Post bike crash update

I slept almost all day today. My body must be trying to repair the damage from my bike crash yesterday. My left hand and wrist are still very swollen, but the pain is more of a mild discomfort. As long as I don't try to use it for anything strenuous, I'm okay.<br /><br />I re-read this morning's post about my bike crash. Boy, was I ever dramatic! I think it was the Vicodin talking. It was pretty serious, and I could have broken some bones or if I hadn't had on a bike helmet, there's no telling what would have happened to my head when it hit the pavement. Even my biking gloves offered some protection, because one of them had a big rip in it after the crash. That could have been a rip in my hand.<br /><br />It's kind of funny because about ten minutes before I fell, I saw a guy riding without a helmet, with the wind blowing through his hair. I remembered when I was a kid and we never wore bike helmets. I even thought that the helmets are really for riding in traffic, in case you get hit by a car. My logic was that out on my trail, it's just bicyclists and pedestrians.What could happen to me out there that I would need a helmet for protection. I was really wrong about that one. I need protection from myself!<br /><br />By the way, just so you all don't think I have a drug habit or something, the Vicodin was left over from my root canal a couple months ago. My dentist insisted on giving me a prescription of 20 pills. I have no idea why he thought I needed them (other than he knows I'm a big baby when it comes to pain). I took one after the root canal, and threw up. The root canal didn't really even hurt much. On the other hand, my wrist hurt so bad last night that given the choice of throwing up or the pain, I'd take the chance on the throwing up. Luckily, the Vicodin didn't affect me like that this time.<br /><br />I'm still debating on going to the doctor in the morning. I guess I'll see how it feels. Typing still hurts, so I'm not sure how work will be since I type all day for my job.<br /><br />The reason for my accident was totally because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I was being careless. When going downhill, rule # 1 is to keep both hands on the handlebars and both eyes on the road. Don't look down at your iPod, try to find the volume to adjust it with one hand, when traveling 15-20 mph going downhill and gaining speed. It's really not a good idea. <br /><br />Thanks for your kind words in my last post. I really am okay, and I didn't break anything so all is good.<br /><br />Roxie asked me a question about my BodyMedia, how does it know sleeping versus laying down. I haven't figured that out yet. This is what it says on the web site:<br /><br /><h3><i>How does the Armband measure my calories, activity, and sleep?</i></h3><i> </i><i>The Armband contains multiple sensors that measure motion, body heat, skin temperature, and conductivity. A proprietary algorithm "crunches" the collected information and the user's personal body parameters to deliver accurate information on calories, activity levels, steps, lying down, and sleep time.</i><br />  <br />A "proprietary algorithm", I'm not really sure if that's true, or if they're just making something up. I do know that it seems accurate. I notice the times I wake up during the night and looking at the chart the BodyMedia provides when I sync the data, it looks pretty correct. I can remember that I was definitely awake at the times it says I was awake (often 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 4 a.m., 5 a.m.). Even if I don't get up, I wake up and look at the clock. <br /><br />The other thing Roxie asked me about was about eating carbs in the evening. I've heard this off and on over the years, but never paid attention to it. I've always thought it doesn't matter that much what you eat, it's how much of it you're eating. Of course, healthy, whole foods are better for you, but if you want a sweet treat in the evening, it's okay as long as you count the calories (or Points). <br /><br />When I'm talking about a treat, for me that always meant a Weight Watchers frozen treat or a Dreyer's frozen juice bar, or some fresh fruit. Or maybe even frozen fruit with Greek yogurt.<br /><br />I watched a Netflix streaming video a few weeks ago that was about healthy eating and obesity. I actually watched several but I can't remember which one talked about the carb thing. They said you shouldn't eat a lot of carbs in the evening. They didn't say no carbs, just to limit your carb intake in the evening to help control cravings. Since I've never been a fan of low-carb diets, I chose to ignore that piece of advice.<br /><br />Then last week Gagan, the personal trainer, asked me why I thought I'd gained so much weight. I had told him I'd gained back 40 pounds in about a year and a half. I told him it was because I ate too much healthy food, especially in the evenings. I said I love fruit but I know too much of a good thing is bad. That's when he told me fruit is great for you, but it depends when you eat it. You shouldn't eat it in the evenings because it will cause cravings.<br /><br />I didn't ask where he'd learned this or the scientific reason for it. I do know he was 40 pounds overweight himself, and lost the weight and now competes in body building competitions. So although I have no explanation of why this would even work, I thought why not give it a shot. <br /><br />Today is day six without a binge (that's when I had my personal training session with Gagan and he told me about the fruit). It's also day five of using my BodyMedia and tracking all my food. I still eat fruit and carbs during the day, but I've changed my evening snacks to be fruit and carb free. Protein and low-carb vegetables are more of what I'm eating in the evening if I really feel hungry. Oddly, I haven't been hungry in the evenings this past week.<br /><br />Since I have a huge sweet tooth, this is a big change for me. I can really tell a difference in the cravings and feelings that I want to stuff my face in the evenings. They seem to have disappeared. I can't explain why this is happening, but I feel a sense of freedom when it comes to food. For the first time in, well, forever, I feel like I have some control over what and how much I'm eating.<br /><br />Maybe it is all in my head, but whether it's mental or physical, it's working and that's all I really care about. 

Post bike crash update

I slept almost all day today. My body must be trying to repair the damage from my bike crash yesterday. My left hand and wrist are still ver...

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Bike crash & BodyMedia update

Oh my God, I thought I had killed myself yesterday, and I am NOT kidding. I've had a few spills in the 50+ years I've been riding bicycles, but yesterday was the winner of my worst, most painful bike crash ever.<br /><br />It was a gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest. It was one of those days where you think maybe all those months of miserable, wet, cold weather was worth it. Sunshine, blue skies, 75 degrees, with a slight breeze that had just a hint of coolness. On a scale of 1-10, yesterday's weather was a 10.<br /><br />We had plans to go to the Seafair parade in downtown Seattle. It's a huge parade and my company is the biggest sponsor. It's called the "Alaska Airlines Seafair Torchlight Parade". Since I hate huge crowds and this event draws thousands of people, I've managed to avoid it for the 23 years we've lived here. Every year my husband asks me if we can go, and every year, being the selfish brat that I am, I say 'NO, you know I hate crowds and that's the last thing I want to do!". For some reason this year I agreed to go. I've had my way for 23 years, I figured it wouldn't kill me to go one year (never again, by the way!).<br /><br />Back to the bike ride....<br />I decided to ride down to the mall on the BPA trail, it's the one I do all the time because the trailhead is only 1/4 mile from my house. It's a 5-mile, one-way paved trail. It's a great cardio workout biking 10 miles with a few killer hills in there. Emphasis on "killer".  I got to the mall with no problems, bought a couple cute tops, one to wear to the parade, and then headed home.<br /><br />I was heading down one really steep hill, thinking how much I totally love biking. I especially like going down long, steep hills on my way home because I remember how tough they were going the other way. It's like my reward. I have slowed down quite a bit since they posted 20 mph signs on the trail, but I still go too fast.<br /><br />As I was starting down this one particular hill where I can see for at least 1/2 mile, I wanted to turn up the volume on my iPod. It was a great song (can't remember what it was, but a current favorite). I was probably going about 15 mph when I reached down to mess with the iPod's volume when I lost control of my bike.<br /><br />I can't remember exactly what happened, other than I literally flipped in the air with my right hand holding onto my bike, trying to get control. My head smacked against the pavement, I could hear and feel the plastic of my helmet hit the pavement hard. I remember thinking at that moment, I might die.<br /><br />I took my left hand and reached behind me to try andbreak my fall before my head hit, but with all my weight and the weight of the bike, my wrist couldn't stop it. After my head hit, my left shoulder and elbow hit. I was wearing a tank top and my skin was shaved off my shoulder and my left elbow.<br /><br />I still can't figure out what happened to my legs, they both got entangled in the bike. Both of them have terrible bruises.<br /><br />The only people were down at the opposite end of the hill. I don't know if they saw me, but no one came running to help. Now the funny thing. Even though I was in complete agony, my first thought (after "is anything broken?"), was my BodyMedia. It was on my left arm which hit the hardest: was it broken? It's not broken but it got scraped up pretty bad. Thankfully, it still works. <br /><br />My bike chain had come off, but I got it back on. My bike seat that was a special, nicely padded $40 bike seat is has a huge slice horizontal slice in it, so it needs to be replaced. My bike bell has the lever broken off and the odometer is missing. I guess it fell off but I didn't notice (this is the second one I've lost and at $30 a pop, I think I'm done with the odometers).<br /><br />I called my husband to come get me at the next street intersection, about a mile away. My wrist hurt so bad that I thought it might be broken. I managed to ride my bike to that street, although it was making a terrible clicking sound and my left wrist was killing me (I thought it might be broken).<br /><br />My husband met me within a few minutes of me getting to the street. He came with an ice pack and a towel for the blood I guess, but I really wasn't bleeding that bad. I guess when I called him I scared the crap out of him because I was crying and said I was in a lot of pain.<br /><br />After a inspecting my injuries, we decided I didn't need to go to the doctor. My wrist is sprained pretty bad, but it's not broken. We went to the parade where there were literally thousands of people on the streets waiting for the parade to start. Luckily we had been smart enough to purchase VIP bleacher seats so we didn't have to stand around with the masses. Just getting to the bleachers was agony as people kept bumping into my left shoulder and arm.<br /><br />We found a drugstore and bought a couple of those instant ice packs and a soft wrist brace. That and the two Vicodin I took got me through the agony of my throbbing wrist, while watching the parade. Actually, it wasn't that bad and my husband enjoyed it. We were sitting next to a really nice lady that was super excited that her 13-year old daughter's drill team was in the parade. It was 2 1/2 hours long, but it wasn't as awful as I expected. Personally, I think our little Golden Days parade in Fairbanks is a lot more fun, but then when I go to that one it's with all my family and we have a blast together.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm surviving. My wrist is still hurting and swollen up a lot, but the Vicodin is really helping. Typing hurts, so I don't know how work will go tomorrow. I guess weight lifting is out of the question for a while, and I'll probably delay joining my other gym for a week or so, or until my wrist heals. Oh well, such is life.<br /><br />BodyMedia Update<br />I LOVE my BodyMedia! This is the coolest thing I've ever bought to help with my weight loss. I could write about it for hours, singing it's praises, but I'm going to be brief because I'm quickly losing my ability to stay awake (Vicodin), and my wrist is killing me. The good news is that I'm down to 189. I credit this to a couple things, number one is my BodyMedia, and number two is the bit of nutrition advice my personal trainer gave me. He's not really "my" personal trainer. I just have him two sessions with him at my new gym.<br /><br />The nutrition advice that really seems to have made a difference is cutting out most carbs and all sugars (including fruit) after about 4pm. I can't believe how my body is reacting to this. I started doing this on Tuesday, when I had my training session  and got this tip, and it's five days later without a single binge. It hasn't even been hard. I just don't think much about it.<br /><br />I also gave up my thinwich, Canadian bacon,2% cheese, egg breakfast sandwich for a fruit/spinach protein shake after my morning workouts. As Gagan explained, the fat in that sandwich slowed down the absorption of the nutrients by my muscles. After a hard cardio workout I need to get the nutrients in my body as quickly as possible. I'm not sure if that's factual or not, but it makes snese. Since it's helping me lose weight, I'm going to keep on doing it. <br /><br />First, here's a picture of yesterday's stats from my BodyMedia:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EvIax1hrns3xgkSDm4rJmRwylDJqeFxGy8p8Jg_jlxpaHP4VFa1RhjN-Di4ofSBdVuhINoNTEXIlyRPd25EOzz2x7FoITyowJ6Y6xs21vb4cxqwX3XaDzQzSiBUcTkPgYSkaMQlvS1QX/s1600/bm1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EvIax1hrns3xgkSDm4rJmRwylDJqeFxGy8p8Jg_jlxpaHP4VFa1RhjN-Di4ofSBdVuhINoNTEXIlyRPd25EOzz2x7FoITyowJ6Y6xs21vb4cxqwX3XaDzQzSiBUcTkPgYSkaMQlvS1QX/s640/bm1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />What's really cool is that each one of these items expand and you can view it in detail. Check out my sleep:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FMUnslLZ3Q53JfVPZsf1pumgY9PN4yvjpVEWzjJO5cFKDJyZ2a5vaP6KKt1W04zvC-aEr9UpH4EegG2kliVi9BpbSru830EP3Aa058IQ6BcpTxBY7fr55vYuAJchq7MADx2dnJMkHS2d/s1600/sleep.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FMUnslLZ3Q53JfVPZsf1pumgY9PN4yvjpVEWzjJO5cFKDJyZ2a5vaP6KKt1W04zvC-aEr9UpH4EegG2kliVi9BpbSru830EP3Aa058IQ6BcpTxBY7fr55vYuAJchq7MADx2dnJMkHS2d/s640/sleep.png" width="640" /></a></div>Remember how I said how I said I wasn't sleeping? Well, turns out I'm not sleeping very well at all. In fact, Friday night when I went to bed super early, and was in bed for ten hours, I only actually slept 6:08 hours! Thursday night was even worse, I as laying down for six hours and only slept 3:41 hours. My sleep efficiency is running around 60%, meaning I only sleep a little over half the time I'm in bed. I think this is actually pretty accurate, because I constantly feel sleep deprived.<br /><br />One more picture, of the meals section. Since I started using this three days ago I've added every bite I've eaten into their meal tracker. It's about 100 times easier to use than the Weight Watchers tracker. Plus, it breaks down all the nutrients you're eating, as well as the percentage of protein, carbs and fat. Points are okay I guess, but this has a lot more detail and it's a lot easier to use. I just love it!<br /><br />You'll notice I only had 983 calories yesterday. That's because of the bike accident. Normally I'm eating around 1300-1500. Considering I burned 3114 calories yesterday, that is definitely not enough food! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxL7rHZ89MORIk1Z5fDvt0z3Ub_Kziu2yqZiIcUvCMfaHG6jOUKhKxRFlp43HXySc_0szxWE80G_ljj0riEIKyKs6fPO332ztC5g9Me1lNxMqfY7qu86fpWiq-DJ4AAJegQN-mEED0V6M/s1600/meal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxL7rHZ89MORIk1Z5fDvt0z3Ub_Kziu2yqZiIcUvCMfaHG6jOUKhKxRFlp43HXySc_0szxWE80G_ljj0riEIKyKs6fPO332ztC5g9Me1lNxMqfY7qu86fpWiq-DJ4AAJegQN-mEED0V6M/s640/meal.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc63Vf8U-vQmircKrwYDhrF8o5jMf7bmwhM7z816adVLhUOPyXgL3zfp_JGCD69gL0ZWCHYk8SVlNmUPL8dmeHUpyalln0LLCNVe-xYEf6gN_mj1hOrKlyoC0tpB8Xs2u4zWfy0xJ78mrC/s1600/meal2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc63Vf8U-vQmircKrwYDhrF8o5jMf7bmwhM7z816adVLhUOPyXgL3zfp_JGCD69gL0ZWCHYk8SVlNmUPL8dmeHUpyalln0LLCNVe-xYEf6gN_mj1hOrKlyoC0tpB8Xs2u4zWfy0xJ78mrC/s640/meal2.png" width="640" /></a></div>I could literally go on and on about my BodyMedia, but I'm really fading fast. It's only 9am, but it was a rough night!<br /><br />One last picture, of one of my bruises from my bike crash. I can't believe I'm showing you all my fat thigh, but you've got to see this:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HlYRabL1C22Y1B_CSJWR5_WdKxbzGKdv9QiGh3MxS2hmIiJRwpE2V14UOU3DVbAY3PGcFLsuT1mLEJNR2psE6j-3WiZKfEJlypl_d0u52PV0pm5DxrrXenS_7Dj97-KTsSwGtfjgjjB9/s1600/thigh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HlYRabL1C22Y1B_CSJWR5_WdKxbzGKdv9QiGh3MxS2hmIiJRwpE2V14UOU3DVbAY3PGcFLsuT1mLEJNR2psE6j-3WiZKfEJlypl_d0u52PV0pm5DxrrXenS_7Dj97-KTsSwGtfjgjjB9/s320/thigh.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />And my poor shoulder:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFNOQ4Vcv6_aUKt2l0fb4LegxopIaWq9ycPea8Mo1sjnRao3c9aAI2e5SBqXbvUk-GvHQJraMTNO_n5ls5vB36u-h8uIK8LlVRd38lfbsOdPEl-Mxx5KHKMq-ZNx8Z3Vy-pYCSzNpi1Ul/s1600/shoulder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFNOQ4Vcv6_aUKt2l0fb4LegxopIaWq9ycPea8Mo1sjnRao3c9aAI2e5SBqXbvUk-GvHQJraMTNO_n5ls5vB36u-h8uIK8LlVRd38lfbsOdPEl-Mxx5KHKMq-ZNx8Z3Vy-pYCSzNpi1Ul/s320/shoulder.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiivVzstA2uVPiNDZBSyeXNIzKwuOYkWjPKvO7uY3WZhS25GL21ruL7S46RghsIU0u-kGptfJm34MdtQfmH6fZLHVMopfQEiig-kold0pj2DH3oFLQ6RINtabWF3fIaCxvToIMiw8igIMe/s1600/P1030275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>

Bike crash & BodyMedia update

Oh my God, I thought I had killed myself yesterday, and I am NOT kidding. I've had a few spills in the 50+ years I've been riding bi...

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LOOMING GENERATION CONFLICT - OLD VERSUS YOUNG

<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GOOD BY OLD CONTINENT Part 3</b></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">In addition to Europe’s looming financial crash there is the threat of a Generations Conflict. With a predominantly old population running almost all aspects of life, the youth of Europe is a minority. In Austria and Germany for example, the old outweigh the young, thus the entire structure of society is built around the needs and lifestyle of the old generation. Young couples with children have to adapt to the “rules and regulations” of the old.    </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">In some cases young parents have to hush their children when entering the apartment building in order not to disturb the majority of old people living there, in order not to face complaints. Most restaurants and hotels cater for the elder and are not very child friendly, for pensioners dominate the “market” and thus the young minority has to adhere to the needs of the old.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn0mM48lRhKt0GniHCPrR_c0v7mbLkZhCNelqjRGCLg0Aa5UVHKdtOj0hBBcy2nHC5bCwnoGbOEhBL_URgCa041QuXtr0yOK3q329IAcNn-pPIGXkU6ly2lfdFMU2OLzVngbIijT1c51d/s1600/image004+old+and+young+people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn0mM48lRhKt0GniHCPrR_c0v7mbLkZhCNelqjRGCLg0Aa5UVHKdtOj0hBBcy2nHC5bCwnoGbOEhBL_URgCa041QuXtr0yOK3q329IAcNn-pPIGXkU6ly2lfdFMU2OLzVngbIijT1c51d/s320/image004+old+and+young+people.jpg" width="320" /></a>In Austria with its aging population there are many pensioners and early retirees who receive large pensions which enable them to enjoy a lucrative life and thus are the driving force in most market sectors who in return adjust to the needs of those who are able to spend. On the other side of the coin young people, with an average monthly net income of 1300 Euro have to struggle to survive and on top of that have to adjust to the lifestyle dictated by the aging majority. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;">Furthermore the young generations of Europe are increasingly worried about their own state pensions, social welfare system which in most likelihood they will not be able to obtain when they are about to retire. Thus the “Generations Pact”, as referred to in Germany and Austria is in jeopardy for the young working generation sees themselves betrayed, paying for the old generation but without receiving the benefit themselves. Thus frustration is growing among the young and a generation conflict is looming over aging Europe.</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span class="hps"><span lang="EN">Looming Generations Conflict, aging society, dept crisis and immigration denial are the most pressing subjects Europe has to analyze in order to avoid disaster.  </span></span></div>

LOOMING GENERATION CONFLICT - OLD VERSUS YOUNG

GOOD BY OLD CONTINENT Part 3 In addition to Europe’s looming financial crash there is the threat of a Generations Conflict. With a predomina...

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The Angry Whopper: Sacrament Of Our Day

Burger King has “unveiled” its newest work of culinary marketing – “the Angry Whopper.” Actually, the burger sounds pretty good and I am apt to eat one. As you have probably surmised, it is the regular old Whopper with some spicy substitutions like jalapenos and pepper jack cheese. But here’s what I’m wondering: why is the Whopper “angry”? Why not hot, fiery, spicy, searing, etc.? I gather that BK figures people want anger enough to pay for it, even at lunch. They want an angry lunch.<br /><br />This isn’t entirely new. Think back to the theme song of the 60’s classic western The Rebel.<br /><br />Johnny Yuma was a rebel.<br />He roamed through the west.<br />Johnny Yuma the rebel,<br />He wandered alone<br /><br />(So far it’s just Kant and Kierkegaard’s solitary individual with a sawed off shotgun. But here’s what puzzles me):<br /><br />Fighting mad<br />This rebel lad<br />He packed no star<br />As he wandered far<br />Where the only law<br />Was a hook and a draw.<br /><br />Ok, “no star . . . the only law was a hook and a draw” -- we are celebrating the heroism of anarchy, living the “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, short” life in Thomas Hobbes’s state of nature, bellum omnium contra omnes (the war of all against all – sounds like Congress and sometimes the Church). But what was Johnny Yuma fighting mad about? I watched the series faithfully, and found Johnny to be rather cool headed. But the theme song promised us he would be “fighting mad.” Why did they make such a promise utterly unsupported by the script or the acting? Whenever I wander far “where the only law is a hook and a draw” as is the case in some urban neighborhoods, I am not angry. I’m mostly nervous. So why was Johnny misrepresented in the song as “angry”?<br /><br />Now even our hamburgers are imbued with rage, which calls to mind the punk rock 90s classic “Rage” by Henry Rollins. Do you recall the lyrics? To this day, I know every line by heart. It went:<br /><br />Rage, rage, rage, rage, rage.<br />Rage, rage, rage, rage, rage.<br />Rage, rage, rage, rage, rage.<br /><br />My wife teaches Property Law to first year law students. Typically, disputes arise as to the degree to which the individual’s property rights should be constrained to accommodate the needs of neighbors or the common good (e.g., zoning regulations) -- issues over which students differ according to political ideology. The more conservative students tend to get pretty worked up over things like zoning. My wife has on occasion asked them where the anger comes from. They are unable to articulate the cause of their emotions, but the question itself makes them all the angrier. What is this about?<br /><br />Remember the Gulf Oil Spill. What were people actually angry at the President about – not so much any policy he had or had not adopted – they were angry that he was not sufficiently angry. With each passing year, anger grows more normative. Remember Sean Connery’s James Bond. He used to have a jolly good time blowing up the bad guys and saving the world. But Daniel Craig seethes with hatred. With him, it’s personal.<br /><br />In the psycho-spiritual model I believe in, emotions are emotions. They are all natural and human. The core self or the soul looks upon those emotions, either inside us or outside us, with interest, patience, and acceptance, balancing our feelings and preserving our capacity to live rationally and in harmony – harmony both with each other and with the various parts of ourselves. But what happens when one emotion is elevated above the others, when one emotion is given the place in life that is the natural province of our serene center?<br /><br />In Buddhism, there are 6 realms of being. We each live our life predominantly in one of them, but we experience all 6 realms each day as passing passions or moods. They are the realms of:<br /><br />The Divas – blissed out<br />The Diva Locis – blissed out but crazy and erratic<br />Human – rational and choice making<br />Animal – controlled by sensuality<br />Hungry Ghosts – driven by insatiability – constant sense of scarcity<br />Hell Beings – consumed by fear and loathing<br /><br />In the Buddhist model, it is the lowest realm of being that has become the pinnacle of spiritual aspiration in our popular and – God help us – political culture. When Clay, Webster, and Calhoun saved the nation in 1850 through Compromise, they acted rationally in a way which is hard to do in a society that buys anger for lunch.

The Angry Whopper: Sacrament Of Our Day

Burger King has “unveiled” its newest work of culinary marketing – “the Angry Whopper.” Actually, the burger sounds pretty good and I am apt...

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TGIF!

<p>Howdy friends! I can’t believe it’s been a week and half already since I last posted! We’ve been busy though! If you want to see what we’ve been up to click <a href="http://bangertfam.blogspot.com/">here</a> to hop on over to our family blog!</p> <p>On to business though! So over the last week and half (or so) I haven’t been good with my workouts (AKA walking). Pretty sure I only got in 2…but in my defense my main job these days is taking care of this cutie and it’s been much TOO HOT to take her outside. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NLFJa53zRjlc2ZRYo4a25dMKSFHZ4z-KI40APZgdsEOEN2DWgoyUbsJsLaOyom6y-ruAfr8W1e6AGML8ZeqFYUXTnSab3nh8j24IaBalICfUcLqiVfYn06Jg73rTN1VEzefejZxlEzzr/s1600-h/DSC00343%252520-%252520Copy%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC00343 - Copy" border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL1fj4jTV4Y3ly3LzOK06jM7oCyo0hv-qJYy2aHHeJfZj0PmcSwP9NfYtJxv3LCWnd8kEMW07bC6PkC4f-pn2456wIxOmJ5ypRpqDURRM4WJfUJOPVwW1dc7jkqMZfjtVx9bKNLR2GBdW/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00343 - Copy" width="404"></a></p> <p>But I have been better about my eats compared to my workouts! I’ve been getting in lots of fresh fruits & veggies. After grocery shopping over the weekend our fridge was filled with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, strawberries, apples, bananas, yogurt, peaches, etc!! Lots of great healthy choices!!</p> <p>Next week (Tuesday) I go in to the doctor for my 6 week post partum check up. As long as everything checks out I should be given the thumbs up for exercise!! My plan to start at square one with the coach to 5K (C25K)  program. It’s a great program that is designed to get anyone from the couch to running 5K in just 9 weeks. I will talk more on this next week once I get the green light! <img alt="Winking smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-winkingsmile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZJcBopPZwNfEqOA2vgZnYxueiMKdpswUqBkYpVkhiz47gC8pkqEWbo7eDgfbt9tTq0iH4XwvvrVrm5UiShJpU2u0OWWZaCeD0N6-KN7ItbDWXhH2dSg82jk4dzghz9HNkGaMfQRDWadB/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none"></p> <p>On to the weight loss portion. I’m down another 2lbs over the last week and half. So to be where I was pre-baby I have about 18lbs to lose still (down 37lbs). I’m feeling good and anxious to increase my workouts next week. </p> <p>Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Ta ta for now <img alt="Smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlCw_M8feGVb4H9b47zF1obiFj1bVeZKgyDrwJ3D7_WasfX5iNwZHov_xqn6kratMkgHRhT3Thrjm1Ph3j7QCkrjAv69pghzMRdeI8bHr7T7zTYsDPZzyhkV8Lv8utS2v-81KXqfDhLUq/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none"></p>

TGIF!

Howdy friends! I can’t believe it’s been a week and half already since I last posted! We’ve been busy though! If you want to see what we’ve ...

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Happy girl!

I'm in a crazy, happy mood tonight. I'm not completely sure why, I just know I feel...well...happy!<br /><br />I just got back from an evening bike ride...<br /><br />Rule #1 of biking<br />Don't stop and get off your bike when going up a steep hill. Even if your heart rate is at 161 and you're positive you're seconds away from a massive coronary, DO NOT STOP! Especially if there are people walking on your trail. They will watch you struggle to get going back up that steep hill. Sure, they're laughing "with you" as you fall off, over and over again!<br /><br />Rule #2<br />Beware of little kids on bikes with training wheels. They do not know what they're doing or where they're going. As far as they're concerned, they own the road and you're in their way. I almost crash twice tonight because kids decided to switch sides and ride on the wrong side when I was about ten feet from them. Crazy kids!<br /><br />I can't believe it's Thursday and I haven't posted since Saturday. Especially when things are going really well for a change.<br /><br />A recap of my week:<br /><br />1. I'm joining another gym! I still belong to the Bally's close to my house, and now I'm joining a gym that's about five minutes from my work for my lunch hour workouts a few times a week.<br /><br />That's what I did when I started Weight Watchers 3 1/2 years ago and it really helped. The people that work there are super friendly and it's only $19/month, with no contract. Cancel anytime. It's a smaller gym, but they have plenty of equipment and weights, and it's not crowded.<br /><br />They gave me a two-week pass to try it, with no pressure to join. Plus two training sessions. I had my first one yesterday, and he tried to kill me. I forgot how a trainer can really hurt you. I could barely walk this morning from lunges and squats. Rule #1 of working out with a personal trainer, never tell them the exercises you hate the most because that's the ones they'll make you do over and over. He's a super sweet, young man, with a very hot body. He competes in body building contests, so he knows his stuff. He's also a nutritionist, and I'm going to schedule an appointment with to talk about what I should really be eating to lose weight and gain muscle.<br /><br />2. I'm down from 199 to 191 this morning. Thank God! I was scaring the crap out of myself that I was soon going to be right back at 240. Gagan, the trainer, gave me a tip that's really helping with my cravings. He told me to stick with my protein shakes after my morning workout (with fruit, protein powder and spinach), and try to stop eating fruit around 3pm. I can't believe the difference it's made this week. I also cut out the Weight Watcher ice cream bars and Dreyer's frozen fruit bars. Apparently, if you eat sugar at night, including fructose, it causes cravings. I had no idea!<br /><br />3. Body Media - I love this thing! I got it a couple days ago, but  I didn't set it up until tonight. It's pretty cool, and kept an excellent record of my biking. It said I had 30 minutes of moderate exercise and 44 minutes of vigorous. I noticed my heart was higher than usual tonight. I still wear my heart rate monitor and often it was in the 158-161 range. Which is really high for me. Remember I'm old, almost 56 and my resting heart rate is 52. Old people have a slower heart rate.<br /><br />It's after 11pm so I have to go to bed. I'm exhausted! I hope I wake up as happy in the morning as I feel right now. I sort of doubt. I'm never a happy morning person.

Happy girl!

I'm in a crazy, happy mood tonight. I'm not completely sure why, I just know I feel...well...happy! I just got back from an evening ...

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Media Mayhem

The NFL Lockout is over. Today and tomorrow NFL players will be reporting to training camp and breathing a sigh of relief that their arduous time spent away from their team's facilities is now done.<br /><br />The NFL Lockout is over. In the next few days owners are selling tickets for meaningless preseason games that had been on the brink of cancellation only a few weeks ago. Sponsors are once again making their pitches to get their signage on various billboards, car doors, and bathroom stalls featuring their team's logo and a sign that says "Official partner of the Houston Texans and the NFL."<br /><br />The NFL Lockout is over. Today fans are calling into their local radio stations and freely discussing the impact that Matt Hasselbeck will have with Tennessee or how many games Hines Ward will be suspended due to his DUI charge or whether <i></i>Nnamdi Asomugha will even consider their team in his quest to get more money than he really needs.<br /><br />The NFL Lockout is over. Today the media smugly sits on the back two legs of their chairs and says, "Our work here is done."<br /><br />We can arguably say that the players or the owners are to blame for this lockout. But for me, my blame rests on the media. The media that needs to break in to its regularly scheduled programming to let you know that "The owners are meeting at an undisclosed location!" and then interrupt again with "We found out where the undisclosed location is: New York!"<br /><br />When two sides are refusing to meet on the basis that the other side is full of "jerks," then that may be news. But when each side is trying valiantly to resolve their problem - that is not news. That's just unnecessary.<br /><br />I understand that the NFL is the most revered sport in all the land. <i>Any </i>NFL news trumps all. But the media turned this lockout into a giant waste of my time. Whenever people talked about it, I was done - I changed the channel or turned it off. The only news I desired to hear from the media was that the lockout was <i>over</i>.<br /><br />I was reading the newspaper yesterday, and a sportswriter's quote really made me think. He wrote: "The intense fan frustration over the lockout was misplaced because, in the end, nothing of importance was missed."*<br /><br />Why was there fan frustration in the first place? If the media hadn't jumped on the story when they realized the CBA was expiring, then the fans wouldn't have thought any differently. They still had a draft. There wasn't <i>meant </i>to be football between February and July. But because the media feels it needs to have its finger on every menial "Drew Brees said ______!" story, we as fans feel a responsibility to react. If this had been done behind closed doors, 1) it may have been done faster, and 2) we as fans would feel less like idiots for being strung out for 130+ days obsessing over nothing.<br /><br />So thanks, media. Because you crave the ratings, <i>you</i> are, in fact, the losers of this lockout. Don't warn us that this thing "may take a while" and that it "may cost us up to half the season" when you probably knew full well that a deal was going to get done this summer. Your hyperactivity makes us respect you even less than before.<br /><br />We're not that stupid.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Wisconsin State Journal's Tom Oates: "Biggest Winner? The Fans" Tuesday, July 26, 2011 edition </span>

Media Mayhem

The NFL Lockout is over. Today and tomorrow NFL players will be reporting to training camp and breathing a sigh of relief that their arduous...

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A Little Lethargic

I guess because this is the first week back to work after vacation, that must be the reason why I've been so tired in the evenings.  It is seriously all I can do to go to the gym, shower, make dinner and sit down for an hour before it's time for bed.  Tuesday night I even said to Joel at 8:45 PM (I go to bed between 9:30 and 10 PM), "I wish I could just take a nap before I have to shower before the real bed time."  I barely had the energy to shower!  <br /><br />Still, I've managed to make it to the gym 3 days this week, and I will be there tonight as well.  Tuesday and last night were hard - I didn't want to be there, and my legs were just so heavy.  I'm sure this is due to the low energy.  Because I'm only doing a half day of work on Friday, I'd like to challenge myself to get to the gym for 5:15 AM on Friday, so that I can meet my 5 days per week goal.  As much as I'd like to think that I would find time to walk at my sister's, I know that won't be the case.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I had a gain at last night's WW weigh in, not surprisingly.  </div><div><br /></div><div>This weekend we are traveling to my sister's house for her town's big garage sale weekend.  I have several totes/boxes worth of stuff that I'm taking in hopes of it getting sold, and whatever doesn't sell will be donated to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army.  This will be a huge help in clearing out a lot of unused/unwanted items from our condo.  After a little over a month of living in our place, we still have a spare bedroom that cannot even be used because there are still boxes in there filled with stuff!</div><div><br /></div><div>By the way, thank you for the encouraging comments to yesterday's post!  I'm just going to keep doing this.. no matter how long it takes!</div>

Gain Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Loss Challenges Weight Watchers A Little Lethargic

I guess because this is the first week back to work after vacation, that must be the reason why I've been so tired in the evenings.  It ...

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Interesting links from Blog readers

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Submitted by Deb Avery</i><br />From one of our members, Arthur Preston, comes news of a conference on 21st Century Learning in Port Elizabeth this weekend.<br />The No Limits to learning conference will be held at Elsen Academy on Friday(Cyber-bullying) and Saturday (21st Century Classrooms.)<br /><br />The Conference home page sets this challenge:<br /><br /><i>“Technology – we have it, so why aren’t we using it?”<br /><br />The aim of this conference is to expose teachers to what’s out there in terms of interactive technologies, hardware and software that SHOULD be used in classrooms today and then how to use it and why we should use technology to be effective educators, considering the learners we are trying to teach (learning styles, genders differences, etc.)<br /></i><br />Sign up for the conference at http://www.nolimitstolearning.co.za<br />if you are interested.<br /><br />The other interesting link is from Carol Brown who writes for OnlineCollege.org. Her article "50 Reasons to invite facebook into your Classroom" makes interesting reading.<br /><br />Find the link on our Facebook Page</div>

conferences Interesting links from Blog readers

Submitted by Deb Avery From one of our members, Arthur Preston, comes news of a conference on 21st Century Learning in Port Elizabeth this w...

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Battling Weight Loss

<div>Tonight is my mid-week weigh in at WW.  I do not anticipate this going well and will be happy if I have a loss from 2 weeks ago - even if it's only 0.1 lbs! <br /><br />I made it to the gym on both Monday and Tuesday.  Yesterday was a challenge to go - Joel is still recovering from sickness and he wasn't going, and when I got home I just didn't want to go - I wanted to sit around and hang out with him!  But I quickly remembered what I read often on all the blogs I follow - that you never regret a trip to the gym.  And so I went for 40 minutes on the elliptical, that started off with very heavy legs.</div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoons/501-work-out-cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.everydaypeoplecartoons.com/cartoons/501-work-out-cartoon.gif" width="222" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Joel asked me when I left if I'd bring home McDonald's.  I wasn't craving it by any means, but I was considering it because I just didn't feel like making dinner.  Though after that sweaty workout, I couldn't justify going to McDonald's for dinner.  Those types of justifications are probably why I'm still gaining/losing the same 5+ lbs when I should be well on my way to my goal after 9 months of attending the gym regularly.  It's sad and defeating thinking that I'm still virtually at the same place I was when I started attending the gym back in November 2010.  A friend mentioned getting checked out by a doctor to make sure my hormone levels were okay.  I actually had my thyroid tested about a year ago and that checked out just fine, so I'm hoping that hormones are NOT to blame.  </div><div><br /></div><div>I know that today I rarely follow the plan to a "T", and most times I haven't been even coming CLOSE to following it to a "T" and so I know a lot of that is to blame.  But even in the past when I've done WW, the weight still came off very easily in the beginning, and I've never been able to achieve perfection following The Plan (meaning, I never went a full week without going over Points values at least one day out of the week - and this was before the Weekly Points Plus allowance).  I know I'm capable of losing a lot of weight - I lost 50 lbs when I was a junior in college and kept it off for a little over a year, and that was with plenty of heavy drinking nights and late night runs to Sheetz!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://30dayweightlosschallenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/scale-saying-help.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://30dayweightlosschallenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/scale-saying-help.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I want this weight off once and for all, and I want to be able to live life to it's fullest.  I know that when I do achieve this biggest life goal I have for myself, I'll have the confidence to do anything I want to do... because this has truly been the hardest thing I've ever had to do for myself in the 27 years I've spent on this earth.  It wasn't the first day of college, or finding a job, or even the first day of going to work in Washington, DC, or any other situation that has scared the absolute crap out of me.   </div><div><br /></div><div>Still, this is my journey, and however long it takes and whatever obstacles I have to battle, I'll do it.  </div>

Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Loss Challenges Battling Weight Loss

Tonight is my mid-week weigh in at WW.  I do not anticipate this going well and will be happy if I have a loss from 2 weeks ago - even if it...

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Empower a teacher, and you empower tomorrow’s leaders

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>A news report from IT Web </i><br />Johannesburg, 6 July 2011 – In today’s challenging classroom contexts, effective education hinges on the vigour and dedication of educators – not their qualifications or number of years spent teaching. <br /><br />A sense of community – in their education streams and subject areas – is what spurs today’s educators to rise beyond the substantial hurdles presented in their workplace, and technology is providing a bridge to unlocking their potential, and that of their learners, levelling the playing field. <br /><br />“Given the great need to empower South Africa’s 18 million children – nearly 40 percent of our population – today with the skills they need to enter a workforce characterised by fast-changing technology and skills advances,” says Reza Bardien, Education Lead at Microsoft South Africa, “corporations are increasingly involved in assisting governments achieve this survival task.”<br /><br />To this end, Microsoft South Africa in partnership with the Department of Basic Education annually hosts a series of Innovative Teacher Forum (ITF) workshops for primary and secondary schools across the country. This culminates in an awards initiative that highlights the unique ways in which teachers and learners collaborate to bring classroom learning to life and into context with their immediate environments.<br /><br />“By learning to employ modern-day technologies such as mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and desktop computers in their classroom projects, teachers rising to the ITF challenge not only enrich their own pedagogical skills, but they bring subjects to life and practical focus for their learners,” says Phil Mnisi, Director Curriculum Innovation and e-Learning at the National Department of Basic Education and forerunner of technology evangelism.<br /><br />“The ITF awards each year challenge teachers to enter projects, which employ technology to explore real-world problems, which at the same time bearing relevance to their curriculum requirements.”<br /><br />By participating in the types of projects these teachers run, learners are given the opportunity to develop critical thinking, collaboration, communication, research and problem solving skills. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBICf2eBl3aV2eWUyL3gOZR-a7k9K4wCyeptTJI6n0_DxPsNfDznm6KUJfPhjQA8cf6tkvSHR3x20KLUtT74rbhaGBwYizFNYVT_axzQ1-1Oqgi55Mea6Nv52d9F1p2VWIENAvyZGUog/s1600/itf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBICf2eBl3aV2eWUyL3gOZR-a7k9K4wCyeptTJI6n0_DxPsNfDznm6KUJfPhjQA8cf6tkvSHR3x20KLUtT74rbhaGBwYizFNYVT_axzQ1-1Oqgi55Mea6Nv52d9F1p2VWIENAvyZGUog/s200/itf" width="200" /></a></div><br />The winners, announced last night during an awards ceremony at St Johns College in Johannesburg, are:<br /><br />§ Louise Clarke and Kim Jackson of St Cyprians College in Cape Town for their class project “Tollbooth Movie Maker”; <br /><br />§ Natalie Meerholz of Holy Rosary School in Edenvale for her class project “E-Waste Away”; <br /><br />§ Lyneth Crighton of Brescia House in Bryanston for her class project “DigiGirlz puzzle IT out”; <br /><br />§ Wessel Theron of Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town for his class project “School of Rock”; <br /><br />§ Ryan Galvin of St Nicholas Diocesan School in Pietermaritzburg for his class project “R and J in R and B”. <br /><br />The five winners will go on to participate in the Middle East Africa Innovative Education Forum in September, with winners of this event afforded the unforgettable opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. in November for the Worldwide awards and a rare networking opportunity with teachers from around the globe. They each also receive a Netbook from Dell. <br /><br />Dalene Thuynsma, a teacher at Carpe Diem School in George, wins a Sangari portable interactive whiteboard and response system in recognition of the innovative work she is doing in the challenging context of working with special needs learners in an under-resourced school.<br /><br />“This year is the 6th annual Microsoft Innovative Teacher Forum being held in South Africa,” says Bardien. “In the past, South African and Lesotho teachers have been enormously successful in their participation at the regional and worldwide events and we have had a global award winner each year since the inception of the awards.”<br /><br />The teachers that have participated regionally and globally have returned to South Africa and each year they run Innovation Workshops in order to share their skills and experiences with other teachers to encourage participation in this Forum.<br /><br />“The judges were really impressed by the depth of the projects this year, and with the creative and exciting ideas that our teachers have come up with,” adds Bardien.<br /><br />This year’s local finalists mirrored a renewed focus worldwide on providing learners with a well-rounded education, and entries ranged from computer-aided cover design, creative cinematography, podcasting and Wikipedia entries, to environmental activism and fundraising, responsible e-waste disposal, online learning resource creation and importantly, social entrepreneurship. All finalists receive an Encyclopedia Britannica and digital curriculum content from Learnthings. <br /><br />“The Department, partnering with Microsoft and SchoolNet SA, annually trains thousands of teachers in the basic integration of ICT in teaching. In fact, since the beginning of the year, 14,000 teachers have been trained,” says Mnisi. <br /><br />“This does not mean that all trained teachers go on to use this technology in their daily teaching to become what we call innovative teachers. Less than a thousand of these educators enter into the ITF awards following their training. We have to ask ourselves the question: are we providing them with enough support after training?”<br /><br />ITF information and background can be accessed on www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/wwteachersforum.<br /><br />http://www.itweb.co.za/office/microsoft/PressRelease.php?StoryID=150880</div>

conferences Empower a teacher, and you empower tomorrow’s leaders

A news report from IT Web  Johannesburg, 6 July 2011 – In today’s challenging classroom contexts, effective education hinges on the vigour a...

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SHARE OF THE CAKE - PORCION DE LA TORTA

<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>IS THE ARGENTINE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR REALLY IN SUCH DISARRAY AS PORTRAYED BY LOCAL MEDIA AND POLITICIANS CAMPAIGNING FOR UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS?  </b></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="ES">ESTA  EL SECTOR AGRÍCOLA</span></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="ES"> <span class="hps">ARGENTINA</span> <span class="hps">REALMENTE</span> <span class="hps">EN TAL DESORDEN</span> <span class="hps">COMO LO RETRATAN  LOS MEDIOS LOCALES</span> <span class="hps">Y LOS </span> <span class="hps">POLÍTICOS EN CAMPAÑA</span> <span class="hps">PARA LAS PRÓXIMAS</span> <span class="hps">ELECCIONES PRESIDENCIALES?</span></span></b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Listening to local media, representatives of the farming sector and the political opposition, one assumes that the Argentine agriculture sector is in disorder and facing massive losses of profit due to Government policies.</span><br /><span class="hps" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="line-height: 115%;">Escuchando a</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">los medios de comunicación</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">locales, a los representantes</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">del sector agropecuario</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">y a la oposición política</span><span style="color: orange;">, podemos suponer que </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">el sector agricultor argentino</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">está en desorden</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">y enfrentando pérdidas masivas</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">de</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">ganancias debido a</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">las políticas del Gobierno</span><span style="color: orange;">.</span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;"> </span><br /> <br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking deeper into the matter one might come to a slightly different conclusion then mainstream media, politicians  and certain entities of the agriculture industry are trying to portray to the public, for international facts and figures differ to those shown in Argentina.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES">Mirando</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="hps">más profundamente, podríamos</span> <span class="hps">llegar a una conclusión</span> <span class="hps">un poco</span> <span class="hps">diferente que</span> <span class="hps">los grandes medios</span>, los políticos y <span class="hps">algunas entidades</span> <span class="hps">de la industria de</span> <span class="hps">la agricultura</span>  <span class="hps">tratan de mostrar</span> <span class="hps">a</span> <span class="hps">la opinión pública</span>, ya que <span class="hps">los hechos</span> <span class="hps">internacionales y</span> <span class="hps">cifras difieren</span> <span class="hps">de</span> <span class="hps">los que se muestran</span> <span class="hps">en la Argentina.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">First of all one should not forget that a large number of agriculture producers in Argentina are influential foreign enterprises who own vast amount of fertile farmland in the country. Thus these entities decide in which direction the agriculture market is heading, in order to earn large profits.</span><br /><span class="hps" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="line-height: 115%;">En primer lugar</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">no hay que olvidar</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">que un gran número</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">de productores agrícolas  en</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">Argentina</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">son influyentes</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">empresas extranjeras</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">que poseen</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">gran cantidad de</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">tierras fértiles</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">en el país.</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">Así,</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">estas entidades</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">decidan</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">en qué dirección</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">se dirige</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">a los mercados agrícolas</span><span style="color: orange;">, </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">a fin de obtener</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">grandes ganancias</span><span style="color: orange;">.</span><br style="color: red;" /><span style="color: blue;"> </span><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">One does not need to be an expert to realize that soybean production is more profitable then cattle breeding, thus large agriculture producers shifted their focus on this commodity which leads farmers to abandon the cattle market and shift towards the highly profitable soybean production.</span><br /><span class="hps" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="line-height: 115%;">Uno</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">no necesita</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">ser un experto para</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">darse cuenta de que</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">la producción de soja</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">es más</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">rentable que</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">la cría de ganado</span><span style="color: orange;">, por lo que </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">los grandes productores</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;"> cambiaron su foco y abandonaron</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">el mercado ganadero por la</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">producción de soja</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">de alta rentabilidad</span><span style="color: orange;">.</span><br /> <br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Claims that Argentina exports less meat then Uruguay and Paraguay causes outcry within the farming community and politicians such as De Narváez.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES">Las afirmaciones de</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="hps">que la  Argentina exporta menos carne que</span> <span class="hps">Uruguay y Paraguay</span> <span class="hps">provoca</span> <span class="hps">indignación</span> <span class="hps">en la comunidad agrícola</span> <span class="hps">y los políticos</span>, como <span class="hps">De Narváez</span>.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">See <a href="http://tn.com.ar/politica/0005652/la-rural-inauguracion-oficial">http://tn.com.ar/politica/0005652/la-rural-inauguracion-oficial</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">To say that the sole reason for a declining cattle market in Argentina is government policies, seems somewhat out of context, for such decline is a worldwide phenomenon.  The USA for example faces similar tendencies, and according to statistics provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Argentine cattle stock has been almost constant for the last couple of years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES">Decir que</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="hps">la única razón para</span> <span class="hps">un mercado ganadero en retroceso</span> <span class="hps">en</span> <span class="hps">Argentina</span> <span class="hps">son las políticas</span> <span class="hps">del gobierno</span>, <span class="hps">parece un poco</span> <span class="hps">fuera de contexto, ya que eso es un declive  mundial</span>. <span class="hps">Los EE.UU.</span>, por ejemplo, <span class="hps">se enfrentan a</span> <span class="hps">una tendencia similar</span>, <span class="hps">y de acuerdo a</span> <span class="hps">estadísticas proporcionadas por la</span> <span class="hps">Organización para la Alimentación</span> <span class="hps">y la Agricultura de</span> <span class="hps">las Naciones Unidas, el </span> <span class="hps">stock ganadero</span> <span class="hps">argentino ha</span> <span class="hps">sido casi</span> <span class="hps">constante durante los</span> <span class="hps">últimos dos años</span>.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">See <a href="http://www.lmic.info/memberspublic/InTheCattleMarket/Archives/2011/cattlemarkets0131.pdf">http://www.lmic.info/memberspublic/InTheCattleMarket/Archives/2011/cattlemarkets0131.pdf</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">See: <a href="http://faostat.fao.org/site/573/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=573#ancor">http://faostat.fao.org/site/573/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=573#ancor</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Public debate on agriculture policies in Argentina thus only focuses on agriculture products such as soybean crop and meat production. One rarely reads or hears about Argentina’s  export ranking of other high yield commodities such as sugar, wine, tea, tobacco, cotton, citrus fruit, honey, maize, sorghum, squash, sunflower seeds and wheat.  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES">El debate público sobre</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="hps">las políticas agrícola ganaderas en</span> <span class="hps">Argentina</span> <span class="hps">se centran sólo en</span> <span class="hps"> el</span> <span class="hps">cultivo de soja y</span> <span class="hps">la producción de carne</span>. <span class="hps">Rara vez se</span> <span class="hps">lee o escucha</span> <span class="hps">sobre el ranking</span> <span class="hps">de exportación</span> <span class="hps">de la Argentina</span> <span class="hps">de otros productos</span> <span class="hps">de alto rendimiento</span> <span class="hps">como el azúcar</span>, vino, té, tabaco, algodón, semillas de girasol <span class="hps">cítricos</span>, miel, maíz, sorgo, calabaza, <span class="hps">y el trigo.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina is the world's second-largest corn exporter behind the U.S., exporting almost 18 million tons of corn in 2010.</span><br /><span class="hps" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="line-height: 115%;">Argentina</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">es</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">el segundo</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">mayor exportador de</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">maíz</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">detrás de los EE.UU.</span><span style="color: orange;">, exportando casi </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">18 millones de toneladas</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">de maíz</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">en 2010.</span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: orange;"> </span><br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina is the world’s second largest producer of honey (worldwide honey prices are soaring due to an increasing shortage around the world) and the third largest producer of sunflower seeds, lemons and limes.</span><br /><span class="hps" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="line-height: 115%;">Argentina</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">es el segundo productor</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">mundial de</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">miel (los precios</span><span style="color: orange;"> de la miel mundial </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">se han disparado</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">debido a una</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">escasez cada vez mayor</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">en todo el mundo</span><span style="color: orange;">) y </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">el tercer mayor productor</span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="hps" style="color: orange;">de semillas de girasol</span><span style="color: orange;">, limones y limas.</span><br style="color: blue;" /> <br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Looking at these figures one will understand why there is an ongoing struggle between the government, the agriculture sector and lobbyists,  for there is a vast amount of money involved and foreign agriculture producers such as MONSANTO, CARGILL etc. are eager to protect their interests in Argentina for they are fully aware what potential the Argentine Agriculture Sector has. Total volume of agricultural</span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">production (comprising wheat, corn, and soybean) is expected to be more than 90 million tons – a 50 percent hike in volume over 2008-2009.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES">En cuanto a</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="hps">estas cifras</span> <span class="hps">se comprenderá</span> <span class="hps">por qué hay</span> <span class="hps">una lucha constante</span> <span class="hps">entre el gobierno</span>, <span class="hps">el sector de</span> <span class="hps">la agricultura y</span> <span class="hps">los grupos de presión</span>, ya que hay <span class="hps">una gran cantidad</span> <span class="hps">de dinero en juego</span> <span class="hps">y los productores extranjeros</span> <span class="hps">agricultores, como</span> <span class="hps">Monsanto, Cargill</span>, etc <span class="hps">están dispuestos a</span> <span class="hps">proteger sus intereses en</span> <span class="hps">Argentina</span> <span class="hps">ya que son</span> <span class="hps">plenamente conscientes del  potencial del</span> <span class="hps">sector agrícola</span> <span class="hps">argentino</span>. <span class="hps">Volumen total</span> <span class="hps">de la producción agrícola</span> <span class="hps">(comprende trigo</span>, maíz y <span class="hps">soja)</span> <span class="hps">se espera que sea</span> <span class="hps">más de</span> <span class="hps">90 millones de toneladas</span> <span class="hps">-</span> <span class="hps">un alza de 50</span> <span class="hps">por ciento</span> <span class="hps">en volumen en</span> <span class="hps">2008-2009.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">One should also not forget that Argentina profits a lot from trade deals with China, something foreign agriculture producers are eager to have a share of. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Only recently has China opened the Asian giant's markets to Argentine corn, beef, wine, biofuels and barley.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;">No hay que olvidar los beneficios que Argentina obtiene de un montón de acuerdos comerciales con China, algo que los productores extranjeros agricultoresestán ansiosos de tener. Sólo recientemente, China ha abierto los mercados del gigante asiático a la Argentina para ingresar maíz, carne, vino, biocombustibles y  cebada.</span><br /> <br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The agricultural sector in Argentina consistently achieves extremely high levels of productivity, reaching higher yields per hectare of soybean and wheat than other major world producers such as Brazil, the United States and Canada.</span><br /><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: orange;">El sector agrícola en la Argentina siempre alcanza niveles extremadamente altos de productividad, obteniendo un mayor rendimiento por hectárea de soja y el trigo que otros productores más importantes del mundo tales como Brasil, Estados Unidos y Canadá.</span><br /> <br /> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Farmers associations, International Agriculture Producers, the agriculture lobbyists, as well as politicians, all are aware of the potential the agriculture sector in Argentina has and how it will grow even faster, due to the increase in worldwide food demand and raise in food prices, triggered by speculators.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="ES" style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Las asociaciones de agricultores, productores de la Agricultura, los grupos de presión agrícolas, así como los políticos, todos son conscientes del potencial del sector agrícola que la Argentina tiene y cómo va a crecer aún más rápido, debido al aumento de la demanda mundial de alimentos y al aumento de  los precios de los alimentos, provocada por los especuladores.</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> See also:  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ver también:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/25/us-markets-grains-poll-idUSTRE76O43220110725">http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/25/us-markets-grains-poll-idUSTRE76O43220110725</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://boingboing.net/2011/04/29/how-goldman-sachs-cr.html">http://boingboing.net/2011/04/29/how-goldman-sachs-cr.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thus it is only natural that every involved entity wants the larger piece of the cake and thus uses whatever means necessary to showcase their viewpoint on agriculture policies and how they affect agricultural producer’s profits.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue;"><span class="hps" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES">Por lo tanto,</span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="hps">es natural que</span> <span class="hps">cada</span> <span class="hps">entidad involucrada</span> <span class="hps">quiera el</span> <span class="hps">pedazo más grande de</span> <span class="hps">la torta</span> <span class="hps">y entonces </span><span class="hps">utiliza</span> <span class="hps">todos los medios necesarios</span> <span class="hps">para mostrar su</span> <span class="hps">punto de vista sobre</span> <span class="hps">las políticas agrícolas</span> <span class="hps">y cómo afectan a</span> <span class="hps">las ganancias</span> <span class="hps">del productor</span> <span class="hps">agrícola.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sources:     </i></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: #666666;"><span class="hps"><span lang="ES">Fuentes:</span></span></i><i><span style="color: orange;">  </span>                                                                                                                      </i></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://agroinvest.wordpress.com/category/argentina-economic-overview/">http://agroinvest.wordpress.com/category/argentina-economic-overview/</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Argentina">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Argentina</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="color: #003399;"><a href="http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-AGRICULTURE.html#ixzz1Sx8Hmn16">http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-AGRICULTURE.html#ixzz1Sx8Hmn16</a></span></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-AGRICULTURE.html">http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-AGRICULTURE.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.farmchemicalsinternational.com/magazine/?storyid=3177&style=1">http://www.farmchemicalsinternational.com/magazine/?storyid=3177&style=1</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.dowjones.com/">http://www.dowjones.com/</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">An interesting article to read in relation to above subject is:</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="hps" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span lang="ES">Un interesante artículo</span></span><span lang="ES" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"> <span class="hps">para leer</span> <span class="hps">en relación con el</span> <span class="hps">asunto de referencia</span> <span class="hps">es</span></span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304803104576423893039347666.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304803104576423893039347666.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

SHARE OF THE CAKE - PORCION DE LA TORTA

IS THE ARGENTINE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR REALLY IN SUCH DISARRAY AS PORTRAYED BY LOCAL MEDIA AND POLITICIANS CAMPAIGNING FOR UPCOMING PRESIDENTI...

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Getting results: 10 strategies for job-search success

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></span><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="tblContent"><tbody><tr id="trContent"><td align="center" class="cb_style tcContent" id="tcContent" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="cbArticleWrapper" style="background-color: white; text-align: left; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleContentWrapper" style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 15px; width: 750px;"><div class="cbArticleRight" style="width: 560px;"><div class="RXart" style="padding-right: 20px;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="margin-top: -30px;"><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #ff7700; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br /></h1></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">Beth Braccio Hering, Special to CareerBuilder</span></b><br /><br /><div class="cbmsnArticleImage"><img alt="" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/gg/ar5l6hc6wdkrnvq4pngg.gif?time=6/17/2011%206:26:17%20pm" /></div></div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Job hunting boils down to finding an opportunity and convincing the employer you are exactly what he needs. Are you doing both effectively? Here, experts offer 10 suggestions for boosting success.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>1. Develop a top-notch elevator pitch</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Craft a succinct speech that eloquently conveys what you are looking for and what you can offer. "Practice this pitch in unlikely places, such as the grocery checkout line," says Cindy Hyman,<a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/associate+director/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">associate director </a>of alumni career programs at the University of Denver. "It will help you gain confidence so you're ready when you're at networking events."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>2. Look for connections</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The shaky economy has virtually eliminated job-search stigma, so go ahead and contact that friend of a friend on LinkedIn or let your dad introduce you to his golf partner. Lavie Margolin, author of "Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers," says, "Anyone who works for the company and can submit your résumé is more likely to yield a positive response for you than submitting your résumé cold."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>3. Get out of the house and meet people</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While computers are an important part of the modern job hunt, don't spend all day in front of your screen. Face-to-face connection is still vital. "Set a goal of meeting or networking with a certain number of people each week and stick to it," Hyman advises.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>4. Follow through on leads</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Think of yourself as a <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/sales/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">salesperson</a>, and treat each job opening that you find as a lead," Margolin says. "You have found a company that has a job that is a fit for you. What about competitors to that organization? Most likely, they would have a similar role at their company as well. Perhaps it is not vacant at the moment, but it is a lead nonetheless." Likewise, it pays to regularly check back in with people and companies you approached previously, because business needs change.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>5. Target your cover letter</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Margolin recommends thinking of the cover letter as an advertisement to get attention. "Spend time writing a cover letter that will appeal to the reader as opposed to a generic message where you have only changed the name of the company and the job title. Emphasize why you are a fit for that job as opposed to any job."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>6. Do your homework</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">With so much information readily available, there is no excuse for coming to an interview unprepared. Start by perusing the company's website, but then learn more about the organization and the industry as a whole -- and look for opportunities during the interview to show how your abilities match this work environment. Matthew Randall, <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/executive+director/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">executive director</a> for the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of <a href="http://msn.careerbuilder.com/jobs/pennsylvania/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Pennsylvania</a>, also notes that preparation shows you aren't going to waste the interviewers' time with questions that could have been answered easily beforehand.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>7. Show, don't tell</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Anyone can say he is a "team player" or an "effective communicator." "When you are discussing your qualifications, give a specific example, not just a list of qualities," says Caroline Ceniza-Levine, co-author of <a href="http://www.sixfigurestart.com/about-sixfigurestart/fierce/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">"How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times"</a> and partner at the career-coaching firm SixFigureStart in <a href="http://msn.careerbuilder.com/jobs/New+York/New+York/" style="color: #3300cc; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">New York City</a>. "Don't say you are good with people; talk about a specific instance where you managed a team, generated consensus, worked with a difficult customer or some other people-related example with tangible results."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>8. Present a consistent package</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">"Candidates should realize that they need to manage three different personas: an online profile that includes LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter; a written persona that includes the cover letter and résumé; and an in-person persona," Randall says. "These all need to be congruent. If they don't match, that is a huge red flag for hiring managers."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>9. Troubleshoot your search regularly</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Occasionally, step back and evaluate what is and isn't working in your job search. Ceniza-Levine recommends examining the situation every two or three weeks. "Look at how many meetings you are getting and if these meetings are yielding good information, referrals to other people who can help and actual job interviews. If you are not getting good-quality meetings, something is wrong, and you should review your search with someone who knows the process and can pinpoint what you can change."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>10. Keep an upbeat attitude</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Finally, don't give off the vibe of a battle-weary job seeker. As Hyman notes, "No matter how long your job search has already taken, how many rejections you have already experienced and how disappointed you are, when you speak with potential employers – and remember, virtually everyone you meet is a potential employer or can connect you with an employer – you need to express a positive attitude and excitement about the new opportunity you are seeking."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b></b></div><i>Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder. Follow @Careerbuilder on Twitter.</i></div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Getting results: 10 strategies for job-search success

Beth Braccio Hering, Special to CareerBuilder Job hunting boils down to finding an opportunity and convincing the employer you are exactly w...

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Casablanca with the San Francisco Symphony

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaao2WsBJaRUE6eq0HYGCOqMvQglQvJxqaSCU5GInNh9C3d2u6_ENv-E_eCU5aOdet63sTZLm6VaGT2j0QsleSxVA5tIJnNuvGxiuO019oIKNzYK1rZhhM3OQOg_oKG2T1jDMXFJXgK8x/s1600/casablanca+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaao2WsBJaRUE6eq0HYGCOqMvQglQvJxqaSCU5GInNh9C3d2u6_ENv-E_eCU5aOdet63sTZLm6VaGT2j0QsleSxVA5tIJnNuvGxiuO019oIKNzYK1rZhhM3OQOg_oKG2T1jDMXFJXgK8x/s640/casablanca+1.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Last Friday night I attended a very special screening of "<i>Casablanca </i>with the San Francisco Symphony" at Davies Hall. Conductor Michael Francis led the orchestral accompaniment and a full house spent the evening in thrall to Warner Bros.' sublime 1942 film classic and composer Max Steiner's unforgettable score. </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlUFpCDDLBk5tOllk0Z_5Zq4qsN0DMW2Mv7mRp21QEdzm_h5qbsovP1BtPhM4Es0sr39yhqnAgHydK518WT_GfUgSZ3q4e4D_U9543Tej2j1DWG7XjI40V9lCYaeBFWf3zsZz-QDNjYSM/s1600/davies_symphony_hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlUFpCDDLBk5tOllk0Z_5Zq4qsN0DMW2Mv7mRp21QEdzm_h5qbsovP1BtPhM4Es0sr39yhqnAgHydK518WT_GfUgSZ3q4e4D_U9543Tej2j1DWG7XjI40V9lCYaeBFWf3zsZz-QDNjYSM/s400/davies_symphony_hall.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The sell-out audience of 2,800 or so was a mix of film and music lovers of every generation. Some of the young and old attended in full 1940's attire; most spent time sipping champagne and cocktails on the mezzanine before the program got underway...</span><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When the lights flickered and muted tones chimed,  it was time for my friend and I to take an elevator to the second tier balcony. From blissfully comfortable seats we spied a huge screen at center stage surrounded by the symphony orchestra. Mr. Francis entered, stepped to the podium, picked up his baton, glanced into a small monitor next to his sheet music and in a moment the hall reverberated with those oh-so-familiar notes that herald the start of a Warner Bros. picture. Then came Max Steiner's almost as familiar score:</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0KGOB1WIjRs" width="560"></iframe></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The San Francisco orchestra interpreted Steiner's music a bit more gently, with less bombast, than the original movie soundtrack. The experience of a live score lent both immediacy and charm to the viewing experience and it was interesting, from time to time, to steal a look at the musicians as they accompanied familiar scenes. The harpist was fascinating to watch and listen to during the Paris flashback sequence. The essence of magic that is new love seemed to float from her strings.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QrOXHgjZPQgvMyXDKir3-Eq1IIHVkoAMqJrPGn8YjvSHjR2IDYCPWtlhFNmLLoUjEbbNQLjq32ZihLYauVevQedqq0cMmvdbERcWfP_eeMlvkDrfTo843iqUTrlU6Yj15QlzSbS0w0Eh/s1600/madeleine+lebeau+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QrOXHgjZPQgvMyXDKir3-Eq1IIHVkoAMqJrPGn8YjvSHjR2IDYCPWtlhFNmLLoUjEbbNQLjq32ZihLYauVevQedqq0cMmvdbERcWfP_eeMlvkDrfTo843iqUTrlU6Yj15QlzSbS0w0Eh/s320/madeleine+lebeau+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">...at <i>Rick's</i>, Bogart, Madeleine Lebeau and Leonid Kinskey</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've loved and admired <i>Casablanca </i>for years but it wasn't until I sat watching from high in Davies Hall that a particular thought occurred and recurred in my mind..."this film is perfect." In every respect...direction, cinematography, set design, screenplay, dialogue, wardrobe, score, editing - and the cast. <i>This</i> is Bogart at his apex as a romantic lead, Bergman at her most beautiful and pure - along with a most eloquent supporting cast: Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, S.K. Sakall, Madeleine Lebeau (the last cast member still living), Dooley Wilson, Joy Page and Leonid Kinskey. It's no surprise that <i>Casablanca</i> was honored with eight Academy Award nominations and won for Best Picture, Best Director (Michael Curtiz) and Best Screenplay (brothers Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch). Humphrey Bogart was nominated for Best Actor, Claude Rains for his supporting role, Max Steiner for his score, Arthur Edeson for cinematography and Owen Marks for editing.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">  </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Perusing the program during intermission, I came upon Larry Rothe's insightful write-up on the picture and read of many things I knew and didn't know about <i>Casablanca</i>...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I found out that the timing of the film's release was auspicious. <i>Casablanca</i> premiered in New York in November 1942. The Allies had invaded North Africa earlier in the month - which was significant. Even more powerful was the fact that in January 1943 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met in Casablanca to discuss the terms of an Axis surrender. This became headline news at the end of discussions, on January 24. <i>Casablanca</i> had gone into national release the day before...a windfall for Warner's PR team.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNd6Zvfcp338PaEdj12pAPLUp4nqqsDrruTEV-42We1gIHVW2RlyfWDnqSLOUnsVoemQV4bq9jiFKvXIYkaGsZ7K7kNrTTj-jWBuNf_rr0j_g-WBGe-uf2aYe32YfN7_-ZV7RsaNkV9ml/s1600/casablanca+paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNd6Zvfcp338PaEdj12pAPLUp4nqqsDrruTEV-42We1gIHVW2RlyfWDnqSLOUnsVoemQV4bq9jiFKvXIYkaGsZ7K7kNrTTj-jWBuNf_rr0j_g-WBGe-uf2aYe32YfN7_-ZV7RsaNkV9ml/s320/casablanca+paris.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> According to Rothe, Steiner wove four major musical themes through the film. The first, of course, is "As Time Goes By," a song that became immortal with <i>Casablanca</i>. The second is the romantic theme accompanying the flashback to Paris. The third theme is France's national anthem, the "Marseillaise," first played as part of the title sequence, but most memorably featured when Victor Laszlo leads the crowd at Rick's in a stirring rendition of the anthem. A conscience-stirring variation on the "Marseillaise," first heard when Ilsa tells Rick about her devotion to Laszlo and the Resistance, is the fourth theme.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The entire night was thrilling (and I hope the fact that it sold out will persuade the symphony to do this again), but there was one moment I don't ever want to forget...listening to the San Francisco symphony play "Perfidia" as Bogart and Bergman dance (and he presses his face to hers) ...exquisite! </span><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Meanwhile, Max Steiner's day is not done in San Francisco. Friday, July 29, the Castro Theatre begins a seven-day, 13-picture program, "Legendary Composer: Max Steiner." Included in the series will be <i>Mildred Pierce</i>, <i>The Letter</i>, <i>Casablanca</i>, <i>Treasure of the Sierra Madre</i>, <i>Gone with the Wind</i>, <i>Now, Voyager</i>, <i>Dark Victory</i>, <i>White Heat</i>, <i>Angels with Dirty Faces</i>, <i>The Big Sleep</i>, <i>Key Largo</i>, <i>King Kong</i> and <i>The Searchers</i>. <b><a href="http://www.castrotheatre.com/coming-soon.html" style="color: #990000;">Click here</a></b> to learn more. </div>

Bogart Casablanca Casablanca with the San Francisco Symphony Claude Rains Ingrid Bergman Max Steiner Michael Curtiz Paul Henreid Peter Lorre Sydney Greenstreet The Lady Eve (author) Casablanca with the San Francisco Symphony

Last Friday night I attended a very special screening of " Casablanca with the San Francisco Symphony" at Davies Hall. Conductor M...

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