Wednesday in the Word

Whoops, We Forgot God (Again)

Leave a comment

Judges 2:11-12
11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshipped various gods of the peoples around them.

As described in this passage, the Israelites forget about God and go off worshipping the local Canaanite deities (collectively referred to as “the Baals,” since Baal [pronounced “Bay-uhl”] was a god worshipped in many forms in Canaan). God gets pretty angry with them for doing this in the verses immediately following this, and punishes them accordingly; you would think that the Israelites straighten up, and then continue on their God-fearing way for centuries.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. This exact verse and others phrased like it are sprinkled all throughout the Book of Judges, and indeed throughout much of the Old Testament. Once the Israelites are punished for infidelity to God, they straighten up and things are good for the next two decades or so. Then they start slowly falling out of worship with God and turning toward other deities, until the whole Israelite nation has just about turned away from God. Then God has to straighten them out again, and that works for another 20 or 30 years…and the cycle repeats.

Seems pretty silly, right? It does…until we realize we’re guilty of doing the exact same thing in our own lives. There are times we are strongly devoted to God, then times we are complacent in our faith and not so dependent on God anymore, and then there are times when we begin to even doubt God’s ability to help us. And then, gradually, we’re worshipping power, money, or love in place of God–in essence, “serving the Baals” of human desires and things of worldly import instead of God.

It often takes a big shout from God to get us back on track, something that happens in our lives to shake us up and make us realize we need to reconnect with God. Just like the Israelites, we are often called back to God when we are in our darkest hours or deepest crises, when we feel as if there is nowhere else to turn. But it doesn’t have to be that way. God won’t leave a message on our answering machines, but we’ve got a direct line of prayer to Him that we can use any time. And if we call first, He won’t even be mad that we forgot to call for so long–He’ll just be glad to hear from us again.

Tuesday on the Soapbox

Geographic Tongue: A Real Pain in the Mouth

61 Comments

Even in my earliest memories about food, I can remember the terrible consequences that would follow when I ate any meal which combined tomatoes and citrus together. Most often it happened if I drank orange juice and ate something with ketchup on it–within minutes, my tongue felt as if it had raised, painful ridges on it, red ridges which itched and burned like crazy and would not be soothed with drinking anything. Ice relief lasted only as long as the ice lasted in my mouth, and then the aggravating itch and burn would be back. Sometimes I resorted to scraping my tongue with my teeth or fingernails, which didn’t really help but made me feel a little less powerless against this until it finally went away (it usually took about an hour).

My mother always called this condition “geographic tongue,” and I learned that members of both sides of my family had experienced this reaction to certain foods or combinations of foods. For my immediate family, we quickly learned to avoid the tomato/citrus combination for my sake, and I became more aware of what I was about to eat. But sometimes it snuck up on me, or I forgot about it until it was too late–like the time I ate a slice of cheese pizza slathered in tomato sauce along with a citrusy drink for school lunch. (Let’s just say getting through third block was VERY interesting…)

However, while doing a bit of casual Googling and Wikipedia-ing about this topic, I noticed that there is more to “geographic tongue” than a simple, silly-sounding temporary food reaction. In fact, this is a medical condition, one that explains far more about my own gustatory habits.

What Exactly IS Geographic Tongue? (Warning, Picture Ahead)

Geographic tongue, aka “benign migratory glossitis” or “erythema migrans,” is a harmless mouth condition that affects about 3 percent of adults around the world. (Yay, I feel special now, LOL.) It seems to be more common in middle-aged and older adults than children, and more common in women than men. Upon eating foods with high acid content or strong flavors (it varies among sufferers), the tongue burns, stings, and/or itches. And, if you look at a geographic tongue, you’ll see patches of red and white all over it in map-like formations which give the condition its name.

As an example: my own tongue.

tongue As you can see, my tongue looks pretty strange–it has always looked patchy like this, even in my childhood. (Bonus: not only do I have strange patterns all over it, but I also have deep fissures in my tongue, which often appear in people with geographic tongue–you can see a big one running right down the center of my tongue in this pic, and there are other smaller ones as well. These fissures tend to exacerbate geographic tongue, producing swelling when already irritating foods get down into the fissures.)

The reason all these weird patches show up is because my tongue is missing papillae (the things that contain taste buds) on the redder parts of my tongue, while the lighter parts have papillae in abundance. The areas of darker and lighter red can change places at random, so you can never tell exactly what my tongue is going to look like (LOL). This “missing papillae” phenomenon doesn’t sound like much, but apparently it’s really important when it comes to processing strong flavors or acidic foods. People still don’t really know why it happens.

Is It Contagious/Dangerous?

If you’re one of the 3% of human beings who has this, do not fret: this is NOT a precancerous/cancerous condition, but rather a “minor annoyance” condition, at least as doctors classify it. (Ha, it doesn’t FEEL minor when it’s happening and you can’t do squat about it!) Also, it seems to have nothing to do with oral hygiene, though a lack of said hygiene can make geographic tongue worse in some cases. If you develop very painful sores or swelling on your tongue that keeps you from breathing correctly, however, get to a doctor ASAP.

Geographic tongue is not contagious; it appears to be purely hereditary, and the same people who have geographic tongue often have allergies, asthma, eczema, and/or are more susceptible to hay fever. There are also suspected links to anemia and psoriasis as well. (Yep, all this is in my family, too. [sarcasm] YAY. [/sarcasm]) Lastly, there may be a connection between geographic tongue and celiac disease, though more research needs to be done.

What Can Cause Geographic Tongue to Flare Up?

Foods/Drinks

Oral Products

Other Triggers
  • Spicy foods (esp. chilies, chili powder/chili sauce)
  • Citrus fruits, especially pineapple
  • Sour foods
  • Oregano
  • Walnuts & pecans
  • Raw spinach
  • Chard
  • Tomatoes
  • Eggplants
  • Really strong cheeses (like bleu cheese)
  • Strongly-flavored candy (esp. peppermint, chocolate, and cinnamon)
  • Alcohol
  • Mouthwashes (esp. with strong flavors)
  • Whitening toothpastes
  • Tobacco (esp. chewing tobacco)
  • Environmental sensitivity (see previous section on heredity)
  • Stress (possibly)
  • Diets high in sugar or processed foods (possibly; needs more research)
  • Vitamin B deficiency
  • Psoriasis flare-up
  • Hormonal changes
    		•

    What Can Help Soothe/Keep Down Geographic Tongue?

    • Vitamin B supplements
    • Zinc supplements
    • Toothpaste for sensitive teeth with no additives
    • Ice (temporarily)
    • Anesthetic mouth rinses
    • Mint gum/lozenges (supposedly)

    (If constantly painful, a doctor can treat geographic tongue with certain topical ointments, antifungal products, or even corticosteroid treatments.)

    Living With Geographic Tongue

    For me, the list of “trigger foods” surprises me; most if not all of those are on my “do-not-eat” list. I never have been able to enjoy cinnamon-flavored gum or candy, for instance, and I’ve always been very particular about the kind of orange juice I get–it’s got to be “Low Acid.” And though I love sweets, too much chocolate with nothing to drink with it leaves me with a burning, “coated”-feeling tongue and throat.

    In light of this condition, my picky eating makes a little more sense, since I’ve been avoiding many foods possibly based on how they make my mouth feel rather than the taste. And it also sheds light on why my tongue often feels so irritated after I brush my teeth, too, since I use a lot of whitening agents and special mouth rinses.

    I don’t know whether adding Vitamin B or zinc would help me, nor am I sure if my geographic tongue might be connected to stress, allergies, psoriasis, etc. But these sure help give clues as to what I can try!

    For Further Reading/Reference

    NIH.gov Article on Geographic Tongue
    Foods that Cause Geographic Tongue
    WebMD.com’s Guide to Geographic Tongue
    Geographic Tongue: Top 10 Causes and Cures
    Geographic Tongue: Wikipedia Article
    Fissured Tongue: Wikipedia Article

    Monday in the HTMLab

    The 5 Web Languages You Need to Know

    Leave a comment

    Much like learning a language is for communicating with other humans, creating websites from scratch is all about communicating your design and function intentions to a browser or Web server. And to be a good web developer in this day and age, you need to be multi-lingual–speaking several different programming languages to be able to design better, sleeker and more functional websites.

    But just Googling “web programming languages” or something similar brings up a whole host of options to learn, and it can be overwhelming for the beginning user. Where do you begin? Do you start learning MySQL, or Ruby on Rails? Should you take a course in HTML, or is Python the next big thing?

    Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be this confusing. In this post I have culled the 5 most important Web programming languages to know–the ones which make up about 90% of most modern websites. If you’re just beginning to learn how to build websites, this article will serve as a road map.

    HTML: The Skeleton of the Web

    HTML is the strong, silent (and mostly invisible) foundational structure which provides you a page to look at (such as the one you’re reading from right now). It provides line breaks, breaks text up into paragraph structures, formats tables, divides page content into layers…pretty much anything that makes up your page’s most basic structure is what HTML handles best.

    This should be your first Web language to learn, since so many of the other programming languages depend on it to function. Here are some excellent resources to start learning:

    HTML Tutorial @ W3Schools.com
    HTMLGoodies.com
    QuackIt.com’s HTML Resources

    CSS: The Magic Styling Wand of the Web

    Perfectly complementing HTML’s invisible strength, CSS takes HTML’s structure and gives it style. From giving your text just the right font choice and color to aligning each of your divided layers pixel-perfect on the screen, CSS can transform any boring old text and images into a lovely yet still functional page. There are plenty of simple CSS tricks that translate into downright amazing page effects–things you would never expect to accomplish with just a few lines of code!

    CSS should be your second language to learn, as it builds on HTML knowledge while extending HTML’s capabilities of displaying Web content properly. Here are some resources to study CSS (both how it works and what it looks like when done right):

    CSS Tutorial @ W3Schools.com
    CSSZenGarden.com
    Sitepoint.com’s CSS Reference

    Javascript/jQuery: The Swiss Army Knife of the Web

    Whatever special function you want your site to perform, whether it’s something to make your site display differently, something to change how your navigation menus open, etc., there’s likely a snippet of Javascript that can make it happen. Just putting a bit of carefully-chosen or carefully-crafted Javascript code into the head part of your HTML document can make a big difference! (By the way, the only real difference between Javascript and jQuery is that you don’t have to have a big library of Javascript code installed on your site for jQuery to work–all you need is a link to the library of code that’s already established on the Internet.)

    Javascript should be your third language to learn, as it bridges the gap between Web languages that more about site display (“front-end development”) and Web languages that are more about site function (“back-end development”). Here are a few good websites to start studying Javascript:

    Javascript Tutorial @ W3Schools.com
    Codecademy’s Javascript Lessons
    JavascriptKit.com

    PHP: The Workhorse of the Web

    Many of the websites you see today, like this one, are made possible with PHP–it’s literally everywhere, even though none of its code appears when you click “View Source.” The reason its code does not appear is because PHP is a server-side language, meaning that everything it does is tied to having a conversation with the server (that’s the thing that holds all your web pages, images, etc.).

    PHP acts as a go-between for your browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or similar programs) and the server, asking questions of the server and delivering appropriate responses back to the browser in the form of a displayed page. (Ever searched for anything using a site’s search box? PHP was likely powering the search!)

    PHP should be your fourth language to learn, since it is the most widely used of all the server-side languages, yet still deals with outputting data in HTML/CSS forms. Here are some excellent resources to help you learn PHP:

    PHP Tutorial @ W3Schools.com
    Tizag.com’s PHP Tutorial
    PHP @ HomeAndLearn

    MySQL: The Librarian of the Web

    If you’ve got data to store, search through, and access, MySQL can handle it quite ably–it’s a programming language built to make, search, and access online databases on a server. The only trouble is, it doesn’t actually display the data on its own. So, quite often you’ll see PHP and MySQL being taught side-by-side; PHP code can “talk” to the MySQL database and retrieve results.

    Still, you need to know how MySQL works in order to build a PHP script that can communicate with it. (Believe me, if you don’t know how MySQL works, you’re going to be VERY frustrated trying to build a successful PHP code to work with a MySQL database!) Here are a few sites to start your MySQL learning:

    SQL Tutorial @ W3Schools.com
    Tizag.com’s MySQL Tutorial
    MySQLTutorial.org

    (Fun fact: Most formally-trained programmers pronounce MySQL as “my sequel.” I, however, being relatively untrained, mentally pronounce it “my skwul” despite trying to train myself otherwise. LOL!)

    Summary

    These five Web programming languages may look scary, but if you take them one language at a time, mastering each before you move on, you will find that things become much easier to understand. And, once you understand these five, you will have a great basis of knowledge on which to build even further programming know-how. I hope this little “road map” serves you well!

    Saturday with the Spark

    The Internet: A Creative Crafter’s Paradise

    Leave a comment

    Are you a crafter and feeling lonely or uninspired in your work? Wish you had someone to ask about how to accomplish certain pieces, how to think outside your own little box?

    In that case, the Internet is your best friend. Today, I’ll showcase the websites I’ve found in my search for informative and helpful crafting sites for any and all sorts of crafters out there.

    Skip to: For All Crafters | Specific Craft Sites | Buy and Sell Crafts | Craft Site Directories

    For All Crafters

    Community/Help Sites

    Craftsy.com
    WhatTheCraft
    Craftster.org
    FunkyFinds.com
    CraftGossip.com
    Craftgrrl Livejournal Community
    CraftsFairOnline
    BuildALittleBiz.com Blog
    HandmadeArtists Forums
    GetCrafty.com Forums

    Tutorials

    Craftgawker
    TipJunkie
    Instructables
    TipNut.com
    OnePrettyThing
    HowDoesShe
    Arts and Crafts @ VideoJug.com
    Makezine.com Blog
    TaterTotsandJello
    Little Lovelies By Allison
    DIYNetwork.com
    TheFrugalGirls.com
    DesignSponge.com

    Inspiration/Ideas

    ImaginativeBloom.com
    Prima Marketing
    MollieMakes
    Craftzine Blog
    Craftsnob Blog
    Crafts @ Curbly.com
    ShareSomeCandy.com
    NorthernCottage.net
    ArtisticBliss
    U-CreateCrafts.com
    Mayaroad – Creating Stuff
    Two Crazy Crafters
    TheScrapShoppeBlog
    On My Desk
    Supernaturale
    PrimitiveCrossroads.com
    Crafts @ TheDesignFiles.net

    Freebies

    JustSomethingIMade.com
    HelloCuteness
    FreebiesForCrafters
    Crafts-Beautiful.com
    FreePatternSite

    Craft Supplies

    Michaels
    Joann.com Crafts
    Hobby Lobby
    WoodTurnersCatalog.com
    ConsumerCrafts.com
    FactoryDirectCraft
    Blumchen.com

    Craft for a Cause

    Ladybird Lends a Hand
    Charity Wings News
    Beading to Beat Autism
    Beading for a Cure

    Specific Craft Websites

    Scrapbooking

    Scrapbook.com
    CreativeMemories.com
    JessicaSprague.com
    A Cherry on Top
    My Mind’s Eye
    PaperCraftersAnonymous
    Scrapbooking101.net

    Papercrafts

    Cubeecraft
    PapercraftsMag.com
    PaperCraftersAnonymous
    PapercraftParadise
    PaperPastime
    PaperShapez
    Graphic 45 Papers
    ISharePrintables

    Beading/Jewelry

    CraftMemo
    Beadage.net
    BeadingDaily.com
    Beading.com
    Interweavestore.com Beading
    BeadingTimes.com
    You’ve Got to be Beading
    Around the Beading Table

    Edible/Food Crafts

    LiveLearnLoveEat
    Tastespotting.com
    Edible Crafts (Pinterest)
    FunFamilyCrafts.com
    TheFarmChicks
    EdibleCrafts.CraftGossip.com
    EdibleCraftsOnline.com
    EnchantedLearning.com

    Stamping

    Stampin’ Up!
    StampingBella.com
    CraftySecrets.com
    Split Coast Stampers
    StampingSchool.com
    Stamping.CraftGossip.com
    MyCraftyWorld
    My Favorite Things Stamps

    Fabric Crafts

    Lots of Pink Here
    See Kate Sew
    PurlBee
    Knitty.com
    CrochetMe
    Interweave.com
    Threadbanger @ Youtube
    How About Orange
    HappySeamstress.com

    Kids’ Crafts

    The Chocolate Muffin Tree
    Red Ted Art
    Crafts By Amanda
    Mud Pie Studio
    NaturallyEducational.com
    Filth Wizardry
    Mia’s Craft Ideas
    TinkerLab.com
    No Time for Flashcards
    Chalk in My Pocket
    I Can Teach My Child
    Childhood101.com

    Furniture/Woodcrafts

    SawdustGirl.com
    Woodcraft.com
    TheCraftyCrow.com
    DIY Woodcraft Projects (Pinterest)
    Woodcrafts.com
    Wood Crafts (Pinterest)
    CraftIdeas.info
    FaveCrafts.com

    Buy and Sell Crafts

    SassySteals
    Etsy
    ArtGirlPottery
    HemmaDesign
    Brothers-Handmade.com
    HandmadeFuture.com
    Save-On-Crafts.com
    StampingFools.com

    Craft Site Directories

    CraftSiteDirectory.com
    OnlineCraftSites.com
    AllCraftSites.com
    CraftyTips.com

    Friday around the Web

    $30 a Week for Food, 25 Ways to Improve Health, NeonFlames, and DIY Statement Rings

    Leave a comment

    A Movement Toward Food Justice
    This guy is currently trying to live on $30 a week for food, following the #SNAPChallenge (food stamp challenge) on Twitter.

    25 (Funny) Ways to Improve Your Health…
    Learn how to improve your health with these 25 visual tips…from your pets? LOL

    NeonFlames
    Create fantastic celestial-like images with this beautiful art tool.

    DIY Button Statement Rings
    Wait, you can make buttons into rings? Yep! Learn how behind the click!

    Thursday in the Zone

    New M:TG Abilities, part 2: Gatecrash

    Leave a comment
    gatecrash The very latest Magic set (as of February 1st), Gatecrash features five more new keyword abilities, one for each of its featured dual-color guilds. As we examine these, you might just find another one you want to fit into your deck–there are some REALLY interesting ones here!

    Ability Keyword

    Associated Guild

    Rules Text

    More Info
    Battalion boroslegion
    Boros Legion     		This mechanic means slightly different things on every card, but it always activates when the battalion-bearing creature and at least two others are attacking at the same time. Battalion @ MTGSalvation Wiki
    Cipher housedimir
    House Dimir     		702.97a Cipher appears on some instants and sorceries. It represents two static abilities, one that functions while the spell is on the stack and one that functions while the card with cipher is in the exile zone. “Cipher” means “If this spell is represented by a card, you may exile this card encoded on a creature you control” and “As long as this card is encoded on that creature, that creature has ‘Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may copy this card and you may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.'”

    702.97b The term “encoded” describes the relationship between the card with cipher while in the exile zone and the creature chosen when the spell represented by that card resolves.

    702.97c The card with cipher remains encoded on the chosen creature as long as the card with cipher remains exiled and the creature remains on the battlefield. The card remains encoded on that object even if it changes controller or stops being a creature, as long as it remains on the battlefield.

    		Cipher @ MTGSalvation Wiki
    Bloodrush gruulclans
    Gruul Clans     		Allows players to discard creature cards in order to give an attacking creature a temporary power/toughness boost equal to the power and toughness of the discarded creature card. Bloodrush @ MTGSalvation Wiki
    Extort orzhovsyndicate
    Orzhov Syndicate     		702.99a Extort is a triggered ability. “Extort” means “Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay 1 black or white mana. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain life equal to the total life lost this way.”

    702.99b If a permanent has multiple instances of extort, each triggers separately.

    		Extort @ MTGSalvation Wiki
    Evolve simic_combine
    Simic Combine     		702.98a Evolve is a triggered ability. “Evolve” means “Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, if that creature’s power is greater than this creature’s power and/or that creature’s toughness is greater than this creature’s toughness, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.”

    702.99b If a creature has multiple instances of evolve, each triggers separately.

    		Evolve @ MTGSalvation Wiki

    Which Ability is Right for You?

    • If you love playing creature-heavy decks (especially with lots of weenie creatures) and attacking all out every turn, Battalion is your new favorite ability.
    • If you like to put extra abilities on creatures, but hate how easily Enchant Creature cards are destroyed in-game, you will DEFINITELY want to try Cipher.
    • If you always end up with one creature out on the field and three or four in your hand unable to be played (due to mana problems, etc.), Bloodrush will work wonders for you.
    • If you already have a Black/White deck, or if you’ve always been intrigued by the color combo, you’ll want to start gathering Extort cards–it’s pretty much exactly how Black/White has always worked, with a little more punch. (And it’s HILARIOUS in group games!)
    • If you don’t like ending up late-game with a bunch of 1/1s sitting helplessly alongside your beefy attacker, having a few creatures with the Evolve ability will help your deck ramp up in strength as turns go by.
    Wednesday in the Word

    Go and Tell What Jesus Has Done for You!

    Leave a comment

    Luke 8:38-39
    38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

    In the passage immediately preceding this, Jesus had driven demons out of a suffering man, who had been literally controlled by them to the point that others had chained him up so that he would not be a danger to others or himself. Thanks to Jesus, he now is freed, both physically and spiritually. No wonder the man now wants to follow Jesus!

    But instead of taking the man along on His journey, Jesus simply tells him to go home and tell about what has happened to him, how divine power did what nothing and no one earthly could do for him. It’s assumed that the townspeople know this man’s story and have seen him before, so they will be the first to recognize the massive change in him, and be moved to learn more about this strange personage called “Jesus” who has worked this miracle.

    We as individual believers may not have had literal demons driven out of us at the moment we were saved, but we each have a testimony just as life-changing as this man. We all had tremendous spiritual issues that kept us trapped, for years or even decades on end–and then, at some point along our very troubled and desolate road, we met Jesus. Then, the sun came out…or should I say, the Son. (I know it happened this way for me, when I was saved as a child and when I came back into the fold as an adult–life brightened, problems became easier to bear, trials felt less weighty on my shoulders because I knew I could depend on God.)

    Jesus’ command for the formerly demon-possessed man, then, is also for us. We should go forth and tell others what Jesus has done for us–because He’s worked miracles in each of our lives, and others will be changed by our testimonies.

    Tuesday on the Soapbox

    The Pros of Being a Big Woman

    Leave a comment

    “Wait, what?” you’re probably thinking. “There are PROS to being a big woman, in today’s society of ‘thin is in’ and size 0-2 being glorified in every clothing store?”

    Yes, there are pros. As a big woman myself, it’s taken me many years to come to terms with my shape and size since I plumped up and began to gain my adult form at 11 years old. But I’ve finally reached a place where I am content with my body whatever shape it takes. And in this skinny-crazed society we live in, it’s important for all of us bigger ladies to stop hating and punishing ourselves because we don’t “look thin” or “weigh X amount.” There’s more to fitness than just weight, as I’ll discuss in a moment.

    One Important Note Before We Begin: “Big” Does Not Always Equal “Fat/Obese”

    Now, I am not saying that there are pros to having severe obesity which causes medical problems. Believe me, I began to suffer a painful pre-arthritic condition in several of my lower body joints about six years ago due to weight, and through exercise I am beginning to conquer it. Body size which compromises health is something that must be addressed medically (not just with fad diets and such), otherwise one’s quality of life will wither away–I experienced that firsthand.

    Fitness is NOT Measured in Body Weight Alone

    BUT! My body frame is just larger than what’s considered “thin/small enough,” and I would guess that I’m not the only woman built like this. (From shoulder to shoulder, I’m 17 inches wide; from hip bone to hip bone, I’m 25 inches wide.) My shoulders and hips are just wider than some girls’, and all of my bones are thicker than most. (Even doctors have marveled at the thickness/density of my bones on X-rays.) Because of my skeleton’s structure and density, I can carry more weight without it looking like I weigh that much. Most people who look at me cannot believe I’m 300 pounds (yep, I said it–it’s just a number!); most folks guess that I’m 200 pounds or so.

    Too many people focus on just their weight number, thinking that fitness is solely based on how much you weigh, and it just isn’t. There are plenty more factors that go into fitness, such as muscle flexibility and strength, heart health, joint flexibility, lung capacity, ability to walk and move easily, etc. My doctor tells me my knees are stronger and my heart and lungs are performing better than they were six years ago, yet I’m the first to admit I’m not completely fit yet.

    But even with all the exercise classes I take and healthy food I eat, I will never shrink down to be a smaller woman skeletally. I will never be dainty, petite, and tiny. I am a tall woman (5’8″) with broad shoulders and wide hips. This is something I must accept about myself, because it has to do with how my body is formed at the skeletal level, something that diet and exercise cannot change. I and other girls built like me will always be somewhat larger than “model” size.

    And you know what? THAT IS OKAY. In fact, it’s more than okay to be big–sometimes, there are even advantages! Thus, the reason I came up with the following tongue-in-cheek yet accurate list:

    Why It’s Great to Be a Big Woman

    • Our height and body structure makes us look more authoritative/confident
    • No breast augmentation surgery needed–large breasts usually come with the “big woman” package
    • More padding, so if you fall or bump into things, you won’t break a bone or damage internal organs
    • Halter tops look great on broad shoulders and large busts like ours
    • We can use our weight against potential attackers
    • Wringing out clothes is easy–just wrap the clothing in a towel and sit on it! LOL
    • Our figures can look more like the vintage “pinup girl” posters
    • There are good men out there who genuinely appreciate our bodies
    • We got hips that don’t lie (and that can shut car doors by themselves)
    • Carrying/delivering children is a little easier (especially with our wider hips)
    • We can pull off those lovely retro-style dresses and skirts
    • Since we can carry more weight on our frames, we can usually carry heavier things more easily
    • Who needs body pillows to snuggle with when you’ve got us? 😀
    Monday in the HTMLab

    What to Do When You Run Out of Blog Content

    Leave a comment

    No matter how long you’ve been running your blog, sometimes it happens: you end up at a loss for what to write about. I call it the “Blog Doldrums,” where any good topic you come up with is one you’ve already done, and any other topic seems not worth writing about. The Blog Doldrums kill off many good blogs before they really get started, and can cause a great blogger to suddenly go silent.

    So, how do we as content creators combat this? First, by not letting these doldrums get hold of us for too long, and second, by getting a little creative with our blog topic ideas.

    Approach #1: Search for Similar Books and Websites, and Present Them to Your Audience as Resources

    Whatever you’ve made a blog about, likely there’s been a book (or several) written about it, and likely there are other websites which cover similar ground. Check out books at your local library (or through an e-library), and do fairly involved searches for websites (i.e., not just the first page of Google results).

    Once you find books and websites that are on your particular topic, browse through them, making notes of which ones are most useful and relevant to your blog’s audience. Compile a short list of the best of the best, and write a short description of each book or website, along with relevant links (website link, place to buy the book, official book website, etc.) and any appropriate pictures (screenshots and book covers).

    Example: For my Monday web design and development posts, I could do a post about some great webdesign guidebooks as well as helpful development websites, linking to each and showing my readers resources they’ve potentially never heard of.

    The resulting blog post will be basically an online report about what other people are doing in your content area. Visitors will still be enriched by this post, and you can start to build a little community with other website owners and bloggers who are interested in your same topic, too!

    Approach #2: Just Write Your Perspective on an Issue

    Rather than trying to do a really in-depth post with TONS of information and LOTS of “expert advice,” how about just doing a blog post about your own perspective? Write about what this topic means to you, or how you interact with it on a daily basis, or even what you think about particular trends going on in your chosen topic right now.

    Why bother doing this? Because you, as a blogger, have a very interesting point of view that others would like to read about, so why NOT share your opinions? This gets you writing from the most primal level–your own mindset. You can explore your own thoughts and reasoning as you choose, and can then tie it all together in an understandable way.

    Example: For my Saturday creativity posts, I could write about what music has meant to me over the course of my life. Or, for my Thursday gaming posts, I could write about the current HeroClix team trends appearing in local gaming stores versus team trends at conventions.

    This blog post will be virtually guaranteed to be original, new content–it came out of your head, after all! Plus, visitors will likely be intrigued by your words, and may be inspired to think differently about your topic because of your post.

    Approach #3: Research Your Topic and Bring Something Obscure to Light

    No matter what your topic, there are likely several unexplored corners within it, several small things most people gloss over, assuming everyone knows about it. Take time to research your chosen topic in depth, and research anything that surprises you about your topic or anything you personally have never known much about before.

    Once you’ve done that, take time in a blog post to expand on one or more of these hidden gems, really digging into it and exploring it. (Don’t forget to do a lot of linking in this post to show where you found this information, and where people can go to find out more!)

    Example: For my Wednesday Bible posts, I could take a Bible verse that is either not often talked about or very often misunderstood, and really delve into it, comparing and contrasting the meaning most folks take from it and the Biblical scholars’ interpretation(s).

    When you publish this post, you will be bringing something very new and interesting to your audience’s attention, and your post will likely spur readers to learn even more. You might even draw attention from other bloggers and website owners who write about your same topic!

    Summary

    When you find yourself in the Blog Doldrums, don’t despair–there are plenty of ways to get yourself out of them AND produce a useful, worthwhile blog post at the same time!

    Saturday with the Spark

    Upcycling: Transforming Useless Junk into Art/Useful Objects

    Leave a comment

    Plenty of artists have been doing it–making art from trash, I mean. The Web is alive with stories of it: Vivan Sundaram’s trash photography exhibits, as well as trash-to-art-object best-of lists from Noupe and WebUrbanist. Even ordinary folks are collecting pictures of amazing art being created from junk or trash via Pinterest or other such sites, like this list over on Indulgy.

    What I love most about this new-old trend in art is that it encourages all of us to recycle and repurpose old things. Too often, we think of creativity springing from an eternally new source–art’s always somehow gotta be new new new and anything old is worthless. But this trash-to-art and junk-to-art movement helps us all revision items in new ways. The movement is even trickling down to children’s art projects through sites like Kid-At-Art.com, which shows kids how to recycle trash and junk and make it into something beautiful.

    But how does this trash-to-art movement translate into doable creativity for the everyday crafter/artist? Simple–by saving up materials that others would likely throw away and making/decorating gifts for others, or making and decorating useful objects for your own home.

    Upcycling: Recycling and Repurposing All in One

    Upcycling, as this article from Shareable.net details, gives old items new purpose, or can give items bound for the trash a new lease on life. Say you’ve got a few random old items which still have some life in them, yet they need a little spiffing up. Upcycling can work for these–giving them a fresh coat of paint and revisioning them can give them a new place in your house!

    Example #1: An old train case with a top handle can be cleaned out, repainted/refinished and made into a kid’s treasure box, storage for a teen’s small electronics, or even a mobile office-supplies carrier for your car.

    Example #2: An old bread box can be repainted/refinished, then mounted on the wall near the front door as a family mail sorter/key holder…or you can mount it in the living room to corral all those remote controls…or you can put it in the bathroom for small toiletry items (like nail clippers) that always seem to get away!

    Or, say you’ve got some items that aren’t in the best condition anymore, that used to hold stuff but don’t anymore, or that have some pieces missing. You can still upcycle these, if you allow yourself to think outside the box!

    Example #1: Coffee cans (metal or plastic) can become pencil holders, mail sorters, snack transporters, trinket hiders–soak off the label, clean out the can, and you have a new storage container for just about any small objects!

    Example #2: Old VHS or DVD cases can become storage for printed-out photos, important labels, bills, or anything else that needs to be kept away from sun, water, and dust till you can deal with them. Plus, you can slip a changeable label into the outside plastic clearly marking what’s inside!

    Plus, what about all those used gift wrap and cards you find yourself swimming in after the holidays, or after birthdays or other special events? Instead of throwing it all away, how about taking a few of these tips:

    • Save any like-new (read: not dented in/half-torn-up) gift bags, folding them up carefully and storing them away from dust and water; you’ll thank yourself when you need a gift bag next!
    • Save all the tissue paper and scraps of wrapping paper, too. You can shred the wrapping paper and really torn tissue paper with a paper shredder to make basket or bag filler, and any tissue paper that is mainly crumpled rather than torn up can be used to fill out the tops of gift bags, or can even be fodder for other creative projects!
    • If you like the picture on a card you’ve received, cut it out and refashion it as a gift tag, decoration for a notebook, or even frame it as art for your walls!

    Summary: Upcycling is Crazily Creative!

    With these ideas and more, you can make even your own junk pile transform into useful and pretty objects again. All it takes is a moment to stop and think, “Hmm…what could this become?”