Weekend Recap

I knew <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/12/weigh-in-results.html">this weekend</a> was going to prove challenging when it was going to be focused around food!  Alas, I have already blown one of my <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/12/weigh-in-results.html">weekly goals</a>, and so I'm hoping I can somewhat redeem myself for the remaining 4 days I have left in my WW week.<br /><br />But wait!  What happened, you might ask?<br /><br /><b>Half Success</b><br />Saturday I had lunch with some lovely ladies at a local and delicious restaurant called Carlyle.  I had a grilled chicken sandwich with french fries.  I ate half of the sandwich and only a few fries (they were shoe string fries too).  I considered this a huge success.  I even planned to take half of it with me, but forgot the box at the table when we left.  It was probably better that way anyhow!  Then I didn't have to feel obligated to eat the leftovers. <br /><br />After that, I headed to a friend's house to visit.  Her and her husband just bought a house and so we hung out Saturday evening.  I had dinner there and tried to be modest with my eating as much as possible.  Still, I went over my daily Points+ for Saturday.<br /><br /><b>Failure Begins</b><br />Sunday was the big cookie exchange.  Could there be a worse event for a Weight Watcher?<br /><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/AVvXsEjv9vzo-4d0BbNn6y3c3jB5XtUwdh0vsLdaVSpSBP6YTl02ctbCCFw5qdEQs8cX_7bTVDPkOVhEwJWTdR_KEHhNv1kEE-iYuMS4Ho6D_fmV6mVIPjeMiiYWXi2pXAeFBiD9Pb_Af-RdSNg/s1600/Cookie+Exchange+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9vzo-4d0BbNn6y3c3jB5XtUwdh0vsLdaVSpSBP6YTl02ctbCCFw5qdEQs8cX_7bTVDPkOVhEwJWTdR_KEHhNv1kEE-iYuMS4Ho6D_fmV6mVIPjeMiiYWXi2pXAeFBiD9Pb_Af-RdSNg/s400/Cookie+Exchange+015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tempting spread... and this didn't even include the appetizers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>*sigh*  </i></div><br />I spent all day Sunday baking two separate types of cookies, as well as an appetizer (recipes to come for all).  <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/AVvXsEgwQKkwF_BOg58C2FCjXQrKlJ1EgQqjc5y8hsSRWNZKznn2yRx6PolQAWTnlqyZx5IncxsWE1bC6BTga4ECHTsfJn6umcEnuGcJD0WcxFu0INUmFC2GzTqndrnMyYgaIV-a8cWTWECcJsA/s1600/cookie+exchange+013+redone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQKkwF_BOg58C2FCjXQrKlJ1EgQqjc5y8hsSRWNZKznn2yRx6PolQAWTnlqyZx5IncxsWE1bC6BTga4ECHTsfJn6umcEnuGcJD0WcxFu0INUmFC2GzTqndrnMyYgaIV-a8cWTWECcJsA/s400/cookie+exchange+013+redone.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungry Girl Fiesta Bites - 1 Points+ each</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I made Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles (1 Points+ each) from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Book-Limited-Pink-Plaid/dp/0696227320">breast cancer Better Homes & Gardens cookbook</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMt5_4YGrB31GOwy7ZJxUEU_b8mbHvt4ic9ATdBgAmBNht3YTO7FCQZyl8p5NYy5F_tW-ai1Y-YgFJFKHZDnl1BBkz5KC874rfvwTcliJFpDZotGVQ-HdRJo_bT1iQYYRrwrsLCxOeeo/s1600/cookie+exchange+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMt5_4YGrB31GOwy7ZJxUEU_b8mbHvt4ic9ATdBgAmBNht3YTO7FCQZyl8p5NYy5F_tW-ai1Y-YgFJFKHZDnl1BBkz5KC874rfvwTcliJFpDZotGVQ-HdRJo_bT1iQYYRrwrsLCxOeeo/s400/cookie+exchange+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />You can kind of see them in the lower left hand corner of the bowl.<br /><br />I also made Meemaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies from the <a href="http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/the-deen-family-cookbook-hardcover-by-deen-paula/shop/141685/">Deen Family cookbook</a> (3 Points+ each).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCCIdaAz2OVmor3zPAYIpSU6IDAhOu5obQFztMemx20yFq3CT6NiCM5_h2dswyMF1z95qQLwqKAh2IvZeQQ6K-0U2wvpLTI2XTPE3Szao3kQv0msiAbfB77VSMt6a1rb1wkigmzD7Omo/s1600/Cookie+Exchange+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCCIdaAz2OVmor3zPAYIpSU6IDAhOu5obQFztMemx20yFq3CT6NiCM5_h2dswyMF1z95qQLwqKAh2IvZeQQ6K-0U2wvpLTI2XTPE3Szao3kQv0msiAbfB77VSMt6a1rb1wkigmzD7Omo/s400/Cookie+Exchange+011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />They had a million things in them!  But everything I made was sooooo good!<br /><br />Still, as you might imagine, it didn't end well.  Remember how I told the host that I wouldn't be taking any cookies home?  I knew that I would be interrogated by the ladies for why I wasn't taking cookies (that is the entire point to this, afterall!), and I didn't feel like fielding questions.  <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/11/part-1-how-i-approach-ww-in-public.html">I'm still not crazy about sharing my journey with others</a>.  I sampled several (or a million - who's counting?!) cookies.  Still, I brought that entire cookie bag to work today and let those people go at it.   At least that's good right? <br /><br />I kept a few favorites and hid them in the back of my pantry, like these babies:<br />  <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/AVvXsEjrAdOAiyVSKC8IdlQV65L4NjlpqOAJJjFL5Pb-Ybdl5C07SK1h_20DZCuYTQtM4MxXEsATe4DO1NsUmUlEyHyLMGBvYc1ePijuHlop2UzfxxtwRIrxJ-mC2ceWzRipCSNYMKU9ZEeeLkA/s1600/Cookie+Exchange+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAdOAiyVSKC8IdlQV65L4NjlpqOAJJjFL5Pb-Ybdl5C07SK1h_20DZCuYTQtM4MxXEsATe4DO1NsUmUlEyHyLMGBvYc1ePijuHlop2UzfxxtwRIrxJ-mC2ceWzRipCSNYMKU9ZEeeLkA/s400/Cookie+Exchange+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies - kind of taste like <br />Girl Scouts Thin Mints</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Out of site, out of mind... I hope?!  <br /><br />How was your weekend?  Do you participate in a cookie exchange (or something similar) during the holidays?

Weekend Recap Weekend Recap

I knew this weekend was going to prove challenging when it was going to be focused around food!  Alas, I have already blown one of my weekl...

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RESURRECTION OF A CONTINENT

<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Latin America unites in new bloc, US not invited</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thirty-three LATIN AMERICAN leaders have come together and formed a new regional bloc, pledging closer economic and political ties. The Community of LATIN AMERICAN and CARIBBEAN STATES (CELAC) pointedly excludes the USA and CANADA.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">­On the second day of a summit in the VENEZUELAN capital, Caracas, all LATIN AMERICAN leaders, both right and left, officially signed into effect the formation of the CELAC bloc. The foundation of the bloc has been praised as the realization of the two-centuries-old idea of LATIN AMERICAN “independence” envisioned by Simon Bolivar.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Analysts view CELAC as an alternative to the Washington-based ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) and as an attempt by LATIN AMERICAN countries to reduce US influence in the region.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">However Washington does not see CELAC as a replacement to OAS. US Department of State spokesman Mark Toner said the US will continue <i>“to work through the OAS as the pre-eminent multilateral organization, speaking for the hemisphere.”</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Political analysts are of the opinion that the US views CELAC as a potential threat to its hegemony in the region.</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QvgQdiggLfg?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The 33 leaders pledged to withstand the financial crisis that has struck EUROPE and other developed countries. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">BRAZIL’S Dilma Rousseff stressed that the LATIN AMERICAN countries would need to rely more on their neighbors amid the global economic turmoil. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“The economic, financial crisis should be at the center of our concerns,”</i> Rousseff said. She said LATIN AMERICA should<i> “realize that to guarantee its current cycle of development despite the international economic turbulence, it means that every politician must be aware that each one needs the others.”  </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">CHILEAN President Sebastian Pinera, who assumed the initial rotating presidency at CELAC, expressed hopes that the bloc would help build regional cooperation despite the differences between some of the 33 member states.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The leaders also discussed cooperation in the field of drug trafficking and climate change.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">CELAC should be a <i>“political union to build a large power center of the 21st century,”</i> the VENEZUELAN president said, stressing strong regional growth as many countries in the region develop closer ties with ASIA or EUROPE and reduce their traditional reliance on the US.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The formation of CELAC was warmly welcomed by rising global power, CHINA. Hu pledged to deepen cooperation with the CELAC and underlined that in the 21st century the relations between CHINA and LATIN AMERICA have seen all-round and fast development with expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation, according to Xinhua news agency. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The countries of CELAC have a combined population of nearly <b>600 MILLION PEOPLE</b>, and a <b>COMBINED GDP OF ABOUT US$6 TRILLION</b> – about a <u>third of the combined output of the US and Canada.</u></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

RESURRECTION OF A CONTINENT

Latin America unites in new bloc, US not invited Thirty-three LATIN AMERICAN leaders have come together and formed a new regional bloc, pled...

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The Shop Around the Corner (1940): A Lubitsch Christmas

<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><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/AVvXsEhAzt1SDq_UCjXtGsFUectodi0C84FwSFK3utZ78NgblIAlEekAFJSrW5fWEinH4E6ix2pvnwuXQlLjK0VUm0-rh_fOlwIsW0Dtl1_AeFN9lAnmkVw1gUVxcmUq9l44aL8_UMBocYH0BwXx/s1600/Shop-Around-the-Corner+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzt1SDq_UCjXtGsFUectodi0C84FwSFK3utZ78NgblIAlEekAFJSrW5fWEinH4E6ix2pvnwuXQlLjK0VUm0-rh_fOlwIsW0Dtl1_AeFN9lAnmkVw1gUVxcmUq9l44aL8_UMBocYH0BwXx/s1600/Shop-Around-the-Corner+2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It is only occasionally that a film ages with extraordinary grace. Ernst Lubitsch's 1940 classic,</span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Shop Around the Corner</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">, has mellowed in the manner of</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> a rare and prized bottle of Hungarian Tokaji </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Aszú...</span></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><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/AVvXsEiuRVIHjfaog4jbW36Mi0nl9Adt9qc0_NG8ULdtOUOhQOQdj1HO36fe4E2Szz1HL1vhWfxkDRn8GZAFFSufGspKyTMrUuy36bBDnM4slz8dlPgvBGAq8crDBJc7iNx9TUXkUn5gk1B6HR4C/s1600/shop+7+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRVIHjfaog4jbW36Mi0nl9Adt9qc0_NG8ULdtOUOhQOQdj1HO36fe4E2Szz1HL1vhWfxkDRn8GZAFFSufGspKyTMrUuy36bBDnM4slz8dlPgvBGAq8crDBJc7iNx9TUXkUn5gk1B6HR4C/s400/shop+7+a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Balta Street, Budapest</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Director Lubitsch, revered for sophisticated films spun with his light-as-air "touch" and at an artistic peak in 1940, took special care with <i>The Shop Around the Corner</i>. It was one of his favorites of own films, and he wrote, “Never did I make a picture in which the atmosphere and the characters were truer…” This atmosphere is unmistakable. With the first strains of “Ochi Tchornya” heard over Leo the Lion’s roar, in the dreamlike setting near Budapest’s historic Andrassy Street and in unique and distinctive characters, the spirit of old Europe is alive on screen. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Set during Christmastime in the snow-dusted capital, the story follows a series of mix-ups and missteps between employees of a picturesque gift shop in the heart of the city. Two clerks carry on a battle-of-the-sexes while romantically pursuing anonymous pen pals; the shop owner suspects betrayal at home and at work; a duplicitous clerk is up to ugly mischief and a wisecracking errand boy has an eye for the main chance…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><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/AVvXsEidFfYhqjUwui2PBxIzu2Zu2-uYY6knwaNWDL1IrA5th_tx_fpcS6kgoqzdwtD9qdakPeCzKIGAYfXML01IKcNMd9PuzFtI-_AqvGEN0mwDpNb3KROUFdVvKIOHUFz4gDAEoK69Si0JJWzT/s1600/shop+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFfYhqjUwui2PBxIzu2Zu2-uYY6knwaNWDL1IrA5th_tx_fpcS6kgoqzdwtD9qdakPeCzKIGAYfXML01IKcNMd9PuzFtI-_AqvGEN0mwDpNb3KROUFdVvKIOHUFz4gDAEoK69Si0JJWzT/s400/shop+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matuschek's gift shop</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Samson Raphaelson (<i>Suspicion</i>, <i>Green Dolphin Street</i>) penned a screenplay based on Nikolaus (Miklós) László’s play; William H. Daniels (<i>The Naked City</i>, <i>Cat on a Hot Tin Roof</i>) shot it and Werner Heymann (<i>Ninotchka</i>, <i>To Be or Not to Be</i>) wrote the score.<br /><br />A sparkling ensemble cast features several of MGM’s top supporting players. Among them is Frank Morgan in one of his most interesting roles as Mr. Matuschek, the colorful charmer who owns the gift shop. A somber turn in the subplot gives Morgan a chance to portray his character's darker emotions. <br /><br />Peerless Felix Bressart plays the meek/endearing clerk, Pirovich. Versatile Joseph Schildkraut defines ‘loathsome’ as Vadas. Also in the featured cast are Sara Haden, William Tracy and Inez Courtney.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TD7Nsdb1_Lk" width="420"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Felix Bressart and James Stewart</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The legendary  chemistry between stars James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan illuminates the screen. Stewart is at his most appealing as Mr. Kralik, head clerk and right hand man to Mr. Matuschek. In this role, Stewart's broad signature mannerisms are tempered by the sensitivity with which he portrays Kralik's romantic yearnings. But it is Sullavan's performance that mesmerizes. Her Klara Novak, a headstrong shop girl blinded by lofty ideals, is a high-strung romantic whose breathless eagerness is offset by her brittle fragility. </span></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="margin-left: 12.0pt; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"></td></tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><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/AVvXsEhpYhgyPNMYbIptxP_Hmyl3MJRCmrmPA98t_Q00R8XlBuVJHFW_bsPKmzgZ7Awk-yumiW5xTag4zML5nBlKf42iOFQQVKXolb_TdxmRNTE0_HviA802SGGJ-lu4ZfLbAPkbQ0GYghXf5G13/s1600/the-mortal-storm-margaret-sullavan-1940%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYhgyPNMYbIptxP_Hmyl3MJRCmrmPA98t_Q00R8XlBuVJHFW_bsPKmzgZ7Awk-yumiW5xTag4zML5nBlKf42iOFQQVKXolb_TdxmRNTE0_HviA802SGGJ-lu4ZfLbAPkbQ0GYghXf5G13/s400/the-mortal-storm-margaret-sullavan-1940%255B1%255D.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Margaret Sullavan</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Margaret Sullavan was discovered on Broadway by director <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">John M. Stahl</span> (<i>Leave Her to Heaven</i>) who brought her to Hollywood to star in <i>Only Yesterday</i> (1933) with John Boles. By this time Sullavan had already married and divorced Henry Fonda and would soon marry director William Wyler. By 1936 the actress was married to agent/producer Leland Hayward and about to make her best films: <i>Three Comrades</i> (1938), for which Sullavan earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination, <i>The Shopworn Angel</i> (1938), <i>The Shop Around the Corner</i> (1940) and <i>The Mortal Storm</i> (1940). In the last three she co-starred with Stewart. The pair had first worked together on <i>Next Time We Love</i> (1936), a result of Sullavan suggesting her friend Stewart for the part. In <i>The Shop Around the Corner</i>, the third of the their four collaborations, the co-stars seem to all but dance together, such is the rhythm between them. <br /><br />With the closing scenes of <i>The Shop Around the Corner</i>, Lubitsch demonstrates his consummate finesse…</span></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"></td> </tr><tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal"></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><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/AVvXsEiNCGycQSweTQgc_UXeQoQeE7cl4ekvm0DNsOlRbJwl65gzmvsbV2oZw6vrK5tBMuakXS9o-qmd2IsHGPStnDAYw8J2_BzGLumEZTELWC3Yf3Lb-ea3ZSky8pQ1qkuShgusWS8j9BH2FB_N/s1600/shop+5+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCGycQSweTQgc_UXeQoQeE7cl4ekvm0DNsOlRbJwl65gzmvsbV2oZw6vrK5tBMuakXS9o-qmd2IsHGPStnDAYw8J2_BzGLumEZTELWC3Yf3Lb-ea3ZSky8pQ1qkuShgusWS8j9BH2FB_N/s400/shop+5+a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Frank Morgan and Charles Smith</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Mr. Matuschek returns to his store on Christmas Eve to total the day’s receipts, thank his staff and hand out bonuses. It is closing time and as the wistful shopkeeper departs, he says goodnight to, and we have our last glimpse of, most of the other characters as they depart for the holidays. <br /><br />When the shop's new errand boy, Rudy (Charles Smith), emerges, Matuschek takes him under his wing and out to a glorious Christmas dinner of roast goose, potatoes in butter…and “a double order of apple strudel in vanilla sauce.” The two, no longer facing a lonely Christmas Eve, strike up a jubilant rapport.<br /><br />Inside the darkened shop, Stewart and Sullavan move in perfect harmony as Kralik and Klara finally discover each other. This last scene, one of the most deeply romantic and witty ever confected, reveals the distilled essence of Lubitsch’s “touch.”</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcv9y8lr_bVCbjtWt0ieoEsDl2ThvGWLJl-sp30h0rowKzVOJQ-hsazlAOEoBcn0iWk1oNZMAQEfF4FsUIBAFdcTSTIiyTnyOuCUJJAA3rD1eTgEIqYD87voz1x5Afs8Vb0_KjzzWFXaY/s1600/shop+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcv9y8lr_bVCbjtWt0ieoEsDl2ThvGWLJl-sp30h0rowKzVOJQ-hsazlAOEoBcn0iWk1oNZMAQEfF4FsUIBAFdcTSTIiyTnyOuCUJJAA3rD1eTgEIqYD87voz1x5Afs8Vb0_KjzzWFXaY/s400/shop+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>

Ernst Lubitsch Felix Bressart Frank Morgan James Stewart Joseph Schildkraut Margaret Sullavan The Lady Eve (author) The Shop Around the Corner The Shop Around the Corner (1940): A Lubitsch Christmas

It is only occasionally that a film ages with extraordinary grace. Ernst Lubitsch's 1940 classic, The Shop Around the Corner , has mello...

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Global Warfare

<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" id="ViewArticleTable"><tbody><tr style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td align="left" colspan="2" valign="top"><div class="articleTitle"><span style="font-size: large;">Where will Obama’s Strike Next? "Preplanned Wars" will lead to "Preplanned "Results" </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="articleAuthorName"><span style="font-size: large;">by Richard Skaff</span></div><div class="articleAuthorName"></div><div class="articleAuthorName"></div><div class="articleAuthorName"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><div class="bigArticleText" style="margin-right: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>While promoting his book on October 3, 2007 at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco California, former four star general, NATO Supreme commander, politician, hawk, and 2004 presidential candidate Wesley Clark stated in a surprisingly significant speech that the neocons had committed a “policy coup” and took over the direction of American policy but forgot to notify the rest of the country. </i></span></div><div class="bigArticleText" style="margin-right: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Clark went on to say that he met with Donald Rumsfeld in the Pentagon ten days after 9/11. He added that on that same day he also met with an officer from the joints staffs who discussed with him and attempted to show him a classified memo issued by the secretary of defense’s office that called for invasion and destruction of governments in seven countries (besides Afghanistan) in the near East and Africa in a five year period. According to Clark, these countries listed in the memo were Sudan , Syria , Libya , Lebanon , Iraq , Somalia , and Iran .[1]. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">In addition, Clark connected this classified memo to another meeting he had with Paul Wolfowitz in the Pentagon in 1991, when Mr. Wolfowitz was the undersecretary of defense for policy (number 3 position in pentagon) and after the first invasion of Iraq by the US in Desert Storm. Clark edified that Mr. Wolfowitz wasn’t satisfied with keeping Saddam in power at that time. However, he allegedly told General Clark that the US learned an important lesson during Desert Storm. The moral of the lesson was that the US can use their military power in the Middle East and the Russians won’t intervene or stop them. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">In addition, Wolfowitz allegedly pontificated to Clark that they had about 10 years to clean up those old soviet client regimes like in Syria , Iraq , Iran , etc, before another great super power emerges and challenges them. [1]. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Clark’s 2007 speech was eerie in a sense that it clearly illustrated the plan to reshape the Middle East has been at work for many years. The vision of Oded Yinon is unraveling, and the Arab Spring is far from being a spring where life is rejuvenated, but instead it is a path to the underworld and to the total destruction of the entire region. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">One of the nagging questions would be why has Russia never interfered or objected to the US military interventions in that region as claimed by Wolfowitz? </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">A possible answer would be is that post Soviet Russia became the ill and feeble patient of Eurasia who always was dependent on capitalist money, and has become satisfied with being a spectator who is rewarded with any bones or carcasses that the West will throw their way. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Ironically, The alleged Arab Spring widened beyond the seven countries mentioned in the Pentagon’s 2001 classified memo, and apparently became more comprehensive to ensure that new boundaries for every country in the region are remolded. President Obama, Nobel peace prize winner seems committed to complete his predecessor’s job, and to the cause of restructuring the Middle East and North Africa . </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Subsequently, Mubarak of Egypt had to go just like the Shah of Iran did after years of loyalty to his Anglo-America bosses. The time is right for the old CIA allies “the Muslim Brothers” to be finally appointed as rulers of Egypt . </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">I am certain that Mr. Obama’s administration and the intelligence agencies will eventually facilitate a bogus election in Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood will win in a landslide making Egypt the new extremist Sunni state that will empower the Sunnis all over the region. Backed by American-Saudi money Egypt will take a stand against the extremist Shiite state of Iran . Meanwhile, the Saudis will applaud once again the destruction of another secular Arab State that was the cradle of Arab Nationalism during the reign of the late Gamal Abdel Nasser who was also opposed by the Saudis as their competitor to the leadership of the region. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMh10ocSRoP1T44_2hRUAlhl79KIYgnOUsmRKrcHVDPHIoBdPXSZlVpUWUM82xMxeEfYSuiWLUmkmZ_slygagyC6E4go7UzLBkiqUUMiY2RJuPVLWzvZK2hZEFJwuWm-buPhzf4RXNhcgS/s1600/Sunni-Shia-Divide.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMh10ocSRoP1T44_2hRUAlhl79KIYgnOUsmRKrcHVDPHIoBdPXSZlVpUWUM82xMxeEfYSuiWLUmkmZ_slygagyC6E4go7UzLBkiqUUMiY2RJuPVLWzvZK2hZEFJwuWm-buPhzf4RXNhcgS/s320/Sunni-Shia-Divide.png" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Pan Arabism is a thing of the past while Islamism will be the future for the region. Fundamentalism is essential for globalization and balkanization of nations. That is clearly why the US and their allies have worked hard for years to finance fundamentalism in the US and abroad, while providing opposite rhetoric against it in the media. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, the Saudi hyenas will howl in celebration of the Muslim brothers’ victory, which will strongly renew their old pact with the US as their corrupt monarchs maintain their wealth and power. Ironically, on an official visit to Paris on May 18-20, 1998, the late Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak declared the following in the Paris-Match: “You should be aware that, under the current conditions for international terrorism, the attack that took place at Luxor (referring to the November 17, 1997 Luxor attack in Upper Egypt ) could happen anywhere in the world. And we already know who fomented it: The residues of the war between the Afghans and the USSR , the alleged Mujaheddin that are financed by the CIA and the inexhaustible source of drug money.” It is the first time that the leader so specifically pointed a finger at the America “Big Brother,” who gives more than $2 billion in direct assistance to Egypt every year. [2]. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Brief history: </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The old pact between the US and the Saudis was sealed on board of the “Quincy” (Quincy was a 60 year-old pact 1945-2005, that granted the U.S. a monopoly on the exploitation of all the oil-bearing layered discovered in Saudi Arabia, and in return a protection of the kingdom’s integrity and a long term economic, financial, and commercial partnership, non-interference in Saudi domestic politics) between president Roosevelt and King Ibn Saud was already an exchange of oil for security and political protection. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">From that point forward, the Americans and Saudis would play Islamism and all other forms of religious fanaticism against secular and progressivist forms of Arab nationalism. The end result would be the establishment of a pax Americana that feeds on a “Lebanization” of the world. This order has produced a mafia-like links between organized crime and the great business networks of global capitalism, where the unifying thread of Islamic terror is not religion but money. [2]. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Absurdly, Islamists and Zionists are complementary enemies, who work toward the same ends. Per example, with Hamas always upping the ante, the Likud is all the freer to pursue its broad scale policy of establishing colonies using immigrants from The Soviet Union and other nations, and completing the encirclement and Judeification of Eastern Jerusalem. [2]. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Conclusion: </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Finally, don’t be surprised and be ready to finance new and expensive sham wars that are actually military exercises due to the weakness and the insignificance of the alleged enemies. These new preplanned conflicts will only lead to their preplanned results. The current regime in Iran will definitely be changed in the near future, and British Petroleum with their global oil cohorts will be eagerly waiting to re-renter Iran and take over their oil resources, which will be privatized by a new puppet government possibly led by an American stooge like the oldest son of the late Shah of Iran Reza Pahlavi. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">As a conclusion, the fulfillment of the Yinon’s covenant in the near east by the Obama administration will definitely guarantee Mr. Obama a second term as president of the United States . </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Notes </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">1. <a href="http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/80552/Libya_D">www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/80552/Libya_D</a></span><span style="font-size: large;">  </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">2. Richard Labeviere, (2000). Dollars for terror. Us and Islamism. Algora publishing, New York  </span></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td> </tr><tr><td align="left" rowspan="1" width="1"><br /></td><td align="right"><ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 200px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 200px;"></ins><br /><ins id="aswift_0_anchor" style="border: none; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 200px;"></ins><br /><ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 200px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 200px;"></ins><br /><ins id="aswift_1_anchor" style="border: none; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 200px;"></ins><br /></td> </tr><tr> <td align="left" colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap"><br /></td> </tr><tr> <td align="left" colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap"><br /></td> </tr><tr> <td align="left" colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap"><br /></td> </tr><tr> <td align="left" colspan="2" nowrap="nowrap"><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" id="digTable"><tbody><tr align="center"> <td width="60"><br /></td> <td valign="center" width="60"><br /></td> <td width="60"><br /></td> <td align="center" width="60"><br /></td> <td width="60"><br /></td> </tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr> <td align="left" colspan="2"><div class="bigArticleText" style="margin-right: 10px;"><i><br /></i></div></td></tr></tbody></table>

Global Warfare

Where will Obama’s Strike Next? "Preplanned Wars" will lead to "Preplanned "Results" by Richard Skaff While prom...

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SYRIA - PSY OPS WAR?

<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: blue; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SYRIA….WHY?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ongoing conflict in Syria has become a complex situation in which no one can verify what actually is occurring in the country and what intentions are behind the uproar. If adhering to main stream media information the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian opposition council in the UK are waging a war for freedom and democracy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">If one looks at the situation from an alternative angle the situation is more complex and one could come to the conclusion that indeed foreign entities are waging a PSY OPS war which is supported by foreign entities in which TURKEY was chosen to play the proxy for the USA in order to topple the SYRIAN Regime. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE ALTERNATIVE TO LIBYAN STYLE INTERVENTION SYRIA – PSY OPS AND INFILTRATION THROUGH PROXY’S</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The big question is the why? In recent past it was assumed that though ASSAD is a brutal dictator, it was the better evil then to have an unstable fundamentalist Islamic Regime governing Syria which in most likelihood would end in civil war, something ISRAEL and the USA would dearly try to avoid. Now it seems that this theory is one of the past. There are entities that sincerely wish to tumble the ASSAD regime, no matter the cost. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">A LIBYAN style NATO intervention in SYRIA had been ruled out from the beginning since RUSSIAS and CHINAS have vetoed such move right from the start. Furthermore it is and was difficult to sell such expensive intervention to potential voters among western “coalition countries” in times of a major financial crisis where the same governments demand from citizens as well as industries to curb in spending, thus it would have been hard to sell such expensive military style intervention to the public.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">This still leaves us with the question why suddenly so much emphasize is put on the tumbling of the ASSAD regime. Regardless of the outcome of the SYRIAN sage, life for the common people will not turn for the better and democracy will continue to be just a dream in the region.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">See also: <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ML02Ak01.html">http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/ML02Ak01.html</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A far fetched point of view?  </b></span></div><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/-5jj-WtX2Bs?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZoM9TnnA5z0?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><br /></div>

SYRIA - PSY OPS WAR?

SYRIA….WHY? The ongoing conflict in Syria has become a complex situation in which no one can verify what actually is occurring in the coun...

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DOES YOUR HCG BUSINESS LOOK LIKE A SCAM?

<div class="summary">If you sell or prescribe hCG you might want to rethink how you advertise it. The reason the hCG diet will eventually disappear like other "fad" diets is because there is very little emphasis placed on the behavioral change required to maintain weight that was lost. Without this fundamental lesson learned, participants will gain the weight back, just as all ignorant skeptics have predicted. <br /><br />It's as simple as making sure all participants know that no amount of weight lost will change emotional desires to eat. So until they change their desires to eat emotionally, they might as well accept the fact that their bodies will always have extra fat, no matter how much weight they temporarily lose. <br /><br />The entire diet industry needs a revolution. This revolution will only happen if we, the hCG protocol industry, make the protocol very different than any other diet. The difference: holding accountable the emotional changes that the participant must make to perminently end the mistreatment of their body with food. Fat is not a cancer, it is a force of creation cause by hormonal imbalance. For the majority, this imbalance is caused and self-inflicted by eating behavior. Until we hold our cultural emotional eating disorder accountable and stop blaming fat as the problem, no diet ever created will work perminently and nothing will heal the diseases caused by over-eating. <br /><br />If you sell or prescribe hCG, I highly suggest you stand out from the crowd and start advertising something other than 30 pounds lost in 40 days. Now when you look at that advirtiesment, you are no different than the rest of the short-term, quick-fix scams that have come and gone. Don't taint the most incredible hormonal therapy with your lack of integrity. Sell vaccuums instead.</div>

DOES YOUR HCG BUSINESS LOOK LIKE A SCAM?

If you sell or prescribe hCG you might want to rethink how you advertise it. The reason the hCG diet will eventually disappear like other &q...

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Weigh In Results

The scale told the tale this morning....<br /><br />After a week of eating foods like this:<br /><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/AVvXsEh1jozh7cgsrlSXh5UGRVmhyphenhyphenwWlGec1PRyNiInSGlrNYw4eiDAL-v_0SbjaIfp-xsmoAA8ZK_G_iCPoE_6r8tu7J3Oe6An1NSSUWv9FvxIczeUY-TpT3MhNKoqEjgZo1YBbict2et2BjFw/s1600/Scale+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1jozh7cgsrlSXh5UGRVmhyphenhyphenwWlGec1PRyNiInSGlrNYw4eiDAL-v_0SbjaIfp-xsmoAA8ZK_G_iCPoE_6r8tu7J3Oe6An1NSSUWv9FvxIczeUY-TpT3MhNKoqEjgZo1YBbict2et2BjFw/s400/Scale+014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WW 5 Points+ Pumpkin Pie - found on Etools</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Several indulgences in Asti and beer..<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3O5mYaPagHTQ_gviboxr2FTc6np8hggHYjj_hRTEzqUXanUSd7RFyen17vaFJe6bARvq1Bkd2C7EYsnIILAu3IK4rVvrwwwADy_6ObxvxEZ0AKAHqtLM50qPtUW18q_z9JoFca15z74/s1600/Scale+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3O5mYaPagHTQ_gviboxr2FTc6np8hggHYjj_hRTEzqUXanUSd7RFyen17vaFJe6bARvq1Bkd2C7EYsnIILAu3IK4rVvrwwwADy_6ObxvxEZ0AKAHqtLM50qPtUW18q_z9JoFca15z74/s400/Scale+001.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />And just generally enjoying a lot of food due to the holiday and TOM cravings...<br /><br />The verdict is in!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I gained 0.4 pounds this week.  </div><br />Uhm.  I will <i>take </i>it!  This was not my most stellar WW week ever, but I am still proud of how I <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/12/post-thanksgiving-week.html">combated</a> the big eating holiday that is Thanksgiving.  I am also proud that I managed to track every single thing I ate... even if it did put me into the <b><span style="color: red;">red</span></b>!<br /><br />I am looking forward to a fresh week of staying within my daily Points+ range.... and definitely staying within my Weekly.  <br /><br />I use both eTools and the paper tracker.  At the start of every week with the paper tracker (the book, not the individual pamphlets given out at meetings), it asks you to define any goals for the week, any potential challenges with solutions, and break out your planned exercise schedule.  Rarely do I ever write anything down in this section.  Well this week, I'm going to try something different:<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/AVvXsEhEPHHXZcGayhBxS9vC7YcoFq6_ZHzGYSWuOo-BlOdbMWpof09vHPM20Oa2UQfXqzy0bmBTUxveiaJW5X_APpzAfF_nB2GxclJGudMWazU-Mg7SUXmA6CUvvFRcVYsiloZLUl2ZEVaEQ0A/s1600/weight-watchers-diet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPHHXZcGayhBxS9vC7YcoFq6_ZHzGYSWuOo-BlOdbMWpof09vHPM20Oa2UQfXqzy0bmBTUxveiaJW5X_APpzAfF_nB2GxclJGudMWazU-Mg7SUXmA6CUvvFRcVYsiloZLUl2ZEVaEQ0A/s1600/weight-watchers-diet.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Goals for the week:</span></b><br />Stay within daily Points+ allowance for 5 of the 7 days.<br /><br /><b style="color: blue;">Potential Challenges + Solutions:</b><br /><ol><li>First up is a lunch date with some friends on Saturday. Lord knows <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-do-you-track.html">I struggle with eating out</a> and counting Points+. This time, I'm going to look up the menu ahead of time, have my selections already mapped out, and then I won't be tempted to order something less Points+ friendly if I would have waited until doing so at the restaurant.<br /></li><li>Then, there is a cookie exchange on Sunday with another group of friends. I've already informed the host that I will not be taking any cookies home this year because of our commitment to WW and getting in shape for the wedding. She was totally cool with it :).</li></ol><b style="color: blue;">Planned Activity: </b><br />I have not been consistently active since the beginning of October. Joel and I did finish the first "set" of the <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20Rules%20of%20Lifting%20for%20Women">New Rules of Lifting for Women</a>, but we never moved on to the other weeks, and I would like to get back to doing that. Weight lifting provided some variety that I enjoyed. So, to keep my goals attainable and expectations low, I'm going to plan to do just 2 days of activity this week. If I do more, so be it. But I want to ease back in to regular activity.<br /><br />What are your weekend plans?

Gain Weekly Weight Watchers Goals Weigh In Results

The scale told the tale this morning.... After a week of eating foods like this: WW 5 Points+ Pumpkin Pie - found on Etools Several indulgen...

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Post-Thanksgiving Week

How did you survive Thanksgiving?  Yes, a week later and I am just now getting around to this!<br /><br />First, we had Thanksgiving at Joel's family on Thursday.  I was extremely mindful of my eating, and practiced Mental Rehearsing beforehand (a WW concept).  I told myself over and over to only eat small portions ("mini islands of food" - as we were advised at last week's meeting) and not to finish anything I did not truly enjoy.  I passed up bread.  I left the stuffing and sweet potatoes on my plate.  And I was even able to enjoy my favorite part of Thanksgiving: the 5 Points+ Pumpkin Pie I made especially for Thursday.  I was so pleased, impressed, and proud of how well I did on this holiDAY (as Sharon, my WW leader reminds us, it's not a holiMONTH or holiWEEK, it's a holiDAY).  My non Weight Watchers weigh in day is on Friday, and as you can see, I had a nice loss for the week.  Success!<br /><br />However, then I had to travel to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving Part Deux.  I started Saturday off with a trip to the local-PA WW meeting center.  I clocked in at a loss for the week on their scale as well.  Great!<br /><br />Still, currently I'm sitting at well over <b style="color: red;">-</b><b>35 WEEKLY Points+</b> for the week.  Fellow Weight Watchers, did you read that correctly? NEGATIVE WEEKLY!  Ugh.  How did this happen???    <br /><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/AVvXsEjniEjr8Nuhq8jvfZo7EMrtroePWEbEoOT_V33pZ_y494LYxQs-lQilUUX6A_zgdp10krtSfouR6PPQt7ViCwHnty9ECyEJEJCYGTimCc3tmrotwDnDr8tW_IzNvMohQFfQS6QENA5iS08/s1600/thanksgiving+food.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniEjr8Nuhq8jvfZo7EMrtroePWEbEoOT_V33pZ_y494LYxQs-lQilUUX6A_zgdp10krtSfouR6PPQt7ViCwHnty9ECyEJEJCYGTimCc3tmrotwDnDr8tW_IzNvMohQFfQS6QENA5iS08/s400/thanksgiving+food.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My salad size plate at my sister's house: turkey, mashed potatoes, noodles,<br />stuffing and green bean casserole.</td></tr></tbody></table>I used a small plate, and made small islands of food.  Everything was a 1/2 cup size or less.  I thought I did well.  I only had seconds on the green bean casserole.  <br /><br />I had these <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/09/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-pumpkin-spiced.html">pumpkin cupcakes</a> for my dessert (and very small servings of 2 other desserts my mom made - which I accounted for):<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzvVMINuEtSZSIaWuzPRxOxDVeQoZ_5ScLfqOFIdiDnAZ1W8RzfqpaLmv3a_Jl-sAu_snz-196sNeixx5u3VA9NrZmULt5_DvyWuiCd1LOW70WInwSJISCQX04OZ0ps7R5e4x-8KNxpA/s1600/cupcakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzvVMINuEtSZSIaWuzPRxOxDVeQoZ_5ScLfqOFIdiDnAZ1W8RzfqpaLmv3a_Jl-sAu_snz-196sNeixx5u3VA9NrZmULt5_DvyWuiCd1LOW70WInwSJISCQX04OZ0ps7R5e4x-8KNxpA/s400/cupcakes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />While I didn't eat much of this on T-Day Part Deux (it was bland and needed more spicing up), I have been eating this in my lunch all week:<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/AVvXsEjx9sortvM61D_Ihy_6Un95Wg0G5qs1VMA2OubMWOKlte4q36fzNVj6gKUMPeVGdAE8KNeN6d-fz82Qw-3pySRSHrrESTUUtv0WMxRk0XZ_u9-9NEiObcTwh5kM9oGc17fUKN-cRypbWqM/s1600/casserole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9sortvM61D_Ihy_6Un95Wg0G5qs1VMA2OubMWOKlte4q36fzNVj6gKUMPeVGdAE8KNeN6d-fz82Qw-3pySRSHrrESTUUtv0WMxRk0XZ_u9-9NEiObcTwh5kM9oGc17fUKN-cRypbWqM/s400/casserole.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-casserole.html">Sweet Potato Casserole</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />IF I have a gain tomorrow, and I'm praying I do <i>not</i>, but IF I do, it will be because, yes, I did eat a little more than I normally would this past week due to Thanksgiving.  Also, it was.... that special time of the month, and I have been absolutely ravenous all week.  Actually, I believe a lot of the negative Points+ have come as a result of this more than Thanksgiving to be honest. Do you ladies ever get like this during the actual week of the "event"?  No amount of food or anything in particular has been satisfying.  Not even chocolate!<br /><br />I was able to avoid one "war" this week with <a href="http://www.fiveguys.com/">Five Guys</a> (Joel was having a craving and he indulged, I did NOT)... but I lost the battle last night to Japanese from our <a href="http://kodorirestaurant.com/">favorite restaurant</a>.  Still, I had very small portions of the Japanese food and only ate until just satisfied.  <br /><br />I really don't want a gain tomorrow, not only for obvious reasons, but because I am really proud of how I handled Thanksgiving this year.  I am proud of how I managed Joel's family's feast, and how I even managed my own family's spread.  I'm also proud that I made 3 WW friendly substitutions (pie, casserole and cupcakes) and that I have still accounted for EVERYTHING this week, even if I am in the deep, deep red of Points+.  It really does feel better when you write it down, even if you are borrowing from next week's Points+ bank ;). I'm also proud that I visited WW while traveling.  I'm really trying to stay focused!  <br /><br />Today (Thursday) I am sucking down the water and trying to stay within my 39 Points+ for the day.  Tonight we have a happy hour for the 3 couples who got engaged in my office, and so I'm going to have to fight another war tonight... I will get 1 beer and that is it! I <3 beer.  But I don't love gains, and no amount of beer is worth a gain!!<br /><br />What is your self assessment of how you handled Thanksgiving?

Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Loss Challenges Weight Watcher Recipes Weight Watchers Post-Thanksgiving Week

How did you survive Thanksgiving?  Yes, a week later and I am just now getting around to this! First, we had Thanksgiving at Joel's fami...

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12 places to find global projects for your class to get involved in

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Our world is definitely becoming a  global village! It is so much easier to connect with classes around the world in our technological age than ever before. It is really worth finding a global project to involve your class in. If you are looking for ways to connect with others here are a few ideas of places to start.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Global collaborative projects </b></span><br /><a href="http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/Global_Collaborative_Projects.htm#Start%20Your%20Own%20Collaborative%20Project">http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/Global_Collaborative_Projects.htm#Start Your Own Collaborative Project</a> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAH1uPb3S4K3mWPIooGUR01Gf4l-tii5hZzet3m4gAecwivrcJQL212XCh2jE_VmFU1lis-Vcu2rgJUT2dAZu-hZoxD2rtih8XjHXQaw4QlIREw-0cqV307MQBqEB-gbKJF7OkruowJXc/s1600-h/image3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQQHXtzc8vfETS2sGxHoJq29xVC_KRDsHctTVqnc5LfVlpcjXfqDYf2fGLzz0LOz8SXOkQWuRgjtdXHhSwmMXBUA__6e3lGd9krw071nY7IFgUKcJCQJLwA5XFQz3FYRvUHs056qZRJo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Kidlink</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/start.php">http://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/start.php</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittU3_4B8ExLCnldrenmq_2AmNM2CfIa2jMGuQiwi_3bkUmDgLEbRS9Nh-UNoq6JlfdUDHy5wnlzN_R4ArXSuqcwX7I99YR7eiOc0_5W3iI2w6dYbMDhvGxJxqLCUwEY2SOUFy_qAU4nk/s1600-h/image6.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2b_PCa4JYrcHdkxxlv-pn4aLT1CZS5LJzCQCnZSvngYZe4Uh7hOlC-l0oHqtT6HFut36WvkJGc9y-JxScfpOpbtANR8McY6-lt90eoot_ywFDWyLufzv-BN9gqqceOfLZ7ckHi6xiD8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. iEARN</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.iearn.org/iearn-project-book">http://</a><a href="http://www.iearn.org/iearn-project-book">www.iearn.org/iearn-project-book</a><br /><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/latest-20112012-iearn-project-book-has.html">http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2011/10/latest-20112012-iearn-project-book-has.html</a> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fptlQJBwjS52gqhhLb4GJe_GLRYFhwqbeNr3Ql2eP_nlB2YWVajdvJx5pFUiFiQlCf_-6iNIkt72vgT3CcyWxgVOku2zrFf3Fc96xly3GuJbc9d72Adpu_058_fXw7tx7c__yMxOWWY/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXLnqUk1lQ-YAJ6CoQkni3aerao8-urLgWj0SZwSvqpQ_fh_W2GjG_KSzUh5ufPICMAkrFJzVjg5I4kd9Z8jxtbBQ53Y6HaQPELda-sIyVpH4f9zsM4_fSEa1ePrRgiicZpKM1sCFay8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Internet projects registry</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsh/pr/search.cfm">http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsh/pr/search.cfm</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgUuIG45U_vVm4NhPl4xBqTMhLYzX1ZtnyAK-PbSJpxSLRPEREI8ccGDCZdi9QEX0xiJ-BEAy-STGHhVyrixmQA88nKLh60OkXTprF4GFpY9dLlKS-xzuQ8F_tRgtz8zaskuMjYbaSU0/s1600-h/image12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZD-ER1pEy3G9GX3LbOPA3UuGHw9D6nS_6U0CD0lG8J7yWeUIROqnxEKTIjNSKGwDzPYOt1cRMjxWV8EwxeDBo-jwWAi1wSXmPdp6ZpZe2J9qbWPwQMb497g37-6gMn0SQ_qn3L6jaoY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Projects by Jen </b></span><br /><u><a href="http://www.projectsbyjen.com/">http://www.projectsbyjen.com/</a></u> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7gXQMpdcRp1DRCURTWfYJ4wjDLGXEmgB4ghGGEIE8sXT6xQJ_oSIPg1d1GCJ70Qfma5MU-oTMlW-YoJ08StsrWmwAOeScQ0TWHCIuXOV1bsYVRp2HkkO5KQgEoW0kJhoaexarIws6BI/s1600-h/image15.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5KLIjNexRXla1OteJIUvxCoPkN4qyWqLo1rvhA5UmSaXhp1h-m_J7F7I54MsJRQIvBC-AjomxNqyMF0odFYB94SuEMh9acVSeLpq_F4i2pnDg6IaVi6G3cSmGt4IiI7bzysdtD3OFHA/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>6. Global Schoolnet</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.globalschoolnet.org/">http://www.globalschoolnet.org/</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Hl9Y2mT_aL0DK9IYzspQHNLzJ5Ck39PNmdKj4ZZqmgLuQI48xqubqMc5Fy2y6F42OS9AfoDyyombynzIMWe-Krlh3oScaEVdZz4kP8wmwhdOcnBU3cGpGuEvet6QGD-qUlyX5S-3CV0/s1600-h/image18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTppZrYoOuIam2f4WYHD0DiumO65vAkd-ha8f419FVhuv0xRLSfyBKCEfdDfwVEruEj0jZT9n179xCctHszLV-UkrlJzF21u2D2ZXD6rcR6BUKWZQZZd0WWstUKXRY6xUTqL0td1BbEU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">7. Global virtual classroom</span></b><br /><a href="http://www.virtualclassroom.org/clubhouse.html">http://www.virtualclassroom.org/clubhouse.html</a><br /><u><br /></u> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSifGBHbWlPrHuA1F37LQmyjMmneEw9puwxcd2TXH2r9mj4EFtjTCpmbX8NELtlkb9OzqxBEgDHDHJ9VT_2y1Z9tmFuApNDif_pCKDoZwkiy6rVweMCibQMoDPFDWjzKw5jgkd41-6Rj0/s1600-h/image21.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0yntZDoNX4HqO6Vuo9LHkGlY_Yh_3k767H9rGu1JDisIWWBK9QvFpb-GSZUlsZOJ0b0aUq3LEnOPRqN2AB1NSsN4raaMEHfmq0PtYC4mkffnAsegrfPWkmBGT11c5ys_-WeteJN89so/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br />  <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>8. The global education collaborative </b></span><br /><a href="http://globaleducation.ning.com/notes/Global_Project_Database">http://globaleducation.ning.com/notes/Global_Project_Database</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaJt_C9kouSDqz8s_nf4t7gnUTr49keN1Td9l5TI_EyE42k7VV1r0AOe3mqoEboamQ9Uwjgv8-mVdsntjFUU-PwAlUzE3qZi0xR4WyXtdV2LX_Pzp0S25C8eDjzklpBOxQJPQjFP0V74/s1600-h/image27.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_3V5n1DZp1X_xmmKBqQIYOOYF1282DQasLquP-Ojy5c3oW2Lss6KS-YqhY0vlnl4QoU6pl-xzXAnJa7PJCOWJmq0mpoUF6fHDuNyUIqC5yFvo5f_Iz9TRd6dTk7K25rgwXSwNeOMnxc/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. Going global</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/13429981/WEMTA-Going-Global-Lucy-Gray">http://www.scribd.com/doc/13429981/WEMTA-Going-Global-Lucy-Gray</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPSa9MjnfyxNr51n6f-cpVn-SSo5__RxIsVK5DV-Hdo6WRl2ddaKwEYw0Hkk9GpERTDNixaJ2zvOHbhALooiGVegQQNHZ8gX_WCVfWts-cRBLk9oAr7rThIXHYtfcXpRePTjDrAqCtxo/s1600-h/image33.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SEsK8hQomP_76jVfGnlqd-3O31LXOUXOK0wqMDMYyCTzyvpaxG3UKEGQpszechN-qExayqxARARnr1j41gWXtoBNF_Xq0yYqCi41EQcnQ16TcgZHuiCzGpq73iMsjYUHPi6tOWOfi24/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T33GiFW3SKLEd_2E2MDe3yrwz-Vv2HVnbHvrtfU5Z6KwGo5WGQofL-R5V3Gp-wzauzWDxmhRkQ4sGEuZmDvBr_0bW3Tey49nvNcVrGkfzzXt0xHNcR3utogLpRfaY02g-ZQnN5pXsNQ/s1600-h/image30.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHg1UxQa62QAeHSyWPfyRF3wD14aTvGgvYOb7vsWM8Iy4lClzUEMI8J8_qKvA95zDnzhaE47wEpI0oYwSHa8IyfgH_lshiev_U8PTHzLpSKZ6Hq36fG2FM1TpiIbSsDx_xb4tHFC2MF1E/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="288" /></a></div>    <br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">10. Taking it Global</span></b><br /><u><a href="http://www.tigweb.org/about/">http://www.tigweb.org/about/</a></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDWHCEk6YN-FPBJT2XgB1I_JubsGeykFsdbaJJiGY2VgaHfz2_cjgkqSucxy955KrMJ8H-jAf6odcTMui-1opl-oOEzvk8b4YiTVpgp5jPsOAPC2CCzbFappKndkymgeFQvqrEBQGPzw/s1600-h/image36.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipDBeal5ylyZnHVvppAAZtMaZGVPeQ9pvZLdgUBi5sHlQEbos8uUNINGLRsqm_XAWcltXIYrXcgJ2cCxPISsdebR0FyDPKWaWcDdbsrwXTw6qe1cSghzf7VXxX1ebXJVH9dkVSIvgcR8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">11. The Educators PLN</span></b><br /><a href="http://edupln.ning.com/">http://edupln.ning.com/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://edupln.ning.com/"><br /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRZ1iiSU9OdBLhcqag32Y8wBbF0zk7V2JRfXUPG3sro7I28hL1lUWQ273T0u3pRXNC89uJyJw6edQb3X2iMP8HBnZtFo9fkDOjvxAEYi7M22mwjMs0Fgdph8H4VtdcPKDa_6VyB6rnUk/s1600-h/image39.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZw-Hoxi3BMTeqsFo_uuIsBT_ynjXxxHEUMYReC_AExJVCQ0rDgjGHWbYtJyXV1ezDexWFs50txHurpRVOuhTbt-GN2XaVHKhMLD60m8meynfSuWHFjzWusGRl4AUusrkG6neutymUNP4/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>12. Global Learning</b></span><br /><u><a href="https://sites.google.com/a/sanandres.esc.edu.ar/global-projects/">https://sites.google.com/a/sanandres.esc.edu.ar/global-projects/</a></u><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyssEKc39nCsJAaytBJOCmU5VvjQG6OdcN3NoDhAiGLF8DoO8AaaCJnExoh9zM7nwY2HhEvoR6tmVO6vNOMB546Mm3LEGeXZIBTxWGMC3TzwakpkOxMmJMGL4aSw2LoHo8zA5bN3cVTk/s1600-h/image42.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTIaym4HEjVN-oJ4Pr0nPGmIGpS_uIzoM57WhXkXL4dUzgTAuWoBqANk2iUm_rFnhODhwCy8YHAJQixE92ItUXhFMbiit17Q7h6zHGQ2voDZI9CUb6CkHRlr-0RKZWeCjZl4nDEPddR4/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div></div>

Collaboration Project-based learning 12 places to find global projects for your class to get involved in

Our world is definitely becoming a  global village! It is so much easier to connect with classes around the world in our technological age t...

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Arms build up in the Middle East

<div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Russia Sent Syria<br />Super-Advanced S-300 Missiles</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="extended" style="color: black; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; padding-top: 18px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Russian warships that have reached waters off Syria in recent days were carrying, among other things, Russian technical advisors who will help the Syrians set up an array of S-300 missiles Damascus has received in recent weeks, a report in the London-based Arabic language Al Quds-Al Arabi said Thursday. Citing sources in Syria and Russia, the paper said that Moscow sees a Western attack on Syria as a “red line” that it will not tolerate.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Despite the mounting opposition in the West and even in the Arab world against Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad for his assaults on protesters seeking to unseat him as leader of the country, Russia maintains its support for Assad, the report said. Russian and Syria military officials are working together to maintain Assad's rule, and to deflect a possible attack by NATO or the US and EU.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Along with the missiles, the report says that Russia has installed advanced radar systems in all key Syrian military and industrial installations. The radar system also covers areas north and south of Syria, where it will be able to detect movement of troops or aircraft towards the Syrian border. The radar targets include much of Israel, as well as the Incirlik military base in Turkey, which is used by NATO.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The S-300 system is regarded as one of the most potent anti-aircraft missile systems available. The system's radar is able to simultaneously track up to 100 targets while engaging up to 12. Deployment time for the S-300 is five minutes, and they have a very long life span, with no maintenance needed.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Russia had attempted to sell the system to Iran, but that sale was cancelled due to pressure by the US and Israel, with Russia returning Iran's deposit. According to the report, the Iranians paid for Syria's S-300 missile system. It is not known if some of the missiles have reached Iran as well.</span></div><div class="extended" style="color: black; padding-top: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Article obtained from NewMediaJournal. </span></div><div class="extended" style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; padding-top: 18px;"><br /></div>

Arms build up in the Middle East

Russia Sent Syria Super-Advanced S-300 Missiles Russian warships that have reached waters off Syria in recent days were carrying, among o...

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DO HCG DIET EXPERTS REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT?

<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are many "experts", practitioners and businesses prescribing hCG for Dr. Simeons' protocol. But how many of them actually understand why it works and how hCG could prevent starvation? Most have no clue. They know it works, but they don't understand why, so they repeat what they read in Simeons' manuscript, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pounds & Inches</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are 5 questions that reveal if an hCG diet business knows why the hCG protocol works:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1) Does the hCG business discuss 3 types of fat?</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> This is a hypothesis Simeons' created, however it has never been laboratory tested or explained. As of today, there are two different types of fat (brown or white fat). We know that larger fat cells function the same as smaller fat cells, but with a more magnified response. Meaning they do the same things small fat cells do, but in a bigger way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Larger fat cells produce more hormones, and provide more fuel than the smaller fat cells. As for three types of fat: science hasen't discovered a third type. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2)</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Does the hCG diet business profess that hCG burns fat.</i></b> This could not be further from the truth. HCG DOES NOT BURN FAT. However, hCG does stimulate the hormone that regulates fat metabolism; Leptin. If you are not up to date with the new science of energy homeostasis you need to start studying recent research that has summarized what we know about the hormone leptin and its regulation of the thyroid, adrenals, testicles, ovaries, etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leptin is a primary regulatory hormone of the body's fueling systems. It also regulates the body's hormonal response that causes symptoms of starvation. Low dose hCG stimulates leptin, which would reduce one's hunger but also increases the fueling response from fat cells. This is the same thing food does hormonally, but with hCG- you don’t need as much food! This is described thoroughly in the newly published book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weight-Loss Apocalypse. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(www.weightlossapocalypse.com)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3) Does the hCG diet business monitor success, only by weight? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Weight is a superficial and insufficient measure of success, and by obsessing over weight for motivation you are creating a short term diet out of an incredible hormonal therapy. For example, is the hCG diet business telling customers/patients to weigh every day and to do an “apple-day” if they plateau? Are they suggesting that you can flush out fat with apples??? Obsessive weighing creates adverse emotional consequences that could encourage emotional eating disorders. Weight is too superficial when compared to the profound hormonal healing that the hCG protocol provides when its followed. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Weight cannot compare to the rewards of better sleep, improved adrenal function, diminished heart burn, improved breathing, reduced inflammation, improved sex drive, etc. Measures that include body fat composition and an assessment of hormonal symptoms are much more telling and more valuable than a number on a scale. Weight should be the least of your concerns when considering the long term change of lifestyle it will take for you to maintain whatever weight you lose. And weight should not be responsible for the motivation it takes to eat less among gluttons.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4) Does the hCG diet business monitor calories?</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> The measure of calories in food is old and outdated information. In fact, how the protocol works completely conflicts with the idea that we are fueled from the food we eat that day. The caloric value in food is irrelevant as it concerns the body’s hormonal response to food. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, we now know that artificial sweetener (zero calories) stimulates leptin and this response stimulates fat's fueling mechanism. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason the hCG works to prevent starvation is because it stimulates the same hormone that food stimulates (leptin). For this reason, your body doesn't respond to starvation like it would without the hCG. Calories have nothing to do with starvation because starvation is defined scientifically by a measure of hormones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look it up: leptin and its relationship to starvation.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5) Does the hCG diet business profess you’ll lose a pound a day or 30 pounds in 40 days?</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> This is a sign the business is run by people who have no clue how metabolism works, they have no interest in long term results, and they are more interested in one thing: money. This same business probably sells appetite suppressants (another sign they have no idea how the protocol works and that they want more money), fat dissolving injections, meal replacements, and other means to make money. Most of these are sold to take advantage of and to prostitute the desperation of people who need to lose fat and are willing to pay anyone who promises quick results. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Unfortunately most of the hCG diet industry is run by businesses that have no clue what they are doing. These businesses know the hCG protocol works and with that, they know they can make money. But where’s the integrity? Where’s the responsibility? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without understanding how the protocol works, it has been marketed as another quick fix diet. Without giving the patient personal responsibility – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s a scam!</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But if you’ve done the protocol properly, you know− IT’S NOT A SCAM. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then why market it in a way that has very little integrity? Why portray it in a way that looks just as fake as the rest? The only way the hCG protocol will make a significant impact on America’s overwhelming obesity epidemic, is if the hCG diet industry rethinks how the hCG protocol is portrayed, taught, presented, and advertised. </span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">      </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you own an hCG diet business, do you want to look credible? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Then know how it works hormonally</i>. </span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">      </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you want to stand apart from the hCG diet businesses that market it like another fad diet? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Than market it as a hormonal therapy. </i></span></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">      </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you want your patients to have long lasting results that heal both the body and the mind? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Than hold your patients accountable to change the way they eat emotionally.</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe the hCG protocol has the potential to change our culture both physically and emotionally. If we as “experts” continue to mirror the same approach as the diet industry, we will fail. It will be another diet, another fad, and another attempt at losing weight, just to gain it all back. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">For more information...BUY THE BOOK TODAY: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weight-Loss Apocalypse: Emotional Eating Rehab Through the HCG Protocol.</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Available at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com</span></i></div>

DO HCG DIET EXPERTS REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT?

There are many "experts", practitioners and businesses prescribing hCG for Dr. Simeons' protocol. But how many of them actuall...

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who doesn't want to wear the ribbon?

I'm a fan of ribbon. I admire it in stores and dream about taking my ribbon over to Martha's house where we would drink hot chocolate, giggle and make crafty things. That dream is enough to get me to buy the ribbon but Martha has yet to invite me over, so it sits in a drawer untouched.<br /><br />Christmas however is always a good excuse for a non-crafty person like myself to bring out the ribbon. Maybe its memories of my Grandma and the freakishly crafty bows she would put on our packages ( i did not inherit that bow gene) but Christmas always makes me think of ribbon.<br /><br />So like an addict looking for a fix, I of course start Pinteresting (yes that can be a verb) different ways to use all this ribbon I have in some sort of Christmasy way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkZu8-pCbmMGuqXMzc11-XEhTpHLkPYSPkoQPKVh7-AqjAq6YiC0Cm0rFr9GzuW51sNTKFUWnfD2ZpnY1UpmrLEwbnLaGTyjlED_cip02HbfEp9owIcHIuBhZvK3B7xIGBlkNwfPMSJ2B/s1600/530143114_Opj9juBV_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkZu8-pCbmMGuqXMzc11-XEhTpHLkPYSPkoQPKVh7-AqjAq6YiC0Cm0rFr9GzuW51sNTKFUWnfD2ZpnY1UpmrLEwbnLaGTyjlED_cip02HbfEp9owIcHIuBhZvK3B7xIGBlkNwfPMSJ2B/s1600/530143114_Opj9juBV_b.jpg" /></a><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/573360914/" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img alt="Christmas and ribbon" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/573360914_4ABv6Uwg_b.jpg" style="height: 192px;" /></a></div><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/573360914/"> </a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649054106/" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img alt="martha" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/6896205649054106_VYJMuJYI_b.jpg" style="height: 240px;" /></a>  <a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649054197/" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img alt="RIBBON!" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/129408189262355465_xF3i27hB_b.jpg" style="height: 240px;" /></a></div><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649054197/"> </a><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649054106/"> </a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649054001/" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img alt="Use wire-edged ribbon in any hues you desire as an easy, beautiful way to dress up your mantel or windows for the holidays. #Christmas #decor #decorations #DIY #ribbon #mantel" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/86201780337244586_eGeM8OqI_b.jpg" style="height: 213px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKEbqadrcIKNUri7tZxkMJTBLEvJCzO9eKSMGakJIRWcogL6eHWOt88N6ULfR6gK10LUgVaoIp-6o2GbcUFAr0DNqB5a11YfOspfSEywsArmjDQNxN6hlsg6JhcN1gRN06R2rsflDegL2/s1600/530222684_qwH2BYTs_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKEbqadrcIKNUri7tZxkMJTBLEvJCzO9eKSMGakJIRWcogL6eHWOt88N6ULfR6gK10LUgVaoIp-6o2GbcUFAr0DNqB5a11YfOspfSEywsArmjDQNxN6hlsg6JhcN1gRN06R2rsflDegL2/s1600/530222684_qwH2BYTs_b.jpg" /></a><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649054102/" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img alt="." src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/6896205649054102_uQpDsTdB_b.jpg" style="height: 240px;" /></a></div><a class="PinImage ImgLink" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6896205649054102/"> </a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I'm thinking that the mantel might be the way to go. I always have a hell of a time figuring out what to put on our mantel anytime of the year, let alone at Christmas. So I figure why not mix my mantel worries with my craft anxiety and my ribbon inferiority to make one big ball of holiday hysteria?! I swear I'm going to drive myself to drink.<br /><br />Wish me luck! Any ideas - ribbon, mantel or otherwise?<br /><br />Oh, and I'm almost done with my garage sale table. Update coming soon.<br /><br />

who doesn't want to wear the ribbon?

I'm a fan of ribbon. I admire it in stores and dream about taking my ribbon over to Martha's house where we would drink hot chocolat...

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A Great Product Find: OXO Food Scale + Separate Giveaway Alert

Ok - back to our regularly scheduled program :).<br /><br />I want to share one of my favorite kitchen tools with you: the food scale!<br /><br />My food scale has been absolutely ESSENTIAL to my weight loss journey.  I use it every single day.  As much as I love my measuring spoons and cups, a cup of cereal in a measuring cup and a true cup of cereal on the food scale is going to yield different results (not by a lot, but it <i>will </i>be different).  And, folks, the scale is way more accurate!  Not only that, but how exactly do you measure 4 oz of ground meat?  It's kind of hard to do that with a measuring cup, but not with a food scale!    <br /><br />I bought my first food scale several years ago, while still in college, at a WW meeting center.<br /><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="http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/77/b/AAAAArjGFZkAAAAAAHe0GA.jpg?v=1191960485000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/77/b/AAAAArjGFZkAAAAAAHe0GA.jpg?v=1191960485000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the version I had.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It was well worth the little bit of money I had then, and it is STILL well worth it today.  Since that first WW-inspired food scale, I've went through two more.  The WW one eventually broke, and then the second one eventually broke as well.<br /><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="http://www.everythingkitchens.com/images/products/detail/arti_poppin%20pink_157pp-detail.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.everythingkitchens.com/images/products/detail/arti_poppin%20pink_157pp-detail.gif" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Similar to my second one.<br />Yes, it was pink!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />What happened?<br /><br />Well, the reason why they broke is precisely why I want to share my new food scale with you all.  The first two broke after I cleaned them (not for the first time, but after many cleanings).  I guess after several times of being cleaned with a soapy paper towel, they both had had enough and decided to quit turning on.  I know for a fact that the moisture contributed to the death of the WW scale, because it had a screen like a calculator does, and you could see the moisture sitting inside the screen. Doh!<br /><br />Still, you <i>need </i>to clean your food scale.  Why keep buying a new one every few years if you can find one that is so perfectly designed you won't ever have to worry about it going kaput on you again.<br /><br />I present to you the <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=14816640">OXO Food Scale with Pullout Display</a> <i>($49.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond, which is where I bought it - you can use your 20% coupon though!)</i>.  So, <i>so </i>many pluses to this scale:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">#1. <b>The Pullout Display</b>:  I don't know about you, but when I use a large plate or bowl to measure food, it can be really hard to see what the food actually weighs when that plate/bowl is practically covering the display.  Not with the OXO Food Scale!  You can just pull out the display for easy reading.<br /><br /></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGedUh9o2hvmOvrsLwTcOjN9HecIWUxfUNmEpiV_RWGbVLvZa169CWFRZdRHci-flCbVlqJD8hEyM8yIRL7RSLllNV0swlp0YILBC4jL4GQC2AZp2ePMsbhT3OyR2x3HoI087_pBxusdI/s1600/Scale+003+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGedUh9o2hvmOvrsLwTcOjN9HecIWUxfUNmEpiV_RWGbVLvZa169CWFRZdRHci-flCbVlqJD8hEyM8yIRL7RSLllNV0swlp0YILBC4jL4GQC2AZp2ePMsbhT3OyR2x3HoI087_pBxusdI/s400/Scale+003+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><br />#2. <b>The Removable Platform</b>: MAJOR problem solved!  The stainless steel platform actually pops off of the scale for easy cleaning (it is dishwasher safe as well).  </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VuEFdAix6kAuPwaqRpBW22judflqng7uSkKCBGrtzyMhMUJVyQRy0pcrlMK_oCCHYcBDfcFdDySLqbfJkLhL6NAjp9dD0nLBtcpZvhj4ZB-mm5ub31vSe-657BQ8oimcY3UCIIzmzMk/s1600/Scale+001+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VuEFdAix6kAuPwaqRpBW22judflqng7uSkKCBGrtzyMhMUJVyQRy0pcrlMK_oCCHYcBDfcFdDySLqbfJkLhL6NAjp9dD0nLBtcpZvhj4ZB-mm5ub31vSe-657BQ8oimcY3UCIIzmzMk/s400/Scale+001+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><br />#3. <b>Blue Lights</b>.  Blue lights make things pretty :).  But seriously, the scale has a light feature that you can turn on in case you're having a hard time reading the display (and it's not hard to read at all, but I have used the light on occasion - say, for instance, if I'm too lazy to turn on the kitchen lights....hey, we all have our things.)</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXeC8jXShX8wIbhPoz4YgZG1gE60xkQpJKVjlEzG5t7GJ-D7sf5XEtdzfwfMnTyKfcoMSu7RYFpr6zUSMF2b1lCs7f2x3VwdL5CN50vSBxSAKFa08ooRGXi26v80iKJtXeen9lKgpkcw/s1600/Scale+003+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXeC8jXShX8wIbhPoz4YgZG1gE60xkQpJKVjlEzG5t7GJ-D7sf5XEtdzfwfMnTyKfcoMSu7RYFpr6zUSMF2b1lCs7f2x3VwdL5CN50vSBxSAKFa08ooRGXi26v80iKJtXeen9lKgpkcw/s400/Scale+003+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq">#4. <b>kg/oz Measurements</b>.  Sure, the other scales measured in these values as well, but the OXO one does too!  Sometimes serving sizes are displayed in just grams, and this food scale has you covered if it does!</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qIO7mZtOgq4LJwCQefngId0zoeir4vRKHIYqP1dzaloVJbgk37t85cuXBDf3qBrycXW5Bv9Vn4_RAU-JjM9WjbzEXdQ4oOhstRm7IaaPYKFGKNd4uRdvC8u1zyxyLs_cANgQPUVYe5g/s1600/Scale+002+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qIO7mZtOgq4LJwCQefngId0zoeir4vRKHIYqP1dzaloVJbgk37t85cuXBDf3qBrycXW5Bv9Vn4_RAU-JjM9WjbzEXdQ4oOhstRm7IaaPYKFGKNd4uRdvC8u1zyxyLs_cANgQPUVYe5g/s400/Scale+002+copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Do you own a food scale?  If so, what kind?  How do you feel about it?<br /><br /><u><b>GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!! </b></u><br /><br /><a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/11/weekend-recap.html">Gretchen</a> @ <a href="http://honeyishrunkthegretchen.com/2011/11/30/homecoming-giveaway/">Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen</a> has a <a href="http://honeyishrunkthegretchen.com/2011/11/30/homecoming-giveaway/">festive giveaway</a> going on right now!  You could win some free, personalized holiday greeting cards from the designer of her website... go check it out NOW!  If you're new to her blog, let her know how you found out about her and her fun giveaway in her comments section :).<br /><br /><i>**OXO and/or Bed Bath and Beyond do not have a clue who I am.  I paid for this food scale on my own.  They did not supply me with it for this review.  When I find a great product, I just want to pass it along to you so we can all do a happy dance together!</i>

Product Reviews Weight Loss Products Weight Watchers A Great Product Find: OXO Food Scale + Separate Giveaway Alert

Ok - back to our regularly scheduled program :). I want to share one of my favorite kitchen tools with you: the food scale! My food scale ha...

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