The WeLoveSchmoop Fund is Now Open!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hola caring and decent folks! Jayman here. So, as you probably know, our friend and Matt-Man’s BFF/OSP Schmoop has been going through quite the medical ordeal over the last six weeks or more. I won’t go through all of it, but you probably remember that she turned yellow back in October. Needless to say Matt-Man and others found this to be a bit disconcerting.</div><br />Schmoop ended up going to the hospital there in Bagwine and after a couple of days of tests and poking and prodding (Ed. Note: That’s Hot!) they said “Welp. You have a blocked bile duct, but we don’t know what to do about it. Better send you over to tOSU Med Center.” <br /><br />After eight days there and tons more tests they finally drilled a hole through the blocked bile duct and put a tube in Schmoop (which is still in her) to drain the bile that was building up. Now that she is back to a normal color and back up to her playing weight, they are ready to go in and remove the mass that was blocking the bile duct. <br /><br />This surgery will last anywhere from 3 to 7 hours and might include cutting out parts of her pancreas, liver and stomach depending on whether or not they can get the mass easily and whether or not it’s cancer. <br /><br />Wait, I said I wasn’t going to go into all the details, didn’t I? <br /><br />Okay, here’s the deal. Schmoop’s boss created a situation where she was unable to draw the unemployment benefits that HE TOLD HER TO APPLY FOR! So, because of that, she has missed out on at least six weeks of UE benefits. Needless to say this lost income has left Schmoop and Matt in pretty dire economic circumstances. <br /><br />On Monday I got an email from <a href="http://amidlifescrises.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dana Lu</a> with an idea of what we could do. She said we should set up a PayPal Acct for people to donate to so that Matt and Schmoop won’t end up homeless. I had been thinking of the same idea so we agreed to <s>see what Matt-Man thought of it</s> tell Matt-Man that we were going to do it. At first he didn’t like the idea, but eventually gave into my reasonable reasoning with him. <br /><br />The idea is to try to help Schmoop recover the income she lost during this time that she has been denied UE benefits. So, with the help of <a href="http://amidlifescrises.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dana</a>, here is a handy dandy little button that you can click on and make a donation to the WeLoveSchmoop Fund! <br /><br />You don’t even need to have a PayPal acct. You can donate using your debit and credit cards. Just click the button and then put in the amount you want to donate (it’s up to you, no fixed amounts or minimums are set) and then over on the left side it tells how to use your debit or credit card. Or, if you do have PayPal you can donate by sending the money to the official email of the WeLoveSchmoop Fund which is ….<br /><br /><a href="mailto:weloveschmoop@yahoo.com" target="_blank">WeLoveSchmoop@yahoo.com </a><br /><br />It’s so simple even I can do it!!! <br /><br />So there you go folks, a chance to help a great human being whom we all love so very much. The donate button will also be on the right sidebar here for the next few weeks. This isn’t an open-ended thing and we won’t badger you (much) to donate. But, GIVE TIL IT HURTS PEOPLE! <br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" /><br /><input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><br /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><br /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /><br /><br /><br /></form></div>

The WeLoveSchmoop Fund is Now Open!

Hola caring and decent folks! Jayman here. So, as you probably know, our friend and Matt-Man’s BFF/OSP Schmoop has been going through quite the medical ordeal over the last six weeks or more. I won’t go through all of it, but you probably remember th…

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Aspirin, the 2,000-Year-Old Wonder Drug - NYTimes.com

<div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">The inexorable rise in health care spending, as all of us know, is a problem. But what's truly infuriating, as we watch America's medical bill soar, is that our conversation has focused almost exclusively on how to pay for that care, not on reducing our need for it. In the endless debate about "health care reform," few have zeroed in on the practical actions we should be taking now to make Americans healthier.</span><nyt_text><div id="articleBody"><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">An exception is Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, who is setting new standards that we would do well to adopt as a nation. In the last several years, he's changed the city's health code to mandate restrictions on sodas and trans fats — products that, when consumed over the long term, harm people. These new rules will undoubtedly improve New Yorkers' health in years to come.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Such bold moves prompt a provocative question: when does regulating a person's habits in the name of good health become our moral and social duty? The answer, I suggest, is a two-parter: first, when the scientific data clearly and overwhelmingly demonstrate that one behavior or another can substantially reduce — or, conversely, raise — a person's risk of disease; and second, when all of us are stuck paying for one another's medical bills (which is what we do now, by way of Medicare, Medicaid and other taxpayer-financed health care programs).</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">In such cases, encouraging a healthy behavior, or discouraging an unhealthy one, ought to be a matter of public policy — which is why, for instance, we insist on vaccinating children for the measles, mumps, rubella and polio; we know these preventive strategies save lives.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Under that rationale, then, why not make it public policy to encourage middle-aged people to use aspirin?</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Developed in 1897 by the German chemist Felix Hoffmann, aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, has long proved its value as an analgesic. Two millenniums before that, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used its active ingredient — which he extracted from the bark and leaves of the willow tree — to help alleviate pain and fevers.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Since then, we've gained insight into both the biological mechanism and the effects of this chemical compound. Many high-quality research studies have confirmed that the use of aspirin substantially reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, the evidence for this is so abundant and clear that, in 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force strongly recommended that men ages 45 to 79, and women ages 55 to 79, take a low-dose aspirin pill daily, with the exception for those who are already at higher risk for gastrointestinal bleeding or who have certain other health issues. (As an anticoagulant, aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding — a serious and potentially deadly issue for some people.)</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">New reports about aspirin's benefits in cancer prevention are just as convincing. In 2011, British researchers, analyzing data from some 25,000 patients in eight long-term studies, found that a small, 75-milligram dose of aspirin taken daily for at least five years reduced the risk of dying from common cancers by 21 percent.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">In March, The Lancet published two more papers bolstering the case for this ancient drug. The first, reviewing five long-term studies involving more than 17,000 patients, found that a daily low-dose aspirin lowered the risk of getting adenocarcinomas — common malignant cancers that develop in the lungs, colon and prostate — by an average of 46 percent.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">In the second, researchers at Oxford and other centers compared patients who took aspirin with those who didn't in 51 different studies. Investigators found that the risk of dying from cancer was 37 percent lower among those taking aspirin for at least five years. In a subsection of the study group, three years of daily aspirin use reduced the risk of developing cancer by almost 25 percent when compared with the aspirin-free control group.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The data are screaming out to us. Aspirin, one of the oldest remedies on the planet, helps prevent heart disease through what is likely to be a variety of mechanisms, including keeping blood clots from forming. And experts believe it helps prevent cancer, in part, by dampening an immune response called inflammation.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">So the question remains: given the evidence we have, why is it merely voluntary for physicians to inform their patients about a health care intervention that could not only help them, but also save untold billions in taxpayer dollars each year?</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">For some men over the age of 45 and women over 55, the risks of taking aspirin outweigh any benefits — and patients should talk with their doctors before taking any medication, including something as familiar as aspirin.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">But with such caveats in place, it still ought to be possible to encourage aspirin's use in those for whom the potential benefits would be obvious and the risks minimal. Just as we discourage smoking through advertising campaigns, for example, shouldn't we suggest that middle-aged Americans speak to their doctors about aspirin? Perhaps pharmacists or even health insurance companies should be enlisted to help spread the word about this disease-prevention drug?</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">The right policy will have to be hammered out, of course. But if we're going to address the country's sky-high medical bill, we're going to have to address the need for Americans to be active in protecting their own health.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Everyone may want the right to use tobacco products and engage in other behaviors that are unequivocally linked with disease — or have the right not to wear a seat belt and refrain from other actions that may protect their well-being. But, if so, should society have the obligation to cover the costs of the consequences?</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">As the former Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart once said, "There is a big difference between what we have the right to do and what is right to do." Health care reform should, at long last, focus on the latter.</p></div></nyt_text><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/opinion/the-2000-year-old-wonder-drug.html?src=me&ref=general&pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/opinion/the-2000-year-old-wonder-drug.html?src=me&ref=general&pagewanted=print</a></span>

Aspirin, the 2,000-Year-Old Wonder Drug - NYTimes.com

The inexorable rise in health care spending, as all of us know, is a problem. But what's truly infuriating, as we watch America's medical bill soar, is that our conversation has focused almost exclusively on how to pay for that care, not on reducing …

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Firm Faces #18: Bennetts Associates Architects

What a difference a week makes. Last week my friend Eric tipped me off to the crew at <a href="http://www.bennettsassociates.com/">Bennetts Associates Architects</a> sporting some obviously fake 'staches:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bennettsassociates.com/practice/people/"><img alt="bennetts1.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/bennetts1.jpg" title="Bennetts Associates Architects" /></a><br /><br />But today the facial hair is gone (for the most part):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bennettsassociates.com/practice/people/"><img alt="bennetts2.jpg" src="http://www.archidose.org/Blog/bennetts2.jpg" title="Bennetts Associates Architects" /></a><br /><br />The stunt was actually part of <a href="http://uk.movember.com/">Movember UK</a>, which is part of a <a href="http://www.movember.com/">worldwide network</a> that aims "to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer." Here is Bennetts Associates Architects <a href="http://uk.movember.com/team/901937">profile at Movember UK</a>; looks like they raised just over £800. Not bad.

Firm Faces #18: Bennetts Associates Architects

What a difference a week makes. Last week my friend Eric tipped me off to the crew at Bennetts Associates Architects sporting some obviously fake 'staches:But today the facial hair is gone (for the most part):The stunt was actually part of Movember U…

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Doors of Ranelagh

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Christmas wreaths on the street where I live!</span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Can you guess which is my door?!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kUx0ysCYT3fiuW4EVYd0UqMHAKsHbYZMUGtRt9pp_jbKllCrAG6Qkw7vLaaoDr5Suin0glSUO0jF_gjTyZFrkEd7ugmw4_CgHvZfeiAtFoKcMYeA4ZUIj6U0KilCw2KENQ645bgPHpZC/s1600/20121212_151045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kUx0ysCYT3fiuW4EVYd0UqMHAKsHbYZMUGtRt9pp_jbKllCrAG6Qkw7vLaaoDr5Suin0glSUO0jF_gjTyZFrkEd7ugmw4_CgHvZfeiAtFoKcMYeA4ZUIj6U0KilCw2KENQ645bgPHpZC/s400/20121212_151045.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sodPAJhufSwa4Qw8qXfcoDa_cwstKgTfHU2JNwEO5FZNuj_OLg0NQWvQmGdTMaPjvF5ysYmxWvF4zHjXWddEZ_yyt_1_-IDP9k6v7tt8yGk5Ih5Io-5iAnIwMaDgIrKmVdNq_zRnqMnf/s1600/20121212_151115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sodPAJhufSwa4Qw8qXfcoDa_cwstKgTfHU2JNwEO5FZNuj_OLg0NQWvQmGdTMaPjvF5ysYmxWvF4zHjXWddEZ_yyt_1_-IDP9k6v7tt8yGk5Ih5Io-5iAnIwMaDgIrKmVdNq_zRnqMnf/s400/20121212_151115.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mj5ekvckGDVNetFp7YJcZLFEeNR-gXlZWARs4nlJJgyjGBBnsC0k-v5Z1-ujctVrY27H70rt7g61cwO45BTnZ3Q3Pi_3rOVQaUzksgbEYfEBXhXvjmWWcEUW1tYUfe0h-CT3daWPEDrx/s1600/20121212_151102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mj5ekvckGDVNetFp7YJcZLFEeNR-gXlZWARs4nlJJgyjGBBnsC0k-v5Z1-ujctVrY27H70rt7g61cwO45BTnZ3Q3Pi_3rOVQaUzksgbEYfEBXhXvjmWWcEUW1tYUfe0h-CT3daWPEDrx/s400/20121212_151102.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUQUaPgf03DN4asLx1qxsyyKWYvgWNCuDlXnWvj-V_iQ1bog-iG8bpk7vg79bi0Fh5dM_moIQsrsrgE6hmmOX5J9LKrD7E42FKecKvMzNvRO6si_JS9RgOcydT9pNqb5Ytp-19bfH0k3T/s1600/20121212_150911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUQUaPgf03DN4asLx1qxsyyKWYvgWNCuDlXnWvj-V_iQ1bog-iG8bpk7vg79bi0Fh5dM_moIQsrsrgE6hmmOX5J9LKrD7E42FKecKvMzNvRO6si_JS9RgOcydT9pNqb5Ytp-19bfH0k3T/s400/20121212_150911.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYbA6oPoWTYWlhB7wr3FmOJqLNujuiOahW3n3j7gn94oZ6M1VD63dmCuxEBL2rp_N1wa1UyDYmIQArCp-nH_voJ0MWMnPR2nCtOAE4B3ouMFp5FqKxSOhlnphJyZ0NFSfsDbBoOwbGJ8V/s1600/20121212_150943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYbA6oPoWTYWlhB7wr3FmOJqLNujuiOahW3n3j7gn94oZ6M1VD63dmCuxEBL2rp_N1wa1UyDYmIQArCp-nH_voJ0MWMnPR2nCtOAE4B3ouMFp5FqKxSOhlnphJyZ0NFSfsDbBoOwbGJ8V/s400/20121212_150943.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYoJRWlZfIFulRTZQ0OQsrPmRcEgwLoeCuzLmM5RijYxRBq4zNco5a2XdctW9hlVYGE5z31kVoaydzzz-h3thMyx1nbzHEYIovLHl8X8rqiMzMCpF8HHR4pqn5dFuzRM3_aoRmkxty9V1/s1600/20121217_083602.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYoJRWlZfIFulRTZQ0OQsrPmRcEgwLoeCuzLmM5RijYxRBq4zNco5a2XdctW9hlVYGE5z31kVoaydzzz-h3thMyx1nbzHEYIovLHl8X8rqiMzMCpF8HHR4pqn5dFuzRM3_aoRmkxty9V1/s400/20121217_083602.jpg" /> </a> </div>

Doors of Ranelagh

Christmas wreaths on the street where I live!Can you guess which is my door?! …

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Mamma Chia

<div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Mamma Chia Drinks</b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am never afraid to try a new product whether it's a drink or food. I came across these drinks at Whole Foods last night and bought some to try.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love learning how products come up with their names. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Let me talk to you about Mamma Chia first.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">What is Mamma Chia?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mamma Chia is a drink with chia seeds and organic fruit juices in it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Known fact that chia seeds were prominent in Aztec and Mayan diets in pre-Columbian times also a part of religious ceremonies. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chia seeds is one of the healthiest whole foods around!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">These drinks are packed with nutrients, fiber, protein and calcium to keep you energized.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So if you are looking to dump the usual energy drinks that are no good for you, try a Mamma Chia today!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They come in a variety of flavors as well!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tvTgX_tomO5lcYUxzNq8KvxCa7WSuH3ydnMy2SV3FGETwd2XpRYGh0FzlAqYlQqhQdpTqDloUN2tApREkHLN7yoJTxErBCCAkznsmKKx3-zxpgOSUfLQ36Mc-T4mTmE-krbID30nSOE/s1600/Mamma+Chia+Coconut+mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tvTgX_tomO5lcYUxzNq8KvxCa7WSuH3ydnMy2SV3FGETwd2XpRYGh0FzlAqYlQqhQdpTqDloUN2tApREkHLN7yoJTxErBCCAkznsmKKx3-zxpgOSUfLQ36Mc-T4mTmE-krbID30nSOE/s320/Mamma+Chia+Coconut+mango.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Coconut Mango- </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">My first choice was the Coconut Mango to try because I am a huge fan of coconut products.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When twisting the cap off it smells amazingly delicious.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I took my first sip and was amazed at how good it was.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To me it has the texture of Bubble Tea, which I love!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The flavor wasn't too overpowering.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I love how they come in glass bottles, clever idea!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Interested in trying their products?<br /><br />Look them up here on these pages!<br /><br /><b>Raspberry Lemonade-</b><br /><b><br /></b>If you are looking for summer in a bottle then this is it!<br /><br />Loved how you could really taste the lemonade.<br /><br />This drink reminds me of the summer time because it also has Coconut water in it!<br /><br /><b>Guava-</b><br />Love this flavor!<br /><br />It's not too sweet.<br /><br />Made with pineapple juice concentrate, guava puree,lemon and lime juice.<br /><br />Great Guava taste and not strong at all.<br /><br />Such a refreshing drink.<br /><br /><br /><b>Websites-</b><br /><b><a href="http://www.mammachia.com/">Mamma Chia</a></b><br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MammaChia1?fref=ts">Face Book </a><br /><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MammaChia1">Twitter </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>

Mamma Chia

Mamma Chia DrinksI am never afraid to try a new product whether it's a drink or food. I came across these drinks at Whole Foods last night and bought some to try.I love learning how products come up with their names. Let me talk to you about Mamma Ch…

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Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/12/2012

<ul class="diigo-linkroll"> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://blog.bufferapp.com/new-iphone">How to get the most out of the new Buffer iPhone app | The Buffer blog: productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and business.The Buffer blog: productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and busines</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">A refreshingly basic guide to the new buffer from the Bufferapp people. </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/buffer">buffer</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/social">social</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/media">media</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/introverts-video-million-views/">'Power of Introverts' Video Is a Surprise Viral Hit</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">The new viral video doesn't show spunky, loud people showing out -- no, it is a non-native English speaker dubbed over a hand-drawn video about the Power of Introverts. With over a million views, this video is being shared and reshared. It is vital to value those of us who tend to be more introverted. This has definitely resonated. As quoted from Mashable, "Still, less than two weeks after its release, "The Power of Introverts" has racked up an impressive 1 million views on YouTube. Based on the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, the video is illustrated and narrated by Daniel Widfeldt Lomas, a Swedish-born former student at the New York Film Academy. It's the first in a series of videos that expounds on Cain's theories. (The second one just launched and can be found here.)"</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/introverts">introverts</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/video">video</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/viral">viral</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/12/11/the-apple-microsoft-spat-over-app-store-fees-could-shape-the-future-of-both-office-and-ipad/">The Apple-Microsoft spat over App Store fees could shape the future of both Office and iPad - The Next Web</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">In a huge turn of irony, at least if one considers how Bill Gates began his programming career, a spat over Office 365 coming to the ipad and Apple's desire to get 30% commissions for anyone signing up for the service if it originates on the ipad, may mean that office 365 won't come to the ipad at all. The evolution of the platform to tablet devices is critical to software companies and yet, many balk at the steep cut some like Apple take. It is interesting to watch, but there is a bigger issue here. Microsoft continues to have the best Office suite, but, as with Google Drive, many move because of a lack of ubiquity and collaborative ability driven by the walls erected by Microsoft in their traditional, but understandable proprietary system. I have to think that there are bigger issues at stake for Microsoft here. These are interesting times, to say the least, as I sit here watching Batman on my Apple TV streaming via the wifi and read this article on my ipad as I blog in the den using a bluetooth logitech keyboard. </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/microsoft">microsoft</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apple">apple</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/destress-for-success-christopher-pepper">Help Students De-Stress for Success | Edutopia</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Often schools are very good at adding stress to the lives of students, but do we teach kids how to handle stress? This article from edutopia talks about how to help students de-stress.</p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/stress">stress</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/health">health</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/health_teacher">health_teacher</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/twitter-photo-filters-hands-on/">Hands On With Twitter's New Photo Filters</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Twitter has new photo filters powered by Aviary (an incredible tool that you can add for free, the last time I checked, to your school's Google apps for education account) it is easy to use. This article from mashable covers the changes but wonders if it is enough to pull people away from Instagram, who pulled the "twitter cards' feature earlier this week as more social media organizations try to claim "mine mine" over their users and don't want to share. Meanwhile, those who benefit, tend to be those who share the most. </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/photography">photography</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/social">social</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/media">media</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://www.ncwit.org/resources/ruthefarmer/k-12-packet">K-12 Packet | National Center for Women & Information Technology</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">Computer science is the innovation engine today, while right now most schools just ask students to use computers. This K12 resource pack from NCWIT (National Computing & Women in Technology) is a great set for all guidance counselors and curriculum coordinators to review to understand career tracks and advice to give students who want to move into the very important STEM fields. Base your facts on education not on describing the only person you know who ended up in computers. </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/computer_science">computer_science</a></p> </li> <li> <p class="diigo-link"> <a href="http://marketingland.com/buffer-upgrades-web-iphone-app-with-new-look-features-28325">Buffer Upgrades Web & iPhone App With New Look, Features</a> </p> <p class="diigo-description">If you're an educator and you want to manage a Twitter account and share with others, I highly recommend the Buffer app. This tool lets you schedule tweets when most people read (later in the day into the night) even if the only time you have to schedule tweets is early morning or late afternoon (like me). You can also tweak buffer with other apps.This article gives an outline to the updates that have just happened to the app. </p> <p class="diigo-tags"> <span>tags:</span> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/social">social</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/media">media</a> <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a></p> </li> </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='http://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 12/12/2012

How to get the most out of the new Buffer iPhone app | The Buffer blog: productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and business.The Buffer blog: productivity, life hacks, writing, user experienc…

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