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§ January 16th, 2012 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
(CNN) — You dont ever want to meet Mungry. Trust me.
My wife and I have been super blessed with the most unfussy, spirited and sleep-loving baby. Lucy has truly been the model infant. But, when that lower lip begins to quiver and Sophie the Giraffe is flung head over hoof from the Bumbo perch, we know Lucy has left the dining room. We are now face to face with her very angry alter-ego: Mungry (Her scowled face looks as if shes howling, Mmmm, Hungry!). These genes came from her dad. An unfed Harlan is a very unhappy Harlan. For six months, my wife was able to satisfy the half-pint howler with breast milk. If she was not around, I had bottles of milk ready to go. But a month or so ago, we noticed Lucy was giving our food the eagle-eye. From her chair in the kitchen, she would stare at the chopping block while I cut colorful fruits and vegetables. We could no longer hold her at the dinner table because she would dive-bomb our plates. It was then we realized milk alone would not keep Mungry at bay.
As a new parent, its been hard to know when its time to transition your baby to new things. They develop so quickly. Just when youre used to a routine, its time to move on to something new. Food is no different. But where in the world do you start?
§ December 18th, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
[Note: The Adventure of Strongfury contains Skyrim spoilers. Part One here]
Turdas 20th of Last Seed
Completed one Companion task today which was to kill a wolf that had somehow entered and taken over a dwelling in Riverwood. An easy task. Took me longer to walk to Riverwood than to kill the beast. Walked around the area to clear my head. Beautiful day, no danger.
Fredas 21st of Last Seed
Death and destruction follow me. One of the Companions, Skjor, has been killed by Silver Hands, the same group Farkas and I fought in the Cairn. It all began when I became more than I was. I embraced the Werewolf blessing and I have become one. Aela the Huntress, Skjor and I went to take out the Silver Hands. Skjor went ahead to scout the Silver Hands camp. Aela and I followed. Immediatly we were attacked, a long battle where we had to fight through the ruins. We found Skjors body. I killed this groups leader in fury. There are more Silver Hands out there. I swear that I will avenge Skjor.
§ December 11th, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
When I launched this blog in July I had no idea that one of the perks would be connecting with so many amazing therapists whove created successful practices. Ive been inspired by shrinks around the globe who demonstrate the varied ways to make a living, and make a difference with their clients and I thought youd be too.
Im thrilled to interview Karen R. Koenig, LCSW for the first in an ongoing series Adventures In Private Practice so you can learn from her experiences to improve your practice. I first learned of Karens work when I bought her Food and Feelings workbook that I used with several of my eating disordered clients.
Ive been impressed by Karens passion for helping clients struggling with food issues, while writing to raise public awareness of how to relate with food in a healthy way, and maintaining excellent self-care.
Tell us a little about your practice
Although I have been doing general psychotherapy for 30+ years, my expertise is in the psychology of eatingthe why and how, not the what of it. I teach troubled eaters the life and appetite skills they need to eat normally and attain and maintain a healthy weight for life without dieting. I also do Skype and telephone coaching on eating and weight concerns.
Why did you decide to open a private practice?
After graduating social work school and working at a methadone clinic for six years in MA, I decided I wanted more time to try my hand at writing fiction, which meant working for myself. I applied to be a provider on insurance plans, joined the MA social work chapter’s private practice support group (and learned a lot), and was fortunate to find a peer consultation group that fit my needs.
Clients that therapists find to be the most difficult are sometimes the ones who can teach them the most. What have you learned from your toughest clients?
I learned to, as my second year internship supervisor advised, “get my wind out of their sails.” I think we try to control our most difficult clients more than easier ones which only creates more of a backlash. Through them I’ve learned patience and to expect as much work from them as other clients. My biggest shock has been working with clients who in many ways aren’t awfully functional, only to find they’re way ahead of me on a thorny issue. I always get a kick out of that.
Whats your biggest pet peeve about private practice?
Working with numbers. I’m pretty pathetic when forced to do math and have anxiety about even filling out forms for my accountant at tax time. I just know I’m putting in the wrong figures. Also keeping up with my license fee, social work dues, malpractice and commercial insurance payments.
How did you discover or develop your practice niche?
After recovering from my own binge-eating problems, I taught in a training program for troubled eaters. After class, students would ask to meet with me privately and I soon had a small practice. That’s when I realized that if I was going to do therapy, I needed more training and returned to pursue an MSW. Shortly after that, I started writing books about eating and weight and teaching my own workshops. After many decades and books and clients, I became an expert.
What resource (book, website, person) helped you the most when setting up your private practice?
I can’t say there was one thing. To start a practice in MA, I took a class on opening/running a private practice and that was useful for the basics, and also talked with other practitioners. One in particular was very generous with her time and let me call her when I had questions. I think the NASW private practice group was enormously helpful with financial and ethical concerns. When I moved to FL six years ago, I started all over again. I decided to take only self-pay clients, which meant lots of marketing work was ahead. I joined the local social work chapter (unimpressed, I dropped out fairly quickly), but networked with therapists I met here and there, especially in the field of eating disorders. I volunteered to do talks on eating and did as many book signings as possible. Slowly my practice grew and continues to flourish.
What has surprised you most about being in private practice?
Ive been surprised at how my client load stays fairly steady. I do a tremendous amount of marketing–such as answering requests like this one, hiring someone to manage my social media and pr, doing talks, running a message board, blogging twice weekly, expanding my therapy practice to worldwide eating coach via Skype and the telephone, writing online articles.
Has your private practice helped you grow professionally? How so…
My books, articles, and talks on eating and weight feed (pardon the pun) my practice and my practice boosts my book sales.
Has it helped you grow personally, too? How so…
Well, it’s made me face this I’m-bad-with-numbers perception I have. I still do get anxious, but I’m pretty on top of things. When I’m really in a panic, I ask my husband (the math guy) for help. I love being responsible for my own schedule. I’ve learned to manage time well and to balance work and play.
Being a therapist can be emotionally exhausting. What do you do to care for your own emotional and psychological health?
I now don’t treat clients on Fridays. At 65, though, I can’t imagine retiring any time soon. I get energized from my work and rarely feel emotionally exhausted because I no longer see back-to-back clients every day. Instead, I teach occasionally, write articles, am in the middle of writing two eating manuscripts, and am working with an agency to develop a Facebook eating app. Switching gears and not having only a private practice keeps me feeling creative.
How do you cope with the inevitable stressors involved with being your own boss?
I don’t feel that stressed except if I have more than three clients in a row. As I said, I’m fortunate that I don’t need to have a large caseload because I make money other ways. But I set up my life this way because I didn’t want to be drained and there were other things I wanted to do. I’m very good about managing my time, though I work many hours and often through the weekend on projects I enjoy (I’m starting to write songs suddenly–lyrics and melody!). I only wish I could clone myself to do all I want to do which would include a bit more down time.
What personal strengths have helped you succeed in private practice?
I had two neurotically organized parents so I inherited that strength. I am good at starting and ending sessions on time, maintaining email contact with clients between sessions at a pace I can tolerate and which meets their needs. I like things easy and accessible so I work at home and have a separate wing of my house for my office and a client bathroom. Every day I follow a routine of blog writing, checking emails and my message board, then exercising, and getting ready for the day. I work during the hours I have the most energy 12:15-7:15p, turning away morning clients or those who need appointments at night. Because I get to meet my needs, I don’t feel resentful. My biggest strength is taking excellent care of myself and picking a husband who is extremely supportive of all I do.
To learn more about Karens work and practice visit EatingNormal.com.
If youd like to be interviewed and featured in Adventures In Private Practice contact me here.
§ December 4th, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
NEW YORK, NY, Nov 18, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Smartphone app developer C-Vibes Ltd has announced the launch of
its new immersive social app, Chumkee, available for free download on
the iPhone. Chumkee takes socializing to the next level by making
visually rich dialogue fun and easy. The app enables users to express
themselves and engage with others through video and photo
conversations on-the-go.
Through Chumkee’s unique swipe and slide interface, users can capture
and spotlight their daily adventures, passions and interests, and
whatever is on their minds — wherever they go. In addition to
offering an intuitive way for people to start conversations, Chumkee
enables users to respond with video and photo replies, making the
experience more immersive and interesting than standard text
comments. Hashtags allow users to find specific topics, making
following conversation streams and meeting new people seamless.
“We created Chumkee for people to easily engage with others in a fun
and irreverent setting. The visual nature of the app gives people a
whole new way of having conversations,” said Chumkee Co-founder David
Aumonier. “We’re thrilled to introduce Chumkee to people looking for
a new and entertaining community for self-expression.”
Before making an official release, Chumkee has already been
downloaded by over 15,000 users worldwide, with 85% of users engaging
with the app everyday.
Thanks to the beta-launch being featured in the Apple Store in the
U.S., Canada, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Brazil and the U.K., individuals
who have been interacting with the app are as varied as they are
diverse, from a model in Brazil to an amateur singer in Queens, a
sports fan in Georgia to a student in Egypt, a fashion critic in D.C.
to a video-blogger in Japan, people with all kinds of interests love
using Chumkee to share their video, photos, and text.
Chumkee Features:
— Immersive, swipe and slide interface makes engaging with others a snap
— Lively conversation streams with video replies
— Easy two-step process to share video content on the fly
— Hashtags to find topics and interesting people to follow
Chumkee is now free to download in the iTunes store by visiting:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/chumkee/id470588547?mt=8
ABOUT CHUMKEE
C-Vibes Ltd is a smartphone app developer that creates
immersive experiences and entertainment for socially connected
consumers. The free Chumkee iPhone App is a new way of socializing
through video and photo conversations in a fun and interactive
interface. For more information, go to
http://chumkee.com
Chumkee. Set a Conversation in Motion
Media Contact
Aaron Colter
theMIX agency for Chumkee
Email Contact
SOURCE: C-Vibes Ltd.
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=AAE2A131BC7730F9
Copyright 2011 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
§ December 2nd, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
Peter Jackson is walking down the familiar twisting lanes of the picture-perfect village of Hobbiton. Discussing the next days shoot with the cast and crew of The Hobbit, he gazes up at the setting sun and appears overcome by a strange sense of deja vu.
I did this on this street 12 years ago, and its exactly the same, says Jackson. I dont feel the same, though.
PHOTOS: The Adventures of Tintin UK Premiere Blue Carpet Arrivals
Jackson pauses to survey the village in Waikato thats familiar to millions of fans of the directors Lord of the Rings trilogy. Before Jackson and his crew transformed it into a little piece of Middle Earth, this was a simple New Zealand sheep farm. Now its become a JRR. Tolkien tourist mecca, and five days into location shooting for Jacksons two Hobbit movies, it has been transformed again into a bustling film set.
With The Lord of the Rings, there was enormous pressure. There was a feeling that those films might not succeed, says Jackson. Now, people have seen the Lord of the Rings movies, and they expect The Hobbit to be really something. The only thing I can do is make a movie I want to watch.
PHOTOS: Stills From Steven Spielbergs The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
Together, the two 3D films — The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, which Jackson is shooting back-to-back — sport a budget of $500 million-plus and will employ about 3,000 people.
But while the public focus is back on the Shire, the entire New Zealand industry, big and small, is reaping the benefits of what has become known as the Jackson effect.
COVER STORY: Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson: The Titans of Tintin
In three years, weve had Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin, District 9, The Lovely Bones, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Yogi Bear, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the Spartacus TV series shooting here, says Graeme Mason, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission. Three of the four biggest directors of all time [James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and Jackson] were working in Wellington at the same time. Not bad for a town of 400,000 people.
Gisella Carr, head of New Zealands film locations office Film NZ, acknowledges that Jackson and his team are the creative sparks behind the countrys film boom. But others, including the government, have helped make made-in-Kiwi cinema flourish, she notes.
Film-friendly regulations — like newly enacted labor laws that convinced Warner Bros. to keep Hobbit in New Zealand, alongside funding incentives and training schemes targeting high-end special effects technology — have helped keep the LOTR momentum going. Employment for New Zealands effects industry reached its peak during the shooting of Avatar, when about 900 people at Weta helped Cameron create the world of Pandora and its blue-skinned inhabitants.
If a film industry is what you want, then you have to compete, says Jackson. If you want to be in the game, you have to pay. But the numbers have got to stack up. And what these films bring to the country and the employment hellip; theyre formidable figures.
While the immediate focus is on Hobbit and the next Tintin film, other international projects are set to start shooting in New Zealand in early 2012. Active discussions are under way with Cameron to return to the country to make an Avatar sequel.
On the small screen, producer Rob Tapert is prepping the third season of Starzs swords-and-sandals series Spartacus in Auckland; Wellington-born director and Oscar winner Jane Campion will return to New Zealand to make a TV crime series, Top of the Lake, starring Mad Mens Elisabeth Moss; and Peter Webber will shoot the Japanese war drama Emperor in New Zealand in January.
But while bigger international productions get most of the attention, Mason contends that the flow of talent through the country is benefiting local projects as well.
This year has been a solid one for the domestic sector, with more than 22 local features released across a wide range of genres. The industry is still basking in the afterglow of the 2010 hit Boy, which earned more than $7 million at the local box office and about $43 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing New Zealand film to date.
On the art house scene, Tusi Tamaseses low-budget Samoan-language feature The Orator won the top prize from Europes art house cinemas association at this years Venice International Film Festival. The story of an unassuming villager forced to defend his family and way of life, Orator marks New Zealands first entry in the foreign-language Oscar race.
Some of the higher-profile Kiwi features set for release in 2012 include Andrew Adamsons Mister Pip, starring Hugh Laurie, and the comedy Two Little Boys, featuring Bret McKenzie of The Flight of the Conchords and Aussie comedian Hamish Blake.
To help get more local films made, the New Zealand government has changed its Screen Production Investment Fund, lowering the budget threshold for qualifying New Zealand productions from $4 million to $2.5 million per project.
And to further fuel business coming out of the US, Film New Zealand and postproduction house Park Road Post will set up satellite operations in Los Angeles in January.
We see many opportunities, says Film New Zealands Carr. Its a buoyant time, and New Zealand has a strong hand to play. The craft, the innovations of the Hobbit films and the scale of the opportunity is delighting and stimulating New Zealanders again.
NEW ZEALAND AT A GLANCE
§ November 30th, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
by guest blogger Maya Rodale, writer of historical tales of true love and adventure.
I was poisoned. I dont think I was deliberately poisoned. The mushroom guy at the farmers market and I merely failed to communicate…about his poisonous produce. So, perhaps it is more accurate to say that I suffered terribly after consuming a poisonous mushroom. Heres how it went down…
There is a vendor at my local farmers market–who shall remain nameless–who sells foraged mushrooms. Having read about foraged mushrooms on this very blog, and being a city dweller, I was excited by this opportunity to try something unusual. That days offerings were honey mushrooms. They were small and adorable and had that sweet little name. It was suggested that a good way to eat them is to cook them for 10 to 15 minutes on high heat.
I ate them raw.
After some vomiting, a two-day stomachache, deductive reasoning, and some desperate Googling, I learned that honey mushrooms can upset your stomach when you eat them raw and are often confused for other, more dangerous, mushrooms. This was information I would have liked to have known, oh, two days earlier before I virtuously added chopped raw honey mushrooms to my lunchtime salad.
Just to be safe, I called the Poison Control Center to see if I should check myself into the hospital or not. When assured by an expert that I was fine, I started feeling better.
The good news: I think the Poison Control Center may be the last remaining organization where an actual human answers! The bad news: The woman I spoke to said she stopped eating mushrooms after taking the job.
But not me.
Notes to self for future reference:
o When those folks at the farmers market give cooking instructions, its probably a good idea to listen.
o When it doubt, Google it…before you eat it.
Even with such a misadventure, Ill still be frequenting the farmers market and buying the freshest organic produce I can get my hands on. Ill just cook it first!
Maya Rodale is the author of numerous historical romance novels. She lives in New York City with a rogue of her own and their dog, Penelope. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.mayarodale.com.
For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com
§ November 29th, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
South Sound Adventures: Dirty Girls, Cool Trails and Running Groups
University Place resident and Patch contributor, Kim Thompson, signed up for a half marathon on a whim. While training, she has happily discovered some gems: great running groups and trails. The biggest gem though? Inspiration!
§ September 21st, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
Child of Eden is a very good game that didnt sell nearly as well as it deserved. Itll soon end up in many more homes as those who pick up one of the new Kinect bundles will get a free copy.
The existing $150 Kinect sensor bundle that comes with both Kinect and Kinect Adventures will be adding a download code for Child of Eden. A physical copy of Kinect Adventures still comes with it, so youre not losing anything; youll just get an extra game that came out less than three months ago.
Child of Eden is the spiritual successor to Rez. It received fairly strong reviews but sold only 34,000 units in the United States during June, according to the NPD Group, despite being sold for $49.99.
According to Major Nelson, the bundle will be sold worldwide with the exception of Japan, where CoE has yet to be released. (Itll be out there in October.) The bundle will show up beginning next week and is available only in limited quantities. Youll know youve got the right one if Child of Eden is pictured on the box, as seen above.
A PlayStation 3 version of CoE will be out in September with support for both PlayStation Move and 3D.
§ September 8th, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
As a surprise announcement coinciding with this years PAX Prime, Breath of Death VII and Cthulhu Saves the World developer Zeboyd games announced that it will develop the third entry in the once-cancelled Penny Arcade Adventures series.
Based on a teaser image revealed at the Seattle-based convention, the new game will use a pixel-based art style akin to Zeboyds previous titles.
Penny Arcade first announced Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness as a four-part episodic series in 2006, with DeathSpank developer Hothead Games taking the helm of the project. Following the release of the second game, however, Penny Arcade announced that there wont be an Episode 3.
Soon after acknowledging the games cancellation, Penny Arcades Jerry Tycho Holkins began publishing a written version of the series conclusion on the Penny Arcade website. Zeboyd has not confirmed whether the newly-announced title will follow this same story or diverge in a new direction.
Zeboyd did not confirm which platforms the game will launch on, though the games teaser poster confirms that the studio plans to release the title in 2012.
§ September 4th, 2011 § Filed under Adventures § Tagged Adventures Comments Off
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. – Boaters and marine experts are calling for new awareness after a sailboat skimmed right over divers recently.
Captain Sean Payne of Deep Obsession, a dive boat with Jim Abernethys Scuba Adventures, says dive flags were clearly in sight, but those flags and his loud cries over a PA system didnt stop the boat operator.
During the incident, which was caught on camera, 15 student divers were in the water beneath the Blue Heron Bridge when a sailboat, with an engine on, sailed right over their location.
Divers came to the surface to see what the ruckus was about and were swimming for their lives to get away, says Payne.
Gabriella Ferraro with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says law enforcement viewed the video, but officers are not releasing the name of the sailboat operator while they are in the middle of their investigation.
Luckily, the sailboat passed by without harming anyone.
Diving instructor James Weber says the danger and potential for harm came way too close.
They were really lucky they didnt get hit, a propeller and a diver dont mix well together, says Weber.
The FWC says its too early to say whether charges or citations will be issued.
We dont know where this is going to go. We were not there, but we are certainly making every effort to educate this person. That was reckless endangerment, said Ferraro.
Divers hope every boater gets the safety and awareness message loud and clear.
That video, while it was horrific to see it, ended well. It could have ended a lot differently, says Weber.
FWC says Florida law states: Vessel operators must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from divers-down flags on open waters and at least 100 feet from flags on rivers, inlets or navigation channels. Vessels approaching divers-down flags closer than 300 feet in open water and 100 feet in rivers, inlets and navigation channels must slow to idle speed.
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