Before and After: 2011

Friday, December 30, 2011

WE WERE WANDERERS ON A PREHISTORIC EARTH

We Were Wanderers On A Prehistoric Earth from James W Griffiths on Vimeo.

Adapted from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

WONDERFUL WORLD: DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

(HT George Cathcart.)

Cinch Special

Good morning!!! I am extremely excited about this post!!! Back by popular demand, one of my TOP Shaklee Specials are back for a limited time!!

This rocks!

I actually have 2 amazing deals!

Before I tell you the specials, check out what my clients said that are doing our Cinch Challenge! They are 2 months in and loving it!

WHAT MY CLIENTS ARE SAYING….

I don't know if I'm more excited about our date night or the fact that I can fit back into a sexy prebaby dress :)

I weighed myself this morning and I'm PSYCHED!! 4 pounds down and…(drumroll) 1 size smaller!!! Yup, I'm wearing pants today that fit great and they're a 10! In a couple more weeks I'll have lots of 12-14's to donate!! YAY!

My personal goal was to maintain my weight during the Christmas holidays. To my surprise I had lost another pound by the 26th when I weighed in at Curves. The Cinch program works!

Hey y'all happy to report, I have been Cinching like a rockstar since last week and am down 3 lbs, woot!!

I am down 10lbs from Nov 1. First time ever I have been successful at losing any kind of weight. Feels good. :)

Since I got the 'cocktail' of chemotherapy 7 yrs ago, I was blessed with random hot flashes. BUT I have happily discovered that the non GMO soy Cinch shakes has eliminated them! So cool!

I have finally gotten to the point where I eat like a rat (sorry can't think of anything else) instead of eating like a pig (again, can't come up with a better analogy). I lost three pounds over the holiday even though I cheated and I think it's because I kept my metab up by eating in smaller portions rather than gulfing everything down at one meal and unbuttoning my jeans:)

I finally tried the Cinch Chocolate shake an I love it so much I wish I could have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

I haven't checked in for awhile so just wanted to give an update. I'm down five pounds and am feeling healthy and energized. I haven't exercised appropriately but I'm sticking to the Cinch diet plan and am seeing results. A little nervous about leaving to see family tomorrow. My mom ALWAYS feeds us well. Her cooking is amazing. Pray for will power!

Stats this week...down another 3 lbs...4 lbs away from my goal and I have already brought my healthier version of Thanksgiving favorites to take to my family's big ole unhealthy eat out next week.

I missed the call tonight because I am on a girls weekend with my sister. We went shopping and I bought new jeans. Size 10!! In July I was busting out of 14....close to my size 8 skinny jeans!

Down 5 pounds in 2 weeks and feel great...very energized!! This is the first plan I’ve ever done that actually works and keeps me feeling full. :)

In less than 2 weeks I'm down 2.5 pounds and 1% body fat! I haven't lost an ounce of muscle either!! YAY for Leucine!! (I would have been off to a better start but there was a ton of Halloween candy lingering…sent it to work with my husband and now I'm ready!!)

Measured today, down 8 lbs and 10.25 inches (not counting the bust and chest;))

Lost a 1/2 inch off of my butt! Woohoo! (First week)

I’m done 3 pounds in one week!! I know if I continue this average I will reach my weight loss goal by week 12!!!

It's official, I'm down 7 pounds. 8 more lbs before I reach my goal...and hey since I added another month I want to get rid of an extra 5 after Christmas:)

For more success stories, click here.

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I did this program and LOVED IT! As a mom, it gives me more energy and it’s so simple so I don’t need to think about what to eat next! Plus, it WORKS!

Here is my before.

After! After only 3 months!

Sarah also wrote about her story here!

Before.

After! After only 3 months!

Latoya wrote about her story here!

Claire wrote about her story here!

Before.

Here I am halfway to my goal….I actually had to buy new pants. Whoohoo! I went down 2 sizes and several inches! I feel so much better and have a lot more energy.

Andrea wrote about her story here.

Here is a comparison in the same clothes!

Before.

After.

Kindra shared her story here.

What will your story be?

After you place order, you will be invited join our online community to help with your success! I want to help you every inch of the way!!

Not a member yet?

Join today with a $70 product order and get over $100 of Cinch Products for FREE!

LISTENING IN ON DIVING MURRES

Thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia). Credit: Art Sowls, USFWS, via Wikimedia Commons.

There's an exciting new paper in Marine Ecology Progress Series (MEPS) that lets us listen in on diving murres to learn more about their feeding ecology. Specifically:

what prey they catch by day
what prey they catch by night (really exciting!)
and how they might find these prey that exist in patchy distributions

The lead author is Kelly Benoit-Bird, at Oregon State University, whose acoustics work I profiled in The BP Cover-Up, my cover article in Mother Jones last year. You can read about her MacArthur Foundation fellowship here.

Red arrow marks the Pribilof Islands. Credit: Aleut International Association.

Research for the MEPS paper was conducted in Bering Sea off the Pribilof Islands, home to some 200 million breeding seabirds, one of the largest concentrations in the North Pacific.

The birds nest here because of the phenomenal seasonal abundance that cranks up in these waters each spring with the return of sunlight.

Phytoplankton bloom around the Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea. Credit: NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center, via the Earth Observatory.

Here's how multiple streams of data were gathered simultaneously as the researchers' boat motored along predetermined 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) long transect lines through the waters around the Pribilofs:

An observer with binoculars stood on the bow of the boat, sighting murres flying through the air and/or foraging at the surface
A 4-frequency echosounder system was used to provide nearly continuous information from underwater on the presence of zooplankton and fish (identified by their acoustic "signatures")
To verify the truth of those acoustic signatures, net tows were made at the the beginning of each transect to capture fish and zooplankton
At the start and finish of each transect, a CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) profile was conducted to a depth of 100 m (328 feet) or to within 5 m (16 ft) of the seafloor in shallower waters; the CTD also gathered data on dissolved oxygen and, through a transmissometer and a fluorometer, different data on the presence of fish and/or zooplankton

Common murres (Uria aalge). Credit: Michael Haferkamp via Wikimedia Commons.

This system allowed the team to observe thousands of bubble trails made by diving murres and correlate them with schools of krill, juvenile pollock, and squid—their primary prey.

Some of their findings:

Individual diving murres were more likely to be found alone in shallow water (<100 m) during the day
Aggregations of birds were more likely to be found in the outer shelf and slope zones (>100m) at night

Why? The authors suggest:

[T]hat murres use different tactics when foraging on prey in different habitats and likely reflects the differences in diet noted during the same time period, with parents feeding their chicks small fish that could be caught near the colony while consuming krill and squid that are primarily accessible in deep waters, far from the colonies at night. There was, however, no significant difference in the rate of bird detections during the day and night, suggesting that both periods are important for foraging despite these different tactics. These results indicate that using only daytime observations of murres as an index of habitat use and foraging activity can significantly skew any results drawn from those data, underestimating the importance of deepwater habitats and making the calculation of accurate energy budgets impossible.

Murres on nests, Pribilof Islands, Alaska. Credit: Allen Shimada NOAA/NMFS/OST/AMD via Flickr.

As to how the birds find and track their prey—in deep water, often in the dark—the authors note:

The ability of murres to successfully track the abundance, density, and accessibility of prey that occurred at depths between 10 and 100 m (32 and 328 feet) raises questions about how they gather information to exploit these resources effectively, particularly at night. Birds could be directly detecting the prey using vision or chemosensory mechanisms. However, both would likely be inefficient for deep prey, and vision would not be effective at night when foraging activity is equal to daylight foraging activity.

Murre. Credit: christopher.woo via Flickr.

Possibilities include:

Birds cue to surface ocean color, which indicates the presence or absence of phytoplankton [see 3rd photo in this post, above]: no correlation was found
Birds cue to a physical characteristic, such as temperature: a correlation was found between murres and warmer surface temperature

Further possibilities revolve around birds cuing to other birds—something that seems obvious if you observe birds at sea... though obvious isn't always correct:

While the hypothesis that colonies function as ‘information centers’, where group members can learn the location of food by following successful foragers, has largely been discounted... there have been a number of studies showing that the detection of other predators that are already exploiting a prey patch, a process known as ‘local enhancement’, can be an effective foraging strategy... Local enhancement occurs in another species of murre, but its importance is dependent on the predictability of prey... Substantial experimental and at-sea data suggest that local enhancement works whenever feeding groups are more conspicuous than food patches... which is likely to be the case for the deep prey observed here. The local enhancement hypothesis is supported by the prevalence of aggregation among acoustically observed murres... Whatever the reason for aggregating, murres in groups were spaced in a highly regular pattern with an average of 50 m between individuals, suggesting that, while grouped, birds may be attempting to avoid direct competition, a common cause of uniform spacing between individuals.

Patchiness of prey and distribution of birds. Click for larger image. Credit: Benoit-Bird, et al. MEPS. DOI:10.3354/meps09408.

The authors conclude:

Using this [fisheries acoustic] technique, we were able to observe the diving depths of individual birds, assess these dives in relation to [prey] patch size, density, depth, and type of prey both day and night, and show that birds on the surface were a good proxy for foraging effort taking place in a given area. The concomitance of these data is made possible by acoustic approaches and provides new insights into the predator−prey relationship. During the breeding season, diving murres in the southeastern Bering Sea show strong selection for prey patches with specific characteristics, and the high degree of overlap between murres and their prey at a range of scales shows effective information gathering about prey by these birds.

Thick-billed murre. Credit: susanvg Susan van Gelder via Flickr.

The paper (♥ open access):

Benoit-Bird KJ, Kuletz K, Heppell S, Jones N, Hoover B (2011) Active acoustic examination of the diving behavior of murres foraging on patchy prey. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 443:217-235 DOI:10.3354/meps09408

Can't a girl just catch a break?!

Today we have a guest post from my friend Missy!

Take it away girl…

Hello everyone! My name is Missy, and I blog over at The Domesticated Diva.

A big thanks to Bonnie for having me here! I blog mostly about my transition from being the most undomestic girl ever to a married girl who is trying my best at homemaking. I share recipes, home decor tips, and talk a lot now about my cute baby!

Here is a little about me:

I am a born-and-raised Okie, and a die-hard Sooner fan! People say we are arrogant, but I promise I'm a nice one.

I am married to a youth pastor. He's is truly the best person I know!

We just had our first child, a baby boy named Caleb. He's pretty much the coolest baby ever.

I'm a Christian. I try to be a good girl but I mess up a lot!

I work as a therapist with homeless adults with severe mental illness. It makes for some very interesting stories!

We have the cutest dog, Bauer. He's such a good dog!

I am here to talk about something I have recently learned. Sometimes life gets hectic, and our to-do lists get really overwhelming. If we aren't careful, we can become bitter with all that we have to do to take care of our family. Our day-to-day tasks can seem mundane. Like when we have washed our thousandth bottle of the day, we can forget why we are really doing it. Or when we are working on that never-ending pile of laundry (I blame the need for laundry on Adam and Eve, thanks a lot guys!) or cleaning the house again. Sometimes I just don't want to. Sometimes I get upset that I have so much to do.

Can't a girl just catch a break?!

But I have learned that when I add purpose behind my actions, it helps me feel better about the every day tasks. Yes, I have washed a billion bottles, but I am providing a clean, safe bottle for my sweet boy. Yes, I have cleaned this same spot over and over again, but I am creating a home of refuge for my family.

Yes, I have to go to work and I don't always love it...but I am helping provide for my family. See what I mean? It just makes it easier to cope when you know you're doing something good for yourself and those you love! Here are my reasons:

What are yours?

Thanks Missy! I love your words! What a great motivation going into the new year!

I also want to let you all know that I will be announcing my new Shaklee special (hopefully) tomorrow!

Tonight is the last night to get the FREE VIVIX SPECIAL! Click here to order!

Have a great night!

Bonnie

11 Room design ideas in Turquoise Blue!

Turquoise blue is a beautiful color and has warm and cool undertones to it. Turquoise is a beautiful color choice for any room because of its serene yet invigorating effect. It can be paired with lot of colors and makes any room cheerful and visually appealing.

This post has ideas that will help you include turquoise in your home color palette. Use them as accent colors or pair them with a range of different colors to amazing effect. Depending on how you use it, turquoise decor can be bold, whimsical, dreamy, or lively. Some good colors combinations are White, Yellow, Pink, Green and even Orange and Coral red.

Beautiful Turquoise wallpaper in a charming cottage chic setting. A lovely soft, dreamy unique effect!

Retro modern, with a cheerful pop of color. Turquoise blue walls offset the white and yellow accent pieces. Elegant and energetic contemporary living room design.

Cool turquoise and gold is the perfect backdrop for this dramatic bedroom decor. Gold mixes beautifully with turquoise if you like to make a statement. Uber stylish and gorgeous.

Both Turquoise and Green are serene colors and this dining room in White looks so calm and inviting. Use turquoise in accent pieces and smaller doses if you are experimenting.

Fun floral girly bedroom. This is a perfect combination of a lot of colors and shades. The energizing aspect of pink and green with the calm effect of white and blue. Love!!

Moroccan and Mediterranean decor uses a lot of blue and turquoise. Turquoise and White is a classic pairing. The color combination is used to the best affect in this elegant unique living room design.

Victorian floral pattern wall paper in Turquoise uplifts this white shabby chic dining room to a whole new level! Beautiful and stylishly done vintage inspired decor is absolutely amazing!

Using Turquoise with other soft pastel colors can have a very feminine result. Here white and pale yellow combined with turquoise make for an irresistible bedroom color combination.

Blue is the color of water and is perfect for bathroom decor. Turquoise is soothing. Love this zen like bathroom atmosphere. The open windows lets in lots of light and air to create zen harmony.

Very unusual color palette, Golden and Silver combined with Turquoise. It creates a beautiful fresh feeling and this bedroom is a restful abode.

Absolutely adore the pale turquoise printed wall paper. It is the most interesting accent in the entire room. It forms the central theme and a seamless look. Use unique wall paper on one wall and build your decor around it.

Love turquoise color and its versatility. It can be combined with so many colors to different effect! If you are just falling in love with it, use in small doses or as accent pieces. Designing a room around Turquoise blue is an excellent idea, just choose the shade that reflects your personality and liking best! Hope you are inspired by it :c)

NEW ISLAND BORN IN RED SEA

New island born from volcanic eruption. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory.

Imagine coming across what some fishers in the Red Sea observed on 19 December—fountains of lava bursting from the surface of the water 30 meters/90 feet into the air.

... Followed four days later by the birth of a new island.

Plate boundaries and volcanoes of Africa. Blue arrow marks location of new island near mouth of Red Sea. Credit: USGS map, modified.

The volcanic activity occurred among the Zubair Group of small islands off the west coast of Yemen. From the Earth Observatory page:

Running in a roughly northwest-southeast line, the islands poke above the sea surface, rising from a shield volcano. This region is part of the Red Sea Rift where the African and Arabian tectonic plates pull apart and new ocean crust regularly forms.

Zubair Group on 24 October 2007. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory.

And here's what the Zubair Group looked like before the birth of the solstice island.

Bedroom Crown Molding

I hope that you all had a great Christmas! We went to Christmas Eve Mass as a family and then opened presents from each other. On Christmas Day, we had a family breakfast, opened Santa’s gifts, hung out as a family and then went to my Mom’s house for the evening. I will post pictures soon! Smile