http://www.thefreezeproject.com

Single Braids and Twist styles with extensions have been popular since they hit the scene over twenty years ago.  And there’s no wonder why.  First, they look stunning but secondly, they are both versatile and carefree.  You can wear single braids in so many different ways.  For instance depending on the texture of the hair you could wear it foxy like The Miko, or very modern like with Freeze Braids.  Then there's the Classical single braids or the exotic Baby Curl Twist style which are all very fabulous!

But here's the down side of wearing singles.  Because of both their beauty and their versatility clients find it difficult to switch it up and find that type of styling addictive.  There can be a cost for that addiction because the down side is that singles are attached to small and some times tiny sections of hair that can become weak from not only the weight of the extension, but also the inadvertent tugging on the new growth exacerbates this thinning of the hair at the roots; which is traction alopecia.

This condition can easily be avoid by switching up your style from single extensions to styles that support the hair at the scalp like cornrows, weaves (which cause hair to grow and thicken because your own hair is resting in a cornrow style) or choosing styles that don't require extensions at all. You can lead a horse to water...  Often times clients are encouraged by their Stylist to switch up and their response is often, "next time".  The problem is that the next time gets put off and put off until the next thing you know, the damage has occurred.  This can especially true for clients who have naturally thin or fine hair or who may have weakened their hair from years of chemical processing.  Also woman going through menopause will find that their hair will not bounce back from abuse the way it once did.

You  know what they say, "Crazy is doing the same thing, expecting different results".  So heed this advice and don't wait until it's too late.  No single extension style should be worn over and over again without switching it up.    Otherwise, you're headed (excuse the pun) for the kind of damage that may not be able to be reversed.

~More Hair!

Cold . . . .

VERONIC

Ouch. Right?

No frost or freezing temperatures to worry about around our neck of the woods. It'll be cool though with strong high pressure still visiting us. Last night, Austin, Owatonna, Faribault, Dodge Center, and many surrounding areas hit the 40s for lows. Rochester hit 50°. Rochester would have also hit the upper 40s, as dew points dropped to 46°, but our "saving grace" was a wind around 7 mph. Had it been lighter or calm...as was the case in neighboring cities...Rochester would have seen those 40s. I'm fairly confident that many more of us will see the 40s tonight.

Now that's good camping weather.

Thanks to everyone who fed it.

In other news: Now that a few more of my hatchlings matured I can adopt even more eggs! This time I got a stone egg & a back egg.

Now for the hatchlings.

The dark green one, sadly, is a male. :( The female ones look more like a plant when they mature.
The other green one has hatched as well. I called it Beaky. :mrgreen:

Remember to read Guineapig's review on Super Smash Bros. Brawl if you haven't already. Feel free to leave your friend code & battle other readers. ;)

That's all for now!
-legoless

Update: Oops... Martin & Clyde (my two headed dragon) turns out to be a girl. :oops:

UPDATE!: My green dragon matured so I bred it with my white dragon, Sno. They had four eggs! Three green ones & one white one. I kept a green one, so please click that one too! (Look above, it's near the top of this post near the other eggs.) My red egg has also hatched. (I was the one who hatched it! It was an egg when I clicked.) I've frozen it, so it doesn't need any clicks.

Muddy Road
(A Zen story taken from Zen Flesh, Zone Bones)

Tanzan and Ekido were traveling together down a muddy road. Heavy rain was falling.

Coming around the bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl," said Tanzan. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females, especially young and lovely ones. It is dangerous! Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last pose in a yoga class is shavasana, which translates as dead man's pose. Simply lie on your back, chin tucked in, palms out, and toes pointing out. Anyone can do the posture physically. The difficulty lies in achieving the purpose of shavasana, which is bring yourself into a state of total relaxation. How? By surrendering...letting go of the busy mind burdened with stress, regrets, and the compulsion to keep busy. If you can do this, you will understand why my yoga teacher calls this "sweet surrender."

Shavasana will not burn calories, build muscle or flexibility. In our culture which values doing over being, this posture seems like a complete waste of time. Ironically, it's the most important pose in yoga. Surrendering is essential for mental health. What good is carrying a perfect body if the mind is perpetually disturbed?

In the subconscious mind there are four responses to a stimulus: flight, fight, freeze, and surrender. Flight, fight, and freeze are untrained responses. Only surrendering always requires a conscious effort. In the story above, when Ekido refused to help the girl his response was flight, but after Tanzan carried her across the river his response changes to fight. Hours later Tanzan instructs Ekido on how to release himself from the burden of a prolonged fight response with the response of "sweet surrender".

Investors often are stressed with a prolonged fight response, which may endure for years and debilitate health. To progress these investors must learn to surrender. The mind must let go of missed opportunities, losses, and of being misled. Surrending is accepting things as is ("It is what it is"). From here the investor can move forward to build a brighter future with more wisdom.

(Above: The kanji (symbol) for Zen)

If It Isn’t Frozen First, It Could Harbor Tapeworm Larvae

Yes, Tapeworm Larvae

Cooking or Freezing Fish at Minus 31 Degrees Fahrenheit or Colder for 15 Hours Will Kill Diphyllobothrium Larvae

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)—A gourmet.com report offers insight into the problem of tapeworms in raw salmon. Raw salmon dishes—tartare, crudo, sushi, marinated and cured salmon—are popular at top restaurants these days, and they’re showing up in home kitchens as well. But as seafood expert Jon Rowley explains in a gourmet.com exclusive report, a tiny tapeworm larva may be lurking in the raw salmon flesh, just waiting for you to eat it so that it can take up residence in your digestive tract.

How can you protect yourself? Rowley offers these invaluable tips:

• When eating out, order only salmon that has been fully cooked.
• If you do choose to eat raw salmon preparations such as tartare or crudo, make sure the fish has first been frozen at minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for at least 15 hours.
• If you think you may have contracted a tapeworm from raw salmon, be sure to contact your physician. Symptoms of infection may include abdominal cramping, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea (though there may be no symptoms at all).
• Any fish that live in fresh water for part or all of their lives can harbor tapeworm larvae, so these same rules apply to trout, tilapia, catfish, and more.

To get the full story and find out how you can protect yourself, go to gourmet.com.

Gourmet magazine website featuring exclusive content: www.gourmet.com.

迷濛光芒瀰漫的月夜
我淌著唾液　呆望著痛苦蠕動的自己

用即將爆裂的眼球瞪視什麼呢？
若身體剛開始腐爛　就讓它入土為安

不可思議啊　就算是這樣的夜晚　也流不出淚來

擁抱著炫目的記憶入睡吧
因為你一定在那裡笑著等候
最後要表達什麼才好呢
到了天亮就會忘記全部回憶

不可思議啊　就算是這樣的夜晚　也不了解淚的意義

擁抱著溫柔的記憶入睡吧
因為你一定在那裡笑著等候
最後要歌唱什麼才好呢
到了明天就會連你的事也忘卻

踐踏著剝落的偽裝外皮
恢復的景象也在這雙手上灰飛煙滅　空虛的現實

頭向下墜落　啊　雖然如此　啊　感覺真好
在一片漆黑的黑暗中　再也見不到那道光

明明…很重視的…全心相信？
卻得到破滅的結局

「愛」從一開始就是無形無體
為何會被其束縛會感到迷惘　箇中理由也一直不解

既然如此　為何胸口如此疼痛？
明明回憶的地方已不存在
但徘徊在記憶中　像是你的殘影仍然顫抖地佇立

踐踏著剝落的偽裝外皮
恢復的景象也在這雙手上消失　空虛的現實

「愛」從一開始就是無形無體
為何會想追求會感到迷惘　箇中理由也一直不解

既然如此　為何胸口如此疼痛？
明明可以安心休息的地方已不存在
但徘徊在記憶中　像是你的殘影仍然顫抖地佇立

Russia has dismissed a warning by Nato that normal relations are impossible while its troops remain inside Georgia.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Nato of bias and of trying to save the "criminal regime" in Tbilisi.

He insisted Moscow was not occupying Georgia and had no plans to annex the separatist region of South Ossetia.

Earlier, Nato demanded that Russia pull out its troops from Georgia as agreed in an EU-brokered ceasefire plan signed by both parties at the weekend.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev told his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy in a phone call that the pull-out would be complete by 21-22 August, with the exception of some 500 troops, who will be installed in peacekeeping posts on either side of South Ossetia's border.

Some Russian troops have been seen leaving Gori, the largest Georgian town close to the South Ossetia border.

But BBC correspondents on the ground say there are still Russian artillery positions in place. In addition, there are Russian checkpoints close to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

The conflict broke out on 7 August when Georgia launched an assault to wrest back control of the Moscow-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia, triggering a counter-offensive by Russian troops who advanced beyond South Ossetia into Georgia's heartland.

Both sides have accused the other of violating the peace plan, and correspondents say there has so far been little sign of any large-scale withdrawal.

Buffer zone

Following crisis talks in Brussels, Nato's 26 foreign ministers said in a joint statement that they could not have normal relations with Russia as long as Moscow had troops in Georgia.

Read the rest:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7571104.stm

By Mark John and Francois Murphy

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO agreed after U.S. pressure on Tuesday to freeze regular contacts with Russia until Moscow had withdrawn its troops from Georgia in line with a peace deal.

The alliance also agreed to upgrade contacts with Tbilisi but stopped short of accelerating its efforts to join NATO, an ambition which had enraged Russia even before the two-week-old conflict over Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region.

"We have determined that we cannot continue with business as usual," the 26 NATO states said in a joint declaration issued after emergency talks in Brussels.

The statement did not explicitly refer to a U.S. demand to suspend contacts within the six-year-old NATO-Russia Council (NRC), but NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said it was clear such contacts could not take place at present.

"As long as Russian forces are basically occupying a large part of Georgia I cannot see a NATO-Russia Council convening at whatever level," he told a news conference.

"But I should add that we certainly do not have the intention to close all doors in our communication with Russia," he said, after several European allies including Britain and Germany expressed doubts about cutting off links with Moscow.

The NATO statement drew sharp condemnation from Moscow, where Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the alliance of bias and wanting to support a "criminal regime" in Tbilisi.

"Certainly there will be a lot of changes in our cooperation with NATO and we will have changes in the volume, the quality and the timeframe in our consultations and meetings," Russian ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said in Brussels.

Related:
Russia hits back at Nato warning

Read the rest:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080819/ts_nm/georgia_ossetia_
nato_dc;_ylt=AtcmjUlw0433jwtaqaV2L5ys0NUE

一觸即發有如兇器的情緒　開始滲透毫不關心的生活
自殺炸彈也如虛構影像　對發射飛彈感到漠然與緊張

這種令我作嘔的景況裡　唯有你給了我踏出黑暗的勇氣

所以

只是在窗戶外面看著也行　請不要別開你的眼睛

計算損益的行動　讓自尊連碎片也不留
迷失未來的視野　在空虛掙扎中全滅

這種令我想逃開的景況裡　唯有你給了我斬開黑暗的勇氣

所以

只是在窗戶外面看著也行　請不要別開你的眼睛
即使我被充滿惡意的雨打溼　也不要因無法靠近而別開你的眼睛

這種令我想認命的景況裡　唯有你給了我呼喚奇蹟的勇氣

所以

只是在窗戶外面看著也行　請不要別開你的眼睛
即使我投入滿是敵意的雨　無論發生何事也不要別開你的眼睛

被熊熊紅燄燃燒
因灼燙而不斷扭動身體的夢魘

渾身汗水醒來的早晨
像是被什麼附身似地覺醒了

儘管背負罪與罰　還是選擇當下
因為若想起你又會被感傷所阻撓

享受著充滿狂氣的歡呼聲
讓心凍結　今天也是公開處刑犯

被凌遲的我臉上掛著微笑

儘管陶醉於罪與罰　還是活在當下
因為若想起你又會被感情所左右

享受著充滿狂氣的歡呼聲
讓心凍結　今天也是公開處刑犯
反正一切終會結束
讓心凍結　今天也是公開處刑犯

看啊　空想的自由不過是偽善者的爛戲碼
盲目的社會大眾卻輕易上當

看啊　妄想的和平　打開蓋子便成了人間地獄
演出獨裁者的幻象　把你當成護符

因為你既然能與我這種人相愛　也應該了解破壞的意義吧？
將神經鍛鍊得更如冰一般　就會看到前方的目的地

「What is free?」太棒了
笑著叫喊吧
（任何言語都是令人心寒的表演）

「What is peace?」太棒了
聽來挺像一回事
（若妨礙到我也只好將其毀滅）

因為你既然能與我這種人相愛　也應該了解發狂的原因吧？
更像野獸一樣踐踏野性　就會看到前方的結局

「What is free?」太棒了
笑著叫喊吧
（任何言語全都是表演）
「What is peace?」太棒了
聽來挺像一回事
（雖然失禮也只好用這雙手將其粉碎）

Ok so the subject of corn. Some friends live next to a gladiola farm. In order to maintain the soil Mr. Farmer planted corn in his off year, and isn't planning to harvest it. He told my friends to take as much as they wanted-they extended that offer to me. whoo hoo!! Free Bodacious Corn!! Aside from eating corn on the cob all week, I decided to freeze a batch. So after about 2 hours of work, I now have a nice batch in my freezer for winter. If you think you can't do this, think again. It's super easy, I did it in less than 2 hours, and we now have corn with no added sugar or salt. (yes, they put sugar in canned corn!)

What you need:

• Large pot for blanching
•  ice water-I fill the sink so I can add ice each batch
• large bowl
• good sharp knife
• quart size freezer bags
• plan 5 ears per bag, I did 40 ears and got 8 bags.

Blanching is just dipping into boiling water to kill any bacteria before freezing. Water should be at a boil, and I leave corn in for about 1 1/2 minutes. With tongs I remove them to the sink to stop any more cooking. As you get your first batch cooled, you can be cutting while the next batch is blanching and then cooling. They should be cooled for at least 5 minutes. My sink looked like this, all my ice melted.

 About the time I get down to scooping into the bags I put another batch in to blanch. I stop when the timer goes off to quickly transfer with tongs from the boiling water to the ice bath. By the time my bowl is empty they have cooled down I am ready to slice again.

I am amazed how quickly this went. I definitely suggest it if you can get good/cheap corn this time of year. I plan to do a few more batches this week. Good luck and I would love to hear of your experiences!

I must build it now　從寒冷的這裡
I must break it now　將過去的愛　
I must leave it now　全部消滅
I must confess it now　到外頭去

I'm just building that　目標是
I'm just breaking that　隨心所欲的樂園
I'm just leaving that　雖然令人傷感
I must confessing that　心臟卻猛跳不停

早上醒來時　我的雙手被掙脫
是的，狼狽不堪　若脫下面具也不過是這副模樣

但也因此才能不被外表拘束　前去與仍在那裡守候的你相會
尋找消失於記憶彼方的　被刻下無數傷痕的那一天