Saturday, November 27, 2010

Ever Changing Needs

It seems like I have spent the better part of my life stressing over how to lose weight. It has always been an issue for me. I have come to accept that it probably always will be. I don't understand why some people have weight problems, and others don't. It doesn't seem quite fair. But, it is what it is. At the same time, even if though I accept it for what it is, I also know that I can't just let it become a complacent issue or I'll get to the point where I can't even move. I'm too active in my hobbies for that. So I continue on with trying to lose weight, and then keep it off. That includes the on-going search for effective diet pills that work for me. Like all health care products, what works for one may not work for another. I find that what works for me changes over time. Right now, I'm dealing with being older and having to deal with metabolism issues I didn't have to deal with in the past. This is my new requirement for a diet pill. For each stage in life there are different needs so the quest for what works will be ever changing as is the rest of life.

The Time to Reflect

Grabbing a little popcorn and contemplating my fate. November is almost over. This year has been a little flat for me. Not completely horrible. In fact, I had a lot of fun over the summer, but financially and career wise: flat. Nothing very exciting at all. I need to do something about that in the coming year. Usually, I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but this year I have to make one: I have to shake things up and get things moving again. I attribute a lot of the current slack to some major life changes late in 2009 and also for quitting smoking. Now quitting was a good thing, but it caused a lot of upheaval that I still feel. Time to move on though.

Cleaning Inside and Out

Colon cleansing is a great way to clean out your body and is a good way to help lose weight too. It's important to find the right one when you are looking for a colon cleanser. Some are too harsh, and others not strong enough. You can find the best colon cleanser by reading reviews online and seeing which ones have the best ingredients, work well for others, are easily available and safe. Reviews are a good way to make a choice that is best for you, remembering that every product works differently for individual people, and you may have to try a few to find the one that is your perfect match. The reviews help you narrow your search, though, and make good choices that will work well even if they aren't the one you finally choose.

Can't Decide on a Project

I'm trying to decide on a winter-time project and I'm really torn. I want to build an RC model and can't decide between a plane and a boat. I would love to have a plane to fly and have been using a simulator, and could be ready to real fly in the spring when the plane would be ready, but at the same time, my love for boats would have me building a small scale boat like this one:


Well, I'll add the pictures on Monday after I scream bloody murder at my Internet provider for a weekend of impossible uploads. It is an awesome cruiser though. On the other hand, I'd love to build a static model of the F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Keeping It Light

I have finally gotten back on the 'horse' so to speak and started writing a novel again. The fact that it happened to coincide with NANO: that over-zealous November writing marathon is just a fluke. I'm not even signed up for that. I used to do the NANO thing every year, but I am just now getting the desire to write fiction again and didn't want to press my luck. My problem now is I seem to have forgotten how to keep a story in check. Chapter one is already far longer than it should be. If it keeps up this way I'll have to feed my book Lipofuze so that it won't break an editor's desk when it lands on it.

I used to have a well-developed natural rhythm. I don't know if it is the fact that I haven't written in a few years, and I just need to 'find it' again, or if it is gone for good. Hopefully I'll get my sense of timing back soon before my book becomes an epic tomb of monstrous proportions.

Putting Together a Home Theater

Home theaters create the perfect atmosphere to enjoy movies, TV and music. They can be simple, or very complex, but even the simplest home theaters require good planning and careful installation to work properly. Whether you spend thousands of dollars on the most high-tech devices, or you just want to get the most out of your existing equipment, you can create a home theater system that will give you hours of pleasure without expensive installation teams. Before you begin, enlist the help of a friend or relative to aid with the heavier lifting, and to hold various components while being installed.


Plan your room before you begin moving equipment, and furniture in. Put drapes over windows to cut glare during daytime viewing. If you plan on having many gadgets, or know your current electrical system is overloaded already, hire an electrician to run a dedicated electrical circuit from your breaker box to the home theater room so you have plenty of power and it does not interfere with other aspects of the house.


Plan the placement of your entertainment center considering how much space there is in the room. The bigger the screen on your television, the more space you need from front to back of the room. How much room is available may also dictate the size of the TV you should buy. The seating must be at least six to ten feet away from the screen for a 27 to 31 inch TV, eight to twelve feet from a 32 to 40 inch screen, and more than ten feet away from a screen over 40 inches for optimal viewing experience.


Place the television screen at eye level with the seating area of your home theater for the best viewing level. Install all cable connections, phone connections and Internet connection in the area where the television will be. Do not hang a television, or heavy speakers on drywall. If the wall where your larger speakers will be, place them on speaker stands instead of directly on the wall.


Unpack all of the equipment and sort out the remote controls, and necessary gear. Place batteries in the remotes. Collect all of the warranty information and put them in a safe place to fill out later.


Lay out the cables in a common area where they are easy to access when working. Attach your speaker cables to the surround sound receiver, and the receiver to the television.


Place each device on your entertainment center, or stand. These elements vary from user to user, but traditionally include a DVD player, cable or satellite box and possibly a game system. Follow the directions of each piece in attaching them to the television and each other.


Install the cable or satellite system connected directly to the television so that if you want you can avoid turning everything else on in order to simply watch TV.


Sit in a comfortable place and test the equipment. Turn on the TV by itself and judge the sound levels and picture quality. Adjust according to the instructions in the surround sound system, and the television manuals. Place a DVD in the player with a lot of technology and action to best judge the picture and sound through the DVD player.


Collect all of the excess wiring and loop it behind the entertainment cabinet, or television stand. Hold it in place with plastic ties.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Get Away to the East Coast Oceanside

The Outer Banks in Carolina are a great place for someone who loves water and beautiful coastlines to take a vacation. With rentals I am looking at a great deal on a cabin that is near all of the fun activities in the area, or a luxury condo, or home. There are even units as large as six bedrooms. Great for a big family, or a group. It is just Bob and me though, so a cozy little place by the beach is perfect. Besides Kitty Hawk, famous historically for the flight by the Wright Brothers, there are many other things to do if we decide to ever leave the beach. It's not likely that I'll want to go anywhere though, because there is nothing more relaxing that watching the waves play on the sand.

Making Up For Lost Time

I'm not often happy about cold weather. All of my favorite hobbies are warm weather occupations. However, one thing I do better in the winter is work. Both my copy writing, and my fiction writing get more attention during cold months. That's only natural since I hate going out in the cold. I look forward to gaining some financial momentum during the cold months since I lost quite a bit playing around on the boat this summer. It's always nice to make up for lost time.

Finding The Diet Help that is Right For You

If you are having a hard time deciding on what supplements to use, it is a good idea to research the best supplements for weight loss. These are more than the simple diet pills of when I was younger. There are far more options now ranging from fat burners to fat blockers, nutrition supplements to build the system and protect yourself while losing weight, protein builders, and of course, regular diet pills. All of these have a vast variety to chose from and that can make it difficult to make a decision about what is best. Everyone is different, and each type of aid works differently for each person. But learning how a product works in general, if it works for the majority of users, how and why it works can help you decide if it is right for you.

Telecommuting Screenwriting

Sometimes life isn't fair. Back about 10 years ago when I was trying to break into screenwriting, both age and location played a big part in being able to work in the industry. It was a very closed door (and good ole boy) society and being a women, over 30, and living in Illinois didn't help at all. Now, it seems the doors are opening and things are much less complicated when trying to break in. The Internet played a big part in that, but it was even back when I was doing it, although that was just the early days of producers and studios accepting online scripts, working through telecommunting, and web-based communications. With messaging and email so common now, even people who work in the same building, on the same floor, and sometimes in the same office communicate that way, why not those of us across the country?

Finding the Secrets to a Trim Belly

Sometimes things don't work the way you want them to. Getting rid of fat is one of those things. You can try and try and still make no headway getting rid of stubborn fat. This is especially true of belly fat. There are things you have to know in order to learn how to get rid of belly fat. It isn't possible to spot 'train' areas when you exercise, although it is possible to target certain muscles like the stomach. That helps you tone up, but not necessarily get rid of the fat deposits in the area. Dieting and exercise aren't always enough. The stomach area is designed to hold on to fat deposits, and is not quick to lose them. There are products that can help, and learning how to use them, and chose them is important. They can help you figure out how to get rid of those stubborn areas that don't want to melt away with simple diet and exercise.

Getting Bigger Every Day



Compare the last fetch video when Batty was just a few months old to this one from the other day when she's six months old... boy did she get big.

Getting Bigger Every Day



Compare the last fetch video when Batty was just a few months old to this one from the other day when she's six months old... boy did she get big.

Back Pain Relief with a Better Mattress

I bought a new mattress just a couple years ago, and I thought that would be it for awhile. It is still in good shape, but I have come to realize that I should have looked for a good orthopedic mattress for added support. I think that it would help my back a lot. I could really use an adjustable bed. They also can help with allergies, which I have, but more important is the back pain relief. Better than that, you can even get furniture for other areas of the house like the living room to support back health.

Puppy Fetch



It's hard to remember how small she was. Here's a video of Batty playing fetch when she was just a few months old.

Why Get a Managed Hosting Service

Building a website is easier now than it used to be when I first came online in the early 90s. However, for a real business power, you can also build a site on a dedicated, or managed hosting service that has everything you need in a package so you can build a website, and lets you have complete control, no one else using the bandwidth, and no possibility of anyone else who has a site on the server causing a crash or blackout. If you are industrious and want to create a website service yourself, you will also need managed hosting services. You can buy a server, and then divide it up yourself to sell to individual site holders. However you use it, a managed hosting service gives you much more power than a single website hosting service. Even managed hosting services are much easier to operate now than in the past, and you don't have to be a brain surgeon to keep it running. Operating systems and support are available so you can work with your server easily.

Good Days



Having a bad day with Batty today, so trying to remember the good times with her.

Diet Pills Help Lose Weight

Websites with diet pills for sale can help you kick start your weight loss. I could use some right now. I've done really good the past four weeks, and maintained my diet, slowly lost weight, and then suddenly had one of those unexpected gains today that just threw me off completely. For me, diet pills help avoid those times. There are many ways you can use weight loss pills to help you lose weight. You can use them just at the times when you are having difficulties, or you can use them consistently to help control appetite. Either way, finding great deals is easier online with the many resources available to help you choose the best pills and get them at the best prices.

Remembering The Summer



Just a little memory from Memorial Day boating to keep the spring alive through the cold fall months. I miss boating already.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Moving on to the Bathroom

I'm winding down with kitchen remodeling. The final step is to tear up the existing tiles, started last night, and redo the flooring. After that I want to work on the bathroom. Other than a new floor in there all I have to do is put in a new bathroom faucet. Luckily, installing a bathroom sink faucet is much easier than the kitchen sink faucet we recently installed. Picking a style for the bathroom is harder, though. There are so many really beautiful styles that fit the decor in our main bathroom. The kitchen was easy, I knew exactly what I wanted. I think it's going to take awhile to pick one for the bathroom.

Remembering The Gales of November

Recent November storms in Lake Michigan of which this picture was recently taken

brought to mind the painful and heart-wrenching story of the famous wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Being a local resident of the Great Lakes region the story has always held a spot in my heart, and trying to explain the severity of the weather and waters of America's Inland Oceans--the Great Lakes to others who can't understand what the big deal is about a lake water is difficult.

Keeping a Ferrari Purring

I like writing about people in entertainment social circles. That means I have to know about what kinds of cars they drive. Give them exotic toys to play with, and know what kinds of extras are optional, or can be bought for them. For instance, if my hero has a Ferrari, need to have it tricked out with options that are exclusive to that type of car.

Of course, if I should ever be so lucky to own a car like a Maserati, Lamborghini, or Ferrari it would be much more important to know where I could get Ferrari parts and parts for cars like it. Those aren't the types of parts you are going to pick up at the local parts store down the street. Knowing where to get the parts can make maintenance and repairs much less painful than just hoping an American shop can find them, or have them on hand.

How do I know that I have BPD?

DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy. It is used in treating BPD, Borderline Personality Disorders. The acronyms can get confusing, especially when they so closely resemble each other and are related: treatment and illness. Patients who have BPD are often misdiagnosed due to the vagaries of the symptoms, but it is a very real illnesses that needs medical attention. DBT treats the illness using cognitive reasoning skills based on the theory that explains BPD as emotional disengagement.

Symptoms of BPD

• Splitting: Patients with borderline personality disorders often see the world as an all or nothing proposition. They have a problem with opposing viewpoints, and gray areas are out of the question for them.
• Lack of Self Esteem: More than a lack of appreciation for one’s self, a person with BPD simply never develops an identity that they recognize as theirs. They do not trust their own responses to life, or opinions. This is a problem because instead of reasoning out reactions to problems and believing in their opinions, patients with BPD tend to lash out in a reactive manner to any problem in life.
• Alienation: Patients with BPD feel separated from the rest of humanity. They don’t feel they belong, and they don’t feel they deserve to belong to the rest of the human race.


How DBT Can Help

Dialectical Behavior Therapy gives a patient a more balanced outlook on life. It helps them develop an ability to see how things connect, and sometimes blend in a more subtle manner than simply good vs. bad. DBT shows the patient the opposite truths in life that allow for divergence of opinions.

Therapists using DBT help patients reason out problems and think things through. They teach them to trust their reasoning skills and learn to accept who they are and how they feel about each situation as it occurs.

Using DBT, therapists give patients hope and help them restore their connection to the people around them. It erases the lifetime of shame that comes with feeling different, or blame for actions they haven’t been able to control. Most importantly, DBT allows patients to feel like they are in control of their illness and can manage it through treatment.