Sterling Diary

Is 60 better then 30?
7
Tue. Oct 31, 10:55pm

New team: The Power of Three
0
Tue. Oct 31, 10:38pm

weight training question
6
Tue. Oct 31, 5:23pm

Anyone have health/fitness software recommendations?
9
Tue. Oct 31, 4:08pm

What to do when wedding ring is too loose after losing weight?
26
Tue. Oct 31, 1:56pm

Recently single?
0
Tue. Oct 31, 1:55pm

Red Exerciser
13
Tue. Oct 31, 11:44am

New Team: Peer Trainer Veterans
3
Tue. Oct 31, 11:42am

PT page display problems
1
Tue. Oct 31, 11:18am

Plan B
7
Tue. Oct 31, 9:16am

Newspaper series following obese teens
24
Tue. Oct 31, 2:25am

Slim in 6 with Weight Watchers…
2
Mon. Oct 30, 6:47pm

OT- Pedestrian Crossing
11
Mon. Oct 30, 6:40pm

Halloween tips
8
Mon. Oct 30, 5:54pm

Wishlist for PT - downloadable version for mobile phones/pdas??
3
Mon. Oct 30, 3:05pm

Boosting Energy
5
Mon. Oct 30, 1:33pm

Advice - skincare
53
Mon. Oct 30, 12:46pm

Why are we doing this anyway?
84
Mon. Oct 30, 12:41pm

Attention Brides!
0
Mon. Oct 30, 8:22am

New Team for Military Members
1
Mon. Oct 30, 8:21am

6 minutes, 6 minutes, 6 minutes dougyfresh you’re on
3
Sun. Oct 29, 1:53pm

Clarifying “Blog” vs “Community Page” RE: Censorship
3
Sun. Oct 29, 10:31am

Treats for Ice Cream Junkies
21
Sun. Oct 29, 8:11am

Awesome low-cal, high fiber & great tasting flatbreads
7
Sun. Oct 29, 7:50am

Treadmill v. Track Running
2
Sun. Oct 29, 12:12am

I mean, “PeerTrainer” Veterans Team, anyone?
2
Sat. Oct 28, 6:47pm

Miles in a week
5
Sat. Oct 28, 5:18pm

Veterans team, anyone?
2
Sat. Oct 28, 10:03am

Adjusting Calorie intake for building muscle And Losing Weight
2
Fri. Oct 27, 9:14pm

What are your weekend exercise plans?
4
Fri. Oct 27, 7:51pm

Lost & Grey’s Anatomy
3
Fri. Oct 27, 6:25pm

Favorite Exercise
11
Fri. Oct 27, 6:17pm

Blogs with anonymous posts
10
Fri. Oct 27, 5:42pm

Cortisol - cortislim etc
14
Fri. Oct 27, 5:14pm

OT: studio 60
0
Fri. Oct 27, 4:49pm

Is anyone on the FAT SMASH DIET, BY DR IAN SMITH
17
Fri. Oct 27, 3:18pm

First time on a Cruise: Need Advice!
9
Fri. Oct 27, 3:16pm

fat smash diet
1
Fri. Oct 27, 2:55pm

questions about divorce
17
Fri. Oct 27, 2:54pm

wiki problem?
1
Fri. Oct 27, 2:10pm

Hypnosis?
9
Fri. Oct 27, 1:59pm

OT - friend who talks a lot
16
Fri. Oct 27, 12:10pm

weight watchers Points in corn?
2
Fri. Oct 27, 12:02pm

Working out causes breaking out
22
Fri. Oct 27, 11:16am

ByPass Surgert
11
Fri. Oct 27, 11:10am

hi i’m new
4
Fri. Oct 27, 9:58am

Monday’s Dr. Phil
2
Fri. Oct 27, 7:03am

Did you try something this year that you didn’t think you could do or were afraid to do or haven’t done because you haven’t got around to it?
24
Fri. Oct 27, 4:04am

Always Hungry
20
Fri. Oct 27, 2:49am

Why do you love working out?
16
Thu. Oct 26, 7:06pm

Knee pain when using the bike.
8
Thu. Oct 26, 5:03pm

Men in media: why are they portrayed as dumb?
14
Thu. Oct 26, 3:58pm

Is the success story from the home page real?
9
Thu. Oct 26, 12:48pm

don’t you just hate…
104
Thu. Oct 26, 12:41pm

help! how do I use this?
6
Thu. Oct 26, 12:18pm

New group - join only if you are good looking
1
Thu. Oct 26, 11:28am

OT: Great Drink Names
6
Thu. Oct 26, 9:52am

This is gross
20
Thu. Oct 26, 9:18am

Splenda, the good and bad and the ok in moderation.
1
Thu. Oct 26, 9:01am

Is shellfish really that bad for you?
13
Thu. Oct 26, 5:04am

Ready for your maintenance phase?
0
Wed. Oct 25, 3:51pm

“serving”?
3
Wed. Oct 25, 1:42pm

Are you a giver or a taker?
5
Wed. Oct 25, 1:07pm

alcoholic
10
Wed. Oct 25, 11:52am

Need to gain weight
2
Wed. Oct 25, 9:55am

Coffee/caffeine abuse for weightloss..
5
Wed. Oct 25, 9:13am

Should I log sex as workout/exercise?
81
Tue. Oct 24, 8:16pm

Best way to find healthy ideal weight
3
Tue. Oct 24, 7:30pm

10 minute mile
15
Tue. Oct 24, 6:37pm

Low point, filling breakfast ideas
2
Tue. Oct 24, 4:26pm

this may be the group for you
1
Tue. Oct 24, 2:05pm

New Team: 1000 Miles of Walking for Breast Cancer!
2
Tue. Oct 24, 1:10pm

Are there any teams that are very active?
3
Tue. Oct 24, 10:53am

NYT article alarm on menopause and weight
5
Tue. Oct 24, 8:25am

embarrasing yoga related question
23
Mon. Oct 23, 9:31pm

Change in diet + skin problems?
1
Mon. Oct 23, 8:08pm

Wiki
2
Mon. Oct 23, 7:19pm

Looking for new group
8
Mon. Oct 23, 3:06pm

Breast Cancer Awareness Month
9
Mon. Oct 23, 10:20am

Envy as motivation?
3
Mon. Oct 23, 10:18am

Effect of Alcohol on the Skin?
5
Mon. Oct 23, 9:52am

OT - prayers please
12
Mon. Oct 23, 9:44am

Weight loss
0
Mon. Oct 23, 12:26am

Abnormal Pap Test?
62
Mon. Oct 23, 12:10am

Positive People Wanted!
0
Sun. Oct 22, 10:31pm

A new group for thse with a history of Yo-Yo Dieting
1
Sun. Oct 22, 9:07pm

Relationship Between Exercise and Healthy Skin?
1
Sun. Oct 22, 8:15pm

For dieters who find themselves gaining and losing weight over and over
0
Sun. Oct 22, 8:13pm

Exercises to help your Posture
1
Sun. Oct 22, 8:10pm

Winsor Pilates - does it work?
21
Sun. Oct 22, 4:14pm

Favorite workout videos? Suggestions please?GREATLY appreciated!!!
14
Sun. Oct 22, 3:48pm

Love with a PT?
97
Sun. Oct 22, 1:50pm

Motivational Music
26
Sun. Oct 22, 11:22am

How to lose weight at a desk job?
11
Sun. Oct 22, 10:39am

‘creating’ beauty
9
Sat. Oct 21, 2:35pm

Pregnancy groups/teams?
3
Sat. Oct 21, 2:01pm

I want to lose 25 pounds
6
Sat. Oct 21, 1:05pm

Is giving your body a shock once in a while in terms of diet or exercise good?
1
Sat. Oct 21, 12:58pm

Need Energy Fast!!
12
Sat. Oct 21, 12:14pm

why are people obsessed with their dogs?
46
Sat. Oct 21, 9:58am

Fat Smash diet detox phase
2
Sat. Oct 21, 12:40am

Narrow-Grip Bench Press
3
Sat. Oct 21, 12:37am

Body Pump - searched previous DVD threads - didn’t find the info
5
Sat. Oct 21, 12:33am

Which artificial sweeteners are OK for pregnancy?
11
Fri. Oct 20, 8:26pm

exercise balls vs. desk chairs
9
Fri. Oct 20, 5:45pm

FYI - if you post a long url in the comment section, the entire thing gets messed up
4
Fri. Oct 20, 5:08pm

Clenbuterol - Celebrity horse asthma pill…
7
Fri. Oct 20, 4:50pm

Ideas for lunch today - Going out…
3
Fri. Oct 20, 4:36pm

30 Minutes or 60 Minutes
5
Fri. Oct 20, 9:36am

8 weeks to optimal health - andrew weil team
6
Thu. Oct 19, 10:59pm

pms and wild dreams
4
Thu. Oct 19, 10:48pm

out of town dating and weight gain
4
Thu. Oct 19, 10:39pm

Digby, where are you?
2
Thu. Oct 19, 9:14pm

Does diet soda have negative affects on weight loss?
18
Thu. Oct 19, 5:00pm

calories in sushi?
6
Thu. Oct 19, 12:37pm

South beach
0
Thu. Oct 19, 9:32am

6 pounds of water weight? DURING A FAST
3
Thu. Oct 19, 6:23am

Last bit of weight to lose
5
Wed. Oct 18, 8:28pm

line in the twin cities??
1
Wed. Oct 18, 6:58pm

Grey hair
13
Wed. Oct 18, 5:21pm

low impact cardio?
8
Wed. Oct 18, 5:20pm

Cottage Cheese - check out website
1
Wed. Oct 18, 3:50pm

Pictures in daily logs?
2
Wed. Oct 18, 3:23pm

Freezing Meals
3
Wed. Oct 18, 1:18pm

Cho-Pat Strap for Running?
4
Wed. Oct 18, 12:17pm

cant seem to incorporate diet w/ weekends.
12
Wed. Oct 18, 9:41am

Do interactions w/your parents trigger binges?
14
Tue. Oct 17, 7:01pm

I added my Success Story!
5
Tue. Oct 17, 3:34pm

Yogurt - Good? Bad? Recommendations?
45
Tue. Oct 17, 3:20pm

New Group - “No Counting”
0
Tue. Oct 17, 2:57pm

OT - libido and meds
7
Tue. Oct 17, 2:30pm

Going crazy
2
Tue. Oct 17, 12:21pm

cross country skiing
2
Tue. Oct 17, 10:58am

6 small meals vs. 3 big ones
11
Tue. Oct 17, 10:19am

Vegetarians/Vegans and anyone else who wants to get healthy!
0
Tue. Oct 17, 9:58am

Vegetarians/Vegans and anyone else who wants to get healthy!
0
Tue. Oct 17, 9:58am

oil n vinegar
13
Tue. Oct 17, 9:36am

Lets get it off again!
0
Tue. Oct 17, 9:18am

50 - 60 year old Members
10
Tue. Oct 17, 9:00am

12 week program!!
1
Mon. Oct 16, 4:32pm

New Calorie Wiki Contest….
22
Mon. Oct 16, 4:26pm

how many weeks is the body for life program?
0
Mon. Oct 16, 2:48pm

looking for a support group.
13
Mon. Oct 16, 2:15pm

bad relationships and overeating
5
Mon. Oct 16, 11:59am

Interested in doing The Master Cleanse….
3
Mon. Oct 16, 9:11am

15 days….
6
Mon. Oct 16, 8:43am

Join the club!
0
Mon. Oct 16, 12:03am

breast plants
14
Mon. Oct 16, 12:01am

Political Intensity
17
Sun. Oct 15, 10:00pm

water intake in ounces for wt loss
7
Sun. Oct 15, 3:04pm

suggestion to peertrainer–dictionary of terms
25
Sun. Oct 15, 2:54pm

eek…
32
Sun. Oct 15, 11:59am

DESPARATELY SEEKING ACTIVE WW PEOPLE
2
Sun. Oct 15, 10:38am

Join Me if you are just getting started or getting re-started.
0
Sat. Oct 14, 9:30pm

Dancing with the stars ..
0
Sat. Oct 14, 6:24pm

Happy 1 Yr PT Anniversary to me
5
Sat. Oct 14, 5:33pm

o/t…kid or child?
9
Fri. Oct 13, 9:08pm

? for the Guys - Pounds per Pants Size
4
Fri. Oct 13, 4:53pm

tough love
21
Fri. Oct 13, 4:49pm

Totally Bizarre
4
Fri. Oct 13, 4:36pm

New and Previous Spotlighters- A Question
5
Fri. Oct 13, 4:02pm

Lost thread
9
Fri. Oct 13, 2:52pm

is it just me or is it the men i date
35
Fri. Oct 13, 12:12pm

Come join us
3
Fri. Oct 13, 10:57am

Any Long Island Ladies out there?
0
Fri. Oct 13, 8:05am

How Many Groups and Teams?
5
Thu. Oct 12, 9:45pm

OT: Bathroom Remodeling
5
Thu. Oct 12, 4:20pm

average age here on PT
113
Thu. Oct 12, 3:12pm

Dieting is similar to Grieving
27
Thu. Oct 12, 3:01pm

dexatrim natural
5
Thu. Oct 12, 11:11am

could this be a sign of diabeties or something else??
4
Thu. Oct 12, 8:41am

Spiritual Take
0
Thu. Oct 12, 2:51am

OT-Can’t Concentrate
6
Thu. Oct 12, 1:03am

Experienced Weight Trainers - Help!
3
Wed. Oct 11, 10:29pm

spinach and safety!
5
Wed. Oct 11, 8:54pm

Is There Such A Thing as Sugar-Free Yogurt?
7
Wed. Oct 11, 8:46pm

Looking for members!
0
Wed. Oct 11, 8:18pm

NYT Article: Seduced By Snacks?
5
Wed. Oct 11, 4:27pm

Join my group!
0
Wed. Oct 11, 4:24pm

Gym membership initiation fee
12
Wed. Oct 11, 3:28pm

Advice on recurring dream
10
Wed. Oct 11, 2:42pm

Mindless eating
1
Wed. Oct 11, 11:15am

obsession with food
6
Wed. Oct 11, 9:37am

$3 Off Bertolli Frozen Dinners
0
Wed. Oct 11, 8:45am

Baby Food
6
Wed. Oct 11, 7:48am

typical weight of gym shoes
12
Wed. Oct 11, 4:41am

someone join me!
2
Wed. Oct 11, 2:28am

Curious: how did you hear about Peer Trainer?
68
Wed. Oct 11, 1:19am

Body Fat % Question
5
Tue. Oct 10, 5:38pm

Slimfast…New Thread
6
Tue. Oct 10, 3:31pm

Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load?
2
Tue. Oct 10, 12:11pm

Fat people are angry.
25
Tue. Oct 10, 11:23am

Rant- please read.
12
Tue. Oct 10, 10:51am

OT: At What Age is “Peter Rabbit” Appropriate for Kids?
10
Tue. Oct 10, 10:33am

This just in….
3
Tue. Oct 10, 10:30am

Crap! I just saw my life and my family’s life flash before my eyes!
19
Tue. Oct 10, 10:00am

Celsius or other “calorie burning” drinks
3
Tue. Oct 10, 8:49am

Hot flashes.
0
Tue. Oct 10, 8:43am

Dealing with coworkers you dislike
7
Tue. Oct 10, 4:19am

Hot Plus Halloween Costumes! Motivation to keep paws out of the candy
8
Tue. Oct 10, 3:47am

WW Points Value
5
Tue. Oct 10, 2:58am

Is the Fat Smash Diet a total fraud?
3
Tue. Oct 10, 12:55am

Nike+ and Nano
5
Mon. Oct 9, 10:03pm

Active posters
0
Mon. Oct 9, 6:24pm

Exercises to increase core strength?
2
Mon. Oct 9, 4:16pm

I’ve eaten horribly for 3 days, and I want a freakin’ choc. donut
12
Mon. Oct 9, 4:10pm

Living in Oregon doing WW join our group
0
Mon. Oct 9, 12:33pm

Abusing the “on vacation”
2
Mon. Oct 9, 10:50am

Job advice…OT
20
Mon. Oct 9, 8:59am

Does Water Consumption Offset Sodium Intake?
11
Mon. Oct 9, 8:42am

OT: Psychotherapy
7
Mon. Oct 9, 12:45am

Im lookin for an easy solution to lose weight!
24
Sun. Oct 8, 10:56am

I can’t count the times I have given my kid a Dannon Frusion Yogurt
1
Sun. Oct 8, 8:49am

lo-cal alternate to coffee drinks?
3
Sun. Oct 8, 8:43am

Maple Syrup as substitute sweetner?
10
Sat. Oct 7, 11:43pm

Join me
0
Sat. Oct 7, 10:31pm

healthy chinese food?
4
Sat. Oct 7, 10:34am

rude rude
13
Sat. Oct 7, 9:38am

Stop night-time snacking!!
18
Sat. Oct 7, 12:19am

Can someone explain the basics of the Fat Smash Diet?
4
Sat. Oct 7, 12:10am

Is anyone on the FAT SMASH DIET, BY DR IAN SMITH
9
Sat. Oct 7, 12:10am

too much pressure to be thin
3
Fri. Oct 6, 11:24pm

For all you chocolate lovers out there….
2
Fri. Oct 6, 11:21pm

Shoulds vs Wants
2
Fri. Oct 6, 5:44pm

Oregon WW Points or Core
3
Fri. Oct 6, 4:45pm

For those posting 3xweek or more, looking to make Atkins a life choice
9
Fri. Oct 6, 2:18pm

Body For Life
10
Fri. Oct 6, 1:05pm

TV AND WEIGHT LOSS
7
Fri. Oct 6, 1:04pm

What has helped you the most?
10
Fri. Oct 6, 9:42am

Looking for new group members - WW Close to Goal or maintaining
0
Fri. Oct 6, 9:18am

ANTM
12
Thu. Oct 5, 9:09pm

HELP !
4
Thu. Oct 5, 2:17pm

New group for folk trying to overcome chronic cheating
0
Thu. Oct 5, 2:04pm

avacado how many calories
4
Thu. Oct 5, 1:52pm

Dancing with the stars ..
3
Thu. Oct 5, 1:28pm

In Case of Emergency - READ this
9
Thu. Oct 5, 11:48am

OT-abnormal vaginal bleeding
6
Thu. Oct 5, 11:40am

Echinacea and other immune boosters
5
Thu. Oct 5, 9:23am

Strength Training vs. Resistance Training
2
Thu. Oct 5, 9:12am

What do you do about being too sensitive !
8
Thu. Oct 5, 5:01am

Best lean beef?
9
Wed. Oct 4, 11:25pm

Nutritional Advice- What should I really be eating?
3
Wed. Oct 4, 10:59pm

advice for order of workout
4
Wed. Oct 4, 10:55pm

OT: Trust your instinct?
6
Wed. Oct 4, 7:18pm

Looking for a better body in 2006?
1
Wed. Oct 4, 4:27pm

biggest loser on NBC TONITE
2
Wed. Oct 4, 2:36pm

What foods are you avoiding completely?
31
Wed. Oct 4, 12:24pm

Extreme Fatigue
11
Wed. Oct 4, 10:17am

bad, bad teeth problems
7
Tue. Oct 3, 4:52pm

to the women- how many have actually cheated
43
Tue. Oct 3, 4:12pm

Healia, new Health Search Engine
1
Tue. Oct 3, 2:33pm

Slim Fast Team/Group
10
Tue. Oct 3, 2:31pm

Anyone in NJ doing PT?
0
Tue. Oct 3, 12:34pm

Women in Society
18
Tue. Oct 3, 12:16pm

bumping
3
Tue. Oct 3, 12:09pm

kids say the darndest things…
15
Tue. Oct 3, 11:37am

Women - deodorant suggestions
13
Tue. Oct 3, 11:18am

More water?
16
Tue. Oct 3, 10:28am

Help for Soda Lovers
1
Tue. Oct 3, 10:00am

my mini revelation
1
Mon. Oct 2, 10:47pm

Are we raising a nation of wimps?
23
Mon. Oct 2, 5:24pm

What does it feel like to be fat?
10
Mon. Oct 2, 4:08pm

Red River Rules!
0
Mon. Oct 2, 2:13pm

For those who have given up sweets…
5
Mon. Oct 2, 1:52pm

do you log everything?
13
Mon. Oct 2, 12:05pm

Does anyone know of anything that will do this?
7
Mon. Oct 2, 11:45am

THE NEW CELEBRITY FIT CLUB DVD featuring Harvey Walden IV
7
Mon. Oct 2, 11:44am

Not satisfied during the day
19
Sun. Oct 1, 10:23pm

Golden Go To Foods (GG2Fs)
9
Sun. Oct 1, 9:37pm

Poor Oprah
28
Sun. Oct 1, 8:05pm

What does OP meaN/
4
Sun. Oct 1, 7:55pm

I have 30 days please give me suggestions!!!
6
Sun. Oct 1, 4:42pm

New group. Join me!
0
Sun. Oct 1, 11:49am

hiking alone?
10
Sun. Oct 1, 10:34am

Meaning
8
Sun. Oct 1, 9:27am

Goal clothes
15
Sun. Oct 1, 9:09am

The PT Community is great!
13
Sun. Oct 1, 3:06am

On Being A Lawyer, and Not Being A Lawyer

A friend introduced me to a friend of hers last night. “This is my friend Jeremy. He’s a lawyer.” And I kind of shrugged my shoulders and did a sort of embarrassed kind of thing and said something like “Well, not really a lawyer, just went to law school,” and it didn’t matter and it doesn’t matter as it relates to something stupid like getting introduced to someone, but it got me thinking — not so much about the fact of it, because the fact, I think, is that I’m not a lawyer, because I’m not practicing law — but about my automatic reaction to the idea of being a lawyer.

When she said it, I kind of felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Like, “no, it’s not my fault, don’t hate me for this, I’m not one of THEM, it was just an innocent mistake.” Nothing serious, not like being called a rapist, an axe murderer, or a Bush supporter, but, still, I kind of had the realization for the first time that if I’m being totally honest, “lawyer” isn’t a label I want to have attached to me.

That isn’t fair and kind of sucks. I mean, I know that among the general population, lawyers get a pretty bad rap. We hear about surveys showing that people see “lawyer” as a pretty negative thing. This Gallup poll I just found with the magic of Google places lawyers, in terms of ethics, down there right below building contractors and real estate agents and just above labor union leaders. Halfway between journalists and car salesmen. Well below funeral directors. Yikes. Lawyers also get into lots of car accidents and rank eighth of nine professions in terms of public confidence.

But law school should have taught me better. I know lots of terrific, ethical, good people who are now lawyers. Doing all kinds of things — at firms, not at firms, clerking, not clerking. I think most of my classmates from law school want to do good in the world. I don’t think, on an individual level, lawyers are any worse than anyone else, certainly.

Yet, taken as a group, law school didn’t kill off all the stereotypes for me. Before law school, I think I would have been fine being called a lawyer. Lawyers have prestige, lots of people doing cool and important things went to law school, it sounded nice… and I didn’t know any lawyers personally, no one in my family was a lawyer, my only exposure to lawyers was from a distance… but somehow, having gone to law school, and had more exposure…

I don’t have a next paragraph for this post. I’m kind of curious what other people think, if this makes any of you think about anything. I’m not sure it will.

It’s always good to write your 1,000th blog post on Friday the 13th. I’ll probably hit the wrong button and delete the whole lot.

But the good news is my niece made it down to Brighton yesterday morning, despite being held up by an “incident” (not to be confused with an accident) on the M25. Six months ago she used to claim that the distance between us was insurmountable (I’m not sure she used that exact word), and felt there was no way she could endure the torture of a two-hour car journey just to visit her Uncle Phil. Interestingly that opinion changed the moment she got a Nintendo DS for Christmas, and could sit in her booster seat playing Charlie & the Chocolate Factory for a hundred miles. I think I’ll buy one for my brother.

So my niece arrived at midday with her chauffeur in tow, and immediately introduced us to Scabby. If that’s what she calls a tiger, I dread to think what she’ll name her children. Lisa had taken the day off work, so we both settled down to watch my niece play her Nintendo, eat Curly-Wurlys, and extol the virtues of Lem-sip. Which she calls ‘Lime-sip’. Possibly because it’s addled her brain.

After a couple of hours, during which I successfully worked out how to use Oompa-Loompas to get Wriggle Sweets, we went to visit Lisa’s nephews and renew the friendship between my niece and her future husband. Unfortunately he’s been ill for the past week and looks like an extra from Tenko, but the good news for matchmakers like myself is that my niece wasn’t put off. Even if his trousers did keep falling down.

An hour or so later, and having been asked three times by my niece if we could go out somewhere, I walked back to my flat with Lisa to collect my car and transport everyone to the beach. The plan was for Lisa to walk down and meet us there, as the only room in my car was in the boot and she refused to lie down with an oil-can, so I drove back alone to pick up two nephews, a niece and a mother. Whereupon Nephew Number One decided he didn’t feel well enough to go, Niece decided she wouldn’t go without Nephew, and the whole trip got cancelled. Leaving Lisa heading for the pier alone.

Fortunately it all worked out in the end, and with the help of a pensioner and a three-year-old (who was more interested in leaving footprints in wet cement) I hunted down Lisa and returned her to the 32G bosom of her family. That left us free to spend the evening at the McDonalds Drive Thru, where I ordered a Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal with a toy for a girl, and got a Cheeseburger with a Ninja Turtle. Which would have been ok if we’d opened the bag and discovered it before leaving the window and driving all the way home.

But while my Mum was making the lengthy journey back to McDonalds for a girl who won’t eat cheeseburgers, I had time to explain the plot of Ledgers to my niece (who was confused by the photos on my wall), before welcoming back my Mum and discussing whether a fax machine is heavier than a duck. It seemed quite important at the time.

Anyhoo, having sent all my visitors back to Essex with a song in their hearts and half a Curly-Wurly in their bag, I settled down with last night’s Argus, where I found this breaking news story…

The words ‘only in Brighton’ spring to mind.

Alternative lifestyle can be defined as a mode of living or doing something in a way that is not within the accepted norms or values. Adult alternative lifestyle is simply an unusual sexual lifestyle.Some activities considered adult alternative lifestyles include:1. BDSM: This stands for Bondage and Discipline (B&D), Domination and Submission (D&S), and Sado-Masochism (S&M). As the definition suggests, BDSM involves bondage, that is restraining or being restrained, domination as well as submission, Sadism (taking pleasure in inflicting pain on another person) and masochism (taking pleasure in being subjected to a certain degree of pain).2. Swinging: This can be defined as a form of recreational social and sexual activity between consenting adults whereby partner swapping is acceptable. Swinging is also referred to as “wife swapping”, but this definition is inaccurate as it narrows down the activity and makes it look like a male domain. “Partner swapping” may be a simpler but more accurate description.3. Sexual Fetishism: The arousal and/or gratification through some object, or non-genital part of the body. Such object or body part is referred to as the fetish. Fetishes include but are not limited to shoes (boots or high-hills), feet or digits of the foot, hair, underclothes or lingerie, body piercing, clothing (size, garment-type or size), stockings, etc.4. Polyamory: This is the practice of having more than one intimate relationship at a time, with the full knowledge and consent of everyone involved. In polyamory there is no partner swapping, as opposed to swinging where swapping is the norm. Polyamorous relationships are usually serious and long term.Why do people pursue adult alternative lifestyles and relationships? The answers are as many as the individuals. But one that tends to go across the board is- you guessed it- fun. Another reason is fulfillment of sexual fantasies.There are many more forms and variations of sexual alternative lifestyles than can fit in this article, as well as sub-groupings of the same. For example, Bondage as in the B in BDSM can be considered as a lifestyle on its own.It is not uncommon for alternative lifestyles to overlap. For example, at a swinger’s party (an alternative lifestyle), one person may be getting a body part pierced (a fetish), a man may be receiving a spanking while restrained in chains (BDSM) from a woman in leather garments and boots (dress or shoe fetish), while a polyamorous trio (an alternative lifestyle) may be joined by another couple for a sexual activity.Thinking of exploring your alternative, fantasy or fetish? There are dating sites specifically dedicated to adult alternative lifestyle, where people of like interests get to meet.David Kamau offers objective online dating site reviews at his site. Now discover internets top rated dating sites for alternative lifestyle personals by visiting http://www.e-datecentral.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_KamauPremature Ejaculation Treatment Clinic
Universal Silicone Penis Pump Sleeve
Sex Tips For Married Couples
Sex Tips For Better Pleasure
Penis Enlargement No Pills
Male Masturbationtips For Small Penis
Free Penis Masterbation Sex Tips For Men
Get Your Penus Bigger
Max Pro Penis Stretcher
Extra Time Premature Ejaculation
Canada Enlargement Penis Stretching
Grow A 10 Inch Penis
Free Small Penis Pics
Penis Snlargement Pill Worcester
Free Penis Pills Info
When I Saw How Small His Penis
Penis Enlargement Exercises For Free
Ten Sex Tips
How To Make Penis Thicker At Home
Does Masterbating Increase Penis Size
What Are Some Natural Ways To Increase Penis Size
Penile Enhancement Pics
Penis Size Affect On Muscle Growth
Free Penis Enlargement Pills Trial
Are Black Penuses Harder
Penis Snlargement Pill Montpelier
Longer Penis Before And After Photos
How Do You Experience Penis Growth
Girls Laughing At Small Penis
Penis Enlragement Pill Ruston
Help Premature Ejaculation
Penile Enlargement Salt Lake City Utah
Male Performance Enhancing Cremes
Premature Ejaculation Drug
Small Penis Sex Pics
How To Grow A Longer Penis
Cocks Bigger
Penis Enlargemment Pill Holyoke
Penus Enhancement Pill
Penis Iplls Torrington
Exsiting Lesbian Sex Tips
Get My Penis Bigger
Penis Enlargement Pills Review
Free Online Sex Tips
Small Black Penis
How To Get Your Penis Longer
Via Gro Penis Enlargment
Penis Nelargement Pill Delray Beach
Get Your Increase Penis Size
Bigger Cock Pills

“LET’S ROLL” YOUR OWN. Jason Apuzzo is issuing one of his occasional calls for right-wingers to make their own movies. Regular readers will know that I have endorsed such an approach: I would much rather see a Unification Church production of Petreus: Man of Iron than another silly rant about how Hollywood is engaged in treason. It doesn’t matter much what particular belly-fire spurs artists to action; whether they are animated by vanity or a cause, if it gets them to do something constructive, and employs talents, it can’t be a total loss. Many otherwise shiftless musicians have been driven to greater productivity by fealty to indie rock or the straight-edge scene or the kids who, once united, would never be divided, or some other tommy-rot, and we got some nice records out of it.

Still, at the risk of killing their buzz, I continue to ask what this is supposed to mean:You would think conservatives/Republicans would understand this. You would think they would’ve learned by now that what happens on the battlefield isn’t the whole story. You would think they would’ve learned a lesson from World Wars I & II (entertainment industry rallies public support for war = we win) or from Vietnam (entertainment industry undermines public support for war = we don’t win), but apparently not.I have to side with the conservatives/Republicans on this one. No one has ever explained the mechanism of action for this formula to me. When Hollywood was allegedly losing Vietnam for us with such potent weapons as The Strawberry Statement, Nixon was twice elected President. Which is the more reliable indicator of political will? Despite what Apuzzo apparently sees as a barrage of hippie celluloid bombs, the Silent Majority stood by their man and his Vietnamization plan. And political forces, including Watergate (the actual Watergate scandal, not All The President’s Men or any other movie), brought about the end of Nixon and of the war.

In the current war, George W. Bush is standing firm and the Democrats can’t get anti-war traction — so the war goes on, despite the existence of V for Vendetta and Jarhead. What happens in Iraq is determined by Washington, not Hollywood. Apuzzo says, “We need stuff like The Passion, stuff like 300, Team America, whatever. Edgy, in your face films.” Well, we’ve had those films; which battles did they win?

Culture works in mysterious ways, yet these guys constantly mistake it for a simple tool — something like a sledgehammer for the soul. Still, if it keeps them busy…

at Tante Marie’s Cooking School

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to spend the weekend at a private cooking school, talking about food, socializing, understanding the flavours of a particular country, honing kitchen skills, working with others to pull together dishes with bold lively personalities, tasting and learning about the wines from that region and how they pair with the dishes and most importantly eating, drinking and more eating. Hopefully this set of mouthwatering pictures will give you an inkling…

My absolute favourite dish from the whole weekend: Cumin Fried Chicken with Watercress and Orange Alioli. Except I think maybe we used arugula instead of watercress. [Alioli not pictured.] The recipe was adapted from one in the César Cookbook.

This gorgeous bowl of pinkness also known as Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese Dressing was perfectly presented by none other than my friend Ms Food Musings. It was adapted from a recipe in El Faro by James Campbell Caruso. Class teacher, Jessica Lasky, told us that this book puts an interesting modern twist on traditional recipes. Sounds interesting. Anyone tried it? The pictures in this post are only from the second day of class. Catherine made my favourite recipe the previous day, a wonderful Orange Cornmeal Almond Cake that I assure you I will be making as soon as I can think of an excuse to. Also from the El Faro Cookbook.

Guess who hand cooked these Potato Chips with Gallega Spice? No, no, it wasn’t me. Knock me down with a feather, I managed to persuade Fred to join me for a day at cooking school and these are his handiwork. The recipe was also adapted from one in the César Cookbook.

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Tuna Confit and Salsa Verde is so pretty and bright. This would be a great dish for a pot luck or a cocktail party. In this case, preserved tuna was used, but I would like to try it using home-poached tuna, slowly cooked in olive oil until barely opaque. Other stuffing ingredients include olives, capers, parsley and lemon zest.

Considering my recent adventures with a skewer (I still have limited use of the injured finger), I somewhat nobly and rather bravely, I think, volunteered to make the Pork Skewered with Figs and Prunes because nobody else wanted to do it. Prunes - you see - who on earth wants to eat them out of choice rather than necessity? As it happens, once the whole shebang has been marinated in apple juice, ground cinnamon, cloves and then thread onto skewers before being cooked in the juice, the dried prunes become succulent, soft and surprisingly delicious. The meat was a bit tough for my tastes and since it was from the shoulder would have benefited from a longer, slower braising time. Alternatively, using loin meat as suggested in the recipe from Tapas by Ann and Larry Walker might have solved the problem.

The Savoury Empanadillas were a hugely popular choice with the class and no fewer than three different fillings were made - a vegetarian one, a pork and dried fruit variety and another containing chorizo. Regular Becks & Posh readers will know I have long been a fan of this easy-to-make Empanada pastry which I first learnt to make in the very first Tante Marie Class I took back in 2005, also with Jessica. It’s so versatile a dough - check out my Philly Cheesesteak Turnovers that used a similar pastry recipe.

Spanish Chickpeas and Spinach with Chorizo Sausage. Simple but healthy and delicious. Perhaps I might be considered somewhat greedy, but personally I might have increased the chorizo to chickpea ratio. This recipe was adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins’ The Essential Mediterranean.

No, this isn’t the finished dish. Move on…

…Stuffed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise. I loved, loved, loved this, especially as I wasn’t the one who had to make it. This recipe was challenging, not because of diffculty levels, but because there were so many different steps and organisation was key. This recipe was adapted from Tapas to Meze by Joanne Weir.

Simple but striking: Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Lemon Parsley Dressing. Instead of buying steaks, ask your fishmonger for an un-steaked hunk of fish and slice your own thin 1/4″ slices for results as pictured. Get the grill pan really hot before you start cooking. This recipe was inspired by My Kitchen in Spain by Janet Mendel.

When all the cooking is finished, we share, we sit down, we eat and we sip wine.

There are beautiful flowers at the Tante Marie tables…

…And wine. This is the first course I have taken at Tante Marie’s that has had wine tastings included. I have to confess that one of the major draws of this particular class was the opportunity to learn about wine from Shelley Lingdren who has always impressed me at A16 where she is the Wine Director, with both her kindness and her knowledge. I can’t even begin to tell you how totally amazing I think Shelley is. Not only did she galiantly turn up to teach the class at 39-and-a-half-weeks pregnant for two days in a row, she also dashed off to cover the mothers day crowds at A16 straight after juicing us lot up. She enthuses such passion about wine on a level I can totally relate to. Their is no snobbishness about her approach. She is all about helping normal people learning to enjoy and understand wine. I think she is wonderful. I am sure, considering her imminent state, she won’t be reading this post, but I am going to publicly wish her all the best of luck with the birth anyway. I’ll be thinking of her savouring that first celebratory drink, something I know she can’t wait to do. She deserves it. She also gave me the scoop on A16’s upcoming project in Dogpatch, a couple of blocks from where I live. It will be a long time coming, but I’m prepared to wait it out. Good luck Shelley!

PS. Star spotting: Tante Marie owner Mary Risley even popped by with Molly O’Neill at one point. She was wearing green wellies. Reminded me of home. No one in CA wears wellies, although I understand wellies of all colours and patterns are popular in NYC.

Tante Marie’s Cooking School Website

Archives
2006 | How to Make Gnocchi Parisienne Style
2004 | F is for Foodles

© 2007 Sam Breach at “Becks & Posh”, becksposhnosh.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact becks.posh.food.blog[AT]gmail[DOT]com to report any suspected violations. Thank you.

Travel Magazine -India Today(Travel Plus)- dated May 2007

http://blogs.news.com.au/news/travel/traveltips/index.php/newstravel/comments/hot_destinations_for_2007/

The best-known ecotourism destinations is Bhutan. Bhutan’s entire tourism industry is based on sustainability, and an effort to attract “low volume, high quality” . http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/destinations.php
http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/publications/gnh/gnh.htm
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,23483,20835269-27977,00.html
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/article639684.ece

War has a funny side which operates at different levels. Sometimes it is of the ‘ha-ha’ funny variety, other times its a response to the insanity of the moment. Iraq is no different and some of the videos I have posted here are representative of that. Some are of soldiers letting go, cutting loose and being silly, as well as others that were basically moronic and even counter-productive to achieving our goals in Iraq. You see some nutty stuff in some of the news stories that come out of the war too. Sometimes it is blatant, other times implied.

That struck me as I read of the incredible heroism of two Army Aviation crews yesterday that here was another case where a chain of command had an opportunity to reward warriors for their clear heroism or make them risk averse by assigning negatives to their actions. (Use bugmenot.com to access story if you get asked for an account log-in.) Will the next chapter in this story be one of leadership and responsibility or ass covering and risk adversion? Unfortunately, there is no way to be sure.

The response of a commander will show a lot whether he is a warrior or a risk adverse, Powerpoint-armed, back stabbing lifer who believes that soldiers exist only to contribute to the commander’s ’success’. The Army contains both kinds of leaders. For years in a peacetime Army, it punished warriors and rewarded the others. But then a funny thing happened - a war came along. Nothing makes a combat tour more miserable than having a careerist as a commander instead of a soldier and mission-centric boss. One would like to think that the Army has at long last broken out of its tradition of rewarding mediocrity and punishing innovative, risk taking commanders and their subordinates. Yet rumbles at the company grade and junior field grade levels indicate their are plenty of ‘route step’ leaders remaining that put their career ahead of their soldiers.

All that came to mind as I read that epic story Tuesday about two flight crews of aviation soldiers in Iraq. One crew from the 3rd ID, (unit not identified but I wager it was 3-7 Cav) was flying an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. They got shot down by what has every appearance of being a well prepared and preplanned helicopter ambush. After being shot down, they unassed their aircraft and then spent what must have seemed an eternity escaping and evading terrorists who were hell-bent on finding and killing them. The other crew was a flying an AH-64D Longbow Apache from the 227th Aviation Battalion of the 1st Cav. Upon hearing the mayday from the downed crew, they entered into the 3rd ID AOR, repulsed the attacking terrorists, and then landed and rescued the downed crew by having two crewmembers ride on the outside of the aircraft. It was the kind of stuff that even movies plot writers might say was too ‘over the top’ to be believed. The Army has released this crappy video of the end of the event. A longer, unreleased version, shows the destruction of the downed aircraft and more of the wingman’s video. What some might consider just another day in Iraq got picked up by the news and now the irony or what some might call sardonic humor begins!

You see, these two crews may get reprimanded by their commander or given medals. Flogging, in lieu of valor awards seems to happen in the 227th’s battalions a lot. I wonder if those battalions are cursed with REMF commander’s who believe appropriate recognition of their aviation warrior’s risk taking and heroism is counseling instead of the awards for valor these warriors deserve.

Frankly, the Kiowa Warrior pilots deserve medals, not for getting shot down, but for their actions after they were. The Apache pilots deserve awards for valor too. I don’t know if they still have impact awards or not in Iraq, but if the commander of the 1st Cav had any sense of leadership he would have already walked down to those pilots and handed them Bronze Stars or Air Medals with ‘V’ device and put both in for Distinguished Flying Crosses. That might happen, but so might the alternative. Let’s look at the ’sins’ the Apache crew committed that an anal retentive commander might concoct instead of the laudatory response they are due. If the commander has decided medals are not due, the post mission ‘debrief’ probably went something like this:
“I don’t get it, we give you guys multimillion dollar aircraft and you guys act like cowboys!”

“But sir, we had an aircraft down and a crew on the ground taking direct fire from terrorists.”

“Shut up gunny!” “You failed to get approval from our ops or theirs before you entered their AO.”

“But sir, these guys were about to get zapped, ‘Fallen Angle’ had gone out.”

“That’s was the 3ID’s problem, not the 1st Cav’s and anyhow you flew a two pilot Apache single pilot when you took out that wounded OH-58D aviator.”

“But sir, we were not sure he could hold on to the aircraft or whether an outside ride might make his wounds worse.”

“Damn it Chief!” “You failed to conduct a risk assessment, get a safety briefing, or approval for what you did!”

“Do we get a thank-you sir for rescuing those guys sir?”

“Hell no, you might get a Flight Evaluation Board, for endangering your aircraft, your crew, and the Kiowa Warrior pilots.”

“But sir, those guys might be statistics today if we hadn’t done what we did and anyhow there was no time or alternatives.”

“Next time, wait for clearance, get approval, we have Blackhawks to carry people you know, and follow procedures!”

“Yes sir.” (fingers crossed)! In some aviation units in Iraq some murmur a sardonic “WETSU” and drive on despite the crap that flows from above. Too often crews go out, lay their butts on the line and go well beyond what is expected of them, and get their hands slapped, not their backs patted after clear acts of heroism. I will follow the 227th with interest and read the 1st Cav’s newspaper with anticipation to see whether these heroes get what they truly deserve for their actions, or whether the more traditional anal retentive “TIC” gets appended to their award recommendation.

No aviation warrior pulls pitch for glory or medals. They do it for the love of flying, love of their comrades and sense of responsibility they have toward the soldiers with boots on the ground. Too often in Iraq, our aviation soldiers have to auger in and go home in a body bag before their chain of command recognizes their heroism. When our aviation warriors clearly deserve it, they should receive them. So far, that doesn’t happen as often as it should. I wonder why?

You have probably heard of rising country star and former American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler. You may be aware what a hard life 20-year old Pickler has had so far. Her mother abandoned her when she was just three years old and disappeared after being charged with writing bad checks and convicted of prescription drug forgery.The major influences in her life were her grandmother and father. Pickler’s father, who she describes as an alcoholic and drug addict, served a three year, nine-month prison sentence in Florida for stabbing his neighbor. He was released from prison just one week after Pickler was eliminated from the fifth season of American Idol.Clyde “Bo” Pickler is in trouble with the law again after being arrested on five larceny charges Friday, May 18th, in Albernale, NC. He is accused of stealing cars from private property and cashing them in for scrap metal, currently being held in lieu of $26,000 bond and due back in court on July 9th. Bo was already on probation from an assault charge back in February. He plead guilty to assaulting his wife and communicating threats and was sentenced to a year probation.Kellie has been doing quite well since Idol, being nominated for a new female vocal award at the Academy of Country Music Awards last month. She publicly reconciled with her father last year, before she moved to Nashville to record and release her debut album.

I’ve been living with The Ugly Green Fence since my neighbors installed it in 2005. I’ve tried different ideas to break up the loooooong boring expanse of green with varying degrees of success.

Morning glories fill the bill quite nicely.

The only problem is that my neighbors don’t like me to grow anything on their fence. I keep telling those naughty morning glories to stay on their own (short) fence, but they just won’t listen.

I was going to try Love-Lies-Bleeding which has been reseeding itself in my gardens for the past several years. Except this year, of course, when I actually had a use for it. Must have been the weird winter/spring weather we had. Not a single seedling popped up.

I’ve tried roses and zebrina.

Well, you know how that turned out.

I had high hopes for the Hyacinth Bean tepee.

Hopes which were dashed by the extremely poor germination rate of most of the seeds I ordered from Park’s this year.

This is all that came up of the hyacinth beans.

I think I have finally hit on the perfect solution. It was accidental. I had some extra wintersown Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate and thought “What the heck? I’ll just stick them along The Ugly Green Fence”. And voila:

The leaves are large enough to break up the solid fence. The pink flowers add needed spots of color. And the best part is that the plants won’t crowd out or shade out lower-growing plants.