J. really enjoys Muy Thai. It turns out that he really wants to get into the sparring side of the sport (I’m more interested in the physical conditioning.) That happens in the invite-only Friday night class. I’m proud to say that he’s improved so much over this last year he was invited to go.

Before I go further, I want to give you a glimpse of our instructor, JS. JS is in his mid 30s and incredibly fit. He is strong, fast and a superb instructor. When he works out with you, he is holding back anywhere from 90 to 50 percent, depending on your skill, strength, and readiness. At my best, I could take about 50% from him (and that was a lot.)

So, sparring with JS is a serious affair — it requires a mouthguard, cup, and head gear. It also involves getting hit, deliberately, so you come to understand that you can get hurt and still keep going. J had a breakthrough about it, in his words:

“So, I’m working out with JS and we’re doing jabs and covers. I stopped and said “JS, I want to say something, and I want to be very careful, and clear, about how I put this. I really want to do the Friday class, but I think I need to get hit first. By you, rather than a stranger.

JS looks at him a moment, and replies: “Let me get this straight. Are you asking me to ‘go off’ on you?”

“God no! Just, ummm, get me used to getting hit.”

(JS going off on J is like a Rottweiler attacking a Boxer.)

Ok, another story to amuse:

Last week, J was feeling pretty tired in class, so he was paired with a grandmother, M. Yes, I’m serious, she is a grandmother. But M is also a fitness trainer in superb condition. She’s new to Muy Thai and so isn’t used to getting kicked and punched. They were doing high covers and J was being careful to connect, but not too hard. So M says, “you can hit me harder, I can take it.” J steels himself and hits her harder — enough so that her head kind of wobbles back and forth and she’s a touch dazed. “That’s perfect,” M says.

“I’m going to hell” J thinks, “I’m hitting a grandmother.”

Did you know that blogs get spam? That is, the authors get spammed. I guess the idea is that lazy bloggers will automatically approve all comments to their posts and therefore provide free advertising for everything from politics (anti Bush!) to sex-related ads, gambling sites, and other such trash.

Sometimes the comments are hilarious. I’ve had this one in my ‘defer’ pile for a months or so now:

Pay Day Loans | pocjw@lycos.com | ontimepaydayloan.com | IP: 222.112.249.128

The Irish also worked on the railroads in the same time frame and have their own stories of being the sacrificial lambs to set the day before pay day, Pay Day Loans (site deleted)

Historical? sort of. Accurate? Maybe. Amusing? Definitely.

I guess this one hits a nerve because I am Irish (primarily, I’m really a Euro-Mutt, but that’s another post), and my grandfather made quite a nice living on the railroad. Not, as this post implies, as someone who laid tracks but as a conductor and manager. (That’s the ‘lace curtain’ side of the family.)

So, thanks for trying to point out the plight of my ancestors getting screwed, in a post advertising a new way to get screwed. (In Washington state there is currently a debate — an angry debate — about whether to pass a law limiting the interest charged for so-called ‘payday loans’ to 63%. Yes, sixty-three percent.)

In a world where endoresments usually mean the person was given a fee to validate their opinion, I pretty much stay quiet. (Well, except for my review site, Facing North, but I keep that separate from my written meanderings.)

Today I am breaking that policy becuase I have to rave about a piece of software that every single person who has ever lost data — or might — needs to own: R-Studio from the magnificently mighty people at r-tools technology. Allow me to quote: “R-STUDIO is a family of data recovery and undelete utilities. Empowered by new unique data recovery technologies, it is the most comprehensive data recovery solution for FAT12/16/32, NTFS, NTFS5, and Ext2FS. It recovers data both on local logical and physical disks, as well as disks on remote computers over networks, even if their partition structures are damaged or deleted. RAID reconstruction and Dynamic disk support are included, as well as support for recovering encrypted files, compressed files, and alternative data streams.”

In non-tech speak that means that when my 150gb hard drive ‘went bad’ a bit more than a year ago, causing me to loose two books in progress, the original text of the published books, 20 years of data collected in my book of shadows, correspondance and images I was in a bad place. Very bad. A few calls to ‘data recovery specialists’ in my area (I’m near Seattle, it wasn’t hard to find several to choose from) got me quotes of $800-$2000. I can’t afford that, not if I want to make the mortgage payment. They also couldn’t guarantee recovery, in which case it usually would only cost me 50%. (I understand their point, but >>ouch<<). My partner consulted the oracle (Google, of course) and found r-tt. The program cost me just under $80. It has a demo version that you could try out first to see if it could even see the files that needed to be recovered. Thats right: i could get a very good idea of whether my data could be recovered BEFORE I even paid them for the program. As it turned out, I could, so I downloaded the program, and recovered my entire hard drive in a matter of minutes. Minutes. For $80. Maybe the most important aspect is this: I am not a techno-wizard. (Far from it, in fact.) This program was simple enough for me to use >>and<< it worked. Why am I telling you this now? Because earlier this week I switched to a new computer. In order to save time, I copied all of my files onto a DVD. (It was going to be used by someone else -- I know, I know, I should have formatted the HD so that data wasn't going to be found, but it wasn't important to do at the time. Turns out that was a good thing.) I checked the DVD to make sure the files copied over (there were several layers of folders) and the first couple of folders and subfolders looked good.  So I deleted the files off the old computer. Uh oh. Several days later I discovered that one subfolder -- full of irreplacable data gathered over three years -- was empty. The DVD recordered simply made the subfolder, but didn't populate it. A quick look atthe old computer showed it wasn't there, wasn't accessible... oh no! R-tt to the rescue. I renewed my registration ($20 this time) and ran it. Found all my deleted files. Undeleted them and copied them to the new machine. Took maybe 1/2 hour, including the re-reg time. So, for about $100, in less than two years R-Studio saved me a MAJOR hassle. Now I'm spreading the word.

But I find the news that Rumsfield is out, hours after the Democrats have regained a measure of control in the House (although the Sentate looks to be contested for a bit longer), gently ironic.

I take it Bush can no longer keep his wishful thinking from becoming an embarrassing comment.

“Days after saying Rumsfeld would be a fixture for the final two years of his presidency, Bush ended the storied political career of a man who became the face of US-missteps in an increasingly troubled occupation.” from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061108/ts_alt_afp/usvote_061108235628

My thanks to Aldous Tyler for putting the following so very well…

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

This is it. It’s time to get up and go to vote.  I know, if you’ve paid attention to them, that the polls show that in the national races, the Democratic Party is coming out on top.  That means nothing.  For just a moment, let’s put aside the idea of crooked voting procedures that can steal votes away from the candidate of your choice and give those votes to their opponent. 

Go vote as if you were the only one responsible for making these decisions.  Act as if no one else is going to cast a single ballot, and it all rides on your choices for each candidate and referendum. I know, for some of you, that will mean voting a third party.  I have my reasons why I won’t do that this time, but if that is your vote, go out there and put it in.  Once you’ve done that, go be pest- call your friends and family, and make sure they are getting out to the polls.  The more voters we get out there, the better shot we have of being fairly represented. 

Now, I know there may be some issues.  Let me give you a quick guide of how to handle them: If you don’t know where your polling place is, https://electionimpact.votenet.com/pfawf/pollboothlocator/index.cfm will tell you. 

If you get there and someone is trying to tell you that you aren’t allowed to vote for ANY reason, pull out your cell phone or borrow someone else’s and call… Nationwide:
866-our-vote (866-687-8683) – The National Campaign for Fair Elections hosts the only national hotline that offers voters immediate assistance from volunteers trained to provide state specific information, identify issues that compromise the administration of elections, and respond to problems… 

Some other things can happen: 

• Insufficient voting machines for a polling location 

• Lots of challenges to voters’ rights at the registration table 

• Frequent issues with voting machines that take the polling workers’ time to correct 

The three above situations may cause long lines and wait times.  Call one of the above numbers if there are any notable delays and let them know, so they can get a helper out to see if the problem can’t be fixed quickly.  If you think you might be likely to get pushed past the poll’s closing time, you most CERTAINLY need to tell the folks at the hotline that.  Whatever you do, *do not leave the poll without voting*.  This is exactly what the folks causing the hassle WANT you to do. 

• Someone may directly challenge your right to vote 

Don’t let this send you home without voting- call the above numbers and get help immediately.  There will be any number of possible things that will tip off an operative to challenge you- you may be a racial minority, or perhaps you’re a man with long hair, or maybe you’re wearing a button, pin or sticker for a Democratic or liberal candidate or cause.  These very things were what got some folks challenged in 2004, and none of them are legal cause to withhold you from your right to vote. 

• Insufficient documentation to vote 

In some states, you have to identify yourself at your polling place with a drivers license or other form of ID in order to cast your vote. If you are unsure of what’s required, you can call the above numbers before you go to the polls to be sure you have your needed ID with you.  If you are told you don’t have what’s necessary at the poll, do not leave the poll without first calling one of the above numbers and confirming the requirement. 

• Poll worker says you are unable to vote because you aren’t registered 

Some states, including Wisconsin, allow you to register right there at the poll.  In that case, this shouldn’t come up (and if it does, call in!), however if you live in a state that requires advance registration, and you are fairly certain you should be registered, and the poll workers are telling you that you aren’t, you need to call.  Help can be gotten in these situations.  A number of states have illegally “scrubbed” their registered voter lists of people, and this may have happened to you.  Don’t leave without voting- let the helpers on the phone tell you how. 

• The voting equipment seems to not be able to record your vote properly 

Alert the poll workers and IMMEDIATELY call the above number(s) and get help.  There have been a number of reports of especially the electronic touch-screen voting machines being unreliable so keep your eye on what it tells you when you are voting and if it isn’t acting correctly, get help!  Also, if you are using a scanned-card system and the scanner jams or otherwise seems to not function, alert the poll workers and IMMEDIATELY call the above number(s) and get help.  While this may be the overall least likely problem you will face, it must not be ignored.  Make sure that vote gets counted correctly! 

 Thanks to the past three national elections being run with more and more violations of voters’ rights, there are now a lot more volunteers out there guarding against problems like the above.  They are now available just by a call on the phone.  Get out there, be heard, vote and don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have the right to. 

Aldous Tyler

Baj sent me this…. too funny.

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=40492213&size=o

(because its too embarrasing for words, otherwise.)

Seattle unveils slogan: ‘metronatural’ 

 

SEATTLE – When Washington state announced its new tourism slogan last spring, Pike Place Market vendor Kenny Telesco was willing to give it a chance. He practiced saying it with “jazz hands” and asked tourists to “SayWA” as they posed for photos. But he’s not sure he can stomach Seattle’s new tourism slogan, unveiled Friday in 18-foot-tall letters atop the Space Needle: “metronatural.” 

“How do you use that in a sentence?” Telesco asked. “‘Welcome to Metronatural.’ … It’s an airport where you can buy organic bananas.” 

Others suggested “metronatural” evoked an urban nudist camp and speculated about whether it would last longer than “SayWA,” which the state dropped recently because it failed to catch on. 

“Metronatural” is the result of a 16-month, $200,000 effort by Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. The bureau plans to spend $300,000 marketing the slogan, which will largely be targeted at generating business for the Washington Convention and Trade Center. 

The idea behind “metronatural” was to capture that “Seattle offers the best of both worlds,” visitors bureau president Don Welsh said in a statement. “We have a vibrant urban center surrounded by pristine wilderness and outdoor recreation.” 

A sampling of vendors and tourists at Pike Place Market, one of the city’s premier attractions, suggested that Seattle doesn’t need a slogan, let alone one that plays on that buzzword of yesteryear “metrosexual.” 

That’s the approach that Vancouver, British Columbia, took when it updated its tourism marketing. Instead of having a tag line, advertisements simply say “Tourism Vancouver,” with a large “V” styled to resemble an Olympic medal hanging from an athlete’s neck. 

It was Vancouver’s decision to update its slogan that prompted Seattle to follow suit. Seattle’s seldom-seen old slogan, developed in 1999, was a picture of an eye, an “at” symbol and the letter L: “See-At-L.” 

A look at the city’s tourism industry would seem to suggest it’s been doing fine without the new slogan. A record 9.1 million people visited Seattle last year, according to the visitors bureau. The cruise port is bustling, and the convention center drew nearly 400,000 people last year. 

“Metro” and “natural” are “not two words that impress me as words that are going to stick out in someone’s mind, like you want a slogan to stick out in someone’s mind,” said John Silas, a 30-year market veteran who makes and sells hardwood cribbage boards. “The idea feels sterile and commercial and it’s lacking the heart of Seattle.” 

Tour guide Dick Falkenberry said he had heard all about the new slogan. 

“It’s ‘SayWA.’ No, wait, it’s worse than ‘SayWA,'” he said. “It’s ‘urban-metro.'” 

Close enough. 

By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer 

On the Net: http://www.metronatural.com/

(my thanks to Diane Saarien for sharing this — its too late now, but for next year…)

Love Your Body Day Celebrates Women’s Bodies, Takes On Advertisers

October 17, 2006

October 18, 2006, marks the National Organization for Women Foundation’s ninth annual Love Your Body Day.

In response to unhealthy and exploitive images of women in the media, NOW Foundation established the Love Your Body Campaign to promote positive, healthy images of women and girls, protest harmful and offensive advertisements, and raise awareness about women’s health issues.

“Love Your Body Day is a day of action designed to combat the impossible beauty standards promoted by airbrushed advertising, Hollywood and the fashion industry,” says NOW Foundation President Kim Gandy. “We encourage women and girls to celebrate themselves on Love Your Body Day and every day,” says Gandy.

The goal of the NOW Foundation Love Your Body campaign isn’t to sway women from purchasing and wearing cosmetics or trendsetting clothing. Rather, the campaign advocates for women to be informed consumers—defining clearly what makes them feel healthy and comfortable with their bodies, on their own terms.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) 80 percent of women express dissatisfaction with their appearance, and the Love Your Body campaign is taking steps to reverse the trend.

Women and girls across the nation will be leading a variety of actions this Wednesday, October 18. Some groups are throwing parties to design posters to use for rallies. Others have decided to create and wear “beauty pageant-style” sashes with positive messages. Campus groups are planning a variety of events to raise awareness about body image.