another thing we gotta try before you die

 

A German institute is developing spray-on condoms.

Rationale: Unlike regular condoms, which may not fit you, a spray-on is a custom job. The technology consists of a "spray can into which the man inserts his penis." It "works by spraying on latex from nozzles on all sides … once round and from top to bottom. It's a bit like a car wash." Idealistic prediction: The spray can will prevent pregnancy and disease by sheathing men. Cynical prediction: It will prevent pregnancy and disease by replacing women.

well, you can tell that I am not busy lately, cause I have been goofing around.  it felt good the last two days, not it starts getting boring.  I need to get myself busy again.   I can't believe I am actually saying that ;-)

I did a little research on the smoky mountain, it is really far away, I mean 16 hours of drive is not what I had expected. we could stop by Little rock for Bill Clinton's Library and Memphis to visit Elvis's home. that will at least take up 2days before we even get to the mountain. I want to spend 2 days at least in the mountain to do some hiking stuff, enjoying the greeness, the hills, the scene of layers ... I miss layers

 

I have another choice to go to NYC. ticket is only $179. we can go window shopping in soho, see a broardway show, walking the central park... eat in Chinatown , go see ground zero again ...

 

I don't know, I feel smoky mountain is my baby's choice ;-) I want him to be closer to the nature.

 

Maria took me to the baby store last night. it is really helpful, now I have a sense of how much I need and what I need and most important, what are they for. there are so many cute and fancy stuff, I was so proud that I didn't buy anything ;-)  one thing kinda helped was that the boys' stuff is not as cute as the girl's

Seafood benefits outweigh potential risks

 

Expectant mothers

Evidence also shows that eating seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids can contribute to vision and cognitive development in babies and help expecting moms carry babies to term. But the report points to some fish these groups should avoid.

For pregnant women and children younger than 12, the report suggests:

• Eating six to 12 ounces of seafood a week. That can include up to six ounces of albacore tuna.
• Avoiding large, lean predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, tilefish or king mackerel, which have higher mercury levels.

"We don't feel that every group needs to avoid those necessarily," said Krebs-Smith, "but definitely those at-risk groups" should avoid eating the fish listed above.

Mix it up

For healthy teens, adults and those at risk of heart disease, the report said eating seafood may cut the risk of developing it. If people eat more than two servings of seafood a week, the report recommends eating different kinds of seafood to reduce the risk of exposure to contaminants.

The report doesn't list "good" or "bad" fish, but outlines a few broad categories:

• Fatty fish like salmon have the highest omega-3 levels but also have more saturated fat and cholesterol and can have higher levels of dioxin and PCBs.
• Shellfish and crustaceans are low in saturated fat but can have moderate amounts of cholesterol and present the greatest risk of microbial infection if eaten raw.

"We do encourage people to eat a variety of fish because that way you're minimizing the risk from any one source by eating from a variety of sources, and probably obtaining the range of benefits available from different types of fish," said Krebs-Smith.

Government guidelines say for all seafood, levels of dioxin, PCBs and other contaminants do not pose health risks when eaten in recommended amounts.

I am pretty tired today, after last night's swimming and midnight TV watching ....

the pool keeps the water temperature at 72F. some magic # for swimmers they say.  but I think they just want to make sure noone will hang out in the pool chatting, coz it is freaking cold if you don't move.  Little bear didn't like the cold either. the minute I stick my feet in the water, he started a marching movement.  after my belly merged, the movememnt ceased. He might have swam to the warm side of his little pool or simply at his hibernation.  I did a few flips after my 1000M routine, 1st time try in a 3 1/2' deep pool. it was scary looking at the tiled bottom getting so close to my nose. but hey, it wasn't bad. I made it at my 3rd attempt. I was wondering how did little bear like my flip. did he enjoying it ? like a rollercoster?  or he must felt dizzy. cause I didn't feel him untill we sat down for dinner. ;-( pool little thing !  he didn't move much last night. I guess we both were exhausted.  well... he will get use to the flip thing... I am going to try that again next time ;-)

 

ooh, also I did some research on car seat and stroller. after consulting with wendy, I think we will get a so called "traveler system" which including a infant car seat (up to 25-30 pounds) and a foldable stroller (up to 4-year-old).

 

there is my last chance of vacation before meeting my baby, weekend fare sale to NY or Toronto. $189 -$199. Alex shows no interests of neither places. ;-(  hmm.... if the smoky mountain was not that faraway

 

It has rained whole day yesterday.. and all night long I heard the dripping noise outside the window. in my dream I told Alex multiple time that he needs to clean the gutter over our bedroom, it must has clogged up ... water was not going to the downspot, it is dripping on my roses..killing them ... I just add mulch yesterday, it is ruining my work.... I woke up this morning, still hearing the water dripping out of the gutter ...It made me sad, I thought it would have been fixed in my sleep. ;-(

 

there is so many things I can't do now.  why did they just give out a list of things that I could do..safely?

 

the little bear in my belly keeps me warm in this gray rainy day. he moves a lot.. poor thing, he must be so bored stucking in that small dark cave ... "why am I there?" I could see him asking in frustration. or that maybe be me... I wanna get out of there, I am dying for a vacation... :-( 

 

How come there is no spell check?

BTW, I am taking "Building planning" this afternoon...  wish me good luck

May 25-28 2006.
Cabo =cape, Las cabos is a twin city of Cabo de lucas and San Jose de Cabo at the south tip of baja Califonia. we stayed in an all inclusive hotel of President of Inter Continental just 5 min off down down SanJose.
Diving was good. visibity was about 30' +- , water temperature varied from 62-72F. (while air temperature was at 90+F). it really doesn't matter which time of the day, all depends on the current ... I wouldn't mind diving in 60 degrees if only I could swim with see Sea lions ...;-( I guess the visibity was too bad ... I was happy to find so many different kinds of nudy branches. seems there are more of those on the facific side of ocean ?? no much coral reef, mostly sandy bottom or rock wall.
an important lesson learnt from Tao, if you have to puke underwater, don't never ever let go of your regulator!! (and keep an eye on where your buddy's spare is ;-) purge it hard (5 times) after you done puking ;-)
Quiz: what is the thing that the harder you squeeze it, the bigger it gets ?

hey, I am talking about the puffer fish!!! what r u thinking about :-D

 

find the rest of the pictures at

http://alex-ee.3322.org/cooper_dir/cpg132/index.php?cat=40

 

 

Didn't think too much about Renzo Piano before, thought he was just another architect-engineer who is abscessed with forms and patterns, but this blueprint show of his selected projects, has changed my view. his approach is rather practical and sensitive in terms of the relationship of buildings and its context.

 

some background of Nasher Sculpture Center

 

Ray Nasher, a Texas entrepreneur, (owns NorthPark Mall) owns one of the world's largest private sculpture collections. Although several museums had made appeals to him, he decided to open his works to the public himself: 55.000 square-feet building and a two-acre garden built in downtown Dallas. Hoping to provide a retreat from the area's skyscrapers, Mr. Nasher wanted to create an outdoor "roofless museum" in the form of a sculpture garden, which would be a synthesis of nature and building.

From the outset, the idea has been to create an oasis in the middle of urban commotion. The garden, bounded by travertine stone walls and excavated slightly below street level, evokes an archeological landscape and provides a contrast to the sharp urban context.

The museum has two levels: the ground level houses three galleries, offices, a boardroom and the shop. The lower level houses a single gallery for light sensitive works, «back of house» functions and auditorium. The garden terraces downward to the auditorium, creating an open air theatre.

The building is made of parallel stone walls which create the gallery pavilions. Each pavilion is enclosed by low-iron glass facades and roof which permit 500-foot long unobstructed view corridors from the street, through the building, and across the length of the garden. These attenuated perspectives create an effect of transparencies and lightness.

Unlike traditional painting galleries, this project is designed to allow higher level of natural illumination, thus activating the varied forms and surface textures of the sculpture. The cast aluminum sun-shading mechanism has been developed and engineered as an efficient means to permit the highest levels of ambient northern light while simultaneously blocking-out all direct sunlight. Conceptually, the glass roof is a thin membrane - a type of skin - which allows the percolation of natural light. The curved glass panels have a special low-iron composition producing the most transparent effect possible.


Peter Walker & Partners (landscape architect)

General Contractor: HCBeck

 

 

 

 

Blueprint Saturdays
Explore architecture in-depth through
these innovative programs held in
conjunction with the exhibition
On Tour with Renzo Piano and Building
Workshop: Selected Projects

 

The Dallas Arts District: Past, Present,
and Future, Willis Winters, Assistant
Director of Planning and Design,
Dallas Park and Recreation
Department

Your Brain is 66.67% Female, 33.33% Male

Your brain leans female You think with your heart, not your head Sweet and considerate, you are a giver But you're tough enough not to let anyone take advantage of you!

 

One of the most frequent questions people ask is regarding scuba diving while pregnant. The quick answer is "Please don't dive" while you're pregnant. We don't have very good data showing that hyperbaric pressure harms the fetus, and in fact, there are case records of HBO treatment of pregnant mothers with carbon monoxide poisoning without adverse effect on the fetus. However, the fetus does not have the protection of the lungs in filtering out the bubbles as does an adult.

The Russians use HBO to treat high risk pregnancies and report 54/700 cases of pulmonary pathology with poorly controlled studies.

Anecdotal cases reported:

1. Bangasser Survey 1978-no increased defects
2. Bolton Survey 1980-higher rate of fetal defects in 40/109 women who did not stop diving, with two major cardiac anomalies, multiple hemivertebrae, absent hand, VSD, coarctation, pyloric stenosis, and birthmark. None in group who stopped.
3. Turner Case Report-1982. Multiple anomalies in the fetus of a woman after 20 dives in the 15 days after her LMP.
4. Fife Study 1991. 1037 female divers - only 1.4% dived while pregnant.

Studies on pregnant sheep are particularly telling in that the sheep placenta is very similar to that of the human. These sheep studies of DCS all showed high rates of fetal death, particularly in the fetuses that had been instrumented, probably due to the bubbling that crossed into the arterial circulation via the patent foramen ovale.

"The same woman who will not drink coffee or smoke during her pregnancy will want to know why she should not dive. In this litiginous society there is only one answer "no diving while pregnant or even trying to conceive".(Dr. Maida Taylor). No major studies prove it unsafe but the hazards are there.

Presently, every HBO treatment chamber does not allow female personnel who are pregnant to act as tenders. Since diving is an entirely elective activity for 99% of all women divers, the obvious choice would seem to be not to dive. If one has been inadvertently diving while early in her gestation, there is no good data which would justify an abortion.

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Diving in Very Early Pregnancy

Bottom line - you should probably go ahead and completely enjoy your dive trip. The reasons are multiple. First, a normal couple, actively trying to achieve a pregnancy, actually is successful only once in three or four months of trying to conceive - so the odds are that you won't get pregnant on this trip (although it's certainly not unlikely).

Second, the embryo does not actually attach to the wall of the uterus for about seven days, receiving its nourishment from fluids secreted by the Fallopian tube and uterus. Even though attachment to the wall of the uterus occurs about a week after ovulation, it is later in pregnancy (at least another week to ten days) before there is any effective maternal-placental blood circulation. The major theory for the cause of fetal malformations associated with diving concerns the possibility of transfer of intra-vascular bubbles from mother to fetus. As there is no effective circulation in the earliest stages of pregnancy we are considering, this is possible cause is not a concern.

Finally, the very early embryo is still composed of cells which have not yet undergone differentiation - that is, one cell isn't destined to be the heart, another the left arm, etc. If any single cell is damaged at this very early stage of pregnancy, other cells can "step in" to form the needed structures. Only later, after differentiation, will damage to a single cell likely result in an abnormality.

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Return To Diving After Pregnancy

 

 

a friend told me about this website, where he found out that he is actually a buddalist inside. ;-)  It is a long and tiring test, but at least it makes me think, think about a lots of "foundamental" questions that I have never asked myself before, or something I thought I knew but I don't.

 

 

found something interesting online