October 2010

Govt carries out psychological recovery program for Merapi evacuees

Posted by Aldie at 9:22 AM | 0 comments

Antara News, Sunday, October 31, 2010

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Woman Empowerment and Child Protection will carry out psychological recovery programs for evacuees of the Mt Merapi eruption.

"The program will be implemented because the evacuees, especially women and children, may have been suffering trauma too much," State Minister of Woman Empowerment and Child Protection Linda Amalia Sari said in Sleman, a district close to volcano in Yogyakarta, Sunday.

The ministry has currently been conducting a study on psychological disorders facing the evacuees, especially women and children, at the Central Command Post for Mount Merapi Disaster Mitigation. "When the emergency relief operations are over, we will start with the program," she added.

The minister said that the program is being prepared on the basis of experience gained from past disasters in Aceh and Padang in Sumatra, and in and Wasior, West Papua. Under the program, women were given motivations to be patient and steadfast and children being kept cheerful and continue with their study.

She appreciated the Sleman regional administration for having provided separate barracks for women and children, which are important because they need special attention and sleeping quarters.

The minister asked the evacuees to heed the instructions given by the relevant authorities for their own good, including to stay in the centers for evacuees until it is safe to return home.

Mt Merapi, one of the world`s most active volcanoes, erupted twice this week (October 26 and 30), spewing hot clouds and ashes up and down the slopes of hundreds of villages. At least 35 people had perished and some 50,000 had to move to safer places.

Related Article:

Indonesian red cross sends hygiene kits to Merapi victims

What's Your "What If..." Weight?

Posted by Aldie at 7:47 AM | 0 comments

I heard Christmas music in Wal-Mart last week. And yesterday, there was a 20-foot Christmas tree near the front door.

Tis the season, my friends. The Season of Food.

I’ve come a long ways from my early days of weight loss and my “Thou shalt not eat __________” mentality. Adopting such a hard-core view was necessary at the time, but through the help of time and my weight-minded friends (particularly the WW 100+ board alums), I’ve learned a bit about discipline and balance since 2005. But food is still a challenge and always will be.

Walking hand-in-hand with that challenge is the way I view and live within my body. I’ve been feeling bulky lately, and when I walk, I don’t “glide along” quite like I used to. I feel more like a gorilla. That’s why I laughed out loud while packing my office yesterday and came across this cartoon:

I remembered I’d posted it on my original website, Lynn’s Weight-Loss Journey, so I went back and read the post that went with it. What I wrote still speaks to me nearly three years later.

When I was 16, I weighed 150 pounds. That was about 20 pounds more than would be considered normal for my age and height, but at a size 12/14, I was hardly ginormous. Yet that’s what I thought I was. Self-conscious, I avoided walking past certain boys in school because I was afraid they’d “moo” at me or call me fat. They did that to a lot of girls who I felt were my size.

My negative body image caused me to make a lot of poor choices when it came to sex and relationships. Although I had some nice boyfriends in high school, the kind who really did like me for who I was, I always felt there was a “catch,” that somehow they were lacking because they liked me.

When I was nearly 300 pounds, this cartoon’s sentiment was most certainly true for me. I always dreamed of “that day” when I’d be 150 again. All my problems would disappear, I’d have self-esteem to spare, and life would be the way I always knew it could be, all because I weighed 150 pounds again.

I’m well below 150 now and problems still arise and I often lack self-esteem, although I admit not to the extreme of nearly 170 pounds ago. My weight, while definitely an important factor in my overall wellbeing, cannot define my life. I am (and so are you) more than weight, and yet I still base a good deal of self-worth on the number on the scale, the size on a tag, and the width of my hips.

How to undo that? Talking with friends who understand weight loss and maintenance, journaling, meditating, and reminding myself daily that I’m OK just as I am right in this moment.

My question to you is this: What do you think your life will be like when you get to goal, or even when you lose 5, 10 or 20 pounds? How do you stay balanced? And has your definition of “normal” weight changed since you were younger?

Merapi`s volcanic ash is health hazard : Official

Posted by Aldie at 12:27 PM | 0 comments

Antara News, Sunday, October 31, 2010 01:28 WIB

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Volcanic ash from Mount Merapi, if inhaled in a large quantity, could stick to the inner walls of one`s lungs and lessen their elasticity, a local public health official said.

"If the volcanic ash is inhaled in a large quantity, it could stick to the inner linings of a person`s lungs and reduce their elasticity. It is a real health hazard because it can cause infection of the respiratory system and the person could asphyxiate," Bondan Agus Suryanto, the head of Yogyakarta`s Health Office, said here Saturday.

People with a respiratory system allergic to foreign substances or suffering from asthma are advised to avoid the volcanic ash as inhaling it could trigger an attack of the ailments, he said.

The volcanic ash could stick to the respiratory tract and it could only be neutralized in the blood stream if it was small in quantity, he said.

Volcanic ash was also harmful to the eyes because it would obstruct the production of tears that serve as a cleaning and lubricating agent for the eyeballs, and thus cause irritation and inflammation of the optical tissues, he said.

Bondan advised people living near Mount Merapi not to do unnecessary outdoor activities. But if they had to go outdoors, it was best for them to wear protective masks to avoid inhaling sulfuric acid volcanic ash.

His office would distribute more masks to the people, he said.

Packing, Periods and Purging

Posted by Aldie at 7:14 AM | 0 comments

This was probably not the most prudent time for me to take the 10-day progesterone regimen my doctor wanted me to start to rid me of my “endometrial issue.” But I did, and it’s working…sort of. Only now I’m packing while cramping and hyper and bloated with a few brain farts thrown in for good measure.

Thank goodness for Carlene and Tammy. They helped keep me sane yesterday.

Carlene, as you know, is my daughter, and Tammy is my friend who I met three years ago when she agreed to be the person who cleaned my house after I was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis.

I wish all of you a Tammy in your life. She is crazy attentive to bathtubs and can scrub a white linoleum kitchen to sparkling like no one’s business. Just 5’2”, she somehow cleans the fluorescent ceiling light in the kitchen – 10 feet in the air – balanced between the kitchen sink and a stepladder. I can’t watch.

Tammy also introduced me to Mary Kay products. I love TimeWise everything. Makes my skin feel like I’m 16 again. Well, 30 anyway. The wrinkles just keep coming, but as long as my face doesn’t feel like leather, I’m good to go. Bring on old age.

Tammy came over yesterday and helped Carlene and I pack up the dining room and living room – the two rooms that contain my most precious possessions. They aren’t pricey by any means, but I’m a collector of memories and everything I own has meaning.

I have my great-grandmothers stereoviewer and the 3-D cards she’d brought with her from Norway; a carnival glass relish dish my grandmother Katinka won at a raffle at her local movie house in the 1930s; a collection of postcards from my hometown in Minnesota; German porcelain pitchers and cups painted with Victorian roses; and an unusual collection of books*. Carlene and Tammy wrapped everything and boxed them while I went through photo albums and tried not to cry. You don’t live somewhere for nearly 20 years or be with someone 14 without a few photos.

Leaving Clarion and leaving my relationship is hard enough without the emotional upheaval that hormones bring. I feel like I swallowed Lake Erie after I went to Presque Isle last week. That was the day I started this 10-day progesterone hell, the third (fourth?) time my doctor has prescribed it to get things moving.

Only having a few periods in nearly four years is a lot like allowing dust bunnies to accumulate under your bed. You can’t see them, but eventually you have to clean them out. I tell you this only to advise you to be vigilant about your body and how it functions. Make sure, as you lose weight, to pay attention to your girlie parts. If you aren’t menstruating the way you used to, tell your doctor. If something feels “off,” tell your doctor. Losing weight – especially a lot of weight when you are over 40 – creates havoc in your body. The poor thing gets confused.

Purging my body is like purging my house. It’s painful and it’s cathartic, poignant yet rote. I want to stay with what’s safe and familiar but at the same time I need to move beyond what I know and discover more truths.

I don’t always understand my body, but I’m not afraid of it any longer. I don’t completely understand why my marriage fell apart, either, but I’m not afraid of my future outside of it. It’s just different. A forced period, an unexpected move…in many ways they’re exciting in the same way you anticipate walking into a Halloween haunted house. You know the monsters aren’t real, but they’ll scare you just the same.

Have a healthy weekend, steer clear of the trick or treat candy, and move around a little. I’ll blog again from my new home.
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Congratulations to Tabatha, who won the Denise Austin “Hot Body Yoga” DVD this morning! Look for another Carlene DVD review and giveaway in the next few weeks. I think she’s got her eye on a Pilates workout.
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* I’d written about my book collection a few years ago on ZenBagLady. Just to warn you, it is rated PG-13. Click here to view.

Government prepares disaster insurance

Posted by Aldie at 11:33 PM | 0 comments

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 10/29/2010 11:35 AM

Indonesia is preparing a disaster insurance scheme to cover financial losses and provide for emergency needs as the country constantly faces strings of natural disasters causing heavy social burdens.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said Thursday the insurance was important as natural disasters have caused increasing financial losses and emergency needs to handle the aftermath of such disasters.

The most recent natural disasters of an earthquake-triggered tsunami in Mentawai, West Sumatra, and the eruption Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta, have rallied people to show stronger support for the establishment of disaster insurance.

“I have asked the Indonesia Capital Market and Financial Institution Supervisory Agency chairman to conduct a study on the establishment of disaster insurance,” Agus told reporters at the Finance Ministry.

He added disaster insurance was a very common initiative for developed countries but not developing countries, including Indonesia.

Agus said the government would soon reveal the study results in a meeting with stakeholders at the ministry.

“In principle, we have reached an agreement on the need to establish disaster insurance,” he said. “The insurance may be similar to other forms of life insurance,” he added without elaborating.

He only said the premium would be taken from the state budget although he was not sure whether it would be included in the 2011 State Budget.

Agus said the initiative needed careful arrangement including the insurance form, risk calculation and disbursement process.

“We will carefully study an appropriate insurance design to prevent any difficulties in its claiming process,” he said.

“The proposed disaster insurance will be reinsured with world-class reinsurance companies. I haven’t seen any Indonesian companies that are ready to carry out the reinsurance program.”

Agus also said the government had proposed an additional disaster fund of Rp 150 billion (US$16.8 million) to the budget body of the House of Representatives.

Previously, the government allocated a disaster fund of Rp 50 billion. Agus said the fund was separated from the budgetary allocation for the rehabilitation program. “The disaster fund will be managed by the National Disaster Management Agency [BNPB],” he said.

The post-disaster rehabilitation program would have a separate budgetary allocation of more than Rp 3.5 trillion.

The government allocates a total of about Rp 4 trillion for disaster management activities, higher than the Rp 3.79 trillion in the Revised 2010 State Budget.

Ahsanul Qosasih, a member of the House Commission XI overseeing finance and banking, deplored the government for being unresponsive to strong public demand on the establishment of disaster insurance to minimize disaster risks.

“It’s time for the government to establish disaster insurance,” he was quoted as saying by detik.com on Wednesday.

“Disaster insurance is very urgent to support the disaster fund allocated within the state budget.”

He said that his Commission had asked the Finance Ministry and the BNPB to officially propose and design a long-term disaster insurance scheme.

“We have a very limited budgetary allocation for disaster management,” he said, adding that the insurance would be needed to cover any losses caused by natural disasters. (ebf)

Still Doing OK

Posted by Aldie at 6:47 AM | 0 comments

I'm still using Sparkpeople and doing well on the Double Dog Dare diet. I've been doing this diet for going on four days, and I haven't gone over my alloted calories. That's a first for me.

I'm worried about Halloween, however. My nephew is bringing his kids over to go Trick or Treating in my neighborhood. All of the candy. Ugh. Well, I guess temptation will always be there. So I need to get used to it.

I've been sick for a couple of days now. Big time sinus problems. I'm waiting for my doctor to call something in for me. So this is where I'm signing off for today. Best of luck to everyone. And be a blessing to someone.

Heartache for Survivors in Tsunami-Hit Indonesia

Posted by Aldie at 1:28 AM | 0 comments

Jakarta Globe, Supri Lindra | October 28, 2010

Muntei Baru Baru, Indonesia. Exhausted, confused and hungry, 20-year-old Indonesian housewife Chandra trudged barefoot through her tsunami-wrecked village in a desperate search for her missing baby.

Villagers wrapping bodies in plastic in the
tsunami-hit village of Muntei Baru Baru village
on the Mentawai Islands. (Reuters Photo)

“I sifted through rubble, looked in collapsed houses and in the temporary shelters but there’s no sign of him,” she said, tears welling up. “I know he’s dead but I keep praying he’s still alive. I’m so tired. I’ve not eaten for two days ... I have no appetite.”

Chandra was one of the survivors after a huge wave triggered by a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake Monday ravaged the remote Mentawai islands off the west coast of Sumatra, killing 343 people and leaving 338 missing.

Disaster response officials said bodies were being found on beaches and coastal areas in the Mentawai island chain, which took the full force as the tsunami washed away entire villages.

Chandra said she was separated from her husband and six-month-old son as they were trying to flee the tsunami when it hit their coastal village in North Pagai island, one of the two worst-hit in the Mentawai group.

“I survived because a coconut tree fell and kept me from being swept away. My survival was a miracle from God,” she said.

Her husband’s body was found by locals and buried along with dozens of other villagers in a mass grave on Wednesday.

The tsunami had flattened their village of Muntei Baru Baru, destroying more than 70 mostly wooden houses, a school and a church. Left behind were skeletons of houses, fallen trees and a fetid mud pool.

Survivors said they had almost no warning that the three-meter wall of water was bearing down on them, raising questions about whether an early alert system laid down after the 2004 Asian tsunami had failed.

An AFP photographer who came to North Pagai aboard an aid ship saw hundreds of villagers being treated at a medical clinic, many requiring stitches to open cuts suffered as they were tossed around in the roiling sea.

Like Chandra, dozens of villagers are still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

Many scrabbled through rubble to look for missing relatives while others, dazed by the disaster, sat under coconut trees awaiting news from rescuers.

Chandra said she did not know what the future holds.

“I’ve no intention to rebuild my house. I now live alone, I don’t know what to do,” she said.

“Whatever happens, I’m not going to leave this village. This place is the burial place for my husband and baby.”

Agence France-Presse

Related Articles:

A baby survives Tsunami

Army deploys two battalions to Mentawai

Safe Browsing on Blogger

Posted by Aldie at 2:10 PM | 0 comments

National Cyber-Security Awareness Month is here once again. In that spirit we wanted to share a bit about what we are doing on Blogger to help fight malicious content, along with some tips for a safer browsing experience online. While spammers are always coming up with new tricks, the combination of Blogger’s abuse-fighting systems and the security features of modern browsers helps ensure that you’ll be able to browse through your favorite blog content with confidence.

We’ve partnered with other abuse-fighting teams within Google to develop sophisticated systems for automatically detecting and quarantining nefarious content on Blogspot. Over the years, our teams have analyzed the patterns and behavior of malicious blogs and code, and with each new detection our existing algorithms are trained for better coverage in the future. As a result, we are able to catch and quarantine thousands of malicious blogs each year, and are happy to say that our overall spam levels are at an all-time low across our service.

Of course, while our automated systems provide great coverage for a wide variety of abuse types, you can always let us know about suspicious blogs by reporting them directly to us via our online form. We’re also looking to you, the users, to be our eyes on the web and let us know anything that may have escaped our existing systems.

Beyond partnering with us on the detection process, you can also make a difference in your own online security by taking advantage of your browser’s built-in security. Modern browsers have powerful security features that can detect potentially malicious sites and alert you should you stumble upon them. Using technology like Google’s Safe Browsing tools, users of many browsers see warning screens when attempting to visit sites that automated systems have determined to contain suspicious content. To make sure you have the latest and most secure browser version, please check out the following browser sites:

Google Chrome

Mozilla Firefox

Internet Explorer

We also recommend using one of the following tools to keep your browser plug-ins up to date: Google-developed SecBrowsing; Mozilla Plugin Check.

For more tips on safe browsing and security on the web, check out the home of Cyber Security Awareness Month at the http://staysafeonline.org/.

Denise Austin's "Hot Body Yoga" DVD Review and Giveaway!

Posted by Aldie at 3:40 AM | 0 comments

Back for another workout DVD review is my lovely daughter Carlene.

The few times I've tried yoga, I've failed miserably. After reading what Carlene wrote about Denise Austin's "Hot Body Yoga," I may have to try again.

If you’d like to throw your name in the hat to win this DVD, leave a comment below or send an email to lynn.haraldson@yahoo.com. I’ll draw a winner this Friday, October 29.

P.S. Thank you again for your overwhelmingly kind support in light of my last post. It's not easy putting such private matters out there, but it was necessary to let you know what was going on because if there's one thing we all know about weight loss and maintenance, it's that life keeps going whether we're eating well or exercising or not.

Now...Carlene's review.

I think I might be in love with yoga.

I just tried it for the first time, working out to Denise Austin’s "Hot Body Yoga," and what I enjoyed most, besides Denise’s positive encouragement and perky personality, is the way it stretched my lower back and hips.

Having suffered from hip pain for the past three years, I’ve blacklisted many workouts. When my hip hurts, it also affects my lower back and my feet, which makes working out a literal pain in the butt. Stretching has always helped the pain, but it does nothing for my fitness level. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before, but yoga combines stretching with fitness, making it a perfect solution.

In "Hot Body Yoga," Denise has two 30-minute workout options: Yoga Fit and Yoga Sculpt. Yoga Fit is the easier of the two, providing basic yoga moves and balance poses. As a beginner, I was able to do most of these moves and poses without losing my balance or falling over. Always a big plus! However, there were a few I had to modify since my abs and arms are not exactly in top-notch condition.

Yoga Sculpt is much the same as Yoga Fit, only it incorporates hand weights for a more advanced workout. This workout can be done without weights, as well, depending on fitness level. Either way, it will get the heart pumping!

I’m so happy to have discovered yoga, and I hope you all find it enjoyable, too!

Foreign parties offer assistance for Mentawai emergency response

Posted by Aldie at 2:20 AM | 0 comments

Antara News, Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Padang, West Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Several foreign parties have offered assistance for emergency response efforts in tsunami-hit Mentawai, West Sumatra.

The foreign parties were the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Australia`s disaster management body.

But a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Sucipto, said here on Tuesday night Indonesia did not as yet need foreign assistance to deal with the aftermath of Tuesday`s tsunami in Mentawai, West Sumatra, which happened moments after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake.

Speaking to the press in the presence of West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno, Sucipto said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had stated the West Sumatra provincial and Mentawai district governments were able to conduct an emergency response without foreign aid.

Sucipto said joint rescue teams, made up of police and military personnel, Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), and volunteers from West Sumatra would immediately be deployed to Mentawai to evacuate the dead victims as well as survivors.

On Tuesday night, the death toll of the earthquake and tsunami in the Mentawai Islands was recorded at 112.

At least 502 people were reported missing and thousands of others had fled to safer grounds following the disasters, according to the results of a coordination meeting led by West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno and attended by Mentawai district head Edison on Tuesday night.

Efforts to send relief aid to the affected area were hampered by bad weather in Mentawai waters.

By Tuesday night, only one ship carrying relief aid, volunteers and medical workers had headed to Mentawai.

Related Article:

European Commission provides €1.5 million for Indonesia twin disasters survivors

what i would miss

Posted by Aldie at 7:17 AM | 0 comments

I just did an interesting writing prompt from Old Friend From Far Away by Natalie Goldberg:

"Tell me what you will miss when you die."

The instructions were to write for ten minutes without censoring yourself. Here's what I wrote:

My kids

My spouse

My family

My friends

My dog

Beautiful fall days

Walks along the canal with my dog

Getting lost in a book

Taking a nap on a cold afternoon

Knitting with friends

The feeling of euphoria when I write something good

Music

Good food

Laughing

Wondering at art

A hot bath after exercise

Physical intimacy (all kinds)

The happy feeling when I unexpectedly run into someone I like

Learning new things

Aha! moments

Seeing people do good things

Being proud of my children

Noisy gatherings around my dining room table

Doing fun things for the first time

Doing familiar things that make me happy

Connecting creatively or intellectually

Making new friends

Having old friends and family members who 'get' me

Scrabble

Fresh starts

Clean sheets

Small kindnesses

Spectacular acts of bravery

Feeling proud of myself

The way the pavement smells after a summer rain

The possibility of tomorrow

What about you?

Decision to do Double Dog Dare Delightful

Posted by Aldie at 6:41 AM | 0 comments

Allan's Double Dog Dare may have been the thing I've needed to get me on track. I consumed 1,443 calories yesterday, and this morning I was .6 pounds lighter. I'm glad I decided to be accountable for what I'm eating. I'm still using Sparkpeople.com. It's really a great site.

Well, I have to make this short. Have a wonderful day.

Oxjam & Week 41

Posted by Aldie at 5:45 AM | 0 comments

I'm a big fan of 'working smarter not harder', so for this weeks theme I combined an event with my 52 week project, the theme: MUSIC.

The photoshoot was in Leicester and organised by Oxjam. They were hosting a music festival on Braunstone Gate for the whole day. It involved 8 bars and nearly 80 artists of all kinds of music genres. I'm sure you're dying to know what Oxjam is. It's a music festival that is happening all over the UK - not only to promote Oxfam and raise money for charity but also as a platform for music artists - two key reasons I was keen to get involved.

Adam and I went to the Independent Arts Centre in Leicester for Friday nights gigs. It a nice sized art house, which has a stage set up at the back for musicians. The artists themselves were good, but sadly the turnout was poor. However, Saturday was the main event so it was a nice warm up.

Saturday arrived, the weather looked hmmmm - changeable. 1pm rolled around and kick off time! When I arrived at the O'Bar the place was packed and rocking as music filled the room, as some great musicians were giving so much energy to their performance, a fantastic start and set the tone. The challenge for me this time round was that I have never photographed music events before, and to make it even more challenging, the musicians were playing in eight very different venues, with a mix of lighting conditions and space. One thing I wanted to do where possible was catch the action and also the ambience, but still get nice crisp images, no easy task for a novice like me.

In order to see and hear the bands playing live, you bought a wristband to gain entry to The Looking Glass, Loaf, O' Bar, Sumo, Natterjacks, The Hub, Venus and The Bowstring bars. Not only were the bars full, but there was plenty more merriment to be had in the street, with Capoeira, a Caribbean Carnival, Fire Poi, Graffiti artists and even Vikings?!?! (Yeah, I didn't get that one either).

To top it all off, I also got to see an old friend playing and he blew me away with how well he has done - if you haven't heard of him yet you will, allow me to introduce THE JAMES LEWIS BAND, you heard it here first folks! One of my fav songs so far is Kathryn, go check it out or why not buy it from iTunes. One trait which drove me crazy was the fact that about 90% of the musicians sang with their eyes closed - it looked like I caught every one of them blinking - which is typically what I try to avoid, having said that, it does work well on some images.

It was a fantastic, tiring, ear popping, head banging, foot tapping day! I would like to thank Adam Breedon and Oxjam for getting us involved and a big shout out to all the musicians and performers who did themselves and Leicester proud by raising £1000s for charity ;)

Below is just a sample of the many images I took that day, the remainder can be seen by clicking HERE

I have several images I really liked this week, but my fav is a shot of The James Lewis Band and can be seen HERE

Week 41: MUSIC

PMI sends personnel, ambulances to Mentawai

Posted by Aldie at 3:44 AM | 0 comments

Antara News, Tuesday, October 26, 2010 16:50 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has mobilized tens of personnel and sent four ambulances to Mentawai for early assessment following a powerful earthquake which hit the area on Monday evening (Oct 25).

"PMI West Sumatra office has sent four ambulances and tens of personnel. For the moment, we are still waiting for complete report from the local PMI office on the situation in Mentawai," Achmad Djaelani of the Jakarta-based PMI Headquarters, said in a statement here Tuesday.

An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale rocked Mentawai islands at 21.42 last Monday with its epicenter located 78 km west of Pagai Selatan subdistrict, Mentawai district, at a depth of 10 km below sea level.

Aftershocks continued to happen in Mentawai, West Sumatra, following the magnitude-7.2 quake . A quake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale followed at 10 pm at a depth of 22 kilometers, 89 kilometers southwest of Pagai Selatan.

Another quake was also recorded at 5.0 on the Richter Scale at 10.31 pm at a depth of 34 kilometers, 51 kilometers southwest of Pagai Selatan.

Meanwhile, a two-meter high tsunami struck Mentawai island following a 7.2 earthquake last Monday (Oct 25) at 21.42.

"The information about an impending tsunami was obtained from Australian volunteers who are stationed there. According to their report, they found some fishermen`s boat stranded in land," an expert of the Padang-based University of Andalas, Dr Badrul Mustapa Kemal, said here on Tuesday.

The quake was also felt by people in Padang, Kerinci, Jambi, and even up to Singapore.

On September 30, 2009, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated Padang city, the provincial capital of West Sumatra, killing at least 1,117 people.

Losing my Berings

Posted by Aldie at 4:28 PM | 0 comments

“Deadlines and commitments. What to leave in, what to leave out.” Bob Seger

Whether you’re a blogger or a reader of blogs, you know that what you put out on the Internet is open for the whole world to see. Discerning what should be written and not written takes a great deal of thought (although my stepsons have not learned that lesson on Facebook).

I’ve written in the last few weeks that I’m facing a lot changes in my life. I’ve hemmed and hawed about what to reveal and put out here, but I decided that if I’m going to continue blogging about weight loss and maintenance, I need to tell you what’s going on in my non-blogging world.

My life in two sentences: My husband, Larry, and I have decided to separate. I’ll be moving to Pittsburgh next week.

I’m not putting details out here except to say that our split is amicable and we are committed to being friends and the best grandparents we can be. And I will miss him. The rest of the details aren’t necessary.

What is important in terms of my blog is how I integrate this loss into my life of weight. This change is a huge challenge for me as I reacquaint myself with living alone and getting comfortable with my new surroundings.

Things are raw right now. If I’m a little late in my replies, a little distant, a little confused, I hope you’ll understand. But I need this blog and I need you. I’ll stay on this path, though. I promise.

I’m just keeping it real. Thank you for everything. You have no idea how much your reading and participation in Lynn’s Weigh means to me.

New Hope

Posted by Aldie at 6:03 AM | 0 comments

I joined Allan's Double Dog Dare weight loss challenge. For all the details, go to his blog. I think it's a great idea. Having a lot of people to count calories with is somehow comforting. I think I'm going to go to Sparkpeople to keep track of the calories. I get 1584 per day—no cheating. (Allan has a formula so you can figure your calories.)

Yesterday I raked leaves for two hours. As I was raking them, I kept saying, "I'm not going to let this pile of leaves defeat me." The pile was huge—I have a huge poplar tree in my backyard. If I don't keep up with it, the leaves will literally get ankle deep. Anyway I took me two hours to rake them up. I figured out this morning that's about 950 calories.

This morning I walked around the neighborhood for a little more than a mile. Actually walking around the neighborhood gives me better exercise than walking on a treadmill (not that there's anything wrong with walking on a treadmill.) It just that all of the hills and dips force me to move beyond my comfort zone. I'm not sure how I will keep up with exercise. There was a time in my life when I walked every day. I worked out somehow at least five times per week. I'd like to get by without feeling like I have to continue to pay a gym membership when I can do it on my own.

Anyway, I beginning this week with new hope.

Mt Merapi emergency : Children, elderly being evacuated

Posted by Aldie at 4:47 AM | 0 comments

Antara News, Monday, October 25, 2010 18:21 WIB

Magelang, C Java (ANTARA News) - Hundreds of children and elderly people from four villages near Mount Merapi`s danger zones in Magelang district, Central Java, began to be evacuated on Monday.

The evacuation process was started following the raising of Mount Merapi`s status from "alert" to "prepared" on Monday at 07.00 am local time, head of Srumbung sub-district, Agus Purgunanto, said.

The evacuees were from four hamlets in Kaliurang village, Srumbung sub-district, namely Cempagan, Kaliurang Selatan, Kaliurang Utara, and Sumberejo, he said.

The residents of Jrakah hamlet had yet to be evacuated to safer places while the evacuees were centered at Kaliurang village`s hall before being transported to shelters in Tanjung, Muntilan area.

The residents of two hamlets in Kemiren village were also evacuated to save them from the Mount Merapi`s danger zones, he said.

According to the Head of Kaliurang village, Keptiyah, senior citizens, children and pregnant women were the main targets of Monday`s evacuation process.

Kaliurang village`s total population was 2,464 people. They consisted of 285 aging people, 65 babies, 146 toddlers, and 17 pregnant women, he said.

All evacuees were transported to shelters by vehicles that the Magelang district`s government had prepared or cars belonging to locals, he said.

About 60 cars were used to evacuate the residents of Kaliurang and Kemiren villages, he said.

The Volcanology Technology Development and Study (BPPTK) Agency in Yogyakarta has sent official notification letters about the rise from alert to watch-out status to a number of districts near Merapi.

In response to this official notification, the evacuation process was also conducted by the Sleman district`s authorities for people, living in Mt Merapi`s danger zones.

Head of Sleman district, Sri Purnomo, warned the authorities of not creating panic to the evacuees.

"All related authorities need to be aware of the importance of avoiding our people from being panic during the evacuation process," she said.

Along with a number of local government officials, Sri Purnomo visited Kaliadem hamlet in Kepuharjo village, Cangkringan sub-district, to see the impacts of Mount Merapi`s unstable situation.

She said the evacuation process should be carried out in accordance with the existing procedures. In this context, rescue workers had to prioritize pregnant women, toddlers, and aging people.

The closures of Kaliurang and Boyong in Pakem sub-district, three spots in Cangkringan sub-district and five spots in Turi sub-district should also be completed with "prohibition notice boards", she said.

Sri Purnomo said the local authorities had set up seven refugee camps to meet the needs of more than a thousand of displaced people.

The shelters were set up in Glagaharjo, Kepuharjo, and Umbulharjo areas (Cangkringan sub-district), Hargobinangun and Purwobinangun (Pakem sub-district), and Girikerto and Wonokerto (Turi sub-district).

Related Article:

Govt assists Mt Merapi refugees

Recovered

Posted by Aldie at 1:18 PM | 0 comments

Of all the things I’ve discovered I love to do since losing weight, hiking is probably my favorite. It’s certainly the most spiritual.

I’ve done on a lot of hiking in the last few years, but yesterday’s hike – while not the most challenging – was the most momentous, especially since it marked the 4-month anniversary of my knee surgery.

Yesterday, October 23, was not only the first day I’d hiked in four months, it was the first day I felt I’d made the right decision to have my knee repaired and not replaced. The pain has been significant and the rehabilitation slow and many times I doubted if keeping my own equipment was worth it. But yesterday, feeling my knee working the way it did years ago, feeling like myself again and doing something I truly loved, I knew I’d done the right thing.

My doctor told me I’d recover in 6-12 weeks. My physical therapist said 6-12 months. Both were right because if I’ve learned nothing else this summer and fall, it’s that “recovered” is a slippery slope of a word that runs the gamut of meaning. For some, recovered means, “Hey, I’m recovered enough to go to the bathroom alone!” (which I did less than a week after surgery). Others aren’t recovered until they can climb Mt. Everest (which I will never do). I’m somewhere in between. Recovered to me means I can hike for 40 minutes through a gorgeous section of Cook Forest that has been my place of solace for almost 20 years.

I had no idea how long I’d last, but I needed to test the waters and to measure just how strong my knee was. I used my Leki poles and worked up to almost a normal brisk pace, enough to get a little sweat on. Twenty minutes in, I felt great. Surprisingly great. But I knew to turn around if I was going to keep feeling great. The overwhelming sense of accomplishment when we got back to our starting point was second only to the feeling I had the day I made goal nearly four years ago. It was a freaking rush.

We found a log and I took off my backpack.

And ate lunch.

Then I laid down in the leaves and looked at the sky.

And I was very, very happy, despite the burrs.

I was happy because of my fabulously awesome knee.

Is there something you do that makes you this kind of happy? I hope so. I really, truly hope so.

Jumping in Leaves: A Belated National Love Your Body Day Celebration

Posted by Aldie at 1:30 PM | 0 comments

I found out through MizFit that Wednesday was National Love Your Body Day. I wasn’t feeling the body love that day, nor was I feeling body hate. I had so many things going on that I really didn’t have time to give the day much consideration.

I guess that’s one reason I love my body. It doesn’t need me thinking about it all the time to function.

Yesterday was different. I gave my body a good early morning workout before picking up my granddaughter Claire for a sleepover. When we got home, the sun was shining, even though rain was forecasted, and when I opened Claire’s car door, she said, “Wow! Grammy you have lots of leaves! Let’s rake them in a pile and JUMP!”

Remember a few weeks ago I wrote how Claire loves to hop and jump, and how since my knee surgery in June I haven’t been able to hop or jump? (See “Joy vs. Drudgery: Weight Loss and Hopping.”) The thought of jumping in leaves scared me a little, mostly because I thought I’d be disappointing Claire if I couldn’t do it. Besides, I had groceries to bring in the houses, boxes to unload and bring to the basement, food to put away, bananas to cut up and put in the freezer, yadda yadda yadda.

But the absolute joy on her face as she walked through leaves so thick she couldn’t see the grass was too much for my Grammy heart to stand, so I put everything on the porch and Claire and I went to the garage for rakes. She found her purple sandbox rake and I grabbed the big rake lodged behind the snow shovel. We marched to the front yard and raked a huge pile of leaves.

And we jumped in.

So did Cooper.

It’s hard to hear on the following video, but Claire is talking about how Cooper misses Mathilda, our dog we had to put down last month. She talks so lovingly and compassionately to him. “Wait for Tilly, wait for Tilly,” she says, assuring him that one day he’ll see her again and they’ll jump in leaf piles together. What. A. Kid. *tear*

Then Claire took a nap. (I could have used one, too!) When she woke up, she said, “Look, Grammy! The sun is shining! Let’s go rake leaves again and JUMP!”

And so we bundled up and jumped in.

So did the dog.

And after all was said and done, I thought, ‘Body, I really do love you. Thank you for the arms to rake and the legs to jump, the heart to love and the mind to think, the smile to assure and the eyes that show compassion, the scars of remembrance and the aches that remind me to slow down. I promise to do all I can to keep you running smoothly.’

So happy belated National Love Your Body day. I hope you find many, many reasons to celebrate the body you inhabit, no matter its size or ability.
--------------------------------------------
Thank you to all of you who entered to win Joy Bauer’s cookbook, and a big welcome to all you new Lynn’s Weigh readers, both here and on Facebook! I’ve enjoyed your emails and comments, and I especially appreciated your encouragement regarding my new career goals. Congrats to Bonnie S., who’s name I drew out of the hat! I’ll get the book to you as soon as I get your address.

It’s almost time for another workout DVD review and giveaway, so be looking for that blog soon. Also, after Thanksgiving I’ll be giving away another yearly subscription to Nutrition Action Newsletter, one of my favorite publications.

serendipitous cycle

Posted by Aldie at 7:52 AM | 0 comments

I feel like a little kid again.

On August 15, I won a bike.

I was at the Ottawa Folk Festival and I bought three raffle tickets for five dollars. I told several people that I planned to win the third prize - a Kona Africabike 3, donated by McCrank's Cycles.

And then I did!

And here's the interesting part. I really, really wanted a new bike. I've been riding the same diamond frame (commonly called a men's bike) hybrid for almost twenty years. It's probably the wrong size for me and had started causing me neck and shoulder pain when I rode for more than a few minutes.

Over the summer, I test rode at least a dozen bicycles from four different bike shops. I came close to buying three times but each time, something held me back.

Our finances are really tight right now and I would have to commit to any bike I bought for a long time. And although several bikes I tried seemed fine, I didn't really love any of them. I had begun to think that I was just being too picky. I had pretty much resigned myself to spending a bit of money to fix up my old bike when the week end of the Folk Festival came around.

And then I won a bike that was nothing like any of the bikes I'd test ridden. And I love it.

With it's heavy frame (42lbs!) and big tires, it feels solid and safe to ride. I love how the coaster brakes (the kind where you stop by pedalling backwards) allow me to slow down gradually (there's a hand brake that helps me to stop quickly when I need to). I really only ever used seven speeds on my old bike, so I haven't really minded that my new bike has only three. The step-through frame means I can wear whatever I want to go cycling (and means that I have fewer excuses not to ride). And the "sit up and beg" style of riding means no pain and whole new way of taking in the world.

It's so much fun to ride! As I did all those test rides this summer, I kept waiting to fall in love and it just didn't happen. It turns out that the bike I needed was one I had been refusing to even consider (and that some of the features I had rejected are the ones I love the best).

For the first few days after I brought my bike home I'd sneak out to the garage just to admire it. I've even named it Steel Horse (because it's such a beast and after the song "I Am An Excellent Steel Horse" by Rock Plaza Central, a band I heard for the first time at this year's folk festival).

I've noticed that people smile at me when I ride my bike. I think it's because I'm grinning like an idiot.

When I was seven years old, I had a red bike with a yellow banana seat. That was my first bike and I've never loved another bike as much. Until now.

For every two Africabikes that are purchased, Kona donates one to it's Basic Needs program in Africa (these bikes were designed to be virtually maintenance free and to be easily ridden on the most rugged of roads). These bikes have been used to help health care workers to deliver HIV/AIDS drugs and to enable girls to travel longer distances to get to school.

If you live near Ottawa and are thinking of getting an Africabike (or any Kona bicycle) for yourself, please go to McCrank's Cycles. Peter Conway is a really good guy (and very generous!), who provides great bike service. He deserves your support.