source: scrubly.com

Scrubly is a quick, safe way to clean up your address book.  Scrubly is a cloud‐based address book cleanup tool that safely and automatically removes duplicate contacts from your Outlook, Mac, Gmail or Google Apps address books. Scrubly also backs up your contacts both before and after scrubbing so you always have a safe backup you can download anytime.

Using ScrubbelatorTM technology, Scrubly scans your contacts for exact and closely matching duplicates and flags them for removal. Once flagged, you have the opportunity to review one or all of the duplicate contact groups before processing. Or, simply remove all duplicates with one click. Conflicted duplicate fields are some of the most difficult to resolve. For example, you may have entered a phone number into the Home field of one contact but in another you entered that same number into the Work field, which one is correct? If you have ever synced your contacts with a mobile phone, you may have experienced the common problem of field mis‐matching which is the primary cause of conflicted contacts. Scrubly solves these problems by scanning your contacts looking for conflict patters. With the Scrubly Conflict Resolution Wizard, the
system quickly resolves common conflicts in groups saving you a huge amount of time along the way.

Scrubly has both free and premium options:

• Free to scrub up to 500 contacts
• One time scrub at $9.95 or unlimited yearly at $19.95

Photo by Heather Hurd - May 2008

With the beginning of football season, it’s great to have easy recipes on hand for great tasting food that can be enjoyed while watching the big game.  For a European twist on the classic football food, try these great recipes.

French Twist Football Pockets are a great, handheld snack with a sophisticated taste.  Sangria offers a fantastic option for anyone who isn’t a fan of beer.

French Twist Football Pockets
1-1/4 pounds lean ground pork
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 bay leaf
1-1/2 cups water
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
milk for glaze

To make a batch, first set out the crusts to bring them to room temperature (about 15 minutes) and heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saucepan, mix together the ground pork, cloves, cinnamon, onion, salt, celery, bay leaf and water. The water will help break up the raw pork. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 3 hours, or until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.

Towards the end of the pork cooking time, place the potatoes into a separate saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes. When the pork is done, stir the mashed potatoes into that pan until evenly blended.  Let filling cool completely.

One at a time, place each crust on lightly floured waxed paper and use a floured rolling pin to flatten it slightly into a 10-inch circle. Use a biscuit cutter to cut seven 4-inch circles from the dough, then reroll the dough scraps to get 3 more dough circles.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling onto half of each circle, leaving about a 1/2-inch margin at the edge. Use your fingertips to moisten the edges of the dough with water, then fold the uncovered half of the dough over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork, then transfer the turnovers to a lightly greased baking sheet and poke each one twice with a fork for vents. Brush each one with milk, then bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 20 small turnovers.

Sangria
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
1 1/2 cups raspberry liqueur
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
4 cinnamon sticks

Keep fruit well chilled.  Combine room temperature liqueur, wine, juice, and cinnamon sticks in a large glass pitcher or serving bowl.  Slowly stir in sugar.  Slice the lemon, lime, and orange into thin rounds and place on top.  Chill in the fridge for at least two hours to let them flavors meld.  Serve with a large ladle to make sure each glass gets some fruit.

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image courtesy of http://isabelsgift.org/

if you have never had a loved one hospitalized, it is hard to imagine the agony of wondering what the patient’s outcome will be.  there is a reason they call it the practice of medicine. there are relatively few absolutes in medicine.  i am sure doctors would love to know for sure what the outcome will be for each and every patient, but sometimes things do not go as planned.  when you are sitting beside an isolette in an intensive care unit watching your child cling to life, its difficult to hear doctors say things like, “every child is different” or “we can’t know with certainty where this will lead us” or “sometimes we see babies take one step forward only to take two steps backward.”

 i can only imagine the hope that the PhysiScore, so far determined to be more accurate that the Apgar score, will offer to parents. it is my hope that it will offer some comfort to those parents who will spend long nights sitting beside one or more isolettes hoping for the best possible outcome.

Nicole

source: knowabouthealth.com

Preliminary research at Michigan State has linked high fat diets in preteen girls with an increased risk for breast cancer in later life.

Although research is ongoing, this study is simply confirming something we’ve long known.

BE HEALTHY.  Americans in particular seem to have developed the culture of the teenager, in which preteens and teenagers seem to be allowed an attitude of immunity.  Very few people are making concerted efforts to keep their kids healthy and active at any age, and teenagers in particular are given a carte blanche to eat ridiculous amounts of fat and calories because it’s cool, popular, or easy.

As parents, we owe it to our children to keep them from this kind of lifestyle.  It is among our most important duties to raise children who understand the value of healthy food and regular exercise, who enjoy vegetables far more often than they do pizza, and for whom high fat/calorie foods are an occasional indulgence instead of a way of life.

Life is hard enough.  We owe it to our kids to raise them with as many advantages as possible, and healthy habits will improve not only their overall health and happiness, but may even make a difference in their job opportunities or recreational activities.  Lets raise kids who live long, active lives.

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source: babyfirst.com

According to the Daily Mail, a woman in Australia gave birth to premature twins, a boy and a girl. The little girl was struggling but surviving, while the little boy was pronounced dead.

The woman and her husband spent two hours cuddling with their limp, still son.  They told him how much he was loved, all about his sister, and about all the things they’d wanted to experience with him.  After two hours of love and cuddling and skin-to-skin contact with his mother, the little boy began gasping for air and reaching out.

He went from limp and lifeless to gasping and grasping, thanks to skin-to-skin contact with his mother and a little bit of breast milk.  Of course it’s not a cure-all, and tragically there are many premature babies for whom nothing can be done.  This miraculous story, however, presses home an important point.

HUG YOUR BABIES!  Never has a story more accurately expressed the importance of direct contact.  Without the close embrace of his mother, little Jamie might never have made it.  I know my daughter is a lively, blessedly active 15 months old, but this story still makes me want to cuddle up with her for some kangaroo time.

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source: uto.asu.edu

Teachers in the Los Angeles area are angered this week as an LA Times report makes public some private records about teacher performance.

Teachers in the paper’s coverage area are outraged, calling the paper’s reporting unfair, irresponsible, and incomplete.  The newspaper, which reported the scores with an accompanying acknowledgment that these test scores are not the whole story, is concerned with public accountability for teachers, many of whom seem to be routinely falling short of goals.  Teachers, on the other hand, complain that students test scores do not reflect their overall education and educators seem to be concerned with the overall development of their students.

As a parent and a graduate student in education, I have two thoughts on the issue.  First, of course test scores are not the whole story.  There is a lot of information not measured by test scores.  However, I think they can be an important baseline for measuring student and teacher success, especially since these “value added” ratings are reported to take into account many variables.  Secondly, I’m deeply bothered (as a mom) about the idea of teachers being concerned with overall development to the detriment of education.  In the end, it is MY job to raise a happy, well rounded, emotionally secure child.  It is YOUR job as a teacher to educate these children as well as possible.  If education is taking a back seat to happiness, that’s a problem.  School is for learning.  Home is for happiness.

Of course there are situations in which a child’s home life is less than idea, but that is still not the teacher’s responsibility.  I am horrified to think that my daughter’s education might suffer because another child needs coddling.  First and foremost, an educator’s job is to educate.

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source: gofugyourself.celebuzz.com

I seem to be among a small minority of people who are fans of the show and yet find this cover to be… awkward?  Several people on Facebook have mentioned that the lovely Eric Northman is quite a bit taller than his costars, and so it’s odd to see him at the same height.  And God love her, but Anna P looks a little vacant here to me.

Honestly though, the unsettling quality of the shot is really a decent metaphor for the show in its entirety for me.  I’m interested, I keep looking, but I’m disturbed and keep thinking about not looking anymore.  The show can be shockingly (for me) gruesome and violent, and in general that’s not a quality I’m looking for in my tv entertainment.

That being said, I’m also a sucker (ha!) for a vampire story, good, bad, or otherwise… so I tune in every week, grimace at the gore, try to ignore my inner Puritan during the particularly raunchy sex scenes, and move on with my day.

So I suppose it’s a true guilty pleasure.

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source: ashleyfitzpatrick.com

–And in a moment of weakness… I prayed to the Virgin Mother to soothe Charly’s soul in his hour of suffering.
–You understand an animal has no immortal soul.
–I understand, mon pere.
–Yet you flout God’s law.
–I’m weak and a sinner.
–What else?
–Impure thoughts…. The woman who runs the chocolaterie.
–Vianne Rocher?
–She suggested I buy chocolate seashells… for the widow Audel. And, well… I guess that got me to thinking about the widow Audel.
–At her age? At your age?
–Yes. And yes.
–And just what were you doing in a chocolaterie during Lent?
—It was for Charly.
–Again you flout God’s law.
–Well, but if Charly has no soul… then there’s no harm in him breaking Lent. Isn’t that so, mon pere?
(from Chocolat)

When I saw this story in today’s news, I couldn’t help but remember the above confessional scene.  Apparently, an Anglican priest offered a man and his dog the communion wafer.  The priest explained it as an act of welcome for a man who was not a regular member of the church and thought nothing of the dog.

Most members of the congregation, it seems, were charmed by the act, but at least one was offended enough to file formal complaint and leave the congregation entirely.  Apparently the church offers yearly services for animals, so I’m not sure how much this “act” really departs from the church’s normal activities…

So I guess I don’t understand the issue?  It’s not like anyone involved was considering the dog’s immortal soul, and the act made the man feel more welcome.  If welcoming him and his dog brings him into the arms of the church, isn’t that a good thing?  Isn’t Christianity driven in part by the hope of converting everyone?

Is it really so terribly offensive?  After all, doesn’t the true meaning of communion lie within the heart and soul of the receiver, moreso than in the largely symbolic wafer itself?

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source: examiner.com

She looks innocent enough, right?  Cameron Diaz has been a popular Hollywood actress for years now and recently starred in a film with Tom Cruise… but that’s not what has her appearing all over the news lately.

Instead, the big story about Diaz is that she’s dangerous!  According to McAfee and PC Magazine, Ms. Diaz is the celebrity whose name is most likely to bring you to malicious spyware, adware, and virus sites!

So before you decide to search for pictures, articles, and news on Cameron Diaz, make sure you’re headed to safe, trusted sources or your computer could be at risk!

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source: people.com

According to People magazine, the reality stars who already have nineteen children are ready for number twenty!

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar are Baptists and, from what I understand, believe that it is up to God to decide how many children they will have.

I very much respect people’s rights to make their own decisions about family and childbirth.  They are clearly able to provide good lives and a safe home for their children, so until now I would have said that I didn’t see an issue with their giant family… except perhaps to say I could NEVER do it myself.  I think they must be very organized, loving, patient people to be able to parent so many children.

However, now I have to take issue.  The latest child, a little girl named Josie, was born early due to preeclampsia and then spent quite a while in the hospital recovering from a rare bowel condition that led to surgery at eight days old.

Given the circumstances and Michelle’s age (which is considered by the medical community to be “advanced maternal age” and therefore means she is at higher risk for quite a few pregnancy and birth issues), I just don’t think it’s responsible to try again.  First of all, Michelle could literally die if she ends up with preeclampsia again.  She’d likely have a doctor overseeing her next pregnancy, and I know she has a strong faith in God calling the shots here, so perhaps she isn’t concerned about her own life.

But what about #20?  Given baby Josie’s issues, there is a good chance that another pregnancy would not only be risking Michelle’s life, but the child’s as well.  And THAT is where I take issue.  When you decide to keep trying to have children knowing that doing so could put those same children at risk…  it’s unforgivable.  It’s cruel.  It makes me angry and sad, and makes me wonder what their motivation really is for so many children…

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