Sabra Scare

Question:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You all know how gut-wrenchingly nervous you are when a kitty is sick. It has been a long week for us here with that feeling. Sabra started refusing food and vomiting last week. He’s our 15-year-old cat with asthma who has been on Prednisone to control the asthma for some eight years or so. We thought at first "hairball!" of course, and gave him a course of hairball meds, but it wasn’t working. So off to the vet he goes. I opted to get some bloodwork run, even though I had to take the funds out of my dental fund (almost two years and *still* waiting for this dental work!). To my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure. We still don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve been giving him Hill’s A/D, and with coaching, he is eating some of that. He’s also getting some kao-pectin to ease his stomach. We’re thinking he may have eaten something he shouldn’t, and it’s working its way through his system. If he does better today at eating on his own, we’ll know if he passed something through (crossing my fingers). He seems to be pretty happy/normal today so far. Being a cat mom is going to give me an ulcer one of these days! Ginger-lyn

Purrs that the upset was "just a transient thing", and calming purrs for a Meowmy’s worry. Sam

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sabra started refusing food and vomiting last week. He’s our 15-year-old cat with asthma who has been on Prednisone to control the asthma for some eight years or so. I opted to get some bloodwork run, even though I had to take the funds out of my dental fund (almost two years and *still* waiting for this dental work!). To my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure. How’s his blood count? Prednisone is very irritating to the stomach, and he could be developing an ulcer. That happened to one of my cats years ago. Be sure to check the vomit and make sure there’s no blood in it. My cat seemed fine, then one day she threw up blood. I took her to the vet right away, and she turned out to have a bleeding ulcer, from the Prednisone. She’d bled enough, internally, to have developed a life-threatening case of anemia, and she had to have a transfusion.

Even though prednisone might have these effects, if I extrapolate from human medicine, there would be ways to work around the problem. My understanding is that the general side effects of corticosteroids are less in cats than in humans, so injected therapy could be an option. For long-term therapy, it can also reduce side effects to go to alternate-day dosing. I’ll also cite some drugs used in human medicine, which may or may not be usable for cats, to help with ulceration. Misoprostol (essentially blocks the blocking of the substance that produces gastrointestinal mucus) Sucralfate (actually coats the lining) Proton pump inhibitors (e.g., omeprazole) blocks the basic mechanism of acid secretion. Histamine H2-receptor antagonists (e.g., ranitidine). Indirectly blocks acid secretion. Definitely usable in cats. Whenever you get into multiple oral drugs, I find it simplest (if not cheapest) to have each made up (or commercially available) as a liquid, then draw them sequentially into an oral syringe before dosing. While the drugs might not be chemically compatible in a long-term mixture, the contact in a syrings shouldn’t be an issue, and you don’t have the battle of administering pills one after another. Again from human medicine and not knowing if they are safe in cats, there are other anti-asthma medications. The inhaled drugs probably are impractical, and I suspect theophylline would be toxic. The new class of leukotriene inhibitors, however, might be an option.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The best current concept of asthma is that it’s an inflammatory disease involving hyperimmune response. The goal is to prevent the inflammation from getting to the point that you need bronchodilators (e.g., albuterol) to open clogged passages. Do you consider Albuterol to be a less-than-ideal drug for asthma? I have mild asthma myself (no "attacks" where I can’t breathe, but I do get coughing fits and wheezy breathing in response to: allergens, cold weather, strenuous exercise, and laughing. I sometimes take a hit off the inhaler if I’m coughing or wheezing too much. Your comments make me wonder whether I should be considering a corticosteroid instead. I’ve had a nasty round with allergies this year (I’m not asthmatic), and the doctor gave me an albuterol inhaler to use when the coughing fits got to be too much. He said it was to stop the spasming, and it certainly did.

That can be very reasonable, since this class of drug calms down an airway in spasm for any reason — allergies, chemical exposures, smoke inhalation, etc. Especially after I’ve been lecturing for a couple of weeks, I get a hyperactive cough reflex. A very good pulmonologist that I saw when out of town prescribed a combination therapy that’s been extremely effective, but I’ve never seen in a textbook. She combined a very low dose of codeine, which suppresses cough reflexes in the brain, with the drug Tessalon, which you can think of as a mild local anesthetic for the cough-inducing nerves in the airways. A couple of weeks of this can clear up things for months. She preferred low-dose pure codeine (1/8 grain, which usually needs to be special-ordered) to other opioid cough suppressants such as dextromethorphan, but I suspect the others would also work.

Response:

I hadn’t realized there was an effective way to give inhaled meds to an awake cat! Given albuterol has a fairly short half life, it might be useful to get one of the inhalers that combines a beta-agonist like albuterol with an inhalable corticosteroid. Inhaled corticosteroids, in humans, have almost no absorption and thus no side effects.

Well, it depends on the cat, I’m sure But Sabra is pretty good about it. Would an Atrovent-Albuterol combo be what you’re describing? I have heard of others who give their asthmatic cats Atrovent. Ginger-lyn

Response:

The best current concept of asthma is that it’s an inflammatory disease involving hyperimmune response. The goal is to prevent the inflammation from getting to the point that you need bronchodilators (e.g., albuterol) to open clogged passages. Do you consider Albuterol to be a less-than-ideal drug for asthma? I have mild asthma myself (no "attacks" where I can’t breathe, but I do get coughing fits and wheezy breathing in response to: allergens, cold weather, strenuous exercise, and laughing. I sometimes take a hit off the inhaler if I’m coughing or wheezing too much. Your comments make me wonder whether I should be considering a corticosteroid instead.

Albuterol is a perfectly fine drug for short-term relief. There are other drugs in its class that have longer durations of action, but all basically have the function of opening an airway in spasm. There may be some contrary data for one drug, but it’s fair to say they have no particular effect on inflammation. Other drugs that deal with opening things (bronchodilation), and may be used in combination with the beta-adrenergic agonists such as albuterol, include theophylline and ipratropium bromide. For emergency room situations, aminophylline and epinephrine also are (injectable) bronchodilators. A side comment — getting adequate medication from an inhaler can take considerable skill. Children and people with motor problems may not be able to do it. Spacers, bags, etc. on the inhaler are a good start, but the most efficient delivery uses nebulizers, which generate a well-mixed mist over a period of time. There have been recent developments that have resulted in pocket- or purse-sized battery operated nebulizers, although AC-powered tabletop units are more common. A very rough rule of thumb is that if you are having several episodes of bronchoconstriction per week, requiring a "rescue" inhaler, you have a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease that needs both antiinflammatory preventives. Antiinflammatories, and even long-acting bronchodilators like salmeterol, are not going to help in a "breakthrough" attack and you MUST also have short-acting bronchodilators always available. There are too many sad case reports of people who died during breakthrough episodes, sucking fruitlessly on a long-duration drug inhaler. Corticosteroids are the best known class of anti-inflammatories. They can be inhaled, taken orally, or injected. Inhaled corticosteroids, especially in adults, have little or no side effects.Other classes of anti-inflammatories in general use include the inhaled cromolyns and the oral leukotriene inhibitors. There are adjunctive immunosuppressant drugs, which really should be only by specialists, that have a definite role in severe asthma. For example, a low and fairly nontoxic dose of methotrexate, originally used for cancer chemotherapy (in much higher doses) and now in a range of autoimmune diseases, can be used with corticosteroids to reduce the total dose of prednisone (or equivalent) given for the same therapeutic effect. Properly managed, this can avoid many of the side effects of high-dose oral corticosteroids, with due regard to various other potential side effects.

Response:

Inhaled corticosteroids, in humans, have almost no absorption and thus no side effects. Didn’t know that. Does that mean that you can inhale a steroid-based medication when you have a chest cold or other URI, and it won’t suppress your immune response? Joyce

Response:

In general terms, that’s correct. I wouldn’t flatly say that even systemic corticosteroids wouldn’t be indicated in an asthmatic with a URI. The best current concept of asthma is that it’s an inflammatory disease involving hyperimmune response. The goal is to prevent the inflammation from getting to the point that you need bronchodilators (e.g., albuterol) to open clogged passages. I’ve seen human asthmatics with severe bronchitis given a heavy dose of prednisone. The infection can be managed, but out of control inflammation and secretion can kill.

Response:

I’ve had a nasty round with allergies this year (I’m not asthmatic), and the doctor gave me an albuterol inhaler to use when the coughing fits got to be too much. He said it was to stop the spasming, and it certainly did. Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha http://www.jhedge.com

Response:

Purrs that Sabra starts eating asap. Suz Macmoosette Thank Heavens There’s Only One =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= =^..^= Waiting for inspiration. Please hold while I contemplate my navel. |__/| (=’:'=) (")_(")

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You all know how gut-wrenchingly nervous you are when a kitty is sick. It has been a long week for us here with that feeling. Sabra started refusing food and vomiting last week. He’s our 15-year-old cat with asthma who has been on Prednisone to control the asthma for some eight years or so. We thought at first "hairball!" of course, and gave him a course of hairball meds, but it wasn’t working. So off to the vet he goes. I opted to get some bloodwork run, even though I had to take the funds out of my dental fund (almost two years and *still* waiting for this dental work!). Ts thato my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure. We still don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve been giving him Hill’s A/D, and with coaching, he is eating some of that. He’s also getting some kao-pectin to ease his stomach. We’re thinking he may have eaten something he shouldn’t, and it’s working its way through his system. If he does better today at eating on his own, we’ll know if he passed something through (crossing my fingers). He seems to be pretty happy/normal today so far. Being a cat mom is going to give me an ulcer one of these days! Ginger-lyn

Purrs that it is something simple, and that Sabra has many years ahead of him. — Adrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat.

Response:

How’s his blood count? Prednisone is very irritating to the stomach, and he could be developing an ulcer. That happened to one of my cats years ago. Be sure to check the vomit and make sure there’s no blood in it. My cat seemed fine, then one day she threw up blood. I took her to the vet right away, and she turned out to have a bleeding ulcer, from the Prednisone. She’d bled enough, internally, to have developed a life-threatening case of anemia, and she had to have a transfusion. Purrs that he’s OK! Joyce

Thanks, Joyce. His WBC count was very slightly elevated, and the vet said he wasn’t worried about it. No blood in the vomit, thank heavens. Yesterday, he ate some hamburger (I was desperate to get *anything* in him!), and then some A/D later, but he had vomited again earlier Today, we caught him eating *paper*! We may have discovered the cause of all this . . . . Ginger-lyn

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Even though prednisone might have these effects, if I extrapolate from human medicine, there would be ways to work around the problem. My understanding is that the general side effects of corticosteroids are less in cats than in humans, so injected therapy could be an option. For long-term therapy, it can also reduce side effects to go to alternate-day dosing. I’ll also cite some drugs used in human medicine, which may or may not be usable for cats, to help with ulceration. Misoprostol (essentially blocks the blocking of the substance that produces gastrointestinal mucus) Sucralfate (actually coats the lining) Proton pump inhibitors (e.g., omeprazole) blocks the basic mechanism of acid secretion. Histamine H2-receptor antagonists (e.g., ranitidine). Indirectly blocks acid secretion. Definitely usable in cats. Whenever you get into multiple oral drugs, I find it simplest (if not cheapest) to have each made up (or commercially available) as a liquid, then draw them sequentially into an oral syringe before dosing. While the drugs might not be chemically compatible in a long-term mixture, the contact in a syrings shouldn’t be an issue, and you don’t have the battle of administering pills one after another. Again from human medicine and not knowing if they are safe in cats, there are other anti-asthma medications. The inhaled drugs probably are impractical, and I suspect theophylline would be toxic. The new class of leukotriene inhibitors, however, might be an option.

Howard, Sabra’s actually on one Pred every three days, which is where his asthma seemed to stabilize for the most part. He also does get Albuterol in an inhaler with an extender and a baby mask if he is having more severe problems, and it does seem to help. Sabra, Internet and me — the three asthmatics! Ginger-lyn

Response:

To my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure.

Well, that’s a start. Now we’ll start sending healing purrs, both for Sabra and for her meowmie’s frazzled nerves. Regards and Purrs, O J

Response:

Poor baby. I’m glad his bloodwork came back ok but hope you can find what is causing the problem or that the problem goes away and never returns. In addition to feel better purrs and headbutts I’m sending sympathy thoughts to you as well. Sam seems to have more trouble with hairball issues than any of our other cats. This morning in the wee hours when I was still asleep I was awakened by the universal hack-hack sound coming from beside me in bed. In my sleep I sort of remember saying, "Please not on the bed, Sam" and gently pushing him off the bed. I forgot all about it until I woke up and stepped in it this morning (sigh). Anyhow, purrs, headbutts and healing thoughts on the way for both Sabra and you. Julie, Hobbes, Selena, Lacey and Sam

Response:

Yes, it’s as bad as being a kid mom. They both can scare the living daylights out of you, and often do. Purrs that Sabra just keeps on getting better – and cheers that his blood work was normal! Joy

Response:

Yes, kids *can* tell you things, and sometimes they even do. OTOH, I can remember when I was 9 years old. I had a bad earache, but I didn’t say anything to my mother because she was planning to take my brother and me to a movie. I rationalized that I didn’t want her to miss the movie. We saw "Dumbo" and "Bambi". By the time I told my mother about the earache, the infection was really serious. I ended up in the hospital with a mastoid infection. Luckily, this was just after penicillin had been released for civilian use (near the end of WW II). Otherwise, I’d have needed highly risky surgery. Joy

Response:

Lots of purrs and best wishes for Sabra to recover completely and soon from whatever is ailing him, — Polonca & Soncek

<snip

Response:

Sabra started refusing food and vomiting last week. He’s our 15-year-old cat with asthma who has been on Prednisone to control the asthma for some eight years or so. I opted to get some bloodwork run, even though I had to take the funds out of my dental fund (almost two years and *still* waiting for this dental work!). To my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure. How’s his blood count? Prednisone is very irritating to the stomach, and he could be developing an ulcer. That happened to one of my cats years ago. Be sure to check the vomit and make sure there’s no blood in it. My cat seemed fine, then one day she threw up blood. I took her to the vet right away, and she turned out to have a bleeding ulcer, from the Prednisone. She’d bled enough, internally, to have developed a life-threatening case of anemia, and she had to have a transfusion. Purrs that he’s OK! Joyce

Response:

Please keep us posted. Pearl has mysterious vomiting too, although it does not keep her from eating. In fact, I just found some in the cat box and so I know it is her, because often she will run there when she has to vomit. I think she equates "that funny feeling" with needing to go to the bathroom.

Response:

You all know how gut-wrenchingly nervous you are when a kitty is sick. It has been a long week for us here with that feeling. Sabra started refusing food and vomiting last week. He’s our 15-year-old cat with asthma who has been on Prednisone to control the asthma for some eight years or so. We thought at first "hairball!" of course, and gave him a course of hairball meds, but it wasn’t working. So off to the vet he goes. I opted to get some bloodwork run, even though I had to take the funds out of my dental fund (almost two years and *still* waiting for this dental work!). To my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure. We still don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve been giving him Hill’s A/D, and with coaching, he is eating some of that. He’s also getting some kao-pectin to ease his stomach. We’re thinking he may have eaten something he shouldn’t, and it’s working its way through his system. If he does better today at eating on his own, we’ll know if he passed something through (crossing my fingers). He seems to be pretty happy/normal today so far. Being a cat mom is going to give me an ulcer one of these days! Ginger-lyn

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You all know how gut-wrenchingly nervous you are when a kitty is sick. It has been a long week for us here with that feeling. Sabra started refusing food and vomiting last week. He’s our 15-year-old cat with asthma who has been on Prednisone to control the asthma for some eight years or so. We thought at first "hairball!" of course, and gave him a course of hairball meds, but it wasn’t working. So off to the vet he goes. I opted to get some bloodwork run, even though I had to take the funds out of my dental fund (almost two years and *still* waiting for this dental work!). To my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure. We still don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve been giving him Hill’s A/D, and with coaching, he is eating some of that. He’s also getting some kao-pectin to ease his stomach. We’re thinking he may have eaten something he shouldn’t, and it’s working its way through his system. If he does better today at eating on his own, we’ll know if he passed something through (crossing my fingers). He seems to be pretty happy/normal today so far. Being a cat mom is going to give me an ulcer one of these days! Ginger-lyn

I’ll probably get flammed for this but sometimes I think it is harder being a cat or dog Mom than with a human child after a certain age. Especially when they are sick. Once they can start to talk kids can say "I hurt here" or say "Why yes, I did eat some dirt outside" when questioned. With our furry kids it is all guess work 99% of the time. I can imagine how you feel after going thru the mystery illness with our dog a few weeks back. Purrs and hugs for both of you! — Margaret Fine

Response:

Being a cat mom is going to give me an ulcer one of these days!

Lots of purrs to Sabra and to you. I know how it feels. Frank will soon be 17, and I watch him like a hawk for any signs of distress. — Marina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You all know how gut-wrenchingly nervous you are when a kitty is sick. It has been a long week for us here with that feeling. Sabra started refusing food and vomiting last week. He’s our 15-year-old cat with asthma who has been on Prednisone to control the asthma for some eight years or so. We thought at first "hairball!" of course, and gave him a course of hairball meds, but it wasn’t working. So off to the vet he goes. I opted to get some bloodwork run, even though I had to take the funds out of my dental fund (almost two years and *still* waiting for this dental work!). To my joy, the bloodwork came back "amazingly normal" in the vet’s words. No indication of kidney or liver failure. We still don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve been giving him Hill’s A/D, and with coaching, he is eating some of that. He’s also getting some kao-pectin to ease his stomach. We’re thinking he may have eaten something he shouldn’t, and it’s working its way through his system. If he does better today at eating on his own, we’ll know if he passed something through (crossing my fingers). He seems to be pretty happy/normal today so far. Being a cat mom is going to give me an ulcer one of these days! Ginger-lyn

My older cat Psycho is a barfer. I’ve had her checked out by the vet and she’s healthy as a horse. (She’s 13) But every 3 days like clockwork she barfs. Sometimes it’s a hairball and other times it’s nothing but brownish liquid. No amount of hairball medicine helps her. I went out and bought me a portable carpet cleaner and have come to the conclusion that I’ll just have to clean the spots every 3 days. Why she can’t use the tiled floor I’ll never know. It’s always on the carpet. Bob

Response:

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In: Acting Classes

Have YOU given up ALL bread products?

Question:

I think bread more than anything else is what set off my carb cravings recently. I love bread but I’m beginning to suspect that not only is it bad for me because of the weight gain, I think I have a wheat allergy. Giving bread and white flour up completely on induction seemed to clear up my stuffy head. I really didn’t miss it unless I let myself dwell on it. After induction I added one slice of LC whole wheat bread with breakfast. I’m not going to repeat that mistake. Also, for me substitutes never work. If I can’t have the real thing, substituting something else makes me miss the real thing all the more. The food needs to stand on it’s own as good. Not sure that makes sense to anyone else. — Bear- Grrrrrrrrrrrr :o)

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Response:

And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes? No, but I now make my own. It is very high fibre, whole grain,

This was gonna be my second question….. if I could just buy a bread machine and MAKE healthier bread than what I can buy?

Response:

Bread was not a problem. If I really really should think about what I am missing, it is beer Mirek BEER!!!!!! AAAAAAUUUUGGGGGGHHHH! I am going out on a bender right now!!! Just kidding. Curt

Beer… Sigh… Dan 325/199/180 Atkins since 1/1/02 (yeah, it was a New Year’s Resolution) Besetting sins: good beer, German bread, and Krispy Kremes

Response:

Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc

Yes. And…… how did you do it?

"Just say no." Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Tip 1: Don’t think about them. Tip 2: Substitutes only make you think about them. — Bob Kanyak’s Doghouse http://www.kanyak.com

Response:

Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

No, but I now make my own. It is very high fibre, whole grain, and with added olive oil to increase healthy fat content and slow conversion. I cut slices very thin and toast them as a rule. It is yeast based but I have to add baking soda to increase the proving, it is too dense otherwise. It is far more filling than even the heaviest commercial German style rye breads, and much lower in carbs. I reduce carbs to control blood glucose levels only, not for weight control. My weight loss was achieved by exercise and calorie reduction, the low carb aspect was incidental. Before I started my average daily calorie consumption was over three thousand-five hundred. It is seldom over fifteen-eighteen hundred at the moment, sufficient to satisfy appetite, although I am slowly increasing both calories and anaerobic exercise to regain some muscle weight so I can afford to start adding (carefully) some things back into my diet. Mostly vegetables and fruit at the moment, not more bread. Hopefully, once I build a lot more muscle weight I will be able to handle more carbs without BGL problems. At that stage I will probably add more bread products. I can forget the pasta and potatoes, I don’t miss them although they were something I used to indulge in quite heavily in the past, particularly before competition. I tried some pasta recently and had trouble digesting it. Felt very bloated and uncomfortable. Much the same way I did when I first started eating pasta many years ago. The rest was pretty easy, I didn’t drink sodas or beer very often, just wine and spirits, and didn’t have a sweet tooth. My desserts have always been more the cheese platter than the confection. With cheese is the other time I eat my bread, once again, usually toasted. I do miss some things, Yorkshire Pudding for instance, and most of all, I miss my Sushi. Rice unfortunately is out, it sends my blood glucose through the ceiling. I am going to try Sushi with the rice made without the sweetened vinegar, using a little light olive oil instead. I will probably try that later this week. When I can handle more carbs I will also try some old favourites, unsweetened wholemeal, sesame, carrot and banana cakes or best of all, a bitter chocolate, sour cream, and cherry cake. I love those. Regards David — To email, please include the letters DNF anywhere in the subject line. All other mail is automatically deleted. ‘

Response:

Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

I pretty much am committed to "no bread". Basically, I didn’t try to replace bread; I just discovered that lots of things as good or better. You can serve hors d’ouvres (shrimp, cream cheese, etc) on a slice of zucchini or cucumber instead of a cracker. How about smoked salmon and cream cheese wrapped in nori? Or lettuce tacos? They’re fantastic. I discovered that the local fondue place is happy to bring you just fresh veggies along with the molten cheese – I was in heaven Occasionally I have eaten whole grains and probably will add a little bit of that (such as wheat berries, bulgur, brown rice) back to my diet after I’m at goal. But I don’t miss it right now, and right now am contemplating on experimenting with making tabbouleh using raw unsalted sunflower seeds with a larger proportion of parsley and veggies than seeds. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Response:

David, Would you share your bread recipe? I would like to play with making more of a whole grain bread (currently, I do about half and half), but I’ve had the problem where a totally whole grain bread is too dense also. I’d like to see how to add the baking soda to make it work. That sounds interesting. Rebecca – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes? No, but I now make my own. It is very high fibre, whole grain, and with added olive oil to increase healthy fat content and slow conversion. I cut slices very thin and toast them as a rule. It is yeast based but I have to add baking soda to increase the proving, it is too dense otherwise. It is far more filling than even the heaviest commercial German style rye breads, and much lower in carbs. I reduce carbs to control blood glucose levels only, not for weight control. My weight loss was achieved by exercise and calorie reduction, the low carb aspect was incidental. Before I started my average daily calorie consumption was over three thousand-five hundred. It is seldom over fifteen-eighteen hundred at the moment, sufficient to satisfy appetite, although I am slowly increasing both calories and anaerobic exercise to regain some muscle weight so I can afford to start adding (carefully) some things back into my diet. Mostly vegetables and fruit at the moment, not more bread. Hopefully, once I build a lot more muscle weight I will be able to handle more carbs without BGL problems. At that stage I will probably add more bread products. I can forget the pasta and potatoes, I don’t miss them although they were something I used to indulge in quite heavily in the past, particularly before competition. I tried some pasta recently and had trouble digesting it. Felt very bloated and uncomfortable. Much the same way I did when I first started eating pasta many years ago. The rest was pretty easy, I didn’t drink sodas or beer very often, just wine and spirits, and didn’t have a sweet tooth. My desserts have always been more the cheese platter than the confection. With cheese is the other time I eat my bread, once again, usually toasted. I do miss some things, Yorkshire Pudding for instance, and most of all, I miss my Sushi. Rice unfortunately is out, it sends my blood glucose through the ceiling. I am going to try Sushi with the rice made without the sweetened vinegar, using a little light olive oil instead. I will probably try that later this week. When I can handle more carbs I will also try some old favourites, unsweetened wholemeal, sesame, carrot and banana cakes or best of all, a bitter chocolate, sour cream, and cherry cake. I love those. Regards David

Response:

Just don’t buy it! That is what I did. I use lettuce for wrapping sandwich material. After you hit goal, you may be able to eat bread products again on a limited basis. Read the South Beach book regarding this. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Response:

Hi Rebecca You appear to be posting from New Jersey, so Australian brands and products are not likely to be available, but you can probably find similar things to use. I use a commercial (Japanese) automatic bread-maker/oven with a whole grain pre-mix for convenience. I add to that a mixture designed to add fibre to cereal, it contains, bran, flax, and a small amount of crushed mixed nuts. Then light olive oil, (the light is in flavour, not calories etc.) a little garlic, ten grams of yeast where they recommend seven and five grams of baking soda in the dry mix before it is added to the machine. I set the machine to dough making rather than bread baking, remove the dough when finished, let it prove until it doubles in size, knead flat, spread grated cheese and garlic on it, fold it a couple of times, then let it prove again until it stops rising, (it a little more than doubles again), then bake in my normal oven. It takes twice as long to prove, often sits there all day under a couple of damp cloths, in fact I usually do it the morning then bake when I get home, but it tastes great. Well it does to my taste. <g I played with lots of variations for a few weeks and ended up with a method that uses mostly premixed products (not in the way that they were originally intended to be used) and so is very easy to remain consistent as regards quantity and quality as well as ease of preparation. It comes out very heavy and moist, but with a fine even texture, slightly coarser than regular dark rye bread. You have to let it really cool before attempting to slice it or it will compress. It is far better when it is a day old. It works out (sliced thin, but still thick enough to toast) at seven grams of carb per slice. I use an electric delicatessen style slicing machine, it is too hard to be consistent by hand. The oil slows down the carb to glucose conversion and so doesn’t cause the sort of problems that conventional bread can create. I can eat two slices of it with less effect on blood glucose than a half slice of conventional wholemeal toast. It is very popular with guests, not just people on low carb diets. When I have a dinner party I make rolls with it, grating cheese over the top before baking. Regards David ps You should probably note that I exercise quite a bit, morning and evening and so can probably handle slow acting carbs better than those who don’t exercise at all. — To reply, please include the letters DNF anywhere in the subject line. All other mail is automatically deleted.

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes? I pretty much am committed to "no bread". Basically, I didn’t try to replace bread; I just discovered that lots of things as good or better. You can serve hors d’ouvres (shrimp, cream cheese, etc) on a slice of zucchini or cucumber instead of a cracker. How about smoked salmon and cream cheese wrapped in nori?

Oh my! That sounds wonderful! Got any other ideas for using nori for low carb snacks? I really love sushi, and have been just making exceptions now and then, but would love to find something that actually fits into the low carb lifestyle. Thanks, Rebecca

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

I guess I would say that I still have some grain-ish things in my diet, but I’m very careful with it. I make a breakfast "cereal" that works very well for me: 1 part wheat bran 1 part oat bran 1 part LC vanilla whey protein powder 2 parts almond meal 2 parts nutlettes – serve with Rice Dream and frozen blueberries If I am eating fried eggs for a meal, which I used to love to dip toast into, I now eat them with a can of green beans. If I dip them into the yolk instead, it sort of satisfies me. If I have access to some really good home made bread, I go ahead and eat some. That’s my exception to the rule, because it doesn’t happen all that often, and it’s so very wonderful. Just don’t eat the cookies. They are impossible to control, and taste way too good to be resisted once you’ve started. Don’t eat them, don’t even have them in the house. Don’t make them for your kids. They don’t need them either. Don’t eat the low carb ones either. They are full of maltitol and you will very quickly find that they don’t help you control yourself, and in fact might make you sick to your stomach. Not worth it. Some people like to eat pork rinds as a finger food. I tried some barbecue ones today that were actually tasty. I don’t think I want to be in the habit of eating constantly, but it makes for a nice little snack if everybody else is eating cheese and crackers or dipping into m&m’s at a party. Rebecca

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

I don’t eat any of that. I just don’t – don’t care to anymore, I don’t miss it or crave it. After I have reached my goal (30 more lbs) I will add some Wasa bread, Finn crisps and Melba toast occassionally.

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Not one bite in 6 years….. cold turkey. Not missed in the least. — JK Sinrod Sinrod Stained Glass Studios www.sinrodstudios.com Coney Island Memories www.sinrodstudios.com/coneymemories

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Yes. I think it was will power. Today, I had my first cookie in four or so months. I suppose that you need to convince yourself that the end is worth it, and that you will make yourself climb the hill. If you fall down a couple of times, just get back up and keep on doing it. Determined alcoholics and drug users and cagarette smokers slip and fall but get back up and keep going. And many of them win the battle in spite of these setbacks. Jim —

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I haven’t had any bread since I started almost a year ago. I haven’t needed it, and, like some others here, if I want a ’sandwich’ I’ll use lettuce as a roll-up. I’ve tried the low carb tortillas, but I didn’t care for the flavor (too sharp) or the texture (kind of fake). — Linda 296/196/160 LC since Oct. 13, 2003 Now a happy member of the ‘100lbs. Gone Club’! http://home.att.net/~lewis_linda/index.html http://community.webshots.com/user/mslewtoo "Are you telling me there are dead people in my living room watching videos?"–Nina (Truly, Madly, Deeply)

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Almost. I’ll eat a low-carb tortilla once in a while. Besides that, no bread. Good substitutes? Meat, veggies, water… LCing since 12/01/03- Me- 5′7" 265/165/140 & hubby- 6′ 310/188/180 http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lcer09/my_photos

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

I have. I don’t really need substitutes. I have a repertoire of meals I eat, including eggs, salads, and stir-fries. I get variety by adding various things to those bases. Like, last night I fixed plain frozen stir-fry vegetables and added pepperoni, a little spaghetti sauce, and parmesan cheese. Tonight I’ll use the same frozen stir-fry, but I’ll add leftover steak and teryaki sauce instead, so it will be a completely different flavor. You can sub celery sticks for crackers if you want something to spread peanut butter or cheese on. — Michelle Levin http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.

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I gave up wheat products before I started low carb as I suspected they were causing me problems. I never was much of a sandwich eater so that was not difficult. I do like good homemade bread though. Before LC I satisfied myself with granola bars, now I eat some Keto Oatmeal Raisin or Caramel Nut Crunch bars, they are much more like pastries than the chocolate covered bars like Atkins and some others. I usually have one of these for breakfast with coffee as I don’t like to cook first thing and I don’t particularly like things like eggs for breakfast. Just this afternoon I had my first muffin in well over a year. I got some Keto Corn Muffin mix to try out and ate one. It was quite good, 5 to 7 net carbs depending on how you count, 2 of those are maltitol. I actually count maltitol at 75%. | Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products | such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc | | And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

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I am going to eat bread for breakfast soon. I used to eat my homemade wheat bread with almond butter or fresh ground peanuts on top. I don’t think eating a piece of bread in the morning is any big deal for me anyway. I work out too much to worry about that. I love good bread and really can’t see me not eating it forever. I am not saying everyone can eat bread and get away with it. Curt

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc

I did. Besides one average off-plan day per month, I am "grain free" for almost one year. And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Not that problem at all. And I was eating a LOT of bread / grains before. You can use veggies instead sometimes. E.g. to make sandwich, use lettuce to create roll-ups etc… Bread was not a problem. If I really really should think about what I am missing, it is beer Mirek

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Bread was not a problem. If I really really should think about what I am missing, it is beer Mirek

BEER!!!!!! AAAAAAUUUUGGGGGGHHHH! I am going out on a bender right now!!! Just kidding. Curt

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

I occasionally have a slice of low-carb toast or a Wasa Fiber Rye cracker, but I’m really amazed at how seldom I DO have it — like once a month or LESS. I only eat the rye as a side-effect of eating some pate or perhaps salmon-cream cheese spread. — Saffire 205/148/125 - 5′1.5" Atkins since 6/14/03 Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

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Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc

Everything and anything containing flour, wheat, or any glutenous grains. Gone. And…… how did you do it?

How does one stop eating anything. By just not eating it Any tips or advice for substitutes?

I wouldn’t advise chasing after fakes. But then again, it’s me who’s talkin

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writes: Just curious how many people here have given up ALL bread products such as sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, etc

I did while I was losing. Now that I’m in maintenance, I will have 6 whole grain crackers at lunch with salmon spread or cheese. If I’m out to dinner and the bread basket contains something other than white bread, I’ll have one slice. And I’ll have a couple of low-carb tortillas each week. During weight loss, I only had the two low-carb tortillas each week. And…… how did you do it? Any tips or advice for substitutes?

Just do it. Seriously. Just stop eating things with flour in them. Don’t fish around for substitutes, at least not until you’ve done this for a while, and even then be very careful. Eat more veggies, eat more meat and fish, eat more cheese. You don’t need flour products, it’s just that our food culture has made them part of the standard diet. So rebel. Daria 166/under 145/under 145 sugar-free since 2/1/04 low-carb since 2/17/04

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In: Method Acting

Bush the new Reagan? In His Dreams

Question:

Bush could not even qualify …

Is Marcel the new Chirac spokespimple?

Response:

== Bush could not even qualify as a pimple on Reagens ass. Only Jesus can ==love him, most other people think that GW is an asshole. I don’t know about any possible dermal protrusions on Ronald Reagan’s ass, and it’s undeniable that George W. Bussh is an asshole, but let’s not get too silly here in our praise of Bonzo’s co-star. Reagan may have been a charming con man with a winning smile and a refreshingly self-deprecating sense of humour, but he was a disaster as president. His administration committed a host of high crimes and misdemeanors, plunged the U.S. into economic chaos, helped cripple the labour movement, helped make greed and selfishness fashionable and made life very much more difficult for the nation’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens. It seemed to be recovering until G.H.W. Bush’s idiot son seized power, after which things got very much worse, as we know. Now that the ceremonies are over and the eulogies have faded away, Americans should really ask themselves: What the hell is wrong with a country that, despite the fact that it harboured millions of intelligent, educated, knowledgeable and creative people — in academia, law, business and, yes, even politics — the best it could do for a national leader in 1980-88 was a certifiably stupid, poorly educated, unsophisticated and ignorant B-movie actor and appliance pitchman whose entire understanding of international affairs was summed up in the words, "Communism bad." The fact that even this pathetic excuse for a leader makes the White House’s current occupant look bad should frighten the shit out of all Americans. It certainly terrifies the rest of the world. That’s what it says here, anyway. — American conservatives seem to have a lock on hypocrisy — especially when it comes to sex. They were irate to learn that Bill Clinton got a blowjob in the Oval Office, but they’re unfazed that George Bush has used the same office to fuck the entire world. -Ivan Gowch

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The 911 Panel is an organization of hate ? Any group that includes democrats becomes infected with their hate.

Projection.

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The sheik of araby says we don’t have to worry. All they want to do is bomb, murder, and act macho like they have always done. Their peoples expect to be tortured by murderous tyrants and muslim leaders. KashaBob, you don’t understand. We have had enough of your Allah propaganda.

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The 911 Panel is an organization of hate ?

Any group that includes democrats becomes infected with their hate.

Response:

Now, your connection, what little there is, is with Palestine, not Al Quaida…. How did the Clinton Administration find the Al quida and Iraq connection that they announced?

Just like I said, this administration would take -ancient- data, and try to present it as current.. Yes, they say there was communication between the two in the early 90’s… and they didn’t get along. Don’t forget, this administration loves to blur the line, in a deceptive fashion. Hence Cheneys, "there is a connection". Al Quaida had training places hidden within the borders of Iraq… that doesn’t mean Saddam and his government were in collusion. But, it does create a tie between Iraq, the physical piece of land, and Al Quaida, not the government. Disingenuous semantics. It is sort of like WMD morphing into WMD -Programs-, into simply WD’s. In addition, the "connection" they are hanging the chads upon, was a man who was found to be in Florida when these secret meetings were alleged to have been occurring over there. They have a picture of him at an ATM machine, at that time…. Thus making that Intel look pretty wrong. But, since they do have him as -positively- being in Florida, on those dates, does that mean there is a connection between Al Quaida and Jeb Bush ?

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Because, they reached the same conclusion… No by its’ very nature and organization in an atmosphere of hate.

The 911 Panel is an organization of hate ?

Response:

"LONDON, England — British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office said al Qaeda agents operated in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, a day after a U.S. panel said it had found no link between the terrorist network and the former Iraqi leader." I think our key words here is "operated -in- Saddams Iraq"…. ……not -with-. You grab at straws. Anybody with a brain knows that the former Iraqi government and the muslim terrorists were in bed together. Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq Syria – birds of a feather.

It is incredible the level of IGNORANCE that the followers of GWB show at ever corner. First of all, the regimes of Afghanistan and Iran got along as well as Croatia and Serbia. After all, they are both Christian terrorist countries, and and birds of a feather fly together. Second of all: Iran and Iraq got along as well as Germany and Russia in WWII. After all, two countries with strong anti Judeo Christian thought have a lot in common, and birds of a feather fly together. This Syria being in bed with Iraq might very well explain why Syria was part of the coalition against Iraq in the first Gulf War. Then again, it should come as no surprise the ignorance of the supporters of war. Had they not been ignorant, they would have opposed war. VV

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Now, your connection, what little there is, is with Palestine, not Al Quaida….

How did the Clinton Administration find the Al quida and Iraq connection that they announced?

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Because, they reached the same conclusion…

No by its’ very nature and organization in an atmosphere of hate.

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You grab at straws. Anybody with a brain knows that the former Iraqi government and the muslim terrorists were in bed together. Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq Syria – birds of a feather.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "LONDON, England — British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office said al Qaeda agents operated in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, a day after a U.S. panel said it had found no link between the terrorist network and the former Iraqi leader." I think our key words here is "operated -in- Saddams Iraq"…. ……not -with-. You grab at straws. Anybody with a brain knows that the former Iraqi government and the muslim terrorists were in bed together. Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq Syria – birds of a feather.

Uh-huh… Sure. Everyone but the 911 commission on the issue, huh ? The guy who was the alleged connection, was even photoed at a Florida bank machine, when the INTEL claimed he was at a meeting half way around the world. Now, your connection, what little there is, is with Palestine, not Al Quaida…. Turns out Iran, has a much closer tie…

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I don’t know about any possible dermal protrusions on Ronald Reagan’s ass,

I’ve always heard that is the first thing you strange French folks looked into.

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Saddam Hussein and September 11 only linked in the feverish imagination of nazionist in the Pentagon. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=1&u=/a… VV

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Saddam Hussein and September 11 only linked in the feverish imagination of nazionist in the Pentagon.

Are you really surprised at the propaganda report of a political witch hunt by democrat members? Old Caca, you are naive.

Response:

Saddam Hussein and September 11 only linked in the feverish imagination of nazionist in the Pentagon. Are you really surprised at the propaganda report of a political witch hunt by democrat members? Old Caca, you are naive.

Oh, so the 911 commission is a "political witch hunt by democratic members" ? Because, they reached the same conclusion…

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Saddam Hussein and September 11 only linked in the feverish imagination of nazionist in the Pentagon. Are you really surprised at the propaganda report of a political witch hunt by democrat members? Old Caca, you are naive. Oh, so the 911 commission is a "political witch hunt by democratic members" ? Because, they reached the same conclusion…

Oh, new twist, Blair claims there -is- a link… Is anyone surprised ? (Did you see the last time Bush visited Blair, they dressed alike ? How cute!) http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/06/17/911.commission.intl/index…. Excerpt: "LONDON, England — British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office said al Qaeda agents operated in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, a day after a U.S. panel said it had found no link between the terrorist network and the former Iraqi leader." I think our key words here is "operated -in- Saddams Iraq"…. ……not -with-. Continued Excerpt: "The panel also dismissed reports that Mohamed Atta, the leader of the 19 hijackers, met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in the Czech Republic on April 9, 2000." "We do not believe that such a meeting occurred." "The report said that Atta was in Virginia on April 4 — evidenced by video that shows him withdrawing $8,000 from an ATM — and he was in Florida by April 11 if not before."

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First Reagan, Now His Stunt Double By Frank Rich New York Times Published: June 13, 2004 BOY, if life were only like this," says Woody Allen in "Annie Hall" after he brings out the actual Marshall McLuhan to silence a pontificating McLuhan expert with whom he’s trapped on a movie line. Well, last weekend life was like that. George W. Bush was all suited up in Normandy to repeat Ronald Reagan’s 1984 blockbuster elegy to "the boys of Pointe du Hoc" (screenplay by Peggy Noonan). It was not the first time that the current president had taken a page from his fabled predecessor’s script, but it may have been the most humiliating. The D-Day-eve timing of Reagan’s death had pushed the replay of his original oration to center stage on TV, much as the real McLuhan is yanked on screen in "Annie Hall." And as the McLuhan wannabe soon slinks away in that movie, so Mr. Bush’s would-be Reaganesque speech atomized into white noise, to the limited extent that it was broadcast at all. Some would argue that no politician in his right mind would even invite comparisons to the Great Communicator. In the aftermath of Reagan’s death, his fans and foes alike remain agog at his performance chops. Kennedy may have brought the Rat Pack to the White House, but no one has ever arrived there with Reagan’s particular gifts as an entertainer. They were a product of training, not accident. He had first performed as a child in church skits put on by his mother. Later came the legendary path through baseball announcing, 52 feature films, "General Electric Theater" and the conservative speaking circuit, where he honed what became known as the Speech. Not even other Hollywood-spawned politicians, whether George Murphy before him or Arnold Schwarzenegger after, can match this r

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In: Career Acting

Moon Over Buffalo & Noises Off

Question:

Greetings all This past weekend my girlfriend and I ventured into NYC and caught "Noises Off" on Broadway. Wow. the show was terrific. These actors were working their tails off. The timing was impeccable. I laughed so hard that at times I had no idea what I was laughing at. Once they get you to that state of laugher they can do almost anything and you will laugh. But I have to say this was Broadway Comedy at it’s best. If your in town I highly recommend it. We caught a Sunday Matinee. You know, where you stand on line at Ticket-tron and get half price seats. What made me appreciate this even more was that last month we closed Moon Over Buffalo at a Summer Rep Theater in Upstate NY. It was my first all out comedy. I played the part of Richard. Having done mostly dramas before and some humorous plays. But never an all out comedy. It was as much fun to be in as it was to watch Noises Off. How would any of you all compare these two wonderful comedies. Both to watch and also to be in. Thanks Jose

Response:

What made me appreciate this even more was that last month we closed Moon Over Buffalo at a Summer Rep Theater in Upstate NY. It was my first all out comedy. I played the part of Richard. Having done mostly dramas before and some humorous plays. But never an all out comedy. It was as much fun to be in as it was to watch Noises Off. How would any of you all compare these two wonderful comedies. Both to watch and also to be in. Thanks Jose

I hate teasers like this. I did a number of summer stock shows in upstate NY back in the 60s. I grew up as an actor in NYC and in uptate NY, and upstate NY used to be anything 10 miles north of Manhattan where we paid our dues. I’ll give you my opinion about about the two shows if you tell me which summer stock theatre you played in, and some juicy details. Quid pro quo. Break a leg, Bill — THE ACTING STUDIO http://gvtg.com/theactingstudio

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In: Acting Studio

Well, Monday's almost gone…how will Tuesday be?

Question:

Well, I had a fantastic day today. Been busy, panic free, and even got good news from my attorney for once. So let’s see how tomorrow goes when I have to go all over town (because we never get out unless we HAVE to, then we HAVE to do about 500 things in 8 hours time) Just about to put Cory to bed, that is as soon as the brownies cool off and he gets one…I know sugar at bedtime is supposed to be bad. Thing is, my two are great…they may have that initial sugar rush, but they do that ’sugar coma’ thing like I do when I eat too much sweets…just makes me tired eventually. I like that part about them best I think…feed them candy or sweets and they sleep good! Got lucky there… But anyhow, Kayla is still with my sister, but they just called and my girl is so good she was finishing up her homework in the McDonalds drive through so that she didn’t have to do it when she got home. She’s really a good kid. Was kind of cranky this morning, but got over it because my niece and nephew started at her school today and she was hyped about it…even got to ride the bus home with them just for kicks…! I think once I get the drunk monkeys to sleep I am going to run me a hot, candlelit bubble bath and soak while reading "All I Ever Really Needed to Know…I Learned In Kindergarten" It seems to have that simplifying effect…so I think it is the choice for the night. It is that or I might dig through my writers guide and find the market for the article I have been playing with for 6 months now…who knows. I started a journal this morning…I used to do so well at keeping up with them…had tons of them. Then one day, I got this strange idea that the past was holding me back and threw them all away….idiot! I know now that the words would be funny as hell to re-read…now that the "tragic, overdramatized, misery of living without -insert name here—-" is all over and done with. Anyhow…I hope we have days like last week where we just do a lot of giggling. That was fun….I hope everyone had a good day today and an even better tomorrow. I know I will try….at least if not…I pick up my xanax in the morning…so I will make it somehow LOL E (errrrr..I mean R)

Response:

Well, I had a fantastic day today. Been busy, panic free, and even got good news from my attorney for once. So let’s see how tomorrow goes snip<

I so happy for you…I was going to say "Don’t worry about tomorrow until it gets here" but it’s here and I’m wishing you the best! ((((((hugs)))))) Lorri http://hometown.aol.com/lorr1/myhomepage4index.html

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Well, for now it didn’t start great…I couldn’t sleep…then I couldn’t wake up. Then Kayla was whining and I got REAL irritated with her. We don’t really fight, and I managed to get her off to school smiling, but I am so tired of the carry over from her mother’s house habits. If she isn’t in the mood to do something, she cries…here we have gotten past that and we discuss things. Yes, she is ten…but she knows what she is doing when she pulls these whine festivals. But, it was basically just a matter of her being too tired from staying with my sister too late last night. She did get up and managed to do fine getting ready…however at the end, she was so worried about getting to the school to have breakfast with my niece. My clocks are set fast to help us get going in the morning. She knows this, but she was acting like the clock was ticking and we were going to make her late. Anyhow….that aside, I went back to bed…slept for a while and now I am trying to get moving so we can get the stuff done we need to. I refuse to have a bad day after yesterday being so great….I took my allergy meds, and some cold medicine and I am gonna hang out until they kick in then get in gear! I will catch up this afternoon/evening after we get home….til then R

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, for now it didn’t start great…I couldn’t sleep…then I couldn’t wake up. Then Kayla was whining and I got REAL irritated with her. We don’t really fight, and I managed to get her off to school smiling, but I am so tired of the carry over from her mother’s house habits. If she isn’t in the mood to do something, she cries…here we have gotten past that and we discuss things. Yes, she is ten…but she knows what she is doing when she pulls these whine festivals. But, it was basically just a matter of her being too tired from staying with my sister too late last night. She did get up and managed to do fine getting ready…however at the end, she was so worried about getting to the school to have breakfast with my niece. My clocks are set fast to help us get going in the morning. She knows this, but she was acting like the clock was ticking and we were going to make her late. Anyhow….that aside, I went back to bed…slept for a while and now I am trying to get moving so we can get the stuff done we need to. I refuse to have a bad day after yesterday being so great….I took my allergy meds, and some cold medicine and I am gonna hang out until they kick in then get in gear! I will catch up this afternoon/evening after we get home….til then R donny

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In: Acting School

I should have bet

Question:

I cracked up too, but I bet Tom would have still liked to have the little toy retrieved from the dumpster.

Response:

I really liked Micheal Caine’s acceptance speech. I still wish that Haley had won, since his performance was so incredible… but Micheal’s speech was so wonderful that everyone was acknowledged. I was a little blitzed towards the end of the ceremony though… so I don’t remember what anyone else’s speech sounded like. angie www.u4ia.org Spoiled Rotten. Curious? Coming April 15th to a love life near you.

Response:

I should’ve mentioned that also. I loved what he told Tom Cruise: "I’m kind of glad you didn’t win this, because do you realize how much your asking price would’ve gone DOWN? Do you know how much supporting actors make? We only get one trailer. And it’s really tiny." Tom was loving it. Yes you’re right; his speech was incredible. But I still hated and didn’t believe the accent in the movie. I really liked Micheal Caine’s acceptance speech. I still wish that Haley had won, since his performance was so incredible… but Micheal’s speech was so wonderful that everyone was acknowledged. I was a little blitzed towards the end of the ceremony though… so I don’t remember what anyone else’s speech sounded like. angie www.u4ia.org Spoiled Rotten. Curious? Coming April 15th to a love life near you.

– Opus (: "Joe Hackett at a Pearl Jam concert?? Pearl Bailey maybe…"– Lowell Mather on aging. http://www.carla.coble.com -Acting site http://members.home.net/coble/OpusGraphics -Original graphics

Response:

I knew Annette wouldn’t get it, but that Hillary Swank would. The rest of mine were right though. And I LOVED it that Angelina Jolie got best supporting. I cried with her……. (; However, if I had to judge best actor based only on the snippets of clips they showed, Denzel Washington would’ve/should’ve won it hands DOWN. What an incredible piece of performance I saw there. And as was discussed elsewhere, Tom Cruise not winning was really no surprise. He just wasn’t inhabiting the character like he should’ve. Even on that big emotional scene, he APPEARED to be connected, but there was just some distance there that he wouldn’t allow to dissolve. And I knew Caine would get best actor, but oh god that pathetic accent drove me CRAZY. THAT should’ve been enough to kill it for him, since that is only a minimum of what is expected from an actor as part of their personification; part of their full character and who they ‘are’. my Oscar picks were 3 out of 4 correct. — Best picture: Will win: American Beauty. Should win: Green Mile Best actor: Will win: Kevin Spacey Should win: No opinion Best actress: Will win: Annette Benning Should win: Hilary Swank. Best supporting actor: Will win: Michael Caine Should win: Michael Clarke Duncan

Response:

my Oscar picks were 3 out of 4 correct. — Best picture: Will win: American Beauty. Should win: Green Mile Best actor: Will win: Kevin Spacey Should win: No opinion Best actress: Will win: Annette Benning Should win: Hilary Swank. Best supporting actor: Will win: Michael Caine Should win: Michael

Clarke Duncan

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In: Actors Acting

ABC's of Neopagandom

Question:

dear geoff, We did this once,about forty years ago. We called it wicca. (smile, its a joke) pwnny

Response:

ABC’s of Neopagandom By Geoff Johnson Just to confuse you all: Altar- To change, deform, or rearrange. Black Magic- Magic used by those with much pigmentation in their skin. Centering- In the case of public rituals, this practice in done to alter the alignment of text on flyers. Circle- A term used by techno-Pagans when refering to circle-dot mode, the storage of binary units using a code of plane figures with a bounding edge equidistant from a fixed point where some of these figures have dots, and some do not. The Craft- A movie made in 1996 by Sony Pictures which stars Robin Tunney. Cove- A small sheltered bay, creek, or inlet of the sea. Coven- Referring to or being cove-like. Discord- The appropriate musical notes to be played at dis time in the ritual. Esbat- Spanish for "it is a flying mammal." Flying- Something which witches do. Recent surveys show that TWA is the most favored method, though some traditionalists stick with smaller single-engined airplanes. Glossary- A place where they add gloss to ceramics. Grounding- When all young children who have misbehaved during the ritual are sent to their rooms for the weekend. Hain- Sam Hain, founder of a successful company which makes underwear. Handfasting- During protests, this is done to ensure the difficulty of ones removal by use of handcuffs. Incense- When capable of reasonable judgement, when acting sensible. Jack-o-lantern- In the Pagan playing cards, it is the card of the suit of lights (traje de luces) higher than a ten but lower than a queen. Karma- An old Star Trek term from the original series which stands for Klingon and Romulan Military Alliance. Lammas- Animals of south America of the family Camelidae. Magick- An art made popular by David Copperfield and Harry Houdini. Nine- The most Pagans you can fit in a standard phone booth in Iowa City. (Trust me on this one) Orgy- The ending often used by technopagans at the end of their URL. Pentagram- A five sided cracker. Quest- What deities send you on when they are bored and have nothing better to do. Rowan- A term used on slave ships when the slaves have rested long enough and need to continue rowing. Sabbat- Of or relating to hydrogenated organic compounds. The term comes from the French chemist Paul Sabatier. Skyclad- A material similar to nickel-clad, though with ozone instead of nickel. Spell- A turn at work, a shift. Talisman- Opposite of Shortisman. Underwear- See Hain. Virginity- Sorry, no Pagan I’ve talked to seems to know what this is. White Witch- A Caucasian member of the Wiccan religion. Witch- Pronoun, what one or ones of several things pointed out. Used as a relative in a subordinate clause representing a noun or noun phrase in the principal sentence. Xerox- The easiest and quickest way to go from a monotheistic religion to a polytheistic one. Though it may cost you ten cents. Yorkshire- A place where they make a type of bread, perfect for rituals, though they call it pudding. Zygurmist- The one who devotes his or her life to studying, in order to make rituals more fun. This file is available at http://www.angelfire.com/ia/Geoff/glossary.html

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In: Method Acting

Acting Moms?

Question:

Hello Zoe I am a single 47 year old man who has been for the last 8 years acting as a hobby. Community theaters etc. And I have decided that I will jump back in the acting ring full time. Which means giving up my job of 12 years. The easy part is I’m single and have never had children. The hard part is will I end up 75 years old being a retired cab driver? Like you I live to be on the stage or in front of the camera. But will it be an unrequited love? And will I give up what has taken me years to build with absolutly no garauntees of even landing one job. It will not easy. And I anticipat moments or periods of time when I reflect back and wonder why I did such a foolish thing. But I know each time I do a community theater show and I see my work and know it’s more than good enough. And each time I reach a moment of electricity and magic in a performance I know what truly makes me happy. So I will make the jump. The hardest part will be going to the owner of my company and telling her that I plan to move on. After twelve years she and a lot of my co-workers have become family. In fact I have never spent more time in one place than I have with my current job. And spend a lot of time in social activities with my co-workers. Well I’m not sure if this helps. However I am a believer that we must follow our hearts. Regards Jose Love will be there The softest wisper spoken truthfully will speak louder than any over acting

Response:

Hi. I’m a man, but a woman I have been training with for a little while now here in Toronto, is the mother of two teenagers and seems to have no trouble ‘juggling’ family, marriage and a very successful career. I guess that you just have to learn to ‘multi-task’ well. The most important skill you can have as a performer is to be well organized – there’s half the battle there. I wish you all the best in your career! Vito

Response:

Dear Zoe, I’m actually an acting Dad. When my wife and I had our second child we realized day care for two was going to be out of reach so I decided to stay home, take care of the kids and pursue acting as much as I could. I had already become fairly established here in the Boston area, doing frequent stage work, commercials, industrials etc., so it seemed logical for me to quit the full time job. The first couple of years while they were in diapers were tough. My wife was able to come home for a couple of hours when I had an audition or take a day off if I got a TV day job or some other short time gig, which was absolutely necessary to make the whole process work. After the kids got to nursery and kindergarten I started putting together solo touring schools. This has been very profitable while being flexible in that I’m usually working when they are in school. Now that they are approaching teenage I’m working fairly constantly with touring my shows, film and TV and just yesterday I was approached by an improv company for regular stage gigs. Re advise: find ways to be flexible, use any spare time you can find to market yourself and be very patient both with the kids and with the progress of your acting career. Hope this helps. Mike Francis http://www.gis.net/~mtf

Response:

Hi! I’ve been lurking here for a couple weeks now, and have already learned a great deal! You folks are fortunate to have Mr. Hooks in here– the man is a fountain of knowledge in regards to the field of acting!! I have a question/dilemma I’d like to put to the acting women in this n.g….Is there anyone here who has been able to successfully pursue their love for acting and still maintain a family life? I ask because I am a mother of 2 young kids (5 & 6 y.o.), and another one due to be born in June. Aside from that, I will begin a 2 year acting course in Sept. here in Portland, Or. I was bitten by the acting bug as a teenager in high school, performing both in school plays and in the local community theatre. I lived to be on the stage, it was that important to me. Well, after high school I didn’t pursue it, having become too involved in other things in my life (marriage and kids, mostly). I’m now 31 y.o., and have convinced my husband that this is something I *must* pursue, lest I regret it for the rest of my life. I’m a stay-at-home mom, but I must admit I’m concerned how this will affect my family life. I don’t have visions of granduer of becoming the next Hollywod mega-celebrity; at this point I’d be happy to have the respect of my acting peers, and perhaps to become good enough to qualify for paying acting jobs (not extras work). As I said, I’ve learned alot just by lurking here, so I know about getting the training and the agent (later down the road.). I’m curious, though, if there’s anyone else here that has had similar experiences, and how did you handle it? Thanks so much!! Zoe Break A Leg!!

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In: Acting School

Help ! Foods are NOT drugs….

Question:

[rest of maundering deleted] Did you actually send a copy of this to your senator or the president, or did you just post it here in hopes they’d get it via osmosis or mental telepathy or something? These are my opinions only, but they’re almost always correct. "After all, this is still the land of opportunity. If you know where to look." – Jack Douglas

Response:

Dear Mr. President and Senators, Dr. Fisher and Committee: I may be politically naive, I am not a politician or an activist, though this outrageous violation of the American People’s God given right to choose foods and herbs which have been a part of free people’s right to choose for all of civilized history begs me to become an activist…… Will some of our elected representative stand up and be counted for liberty? Does the welfare and freedom of the PEOPLE of the United States of America come second to the greed of corporations acting through this Commission which is illegally overstepping it’s mandate in making the recommendations it does? Will someone PLEASE come forth in all good conscience to faithfully serve the interests of the PEOPLE? I am, as I say perhaps politically naive, but I passionately believe that there must be someone in a position of authority who cares about the people and is not corruptible…… I care deeply, very deeply about this issue! Writing this brings tears of concern and betrayal to my eyes…… Please help. Aloha, Dave. Dave Hartley 3356 Kehala Dr. Kihei, HI 96753 Interests: Computer/Telephony Integration, Windows NT, Web Publishing, ~~ Alternative Medicine ~~ www.Eckankar.org ~~ www.healing-tao.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ——Original Message—– Sent: Saturday, August 09, 1997 9:39 AM EUROPEAN-AMERICANPHYTOMEDICINES COALITION) WARNING to DIETARY SUPPLEMENT CONSUMERS: If you sent in my last form letter, between us we have submitted over half of the comments the Commission has received, but WE CAN’T STOP NOW!!! Here is why: I have read the comments submitted to the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels by the Eurpean-American Phytomedicines Coalition. Needless to say, this multinational pack of SCAMMERS are the DRIVING force behind the push to create an OTC market for herbs in the US. Their effort constitutes Codex harmonization. Please attach your own note of outrage to the letter I have below, and fax or email it in to President Clinton, Senators Hatch and Harkin, as well as your own Senators and Representatives. The final meeting of the Commission is this coming thursday and friday in DC. Congress doesn’t come back in til the first week in Sept. This is a major scam. Foods ARE NOT DRUGS! International Advocates for Health Freedom 8/9/97 John C. Hammell, legislative advocate 2411 Monroe St. Hollywood, Florida Republic, America 800-333-2553, fax on demand 954-927-8795, fax 954-929-0507 Senator Orrin G. Hatch c/o Tricia Knight Fax 202-224-6331 Senator Tom Harkin c/o Sabrina Corlette Senator Connie Mack c/o Mark Smith Dr. Ken Fisher, Executive Director, Commission on Dietary Supplement Dr.Castro Re: The Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels Must Be STOPPED from Dear President Clinton, Senator Hatch, Senator Harkin, Senator Mack…. and last, but certainly not least, Dr. Fisher of the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels: As a consumer, representing millions of American consumers of Dietary Supplements, (as well as millions of angry consumers world wide), I am very concerned by the scam I see unfolding vis a vis the Commission on Dietary Supplements Report, which just underwent a comments period, and which holds its final meeting on August 14-15, in the middle of summer, while people are on vacation, while Congress is recessed, while people are largely unaware of what is going on. What a SCAM! Of the 123 comments received by the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels (CDSL), one was mine, one was Suzanne Harris’s of the Law Loft (representing Life Extension Foundation’s 100,000 + members, along with National Health Federation’s 200,000 plus members), one was Emord and Associates (representing 11 parties inlcuding Dr.Julian Whitaker whose news letter reaches over 500,000), Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, etc. In addition, of the 123 total comments, 77 were copies of a form letter that I generated, which people from all over the US agreed with and sent in by email and fax. My comments support those of Emord, and The Law Loft, and 77 citizens sent in form letters agreeing with me. Who do you answer to, Dr.Fisher, the American people, or the European-American Phytomedicines Coalition (the multinational pharmaceutical industry)? It comes as no surprise to us that the EAPC strongly supports the Commission’s effort’s to create an OTC drug category for herbs– but is this in the best interests of American consumers, or American industry??? Upon close examination of the documents submitted by Emord and Associates, and the Law Loft, it would not only be illegal for the Commission’s final report to contain recommendation that an OTC drug category for herbs- by blindly accepting the FDA’s undefined "significant scientific agreement standard" the Commission is BLOCKING our access to truthful health information. Significant Scientific Agreement is essentially a synonym for the consensus rule, the Frye rule, or the "general acceptence" test. In the world of science, business interests, and politics, this does not always translate to the truth. Often, it is a matter of "old boy politics" and "committee politics". This runs contrary to the Supreme Court decision of Daubert vs Merrell Dow. On June 29, 1993 the Supreme Court overturned the "consensus doctrine." The "old boys" club is DEAD! I urge every member of Congress to closely examine Emord’s and the Law Loft’s comments, because from an emerging international law perspective, it would harm American industry to re-write America’s laws on botanicals so that Europeans can take over much of our domestic markets! Along with the ratification of the NAFTA and Uruguay round of the GATT, America and other nations signed the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement which created new important mechanisms to promote food trade. These were the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures within the World Trade Organization, and the establishment of the pre-existing Codex Alimentarius Committee as the body that sets international reference standards for safety in international food trade. Under the terms of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Agreement, any nation that adopts a Codex reference standard, guideline or recommendation for food safety is presumed not to have erected an unfair trade barrier. Conversely, any nation that erects a higher food safety standard than that prescribed by Codex runs the risk of having that standard found to be an unfair trade barrier by the WTO. That this new system has teeth and claws was recently discovered by the EU when the WTO decided in a preliminary decision that EU legislative barriers to beef containing certain beef hormones were an unfair trade barrier, not in conformity with the Codex standard, not sufficiently justified by science and did not constitute a consistent risk management decision when compared to other EU standards. CAN WE GET OTHERS TO HARMONIZE WITH US? Suzanne Harris, JD of the Law Loft in in complete agreement with Jonathan Emord’s analysis which calls for the Commission to go "back to the drawing board" but she goes beyond his analysis to examine the issue of why it would be a mistake to create an OTC drug category for herbs from a standpoint of emerging international law. Harris attended the Codex Alimentarius Executive Committee Meeting in Geneva Switzerland at the end of June, and also sneaked in to the briefing on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures as a member of the press. In her detailed, well researched and footnoted comments, Harris concludes that its in the best interests of not only the American consumer, but for American manufacturers not to blur the lines between foods and drugs, but to keep these products classified as FOODS! Every member of Congress will want to read her comments to better understand how health freedom issues are playing out in America under emerging international law. I intend to bring her comments, and Emord’s to every member of Congress, and to distribute them widely on the internet, through my website and via radio discussions, magazine articles, and by any other means at my disposal. For Truth and Freedom, John C. Hammell Donations Needed- Am One Person Working Alone International Advocates for Health Freedom John C. Hammell, Legislative Advocate 2411 Monroe St.#2 Hollywood, FL 33020 USA 800-333-2553, 954-929-2905, FAX 954-929-0507, http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/hammell/index.html

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In: Hollywood Acting

Review of "Washington Information Directory 93-94"

Question:

CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY’S WASHINGTON INFORMATION DIRECTORY 1993- 1994, edited by Jerry A. Orvedahl. Congressional Quarterly Press, 1414 22nd St. N.W., Washington, D.C, 20037 (800) 638-1710, (202) 728-1863 FAX. Those with Internet access and a Washington alert password may access most of the information in this volume by telneting to cqalert.com. Those without Internet accounts, but possessing a Washington Alert password may call (202) 887-5101 (1200 and 2400 baud), (202) 293-0062 (9600 baud). More information on Washington Alert is available by calling (202) 887-6366. Illustrated (organization charts), map, name and subject indexes. 1126 pp., $89.95 cloth. 0-87187-772-4 REVIEW This book won’t tell you the latest gossip being bantered about Washington D.C.’s back rooms, but it will tell you where to find that information. For example, you may call Tom Foley, Speaker of the House (202-225-5604), and ask him why the Democrats in the House didn’t give Clinton more support on the budget bill, or you may call the Department of Health and Human Services (202- 690-6343) to ask why they plan to cut more than one-third of the positions at the Indian Health Service, when that agency receives only about two percent of the department’s funding. The "Washington Information Directory" is a snap to use. Arranged alphabetically by subject area (Energy, National Security, Science), each of the eighteen chapters contains a quick-reference of the most-used information (such as key agencies, committees and policymakers). The chapter is further divided into smaller subject areas, which are split into government agencies, Senate or House committees and subcommittees, and nonprofit private and special- interest groups that have offices in the Washington D.C. metro area. Displayed in this manner, the Subgovernment or "Iron Triangle" (where members of a congressional committees, bureaucratic departments or agencies, and interest groups have a cooperative arrangement and primary responsibility for the formation of public policy in specific areas) is easy to comprehend. The individual listings contain the name, address, and telephone number of the organization, names of key administrators and contact persons, and a short paragraph describing its function. While the directory tries to keep up with all the new faces (Dee Dee Myers, Press Secretary, and Janet Reno, Attorney General, are included), there have been many holds placed on nominees for several subcabinet-level positions. Senate rules allow individuals to delay action on confirmation proceedings in order to win concessions from the Executive Branch on policy issues, much the same tactic that is used with legislation. For this reason, several names are missing. Instead, the entry for that department lists the name of the acting or designat- ed administrator. A notable omission is Ada Deer (assistant secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs). While the directory is quite comprehensive, there is at least one discrepancy. There is no mention of the Indian Health Service Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, although there is an entry for its parent agency, Health and Human Services, also in Rockville. In addition to listing departments, agencies, and organiza- tions in Washington D.C., the directory lists foreign embassies, U.S. ambassadors, labor unions, regional sources of federal information, governors (lieutenant governors, secretaries of state, attorney generals) of states, mayors of major cities, members of the 103rd Congress (and their committee appointments), and details on using the Freedom of Information Act to obtain government information. The "Washington Information Directory" is highly recommended for the reference section of academic and public libraries, as well as on the desk of anyone desiring to influence or learn about public policy. The faces may change, but government muddles on.

Response:

I found the following book review in talk.politics.misc. I haven’t seen the book itself. Organization: Colorado SuperNet, Inc. CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY’S WASHINGTON INFORMATION DIRECTORY 1993- 1994, edited by Jerry A. Orvedahl. Congressional Quarterly Press, 1414 22nd St. N.W., Washington, D.C, 20037 (800) 638-1710, (202) 728-1863 FAX. Those with Internet access and a Washington alert password may access most of the information in this volume by telneting to cqalert.com. Those without Internet accounts, but possessing a Washington Alert password may call (202) 887-5101 (1200 and 2400 baud), (202) 293-0062 (9600 baud). More information on Washington Alert is available by calling (202) 887-6366. Illustrated (organization charts), map, name and subject indexes. 1126 pp., $89.95 cloth. 0-87187-772-4 REVIEW This book won’t tell you the latest gossip being bantered about Washington D.C.’s back rooms, but it will tell you where to find that information. For example, you may call Tom Foley, Speaker of the House (202-225-5604), and ask him why the Democrats in the House didn’t give Clinton more support on the budget bill, or you may call the Department of Health and Human Services (202- 690-6343) to ask why they plan to cut more than one-third of the positions at the Indian Health Service, when that agency receives only about two percent of the department’s funding. The "Washington Information Directory" is a snap to use. Arranged alphabetically by subject area (Energy, National Security, Science), each of the eighteen chapters contains a quick-reference of the most-used information (such as key agencies, committees and policymakers). The chapter is further divided into smaller subject areas, which are split into government agencies, Senate or House committees and subcommittees, and nonprofit private and special- interest groups that have offices in the Washington D.C. metro area. Displayed in this manner, the Subgovernment or "Iron Triangle" (where members of a congressional committees, bureaucratic departments or agencies, and interest groups have a cooperative arrangement and primary responsibility for the formation of public policy in specific areas) is easy to comprehend. The individual listings contain the name, address, and telephone number of the organization, names of key administrators and contact persons, and a short paragraph describing its function. While the directory tries to keep up with all the new faces (Dee Dee Myers, Press Secretary, and Janet Reno, Attorney General, are included), there have been many holds placed on nominees for several subcabinet-level positions. Senate rules allow individuals to delay action on confirmation proceedings in order to win concessions from the Executive Branch on policy issues, much the same tactic that is used with legislation. For this reason, several names are missing. Instead, the entry for that department lists the name of the acting or designat- ed administrator. A notable omission is Ada Deer (assistant secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs). While the directory is quite comprehensive, there is at least one discrepancy. There is no mention of the Indian Health Service Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, although there is an entry for its parent agency, Health and Human Services, also in Rockville. In addition to listing departments, agencies, and organiza- tions in Washington D.C., the directory lists foreign embassies, U.S. ambassadors, labor unions, regional sources of federal information, governors (lieutenant governors, secretaries of state, attorney generals) of states, mayors of major cities, members of the 103rd Congress (and their committee appointments), and details on using the Freedom of Information Act to obtain government information. The "Washington Information Directory" is highly recommended for the reference section of academic and public libraries, as well as on the desk of anyone desiring to influence or learn about public policy. The faces may change, but government muddles on. —

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In: Acting Agency

You online HQ for everything ACTING

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