Utility to offer 'green' option

Utility to offer 'green' option
FirstEnergy customers would pay extra
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Mary Vanac
Plain Dealer Reporter

FirstEnergy Corp. has proposed adding a "green option" to your monthly electric bill from Cleveland Electric Illuminating, Ohio Edison or Toledo Edison companies by as early as this summer.

Under a plan filed Tuesday with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, FirstEnergy would enable customers to pay an extra charge each month to support companies that use renewable sources - wind and solar power, for instance - to make electricity.

The charge - likely to be a few dollars a month - is voluntary and "isn't tied to their [electric] usage at all," said FirstEnergy spokeswoman Ellen Raines.

Rather, the charge would be related to "renewable-energy certificates" that FirstEnergy would buy from a company that creates power with wind, solar or geothermal energy.

If the PUCO approves the utility's plan, FirstEnergy would buy these certificates, each of which would be equivalent to one megawatt-hour of electricity produced by alternative means.
FirstEnergy customers then would buy the certificates in 100-kilowatt-hour blocks from the utility.

Customers would be able to purchase from two to 50 blocks each month and stop buying them at any time.
Where would the extra payments go? To the company that produces electricity from renewable sources.

The additional revenue provided by the payments could encourage that company to build more windmills or solar panels, said Ryan Lippe, communications specialist for the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, which helped design the plan with FirstEnergy and the PUCO.

"Residential consumers will be able to support the important benefits of renewable power through this program," Consumers' Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander said in a written statement.

If approved, the plan also would help resolve a dispute over FirstEnergy's plan to stabilize its electricity rates through 2008, said Shana Eiselstein, a PUCO spokeswoman.

A new state law requires that utilities offer customers a choice of electric producer. The green option could answer that requirement.

"What you pay for is the benefit of replacing nonrenewable sources with renewable sources on the electric grid," Eiselstein said.

Even Cleveland Orchestra can make a mistake...

Welser-MÖst tries it again, twice, after concerto stops orchestra in its tracks

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Donald Rosenberg

Plain Dealer Music Critic

Anyone who has ever played an instrument or sung knows the uncomfortable feeling that creeps in when things don't quite go as the composer planned.

Listeners aren't always aware of these discrepancies, but the Cleveland Orchestra's audience Thursday at Severance Hall was abuzz at intermission about the two interruptions during the last movement of Alban Berg's Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin and 13 Wind Instruments.

The piece was moving along when everything suddenly collapsed and music director Franz Welser-MÖst uttered, "Sorry." He took the ensemble back a bunch of bars and tried again, to no better effect.

"You see how difficult this is," the conductor said to the audience. "It worked this morning."

Finally, Welser-MÖst got his meters straight, and the music proceeded to its inevitable, touching end. One suspects the weekend's remaining performances will go more smoothly.

Berg's score deserves the attention. It is a masterpiece of construction and emotional content, albeit one of the most intricate works in the repertoire. The composer flirts with 12-tone techniques as he incorporates hidden codes and the musical names of his close Viennese colleagues Schoenberg and Webern into the fabric.

The opening theme and variations introduce the primary motives and develop them. The second movement is a palindrome that also serves as an impassioned memorial to Schoenberg's first wife, Mathilde. Material from the first and second movements are combined in the finale, whose tricky textures and rhythms -- the cause of Thursday's distress -- are major challenges.

Despite the discomfort, the performance wasn't an outright disaster, though it also wasn't very good. Mitsuko Uchida's forceful, alert pianism and concertmaster William Preucil's silken violin solos gave vibrant voice to Berg's profusion of ideas even when the interplay of solo instruments and fine winds failed to achieve coherence or urgency. Welser-MÖst's helpful comments before the performance about the work's "meaning" often didn't transfer to the music-making itself.

After the vague harmonies and complexities of Berg, Brahms' Symphony No. 2 seemed like an old friend encountered on a warm spring day. This is the brightest of the composer's four symphonies, full of sweetness, eloquence and energy, with only a few clouds hovering.

Welser-MÖst connected vibrantly with the first movement's lyrical activity and syncopated figures, and he joined the players in a noble reading of the slow movement, which had superb horn, bassoon, oboe and flute contributions. At such moments, the orchestra's distinguished Brahms tradition could be richly discerned.

But the performance began to lose focus in the third movement, which was short of charm and pointed articulation. The finale's mounting excitement wasn't achieved, its activity sounding generic and the trombone lines too cautiously gauged.

The program repeats at 8 tonight and 3 p.m. Sunday.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

drosenberg@plaind.com, 216-999-4269

Heard concert on Saturday. Don't think there was a problem.
During preconcert lecture heard cute statement that Brahm's Symphony No. 1 = Beethovan's Symphony #10 but Brahm's Symphony #2 (which we heard) = Brahms.
Berg piece we were warned would be "difficult to listen to". Franz W-M gave introductory remarks which are especially interesting in light of mistake on Thursday night.
Franz W-M and players truly did appear to give their all to both pieces.

Bissell, Dreamgirls

http://www.bissell.com/images/UserGuides/1950%20-%201960.htm

Model 1950.


Enjoyed this a lot. Reminded me of opera in the large topics and big voices.
Also saw Last King of Scotland about Idi Amin.

Memorial Day, Iraq policy, etc

Rep and Dems forecast change in Bush Iraq policy

WASHINGTON - Republican and Democratic congressional leaders both forecast a change in President Bush's Iraq war policy as the president prepared to sign legislation Friday providing funds for military operations through Sept. 30.

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

At a separate news conference, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell predicted a change, and said Bush would show the way.

"I think the handwriting is on the wall that we are going in a different direction in the fall and I think the president is going to lead it," he said.

McConnell said he expects Bush announce his intentions on his own timetable.

The legislation that cleared Congress late Thursday night marked the end of a struggle in which Bush rejected an earlier bill because it contained a troop withdrawal timetable.

The White House said it expected to receive the replacement measure Friday afternoon and that Bush would sign it — privately, with no fanfare other than a written announcement — as soon as it arrived from Capitol Hill.

"This effort shows what can happen when people work together," Bush said after a visit to wounded troops at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. "We've got a good bill that didn't have timetables or tell the military how to do its job, but also sent a clear signal to the Iraqis that there's expectations here in America ... about how to move forward."

McConnell also emphasized that the Iraqis need to make progress. "We've given the Iraqi government an opportunity here to have a normal country. And so far, they've been a great disappointment to members of the Senate on both sides," he said.

Democrats say the drive to bring U.S. troops home is far from over.

"We're going to keep coming back and coming back," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the Democratic caucus.

"I fully support our troops" but the measure "fails to compel the president to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq," said Clinton, D-N.Y.

"Enough is enough," Obama, an Illinois senator, declared, adding that Bush should not get "a blank check to continue down this same, disastrous path."

Thoughts on Memorial Day.

mamisma is a most interesting new word

How 'mamisma' can change politics
By Harriet Rubin

Is America ready to elect a female president? Of course we are. The most macho countries — Chile, Liberia, Germany — have recently elected women chief executives as symbols of change. So how can a female candidate in America tap the desire for change and avoid tripping on the stereotypes of gender prejudice? Can she appear presidential before we have a model of what female presidential power is?

Even the most powerful woman in politics can't yet hold her own against the most powerful man, it seems: When Bill and Hillary Clinton take a stage together, he makes her disappear, like a magician and his assistant. How then would she look on stage against Republican Sen. John McCain? She'll have to draw consistently on her "mamisma," not machismo. (After all, there are already too many alpha male Democrats in play.) And I'm not talking about machisma or female ferocity.

Mamisma is femininity defined by mature and maternal qualities. It lets a female candidate make men look like wimps while doing the taboo-dance, enticing people to fall in love with her.

Source:
usatoday.com
Publication Date:
1/29/2007
URL:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2007-01-29-oplede_x.htm

Gore and STC award

Al Gore Documentary, Environmental Awareness Projects Receive Awards


Minneapolis, Minn. – May 2, 2007



– The Society for Technical Communication, a 15,000-member international professional association, will award Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” with one of its highest honors at its Annual Conference in the Minneapolis Convention Center. STC honors the film with its President’s Award as the ultimate example of the mission of the Society: to convey complex technical concepts in ways that people can understand and use.


Mr. Gore's film is an example of how still images, video, illustrations, and audio can come together to enlighten an audience about a critical issue," says Paula Berger, STC President. "It points to the direction that STC members' work is moving—away from static information written on a page, and into a world where multiple media come together to help us make sense of the world."


The keynote speaker at the conference's opening session will be Simon Singh, Ph.D., a particle physicist turned TV producer specializing in science and mathematics. Singh's work on the BBC television series “Earth Story” has helped audiences understand the development of our planet and the delicate balance of forces that enable life to thrive.


Conference attendees will see other examples of technical communication in the service of the environment when they visit the display of this year's International Technical Communication Competition. Winning entries include:


a series of park signs and a visitors guide that explain how plants can be used to remove toxins from groundwater
a magazine that shows how to build an ecologically friendly "green" home;
a Web-based game that introduces children to endangered animals and their habitat needs.


"As public awareness of environmental issues grows, technical communication will play an ever-expanding role," says Berger. "Policy-makers and citizens cannot make informed decisions about things they do not understand. As people commit themselves to change, technical communicators will be there explaining options and consequences."

Cleveland Orchestra, Ivy/chipmunk, drive shaft

Saturday, May 26, 2007at
8:00 PMSeverance Hall

Brahms: Second Symphony & Berg Chamber Concerto
The Cleveland Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst, conductor
Mitsuko Uchida, piano

William Preucil, violin
Berg: Chamber ConcertoBrahms: Symphony No. 2

Music Director Franz Welser-Möst conducts Brahms’s Symphony No. 2, a piece brimming with light and warmth, written while the composer was on holiday in the Austrian Alps. The program also includes Alban Berg’s lyrical and expressive Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Thirteen Wind Instruments with Mitsuko Uchida and Concertmaster William Preucil as soloists.

Tuesday, May 22
Ivy brings a chipmunk into the house.

May 18
Car gets a new drive shaft from Excelleration. Most automobiles today use rigid driveshafts to deliver power from a transmission to the wheels. A pair of short driveshafts is commonly used to send power from a central differential, transmission, or transaxle to the wheels.

More on the Cleveland Orchestra concert -

William Preucil, violinBerg: Chamber ConcertoBrahms: Symphony No. 2

Music Director Franz Welser-Möst conducts Brahms’s Symphony No. 2, a piece brimming with light and warmth, written while the composer was on holiday in the Austrian Alps.

The program also includes Alban Berg’s lyrical and expressive Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Thirteen Wind Instruments with Mitsuko Uchida and Concertmaster William Preucil as soloists. Sunday, May 27: Free Prelude Concert at 2 p.m.: Enjoy a chamber music performance by members of The Cleveland Orchestra in Reinberger Chamber Hall.

This prelude concert will include the Schubert Piano Trio in B-flat major ("Sonatensatz"), the third and fourth movements from the Brahms String Quartet No. 2, Op. 51, No. 2 and the third and fourth movements from the Brahms Horn Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40. Sunday's concert is part of the 3-concert Musically Speaking series with pre-concert chamber music by Cleveland Orchestra musicians and experts speaking briefly from the stage during the main concert about the featured repertoire or composer. Musically Speaking is supported by a special grant from The Hershey Foundation. Thursday and Saturday evening Concert Previews begin at 7:00 p.m. Topic and speaker will be announced in due course.

Race for the Place, Yoga on the Green by Evolution

Yoga on the Green by Evolution
YogaDate of Event: May 28, 2007 9:30 AM

For the third year in a row, Evolution Yoga will host Yoga fundraisers in Norma’s Garden.

The three events will occur on Memorial Day (Monday, May 28, 2007), Fourth of July (Wednesday, July 4, 2007) and Labor Day (Monday, September 3, 2007). Each session will begin at 9:30 AM and all proceeds will benefit The Gathering Place.

Please call (216) 595-YOGA if you have any questions about these upcoming events. Thanks to Sandy Gross and the entire staff at Evolution Yoga for again making The Gathering Place a recipient of their generosity.

Race for the Place 6/3/2007 7:30 am

Beachwood Place - 26300 Cedar Road, Beachwood, OH (South Entrance between Nordstrom and Dillards - upper level)Need directions? Click here for a map

Event Schedule:
Race Day Registration
6/3/2007 7:30 am

Celebration Village (Family Activities) Opens
6/3/2007 8:15 am

Survivor Ceremony
6/3/2007 9:00 am

5K and 1 Mile
6/3/2007 9:15 am

Award Ceremony
6/3/2007 10:30 am

Fees:
Adult Registration ($25 on Race Day): $20.00

M-W, Part 2

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Publisher: Springfield, Mass. : Merriam-Webster, 2006. $26.95. SBN: 0877798079 9780877798071 9780877798071 0877798079 # OCLC: 66262588 (Part Two)

Part one of this review gave a general information about this publication. This part two gives a more detailed context of how this dictionary compares to others and some background on how a word gets into a M-W dictionary.

The wikipedia.com entry on dictionary gives a useful overview on this subject. Concerning the history of English language dictionaries, the entry states that the first true English dictionary was Robert Cawdrey's Table Alphabeticall of 1604, although it only included 3,000 words and the definitions it contained were little more than synonyms. The first one to be at all comprehensive was Thomas Blount's dictionary Glossographia of 1656. Though many believe that Samuel Johnson's famous and more complete dictionary of 1755 was the first dictionary it was predated by Blount, as well as Kersey and Bailey. In 1806, Noah Webster's dictionary was published by the G&C Merriam Company of Springfield, Massachusetts which still publishes Merriam-Webster dictionaries, but the term Webster's is considered generic and can be used by any dictionary.

In terms of the basic types of dictionaries, Wikipedia explains the two basic philosophies to the defining of words as prescriptive or descriptive. The prescriptive tells right from wrong. The descriptive simply shows usage.

Wikipedia continues with more on this distinction by noting that Noah Webster, intent on forging a distinct identity for the American language, altered spellings and accentuated differences in meaning and pronunciation of some words. This is why American English now uses the spelling color while the rest of the English-speaking world prefers colour...Large 20th-century dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and Webster's Third are descriptive and attempt to describe the actual use of words.

Is the M-W Collegiate descriptive or prescriptive?

Wikipedia answers with the idea that the prescriptive/descriptive issue has been given so much consideration in modern times that most dictionaries of English apply the descriptive method to definitions, while additionally informing readers of attitudes which may influence their choices on words often considered vulgar, offensive, erroneous, or easily confused. Merriam-Webster is subtle, only adding italicized notations such as, sometimes offensive or nonstand (nonstandard). American Heritage goes further, discussing issues separately in numerous usage notes.

How does a word get into a Merriam-Webster dictionary?

According to the Web site at http://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq/words_in.htm this is one of the questions Merriam-Webster editors are most often asked. The answer is simple: usage. Tracking word usage to decide which words to include in the dictionary and to determine what they mean, Merriam-Webster editors study the language as it's used. They carefully monitor which words people use most often and how they use them. Each day most Merriam-Webster editors devote an hour or two to reading a cross section of published material, including books, newspapers, magazines, and electronic publications; in our office this activity is called "reading and marking." The editors scour the texts in search of new words, new usages of existing words, variant spellings, and inflected form - in short, anything that might help in deciding if a word belongs in the dictionary, understanding what it means, and determining typical usage. Any word of interest is marked, along with surrounding context that offers insight into its form and use.

The marked passages are then input into a computer system and stored both in machine-readable form and on 3" x 5" slips of paper to create citations. Each citation has the following elements: 1. the word itself 2. an example of the word used in context 3. bibliographic information about the source from which the word and example were taken Merriam-Webster's citation files, which were begun in the 1880s, now contain 15.7 million examples of words used in context and cover all aspects of the English vocabulary.

Citations are also available to editors in a searchable text database (linguists call it a corpus) that includes more than 70 million words drawn from a great variety of sources.

How does a word make the jump from the citation file to the dictionary?

The process begins with dictionary editors reviewing groups of citations. It is the definer's job to determine which existing entries can remain essentially unchanged, which entries need to be revised, which entries can be dropped, and which new entries should be added. In each case, the definer decides on the best course of action by reading through the citations and using the evidence in them to adjust entries or create new ones.

Before a new word can be added to the dictionary, it must have enough citations to show that it is widely used. But having a lot of citations is not enough; in fact, a large number of citations might even make a word more difficult to define, because many citations show too little about the meaning of a word to be helpful. A word may be rejected for entry into a general dictionary if all of its citations come from a single source or if they are all from highly specialized publications that reflect the jargon of experts within a single field. To be included in a Merriam-Webster dictionary, a word must be used in a substantial number of citations that come from a wide range of publications over a considerable period of time. Specifically, the word must have enough citations to allow accurate judgments about its establishment, currency, and meaning.

The number and range of citations needed to add a word to the dictionary varies. In rare cases, a word jumps onto the scene and is both instantly prevalent and likely to last, as was the case in the 1980s with AIDS. In such a situation, the editors determine that the word has become firmly established in a relatively short time and should be entered in the dictionary, even though its citations may not span the wide range of years exhibited by other words. The size and type of dictionary also affects how many citations a word needs to gain admission.

Because an abridged dictionary, such as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, has fairly limited space, only the most commonly used words can be entered; to get into that type of dictionary, a word must be supported by a significant number of citations. But a large unabridged dictionary, such as Webster's Third New International Dictionary, has room for many more words, so terms with fewer citations can still be included.

Change and variation are as natural in language as they are in other areas of human life and Merriam-Webster reference works must reflect that fact. By relying on citational evidence, M-W hopes to keep publications grounded in the details of current usage.

Rescue Village, CMA photography, Cruise for Cure

www.noteworthycardsONLINE.com
Icons of American Photography, June 23, CMA


Cruise for the Cure® on the Nautica Queen

Whether you're a survivor yourself ... know someone who's fighting the fight ... or if you just want to do what you can to help in the fight against breast cancer, Soft Rock 102.1 WDOK, WKYC TV-3 and National City Bank invite you to join us Sunday, June 3rd for our 6th Annual "Cruise for the Cure®" on board the Nautica Queen - Cleveland's favorite cruise dining ship.

Experience all the fun of the Nautica Queen ... meet Trapper Jack, Robin Benzle, Jim McIntyre, Nancy Alden and Dan Deely ... plus help a great cause at the same time! While on board the Nautica Queen, you'll cruise under historic bridges and experience a breathtaking view of Downtown Cleveland's ever-changing skyline. Our cruise includes an unlimited dinner buffet, coffee, tea or iced tea, and musical entertainment ... plus lots of fun & prizes as we play "Fact or Lie" with your favorite WDOK personalities. Soft drinks, beer, wine and alcoholic beverages are also available to purchase.

The cost for this very special cruise is just $25 per person. That's a terrific savings over the cost of a regular dinner cruise ... and best of all, every dollar collected goes directly to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the 14th Annual Susan G. Komen Northeast Ohio "Race for the Cure®" on Saturday, September 15th. A nominal service fee will be added to the cost of each ticket to cover the cost of credit card processing.

"Cruise for the Cure®" Fast Facts

Date: Sunday, June 3, 2007, rain or shine
Ticket price: $25 per person (adults and children)
Boarding begins at 5 p.m.
Nautica Queen departs promptly at 6 p.m.
Ship returns to the dock at about 8:30 p.m.

Don't be left standing at the dock. Space is limited ... make your reservations today. Click here to puchase your tickets now

More Mother's Day, AHD, eating clean, Отче наш

Best Mother's Day ever (with chocolate, ginger, a visit, Bobby, flowers, and a clean car)!

Eating Clean? Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Dawn

If you begin to practice eating clean, you'll see what seems like miraculous changes in your body.
When I refer to eating clean, I mean you consistently eat high quality foods that are basically free of all unnatural additives. Clean foods are those without man-made sugars, hydrogenated fats, trans-fats and other unnecessary ingredients.
If you simply follow the rule of consuming a portion of lean protein (cold water fish, white meat poultry, etc.) in combination with complex carbohydrates (yams, whole wheat bread, etc.) at each meal you'll notice a significant change in how you feel and how you look. In addition, adding fresh fruits and vegetables to each meal will leave you feeling full & healthy. Clean snacks include the apples, fruit & nuts, or chopped veggies with hummus. Meals or snacks should be eaten at regular two or three hour intervals throughout the day if you are interested in really getting lean. If you are really interested in staying trim, eat more high quality foods regularly throughout the day, this will result in increased overall metabolism, fat loss, and retaining your lean muscle.
Eating clean to stay lean does not mean eating less. In fact, you'll probably eat more than you were before. But now, you will be eating lots of healthy, superior foods that rev up your metabolism and fill you with lots of energy.


The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,
Fourth Edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006, $60.00, 2112 pages, hardcover, ISBN-10: 0618701729

This updated edition includes, according to its Web site, revised biographical and geographical entries as well as up-to-date charts and tables for topics such as world currencies and chemical elements. Among the 500 entries new to this update are:

• Amber Alert
• blogosphere
• gravitino
• halo effect
• hawala
• lycopene
• malware
• micropolis
• proteome
• Qi Gong
• SARS
• shout-out
• speed dating
• sudoku
• Texas hold’em
• text message
• wiki
  
  
  Wikipedia explains the history of this dictionary, noting that the first edition appeared in 1969. Its creation was spurred by the controversy over the Webster's Third New International Dictionary.
  James Parton, the owner of the history magazine American Heritage, was appalled by the "permissiveness" of Webster's Third, published in 1961, and tried to buy the G. and C. Merriam Company so he could undo the changes. When that failed, he contracted with Houghton to publish a new dictionary. The AHD was edited by William Morris and relied on a usage panel of 105 writers, speakers, and eminent persons for usage notes... The AHD made the innovative step of combining prescriptive elements (how language should be used) and descriptive information (how it actually is used)... Citations were based on a million word, three-line citation database prepared by Brown University linguist Henry Kucera.
  
  
  
  The AHD is larger than a desk dictionary but smaller than Webster's Third New International Dictionary or The Random-House Dictionary of the English Language. A lower-priced college edition includes monocolor printing.This dictionary can also be purchased with a fully loadable CD-ROM that contains the entire text of the updated Fourth Edition, 68,000 audio pronunciations, 1,000 full-color photographs and illustrations, and a college-level thesaurus with more than 260,000 synonyms. The CD-ROM has spell-check capability and can be used in conjunction with any Microsoft Office application to get definitions at the click of a mouse.
  
  The updated edition does not disappoint. The content is as good as ever, including the most helpful usage notes. The paper version still has the striking illustrations and beautiful packaging that includes the recessed index tabs. As an experiment, I went to dictionary.com and got these results for shout-out.
  

American Heritage Dictionary

shout-out (shout'out') n. Slang A public expression of gratitude or recognition.

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English

Main Entry:	shout-out
Part of Speech:	n
Definition:	an acknowledgment, credit, or greeting given for someone during a radio or television show; a mention made to show respect
Example:	We'd like to give a shout-out to all our loyal fans.
Etymology:	1990
Usage:	slang

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.6)
Copyright © 2003-2006 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC

In Slaying the English Jargon (an STC publication), Fern Rook notes that there are many English language dictionaries. The main ones are the Oxford English Dictionary, the M-W unabridged and collegiate dictionaries, and The American Heritage Dictionary. Others, she notes, are the Random House unabridged and collegiate dictionaries and Webster's New World Dictionary (from World publishing). Several others use the Webster name.

Fern goes on to state that most dictionaries do a good job in the four most important functions of spelling, meaning, pronunciation, and syllabification. However, there are differences in other areas that you should consider when deciding on purchase or use of a new dictionary.

She cautions us when pointing out Dr. Samuel Johnson's statement that "Dictionaries are like new watches: the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true."

M-W unabridged is the most prestigious in the United States and considered be the authority by librarians and linguists. The appearance of The American Heritage Dictionary was notable in that it was the first to have made the best seller list. M-W dictionaries concentrate on what is widely used. The AHD provides usage guideliens for those who need to find out whether a word is considered to be standard usage. For example, for grub, AHD shows "Slang Food" in the entry. M-W shows simply "food" for its entry.

AHD
n.

1. The thick wormlike larva of certain beetles and other insects.
2. A drudge.
3. Slang Food.

M-W
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English grubbe, from grubben
1 : a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect (as a beetle)
2 a : one who does menial work : DRUDGE b : a slovenly person
3 : FOOD

Fern feels that one of the best features of the AHD is that it lists the most common meaning first, not the historical order, as M-W does. AHD is the most readable dictionary. If you need to know how a word is commonly used, AHD is a good choice. A M-W dictionary or The Oxford English Dictionary is a good choice if you need to know historical information about a word.


Back to Mother's Day

Notre Père, qui es aux cieux,
Que ton nom soit sanctifié,
Que ton règne vienne,
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.

Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal,
car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles des siècles.

Amen.

Отче наш,
сущий на небесах,
да святится имя Твое,
да приидет Царствие Твое,
да будет воля Твоя и на земле, как на небе.

Хлеб наш насущный подавай нам на каждый день,
и прости нам грехи наши,
ибо и мы прощаем всякому должнику нашему,
и не введи нас в искушение,
но избавь нас от лукавого.
Аминь.

May is National Mental Health Month

May is National Mental Health Month

Mental health affects everyone, regardless of whether or not you have a mental illness. By developing healthy habits, you can boost mental health and increase your resiliency to mental illness, enabling you to live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives. To promote wellness during Mental Health Month, Mental Health America – the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives developed the following tips for managing everyday stress:

• Set Manageable Goals: The more control you have over work, the less stress you’ll feel.
• Live a Healthy Lifestyle: Limit caffeine and alcohol, get enough rest, exercise and balance work and play.
• Spend Time with Others: Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while or call a friend or relative to join you in everyday activities.
• Take a Time Out: Taking time to unwind can decrease your stress levels and improve your health and relationships.
• Ask for Help. Allow friends and family to assist with housework, child-care or any activities you find stressful. To learn more ways to promote wellness in your and your loved ones during Mental Health Month visit http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net

Here is the three-year chart for ROK. Well, this is more stock health than mental health. Hm, that connection is a stretch, but at least the stock is not at an all-time low.



Getting back to the topic of mental health

Merriam-Webster defines mental health as "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no one "official" definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how "mental health" is defined. In general, most experts agree that "mental health" and "mental illness" are not opposites. In other words, the absence of a recognized mental disorder is not necessarily an indicator of mental health.

One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Feeling capable and competent; being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintaining satisfying relationships, and leading an independent life; and being able to "bounce back," or recover from difficult situations, are all signs of mental health.

Baбyшka нaшa, Mother's Day, Russian babies, mommogram

June 1, 2007: Charity concert on Child Protection Day

Can musicians and singers bring health, love and attention to more than 100 000 street kids who drift from city to city looking for a better life?
International Child Protection Day, a Great Charity Concert «Classics & Jazz» will gather popular Russian and international singers and musicians to break down the wall of incomprehension, fear and lovelessness against children living on streets. They will remind us of the problem which, to our regret, still exists in Russia. http://www.unicef.org/russia/media_6518.html

Babushka-mama (бaбyшka нaшa) - thoughts on Mother's Day and June 1 birthday coming up

• Oy!
• To each his own.
  
• That you know.
• My best friend is Johnny Walker.
  
• Sugar makes you smarter.
• Finger sandwiches make life better.
• It's just water and ice with big, big orange.
• It's not weather, it's suicide.
• And I hang...
• You made my day.
• Is only one way.
• All America crazy about it.
• He looks like a Micky Mouse.
• Ricky will fix it.
• We all have the same God.

Mother's Day (or thereabouts)

• B's yard beds, dark chocolate with ginger
• Beacon Brunch, Corcoran (Modernity), FilmFest, and Sac visit
• mommogram (May 11)
• Thank You for Smoking, Bobby, Control Room
  

Thank You for Smoking (2005)
Tobacco industry lobbyist Nick Naylor has a seemingly impossible task: promoting cigarette smoking in a time when the health hazards of the activity have become too plain to ignore. Nick, however, revels in his job, using argument and twisted logic to place, as often as not, his clients in the positions of either altruistic do-gooders or victims. Nick's son Joey needs to understand and respect his dad's philosophy, and Nick works hard to respond to that need without compromising his lack of values. When a beautiful news reporter betrays Nick's sexually-achieved trust, his world seems in danger of collapsing. But there's always one more coffin nail in Nick's pack. Written by http://www.imdb.com/SearchPlotWriters?Jim%20Beaver%20%7Bjumblejim@prodigy.net%7D

From Wikipedia - This movie got a seven minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Lou Lomenick of The New York Post gave the film "Bobby" one (out of four) stars saying that it was just another rip-off of a much better film, 1975's Nashville

Ah, how did this get in here?

Mother's Day is a good time to be reminded of thebreastcancersite.com.

Morning Edition, April 25, 2007 (NPR report on adoption in Russia)

Russian authorities have suspended the work of foreign adoption agencies. That has put into limbo the plans of many Americans waiting to adopt Russian children, even as human rights groups say a growing number of institutionalized children in Russia are living — and dying — in wretched conditions.
Most of the nearly 800,000 children called orphans in Russia still have living parents.

Thirteen-year-old Sasha says he ran away from home at the age of 6. He now lives in a Moscow boarding school called Internat No. 8."I left because my parents behaved badly," Sasha says. "They drank and took drugs and didn't take care of me."

Another Internat No. 8 resident, Tatyana, 12, was abandoned at birth. She says she likes drawing and sewing, and wants to become a doctor.

Compared with most children like them, Tatyana and Sasha are lucky. Their dorm rooms are clean, teachers are dedicated, and the children appear genuinely happy.

But director Vadim Menshov says that's not good enough.
"Children are traumatized even in the best orphanages because they have no time to themselves," Menshov says. "Even this school is too crowded. It needs to be bulldozed. Children shouldn't live in such places."

The government has only recently started to encourage Russians to adopt. But very few Russian families want to adopt orphans because they're often seen as sick or somehow damaged. Half of the 15,000 children adopted in Russia each year are taken in by foreigners.

Americans adopt more children from Russia than from any other country except China and Guatemala. But now the government has suspended the work of all foreign adoption agencies. Officials say it's a temporary measure, part of the new registration requirements for all non-governmental organizations.
Still, Education Ministry official Sergei Vitelis says Russian children should stay in Russia.
"Adoption by foreigners probably isn't entirely right," Vitelis says. "Any normal state should create conditions for children to grow up in their own country. That's what we're aiming for."
Children's rights advocates say the official crackdown on foreign adoptions is more about national pride than concern for child welfare. They say it condemns children to a system of Soviet-era institutions desperately in need of reform.

A baby lies crying in a decrepit, wooden maternity hospital in Russia's poverty-stricken Far North. Many child advocates say places like these are where the problems start. Hospital staff often try to persuade parents of babies with disabilities to give them over to state care. Poverty and alcoholism also drive parents to abandon their children.

Sergei Koloskov, head of the Down Syndrome Society, says that contrary to government figures, the number of orphans in Russia is growing — and overloading the state's orphanage system.
"Healthy babies are lying in hospital beds all day as if they were sick, sometimes for months or longer," Koloskov says. "They're completely ignored. No one plays with them or provides any kind of stimulation. That happens because orphanages where they're supposed to go after birth are full."
Experts say that the lack of attention at an early age seriously harms a child's development. Elena Olshanskaya started a group of volunteers to help children in hospitals after noticing abandoned babies in rooms at the hospital where she gave birth.

"I was stunned," she says. "They were completely alone. They were fed several times a day and that was it. After a while, they just stop crying."

Last winter, another patient in a central Russian hospital noticed a room of abandoned babies with their mouths taped shut to stop them from crying. Her cell phone video shocked the country when it was played on national television. Reports of babies tied down in their cots are common. Many believe that's because hospital staff are seriously overworked.

Boris Altshuler of the Child's Right group says it's often immediately clear to visitors that abandoned babies are left to "rot alive."

"First of all [there's] the smell — [the] smell of unchanged linens or even children lying on just plastic. And [a] terrible smell because nobody changes, nobody cares," Altshuler says.

Toxins in the kitchen, yard update, Michelins, NPR

Toxins in the Kitchen (Dr. Maoshing Ni)

Here is my take.

You may be eating only organic, antioxidant-rich foods, but if you cooked your food on the toxic surface of your stovetop in a carcinogenic no-stick pan, you just might be doing more harm than good.

Cut the Grease Without the Toxins (Using Baking Soda)

When you are facing a stovetop with a buildup of baked-on grease, don’t turn to commercial oven and stovetop cleaners - that is like cleaning with poison. Instead, try baking soda. Just sprinkle baking soda on your stovetop, let it sit for five minutes and then scour the surface with either steel wool or scrubber. For the stubborn spots that refuse to be removed, try spraying this mixture on: mix dishwashing liquid, borax, and warm water together; let it sit for 20 minutes, and then scour it.

Microwave

Microwaves use super-fast particles to literally radiate the contents of water inside food and bring it to boil. Not only has microwave use been linked to causing infertility in men, but it also denatures many of the essential proteins in the food making them virtually indigestible. If you must, use the low setting just to heat the foods.

Poisonous Pots and Pans

Copper or aluminum cookware might be poisoning you. These metals interact with heat and food, and leach into your diet; gradually these will accumulate in your body, sometimes reaching the point of toxicity. Toxic levels of aluminum have been linked to memory loss, headaches, indigestion, and brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. High levels of copper can debilitate the immune system and enable cancer cells to proliferate. After scouring with abrasives, even stainless steel can release small amounts of toxic metals like chromium and nickel.

Nonstick pans contain Teflon, a plastic that in recent years has been linked to immune disorders and possible cancer conditions.

Instead, use cookware with porcelain enamel coating or made of glass, cast iron, or lead-free, terra-cotta clay.

Canned Goods

Canned foods, though easier to use than cooking from scratch, are a threat to your health. The substance bisphenol A, used to line food cans, is classified as an endocrine disruptor, a compound that can act like a hormone when it enters the human system. Scientists have discovered that exposure to these chemicals can contribute to prostate cancer, breast cancer, cystic ovaries, and endometriosis.

More News - Misc. - Unrelated

• Barb got her new yard beds
• We got new Michelins on the CRV
• NPR - Kojo - Beyond the Headlines with Marvin Kalb
  The headlines are full of new political leaders in Ireland, old ones in Israel, and a jumble of would-be presidents in the U.S. Legendary broadcaster Marvin Kalb joins Kojo to reflect on the news of the day, and his proposal for a series of presidential candidate debates that could change the face of Election 2008.
  Guests
  Marvin Kalb, Senior Fellow, The Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University

More catastrophes

Barbie's Chloe and Mischa .






Rescue Village hours
M and Th noon to 7pm
Sun, Tu, Fr, Sat noon to 5pm
Closed Wed.


Sacha is working on this one.




10 reasons why two kittens are better than one?




Rescue Village hours
M and Th noon to 7pm
Sun, Tu, Fr, Sat noon to 5pm
Closed Wed.

1. You're saving two lives instead of one.
2. One kitten can become lonely
3. One kitten can just drive an older cat nuts. (Ivy drive Chester nuts? Oy! Impossible! Two Ivys would be better? )
4. Two kittens will "self-train."
5. They help each other burn off energy.
6. Fewer behavior problems with two kittens.
   
7. Curiosity overcomes "food finickyness."
8. They act as pillows for one another.
9. Having two kittens is insanely fun.
10. They will each have a friend for life.

Memorial Day a little early

Sun 6 May - Discovery (Koppel, Living with Cancer)

Living With Cancer

Ted Koppel follows the lives of people transformed by their struggles with cancer. The documentary is followed by a live town meeting with a panel that includes Elizabeth Edwards. More than 10 million Americans are living with cancer. As early detection has become more prevalent and as treatments have become more effective, many cancer survivors are finding that they can treat their cancer as a chronic disease.

On Sunday, May 6, Discovery Channel presents a special three-hour broadcast of Koppel on Discovery dedicated to the discussion of living with cancer.

In Ted's Words
My analogy [of 24/7 news] is it's rather like standing 2 feet away from a railroad track and watching the trains go by. And, boy, you're close and it's exciting and there's a lot of energy and you really feel as though you're on top of it, but you can't for the life of you see what's going on. And if you really want to know what's going on, you've got to step back 10 feet, 20 feet, 50 feet, sometimes half a mile, so that you can see the locomotive and the caboose and everything that is in between.

The kind of programming we're going to be doing here at Discovery is stepping back, allowing a little bit of time to pass, so that people get a perspective on the importance of some events and the relative unimportance of other events, which seemed important only because they just occurred.

Cinco de Mayo

Free, Indians, budget, NEOSTC, Woodhawk (local stuff)

Free to a good home :-)
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/menu05_07.html
(cat food recall list)
9 Lives still looks like it's ok


Cleveland Indians still in first place!

They finally got it right in Columbus
Thursday, May 03, 2007 (The Plain Dealer)
Regarding "Lawmakers unanimous on Strick land's budget" (Wednesday):
It's about time! Our state legislators finally put aside politics as usual and thought about the people they swore to serve. Bipartisan support of the comprehensive budget was long overdue. We are all Ohioans. Bravo to the leadership in Columbus.

Wow! This is amazingly wonderful. NEOSTC
Distinguished Community Service Award Winners
Lori Klepfer, 2007
Jeanette Evans, 2007
Beth Williams, 2006
Kris Henige, 2004
Jill McCauslin, 2003
Bob Dianetti, 2002
Bege Bowers, 2001
Barbara Philbrick, 2000
Kelly Graham, 1999
Curtis Stokes, 1998
Lori Moreland, 1997
Donna Burrer, 1996

How did this get in?


Avanti Salon is home to some of Northeast Ohio's most talented stylists, colorists, manicurists, and skin care professionals. Education is extremely important at Avanti Salon, and the learning process does not stop after graduation from cosmetology school. Once hired as an apprentice, our stylists complete a rigorous shadowing experience before they may enter the floor as senior stylists.




On a very sad note - Woodhawk Drive - our street from work was backed up due to this.

Shooter left behind 2 victims, questions
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Damian G. GuevaraPlain Dealer Reporter

Mayfield Heights - Scott Esposito drove 400 miles from his Pennsylvania home Tuesday with balloons for his long-distance love interest. He also had a loaded gun.

Esposito ultimately gave Kathryn McBride Miller the bullets - at least eight hollow-point rounds to her head, torso and extremities. He also shot and killed her father, 71-year-old Albert Miller.

Butterfly weed and Barb

Barbie is starting these plants. She hopes to attract monarch butterflies to help preserve their population. Stay tuned for more pictures if they grow successfully in our yards. Cross your fingers for us. Best case is it grows as successfully as Barb's catnip did last year. :-)




From Wikipedia -

Butterfly weed also called Canada root, Chigger flower, Chiggerflower, Fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, Orange milkweed, Orange Swallow-wort, Pleurisy root, Silky Swallow-wort, Tuber root, Yellow milkweed, White-root, Windroot) is a species of milkweed native to eastern North America. It is a perennial plant growing to 0.6-2 m (1 -2 feet) tall, with clustered orange or yellow flowers from early summer to early fall. The leaves are spirally arranged, lanceolate, 5-12 cm long and 2-3 cm broad.

This plant favors dry, sand or gravel soil, but has also been reported on stream margins.

The common name comes from the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. Butterfly weed is also the larval food plant of the Queen butterfly.

Thoroughly modern moi :-)

Visit to Corcoran

Modernism
Designing a New World 1914—1939

The designed world in which we live was largely created by Modernism, which is best identified as a loose collection of ideas that developed simultaneously in different countries rather than as a single movement. The unadorned, geometric forms, abstracted shapes, and bold colors of Modernist art and design are unmistakable, seen in everything from teacups to skyscrapers, from paintings to living room fixtures and furniture. But behind the look and forms of Modernism lay a set of radical ideas and conditions. This exhibition explores how the movement developed, what principles defined it, and some of the themes that characterized it, including Utopia, the machine and mass production, nature and the healthy body, and national identities.

During the interwar years of 1914 to 1939, many architects, designers, and artists passionately committed themselves to the ideas which we now call Modernism. Reacting to the unprecedented violence and destruction of World War I, they searched for ways to create a better world through art and design.


Hmm... Does this count?

How about this? Probably not.

On Filmfest, presidents, and more

Stayed for Q and A with director who said he loves The West Wing.

VOILA CINEMA!

The President

LIONEL DELPLANQUE
France, 2006, 97 minutes, Color

In Person: Director Lionel Delplanque

"I've met someone," pretty Nahama tells her father-who just happens to be leader of the French republic. That someone is young Mathieu, and when the compassionate yet troubled president hires him to advise on the economy and then consult on speeches. The added level of familial pressures propels the film into the realm of "The West Wing." "No one wants secrets casting shadows over politics," someone cautions early in the game, but when it comes to movies such as The President, that's precisely what audiences-particularly those in Washington, DC, crave. - Eddie Cockrell

Here I am impersonating a movie star... at the "other"
President's house. I am not part of the Darfur protest
going on there that day. Should I be?












Washington's Monument is
in the background.
We really were there!

Can hardly wait for this one. Is it me or do they all look pretty much the same?

This one was good. At least this one had snow white and the seven dwarfs, plus one (sorry, couldn't resist). What I am trying to say that at least this one wasn't all white males. It is a superficial observation but true just the same. :-)

Beacon Brunch, other May stuff

Brunch buffet could not be better. I'll take this as the start of Mother's Day early. :-)

Assorted Breakfast Breads, Pasties, Muffins

Seasonal Sliced Fresh Fruit

“Eggs Benedict”

Eggs Benedict with a Twist

Bacon & Sausage

Breakfast Potatoes

Waffle Station
With Whipped Cream, Chocolate Chips, Berry Compote, Maple Syrup

Omelet Station
Made To Order Eggs Any Style, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers, Spinach, Feta, Fresh Herbs,
Mushrooms, Ham, Onions and Tomatoes

Selection of Seasonal Salads

Pasta Salad
Cucumber Red Onion Salad
Baby Mixed Field Greens
Seasonal Roasted Vegetables
Mixed Bean Salad
Caesar Salad

Entrées
(Selections May Have Variety)

Pan Seared Tilapia

Lemon Honey Caper Reduction

Ginger Soy Chicken with Wild Rice

Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables

Dessert

A Display of Fresh Baked Pies and Cakes

<<<<

The sleek and sexy Beacon Bar & Grill is alive to possibility, with an innovative chef, James Balster, who follows his muse to some exceptional cooking and makes you want to follow right along.

May brings May Day activities in addition to Mother's Day.