The Right To Exist

“Ever since the “Holy Land” was invented as a pilgrimage-center by the <br />Empress Helena in the fourth century, it had been the scene of acrimony <br />and violence among the rival religious groups. . . . Throughout four centuries <br />(15th- 19th) it had been the task of the Ottoman sultans to impose, for the <br />sake of civil order, a culture of mutual tolerance . . . . Where religious difference <br />was in question there really was only one political option: live and let live. Muslims <br />and Jews were nearly always able to accept this in relation to one another <br />and to the Christians. The followers of Christ, however, while finding <br />it possible to live at peace with . . . monotheists of the Islamic or Jewish <br />persuasion, could not always resist outbursts of violence against their <br />co-religionists (fellow Christians) . . . .” A.N. Wilson, The Victorians<br /><br /> For a long time, it seems, Christians have been more tolerant of other people of other faiths than we are of each other. Strange, how proximity breeds intolerance. I suspect it is that the closer people are to us, the more they make us nervous about our right to be here.<br /><br /> Today, a sticking point in the search for peace in the Holy Land is “the right to exist.” Israel insists on one key point before making major agreements with its neighbors – that the neighbors acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. Palestinians want to be recognized as a state with the right to defend its borders and preserve its sovereignty, which is essentially the same thing. The situation is admittedly complex. Both God and the devil are in the details. But the threshold question they cannot seem to get past is simple: acknowledging each other’s right to be present.<br /><br /> To deny someone the right to exist is the primal attack. In Madeleine L ‘Engle’s sci-fi book, A Wind In The Door, the galaxy is threatened by death-eater-like beings called Echtroi who go about x-ing or un-naming things, denying their existence. L’Enlge insists on the innate value of each of us and on our right to be here. She challenges us not only to acknowledge that each other belong on this earth but to actively defend each other’s right to exist. <br /><br /> One may well wonder: why is this an issue? Why do we deny each other’s right to exist? Why is there genocide? Why is there war? Why are the different oppressed? Why are English speakers so distressed by the sound of Spanish? <br /><br /> If we are secure in our own place, confident that we belong on this earth, we can allow others to be here too. We can even enjoy the wild diversity of creation. We can delight that God is a unity who proliferates into diversity and that the diversity of creation is rooted in one existential ground, God. But if our self-worth, our sense of belonging, is fragile, then the presence of someone a bit different from us becomes a threat. We need to be the only ones here; or if we cannot be the only ones, then the others must be entirely like us. By being like us, they reassure us that we are the right way to be.<br /><br /> One way to avoid feeling threatened by people who are different is to avoid them. In his book, The Big Sort: Why The Clustering Of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart, Bill Bishop demonstrates that our nation is dividing up into smaller and smaller conclaves of people who look, think, and live more and more alike. Our gated communities are populated by racially, economically, socially, and politically similar people. The new social ghettos are far less porous than the ethnic neighborhoods of old, perhaps because they so intentionally formed out of fear of encountering someone different. <br /><br /> We invest a lot of energy and money so that we can at least pretend each other do not exist – to make for ourselves a seemingly safer but smaller and less interesting world. A political consequence of this fragmenting of society is the polarizing of our politics. Each congressional district has a cohesive ideology and elects people to represent that ideology. A think tank that rates congressional representatives as liberals, conservatives, or moderates notes that the number of moderates has steadily declined until the current congress, which for the first time in their studies, does not contain a single moderate. The moderates are the folks who broker the deals and work things out of gridlock. Without the moderates to negotiate the compromises, each side seeks to make the government work by subjugating the other. <br /><br /> The Episcopal Church, in keeping with the Anglican tradition of moderation, the via media, tolerance, and our identity as a “bridge church” has traditionally resisted such polarization. We have been a people who worship and serve together out of personal affection and a common form of prayer – not theological or ideological agreement. How has that played out in Nevada?<br /><br /> I am continuing my pastoral questioning of the divisions in our Diocese that keep us from flourishing in God’s mission. I am also continuing to look for whatever bonds of affection might run counter to those divisions. The first thing I sense here is a quiet respect for each other’s right to exist, a willingness to sit at the same table. It isn’t a bold statement of conviction. It’s more of a tacit assumption which is probably better. Even this tacit acknowledgement runs counter to secular culture. The divisions in Nevada are not merely North and South. There are divisions of East and West, urban and rural, mining and ranching. The groups so divided resent each other’s presence most grievously. So it is a spiritual accomplishment to be a diocese of people, parishes, and missions that accept each other’s place at the table.<br /><br /> But there is a residue of resentment, a suspicion that others do not respect us, a prickly defense against those who might do harm. That confused me at first since I have so rarely experienced any group here actually hostile to any other. But the sense that someone does not want us here is not pure fantasy. There is real history to our nervousness about each other.<br /><br /> There have been times in the past when people in larger churches said that the smaller churches should be closed – which naturally lead to people in smaller churches saying that larger churches should be closed or rather broken up into small churches. There really were people proposing to close Camp Galilee. Others suggested that saving Galilee could be best achieved by preventing or stopping ministries in cities. Seminary trained priests thought the locally trained should not be ordained; the locally trained thought the seminary trained should not be called. Parishes have divided internally over whether to engage in spiritual renewal of the congregation or commit to mission serving those outside the church – as if either project could succeed without the other. We also participated in “the controversies” as they say – meaning national disputes over the roles of women and LGBT persons in the church. Both sides of “the controversies” eventually tried to exterminate, excommunicate, or deport each other – though those issues have not divided Nevada to the extent that they did elsewhere -- perhaps we had too many other kinds of differences to identify with.<br /><br /> Two things here strike me as noteworthy: First, we stopped x-ing each other years ago. Second, we still feel at risk of being x-ed by our fellow Nevada Episcopalians. For example, I have found only one seminary trained priest and one locally trained priest who actually speak ill of those who were trained differently. But it is not that unusual for me to find clergy who suspect that they are secretly disrespected by clergy of the other species. I never hear people from one area speak ill of the churches in another region, except that they suspect that the people elsewhere think ill of them. It is as if the bullets have been removed from the flesh, but the wounds have not yet healed. <br /><br /> Where then do we go from here? I am sure of only one thing. It is good to trust in God’s grace. It is good to know that we belong here, that God has claimed us as beloved children, that God has named us (Isaiah 49: 1), sealed us with the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked us as Christ’s own forever. We don’t have to x each other to claim a space. God has given us our space, our right to exist. We know that, we feel it, and we believe it. That is why we have stopped x-ing one another. But what about the wounds that are not yet healed? I do not know the answer to that.<br /><br /> At John 5: 1-17, we read about a man who had been ill for 38 years lying near a healing fountain. Jesus, with his insight, did not assume the obvious. He asked. He said, “Do you want to be healed?” (v. 6) The man’s answer was equivocal. Do we want to be healed? We may have grown accustomed to the wounds. We may have identified with them. We may not be ready to part with them just yet. We are not x-ing each other. We trust in God’s grace. That much is good. Do we want to be healed? What would happen if we were? Who would we be if we were? How might that healing take place?

The Right To Exist

“Ever since the “Holy Land” was invented as a pilgrimage-center by the Empress Helena in the fourth century, it had been the scene of acrimony and violence among the rival religious groups. . . . Throughout four centuries (15th- 19th) it had been the…

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This is a currency war and the EUROZONE is on the way to lose it.

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGksRsoCU8KsNihF20EVJUv0BP7HDBkaGhvpI4wVpjiSzIKOjBj62GeR3yGp_DlHCjeVhdWMi1OLJgcUwulU9rPXFNmR2Bl8jghpTkqx-qQAXqjDJu2p2SMYQ59aP9IQfMKorIf_8NRU3/s1600/Euro-brezinys_EC1-600x449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGksRsoCU8KsNihF20EVJUv0BP7HDBkaGhvpI4wVpjiSzIKOjBj62GeR3yGp_DlHCjeVhdWMi1OLJgcUwulU9rPXFNmR2Bl8jghpTkqx-qQAXqjDJu2p2SMYQ59aP9IQfMKorIf_8NRU3/s400/Euro-brezinys_EC1-600x449.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">            <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">S&P ON</span> AUSTRIA’S <span style="color: red;">DOWNGRADING</span></span></span><br />                                 <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWleJUELCpRhnlIuG_JlxitwDA17AyblEbxQJvbpnZcjGtVN7swEyGNL-xtDgZBLFhYiTHSzlTP3T_2qGWZd6U_yqB6Coc_oTU8UNWG7GVEcYW20Itt2qOPntEBZ1fwqwrRptEuF3BbLWl/s1600/Standard-and-Poor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWleJUELCpRhnlIuG_JlxitwDA17AyblEbxQJvbpnZcjGtVN7swEyGNL-xtDgZBLFhYiTHSzlTP3T_2qGWZd6U_yqB6Coc_oTU8UNWG7GVEcYW20Itt2qOPntEBZ1fwqwrRptEuF3BbLWl/s320/Standard-and-Poor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Via Prudent Investor <br /><br /><b>IF ECONOMIC GROWTH IS WEAKER THAN WE EXPECT, THIS COULD UNDERMINE THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTEMPTS TO CONSOLIDATE ITS BUDGETS</b><br /><br />Austrian banks' balance sheets could suffer from negative developments in major trading and outward direct investment partners (such as ITALY and HUNGARY). In this instance, the banks could require additional government support. Furthermore, if economic growth is much weaker than we expect, this could undermine the government's attempts to consolidate its budgets, and could also render structural reforms ineffective. <br />The outlook on the long-term rating on AUSTRIA is negative; indicating that we believe that there is at least a one-in-three chance that we could lower the rating further in 2012 or 2013. Rating may be lowered if:<br /><br />•    The weakening of AUSTRIAN BANKS' balance sheets stemming from negative developments in major trading and outward direct investment partners meant that the <b style="color: blue;">AUSTRIAN government needed to recapitalize the banks</b><span style="color: blue;">.</span> This could in turn lead to net general government debt rising above 80% of GDP, and could also further increase contingent liabilities; and/or<br />•    Economic growth is much weaker than we currently expect. This could undermine the government's attempts to consolidate its budgets, and could also render structural reforms ineffective. This could lead to an increase in net general government debt beyond 80% of GDP.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: #76a5af; color: yellow;">The ratings could stabilize at the current level if the risks from the banking sector remained contained, and if AUSTRIA were to enter into a more-ambitious consolidation phase by implementing structural reforms, without damaging economic growth prospects and competitiveness</span>. In our view, such consolidation measures would likely enable AUSTRIA to structurally balance its accounts and decrease its net general government debt.<br /><span><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />Analysis from “The Prudent Investor” <br /><br /><b>OVERDUE DOWNGRADING LIKELY TO BE REPEATED</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3rYXwzpfTVL-bnYO_iZ2wSyIpAFNxlYGUaJE6AbpmErnhd7JnHzABUhPaPeQFVuHB0s1hmgv_1LK1LewcBkdZDbqcyehsDqY2OGQgrLGg-cKBICgjWfJEobSXopT9ClCzRFtyBE-qmXm/s1600/imagewws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3rYXwzpfTVL-bnYO_iZ2wSyIpAFNxlYGUaJE6AbpmErnhd7JnHzABUhPaPeQFVuHB0s1hmgv_1LK1LewcBkdZDbqcyehsDqY2OGQgrLGg-cKBICgjWfJEobSXopT9ClCzRFtyBE-qmXm/s1600/imagewws.jpg" /></a></div>While remaining most critical of the opaque rating process of the rating agencies we are even more critical of the whining posture of AUSTRIA'S politicians who act as if this overdue downgrade - that will very likely be repeated in the near future due to the chaos in the EUROZONE-is unjustified.<br /><div style="color: blue;">As a reminder: AUSTRIAN government debt stands currently at EUR 218 billion or 76% of GDP and races higher because the ruling coalition officially attempts to come up with a €3 billion to €10 billion budget cuts package by end of February while it cannot even agree on €250 million savings on the state level of the republic. Place you bet on every ounce of gold that there will be no multi-billion austerity package by the end of February.</div>Statements by the government and central bank governor EWALD NOWOTNY, who called the downgrade incomprehensible, are unrealistic in the light of S&P's warning from December 6 and the ensuing non-action by AUSTRIA'S government.<br /><br /><b>DOWNGRADES WERE A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ACTION BY S&P WHICH IS OWNED BY MCGRAWHILL</b><br /><br />Unofficial mumblings that markets should not take the downgrade too serious are actually a call to break the law: Bond fund managers are tightly restricted by investment fund laws that oblige them to observe the ratings of the three major rating agencies.<br /><div style="color: blue;">Nevertheless one can agree with governor NOWOTNY that the downgrades were a politically motivated action by <b>S&P</b> which is owned by <b>MCGRAWHILL</b>. <span style="font-size: small;">It seems difficult to establish who the majority owner of this company is, that has so far failed to downgrade the USA despite its much higher level of debt that already stands at more than 100% of US GDP. The rating agencies also veil their rating process in secrecy and it will be interesting to see the math behind a one-step downgrade.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAygPCIhM8nRk8oG4xue6EGJQvaMl95B0HiuoynKDgzZoAzet6nAIeie_ioIApIk4iepS4DW0wgcynfDa33CrI4XhXJoZ55m-1exZBwLkTQiVm-IJzjQS6ASz6Z40au1Eqymm0VmWsL-KG/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAygPCIhM8nRk8oG4xue6EGJQvaMl95B0HiuoynKDgzZoAzet6nAIeie_ioIApIk4iepS4DW0wgcynfDa33CrI4XhXJoZ55m-1exZBwLkTQiVm-IJzjQS6ASz6Z40au1Eqymm0VmWsL-KG/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a> A look at AUSTRIA'S yield differential to its peer GERMANY shows that spreads have risen dramatically over the past months. AUSTRIA used to pay a spread of 30 to 40 basis points 'liquidity premium' for almost two decades. This has changed dramatically: 10-year government bonds now yield around 3.60% vs. GERMANY'S 1.90%, showing that markets assess AUSTRIA by now much worse than GERMANY.<br /><br /><br /><b>GOVERNMENT NOT ADDRESSING THE KEY OBSTACLES OF THE FUTURE</b> <br /><br />Markets are, as always, most correct in their evaluation of AUSTRIAN debt: Members of parliament and the government waste time haggling about changes in the national hymn while not addressing the key obstacles of the future that are:<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: yellow;"><br /><span style="color: blue;">• </span>  <span style="color: blue;"> a huge pension problem as demographics change (what a surprise for politicians: we all become older),</span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;">•    a growing budget deficit due to a still growing public sector, and</span><br style="color: blue;" /><span style="color: blue;">•    huge problems of several Austrian banks who recolonised Eastern Europe and now face billions in loans in default.</span></b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The concernment in the EUROZONE about the downgrade 'shock' proves once more that while EU politicians are never shy of trying to cut corners to their advantage they lack creative ideas to save the EUROZONE from rapid disintegration.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>TONGUE-IN-CHEEK SOLUTION:</b><br /><br />MCGRAWHILL is currently valued at billion. It would have been a lot cheaper to buy MCGRAWHILL and gag its subsidiary S&P. These billions would have brought ownership of a flourishing publishing company. Now this money will end up in the coffers of JP MORGAN, GOLDMAN SACHS, who can borrow trillions from the FEDERAL RESERVE for next to nothing and buy up higher yielding EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT DEBT.<br /><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">This is a currency war and the EUROZONE is on the way to lose it.</span></span>

This is a currency war and the EUROZONE is on the way to lose it.

            S&P ON AUSTRIA’S DOWNGRADING                                 Via Prudent Investor IF ECONOMIC GROWTH IS WEAKER THAN WE EXPECT, THIS COULD UNDERMINE THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTEMPTS TO CONSOLIDATE ITS BUDGETSAustrian banks' balance sheets could s…

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And I thought I didn't do that bad yesterday...ROFL!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It was a 70-Point day yesterday. Wow! What's so crazy about it is that I thought I was doing okay by not going totally overboard.<br /><br />I eyed all the Valentine's Day candy last night at the grocery store, but walked by it without picking up a single package. I thought I was doing a halfway decent compromise with the somewhat healthy California extra-thin crust pizza and the caramel popcorn as my big splurge. I'm pretty sure if I had calculated out the Points first I would have chosen something different. I have all the Weight Watcher apps on my phone so there's no excuse other than I was very tired and hungry. Lesson learned.<br /><br />Dinner was an entire package of the Caramel popcorn and 3/4 of an entire frozen pizza (it was sort of small on very thin crust but it was 21 Points). Breakfast and lunch were healthy. Oh, and let's not forget the two glasses of sweet red wine. I normally don't have alcohol, but it was just that kind of day. Crazy niece threats, police involvement, brain-damaged sister, snow, fireplace, tired, sad, hungry, husband asleep so no one to vent to = wine on the menu.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't even go to the gym yesterday, because I was too rushed with crazy niece/sister stuff. I know that's just an excuse, but it's true.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In case you're wondering, I didn't get on the scale this morning. I'm not that crazy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know it'll take a few days to undo the damage from last night. My goal for this week was to get down to 176 by next Saturday. I just made it a lot harder with losing my mind last night. Funny how I can talk myself into anything when I'm tired and feeling sad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll give it my best shot this week. Healthy eating, tracking, focusing on the healthy eating guidelines and lots of exercise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmCn8l3Y3i_mNoMKKyw1Uv4WeVyJRmB73xrvYN4PjJXzWeIU7CFbRXQnWLy6eaAqqVaCqoDWh4FSVQM4jxlF8WEEVp8Bzdp3eW5dumNflSvImCQ-Vv3LdKgShyphenhyphenu0WIWe4jhdOolAFxF6b/s1600/sat2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmCn8l3Y3i_mNoMKKyw1Uv4WeVyJRmB73xrvYN4PjJXzWeIU7CFbRXQnWLy6eaAqqVaCqoDWh4FSVQM4jxlF8WEEVp8Bzdp3eW5dumNflSvImCQ-Vv3LdKgShyphenhyphenu0WIWe4jhdOolAFxF6b/s400/sat2.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><img alt="Weight Watchers Online" id="m_imgWWLogo" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/1033/logo_print.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px;" /><br /><img id="m_imgDotLine" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/1033/dots_537.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; height: 1px; width: 537px;" /><br /><br /><b><i>PointsPlus®</i></b> Tracker entries<br /><br /><b>Saturday, January 14, 2012</b><br /><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="width: 412px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" colspan="2"><b class="boldgray">Morning</b></td></tr><tr><td><span class="value-ff-left" style="float: none;">1  large banana(s)</span></td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ff-right" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>0</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td>Diana McMuffin</td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ffnon" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>8</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><b class="boldgray">Subtotal</b></td><td><b>8</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2"><b class="boldgray">Midday</b></td></tr><tr><td><span class="value-ff-left" style="float: none;">1  item(s) Light Multi-Grain English Muffin</span></td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ff-right" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>3</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td>1  serving(s) Kirkland Salmon Burger</td><td><br /><center><div class="value-b" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>4</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td><span class="value-ff-left" style="float: none;">2  medium pear(s)</span></td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ff-right" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>0</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td>1  serving(s) Litehouse Dressing & Dip, Lite Bleu Cheese</td><td><br /><br /><center><div class="value-b" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>2</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td><span class="value-ff-left" style="float: none;">1  cup(s) fat-free skim milk</span></td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ff-right" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>2</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td><span class="value-ff-left" style="float: none;">1/3 cup(s) uncooked onion(s)</span></td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ff-right" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>0</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td>1  tsp olive oil</td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ffnon" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>1</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><b class="boldgray">Subtotal</b></td><td><b>12</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2"><b class="boldgray">Evening</b></td></tr><tr><td>4 1/2 serving(s) Orville Redenbacher Caramel Popcorn</td><td><br /><br /><center><div class="value-b" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>22</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td>3/4 serving(s) California Pizza Crispy Thin Sicilian (3/4 entire pizza)</td><td><br /><br /><center><div class="value-b" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>21</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td>8  oz red wine</td><td><br /><center><div class="value-ffnon" style="display: block; float: none;"><b>7</b></div></center></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><b class="boldgray">Subtotal</b></td><td><b>50</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2"><b class="boldgray">Anytime</b></td></tr><tr><td><i>No entries for this meal time.</i></td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><b class="boldgray">Subtotal</b></td><td><b>0</b></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><b class="boldgray">Food <i>PointsPlus</i> values total used</b></td><td><b>70</b></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><b class="boldgray">Food <i>PointsPlus</i> values remaining</b></td><td><b>0</b></td></tr><tr><td align="left" colspan="2"><b class="boldgray"><b>Activity</b></b></td></tr><tr><td><i>No entries for activity.</i></td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><b class="boldgray">Activity <i>PointsPlus</i> values earned</b></td><td><b>0</b></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Check off these important items daily:</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 386px;"><tbody><tr><td>Liquids<br /><img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> </td><td>Milk & Milk Products<br /><img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> </td></tr><tr><td>Fruit & vegetables<br /><img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> </td><td>Multivitamin/Mineral<br /><img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> </td></tr><tr><td>Healthy Oil<br /><img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox_checked.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> <img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> </td><td>Activity<br /><img alt="" border="0" height="11" src="http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images/checkbox.gif" width="11" /> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br />

And I thought I didn't do that bad yesterday...ROFL!

It was a 70-Point day yesterday. Wow! What's so crazy about it is that I thought I was doing okay by not going totally overboard.I eyed all the Valentine's Day candy last night at the grocery store, but walked by it without picking up a single packag…

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LEPTIN RESISTANCE: NOT DURING THE HCG PROTOCOL

I have been asked on numerous occasions why I don't discuss leptin resistance, or even mention the fact that all science speculates that the more leptin you produce the less it works. First, I am not an expert. I am a motivated person who really appreciates explanation for why and how things works. If there isn't an answer I'm not afraid to work to find one that might make some sense of things. Second, the idea that there is leptin resistance is because scientists are still not quite sure why the body is doing what it's doing because there is still an incredible amount of research to be done, and leptin resistance is an easy way to explain that something changes from what we'd expect, which creates a point of diminishing returns. To make this easier to understand: leptin resistance = more doesn't function the same as less.<br /><br />I see leptin from two angles:<br />1) Leptin within the endocrine system,<br />2) and leptin within fat cells for fueling purposes.<br /><br />The science of leptin began in the brain, observing the function of hunger. When obese mice have elevated leptin levels they won't eat, even when they have an abundance of food available. The feeding behavior of mice is very predictable based on their hypothalamic (brain) leptin levels. Because the method of thought has been (and for most still is) to assume "calories in vs. calories out" all fat people, based on this concept, have to eat more than they expend in a day (which could total more than 4000 calories per day). Scientists have assumed fatter people must be hungry all the time and therefore must be eating, <em>all the time</em>. NOT TRUE. They first hypothesized the more fat a person had, the less leptin they have which is why they must eat all the time. Well, that turned out to be false. The more fat you have, the exponentially higher your leptin levels are.<br /><br />In order to eat as many calories it requires to gain fat, they speculated there must be a problem with leptin that would force Americans to eat so much. They have to be hungry all the time, so there must be some resistance. Now this is where I have observed the opposite. <br /><br />The more fat a person has the less hunger they have, and the less they eat relative to their expenditure. Per calorie burned they eat less then their leaner counter parts! (ready why skinny b*tches eat more) Mice may not eat when their leptin levels are elevated, but put a bunch of Americans in a room with food, and there is no discussion of hunger but instead, how good the food must taste, how deserving we are to eat it for whatever reason, and it's free! Eat up! Eating in our culture has NOTHING to do with hunger. NOTHING.<br /><br />Here's what I've observed: the more fat a person has the less hunger they experience- whether they are on the protocol or not. More fat = less frequency of hunger.  (read my blog on why breakfast isn't as important as we thought it was)<br /><br /><em>Where leptin resistance does make complete sense is within the endocrine system and team of organs that directly work for and against leptin</em>. As fat cells multiply, and new fat cells are bigger and more explosive than the original fat cells, the amount of leptin a person is capable of producing grows at an accelerated rate. A serious problem occurs when corresponding organs can't grow in size and cannot create the correlated response at the same rate. For example, as fat accumulates and more and more leptin is produced, the pancreas is challenged to match the output of leptin with insulin. As fat cells get bigger, and continue to multiply, the pancreas hits a rate limit that can no longer match the output of leptin, <em>unless the pancreas were to grow in size</em>. There comes a point where it is impossible for the pancreas to excrete insulin at the level that fat is excreting leptin, because fat cells outweigh and outnumber what the pancreas is capable of.  The only solution would be for the pancreas to grow in size (which is impossible) or to inject insulin to match the output of leptin from fat.<br /><br />On the other hand, if leptin suppresses an organ, the more leptin you have the more suppressed the organ becomes. For example, leptin in the anterior pituitary suppresses the signal to the adrenals. The adrenals stimulate your fight-or-flight response and produce hormones that help you feel active, motivated, and excited. The more leptin you have the more suppressed the activation from the brain is to the adrenals. However, there is a point where the adrenals can't suppress any lower because those organs would die. My point is that each organ that corresponds to leptin has a limit and the more leptin you have there does come a point where that organ can no longer respond. <em>This would be leptin resistance.</em><br /><br />Lets discuss leptin and it's function in fat cells. Each fat cell produces over six hormones! Leptin has been the main focus of science because of it's influence on the entire endocrine system, and also because of it's control over fueling from fat cells and energy homeostasis. This is where I believe there is no leptin resistance. Why? Because fat cells can increase in size and can multiply and spread, so there is no limit with the function that leptin has within fat cells for fuel. The more leptin you have the more fuel is released. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">THE MORE LEPTIN YOU HAVE THE MORE FUEL IS RELEASED! </div><br />There is no cap, no rate limit, no resistance. Otherwise, every obese person would be in continual starvation with severe hunger, have severe drops in blood glucose uncountable times daily, would have muscle wasting, and would have difficulty gaining fat. If there was leptin resistance in fat cells, there would be a limit to how much leptin is created, how much fuel is released, there would be a limit to how much fat is gained, and there would be a bell curve graph to fat's function as more fat is accumulated. This is NOT the case. The curve is an exponential curve, that shows only acceleration. As fat increases, leptin levels increase even more. If fat cells were "leptin resistant" there would be a point of deceleration within the function of fat and this is not the case.<br /><br />If leptin resistance does not apply to the function within fat cells and energy fueling, then the body has the ability to adapt, to create more fat cells, and to and store more fuel, which would make sense based on the human body's need to survive chronic famine. I believe, based on what I've witnessed and observed through thousands of hCG protocols, fat metabolism doesn't have resistance to leptin which is why hunger is not resistant to leptin either. Hunger is in direct proportion to fueling and is communicated in response to maintain fueling balance. This is why I never force anyone to eat breakfast, meals, or pre-portioned food  because hunger is a better assessment of fueling needs then anything else.  The more fat you have the more fuel you get, the less frequent you experience hunger, and the less hormonal need you have for food. It is that simple.<br /><br />So I speculate that corresponding organs that cannot grow in size to match fat's growth will absolutely have leptin resistance. Fat on the other hand, has no resistance to leptin due to the fact that as leptin increases so does fat cell count, and so does fat's fueling function. <br /><br />I COULD BE WRONG, BUT IF I WAS- THE HCG PROTOCOL WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE.

LEPTIN RESISTANCE: NOT DURING THE HCG PROTOCOL

I have been asked on numerous occasions why I don't discuss leptin resistance, or even mention the fact that all science speculates that the more leptin you produce the less it works. First, I am not an expert. I am a motivated person who really appr…

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I want my life back

I keep telling myself things will get better, that I will be able to enjoy my old life again. I never thought my life was that great, but after all the BS I've gone through recently I realized I had a pretty decent life. It's funny how you never appreciate what you had until it's taken away from you.<br /><br />I spent yesterday morning talking to the local sheriff's department and the Fairbanks police department. I was trying to find out what I could do to protect my sister from my crazy niece until I get a court ordered restraining order against my niece (which hopefully I can get this week).<br /><br />Everyone was very kind and helpful. They told me to write up a brief synopsis of my niece's issues, along with her physical description and a picture of her, a copy of my guardian papers and strict instructions to call 911 if they see my niece on the premises. Then give the synopsis to the police. I felt like I was putting together a "wanted poster" on her. It made me sad that it has come to this, but she's forced my hand by threatening to get on the next plane and fly down here to see her mother. Luckily it's an adult family home with only six residents and one caregiver, plus the owner that lives across the street and pops over all the time. It's not a huge facility so they can easily keep an eye on who comes into the home.<br /><br />Then I spent three hours visiting my sister yesterday. I cut her bangs short, which she prefers. The hair stylist that cut her hair last week made long bangs that swept to the side. I knew my sister hated them because she kept fussing with them. Then I put makeup on her and gave her a manicure with pretty pink polish. She's still a beauty, even at 73 and all she's gone through. I sat at the dinner table with her and two other ladies as she ate her food perfectly with her left hand.<br /><br />Although my sister was happy when I got there, she was not having the greatest day. For the most part it was good, but she gets really frustrated that I can't understand her. I get frustrated because she gets mad and starts to cry. I can't figure out what is wrong, then she scrunches up her face and tries to hold back the tears. I hate it. I know there's going to be a transition time for both of us and we just have to get through it until things settle down and we fall into a routine. I really wish we could communicate better. That's the hardest part.<br /><br />After dinner she went to bed, which is her normal routine. Under the instruction of the home caregiver I lifted my sister into bed. She weighs almost nothing. Maybe 130 pounds. I expected her to be much heavier. I dressed her in her soft, new pajamas that I had just bought and washed the night before. She was complaining her back hurt her but she'd been up since 7am and it was 6pm. For a woman that had been bedridden 24/7 for the last four months it's pretty amazing that she's up and in her wheelchair or the a recliner all day for the last six days. She takes her meals at the dining room table and not in her bed. She likes to wheel around he huge house in her wheelchair or sit in her favorite recliner in the family room and watch a little TV.<br /><br />By the time I got home I was mentally and physically drained. I'd had a really healthy breakfast and lunch (about 500 calories total), and I was starving. I had stopped at the store to get some groceries. BIG MISTAKE. I was so tired I wanted something easy for dinner. I bought a frozen California Pizza on thin crust, some Orville Redenbacher Caramel microwave popcorn, along with a ton of there stuff, but the pizza and popcorn were going to be my dinner.<br /><br />By the time I got home it was 8pm. My husband was asleep. I ate 3/4 of the pizza (810 calories) and a bag of the popcorn (850 calories). Today I'm actually going to go back and put all this in my Weight Watcher tracker. I know it was more than I was suppose to eat, but what can I say. It was a hell of a day. I'm not use to talking to police departments and putting together wanted posters. I overate. Big deal. Today I'll be back at the gym and back on track (I went to the gym four out of five days last week). I'm not sweating the small stuff anymore, I have too much big stuff to get freaked out about now.<br /><br />My main goal is to settle into some type of routine visiting schedule with my sister. Spending most of my day on sister stuff isn't really working for me. I want to spend time on some Diana stuff too. I just need to find the balance. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

I want my life back

I keep telling myself things will get better, that I will be able to enjoy my old life again. I never thought my life was that great, but after all the BS I've gone through recently I realized I had a pretty decent life. It's funny how you never appr…

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Staat kann Österreichs Banken nicht genügend Kapital zur Verfügung stellen

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AVX1doBeg0Vj47T8VPeNXifjGXK2-vg2T55OhnE08n9xgjrdt96BlTAXeORNndfegHOkomGB4q9HRo8I38S5YGy-aoAubejYZ8NttpGMKCbrGc5kxcpDTPP1I4gwfI7hPc_UYseyzvvB/s1600/306682_m3t1w456h320q75v36623_Fotolia_6717435_Subscription_XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AVX1doBeg0Vj47T8VPeNXifjGXK2-vg2T55OhnE08n9xgjrdt96BlTAXeORNndfegHOkomGB4q9HRo8I38S5YGy-aoAubejYZ8NttpGMKCbrGc5kxcpDTPP1I4gwfI7hPc_UYseyzvvB/s400/306682_m3t1w456h320q75v36623_Fotolia_6717435_Subscription_XL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Darüber findet man keine Schlagzeile in Österreichs Tageszeitungen:</b></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Osteuropa-Abschwung: Österreich fehlt Kapital zur Bankenrettung </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Artikel aus Deutsche-Mittelstands-Nachrichten</span></span></div><br />Die erwartete Rezession in Ungarn, Rumänien und Bulgarien gefährdet die österreichischen Banken massiv. Nun stellt sich heraus: Die Republik hat nicht genug Geld für einen Banken-Bailout. <br /><br />Das starke Engagement österreichischer Banken in Osteuropa bedroht die Institute nun wegen der schlechten Konjunkturprognosen. Sollten die Banken Hilfe vom Staat brauchen, um ihre Geschäfte im Osten abzusichern, könnte ihnen die Republik Österreich ihnen nicht genügend Kapital zur Verfügung stellen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuys8HH6L5T8YhflTvjqwzOyWD6RG0W2hJDWe0ihEtkB3V2duOYuezdJBJ3A2F1vn4mFMV66-36yqBMX1abGIcgJOcYUbt1MkHirYjRFt21xPBoFHzuuRbeUUx4h2mBsReNcVU3QePc9cq/s1600/Austria_banks_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuys8HH6L5T8YhflTvjqwzOyWD6RG0W2hJDWe0ihEtkB3V2duOYuezdJBJ3A2F1vn4mFMV66-36yqBMX1abGIcgJOcYUbt1MkHirYjRFt21xPBoFHzuuRbeUUx4h2mBsReNcVU3QePc9cq/s320/Austria_banks_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Das Risiko vor Zahlungsausfällen nimmt zu, weil sich die wirtschaftliche Situation in Europa verschlechtert. Bei der Präsentation der aktuellen Wachstumsprognose der europäischen Wirtschaft in Brüssel wurde deutlich, wie ernst die Lage ist: „Wir leben in angespannten Zeiten. Dieser Ausblick ist ein letzter Weckruf. Der Aufschwung in Europa ist zum Stillstand gekommen und die Aussichten sind düster“, sagte der EU-Kommissar für Wirtschaft und Währung, Olli Rehn bei der Pressekonferenz über die wirtschaftliche Lage.</div><br />Nicht nur das angeschlagene Italien, das bisher die Berichterstattung beherrschte, ist eine Gefahr. Rehn geht davon aus, dass einige Staaten große Verluste erleiden werden – auch wenn der Eurozone als Ganzes eine Rezession im Jahr 2012 erspart bleiben sollte. Unter den Ländern, die besonders betroffen sein werden, weil sie zu wenig gegen ihre Defizite unternehmen, nannte der Wirtschaftskommissar auch Ungarn, einen der größten Schuldner Österreichs.<br /><br /><b>Die Rating-Agenturen haben das Risiko für Österreich erkannt</b>: „Die österreichische Regierung könnte nicht die Kapazität haben, alle Auslandsgeschäfte der großen heimischen Banken zu stützen“, schreiben Analysten der Rating-Agentur Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in einem Bericht. Die Risikobewertung der österreichischen Bankenbranche hat unter der massiven Beteiligung einiger Geldhäuser in Osteuropa gelitten: S&P stufte Österreich in der Risikoskala der Bankenbranche diese Woche um eine Position ab. Es rangiert nun auf der dritten von zehn Risikostufen.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCSsqrH6zmHsUmd51ekDhaiI1n3DXx0SQAUAFW7ZoJ-ENPsg8zdnpZE6VxmqvRNZWiOGZccHyTubU-EtxUqfQD1wCsefiuni8Oern27eie8xTXgIz20oJIbAAt5ZxYcJ4zOZvwGkChplT/s1600/Stratfor+diagram+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCSsqrH6zmHsUmd51ekDhaiI1n3DXx0SQAUAFW7ZoJ-ENPsg8zdnpZE6VxmqvRNZWiOGZccHyTubU-EtxUqfQD1wCsefiuni8Oern27eie8xTXgIz20oJIbAAt5ZxYcJ4zOZvwGkChplT/s320/Stratfor+diagram+3.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br />In den vergangenen beiden Jahren hatte die österreichische Regierung neun Milliarden Euro als Garantien für Banken bereitgestellt. Die Gewährung der Garantien wurde allerdings nicht auf Österreich beschränkt. Zwei Drittel dieser Gelder sind noch verfügbar. Sie würden aber bei weitem nicht ausreichen, um die Risiken der Osteuropa-Geschäfte abzudecken. Insgesamt haben heimische Banken fast 194 Milliarden Euro in Staaten wie Rumänien, Ungarn oder Tschechien zur Verfügung gestellt. Zu den Schuldnern zählen Regierungen und Unternehmen genauso wie private Haushalte. Dies geht aus den Statistiken der Bank für Internationalen Zahlungsausgleich hervor. Demnach sind österreichische Banken die größten Geldgeber in Osteuropa. Besonders betroffen sind die Erste Bank und die Raiffeisen Bank.<br /><br />Die Erste Bank musste erst vor wenigen Wochen massive Wertberichtigungen wegen fauler Kreditversicherungen vornehmen.<br /><br />Erste Bank, Raiffeisen, Hypo und die Österreichische Volksbanken AG haben angekündigt, keine weiteren Hilfen vom Staat mehr in Anspruch nehmen zu wollen. Keine besonders heldenhafte Aussage, weil die Mittel ohnehin nicht ausreichen: Wenn nämlich auch nur ein Bruchteil der österreichischen Kredite in Osteuropa tatsächlich platzt, kommen die Banken mit sechs Milliarden Euro an Garantien nicht weit.

Staat kann Österreichs Banken nicht genügend Kapital zur Verfügung stellen

Darüber findet man keine Schlagzeile in Österreichs Tageszeitungen:Osteuropa-Abschwung: Österreich fehlt Kapital zur Bankenrettung Artikel aus Deutsche-Mittelstands-NachrichtenDie erwartete Rezession in Ungarn, Rumänien und Bulgarien gefährdet die ös…

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Look at this interactive heart!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The internet is full of amazing animations and infographics that can really aid our visual learners. I love this explanation of how the heart works which is found at <a href="http://www.explania.com/en/channels/health/detail/the-human-heart">http://www.explania.com/en/channels/health/detail/the-human-heart</a><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Explore the embedded infographic below </span></b></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">This interactive infographic explains the anatomy and function of the human heart. Follow the instructions on the inforgraphic and use it to see how the blood flows through the different chambers and valves. Visualize the blood flow inside the heart using using the scroll bar provided on the infographic. </span> </span><br /><br /><object align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="305" id="animation342" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.explania.com/api/1.0/?method=animations.getPlayer" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="FlashVars" value="id=342&language=en&embedded=true&type=infograph" /><embed src="http://www.explania.com/api/1.0/?method=animations.getPlayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="305" bgcolor="#ffffff" flashvars="id=342&language=en&embedded=true&type=infograph"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.explania.com/en/channels/health/detail/the-human-heart">The Human Heart </a> - <a href="http://www.explania.com/">Explania</a><br /><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Classroom application</span></b></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This could be a very useful supplement resource for a Life Sciences teacher. More examples of animations and videos can be found at:</span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Medical animation library: </span></span><a href="http://www.pennmedicine.org/health_info/animationplayer/">http://www.pennmedicine.org/health_info/animationplayer/</a></li><li style="font-family: inherit;">Interactive Biology: <a href="http://www.interactive-biology.com/">http://www.interactive-biology.com/</a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Interactive Biology on YouTube: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/InteractiveBiology" style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.youtube.com/user/InteractiveBiology</a></li></ul></div>

Web tools Look at this interactive heart!

The internet is full of amazing animations and infographics that can really aid our visual learners. I love this explanation of how the heart works which is found at http://www.explania.com/en/channels/health/detail/the-human-heartExplore the embedde…

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