text:
Keep Searching For a Heart of Gold.
Yesterday, during his first solo press conference since taking office, Lord Trump Almighty lamented about the many ways our country's gone to hell in a handbasket.
"We're becoming a drug-infested nation," he said. "Drugs are becoming cheaper than candy bars."
That's pretty cheap! You can search all weekend, though, and we're not sure you'll find any hard narcotics selling cheaper than a Snickers. If you do, jump on it, that's a really good deal.
So we recommend not wasting any time searching in vain. Instead, here are a whole bunch of other things you can do. — Cory Graves
Cirque du Soleil's Kurious Cabinet of Curiosities at Lone Star Park
A steampunk circus featuring flying bicycles, human pyramids and all manner of acrobatic feats and whimsical costumes. Basically everything you've come to expect from the Cirque du Soleil brand over the years. — CG
WWE: Road to Wrestlemania at American Airlines Center
Low key, the six-way women tag match was the best thing about last year's record-setting Wrestlemania, and there'll be another one as finally, the WWE comes back to Dallas. On top of that, a triple threat tag match for the RAW championship and another three-way bout between Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman and The Big Show. — CG
Tacocat at Three Links
Tacocat performed one of the best sets of anyone at last year's 35 Denton. They're a feminist pop-punk band from Seattle, with songs about the first day of your period, breaking up with guys that just broke up with you and catcalling. But it's never preachy enough to distract you, because the overall sound and energy that they give off is light and dance-y enough that it just works as a whole. — Paul Wedding
MxPx at Trees
Coming up in the '90s, vaguely Christian skate punk band MXPX was one of those safer alternative groups your parents would reluctantly be cool with you listening to. Anything to keep you away from the Black Flags and Descendents of the world. These days, members of the group have renounced Christianity, and some have turned their backs on religions and/or deities altogether. How do you like that, mom? — CG
Punk Mock at Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill
Fast-riffing tributes to The Ramones, The Descendents and Fugazi. Three chords and the anti-authoritarian truth. — CG
Blind Pilot at Kessler Theater (Sold Out)
Doesn't get much more Portlandia that Portland-based indie folkers Blind Pilot, who used to tour the West Coast via bicycle back when they were just a two-piece. Now that there's six of 'em, they've given in and bought a vehicle, which is good, because it takes a long time to pedal all the way from Oregon to Dallas. — CG
Eisley at Cambridge Room
Tyler's favorite family band has its fifth full-length, an effort called I'm Only Dreaming, dropping today. On the album's lead single, they get some backing vocal assistance from Circa Survive and Saosin frontman Anthony Green. It bumps a little harder than earlier stuff, but still manages to capture that token ethereal Eisley feel. — Pete Freedman
Le Cure at Granada Theater
Joining Dallas' favorite tribute to The Cure here is JG & the Robots, a Kraftwerk tribute. — CG
The Pin Show at The Bomb Factory
The Pin Show is an independent fashion show showcasing more than 160 walks from independent designers. The show is meant to put the cutting edge of fashion on display, from small-time independent companies to established brands. Music will be provided by ZHORA, Blue, The Misfit, Sam Lao, Picnictyme and Ronnie Heart. — PW
Four-Year Anniversary at Community Beer Co.
An even bigger blowout than its regular jam-packed Saturday tours, this anniversary shindig features 40-plus beers on tap, including some rare and special releases, bands, food trucks, live screen printing and more. — CG
Best Beards of Dallas 2017 at The Rustic
Beards have been all the rage among men for the past several years at this point, with grizzly growing out their neck manes to varying degrees — all the while catching the attention of potential suitors. Yeah, beards are considered sort of sexy nowadays. And in the tradition of those collections of beautiful women posing in an at least somewhat artful and empowering ways in the form of a calendar, one local man is using beards to put together a male counterpart this January. Dallas photographer Brent Baxter has put together a collection of the Best Beards In Dallas for your coffee table. There'll be live bands playing here and, naturally, there will also be a best beard contest for those who feel like they've been snubbed in the book. — H. Drew Blackburn
Animal Spirit (Album Release) at Lola's Saloon
The Fort Worth outfit celebrates the release of its latest, This Is Relevant, with support from Denton's Dome Dwellers and Dallas' Trai Bo. — CG
The Last Midtown ARTwalk at Valley View Center
After six-and-a-half years, these regularly recurring art walks come to an end after this one. So too does the venue, which faces demolition in the coming days. Live music, tons of art and your last chance to say goodbye to ol' Valley View. — CG
Power Trip "Executioner's Tax" Video Shoot at Andy's Bar
Want to maybe see yourself on our site one day? Make your way over to Andy's Bar this Saturday for a Planned Parenthood benefit/video shoot for Power Trip's new "Executioner's Tax" single. Downbeat for that one is 7 p.m. — CG
SOAR Wrestling Presents: Remembering a King at Dallas Elks Lodge #71
The local wrestling promotion remembers the life of Viscera, aka King Mabel. His old Men on a Mission tag team partner Sir Mo appears here, along with fellow WWE Superstar Charlie Hass and many more. — CG
Drone Wars at Cavanaugh Flight Museum
Some say this mini-unmanned version of Star Wars pod racing is the sport of the future, the thing we'll all turn to once concussions derail the NFL altogether. I dunno. drone racing is pretty cool. — CG
Dallas, Save Your History at Sons of Hermann Hall
Built in 1890, the Struck home is one of the oldest in Dallas — and it could be demolished soon. A bunch of bands are playing this show in hopes of raising cash to possibly move, restore or otherwise save the historic home. Those would include Christian Sly & the Nine Zero's, Oil Boom, Dead Flowers, and the Dallas Christian Jazz Orchestra. — CG
Cupid's Undie Run at Trees
There's a pre-party and post-party sandwiching this mile-ish long, underwear-clad run to raise awareness and cash for Neurofibromatosis research. #endNF — CG
Dale Watson at Longhorn Saloon
Dale Watson; revered as a "true country troubadour," "chicken shit bingo pioneer" and "keeper of the flame," but above all, he's a bona-fide metropolitan country legend. — CG
Delbert McClinton at Granada Theater
Perennial sideman and songwriter, McClinton, was eventually able to carve out a pretty successful solo career, charting several albums and singles of his own. His longevity, musicianship, and consistency have made him a legend in the roots community. He's also said to have taught John Lennon the distinctive harmonica sound made famous in songs like "Love Me Do." — CG
MxPx at Trees
Back for more. — CG
Polyphia at Dada
Three words: instrumental prog metal. — CG
Speedealer, Mothership, Against the Grain at Links
Dallas trio Mothership has no trouble churning out heavy riffs. The dudes are currently on a packed string of North American dates in support of their band's upcoming third album, High Strangeness, which drops March 17 via Ripple Music. Fortunately, that thing swings back through their home turf this weekend. — CG
The Pam Grier Fan Club at Texas Theatre
It's a Pam Grier double feature with Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown and a Pam-inspired dance party in the lobby after. — CG
Lincoln Day Dinner Protest at Omni Hotel Fort Worth
We've been told that Congressman Roger Williams has been blowing off his constituents in Austin, who have been desperately trying to set up meetings with him to discuss things like the gerrymandering that helped him get elected. He's one of the confirmed esteemed guests at this event, so a bunch of folks from Austin are driving up to protest. They'll be joined by his constituents from Fort Worth, too. He's got a big district. Gerrymandering! — CG
President's Day March and Rally at Dallas City Hall
Presidents Day? It's more like Not-My-Presidents Day for half of us, who are gathering to protest the King Baby's unconstitutional immigrant bans. — CG
An Evening With J Dilla at RBC
A celebration of one of hip-hop's greatest producers, featuring his old buddy House Shoes and local boys Jay Clipp and JT Donaldson. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Dilla's kids. — CG
A Poet's Tribute to Nina at Margo Jones Theatre
Days before what would have been Nina's 84th birthday, poet Lynn Lyric performs a work based on her songs. — CG
John Cage's Sonatas and Interludes at Nasher Sculpture Center
It takes a few hours to prepare a piano with the necessary screws, bolts, pieces of rubber and such that Cage requires to play the 20 pieces in this cycle. The end result is like something you'll hear nowhere else. — CG
Fea at The Prophet Bar
Whenever Phanie Diaz and Jenn Alva aren't ripping stages apart in their visceral Girl In A Coma project, they're, well, doing the exact same thing in Fea. Blending the immediacy of punk with a more melodic edge, this group most closely resembles the force of a mosh pit. Down with the male patriarchy! — CC
Fea DJ Party at Good Records (Free)
Before they play instruments at Prophet Bar, the punks will play some records over at Good – for free. — CG
PBR: Built Ford Tough Series at ATT Stadium
The toughest athletes on the planet battle the "meanest" steers in the game for a chance at the $140 million prize. — CG
Keep Denton Thrashing at Oak Street Drafthouse
The friends of Nick Thrasher keep his memory alive with their second annual event that'll include punk rock karaoke, live music and a fundraiser for First Book, where a donation will be made in Nick's name. — CG
Mardi Gras Texas Style at Fair Park Automobile Building
Mardi Gras Texas Style is a music festival meant to bring you some of Texas's best country music acts. I guess for them, "Texas style" means a week early. The festival features acts such as Casey Donahew, Cody Johnson, Stoney LaRue, Shooter Jennings, Mike Ryan, Roger Creager, Kyle Park and more. — PW
Beer My Valentine's Bar Crawl in Uptown
Local bloggers Dallasites 101 are hosting the Beer My Valentine Bar Crawl this weekend in Uptown in partnership with Bumble. Besides the clever name, they're offering drink specials from local brewery 3 Nations Brewing at all the bars, a cute T-shirt to add to the pile on your floor and the chance to woo a potential mate through a flip cup tournament. To make things easy for attendees to metaphorically swipe left or right in person, they also have color coded bands to wear: yellow for single, and pink for taken. Why can't all bars have that system? Grab your guys or girls and get out there, I've already got mine. — Hannah Steiner
Intro to Beekeeping and Local Honey Tasting at Denton Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center
Beekeeping is more complex than you would think. Well, not that much more complex. You're keeping fucking flying thumbtacks. The event will cover the history, art and science of beekeeping as instructed by Rachel Seida, a master beekeeper, which is apparently a thing. There's also going to be observation of bees and a honey tasting. — PW
Neil Fest at Granada Theater
From the minds that brought Petty Fest to last year's Oaktopia comes this star studded night of tributes to Neil Young by big names like Norah Jones and Boz Skaggs. Alison Mosshart, The Flatlanders, Charlie Sexton, Nikki Lane, Danny Masterson and many others will share the stage there, too. — CG
Jonathan Richman at Three Links
In the last 40 years Richman's evolved from teenage frontman of punk rock forbearers the Modern Lovers to the equally quirky acoustic guitar-toting troubadour best remembered for narrating There's Something About Mary. To hear Richman and longtime drummer Tommy Larkin tell it, though, they've never stopped evolving. "Me and Tommy play totally different than we played two years ago," Richman once wrote in an old bio. "We already play a different style than we played on that live DVD, and the way we played then was totally different from the way we played three years before that. I still feel like we're just starting out, and I still learn new stuff every night." — CG
Ash Studios V: Some Shades of Black at Dallas Public Library
Eight prominent black Dallas artists — Jeremy Biggers, Diamond Gray, Riley Holloway, Dom G Jones, Jess Lee, Morgana Wilborn , and Chesley Williams — will show off paintings, photography, textiles and more. There'll also be a talk by the artists about what it means to be a black artist in Dallas. — CG
Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys at Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill (Free)
Now in their 29th year together, Big Sandy and his rockabilly revivalist backing band are so authentic, it's hard to pick their records from a bin of actual '60s albums. Thanks to their artwork, recording methods, songwriting, effects and costumes, they're one of the most authentic retro-influenced acts around. — CG
The Griswolds at Cambridge Room
In 2012, the Australian indie pop outfit The Griswolds rose from the ashes of four bands that were going nowhere quickly. Kinda had to, really. Prior to forming, this new band, the four players that now make up the Griswolds had each reached a breaking point. They were more than becoming disillusioned with the directions of their previous music projects; they needed a stark complete change of pace. And so The Griswolds formed — out of necessity, in many respects. It grew into more than that with time, though. Together, The Griswolds' members found common ground through a new, unabashedly laidback and intoxicatingly uplifting pop-rock sound. Better still, the foursome found a whole new audience — all the way across the Pacific in America. For more information on this show, check out a recent interview we did with the band here. — Allie Williamson
Secondhand Serenade, Hawthorne Heights, Ronnie Winter at Trees
Secondhand Serenade is really just John Vesely writing songs for and singing them to his wife. The rest of us are all just bystanders, hence his chosen moniker to release them under. — CG
Yes at Majestic Theatre
The recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees continue their album series by performing their Drama album in full, plus sides one and four of Tales From Topographic Oceans and a smattering of greatest hits. — CG
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner at Alamo Drafthouse (Richardson)
In some ways, things have changed quite a bit since 1967, when this progressive comedy about a white girl bringing her black fiance home to dinner to meet her parents. In many others they haven't changed a bit. Sad! — CG
The Spin Show at Spinster Records (Free)
A free in-store featuring John Earle Mainord, Silas Nello and Brothers & Bride. — CG
Matthew Posey Benefit Concert at Dada
Recently, the beloved local playwright/actor was injured in a random act of gun violence. So a bunch of bands are donating sets, hoping to raise money to help him get his teeth fixed. Party Static, PVC Street Gang, Hawk Vs Dove, The Van Sanchez, Ricki Derek, Mother II, Jeff Whittington, Nick Earl Trio, Jenna Clark, John Pedigo, Manet Jackson, George Quartz, Greg Schroeder, Madison King, Deanna and Trey, and Sarah Ruth. — CG
Hemingway Book Club: Jurassic Park at Black Swan Saloon
Black Swan Saloon has been hosting a bimonthly book club, dubbed Hemingway Book Club, for some time now. Each edition consists of a discussion regarding a specific literary work and a selection of thematic cocktails for you to ingest. — Calvin Cashen
North Texas Craft Beer Chili Challenge at L.U.C.K.
Now in its third year, 31 local breweries have made chilis for this competition. A 10 spot gets you 10 cups to taste, and the proceeds go to the North Texas Food Bank. — CG
To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our event directory.a


text:
A story popped up on my Yahoo homepage early this morning that really troubled me. You may have seen it on CNN as well. It was about the Delta Zeta sorority chapter at Depauw University, where 23 members of the sorority were asked to move into alumnae status because, they allege, nationals felt they did not fit the new image the chapter wanted to present. These 23 young women felt they were placed into one of two categories—overweight or otherwise unattractive, or a minority who didn't fit in. Of course, the national office gave other reasons for the action, so only those directly involved in the situation will ever really know the truth; the sorority is being reprimanded by the university regardless. You can read the story here.
This story caught my attention for two reasons. I just did a search on Amazon to confirm my first suspicion. I entered "sorority" into the search line and up popped dozens of books, both fiction and non-fiction. Unfortunately, most of them painted sororities and fraternities in a negative light. The most recent book highly publicized by the media at the time was Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, by Alexandra Robbins, pictured here. Robbins went undercover for the 2002-2003 academic year to investigate the inner workings of sororities. I remember when this book came out, and it sparked my interest at the time, but I never picked it up. Reading the reviews on Amazon now, I'm glad I didn't. The reviews come from those who've participated in Greek life and from those who haven't, and the disparities, for the most part, are telling. You can read them here.
So is it human nature to attack things you really don't know much about? Things you consider "secret" or, for whatever reason, aren't a part of? It seems so in instances like these. So, yes, as you've probably already guessed by now, I am an active alumnae member of a Greek organization, the largest female Greek organization in the country for that matter, Chi Omega. Stories like this Delta Zeta issue and books like Robbins' book do trouble me, because I fully agree that sororities and fraternities are unfairly criticized. For the most part, sororities and fraternities are painted in a negative light by the media, and very wrongly so. Yes, I agree that there is quite a bit of partying, drinking and the things that sometimes follow in Greek life on college campuses; just like there is quite a bit of partying, drinking and the things that sometimes follow on college campuses in general. That's not "Greek life"; that, unfortunately, is a part of "college life", Greek or not, on the majority of college campuses in this country. It is a positive part? Of course not, but it's a fact. What's also a fact of life on college campuses, one that's so very rarely reported, are all the good these organizations do, both for the individual members themselves and through the groups' philanthropic efforts.
Through sororities and fraternities, members learn valuable life lessons. They learn leadership skills, they learn study skills, and they must maintain high academic standards. They learn social skills and how to get along with others they may not normally interact with. Heck, put 40-50 girls living under one roof and see how quickly they have to learn how to get along! Sorority members are not cut from some secret mold. I know that within my sorority, we had all shapes and sizes; we weren't all thin blondes, as one of the stereotypes goes. Greeks learn how to deal with life in general in a supportive, structured environment that strives to prepare them for success in their futures. Furthermore, they learn the value of community service and volunteerism through their philanthropies. And through that, they learn that every one, no matter their size, ethnic background, color, creed, class, ability or disability, can add something of value to this society.
Can students who don't participate in Greek life learn these things as well? Certainly, it just takes making an effort to get involved on their campus. (Oh Lord, I think I've just stepped up onto my Student Activities soapbox :-). Greeks are involved on their campuses. But my point is, all areas of campus life are exposed to, and may participate in, those negative influences, not just Greeks. We can only hope that they all learn from their experiences, both positive and negative. Wouldn't it be nice if the media tried to concentrate solely on positive things, just for one day? Sure, that's not going to make the world's problems disappear, but it sure would go a long way in reminding us that not everything is doom and gloom. Put on your happy feet and dance once in a while.
One last note: I guess the main reason this really grabbed me is that I've been getting more involved in my local alumnae chapter, and last night I had dinner with four other Jacksonville area Chi Omega alumnae. We ranged in age from early 20's to early 40's; we were all different sizes, different backgrounds, and different experiences, yet that main Chi Omega commonality brought us to that table and we talked like old friends for more than two hours, with never a lull in the conversation. That's what Greek life can do: those connections that can be made down the line simply because when you were in college, you pledged the same sorority or fraternity, not at the same time, not even at the same university, but just the same Greek organization that has a strong national presence, like so many do. I wouldn't trade that or the experiences I've had thanks to my involvement in Greek life for anything. And you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be encouraging my daughters to do the same when they go to college.
The Great Greek Manifesto
2 comments:
Hello Kelly!
My sister, Aubree Hershorin, sent this blog to me and I wanted to compliment you on your insightful view of the Greek system. While Aubree was a Chi Omega, I pledged Kappa Alpha Theta at my college. I also feel the same strong connection to my sorority and I think that it definitely is something you have to be a part of to truly understand, sad as that is. I try to explain to my "non Greek" friends, even now 8 years later, and no one seems to get it unless they went through it. We can continue to try to educate though. Thanks for your thoughts!
- March 2, 2007 at 7:46 PM
- Kelly Warren said...
Thanks so much for your comment, Marnee! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
- March 2, 2007 at 7:55 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ECNL and DA coach credentials Nov 7, 2019 8:19:41 GMT -5 via mobile
ECNL and DA coach credentials
ECNL and DA coach credentials
Welcome to the www.gasoccerforum.com shoutbox. Guests are welcome to "Shout"
JJQ90: SK did resign, are there more to follow? Oct 7, 2019 9:25:08 GMT -5
soccerdriver4: Georgia Soccer and NL need a jump start. SCCL needs promotion/relegation, and better communication a must. Too much last minute stuff. Oct 7, 2019 15:24:50 GMT -5
no news: SK is a lifetime member and still an ODP coach. Perhaps he is just moving on without anything more to it Oct 7, 2019 19:30:16 GMT -5
Question: Why is soccer in Georgia and most other states fragmented and can it be fixed? Oct 12, 2019 9:34:48 GMT -5
atlfutboldad: Why? Poor management/oversight from USYS. Can it be fixed? Doubtful, clubs don't want it fixed. It would take directive from the *weak* USSF. Oct 15, 2019 17:27:06 GMT -5
SCCLparent: The more I begin to understand the soccer scene the more I realize how fragmented and diluted every league is. Why so many? Business? I doubt one is better than the other. Certainly not good for competition. Not good. Nov 18, 2019 23:05:13 GMT -5
toddga675: There will be more fragmentation to come. SCCL will expand into more divisions. Georgia Soccer will counter with more leagues. USL will bring Academy divisions. ECNL will add another division. The level of fragmentation will eventually be quite amusing. Nov 19, 2019 12:11:15 GMT -5
SCCLparent: Amusing for whom? How is that even any good for the sport or the kids? Nov 19, 2019 21:51:19 GMT -5
hokesmyth: Coaches BEWARE: www.nj.com/slide-trial/?cid=db&source=ams&sourceId=3863793&fbclid=IwAR3OcgNaQwfRR6YaP0hWYcncTwif64ELrZx_VC8qUxet82U4wWJWFwyLnGk Nov 22, 2019 16:38:37 GMT -5
atlfutboldad: That's terrible! ^ Unfortunate injuries happen, career-ending ones. I certainly would NOT put that on the coach, thats routine coaching and playing. Dec 2, 2019 11:39:06 GMT -5
HS Teach/Coach: Well, only parents can put a stop to this nonsense of missing that many days. Club coaches DO NOT CARE! Totally agree with the parent who said missing a day maybe two, but 3 in one week is a bit excessive. If parents stop paying, clubs couldn't afford... Dec 3, 2019 16:47:25 GMT -5
Realitysports: Hs soccer is a joke, perhaps that's way ,many players committ to taking days off sense it's a clear pathway and is worth the sacrifice I believe. Dec 4, 2019 13:41:39 GMT -5
CC79: Is US Club or SCCL planning to do something with coaching education? I see nothing happening on that front unless is not the website. Dec 7, 2019 10:35:52 GMT -5
Resposne to CC79: LOL .. Why would they care? Dec 10, 2019 18:02:10 GMT -5
SSCL: Adding another summer league? Great, that's all we needed. Dec 20, 2019 18:40:15 GMT -5
Strikermom: Good luck to all with high school tryouts this week Jan 13, 2020 11:07:15 GMT -5
hattrick07: As much time and money spent to play ECNL, my daughter is more excited about her middle school soccer team. That speaks volumes. Jan 14, 2020 7:52:38 GMT -5
REC: I don't know if it does. Many players enjoy the recreational level of middle school soccer because the look better within their comfort zone. It can be more fun than select. Jan 17, 2020 19:37:20 GMT -5
slickdaddy96: Yes Middle and High School soccer is more fun because they get to play with their other school friends that play rec etc.... The competition is not as strong, and thus they can have more fun. Jan 21, 2020 16:27:32 GMT -5
Champions League: We need more leagues than just SCCL with that name. It sells well even if it includes clubs or teams that never won anything. Jan 25, 2020 19:41:41 GMT -5
Links of Interest
Soccer America Top Drawer Soccer The Shin Guardian Soccer By Ives 3FOUR3 The Orginal Winger Soccerblog Soccer Cleats 101 Christopher Cramer Blog SoccerBible NASN Goal Soccerly
Twitter Soccer List


text:
How much unit testing is enough? Ask a Mutant Army to find out!
There's an old joke that goes something like this. A tourist in New York City asks a resident how to get to a famous concert venue, saying, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" To which the resident replies, "Practice." Aside from the slight difference in topic, this is almost the same as asking, "How do I get to high quality code that I can use Continuous Delivery on?" You could easily say, "Practice."
By this, what you mean is that you need to test early and often to ensure that you have high quality code. Everyone knows that unit testing is a large part of that equation. Managers (and others) have learned that you need to watch the code coverage metrics to see that you are testing every line of your code. People feel comfortable that if you test all the code that you're never going to be blind-sided by a bug that you missed during development. But, as most of us who have actually paid attention to code coverage know, that is misplaced comfort.
That's because it's too easy to fall prey to one of two fallacies about code coverage. First, it's too easy to game the metric, if you need to impress your management into complacency. And second, it is a poor metric to judge quality by. Unit testing is the answer for high quality code, but how much testing is enough? There are qualitative metrics, such as you have enough unit tests when you don't have production problems, but that really begs the question. There are static and dynamic code metrics that you can produce, but those also fall short of the goal. However, there is one technique to use that goes a long way to answering the question unambiguously. Mutation Testing.
Mutation Testing assumes 100% code coverage. It then takes your nice happy code and messes with it. Negate a conditional. The code now does something else. Do your unit tests find that bug? Good! How about changing a conditional. Oops. The mutation survives, and the unit tests don't find it? Bad!!
This session describes the problem and one tool that can be used to fix it for good. The tool is called PIT. We look at the Java mututation tool called PIT. We will see the results in a couple of small projects, and then see what it looks like in a not so small open source project. We will see the role that mutation testing can have on quality, and how we would use it in our build automation to get us further down the road to having successful deliveries all the time - not train wrecks at just the wrong time.
Outline/Structure of the Demonstration
- 5 minutes of introduction to the problem and the tool
- 15 minutes of demonstration of the tool on 2 small examples (to explain what the tool is doing) and then on JUnit (to see the extent of the usefulness, both good and bad).
Learning Outcome
- A better appreciation of why unit testing is not enough if code quality is the goal.
- A good introduction to PIT (for Java development)
Target Audience
developers, architects, technical managers, mid level (and above) managers
schedule Submitted 4 years ago
Public Feedback
- By Joel Tosi ~ 4 years ago
Hi Howard,
I took a peek at your slides - they were pretty hard to read (partially probably my eyes) - there were lots of words and small font. How do you use your slides? I'm concerned that the words become distracting, but let me know if that is not the case.
As this session is 45 minutes - would a 20 minute demo do it justice?
Lastly, help me understand how you weave PIT into traditional test driven design practices.
Hi Joel!
This would be the first presentation on this topic. The slides you viewed are Prezi, from past presentations, and may not be easy to view, nor do they represent how the presentations are performed. The slides are meant to give attendees something to take home to remind them of the salient points that were talked about during the presentation. As this is a demonstration of only 45 minutes, there will probably be far fewer ones, although content such as what the mutations do (such as removal of returns, etc.) will have to be present (again, I want people to have some references after they leave).
The premise of the presentation is that people rarely only write code after they have a a new failing test. And even when they do, they will only make the test pass, and many times forget to test all the combinations within the code. That is where mutation testing shines. Mutation testing takes the seemingly perfect unit tests (after all, they have 100% code coverage) and shakes out test cases (usually around boundary conditions) that might otherwise cause issues later on. In other words, to get to quality code, standard unit testing / code coverage is not enough.
Depending on how the the writing goes, I may be able to coax an additional 5 minutes on top of the 25 minutes I proposed. I recently introduced the topic on a unit testing for managers session I just gave, and found that it was 11 minutes for just a simple walkthrough. I wish there was a 60 minute session slot available. That would give more time for demos. I just don't think that I can do pure demo on this, as too many people are not familiar with the topic, much less the tools.
Thanks for the feedback! If there are any other things that you could suggest or critique, I'd be very appreciative.
-- howard
Hi Howard,
Mutation Testing is an interesting topic. I've tried it on a few large projects and gave up. It has a tendency to produce many "false positive". Will you share some experience on how to deal with this problem?
Hi Naresh!
I've experienced the same issues with PIT, some of which can be addressed in the Java code, and some that can not. I believe that the Microsoft solution, based in Pex, is better. But I'm having issues with paying for Pex and the Visual Studio edition that it runs in. For most teams, Mutation Testing is still aspirational, because the tooling isn't the best yet. I can include some of the false positive examples that I've run across to put the early adopters on the lookout.
-- howard
Thanks for the prompt response. I've used Jumble, Judy, Jester, PIT, Nester and Pex. But I think they all have the same issue. Based on your comment it looks like Mutation Testing is not ready for prime time?
Hi Naresh!
I've used PIT successfully, even though there are some rough spots. I would say that the current set of Mutation Testing tools are right in the chasm of the Moore "Crossing the Chasm" curve: between an early adopter and an early majority. The early adopters are willing to put up with all the issues and hardships, while the early majority needs/wants more stable tools. I do think those tools are coming, and sooner than later. For example, Visual Studio intgrated with tools like Visual Mutator make it much easier to figure out where/how mutation testing gets inserted into test code (at least enough to satisfy weak mutation testing).
Anyhow, many people are still completely unaware of what mutation testing is. I'd like to bring their level of understanding at least a little more into or past basic awareness.
-- howard
- Thanks for the clarification Howard. If the objective of the session is to bring a basic level of understanding of mutation testing, then how about a 20 mins demo using PIT on some real (open-source) project which has very good test coverage?
Hi Naresh!
That could work. I'm thinking the Cucumber-JVM core project. You wouldn't have any session a little longer? There's a fair amount of explanation as to why and how this works. Thanks!
-- howard
Cucumber-JVM is a good project. I was also thinking the JUnit project itself would be great to try mutation testing on. IMHO 20 mins would be a good time to introduce the topic to people and let them explore more details post the talk.
If you agree, please update your proposal.
Hi Naresh!
I (finally) updated the proposal (after first getting PIT to work in the JUnit 4.13 snapshot). Let me know how this looks now.
Thanks for the interest and your helpful suggestions!
-- howard
Hi Naresh!
The JUnit project actually makes more sense, because it's an order or more smaller than Cucumber-JVM. Let me try it out, and update later in the day. Thanks much!
-- howard


text:
that looks quite interesting.
Are you aware of/did you see the new dark skin introduced with 1.3.0? You can try it out by installing the 1.3.0 development snapshot and selecting it in the settings. The dark skin looks quite similar.
If you know your way around coding, or want to learn or just take a look, the mumble theme repo can be found at https://github.com/mumble-voip/mumble-theme
The file Dark.qss contains the CSS ruleset for said dark skin.


text:
The Varsity had a bye for the entire league during week #2, so we picked our action back up during week 3 and it was Fantastic!!!!
Week 2 Saturday May 3rd @ Varsity Bye Week (No Games Scheduled)
Week 3 Saturday May 10th @ Potomac HS
3401 Panther Pride Dr, Dumfries, VA 22026
DC Warriors (Week #3 Bye)
Loudoun County War Eagles South
|Prince George's County Swarm
Loudoun County War Eagles North
|HC Stars
|Baltimore Metro Stallions
Montgomery County Bearcats
Anne Arundel County Elite
|Charles County Heat
Prince William County Raiders
|Fairfax County Colts
All PTP'ers in acknowledgement of Mother's Day took their GLORY PHOTO with their Mother, Grandmother, Auntie or Significant Female Influence in Attendance.
Loudoun County WarEagles South 0
P.G. County Swarm 28
These 2 Teams got the day started with a BANG!.. As both teams came out the gate technically sound and looking for a victory on both sides of the field. But as the 1st half drew to a close you could see that the plays made by 2 New Members were easing the game into The Swarms favor. #17 KeShaun Wray (formerly with Fairfax) led the charge and #14 Jamal Speaks (formerly with HC Stars) really were key.
Never to be doubted though is that "WAREAGLE PRIDE" as they really rallied behind the solid defensive line play of #55 Joshua King and Secondary Standout, #14 Joseph "Joe Eeee" Nameth. At one point it was like the #14 vs #14 Bowl. As both student athletes took over the gridiron stage and left it SMOKIN'! But it would be P.G. who would be the only team to see the endzone that morning.
Your "PRIMETIME PLAYERS" are:
War Eagles South: #55 Joshua King
War Eagles South: Joseph "Joe Eeee" Nameth
PG Swarm: #17 KeShaun Wray
PG Swarm: #14 Jamal Speaks
Loudoun County War Eagles North 12
HC Stars 27
Two of The Best Coaches our league is blessed to have came into this game intense and ready to start putting the final pieces together before making a charge this season. Coach Rusty Markland from Loudoun & Coach Tee White from The Stars know how to put together a unit. No Doubt!
Also in the house today, was Maryland Terps Offense Lineman, Damian Prince and Defensive Lineman Dashawn Hand! (pictured above) The standouts came through to Show Love, Meet & Greet, Photo Op and Enjoy some Football, FOOTBALL.. FOOTBALL!
They say, Practice Makes Perfect! Well in this one, it took The War Eagles a second to realize it wasn't practice. As The Stars blasted off the ball and jumped to an early lead in front of a healthy crowd of Loudoun Supporters in the stands. #3 Ephraim "Easy E" Moore and #7 Squirrel Payton for the Stars continued to build on their ability to hook up in the passing game. After they won the season opener in overtime doing the same. I've watched Moore for good portion of his GYFL Career and he has really found his niche with The Stars.
But the run was not to go uncontested! Not by a long shot, Daddy! As The War Eagles came out after halftime HITTIN & STICKIN ANYTHING THAT MOVED! #55 Darby Macon had a STRONG GAME for Loudoun. Yet it was the emergence of 2 New Faces in War Eagle places that really stood out to me. Dubbed as "Iron Will" #66 Will Moore ascended from the defensive line as just another player but pillaging and plundering The Stars upfront. And with a KONG like beat of his chest.. "The GO-WILLA" was born! Between his savage play on Defense and #15 Graham Walker dropping PIN-POINT TEAR DROPS to his recievers with remarkable accuracy. The belief that this team could comeback was all too evident. I believed.. The crowd believed.. and The team believed too!
The problem with all that was.. Nobody asked Squirrel who took a simple Read Option play and broke the game open! The clock became an enemy versus a ray of hope to The War Eagles who go down. But stand affirmed, they have NO REASON to be considered out!
Your "PRIMETIME PLAYERS" are:
War Eagles North: #15 Graham Walker
War Eagles North: #66 "The Go-Willa" Will Moore
HC Stars: #7 Squirrel Payton
HC Stars: #3 "Easy E" Ephraim Moore
Montgomery County Bearcats 38
Baltimore Metro Stallions 12
As The Bearcats look to be the 1st Team in The GYFL to REPEAT! They face a tough task today against The Stallions who came all the way from Charm City to due battle on the gridiron.
Then.. It happened! All the talking had ended abruptly, because #5 Tremayne "The Mayne Event" Stott took over the show. From endzone to endzone faster than Forrest Gump could say, Jenn-nie! He was GONE! And it wasn't hard to speculate either, as he would catch a good kickout block from #34 Jermaine Jeter. The Hamilton Tiger Alum showed what and how being an unselfish teammate can mean to the team. Jeter also had nice carries out the backfield and left his presence felt from the defensive side as well. I Love J.J.'s Game!
But not to be out done, was The Metro Stallions. Who debuted a New Weapon out of Holy Dirt literally! #11 Khalih Williams is officially "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business!" In the run, pass, defense and special teams. He seemed almost EVERYWHERE the football was. Between him and #71 "The BoogieMan" Karl Cromartie running a HANDS ON Scared Straight Program at the line of scrimmage. It wasn't to hard to see that the damage done early and often by Stott and Jeter would decide this one easily. But you couldn't tell that to Khalih.
The Champs get pass Coach Ty Johnson in a hard fought game where the Big Plays just took too much out of the Hope Bucket early.
Your "PRIMETIME PLAYERS" are:
Bearcats: #5 "Mayne Event" Tremayne Stott
Bearcats: #34 Jermaine Jeter
Stallions: #11 Khalih Williams
Stallions: #71 "Boogie Man" Karl Cromartie
Anne Arundel I5 Elite 15
Charles County HeAT 21
The Game of the Week was NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN! Those in attendance got the chance to see a DOOSIE! As both teams came into this one looking to leave a mark not only on the opponents mind but every fan watching from the bleachers. On a Saturday where the rain had come and gone. The Sun started to peak out from behind the clouds and Potomac HS had The GYFL packing the driveway of Panther Pride with Football Lovers from ALL OVER The DMV!
The Game was so heavily contested that 2 Major Things Stood Out to Me. If you were there and disagree.. feel free to comment below. The Debut of I5 Elite was a STATEMENT as Pure as The Game itself! WE PLAY TEAM FOOTBALL! No Gimmicks Needed, No Standouts, No None of That! And secondly, The Charles County Heat has THE BEST PLAYER IN PADS & CLEATS leading the charge for a GYFL Championship! Tell me if I'm Wrong.. but the addition of #4 "Baby Beast Mode" Jason Labbe to "The Razor"Raymond Boone.. is BANANAS!
This competition was TOUGH! As I5 Elite played a STRONG GAME led by #5 Zaire Allen, #12 Cameron White and "The Full Montee" #94 LaMonte Garrison denying EVERYTHING up the middle. Garrison has a heck of a motor for a Big Man as he never stopped coming forward ALL DAY LONG. But Coach Terrence Byrd is One of The Best in the business at making sight reads and conveying it to his team quickly.
That once this game was cut down to a 1 point lead in favor of I5 (15-13) late in the 3rd going into the 4th. Boone and Labbe had mustered up enough Big Plays to get it in reach. That's when Labbe bounced to the outside and MAN RAN over an I5 defender that even the spectators with the worst knees spring to their feet in the stands!!!
I would clearly say this with all honesty! I thought it was The Prelude to a Playoff Matchup that would fill FedEx if enough people say it via SEN Television.com
Your "PRIMETIME PLAYERS" are:
Elite: #5 Zaire Allen
Elite: #12 Cameron White
Elite: #94 "The Full Montee" LaMonte Garrison
Heat: #21 "The Razor" Raymond Boone
Heat: #4 "Baby Beast Mode" Jason Labbe
Prince William County Raiders 0
Fairfax County Colts 26
Historically, The Grand Finale today would put 2 Teams together led by 2 Outstanding and Enthusiastic Coaches to the test. Traditionally, getting The Best out of their student athlete's is a bigger goal then winning philosophically. But today wasn't about tradition! Today we are in Virginia and the closest thing to a Home Game these 2 may see on the schedule. So emotions were definitely running high! The Prince William Alum, Jonte "BIG BAYYBAHHH" Craig along with several others came out to support as well. It was really good to see him and Momma yelling from the sidelines again, like the Good Ole' Days! Lol.. Last Spring!
The Colts had 2 players move up from their JV and it was gonna be interesting to see how they would gel coming up to Varsity. Along with both teams for once having legitimate QB's who could sling the pill from the pocket. Fairfax's #10 Johnathan Ball is a developing Read Option Passer and The Raiders #14 Casey Blankenship can make every throw from the pocket whether it's stationary or rolling to either side.
Fairfax Coach, Pret-tahhh Ricky Hairston and Raiders Coach, Eric Levenberry have shared similar challenges thru the years in The GYFL grooming and cultivating their teams. In many cases, wrestling with every gambit of a challenge there is short of the scoreboard. That on a couple of occasions I think either one of them would have been cool with just that. Recruiting has been challenging for both, but this year the Talent Spirit has swooped thru Fairfax for sure.
Staple Players like #44 "Heavyweight Champion of The Wooooorld" J Wrestlah Holzworth has played thru some TOUGH SEASONS! On some teams that would make you or break you. Same for Jonte.. which is why they came and keep coming. The Team bonds deepest thru adversity and No 2 other teams can say that more than The Colts & Raiders!
Prince Williams: #4 Isiah Tibbs, #7 D'Andre Stokes, #1 Elijah "ICE AGE" Snow, #43 Natanael Maravilla, #6 Bradley McGee, #33 Dallas Capaletti, #52 Danny Cruz and The Heart of this Team #75 Chris "Brick Wall" Emerson were just a few I really wanted to give light too. There was more, but printing the roster wouldn't be cool on Facebook. Lol.. PLAYED THEIR HEARTS OUT! I repeat.. PLAYED THEIR HEARTS OUT! But it would not be so as time and time again, dropped passes, penalties or just getting beat to the spot cost them this game you could see THEY WANTED! Especially coming out holding hands in sign of UNITY!
Across the field from them.. The Colts who been around knew that look The Raiders had was REAL! And they knew they had to beat it off their faces by playing sound football. And outside of a dropped pass or two, The Colts played VERY DISCIPLINED football. So much so, that it gave the impression that the Referees were partial. But there was a call down by the endzone where the player fumbled the ball crossing the goal that really sucked. Oops!..
Outside of that, The JV acquisition of repeat PTP'ers, #28 Tremon "DROP" Mouris-Brash and #8 "Poppa Smurf" Daiimon Cleveland proved to not only be wise, but put them over the top with HUGE PLAYS on Offense, Defense and Special Teams!
Your "PRIMETIME PLAYERS" are:
In White: EVERYBODY
In Blue: EVERYBODY
In Street Clothes: EVERYBODY
In The Pressbox: ERR'BODY!
And since it's Mother's Day.. Err'Body Get In The Shot! Dad's take the picture.. Lmbo
Thank You All.. I had a BLAST! Cut this mic off I'm going home to get me some Pre-Mother's Day Sleep


text:
I woke up that morning energized and perhaps slightly disillusioned...we were sure to win! No one else had such an innovative idea that could reach so many populations. I arrived at the hackathon to find my collaborators in a similarly lighthearted mood. We eagerly solidified our presentation, divided up who was going to say what, and practiced it in front of anyone who was willing to listen. And then, to settle our nervous energy, we spun poi. While the rest of the room was buried in last Read More
As I peered into Hack/Reduce for the first time, I was transported back to my junior high lunch room. Where would I sit amongst the rows of long tables? What if no one wants to sit by me? What if no one likes the Orbitar? What if...I don't want any of this free stuff ? I had hardly entered the room when a lady behind a table, wearing a Berklee College of Music hackathon t-shirt, was smothering me in hackathon merchandise. "Actually, I don't really need any of that..." She looked dejected, and Read More


text:
Once one of my non-geologist friends uttered the words "trippy" while staring at a geologic map of North America that was up in the hallway. I agree. To the uninitiated a geologic map probably looks like a fairly random assortment of off-colors, blobs, blebs, sharp lines, and generally strange shapes. As geologists we are trained to take the seemingly random slapping together of colors and lines, and pull from it a history, a piece of the story of our planet. Some engineers at Google challenged a deep learning network with a series of images which produced some "trippy" results. Wouldn't it be fun to apply their code to some geologic maps?
Basically the program takes an image and attempts to match a some known object (birds, dogs, etc.) in it. Do this for a few iterations and the object becomes more pronounced. For instance they fed it a picture of clouds:
Within lies madness:
Matt Hall over at Agile Geoscience already went ahead and fed the deep dream code some seismic sections:
Pretty cool, but let's give it some geologic maps.
When the Trippy filter is applied to the Crooked River map there's some interesting results. The corners are largely untouched by the dream. Perhaps the machine needs something to ground it to reality?
If your interested, someone turned the deep dream code into a webapp so you can easily upload and make your own dream paintings. If you want to do a bit more digging, the source code is available on GitHub. All of the geologic maps were downloaded or captured from USGS MapView.


text:
A821 No Fray Spray - Sprayway
Another great product from Sprayway, the No Fray Spray has been an invaluable tool for those in the industrial sewing machine setting for a long time now. It has various applications, which include:
Specially created to help sewing trades personnel be more productive.
Prevents unraveling of fabric and slippage of threads - saves labor and time.
Eliminates over-edge stitching, reduces seam failure and material waste.
Fast drying and excellent for storing fabrics safely
Fast drying and excellent for storing fabrics safely
This product is readily available on the ABC Sewing Machine online catalog, so order your No Fray Spray now! You can get more information about this product by leaving us a message on our Contact Us page.


text:
Aquarius is the eleventh astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation Aquarius. In astrology, Aquarius is considered a "masculine", positive (extrovert) sign. It is also considered an air sign and is one of four fixed signs. Aquarius has been traditionally ruled by the planet Saturn, and, since its discovery, Uranus has been considered a modern ruler of this sign. The pendant includes a booklet explaining the sign's correspondances. It gives the personality characteristic associated with each sign and a listing of the keywords, ruling planet, element birthstone, lucky day, metal, tarot and Kabbalist letter.
Made of high quality excelsior pewter; nickel free and lead free
Made in the USA by American artisans
Adjustable cord (30 inches/76.2 cm) with laminated ends and pewter accent bead included
Double sided; sign symbol on front and inscription on back
Measures approximately 1 1/4 inches (3.18 cm) in diameter
Stock Number: PP-112-255


text:
Ain't nothing like being sassy. Especially when you're in a bad mood to start with cause you're broke from the holidays, the weather sucks and there isn't another statutory holiday for weeks. So when someone irritates you, asks you something stupid or is just plain annoying, hit him/her with one of these, some of the best insults I've seen anywhere…
10. Why don't you slip into something more comfortable? Like a coma.
9. Do you have to leave so soon? I was just about to poison the tea.
8. If you were twice as smart, you'd still be stupid.
7. Your family tree is a cactus because everybody on it is a prick.
6.You are so ugly that when your mama dropped you off at school she got a fine for littering.
5. You're so ugly Hello Kitty said goodbye to you.
4. It looks like your face caught on fire and someone tried to put it out with a fork.
3. You must have been born on a highway cuz thats where most accidents happen.
2. We all sprang from apes, but you didn't spring far enough.
And the best one I've seen so far…..
1. Your birth certificate is an apology from the condom factory.
Bahahahaha! Well, that changes my mood from bad to mediocre…. Keep smiling folks, and don't forget to buy my books. That'll make me smile at least…..


text:
What's Hot Today
Supernatural raised the stakes and upped the intensity on " Clip Show " last night, preparing fans for what ought to be a crazy Season 8 finale. Titled "Sacrifice," it will feature Sam and Dean receiving help from Kevin as they go up one final time against The Demon King, while Metatron teams with Castiel to take on Naomi and the bureaucracy of Heaven. Read More... //www.tvfanatic.com/2013/05/supernatural-season-finale-promo-and-clip-a-collision-with-the-d/
The Supernatural season 8 finale is almost here, and there are two big questions to answer. Will Sam close the Gates of Hell forever and will Castiel close the Gates of Heaven? Locking up the two worlds above and below is a big deal, but there are still quite a few hoops to jump through. Read More... //www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/video-sam-and-dean-make-a-new-50070.aspx
Supernatural Season 8 Episode 22 "Clip Show" airs Wednesday May 8 at 9 pm on the CW television network. Episode Synopsis: Supernatural Season 8 Episode 22 "Clip Show" – Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) reunite with Castiel (Misha Collins). Digging through the Men of Letters' files, they stumble upon an undiscovered film which could be the key to the third trial. Metatron (guest star Curtis Armstrong) enlists Cass to mull over problems at home. Meanwhile, Crowley (guest star Mark Sheppard) digs into Sam and Dean's past. Taylor Cole, Graham Wardle, and Cindy Busby also guest star. Thomas J. Wright directed the episode written by Andrew Dabb. READ MORE...
Official photos from the May 8 episode. Read More... //www.buddytv.com/slideshows/supernatural-episode-822-photos-sam-dean-and-cas-watch-a-movie-49190.aspx


text:
Is God Good?
We are a people obsessed with greatness.
We compare and rank everyone and everything we can think of. Look at all of the greatest lists ranking music, movies, TV shows and much more at the end of each year. Recently I ran across a list ranking all of the James Bond films from top to bottom.
It doesn't stop there. A few years ago Jim Collins wrote a book entitled Good To Great. Collins wrote in this book about how to take companies from simply good to great. Certainly this is a worthy goal. Good is simply not good enough. Companies should strive to be great.
How about our spiritual lives? Most of us would probably say that our spiritual walk is good. We read our Bibles. We pray. We go to church. We talk about God and Jesus in our lives. It's good.
What about God Himself? Is He good? Is He great? Look at how we are taught to pray as children. God is great, God is good. We put God's greatness before His goodness.
We hear this in some of our modern songs. I love Rich Mullins. His songs touch me in many ways. In fact, I cannot think of a song of his that I don't like.
Perhaps his most famous song is Awesome God. The song describes God's greatness in how He created the world and sent His Son to the world to save us. You cannot hear the song without thinking of God as awesome and great.
The question we have to ask ourselves is if we truly believe that not only is God great, but that God is good.
Do we believe that God is good when our circumstances go bad? When a parent dies when a child is young, does he or she grow up believing that God is good? How about when a child dies leaving the parent heartbroken? Does the parent still believe that God is good?
How about during when other things go wrong? Do we believe that God is good when we lose jobs? How about when marriages go sour and end? What about when other relationships end? What do we feel when our church doesn't act like we think it should? Do we really believe that God is good?
Many of us will resort to clichés during these times. We will say something like God is good all the time, All the time God is good. We say this and on the surface we believe it. However, do we really believe it in our heart of hearts?
Many of us will believe that He is good. Far too many of us will not. We will not trust God and truly believe that He is good. Too many will believe that God is some sort of cosmic killjoy, secretly enjoying our misery. Nothing could be further from the truth.
God wants us to know that He is good. In fact, He invites us to know and understand that He is good. Psalm 37:4 tells us this. The verse says, "O taste and see that God is good."
Notice that the verse doesn't ask the reader to see that God is great or awesome. If you believe in God, it's easy to think these things. You can look at the sun, the moon and the stars and see that God is great. That does not necessarily help one have an intimate relationship with God. It's only when one realizes that God is good that this relationship can begin and flourish.
So, how do we begin to see that God is good?
First, we need to see that God has always been good. We need to realize that God has been good from the very beginning. We also need to see that God Himself is the definition and the determiner of good.
Next, we need to see what went wrong. How in the world did we ever get to the point that we no longer believed that God was good? Something had to have changed to affect us this way.
Finally, we need to look at what God has done to bring us back to the realization that He is good. In simple terms, it begins with that invitation in Psalm 34:7. That is the basic framework. However, what does that mean?
That's the aim of this post. God is great. Most of us can agree on that. However, we all want to know and see that God is good.
How do you know that God is good?
By The Will Of God
Yesterday's post was a rundown of what I spoke about at my first campground service of the year. It was based on the first two verses of Ephesians as my services this year will be a series on Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus.
One phrase stood out to me that I want to explore a bit more. It comes at the end of the first verse after Paul calls himself an apostle of Christ Jesus.
He writes that he is this apostle "by the will of God."
Paul was an apostle by the will of God. Think about that for a minute. By the will of God.
What are you doing that is by the will of God?
Are you going to your job tomorrow by the will of God?
Are you a parent by the will of God?
Are you a grandparent by the will of God?
What does that even mean?
I think too often how we look at our circumstances are faulty. We might bemoan the circumstances we find ourselves in. We might even grumble about them. Do we, though, consider that they are the will of God?
Our job is not going the way we imagined. Perhaps we find ourselves in a career what we did not plan or even consider. It is easy to question why. However, are you in that position by the will of God?
Maybe we have problems with our children. They are going down the wrong path. We do not like the choices they are making. Heartbreak happens. What happens if that is by the will of God?
As I looked at that phrase "by the will of God", I realized that it is an attitude changer.
Paul looked at this circumstances in life, his position in life, and realized that it was all by the will of God. He was not a Pharisee any longer, by the will of God. He has been shipwrecked, beaten and stoned in life by the will of God. Knowing that it was by the will of God allowed Paul to face and work in any circumstance he faced.
It will do the same for us.
Job? Family? Position in life? Being by the will of God makes it bearable.
Does that mean we throw our hands up in resignation and simply accept it as is and never seek to change poor circumstances? No. However, it does mean that we can look beyond them, learn the lessons from the situation, and lean on the Lord through them.
By the will of God is a lubricant that eases the circumstances we find ourselves in. It is support that keeps us from falling. It is fuel down the road of life.
Do you live life as though it is by the will of God?
Opening Day
I don't watch a lot of baseball anymore. I used to watch as much as possible, which wasn't much when we used to only have three TV stations to watch. I would spend Saturday afternoons watching a little bit of the game of the week on NBC. Fortunately, ABC also had Monday night baseball and those summer evenings were spend watching a little more baseball.
When my grandparents got cable I would often visit them and every evening that the Atlanta Braves were playing on you could find them watching no matter who was visiting them. I spent as much time as possible there just so I could watch baseball.
Somewhere along the way I have found that I can't watch a lot of baseball. However, there is something that I always pay attention to.
Opening day.
There is still something magical about it. It is like the unofficial kick-off of Spring for me. Everything is new and fresh. And there it is, the boys of summer playing in all sorts of weather as their season starts.
That's how I feel about today as well. It's opening day for a ministry I've been part of now for fourteen years. I spend each Sunday morning for about twenty-six weeks going to a campground and sharing God's word.
Last night I passed out fliers and ran into some folks who come to our service when they are there camping. I was able to renew that relationship and will be able to build on it for a few weeks this year.
There will be other people who I will be introduced to, who have never come to the service before. I will make new relationships. Some will come back again and again. Others I may never see again. It is truly an exciting time.
This Spring and Summer I will share from a book of the Bible that I have never done so before. I will be preaching from Ephesians throughout the year.
Paul kicks off this little treasure by introducing himself. They know him, of course. He established the church a few years prior to writing this, but it has grown and there are people who only know him by reputation.
He declares that he is an apostle of Christ Jesus, one sent from God. The context of how he uses the word is one who actually witnessed the living Christ. Yes, Christ died before Paul began his ministry, but He appeared to and spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road. It was one of the most dramatic life changing events in history. Paul made a 180 degree change in the direction of his life.
He adds then that his apostleship is by the will of God. Paul knows who set him on the path of life he is on. He did not choose the life he leads. The Lord did. In fact, if left up to himself, he would not have chosen his life. Life would have been easier if had stayed on the path he was on before meeting Christ. He would have had money and power. Yet, he does not regret it one bit.
He writes to the saints of Ephesus, the set apart ones of Ephesus. He is writing to the local church of this city. He is writing to those who have come to know Christ, both while he ministered there and after he left. Paul loves the Church, the entire body of Christ and he loves the local outposts spread throughout the world.
Paul describes them as faithful in Christ Jesus. This is better than how they are described a few years later in Revelation, when Jesus says that they have lost their first love. That is a sharp contrast if we think of the relationship between Christ and the church as a marriage, as Paul will describe it later in Ephesians. Now they are faithful and later, in Revelation, Jesus will say they have lost their first love, as though they are no longer faithful. For now they are, however, and Ephesians has few serious problems for Paul to address.
Paul finishes up his introduction as he does in almost every letter he writes: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Though the work of Christ on the cross, God extends grace to us. What is wonderful is that this grace is not a one time thing. It isn't even a daily thing. It is a minute by minute, hour by hour thing.
Paul also wishes for the peace of God to the Ephesians (and us). Once we were God's enemies. We were slaves to sin, seeking anything and everything but God in our lives. Now, through Christ, we are no longer enemies. We have been adopted, as Paul later says in this letter, we are part of the family of God.
Openings days and beginnings are exciting. They are filled with hope and anticipation for what may be. I'm looking forward to spending these next few weeks exploring God's word in Ephesians.
Are You Stimulating?
Just a few short years ago, our country faced a financial crisis. There was an economic meltdown that few had ever seen in their lifetimes. The government, no matter your political flavor, decided to act. What they did was to try to provide a stimulus to help the economy.
Last July I did something that I had tried to do before. I gave up caffeine. There have been times that it has been difficult. I have been tempted to give in and drink a Mountain Dew a few times of late. Why? Because the Mountain Dew would be stimulating to me.
A few years ago, a gentleman went over a personality test that I had taken to help determine part of my career. I thought it was dead on about who I was. This individual said something that I have never forgotten, With an attitude that came across as though it was a character flaw, he said that I was not gregarious. The implication was that I was not a stimulating person.
Here's the thing. You and I should be stimulating. And we can be. You might even say that it is part of the calling of our faith.
Who tells us this? Is it in the Bible?
I don't know and yes are the answers.
The answer is found in Hebrews and we can't honestly say who said it since we don't know who wrote that particular part of scripture.
Yes, it is found in the Bible.
In Hebrews 10:24, the writer tells us that we should "consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds."
If that is a measure of how we are doing the faith, then I stink.
I don't know if I am stimulating those two actions, but I know for sure that I cam not considering it very often. However, what better impact could we have on each other's lives?
If I am stimulating me and I am stimulating you, then we are doing a big part of our job. The winner? Ever member of the church.
It doesn't matter if the government is stimulating the economy, our soft drinks stimulate us or if we have stimulating personalities. All that matters is that we stimulate each other do good and love. If we focused on doing those two things, the world would know the God we worship.
Are you stimulating others to love and good works?
What Are You Seeking?
We are all seeking something.
We may be seeking wealth or power. Perhaps its acceptance or love. Maybe it's something simple, like a new job or a career.
It doesn't matter what it is. We're all seeking something.
I heard recently that someone I knew was at a new church. Because of circumstances that I cannot go into, this person has left their church. It might be said that this friend of mine is shopping. However, it's really more like what I've already written.
My friend is seeking.
If everyone is seeking something, I wonder what it is that we should all be seeking. I understand that we will all have some differences, but is there something at our core that should be common to all of us?
I think there is. And I think I found it the other day.
In Jeremiah 29, we might find the answer. You might know Jeremiah 29 because of verse 11. Many people claim it as one of their life verses, with the Lord knowing the thoughts He thinks about us, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give us a future and a hope. (Yes, I know that Jeremiah is talking about Israel, but I don't believe this is limited to Israel.)
Just before that, though, in verse 7, Isaiah writes that Israel should seek the peace of the city where He had caused them to be carried away. Your translation may say welfare, but is there really much difference? If someone's welfare is not being taken care of, they do not have peace. Jeremiah goes on to say that in this peace, Israel would find peace.
That's astounding, isn't it? Our peace is found in the peace we seek around us. By seeking the peace of the world around us, we find peace.
So, where do we find that peace?
In the Prince of Peace, of course. We should seek our peace with Him first, and then take that peace to those around us.
We are all seeking something. Why not seek what would benefit the world and ourselves the most?
Are you seeking peace?
I'm sure you have heard of FOMO by now. If not, it is short for Fear Of Missing Out.
I'm not sure if it was around before social media, but it certainly is now. And I have certainly been guilty of it. And I'm certain that social media exploded this sensation within me.
I opened my Facebook account in November of 2008. Well, actually, my family did it for me. I had absolutely no interest in social media. When they told me that I was getting friend requests on this account of mine that they were managing, I stepped in. The rest is history.
Six months later something else happened. I started my own Twitter account. I did this to get the upper-hand on my kids. I figured that they would want to open one soon, so I jumped in before them.
I didn't tweet much for the first six months or so. Since then, I have tweeted 47,700 times. You have to spend a lot of time on Twitter to do that.
Why did I spend that much time on Twitter, tweeting random thoughts and retweets?
Why did I spend a ton of time on Facebook, possibly neglecting time I could have spent time with my family?
Why did I blog seven days a week for a couple of years, and then five days a week for a couple of more?
We fear missing out on a ton of things in our lives. A lot of, let's face it, truly trivial things.
Don't get me wrong. I've built some good friendships through these platforms. But when I examine much of what I have done in social media, it's trivial. And much of what I do going forward will probably be trivial. And I will probably experience FOMO again and again.
I wish that we all experience FOMO in one other area. I wish that we feared missing out in our relationship with Jesus as much as all of these others things. I wish that Jesus was our treasure, something that we would be willing to sell everything we own so we could buy a field with said treasure in.
Wouldn't that be something?
Have you ever experienced FOMO?
Furious 7
I can honestly say that I didn't get on the Fast and Furious bandwagon until just a few years ago. Andrew caught one of them on TV and decided that he liked them. We began getting the DVD's and watching them in earnest.
The fact that this series has made it this far is incredible. Who would have thought that a franchise that had its roots in street racing would transform itself into one of the best action franchises in history? Who would have thought that this seventh installment would be racing toward one billion dollars? I think even Dr. Evil would be astounded at that figure, but we won't get sidetracked.
It would be easy to just give a standard review. You know, a synopsis of the movie, what was good about it and what wasn't. This movie definitely is not perfect. None are. However, it ranks up there among the best of the seven.
I was a little surprised that Kurt Russell ended up not turning on the team. I had him pegged as working with the main villain. It was refreshing to see him remain one of the good guys.
The tribute to Paul Walker was done with class. You could tell that there was a lot of emotion and love that was on display while remembering one of the main stars of the film series.
However, all of that is not what I want to focus on.
After we left the theater, Andrew asked me what I liked best about these movies. I paused for a minute and thought about it. I was able to give him one word for the answer.
Family is one of the themes that has run through these movies from the beginning. Yes, the concept of family in unconventional. It's multicultural, bringing Hispanic, Black and White culture together. Yes, they have questionable morals, but so did many of our heroes in the Bible. So do many of us.
I love the picture, very flawed that it is, that the Fast and Furious movies give us of how our churches should be. Granted, in some areas it's difficult for our churches to be multicultural. The zip code I live in is 99.99% white. Yet, somehow we have Cubans who attend our church, as well as Haitian, African-American, and some plain old African. There is even a pastor from India that considers us his home church when he is in American.
The Church is family. The Church is multicultural. Even more so than the world of Fast and Furious.
Have you seen Furious 7? Are you going to?


text:
Don't get me wrong. I absolutely believe we should follow Christ. You know. His Words, His Teachings, the Way He lived. He did say that He is The Way. But something that's been bothering me for a while about modern American Christianity, is that most don't do it. Most American Christians, that I know, I'm hopeful that it doesn't sum up most of American Christianity, don't follow Christ. Oh, many say we do. We use these catchy spiritual sounding phrases and the christianese language. But it has begun bothering me more that so many Christians that I know don't actively follow Jesus. I'm not judging them. It just troubles me. I get it. He's a hard teacher to follow. His teachings are hard to perform. But you know what bothers me more? I was surfing, reading on Yoga and the philosophy's surrounding it, and I saw this:
"The founders of religion were selfless and sincere—great seers, sages, and spiritual leaders. But as religions grew, the teachings of the founders were lost, and only the preachings of their selfish followers remained. Because of this, the great religion of the East was reduced to the narrow faith and beliefs of Hinduism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Practical Christianity also disappeared forever, and there remained only churchianity. History shows that religionists do not actually encourage one to follow in the footsteps of the founder of their religion by practicing his teachings, but, rather, they instruct their followers to worship the image or the name of the founder of the religion through priests. Many religious leaders who claim to know God are more miserable than those they attempt to lead; they suffer from trite egoism, jealousy, and selfishness. The light of truth cannot shine through such barriers. Thus, the blind are leading the blind. The philosophy of the Upanishads is not bound by a single founder or religion, however, and it is as applicable today as it was thousands of years ago, and it will be so for as long as humanity exists."
Look closely at this and think on it. Don't get your panties in a wad about it. This is something written by someone who is most certainly not a Christian. But. You get where this is going? I'm not the only one bothered by people who claim to follow a specific path and then don't actually do so. This indicates a more widespread problem than just me being bothered by the folks I know not doing this. Mystics are often shunned. Myself included. My father told me to be quiet about how I'm going about being myself, practicing my faith, as a Mystic. I can't be. I'm being myself. If this means that I need to withdraw myself at some point I will. But I don't see that happening.
What I want to see is a true revival. Not just some charismatic feel good, or worse, feel bad and decide to change, harnessing the power of Holy Spirit in some way to keep their brand of religion going. I want to see people start truly living like Jesus. Following His teachings. BUT. I'm not gonna say that and not do it. I have dedicated myself to this path of Mysticism and will continue down it. Call me what you like, Mystic, Christian, Sage, Seer, Yogi, or any of the others out there. I am Paul. I will do these things.
Be Blessed.


text:
REI Custom Focus Program
Regularly $299
Now Just $149
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
"Rhythmic Entrainment Intervention is the best intervention we've tried for our son. Thank you for making this therapy available!" - Helen G. Mother of a 9 year-old with autism
We all have trouble focusing sometimes. Significant trouble sustaining attention, however, can be a sign of the brain-based condition ADHD (ADD, AD/HD). The REI Custom Focus Program was created from over 25 years of clinical research to improve attention, cognition and executive function.
If you or your child experience any of following, the REI Custom Focus Program is made for you.
• You Have Trouble Finishing Projects.
• You Are Easily Distracted.
• You Are Forgetful.
• You Have Poor Listening Skills.
• You Are Easily Angered.
• You Feel Restless.
• You Are Often Late.
• You Have Trouble Prioritizing Tasks.
The REI Custom Focus Program is a home-based auditory brain stimulation program that uses musical rhythm to stimulate and re-pattern neurological function. A unique blend of modern advances in brain research and ancient rhythmic techniques, REI facilitates long-term improvement in cognition, attention, and executive function.
Custom created for you based on your unique focusing capabilities: this is the key to our program. Whether you experience inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, or poor executive function, we deliver the proper stimulus to achieve your goal of improved focus and cognitive control.
Once you begin, the REI Custom Program's interactive online platform and tracking ensures that you are always getting the stimulation that you need based on your real-world performance. Each new track of your program is dynamically engineered in response to your weekly progress.
This comprehensive 6-Week anxiety-busting program consists of:
• 6 Custom-created REI Audio Tracks. One track per week for six weeks, these custom tracks employ progressive stimulation techniques made just for you and your responses to the music. Because no two people are the same, you require unique stimulus to achieve the best results.
• Unlimited client support to make sure that you are indeed getting the best stimulation for your needs. We work closely with you to make certain you see significant improvements.
• 7 Brain Shift Radio audio downloads that can be used anytime you want additional benefits. These tracks include: Noisy Room Sleep, Revving-up Focus, Energy Boost, PowerNap Mix, Memory Boost, Big Round Calm, and Mood Lifter.
• Jeff Strong's Different Drummer book download to give you an understanding of how REI developed and how to best implement your program.
The REI Custom Focus Program requires no training or special equipment. Simply:
Play Your REI Custom Focus track once a day.
You can stream or download from your phone, tablet or computer. Tracks average between 22 and 26 minutes.
Play the track quietly in the background.
There is no need to actively listen to the music or to use headphones.
Check in with us at the recommended intervals.
You will receive an email every seven days asking you to complete your track adjustment feedback.
Order now and receive instant access to your REI Client Center where you can answer the custom program intake questionnaire (takes just a few minutes). We will review your intake and deliver your first track to your account in a couple of hours. In the meantime you can download your bonus audio and Jeff Strong's Different Drummer book.
Regularly $299
Now Just $149
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
"Our daughter has had very few temper tantrums. She is also developing the ability to stop herself and calm herself down, usually within about one minute of when the recording starts.
She's been getting along much better with her brothers and sisters. Her attention span has increased--she can sit quietly and read a book for longer periods of time. She's paying attention more in school and staying on task."
"When we had the CD made, we put it in while he was in a session with his craniosacral therapist. He responded instantly! His system was calming down, and to the surprise of his therapist, he started vocalizing. …
We went from nothing to something with vocalizing… He is now starting to put sentences together, and I'm very pleased."
- Wife of 67 year-old with AD/HD and mood issues
"There are real positive changes. He actually gave me a REAL hug – without prompting. His hugs are usually a little pat on the back… He is more polite, easier to talk to, more attentive, and more focused. He's a pleasure to be around."
- Grandmother of 14 year-old with AD/HD and opposition behavior
Jeff Strong is the creator of Rhythmic Entrainment Intervention™ (REI) and the Director and CEO of the Strong Institute, a research center and provider of evidence-based custom auditory brain stimulation programs. He is also the co-founder of Brain Shift Radio, a streaming music site containing personalized music to enhance brain function.
Jeff is a percussionist, composer, recording engineer, researcher, clinician, and a sought-after expert on the therapeutic use of rhythm. He is the best-selling author of eight books, including AD/HD For Dummies and Different Drummer: One Man's Music and Its Impact on ADD, Anxiety, and Autism.
Stimulating the Brain with REI often leads to improvements in a variety of other areas including:
Two recent independent third-party studies examined Rhythmic Entrainment Intervention (REI) music, to increase focused attention. One study compared BSR music to the AD/HD stimulant medication, Ritalin, using a Continuous Performance Test (the T.O.V.A.) for an adult with Attention Deficit Disorder while the other study used a blinded placebo-controlled format for elementary-age children in a classroom setting.
This study (1) compared REI drumming rhythms to two different doses of the ADD stimulant medication, Ritalin (10mg and 20mg). Using quantitative measures of scores from the Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.), four conditions were examined: Baseline (no meds or music), 10mg of Ritalin taken 90 minutes before the test, 20mg of Ritalin taken 90 minutes before the test, and while listening to REI music rhythms.
The subject's baseline score was -12.74, putting him squarely in the AD/HD camp (anything below a score of 0.00 suggests attention problems).
His score with 10mg of Ritalin was a slightly improved -6.60 while his 20mg Ritalin score showed a significant improvement with a score of -3.47.
His score when listening to the REI focusing music, the same tracks you will find in the Focus category of Brain Shift Radio, were a near normal score of -1.87.
This improvement was nearly 50% greater than the better of the Ritalin scores.
These results suggest that REI offers a strong alternative to Ritalin (and other stimulant medications used for ADD).
The advantages of BSR music include an absence of side-effects, individual customization to achieve the optimal stimulation level for each person, and improved sustained attention.
This study (2) examined 100 elementary-aged children in a double-blind, placebo-controlled format. Students performed four separate CPTs (Continuous Performance Tests), consisting of two tests with no music and two tests with either a placebo music recording or REI music tracks. Children were randomly assigned to the placebo or REI test group.
The results showed a significant improvement in attention for those who listened to the REI recording over both the silence and placebo conditions. The silence group produced an average score of 23, the placebo group scored at 31, and the REI Rhythm group scored an average of 68.
These results have been encouraging enough that Brain Shift Radio has invested tremendous time and energy developing a next-level study to further explore the efficacy of REI rhythms and the delivery of BSR music.
With our REI music Continuous Performance Test at Brain Shift Radio, we are moving music research forward by conducting the largest study ever done on music for focusing.
Our attention tests were built using standardized, quantitative testing methods on an expanding platform which will allow us to collect and analyze limitless data with a goal of using this data to not only determine whether music can improve focused attention but also which techniques offer the most significant results for each population group.
Since we launched the CPT initiative, thousand of people have taken the test. The results we've seen are 3.6 times better than the most popular study on music for cognition (and the number of people who have taken our test is hundreds of times more than this study) (3).
As an overview, the average error-rate reduction was 36.73% with improvements falling fairly consistently across the three error types.
These are significant numbers and suggest that listening to Brain Shift Radio when you need to focus may help you sustain your attention.
We saw reductions in all three error rates – detection, commission and omission – with the BSR music (stimulated) condition compared to the silence (control) condition.
Detection errors (Detect): The silence (control) condition error rate was 12.42. The BSR music (stimulated) condition showed an error rate of 8.69. This is a 3.73 or 30.0% reduction of errors.
Commission errors (Comm): The silence (control) condition error rate was .73. The BSR music (stimulated) condition showed an error rate of .39. This is a .34 or 46.5% reduction of errors.
Omission errors: The silence (control) condition error rate was 11.58. The BSR music (stimulated) condition showed an error rate of 7.67. This is a 3.91 or 33.7% reduction of errors.
Fastest click: For the silence (control) condition the fastest click speed was 383 ms. The BSR music (stimulated) condition showed an average click speed of 355 ms (milliseconds). This is a 28 ms or 7.3% slower click-time.
Slowest click: For the silence (control) condition the slowest click speed was 968 ms. The BSR music (stimulated) condition showed an average click speed of 932 ms. This is a 36ms or 3.7% faster click-time.
Average click: Of the three click speeds the average offers us the best data. For the silence (control) condition the average click speed was 608 ms. The BSR music (stimulated) condition showed an average click speed of 579 ms. This is a 31 ms or 5.1% faster click-time.
• 6 Custom-created REI Audio Tracks.
• Big Round Calm Audio Download
• PowerNap Mix Audio Download
• Energy Boost Audio Download
• Different Drummer Book Download
• Unlimited Client Support.
• Noisy Room Sleep Audio Download
• Revving Up Focus Audio Download
• Memory Boost Audio Download
• Mood Lifter Audio Download
Regularly $299
Now Just $149
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
If you can watch a video on You Tube or Netflix, download a song on iTunes, or listen to internet radio, such as Pandora, you are technologically savvy enough to succeed with the REI Custom Program online format. All you need to do is visit our website and log into your account. Our website and your computer or mobile device will take care of the rest.
Generally, yes. For most people hearing someone else's REI Audio has a calming effect. However, there are some instances when we don't recommend others hearing your REI Audio tracks. One case is when a secondary listener has more profound issues that the person the REI program was made for, such as in the case of a teenager with attention issues, whose program is heard by a young child with autism.
Another case is when the listener doesn't hear as well as other people who may be in the room while the REI Audio plays through speakers. In this case the volume may need to be too high for others when set properly for the intended listener to hear.
There is no required time of day to listen to the REI Program Audio. We do find that most clients develop a daily routine to play their session. For children, parents often play the session after school or before bedtime. Adults often play their sessions in the morning before work or in the evening.
Yes. In fact we recommend it. Though you may choose to stream your REI Audio tracks each day, we suggest that when a new track is made that you download it and put it on a media player. This way you have a back-up and long-term access to your REI Audio files. Keep in mind that when your new REI Audio track is created your old one no longer exists on our server, so if you want to have access to it you need to download it before submitting your weekly feedback form.
As the only 'No Listening Required' auditory program, we are providing a very specific stimulus for the client's central nervous system. Presenting a very low volume of this stimulus encourages the client's brain to seek out this novel stimulus. If the volume is high (and this is a relative term - high means a volume that is competing with a normal speaking voice) the REI Audio can become overstimulating. Most individuals respond to over-stimulus with the presentation of anxiety, agitation or sleeplessness.
Optimally, your Custom Program is played every day. But to err is human, as is missing a day here or there - or encountering illness or travel where a you meet a week's absence. The online format will keep you to the current session until you complete all 7 days of playing. Therefore, a new track adjustment will not be initiated until you listen to all 7 sessions. If you have downloaded the track and are playing it independently of the online format, we recommend you simply pick up where you left off if you've only missed one day. If your absence grows toward a week or more, we recommend that when you begin again you play a full 7 days of the existing track before you initiate a new track adjustment.
If you find yourself having trouble keeping to the REI Custom Program schedule, give us a call and we'll help you find a schedule that works for you and the program.
Yes, Even though the REI Custom Program doesn't require headphones to be effective, you are certainly welcome to use them if you choose. If you do use headphones we suggest not using noise-cancellation or isolation headphones. Remember, REI is the only 'No Listening Required' auditory program.
Ear buds or open-back headphones that allow some ambient room noise to be heard is your best option. As well, when using headphones be very aware of your listening volume as it's much easier to play the REI Audio too loud. If you see any of the side effects listed in this document, it's an indication that the volume is too high.
REI is the only 'No Listening Required' auditory program. REI does not require active listening. It is best if your child has the freedom to self-regulate and move freely around the room while the track plays. There is no need to have him sit and listen to the music; in fact REI is designed for the listener's brain seeks out this novel stimulus while involved in another activity - playing, listening to a story, working, reading, etc.
You are fully protected by our 100% Satisfaction-Guarantee. If you don't see a significant reduction in your anxiety in 30 days, just let us know and we'll send you a prompt refund. The Bonus Audio and Different Drummer book are yours to keep.


text:
Wowza, it has been several months since I've written a blog and there is a lot happening! I've wanted to write to you because it's part of how I make sense of things with so much afoot. I think out loud and in conversation with friends, coworkers and daily actors; at conferences and gatherings; and in the garden with birds, raindrops and red-shouldered hawks. So I am thankful for a moment to write, connect and share some updates. I'm also REALLY glad that I will get to see many of you at our Soil to Supper dinner this Saturday, August 19th, at Ripple the World on October 12th, and at a whole other quiver of partner events we are speaking at and participating in like the Heirloom Expo, The Resilient Communities Convergence, Bioneers and more.
In Leading from the Emerging Future, the authors write that probably the most important leadership capacity today is leaning into and presencing an emerging future rather than reacting against the past, the old, dying, disconnected ways of being and doing. Presencing is sensing one's highest potential and acting from the awareness of what seeks to emerge. Amongst countless insights the book sights, "We cannot transform the behavior of systems unless we transform the quality of attention that people apply to their actions within those systems, both individually and collectively."
To be the change we wish to see in the world is the core act of transformation that makes bigger change possible. And in a world that sometimes seems to be coming apart at the seams, the most powerful thing we can do is to spend our energy on things we can influence rather than being overwhelmed into inaction by all that is wrong and unjust.
In a time when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the state of our people and planet, Daily Acts was born out of being exposed to transformed people and places. People who oozed passion, purpose and a reverence for life that was potent enough to regenerate gardens, farms and forests, imbuing them with a sense of flourishing wonderment. While I didn't know words like purpose and presence at the time, I recognized the resonant connection, the quality of attention between people and places that were somehow way more alive. And it didn't take any special skill or awareness to do so. It was like sticking your finger in a light socket, or stumbling across something that takes your breath away and gifts you a glimpse of what is possible.
Last Friday, I woke up in St. Paul Minnesota with two voices in my head. One was nagging on about my overflowing inbox and the need to prep my two workshops for the first national Transition Towns Conference. The other said: go explore, get some inspiration instead. Having been told that the river was a couple miles away, I started wandering down streets and along the forest's edge until I saw a steep narrow trail that dropped under a bridge. After ducking through brush, suddenly the canopy opened up and I was standing on the muddy bank of the mighty Mississippi River. As I looked up in astonishment, a Bald Eagle soared overhead. I instantly knew I made the right choice, as a cocktail of feel good neurochemicals pulsed through my body delivering inspiration, awe and a tingling sense of wonder.
When we do the things that bring us wonder and joy, this feeds our body and spirit in powerful ways. It opens our senses and reconnects us to the living, breathing world and to an atmosphere of possibility. This is similar to athletes and teams being in the flow or zone, musicians feeling the rhythm or leaders sensing the more just, resilient and reverent future that seeks to emerge. Amidst so much noise and distraction, presence and flow bring clarity and connection, a clear path and access to more wisdom and resources than we can imagine.
While I spent a bit of time "shoulding" on myself before my walk, all of this was of course a perfect fit for my first workshop on the important habits and practices of Living One's Inspiration. Reclaiming one's daily acts and infusing them with passion and purpose is also the foundation for success relative to my second workshop, which was on growing effective programs and organizations rooted in collaboration. From here we can further extend our influence to become an unstoppable force for good, by nurturing more empowered networks, alliances and movements.
A Vibrant Paella of Change Makers
A potent place where we can rub up against and lean into the future that seeks to emerge is at conferences and gatherings that are populated with inspired people, groups and movement leaders. Given the urgency of the times, all year long, I've seen and felt a heightened sense of awareness and momentum at these gatherings. People and groups know the importance of the moment, the power of collaboration, of connecting networks and bringing more diverse voices and perspectives to the table. Such places are a vibrant paella of passionate, purposeful change makers. Over the last several months since I last wrote, I've participated in and presented at a wide range of conferences and festivals to get young people involved, increase collaboration with government agencies, better organize the grassroots regionally and nationally and to bridge differences across race and class. I've been blessed to strategize and sense into our shared potential with musicians, artists, elected officials, climate justice activists, agency staff, community organizers, moms, preachers and business people. We've gathered under oak trees, in churches, hotels, halls, restaurants, bars, garages, granges and hot tubs. I have been astounded by the quality of attention and connection that has been expressed with clear thinking and heartfelt action as well as difficult conversations that have been held with courage and grace.
Through most days and weeks, many of us are stumbling through the dense brush, on steep and slippery paths into an unknown and seemingly imperiled future. But every once in while the path and sky opens up and you find yourself standing at the edge of something profound. You feel clear, present and reconnected, to self, nature and community, and to the better world being born through each act that we live as if it's so. What do you need to enhance your quality of attention and connection? Where can you reclaim a daily act or two to nourish what seeks to flourish in your life, your relations and our world?
To nourish what seeks to flourish in Daily Acts and our communities, I hope you join us for Soil to Supper this weekend or through the online auction if you can't make it. Immerse in this phenomenal community of change makers. Eat tasty, local, homemade food, enjoy local libations and celebrate and feed what is working in our lives and communities. Because just like we found on the very first sustainability tour 16 years ago, highlighting and nurturing what is working helps grow more of it. And I didn't even get to mention the three big, ridiculously inspiring initiatives we will be launching in 2018. More to come…


text:
All Wrapped Up: An IGIGI Review
Since Diane Von Furstenburg in the 1970s, women all over the world have sought after the perfect wrap dress. Even though the dress works for all body shapes, I never found one that worked right for me. That is, until an IGIGI faux wrap dress arrived in my mailbox.
The faux-wrap silhouette makes wearing the Dominique Dress so easy. There's no fuss in keeping the dress tied together because it's already done for you. All you have to do is tie the belt in a knot or two. Decorated in an emerald green/black/white print reminiscent of houndstooth, the knee-length dress enhances curves with a fitted bust, flared skirt, and deep V-neckline.
I will definitely keep the Dominique Dress in my constant rotation of dresses. It's so effortless, fun, and simple to wear. How could I not want to wear it on the regular? I could see myself wearing it to business meetings, client events, church, or hmmm.. I don't know, filming a commercial? (More on that soon.)
Dominique dress c/o IGIGI // LifeStride shoes // Lane Bryant sunglasses // JustFab bag