Gamer Profile: Left 4 Dead 2

Name: IzzyShae

Favorite Character(s): Zoey & Rochelle

Rochelle

Zoey

 

Melee Weapon(s) of Choice: Baseball Bat, Chainsaw, or Katana

Tier 1 Gun(s) of Choice: Silenced Submachine Gun

 Tier 2 Gun(s) of Choice: The Assault Rife

 Special Weapon(s) of Choice: Grenade launcher or M60 depending on mood. Normally the launcher

 

 Grenade(s) of Choice: Bile bomb, but pipe bomb is a close second.

  Weapon Upgrade(s) of Choice: Laser sights with explosive rounds

Carried Item of choice: Gas Can

A Mini-Upgrade for My Computer!

Targus 4-Port Hub

So yesterday, while we were picking up a few things at the store I finally picked up a much needed part for my computer. A 4-port hub. After looking at several options, I picked the Targus 4-Port Hub. I am in Love!

My computer only has 3 USB ports, which may seem like plenty to some people, but when you consider the printer cable, the external cable, the mouse, the keyboard, and a jump drive or two you suddenly realize that with 5 USB ports needed and only 3 on the computer... i needed a fix for this problem.

The Targus 4-Port (pictured right) has a flat, flexible grey cord which you plug into one USB port. Any device you plug into it shows up just like it would if you plugged it into the computer. The flexible cord is just strong enough to keep the other cables from pulling the flat cable out, but at the same time you can  bend and flex it as needed to fit into what ever place it needs to be: great for limited desk space. Also, because they made the cord flat, you can plug it into a double port and still  plug something else above it.The port itself (the dark grey/black portion) is only about 3 inches long and a 1/2 inch high.

I am SO happy to have this much needed upgrade! 

Now I don't have to choose between printing or opening the file!

The Return of Game Fuel

It's time to bring back a great thing-- GAME FUEL

Today Mountain Dew anounced that this October they will re-release Mountain Dew Game Fuel (original and a new flavor?) to celebrate the launch of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. They will have codes to get items for CoDMW3. Granted, I don't care much for any CoD game, but it's GAME FUEL!

Original Halo3 Game Fuel was the only way I got through my 8 am Bio class. 

It fueled several long nights of studying as well as gaming. 

 

It has a Cherry-Citrus flavor which I think is awesome (less cherry than Code Red has, a much lighter taste).

I missed the second release (Horde vs ...Dark Elves?) But I will not miss the third. I can't wait for October.

Is it bad that I am getting hyper just looking at the pictures?

I'll have to stock up and drink it in small amounts.

I am trying to be healthier but this might have thrown a kink in things.

Belly Dancing - DVD Reviews

Bellydance for Total Beginners

Product description by the makers: 

Click for a Link to the Product Site

Learning bellydance is an amazing personal makeover experience welcoming women of any age, size or shape. It infuses your everyday movement with sensual flair and confidence, helps you rediscover and enjoy the power of femininity and the seductive grace woven by nature into the curves of your body.
Bellydance: First Steps for Total Beginners is a step-by-step bellydance instruction program presented in a continuous movement format. Created by Neon, trend-setting instructor acclaimed for her innovative fast-track methods of teaching beginners and supportive, nurturing style, First Steps takes you from basic moves to graceful and sensual bellydance combinations through non-stop practice with beautiful uplifting music. Move and dance from the very first step!
The program consists of 48 2-3 min. segments systematically teaching all major types of bellydance steps.  Each segment breaks down, explains and drills a basic bellydance move and an easy-to-grasp  combination that shows how to use it. The movement starts slowly, then progresses to full speed. Neon offers detailed tips and visualisations promoting correct, solid and safe technique from the very start, and carefully cues each move and combination for easy following.
In Bellydance First Steps for Total Beginners a consistent system of animated onscreen graphics is superimposed on Neon's moving image to present dance moves as trajectories following geometric shapes, and effectively interpret movement angles and directions, promoting accelerated learning.
The 48 segments of the program are assembled into 12 sessions - each session is capped with a movement review (a Dance Party section) practicing all the steps and combinations covered in the preceding session.
The 12 sessions cover: rhythmic hips and steps (releasing the hips, getting attuned to rhythm), bellydance percussive hipwork 1 & 2, combining bellydance footwork with hipwork, fluid bellydance hipwork, combining fluid and percussive hipwork, upper body moves and accents, combining fluid hipwork and upper body accents, easy hipwork combinations, challenging hipwork combinations, challenging fluid movements, shimmy.
The DVD edition of First Steps for Total Beginners also offers a 25 minute flow featuring only the Dance Party segments for advanced beginner practice, and two versions of the entire program - with music and voice cues, and with music only for every day practice

 My Perspective:

Still waiting on the DVD. Will review after a few lessons.

Room for a second line to be written.

The Positive:  TBW

The Neutral: TBW

The Negative: TBW

Would I buy it again? TBW

Luscious: The Bellydance Workout

Product description by the makers:

Click for a Link to the Product Site

Lavish and overflowing with deep, rich, feminine movement, “Luscious: The Bellydance Workout” is made of 100% of bellydance moves and steps It is gentle, but it will work your body to enhance your muscle tone, flexibility, and fluidity, and promote weight loss. With a special focus on muscle conditioning and elongation, the program works each group of muscles deeply - using carefully built combinations to switch between muscle groups and add intensity to the workout.
“Luscious: The Bellydance Workout” features gorgeous music and a beautiful flow undiluted by conventional exercises. Systematically addressing each group of muscles to deliver a total body workout, it creates an entertaining and aesthetically fulfilling dance experience inspiring you to do your best in executing each move with the proper depth, range of motion, and articulation.
A true dance experience as much as a fitness experience, “Luscious” is beginner level, but it offers you a perspective of challenge and growth. The workout consists of 7 sections, each building consistently upon the dance vocabulary covered in the previous sections through its own series of combinations. The combinations include classic bellydance transitions between steps to help you create the muscle memory to ingrain dance in your body.
“Luscious” is an "instructional workout." It introduces the dance vocabulary in a careful, systematic way and contains an extensive tutorial section breaking down each move used in the workout.
If this is one of your first steps in bellydance, this program will be a fun introduction to all the basic groups of bellydance moves and transitions. If you are a dancer, it’s a great way to practice the core of the bellydance technique and vocabulary through functional drills performed in the context of dance combinations and transitions creating an extra layer of muscle memory that isolated drills do not provide.
           Workout duration - 45 min.
            Tutorial section - 50 min.
The Circles section explores circular bellydance moves. It follows a slow-to-moderate tempo, working both the lower and upper body through isolations. Next is the Infinity Loops section. Together with the stretching and toning impact of every move in this section, infinity loops are the ultimate exercise in fluidity. Undulations maintain flexibiilty of your spine and help develop deep awareness of your core. They are also a challenging full-body muscle-conditioning exercise.The bellydance hipwork section exercises your thighs, glutes, and abdominal muscles. In the Hip Accents section we’ll perform traditional bellydance hip moves and then weave them together with the fluid movements: circles, infinity loops and undulations. Hipwork is what gives bellydance such vibrancy and party appeal - these steps look great on any dance floor. The Shimmy - that effortless shaking of the hips - is actually hard work! Join us to shake your way through a few styles of shimmy, and enjoy the wide range of shimmy flavors. The Body Line section is built of moves involving your total body. It shifts focus from working individual body parts to dance steps that offer the most stretching and give you a dancerly posture and carriage. The last section is a short dance routine choreographed entirely of the bellydance moves featured in the workout.

 My Perspective:

This was the first DVD I purchased to continue learning belly dancing after I learned on a cruise (only 4 basic classes).
Ok, on the one hand, I appreciate that this DVD has a tutorial section, but it is not enough for a total beginning (this was why I actually purchased "Bellydance for total Beginners"). If I had never taken one class, this DVD would be a crash course which throws you into water which is over your head, not necessarily the deep end, but it's a struggle. Even with my 4 classes there are many things I just couldn't wrap my head around, so I sent away for an even simpler version.

The Positive: I loved the sets they do, they have some great combinations as well as some awesome reminders, like which foot your weight is on.

The Neutral: One thing to note, follow this in mirror: you will see the dancer put the weight on her right, your left food and the instruction says "weight on left." This is important to know because otherwise you might end up on your but after some combinations.

The Negative: The angles. Sometimes the camera angles make it difficult to see how a move is being done, or what plane it is on (is it a horizontal or vertical infinity loop).

Would I buy it again?  

Who I am

Basics

Name: Sarah Buxbaum

Status: Married


Profession: Student (graduate level)

Training to be: A counselor (mental health and marriage and family)

Hobbies

Sports: Paintball (member of Operation Foxtrot Uniform)

Rescue: Transporter for Dog Liberator

Recreation: Learning Belly Dancing
                     Video Gaming

Favorites:

Color(s): Black and Blue

Gaming System:  XBox 360
Games: Fable I-III
              Morrowind
              Oblivion
              Left 4 Dead (1&2)
Soda: Mountain Dew (Voltage, Original, Game Fuel)

Belly Dancing - First Undulation

 On saturday, while I was on my way back to Florida the mail carrier brought a package I'd ordered a few
weeks prior. I am working on teaching myself to belly dance after taking four classes on our honeymoon cruise. So far I have been using Youtube videos from Expert Village and E How Dancing but as of Saturday I am also adding "Luscious: the Belly Dance Workout" to my regiment.

I know, I know it sounds ridiculous which is exactly what I thought when I saw the promotional video, but for some reason I pursued it anyway. Since I opened it and watched the initial instructional portion I have been practicing around the house, working on a horizontal and vertical infinity loops with my hips, various isolations, and finally... Undulations. 

I have discovered that I can easily grasp the concept of all except Undulations. could see the girls on the various videos do them and explain that you start from the top and work down but for the life of me I couldn't get my body to do anything similar to what they were doing. Maybe my Undulation muscles were broken or something.

I stood in front of various mirrors, trying to work the patterns together, top, middle, down, hips... I looked like I was sticking my chest out and swinging my hips from front to back, no where near the fluid motion that  the dancers had. I tried again and again, yet still the same jerky motion. Today I tried again as I was getting ready to go out, another jerky attempt, something closer, then suddenly everything aligned and my stomach did a ripple.

I was so shocked I just stood there, staring at the mirror, wondering what I had done different. Another attempt- jerky... then again, I had it!  
I was so happy I promptly ran out and showed Tom, who smiled and nodded, not quite sure why I seemed incredibly amused with my ability to make my stomach roll.

One step forward! What to try next....

Thoughts: Would people buy a pet "car kit"?

I am thinking this would probably fit better under my Rescue Resources or Transporter Guide blogs, but the post itself is neither a resource nor a guide, just the musing of a brain at midnight on a cup of very strong coffee. A brain that is also dodging homework--but here's my thought/question:

Would pet owners/transporters be interested in a pre-made kit to help with the transport of animals?

I am thinking of ways to raise funds to donate to my rescue of choice (oh come on by now you have to know which that is!) and have been thinking about what I could do to achieve this goal.

So I came up with the idea of a kit. This is something I would have loved in the start, and maybe others would be interested too. Then again, maybe I am kind of like that weird uncle who always has an "amazing idea" as to how to make some money... Anyhow!

The kit could include:

• 2 pairs of latex gloves
• a slip lead
• instructions how to make a makeshift muzzle (with image?) 
• 1-2 poop bags
• wet wipes
• a mini hand sanitizer
• a small carabiner hook (maybe a special touch {or an upgrade} could be a heart or bone shaped one?)
• a case to hold it all. 

Clearly I would have to figure out the "make" cost and I could also consider other things to add (I was thinking 1-2 treats might be good) and I could also make two different versions (the "Transporter" and the "Dog Lover") which place more or less emphasis on certain items (for example, the owner might need more poop bags while the transporter might need more gloves).

Other possible items:

• dog treats
• mini first aid kit
• Card about suggestions to ease travel stress

So, to anyone who is out there, and has randomly bumped into my blog, what do you think?
Would you consider buying  a Car Kit if it benefited rescue?

I might come back here and edit this post a bit, adding things in, taking them out, etc. I'll try to keep note of the changes at the bottom of this post.

Edits:

• Alternative option - non-latex glove option