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The Cocoon Room, AKA The Bedroom!
• Have the lights on dimmers………mood is everything.
• Layer the draperies, it will allow you to control the light and privacy but also the acoustics. This is the room that should be sound proof from noise outside and from the rest of the house.
• Put soft plush carpeting underfoot. Upgrade the pad under the carpet to a softer feel.
• Keep fragment burning oils, candles or simple Glade Plug ins to scent the room with an aroma of flowers or clean linens.
• Even if you have a very small bedroom, try to create a sitting area. A small fully upholstered chair and an ottoman will serve as a place of rest morning and evening.
• Make sure your night table has a large enough top surface for items like a journal, a bedside water decanter and glass, your favorite picture of your loved one, a pen and paper tablet and enough room to place a tea cup and saucer.
• Try mounting wall lights (lamp and shade style) over the nightstands. It will give you more room on the top of the nightstand and most have swing arm cranes so you can move them closer to you when reading in bed.
• Listen to soft music in the bedroom it will settle your nerves.
• Do not pay bills, talk about finances, argue, and work on the computer or any thing of that nature. It changes the spirit of the room……..
A few years ago I was asked to do the interior design work for only the first floor of a home. When I asked if I could go upstairs, just to get a feel for the way the family really lived, I was told that upstairs where the bedrooms were was off limits. No money was going to be spent there. It bothered me that they did not appreciate the full potential of how important a bedroom is to the soul and to the well being of the person to whom it belongs. We are told that we spend one-third of our lives in bed. And most of us spend an average of 12 hours a day in our bedrooms, tidying up, dressing and undressing, arranging our wardrobes, exercising, reading, reflecting, writing, talking on the telephone, listening to music, planning our lives, daydreaming, loving, sleeping, nursing a cold, eating meals on a tray, napping………….It is possible that we might spend half our lives in this environment! So, it should be beautiful, a private sanctuary, it should nourish you and comfort you when you need it. Go ahead "piange e ride" in your bedroom.


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Bamboo Building: Stunning Bamboo Structures from Around Asia
Bamboo is a construction material commonly associated with Asian culture and tradition. In most Asian countries, bamboo is used to create structures like suspension bridges, fences, houses and a bamboo building. This fast-growing tree is known to be even stronger than oak, making them more than ideal for typhoon-prone countries like the Philippines.
Today, you'll be taking a glimpse of the most stunning bamboo structures around Asia. Check out the photo gallery below.
"Magical" Bamboo Building: Making the Most Out of Earth's Natural Treasures
Scroll down for the video
Mason Lane
Mason Lane Farm Equipment Building, Goshen, Kentucky made from locally grown bamboo by De Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop
Mason Lane Farm Equipment Building by De Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop
The structure above was built to hold hay and farm equipment, with the open lattice design intentionally done to allow the hay to dry.
Great Wall House
Great Wall House, China, by Kengo Kuma & Associates
The Great Wall House is a multi-dwelling project near Beijing. Part of the construction requirements was to make use of local materials, so the designers opted for the inexpensive bamboo.
Inside the Great Wall House, China
Bamboo ceilings, bamboo walls
Dining room at the Great Wall Commune
The design of this bamboo building was inspired by the Great Wall itself, which lies straight ahead from the house. According to designer Kengo Kuma, "The Great Wall in the past partitioned off two cultures, but this Bamboo Wall would not only partition but also unite life and culture."
Passive House
Passive House by Karawitz Architecture closed on the north side, open on the south
Close-up of bamboo shutters by Karawitz Architecture.
Green School
Bamboo spiral – Green School by Ibuku.
The Green School is a large complex filled with stunning bamboo buildings. From the main center aptly named the Heart of the School to the Turtle Classroom, there is no shortage of wonder and awe in Bali's Green School.
Green Village
Green Village is a community of private bamboo living spaces made by the Ibuku Group. It is located on the Ayung River valley in Bali and serves as an extension of the Green School community. Each bamboo building in the area was made unique and custom-designed for their owners.
Black Bamboo walls at the Green Village, a planned community adjacent to the Green School.
A bamboo and canvas library with spinning oval door by Ibuku, Indonesia
Bamboo walls made from the center slice (cross section) of giant bamboo by Ibuku
Bamboo walls and ceiling beams
Children's Activity and Education Center on Koh Kood
Bamboo with printed paper backdrop. Kid's Den by 24H Architects, Thailand.
Dutch architecture firm 24H teamed up with bamboo specialist Jörg Stamm for the project. The Kid's Den, which serves as a centerpiece, is in the shape of a manta-ray and is made of local Thai bamboo.
Even with all these features, the world is not this limited to bamboo architecture.
Watch the video below

subset: commoncrawl


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Girlings Solicitors has had a presence in Herne Bay since 1934 when the firm first started providing legal services in the town, operating from above the Midland Bank.
Our Herne Bay office
In 2006 Girlings Solicitors merged with Ian Burrow and Co, a highly respected Herne Bay conveyancing law firm, and moved to their current offices in William Street, Herne Bay, Kent. Girlings also has other offices in the south east in Ashford and Canterbury.
If you need advice from our lawyers and legal experts on an issue or particular case, please do not hesitate to get in contact with our experienced Herne Bay team who will be happy to help.
Branch Partner, Herne Bay office: Sarah Finnis
Solicitors Herne Bay
Girlings Solicitors has a reputation for a friendy, professional approach and our client services include:
If you need specialist advice on Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence claims, our sister company, Girlings Personal Injury Claims can advise and help you.
Address Details
E: email@example.com
DX: 32303 Herne Bay
Opening Hours
Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm
By Car
William Street Car Park (CT6 5EW) is minutes away.
By Train
If you are travelling by train, Herne Bay Station is around a 15 minute walk from the office.
By Bus
Stagecoach runs regular local bus services into Herne Bay and our office is located minutes from the town centre.
Girlings Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority No. 614527. Girlings Personal Injury Claims Ltd is a separate companyauthorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority No. 522082.


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Find event information, share inspiring stories and view amazing wedding pictures on social media.
342 N Main Street Andover MA 01810
Email us
Stay informed. Get information about upcoming events in your area and ways you can get involved.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
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Document Type
Publication Date
The purpose of this article is quite simple. It confines itself to the area of search and seizure law and begins by assuming the worst-that the Court eventually rules that a federal standard applies to all such suppression issues. It then goes on to propose an argument which is intended to rescue as much of California's independent search and seizure law as is possible.
Recommended Citation
12 CACJ Forum 18 (Jan. 1985)


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500th Posted Article For HealthySimulation.com!
Thanks to your continued support HealthySimulation.com is posting its 500th article today! Since April of 2010 this website has provided more than 500 free articles to the growing community of healthcare simulation champions from around the world. All this week we will be celebrating with some major free giveaways – so stay tuned to the HealthySimulation.com website, the @HealthySim twitter feed, and the HealthySim LinkedIn Group! Back in 2010 we were only getting around 30 visitors a month reading the website — but that number has continued to grow and now more than 8,200 visitors read the website this month alone! Below is a photo of countries which have read the website over the past four years. We'd like to thank you for your continued support of the website and we hope you will continue to share it with fellow simulation champions, by offering some free giveaways this week!
Sponsored Content:
Here are a few of my favorite articles out of the 500:
- Welcome Home Simulation Champions – HealthySim's First Post ever!
- Top Ten Most Read Articles From HealthySimulation.com – This is the master list for getting started at HealthySim!
- Simulab's TraumaMan In-Situ at LSU OR – This video is very visual and shows just how powerful Simulab training products can be
- The #1 Hiring Mistake in Healthcare Simulation Programs – This recent article got huge response from our community.
- Aviation Simulation Industry Comparison Interviews – We must continue to learn from the Aviation Industry.
- Driving Simulators – The Real Deal, Driving simulators will soon be everywhere.
- What to REALLY look for when Hiring a Sim Tech – Second post ever written!)
- NASA's Flight Simulator Took Up a Whole Building! – I wish I had seen this in real life.
- Top Reasons To Attend SimGHOSTS Event. Wow — How far SimGHOSTS has come!
Prizes and Freebies to be distributed this week:
- Free streaming access to the "IT Issues & Structures" 2-Hour HD recorded session from HealthySimAdmin – a 2-day recorded event covering the "how-to" of healthcare simulation program administration.
- 10 FREE subscriptions all eight HealthySimAdmin sessions (15 hours of administrative content!)
- 1 hour of medical simulation consulting by phone regarding any issue your program is facing!
- Free Medical Simulation Books! We'll be sending out some books to help you build your simulation library!
Keep watching the HealthySimulation.com website, the @HealthySim twitter feed, and the HealthySim LinkedIn Group for a chance for these giveaways and more!
Sponsored Content:
Sponsored Content:


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Join Go! Go! Rescue Squad! and save your desperate citizens from ferocious fires, exploding chemicals, collapsing buildings, and other incredible disasters, in this highly addictive puzzle game! Become the hero the city needs by rescuing the Darwins and returning order to their society. With unique gameplay, laugh out loud moments, and vibrant graphics, Go! Go! Rescue Squad! will have you hooked.
Big Fish Games [ $9.99 ]
The Best PC Games. The Best Value. The Best Customer Service. Guaranteed!
Information provided by retailer. Used with permission. All rights reserved.Price and availability are subject to change without notice; click through to retailer for most current pricing.Last Update: Monday, August 26th, 2019


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Our Partners
We'd like to acknowledge and thank all the many partners with whom we've worked with in a variety of different capacities over the years. Your support, guidance and partnerships have helped us push the bar on issues of northern importance. We look forward to many more productive years working with and alongside you to continue to advance and sustain health and well-being in the North!


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Currently I am an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama. Formerly a post-doctoral research scientist in the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and the Institute for Planets and Exoplanets at the University of California, Los Angeles. Research interests include: conditions of early Earth during the initiation of life; constraining the amount of continental lithosphere through time; understanding the flux and timing of asteroids impacting the Earth-Moon system and the association with major extinction events; medical mineralogy and the evolution of the Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau.
Current Update - Looking for motivated graduate students to join me in Alabama for exciting research in early Earth, impact processes, geochronology, medical mineralogy and the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. Contact me if you are interested.
Update 9/30/2016 - Comment in Earth Magazine about formation of Hadean zircon
Update 8/01/2016 - Comment on Kenny et al. 2016 in Geology
Update 6/15/2016 - American Mineralogist: Journal of Earth and Planetary Science noted paper


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FeedsyGroup Set-Ups
This step takes about 5-10 minutes.
Having the Adviser's website and a good quality logo file handy (or the contact details of your designer) will speed up the process - but if not please don't stress as we can fill in the gaps later.
To activate the set-up requires a small payment by credit card (see Pricing for details) plus the first subscription fee (which doesn't get processed until a month later).
Then Feedsy will create a preview app for you to approve.
However, if you're not sure about something, there is an opportunity to defer payment and ask a question in the form below.


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Fiind AI works alongside you to discover where the best industry opportunity is, which specific prospects are ideal for you, and insights into the challenges these companies face–all before sending an email or picking up the phone.
Use this tool to gain insights into:
Work with Fiind AI to discover key signals that drive change in your industry. Get started for free now at https://mspartners.fiind.ai and start using Fiind AI. Stay ahead of the curve.


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Thursday, 30 June 2011
not long now...
I'm about 2 weeks away from my due date now! I feel BIG and have developed quite a waddle, but am loving being pregnant :D
Posted by Mique Moriuchi at 11:51 1 comment:
Labels: portrait, what i wore today
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Art in Brixton
It will take place at Windrush Square, just outside the Ritzy cinema in the heart of Brixton, between 11am-4pm. Please pop along if you're in the area :)
Some good news - "Into the Woods" will carry on through June and possibly July too, so there's still a chance you can get hold of some lovely treats!
Posted by Mique Moriuchi at 18:19 2 comments:
Labels: exhibition, into the woods
Bye bye bun
Here's my first bit of illustration from my temporary new studio set up. So nice to make pictures again after a little break, although I have to be careful not to make a mess here, which is no fun!
I went for a hair cut the other day - a once a year event, and came back bun-less! I miss it a little bit, but it feels so nice to shed that big messy mop :)
Posted by Mique Moriuchi at 00:22 No comments:
Labels: portrait, studio, type, what i wore today
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First show you the picture of Seicane 2006-2013 Alfa Romeo Brera Radio after installation.
Do your think the factory radio of it can not meet all your needs? If you want to improve your in-car environment, the best solution is install a new aftermarket radio. Now you can read this article patiently. Here are some professional instructions of 2006-2013 Alfa Romeo Brera Radio installation. But if you didn't install a radio before, you'd better do it with the help of a professional technician in case of some irreparable damage is being made.
If you have the same dashboard with the picture shows, you can follow the instructions below.
2006-2013 Alfa Romeo Brera Radio installation
1)First set a radio removal tool into the radio.
2)Then set another radio removal tool into the radio.
3)Pull out the radio slowly.
4) Then disconnect cables at back of the radio.
5) Connect the cables on the new head unit as the user manual shows and place them well.
6)Put the new head unit into the dash.
7)Turn on the new head unit and have a comprehensive check if it works well.
8)Check whether the unit is working without problem.
9)If everything is OK, then make trim panel back on your new Seicane radio.
Precautions before installation:
1.Before you begin any work, remember to disconnect negative power cable to avoid danger
2.Please turn off your car series include the radio unit and park your car well.
3.Before connecting, please make sure the ignition is off to avoid short circuit and connect the yellow and res cable at last.
Here comes a remarkable multifunctional car GPS DVD player to upgrade the factory radio in your 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Alfa Romeo Brera. With a 6.2 inch HD 800*480 multi-touch screen, this unit not only allows you to be guided to your desired destinations in the correct directions on time but also keep you pleasant by its multimedia features including playing bluetooth music, radio, DVDs, CDs MP4 and MP3, etc. Just keep this perfect companion with you on your long journey:
This Seicane Alfa Romeo Brera Radio can be a good choice for you. It has intelligent pure android 4.4.4 operation system and 6.2 inch HD 800*480 multi-touch screen.
You can perform Google search on the road with quick search box, play online games, watch videos, download online data and check emails by connecting to any WiFi hotspot in range or 3g internet, download any applications in the android market for access to games, Skype, MSN, YouTube, twitter, E-Book, Gmail etc. And it's your perfect road companion. What's more, this multimedia player has a touch screen display that can be used with reverse cameras to make parking easier.
You won't get lost and even can easily reach those hard-to-find locations under the guidance of the built-in GPS system. The bluetooth functionality allows you to keep your hands on the steering wheel control and your eyes on the road ahead for a safer driving by pairing your mobile phone with this unit. In addition, the most exciting thing is that you can enjoy your favorite songs and movies while traveling.
Aftermarket Alfa Romeo Brera Radio can be the best choice for you, just install it by yourself!


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- Individual Income Tax, 29.64%
- Sales Tax, 25.16%
- Corporate Tax, 19.35%
- Property Tax, 14.57%
- Unemployment Tax, 11.28%
In the scoring, the average was set at 5.00 on a scale of 10.00. I have made up two tables giving the score of each state assigned by the Tax Foundation Study and its rank for 2011 and the rank for 2010. To this I have added my calculated growth in the state's Gross State Product from 2005 to 2008. I have also indicated the party in control of the governor's office, the State House, and the State Senate in 2010.
Do high taxes discourage the growth of the state Gross State Product (GSP)? The top 10 ranked states grew by an average of 17.59% from 2005 to 2008, while the bottom ten states grew by 13.36%. Low taxes provided a 4.23% growth rate advantage to the low tax states in that three year period. Let us do the math to find the effect this difference in growth would have over 5 three year periods: 1.1759 to the fifth power is 2.248, while 1.1336 to the fifth power is 1.8720. The difference is that the low tax state economies become 2.25 times larger, while the high tax economies become 1.87 times larger. Such growth differences matter to the quality of the People's lives.
Let us examine if there is any difference in tax ranking that correlates with the party holding power in the states. Of course, the 2010 powers that be were not likely to have instantly changed many state taxation traditions, so the duration of control by a given party is also important. But to keep things simple, we will just consider the party in power in 2010. Besides, according to Judge Napolitano on Fox Business on Sunday, there is only one party, the Big Government Party, so we should find equality in this tabulation if he is right. For the top 10 states in the business tax ranking, counting 1 for each case of control of a governorship, house, or senate, the Republicans score 17 and the Democrats score 11. For the bottom 10 states, those with the worst business taxes, the score is Republicans 6, Democrats 24. Sorry Judge Napolitano, but on the matter of the business tax climate, it appears that it matters quite a bit which party controls a state.
Of course, there are exceptions. For instance, Arizona was controlled in all three state government components by Republicans and yet it was in the 34th position and had actually fallen from the 28th position in 2010. Bad Republicans in Arizona! I will also chide Oklahoma, where much of my family lives and where I graduated from high school. Oklahoma has generally been a Republican state for a couple of decades now, but it ranked only 30th among the states. With Texas (13), Colorado (15), and Missouri (16) on its borders, it is surely losing many businesses to those nearby states with much higher rankings. In rankings that consider the regulatory environment as well, Oklahoma does better in the ranking, but still there is a clear need for improvement here.
Speaking of the border effect, the state of Maryland is pursuing an insane high tax strategy as well. It is ranked 44, but Delaware (8), Virginia (12), and Pennsylvania (26), and even West Virginia (37) are all on its borders and offer better business tax climates. This is why Northrop Grumman, with large operations in Maryland, just moved its headquarters to Virginia which just improved its ranking by three positions. Virginia was chosen as the #2 best state for business by CNBC, who picked Texas #1. Virginia's governor says Virginia is coming after Texas and will take over the #1 spot. Maryland is not in the race and couldn't give a fig. Maryland's expertise is in suckling at the teats of the federal pig and living off the taxpayers from across the entire country.
Looking at the map above, it is very noticeable that New Hampshire, Delaware, Virginia, Florida, Texas, and Indiana are each states that have much better business tax climates than any of the states on their borders. They are each sucking in businesses from the nearby states and helping their homegrown businesses to succeed in the most effective manner: by not putting burdens on them with high taxes. States using limited time tax incentives or offering training to the employees of industries the state has picked as winners are not as effective in growing businesses and jobs as those who leave all this to the private sector. Dell Computer had a four-year special tax break from the state of North Carolina for a facility, for instance, and has now announced that it is leaving the state when the four years are up. This is not surprising. North Carolina is ranked #41, so it makes sense for Dell to go back to Texas at a #13 ranking or maybe move that facility to Florida with its #5 ranking.


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The Bakken rig count remains stalled, but some major operators in the Bakken Shale Play plan to increase activity in 2017.
Related: Continental Resources Raises Expectations for remainder of 2016
As the year comes to a close, major Bakken operators are reporting their plans for 2017, with some announcing they will increase spending and drilling activity.
- Continental Resources plans to work down its inventory of 29 drilled but uncompleted Bakken wells in 2017. The company expects continued low operating costs in the new year with an estimated budget of $1.1 billion. The company has a new completion design that has resulted in a record 30-day initial rates for Continental-operated Bakken wells in 2016.
- EOG Resources is increasing its crude oil organic production growth outlook through 2020, which includes growth in the Bakken. In addition to the growth illustrated in the outlook, the company continues to evaluate high-quality emerging plays through its ongoing exploration efforts.
- Enerplus Corp. will increase its North Dakota oil production by 25% in 2017. 70% of the company's $400 million budget will be spent in North Dakota.
- ConocoPhillips has seen unexpected production increases and recovery rates from its Bakken operations, which caused the company to speed up their timeline of adding three rigs to the Bakken. The improved characteristics of its Bakken operations pushed the team to secure drilling rigs and pressure pumping crews earlier than its originally scheduled plans for 2017.
- John Hess, CEO of Hess Corp. spoke optimistically about the Bakken in the company's third quarter earnings call and indicated they plan more rigs for the Bakken are in the 2017
The Bakken-Three Forks rig count fell by one this week with Baker Hughes reporting 31 rigs running across our coverage area by midday Friday.


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As I was updating my bio to be um… a bit more up to date and current, I noticed that the last new post was from October 2015. It's official, I have horribly neglected this blog. The good news is, I have more ideas and content ideas now than I have ever had, so it is likely I'll be sharing more ideas here in the near future. In the meantime here is a little photo history of what I've been up to since 10/2015.
It's Time for Email 2.0
Email has not evolved nearly as much as it could over the years. There is an opportunity for some major improvements by extending the capabilities available to users and administrators alike. Microsoft and Google have built very stable and robust offerings in the space while companies like Rackspace have built on those offerings. However one thing that is severely lacking is real innovation.
What's the last "big thing" in Email you can remember?
Bam, bam, we all hate Spam
We've all struggled with Spam or Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE). Few companies do a truly good job of preventing those annoying and potentially damaging messages from arriving in your inbox without causing you to dig messages out of quarantine. It's an area where a lot of resources and energy have been put.
We all hate Spam and as luck would have it, this article is the result of a brain storming session after personally dealing with a recurring Spam issue.
Over the last few months I've been receiving pairs of messages (one to each of my major accounts) that are UCE. I have no idea what's at the end of the rainbow, it could be malware, it could truly be an attempt to sell products, the what is not important. The what we can do about it is. In this case I ended up blocking Amsterdam in it's entirety, from Emailing to my domain. Luckily I have the luxury of doing this, many people would not.
This was not the idea, but rather one of a two components, for my inspiration to improve Email.
4AM Idea Generator
Not too long ago I read this really fantastic book called "The Organized Mind". The book led to a greater understanding of how our minds work and things we can do to improve our performance. One of the things the author discusses is the importance of letting your mind wander.
Never under-estimate the potential power of relatively mindless work.
For me the best places to let my mind wander are cleaning or organizing, sitting in a chair with a notepad nearby, driving on a long trip, or walking/hiking alone. Last night I took some time to organize a recently created work bench in our garage and in the process unpacked many boxes of stuff that had been stowed away since our move last year. During this remedial task, my mind wanders quite a bit, this type of work is food that my brain needs.
What this extra mind wandering time had done in conjunction with my Spam war against Amsterdam the previous day was to shift some creative energy while I was asleep to the subject of Email. So at 4AM in the morning when I came off my first 5 hours of my sleeping cycle (a frequent occurrence) I started brainstorming a way to solve one of the issues with Email – dealing with highly circulated Email addresses.
What is a highly circulated Email address? It's simple, it means you have an address that has been in circulation for a long time and has been harvested by everyone and their brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, neighbor and distant relative. Highly circulated Email addresses and their hosts are tested much more often by viruses, spam and malware.
So now that the fuel has been provided, I am now looking to others who have a desire to contribute, while I further investigate Email innovation.
What would you change about how Email works?
I was recently reminded of the importance of multidisciplinary thinking by my friend Bindu Garapaty, that is don't just ask one discipline (e.g. Email Hosting Providers) for their ideas. Ask people of all walks of life and professions. Ask the users, ask the administrators, ask artists, ask scientists, anyway, you get the idea. So I am asking you.
This is about starting a conversation with anyone who wants to have it, about what can improve with Email. I made three pages of notes early this morning, but I'll take anything you'd like to share, if you're up for it, to contribute to this theoretical body of work. Your contributions can be anonymous or I can attribute them to you. You may participate in the comment section or via my contact form.
The Value of Testing Things to the Breaking Point
Last Friday night I sat down anxiously to read more of "The Organized Mind". Fortunately I had a couple of hours before my usual bed time to gather more valuable lessons. This book is already shaping the way I organize my tasks and more importantly it is providing me with a reference on how our brains work.
After gathering my highlighter pen, book, some note cards and a regular pen I adjusted the lighting and oriented a comfortable chair to accommodate the magic of learning and inspiration that was about to happen. After reading a number of pages and highlighting some content, my eyelids started feeling a little heavy. This is not an uncommon, but on this night it was evident that the eyelids were winning and before long I succumbed to the call of an earlier bedtime.
My "Eureka!" Moment
To give things a little context, specifically weather related, there is a bit of a rain and wind storm that's been going on the last two days here in Northern California. The conditions have affected my sleep with the winds being loud enough at times to wake me up. During one of these brief episodes early Saturday morning I started thinking about an article written by one of my manufacturing clients. The article was part of Christian Frueh's quality management series, specifically his third in that series "failing more often: gaining for randomness and volatility". There was one concept in particular, the idea that being tested to the point of failure leading to improvement. My mind drifted a bit as I considered some real world areas where this concept would have a huge positive impact and instinctively had to get up and write about it. 🙂
Things You Want Tested While House Shopping
If you've followed this blog recently you probably know that last summer my family relocated to El Dorado Hills. We've been holed up in "temporary" accommodations since the end of the summer. The house shopping process has not gone exactly like we might had hoped. It's been an educational process though, and we've had a few near hits. One thing is certain, testing things to the point of failure is extremely valuable as a house shopper.
The Beautiful Oak Tree
One fantastic thing about the Sierra Foothills is the amazing oak trees peppered across the rolling hills. From fall to late spring (early summer on a rainy year!) the lush green hills stun you with their beauty. One big oak tree in particular is an actual "feature" of a house that we have considered making an offer on. The tree is both a blessing and a potential curse. You see, this particular tree is quite old and majestic. If it were to be badly damaged or die the value of the property in our eyes would drop significantly.
Remember those high winds I mentioned? If that old oak survives those winds, it's probably in pretty good shape. We'd certainly have an arborist check it out if we were putting an offer on that house. What the arborist could not tell us is what would happen to the tree in a heavy wind storm. Only knowing that it's been through several in just the last few months can tell us that.
The Drainage Problem
El Dorado Hills appears to be a mix of iron rich soil and granite. The presence of rock does make one feel more comfortable about how stable the hills will be during heavy rains. In December we had some incredibly heavy rains, with several large storms back to back. The area shed the water off as if it was built to handle these types of storms.
One house that we had our eye on and showed a lot of potential for our needs had a sudden price decrease recently. Great news, right? We learned an inspection report had revealed a drainage issue, among other things. There was actually water under the house in at least one significantly sized area. Heavy rains are a great test of roofing materials, gutters, drainage and grading. Imagine if we had purchased this home last summer only to learn about this later? Yikes.
Forest and Wild Fires
Before humans started building houses and more specifically, had the ability to contain wild fires, the forests were far more healthy. Fires would clean out the under brush periodically and cull unhealthy trees leaving a fertile environment behind for new healthier trees and shrubs to grow. I remember flipping through "Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests: A Photographic Interpretation of Ecological Change Since 1849″ at a family members home and seeing a compelling visual history of this.
Many fires today are catastrophic, leaving nothing but charred earth and tiny charred stubs that were once fully grown trees. Our forests would benefit from more frequent failure and restoration of the more natural cycle. Last year the King Fire near Pollock Pines consumed 97,717 acres, 12 single residences, 69 other minor structures and caused 12 injuries. Here is a picture I took of the King Fire, from a very safe distance:
Frueh's article gave me a lot to think about and as the brief bought of "Eureka!" moment insomnia indicates, hopefully this will have the same affect on you. Without the insomnia, of course.
Tools for Personal Information Security
This is part 4 of 4 of the Personal Information Security Redux.
As you might imagine there is so much to the topic of personal information security. This series of articles has merely scratched the surface. Hopefully it will help you become less likely to become a victim of Malware, Viruses, Phishing or other mishaps. While working on the content it was obvious that there were lots of tools and concepts that deserve your consideration. Consider this the extra credit or perhaps icing on the cake if you've made it this far. Here are some other valuable tools, in no particular order:
- Ninite
- OpenDNS
- Spybot2
- Malware Bytes
- Foxit Reader
- Google Authenticator
- LastPass
- Eset Antivirus and Security Products
Ninite.com a hassle free place to install and update free software
When you first visit the Ninite website, it doesn't look like much. Don't let the no frills look fool you, Ninite is a must have in your personal information security portfolio for several reasons:
- You can install all the applications featured without user intervention.
- No "extras" are added on, just the software you request, no toolbars or extra goodies.
- You can run the installer later to update the applications.
Say you get a new computer and you want to add a few common applications. You go to ninite.com and check the boxes for those apps and it generates a single .exe file that can be used to install or update those apps. Its that simple.
Open DNS
A DNS server tells your computer the numerical address of a name. Open DNS uses this to provide an extra layer of protection to you by preventing you from accessing known Malware and phishing sites. It is very easy to take advantage of this service, you don't even need an account (but having one gives you some cool advantages) you just have to use the OpenDNS servers. Go to their setup page for instructions on how to configure your device(s) to use OpenDNS.
Spybot 2 – Inoculate, Scan and Remove Malware and Viruses
Spybot2 is really handy in a few ways. One is the inoculation component, this protects your browser and system from some common Malware and Viruses. It also includes a scanner as well as a real time protection. It is most effective to use when you first get your windows computer or after a fresh installation/restoration of your operating system.
Advanced users: Ninite link to Spybot2 Installer.
Malware Bytes – Scan and Clean Malware and Viruses
Malwarebytes offers a real time scanner in their premium product, however it can be useful to just run a scan on your computer. Using different scanners (not real time protection!) combined can give you better peace of mind that your system is in good shape. Do not run multiple real-time protection products that do the same thing or it could bog down performance or worse.
Advanced users: Ninite link to MalwareBytes Installer.
Foxit Reader – Breaking the Chains from Adobe Acrobat Reader
Recently I wrote an article about my personal abandoning of Adobe Reader in favor of Foxit Reader. Adobe Reader is far too common of a target and frequently shows up on security notices. Unfortunately being the biggest player in a space also makes you the biggest target, and that certainly applies to Adobe Reader. You're probably better off not taking the chance and having to worry about the constant updates and security patches necessary to secure Adobe Reader.
Advanced users: Ninite link to Foxit Reader Installer.
Google Authenticator
Two Factor Authentication can help you in the event that somehow a password gets compromised. For example if you use LastPass and someone managed to get their hands on your master password, it would be useless to them if you use Two Factor Authentication with your LastPass account. The moment they tried to access the account they would receive a popup requesting the authenticator code. There is a good tutorial on setting this up over at How To Geek.
LastPass "The Last Password You Have to Remember"
LastPass is a very useful application. Combined with Google Authenticator you can really improve your password quality. This will reduce the chance of having an account compromised through either a brute force (repetitive attempts to crack it) or dictionary (guesses based on common password combinations) attacks as each and every site you access has a unique and strong password. The "keys to the kingdom" is your master password, so take time to invest in making this both secure but also memorable.
Eset Antivirus and Security Products
Professionally I've been involved with Eset Products for quite some time. I always found them to be effective and not bad on system resources. I've written a lot about and mentioned Eset products in prior articles, here they are for added convenience:
A Closing Reminder
Remember that personal information security is about you. It's about your web habits, what websites you use, how you setup your computer, and your commitment to understanding the threats that are out their. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by sales pitches for security products or by that free antivirus software your internet provider gave you. You are in control and you are responsible. Hopefully this series of articles has given you a boost in the right direction. Your comments and feedback are always welcome.
A Powerful Tool to Keep You Safe Online – Sandboxie
This is part 3 of 4 of the Personal Information Security Redux.
Since there are things that we cannot protect ourselves from online, the next best solution is to prevent them from harming your computer. This can be accomplished on Windows Platforms by using security software called Sandboxie. What Sandboxie does is creates a virtual sandbox for your browser and other applications to use that does not affect the rest of your operating system. It accomplishes this by storing all the changes that would have been to your system registry and file system into a virtual space on your hard disk. This virtual space is controlled by the Sandboxie application and it can be reset at any time, we'll get into that more later.
Step One – Choose your Version, Download/Purchase and Install
There are only really a few options for Sandboxie. The big one is whether you are using for home or business use. If you are using it for home, you have the option to use the shareware version. The free version has a reminder every time it starts up for a few seconds and does not allow forced programs or folders. The average home user will probably not take advantage of the advanced features, however I would still recommend licensing the product because it is inexpensive and it will allow the developer to continue to improve it. Commercial users must always pay for the product in the form of an annual subscription.
Step Two – Install and Configure Sandboxie
The product is very simple to install, just follow the prompts. There is nothing that requires configuration.
Step Three – Using Sandboxie to Safely Open Files or Programs
Once installed to use the software you can either right click any file, shortcut or program and choose "run Sandboxed" as pictured:
Once you've done this, the item will open in the Sandboxed space. You will know which windows are running in there by the yellow border surrounding them:
Had this program been malware, a virus or some other undesirable application that would damage your computer, the sandbox would protect you. The "damage" would be done to the files in the virtual space that Sandboxie is running.
Step 4 – Using a Sandbox to Access the Internet and Webmail
Earlier it was suggested to use a sandbox for your web browser and Web Mail. The reason for that is simple, the sandbox gives you protection that neither antivirus or the most careful user can. A Sandboxed web browser can give you protection from even un-known exploits. Think of it as peace of mind for anything you access using a web browser. To access a Sand Boxed web browser either right click the shortcut to the browser you'd like to use or click the "Pizza Like" icon entitled "Sandboxed Web Browser" you may want to keep it pinned to your taskbar:
You will know again by the yellow border around the browser, just like the earlier example. While in this mode you can enjoy a layer of protection for your operating system. Nothing that you can access should be able to hurt you unless it is information you input (type) or files that you download and "recover locally". We'll address those exceptions more carefully in the next section.
Sandboxie is not an excuse to be careless and cannot protect you from everything
Sandboxie will isolate your computer from Malware, Viruses or other things with a few very critical exceptions. Keep in mind that anything you type including passwords, etc, may be captured by malware or key loggers that are able to infect the environment. To avoid this it is critical that you purge the contents of your sandbox periodically, particularly if something suspicious has been accessed. This can be done several ways, but the easiest is through the start menu/programs/Sandboxie/Sandboxie Control.
It is also important to keep in mind that besides programs that could be running inside the Sandbox, other information and cookies may be present. So even if you think everything is fine, you still may wish to run the Sandboxed browser in Incognito/InPrivate mode to avoid allowing access to any cookies or sessions that may be running in the normal Sandboxed browser. Think of the advertisements you see on Facebook two minutes after you were on an E-Commerce website. Incognito/InPrivate mode will protect you from that kind of targeting.
Another way to completely undermine the safety that your Sandbox gives you is by saving a file downloaded through it locally. This is a really bad idea unless you are 100% certain the file is okay. The dialogue box looks like this, click "Close" if you want to leave the file in the Sandbox where it likely belongs:
Always Know Your Limits
There are some useful tips in this article, if you are unsure of something don't take risks with your personal information security. Do some research and educate yourself before making a mistake.
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WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, had breached his plea agreement by lying multiple times to prosecutors after pledging to cooperate with the special counsel's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
The decision by Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court in Washington may affect the severity of punishment that awaits Mr. Manafort. Judge Jackson is scheduled to sentence him next month on two conspiracy counts, and he is also awaiting sentencing for eight other counts in a related fraud case.
After Mr. Manafort agreed in September to cooperate with the office of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, the judge found, he lied about his contacts with a Russian associate during the campaign and after the election. Prosecutors claim that the associate, Konstantin V. Kilimnik, has ties to Russian intelligence, and have been investigating whether he was involved in Russia's covert campaign to influence the election results.
The judge also found that Mr. Manafort had lied about a payment that was routed through a pro-Trump political action committee to cover his legal bills, and about information relevant to another undisclosed investigation underway at the Justice Department.
Mr. Manafort joins a string of former Trump aides who have been found to have lied to federal investigators about their involvement with Russians or their intermediaries, including Michael T. Flynn, Mr. Trump's first national security adviser; George Papadopoulos, a former campaign adviser; and Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump's longtime fixer and lawyer.
Judge Jackson decided that prosecutors failed to prove that Mr. Manafort, 69, had deceived them about two other matters: Mr. Kilimnik's role in a conspiracy with Mr. Manafort to obstruct justice, and whether Mr. Manafort had been in contact with Trump administration officials.
Although the defense won on those points, the judge's split decision bodes poorly for Mr. Manafort. The ruling decreases any chance that Judge Jackson will show Mr. Manafort leniency, although legal experts have said that sentencing guidelines already made that highly unlikely. It could also affect the severity of his punishment in a case tried in Federal District Court in Alexandria, Va., over the summer. He was convicted by a jury there in August for tax evasion, bank fraud and other crimes.
Prosecutors had declared in November that Mr. Manafort had breached his plea agreement by lying, relieving them of any obligation to suggest a lighter sentence because of his plea and cooperation. The judge found that the prosecutors had reached their conclusion in good faith, rejecting arguments by the defense that Mr. Manafort had misspoken merely because he was confused or could not remember clearly.
Judge Jackson's reasoning could become clearer in the next few days when a transcript of Wednesday's closed hearing on the matter becomes public. But like transcripts of earlier hearings, it is likely to be heavily redacted to protect the secrecy of the special counsel's inquiry.
The prosecutors convinced Judge Jackson that Mr. Manafort had deceived them about his talks with Mr. Kilimnik, including their conversations about a possible deal that might have served the Kremlin's ends. The two men repeatedly discussed a proposal to resolve a conflict over Russia's incursions into Ukraine, possibly giving Moscow relief from punishing American-led sanctions that had been imposed after Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
Andrew Weissmann, one of Mr. Mueller's top deputies, told the judge this month that the interactions between the two men go "to the larger view of what we think is going on and what we think is the motive here." He suggested that Mr. Manafort had misled the prosecutors into believing that he had rejected the Ukraine plan with Mr. Kilimnik out of hand during a meeting on Aug. 2, 2016, while Mr. Manafort was still running Mr. Trump's campaign. Only after he was confronted with evidence did Mr. Manafort acknowledge that he and Mr. Kilimnik continued to discuss the proposal on at least three other occasions after Mr. Trump was elected, he said.
The prosecutors also told the judge that Mr. Manafort deceived them about transferring Trump campaign polling data to Mr. Kilimnik during the campaign. The New York Times has reported that the data included both private and public data, and that Mr. Manafort wanted the information delivered to two Ukrainian oligarchs who had financed Ukrainian political parties that were aligned with Russia.
Mr. Manafort's lawyers had suggested that Mr. Manafort had only wanted to share public data in the interest of promoting himself and maybe winning lucrative work overseas. The oligarchs and their allies had paid Mr. Manafort tens of millions of dollars in Ukraine to help Viktor F. Yanukovych win the presidency there. Mr. Yanukovych was forced out of power in a popular uprising in 2014 and fled to Russia.
But the prosecutors seem to have pitted Mr. Manafort's assertions against those of Rick Gates, Mr. Trump's former deputy campaign chairman. Mr. Gates pleaded guilty to two felonies and has been cooperating with Mr. Mueller's team for the past year.
During the earlier hearing, Mr. Weissmann appeared to suggest that Mr. Manafort's lies about the polling data were too important to dismiss as innocent memory lapses. Whether any Americans, wittingly or unwittingly, engaged with Russians who were trying to interfere in the presidential election went to "the core" of the special counsel's inquiry, Mr. Weissmann said.
He suggested that Mr. Manafort might have been trying to cover up the data transfer because it might hurt his chances of winning a presidential pardon for his crimes.
If it became known that Mr. Manafort had given Mr. Kilimnik the campaign's polling data, Mr. Weissmann said, it could have "negative consequences in terms of the other motive that Mr. Manafort could have, which is to at least augment his chances for a pardon."


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Praise for "an invaluable resource"
Organizational Trauma and Healing is a "must read" for every leader in a social change movement. It not only articulates how our organizations get to where they are, but gives us insights into preventing organization meltdown and how to intervene. This book should be on the priority list for any leadership development.
— Cheryl Howard, Coalition Program Director, National Network to End Domestic Violence
Pat Vivian and Shana Hormann have made an important contribution to nonprofit sustainability. Their immensely helpful guide for understanding and healing organizational trauma will assist not only highly mission driven organizations such as welfare rights, rape crisis, and domestic violence agencies but also advocacy and social service organizations to sustain their important work for the communities they serve. Through informative, well written case studies, a clearly articulated conceptual model, and practical suggestions for working with agencies, they provide ways for organizations to understand the strengths and shadows in their cultures, to do systemic analysis, and to re-align their organizational structures and processes with their mission and values.
— John D. John Vogelsang, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of the OD Practitioner and consultant to nonprofits and NGOs
Organizational Trauma and Healing is a straightforward and worthwhile read for any non-profit leader who seeks to better understand the complex, nuanced and, sometimes, predictable patterns of organizational behavior and culture. Anyone who works in a non-profit setting — with all of its challenges and enormously deep rewards — will connect with the lessons learned by the authors. This book confirmed my belief that organizations, as well as the individuals within them, need our compassion. While it illuminates struggle, it also offers the insight and hope that every non-profit deserves.
— Nan Stoops, Executive Director, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
This book is a real contribution in an important area that has received far too little attention from scholars, consultants and leaders alike: the trauma that organizations can experience in the face of painful episodes or cumulative difficulties that affect systems members collectively. Too often, such trauma remains undiagnosed, even as it causes burnout, conflict, poor client service, and other symptoms of troubled organizations. The authors have done an excellent job of defining the nature and implications of organizational trauma, and revealing through in-depth cases how such trauma can be diagnosed and worked with. This book will prove an invaluable resource for leaders and consultants who care deeply about the cultures, wellness, and resilience of the systems for which they are responsible.
— William A. Kahn, Ph.D., Professor of Organizational Behavior, Boston University School of Management
While reading this book I found myself saying, 'Oh so that's what was going on!" I could definitely relate to the examples and stories and even avoid pitfalls because of what I read. I think this book can help us move from stress and fatigue on the edge of giving up, toward insightful solutions for the health and sustainability of our organizations and ourselves. In this era of rapidly changing environments this is a valuable read!
— Cheryl Bozarth, M.A., NCC, Executive Director, Domestic Abuse Women's Network
Vivian and Hormann have created an important work that will resonate with all those who work in and lead organizations. Their work around organizational trauma creates a language for understanding why certain patterns persist within group life and how these wounds can restrict our capacity to move forward in our work. At iLEAP we work with community leaders from around the world who have used the organizational trauma framework to better understand their work culture and, most important, initiate healing and community building.
— Britt Yamamoto, Ph.D., M.S., Executive Director iLEAP
Organizational Trauma and Healing is a timely and urgently needed book. It is the fruit of decades of individual organizational consulting by the co-authors, and of their collaboration since 1998. Although their focus is on highly mission-driven non-profit organizations, much of what they say is applicable to understanding and consulting with for-profit corporations, and for understanding our wider culture. There are few workplaces today that are untouched by organization-wide trauma, whether as individual events or sustained over a long period of time.
As I was reading their book, I couldn't put it down. It reads like a novel, but one grounded in stories of real, emotionally turbulent, workplace life. Vivian and Hormann develop their methods and models "in the trenches" of their consulting experience. In a sense they are action researchers. They write from the ground up, not from some detached safe place. In their consulting they discuss the undiscussible, address powerful feelings as organizational facts. They paint the long shadow cast by organizational trauma that leaders and employees make into secrets and taboos in order to return the workplace to some fictional "normal."
They repeatedly draw attention to the fact that members of non-profit organizations who deal with traumatized clients themselves insidiously become traumatized from witnessing and internalizing the catastrophic stories. Vivian and Hormann describe the emotionally demanding work of consulting with traumatized organizations, and the importance of self-care and connectedness among the consultants themselves.
As I read their book I asked myself: Who should read this book? My answer is: anyone who has been affected by relentless organizational change over the past thirty years — whether through physical or symbolic violence, whether individual or group. This is a very important book of and for our times.
— Howard F. Stein, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, organizational consultant and author of several books on organizational culture including Beneath the Crust of Culture.
Organizational Trauma and Healing is a "must read" for heads of non-profits, schools, helping professions, and public service agencies who need to anticipate exposure to traumatic events. Military, veterans, police, and other government leaders will find invaluable insights in helping their organizations avoid and persevere through predictable and random adversity. The authors offer many clear cut "lessons learned" for proactive leaders.
— Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., ABPP, U.S. Navy Commander (Retired), Director, Institute of War Stress Injuries and Social Justice, Antioch University Seattle
What lurks in the shadows of traumatized, mission-driven organizations? What are potential negative organizational consequences of social idealism? How do we avoid "catching the disease" we are treating? Vivian and Hormann pose new questions and provide intriguing answers. Years of experience and field research resulted in this practical book. The book's many stories make it more understandable, useful, and convincing. Vivian and Hormann call the devils out of the darkness while lighting the path to performance and health.
Vivian and Hormann help you make sense of the organizational craziness that surrounds you. They set about creating a structure of renewed hope for nonprofits suffering from trauma. They are to be commended for defining organizational trauma. They name it and gain power over it in the process. Leaders troubled by patterns of criticism from within their organizations will find important clues in this book. Perhaps the problems you are experiencing with a few staff members are signs of something larger going on…something that is more about the organization than a few people within it.
Organizations of all types experience trauma. While Vivian and Hormann confine their research to nonprofits, their conclusions reach far beyond that world. Leaders of businesses will find better guidance here than in much of their typical corporate reading.
— Geoff Bellman, recognized thought leader on organizations, leadership, life, and change, and author of a number of books on consulting, including Extraordinary Groups, which he coauthored with Kathleen Ryan.
While we have all felt and experienced the incredible life-sustaining rewards of working in a mission-driven non-profit, we have also most likely felt the despair, destruction, and sometimes hopelessness. This book is a must read for any leader or staff member of a nonprofit organization. It will enlighten the darkest moments, provide practical and clear direction out of the pitfalls and give you hope for tomorrow.
— Bev Emery, Former Managing Director for the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA), Washington State
We were so impressed with the Organizational Trauma and Healing book that we provided it to workshop participants at our annual conference. We strongly recommend this "dynamic duo" as experts in organizational trauma and practical measures to deal with it.
— Jeanne McCurley, Associate Director & Jennifer Levy-Peck, Program Management Specialist,


text: We're excited to be downtown for our first ever First Friday pop up! Join us along with our favorite jewelry designer M33Ms at the lovely Echo & Atlas shop. Shop our latest styles and enjoy light refreshments while discovering new home goods curated by the shop's owner, local girl, Julianne McGee.


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fall collezioni, milan: fendi
by Jeremy Danté
as a continuation of what they've been producing, the fendi FW11 collection showcases the same earth toned palette contrasted to bold tones of yellow, orange, green & blue. chic use of fall textiles of including wool, leather & yes, use of fur were seen in the collection which was expectantly strong. designed by karl lagerfeld & silvia venturini fendi, the collection plays with the concept of developed signatures that have worked for the brand in the past. beautiful styling of the runway show allowed the collection to be clearly translated as the essence of italian style was felt. sunglasseses, beautifully constructed coats & color contrasts were headlining elements seen from the house of fendi this season. as the face of the fendi brand for nearly four seasons in a row, anja rubik opened & closed the show. great collection with strong designs, an excellent addition for fall.


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How it works
Boundless Betty is the first online outdoor adventure travel platform aimed specifically at women, born out of the desire to encourage, inspire and empower through sport. Let us ease the access into this diverse playground by introducing you to some of the most passionate independent operators in the industry. Here's how…
Explore and Discover
Get inspired, use the platform to see what unique adventures around the world are out there and offered by our trusted Operators.
Trip Assist
Any questions we are here. Ask us anything at any time and we'll come back to you with honest impartial advice as soon as we can.
Best Price
Once you have made your selection your search can stop here, you won't find a better price, even direct with the operator.
Confirm your details
Let's get this booking started, confirm your selection and enter your payment details. Once complete, your card will be preauthorised while we await the Operators confirmation of availability.
Financial security
Make your transaction with confidence, our secure payment system Mangopay, ensures that all of your financial details are safe and confidential.
Good Deed Done!
We're giving a little bit back to protect our playgrounds – 1% for the world. We only have one world where we have to live, make your contribution count!
Booking confirmation
Once the Operator confirms availability, we will be in touch to confirm (they have 48hrs within which to advise). If the Operator advises that there is no availability well will notify you and the funds will be made available on your card.
Adventure begins
Once your booking is confirmed, you do a little dance, get those flights booked, make sure you're insured and start preparing for your adventure!
Ready to find your own adventure?
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Ecru Velvet Pillow
Ecru Velvet Pillow
Our pillows are all handmade by our loved artisans, every detail to the sourcing of the velvet fabric, choosing the correct colour to compliment our brand and designing the symbols that represent morocco was done by Laith + Leila.
Material: plain Velvet
Colour: Ecru with black boarder
Approx size 45cm x 45cm
All of our pillows come with insert
Please note: Due to the traditional handmade nature of this item, and unlike mass produced items, shapes are not always totally uniform. Any imperfections are simply signatures of their maker and only add to the natural charm to each and every piece.
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The Grubby Gardeners (David Lewis, Michael Perry, Darren Jacques, Andrew Lane, Ben Jones, Tom Frost, Andrew Wain and Marcelo Serfaim) go naked at the Roof Gardens Kensington
I've never really understood the point of World Naked Gardening Day, taking place tomorrow. I'm prepared to imagine that gardening barefoot on a dewy lawn is pleasurable for some. But complete nakedness in the garden just seems like asking for trouble, unless the kind of "gardening" you indulge in consists of wafting around, flower snips in hand, delicately selecting blooms for a vase (I'm more of a crowbar-under-a-hedge type). According to the WNGD website, "Gardening naked is not only a simple joy, it reminds us – even if only for those few sunkissed minutes – that we can be honest with who we are as humans and as part of this planet." Ah yes, the slap of a nettle against a bare thigh can do that. And "sunkissed"? It's not really a year-round pursuit in the UK, is it?
But in the grand fundraising tradition of the WI Calendar Girls, a group of gardeners is embracing World Naked Gardening Day by posing at the Roof Gardens in Kensington to raise money for Perennial, the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society. As you can see from the picture above, there are a lot of strategically-positioned watering cans and men hovering next to shrubs, but even so, you have to admire their cojones (I mean this only metaphorically, not literally).
What's brought on this fit of clothes-free action? The Grubby Gardeners have launched a social media campaign calling on people to post a selfie on World Naked Gardening Day tomorrow (naked or clothed) using the hashtag #gardeningselfie, and make a donation via text message (GRUB89 to 70070).
David Lewis, one of the Grubby Gardeners team and head gardener of the Roof gardens, said: "Perennial support horticulturists, young and old, who need support, advice and assistance in times of crisis. The charity is 175 years old this year and yet not many people – even in the trade – have heard about it."
The team have already completed a gruelling assault course as part of their bid to raise £20,000 for the charity, which helps horticulturists in need. Grubby Gardener Michael Perry, new product development manager at Thompson & Morgan, said: "The shoot at the Roof Gardens was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities and we had brilliant fun setting up the pictures." I guess after an assault course, baring some flesh must have seemed almost relaxing.
This may be a stunt for charity, but some people take nude gardening far more seriously. Perhaps some of you are thinking this naked gardening lark doesn't sound bad … if you don't have a garden of your own to try it out in, or if you'd like to meet like-minded naturist/gardeners, Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury, Wiltshire hold clothes-optional days once a month, and the next one is May 18. There's a (carefully posed) video here.


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Download now or preview on posterous
Teachers'_Metaphors_presentation_Poetry_Matters_Jan_2011.ppt (93 KB)
I was pleased to present the attached paper at the ESRC-funded Poetry Matters Seminar Series on Wednesday. I am very grateful to all of the participants who gave me such valuable feedback: Andy Goodwyn, Morag Styles, Jane Spiro, Sue Dymoke and Myra Barrs. Your comments have stayed with me and will inform my writing as I finish the full version of the paper.


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Honestly, I didn't like this book, but I am going to try to be fair.
I mean, McLain scored a big hit with The Paris Wife that I didn't much care for either because it failed to do what I thought was a necessary thing. In a book about Ernest Hemingway's first wife, it failed to convince me of Hemingway's genius, and it didn't entice me into reading an either.
In conjunction with this book though, perhaps I need to rethink McLaine's objectives. In some ways, she is trying to reclaim women who have been shortchanged by history. I can certainly get behind that. I mean, Hadley Hemingway's story has mostly been cast as her husband's story, or the story of the first wife where the later wives were much more glamorous. Or she was merely a minor attendant to the glamorous figures who also populated Hemingway's life in Paris. Poor Hadley, home with the baby while Ernest and the Fitzgeralds and the other glamorous expat were drinking it up in the bars of Montparnasse.
Beryl Markham might also be a similar project. While she was an early British settler of Kenya--moved there by her parents when she was 4 years old in the very early days of the 20th century, she was a remarkably modern woman--she married three times, trained horses, learned to fly, had affairs, was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west (harder due to prevailing winds). Her story is somewhat of an adjunct to the story of Isak Dinesen and her lover Denys Finch-Hatton, told so cinematographically in the Oscar winning Out of Africa.
Markham also has a famous memoir called West with the Night, which even Ernest Hemingway praised for it's writing (and Ernest hated praising anyone who wasn't himself). So her story was told the way she wanted to tell it, but there are presumably gaps? And to give her credit, it seems that McLain did a fair amount of research into the minutae of Markham's past and life of the British in Kenya in the 1920s.
And yet.
Maybe this book needs to be read as a companion piece to Markham's own work (which I have not read). Maybe the tedious focus on her early teen years, the dreary digging into the names and habits of many of the horses she trained, while at the same time the near failure to cover her famous fltrans-Atlantic flight or anything after that--was because all that was well covered by Markham herself.
It's just--so boring. She was a wild and obstreperous child, allowed to run wild with the local population of Gikuyu after her mother returned to England when she was about 5. Her father was a horse man, training, breeding and racing thoroughbreds in African races. At some point, when she was about 12, he brought another woman to live as his wife, and Beryl was sent to school (which she hated) and some effort was made to civilize her. She married a few days before her 17th birthday to a local landowner when her father's business went bankrupt. She remained in Kenya; her father and semi-step-mother moved to Cape Town.
Not surprisingly, the marriage didn't work out very well, but it took some seven years or so for it to fail to the point of divorce. Meanwhile, Beryl had a few affairs, got certified as a horse trainer, met Isak Dinesen and Denys Finch-Hatton, fell in love with Finch-Hatton, had an abortion, felt torn between her desire for Finch-Hatton and her loyalty to Dinesen, remarried, had a child, lost the child to wealthy in-laws, returned to Kenya and learned to fly. Denys Finch-Hatton died in a plane crash. The epilogue is the last 50 miles of her trans-Atlantic flight, where she doesn't die in the crash landing.
There might be some beautiful writing about Africa of the 1920, but she is not a very interesting character to describe it to us. She loved the farm of her childhood, and so she actively resisted learning anything new that wasn't about being on the farm. She fell in love with Finch-Hatton who's most salient characteristic seems to be that he is beautiful. Her life had incident, but ti is hard to shape it into any kind of narrative arc. Things happened, and then I kissed Denys/my husband divorced me/my reputation got damaged and it was the end of everything except then it wasn't.
McClain seems to want to rescue Markham's reputation from the scandalmongering of nearly a century ago. There was some whispering that she had an affair with Henry, the Duke of Gloucester (fourth in line to the throne, younger brother of both David who abdicated for Wallis Simpson, and George the father of the current Queen Elizabeth). So McLain shows us scenes where they are perfectly platonic and lets Beryl rail against gossip. She is known to have had an affair with Denys Finch-Hatton, even while Denys was involved with Isak Dinesen (Baroness Karen Blixen) so McLain shows us Beryl wracked with guilt but also a better match than Dinesen was.
Beryl was linked a little bit with the "Happy Valley set"--the African version of Waugh's Bright Young Things, people with too much money and too little to do, who drank and drugged and swapped partners. Beryl is dragged along by a man, but refuses to take any of his cocaine and while she sleeps with him, won't change partners when everybody else does.
Do we know these things to be true? I don't know. Do I like her better for not having done the things she was "accused" of? Not necessarily. She comes off as priggish and reflexively anti-drug, reflexively unwilling to accept a different sex partner, not out of any particular aspect of her character. She's drawn as weirdly hedonistic and then moralistic, with no real explanation of why the lines are drawn where they were. Why is champagne acceptable, but cocaine is not? Why is it okay for her to sleep with some men but not others?
Perhaps it was the reader--I listened to the book and the distanced, mostly monotone reading leeched any nuance out of the character. Written in first person, a gifted reader would have shaded Beryl's character, made me root for her. Instead, I just got tired of her.
At several points, she discusses poetry with Finch-Hatton, or waxes lyrical about the effect of his death on her, and I just got irritated. Glittering vaguenesses, basically.
I mean, I think I respect McClain for the research she did, and it's not easy to write an book, but I wish there had been more of a point of view, more of a point at all. It was barely worth the time, and mostly I listened while doing other things anyway.
In short, I can not recommend it on it's own terms. Maybe if one has already read West with the Night, this would be a worthwhile addition. It did make me somewhat curious about reading that book, to be fair.
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog it's too dark to read.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Monday, June 20, 2016
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
This is not, however, the book I expected. I thought it was going to be much more rigorously scientific. Instead, it highlights the messiness that constitutes concepts like "progress," "science," and "understanding."
In brief, a young black woman was admitted to Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore in 1951 with aggressive cervical cancer. So aggressive that she was sent home multiple times as "well" until she showed up and never left the hospital again. The autopsy showed that in a matter of weeks, the cancer had invaded her entire body.
At some point, a doctor took a sliver of the cervix--the book is not terribly clear about whether the sample was healthy or malignant (until the end, when Skloot clearly articulates that the sample was cancerous)--and used it as another attempt at his frustratingly unsuccessful quest to grow human cells in culture. These cells turned out to be vigorous and rapid growers, and a medical industry of tissue culture was launched.
Skloot has several points she is making here, and to her credit, she makes them clearly without beating the reader over the head with them. Instead, she leads us gently into the morass of medical ethics and challenges our assumptions about what "science" is.
Henrietta Lacks had the misfortune of having a terrible, aggressive, painful cancer that killed her at a time when the treatment for cancer were scarcely better than the disease. As a black woman in 1951 Baltimore, she was lucky to get any treatment at all--de facto segregation and poverty were enormous barriers to adequate care, even if the state of cancer treatment were any better than it was. Patients were not encouraged to question doctors generally, especially when black, poor, and female.
So Skloot sets out to do a number of things with this book. One is to recover who Henrietta Lacks was as a person--to reclaim the human being in her full humanity. This turns out to be very difficult, because the family has closed ranks and doesn't trust anyone, and even as Skloot gains their trust, not many people knew her. She had been dead for nearly 50 years when Skloot began asking about her, and many of the people were just too young to know anything about her.
She perseveres, and manages to sketch a woman whose life was severely circumscribed by poverty. Yet she was loved, she married, had five children, before dying at 31. Her death is particularly graphic and tragic.
Meanwhile, the "science" of cancer treatment and tissue research was far from rigorous. So the poverty of Henrietta Lack's life is weirdly mirrored by the doctor who first grew her cells. George Gey had theories, and ideas, and almost no funding and no support. He built his own lab equipment, often from salvaged junk, and basically invented cell growth medium from scratch. There is no reason to suspect that Henrietta Lacks's cells would do anything but die like all the rest of them.
These were the wild and wooly days of tissue research, when scientists traveled to labs carrying samples in their coat pockets and briefcases. These cells (labeled "HeLa") ended up being subjected to any number of strange manipulations as people attempted to figure out how to even test cells. Cells were sent into space, were subjected to nuclear testing, were treated with any number of possible toxins and vaccines, even as there was no system for keeping samples uncontaminated.
This lackadaisical approach to sterility is ridiculous to read about now, but is clearly part of the learning process of how to understand tissue research. It is how scientists learned--they made a lot of mistakes, but made an amazing number of discoveries using these new cells.
Meanwhile, Skloot interleaves these chapters with chapters about Henrietta Lacks's children and extended family. One daughter in particular, Deborah, keenly feels the loss of her mother and becomes emotionally volatile as she learns hthe fate of her mother. The Lackses remained poor and ill-educated after Henrietta's death, and it would be easy to mock their failure to understand what happened (and continues to happen) with Henrietta's cells.
Deborah in particular seems to feel that her mother exists inside those cells, and she asks people if they could use those cells to raise her mother from the dead, or to clones an exact replica. This might sound "crazy" but isn't that the same kind of question that scientists are asking in different contexts? What does it mean that these cells keep reproducing, a half century after Henrietta's death? Who owns that information? Does science owe Henrietta anything? Is there a financial obligation owed to her children--who are themselves so poor they can't usually afford health care?
In the end, the cells themselves seem to be immortal, is Henrietta also? Is it only fair that the woman herself be recognized? What does it mean to be immortal?
Perhaps the most meaty portion of the book is the Afterward, where Skloot lays out a number of ethical questions about tissue research. Matters of informed consent, monetization, genetic patents raise important questions that have not been definitively answered. Why shouldn't Henrietta's children get some payment for the use of her cells? An early court challenge to the use of human cells was decided against the donor, based on the concern that allowing donors to demand financial compensation might slow scientific research. The reality is that this decision simply moved the financial issues to the actual researchers. Genetic patents mean that science is held hostage by other scientists and biomedical companies--isn't this classist?
Fundamentally, it feels wrong that there should be so much money sloshing around the HeLa cells, and yet Henrietta Lacks's children and grandchildren should continue to be too poor to afford health care.
In the end, the book stands as an argument that not just the cells are "immortal" but the woman should be remembered as well, and should be immortal in her own right. TL:dr--the issues that underlie the book are clearly and cogently laid out in the Afterword, which might be the only really necessary reading. The issue is complicated, but is clearly articulated in it's complexity.
Skloot contrasts the questions scientists raise with the questions raised by Henrietta Lacks's family. They really are only different in detail--what does it MEAN to conduct experiments on human cells?
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My Coloring Creations
And here are my Coloring Book Creations. Enjoy!
Color Patterns Of Zen Book I – This is the first of the coloring books that I created. There are fun and unique designs and mandala patterns for you to color.
This Coloring Book is an Amazon exclusive which is priced at just $8.95. You can find it on Amazon Here.
Color Patterns Of Zen Book II – Is the perfect companion to Book I. There are even more unique designs and mandalas to color.
This Second Book in the series is also an Amazon exclusive and also priced at just $8.95. You can find it on Amazon Here.


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There was an excellent entry of cattle at Lisahally Mart which sold to a great demand on Wednesday.
Bullocks sold to £1,235 for 570kg, heifers sold to £1,220 for 580kg and fat cows sold to £1,087.50 for 750kg.
BULLOCKS: Matthew Blair £1,235/570kg, £1,165/580kg, £1,155/560kg, £1,150/550kg, £1,130/580kg, £1,115/560kg, J and H Foster £115/550kg, £1,175/560kg, £1,115/510kg, £1,080/520kg, £1,065/500kg, £1,055/500kg, £1,050/490kg, £1,035/520kg, £1,035/500kg, £1,030/490kg, £1,020/480kg, £1,010/510kg, £1,005/510kg, Matthew Blair £995/480kg, £990/540kg,£970/500kg, £970/500kg, J Foster £960/480kg, £945/520kg, £920/470kg, £915/480kg, £900/440kg, £895/450kg, £885/500kg, £885/510kg, £855/450kg, John Dodds £860/580kg, William Harkin £855/520kg, Columba Feeny £855/450kg, S and D Whiteside £890/390kg.
HEIFERS: John Arbuckle £1,220/580kg, G Christie £1,065/530kg, £965/450kg, £955/480kg, Patrick McNicholl £1,020/510kg, £985/530kg, £895/500kg, David Crockett £860/460kg, John Arbuckle £845/490kg, £825/490kg, £810/500kg, David Crockett £830/440kg, £815/410kg, £785/390kg, £740/420kg, £740/370kg, A McCloy £700/390kg, C, Devine £670/360kg, £645/360kg, D Crockett £660/360kg, A McCloy £700/390kg, £645/370kg, £605/370kg, J Crampsie £585/330kg.
FAT COWS: Owen McDevitt £1,087.50/750kg, £910.80/690kg, George Hamilton £879.10/590kg, Violet McClelland £873.60/560kg, Owen McDevitt £806.0/620kg, £777.20/580kg, C Cooke £701.50/610kg, D McLaughlin £667/580kg, R Killen £615.60/540kg.
Fat lambs sold to £100 on Tuesday at Lisahally Mart.
Prices as follows:
FAT LAMBS: Robert Leslie £100/5kg,Reid Clarke £96.80/24kg, M McConway £96/25kg, Stuart Caskie £9580/23kg, Stephen Johnston £95.20/25kg, N Mitchell £95/31kg, Brian Johnston £95/24kg, Kenneth Johnston £94.20/24kg, Andrew Olphert £93/23kg, Bellarena Est £92/22kg, Robert Devine £91/22kg, Graema Christie £90.80/22kg, Alan Hogg £89, John Dodds £86.50/22kg, Brian McCullagh £86/21kg, W McConway £86/21kg, Barney O'Kane £86/21kg, Gerard Doherty £85.80/21kg, C McCrudden £85/21kg, John Cuthbert £85/22kg, W Patterson £84.50/21kg.
FAT EWES: Leslie Blair £103, D and T Irwin £102, John Dodds £93, R and G Hamilton £93, £92, C McCrudden £96, N Mitchell £94,Andrew Olphert £93, N Mitchell £92.50, John Smyth £90, Ballerena Est £88, John Halcrow £86, Robert Devine £84,C McCrudden £80, William Duncan £80, Brian McCullagh £79.50, S Devine £79, Alan Hogg £79, Alexander McDonald £77, R and G Hamilton £70.


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'Tis the season for Glühwein! The surest way to spice up your holiday season is to embrace the age-old Alpine holiday drink known as Glühwein ("Glow Wine" also called mulled wine). This cozy libation packs more Christmas spirit in a single sip than an entire mug of eggnog.
⇒ Just looking for the recipe? Click here: The Best Glühwein Recipe
Made from the joyful tears of Santa's drunkest elves, Glühwein is a delicious treat on cold winter nights. It wraps its arms around you and gives you a big, warm holiday hug just like that mall Santa did years ago.
How to Drink Glühwein
The ancient Romans are thought to have been the first to enjoy Glühwein. As they conquered Europe, they didn't just leave behind ruins, but also wine's enduring splendor. Glühwein included. Germanic regions took quite a liking to this sweetly spiced goodness and made it a must-have during the holiday season.
Glühwein isn't a drink that lights you up like a Christmas tree, but even the Ebenezer in your life can't resist the merry cheer found in a steamy cup. We have found the best way to enjoy it is from a ceramic mug similar to the one you would use for coffee or hot chocolate. Keep in mind Glühwein is served very warm sip slowly. Just know that if you're not full of holiday song by the last drop, consider yourself a stubborn Grinch.
How to Make Glühwein
Fortunately, you don't need to raid Santa's cellar to get your hands on this stuff. Follow these 6 simple steps to make Glühwein right in the comforts of your own home. In less than 15 minutes, you can ease into your chair by the fire and mull over the wonders of mulled wine.
Step 1 – Pick Up the Right Vino
Hit your local wine shop and pick up a bottle of red wine. Opinions vary on the best type with some opting for full-bodied reds like Malbec to others proclaiming bright and fruity reds like Pinot Noir work best.
⇒ READ MORE: Revel in the Quaint Christmas Markets of South Tyrol
We're hopeless mountain lovers. We use Alpine reds from Alto Adige. A couple favorites include the lovely Lagrein from the award-winning Elena Walch and Nals Margreid wine estates. Not only do these wines make Glühwein fit for a king, but they also pair exceptionally well with the Alps' most hearty dishes.
Step 2 – Source Your Sweets
Make sure you have the following goodies on hand at home: sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and oranges. Yes, oranges.
Step 3 – Set the Holiday Mood
Learn German. Just kidding. We did that for you. However, it does help foster a festive holiday cooking mood to begin your new Glühwein tradition by playing a little traditional German Christmas music from South Tyrol, home to Europe's most charming Christmas markets.
Of course, if you're looking for something a bit more upbeat, you could always spin this nifty holiday classic from Germany's most beloved singer. Nothing says Christmas like the Hoff!
Step 4 – Fail to Prepare. Prepare to Fail
Grab a pot and prep the ingredients that you will be adding to it. This includes ½ cinnamon stick, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 5 cloves and peel of an orange (¼ to ½ of orange).
Step 5 – Make Stove Top Magic
Pour the entire bottle of wine into the pot (it's okay to lick the cork), add the cinnamon stick, sugar, cloves and orange peel. Bring the wine to nearly a boil. Don't boil the wine though as that will reduce the alcohol content thus the amount of fun you'll have by equal measure.
Step 6 – Begin Your Merry Journey
Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves with a fine strainer. Pour this conjuring of Christmas magic into cups and serve immediately. Note: You can add rum or brandy to the Glühwein if you want to crank up the festiveness at your holiday gathering. But if sweetness is your weakness, honey is fine to add as well.
Bonus Step
Repeat steps 1-6 as often as needed. Nah no one will judge you. Life is too short to deny sipping away holiday stress with ample amounts of Glühwein.
Feeling Fine with Glühwein
Enjoying Glühwein at home is an enticing way to the take chill out of any winter night. But more importantly, be sure to enjoy a cup or three while visiting a Christmas market. Drinking anything else would no doubt upset the Krampus lurking in the corner. Not a wise move.
If the thought of laboring in the kitchen to make another holiday treat sucks the season right out of you…don't worry. Glühwein can be purchased in the liquor store. Just warm it up and serve the gift that will keep on giving.
We wish you a most Merry Christmas! Cheers!
The Best Glühwein Recipe – Tap to Save!
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Plasticity vs. genotypic specialization in local adaptation
Both phenotypic plasticity and genotypic specialization can contribute to differences in physiological performance between populations that are locally adapted to different environments, but their relative contributions are predicted to vary according to the spatial grain of environmental variation. In animal species that are distributed across steep elevational gradients, dramatic changes in environmental conditions occur over relatively small spatial scales. This fine-grained environmental variation should be especially conducive to the evolution of phenotypic plasticity. Conversely, in species with narrow elevational distributions, theory predicts the evolution of genotypic specialization and canalized physiological traits. Because plasticity in organismal phenotypes is often mediated by transcriptional plasticity in underlying regulatory networks, assessing the degree of regulatory plasticity and regulatory canalization in species that differ in their elevational range limits can provide insights into mechanisms of physiological acclimatization. We are exploring these dynamics through comparative studies of physiological and transcriptomic plasticity among Peromyscus species that differ in their elevational range limits using experimental acclimations to hypobaric hypoxia and temperature challenges. We are also extending this line of research to other systems. For example, in collaboration with Shane Dubay, John Bates, and Trevor Price at the University of Chicago and the Fumin Li at the Chinese Academy Sciences, we are extending this framework to study avian species that differ in their degree of seasonal altitudinal migration in the Himalayas. We are also pursuing similar questions in a variety of other avian systems, including latitudinal comparisons of seasonal metabolic flexibility in several bird species, and osmoregulatory flexibility in populations of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) that have independently colonized saltmarsh habitats from ancestral inland habitats.


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Tuesday, September 9, 2014
'General Hospital' Casting New Role
ABC soap opera General Hospital is casting a new role, a charismatic Caucasian man in his late 40s set to start taping in mid-October. The character is described as sexy, powerful and confident. While it is slated to begin as a "major recurring role," the casting notice indicates that it could turn into a contract stay.
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Lyft Drops Local Delivery Option
Let's face it, it just makes sense. At least on paper. The popular and fast growing rideshare firm Lyft considered adding local delivery services to their portfolio lineup but decided against the venture. Initially, in a move to enhance revenue streams for both the company and their drivers, it seemed like a solid move.
Unfortunately, the markets have been playing out inconsistently with these offerings. There is also another dimension of liability that we would need to consider and are not ready to engage in at this time.
Other firms such as Postmates offer such services and report positive results.
However, at this time at least, Lyft will be dropping this option from their lineup. Time will tell whether this was a move that will prove to be wise.