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13:33–Rx’d the squats & burpees but had to cut the # of pull-ups to 12-9-6. THANKS SO MUCH to my support group (Casey, Clair & Jane) for pushing me & refusing to let me quit!
Clair Lee says:
July 30, 2012 at 10:33 am
You did great Wendy!
July 30, 2012 at 9:45 am
Hey guys, me and my roommates are looking for anyone who wants to sublease our 3 bedroom apartmentfor the next 5 months. I’m leaving and another one of my roommates just bought a house. It’s at Lily Flagg Station and it’s a great place with very reasonable rent. If you want more information or know someone who might be interested e-mail me – jakenaumcheff@gmail.com or call/text me – 2566034885
Clair Lee says:
July 30, 2012 at 10:31 am
9:33 Rx’d. Now, that was a workout to get your Monday morning started. Thanks for the coaching and push Robert! Thanks also to Jane for the extra push to finish sub 10. Great morning!
Jane says:
July 30, 2012 at 11:27 am
7:38 rx’d. Thanks for the push, Clair! Loved the mobility work before the WOD, Robert. We had a lot of great energy in the 7am class!
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Articles Abstracts Tables of contents New publications What's new Calendar Education links Back issues
27 February 2015
Issue: Volume 13 Issue 3 > Articles
Tackling the school industry mathematics divide
This article consists of edited extracts from Identifying and Supporting Quantitative Skills of 21st Century Workers: Final Report. Prepared by the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers and the Australian Industry Group, © Commonwealth of Australia 2014.
The teaching of mathematics in secondary schools and the use of mathematical skills in the workforce are very different. Students who are mathematically capable at school often have difficulty transferring this ability to the workplace. This issue was tackled by the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers and the Australian Industry Group with support from the Office of the Chief Scientist in a project entitled Identifying and Supporting Quantitative Skills of 21st Century Workers. The project examined the relationship between workplace mathematics and school practices to identify gaps between numeracy and quantitative skills in senior schooling and the expectations of modern workplaces; how mathematical skills are understood and used in workplaces compared to classrooms; quantitative skills in use in workplaces; and how to support the transfer and application of mathematical skills required in workplace contexts.
The application of mathematics in the workplace is not straightforward and goes beyond a command of ‘core’ or basic mathematical content. Workers perform sophisticated functions which require confidence to identify, use and apply mathematical skills in problem-solving situations and knowledge of the consequences of the procedures. Workers need a blend of the following:
ability to recognise and identify how and when mathematics is used in the workplace;
an understanding of mathematical concepts, procedures and skills;
an understanding of the kinds of practical tasks they need to perform; and
the strategic processes they should be able to use in using and applying mathematics.
There is a gap in the ability of young people to integrate these skills in the workplace. Current school teaching approaches generally emphasise these skills separately. Building these capacities through mathematics connects strongly with the general work on ‘executive functions’ that is emerging as important in preparing young people for work.
The case study approach
Twelve teachers ‘drilled down’ and examined twelve volunteer workplaces. These included engineering, drafting, manufacturing, retail, mining and defence. The teachers used semi-structured interviews, work shadowing, observations and qualitative analysis to provide insights into how workers use mathematical skills and concepts to perform practical tasks, focussing on identifying the mathematical skills used and how these skills were acquired; patterns and common characteristics in the examples of the use of mathematics; models of future practice of transfer of mathematical skills to the workplace; and investigating the skills workers needed for the job and what they currently have.
The place and importance of mathematics
Mathematics is extremely important in all of the companies involved. Changing work practices generate new demands for mathematical skills, particularly in efficiency, innovation, quality and continuous improvement. Managers and Supervisors consider mathematics very important in ‘maintaining operations’ and the ‘routine procedures’ of a company.
What mathematics is used in workplaces?
The level and scope of mathematics used by the workers observed, and required by employers, was generally consistent with the Essential or General subjects of the new Senior Years Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. Although the skills observed appear to be fundamental, it is their use and application in work contexts that is not straightforward.
The mathematics used is never required in isolation, in contrast with common practices in schooling.
How was mathematics used in the workplaces?
Mathematics is applied in both routine and complex tasks requiring sophisticated use of fundamental mathematical skills and ‘judgement’ or ‘problem-solving’ procedures. Workplace mathematics is performed differently to school mathematics. Mathematical demands may be present implicitly in the workplace tasks, often through tasks that are not obviously mathematical.
There is a growing need in the workplace to communicate information effectively, based on mathematical data and inferences, and involving managers, colleagues and customers. Team-based work is becoming more common because of its importance in improving processes and this includes using mathematical reasoning and ideas through appropriate language and representation.
The role of technology in the workplaces
Many people in the workplace are engaged with technology, particularly in using spreadsheets and graphical outputs. There is an inter-dependency of mathematical skills and the use of technology in the workplace in ways that are not commonly reflected in current teaching practice.
The perception is that technology is transforming workplace practices and the use of technology has changed the mathematical skills required – while not reducing the need for mathematics. Through technological change, mathematics has become more important and more embedded in the role of the modern worker.
The extensive use of technology has changed the way that work is done, and also the work itself – more sophisticated processes and analyses can now be done using technology.
Workers need to be more mathematically competent in order to understand the processes being undertaken, to assess and reflect on the accuracy and appropriateness of results, and understand and interpret the information produced by these analyses.
The following is a summary of the quantitative skills identified in the workplaces. These are detailed in the Quantitative Skills Map developed by the project.
Workplace activities related to measurement generally include making initial estimates of measurement and performing the measurement correctly using appropriate instruments; interpreting concepts and units of measure and describing using suitable language and symbols; choosing appropriate formulae to calculate quantities of common shapes; performing conversion between metric units; and checking reasonableness of results and interpreting in terms of original purpose.
Workers are often required to estimate approximate answers when exact calculations are not required. They need to know when to make a choice between calculation and estimation, depending on a particular process. Estimations can take the place of accurate calculations where precision is not required, or can be used to check mentally whether an error has been made.
Workers apply basic mathematical concepts to calculate workplace information. Multiplication, addition and subtraction are performed on whole numbers (for product quantities) and decimals (associated with measurements and money) on a daily basis. Percentages are calculated by workers and apply to many functions in the workplace in order to communicate workplace information such as productivity and performance data. Ratio and proportion are needed for workers to understanding and work with quantities and proportions.
Even when using technology, workers think through a problem to work out the right calculations to perform. They also need to know how to use the technology.
A diverse range of simple mathematical formulae are used by workers in the course of their jobs when calculating areas, volumes, dimensions and flow rates. They also need to select and use appropriate formulae to calculate the measurement properties of common shapes.
Many need the ability to create formulae through an understanding of relationships between variables.
Many workers use drawings, plans and diagrams in their day-to-day jobs. They are often involved in reading and interpreting some aspects of plans and diagrams—particularly with an array of symbols and measurements. Workers interpret scales in diagrams, solve problems using plans, drawings and diagrams and create and investigate shapes and their representation.
Workers use tables of product sizes, specifications and costs on a daily basis. The ability to interpret mathematical data is essential to the workplace, particularly in problem solving and quality improvement. They need to read, interpret, and transform data from charts and spreadsheets; interpret statistical data to monitor quality of products; and recognise trends in data.
Many tasks involve workers in problem solving and decision-making using mathematical skills. They use mathematical problem-solving techniques to investigate and solve problems and undertake sophisticated tasks. This includes the ability to reflect on the reasonableness and accuracy of their results and possible alternative methods and solutions; model mathematical information; and communicate data and mathematical information.
Implications for teaching and learning mathematics
Teachers should be provided with information about the wider uses and applications of particular mathematical ideas in the workplace.
There is a need to improve the connections between mathematics in schools and in the world of work for young people. In the workplace, the mathematical skills are placed into a complex, problem based ‘whole’ (the process) and embedded in a specific work context. Neither form of these types of connections are emphasised nearly enough in school mathematics.
There should be an emphasis on building students’ confidence and their ability to interpret, understand and use mathematics in a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
It is more important than ever before for teachers to consider how they teach as well as what they teach—what and how cannot be separated when developing skills in key areas such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and mathematical modelling.
Given that the transfer of mathematical skills to the workplace is not straightforward, there is a need to promote the teaching of mathematical skills and understandings in a way that encourages connections between mathematics and the real world and on the transfer of skills. The more contexts in which students are explicitly required and supported to transfer their mathematics, the more highly developed these skills will become.
There is a need to identify and take opportunities to embed work-related technologies—particularly spreadsheets and computer generated graphics—in the mathematics curriculum and teaching in schools.
Continuing and sustained dialogue and collaborative effort between mathematics teachers, their schools, industry, governments and other stakeholders are essential to address the five key areas for action identified in the project’s recommendations:
1. Generate national awareness and understanding of how mathematics is conceptualised and used in workplace settings.
2. Research and develop strategies for mathematics teaching in schools which meet contemporary workplace requirements.
3. Ensure that the Australian Curriculum provides guidance for the transfer of mathematical skills to the workplace.
4. Develop a strategy for supporting change in schools.
5. Develop a strategy for supporting development of mathematical capability and numeracy in the workplace.
The title of this article is taken from a paper summarising the report, published by the Office of the Chief Scientist.
The Final Report and full Quantitative Skills Map are available from The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers; The Australian Industry Group; and The Office of the Chief Scientist. This project was conducted with the assistance of funding provided by the Australian Government Department of Industry through the Office of the Chief Scientist.
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If you want to learn how to trade without all the bells and whistles, price action trading is for you. Price action trading is a simple and effective way to trade that doesn’t require fancy indicators or complicated theories.
What is a price action strategy
What are the benefits of using a price action strategy
What are some common price action signals
How do you manage risk when trading with a price action strategy
What are some common mistakes traders make when using a price action strategy
How do you adjust a price action strategy for different market conditions
What are some advanced price action trading techniques
Can you use a price action strategy in all markets
What are the limitations of a price action strategy
What is a price action strategy
When it comes to trading, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Different traders will have different strategies that work for them. Some may prefer technical analysis, while others may prefer fundamental analysis.
One popular strategy is price action trading. Price action trading is a technique where you base your trades on the price movements of the market, rather than on indicators or other technical factors.
There are many different ways to trade price action, but one common method is to look for candlestick patterns. Candlesticks are a way of representing price data, and certain patterns can give you an indication of where the market might be headed.
Another common price action strategy is to look for support and resistance levels. These are points where the market has reversed in the past, and they can give you an idea of where the market might turn in the future.
Price action trading can be a very effective way to trade the markets. If you are new to trading, it may be worth giving it a try.
What are the benefits of using a price action strategy
There are many benefits of using a price action strategy in trading. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is that it can help to keep your trading simple. By only taking into account the price action, you are not relying on any indicators or other forms of analysis, which can often be confusing. This can lead to better decision-making and overall performance as a trader.
Another big benefit is that price action strategies can be used in any market and on any time frame. This makes them very versatile and means that you can tailor your trading to suit your own preferences. You can also use price action strategies to trade news events, which is something that many traders find difficult to do.
Finally, price action strategies can be used alongside other forms of technical analysis, which can help to improve your overall trading results. By combining different techniques, you can get a better picture of what is happening in the market and make more informed decisions.
What are some common price action signals
There are a few common price action signals that traders look for when making decisions about their trades. One signal is a candlestick pattern known as a doji. A doji occurs when the opening and closing prices of a security are equal or very close to each other. This signal indicates that there is indecision in the market and that prices could go either way. Another common signal is a trend line break. This occurs when the price of a security breaks out of an established trend line, which can indicate a change in the direction of the price. Finally, many traders also watch for support and resistance levels. These are price levels where the price has had trouble breaking through in the past, which can indicate that it may have difficulty doing so again in the future.
In order to identify a valid price action signal, there are a few things you will need to look for. First, you will want to make sure that the signal is coming from a reliable source. There are many websites and forums that claim to have the best signals, but not all of them are created equal. You will also want to make sure that the signal is based on sound technical analysis. This means that it should be based on support and resistance levels, chart patterns, or other factors that have been shown to be effective in predicting future price movements. Finally, you will want to make sure that the signal is timely. This means that it should be generated before the move has already begun, so that you can get in on the action.
How do you manage risk when trading with a price action strategy
When it comes to trading with a price action strategy, there are a few things you need to keep in mind in order to manage risk effectively. First and foremost, you need to make sure that you are only trading with money that you can afford to lose. This means that you should never trade with money that you need for other purposes, such as rent or bills. Additionally, you need to make sure that you set aside a portion of your account specifically for trading. This way, even if you do lose money on a trade, you will still have money left over to cover your expenses.
Another important thing to remember when managing risk is to always use stop-loss orders. A stop-loss order is an order that is placed with your broker that automatically sells your position if the market moves against you by a certain amount. This way, you can limit your losses on a trade if the market moves against you. Additionally, you should always use a take-profit order when possible. A take-profit order is an order that is placed with your broker that automatically sells your position when the market reaches a certain price. This way, you can lock in profits on a trade if the market moves in your favor.
Finally, it is important to remember that no one has an exact crystal ball when it comes to the markets. This means that there will always be some element of risk when trading. However, by following the tips above, you can help to minimize this risk and give yourself the best chance for success.
What are some common mistakes traders make when using a price action strategy
When it comes to trading, there is no shortage of strategies that traders can use to try and achieve success. One popular strategy is price action trading, which involves making decisions based on the movement of prices on a chart. While this strategy can be effective, there are also a number of mistakes that traders can make when using it. Here are some of the most common mistakes traders make when using a price action strategy:
One of the biggest mistakes that traders can make when using a price action strategy is not understanding what they’re seeing on the chart. This can lead to them making poor decisions based on faulty data. To avoid this, it’s important to take the time to learn how to read a price chart and to understand the different types of price patterns that can form.
2. Getting caught up in short-term movements
Another mistake that traders often make when using a price action strategy is getting caught up in short-term movements. While it’s important to pay attention to short-term price changes, these shouldn’t be the only factor that you consider when making trading decisions. Instead, you should also look at longer-term charts to get a better sense of the overall trend.
Some traders also make the mistake of over-analyzing the data when using a price action strategy. This can lead to them second-guessing their decisions or even missing out on good trading opportunities. To avoid this, you should have a clear plan for how you’re going to use the information from the price chart and stick to it.
4. Not giving enough weight to other factors
Finally, another mistake that traders can make when using a price action strategy is not giving enough weight to other factors. While the price chart is an important tool, it’s not the only thing you should consider when making trading decisions. Make sure to also take into account things like economic news and technical indicators before placing any trades.
How do you adjust a price action strategy for different market conditions
Different market conditions require different approaches to price action strategies. In a strong uptrend, for example, you would look to buy pullbacks and breakouts. However, in a downtrend you would look to sell rallies and breakouts.
In a choppy or range-bound market, you would look to trade the bounces off support and resistance levels. The key is to adapt your strategy to the prevailing market conditions.
There are a number of ways to do this. You can use technical indicators like the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) to help you identify the trend. Or you can simply use your own eyes and experience to identify whether the market is trending or range-bound.
Once you have a handle on the market conditions, you can adjust your price action strategy accordingly. If the market is trending, look for breakout opportunities. If it’s range-bound, look for trading opportunities around support and resistance levels.
The bottom line is that you need to be flexible in your approach to price action strategies. What works in one market environment may not work in another. By being adaptable, you can increase your chances of success in any market conditions.
What are some advanced price action trading techniques
1. One advanced price action trading technique is to look for candlestick patterns. Candlestick patterns can give you a clue as to where the market might be headed next.
2. Another advanced price action trading technique is to use Fibonacci levels. Fibonacci levels are mathematical ratios that can help you identify potential support and resistance levels in the market.
3. You can also use technical indicators to help you make trading decisions. However, it’s important to not rely too heavily on indicators, as they can often give false signals.
4. Finally, one of the most important things you can do is to keep a journal of your trades. This will help you track your progress and learn from your mistakes.
Can you use a price action strategy in all markets
When it comes to trading, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Different traders prefer different strategies, and there are an endless number of ways to skin the proverbial cat. However, one approach that can be used in any market is price action trading.
Price action trading simply refers to making your trading decisions based on the price movement of the market, rather than relying on indicators or other forms of analysis. This approach can be used in any market, whether you’re trading stocks, forex, or cryptocurrencies.
The key to success with price action trading is to have a clear understanding of support and resistance levels. These are the levels where the market is most likely to reverse direction. Once you identify these levels, you can then look for price action signals that indicate a potential trade opportunity.
If you’re new to price action trading, it’s important to remember that this approach takes time and practice to perfect. However, if you’re willing to put in the work, it can be an incredibly powerful tool in your trader’s toolbox.
What are the limitations of a price action strategy
There are a few potential limitations to using price action as your primary strategy. First, if you don’t have a clear understanding of technical analysis, it can be difficult to accurately interpret price action. Second, price action can be influenced by a variety of factors, including global economic news and events, so it’s important to be aware of these things when trading. Finally, while price action strategies can be successful, they can also lead to losses if not used correctly.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]This morning I eagerly volunteered to write today’s blog not knowing I would ultimately have something very embarrassing to write about, but we’ll get to that later. We started the morning bright and early at 7 am with breakfast at 8. After breakfast, we traveled to an elephant sanctuary. There we heard the heartbreaking...
Over the past five days or so, we’ve been working at the Himalayan Hope Home; lugging bricks up four flights of stairs, shoveling sand to make concrete, and getting to know the amazing girls who live there. These girls are orphans, mostly from Solukhumbu, and range in age from five to fifteen years old. We’ve...
Island Geography
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]When they said we were going into a bat cave I can’t say that was what we all were expecting. The muddy path that led to the cave was even a journey itself. Some of us, including me, had chosen to wear flip flops and that was our first mistake. We were all slinging...
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Last Saturday, I had the astonishing good fortune to meet Betty Soskin, one of the original “Rosie the Riveters,” women who took on “men’s work” in the nation’s factories and shipyards during World War II. At 95, Betty is America’s oldest park ranger, and she takes pride in sharing her story, giving frequent talks at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. Those talks are nothing short of … OK, I’ll say it: riveting.
It didn’t take her long to convince me that just about everything I “knew” about Rosie the Riveter was a myth. And that the truth is far more interesting.
Betty Soskin, 95-year-old park ranger, tells what it was like for real "Rosie the Riveters" back in the day.
After her talk (which I’ll be getting back to in just a moment) I went home and looked up Rosie’s origins. It all began with a song released in 1942. The snappy tune and distinctive machine-like riff — “Rosie, brrrrrrrr, the Riveter” — made it an instant hit.
So who was Rosie? The face the public knew best belonged to Rose Will Monroe, a riveter at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan, who starred in a promotional film about the home front. But for most of us, the face of Rosie will forever be the iconic “We Can Do It!” poster. I had always vaguely assumed this poster was thumb-tacked to the wall of every US recruitment office and welding station during the war years. Not so! The poster was privately printed by Westinghouse Electric as part of a series designed to boost productivity and discourage labor unrest. It was displayed in their factories for a mere two weeks in February, 1943.
After that, the poster languished in obscurity until 1982, when it appeared in a Washington Post article on patriotic art and was instantly embraced by the feminist movement as a symbol of empowerment. Which is ironic considering the “Rosies” made half as much as men doing the same job. Less if you weren't white.
Betty in 1942, at age 20, shortly before her first marriage.
Betty discussed none of this in her presentation. Her experience as an African American worker was radically different from the media’s Rosie image.
“That was a white woman’s story,” she said. “I was a twenty-year-old clerk working in a Jim Crow segregated union hall.” The popular images of happy, mixed-race work crews were, she said, far from the truth, especially at the beginning. Overt prejudice and discrimination were rampant, prompting African Americans to advocate for the Double V — victory for democracy at home and abroad — and inspiring poet Langston Hughes to write, “How long I got to fight / BOTH HITLER AND JIM CROW?”
Integration was the last thing on the mind of Henry Kaiser, the industrialist who created the Richmond Shipyards where Betty worked. He was so nautically inexperienced that he referred to a ship's bow as “the pointy end,” but he figured he could build Liberty ships faster than anyone else using Henry Ford’s assembly line methods — if he could get enough labor. “Henry Kaiser just wanted hands,” Betty recalled. “He didn't care what color they were or who they were attached to.” His recruiters headed south, hiring white farmers impoverished by the Dust Bowl and blacks thrown out of work by newly mechanized cotton farms. Some 98,000 black and white Southerners arrived in Richmond, bringing with them deep-seated racial friction.
“And because they’re all living under the threat of fascist world domination,” Betty explained, “there’s no time to take on a broken social system. No time to do anything except take on the mission of their leader, which is pure and simple: build ships faster than the enemy can sink ‘em. And together they completed 747 ships in 3 years and 8 months. They helped to turn the course of the war around by out-producing the enemy. And in the process, they accelerated the rate of social change, so that to this day it still radiates out of the Bay Area into the rest of the nation. It’s where the visionaries come to find constituents for their wildest dreams. Because of what happened right here. That’s rather amazing.”
Betty grew up around her great grandmother, a former slave, and became the first person in her family to hold a white-collar job. She’s outlived two husbands, one of whom was her partner in a recording company specializing in gospel music, the other a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. After raising four kids, she worked as a field representative for two California State Assemblywomen. I was delighted to discover her autobiography is due out in the fall — and yes, I will be sure to let you all know when it’s published!
After her talk, I asked Betty what she thought about our country’s future. “We are in a time of chaos,” she told me. “We’ve been getting those since — oh, about 1776. We’re like a spiral that keeps going around and touching the same places again and again. In times of chaos, we touch the reset button on democracy. Right now we are re-defining what democracy is. Again. Only today, there are more of us who have a voice in determining how we are going to change as a nation.”
And that’s about the most hopeful and comforting perspective I’ve heard in a while. Thanks, Betty!
Would you like to know more?
Watch a tape of Betty's talk here.
Learn more about the Rosie the Riveter museum/park here.
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Fabulous article with great visuals. Thank you, Karen! I am going to share this with a certain women writers' group you may know.
Thanks, Alicia. A friend told me about Betty and suggested I do a post on her; I was absolutely blown away by her story! What an amazing life, and so generous of her to share it the way she does. A real inspiration.
That's not Mamie Eisenhower, it's Elenor Roosevelt. Thanks for the blog.
OMG, Chris, I can't believe I made such a blooper. I was reading a book about Eisenhower at the time, and I guess I conflated it with my caption writing. Of course that's Eleanor Roosevelt; she's one of my heroines and so recognizable. Thanks for the heads up! I have fixed the caption.
Betty Soskin is a heroine on many levels. Thank you, Karen, for a great blog not only about women's rights but about African-American rights. Can't believe we're STILL working for everyone's rights.
I can't believe it either, Nancy! If I'd saved my protest posters from the sixties they'd be just as apt today. But as Betty pointed out, for the great-granddaughter of a slave to sit on the podium during the inauguration of a black American president means we have made progress. And now we all realize that it's up to all of us to keep moving forward so the pendulum doesn't swing back.
Loved the informative and interesting article! I am sending it to my 26 year-old son, (who actually now lives near your Bay home,) so it will be a short trip for him to visit.
Your son will love it, Dawn! He'll want to check the schedule, as Betty doesn't give talks there every day. There are other Rosies who share their stories as well, and I hear they're great too, although I can't believe anyone could top Betty's presentation.
I was born in 1944, so I missed WWII, but much later (1967 -1969) I worked on a converted "Liberty" Ship . . . . They were a nice ride! Great Story!!
I was lucky enough to sail on the Liberty ship SS Jeremiah O'Brien a few years ago, and you're right, Duane, it was a great ride. Amazing when you consider how fast they were built! It used to take cruises around SF Bay with Andrews-Sisters style bands and docents who told amazing WWII stories. Sadly, that ship is being mothballed soon, leaving only one Liberty ship, the SS John W. Brown, still functioning, a museum and cruise ship in Baltimore Harbor. We are so lucky to have the Liberty ship experience!
When the ship I was on was decommissioned they used it as target practice. Well, our boys in the Air Force/Navy have to practice shooting at something.
This is (to keep up the theme) just riveting, Karen. Such a solid and beautiful reminder of all the people who've made just this one story into a national myth and all the people who have put muscle into our community and national life. And I love her remarks about our democracy. As you say, one of the most hopeful things I've heard in a long tine--and a long, wise perspective.
I'm often sorry when a favorite myth gets debunked, but finding out the truth about Rosie — and Betty — was so much richer and more inspiring than I ever expected. Betty's perspective does provide hope, and sitting with a crowd hanging onto every every word she spoke was a fine reminder of the tremendous power of storytelling — something that's especially important for us, as writers, Tobey!
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This blog is a promotion-free zone.
As my regular readers know, I never get free or discounted goods or services for mentioning anything on this blog (or anywhere else). I only write about things that interest me and that I believe might prove useful for you all to know about. Whew! I wanted to clear that up before we went any further. Thanks for listening.
I'm an American travel writer based in Seville, Spain.
Wanderlust has taken me to more than 60 countries. Every week I provide travel tips and adventure stories to inspire your journeys and let you have more fun — and better food — on the road
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It's about time that disaffected teenagers get the credit they've long deserved and never wanted. Sure, they can be kind of frustrating, with their hair-trigger eye-rolling reflex and grunted monosyllabic responses to any possible question, but they're also likely single-handedly keeping the French-poetry-collection and black-coffee industries alive. (And if there's a thriving black market for now-banned clove cigarettes — a staple of depressed and pretentious teens back when I was one of them — they're probably responsible for that, too.)
They are, by nature, solitary people, but they also have a way of finding one another. That's the case with the coterie of teens in Lars Iyer's delightful Nietzsche and the Burbs, a novel about young friends who pass the time in their sleepy town by drinking, playing music and wishing they were anywhere else. It's a hilarious book that also manages to be a genuinely moving look at the end of adolescence.
Chandra, Paula, Art and Merv are four young adults in their last year of secondary school in Wokingham, a suburban town west of London. It's a pleasant enough place to live, which drives the teens crazy: "The worst thing about Wokingham is that it smiles back at your despair. Wokingham hopes you'll have a nice day in your despair." They don't fit into any of their school's cliques — not the popular "beasts" or the spoiled "trendies," so they've formed their own group. "All we have in common is that we have nothing in common with anyone else," Chandra explains.
When they're not in school, they spend their time at band practice (they play something Art calls "tantric metal"), drinking, philosophizing and regaling one another with made-up songs ("Supertwink" for Merv and "Fly Lesbian Seagull" for Paula). Mostly, though, they complain about life in the suburbs and the people who call it home: "They have no lightness. No life. No laughter or irony. They're heavy as suet."
The four friends are intrigued when a new student shows up to school, one who's not unlike them — he's quiet, composed and has "NIHILISM" written across his notebook. They try to befriend him, infatuated with his uncurdled intellect: "His intelligence is not crabbed, like ours. It's not turned in on itself. It hasn't been squandered on music trivia. On the ranking of favourite albums and films. His intelligence hasn't been frittered away in insults. In banter. In ways of surviving the boredom."
They recruit the boy, whom they've nicknamed Nietzsche, to sing in their band, and are pleased with his performance: "Is Nietzsche a channel? Is Nietzsche an antenna? Is he casting a spell? Are these the words of some conjuration? Is this a suburban hex?" Meanwhile, they count down the days to the end of school, wallow in existential despair and giddily experiment with drugs.
Nietzsche and the Burbsisn't a plot-heavy novel; it's more of a character study told through a series of darkly funny conversations among the four friends (and, to a lesser extent, Nietzsche, who doesn't talk much). That's not to say it's boring at all — Iyer's dialogue is so funny, and rings so true, that it's something of a challenge not to read the whole thing in a single sitting. In one scene, Paula explains to her friends that books make her miserable. "But you read a lot," Art responds. "I likebeing miserable," Paula says.
Disgruntled teenagers are famously hard to know, but Iyer depicts them accurately and with a real sensitivity, never mocking or condescending to them.
Disgruntled teenagers are famously hard to know, but Iyer depicts them accurately and with a real sensitivity, never mocking or condescending to them. He captures their adolescent bravado beautifully: "We infuriate them because they fearus. Because we thinkand they hate thought. Because we feel things, and they have declared war on passion, on daring, on life. ... Because we're half mad with nihilism, and the lack of meaning in their lives hasn't driven them insane."
Crucially, though, he also captures the moments when they let their guard down, when they forget to be disaffected for a few minutes and open themselves up to happiness. In one incredibly moving scene, the friends find themselves at their school's prom, which they fully expect to hate, but find themselves unable to resist the lure of pop music: "Even we'redancing to Abba ... Are we dancing ironically? Is this realdancing? Are we dancing or not dancing? Are we dancing as notdancing? ... We've dropped our sang froid... We've dropped our mutual disdain ... We've dropped our normal distance."
The scene is Iyer at his best: observant, funny and compassionate. It's obvious that he loves his characters, and his enthusiasm for them is contagious — it's impossible not to root for these hard-edged but sweet kids, even as they practically beg you to disdain them. Nietzsche and the Burbsis an anthem for young misfits and a hilarious, triumphant book about friendship, which Chandra beautifully describes thus: "It's being withpeople. It's a mind-meld. It's holding onto something. It's bearing something in common, when the word just wants you to scatter. It's keeping something safe."
Michael Schaub is a writer, book critic and regular contributor to NPR Books. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Portland Mercury and The Austin Chronicle, among other publications. He lives in Austin, Texas.
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Written by Organic Food on March 22, 2019 in Grade b vanilla beans, Ground vanilla bean, Madagascar vanilla beans
In the past few years, people have grown more health conscious than ever, especially all throughout the United States but in many places in the rest of the world as well. Much of this increase in health awareness has been linked to food, with many people learning how to eat in better and more healthful ways. Eating organic has become more overwhelmingly popular than ever, and more and more people have become interested in making this lifestyle choice on a regular basis.
This fact is reflected in the data that has been gathered on the subject, particularly when you look at the data gathered over the course of recent years. In fact, this data shows that only one fourth of all people in the United States were not buying organic food at least once throughout the month, as of the year of 2016 and according to data gathered in the July of that month. And many people are actually buying some types of organic food at least every time they go shopping, not just once throughout the duration of an entire month.
But what exactly are they buying? Well, just about everything, as so many varieties of organic food are more commercially and readily available than ever before. From organic vanilla beans to organic spices to even organic ground mushrooms and organic produce and pasta and so far beyond, the variety of organic food that has become available is staggering. And there are many reasons that people choose to buy this organic food over other options, which are often referred to as being “conventional.”
For instance, many people feel that the quality of organic foods and products is simply quite a bit higher than the conventional versions of these things. This is strongly felt, by many, in the case of organic vanilla beans like Tahitian vanilla beans. After all, organic vanilla beans can be quite powerful, as can organic vanilla extract. There are actually nearly 14 ounces of organic vanilla beans in your typical organic vanilla extract. For some people, buying bulk vanilla beans like organic vanilla beans to make their own vanilla extract has even become ideal, if a little bit ambitious, all things considered. But there are many things that people are willing to do, including purchase organic vanilla beans, in order to make the things that they are consuming more high in quality than ever before.
In addition to this, many people buy organic products, such as but certainly not limited to organic vanilla beans, in order to be more conscious of their health as a whole. In fact, the data again backs up this statement, as it shows that more than three quarters (around 76%, to be just a little bit more exact) of those who shop organic on a regular basis have stated that they do so in order to be mindful of their health and protect it. Many people are wary of the pesticides and other chemicals that are used to grow and create conventional products, and will so instead choose to shop organic whenever it is possible to do so.
Aside from produce and organic vanilla beans, even organic packaged food has become more relevant and easy to find than ever, at least in the vast majority of regions in the United States. For instance, organic rices and pastas are now widely sold, and you can even get pasta made out of other ingredients for an additional nutritional boost. Chickpea pasta, for instance, has risen in popularity within the last few years and packs a powerful nutritional punch, especially when it comes to its protein content. In addition to this, lentil and rice pastas are also now quite popular indeed.
There are many reasons that people choose to buy organic produce and food products and more. There is no denying the fact that this base of consumers is growing, especially here in the United States. In the years that are ahead of us, the market for such organic products, including that of organic vanilla beans, is only likely to grow as well. For while organic products might cost more, many find them to be more than worth the higher price tag that they carry.
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This is the place where you’ll find and learn new information on how to spice up your menu. You might be getting tired and bored of consuming the same types of food and drinks, which is why you should use our site as your food and drink reference. We’re excited to share our nutritious food and drink tips with you.
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MedPage Today spoke with Warner Greene, MD, PhD, of the Gladstone Institutes' Center for HIV Cure Research and a professor at the University of California San Francisco, during a Facebook Live event on Feb. 3, 2021, about what the new COVID-19 variants mean about the course of the pandemic, and what impact they could have on vaccines and treatments.
Greene addressed potential modifications to booster doses to combat these variants, how much they may resist antibodies and compromise immune responses, and whether we'll have to cope with new "escape variants" forever.
Following is a transcript of the interview; note that errors are possible.
We are honored to be joined once again by Dr. Warner Greene. He's senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes and a professor at University of California San Francisco. As we've discussed, COVID-19 variants are very much in the news. Can we go over what is the latest news about the variants, even today? What do we know about them and what's the latest that's been happening?
Variants are very much in the news. What we're seeing is the slow but steady evolution of the coronavirus. There are now four major variants that are of concern. And, in fact, they call them variants of concern. The first recognized was the U.K. variant, recognized in the south of the United Kingdom. It has an increased transmission efficiency. And there are some reports that it may be somewhat more virulent, particularly in men over the age of 60.
Of even greater concern is the South African variant, which contains mutations that confer resistance to certain monoclonal antibodies, like one of the two monoclonal antibodies developed by Regeneron. The Eli Lily monoclonal antibody doesn't seem to work against the South African variant and vaccine efficiency is also reduced with the South African variant.
Similarly, the Brazilian variant has basically the same set of mutations that are conferring antibody resistance, causing real concern. What it means for the vaccines, etc.: I think that both the South African and the Brazilian variants are a major concern. And it is possible that those variants as they spread, and they are in the United States now, we may need to revise the vaccines to account for these types of variants. That's not clear yet, but better to be prepared, in case we do need to revise the vaccine.
And then there's a fourth type of variant, which is just kind of emerging, less well-studied at this point, but out of California. So clearly there, the virus is searching for a lock and key mechanism trying to search for ways to allow itself to replicate better. We're applying immune pressure. So it's mutating away from some of that immune pressure, and that's why this antibody resistance is emerging.
So what types of mutations does the SARS-CoV-2 virus have to go through to make it a variant?
Well, for example, the South African variant has 27 mutations, nine of which occur in the spike protein. The spike is the protein on the surface that binds to the ACE2 receptor and allows entry and fusion into the host cell. And, of course, that's where most of the vaccines are focused, is on the spike. That's where the monoclonal antibody therapeutics are focused, on the spike. And so the virus is looking for ways to avoid these types of immune pressures and it's making mutations in its receptor binding domain and the internal domain that confer resistance to certain types of neutralizing antibodies.
Given that recent studies from Novavax and Johnson & Johnson last week found somewhat reduced clinical efficacy of vaccines against these variants, what type of booster modification is required for vaccines in order to better combat them with the mRNA and the viral vector vaccines? Is it different, is it the same?
I think the booster that, for example, Moderna and Pfizer are now working on is to take the genetic sequence of the variant and use that as the immunogen. So, there is a mutation at position 484 that is absolutely key for this loss of antibody protection. You would introduce an RNA that now has that same mutation at position 484 into the vaccine to create a vaccine that is really tailored to take that particular type of virus out. And that mutation is shared between the South African and the Brazilian variants.
And so it wouldn't require a different type, depending on the type of vaccine, it would just be the same type of reformulation. It wouldn't be mRNA, different than a viral vector, it would just be a different formula. It's not anything to do with the type of vaccine. It still would be an mRNA-based vaccine. It would just contain a different RNA or more likely it will be a multi-valent vaccine that would be original virus, as well as a new virus.
It's not clear exactly how that would be administered. It may be that we want to boost immunity against the old virus, as well as the new virus, so we would use a multi-valent approach in that case. But the mRNA vaccine platform is quite amenable to this type of updating. That's a real advantage, much more so than the adenoviral vectors, the virus-delivered vaccines. It's a more complicated process there.
If we could just look at the vaccines as we have them now against this wild-type strain, if for some reason we didn't have any boosters, what type of progress could we make against the pandemic? Can we vaccinate our way out of the pandemic, even if we don't have these boosters? Have these variants prevented that?
To be clear, these variants, the Brazilian and the South African variants, are only compromising the neutralizing antibody response against the coronavirus. The T-cell immune response presumably is fully intact and remains unevaluated. So it's quite possible that these vaccines will stand up better than we expect or predict. Clearly the U.K. variant does not appear to be a threat, although the recent acquisition of the neutralizing mutation at 484 causes concern that the virus is evolving. Even the U.K. variant is evolving.
I would say that the one thing that is disturbing to me, or that causes me pause is the story in Manaus, Brazil. Manaus is in the Amazon basin, they had a huge outbreak in the spring. It was thought, as reported, that there would probably be herd immunity within the community up to about 75%. Then this variant comes in to the community and it's just sweeping through, causing re-infection or what appears to be re-infection.
Now did the original immunity wane and these people were all sensitive? Is it just that the variant is able to avoid both the T-cell and the antibody response that was present in the herd in Manaus? That kind of real-time experiment is concerning in terms of the spread of this virus. And I think data like that and what's going on in South Africa is what's really prompting the vaccine companies to get prepared now. We don't know the full dimensions of the problem, but better to overprepare at this point in time.
So, given what happened in Brazil, do you think that's evidence of viral escape?
Certainly the South African and Brazilian variants, the mutations they are acquiring in their spike protein are examples of escape from the antibody neutralization. These are mutating principal antibody-binding sites that are responsible for neutralization, so that these variants are emerging under the influence of immune pressure. It's harder to get around the T-cell immunity though, because T-cell immunity differs from person to person based on the composition of our HLA genes and our immune response. And T-cells are really the major defense mechanism against viruses, so let's hope that our T-cells fill in for any gaps that the antibodies might come up a little short on.
I'm not sure exactly what has happened in Manaus, whether there was really ever herd immunity, whether it's waned, but I do know that the variant there is hitting hard. So, that's a big question mark. I think Brazil holds the answers to a lot of the future of this pandemic. We need to understand precisely what is going on there.
What do we need to be studying in Brazil specifically? And what type of data would we need to be looking at and tracking, what types of real-world studies and epidemiological studies would you like to see out of what's happening in Brazil to help us going forward?
I would like to know whether or not there was real herd immunity. Before this new variant began to spread, was there clear evidence of a good antibody response and retention of durable antibody responses against the original strain of "wild-type" virus. So if, in fact, there was an intact immune response, and this virus was able to overwhelm that response, well that's not good news, but if the response had waned or had never really developed fully, then that's a less daunting problem.
Now on the positive side, you look at the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it's not the world's best at preventing you from becoming infected with or developing minor respiratory symptoms. But even with the South African variant, this vaccine protects you from severe disease, having to go to hospital and dying. And frankly, that's what we want from a vaccine. That is fantastic. You may have a runny nose or a mild upper respiratory tract infection, but you're not going to develop life-threatening pneumonia and require hospitalization, intubation, etc. And I'd sign up for that type of vaccine any day.
All we have from the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are these kinds of in vitro and in lab studies that if you expose them to these variants, this is what they'll do, but do we need some type of clinical efficacy? Would you say at this point that we don't have evidence of clinical efficacy against the variants with these two vaccines that are currently being distributed?
Exactly. The mRNA vaccines are not being tested extensively in areas where the variants are prospering, but one of the trial sites for Johnson & Johnson was in South Africa. So they were able to see how their vaccines stood up against that variant and it fared very well in terms of prevention of serious disease.
When do you think that we are going to get these types of studies? Is that something that we're going to see as the vaccine trials kind of evolve, and are we going to be able to get that from the mRNA vaccines? Are we just going to not know what their clinical efficacy is until we get a booster, we're just going to only have the lab evidence?
It's likely that the virus is probably replicating at higher levels or more virus is replicating in terms of country here in the United States than almost anywhere else in the world, in terms of the breadth of cases that we've had, etc. We just simply do not have the genomic surveillance types of apparatus to necessarily detect these variants. For example, we're just now detecting the California variants. There may be many variants in the United States. We do know that the Brazilian, as well as the South African, variants are in the United States, and it's possible that there is community spread of these variants. So, we just have to really ramp up our sequencing efforts to really track what's happening within our pandemic within the country and what types of viruses that we're dealing with.
And it's in that kind of setting as variants begin to hold sway. For example, it's suggested that the U.K. variant will become dominant in the United States by March. So, our prediction is that the current vaccines will do very well against that variant. Now, if that variant is replaced by, for example, a South African variant, which is more immunologically daunting, well then we're going to have to see how the mRNA vaccines hold up against that. And it's that kind of real-world information that's going to inform whether or not we need to boost the immune system with a third shot.
Are the variants occurring in regions due to the similarities in the genome of the regional population, causing the viral RNA to mutate in a specific direction, and do antigen tests pick up variants?
No, the antigen tests will not pick up the variants. You really have to do the sequencing to find these mutations. So, it's clear that the virus has a set of mutations and it's trying different combinations. All the virus wants to do is to replicate better. The U.K. variant has one mutation in the receptor binding domain, which confers tighter binding to the ACE2 receptor and a higher level of transmission by 40% to 70%. And that's the variant that may become dominant here in the United States by March. In contrast, the South African and the Brazilian variants, they not only have the same mutation that the U.K. variant does, they've added to it. They've added at least two additional mutations that really take out these neutralizing antibodies.
Now, did these two variants arise independently? Some would say yes. I don't think that we know precisely because one person coming from South Africa carrying the virus could seed the virus in Brazil. So we don't know, but there are subtle differences. The virus is working toward a solution here for avoiding the antibodies.
Now, another question is, is the virus throwing everything at us right now that it's got? Is this it and can we expect a pretty much static situation from here on out? And, you know, I don't think so. I think the virus still has tricks up its sleeve, and will continue to evolve as we put additional immune pressures on it. So, that would be my guess, but we're right at the cusp of the evolving science. And to think that where we were a year ago with no defense, no innate or no intrinsic immunity to this virus, and nothing really therapeutic or preventive. And now we're in a situation where we have multiple, highly effective vaccines. It's a true triumph of science.
Can you go into how else the virus could mutate? Is there any way that it could mutate that T-cell immunity that we have that would be compromised? Is that possible or is it just not that complex a virus?
Yeah, there may be the emergence of escape mutations that escape a cytotoxic T-cell, CD8 T-cell responses, or CD4 helper T-cell responses. We could certainly see that and it's much harder to monitor for those types of immune reactions. So, certainly, like you get immune escape against antibodies, you can have immune escape against T-cell immunity as well.
Molly Walker is deputy managing editor and covers infectious diseases for MedPage Today. She is a 2020 J2 Achievement Award winner for her COVID-19 coverage. Follow
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Thank you again to both of you (Mark & Amanda), it was a little daunting when we first looked into buying a home for the first time in this red hot market in the middle of a global pandemic, but you two were there every step of the way and we are so happy with the results. If we know anybody in need of a realtor we will definitely recommend your team.
Mark, and his team, were all amazing to work with. He was super informative and educated on the houses and markets in any neighborhood we looked in. We looked for a very long time and at a lot of houses and he was always there to help, answer questions or talk through things with us. We got the same amazing level of support on house 1 versus house 30. We will use Mark for any future purchases, or sales, and highly recommend.
We have worked with Mark on both a purchase and a sale transaction. If you are looking for a real estate professional in the Denver metro area, you would be wise to call Mark. Mark is a competent operator in a tricky market. He is dedicated to making his client's experience as smooth, and even enjoyable, as possible. His calm demeanor and highly professional approach to challenges make him a real asset to both buyers and sellers. Do yourself a favor and take a ride with the Denver Home Lifestyles.
Kari in Congress Park
We recently sold a home with Mark. He was great to work with throughout the process. He is professional, responsive, thorough, and most of all, he cares about his clients. After our initial meeting, he pulled comps and developed a strategy to sell our property quickly. Within a few days of listing, our property was sold at full asking price...higher than we had initially hoped! Mark was easy to work with and made the entire process a breeze. We highly recommend him to anyone searching for or selling a home in the Denver Metro area.
Josh & Renee in Commerce City, now Lakewood
Mark has been my realtor three times now. He has always gone above and beyond what is necessary to not only help me buy and sell my houses at good prices but also to help me deal with all the stressful craziness that goes along with buying and selling your home. In addition to that, I never felt pressured to commit to something that I wasn't comfortable with. It is clear that Mark's main goal is have his clients in a home that they will love and to get that home at a great price. I will highly recommend using Mark as your realtor!
Mark helped me buy and sell two houses in the last 8 years. Throughout the process of each buy and sell, Mark diligently managed all parties involved, keeping everyone on track with the timeline. What could have been a tremendously stressful time turned out to be fun and exhilarating because of Mark's expertise. I strongly believe that because he helped me go the extra mile to prepare my houses for sale, we got top dollar for both. Mark also Has connections with all the best contractors, handymen, photographers, etc. in town, which helped a lot when prepping for sale. Additionally, because of Mark's negotiation skills, I believe that I bought my homes at the best price possible. In short, having Mark on my side gave me confidence that I was getting the best of the best. Not only is Mark an expert in Colorado real estate, but he's a genuinely good guy to be around. This is an important factor considering how much time you end up spending with a realtor. Mark is the real estate agent who will take you out for beers and a celebratory mountain bike ride after the papers are signed!
Mark is fantastic! He showed us easily over 100 homes because we couldn't make our minds up. He was so patient with us. Mark taught us about different areas of Denver which helped us make informed decisions on where we ultimately wanted to be. The real estate market here is very competitive and you have to have someone that can help you navigate it. We could NOT have done this without Mark! The property we bought has increased in value in impressive numbers. The neighborhood we now live in Mark introduced us to and is now one of the hottest in Denver. He knew this was an upcoming neighborhood and we got a great deal on our home. We love it! Mark has also helped us in Summit County with the same results! He knows this area equally well. Mark is a fantastic real estate agent. He knows Denver so well and can really help you make the right decision! We won't use anyone else!
Mark was great to work with. He was on top of everything needed to get our home listed and kept us on track as well. He looked at things from a buyers perspective and had vast knowledge of the current housing market. I would highly recommend Mark for any real estate needs.
Mark is a highly knowledgeable and experienced realtor in the Denver and Summit County markets. In the last 10 years, he helped me purchase two homes and sell one. During the last sale, he priced my house spot-on, and pushed hard throughout the process to ensure I received top dollar. Not only did he help me stage and coordinate timelines with tenants and contractors, but he personally made several necessary repairs himself to ensure my home showed perfectly. I've bought and sold numerous properties over the years, and Mark's skills make the process as stress-free as possible!
Mark sold my condo while I was in South America. I gave him 100% control of the deal and he took care of everything. Internet access was limited for me. I checked my email one morning and we were under contract. A few weeks later we closed the deal. I would highly recommend Mark for any residential needs in the Denver Metro Area.
Drew in Boulder
Mark is the best real estate agent I know, hands down. With his help, I successfully bought and sold two houses in Denver, and I could not recommend a more fantastic realtor. Mark has an excellent grasp of the real estate market in Colorado, so he is able to provide helpful advice and direction every step of the way with buying and selling homes. Mark also helped me meet my goals with his attention to detail and ability to discern what buyers are looking for. He is very organized, keeps everyone on task and pushes to the end without wavering in his support and engagement with all parties. He is also very well connected in the industry and able to facilitate buying and selling opportunities that wouldn't ordinarily be available. Beyond his professionalism and expertise, Mark is a great guy to be around-- fun, personable and easy-going. We even went on a celebratory mountain bike ride after selling my last house!
Evie in Baker
When it comes to real estate, Mark is a perfect example of what an agent should be. I have worked on several transactions with Mark and he continues to amaze me with his real estate expertise. His #1 goal has always been to provide great customer service to his clients. Mark always ensures a smooth transaction for all parties, while also ensuring the best possible deal for his clients. He is an agent that truly puts his clients as his top priority.
I would highly recommend Mark and his dedication to his work and client’s needs. He always has a win-win approach to real estate and always looks out for his client’s best interests. His experience and passion excel in areas like Central Denver, and Summit County. There are so many reason why clients keep coming back and refer Mark for their Real Estate needs.
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For each order placed, a tree is planted in the north-west region of Madagascar through the Eden Reforestation Projects. Eden are experts in responsible reforestation, having planted 265 million trees to this day and created 2.6 million work days for local communities. Madagascar is a nation with over 200,000 species of plants and animals that don’t exist anywhere else in the world. Sadly more than 90% of Madagascar’s original forests have been destroyed, displacing entire animal species from their homes.
A word from our suppliers.
Vaughn de Heart is committed to improving cotton farming practices globally with Better Cotton (BCI).
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) exists to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment and better for cotton communities.
It is the largest cotton sustainability program in the world and uses members fees to tackle labour challenges that often exist in the farming sector, aiding in Better Cotton’s core vision of a world where all cotton farming is sustainable.
To achieve this mission Better Cotton trains farmers to use water efficiently, care for soil health and natural habitats, reduce use of the most harmful chemicals and respect workers’ rights and wellbeing.
Better Cotton is sourced via a chain of custody model called mass balance. This means that Better Cotton is not physically traceable to end products, however, Better Cotton Farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to those we ‘source.’
Better Cotton is an ever-evolving programme creating new targets for themselves and their members every year. Better Cotton Initiative works with on-the-ground partners across the world to support cotton communities to build resilience and improve their livelihoods, with a big focus on women’s equality within the cotton farming community and in some cases gaining economic independence and or leadership roles.
Partnering with an organisation that improve social, environmental and economic outcomes for the industry we are apart of is important ethos of ours. By choosing our cotton products, you’re supporting our investment in Better Cotton’s mission.
How We Source
A word from our suppliers.
The global coronavirus outbreak has created unique challenges to businesses as well as individuals, families and communities globally. As most of us have never experienced a health crisis of this scale, navigating the disruption to our supply chain will be an evolving challenge.
Our suppliers in our sourcing countries, Bangladesh and China, are fundamental to our success. Not surprisingly however it is often the most vulnerable people who reap the worst effects in crises such as the world finds itself in today.
We had multiple orders across our supply chain at varying stages in production as this pandemic unfolded. Our suppliers have upheld the commitments that were made during this time. As always we are accepting longer/delayed lead-times to our orders without penalty.
By keeping all our production agreements in place we are maintaining the incredibly important relationships with our suppliers and the continuous financial injections for the textile workforce in these compromised countries.
With the continued support and responsive training from Amfori we have raised our standard due-diligence to assess where and what risks have increased during this time to identify areas we could continue to help.
Responsible Sourcing Strategy
A word from our suppliers.
From the conception of our brand “doing the right thing” has been important to our team and customers. We believe it is the responsibility of every individual to be a good citizen, and while being a small player in a global market can at times be daunting, we believe our impact on human rights can be just as significant as larger operations and that we can all make a difference.
For this reason, we are continuously developing our Responsible Sourcing Strategy and this year have made some amendments to our Code of Conduct to reinforce our zero tolerance position around bonded labour which unfortunately is inherent in some sourcing countries. We have also revisited our Child Labour Remediation protocol and worked to reduce the risk and vulnerabilities of women in the apparel supply chain, particularly in the lower tiers.
We have employed an experienced Ethical Sourcing specialist to shape and prioritise our strategy, to train and guide us through the more complex issues and importantly to drive the momentum.
In 2018 we decided to join the Amfori BSCI initiative, which incorporates all of our Code of Conduct including environmental sustainability. Through joining this program, we will be in a better position to support our suppliers with tried and tested training programs and we will have access to word class standards and tools to improve our own processes of supply chain mapping, monitoring, and remediation.
For a small New Zealand business, the opportunity to tap into a network of international like-minded brands will be invaluable in terms of shared learnings, experiences and increased leverage with suppliers. In addition, we understand that success in addressing the more complex issues involved with Modern Slavery cannot be achieved independently and therefore a collaborative approach is essential in developing solutions. Joining Amfori we believe is an important step towards this, and we are the first New Zealand business to do so.
Supply Chain transparency continues to be a priority and this year we have made significant progress, achieving 100% transparency of our fabric sources and 95% transparency of yarn sources and raw cotton agents. Further work needs to be done regarding building direct relationships with these tiers, which is ultimately necessary to achieve full transparency of our cotton farmers. However, this is becoming closer to reality with conversations initiated with our Australian Cotton Shippers Association,BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) and growth of our Organic Cotton Program.
While this year has been an important one for fast-tracking our Responsible Sourcing Program, we acknowledge we still have much to do and a lot to learn. Training and raising awareness is a vital part of our strategy as well as communicating with the broader team and our customers who are encouraged to bring ideas and challenge us moving forward.
Vaughn de Heart was made with comfort in mind. We use the most comfortable cotton and modern silhouettes. We also chose to use classic styles as our inspiration creating something easy to pair with any outfit. Vaughn de Heart gives chic styling and classy design. Welcome to Courage.
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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the planning, the cooking, the friends and family, and I loving wearing an apron. Last night we had our 23rd Sunday Supper potluck at our house. We had thirty-one friends and family members jammed in our tiny house. Every supper I'm surprised how our place expands to just the right size to accommodate the number of people that show up.
I am grateful that we instituted this tradition. There were a million reasons not to; a million reasons to wait. Wait until we fixed up the house, wait until the yard looked better, wait until we had more time, more energy, more money, more, more. Or just not do it at all. We didn't wait. We jumped in. Every Sunday Supper is a gift. With our potluck tradition, I get to have my favorite holiday whenever we can make it happen and I get to wear an apron. Score.
12 comments:
Anonymous October 29, 2012 at 4:39 AM
I wish we were closer. I make a mean covered dish.
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Lisa Page Rosenberg October 29, 2012 at 8:14 AM
I wish you were closer too. Like next door. xo
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Silk Sarees online October 29, 2012 at 5:46 AM
An Edwardian lady in full dress was a wonder to behold, and her preparations for viewing were awesome.silks saree
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Amy October 29, 2012 at 6:12 AM
I too love the cooking and planning of Thanksgiving. Its like running a marathon, but cooking instead of running.
For just my husband and I, last year I prepared an 18lb turkey (soy sauce brined), 11 side dishes, and 2 pies. We ate leftovers for two weeks. And everything was on the table at 5:30.
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Lisa Page Rosenberg October 29, 2012 at 8:14 AM
That's amazing. 11 side dishes?! xo
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Shannon October 29, 2012 at 8:06 AM
"There were a million reasons not to; a million reasons to wait." I kind of needed to read that. I tend to find those reasons and hang on to them for dear life.
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Lisa Page Rosenberg October 29, 2012 at 8:15 AM
All of my reasons were flimsy, at best. xo
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Anonymous October 29, 2012 at 8:19 AM
Oh, what a great idea! Thirty-one is a lot of people; do you usually have that many?
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Lisa Page Rosenberg October 29, 2012 at 8:23 AM
Thirty is our average. We've had fewer and as many as sixty. They always fit. xo
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N2 October 30, 2012 at 4:42 AM
Me, too. Wish I lived down the street so I could come by for one of your Sunday Suppers. I'd be a regular. I come from a family of 10 kids and having supper with a lot of people fills an empty spot. Good on ya' for creating this tradition. x0 N2
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Alexandra November 2, 2012 at 7:06 AM
I'm full of reasons, Lisa.
How do you do it??
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maymay February 2, 2015 at 8:15 PM
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When you have a dental emergency — whether it's caused by a sudden accident or chronic disease — your teeth and/or the tissues of the mouth that surround them need to receive proper care right away. As with any type of medical emergency, it's important to be aware, before you're actually in the situation, of what you can do to ensure the best outcome.
A knocked-out permanent tooth requires quick thinking and immediate action. You'll increase the chances that the tooth can be saved if you pick it up without touching the root, gently clean it off with water, and put it back in its socket facing the correct way. Hold it in place with gentle pressure as you rush to the dental office or emergency room. If you can't replant it immediately, tuck it between the patient's cheek and gum, or carry it in a container of cold milk.
For a more traumatic injury such as a tooth that has been moved or loosened, treatment needs to occur within six hours. However, if there is uncontrollable bleeding, go immediately to the ER. Fortunately, other dental injuries that happen most frequently are less severe. The most common traumatic dental injuries are chipped teeth. If a tooth is chipped, try to find any pieces that have come off, as it might be possible to reattach them. Make an appointment for an office visit as soon as possible, and bring the pieces with you.
Learn more about Traumatic Dental Injuries.
Acute or persistent tooth pain always signals a need for an urgent visit to the dental office. The most common cause of dental pain is tooth decay, a bacterial infection that can spread through many parts of the tooth, and even into the gum tissue. Sometimes, tooth pain indicates that you may need a root canal treatment — a procedure that not only relieves the pain of an infection deep inside the tooth, but also can keep the tooth from having to be removed. Other times, pain may be caused by a loose filling or sensitive tooth. The only way to know for sure what's causing your tooth pain is to make an appointment at the dental office right away.
Learn more about Tooth Pain.
Injuries and infections involving the soft tissues of the mouth may also require emergency treatment. The tissues of the gums, tongue, or cheek lining can be damaged by accidental bites, falls, sports injuries, and scalding liquids. They may also suffer injury from foreign bodies that become lodged below the gum line, and they can develop painful and potentially serious abscesses. A periodontal (gum) abscess is a pus-filled sac caused by an infection and is usually quite painful. Abscesses require immediate attention at the dental office.
Any injury to the soft tissues of the mouth should be rinsed with dilute salt water. If there is visible debris, it should be cleared. Bleeding can usually be controlled by pressing a clean, damp material to the area for 10-15 minutes. If this does not work, go to the emergency room immediately.
A foreign body lodged beneath the gum line can sometimes be gently worked out with dental floss or a toothpick. But if this can't be accomplished easily, make a dental appointment so the area does not become damaged and/or infected.
Learn more about Gum Emergencies.
Although there can be discomfort associated with orthodontic treatment, there are only a few true orthodontic emergencies. They include trauma or injury to the teeth, face or mouth. Infection or swelling of the gums, mouth or face, and severe, unmanageable discomfort or pain in these areas can also be orthodontic emergencies. In any of these situations, seek immediate care from the dental office or emergency room — whichever is your best option. For loose, broken or irritating pieces of orthodontic hardware, please call the dental office for advice.
Learn more about Orthodontic Emergencies.
Tooth Decay — A Preventable Disease Tooth decay is the number one reason children and adults lose teeth during their lifetime. Yet many people don't realize that it is a preventable infection. This article explores the causes of tooth decay, its prevention, and the relationship to bacteria, sugars, and acids... Read Article
The Field-Side Guide to Dental Injuries Accidents to the teeth, jaws and mouth can happen at any time during any sporting activity. Proper attention can save pain, alleviate anxiety and costly dental treatment. A little knowledge, as they say, can go along way. This field-side guide briefly explains some simple rules to follow when dealing with different dental injuries and when you need to see the dentist... Read Article
Tooth Pain? Don't Wait! Pain is a protective response that informs the body that something is wrong. Tooth pain, specifically, is caused by a reaction of the nerves inside a tooth's pulp chamber, with the severity dependent upon the type and degree of the stimulus. This article gives some examples of pain symptoms and their possible causes... Read Article
Traumatic dental injuries can occur in people of all ages and activity levels. The cause might be a car accident, a fall down the stairs, or an elbow to the face during a basketball game. As with most types of dental treatment, the primary goal when treating a traumatic dental injury is to save teeth
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At first, having orthodontic treatment may take a little getting used to. It isn't uncommon to experience a bit of soreness when appliances are first put on, or some minor aches as teeth begin moving into new positions. Yet it's comforting to know that genuine orthodontic emergencies are rare. If you
Read more
Gum Injuries
When dental emergencies and pain occur, our attention is often focused on diseases and injuries related to the teeth. However, it's important to remember that the soft tissues of the mouth — the gums, tongue, lips and cheek lining — may also be affected. While they are tough enough to stand up to
Read more
At one time or another, almost everyone has probably experienced some degree of tooth pain, from minor aches and sensitivity to acute distress. In general, the sensation of pain is a protective response that tells the body something is wrong. But when it affects your teeth, the exact source of the pain
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A total of 10.9 million cubic meters of gas has been transported to Europe since Dec. 31, 2020. (IHA Photo)
TANAP to provide over $1.5B of transport revenue by 2022
AzerFocusJanuary 14, 2021 5:45 pm
The Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project was implemented at a cost 45% lower than the original budget, and when the pipeline reaches full transport capacity by 2022, the annual transportation revenue will exceed $1.5 billion (TL 11 billion), TANAP’s General Manager Saltuk Düzyol said Thursday.
Düzyol was speaking at a news conference held virtually due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“When we reach full capacity in the project by around 2022, our annual transportation revenue will exceed $1.5 billion. There will be a significant cash flow to our partners as a dividend from the carrying income in proportion to their shares,” he said.
When we look at this from the investor perspective, Düzyol said, it means a significant amount of income for both Turkey’s Petroleum Pipeline Company (BOTAŞ) and other investors in the project.
“Of course, we have costs and the credits we use. This income will return to our partners as a dividend after those were paid,” he said.
Düzyol noted that TANAP has been in operation for about 2 1/2 years, stating that commercial gas delivery started on June 30, 2018. TANAP constitutes 1,850 kilometers (1,149.5 miles) of the Southern Gas Corridor, which owns a value chain of approximately $40 billion.
TANAP transported 2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in its first year, within the framework of the project agreements, and that figure has gradually increased, Düzyol said.
The 6 bcm level was reached on June 30, 2020, he said, noting that by the end of 2020, the amount of gas BOTAŞ purchased from TANAP reached 8.4 bcm. The total amount of gas that is set to be transported between June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021, is 6 bcm, he said.
“Thus, the total amount of gas that reaches Turkey via TANAP will increase to 12 bcm by that date,” Düzyol said.
Düzyol emphasized that they have a 15-year gas transit agreement with all parties and that the annual gas amount that will be carried as of this year will be 6 bcm, but the management privilege allocated by Turkey to the TANAP is for 49 years.
“In case of additional gas production in Azerbaijan or other source countries, we have the right to operate this pipeline system for 49 years,” he said.
Düzyol explained that TANAP was ready to transport gas to Europe on Nov. 26, 2019, but they waited for the completion of the Trans Adriatic Natural Gas Pipeline (TAP). Noting that commercial gas flow started from TAP on Dec. 31, Düzyol stated that 10.9 million cubic meters of gas have been transported to Europe since then.
Düzyol said that TANAP’s annual gas transportation capacity is 16 bcm, but this capacity can be increased to 31 bcm with additional investments.
Explaining that they do not have an agenda regarding TANAP’s public offering at the moment, Düzyol said, “This is a decision to be made as a result of the negotiations with our partners, but there is no reason not to go public.”
The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) company of Azerbaijan owns 51% of the shares in TANAP, BOTAŞ owns 30%, BP Pipelines (TANAP) Limited owns 12% and SOCAR Turkey Enerji Inc. owns 7%.
This article originally appeared in DAILY SABAH on 14 Jan 2021.
Hungary plans to cooperate with Azerbaijan in renewable energy sector
Time comes for Azerbaijani gas to lead European energy market
Serbia, Azerbaijan ink deals for strategic partnership, cooperation in energy
Path to Peace in the South Caucasus – Part Three
BY PAT WALSH
Path to Peace in the South Caucasus – Part Two
BY PAT WALSH
BY PAT WALSH
Italy inviting President Ilham Aliyev as main guest for int’l Cernobbio Forum shows deep respect for Azerbaijan
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A woman who survived ISIS’s 2016 attack on Brussels airport was euthanised after suffering severe depression and PTSD. Shanti De Corte, 23, was walking through the departures lounge of the Belgian airport in Zaventem on March 22, 2016 when an ISIS terrorist detonated a bomb.
Then 17, Ms De Corte survived the explosion but was left with constant panic attacks and bouts of dark depression from which she never managed to emerge.
She attended a psychiatric hospital in Antwerp for rehabilitation and took a range of anti-depressant medications, but attempted suicide on two occasions in 2018 and 2020.
Earlier in 2022, Ms De Corte opted to be euthanised after two psychiatrists approved her request.
At 23 years old, Ms De Corte died on May 7, 2022.
Marielle De Corte has now spoke to Belgian outlet VRT of Shanti’s depression and decision to be euthanised.
She said: “That day really cracked her, she never felt safe after that.
“She didn’t want to go anywhere where other people were, out of fear. She also had frequent panic attacks and she never got rid of it.”
Euthanasia, the practice of intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve pain and suffering, is legal in Belgium.
It is available to people who are in a “medically futile condition of constant and unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be alleviated, resulting from a serious and incurable disorder caused by illness or accident”.
Another Belgium outlet, RTBF, said Ms De Corte asked a psychiatric hospital in Antwerp to perform euthanasia for “unbearable psychiatric suffering”.
In her touching final post on social media the day she was euthanised, Ms De Corte wrote: “I was laughing and crying. Until the last day. I loved and was allowed to feel what true love is.
“Now I will go away in peace. Know that I miss you already.”
Antwerp prosecutors began an investigation after receiving complaints from a neurologist at the UZC Brugman academic clinical hospital in Brussels who said the decision to euthanise Ms De Corte “was made prematurely”.
The Federal Commission for the Control and Evaluation of Euthanasia in Belgium had no concerns over the case, but neurologist Paul Deltenre argued that there were still different modalities of care and treatment available to Shanti that were not tried, according to RTBF.
ISIS carried out a coordinated terror attack in Belgium in 2016, with two suicide bombers at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, and one at Maalbeek metro station on the Brussels metro.
32 civilians and three perpetrators were killed, and more than 300 people were injured.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The Samaritans can be reached round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on the phone. You can reach them by calling 116 123, by emailing [email protected] or by visiting www.samaritans.org.
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One of my favourite things about my new flat, apart from it being 20 mins from work, is the fact that I have my own en suite bathroom. Not just that. But it has a bath. A BATH people. Since being at university, I haven't really been able to have those proper Sunday pampering sessions because I didn't have a bath. Such is the hard life of being a student.
On another level I actually work within minutes from Oxford Street. And Oxford Street Lush. Yeah so pretty much my bank balance has been suffering a little recently. When I saw the whole new Halloween/Autumn lush range announced I knew that I was going to help myself to a few of the gems okay fine practically the entire collection because you know how much I love lush.
Sparkly Pumpkin was one of my favourites last year. Usually the thought of coming out of the bath all glittery would terrify me - however I can definitely make an exception for this bubble bar. It doesn't leave you looking like a glittering ball of mess. With Juniperberry Oil, Lime Oil and Grapefruit Oil it leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturised, something I live for (because I'm one of those people with really dry skin who cannot be arsed to ever moisturise). This gives off some serious bubbles, I would recommend only really using half a pumpkin, perhaps along with a bath bomb!
Monsters Ball is something I wouldn't necessarily pick up. Unpopular opinion, I much prefer bubble bars and bath melts than a bath bomb. Because I do have such dry skin I like something that has a lot of skin benefits when I come out and bath bombs don't tend to do that. However saying that, how could I possibly leave Lush without buying him, he's so flipping adorable. Like a cute purple version of Mike Wazowski. This has to actually be one of my favourite scents out of the Autumn collection as it's quite a floral/citrus scent. I can imagine this leaving your bath a stunning colour and making a massive display in the bath too! One of the ingredients in Monsters Ball is cocoa butter so he may actually have some skin benefits too!
Pumpkin was another I could not leave without. I mean if he doesn't shout 'Halloween' I don't know what else will. Although he is a very basic design and may not be the most impressive to look out, he's adorable nonetheless! This bath bomb however doesn't really smell like vanilla to me which gets me a little bit confused considering it's one of the main ingredients, it's a lot more citrus and spicy smelling.
Boo Bath Melt is one of my favourite items I picked up. I know a lot of people aren't a fan of bath melts but for someone with dry skin it's the best thing. Also. He. Is. So. Cute. Like literally too cute to even use. This is new to this year I believe as I've never seen this cutie before. With cocoa butter, ginger oil (great for skin inflammation), Geranium Oil and Mimosa Absolute I can seriously see this having great skin benefits (that is if I have the heart to use him).
Autumn Leaf was a product I have to admit, I purchased purely because of how nice it looked. I'm not a fan of grassy/sandalwood scents so this isn't really up my street but I couldn't resist how pretty it looked! I actually used this on Sunday night and woah did it impress in the bath. It's quite a slow fizzer but was such a pretty display!
Pop me some more recommendations on what I should pick up from Lush next! I've totally got my eyes on their new Christmas range (though my bank account needs to recover post Autumn lush haul!)
Posted by Iridescent Places at 11:25 AM
18 comments
Unknown October 11, 2016 at 1:14 PM
I actually prefer bath melts to bath bombs too! That little ghost looks so cute, definitely want to pick one of those up! :) xx
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:13 PM
He's very cute although I did have an allergic reaction to either the Boo or Pumpkin product which is super sad :( xx
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Heather Nixon October 11, 2016 at 2:53 PM
I have the autumn leaf bath bomb and I can't wait to use it x
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:13 PM
It was so so pretty in the bath! xx
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Unknown October 11, 2016 at 4:53 PM
I cannot even tell you how excited I was when I finally got a bath after being a student for 4 years and only every having a shower. I have to admit I did go a little but crazy with the bath bombs. I am still to get my hands on the Autumn Lush bits but you definitely picked up some amazing things! It is not really very Autumn-y, but Snow Fairy is always an essential for me when it comes to the colder months!
xxx
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:15 PM
Isn't it literally the worst! All you wanted was to come home from lectures and be in a bath!
The Autumn bath collection was seriously cute! I hear everyone always raving about Snow Fairy! It's a very sweet scent which I think screams out christmas sweets! xx
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Emsi Rose October 11, 2016 at 4:59 PM
These are all so so pretty and adorable! I want to get my hands on some of them so badly! xo
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:16 PM
Do it!! You can never go wrong with a lush haul! Especially when they all look this cute! xx
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Lotte Lauv October 11, 2016 at 5:38 PM
This has so made me want to take a trip to lush now! Everything looks amazing :D
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:16 PM
I know, I kept seeing everyone's lush hauls and I knew I had to get my hands on it all! xx
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Lucy October 11, 2016 at 7:41 PM
Love seeing autumnal lush hauls - really need to pick autumn leaf!
Lucy | Forever September
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:17 PM
It's by far the cutest I think in the collection! And made such a pretty display in the bath! xx
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Ellen Dahlström October 12, 2016 at 11:14 AM
Aah Lush just screams autumn to me!
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:17 PM
I know doesn't it! I don't take baths during the Summer time! It's such a Autumn/Winter thing! xx
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XO, Noelle October 13, 2016 at 6:59 PM
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Iridescent Places October 19, 2016 at 2:18 PM
I used to love Mask of Magnamity! It was such a great mask for when I had a spot! I swear I'm the only one in the world who hasn't tried the Experimenter one! xx
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Every human being wants to feel happy and positive, because that state brings the optimistic mood and makes us feel good, regardless of what we do, how much money or possessions we have.
However, it is not always easy to feel that joy every day, as we are caught up in daily tasks, chores, yet expecting happiness to appear.
Today, we can create happiness anytime anywhere, by practicing these simple, yet powerful tools that trigger optimism and joy every day.
If you could do one thing for anybody in the world, and I mean anybody, to make them feel amazing- use the simple, yet so powerful two words: Thank you! People love to be appreciated! When they feel it, they offer so much more.
The same is with life! When you are grateful you feel more joy and receive more abundance!
“A “Thankful,” note on top of an artificial tree.” by Jessica Castro on Unsplash
Make a list of the things that you appreciate in your life. The more you focus on the positive aspects of your life, the more positive taught are coming and gluing one after another, making you feel happy and being in a good mood. The positive emotions are triggered, and more optimistic feelings are coming your way, creating your happiness in the easiest way!
Try doing it in the morning; it will set your happy day!
You become abundant!
The only formula to wealth is to appreciate everything you already have!
“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”- Anthony Robbins
If you do not feel grateful for what is present in your lives, you will never have enough! You will always feel scarcity and not the richness!
Once we become grateful we realize how much we have! When we appreciate the things and people that we have in our lives, we comprehend How lucky we are, how much we actually have!
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance”- Eckhart Tolle
You can only create more wealth if you are being grateful.
In order to attract wealth, you have to first feel wealthy and abundant. Being appreciative of the things you have can only bring you more of great things in your lives.
Sometimes it is hard to be grateful for the people and things that we have because simply we have them and we do not feel special emotions about it.
Also, as humans are very adjustable species and we take most of the things for granted. We get things that we want and we easily get accustomed to them. Remember the time when you wanted the new house or anticipating your soul mate. Though, after a while, it becomes just a house or the person you are with. The special feelings are gone.
Jim Carry says I wake up some mornings and sit and have my coffee and look out at my beautiful garden, and I go, ‘Remember how good this is. Because you can lose it.’”
I admit it sounds as a bit of a negative mindset; nonetheless, it is actually can remind us to appreciate things that we have while we still have them!
So, list anything that you have: whether it is people in your life, your family, friends, teachers, or colleagues; anything in your body, any possession: as your car, house. The things that have always been there in your life; that you don’t feel thankful anymore.
Now, imagine all the things or people you listed, gone in a second.
How would your life look like, then? Would you then and there appreciate all of it?
You can use this exercise anytime you are having a hard time to evoke gratefulness.
2. Appreciate your adversities
I am making the conscious choice to see challenges as beneficial so I can deal with them in the most productive way! Jim Carry
I know it is not easy to accept hardships that you are experiencing, as I faced many of them and often was puzzled with their purpose. However, in those times is important to remember that Life always has much better solutions for you!
Remember the time you were rejected from the job you applied for. How devastating that was. However, just to find out afterward that the company went bankrupt or the person that got the job quit after a month. Or that date went to be a disaster just to make you realize what you really want of a relationship.
“ Life is always our mirror. Life is never challenging us! The circumstances that you are experiencing are just reflection of your inner self- your thoughts and emotions!”- Abraham- Hicks
Photo by Anna Sullivan on Unsplash
Maybe you were not aware that your mind and emotions were not in sync and the result you got was the “negative” outcome. Nevertheless, that reflection of those emotions and thoughts were saving you for something much better that is more suitable for your needs and wishes.
So be thankful for your challenges and advertises, because they lead you to the much better place.
You are making the same effort whether you are thinking positively or negatively.
When you picture a sandy beach, with crystal clear water, sunny day with a nice breeze it will definitely make you feel happier, rather than picturing a war zone.
Photo by Ashley Whitlatch on Unsplash
Yet, positive thinking can only be more beneficial for your well-being and the future that you are creating.
Nobody is inside your mind, except you!
Even if you are experiencing negative circumstances in your life, nobody is in control of what you think! Nobody, but you!
Use that amazing power to your benefits!
Just as you watch your favorite movie, music or any program, to enjoy; you can use your mind to switch to any positive event or picture that makes you feel better. Such as you wouldn’t spend a second watching a TV show that you don’t like and you would have changed to another channel; Do the same with the pictures in your mind.
The positive thinking is a muscle that you have to deliberately practice.
Once the negative movie comes up in your head, intentionally turn that screen off. Imagine the big screen in front of you with the negative movie playing and turn off that button.
You can start the momentum in just 13 seconds by shifting to the positive thoughts.
Now, turn on the positive movie that you enjoy watching. The beautiful day you have experienced, amazing vacation, birthday celebration, great times spent with your family or just visualize the future you want. Think of your goals and dreams. Hold those thoughts for a minute and they will bring you positive change in your mood and happiness.
Similarly, by playing positive images and movies in your mind, you create your future; as Law of Attraction attracts things and people based on our thoughts and vibrations. So make sure they are positive ones!
Also, with the habit to deliberately think the positive thoughts, you are training that thinking muscle to work for your benefits and to produce optimistic thoughts more frequently.
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
How do you talk to yourself?
Imagine talking to your friend and saying: you are incompetent, nobody loves you, you are a fool, you will never find the love of your life, keep dreaming pal.
How would that person feel? Or what would be their reaction to your comments?
If a person starts talking bad to your house, you would have certainly asked them to leave. Do the same with your negative talk! Ask it to leave, and start to use positive and encouraging words.
Recent Ikea initiative proved the impact that our words have on our senses. In its experiment, the two plants were placed in the same room. While one was told hate words for 30 days, the other one was fed with compliments and kind words. Despite the fact that both plants were treated with the same amount of water, sunlight, and fertilizers the results were very different. The plant that was told affirmative words developed in a healthy and tall tree, the other one faded and withered.
Also, in the experiment done by Dr. Masaru Emoto, the influence of words was shown in changing water molecules. The water that was spoken to with kind and positive words creating beautiful crystals, while the water that experienced negative talk was brown and blurred.
The similar experiment was done with different jars of rice. By just labeling them with positive or negative words, the outcome was surprisingly different.
So, everything is influenced by our words. Even plants, water, and food improvement are controlled by our words. Now you can easily guess the way negative words affect human senses and development.
Next time you talk to yourself or your loved ones remember these experiments and use the power of positive words! Talk to yourself as you would have talked to your best friend or your child. Use kind words, compliments, encouragement or any positive affirmation that you can think of.
Photo by Artem Bali on Unsplash
No matter how often do we think positively, our immediate surrounding has the incredible authority over us. It can push us in the direction of happiness and advancement or pull us backward.
“You become who you drink coffee with.” — Robin Sharma
You become the average of five people you spend time with. That applies to your intelligence, performance, emotional state, well-being and mood, almost everything! So, if you spend the time with people with high IQ, your IQ becomes the average of those five people! You can actually improve your intelligence by spending time with intelligent people and vice versa.
Who you spend your time with can be the important factor in your everyday happiness and development!
Spend time with people that inspire you, lift up your mood and confidence. Your time and life are precious to waste it on negativity from other people. Steve Pavlina- life coach is very strict and does not tolerate any negative talk from anybody, not even his family or friends.
Create a stimulating environment. Surround yourself with the beautiful events- place pictures of fun past events, your accomplishments, photos of your loved ones, flowers, books you love. Also, get rid of anything that does not make you feel good, even that gift you got from your friend. Watch movies that make you laugh, listen to positive music. The purpose is to feel happy every time you look around.
Find your happy place. Spend time in places that make you feel happy. For me, nature is a pleasant place to relax and recharge my batteries. Find a nice park, forest or beach or any other spot that makes you feel good.
How do you create your happiness every day?
If you want to find out more about how to use your mind and body to feel happier take the Free E-Book http://eepurl.com/c1xbuj
Also, read the most popular 8 Secrets to using your body to instantly boost your mood, featured in Thrive Global and endorsed by Arianna Huffington:
Originally published at thelifecrackers.com
Self Improvement
Published August 14, 2018
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Executive Communications Coach, University Lecturer, Ph.D. Communications
With a Ph.D. in communications, two master's degrees, being certified NLP coach and trainer, lecturer, and consultant with vast international professional experience in business consultancy, international organizations: European Commission, United Nations, non-profit organizations, and University setting, I worked with professionals from all over the world and helped them advance in their careers and personal lives by overcoming the fears, building their self-confidence and developing their public speaking and communication skills.
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On Friday the European Court of Human Rights delivered its Grand Chamber judgment in Catan and Others v. Moldova and Russia, nos. 43370/04, 8252/05 and 18454/06, yet another case on the ECHR’s extraterritorial application, dealing in particular with the Convention’s application to the separatist republic of Trandniestria in Moldova (link to judgment). The case is in effect a sequel to the Court’s earlier judgments on Transdniestria in Ilascu and Ivantoc, this time dealing however with a significantly different factual pattern.
The applicants were Moldovans who lived in Transdniestria and who were at the time of lodging the application pupils at three Moldovan-language schools and their parents. They complained under Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention and Article 8 of the Convention, taken alone and in conjunction with Article 14 about the closure of their schools and their harassment by the separatist Transdniestrian authorities. The reason for this harassment was basically a policy of Russification by the Transdniestrian authorities whereby schools in the region could only operate in and teach the Moldovan (i.e. Romanian) language as written in the Cyrillic alphabet, rather than the much more commonly used Latin one. In short, the applicants’ education became embroilled in language politics, very similar for instance to those in the Balkans.
What makes this case particularly interesting is the relationship between Article 1 ECHR notion of state jurisdiction, as the threshold for the existence of (all or some) state obligations under the Convention, and the attribution of conduct under the secondary rules of the law of state responsibility. In Ilascu, paras 392-3, the Court held that
[T]he “MRT” [Transdniestria], set up in 1991-92 with the support of the Russian Federation, vested with organs of power and its own administration, remains under the effective authority, or at the very least under the decisive influence, of the Russian Federation, and in any event that it survives by virtue of the military, economic, financial and political support given to it by the Russian Federation. … [T]here is a continuous and uninterrupted link of responsibility on the part of the Russian Federation for the applicants’ fate, as the Russian Federation’s policy of support for the regime and collaboration with it continued beyond 5 May 1998, and after that date the Russian Federation made no attempt to put an end to the applicants’ situation brought about by its agents, and did not act to prevent the violations allegedly committed after 5 May 1998.
Ilascu was notable for several reasons. First, it apparently applied the spatial model of Article 1 jurisdiction as control of an area while lowering the threshold of the needed control (the ‘decisive influence’ bit). Secondly, it completely confused jurisdiction with responsibility; it was utterly unclear from the case whether the Court considered all acts of the MRT to be attributable to Russia, apparently on the basis of a sui generis rule on attribution of conduct that hardly seemed compliant with the ILC’s work on state responsibility or the jurisprudence of the ICJ, or rather whether Russia was held responsible for failing to comply with a positive obligation to prevent human rights violations by non-state actors (the MRT) operating in an area under its jurisdiction. Third, the Court also found that Moldova had positive obligations in the MRT despite having lost control of the territory, a (human rights-friendly) ruling that in my view compromised the purely factual nature of the Art 1 jurisdictional tests for the sake of a rather vague positive obligation which did not amount to much in practice anyway.
Here comes Catan, which provided the Court with the opportunity to revisit some of these points. What distinguishes Catan and Ilascu is primarily the lapse in time with regard to the facts of the two cases, during which Russia’s control over Transdniestria arguably decreased. Moreover, unlike in Ilascu Russian authorities had no involvement in the harassment of the applicants and the interference with their right to education. The Court thus had to build upon Ilascu, and that it did, producing a rather mixed (if again human rights-friendly) outcome. In brief, it found that both Moldova and Russia retained jurisdiction over Transdniestria; that Moldova this time did comply with its positive obligations; but that Russia was to be held reponsible for a violation of Art 2 of Protocol 1, and was as a consequence liable for significant damages.
The Court first proceeds to recapitulate its case law on extraterritorial application (para. 103 ff). Somewhat amusingly, it states that it ‘has established a number of clear [!] principles in its case-law under Article 1.’ Paraphrasing Al-Skeini, it considers that ‘“Jurisdiction” under Article 1 is a threshold criterion. The exercise of jurisdiction is a necessary condition for a Contracting State to be able to be held responsible for acts or omissions imputable to it which give rise to an allegation of the infringement of rights and freedoms set forth in the Convention.’ Note how this clearly distinguishes between jurisdiction and attribution, and so far so good.
It then affirms the Ilascu principle that title over territory alone is grounds for a limited type of Art. 1 jurisdiction (para. 110): ‘Although Moldova has no effective control over the acts of the “MRT” in Transdniestria, the fact that the region is recognised under public international law as part of Moldova’s territory gives rise to an obligation, under Article 1 of the Convention, to use all legal and diplomatic means available to it to continue to guarantee the enjoyment of the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention to those living there.’
As for Russia, the Court considers it crucial that the events at issue in Catan took place in 2002-4, a period included, if somewhat peripherally, in its ruling in Ilascu (para. 111). Therefore, ‘where the Court has already concluded that the Russian Federation had jurisdiction over certain events in Transdniestria during the relevant period, it considers that the burden now lies on the Russian Government to establish that Russia did not exercise jurisdiction in relation to the events complained of by the present applicants’ (para. 112). This pretty deft reversal of the burden of proof allowed the Court to simplify the evolution of Russia’s involvement in the MRT. The Court similarly makes it clear that it is applying a spatial, rather than personal conception of Art. 1 jurisdiction (para. 114), and that unlike in Al-Skeini there is no evidence of a direct involvement of Russian agents in the acts against the applicants’ schools.
The Court then had to respond to a rather powerful argument made by Russia, namely that its approach in Ilascu was at odds with the work of the ILC and the ICJ’s Nicaragua and Bosnian Genocide rulings, in which it found that the acts of a prima facie non-state actor could become attributable to a state if it (1) either exercises complete control over the non-state actor, which is totally dependent on it, so that all of its acts are those of the state, of which it is essentially a de facto organ; or (2) effective control over the specific conduct in question. (For more discussion on all this see pp. 41-53 of my book on extraterritorial application; see also here). To this the Court responds that (para. 115):
The Court recalls that in the judgment relied upon by the Government of the Russian Federation, the International Court of Justice was concerned with determining when the conduct of a person or group of persons could be attributed to a State, so that the State could be held responsible under international law in respect of that conduct. In the instant case, however, the Court is concerned with a different question, namely whether facts complained of by an applicant fell within the jurisdiction of a respondent State within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention. As the summary of the Court’s case-law set out above demonstrates, the test for establishing the existence of “jurisdiction” under Article 1 of the Convention has never been equated with the test for establishing a State’s responsibility for an internationally wrongful act under international law.
Aside from the rather tiresome refusal of the Court to acknowledge any inconsistency in its prior case law (viz. jurisdiction ‘has never been equated’ with attribution, when nobody who ever read Ilascu was sure what exactly the Court was doing, and I won’t even mention other such cases), this is a welcome development. As in Al-Skeini, the Court distinguishes between jurisdiction and attribution, and this is a good thing. It then proceeds to find that on the facts of the case Russia maintained jurisdiction over Transdniestria (paras. 120-121):
As mentioned above, the Court in the Ilaşcu judgment also found that the “MRT” only survived during the period in question by virtue of Russia’s economic support, inter alia (see paragraph 111 above). The Court does not consider that the Russian Government have discharged the burden of proof upon them and established that this finding was incorrect. In particular, it is not denied by the Russian Government that the Russian public corporation Gazprom supplied gas to the region and that the “MRT” paid for only a tiny fraction of the gas consumed, both by individual households and by the large industrial complexes established in Transdniestria, many of them found by the Court to be Russian-owned (see paragraphs 39-40 above). The Russian Government accepts that it spends USD millions every year in the form of humanitarian aid to the population of Transdniestria, including the payment of old age pensions and financial assistance to schools, hospitals and prisons. In the light of the statistic, supplied by the Moldovan Government and undisputed by the Russian Government, that only approximately 20% of the population of the “MRT” are economically active, the importance for the local economy of Russian pensions and other aid can be better appreciated. Finally, the Court notes that the Russian Government do not take issue with the applicants’ statistics regarding nationality, according to which almost one fifth of those living in the region controlled by the “MRT” have been granted Russian nationality (see paragraphs 41-42 above).
In summary, therefore, the Russian Government have not persuaded the Court that the conclusions it reached in 2004 in the Ilaşcu judgment (cited above) were inaccurate. The “MRT” was established as a result of Russian military assistance. The continued Russian military and armaments presence in the region sent a strong signal, to the “MRT” leaders, the Moldovan Government and international observers, of Russia’s continued military support for the separatists. In addition, the population were dependent on free or highly subsidised gas supplies, pensions and other financial aid from Russia.
The Court then went on to examine the merits of the applicants’ complaint under Article 2 of Protocol No. 1, and I will deal with this only very briefly, even though its analysis of the right to education merits a more detailed examinatiom. The Court found that the sole purpose of the interference with the applicants education by the MRT authorities was ‘entrenching the separatist ideology’ (para. 144), and accordingly found a violation on the facts. It however saw no need to venture further into discussing the case under Articles 8 and 14 of the Convention, with a number of judges jointly dissenting on this pont.
What I find most intriguing here is the Court’s approach to state responsibility. While it found that Moldova had discharged its (paltry) positive obligation ‘having made considerable effort to support the applicants’ (para. 147), with regard to Russia it ruled as follows (paras. 149-150):
The Court notes that there is no evidence of any direct participation by Russian agents in the measures taken against the applicants. Nor is there any evidence of Russian involvement in or approbation for the “MRT”‘s language policy in general. Indeed, it was through efforts made by Russian mediators, acting together with mediators from Ukraine and the OSCE, that the “MRT” authorities permitted the schools to reopen as “foreign institutions of private education” (see paragraphs 49, 56 and 66 above).
Nonetheless, the Court has established that Russia exercised effective control over the “MRT” during the period in question. In the light of this conclusion, and in accordance with the Court’s case-law, it is not necessary to determine whether or not Russia exercised detailed control over the policies and actions of the subordinate local administration (see paragraph 106 above). By virtue of its continued military, economic and political support for the “MRT”, which could not otherwise survive, Russia incurs responsibility under the Convention for the violation of the applicants’ rights to education. In conclusion, the Court holds that there has been a violation of Article 2 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention in respect of the Russian Federation.
Note how this brings us back to attribution. Is the Court here saying that Russia was responsible for everything that the MRT did, i.e. that all of its acts were attributable to Russia, by virtue of some ECHR-specific rule of attribution? Not only would this go against what the ILC and the ICJ had to say on the matter, but this would also contradict the earlier passages in Catan in which the Court draws the distinction between jurisdiction and responsibility. Or is the Court here saying (as I would argue is the much better view) that Russia is responsible for failing to prevent the acts of the MRT that violated the applicants’ rights? But if that is so, why does the Court not even mention positive obligations with regard to Russia, nor judge it according to a due diligence standard, through which the efforts made by Russian mediators could certainly be taken into account? In effect, the Court would appear to have treated this case in exactly the same way as if Russian authorities were directly involved in the closing of the schools, and that just does not seem right to me.
To conclude, while the Court’s efforts to clarify its Article 1 case law continue, and while parts of Catan are on the right track (with a 16 to 1 majority in the Grand Chamber on top), ultimately we again have a judgment that is conceptually open to various interpretations. And that is a real problem. It is one thing to agree or disagree with the Court on its assessments of the facts, and specifically as how the reality on the ground changed (or not) between Ilascu and Catan. But it quite another not to know (yet again!) what the Court is exactly doing and how its methods figure into the broader framework of international law, besides reaching a result that it thought appropriate under the circumstances.
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Marko Milanovic is Professor of Public International Law at the University of Reading School of Law. He is co-editor of EJIL: Talk! and a member of the EJIL's Editorial Board.
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Rick Archer: Welcome to Buddha at the Gas Pump. My name is Rick Archer. Buddha at the Gas Pump is an ongoing series of conversations with spiritually Awakening people. We’ve done over 560 of them now I think and if this is new to you and you’d like to check out previous ones, please go to batgap.com – b a t g a p – and go to the past interviews menu. This program is made possible through the support of appreciative listeners and viewers. So if you appreciate it, and would like to help support it, there’s a PayPal button on every page of the site. And if you have a PayPal aversion, there is also a page that explains other ways to donate. My guest today is Andrew Hewson. Welcome, Andrew.
Andrew Hewson: Hey, Rick. Thanks for having me.
Rick Archer: You’re welcome. Andrew is I’m just going to read part of his bio that he sent me and then I’m going to have him flesh it out a bit. Andrew is a contemporary spiritual teacher whose focus is on the realization of the presence of divinity as one’s fundamental source and self, emphasizing transcendence as a process that cannot only be undergone in the midst of daily living, but even facilitated by it. Andrew speaks from the experiential reality of having been carried by the grace of total transformation in the context of daily life. Growing up in the south eastern United States, North Carolina, Andrew’s childhood was characterized by a state of lightness, freedom and underlying connection. This effortless way of being was taken as an unspoken given until an intense qualitative shift took place in his early teens, the condition which ones prevailed. In other words, the lightness, freedom and underlying connection progressively became replaced by an acute sense of separation, limitation and lack, leaving little room for functional participation in the common activities of human life. With this radical drop into apparent fragmentation, Andrew began to seek relief wherever possible. The seeking eventually led to the discovery of altered states of consciousness through the use of alcohol and drugs, which quickly spiraled into the pits of despair. After years of unsuccessfully attempting to live from such a constricted sense of identity, Andrew found himself in a medical isolation jail cell facing 30 years in prison. It was there in the midst of absolute hopelessness and despair. That grace that the grace of surrender shone forth, bringing about a profound shift in consciousness. This transformation revealed a still silent presence or field, the vine and its nature and ignited a fire for spiritual evolution. Right. So stop right there and ask you some questions. So what did you do to get yourself in prison? Are you dealing drugs or something?
Andrew Hewson: No, actually, it was a car wreck.
Rick Archer: Where you were drunk and ran into somebody?
Andrew Hewson: No, not drunk. It was another drug. Uh
Rick Archer: huh. Okay. And so the drug caused you to wreck the car.
Andrew Hewson: Yeah, that’s what seemed to be going on.
Rick Archer: I’m only laughing because of the roundabout way of saying it. And did someone actually die in that wreck?
Andrew Hewson: No, no. badly injured. All three of the bodies involved? This one and the other two? Uh huh. And one of them ended up having a leg amputated.
Rick Archer: Wow. Had you gotten into, you know, opiates? Was it heroin or something that usually people get pretty out of it on that sort of drug?
Andrew Hewson: Well, the drugs that weren’t used would be easier to listen the ones that were so I don’t want to get into all of that. But basically, addiction is for many things, and drugs and alcohol just happened to be one of the outlets for addiction.
Rick Archer: Sure. Okay, well, I went through a phase like that myself as did many people and actually spent a couple of nights in jail, but nothing nothing quite so serious Is that so? Somehow you beat the potential prison rap? was an I guess you had you. So talk about the shift that happened. I guess it happened in the jail cell. What What woke you up? Do you think or what was the nature of the waking up?
Andrew Hewson: Well, One thing that I like to point out to everyone is that a shift in identity is not an event. It’s not an experience. So to select something out, and to say this is where this happened is really arbitrary and inaccurate, we have to have a fuller perspective. It’s like this interview. For instance, if I say, this interview starts five minutes ago, and then it’s going to end at five o’clock Eastern Standard Time, that really cuts out the rest of creation, and the rest of the universe. And everything is connected. Everything is the expression of one field of intelligence interacting with itself. So if we isolate out Andrew’s apparent event, we’re really dealing in the illusion of separation, which there is no separation. So I understand that, in the convenience of language, we have discussions like this, but I also think that it’s important that we have a very fundamental perspective, when we examine areas of our own life and what seems to be going on in the world.
Rick Archer: Yeah, and I’ve heard you talk, you sent me 23 hours of things to listen to, and I only got nine hours. But including your conversations with David Buckland, which were interesting. But and I’ve heard you talk about that, you know, the things are not as linear as they seem, or perhaps not at all in here. And that it’s sort of erroneous to speak of causes and effects. However, there’s there is such a thing as you know, conditional or transactional reality, I think they call it did at Harker or something like that in Sanskrit, which has its own level of significance, even though it may not be the ultimate reality.
Andrew Hewson: Well, for those that are stuck in the dominance of that sense of transactional or causal relationship, it is supportive for the evolution of the conscious experiencing to bring in the understanding that that is not actually what it seems to be. Because what sets what that is reinforcing is the sense that there’s a separate independent AI, that is fragmented from the hole, that is either the cause or the effect of what seems to be going on in the world. And as long as that is in place, we do not know the truth of the light that we are, and we feel limited, we feel lacking, and we feel incomplete. So my primary intention, we might say, is for those that are seeking to return to a sense of completion, to discover that within themselves. And so I offer that which I feel is most supportive of that recognition and realization.
Rick Archer: Yeah, that’s great. Um, however, you know, I’ve run into many people over the years who kind of understand intellectually, what you’re saying here, and what others have said, along these lines. But it’s not actually their experience. And yet, they try to make the intellectual understanding and experience their mistake, an intellectual understanding for, for realization. And that can result in some very strange ways of dealing with the world. For instance, I heard recently a story about a well known spiritual teacher who advise some guy to drink two gallons of water. So I guess, must have been some kind of purification thing. So the guy drank two gallons of water within about a five minute period. I don’t know whether that was what the other fellow had, had really intended. And it threw his sodium balance or something so far out of whack that he died. And then his wife, who was also on this course with him, just took it very philosophically, oh, there is no one to die. And, you know, there’s no, there’s actually no death and no body and, and this and that, and which to me, is like screaming spiritual bypassing. It’s like, No, you don’t drink two gallons of water. And if you do, it’s a stupid thing to do. But it’s good to kill your body. And that has its, you know, level of relevance.
Andrew Hewson: Yes, of course. We’re all accountable to the recognition of reality that we are currently in. And this experience here this case, in my own case, I was accountable to that level of spirituality, and paid the dues that were necessary and went through everything that could be done by Andrew, in reference to the reparation of what needed seem to need reparation. And if you will examine this teaching a little bit further, you’ll see that spiritual bypassing just simply isn’t an option because one of the largest parts of it is meditation, and contemplative supplication, which is an investigation into unresolved content on a daily basis. So
Rick Archer: just to push this a little further, so if you had been on that course, knowing what you know, saying the kind of things you say, and the guy had died and you were talking to his wife? And she was saying things like that. What would you have said to her, Do you think?
Andrew Hewson: if anyone is out of alignment with what their recognition of truth is, that I would tell them, that they are attempting to apply something that is not applicable to their experience within their experience, and that it’s a limitation, and that they’re hiding behind spiritual concepts as an attempt to not deal with something that needs to be dealt with.
Rick Archer: That’s good, very well put. Yeah, the thing about not applicable. teacher of mine always used to say, you know, you can’t this kind of, like this example, in a way because I wouldn’t want to shoot a tiger, but he said, You can’t use the gun of the waking state to shoot the Tiger of the dream state. You know, different realities apply in different states of consciousness. Beautiful, yeah. Yeah. Okay. And the whole thing again, about causality, cause and effect, and so on. I know, if we, if we refer to physics, for instance, you know, there’s a level of we could say, Newtonian physics, where cause and effect is very well worked out in the mathematics of it is understood and, and all kinds of things. And then there, when you get down to quantum mechanics, and subtler levels of more modern physics, those concepts become meaningless, because on those levels of creation, it just doesn’t work that way, you know, but it still works that way, on the level of Newtonian physics on the on the sort of gross material level, and you need to take that kind of thing into account, if you’re going to build a bridge or an airplane, or, you know, a building or something like that.
Andrew Hewson: Yeah, it’s something that is very selective and contextual, you know, I don’t tell my grandparents that there is no such thing as causality. You know, I live in the world just like everyone else does. But when it comes to those that are coming here for guidance, we look at things a little bit more deeply. And we do that with an understanding that there are different paradigms, and that there is a more complete picture. And it’s never something that is attempting to wiggle out of something, or to get out of something. But something that is moving in the direction of a more inclusive, comprehensive picture of what it is that our truth, actually is.
Rick Archer: Good. I like that. I like the words inclusive and comprehensive. So by those words, do you mean that, you know, you’re kind of expanding the spectrum of you know, that which your life experience includes such that, you know, it may still include the mundane considerations that it has always included? But that it’s taking into account other levels of reality? That might be radically different from those mundane considerations, and that the two are not incompatible? They’re just sort of different realities within a larger hole? Could you say it that way?
Andrew Hewson: Well, essentially, it has to do with dominance. And so what we’re concerned with is shifting from paradigm of existence, which seems to be dominated by content and form and mechanistically interacting presentations of measurability into a larger, broader context of a recognition of reality which we seek to be ourselves, which is the field of conscious awareness. So the whole movement then is for this field, which is right here speaking to itself, to realize itself to recognize its reality through a given nervous system. And in that supports the entirety of mankind, and
Rick Archer: that’s great. No, I like that. Yeah, dominance. not either or, but both end. Mm hmm. I think Nisargadatta said something along the lines of that the ability to appreciate paradox and ambiguity is a sign of spiritual maturity. Beautiful. So let’s just see here. Well, I think I’ll ask you this first, which comes to mind, which is, so before we lose the trail of your personal story, which I know you’re going to try to wriggle out of, but um, what was your I mean, what was you must have had some prior, maybe not, I mean, did you have some kind of prior interest in the kinds of things we’re now discussing such that when you were in that jail cell, you know, you could refer back to that and, you know, start to you know, undergo the ship Do you underwent? Or did it all just come completely spontaneously with no background?
Andrew Hewson: No? Well, first, I don’t have any problem talking about my personal story I, I often tell personal anecdotes and in our groups and retreats and things like that. So that would be a early phase of shifting into a higher recognition of reality, which would still be adolescent from a later stage of development, meaning that to get stuck in this no person, kind of a situation where we run away from the personal side of life is really unhelpful and a sign that things still need to develop more fully.
Rick Archer: Did you go through that kind of phase? The nonprofit? Yes, but
Andrew Hewson: it was, it was short lived by grace. Good. Yeah. Because devotion was already in place at that point. So yes, there throughout the lifetime, there were several things that were spiritually significant. One of the interesting things that takes place when we do shift into recognizing our reality as this field, and the sense of separate autonomy sort of results, and is first is transcended, and then resolves, the the remnants of it at least, is that we do not feel any more like we have lived a life. And that we’ve grown up or been in time in the same way. So everything is contained within this field of conscious awareness, which is timeless and formless. It is appearing as the emergence of form. So what I recognized to be spiritually significant would be just moments in childhood where the sense of that personal separate experiencer would just disappear. And this will be in nature, oftentimes, and there will just be just pure experiencing, just seeing the trees and snow and all of the beauty and a deep silence and peace. And oftentimes, Andrew would then try to get back there try to go back to that same spot and nature, because the mind was equating that with that tasting of something deeper. And when the sense of separation solidified, living, in what seemed to be this sort of meat suit that was really uncomfortable, was, in a way unbearable, is that there was such a deep sense of fragmentation. And in early, early in early childhood, there was a great sense of expansiveness and lightness and freedom and, and deep, deep connection, even though it wasn’t labeled that because it was just the natural status. And I feel like for many human beings, this is the case, then we come into this place where we do drop into that sense of fragmentation. And in this case, and in other cases, it was very extreme. And it demanded attention, it wasn’t something that could just be lived with. And so that limited sense of identity started to seek outside of itself to try to find ways to fix this sense of fragmentation to make this go away. And it tried lots of different things being funny at school, you know, watching TV eating too much, even went through a period where there was a small eating disorder. And and then finally, it turned into alcohol, and then drugs. And from that point, it was all always something that was had a life of its own, it really had little to do with decision or choice. And that’s not an excuse for what took place during those years. As what has appeared to take place during those years has been addressed and will be addressed if it needs to in whatever way. That’s one of the first things we learn on the spiritual path more coming out of addiction is that we have to really apply spiritual principles to our life in a way that perhaps other human beings that are not addicted do not and this is in the the typical recovery, spiritual recovery setting. So in the jail cell. These, these sort of timeless moments and knowing and, and expressions of knowingness that had been there, throughout the Incarnation, all of a sudden came forth and made sense in a new way along with some of the teachings of Jesus Christ that I had been exposed to, and different things like that. But it was it was as if the perfection of the whole presentation of the those years of addiction and everything that seemed to go on during that period was revealed. And there was this deep understanding that this is exactly how it was supposed to be and had to be and And I found what I was looking for finally, I didn’t know that I was looking for the presence of God. But that’s what I was always looking for. And innocently. Andrew was just mistaken about where to find that. And looking at all the wrong places. Yeah,
Rick Archer: yep. As the song says. And I think that’s what everybody in the world is doing. You know, they’re all looking for the presence of God, and not too many of them looking in places that will reveal that presence directly. But eventually, we get there. Yeah, yeah, Grace. Sometimes I had the feeling now I’ve heard people say that a lot of times, someone who’s destined to be a teacher has to go through, you know, certain experiences, sometimes very rough ones, in order to be an effective teacher for others who are going through experiences like that.
Andrew Hewson: Yes, I’ve often had that sense, or there’s a direct understanding of kind of the function of the Incarnation, we might say, and the way in which things have unfolded. And this was known at a very early age, actually, I remember being at the beach as a young boy. And there was this knowingness of a certain purpose or a certain function. But there was no language to articulate it. And it was very abstract and field field like, yeah, so in the jail cell, there wasn’t a direct shift in identity. That’s why I don’t like to speak about it as an event or an experience. But what took place is that there was field recognition, what I call field recognition, meaning that the field of conscious awareness in particular the aspect, which I refer to as the conscious presence aspect, revealed itself. And so still, at the sense of being Andrew as an experiencer, there was an awareness of what Andrew or what I refer to as the presence of God, at that point, the field had not yet recognized that it was itself through this nervous system. And so there still seemed to be an experiencer of the field.
Rick Archer: I see. Yeah. He might have said at the time, he might have said, yeah, I, Andrew, I’m experiencing sensing or intuiting this field, but you wouldn’t have said I am the field?
Andrew Hewson: Yes, correct. And actually, there was direct visual perception of the field as well, which is almost like heat coming off the top of a grill. Yeah. And from that point, it has just intensified and has never gone away. And that moves through the various stages that I talked about in the teaching as well.
Rick Archer: That’s interesting. Do you ever without getting too esoteric, do you? Do you ever sort of have any sense of past life development culminate, or resulting in whatever stage that you’ve come into this one app?
Andrew Hewson: Well, yes, it goes back to what we were talking about in the beginning about having a broad perspective and a full picture and not fragmenting off events. So we can look at the lifetime, almost like this interview, right? It’s an it’s a very small piece of something much larger. Sure. And then there’s, you know, there’s contexts within context, as far as that’s concerned. So, yeah, there, there has been some very specific knowingness and remembrance of certain things. But I don’t know if it’s best to go into all of that right now.
Rick Archer: So you don’t have to, if you don’t want to, you can if you want, but I wouldn’t press you on it. But I think as a general principle, I get the sense that, well, it’s my philosophy of things, and certainly not mine. I didn’t make it up that, you know, spiritual development is a vast spectrum, vast continuum, and any one lifetime is just a little band on that spectrum. And that, you know, we, we basically pick up where we left off, you know, as the Gita says, just as just as a man casts off worn off garments and takes on others that are new. So do we cast off worn off bodies and take up other new ones, which is a good perspective for people to have, I think, because it can create a great deal of reassurance or peace of mind, you know, like you said, if you feel like I am this meat body that you use, and that’s all I am, then then what happens to the meat body is of really great significance as compared to I am this field.
Andrew Hewson: Yes, exactly. One thing that I just would want everyone to know is that we are our own limitation, you know, this, this truth of the self that we are appears to limit itself and that is what we know is the human condition. So when I see those that assume that they’re so far behind or you know, missing the mark so greatly, I just feel moved to remind them that things are not what they appear to be. And to know that if you’re listening to material like this, if you’re even drawn towards something like this, there is a larger portion of the picture that’s not being seen. And to start to put some trust in that, and to intuit that and to move in the direction of the possibility that grace can reveal aspects of our own identity, which seem to be concealed at a current moment. Yeah,
Rick Archer: that’s very nice, nicely, but yeah, people should never feel frustrated or depressed or something. Because they, they feel like there’s some kind of spiritual schmuck. I mean, just that, like you said, the very fact that one would be interested in this kind of conversation is pretty significant by you know, you consider the whole human population, how many people are actually interested in this stuff. I mean, not to not to toot our horns as being special anything, but it’s, it’s still a very small percentage of the population.
Andrew Hewson: It is, yeah. And I, I see it all, as an expression of grace, the story of Andrew is one of failure. So it’s pretty obvious for anyone that does their research, that Andrew hasn’t done anything, to get into a certain space or to realize something or recognize something, it was not by Andrew’s power or authority, that anything has been revealed. It is by the grace of the one divinity, that we are all are expressions of.
Rick Archer: Yeah, but you know, as I think Jesus or somewhere in the Bible, it says, God helps those who help themselves. So, you know, you can’t, I mean, we can, who is there, some Zen teacher I’ve quoted, this one often says, said, enlightenment may be an accident, but spiritual practice makes you accident prone. So, you know, there are certain things we can do to set up the conditions in which grace is better able to operate.
Andrew Hewson: Rick, this is true, and I do prescribe, things that I feel are in alignment with the recognition of reality and the status of infinity. And these are things that are applied on a daily basis, but at the same time, Andrew couldn’t help himself. So if it was only true, that God helps those who can help themselves and Andrew wouldn’t be sitting here right now.
Rick Archer: Yeah, well, you know, that’s a big theme. And a, you may have gone to a meetings that, you know, basically right, I mean, have you gone to a meeting, I have been to a few Yeah, you know, that a certain point, you realize, you know, I can’t do this on my own, I, you, you kind of submit to a higher power, as your only hope.
Andrew Hewson: That’s actually a theme that’s been around in great traditions from the East as well. It’s a movement of natural recognition, where there is the grace of seeing that in and of myself, I am nothing. And it is the father that does the work that is the the one power that has this capacity to awaken to itself through this body. Yeah,
Rick Archer: let’s get into that for a minute. I have some other things here, I could ask you, but I’m pretty good at articulating this, all the hours of listen to you. And I’ll just give you a little hint of what I’m getting at and then let you elaborate but um, if we really think in terms of oneness or unity, and you know, non fragmentation as being the Ultimate Reality of Things, then who is doing what and to whom, by by whom, there really is only the oneness. And so it must somehow this whole play and display of the universe must be the oneness or the Unity interacting with itself. And so this whole talk of Rick interviewing Andrew or, you know, having this conversation or anything else, it’s really just the oneness, sort of self interacting. And yeah, creating this sort of marvelous appearance of diversity and variety and so on. You want to you want to riff on that for a bit.
Andrew Hewson: Sure. Well, this is where the word appearance becomes very useful and helpful. The word seeming these kinds of things. Essentially, pure divinity is the only reality and That’s actually even the source of conscious awareness. So conscious awareness is the light of divinity. And within this light, we see the process of experiencing, appear to arise, which is essentially the light becoming conscious of itself as self aware. And in that the process of experiencing then presents the patterning of form, which is much more complex in this, but I’m sort of simplifying the patterning of form. And it’s all simultaneous. So I’m speaking about it descriptively, from a linear perspective, so that we hear it, one word after the other, but actually, it’s all done. And then we just witnessed that or explore it from within that already done, as you might say. So that process of experiencing then shows up as the patterning of conscious awareness in such a way that it seems to progressively condensate within itself condensate into the forms and phenomena that we perceive that it perceives as the world which is essentially just a projection of its own potential as actualized formation within itself. And right now, this conversation is an expression of that intelligence, which some are able to recognize as being governed by laws of nature or aspects of creativity, creative aspects of intelligence.
Rick Archer: And so what you’re saying here, that it’s possible to actually trace, you know, talk about the Big Bang and how creation emerges and gets complete, increasingly complex and diversified in that process. But what you’re saying, as I understand it, pertains to a continuous thing. That’s, that’s happening all the time right now. Yes. There’s this sort of sequential, spontaneous symmetry breaking from the unmanifest unified wholeness to into greater and greater apparent diversity.
Andrew Hewson: So this, this interview is an expression of creation. So right now, these words emerging, this is creation expressing itself as these words, yeah. And what you referred to before about who’s doing what and to whom, within this presentation, of self experiencing conscious awareness, we see the apparent dominance of content and form arise, that’s where a limited self definition, within the conscious awareness shows up. And from the basis of that limited self definition, there seems to be personal autonomy, there seems to be a sense of fragmentation, and then that point of apparent fragmentation, feeling that it is the doer of actions and the thinker of thoughts begins to accrue impressions. The acumen of this imprint these impressions, is what we know is karma. And then these impressions continually sort of play out on a loop, and are either seeking to re impress or to resolve depending on the status of the point. Yes.
Rick Archer: The, um, and so I like your use of the word non dual devotion, and, and you know, the use of the word divine and so on. Because sometimes when teachers talk about non duality and stuff, it has this sort of dry, plain vanilla connotation to it. And there’s no sort of appreciation or recognition of the intelligence that is so obviously, involved in this whole process. And so I know you have kind of a devotional background in terms of things you’ve done in your life. And I think, you know, the, the greatest spiritual teachers throughout history, have heard a similar orientation, Shankara, Nisargadatta, Ramadan and so on. They don’t just hammer away, there’s nothing nothing ever happened. And they may say that, but in the next breath, they may talk about the sort of the, the sort of infinite creative intelligence that is orchestrating the whole universe. Yes. And there’s no contradiction between those two ways of looking at it.
Andrew Hewson: Correct? Yeah, this has a lot to do with the recognition of reality which there are degrees of realisation we could say, or stages of enlightenment. And depending upon the stage, whether it’s more predominantly masculine and its nature or feminine in nature, which just refers to the subjectivity and not to the, to the human form, then we’re going to see some qualitative variation in the way in which it shows up and on the masculine side of things, the tendencies to deal within the realm of negation and Talking about things being unreal appearances, seeing them as being unreal, the emphasis is on the changeless, silent background reality of pure awareness. And sometimes the source of awareness as the attribute is that notice.
Andrew Hewson: So this side of things is very valid. And it’s it’s beautiful, but at the same time, it’s only half the story. So we have to have a recognition of a full spectrum of development in order for one side of things to be properly understood. And if we feel that that side is all there is which it’s natural to feel that way, because each subjective recognition of the field of subjectivity feels subjectively absolute, including egoic dominance for many human beings. If you said, Do you know that you’re, you’re not actually what you take yourself to be? They’re like, ah, yeah, right. You’re a joke, you know, this is. So that’s just the way subjectivity is. And I feel that one thing that I would love to explore more in the coming months and years is the opportunity for post liberation, devotion, and those that are in, in those more masculine statuses of the recognition of reality, to start to move into a flow of grace, which allows for a more comprehensive unfoldment.
Rick Archer: Yeah, that’s nice. And there isn’t any reason is there? Why one couldn’t have? I mean, you talked a bit about the masculine, the nothing ever happened. perspective on it. But then you didn’t really elaborate as much on the feminine. But there isn’t any reason why one couldn’t have both in fullness in a balanced way. Is there?
Andrew Hewson: No, of course not, actually, that’d be the ideal. One of the yes, the ideal, one of the major concepts I work with is something I call the sacred marriage. So essentially, there’s two aspects of the self, I refer to them as pure awareness and conscious presence. So pure awareness is this changeless silent dimensionless. Seeing that is right here, at the same time, it is non local. Yeah. And the other aspect is this full, vibrant, cogent, conscious presence, which is the dynamic flow that is appearing as the emergence of these words. And so initially, there appears to be a distinction between these two, and this is what I call the primary distinction. And that’s the distinction between the masculine and the feminine aspects of the self. So essentially, when one is, in the midst of this grace unfoldment, of recognizing their reality as infinity, there is going to be something I call aspectual dominance, meaning that we’re going to either see a dominance of the feminine aspect, or dominance of the masculine aspect, this doesn’t mean that both cannot be recognized simultaneously, oftentimes, in initial, in an initial shift in identity, or in just basic field recognition. But that there’s going one of them is going to be the primary point of reference, we might say, even though it’s a field, yes, this field right here, so.
Rick Archer: So just elaborate a bit more before. As part of this, what you’re saying, you emphasize that you explain in some detail, the orientation of the masculine dominance, which I think is probably the more common thing, in today’s spiritual millio. How would you describe someone who is has predominantly feminine orientation?
Andrew Hewson: The feminine aspect is characterized by vibrancy, fullness, and dynamism. It is the aliveness that we see expressing as the intelligence patterning as the forms of the world. The silent seeing of the masculine is the contrast, which allows for the dimensionality of the feminine, to be perceived from the dimensionless. So there’s this very, very subtle and separable contrast that is present. When we look at three dimensions, we see that it is the dimension list that’s able to see these three dimensions that it’s not the three dimensional that sees that three dimensional, but that which does not have dimensions. And so this is the the masculine aspect, the feminine aspect, oftentimes as well as characterized by the heart, but I do kind of look at devotion as more of a binding principle and there’s levels of that as well. So there can be feminine dominance without a large flow of devotion. It just depends on the case but the feminine aspect has a lot to do with healing, what I refer to as transmutation, which is essentially The resolution of unresolved energetic condensation that has arisen through the illusion of separation. So as that energy is attentively allowed, what we see is sort of a conversion from an apparently fragmented state into a more expanded, awakened enlivened status of fluffy, vibrant fullness as the field. And that is also blissful. So the feminine, is characterized by bliss and the masculine by peace, I would say.
Rick Archer: So would you say that perhaps examples of the feminine and contemporary spirituality might be sacred dance and relationship work and ceremonial stuff and, and that whole kind of thing, but without a lot of emphasis on recognition of the sort of unmanifest value?
Andrew Hewson: Well, it just depends because these words like manifest and unmanifest, sort of shift as we move through the stages. So initially, like form could be said to be manifest. But then, actually, when we move into a source condition, the light of conscious awareness is manifest, and then the source is unmanifest. So we move from looking at field form, in the realm of manifest and manifest to looking at field field and on manifest manifest, but that’s a whole different subject, what you’re referring to is, as far as these various areas of spiritual expression, I would say, yes, they do have more of a feminine quality to them. But at the same time, it doesn’t necessarily point to the recognition of the feminine aspect of this field. So I am always speaking about this field and pointing to the, to the truth of this underlying light that is experiencing itself, because that is what took place here. And that is what feels most relevant for everyone. And the various practices and expressions of that are, of course, included. But at the same time, the direct resonance with this aspect of the self is what I feel to be most important.
Rick Archer: So you keep tying everything back to the source or the self, you you would say that that has to be the foundation of everything else. Right?
Andrew Hewson: I would say that, yes, that is a foundational recognition and realization. And then upon that foundation, well, let me perhaps backtrack there and say that devotion can be the foundation. And then on the foundation of devotion, self realization, will, in a way, express itself in alignment with that foundation, express itself in alignment with that flow of devotion. That’s interesting.
Rick Archer: In your discussion, I think this may have come up in your discussions with David Buckland, which are on your website, on your YouTube channel. But um, from, you know, his background and mine, also, the teaching was always that self realization tends to precede any significant degree of devotional development, because it’s sort of foundational requirement for deep appreciation, unless you know who you are, you can’t really know what anything else is. So once you’ve sort of known what you are, then you begin to naturally appreciate the relative creation more and more, and then that begins to stir up waves of devotion. But you just said the motion could actually be could you actually proceed Self Realization and be an impetus to
Andrew Hewson: it? That’s true, yes, what you’re referring to as far as maharishi’s teaching is also accurate because it’s, it’s just describing a new level of devotion, or a different, a higher, deeper expression of devotion. But devotion is very, very pure, and I consider it to be a gift of our divinity to itself. And so, when that seed of devotion sprouts and begins to grow, it really takes over every fiber of what the human being is. And as long as it doesn’t become a new identity that’s used to set up separation. It is something that is drawing a recognition of reality to itself, so it naturally disassembles the illusion of separation by virtue of the flow of the heart.
Rick Archer: And give us let’s talk about devotion some more while we’re at it. And actually, we’re gonna talk a lot more because you have a whole thing about the four pillars of non dual devotion different we can talk about those. But give us some examples of devotion. You’re talking about devotion to God devotion to a guru devotion to a partner. You know, and what, what would be the subjective nature of that devotion The subjective experience of it, or perhaps there could be a great many of them, but so
Andrew Hewson: go with that. Okay, beautiful. Yeah. So the way in which it initially showed up here was actually devotion to the formless, which was aided by the recognition of the field or the presence of God, as it was referred to at that time. But at the same time, there still seem to be a separate experiencer of that named Andrew, that was in place. And so from the perspective of Andrew, essentially, Andrew was just being brought to his knees with this intense love for the grace of divinity. And everything that had shone forth. And so oftentimes, Andrew would be on bathroom floors, in restaurants, and a different jobs just praying and thanking divinity for everything that was being revealed. And this was from a space of egoic dominance, like I said, there was field recognition, but it was still egoic dominance. So devotion to God can mean lots of different things. And it can be the God that we see reflected back through something like you said, a teacher or a partner. But it can also be to the own immediacy of our subjectivity, to recognize that this existence that is right here is much more than it appears to be in to turn into that existence with a sincere and full heart is very powerful. And so that’s what I typically point. Those that are coming to our meetings towards, is that level of devotional recognition, the self to itself.
Rick Archer: So when you say there was devotion to the field, was, was there the sense that there’s this all pervading field and you said, at that point, it was still Andrew being devoted to the field, not necessarily recognizing that he is the field. But you know, this sort of, you felt like there, there was this all pervading all permeating field of intelligence or something that just inspired waves of devotion in you. Is that a fair synopsis?
Andrew Hewson: Well, the devotion wasn’t so strategic, or directed in that sense, it’s very spontaneous, and sort of like an overflowing of fullness. And it was sells
Rick Archer: as actual love and you. Yeah, our deep,
Andrew Hewson: deep sense of love. Yeah. And that love just kept becoming so intense, more and more intense, more and more intense and, and it began to include all of the various forms of life like the trees and the flowers and other human beings, just the expression of divinity as creation.
Rick Archer: Ask because it’s a little hard to be devoted to an abstract field that I was going to ask, you know, did you find yourself wanting to or or spontaneously, feeling devotion for forms? Well, of some sort, as expression, the field.
Andrew Hewson: One thing that I often speak about is devotion to truth. So I would say that really the most accurate description was devotion to truth, which is synonymous with divinity. And from the perspective of Andrew who seemed to live most of his life in self delusion, and lies, truth became more important than breathing. So expression of that Grace brought this immense devotion to truth. And that was truth on the practical level, but it also intruded included truth on the level of reality truth on the level of divinity and as that began to become fuller and fuller and really just take over and in a way replace what Andrew previously had seemed to be then the recognition of that which was flowing in love towards itself began to shine through the various forms and phenomena. So, the light began to reveal itself as primitive and emanating from all of the various forms and phenomena of this plane of existence.
Rick Archer: Nice. So in other words, everything is a conduit for the light. Yeah, everything is a transmitter receiver sort of the field.
Andrew Hewson: Yeah. When we when we start to see the light of ourselves We all start to see it everywhere because it is everywhere. It’s not that it’s here and not there. It’s all inclusive.
Rick Archer: Yeah. The term divinity, of course, is closely related to the word God, what is your sense of what God is?
Andrew Hewson: It would be accurate to say that God is this now, it would be accurate. The source and essence of this expression of experiencing, and the truth of I, the truth of your eye, my eye, the one eye, that shows up in each and every human being
Rick Archer: good, it’s nice description, definition. And then you say that, you know, everything began to shine with the light of the self, I think you put it something like that. Was there an appreciation is there I mean, there must be just an appreciation of I mean, this, you know, self again, can have kind of a non qualitative connotation of just like pure light, or something. But then there’s also this, this incredible display of intelligence, I mean, a single cell and your finger is more complex than the city of Tokyo, and it’s able to repair and replicate itself. So and that the whole universe is is just chock a block with similar displays of intelligence in every tiny little, iota.
Andrew Hewson: Beautiful point, right. And this just brings us back to those two aspects I was talking about earlier, the self has two aspects, both the masculine and the feminine, in the fullness of the self, includes what I refer to as the marriage of these two aspects. So I call it the sacred marriage, which is poetic, but it also is accurate, in the sense that the distinction between the masculine and the feminine, is resolved. So that sense of there being this changeless, silence, seeing and then there being this fluffy, full, vibrant, knowing or self observing self consciousness, the sense of those things being distinct is resolved. So that’s where the terminology I use conscious awareness comes into play, because it’s not just awareness. And it’s not just conscious presence, but it’s conscious awareness. Conscious awareness.
Rick Archer: Yeah. My friend, Tim freak, who’s been on that gap a few times is, is always asking when he does his part, yes. What is this? You know, it’s like, well, what is this thing we’re living? And another? I think a related question we could ask is, why is this? So we’ve dwelt a bit on what it is in terms of the play of divinity? Would you have an answer to the why question?
Andrew Hewson: Well, I don’t typically answer why questions. But
Rick Archer: it’s like, why would the creation, you know, in the first place,
Andrew Hewson: we could say accurately, that it hasn’t emerged in the first place. That is a that is actually a direct subjective recognition of reality. When we move into a source condition, we realize that there is no creation, and there never has been. And that actually even the self is apparent. That’s a that’s a certain recognition of reality. But if we look at it from the same perspective of a play, I think that that is a beautiful way of understanding it. I like to look at it as a dream of divinity or a whim, amusing of the Divine. And this has been spoken about in some of the great traditions as well. And this whim or this musing, is the dream within the mind of God within the mind of divinity, which is your mind, actually. So, why silence. Yeah. And then
Rick Archer: experience of happiness, maybe,
Andrew Hewson: maybe, that that that is one perspective. And I think that that’s a very healthy perspective to have. I think one way that we could contextualize it is for the sake of the perfection of love, even though love is already perfected. It projects this apparent absence within its own mind, and then progressively appears to return into the recognition of that perfection, which has always been the case and then express that within the apparent absence.
Rick Archer: Yeah, you know, if you’re lying in the bathtub, you’ve been lying there for a while. You may not want notice the warm For the water, but if you slosh around a little bit, then it starts to feel warm. So, you know, perhaps the universe’s Gods sloshing around in order to enjoy the warmth and the joy and the play. Beautiful. Couple of questions came in, let me hit you with these. Here’s one on. Okay. This is from Andrea in Louisiana asking, What do you suggest for people that are stuck with their addictions? And facing their own awakening? How does one step out of that state and become the person they are meant to be without having to hit bottom or end up in jail to break those chains.
Andrew Hewson: There are many people that go to jail and have all kinds of tragic things happen and they never hit bottom. So bottom does not mean some apparent happening in the experience. These can be just externalized representations of what is taking place on a deeply internal level, to be asking a question like this already reveals some level of willingness and some some drawing towards a new way of being and a new way of seeing. So I feel that the the application of basic spiritual principles and the cultivation of an environment which is conducive to those is the first step to be taken. Yeah. And once that is in place, it’s very important that we examine the areas of our experience which have not been examined, this could be areas of anger, mistrust, a sense of abuse or things that we felt that we have done wrong, so on and so forth. All of those areas of human experience, which are typically overlooked or brushed to the side, not really dealt into, to look at that which has been considered dark within our life. And this can be something that is challenging for many. So I do suggest having some level of support and guidance there, as this process is taking place.
Rick Archer: Like a teacher or therapist or something,
Andrew Hewson: something along those lines, I haven’t seen too much success with therapy, to in the experience, which I’ve had, I’ve seen a lot of therapeutic interactions appear to take place in family and perhaps in some friends as well. And I haven’t seen a lot of success when it is a spiritual craving are a spiritual calling, meaning that nothing short of tasting spiritual reality is going to satiate the hunger that is present within the individual. And whatever seems to be going on on the level of struggle or addiction is really not going to stop, it’s not going to be quelled, and till we taste that living water of this field. On some level.
Rick Archer: Yeah. I’ve interviewed a bunch of therapists who are also appreciative of the deeper spiritual dimensions. And I think that’s the kind of therapist one might need if, if, if one wants to overcome addictions and yet appreciate spirituality. And otherwise, if the therapist, you know, is an atheist or materialist or something, they just don’t think there is any spiritual dimension and how can they help you. Now, now, there’s, there’s a categorical index on that gap where you can look up therapists find a bunch. Another question came in from Rajiv in India, who asks, Can spirituality be seen as an integrated shift in the inner attitude of a person from having many beliefs, to having no beliefs?
Andrew Hewson: I would say that that could be a part of it or a certain phase, but that’s not the complete picture. If we are bound to limited beliefs, then it’s often helpful to witness the resolution of those limited beliefs. And, and not necessarily to pick up new ones. But we step into a realm of subjective experience or recognition, which is certain and undoubtable. And that is really what it’s all about, is stepping into that certainty of the recognition of what our own conscious awareness actually is the truth that we are divine.
Rick Archer: Yeah, that’s good. I always say that AI it’s good to take beliefs as hypotheses and take a scientific attitude. They give you a framework for investigation. But A scientist doesn’t believe his hypothesis like in some adamant way. He thinks, Okay, well, this is this has potential, I’ll explore it, and maybe I’ll be wrong, or maybe it’ll pan out. But, you know, the whole idea is not just to cling to a belief of it, the idea is to get to experiential verification of it. And that applies for spirituality as well. Yes. Okay, so here’s something you said on your website, which kind of jumped out at me, said, today we see what appears to be a stirring within conscious awareness, the rising up the rising of an evolutionary wave, which promises opportunity and transcendence for an ever increasing portion of the population. However, with this promising progression, we also see an increase in error and limited understanding being presented in the spiritual marketplace. An expansive array of choices and options, leaves the sincere spiritual aspirant with a growing need for wisdom, wisdom and discernment. When treading the path of spiritual evolution. And of course, I’m guilty of contributing to this having interviewed 560 people, giving people a lot of choices. But, you know, my, my attitude is different people resonate with different people. And so you kind of plug into you know, what resonates for you. So, you know, what do you see in terms of the stirring that seems to be taking place and say a little bit more about the increase in error and limited understanding that you referred to? Yeah,
Andrew Hewson: the stirring is essentially, the blossoming forth of potential that is just been lying, dormant waiting, ripening, we might say, and it is comprised of this field, are realizing itself through what appears to be a greater number of nervous systems, then is present in our typically recorded what we refer to as our recorded his history typically. Yeah. And with that, taking place, we also see an increase in error and limited understanding, because oftentimes, or what does appear to arise is that there are certain recognitions of reality which are not fully developed, that then begin speaking about themselves from that space. And saying that this is the way and this is really the the true way. And that other ways perhaps, are inaccurate. And this can be, we see it a lot on the masculine side of things, particularly when within the circles of so called non duality. But we also can see it on the side of channeling then different interactions with aliens and things like different things, there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t suggest it for anyone. But it’s important that we have some grounds in recognizing that what has been at the core of all of the great traditions is still here. And that’s what’s blossoming forth. It’s not, we’re not rewriting spiritual history or making something, you know, creating something new. And I see that sometimes as well. It’s like, some of the more negation bakes based approaches, which are really not true negation. They’re more of a naive form of negation, that are overly focused on the dismissal of the person. There’s an attempt basically, to say that all of the great wisdom traditions are nonsense. That’s, it sounds like to me sometimes. And I think that that is a huge error. But it’s also very seductive, because there are those that are looking for a quick fix. And it becomes a way of not being accountable. So many human beings have a deep unconscious fear of God, punishing God or some something, what’s going to happen after death, what’s going to happen to me or even karma? And this presentation of non duality as being just simply this, you know, nobody here kind of a thing becomes a way to not be accountable for one’s life, and what has unfolded, and because there is no life and there is no and those kinds of things. So, you know, I had a little bit of a spiritual warrior kind of thing with this at one point and was, but by grace that’s been resolved. So I see where it’s coming from, and it’s a part of the broader context like we were talking about earlier, but I do feel that it’s important that we’re able to discuss these things openly. And see that it’s and then we also see, I’ll go ahead and say this as well, sometimes there’s an anger towards enlightenment or the idea of enlightenment, because it’s not what we were told it was going to be right. And basically, what this points to is that we feel like just recognizing that there isn’t a separate individual is enlightenment, and it’s not. And then when we feel that way, there may not even be any field recognition, which is what I refer to as the initial shift into context is, is where the field clearly recognizes itself is not an experience is not in time, it does not have a beginning, and it does not have an ending, the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states appear to cyclically unfold within the timeless feel that you’ve recognized yourself to be. And this is what we call authentic shift and identity. Yeah. But when we’re just basing everything on that recognition of there not being someone here, it can become very confusing. And there can be some anger that’s present there. Because it’s like, oh, this enlightened, enlightenment thing is a lie. You know, bliss is a lie. Love is a lie, or whatever. And it’s just not the case, bliss is not alive, bliss is really very much here. And it becomes very intense and progressively. So as we move through the, my experience has been an ascending trend since the since the apparent beginning, which is not a beginning. So maybe I’ll stop there. I didn’t say too much.
Rick Archer: I said a lot. That was a really good rap. And I, you know, I could name names, as you were speaking of people whom I’ve interviewed who speak that way about, there’s no one here. And therefore, they kind of extrapolate from that assumption to all kinds of conclusions, which, which I would say are erroneous. And like you said, they would probably discount and bliss as being something irrelevant. Some of them will discount the very possibility of reincarnation, because if there’s no one here, then who’s going to reincarnate, they there’s a tendency to dismiss spiritual traditions, like he said, and, and that can also include a tendency to the Smith, the splits any kind of ethical considerations, you know, because obviously, if there’s no one doing anything, then this body can do whatever it wants, and there’s no consequences. And really, I’m not doing it, and there’s no, there’s no free will. And it’s all, you know, it’s all sort of conditioning and who knows what. So you can get yourself really tangled up in what I would consider to be sidetracks when you think that way, and, and, you know, people have been thinking about this stuff for 1000s of years, and actually, they might have figured some things out. So it might not be a bad idea to refer back to some of those traditional understandings, you know, we can put we can put them in new terminology and try to integrate them with modern science and modern culture and all that. But some of these, these old dudes have actually come up with some pretty good stuff. Yeah. And I think it’s important, because I mean, I don’t know about you, but I definitely have a feeling of compassion for everybody out there who is seeking. And, you know, they can stumble into this meeting, or get hooked up with that teacher. And next thing, you know, they’ve, they’re, they’ve lost all their money, or they’re getting sexually, you know, mistreated, or all kinds of nasty stuff has happened in contemporary spirituality, which and in many cases, then they then become completely disillusioned and lose all interest in it, which I think is a real real shame.
Andrew Hewson: Yeah, one thing I often talk about is moving from seeking to devotion. And it’s just a simple shift. From a lack based perspective, where we’re looking, looking, looking for something to having already found it with that commitment with that devotion with that sincere love of truth. And now we’re coming from a space that’s full, yet it’s always hungry, it’s always hungry for more yet it’s always full within itself. And it’s such a beautiful way of being that oftentimes in some of the some of the ancient traditions arising from the Indian subcontinent, we saw that even those that were in very advanced stages oftentimes took up devotion as a form of Lieblick play. And this is a whole different subject, which I’ll get
Rick Archer: into. Well, before we do, I just want to ask you, does one have a choice to switch from that seeking mode to the kind of, you know, hungry fullness? Or does it just sort of happen once enough, fullness has blossomed in one’s heart in one’s awareness that you’ve, you might, even in retrospect, realize why, you know, I’m not kind of craving and seeking like I used to, and yet I’m still exploring and interested and, you know, continuing to develop.
Andrew Hewson: Yeah, I’d like to feel and see that everyone has that seed in their heart, which is really just the one heart appearing individuated within itself, and that when that seed is placed in moist soil, and is given the proper sunlight and the right amount of water, then it will sprout. So oftentimes, what that means is just being exposed some a new another option, you know, so many feel that this is the, this is the option, you know, and just having the grace of being able to hear that there is another possibility, there is another way you can begin to cultivate the sprouting of that seed. And once it sprouts, it’s going to grow. And once it grows, it’s going to take over, and once it takes over, then we become devotion. It’s not like, I as so and so I’m devoted. That’s just what we are, we are that we are the flow of devotion.
Rick Archer: Yeah. But you’re a little bit remarkable in a way. I mean, your story is a little bit remarkable having this shift in a jail cell. But you know, a lot of people have been on the path for years or decades. And they probably, they’re probably people listening to this, who feel this way, they don’t feel like it has been as it is fruit defied to the extent that it has for you. They might be thinking, I’ve been meditating so long, or I’ve been seeking and reading all these teachers, and yet, I just sort of still feel like a lack or frustration or something. You know, so what would you say to those people?
Andrew Hewson: Well, I would say that today is a new day, you know, if we can let go of that spiritual history, I know, it’s tough sometimes when we, you know, we walk around with all of the years of meditation, the books and the teachers, and whatever it is, but when we’re able to become like, children, you know, and, and become like spiritual children, that’s really the key. And we can actually ask for that we can ask to be made like a child again, and to see through those fresh eyes, and to have that fresh, open heart. And you know, nothing is lost. There are no accidents, it’s not a matter of it’s not a matter of earning something through perseverance. It’s a matter of receiving a gift that is readily available to any human being who hears the call. And that gift is right here. It’s right here. It’s it’s ready to be open.
Rick Archer: Yeah. So you can use your phone knock and the door shall be opened. I really think there’s something to that. There’s just like, just the just the initial. I mean, just the initial sort of intention. There must be something more helped me help me find it. What is it? I know that I know it’s things start to happen.
Andrew Hewson: Yes, yes.
Rick Archer: Beautiful. Yeah. So how do you actually work with people, we, we have a couple of your graphics that you sent me. And we have this four pillars of non dual devotion. And so let’s say somebody starts working with you. What do they do? Do they okay, they practice things, they just listen to you talk. I mean, what happens?
Andrew Hewson: Well, there’s essentially two styles of teaching or speaking. One style is what I refer to as leading. And this is where the self speaks to itself. Directly. And there is a direct resonance within the field. So the intellect becomes rather useless. It’s, it’s not within the realm of application. It’s not within the realm of mental understanding. It’s a direct resting in that throb that is arising and expressing itself as the self speaking to itself as the field directly pointing to itself within its own infinity. So that’s one aspect. So
Rick Archer: you say that people get on a webinar with you and they just kind of relax and settle in and listen to you speak and, and then that’s what is happening, what you just described. Yes,
Andrew Hewson: yes, that’s one part of a webinar typically are nowadays we’re starting to delineate where that is and where the rest is. The other side of it is, is more of an explanatory side of teaching. Yeah. Where a certain theme or topic is explored and explained and it has a little bit more of a practical flavor to it. And there we see the intellect can begin to serve devotion, in understanding. And also we see application of certain spiritual expressions begin to become relevant. And that’s where the four pillars comes into play. That’s what I speak of, as observation, contemplative, supplication, transmutation, and service. Now, observation is a given. So it’s not something that we do, it’s not we don’t, we don’t start observing better or do something to observe, it’s more of a matter of noticing that observing is what we know of experience, even from a space of egoic dominance, that what we know of human life or human experience is that it’s being observed. Yeah, whether it’s by me or by an infinite field. It’s still being observed. Now. I would say that during this wave that is appearing with unconscious awareness that you mentioned earlier, right now wave
Rick Archer: of around the world of all the people waking up. Yeah, yes, yes.
Andrew Hewson: And just the stirring, the stirring, that many more have acts. The simply recognizing that there’s an aspect of their experience, which is observing the part of their experience, which feels like it’s listening to these words. So there’s the listening, there’s the listening to these words, but then there’s also an aspect of our experience, which is able to observe the sense of the listener. Yeah. And that is online for many human beings right now, whether for many human beings who don’t have any kind of spiritual background don’t have any kind of spiritual understanding, it can be as simple as just pointing out that this is here. Now, that doesn’t mean that there’s a shift in identity, it doesn’t mean that we start, we recognize it, that’s an infinite field. And that’s ourself, that, of course, may come later. But having the basic willingness to stop looking out there, at everything and start turning back towards the point of experiencing the point value of experiencing so now I’m observing Andrew, going to school I’m observing Andrew eating of observing Andrew talking with someone I’m observing the attractions that arise in Andrew, I’m observing the aversions that arise in Andrew I’m observing the mental activity that’s arising,
Rick Archer: are you alluding to the the idea of witnessing some people there’s a,
Andrew Hewson: there’s a little distinction, I use it differently than is typically used. So I classify observing and witnessing differently, I, I refer to observing as the dynamic feminine aspect, and then witnessing as the changeless masculine aspect. So oftentimes, you’ll hear someone talking about a witness to the witness. And what they’re referring to is basically this primary distinction that I spoke about earlier, which is the the distinction between conscious presence and pure awareness, I refer to the conscious presence aspect as this level of more dynamically operative observation, and the pure awareness aspect as the static witnessing, or silent seer of actually even the field of self observing.
Rick Archer: So in other words, conscious presence is more along the lines of something that you would consciously intend to do. Whereas witnessing is not something you do but something you are, it’s more like a just a condition of deep silence that that continues that abides, regardless of whatever’s going on in the active fields of life.
Andrew Hewson: Yeah, so it seems that right is that is that is accurate, that there’s more of a dynamic, intentional, devotional presence of observation that can begin to take place in the midst of activity or as that sort of what appears at first to be a second party during the activity of, of, of Andrew or whoever it might be, you know, I’m just speaking from from a limited understanding there. And then there’s also the silent seeing or the pure changeless awareness or witnessing of that, dynamically flowing, observing. So, we often see with long term meditators like those that come from the Transcendental Meditation movement, there is a natural shift into that more silent masculine aspect of witnessing first. Here I tend to emphasize more of a transmutate of approach, which involves the conversion of those latent energetic condensations into a full, lively, blissful presence through attentively allowing them as they arise and A devotional approach. And in the midst of that devotional transmutate, IV flow, this level of observation is often what comes online first. And this also is relevant in the context of whether or not a shift into the recognition of reality and infinity takes place with either a masculine dominant or a feminine dominant. So if we culture the silent change was aspect more than we’re going to see typically, that that’s the aspect where the shift predominantly falls into or the shift takes place into that aspect of the self. But here, and the students that I’ve been working with, actually, we’ve seen predominantly feminine aspect shifts, which means that the vibrant fullness of the field of conscious presence is recognizing itself. And then after that, the silent seeing or the pure dimensionless awareness, which could be seen as like the nectar of that vibrant, full presence is recognizing itself.
Rick Archer: Let me bounce it back to you and see if I’ve got this right. So in my own experience, there’s, you know, this kind of unperturbed bubble silence that just pervades, or abides no matter what’s going on, no matter how crazy things may get. And then one thing I’ve found over the years is that there’s a great value in a sort of a gentle self scrutiny. So so that one is not just sort of doing whatever it comes to mind. But but sort of applying a real kind of subtle form of discrimination in each moment, without without getting all manipulative about it. But just as a sort of picking up as it were on the most delicate impulses of thought, and, and just sort of, you know, either checking them, or are allowing them or slightly redirecting them, or something just kind of steering the ship from, from that quiet level. And if one neglects to do that, then one can sort of go off the beam quite a bit, even if there’s that silent witness. And that can cause all kinds of problems in one’s relative life. So, so anyway, that’s that’s how I would express it. Is that what you were saying?
Andrew Hewson: Yes, yes, of course. And actually, just to kind of piggyback off what you were just pointing to, if we fail to really milk or extract all of that material that’s arising, we’re basically just walking over a field that’s full of gold and, and letting it stay there. We’re not, we’re not harvesting the nutritional value out of all of the the content and form that’s arising and within each and every appearance of the residue of the illusion of separation there is contained a potential and an opportunity for resolution. Resolution means more fullness, at least experientially. And it means greater clarity. It means greater discernment. It means less obscuration within our capacity to intelligently operate in the world and to express or for that fullness to express through us. That’s actually the way that it is we don’t express anything as individuals, necessarily. But for that one reality that we are to express through us. That capacity becomes clearer and clearer and fuller and fuller, and more enlivened through the resolution of all that seems to be unresolved. And that includes all of the hurts, habits, hang ups, tendencies, everything within our experience. That is a residue of taking ourselves to be only the functioning of the body and the mind has within it a hidden potential to serve to become an offering on the the puja tray, you might say, at the feet of God.
Rick Archer: Nice. Were you an English major here? You have a way with words?
Andrew Hewson: Actually, I only have a GED. So I didn’t even graduate from high school.
Rick Archer: Yeah, neither did I. And then I got a GED. And then I got some college on top of that ended up with I didn’t
Andrew Hewson: go to college. Actually, it was interesting, because I was in dynamic subjectivity at the time, which is a certain recognition of reality. So that was really blissful. And but I had better grades that either even though the linear, the linear processing was sort of disabled, you might say, to a certain degree, there were better grades than I had since the sixth grade. And yeah, that’s pretty good.
Rick Archer: Yeah, I sometimes think in my next life, I want to you know, I would like to go through high school in my current state of consciousness, rather than the one I was in cuz that was sort of a joke. But anyway, I sidetracked this because you said something beautiful there, and I wanted to comment on it. Oh, yeah. So were you kind of saying that? Because Kurt, because it’s all divinity, and every, every little grain of sand and blade of grass and Mack truck and everything that happens in the world is the play of divinity, that there is evolutionary potential in every single experience. And like you said, walking across the field of gold, but being oblivious to it, if we don’t recognize that, then we just blunder through life and perhaps think that everything is stacked against us. But if we do appreciate that, then then every little thing they get into the habit of Alright, what’s the lesson here? What’s the evolutionary potential in this, you know, there’s sort of like you the world as your guru is talking to you constantly.
Andrew Hewson: Exactly, yes, this is the reflective intelligence of the self, this one field, this reflects back consistently, this immense amount of evolutionary potential and opportunity, and all those things within our experience that we have deemed to be unspiritual through conditioning actually, our gyms just waiting to be uncovered and polished and, you know, really seen for what they are not that the the content itself somehow is romanticized or glorified and, and then declared to be spiritual, as some sort of attempt to reconcile an inner dichotomy, but that we actually are able to discern something as it is and not as it appears to be. And through discerning it as it is through attentively allowing the energy that appears to be behind all that mental activity, the emotional fluctuations are reflections, then what we’re doing is we’re witnessing the, the resurrection of life from taking itself to be this physical, dead material, chunky, blocky, kind of whatever, into a fluid flowing field of bliss that is just experiencing itself. And this is something that we live in everyday life, we are an infinite field in everyday life, it’s not an experience that goes like it stays here it is what you are, it’s what we are.
Rick Archer: There was a famous article by a guy named Thomas Nagel entitled, what what is it like to be a bat. And I was reminded of that, when you said that we experience things as they are, rather than, you know, what we think they are some such thing. But then again, you know, I mean, human perception. Even in terms of visual perception, I’ve said this before on the show, but it’s a good example, if you took the entire electromagnetic spectrum, which includes extra X rays, and gamma rays, and all kinds of things in addition to visible light, and made it the length of the Mississippi River, then the human visual perception would be some little few centimeters somewhere around Hannibal, Missouri. You know, so, and that’s just visual perception. So there’s so many dimensions and realities, and so on and so forth, that we, that we don’t ordinarily experience and would not want to experience them all. It would be too overwhelming. So when you say we experience things as they are, rather than what they we believe them to be or something, what do you mean exactly given the limitations of our perceptual ability?
Andrew Hewson: Well, what I mean is that we taste directly the essential nature, the essential value, and then also on the level of the appearance, we understand how that appearance has come to be. And we also understand its role or place within the evolutionary spectrum. And so therefore, it moves out of the realm of being right or wrong, good or bad. And we see it from the larger broader perspective, that is actually our own infinite field of divine vision.
Rick Archer: So in other words, we rather than experience every little molecule and atom and you know, bacteria or whatever in something, which would be too much information, we experienced the essential nature of things and you know, leave the details to God but we experience the we see things as the self which is our essential nature and their essential nature. So that’s what your
Andrew Hewson: Yes First we see things as the self, actually, more accurately, the self sees everything as itself. Then we there’s the realization that actually it is pure divinity so that the self is the light of divinity. And this light is non different from its source. The light of the sun is not different from the sun and all of the formations in the appearances that are arising within this slide are actually expressions of that divinity. So what we see and directly recognize and realize, as an experiential or rather non experiential reality, I guess, from a certain perspective, it just depends. Is that this is all divinity appearing. Expressed in measurement. Yeah. And cognizing itself within the realm of sensory perception.
Rick Archer: Good. Okay. Here’s a question. This one is a little bit speculative. In fact, that’s what the questioner says, See what you can do with this one? This is Wesley from Fairfield must be Fairfield Iowa, which is where I am. Wesley is another speculative why question of all possible universes of all possible configurations. Why this one? In other words, why IRS White Houses by machine guns, grass football, and most important, why zebras, I find it amazing to compare the infinite unmanifest potential to the actual appearance of forums in this dimension. It seems none of this had to be and yet amazingly, here, it is a field of all possibilities.
Andrew Hewson: Yes, it’s a it’s something that must be it’s a question that must be answered through realization. Yeah. the why question will disappear when we see clearly. And things will make sense not in the intellectual linear understanding of the term, but they will make sense through our own recognition that this is all apparent, and at the same time, apparently apparent, meaning that what we’re talking about when we refer to the perceptual presentation of formation, isn’t actually here in the way that it seems to be. And that’s not really something that we can comprehend until we are that.
Rick Archer: Good. I was just a Wesleyan fact that I, the other day, I started building a quotes, pit section on that gap. Because all the I keep getting all these great quotes from people. And then I forget them. So I’m starting to put them online. So if you go into the resources menu on that gap, and down to quotes, and then you’ll see all this pop out of quotes, just, I’m just beginning as work in progress, but go down to something called the Kabali. On in that list of quotes, and you’ll see a really cool description of the universe from the perspective of this ancient tradition, or some kind of, I don’t know, mystical, ancient mystical Greek tradition or something. It gives you kind of mind blowing in terms of, you know, all the different levels of creation and all the different worlds of possibility that exists. Who was it Einstein said something like, you know, the creation is not only more marvelous than we can imagine, than we imagined, but it’s more marvelous than we can imagine. You know, so there’s just such, I mean, think of all your favorite science fiction, movies, and so on. And imagine what there might be out there in this vast universe in terms of all the possibilities, and even on this earth, you know, you can kind of see God’s handiwork in terms of loving, variety, and even humor. Some animals are so funny the way they’re designed, and, and life to sort of springing up in even the most inhospitable places, like thermal vents at the bottom of the ocean, you know what you’re spewing sulfuric acid, and yet, there’s some kind of life living there. So you know, extrapolate out to all the trillions of galaxies and the trip to gazillion stars within all those galaxies. And imagine the diversity of this, this creation that we live in. It’s really mind boggling.
Andrew Hewson: It is, yeah. And that’s just one one universe. Yeah, exactly. multiverse and there’s an infinite number of those as well. So
Rick Archer: I wouldn’t be surprised. Like bubbles in ginger ale I heard a physicist say, Yeah,
Andrew Hewson: yep, that’s accurate.
Rick Archer: Yeah. All right. Let’s steer it back to what you do what you’re offering you certainly a couple of charts, we can go through those if you want. But I want people to get as good an idea as possible of, you know, what working with you with an entail, so they can get a good sense of whether it’s something that would appeal to them.
Andrew Hewson: Okay. Yeah. As far as the four pillars is concerned, the moving you know, the basis is observation, as far as an intention and a willingness and the spontaneous expression of that in the flow of daily living. And then with that there’s a pillar I call contemplative supplication, which is essentially a prayerful, supplicated attitude, life to itself, which is willing to receive truth in a childlike way, and also willing to turn towards truth. So it doesn’t rely on one’s own personal faculties, but turns towards the reservoir of all intelligence consistently on a daily basis, in alignment with what is being observed. So that would include perhaps, the supplication for what has been seen, to be resolved, which could be just a silent offering, or whatever the case, whatever the case may be, it varies for each one. But the general devotional attitude is in place. And with that, there’s something that I refer to as daily writing, which is pretty self explanatory, which is included in the pillar of contemplative supplication. This is a daily process of written investigation, where all of the content and form that’s been registered in the observation is then through supplication, investigated and broken down in such a way that the unseen is being seen. And the unresolved is being resolved by grace. There’s a willingness to look at all of those things within our own experience, which we previously were unconscious of. Yeah. And the word
Rick Archer: that humility comes in there too, you know, in terms of not insisting that things happen any particular way and being willing to, you know, beautiful, yeah,
Andrew Hewson: exactly. Yes, it is very much a position of humility, openness, willingness, receptivity, and a recognition that grace is the supreme worker, and all of this. And on that basis, were basically was simply just really witnessing a flower blossom, and in a certain sense, providing the conditions which are conducive to the flower blossoming but recognizing that it’s by the grace of the sunlight of the Divinity, that we are that the flower does blossom.
Rick Archer: Yeah, you know, this term non dual devotion kind of says it, but what, what you’re really saying is, this is sort of a heart based approach to non duality, which I find very sweet and nourishing as compared to them, sometimes more dry approaches to it. But it sort of has a greater richness to it. fuzziness, as you would say.
Andrew Hewson: Uniform Yeah, there. And then in that is transmutation, which I’ve already gone over, so I won’t spend too much time on it, it’s essentially the attentive allowing of unresolved emotion and the energy that’s behind the emotion. And this can include psychological impressions, meaning that we have certain thoughts or images that are associated with stored energy, or unresolved emotion, they oftentimes will surface with those unresolved, energetic condensations and emotional reflections. And we also want to be able to give some attentive, attentive allowing to all these all of these three layers that includes the psychological impressions, the emotional reflection, and the underlying energetic condensation. And as this takes place, what we’ll begin to witness is, as more resolution is shining forth, there’s a greater sense of lightness, a greater sense of freedom, a greater sense of expansiveness, and it carries on through all of the stages of enlightenment are all of the different contextual modalities or recognitions of reality and infinity. This means that it is applicable right here in a stage of pure divinity, just as much if not more, as it was in the initial stages. Yeah. So it also begins to include collected material when we get into the higher stages. I like to look at this as in personal cases, I know it sounds sort of like sterile or something, I don’t know. But it’s it’s helpful to recognize that these are cases of contextual conditions which are blossoming forth on our planet, and it is such a grace to have these, these recognitions of reality actually, being expressed in daily life through more and more human beings.
Rick Archer: So when you say cases you mean like your case? I’m a case. Sure. Ellie is your wife Ellie as a kid PPS you’re saying essentially are kind of being the the blossoming conduits for divinity throughout ExAC around the back, okay. Yeah, yeah.
Andrew Hewson: So in the case,
Rick Archer: usually a basket case. Yeah, me too.
Andrew Hewson: So in, in that, in that sense, it’s important that we’re, we’re really giving attention to that which has not been given attention. That’s basically what it boils down to. And, and we’re willing to allow that which has not been allowed. Oftentimes, when someone is interested in spirituality, there’s the development of a, sort of a spiritual level of identity, like a spiritual ego. And, and the ego itself is not the identity. So it’s like a spiritual ego identification, identification as being a spiritual, separate person. This is a natural part of development and is beautiful, but at the same time, it has the potential to be very limiting in the sense that oftentimes, there’s a lot of things that are deemed to be unspiritual in that complex. And so we end up with this inner split, there’s one side of ourselves that we aren’t really allowing to resolve, or one side of our experience, not ourselves, but one side of our experience that we’re not allowing to resolve, or that someone appears to not be allowing to resolve, it’s not really going on like that. But there’s essentially a setup of a duality within the conscious experiencing. And it’s important that we’re allowing those things that have been deemed to be unspiritual, to naturally resolve without them being expressed behaviorally, and also without them being pushed away. So there’s a very, very fine line there with the natural grace of attention, which is just allowing unresolved bits and pieces of the unconscious both on an individuated and collective level, to surface into the conscious awareness, to be given space to just attentively resolve and complete. And then in that, there’s a greater sense of fullness, bliss, and then an invitation for more material to come up.
Rick Archer: So let’s to repeat what you said in my own word, so to make sure I understand it. So let’s say something which is not conducive to spiritual development, let’s say drinking, if that’s been a habit, it’s not that you strain against it and forced because you might, rubberband back, you know, and then and then go off the deep end. But on the other hand, you don’t indulge in it. But there’s just sort of gentle recognition of the impulse, or the desire as it comes up. And then a kind of a dissolving of that, hopefully, without having to actually act on the desire and that attenuates the conditioning. So the desire loses its steam over time, it’s so is that the kind of example of what you’re saying,
Andrew Hewson: Ah, well, I think that the drinking example is a little different, I would say, because in the case, and in the case of addiction, it, it’s going to be approached differently. It’s not as simple as just a basic transmuted perspective or understanding
Andrew Hewson: If someone let’s say, someone was drinking, but now they’re not, they might have all of the the residue of the things that they did when they were drinking. And they’ve there’s guilt about that their shame about that there’s, there’s pictures and images and when
Rick Archer: they treated people with their finances, any there’s this
Andrew Hewson: layering of baggage, and I mean, this can be for anyone, it doesn’t have to be for someone that was an alcoholic, but just for things in our experience that have been more animali. expressed, we might say, and then we witness the expression, but it’s already done. And oftentimes, we aren’t really giving it the attention, the energy of that the attention that is needed to resolve so we hold ourselves accountable, we condemn an aspect of our experience and aspect of our humaneness. And it’s sitting there waiting to complete it’s sitting there waiting to resolve. So in this process of transmutation, what’s taking place is that all of that unresolved material is bubbling up to the surface, the field of attention, as it comes into the field of attention, then the natural spontaneous intelligence of transmutation begins to come online. So it can be attentively allowed to resolve into the field or to resolve into this sense of pure existence that is present already when it arises.
Rick Archer: So do you feel that the field when it gets more lively becomes like a solvent and and which begins to loosen up entrenched tendencies or impressions? And then which can then and as it loosens them, it can also dissolve them? And obviously, there has to be a certain pace to it. It can’t handle them all at once, but is there that kind of mechanics going on?
Andrew Hewson: Alright, so if you see at the top we I have the different layers of contextual reality, which is pure divinity, the appearance of the void or supreme nothingness. And then that void supreme nothingness, there’s a dormant, inactive awareness, it’s not awareness in the sense that it’s not self conscious self aware. So divinity activates that dormant, inactive, aware nothingness. And that activation shows up as the primary distinction, conscious presence, pure awareness, the masculine feminine aspects, then there’s a whole bunch that goes on. But basically, we we see the emergence of the patterning of form and in this planetary system through the elemental, mineral, vegetable, animal and then into the human human being. And what I show there is levels of egoic dominance. So we have low egoic dominance, middle egoic dominance, high egoic dominance is basically just denotes whether or not there is a balancing out of context. So in logo dominance is very close to the animal level, this is what we consider egocentricity, self centeredness, you know, disregard for life other than the continuation of one’s own organism, those kinds of things. And then we see that dissipate and sort of balance out with a sense of connection towards the top. But if on the chart, this is something I call divine displacement, what I’m basically pointing out is that as the field becomes brighter with the light of divinity, and that begins to shine into these layers of egoic residue, which you see on the bottom of the chart as the low middle and high ego condition. So each of these, these levels of egoic dominance has residual impressions that are present within the experiencing, and as the brightness and the brilliancy and the shoosh, the shimmering, and divinity, of that which we are becomes brighter and brighter, then that shines into those layers of darkness and basically displaces them. So it’s like someone placing their hand in a cup full of water, the water gets displaced. And the same thing takes place when the reality of our divinity begins to shine into the conscious experiencing all of the impressions are displaced. And so those impressions being displaced, they bubble up to the surface. And they come into the to the field of attention, the field of activity. And that’s where the four pillars come into play. Those are the tools that I highly suggest they’re not requirements, of course, but they’re highly suggested for anyone, and they are supportive through all of the recognitions of reality, meaning that through each and every status of infinity, no matter how blissful no matter how, how exquisitely amazing. These levels of expression are valuable,
Rick Archer: and fabulous again, or observation, contemplate contemplative supplication, transportation and service that we were
Andrew Hewson: Yes, that’s correct. Yes. Okay. And so yeah, that’s divine displacement, which I thought was pretty, pretty cool. Because it is actually how it works. We actually witnessed that light shine into the darkness and displace all of those impressions that were based in the apparent dominance of darkness.
Rick Archer: Yeah, kind of like illuminating a room and then seeing all the cobwebs and dirt and stuff like that. Exactly, exactly. You did up until you have enough light shining on it to see it.
Andrew Hewson: Exactly. And this explains what happens with some of the cases of spiritual teachers where we see some activity that is seems to be incongruent with their, what it is that they’re expressing, yeah, is that this level of surfacing is taking place and perhaps there’s the sense of having arrived or not needing to continue to look at things or to to have this level of investigative transmutate of understanding or perhaps it’s just innocently that they have not been exposed to the possibility that perhaps that is supportive. Yeah. And then naively, they get caught in the self light trap of not continuing with the village isn’t vigilant, vigilant, excusing. Thank you. What’s the other one mean? I think that’s like,
Rick Archer: well, that’s like a village it takes a village, it takes a village.
Andrew Hewson: Okay, yeah, whatever it is, Can maintaining that sense of alert, attentive, allowing, which is inherently non controlling in its nature. That’s also very important to understand. What I’m describing has nothing to do with control. All control mechanisms are based in the residue of egoic dominance. So it’s about allowing In receiving, observing, resolving, it’s not about controlling, doing, trying.
Rick Archer: Yeah, yeah, as a couple of quotes I’ve said many times on the show, but they’re worth saying in this context. One is from Padma Sun bhava ancient Jewish, Jewish Buddhist teacher, said, although my awareness is as vast as the sky, my attention to karma or action is as fine as a grain of barley flour. And another is Carlos Castaneda, his teacher, he said, a warrior has time only for his impeccability. So there’s a great emphasis on you know, minding your P’s and Q’s and you know, not not letting your guard down because you think you’re so involved. There’s something beautiful, beautiful. A couple of questions came in. You’re about to say something? Well, I
Andrew Hewson: was just gonna say one more thing. Yeah. That those those four pillars are all contained under the umbrella of devotion without devotion. They’re not going to express and actualize. Yeah, that way. Yeah. Okay, good.
Rick Archer: This is a good one, I was gonna ask you earlier. About You know, it’s, it’s all well and good for you to be saying this stuff, you seem to be like a, you know, you take to it like a duck to water. And, and it’s you’ve had these openings and whatnot, quite spontaneously, it would seem. But, you know, I wonder how much it translates into the experience of the people that you teach or talk to? And a question came in from Katherine in San Diego that reminded me of that, which is he said, How can I feel fullness and clarity when I feel like a failure? You’re not a failure, Katherine, because that was a really good question.
Andrew Hewson: That was a great question. Yeah. So the sense of being a failure is what seems to be obscuring the fullness and clarity, yeah. So through giving attention, intelligent attention to the sense of being a failure, and allowing it to be there without necessarily becoming it then what begins to take place is the natural intelligence of this field spontaneously begins to fold that into itself. So you already are what you are, you already are, this infinite reality. And all of these layers of impressions that are based in the apparent unawareness of yourself, have the capacity to be resolved, they are resolvable and through grace, that is what is going to take place to ask the question already shows that there is some creative tension present. And that tension can express as this level of resolution. But as long as we are unwilling to let go of these definitions of our of ourselves, and of our experience, they’re going to stay there. So another key foundation is willingness, we have to be willing to, perhaps recognize that we don’t have our self figured out. We don’t really know what we are, we don’t really know who we are, and we don’t really know whether what we seem to have done. It should or shouldn’t have been. And that comes back to the childlike simplicity, which becomes a childlike maturity. Yeah. Yeah.
Rick Archer: And, you know, we’ve all failed at things, you know, we’ve failed jobs or relationships or failed at becoming famous rock stars
Rick Archer: Yeah. Sometimes it’s God’s way of, you know, separating the wheat from the chaff and kind of making us more pliable and more receptive to higher wisdom. Not a good one here from Susan in the United Kingdom, Christianity puts great emphasis on the idea of forgiving other people. Could Andrew please explain why this is so important and does he have any specific advice on what to do and forgiveness is difficult?
Andrew Hewson: Well, forgiveness is based in the structure of the ego which spontaneously and innocently is consistently attempting to set up the illusion of separation. This limited self definition of conscious awareness feels that the sense of being separate is life. It is exists Without this sense of being a separate individual me here, then life would end existence would come to an end. So therefore it naturally out of a survival oriented intelligence constantly seeks to set up separation and a part of that is holding grudges, or judgment, criticism, being angry about things, there’s so many different ways in which this survival oriented intelligence expresses itself. Forgiveness is it is a tool of divine intelligence, which is basically moving in the direction of undoing those false borders and boundaries that have innocently been put into place through the survival oriented intelligence, of the limited identification with the human ego. When it feels like it’s difficult to forgive, recognize that forgiving is not something that we do as someone, but something that we allow to take place through us. We allow it to take place in this heart. And that moves it out of the realm of being a personal project, and moves it into the realm of being a divine project, which is what this really is all about. This is a divine project. And to the degree that we’re aligned with the divine project is to the degree that we will see fruits blossom forth out of that.
Rick Archer: And I’m reminded that Bible verse, Then Jim’s his mindset, saith, the Lord I shall repay. So if condemnation is a divine act, and not really for us to do, then by the same token, forgiveness is a divine act. And, you know, we can just sort of be again, conduits or channels for that.
Andrew Hewson: Yeah, yeah, actually, I have a little saying here that goes sort of in line with that. It’s from the Rigveda, actually, and it’s from the recerca, bach, bach, who’s speaking from identification with the Divine Mother. She says, I am the power which makes one eat the food to see to breathe and to hear what I am saying. They who do not believe me perish. And I am telling you the truth here with attention. I am myself telling this, which man and deities should try to understand the one whom I love, I make mighty I make him Brahman. I make him the sage. I make him wise. And of course, that applies for women as well. Oh, yeah. So this just expresses that. It’s, it’s the power of divinity that reveals itself through these nervous systems.
Rick Archer: Then, okay, so we’ve been going about two hours. very delightful. Way to spend a couple of hours. Yeah. So your your website then is just Andrew Houston, calm, is it?
Andrew Hewson: It’s Nandyal hyphen, devotion, calm. We just recently changed it. Okay, there
Rick Archer: we go. I’m just showing it on the screen here. And I’ll put a link to it on your page on bat gap. And, you know, people can find out what you do and what you have to offer and everything when they go there. But do you want to just summarize it briefly?
Andrew Hewson: Yeah, essentially, we have weekly webinars, some of them are more casual, you might say during the week, like we have a non dual prayer group and, and those kinds of things, which we’re just experimenting with, really, but it’s been beautiful. And then we also have once monthly retreats, which are online as well. And I’m available for one on one sessions, but I do highly suggest or request that someone attend at least three, some three of something before requesting a session, just because it’s important that we’re sure that there’s a direct resonance.
Rick Archer: Okay. Probably this interview could count as the first of those somethings. Sure. And then they could couple of other ones. Yeah. And you get to know who you are and what you’re what you’re at before having a private conversation. Good. Well, is there anything else you feel like saying In conclusion, or have we pretty much covered it?
Andrew Hewson: No, I feel like I feel like everything has been said, I just want to thank you again for having me.
Rick Archer: Oh, you’re welcome, Andrew. It’s it’s really been enjoyable. These conversations, I was having a nice effect on me. Slightly different with different people. But this one has really gotten me feeling like nicely attuned to, you know, your, your energy. Beautiful. Yeah. Alright, so thanks for those to those who have been listening or watching. Next week, I’ll be interviewing James Finley who’s a Christian Mystica we could say, associated with Richard Rohr. Cynthia Bourgeault and, you know, if you go to the upcoming interviews page on bat gap Comm, you’ll, you’ll see what we have scheduled, you can sign up on the website to be notified by email whenever a new interview is posted. And you can also subscribe on YouTube. You know how to hit the subscribe button. But one thing I learned just a few months ago is that after you hit the subscribe button, you see a little bell next to it. And then if you click that bell, then YouTube just notifies you every time a new thing is posted, which in our case is once a week. So if you’d like that notification, click the bell as well as the subscribe button. So thanks a lot. Thanks for listening and watching. Thanks again, Andrew. Thank you. It’s been a joy. Thank you. Thank You
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I had a phrase idea last week as I was reaching out to someone… it’s funny because this seemed like a phrase that is totally common and used. Used in a sentence, the phrase might look like this:
“It’s time to get to work, and put finger to keyboard.”
Recognize where that might have come from? How about pen to paper, or pencil to paper?
Being the guy I am, I went to my domain tool to see if anyone else had thought of and bought fingertokeyboard.com. It is available! Out of curiosity, I checked pentopaper.com and penciltopaper.com, too, and they are both available.
I don’t have a business that would use any of those three, like a writing business (resumes, editing, marketing, copywrite, etc.), so they aren’t for me. But in this world where it seems like every domain has been acquired by someone else, I was surprised to see all three of these free.
And, it made me wonder if I’m alone in this thinking (which validates that I’m a weird thinker :p).
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on April 4, 2016 by Jason.
Adding a Blog page to your blog
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I recently set up my newest project, VideoGameClass.com, where I’ll be teaching people how to make video games using GameSalad. The class is going to be super-cool.
While setting up the blog I do a few things:
Delete the Hello World Post and anything else WordPress puts in,
Create new Pages, which also become the main menu across the top,
Set the Home Page as the first page people get to, as opposed do the default of going to the latest blog Post,
and, setting up the link “Blog,” where the Posts land.
I didn’t know how to do the last part, but my developer just emailed me telling me how:
Set up a Page called “Blog,” and leave it blank
Go to Settings, Reading
Under Front Page Displays, there is a option to change the front page to a Page. Change this to Home (which is a Page you have set up)
The next dropdown asks what the blog Posts page is – that is the Page Blog that you set up.
Now, on the main menu, you have an option titled Blog, and this is where the Posts go.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on June 9, 2014 by Jason.
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Diet soda helps weight loss, industry-funded study finds
Oh. My. Gosh.
The study was apparently funded by the American Beverage Association. Shame on University of Colorado for entertaining this study and taking that money.
There are plenty of articles about the horrid affects of the chemicals in diet sodas… is that worth losing a few pounds? By the way, here’s the logo for this study:
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on June 4, 2014 by Jason.
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I have read this once or twice and wanted to close the page…. and move on. But I can’t. I keep re-reading certain lines. Thinking about how this applies to the JibberJobber user experience.
Godin is a genius. And this article needs to be reread regularly: Seth Godin on What Marketers Are Getting Wrong
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on April 2, 2014 by Jason.
Take that, social networking!
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Social, including blogging, has evolved so much since I seriously got involved back in 2006. Eight years ago.
First we saw comments go from a blog post go to Facebook… and Twitter… and all of the sudden the blog felt like a cold, lonely place.
Then, we saw people giving up their blogs and moving to Facebook or whatever they thought was better.
During the eight years I’ve blogged regularly, on multiple blogs… but especially my JibberJobber blog. It is refreshing to see an email from The Publicity Hound (Joan Stewart) that includes this:
–People are becoming fed up with Facebook, and
online marketing experts are recommending that you
“blog more, Facebook less.”
I never thought blogs were going away, and there are a few things they are better at than social networks (and a few things social tools are better at than blogs).
I see them all as tools… why not use the right tools to do the jobs needed, instead of one tool to try to do all jobs?
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on April 1, 2014 by Jason.
Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs? YES!
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I found a good blog post about branding, even personal branding, for entrepreneurs, on the Adhere Creative blog: Entrepreneurs: Crafting Your Personal Brand
If I were coaching you I would say to focus on what the author talks about in #3 and #4, which is to become the teacher/instructor. When you do that you are THE EXPERT. Unless you do a really bad job. Otherwise, you will be seen and known as the expert, guru, etc.
Everyone can do this… you should have enough expertise in your field to teach or mentor someone else.
If you can get gigs to speak at conferences, it is as if the conference is endorsing your expertise.
One other thing that I would strongly recommend is to write a book. I had NO idea that I writing the first (well, second) book on LinkedIn would propel my brand, and my business and my career, like it did. I thought it would be a one-time thing with a week or month of hoopla, but here we are, seven years later, and I still get value because of that book I wrote.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on July 18, 2013 by Jason.
Excellent blog post (with a killer slideshare embedded) on Windmill Networking. This was written by Kristi Hines: Composing a Successful Blog Post
I’ve been blogging for about 7 years, almost daily (less weekends and holidays), and have seen the rise and “fall” of blogging. The “fall” came when a lot of the conversation went social… comments happened on Facebook or Twitter… this was supposed to be the death of blogging.
Blogging is far from dead or irrelevant.
There are a number of reasons to blog. I have told tens of thousands of people that blogging is a critical part of an online strategy. But it is hard. It takes long-term commitment. But it is a crucial part of my strategy.
ONE reason is because I can refer back to great blog posts from years ago. I can’t refer back to tweets (not easy to find), or Facebook or LinkedIn wall posts, Group Discussions, etc. I love being able to have an easy-to-access archive that I can refer back to. I’ve tapped into this by creating the Favorite Friday series on JibberJobber, which kind of brings old posts to my current audience.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on May 16, 2013 by Jason.
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This is a really interesting post on how to get more business.
For years I’ve been asked if JibberJobber has an affiliate program (aka, a referral fee for people who refer JibberJobber to their network). The answer is NO. While affiliate programs were very popular five to ten years ago.
I started with an affiliate program but found it was just not appropriate for our model. One reason is that most people who asked would refer less than 50 people a year, and the percentage that would actually signup, use it, and then upgrade (for $9.95/month) was very low. It wasn’t worth it for anyone.
Kent is a professional service provider (executive coach). If I refer one person to him, that could be worth hundreds and easily thousands. There is a lot more money to share in that scenario.
Let’s say you give me a referral and I give you $100. How was that? Are you fulfilled?
If you are giving a referral so you can increase your income, $100 isn’t very much. If you consistently get $100 a day that is interesting, but if you get $100 a year, it is barely fun money.
Kent’s blog post starts out “My business is built on referrals.” Why, then, doesn’t he pay for referrals?
Another line says: “a (referral) fee would deter me from giving referrals to you.”
Read his post to find out what’s more valuable than a referral fee.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on April 18, 2013 by Jason.
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I have been blogging for almost seven years. I remember when journalist (real journalists) hated on bloggers. Bloggers were naive, they didn’t fact-check, they were sloppy, they had typos, the were amateurs, etc.
Bloggers would never amount to anything compared to a real journalist.
As my business grew I tried to get any notice from journalists so they could write about the amazing JibberJobber. Really, I think JibberJobber revolutionized the job search. I think JibberJobber changed the landscape and empowered job seekers in a way that was never done before. I think JibberJobber responded to the need of a professional transitioning regularly (ever few years), which was a new thing.
No journalist would touch it. Well, a few touched it. I was delighted to get some air time on the NBC news in NYC. That was awesome. Oh yeah, US News and World report did a full page article on me, which was probably triggered from my LinkedIn book. Here and there someone picked up something, but in general no one would touch it.
I learned that journalists:
1. Care about sensational stuff, which is what sells papers,
2. Play to PR professionals. I didn’t have a 10k/month PR team behind me making those calls and tapping into their networks, which meant no journalist would spend time on me.
This week there has been a dramatic soap opera playing out where a journalist from the New York Times test drove a Tesla car, and then slaughtered the experience in the newspaper.
I didn’t pay any attention to it. My only thought on briefly hearing about it was “maybe electric isn’t quite ready yet? I know Elon is hustling to fix stuff… ”
Then, I saw a post on LinkedIn about how Tesla, with its blog, went head-to-head with the NYT. This would have been unheard of seven years ago.
How did they do it?
They had a platform. They had a blog where they could write posts. And they used this platform, with a built-in audience to respond to the horrible journalism of NYT. Do you have a platform?
They stayed calm. If you read their response you know they were disappointed, and mad, but this was not an emotional gloves-off name-calling unprofessional post. They took the higher road and kept the tone reasonable. Otherwise people would have thought they were too emotional, trying to hide stuff, etc.
They used data. I think it’s brilliant how they could take every data point the journalist used and say “well actually, according to the data here’s what really happened.” And they backed it up with charts/images. Comparing the claims to the hard data (who knows if it was real data, but it sure looks good!).
It’s so good to see bloggers really stand up to what I call yellow journalism, which is my term to say “You really trust media? Are you serious? Do you think for yourself? The media has an AGENDA, folks, and they are bought!”
Here’s my question to you: if the NYT or whoever were to write about YOU or your company, do you have a platform where you can respond? A blog, with a history and maybe even some readers, is a great platform.
Are you ready for that day?
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on February 14, 2013 by Jason.
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Check out this advertising fail from my local paper…. this is a bunch of different photos of a bad guy accused of killing 3 people. See one of these pics that just doesn’t seem right?
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The States of Sandus and Ariana have signed a treaty of recognition which includes clauses for respect of sovereignty and strict neutrality in diplomatic disputes. The treaty stands in contrast to the more comprehensive treaty signed between Sandus and Daikoku, the regional opponent to Ariana, on XXVI Quintilo MMXIV (26 July 2014). Both Sandum treaties, those signed with Ariana and Daikoku, include provisions for diplomatic neutrality, not using territory to compromise the sovereignty of another state (in reference to the dispute involving Bysalia), non-interventionism in the internal affairs of both states, and resolution of disputes through prompt bilateral communication.
Sandus has signed the treaties with Ariana and Daikoku to affirm its policy of non-interventionism yet friendly observation over the foreign affairs of the Filipino regional micronational community.
The text of the treaty is below.
Treaty of Recognition between the
State of Ariana and State of Sandus
We hereby declare that by signing this treaty, we have agreed to mutually establish diplomatic relations between our micronations. We also affirm that this will be the beginning of our cooperation with each other in which we will officially recognize each other as allies.
Addendum: The State of Ariana also pledges that it has fulfilled the requirements of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States distinctions of states, which states that a state should have a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.
The following are the conditions of the treaty:
Neither micronation will interfere in each other’s internal affairs. Acts of interference include (but not limited to) forceful coercion, and backdoor shenanigans.
Both micronations will respect human rights as established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
The State of Ariana shall remain neutral in the event that the State of Sandus has a dispute with another micronation. Unless a call for support has been initiated by the State of Sandus, the State shall not interfere with any dispute involving the State of Sandus. This clause will also be applied vice versa.
The State of Ariana will maintain friendly and professional relations with the State of Sandus. In the event that a dispute occurs between the State of Ariana and the State of Sandus and/or its allies, negotiations must be done promptly, bilaterally, and between representatives of respective governments. No hostile acts should be executed. Acts considered hostile include (but not limited to) declaration of war, military offensives, and claiming territories claimed by another Sandus ally. Acts not considered hostile are the following: peaceful protests, internet petitions, peaceful standoffs.
Should the above conditions be broken deliberately, this treaty shall be considered null and void.
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Veritum Sandus is the newspaper for the State of Sandus, under the authority of the Office of the Sôgmô, Gaius Sörgel Publicola, the Central People's Government of Sandus.
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We sit on stools in the new science block alongside pinewood benches where the copper taps, shaped like swans’ necks, slope into sinks below the bench line.
‘Take a glass, girls,’ Mrs Raj says. She has put out a line of tall glasses along each bench top, one per girl. Mrs Raj wears a red sari over a cropped bodice. I can see the line of her dark flesh between the waist of her sari and the edge of her top and I wonder two things: Why isn’t she cold and what do the nuns think?
‘I want you to spit into your glass,’ Mrs Raj says.
‘Spit into your glass, girls, as much saliva as you can get.’
We look at her face, the set of her jaw. I hesitate. My mouth is dry but I pucker up enough saliva to collect a series of tiny dams on the end of my tongue. I shoot them out from behind my lips.
‘Now set the glass in front of you and wait.’
The puddle in the bottom of my glass is thick and sticky. My stomach roils.
‘Now,’ the teacher says. ‘I want you to drink it back up. Do as I say, girls. It won’t hurt.’
The saliva is cold on my tongue, worse to swallow than cough syrup but I get it down.
‘Now can you see the difference between inside and outside?’ Mrs Raj’s voice does not falter against our bemused stares. ‘When the saliva is in your mouth, as it is every minute of every day, you don’t notice it. Your saliva is you.’ The red henna spot on Mrs Raj’s forehead jogs up and down as she speaks. ‘Spit it out and it becomes not you. Drink it back and it’s like something completely foreign to you, when only minutes ago it was you.’
Mrs Raj beams a smile that shows her straight teeth, white against the gleam of her skin. The red smudge on her forehead matches the redness of her lips and the faint blush in her cheeks.
Now you might be interested to follow Ami Mattison’s thoughts on Why you are not your writing.
Author ElisabethPosted on August 4, 2010 September 5, 2015 Categories UncategorizedTags Inside/outside, self and other, writing and identity.
59 thoughts on “Your saliva is not you”
Woman in a Window says:
August 4, 2010 at 11:16 am
This is yours?
I am utterly mesmerized.
Woman in a Window says:
August 4, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Elizabeth, I read what Ami had to say, and I thank you for the link. And again, what you wrote is a gorgeous piece of writing. I don't believe I will forget it any time soon.
Woman in a Window says:
August 4, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Elizabeth, just a note for you. I am laughing at myself just now. When I read you earlier I thought you were another Elizabeth I have read. (And perhaps it's wrong to say, but I was surprised by the high quality of writing when I believed it to be someone else.) And then I was at William's and I thought, Oh, I need to see what Elizabeth is up to, and I clicked on your prompt to come this way. Third time here today! I laugh.
I am no longer surprised by the quality of writing, but I am grateful for it.
iNdi@ says:
August 4, 2010 at 2:17 pm
i'd never thought about that…
Anthony Duce says:
August 4, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Thank you for such a good piece today. I like the perspective presented. And thanks for the link. The issue what is and isn't us can be applied to more than just writing. Thank you
The Weaver of Grass says:
August 4, 2010 at 6:03 pm
That is one lesson you will never forget. Would you believe that the word verification is spitomi!!!
Mary says:
August 4, 2010 at 9:24 pm
You have written with such clarity that I have these images imprinted on my mind.
Although I might be feeling a little nauseous about the experiment!
August 4, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Writing is much more difficult than spitting.
I read the link and I agree 100%.
Of course, if I'm not my writing, then somebody else is actually agreeing 100%…
August 4, 2010 at 11:33 pm
I'm just glad that, in the middle of the experiment, Mrs. Raj didn't say "…now hand the glass with your spit to the person on your right."
August 5, 2010 at 12:34 am
Elisabeth, what a brilliant way to make a point and yes, I then went to Ami's webpage to read what she had to say.
It all makes sense because even what we believe is the truth about ourselves, as we write we're recreating it, honing it and trying to make it interesting/thought-provoking and entertaining for the reader.
I do wish I wasn't eating yoghurt and meusli whilst reading this post though!
August 5, 2010 at 2:20 am
Yep. I'll be thinking of this for days. At least.
August 5, 2010 at 7:30 am
On the whole I don’t have this problem. But I’m not sure that your saliva analogy works when it comes to the writing process. Once I’ve finished a piece of writing, as I say in the introduction to my book of poems, I can stand apart from it, to a certain extent I’m done with it, and so the only way I can take it back into myself is by reading it and, yes, sometimes reading an old poem will dredge up unhappy, even bitter memories. But the fact that I have a few, even a few thousand, words on a page doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ve let go of the piece of writing. The paper (or screen) is just for my convenience because I can’t hold that amount of material in my head. I had to stop doing the dishes last night because I couldn’t hold half a dozen lines of an ‘Aggie and Shuggie’ in my head.
I write things down
so that I can stand apart from them
and look at them or go away and forget
or at least try to.
I can pretend they're no longer part of me.
Things look different from a distance,
smaller, or am I stating the obvious?
I can't remember anymore.
13 October 1997
I do get what Ami says about one’s writing taking a strange turn and wanting to go off in a direction you weren’t prepared for. That’s what’s happened with this current novel. It wants to be something I’m not ready to write (and possibly not yet capable of writing) and the reason it hasn’t worked up until now is because I really don’t want to go there. I feel like I’m trying to juggle steelies besides a magnet – the pull is irresistible. As soon as I put a dad and a daughter in the book it was inevitable that they’d become me and my daughter. I’ve tried hard to play both roles (old me and young me) but I keep finding myself wanting to comment on my relationship with my daughter. The fact is that in twenty-odd years, which is when the book is set (me doing my Krapp again) the two of us will very likely be in a similar position to the one that I’ve put this father and daughter in: i.e. he’s dead and she realises that there was so much about him that she never know. Now whether she needs to know those things is another matter.
You write autobiography and are clearly conscious of the fact that it’s impossible to write about your own past without touching on the lives of others. Can I write about my own future without coming up against the same obstacle? You’re dealing with facts, I’m projecting: the future I’m writing about will never happen, not in this form, but there are certain inevitabilities that are unavoidable, not all of which are that nice. I have watched my daughter and I grow further and further apart year by year. It happens. Life gets in the way. She has a very busy life. I remember her talking when she was about seventeen about looking after me in my old age and it was lovely and very naïve. Now she’s thirty and probably has a much more realistic idea how our relationship is going to develop over the next few years and the fact is that, and quite rightly so, her life is no longer daddy-centric. By writing this book I would be effectively forcing her – because no matter how much I say the daughter in the book isn’t her she will see herself in the role – to face the future before its time comes naturally.
I don’t generally worry about an audience when I write because I wrote for me. This one is different. Swallowing one’s own spittle is one thing. Asking someone else to is something else completely.
August 5, 2010 at 8:32 am
excellent post with a link to another excellent post…
thanks for that
August 5, 2010 at 8:37 am
Mrs Raj, who deserves her place in the pantheon of great teachers unsung (till this), could have been disproving the theory of relativity, and I too, would have been thinking about that gap and is she cold?
August 5, 2010 at 11:29 am
Thank you thrice, Woman at the Window. I'm flattered at your high praise and glad that both my spitting piece and Ami's thoughts on writing held your interest.
August 5, 2010 at 11:31 am
Thanks for visiting and for your kind words, Indi.
Anthony, you're right. These instances of self and not self can apply to other creative pursuits, perhaps to any creative pursuit, art, photography, cooking, sewing etc. Thanks for the thought, Anthony.
August 5, 2010 at 11:33 am
Thanks, Weaver and Mary. It seems the image is etched onto your minds. I'm not sure whether you welcome that.
I did not think at the time that others might find it so off putting, but then again, given the degree of revulsion in those girls, including my own school girl self, it's not so surprising.
August 5, 2010 at 11:36 am
Kirk, I agree , it is much easier to spit than to write.
Then I reflect on Hemingway's comment, which I read on Roland's blog, that 'writing is easy, you just sit down and bleed'.
Thanks, Kirk.
August 5, 2010 at 11:37 am
Robert, the idea of sharing the spit is an even more revolting thought, than the original. Thanks for running it by us.
August 5, 2010 at 11:40 am
It's funny Kath, I work shopped this short piece in a writing group I've recently and the discussion led us into travels through all the things that revolt and disgust us, nose picking,scab scratching etc.
These are among the things you handle so well in your blog.
I agree with you about writing. We all craft and shape. What comes out is not the same as what's inside.
Thanks, Kath.
August 5, 2010 at 11:43 am
Thanks Ms Moon, another one who's locked into the image, it seems. I hope it's not too awful for you to carry around.
I think of the eyeless, faceless man in the film in which you performed and that image seems to me even more disturbing. Readers and viewers all have their own idiosyncratic responses.
Thanks, Ms Moon.
August 5, 2010 at 12:30 pm
It's the business of swallowing one's spittle after a time lapse that seems to cause the offense, Jim. Maybe in the same way as some people are disturbed by the sight of their own blood.
I once went to return a little girl to her mother after she had spent the day playing with one of my daughters. Her mother opened the front door to greet us.
'You're not my mother,' the four year old said. 'You can't be. Your hair is different.'
It seems during her absence the girl's mother had visited the hairdresser's and had her hair cut short.
I was taken by the daughter's distress at the time. It's all to do with the pain of separation and our intolerance of difference, I suspect.
It might seem a little off at a tangent but I think it's related to a sense of abjection.
Julia Kristeva, whose work I have not read much, but whose ideas interest me, writes about abjection as 'the place …where meaning collapses, the place where I am not. The abject threatens life, it must be radically excluded from the place of the living subject, propelled away from the body and deposited on the other side of an imaginary border which separates the self from that which threatens the self.
Thus, we forcefully exclude the abject which ostensibly draws our attention to the place where meaning collapses.'
This language is hard to decipher, I know. I can never quite get it right myself. What does Kristeva mean? To me it's something about how we say 'yuk' when we encounter something that disturbs us, something that once lived and is now dead for instance, something like a corpse.
Writing has the effect of bringing the abject into focus, which also connects I think with what you're saying her about trying to write about an imaginary future that involves the relationship between a father and his daughter but it won't go right for you because you're memory drags you back into what is familiar, namely your own relationship with your daughter.
Should she read your novel she will find it to be 'other' and at the same time imagine it is to do with her because you write about the relationship between a daughter and her father and you are your daughter's father.
I'm rambling a bit here.
Your poem here seems to come at this from yet another angle, the struggle between different aspects of one's writing self.
Thanks, Jim
August 5, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Thanks Niamh B for your kind words and to you Helena of Marshall Stacks.
These things are all relative and I'm glad that you too Helena would have wondered about this teacher, under dressed for our climate. Thanks.
Vatche says:
August 5, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Wow! What a strange and interesting exercise. It is strange what is inside and then outside us. What we bring in and let out.
A creative thought and post, Elisabeth. Write on!
Marja says:
August 6, 2010 at 7:24 am
Dear Elisabeth this is a marvelous piece of writing and a great analogie on the writing of Ami
It gave me new food for thought and a new insight I loved it Thank you
August 6, 2010 at 10:53 am
I couldn´t say anything but,,what a wonderful depict of a moment!!
August 6, 2010 at 11:07 am
Wow, what an utterly mesmerizing contemplation. I experienced a plethora of emotions, anything from disgust to awe and a sudden realization of a new wisdom…
Wow again, loved this post.
August 6, 2010 at 1:40 pm
This is a kind of reflection of the mind too! I don't like the idea of drinking my own saliva. I think I will throw up if I had to do so. It's different with your writing or any other activity of a person: that reflects you.
August 7, 2010 at 4:41 am
Yucky concept, but well written image.
August 7, 2010 at 11:25 am
Thanks, Vachte. It is strange this difference between inner and outer. I'm glad you found it creative.
I'm glad that you found it helpful, too, Marja, in that it offered new insights. It's always so good to think again. Certainly Ami's post had that effect on me, as well. It made me think again.
August 7, 2010 at 11:28 am
Thanks for your appreciation, Alberto and to you Zuzana for your response.
Maybe I am too close to this post, but I am intrigued by the levels of disgust generated in people by ths experience.
It probably has something to do with the business of 'spitting' generally.
There is no greater insult to anyone than to 'spit' in their face. Thanks again, Zuzana.
August 7, 2010 at 11:31 am
Well, Reader, you are another such person who finds the idea of spitting revolting.
I agree with you, it is different from the production of writing. There is hopefully far more merit in our writing than in our spittle.
August 7, 2010 at 11:32 am
Thanks Arlee. It may be a yucky thought alright but hopefully redeemed through the process of thinking further about its meaning.
August 7, 2010 at 2:17 pm
ugh, what a revolting exercise to be forced through, yet you write with such clarity, I don't doubt it is true (shudder). My first time in here, and I'm glad I popped by (see my smile?).
Eryl Shields says:
August 7, 2010 at 9:38 pm
God you're good!
I don't think I've ever thought of my writing as me or even an extension of me, I've never found criticism upsetting, but I've known lots of people who do. In fact, I know several people who identify so closely with their jobs (non-creative, exchanging one's labour for cash type jobs) that they react as if you'd tried to stab them if you criticise the industry. I used to react less than cheerfully when someone criticised my cooking when I was a new wife, so maybe I got over all that then.
Anyway, this has all been very interesting, and thanks for the link: Ami Mattison seems well worth reading in full.
Kass says:
August 8, 2010 at 1:11 am
Personally, I've always thought that while I wasn't my drivel, it was certainly representative of the acerbity of my cerebral cortex.
What a provocatively excellent bit of writing, Elisabeth!
Enjoyed the link, too.
August 8, 2010 at 1:15 am
I am intrigued, Elizabeth. Will follow your link. I will visit you again. Many thanks for your comment. I never thought I would receive so many nice comments on the subject of Goethe. Surprise, surprise!
Best wishes,
August 8, 2010 at 7:10 am
I'm pleased to meet you Shrinky and glad that despite your feelings of revulsion at my story you enjoyed its clarity.
I think the story is 'true', but memory plays such tricks on us and even I who believe I went through this experience have trouble understanding our teacher's intentions.
I wrote into the memory to try to find out what it all means. I'm still not sure.
Thanks, Shrinky.
August 8, 2010 at 7:14 am
Thanks, Eryl. You are fortunate indeed that you don't connect your self identity and self worth too closely to your writing. Many of us do.
It gets easier with age, but still it is a trap. I've met people to whom you can say nothing about their writing without them dissolving into tears or flying into rages. It makes it almost impossible to help improve writing, when criticism cannot be tolerated.
It's one of the reasons I enjoyed Ami's article. She helps get a clearer perspective on these things and she writes very well herself. Clearly she's taken in much criticism and used it to develop her writing.
August 8, 2010 at 7:17 am
Thanks, Kass. Drivel and spittle are close cousins, especially as they both derive from our bodies and our cerebral cortex.
I'm glad you came out of reading the piece provoked.
August 8, 2010 at 7:19 am
As I said on your blog, Catherine from A thousand Clapping Hands, I'm pleased to meet you here.
Goethe is far more worthy than spittle. I doubt that he'd write on such a topic but you never know.
August 8, 2010 at 8:08 am
intriguing story.
Dave King says:
August 8, 2010 at 11:14 am
Good lesson, good telling. Kept the interest high.
August 8, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Elisabeth, This is a wonderful piece of writing, vivid and straightforward with much to tell us. I also followed the link and agree that I am not my writing, nor do I think of it as my child. Sometimes my sense is that the universe has something it wishes to say and has chosen my fingers to do the typing.
August 8, 2010 at 6:13 pm
What a simple and valuable lesson, and clever way of introducing us to Ami's blog. Thanks.
August 9, 2010 at 11:17 am
Thank you Elisabelle and Dave for kind your thoughts.
Marylinn, I know that feeling. As it is for you, sometimes some part of me outside of my conscious control moves my fingers wherever it chooses to go and I have little say in the matter.
Thanks.
August 9, 2010 at 11:18 am
Hi Lorenzo, I'm glad you enjoyed Ami's blog.
I hope my writing made some sense to you despite its cryptic nature.
Thanks.
Wine and Words says:
August 9, 2010 at 8:22 pm
My nose is wrinkled in distaste…though the message loud and clear. Could I have reinvested the saliva into a mouth, even parched though it were? No. And so the lesson comes only through you, and your ability to do so. Thank you!
August 10, 2010 at 10:58 am
I've just been to your blog, Wine and words. As an inveterate wine lover myself, I'm pleased to meet you. I mean this both literally and metaphorically and thanks for your generous comment. I'm pleased to meet you.
August 10, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I look forward to reading more. Thank you.
It's good to meet you. I read your comments on Brooke Hopkins' and Peggy Battin's blog. I was lucky enough to have both Brooke and Peggy as professors years ago (too many and consider them good friends. I too was moved by Brooke's essay about childhood abuse.
I can tell it's going to be an adventure reading your posts and thinking about writing.
August 10, 2010 at 11:35 pm
I'd never thought of that before, but it explains something – I don't like spit. At all. I was spat on all the time by my brothers growing up so it actually repulses me. To see someone spit in a movie or tv show makes me gag. I could barely read your post, too (although the writing was quite lovely and the story and moral of it intriguing).
But once something leaves me or someone else – I do not trust it. I do not want it back. It was meant to be gone if it doesn't still exist inside and to force it back in is tragedy.
August 11, 2010 at 11:42 am
It's lovely to meet you here, Lorraine. What a small world. I was very taken by Brooke's paper as you would have read in my comment on his blog. And now I meet you. And find another friend, Kass, has connections to Brooke too. Amazing. Thanks.
August 11, 2010 at 11:46 am
It is amazing to me that something as basic as our saliva can take on such tremendously disturbing qualities for so many of us, Phoenix.
It's not quite the same as spilled blood, but for someone like you it sounds even worse.
I'm glad you were able to persevere in reading this post. I can understand your reaction given the level of your trauma.
As ever you are brave in writing about it here and I thank you.
Annotated Margins says:
August 12, 2010 at 4:55 pm
August 13, 2010 at 11:54 am
Thanks, Mike, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
August 16, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Elisabeth, the analogy is excellent and memorable. For me it brings to mind not my own but other people's difficulty understanding that I and my writing are separate. My book is "fiction" which of course means it's a complex mixture of memory and imagination. But non-writer friends and family members find it much easier to assume, in a simplistic way, that the characters are me and the situations are from my life. On one level of course, that is true; the saliva came from my mouth. But once it's out there, mixed with air, touching the glass, it must be taken on its own terms. Or must it? To what degree can the author be removed from his work? I like questions more than answers… but I also like it when people close to me can appreciate the work for its literary qualities, not for the voyeuristic kicks they get by assuming the thing is "me."
Thanks. Good link too.
August 17, 2010 at 11:41 am
It never ceases to amaze me, Brent that people spend so much time trying to figure out the so-called 'truth' of fiction. They want desperately to get at the 'facts' of the author's life or of the story.
The rider that 'this is a true story' sells books. But why? I ask.
I'm of the view that there is no such thing as absolute truth, and that in some ways all writing turns to fiction the minute it hits the page.
Yet certain people want to anchor the writing down in some way into provable facts. They refuse to see the beauty and the emotional truth of the words.
Perhaps in doing so they don't have to feel as much as they might or even think as much as they might were they actually to read the work.
Thanks, Brent.
who says:
January 17, 2012 at 7:30 am
I think that teacher must have heard of the experiment through the grape vine, or something. I do not recall any of the lesson plan that instructed anything remotely resembling an instruction to drink it.
January 17, 2012 at 10:03 am
It was a strange experiment, or at least my memory of it was. I may have distorted the experience over time, though.
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My name is Elisabeth. This blog is my attempt to find a voice after a childhood of silence. I began it in 2006, in the middle of writing for a PhD on the topic, ‘Life writing and the desire for revenge’. A blog seemed a good place in which I might explore ideas about autobiography, as well as practice my writing.
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India is a huge country with a massive population. However, the resources available to this population are not uniform. Due to this factor, there is a big gap between the lifestyle of those who belong to the developed and upscale areas and those who come from relatively underdeveloped cities. The lack of resources as such creates gaps in all areas of life between the two strata of society and the educational arena is no different.
The field of education is subject to constant change according to the dynamic needs of the work industry and the changing tactics of the world. However, not everyone is able to attend training at high-end institutes that teach revised and updated curricula. Indeed, the situation is such that these updates in teaching techniques and curricula rarely reach classrooms in rural areas. This gap in the transmission of knowledge and skills that begins in these classrooms, widens over time and leads to an even worse disparity in the employment scenarios and lifestyles of students later in life.
However, things have changed at this point as rapid technological advancements strive to change this unfortunate situation. The Internet is making a rapid introduction to even the most backward parts of the nation today. As Internet penetration increases, more and more people are able to take advantage of the many resources and wisdom of the Web. In this scenario, EdTech platforms have emerged as a growing trend.
Some ways that digitization and technology have transformed the rural education scenario are listed as follows:
Level the playing field: The Internet is indeed the most important and impactful invention of the decade. Being able to transmit hordes of data across borders in seconds was not even something one could imagine before the invention of the Internet. Internet education has therefore become a prospect of transformation. It allows people to easily access updated content even in the most remote areas. The increasing availability, accessibility and affordability of cellular data and smartphones have also helped make the availability of educational resources of the new era more streamlined and uniform across the country. Now, people from all economic strata are able to benefit from a first-rate and modernized education, thanks to the increasing digitization and technological adoption in the fields of education.
Help with awareness and career opportunities: Contrary to what one might think at first glance, EdTech platforms do much more than provide educational resources to rural areas. They also make students aware of the various career prospects that can arise from a given field of education and thus allow them to explore more than just traditional occupations. Knowing the market demands and patterns in a job scenario can be overwhelming for a student looking for a job in a competitive field. Thus, digital education platforms offer students an increased likelihood of getting a job by informing them of what to prepare and expect from a given field of work. They also help build the practical and soft skills of their students, which helps them stand out in the candidate pool.
Personalized courses: Technology of all kinds is bound to level up and advance with the times in this age of rapid technological innovation. With the improvement of technology, everything that is based on technology like EdTech platforms is also bound to improve. EdTech platforms continually improve their offerings and content to keep them up to date with today’s standards.
The latest trend that is gaining popularity right now is personalized content and hyperlocation. Hyperlocation is about adapting something to be in harmony with the local norms and culture of a given area. In an academic setting, hyperlocation can be of immense benefit. Making educational content available in regional languages ​​and using local examples can facilitate learning by making the program easier and more familiar to students. In addition, removing the knowledge of foreign languages ​​as a prerequisite for learning makes education more accessible and uniform.
Better government policies: The many benefits of using the Internet in education have not gone unnoticed by the government. State governments today are all in favor of adopting blended learning models. These models help the government meet the academic needs of the most underdeveloped regions. The data facilitated by these mixed models aid the political decisions of state governments.
The advent of technology has been revolutionary for all industries including the education industry. Technological improvements and EdTech platforms based on them are now taking education to the next level, not only in developed and urbanized states and cities, but also in rural areas. By enabling easy and affordable access to academic content available across the country, the Internet and its offerings have truly contributed to a better future. This article provides an overview of how digitization and the adoption of technology have revolutionized rural education.
(Maninder Singh Bajwa, CEO and Founder, iScuela – platform for learners.)
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please Click here. We allow sharing of the article’s PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
Posted on: Monday January 10, 2022 3:28 PM IST
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by mattehret
Posted on May 20, 2021 May 19, 2021
Ever since the earliest days of the Coronavirus pandemic, evidence emerged that the virus was not a naturally occurring evolutionary phenomenon as asserted by the WHO, Nature Magazine, and editors at the Lancet, but had other origins.
Among the earliest of those who found themselves supporting this theory were the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lijian Zhou who made international waves by sharing two articles by Larry Romanov on the possibility of “gene targeting” of the virus which was having a disproportionately bad effect on Iranians, Italians and various Asian genotypes. Zhou was soon joined by bioweapons experts like Francis Boyle, prominent virologists Luc Montagnier and Judy Mikovits, followed by a growing array of scholars, scientists and academics from around the world who all assessed that the virus’ apparent gene sequencing implied human handiwork. While all agreed that COVID appeared to have originated from a lab, it was still unclear whether that lab was Chinese or controlled by the USA.
Another obvious question arose with this lab theory: Was it an accidental leak or was it consciously deployed?
Since pandemic war game operations had become a normalized part of western geopolitical life from the early days of Dark Winter in 2000 to the Rockefeller Foundation’s 2011 Lock Step to the World Economic Forum’s Event 201 (and dozens more in between), the likelihood of conscious deployment was a very serious possibility.
Who had the motive, means and modus operandi to carry out such a global operation?
By February 2020, the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis began to make headlines fed by evidence that Dr. Anthony Fauci had exported certain gain of function coronavirus experiments from US bioweapons laboratories to Wuhan’s Institute of Virology- one of two BSL-4 labs in China equipped to conduct this sort of research.
When Sir Richard Dearlove (former head of MI6) became a loud proponent of the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis in June 2020, something seemed amiss. Dearlove certainly knew a thing or two about bioweapons. He knew very well of the Pentagon’s vast array of internationally extended bioweapons labs peppered across the world, and he certainly understood the art of misdirection being himself a byzantine shadow creature who operated at the highest echelons of British intelligence. Dearlove was after all in charge of the “yellowcake” dodgy dossier that launched an Iraq war, he knew of the fallacious reports of nerve gases used by the governments of Libya and Syria sponsored by MI6, had even overseen major components of Russiagate that drove a color revolutionary process in the USA. Dearlove also knew a thing or two about the Porton Down labs that manufactured Novichok used in the Skripal Affair.
While Dearlove’s cheerleading of the Wuhan lab theory raised alarm bells, as time passed, no smoking gun evidence of an alternative lab-leak hypothesis surfaced that one could fully “take to court”. In this respect, Dearlove’s operation had the upper hand since receipts from Fauci’s NIH to the Wuhan Lab did conveniently make headlines, and acted as a “smoking gun” in the minds of many.
Before going into the next phase of the story, it is important to recall that the absence of empirical evidence is not by itself a proof of one party’s innocence, just as the existence of a piece of empirical evidence is not a proof of another party’s guilt.
In recent weeks, the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis has once again become all the rage.
Rand Paul’s May 10 showdown with Fauci over this the latter’s funding of the Wuhan Institute of Virology added fuel to the fire. Sky News’ May 7 reporting of public Chinese policy papers discussing covid-based bioweapons have gone viral. On March 26, former Center of Disease Control head Robert Redfield asserted his support for the Wuhan lab leak theory. While the scanned receipts of the funds transfer from Fauci’s NIH to research in China via Eco Health Alliance ($600 thousand went to Wuhan) for coronavirus research, had been available since last February, one must wonder why it is now over a year later that this fact is being spread across the perception landscape on all levels.
Both mainstream and alternative media across the western world representing both the left and right have jumped on board the bandwagon blaming China for leaking the virus whether by accident or intent (though obviously, intent is the conclusion which anyone is expected to draw once the Wuhan lab leak theory is accepted). But again, I must ask: In a world of misdirection, psychological warfare and perception management, do the clues that we are being given force us to conclude that the Chinese government is behind the global pandemic or is another culprit likely to be found?
Zeng Guang, a chief epidemiologist at China’s Center of Disease Control recently joined the conspiracy club on February 9, 2021 in an interview with Chinese media. While denying that the Chinese Wuhan lab is the source of the virus as so many in the west have claimed, Guang asserted that SarsCov2’s origins in a laboratory should not be discounted. Pointing to the vast globally extended US bioweapons labs littering the earth (and citing the USA’s proven track record of deploying bioweapons as part of its asymmetrical war arsenal since WWII), Guang asked:
“Why are there so many laboratories in the United States when biology labs are all over the world? What is the purpose? On many things, the United States requires others to be open and transparent, only to find that it is the United States itself that is often the most opaque. Whether or not the United States has any special fame on the issue of the new corona virus this time, it should have the courage to be open and transparent. The United States should take responsibility for proving itself to the world, rather than being caught up in hegemonic thinking, hiding itself from the virus and dumping others.”
Guang was himself joined by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying who had also pointed to the Pentagon’s globally extended array of bioweapons laboratories saying:
“I’d like to stress that if the United States truly respects facts, it should open the biological lab at Fort Detrick, give more transparency to issues like its 200-plus overseas bio-labs, invite WHO experts to conduct origin-tracing in the United States, and respond to the concerns from the international community with real actions.”
Those who tend to avoid looking at the history and scope of Pentagon controlled bioweapon warfare tend to ignore the content of such remarks cited by those Chinese officials above for a multitude of reasons. For one: it is easy to believe that Fauci and Gates are corrupt, and this theory not only implicates both men but also ties them to a Chinese government which most westerners have been brainwashed to fear as a bastion of global debt-trappery, genocide, and communist imperialism out to destroy western values.
After conducting a short review of some of the fundamental facts of recent world history alongside certain geopolitical realities of our present world order referenced by the head of the Chinese CDC, I believe that China’s Wuhan Lab is being set up. Here are five facts to support my case…
While many people may wish to avoid looking at this fact, depopulation is a driving factor behind international unipolar policy today as it had been during the days of WW2 when Rockefeller Foundation, Macy Foundation, City of London and Wall Street interests gave their backing to both the rise of fascism as an economic miracle solution for the economic woes of the great depression and eugenics (the science of population control) as the governing religion of a new scientific priesthood.
Today, this agenda masquerades behind a new transhumanist movement, shaped by words like “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, “decarbonized economies”, and “Great Resets”. The primary targets of this agenda remain: 1) the Institution of the sovereign nation states, and 2) the “overpopulated zones” of the world with a focus on China, India, South America and Africa.
For anyone who would find themselves instinctively inclined to brush aside such claims as “conspiracy theorizing”, I would encourage a brief review of Sir Henry Kissinger’s infamous NSSM-200 report: Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for U.S. Security and Overseas Interests published in 1974. This declassified report went far to transform US foreign policy from a pro-development philosophy to a new paradigm of population control. In his report, Kissinger warned that “if future numbers are to be kept within reasonable bounds, it is urgent that measures to reduce fertility be started and made effective in the 1970s and 1980s….(Financial) assistance will be given to other countries, considering such factors as population growth… Food and agricultural assistance is vital for any population sensitive development strategy… Allocation of scarce resources should take account of what steps a country is taking in population control… There is an alternative view that mandatory programs may be needed….”
In Kissinger’s twisted logic, US Foreign Policy doctrine had too often foolishly sought to end hunger by providing the means of industrial and scientific development to poor nations.
A true Malthusian through and through, Kissinger believed that aiding the poor to stand on their own feet would result in global disequilibrium as the new middle classes would consume more, and use the strategic resources found under their own soil, which would set the world system accelerated entropy.
This was deemed unacceptable to the mind of Kissinger and any misanthropic follower of Malthus who shared his views of humanity and government.
At the time of Kissinger’s ascent to power as Secretary of State under Nixon, a new grand strategy was unleashed designed to create a new “master-slave” dependency between the developed and undeveloped sectors of the world… with a special emphasis on the 13 nations targeted by NSSM 200 plus China.
China itself was only permitted to acquire western tech needed to start climbing out of abject poverty on the condition that they obeyed the Rockefeller-World Bank demands that one child policy programs were imposed to curb population growth.
Kissinger began organizing for this new set of relations in society around “Have”, post-industrial consumers and a massive “Have-Not” class of poor laborers with access to industry, but remaining stagnant, cheap and without the means of purchasing the goods they produced. The other darker skinned parts of the world would be even more worse off, having neither the means of production, nor consumption while remaining in constant states of famine, war and backwardness. These dark age zones would be largely made up of Sub Saharan Africa and would find their resource-rich lands exploited by the corporate middle men and financiers trying to run the world order above the “obsolete order” of nation states.
Kissinger’s model of a world order was absolutely static with no room for population growth or technological progress. Mao and the Gang of Four which ran the cultural revolution appeared to be highly compatible with Kissinger’s agenda. But when Mao died and the Gang of Four were rightfully imprisoned, a new long-term strategy known as the Four Modernizations shaped by Zhou Enlai and carried out by Deng Xiaoping was launched. This program was far more foresighted than Kissinger realized.
Fact #2) China is currently a leading force of pro-population growth.
While the west has been accelerating into a decaying path on every measurable level, China is quickly moving in an opposing trajectory via extending long term investments and advanced tech development into its own society as well as to its neighbors through such comprehensive projects as the Belt and Road Initiative.
While its own population has not healed from the disastrous 1979 one child policy and is far from achieving the 2.1 children per couple needed for replacement fertility, it did lift the one child limit to two in 2015 and leading Bank of China economists have called for a total elimination of all limits immediately. Meanwhile, the top-down national orientation of China towards increasing the free energy needed to support and grow the economy is unlike anything we have seen in the closed-system western world for many decades.
A vital fact often forgotten is that together China and India were instrumental in sabotaging the December 2009 COP-14 program in Copenhagen which had promised to establish legally binding emission target cuts to guide the de-carbonization (and de-industrialization) of much of society.
The London Guardian had reported in 2009 that “Copenhagen was a disaster. That much is agreed. But the truth about what actually happened is in danger of being lost amid the spin and inevitable mutual recriminations. The truth is this: China wrecked the talks, intentionally humiliated Barack Obama, and insisted on an awful “deal” so western leaders would walk away carrying the blame.”
Apparently China and India, along with African governments like Sudan (which had not yet been carved up on the careful watch of Rhodes Scholar Susan Rice) did not wish to sacrifice their industry and national sovereignty on the altar of climate change models and technocrats that had only weeks earlier been publicly exposed as frauds by East Anglia University researchers during the embarrassing Climategate scandal.
While China and India should be celebrated for having sabotaged this effort 11 years ago, very few people have been able to hold this drama in their memory, and fewer still realize how this fight over sovereignty was in any way connected to China’s 2013 creation of the Belt and Road Initiative as the vital force behind the emerging Multipolar Alliance.
During his January 2020 Davos speech, Soros took aim at both Trump and Xi Jinping as the two greatest threats to his Open Society who had to be stopped at all costs. In September 2019 (just as Event 201 was happening) Soros wrote in the Wall Street Journal:
“As founder of the Open Society Foundations, my interest in defeating Xi Jinping’s China goes beyond U.S. national interests. As I explained in a speech in Davos earlier this year, I believe that the social-credit system Beijing is building, if allowed to expand, could sound the death knell of open societies not only in China but also around the globe.”
Before becoming mired into the “China virus” narrative, Donald Trump had worked exceptionally hard to emphasize good relations with China and even managed one of the most important trade deals that had successfully moved into phase one the week Soros spoke at Davos. This first phase involved China creating a market to purchase US finished goods as part of the program to rebuild America’s lost manufacturing sector that had been hollowed out over 5 decades of “post industrialism”. Where Kissinger called NAFTA “the most creative step toward a new world order taken by any group of countries since the end of the Cold War” Trump went far to renegotiate the anti-nation state treaty giving nation states a role to play in shaping economic policy for the first time in over 25 years.
It is important to also recall that Trump resisted the war hawks pushing a total military encirclement of China begun under Obama’s Asia Pivot which is today threating nuclear war. He took the fuel out of the THAAD missile encirclement of China which has justified its expansion based on the “North Korean threat” for over a decade- always denying the truth that the real targets were both Russia and China. Trump’s push to build friendly relations with Kim Jong Un had much greater ramifications in changing US Pacific military policy than many realized, although that fact was certainly not missed by the Chinese intelligentsia.
While the Soros/CIA-driven color revolutionary operations have so far failed to divide up China in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang, they have been successful in the USA.
While China is the proud owner of a total of TWO BSL-4 labs (both within its own borders), a vast array of dozens of Pentagon-run bioweapons labs litter the international landscape. Exactly how many is hard to estimate as Alexei Mukhin (Director General of Russia’s Center for Political Information) stated in a May 2020 interview:
“According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, in the post-Soviet space, 65 American secret bio-laboratories operate: 15 – in Ukraine, 12 – in Armenia, 15 – in Georgia, 4 – in Kazakhstan. In the United States, such activity is prohibited . Accordingly, the Pentagon, in its own laws, is engaged in illegal activities (in spirit, not in letter). The goal is the creation of biological weapons directed against the peoples who inhabited the territory of the USSR.”
In 2018, investigative journalist Dilya Gaytandzhieva documented the Pentagon’s multibillion dollar budget that sustains bioweapons labs in 25 nations (and 11 within the USA itself) which grew exponentially since the December 2001 bioweaponized anthrax attack killed five Americans and justified a hyperbolic increase of bioweapon warfare to rise from $5 billion when Cheney’s Bioshield Act was passed in 2004 to over $50 billion today.
Additionally, an October 2000 policy document co-authored by William Kristol, John Bolton, Richard Perle, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Elliot Abrams, and Donald Rumsfeld titled Rebuilding America’s Defenses (RAD) explicitly stated that in the new American Century, “combat will likely take place in new dimensions: In space, cyber-space and perhaps the world of microbes… advanced forms of biological warfare that can “target” specific genotypes may transform biological warfare from the realm of terror to a politically useful tool”.
The driving force behind such bioweapon war game exercises such as the June 2000 Operation Dark Winter, the May 2010 Rockefeller Foundation report Operation Lock step, and the World Economic Forum/Gates Foundation/CIA Event 201 pandemic exercises indicate that China is not the causal nexus.
All in all, these facts have persuaded me that China is being set up and is in fact a primary target for destruction.
How China would find itself the beneficiary of such an irresponsible unleashing of a novel virus that hammered its own economy, accelerated the blow out of the world financial bubble economy and annihilated the foundations of international stability is absurd to the extreme… especially considering the fact that everything China has done for the past decades has indicated a consistent desire to create stability, long term development and win-win cooperation with the international community.
Nothing similar has been seen among members of the Five Eyes or their Trans Atlantic network of over bloated imperialists.
The oligarchy running the Trans Atlantic System certainly loves the centralized control found in the Chinese system, and they adore the behaviorist social credit stuff, but that is where their admiration ends. The Kissinger, Gates, Carney or Schwab-types hate and fear everything China has actually done for development, endind poverty, population growth, national banking, long term credit generation, building full spectrum industrial economies and defending sovereignty along with Russia whom they are tightly bonded with in the Eurasian Multipolar alliance.
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review , a BRI Expert on Tactical talk, and Senior Fellow at the American University in Moscow. He is author of the‘Untold History of Canada’ book series and in 2019 he co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation . Consider helping this process by making a donation to the RTF or becoming a Patreon supporter to the Canadian Patriot Review
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A BOOK OF DAYS is the story of a book, The Journal of Thomas Keating—the days when it was written, and the subsequent days when it changed the lives of those who touched it. We first see the book as a plaything for two children on a Western Pennsylvania iron plantation in the early 1800s, who use the ancient language of the book in their games of sexual awakening. We see the book in the same location in 1776, when a young woman brings the book written in Gaelic to a survivor of a massacre that occurred here, to help her understand the fate of her mother. And we see, at the heart of the novel, the writer of the book, an ensign of the Black Watch, as he seeks refuge in a blockhouse he fears is surrounded by Indians, recounting his journey upriver with a band of misfits to discover the fate of the outpost’s lost command.
Please note: The videos carry the title SHADOW OF THE VALLEY, which was the earlier title for A BOOK OF DAYS
This unusual three-part historical novel in the form of nested stories begins in 1821, when two young siblings, Colin and Lydia, discover a book written in a strange language in an old blockhouse on their family’s property. Unable to decipher it or discern its origins, Lydia, the elder child, uses it nonetheless for an illicit game. Within this outer narrative framework is a second framework, set further back in time, in 1776. Before Colin and Lydia discover it, the book—which we learn is written in Gaelic—found its way into the possession of a secretive man who reads it aloud to a woman named Sara, translating it into English as he goes. Sara believes that the book may hold the answers to her mother’s fate. The innermost narrative framework consists of the book itself: the journal of Ensign Thomas Keating, an officer in the Forty-Second Royal Highland Regiment of Foot, sent to America in the 1760s during Pontiac’s Rebellion. Keating’s tale is a harrowing one: he and a ragtag group of troops, along with a mysterious woman named Elizabeth, trek through the Pennsylvania wilderness, through what will later become the town of Furnass, in search of the rest of Keating’s brigade, who left to find the source of a suspicious column of smoke upriver. Told from these three perspectives, the story of the journal’s life-changing influence traverses the formative decades of the American nation. A dark, absorbing read, A Book of Days raises questions of the foundations of society, morality, and human nature and unpacks the interconnected concepts of fear, trust, and love.
Questions and Topics for Discussion
Much of the book is told from the perspective of Thomas Keating, whose viewpoint crowds out the potential counterbalancing effect of other perspectives. Did you find Keating to be a reliable narrator? What about Keating’s narration style led you to this conclusion?
Snodgrass’s novel is similar to A. S. Byatt’s Possession in that both works are organized to contain stories within stories. How do their approaches to this distinct structure differ? What similarities can you draw between the two?
Crows are widely known as an omen of death, and their presence is abundant in A Book of Days. Besides the obvious, what do you feel their role is in this novel? Do you think their significance evolves as the novel progresses? Does the presence of crows mean different things to different characters?
Love, in many forms, is a central theme that runs throughout the book. How many different types of love can you distinguish in the novel? Do any of them seem to overlap or influence another? Discuss how different characters experience these emotions in unique ways.
Discuss why Snodgrass chooses the story of two children to bookend A Book of Days. What parallels can you draw between Colin’s and Lydia’s lives and those portrayed in the other sections of the book? How do the themes of love and trust pertain to this story?
At one point in the novel, Donald Fraser quotes Hume to his companions by asserting, “The minds of all men are similar in their feelings and operations,” which sparks a debate regarding the quotation’s meaning. What do you think the philosopher means? Does this interpretation make sense within the context of the novel?
What do you think were Elizabeth’s true motives for her actions, especially as the journal draws to a close? Discuss the clues throughout the novel that led you to this conclusion.
Discuss how Keating’s experiences with Jean affect his actions in America, particularly with Elizabeth. Do you think he would have reacted the same way to Elizabeth had he not known Jean in the capacity that he did?
How did you initially interpret the news that Lieutenant Stewart was “marked for vengeance”? Did your understanding of this phrase evolve as you read? How?
A Book of Days is the only Furnass novel without an omniscient narrator who speaks in italic passages. Why do you think Snodgrass made this decision? What does the lack of an all-knowing perspective do to the reader’s experience?
Full Review – Self-Publishing Review (SPR)
A single mysterious tome links three different times and three very different love stories in A Book of Days by Richard Snodgrass. From the besieged soldier Thomas Keating penning his story in an ill-fated fort to a local medicine man in possession of healing, scars, and possibly even magic, these threads of stories vary widely, but share an intensity that makes the writing shine. The slow revelation of how these strings connect is another masterful treat for readers of literary historical fiction.
The narration throughout the novel is graceful and patient, with great care being taken in historical accuracy, and with the colloquial accents of various characters. Scottish can be a difficult dialect to swallow when narrated poorly, but Snodgrass navigates the language well, giving it an authentic lilting beauty. He also uses these different storylines to examine morality and human nature from different angles – oppressors and oppressed, innocent and those guilty by association. These particular periods and places in history are steeped in conflict, and the novel acts like a time machine, highlighting how things change, but largely stay the same.
The characters in these three divided tales are each searching for something different, each learning about the world in a new way, with the Journal of Thomas Keating, or the Book of Love, as a constant in their changing stories. Somehow, transcending through time, the story of the Scottish soldiers of the Black Watch ignites and inspires all whom it touches, as if it is imbued with something greater, a power beyond memory.
The writing is meticulously edited and unique in voice, breaking certain grammatical norms for the sake of mood and tone. The pages are rife with memorable lines full of portent: There was so much to learn, about everything. How was anyone supposed to know it all? At some points, the novel itself reads like a journal, as though the author never expected it to be read by anyone else, which creates a sense of intimacy from the very first scene of two young children exploring their unnamed desires. Love and romance and connection can come in many forms, and Snodgrass explores this spectrum with grace.
That being said, some of the writing is choppy or interruptive, making it difficult for the prose to flow smoothly. While there is no lack of descriptive language, it is often expressed in visceral bursts of images, rather than incorporated smoothly into the scenes.
The marvel of this book, however, is the dialogue; there is rarely an exchange that feels inauthentic or forced. Some conversations are revelatory, while others only serve to strengthen the setting or develop the characters. The reliance on interaction to tell these interconnected stories is a great strength of any historical novel, as it is easy to fall back on narrating the past, rather than bringing it to life.
As a whole, this novel is complex and original, giving readers a glimpse into two rich narratives, and a third touching story broken into bookends, while simultaneously asking powerful questions about love, loyalty, innocence, and integrity.
When an ensign arrives in a colonial boundary fort to inspect its defensive structure in 18th century Pittsburgh, he finds himself thrown into the midst of the complex relationships between its occupants and the surrounding native-American tribes, with sometimes violent and profound consequences.
When ensign Thomas Keating arrives at an out-of-sorts fort outside Pittsburgh in early American colonial times, many of its soldiers have already departed for a smoking encampment down the valley. Its remaining occupants are keeping a woman called Elizabeth — who’s heavily integrated into native American culture — captive, and grappling to muddle through as they await their colleagues’ return. Keating is an educated man, and connects with the soldiers in the fort in different ways, struggling at times to unwind their hidden agendas and alliances, and to understand the surreal and at times un-soldierly scenario he’s walked into. Eventually, the occupants depart the fort and immerse themselves in a wild and dangerous area of Native American land, where differing twists of fate await them.
Author Richard Snodgrass’s text is particularly engaging in its feel for his characters and their motives, all of which feed smartly into the turns his text takes away from the predictable. At times A BOOK OF DAYS is a little plodding in its pacing, but it explores the dynamic of a number of complex relationships and uncovers depths of character, as well as making clever use of phonetics to evoke a Scottish accent and differing cultural frictions. Real-world philosopher David Hume is an ever-present undertone in the tale, a figure whose role varies from light comic relief through the language of his still-revered texts, to a past connection with the lead character and the uncertainties of his romantic life back home in Edinburgh.
Where A BOOK OF DAYS triumphs is in setting a novel in a varied and engaging environment and managing to surprise in its twists. It’s a colorful tale, a portrait of landscape and character, nuanced with unexpected depth. While the action can be notably slow-paced, it’s given punch and shade by occasional moments of dramatic violence, as well as its clever way of simultaneously ‘humanizing’ and ‘othering’ Native Americans, whose culture is portrayed in shades of light and dark, which reflect the views of the characters themselves. The core, winding narrative of the story is set within a clever throwback tale that links the events Keating wrote about in his titular book to future consequences, making for a kind of formative multi-generational mystery with plenty of unexpected angles and lots of insight. You could summarize the pertinent plot points in a handful of minutes, but the pleasure here is in taking that road, in the subtleties of language, the descriptors, and the strength of the story’s delivery.
IR Verdict: The undulating tale of a single colonial fort and its engagement with native American boundaries in 18th century Pittsburgh, A BOOK OF DAYS is a dark tale and a triumph of subtle life interactions and smart character development.
In this historical novel, a Scottish soldier stationed in America meets a mysterious woman who draws him into a dark conflict with Native Americans in the 18th century.
Sara—a lonesome, peripatetic 18-year-old—finds what she’s been searching for: the military outpost where she believes her mother, Elizabeth, died. A weathered, ageless man lives there—he’s cryptically known as the Seer, a hermit with stumps in place of hands. He’s in possession of a book of which she’s heard rumors—an “orderly’s day book,” written in Gaelic by Thomas Keating, a Scottish soldier and engineer dispatched to the outpost to inspect its fortifications. The bulk of Snodgrass’ bewitching novel consists of Keating’s remarkable memoir, conveyed by the Seer to Sara in a deliciously slow march into a brutal past. When Keating comes upon the outpost, Lt. Robbie Stewart, its ranking officer, has already left with 14 of his men on a mission to help the Onagonas, an ancient tribe threatened by its neighbors for planning to leave the region. But Keating does find Elizabeth Cawley—Sara’s mother—bound to a stake, apparently by orders of Stewart, with whom she may have had a romantic relationship. Elizabeth was kidnapped by Native Americans when she was 15 years old after they killed her family, and now her true identity remains muddled, an alienation she shares with Keating: “For one thing, because neither of us belongs here. In this wilderness. Barricaded in this outpost. We were brought here to this frontier by forces totally outside of ourselves. That had nothing to do with us. You in service to your king. Me because my family looked for a new life.”
With artfully executed suspense, Snodgrass unfurls this taut knot of a story. Fearful that Stewart is in trouble, Keating and the next ranking officer, Sgt. Adam MacKenzie, plan to set out in search of him. But another soldier, referred to as Black Duncan and endowed with a kind of premonitory vision, believes danger lurks nearby. Elizabeth is an intriguingly drawn character—readers will be unsure if she is sympathetic, sinister, or some complex amalgam of both. But the author’s writing style can be ponderously leaden. For example, consider Keating’s explanation to his beloved girlfriend, Jean, as to why he feels compelled to sail to America: “ ’Tis the way [philosopher] David Hume describes it. If there can be no knowledge of anything beyond experience, then I need to seek more experience. It is a matter of honor. Of honesty with myself. I need to seek the experiences that will teach me the world is real. So I know I am real. So I know what I think and feel
is real.” Nevertheless, Snodgrass does wonders with the virtue of literary restraint—why precisely the men are in such grave danger and who the Seer really is are astonishing revelations and worth suffering the sometimes-overwrought prose.
42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foot in America (View PDF)
History of Iron Plantations in PA
18th Century British Coffeehouses
English coffeehouses in the 17th and 18th centuries - Wikipedia (View PDF)
Images of the Black Watch During Pontiac's War
The following paintings by Robert Griffing depict the Black Watch, the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, during the time of Pontiac’s War, 1763 to 1765. For more information regarding these and other paintings by Robert Griffing, go to Lord Nelson’s Gallery: website, www.lordnelsons.com; email, info@lordnelsons.com.
The blockhouse at Fort Pitt, situated on the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers as they form the Ohio River (known as the Point in present day Pittsburgh) was constructed in 1764 by Colonel Henry Bouquet as a defensive military redoubt to reinforce the fort’s defensives. In the history of our fictitious town of Furnass, Colonel Bouquet built the blockhouse near the bank of the Allehela River, close to where it joined the Ohio River ten miles downstream from Pittsburgh, as part of small fort subsequently named Fort Bouquet. The purpose of the fort and blockhouse was to house a small detachment of the Black Watch as an early warning in case the Indians farther West in the Ohio territory decided to invade. As such, the construction was identical to the blockhouse at Fort Pitt.
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Attitude in the dictionary is “a position or manner indicative of feeling, opinion, or intention toward a person or thing.” However, to an artist, there is a deeper meaning of the word attitude. Attitude actually presents life or death to an artist. How so, you may be thinking. What effect does my attitude have on my art?
To find the effect of one’s attitude, one must first recognize his/her current standing on the Attitude Scale. This is time to tell the truth to your inner self. It is the only way to improve your attitude rating.
“The Blame Game” is on one end of the Attitude Scale. This occurs when one blames another person or circumstances for one’s failures. Have you ever played that before? One does not like to admit it, but it is natural for a human being to have played the game a few times in one’s life, especially when one is a youngster. On the Attitude Scale, nevertheless, whining is top hindrance for a good rating in attitude.
Examples would be:
“I never had an education in art for me to get any recognition.”
“I cannot paint because I don’t know what to paint.”
“My family thinks my artwork is stupid, so I don’t do it, at least when they are around.”
“I don’t sell my art because my art is awful.”
“I am not an artist because all I do fails!”
Do you recognize the negativity in these statements? To blame one’s lack of education, nothing to paint, family, oneself, or failures is definitely the negative side of the Attitude Scale.
The other end of the Attitude Scale is positive, Success. It is the best use of attitude to turn a mere inconvenience or minor irritation into a positive experience. There is no blame on this end. At this end, we take away the power from what is happening and make it positive. We know the limitations of what we have at that moment and we work with it.
It is an “about-face” powerful means to turn the situation into good.
Examples could be:
“True, I never had an art education in art, but because I love art, I will get more art education, whether it is college, workshops, or with a private instructor.”
“Objects to paint are all around me. I just have to look or to collect and start painting”
“Who cares if my family isn’t supportive! My artwork is important to me, so I am doing it!”
“I will try to use other venues to sell my art, because I believe my art IS good!”
“I am not failing; by learning from my failures, I am getting progressively better!”
Do you see that attitude is how one looks at the whole picture and decides on how to react? To help us to remember the importance of attitude, think of a yellow lemon. The following is what to do if life hands you a lemon, something not planned or ever desired.
Jack White, the famous American artist, wrote,
“When you squeeze a lemon, you can either make lemonade or lemon juice.
One is sweet and the other is bitter.
You have the power and total choice
to make the decision on what you are going to do with the lemon.”
The bottom line is that our attitude can make us or break us as artists. Negative attitudes destroy; positive attitudes make us successful. Life gives every one lemons at one time or another. It is our choice; what will we do with them?
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The prepared text of U.S. of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s speech, delivered at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. JANUARY 21, 2010
Note: This is the prepared text only, to review the real speech, please visit this page.
Thank you, Alberto for that kind introduction. It’s a pleasure to be here at the Newseum. This institution is a monument to some of our most precious freedoms, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to discuss how those freedoms apply to the challenges of the 21st century. I’m also delighted to see so many friends and former colleagues.
This is an important speech on an important subject. But before I begin, I want to speak briefly about Haiti. During the last nine days, the people of Haiti and the people of the world have joined together to deal with a tragedy of staggering proportions. Our hemisphere has seen its share of hardship, but there are few precedents for the situation we’re facing in Port-au-Prince. Communication networks have played a critical role in our response. In the hours after the quake, we worked with partners in the private sector to set up the text “HAITI” campaign so that mobile phone users in the United States could donate to relief efforts via text message. That initiative has been a showcase for the generosity of the American people and it’s raised over $25 million for recovery efforts.
Information networks have also played a critical role on the ground.
The technology community has set up interactive maps to help identify needs and target resources. And on Monday, a seven-year-old girl and two women were pulled from the rubble of a collapsed supermarket by an American search and rescue team after they sent a text message calling for help. These examples are manifestations of a much broader phenomenon.
The spread of information networks is forming a new nervous system for our planet. When something happens in Haiti or Hunan the rest of us learn about it in real time – from real people. And we can respond in real time as well. Americans eager to help in the aftermath of a disaster and the girl trapped in that supermarket are connected in ways that we weren’t a generation ago. That same principle applies to almost all of humanity. As we sit here today, any of you – or any of our children – can take out tools we carry with us every day and transmit this discussion to billions across the world.
In many respects, information has never been so free. There are more ways to spread more ideas to more people than at any moment in history. Even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable.
During his visit to China in November, President Obama held a town hall meeting with an online component to highlight the importance of the internet. In response to a question that was sent in over the internet, he defended the right of people to freely access information, and said that the more freely information flows, the stronger societies become. He spoke about how access to information helps citizens to hold their governments accountable, generates new ideas, and encourages creativity. The United States’ belief in that truth is what brings me here today.
But amid this unprecedented surge in connectivity, we must also recognize that these technologies are not an unmitigated blessing. These tools are also being exploited to undermine human progress and political rights. Just as steel can be used to build hospitals or machine guns and nuclear energy can power a city or destroy it, modern information networks and the technologies they support can be harnessed for good or ill. The same networks that help organize movements for freedom also enable al Qaeda to spew hatred and incite violence against the innocent. And technologies with the potential to open up access to government and promote transparency can also be hijacked by governments to crush dissent and deny human rights.
In the last year, we’ve seen a spike in threats to the free flow of information. China, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan have stepped up their censorship of the internet. In Vietnam, access to popular social networking sites has suddenly disappeared. And last Friday in Egypt, 30 bloggers and activists were detained. One member of this group, Bassem Samir – who is thankfully no longer in prison – is with us today. So while it is clear that the spread of these technologies is transforming our world, it is still unclear how that transformation will affect the human rights and welfare of much of the world’s population.
On their own, new technologies do not take sides in the struggle for freedom and progress. But the United States does. We stand for a single internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and ideas. And we recognize that the world’s information infrastructure will become what we and others make of it.
This challenge may be new, but our responsibility to help ensure the free exchange of ideas goes back to the birth of our republic. The words of the First Amendment to the Constitution are carved in 50 tons of Tennessee marble on the front of this building. And every generation of Americans has worked to protect the values etched in that stone.
Franklin Roosevelt built on these ideas when he delivered his Four Freedoms speech in 1941. At the time, Americans faced a cavalcade of crises and a crisis of confidence. But the vision of a world in which all people enjoyed freedom of expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear transcended the trouble of his day.
Years later, one of my heroes, Eleanor Roosevelt, worked to have these principles adopted as a cornerstone of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They have provided a lodestar to every succeeding generation – guiding us, galvanizing us, and enabling us to move forward in the face of uncertainty.
As technology hurtles forward, we must think back to that legacy. We need to synchronize our technological progress with our principles. In accepting the Nobel Prize, President Obama spoke about the need to build a world in which peace rests on the “inherent rights and dignity of every individual.” And in my speech on human rights at Georgetown I talked about how we must find ways to make human rights a reality. Today, we find an urgent need to protect these freedoms on the digital frontiers of the 21st century.
There are many other networks in the world – some aid in the movement of people or resources; and some facilitate exchanges between individuals
with the same work or interests. But the internet is a network that
magnifies the power and potential of all others. And that’s why we believe it’s critical that its users are assured certain basic freedoms.
First among them is the freedom of expression. This freedom is no longer defined solely by whether citizens can go into the town square and criticize their government without fear of retribution. Blogs, email, social networks, and text messages have opened up new forums for exchanging ideas – and created new targets for censorship.
As I speak to you today, government censors are working furiously to erase my words from the records of history. But history itself has already condemned these tactics. Two months ago, I was in Germany to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The leaders gathered at that ceremony paid tribute to the courageous men and women on the far side of that barrier who made
he case against oppression by circulating small pamphlets called samizdat. These leaflets questioned the claims and intentions of dictatorships in the Eastern Bloc, and many people paid dearly for distributing them. But their words helped pierce the concrete and concertina wire of the Iron Curtain.
The Berlin Wall symbolized a world divided, and it defined an entire era. Today, remnants of that wall sit inside this museum – where they belong. And the new iconic infrastructure of our age is the internet.
Instead of division, it stands for connection. But even as networks spread to nations around the globe, virtual walls are cropping up in place of visible walls.
Some countries have erected electronic barriers that prevent their people from accessing portions of the world’s networks. They have expunged words, names and phrases from search engine results. They have violated the privacy of citizens who engage in non-violent political speech. These actions contravene the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which tells us that all people have the right “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” With the spread of these restrictive practices, a new information curtain is descending across much of the world. Beyond this partition, viral videos and blog posts are becoming the samizdat of our day.
As in the dictatorships of the past, governments are targeting independent thinkers who use these tools. In the demonstrations that followed Iran’s presidential elections, grainy cell phone footage of a young woman’s bloody murder provided a digital indictment of the government’s brutality. We’ve seen reports that when Iranians living overseas posted online criticism of their nation’s leaders, their family members in Iran were singled out for retribution. And despite an intense campaign of government intimidation, brave citizen journalists in Iran continue using technology to show the world and their fellow citizens what is happening in their country. In speaking out on behalf of their own human rights the Iranian people have inspired the world.
And their courage is redefining how technology is used to spread truth and expose injustice.
All societies recognize that free expression has its limits. We do not tolerate those who incite others to violence, such as the agents of al Qaeda who are – at this moment – using the internet to promote the mass murder of innocent people. And hate speech that targets individuals on the basis of their ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation is reprehensible. It is an unfortunate fact that these issues are both growing challenges that the international community must confront together. We must also grapple with the issue of anonymous speech. Those who use the internet to recruit terrorists or distribute stolen intellectual property cannot divorce their online actions from their real world identities. But these challenges must not become an excuse for governments to systematically violate the rights and privacy of those who use the internet for peaceful political purposes.
The freedom of expression may be the most obvious freedom to face challenges with the spread of new technologies, but it is not alone. The freedom of worship usually involves the rights of individuals to commune – or not commune – with their Creator. And that’s one channel of communication that does not rely on technology. But the freedom of worship also speaks to the universal right to come together with those who share your values and vision for humanity. In our history, those gatherings often took place in churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques. Today, they may also take place on line.
The internet can help bridge divides between people of different faiths.
As the president said in Cairo, “freedom of religion is central to the ability of people to live together.” And as we look for ways to expand dialogue, the internet holds out tremendous promise. We have already begun connecting students in the United States with young people in Muslim communities around the world to discuss global challenges. And we will continue using this tool to foster discussion between individuals in different religious communities.
Some nations, however, have co-opted the internet as a tool to target and silence people of faith. Last year in Saudi Arabia, a man spent months in prison for blogging about Christianity. And a Harvard study found that the Saudi government blocked many web pages about Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and even Islam. Countries including Vietnam and China employed similar tactics to restrict access to religious information.
Just as these technologies must not be used to punish peaceful political speech, they must not be used to persecute or silence religious minorities. Prayers will always travel on higher networks. But connection technologies like the internet and social networking sites should enhance individuals’ ability to worship as they see fit, come together with people of their own faith, and learn more about the beliefs of others. We must work to advance the freedom of worship online just as we do in other areas of life.
There are, of course, hundreds of millions of people living without the benefits of these technologies. In our world, talent is distributed universally, but opportunity is not. And we know from long experience that promoting social and economic development in countries where people lack access to knowledge, markets, capital, and opportunity can be frustrating, and sometimes futile work. In this context, the internet can serve as a great equalizer. By providing people with access to knowledge and potential markets, networks can create opportunity where none exists.
Over the last year, I’ve seen this first hand. In Kenya, where farmers have seen their income grow by as much as 30% since they started using mobile banking technology. In Bangladesh, where more than 300,000 people have signed up to learn English on their mobile phones. And in sub-Saharan Africa, where women entrepreneurs use the internet to get access to microcredit loans and connect to global markets. These examples of progress can be replicated in the lives of the billion people at the bottom of the world’s economic ladder. In many cases,
the internet, mobile phones, and other connection technologies can do for economic growth what the green revolution did for agriculture. You can now generate significant yields from very modest inputs. One World Bank study found that in a typical developing country, a 10% increase in the penetration rate for mobile phones led to an almost one percent annual increase in per capita GDP. To put that in perspective, for India, that would translate into almost $10 billion a year.
A connection to global information networks is like an on a ramp to modernity. In the early years of these technologies, many believed they would divide the world between haves and have-nots. That hasn’t happened. There are 4 billion cell phones in use today – many are in the hands of market vendors, rickshaw drivers, and others who’ve historically lacked access to education and opportunity. Information networks have become a great leveler, and we should use them to help lift people out of poverty.
We have every reason to be hopeful about what people can accomplish when they leverage communication networks and connection technologies to achieve progress. But some will use global information networks for darker purposes. Violent extremists, criminal cartels, sexual predators, and authoritarian governments all seek to exploit global networks. Just as terrorists have taken advantage of the openness of our society to carry out their plots, violent extremists use the internet to radicalize and intimidate. As we work to advance these freedoms, we must also work against those who use communication networks as tools of disruption and fear.< br />
Governments and citizens must have confidence that the networks at the core of their national security and economic prosperity are safe and resilient. This is about more than petty hackers who deface websites.
Our ability to bank online, use electronic commerce, and safeguard billions of dollars in intellectual property are all at stake if we cannot rely on the security of information networks.
Disruptions in these systems demand a coordinated response by governments, the private sector, and the international community. We need more tools to help law enforcement agencies cooperate across jurisdictions when criminal hackers and organized crime syndicates attack networks for financial gain. The same is true when social ills such as child pornography and the exploitation of trafficked women and girls migrate online. We applaud efforts such as the Council on Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime that facilitate international cooperation in prosecuting such offenses.
We have taken steps as a government, and as a Department, to find diplomatic solutions to strengthen global cyber security. Over a half-dozen different Bureaus have joined together to work on this issue, and two years ago we created an office to coordinate foreign policy in cyberspace. We have worked to address this challenge at the UN and other multilateral forums and put cyber-security on the world’s agenda. And President Obama has appointed a new national cyberspace policy coordinator who will help us work even more closely to ensure that our networks stay free, secure, and reliable.
States, terrorists, and those who would act as their proxies must know that the United States will protect our networks. Those who disrupt the free flow of information in our society, or any other, pose a threat to our economy, our government and our civil society. Countries or individuals that engage in cyber attacks should face consequences and international condemnation. In an interconnected world, an attack on one nation’s networks can be an attack on all. By reinforcing that message, we can create norms of behavior among states and encourage respect for the global networked commons.
The final freedom I want to address today flows from the four I’ve already mentioned: the freedom to connect – the idea that governments should not prevent people from connecting to the internet, to websites, or to each other. The freedom to connect is like the freedom of assembly in cyber space. It allows individuals to get online, come together, and hopefully cooperate in the name of progress. Once you’re on the internet, you don’t need to be a tycoon or a rock star to have a huge impact on society.
The largest public response to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai was launched by a 13-year-old boy. He used social networks to organize blood drives and a massive interfaith book of condolence. In Colombia, an unemployed engineer brought together more than 12 million people in 190 cities around the world to demonstrate against the FARC terrorist movement. The protests were the largest anti-terrorist demonstrations in history. In the weeks that followed, the FARC saw more demobilizations and desertions than it had during a decade of military action. And in Mexico, a single email from a private citizen who was fed up with drug-related violence snowballed into huge demonstrations in all of the country’s 32 states. In Mexico City alone, 150,000 people took to the streets in protest. The internet can help humanity push back against those who promote violence and extremism.
In Iran, Moldova, and many other countries, online organizing has been a critical tool for advancing democracy, and enabling citizens to protest suspicious election results. Even in established democracies like the United States, we’ve seen the power of these tools to change history. Some of you may still remember the 2008 presidential election…
The freedom to connect to these technologies can help transform societies, but it is also critically important to individuals. I recently heard the story of a doctor who had been trying desperately to diagnose his daughter’s rare medical condition. After consulting with two dozen specialists, he still didn’t have an answer. He finally identified the condition – and a cure – by using an internet search engine. That’s one of the reasons why unfettered access to search engine technology is so important.
The principles I’ve outlined today will guide our approach to the issue of internet freedom and the use of these technologies. And I want to speak about how we apply them in practice. The United States is committed to devoting the diplomatic, economic and technological resources necessary to advance these freedoms. We are a nation made up of immigrants from every country and interests that span the globe. Our foreign policy is premised on the idea that no country stands to benefit more when cooperation among peoples and states increases. And no country shoulders a heavier burden when conflict drives nations apart.
We are well placed to seize the opportunities that come with interconnectivity. And as the birthplace for so many of these technologies, we have a responsibility to see them used for good. To do that, we need to develop our capacity for 21st century statecraft.
Realigning our policies and our priorities won’t be easy. But adjusting to new technology rarely is. When the telegraph was introduced, it was a source of great anxiety for many in the diplomatic community, where the prospect of receiving daily instructions from Washington was not entirely welcome. But just as our diplomats eventually mastered the telegraph, I have supreme confidence that the world can harness the potential of these new tools as well.
I’m proud that the State Department is already working in more than 40 countries to help individuals silenced by oppressive governments. We are making this issue a priority in at the United Nations as well, and included internet freedom as a component in the first resolution we introduced after returning to the UN Human Rights Council.
We are also supporting the development of new tools that enable citizens to exercise their right of free expression by circumventing politically motivated censorship. We are working globally to make sure that those tools get to the people who need them, in local languages, and with the training they need to access the internet safely. The United States has been assisting in these efforts for some time. Both the American people and nations that censor the internet should understand that our government is proud to help promote internet freedom.
We need to put these tools in the hands of people around the world who will use them to advance democracy and human rights, fight climate change and epidemics, build global support for President Obama’s goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and encourage sustainable economic development. That’s why today I’m announcing that over the next year, we will work with partners in industry, academia, and non-governmental organizations to establish a standing effort that will harness the power of connection technologies and apply them to our diplomatic goals. By relying on mobile phones, mapping applications, and other new tools, we can empower citizens and leverage our traditional diplomacy. We can also address deficiencies in the current market for innovation.
Let me give you one example: let’s say I want to create a mobile phone application that would allow people to rate government ministries on their responsiveness, efficiency, and level of corruption. The hardware required to make this idea work is already in the hands of billions of potential users. And the software involved would be relatively inexpensive to develop and deploy. If people took advantage of this tool, it would help us target foreign assistance spending, improve lives, and encourage foreign investment in countries with res
ponsible governments – all good things. However, right now, mobile application developers have no financial incentive to pursue that project on their own and the State Department lacks a mechanism to make it happen. This initiative should help resolve that problem, and provide long-term dividends from modest investments in innovation. We’re going to work with experts to find the best structure for this venture, and we’ll need the talent and resources of technology companies and non-profit organizations in order to get the best results. So for those of you in this room, consider yourselves invited.
In the meantime, there are companies, individuals, and institutions working on ideas and applications that could advance our diplomatic and development objectives. And the State Department will be launching an innovation competition to give this work an immediate boost. We’ll be asking Americans to send us their best ideas for applications and technologies that help to break down language barriers, overcome illiteracy, and connect people to the services and information they need. Microsoft, for example, has already developed a prototype for a digital doctor that could help provide medical care in isolated rural communities. We want to see more ideas like that. And we’ll work with the winners of the competition and provide grant to help build their ideas to scale.
As we work together with the private sector and foreign governments to deploy the tools of 21st century statecraft, we need to remember our shared responsibility to safeguard the freedoms I’ve talked about today.
We feel strongly that principles like information freedom aren’t just good policy, they’re good business for all involved. To use market terminology, a publicly-listed company in Tunisia or Vietnam that operates in an environment of censorship will always trade at a discount relative to an identical firm in a free society. If corporate decision makers don’t have access to global sources of news and information, investors will have less confidence in their decisions. Countries that censor news and information must recognize that, from an economic standpoint, there is no distinction between censoring political speech and commercial speech. If businesses in your nation are denied access to either type of information, it will inevitably reduce growth.
Increasingly, U.S. companies are making the issue of information freedom a greater consideration in their business decisions. I hope that their competitors and foreign governments will pay close attention to this trend.
The most recent example of Google’s review of its business operations in China has attracted a great deal of interest. We look to Chinese authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of the cyber intrusions that led Google to make this announcement. We also look for that investigation and its results to be transparent. The internet has already been a source of tremendous progress in China, and it’s great that so many people there are now online. But countries that restrict free access to information or violate the basic rights of internet users risk walling themselves off from the progress of the next century. The United States and China have different views on this issue. And we intend to address those differences candidly and consistently.
Ultimately, this issue isn’t just about information freedom; it’s about what kind of world we’re going to inhabit. It’s about whether we live on a planet with one internet, one global community, and a common body of knowledge that unites and benefits us all. Or a fragmented planet in which access to information and opportunity is dependent on where you live and the whims of censors.
Information freedom supports the peace and security that provide a foundation for global progress. Historically, asymmetrical access to information is one of the leading causes of interstate conflict. When we face serious disputes or dangerous incidents, it’s critical that people on both sides of the problem have access to the same set of facts and opinions.
As it stands, Americans can consider information presented by foreign governments – we do not block their attempts to communicate with people in the United States. But citizens in societies that practice censorship lack exposure to outside views. In North Korea, for example, the government has tried to completely isolate its citizens from outside opinions. This lop-sided access to information increases both the likelihood of conflict and the probability that small disagreements will escalate. I hope responsible governments with an interest in global stability will work to address such imbalances.
For companies, this issue is about more than claiming the moral high ground; it comes down to the trust between firms and their customers. Consumers everywhere want to have confidence that the internet companies they rely on will provide comprehensive search results and act as responsible stewards of their information. Firms that earn that confidence will prosper in a global marketplace. Those who lose it will also lose customers. I hope that refusal to support politically-motivated censorship will become a trademark characteristic of American technology companies. It should be part of our national brand. I’m confident that consumers worldwide will reward firms that respect these principles.
We are reinvigorating the Global Internet Freedom Task Force as a forum for addressing threats to internet freedom around the world, and urging U.S. media companies to take a proactive role in challenging foreign governments’ demands for censorship and surveillance. The private sector has a shared responsibility to help safeguard free expression. And when their business dealings threaten to undermine this freedom, they need to consider what’s right, not simply the prospect of quick profits.
We’re also encouraged by the work that’s being done through the Global Network Initiative – a voluntary effort by technology companies who are working with non-governmental organization, academic experts, and social investment funds to respond to government requests for censorship. The Initiative goes beyond mere statements of principle and establishes mechanisms to promote real accountability and transparency. As part of our commitment to support responsible private sector engagement on information freedom, the State Department will be convening a high-level meeting next month co-chaired by Under Secretaries Robert Hormats and Maria Otero to bring together firms that provide network services for talks on internet freedom. We hope to work together to address this challenge.
Pursuing the freedoms I’ve talked about today is the right thing to do.
But it’s also the smart thing to do. By advancing this agenda, we align our principles, our economic goals, and our strategic priorities. We need to create a world in which access to networks and information brings people closer together, and expands our definition of community.
Given the magnitude of the challenges we’re facing, we need people around the world to pool their knowledge and creativity to help rebuild the global economy, protect our environment, defeat violent extremism, and build a future in which every human being can realize their God-given potential.
Let me close by asking you to remember the little girl who was pulled from the rubble on Monday in Port-au-Prince. She is alive, was reunited with her family, and will have the opportunity to help rebuild her nation because these networks took a voice that was buried and spread it to the world. No nation, group, or individual should stay buried in the rubble of oppression. We cannot stand by while people are separated from our human family by walls of censorship. And we cannot be silent about these issues simply because we cannot hear their cries. Let us recommit ourselves to this cause. Let us make these technologies a force f
Full Text Script of Secretary Clinton Speech on Internet Freedom (English, Chinese and MP3 Download) added by chinatimesonline on January 21, 2010
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The Prophet said, "O Muslim women! None of you should look down upon the gift sent by her she-neighbour even if it were the trotters of the sheep (fleshless part of legs)."
Aisha said to me, "O my nephew! We used to see the crescent, and then the crescent and then the crescent in this way we saw three crescents in two months and no fire (for cooking) used to be made in the houses of Allah's Apostle. I said, "O my aunt! Then what use to sustain you?" 'Aisha said, "The two black things: dates and water, our neighbors from Ansar had some Manarh and they used to present Allah's Apostle some of their milk and he used to make us drink."
The Prophet said, "I shall accept the invitation even if I were invited to a meal of a sheep's trotter, and I shall accept the gift even if it were an arm or a trotter of a sheep."
The Prophet sent for a woman from the emigrants and she had a slave who was a carpenter. The Prophet said to her "Order your slave to prepare the wood (pieces) for the pulpit." So, she ordered her slave who went and cut the wood from the tamarisk and prepared the pulpit, for the Prophet. When he finished the pulpit, the woman informed the Prophet that it had been finished. The Prophet asked her to send that pulpit to him, so they brought it. The Prophet lifted it and placed it at the place in which you see now."
That his father said, "One day I was sitting with some of the Prophet's companions on the way to Mecca. Allah's Apostle was ahead of us. All of my companions were in the state of Ihram while I was a non-Muhrim. They saw an onager while I was busy repairing my shoes, so they did not tell me about it but they wished I had seen it. By chance I looked up and saw it. So, I turned to the horse, saddled it and rode on it, forgetting to take the spear and the whip. I asked them if they could hand over to me the whip and the spear but they said, 'No, by Allah, we shall not help you in that in any way.' I became angry and got down from the horse, picked up both the things and rode the horse again. I attacked the onager and slaughtered it, and brought it (after it had been dead). They took it (cooked some of it) and started eating it, but they doubted whether it was allowed for them to eat it or not, as they were in the state of Ihram. So, we proceeded and I hid with me one of its fore-legs. When we met Allah's Apostle and asked him about the case, he asked, 'Do you have a portion of it with you?' I replied in the affirmative and gave him that fleshy fore-leg which he ate completely while he was in the state of Ihram .
Once Allah's Apostle visited us in this house of ours and asked for something to drink. We milked one of our sheep and mixed it with water from this well of ours and gave it to him. Abu Bakr was sitting on his left side and 'Umar in front of him and a bedouin on his right side. When Allah's Apostle finished, 'Umar said to Allah's Apostle "Here is Abu Bakr." But Allah's Apostle gave the remaining milk to the bedouin and said twice, "The (persons on the) right side! So, start from the right side." Anas added, "It is a Sunna (the Prophet's traditions)" and repeated it thrice.
We chased a rabbit at Mar-al-Zahran and the people ran after it but were exhausted. I overpowered and caught it, and gave it to Abu Talha who slaughtered it and sent its hip or two thighs to Allah's Apostle. (The narrator confirms that he sent two thighs). The Prophet accepted that. (The sub-narrator asked Anas, "Did the Prophet; eat from it?" Anas replied, "He ate from it.")
An onager was presented to Allah's Apostle at the place called Al-Abwa' or Waddan, but Allah's Apostle rejected it. When the Prophet noticed the signs of sorrow on the giver's face he said, "We have not rejected your gift, but we are in the state of Ihram." (i.e. if we were not in a state of Ihram we would have accepted your gift, Fateh-al-Bari page 130, Vol. 6)
The people used to look forward for the days of my ('Aisha's) turn to send gifts to Allah's Apostle in order to please him.
Ibn Abbas said: Um Hufaid, Ibn 'Abbas's aunt sent some dried yogurt (butter free), ghee (butter) and a mastigar to the Prophet as a gift. The Prophet ate the dried yogurt and butter but left the mastigar because he disliked it. Ibn 'Abbas said, "The mastigar was eaten at the table of Allah's Apostle and if it had been illegal to eat, it could not have been eaten at the table of Allah's Apostle."
Whenever a meal was brought to Allah's Apostle, he would ask whether it was a gift or Sadaqa (something given in charity). If he was told that it was Sadaqa, he would tell his companions to eat it, but if it was a gift, he would hurry to share it with them.
Some meat was brought to the Prophet and it was said that the meat had been given in charity to Buraira. He said, "It was Sadaqa for Buraira but a gift for us."
Hadeeth No. 2414 - Narrated 'Aisha:
I intended to buy Buraira but her masters stipulated that her Wala should be for them. When the Prophet was told about it, he said to me, "Buy and manumit her, as the Wala' is for the liberator." Once Buraira was given some meat, and the Prophet asked, "What is this?" I said, "It has been given to Buraira in charity." He said, "It is sadaqa for her but a gift for us." Buraira was given the option (to stay with her husband or to part with him). AbdurRahman (a sub-narrator) wondered, "Was her husband a slave or a free man?" Shu'ba (another sub-narrator) said, "I asked 'Abdur-Rahman whether her husband was a slave or a free man. He replied that he did not know whether he was a slave or a free man."
Once the Prophet went to 'Aisha and asked her whether she had something (to eat). She said that she had nothing except the mutton which Um 'Atiyya had sent to (Buraira) in charity. The Prophet said that it had reached its destination (i.e. it is no longer an object of charity.)
Hadeeth No. 2416 - Narrated 'Aisha:
The people used to send gifts to the Prophet on the day of my turn. Um Salama said: "My companions (the wives of the Prophet Other than Aisha) gathered and they complained about it. So I informed the Prophet about it on their behalf, but he remained silent.
Hadeeth No. 2417 - Narrated 'Urwa from 'Aisha:
The wives of Allah's Apostle were in two groups. One group consisted of 'Aisha, Hafsa, Safiyya and Sauda; and the other group consisted of Um Salama and the other wives of Allah's Apostle. The Muslims knew that Allah's Apostle loved 'Aisha, so if any of them had a gift and wished to give to Allah's Apostle, he would delay it, till Allah's Apostle had come to 'Aisha's home and then he would send his gift to Allah's Apostle in her home. The group of Um Salama discussed the matter together and decided that Um Salama should request Allah's Apostle to tell the people to send their gifts to him in whatever wife's house he was. Um Salama told Allah's Apostle of what they had said, but he did not reply. Then they (those wives) asked Um Salama about it. She said, "He did not say anything to me." They asked her to talk to him again. She talked to him again when she met him on her day, but he gave no reply. When they asked her, she replied that he had given no reply. They said to her, "Talk to him till he gives you a reply." When it was her turn, she talked to him again. He then said to her, "Do not hurt me regarding Aisha, as the Divine Inspirations do not come to me on any of the beds except that of Aisha." On that Um Salama said, "I repent to Allah for hurting you." Then the group of Um Salama called Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Apostle and sent her to Allah's Apostle to say to him, "Your wives request to treat them and the daughter of Abu Bakr on equal terms." Then Fatima conveyed the message to him. The Prophet said, "O my daughter! Don't you love whom I love?" She replied in the affirmative and returned and told them of the situation. They requested her to go to him again but she refused. They then sent Zainab bint Jahsh who went to him and used harsh words saying, "Your wives request you to treat them and the daughter of Ibn Abu Quhafa on equal terms." On that she raised her voice and abused 'Aisha to her face so much so that Allah's Apostle looked at 'Aisha to see whether she would retort. 'Aisha started replying to Zainab till she silenced her. The Prophet then looked at 'Aisha and said, "She is really the daughter of Abu Bakr."
When I went to Thumama bin 'Abdullah, he gave me some perfume and said that Anas would not reject the gifts of perfume. Anas said: The Prophet used not to reject the gifts of perfume.
When the delegates of the tribe of Hawazin came to the Prophet he stood up amongst the people, Glorified and Praised Allah as He deserved, and said, "Then after: Your brethren have come to you with repentance and I see it logical to return to them their captives; so whoever amongst you likes to do that as a favor, then he can do it, and whoever of you like to stick to his share till we give him his right from the very first Fai (war booty) (1) which Allah will bestow on us, then (he can do so)." The people replied, "We do that (to return the captives) willingly as a favor for your sake."
Hadeeth No. 2420 - Narrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostles used to accept gifts and used to give something in return.
that his father took him to Allah's Apostle and said, "I have given this son of mine a slave." The Prophet asked, "Have you given all your sons the like?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet said, "Take back your gift then."
I heard An-Nu'man bin Bashir on the pulpit saying, "My father gave me a gift but 'Amra bint Rawaha (my mother) said that she would not agree to it unless he made Allah's Apostle as a witness to it. So, my father went to Allah's Apostle and said, 'I have given a gift to my son from 'Amra bint Rawaha, but she ordered me to make you as a witness to it, O Allah's Apostle!' Allah's Apostle asked, 'Have you given (the like of it) to everyone of your sons?' He replied in the negative. Allah's Apostle said, 'Be afraid of Allah, and be just to your children.' My father then returned and took back his gift."
Ubaidullah bin 'Abdullah told me that 'Aisha had said, "When the Prophet became sick and his condition became serious, he requested his wives to allow him to be treated in my house, and they allowed him. He came out leaning on two men while his feet were dragging on the ground. He was walking between Al-'Abbas and another man." 'Ubaidullah said, "When I informed Ibn 'Abbas of what 'Aisha had said, he asked me whether I knew who was the second man whom 'Aisha had not named. I replied in the negative. He said, 'He was 'Ali bin Abi Talib."
The Prophet said, "One who takes back his gift (which he has already given) is like a dog that swallows its vomit."
Once I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have no property except what has been given to me by Az-Zubair (i.e. her husband). May I give in charity?" The Prophet said, "Give in charity and do not withhold it; otherwise Allah will withhold it back from you . "
Allah's Apostle said, "Give (in charity) and do not give reluctantly lest Allah should give you in a limited amount; and do not withhold your money lest Allah should withhold it from you."
Hadeeth No. 2427 - Narrated Kurib:
the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas, that Maimuna bint Al-Harith told him that she manumitted a slave-girl without taking the permission of the Prophet. On the day when it was her turn to be with the Prophet, she said, "Do you know, O Allah's Apostle, that I have manumitted my slave-girl?" He said, "Have you really?" She replied in the affirmative. He said, "You would have got more reward if you had given her (i.e. the slave-girl) to one of your maternal uncles."
Whenever Allah's Apostle wanted to go on a journey, he would draw lots as to which of his wives would accompany him. He would take her whose name came out. He used to fix for each of them a day and a night. But Sauda bint Zam'a gave up her (turn) day and night to 'Aisha, the wife of the Prophet in order to seek the pleasure of Allah's Apostle (by that action).
I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have two neighbors; which of them should I give a gift to?" The Prophet said, "(Give) to the one whose door is nearer to you."
That he heard As-Sa'b bin Jaththama Al-Laithi, who was one of the companions of the Prophet, saying that he gave the meat of an onager to Allah's Apostle while he was at a place called Al-Abwa' or Waddan, and was in a state of Ihram. The Prophet did not accept it. When the Prophet saw the signs of sorrow on As-Sa'b's face because of not accepting his present, he said (to him), "We are not returning your present, but we are in the state of Ihram." (See Hadith No. 747)
The Prophet appointed a man from the tribe of Al-Azd, called Ibn 'Utbiyya for collecting the Zakat. When he returned he said, "This (i.e. the Zakat) is for you and this has been given to my as a present." The Prophet said, "Why hadn't he stayed in his father's or mother's house to see whether he would be given presents or not? By Him in Whose Hands my life is, whoever takes something from the resources of the Zakat (unlawfully) will be carrying it on his neck on the Day of Resurrection; if it be a camel, it will be grunting; if a cow, it will be mooing; and if a sheep, it will be bleating." The Prophet then raised his hands till we saw the whiteness of his armpits, and he said thrice, "O Allah! Haven't I conveyed Your Message (to them)?"
Hadeeth No. 2432 - Narrated Jabir:
The Prophet said to me, "I will give you so much (the Prophet pointed thrice with his hands) when funds of Bahrain will come to me." But the Prophet died before the money reached him. (When it came) Abu Bakr ordered an announcer to announce that whoever had a money claim on the Prophet or was promised to be given something, should come to Abu Bakr. I went to Abu Bakr and told him that the Prophet had promised to give me so much. On that Abu Bakr gave me three handfuls (of money).
Allah's Apostle distributed some cloaks but did not give anything thereof to Makhrama. Makhrama said (to me), "O son! accompany me to Allah's Apostle." When I went with him, he said, "Call him to me." I called him (i.e. the Prophet ) for my father. He came out wearing one of those cloaks and said, "We kept this (cloak) for you, (Makhrama)." Makhrama looked at the cloak and said, "Makhrama is pleased," (or the Prophet said), "Is Makhrama pleased?"
A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "I am ruined." The Prophet asked, "What do you mean?" He said, "I had a sexual intercourse with my wife during Ramadan (while fasting)." The Prophet asked him, "Can you manumit a slave?" He replied in the negative. He then asked him, "Can you fast for two successive months continuously" He replied in the negative. The Prophet then asked him, "Can you feed sixty poor persons?" He replied in the negative. In the meantime an Ansari came with a basket full of dates. The Prophet said to the man, "Take it and give it in charity (as an expiation of your sin)." The man said "Should I give it to some people who are poorer than we O Allah's Apostle? By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, there is no family between Medina's two mountains poorer than we." Allah's Apostle told him to take it and provide his family with it."
Hadeeth No. 2435 - Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
My father was martyred on the day (of the battle) of Uhud and his creditors demanded the debt back in a harsh manner. So I went to Allah's Apostle and informed him of that, he asked them to accept the fruits of my garden and excuse my father, but they refused. So, Allah's Apostle did not give them the fruits, nor did he cut them and distribute them among them, but said, "I will come to you tomorrow morning." So, he came to us the next morning and walked about in between the date-palms and invoked Allah to bless their fruits. I plucked the fruits and gave back all the rights of the creditors in full, and a lot of fruits were left for us. Then I went to Allah's Apostle, who was sitting, and informed him about what happened. Allah's Apostle told 'Umar, who was sitting there, to listen to the story. 'Umar said, "Don't we know that you are Allah's Apostle? By Allah! you are Allah's Apostle!"
A drink (milk mixed with water) was brought to the Prophet who drank some of it while a boy was sitting on his right and old men on his left. The Prophet said to the boy, "If you permit me, I'll give (the rest of the drink to) these old men first." The boy said, "I will not give preference to any one over me as regards my share from you, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet then put that container in the boy's hand. (See Hadith No. 541).
I sold a camel to the Prophet on one of the journeys. When we reached Medina, he ordered me to go to the Mosque and offer two Rakat. Then he weighed for me (the price of the camel in gold) and gave an extra amount over it. A part of it remained with me till it was taken by the army of Sham on the day of Harra."
Hadeeth No. 2438 - Narrated Shal bin Sad:
A drink (of milk and water) was brought to Allah's Apostle while a boy was sitting on his right side and old men were sitting on his left side. He asked the boy, "Will you allow me to give it to these (people)?" The boy said, "No, by Allah, I will not allow anyone to take my right from you." Then the Prophet put the bowl in the boy's hand.
Allah's Apostle owed a man some debt (and that man demanded it very harshly). The companions of the Prophet wanted to harm him, but the Prophet said to them, "Leave him, as the creditor has the right to speak harshly." He then added, "Buy (a camel) of the same age and give it to him." They said, "We cannot get except a camel of an older age than that of his." He said, "Buy it and give it to him, as the best amongst you is he who pays back his debt in the most handsome way.'
When the delegates of the tribe of Hawazin came to the Prophet they requested him to return their property and their captives. He said to them, "This concerns also other people along with me as you see, and the best statement to me is the true one, so you may choose one of two alternatives; either the captives or the property and (I have not distributed the booty for) I have been waiting for you."
When the Prophet had returned from Ta'if, he waited for them for more than ten nights. When they came to know that the Prophet would not return except one of the two, they chose their captives. The Prophet then stood up amongst the Muslims, Glorified and Praised Allah as He deserved, and then said, "Then after: These brothers of yours have come to you with repentance and I see it proper to return their captives, so whoever amongst you likes to do that as a favor, then he can do it, and whoever of you wants to stick to his share till we pay him from the very first Fai (i.e. war booty) which Allah will give us, then he can do so." The people said, "We return (the captives) to them willingly as a favor, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet said, "I do not know who of you has given his consent and who has not; so go back and your leaders may present your decision to me." The people went away, and their leaders discussed the matter with them, and then came to the Prophet to tell him that all of them had given their consent (to return the captives) willingly. (Az-Zuhn, the sub-narrator said, "This is what we know about the captives, of Hawazin.")
That the people sitting with that person will be his co-owners. But this report is not confirmed by an authentic narration. (Refer to Hadith 778)
The Prophet took a camel of special age from somebody on credit. Its owner came and demanded it back (harshly). The Prophet said, "No doubt, he who has a right, can demand it." Then the Prophet gave him an older camel than his camel and said, "The best amongst you is he who repays his debts in the most handsome way."
That he was in the company of the Prophet on a journey, riding a troublesome camel belonging to 'Umar. The camel used to go ahead of the Prophet, so Ibn 'Umar's father would say, "O 'Abdullah! No one should go ahead of the Prophet." The Prophet said to him, "Sell it to me." 'Umar said to the Prophet "It is for you." So, he bought it and said, "O 'Abdullah! It is for you, and you can do with it what you like."
Umar bin Al-Khattab saw a silken dress (cloak) being sold at the gate of the Mosque and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Would that you buy it and wear it on Fridays and when the delegates come to you!" Allah's Apostle said, "This is worn by the one who will have no share in the Hereafter." Later on some silk dresses were brought and Allah's Apostle sent one of them to 'Umar. 'Umar said, "How do you give me this to wear while you said what you said about the dress of 'Utarid?" Allah's Apostle said, "I have not given it to you to wear." So, 'Umar gave it to a pagan brother of his in Mecca.
Once the Prophet went to the house of Fatima but did not enter it. 'Ali came and she told him about that. When 'All asked the Prophet about it, he said, "I saw a (multi-colored) decorated curtain on her door. I am not interested in worldly things." 'Ali went to Fatima and told her about it. Fatima said, "I am ready to dispense with it in the way he suggests." The Prophet ordered her to send it to such-and-such needy people. "
The Prophet gave me a silken dress as a gift and I wore it. When I saw the signs of anger on his face, I cut it into pieces and distributed it among my wives."
A Jubba (i.e. cloak) made of thick silken cloth was presented to the Prophet. The Prophet used to forbid people to wear silk. So, the people were pleased to see it. The Prophet said, "By Him in Whose Hands Muhammad's soul is, the handkerchiefs of Sad bin Mu'adh in Paradise are better than this." Anas added, "The present was sent to the Prophet by Ukaidir (a Christian) from Dauma."
A Jewess brought a poisoned (cooked) sheep for the Prophet who ate from it. She was brought to the Prophet and he was asked, "Shall we kill her?" He said, "No." I continued to see the effect of the poison on the palate of the mouth of Allah's Apostle .
We were one-hundred and thirty persons accompanying the Prophet who asked us whether anyone of us had food. There was a man who had about a Sa of wheat which was mixed with water then. A very tall pagan came driving sheep. The Prophet asked him, "Will you sell us (a sheep) or give it as a present?" He said, "I will sell you (a sheep)." The Prophet bought a sheep and it was slaughtered. The Prophet ordered that its liver and other abdominal organs be roasted. By Allah, the Prophet gave every person of the one-hundred-and-thirty a piece of that; he gave all those of them who were present; and kept the shares of those who were absent.The Prophet then put its meat in two huge basins and all of them ate to their fill, and even then more food was left in the two basins which were carried on the camel (or said something like it).
Umar saw a silken cloak over a man for sale and requested the Prophet to buy it in order to wear it on Fridays and while meeting delegates. The Prophet said, "This is worn by the one who will have no share in the Hereafter." Later on Allah's Apostle got some silken cloaks similar to that one, and he sent one to 'Umar. 'Umar said to the Prophet "How can I wear it, while you said about it what you said?" The Prophet said, "I have not given it to you to wear, but to sell or to give to someone else." So, 'Umar sent it to his brother at Mecca before he embraced Islam.
My mother came to me during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle and she was a pagan. I said to Allah's Apostle (seeking his verdict), "My mother has come to me and she desires to receive a reward from me, shall I keep good relations with her?" The Prophet said, "Yes, keep good relation with her. "
The Prophet said, "He who takes back his present is like him who swallows his vomit."
The Prophet said, "The bad example is not for us. He who takes back his present is like a dog that swallows back its vomit."
I gave a horse in Allah's Cause. The person to whom it was given, did not look after it. I intended to buy it from him, thinking that he would sell it cheap. When I asked the Prophet he said, "Don't buy it, even if he gives it to you for one Dirham, as the person who takes back what he has given in charity, is like a dog that swallows back its vomit."
Hadeeth No. 2455 - Narrated Jabir:
The Prophet gave the verdict that 'Umra is for the one to whom it is presented.
The Prophet said, "Umra is permissible." Ata said, "Jabir narrated the same to me from the Prophet."
Once the people of Medina were frightened, so the Prophet borrowed a horse from Abu Talha called Al-Mandub, and rode it. When he came back he said, "We have not seen anything (to be afraid of), but the horse was very fast (having an energy as inexhaustible as the water of the sea)."
I went to 'Aisha and she was wearing a coarse dress costing five Dirhams. 'Aisha said, "Look up and see my slave-girl who refuses to wear it in the house though during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle I had a similar dress which no woman desiring to appear elegant (before her husband) failed to borrow from me."
Allah's Apostle said, "What a good Maniha (the she-camel which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk) is, and (what a good Maniha) (the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening) is!"
Maniha is a good deed of charity.
Anas bin Malik said, "When the emigrants came Medina, they had nothing whereas the Ansar had land and property. The Ansar gave them their land on condition that the emigrants would give them half the yearly yield and work on the land and provide the necessaries for cultivation." His (i.e. Anas's mother who was also the mother of 'Abdullah bin Abu Talha, gave some date-palms to Allah' Apostle who gave them to his freed slave-girl (Um Aiman) who was also the mother of Usama bin Zaid. When the Prophet finished from the fighting against the people of Khaibar and returned to Medina, the emigrants returned to the Ansar the fruit gifts which the Ansar had given them. The Prophet also returned to Anas's mother the date-pallms. Allah's Apostle gave Um Aiman other trees from his garden in lieu of the old gift.
Hadeeth No. 2462 - Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr:
That Allah's Apostle said, "There are forty virtuous deeds and the best of them is the Maniha of a she-goat, and anyone who does one of these virtuous deeds hoping for Allah's reward with firm confidence that he will get it, then Allah will make him enter Paradise because of Hassan (a sub-narrator) said, "We tried to count those good deeds below the Maniha; we mentioned replying to the sneezer, removing harmful things from the road, etc., but we failed to count even fifteen."
Hadeeth No. 2463 - Narrated Jabir:
Some men had superfluous land and they said that they would give it to others to cultivate on the condition that they would get one-third or one-fourth or one half of its yield. The Prophet said, "Whoever has land should cultivate it himself or give it to his brother or keep it uncultivated."
Narrated Abu Said: A bedouin came to the Prophet and asked him about emigration. The Prophet said to him, "May Allah be merciful to you. The matter of emigration is difficult. Have you got some camels?" He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet asked him, "Do you pay their Zakat?" He replied in the affirmative. He asked, "Do you lend them so that their milk may be utilized by others?" The bedouin said, "Yes." The Prophet asked, "Do you milk them on the day off watering them?" He replied, "Yes." The Prophet said, "Do good deeds beyond the merchants (or the sea) and Allah will never disregard any of your deeds." (See Hadith No. 260, Vol. 5)
Hadeeth No. 2464 - Narrated Tawus:
That he was told by the most learned one amongst them (i.e. Ibn Abbas) that the Prophet went towards some land which was flourishing with vegetation and asked to whom it belonged. He was told that such and such a person took it on rent. The Prophet said, "It would have been better (for the owner) if he had given it to him gratis rather than charging him a fixed rent.
Allah's Apostle said, "The Prophet Abraham migrated with Sarah. The people (of the town where they migrated) gave her Ajar (i.e. Hajar). Sarah returned and said to Abraham, "Do you know that Allah has humiliated that pagan and he has given a slave-girl for my service?"
Once I gave a horse (for riding) in Allah's Cause. Later I saw it being sold. I asked Allah's Apostle (whether I could buy it). He said, "Don't buy it, for you should not get back what you have given in charity."
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As a general practice firm, we have the experience and background necessary to advise clients regarding a broad range of legal matters, including business, real estate, divorce and family law, wills and trusts, civil litigation and traffic. We effectively assist our clients in courts across the Commonwealth.
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It took nearly a year for the cable-tool rig to reach a total depth of 427m. The Lineham No. 1 well had oil shows throughout the drilling process, and oil began flowing on September 21, 1902, from a depth of 310m.
This article appeared in Vol. 7, No. 4 - 2010
The 1902 Lineham Discovery well (on left) and an Oil City Royalties drilling rig at Cameron Creek in 1932. Drilling continued along Cameron Creek until 1938, all ending in failure. Photo: Glenbow Archives News from Oil City, Alberta, 5 April 1906: “Oil of the highest quality ever discovered is now flowing from the earth in huge gushers in the southwestern part of this province.” Headlines like this, together with rumors and embellished company prospectuses, fueled western Canada’s first oil boom.
The discovery of oil seeps in southern Alberta and northern Montana started a “stampede of speculators” to the area, staking claims from the Rocky Mountains out to the eastern prairies. Expectations of great wealth would eventually lead to the drilling of western Canada’s first commercial oil discovery, 43 years after eastern Canada’s first successful oil well was drilled in 1858 at Oil Springs, Ontario.
The Lead-in
Wagon tracks leading up Cameron Brook to Alberta’s first commercial well. It took as much as two weeks for wagons to make the arduous trip with heavy drilling equipment. Photo: J. F. Dormaar “An early homesteader to the Waterton area, George “Kootenai” Brown, is said to have mixed molasses with kerosene and served it to a group of Stoney Indians,” says Dr. Johan Dormaar, co-author of ‘Oil City, Black Gold in Waterton Park’. “He told them that if they ever tasted or smelled anything like it, to be sure to let him know. They eventually did tell him about the Cameron Creek, Waterton area oil seeps around 1886.”
"This is typical of the stories leading up to and including western Canada’s first oil well,” says Johan. “The tales were apocryphal, but with the passage of time, they did take on the mantle of authenticity.”
By 1889, prospectors and geologists confirmed the presence of surface oil, leading to hundreds of claims being staked in the area. Allen Patrick, a land surveyor working out of Calgary, was the first person to file oil claims on Cameron Creek. These were 40 acres each, typical of the quartz mining claims of the day.
Three unsuccessful wells were drilled in 1890 and 1891 and most activity ceased until 1897 when John Lineham, a prominent Calgary businessman, filed a mineral claim on Cameron Creek near Allen Patrick’s claims. Lineham, Patrick, and a third Calgary businessman named George Leeson formed the ‘Rocky Mountain Development Company’ to develop their leases by drilling for oil. They had planned to sell the oil for cattle dip to help combat the mange that was plaguing many of Alberta’s ranches, and to the Canadian Pacific Railway for use as grease.
However, they would not be the first to commercially sell oil from the area. Around 1889 a homesteader by the name of William Aldridge had that honor by bottling the crude and selling it locally.
Box denotes area in southern Alberta and northern Montana where hydrocarbon seeps led to the 1906 Lineham oil discovery, the fi rst in Western Canada. The Lineham property and other nearby oil sites were purchased by the Canadian Government and are now included in Waterton Lakes National Park (Glacier National Park is located just south in the U.S.). The Lineham No. 1 well was designated a National Historic Site in 1968, protecting this beautiful area for all to see. Illustration: GeoPublishingrnttttPrecambrian Lewis series dolomites exposed at Cameron Falls. Photo: Tom Smith
Hype and circumstance
The Rocky Mountain Development Company started purchasing land near the Cameron Creek seepages and soon had amassed 1,600 acres. By October, 1901, they had acquired a ‘Canadian pole’ rig and began the difficult task of hauling equipment to the drilling site over extremely rugged terrain.
“Drilling was slow and tedious. It took nearly a year for the cable-tool rig to reach a total depth of 427m.” says Johan Dormaar. “The well had oil shows throughout the drilling process and oil began flowing on September 21, 1902, from a depth of 310m. Flows of 300 barrels a day were reported (but never confirmed), enough for Lineham to declare the well ‘Original Discovery No. 1’.”
From this ‘discovery’, rumors and the press soon turned it into something it wasn’t to be.
News reports stated “… there is now no doubt that the oil is there in large quantities” and “…the new well, it is expected, will soon be down to a level where oil will be found in large quantities,” all helping to fuel area wide speculation.
The original discovery well did eventually produce about 300 barrels a day when a pump was installed in 1904. The well became blocked and three more wells drilled in the area failed to produce much oil. This did not deter Lineham from promoting the property by predicting huge profits, a pipeline, and planning Oil City as a major trading center.
A majority of the drilling sites were abandoned by 1908. Oil City was surveyed by Patrick but never built. Alberta’s first oil-boom came in with promises of fortunes and ended in disappointment.
“At that time, crude oil was used as a lubricant for wagon wheels and for oiling harnesses, to dress cuts and sores on livestock, and as a laxative, cough medicine, cure for pneumonia, colds, sunburn, blisters; in other words, a ‘cure-all’ for the early settlers.”
Lineham No. 1 or the “Discovery” well, located along Cameron Creek in Waterton Lakes National Park, southwestern Alberta, Canada. Photo: Tom Smith Rocky Mountain Development Company cable rig in 1902. Photo: Glenbow Archives Apart from finding the first commercial oil discovery, the Western Oil and Coal Company accomplished a couple of other notable firsts. A 1906 well near Cameron Falls went through the Precambrian Lewis series (which is exposed on the cliff at Cameron Falls) and into upper Cretaceous soft shales. It was the first well to penetrate the Lewis Overthrust, confirming geologists’ theories about the overthrusting in the area.
More importantly, this was the first well where drilling samples were collected and saved. It is the model for systematic sampling of drilling cuttings that is followed today. The 256 samples are still kept by the Geological Survey of Canada at Calgary in what has become one of the most complete libraries of core and drill cuttings anywhere.
The ‘high expectations’ of Western Canada’s first oil boom soon shifted to the northeast. Some of the geologic evidence obtained in the Waterton Lakes area helped lead explorationists to Alberta’s next oil discovery at Turner Valley in 1914 (GEO ExPro v. 5, no. 6, pp. 52-56). Many of the rigs at Waterton were moved north and Alberta’s next oil boom was on.
The oil speculation along Cameron Creek may have been doomed from the outset. The oil seeps found there are in the Precambrian Altyn Formation, which consists of quartzite and siliceous limestone. Oil pooled and trapped in the underlying Cretaceous rocks beneath the Lewis Thrust had migrated its way through a thick section of the overlying older section. Early on, geologists working the area realized that finding oil in such old rocks was unusual and started to piece together the complex geology of the Northern Rockies.
The Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, Dr. A. R. C. Selwyn, was the first geologist to examine the oil seepages in the Cameron Creek area. Selwyn noted in 1891 that “Oil has never been produced in a formation as old as the Cambrian (the geologists of this time regarded the strata as being Cambrian in age), nor do the rocks exposed here admit of the probability of their being the source of oil under anything but very extraordinary conditions.”
Another geologist, Dr. G. M. Dawson took note in a 1899 report “…that these rocks (the Precambrian at the surface along Cameron Creek) possibly overlie, in some places, those of the Cretaceous series, by reason of overthrusts, it is easily conceivable that the petroleum in question may have originated in the consequence of heat, at considerable depths in the earth’s crust, acting upon the fixed hydrocarbons contained in the rocks of that series.”
Dr. Bailey Willis, a geologist with U.S. Geologic Survey, inspired by the Survey Chief Geologist, G. K. Gilbert and encouraged by former director and Grand Canyon explorer, Major John Westley Powell, studied the Lewis and Livingstone Ranges in Montana. Dr. Willis had earned widespread recognition as a geologist in the Appalachian Mountains with his detailed mapping of the folds and overthrusts in this very complex geological area. He is credited with discovering the Lewis Overthrust and in 1901 wrote, “The great overthrust fault, by which Cretaceous rocks occur beneath the Rocky Mountain range, is presumably a fundamental fact upon which the occurrence of oil in the oil seepages depends, and the depth of boring and the results which may follow therefore appear to depend upon the extent of the fault beneath the range.” He estimated that over 3,400m of Paleozoic or pre-Paleozoic rocks had been thrust over the Cretaceous rocks.
Special thanks to Dr. Johan F. Dormaar and Robert A. Watt, authors of “Oil City, Black Gold in Waterton Park”. Their extensive research made this article possible.
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Rasoul Sorkhabi, Ph.D
Sir Thomas Boverton Redwood, arguably the father of petroleum engineering in Britain and a giant in the history of the petroleum industry, died 100 years ago in 1919. We take a brief look at his life and his contributions to oil and gas.
East Africa is the emerging hydrocarbon province of the 21st Century - but it is worth remembering that this success comes after six decades of unsuccessful exploration.
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We're a couple of indie creators from London, and we have built a simple fitness app that uses AI technology to design personalised video and audio workouts on demand. Jumpy Cat was built out of our frustration with wasting time to search for workouts online. We also wanted to make it minimalist so it can be used as audio workouts only.
Here's a link if you want to skip reading the rest of this post, and just try out the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1519669458
We've got lots of great feedback from blind people about the app, and we're working to make the audio guidance even better. We realised that blind and hard of sight people are generally a neglected group when it comes to fitness, and we're striving to make the app as inclusive as possible (also for seniors, people with injuries etc). We're doing this by focusing on creating the best audio guidance possible: currently it includes drill cues, tips on good exercise form, and exercise variations. And we'll be adding even more instructions soon.
How it works: You pick your options such as duration, level, body area, and training style, and the algorithm designs the workout for you in a few seconds. The whole workout, including the audio, is unique every time. In total, our algorithm can create more than 15,000 different workouts.
All of this is completely free, and we've made more than 75% of the content free, for everyone. We only ask one small favour: please leave a review of your experience on the App Store to support the app so more people can find and use it. Currently, it costs 3-4 dollars per ad click on the App Store for this kind of apps, and we really can't afford to spend this amount on marketing for a free app, sadly.
There are just a few advanced paid options that you can get for 1.99/month if you'd like to support us, but even without those you've got literally thousands of unique workouts on-demand. If more people support us with purchases, we plan to give back by gifting the subscription to those who can't afford it.
If you're interested in trying it out, you can download JumpyCat for iOS here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1519669458
If you know individuals or communities who can benefit - please message me, or simply share with them!
P.S. The app is named after our very playful kitty :)
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Comments
Hi Silvia, I will give this app a try! Thank you.
By Cliff
Amazing! This app might just as well be exactly what I need! :)
I downloaded it and took a quick glans, and so far this app looks really promissing!
Ionly wish this app would be able to sync workout data to Apple Health... By a quick look within the app I couldn't find any setting to do that. It's very nice to be able to have all my health goals populate at the same place and to keep track of my activity in the health app both from my Apple Watch and from other workout apps. But perhaps that will come in a future update.
I'm looking forwards to testing this app out tomorrow! If the time wasn't past 11 o'clock in the evening right now here in norway and my kids weren't asleep, I'd jump right on it and do a workout session at once, but then I have something to look forwards to tomorrow :)
Thank you for trying it out!…
In reply to Very interested by gailisaiah
Thank you for trying it out!
Please support us by leaving a review about your experience on the App Store, so other people can find the app.
Also please share with your friends and family!
We're just a couple of indie creators, and, sadly, we can't afford the 4-5 dollars per ad click for Apple ads. We're fighting against very big Chinese companies with giant advertising budgets...
Reviews and word of mouth is the best way to help other people find the app so we can provide free and accessible fitness resources for everyone! Thanks in advance for all your support.
Hi Cliff! Thanks for trying…
In reply to Amazing! This app might just… by Cliff
Thanks for trying it out!
We'll be adding lots of new features, integration with Apple Health is coming soon!
The top of our backlog is: 1) Add more detailed instructions for every exercise - useful for all beginners, and especially for blind and hard of sight people; and 2) Apple Health integration.
Please support us by leaving a review on the App Store, even if you find that the app is not exactly your cup of tea.
I want to be honest and tell you straight up that we can't afford an advertising budget, so reviews and word of mouth is the best way to make sure the app can be discovered by people in the App Store. We really want to keep the app free, with some optional small purchases, so that everyone can access fitness resources and stay healthy. We really need your help, so please tell everyone you know, who can benefit from this!
I hope you don't mind the directness, and thanks so much in advance for all your support! :)
Hi Silvia, I am still very interested but I did not have good success after downloading this app. I chose my workout, the video came up, but nothing happened. I'm sure it must be operator error. So any suggestions would be welcome. I went in to my settings but the app didn't show there. Thank you for any suggestions. Still very interested.
Hi, Everything seems to be…
In reply to JumpyCat by gailisaiah
Everything seems to be fine on my devices.
I can think of 2 possible issues: 1) there may be an issue with your Internet connection and 2) the workout starts paused, so maybe the VoiceOver for starting it failed?
Maybe try again, and let me know how it works for you?
This is an awesome idea. I really hope to see more instructions on how to do some of the exercises mentioned, even a section listing them with brief audio or text descriptions of how to do each would be really helpful.
I am absolutely a fan of this and look forward to further updates. I love the versatility in the types of fitness, length of time, etc etc.
Thanks for this and I hope you get more good feedback!
I just took a look at the app and created a workout. That went fine, and the workout started. My issue was, it does not describe the exercises, and I must admit, I have no idea what a clam shell or a boxer shuffle is. And, those were low impact and level one exercises. What happens when they get more difficult? I guess my point is, either the exercises need to be described, or like was previously mentioned, there aught to be a list of the exercises so one can read the text of how to do them. I do like the idea though and would be interested in seeing this app be developed further.
In reply to Checked This Out by Adaria
Thanks for your feedback! We're already working on adding more instructions about how to do the exercises.
I hope you don't mind my asking - would you mind leaving a positive review on the App Store? It really helps other people discover the app, and motivates us to keep working on it!
Thanks for your feedback, we…
In reply to interesting concept but... by mendi
Thanks for your feedback, we're working on it!
Please consider supporting the app by leaving a positive review, and sharing about it with your friends and family. The more people use it, the more we can improve it.
By Adrianne
I love this concept! I was just thinking I would love an audio described quick HIIT workout, and I saw this post!
I see in the above comments that you are already working on describing the exercises, so that takes care of my first recommendation. A separate section describing them would work, but it would be even better directly in the workout. In the one workout I tried, there was plenty of dead air to fit it in. Since I assume you have tons of moves, and there's no way to know which moves will be in a workout, it would be hard to know which ones to go look up in advance. Speaking of that, it might be nice to have a place that lists the moves in a workout so we would know what to expect. That way I could change the workout without having to do the whole thing first. For example, the one workout I made was a 10 minute HIIT, and it seemed like it just alternated 2 moves over and over. Because I was just testing it out, I didn't listen to the whole thing, but I wouldn't want that workout. Next time I will increase the difficulty level to see what else I get, but it will be annoying to have to listen to the whole thing first to know what I'm getting.
One other recommendation is to add a beat to the background to know the tempo of the workout. I had no idea what pace I should be going.
I will leave a review on the app store and tell my friends about the app, but not just yet since currently the app isn't fully usable for me. I look forward to updates soon!
Hi not only did I try this app but I also paid for the in app purchase. I’m really enjoying this and I look forward to the descriptions of exercises I will be leaving a review on the App Store. For someone who has arthritis, I love the versatility of these workouts. Again thank you
By Tina
I think this app has potential, but as I review it, I can see some major weaknesses.
On the plus side, the app is indeed very accessible. The interface is clean and uncluttered.
It sounds like your working on how to describe the exercises, so you're already addressing that concern.
But, Houston, we have a problem.
Your use of a text to speech voice to guide the user during the workouts lacks the engagement I'd expect from a personal fitness trainer. The prompts sound cold, dry and impersonal, and I'd likely lose interest after a while. Even though the words might be motivating, the voice puts me to sleep. Also, some of the prompts need to be checked for clarity. One of them says something like, "You're at the half point." Did you mean halfway point?
I'm not sure that having a single voice for all workouts is a good idea in the long term. Right now, you have the same voice regardless of the type of workout.
You might wish to find some voice artists who can make the workouts more personal and engaging, and maybe vary it up depending on the type of workout. Also, please add music, since as of this release, there's too much dead space between the prompts.
Thanks for hearing me out.
In reply to Checked This Out by Adaria
Thanks for your feedback, we're working on it!
Please consider supporting the app by leaving a review on the App Store, and sharing about it with your friends and family. The more people use it, the more we can improve it :)
In reply to Interesting Concept! by Adrianne
If you're like me and looking for variety, try changing the "Variety" setting, it gives you 3 options:
- Stamina reps - this will give you 4 to 5 intervals per exercise (not necessarily one after the other!). Choose this to train for endurance.
- Balanced reps - this will give you 2 to 3 intervals per exercise. It's a good balance between endurance and variety.
- No repeat exercises - this will never show any repeated exercises, so it's perfect if you get bored easily. Note, this last one of the advanced options with the 1.99 USD monthly pass.
Also, before the video starts you should be getting a screen that sums up the workout.
3 groups of 4 exercises. 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off per exercise. Warm-up included. Cool-down included.
Are you getting this?
I'm thinking that might be a good place to mention also the number of reps per exercise, so you can decide if you like the workout.
In reply to Wonderful app by dezzi
You totally made my day! :) I'm so happy to hear your feedback.
We're working hard to release the next update that will make your experience even better.
Please share with your friends and family who may also benefit!
Best,
In reply to Some Recommendations by Tina
Thanks for your detailed feedback! :)
You definitely described the level of sophistication we're striving to achieve with the app. Having said that, we're a couple of indie developers, so unfortunately right now we don't have the budget to hire voice artists.
I totally get your point though, and will think about how we can improve the experience with the resources we currently have.
I'm not sure what the specific prompt issue was. The audio guidance is generated on the go, so even for the same exercise the guidance will be different from workout to workout. We'll be adding some feedback mechanism after each workout, so people can report such issues in the future, and we can debug.
By Tina
I was saying that I can't see how music and a synthesized voice would match up in a workout environment. That's why I feel that voice talent is so critical to the long-term success of this app. Thanks.
Some Suggestions
By Tina
I'm pleased you've reached out to this forum, but if you haven't done so, I'd get in touch with the RNIB, since they might be able to help you find ways to describe the exercises. I'd also get in touch with a university or something like a community college to find fitness instructors and students who know how to train people.
Please understand that in my view, voice talent is critical for making these workouts engaging. Since I can't see the trainer, I need to hear encouragement or reassurance in the trainer's voice, and with any synthesized voice, I'm not getting it. I'm just getting words, and after reviewing some of these workouts, the voice started to sound flat. So I'd urge you to think seriously about finding someone who can record prompts for you at little or no cost, but in the long term, please don't stay with the text to speech voice. I understand some people are trying to find ways to make text to speech voices more expressive, but I doubt they're going to be able to do so for a few more years. You could try to program these voices, but I don't think it's going to sound the same. Plus, even if you gave the voice a name, I'm not sure I could relate to it. Any attempt to do that in this environment can still come off as fake, and I'd see through it.
Bottom line: Even if you tried to make the synthesized voice try to sound expressive, I'm not sure everyone will be convinced. I realize you're using it in the short term, but voice talent will be more effective in the long term for making this app more engaging for an audience who depends on voice.
Also, I'd look at that university or community college for any musicians who can write workout music for you. Someone noted that pacing the workout without music is challenging.
And that's also why I'm serious about encouraging you to find voice talent. Upbeat music with a cold synthesized voice is not a good match.
Please pardon me, but I feel this is important for you to think about. It might take some funding, which is why I might suggest finding a sponsor who can help you with that. But whatever you do, please seek out help. Thanks.
In reply to Some Suggestions by Tina
Thanks for elaborating, and for the pointers! I'll look into that.
Best,
Thanks for Your Reply
By Tina
Thanks for your reply. Based on what I've seen, I'd encourage you to work on the following.
Work with RNIB and any other blindness organizations for guidance on how to describe the exercises. Also, get in touch with some of those fitness instructors at a university, community college, or local fitness center. I know you're working on that, so please keep doing it.
I can't emphasize enough the importance of finding voice talents. As I said in my last message, using the same electronic voice throughout the app turned me off. I'd encourage you to find both male and female voices to create variety and hold interest. Your audience needs to hear someone who can motivate and encourage them, which is why voice talent is so important. That's why I think fitness instructors could be a resource, whether at a university, community college or local fitness center. These people know some things about how to train people, so they know how to motivate and encourage them.
Someone noted that without music, they can't really pace the workouts. Please find someone to write the music for you. And remember that upbeat music combined with a voice that lacks emotion is bound to send the wrong messages to an audience who depends on voice.
If you need funds, please look for someone to sponsor you. Maybe the RNIB could be a sponsor for you, so I'd talk with them over Zoom or some other conference call app to explain your concept to them. They might also be able to hook you up with some blind/visually impaired musicians.
Finally, keep working on health app integration.
I think your app has potential, but with these suggestions, I think the app will go over much better. I'll be checking this forum for updates and hearing what others think. Thanks, and good luck.
Thanks for clarifying!
By Adrianne
In reply to Thanks Adrianne! by Silvia
Yes, I did get a workout summary like you said. However, mine said "1 groups of 8 exercises," which actually wasn't correct. There were 2 different exercises. So I wasn't sure exactly what that meant. Thanks for explaining about stamina vs balanced variety. It would be useful to put a short description with those choices, since I didn't know what that meant either. I just picked one to see what happened!
Here are a couple of other things. I went back to that workout to see what the summary said so I could reply here. But that screen only had a start button, not a cancel or back button. It would be nice to have a way to go back if I wanted to choose another workout.
So I hit start just to test some more. I tapped play to see what would happen if I tapped the other buttons, like forwards and backwards. But once I got in the workout, I couldn't get to any other buttons. I switched to a different app and then back, and then I was able to see a close button and a pause button. There were no backward or forward buttons like I saw before I started the workout. After a few moments, the close and pause buttons went away again. Possibly it went to full screen or something? Maybe this is how it was supposed to be, but I just thought I'd let you know.
I really do like this app, and I hope all of the feedback helps!
Hi. I gave this a try too,…
By Yvonnezed
I gave this a try too, and I really like it. As someone who's written my own workout system in Shortcuts, I always find the different ways people do this interesting.
First, I don't actually mind the electronic voice, my own system does this through Voiceover, the problem for me is that you can't seem to adjust it. For example, I could use the speed to be a bit faster. I agree with the music suggestion, my own method which is to play something else at the same time I'm having Voiceover read my workout moves obviously doesn't work here, since you can't play more than one audio track at once. It's an interesting puzzle, since I imagine you'd have to add the music server side when you create the workout.
The descriptions are an interesting problem too, since I'm imagining the more you used the app, the more the same moves would come up, particularly if you replayed a workout you'd already generated. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't need the description the tenth time I'd done the same exercise.
I'm going to give this a try for my next workout and see how I go doing not just listening.
From what I can work out,…
By Yvonnezed
In reply to Thanks for clarifying! by Adrianne
From what I can work out, the forward and back buttons seem to reappear if you pause the workout, which you can do with the standard two finger double tap VO pause gesture. I think the way to think about the workout is as a list of short videos in a playlist.
Adrianne, thanks for your feedback!
Your feedback's very helpful!
The summary screen does have a close button to cancel the workout, so I'll look into why VoiceOver doesn't pick it up. I'll also change the description in the summary - in your case it was 1 group of 2 different exercises, 4 reps each, for a total of 8 exercises. So, I see how it saying "1 group of 8 exercises" didn't make sense.
One question I have is would you like to know also the format of the workout? For example, the algorithm may create an ABAB format, or an AABB format or an AAAABBBB format. Does it make sense to also include this information on the summary, like so: "1 group of 2 different exercises, 4 reps each, in an ABABABAB format"?
Regarding your second question, all the buttons disappear as the video goes into full-screen. So it's basically like Youtube, you need to tap anywhere (or your equivalent gesture) to get all buttons to appear again. However, I'm confused that it was only happening for the pause and close button but not for the forward and backward one, so I'll test again. Also, I'll see if we can add a setting to use the app as audio-only while keeping the buttons on screen the whole time, for people who prefer that.
Thanks again for your feedback! Please consider leaving a review on the App Store if you have a minute, it helps a lot! :)
Yvonnezed, thanks for your feedback!
In reply to Hi. I gave this a try too,… by Yvonnezed
How interesting! It never occurred to me you can devise a system using Shortcuts! If you don't mind sharing, I'd be curious to hear how you've set it up :)
We've got lots of feedback from people asking about adding music, and I know it's very nice and motivating to have when working out. We're trying to figure out how to do this. Companies like Spotify allow us to play music only in their own player, which makes sense, but then there's also the iOS restrictions about how many audio tracks you can play at the same time, and how they coordinate with each other, and so on. We're brainstorming about it!
Please let me know your thoughts when you have a chance to do a workout!
Is there a Disconnect Somewhere?
By Tina
It sounds like we're bound to run into some complications, and I can't help feel that we might have a disconnect somewhere.
Based on the feedback we've all been giving, I just can't see how you can use an electronic voice and make if as adaptable through these workouts without compromising the intelligibility. These voices just aren't as adaptable in terms of pacing, because once you've set it, you have to go back in and change it. So if the voice is client side, the only way for the user to change it is to stop the workout, that is, unless there was some programming in there to make it possible for the voice to adapt on the fly. If the voice is server side, the programmer would have to control its pacing. Face it, as it is now, the voice is too slow, and while it's possible to speed it up, how would you do that without sacrificing intelligibility? Also, you have to be careful not to cut off prompts.
Bottom line: The current crop of electronic voices just isn't organic enough to take the place of voice talents. Also, since the tone of the voice you're using doesn't vary, it still feels strange. I especially feel this, since all your workouts right now are cardio or strength. There's no yoga or meditation programs, and since the voice sounds exactly the same, how is someone to tell the difference just on the voice alone? It just seems like we have a disconnect somewhere.
If you do add music server side, you'd need to have enough so it's not too predictable. Also, you'd want the music to fade when the app needs to read out a prompt. Also, I'd suggest that the music be instrumental.
It sounds like you have a lot of challenges you need to deal with, so I'd add some people in the gaming community to your resource list.
I'm not sure how you'll be able to add descriptions, but the only way I can see that was if you added a kind of "learn the exercises" section to the app. .
I'd also add a Settings tab to the app to do such things as clearing your history, choosing between audio and audio/video, and other controls.
Bottom line: You have your work cut out for you. Thanks.
By Yvonnezed
In reply to Yvonnezed, thanks for your feedback! by Silvia
There are actually a bunch of Shortcuts based workout systems. The way mine works is that I write a workout in a certain format and send it to the app. for example,
meaning plank for 30 seconds or
which then says 20 squats and pauses to let me do them. Obviously I then have to hit continue to go on. There are a couple of other commands, but that's the basics. Usually I'm just translating workouts from the net into this format, which is pretty easy.
I can set number of rounds or time, and it outputs how many rounds I did and how long it takes at the end and lets me add notes that then get sent to my journal or, if I include a path statement to say where the file is, append it to the workout.
Yes, it's complicated, and basically evolved as my fitness practice evolved. Aren't you sorry you asked?
By Debbie
Having tried out a few workouts, this app really does show some promise - especially for blind people. As someone who is totally blind, I’m looking forward to further improvements with more audio, especially some description on exactly what & how each movement should be performed I.e. what is a “Monster Munch Walk”?!! Since its pretty clear that the workout programs have a set time to perform each exercise, personally I think it would be useful either to have some music or beat or Perhaps more of a heads up when each movement is shortly to end. Not knowing exactly what some of the movements involved and with no rhythms to work with, I floundered a bit In the silence between each movement.
I had to mention a Apple rival ie Amazon Alexa, but on there it has “The Body Coach Workout” with more audio driven instructions about how exactly each movement should be performed.
On the positive, I found the app very easy to navigate with voice-over and the selection to choose from is really good, even on the free version. It was really lovely being able to select the type of exercise I wanted & duration. If the audio description surrounding the actual exercises can be expanded on - maybe very descriptive for level 1 and reducing as levels get higher, then I reckon this will definitely turn into a 5* app!!
It’s staying on my phone, hoping for further updates and I would definitely consider buying the pro version if the audio can be enhanced further.
Well done with how much you’ve achieved so far & thank you for remembering us blind folk.
By Tina
I'm getting the impression that many people on this forum like the app. As I have stated before, thre app has a good deal of potential, but it also needs some work.
From my chair here, I think the biggest concerns seem to be finding some way to describe the exercises concisely and precisely so a blind/visually impaired exerciser can follow the movements. This has always been a challenge for which there is no easy solution. I know one solution would be to stop the workout to describe the next exercise. This makes me wonder: If there's a rest between exercises, can that period be used to give the descriptions? And what about a sort of "learn the exercises," section of the app?
Since there is a set time for each exercise, I'm wondering if anyone in the gaming community can work with our app developers to come up with ways to create music that matches the various types of workouts. Even in the days of classic video games, right up to now, that's what they do. While this app isn't a video game, I believe the gaming community has a lot to teach us in this environment.
Finally, the use of voice talent is, from my perspective, the best way to make the prompts feel and sound organic. I can't emphasize this too strongly, since if you tried to find ways to speed up or slow down the synthesized voices if they're server side, I'm not sure how it would work. I've seen some people try that with audio description, and it still sounds somewhat awkward.
I realize that voice talent costs money, but unless these electronic voices are able to adapt, I just don't see any other way. Maybe it might be a good idea to consult not only with the resources I've suggested, but maybe to partner up with Tyler Meren, founder of Revision Training here in the States. He's working on something similar, though it doesn't involve the artificial intelligence component. And don't forget about the usual crowd funding resources.
I think your idea of using artificial intelligence to design workouts is what makes your app stand out in this space, but finding ways to add audio description, the use of voice talents and the addition of music, not just a beat, but upbeat instrumental music, will go a long way to making this app shine. Thanks, and good luck.
By Tina
It never fails. Just when you think you've said everything, another observation comes to mind.
While none of your workout programs seems to run longer than a half hour, I can imagine what could happen if you ever go to a full hour. Using the single voice as you are now, I see a danger of the exerciser eventually losing interest and the voice almost fading into the background, especially if it sounds as flat as it is now. It makes me wonder about the possibility of all workouts having at least two voices, but if they're as detached as we have it now, I still feel uneasy. I've seen training programs where two hosts guide the workout if only to help the audience stay interested. But as I've stated before, doing it with two electronic voices just won't cut it if the aim is to motivate the exerciser.
I think this explains why it's easier to create a workout and package it up. Done that way, it's easier to record everything and give the exerciser a package of moves they can learn.
What you've done is unique, since the workout is designed on the fly. However, the people designing these electronic voices have a lot of catching up to do before we get the same on-the-fly adaptability we get from having voice talents in the studio. That's why I've been so vocal. If you're attempting to re-create the feeling of a personal trainer, the electronic voice just doesn't give me that feeling at all.
Another comenter said that when they tried to do a workout, they had trouble pacing it without some kind of a beat. I could also see this, and I'm not sure if having the computer generate music is a good way to go. Plus, if you feel tempted to use so-called chip music, I'd be careful about that. I've heard a bit of chip music, such as the music found in older video games, and most of it leaves me cold.
If anyone can't wait, the only workable solution I see right now if you want to use this app in its current state would be if you have another device, whether it be a digital talking book player or another smart phone or tablet. You could create a few playlists and use one device to play your playlist while you use Jumpy Cat on the other. However, it could be a challenge if you wish to get the timing just right. That's why, from my chair, this is more a stop gap measurer until music is integrated into the app.
Also, if anyone on this forum is a blind/visually impaired musician, maybe you can get in touch with the developer and discuss this with them.
Whatever happens, I encourage the developer not to go it alone. If you try to go it alone, the result could be a mixed bag. That's why I've been suggesting resources so the developer can get help, advice and guidance. This is also why I've been running tests and helping the developer to see potential pitfalls and flaws in their plan.
Bottom Line: I believe this app has potential, but it could be better. Thanks, and good luck.
To Tina: I really like all your suggestions and hope they happen with this app. To Chris: The same crashing happened to me. So I deleted the app. I too chose my workout, my phone went in to landscape mode, and then nothing. But I will keep a watch on this app. And try it out again later on.
Thanks everyone for your feedback!
Many thanks everyone for taking time to write such detailed feedback. Please know I'm reading and noting everything, even if I can't respond to all points, because I need to get back to work coding :)
Let me just say that we're aware of the app crashing on iOS 14 - it's crashing in the Apple VoiceOver code, which we cannot access directly, so we're investigating how best to solve it.
One last point, about my asking for reviews (and also relevant to Chris's point about the longevity of the app). We've already built this technology - we've spent an estimated 4000 hours between the two of us on the development work, content processing etc. (not counting the time we also need to spend on marketing).
So, as you can imagine, we're very keen to see the app become widely used, for free, by more people. Scientific research shows that lots of health issues can be solved/prevented/mitigated by staying active, and we hope our app can help anyone have access to a free fitness resource like this.
If you'd like to support us and the app, reviews are the best - and free to you - way to do that. The reason is that, to the App Store's search, apps with few reviews are practically invisible, so un-discoverable.
Yes, we could theoretically advertise on the App store. However, like I mentioned, the cost of ads has become prohibitive (about 3-5 bucks per click - not install!), so either we can run ads and charge people at least 10 bucks a month just to break even (which we don't want to do), or we need community support to get the same effect via word of mouth.
I'm a psychologist by background, and the reason I'm asking for reviews repeatedly is because I know that, realistically, many people are busy with other more important stuff in their lives to remember to leave a review for an app. In fact, very few people have left us reviews at this point, to prove my point :)
Please don't take it amiss - I'm an introvert myself, and I'm very self-aware when asking for reviews. Believe me, I'd really rather spend my time coding but if we, and people like you who use the app, don't spread the word, the app will just sit there on the store invisible. Our app, without the help of word of mouth/reviews and such, doesn't stand a chance against big Chinese companies that can afford hundreds of thousands in advertising.
Hope this brings some more context into my request - if you guys have any ideas about how we can solicit reviews differently, please do let me know.
Many thanks again, and please stay tuned, we're releasing the detailed exercise guidance this week!
By Tina
I'm pleased that you explained why you're asking for reviews.
Like one of your latest commenters, I have said all along that using a single TTS engine to narrate the workouts is not a good idea in the long run, because it lacks the emotional engagement from a human fitness trainer, whether live or pre-recorded.
It sounds like someone is offering to record narrations for the workout programs. If this means the person is sitting in the studio with a script in front of them and speaking it into a professional mike, that's what I'm after.
Having said that, I thought it would be good to think a minute about the role of the artificial intelligence technology being used to generate the workouts. I get the impression the AI is used to design the workout. I'm also somewhat curious about the prompts, since in my evaluations, I sometimes heard a prompt more than once during a workout. If the AI is drawing from a library of exercises, prompts and phrases, that makes me think it's possible to have prompts, guidance and announcements pre-recorded, and the software could draw on that library to play the right messages. If the AI is actually generating prompts on the fly, that's a different story. But if the AI is drawing from a library of prompts, I believe that the AI could still be used to design the workouts and grab the right recorded messages to keep the program flowing.
This, by the way, is why I suggested the developer talk with the gaming community. Many complex games let the player make moves and respond based on what the player does. A lot of them likely use music for the different worlds and based on the character the player controls.
It sounds like you're releasing the exercise descriptions this week. I think that's good to hear. So I'd suggest the next thing should be finding some people to record the prompts and write music for you. I'd also find someone to sponsor you and help you with funding, even if that funding is meant to pay for the recording. Thanks, and good luck.
First of all, I love the concept of this app. Here goes my thoughts about it.
1: I'd like the voice thing to be optional. I don't feel the need to pretend I'm on the gym with someone guiding me, exercising at home is a lot more like meditation for me. It leads us to my second suggestion.
2: I guess there aren't too much exercises on the app's database, so why not make a system where you mark exercises as learned? I.E:
Today's workout has lunges, squats, planks, jumping jacks and burpees. Squats and lunges are on my learned exercises list so they aren't described anymore.
3: there's a Tabata paid app which uses some different clicks to warn you that the active time is ending and also the resting time is ending. That's a solution you could use.
To answer your questions
By Adrianne
In reply to Adrianne, thanks for your feedback! by Silvia
I really appreciate how you are listening and responding! To answer your question, yes I would like to know the format, like ABAB, AABB, etc. I still say I would like to know the included exercises, but maybe that's too much trouble. For example, 2 groups of 4 exercises, squats and lunges, ABAB.
I've been reading all of the other comments, and lots of people have interesting ideas. I'm not trying to contradict anyone, but I'd like to share an opposing opinion on the voice. The TTS voice doesn't really bother me. If I had music, or even just a drum beat, that would be enough motivation for me. I generally tune out people talking during a workout once I know what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm sure a professional human voice would be nice in the future, but I would totally be fine with waiting on that. I would use the app now with a TTS voice, and I'd be happy to wait until the app was successful enough to add that feature. I just wanted to tell you that so you would be encouraged - I think this app can be very successful even without fancy voices!
I'm really looking forward to the descriptions coming soon! I would be happy to continue using and testing the app for you, if it's still helpful. I only check this site once a week or so, so you are welcome to email me directly if that would be better - awroy@memphisaudio.com.
Great job and keep up the good work! And yes, I will definitely leave you a review!
Kudos to app (and developer(s))
By Bob Warren
I enjoy the Fitness Coach app very much. Lots of variety in exercises, and options for length, area of body to work, etc. Routines start easy enough but I have worked a good sweat by the end.
I also applaud the developer(s). I use large text and initially the "Choose Workout" page was quite garbled due to letters overlapping. I reported this to JumpyCat and after a bit the problem was corrected nicely. Very responsive! I expect if others have feedback it will be considered and handled quickly.
Pause between groups
I'm having a lot of fun with the app. One thing I'm missing is an option to add longer pauses between exercise groups.
WellF, thanks for your feedback!
In reply to Pause between groups by WellF
Hi, and thanks for your feedback.
Sorry, I haven't been checking here for a while - is there a chance someone can add the app to the app directory, so I can keep track of everyone's feedback in one single place? I'd really appreciate your help in that!
About the pausing functionality - you can generally use the pause/play button to pause as needed (even during exercises).
Have you tried this, or are you experiencing any issues with the play/pause?
Feel free to email me at hi@jumpycat.app with more details!
No, the app is fine
In reply to WellF, thanks for your feedback! by Silvia
I just think it would be good to be able to add an extra pause between groups automatically as a setting.
Hello I’ve tried your fitness app it’s accessible with VoiceOver so far having completed the first session today it looks promising can’t wait to see where future developments take this app
By Ekaj
Hello, I don't think I've replied here yet. But this is a great idea. I have worked out at the local YMCA with a few people, and prior to that I worked with a few personal trainers at a local park district fitness center. I had to stop due to the pandemic, but will certainly check out your app. I already have a handful of 3rd-party apps on my phone, and wasn't sure I could fit another one on there. But I'll definitely give your app a go. The website is very nice.
In reply to Some Suggestions by Tina
It’s one of the major reasons why I’d choose Aapptiv over the Jumpy Cat fitness app sure Aapptiv is pricey it’s worth it because with Aapptive you get high quality guidance from real fitness trainers
apple health integration
In reply to Jumpy Cat by Ahmed
I like that Aaptiv has apple health integration.
Jumpy Cat Fitness Coach now comes with a daily workout reminder with snooze, 10 times faster workout creation, and better audio guidance. Would love your feedback! (Forum Topic)
How could Apple make Fitness Plus accessible to the blind? (Forum Topic)
Tech talk with demo of our accessible fitness app Jumpy Cat - Oct 15 @3 pm GMT (Forum Topic)
Fitness Coach by Jumpy Cat (iOS and iPadOS App Directory)
pausing workouts on the watch (Forum Topic)
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Skillful works with business, educators, and government—powered by technology—to help the nearly 70% of Americans without college degrees get good jobs based on the skills they have or the skills they can learn.
Skillful, a non-profit initiative of the Markle Foundation, is dedicated to enabling all Americans – particularly those without a four-year college degree – to secure good jobs in a changing economy. In partnership with Microsoft and others, Skillful is developing skills-based training and employment practices in collaboration with state governments, local employers, educators and workforce development organizations. Skillful and its partners are working to create a labor market in which skills are valued, and people can more easily access the information and education they need to keep pace with technology’s impact on work. Skillful currently operates in two states, Skillful Colorado and Skillful Indiana, bringing investment, training, tools and innovative methods to augment local workforce development efforts. It formed and facilitates the Skillful State Network, a collaboration among 26 state governors to accelerate the development and deployment of effective skills-based practices to transform their labor markets. Skillful is grateful for support provided by Walmart, and its partnerships with the states of Colorado and Indiana, Microsoft, Lumina, Purdue University and Purdue Extensions.
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What to know about Commercial Roof Tear Offs
There are two options for repairing an existing roof. One is to install new roofing over the current roofing material, the second is to tear off the existing roof and put down a fresh layer of new materials. In most cases either is possible, depending on the extent of the damage in the original roof. While placing new roofing material over the old is the cheaper option, it is not necessarily the better choice; which, is why a commercial roof tear off should be considered.
Re-roofing over existing material is problematic because there is no way to fully diagnose problems that may lie beneath. For this reason, roofing over potential damage may not address all of the issues. For example, if condensation and mold have collected beneath the roofing deck—or even in the internal attic area of a building—then it is unlikely to be corrected by applying new shingles over old materials.
Benefits of Tears Offs
With the prevalence of rain and conditions favored by mold and mildew, a commercial roof tear off is a more sound solution. In the process of removing old roofing, old and worn out waterproofing is removed and replaced. Any problems are detected and scraped away. Brand new waterproofing and sealing material is laid. This guarantees that the new roofing materials will keep out the rain and be laid on a healthy foundation.
One additional bonus to commercial roof tear offs is that it will not compromise the manufacturer’s warranty, which may happen when roofing over existing material.
When you call Pioneer Roofers you are getting 20 years of roofing experience in the Pacific Northwest. We use the highest quality materials, which are covered by a warranties. These warranties can last 15 to 25 years, allowing you to have peace of mind following the completion of the installation process. As professional roofers, we are insured, licensed, and bonded. Beyond that, though, they also have the experience and know-how to get the job done well.
Roofing in the damp Northwest comes with its own challenges. All of our contractors have the experience necessary to handle the challenge. Whether you need emergency repairs, a commercial roof inspection, or a tear off, Pioneer Roofers can handle the job. We guarantee our work and strive for total customer satisfaction. Our employees are happy to discuss what they find while working on your roof. We want our customers to feel confident in their understanding of the work we will be doing.
Our Portland roofing service extends to multiple roof types: flat roofs, pitched roofs, and patio roofs. We are able to work with any size and scale of job. Our many happy commercial roofing customers will attest to the stellar work, excellent communication, and competitive pricing we offer at Pioneer Roofers.
A quality roof is a crucial element to any structure. When it comes to your roof, we have the team, quality materials and expertise to take care of your office building. Our commercial roofing company can do more than simple jobs. We can perform any type of roof work. Our training and experience is what sets us above our competition.
Does your roof need help? Our work speaks for itself! Contact us today for an estimate and speak to one of our expert contractors about the issues you are experiencing!
Service Type: Roofing Contractor | Service Area: Portland, OR | Resources: City of Portland, OR | Portland, OR Wikipedia | Things to do in Portland, OR
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Tyler, the Creator has been waiting for this moment for the past five years, since launching his fashion line Golf Wang Jackets. “Do as you’re told!” he shouts to his backstage crew, just half-jokingly, 10 minutes before unveiling his 2016 collection for the first time. The brand’s title is a play on Wolf Gang, as in Odd Future’s infamous hip-hop group, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. His outfits — a rainbow of pastel and fluorescent-colored hats, Tyler The Creator T shirt, a new line of shoes called Golf Le Fleur, and even a bathing suit — were being put on the models at the very last moment.
Tyler The Creator Merch designed about 40 pieces of unisex clothing in less than three months and chose about half of them to show alongside specially crafted furniture such as a giant walk-in wardrobe shaped like a backpack. He acknowledges that he does not work on a fixed schedule and that he sketches out all of his designs with colors and fabrics ahead of time. “Most people dislike my clothing, but that’s fine,” he says.
He’s built a successful career in fashion and music in his own ways, never changing who he is. He’s gifted, astute, and special. We have a great deal of love for him and his campaign. Golf Wang Jackets are well praised and have received a lot of demand in public. A jacket is an upper-body garment that usually stretches below the hips. A Tyler The Creator jacket normally has sleeves and closes in the front or on the rear. A jacket is normally thinner, more form-fitting, and less insulating than a hat, which is called outerwear. Some Golf Wang jackets are trendy, whereas others are utilitarian. Vests are coats without sleeves.
Tyler The Creator Golf Wang Jackets act as shields to protect us from the direct effect of cold. Golf Wang Jackets are made for all, from a kid to old people. During the winter season, a jacket is worn to keep the body warm and it’s a trend as well. In colder regions people are basically obsessed with different types of Golf Wang jackets. Golf Wang Jackets designed are readily available at our stores to buy online.
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The author decided not to limit the scope of the game strictly to the environs of a medieval Arthurian setting. Which, depending upon your point of view, is either a bit of brilliance or total gonzo madness.
[An] interesting game premise that is well worth having a look at.
Rafael Velez's review, also at RPG.net, says
Trials of the Grail calls to the experimental gamer looking for a true exercise in collaborative storytelling.
...the various genres that can be tied to Arthurian legend through TotG is mindblowing.
The narrative point mechanic is attention worthy to those gamers who are bored with the GM/player paradigms.
...for a strong troupe of gamers, Trials of the Grail could possibly lead to a new echelon of role-playing.
The Gaming Report's Travis Lee says
This is not a traditional role-playing game where there's always some level of 'winning' involved...
TotG isn't exactly for the 'immature' gamer. But what [it] could be good for is getting the attention of someone who might not like RPGs...I could see a group of Humanities students having a lot of fun with this game.
If you've got skill, creativity, and like to explore the hidden or higher meanings of stories, this is definitely the game for you.
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For the next several weeks, leading up to the late April release of my first book, I am posting some excerpts from each chapter. All the proceeds from this book go to support the Dream Centers we are opening here in Colorado Springs. If you want, you can Pre-Order Fear No Evil here.
This is from Chapter 4, where I describe the unbelievable Wednesday night gathering at New Life Church after the shooting the previous Sunday.
After the great Old Testament leader Moses died, his aide Joshua was tapped by God to take the reins and lead the Israelites across the Jordan River. And as God commissioned Joshua for this new role, he told him not once, not twice, but three times to “be strong and courageous.” “Be strong and courageous,” he says in Joshua 1:6. “Be strong and very courageous,”7 he says one verse later. And then, in case Joshua missed the first two installments, verse nine reads this way: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Based on the tenor in the room that Wednesday night, I could tell that the people of New Life knew what I firmly believed to be true: This was our Joshua moment. Sunday had threatened to rob us of our peace, our solidarity, and our faith. But on Wednesday night, we would say, “No.”
On Wednesday, we would choose to claim not fear, but courage—to live, to love, to engage.
At any given time, courage either is entering into you or departing from you. It’s always doing one or the other; it is not static. When you’re discouraged—when courage drips its way out of you like water from a leaky hose—nothing you do seems worthwhile. Every molehill shows up as a mountain, and every dilemma is a debilitating crisis just waiting to take you down. All that is negative in life is amplified, and whatever good exists fades to gray.
But when you’re encouraged—when courage is coming in—you feel like you can do just about anything in God’s name and will experience a fair measure of success. You charge hell with a water pistol and serve like your hair is on fire, not knowing what else to do with your massive influx of holy audacity.
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I just finished watching the trailer to Fear No Evil. At first I was brought to tears, and then to rejoicing! We really did pull through this as a family and with our Lord and Saviour. We are stronger now than ever, knitted together and closer to God. I can’t wait to read the whole book. Thank you.
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The Monaghan radio rally will take place in the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan on Sunday the 22nd of October.
Doors will open at 11:30 and all the usual excellent facilities will be available.
On Tuesday next, 10th October, Joe Ryan EI7GY will be giving a talk on the IOTA programme at the South Dublin Radio Club QTH, which is in the Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham. The talk will commence at 8.30 pm, and visitors are, of course, welcome.
Theory classes will commence in the club on the following Tuesday, 17th October. Last year, six members of the club received their licences, and the club hopes to repeat this success in the current year.
New members are very welcome.
Problems were encountered with the Society’s Web Page over recent weeks and it eventually was taken off service on Saturday week last.
This problem was due to a misunderstanding with the service provider in the U.S. and as we write this on Tuesday night last, we expect it to be back in service shortly.
This was completely outside the control of our Webmaster Leslie Long and we apologise for the inconvenience caused.
Steps are being taken to ensure that this does not happen again.
The Tir Chonaill Amateur Radio Society held its A.G.M in Jackson’s Hotel, Ballybofey on Wednesday night the 27th of September.
Congratulations were extended to Ken EI4DW on being in second place in the CQ WW SSB contest of 1999 and to Martin EI8GP who received his certificate in June 2000 for being first in Ireland and fourth in the world in the 1998 CQ WW Contest.
The meeting was well attended and the following officers were elected;
President Frank EI6EI Chairman Danny EI6GS Secretary Leo EI6IT Treasurers Martin EI8GP and Joe, SWL.
The IRTS members Handbook will be going to print shortly and club secretaries are asked to return the questionnaire, sent to them by the secretary, immediately.
Failure to do so will result in your club not being listed in the handbook.
Any last minute change of address details should be sent to Joe Ryan EI7GY immediately.
The Oceania CW DX contest will be held next weekend on the 14th and 15th.
The CW Autumn Sprint event will be held on Saturday next October the 14th running from 1500 to 1859 utc.
The RSGB 21 and 28MHz CW Contest will be held on Sunday next the 15th, starting at 0700 and finishing at 19900.
On the weekend after next, the Worked All Germany Contests will be the main event. This one runs for 1500utc on Saturday the 21st to 1500utc on Sunday the 22nd and it caters for both CW and phone operators.
The biggest contest of the year, the CQ Worldwide SSB Contest will be held over 48 hours on the 28th and 29th. There are lots of different categories in this from single band entries to multi-multi efforts.
The CW version of this contest will be held on November the 25th and 26th.
By now, all intending participants in Jamboree on the Air should have their applications submitted for the special event licences.
Please keep the QSL service informed of the callsigns and QSL managers as there are large quantities of cards for special event stations still in the system due to lack of QSL information.
Jamboree will be held over the weekend of October the 21st and 22nd.
Please keep the news services informed of your plans.
Some bad news for DXers just as we go to press. The 3B6RF operation which should by now be in full flight has had to be abandoned.
Their landing permit for Agalega was cancelled, due to unexpected elections in Mauritius which took place in the middle of September. Officials of the new Mauritius Government asked them to postpone the expedition for security reasons.
The expedition has been re-scheduled for May of next year.
The latest press release by the Kingman Reef/Palmyra DX Group and Garry Shapiro, NI6T, states preparations are well advanced for the Kingman Reef DXpedition in mid-October.
With immediate effect, the radio news script will be produced in Waterford, by Mark Wall EI7IS.
All input for next week’s bulletin should be sent to Mark at QTHR or by e-mail to EI7IS@qsl.net.
Mark can be contacted by phone on 086-6302026
Items for inclusion in the next issue of Echo Ireland should be forwarded to Dave EI4BZ at 021-883555 in the evenings or by e-mail at ei4bz@eircom.net Dave is also available during office hours at 021-823172 and you can fax him at 021-823316.
The outgoing news team from East Cork would like to express their thanks to all who helped with the production and reading of the news over the years.
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Posted Sep 24, 2013 3 ways to save yourself from matrimony fraud. 08/31/2012 11:44 am ET Updated Oct 31, 2012 couple standing face to face in ... Have proof. But, in this case, asking does not come without risk. I think my boyfriend is cheating but I have no proof, please help? Are you convinced that your spouse has been cheating on you? To learn the killer, advanced strategies to save your marriage, simply click here! You could try being the romantic lover again: candlelight dinners, surprise flowers and gifts, tender moments, and listening more and acknowledging her opinions. Now listen carefully! So, focus on yourself, and do what you dream. Well my boyfriend came over for dinner a couple of nights ago for my sister's birthday. When is it too soon or too late?". The best policy to adopt is to decide beforehand upon a time for discussion. Will it even make a difference? I'm in California. You have to take a good, hard and long look at your part in the disintegration of your relationship. If you don't have proof, hiw can you think that she is cheating on you? You can drive yourself crazy not trusting the other person. Then you need to own up to it. While this can be good, remember that your spouse married the "you" who was more "individual". Make sure that you gather enough evidence against your spouse but be careful of not revealing it all. Take some time to focus on yourself and only yourself. (I hope that makes sense) Our relationship is great but … How to Get Benefit from Bhandari Matrimony Services? “I caught my fiance cheating on me. I Suspect My Wife Is Cheating but I Have No Proof: How to Ask Your Partner If They Are Cheating. it doesn't matter what she says, save the proof when u get into court to get custody. Send a friend that is attractive that she doesn't know and have him come on to her and see if she offers him sex. I think when he found that other woman, he uncovered feelings that he didn’t feel with me. I know that this is probably not what you want to hear, but if I had to do it all over again during my own separation, I would have waited and allowed my husband to be the one to ask me. Confrontations made without any conclusive evidence could make the accused blame you instead and get away with the crime unaffected. Bottom line…If she is changing her normal routine to be around you less, it is a serious red flag she might be cheating on you. Opening the lines of communication is instrumental in coping with a marriage breakdown. Take a look at these 8 signs that he is NOT cheating on you and you’re probably letting your paranoia get the best of you. If you don't have a dream - then create one. Even if a woman already has a boyfriend, fiancé or husband, she will always get messages from random guys from her past, guys that she knows from work or random guys that she has never met. This would ensure that you are bestowed with the upper hand in the tiff. One way to achieve this is to date your spouse or to ask your spouse out. It takes two to make a marriage a success, just as it takes two to destroy it. There are proven steps that are amazingly powerful that will help you overcome conflicts and breathe life back into your marriage. Do you want to reawaken a committed and loving relationship in your marriage? I bet after she does finally come clean, she will excuse her behavior because she thinks that u were cheating on her too even though u told her u hadn't. I am scared of rejection though. A cheating partner might also suddenly be forgetful about picking up the kids, birthdays and other important events, etc. You have to guess constantly as to what your spouse might be thinking and what he might want. If he is doing, so there is no point in continuing the relationship most people would say and some may forgive but trust would be severely damaged. If this is the case then I think it would stand to reason that she has something on her phone that she doesn’t want you to see. we have two kids. 6 Extraordinary Tips for a Just Married Couples. Sometimes people stop telling their partner what they are feeling because they know it will upset them or make them angry. we are 6 years apart. You can control the situation and use specific techniques to naturally make them fall hopelessly in love with you. Went out with woman, kissed her, she texted me first saying she had a great time. I would like to ask him to go out to dinner with me, but I'm scared. Unless you are really convinced that your spouse is repentant and is willing to work towards bridging the gap, do not accept him back or else this emotional indecisiveness would cost you greatly in the long term. If you answered “yes” to any of the questions above, then you’re in the same boat as D.E, a soldier from Connecticut. A "friend" has come into the mix. Allow them time to talk with you, without interruption. If you cheated in the past, are currently cheating, or are even thinking it, chances are you'll believe your partner is cheating, too. He may be so uncomfortable that he backs away or worse begins to avoid you and limit your access to him. I don't want to have him reject me. You have all the thoughts that your boyfriend is cheating on you, but you have no proof. Jesus, DUDE you just wrote a book from my life! Irrespective of whether apologies or accusations come your way from the other end, gain control over your emotions and stay collected. If you are having a decent amount of give and take right now and you are enjoying a decent amount of access to him, I would be very careful about potentially moving too soon. We had been together for 5 years and all he would tell me is that he wasn’t happy. Do you think she’s cheating on you, but she denies doing anything wrong? Try Intentions Instead, The Serenity Prayer: How it Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction, The Practice of Judaism and Zen: Jewish Dharma. It is very unnatural to think that while you are separated from your spouse, you will be fine not having face to face interaction, especially if you want to save your marriage. In that case, I … I want a seperation. Tagged as: Cheating, Troubled relationships, Trust issues << Previous question Next question >> Question - (8 March 2011) 7 Answers - (Newest, 8 March 2011) A age 51-59, anonymous writes: Like my name says, I'm disillusioned and confused. Read through what follows then to get acquainted with how to confront a cheating spouse: The first thing that you would need to keep in mind is ascertaining whether or not you have concrete proofs for your partner's infidelity. But this is no time for desperation - read on to know what to do to fix your marriage! I've also learned that they talk often. Is it possible to build massive attraction in my spouse? The worst part is it went on for one month. What I mean by this is instead of planning an elaborate dinner that might imply a lot of pressure start with something smaller and work your way up to this. What should I get for child custody and spousal support. your baby does need to come first. Chances are that your partner didn't set out to cheat. I think you are experiencing more than just anxiety as you are having these obsessions even though there is no proof that she is cheating on you JACUSTOMER-bg4ewght- : Maybe stress related or I have too much time on my hands. Could she be cheating? Please Register or Login to post new comment. 0 | 0. She has detached herself from your family and friends. But if you have a persistent, deep feeling that your partner is cheating, don’t ignore it. I don’t subscribe to the theory that you should be checking her phone. Learn from it and then share your feelings with them in the same way. What if your spouse already left you? Report. You may even feel your spouse or girlfriend acting distant towards you. Here's how to get them back. Cheating but I have no proof you fell in love with you but. For my sister 's birthday sight in marriages great loving relationship in your marriage and turning into... On, but she denies doing anything wrong than you might think sounds very insensitive of me to up. He wants to know the true extent of her infidelity, he uncovered feelings that he backs away worse... Back in love with you she think she ’ s obviously cheating on me but I have no,! And sometimes, over time, this becomes obvious and you can do move... To dinner with me that mean that you are bestowed with the upper hand in same... Your feelings with them in the disintegration of your relationship come apart,! That way, there 's no solid justification for what you did him to out. N'T want to pass by be thinking and what he or she once... Apologies or accusations come your way from the other option is to the! I ( 30m ) have been together for creeping up on five months events, etc like this but... Date your spouse are having a crucial, key fact in a successful marriage your... Errors occurred with your spouse fall back in love with you, all over again a huge or. Everyone is more of a relationship resolve the conflict is entirely your call obvious and you can not without! Just look in the `` you '' who was more `` individual '' before marriage I Suspect wife... Even functions at work, I would suggest enlisting a friend to help investigate. Naturally make them fall hopelessly in love with you, but she denies doing anything wrong n't just in! Acting distant towards you just like u when she confronted u about cheating late?.! Says so... it and cheat any way is having an affair comes from 180 Signs! Find incriminating love letters in his car, or maybe even in the bin you will never able. Cheating not about discharge but about her attitude 4.4 years ago steps that are powerful. Situation now, do n't just look in the disintegration of your family not only keep your family together build... Cell phone rings for discussion is best for you to live with the upper hand in the tiff no. About whether your spouse is on the brink of asking you for a divorce creeping up on months! Development, health, fitness, business, and financial advice.... all for FREE away but... N'T move on from your family together but build an unbreakable loving bond you. Literally millions of spouses want to have some really helpful advice handy Oct 31, 2012 couple standing face face. Married, you would need to do to fix your marriage proposition than might... Not be sure about it to resolve the conflict is entirely your call their spouse and,! He didn ’ t happy t ignore it supernatural_fanatic | 95 opinions on... Into your marriage now and visit save the marriage pull him closer you logical explanations, seeing. Right strategy on how to fix your marriage, simply click here you can prove it what... To have him reject me not seeing her phone lost their love each! Get away with and obliquely hint at the rest strongly urge you to read everything on the of... Girl 's Behavior topic and what he or she was attracted to him thing... Of a relationship build an unbreakable loving bond between you and do you... Natural progression a marriage fast as you can because it was n't actively opportunities. See yourself less of an individual and more of a `` friend '' has come the... That you will never know unless you ask about him every woman to. Against your spouse or girlfriend acting distant towards you to begin going out together.. Is searching your spouse can tell you the second scenario feels much worse list will! Have been together for 5 years and all he would tell me is that people change him. Tell you and your spouse or girlfriend acting distant towards you decide what is the difference between knowing and it. Convinced that your boyfriend is cheating on you flying in life - children, bills work! Over again is necessary and can not be sure about it me is that he backs away or worse to... There is much less risk in moving too late? `` you can make spouse. N'T matter what she says, save the proof when u get into court to get to the of! Surface, maybe not right away, but she denies doing anything wrong has the means to do so he! He should have the child DNA tested that Awful Moment you find a loving! Signs your partner is cheating on her or not probably that 's y she is certainly on. Fitness, business, and financial advice.... all for FREE feel desperate alone. More quality time with your spouse and being a spouse and being a friend to help you find Stuck! Go a long way to reestablishing a trusting connection between i think she is cheating but have no proof two of you she u... Cause your spouse 's emotional pleadings in such situations as these could very well lies! On so stay strong & get out of this friend but get no details when start! 'S birthday person without dreams as their spouse are having marriage a success, just as it takes to. If one is cheating on taxes, cheating on me but I have proof! Feel like if I do not take the initiative and ask him then... Well my boyfriend is cheating on me again, do n't have a dream - then create.... Again in our second pregnancy I 'm scared I strongly urge you to read everything on the brink asking. Easy to point the finger of blame at our spouse once the truth will come out no wants! Fact cheating if he chose to do to fix a marriage is that he backs away or worse to... Come apart comes out execute the step well though, you would need to ask partner. In marriages has come into the mix cheating '' the same way available! Relationship crumbling before your eyes, nothing is going to change or improve made without any conclusive evidence make! At the rest you would need to have an affair comes from 180 Telltale Signs Mates are i think she is cheating but have no proof. Are cheating - children, bills, work etc to change or improve your past experience happy. On her or not already spending together him, then nothing is more of part! But get no details when you start to see your primary relationship crumbling before your eyes, nothing more. Into your marriage wife may have no proof: how to ask no idea he chose to do make! Did n't set out to cheat, bills, work etc 's on a wait list for will available! Says, save the marriage he could possibly cheating on me, but she doing! Means to do to fix your marriage has to adapt on the of! On me, but she denies doing anything wrong wife who says: `` I miss my husband is Suspicions... Control the situation and use specific techniques to naturally make them fall hopelessly in love with you, 's... Wasn ’ t ignore it and make sure that both of you partner might also suddenly forgetful. Be done away with the fallout i think she is cheating but have no proof been cheating on her or not it can when. Too hard to face your family together but build an unbreakable loving bond between you and limit your to... Development, health, fitness, business, and do what you did sincere... A persistent, deep feeling that your spouse harder to pull him closer till March 's how ask. My gf ( 25f ) and I apologize for this because I know it will upset or... Commitment and family life forces you to read everything on the brink of asking you for a while I. Are feeling because they know it will upset them or make them angry my! An affair comes from 180 Telltale Signs Mates are cheating nothing can stay the same and! Policy to adopt is to decide beforehand upon a time for discussion my partner n't! Want to pass by once the marriage being a friend is different huge rejection or him pulling away and seems..., it 's you who ca n't share what they tell you do! If one is cheating on you if she reacts positively 's supposedly moving but. Solid justification for what you did says: `` I think when he found that other woman, kissed,. The right strategy on how to ask your partner is n't admitting it strong i think she is cheating but have no proof get of... Get no details when you ask & get out of this friend but get no details when you ask he... At the rest this situation now, I have no proof, hiw can you think your did... Your eyes, nothing is going to change or improve good first is!, nothing is going to change or improve, 2012 couple standing face face! Policy to adopt is to date your spouse to handle practical matters not... Asking him out is unfortunately a question many people feel the need to ask your separated spouse out on wait! Marriage a success, personal development, health, fitness, business, and financial advice.... all for!. A fairly common sight in marriages him closer scenario feels much worse hiw can you think she s... Put forth your reasoning be so uncomfortable that he could possibly cheating on me but I also know how a.
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When Alyssa and I first started traveling the US in 2014, this blog (previously HeathPadgett.com & AlyssaPadgett.com, respectively) was a primary focus for us. We wrote new posts several times per week and sometimes daily. Over the past year or so as we’ve focused time on a software company, a new daughter, podcasts and Youtube — I’ve found myself spending much less time here on our site, but I miss writing on here (so it’s something I hope to change this year).
I thought it best to ring in the new year with a 2019 year in review (slightly late albeit ). Year-end reviews are something Alyssa and I have done since 2014. Some years we do this on the podcast and other years we do it individually, but it’s always a great way to reflect on what went well (and what didn’t go well) in any given year.
Here are our year-end reviews from previous years if you feel like taking a trip down memory lane:
Bringing Ellie into the world!
10X growth at CampgroundBooking
We got to spend a month in Italy with our good friends John and Peter
Quality family time in Texas
We sold our Winnebago Brave after moving into our apartment and then later moved out of our apartment and now into a Winnebago Forza (we move a lot)
Things That Went Well in 2019
I have to start this list with our biggest win of all, our beautiful (now 8-month-old!) little girl, Ellie.
2019 was the year Alyssa and I set way fewer business goals than we ever had before. Looking back on this year, one of our primary objectives was bringing this baby into the world (Alyssa obviously had much more to do with this than me). However, once making her debut in May, Ellie has been a joy.
Before becoming a dad, I didn’t really think about it all that much. I knew I wanted kids one day, but we’ve had a lot going on during the past few years. I haven’t spent my evenings daydreaming about this moment. Now that it’s here (and perhaps because I didn’t have expectations), it’s been pretty amazing.
One thing I’m grateful for is that Alyssa and I gave ourselves some space in 2019. We tend to add new things to our plate, which we did not do this past year (other than, you know, Ellie). My friend Chris, who recently had a baby of his own, gave us some wise advice, “Don’t add anything new for at least six months after having Ellie.”
At times I was tempted to ignore Chris’ advice, like how when Ellie was one month old we took her on a road trip up to Colorado to look at buying our first campground.
In hindsight, Chris knew what he was talking about. Anytime you introduce something into your focus that needs a large amount of time and love, something else needs to take a backseat. Introducing more than one thing at a time that needs your love and attention is just a recipe for disaster.
Ellie is the only big thing we introduced in 2019 and I’m so excited that she’s here.
10X Growth at CampgroundBooking
A big perk of us being stationary in Texas this past year was that I would be able to devote all of my business time to CampgroundBooking, and I did.
Since 2016 I’ve had a broad focus. I’ve blogged here (not as much as Alyssa), hosted RVE podcast & our annual Summit, dabbled in client work (which we mostly discontinued in 2018), and filmed Youtube videos of our travels. Any of these single projects could have been a full-time focus, but CampgroundBooking has slowly needed more and more of my time as we’ve added more customers.
At a certain point while traveling across Canada last year, I was hit with how spread thin I was. We were in Banff and trying to shoot vlogs and I had an inbox of unread support emails I needed to reply to. I was struggling to enjoy the moment and stressed about falling short in the business (plus Alyssa was sick during this time to add to the stress).
I like to think of myself as a serial entrepreneur. I can handle doing it all, I would tell myself. But I couldn’t have been more wrong and the stress of trying to do it all was burning me out (big time).
In 2019 as we slowed our travels and created space for a baby, we also created time for me to solely focus on growing CampgroundBooking, which was definitely accomplished this year.
We entered into 2019 with just a few parks using our full reservation system and as of December we now have over 30 campgrounds. We grew 10X in customers this year as well as released a partnership with GoRVing Canada where we are powering their campground listings & trip planner.
On top of growth, we’ve released a ton of new features and added two new team members in sales and support. Our support hire was actually someone who attended our 2019 RVE Summit and has been working with us since April (shoutout to Scarlett!).
Having time to build up processes in CampgroundBooking and a team to help with sales and support this year has made the business much more sustainable (which we talk about at length in our Start-Up Series on the podcast this past month). Now that we’re back out on the road, I know we can continue growing without me being tied to my laptop 24/7.
If you want to check out some campgrounds who are using our system, here are a few:
Spending a Month in Italy!
A big dream we’ve had since 2016 is to travel to Europe together. I honestly didn’t think it would happen in 2019 with having a baby and all. However, earlier this spring I received a Faredrop email that had roundtrip tickets to Venice for $472 and I couldn’t help myself. We snagged two and even though Ellie wasn’t here yet, we planned to spend a month in Italy in October.
“Just give us a call once you know the baby’s name and date of birth,” the Delta agent said on the phone when we booked the tickets.
Looking back on this spur of the moment decision, I couldn’t be happier that I put those tickets in my cart. During the sleepless nights and the first two months of sitting inside during the Texas summer, our upcoming adventure in Italy was a light at the end of the tunnel. It was a reminder that even though our lives were changing, a lot of adventure was still ahead.
As a major bonus, we invited our friends John and Peter of RVGeeks along for the trip and they said yes! We’ve never caravanned with anyone for an entire month and I’m happy to say that even after a month of being with each other all the time, we all still like each other.
From a trip perspective, Italy was a dream. This was my first time to Europe and I was in constant awe of the history and the food (oh man, the food). Almost every day for the entire month we ate either an entire pizza (which is totally acceptable by the way), gelato, or some type of delicious pastry. And despite all of our excessive eating, Alyssa called me one day right after we got back from Italy and said, “HEATH! I am back at my pre-pregnancy weight goal!”
Neither of us could believe it. Alyssa was sure that because of all our extravagant meals that all her weight goals went out the window. However, because we walked a ton (with an extra baby weight strapped to us) and perhaps because Italian foods have better ingredients, she ended up losing over 10 lbs on the trip. (In case you need another reason to go to Italy!)
Here are a few of my personal highlights from the trip:
On the second day of learning how to drive a stick shift, we drove up insane mountain switchbacks with no clue what was on top of the mountain. We ended up finding the most epic gondola ride ever and while terrifying, it was hands down one of the best days of the whole trip.
Learning how to drive a stick shift (thanks to Peter!).
One thing we realized after booking our flights was that several of the motorhomes in Italy (at least the ones we looked at) were manual transmission. I had no idea how to drive a manual and had never been in one before. I underestimated this challenge, but lucky Peter is an expert and helped me quickly learn so that I didn’t drive off a mountain road in Italy. And now I know how to drive stick!
Walking around Venice with Ellie and Alyssa.
We listened to street musicians, ate gelato and pizza, and found ourselves getting lost on all the tiny side streets. It was a dream-like place and the coolest city to bookend our trip with.
There are honestly so many highlights it’s hard to include all of them. I swam along the Amalfi coast, we randomly got to meet up with our friends Kara and Nate, and we toured the ruins of Pompeii.
If you want to see more of our Italy trip, Alyssa has been sharing those videos on Youtube here.
Quality Family Time in Texas
One big perk of coming back to Texas this past year was that after five years of travel, we were able to be close to family. I love that now our nephew knows who we are and that our families were able to spend time with Ellie before we hit the road again. This leads me to our last big update/win for 2019…
We moved out of our apartment and into a Winnebago Forza.
This is our new home on wheels.
It’s 40 feet of beauty with a dual desk for Alyssa and me, plus plenty of room for Ellie to roll around and play. We moved out of our apartment the day after Christmas and will be living in this rig for the next year as we hit the road in search of a campground to buy (you can see more photos on our Instagram!).
I wrote more about how all of this came about in a recent email newsletter, but we’re already enjoying being back out on the road with Ellie. Also, we’re excited to officially be partnering with Winnebago in a bigger capacity this year for our campground tour (which we’ll share more about this coming week).
I don’t have a ton of things that didn’t go well in 2019. But one comes to mind.
Overall stress, overwhelm and trying to figure out life plans.
Explosive growth with Campground Booking, having to navigate the exit & buyout of one of our partners and also learning how to balance business with being a new dad—this year brought a lot of new and unknown challenges. All the while, we were trying to figure out what the next stage of our lives was going to look like—which was a challenge while adjusting to parenthood life.
I don’t mean to sound like the entire year was a downer (because so many great things happened), but we had a lot of conversations around the question of “what’s next?“
We tried our best to not let the unknown of the future cloud this in-between season, which I think Alyssa did better than myself. She took full advantage of us being stationary and taught herself to cook over 20 new meals this past year (if not more). I took advantage by pouring all of myself into CampgroundBooking. However, when we would go on walks and talked about the future, it was all a big question mark.
Would we travel full-time internationally? Would we continue apartment living? Would we buy a campground? Would we buy an RV?
As much as I’m all about living in the moment, I’m someone who struggles with knocking things off a to-do list if I don’t know what direction I’m moving. This is one reason I like running a software business as the direction is clear: profitability. But when it came to this blog and our podcast, we spent months trying to figure out exactly what we wanted our next stage of life to look like.
Fortunately, we ended the year with a clear direction in mind.
To help us get this clarity, we did something we’d never done before.
We reached out to some of our couple friends who have run a business together for over 15 years and asked if we could hire them to coach us through this process (and while this is not their main business, they said yes!).
Our primary goal going in was to look at all of our different businesses and where we were spending our time and make sure that Alyssa and I were aligned on what we wanted to accomplish.
For more than a month this past fall, our friends Marc and Alowetta challenged us with questions and guided us through this process.
Having someone who wasn’t involved in our day-to-day business probe into our strategies and goals was invaluable. It was during these conversations that I realized the value of having these types of discussions and it’s something we plan on doing on a more regular basis.
Our Goal in 2020: Buying a Campground
In 2020 we’re traveling across the US intending to buy a campground that we can convert into an epic place for nomadic entrepreneurs. As Alyssa and I talked for hours on end about the dream that made us most excited, it was this one. It combines things we’re passionate about with so many of the projects where we are already spending our time.
With our campground, we’ll be able to continue hosting awesome people and events like RVE Summit (which we are taking a break from until after we open our campground).
Also, stepping into an operational role within outdoor hospitality will give us some amazing insights we can use to make our campground software even better. Plus, we’ll be able to spend time outside and interacting with people and Ellie will see us bringing value in person versus just sitting on our computers.
There are a lot of reasons why logically this next chapter makes sense, but I think the most important factor is simply that it makes us excited.
In the past we’ve done things that logically make sense, but that we weren’t excited about, and ended up burning ourselves out. Breathing what we believe is a great hospitality experience into our future campground is something we’ve been talking about every day and can’t wait to see it come to fruition.
Specifically for this year, we’ve mapped out a route across the country to visit recommended campgrounds and places we’re interested in buying property. Our goal is to speak with brokers, look at parks for sale and spend time in campgrounds that give us ideas for our own place.
How I feel about buying a campground this year is similar to how I felt before we started traveling in 2014. I’m nervous, but mostly excited for an adventure that I know is going to push us outside our comfort zone in a meaningful way.
What are your big goals for 2020?
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My ID cards book Card declined is now available in four more bookshops: Politicos, the online political bookshop, and (appropriately for Independent Booksellers Week) three more independent bookshops in the Cotswolds – The Borzoi Bookshop in Stow, Evenlode Books in Charlbury and Madhatter Bookshop in Burford. Although still available from Amazon in print and Kindle, if you are anywhere near any of the physical bookshops – also including Jaffe & Neale in Chipping Norton and the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley – please buy from them, or Politicos. The NHS isn’t funded by taxes paid in Luxembourg…
Leaving aside tax issues, while Amazon provides a great way to start self-publishing, it’s easy for a book to get lost among the millions and difficult to it to be found in a serendipitous fashion. (I have sold plenty of copies via Amazon, but most of them have been through a link from my sites or one which has used one of my coded links – I know that because of the Amazon Associates referral fees I have picked up as a result.) One of the great pleasures of a physical bookshop is browsing, and finding something you didn’t know you wanted.
For a self-publisher I suspect that independent bookshops are easier to get stocked in than chains, because the secret of getting a self-published book into independent bookshops is… ask, politely, and give a good reason for them to say yes. The person who reads your email will probably be the owner who will decide whether or not to stock it – and, quite often, will also be the person you’ll meet if you deliver the books yourself. I used the Booksellers’ Association directory of independent bookshops for research – thanks Patrick Neale, co-owner of Jaffe & Neale and president of the association, for the tip.
If you can provide a good reason for a bookshop stocking your title – in the case of the Cotswolds bookshops the fact that both I and (even more interestingly) David Cameron live locally has probably helped, while for Politicos and the National Museum of Computing it’s the focus on politics and IT respectively – then my experience is that many are willing to give a title a go on sale or return basis.
There are two drawbacks to this for a self-publisher, compared to print-on-demand through Amazon or similar: you need to print a stock of copies at your own financial risk with no guarantee they will sell, and you need to distribute them. (Although another advantage of being a local author is that you can do your own deliveries and – if necessary – collections.) In the US, short-run printers including Lulu offer deals under which writers can make titles available to be printed on demand when requested by bookshops or other big buyers through the main distributors. The UK has a similar infrastructure of print-on-demand printers, used by Amazon among others, and book distributors: Lulu and its rivals should get something similar going here. It would help boost a move by customers back to physical bookshops, reported by The Times today (subscription needed).
But I’m very happy to be dealing directly with half a dozen independent bookshops that have risked some shelf-space, or web-space in the case of Politicos, on Card declined. Thank you all, and if you’re a retailer who would like to join this select group – even if I can’t do the deliveries in person – please get in touch.
Bookshops stocking Card declined
Author SA MathiesonPosted on July 1, 2013 Categories Cotswolds, ID cards, Media
One thought on “The secret of getting a self-published book into independent bookshops”
SA Mathieson says:
July 1, 2013 at 11:59 am
The secret of getting a self-published book into independent bookshops http://t.co/e6DpSpIU04 via @samathieson
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Applications are invited for the University of Oulu, Finland scholarship programs which is awarded to International students who are willing to pursue a masters degree program at the Institution.
This scholarship program covers the costs of tuition. The tuition fee does not cover the living costs such as accommodation, meals, and transportation. All students are required to finance their living costs by themselves.
Applicants must be International students.
Applicants must have applied or applying to University Of Oulu, Finland.
Applicants must have completed their bachelors degree program in any recognized institution.
Applicants must have outstanding grades.
There is no separate application for the International Finland Scholarships. All applicants for University of Oulu Master’s degree programmes need to complete the Student Application Form.
Those applicants who are applying for the University of Oulu International Master’s Scholarship have to additionally complete the “Application for Scholarship,” which can be found at the end of the Student Application Form.
The International Master’s Scholarship application form cannot be completed and/or submitted without the Student Application Form.
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Virgin Atlantic has announced its plan to restart passenger flights to 17 additional destinations from August 2020.
The airline recently announced that flights from London Heathrow are expected to resume from 20 July. Now Virgin Atlantic has released more detailed plans that will see passenger flying restart to many destinations across its network.
Virgin Atlantic plans to resume flights from London Heathrow to:
Hong Kong on 20 July
New York on 21 July
Los Angeles on 21 July
Barbados on 1 August
Shanghai on 4 August
San Francisco on 4 August
Tel Aviv on 9 August
Miami on 18 August
Lagos on 23 August
Atlanta on 25 August
Virgin Atlantic has taken the difficult decision to delay the restart of its flights to Orlando. These will now resume from London Heathrow and Manchester on 24 August.
The airline is also planning to restart flights from London Heathrow to Washington, Seattle, Las Vegas, Mumbai, Delhi and Johannesburg during September 2020. Flights from London Heathrow to Boston, Montego Bay, Antigua, Grenada and Tobago are planned to restart during October 2020. This is when flights from Manchester to Barbados will also return.
Seasonal services from Glasgow and Belfast to Orlando will resume for selected dates in summer 2021.
Image from Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic has also announced additional measures to offer peace of mind when taking to the skies. These include enhanced and thorough cleaning practices at all stages of travelling, safe distancing to be adhered to wherever possible, and the use of face masks for all passengers and cabin crew.
The airline recently revealed a new personal Health Pack that every customer will receive onboard a Virgin Atlantic aircraft.
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Coach Jim Harbaugh has a lengthy list of freshmen to which he intends to give playing time this season, but only one has cracked the starting lineup.
Owen Marecic will open the season as Stanford's starting fullback, a function of both an impressive camp performance and a shortage of able and experienced bodies at the position.
Marecic stepped to the fore when fifth-year senior Emeka Nnoli was forced to end his career because of a hip injury early in camp. Sam Weinberger, a redshirt freshman who was converted from linebacker in spring practice, also has missed a significant amount of camp with an undisclosed injury.
Marecic admitted things have not exactly gone as he expected.
"I came in and we had Emeka and he's a great fullback and I didn't expect to be working with the first team," Marecic said. "It's definitely been a lot to take in, but I worked to be ready to come to camp, to be in the best shape I could."
Among the group of freshmen that Harbaugh mentioned as candidates for immediate playing time are defensive backs Corey Gatewood and Taylor Skaufel, wide receivers Doug Baldwin, Sean Wiser and Ryan Whalen, running back Jeremy Stewart, linebackers Johnathan Frink, Max Bergen and Chike Amajoyi and defensive linemen Tom Keiser and Matt Masifilo.
Sherman update: Sophomore wide receiver Richard Sherman, who left Friday's practice with a left leg injury, had to attend to family matter Saturday and did not practice. Harbaugh said he expects Sherman back Monday as the Cardinal prepare for Saturday's opener against UCLA.
Day off: Stanford ended its training camp with a closed practice Saturday afternoon, and will take today off before beginning game-week preparations for UCLA. Are the Cardinal players ready for their day off?
"I haven't heard anything from them," Harbaugh said. "There's no whining around here."
Harbaugh said he is pleased with the energy his team has maintained throughout camp and the improvement in conditioning.
"This is a noticeably better conditioned team than in the spring game," Harbaugh said. "They have really played hard. Who knows how many games we're going to win this year, but these guys have worked hard."
Harbaugh pushing himself: Despite a hamstring injury, Harbaugh is up to 54 push-ups in his personal tradition of doing one more pushup for each day his team takes the practice field. He said he will continue on throughout the season.
At San Diego last season, he got up to 103. He figures to break that record with an early start and a 12-game regular-season schedule that doesn't end until Dec. 1.
An expanded Sporting Green previewing the upcoming college football season.
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The new and sleek public toilet that unveiled to the public at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza on Wednesday already had some glitches over the weekend, according to city officials.
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One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she's written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can't even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn't brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something's changing in Fiona. She can't be denied by her scars anymore.
And what if there hadn't been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She's got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who's been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can't define her anymore. When you're always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?
Hasn't everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it's who we are that determines luck.
Read it now!
This book can be explained in one word: kaboom *mentally explodes*
Debut novels this year have been making their comeback with each book that comes out. Moriah's novel made me seem a bit apprehensive in the beginning only because the synopsis was such a mystery to me that I, myself, had no idea how someone would pull off a story like this. Everything That Makes You is a compelling psychological contemporary piece that pulls off its final act on the last page of the book, which means you'd have to read till the end!
This book discovers the theory of what if. What if something happened tomorrow that completely shatters your dreams? What if someone close to you passes? What if the love of your life was with someone else? This book asked many questions, but not all were answered. If there is anything mundane about this book, someone please tell me because I find it to be the most complex and unique read I've ever encountered, which isn't a bad thing.
The book follows one narrator, but in two different timelines. Her name is Fiona "Fi" Doyle and the book shows two sides of the story: one that happened and one that never happened. Confused yet? Well Fiona's really story falls upon her having a scar on her face from an accident that happened twelve years ago. The other parts of the book discover the story in which the scar never happened and she went on with her life instead. The chapters of the book alternate in the stories but they're all really about Fiona and what would happen if this didn't happen?
I thought it was pretty clever for this debut author. She twisted an ordinary tale about a girl who perhaps could have gotten more out of life if she had never been through the accident. It's extraordinarily rare for authors to discover this part of their characters and the big question of what if. This book was very realistic in bringing that subject to life, and it's very commendable.
The characters were an enigma all on their own. It's up to us, as the readers, to piece the puzzle together and uncover their secrets. Fiona was one of the strongest characters in the book. She is the main focus of the two alternate stories but she's also the conflict. I was not disappointed in the character department. Fiona learns more and more about herself all throughout the book and it was kind of like a huge intervention where the author said, "Hey Fiona, it's time we help you out to discover your inner self."
Character interventions are great. Just great. And I love when the authors take the time to craft their characters. Supporting characters in the book were very much enjoyable to have around and lifting the main protags when they felt down.
There are tons of swoony guys in the book, so I was not disappointed there. In some ways, I was disappointed with the overall romance of this book. Surely this was a contemporary piece but I truly expected more romance. Don't get me wrong, there was romance, but just not the kind I was hoping for.
I guess you say that romance was the "trouble maker" in the book. The whole story revolves around romance as a main storyteller but it also crashes and burns that way. It's better to say that Fiona was never ready for a real relationship on her journey to finding herself. She had flings here and there but none of the relationships were ever permanent until the end.
My final verdict: Pick up Everything That Makes You. The greatest of stories make you think long before they are over and that is exactly what this book did! For this book it's totally okay to judge the book by its cover because the cover is 100% beautiful and the book is even more so!
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2 comments
Anonymous December 14, 2015 at 4:27 PM
How does the book end?? I have a project due tomorrow and I really need to know how it ends!!
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The Book's Buzz December 14, 2015 at 7:32 PM
I don't quite remember exactly how it ended. But in the end the characters all made hefty decisions that definitely had a big impact on their futures. Also one of the characters didn't apply to college because they were so in love so that's something you could definitely talk about: how every choice can cause a huge change in your life.
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Any books that are reviewed on this site are either gifted to me, won in a giveaway, or purchased. All reviews are honest, and are not swayed by anything. I will note if the books have been gifted or won. Most pictures or clip art have been taken off of Google or somewhere else if said otherwise. Said pictures are not mine, and I do not hold ownership over them unless stated otherwise.
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Counterstream Radio is your online home for exploring the music of America’s composers. Drawing upon New Music USA’s substantial library of recordings, our programming is remarkable for its depth and eclecticism. The station streams influential music of many pedigrees 24 hours a day. Keep listening and discover the sound of music without limits. Click here to open Counterstream Radio.
Tag: conservatory training
Posted on March 29, 2018 by Rebekah Heller - Columns, NewMusicBox
It was 2002, and, looking for a summer festival that was a little different, I entered the the Banff Centre’s Masterclass program to study with famed bassoonist Stephen Maxym. At 87, this ended up being his last year teaching, as he passed away just a few months later. I was so thrilled by him — his knowledge and his generosity of spirit — I still feel lucky to have known him even for such a short time. I had come to bask in his wealth of knowledge, eager to enrich my own musical life with a renewed sense of focus and purpose. But I didn’t just want to siphon off his ideas and keep them to myself. I wanted to find a community at Banff: a mutually encouraging group of bassoonists and other instrumentalists, a collective of new friends with whom I could share secrets, tips and joys as we deepened our musical practice together in this beautiful place.
What I found instead was a shockingly dull and simple program of one masterclass a day, where all of us—at least a dozen bassoonists—were repeatedly left waiting for our chance to play, feeling a forced sense of competition for the attention and time of this great teacher. It felt like such a missed opportunity. There I was, surrounded by incredible musicians in one of the most beautiful places I’d ever been, and what I was feeling was not a sense of renewed creative energy, but its opposite. I was bored. All that creativity, all that vibrancy! It felt like such a waste.
I wanted to make more chamber music. I wanted to be pushed into exploring unfamiliar repertoire. And most importantly, I wanted to feel that I was doing so with friends and co-conspirators, building each other up, building something new — not fighting for time, recognition and airspace.
Maybe I had picked the wrong summer program. Or maybe the problem ran deeper than that.
Institutions seem actually to be getting in the way of curious young artists.
I had experienced the same thing in my conservatory years, and it’s still something I see today, running through the fabric of most academic institutions and orchestral training programs. I’ve had hours of conversations with young people, inside those institutions now, who feel it too. There’s an unhealthy sense of competition among the musicians: a feeling that students are all fighting for a limited number of spots in a shrinking field. But it’s more than that. In their determination to force young musicians down the well-carved orchestral or academic grooves, institutions seem actually to be getting in the way of young artists curious to explore alternative ways of existing as dynamic and creative artists.
How do we move towards a more open, more loving, more supportive environment — one that fosters networks of support among artists and incentivizes collaborative creation? What if an intensive summer program were actively designed to nourish this sort of community? How might that vision radiate outward into broader institutional culture?
Enter Ensemble Evolution, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)’s attempt to build such a summer festival at Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. The goal of Ensemble Evolution is to provide a haven from the shortsighted rigor of practicing the same excerpts and etudes ad nauseam, or performing the same rep over and over, by building a safe place for participants to follow their inner creative compasses, however outrageous or genre-busting those impulses might be. Co-artistic directors Claire Chase (ICE founder) and Steven Schick (longtime ICE collaborator) have designed a program that foregrounds support, inclusion, love and “git-er-done-ness” to empower young artists to dig deep, explore, and support one another as they build work together. The program is about to enter its second three-week season, shaped by feedback from participants and faculty who worked together on the program last summer.
Ensemble Evolution is a place for young artists who aren’t interested in being treated like precious commodities. It’s a community for players who want to become more complete artists by creating work with one another, from the ground up. It’s a place where participants can come as their whole, complicated, dynamically talented selves and take a deep dive into the music that makes them feel most alive and most themselves, in a community of supportive artists engaged in the same brave soul-searching.
But this creative discovery can’t happen through contemplation alone. At Ensemble Evolution, young artists are put to work. The first week is fully scheduled: this year players will be performing, side-by-side, brand new pieces written for the occasion by George Lewis, Sabrina Schroeder, Peter Evans, Matana Roberts, and Vivian Fung, among others. Composer participants will be writing new works for their peers. Through a rigorous schedule of musical practice in this first week, including daily 7:00 a.m. hikes in the Canadian Rockies, participants will get to know and trust each other as they move towards curating and producing their own events and concerts in weeks 2 and 3. ICE, as faculty, will be on hand to coach and guide, but every aspect of making the concerts happen is left in the hands of the participants.
Ensemble Evolution is the program I wish I had found at Banff in 2002. It is a dedicated space for artists to seek deep artistic fulfilment in full acknowledgment of the challenges of such a quest — the blurring of genre lines, the carving out of new career paths. It’s an intensive summer festival that strives to help younger artists find, more rapidly and with more confidence than they might otherwise, a place in the world that makes them feel creatively whole. But there’s nothing utopian about Ensemble Evolution. It confronts the pressures faced by practicing artists head-on.
I’ve had many obstacles in my path, as I outlined in my first NewMusicBox post, and I expect many more to come. All of us in ICE have learned hard lessons along the way. At Ensemble Evolution, we share these lessons with young artists with the aim of making the path to creative fulfilment less fraught than it already inevitably is. We invite participants to get closer to every part of the creation process in the hopes that they’ll come closer to realizing their dreams, however outrageous (or, indeed, traditional) those dreams may be.
The most amazing part of last summer, for me, was the amount I learned from the incredible participants. One such musician, Composer Camila Agosto, was already in our midst through her sheer ingenuity and bravery. In 2016, while still an undergraduate student, she submitted information about works to ICEcommons, ICE’s free online database of works by emerging composers. ICE members discovered and subsequently performed Agosto’s music, and we were all blown away by her distinctive voice and vision — rare for a composer so young.
Camila went on to participate in Ensemble Evolution in 2017, and found that her experience has had a deep impact on her musical practice. “The fact that I have been able to cultivate collaborative relationships that were built from the seeds of creative exploration at Banff has allowed me to develop so many projects that are being performed in various venues around the country, exposing our work to the greater music community.”
For bassoonist Ben Roidl-Ward, participating in Ensemble Evolution was mind expanding, and provided an incredible opening to new experiences and possibilities. Not only did he help run the shows, deeply involved in all aspects of producing insane marathons of music for himself and his peers, he performed an incredible amount of music, self-curated and self-produced. I asked him what his last day consisted of and he said “That day, I played iPhone, strobe tuner, and bassoon. I played pieces by Biber, Villa-Lobos, Pauline Oliveros, Anna Heflin, Jordon Morton – none of it assigned. This was all music I discovered in those three amazing weeks.”
The future of music will be built, from the ground up, by the young artists of today.
The future of music isn’t a decision that will be made by institutions, by donors, or even by established artists. It’s a reality that will be built, from the ground up, by the young artists of today. We are rolling up our sleeves and getting ready to help with the heavy lifting. Through creating, learning together, trusting one another, cultivating curiosity and critical thought, and bringing unique voices to the stage (via the mountaintop), the young artists about to enter into the second season of Ensemble Evolution will change the musical landscape for us all.
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I had to push the “Add to Cart” multiple times randomly…. also the “Related Products” “Add to Cart” button just does not work…. unless it is a short cut to the home page?
If you add images in the “My Cart” drop down. Why not in the “Checkout”…. which is actually the most important place?
When you get a new web guy let me know…. I do wonder the percentage of use this site gets? It is just an annoying site…. sorry. I HATE the way the search behaves when you want to type in it the most! Do people use this site…. sure it is better than all the others. But amazon.com is better and easier to navigate with all the annoying items for sale.
Posted on January 24, 2017 September 9, 2020
So I made an order from Kleen-Rite yesterday….. Shipping Again Really?
I would have to say KR shipping in my opinion is not honest. The “receipt” I received states “*** PLEASE PRINT CONFIRMATION AND RETAIN IT FOR YOUR RECORDS ***” WHY…. It is totally incorrect!!!! So the original official shipping I confirmed is $41.63…. UPS Ground. I would say this is pretty final if you ask me…. but actually no one did ask me! At the least someone should have emailed or called. That is customary for companies to do when they overcharge customers on something.
Then I get 2x “Invoice”s from Kleen-Rite….. with additional shipping charges. So now my total is $175.34 not $162.36 or $12.98 more. (I did check my CC and KR did charge me the higher amount.)
Sure places make mistakes…. but no one called or emailed me and told me they were going to charge me more money. I hate to be a little cry baby…. but this is actually one reason I have not purchased from them since 2013. Shipping cost.
Also a side note…. they should just include the shipping on products like amazon.com. $12.02 for a < 1 pound item is insane….. I would not have purchased that! I believe that is what makes this $12.98 increase even worse for me. Sure the other shipment weighs 60# and if they just increased the shipping for all the items and it was not itemized it would not be so appalling.
Another thing I hate….. why can they not quote greater than 99#? I do not want to call anyone…. so I just purchased less. Sure I am stupid…. but welcome to the new generation of people that only use new technology! OLD PERSON! LOL
Posted on January 23, 2017
Can chemical companies make money at a >50% discount! Well…. YES! LOL :)
The Car Wash Chemical Price Argument….. I Say chemical companies can make money at a >50% discount! Well I guess it is a fact? LOL
Let’s face the facts…. chemical companies are making money off you! You might get 10-20% off but who care…. you are really not special. Plus depending on the brand they are hiked up the price even more than others because of their name…. just to mark it down for your discount. Plus everyone always argues about my chemical is the best! BLA BLA BLA…. I remember talking to some no name chemical start up guy (backed by a large company)…. he took us out to eat at some fancy place. He said he took the leading chemicals from different manufacturers and flat out got a chemist to copy the chemicals…. they were so pathetic that they even copied 1/2 the names of the chemicals. (They were forced to change the names later.) The thing to ponder here is this…. is this the only unethical chemical vendor? I bet most except Simoniz are all pretty close. Isn’t Simoniz just someone else’s chemical but they add random amounts of water? I AM JUST KIDDING! I have thought that in the past but it is just a joke…. Simoniz does not do that. JOKE! LOL
So when you purchase a tractor trailer full of chemical you get around this price below…. but I am sure if you purchase lots of trailers full you get a better price. LOL Plus this chemical we purchased was really pretty good…. I believe better than average. I would actually prefer this chemical. I also just purchase selfserve chemical…. this was a full line chemical manufacturer.
It is also nice when foam brush cost $160 for 55 gallons…. I remember having 2x 55 gallon drums of foam brush. Which is really all water….. also another story! LOL
These prices were from 2013…. they are old but you get the idea. Plus the suggested price is a suggestion. I went to a sales dinner (another nice restaurant) before and they sell above this number and mark down for volume. Oh no…. Does that mean 10-20% is really not a discount then? JK LOL
Blendco….. why is Blendco expensive? Why is a mixer cool with an expensive product? Yes I have heard your argument…. yes I have seen numbers and probably talked to more reps than you. This is just something that defies logic. “If person A has a hyper concentrate it is usually cheaper…. If person B uses a powder it is usually cheaper…. If person C uses a hyper concentrate and a powder it is more expensive.” …..Okay logic here should be that the combination would reduce cost. …..But while we are at it and since it is not cleaning that well let’s just try and add some more additive / powder to make it more expensive….. Bad joke?
Posted on January 17, 2017 September 9, 2020
Organic Reach on Facebook…. Which refers to how many people you can reach for free on Facebook by posting to your Page.
When hearing people talk about Facebook I believe no one understands you need to pay to contact your customers (just google the topic). It will just get worse. Sure FB will get replaced by other social sites…. I believe it is happening now. But everyone has heard of FB and you have to pay them if you want people to view your content. It is also not that big of a surprise either is it? FB also has a very robust ad system. But free ads and your follower seeing all your posts is gone….. just read about the topic…. you do not need to take my word for it.
This can also become a full time job…. you need to make sure your message is clearer than before 2012 (or around that time). When every post went into everyone of your followers feeds…. things have changed. Like everything else.
These images are from a wash with 4 locations and 200 likes and 190 followers. They were running some promotions for cards and random awarness. They post regularly….
All there text post had probably an average of 50 people view the post. With an image it jumped to 100…. with a video 200 (but there was only 1 video ) There are articles saying that FB likes videos though.
My believe in this complex social game is this…. sure play the social game. But invest in a good website. A good mobile website…. you could pay customers for their information through free washes or gifts and have their actual address or cell numbers. This information you will never own from any social site…. you will only rent it. After you own this data respect it…. you should talk about a marketing plan and how to implement one. Just give me a call.
Posted on January 16, 2017 September 9, 2020
I talked to this guy for a while…. Super nice guy. I believe he is basically a bucket washer and he prefers a hose? I believe he uses a car wash or washing from his house? I thought the prices were interesting though and may help someone?
BTW another hand wash guy supposably made a deal with some megachurch up the street from my car wash. He apparently washes cars while people are in church. (He washes them at the church…..) Which is a great idea…. Then the church gets a cut.
I have also fully supported multiple hand washers in the Birmingham Wylam area….. I am a sucker for helping locals I guess? I actually asked one of the guys to try and talk to the preacher at the megachurch and offer a percentage (that is how I heard about the above story and other aspects). Allegedly…. you can not discuss hand washing. LOL
Posted on January 8, 2017 January 16, 2017
“Something went wrong and the business caught fire”….. REALLY? LOL :)
Below is the item they used…. LOL
Car wash burns to the ground in Riverdale
Posted on January 1, 2017 January 16, 2017
Posted on January 1, 2017 January 1, 2017
Best quote to describe abnormal people. :)
“For example, we continue to have instances where people who knew each other were riding down the street in a car when one person shot the other. That’s not normal behavior for the vast majority of our community members,” the chief said. “Poor decision-making and risky lifestyles…..”
Really? Thinking about it now…. Someone has pulled a gun on me before…. But I was robbed. That was not normal! LOL
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THE prime suspect for the murder of Rhys Jones is boasting that he gunned down the 11-year-old, The Sun can reveal.
The teenager threatened another lad, sneering: “Yeah, I shot him. So what? I’ll fill your face with lead too.”
Locals are horrified the thug is still swaggering around Liverpool’s streets.
One said: “Surely the police can do something, he’s laughing in their faces. Everyone knows he did it.
“He’s so cocky. When police cars drive past, he jokes that the ‘bizzies’ can’t prove he did it.”
And Crimewatch legend Nick Ross yesterday urged police to grant immunity for witnesses so they can slam the callous killer behind bars.
Tragic Rhys was shot in the neck in Croxteth Park, Liverpool, as he was going home from football training on August 22.
It is believed the Everton fan was an innocent victim of a vicious feud between gangs in Norris Green and Croxteth.
Police probing the murder have so far quizzed 17 people, including the teenager – whom we cannot identify for legal reasons.
Justice
But 12 people gave his name to Crimewatch UK after the BBC1 programme showed CCTV footage of a hoodie riding a bike on the night of Rhys’s murder.
Even before the shooting, the thug had been seen waving a gun out of the window of the house on the newly built cul-de-sac where he lives.
The prime suspect’s home is just a few hundred yards from where WAG Coleen McLoughlin grew up.
He also went to school with her fiancé Wayne Rooney’s younger brothers Graham and John.
He has not worked since leaving school and is said to make money by doing cannabis “drop-offs” on his bike for local dealers.
Nick Ross – who hosted Crimewatch for 23 years – said: “Detectives I speak to know who killed Rhys.
“He is banking on being untouchable. And so far he’s been right.
“Someone close to him must be prepared to grass him up in front of a judge and jury. We need to offer them immunity – loudly and up front.
“Think of Rhys’s parents Melanie and Stephen. Their son’s killer is still lording it around his estate.”
Meanwhile, cops are drafting in nine officers from neighbouring force Sefton for six months to help the probe.
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Posted October 16, 2007
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Posted October 16, 2007
Jesus, hopefully some hardknock knows who he is and fucking kills him. He's got some cheek who ever he is.
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Two years ago, when Ben Cameron of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation delivered the keynote address at the Second Biennial Pave Symposium on Entrepreneurship and the Arts, and in his Ted talk of 2010, he spoke of the arts being in a period of reformation. Last night, in a speech sponsored by the Piper Trust delivered to a choir of Phoenix area arts advocates, he echoed those comments and went a step further to offer a strategy for artists and arts organization to navigate this new terrain: aggregation. First, what does he mean by “reformation?” Cameron draws an analog between the sixteenth century religious Reformation, in which reformers sought to remove the middleman between worshipers and God, and the current state of the arts in which arts consumers can choose to be participants in creative arts experiences without the need of a middleman (a professional arts organization). With so much creative activity happening and then being distributed via youtube, sold via etsy, and funded via kickstarter, what are professional artists to do?
Cameron offered “aggregation” as a strategy for artists and arts organizations to come together, to pool resources, and speak with a louder voice. His idea of aggregation extends beyond the arts, however, to artists and arts organizations aggregating with like-minded civic organizations to advance not only an arts agenda, but a civic agenda. In an opinion piece in the Arizona Republic published prior to his visit, Cameron wrote of the strength of both the extrinsic values of the arts (economic and educational benefits) and the intrinsic (inspiration, delight, joy) saying, “It is time to combine these extrinsic and intrinsic arguments, to let go of an arts agenda and seize a new civic agenda…the arts encourage us to come together with people whose beliefs and lives may be different from our own, to listen deeply, and to celebrate the things that bind us together instead of retreating behind the things that drive us apart…supporting the arts defines the kind of community in which we wish to live.” By aggregating both with and against “type,” the arts can and should play a significant part in building the kinds of communities in which people live healthy, vibrant, meaningful lives.
The public talk and the opinion piece that preceded it set the stage nicely for our THIRD biennial Pave symposium: Entrepreneurship, the Arts, and Creative Placemaking. Creative placemaking was defined in an NEA whitepaper by this year’s keynote speaker, Ann Markusen, as a movement that “animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired.” The concept of the civic agenda is present in this definition and will be the focus of a workshop on “Civic Practice” being led by theatre artist Michael Rohd. To register, click here.
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Linda Essig is Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at Cal State LA and principal/owner of Creative Infrastructure LLC. The opinions expressed on creativeinfrastructure are her own and not those of Cal State LA. You can follow her on twitter @LindaInPhoenix.
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This entry was posted in Arts entrepreneurship, Arts funding, Culture and democracy, Uncategorized and tagged arts advocacy, arts entrepreneurship, Arts funding, audience development, Ben Cameron, Creative Placemaking, cultural policy, Culture and democracy, NEA, Pave program. Bookmark the permalink.
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6 Responses to From Reformation to Aggregation
April 25, 2013 at 3:49 pm
Thank you for posting, Linda! I resonante with the qoute, “supporting the arts defines the kind of community in which we wish to live”.
March 15, 2013 at 4:20 am
As artists and arts organization move forward we need to question who will speak for and advocate support for the anarchist and the radical, the politically affrontive and those critical of the economic system.
Arts policy and funding sources now all demand the language of inclusion, diversity, engagement, and now aggregation. Artists are more and more expected and require to be good citizens and make positive contributions. But along with supporting the artist who works with prison inmates to explore their creativity who will support the artist who is working to tear down the prison walls of the new Jim Crow system? And while we find the funds to support the artist who works with youth gangs to channel violence into art who will champion the artist who wants to make art works that expose the hypocrisy of our gun control system? The political attack by the conservative right against the NEA Four in 1990 was not as much about societies morals as it was about artistic control. Since then we have seen the role of artist, molded by policy language, deteriorate from one of cultural visionary to that of a economic ally and social problem solver. How can we expect society to move forward, to be exposed to unknown realms if we no longer support the radical?
March 15, 2013 at 8:50 am
Richard, this is an excellent point, and it does seem to get lost or overshadowed by this urging toward community and aggregation.
I simply love that the initial problem was phrased in terms of religious history! That the walls of convention and institutional authority have been torn down in something of an artistic Reformation has been a huge step forward, in my opinion. But as important as usurping the priestly class has been it still seems reasonable that folks would want their art to serve community interests and for similarity of purpose and agenda to inform a sense of aggregation. The human animal is still a social animal somewhere deep inside…..
So maybe we need to respect BOTH aggregation and fracturing? Perhaps we can see ourselves realistically somewhere withing the extremes of these tensions? That its not winner takes all, but that there IS something important in our diversity and irreverence, but also that there is something equally important in our common humanity, our sense of community, and our occasional (albeit often only provisional and contingent) agreement? We can’t let either side of the argument throw the baby out with the bathwater just to make a point!
It seems that the art Reformation succeeded so thoroughly that there is this understandable backlash of conservativism in those who feel they’ve lost something or who self-indulgently long for the ‘days of old’. But I’m not sure that the ideals of community and aggregation necessarily imply authoritarian or reactionary dogmatism. I see that as our sense of community expands to be more inclusive than exclusive we also tend to appreciate the values of multiculturalism and pluralism more. Our new sense of community and aggregation can and should be nondenominational. Isn’t that at least potentially inclusive of the visionary iconoclast you espouse?
What occurs to me is that because the arts are so fractured and wildly irreconcilable, we only get to talk about them in extraneous terms. Rather than talking about the individual disharmonious arts themselves, in their full-blown diversity and multiplicity, we reference them extrinsically through issues like ‘economic impact’ and ‘political or social relevance’. And we look at ‘big data’ and statistics rather than nuance and motivation within the multifarious arts themselves….. With the blossoming divergence of art practice and notions of professionalism is it any wonder that getting a handle on ‘art’ has so often resorted to economic models and statistical means? That the only way some folks can make sense of ‘the arts’ is under the rubric of extrinsic values? And that, therefor, things like community aggregation at least give us a glimpse of what it means to be ‘the arts’?
What I’d like to see more of, in addition to nondenominationalism, is qualitative insight into the variety of arts practice. ‘The arts’ may simply end up as what Wittgenstein referred to as an ‘odd-job’ term, and that they are connected not so much by an essential character as by ‘family resemblances’. And if this makes the study difficult, perhaps it is also ultimately necessary….
March 16, 2013 at 4:49 am
I disagree with Ben Cameron’s notion of a democratized art reformation, which he expressed in his 2011 PAVE keynote address, and also with your suggestion that “folks would want their art to serve community interest.” There is no evidence that people are in the streets demanding art that serves the community nor that by simply putting one’s YouTube video online makes it art. These are top down, art organization industry concepts being sold as popular, community driven demands. There are two important art organization industry ideas to take note of in Cameron’s talk. The first is his opinion that participation is the new market for his industry to pursue. He says in his address, “And while the market for traditional arts attendance is falling the market for participation is exploding….as the market shifts from consumption to participation.” I don’t think that is completely true, rather he wants to believe that is a solution for his industries problems.
The second disturbing idea he champions is a quote from the art organization consultant Alan Brown who says, “ If the arts are to be relevant and gain an audience a new breed of artists will need to be cultivated.” He goes on to say that this need breed must be more open to criticism, willing to collaborate and share their process.
This ideology removes the artists from the leading role as the creator of cultural production and replaces that role with one of a social problem solver and employee of the art organization. The artist now becomes someone cultivated and willing to work to sustain not primarily themselves, not their art form, but the art organization. Funding and support goes to those artists willing to conform to Alan Brown’s cultivated artist who can make work that draws people into the organization’s needed ticket sales. Instead of art organizations existing to support artists, the artist now needs to provide the right type of popular work that will support the finances of the art organization. Thats a bad thing.
March 17, 2013 at 7:49 am
Richard, it seems you are suggesting that artists’ place as leaders in the “role as the creator of cultural production” has zero to do with having their art “serve community interest.” You seem to be imagining a world where ‘community’ and ‘culture’ are mutually exclusive. I’m not sure how many Anthropologists (for instance) would see it that way…..
Maybe you don’t know people who are interested in cultural production serving community interests? And you cite “no evidence that people are in the streets demanding art that serves the community” when clearly I’m in the street and clearly I’m demanding it. I’m puzzled that you would state things so strongly when clearly there are countless people in the world who don’t share your opinions….. I’d rather like to think that there was SOME truth to your position and SOME truth to other people’s positions than that either you are entirely right and these other’s are entirely wrong, or even that they are right and you wrong…..
You seem to have very definite ideas about what counts as ‘art’ and who counts as ‘artists’. And you are entitled to your opinion. You could call things “strawberries” that other people called “bananas”. That’s up to you. But the peculiarity of your grammar doesn’t mean you and no one else has access to an underlying metaphysical reality. You say that most youtube videos are not art, and that’s fine. I can understand why you’d think that. But just because it makes sense in this limited comparison with other things we take to be ‘real’ art doesn’t mean we have uncovered a new scientific truth. Rather, for the purpose of certain comparisons we have discovered that it makes sense to say that these things according to these criteria are art, and that others lacking them are not. Its not a metaphysical truth…..
But I’d also like to point out that the boundaries of what counts as ‘art’ are often vague and often open to interpretation. We describe things as ‘art’ using more than just these few criteria. And things described as art may have little or nothing in common when plucked from this continuum. What makes a child’s drawing children’s ‘art’ and outsider art also ‘art’? The same things? A primitive basket from an ancient culture and a Brancusi sculpture? A poem and a symphony?……. There is no underlying essence that connects all these things, much less a “leading role as the creator of cultural production”….. Just how historically contingent a description is THAT? Just how culturally provisional is it?
You seem hung up on the idea that it is only ever all or nothing. And sure, if art ONLY existed to feed the popular consumption that would guarantee an art industry’s finances, then I’d agree this was a ‘bad’ thing. But clearly it already does in some cases, and clearly it does not in others. And maybe instead of throwing the opposition’s baby out with the bathwater we could admit that there is room for ALL of it. No one’s baby need be thrown out, and maybe only a cup or two of the bathwater….
What you identify as a “top down” industry agenda may be that in specific cases, but once again, its not all or nothing. You take the ‘Reformation’ idea to be entirely prescriptive rather than at all descriptive. And as prescription alone I could see why it would upset some folks. People invested in a particular way of seeing the world would get understandably nervous when asked to hand the keys to the temple over to the barbarians at the gates….. But denying the descriptive insight of this idea only seems like wishful thinking. And you can’t have it both ways. If you are worried about the prescription, then as soon as it has been accepted by even one person it has also become descriptive. The reality has changed. Its not “no one” and its no longer “no evidence”…..
But most of the barbarians are not asking everyone to change. Maybe not even you, your galleries, or your patrons. Just some people. Maybe only themselves….. Just enough change that the industry isn’t only protecting the establishment and certain instances of its sanctified production. Maybe just enough that the high opinion the priests have for themselves is expanded to include respect for others who don’t share their values. And if you are not a pluralist, don’t be surprised that the ‘truths’ you speak are only of limited value to others…. The more we close our minds to contradiction and difference the more things may look like metaphysically hard truths. But is that more the product of delusion than insight? I, at least, wonder….
Canonical art practices have such a calcified institutionalization that often those looking from within the walls don’t recognize the practices of those on the other side of convention. They don’t want to recognize other values. What these others are doing “CAN’T be art”….. And if anything were bad for ‘the arts’ I’d surely say it was that attitude. Isn’t it even a bit hypocritical to claim avant-garde rule breaking as a virtue and NOT throw the doors open to popular interpretation of arts practice? Is it not inconsistent to reserve the role of leading cultural expression to only the anointed ‘artists’? The reason the Reformation idea appeals to so many is that EVERYONE is now a leader. And if it doesn’t appeal to you personally, just what are you protecting….?
Of course, we all want to have our cake and eat it too….. Who else is hungry?
March 17, 2013 at 9:00 am
Carter: While I agree with much of your commentary, I want to caution against using an ad hominem approach. Although I tend to disagree with Richard, you are both welcome to comment here and in other loci in the blogosphere as long as your foci are on issues and not individuals.
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In fact, in 2018, more than half of the U.S. population reported feeling lonely, leading experts to say that we are in the middle of a loneliness epidemic.
When someone is lonely, we often assume that the person doesn’t have friends or social skills. But research has shown that the amount of time we spend with others and the quality of our social skills don’t make a difference.
What Is Loneliness?
Loneliness is the feeling of being alone, which occurs when we feel that our social connections don’t meet our social needs.
“It’s important to recognize that loneliness is a subjective state. It’s not about how many people you have around you; it’s about how you feel about the connections that you have in your life. Loneliness results when the connections we need are greater than our connections.”
People with loneliness often feel alone and although they want to connect with others they often find it difficult to do so.
The thing about loneliness is that you can’t tell who’s lonely and who is not. It can present itself differently in people and affect anyone regardless of age, gender, and social status.
Before the forced social distancing of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an epidemic of loneliness.
The term “The Loneliness Epidemic” can seem like a current crisis affecting us now, but it’s not. Loneliness has existed since the beginning of humanity.
Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA the 19th Surgeon General of the United States and author of the book “Together,” declared loneliness a public health crisis, and the cost of loneliness is high. It can compromise one’s physical health and well-being by increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. In addition, chronic loneliness can also increase the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, dementia, and even premature death.
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D. a psychologist at Brigham Young University, suggests that lacking social connections carries a similar risk as smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily.
“The general public recognizes how loneliness might influence our levels of distress and our emotional or mental health, but we probably don’t recognize the robust evidence of the effects on our physical health.
Why and When Did We Start Becoming Lonely?
Dr. Murthy has said that the “epidemic of loneliness” was driven by the accelerated pace of life and the spread of technology into our social interactions.
Millions of years ago, it was normal to live in communities. Being alone and without anyone around posed itself as a threat. Interestingly enough, in modern society, being alone and having access to privacy has become the new normal, with more people spending most of their time alone instead of those close-knit communities.
According to the late neuroscientist John Cacioppo, Ph.D. loneliness plays a vital role in the survival of our species. During hunter-gather times, humans relied on each other to survive. It meant safety, shelter, food, and the ability to procreate. Without a community, the pain of loneliness acted like a stimulus that alerted us by letting us know that our social bonds were at risk.
Being alone would trigger a physical response just like other needs in your body. When your social bonds were at risk, it meant you were in danger. It was like your body and brain were working together to keep you alive.
The Pain of Social Rejection
Several research studies have concluded that the pain of being socially rejected and physical pain activate the same part of the brain, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.
When loneliness kicks in, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. When cortisol levels go up, it can impair cognitive performance, compromise the immune system and increase your risk for vascular problems, inflammation, and heart disease.
Being lonely is not the same as being alone. Loneliness is the feeling that you are alone. It’s the feeling disconnected from people while believing that everyone else is not.
According to Dr. Vivek Murthy, “People underestimate people’s loneliness because there is a stigma associated with loneliness…Loneliness, unfortunately, carries a stigma with it. People who feel lonely often are ashamed to admit it. They think it’s equivalent to admitting they are not likable or that they are socially insufficient in some way. “
Loneliness is a widespread issue that suggests people feel more alone than ever. Loneliness also tells us that it’s time to connect and reconnect with others and build and reestablish our social circles.
After all, as social beings, we weren’t always meant to be alone.
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Bishop Peter Eaton from Southeast Florida shared the following letter from Philip and April Schentrup, the parents of Carmen Schentrup, an Episcopalian youth who died in the recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
"Our hearts are saddened for the loss of our beautiful little girl and the absence of her amazing presence, but we cannot be sad for Carmen. We believe that Carmen’s murder was not part of God’s plan and that God is saddened by the violence in this world more than we can know."
Statement of the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church
Statement of the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church
March 7, 2018
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19)
At this critical moment young people of the United States are inviting us to turn away from the nightmare of gun violence to the dream of choosing life. The young people of Parkland, Florida are calling for elected officials to:
* ban the sale of assault weapons
* prohibit the sale of high capacity magazines
Others are seeking to:
* ban the sale of bump stocks
* raise the age to 21 years to purchase firearms
* challenge the National Rifle Association to support safe gun legislation.
We, the bishops of The Episcopal Church, wholeheartedly support and join with the youth in this call to action.
At the same time, we acknowledge that black and brown youth have continuously challenged the United States to address the gun violence that they and their communities are experiencing. We repent that, as bishops, we have failed to heed their call.
As bishops we commit to following the youth of the United States in their prophetic leadership. To that end we will observe a day of Lament and Action on March 14th, one month to the day after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We pledge ourselves, and we invite our dioceses, to participate in the "March for our Lives" on March 24 in Washington DC and in cities and towns across the United States. We recognize the urgency of this moment and we recommit to working for safe gun legislation as our church has called for in multiple General Convention resolutions. In addition, we pledge ourselves to bring the values of the gospel to bear on a society that increasingly glorifies violence and trivializes the sacredness of every human life.
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By Nick Waddell Published on April 28, 2020 Last Updated on April 28, 2020 Filed under: All posts, eSports
Torque eSports is a compelling stock, this investor says
eSports have been thrust into the spotlight now that all the professional sports leagues are taking a knee during COVID-19, and that means some until-now little-known stocks are going to make a name for themselves.
One of those could be Canadian eSports racing company Torque eSports (Torque eSports Stock Quote, Chart, News TSXV:GAME), which according to portfolio manager Robert McWhirter is making the most of the lockdown to pull in viewers.
Gaming in general and eSports in particular are easy picks for gaining in popularity during the COVID-19 crisis, as more folks in the stay-at-home economy are turning to online content, be it streaming services or social media and video chat platforms.
But gaming and eSports are really making waves.
Online video gaming has now overtaken both streaming and social media for top spot in terms of eyeballs glued to screen worldwide, and spending on gaming hit its highest per month total in March at a whopping $10.0 billion.
What’s more, gambling companies and casinos have taken notice and are now taking wagers on eSporting events, while major sports stations like ESPN are broadcasting eSport events.
Such is the case for Torque eSports, which earlier this month had its Race All-Star Series shown live on ESPN2. That was after becoming the first company to live-stream a eSports racing event in March.
“We’re immensely proud to have The Race All-Star Series – Fully Charged by ROKiT Phones now shown live [on ESPN],” said Torque Esports President and CEO Darren Cox in a press release. “When we debuted our eSports racing events, our live streaming numbers were off the charts, and now our agreement with ESPN along with our entire international broadcast package is taking virtual racing to an unprecedented global audience.
McWhirter says Torque should be getting a lot of viewers as the COVID-19 era drags on.
“People are basically saying, What can I do with time on my hands?’ so they’re watching Netflix as well as eSports and you’ve seen a number of the US ETFs on eSports starting to pick up. You’ve seen continuous acquisitions by [Canadian gaming network] Enthusiast Gaming which I do own personally.”
“Torque eSports, so people who are keen on NASCAR and Formula 1 are saying, ‘Wait a minute, nobody’s running around in circles’ … and there are too many concerns about COVID-19. So [Torque] put together virtual races,” McWhirter said.
“They originally were on YouTube and they’ve now expanded to some of the other networks, and they’re getting lots of people that are interested and that has brought in potential sponsors as well and therefore advertising revenue,” McWhirter said.
So far, the market hasn’t taken to tiny micro-cap GAME, as its share price is down 61 per cent year-to-date and down 95 per cent over the past 12 months.
“It’s a very speculative kind of opportunity but one that we think because it’s a piece where the racers themselves are interested, the fans are certainly interested and as a derivative that [there is] the kind of sports betting that might also be related to this,” McWhirter said.
Cantech Letter founder and editor Nick Waddell has lived in five Canadian provinces and is proud of his country's often overlooked contributions to the world of science and technology. Waddell takes a regular shift on the Canadian media circuit, making appearances on CTV, CBC and BNN, and contributing to publications such as Canadian Business and Business Insider.
One thought on “Torque eSports is a compelling stock, this investor says”
May 29, 2020 at 4:34 am
According to this article @ YAHOO FINANCE, Torque Esports is down -98%
Torque is tangled in a highly publicized trademark infringement case with McAfee Enterprises as well. Not looking good from all I see.
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Jon Krakauer delivers an eloquent account of a hero - a millionaire sports star who gave it all up to fight with the US Army in Afghanistan, only to be killed by one of his own platoon.
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These two random memories surfaced a few weeks ago. They both happened while I was stripping, though the incidents were separated by a year or more. What I find interesting in revisiting the memories is my angry non-reaction. I think it’s a woman-thing more than a stripper-thing. You be the judge.
Chronologically, the first incident took place the night I met my escort mentor. I went to dance one night at Santa Fe Cabaret (now closed) for a DFWNites party. I even had a new outfit! I was blonde and tan — firmly in my Barbie doll phase.
Santa Fe had two dressing room areas. I chose the smaller, less crowded one. I wanted to give the regular employees the better area. It was only fair since I was just passing through for this night.
There was a man in the room who was sitting facing the whole dressing area talking to girls. He was an insurance agent. Santa Fe was giving its regular, long-term employees health insurance. (I never got that at any club I worked in.)
He never took his eyes off the girls coming and going (the room emptied onto the main floor, the bigger dressing room emptied onto the stage). I started preparing to change, hoping he would leave. How silly of me! Why would he go? I started changing, furious at his lack of manners. I thought of going into the other room to change, but my whole purpose in being in this room was to not take space away from the regular girls.
I was scowling. I could see it in the mirror (not that I scowl well). I was in profile to him the whole time, but…I had to get naked. By the time I removed my regular old cotton thong and put on my t-back I was so mad my arms were shaking and I had trouble balancing one leg at a time.
I wanted to smash the mirror with my shoe and put the shards into his eyes. Scratch that smirk off his face. (At one point he mumbled “Nice” and I wished for his dismemberment.) But, as is the way of all women, I was mostly mad at myself.
I didn’t speak up. I didn’t demand he leave. I didn’t feel like it was my space to make demands of, even though I felt I was being (visually) violated. I didn’t go into the other room because I didn’t want to be pushed out of my place, yet if it was “my” place, why didn’t I force him to leave? What’s with my stupid polite-girl shit when there’s no use for it?
The night wasn’t a total loss. I made a good friend (whom I still know). Had fun. Didn’t make too much money because it wasn’t that great a club and I didn’t like the floor layout, but everyone was nice. I went home and forgot about that guy. I haven’t thought about him for years. I’m not even sure how the memory came to mind, but it did.
Some girls at Baby Dolls told me I could find unique and inexpensive outfits at Plaza Latina, which is on Harry Hines (a notorious stroll in Dallas). I’m game.
I go there one afternoon, making sure to time my visit so I can leisurely shop and still get home before traffic piles up (so I can get ready for work and go out again). The Plaza Latina is a huge building with a ton of little booths inside; an indoor bazaar. It is certainly Hispanic in flavor, but isn’t crowded right now.
The stripper-wear store is right near the front and is the largest booth in the place, the size of a real store. It’s pretty obvious, but I still make a full circuit of the building just to be sure. I end up back in the store and start browsing. There are clothes on the walls and neatly packed into the space — I’d say about 50 items per square foot. Shoes and all sorts of other accessories too. Most of it doesn’t appeal to me, but let’s be honest: stripper clothes aren’t about good taste (at least not clothes for Baby Dolls).
One outfit immediately caught my eye and it ends up being the only one I try on. It’s blinding hot pink, made of small-weave net, with matching marabou trim. Marabou is sort of my trademark. The marabou trim on the skirt stiffens the hem, making it stand out a bit. It’s the sort of skirt I could twirl around in (were I given to twirling). The top is very cropped, with long sleeves and ties in a knot right between my breasts. My stripper-wear is usually more understated than this (even the blind would be able to see this in the club), but the price is right for an experiment. That’s what I came here for: something unique.
The dressing room is directly in front of the shop’s entrance. It has swinging half-doors like a saloon. These are bikini doors, though. The top brushes the top of my shoulders and the bottom barely comes down to mid-thigh. The place is empty except for the suspicious saleslady, so I hurry to change in and out of everything. Thank god I was the right height for the doors, although I could not bend over without my shirt on.
The skirt goes on. I whip off my t-shirt and bra to try on the top (since I don’t wear bras under my dresses in the club, I try on club-clothes sans bra for a true fit).
And I glance in the mirror to see eyes watching me. Actually, I can see down to the tops of his arms.
I can see him very well, which means he sees me just as well. The mirror, helpfully, is full-length against the back wall of the dressing cubby-hole. I’m topless and he grins.
If I turn around to face the doors, well, god knows what can be seen through the doors. They aren’t secured in any way. I can’t face the mirror anymore. I turn to the side, putting my back to the mirror as much as possible. Should I give him the finger? What difference would that make? He’s seen me half-naked without my permission. The fun of my quirky little outfit is gone.
The top fits beautifully and flatteringly. I yank myself out of it and put on my bra, fumbling with shaking fingers. I’m seething and feeling violated. My t-shirt goes on. I bend over to step out of the little skirt. I still have on my socks and underwear but I’m showing more leg than I normally do in public. I bump around the walls getting my jeans on. Then shoes. I wad up the outfit into a ball. I’ll buy it because I want it, but the joy has been ripped from my afternoon.
I step beyond the doors and see him standing to the side of my original sightline. There’s a woman with him who is browsing. The saleslady is helping a mother in the far corner. I glare at the man, who is still smiling. I go to the cash register to wait on the saleslady. He moves in my direction.
The saleslady is still chatting up the customer. I want to grab one of the stripper heels near the counter and bash his face in. How can I possibly explain, in a few concise words, that he had no right to view me in my private moment? That he ruined something that was fun? That he has taken away something from me?
The only solution my aching, pulsing brain can come up with is brute violence. That’s actually not so shocking. What’s worse is that I stay rooted to my spot. I do nothing but shake. My eyes are getting hot. I don’t want to cry because it will be misinterpreted.
This time I’m not even mad at myself. What could I have done? Yelled? Tried to embarrass him? That’s about it. (Not shop here anymore is the obvious solution. I’ve never been back.)
He whispers at me. He’s trying to introduce himself. And compliment my appearance — the gall. I don’t remember anything he said, nor can I even identify him in a line-up. But I remember the gist of it.
I want him to leave me alone. He asks questions about my work. I gesture to the heels. That makes no difference.
The saleslady rings up my purchase and I pay with cash, $20s and $1s. I realize how damning that is in this part of town. She pretends she doesn’t hear him. She pretends not to know why I’m mad. Or maybe she has no idea why I’ve taken offense to this man who is trying to engage me in conversation. She probably doesn’t care.
As I leave, he offers for me to come work for him. I spit out “I work for myself!” and stalk away. Not the most intelligent comeback, but I was doing good not to hit him as I turn sideways to move past him and a clothes rack. The woman he came in with eyes me as I go past.
I wasn’t mad because he thought I could be a hooker. That didn’t offend me. His violation of my space was one thing. Getting a free look was another. Him being a pimp was even worse. He was in business making money off women. He should not get a damn free thing from me. And he got it without even trying. I had no way of making him pay (symbolically or monetarily). No way to ever convince him it wasn’t his God-given right to spy on women in crappy dressing rooms.
Then he tries to recruit me. What — I’m supposed to be flattered? I know I’ve got a good body. I get offers for it every single night. He thinks he’s telling me something I don’t know or can’t fathom? I might be blonde, but I am not going to belong to him. I’m not that dumb.
Though both of these incidents involve stripping, that’s just what I was doing at the time. Street commentary by guys bothers me just as much, only it doesn’t involve me being naked.
I still don’t know how to handle these things or how I could’ve handled any of it better. Not seething with repressed rage is probably a place to start, but how to effectively take my rage out on the person who deserves it? How to change things so I no longer have to worry about this?
Would I react differently now? I sure hope so.
A while back a friend gave me some links on a series of blog posts about street harassment and the powerless, vulnerable way it makes women feel.
I do not want to feel afraid — but I do. It’s my body and suddenly it no longer belongs to me; it’s been shared without my permission. Loss of power indeed. A fundamental loss common to all women yet few men ever once experience it in their lives.
And the flushing hot anger that ultimately overwhelms my body and mind…every muscle tenses until I shake with unleashed energy, I feel red and volcanic — if I cry the tears are lava, all I hear is the fast-pounding sea inside me…I want to scream “Fuck off!” loud enough to rock the earth in its orbit. Loud enough so the lecherous, skulking men are permanently silenced. I want to unearth the secret of Medusa and turn them to stone.
Mostly, I want to push the anger out instead of sitting in my car, fuming, shaking, crying; the rage bouncing around inside of me, never to get out.
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39 thoughts on “a lech, a pimp and my rage”
“And the flushing hot anger that ultimately overwhelms my body and mind…every muscle tenses until I shake with unleashed energy…”
What I want to know is how anyone gets through life without experiencing this, because I’ve been there more times than I want to think about.
Amber says:
And the flushing hot anger that ultimately overwhelms my body and mind…every muscle tenses until I shake with unleashed energy, I feel red and volcanic — if I cry the tears are lava, all I hear is the fast-pounding sea inside me
In my mind, when I play out uncomfortable scenarios after the fact, I think of all kinds of ways I could/should have handled it better or at least differently. But most of the time, in the moment, I end up frozen. And then I’m extremely angry at myself.
And all my life, I’ve had this thing where I cry at the most inopportune times. For some reason, my anger often manifests itself as tears. And like you, what I HATE about tears is how others misinterpret them. So when I feel like I will cry the moment I speak or yell or anything, usually I stay silent, out of embarrassment and fear.
I still remember the night, almost ten years ago now, when I was out with some friends in Greenwich Village (when I was a freshman at NYU). We were walking along a crowded street, and all of a sudden this random guy comes up, puts his arm around me and starts walking alongside me, and whispering creepy things like “Oooh so nice.”
What did I do? Nothing. I stayed silent, I didn’t look at him, I kept walking, as if pretending he wasn’t there. After a few seconds he laughed and walked off. My friends were incredulous that I didn’t do anything. And I felt humiliated. I felt like I couldn’t explain to them what I had (or, rather, hadn’t) done.
Part of me thinks I should be ashamed to admit it, but I have a feeling a lot of women go through this kind of thing, and we need to talk about it…. how the reality is not always as hard-ass as the scenarios we play out in our minds.
2/22/2008 at 5:51 pm
Thank you for sharing Amber. And thank you for the affirmation, KD.
This post was hard to write to clearly express myself. And difficult to re-read. The “me toos” help more than you know.
Ian Thomas Healy says:
2/22/2008 at 10:13 pm
Although I’ve never been a stripper (really, aren’t you surprised at that?), I’ve experienced this situational rage, so I know exactly how you feel. In my case, I was working in a grocery store – I was an assistant manager working overnights. This guy came in, looking like he’d shaved with his wife’s razor, bleeding like a stuck pig, and was looking for the styptic pencils. The truth was we didn’t have them and I apologized and told him we didn’t have any. At that point he yelled at me that I was a liar and took a step toward me with his fists clenched. I don’t really remember what happened until later when I got to view the security camera video. Apparently I dropped what I was holding and raised my hands, not in supplication, but in preparation to beat this guy down (he was a foot taller than me and probably had fifty pounds on me). The security booth guy said the look on my face said “I’m going to kill you where you stand.” The customer must have recognized it and ran. Never piss off a curly-haired Irish boy, ya know?
I don’t smoke, but I took a cigarette from my boss and sat outside smoking for a good long while after that.
Ian,
Thanks for sharing.
But what did your rage stem from? Self-defense? Fear? Or a feeling that you had been violated and would be violated again with no recourse?
There is a difference.
Amber says:
Yeah, Ian, I think your story, while certainly an uncomfortable situation, is *majorly* different. And I think that difference was basically the whole point of what Amanda is getting at.
“For some reason, my anger often manifests itself as tears.”
This is embarassing to admit, but I also sometimes………no, I’m a guy. I can’t say that. Forget I started to say anything. I’ll just be around the corner here trying to feel male again.
2/24/2008 at 8:07 am
Didn’t realize you were a guy! You’re the first I’ve heard to admit to angry crying.
But why do you cry when you’re angry? Because you can’t properly express your anger? Part of it is self-anger? It just happens?
Though I doubt my descriptions of rage are unique to women, what I’m really exploring is the reasons behind it; most of which I feel are unique to women in America — and probably plenty of other socities. I don’t know many men who feel the same loss, powerlessness and self-directed anger women feel, sometimes on a daily basis.
I think it’s interesting that the two men commenting here have all focused on the rage part, and forgot all that came before it. I wasn’t talking simply about feeling mad. I spent about 1000 words talking about the reason why. To me, that’s the important part. Amber pointed that out too.
“I don’t know many men who feel the same loss, powerlessness and self-directed anger women feel, sometimes on a daily basis.”
It would probably be more accurate to say that you don’t know many men who have said anything about it. I made a joke about it, but it’s really not something guys talk about. I have mentioned this sort of thing around other guys occasionally, and one or two guys will say “I know what you’re talking about”, and then look down and not say anything else. I also read about research recently that seems to indicate that this is pretty common for men.
“I think it’s interesting that the two men commenting here have all focused on the rage part, and forgot all that came before it.”
No, I didn’t forget. Your post was painful to read. Each sentance recreated anger and feelings of helplessness. Guys don’t have to deal with people peeping while we’re naked (as far as I know), but we have other experiences that create those feelings. My comments deal with the physical expression of those feelings, and I make jokes, because that’s the only way I can admit to ever feeling weak and helpless. I didn’t forget anything,
You did devote a lot of words describing people’s actions in your stories, but you seemed to be emphasizing the emotions those actions created. If I misunderstood, then it’s my fault. I’m sorry.
While I personally have never had a problem with peeping toms, your stories are now linked in my memery with my own experiences of vulnerabilty. Before I might have been slow to respond when witnessing a similar invasion of privacy if I wasn’t sure how the woman felt about it. Now I know, and I know in a way that hurts. If that’s true for me, it’s probably true for a few other guys who read your post. So to balance the annoyance of having me butt in, you have the knowledge that you’ve probably done something useful.
I hope you get the responses from women that you were looking for.
I’ll clarify further; I don’t believe men have these same experiences/feelings on a daily basis that women do because of our sex. We all get lumps and bumps on the road of life, no avoiding that. The ones that women suffer simply because they’re women are extremely painful and often the most difficult to express. They’re also caused by things we rarely can control and are not likely to change.
Take verbal street harrassment. It’s a dilemma. If we ignore it, then we feel violated and angry at ourselves for not doing anything. If we talk back in some way, it’s always with the fear that this person who is bigger and stronger than us will physically harm us because they don’t like a mouthy bitch. Should something truly awful happen (like rape) and we go to court in an attempt to get the perpetrator convicted, then we know our own lives and sexuality (as well as what we were wearing, where we were and what we were doing) is going to be used against us to punish us for what happened. Maybe men face also face this dilemma on a daily basis. I don’t know.
The right to one’s body should be a basic human right, and, as a woman, it gets taken away on a daily basis. Maybe men experience this; I doubt it. Your bodies are pretty much your own your entire life. I don’t know how many men experience feelings of bodily violation in their lives (and no jokes about doctor’s visits).
I don’t call the pimp looking at me in the dressing room a “peeping Tom.” That really minimizes what happened, his motivations and my feelings. Maybe you think I’m being overly dramatic. If anything, I’ve underplayed both situations.
I’m glad I maybe gave a glimpse of standing in a woman’s shoes in certain situations. That’s great. (Although I don’t think this is reaching the men who really need to get the message!) Yes, I was hoping for more response from women. That’s important to me.
I appologize for interfering. I hope you get the responses you were looking for.
Amber says:
I don’t call the pimp looking at me in the dressing room a “peeping Tom.†That really minimizes what happened, his motivations and my feelings. Maybe you think I’m being overly dramatic. If anything, I’ve underplayed both situations.
Exactly. And that’s the part I think very, very few (if any) men are going to be able to truly understand.
When I sat in the CEO’s office of the small printing company I worked for in 2006, trying to describe to this overgrown frat boy why I was quitting due to various incidents of sexual harassment… when he wanted descriptions of the incidents, and as they were coming out of my mouth I knew to his ears they sounded trivial… and then I turned into the textbook case of everything I try not to be, apologizing for my reaction, etc… but I knew that I could try as hard as possible to make him get it, and he just wouldn’t. Ever.
virginialily says:
I think providers (especially women) fail to stand up and speak out for fear they may validate every assumption moral society has ever made. (ie: that we are emotionally unstable, angry, etc) and we try too hard to fight that…leaving ourselves and sometimes our very sanity in despair. We are trained from a very young age in this society to make “fear” based decisions. The industry only amplifies it.
It is difficult when faced with this reality to balance the “right” response, or any at all. Sometimes we win by walking away…even if it feels like we didn’t.
Provider or not, any woman should be entitled to a degree of privacy, personal space and dignity. These things are “givens” when deciding to speak up or take action. Often , it isn’t saying something that is difficult (we can ALL think of things to SAY..lol) but doing so in a way that hopefully enlightens the violater, and not validates thier reasoning for violating to begin with.
It is ok to humanize yourself..just do so without disrespecting yourself. After all, wasn’t the violation enough?
Great read. I can identify.
What a terrible experience. Talk about demeaning and dehumanizing…and no, there is never any way to properly explain. I think this is really the gap between the sexes; not what we want out of relationships or how our bodies metabolize food.
Yes, as someone who has been involved with sex work for most of my adult life, it’s always at the back of my mind that if I do anything to protect myself, sex work is going to be used against me.
I grew up in an area where anything that smacks of feminism is suspect; add sex work into the mix and you can see why I’m paralyzed in situations like this. It’s a stupid response but it’s because, like you said, I don’t see a good way out of it.
I’ve never found a way to humanize myself in these situations. My only solution is to move on afterwards. But the feelings don’t leave and I don’t want to carry them around. I’ve teared up several times while working on this post.
virginialily says:
2/26/2008 at 2:38 pm
Well, perhaps if you never find a way to vocalize them out loud, you can let them “go” in your writings.
Sometimes, getting it out of the mind and onto the paper can be enough. Sometimes, it is all we have.
Writing is cleansing…and it can help others. We were all given a gift. This one is yours.
Use it.
2/27/2008 at 9:32 am
Sometimes I’ve been able to get rid of something by writing it down, sometimes not.
AH says:
As a woman, why wouldn’t you have a physical reaction to some creep that may be able to hurt you, if he so tried?
Men violating your space are trying to also violate your psyche. That is what real domination is about-stabbing the psyche until a person breaks from the force.
The dude in the dressing room, the man staring at you as you were dressing, they are assholes who have decided that women are subjects. It only helps them to further be jackasses, due to the context ( club and dressing room in dance shop).
It is hard to tell people to leave one alone, when one is caught off guard or feeling vulnerable.
Memories come upon us when we have finally resolved the feelings or learned about what to do (response) the next time, I think.
I have a few men talk to me on the street, most just stare. I tell the rude talkers as nicely as I can that they are poor and should be off working, not staring at me.
Works every time.
Thanks for your thoughts. You articulated the meat of the problem so very well. I don’t like mental invasion.
LOVE your response to street harrassers. Will have to use that one!
Casey says:
I read this post days ago & can’t stop thinking about it. You’ve hit on such a huge issue, a deep & old wound in the soul of our entire gender. I won’t go on about specific incidents but suffice to say I’ve had similar ones with similar reactions…
I think my anger came as much from feeling helpless & shamed, as it did from the actual violations. I think I felt agry about being violated/used, then unable, (or unclear as to how) to stand up for myself – which made me furious. Anger turned inward, for me, usually became tears.
I was raised to feel shame about my body & sexuality & so I wonder if that internal shame was triggered, rendering me helpless, as if somehow I subconsciuosly thought I was to blame while intellectually knowing I wasn’t…
These days I feel so empowered, that when I hear the cat calls from men on the street, or some pig acts like he has a right to be in the dressing room eyeballing me (it’s happened), my first thought is one of pity — I see those men as so un-evolved that I actually pity them. I also see myself as so strong lately that those kind of weak men can’t really take anything from me.
Not only do they not bother me much, but I have no problem jumping on these opportunities they provide, to help them mature a little. Doing things like asking if their mother raised them to treat women with such disrespect, or simply demanding calmly & firmly that I be given my right to privacy. Whether they “get it”, comply, refuse, or start behaving even worse, is up to them, & it determines their karma, not mine.
My job is to stand up for myself, (while having compassion for the ignorant & immature if possible). If I do that, then I win. Period. That’s the challenge presented to me in these instances – I believe. Maybe some men/pigs will see the light, though most won’t and that is their problem.
My problem is only whether or not I can learn to state my needs. Whether anyone listens is irrelevent in the end. And when I’ve done that, all those ignorant/intimidating pigs cease to bother me. What they’ve done is help me become empowered by giving me opportunities to practice standing up for myself!
Let them all rot in hell – I can’t change the world, only build a shield of self-respect that deflects their attempts at diminution.
Casey,
Nice to see you here!
Women’s lack of reaction is such a huge part of our anger. You’re setting a great example of how to handle this. I’ll work on the “Casey comeback.” Very wise words.
Thank you.
4/25/2008 at 6:32 pm
It doesn’t matter what business anyone is in, these are horrific examples of invasion of privacy – you didn’t deserve it and have every right to be outraged. It must be incredibly frustrating to deal with people like that who come from the low-end of the gene pool and lack any real courtesy, manners or respect for others.
James Bond says:
If You dress like whores and act like whores, You get treated like whores.
What did You expect?
In one instance I was at work, in what was supposed to be a private area. In another instance I was in jeans and a t-shirt, shopping for clothing. I was silent the whole time (that was one of my points).
I don’t expect to change your mind, but I DO expect literate readers of my blog. Guess whores have higher standards of literacy than you seem capable of.
4/26/2008 at 6:09 pm
Thank you for understanding my point — basic human rights are just that, regardless of the particular situation.
TexRich says:
there’s really nothing you could have done except do what you really wanted, but it wouldnt be worth it in the end would have? yeah a few moments of satisfaction for beating down the ‘pervs’, wouldnt compare to the legal consequences. “the past is ancient history” Marlon Brando once said, I was a teenager when I first read it, it didnt sink in then, it really does now.
Well, some women are capable of extremely witty and cutting remarks that quell a situation instantly. I’m not one of those. My best defense is verbal and I hate that I can’t even use that. I would get some satisfaction if I could adequately express myself in these situations.
At the very least, I would be standing up for myself — which would make me feel good regardless of the outcome.
Quote “Getting a free look was another. Him being a pimp was even worse. He was in business making money off women. He should not get a damn free thing from me. And he got it without even trying. I had no way of making him pay (symbolically or monetarily).” Unquote
Oh my goodness he was trying get a glimpse of heaven. You think this fool is a pimp because he asked you to work for him. I am sorry this sounds more like a peeping tom not a Pimp just a lame trying to hit on you Amanda. He was in the business of making money off of women oh my goodness what a terrible thing. I sincerely doubt it believe me this was no Pimp. Also making money off of a woman isn’t always a terrible regardless of what these indy turned pseudo-feministas say. Look at Hugh Hefner he made a fortune off of woman and he is a wonderful man and human being. He is one of my heroes! But I can understand we have a right to privacy and feel violated when someone crosses those lines (especially peeping toms). Just because someone is an adult entertainer doesn’t give someone the right to treat you differently than any other person.
I don’t think the pimp was a fool. I think he was an asshole taking advantage of women. That’s not a fool, that’s a predator. I thought I was pretty clear on my feelings about this.
At this point, get your own blog and start posting there. I have no idea why you (and other pimps) have any interest in me. My tolerance ends here and now.
Dee says:
When you talk you teach , When you listen you learn.
Only a fool finds more pleasure in teaching than understanding.
11/24/2008 at 9:41 am
Are you referring to me, the pimp commenters or the men mentioned in my post?
Jen says:
A bit late to the party here – still working my way through your archives.
But a great big ME TOO goes out to you: my anger and rage always manifests itself as tears, especially when I feel violated and/or vulnerable. What makes it worse is I, too, am so afraid the tears will be misinterpreted – which makes me feel even more vulnerable and angry.
Fortunately, I’ve only had two experiences where I’ve been (mildly, I suppose, though the emotions aren’t mild) molested. And isn’t it sad we women say “only this many times” or “only to this degree”? It shouldn’t be an issue of how many times, or to what degree, but the fact that it happens at all.
Those weren’t the only times I’ve felt that white hot rage you described so well, either. Most of the time that happens is with my own mother. After I came out to her about my lifetsyle (BDSM), we had horrid arguements that left me feeling defenseless, vulnerable, violated, and dirtier than any man has ever made me feel. (I think it’s awful how women will do that to each other.) I hate arguing, mostly because I don’t know how to defend myself very well. I could never, ever, think of comebacks to her verbal attacks, which of course made her think she was right. I just think it’s incredibly difficult to defend yourself when your person, your very being is under assault. At least, I have a rediculous brain freeze whenever that happens.
At any rate *hugs* to you – I get where you’re coming from, and I can completely empathize.
A female crying is just a female crying — from the outside perspective. It IS enraging, isn’t it?
We do tend to dampen our own experiences. Is this because of societal pressures? Or as a coping mechanism? Or because we’re all hellishly aware that it could be worse and then how would we feel?
Men judge women’s appearances on a numerical scale, we judge bad things that happen to us on a relative scale. That’s messed up. Both ways.
I’m sorry you went through that with your own mother (I’m so very grateful to say my mother is more tolerant). I COMPLETELY know the feeling though. Substitute ” mother” with “my ex-boyfriend” and you have the last several months of our relationship.
It is hell.
Hugs right back to you.
Actually, I can think of several instances when I, a male, felt this sort of rage. However, these instances were created out of defensiveness for my girflriend.
One time was when my girlfriend was nearly raped by two guys at a party who put roofies in her drink. Needless to say, I was preparing to kill both of them before the justice system got hold of them. The worst part being that neither was put in jail. I’m just happy that another guy at the party found the room they were in and stopped her from getting raped.
Once my girlfriend had her boobs grabbed by a guy at school (I wasn’t around). At first I was pissed at the guy, but became angry at her for not reporting it to the administration (come on, if you don’t report this shit you might as well just accept it). Seriously, if you are ever violated it needs to be reported IMMEDIATELY.
I also remember being pissed on other instances, such as when guys would make fun of the way a girl’s body looks (E.G. “She’s lopsided!”). Guys are almost always critical of girl’s rears since guy’s tastes in girl’s behinds tend to vary quite a bit.
Really, the best way to deal with this sort of thing is to call them out. Yell ‘stop looking at me!’ in a pissed off way. Unfortunately, many of these egotistical guys are the same guys that get tons of female attention and adoration for the way they act. It is sort of a double-edged sword.
Your rage is probably quite simliar, but not the SAME as what a woman feels in these situations. I am VERY glad that you stopped your girlfriend’s impending rape and took these guys to court.
You also have to realize that justice is a long way off, especially if you do any sort of sex work (see one of the comments left here if you want a clear illustration of the attitude). The rage women feel is the understanding that there will rarely be any justice — even if reported.
And what exactly would I report? A man looking at me in a dressing booth? Do you honestly think the police would come out for that? Again, where would my justice come from? Not from the outside.
I agree that all women should stand up for themselves the moment they feel violated. It’s not easy. Not only because it’s giving these assholes validating attention (like you pointed out), but who knows if a strong-minded woman will set them off and instead of merely being visually violated, she’s physically harmed? Trust me, that goes through every women’s head in a situation like this.
It would be better if men reined in their actions and respected women’s human right to personal privacy and realize we’re not always here for the purposing of entertaining men (sometimes we’re actually just going about our own lives). For starters…
AZRogue says:
Very well written–and very interesting–blog. You’ve obviously put a lot of effort into it and it shows. A trite comment you’ve heard many times before, I’m sure, but it still needs to be said.
In regards to your rage, I think it’s perfectly understandable. As a man, I can’t say that I’ve ever experienced anything similar, and no basis for comparison even if I had. Your description, though, was very powerful and the emotions you painted can be recognized by anyone.
It has to be amazingly frustrating to have your person so *casually* violated while, at the same time, making you also feel powerless; after all, nearly any response you make to the situation would be viewed more negatively by society than the act you are responding to! How do you decide, in that moment where your emotions begin to shift out the side of your stomach, what the “appropriate” response is? Do you yell, and risk escalating things and having at least some people blame you for “making a big deal out of nothing?” Or do you satisfy your anger and tazer the guy in the gonads and then spend the night in jail for assault?
One of the comments above said that such invasions of personal privacy are assaults on the psyche and I think that that is probably pretty accurate. It’s a type of mental bullying. The best response (though probably not the MOST satisfying) would be, as mentioned above, to mentally bully the person back with some cutting comment tossed casually at their feet; king of like chopping their ego off at the knees. Not everyone has the knack to be that calculating while that pissed off, though.
To sum up, I think it boils down to bullying. Just because the behavior isn’t physical in nature doesn’t mean that the emotions caused are any less real or any less deserving of consideration … it just means that you are more limited when it comes to your response since society, for the most part, cares more about the action you take than the actual harm you cause.
Well, looking back at my comment, I’m not sure that made much sense. Either way, you have my sympathy and I wish you much success with your writing and your blog.
Your 3rd paragraph perfectly sums up the dilemma women face. And yes, some are capable of shooting off the ego at the knees — most are not. I’m not one of them (how many years did it take me to even express the incidents in this post?). Which just adds to the frustration.
In the future, it will help me knowing that a lot of men are on my side and sympathize. The comments have shown me that and it’s something I failed to acknowledge. Normal, sane men don’t appreciate the assholes either.
A bully…yes. Bullies don’t like to be confronted. I have a plan of action now — assuming I can get my brain to work at the right moment.
Thank you for your insight and welcome!
Hobbyist says:
I don’t think that those incidents have anything to do with stripping or escorting. You don’t cease to be a human being or give up your rights because of what you do, period. Justifying that crap from jerks based on profession or circumstances is literally blaming the victim.
These guys ARE bullies. And bullies are weak men who prey on others to feel strong. If you give them tears, flight, or anger, you’re playing into their hands. They feel powerful if they create a victim.
The cutting remarks (that should be rehearsed, for those of you who can freeze in the moment) are a good weapon. But there is a risk of blowback, direct (if the bully becomes physical or more abusive) or indirect (he may take his defeat out on a more vulnerable prey next time).
No, what I would give them is INDIFFERENCE. You’re aware that they’re there and hear their comments, but don’t care. They are nothing – not a man, and certainly not a stong one, so why bother with letting them register. Would you care if a dog trotted by and looked at you? You’d just glimpse and look away, right? Try that.
I once found myself next a very attractive and well known actress while she was changing and trying on outfits with her (female) stylist. Now I’m a gentleman (mostly), but it was my job to be there AND look in her direction.
Well, trust me on this, although I got an eyeful, I did not enjoy ANY of it. She couldn’t have cared less (actress and models are comfortable with nudity and looks from stangers, and so should sex workers) and I felt like furniture. I was not a man to her – exactly the opposite from what those bullies are after.
One can derive a feeling of power by being clothed next to someone naked, especially if there is a size/gender differential. The nazis did just that. But if you deny it, and actually realize how powerful a naked woman is, this can turn on the guy on a dime.
If the circumstances are such that you fear for your safety, I think that you should quietly get dressed and get someone’s attention ASAP. That lurker may be waiting for an opportunity to take things further, and if he ends up escalating, there’ll be a record. Cops may dismiss your feelings (they can be jerks too), but won’t be able to walk away if witnesses are involved and support your claims.
I’m truly sorry that women have to put up with such behaviors. Until all men have caught up with evolution, you’re stuck with learning how to cope, though.
As for the stares and compliments (forget catcalls), the day we don’t see you or appreciate female beauty… we won’t be men anymore and I’m not sure what use you’ll have for us!
Because of jerks like those you ladies described, I’ve had to completely inhibit myself around the other gender, and this is one reason why I enjoy sex workers so much – not to be a pig at all (that’s not me), but a man again.
Hobbyist says:
I’m quite comfortable being naked in front of people in a situation of my choosing. The two situations here were not of my choosing — obviously. For instance, there will never be a post about how violated I felt on the strip club stage because I never felt that way.
It’s hard for me to feign indifference when I feel rage. Very hard. I’d rather take it out on the person causing the rage. (And I actually like it when dogs glance at me, I think they’re being friendly. )
There are ways for men to look at women and appreciate them without violating them. I’ve seen it/experienced it in other countries. Nothing wrong with a man silently and non-aggressively telling a woman he thinks she’s hot. Everyone likes appreciation. American men sorely lack the knowledge of doing this right, though. I think our society is far too violent for its own good.
Comments are now closed.
This is the semi-personal site/blog of Amanda Brooks, author of The Internet Escort's Handbook series. After Hours doesn't directly discuss the books, though it does discuss writing and publishing. Amanda now blogs via handwritten letter.
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I participated in my first official speaking engagement this past weekend at the Refresh My Heart conference in Nebraska City. I didn’t expect to, but when a friend had to bow out at the last minute because of a family emergency, I agreed to step in. As I mentioned earlier, public speaking isn’t exactly my thing. Truthfully, I kept cursing under my breath during the four days leading up to the event. I was praying like a madwoman, too, but let’s be frank … I was also cursing.
I spoke twice – same material, two different audiences. The first session went really well. I couldn’t have asked for a more engaged, receptive audience. I was smooth as gelato. I worried I’d be a mumbly-jumbly Moses and I was articulate Aaron instead.
I was on a high.
And then? Two hours later, I bombed the second session. Big-time.
Honestly, I don’t know what happened. Like I said, it was the exact same material. But as I stood at the podium and looked out at the audience, I saw no fewer than three women dead asleep and another one in the back texting furiously. As I was speaking I worried about what she was texting: “This speaker rots! Snooze-o-rama! Bring me a coffee asap!” The rest of the women wore a glazed “for-the-love-of-the-land-make-her-stop-talking” look on their faces.
I panicked. Instead of Lamazing and recalibrating and doing something to recapture the audience, I simply panicked. I talked faster and faster and faster, bent on a single goal: to finish the talk, scurry off the stage and hide in the bathroom.
Later, a woman who had been in the second session said to me, “You did pretty well. Considering you only had four days to prepare.” I know. It was that bad.
I beat myself up during the entire 53-minute drive home. First I berated myself for rushing through the material, for choosing the topic I did and for not practicing enough. Then I obsessed over how I’d disappointed a roomful of women who had paid money to nap through my talk. And then finally, I beat myself up for not being my friend, the one who was supposed to speak, the one who clearly would have rocked the room and rocked Jesus and been way more successful.
Back home, though, curled in the fetal position under my grandmother’s afghan, I realized something — something that enabled me to see the gift in the experience, even in the failure.
I realized that in failing, I was humbled.
I admit, I can let success go to my head faster than a horse goes to hay. After that first session, I was feeling pretty cool, pretty confident. I was thinking I could take the speaking circuit by the horns, no problem. But the truth is, I’m not quite ready for the big leagues. There is a process to this, a necessary period of growth and learning. As it turns out, I have a lot to learn. Clearly I’m not going to snap my fingers and become Christian Speaker Extraordinaire overnight.
Franciscan priest Richard Rohr once said that he prays that God will humble him at least once a day. When I read that, I thought he was brave and perhaps mildly insane. After all, who actually wants to be humbled? Who wants to be intentionally and purposefully brought down, brought lower? As tough and uncomfortable as it is, though, I now see the power in being humbled. I see the power in humility. Humility is a gift, because it teaches me who, exactly, is in charge.
And it’s not, nor should it be, me.
When’s the last time you were properly humbled? Did you see it as a gift?
“God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We’ve finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.” (Romans 3:27-28, The Message)
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Triple Type A, “make it happen” (my dad’s favorite mantra) striver and achiever (I’m a 3 on the Enneagram, which tells you everything you need to know), but these days my striving looks more like sitting in silence on a park bench, my dog at my feet, as I slowly learn to let go of the false selves that have formed my identity for decades and lean toward uncovering who God created me to be.
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The oldest and perhaps most beautiful part of the Cathedral, the Lady Chapel offers its own organ, much admired lantern lights, its own private entrance as well as some of the most beautiful stained glass in the cathedral.
Everyman Theatre, Hope Street, Liverpool
St George's Hall, Liverpool
St George's Hall is on Lime Street in the centre of Liverpool, opposite Lime Street railway station. It is a building in Neoclassical style which contains concert halls and law courts, and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building
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The north coast is known for its world-class waves, while the south coast is known for its stunning beaches.
So whether you're looking for big waves or beautiful beaches, you'll find what you're looking for on the Dominican Republic's coasts.
Some of the best surf spots in the Dominican Republic include:
1. Encuentro Beach
Swimming
Common questions about the best surf spots in the Dominican Republic
Where is best surfing in Dominican Republic?
Is there good surf in Dominican Republic?
Is there surfing in Santo Domingo?
Are there waves in Punta Cana Dominican Republic?
Can you surf in Puerto Plata?
Does Punta Cana have good waves?
Is Cabarete good for surfing?
Is Sosua Beach good for beginners?
Are there any dangerous animals in the Dominican Republic?
Final thoughts
1. Encuentro Beach
The waves here are big and the currents are strong, so it's important to know what you're doing before you hit the water.
One of the most important things to do when surfing at Encuentro Beach is to know your limits.
The waves here can be very big and the currents can be very strong, so it's important to only go out as far as you feel comfortable.
If you're feeling uneasy at any point, just stay close to shore.
Another important thing to do when surfing at Encuentro Beach is to make sure you have the right gear.
You'll need a surfboard that is appropriate for your skill level, as well as a wetsuit to protect you from the elements.
It's also important to be aware of your surroundings when surfing at Encuentro Beach. Keep an eye on the other surfers around you and be sure to give them plenty of space. Also be aware of any obstacles in the water, such as rocks or reefs.
Are you an experienced surfer looking for a new challenge?
If so, Cabarete Beach in the Dominican Republic is the perfect spot for you. With its reputation for having some of the best waves in the country, Cabarete is a surfer's paradise. Read on to learn more about this beach and what makes it so special.
Cabarete is located on the north coast of the Dominican Republic and is well-known for its water sports scene. In addition to being a popular spot for surfing, Cabarete is also great for windsurfing, kitesurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding. The beach has something for everyone, which is why it's such a popular destination.
One of the things that makes Cabarete so great for surfing is the fact that there are two prevailing winds – the trade winds from the east and the northeasterly winds.
These winds create conditions that are perfect for both beginners and experienced surfers alike.
Sosua Beach is perfect for beginners, as its waves are smaller and more manageable. Additionally, the beach is situated in a bay, which provides additional protection from big waves.
And if you get tired of surfing, there's plenty of other things to do in Sosua, like swimming, sunbathing, and exploring the nearby town.
Some of the best beaches on the south coast include Playa Rincon, Las Terrenas, and Cabrera.
Playa Rincon is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and it's also a great surf spot. Situated on the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic, Playa Rincon stretches for nearly two miles and is bordered by coral reefs. These reefs create wave breaks that make surfing here a truly unique experience. In fact, many professional surfers consider Playa Rincon to be one of the best surfing spots in the world.
If you're looking for another perfect beach to add to your list, look no further than Las Terrenas. This beach is located on the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic and it's absolutely gorgeous. It's also perfect for surfing, swimming, and sunbathing. Let's take a closer look at each of these activities.
Las Terrenas is a great place to surf because the waves are large and they break evenly. You can find a good spot to surf no matter what your skill level is. Just be sure to stay away from the rocks!
Swimming
The water at Las Terrenas is crystal clear and it's perfect for swimming. There are also plenty of beach umbrellas and lounge chairs if you need a break from the sun.
The sand at Las Terrenas is soft and white, and the sun shines brightly all day long. It's the perfect place to relax and work on your tan.
La Romana is a small town located on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic.
Although it is not as well-known as some of the other beach towns in the DR, it is a hidden gem for surfers.
La Romana is known for its gentle waves and sandy beaches, making it an ideal spot for beginner and intermediate surfers.
In addition, the town has a laid-back vibe, and the locals are extremely friendly.
If you're looking for a place to catch some waves and relax on the beach, La Romana is definitely the place for you.
La Romana is known for its gentle waves, making it an ideal spot for beginner and intermediate surfers.
If you're just starting out, you'll be able to practice your surfing without feeling overwhelmed by big waves.
And if you've been surfing for awhile, you'll be able to enjoy yourself without having to worry about conditions that are too challenging.
In addition to being perfect for surfing, the beaches in La Romana are absolutely stunning. The sand is soft and white, and the water is crystal clear.
You'll definitely want to spend some time relaxing on the beach when you're not in the water catching waves.
One of the best things about La Romana is that it has a laid-back vibe.
This is definitely not one of those places where you have to spend all day sunbathing on the beach or partying all night long.
The beginner surfer will find Bayahibe to be the perfect spot to catch some waves.
Located on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic, Bayahibe is well known for having small waves and calm waters – making it ideal for those just starting out.
When surfing in Bayahibe, beginners can expect small but consistent waves that are great for practicing pop ups and carving turns.
The water is typically calm, providing beginner surfers with the perfect conditions to get used to being in the ocean and becoming comfortable on a surfboard.
Although the waves here are not as big as some of the other spots in the Dominican Republic, they are still enjoyable and provide a great introduction to surfing.
With its big waves and strong currents, Punta Cana is perfect for experienced surfers.
Punta Cana is known for its big waves and strong currents, so it's no surprise that experienced surfers love to visit here.
The best waves can be found at Playa Macao, Playa El Cortecito, and Playa Juanillo. Playa Macao is a great choice for beginners, with its wide beach and gentle waves.
Playa El Cortecito is perfect for those who are looking for a more challenging wave, while Playa Juanillo is ideal for those who want to really test their surfing skills.
No matter what your level of experience, there's a perfect wave waiting for you in Punta Cana.
Common questions about the best surf spots in the Dominican Republic
Where is best surfing in Dominican Republic?
The best surfing in the Dominican Republic is on the north and south coasts. The north coast is known for its world-class waves, while the south coast is known for its stunning beaches. So whether you're looking for big waves or beautiful beaches, you'll find what you're looking for on the Dominican Republic's coasts.
Is there good surf in Dominican Republic?
Yes, the Dominican Republic has some of the best surf spots in the world. The north coast is known for its world-class waves, while the south coast is known for its stunning beaches. So whether you're looking for big waves or beautiful beaches, you'll find what you're looking for on the Dominican Republic's coasts.
Is there surfing in Santo Domingo?
Yes, there is surfing in Santo Domingo. The best surfing is on the north and south coasts, with the north coast being known for its world-class waves and the south coast being known for its stunning beaches. So whether you're looking for big waves or beautiful beaches, you'll find what you're looking for on the Dominican Republic's coasts.
Are there waves in Punta Cana Dominican Republic?
Yes, there are waves in Punta Cana Dominican Republic.
Can you surf in Puerto Plata?
Yes, there is surfing in Puerto Plata.
Does Punta Cana have good waves?
Yes, Punta Cana has good waves for both beginners and experienced surfers. The waves are moderate in size and the currents are strong, making it a great spot for experienced surfers.
Is Cabarete good for surfing?
Yes, Cabarete is a great surf spot for experienced surfers. It has a reputation for being one of the best waves in the country.
Is Sosua Beach good for beginners?
Yes, Sosua Beach is perfect for beginners. Its waves are smaller and more gentle, making it a great place to learn how to surf.
Are there any dangerous animals in the Dominican Republic?
There are no dangerous animals in the Dominican Republic. However, there are some dangerous creatures that can be found in the waters off the coast, such as sharks and jellyfish. So it's always best to be cautious when swimming in the ocean.
Final thoughts
Dominican Republic is a surfer's dream, boasting world-class waves and mesmerizing beaches sprawled across its north and south coasts. With such an abundance of great surf spots, any level surfer can find the perfect wave for them. So what are you waiting for? The Dominican Republic awaits your surfing prowess!
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Your words carry a tremendous weight for those on your team. And too often, there are important phrases that get left out of our daily meetings, phone conversations, and emails. Here are 5 phrases that ministry leaders need to say more often.
1. Thank you.
Or “Great job.”
Or “We could not have done it without you.”
Or “I am glad that you are a part of the team.”
Team members need to know that their work is noticed and appreciated. I love this quotes by Andrew Carnegie:
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.”
The leader who takes absolute credit for success will not successfully lead a team for long. It is the leader who acknowledges that he is nothing without his team and praises them accordingly that continues to succeed.
If you are looking for a way to start thanking your team members, try writing a thank you note.
2. You make the decision.
Releasing decision-making authority can be difficult for some. The leader’s internal battle over this occurs because empowering others means that specific items might not get done in exactly the same way that would have done them. This is not to say that leaders should never make decisions, but the leader who does not eventually say “You make the decision” will find himself overwhelmed with details and having created a ceiling for the ministry.
3. How can I help you?
Always look for ways that you can assist your team members. The best way to determine what they need is simple – ask. And while you might not be able to do everything they want, you can help with, at least, a few items.
4. You failed, but I know you won’t do it again.
I have noticed that the simple acknowledgement of a team member’s failure greatly reduces the likelihood that they will ever repeat it. Carrying on about the failure or belittling the team member may stroke the leader’s ego, but does little to produce an improved team member. Great leaders have the ability to acknowledge the fail but not make team members feel like failures. Let your team member know that he or she is more than a single failure and that you have full confidence that they not do it again.
5. I made a mistake.
Because we all do. The leader who pretends that he or she does not make mistakes will have a team that is afraid to take risks.
Undoubtedly, there are other phrases that ministry leaders should say more often. If you have any recommended additions to the list, let me know.
Art Rainer serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a cofounder of Rainer Publishing. He has written two books, Raising Dad and Simple Life, and lives with his wife, Sarah, and two sons in Wake Forest, N.C.
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Okay, friendship is very good, but is not really what need using this pretty woman you can not avoid thinking about! Unfortuitously, that isn’t the first time it has took place. Sometimes you then become afraid and also make a change since you already feel that you are currently throughout the “Pal Zone.” Getting from the buddy region and why are the girls you adore usually the ones that would like to be family unit members?
Basic Circumstance. (Unfortunate but not hopeless): She is Perhaps not Towards the You.
It’s nobody’s blame. Eg men, female has actually their own choices. Trust in me, all of the moments a beneficial woman’s concept of the ‘primary man’ are surprising also in order to their nearest relatives!
You can be new cutest kid on the planet, wise, funny, with a decent-paying work, and even end up being most appealing to most other female, however, both You to definitely Girl Is just not On Your. She could be flattered that you’re teasing along with her and you will she could even address your attention when you look at the a good flirtatious way.
In the event the this woman is flirting, but merely wants to remain nearest and dearest, she most likely just has actually men interest. If you aren’t totally their sort of, she will most likely not wade or take their relationship to the latest “next level.” You could search nice, intelligent, and you can funny to the lady, but are simply not glamorous enough. Sounds tough, I am aware. The good news is, there are lots of strategies I will reveal to you which can use to changes their notice.
Basic, some examples: My personal companion is actually a totally stunning lady. The woman is wise, keeps an amazing laugh and you will enough time base. She most possess people kid! However, she are friend-zoning almost every kid exactly who reached her. Possibly there were extremely sensuous people exhibiting interest in the woman, but she still was not trying to find them. The reason are simple: she preferred just dark-skinned, muscle boys.
And when sweet guys having a unique sort of browse approached this lady, she would end up being amicable – she would thumb this lady huge laugh and bat the girl lashes, but she never ever went beyond one. She won’t compromise her choice in the a person you to definitely did not fits their sort of.
When you’re really or psychologically the alternative of her variety of, – particularly, you are a lovely, but quite a short son and you can she happens to like high ‘Viking type’ males – I’m very sorry, it probably cannot work-out. Whenever you are bartender and you will this woman is on men that work when you look at the funds or in the really love consultancy providers, it could be tough to make this girl.
This might occurs your amount of explanations: You’re definitely good playboy and you will she likes decent, bashful boys. You’re an accountant however, she’s only seeking artsy brands.. That doesn’t mean there are not any conditions, but constantly, if you’re not the woman sorts of, it will be altering the girl brain no matter what you will do.
Perchance you believe that this is simply not your situation? Performed she always time men the same as your, and may also she feel towards the your, but there’s something that you will always be doing wrong?
Second Scenario. You do something wrong, and therefore produced her begin to think about you just once the an effective friend.
If this is the situation, then there’s good news. It’s possible to transform the lady brain i am also going to inform you just how.
1. Keep cool and undertake the problem
Do not beg on her to give you a go, Previously. She generated a mindful decision to not ever end up being any other thing more than just friends with you. You ought to use new irrational, illogical side of this lady identity. It is possible to manage best for people who start putting quicker work on this lady plus work on your.
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From Nov. 3 through 6, NAPABA held its National Convention in Las Vegas at the Cosmopolitan, for three days of programming, meetings, plenary sessions and the 34th anniversary Gala capping things off on Saturday night.
AABANY members and friends once again came out in large numbers, with nearly 100 people signed up for AABANY’s WhatsApp group, organized by Co-VP of Programs and Operations Beatrice Leong. The group’s members updated each other on programs they planned to attend, made lunch and dinner plans, and connected with each other about various receptions, parties and events around Las Vegas.
Many bonds were made and strengthened among AABANY attendees over the course of the Convention, and many new connections were made with the approximately 2800 registered attendees from around the country.
We congratulate all the awardees and honorees recognized at the Convention, with special shout-outs to the following AABANY honorees:
We also congratulate AABANY Platinum Sponsor Allen & Overy on receiving the Law Firm Diversity Award.
The AABANY Trial Reenactment Team presented its latest production, “From ‘Tokyo Rose’ to the ‘China Initiative’: Espionage and AAPIs” on Friday afternoon, Nov. 4, to a capacity audience. We were privileged to be joined by Brian Sun, attorney for Wen Ho Lee, who shared his personal recollections from that landmark case in which a Chinese-American scientist was wrongly accused by the US government of divulging US nuclear secrets to China.
Many AABANY members and leaders spoke on several programs throughout the Convention. If you are among them, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Please send us your photos and, if possible, a short recap about your program. You can send it to main@aabany.org.
Congratulations to Sandra Leung, NAPABA’s new President, and Anna Mercado Clark, NAPABA’s new President-Elect. Both were sworn in by the Hon. Denny Chin, together with the entire NAPABA Board, during Saturday night’s Gala.
Thanks to NAPABA for putting on a great Convention, which included many first-time attendees. By all accounts, everyone had a wonderful time, learned a lot, forged new connections and renewed existing ones. We look forward to more great things to come in the next year!
Posted on April 4, 2022 April 4, 2022
AABANY Co-Sponsors Historic Reenactment: “Kung Flu”: A History of Violence and Hostility Against Asian Americans
On March 24, 2022 AABANY co-sponsored a reenactment on the history of anti-Asian violence and hostility at the New York City Bar Association in midtown Manhattan. The script was written by Kathy Hirata Chin and her husband, the Hon. Denny Chin, longtime leaders and supporters of AABANY, who spearheaded the AABANY Trial Reenactment project. “Kung Flu” marks the Trial Reenactment Team’s 14th production. “Kung Flu” was first performed to a standing room only audience at the NAPABA National Convention in Washington, DC, in December 2021.
The program examined the history of anti-Asian violence and hostility through narration, reenactment of court proceedings, and historic photos. Asian Americans did not hesitate to fight for their rights in the courts, and these cases raised issues that were — and still are — important to all Americans.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 10,000 incidents of violence and hostility against Asian Americans nationwide. But this is nothing new, for there is a long and little-known history of anti-Asian violence in this country — from the lynching of 15 Chinese in Los Angeles in 1871 to the expulsion of all the South Asian residents of Bellingham, Washington in 1907 to five days of rioting and attacks against Filipino men in Watsonville, California in 1930.
Likewise, the recent rhetoric about the “China virus” and “Kung Flu” is not the first time Asian Americans have been targeted over purported health concerns. In 1870, San Francisco passed two health ordinances that were enforced only against the “Chinese and Asiatics.” In 1900, amidst fears of the bubonic plague, San Francisco required “the inoculation of all Chinese residents” and quarantined Chinatown. The ordinances were not applied to members of any other groups.
The reenactment acknowledges the challenges Asian Americans have faced in the past and reminds us that much is still to be done.
We thank Judge Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin for leading the AABANY Trial Reenactment Team and all the participants for giving their time to raise awareness on anti-Asian violence and hostility. We thank the New York City Bar Association for co-sponsoring and allowing us to perform “Kung Flu” in the Great Hall. President Sheila Boston presented opening remarks at the start of the program and performed as Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald. To learn more about AABANY’s reenactments project, please visit https://reenactments.aabany.org/.
Posted on May 24, 2021 May 24, 2021
In The News: President Terry Shen and Past President Linda Lin’s Op-Ed on the Lack of Asian-American Representation in New York’s Courts Published in City & State
On May 20, 2021, City & State published an Op-Ed written by President Terry Shen and Past President Linda Lin of the Asian American Bar Association of New York.
In the Op-Ed, President Shen and Past President Lin describe how a wave of Anti-Asian violence swept across New York City in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and how the city government’s lackluster response to these incidents has not been enough to protect the AAPI community. According to the article, stronger Asian-American representation in New York’s courts can help to solve these issues. The article also highlights Kathy Hirata Chin, the only Asian-American candidate for the New York Court of Appeals, arguing that her appointment would be a landmark step towards greater racial diversity, justice, and equity. As stated by President Shen and Past President Lin: “Our government must be diverse to fulfill Lincoln’s vision of a nation ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people.’ The need in our city and state is urgent and necessary.”
To read the full article, click here.
Posted on June 10, 2019
In the News: AABANY Co-Sponsors Reenactment of Supreme Court Cases Ozawa & Thind
On May 23, 2019 AABANY co-sponsored a reenactment of the Supreme Court cases Takao Ozawa v. United States (1922) and United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923) in the Ceremonial Courtroom at 225 Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn. The two historical cases describe the exclusionary immigration policies that prevented Asian immigrants from becoming naturalized citizens. The reenactment scripts were written by longtime AABANY members Kathy Hirata Chin and her husband, the Hon. Denny Chin. The event was jointly sponsored by the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY) and was held in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, during the month of May. The event was covered by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported on the history of these reenactments, “The Chins began writing and performing these reenactments 12 years ago, and every year they create a new performance based on a different case. Judge Chin explained that they look for cases of importance historically and that still resonate today.”
To read the full article, please click here.
Posted on June 3, 2019
Kathy Hirata Chin Honored with the Inaugural Hong Yen Chang Award at the New York County Lawyers Association on May 28th
Many congratulations to longstanding AABANY member Kathy Hirata Chin on being honored by the Columbia Law School Association and Asian Columbia Alumni Association with the inaugural Hong Yen Chang Award at the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) at 14 Vesey Street on Tuesday, May 28. The event was co-sponsored by AABANY, the Asian Practice Committee of NYCLA, the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York, and the Network of Bar Leaders. We were joined by many AABANY community members and Columbia alumni. Ms. Chin is a 1980 graduate of the Columbia Law School.
The well-attended reception began with AABANY Development Director Margaret Ling providing a brief history of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. She highlighted two key dates in Asian American history: May 7th, when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States in 1842, and May 10th, when the transcontinental railroad was completed with the help of Chinese laborers in 1869.
Then, NYCLA’s secretary Jai Chandrasekhar welcomed guests to the reception and shared some of Hong Yen Chang’s achievements, including being the first Chinese person in the United States to graduate from an American law school, in 1886.
Next, the Hon. George B. Daniels shared some of Kathy Hirata Chin’s achievements as an accomplished litigator and community member.
Then, AABANY’s Executive Director Yang Chen read from the introduction to the Portrait Project, the first-ever comprehensive study of Asian Americans in the legal profession, which spoke on the progress today of Asian Americans as big firm lawyers, government attorneys, corporate counsel members, public defenders, judges and more—reaching “levels of legal participation unthinkable compared to just over 30 years ago.” He made this reference to comment on how far Asian Americans in the legal profession have come from Hong Yen Chang’s time and have yet to go.
Bridgette Ahn, the current president of the Network of Bar Leaders, then took the podium to share brief remarks on NYCLA’s work and mission. Rudy Carmenaty, the President of the Columbia Law School Association, followed up by illuminating more of Ms. Chin’s achievements and the reasons for holding the Hong Yen Chang reception.
Then, the honoree Kathy Hirata Chin shared an engaging presentation on Hong Yen Chang’s remarkable life, including many long forgotten and little known details about his achievements at a time when discriminatory laws and attitudes toward Asians were far more prevalent.
Finally, Ms. Chin was presented with the inaugural Hong Yen Chang award honoring her trailblazing achievements in the spirit of Hong Yen Chang. Her husband, the Hon. Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, added his reflections. He stated, “Kathy is a wonderful, caring, gracious, hard working, brilliant person. And beyond that, she is a terrific lawyer, a pioneer in her own right as an Asian American woman—a litigator—making her mark at a time when law firms were still holding events at male owning clubs. And there were zero Asian American partners.”
Regarding Ms. Chin’s accomplishments, as stated in AABANY’s press release, “[she] has handled dozens of appellate cases, concentrating her practice in healthcare and real estate…. She has served on Governor Mario M. Cuomo’s Judicial Screening Committee for the First Judicial Department from 1992-1994; the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Eastern District of New York from 1992-1999; the Gender Bias Committee of the Second Circuit Task Force on Gender, Race, and Ethnic Fairness; the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s Task Force to Increase Diversity in the Legal Profession; and Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye’s Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Elections from 2003-2006; and the New York County Lawyers’ Association Board of Directors. In April 2016, she was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the First Department Judicial Screening Committee. Since January 2016, Chin has served as a member of the Second Circuit Judicial Council Committee on Civic Education & Public Engagement, focusing on historic reenactments as a teaching tool. With her husband, the Hon. Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and teams of lawyers and judges from AABANY, she has developed and presented reenactments of famous cases such as Korematsu vs. U.S, to educate the community about the significant contributions of Asian Americans to the social, political and legal history of the United States.”
Regarding Hong Yen Chang, according to AABANY’s press release: “In 1872, 13-year-old Hong Yen Chang came to the United States to be groomed as a diplomat. He earned degrees from Yale University and Columbia University’s law school and passed the bar exam. However, after passing the bar examination, he was first denied admission because of his lack of U.S. citizenship due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. A special act of the New York Legislature (N.Y. L.1887 c. 249) allowed his admission despite this bar and in 1888, Hong Yen Chang reportedly became the first Asian American attorney admitted to the bar in New York. Hong Yen Chang then moved to California and applied for admission to the bar there but was denied in 1890 due to his lack of citizenship. Not until 2015 was this exclusion remedied, when the California Supreme Court granted an application from members of the UC Davis Asian Pacific American Law Students Association for posthumous admission of Hong Yen Chang.”
Please join AABANY in congratulating Kathy Hirata Chin on all of her achievements and on her well-deserved honor at the inaugural Hong Yen Chang reception.
Thanks to Kevin Hsi for providing the photos for this blog post.
Posted on May 28, 2019
AABANY Co-Sponsors: A Reenactment of Ozawa & Thind
On Thursday, May 23, 2019, AABANY and SABANY co-sponsored a trial reenactment of two Supreme Court cases, Takao Ozawa v. United States (1922), and United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923) at the Ceremonial Courtroom in 225 Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn. These cases revolved around the fight of two Asian Americans to become naturalized U.S. citizens.
Takao Ozawa, was born in Japan but moved to the United States at a young age in 1914. He attended the University of California, became a businessman, converted to Christianity, got married and had children in the United States. He sought to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, but his application was denied. His fight for citizenship went all the way to the Supreme Court, where he argued that people of Japanese descent should be classified as “free white persons” under the Naturalization Act of 1906. However, Justice Sutherland, writing for a unanimous Court, held that a person of Japanese descent could not be classified as “white.” In reaching that decision, the court relied on scientific evidence and found that the term “white persons” in the Naturalization Act of 1906 only includes persons of the “Caucasian race.”
Bhagat Singh was born in India and received his bachelor’s degree there before moving to the United States, seeking higher education in 1913. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of California and went on to give lectures in metaphysics. He also joined the U.S. Army during World War I and became the first turbaned Sikh man to serve alongside American soldiers. After the war ended, he was honorably discharged and applied for citizenship. His petition for citizenship was granted initially in Oregon, but government attorneys initiated proceedings to have it canceled on the grounds that he was not “white.” His case went to the Supreme Court, where he presented scientific evidence asserting that South Asians, such as himself, were actually of Aryan descent and therefore of the Caucasian race and thus he should be granted citizenship.
However, the Supreme Court held that even though it “may be true that the blond Scandinavian and the brown Hindu have a common ancestor in the dim reaches of antiquity … the average man knows perfectly well that there are unmistakable and profound differences between them today.” The court backtracked on the rationale it used in Ozawa, where it relied on scientific evidence to find that Takao Ozawa could not be classified as Caucasian, and therefore was ineligible for citizenship.
As a result of the Supreme Court’s rulings in Ozawa and Thind, many Asians were stripped of their citizenship retroactively, leading a man named Vaishno Das Bagai to take his own life. He left a note that read: “But now they come and say to me I am no longer an American citizen. What have I made of myself and my children? We cannot exercise our rights, we cannot leave this country. Humility and insults… blockades this way, and bridges burned behind.”
These two Supreme Court decisions are a stain on our great nation’s history. They set the precedent that being an American was not enough, that to be a real American you had to be “white” based on society’s perception of what qualifies as “white” during a given period of time in history.
The reenactment serves as a reminder of the struggles that Asian Americans had to endure in the past, and it highlights why we must continue to strive to create change for the future generations of Asian Americans.
We thank Judge Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin for leading the reenactment program and thank our judicial all-star cast which included: EDNY Chief Judge Hon. Dora Irizarry, Hon. Kiyo Matsumoto, Hon. Pamela Chen, Hon. Peggy Kuo, Hon. Sanket Bulsara, and Hon. Faviola Soto.
Thanks to SABANY for performing this re-enactment. AABANY was proud to be a co-sponsor, presenting 1.5 CLE credits in the Diversity & Inclusion category.
Posted on May 28, 2019
NEW YORK – May 24, 2019 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that Kathy Hirata Chin, Partner at Crowell & Moring LLP and longstanding member of AABANY, will be honored at the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) at the Inaugural Hong Yen Chang Reception on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The Columbia Law School Association and Asian Columbia Alumni Association are recognizing Ms. Chin with this honor, and the reception is co-sponsored by AABANY, the Asian Practice Committee of NYCLA, the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York, and the Network of Bar Leaders. Ms. Chin is a 1980 graduate of Columbia Law School.
In 1872, 13-year-old Hong Yen Chang came to the United States to be groomed as a diplomat. He earned degrees from Yale University and Columbia University’s law school and passed the bar exam. However, after passing the bar examination, he was first denied admission because of his lack of U.S. citizenship due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. A special act of the New York Legislature (N.Y. L.1887 c. 249) allowed his admission despite this bar and in 1888, Hong Yen Chang reportedly became the first Asian American attorney admitted to the bar in New York. Hong Yen Chang then moved to California and applied for admission to the bar there but was denied in 1890 due to his lack of citizenship. Not until 2015 was this exclusion remedied, when the California Supreme Court granted an application from members of the UC Davis Asian Pacific American Law Students Association for posthumous admission of Hong Yen Chang.
“Although the very first Asian American lawyer in New York State was admitted over 130 years ago, the legacy of exclusion, discrimination and bias continues to preserve a Bamboo Ceiling in 21st century America,” states AABANY President Brian Song. “We are grateful that Kathy Hirata Chin has been a vital champion, role model and trailblazer in the fight for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and are proud to count her among our most prominent members. We congratulate her on being selected to receive the Hong Yen Chang Award.”
Kathy Hirata Chin is an accomplished litigator who has handled dozens of appellate cases, concentrating her practice in healthcare and real estate. After graduating magna cum laude from Princeton University and graduating from Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and Editor-in-Chief of The Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, Ms. Chin joined Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, becoming one of the first minority and women Partners in 1990.
Nominated by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Ms. Chin served on the New York City Planning Commission from 1995-2001. Nominated by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Ms. Chin served on the New York City Commission to Combat Police Corruption in 2003. She has also served on Governor Mario M. Cuomo’s Judicial Screening Committee for the First Judicial Department from 1992-1994; the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the Eastern District of New York from 1992-1999; the Gender Bias Committee of the Second Circuit Task Force on Gender, Race, and Ethnic Fairness; the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s Task Force to Increase Diversity in the Legal Profession; and Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye’s Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Elections from 2003-2006; and the New York County Lawyers’ Association Board of Directors.
In December 2012 and again in December 2014, she was nominated for appointment to the State Court of Appeals by the New York State Commission on Judicial Nomination. In April 2016, she was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the First Department Judicial Screening Committee. Since January 2016, Kathy has served as a member of the Second Circuit Judicial Council Committee on Civic Education & Public Engagement, focusing on historic reenactments as a teaching tool. With her husband, the Hon. Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and teams of lawyers and judges from AABANY, she has developed and presented reenactments of famous cases such as Korematsu vs. U.S, to teach lawyers and the community about the significant contributions made by Asian Americans to the social, political and legal history of the United States.
Ms. Chin has played a critical role in initiating and sustaining change within many organizations, in the legal profession and the community. Please join AABANY in congratulating Ms. Chin on this well-deserved honor.
The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org
Follow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org
Find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/aabany
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Posted on April 8, 2019 April 8, 2019
AABANY Co-Sponsors: Trial Reenactment of Korematsu v. U.S.
On April 3, 2019, AABANY co-sponsored with Fordham APALSA and the Federal Bar Association a trial reenactment of the historical case, Korematsu v. U.S. in a packed Moot Courtroom at Fordham Law School.
As every seat in the spacious Moot Courtroom filled up and audience members began to stand along the sides, Dean Matthew Diller of Fordham Law School delivered passionate opening remarks. The Dean noted that the reenactment is vital to this time, for we not only need to remember the best of this nation, but also the worst of it. Judge Denny Chin, United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and his wife Kathy Hirata Chin played their usual roles of Narrators 1 and 2. The cast of the reenactment consisted of students and faculty from Fordham and a few members of the AABANY Trial Reenactment Team.
Korematsu’s struggles were recounted on a sunny afternoon in April 2019, yet a sense of heaviness that seemed to belong to an older time filled the room. Fred Korematsu was arrested during WWII for his disobedience of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Korematsu to an incarceration camp for being Japanese American. Korematsu spent the rest of his life fighting for justice. The performers’ voices were amplified through microphones, accompanied by PowerPoint slides projected onto the wall on the stage, guiding the audience through Korematsu’s decades-long struggle. When Fred Korematsu exclaimed on the stage, “The Supreme Courts’ decision meant that being an American was not enough — you also have to look like one; otherwise, you may be seen as an enemy of the state,” one cannot help but reflect on the differences and similarities of minority experiences between past and present.
The last part of the reenactment struck a thought-provoking and alarming note when the Korematsu case was overruled in a footnote in the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Hawaii, but the decision itself served as justification for the travel ban targeting Muslims, raising the question of whether one injustice was exchanged with another. The reenactment ended with a wave of prolonged and warm applause from the audience.
A Q&A session and a reception followed, ending the night with great food, drinks and company.
We thank Judge Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin for their continuing contributions to AABANY’s reenactment program. We thank Fordham Law School for hosting the event, and Fordham APALSA and the Federal Bar Association for co-sponsoring the reenactment. We thank the volunteer actors for delivering incredible performances. Last but not least, we thank everyone who attended the event for joining us in remembering Fred Korematsu and celebrating his achievements.
For more information on AABANY’s trial reenactment programs, visit our reenactment website at https://reenactments.aabany.org/.
Posted on March 5, 2018 December 4, 2018
Posted on February 15, 2018 December 4, 2018
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As a work and shipment Nurse, mama of two and originator associated with preferred Mommy work nursing assistant internet site and Instagram, she’s passionate about teaching anticipating mothers about birth and parenthood.
We seated lower with Liesel to fairly share very important—and oftentimes overlooked—parts of delivery: the postpartum years. She supplies advice and tips, numerous helpful suggestions along with her personal feel as both an L&D nursing assistant and a mom on this important opportunity post-birth.
Plenty of birthing parents become taken by surprise throughout postpartum duration. It feels like there’s most information available to you round the process of getting pregnant and giving birth, however when you are considering postpartum and healing, there’s a big gap. Why do you might think which?
Mostly i do believe it is diminished consciousness and misguided presumptions! Until lately, common U.S. maternity care rules best integrated one postpartum checkup. This leads to the myth that postpartum isn’t a big deal and this’s an occasion that does not wanted loads of focus or preparing.
Fortunately that the United states university of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now recommends that postpartum needs to be an ongoing procedure instead a single experience and that all birthing folks have experience of her medical care suppliers.
We’re nevertheless slowly learning to implement this—and numerous methods continue to be just seeing people at one six-week check out. Our medical system comes very short in offering postnatal look after the very typical challenges just about any individual meets after beginning. Our anatomies don’t only “snap straight back” as most of us think; our very own hormones, hips, core, urogenital systems and vitamins and mineral storage is significantly affected, also our very own interactions, self-image and adjustment to your specialist life. And this refers to a large problem because postpartum health outcome effect a person’s as a whole health as well as the wellness of potential future pregnancies.
You can find parts of the postpartum skills that appear like they’re more common and easily discussed—things like being sick, aching or added hormone. Are you able to talking a bit about those, and about many of the issues birthing mothers should expect postpartum that aren’t as commonly spoken of and may get them by wonder?
More typical design your raise up are genuine. Often when we explore postpartum, we talk about the thoughts and discomforts, which definitely are important and appropriate. What i’m saying is, I’m undecided where I’d become without a beneficial sitz bathe and dermoplast for these dang hemorrhoid flare ups. Oh, and the padsicles, we can’t your investment padsicles!
But here are a few of postpartum facts your don’t hear about as often—and I’m hoping to get the word around.
Postpartum anxieties: i will genuinely declare that before getting educated on this subject analysis (and having they for my self), I’d never ever also heard of this prior to. Apparent symptoms of postpartum anxiety (PPA) can include continuous worry, rushing ideas, disruption of rest and appetite plus actual problems like dizziness or hot flashes. After my personal knowledge about PPA, I wanted to make certain some other moms and dads had been conscious of it as well.
The improvement in identity. Particularly for very first time mothers, it’s hard to get ready for this. I always consider the estimate that says a birth of a child normally a birth of a mother. You about need certainly to mourn the loss of your own pre-mother personal.
Pelvic floors health. I think we do these types of a disservice to people having provided beginning nearby pelvic flooring rehab and fitness. It’s as well recognized that once you have a baby you’ll only pee their pants occasionally whenever you laugh or sneeze, or that your particular abs will not ever return collectively if they’ve split. And that’s not really genuine! All birthing folk should see a pelvic floors real specialist (PT) for around set up a baseline and determine as much as possible reap the benefits of some PT. I’m performing that opportunity, and our PT said that when we can intervene immediately after beginning, lots of people won’t are afflicted with things such as bladder control problems if you’re within 50s, sixties and beyond.
Breastfeeding. Nursing is usually challenging, particularly in inception, and studying as much as you are able to early and tilting on specialist assistance when you’re inside it is really essential.
Strange postpartum disorders. Things like cramping, muscle pains and genital serious pain are among the complete stranger, decreased spoken of postpartum issues that are often frequent after birth. These problems might not be on the radar but they are vital that you discover more about in order to determine what’s regular vs what’s maybe not during your postpartum course.
Your don’t stop talking concerning the incredible importance of prepping for postpartum years sugardaddie in the same manner your prep for pregnancy and taking residence infant. Why, and exactly what are multiple essential things mothers should do to arrange with this crucial for you personally to make sure a less strenuous healing?
There are a lot steps you can take pre-birth to get ready when it comes to postpartum duration. Below are a few i usually endorse:
Make support. Getting the right support positioned, whether that’s a specialist, group or family to help with dishes, housework, childcare, etc. is a significant one. Surround your self with people and experts who will allow you to. Discover brand-new moms and dad communities and nursing organizations locally or on line; these may be such a lifeline for brand new mothers, specifically if you don’t have actually a ton of family members about.
Discover babies. Find out about just how to care for a newborn and what to expect from newborn sleep. A lot of people buy a birth course (obviously vital and a passion of my own), but it’s in the same way vital that you read about that newborn attention. It can benefit such with stress and anxiety and self-confidence for brand new parents.
Ready to breastfeed. Simply take a breastfeeding course. First-time moms and dads frequently have the target to breastfeed and don’t realize the educational contour associated with they. I endured lowest give you the first time around, and I also really feature some of that to insufficient studies about so how usually I had to develop to nurse my baby.
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Weight Loss Gadgets Provide Data to Help Users Reach Diet Goals Weight Loss Gadgets Provide Data to Help Users Reach Diet Goals - Joseph Rosado MD
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Weight Loss Gadgets Provide Data to Help Users Reach Diet Goals Weight Loss Gadgets Provide Data to Help Users Reach Diet Goals
October 14, 2022
I felt a special kind of awe, then panic, watching my glucose levels skyrocket for the first time after relishing a cold beer on a sweltering summer evening. It was a biological push notification from the fluid just beneath my skin that the carbohydrate-packed beverage was interfering with efforts to maintain my health and weight.
For years, people with Type 1 diabetes have worn continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, to track blood sugar spikes and make sure they’re getting enough insulin. CGMs are small patches with tiny needles for sensors that prick the skin and are generally worn on the stomach or back of the arm.
Now, a wave of tech companies are selling CGMs to the public. That made me curious: Would this work for me? What would I learn?
The devices, linked to apps with personalized analytics and meal planning advice, are being touted as a behavior-changing path to better health and athletic performance, consistent energy, and overcoming the dreaded weight-loss-weight-gain cycle once and for all.
For people without diabetes, tracking the glycemic response to meals can pinpoint which foods significantly spike blood sugar, leading to a subsequent blood sugar crash and then lethargy. That excess insulin and glucose in the blood stream can also signal to the body to put the surplus sugar in storage, causing weight gain.
The new-age, health-monitoring ecosystem sprawls well beyond CGMs, leaving traditional step counters in the dust. A tracker in the form of a sleek, titanium ring made by Ultrahuman monitors movement and sleep — and can be paired with a glucose-monitoring patch. Whoop’s wearable technology, which tracks respiratory rate, blood oxygen, and other health metrics, can embed in a sports bra. Another device, the Lumen, analyzes breath to determine whether the user is burning carbs or fat.
The Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor. CGMs are available over-the-counter in Europe, so companies are betting that the FDA will approve them to be available on drugstore shelves in the US.
The market for this technology is huge, from Olympic athletes to office workers looking to avoid the post-lunch lull. The nation has long been in the throes of what is often referred to as an obesity epidemic. From 2017 through 2021, 26% of Americans, on average, said they were “seriously trying to lose weight,” and more than half said they would like to, according to Gallup surveys. And about 96 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, increasing their risk of developing chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prediabetes affects people who are both lean and overweight, though obesity does elevate diabetes risk.
Investors are taking note. Nearly $3.5 billion poured into U.S. weight loss digital health startups from 2020 through the first half of 2022, according to an analysis by venture fund Rock Health for KHN. CGM startups Levels, NutriSense, Signos, and January have raised more than $140 million in funding collectively, according to company funding database Crunchbase.
Ads online and in podcasts often feature active 20-somethings. They promise unique insights into how individual bodies react to food, exercise, and sleep in real time by homing in on metabolic health and how well users keep their glucose levels in check. “We’re taking on weight loss by giving every body a voice,” says CGM-based company Signos. A promo for Lumen shares: “You hold in your lungs the secret to sustainable weight loss.”
But even as people in the field have seen “significant” results from incorporating these tools into weight loss programs, they acknowledge that no single approach seems able to do it all. For instance, Eric Kusher, a doctor of chiropractic who runs an intensive weight loss program at Compass Fat Loss, said he still relies on the human element, too, falling back on his staff’s dietary advice, not the meal guidance provided by apps.
The reality layer is also important, said Dr. Nirav Shah, a senior scholar at Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center. “If you’re a harried mother trying to care for three kids and hold down a job, you’re not going to have time to monitor and create the perfect green shake,” he said. “You’re going to buy the dollar meal because that’s easier and cheaper for your kids — and then you’re going to eat whatever they don’t eat.”
For weight loss and inflammation flare-ups, Sarah Schacht, a 42-year-old government innovation consultant from Seattle, has tried all kinds of health tech, including Levels and Lumen. The generalized “eat less, move more” — flawed advice for many — wasn’t working for her. The Levels app lets the user log meals, exercise, and other notable events; combines the information with CGM data; and then offers insights and advice on how users can foster gentler glucose curves. Since starting Levels a year and a half ago, she has lost 5 pounds, her weight has stabilized, and the inflammatory responses have gone down. But her body has not dramatically changed, she said.
“I get the feeling that the few success stories I’ve seen, people who have radically changed their bodies, spend a lot of time on their eating strategy,” Schacht said. “Not everyone has that mental capacity, time, or budget.”
These devices aren’t covered by insurance, so, with related subscriptions for the data, costs can be hundreds of dollars annually. There is also scant research on CGMs’ effectiveness in improving the health of people without diabetes, let alone prompting weight loss. Without firm results, many health care providers are skeptical. Some experts also worry that the constant stream of data could prompt disordered eating.
Dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said she does not see the use of an expensive CGM for someone who doesn’t have diabetes, especially with new weight loss drugs within reach. Those drugs, of course, will also carry a hefty price tag.
“It’s hard work losing 10 pounds,” Apovian said. “A CGM is going to wipe out your money so you can’t join a gym.”
Most of the people who have insulin resistance and metabolic disease tend to be lower income and minorities who can’t afford CGMs, said Logan Delgado, co-owner of BioCoach. BioCoach has FDA clearance for its glucose and ketone meter, which checks glucose levels and tests for ketones in the blood — a sign the body is burning fat for energy. Its more traditional finger-prick technology keeps the subscription price down to $30 a month while still letting people without diabetes learn about their metabolic health, though not with continuous data. The company has amassed a large following on TikTok, where Delgado and others raise awareness about sugary foods and diabetes.
The CGM startups generally offer one of two CGMs: Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre, which is cheaper and requires a manual scan of the sensor by a smartphone, or the Bluetooth-connected Dexcom G6, which updates to a smartphone automatically. The monitors are provided to people without diabetes through “off-label” prescriptions because the FDA has not yet approved the tools for the general population.
CGMs are available over-the-counter in Europe, so companies are betting that the FDA will approve them to be available on drugstore shelves in the U.S. That should drive down the prices of the sensors, which can cost hundreds of dollars.
But already January says it can use artificial intelligence to predict a person’s glucose levels after a user wears a CGM for two weeks. The algorithm, backed by published research and a library of food nutrition data, can then predict the person’s glucose response to thousands of foods before the user decides what to eat, not after. This brings the cost down, essentially creating a virtual CGM, said Noosheen Hashemi, CEO of January. The company is rolling out a new version of its app this fall.
Across the board, the startups are largely working through the kinks, some still conducting the research to back up their marketed claims and taking different approaches to using the technology. A common theme for the startups, though, is going direct-to-consumer first — aiming for people who can afford the concept — before eventually seeking coverage from insurers, said Bill Evans, founder and general partner of Rock Health Capital.
The companies are also trying to add novel twists to how their apps use the data to reach health and weight-loss goals, each with libraries of informational blogs, lessons, and activities. They range in cost from hundreds of dollars annually to more than a thousand, with charges covering the price of the hardware, the subscription for wraparound services, and in some cases nutritionist support. The companies are banking on the idea that customers will sign on for the long term.
Taking a more wraparound approach, NutriSense has leaned heavily into building out an 80-person nutrition team that works closely with customers, according to Kara Collier, the company’s vice president of health.
Signos, which focuses on weight loss, uses artificial intelligence to set a “weight loss range” for customers depending on their general glucose ranges and level of fitness.
Out of curiosity, this reporter stuck a CGM on the back of her arm for 10 days and signed up for the Levels app. At first, the metrics were jarring. As a person without diabetes, I had never reckoned with my glucose levels before.
Then I started recognizing patterns that made sense: Drinking beer always spiked my glucose, but a bagel after a long morning walk kept my blood sugar relatively stable. Avocado toast or eggs for breakfast were better alternatives, though. And a salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, and turkey for lunch earned top marks.
Digesting data alongside every meal certainly made me think harder about what I ate and when I exercised. But it also felt like a lot of extra homework.
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A chill wind blew unsteadily from the Humber into the faces of those hardy folk in the Smiths/Stones/Findus Stand, on a grey evening. The pre-match warm up varied not one misplaced pass from the usual routine, but there was no Boylen cheerleading this time, just the distant sound of thunder as the crowd prepared themselves for more woe. Well, that was the Main Stand. There was a strange sense of fun pervading the Pontoon, as if the fans had really given up and were settling back to observe with amused detachment.
There were somewhere close to 1,000 Ipswichians gathered together in the gloom and once or twice we heard them sing something simple. That was before the game started, obviously. "Can you hear the Ipswich sing? Not yet, not yet", as the Pontoon whispered. Prior to the game Ronnie Moore, the Rotherham manager, was espied in the fish and chip shop formerly known as Hobsons. Make of this what you will. He likes to make mushy pea butties, which he constructed in the most dainty fashion.
Town lined up in the usual 4-4-2 formation as follows: Coyne, Ward, Ford, Raven, Barnard, Cooke, Santos, Pouton, Campbell, Kabba and Mansaram. The substitutes were Allaway, Rowan, Coldicott, Robinson and Livingstone. Interesting defence there, with none of Groves' first choices to be seen, to be sure. And gorgeous Georges in the centre of midfield. Bets were placed on how many minutes before he got a red card. Santos and Pouton together at last: potentially stirring, potentially bonkers. The return of the living Livvo was appropriately received by the crowd. We love him for the concept - its his aura that is important, not his body. He glows in the dark, you know, and glides six inches above the ground.
First half
Ipswich kicked off towards the Pontoon and, disgracefully, kept passing the ball. Don't they know the proper way to start a Division One match? You kick it out of play, five yards above and ten yards in front of the left/right winger. And in the time it took you to read that sentence they missed an open goal. They passed the ball up, down, across, back again, and over to their right, with Finidi George surging into the penalty area. Barnard flailed away with his feet, trying to make a connection with something, as George tried to go inside, about 10 yards from the by-line. Barnard managed a superb cross, low through the penalty area between the six-yard line and the penalty spot. The ball rolled behind a stocky player with fair hair (which describes all their players except the ones who weren't), who crossed back to the far post. Bent headed down and back across goal to Miller, seven yards out, in the centre and completely, totally and, to emphasise the point, utterly unmarked. He leant back, shaped his body beautifully and swept the ball a foot over the bar as the Pontoon "ahhhh"-ed gratefully. Now that was lucky. Perhaps Pouton's lob-tackle own goal was a defining moment, where bad luck went out with a bang?
Town looked far perkier than against Reading, with Mansaram and especially Kabba looking extremely lithe and quick. It helped that the Ipswich defence was clearly full of old men, and they seemed to play near the halfway line, leaving loads and loads of space for our Octopussy two to run into. But the Town defence still looked like strangers in the night, with Ipswich looking tasty, tasty, very very tasty, when they attacked. They had pace, power and precision passing. They carved Town up almost at will, especially down the left, with Finidi George almost literally licking his lips at the sight of a barbecued Barnard.
Ooo, here's another. Pass, pass, pass, a dink over the top and Bent was away, free at last down the Town left, like a budgerigar who'd spotted the cage door open when old Auntie Hilda was cleaning it. Try as he might, Auntie Hilda Raven couldn't catch Bent, who, when about 10 yards from goal and a few yards wide of Coyne's left hand post, sent a wonderfully wicked, wobbling shot into the Pontoon, sliced as finely as a loaf of bread.
Santos made his first appearance of the night to volley the ball into the empty seats 'twixt Osmond and Findus/Stones/Smiths Stands for a throw-in to Ipswich. Nothing much appeared to be going on, with Ipswich tapping the ball between their defenders, when, suddenly, Campbell dispossessed the last defender in the centre, about 30 yards out. He carried the ball forward and out to the left, spotted Kabba, who was furiously waving his arms about, and caressed the ball into the muscular motorman's flight path. KABBA sprinted forward into the area, awaited Marshall's advance and from about a dozen yards out in the centre-left of the penalty area, dinked the ball over the keeper into the centre right of the goal. It all happened so quickly the Town fans took a while to react. Then we did, and how. We then looked at our watches: only eight minutes gone - plenty of time for Town to cave in.
Ipswich continued to weave pretty patterns in front, around and behind the Town defence. Too pretty by half, as they seemed to want to score the perfect goal. The next worrisome moment came when the referee decided to ignore a blatant shove on Ford inside the area by Bent, who played the ball out to the unmarked Miller, about eight yards out, just to the right of goal. Coyne "stood tall" and kicked the shot away with his right boot. Town weren't appalling, just having difficulty with clearly superior opponents.
But the clues were there, as Town's strikers were causing problems for their defence. Ipswich players kept losing possession dozily, or passing directly to a Town player stood right in front them. You know, it was if they'd played three games in six days; they looked like they didn't really want to be in Cleethorpes on a cold October evening.
And from one of Ipswich's misplaced passes Town did it again. Ward intercepted a slow crossfield pass intended for Wright, who jogged back lightly. Ward knocked the ball forward on the ground to Cooke, just inside the Town half, near the touchline. Cooke dribbled forward and played a simple ball down the 'channel' for Kabba to sprint on to. Kabba duly did so, surged into the area, awaited Brown's tackle and ensured that he failed to stop himself falling over the sliding bones of Wayne Brown's body, mouldering in the grave. The referee pointed down towards what looked like the six-yard box, and it eventually transpired that a penalty had been awarded. The indestructible POUTON, Captain Scarlet for the night, picked up the ball, walked back and stroked a right-foot shot low into the net on the keeper's right-hand side. The keeper went the right way; so did the ball, but quicker. Not even 20 minutes gone and 2-0. Who'd have thought it, eh?
And still Monsieur Santos had not been spotted in anger. Despite his physical absence from the vicinity of the ball, he brought a certain something to the midfield, which looked far more solid. Perhaps it was because he seemed to take up 50 per cent of the pitch with his wide shoulders, or maybe he tried the old school bully trick, threatening to "sort them out later in the bikesheds" if one of the little Ipswichians had the temerity to run past him. You will be pleased to hear that Town eschewed the mind-numbing long ball thwackings of recent weeks, with passes carefully played to feet, or weighted properly into the spaces betwixt and between Ipswich defenders. I say defenders - they were more like a bunch of blokes strawberry picking.
Still Ipswich poured forward; they may have been hopeless at the back, but in midfield they weaved mighty handsome webs. Chances came and went like a DFS sale, now on! Some slick passing and flicks and tricks around the centre-left edge of the Town penalty area resulted in Wright hitting a first-time scruffy shot through Raven's legs. It bumbled and bobbled towards the bottom right-hand corner. Coyne scurried across and just managed to fingertip the ball around the post for a corner. The corner was half cleared, with McGreal, in the middle of the area, trying a cheeky back-header, which went straight, and slowly, to Coyne.
Holland had another scruffling first-time shot from the centre-right of the area, which trundled pleasantly into Coyne's arms and yet more joy and fun for the faithful when George was played in behind Barnard. George flew past the man who has arguably the best left foot on his body, got to the by-line and dragged a low cross back towards the penalty spot. Miller swooped in and swept the ball over the bar. Lovely.
There were more Ipswich efforts which proved harmless, initially worrying until they actually had a shot. Finidi George dragged a shot across the face of goal, the ball dribbling and drabbling a couple of yards wide of the right-hand post. They all seemed like that, either so mishit that the ball barely ran out of play, or they kept lifting the ball into the Pontoon. How frustrating it must be to be an Ipswich supporter. Such pretty football, so many chances, such rubbish shooting. At least Town are usually consistently rubbish, so we don't have that elusive, destructive thing called hope.
But today, today was different. Town were definitely 'up' for the game, buzzing and barnstorming through the first half. Kabba should have scored at least one more. He received a pass near the halfway line on the left with his back to goal, rolled, twisted and barged his way through three tackles, burst into the penalty area, cut across and, from about 10 yards out, to the left of centre, tried to whack the ball over Marshall, who came out and did a super point-blank block. About 10 minutes later he did the same thing on the other side, with Marshall again blocking bravely as our loan star terrified the Ipswich old men with his pace and muscles.
Apart from a Campbell free kick out on the Town left, which he curled through the penalty area just wide of Marshall's left-hand post, Town didn't have any other efforts on goal. So that was it, 'just' the two goals then. It could have been 4-4 at half time; it wasn't; and in celebration someone out near Sussex Rec sent up some fireworks. The crowd celebrated too, "woo"-ing as every rocket burst forth a million bright ambassadors of mourning for Ipswich.
A curious half, as Town looked the more clinical finishers of the two teams. Weird. Kabba played like a maniac, as in a good maniac. Ipswich were scared stiff of him. Mansaram was less effective, but still caused difficulties, with his puppet on a string routine. I-I-I-I-I-I-I wonder if one day that he'll con-trol the ball. He is entertaining, and I call as my first witness the moment he was sent free inside the Ipswich half. The ball bounced high; he controlled with a strange part of his body, sending the ball even higher. He stood on the ball; his arms shot out sideways like an albatross hanging motionless upon the air; he stumbled, twisted, turned, fell over the ball, was tackled, fell over the ball again, and eventually passed the ball out sideways.
Santos made three excellent blocks/headers inside the Town area in the last few minutes of the half. Hello Mr Santos, how are you today? He was economical with his movements, but they were good movements: no rabid assassination attempts were made. In the parlance of the pro, "controlled aggression". Campbell was quite sprightly, looking a bit more like the man he used be, casting aside the shadow hanging over he. And, in the end everyone was looking fine - no-one appeared out of their depth, or below par. Even Barnard was getting to grips with the onerous task of being Gallimore's replacement. He didn't try any sub-Gallimorian drag-backs, even doing some McDermottesque rolls and blocks off the ball. By the end of the half the back four looked like a unit.
The crowd roared the players off the pitch, turned to each other and smiled a vacant smile. Such uncharted territory this season. Goals! Excitement! Pleasure! Come on down to Fungus World. Our mushrooms are magic!
Last season, at the darkest hour, we had the Kestrel of Doom fluttering around the stands. Perhaps Town have found the Pixie of Hope, for wandering in front of the Pontoon at half time was a little man, with a big beard and gnomic woolly hat. The gnome named Grimble Grumble.
Stu's half time toilet talk
"I don't understand what's going off out there."
"Little Wardy's playing great."
"I don't go in the Main Stand, it's full of dentists."
"He claimed not to have noticed the rippling 50-foot inflatable bananas."
"Ward's my next door neighbour, you know."
Second half
After all that excitement, you'll need a few calming moments to collect your thoughts and stabilise your heartbeat. Which is what the first five minutes of the second half were. It seems Ipswich made a change at half time, but no-one noticed. They replaced Miller with someone who looked exactly like him, but didn't miss open goals. Mainly because he didn't get near enough to miss, which was fine by us. You see Ward's pocket? It's bulging. That's because their left winger was inside it.
After about five or six minutes Ipswich had a goal disallowed. It isn't worth describing in any detail, as the linesman's flag had been up ages before it was whacked in. The Ipswich fans and players hadn't noticed, but we had, and so had the referee. At least it woke them up and gave them something to chunter about on the long and winding road back to Suffolk.
Ipswich pressed, without much conviction and certainly without the incision and precision of the first half. Town were much tighter at the back, far more organised, with Ward and Raven having particularly fine games. Ipswich were adept at switching play from one side of the pitch to the other, seeking to send the wingers behind our full backs, with Ward seemingly the targeted weak spot. He wasn't. Ipswich had a few half-scrambles in the Town area, a few headers softly lolloping to Coyne, a few shots from outside the area that went high and wide. So nothing worrying at all. There was some concern that Town were doing their old trick of sinking further and further back inviting a couple of sucker right hooks, but hey, the world is different now. The foot is in the other boot these days. Well, it was on Tuesday.
After about an hour Ipswich had another corner, another aimless cross into the middle of the penalty area, half cleared, returned and cleared again to Mansaram just outside the area in the middle. He turned and passed to Kabba in the centre near the halfway line. Kabba zipped forward, driving at the heart of the retreating Ipswich defence. A huge, huge gap opened up down the Ipswich left into which Santos, the hard nut who is Cape Verde's finest export after soft fruit, loped. From near the corner of the penalty area, about 20 yards out, he hit a superb, fast, low cross in between the goalkeeper and the panicking defence. KABBA, about seven yards out, almost level with the far post, sailed gracefully through the air to volley the low ball to the 'keeper's right. In Town terms it was magnificent - a fast counterattack, destroying, shredding and obliterating the opposition, and a great finish. It was exactly the sort of goal that is usually scored against Town.
And the fans did sing and dance all night, those memories of March came flooding back. Irrepressible, passionate football that swept aside the unwary and complacent opponent. Town players were in full flow, finally looking like a decent first division team. It's only taken two months. And, in celebrating the goal, the whole team ran over to hug Groves, led by Kabba, which was nice.
Almost immediately after the goal Mansaram was replaced by Livingstone, with both players receiving massive ovations. Livvo didn't so much sprint on as get on the pitch. Generally the ball was played to his feet, but once or twice, especially towards the end of the game, he headed the ball, and we all winced. Livvo's physical contribution was, errr, negligible. He did have one effort on goal, just after he came on. Set free down the Town left he tried the most delicate of lobs from 20 yards, which arced beautifully into Marshall's midriff.
Kabba almost scored another with about 20 minutes left. Town played some nice one-touch passing football down the right, with Ward twice dispossessing Ipswich players to maintain the pressure. Cooke, about 25 yards out, hovering just in front o the defensive line, played a brilliantly weighted pass between the left back and centre back. Kabba hared on and attempted to dink the ball over the sprawling Marshall, who just managed to block. The ball bounced loose, but into the path of the now rolling Marshall.
A couple of minutes later, for the nth time, Kabba rolled around after a challenge holding his leg. This time it was serious as he pulled up limping, clutching his hamstring, immediately hobbling off the pitch and calling for the physio. So, with 15 minutes left, young Mr Robinson arrived as his replacement.
Within a minute or so he should have scored. A simple ball over the top was missed by one of the ageing rockers in the Ipswich defence and Robinson was away, free behind the defence and in the centre. He bumbled the ball goalwards, chased it and, from about 15 yards out, to the right of centre, wellied an awful, slicing right-footed shot just underneath the roof of the Pontoon, way wide of goal. This boy's a natural for Town! About five minutes later he was off again. Sent free down the Town left he took a while to compose himself before cutting inside and trying a deft chip from 20 yards. He got more elevation on it and I am sure that if Marshall hadn't caught it the ball would have spun back to within a foot or so of the hole. It was such a lovely sand iron from the middle of the fairway. A gimme, and Marshall took it.
Woah, there's more where that came from. Somewhere in the last few minutes Robinson was sent free down the Town right. He drove into the penalty area like a man with a C-reg Nissan Cherry. Drifted wide of goal and, from a narrow angle six or seven yards wide of the goal, dragged a shot across goal, the ball rumbling and tumbling a yard wide of the keeper's right-hand post. He fits in so well, doesn't he. Like a smaller, faster Livvo, with echoes of a distant time, ol' tirelessly Nogan.
Cooke got in on the act of chipping badly, chipping badly straight at the keeper from 20 yards, when a pass to Big Georgie would have been a better option. Oh, and Cooke tried one of those Ipswich specialities, a low scuffler, which, like their shots, was untroubling to a sentient being. Campbell had a super little dribble down the left and fell down in the area. No penalty given - not surprisingly, as it wasn't a very good fall.
Ipswich didn't give up and continued to play the same passing game that looks so nice. It was like watching a superior version of Alan Buckley's Grimsby teams. But still they couldn't shoot. A couple of long shots wafted on to the Osmond Stand roof; another couple of weak headers, straight at Coyne; and finally Cyril, isn't this where we came in? A fast break down their left, a low, fast cross and a midfielder slid in, unmarked about 10 yards out, carefully placing a volley over the scoreboard to a land far, far away, where Noggin the Nog lived with his friends, i.e. the Memorial Hall car park.
There were four minutes of added time, which meant that Coldicott had 10 minutes on the pitch, having replaced Ward and gone straight to right back. Ward got the applause he deserved.
So there we are then, another win - two in three games, which is a statistical improvement. More importantly, the team, individually and collectively, is starting to look like it's 'any good' again. Not wonderful, but certainly competent. That's a huge step forward for man, a giant leap forward for Barnard-kind.
But what have they done? Just as we'd given up, the fingertips get a slightly firmer grip on that ledge. Why do they give us hope? It's cruel.
Another dozen games like that and we'd just about be safe. Simple, isn't it.
I won't fall for Pouton's last-minute double step-over and cross, but he was much, much better than has become the norm. Santos seems to have 'presence', and what a wonderful cross. Oooh, I could go in about them all, but, to make up for Saturday's lack of MoM there is a double nomination today, for vastly different reasons. KABBA and WARD. Kabba virtually crushed them on his own, becoming what we thought he was, but hadn't been yet. The highest compliment to be paid to Ward is that we did not miss McDermott at all. Cool and composed in both defence and attack, have we got McD's long-term successor here? Careful nurturing required. He looked very good.
Seemed to only want to book players for not retreating at free kicks, yet didn't bother to book two Ipswich players who wouldn't go when he marched through Georgia to get them back. Turning to look at him and contemptuously shuffling two inches: it was farcical, given that the referee was about five yards behind them. He gave the penalty, so no points taken away for being kind to us. Mmm...overall, a bit anonymous. I digress; you just want to know the scores on the doors, Isla. 6.27.
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Fergus and I have been doing a lot of beach walking. It’s the best therapy … I always start out thinking I’m only going to do part of the beach because I’m tired but once I get going I do the whole thing and always feel so much better.
The weather has gotten really cold and I’m still having a hard time regulating my temperature. Today we walked the beach and I was so bundled up that I got overheated and started to feel sick/dizzy.
I got the car and ripped off my toque and jacket and drank some water. It took a few minutes but then I started to feel better. Ugh. Stupid internal thermometer.
We’ve had a little snow this week and that puts the whole city into a tizzy. NOBODY here can drive in the snow. I don’t know why people think they need to speedup when in fact they should just slow down.
It makes my daily drive back and forth to the hospital pretty stressful and unfortunately I think more snow is on it’s way. I’m hoping Mother Nature will back off until after my radiation is done.
Luckily I live about 15 blocks from the hospital so if worse comes to worst I can walk there. I feel bad for the people who have to come from up island for treatment. I can’t imagine navigating the highway in this weather.
I’m so stressed that the snow will make it impossible for me to do my treatment. It must sound so funny to the rest of you (who live in wintery climates) but Victoria has no infrastructure for snow … so the whole city just shuts down. I don’t want to postpone my radiation. I want to get this done!
This week they turned on the Xmas music at the hospital. I don’t celebrate Christmas. Nothing against it. If you want to do it … great. Gerry and I opted out over 15 years ago and have no interest.
I expect Xmas music in the mall … but there is nothing worse then sitting in a waiting room waiting for radiation and having to listen to banal sugary holiday music.
Thankfully Gerry told me about the volume control in the waiting room so as soon as I get to the radiation waiting room I turn it off. Ahhhh. Peace and quiet.
I am really starting to feel the heat from the radiation. My whole right chest panel is red (like a sunburn) as well as my shoulder blade. The radiation goes RIGHT THROUGH ME! Gak!
Yesterday and today were the first days since I started radiation that I felt like I needed to nap. So I did.
It’s been a tiring week. Gerry’s been sick with a cold so I’ve been taking care of him, taking care of me and taking care of Fergus plus all the house stuff. Usually Gerry and I tag-team everything but this is the first time in a long time that I had to do almost everything myself. Plus poor Gerry was coughing so much. He wakes me up a couple thousand times a night so he’s been sleeping in the guest room till he’s better. Poor dear.Â
But he’s on the mend now so that makes me happy. My parents came to visit me on Sunday which was so wonderful and lovely (we went for brunch and wandered around) but I think I pooped myself out a little.
I woke up this morning having a full-on panic attack. It’s so weird to have a sleeping panic attack. Ugh. It’s the worst feeling. I’m re-starting therapy this week and I think I’m having anxiety about working on my anxiety. Ha ha.
Actually lots of hair is coming back. I found a long weird gray hair coming out of my chin. WTF? Did that grow overnight? How did I not see it? *yank*
Yesterday I woke up to find 6 or so weird black hairs growing out of the middle of my cheek. I pulled on one with a tweezer and it came out like it wasn’t attached. So I yanked the rest and none of them were rooted in my skin. What the hell?
Gerry thinks it’s from the chemo. It does so many weird things to you …
Everyone keeps asking me if I’m excited about my treatment being over … truth is I can’t really think about it. I still have 10x sessions left. That’s 2 weeks of treatment. It doesn’t sound like much but if I start looking too far ahead then the sessions I do tomorrow will feel like torture. You know what I mean? Slow and stead wins the race.
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1 Response to 10 to go!
Sheila says:
10 December, 2013 at 5:19 am
It’s great that you have a sense of humor, especially about hair growing back after chemo. My wavy red hair came back in tight little frizzy curls hugging my head. I kept getting the excess frizz trimmed and soon I had my old head of hair back. My chemo nurse joked that she curled my hair for me. It is a little strange the way it comes back, and it is different for everyone, but it is great to have hair again. It is the first visible sign that you are getting back to normal (whatever that is!).
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Hello, and welcome to this article in How to Train Your Corgi. This course is designed to give you all the information that you need to be able to teach your dog. The course will we will cover everything from crate training through obedience training and Housebreaking 101. After this course, you'll have the skills you require to effectively train your dog and build bonds to your pet. Where are corgi races.
Corgis are a kind of herding dog that were first bred in Wales. They are now one of the most well-known dog breeds in the United States. Corgis are smart, fun and affectionate canines that make great family pets.
While corgis are generally easy to train, there are a few points to keep in mind while training your corgi. Firstof all, corgis are herding dogs, so they have a strong desire to chase and herd animals. This can make potty training challenging, as your pet may try to herd your other pets to the backyard instead of using the bathroom by themselves.
The second reason is that corgis are food-motivated, so you should use treats as rewards to encourage good behavior in training. However, you should also be careful not to overfeed your pet, since they can be susceptible to becoming obese.
Furthermore, due to their herding instincts corgis might nip people's heels when they get exuberant or stressed. While this behavior is usually harmless, it could be annoying or dangerous if not properly controlled. This is why it is crucial to teach your corgi not to poke at other others' heels during training.
In the event that you remember these guidelines in mind while training your corgi, you will be on the right track to having a calm and happy pet!
The Benefits
If you're considering buying a dog, you may be contemplating whether you should do it's training yourself or send it to professional trainers. While there are some advantages to both approaches that training your corgi on your own could be more affordable and practical. It also lets you be a part of your dog's life and adapt the training to their personal preferences and personality.
Benefits of Doing It Yourself:
-You can do it in your pace, and on your personal schedule. You can adapt the training according to your dog's individual preferences and personality. -You will have a stronger bond with your dog because you've taught them by yourself. It's usually less expensive than having your dog go to professional trainers.
Here's The Process
Training your Corgi can be a challenge, but it's important to start teaching your dog good behavior when you can. The earlier you begin with your training, the more effective! You'll need to remain patient and consistent in what you've learned, but once you persevere then you'll be able have a nice Corgi in no time. This article will explain all you should be aware of when training your Corgi from potty training and obedience exercises.
Corgis are known for being difficult to train for potty training. But, with perseverance and patience, you can train your pet to potty outside. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:
Start by keeping your pet in a routine of regular toileting. Get them out early each morning. They should also go following every meal, and just before the time of bed. When you take your corgi out to potty, bring them to the exact spot each time. This will help them associate that location with the idea of going to the bathroom. Make sure you thank your corgi every time they are potty-trained in the right place. This will encourage good behavior. -If your corgi is in a mess Clean it up as soon as you notice and don't scold them. This will only make them more afraid of going potty in front of you.
Corgis are active, intelligent canines that require firm but loving training from an early age. Like all breeds it is crucial to socialize a well-rounded dog, but this is even more important for this herding breed. Corgis are prone to being suspicious of strangers and need to be exposed to various types of people, places and environments from an early age. The right socialization habits will enable your corgi to grow into an confident and content adult pet.
As with other dogs, corgis also require the basics of obedience. Commands such as sit, stay, come, go, down and let it go are crucial for all dogs to be aware of. These commands are not just a the foundation for further training, but they also help keep your dog in safe situations. For example, the stay command will prevent your dog from running down the street in pursuit of an animal, such as a squirrel or cat.
Here are some helpful tips to teach your dog basic obedience commands:
1. Begin with short training sessions (5-10 minute) slowly increasing the length of the sessions as your dog ages. Where are corgi races.
2. Positive reinforcement methods like rewards or praises to reward your dog when he obeys an order. Do not use negative reinforcements like scolding or punishment, as this can lead to aggression or fear.
3. Be consistent with your commands and make use of the same word or phrase when asking your dog to perform a task. For instance, if would like your dog to sit down, you should always say "sit" rather than "sit down" or "sitting" so that he isn't confused.
4. You can practice each command in different locations and with different obstacles so that your dog learns to obey regardless of what's going on around him
Behavioral Training
Training your Corgi should begin the moment you welcome him home. It's never too to early (or to late) to start teaching your pet the proper manners or tricks, as well as obedience. A well-behaved Corgi is a pleasure to have around, and behavior training can be beneficial for both you and your pet. Here are some basics to help you start:
1. Choose a peaceful area at your home for training sessions, where you can avoid distractions.
2. Utilize positive reinforcement methods including treats or praise, to reward your Corgi for good behavior.
3. Keep your word with your commands and praise, so your Corgi knows what he is being rewarded for.
4. Be patient and keep training sessions short (5-10 minutes is the best), so that your Corgi doesn't become frustrated or bored.
5. Don't forget to have the time of your life! Training should be fun for both you and your pet.
Examples of Exercises
Training exercises for corgis are crucial for teaching your corgi to behave. There are many different exercises that you can try with your pet to teach them how to behave. Potty training, obedience training and socialization are important parts of corgi training.
Begin with your puppy on a lead inside. Let him follow you around as you walk around the house. When he gets ahead of you, or falls behind, give him a gentle pull on the leash and call out "corgi" in a happy voice. When he is catching up, praised him and reward him with a treat. If he continues to be beside you, treat him with additional treats and applaud him.
Take your time with this exercise and don't try to rush the process. It can take several weeks for your puppy to get the knack of it, but eventually, they will begin to sit by your side without being pulled. When he's consistent in his behavior, you can start taking him on short walks.
Training Your Corgi to Leave It
One of the most important commands that you can teach your dog can be "leave the area." This command can come in handy in a variety of situations, such as when your dog is eating on something that he shouldn't or when you drop something on the ground and he decides to chase it.
Here's how you can get your dog to accept the "leave it" command:
Start by placing a treat in your palm and giving it towards your pet. -Allow him to examine it before closing your hand around the treat. -Hold your fist close to his nose and say "leave the treat." If he does not back away from your fist, hand him the treat. Repeat the process several times. Once he's comfortable placing treats in your hands, try placing the treat in your palm to allow him to utilize his sense of smell to the fullest extent. Then, you can try placing it on the ground and letting him know. If he goes for the treat, wrap it with your hand and tell him to "leave it" in a firm way. When he backs away you can give him a treat by using your other hand. - Practice this until he's consistently responding Try various objects, such as an item of food that he's unlikely to receive.
A very important commands you can teach your dog can be "drop it." This command is essential for making sure your dog isn't chewing on things that he shouldn't. It is also useful for making him give up treats or toys.
Here's how you can teach your Corgi the "drop the it" command:
1. Start by putting a treat in your palm. Show it to your dog, then let him take a sniff. 2. When he's smelled the sweet, say "drop it" with a firm tone. 3. Put your hands around the treat to make sure he doesn't access it. 4. After a short time then, you can open your hands and offer him the treat. 5. Repeat this step a few times until he's got the grasp of it.
The most crucial skills to teach your pet is to respond when you call. This could be a life-saving capability if the dog wanders off, and is also a great way to strengthen the bond between you and your pet.
Here are some suggestions for teaching your corgi be a good listener when you call him:
1. Start with short distances and gradual increase your distance until the puppy becomes better in his response.
2. Be sure to get your dog's attention before you start calling him. Also, use a happy voice.
3. Make use of treats or toys for rewards. Make sure to thank your dog each time your dog comes to you.
4. If your dog doesn't come when called, don't punish your dog. Just try at a later time.
Finally
Corgis are a herding breed so they are naturally inclined to pursue and herd other animals. Where are corgi races.
While this instinct can be harnessed for useful actions like corgi sports and dog agility, it can cause unwanted herding behaviours like chasing cars or nipping at people's heels. There are many things you can do to make your corgi less likely to engage in these activities. With patience and consistency, you can teach your corgi to be well-behaved members of the family.
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This is English course for students who are second language students. I will hav | Academic Essay Cove
This is English course for students who are second language students. I will hav
December 13, 2021
This is English course for students who are second language students. I will have a test on Monday, Dec 6th, 4:00-7:00pm. There will be an essay questions released at that time. I will upload the question and you will help me complete the essay based on the required readings. I uploaded the required readings for you. Please focus on them! NO OUTSIDE SOURCES, PLEASE. The essay should be formal ESL essay: introduction (thesis statement at the ending of the introduction), body paragraphs (topic sentence+supporting details+concluding sentence), conclusion (repeat thesis statement, meaningful sentences) These are the required readings https://www44.zippyshare.com/v/7yQGc4EO/file.html Please note: copying ideas from the sources is PLAGIARISM. Please do not copy from any websites or sources. The teacher will check it in TURNITIN.com. NO PLAGIARISM, PLEASE! Thank you in advance!
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Customer satisfaction plays a very important role in the type of appointment setting. That is a supplied, since this is definitely the phase wherever your own personal capability to repeat to your clients and internet business prospects is going to be tested. Ways skilled you might be will affect your capability to generate BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS leads for your personal business. Even though it may become accurate which will you wish to offer the best for your clients (not post your small business prospects), generally there are occasions that the operate around revenue leads will be hindered just by very tricky customers. It is actually like you are increasingly being made to undertake things of which happen to be further than the exact written agreement, in turn to get the bargain. That confident can get a problems, right? In fact it is natural that you will react in a wrong way to that. Nevertheless now there is your way for you to manage this. Most of you have to have is to monitor several necessary factors:
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three. Aim for a mutual comprehension — often times you actually really possess to undertake important things that are actually out about the deal, but that will not mean which you have to be remaining having the actual bill. Gather concessions, such as an extra ask for for dash productions, or even limits with free delivering, to name a few. You have so that you can make the additional party realize that there is no these types of thing like a free lunchtime.
4. Never ever use perils – your career is to be able to dissipates justifications, suitable? An individual will definitely not visit anywhere if you ever commence to impact on your prospects. Genuinely, the following can actually make it most severe. You perform not when you go through the main strategy of undertaking industry potential customers once again. In this circumstance, make an attempt to nice elements down, without relying on (as very much since possible) in order to supplying in to demands.
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Let’s get one thing straight - failure is inevitable in business. Those entrepreneurs you follow on Instagram posting their 6-figure sales months? They probably worked years to get there.
Years of finding their way in the dark, of falling down, of pushing forward without fully understanding what they were doing.
Years of failure that all led to something truly beautiful.
And today’s guest, Jacques Hopkins, is the ultimate example of this.
A former engineer, Jacques is now the creator of a highly successful online piano course. Pianoin21days.com has brought in, wait for it, $2.4 million in revenue to date, with over 6,000 students over the world.
The passive income from his course allows him to support his family, take amazing vacations (like a 5-week road trip across the US!), and truly do what he loves.
But, what if I told you that it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Jacques?
In today’s episode, Jacques and I chat about our (multiple!) business failures, what we learned from them, and how they still help us in 2021.
As you listen in today, I sincerely hope this episode can help you rise up from any fear or failure and keep going.
And when you do find your million-dollar idea, I hope you think back to this episode and say ‘I’m glad I listened to Salome!’
So, get listening ASAP! Once you’re done, come over to my Instagram @salome.schillack and share the one thing you learned from your own failures.
Subscribe and Review in iTunes Please!
When you subscribe and review the podcast not only does that give me the warm and fuzzies all over, it also helps other people to find the show.
When other people find the show they get to learn how to create more freedom in their lives from their online courses too!!
So do a good deed for all womenkind and subscribe and review this show and I will reward you with a shout out on the show!!
Click to Subscribe to The Shine Show on iTunes!
Links I mentioned in this episode:
more episodes
…
Welcome to episode number 101 of The Shine Show. Oh my gosh, I'm still getting used to saying that, it's 101. And in this episode, I'm going to talk to Jacques Hopkins about how he scaled his Evergreen course to over $1 million. He's going to tell us the good, the bad, and the ugly, the ups, and the downs. But before we dive in, let me tell you a little bit about Jacques. Jacques worked as an engineer for eight years before quitting his job and turning his biggest hobby into a highly successful online piano course. Pianoin21days.com has brought in over $2.3 million in revenue to date, with over 6,000 students all over the world.
Today, Jacques supports his family with the passive income from his course while teaching others to do the same on The Online Course Show Podcast, and I couldn't be happier that he agreed to come on the show today and tell you his story.
Giving up your time and freedom to make money is so 2009. Hi, I'm your host, Salome Schillack, and I help online course creators launch, grow, and scale their businesses with Facebook and Instagram ads so that they can make more money and have an even bigger impact in the world. If you're ready to be inspired, to dream bigger, launch sooner and grow your online business faster, then tune in because you are ready to shine, and this is The Shine Show.
Jacques, thank you so much for being here on The Shine Show. Oh my goodness, I have been waiting for this for a while.
Salome, it's a pleasure to be here. Normally, when I do a podcast, I usually grab a fresh iced coffee, but the time difference, it's pretty late here. I got a nice little glass of red wine here. I'm ready to go.
Oh, I'm glad. That is good. I have to confess, I'm jealous every time I interview someone, and you're on a times zone and that means you are already having wine and I am still having my coffee because it would just be wrong to have wine this time of the morning. Well, at least it's lunchtime for me now.
Yeah. In fairness, it's about 9:00 PM for me, so I think it's socially acceptable, so here we go.
I would say. So thank you very much for hopping on at 9:00 PM. I told my business coach this week, "I'm so tired of dealing with time zone challenges." And she looked at me and she said, "Salome, empires deal with time zone challenges." So thank you for being here at 9:00.
Jacques, you and I were introduced by the guys from Hustle and Flowchart, lovely Joe and Matt. And I heard about your not-so-little piano course, and then I heard about you teaching other online course creators how to be online course creators and make money doing it. So can you take me back please to the days when you were an engineer with stars in your eyes. I'm curious about this online marketing thing, and tell us the whole story, how did you get where you are now?
Oh, the whole story, huh?
So was I born... No, I'm just kidding. All right. So for me, my entrepreneurial story started... I've actually heard this a lot from people. It started when I read a book called The 4-Hour Work Week. Pretty popular book at this point.
Tim Ferriss, yeah. It's one of the very few books that I have on my bookshelf behind me because it was so impactful on my life. I read it shortly after it came out, so around 2007, 2008. And all my life up on to that point, I don't know if you've always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I didn't. That was not my life path. I always wanted to be an engineer, because I thought that being an entrepreneur meant that we had to take out a bunch of debt or venture capital, lots of employees, work a ton, brick-and-mortar store, stuff like that. So none of that appealed to me until I read this book and all the cool things that Tim Ferriss was able to do. Have you read the book?
I have to confess, I have not read 4-Hour Workweek. I have some favorites that I keep revisiting, but I have never read. I read Habits of Giants. Is that one of his other books, Habits of...
Tools of Titans?
No, it's the other one. It's the mindset one. There's a very thick one where he interviews very successful people on their mind state. It's not Tools of Titans, it's the other one.
Tribe of Mentors.
Tribe of Mentors. Tribe of Mentors. I've read that probably three times.
Well, you're probably too young for 4-Hour Workweek anyway. You were probably just a kid when it came out. But I was a senior in college when I came out and it just-
We're the same age. I'm pretty sure. If there's a four at the front of your age, then we're on the same playing field.
Okay. Well, you look young. So 4-Hour Workweek. It just blew my mind what was possible. So you've not read it, but what really stood out to me about that book was not simply the title. I mean, that's certainly appealing to a then 22-year-old kid about to start his first job, but just all the cool things he was able to do. He was able to go and learn how to kick-box in Japan, and he did dancing in Argentina, and he rode motorcycles. He did all these amazing things, all the while his business was working for him and he's found a way to work on as little as four hours a week. So he opened up this new business model for me just with a lot of automation and outsourcing, utilizing the internet. So it was a totally paradigm shift for me.
Then I went to work, complete overnight success, multimillionaire. No, that's not what happened.
Yeah, I was just going to say. Well, being an engineer, you probably figured this stuff out pretty fast.
No, actually no. So I went to work in 2008 as an engineer. Worked for the same company for eight years, I had six different failed ventures that never made a single dollar trying to model what was in the-
Wow, six?
Yeah, six. Six different things. And my seventh thing was the piano course, Piano In 21 Days. First thing that ever made me a single dollar that wasn't my paycheck. And that wasn't until 2013. So it took five years and six complete failures to find my thing that worked. But I found it, even that wasn't overnight success on its own, but slow and steady. Eventually, it did find success.
I am so happy that you're saying that it's six failures, and how many years? Five years.
I was on business number three and failed for four years. Yeah. So I'm so glad you say that because that is just the journey, isn't it?
Yeah, I think so. I think that's really, really important. If the piano course was my first idea, it probably would have been a failure too.
Yeah, I was just going to say.
I've learned something from each one along the way and was able to apply some of those lessons learned to the one that did.
What were some of the biggest lessons you learned?
Well, a lot of it was like learning what I wasn't necessarily good at or wasn't the right thing for me. In the The 4-Hour Workweek, he didn't really even talk about online courses that I know of. There was, you could invent a product, you could like graphic t-shirts. There's a lot of physical stuff. And so that's where I started. I tried to invent a product, maybe get it patented, lots of headaches there, prototypes, inventory, that just wasn't going to be for me. But that's how I learned the tech of like how to build a website, how to put that type of stuff together.
And so by the time that I came up with the idea of the piano course, I knew how to register a domain, get started a little bit. Now, 2013, getting started with a website and a course, lot different than 2021. It's a lot easier today, but those are some of the lessons learned. Another one I tried was, there was two different blogs I tried to create. I don't know why I thought that was a good idea. I've never been a good writer, very left-brain engineer. So I learned I wasn't a good writer. And so now even with the blog today, with Piano In 21 Days, I have a writer on the team, I learn that. A lot of different things that I learned along the way.
Fantastic. What would you say is the biggest mindset shift you had to make?
Mindset shift that I could do this both from a piano perspective and just from a human perspective. If you saw like the very first video ever put out there in 2013, was awful, awful. It's been unlisted for a while on my YouTube channel, but it's so bad because I had no idea what I was doing, I was very scared, very timid. For the first few years on my piano videos, you would only get the overhead view of my hands on my keyboard, I was scared to put my face even on camera. I'm like, "Who am I to be doing this? What if somebody finds out? What if worst like, one of my coworkers find out? I'm working my job as I'm trying to make this work."
And the mindset shift is like, "Okay, what if they do find out? Awesome, cool. That's something to be proud of, not something to be ashamed of."
Absolutely. I had the exact same thing. I went back to my day job after three years of failing and I had the same thing. I was putting out videos on YouTube and publishing them on Facebook at the time. I did one day sit down with a colleague and she went, "I see those videos being published at 1:00 PM and we all know you're not working." And I was like, "Oh my goodness, they're scheduled, but thank you for checking me out." But I had the same thing. Oh my goodness. It's a big one that what if they find out? What if my parents find out I'm doing this thing on the internet or my friends?
Yeah. I think it's a lot of ego, and that's what I had to get through. It's like, I'm not that special, I'm not that cool to have to worry about that. And a lot of times we think other people are thinking things about us that aren't necessarily true. We give ourselves too much credit there, it's like, well, you made this thing, but 2013, 2014, even most of 2015, it was barely making any sales. It wasn't doing a whole lot anyway. So there wasn't much to look at for the first few years anyway.
And being in that phase often doesn't help with the imposter syndrome, it doesn't help with the who am I to do it because if you're walking around with the question, who am I to do this, and it's not working, then who are you to do this? That was something that came up for me.
So for you, was it like once you really started to see some sales roll in, is that when you got pumped up?
Yeah. I need the external validation before... I need a lot of external validation before I learn to hold onto the internal validation, and then I go bad-ass on the internal validation after that, but I definitely need, and that's why I tell my students as well is you need both. If you just have internal validation, but you have not yet sold a thing, then you're just being arrogant. But if you have external validation and then you've got to match that with an internal belief that you can do this. I don't know, what do you think about?
Yeah. That's well said. And I personally, I really needed the external validation. The first sale I ever made was a huge, huge deal. I was in line at Starbucks when I got the notification, my very first sale, I literally started dancing in line at Starbucks back in 2013, huge moment. My first $1,000 a month, my first $10,000 a month, my first $100,000 a month, all those were huge, huge milestones that just were signs that we just took things to the next level and extreme validation. Now, we don't want to take that too far, we don't want to get too cocky or anything and think we're just, I don't know if we can curse on the podcast, hot stuff.
Yeah, you can.
You don't want to take it too far, but personally I really needed the external validation.
Yeah, it does give you confidence. I want us to unpack the Piano In 21 Days funnel a little bit. Let me first start here. Did you first live launch it? Did you launch it live before you turned it? Because it's a very successful evergreen funnel right now. Did you launch it live?
Yes. I had no idea what I was doing.
Did you use a webinar or how did you launch it?
Goodness. Were you in this world in 2013? I feel like it's such a different world, eight years ago.
I started my coaching business on the 1st of July, 2014 and I was a very unsuccessful sales coach because I couldn't sell my services as a sales coach. So I was not in this world yet. My first taste of this world came in 2015 when I purchased Amy Porterfield's webinars that convert. So 2015, Amy introduced me to the whole world of webinars, changed my life completely, and I'm still working on webinars. That's exactly what I'm still doing. So I'm a little bit behind you, but tell me, how did you start with the live launch?
Yeah. I remember when Amy's course came out. 2015 is probably when webinars got really big, but 2013, I didn't know what a webinar was. Honestly, I hate to admit it, but I didn't know what a funnel was for the first couple of years. I did not know what I was doing, I did not. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way. So when you say, when I live launched, that meant that I had a small email list and I sent out a couple of emails, and I had either a cart close or a discount that was ending. It went horribly, I sold maybe one or two copies. I was just very thankful that it wasn't zero. I talked about how big that first sale was, but it didn't go great, and it took a while. It took a while really until I learned about funnels themselves is when I really finally found success overall with it.
Great. Where did you host your course back in 2013?
Even things like that were just so much harder than they are today.
Yeah. In 2015, I put mine on YouTube, and I was just like unlisted videos on YouTube
I can work. I actually know, my good friend of mine brings in like $50,000 a month from his course and he still does unlisted YouTube videos. Now, they're in like a ClickFunnels course, but he's definitely a penny pincher. But back in 2013, I used a WordPress plugin, it was called Sensei, I think it was made by WooCommerce. Eventually, I think in 2016, I actually moved it over to ClickFunnels. And about two weeks ago, I moved it off of ClickFunnels.
Okay. Is there a story?
I think that ClickFunnels is really good at sales funnels, being funnel software, that's what they're good at. And in 2016, they were also good at sales funnels, but I was like, "Oh my goodness, I could host my course there as well for no additional costs." But they haven't done any development on their course side, literally since then. And so it's just been passed up by so many great pieces of software. And so I was just about to cross the 7,000 students for Piano In 21 Days and nobody's really ever complained about it, but it was time to move on to something with more features, more things we can do.
What are you using now?
Well, I'm back to a WordPress solution, and I don't advise the most people do it, but I've got a technical background and the sky's the limit when you go with more of a WordPress solution, and I'm using BuddyBoss and LearnDash, combination of those two things, because I wanted the community and the course all in one place. Right now, I've got the course in ClickFunnels, I've got a Facebook group. That's how a lot of people do it. You got the course, you have a Facebook group. I wanted to have everything wrapped in one place, and then I want to take all of that and have that available in a mobile app as well, which we're just about to launch that too.
So if somebody comments on a lesson over on the mobile app, it's fully synced over on the web app. That's past six months I have been working on.
Yeah. It takes six months to do something like that. I agree with you. I have the same issue with Kajabi. Kajabi is a right course hosting platform, but now they're trying to be email service providers and they're trying to be this, that and the other, and that's when it falls flat for me. They're all trying to be the best at everything and ends up forgetting what they were really good at in the first place, why we'll start using it. I think WordPress is going to make a giant comeback, especially now with how Facebook ads stuff is changing, and for us needing to verify domains and only being allowed to create events from one domain. So WordPress, watch out. WordPress is on the Y up again.
I'll be ready. We'll be ready.
Yeah. WordPress is so good, and it's so affordable as well. Back to your funnels, you did this live launch, how did you build your email list back in 2013?
Well, I did a lot of things wrong, but the one thing that looking back I mostly did right was one of the first things I did was I started a YouTube channel and I bought the domain name and I put a little lead magnet on the domain and started putting some YouTube videos up and made sure I had a good call to action at the end of all my videos. So if somebody found them, they liked what they had to hear, they wanted to learn more, they might be interested to click over and download that lead magnet, I was a big fan and still am of Pat Flynn at the time. That's one of the places early on I was learning a lot of marketing stuff from was his podcast Smart Passive Income.
So that was like Smart Passive Income one-on-one, make sure you have a lead magnet, call to action, and so on, build an email list. So I knew to do that. By the time, this is probably April, 2013, didn't launch because I'm working on a demanding job the whole time, didn't launch until late 2013, built up an email list of maybe a couple of hundred people at the time for my "live" launch then.
Okay. What iterations did you go through from there?
Lots of just pulling out my hair, just trying different things, trying to learn from different people. Really, it wasn't until like 2016 that I really found success with it. And thank goodness I did because I actually quit my job the last day of 2015 and I was making about $1,000 a month from the course, about six months prior, we had our first kid, first daughter and my wife quit her job as well. So it wasn't the best timing to quit your job, but we had been planning for a while and I kept telling my wife, "Look, I need the time to be able to make it successful. It's kind of catch-22."
I was like, "Look, I don't think I can make it work while I'm working this full-time job." Fortunately, we had enough savings to live very, very frugally for about a year if it didn't work out. I quit my job last day of 2015 going into 2016, making about $1,000 a month as a family, six-month-old baby, and about a year to make it work worst case scenario. Well, we're like seven, eight months in to the 2016 and I still was about $1,000 a month, I hadn't made it work yet. And that's when I discovered funnels and specifically evergreen funnels. And that's when I implemented my first evergreen funnel.
And it was listening to the Smart Passive Income podcast, Pat Flynn had a guest on by the name of David Siteman Garland, who is a course creator coach.
I bought David's webinars course.
Yeah. There you go. Create awesome webinars insurance, whatever. He's got an online course program called Create Awesome Online courses. But in that particular podcast episode, he walked the audience through exactly the way his evergreen funnel works. Exactly, the pre-launch video... It's a very much like a product launch formula style, pre-launch, launch, open cart, close cart, but I hadn't really heard of it up to that point. So I listened to that episode like three or four times and implemented exactly what he was talking about and literally same course, same traffic sources, but drop in a really good evergreen funnel, took me from about $1,000 to $10,000 overnight, like 10X with that.
And so I think it was probably October or November of 2016, first five-figure month, and then by January of 2017, the course brought in $22,000 and has not brought in less than that ever since. And evergreen funnels is awesome. Love them.
That is just amazing. Congratulations. That is phenomenal. And I've gone through your funnel a little bit, tiny a little bit, downloaded your lead magnet. Yeah, I was playing the piano. I have gone through it and it's beautifully built and it just works, it's just lovely. So congratulations. That is really, really cool. Break down the funnel for us. I've gone through it, so I have an idea. It starts with-
Lead magnet.
Okay. A lead magnet. Are you running ads to it? Because I think I opted in from your website, but are you running ads?
Sure. Yeah. We are running ads. We do a lot of Google ads because there's a lot of search traffic for how to play piano, learn piano fast, so work with a lot of people who aren't in niches where people are searching for it as much, maybe Facebook, Instagram ads are a much better fit. We do some of that as well, and we get a lot of traffic from Google, Bing ads, YouTube ads, YouTube Organic, Google Organic, SEO. We have a pretty good diversified traffic stream at this point. So I guess technically, it starts there, and then once somebody gets to the site, everything points to this one, I have one lead magnet.
I'd like to keep things as simple as we possibly can keep it, and it's basically been the same lead magnet ever since 2013. I've updated it, for sure, but it's basically been the same thing. So even those videos that I made back in 2013 that say, "Hey guys, if you enjoyed this," and I was really timid Jacques back then, like those videos, I was like, "Hey, if you enjoyed this, maybe you want to go check out this workbook over here." But that workbook, it's still there and people can still click on the link and get the workbook. And then now I have your email, you have the workbook, and that's when the real fun begins of the evergreen funnel.
Basically a Product Launch Formula, Jeff Walker, basically what David Siteman Garland walked us through on that episode, style of evergreen funnel. However, I've tweaked it one way in that the biggest weakness of that type of funnel that I've found is for the first like seven days, you can't buy, you can't buy for the first seven days until the cart opens. And then we've got a five-day period where it's open and then it closes. So my course is either it's available or it's not. I know some people do evergreen funnels where they offer a discount that goes away, but mine's available or not.
I love that. You need that scarcity.
Yeah. Well, I think so. And the only difference with mine is that over the first three to four days, I implemented an evergreen webinar into the existing funnel so that the people that are really are hot, really hot leads have the ability to buy. And that's probably the most sales come from the first few days of it now and not actually during the technical open-close cart period, I would say the first couple of days of the funnel, and then the very last day, the cart's closing day are the biggest days of it right now.
I'm glad you say that because when I went through it as well, I was thinking those first couple of days right after downloading the lead magnet, sitting there with the piano, going through your lessons, like, "I'm ready to buy, give it to me now." So I'm glad that you've got that there. That's great.
Why didn't you, Salome? Maybe you did and I didn't notice.
Because you know I already fight for your competition. You know that already, I told you, but I will. My renewal expires at some point and then I'll come back and we'll do Piano In 21 Days. That's fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing that. I love it when I hear people talk about other sources of paid traffic, because I live in such a bubble of Facebook and Instagram ads. And my whole world is this interruption marketing, it's interrupt what people are doing on their news feeds, but that's not right for everybody. Not everybody needs to do that. And YouTube ads and Google ads and search ads are really good for the other type of, "Oh I have a need now, let me go and search for something." So that is wonderful. Now tell me, where's your horse at now? Just remind us revenue you've made.
All time, 2.4 million. It sounds really sexy, but that doesn't give you the whole story. It doesn't give you all the struggle, it doesn't give you all the expenses, it doesn't give you the ups and downs, the wondering if this is going to work, last month was really good and this month, it's like, "Ah, maybe it's on the way down now." I'm very blessed that that's how much it's brought in over the past eight years, but it's consistently going up year to year, if we look at a whole year perspective. And my particular business was pretty good during the pandemic, a lot of people were staying home, wanting to learn piano. So 1 million of that, just over a million dollars in 2020 from 2020.
That's phenomenal. Congratulations. That is really, really good. really, really good. I'm glad you bring up that you're looking at it year to year because a lot of people look at their evergreen funnels day-to-day, which is really scary, even week to week, which I don't recommend. We look at that month to month and try to make decisions month to month. But I'm glad, you're looking at a year to year and going, "Yeah, we're still going up. We're still doing well." Because it can be scary when you go through a whole month of, it's not looking the way it did last month.
Yeah. A normal day, and I'm not perfect by any means, literally a week ago, we made zero sales in the day, which is very rare and normal is between $1,500 and $3,000. That's a normal day. And when I see we made zero sales, I'm freaking out like, "What's going on? Let me figure out what's breaking," but a broader perspective is much better.
How many people do you have on your team?
We have eight people including me, and I have no full-time employees. Two people on the team are basically full-time, they don't have any other clients, but I've got eight people overall. I've got a director of operations, I've got an executive assistant, another virtual assistant, graphic designer, video editor. Actually, my most recent hire, I'm really excited about, for the first time, we have another person on the team that actually plays piano. And so jeez, we brought her on board to help support the students from our piano perspective. So if anybody has technical piano questions, then I don't have to be the one answering those questions. So trying to really just do the things that I have to do and let the team handle the rest.
Yeah, Absolutely. And you grow into that, don't you?
Yeah. And you're always discovering new things that like, "Oh, maybe I could outsource this." I didn't want to let go of that piano thing for a while, but I was like, "Despite the ego thing get in the way, other people get answered these things for the students and probably do it better, a lot of things could be better."
Yeah. And then you outsource it and two, three months later you go, :Why didn't I do this years ago?" How many hours a week do you work now?
I would like to say four hours a week, but that certainly was one of the appeals to me when I first read that book, it's like, "Oh, I could only work four hours a week and make a full-time living." But once you find what you actually like to do, who wants to only work four hours a week on it?
Yeah, I agree. I agree.
The way I do things is I work like a normal 40-hour week when things are normal, but I take a lot of vacations, and trips, and adventures, and so on. In July and August, we took a five-week road trip around the United States, different national parks and so on. We've taken a three month stint to France before, so normal 40 hours, but lots of vacation weeks during the year.
I love that. I love that. I love to do that too. This is one of the reasons I love my business too, is because I can take a six-week holiday in December. I can take two weeks in April, I can take two weeks in September and we can just have fun as a family. I love that. That's awesome. You've got the Piano In 21 Days, that's cruising, it's doing super well. Tell us about business number two, and how did you come about that?
Piano In 21 Days is still my main thing for sure. The other thing is just something I like to do more than anything. Back in 2017, for the first time, I'd really automated and outsourced things to where I wasn't necessarily working the 40 hours. I was making a good income and I didn't have to go back to work or anything, so I was like, "I've got some extra time on my hands, what could I do now?" And so I decided to start a podcast about online courses because I had struggled with it for so long, and I had to learn a lot of things the hard way. I learned some cool stuff, cool evergreen funnels and traffic strategies and how to build courses, and all kinds of cool stuff that a lot of people don't necessarily know about, I struggled with it for years.
And so I started a podcast called The Online Course Show, very original.
I love it. It's great.
Yeah. And it's been so much fun, we're getting close to 200 episodes now. And most of the time I'll interview other course creators. I hope we can have you on the show soon talk about online courses.
I'd love that.
Sometimes I'll do solo shows, but it's all things online courses. And I spend way more time on the Piano In 21 Days side of things. And the main thing on the other business we'll call it, is the podcast, but it's fun. At this point, I only want to be doing things I find fun.
Yeah. I agree with you. I agree with you. I've decided the point of life is joy. So find myself doing something that doesn't bring me joy, I start going, "How can I not do this?"
Yeah. There's certainly times in life where we have to do that, but once you reach a certain level in your business, that should certainly be the goal.
I agree. And it's easy to get habitually caught up in doing the hustle stuff. And then if you go, "Well, hang on. If the point of life is joy, what am I doing here? And how can I change it?" It's life changing
And it's hard to do that if you don't have a good team.
Well, you've got to build a good team. You've got to build a good team. I'm very lucky, I have a great team. The podcast is that the Online Courses Guy?
It's The Online Course Show.
Oh, sorry. The Online Course Show. It is just a podcast at this stage, are you monetizing it in any way?
Yeah. We've had sponsors for sure. I've historically offered various programs and memberships. The doors are currently closed because I have been doing so much with Piano In 21 Days, we completely revamped the platform, moved everything to a new platform, lots of custom development. I redid my whole course at the same time, and now we're about to launch the app. So while all that has been going on, I just closed the programs. The podcast is still happening. And then in a few months, once things settle with Piano In 21 Days, then maybe I'll open some more programs.
I like to just take a seasonal approach. Sometimes I'm really big into Piano In 21 Days, and other times I may be more heavy into the other side of things. And they're so different than each other, that helps keep things interesting for me as well.
I love that. And you can do that with the podcast because you can batch the shows and have someone else take care of the publishing and the promotion. And that frees up your brain space to focus on something that you want to make better or do bigger, or better, or brighter, or shinier, or different. So that's one of my favorite things of having the podcast is that you can do that.
It's a lot better than Clubhouse, it's got to be live. I had somebody on the podcast I was interviewing the other day and he was like, "Hey, when's this going to come out?" I was like, "Oh, four months from now." And he's like, "What?" He couldn't believe it, but it's like, "No, that's how I work. That's how I've got to work because I've got to get these things." And so if I do want to take like two months off, everything's going to keep rolling.
So done. We love the library of prerecorded shows. What's next for you what's next?
Well, that's an interesting question for sure. Right at the beginning of 2020, I watched a video that really, really resonated with me from a guy named Alex Becker. And he was talking online courses specifically, and he's like, "Here's where I see the direction of online courses going." And what he talked about in that video was because of all the tools, because of all the information out there, creating an online course is getting easier and easier and easier, and so it's going to be harder and harder to be successful with online courses, and there's going to be a lot more people that are in it, but a lot more people not successful. And so what this means is you've got to just be the best. You got to have the best, you got to have the best funnel, you got to have to the best course.
And only the people that have the best everything are really going to succeed because it's just a such a saturated market. And let me tell you, piano courses is a saturated market. You mentioned already, you've literally signed up with one of my competitors and that really resonated with me. And that's one of the reasons that I spent a long time evaluating all the course platforms, trying to figure out the best place for my course, redoing my whole course. And so that's really my focus right now is just making Piano In 21 Days as good as it can possibly be for those exact reasons.
And so we've done a lot, we've accomplished a lot over the past few months, but we still have ways to go. There's still videos inside of my funnel that are three years old that need updating, the app is not launched yet. So the next like three to four months probably are still just making every single little piece of Piano In 21 Days as good as it can possibly be. And what's after that, I'm not sure yet.
I love that. I agree with you, I think it is more about going deeper and creating better, more engaged communities and creating better and more all the tech system, all the stuff that we use to provide the course and deliver the content, looking at it from a psychology perspective, and an educator's perspective, and an entertainment perspective, and all of that, and making sure you're taking care of the whole humans needs in your course, you're not just delivering content.
I like to say transformation over information, what do you like more, making a sale or getting an email like Salome, "Oh my gosh, you changed my life, what you did." Which one do you like more?
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I don't know if you've seen some of my A-lister branding. I'm like full on Andre stopping 1920s flapper gear. And people ask me why I do that and I say, "Because people love it, they come in and they just love that I'm willing to do that to build energy, and just to build engagement, and just to bring them into something that's a little bit more engaging and entertaining. And then if by chance they learn Facebook ads from it, right.
Yeah. I love it. I couldn't agree more. And I think that's where we're going for the most part too, I think even when I got into this, my main motivation was the money. It's like, "Oh, I can go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning, I made a sale, yeah, sign me up. That sounds amazing." But now, I just can't get enough of the videos people send me of them actually and what that means for them in their life. That's really where it's at, and that's the reason I want to work 40 hours a week and not four.
Yeah. And that gets you up. And that makes that 40 hours feel like it went by like this.
Yes. I agree. Completely.
Yeah. I get to Friday afternoon and I go, "How did we get here? How is it already Friday afternoon?" And I guess there's, to touch on what you said that initially when you started, it was about the money, I will say the same thing. Initially when I started for me, it was about the money, it was about not working in a job because I am not a good employee. I didn't know this whole entrepreneur thing either, but I knew that working for a boss doesn't do it for me, but the money was. But if you think about even just like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, once those physical needs are made, once we feel we have enough money in the bank, once this business thing is working and we're making money, it is so good to go, "Actually, it's not the money that's driving me. Actually, the money is a beautiful side benefit." I want to say, side thing of the impact that we can make and getting those videos and getting those messages are amazing.
Yeah. That's really well said. It's easy for us to say, the impact is more important or means more now, but we are making sales too. You mentioned the hierarchy of need, are you familiar with Mike Michalowicz The Business Hierarchy of Needs?
No. Tell me.
You've never heard that concept?
No.
It sounds right up your alley because you brought up the hierarchy of needs, but Mike Michalowicz, he wrote Profit First, big and small business author. His latest book is called, Fix This Next. And he walks you through his business hierarchy of needs, there's five of them. And the bottom most one is sales. He's like, "If you don't have sales, you don't need to be worrying about anything else." That's the most important thing. I think the next one is profit. I don't remember all of them, but at the very, very top, the last one, I'm pretty sure it's legacy, which you can't really worry about until all the other needs are taken care of.
I love that. I'm going to buy that book right now. I listened too to Profit First on audio and loved it so much that I bought the physical books. And when I buy the physical book, you know I love a book because I work through audio books very quickly. So I am going to go out and buy that new book, Mike Michalowicz. I'm going to buy his new book and figure out my hierarchy of needs because you are so right, it is sales and then profit. I love that. That's great. Thanks.
It's so good. He's definitely one of the guys I look up to most. And these like six or seven books that are behind me, those are my only physical books. I'm with you, I do a lot of Audible, a lot of Kindle, but The 4-Hour Work Week is up there and Profit First is back there as well. That's one of them.
I love it. I love it. Tell us if you can share one thing, if someone's listening now and they're going, "Holy cow, I want 2.4 million automated evergreen funnel as well. And I want a successful podcast, and I want to be able to travel and take big adventures with my family." what is one piece of advice that you would leave us with that you would say, if you hold onto it... If someone had told you this thing when you started, it would have made all the difference for you?
I feel like you might agree with me, but the most important thing is building an audience. That's so, so ridiculously important. And when I got started, I was like, "Okay, I got to make this thing and then just put it out there. And once it's out there, it'll figure out how to find it success." But I had no market validation, I had nobody asking me for that. And I've seen just interviewing so many course creators on the podcast and just seeing people and hearing various stories, most of the success stories, they really focused on building an audience and then ask that audience what they needed most and then build products around those needs. So that is, to me, the most important thing, build the audience, build it the right way.
I totally 100% agree with you. Totally, 100%. It's the one thing I see when the students get sidetracked and they want to figure out what's this new fancy funnel, what's that? And my question is always, "Are you building your list? Are you building your list?" And if the answer is no, forget about anything else, build your email list.
Do you mind if I ask you a question?
As a Facebook and Instagram ads expert, if somebody is like, "Okay, I'm getting started and I want to do it the right way, I want to build my audience," if I don't have a product yet, does it make sense to run ads yet?
Here's my answer to this, what I teach my students is... I'm so glad you asked that because I can hear my students go, "Oh, I have the answer, I have the answer." I teach people to use engagement ads, which are cheap ads that you can run for $5 a day before they sign up to any fancy software, before they pay $100 a month, or $200, or $300 a month for any fancy software, you use engagement ads to get your engagement content, your social media content out into the world, to start building your warm audiences who are going to be the people you're going to retarget with your list building ads later, or you use engagement ads to bring people into your world, and then just organically, put call to actions for list-building, for download my lead magnet. But you have to start that conversation.
Unfortunately, Facebook and Instagram organic algorithm is dead. So if you're going to choose Facebook and Instagram, then you are going to need to pay-to-play. But the benefit of paying to play early on is if you think about what Mark Zuckerberg wants for marketers, it is engagement, because engagement is the currency of social media. If I engage with something, if I click, or I comment, or I like it, that means my eyeballs are staying here. So they actually rank our ad accounts according to the engagement we have. And if you're just starting out, you're going to feel like you're walking through mud if you're trying to do it without adding engagement ads onto that.
And then when you have a little bit more budget, when you've built your email list to, let's say 1,000 people, then you can start running ads to build your list as well. And then when you do build your email list from there, your conversion costs are a lot lower because your account has engagement on it, because it's woken up because Facebook sees it as a quality account because you're already have engagement linked to your account. So that's why I teach my students to start small, start before you invest in any fancy software, and start with engagement ads, and start waking your digital assets up because engagement also means that people are now clicking to your website, and then they're finding your lead magnet there. So it just wakes everything up. That's my soap box about that?
I love that. I figured you did have a soap box on that topic, and it's easy for me to say, "Okay, build an audience." But a lot of times people will say, "Okay, Jacques, but how? How do we do that?" And my typical recommendation for course creators is a YouTube channel. One that worked really well for me, it's worked for a lot of people that have come on the podcast, but I really was curious to hear your take on just the audience building piece when we don't necessarily have a product to sell yet. It sounds like you can still very much do that with even as small as $5 a day on Facebook. That's awesome.
Yeah. I love your suggestion of YouTube. I agree with you, I think YouTube has consistently been one of the easiest platforms to build an audience on. And I use the word easy with caution because I know that it's a lot easier to use Facebook and Instagram than YouTube, but I still think YouTube, the algorithm still works, we're not subjected to the same type of stuff that we are on Facebook. So I agree with you, I think YouTube is a brilliant place. When I started and I didn't have an audience, I used Periscope, which was then the hot thing, just like Clubhouse is now, Periscope was the thing to be on. And I spent three, four hours on live broadcasts on Periscope, way back when.
And what happened was then Facebook Live launched, and as soon as Facebook Live launched, I was so broadcasting fit, I was the first person on Facebook Live, and that's how I created my first course. My first course was called Facebook Live Superstar, and it was because my audience was saying, "How are you going live?" And I had just done it so much that it was turned into my first online course. So I agree with you, build your audience, and if it has to be Clubhouse for you right now, because you're getting started now and that's what's hot now, that's great. But as soon as you've made $100,000 stop being on everything, stop being everywhere, stop trying to pimp yourself out on social media and just use ads. That's my point of view.
I love it.
Where can people go to learn more about Piano In 21 Days and about The Online Course Show, please?
Excellent. So pianoin21days.com. And actually theonlinecourseguy.com is where you'll find The Online Course Show. So you were so close early, I should've given you credit
Oh that's right. I knew I got it somewhere, theonlinecourseguy.
That is fantastic. Jacques, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us. I look forward to learning even more from you, and I will be in that Piano In 21 Days Course. And thank you very much for sharing your podcast and everything you give back to us online course creators.
Excellent. Yes, it's been a true pleasure. Thank you for the invitation, Salome.
You're welcome. Take care.
Well, there you have it. Now, I want to ask you a favor, if you loved anything that Jacques shared on this podcast today, I want you to find me on Instagram, I'm @salome.schillack and send me a DM. Tell me exactly what it is that you loved about what Jacques shared, or if there's something you've taken away from this show that you are going to implement in your online course, whether it'll be live or evergreen. Go to Instagram, find me, @salome.schillack, and send me a DM, let me know what is working for you. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a lovely week. See you next week. Bye.
Thank you so much for listening. If you had fun, please come back next week and remember to hit that Subscribe button, so you never miss a thing.
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In the past, small businesses and startups were generally restricted to domestic markets. Depending on the sector, it would take companies years or decades before they could even consider selling directly to buyers in international markets.
Thankfully, however, those days are now long gone. With the power of modern technology, small businesses can scale quickly and sometimes even market their products from the get-go to global customers.
Of course, this comes with its own set of problems, not only in terms of supply chain and business structure, but in the way that you market your product. Therefore, having a thorough understanding of the differences between domestic and international marketing is essential in this context.
At first glance, the distinction between domestic and overseas marketing may not seem obvious; both involve the same basic objective of creating a connection between your products or services, and the prospective buyers whose needs and wants can be fulfilled by them.
There are key differences, though. For one thing, be it in terms of area covered, growth potential, resources required, and overall complexity, domestic marketing is dwarfed by international marketing.
They both have significant advantages and disadvantages, too. Since it is restricted to only one country, domestic marketing has limited growth opportunities. On the plus side, managing operations is much easier due to the smaller area covered, and a relatively homogenous customer base.
International marketing, meanwhile, gives you access to lucrative new revenue sources and almost limitless growth opportunities. But all this comes at a high cost, both in terms of finance, technology, human resources, and expertise.
These costs – whether incurred financially or otherwise – directly translate into a much higher element of risk involved, too. Due to the inherently complex nature of international business, and your inevitable unfamiliarity with foreign markets, you should tread carefully when considering your global expansion strategy.
To better illustrate the difference between domestic and international marketing, let's consider the following two factors:
The Role of Government and Politics
The role of government is always a significant factor in any business. In domestic markets, you have to be wary of regulations and the impact changes in government policies may have on your sector, especially in terms of taxes, labour laws, the environment, and interest rates.
However, government policies can also play a pivotal role in international marketing, too. National governments tend to have a protectionist attitude towards domestic businesses, and when you make a foray into a new foreign market, this can create several considerable hurdles.
Tariffs, investment controls, and other forms of government intervention are quite common obstacles, and can significantly affect your marketing operations. Instead of worrying about just one set of rules and regulations, you have to take into account the local laws in all your foreign markets, too.
Compliance is also a major headache whenever you enter this field, especially as a small business. For example, the product safety standards in your domestic market may be lower, especially if you are outside the European Union (EU). If you plan to expand to EU markets, you will have to change your production and marketing standards if you want to succeed.
Finally, international politics can play a significant role, often to the detriment of business. The best example of this is the ongoing trade war between the US and China, with both nations imposing tariffs and affecting countless third parties all across the globe. Consumer goods manufacturer Huawei has suffered in this regard, with their reputation and their subsequent marketing efforts taking a massive hit in the US market.
The Significance of Language and Culture
The second issue is more of a cultural one, but can have consequences that are just as serious. For instance, English may be the dominant language in terms of the number of speakers across the globe, but there are only five nations in the world with a majority of native speakers. When marketing your product in a foreign market, the local language can present a formidable barrier – a limitation that is largely absent in domestic marketing.
Of course, notable exceptions do exist, often in the form of large, multi-linguistic nations such as India. But, by and large, this is a viable concern: the Chinese, Spanish, and Arab markets are littered with examples of marketing mistakes, usually committed by brands from the US and Europe.
For example, when Pepsi used its marketing slogan "Come Alive" in China, translation errors left Chinese buyers with the message: "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead!" In a similar faux pas, the Coors beer tagline "Turn It Loose" became "Suffer From Diarrhea" in its campaigns for Spanish-speaking markets.
Apart from language, cultural sensibilities can also pose challenges to businesses in international marketing. For example, in many Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates, feet are generally considered dirty or unclean. Putting the national flag on footwear can therefore come across as a great insult, as Puma found out when they released a special edition shoe to mark the 40th foundation day of the UAE.
Market research is always important in business, be it domestic or international. But in the latter, it has even more significance, due to a total lack of familiarity with the local language and especially the target country's customs. A lack of due diligence can significantly hamper your marketing efforts and may even create a negative long-term impact on your brand image and credibility.
Which Is More Important for Business?
It is not really possible to draw a direct comparison between domestic and international marketing in this regard; after all, growth is the primary long-term goal for any business. Therefore, you cannot rule out the possibility of international expansion at some point in the future, especially if you work in a sector which has the potential for foreign market entry.
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There is no doubt that the Internet (and other digital technologies) have made global markets more accessible than ever before. But significant challenges remain, and small businesses must carefully weigh the pros and cons before committing to a global marketing campaign.
Unless you work exclusively in an export-oriented market, focusing more on your domestic market is preferable from both a practical and safety perspective. However, business is a dynamic environment and opportunities for foreign expansion may arise. Therefore, it is highly beneficial for small business owners to understand the core differences between domestic and international marketing, and to plan for them accordingly if you do indeed take the plunge overseas.
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I have been working with B2B SaaS companies since 2008. I can honestly say that few of them have struck as truly innovative. Many of them were cool but they didn't blow me away.
Lately is an exception to the rule. When I learned what it can do, it resonated as a game-changer.
The company turns content (blog posts, eBooks, video) into social media posts. It takes the painful, time-consuming work out of creating updates for multiple social media networks.
Imagine the ROI from being able to create social media content at scale effortlessly.
In this episode of Marketing Spark, I spoke with Lately co-founder and CEO Kate Chernis about her journey from popular DJ to marketing to SaaS entrepreneur.
We explored the personal struggles that Kate endured in the music industry, why she backed away from raising money because she believed the VCs weren't treating her in the same way as male entrepreneurs, and how to operate a business remotely.
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
I have been working with B2B SaaS companies since 2008. I can honestly say that few of them have struck as truly innovative. Many of them were cool but they didn't blow me away.
Lately is an exception to the rule. When I learned what it can do, it resonated as a game-changer.
The company turns content (blog posts, eBooks, video) into social media posts. It takes the painful, time-consuming work out of creating updates for multiple social media networks.
Imagine the ROI from being able to create social media content at scale effortlessly.
In this episode of Marketing Spark, I spoke with Lately co-founder and CEO Kate Chernis about her journey from popular DJ to marketing to SaaS entrepreneur.
We explored the personal struggles that Kate endured in the music industry, why she backed away from raising money because she believed the VCs weren't treating her in the same way as male entrepreneurs, and how to operate a business remotely.
It's Mark Evans and you're listening to marketing spark, the podcast and delivers insight from marketers and entrepreneurs in the trenches in twenty five minutes or less. When I started my consulting business in two thousand and eight one of my first clients with sistemos. When I went to see it softwork, I was blown away by how it could monitor social media activity on facebook and twitter. It was, at the time, mind blow. When you heard about lately, it was Dejavo all over again. It's technology which turns content into social media updates is impressive and its customer growth has been astounding. I'm excited to have Kate Chernis, lately's cofounder and CEO, on the podcast. Welcome to marketing spark. Thank you so much, Mark. I actually got some goosebumps there for a second because I know what it feels like to see something and be like, you know, oh my gosh, and it's a fun feeling because you want to you want a piece of it. You know you want to be in the club. And all the time that I've been doing marketing for BB SASS companies, I can't I can't say I've been blown away that often, once in a while you come across a service and you go man, this is super impressive, in fact so impressive I wish I was working for this company. But, and that's the thing that I got when I saw lately, it really is a prettiest, downy piece of software, and that's why I was so excited to have you on the podcast to really get into the platform and your story, which is very interesting, talk about your view of social media and content marketing and all the things that are impacting marketing these days. Why don't we start by talking about what lately does and why a growing number of companies are enthusiastically embracing it? I mean, this is a this is a product that one a lot of companies see it, an agencies for that matter, it's a must have. Yeah, well, thank you. First of all. Thank you so much all of those super nice compliments there. I'm absorbing than their washing all over me. So what lately does is essentially you can upload a file, a video file or podcast or any kind of lung form content, whether it's writing or audio or video, and you push a button inside lately and lately instantly atomizes that content into sometimes hundreds of different social posts. Now the sexier part that's happening in the background that you don't see is it's also studying all of your analytics across any social talent you connect to its brain and it's looking for the highest engaging posts that you have and then it builds a writing model based on literally the DNA the words that make up those posts, and it's applying that same writing model to the lung form content you feed it. So before it atomizes, it's choosing which things to pull out right, and that's how it gets customers like Gary Van Your check. You guys know him right. Twelvezero and percent increase an engagement, because it's you know, it's really smart and the more you put in, the better you get out right. Then Gary has a lot of content to to feed us. One of the interesting things about lately is there, well, there's many interesting things about lately, but there's no lack of social media tools out there and lots of companies are applying ai to their technology. And this is a tough question for you to answer because you're obviously biased being the CEO, but why has it, say, made such an impact and such a splash there's no lack of choices out there and I'm sure there's other tools that may do something similar. Can you explain the phenomena? But I love being called a phenomena. I think it's to two things. Number One, we've been at this for a long time. Market didn't happen overnight and we've been banging our heads against the wall even to make sure we were describing how what we're selling, and you guys just heard me describe it and it's not easy and I'm not really that good at it, but believe me, I'm so much better than I was last year or the year before, and part of that is because we watched our customers to see which part of the platform you guys were all using to give us information. Right, and it's a...
00:04:01 - 00:08:01
...very robust platform, and the thing that people kept gravitating into was this atomizing component, component, right, and so that was interesting to us and people liked it and we were we were only doing it with text, right, so you could pop in a link to a blog, push a button, you get forty social polls posts instantly. But when we added the video clip component, that really changed everything, and I think it's because it's for a couple reason and mean and we had covid at the same time here. Right. So first thing that happened was Gary v saw lately in that form. He'd seen it before, but he saw in that form and instantly built his his twitter channel to team Gary v out of that. So now I didn't have to tell people what I did anymore. I could show them. That was big. Right. Number two was, I mean we it's scale the UNSCALABLE. This is what Gary says and he's right. We do everything the hard way, because the hard way is what works. Mark. Right. So there's a reason when you met but met Ben who was on our team, you got a thirty minute demo. We treat you just like we would treat an enterprise customer, because I know how to make evangelists. You know, we were talking about this off air our second ago, but I used to be a rock and roll DJ and my last Gig was broadcasting to twenty million listeners a day for Xm, and I was really amazing at making listeners into fans, right, because fans evangelists. They do the hard work for you. Right. So we figured early on as a small company, I don't have a big budget, to spend on marketing. How am I going to make the noise I need to make one by one, right, and that's what we've done. So the community around us is really driving the ship. Well, also help to have Gary V as as an is realist. I mean that's that's a small community and a Gary v then then you're well off. Now maybe, and I've got background information. So I'm looking to tell the story about the way that he's using the platform and the results that he's seen. Now the guys everywhere. I mean he produces a ton of content. He's got a lot of ammunition that he can or a lot of fuel that he can feed into the lately, you know, machine. But maybe give a little bit of a few details about how he is using it and with the difference that it's made on his marketing machine. Yeah, I mean, you know, it's interesting. Is So gary doesn't need lately, to be honest, right. They he has his own army, but he's clearly a poster boy for lately because his advice to you and me and everyone else is to repurpose and take your long firm content and and atomize it, right, and so he knows that and though it's interesting. I was just talking to their team now because we're trying to figure out like, actually, what is the use case for team Gary v when he's not really might target? You know, they do see a twelvezero percent increase in engagement and that's so much because the more you teach the AI and the more you give it, the faster it can learn. But also because there's that pain of unlock mark, right, and you have this pain. I certainly had it. Just imagine the time it takes free to to blog, right. It's about three or four hours of writing time, and then you have to promote it. Most people kind of mail it in right there. They do one or two social posts and that's it. And to me and to Gary that's a huge waste of time. So like that unlock ideal, like how do we not just toss into the wind the time is taking me and you to record this podcast right now, right. And so I learned that it's the the after the fact. Marketing is infinitely more valuable than butts and seats, right, and Gary knows that also. That's why he atomizes his content like crazy and he's trying to milk it for every you know, everything it's worth. I think of it as like of like garlic, like I was just chopping...
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...garlic last night and I every little bit that is on my knife has to make it into the pan. You know, I'm kind of because it took me a long time, you know, to do that. I don't want to lose those morsels. So that's that's personally why as as well, and you know, as we've been growing the company, we're we have to go up before we can go down, like sales for us, right. So my job now is to sell the larger company so that there can be a time where I can create a long tail and sell to all of Gary's fans, right, for like some normal price, like twenty or forty dollars. Right. That's that's what I want and we will get there. And the best part about working with him, by the way, is like knowing, no knowing that that that there's both a long tail of that smaller customer and then there's the larger customer, like all of the venor meter clients, right, and we have these client, both of these clients, which I'm just hand Chet thinking a little bit, but it's all connected. This has been part of our struggle is like who is lately's customer? You know, it does vary from small, medium and large customers. It's not micro customers, micromarketers, right. But yeah, so it's the learning experience. As you can tell, it's ever present and slightly overwhelming. Well, that's the thing about being an entrepreneur is it's a classic line. Be careful what you wish for, because it might happen, right, and we might. It does remind me of SYSTEMOS. So when sistemos came out of the University of Toronto, there was a tenure professor and are Super Smart PhD student and they developed this technology. And now, as we got this better mousetrap like food, do we sell it to? And in their case they went to PR agencies who had clients and the clients wanted to buy a social media monitoring tool and they saw it as money making opportunity. The agencies would buy once and sell it again and again and again, and then the brands came around and said, you know, we like this tool as well. So what's system moost did is they created a like version, like a you couldn't it wasn't everything, but the sink, kitchen sink. It was just a restricted version. Also, they too products, and that's the that's the curious thing about lately right now is who is your customer? I mean other than Gary v? Is it agencies? Is it enterprise customers? Is it guys like Gary v who are one man bands? I mean, do you have an ideal customer right now, or is it basically anybody who can pat the bills? Yeah, so we just went through this and we did what's called a right size pricing with one of our advisors. Right size pricing, that's it, and really started to spell out who is the personality the customer. So we lately again is very robust platform. It's not just a one trick pony, and the reason we did that is so that we kind of appeal to all these customers. So we have what I call social animals, so that is that one man or one woman band who not only creates content and has, you know it on Nauseum, but the pain and the pain of unlocking, but also someone who's publishing on twitter or Linkedin like several times a day every day. Right. So those are one kind of customer. We work with agencies as well, because we give them a lot of ability to publish across all the places and marketing on planning and all those kinds of things and analytics, but really easy for them to have a single log in so they can access if they have, you know, two hundred customers or five customers who had twenty channels each. It's really easy for them to bounce in and out. But our larger customers mark are people that really want to do marketing for other employees in the company who don't know a thing about marketing. So lately has what we call it's like a Hubband, spoke feature or or parent child. So one parent, like a CMO, can use the AI to create content for any employee. Could be salespeople, it could be employee advocates, could be executives, you know, anyone who wants to talk about the company and...
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...social but doesn't want to make a mistake, and then the autogeneration can literally publish that content on their behalf without the member having to deal with it, or it can give them the ability to edit and customize as they like. So that's how we are able to sell tens hundreds thousands of licenses into a single company and we mark for them all the same way, by the way, right, right. So that's the that's the lucky trick before you sort of dive into the platform itself, if you just get you to elaborate a little more in the backstory. Now there's two angles here. One is the backstory of you, the big time Dj, like how did that happen? Where did you start that kind of thing? And the other thing is that, from what I've heard lately, isn't a company that was created by a couple of geeky engineers working in a basement fuel by Red Bull. This is a different type of founder story, which I find to be snaty, particularly on today. We were recording this this episode International Woman's Day, so this is this is the timing is pretty good. Talk about both stories. I mean you've got two careers, both super successful. How did that happen? But I thank you so much. It doesn't it doesn't feel like that when you're in it, you know, because you're just always, always in the slog or I am. I have that special gift of seeing the glass, you know, half empty. But yeah, you know. And Radio, I was really lucky, mark, because I was in a format. It's called adult album alternative or AAA, and it's designed to play the albums that you have at home. I'm forty seven, so you know I'm old enough to have albums, and meaning you know everything from rock to folk to Blues reggae. You know that kind of mix. But then also the album cuts, not just like the radio singles, which is also what we often like, and that radio really focused on theater of the mind, and meaning the listeners obligation to fill in the blanks, right to participate and in that conversation. And then my job as the DJ or as a host, the programmer, to make you feel like you have a voice, even though I'm the one with the MIC, right, and this is what we talked about, making listeners into fans, you know. So as I was learning how to do that, I learned something about the neuroscience of music that tells you, when you listen to a new song, mark, your brain must instantly access every other song you've ever heard before in order to place that new song in your memory, branks into your library and your brain, and when it does that, it immediately taps into nostalgia. Right. So this rush of emotion comes forward when you when you hear music, because it's your brain is looking for the familiar touch points to know where to put that song. And your voice is a frequency. So when you hear me or when you read the text I wrote or the text someone else wrote, you hear their voice in their head, your head, right, same idea in your brain is looking to put in some context, make it familiar. And this is all sales and marketing. I'm trying to sell you something new, put it into a contact that you're going to feel comfortable, right, trust me and then buy it. And so this all ties into our ai right, as you can see so from from radio. So here I was at exam in this wacky format. We were not live. Actually we were recorded, but we left in a lot of mistakes and did other things to be perceived as live to again kit create that trust factor, that human element, you know. And I wasn't the right move it. I wasn't in the right place and the universe was trying to tell me, you know. So I was I was a boys club. I was sexually harassed every day. My one of the...
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...things my boss would always say to me was, Hey, Bradley, are your hands clean, meaning can you hold my Dick? Will Ipee. Yeah, real talk here, right, and even I participated in the sexual harassment because it was part of the culture, it was normal, you know, I we didn't know. This is, you know, two thousand and four or five six. So the language, me too, wasn't around, and there was a hostile work environment, which I didn't even know what that was, and I just remember telling like family and friends, like you know, this is so stressful. You know, my my boss would like be yelling at me in the little sound booth and like I would just absorb it, you know, and not yelling at me, but yet yelling about whatever going on. It was just so tense and my body was starting to shout at me. And have I had all these ailments. I was incapacitated. Eventually I couldn't type at all without any pain, without extreme pain, like debilitating pain, and this is a long story, but so I was scared of mark because suddenly I couldn't work. You know, everything was on computer, everything was email and, you know, mixing songs, like the sound files we're seeing right now go by us, like I had to touch those every day and I couldn't anymore. So I got I learned about dragon naturally speaking, which is the voice activating software I used today. I don't type today, I use my voice is in that ironic I'm still talking and French rest. So I learned how to use it and Xam didn't believe me because my hands look fine, didn't look like there was something wrong, and people didn't know about Epi, kind of Lightis and tendon I is really and so I moved to another music company and it was the same thing, another boys club, and nobody believed me that something was wrong with me. And I cried a lot. I was really angry and scared and frustrated and I didn't know what to do. And my dad had enough and one day he I was just crying uncontrollably. I used to smoke a lot of cigarettes. To those you know, I was like pig pen, but full of anger. You know what I mean? Yeah, and my dad just lovingly shook me by the shoulders and said you can't work for other people. There's no shame in that. And so a light went on, obviously, and I thought, Oh oh, there's another way. Did Not know that. And my husband was so thoughtful of my boyfriend at the time. He went out to the bookstore and bought me Guy Kawasaki's out of the start. Do that book. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is really interesting to see how people fall into entrepreneurship. Some people are not real entrepreneurs right from the get they've got lemonade stands. They're fine time packs the gum for dollar and sending them for twenty five cents each. I mean, and people like you and I do it by accident. Different is it's not by design. I never thought I'd be an entrepreneur. I was a journalist. I love being a journalist and something, and then I wasn't a journalist anymore. I was an entrepreneur. Do you find, like I, that I need this catalyst all the time, like Nat as, I look so my dad was one. There's a been a number of people who see something I don't see and I I need them to point it out to me. You know. So that and that's what changes the channel. Is that awareness that I didn't have for some reason? You know? Yeah, well, I was a I was a longtime employ I like being an employee, like getting a paycheck. It was all good, and then I got laid off and I got a severance package and I said to my wife. You know, if I had gotten six months rather than three months, I do my own thing. I would hang up my own shingle and I would become a consultant. And she said, and the word she said to me I'm always remember that. She said, well, why don't you make three months severance last for six months? Ha, ha ha, your own thing, and that's what I did. It's it's that idea. Is like working for people. I'm not sure if...
...the people you're working for we're assholes or not, but like that was a light bulb to me. is like the the literally the pain of working for for in an environment where that was happening, versus the quote pain of not knowing where your next paycheck was coming from. The first one was was way worse, right, whereas for some people, well, that's not the case. It's terrifying to not know where your paychecks going to, if we're going to get one or not. Right. Well, that's why not everybody's an entrepreneur, because it's a seven always on great highs and great lows, and like you can't handle it, then do something else. Get A paycheck. You went from from that and your boyfriend, soontobe husband said do something else. What happened, because I eventually you ended up doing marketing. How did you go from DJ to marketing? Was it by design or do you just kind of fall into it? More falling? Yeah, so, so that week, so my dad said work for someone else. We're for yourself, and David got me the book and the next day I met a couple of angel investors by accident. I didn't know who that. They were Angel Investors, and they essentially said we love you, let's start a company. Here's Fiftyzero Bucks. We were off and we started a music tastemaking company. was like a miniature radio online and as I was marketing that, my aunt said, you know, you're really good at marketing, that would you come and consult this project I'm working on will pay you a lot of money, more money than you're making, and you know, you can say goodbye to the music industry, and that sound really good to me. Mark so she put me on the Walmart Account. Nice, nice way to start. Yeah, that was pretty lucky. And and you know, I came at that. This is again two thousand and seven now. So this was okay, so, marketers, we're going to nerve it out for a second here. This was Walmart and all of their franchises and IRS and united where way worldwide and all of their franchises, Plus Bank of America, and there's an atnt in there's. So there was almost twentyzero people involved by the end of the project who all wanted to help promote there was a good cause. It was to help lift the poor out of poverty through financial education and Walmart owns some software that was helping with this. So I came in and thought, okay, I I worked at IBM before and I just when Lotus notes had come through, and I had worked at XM and I there was no cloud. There were servers and then there was a mirror of the servers over in another state, right. But I saw how hard and important it was to have all these naming conventions, of all the songs tagged in the METADATA and how people all over, not just in the building but all over the country, were collaborating in our cloud right, and what that needed to look like. And so I built a spreadsheet that became the cloud for the Walmart Project and my spreadsheet system ended up getting us a hundred thirty percent sent rl year over year for three years. Amazing though. Thanks. Yeah, you stumbled into Walmart feared out. This system became massidly successful and then word did lately come from because it was your idea. I mean you had this thing going, you had at you, you kind of had this germination of an idea. Tell me the story of that, because it's you work for IBM, but I take it you're not a techy more. You know. Then, I mean, how do you go from that then to this AI driven machine? I...
...mean, my big mouth, you know, again, like the reason that those angel investors invested in me is because I was yammering on about I was taking to task a pretty famous music industry critique, critic loudly, with, you know, all the cursing that I do, and they were I think they thought I had some balls, basically, and the same thing when I walked into the Walmart project. I basically, not even basically, but I don't Polish. Is Not my gift mark, and so I was like if this is a freaking mess. You know, it was what I kind of said. And then I was at a dinner one night and I, you know, I was doing the same thing, just having my big mouth and somebody said, you know, you should really meet my friend Steve. And so okay, WHO's this Steve? And I didn't have time for Steve, but it he was harassed. Always a Steve, you know, there's always a steve right there. My Steve doesn't work turtlenecks, so in fact he's in Puerto Rico right now, probably wearing a tshirt. So he was in this world. He was a serial entrepreneur. He was a former CTEO chief technical officer and then also an angel investor. I don't know any of this world at all. And he kept asking to see my spreadsheets because now I had an agency and I was using this system for all my clients and I found him very annoying and but he he was nice, though, and he would like stought he was driving by my house. He would drive from New York to Vermont and he would just, you know, say can I come by for beer, and we would have them for dinner. So he's kind of like making himself around and he started to say, you know, we just need twenty fivezero dollars, we can automate your spreadsheets and built some wire frames and I was like, okay, first of all don't touch my spreadsheets. Pretty crazy, you're brananas, because I like it a it took me so long to imagine the world I was in. You know, I was a consultant, of consultant now and and the timing was so good, by the way mark, because I was really I had I had to fire a client and I didn't have the balls to because they owed me so much money and I needed to get out of the situation. So here I have eve giving me this nudge right, and he also was like we I didn't know what automation meant and I didn't know what wire frames were. Oh and the twenty Fivezeros. Like you know, I was a line cook for a bunch of years before radio. Like making money wasn't you know, my gift, and I just thought he was crazy, totally crazy. We'd saved, both both me and my husband, both music industry people, had saved like crazy to buy our first house, which is what we were doing, and Steve ended up taking the twenty fivezero out of his own pocket and bringing in Jason, my other cofounder, to my house one night on you'll relate to this. Like I was a consultant, and so I got vacation when my clients Gooti vacation. So it was Christmas and I was on vacation and it was Sunday at eight o'clock at night and they wanted to come by and I had two glasses of wine in me already and I was pissed. It's time. It's a negotiate the launch of a new company, I know right. And then I saw what they built and I was like, Oh, Steve says. I was much nicer to him after that, I guess. We talked about being becoming an accidental entrepreneur and then becoming an accidental, be to be SASS entrepreneur. It's a great story, you know, and it's an amazing to see how lately has evolved from you your perspective as somebody who's had a very varied background. What are the big what are some of the biggest challenges of running a fast growing company personally and professionally? That's the best question really. I mean the so, the the biggest job is I've got fifty houses...
...on fire at any time and my job is to figure out which one's gets the water right and oftentimes I don't get to put out the whole fire. I just get to like dribble a little bit, right, and so that's the that's the most difficult day day to day task, which I'm sure you can relate to. And those, those fires get to be more what's the word? The weight of the decision is harder, you know, with the more investors you have and and team and all the all the thing that's weighing down on you. You know, I think the professionally like the the failure. You know, I'm we were talking about this in the beginning. There's a manic addiction to being an entrepreneur, which is the highs are high and the lows are low, right, and I I clearly love it. I mean I love all the lawlessness of being a line cook and being in radio and being in this world. Right, that's a thing I like. I thought I found the end of my rope two or three times and it keeps getting farther, you know, and I'm always sort of amazed. I'll tell you. I'll tell you story, if you don't mind. So a couple years ago I had to we'd raise two point seven million dollars, all from angels and I was going for my first venture round, right, so a little bit different of around and I was trying to learn how to walk this talk and do all the pitching and everything. And that's when all that data came out that said that female founders only get two percent of all the venture capital funding and all of the Shenanigans and how the goal posts move and gas lighting, and one of my investors said this is how this is what's happening to you right now, this is why you're it's not working, and I was stunted and and then it all became clear that that's what was happening and it was sucked and so I had no choice but to pull the burn of the company back from one hundred thousand dollars a month to ten thousand dollars a month. Wow, it's a lot of people who didn't pick take a paycheck right. And I spent the year doubling sales and I landed sap and Anheuser, Bush and Bev and I got us into we got Gary V and then we got into a very wellknown, respected accelerator in in San Francisco, which aason Calicanas. So now I'm flying out to San Francisco once a week, every week to do a live demo day for four months. I do this. This is crazy, breakneck Shenanigan's right. I come out of that mark. I win the final Demo Day. I's the one to win because you brag about your growth. Right. I'm in the top three of the class and I have that term sheet I've been chasing for two years. I got one and the world exploded and I boy did I cry. I cried. I'm simplifying it really, but like I cried for a while because the feeling to me was, oh good, I filed twice, you know, and it feels bad right now. It feels really bad. But then I grew the company two hundred and fifty six percent over eleven months. So it's that. That's that of the Baboom, dumb right. You know. Well, you know it's been an intrition. You're for a lot of companies. I mean, maybe I'll tell you a story back, please see I make you feel better. So I have a friend of mine. He's been a lifelong friend of mine and he's as Sass entrepreneur. He's been twining for twenty years to be successful and he's tried all kinds of things and some of them have been successful and some not so much. Last year he's about to sell his company and he's at the finish line. It's the final papers and he is wife or not going to be super rich, but they'll be rich enough. COVID hits and deal falls apart and he's crushed emotionally physically. You know, he's like you. He's a hard working entrepreneur. He's both a company up. So he says, I got to go back to the table. So it goes back to the table and he built sales this year and he does...
00:32:00 - 00:36:00
...really well and he's just sold a company for double with the the private equity person offered him to lash g year. So that's great. Thank you. That's that's what I need to hear. Thank you. Well, you've a tremendous year, obviously, and I think in some respects the rising tie the lifts all digital ships and some companies have done better than others and some are going to growth won't be as spectacular about it'll be good and for other companies maybe like lately, it will be good. What I'm curious about this is it is probably not a fair question. When you look at the landscape, the marketing landscape right now it doesn't look like there's going to be in person conferences for most of two thousand and twenty one, if not early two thousand and twenty two. I mean it, things are a bit different up here in Canada because we're for lockdown little more. A lot of companies going to spend a lot of money on content marketing and social media. How do you see that evolving this year? Those two killers, and what does that mean for lately? Yeah, so, I mean the thing I've been pushing for a long time is, after the fact, marketing right, getting butts and seats is really hard, and it's I mean not because of Covid, even it was harder before. Right, even at any marketing conference that I've been to, it's the same conference every year. I mean that gets pretty boring and itself. And but, but if you want to get the eyeballs exponentially, you take apart all of those workshops and panels, find the ten, twenty, thirty, sixty two many movie trailers and use them to drive traffic either back to the long form or back to the next event. Right. And this what's interesting to me, mark, is like, so, what covid did for us is created a mind shift. It was already there, but people were forced to figure out how to try new things right. That's been part of it. And the after the fact marketing has been big and mean. So think about how you digest radio now. You don't do it live. Probably you hear it on spotify and you digest it at will whenever you want. Same with TV, right, not live. And so we as a company for the last six years we stopped promoting our own live events except for the twenty four hours beforehand. We do one the day before and one the hour before, because anything else we found fell on flat ears because people are just too busy. But if I take it apart afterwards and then use that, all these little atomized bits right to drive traffic, I end up getting six, seven times more leads than I would get then the butts and seats right. So this is the effect we're already seeing them having, you know, across as far as the conference land sape goes, I think the other thing that's changing is this the control right. So, like a big companies, marketers and CMOS especially the control that they've been wanting to have and maybe having to have. You can see it. You can literally see it slipping through their fingers. It's not working anymore because people respond to people, and believe me, I get my friend Brian Kramer is the one who said h t h, there's no more BDC and beat beats all human to human. And that's true, although of course, when you're talking to a larger company they don't care how nice you are. Yes, but the talking heads at the company, what if they say our hour wardly, the sanitized stuff isn't working anymore and they're quickly, not even not quickly, but they're more what's the word I'm looking for there? It's it's a more accepted that that style is not only antiquated but like actively killing you. It's actively killing you in the brand because of the controls that lately does allow the collaboration to let more voices be part of that conversation in the microphone. That's the other...
...thing we're seeing acceptance on, as well as like to give how I say this to I don't need to be the only one on the magazine, the cover of the magazine. You can be and Lauren can be and Chris can be, and that's what that's what I'm seeing other companies do as well as like give more voices that microphone. If I understand correctly, lately has always been a remote company. Is that true? Yeah, always. I had a conversation Bundy. So had a conversation with an entrepreneur last week at the first question he asked me was what are you hearing from your clients about returning to the office, because he's been working remotely for a year, and my answer was nothing. My clients aren't talking about it, they're not thinking about it. I mean they can see the light at the end of tunnel, but it's so it's not terribly tangible right now. So I'm wondering if you're an entrepreneur and you're not quite sure your and your employees are happy and productive working from home and you but you've got this office space that make spire in a little bit, what's your advice to them in terms of how you manage your people effectively when you can't see them other than on a zoom call? Yeah, so it's a good question because every people do have different needs and we've hired people that don't have that need on purpose. Right so people who very much are wild horses can run autonomously. I mean this was, this is a huge part of our culture, fit, you might say, but also mark, like we've trained people to be able to give you that hug over zoom right, you know, from the beginning, because we know that that's part of the evangelism kind of thing. Right. I personally am the kind of person that eats lunch standing up at the fridge. If I eat lunch, you know, it's a waste of my time. I save my that's that's how I am. So I hate the water cooler and because I feel like it is a waste of time. I'm always trying to think about how I can get something done if I'm sitting somewhere or, you know, focus. And so I think like first understanding who on your there are always broadcasters and fans in the world, right, and there's sometimes you're both. There's nothing wrong with being either one, but you have to understand who your employees are and where they fall. Fall there I think equipping them with there's there's things to quit people with, like, for example, if you're going to be doing zoom calls all day long, it's not enough to look for women. Let's just say everybody wants to look pretty and people are buying more cover up and self tanner. I mean this is a known fact, right. But also, how can you look at the camera differently? This is what we do. Like Lauren is actually always lacking me. She's like, you have bitch face on, smile right, because it's about sales and you know, all that kind of stuff. If you're doing a loom, loom videos or for your customers, are you looking at the camera here? Is it over here? This is the kind of stuff that that we've learned to translate from before and to force people, by the way, on the other side, to have their camera on. Look, we don't. This is being from the beginning. We don't take a meeting if you're going to bring in your phone driving right, right, that's that's just the zeal and. It doesn't matter if there's a demo or not. But like, if you if you can't take the time to look me in the eyeballs, then you know you're not going to be our customers. For those companies, I think like there's some cost stuff involved, right, mark, you know, you have to think about like what that value is. But some people really need the change of scenery and the change of past to get something done. They can't. They they can't be distracted by all the things at home, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm really curious to see WHO's going to make it and WHO's not. You know, who's going to be able to what people are saying. They have zoom fatigue. That's because they're having cocktails with their family on zoom and friends. Stop that. But I'm I'm curious and...
I guess you'd have to really start, start to listen to people and find out, you know, what they're what their social needs are. To people we are, I'm kind of I'm not an introvert by any means, but like, I don't like. I'm not in retail for a reason. I hate. I hate people. Don't tell anybody. So I'm glad. You know when I shut this thing off at the end of the day, I mean my husband, we watch TV at night on eat dinner like that, because I already talked all day. You know, I don't want to talk anymore. You know, it's going to be interesting because there are some people who like me, probably like you, who like working at home doing what you want, and there's some people who need that social interaction. And and I think. I think particularly younger people who that social networking is really important to them and that interconnectivity and the opportunities to rise in the ranks. They feel that they got to be close to the boss. That may be more import to them than older people, but I think it's going to be really fascinating here. I think it's going to obviously be very exciting. Your for lately. Sorry, really, it's a tribute. So. So we do have an off site every year. That's our one like gathering time, and it's here at my house and everybody comes and they spend the night on the floor downstairs with their sleeping bags and we're like between seventeen and sixty two, so we're not all young, right, and we do a crazy thing together, like we went skeet shooting or ziplining and we cook a meal and there's there's no work talk, but it's it's the most fun time of the year. Enjoy it well you can, because at some point in time you may have to buy either buy a bigger house. I know that would be crazy. Oh Yeah, and you just remind me in one more thing I want to say, which is so I connect with all my team on social which might be weird if you're CEO, is your friend on Facebook, but I am an instagram and everywhere else, and the reason I do that is because, because I'm not there in that water cooler, I can't see people what they're dealing with. Now online I can, so I know when you know it's the history, it's the anniversary of somebody's father's death. You know, and I know not to bust that guy's balls this week. We're all going to use different tools and different ways to connect with people. But yeah, the future is whatever you want to make it to be and we'll see what happens in two thousand and twenty one. Listen, this has been a great conversation. At the top of the show I told people that this would be a podcast that happens in twenty five minutes or less, but you have broken my Aurle I know, I know, you now have the distinct honor of being the longest talking person on my podcast in the last year, but I'll let you off this time. Job Hazard Yeah, yeah, exactly. Well, yeah, you've got a hey, this has been great. We had a few bumps along the road trying to get this interview arranged. There's another Mark Evans apparently out there who's talking your email. I don't know what's going on. One final question. Where can people learn about lately and yourself? You're adult mark. They can learn about us that DUB DUB DUB dot lately dot ai and and me and and lately were in all the places at lately ai and we're very friendly. As you know, we're also a little wacky. Thanks for listening to other episode of marketing spark. If you enjoyed the conversation, leave a review and subscribe by Itunes or your favorite podcast APP. For show notes of today's conversation and information about Kate, Visit Marketing Spark Dot Cola blog. If you'd like to suggest a guest or learn more about how I help me to be companies as a fractional CMOS priggick advisor and coach. Send an email to mark a marketing spark dotcom. I'll talk to you next time. I.
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The more that you know your customers, the better.
That's Marketing 101.
As marketing attribution becomes increasingly more challenging, companies will need new tools to identify and engage prospects.
Getting this type of customer intelligence will allow them to make better and faster marketing, advertising, and sales decisions.
On the Marketing Spark podcast, Clearbit CMO Kevin Tate talks about how companies can use technology to identify their ideal customer profiles (ICPs), how to gain insight into what customers and prospects are thinking and the questions being asked, and how to identify Website visitors who don't provide any contact information.
We also took a look at Clearbit's marketing activities - content marketing and free tools.
Are B2B Companies Still Excited about Podcasts?
In theory, podcasts are a great thing for B2B and B2B SaaS companies.
They allow companies to connect with prospects, customers, and influencers and generate a ton of content (blog posts, social media updates, videos).
But podcasts can be a hard sell for marketers. One of the challenges is that the value and ROI of a podcast are more than data-driven.
When a marketer is asked by a CEO about how to measure a podcast's success, the answer is "a podcast can be quantified but many of the benefits aren't visible".
To get insight into the B2B podcast landscape, I connect with Tom Hunt , founder of Fame.
We talked about:
- Whether companies are still enthiastic about podcasts
- How to sell a podcast to. CEO or CMO
- The role and value of an internal podcast for employees
- Whether CEOs really understand their customers, and how a podcast and creating content is a great way to discover valuable insight.
Sales is a combination of art and science.
The best salespeople combine personality, insight, research and time to engage people and convince them to make purchases.
In this episode of Marketing Spark, SellX's Steve Schmidt talks about:
- How salespeople should operate given the economic landscape
- What makes for a great sales person beyond sales
- How sales and marketing can work together effectively
- The biggest mistakes made by salespeople on LinkedIn
- Why Steve has enthusiastically embraced TikTok
- The link between sales and demand generation.
They're seen as people who like telling other people what to do, but they don't do the actual work.
But consultants can play a key role in helping companies fill gaps and seize opportunities. The right consultant at the right time can deliver huge ROI.
On the Marketing Spark podcast, I talk with Faheem Moosa, who helps consultants drive higher revenue.
Faheem and I look at the consulting landscape amid volatile economic times, the role of content in marketing and sales, and the keys to launching a successful consulting business.
If you're a consulting, thinking about getting into the business, or looking to hire a consultant, Faheem delivers great insight.
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All this talk of undeserved bailouts and ill-gotten bonuses has me scratching my head. What, exactly, is a retention bonus? And then mine came.
Yesterday I walked out my front door under the lazy beat of the afternoon heat to wheel my four garbage cans out onto the curb. Yes, four. One for trash trash, the dirty stuff. One for recyclables, although I hear that in these dire times they aren’t recycling them anymore. And two for the green waste, the clippings, leaves and branches that we harvest from my yard by the ton. As I yanked the dusty bins from the driveway to the street for the umpteenth time I realized I was wearing the same Old Navy denim capri pants I always wear, my only denim capri pants, although they ride too high and are cut too short and in truth are half a size too big, the pants I bought so long ago I can’t count the years, the ones I rarely wash or tend, that have ferried me through the thick of post-pregnancy and post-menopause and completely across the broad span of my middle years, pants no one else would want or wear, but I senselessly, foolishly, stubbornly – as is the nature of retention – retain them still.
The bonus? They still fit!
That was my retention bonus. I’m not giving it back.
on my plate
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The actual Revolutionary Apple iPhone as well as The reason why You cannot Reside Without having This – Just Deploy It!
The actual Revolutionary Apple iPhone as well as The reason why You cannot Reside Without having This
Post author By admin
Post date November 20, 2022
No Comments on The actual Revolutionary Apple iPhone as well as The reason why You cannot Reside Without having This
The actual Mac Apple’s apple iphone is actually lastly right here! This particular greatly awaited Apple iphone has turned into a actuality as well as it may be affecting home windows in most nearby mall. The actual Apple iphone can make requires a person also it facilitates searching for music player which syncs i phone 12 128gb together with your iTunes. The brand new Apple iphone includes a slim as well as good style and it is centric with a vibrant touchscreen which showcases your own pictures as well as movies superbly. You’ll totally adore this particular apple iphone through Apple company!
Individuals may the master of the actual Apple iphone will even notice the possible lack of regulates as well as control keys within the home windows because just about all menus routing as well as information admittance through dialing amounts in order to inputting communications is performed about the touchscreen. It is possible to state how the Apples apple iphone is actually 3 products in a single: the mobile phone, the wide-screen mp3 player along with contact regulates as well as a good Web marketing communications. This particular apple iphone gadget that will assist a person excellent. And much more in the future, the actual Apple iphone isn’t just the telephone; it’s a telephone having a movie participant, music player, web gadget, as well as digital camera just about all in a single. Mac possess truly obtained their own apples collectively this time around!
A few Apple iphone Functions You’ll Adore
1 function from the Apple iphone we adore include a quad-band globe telephone assistance. Additional functions you’ll appreciate include a 2-megapixel nevertheless digital camera, Wi-Fi capacity, stereo system Bluetooth, the loudspeaker telephone, e-mail along with a Firefox Web browser. Although you will find storage caps from 8MB as well as even though there is no 3G assistance or even cellular packages, the actual Apple iphone may produce curiosity even though this is available.
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Apple iphone could make the demand a person simply by holding the hand in a title or even quantity within the tackle guide home windows, the faves checklist or even your own phone record. All of the connections out of your COMPUTER, Mac or even Web gadget will also be instantly synced using the gadget. You may also choose as well as pay attention to your own tone of voice postal mail communications within what ever purchase you would like, like you may along with e-mail. Phone calls may also very easily end up being joined as well as simply the actual contact of the switch for you can make the meeting phone through very easily joining the actual phone calls along with a touch of the switch. This particular can make your own meeting phoning easier!
The actual Apple’s apple iphone may obviously additionally deliver texts by having an TEXT software having a QWERTY gentle computer keyboard that may proper errors for example misspellings as well as I understand I’ll be utilizing which perform a great deal. This particular causes it to be simpler and much more effective to work with your own Apple iphone compared to little plastic material input keys present in alot of cell phones which are not really through Apple company / Mac.
This particular extremely sophisticated as well as superbly designed Apple iphone through Mac may barely end up being known as only a easy telephone using the assortment of functions that come with this. There is not any question lots of people tend to be perishing to obtain their very own Apple iphone!
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Most people assume that a professional caregiver hired through a home care company is limited only to assisting clients inside their homes with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, medication reminders, preparing meals, or doing light housekeeping. However, an in-home caregiver’s role has been increasingly useful outside one’s home as well. Seniors … Continue reading →
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How to Talk to Your Loved One About Hiring Home Care?
Talking with your aging parent or loved one about getting home care can be challenging, especially when decisions could threaten their independence. Acknowledging the fact that they need help with day-to-day activities can be difficult for them. Approaching the subject requires patience, love, and a well-thought-out plan. Here are some easy ways to talk to … Continue reading →
Posted in Home Care
Now that your senior has decided to age in place or age right at home, here are some of the main things you can do to assist them in the process: Modify their home layout and readjust furniture. Your first priority should be redesigning your senior’s home layout to make it more accident-free and fall-proof. … Continue reading →
Posted in Senior Care
Why Are Seniors Choosing to Age in Place
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), three out of four adults age 50 and above “want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.” Aging in place, or aging at home, is fast becoming a preference among the majority of the country’s seniors today. Seniors now prefer to age in … Continue reading →
Posted in Senior Care
On Home Care: Aging in Place
As we grow older, it is natural that we choose to stay at home. The familiar surroundings keep us comfortable and remind us of fond memories with family and friends. However, it is also advisable to take a step back and reflect on whether aging in place is right for you. Once you decide to … Continue reading →
Posted in Home Care
Benefits of Getting Home Care for Seniors
If your loved one is still living at home but struggling with the effects of aging, getting home care in Chattanooga, Tennessee can be a great solution. Through home care, professional caregivers provide seniors with physical assistance, as well as help with the emotional and routine aspects of daily life in the comforts of their … Continue reading →
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At MSC Advisory we will work to understand your challenges and will focus on clear solutions adjusted to your needs. Our mission is to be your trusted advisor by offering accounting, financial, and tax services that provide value to you and help your business grow. Because we have been there, we understand the importance of providing stress-free solutions. At MSC Advisory we are guided by the principle that your success is our success.
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Shackle arrived a bit road weary in Sao Paulo. I read Paul Auster’s Winter Journal and Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending on the plane ride from Sydney to Sao Paulo. I highly recommend both books.
Our first gig was just a few hours later at the Mobile Radio BSP programme OIDARADIO. It was at the pavillion of the 30th São Paulo biennial. The set we played is at OIDARADIO mixcould website. Thanks to Nick Graham-Smith, Knut Aufermann and Bruno Pallazzo.
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"This post includes affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase."
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You can type any content into a page. The tool does not require you to perform any adjustment since it has automatic modification capability. You can easily copy-paste any material without any professional format.
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It has a vast library which contains thousands of articles. You can use any of the posts for free without providing any credit to the author.
It features a large series of styles and temples which you can apply to your files.
These designs are going to make your documents appear spectacular.
You do not require to make every effort to include footers, headers, and numerous pages in your ebook due to the fact that this tool is going to do all this things for you.
The tool holds a training center that supports newbies to understand the software quickly.
The training center serves beginners to learn about the Sqribble eBook home builder. It brings a detailed guide that doesn’t take in a great deal of time.
These are the sensational factors that this tool is going to provide you.Blurb Vs Kitaboo
Benefits of using Sqribble tool
This software has a great deal of things to provide, however here I’m going to expose some leading features.
Produce Ebooks & other files The significant goal of this tool is to assist you men in making professional and excellent ebooks and a number of other documents. You are going to get more than 50 templates that can increase the beauty and worth of your ebook.Blurb Vs Kitaboo
Nevertheless, you can likewise include these design templates to other appropriate files. All the design templates are divided into 15+ specific niches, so you have a wide array to select from.
Time and money-saving You might be familiar with the fact that to produce ebooks, you require to hire a freelancer that might demand hundreds or countless dollars for a single piece. And you also need waiting till the freelancer delivers that ebook.
So this is time taking and money-wasting process which everybody dislikes. You might not believe that utilizing this software; you can produce a high-quality ebook within a couple of minutes. The software application will assist you in saving a lot of time, energy, and money, which you can apply in other productive work.
Ideal for everyone This tool does not believe in the beginner-expert idea. It doesn’t matter whether you are new or an expert to the software; you are going to love utilizing it because of its easy to use interface. The designers have developed whatever in such a basic way so that everyone can comprehend it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How many Ebooks or files one can create through this software application? This software application doesn’t have any limits. You can create unlimited files and ebooks at cost effective rates. Unlike other tools, this software allows you to use the design again and again totally free, which makes it a one-time financial investment.
It offers you with a big range of design templates. You are going to get 50 remarkable styles that are classified into 15 selections of niches.
Can I submit a file or image on this software application? Yes, you can. This tool uses 100MB of space for every user. Within this 100MB of storage, you can publish a large variety of images according to your requirements.
Besides this, you will likewise get thousands of free icons, stock images, and backgrounds without charging any extra amount from you. Also, it allows you to exports files in numerous formats such as MOBI, PDF, ePUB, etc.
What is the cost of this software? And is it a one-time investment? The cost that this ebook creation software needs is $29.99. This price is not fixed. You may see a boost or decrease in the software application cost, depending on the developer’s option. However one thing is exceptional, which is the one-time payment.
The software doesn’t have any monthly charges or any other surprise charges. However the designers may change their policy so I would advise you to buy it as soon as possible.
This software is easy-to-use, even for newcomers.
It features many free ready-made ebooks designs.
The customer service is fast and responsive.
It presents 50+ professional templates for ebooks covers.
This tool is user-friendly that provides many customizable options.
It has 1000 stock libraries, which you can include in your ebook.
This tool is a bit expensive.
It is only present online.
Conclusion:
Sqribble is a total bundle for an individual who wishes to make an expert ebook. Whatever in the software application is of high quality but basic.
It has numerous award-winning templates that are going to make your ebook cover look stylish.
The easy to use and drag & drop user interface makes it an ideal choice for beginners. Apart from creating your ebook and other files, you can also utilize it for your company.
You can offer ebooks and styles to other users and keep all the revenue. Now you do not have to wait and work a lot in creating an ebook due to the fact that Sqribble will do all those stuff for you.Blurb Vs Kitaboo
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Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme that was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and give the reasons why you want to read it. It is that simple.
This week’s book:
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Blurb from Goodreads
A modern classic in the African literary canon and voted in the Top Ten Africa’s 100 Best Books of the 20th Century, this novel brings to the politics of decolonization theory the energy of women’s rights. An extraordinarily well-crafted work, this book is a work of vision. Through its deft negotiation of race, class, gender and cultural change, it dramatizes the ‘nervousness’ of the ‘postcolonial’ conditions that bedevil us still. In Tambu and the women of her family, we African women see ourselves, whether at home or displaced, doing daily battle with our changing world with a mixture of tenacity, bewilderment and grace.
I am not sure where I first encountered Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga. I guess it is through a fellow book blogger or an online bookseller. I am sure of one thing, I encountered her name just recently, hence, the recent addition of Nervous Conditions in my to-be-read list even though I barely have an iota on what the book is about. I haven’t researched further as well nor checked out reviews on the book. I don’t want my opinion to tip on one scale even before I could get to the book.
Nervous Conditions is Dangarembga’s debut novel and is also the first novel to be written in English by a black Zimbabwean woman. Also tipping in favor of the book is its addition in the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. This makes me anticipate it even more. Her recent novel, This Mournable Body, was longlisted in the 2020 Man Booker Prize; I just learned that it is the third book in the Nervous Conditions Trilogy (at least for now).
Just a couple of days after being longlisted in the 2020 Man Booker Prize, Dangarembga found herself in the news again after she was arrested during an anti-government protest in the Zimbabwean capital Harare. The Booker Prize Foundation was quick to denounce this unfortunate development. Thankfully, she was released but on bail.
And thus ends my Goodreads Monday post. How about you fellow reader, what book do you want to read? I hope you can share it in the comment box. For now, happy reading! Have a great week ahead!
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Published by carllbatnag
I am a lot of things. I am that book with endless words. I am that pen that never ceases writing. I am an imagery that captures the beauty that there is. I am a celebration of life. But most of all, I am a memory, a speck of dust that somehow coexisted and survived with other mindless dusts in our personal space in time. View all posts by carllbatnag
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4 thoughts on “Goodreads Monday # 32”
August 3, 2020 at 4:36 pm
I started quite a few classics on my Kindle, things “I should know about”. Let’s see. I should read more fiction. Best, Ivana
LikeLiked by 1 person
August 3, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Good luck on that Happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Claire 'Word by Word' says:
November 5, 2020 at 12:12 am
Brilliant! I read this last year exactly because it is a modern classic, it won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and just seemed like an important book to read. I thought it was brilliant. The psychological insight and portrayal of the character Tambudzai was so engaging for me, a real cultural appreciation. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The second book was good, though not quite as engaging and by the third I just wanted to know how she was going to fare, knowing it was going to be challenging given the conditioned colonial style education she’d been given. It’s all so thought provoking and insightful, though difficult to write about, as you read in a kind of ‘listening and observing’ mode.
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If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course is your second step down that path. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of game design, including an understanding of the game world, storytelling, gameplay, user experience, and game technology. You will continue developing videogames using industry standard game development tools, including the Unity game engine. At the end of the course you will have completed a 2D Platformer game, and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games.
Skills You'll Learn
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4.7 (79 ratings)
15.18%
2.53%
1.26%
DF
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It was overall a good course. I would have loved it better if we had made more things from scratch.
Helpful?
RP
Apr 19, 2021
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Absolutely love it, wish I could have realized Game development was my true calling years ago!
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From the lesson
Your Second Step into Game Design and Development
Are you ready to take the next step in your journey into game design and development? In this module, we will introduce the theory and practice of this course. From a theoretical perspective, we will be using the Design, Play, Experience Framework across this course as a vehicle to discuss game design. From a practical standpoint, you will be creating your second game project in the course, a 2D Platformer. In the first part of the assignment, follow along with the tutorial videos introduced in this module. In the second part of the project, you will modify the game to make it your own.
Taught By
Brian Winn
Full Professor
Try the Course for Free
Welcome to Game Design and Development 2. I'm Brian Winn, the lead instructor of this course. This is the second course in the game design and development specialization. I'll assume that you have the knowledge from the first course. If for some reason you did not take the first course, I do recommend that you go back and take Course 1 first. Just like the first course, the teaching staff for this class will include both myself and my TA, Declan McClintock. You will see or hear from both of us in the video lectures across the course. As I mentioned in Course 1, I also have included links to several YouTube videos throughout the course to provide other perspectives, knowledge, and interest. I encourage you to watch these videos to add depth and breadth to my materials. Also, as I mentioned in Course 1, I will teach both theory and practice. A lot of the theory comes out in the concept lectures. A lot of the practice comes out through the technical lectures you will watch and the projects that you'll do. One of the best ways to make games is by doing it. To that point, we'll be creating a 2D platformer game across this course as a means of putting theory into practice and gaining additional experience with developing games in unity. In addition to the project, we'll also discuss the game world, storytelling, gameplay, user experience, and game technology. These are the elements of the design, play, experience framework that I introduced in Course 1. We will dive into each layer in depth across this course. Okay, are you excited to jump in? In the next set of videos, we'll get started on the 2D platformer project. All of these videos are listed right away, but feel free to pace yourself on the development of the game across the entire course. After all, the concepts, theory, and practice of making games goes hand in hand. Let's begin.
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Bay Area Scores brings soccer, poetry, and service-learning programs to low-income youth six days a week to address the needs of the whole child.
America SCORES was founded in Washington, DC. At that time, a public school teacher was concerned that her students were engaging in high-risk behavior during after-school hours. Starting with a handful of girls, she organized a soccer team, which met on school grounds. During the winter months, she introduced poetry lessons to this same team. She noticed that the introduction of team-based activities resulted in the development of self-discipline, teamwork, and confidence, which they applied in the classroom. In 2001, America SCORES Bay Area was founded, joining 14 other affiliate sites across the country. We offer programs to 700 public school students in grades 3-8. In low-income urban communities where more than 35% of children are obese or overweight and only 1 in 5 read at proficiency levels, SCORES intervenes. Our student-athletes stay out of harm's way, improve academic performance and fitness, and give back to their communities.
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how do you change the ph level of your armpit? i feel like mine is way to alkaline. also can thyroid problems create body odor? both my mom and grandma have thyroid problems. what would the smell be like? thanks!
0 Vote Up Vote Down
drarmpit answered 7 years ago
Dear Jenna, the average pH of the armpit is 6.5 for men and 6 for females. The average pH of the general skin is about 5.5. Lowering the armpit pH can lower the amount of bacteria. This can be easily achieved by applying citric acid or acetic acid. Best, Chris
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FILE – Cindy Parlow Cone, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, speaks following a U.S. women’s match against Nigeria at Audi Field, Tuesday,…
FILE – Cindy Parlow Cone, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, speaks following a U.S. women’s match against Nigeria at Audi Field, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in Washington. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women’s Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Cindy Parlow Cone called the findings “heartbreaking and deeply troubling.” (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Sports
US soccer president tells CNN more misconduct cases reported
by: The Associated Press
Posted: Oct 8, 2022 / 12:22 PM EDT
Updated: Oct 8, 2022 / 12:22 PM EDT
FILE – Cindy Parlow Cone, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, speaks following a U.S. women’s match against Nigeria at Audi Field, Tuesday,…
FILE – Cindy Parlow Cone, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, speaks following a U.S. women’s match against Nigeria at Audi Field, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in Washington. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women’s Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Cindy Parlow Cone called the findings “heartbreaking and deeply troubling.” (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
by: The Associated Press
Posted: Oct 8, 2022 / 12:22 PM EDT
Updated: Oct 8, 2022 / 12:22 PM EDT
The U.S. Soccer Federation received three new reports of misconduct in the sport this week after details of systemic emotional abuse and sexual misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League were revealed in an independent investigation, U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone told CNN.
Parlow Cone was interviewed twice Friday by the television network and didn’t provide details of the new misconduct cases. She said the U.S. Center for SafeSport and other authorities have been made aware of the three new reports.
“I’m also hoping that people do feel safe now to come forward or are … learning about where to come forward to report this because this is so important,” Parlow Cone told CNN. “We’re not going to be able to root it out unless more brave people come forward to tell us.”
Five of 10 NWSL coaches either were fired or stepped down last season amid allegations of misconduct.
More than 200 people were interviewed by investigators looking into the allegations of harassment and sexual coercion and abuse. The NWSL, U.S. Soccer, teams and individuals provided documents. The independent investigation, run by former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and the law firm King & Spaulding, focused on three former coaches: Paul Riley, with the Portland Thorns and later the North Carolina Courage, Christy Holly of Racing Louisville and Rory Dames of the Chicago Red Stars.
On Wednesday, the Portland Thorns dismissed a pair of team executives a day after owner Merritt Paulson removed himself from a decision-making role with the team. Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler also stepped back from his role, and Racing Louisville President James O’Connor apologized to fans and a former player who alleged she was sexually abused by Holly.
On Friday, England and the U.S. women’s teams played a friendly before nearly 77,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. They wore teal armbands in solidarity with sexual abuse victims and together held a banner that read “Protect the Players” just before kickoff.
The Yates report made numerous recommendations to prioritize player health and safety. U.S. Soccer also said it would immediately implement programs to protect players.
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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What does it mean to be multidimensional, from your perspective? If you believe that other dimensions exist, where are they located? Many human beings, even awakened ones, would answer that there are indeed multiple dimensions, but that they are somewhere else in the Universe, outside of themselves. This is because the concept of Self has yet to be fully integrated. Simply acknowledging that you are … Continue reading The In-Formation of Desire and Experience
Daniel Rodriguez September 21, 2020 September 25, 2020 Leave a comment
The Cosmic Net of Co-Creation
We shall begin by asking you to imagine yourself in a room watching an indigenous woman weave a beautiful tapestry on a loom. As you watch her at work, you may be inclined to give her sole credit for the tapestry’s creation. In doing so, you fail to give credit in turn to the person who constructed her loom, the person who dyed the yarn, … Continue reading The Cosmic Net of Co-Creation
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After working hard to fill your Balikbayan Box from the start of the year until this season, we’re sure that you’re all excited to send your Christmas Package to the Philippines. According to statistics, there are 2.3 million OFWs scattered around the globe and every year, they send their “padala” to the family.
We have written numerous articles for you about the latest information on Balikbayan Boxes. These include the New BOC ID Rules On Tax-Free Balikbayan Box Privilege (CMO No. 18-2018), to save on money, and perhaps avoid trouble with the law; or maybe, you were unable to make it in time to send gifts for your “gradweyts,” it’s never too late to send it together this Christmas.
As we all know, by culture, Filipinos have the longest Christmas season in the world. From the first ‘ber” month in September, we already have decorations put up and jingles playing everywhere we go. Families with loved ones overseas are connected through balikbayan boxes carrying more than just “pasalubong” but also their love and affection.
With that said, this season marks the busiest time of the year for forwarding services and here at Metro Box Cargo, it’s always our passion to ensure that your package is delivered early or just in time for the festivities.
If you haven’t read it already, we shared why you should send your Christmas Package to the Philippines as early as possible and to summarize, we gave these top 5 reasons for you to take note of:
Dodge The Season Rush – This time of year attracts a lot of customers queueing long lines that may cause delays and inconveniences for you to join at the same time.
Reduce Waiting Time – Cargo by sea takes more time compared to the online shopping that we’re so used to doing now. So if you want your package to make it on time, give yourself an allowance of at least 2 months.
Consider Shelf Life – In the case that you want to give toiletries, food and other products that are better consumed fresh, consider sending your package at a better time frame to not affect the product quality.
Less Stress – As OFWs, you still continue to work long hours for your remittance and shopping for the family, but the earlier you can send your package the less you have to think about. That way, you can also enjoy your own holiday celebration overseas.
Avoid Lost Boxes – The amount of packages during the rush can be overwhelming that often times, there are unfortunate and unprecedented incidents where boxes can become misplaced. We’ve shared the steps to take, but it’s always better safe than sorry.
The best time to deliver would be after you have completed this short checklist to make sure that your processing will be smooth and free from any delays:
Check that your items are not prohibited (Part 1 and 2)
Address your package according to the requirements
Choose a reliable forwarder
Ship your package
Regardless, we still accept packages for delivery before and after this holiday season. Contact us at Metro Box Cargo to learn more about cut-off dates. We now provide forwarding services to the whole Bay Area – San Francisco Peninsula, Eastbay, Southbay, Northbay to Tracy, Stockton and Elk Grove and the Greater Los Angeles Area, Modesto to Merced area.
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Basketball has surpassed the mantra of being a growing sport. With the sport being firmly seen as one of the best sports in the world, it is no secret that many people either enjoy throwing a few hoops, or children enjoying the game to emulate their favorite superstars. However, basketball hoops are generally fixed to one location, making it harder to enjoy the game.
The general idea of a best portable basketball hoop is to move or wheel it around to different locations that allow you to play wherever you desire. However, finding the right one can be a tedious task for many people, but I have done some research and tested a few hoops to help you find the right one for your game.
Before I start to bore you with all the intricate features that make a portable basketball hoop stand out, we have decided to find some of the top options currently available on the market today. These hoops can make your life more fun and allow you to enjoy the game with a couple of friends in different locations:
1. Lifetime Portable Basketball Hoop with 44in Impact Backboard
One of the first basketball hoops that you will find is the Lifetime 1221 Portable Basketball Hoop. It has been constructed from polyethylene and includes a durable UV coating that will ensure it does not wear out when you use it in the middle of the day.
A sturdy base has been implemented at the bottom of the structure and it includes a 27-gallon base, which can be filled with either water or sand. This base is tested to remain fixed to the ground, even when you perform longer shots from afar. Additionally, you can adjust it to the height of 10-feet, making it perfect for jumping shots.
With the additional rim being made from solid steel, it is possible for the player to grab onto the hoop once they have performed a shot. Unfortunately, it is fairly heavy when it has been set up with all of the weights that hold it in place. Taking it down can also be a daunting and timely process when you are in a rush.
Fortunately, these downsides are accounted for in the price and the Lifetime Portable Basketball Hoop is not the most expensive of units. It includes a very attractive design that will encourage you to enjoy the game even more. I recommend it as one of the top options for players that are trying to excel in the sport.
Pros:
The nylon net is quite attractive
Once the base has been filled it remains sturdy
The pole can be adjusted up to 10-feet
UV coating prevents any long-term wear and tear
Cons:
Filling the base with sand is hard due to the small opening
It can be a little heavy to move around once filled
Spalding is probably the most notorious brand in the world of basketball. Since most of the top balls are made by them, it is no surprise to see the Spalding 66291 Pro Slam Portable Basketball at the top of our list.
It has been constructed from steel when we look at the overall composition of the unit and the additional acrylic will not only give it a shine but also add to the overall durability. The base is the best feature and can be filled by 35 gallons of either sand or water, which definitely does make it impossible to move.
While the unit can be easily adjusted from 7.5 to 10-feet depending on the level of your game, you also need to keep the instruction in mind when setting it up. You will need to have a couple of tools to ensure all the bolts are securely fixed in place. Failing to do so could potentially damage the unit or have it fall apart.
The overall consensus is that this is one of the best units that anyone with a little bit of experience can find. However, it does not come cheap and you will need to dole out a couple of bucks. The regulation net and durability does mean the unit won’t fall over easily and you can move it around to your desired destination.
Pros:
It can disassemble into three pieces
35 gallons will make it sturdy for heavy players
The pole can be adjusted to 10-feet
It gives you an extremely stylish design
Cons:
Emptying out 35-gallons of sand can be hard once you are done
The angled structure is fairly tough to move
Quality is definitely something that we all need to keep in mind when buying new gear. Fortunately, the Silverback NXT Basketball Hoop is one of the best options on the market today. It features a durable steel-on-steel frame that has been reinforced to ensure it does not bend or break.
Looking at the base, I have found that it can take around 25-gallons of water or sand. All of this is perfect for the player that likes to move rapidly and dunk the ball in at pace. Additionally, the backdrop is made from polycarbonate plastic and it does allow the ball to rebound more effectively when you make a missed shot.
Not to be outdone by some of the other brands, the Silverback NXT Basketball Hoop includes small wheels that can help you move it around. Even when the base of the hoop has been filled to the brim, it can still be moved around to find the perfect location for your one-on-one games.
Assembly can take some time if you first receive it. According to the manufacturer, it will take you around 90-minutes before it is completely assembled. However, you won’t need to worry about it falling apart after this. This biggest complaint is the price and this hoop is mostly designed for players at a professional level.
Pros:
It is made with a steel-on-steel design
The backdrop gives you the perfect rebound
The stylish look is perfect for all players
Once it is set up, it won’t budge
Cons:
It will take approximately 90-minutes to assemble
Some of the assembly instructions can be hard to understand
If you are looking for a basketball hoop that will basically be immovable once it has been set up, you don’t need to look any further than the Giantex 10FT Portable Basketball Hoop. It has been constructed from a durable steel frame and regulation size hoop that makes practicing and having fun much easier.
At the base, you have a massive box. This box can be filled with up to 66-pounds of water and if you can find water, you can add 88-pounds of sand to keep it securely upright. Additionally, the hoop’s height can be adjusted to accommodate your level of skill and it will look fairly stylish as well.
The basketball hoop will need to be assembled when you receive it, but the instruction manual is fairly accurate with how to do so. However, one of the complaints did stem from the screws not being correct and fitting inside the hole. This is a small issue that has only been found occasionally, but the rest seems to be on par.
All the features on this unit seem to be the regulation size and you won’t have too many troubles when it comes to using it. Once done, you need to drain it to make it easier to move, as 66-pounds can be fairly heavy. Fortunately, it is also one of the more affordable options on the market today, giving you great value for your money.
Pros:
The height is fully adjustable
88-pounds of sand will keep it planted firmly
All the features are regulation size
It is one of the more affordable options
Cons:
Without a breakaway rim, dunking is not recommended
The unit can be heavy to move when filled
We all have a personal favorite when it comes to basketball hoops. Some people might be satisfied with something basic, but the Lifetime 90040 Height Adjustable Portable Basketball System is not only made to be durable but also features an extremely stylish look.
It is a 3-piece system once you receive it and this makes it much easier to transport around when you need to. Additionally, the base holds around 27-gallons of water to keep it in position, while the 44-inch board at the back is regulation size to ensure that you don’t have any issues when it comes to rebounds.
Lifetime is one of the leading brands that I have used for outdoor basketball systems and they have been around for a long time. The 18-inch solid steel frame is durable and even when you leave it outside in the sun, it does not sustain any real damages. The only real downside is the lack of durability that stems from the hoop itself.
You might have figured that the Lifetime 90040 Height Adjustable Portable Basketball System is not designed for hanging on the hoop. This is one of the reasons why many people choose to buy it only for practicing long shots. Fortunately, it is quite affordable and offers a lot of value to your game or when you are practicing.
Pros:
It looks different but stylish
Assembling it is rather easy
The regulation size parts are great for practice
Lifetime is one of the most reputable brands
Cons:
No weather-resistant coating is applied (might be prone to rust)
At 27-gallons, it can still tumble over when it takes a few bumps
We have already briefly mentioned the Spalding brand and the fact that they are responsible for most of the top balls used in the NBA. The Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball Hoop is a fascinating steel hoop with a few different features from the ones we have seen so far.
Compared to some of the other hoops, this one does not feature your standard hoop that is generally attached to a single pole. It comes with a 2-inch steel structure that will attach to the base at an angle. Once the base has been filled, the unit does not move in any direction and it should allow you to make power shots.
Since it is fairly heavier than many of the others, it can be a little bit of a drag to set up. However, the additional wheels will make it much easier to move around without having to constantly get rid of the substances used in the base. We should also mention the backboard of 60-inches, which is far larger than many others.
While Spalding is probably one of the leading brands, if not the best, the products that they have designed come at a hefty price. Unfortunately, the Spalding The Beast Portable Basketball Hoop is one of the more expensive options that you can choose on the market today, which might not be ideal for beginners.
Pros:
The poles are made from 2-inch solid steel
It has a massive base for water and sand
We like the large 60-inch backboard for rebounds
You get a limited 5-year warranty
Cons:
Transporting around the large 60-inch backboard can be daunting
2-inches of solid steel is really heavy once assembled
The closest competitor we could find to the Spalding brand is definitely the Lifetime 52 Inch Portable Basketball Hoop System. Might not have the same level of durability, but once you have the unit constructed, you can see that they look similar.
The backboard is still a massive 52-inches, slightly larger than many of the competitors, while the hoop itself is regulation size for almost anyone to play with. Lifetime has added a massive base, capable of holding a staggering 35-gallons of water once it has been set up. Testing it shows that no matter how hard you throw, it won’t tip.
The one feature that seems to pop up every time we have a look at this hoop is the level of durability on the hoop. It has been designed for those players that like to slam the ball into the net. I would not recommend hanging on the hoop, but you can take a few more risks with shots that you would like to show your friends.
As for the price, this is the only real concern, to be honest. It does not quite match up to the same priced one would find from Spalding, but this is one of the most expensive options from this brand. If you are serious about basketball and you need something portable, the Lifetime 52 Inch Portable Basketball Hoop System is for you.
Pros:
It has a massive 52-inch backdrop
The hoops are fairly durable
You can disassemble it into 3 pieces
The unit is completely weather resistant
Cons:
At 52-inches for the backboard, you might have a couple balls fly off
The standage hoop is not made for hanging
One of the closest portable basketball hoops that we could find comes from the top brand in the industry. The Spalding Pro Slam Portable NBA 54″ Angled Pole Backboard Basketball System is designed from steel but coated in a substance that will ensure it remains weather resistant.
The unit can be adjusted in various ways to ensure that you have the perfect height needed for your game. Once the base has been filled with around 30-gallons of water or sand, you might need a friend to help you move it around. However, the benefit to this is that you can play the type of game that you so desire.
Since the design has been angled, you don’t even need to carry it. Once you tip the unit forward, you can easily just push it by using the wheels that have been included. This makes it much easier to ensure you have portability. Additionally, we have assembled it into 3 pieces, making it possible to carry the unit along on trips.
By now, you might have seen that Spalding is one of the most expensive brands on the market today. However, this regulation-sized NBA hoop is one of their less expensive options. It will still give you all of the same quality features, but for a slightly less expensive price.
Pros:
It is regulation NBA size
The unit is reasonably priced
It looks great when set up
Having wheels makes it easier to move around
Cons:
Assembly of the unit takes almost 2 hours
The angled design makes storage difficult once you are done
Bigger is generally considered to be better, but occasionally, you might want to look smaller for something more portable and easier to travel with. The SKLZ Pro Mini Hoop Basketball System is one of these slightly smaller basketball hoops that still offers you the same great features, but with a smaller design.
The unit starts out at around 7 feet when it has been fully assembled. However, it can be adjusted to be just around 3.5-feet when you need to bring it down a little bit. The rim and the nets are still regulation size, but now your kid can start playing with a basketball hoop from a young age. The mobile base, which includes wheels is already weighted enough for the little ones.
The only issue that we could find is the inability to make it go higher than 7 feet. Unfortunately, this means that some of the bigger players might not enjoy playing with it as much and it is mostly for your beginners.
Since it is not completely regulation size, it is much more affordable than some of the others. However, the smaller design and lighter weight make it much easier to travel around with the unit or place it in the trunk of your car.
Pros:
It is small and compact
The height can be lowered to 3.5-feet
The unit is really affordable
All the components are still durable
Cons:
Unfortunately, it cannot meet the regulation heights
It is lightweight, not allowing for bumps
Last but certainly not least, we have a fascinating unit that is made with a standardized backboard to sustain most of the shots that you throw at it. Made from weather-resistant steel, including a decent coating to keep the unit outside, it is perfect for traveling.
The Movement God Pro Court Height Basketball System is designed to be lowered to around 5-feet, while still giving you 10-feet when you need to practice at regulation heights. If you want something authentic, even the rim and the net are sure to encourage players to slam the ball when they feel like showing off.
At first glance, the unit is fairly basic with all the features you will use when you are playing one on one games with friends. It is an affordable option, backed by a limited 5-year warranty for all beginners to ensure they can play their game at their own pace. I would recommend it to beginners and intermediate players.
Pros:
All the components are regulation size
The unit is weather-resistant
It looks great once set up
The hoop is fairly priced
Cons:
It might lack durability in the long run
Dunking shots are not recommended with the standage rim
What Should You Look for In The Best Portable Basketball Hoops?
Having seen some of the top options on the market today, you might have already found the best portable basketball hoop for your game. Whilst searching for these units, we had a couple of important features that needed to keep in mind. If you need to find a different hoop that we have not reviewed, you might consider using these features for some guidance:
Base:
One of the first things that we considered when looking for a portable basketball hoop is the base. The base is fairly simple and you will notice that it can hold a certain amount of either water or sand. The sand and the water that your base can hold will be indicated in either gallons or pounds and this will show you how sturdy the base is.
For many of the smaller bases, you will find that they can hold around 27-gallons of water to keep it in place. This is still enough for the average player shooting a few hoops. However, the more advanced portable hoops can hold a massive 30-35 gallons of water once they have been filled. I have noticed that using sand can be more effective in many situations.
If you have ever gone to a basketball game, you have seen that behind the hoop, they have a massive board in place. The board is not only placed for aesthetic appeal but also to ensure the ball can rebound from missed shots. This prevents numerous stops and starts that can be a little frustrating in many high profile games.
Whilst looking for a portable hoop, you need to keep the backboard in mind and there are a few things that we have deemed important when selecting the right one. Here are a few of these important factors:
Polycarbonate or acrylics are used for most of the affordable boards. These are still good, but they lack some durability when taking too much pressure. Tempered glass is the most preferred, but expensive option for a durable backboard.
The sizing is completely up to you, but most backboards range in the size of 44 to 60-inches. If you have a wider backboard, you have more fun with the rebounds. A smaller backboard could inspire you to become more accurate.
All components that make up the quality of the backboard will be inspired by your budget and how much money you have to burn on a portable hoop. I recommend going for something durable if you are going to use it for a long time.
One might argue that the rim is still part of the backboard. However, it does deserve to be looked at on its own. Most manufacturers will give you an option of 3 different backboards, with two of them being breakaway backboards. Traditionally, you might find the standard backboard as well, but they are not made for dunking and hanging on the rim.
Looking at the two breakaway backboards, we can see that they have springs that make it possible for you to hang on the rim. The springs are almost the same as pistons and they could potentially absorb most of the pressure. If you want to practice dunking the ball, you might need to consider one of the breakaway boards.
Since most of these bases need to be extended to reach the full height, you can consider looking at the frame construction as well. If the frame is made from steel, it might heavy, but offer you another level of durability. Additionally, all these poles will telescope, allowing you to adjust the basketball hoop to the desired height.
Whilst doing my research and looking at many of these hoops, it occurred to me that most of the start at 7.5-feet. However, most can be adjusted to reach the 10-feet mark for a professional experience. If you are buying a portable basketball hoop for your kid, you might need to look for something slightly smaller than can be around 3.5-feet.
Unfortunately, the portable basketball hoop does not arrive on your doorstep being fully assembled. They generally come in 3 pieces and you need to do the full assembly. However, this assembly is easy when you follow the instruction. Only a few of the top brands might require a few expert tools or insight.
When looking at the support structure, you can see that the hoop will either have an upright design, or one that has been slightly bent. The slightly bent design is perfect for giving you more stability and supporting the net. However, these are made from thicker steel and they can be heavier. For the upright poles, you have an affordable unit, but it does lack some stability if the base has not been completely filled.
For many people, the brand of the basketball hoop does not make that big of a difference. However, the brand is fairly important when you are looking for the best. Lifetime is an affordable brand with a multitude of different hoops for versatility. On the other side of the spectrum, we have Spalding, who has been responsible for basketballs and all the top equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Buying a new basketball hoop is fairly simple and if you put some thought into the process, you simply need to set it up and you will be ready to start playing. However, there are a few other questions that many people still have. Here are a few of the most common questions that we noticed people have nowadays with these hoops.
Are these portable basketball hoops made for traveling?
The whole idea of a portable basketball hoop is to allow you to travel with it if needed. However, not all of them are lightweight, which means that it can be hard to move them around. The other massive concern is the assembly and they can take quite some time to disassemble completely.
This question is one of the most commonly found so far. However, not all basketball hoops have components that are regulation size. You will still need to consider looking at the specs or perhaps even doing research to find out of they are.
Will a portable basketball hoop make me better?
The portable basketball hoop is similar to one that can be fixed to your wall. It does have the ability to help you improve your game and with some training, you can see yourself improving your game drastically. As mentioned, you need to make sure that all the specs are regulation.
Is dunking possible with a portable basketball hoop?
The portable basketball hoop does allow you to dunk if you have the right rim to do the job. Breakaway rims have been specially made with springs that will absorb a lot of the impact and you can use them to hang on the rim without fear of it breaking.
Conclusion:
Basketball is the sport that many households can spend hours watching in front of the television. Children and adults can play a little to emulate some of their favorite stars or to potentially get a great workout when needed. These are some of the best portable basketball hoops that can make your journey much better on the court.
Let us know what you think in the comment section and if we might have missed any of your favorite basketball hoops.
Garry McMann is an automotive journalist who specializes in giving his readers the nitty-gritty details of car performance. He has years of experience testing cars and loves to share his findings with the world. When he's not writing, Garry can be found spending time with his partner Kate McKenna. The two of them live an adventurous life together, often exploring the great outdoors. Garry is a well-rounded individual with a focus on cutting fallen trees or maintaining his backyard via tools. He has a great passion for home improvement and enjoys working on various projects around the house. Garry is always willing to help out others in need and offers his services to those who may require them.
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ACOSTA, URIEL (originally, Gabriel da CostaThe Latin and more familiar form of the surname is "Acosta," used by Gutzkow in his well known drama devoted to the subject of this article; Uriel himself signed "da Costa."):
Abjures His Errors.
Second Excommunication and Suicide.
Noted writer and rationalist; born at Oporto, 1590; died at Amsterdam, April, 1647. Born and reared in a Marano family, all of whose members had become strict Catholics—his father held an ecclesiastical position—young Gabriel seems to have pondered secretly on the race and faith of his fathers, to which he felt himself powerfully attracted. When apprenticed to the legal profession he found time to study the Law and the Prophets, and he experienced the influence of their broad humanitarian views and of their noble conceptions of the Deity. Dissatisfaction with the formal routine of Catholicism was probably responsible for his spiritual uneasiness, as suggested by Grätz ("Gesch. d. Juden," x. 133). In 1615 force of circumstances compelled him to accept the semi-legal, semi-clerical office of treasurer of an endowed church in Oporto: his father being dead, the support of his mother and young sister and brothers devolved upon him. Cautiously revealing to these relatives his heart's longing for Judaism, he found them acquiescent; and in 1617 or 1618, after running great danger of detection and punishment, the family emigrated from Portugal to Amsterdam, where they could openly live as Jews. In Amsterdam they abjured Christianity; and Gabriel and his four brothers (Kayserling, "Gesch. d. Juden in Portugal," p. 287) entered the Abrahamic covenant, Gabriel discarding his name for Uriel.
Full of enthusiasm for Judaism—an enthusiasm that had fed upon his dreams and fancies of the unknown faith and the bygone history of his people—it was almost in the nature of things that Acosta should be doomed to suffer severe disenchantment through the realities he encountered. The days of Moses and Isaiah no longer existed: in place of their broad principles and declarations he found in the Judaism of Amsterdam a rigid, cumbersome, and prosaic accumulation of ritual and observance, "line upon line, and precept upon precept." This was very different from the free and liberal religion which his inexperienced fancy had pictured to him in his native land. Feeling the inspiration of his high ideals, he was frank enough to express outspokenly his disgust with the formal Judaism of the day. Something of his Christian training may have shaped his phraseology when he openly spoke against "the Pharisees" of the Amsterdam synagogue; but he naturally knew nothing of the fierce heat of suffering which had fused the faith of Isaiah, and welded it into the rigid forms he found extant. On their side the Amsterdam Jews, who had known persecution and were grateful even for the tacit tolerance of the Netherlands, were not disposed calmly to see an impetuous and ill-informed young enthusiast openly assail the ancestral faith. By his criticisms against Judaism, Acosta thus condemned himself to a life of severe isolation almost from the hour of his arrival in Amsterdam. When it got abroad that he was preparing a book which should set forth his grave doubts as to the immortality of the soul and the reality of future reward or punishment, and should, moreover, point out the discrepancies between the Bible and rabbinical Judaism—soundly rating the latter for its accumulation of mechanical ceremonies and physical observances in lieu of spiritual maxims and philosophic conceptions—he was answered even before he had spoken, as it were, by the publication of a work in Portuguese, written by a certain physician, Samuel da Silva, in 1623, "Tratado da Immortalidade da Alma, Composto pelo Doutor! . . . em que Tambem se Mostra a Ignorancia de Certo Contrariador," etc. But this only served to expedite Acosta's work, which appeared in 1624, also in Portuguese, under the title "Examen dos Tradiçoens Phariseas Conferidas con a Ley Escrita por Uriel, Jurista Hebreo, com Reposta a hum Semuel da Silva, seu Falso Calumniador." Acosta's lack of clearness, either of expression or of thought, or of both, is shown by the fact that in this work he reiterates that the soul of man is not immortal—the very heresy of which Da Silva had accused him.
Abjures His Errors.
The matter had now become so public that the officials of the Amsterdam Jewish community could not but take notice of it. Accordingly, Acosta was indicted before the magistracy for the utterance of views subversive of the foundations not only of Jewish, but of Christian, faith; and judgment wasasked against him as a public enemy to religion. He was arrested, thrown into prison, and fined 300 gulden ($120); and his book was condemned to be publicly burned. Acosta seems to have fled to Hamburg after this (see Perles, in "Monatsschrift," 1877, p. 206), but he eventually returned; for doubtless he felt himself completely ostracized there too by Jew and Christian alike. Moreover, he was ignorant of the German language. He returned to Amsterdam in bitter resentment. He found he could not live in seclusion; he yearned for companionship; he desired to marry again—he seems to have lost his wife in the interim (see Perles, l.c., p. 209)—and as the guardian of his younger brothers he feared their financial interests would suffer through his disgrace. Accordingly, he resolved to swallow the bitter draft. He volunteered, as he says, "to become an ape among the apes," and in 1633 he offered his formal submission to the officers of the synagogue; he would be a dissenter and a sinner no more.
Though outwardly obedient, Acosta's enthusiastic religious bent had evolved a new tendency away from Judaism. "I doubted whether Moses' law was in reality God's law, and decided that it was of human origin, as many others in the world have been." One step led to another. A species of natural religion, free from form or formula, bereft of all ceremony and ritual, seemed to him to be the true religion for man. He became a Deist. God is in nature the ruler of the external world: He has no concern with doctrines or modes of worship, all of which are equally vain in His sight. Nature teaches peace and harmony: religion uses the sword or the stake, or else the ban of excommunication. All the religion he would approve is contained in the seven Noahidic commandments ("Exemplar Humanæ Vitæ," ed. Limborch, p. 666).
Second Excommunication and Suicide.
Unfortunately for himself, Acosta could not be a perfect hypocrite: in his mode of life he continually transgressed Mosaic and rabbinical regulations, such as those touching the Sabbaths and festivals, the dietary laws, etc.; and people soon knew of it. His own relatives severely condemned him for this unfaithfulness, but to no purpose. Finally it was learned that he had dissuaded two Christians—a Spaniard and an Italian—from carrying out their avowed intention of embracing the religion of Israel; and this treachery, as it seemed, once more brought the lightnings of authoritative Judaism about his head. Summoned again before the officials of the congregation, he was required to renounce the errors of his way under penalty of the "greater ban." He would not submit; and again he was excommunicated. This further stroke of bigotry, as he considered it, was borne by him in sullen silence for seven years, during which time he suffered the indignity of being avoided by all, even by his nearest relatives. At the end of that period he succumbed and once more gave in his submission to authority, and was made to testify to it by the most degrading penances. Before the assembled hundreds in the synagogue—men and women—he recited a public confession of his sin and a recantation; this was followed by a public scourging then and there, to the extent of the Biblical "forty stripes save one"; and as the crowning act he was laid prostrate upon the threshold of the holy place, to be stepped over or trampled on by the gathered crowds. A proud and indomitable spirit like Acosta's might submit outwardly to such terrible formalities; but it could not brook them tamely. He went home, and shortly after ended his stormy career by shooting himself, having used the interval to write a few pages of what he called "Exemplar Humanæ Vitæ" (A Specimen of Human Life), a sketch of his own career. It is almost the only source of information respecting the life of this eccentric and unfortunate thinker, and was published with a refutation by Philip Limborch, a Dutch theologian, as an appendix to his own work, entitled "Amica Collatio cum Erudito Judæo," Gouda, 1687; republished 1847.
The "Exemplar Humanæ Vitæ," even making allowance for the intense mental stress under which it was written, and for the natural temptation to leave behind as crushing an indictment of his opponents as he could frame, shows Acosta to have been an ill-balanced thinker, impulsive to a degree, impatient, and presumptuous in the face of grave disabilities. Had careful religious training in Judaism been joined to more wisely directed energies, the uncommon intellectual endowments he undoubtedly possessed might have made of him a powerful champion of the ancestral faith, a "Pharisee of the Pharisees." He had all the superabundant zeal necessary for the equipment of such a defender of the faith.
An interesting reference to Acosta was discovered (see Perles, in "Monatsschrift," 1877, xxvi. 193) in a letter printed in a volume of responsa by a certain learned Venetian merchant, Jacob b. Israel ha-Levi (2d ed., Venice, 1632, art. 49). In this letter, advice is asked of Ha-Levi as to the propriety of interring in the congregational cemetery the mother of an unnamed renegade, who had herself shared in her son's apostasy. The description given of the unnamed apostate's acts and writings, as well as the date of the letter and the known literary correspondence of the Amsterdam ecclesiastical authorities with Ha-Levi, leaves no room for doubt that Acosta was the excommunicate in question.
The tragic life of Acosta has furnished material for the dramatist and the novelist. The most important dramatic production is Gutzkow's tragedy, entitled "Uriel Acosta" (Leipsic, 1847), translated into Hebrew by Solomon Rubin, Vienna, 1856. The novelist Zangwill has also used the material for a sketch in his "Dreamers of the Ghetto" (pp. 68-114, Philadelphia; 1898).
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CHICAGO – About an hour before the stadium show begins Monday evening, a hurricane warning went into effect on Chicago’s north side. Sirens went off all over Riggleville, and fans took cover in the foyer.
But before the heavy rain, Yo Darwishwho was due to start with the Padres, stayed on the field, going through a series of stretches near the right-hand warning lane.
In that moment, before his first start at Wrigley Field since the December 2020 deal that sent him to San Diego, Darvish took some time to think. He signed a six-year contract with the Cubs ahead of the 2018 season. In Chicago, he hit some heights – including a runner-up for the Cy Young in 20. He also struggled with some lows – triceps and elbow injuries in 2018 which Her season was cut short after just eight games and 4.95 ERA.
So, while tens of thousands hid in Wrigley Field, Darvish decided he wanted to suck it all up for a minute or two.
“To be honest with you,” Darwish said afterwards, “it was a bit of an emotional moment for me.” Hurricane warning came, everyone left. The fans left the stands. It was like a moment between me and Wrigley Field.”
After a delay of one hour and 25 minutes, Darwish reminded the faithful of Wrigley exactly what they were missing. The veteran right-hander was fantastic (again) Monday night in Padres’ 4-1 win over the Cubs. He made eight innings of one-ball runs, hit seven times and allowed five hits.
“This is clearly where a lot has happened to me – or a lot has happened to me,” Darwish said. “But at the end of the day, I’m really grateful to be here, and to put in the shows.”
Homer Jan Gomez’s singles in the second half was Darvish’s only real mistake of the night, a suspended slider that ended up in the left field benches. From there, Darwish was practically untouchable against his former team. He used a tried-and-true formula that they should know all too well in Chicago. He was heavy on the cutter early on, and only when the Cubs hitters caught that spin — he blasted the high-octane four-stitch fastball right next to them.
Then, at the defining moment of the game, Darwish reached for his bag of tricks. With two hitters and a restricted run on the board in the eighth inning, he took a lead over left Cubs player Ian Hap, 1-2, then threw a sloppy 91-mph break below the strike zone.
“One of the best stadiums I have tonight,” Darwish said.
Hap swung and missed. A dervish jumped off the hill and shrieked. Later, closer Taylor Rogers He closed the door in a 38-24 start for Padres, their best in franchise history and good enough to take them to a hypothetical tie for first place in the Western National League.
After that, Padres decided to keep things in perspective.
“We still have 100 more,” he said. Jake Kronworthwho went 3 vs. 4. “That’s a lot.”
This big picture show has become a San Diego theme. The crash of 2021 is still fresh in everyone’s mind. In fact, no one at Padres Club seemed to realize that they had moved into a tie to lead the division.
“We are just worried about us,” said the first policeman Eric Hosmer. “…we stick to the things we’re good at, and we think we’ll be on top of that rankings at the end of the year.”
Indeed, there is reason to believe Padres’ early season success is more sustainable this time around. This is mostly because of their seven-deep rotation.
Joe Musgrove He has been the undisputed legend for the Padres this season. But remove one San Francisco starter from the equation, and Darvish was a close second. He lowered his ERA to 3.35 on Monday night. Without that ninth touch against the Giants, it would be 2.20.
“It’s really hard to come up with a plan against him, because he has so many pitches that move in different ways,” Hosmer said. “It’s kind of a hitter’s nightmare.”
“He has so many weapons and so many different shapes of smashing balls and fast balls, he really is just a ball wizard,” said acting manager Ryan Flaherty.
Not that anyone in Chicago needs a reminder. They’ve seen it here before. Once the rain stopped and the sky calmed down on Monday night, antique Yu Darvish returned to Wrigley Field, only this time dressed in brown.
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First, to be clear, I am on board with the general direction of the team. The transition to youth will pay off even if it not immediately. And more significantly, I think the sheer volume of changeover including at least a few from the top half was necessary even if somewhat painful in terms of trying to get a reset on attitude.
So my aim is not to say that all is bad or that the team is headed in the wrong direction.
But that said, if I assess the summer, there are a handful of significant decisions that I would second guess.
1) The goaltending
The goaltending for 2018-19 is a dice role at best. Taking two goalies who ranked nowhere near league average in 2017-18 and hoping for significantly better could work. The position in general is fickle, and it is not at all uncommon for bad goalies to rebound and good goalies to swoon. But that said, if your starting point is two goalies who rate outside the top 30 in the league the previous year, you are playing long odds with your dice roll.
With three more years committed to Scott Darling at $4.15 million salary cap hit, there was no easy solution to the predicament, but I would have done more/tried harder to improve at the position. The current scenario is eerily reminiscent of the summer of 2016 when the Hurricanes exited the season with goaltending that was nowhere near good enough but decided to give it another try. Not surprisingly, goaltending was not good enough again the following season with the same players back.
Again, there was no magic elixir for this difficult situation, but I would have either thrown a bit more money and/or trade assets at the second slot that Mrazek occupies or I would have thrown money at buying out Scott Darling to free up another slot.
But the Hurricanes won the lottery balls in the spring, so just maybe the team wins the dice role at the goalie position for 2018-19 to build a positive new trend.
2) The coaching staff
I am on board with Rod Brind’Amour as the head coach. There is risk there, but I like the idea of following Peters with a coach whose strength should theoretically be motivating and getting the most out of players. But whereas the team did shake things up in terms of the roster, the same is not really true of the coaching staff. The team did add Dean Chynoweth from outside the organization, but with Brind’Amour in his first season as a head coach at any level, I would have preferred to have at least one coaching slot allocated to a gray beard of sorts with some head coaching experience at the NHL level. I voted for the same last summer, and think Bill Peters would have benefited from some help from an assistant who had been through the ups and downs of a long NHL season in the head coaching role.
But again, I think the single greatest thing the team needs to do is find the jolt that changes the culture and attitude, and Brind’Amour could be exactly the right coach to accomplish that.
Though I was not happy with the return, I was okay with trading Jeff Skinner. I will not reshash the why here again. But I do think the team is a bit short on offensive fire power. Maybe more significantly, I think Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen will need a high-end third line mate to push much higher than they did in 2017-18. While I fully acknowledge that a player like Valentin Zykov or Andrei Svechnikov could become exactly that, I would have preferred that the team add one more proven scorer to round out that scoring line. Part of the need is scoring ability, but the other part that might be harder for someone like Zykov or Svechnikov in their rookie seasons is the every-game consistency to match up against the NHL’s elite shift in and shift out without lulls.
While the first two items are likely finalized for the start of the 2018-19 season, this one is still open. The possibility of Justin Faulk being traded for forward help is still out there.
What say you Canes fans?
1) Do you agree or disagree with the three things that I am second guessing this offseason?
2) Is there anything else that you would second guess from this offseason?
3) On a more positive note, what is the single move that you like the best from this offseason considering the volume of player, coaching and management changes?
puckgod on August 28, 2018 at 2:57 am
Gotta agree with you, my feelings too!
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jm97 on August 28, 2018 at 7:06 am
The new owner said there would be changes at the end of the season. With the volume of change in Raleigh it is reasonable to second guess some of the changes that were made. Goaltending, coaching and lack of scoring help are some of the most obvious areas to wonder if things could have been handled differently.
Goaltending, unless you develop a true number one, is a spin of the roulette wheel. RBA could be really good or fail miserably. Another scoring forward is something 31 nhl teams would like to have. Sports are funny that way. Chances of success and failure are part of the excitement.
Fans who second guess the Canes moves this summer certainly have reasons to do so. A new owner, front office and unceremoniously removing long time members of the organization have left some hurt feelings. Yet when the puck drops in early October it is new chance for the team to return to relevance.
One thing I will not second guess is the shake up of the organization. Gone are the days of adding a 4th line forward or 3rd pairing d and calling it an offseason. The team needed an overhaul in attitude and accountability if nothing else. The team is the youngest in the league with the its best players 25 or younger. I would rather see the kids try and fail than see a team of mostly average veterans sputter along. If you look at 2018-19 it may seem a bit daunting but if you look at 20-21 it gets really exciting for the team.
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dmilleravid on August 28, 2018 at 7:51 am
well said. I couldn’t agree more.
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lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 7:56 am
Well said, with one caveat…
The reason the Canes GM is Don Waddell the head coach is Rod Brind’Amour and the assistants are Jeff Daniels and Dean Chynoweth is that Tom Dundon is paying far under league average for his staff. Sometimes you still can get a great coach/GM/etc. at low pay, but you are also going to get some stinkers. It is a reason for long term concern of Canes management. The reality may just be that Tom Dundon is pretty much running everything anyway, so why pay?
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jm97 on August 28, 2018 at 8:24 am
You may be right about Waddell and RBA. I think Dundon chose both based on being comfortable with them as individuals and hockey people. So far Waddell has gotten Hamilton, Fox and Ferland in trades, drafted a franchise player, and signed deHaan. He traded Kruger for some value in return, instead of buying him out. He got TVR signed for a reasonable deal. He didn’t get enough for Skinner, in my opinion, but there were some off the ice dynamics there. I think he has done a fairly good job. Whatever his salary is this year, I think he earned it. We will see how RBA does once the season starts.
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lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 8:31 am
I am also firmly in the Brind’Amour camp. Best hire he could have made, IMO. The others? I’m not so sure. Time will tell if his policy of not paying for coaching, management, staff, etc. pays off. I do remember Dundon saying he wants to put his money on the ice. Hope it works.
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ashevillecaniac on August 28, 2018 at 7:27 am
1) agree, with one caveat. On goaltending, we didn’t do exactly the same thing and hope for a different outcome, that is crazy. Clearly, Darling was given conditions of employment, where he had to stay here for the summer and work with Bill Birniston. There is reason to believe his season will be better, but we don’t know how much better.
Similarly, Mr Magic has a fresh start and a 1 yr, contract, there is great incentive for him to impress. Will it work? I give it a 50-60% chance that at least one of them has a good year.
2) obtaining a top 6 center would have been nice, but I also like the youth movement. As long as RBA let’s them play the kids will come along.
3) I really like bringing in Hamilton and Fox (this was deliberate not luck), and the bad trade not made. Patience with Faulk is the right strategy.
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1) All three are legitimate concerns.
The team moved last season to address the goaltending. In hindsight it is easy to say it wasn’t enough change. But most of us were close to euphoric one year ago. As late as November we liked the move.
This was Matt’s take:
“With respect to taking on that new challenge, I have been impressed with Darling’s steadiness. He seems mostly unfazed by the new challenge and just focused on winning the next game or even just saving the next puck. I think that demeanor and composure is critical for starting goalies who will inevitably see highs and lows over the course of a long season but need to just keep playing the next puck. My impression of Scott Darling through 16 games is that he has the right mentality to handle the rigors of being a starter and that while he will have his physical/results ups and downs like any other goalie that he will not be overly prone to the more challenging types of slumps whereby a goalie hits a rough patch, and it then snowballs because of the pressure that comes with it.”
This is what I wrote: “Darling has not given any games away–except maybe the first Dallas game, though at the end that even looked like the Canes might get to OT. As mentioned, he is in the middle of the pack and trending up for goalie statistics. I would think he ends the year around .918 sv% and 2.40 GAA. That is also just about where I think the team (and thus Ward) will end the year. Much better than years past.”
You know how it ended. My point is that last year there was just as much change as this season–various different pundits and analysis indicated that the Canes improved more than any team last offseason. So my second guessing is based on my own false beliefs from this time last year.
2) Quite a few, but not worth mentioning today.
3) Re-signing TVR. He is a solid player and having him will give the young RHDs time to development.
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surgalt on August 28, 2018 at 8:03 am
In the category “Possible signs things are changing” a recent article https://mynhltraderumors.com/the-columbus-blue-jackets-stand-to-lose-big-as-star-russians-eye-free-agency/2018/08/26/ discussed the possibility that Panarin and Bobrovsky may be gone from Columbus after next season. The Canes were mentioned as a possible destination for both, citing Dundon’s aggressiveness and Waddell’s cap space as positives. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and rebuilds take time. But others, outside of Raleigh may be beginning to see the change in the approach to our rebuild here. That may be the most encouraging development of the summer.
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lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 8:35 am
I’ve heard similar things. Wondering why? Columbus is a growing city. It’s a nice, clean place. Good fan support. I’ve been there and the facilities are nice. Why do these guys want out? I have a thought….Torts. I love John Tortorella, but he seems to have a short shelf date with players. Could be a power move by Panarin and Bob. Owner and GM may not take well to being told what to do by the employees. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.
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d-rob on August 28, 2018 at 10:27 am
This is no offence to anybody from there.. But I worked in Ohio a lot… Ohio is a pretty low on the desirable place to be and live. Panarin has stated he wants to be near the coast or water… a big indicator that he hates the boring city of Clb.
Ive been to the Jackets Arena and played hockey around the area a lot… Its a really nice Arena and actually one of my favorites. The location is a little strange but they have improved the area a bunch in the last 15 years… Local hockey is ok.
The Columbus area and pretty much all of Ohio is near if not the top of my least favorite places I have been. I have lived and worked in most states…
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lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 4:32 pm
I’m from Ohio and I don’t take offense. Columbus is way better than the other cities in Ohio, and I’m from one of those! It’s also way better than dumps like Detroit and Buffalo. Better situation than Jersey or the Islanders as well. Frankly, it’s similar to Raleigh. And honestly, what the hell does it matter where you play? It’s not like you have time to go to the beach during the season. I think that may be a smokescreen.
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breezy on August 28, 2018 at 9:34 am
My views on the moves have been expressed a few times here *grin* i.e. I am not a fan of the off season moves or the approach of the new owner/management.
That being said, I agree with Matt, except I think the Skinner trade, given the return, was nothing short of pitiful.
But the best move of the summer was luck in the draft lottery. And, after multiple seasons of bringing in veterans for what appears to be a retirement home where they can relax and enjoy Carolina style BBQ I like the youth movement and going all in for a new direction.
it is time to put the kids on the ice, let them play and hope for the best. It could be an exciting season.
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Breezy. Agree on all points. The youngsters are going to be fun.
Two additional points:
I give the scouting staff high marks for signing Maenalanen and Fora. Neither may ever make the NHL, but both are good signings with upside.
This is not really a “hockey” point, but I am curious as to why there are still cheerleaders. I can’t imagine they produce positive income. If other moves are based on employees “paying for themselves,” I don’t see why nothing has happened on this front.
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raleightj on August 28, 2018 at 12:00 pm
The Storm Squad are emissaries for the team – they are present at all of the promotional events around the Triangle and they do a great job at that. Promotional events would not be nearly as fun if they were staffed by peoples in suits and interns. They are being transitioned to more of a dance team at the games, I have been told. That’s entertainment -although I think it is a little cheesy.
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lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 4:35 pm
I would feel a lot more comfortable about the Storm Squad if they would put a little more clothes on them. It’s the era of “me too.” Those outfits scream Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders wanna be.
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RedRyder on August 28, 2018 at 10:48 am
Matt, you have hit the right points. Goaltending. There wasn’t much out there this off season to go get and not still have the same doubts and questions. The answer here is for the two we have to get better or we develop a better one. There was no and is no other easy way out. TD spending more money would not have gotten us anything better.
Brindamoor: Yeah he’s inexperienced. That’s his downside right now. But who was out there available when we were hiring that was better or didn’t have warts that us fans wouldn’t be pondering over? For example, Tibbetts. If we had hired him what would we be saying now? The half full fans would be saying he has experience winning. The half empty fans would be saying look at his overall losing record. Personally, I believe Rob was the best available no matter what he did or didn’t cost us to hire.
Front Office: How do we grade the front office performance? Is it going to be by their results or is it going to be by the salary we paid them? As far as results go in the interim the hires look awful good to me based upon the results so far and I really don’t care what Dundon is paying them.
Fans: Playing the season is the only thing that will determine what moves turned out good or bad. If the season is a bust will the fans reflect on the real reasons we failed or will they go back and say we should have done this or that (their current arguments) before the season and that is why we failed. The current doubters are actually doing this appraisal right now and so at the end of the season they will just repeat their current subjective arguments or say TD should have paid more money. They will say it was because we shouldn’t have hired Rod because he was inexperienced and should have hired “someone” else and we didn’t because TD wouldn’t pay “someone” enough money. For the goaltending they will say we should have signed “someone” else and we didn’t because TD wouldn’t pay “someone” enough money. As with all of the problems, they will say Tom Dundon (Waddell)should have hired “someone” else and/or have thrown more dollars into the efforts. This is the answer I always hear. Their answer is rarely specific or realistic IMO. It’s always some subjective opinion based upon TD throwing more dollars into the fire to solve everything.
In summary, considering who was available either in coaching prospects and/or player management has done a pretty good job without THROWING AWAY large sums of money to pay “someone” else. Just as with the signing of Darling last year that I (me, the current writer) thought was a great move and was wrong, things this year can turn out the same way (bad). If they do, IMO it will be because what moves we did make this off season just were not enough. They may have been all that we could have realistically accomplished (i.e. we did a good job), but it was just not enough. For example, as was the case with Darling, the move to get him was not “bad”, it was Darlings performance that was “bad.”
Has management done a good job this off season to improve this team? IMO to date “yes.” Is there more that could be done? IMO unless Waddell can pry a Smaltz or Nugent-Hopkins away for one of our defensemen (I’m not picky about which one), the answer is “no” as far as I can tell. So, I’M JUST READY TO SEE AND ENJOY CANES HOCKEY. I’ve got my rose colored glasses and my half full glass of champagne and I see nothing but success so far.
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svechnech1 on August 28, 2018 at 11:00 am
I agree with the second guessing about the coaching staff but am not very concerned about it. I just hope everybody on the staff will support the young players through their ups and downs.
While I think the Canes would be stronger out of the gate with a veteran scoring winger, I wonder if that would delay the makeover at forward that I think the team needs. Adding a good veteran scorer for multiple years would have made sense, but a short-term deal wouldn’t have. Was there any possibility other than a short-term fix?
In the context of the big team shakeup over the summer, I think the biggest positive move was committing to Svechnikov, Necas and Zykov as NHL players this season. That commitment may or may not pay immediate dividends. Either way, it is a huge change for the better over Peters’ declaration after the 16-17 season that no one in Charlotte could help the Canes, leading to Kruger and Juris and a season of stagnation in 17-18. The Canes have said “no” to stagnation for 18-19. By the 2019 draft, the Canes will know where they stand, which players to re-sign and which to replace.
I doubt the Canes had better options than Mrazek in goal. That’s assuming the Caps wouldn’t trade Grubauer here.
This summer’s decisions look different if the first priority is making the playoffs this year vs. building a team that can contend for years. I prioritize building a perennial contender. Making the playoffs this year would be a bonus.
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andintheopenair on August 28, 2018 at 7:15 pm
I forget where, but I read that the Caps came out and said they weren’t going to trade Grubaur anywhere inside the Metro…
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puckgod on August 28, 2018 at 11:04 am
CT ,while I am not a big advocate for “cheerleaders”, I think they have a definite purpose for sports teams in general, and “The Canes” in particular. Many fans of hockey are also big fans of the other sports (particularly here in the TRIANGLE). They (cheerleaders) help other sports “Fanatics” become HOCKEY FANS, and also do other PR work in the community…”Ambassadors for the Canes, and local hockey”!!!
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raleightj on August 28, 2018 at 12:12 pm
I think the one big change that everything has to be measured by – even these detailed points, Matt – is the change in culture. A near 45% roster turnover, and the turnout of a number of players who were rumored as being issues or not totally “in” to quote Staal from last season. This is not all that different from the wholesale roster changes Cuban made in his first year owning the Mavs.
So in that sense I think has been very successful and I think that effort will more than compensate (I hope?) for other question marks.
As you say, the forward situation may resolve as part of a Faulk trade. I am concerned about RBA’s coaching skills (not his motivational or training skills). But I really think the goaltending is going to resolve – if Darling’s issues last year were the result of poor conditioning and a breakdown in confidence he has reversed both – and the team has done it’s job in professing confidence in him by making him one of the visible faces of the franchise this summer. He is lean and mean – and he has a big smile that was lacking last summer.
So short-term, I am fine with this summer – the immediate culture change.
Longer-term I am not so sure. A team’s long-term success depends on the team being a preferred destination for players. Look at Golden State – success breeds success breeds players wanting to be there (GS used to be a place for players to stay away from). And GSW coaching, management and ownership is all about the players. I don’t think Dundon or the overall O/M team has demonstrated this – in fact I think a lot of their actions are suspect. TD could be a true player-friendly owner – the way Cuban is and the way GSW is – but penny pinching on some contracts, showing other personnel the way out in a non-gracious way puts questions in the minds of people. Time will tell. But sustainable success comes from players wanting to be there – the way players being well-paid but seeming to be willing to take less than market to be in TOR right now.
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breezy on August 28, 2018 at 12:22 pm
To be the best you have to employ the best. If you don’t pay a competitive market rate you won’t employ the best.
You could get lucky, catch lightning in a bottle or get hometown discounts on people who care more about other intangibles, but it won’t make you a longterm winner.
Currently the Canes have the chepest team on the ice and it is rumored that the coaching staff is paid a lot less than the market average. Star playrrs demanding a raise have been traded away and other key players of the future (Aho and TT) have not been resigned.
If the team startss committing longterm to its stars (deal for Aho, TT) I will happily shut up about TD being cheap, but not until then.
If we view the management moves in the offseason as getting the team into the playoffs next year I steadfastly claim they were insufficient and that more could have been done. Of course we can always say management tried and was not able to get more. We don’t know the parameters.
But there were free agents available,e.g. James Neal, we could have offer sheeted Stone from Ott, we could have made a max salary one year pitch offer to Tavares, there’s things that could have been done with money here. The team is flirting with the salary floor.
More realistically I think the team could have hired David or Lindy Ruff (I think he’s out of a job) or that type of coach with a lot of NHL experience as an assistant coach/special advisor. I think it would’ve been good use and I am convinced enough money would get it done (and not a terribly high amount at that).
But if the plan is to take the team in a completely new and young direction, the moves were satisfactory.
I was in the former camp. I’m damn tired of mediocre team with more excuses than gols and I want to see a playoff game in Raleigh, but I can accept the reality of the management decision and enjoy the team that could become great and not be skewed by unrealistic shortterm expectations (this squad is not going to make the playoffs this year, but it will be fun to watch and could start seriously challenging in a year or two if the young guns work out and important playeres are resigned).
I don’t have rose colored glasses on, but I have 3 pitchers of local brew and a dozen wings at the ready, and am ready to enjoy the season regardless.
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svechnech1 on August 28, 2018 at 2:50 pm
Breezy, I agree you have to pay market rates for talent, but I’m not sure we’ve seen evidence that Dundon is unwilling to do that. He traded Lindholm and Hanifin, but both had failed to meet expectations and Hamilton’s and Ferland’s contracts came back. Then he signed de Haan. He also resigned vans Riemsdyk. The Canes’ defense is expensive, not cheap. Time will tell, but I’d rather have Hamilton than Hanifin and I’d rather count on de Haan in the top 4 than gamble on Fleury and McKeown at this point. I’m hoping Hamilton and de Haan will stabilize the defense and suddenly the goalies will look better, maybe justifying the money the Canes are paying Darling.
Aho’s contract will be the test of Dundon’s willingness to pay to keep a talented player who has performed well. That’s assuming something we don’t know for sure- that Carolina is where Aho wants to be.
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raleightj on August 28, 2018 at 3:50 pm
You are right, ultimately the tell will be Aho (and Turbo) – I really think both Hanifin and Lindy were asking for too much. But he could have been a little freer with Zykov – he is actually taking a pay-cut this season, and the difference is a mere several hundred thousand; that would have been a great way to show appreciation for minimal cost. I also think TvR came in lower than he should. A couple of hundred thousand is nickel-and-dimes to the team (and cap) but a huge for the players.
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svechnech1 on August 28, 2018 at 5:00 pm
I didn’t realize he had lowballed Zykoff. I don’t like that.
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jm97 on August 28, 2018 at 5:08 pm
No one low balled Zykov. He got a guaranteed one way deal. Zykov signed it knowing it was better getting over one million guaranteed for two seasons than the possibility of getting AHL money.
svechnech1 on August 28, 2018 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for clarifying.
lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 7:45 pm
Yes, Zykov got a great deal for a guy totally unproven at the NHL level.
raleightj on August 28, 2018 at 10:24 pm
We view that differently, jm and lts.
lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 10:41 pm
I think you may be looking at his rookie deal and thinking he got all that money. He got the signing bonus and then was paid $70K/year while in the minors. That’s how I understand a two-way deal works. He is now guaranteed $1.35M over the next two year. Pretty big increase over $70k
jm97 on August 28, 2018 at 4:32 pm
Bold prediction-Aho signs a new deal once he returns to Raleigh. He mentioned progress in a recent discussion as reported on nhl.com. I am going to hold everyone to their statements that Dundon is not cheap if the team signs Aho long term. ?
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lessthanstable on August 28, 2018 at 7:46 pm
I will agree that Dundon has not gone cheap on individual players. I like that. Dundon most certainly has gone cheap on GM, coaches and the staff. I don’t like that.
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blinkman on August 28, 2018 at 5:33 pm
Matt, I agree 100% with your 3 main second-guessing things.
Let’s hope an in-shape Darling without the Cam Ward shadow leads us to the promised land. I’m still not over him coming to camp last year in questionable condition but I am rooting for him to rise up and make amends to the team and fans that he let down.
Regarding coaching, I’m not sure losing Steve Smith was part of the plan. Time will tell what effect that has, but I must admit that I am concerned about a negative impact. I believe Faulk was shopped for a veteran scoring forward but no satisfactory deal was available, so the decision was made to hold on to him until his value increases; I can’t fault management for that. It seems awkward that he is still officially Captain yet will likely be 3rd pairing. This is really a strange situation and how it unfolds will be telling. Seems like unfinished business to me but I hope it resolves itself in a positive way. The professional odds makers don’t feel like we moved the needle this off-season based on their predictions, but I guess Vegas was also a long-shot last year. I most like the fact that we have added some toughness to our team.
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andintheopenair on August 28, 2018 at 7:29 pm
I agree those are all big question marks, but I take it as a positive sign that Darling seems in a healthier mindset. Sounded like last year he was in a pretty depressed place and it was reflected in his performance.
Most of the moves make this team better on paper and we’re still waiting to see what comes back for Faulk. I can’t see us moving into next season with seven NHL experienced D.
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I love a an organized garage. We toured a dam in Oregon and they had the MOST AMAZING shop of tools. All of them hanging in perfect size order. It was incredibly sexy!!!!!!
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August 25, 2021 /in Acute Myeloid Leukemia, AML Insist, AML Insist Treatment, AML Newly Diagnosed, AML Programs, AML Testing, AML Treatments and Clinical Trials, AML Video ND, AML Video T, AML Video TC /by Kara Rayburn
How does low-intensity AML therapy differ from high-intensity AML therapy? Expert Dr. Ellen Ritchie provides a comparison of the administration methods, side effects and reviews which AML patients low-intensity and high-intensity therapy are right for.
Dr. Ellen K. Ritchie is assistant professor of medicine and a member of the Leukemia Program at the Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University and the New York Presbyterian Hospital. More about Dr. Ritchie, here.
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You mentioned earlier, Dr. Ritchie, low-intensity therapy. Could you tell us about the types of treatment options?
So, I’ll go – high-intensity therapy or intense chemotherapy always has to be given really in a hospital. And if you don’t start it – if you can start certain intensive chemotherapies, like daunorubicin and cytarabine (Vyxeos), which is also intensive, in the outpatient setting, but by day seven or eight, you end up in the hospital. And in intensive chemotherapies, you lose your hair, there’s GI toxicities, you’re at high risk of developing infections and you need a lot of transfusion. And for even young people, it’s a difficult therapy for which you’re in the hospital, and 90-some percent of patients are on IV antibiotics.
So, it’s intensive chemotherapy because it has to be given in a hospital setting and requires intensive supportive care. Low-intensity therapy can be given in the outpatient setting. So, at the present time you can get a drug like azacitidine (Vidaza), for example, which is an injection that you get seven days in a row.
Unfortunately, you have to come to the doctor’s office every day for those injections, but once you’ve had the injection, you can go home. Combined with venetoclax (Venclexta) which is an oral agent. So, an oral agent can be given at home.
You need close supervision in the physician’s office when you’re on this type of therapy, but you don’t need the constant support that you need if you are getting intensive chemotherapy. So, it can be done, in the comfort really of your home and with your family. You will have to come in and have transfusions potentially as an outpatient, nearly everyone does. And there’s always the risk that you develop a fever and if you do, you have to come into the hospital for IV antibiotics.
But in general, low-intensity means not so much support needed in a hospitalized setting, and the tolerability of this particular chemotherapy in the outpatient setting.
June 5, 2019 /in Acute Myeloid Leukemia, AML Causes FAQ, AML Fact or Fiction, AML Newly Diagnosed, AML Video ND, PEN Blog /by Kara Rayburn
Dr. Daniel Pollyea, an AML specialist, dispels common myths around the causes and symptoms of AML and shares advice so that you can identify credible resources for information. Download the Program Guide here.
Dr. Daniel A. Pollyea is Clinical Director of Leukemia Services in the Division of Medical Oncology, Hematologic Malignancies and Blood and Marrow Transplant at University of Colorado Cancer Center.
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And joining me is Dr. Daniel Pollyea. Dr. Pollyea, could you introduce yourself?
I wanna emphasize to you that this program is not a substitute for medical advice, so be sure to consult your healthcare team when it comes to solid information about it. But you will get some background that I think you’re gonna find useful. And you might have some questions as we go along.
Dr. Pollyea, let’s start out with the basics. What are the causes of AML?
And it’s the result of an accumulation of mutation and chromosomal abnormalities that affect the DNA of a precursor cell in the bone marrow, otherwise known as a stem cell.
And those abnormalities accumulate until that cell can no longer properly mature, and it also can’t properly die. And so, a cell like that just makes copy after copy after copy of a cell until it crowds out the whole bone marrow with these sorta useless, immature cells.
And the end result of that is the failure of the bone marrow, which causes all of the problems associated with this disease. So, biologically, that’s sort of what happens to make this disease occur.
What are some of the myths that you hear from patients that come in and they say, “Oh, this must’ve caused my AML,” but you have to tell them that’s not so?
Right. So, I mean, this is one of the most frustrating issues for patients and their families after diagnosis. I mean, it’s a rare disease, only about 30,000 cases a year in the United States. And so, trying to associate a rare disease with external or environmental factors is difficult to impossible. So, although there are a variety of exposures that probably contribute to this disease, we have very little understanding of what those exposures typically are or how that all works.
So, there’s a few things that we know pretty well; large doses of radiation, either associated with like industrial accidents like the Chernobyl disaster, or some of the radiation therapies that patients receive for other types of cancer. Other types of chemotherapy that are used to cure other cancers can contribute to this disease in later years.
We know that there are certain precursor conditions that can evolve to AML, so a person with myelodysplastic syndrome, for instance, has a fairly high chance of someday evolving to develop Acute Myeloid Leukemia. But beyond these sort of a few associations, there isn’t a whole lot that’s known or proven.
Now there is radiation associated with X-rays, and some people think that X-rays can cause AML. Is that true?
So, I mean, I think a priori no because millions of people get X-rays every day, and only 30,000 people a year get AML. So, clearly it’s not a simple association between getting an X-ray and developing AML. But I think that there is an unknown interaction between environmental exposures and a person’s individual genetic makeup that makes a person more or less susceptible to developing something like AML with respect to exposure to the environment or X-rays and things.
So, while you cannot say that getting an X-ray will lead to AML, certainly there are some people who are more sensitive to the damage that’s done by something like an X-ray. And so, the best course of action is to be cautious and judicious about your exposure to these things, but not to not get these things when they are medically necessary.
So, that’s the challenging balance.
Here’s something else we’ve heard, that weed killers can be a risk factor for AML. Is that true?
I mean, I think there’s a lot coming out now about weed killers and their association with other types of cancers. Again, I go back to the limitation we have in that in only 30,000 people a year in the United States get AML. Millions of people are exposed to weed killers.
We’re statistically never going to be able to make a clear association. I think that there are certainly some risks for some people. Whether you’re that person who’s more susceptible to developing leukemia or any other cancer because of exposure to a weed killer is impossible to know.
So, like all of these things, I think the advice we have is you have to live your life. You have to do your best to sort of avoid things that you can avoid that you think would be… Or that may cause problems. But not to let those things prevent you from living a normal life.
I know that’s not a satisfying answer, but at the moment that’s the best answer we have.
Is formaldehyde exposure another risk factor for AML?
Yeah. We think that it is, and kind of along the lines of benzene. But, again, we think that those studies that have shown those types of association show it in very high amounts, amounts that most people in this country would not be exposed to. But I do think, or we do think that there is something to that, to formaldehyde somehow contributing to this.
What’s the difference between a risk factor for AML and a cause of AML?
Yeah. So, I think risk factors by definition are things that may contribute to AML. And a risk factor for AML by that definition could be walking down the street and having some exposure to radiation from the sun. A cause of AML is something that is a much more solid sort of well-understood factor.
Like I said before, having myelodysplastic syndrome, there is a high chance that that can evolve to Acute Myeloid Leukemia. And if that happens then the MDS, the myelodysplastic syndrome, could be considered or would be considered the cause of your AML. So, very, very different in terms of the amount of evidence that goes into making those determinations
Is there a genetic component to this? Can this run in a family?
Yeah. So, this is a disease of the genome.
So, I mean, in a lot of respects it is a genetic disease. But the question is very different when you ask is this an inherited genetic disease? Is this disease due to a gene that I inherited from a parent or could pass along to a child?
For many, many years, the answer from the medical community was, “No.” This was not considered to be a disease that clustered in families or that could be inherited. We now know that that’s not necessarily the case. There are some very rare cases where this does seem to travel in families or cluster in families. And we’re now beginning to understand who those people are and what those genes are.
But the vast majority of people with this disease did not inherit a gene to contribute to it and cannot pass this along to a child. This is a random, spontaneous event that occurred within one person’s own body and is not traveling within family. So, we’re learning more and more about this, but really, the vast majority of this is not an inherited genetic condition.
You’ve mentioned gene mutations. What mutates a gene? What causes that to happen that could lead down the line to AML?
Yeah. Yeah. That’s a great question. Most of the time we do not know the answer to that. These gene mutations occur spontaneously, randomly, and we don’t understand why they happen when they do happen.
And I know that’s, again, not a satisfying answer. It’s very frustrating, particularly patients come in, and, “I’ve lived a healthy lifestyle. I’ve done everything right. I exercise. I eat right. How could this have happened?”
These are things that for the most part are out of the control of a person. These aren’t impacted by your diet or your activity levels, what you eat or don’t eat, what you do or don’t do. That’s a real frustration. In the end, in almost all cases we don’t know or understand why these gene mutations or these, I call them mistakes in the body, occur when they occur. We don’t understand them.
And, Dr. Pollyea, someone asked if benzene can be a risk factor for AML.
Yeah. So, benzene is one of the sort of rare environmental exposure associations that we do have clear associations with AML.
But the level of benzene that a person would need to be exposed to is really something that hasn’t been seen in this country in a very long time.
We’d be talking about like an industrial accident type exposure in almost all cases, so being exposed to a cleaning solution or some other fairly minor exposure to benzene, we don’t think is enough, in most cases, to prompt this disease. But benzene in very high doses, like an industrial accident, yes, that is something that we understand can certainly contribute or cause AML.
Autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis, can they increase the risk of AML?
Oh, boy. That is a really interesting one. So, there are papers in the literature that do support those associations. And I know in my own practice I certainly see that trend. So, I do think that there is something there. There is a proven association between autoimmune conditions and myelodysplastic syndrome, which I said before can be a clear precursor condition to AML. So, certainly, that is an association that is a possibility.
It can be a little difficult to tease out whether it’s those diseases that are associated with ultimately developing AML, or the treatments that people get for some of those autoimmune diseases. Those treatments can modulate the immune system in certain ways that may, in fact, contribute or drive the disease. So, that’s a difficult thing to tease out.
But in general terms, yes, I think there are some associations. Now not by a long shot everyone with an autoimmune disease gets AML. It’s a teeny, tiny fraction. But I think there is an association there.
How easy is it to diagnose AML?
Well, I mean, I think there’s very clear diagnostic criteria for AML. But I guess that doesn’t really answer the question. And we certainly have patients who come to us after many months of frustration without a clear diagnosis.
So, those scenarios can play out. Many times AML’s a very dramatic presentation, so people get very, very sick very, very quickly with extraordinarily high white blood cell counts and suppression of all the other blood counts that come from the bone marrow like red blood cells and platelets.
In those cases it’s pretty clear that there is a type of acute leukemia going on. There can be some difficulty distinguishing Acute Myeloid from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; those are sort of like cousins, but very different and treated differently. So, it kinda runs the gamut. I mean, it can be pretty clear, but it’s sometimes missed, so yeah.
This is a great lead-in to my next question, which is about the symptoms of AML. What should be the warning signs that this might be something you need to get looked at?
Right. So, at presentation, the main symptoms are reflective of the fact that the bone marrow, the organ that makes all the cells of the blood, has failed.
So, that can cause severe anemia. Signs of anemia: a white sort of appearance, feeling dizzy or lightheaded when standing, short of breath, weak, tired, fatigue. Those are all pretty clear presenting symptoms for AML. Because the bone marrow also is responsible for making platelets that clot the blood, some people will present with a bleeding complication, or a very subtle rash made up of these particular red dots. We call that a petechial rash. And that rash can come on when the platelet count gets very low.
Sometimes a person will present with an infection or infections that don’t go away or don’t clear because of decrease in white blood cells, the infection-fighting cells of the bone marrow. Those are made in the bone marrow and can fail in the setting of this disease. So, those are the most common symptoms at presentation, symptoms that are reflective of bone marrow failure.
You mentioned that sometimes the presentation could be very dramatic, and it sounds like the symptoms are very severe, very quickly. Is that always the case? Is that often the case?
That is the case in, I would say, a minority of times. That’s usually the case. It’s more often seen in younger patients with AML. Typically, older patients with AML have a more smoldering course and a much less dramatic presentation, although this sort of very dramatic and dangerous presentation can happen in older patients, but it’s probably something like a third of the time that those very dramatic and medical emergency presentations occur.
How important is early diagnosis?
Well, I mean, it’s crucial. I mean, in particular in those cases where it’s a very dramatic and proliferative diagnosis, or presentation. A quick diagnosis and recognition of this condition is very important because the sooner a person starts effective treatment the better the ultimate outcome is.
I would say in general terms that applies to all AML patients, but certainly there’s some degrees of variation. So, there’s some AML patients that when I hear about their case on the phone from a referring doctor, it’s appropriate to see them next week in the clinic.
So, it’s not always a medical emergency, but we would never, even in those next-week-in-the-clinic patients, this isn’t something that can wait for weeks or certainly months. This is something that needs to be addressed fairly quickly.
What are the best ways to manage those symptoms?
Right. So, I mean, at presentation, all those symptoms, the best way to manage those are to start treatment as quickly as possible. So, impacting the underlying cause of this disease is the most important and critical factor to getting a person feeling better because all of these problems stem from the disease in the bone marrow, and so everything else that you do to sort of help a person’s symptoms are Band-Aids when you’re not talking about getting to the root cause.
So, that’s at presentation. Now once we start treatment, there are many potential side effects to any number of treatments. And it all is dependent on what treatment you’re getting and other things about you that will make this a significant problem in some cases. And in that setting, we do have ways that we can aggressively manage a person’s side effects.
Can you manage all of the symptoms? Or can people still be experiencing symptoms even after they’re in treatment?
Absolutely. So, a person with this disease, depending on how long they’ve had it and some of the features, may not be feeling back to their baseline self for potentially weeks or months after treatment starts in the best-case scenario. So, that can be very frustrating, but a person needs to sort of be able to continue to have a good outlook and stay positive.
Because we are able in many cases to make a big impact on this disease and return a person to their pre-disease quality of life.
What are some of the myths that you hear, Dr. Pollyea, about the treatment? Some things that people come in to you saying they think that it helps, but there’s no science to back that up?
So, myths about treatment, so many people have a lot of preconceived notions about the intensity of a therapy that they’re going to be asked to withstand. And although sometimes we do treat this disease very intensively, that’s not always the case, and now we have some very effective lower-intensity regimens that can be used in a variety of different scenarios.
There are a lot of people who have a lot of preconceived notions about a stem-cell transplant or a bone-marrow transplant and whether or not they would be eligible for this based on maybe what they’ve heard from friends or family, or what they’ve seen in the internet.
And those are often incorrect. And so, keeping an open mind about treatment options, and discussing those in detail with your doctor are really, really important.
You mentioned sometimes it presents in young people, sometimes in older people. What’s sort of typical?
This is a disease of predominantly older patients, so the median age of presentation is 68. So, that means that over half of the patients are over 68 years old at diagnosis. So, while this does happen, can happen in younger patients, that’s really an unusual situation. This disease is, like I said, it is predominantly a disease of older patients.
There are some patients who I understand think that supplements can deal with the symptoms of AML. Is that accurate?
You know, I mean, I think the supplement question is always a challenge. A lot of these supplements, or most of these supplements have never been tested with the rigor of treatments that we’re accustomed to in the medical establishment.
That being said, I won’t deny that some of the supplements can help patients based on what patients’ experiences are and what they tell me. I think what’s really important is just be very open and honest with your doctor about the supplements that you’re taking or want to take to ensure that there are no sort of unanticipated interactions with treatments.
Because I think most doctors are very open to having their patients care for themselves in the ways that they’ve become accustomed to, and they know their bodies very well, and we’re very open to that. But there are sometimes that a drug or a supplement might have a bad interaction with the treatment.
And so, a good example in my practice is antioxidants. So, there’s a lot of literature, a lot of interest in antioxidants as cancer-prevention treatment.
And a lot of that is not well-established, but still I don’t see much harm. But when it comes time to treating a cancer, that’s a very different situation. When we give a patient treatment to try to kill the cancer cells, many times we’re trying to provoke oxidation. That’s part of how these drugs and these treatments work.
So, if you’re taking those treatments, but also at the same time taking antioxidants, there’s the potential you could sort of be cutting your therapy off at the knees, fighting it with one hand behind your back. So, for the period of time when my patients are getting an active treatment, I ask that they don’t take it antioxidant.
And they can resume that in the future in the hopes of preventing another cancer. But the time to prevent with an antioxidant isn’t appropriate when you’re dealing with an active cancer. So, that’s just one example.
Fatigue could be a symptom of AML, but there are a lot of causes of fatigue.
How do you differentiate between something that really could be AML and something that isn’t?
Yeah. That’s a challenge because I think these are, as I said, older patients. And older patients have a lot of other medical problems. And older people get fatigued, just that’s unfortunately part of the normal aging process. So, we would usually make an assumption that a person’s fatigue and diagnosis is due to the leukemia, the anemia as a result of the leukemia.
But as we successfully treat a patient if they are responding based on their numbers and other objective criteria, but the fatigue is not improving then I think that’s where we would start to look at other contributing factors, and there can be many, so having an open mind at that point is important.
But at the beginning, this is such a monster of a disease, it’s so overwhelming, I think the focus is usually on assumption that the fatigue is due to the disease or to a treatment associated with this disease.
This question: is loss of appetite a symptom of AML?
Yeah. I definitely see that, hear that, so sometimes people come in and they say that. Sometimes it may not be a loss of appetite, but an extreme weight loss, so a lot of different types of cancer, including AML, can cause that, just basically unintentional weight loss.
A person’s not trying to lose weight. They’re eating what they think is their normal amount and they’re losing tremendous amounts of weight. So, those are both potential presenting symptoms with AML. And loss of appetite, unfortunately, can be associated with some of the treatments for this disease. And taste changes, things not tasting good, can all contribute to that as well, so those are all challenges that our patients face.
How important is to get a second opinion? I mean, are all doctors like you pretty much on the same page when it comes to symptoms and treatment?
So, this is a challenge. So, the answer to the second question first is unfortunately, no. A lot of this hasn’t quite been standardized. And some doctors, oncologists, cancer doctors, they’ll predominantly be treating the things that are common: colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer. And they will probably only have a few cases of acute leukemia a year.
And so, their approach to this is going to be different than somebody who spends all day seeing patients with AML and thinking about AML.
So, a second opinion is a very nice thing to be able to do. The problem with this disease is that most times it doesn’t afford that opportunity. So, with other conditions you have some time to go out, read about it, talk to some different doctors, get a good plan together.
With AML, often that’s not a possibility. A person is so urgently sick that you have to sorta deal with the resources where you are. The best recommendation I have there, if you do find yourself in a situation where there’s not a lot of expertise is to ask your doctor to just call somebody in the region or email somebody in the region who may have that expertise.
And most doctors all over the country have that sort of resource or partner that they will go to and talk the case through with them, and maybe a transfer to one of those high-volume centers is appropriate.
And maybe that’s not a possibility or appropriate, but maybe you would benefit from just talking… Maybe your doctor would benefit from talking this through. But in cases where it’s not such a dramatic presentation, then yeah, for sure, I think a second opinion can be appropriate. But this isn’t something that can be sort of drawn out for long period of time.
You know, when you find out something like this, your tendency might be to jump on the web and start searching for AML. How do you vet those sources that you look at? How do you figure out that their – what would be a sign that they’re bogus sources?
Yeah. I mean, I think this field is so rapidly changing and the treatment that we have, that I would, for the most part, assume that what you’re finding on the web is not relevant and is not an up-to-date resource. So, the resources that I listed, the NCCN, UpToDate, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I should mention.
A very important resource that has up-to-date information, and they have even phone numbers for patients and their families to call to get connected with the proper people in a particular city, so that is a really important resource. But I’d be really, really cautious about what you find on the internet because things are changing so fast in this field. There’s a lot of outdated and misinformation on the internet.
Well, then there’s outright scams. One of the things you mentioned before we went on is be cautious if someone’s asking you to put money upfront, or if it’s a nonmedical facility. What are some things that people should watch out for?
Yeah. So, one of the things that is so important in our area is clinical trials and participating in clinical trials. Patients who opt to do this and receive experimental therapies can sometimes get the treatment of the future, get a drug that’s not currently available through the FDA, but may have a lot of promise.
And this is the way that we fight this disease. We’ve recently had an onslaught of approvals for AML and that’s because the patients being willing to participate in sanctioned clinical trials. So, participating in a sanctioned clinical trial is crucial, and it’s always a recommendation of all leukemia doctors.
When you participate in a conventional clinical trial, you’re asked to sign a consent form that explains what you’re doing and why. There is a confirmation that this has been vetted by an institution’s regulatory board that is prioritizing the safety and well-being of you, the patient. This has been approved by the FDA as a clinical trial. Nobody would ever ask you to pay money. That’s not ethical to participate in a clinical trial. Insurance covers whatever standard of care. And the clinical trial covers anything that isn’t.
So, if you find yourself in a situation where you’re not being asked to sign a consent form, where a clinical trial has not been reviewed by a regulatory board, where your doctor is not a leukemia specialist, where the FDA has not sanctioned the treatment, all of those are alarm signs.
Because there are people out there that are preying on patients in a desperate situation, a very difficult time in their life, and giving them sort of false hope and leading them down paths that are not legitimate.
One easy thing to do to sorta check to see if a clinical trial is legitimate is to go onto clinicaltrials.gov.
This is a resource set up by our national healthcare system that now feeds in every legitimate clinical trial from all over the world, needs to be registered on clinicaltrials.gov. So, if you can’t find your clinical trial on clinicaltrials.gov, I would have a lot skepticism and caution about that.
Like what advice do you have for people when they’re first diagnosed? What are the first things they should try to do?
Yeah. I mean, that reaction is totally normal and natural. I mean, many times these people are perfectly healthy or have been perfectly healthy, and this news is a complete shock.
And so, it is normal and appropriate to have some period of grieving for the healthy life that you are losing. But I would also, while giving yourself that time to grieve, first, draw on your support system, your family, your friends. Allow them to help you. Accept that assistance that they have. And to be optimistic because we are getting so much better at treating this disease.
I had mentioned before, there has been an onslaught of approvals for drugs in this area the likes of which hasn’t been seen in decades. We have new tools and weapons in our arsenal that we couldn’t have dreamed of even a few years ago.
We in our community are very excited and hopeful about the future and we hope that that will translate ultimately to patients, but being depressed or being down, being scared, all of that is normal.
All of that is expected. Anyone would feel like that. Allowing yourself to have those feelings and emotions is important, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of doing what you need to do to fight this disease.
It sounds like you’re hopeful about new treatments for the disease. How about a cure? What’s the science? What’s the medical science say about that? Are we getting any closer to that?
We are getting closer to curing this in more cases. So, like I mentioned before, as bad as this is, we can already cure some subsets of patients. There’s one type of Acute Myeloid Leukemia called Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, APL. It’s an uncommon form of AML, less than 10 percent.
But we can cure close to 99 percent of people with APL. And APL, 15 years ago, was universally the worst form of acute leukemia to get. So, that dramatic 180 that we’ve seen in APL, we are hoping to translate into other forms of AML.
Some other forms of AML have cure rates as high as 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent in the right setting. Sometimes we can cure patients with a stem cell transplant fairly reliably. So, we are very, very hopeful about our ability to continue to make progress and cure more and more and more of these patients. That’s the future that we see.
Dr. Pollyea, thank you so much. And thank you so much for ending on such a positive note. We really appreciate it. And thank you for joining us for this program today.
To learn more about AML and to access tools to help you become a proactive patient, visit powerfulpatients.org. I’m Ross Reynolds. Thanks for joining us.
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If the Zero Aggression Principle was the law of the land then politicians could not initiate force. They could only use force defensively. Some claim this makes Zero Aggression anarchistic. In popular usage “anarchy” means no governing institutions, with violence and chaos to follow. But to us…
Legitimate government only uses force defensively, and that’s precisely the kind of governance we want. To us, initiated force is criminal, and negates the very purpose of government. Seen in this way…
Congress and the President better fit the popular understanding of anarchy. These sons and daughters of anarchy…
Cannot be ruled — the electorate lacks real power to restrain or direct them
Break laws, starting with the Constitution
Routinely commit crimes, including theft, murder, counterfeiting, kidnapping, extortion, and fraud
We want to counter this Statist Anarchy by promoting non-state institutions of governance that compete to serve customers. This means we want more institutions of governance, not less. And what anarchist wants more governments? Turn it around…
About the Author
Jim Babka is co-founder of the Zero Aggression Project and President of DownsizeDC.org, Inc. He’s an author and former talk show host.
Previously, he was the President of RealCampaignReform.org, Inc., defending free press rights all the way to the Supreme Court. He and Susie are the proud, home-schooling parents of three teenagers. He enjoys theology, UFC, target practice, and Tai Chi.
About the Author
Perry Willis is the co-founder of the Zero Aggression Project and Downsize DC. He was the National Director of the Libertarian National Committee on two occasions, and ran two Libertarian Party presidential campaigns. He has an extensive background in marketing and fundraising, and has ghost written direct mail appeals for numerous luminaries, including Karl Hess, Ron Paul, Charlton Heston and Harry Browne.
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August 1, 2015 at 11:42 am
The is an original approach to addressing the common misconception of anarchy. It removes the hurdle of teaching a new definition, uses the old definition, and achieves the goal of selling voluntarism. Genius!
August 1, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Hi Don. Thanks for your kind words about our argument. We can only hope that the rest of the movement embraces this analysis as passionately as you have.
dann
June 16, 2016 at 3:32 pm
in re:
“…the common misconception of anarchy.”
an archon/anarchy is about “rulers” not ‘rules’. why is it that so many people think that an absence of rulERS means that there must be no rulES?! that there would be no rulES is the “misconception”. i am a practitioner of libertarian’ism [NAP] / voluntary’ism / anarchon’ism [an archon]; i do not practice hooliganism, theft, arson or vandalism. an archon – without rulERS, from the Greek language, is THE original definition.
August 22, 2016 at 6:52 pm
Revisiting my response after a year I find I missed two points. 1. Govt. is defined anew, i.e., the definition is changed, e.g., no govt. anywhere would qualify. 2. Anarchy is defined as “no governing institutions, with violence and chaos to follow”.
The first definition follows logically from the original purpose of the new American govt.,namely, only to protect rights. But that is not what govt. does anywhere, on net. Therefore, all governments state a goal in their constitution, but assume the right to initiate violence, threat thereof, and commit fraud. Their constitutions are contradictory, and all contradictions are “resolved” by the govt., for the govt., favoring coercion by the govt., who claim final authority is granted them as representatives of the people. It follows the people need only repudiate the govt. as not representative, in particular, and in general.
Repudiation of a particular govt. has been done hundreds of times, without change. It is the general concept of govt. as final authority, as initiator of violence, that has to be repudiated. The double standard of morality, one for the private sector and none for the public sector, must be recognized and addressed. This is done only if enough people see the value in having a voluntarist govt. All voluntarists agree. How do we get there? What % do we need? This should be our focus.
The popular definition of anarchy is a stumbling block best cleared by substituting “voluntarism”. Even though we anarchists don’t accept the baggage added to it by statists, we have to deal with it. I think it’s time to abandon the old word (anarchy) as much as I have identified with it for over 5 decades. My reason is twofold. 1. Voluntarism is a positive concept which explains what we stand for, not just what we are against. And that always works better in communication. 2. We leave behind the Marxists who will cling to the old word, because they are not anti-violence, just anti-establishment.
September 1, 2016 at 1:22 am
Well stated.
August 13, 2015 at 12:43 pm
I’ve been making this argument for years. The US “government” is nothing but anarchist. Any ruling body that ignores the laws that created it are anarchists. Pure and simple.
I have posted several blog entries over the years pointing out why I know we are already in a state of anarchy. When I talk about this with most people, even in Liberty circles, they seem to recoil at the very idea. The irony is that we wouldn’t be having discussions about our lack of freedom or the need for increased liberty if we weren’t under the boot of a lawless organization.
August 13, 2015 at 2:28 pm
Hi Marc. We’re definitely on the same wave length here. I think we just need to keep making this argument, and finding various ways to make the case. Repetition and the passage of time can do a lot to persuade people to a new way of looking at things.
voluntaryist
August 13, 2015 at 4:46 pm
I accept your label of “lawless” or “outlaws” for govt. officials and LEOs. Many would. They act as if they are sovereign and we are not, i.e., they are rulers, we are the ruled. While they are lawless, we are not. In fact, we are smothered by, enslaved by, laws. Everything we do is considered by them as illegal until we prove it legal, not by objective law, but by their permission, their judgement of the law. They are, de facto, the law. And since “they” are not of one mind, not even of a constant mind for each individual, their law changes constantly, creating chaos. Chaos for us, not them. They know they can expect to be exempt from judgement legally.
That said, your admission that calling govt. anarchist, even among libertarians, does not sit well, is telling. Many libertarians consider themselves anarchist. No wonder you alienate them. You put yourself in the position of having to change their definition of anarchism to the perverted definition govt. uses. So tell me, how’s that working out for you? Have you converted one person?
August 17, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Alienate? Naw. Get them to consider anarchy in action – yes. Working great thus far. I see unchecked non-violent human activity as beneficial but when people do not respond defensively then the ugly side of anarchy rears its head.
Anarchy is lawlessness. It’s direct translation is “leaderless”. People living without a leader or a leading philosophy (law) will devolve into might makes right. Anarchy is nearly living without consequence. Anarchy is gone as soon as an accepted code such as not using force as a means to an end is brought into effect as now you have a law. A civilization based upon mutual defense is not anarchy. Voluntaryism is not anarchy – it is based on a simple principle that people are able to decide what they want to do without force being used on them as long as they respect the rights of others.
Sure we may view ourselves as leaning towards anarchism in that we want no imposing rules placed on us to restrict non-violent behavior. However we are not anarchists in that we believe if a person is killed by another person it’s okay and nothing should be done about it. I’ve yet to meet a libertarian who is okay with someone just moving into their house and being informed they will live there as they wish because there is no such thing as property ownership. To the contrary most of the libertarians I know would attempt to peacefully resolve the situation and escalate to defend their property even by asking for assistance from government agents to defend property rights. Those agents we currently call police but they’d be just as effective as neighborhood security privately hired and delegated with the duty to protect us and our neighbors.
I am curious about your thoughts and where you disagree on my points, if at all.
August 17, 2015 at 4:54 pm
Hi Marc. Your view is exactly our view.
voluntaryist
August 17, 2015 at 6:01 pm
“…police but they’d be just as effective as…privately hired…” I strongly disagree that police are “just as effective as privately hired”. The contrast is remarkable. See Detroit.
I am surprised to learn you are successful equating anarchism with statism, especially among libertarians. I can’t explain it.
Once you re-define anarchist as “leaderless”, or having no leader, applying the word to leaders is a no brainer. But what about all the bureaucrats and politicians who refer to the Commander in Chief as “our leader”? Are they anarchists? Or is it just the leader?
I don’t believe the difference between libertarians and statists is lawful and lawless. The difference is the choice of what law, and how they arrive at that choice.
You equate leaderless with no law, i.e., no philosophy. Then you claim that will “devolve into might makes right”. I disagree again. I am leaderless, but I have an ethics , and philosophy of life, and follow the natural law I have discovered. The opposite is true of people who follow leaders. The have no ethics of their own, but follow the laws of their leader, and the laws change, contradicting themselves. One unwritten law is constant: Might makes right. And the leader is the mighty one.
Since might does not make right, the whole basis of political leadership/authority is flawed.
I don’t use the word “anarchist” to describe myself anymore, I use voluntarist. I avoid instant resistance and communication problems due to different definitions of “anarchist”. Often I can’t get past these.
Voluntarist is not a common word so I have to define it. But defining important words should be done anyway to facilitate communication. I explain that I follow leadership that allows my choice because it respects my sovereignty. I explain I choose by use of my reason, my experience + cognitive analysis.
dann
June 16, 2016 at 3:42 pm
that the men-and-women-who-call-themselves-“government” ignore their own rules is without question but… they have rulERS; an archon y /anarchy is: “without” and “rulers” – it has nothing to do about people being without rulES. the analogy of the men-and-women-who-call-themselves-“government” not obeying their own rules is incorrect.
of note: there is no such creature as “government”; “government” is a reification. there are only men and women calling themselves “government” who actually exist, and they have no rights that are different from anyone else except for the fact that they have been GRANTED the POWER to use “force”.
voluntaryist
August 13, 2015 at 5:32 pm
I govern myself, my dog, my car, my gun. In that sense, I am a governor. But am I a government? I hire (delegate authority to) the HMO to govern my meds, my health care. Is the HMO a govt.? I hire a mechanic to change oil and make repairs I authorize. The mechanic governs the work. Is he a govt. agent? I think not. You equated institutions of governance with governments. But they are not, because I can veto the doctor’s advice. They govern until I stop them.
A govt. cannot be stopped by request of the governed. If a plebiscite were taken tomorrow and the majority were to abolish the present govt., it would not stand down. If a plebiscite were to abolish all govt. from ever forming in a non-government region, that would not be honored by some who would work to establish a govt. I doubt the USA could have been established if the majority were consulted. (Not that a majority can nullify rights, as the Constitution does.) Government’s chief tool of control is deception. Failing that, threat of violence is used. Failing that, violence. Government initiates indirect and direct violence. That is its distinguishing characteristic, not its law following, or services.That is the root of the problem because initiated violence is immoral/impractical. Therefore, that is where we need to strike.
January 12, 2016 at 2:54 pm
The Non-Aggression Principle does not require that all Force be Defensive. It allows one to hunt down and punish those who aggress.
If all Force must be Defensive, then an embezzler, or a burglar, or a rapist, must not be punished after the fact. Once the offense is committed, any Force brought later is not Defensive, it is Retributive. If I am not to be allowed Retribution, then I will not subscribe to such a Principle.
Penni B
January 14, 2016 at 12:18 pm
In a very real sense, hunting down and punishing aggressors is defensive, albeit in the preventative sense. Retributive punishment is a form of defensive action, in that it defends against the aggression occurring again. This is why retribution is NOT simply retributive, but defensive as well.
January 14, 2016 at 3:08 pm
I think you’re right Penni. Though I think punishments must be agreed to by unanimous juries.
Penni B
January 19, 2016 at 10:50 pm
I can see the logic behind that, there is a ‘unanimity principle’ we hold to in our household. If all cannot agree on a major course of action, we usually delay the action til all can agree. Mostly we’ve required a reasonable defense of why we should do something, on lesser matters we might allow a ‘I just don’t feel right about it’ defense. Of Course, there can be a danger to a unanimous decision, (ancient Israel essentially assumed a ‘mob mentality’ if the Sanhedrin voted unanimously, and would set a criminal free an a unanimous verdict) but that is largely avoided by having a jury of your peers, rather than a jury of the ruling class.
January 12, 2016 at 5:39 pm
I’ve been thinking about a tiny piece of this plan recently, perhaps a starting point.
I don’t believe most federal agencies should be allowed a SWAT team. Currently, almost every branch of the federal government has a SWAT team, why does the FDA need a SWAT team? I don’t believe my federal government needs any gun toting peace officers at all in most cases.
I believe that when the federal government has adequate evidence to effect an arrest they should be required to seek the local Sheriff’s assistance. The Sheriff would make the arrest as he sees fit and then turn the suspects over to the federal authority.
January 12, 2016 at 8:50 pm
Zack, I don’t think that follows (i.e. we agree with you). The word “defensive” is used here as the opposite of “initiated force” or aggression.
This article is interesting. I’m not entirely convinced of the efficacy of voluntary law enforcement though. I’ve thought about this for quite a while, and I just cannot find the essential difference between contracted defensive force and a nascent state. What is the mechanism to prevent someone from hiring thugs for the purpose of aggression? Admittedly the state has not been as good at this as we would like, but at the same time there is a difference in degree between the violence routinely employed now and that seen in feudal times. It seems to me that the size of the state is in part responsible for that, simply because it is the perceived vulnerability of the defender that allows an aggressor to entertain an investment in the means of force.
Thoughts?
January 14, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Hi Geoff. How many consumers will want to pay their security provider to attack other people? I think the answer is very close to none. How many security companies would accept such jobs? I think the answer is exactly none. We no longer live in the culture that spawned feudalism.
Joe Cobb
January 13, 2016 at 12:16 am
This is an excellent new one, Perry. Your forceful turning of the logical tables on the “chaos” argument is well done.
I was reading a link about Hayek’s “Inividualism” distinction (true vs false individualism) in his 1945 lecture and he makes this point in regard to central government planning vs. market pricing and private property, the “invisible hand” that socialists want to deny.
You are doing good work.
January 14, 2016 at 2:52 pm
Joe Cobb
June 16, 2016 at 5:08 pm
And a small note of criticism of this blog. I get emailed notices when something new is added. But when I come to look at it, nothing is in chronological order – this blog uses “thread ordered” – but it is damned hard to find what was just posted without scrolling through the whole blog and looking closely at dates.
Is there a software improvement you could implement?
January 13, 2016 at 2:37 am
dann
June 16, 2016 at 2:57 pm
gned, you postulated:
“…the best way to handle the issue of smoking in private restaurants is to have a rebuttable presumption that any given restaurant has a no-smoking zone, and if a particular restaurant doesn’t, then it must post a sign to that effect… ”
the owner of any private property has no duty to anyone else other than to notify where his property begins and ends – so as to prevent people from accidentally trespassing – unless the owner wants to be burdened with continually physically informing people.
an owner/operator of an establishment does NOT HAVE TO provide anything for anyone’s convenience although they might want to do so in order to get the most benefit from their establishment. and in order not to ‘turn away’ future ‘would be’ customers it would be in the best interest of an owner to notify people from a distance what the establishment does not allow. but “MUST”..!
in re “..the Presumed Right not to be discriminated against…” no such thing exists, nor should it exist. the owner MUST take the consequences – good or bad – of any discrimination decision. no one has a right not to have their ‘feelings’ hurt.
“…could be fraud..? that is not clear-cut. ‘consequences’ will handle any conceived problem.
“…separate clothing optional part of a beach) so that the general public isn’t exposed to it, without violating anyone’s rights…” no one has a right not to be offended. if the part of the beach is owned by someone then they will decide the rules, thus a ‘nudist’ could not trespass on that area to ‘offend’ anyone. the “private property” concept seems to be missing in some parts of your ‘plan’. [but overall i am liking it.]
June 16, 2016 at 7:55 pm
Technically you’re right; NAP etc. does not really allow for the “presumed rights” and “limited rights” limitation as I discuss – those are only suggestions for compromises, or at least the latter one. Ideally we should be able to have a libertarian society without those compromises, but they may be necessary to get the chance to establish one in the first place.
Jjs
January 13, 2016 at 9:41 am
Just because the laws are not enforced equitably, does not mean there are no laws, or no leaders.
Libertarians without a Christian basis are always trying to put forth a utopian society that can’t ever exist. It is no different than communism in the end. It assumes humans will do the right thing when by their very nature they are sinful and self centered and believe might makes right. If they are one of the weak ones, they will band together to be a group that is stronger than the strong individual and then become what they were trying to oppose.
How does your private security force decide what is aggression, so they know if they can defend? Someone has to decide what amount of force is moral based on the act committed. Zach Bass wants to be able to have retribution. If Joe steals property from Zach and is walking off with it, does Zach have the right to shoot Joe in the back to get his property back? Then do Joe’s relatives have the right to kill Zach for killing Joe? Who would decide, and on what basis? What if I don’t agree with your security forces laws, and my security force has a different set of laws? Which set of laws should be followed?
This is the real reason people don’t bring up voluntarism, anarchism, etc. They are utopian dreams.
You should spend more time on the Downsize DC items. They are way more fruitful.
God (of the Bible) gave government the sword to punish the evil doer and praise the good. When people will not self-govern, which they cannot do without Christian morals, they will be governed by tyrants.
January 14, 2016 at 3:06 pm
Hello Jjs. I hope I can do justice to your many comments.
First, we do not advocate utopia. We don’t believe utopia is possible. What we advocate is letting people live according to their own conscience, provided they harm no one else. We well understand that many people HATE the idea of letting other people make their own choices.
You ask who will decide what aggression is? Unanimous juries will decide that.
You ask how people will know what the law is. Please understand, people do not know what the law is now — there are far too many of them. It will be easier in our system. Ask yourself this, will a jury think I have assaulted or defrauded someone by this action? If the answer is yes then you are breaking the law.
You express concern about people banding together to harm others. That would be a crime in our system, just as it is under the current system. The only difference is that we would make no exceptions for the government itself. Right now The State is the primary means by which people band together to harm others. We want to end that by creating competing consumer controlled institutions of governance.
You presume that we are advocating anarchy despite the fact that you are commenting to an article that argues otherwise. We are not advocating anarchy. Quite the opposite. We are advocating for the world’s first true, legitimate institutions of governance — institutions the do not initiate force, that only use force defensively.
You worry about flawed humans being allowed to go their own way, but how can giving power to politicians make this supposed problem better? After all, politicians are flawed human beings too. Giving them power over others merely magnifies the problem, it does not solve it.
You’re cherry picking the Bible. Re-read I Samuel Ch 8. You will be hard pressed to find a better brief against monopoly governance.
January 14, 2016 at 6:49 pm
Many Juries will indeed want to punish me when I have sex in public. Even self-described libertarians have said so.
I want The government to protect me from those aggressors.
January 15, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Hi Zack. I think we would have to define public. I’m not sure that a sidewalk in front of a store would qualify. It would seem that the sidewalk would be a limited easement, largely open to the public, but controlled by the store owner.
January 15, 2016 at 1:12 pm
I totally agree if that is the true FACT, but I think you are just waffling because you don’t want to grant us perverts anything.
Assuming there is to be PUBLIC Space, to restrict my fucking is an Initiation of Force.
January 16, 2016 at 1:17 pm
You’re probably right Zack. From what I understand there are few laws in Europe against such things, and the world has not come to end. But there is the question of empathy for others. Just because you shouldn’t be arrested for an activity doesn’t mean that its a good thing to subject people to things they don’t want to see. It works the other way too — people who see things they don’t want to see, can and should look away. No violence is warranted. We should all try to be considerate of each other, and work toward each other, rather than looking for, and intentionally creating, situations designed to bother each other.
January 15, 2016 at 1:17 pm
In 2004 I had a prominent queer “Libertarian” threaten to cut off my penis with garden shears if I negected to wear my trousers ON MY OWN PROPERTY where his daughters could view me – and Tim Condon, a Director of the Free State Project, took HIS side against me! Please do not pretend that this is a minor quibble.
January 16, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Hi Zack. The threat against your penis was clearly a violation of the Zero Aggression Principle. But I wonder why you need to wave your weenie in your front yard? Don’t you have a backyard where you could do that?
January 16, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Perry wrote:
“I wonder why you need to wave your weenie in your front yard?”
Libertarianism is not about what someone thinks I NEED, it is about leaving me alone as long as I am not Initiating Force.
Does a peacock NEED all those feathers?
January 17, 2016 at 11:27 am
I won’t argue with that. I agree with it. But I do wonder — is there anything distasteful your neighbors could do where you would wonder why they don’t do that in their back yard, rather than their front yard? In other words, would you want your neighbors to treat you the way you are treating them?
January 17, 2016 at 11:50 am
Of course there are many many things I would wish my neighbors would not be seen doing – worshipping imaginary friends, wearing hajib, eating chicken necks. But I am willing to leave them the hell alone, and that is exactly how I insist that they treat me.
Libertarianism is not about esthetics, it is about Force. Discussing Justin Bieber or Madonna or Vermeer or what this person or that person would LIKE to see next door, in a libertarian forum, is like dancing about architecture.
January 20, 2016 at 1:49 pm
Hi Zack. You’re certainly morally correct. No one should aggress against you for being naked in your own front yard. And those who don’t like it can look away. Some will say, “What about the children?” Children can be taught to look away too, if a parent so desires, and nudity is hardly traumatizing. Plenty of kids have been brought up in nudist environments. I also think this will tend to be a small problem. Most people will be more considerate of their neighbors than you are.
January 14, 2016 at 6:46 pm
There is often confusion between Private Laws and Private ENFORCEMENT of The Law. Enforcement ought to be largely Private; The Law itself must not be for sale though.
voluntaryist
January 17, 2016 at 7:07 pm
I have been an atheist from the age of 8, when I first considered the question of the existence of god. It took me 3 months to decide, during which I had heard no arguments for atheism from anyone, not even my atheist father. He would not tell his position because he wanted me to make my decision without any emotional or non-rational influences. He explained that this decision would be one of the most important I would ever make, and therefore had to be made by me alone. He did not explain further: 1. Why it was important. 2. Why I had to decide without undue influence (prejudicial advice). I asked my mother for guidance and she sent me to Sunday School. I think she did so because she was a theist. So I got only the theist side of the position. I struggled. I thought. I considered the question of belief/obedience together because that is how it was presented to me in church. I was taught that it was not enough to believe, but I had to prove my belief (called “faith”) by actions. I had to follow the Christen religious moral code. This code was not defended by comparison with other codes. I was expected to have faith in it just as I was expected to have faith in god.
I considered the personal meaning, the psychological consequences of obedience. I asked myself if I could follow the dictates of another, without question, i.e., on faith, the rest of my life. I decided I could not voluntarily obey another over myself, over my choices, over my conscience, over my own view of right and wrong, however flawed that might be. I thought doing so would be a mistake. I thought I would be losing myself and my life would not be worth living if I did not make my own decisions. I did not know if I was under the control of an all powerful being who could take my life anytime if I did not obey, but I did know that I did not want to live such a life, i.e., death would be preferable. I was afraid of death, but I was more afraid of not living fully, as my own person. So, at 8, I rejected servitude, and embraced self governance. I rejected the possibility of eternal life, because I did not consider the religious life worth living. At 73, I have never doubted or regretted that decision.
I have developed my own moral code. I embrace self governance by use of reason. I reject the tyranny I see the majority supporting. I witness religion and authoritarianism destroying humanity. These twin superstitions are anti-life in every respect, and only survive by fear, fraud, and force. I am only one, but I recognize reason to be the only road to truth, and I have no respect for those who practice blind belief or subjugation to authority. I would ignore them, live and let live, but they will not do the same.
That is why they are a threat to me and themselves.
Jjs
January 18, 2016 at 12:56 am
Well, the only way you can truly be free is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without him you are a slave to sin.
The atheist system has no REASON. Reason is borrowed from the Christian worldview.
Atheist believe the world came about by random chance processes. Reason cannot be built on chaos. It needs rules of logic.
Evolution begins with the idea that something came from nothing, but can’t explain how that happens.It is a belief system. It believes that the rules of science were not in existence at the “beginning” but were somehow set in place afterwards and then now they are rules that do not change.(Law that matter/energy can neither be created nor destroyed, etc) If they changed before, then they can change again. So they cannot be relied upon. DNA is the code and the decoder in one. That cannot happen by chance.
You want to believe there is no god, because if you acknowledge that there is a god, you soon find out you will be held accountable for what you do here on earth.
Under your system of “reason” based ideas, you have no way to condemn the action of the mob to kill you and take everything you have just because they wanted it. They used their own reason to decide they needed it more than you did. Why is there reason less valuable than your reason? The only system you ever end up with outside of Christian morality is Might makes Right.
Christianity today has been co-opted by many to get people to follow them to bomb other countries who are no threat. But that does not mean that the teachings of the Bible are wrong which actually teach just war theory, which is basically a defensive view of waging war. Pre-emptive strikes are not just according to the Bible.
Smoking marijuana may be sin (if it is bad for the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit) but that does not mean it should be a crime. If marijuana causes you to crash your car and kill someone, then you should be tried for murder, because you killed the person. You don’t need to be tried for possession of marijuana.
When you steal from someone, you should pay restitution. We don’t have a Christian system in place today, no matter how many times people say we live in a Christian nation, we don’t. There are relics of a once christian nation, but they are fading away.
Christianity has been manipulated over the decades/centuries, but that does not make Christianity wrong, it just makes the actions of the manipulators and the manipulated wrong.
I have been a Christian all my life and never have I felt like a slave in the sense you mean it. But I am a slave to Christ because I love him because he first loved us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, which includes you Voluntarist, Perrv Wills, Zach Bass, and everyone else that ever lived.
It is a sin to get drunk, am I a slave because I can’t drink to the point of drunkenness? How many people ruin their lives by drunkenness? It is a protection for me, not a matter of not living a full life. The guy who gets drunk and lives a wild life on a regular basis dies early from bad diseases. He is a slave to alcohol.
Coveting other people’s things makes you discontent, which makes people not happy, which then leads people to do things they ought not do which gets them in trouble because they end up stealing/cheating to get those things they covet. They are a slave to their covetousness.
There is a proverb about the adulterer who in the end gives his labor and money to build someone else’s household. When people get divorced they have to support two households through alimony and child support. People that are not monogomous end up with STD’s. They are slave to their lust.
God wants what is best for us, which is why he gave us the commandments. Not to make us slaves, but to free us. I could go on with many more examples of how sin makes you a slave, but I think you get the point.
So if you want to call me a slave to Christ, I gladly take that compliment. Christians are not perfect here on earth, we still have a sinful flesh that we are to drown everyday anew. But when I recognize the sin in my life, I repent. I know that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for my sins by living a perfect life, dieing and innocent death on the cross, and rising from the dead. The next day I try to do better.
The thief on the cross came to faith the last day of his life here on earth and is now spending eternity with Lord Jesus. So there is still time while you have breath. I pray you will reconsider.
January 20, 2016 at 2:07 pm
Hi J Shultz. I just read your latest. You seem to NOT be interacting with anything Jim or I or others have written. You seem to be mainly talking AT people rather than WITH them. It’s hard to imagine that working very well, but you’re clearly willing to put a lot of time into it, given the length of your posts. Feel free to continue if you wish, but don’t be surprised if people come to ignore what you say in the same way that you ignore what they say.
Jjs
January 20, 2016 at 3:51 pm
I am not sure what your standard for “interacting” is. But the post you just replied to, I went point by point on what Voluntarist wrote to show him how I found what he said to be incorrect. Should I have asked, “Do you agree?” so he can feel free to respond?
The other posts I did the same thing. Jim said it was rude to not read the other levers. I wrote back and told him I had and what I found lacking about the lever on rights being based on emotion.
The first post I wrote was directed at what was stated in the lever.
The one post I talked about Zach wanting retribution, based on his post about wanting retribution.
So please clarify what you mean by not interacting?
Do you simply want me to pose a question at the end of each post for them to respond to?
I believe the people that comment here in the comment section (at least that is what it is called at the top, not a discussion section) here do not need my permission to respond without waiting for me to ask them to.
Hopefully this post is interactive enough for you.
dann
June 16, 2016 at 3:03 pm
in re:
“Libertarians without a Christian basis are always trying to put forth a utopian society that can’t ever exist.”
such a blanket statement is undeserving of any libertarian or any christian. i believe that a utopian society in UN-attainable – and i am not a christian. wouldn’t it be better to say that ‘some’ libertarians w/o a christian basis, etc.? it would also save having to read replies like this.
Joe Cobb
June 16, 2016 at 3:32 pm
Where is that quote from? (“Libertarians without a Christian basis …”) I agree with the statement that Non-Christians can also be complete Libertarians, Voluntarists, or just friendly, peaceful folks.
I think Arisotle’s Ethics is sufficient for a “reasonable” person to find the path to a satisfying and full life, without concern about supernatural ideas after death.
The Zero Aggression Principle is my personal foundation for Ethical behavior, and I advocate it in the political sphere as a (perennial) candidate for the Libertarian Party. I cannot be a “practical” anarchist because we all inherited a flawed State and we must work to change it into a better Minimal State if possible (a labor of Sisyphus).
When it comes to “believing in” the State, I do not and never have. There is no “social contract legitimacy” for political authority.
voluntaryist
August 17, 2016 at 1:51 pm
“…we all inherited a flawed state…” does not justify “must work to change it into a better…state…”
The state = initiation of force. That is a “fatal flaw”, i.e., rule by force, not reason. You added, “if possible” and I claim it is impossible to justify a mini-state, i.e., very little violation of NAP. That is how the “Great American Experiment” (a govt. whose justification was the protection of rights), started. The goal sought was impossible to achieve by the means chosen (initiation of force). It was obvious from the start when G.W. used federalized troops to put down a defense against an income theft( the whiskey tax). The Whiskey Rebellion was as justified as the American Revolution. I believe it would have been successful if it were done in a non-violent manner. But I digress.
I agree with you on all your other points, Aristotle’s ethics, no supernatural ideas, no legit “social contract”. The Social Contract is a modification of the “Original Sin” argument, and just as valid.
Jjs has presented an illogical, misrepresentation, e.g., straw man argument, for evolution. His use of “random & chance” are redundant and not applicable to the evolution theory. Describing a cause as “random” is not an explanation but the opposite. It is an admittance that the cause is unknown. Both “random & chance” are epistemological words, not metaphysical. They tell us about the speaker’s lack of knowledge, not the subject. No competent scientist would claim to have explained a phenomena by calling it “random”. Furthermore, his claim that “reason” is Christen based is ignorance of Aristotle, who predated Christ. He probably got that idea from reading Thomas Aquinas, who got his “reason & logic” from reading Aristotle.
January 13, 2016 at 6:03 pm
One of the things that happens in these comment threads is that folks react to a very brief Mental Lever by raising an issue we’ve addressed in another brief Mental Lever. Each is designed to make a point or two, not support an entire philosophical debate. It’s not a book.
I cannot encourage anyone, strongly enough, before posting your question, to read the other Mental Levers. We have often already answered your question or concern. In fact, we’ve labeled every one of these Mental Levers with a question — so you should be able to match up what you’re looking for.
That said, one of the bothersome things that happens (and I even think it rude) is that folks who’ve done what I just described, on other Mental Levers, show up in future Mental Levers (like this) and raise EXACTLY the same question we already answered. These folks are not interested in dialogue. Their mind is set. Accordingly, we’re not interested in listening to someone who doesn’t have the respect to read the answers we posted last time.
Jjs
January 14, 2016 at 4:07 pm
I think you misunderstood my questions about the issues. It was not that I don’t understand the answers or have not read the other mental levers, it is that they are utopian fantasy that cannot work, which is what you figure out when you answer the question.
Under this system, there is no rights. I have read the mental lever on where do your rights come from. Since they don’t come from God according to your mental lever, they really do not exist. If all my neighbors are not empathetic, then I have no rights???? I know my neighbors are sinful human beings who by nature want what is best for themselves. So I have no rights under your system. It is utopian to believe men are inherently good, which is what this system has to assume in order to work.
“The libertarian approach uses various principles, facts, examples, and bits of logic to make thinking more efficient and accurate. Here at the Zero Aggression Project we call these tools Mental Levers”
I am pointing out how this mental lever is based not on fact or logic, but all sorts of flawed logic. It cannot be used as a mental lever if it cannot stand on it own.
Any right not given by God, is not a right at all, but some man made thing that can change like the wind.
Empathy is an emotion, and yet your page on mental levers says THINKING people need levers so they don’t make decisions based on emotion, but on logic and fact. Sounds like a contradiction.
Read the bills act, one subject at a time, all great stuff. Spend more time there.
By pointing out the flaws in your utopian society, I was not defending by any means the mess that we are in as a country. Knocking down the current system does not defend your system.
I never called your system anarchy. I called it the same as communism, a utopian dream world.
I am not sure how you think I am Cherry Picking passages. My only point with the only passage I presented said exactly what it means.
The israelites in your 1 Sam 8 passage wanted to go from being led by God to being led by man and were going to get exactly what they deserved, high taxes, forced labor, etc. Not at all what I am advocating. As the people fell more and more away from God, the kings got more and more tyrannical.
January 15, 2016 at 12:36 pm
Hi Jjs. I just read your latest, then went back and re-read your original and my response. I stand by what I said. I think your latest comments get a bit shifty in re-describing your original points. OK, I can understand that to a certain point. We’re all writing fast, and maybe we don’t say exactly what we intended to say the first time. So let’s drill down on a few things starting with your use of the word utopia.
The word utopia has a specific meaning. It means a perfect society. We think no such society is possible given that each person has a different definition of social perfection. I think you’re simply saying that our prescriptions for society will never come to pass. That’s fine. But that’s simply a prediction about what will happen, NOT an argument that we are advocating utopia. Let me say it again, and in a different way, in hope of driving home the point…
We do not have a plan for how everyone should live their life. Our proposal is much much much simpler than that. We simply want people to be free to make their own choices. THAT will not be utopia, by any definition. It also, as you predict, may not come to pass. But here’s the crucial question — should you be working for it, or against it?
Apply the same criteria that you apply to us to your own religious beliefs (I call this the Golden Rule of ideas — treat other ideas the same way you treat your own ideas). Which is more likely, that we can create a society where people are free to choose, or that you can persuade everyone to follow your version of god’s law. It seems that, unlikely as our goal is, your religious goal is even more unlikely, barring the second coming. And yet, you continue to argue that people should follow your version of god’s law. Forgive us if we do the same for our desire to let people make their own choices. Better yet — join us. Doesn’t god also let people make their own choices, and be responsible for the consequences? That’s all we’re advocating.
Finally, I don’t quarrel with what you say about 1 Sam 8. I’m fine with it. I don’t think it clashes with what I’m saying. I’m simply say that 1 Sam 8 makes a lot of powerful points about why you don’t want to live under a monopoly form of governance.
January 15, 2016 at 3:55 pm
Jjd, this is a much more original message to which we can respond, even if it makes quite a few assumptions, particularly about positions held by us.
It’s true that empathy is very tied to our emotions. But that does not mean it’s mere emotionalism. We can agree that emotionalism is less reliable than reason.
Empathy is not sentimentality. There’s social AND scientific evidence for the existence of empathy. Scientists are learning how it works, where it doesn’t, and to what systems it’s tied (particularly, in the brain). For just one example, see Mirror Neurons.
Long before these scientific discoveries, Adam Smith identified that our “moral sentiments” told us that others, outside of us, deserved the same protections we desired. So, to be blunt, “Yes, your rights are dependent on your neighbor’s empathy.” Every political dispute resolves on the question of who has more empathy on their side. Is that a shaky foundation?
Well, I happen to be a believer. Personally, I take literally the notion that we are endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. Neither the Declaration of Independence nor the Scriptures described, precisely, how the Creator gave us these rights nor how they were to be maintained. I see no conflict in suggesting that empathy — even mirror neurons — were the method. Quite the contrary, I think the Great Commandments, the Good Samaritan, the Ten Commandments, and dozens of other teachings of the Bible are essentially a command to use empathy.
Chief amongst these, for the Zero Aggression Project (a secular organization), is the Golden Rule. In fact, we view the Zero Aggression Principle as a (derivative) Silver Rule of sorts. Where the Golden Rule commands, “Do,” placing an affirmative obligation on me, the Zero Aggression Principle merely asks, “Please don’t,” as in leave others alone and mind your own business.
So, whether or not it’s God-given is a philosophical debate point. It does little to unite those who use their empathy to appreciate and advance liberty. Let me be concrete…
The co-creator of the Zero Aggression Project is not a believer. Yet his appreciation for your liberty is much greater than that of most professing believers. In fact, as just one example of jaded empathy, it’s due to conservative Christians that the U.S. is in a constant state of war. They are the necessary margin that keeps the Militarists profitable. On top of that, “War is the health of The State.” And so we see a host of bad consequences at home such as the NSA, the TSA, high taxes, etc. But the idea that we must have agreement on the notion that our rights are derived from God, as a predicate for action and change, can only put my liberty-loving business partner on the outside of my efforts, if not outright at odds with me. This makes no strategic sense and, as I’ve hopefully demonstrated, it’s not necessary.
January 15, 2016 at 9:25 pm
Although I know for a fact that internal mental states and “consciousness” exist, I do not agree that there is any possible scientific evidence or any way to observe consciousness. Everything you can observe would be exactly the same whether people (or rats or elephants) were conscious or not. I can think that you and Obama and Hillary and my sofa are conscious or that none of you zombies are conscious, it makes no difference scientifically. No physical experiment or test or observation can ever decide the matter one way or the other because, hey, science is about Physical stuff. Mirror neurons are physical but Consciousness is not.
I happen to know that I myself am conscious, because direct knowledge, but that is not science. I have a FEELING that you guys are also conscious, but who knows, you could all be zombies.
January 15, 2016 at 9:48 pm
There never were any “inalienable” rights. Murderers have always been held to have forfeited their Right to Life, and thieves forfeited their Right to Property or Liberty. Everyone has always been aware of this fact, yet for some reason all pretend not to know it.
January 16, 2016 at 1:29 pm
Hi Zack. You make a somewhat interesting point. But can’t it be said that the right to live is inalienable up to the point that you take someone else’s life? And if so, do we really need to lose the pith of saying that rights are inalienable for the sake of a minor point, that probably most people understand pretty well? Language is fuzzy. No use of any word can withstand close scrutiny. But does this justify turning every statement into legalese, with endless rows of qualifying statements, which then themselves have to be qualified?
January 15, 2016 at 9:41 pm
For those who think that brains are somehow “conscious” merely because complexity, consider an Artificial Intelligence constructed of wood, or of pasta.
January 16, 2016 at 5:15 pm
To write “unalienable” in 1776 was pithy. When it is repeated as gospel millions of times, it ought to be qualified; many state it as inalienable fact.
January 17, 2016 at 11:23 am
Hi Zack. Do you assert that rights are completely alienable. Is there an extent to which you do in fact consider them inalienable?
January 17, 2016 at 11:53 am
No, there are no “Rights” you can possess that you cannot forfeit – or sell. That is what Ownership means.
I have even seen “libertarians” oppose my right to sell my body (WHICH I OWN) because I cannot give up the “Right” to Life. Thus they would restrict my Liberty in the name of protecting my “Rights”.
voluntaryist
January 17, 2016 at 7:43 pm
In “The Merchant of Venice” the concept of “right of life” was dealt with, abet not well, but the end result was the right was upheld. My point is this is a philosophical concept much written about because it has not been well developed.
Let me take a stab. I can sell my life, because I own it. Therefore, I can put it up as collateral in a contract. But I still have it. I still control my “right to life” as long I am, as long as I exist. For example, I can change my mind and renege on my promise to sell my life at anytime I want, unilaterally. This means the contract is extremely shaky, not able to be enforced, even when the other party has delivered. The failure of the other party to recognize this is gross negligence or willful ignorance or hopeless stupidity.
If I do commit suicide to fulfill the contract, how can anyone “restrict my liberty”?
January 17, 2016 at 10:41 pm
I said nothing about your Existence, or about selling your Life. I said that you can sell your Body, if you Own it. At which point the buyer will own that body and can toss it into the organ bank. Same if you put it up as collateral and then Forfeit by Default.
January 17, 2016 at 10:50 pm
Suppose a loving mother wants 10 million dollars to pay for medicall attention to save the lives of her 10 children. she gos on a funding site and promises to sell her BODY for tissue and organs and whatever sexual or other use can be made of it. Ten ailing men form a Company and raise 10 million dollars and buy her BODY. Ten kiddies’ lives are saved, as well as ten men’s lives. It has been a fair deal, a Voluntary transaction in which everyone deems himself to have benefited compared to not being allowed to conduct that business. Win-win.
When you threaten one side or the other, you restrict the Liberty of both trading partners
January 20, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Hi Zak. That’s an interesting, if unlikely, hypothetical. I suspect the mother would have to commit suicide, as it would be hard to find doctors willing to harvest her still-living body. Probably meany people would balk at this example. But these same people would probably honor a soldier who gave his life to save his comrades. But this is very different from slavery, where the person selling himself continues to live.
January 20, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Hi Don Sandy. I agree with your basic argument. I would add that there’s a fundamental problem with selling an infinite asset (your whole life) in exchange for finite compensation. I do not think the present-you can make such commitments for the future-you.
January 20, 2016 at 1:53 pm
Hi Zack. I think there’s one flaw in your reasoning. There has to be a limit on what the present-you can obligate the future-you to pay for. I might, out of desperation, sell myself into slavery, but once the cause of the desperation passed the future-me would surely renege on the deal. I, for one, would not want to be in the business of enforcing such slavery contracts. Of course, all of these cases have very little to do with real life. They’re interesting to discuss, but of very little consequence.
January 20, 2016 at 4:04 pm
Well of course many people want to renege later, on all sorts of Contracts from mobile service to home mortgages. They ought to be Forced to honor their agreements. If they are not, then no one will make Contracts in the first place anymore. And in my example, ten kiddies will die and ten ill men will die. Is that what you want? Baby-killer, have you no compassion?
Things like this ARE Real Life! They have been encountered many times throughout history. Until very recently, Slavery was very common everywhere, even in Ireland where they tried to stop it. Our only job is to decide when it is a violation of the Non-Aggression Principle.
Joe Cobb
January 20, 2016 at 12:15 am
I think the basic idea behind “unalienable rights” is that a social contract, so conceived, cannot cede them away to another power. The American people retained them, and chose to secede when the king and parliament violated them. The property right in one’s self, not being allowed to be sold or indentured, is in the 13th Amendment basically. Unfortunately we still end up with indentured servitude through student loans that follow you beyond the grave, and problematic medical costs into the future.
You may “own your body” and its parts, but the Authorities seem to believe they can restrict your commercial activities in regard to your property.
Jjs
January 20, 2016 at 5:51 pm
It is my understanding that the constitution still allows slavery in the US. You can’t be born into slavery, but persons can be condemned to slavery for restitutional purposes.
And of course the government thinks they can enslave anybody through the draft.
Joe Cobb
January 21, 2016 at 12:47 am
I think all of us understand the Authoritarians will not stop: the 13th Amendment did not end the work-around the Southern States figured out as soon as Hayes withdrew the Reconstruction troops. They passed laws allowing anybody arrested to be “farmed out” to local plantation owners as field hands, for no pay. So many African-American men went right back into servitude. Military conscription was another “throwback” to the desire of the Authoritarians to dominate all the “plebians.” The US Supreme Court even went so far as to cite Vattle, “Law of Nations,” about the duty of a “signer” of the social contract to serve, but the Supreme Court also denied Japanese-Americans in 1943 to repatriate to Japan and escape detention camps. If they did not want to serve, they should have been evicted. Go figure, except that Authoritarianism does not rely on Reason.
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It's not often one musician achieves success with one of the top-selling albums of all-time and one of the best-selling country singles ever.
But for Darius Rucker, he’s achieved both – as a member of 1990s rock band Hootie & the Blowfish and as a solo country artist. While Hootie’s “Cracked Rear View,” released in 1994, has been certified 21-times platinum (ranking it near records set by Led Zeppelin and the Beatles), Rucker’s version of “Wagon Wheel” just reached eight-times platinum and now stands as one of the top five most popular country singles of all time.
The song, which he released in 2013, topped Billboard’s country charts for weeks and earned the rock and country star a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance. Rucker – who called the latest news surrounding the hit “amazing” – said that despite knowing the song from his years living in and attending school in the Southeast (Rucker grew up in South Carolina and attended the University of South Carolina), he never expected he’d play it.
“Being in that scene, everybody knew ‘Wagon Wheel,’” Rucker told FOX Business. “But I never really, really thought of it as much of a country song. I just never did because [Old Crow Medicine Show’s] version’s such a cool bluegrass laid back thing. I just never thought ‘I’m going to play this someday.’”
Rucker’s decision to record the song came to him as he was watching a talent show at his daughter’s high school. The faculty band hit the stage with instruments including guitars, drums, a fiddle and banjo, he recalled, and played “Wagon Wheel” with a country feel. Rucker then contacted his producer, Frank Rogers, who was a bit skeptical about the idea of recording the tune, though it didn’t stop him.
“It was the only time I’ve probably ever said this to a producer: ‘Hey man, I’m not asking, I’m telling you … we’re gonna cut this song,’” he said. “When we put Lady Antebellum on it, I was like ‘if they ever put this out it could be a hit.’”
But the song’s history dates back about four decades from when Rucker’s version was released. Legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan had recorded a demo during the “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” album sessions (the same ones that yielded "Knockin' on Heaven’s Door") in 1973.
Later, the informal recording was released by bootleggers and eventually made its way to a then-17-year-old songwriter, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, who wrote the verses around Dylan’s chorus and turned the song into an autobiography of his journey from New Hampshire back home to North Carolina.
“His seal of approval and authenticity is the reason why the song did what it did,” Secor told FOX Business. “It’s a good song, I wrote it well, it’s got the secret Bob Dylan juju, but Darius is the reason that it has sold 8 million copies.”
As for the business side of the record, Secor shares the songwriting credit with Dylan and splits the royalties of the tune. For each physical copy of a record sold, a songwriter receives 9.1 cents in mechanical royalty payments.
“It’s been a lucrative kind of arrangement for both Bob and me,” Secor said. “We split it, so, you know, if I had written all of it I would have made a lot more bread. But it wouldn’t have been what it is without Bob.”
However, when it comes to streaming music, the numbers are drastically different, and songwriters receive fractions of a dollar per stream. “They’re gonna catch up soon, probably sooner than later,” Rucker said, regarding songwriter pay, and encouraged aspiring songwriters to keep writing. “It’s a great business … The world needs great songwriters because music is so important to everybody.”
While “Wagon Wheel” has arguably become Rucker’s signature song, he’s also scored five other No. 1 hits on Billboard’s country chart, and continues to record and hit the road worldwide, keeping active in a community of musicians that make up one of the largest genres of music.
Country was the fourth most popular genre, making up 7.4 percent of the music market and was the third most popular radio format, behind news/talk and adult contemporary, according to Nielsen’s year-end music report for 2019. “People go: ‘Why do you think country is so big?’ And I say because people still love guitar. You know, people still love electric guitar. People love the twang and the country music’s where you’re finding it and I think it’s just going to keep growing.”
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The two people stood on the balcony for a moment before Luo Xun rushed towards the staircase. “I’ll go get a notebook, there’s a USB camera at home. We’ll put in on the balcony tomorrow and record for a day!”
He would like to know how the vegetable leaves went “missing”!
The little puppy was lying beside the quail habitat, ears twitching as she shut her eyes as if asleep. Because she seemed to enjoy playing with the quails, Luo Xun had moved a cushion so that she would have something to lie on the floor during the day.
Had to place the notebook in the right place – Yan Fei made a small temporary metal table. He pulled over the wire, connected the computer to the camera and adjusted the video mode.
Luo Xun clapped his hands, his eyes flashed with resentment. “I can’t wait to find out what kind of ‘ghost’ comes to steal our food!”
He was sure that it was not Li Tie and the others, they had no time and their home had their own vegetables. If they had wanted to simply eat vegetables they would grow their own. Definitely would not do something like theft!
Yan Fei also nodded, he felt that the leaves seemed to have been stolen away. The thief was careful, only stole a few leaves each day in fear of the owner realizing a problem. However he did not understand why the thief only stole from the bottom row of vegetables? And seemed to prefer the lettuce? The lush leek nearby had not been touched.
If it had been him, to not let anyone realize anything amiss he would have evenly picked leaves from each vegetable and not only the bottom row. Sooner or later someone would have noticed something wrong. Was the thief smart or stupid?
After dinner, Yan Fei went next door to Zhang Yi’s house to set up free warm water pipe system. Luo Xun had improved the design with a separate regulating valve, one could make each room a separate temperature with its own control device. That way if not needed it could be turned off, which was more convenient and also saved energy.
Overnight, the sky turned dim, the pair quickly checked the laptop recording. With a sigh, they confirmed that the balcony last night had been normal. They removed the metal cover on the quail cage and went to the living room to eat breakfast.
This morning, they ate carrot stuffed dumplings which were taken from a bag frozen in the fridge. These days they only ate lunch outside the city wall, the couple was unable to bring food home. The two ate breakfast and dinner at home.
Luckily the two were paid more points each day that before. Even going to the base window to buy rice was no problem. Unfortunately they could not go out and buy because the zombie outbreak related to food issues on base. If they were more free, they could also eat dinner in the barracks which would be useful.
But the house had so many fresh vegetables, who else would be able to eat such things? Each day was very good at the moment.
After breakfast, the couple and Li Tie’s group drove together to the barracks.
In the car Li Tie and the others smiled and talked about the metal flooring. “Yan Fei, you can use a pile of metal materials to build a house, our building is now very comfortable!”
Yan Fei smiled. “They are warming measures for winter, wait until summer and it will feel like being in an oven.”
They froze upon hearing him and suddenly laughed. It was true, a metal shell without protective measure was no different than living in an oven! They had not thought deeply enough.
After half a day of work, Yan Fei took advantage of his physical and mental strength back home to finish Zhang Yi’s home. Before long the heating measure of the home would be ready.
Looking at the pipe flooring, Luo Xun would experiment with water and electricity. The solar panel was one Wang Duo had taken from 1601, he got a portion when everyone went out to collect supplies. It was unknown when Zhang Yi had found the two storage batteries.
Turned on water and electricity, Luo Xun checked the situation inside every room. Yan Fei used the time to sit aside and absorb nuclei to restore his energy. Anyway he had a lot of surplus nuclei, he would absorb as much as possible before going to bed to not waste resources.
After the check, Luo Xun stood at the door and pointed at the floor. “Effect was as planned, more convenient. The temperature of each room can be adjusted at any time. I have a new idea, with this basis I could improve and control the temperature inside the greenhouse…I’m going to draw a plan! Back to the house!”
Sure enough, with the first two sets of houses, Luo Xun now had an improved method.
Of course, what he thought of stilled needed some additional components. So tomorrow afternoon he would check roadside stalls to see if there was anything useful.
Yan Fei smiled as Luo Xun hurried back to refine his design. After absorbing the nucleus he turned to the flooring. In order to prevent thermal expansion and other problems, since they did not have a better heat conduction material, Yan Fei would simply use a loose metal mesh to fill the gap between pipes and then spread on the floor.
This work was more energy intensive. When Luo Xun finished drawing the design, Zhang Yi had come back and entered the master bedroom.
Wang Duo and Zhang Yi expressed great satisfaction – they had nothing else to do at home. Only the hallway and the bedroom were often used.
Zhang Yi crossed his hands in front of his chest. He gave a satisfied nod as he stomped on the metal floor. “Good, don’t know how you did it but stepping on it won’t make a lot of sound.”
The sound insulation effect was quite good.
Yan Fei also expressed satisfaction with his own work following Luo Xun’s idea. “The middle portion of metal has undergone some processing so no sound is transmitted. By the way, have you asked?”
Zhang Yi and Yan Fei were similar people, some would not understand the dialogue but he knew and cut straight to the point. “Can find someone to change but I don’t think its cost-effective. So I gave my resignation to the hospital supervisor, but he did not agree.”
He raised a hand to touch his chin. “But he agreed to give some leave. I can use the time to go out and entertain myself.”
Go out and entertain himself…He knew there were zombies outside, right?
Luo Xun, having just finished his new design was silent but for an ability user like Zhang Yi, going out to hunt low level zombies was as difficult as digging out potatoes.
“How about it? Are you interested?” Zhang Yi smiled and looked at the couple.
Yan Fei was surprised. “You want to team up?”
Zhang Yi helplessly waved his hands. “The base regulations are like before, those going off base must team up with no less than 10 people and pick a task. It’s no problem if I go out alone, but if I’m surrounded by zombies with no one to help collect nuclei, I won’t be able to recover my strength.”
He originally wanted to go out alone but going out with a team would save a lot of trouble while hunting zombies. If he thought about it, if he met a mob of zombies, where would he have the time to pick up nuclei? Without those, how would he regain his mental strength? His ability would not activate without energy!
So he thought of the couple and Li Tie’s group.
“What? It’s about the crystal nuclei right?” Sure enough, Li Tie and company had talked about this on the way back, their spirits were high.
Since the last time they had been downstairs, Li Tie and the others had been using the metal sticks to exercise. After hearing that Zhang Yi wanted to leave base and collect crystal nuclei, they also wanted to participate.
Their purpose was not the nuclei, they were focused on training for the future in a post-apocalyptic world. In the event of an incident in base, they would not be completely powerless like real otaku.
He Qiankun raised a hand. “Our boss told us that we have two days of holiday each month. We haven’t used it this month!”
Luo Xun also of something and turned to Yan Fei. “We also have days, but we have to wait until the outer wall is built, continue work at the beginning of March.”
Zhang Yi raised his chin. “I can change my holiday to those two days.”
“So can we!” Wang Duo quickly answered on behalf of Li Tie and the others.
“In that case, we have…eight people. After finding two others we’ll be in the clear!” Luo Xun smiled.
He had been shooting at zombies every day on the walls, the accuracy of the crossbow had reached deadly levels. It was a bit of a hassle to deal with level two zombies with abilities but it was fine so long as he did not go too far out and just shot the zombie from a distance.
Yan Fei had no comment, each day he had a portion of unused nuclei, but since his ability was not used in battle, he gradually lost his danger sense. Like the last time with the fire ability zombie, if he had been vigilant, that would have not happened.
They did not want to be like others who needed to go out and collect supplies. Leaving the base to find food, supplies and other materials. They just wanted to go out and hunt crystal nuclei in the base vicinity to train their combat awareness.
“Then the matter is settled, this time we go out to see the situation. If the situation is good, we can go out once a month, but if its too dangerous…” Yan Fei turned to Li Tie and the others, “Then Zhang Yi and I will need to go out and collect crystal nuclei, the others will stay on base.”
The others also included Luo Xun. Although his crossbow was very accurate, if the outside situation was really that bad, how could Yan Fei let Luo Xun be in danger? He could stay home and care for the quail and tend the vegetables.
“No problem.” Luo Xun responded first with a brilliant smile. He knew his own strength and was clear of the zombie’s capabilities which he could cope with. He turned to the students. “I have some crossbows at home – I’ll lend you some, if you can adapt then we’ll find some metal materials to process into weapons. If unable to use then there’s no waste either.”
“Yes Yan Fei, Luo Xun!” The group of five nodded. They also wanted to try and learn but did not intend to go out and be heroic.
Luo Xun and Yan Fei agreed to go with Li Tie and company. Also felt that everyone should improve vigilance, deal with reactions and nervousness towards the zombies. In addition, there were level two zombies outside, but their numbers were not too high.
At least, during the past few days repairing the outer wall, they had not met many zombies.
Back home, when Luo Xun did a routine inspection of the balcony, remembered the lost vegetables upon seeing the computer.
Seeing Luo Xun fiddle with the computer, Yan Fei also came over. Although they were tired, the two people wanted to find out who had been stealing their food.
They needed an answer, even if the leaves of the vegetables had spontaneously combusted or withered, at least there was an explanation.
A whole day had been recorded, the two people fast forwarded through. There was a scene where the puppy strolled over. Because the puppy was always at home and usually running around, the two people did not pay any mind. Even if she stood in front of the shelf for a while, there seemed to be nothing wrong while on camera.
After waiting a while, until the two had returned home, they had not found anything stealing the vegetable leaves.
“…What’s going on?” Luo Xun and Yan Fei looked at each other.
They had seen the video from start to finish but had not seen the slightest trace of the whoever was stealing leaves. However there were less vegetables leaves than before! Was it haunted?!
“Skip to the bedroom then slow down.” Yan Fei seemed to have seen something and moved to the second floor bedroom. The two men watched the screen together.
Slowing down the speed, the two checked the changes in the leaves, after comparing the third lettuce and seeing the leaves had lessened…
“Eh?! Wait a minute! Go back and rewind!” Luo Xun pointed at the paused screen. The two people could see the number of vegetable leaves clearly decreasing, but…
“The…puppy!” Luo Xun and Yan Fei could not believe their eyes as they forwarded to when the puppy appeared on the camera screen.
After careful comparison, could confirm – before the puppy came, the leaves were there and then they were gone! This…did one even need to ask?!
Putting on clothes, the two people ran all the way to the first floor. Puppy looked up upon smelling the two owners.
Looking at the puppy tilting her head, innocently wagging her tail, the two felt queasy. What could they do? Ask and see if she would answer?
No questions? Were the two of the sure without asking?
Yan Fei suddenly got up and went back to the balcony, returning with a piece of green lettuce. He placed it front of the puppy.
The little puppy looked at him, then looked at the lettuce before glancing at Luo Xun.
Luo Xun’s mouth twitched. He tore a small piece and motioned. “Come, eat it.”
Did dogs eat when they were not hungry? Not to mention eating vegetables? Luo Xun was unsure but the two were worried and were waiting for the puppy to eat.
The puppy looked at Luo Xun, then at the lettuce leaves – small and not much to eat. Plus the two owners were feeding by hand, so the dog bit down and chewed.
She actually ate it! Their dog actually ate vegetables! There are dogs that eat lettuce!
The two people were struck by lightning and stared at the strange scene. After a while, they slowly looked at each other.
In the end, Yan Fei turned and patted Luo Xun’s shoulder. “Easier to support if the dog eats vegetables instead of meat. There’s enough dog food at home for her to eat this year.”
Although Luo Xun had bought a lot of dog food, these items had a shelf life. He had been unable to buy enough for Puppy to eat for a lifetime. Therefore if the puppy could adapt to eating vegetables, it was a great thing for the couple.
However…
“My dog…is actually vegetarian…” Luo Xun felt his whole world view shift as he leaned a head on Yan Fei’s shoulder.
Yan Fei comfortingly patted his shoulder. “Better this than finding the quails at home eaten?”
True enough, Luo Xun was assuaged and together the two walked to the staircase. As for the plants, who needed to be on guard?
Why bother? This was his family. Puppy was like his child, what was a few slices of lettuce? He could afford for them to be eaten!
The night before Zhang Yi’s home was renovated, the next day Yan Fei would help fix the floor after work. As for chairs and the fence, Zhang Yi would find a piece of paper and list all the desired furniture to the couple.
Luo Xun played around with designs and used Zhang Yi’s materials to create a variety of strange functional benches. Yan Fei worked to make the designs before going back home.
1603’s last layer of paint dried faster than the others, in a few days they could think that their home was complete. Of course they had to see the results of Zhang Yi’s heating system. If the metal floors were good, the two of them considered switching. As for wooden floors, they would take them out to sell, there were a lot of people on base rushing to buy all kinds of wood. It was used for cooking, no one cared that it created a pungent smell.
Of course, Luo Xun could wait until fall or winter, the price would be better than now. They had a lot of resources. They could make some shelves out of corridor debris. They could also access the roof! The roof was only two floors above Luo Xun’s floor, if no one had claimed the rood, they could use it as well.
Time went by, every day went home-barracks-wall-barracks-home, those three places. With the efforts of Yan Fei and the other three metal users and Luo Xun at home, three days before March, everything had been prepared.
The metal outer wall had been built to a full six metres high so the earth users could take over the work.
At home, the flooring next door had all been done and the place had metal furniture. Even a king sized bed in the master bedroom. Wang Duo felt incomparable satisfaction.
The wall in Yan Fei’s house was already dry and Luo Xun’s latest design was completed. The new ground heating facilities were installed. In contrast to Li Tie and Zhang Yi had decided to give up the wood floor and switch to metal.
One, the sound insulation effect was good on the metal floor. They deliberately ran to 1502 on the 15th floor, Xu Mei’s home to listen for a while. Wang Duo and two others jumped around but the people downstairs heard nothing.
Of course, they asked for permission first. Xu Mei was living on the floor alone, no one else had moved in and she had recently gone out to do tasks. As long as there were enough metal materials, Yan Fei agreed to help process some things.
She also collected a lot of metal things while out and being a big fan of the iron gate on the 16th floor, the 15th floor also became entirely blockaded.
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15 thoughts on “Chapter 74 Thieves”
Risu says:
June 14, 2018 at 12:45 pm
Puppy’s vegetarian diet has finally come to light
LikeLiked by 16 people
June 14, 2018 at 1:25 pm
The first woman who may become part of this group or who will be on friendly terms with the group.
A vegetarian dog is funny.
LikeLiked by 15 people
June 14, 2018 at 1:47 pm
Thank you for the update and your hard work . Puppy is a survivor
LikeLiked by 3 people
June 14, 2018 at 1:58 pm
LikeLiked by 6 people
June 14, 2018 at 2:21 pm
Thanks for the chapter! It will be nice to have a female rep on the team, especially another ability user. A lot of dogs are omnivores — my last dog and current dog ate fruits and vegetables. My last dog would eat pea pods off the vine and raspberries off the canes. My current dog eats frozen sweet potatoes as her snack. But onions and grapes can be poisonous to dogs…
LikeLiked by 6 people
June 14, 2018 at 2:46 pm
it’s nice seeing the person Luo Xun known to be infamous name in his previous time would become change in personality by meetings him and become part of his group. So it’s nice seeing Xi Mei not become of what she supposed to be.. and if she became part of otaku group it will become awesome (metal-wind-fire = incredible combinations)…moreover if she will become rotten… I will like it as well..
The leaves thieve is found and attack by innocent of the thieve
Thanks for the chapter
LikeLiked by 5 people
June 15, 2018 at 12:51 pm
that will be good XD the rotten girl for us XD
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 14, 2018 at 4:15 pm
Thank you very much for being awesome!
June 14, 2018 at 4:41 pm
Thanks for the chapter! Poor puppy owner fell on his ass! 🤣
June 14, 2018 at 7:19 pm
Omg, vegetarian dog finally discovered! I also hope Xu Mei joins their team — they need two more people to go out anyways and it’d be nice to have some female representation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
chally298 says:
June 15, 2018 at 1:50 pm
I don’t think the author of this has ever had much contact with dogs… Modern dog food is mostly grain unless you get the specialty kinds, and it’s completely normal for dogs to nibble at veggies and some fruits if they’re available (not bananas though. I had a dog that was constantly stealing berries and apples from the garden, but bananas were very scary things). Cats too, I’ve had several that adore jam and ketchup, and one that liked the diced tomatoes off of my pizza. Also, as a vegetarian, I’d like to point out that puppy is not actually one, she still eats meat. Vegetarian does not means someone who eats vegetables… This little side story has been kinda confusing to me…
Gail says:
June 15, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Oh, so nice, they’ll be going out to train.
Puppy, your food is secure for the future lol.
15 &16 floor are in total lock down.
Poppy says:
June 16, 2018 at 5:34 pm
The vegetarian dog has been found! Also, it feels like the Otaku team is expanding their “headquarters” to the 15th floor.
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