Noir City X...and a look at upcoming classics festivals

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjWxyAN5_HgjrtEC88z8bbm3WZzwRuajvyhICRGj2H0Q6W0Z1lPAwPynLpLmRTiuUFk_mdqO0GM8N0zWy_IWa7pJTQxCFxi0hGKyfM5h2zU3J1O9f3k8DbUPQK0oobf53aqkUMbKIaTMf/s1600/naked+alibi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjWxyAN5_HgjrtEC88z8bbm3WZzwRuajvyhICRGj2H0Q6W0Z1lPAwPynLpLmRTiuUFk_mdqO0GM8N0zWy_IWa7pJTQxCFxi0hGKyfM5h2zU3J1O9f3k8DbUPQK0oobf53aqkUMbKIaTMf/s1600/naked+alibi+2.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span id="goog_1955017720"><span id="goog_1955017728"></span><span id="goog_1955017729"></span></span><span id="goog_1955017721"></span><span id="goog_1955017733"></span><span id="goog_1955017734"></span></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><u>Noir City X, San Francisco</u> </span></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">January was a busy, busy month in my reel and real lives this year, but I still managed to squeeze in one night of lust and murder thanks to <i>Noir City X</i>, San Francisco's 10th annual film noir festival, a ten day event that ran from the 20th through 29th.</span><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Noir City</i>, presented by the locally headquartered Film Noir Foundation and masterminded by the organization's founder, Eddie Muller, is the one festival I'll never miss...even in the midst of a serious case of <i>Vertigo</i>. The line up for <i>Noir City X</i> featured many well-known classics: <i>Dark Passage</i> (1947) with Bogart and Bacall, Otto Preminger's genre defining <i>Laura </i>(1944), <i>Gilda </i>(1946) - wherein Rita Hayworth sizzled her way to film immortality, Preston Sturges' dark and hilarious <i>Unfaithfully Yours </i>(1948), <i>The Glass Key </i>(1942) based on a Hammett novel and starring the other iconic noir couple of the '40s, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. Two adaptations of <i>The Maltese Falcon </i>screened, the original Roy Del Ruth 1931 version with Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels, and John Huston's 1941 Bogart-Astor-Greenstreet-Lorre masterpiece. In addition, on January 21, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">festival guest of honor Angie Dickinson was interviewed by Muller on stage between screenings of two of her crime thrillers, <i>The Killers </i>(1964) directed by Don Siegal and John Boorman's <i>Point Blank</i> (1967).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As always, the festival also presented many not-so-well-known, even obscure films noir. And it was to see one of these rough-cut little gems that a friend and I met at San Francisco's enduring movie palace, The Castro Theatre, on Thursday night, January 26.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Naked Alibi </i>(1954) was a film unknown to me until I saw it listed on the festival program and the names of those top-billed got my attention. Sterling Hayden plays a cop out for vengeance, Gloria Grahame is the "border town bad girl" who gets under his skin and Gene (<i>Bat Masterson</i>, <i>Burke's Law</i>) Barry is a murder suspect released from custody for lack of evidence. Billed as an "ultra-rare potboiler," we chose <i>Naked Alibi</i> based on curiosity (the stars, that title) and its spot on the festival schedule (a good movie night for both of us).</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lXpKLYzYvps" width="420"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It may be ultra-rare, but <i>Naked Alibi</i> is also pretty slight stuff, even for a '50s B-movie. Hayden and Grahame deserve most of the credit for keeping things interesting - though Barry is an entertaining eyeful as an upstanding citizen/psycho with a hair-trigger temper. These three and the border town setting - plus an enthusiastic full-house audience - made <i>Naked Alibi</i> worth the price of admission.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Being in a festival frame of mind, I thought it timely to survey a few upcoming classics fests... </span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><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/AVvXsEghq5yb5yVXvP6lgAuLDeQaNyGaFmiT2UT_KEBK1tdIYY4vIPZFZV-2hd1uJhvsGgC8ElHdN4zVrZY-rnuY1jcXoiXM6m9NHQkeA9NaKRKRXoN67DasPTGw15Nb0cDyaGApbmWIswe8qLOd/s1600/moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghq5yb5yVXvP6lgAuLDeQaNyGaFmiT2UT_KEBK1tdIYY4vIPZFZV-2hd1uJhvsGgC8ElHdN4zVrZY-rnuY1jcXoiXM6m9NHQkeA9NaKRKRXoN67DasPTGw15Nb0cDyaGApbmWIswe8qLOd/s320/moon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Trip to the Moon</i> (1902) in color</td></tr></tbody></table><u><b>T</b><b>he Kansas Silent Film Festival, Topeka, KS</b></u></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><u></u></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />The 16th annual <a href="http://www.kssilentfilmfest.org/" style="color: #990000;">Kansas Silent Film Festival </a>begins this Friday, Feb. 24, and runs through Saturday, the 25th, at Washburn University in Topeka - and it's free to the public!</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This year the festival will screen the newly restored hand-colored version of George <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Méliès</span></span></b><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">' </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">classic short, <i>A Trip to the Moon </i>(1902) on Saturday night. It is believed this color version, featured during the opening of the 2011 Cannes film festival as well as in  Martin Scorsese's <i>Hugo</i> (2011), was not seen by the public for more than 80 years.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Also on the schedule:</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Maurice Tourneur's <i>The Wishing Ring (1914) </i></span></span></span><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">accompanied by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra</span></span></span><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i> </i></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>The Clinging Vine </i>(1926) starring <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/08/father-and-mother-were-movie-stars.html" style="color: #990000;">Leatrice Joy</a>, with organ music by Marvin Faulwell</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>The Cure </i>(1917) starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance, with music by Greg Foreman </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>Alice in the Jungle </i>(1925), a Walt Disney cartoon - with music by Phil Figgs</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>Tramp, Tramp, Tramp </i>(1926) starring Harry Langdon, with music by Jeff Rapsis</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>Way Down East </i>(1920) starring Lillian Gish, accompanied by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>Sugar Daddies </i>(1927) starring Laurel & Hardy, with piano music by Marvin Faulwell</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Fritz Lang's <i>Spies </i>(1928) - with music by Greg Foreman</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>He Did and He Didn't </i>(1916) starring Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, </span></span></span><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">accompanied by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><i>Monte Cristo </i>(1922) starring <a href="http://classic-film-tv.blogspot.com/2010/08/about-john-gilbertan-interview-with.html" style="color: #990000;">John Gilbert</a>, with organ music by Marvin Faulwell and percussion by Bob Keckeisen</span></span></span><br /><br /><b><u><span class="style53"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Cinefest 32, Syracuse, NY</span></span></span></u></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHdpABA28Asgc1QkZAXeWUiNMg6Wq1exGXQYsm12mPvnCID25Udgl-oiPj5sHowJU7QJGwt9VBzYlrocWliyO54KBh1Hu-SQAxCj3JWueZNQM_BJhGXre9n9AxiEDvToVE2XXHuD0ktxW/s1600/Love-Thy-Neighbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHdpABA28Asgc1QkZAXeWUiNMg6Wq1exGXQYsm12mPvnCID25Udgl-oiPj5sHowJU7QJGwt9VBzYlrocWliyO54KBh1Hu-SQAxCj3JWueZNQM_BJhGXre9n9AxiEDvToVE2XXHuD0ktxW/s320/Love-Thy-Neighbor.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Coming up March 15 - 18 is <a href="http://www.syracusecinefest.com/" style="color: #990000;">Cinefest 32</a> in Syracuse, New York. The schedule promises a variety of screenings and much more for the dedicated classics buff.<br /><br /><span id="goog_1955017755"></span><span id="goog_1955017756"></span>A small sampling of the vintage motion pictures to be shown: Douglas Fairbanks in a film thought to be long-lost, <i>Mr. Fix-it </i>(1918), Clara Bow in <i>Get Your Man </i>(1927), Carole Lombard in <i>Matchmaking Mama </i>(1928), Sylvia Sydney in <i>Confessions of a Co-ed </i>(1931), Barbara Stanwyck in <i>Red Salute </i>(1936), Jack Benny and Fred Allen in <i>Love Thy Neighbor</i> (1940).<br /><br />Also on the bill: Eileen Bowser, former curator of the film department of the Museum of Modern Art, archivist/preservationists David Shepard and Ron Hutchinson of the Vitaphone Project and film historian Leonard Maltin, who will host a 'Sunday Morning Auction.' <br /><br /><b><u>TCM Classic Film Festival, Hollywood, CA</u></b><br /><br />The third annual <a href="http://www.tcm.com/festival/" style="color: #990000;">TCM festival</a> will run from April 12 - 15 this year - the setting is Hollywood and the mood glamorous...some schedule highlights:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7rzRlAQCTwsSVw6I18qupev_XnWrm-chO8xx1ddHFJy1-n8RMsccTPW1fIH_qNAmXzHW_K9ZfV0kNauxEHriSDFlEoGQ89aFXERdnEHU9n2NhLQxidgYWlabDIGV93pSfT8_2M_rzAes/s1600/funny+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7rzRlAQCTwsSVw6I18qupev_XnWrm-chO8xx1ddHFJy1-n8RMsccTPW1fIH_qNAmXzHW_K9ZfV0kNauxEHriSDFlEoGQ89aFXERdnEHU9n2NhLQxidgYWlabDIGV93pSfT8_2M_rzAes/s320/funny+face.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Audrey Hepburn will be saluted as a style icon with screenings of <i>Funny Face </i>(1957), <i>Sabrina </i>(1954) and <i>Two for the Road </i>(1967). Film noir will get a nod with <i>Cry Danger </i>(1951), <i>Gun Crazy </i>(1950) and <i>Raw Deal </i>(1948). The legendary costumes of iconic Paramount designer Travis Banton will be spotlighted with <i>Nothing Sacred </i>(1937) on the star he loved to dress most, Carole Lombard. Deco design will be highlighted with screenings of <i>Our Dancing Daughters </i>(1928), <i>Swing Time </i>(1936) and <i>The Women </i>(1939). The breathtaking list goes on: <i>Cabaret </i>(1972), <i>Casablanca </i>(1942), the two great American films of 1974<i> - Chinatown </i>and<i> The Godfather Pt. II,</i> <i>Grand Illusion </i>(1937), <i>Singin' in the Rain </i>(1952), <i>Wings </i>(1927). Guests will include Liza Minnelli, Rhonda Fleming, Debbie Reynolds, Marsha Hunt, Peggy Cummins, Joel Grey, producer Robert Evans, the Film Noir Foundation's Eddie Muller and others yet to be announced, plus TCM hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz.<br /><br />Meanwhile, beginning March 1, <i>The Road to Hollywood</i> will get under way and bring the TCM Festival to 10 cities around the U.S. and north of the border - New York, Minneapolis, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Denver and Portland. I hope you live near one of them! <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_jYsu9UH2woQJkRnIWq4kYVMIAVc3Rvb_fXbAKQFlYgwScepDBpg7r3J5NlU4j8f54sfNiGa2zQPI4PXxkKSUeQyRySdUkXjUFXIZTzYyCciRyGyFfzrUyqW37RLMu2nDGnhXrcjyN4bv/s1600/Crashout+07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jYsu9UH2woQJkRnIWq4kYVMIAVc3Rvb_fXbAKQFlYgwScepDBpg7r3J5NlU4j8f54sfNiGa2zQPI4PXxkKSUeQyRySdUkXjUFXIZTzYyCciRyGyFfzrUyqW37RLMu2nDGnhXrcjyN4bv/s1600/Crashout+07.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Crashout </i>(1955) - Kennedy, Bendix and Talman</td></tr></tbody></table><b><u>The Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival, Palm Springs, CA</u></b><br /><br />The 12th annual <a href="http://arthurlyonsfilmnoir.ning.com/" style="color: #990000;">Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival</a> is set for May 10 - 13 in sunny Palm Springs. The schedule and guest roster aren't up yet, but in past years, the Lyons festival has featured such films as the ultimate Joan Crawford noir vehicle, <i>The Damned Don't Cry </i>(1950) with genre heavy and hunk-o'-man Steve Cochran,  <i>Loophole </i>(1954) with Dorothy Malone, Barry Sullivan and the sublime Charles McGraw, <i>Crashout </i>(1955) with Arthur Kennedy, William Bendix and another noir favorite, William Talman, and <i>The Underworld Story</i> (1950) with Dan Duryea and Herbert Marshall.<br /><br />The festival is a Palm Springs Cultural Center presentation and was founded by Arthur Lyons, mystery writer, film historian and author of <i>Death on the Cheap: The Lost B-Movies of Film Noir</i>. Lyons died suddenly in 2008 at age 62, but the festival that bears his name continues on.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><br />More classics festivals loom in the future - in places like Columbus, OH, El Paso, TX, Chicago, San Francisco and, of course, Hollywood. I'll try to post updates from time to time and if there's a festival coming to your area that you'd like mentioned, just let me know: <a href="mailto:ladyevesidwich@gmail.com" style="color: #990000;">ladyevesidwich@gmail.com</a> ...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival Cinefest Film Noir Kansas Silent Film Festival Naked Alibi Noir City TCM Classic Film Festival The Lady Eve (author) Noir City X...and a look at upcoming classics festivals

Noir City X, San Francisco January was a busy, busy month in my reel and real lives this year, but I still managed to squeeze in one night of lust and murder thanks to Noir City X, San Francisco's 10th annual film noir festival, a ten day event that …

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News About Syria: Information or Propaganda?

<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">  <b style="color: blue;">Illusions</b></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3RUesZhNy7E?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This video was published the 19 Feb 2012. In it, PAUL Jay's question asked Sharmine Narwani, writer and Middle Eastern political analyst if indeed a humanitarian  crisis was about to unfold in Syria to which she responded that  she asked the International Committee of the Red Cross, how many requests for emergency medical assistance did they receive in 2011 from various towns and cities across Syria? And the answer absolutely shocked her. <b><u>The answer was one</u></b>. One day later, as if on command, BBC published a report citing ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross requesting a humanitarian truce in order to deliver aid packages and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">  <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17095888">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17095888</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2000084697"><br /></a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/assad-dilemma.html%20">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/assad-dilemma.html </a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/syrian-regime-likely-to-survive-upraise.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/syrian-regime-likely-to-survive-upraise.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/nato-rules-out-military-intervention-in.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/nato-rules-out-military-intervention-in.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/08/food-for-thought.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/08/food-for-thought.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/syria-international-war-mongering-or.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/syria-international-war-mongering-or.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/food-for-thought.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/11/food-for-thought.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/as-i-see-it.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/as-i-see-it.html</a></div><div style="color: red; text-align: center;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/syria-cause-and-effect.html</a></div>

News About Syria: Information or Propaganda?

  IllusionsThis video was published the 19 Feb 2012. In it, PAUL Jay's question asked Sharmine Narwani, writer and Middle Eastern political analyst if indeed a humanitarian  crisis was about to unfold in Syria to which she responded that  she asked t…

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Checking In

Happy Monday everyone! I have to say I'm *slightly* jealous of those of you who have the day off for President's Day! I wasn't ready to wake up this morning...Adelyn wasn't either, so we all piled in Mommy & Daddy's bed & snuggled! Ok...back to the point of my post...<br /><br />One of my monthly goals was to go to my Weight Watchers weigh in, no matter what. Well I couldn't go on my normal Thursday meeting because of being short staffed in my office. But I stayed true to my goal and weighed in on Thursday.<br /><br />Oh you wanted to know the results of the weigh in? Well thank you for asking...down 1.2lbs!!! I was pretty happy to see that! Only 1.8lbs and I'll meet my Feburary weight goal of 174lbs by 2.29.12. Totally doable!<br /><br />And I will leave you with some sweetness...but don't worry this sweetness doesn't have any calories and won't be added to your hips! Love her!! (this is her favorite toy these days, she could sit in front of the fridge & play for hours)<br /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711279884990478450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhC-m0LkFRwUy06QUoOhI8wqq05UquEPqNb6FtX1iU8KmpeIbA4YFyogRUbB2gK7k0eF4i_fqodNpwPF_ChvADwFPcheUZcGdKjME7jmCdmO8XH4DaF2ahXcqVghtz0JP5rGZA-YHdvePN/s400/IMG_10957.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 291px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" />

Checking In

Happy Monday everyone! I have to say I'm *slightly* jealous of those of you who have the day off for President's Day! I wasn't ready to wake up this morning...Adelyn wasn't either, so we all piled in Mommy & Daddy's bed & snuggled! Ok...back to the p…

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very first birthday

Party people in the house! We had a birthday celebration this weekend to celebrate Eve's very first birthday. We've been getting a little stir crazy from the long winter, so we were in the mood for a party. And who wouldn't want to party with this girl?!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rNCJQQI_mE19t8qcO0egt-bRgvjuennnBifDIv1UefbtYmmrcuNX7RKNrqeC6EXT6TveavqYVeTerfn1uGk_Efz9WsQfz9DIWGwc6x0P6-Z0e2cY4mjXFvZInyhX72L_pL7J5EAtsH0z/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rNCJQQI_mE19t8qcO0egt-bRgvjuennnBifDIv1UefbtYmmrcuNX7RKNrqeC6EXT6TveavqYVeTerfn1uGk_Efz9WsQfz9DIWGwc6x0P6-Z0e2cY4mjXFvZInyhX72L_pL7J5EAtsH0z/s640/-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />First up, alert the public. I went the <strike>lazy</strike> green route and used digital invites from <a href="http://www.paperlesspost.com/" target="_blank">Paperless Post</a>. This is one great site. We're talking well designed stuff people, not some crappy evite. Their selection is awesome and they manage your responses to boot. Two thumbs up to Paperless Post.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M9PdwKMiOVUC6MBq16oJZMMQuawOUTXGt_45VjsO8TdeLZJl2PoLCRzTlfW-MRJtZuOw4m4nsEL2bv3SkDdWt9YIpbtFCCAxN6MIrnL0LjI623plhj8aW_DekOZGhEfO1E5lpz5zFstk/s1600/PaperlessPostInvite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M9PdwKMiOVUC6MBq16oJZMMQuawOUTXGt_45VjsO8TdeLZJl2PoLCRzTlfW-MRJtZuOw4m4nsEL2bv3SkDdWt9YIpbtFCCAxN6MIrnL0LjI623plhj8aW_DekOZGhEfO1E5lpz5zFstk/s200/PaperlessPostInvite.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br />Now let's raise the roof and get crafty. It was time to pull out all of those things I've pinned and thought "I'll try that someday."  First up, a DIY Yarn Wreath I saw on <a href="http://blog.effortless-style.com/2010/11/diy-yarn-wreath/" target="_blank">Effortless Style</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVVj96rA7-4TAHBm3QBFholZKgkI2t7kIhMEo2j8DstzbCdQX_HfQ1VxWXfaV0q46UzzIu_D9q16eqASw_2MnwY_AzpI9rYFc9zAneHbqOxHpyT7Byv6nR3Ox-T6sMtV9pbYz4z8LAWIk/s1600/P2184108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVVj96rA7-4TAHBm3QBFholZKgkI2t7kIhMEo2j8DstzbCdQX_HfQ1VxWXfaV0q46UzzIu_D9q16eqASw_2MnwY_AzpI9rYFc9zAneHbqOxHpyT7Byv6nR3Ox-T6sMtV9pbYz4z8LAWIk/s640/P2184108.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was really very simple - just a Styrofoam wreath form and some yarn. Wrap yarn until covered. Two things to note though - this does take a wicked amount of yarn. Being yarn ignorant I had no idea how much to get so I ended up having to go back for more. One super large yarn roll should suffice. Also, this is a 2 1/2 Top Chef episode project (for you non Top Chef fans, that's about 2 1/2 hours). So make sure to give yourself the time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXdq6_vyFBsXyd1XV4HcegTMmORj0SIiZz2Jd_boTbrY_QgYBIZpgbZ-6UrsA-7NJQOm4rmQKSGlTDjMNNlycUKHD2GwHQ8bmrtOfbyez5OIOYHYWMMv8gvbLr-me_2q9Hjc2fxnFslHx/s1600/P2194474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXdq6_vyFBsXyd1XV4HcegTMmORj0SIiZz2Jd_boTbrY_QgYBIZpgbZ-6UrsA-7NJQOm4rmQKSGlTDjMNNlycUKHD2GwHQ8bmrtOfbyez5OIOYHYWMMv8gvbLr-me_2q9Hjc2fxnFslHx/s640/P2194474.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /> Instead of several small flowers, I went with one big Carrie Bradshaw flower. Very season 3.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqv1uFRwIWEhK9Rjde8sMoR6A1y037nlkhbgzKvwoZxLBySLmm_dPJhxImN9VOSZCOUnf7Mm0nOO4Sl6J8-3ASNQKijK7liyo3Nqb7nfZOz4yz0dVvBxHeMxA64UW2_Mn3FCzH9Nye24K/s1600/P2184110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqv1uFRwIWEhK9Rjde8sMoR6A1y037nlkhbgzKvwoZxLBySLmm_dPJhxImN9VOSZCOUnf7Mm0nOO4Sl6J8-3ASNQKijK7liyo3Nqb7nfZOz4yz0dVvBxHeMxA64UW2_Mn3FCzH9Nye24K/s640/P2184110.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />You may remember my Dollar Store obsession paying off with my <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/12/good-enough-to-eat.html" target="_blank">Peppermint Wreath</a>. Well that place rocked it again by supplying me with lots and lots of gum balls.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv4ULq4Ezy2xrRIX_YkH7KHy41nM1IY-SSWBd5S3tJN0hrEyMBfHFSYyAmfMz89DZK7vWvo8Ou3dGvXXnzXGl6JobHl-OOlowWbrkHL4hGMS-wZDX1w6Fgv8eDKXCxGQAI1Ah8__-_JGs/s1600/P2184126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv4ULq4Ezy2xrRIX_YkH7KHy41nM1IY-SSWBd5S3tJN0hrEyMBfHFSYyAmfMz89DZK7vWvo8Ou3dGvXXnzXGl6JobHl-OOlowWbrkHL4hGMS-wZDX1w6Fgv8eDKXCxGQAI1Ah8__-_JGs/s640/P2184126.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I'm not much of a 'theme' person, but I did find myself using polka-dot (surprise surprise) type things over and over again. So for those party people in need of a theme - let's go with polka dots. Colorful gum balls = polka dots.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g9apFK8LrOS0IJLhA1mHfOs38KFp0MNVxauI2jILgs6vVUa5OuVTK9bGmZjXYwF1791z5r1bLdgeIhS6s-LB82gWoOraHOAP4O8y5Kw_0yr4DvhFdwO1n-SSHH6qXTnbRFSo2zWkteRv/s1600/P2184127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g9apFK8LrOS0IJLhA1mHfOs38KFp0MNVxauI2jILgs6vVUa5OuVTK9bGmZjXYwF1791z5r1bLdgeIhS6s-LB82gWoOraHOAP4O8y5Kw_0yr4DvhFdwO1n-SSHH6qXTnbRFSo2zWkteRv/s640/P2184127.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />I found the wooden letters for $.99 and the wooden circle thingys (what would you call those) in the dollar bin at Michael's. They were originally naked wood, so I dressed them in white and attached them with some pink grosgrain ribbon and my trusty glue gun.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM_-ZOALCNiqnDy1EEOowvRYeogI25krkdoA31R_ugVFjZrAhXX41oOFwpS5Xj86Xo7fq4bpJwehuq1RWrhxAm9pJE64mzfqZ6n7U4JasREMOPsxEF91cDORYeDcih4XfQGhT1OX_aGyE/s1600/P2194462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM_-ZOALCNiqnDy1EEOowvRYeogI25krkdoA31R_ugVFjZrAhXX41oOFwpS5Xj86Xo7fq4bpJwehuq1RWrhxAm9pJE64mzfqZ6n7U4JasREMOPsxEF91cDORYeDcih4XfQGhT1OX_aGyE/s640/P2194462.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The design fairy was on my side as Eve works perfectly with the rule of threes.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFld5pWegKY77qzY9T828uUKDt2YYl9Qiv8j5evPKeK3qEAUdXg9_AwHugPqWTvCEm_gj7tUzPKS3wW-VRcup9ZZWM1A__jAqv75w98CMtlglI2UYXBSEQcFNscRZu7KUiEiVMHUFcBppH/s1600/P2184146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFld5pWegKY77qzY9T828uUKDt2YYl9Qiv8j5evPKeK3qEAUdXg9_AwHugPqWTvCEm_gj7tUzPKS3wW-VRcup9ZZWM1A__jAqv75w98CMtlglI2UYXBSEQcFNscRZu7KUiEiVMHUFcBppH/s640/P2184146.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The <a href="http://www.target.com/p/FAVOR-4PK-ICE-CREAM-BUBBLES/-/A-13582851" target="_blank">ice cream cone bubbles</a> from Target worked perfectly for favors, trimmed with polka dot ribbon. Hey, those hydrangeas could act as big huge polka-dots too. Oh this is getting fun. Kind of like Where's Waldo.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaAzKeqxvaTkOWuwsBdw2LEG5OmcheQ4Q4pUfPnKRTth71y4jtyZ7NFPPd22Ubr46a3FwfaF4QmE72usWpOznvuGEmbmvkSWURtZoXL6gZ2qanDNqSqK1_sBX6EEwSLyQrpeYSnGYeEJ/s1600/P2184147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaAzKeqxvaTkOWuwsBdw2LEG5OmcheQ4Q4pUfPnKRTth71y4jtyZ7NFPPd22Ubr46a3FwfaF4QmE72usWpOznvuGEmbmvkSWURtZoXL6gZ2qanDNqSqK1_sBX6EEwSLyQrpeYSnGYeEJ/s640/P2184147.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />Martha Stewart provided me with a paper pom kit that was easy enough for a craft challenged person like myself to follow with no problem. Thank you Martha.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_iFW-VMi1JvLjIi7OgzHb9GuaFI2b8RTqltYQPTgOpZbpJwDbkP-z8x3bnL_Tua9SfLLE9osD2JTtNVs4E_-m2fpYUuLxEAheC9BGO8ocHY2Ddrfs05j_ieNWy9puO-Kp4HfL-sBXdG6/s1600/P2194460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_iFW-VMi1JvLjIi7OgzHb9GuaFI2b8RTqltYQPTgOpZbpJwDbkP-z8x3bnL_Tua9SfLLE9osD2JTtNVs4E_-m2fpYUuLxEAheC9BGO8ocHY2Ddrfs05j_ieNWy9puO-Kp4HfL-sBXdG6/s640/P2194460.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />More polka-dot ribbon to keep with the non-theme theme.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dRgTYbGuW640wwGgjDNtuJ-hI52VCC1OkCEoUGpuYaLRAQt1OUT5ThDOsfBNz3pfPmDFLnJtzTaQVFaQ5cldOYkxuATRBowUDtFtC3-2KVXSzjE2ZEBNV3iXNTR8C3LUjrel1cV6BxGW/s1600/P2194461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dRgTYbGuW640wwGgjDNtuJ-hI52VCC1OkCEoUGpuYaLRAQt1OUT5ThDOsfBNz3pfPmDFLnJtzTaQVFaQ5cldOYkxuATRBowUDtFtC3-2KVXSzjE2ZEBNV3iXNTR8C3LUjrel1cV6BxGW/s640/P2194461.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />Eve is a hard core meat lover (we are so proud) so I made meatball sandwiches (polka-dots get it?) along with fruit kabobs and tomato, basil and mozzarella sticks. OK, so maybe I am getting into this polka-dot theme.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIkOrlDUp3EPVnFkzNMhL29DIXjuZGGoNHdWoKBEeiheGE4ZRGKbCaky7dg3dmXI8Ppmc_eEOwUbCn7-MUuogGzv3Ft-G6zPkkjQ89LWwj_fMLkFQIsG0TvLtxODtqnGlzUytdNxF_YdG/s1600/P2194498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIkOrlDUp3EPVnFkzNMhL29DIXjuZGGoNHdWoKBEeiheGE4ZRGKbCaky7dg3dmXI8Ppmc_eEOwUbCn7-MUuogGzv3Ft-G6zPkkjQ89LWwj_fMLkFQIsG0TvLtxODtqnGlzUytdNxF_YdG/s640/P2194498.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were vegetables on this spread, I promise. Mental note- make sure everything is on the table <i>before</i> taking pictures.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />And of course, what is a birthday party without a cake.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoJof-lTodYaGDPHGGgIlexfvY9CPA0lhI83GjNMkTmbpJztjRs2ipvcp0cAmIbijEQItPuBbTt0WbWxyQXSYUi56YbDkwgb33zQ8QMZRbPjiu57lVPXWaRJ_IUxO01uZu2xG9IZ4rn6N/s1600/P2184138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoJof-lTodYaGDPHGGgIlexfvY9CPA0lhI83GjNMkTmbpJztjRs2ipvcp0cAmIbijEQItPuBbTt0WbWxyQXSYUi56YbDkwgb33zQ8QMZRbPjiu57lVPXWaRJ_IUxO01uZu2xG9IZ4rn6N/s640/P2184138.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Most importantly the birthday girl approved.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYn6zutdqTqUgCuGQmboHI3NZQ7597jDF7B51AYMpKb8orEgZEwvYSu8MPXXOvs3chiiZQwEfQSNefafJb4YDrJyatgc-vdXkjKy9wcQl1Qmq3l17b6zrAmGkpuJhXPkFGbzx_7iZBsqtP/s1600/P2184401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYn6zutdqTqUgCuGQmboHI3NZQ7597jDF7B51AYMpKb8orEgZEwvYSu8MPXXOvs3chiiZQwEfQSNefafJb4YDrJyatgc-vdXkjKy9wcQl1Qmq3l17b6zrAmGkpuJhXPkFGbzx_7iZBsqtP/s640/P2184401.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAKetjH5ikkXm8Z7YY0Z97KA9aAo-W2UJ_w7avvdPeaVj-IACgn4TpNZa39SoEsIa3IyMo6qYWBnWR6Q5SR4Sp4uRhb4Wd5OlPY7ahXoxm00HE_wlBmMYe9ijs-6OCLPkuLbrrWWSKAVX/s1600/P2184141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAKetjH5ikkXm8Z7YY0Z97KA9aAo-W2UJ_w7avvdPeaVj-IACgn4TpNZa39SoEsIa3IyMo6qYWBnWR6Q5SR4Sp4uRhb4Wd5OlPY7ahXoxm00HE_wlBmMYe9ijs-6OCLPkuLbrrWWSKAVX/s640/P2184141.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4nWwSTTwTezyKpRlIo-gqftrvTPQ1YsU0nGQo2qknTkLqQWOudcuUsItdKayHmmTUPNqVH3paFVFRvsaNpqIuePwNTKcd2zD9An0H93aascMJ-E9Lq4HvGJNlS9Xrtd4_MGfpjUk5JNF/s1600/P2184240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4nWwSTTwTezyKpRlIo-gqftrvTPQ1YsU0nGQo2qknTkLqQWOudcuUsItdKayHmmTUPNqVH3paFVFRvsaNpqIuePwNTKcd2zD9An0H93aascMJ-E9Lq4HvGJNlS9Xrtd4_MGfpjUk5JNF/s640/P2184240.JPG" width="515" /></a></div>A good time was had by all but I have to say I'm glad its over.  I am pooped out! Thanks to everyone who joined in the celebration. My how quickly a year flies!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br />

very first birthday

Party people in the house! We had a birthday celebration this weekend to celebrate Eve's very first birthday. We've been getting a little stir crazy from the long winter, so we were in the mood for a party. And who wouldn't want to party with this gi…

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DIETS: A WASTE OF YOUR BODY'S INTELLIGENCE

Control is what you pay for when you sign up for a diet or fitness program. You feel insecure about your body in some shape or form. You pay someone who says they have the secret recipe through either food intake or exercise, or both, that will change your body-- thus fixing your insecurity. <br />They give you a list of rules: don't eat this, eat that, burn calories this way, eat at this time, only eat this much, exercise this way, for that long, etc. You succumb to whatever rules they give-- in desperate hope you're body can be transformed into what you think will make you a happier person. Or at least to what will make you feel better about that certain body part you don't like. <br /><br />If the diet plan works, you're left to believe you can't stop, because now you're dependent on it to keep your body secure from regressing back to the way it was. For example, you've lost all of your excess fat with the hCG protocol, yet you still think you need to follow some sort of diet plan to keep you from gaining it all back. You're still dieting and have a diet control mentality, even though your body doesn't need to be under a contstant fueling restriction. <br /><br />You're now controlling even more out of fear you're body is on the verge of regaining. You think you still have leptin resistance, you still believe your body is all messed up, and you still believe you have to diet to keep your fat off, even though you may have less than 30 pounds of fat on your body (which is very lean for a female). The choice to control your body not only perpetuates your feelings of insecurity, but it makes your need for more control even worse. This is like losing weight running half-marathons and such. Then you feel compelled to continue to enlist in races out of fear you'll gain fat back without that type of training. You are now dependent, or at least think you are.<br /><br /><br />Have you ever considered your body's innate subconscious intelligence? That every cell in your body has the capacity to control (of which your conscious mind can't even begin to conceptualize) and maintain homeostasis without your help? Think of it this way, you have a body that your mother's body created perfectly. Did your mother have to meddle in the business of your body to make sure you were created in a way that would survive the climate of our ever changing environment? I have three children and my intelligence can't even start to comprehend how I am (and they are) still alive under the circumstance of labor and delivery!!! What would make us believe that we have even the slightest idea about the capacity of the human body to control itself? How does it maintain life under polar opposite stress, which is under polar opposite stress, in a 4-dimentionsal plane, infinity, and so forth?<br /><br />The idea that we can control the human body stems from insecurity. It is an idea that there is something wrong based on our idea of what is right. But if what is right is based on our limited level of understanding, and our intellectual understanding isn't even a sliver of the body's capacity, aren't we dumbing down the human body to our limited view? The more we know of the human body, the more we recognize our understanding is far less then what we thought. But even with that awareness, food is one thing we do control. We control what it is, when we eat it, how much, and we justify eating for whatever bias we have. But what is the controls by which the body dictates it's need for food? Hunger.<br /><br />If you're not hungry your body isn't communicating the need for food. This concept is similar to urination. If you don't have the sensations to urinate, then you don't have an emmint reason to go to the bathroom. Would you sit on the pot if you didn't have the sense to urinate? Would you go to the bathroom and sit on the toilette for fun? To distract from sad? To celebrate? NO! Then why would you eat without hunger too?<br /><br />Hunger is the foudational signal that it is time for you to prioritize eating. It is the body's own way of controlling your behavior and it is highly reliable as a means to eat less without the need to control your food intake from a diet. Why? Because your body knows more than any business person who created a diet in order increase their profit margins. The human body knows when and how much food you need. Once you've masted listening to hunger and doing as it says, it is then your job to make wise choices with what you eat. <br /><br />Without this trust and teamwork with the body, you'll always seek control, you'll always have to count calories, you'll always need to measure whats coming in and whats going out, and you'll always feel as if your body is messed up. Until you are willing to trust that your body knows much more about what it needs and when, you're at the mercy of someone else'se intellingence. Is their motive to control your food intake for the health of your body or the health of their wallet? Before you enlist in a diet of any type, start by learning your hunger and using it as a guide. Then make the intelligent choice of what to eat.

DIETS: A WASTE OF YOUR BODY'S INTELLIGENCE

Control is what you pay for when you sign up for a diet or fitness program. You feel insecure about your body in some shape or form. You pay someone who says they have the secret recipe through either food intake or exercise, or both, that will chang…

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