, especially those from refined sources, not only cause insulin spikes but can also cause the body to store excess carb intake as body fat.
If the release of insulin is too frequent due to foods high on the glycemic index, cells can eventually become desensitized to insulin--a condition associated with cardiovascular disease , high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes, blood fat abnormalities, and obesity.
And that brings us to this: one thing you can do to avoid the insulin spikes is to never eat your carbs naked. By that, we mean to couple your carbs (healthy ones) with a healthy protein or fat. Insulin is released quickly in response to carbohydrates, and if carbs are eaten alone, insulin levels can skyrocket. And our culture sure has its share of over-abundant carbohydrate intake. And sugars, including fructose and high-fructose corn syrup, have been major players.
In fact, as early as the 1970s, studies were indicating the correlation between refined carbohydrate intake and increases in degenerative conditions like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Likewise, further studies indicated that the addition of sugar to our diets gleaned a large increase in heart disease and diabetes. Pioneering studies resonate with current studies indicating that increased sugar consumption eerily mirrors the increase in the incidence of cardiovascular disease—and some of it has to do with the hormone insulin.
You may be wondering what effects high insulin levels (due to high carbohydrate and sugar consumption) can have on the body. According to Ann Louise Gittleman, author of How to Stay Young and Healthy in a Toxic World, sustained high insulin levels can increase cholesterol production, increase fat storage, and lead to hypertension. Likewise, Ralph DeFronzo, M. D., of the University of Texas Health Center, believes that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity are symptoms of underlying hyperinsulinemia.
And DeFronzo is not alone. Additional studies conclude that sugar intake (especially fructose intake) may be a risk factor for hypertension, insulin resistance, hypertriacylglycerolemia, obesity, type 2 diabetes, preeclampsia, chronic kidney disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease—all bad things for health.
The bottom line? Avoid sugar, especially fructose and high fructose corn syrup, and be sure to eat foods with a low glycemic index, including organically grown non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes (soaked first for optimal benefits) and sprouted grains. Non-starchy vegetables include arugula, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, spinach, squash, and tomatoes.
And when you do eat healthy carbs, be sure to pair them with a healthy protein or fat. It’s a combination your insulin levels will appreciate--and ensures that you never eat your carbs naked.

Genetics and Diabetes

Diabetes Causes Obesity

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

According to Charles Darwin, people who inherit genes that make them sick give birth to children who die early and the gene disappears, but the gene for diabetes has been with us for millions of years and diabetes will plague the human race forever.
In times of plenty, a diabetic eats too much and dies from heart attacks, strokes, cancers, kidney failure and blockage of arteries. However, these deaths occur late in life, long after the diabetic has borne children.On the other hand, when there is not enough food to go around, diabetics live the longest because they store fat best and burn the fewest calories. For example, the Pima Indians who live in the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico used to be thin warriors able to survive on 700 calories a day, compared to the average European who couldn't make it on twice that amount. When Pimas eat the fattening Western diet, they are almost all obese and more than 70 percent become diabetic.
Eating raises body temperature to burn more calories. People who develop late-onset diabetes produce the least insulin that produces the least heat to convert the most calories into fat. So prevention of diabetes, and obesity in diabetics, is to keep blood levels of insulin low by preventing blood sugar levels from rising too high after meals. Avoid bakery products, pastas, sugar added foods and beverages. Eat root vegetables and fruits only with meals. If necessary, your doctor will prescribe drugs.

S Camastra, E Bonora, S DelPrato, K Rett, M Weck, E Ferrannini. Effect of obesity and insulin resistance on resting and glucose-induced thermogenesis in man. International Journal of Obesity, 1999, Vol 23, Iss 12, pp 1307-1313. In healthy humans, age, lean mass and respiratory quotient are the main independent determinants of resting thermogenesis. In contrast, insulin sensitivity and, to a lesser extent, abdominal obesity are the principal factors controlling glucose-induced thermogenesis.

Gratitude List

I'm in quest of order and peace in my life so I thought making a list of aspects of my life that I'm grateful for would be a great start.

Having God in my life
Being a Mom to my beautiful daughters
Experienced being married
Marrying someone I really loved
I have a college degree in English
I know yoga
I can read. It helps me find solutions to obstacles in my life
Having a religious background
Having the ability to compromise/bend
The ability to change
The ability to look at myself honestly
The ability to accept things as it is
I love my life
I'm willing to try.
I won't give up.
I love to smile.
I look to the gifts in every experience.
I'm willing to look at what's happenned in order to move forward.
I'm willing to learn.

Omega-3's (FISH OIL)

OMEGA-3'S PREVENT HEART ATTACKS IN DIABETICS
Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Studies from Harvard School of Public Health show that omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent heart attacks and death from heart attacks in diabetic women (1).

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in most fish and most seeds such as whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts. Hundreds of studies show that they help prevent strokes and heart attacks and reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and lower blood levels of insulin and blood sugar (2). They also help to prevent certain types of cancers and reduce swelling in diseases such as arthritis and psoriasis. The Harvard researchers followed 5103 female nurses with diagnosed type 2 diabetes but who, at the start, did not have any evidence of heart disease or cancer. Of these diabetics, 362 suffered heart attacks and 468 died. Those who ate fish had a very low incidence of heart attacks and death.


1)Fish and long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake and risk of coronary heart disease and total mortality in diabetic women. Circulation, 2003, Vol 107, Iss 14, pp 1852-1857. FB Hu, EY Cho, KM Rexrode, CM Albert, JE Manson. Hu FB, Harvard Univ, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Nutr, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston,MA 02115 USA 2) Omega-3 fatty acids and non-communicable diseases. Chinese Medical Journal, 2003, Vol 116, Iss 3, pp 453-458. D Li. , Hangzhou Univ Commerce, Dept Food Sci, Hangzhou 310035, PEOPLES R CHINAChecked 8/9/05

I am in control of my health and wellness

I am in control of my health and wellness

Chromium Picolinate

Let's take a look at the possible benefits of chromium picolinate:

Chromium works with insulin to transport glucose to the body's cells to produce energy. As such it may improve glucose metabolism, which could help regulate weight.As it may be helpful in assisting insulin, chromium picolinate benefits may include treating Type II Diabetes, as decreased chromium levels are a characteristic of the disease.Some other purported benefits include: appetite suppression, muscle building and heart disease prevention.

Now let's look at the possible dangers of chromium picolinate:

Although research is limited, there are some studies that point to chromium picolinate cancer causing ability. In a study on hamsters, it was shown to alter genetic material in cells, which raises concerns about cancer risk.There have also been cases of kidney failure and muscle breakdown, but these dangers of chromium picolinate were associated with very large dosages.

http://www.herbal-supplements-guide.com/benefits-of-chromium-picolinate.html

Insulin Levels and Health

Insulin Levels and Health

As we have seen, when blood glucose levels get too high, insulin is released into the bloodstream by the pancreas to help disperse the glucose. The insulin transports the glucose to cells needing extra energy. The cells have "insulin receptors" positioned so that insulin can bind to them, facilitating glucose entry and utilization in the cells. Once inside the cells, the glucose is burned to produce heat and adenosine triphosyphate, (ATP) a molecule that stores and releases energy as required by the cell.

Overconsumption of High GI Carbs Maintains Excessively High Insulin

If we eat a diet that contains too many high GI carbs (carbs that are rapidly converted into blood glucose) we force our body to respond by releasing equally large amounts of insulin into our bloodstream to cope with the glucose. Over time this excessively high level of insulin can cause the "insulin-receptors" in our cells to become less sensitive to insulin.

Insulin Insensitivity

When cells become less sensitive to the effects of insulin, they accept less glucose, so more glucose than usual remains in the bloodstream. Result? The pancreas over-compensates by working harder and releasing even more insulin.

Health Consequences of Insulin Insensitivity

The combination of insulin-insensitivity and insulin over-production typically leads to one of two results:
Either, the pancreas gets worn out and insulin production slows down to abnormally low levels. Result? We develop type 2 diabetes. (About 30 percent of cases)
Or, the insulin-resistant patient doesn't develop diabetes (because the pancreas continues to produce sufficient insulin) but, instead, contracts hyperinsulinism (abnormally high levels of insulin in the blood), which can cause chronic obesity as well as high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, heart disease, and possibly some cancers.

Low GI Foods Cause Lower Insulin Levels

This is why experts are beginning to recognize the health advantages of following a low GI diet. Because lower GI foods are converted into glucose much more slowly, causing less insulin to be produced.

This is not the last word on this subject, by any means. Research into insulin insensitivity and the relationship between insulin levels and obesity is ongoing. However, the overconsumption of high-GI foods (and high-fat fast-food) is a major cause of concern.

http://www.annecollins.com/carbs-excessive-insulin-health.htm

PCOS and Insulin Resistance

Another telltale symptom of PCOS is steady, significant weight gain — even with reduced caloric intake. Some women report that they’re gaining weight no matter what they do. It’s not unusual for patients with PCOS to tell me they’ve recently gained 60 or more pounds in less than a year, despite dieting all the time and exercise. This weight usually accumulates around their middle. Why do some women with PCOS gain weight at such alarming rates? The research is showing that PCOS is strongly linked with insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance — a condition some people get by eating too many carbohydrates — leads to sustained high levels of insulin in the bloodstream. It is possible that this extra insulin hitches onto the receptors lining the ovary and stimulates cyst production. This is an issue that should be monitored because women with insulin resistance have a much higher risk of developing other serious health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.
On the bright side, women with insulin resistance and PCOS respond very well to modifications in their diet, adding nutritional support in the form of soy and other functional foods, multivitamins, minerals and omega-3’s, and beginning an exercise program. We’ve found that our patients often get normal periods as their insulin levels normalize. Insulin resistance is always treatable, which for us as practitioners is very exciting!

http://www.womentowomen.com/insulinresistance/pcos.aspx?id=1&campaignno=pcoscontent&adgroup=ag2polycystic&adtype=content&keywords=polycystic+ovary+syndrome+pcos

The Week of June 22nd - June 26, 2009

This has been a crazy week. It feels like I'm actually leaving Bowie for good. Even though I've been home since January 2009, I've been commuting back and forth from Silver Spring to Bowie 5-6 days a week because Savannah was still attending Pointer Ridge Elementary School there and Camille's daycare - Ms. Wanda Furr is there too. Well Savannah completed first grade. Today is their last day at daycare. Next week they start Summer Camp in Silver Spring so I won't be driving to Bowie during the week at all. It's made me feel sentimental - like I was leaving Bowie again. I'm very connected to Bowie, Maryland. I also went for my first Mammogram. Like I said, this has been a crazy week.
First the Metro train had its biggest crash ever here in DC on the Red Line. Nine innocent people died. The Red Line is "our line" for Montgomery County. I was devastated. There were several single parent mothers who passed away suddenly leaving their children without a mother. There were other people who loved their lives that died instantly.
Then on Thursday Farrah Faccett died. She was someone I idolized as a child. From Charlie's Angels - to Burning Bed - to Extremities and all her movies, commercials. She and Ryan were the original Brad and Angelina. I remember when she did her Barbara Walter Specials where she talked about her love of Ryan, being a mother to Redmond, her work, her beauty, her faith. She was so strong. And then Michael Jackson died on the same day!

I realized last night that I don't have any memory of NOT knowing Michael Jackson. My sisters and I watched the Jackson 5 cartoon show when I was around 6 years old. We listened to Jackson 5 45's (Dancing Machine, ABC, etc.) Then I can't tell you how many times I Iistened to the entire OFF THE WALL album. And then there was the history making THRILLER with those creative videos! Then there was Bad, Dangerous, History and Invincible - all of which I loved.
He was an artistic genius that can never be duplicated. I loved all his music and videos. I tried to explain to my daughters that when a MJ video premiered, it was an event. MTV would have NEVER been what it became to be without Michael Jackson. When he performed on Motown's 25th Anniversary show it was revolutionary. I'll never forget that night when he performed and our entire family watched glued to the TV. The screams from the audience were insane. That's what he could do generate excitement like no one else.
Michael Jackson was magic.

"C" Students

A University president was talking to the entire faculty at the university. He said for them to be kind to the "A" students as they would make fine college professors someday. Then he said "be kind to the "B" students for they will be the future doctor's and lawyers." Finally, he said "be kind to the "C" students for one day they will donate a new building for the university." Once you finish school no one I ever met asked me if I were a "C" student or a "B" student. After all....what's the difference? Maybe a few percentage points!!??

Magnesium

I've decided not to exercise for weight loss but instead for better health. I'm also focusing on being kind to my body. Exercising is being kind to my heart and overall health. I'm also "studying" my body.

For example, I take magnesium supplements.

"Magnesium and diabetesDiabetes is a disease resulting in insufficient production and/or inefficient use of insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Insulin helps convert sugar and starches in food into energy to sustain life. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children and adolescents, and results from the body's inability to make insulin. Type 2 diabetes, which is sometimes referred to as adult-onset diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. It is usually seen in adults and is most often associated with an inability to use the insulin made by the pancreas. Obesity is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. In recent years, rates of type 2 diabetes have increased along with the rising rates of obesity. Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose (sugar) levels [13]. Low blood levels of magnesium (hypomagnesemia) are frequently seen in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Hypomagnesemia may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance. Individuals with insulin resistance do not use insulin efficiently and require greater amounts of insulin to maintain blood sugar within normal levels. The kidneys possibly lose their ability to retain magnesium during periods of severe hyperglycemia (significantly elevated blood glucose). The increased loss of magnesium in urine may then result in lower blood levels of magnesium [4]. In older adults, correcting magnesium depletion may improve insulin response and action [42]. "

The complete article is http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp#h3

Frustrating!

Last night I worked out on the treadmill for 42 minutes and guess what? I feel bloated and FAT today. There's nothing more frustrating. That's why I would never have a male personal trainer or even buy a DVD with a guy as the teacher. Men don't know what it feels like to bloat during our cycles. It's awful. I gain weight - up to 5-7 lbs. primarily water weight and it contributes weight gain because I get used to the feeling and just ignore it. My appetite balloons for nearly a week and then it goes away but I may hold onto 1-2 pounds. What's a pound right? Well it adds up week after week and before I know it, I've gained 20 pounds. That's about right. If I ignore my health - no exercising or eating healthy, by the end of the year, I've gained 20 pounds or so. I gain weight slowly and steadily. And what if I'm stressed out or depressed? Watch out!

Feel like giving up today but I won't. It's a wonderful opportunity to exercise for my health not just to drop pounds. My heart is getting healthier through exercise. I won't stop in fact, my plan is to increase my exercise. I've only been exercising about 2 times a week. I need to increase to 4 times a week. It's going to be hard but I must do it! Just sharing.

My Weight Loss Journey

I hope you all don't mind sharing my journey with you. It will help me to stay on track.
Let me just start with acknowledging the fact that everyone has to go through their own journey. We all become overweight for different reasons that are often a combination of reasons. I think examining those should be the first step before beginning. I'm developing a graph of my reasons and my obstacles.

I'm not ready to share that list with you yet but I will say that I say the affirmation, "I treat myself with kindness" with my eyes closed and it has figuratively opened my eyes to seeing that eating unhealthy and not exercising is not being kind to my body and therefore my soul.

Okay, I began by walking on the treadmill 2 times a week (Mondays and Wednesdays - I'm trying to do it every other day to include the weekends.) In the beginning I could only do about 4 minutes, which depressed me but I continued. Now I can walk/run for 40 minutes.
I walk for ~10 minutes briskly and then run for ONE minute (increasing the speed) and then walk for another 10 minutes, then run again, etc. Any input on improving this from anyone? Should I focus on walking longer or running more?

Treadmills are good for Moms. I do it at night when I get my daughters to bed.

So far I've lost 11 pounds. My goal is to be in a normal BMI range. I have a long way to go. I determined to be healthy. That would be about 32 more pounds to go!

Thanks for letting me share.

Loving My Body

I'm working out! Last night I worked out on the treadmill for 43 minutes! I'm so proud. I'm going to get there. The goal is to be healthy - within a normal BMI range for my body weight. I have a long weigh to go. I can't blame having 2 children. I was fortunate that my pregnancies helped me to LOSE weight. For me, weight gain is connected to many factors in my life right now such as...not being in a loving relationship. STRESS is probably the number one thing on my list. Food definitely comforts me - it calms me down on a stressful day/moment. Tiredness also pushes me towards food. Well my life is less stressful. I'm not as tired. I'm coping with being single again. All these things are helping me to lose weight. My affirmation is "I treat myself with kindness." That automatically encourages me to not eat unhealthy "mean" things for my body. I'm taking fish oil for its Omega 3's and I use extra virgin olive oil when I cook. These things are kinder to my body. So far I've lost 4 pounds. I also practice saying, "I love my life. I love me."

More changes. It seems like it's like this every Summer. I'm actually excited about this Summer. First Savannah, now Camille. Camille and I went to her orientation for Kindergarten. It was a such a special day for us. She is SO excited to start school. Savannah will be starting 2nd grade! My girls are growing up!

They are going to Summer Camp in Silver Spring. I'm excited for them. We're going to the beach again but this time for a longer time! I'm so excited. My daughters had the BEST time last summer.

The commute back and forth to Bowie is about to end. It's as though I'll finally leave Bowie. I love Bowie but I'm excited to live in Silver Spring, my hometown. It's changed a LOT.

Dad just celebrated his 74th birthday! I'm so proud. Mom is coming right up too. I'm so fortunate to have both of my parents and overall they are doing very well. Some how they both are still able to be there for me.

I think my daughters are better at change than me.

I'm working out on the treadmill. I'm determined to get into shape and be healthy. I attend my CODA meetings. I pray a lot. I say my affirmations. I dream a lot. I breathe. I keep going.

Now The Tide Is Coming In

Man
The moment I been waiting on
And my soul is over flowing
With anxieties and expectations
I´m full of desires
I just want it so bad
You know
And it just seem so real
It´s right there
I just want reach out and touch it
Before it all disappears

[Verse:]
Sometimes It feels like
Everything
Is passin´ me by
Every now and then
It feels like (feels like)
My ship has gone and sailed away
But I I gonna be strong (gotta be strong)
Gotta hold on It won´t be too long

[Chorus:]
Now the tide is coming near I see the waves flowing
Out there on the ocean I know my ship is coming in
Just pass the horizon
And right where the sky ends
Cause out there on the ocean
Know my ship is coming in But don´t leave me hanging I´ve been waiting too long
But this moment
My ship has finally come

[Verse:]
I would travel to the seven seas (I would even go)

I would even go wherever the wind blows me (I´ll do anything)
I´ll do anything to find my destiny
It´s like fightin´ with gravity
And it´s bringin´ me down
If this world was really round
then tell me how
It´s just a moment for you to come around

[Chorus:]
Now the tide is coming near I see the waves flowing
Out there on the ocean
I know my ship is coming in (coming in baby)
Just pass the horizon
And right where the sky ends
Cause out there on the ocean
Know my ship is coming in
But don´t leave me hanging
I´ve been waiting too long
But this moment
My ship has finally come

[Bridge:]
Finally you come (around)
Around around I said finally baby
Finally you come (around)
Around around
Finally you come around come around baby
Finally you
Finally you come
Said finally you come around (around)
Now the tide is coming near (now the tide is coming in)
I see the waves flowing
Out there on the ocean
I know my ship is coming in (and I know my ship is coming in baby)
Just pass the horizon (And where)
And right where the sky ends
Cause out there on the ocean
I know I know I know I know I know

I know is coming in
Been waiting to long
But this moment
My ship has finally come

Finally you come (around)
Around around [till fade]

The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times

The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times

What Hurts The Most

RASCAL FLATTS LYRICS

What Hurts The Most

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me

What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin' to do

It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I'm doin' It
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken


What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do


What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do

Not seeing that loving you
That's what I was trying to do Ooohhh....

Vinyasa - Yoga

I love Vinyasa yoga.

Vinyasa is a general term that is used to describe many different types of classes. Vinyasa, which means breath-synchronized movement, tends to be a more vigorous style based on the performance of a series of poses called Sun Salutations, in which movement is matched to the breath. A Vinyasa class will typically start with a number of Sun Salutations to warm up the body for more intense stretching that's done at the end of class.

Attorney Joke

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below.
Descending a bit more he shouted, "Excuse me, can you help? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I do not know where I am."

The woman replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40/41 degrees latitude, north, and 59/60 degrees west, longitude."

"You must be a paralegal" said the balloonist.

"I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information and the fact is, I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all, if anything, you have delayed my trip."

The woman below responded, "You must be "attorney".
"I am," replied the balloonist, "How did you know?"

"Well," replied the woman, "You don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now - -somehow -- it is my fault."

unioninlawfirms

Affirmation

I am filled with energy to do all the daily activities in my life.

Savannah is 7 years old!

My Savannah turned 7 years old on March 16th! She had a wild and crazy sleep over hosted by Terri for Amira (Savannah's soul sister) and Savannah. She had a great time. I can't wait until the pictures come back.

Camille was sick with a terrible virus so she couldn't stay overnight. She went home with me. Get better Cammy! She's been sick a whole week now. When she's sick, I'm always a little depressed.

Savannah is becoming more beautiful everyday.

Savannah is reading more and more. Her first book she can read all by herself is "Fat Cat." It's a book that focuses on the long "a" sound...cat, rat, Pat, bat, etc. It's a cute book. We have so much more books to read before the end of this month!

Right now she's working on learning about groups/sets in graphs. Isn't that a bit much for 1st Grade? It's really hard to explain it to her when we do homework every night. In Science she's learning about matter, solids and liquids. I love her Science book.

I got Savannah a MP3 Player for her birthday. I put a few Disneymania CD's on it for her. So far she loves it. She learning all the buttons still. I just hope she doesn't lose it.

I adore Savannah. We are so close. We will always be.

I hope Camille is feeling a little better. Tomorrow is Friday, it's been a HARD week. I think I have Camille's virus. Oh well, gotta keep going.

ttyl

The Middle Class Trap

Middle Class Benefits Trap

As the Middle Class continues to lose jobs, the benefits are not set up to help us through this difficult time. Many hard working Americans are taking contracting/temp jobs in the interim to get by. However, the salary from my temp/contracting job is still too much to get help by Family Services to reduce daycare costs, obtain Food Stamps to eat or qualify for affordable housing of any kind.

The Lower Class qualify for Pre-K, Food Stamps, Daycare vouchers, Section 8 Housing, etc. The Lower Class even has more options in obtaining higher education. The lower you make, the more grants you qualify for! The Upper Class is rich and can afford all of the above paying right out of pocket.

That leaves the Middle Class TRAPPED not being able to afford daycare costs so we can goto work, food to eat or a home rented or purchased. Higher education to increase skills is more difficult as well.

What is the task force going to do to improve the "Middle Class TRAP?"
The Middle Class is being punished for working hard and paying taxes! Something neither the Upper or Lower class seem to do!

Things to do

1. Become a member of Dr. Mills Dentist office in prep for Crown - April 29th @9am Root Canal! 13975 Conn. Ave.

2. Change of Address for Toyota - make arrangements

3. Sallie Mae - student loan deferrment

4. Chevy Chase - student loan deferrment

5. Aftercare and Summer Camp Registration

6. Woodlin Elementary - May 7th or 8th Registration for Savannah and Camille

7. Daycare assistance - complete package and mail

8. Government passwords

9. Update my resume

10. Contact Bowie State University regarding getting back into the Master's Program

Missing Honey Today

Today I miss Honey a LOT. I miss her breath coming out her nose the most. It reminded me she was alive - that I was alive. She could talk with her nose. She could nudge me in a playful way when I was down. She could touch me with her nose to let me know she's ready to go to sleep. She could smell ANYTHING - even my peanut butter cookie in my purse that I tried to hide from her! She could smell another dog a MILE away. I wrote a letter to her right before she crossed over on November 17th, 2008. I read it again today. Here it is:


Honey,

I love you and I know you love me. I know you've grown to love Savannah and Camille too. I know you love and have easily forgiven Sean. When Sean brought you home nearly 12 years ago, I was not ready to be a dog Mom. However, I fell in love with you right away. I've been your protector and defender for so long. I've fed you. I gave you water to drink. I took you to the vet for shots, to remove a nail that accidently went into your leg, to get shots for the hives, 2 ear hematoma surgeries, to be spade, etc. When others thought I was crazy to live with a pit bull I passionately spoke up for you. When people including my parents thought I was irresponsible to have a pit bull with my newborn babies, I kept you and continued to love and take care of you the best I could. When people gave me mean looks when I walked you, I looked the other way. I walked you. I kissed you. I didn't take trips because I didn't want you to have to go to a shelter. You've slept in my bed with me for nearly 12 years now. I bought huge crates so you won't be cramped. You've rarely gone in the crate for many years now. When you chewed up ALL my comforters, I just bought new ones. I bought you tons of cookies as treats. I bought you real bones for you to use your adorable but powerful jaw on. I fought to keep you when the pit bull ban threatened to destroy you. I fought against the state, Sean, society, friends and the media.

I just wish I could have walked you more. I know you love that. I wish I could have taken you more places to see. The biggest regret I have is I wish you could have had a dog friend to spend the day with while I was at work. I didn't know pit bulls could play with other dogs. I'm really sorry about that.

You have lived in many places with me. You first came to live with us in West Hyattsville. I often wonder if you remember that place. You were just a puppy. You had SO much energy. Then we moved to our first home in Bowie. Remember that one? You loved the backyard. I love to think of you resting in the sun out back and sitting on the couch looking at the window and scratching the paint off the front window when a dog went by. We took you to that West Virginia cabin. Remember that place? You LOVED it there. Then we moved to Annapolis - finally you were legal but we were in an apartment. It wasn't easy finding a place that would take you. At least you were walked a LOT. Remember those long walks? I do. I always will. And now you're back with me in Bowie with another backyard. I promised you another backyard and we did. You were there with me for so many fun and difficult times in my life.

Now you have arithitis. You don't walk the same. The bone in your back sticks out more. You have this black growth on your leg. Your poor ears have had it. One infection after another. I clean them out. I put antibiotic cream in there. It clears up and then it comes right back. I can tell you're tired of them too. I know you're in pain sometimes because of the ears. You scratch until they bleed sometimes. Sometimes you don't get up to meet me at the door when I come home now. It's too much effort so you sleep on the couch so you don't have to do the stairs. At nighttime it's so hard for you to come up stairs to get into bed and it's really hard to get up in the morning to go outside to go to the bathroom. I just know it's time.

Now I have dreams of you going to a place where you don't have to take your time to get up. You can run freely again. Your ears don't bother you at all. They are back to the way they used to look - cute and floppy. That ugly growth isn't there. You even have a friend to play with. That's what I want for you - to be happy. Don't worry about me. Just look for me when I cross over one day. I'll look for you. Remember I'll always love you.

Suffering

"Think too of all who suffer as if you shared their pain. " Hebrews 13:3 (J.B. Phillips)

Ton Lin - inhaling pain and exhaling relief....

Dog Whisperer says pit bull ban is bad news

Cesar Millan poses with dogs. (CP PHOTO/HO)
'Dog whisperer' says pit bull ban is bad news
Updated Sat. May. 27 2006 1:35 PM ET
Canadian Press
TORONTO -- Ontario's pit bull ban is an unfair law based on ignorance - because getting rid of a breed of dog doesn't get rid of the problem, says celebrity dog trainer Cesar Millan.
Millan, known as the Dog Whisperer for his uncanny ability to solve canine behavioural problems, was in Toronto this week promoting his National Geographic Channel show and the recent DVD release of the first season's episodes.
"In the United States, in the '70s, they did the same thing to the Doberman. In the '80s they did it to the German shepherd, in the '90s they did it to the Rottweiler, and now they're doing it to the pit bull," he says.
"So whatever dog is in fashion, people are going to blame them for things."
Under the Ontario ban, which was passed last August, it is illegal to own, breed, transfer, abandon or import pit bulls or other breeds "substantially similar" to pit bulls. Owners who violate the law can be fined up to $10,000 and/or be sentenced to six months in jail. The court can also order a dog to be destroyed.
For the Dog Whisperer, there are no bad dogs nor bad breeds, just bad owners who need to be trained. On his show he displays a remarkable ability to rehabilitate once-dangerous pooches because he knows how to position himself as the alpha dog, the leader of the pack.
The worst thing an owner can do, he says, is to heap affection on a pet without balancing it with discipline and exercise. In the dog's eyes, that means the owner isn't a boss to be respected - and the result is a range of problems from disobedience to outright violence.
So Millan doesn't think much of the controversial Ontario law aimed at eventually eliminating the pit bull from the province.
"It's not fair," he says. "They're not going to defend themselves. They're not going to go to court and say, 'Look guys, it's not us. You guys don't walk us every day, you guys don't give us rules, limitations every day.' "
While Rin Tin Tin and Lassie are always touted as dog heroes in the movies, what about Petey of The Little Rascals, he asks. The dog with the famous circle painted around his eye was a lovable pit bull in the old Our Gang movie shorts.
Loving a dog is one thing, humanizing and pampering the animal is another, he maintains.
"It's a selfish attitude because it's what the human wants, instead of really seeing the picture - what does the dog need?"
And intelligence does not make a good pack leader/trainer, Millan says.
"I have Harvard graduates for clients who can't control a chihuahua."
In one rather scary scene from his show, Millan is seen stooping and placing his face right into a dish of dog food where a pit bull is eagerly eating. He even pokes the dog in the side of the face, but the animal respects the relationship and continues eating without snapping.
In Los Angeles, there are many homeless men who have pit bulls, he says, but they're not on a leash and yet they never attack anyone or misbehave.
"Homeless is homeless. He has no money. But he practises leadership behaviour. The dog doesn't see them as homeless. The dog sees them as pack leader."
For the record, Millan has been doing his thing for 20 years and claims a 99 per cent success rate with his rehabilitation techniques. In that time, there have been only two "bad" dogs he was unable to return to society, he adds.
Asked about his claim that he was born with his dog whisperer ability, Millan says he grew up on a ranch in Mexico where he learned animal communications skills from his grandfather.
"It's the tendency to be with animals, to spend more time with animals," he says. "So it's an innate behaviour . . . You are born with that innate ability to connect and if somebody nurtures that you can become the dog whisperer."
Yes, he has been bitten.
"Of course," he says matter-of-factly. "It's like cowboys that get stomped by bulls. Any time you're working in the world of taming animals, you're going to get hurt. But it's a rush that we get."
And his practice isn't without issues.
Earlier this month, a TV producer in Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against him claiming his dog was injured at Millan's psychology centre. Another suit filed in April claimed copyright infringement for his use of the name Dog Whisperer.
At the same time, Millan enjoys the admiration of such famous dog owners as Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Scarlett Johansson.
By the way, Millan has six dogs of his own: two Italian greyhounds, two springer spaniels, one chihuahua and one Chinese crested.
He's asked the inevitable dog lover's question: Why do we bond so strongly with a species that has a much shorter lifespan, pretty much guaranteeing a grieving experience as our pets grow older and die before us?
"Birth, life, death is a cycle. And they're all beautiful, you celebrate all of them," he says about the pet owner's inevitable heartbreak.
"Animals do grieve, but they move on. That's the lesson behind animals."

Affirmation: This very moment....

This very moment is the perfect teacher. Fortunately for us, it's with us everyday. Pema Chrodron.

Letter to Michael Vick - 8/3/2007

Dear Michael Vick,

Is this what they do "down South"? Does it make it right? Did you know pit bull fighting is morally wrong? I don't think you do. What is this all about? What's the big deal, right?
Did you know pit bulls feel pain? Just because their strong and muscular doesn't mean they enjoy fighting until death. It takes a real coward to teach animals to fight for enjoyment. You will pay one way or another. I don't want you to go to jail or lose your job. You won't learn that way. I do think you should lose endorsements. You are a poor example of a talented athlete. Yes, there are African Americans that don't support this sick behavior. I'm one of them. I know you and your friends think you know all about pit bulls. I do too. I've had a pit bull over over 10 years. Have you ever loved a dog that long before? That's why I know they don't love to fight. You tell yourself that to justify this cruel behavior.
There's a reason you're facing jail and it's not just because you're black. Dog fighting is wrong. They fight each because they want to please their owners. You are taking advantage of their strength for your enjoyment. Not only are you participating in killing innocent dogs, you're breeding human killers. Did you know serial killers start out doing things like this and then move on to humans? Oh, do you know how hard it is for a pit bull to get adopted? With this coverage, even less may occur. So you see, you've killed a lot more dogs than you think.
Forget the courts, me, animal rights groups that you think are so extreme. Do you think God likes pit bull fighting? I'm sure you call yourself a Christian. Do you think God supports animal torture for fun? God gives you all this talent and money. Are you using it in the right way? Betting on the what pit bull will die first? Is this God's plan for you? Instead of leading other African American males to higher places, you're leading them to jail. You're rich enough for a good "defense". Your celebrity and money should keep you out of jail but what about your "friends?"
I was one of your biggest fans. You're so brillant on the football field but what about your character as a man? Whenever, the press didn't give you your much deserved praise for your work as Quarterback, I always spoke up and supported you. You have redefined the Quarterback position in the NFL. You are by far the best. How could you do this? You really let me and a lot of people down - way down. Honey, my pit bull, loves to watch you play football. She didn't know you torture animals for fun during the off season. You really let us ALL down.
Can you apologize and admit pit bull fighting is wrong? At least do that.
Your ex-fan.
Drina, a pit bull mother

Letter to Honey - 8/21/2007

Honey,
No one knows you like I know you. You love balls. You love bottle tops - especially beer tops (please stop putting them in your food bowl. It's embarrassing.) You love to bite twigs into tiny pieces. Your absolute favorite is sitting on the grass in the backyard with the sun on your face! I love to watch you outside. Oh, you also LOVE to jump and try and catch the water from the waterhose - I forgot.
You love when I walk you - even though I've gotten strict with you. You know when I'm sad. You always lean on me until I feel better. When Daddy isn't home, you jump off the bed over every little sound trying to alert me of any problems - even when you're really sleepy. You always lean on me in the bed. You LOVE bacon. You love your peanut butter cookie snacks. You're so sweet. Please don't destroy our King comforter - pleeze. We can't afford to get another one! :)
These days you sleep a lot but for an old lady, you sure have a lot of energy for jumping up on the tree, chasing squirrels you never catch, barking at dogs on the TV (which drives me crazy), chewing on your bones, catching balls I throw as far as I can, etc. You always seem to embrace life - that's contagious. Thank you. I can't believe you're over 10 years old. I hope you stay with us forever. I don't think I could've made it without you. Your kindness and loyalty is so special to experience. I love you. Your Mother, Drina.

When Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Right now I'm almost done reading Chinua Achebe's When Things Fall Apart. His writing is so proper. The male centered descriptions are hard to ignore (male weakness = being womanly, for example) but it takes me to an imaginary time when "missionaries" first arrived in an African country to introduce the Christian religion and its government. Okonwko, the main character is a strong warrior that is broken apart by the agenda of the missionaries. Towards the end you realize it's not just Okonwko that's falling apart but his clan, his family (Nwoye), his people all fall apart. "Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act as one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart."

http://www.louisehay.com/

I only allow that which is good into my life

I only allow that which is good into my life.
No one can depress me. No one can make me anxious. No one can hurt my feelings. No one can make me anything other than what I allow inside.

Protesting Foreclosures

ACORN To Protest Foreclosures In Washington D.C.PITTSBURGH (KDKA)

A community group's bid to stop the foreclosure crisis in the area is heading to the nation's capital.
Local members of the group ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) are in Washington for a rally.
They hope to call attention to the growing foreclosure crisis that's affected hundreds of people in Western Pennsylvania.
The trip is being called the emergency trip for change.
Members are planning to shutdown a foreclosure auction.
ACORN says they hear from local homeowners everyday who are on the brink of losing their homes.

Catholic Support for Obama

'I'm Catholic, staunchly anti-abortion, and support Obama By NICHOLAS P. CAFARDI, Religion News Service

Published: September 30, 2008

Editor's note: Nicholas P. Cafardi is the second high profile Catholic legal scholar who is staunchly anti-abortion yet says he supports Barack Obama. Douglas Kmiec, Ronald Reagan's constitutional lawyer as head of the office of legal counsel for the Department of Justice, publicly argued a similar case for Obama several weeks ago.

Commentary

I believe that abortion is an unspeakable evil, yet I support Sen. Barack Obama, who is pro-choice. I do not support him because he is pro-choice, but in spite of it. Is that a proper moral choice for a committed Catholic?As one of the inaugural members of the U.S. bishops' National Review Board on clergy sexual abuse, and as a canon lawyer, I answer with a resounding yes.Despite what some Republicans would like Catholics to believe, the list of what the church calls "intrinsically evil acts" does not begin and end with abortion. In fact, there are many intrinsically evil acts, and a committed Catholic must consider all of them in deciding how to vote.Last November, the U.S. bishops released "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," a 30-page document that provides several examples of intrinsically evil acts: abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, torture, racism, and targeting noncombatants in acts of war.Nicholas CafardiObama's support for abortion rights has led some to the conclusion that no Catholic can vote for him. That's a mistake. While I have never swayed in my conviction that abortion is an unspeakable evil, I believe that we have lost the abortion battle -- permanently. A vote for Sen. John McCain does not guarantee the end of abortion in America. Not even close.Let's suppose Roe v. Wade were overturned. What would happen? The matter would simply be kicked back to the states -- where it was before 1973. Overturning Roe would not abolish abortion. It would just mean that abortion would be legal in some states and illegal in others. The number of abortions would remain unchanged as long as people could travel.McCain has promised to appoint "strict constructionist" judges who would presumably vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. But is that sufficient reason for a Catholic to vote Republican? To answer that question, let's look at the rest of the church's list of intrinsically evil acts.Both McCain and Obama get failing marks on embryonic stem-cell research, which Catholic teaching opposes. The last time the issue was up for a vote in the Senate, both men voted to ease existing restrictions.But what about an unjust war? In 2003, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) said flatly that "reasons sufficient for unleashing a war against Iraq did not exist." McCain voted for it; Obama opposed it.What about torture? "There is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes," according to Antonio Taguba, the retired major general who investigated abuses in Iraq. Obama opposes the use of torture in all cases; McCain, himself a victim of torture, voted to allow the CIA to use so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" -- a euphemism for torture.How, some may ask, can I compare these evils with abortion? The right to abortion is guaranteed by the federal judiciary's interpretation of the Constitution. And while the president appoints federal judges, the connection between a president's appointments and the decisions rendered by his appointees is tenuous at best. After all, in 1992, five Republican-appointed justices voted to uphold Roe v. Wade in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Yet on other intrinsic evils -- an unjust war, torture, ignoring the poor -- I can address those evils directly by changing the president.There's another distinction that is often lost in the culture-war rhetoric on abortion: There is a difference between being pro-choice and being pro-abortion. Obama supports government action that would reduce the number of abortions, and has consistently said that "we should be doing everything we can to avoid unwanted pregnancies that might even lead somebody to consider having an abortion." He favors a "comprehensive approach where ... we are teaching the sacredness of sexuality to our children." And he wants to ensure that adoption is an option for women who might otherwise choose abortion.Obama worked all of that into his party's platform this year. By contrast, Republicans actually removed abortion-reduction language from their platform.What's more, as recent data show, abortion rates drop when the social safety net is strengthened. If Obama's economic program will do more to reduce poverty than McCain's, then is it wrong to conclude that an Obama presidency will also reduce abortions? Not at all.Every faithful Catholic agrees that abortion is an unspeakable evil that must be minimized, if not eliminated. I can help to achieve that without endorsing Republicans' immoral baggage. Overturning Roe v. Wade is not the only way to end abortion, and a vote for Obama is not somehow un-Catholic.The U.S. bishops have urged a "different kind of political engagement," one that is "shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences."I have informed my conscience. I have weighed the facts. I have used my prudential judgment. And I conclude that it is a proper moral choice for this Catholic to support Barack Obama's candidacy.

Cafardi is a civil and canon lawyer, and a professor and former dean at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh. His most recent book, Before Dallas, examines the bishops' failures in handling the clergy sex abuse crisis.

Thanks a lot Alan Greenspan!

Alan Greenspan: ARMed and DangerousThe Federal Reserve chairman's weird affection for adjustable-rate mortgages.By Daniel GrossPosted Friday, Feb. 27, 2004, at 4:47 PM ET Fed chairman or personal finance maven?Democrats frothed and Republicans shuddered this week when Alan Greenspan suggested that Congress slash Social Security benefits. The frenzy was a shame, because it overshadowed an even more controversial statement the Fed chairman made earlier in the week. On Monday, the 78-year-old banker seemed momentarily to morph into peppy-personal finance maven Jean Chtatzky. As the headliner at the Credit Union National Association's meeting—although I'm sure the bankers were also eager to see "David Landis performing as the U.S. Sen. George Norris, original signer of the 1934 Federal Credit Union Act"—Greenspan explained why co nsumers might be better off considering adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, instead of standard fixed-rate mortgages. While fixed-rate mortgages have their benefits, he noted that: PRINTDISCUSSE-MAILRSSRECOMMEND...SINGLE PAGE Yahoo! Buzz FacebookMySpace Mixx Digg Reddit del.icio.us Furl Ma.gnolia SphereStumbleUponCLOSE=0 D Calculations by market analysts of the "option-adjusted spread" on mortgages suggest that the cost of these benefits conferred by fixed-rate mortgages can range from 0.5 percent to 1.2 percent, raising homeowners' annual after-tax mortgage payments by several thousand dollars. Indeed, recent research within the Federal Reserve suggests that many homeowners might have saved tens of thousands of dollars had they held adjustable-rate mortgages rather than fixed-rate mortgages during the past decade, though this would not have been the case, of course, had interest rates trended sharply upward. Well, duh. All advertisements for financial services products—mutual funds, stocks—insist that past performance is no guide to future performance. Greenspan should have said the same. Yes, in hindsight, getting an ARM in 1993, when long-term rates were far higher than they are today, would have been brilliant. But let's say long-term rates had risen over the course of the 1990s. Would he now be lecturing us on how ARMs have cost homeowners thousands of dollars in higher interest rates?Greenspan also conspicuously ignored the non-monetary benefits associated with fixed-rate mortgages. Homebuyers pay a premium for the ability to lock in a fixed interest rate—and hence have utter certainty on the size of their payment for up to three decades. But in return, they receive peace of mind, security, and the ability to plan. By agreeing to a fixed-rate mortgage, home-buyers purchase a cap on the interest rate and, in effect, buy an option to switch to a lower rate. They're placing the interest-rate risk firmly on the balance sheet of the lender. If the market makes you out to be a chump—i.e., if interest rates fall sharply after you've agreed to a fixed-rate mortgage—you can refinan ce. Sure, it costs a few thousand dollars and involves some paper work, but it can save a homeowner many times that amount.Anyone who takes out an ARM essentially assumes interest-rate risk. If interest rates rise over time, your mortgage payments rise, too. In Greenspan's ARM-ed world, homeowners would have to watch interest rates every day, make judgments as to whether they think rates are going to rise or fall, and hedge accordingly. How much is it worth not to have to sift through Greenspan's opaque congressional testimony and monitor speeches by obscure Federal Reserve governors to divine the future path of interest rates?Greenspan also presumes that Americans would be effective market-timers, which recent experience tells us they are most certainly not. In 1993, which would have been an optimal time to purchase an ARM, about 20 percent of mortgage origination volume consisted of ARMs, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The figure has bounced around for much of the past decade. In 1998 and 2001, ARMs garnered just 12 percent of mortgage origination volume. The proportion rose sharply to 19 percent in 2003. In other words, just as people rushed out to buy stocks after they moved up dramatically, people frequently rush out to take out ARMs after interest rates fall sharply.Buying an ARM when long-term interest rates are in long-term decline makes sense. But if you buy one in a period when the general trend of interest rates is higher, then you20could be just another American Sucker. And that's why Greenspan's comments seem oddly timed.If ever there were a moment when an ARM didn't seem to a good buy, surely it is now. Interest rates are at historic lows. Can rates drift a little lower? Sure. Can they go significantly lower? Most likely not. The balance of risks, as Greenspan might put it, certainly weighs in favor of interest rates remaining stable or rising over the next several years, not falling. As Greenspan noted in his Social Security comments, there exists in Washington "a dynamic in which large deficits result in ever-growing interest payments that augment deficits in future years." These persistent, massive deficits will certainly place upward pressure on interest rates. And does anybody think the inept band of borrowers and spenders in Washington is going to address the structural imbalances they've created before a crisis sets in and before interest rates start to spike?Strictly speaking, Greenspan is correct. If you borrow money while interest rates are falling, then an ARM is superior to a fixed-rate mortgage. But while homeowners may pay a little less with an ARM, they may wind up sleeping less when rates climb again—as they inevitably do. Man does not live by basis points alone.
Daniel Gross is the Moneybox columnist for Slate and the business columnist for Newsweek. You can e-mail20him at moneybox@slate.com . He is the author of Pop! Why

Analysis of the seeds of housing crisis

Grim statistics reveal that as many as 10,000 foreclosures are occuring each day in the United States—and the total is climbing. All this while a financial meltdown roars around the world. Unemployment is high, inflation is increasing, and real estate values are plunging, as is the stock market. Yes, we live in interesting times.
Most of the problems began years ago when banks and savings and loan associations started selling their mortgage loans—rather than holding them—to replenish funds to make more loans. This became the norm in the banking industry, such that today almost no bank continues to hold and collect payments on the loans it makes. This allowed the lender to process many more loans. Unfortunately, it also compromised the underwriting of loans since the loans often were merely hot potatoes quickly sold to others for ownership and servicing.
And then it got worse. In the 1980s lenders began to pool mortgages and securitize them for sale on Wall Street. The quality of individual loans seemingly was irrelevant since most conventional mortgage security pools were backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Because the loans were being sold as a security, small increments of the total loan pool or package could be sold on the national and international stock markets.
As these investments became more and more popular, the secondary mortgage market went on steroids. It began selling mortgage derivatives and futures, and sold pieces of the mortgage pools such as years 1 through 5 or years 21 to 30, much like butchers use all of the pig, including the ears and the oink. The lawyering and marketing were most creative, but the control and valuation were impossible. When the mortgage market began to sputter due to the predatory and unsecured loans, foreclosures increased, causing home values to decline. Like an epidemic, confidence in all mortgages came into question and the entire house of cards began to come down, augmenting the number of foreclosures.

Characteristics of the Co-Dependent in Relationships

1. We come from a dysfunctional family system in which our emotional needs were not met.

2. We received little nurturing ourselves; we try to fill this unmet need vicariously by becoming a care-giver, especially to men who appear needy.

3. We were never able to change our parent(s) into the warm, loving care-taker(s) we longed for; we respond deeply to the familiar type of emotionally unavailable men whom we can again try to change through our love.

4. We are terrified of abandonment; we will do anything to keep a relationship from dissolving.

5. We believe almost nothing is too much trouble, takes too much time, or is too expensive if it will "help" the man we are involved with.

6. We are accustomed to lack of love in personal relationships; we are willing to wait, hope and try harder to please.

7. We are will to take far more than 50 percent of the responsibility, guilt, shame and blame in relationships.

8. Our self esteem is critically low; and deep inside we do not believe we deserve to be happy. Rather, we believe we must earn the right to enjoy life.

9. We have a desperate need to control our relationships, having experienced little security in childhood. We mask our efforts to control people and situations as "being helpful."

10. In a relationship, we are much more in touch with our dream of how it could be than with the reality of our situation.

11. We are addicted to relationships and to emotional pain.

12. We may drawn to people with problems that need fixing, or by being emeshed in situations/relationships that are chaotic, uncertain and emotionally painful, we keep from focusing on our responsibility to ourselves.

13. We may be predisposed biochemically as well as emotionally to abusing chemicals or certain foods, usually sugary ones.

14. We have a tendency toward episodes of depression, which we try to forestall through the excitement provided by an unstable relationship.

15. We are not attracted to men/women who are kind, stable, reliable and interested in us. We find such "nice" men/women boring.