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Hauntology (a portmanteau of haunting and ontology[1]) is a concept coined by philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1993 book Spectres of Marx. The term refers to the situation of temporal and ontological disjunction in which presence is replaced by a deferred non-origin, represented by "the figure of the ghost as that which is neither present, nor absent, neither dead nor alive".[2] The concept is derived from Derrida's deconstructive method, in which any attempt to locate the origin of identity or history must inevitably find itself dependent on an always-already existing set of linguistic rules or conditions.[3][4][5]
In the 2000s, the term was taken up by critics in reference to paradoxes found in late modernity, particularly contemporary culture's persistent recycling of retro aesthetics and incapacity to escape old social forms.[3] Critics such as Mark Fisher and Simon Reynolds used the term to describe art preoccupied with this temporal disjunction and defined by a "nostalgia for lost futures".[2]
Origins and definitionEdit
The concept has its roots in Derrida's discussion of Karl Marx in Spectres of Marx, specifically Marx's proclamation that "a spectre is haunting Europe—the spectre of communism" in The Communist Manifesto. Derrida also calls on Shakespeare's Hamlet, particularly a phrase spoken by the titular character: "the time is out of joint".[4][5][6] Derrida's prior work in deconstruction, on concepts of trace and différance in particular, serves as the foundation of his formulation of hauntology,[2] fundamentally asserting that there is no temporal point of pure origin but only an "always-already absent present".[7] Peter Buse and Andrew Scott, discussing Derrida's notion of hauntology, explain:
Ghosts arrive from the past and appear in the present. However, the ghost cannot be properly said to belong to the past.... Does then the 'historical' person who is identified with the ghost properly belong to the present? Surely not, as the idea of a return from death fractures all traditional conceptions of temporality. The temporality to which the ghost is subject is therefore paradoxical, at once they 'return' and make their apparitional debut. Derrida has been pleased to call this dual movement of return and inauguration a 'hauntology', a coinage that suggests a spectrally deferred non-origin within grounding metaphysical terms such as history and identity.... Such an idea also informs the well-known discussion of the origin of language in Of Grammatology, where ... any attempt to isolate the origin of language will find its inaugural moment already dependent upon a system of linguistic differences that have been installed prior to the 'originary' moment (11).[5]
The word functions as a deliberate near-homophone to "ontology" in Derrida's native French (cf. "Hantologie", [ɑ̃tɔlɔʒi] and "ontologie", [ɔ̃tɔlɔʒi]).[8]
Critical applicationsEdit
This section is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. (September 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Derrida's writing in Spectres is marked by a preoccupation with the "death" of communism after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, in particular after theorists such as Francis Fukuyama asserted that capitalism had conclusively triumphed over other political-economic systems and reached the "end of history". Taking inspiration from the pervasive ghost imagery in Marx's writing, Spectres has been said to concern itself with the question, "if communism was always spectral, what does it mean to say it is now dead?"[3]
Contemporary writers such as theorist Mark Fisher specifically used the concept of hauntology to describe a sense in which contemporary culture is haunted by the "lost futures" of modernity which were purportedly cancelled in postmodernity and neoliberalism. Hauntology has been described as a "pining for a future that never arrived;"[9] in contrast to the nostalgia and revivalism which dominate postmodernity, hauntological art and culture is typified by a critical foregrounding of the historical and metaphysical disjunctions of contemporary capitalist culture as well as a "refusal to give up on the desire for the future".[4] Fisher and others drew attention to the shift into post-Fordist economies in the late 1970s, which Fisher argues has "gradually and systematically deprived artists of the resources necessary to produce the new".[3] Hauntology has been used as a critical lens in various forms of media and theory, including music, political theory, architecture, Afrofuturism, and psychoanalysis.[2][4][10][text–source integrity?]
|Hauntological music
|Stylistic origins
|Cultural origins
|Early 2000s, United Kingdom
|Other topics
A derivation of Derrida's hauntology idea informs a style of 21st-century music exploring ideas related to temporal disjunction, retrofuturism, cultural memory, and the persistence of the past.[11][9][12] Hauntology often involves the sampling of older, "spectral" sound sources to evoke deeper cultural memory.[13] Common reference points in hauntological music include vintage analog synthesisers and cassette tapes, library music, old science-fiction and pulp horror programmes (including the soundtracks of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop), musique concrète and found sounds, dub and English psychedelia, and 1970s public informational films.[14][15][9] A common element is the foregrounding of the recording surface noise, including the crackle and hiss of vinyl and tape, calling attention to the decaying medium itself.[15]
Artists associated with hauntology include members of the UK label Ghost Box (such as Belbury Poly, The Focus Group, and the Advisory Circle), London dubstep producer Burial, and avant-garde musicians such as the Caretaker, William Basinski, Philip Jeck, Janek Schaefer, Aux Luna, Lofield Fox, Aseptic Void, Moon Wiring Club and Mordant Music.[16] Early progenitors of the approach include Portishead,[13] Boards of Canada, Broadcast, and Position Normal. Other British acts include The Real Tuesday Weld, I Monster[17] and Grasscut.[18]
According to Mark Fisher, the hauntology movement represents contemporary electronic music's "confrontation with a cultural impasse: the failure of the future".[19] Hauntological music is identified with British culture,[20] and was described as an attempt to evoke "a nostalgia for a future that never came to pass, with a vision of a strange, alternate Britain, constituted from the reorder refuse of the postwar period".[11] Music journalist Simon Reynolds described it as an attempt to construct a "lost utopianism" rooted in visions of a benevolent post-welfare state.[15] A sense of loss and bereavement is central to the phenomenon, according to theologian Johan Eddebo.[21]
Hypnagogic pop is described as an American "cousin" to hauntology[20] and is also known to engage with notions of nostalgia and cultural memory. The two styles were likened to "sonic fictions or intentional forgeries, creating half-baked memories of things that never were—approximating the imprecise nature of memory itself".[9]
See alsoEdit
- ^ Original French: hantologie from hanter "haunting" and ontologie "ontology".
- ^ a b c d Gallix, Andrew (17 June 2011). "Hauntology: A not-so-new critical manifestation". the Guardian.
- ^ a b c d "The Metaphysics of Crackle: Afrofuturism and Hauntology".
- ^ a b c d Fisher, Mark. Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures. Zero Books, May 30, 2014. ISBN 978-1-78099-226-6
- ^ a b c Buse, P. and Scott, A. (ed's). Ghosts: Deconstruction, Psychoanalysis, History. London: Macmillan, 1999. ISBN 9780333711439.
- ^ Specters of Marx, the state of the debt, the Work of Mourning, & the New International, trans by Peggy Kamuf, Routledge 1994. ISBN 9780415389570.
- ^ The Languages of Criticism and The Sciences of Man: the Structuralist Controversy. Ed. by Richard Macsey and Eugenio Donato (Baltimore, 1970), p. 254
- ^ "Half Lives". Archived from the original on 7 July 2007. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
- ^ a b c d Stone Blue Editors (Sep 11, 2015). William Basinski: Musician Snapshots. SBE Media. pp. Chapter 3.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- ^ "k-punk: Hauntology Now". k-punk.abstractdynamics.org.
- ^ a b Whiteley, Sheila; Rambarran, Shara (January 22, 2016). The Oxford Handbook of Music and Virtuality. Oxford University Press. p. 412.
- ^ "Mark Fisher - The Metaphysics of Crackle: Afrofuturism and Hauntology".
- ^ a b Rodgers, Jude. "Dummy wasn't a chillout album. Portishead had more in common with Nirvana'". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "Hauntologists mine the past for music's future". Boing Boing.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Simon. Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past. Faber and Faber Ltd, June 2011, ISBN 978-0571232086
- ^ Fact
- ^ [1]
- ^ https://reynoldsretro.blogspot.com/2017/10/hauntology-ghost-box-label-frieze-2005.html
- ^ Evans, Polly (3 February 2017). "Is electronic music a threat to culture?". Varsity.
- ^ a b Bell, David. "Deserter's Songs – Looking Backwards: In Defence of Nostalgia". Ceasefire Mag. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- ^ Eddebo, Johan (24 June 2017). "In search of lost time". Catholic Insight.


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Archive for the 'Podcast' Category
DJ Bless "Shotgun Memories"
New single from DJ Bless aka Sutter Kain
Thadd Williams "Riding Hard"
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 by SChiphop.com
Da One "Girl It's You"
New mixtape from Grind City Entertainment artist Da One. Hosted by DJ Siza "Bad Boy DJ"
Dj Bless ft. Sabotawj "Slanted"
Dj Bless with Sabotawj
Amen ft. Saigon "What You're Looking For"
Amen has hit us with a single from his just released album "Queens Boulevard" a sort of sound track to the hit HBO show Entourage.
Thursday, October 1st, 2009 by SChiphop.com
Pwatts feat. Marcus Allen, Marly Mar, Lil Brod & Boss G "Hatin On Me"
Pwatts with some more heat from South Carolina!
Lil Brod ft. Sammie "Baby Girl"
Club banger by Lil Brod out of Columbia, South Carolina
Sunday, September 20th, 2009 by SChiphop.com
Lil Brod "Do U Mind"
Lil Brod out of Columbia, South Carolina hits us with something for the ladies…
Zambrana "Am I Dreaming"
Zambrana comes with something new
DJ Bless ft. Jim Snooka and E-Clipse "Faceless"
No face and all!
Saturday, September 19th, 2009 by SChiphop.com
Grind City "Baby Girl's a Freak"
Grind City wants you to come ride wit a G baby girl!

subset: commoncrawl


text: The wrecking ball effect of the iPhone on other smartphones The evolution of smartphones View more presentations from shawnjroberts Posted by Shawn Roberts I write about and try to answer practical Oklahoma legal questions. I tend to focus on estate planning and business issues. I make a living as an attorney working for Resolution Legal Group in Oklahoma City. I am husband to Amy and the father of Sam and David. We live exactly in the path where the "wind comes sweeping down the plains." View all posts by Shawn Roberts


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|Page Type:
|Sport Climbing, Toprope
|Spring, Summer, Fall
|5800 ft / 1768 m
Park at the large pullout on the left side of the road 1.25 miles up the canyon. This parking area is used for approaching any of the 94 routes found in The Gate Buttress area.
Hike up the trail heading west (left) from the pullout. This will take you through a shady grove with some large boulders collectively known as the Gate Boulders, which are popular for bouldering. Hike through these, and take the feint trail that heads left. At an obvious junction, go left, and then leave the trail for a more feint trail that heads up a wash (right). This soon dead-ends into some cliffs and Prune Face is on your left.
Descent: There are two ways to reach and descend from the anchors if you're not lead climbing or lowering.
The first is to climb about 50 ft left of Prune Face and scramble up a groove in some cl.3-4 slabs with exposure. Continue up the slabs until you reach a large roof. Climb under this as you are detoured to the right and into a gulley. At this point you are a little bit above the anchors. Downclimb about 50 ft on the rock on the opposite side of the gulley.
The second is to follow the trail at the base of Prune Face left until you reach a clearing. Stay on the edge of the clearing and look for a trail (may be on top of some boulders) that cuts back right and into the trees. Take this trail and cut into a clearing on the right as soon as possibe. From here, walk across an exposed but easy slab with some good foot ledges to reach the roof described in the first approach. This route is probably the safer one for downclimbing.
The last 5 feet to the ledge below the anchor requries some 5.3-5.4 friction climbing and a fall would be very bad. This can be belayed from the trees above.
The climbing is very hard (much harder than similar ratings that I've climbed elsewhere in the canyon) and is continuously difficult for the entire length of the slab. There are many loose flakes (pinky-nail-size or smaller) that can tear off, and they tend to get grit on your climbing shoes, so watch out! Also, if leading, the climbing is very runout.
After climbing some of the routes, I can't reasonably agree with some of the info in Stuart & Bret Ruckman's "Rock Climbing the Wasatch Range". As such, I'm deliberately deviating from the text here by adjusting the grades (5.9+ for Straight on for You).
The crack is what makes this route, as you have to do some interesting laybacking on your fingertips while friction-climbing with your shoes to climb up and then sideways.
Above the first bolt, breath a sigh of relief as the climbing gets slgihtly easier. From this point on you're climbing on nubbins and flakes that hold by shoving the fat of your finger on them hard. They stick remarkably well to shoes, although they can break off and leave grit on the shoes as well. After the first three bolts, traverse to easier ground on the left via a series of pencil-width mantels and finish the climb in a series of flaring cracks and grooves.
Originally this route was led with only one bolt and one pin for fixed protection, but a later party bolted the start.


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The global online retail market is continuing to grow and is expected to reach 8.8% of total retail spending in 2018, up 1.4% compared to the year before. With the ongoing advancement of technology, greater availability of apps and just the sheer convenience online shopping provides, many people can easily get carried away. If you're someone who realises their online spending sometimes gets out of control, then there are a few ways you can manage it better.
While shopping apps for your favourite stores on your phone provide a high level of convenience, they also make it too easy to spend money. Many of us find ourselves mindlessly browsing products that we don't need when we're bored, which ultimately leads to unnecessary purchases. Especially as these will highlight deals, the temptation can be too great. Get rid of any shopping apps to prevent yourself from falling into the trap.
In a similar vein, marketing emails and newsletters from online shopping outlets can lure you into spending at times and on items you otherwise wouldn't. These will definitely highlight any deals, often proclaiming them to be limited offers or only available for a certain time. Simply unsubscribe from all such emails that regularly land in your inbox, it will only take a few minutes yet should save you plenty of time and money in the future.
An effective budgeting technique for online shopping can be to only allow yourself to spend using preloaded gift cards. With one click payments and saving your bank details online, it makes paying for items all too easy. Each month you should load up an online gift card with the amount you have budgeted for and force yourself to only use this for online purchases. Then once it's gone you shouldn't be able to make any more unnecessary purchases for the month.
Before you make any kind of financial commitment, whether it's borrowing money or spending a lot on a new car, you should do plenty of research. The same is true when shopping online, to make sure you're getting the best possible deal and not overspending. Compare the product at other online outlets and see if you can find a discount elsewhere to cut down on the amount you're spending online.
If you really struggle to control your online spending alone, then find an accountability partner to help. This could be your actual partner, a friend or family member. They can talk to you about your money goals, any big purchases and even set up a joint account which they control, to limit your online spending.
Hopefully these tips will help you better manage your online spending in the future.
These are so handy!! The preloaded gift cards is such a great way to curb spending!
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Minnesota, USA -November 3, 2011 - Years ago, aspiring authors would send out their works to multiple publishing companies and hope that any of them would agree to publish the book; after all, the costs are high even in self-publishing a paperback book. However, Amazon's Kindle prompted a new way to publish -digital. Although we, Korea IT Times, mentioned this previously, it is time to analyze how Amazon is progressing with its new business strategy and evaluate on whether it is worth your time to get on board.
Previous released data states that Amazon published 149 books so far -since its start in 2009; it may not be many, but the number is expected to almost double by 2013. If this prediction is true, then there will be a boom in Amazon digitally published novels. But what does this mean for you If you do not want your book to get lost in the piles of e-books, then you must do it quickly or find a way to stand out as a new author.
If you browse the Amazon site, you'll notice that the books that have the most reviews are the digitally published; let's assume that this is because customers realize that people may be hesitant to read a book from an author that they do not hear about in the news or read about in the newspapers. If you can attract enough attention now before the 'big boom', you may not have any trouble with any additional novels that you have published. Yet, remember that even if you enter late, you can somehow grab a crowd of fans and eventually it could grow.
A common misunderstanding is that Amazon published Kindle books are only digital; in fact, almost all of them are offered in paperback. Although we are not sure how Amazon determined which it would offer in book form, it may mean that you will still have that option in the future so you can still hold your book in your hands. Undoubtedly, Amazon will have you sign a contract which will limit your contact with the media and make you without specifics about the business. But when you are an author, do you care about this situation You'll probably just be happy to have your book published!
A promising trend is occurring in the 'e-book' and 'paperback' selections on Amazon; in general, the price of the e-book is 2/3 the price of the regular paperback -prices of both are declining. The prices are relatively low in general, so Amazon may be trying to transition consumers over to the e-book market. With the price of the introductory price of the Kindle declining with each model, it won't be long until we and everyone else will be reading our e-book. Get in front of the trend and start writing as soon as possible -after all, November is Author month!


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TIM Faz Ciência
Category: Education
TIM Faz Ciência is an educational action that invites 4th and 5th year old teachers and students to explore 7 intellectual operations specific to the production of knowledge.
The program was based on the assertion of the thinker Neil Postman, who said that all the knowledge we produce is the result of some intellectual operations: observe, verify, classify, question, define, apply and generalize. For TIM Faz Ciência, more important than teaching what was thought and produced by science is to make children understand the mechanisms that scientists used to get to those results.
The program cycle can be divided into four major actions:
- Enrollment. To participate, teachers can register in two ways: through the Municipal Departments of Education with whom the program establishes partnerships or through spontaneous enrollment.
- Teaching materials. Each kit contains teacher's books (one book about the project plus 7 books, each on one of the operations), Student Books, video classes and video storytelling.
- Training meetings. In the partner cities, several trainings are held throughout the year. At these meetings, teachers are introduced to the program, share experiences and discuss topics related to education.
- Activities in the classroom. With the materials in hand and training support, teachers apply the program with their students. Activity reports are sent to the call center and posted to the program digital channels.
Visit the TIM Faz Ciência website to learn more about the initiative
Access the video library with classes ministered by Professor José Sérgio Carvalho and stories of each operation told by Kiara Terra
Access and download the teaching materials: Presentation, Observe, Verify, Classify, Question, Define, Apply and Generalize and Students Book
Watch the testimonies of great names of education at TIM Faz Ciência Thinkers Gallery
In the most recent PISA (International Student Assessment Program) of 2015, students' performance in science left the country in 63rd place in a list of 70 nations. The average of the Brazilian students was 401 points, while the students of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) obtained an average of 493 points. This difference is approximately equivalent to three years of schooling.
The drop is in contrast to the government's growing investments in education: in 2015, PISA showed that Brazil's expenditure per student, accumulated between the ages of 6 and 15, was US$ 38,190 – equivalent to 42% of the average investment of US$ 90,294 per student in OECD countries. In 2012, the expenditure per student was equivalent to 32% of the amount invested by the countries of the bloc. Analysts say that in addition to investing resources more intelligently, it is necessary to prioritize teacher training and appreciation.
- Creation and elaboration of the TIM Faz Ciência Kit: teacher's and student's books, video classes and video storytelling
- 2,291 teachers and 68,730 students from 945 schools in 246 municipalities participated in the program
- 53 training meetings were held in 24 cities
- 3 educators were honored with the TIM Faz Ciência Award
- 3,954 teachers and 124,827 students from 1,283 schools in 232 municipalities participated in the program
- 144 training meetings were held in 31 cities
- 6 educators were honored with the TIM Faz Ciência Award
- 4,764 teachers and 136,764 students from 1,706 schools in 115 municipalities participated in the program
- 3,181 educators trained in 158 meetings held in 31 municipalities
- 6 Municipal Departments of Education adopted TIM Faz Ciência as an official project: Florianópolis-SC, Porto Alegre-RS, São Bernardo do Campo-SP, Santo André-SP, Teresópolis-RJ and Itapevi-SP
- 13 teachers presented papers at the TIM Faz Ciência Colloquium
The material of TIM Faz Ciência was explored in an academic article elaborated by Professor Ariane Baffa and two students of the Federal University of Grande Dourados (UFGD), in Mato Grosso do Sul. The article was presented at the III Conference of the Latin American Association for Research in Science Education, held in Mexico. In addition, Ariane Baffa used the material in subjects that she teaches at the undergraduate physics course at UFGD.
Learn more about it: Professor at UFGD adopts TFC material
Several actions taken in public schools throughout the country through TIM Faz Ciência have caused changes that remain to this day. In Fortaleza-CE, children formed a Science Club at the school that continues to function and in Florianópolis-SC they contributed to the creation of a municipal park.
Learn more about it: TFC: actions that changed school and community
In 2016, the tribute to teachers was held in a new format, the TIM Faz Ciência Colloquium, which also marked the end of the program. Were invited to present papers at the Colloquium Patrícia Andrade, from Brasília-DF; Marília Ariela, from Fortaleza-CE; and another 10 teachers from Curitiba-PR, city where the event occurred.
Learn more about it: TFC: colloquium and year closure
TIM Faz Ciência was present in almost 70% of the municipal schools of Curitiba-PR, the 8th largest city in the country, in 2016. There were 136 schools involved, in a total of approximately 250 teachers and 15,000 students.
Learn more about it: TFC in 70% of schools in Curitiba
Teacher Patrícia Pinho Andrade, from Brasília-DF, developed a project for empowerment of women based on intellectual operations explored in TIM Faz Ciência. The workshops managed by Patrícia invites children to think about common biases and generalizations on women, base on five female icons.
Learn more about it: Valorization of women in TFC
In 2015, received the TIM Faz Ciência Award Nilza Morais Cunha, from Fortaleza; Elisângela Oliveira Pereira, from Aquiraz-CE; Suelen de Araújo Santos, from São Bernardo do Campo-SP; Ednéia Patrícia Dias, from Florianópolis-SC; Alires Jakobowski, of Massaranduba-SC; and Emily González, of the Municipal Department of Education of Niterói-RJ.
Learn more about it: TFC pays tribute to teachers in Ceará
In 2014, as a way to honor dedicated teachers who stood out throughout the year, the TIM Faz Ciência Award was held. The winning educators were Elba José Cidade Moura, from Porto Alegre-RS; Glória Silva Hamelak, from Fortaleza-CE; and Samuel Dias Macedo, from Santo André-SP.
Learn more about it: TFC 2014 awards prominent teachers


text:
Key Data
- Launch date: 31/07/2018
- Studio: Red7
- Game ID: legendoffortune
- Title ID: 20233
- Reels & Rows: 5 Reels and 3 Rows
Key Features
- Free Spins
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Land three or more scatter symbols to unlock escape routes.
Land three or more scatter symbols to unlock escape routes.
Anticipation and breathtaking excitement as you navigate across the Stepping Stones, winning up to 1000x your total stake.
A fresh new play style with Tumbling Free Spins. Each spin, wins explode and disappear allowing the symbols above to tumble down and new symbols to appear, creating new win opportunities.
Huge wins in Temple Escape Free Spins. Progress through the temple everytime you see a character symbol. Wild Darts turn random symbols Wild, Crushing Spikes turn entire reels Wild and watch entire blocks of symbols disappear and be replaced by a single symbol in Pit of Wealth.


text:
It's been said that "amateur" means a person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. Well, I've had about a week off from "professional" photography and realized how much pleasure it gives me telling a story with pictures. Usually, I get to tell somebody else's story, but today here is mine (and my family's)....
We had a visit from a good friend, Chris Maddox. He's been in Rwanda since April and we were his first stop on his journey back to the States. He's a great photographer and any picture without my Red Thread watermark was taken by him. Thanks, Chris!!
We went down to the "gummiest" wall in downtown Seattle. Doesn't it look delicious??? (OK, so we really didn't EAT the existing gum...that stuff was from our mouth.)
My daughter and friend Kathi are pictured above - can you believe Kathi traveled all the way from Arizona just to chew the gum???
Next stop, the troll under the bridge in Freemont. That's my son making friends with the giant!! I have another picture of him picking the troll's nose. But after the last few shots I'll try to lighten up on the gross stuff!
Evidently, this week was a time to get rid of hair around our house too. My son got his long flowing locks cut off...
Of course, we can't do anything quite "status quo" around our house!!
Good-bye hair!!!
I've also had some fun taking pictures of other kids this week. Here is a cutie pie who lets me take her pictures if I feed her "scooby snacks" (her mom is good friend of mine).
I went and hung out a park with another photographer friend and took pictures of kids climbing all over the equipment. They were so fun...and don't worry we asked for parental permission first!! I have a few other great shots, but wanted to protect the privacy of the families, so here is a little "peak-a-boo" shot!!


text:
I'm sitting on the patio wearing shorts and a sweatshirt. It's such a lovely evening that I decided to take my laptop outside to write. The sun is setting, and I've lit a couple of candles on the patio table. The locusts are buzzing in the trees. Near and far they're calling out to each other. The sounds are in layers coming loudly from the trees overhead but a softer, lower pitch from the trees out by the field. The breeze is cool on my bare legs, and although I know that the heat of summer is not gone, I can feel the season beginning the transition into fall. Continue Reading »
Tag Archives: Parent
Here's The Plan2 Comments
I read an interesting article today. I just happened upon it, but something in the title caught my eye. I don't remember the exact wording, but it was something about determining when to keep pushing yourself and when there a need to allow yourself to rest. Those of us who are driven individuals have most likely trained ourselves to keep pushing, don't give up, be relentless in the pursuit of….whatever, you can fill in the blank on this one. That's certainly the story of my life. I'm not a quitter. Giving up is a foreign concept to me. It doesn't fit. It doesn't feel good, and it certainly doesn't feel natural. Continue Reading »
Letting Go of Attachments2 Comments
I have discovered lately (as if I didn't know this already !) that I get deeply, and I mean DEEPLY, attached to things, places, and people. I get so attached that when the time comes to let go, I resist it with all of my might. The past few weeks have made me even more aware that the time has come for me to address this attachment issue with myself. I need to teach myself HOW to LET GO when it is necessary. Continue Reading »
A New Season of LifeLeave a comment
Life has changed in unanticipated ways these past two years. Apparently, I don't do well with change. Wait…I take that back. I welcome change, if that change is for the best. Bring on something good. Bring on something challenging even, and as long as there is a positive goal at the end of hard work, I'm all for it. I am not stuck in my ways. I am not afraid of new things or new experiences. Unfortunately, though, the past two years have been full of changes that have brought loss and pain. The past two years have been, without a doubt, the worst years of my life.
As Thanksgiving approached, I felt myself become happily excited by the thought of having all of the kids home and under one roof for the first time in months. Something strange happened, though. Each time I happily anticipated the days of togetherness, I found myself undermining my happiness. I began to mentally "warn" myself to not expect too much. When I began to picture Hallmark moments, my mind quickly turned those moments into a Lifetime drama. I pictured conflict and moments full of tension. For the first time in my life, I was afraid of having my family gathered together all in one place. I had come to expect loss, pain, failure, and dashed hopes.
To top it all off, and add to my endless stress, I was hosting the Thanksgiving feast for the first time in probably a decade. We were expecting over 20 people for dinner, and somehow in the midst of preparing the food, I had to make arrangements for someone to pick up my mother and bring her to our home. Between cooking, cleaning, and desperately wanting to redecorate the entire house, I worried that something was going to go terrible wrong and ruin the boys' visit. I wanted so much to have this be an enjoyable, special time for them.
I had taken several days of vacation so that I could be as relaxed as possible in getting everything ready for the boys' homecoming and Thanksgiving dinner. For the first time in years, I spent time alone in my own house. I puttered around, organized, and cleaned. It was a lovely feeling to get to know my own home again one on one. While I enjoyed my quiet time at home, I also realized once again how lucky I am to have a job that I love so much. I missed the hustle and bustle of the office. I missed the purpose I feel in my workday.
The boys both had midterm exams early on Thanksgiving week. They would both be taking the train home, but would not be coming in at the same time. Andrew's train was coming in late on Wednesday afternoon. Luke was disappointed that he had a late afternoon exam. He wouldn't be arriving until 10:00 p.m. That was OK, because his girlfriend was travelling home, too, and her parents were going to pick them both up at the station.
On Tuesday evening, the girls were in bed, and T and I had finally settled down in the living room to relax for a few moments before going to bed. We both perked up when a car pulled into the driveway. We looked out the front window, but didn't know who it was. T walked to the back door to welcome our guest, but no one came. We rushed back to the front window. Who was it? By now, the girls had come downstairs. All four of us stood looking out the window like a bunch of hillbillies! We saw people milling about the car. It was two men. Finally, the suspense won over, and we opened up the front door (which no one ever uses) and stepped out onto the porch. I'm not sure what we were thinking or assuming, but we just stood there….looking, not making a move toward the driveway. T, the girls, and I just stood there looking out into the darkness. Then, Lola bolted past all of us. "It's Luke!" she yelled. Hallmark moment number one was watching her fling herself at her big brother. We all ran out. He ran towards us. It was noisy, happy, and full of laughter. Luke had surprised us. He had come home a day early. I called Andrew to tell him, and he said that he could hardly wait to get home. By the next evening, Andrew was home, and my family was all gathered around the table together once again. Happiness. It was real. Even after the past two years of hell, I was feeling crystal clear, pure joy.
Those days when all of the kids were back home were like none other I have experienced as a mother. This visit was different. We all seemed aware that these moments of family togetherness were now a rarity. What was once a common, everyday part of our lives, was no more. Luke lives in Milwaukee. Andrew lives in Chicago. They don't just go to school in those places. It is where they live. They have signed leases. They won't be coming back next summer. Home is now a place where they visit. Of course, it is still their "home," but it is no longer where their lives take place. It's where their memories are kept. It's where we gather as a family. Although these facts were not spoken aloud, we all felt the change. A new season, new dynamics, more changes had occurred in our family.
Thanksgiving day was wonderful. I loved cooking, and T was a huge help. I loved having the house full of family. My mother was on good behavior. The kids' significant others joined for the day, too. Emily's boyfriend, who is absolutely wonderful, was also home from college. It was his first time meeting the extended family, and as expected, they all loved him, too.
The biggest pleasure of all was the day after Thanksgiving. While many people were hitting the Black Friday sales, we all headed out to the country. Ever since I was a little girl, I have attended "Julmarknad" (Christmas Market) in a tiny village near my town. I was shocked and filled with pleasure when boys both asked if we would still be going this year. We headed out the next day, Christmas music blasting. We feasted on Swedish rye bread and bought candy sticks in the general store. On the way home, we pulled over to the side of the narrow country road to give Emily's boyfriend, who grew up in a city, a chance to pet a cow. It was a wonderful, wonderful day. Many times that day, I held tight to moments I knew were perfect.
I had not planned any of the kids' time beyond Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't expect the boys to hang out at home during their visit. I had expected the usual comings and goings as they visited friends or invited people over. That was fine with me. I knew I would be happy just to visit with them during the times in between. That didn't happen, though. They didn't run around very much with friends. They didn't invite their buddies over. For the most part, they were happy and content to be at home. It was a wonderful surprise. We sat up late and talked. We watched movies. We ate, and we napped. It was truly a wonderful visit. No, it wasn't a Hallmark movie, but thankfully, it wasn't a Lifetime drama, either. It was my life, and it was wonderful.
Who Will Catch Me When I Fall?2 Comments
Today is one of those horrible anniversaries of a BAD November day, a day that was most likely the worst day of my life. I have been thinking a lot about that fact this past week in anticipation of this hated date. It truly was the worst day of my life, and that makes me feel bad. It makes me feel guilty. I have lost loved ones through death, but not on this date. On this date, my horrible experience was something worse than that of losing someone through death. That makes me feel bad and guilty, so I have been trying to examine what happened and what went wrong. Unfortunately, all the fingers point to me. I have no one to blame but myself for getting to a point in my life where I was truly alone in my pain and grief.
While the experience of losing a child, or my dad, or when Andrew had his terrible accident were all gut-wrenchingly horrible to live through, I didn't blame myself. Those things were "just life" or bad luck. During those terrible times, I felt surrounded by love. I had a safety net. I had people there to catch me when I fell and to soften the blow. On this WORST November day, I was utterly alone. I was crushed by ugliness, lies, and betrayal, but no one knew. No one cared. I had destroyed my safety net. Those good people who had once been there for me where no longer around. My dad was gone. My friends had long since washed their hands of my troubles. My family was clueless. I had taught them through my actions to simply "leave me alone," so they did.
I had made a mess of my life, but I thought I could handle it. I thought everything would be OK. That was not the case, though, not on that dark November night. On that night, the very flimsy ground that was my foundation crumbled out from under me. No one cared. I had misplaced my trust. Those I thought cared, did not. Those who did care, had no clue. I was truly alone for the first time in my life. I wanted to die. Truly, literally, I wanted to end my own life. It scares me now to remember that BAD November day. It scares me that those whom I thought would care, did not. It scares me that those who did care, had no clue. It has been a long struggle back from that dark place. Many times, I have wished for a quick magical cure, but there is no magical cure to the pain life sometimes brings.
Last night, I thought about the times in my life that have been seasons of grief. I thought about those other, more rational times of grief, and I realized how things have changed in my life in the past several years. My Dad, my friend and father, he TALKED to me. He and I talked about anything and everything. During some of the most horrible times in my life, I could always count on Dad's daily phone call. On days when all I wanted was to pull the covers over my head, Dad would call, and I always answered. We would talk about politics, religion, local news, or current events. He always had a story. He always made me smile. He pulled me through some of the toughest times in my life. He has been gone now for almost two years. Without a doubt, those two years have been the worst years of my life, not because my dad has been gone, but because my life was a mess (and only got worse) at the time of his death. Oh, how different these past two years would have been if my dad had been there as a steady, loving part of my life.
These past two years have been terrible. I have learned some valuable lessons the hard way. We are all responsible for our own actions. I will repeat that one, because it is important. WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS. No I didn't deserve to go through such a hellish experience, but as I said, when I look back at the circumstances, all fingers point at me. If my trust was misplaced, who placed it wrongly? Me. If I went through a terrible experience, and no one was around for me to lean on, whose fault was that? Mine. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN ACTIONS.
Slowly, I am rebuilding the foundation of my life. Many of the people who were once part of my support system are gone, but I am learning to reach out again to the good people in my life. More importantly, I am trying my best to be good to others and to be there for those good people in my life.
The Perspective of MemoryLeave a comment
I have to reiterate how very much I hate the month of November. The time change has made it even more dark and depressing. It's cold and damp. The fields, whose beauty I have admired all spring, summer, and fall are now bare. The land looks harsh and unforgiving. The world seems tired and used up. I hate November.
As I drove to work the other morning, I thought about Grace. All of these years later, I still feel her presence in my life. I imagine what she would look like at this age (or any other age over the years.) I imagine her much like Emily, and it makes me miss her even more. I picture her making a life of her own, much like Luke and Andrew are doing now. I wonder where she would be or what she would have become. While those thoughts make me sad, they don't overwhelm me. After this many years, those thoughts bring a sense of melancholy.
I realized that Grace would now be the same age I was when she was born. The thought was stunning. I was just a child when she was born. The idea of any of my children having to face such a challenge, such a loss, at the tender age of 23 made me shudder. They don't seem ready for marriage or parenting, let alone being faced with the loss of a child. My own 23-year-old is just now taking those first steps into adulthood. He is energized and excited as he embarks on following his dream, experiencing new things, learning new things, meeting people, living alone for the first time.
The difference in my life with T and the lives of our own children are stunning. We were 20 and 22 when we got married. From that moment forward, there was no further guidance or support from our parents. I don't mean that they didn't care about us, but that was it. Their job was done. There was no checking on us or offers of assistance. We made our own decisions, good or bad. We struggled financially. We worked. We attended school. We paid our own way, often scraping the bottom of the barrel. By the time T and I were expecting our first child three years later, both of our fathers were deeply into their alcoholism.
I remembered the 17 days of Grace's life. Our parents did nothing to make that time easier for us. In fact, their problems added to our stress. Both of our fathers were often drunk on their visits to the hospital, and it hurt to see that during such a terrible time. Classic enablers, our mothers turned a blind eye to their husbands' behavior. Confrontation was useless. It only made matters worse.
There are many bad memories related to our parents from those 17 days, but that's not what this post is about. It was in remembering those terrible days and our parents' dysfunction that made me see something else entirely. I was 23 years old back then. Now things are flip-flopped. I'm no longer the child. I am the parent of a 23-year-old, and I was suddenly, profoundly aware of the difference between my relationship with my children and the relationship I had with my own parents at 23.
I called T as I was driving, because I wanted to share these thoughts with him. I said, "Do you realize that Grace would now be the same age I was when I had her?" He said, "Wow. I guess I hadn't realized that." We talked for a while and I asked him if he remembered how our parents had behaved back then. "Oh, yeah….of course." We talked for a while about particular incidents. We marveled that we were able to get through that hellish time and keep moving forward with our lives. Looking back from the perspective of time, distance, and as parents now, it is stunning to see the drastic differences in our style of parenting compared to our own parents'.
While I am using our oldest son as an example in this blog post, certainly the same principles could apply to each of our children. Andrew may be an adult, but we still support him emotionally as parents. This past year has been a challenge for him. He was struggling to find his way. He lost his long-time girlfriend. His grandpa died. He didn't know where he was headed or what he wanted to do with his life. Many times, there were conflicts. We saw him struggling, and we intervened even as he attempted to push us away. We offered him support and encouragement as he worked to find his path in life. We spent HOURS discussing options with him. Truly, it has NOT been a good year.
As T and I talked yesterday, we compared this past year and our son's difficulty to the challenges he and I faced at the same age. They were completely different issues, but there was one similarity. Young adults are still on shaky legs when it comes to facing the big things life can dish out. T and I faced our challenges without the wisdom, advice, and support of our parents. They were so mired in their own dysfunction. Our problems were a burden to them. It is stunning to look back on that time from the perspective of a parent and realize such a thing.
This is not about anger at our parents during that long ago time. This is about something much more significant. Years later, these memories and thoughts have allowed me to be so thankful for the wonderful relationships we have with our own children. Through the pain and the loss, lessons were learned.
T and I discussed our experiences this past year with Andrew. It's amazing to see how far he has come. The unhappy, struggling, and confused young man from last year has embarked on a new life. His excitement and energy have returned. Could he have done this without our support? Maybe, maybe not, but I like to think that we tipped the scales in his favor.
Last night Andrew called T to tell him that he had just finished writing a 10-page analytical paper. I came in the room just as they were ending their call. I sat down, and T told me about their conversation. I was so proud. I was happy to see T's pride in our son, and happy that Andrew is taking things so seriously. (He had skipped free tickets to a private movie premiere to stay home and write.)
After T updated me on their conversation, I called Andrew. "I am so proud of you!" I said. I was beaming, and I could feel his happiness as he began to tell me about the assignment. When he was done talking, I reminded him once again of how proud I am of him. Oh, how I wanted to remind him of the mixed-up young man he was a year ago. I wanted to tell him that I was proud of how far he had come, but I didn't. Those bad times will remain in the past unless he brings them up. My job is not to remind him of his failures, stumbles, or faults. My job is to be there if is falls. My job is to congratulate him on his successes. My job is to love him and to be proud.
Mixed Emotions2 Comments
I haven't written in this blog for about a week. I've been writing, but just not here. As summer ends and cooler weather settles in, I find myself recalling many moments from my past. I have been concentrating on remembering and gauging my progress from season to season. I suppose you could call it a "self-inventory." Am I better off this year than I was last year? Am I happier? What lies ahead? What do I keep? What do I throw away? What do I change? What are my goals? What am I striving to achieve? Where do I want to be in my life next year at this time?
These past two years have not been happy. Yet in the midst of all of the sadness, moments of joy continue to shine brightly enough to make their way through the murk and lighten my life. Life has a way of doing that. There is so much beauty and joy to be had in this life and in this world. It's contagious. It's almost impossible to ignore.
I'm sure I'm not the only one, but it seems that way too often I experience mixed emotions. Some things are really good in my life, while other things really kind of suck. There doesn't ever seem to be a happy medium. Maybe it's because I am in the middle of so many other lives. I have four kids who rely on me. I am responsible for my mother. Then there is work. I manage volunteers. I have to deal with committees and a board. I am the person responsible for getting the volunteers excited, thanking them, guiding them in the right direction. I feel like so much of my time is spent being ON. Performing. After certain committee meetings, it takes me literally hours to unwind. That was the case last night. I had a board meeting, and it had gone wonderfully well. I was dead-on. I was well-prepared, and the initiatives I introduced were well-received. My adrenaline was flowing. It was great, but I was revved up for hours even after I went home. I couldn't stop. I burned off my excess energy by cleaning like a madwoman. I vacuumed three flights of stairs. I made dinner. I ironed. Yet, I was still full of energy. I told T that it felt like I had testosterone flowing through my veins, and he better watch out or I would kick his ass. Of course, I am exhausted today.
Obviously, I love my job. It's been one of the greatest surprises and greatest joys of my life. I certainly didn't set out to do what I do. A decade ago, I didn't even know such things existed. If I had heard myself speaking as I do now on a daily basis, it would have seemed like a foreign language created from acronyms. While I love what I do, I seem to be lacking balance. One look at my calendar, and it's obvious that there will be no let up in my schedule until the holidays.
As well-prepared as I was for the meeting yesterday, I was not prepared for receiving a phone call as I was walking down the hall, arms full and coffee in hand, to the meeting room. It was a number that I didn't recognize, so I answered the call. "Pam, this is the Kidney Center. Your mom is fine, but we need you to pick up a kit for a test we would like to perform on your mother's stools." (Yuck!) It was 4:00 p.m. I asked when they needed me to pick this test kit up. "Now." I told them that I was just about to walk into a meeting and asked if I could call back around 5:30. "We won't be here then. We close at 5:00." My gosh! Pretty decent of them to call me at work and expect me to drive over there, at least a 20 minute drive, within the next hour. I asked them if this was an emergency or could it wait until the morning. Yes, it could wait.
Today I called the Kidney Center while I was driving to work. Their answering machine informed me that their hours were 9:00-2:30 today. Just great. I was tied up in meetings until 4:00. I had hoped to leave at that time and take care of whatever it was that I needed to do. I still really had no idea other than that they wanted to test my mother's stools. Truthfully, I feel that it is more a matter of racking up as many charges as possible on their well-insured patient's account. I called and left a message, but my call was never returned. It is these little out of the blue things that drive me nuts. Just when I think I have a handle on all of my responsibilities, something else always surfaces.
As I drove home from work, I looked out across the fields. They are all bare now, and they'll look like this for many months. Another season has passed. Have I used this season well? I don't think so. I seem too often to be stuck in a place of sadness and loss. As much as I try to recognize the beauty and joy around me, I am pulled back into remembering.
When I walked into the house, Emily was waiting for me in the kitchen. She had been working on a Senior Memory Book writing assignment for school, and she wanted me to proofread what she had written. She was on her way out the door, but wanted me make sure to talk to me before she left. Ugh…. I was tired, and I had just gotten home. I had to make dinner, do laundry, help Lola with her homework, now this. I told Em that I would be happy to help her out, and she was gone.
Here is a portion of what she wrote. The subject was "What person has had the most significant influence in your life?"
My mom is my best friend. I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for her guidance along the way. She holds me up, and I hold her up. Thinking about my life without her isn't even feasible to me. If I have a problem that I need help dealing with, she's there no matter what. Even though it seems like she has a million things on her plate at one time, she would drop it all to help me. She helps me deal with my mistakes, whether it's by telling me that she once made the same mistake, or just sitting there talking it out with me. When she is going through a hard time and is in pain, I feel it along side her. She and I are exactly alike in just about every way that I can think of. She looks like me, talks like me, walks like me, thinks like me, and makes the same mistakes as me. We even have the same favorite foods. I can open my mouth and say one word, and I'll have my mom rolling on the floor laughing. Sometimes we get into fights that last a while, but we get over it and finally end up laughing. I love my mom more than anyone on the planet, and I will never let our relationship fail.
I was honored. I was happy, yet sad, all at the same time. She does know me. She knows how she has propped me up these past years. Yes, she has been my best friend. She has held my hand, laughed with me, and understood those moments when all I have needed was to have her quietly by my side. I am so proud of the loyal, compassionate young woman she has become. I am so very thankful that she feels that I have been there for her and that I will always be there for her. Even while I am proud of her, I am ashamed that she has not had a better, happier, more perfect mother.
That is life, though, isn't it? While we strive or wish for a "perfect," happy existence, that isn't the real world. Life is full of challenges and disappointments. As hard as we try, sometimes things just don't go our way. I am sad that my sweet daughter has had to learn those lessons already at her tender age. Sad, yes, but proud that she has continued to love through the pain of loss and mistakes and has learned that laughter often follows tears.


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Welcome to Cloud Expo Europe Frankfurt
Luxembourg – November 27th, 2017
Earlier this year, LuxConnect was present at Cloud Expo Europe in London on the national pavilion organised by the Luxembourg Ministry of Economy and the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.
The next edition of Cloud Expo Europe is taking place Frankfurt, Germany from 28 th to 29th November 2017. It's a conference, exhibition and networking event to gather knowledge about the future of Cloud.
From initial adoption to full realisation and implementation, Cloud Expo Europe is the world's biggest and best attended cloud event where IT professionals from enterprise, public sector and service providers are making both cloud investment and strategy decisions to develop and execute specific technology projects. Digital transformation starts at Cloud Expo Europe with a wide range of content, speakers, showcases, exhibitors and ideas.
On top of that, Cloud Expo Europe is co-located with some of the important tech events in the world which are Cloud Security Europe and Data Centre World.
Come and see us at stand 705 at the main conference for the Cloud industry and don't miss our talk. LuxConnect's CBDO, Tom Kettels, will talk about how to find the right infrastructure for business critical data. Because all data is not equal. Some data is more critical to running your business than other. Depending on how critical the data is, it needs to be placed in the right environment. Companies need to take into account legal, financial and technical aspects when deciding where and how to host their business critical data as well as the associated costs. The session will explore different aspects of the question and explain how Luxembourg and LuxConnect can respond to them with their unique 'multi-Tier' colocation data centers.
Location: Service Providers & Unified Communications Theatre
Date and Time: 28th of November, 15:40 – 16:05
Read more or register on https://www.cloudexpoeurope.de/welcome-to-cloud-expo-europe-frankfurt


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I have opened a support incident so that we can have an engineer look into this with you directly. I'm not sure what might be wrong without looking into the code and understanding what you are expecting to happen.
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These out-of-the-box solutions provide you proven, tested applications that can be up and running now. Build a store, a gallery, or a web-based email solution.


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I'm using my Baroque Bohemian Cat's Tarot by MRP for this week. This was given to me by Patrick so this deck holds special to me. I shuffled it multiple times and this morning, I pulled the 7 of Wands. Not one of my favorites. I just saw this from my last PDR spread and now here it is again, but from a different deck.
The picture shows a cat defending himself from attackers. He is on a balcony and there is a dividing gate between him and the six of wands… this gives him some sort of protection and advantage. As the the offenders come closer, he waves his wand in a defensive manner. Beside him, there is a statue of two kids that seems to be fighting.
Today, I had two "not so pleasant" experiences. One was a notice from my bank about a late fee. It was just last Friday and so I called customer service if they can waive it. They said they don't do courtesy waiving of fees anymore. I told them I'm a good customer, etc. but they still gave me a hard time. It was a losing battle for me. And when I thought it was over, I had a little confrontation with a sales lady tonight. I parked my car in a lot outside Massage Envy and I closed one car from exiting. I was meaning to leave my keys to the front desk so they can valet if someone moves. But they told me they don't do that anymore and it's best to find a side street parking instead. So I went back to my car and found this outraged sales lady… long story short, we had a little quarrel… she even told me she called the towing company! I was out only for a few minutes… my gosh! That kinda ruined my massage… So annoying…
Anyways, I'm OK now. The night is getting better and our friend invited us for dinner… everything is well again. I hope tomorrow is somewhat quieter.
One thought on "Silly Confrontations"
I am not fond of that card either, AJ. I remember being dragged over the coals by a friend the last time it hit my daily draws. Not a pleasant experience, the 7 of Wands. But it does show us in a position of advantage and lets us know we have the ability to defend ourselves, which it seemed you did. Hope you are feeling less stressed and it's energy didn't follow on to your dinner!


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Only the finest in first hand hand-me-down strategy, analysis, observations, art and musings.
I'm super convinced we can make a difference.
Yes we can. For real. Believe it!
Feel free to email me at captain optimism, one word (gmail). I'll occasionally answer letters from the studio audience, or look into suggested topics of inquiry.
I also vent about apartments in NY here.


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Mobile application development is a term used to denote the act or process by which application software is developed for mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, enterprise digital assistants or mobile phones.
The first phase is the most important one because it is during this phase that you lay down the necessary ground work for what is to follow next. During this step it is very important to do substantial research and brainstorming before moving on to the next phase. You need to do the homework and have answers to questions like – What is the main aim of this App? Who is the target audience? Which platform should you target first? Is the App going to be free or paid? Once you have the answer to all these questions then you clearly know that how much time it will take for you to develop the App. Another thing which is a must in this phase is the analysis of the competition. Do a detailed study of your competitor's App to see what features they are offering. Try to figure out the features which are absent in their App so that you can include it in your App, to make it stand out. Once you have all this information then the next thing which you need to do is to lay down the cost and the time for App development.
Once you are done with the research and have laid down the costs involved then the next phase involves preparing a detailed scope of work. You need to do a mental prototyping of your App and draw your ideas in the form of sketches on a whiteboard. This will be the first visual representation of the ideas which you collected in Phase 1 and it will help you uncover usability issues. Another thing which needs to done in this phase is to take the feedback of relevant people to get a perspective of what they think about your idea. Discussing it with them will help you figure out the loopholes and allow you to look for a solution to tackle with them.
Having an understanding of the visuals is not enough because you need to analyse whether the back end systems will support the App's functionality or not. To understand if the idea of your App is technically feasible you need to get access to public data by simply sourcing public APIs. You also need to determine which platform you are building your App for, first. Building an App shall have different requirements depending upon its platform (Android/iOS) as well as its format (tablet/smartphone).
You cannot define the touch experience until and unless you actually touch the App and see how it works and flows. In order for that to happen you must build a prototype and get the experience of the App into the users hand as soon as possible. This will help you see if things are going in the right direction. In this phase you can use rough and not exhaustive wireframes. Including the stakeholders in this process and allowing them to touch the prototype shall help you take their feedback and implement it into your work.
Before moving to coding you must design your App. A User Experience designer can create the interaction architecture of the design elements while a User Interface designer can create the look and feel of your App. This in itself is a multi-step process and the end results is visual directions and blueprints which gives envision of the final product. It also informs you on how an interaction should feel, move and flow.
Once the design is ready then it is the time for you to build the App. Agile methodology is the best approach for mobile application development as it allows you to make changes, add new features and keep evolving with the changing trends.
Congratulations on building your Mobile App. For Phase 7 you need to get some target users to help you test the App. UAT Testing: For user experience testing you need to put your App in the hands of the users which you are targeting and once it passes the UAT test you know that the solution which you are providing actually works. Beta Testing: Make your App available for the beta trial by allowing open participation of people to test it. The feedback from these beta users will help you determine if your App's functions work well in the real world environment.
Once Phase 7 is successful, your App is complete and is ready to be submitted to the App stores for approval. However, this is not the end as every App requires regular updates and new features to be added to it during the mobile application development lifecycle. The development cycle begins once again as soon as the first version of the App is launched.
Industry professionals as Trainers


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There's a truism that says Australia is the 51st state of the US – a McDonalds on every corner, a rather pathetic desire to curry favour with the President, and a willingness to be screwed over in treaties and trade agreements by an ally.
After yesterday, I think, we can really claim that title. Yesterday, we saw the Tea Party come to Australia, with all its hysteria, fake claims of 'grass-roots' sentiment and lies. And – just as in the US – we saw a conservative political party try to convince us that they weren't causing the hysteria, just listening to 'the silent majority' finally rise up and exercise their right of free speech.
Radio station 2GB – home of ultra-conservative 'shock jocks' like Alan Jones – helped organise a protest rally against the government's proposed carbon pricing scheme at Parliament House yesterday. According to the Australian Federal Police, about 1500 people gathered on the lawn, led by former rock singer Angry Anderson. In the crowd were One Nation, the anti-Semitic Australian League of Rights and former One Nation MP Pauline Hanson. On the platform were discredited scientists, self-styled 'experts' and carefully chosen 'ordinary Australians'.
And the Coalition came out to meet them with open arms.
All well and good. People have a right to protest, despite the best efforts of politicians like former Prime Minister John Howard and former Liberal Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen (who infamously legislated to declare any gathering of three or more people in a public place an 'unlawful assembly'). That right isn't limited to any cause, or restricted to reasoned debate in conference halls. When people feel passionately, they want to be visible, and they want to be heard.
But what happened in Canberra yesterday went far beyond 'protest' – it was an ugly mob, and the Coalition pandered to it and whipped it into a frenzy.
Speaker after speaker mounted the platform to address the rally. Every one of them repeated the lies that form the now-familiar Coalition message: that Prime Minister Gillard's broken promise on a carbon price was a deliberate deception on her part; that every Australian would suffer terribly by being forced to pay a carbon tax; and – with the notable exception of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott – that climate change was simply not happening.
Well, they can lie. They should, and are, being called on those lies, but it's free speech, right? As Liberal MP Kelly O'Dwyer repeatedly yelled over both Labor MP Nick Champion and Sky's Keiran Gilbert this morning, they're ordinary Australians who are allowed to have their views heard. Even if those views are the kind of personal insults yelled by Pauline Hanson (who fronted the cameras to attack Gillard for being unmarried with no children).
Except this isn't about free speech. This isn't about the person who carried a sign protesting against everything from the 'carbon tax' to the IMF, the UN and 'one world government'. This isn't about the person who carried the brightly-coloured placard that made ingenious use of fridge magnets to spell out 'NO LABOUR CARBON TAX'. It's not even about the 'My Mom Is Cold' sign that popped up. (And can anyone explain that? Anyone?)
This is about the so-called alternative Prime Minister of Australia standing on a platform with his senior colleagues, scare-mongering and lying, while standing in front of this sign (photo credit to the ABC's Latika Bourke):
This is about Senator Barnaby Joyce trembling with anger and screaming red-faced into the microphone, 'She lied to you! She lied to you!', then smiling and nodding as the crowd roared, 'BITCH! BITCH! BITCH!'
This is about not one of the Coalition speakers asking the crowd to show respect for the Prime Minister – or even for the office of Prime Minister. Every single one of them either stood silently with approving smiles while the crowd roared, or actually encouraged further abuse.
It was a mob virtually baying for Gillard's blood, and being encouraged to do it.
Unsurprisingly, those actions provoked shock and outrage – although, to listen to some media outlets, you'd be forgiven for thinking the rally was just an excitable picnic rather than a sustained personal attack on the Prime Minister. Senator Bob Brown sent a letter to the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon expressing his feelings of disgust at the abuse they'd hurled at her, along with his wish that Abbott would apologise for endorsing such sentiments.
Abbott, however, was having none of that. Late last night he issued a statement saying he regretted the actions of 'a small group of people' – but no apology, no admission that he and his colleagues had helped fuel the situation. Confronted by the media this morning, he expanded on those remarks. Let's take a look.
'A few people went over the top … naturally I regret that … but I can understand that people feel passionate.'
A few people? There were hundreds of people waving abusive signs and chanting 'Bitch!' and even 'Kill the Witch!'. A sky writer even gave us the benefit of his opinion at an opportune moment. And it was particularly impressive how many of those signs were identical and professionally produced.
But what about this?
Abbott: 'Let's face it, this is a Prime Minister who told us before the election that there will be no carbon tax … it was unfortunate that some ppl chose to go a bit over the top yesterday … I would urge all people to conduct this debate with respect … but if we are going to build respect for the democratic process in this country it is important for the Prime Minister to seek a mandate for her carbon tax.'
'It's a pity when some people go a little over the top … it would have been better for everyone if the Prime Minister had said "I don't want to deceive you, there will be a carbon tax" … if the Prime Minister had been straight with the Australian people before the election we wouldn't be in quite the situation we're now in.'
A 'little over the top'? Calling for violence to be done to the Prime Minister of the country?
Just in case we didn't pick it up, Abbott kept repeating that the 'real' problem here was Gillard's broken promise – what he consistently referred to as a 'lie' or 'deception'.
Yes. You read that right. It's Gillard's fault. She made these poor people howl for her blood. If only, if only she hadn't 'lied', we could all be having tea and scones right now.
In the real world, Mr Abbott, we call that 'blaming the victim'.
Then there was this gem:
'People are entitled to feel pretty unhappy … I want the protest to be civil … but let's not get too precious about these things.'
No, let's not get concerned about the fact that the Coalition egged the protesters on to louder and more abusive expressions of intended violence. Let's not worry about Joyce's endorsement of the kind of abuse we consider unacceptable if it's yelled in the street. Let's not get precious, because after all, she brought it on herself.
Asked why he and his colleagues addressed the rally, Abbott replied: 'I thought it was important that … politicians should speak with them.'
Oh, how disingenuous. Abbott was just doing what politicians should do – speak to the people. After all, other politicians go out to see protesters on the lawns of Parliament House – why shouldn't he?
Because other politicians confine their actions to talking one-on-one with protesters. Other politicians listen to grievances – they don't deliver speeches designed to turn a rally into a screaming lynch mob. Other politicians carefully demur when asked by protesters to endorse their slogans.
In other words, Mr Abbott, other politicians speak with protesters, not to them.
Abbott even suggested that Gillard was at fault for not going out to speak to the protesters, as he had. Given the mood of the crowd, she would have been mad to do that. We've already seen people throwing shoes at politicians and burning their pictures – and that's without the Coalition helpfully whipping them along. Watching that rally yesterday, I don't think many people could doubt that Gillard's safety would have been at risk.
Abbott tried to shift the blame to Gillard. He tried the old 'oh, it was just a few mavericks' line. He tried the free speech and 'caring politician' defence. In short, he did everything he could to excuse himself – everything but apologise. In the words of Jake Blues:
But – as Keiran Gilbert asked this morning – what more could he have done?
How about this?
He could have asked the crowd to stop yelling abuse.
He could have insisted that the 'Bitch' sign be taken down while any Coalition representative was on the platform.
He could have made it clear that he wouldn't tolerate any of his colleagues encouraging abuse.
He could have forbidden any Coalition representative from addressing the crowd as a whole, and confined his actions to listening.
But he did none of these things. By mounting that platform yesterday, he married the Coalition to the lynch mob
Abbott should now apologise without reservation on behalf of himself and his parliamentary colleagues. And he should stop treating the Australian people as idiots. After yesterday, he has no basis left for his persistent claims that he is not contributing to fear and anger. After yesterday, he has no credibility whatsoever.
Independent MP Tony Windsor was pooh-poohed when he expressed the concern that the anti-carbon price rhetoric was becoming so inflammatory that it might well spill over into violence directed at those politicians who supported it. Actually, it's more accurate to say he was mocked – everyone from politicians to media to tweeters rubbished the idea.
After yesterday, it doesn't seem so far-fetched, does it?
Mr Abbott and his colleagues need to realise that sooner or later, violence may well erupt as a result of their lies and fear-mongering. And if it does, and all their protests of 'free speech' and 'it's not our fault' will mean exactly nothing. They will have blood on their hands.
What's truly frightening – and after yesterday, seems even more likely – is the idea that they know that already, and they simply don't care.
Two senior Coalition members chose not to attend the rally yesterday – Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey, and former leader Malcolm Turnbull. Neither of them gave their reasons – perhaps it was political expediency, perhaps a recognition of just how inappropriate and damaging it would be.
What's important is that they did not endorse, either by their presence or their words, the abuse, offensive language or threats of violence that occurred – unlike their leader and their colleagues.
For their common sense, they should be commended.


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*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.*
The moment I laid eyes on Taylor, I just knew we would be friends. She wasn't overly pretty or frilly in the way she dressed, and in my experience, pretty girls ran together in unofficial packs that us plainer girls were not invited to. Much like certain species on the African plains, I imagine. Lions with lions, antelope with antelope, naturally drawn to each other by similarities in behaviour, appearance, and diet.
Anyway, there I was, watching just such a group form between two of the girls on my left. The only other girl present besides the choir leader and my sister, was Taylor. She stood next to me on my right, so we naturally fell into conversation. She was around my age, (13) but a little less developed than I was, which, naturally made me feel as though I had some prior claim on adulthood, meaning I was a little more important. She definitely seemed a little un-decided in certain aspects of her life. She was sporting a short, boy-cut hairdo, and wearing gender-neutral clothes. Even her name was sort of nondescript. (I've never been a huge fan of names that made their owner's gender unclear. It's the reason I have trust issues.)
During the first break of the day it was meal time. We had all brought a bag lunch, so we scattered around the facility to partake. The boys on one side, and the girls on the other, Taylor and I next to each other. The only thing to really talk about at that age was who liked whom. "Josie likes Adam, but I like Ryan." Just as our break time was coming to a close, the choir leader joked around in my direction, "well somebody likes Taylor." Trying to play cool, I pretended like I knew who she was referring to, but I was slightly confused as to why she had directed this comment to me. I grew up homeschooled, so I spent most of my time in a general state of social confusion.
Back in the music room, we assumed the same places we had before. Pretty girl squad on my left, me, then Taylor, my sister and the leader. At one point, Taylor manifested a small toy out of her pocket and began tinkering with it. We launched a secret game of trying to snatch it from one another without the leader discovering our activity. Just as another short break was called, Taylor commandeered the figurine, so it was my turn to get it back. We went back to the kitchen area for a drink, and Taylor sat on a wooden chair with her legs folded Indian style. Freeing up her hands to uncap a water bottle, she put the toy on the chair, protected by the Indian-style fort made of legs. I saw my chance. I reached into the human Venus fly-trap, fully expecting her to snap her knees closed around my hand. I was alert and prepared for anything…
Except what I found. Instead of a small plastic action figure, my fingers had clasped around something…. else. Something else entirely.
As we filed back to our places, I avoided eye contact with Taylor. It was around this time that my sister began comparing the number of boys to the number of girls. Looking at Taylor, she lamented "if only you were a boy, then we'd have even numbers."
Taylor looked up, with the most innocent indignance I've ever seen. "I AM a boy." Eyebrows high, desperately hoping to be believed. It was repeated. "I am a boy!"
My sister, finding herself in the same "try to be cool" situation I had stumbled through earlier, sheepishly dismissed the issue, "oh I know."
She hadn't known. And neither had I. Until I got a handful of the proof.


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Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed hit defiant half-centuries to set up an enthralling finish after Pakistan had crashed to 52-5 chasing 317 for victory.
Shafiq was unbeaten on 86 alongside skipper Sarfraz Ahmed on 57 not out as Pakistan need another 119 runs for a series-levelling victory.
Earlier, paceman Wahab Riaz grabbed 4-41 and left-arm spinner Haris Sohail took 1-3 to dismiss Sri Lanka for just 96.
Pakistan 262 and 198 for 5 (Shafiq 86*, Sarfraz 57*) need 119 to beat Sri Lanka 482 and 96 (Mendis 29, Wahab 4-41, Sohail 3-1).
Oct 2017.
Matches Tagged in ClipDex2017 PAK v SRL 2nd Test
Series Tagged in ClipDex2017 PAK v SRL Test serie ...
Players Tagged in ClipDexHerath, Rangana Asad Shafiq Perera, M Dilruwan K Mendis, B Kusal G Gamage, P Lahiru S Wahab Riaz Sarfraz Ahmed Yasir Shah Dickwella, D P D Niroshan Pradeep, Nuwan AR Haris Sohail
Grounds Tagged in ClipDexDubai International Crick ...
Categories Tagged in ClipDexTest Matches
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I found out late last week that I needed to be back in California this week. I scheduled all my travel as usual but over the weekend it was denied because of an approval timing snafu. So on Monday, I was alerted to this and re-booked the travel. Unfortunately, due to the immediate departure and increased cost, my boss's boss had to approve it. He works out of Norway part time so I had to wait until the middle of the night before the morning of the flight for the approval to go through and the ticket to be issued. Anyway, it was and I am here now. But I had to fly into Oakland, which isn't as close as flying into San Jose. So I got my bag, drove through an In-N-Out, scarfed down lunch, and proceeded to my meetings. My concert calendar alerted me to the fact that Linkin Park was playing in San Jose tonight. But the ticket was $85 base price (without fees) and none were available. I could just go and buy one off the street. I was done by 5PM with work so I decided to go run. It was 60 degrees out and it was hard to resist getting some miles in. Maybe I might get down quick and still go to the show?
I headed out from work along the normal path and suddenly wondered why I hadn't gone to Mission Peak to run the mountain. Always a nice time. I wonder how far it is over there. Maybe I will head towards it. Luckily, I had thrown my headlamp in my trout vest because I got burnt last time I was here by finishing stumbling in the dark. Not this time. I weaved up through Milpitas into Fremont and figured it couldn't be too much further. About about an hour and something I was at the trailhead. Still a lot of cars there. I headed up and was losing light on the 40 minute climb to the top. Walked a couple of steep sections just because I didn't want to push it with the hip. I wasn't feeling too fresh at this point. As the sun totally went away, I put on my headlamp. There are cows all over the pastures along side the trails here but at night they seem to gravitate to the trail. Makes it odd when you have to pass an animal that is bigger than a Mini Cooper and they could hurt you real bad if they cared to.
Unfortunately, the sunset gave way to colder temps and fog rolled in. I was suddenly engulfed in it. My headlamp was shooting into the fog and bouncing right back at me. It was cold and I had about 5 feet of visibility. I have been up that trail enough times that I knew where to go but it wasn't so much fun anymore. Cold and kind of scary when you can't see. Heard a howl off in the distance. I need to get this done. Oddly, its like 6:30 PM and I am feeling this anxious. Weird moment. I kept ascending and finally ran into the summit post. Just behind it there were 4 pair of beady eyes staring at me. Ew? 4 cows up on the summit wondering who this fool was. Never seen a cow even near the summit but at night they go over and check it out apparently.
Pretending to have fun in a quick photo op. I was freezing my butt off. Started to descend and the fog was wet and made the rocks all slippery. It was slow going. Didn't see anyone around. Couldn't see far anyway but no lights. Made my way down to the first junction and nearly missed the turn. Had to check the Garmin route to be sure I was going back the way I came. As I popped down out of the fog, the city lights came back into view and I suddenly felt relieved. I was thinking I should have taken the ridge all the way south to connect into Levin Park then back. That would have been cool. But it didn't feel even close to safe doing it tonight in the fog and not knowing the trail. Some other time. On the descent, I saw a dozen people still heading up to the summit.
I got back into Fremont and found my hip starting to flair up. I was 2:15 into the run. For the last few months, I have purposely limited every run to 2 hours max. Figured post-shot, I should try and go further. Guess 15 minutes was all the buffer I had. It didn't hurt that bad, but it wasn't right. I slowed the pace and struggled to hold my form and stay out of the limp. Somewhere in the 9 minute range it was tolerable and I just grinded out the miles back towards work. It did get a bit better at about 3 hours in but by then, that In-N-Out Double-Double power had worn off. I had no sugars this whole run. Only water. So I was feeling a bit bonky and tired. And ready to be done.
Weird moment: I was running down this sidewalk which had hedges along it. I like to think I am light on my feet and don't make a lot of noise running. I often come up on people and they never heard me coming. Anyway, running along this hedge and I see this gap in the hedge. It backs up to a wall. Down in a crouched position, there is this guy wearing a black sweatshirt and black leather gloves. He is rubbing one fist in the other palm while looking down. He didn't notice me until I was right in front of him and it caught him off guard. I just kept moving and didn't hear anyone coming after me. I am confident he raped or mugged the next person that walked by.
Finally, saw the hotel in the distance and worked my way there and over to the Cisco sign where I started 3 and a half hours prior. My mood was a bit better by this point.
Not exactly sure what to make of that run. I went out well and felt good up and down the mountain. Bad patch after though had me never wanting to run again. I went through scenarios of this injury not getting better and just hanging this thing up and pulling out of the LT100. Weird things go through your mind. But I have no interest in racing just to finish there again. I have time goals. And I want to be healthy to give those an honest shot. I probably just need to step back and realize the timing here and that I have another 30 days of recovery. And that this run of 20+ miles on a random Tuesday exactly 7 days post-injection was probably…retarded. But nobody ever said ultrarunners are smart people. We mostly just don't know how to say no.
I went 21.73 miles with an elevation gain of 2,501 feet in 03:30:29, which is an average pace of 09:41. Heart rate average was 139. View my GPS data on Garmin Connect.


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Set us free from AD!
As an alternative you can use LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access protocol) to provide the authentication data for a number of systems. The OpenLDAP project allows you to download the server and provides documentation.
In the commercial realm there is Novell's eDirectory. Novell has a white paper comparing Novell eDirectory to Microsoft Active Directory that might be of some use. The thing about Novell is that now they are becoming a Linux company and their solutions are likely to embrace open standards. With that said, any product that embraces an open standard limits barriers for other companies to provide more competition. Competition in the space will help prevent your current situation of feeling locked in by a vendor. If you become unhappy with one product you can switch more easily providing the new vendor doesn't work in a proprietary way.
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Facial Volume Loss
Youth and beauty have been defined throughout the ages by high prominent cheekbones. As we age, we gradually lose the bony support for our soft tissues. This, combined with thinning and loss of elasticity of our skin, results in facial folds and hollows becoming more pronounced, making us look much older than we may feel.
Historically surgical intervention has been the only option for those seeking change, but in more recent times improvements in dermal fillers have been such that we can provide excellent, long-lasting, safe non-surgical treatment outcomes. These treatments allow us to restore height, fullness and definition to the cheek area which also tightens the surrounding skin and reduces the lines that run from the corner of our nose to the corner of our mouth.