I Watched "Deliver Me" Last Night...

I watched it on Discovery Health. I love that channel. It showed high risk births and the tribulations the moms-to-be had to go through to deliver. One woman had to be on bed rest for 50 days in the hospital. She had an incompetent cervix. The doctors had to put a stitch in it to keep it shut so the baby wouldn't come out early. Gosh, those women were strong. Even one of the OBGYN's had a high-risk pregnancy and was ordered to bed rest. She cried but went home but then didn't exactly comply with the bed rest order. Her colleagues got on her about that! Good show.

Housewives of New York, New Jersey and Basketball Wives: I Am So Late to the Party!

I am so late to the party with these fabulous shows. Now I see that Bethany of HONY will have her own spin off show about her getting married. However, I watched both shows on Bravo last night and I could not stop watching! Granted, I had seen the HONY but last night was my first time watching Housewives of New Jersey and I just don't know how Danielle puts herself through all of that. It is clear that certain women cannot be involved with her but she is still open to to them, fueling the gossip about her. Danielle's daughter is gorgeous but she should listen to her about who to let into her life. Some folks are like oil and water and just don't mix–no matter what.
Now, I know all of the shows I am watching are probably last season old but like I said, I am so late to the party.
I saw Basketball Wives on BET last weekend and I didn't even know a woman can be a size negative! I am not familiar with all of the names but the tiny girl who is cute went shopping with the tall one who wants separate wings for her and her spouse(?) and the transformation was magnificent. All of the women featured on these shows offer a glimpse into their fabulous lives and how they handle adversity. I also watch Tiny & Toya on BET. I like that show because the women are doing things like opening businesses and helping their family achieve goals. Tiny & Toya also offer that glimpse behind otherwise closed doors. I really am anxious to see how the nail shop develops the story line. Really great television watching.
BlipFM Song of the Day: http://ping.fm/zYKGE

Horders: Buried Alive

Well, I watched Horders on TLC last night and again, I do not understand how the Horders also have filth involved. Some of the Horders are rather neat and orderly in their effort to collect and save items for their personal enjoyment. (yes, I have hording tendencies) And, then some have dead cats, dirty, stained carpets, spoiled food in plates everywhere. To me, that is not hording but nastiness. There is a distinct difference between throwing a half-eaten plate of food on the floor–fork and all–and saving decorative plates to display later.
Another thing I noticed is that most of the Horders have money to burn on unnecessary items.
I understand the hording mind, I do.
Granted, when I first saw the show Horders, I saw a lot of myself in the ones who like to save things thinking it will be useful later or hate to throw things away only to find its use later and not have it. However, I cleaned up my act straightaway! I didn't even know hording existed. I called it "saving things."
http://ping.fm/t08V3

Oklahoma to Become Fourth Retail Market for Honda's Natural Gas-Powered Civic GX

Dealer network expands for retail sales of nation's only natural gas-powered vehicle sold by an OEM

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., recently announced that dealers in Oklahoma will now have the option of selling the compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Honda Civic GX to customers on a retail basis. There are 13 Honda dealers in Oklahoma, three of which are already selling the Civic GX as a fleet vehicle.

"Expanding Honda's Civic GX retail program along with the continued success of fleet sales expresses our commitment to the environment and natural gas vehicle technology," said Elmer Hardy, senior manager of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Sales & Marketing. "Honda seeks market opportunities for the Civic GX where strong natural gas refueling infrastructure exists, and we continue to see its promise as a clean, sustainable, domestically-sourced alternative fuel."

Honda is the only OEM currently selling a CNG-powered vehicle on a retail basis in the United States. Additionally, the Civic GX is the only OEM-built, CNG-powered passenger car assembled in America. The Civic GX is built on the same assembly line as the gasoline-powered Civic 4-door models at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana manufacturing facility.

In 2006, the Civic GX became available for the first time to retail customers in California. Since then, retail sales have expanded to New York, Utah and now, Oklahoma. Currently, 43 dealers in California, 19 in New York and eight in Utah have added Retail Sales Addendums to their Honda Sales Agreements that enable them to sell the Civic GX on a retail basis. When including dealerships that sell fleet vehicles, there are a total of 134 Civic GX dealers in 33 states.

Oklahoma is an ideal market to expand retail sales of the Civic GX with its low refueling costs, a generous state tax incentive toward the purchase of a new Civic GX and solid fleet sales. As the second largest natural gas producing state in the U.S., Oklahoma already has a strong existing CNG station infrastructure with robust plans to expand the network over the next several years.

The 2010 Civic GX achieves an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy of 24/36** miles per gasoline-gallon equivalent and is the only vehicle certified by the EPA to meet both Federal Tier 2-Bin 2 and Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) zero evaporative emission certification standards. Additionally, the Honda Civic GX is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever tested by the EPA, and for the seventh straight year, the Civic GX NGV was named "Greenest Vehicle" by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Honda recalls Odyssey and Element for "soft" brakes

Statement by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Regarding VSA Modulator Recall

TORRANCE, Calif. – March 16, 2010 – Honda will recall approximately 344,000 Odyssey and 68,000 Element vehicles from the 2007-2008 model years in the U.S. to modify the Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) modulator. Honda has received customer complaints of brake pedals that feel “soft” or that gradually exhibit a pedal height that gets lower (closer to the floor) before the vehicle stops. In affected vehicles, this condition tends to very slowly increase over time.

Some VSA modulators were assembled in a manner that could allow air intrusion, making it possible for air to enter the modulator during the VSA self-check mode. While only a miniscule amount of air can enter the system during each check, over a period of months or years, the air will accumulate and can result in the “soft brake pedal” or “low brake pedal” condition symptoms associated with this issue. Although not all vehicles being recalled are affected by this issue, we are recalling all possible units to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly.

Honda is announcing this recall to encourage all owners of these vehicles to take their vehicle to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification from Honda that their vehicle is affected. Notification to customers will start at the end of April.

Once owners of these vehicles receive written notification of this recall from Honda, they should contact their authorized Honda dealer to schedule an appointment for repair. When Honda identifies concerns of this nature, nothing is more important to the company than fulfilling our obligation and responsibility to alert our customers. To this end in addition to contacting customers by mail, after April 19, 2010, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicle requires repair by going on-line or calling. Honda owners can go to www.recalls.honda.com or call (800) 999-1009, and select option 4.

Babies Born to HIV-Positive Growing Generations Surrogacy Clients to Double in 2010

Obama Administration's Lifting of Restrictions on Visas for HIV-Positive Foreigners Opens Program to International Clients
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's largest surrogacy agency announced today that the number of babies born to HIV-positive clients is expected to more than double in 2010 as its program for HIV-positive men using their own sperm to create embryos continues to expand in the U.S. and abroad. In 2009, Growing Generations had 5 babies born to HIV-positive parents working with surrogates and in 2010 more than 10 babies are expected.
"It is so amazing for us to see these babies being born to loving, healthy parents who have dreamed of this opportunity for years," said Growing Generations CEO Stuart Miller. "As the first agency to create a program specifically for clients with HIV, our expertise and guidance of this process is unparalleled."

Participants in Growing Generations' HIV program go through the same process as other clients with the addition of an extensive health screening and preparation process for the sperm which virtually eliminates any risk of exposure to the surrogate or embryo. Many men with HIV show no material trace of the virus in their semen. The sperm preparation process has been used for more than a decade in non-surrogacy related pregnancies and, as is the case with all of Growing Generations surrogates and babies, no one has become infected with HIV.
The program is now available not only to citizens of the U.S. but to international clients as well due to the Obama administration's lifting of the restriction on visas for HIV-positive foreigners. In January of this year, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed HIV infection from the list of diseases that prevent non-U.S. citizens from entering the country.
"We are extremely pleased that the Obama administration has removed a restriction that should have been removed a long time ago," added Miller. "Our company has always been at the forefront of fighting against discrimination and our ability to now serve clients with HIV from around the world is something we are very proud of. We anticipate that as people with HIV learn of this opportunity, we will continue to see more of them choose surrogacy as their family building option."

To learn more about Growing Generations, please visit http://www.growinggenerations.com/.

Since 1996, Growing Generations has been a company passionately dedicated to the vision of creating life and, in the process, changing the world. Founded by gay and lesbian parents, our mission is simple -- to build families of choice for communities around the globe through surrogacy, egg donation, and sperm donation.

Gas Station Divas-The First Part

http://www.scribd.com/ljonesmccloud