text:
Many thanks for your interest in becoming a Regional Rep for Surfers Against Sewage. The role is a voluntary position that can fit around each individual's professional and personal commitments. It is tailored to bring out the skills, contacts, experience and expertise each individual can offer.
Our network of voluntary Regional Reps is a huge asset to our on-going campaigns and projects, delivering fantastic results for all our projects. Whether rallying local support for Protect Our Waves issues, organising community beach cleans, contributing to campaign policy or simply helping recruit new members, it all makes a massive difference. We just ask for time, passion & commitment.
You don't need to be a surfer to become an SAS Rep, just someone who cares passionately about protecting waves, oceans and beaches and, of course, who believes in Surfers Against Sewage.
Please send your CV and covering letter telling us about why you want to become an SAS Rep and which region, town or beach you'd like to represent. Email to jack [at] sas [dot] org [dot] uk or send to Surfers Against Sewage, Unit 2 Wheal Kitty Workshops, Wheal Kitty, St Agnes, Cornwall TR5 0RD.
Regional Reps agree to:
- Attend an annual SAS Reps training weekend.
- Positively promote SAS and its campaigns in the local area and to the local community.
- Lead, help organise or attend SAS campaign actions, both national and local.
- Recruit local members, activists and supporters to SAS campaign actions locally and nationally.
- Organise at least two beach cleans in their region annually.
- Act as SAS's local 'beach guardian', keeping abreast of local water-users' concerns, regional pollution incidents and potential threats to waves or the wider coastal environment in the area.
- Promote SAS's national campaign strategies to the local surf, watersports and wider community, and the local media.
- Endeavour to meet local MPs, councillors and business leaders to engage them with SAS's ongoing mission to protect and conserve the coastal environment and surfing waves.
- Liaise with local surf clubs, university surf clubs and other watersports associations to ensure they are engaged with current SAS campaigns.
- Promote the benefits of SAS membership to local community stakeholders.
- Act as a regional media spokesperson for SAS where required.
- Become a direct SAS point of contact for the community, responding to queries promptly, accurately and professionally whether emails or telephone calls. Where responses require greater levels of information they can be passed on to SAS head office.
- Supply SAS with images of local supporters, members, activities, pollution incidents.
- Undertake online promotion of SAS, directing contacts to SAS's Facebook Page, Twitter, the SAS website and other sites of interest.
- Promote any SAS petitions, national campaigns and other activities.
- Ensure that they do not to bring the name of SAS, associated partners or the campaigns into disrepute.
- Become a positive role model for SAS, surfers, the community and the environment.
Adhere to SAS's environmental policy:
- Wherever possible unnecessary use of energy will be eliminated.
- Reduce the need to transport people and goods and encourage low impact travel.
- Purchase goods and services that cause least harm to the environment.
- Avoid waste and promote the conservation, reuse and appropriate recycling of resources.
- Constantly strive to source materials with the lowest environmental impact.
- Encourage community awareness of their responsibility for the environment.
- Promote understanding and participation in environmental issues through education, scientific reports, engaging activists, information provision and consultation.
- Work with and encourage other organisations, local stakeholders companies and sponsors to protect the environment.


text:
New in
After 8 days spent in heaven, I come home. If I could, I would stay longer, long, but unfortunately, the reality is called. If I manage to figure out a picture, I will put it later. Now, with you, I want to share something new in my wardrobe.
These are the first great rubber shoes designed by Amarie for Story. Rubber shoes are a total hit of the summer, and I'm glad that, apart from the fact that they are very beautiful and impressive, they have bought me at a very reasonable price. This cute hair band I bought / ordered was also the cheapest appreciate, one of my, otherwise very creative and productive fellow citizens. At affordable prices, she sells her nice creations like hair ornaments, rings, brooches, chains, earrings…
The first picture is my hair band and on the other there is something from her offer.
What do you like? :*

subset: commoncrawl


text:
On Air Now
The Capital Weekender With Ministry of Sound 10pm - 5am
Who DOESN'T love a hunky man in a nicely tailored suit? Check out the creme de la creme of the pop world rocking a three piece in style!
That bow tie, though! Picture: Getty
We wouldn't mind seeing this in gold as well! Picture: PA
Where can we purchase one of these, please? Picture: Getty
Tinie Tempah knows how to make sure ALL eyes are on him! Picture: PA
Full marks for originality, Haz! Picture: Rex
On trend with the monochrome colour palette there, Sam! Picture: PA
Those tartans look great! picture: Getty
He was the host so its NO wonder he wanted to make a lasting impression! Picture: Getty
He's giving Harry Styles a run for his money in this number!
This man should win an award for how good he looks in a suit! Picture: PA
Not everyone could pull this off BUT Labrinth does effortlessly. Picture: PA
Can you wear a suit ALL the time please, Olls?
We can CERTAINLY get used to Justin Bieber wearing a suit! #HOT Picture: Getty
Stylish and sophisticated - looking good, Marv!
It kind of works though, right!?
Yes, we agree - it should be a rule that men wear suits at All TIMES! Picture: PA


text:
Answers to Common Questions
Below you'll find solutions to some of the more common problems:
- How to Access Borrowed Titles
- How to Change Loan Duration Defaults
- How to Return Borrowed Items Early
- Adobe Digital Editions Troubleshooting
- Libby App Troubleshooting
- OverDrive Media Console Troubleshooting
How to Access Borrowed Titles
Getting eBooks and eAudiobooks is generally a two-step process. Borrowing a title checks it out to your account, but it then needs to be downloaded (or read in your web browser). To access titles you've borrowed, either click My account and then Loans, or click the bookshelf icon on the top-right of the screen. Borrowed titles will automatically return when due.
How to Change Loan Duration Defaults
The default loan periods of your digital books can be adjusted to your preference by clicking My account and then Settings at the top-right of the page. From there, select your preferred duration.
How to Return Borrowed Items Early
Items can usually be returned early, though the method varies depending on whether and how the digital book was downloaded. If it has not yet been downloaded or has only been read in-browser, you can very easily return it from your Loans page by clicking the Return button.
If a digital book has been downloaded into the Libby Android or Apple iOS app, it can easily be returned from within the app itself by pressing Actions... on the title in your Shelf, then selecting Return Title to Library.
If a title you would like to return early has already been downloaded into Adobe Digital Editions on your PC or Mac, you must return it inside the ADE program itself by right-clicking the title and selecting Return Borrowed Item.
If an eAudiobook has already been downloaded into OverDrive Media Console on your PC or Mac, then it must be returned from within that program to return it early. Right-click on the title and select Delete to return & delete the title.
Adobe Digital Editions Troubleshooting
Three of the most common issues encountered with Adobe Digital Editions are:
- Authorization errors. These error messages usually begin with the prefix "E_AUTH". Almost always they can be resolved by de-authorizing Adobe Digital Editions, and then re-authorizing it. To do so, open Adobe Digital Editions, click the Help menu heading, then Erase Authorization (and enter the account password), then select Authorize Computer from the Help menu. Re-download the eBook from your Loans page of your OverDrive account and open it with Adobe Digital Editions.
- Expired Request errors. Commonly seen in the error message "E_ADEPT_REQUEST_EXPIRED", this can usually simply be resolved by re-downloading the eBook from your OverDrive account. If the error persists, try deleting the eBook's downloaded .acsm file, clear your web browser's cache and temporary Internet files, then re-download the eBook and open it again with Adobe Digital Editions.
- Server authentication errors. Errors like "IO Error on Network Request" and "Error contacting authentication server" are caused when your computer cannot communicate with Adobe's servers. First ensure that you are connected to the Internet and that your firewall and web browser settings are not overly restrictive. These settings are almost always fine, so these issues are usually resolved by fully uninstalling Adobe Digital Editions and re-installing it. Many users have reported having best results using the older 3.0 version of ADE, so perhaps give that one a try if the newest version is causing issues. Click here for Adobe Digital Editions' download links.
Click here for more more in-depth troubleshooting guides at OverDrive's website. Many other issues can be resolved by fully uninstalling Adobe Digital Editions and re-installing version 3.0.
Libby App Troubleshooting
The Libby app is generally quite stable on Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms. However, a few of the more commonly encountered issues are:
- Cannot find the SD&G County Library collection. Ensure that you are searching for Stormont in the library search bar during initial setup, rather than searching for SD&G. Full instructions can be found here.
- Downloaded book will not open. If you are still within your 14-day or 21-day loan period, try deleting (but not returning it) and then re-downloading it.
Click here for more in-depth troubleshooting guides at OverDrive's website. Many other issues can be resolved by fully uninstalling the app and then re-installing it.
OverDrive Media Console Troubleshooting
The OverDrive Media Console program (also known as OverDrive for Windows or OverDrive for Mac) usually works quite well. However, if you are encountering issues downloading or playing eAudiobooks, try performing the following:
- Ensure that Windows Media Player is up to date (on Windows PCs). Click here for Microsoft's download page for Windows Media Player.
- Delete the downloaded .ODM file and re-download it from the Loans page of your OverDrive account.
Click here for more in-depth troubleshooting guides at OverDrive's website.


text:
Last night I had the opportunity to go music/comedy extravaganza "Stand by Haiti" hosted by Jack Black at what I consider an awesome venue, the Wiltern (probably just because I saw NIN at the Wiltern for their last show, so it has a special place in my heart). To be honest I didn't much want to go out on a Tuesday, and an earthquake in Haiti is nowhere near the top of my priority list, but it was free, and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised.
The lineup was broken into two groups: stand-up acts (Maya Rudolph, Tig, Will Ferrell, Bob Odenkirk, Jason Segel, Nick Kroll v. Ben Stiller, Patton Oswalt and Russell Brand) and musical performances (Frank Black/Black Francis of the Pixies, James Mercer of the Shins, Aimee Mann of 'Til Tuesday fame, and Tenacious D). There was also a special guest that can't quite be categorized: The Iron Sheik!
Comedy highlights started with Bob Odenkirk as "Sandy Jobs" (Steve Jobs' deadbeat brother) who developed "new" technology while partying with Clint Howard at his brother's estate. The new items he revealed are just cumbersome and expensive versions of items that most Americans already take for granted, such as the "iOldtimeyphone," a rotary phone you use to call a friend with the internet so they can look stuff up for you. I paraphrase, but it was pretty damn funny.
The only other comedian I really laughed at was Patton Oswalt. I had heard him on the Adam Carolla show before and as the voice of one of the mice on Ratatouille (I was on a long flight, and it was that or My Life in Ruins). The guy ripped. Lots of potty humor coming from a little chubby dude. The segment of him being behind some fat guy at the deli counter who ordered "all the ham" which caused Patton to run away he was laughing so hard, was hilarious.
The rest of the stand-ups were pretty good as well. Tig's deadpan delivery was something I can appreciate; Will Ferrell just did a quick dance to the "Popcorn Song" by Hot Butter which was short but sweet, Nick Kroll tore Ben Stiller a new one, but went into some awkward silences, and Russell Brand… well, he's funny, it's just that he makes some Dennis Miller-style references in that accent of his that left the crowd hanging a few times.
As for the music, I have to say that everyone was incredibly talented and sounded just like they do on their records. That being said, the guy that stole the show musically was Frank Black. I never thought I would see Pixies songs played live, "Monkey's Gone to Heaven" being my favorite of the set, which he pulled off perfectly and completely solo. Reminds me of the time I saw Two Live Crew in Sac and only one dude showed up and STILL rocked the party.
Tenacious D wrapped things up and kept the crowd pumped. Not really my kind of music, but it was fun nonetheless. I had the opportunity to meet Jack Black once, and I have to say the guy is super cool which is not what I would have expected from any celebrity.
Last but not least, as I mentioned earlier, the Iron Sheik was there. I don't know how or why, but the poor guy hobbled out on stage, did a back and forth with Jack Black, threatened to put him in the Camel Clutch and then waved and walked painfully to the wings. After the show he was backstage in a wheelchair watching the news by himself which was both cool and sad at the same time. It was nice to see a wrestling legend.
In conclusion, it was a good, albeit long (getting too old for 4 hour shows) night. Putting it out as a small disclaimer: I got a free ticket because my girlfriend works in philanthropy not because I try to get involved with Hollyweird bullshit…although I am willing to admit that every once in a while it can be a lot of fun. As far as Haiti goes, I got a $5 bottle of water so I hope that the proceeds go to a good cause.


text:
When you need to capture high-quality stereo audio but don't have the capability to setup a mobile studio, use the Shure MV88 iOS Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone combined with your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to get lifelike audio capture. The Shure MV88 builds on a familiar concept of a lightning connector equipped stereo microphone and takes it to new levels of quality only Shure could offer.
The MV88 is designed to work with your native audio recording apps but to fully unlock the magic of this device you should use the Free ShurePlus MOTIV Mobile Recording App available on the App Store. The MV88 is part of a complete iOS mobile recording ecosystem that offers wind screens and fur "dead cats" to reduce wind when recording outside. It also comes with a nylon carry case.


text:
News Source: http://fantomaster.comFantomaster writes... So maybe it's yet another fad, just like one of the many that have hit the SEO industry consistently ever since it came about to be. Remember the "theme based search" debates? Reciprocal links? Directory submissions as the be all and end all of effective SEO? Domain age, registration span and Whois data as a purported search ranking factor? The "filthy linking rich" (Mike Grehan's lovely phrase) versus the link havenots?
Published: Jan 03, 2009 - 01:50 am
Story Found By: planetc1 4043 Days ago
Category: SEM
Published: Jan 03, 2009 - 01:50 am
Story Found By: planetc1 4043 Days ago
Category: SEM
16 Comments
I admit Im not well versed in the lingo used by many SEOs so when I hear terms like "bounce rates" I come to my own (possibly paranoid) conclusions as to whats generally being said.How Ive taken things is 100k visitors in a matter of hours to a page on my site, with 99% leaving seconds later, would potentially have a negative affect for my site in search engines. I have no idea if this is the theory being discussed but thats been my thoughts regarding it.If thats the case it seems to me to be screwy since why couldnt a citizen journalist be the first to break a story online, attracting a massive single day bounce in site traffic, then easing off the spike and back to regular activity again?Am I misunderstanding whats going on with the discussion?
from fantomaster 4043 Days ago #
Not really, no. Youre quite on track. Its about your pages stickiness: if a visitor hits your site via a search engine and leaves again in a whiffy (i.e. "bounces"), the rationale says that your sites probably not what they were looking for. So if the search engine can determine this visitor behavior (e.g. if they return to the SERP they came from, if theyve got the Google toolbar installed, etc.), theres a possibility (as borne out by several published patents plus a lot of more or less anecdotal statements to this effect by a number of webmasters) that your rankings could suffer.Inversely, if visitors stay on, the page in question was probably relevant to their search and may, by inference, experience a ranking boost.Theres lots of controversy surrounding this which my article doesnt really address. Because the point Im actually making is that if this currently pretty common perception prevails (namely that search engine are actually adopting this route - or have already done so in part at least), were bound to see the black hat SEO community react by rolling out SEO Surfbot Nets.Personally, Id disagree with the fundamental rationale of basing rankings to any significant extent on such behavioral metrics because theyre so easy to fake. But then again Ive always had my beef for similar reasons with Googles PageRank algo which is merely an overblown citation index patently unsuited to a commercial environment.And yes, of course Im aware that theres lots of other ranking factors involved, and that ranking by itself is utterly immaterial if you cant get your traffic to convert, etc. etc. And that it wont pay off to focus exclusively on any isolated ranking factor and fret too much about it, be it PR or inbound links or bounce rates or what have you...
personality management. and I believe you are exactly right FM about adwords,not relelvancy,being the driving force.If it converts,it couldnt hurt!
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:宋体; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;} @font-face {font-family:"@SimSun"; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:none; mso-layout-grid-align:none; punctuation-wrap:simple; text-autospace:none; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun; mso-font-kerning:14.0pt; mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Thanks for the well put together post on this Fanto… I'm a tad on the passionate side with this as you know. I thought it interesting you metioned AdSense/AdWords as much of the early behavioural targeting patents/papers from Google were in that area. It's kinda like where they cut their teeth with it (and are now going deeper profiling social network users). And for the record, after reading, writing, studying and testing the whole behavioural in the 'organic' SERPs for more than 18 months now, there is certainly something there. What is more of an issue is that they aren't as valuable in a non-personalized setting as one might think. The use of (implicit and explicit) metrics are far more suited to a personalized environment than the regular SERPs… and that's what many aren't picking up on IMO. I also have thought about (as the SEs have as well) the issues of spam/botnets and the like. This is where we see some of the issues of it in the reg. index. In a personalized setting it makes little or no sense to spam factors that will only affect YOU when logged in, not the greater populous. Furthermore, with baselines established on the many behavioural metrics, one would have to know the mean averages for each not to trip potential spam filters/flags. That highlights more of the problem, our silly industry goes off willy nilly about ONE OF MANY behavioural signals that search engineers have looked at the last few years. Bounce rate as a stand-alone metric is nonsensical and it is in the aggregate of data that potential signals lie anyways. So once again, a botnet construction needs to consider a variety of factors and associated weights…. Ya know? (call me, we'll do lunch) In the end analysis it seems they like the behavioural targeting they did with AdServing and decided to look at it for the organic side of things. One has to believe that this is certainly in our future as all of the big 3 (used loosely) have all published numerous papers/patents relating to it. It more a matter of how it is implemented and which factors are weighted more than others… yada yada… Anyway, rambling now…. Best get back at it here… thanks fer hooking me up and continuing the conversation in a more guarded/realistic manner. I just go nuts when peeps call things without tempering the assertions. Started writing about behavioural stuff back in 07 and there is more than meets the eye… and a helluva lot more to it than mere bounce rates. Happy New year 2 U and yours – Dave
"If thats the case it seems to me to be screwy since why couldnt a citizen journalist be the first to break a story online, attracting a massive single day bounce in site traffic, then easing off the spike and back to regular activity again?" Lets say you broke the story about a scandle with a little-known band called "Twiddling My Thumbs" (a name that not too many websites would be optimized for) and 99% of the massive spike in traffic left after a few seconds. That sounds like pretty good evidence to the search engines that your article isnt that good; otherwise, people would stay and read. On the other hand, maybe little is known, theres not much to say, and it makes sense for people to leave after a few seconds. This would not hurt your ranking position, because other websites ranking for "twiddling my thumbs" would bounce visitors even faster (since you broke the story and their pages really are about twiddling their thumbs). If you have the best information about "Twiddling My Thumbs", even those few seconds before the bounce should give you a competitive advantage with a algorithm that includes bounce data (all other factors,such as inbound links, domain longevity, on-page SEO, etc. being equal). Your key would be to manage that information and maintain the best and most complete information on your website, so that people searching for "twiddling my thumbs" continue to stay longer on your page than people who visit other websites for that same search phrase.Disclaimer: this is all theory about how it "should" work. The search engines will each decide how they would implement such user data, and there is no telling that what Google and Yahoo and MSN do will even resemble each other.
Well, of the patents and papers from the big 3, the approaches to behavioral data is reasonably similar. Once more, its a problem of how to get useful signals... thats why I am more inclined to see them as better personalization tools than outright reg organic...And I think bounce rates arent the most interesting... the stuff on application focus really takes things to a new level... those would be things like your IM, Email and even a Word Doc on your desktop. As people start computing in the clouds this will become an even more interesting signal...And what of explicit behavioral signals such as bookmarking, favorite in your feed reader, SearchWiki... as tools for refining search in a personalized environment they can work quite well (IMHO)...The fascination with bounce rates is freaky to be honest. People a few weeks back couldnt stop talking about personalized search as a larger factor in 09 - so how is it with this behavioral concepts in front of us, some arent connecting the dots? I say YES... personalized will be growing... and YES behavioral is important...and YES, I did the math and they make a great partnership. Stop focussing on the organic SERPs as much with these theories... but thats just me.One thing we all MUST do, is be responsible when discussing it and ensure those seeking to profit from being experts on the topic are kept in check. Some of the oldest topics are SEO Ethics SEO Standards and SEO is Dead - by being responsible in our reporting we might just help all three...Fantos post was excellent and I think has the tenor this topic needs for the moment. I know as much as the next guy about things actually work behind the curtain - and dont claim to on this one.... cheers
@theGypsy: Right, Dave, couldnt agree more that "generalizing atomization" (my wording, of course, not yours) is a methodologically dubious approach at best.Personalising search is all very well if people accept it - though Im pretty doubtful that it will really be the big hit overall. Take involuntary geo targeting: the main reason why Ill only conduct searches via U.S. based proxies is that Im located in Belgium - meaning that Google and others will force me to search via their Belgian sites which Im not interested in one bit because 90% of our SEO activities are U.S. focused. Some "great user experience", doh...But even if widely accepted by users, theres plain too many individual factors involved to generalize such data with impunity: starting off with persistent (aka stable, reliable) personal interests + bias, followed up with situative, ephemeral factors and interests which simply wont lend themselves to easy generalization.Take Amazon: if youre looking for a whodunnit to give to your friend for his birthday, and if you happen to actually buy one from them, theyll start pestering you with tons of alternate whodunnit offers for months every time you login again. Smart marketing? Well, I know theyve come to the conclusion that this has helped their sales dramatically, but who really knows how many people it has ticked off instead as well? (Maybe its just me but I for my part find this pretty silly and irritating.)Search is similar: what may be your #1 issue today, causing you to enter pertinent search phrases by the ton for hours, may have lost all interest to you by tomorrow.And Im not at all sure that all this can easily be translated into a statistical mean capable of handling the law of large numbers, etc.Of course, what we havent addressed at all yet is the Negative SEO aspect of this: could you conceivably make your competitors rankings drop some day by hitting them with a Surfbot Net that trashes their performance on the bounce rate side? A scary thought, to be sure, but anything but unrealistic once we agree that behavioral metrics (which bounce rates are a major part of) are promoted to a major ranking factor...
You raise a few more interesting points...A. Even personalization can be skewed as each member of my family plops onto the computer during a Saturday - no worries tho Microsoft has a patent about bio-metrics for our computers to not only identify us, but read signals (happy, angry, displeased) - you know -"Im sorry Dave, I sense you are unhappy with these search results"B. which brings us to another point of yours - that behavioral management could be next and actually slow a persons evolution as they would naturally evolve. Could they manage us and our desires? Google and MSN have behavioral targeting for TC set top boxes (which ads U liked etc..) Sounds whacky, but I have spent waaaaay to much time reading the evolutions of these efforts. Waaaay beyond privacy, as a society there are concerns that I have with this level of personalizationAnd the spam-ability is the part that seems most likely the achilles heel (in a non-personalized enviro). Tough times mean cost cutting, new signals that have a higher spam detection cost (in processing) are unlkely to be as popular as cost saving technologies such as page segmentation algos.Theres just been too much jumping the gun going on IMO... discussions like this can hopefully bring a larger brain trust into the conversation.... kudos once more.
Sir - its always been my contention that Orwell was an inveterate optimist: so are you actually subscribing to that irrational optimism of his as well? Lol - just joking.Fact #1: Google is primarily a Data Mining outfit, not a search engine. (Its something Ive been writing about for years, having studied the politics of power and their societal mechanics for the better part of three decades - i.e. no mere paranoid knee jerk reaction on my part... though Im fairly accustomed to people shrugging it off as such.)Fact #2: Search (and the encumbent advertising network) is their primary data infusion blood line.Fact #3: "Data mining" potentially encompasses lots of different areas of application ranging from commerce and public relations to intelligence, law enforcement and political crowd control.Conclusion #1: The more they know about you as an individual, the more likely they will be to try and track and, as required, exploit or manipulate you - be it as a consumer, as a citizen i.e. a polity member, as a (perceived) health hazard, as a (perceived) sociopath, as a (perceived) security risk, etc. etc.Conclusion #2: The better they are able to categorize you (aka slap some generalized "profile" of theirs onto you), the easier it will be for the process to become self-perpetuating and auto-referential: anything you may do or avoid doing (as tracked and monitored by them) will actually only reinforce their hold on you - both as an individual and as a member of whichever societal group or subgroup you may belong to.Thesis #1: Yahoo! and Live/MSN arent that much better, theyre merely not as large and expansive, but as they are probably catering overall to different demographics, their role is anything but trivial.Thesis #2: The trains departed long ago - no way any individual can effectively stop this development. Short of a political, societal and cultural revolution (a real one, not a mere overblown half assed "reform") theres no conceivable opt-out option. (Well, you might get fully unplugged, of course - which is when other instruments of crowd control will have to kick in. Think offline surveillance, "anti terrorism" measures, police state tactics etc.)And no, Im not saying that this is some huge conspiracy with a few elites in the know pulling all the strings - no need for that if youre actually dealing with systemic mechanisms of "reality production". (But as I can hear people groaning already, Im certainly not going to get into system theory and similar high falutin specialist fields here... peace all! :)On a more particularized scale: yes, I agree that cost-efficiency considerations may impede speedy deployment of more violable mechanisms.
I couldnt agree more on that ship having sailed. When I first started finding more and more about behavioral (in paid ad patents and then organic areas) I was pretty excited as a techno-geek... very innocent and optimistic. Now? Its really starting to freak me out some. As I was mentioning both Google and Microsoft have offerings (multiple patents) looking to do this for Television as well (ad tracking, programs etc..)It all came tumbling down with the biometric stuff from MS... there is every implication that this genie is our version of splitting the atom, at least from a sociological standpoint. The tracking and reccomendations are mere steps away from behavioral modification. But its nothing new, just evolved to massive levels because of the data mining and profling abilities available to peeps such as the do-no-evil gang at Google.I thought it also funny that they aquired a company that essentially does DNA analysis ... no that really IS wanted to index ALL the worlds information... sigh... oh well, time to start making some more Tin Foil Hats...
Does it matter more if the bounce rate is high for the home page versus for a deep page? My bounce rates are low for the home pages and category pages, but high for the deep pages -- the ones that provide more detailed information about a very specific topic. Isnt that the way it should be?
I read the article when fanto first posted it and was on the fence as to whether it was worth a sphinn; this conversation certainly is.
Bounce rate is so important that if a page has a very high "hit the back key in a sec" percentage you are SOL, so lose that webpage pronto. I mean erase it now. This could help drag you down. The search engines feel that if a user stays a long time on your site the content must be plus max.OK so, a great way to get users to view your page for more than a minute is to put in some movies. Yes, go to youtube and grab related videos. That will make your page as sticky as fly paper. Remember your score is based on bounce rate more than ever before.
SEObro... whaaaaaattt? A bounce is only a measure that they only visited ONE page. If Google does its job right and finds people what they want, then ONE PAGE may be all thats needed for satisfaction of said user/searcher. Ultimately there is abso-friggen-lutely NO evidence that any major search engine use using implicit user feedback as a ranking signal at all (tho it does seem likely for personalization is anywhere). Just sayin
from yetanotherben 3922 Days ago #
Just totally blown away by the value of the comments. Following the debate that went on all those months back its good to know that the debate has subdued (at least as far as I can tell). And from my perspective at least, Fantomaster / Dave Harry have done a great job at rationally educating and sharing their experience/research. Really, I am so greatful for open and frank commentary link this. Great stuff! :)


text:
While we're big proponents of getting your kids out in the backcountry, it's not a requirement to have an adventure.
This winter Chilliwack has been blessed with snow, lots of snow. In a place that usually gets true snowy winter for maybe a week or two, we've had at least 3 weekends where church has been cancelled due to snow and a bunch of snow days for the kids. I've gone a few weeks between bike commutes because my road bike just doesn't cut it on the snow.
As an adult it's super easy to look at the snow and only think about the shovelling that will need to get done. As a bike commuter and a family with a single car, it's easy to lament the loss of freedom for someone when the car is in use.
But then you take a look at the magical faces of your kids in snow and realize that snow isn't an inconvenience it's a world of possibilities.
At some point in our lives we move from that child like wonder of snow to a world in which our task list is so important that the change in schedule becomes something we lament.
"Ugh, I can't get in to the office!"
"How will I get everything done with the roads as they are. I can't get to all my meetings with how long the drives are going to take."
While our kids beg us to take them tobogganing we feel frustrated that they're bugging us because we have chores to do. Our 'no' to the outdoor play isn't so much a no because it's impossible, it's a no because we don't feel like going since we are beholden to our task lists.
Instead, grab the sled and bundle the kids on it and tow them for the dog walk.
Get outside with them and go sledding. Take the time to carry the littlest ones up the hill until they're falling asleep in the snow. Don't get angry at them for taking so long to walk up the hill, just enjoy the change of pace.
Emails can wait. No one will perish because of a day of delay.
Don't worry about the days of skiing that may be lost. Enjoy the time you have with your kids right in front of you.


text:
He changed the world and technology as we know it. He's everything RIP Steve
My last post about Steve was a great quote – Steve Jobs Connect the Dots Quote
From POTUS – White House Blog
"Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it."
"The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."
The Famous "Stay Foolish" Stanford Speech
– Welcome board at Gangplank HQ in Chandler Az
"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" – Steve Jobs. 1955 – 2011


text:
Music as a Mirror
Lecture no. 1 from the course: How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, 3rd Edition
Taught by Professor Robert Greenberg | 46 min | Categories: The Great Courses Plus Online Music & Fine Art Courses
This opening lecture introduces themes, concepts, and terminology that will be used throughout the series. The nature of concert music as a living, breathing entity and not a fossil of the past is introduced. Important definitions and distinctions are discussed, including: concert music, classical music, popular music, and Western music. The concept of music as a mirror is introduced. Lastly, using Ludwig van Beethoven as an example, the composer is discussed as a person describing some aspect or aspects of his life and world in his music.
48 Lectures
Recommended For You See all 10


text:
BJ FOoDiEs Dinner at Arrow Factory LiangmahePosted: April 22nd, 2016 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: Foodies & Dining Scene, Upcoming Events | Tags: Arrow Factory Brewing, Arrow Factory Taproom, BJ Foodies, Liangmahe, Liangmahe Canal, Stuff'd, Stuff'd Sausages, Thomas Gaestadius, Will Yorke, Wudaoying | 1 Comment »
Previously known as Vineyard Cafe on the River, the new Arrow Factory has taken over this gorgeous space located along the lovely tree-lined Liangmahe River Canal. The smaller Arrow Factory Taproom still remains tucked inside Stuff'd on Jian Chang Hutong 箭厂胡同 (just around the corner from Wudaoying Hutong).
Part of the same family as the Vineyard and Stuff'd by partners Will Yorke and Thomas Gaestadius, the taproom finally has room to stretch its arms out with this lovely 3-story building.
Snapshots of the New Arrow Factory Brewing:
Continue Reading » BJ FOoDiEs Dinner at Arrow Factory Liangmahe


text:
Rudy Ernsbarger Downey
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Rudy Ernsbarger Downey, age 86, died Jan. 7, 2009, at the Santa Anita Convalescent Home, in Temple City, Calif. She was a former resident of Monrovia, Calif. Graveside memorial service will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Oak Hill Cemetery, in Butler, Mo. Online condolences may be sent to www.schowengerdtchapel.com.
Arrangements were made by Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel, in Butler, (660) 679-6555.


text:
NINA RAINE 'TRIBES'; A Season's Fresh Looks
By STEVEN McELROY
Published: February 26, 2012
MANY young actors would have been thrilled to make their New York stage debut in Harold Pinter's ''Celebration,'' directed by Pinter at the 2001 Lincoln Center Festival. But for Nina Raine, playing a waitress in the show ''was the torture I had to endure to watch him work,'' she said by telephone from London. ''I hate being onstage.'' (Though she enjoyed Manhattan's ubiquitous deli salad bars, she said.)
Fortunately for Ms. Raine, 36, the career she actually wanted, as a playwright and director, is now thriving. Her play ''Tribes,'' which had its premiere at the Royal Court Theater in London in 2010, is in previews at the Barrow Street Theater in a production directed by David Cromer (''Our Town''). It is currently running in Australia too, and productions are coming in Germany and Hungary.
Ms. Raine, who studied at Christ Church, Oxford, comes from sound literary stock: Her father is the poet Craig Raine and her mother, Ann Pasternak Slater, is a literary scholar. But their only daughter (Ms. Raine has three brothers) didn't find instant success as a playwright. '' 'Rabbit' took me about four years to get on,'' she said of her first play, which eventually got on well enough to garner Ms. Raine the two important British awards for most promising playwright. She directed ''Rabbit'' in New York too, as part of the 2007 Brits Off Broadway festival.
In ''Tribes,'' a profoundly deaf young man, Billy, has grown up in an overeducated and argumentative hearing family in which learning sign language is considered a distressing act of conformity. Billy can lip-read expertly, but when his new girlfriend teaches him to sign, he begins identifying with a new group. While the play wasn't inspired by her own family -- a documentary initially sparked her interest -- there are some parallels to her ''intellectually rambunctious'' clan, Ms. Raine said.
''Tribes'' could stir controversy, given that characters are sometimes critical of the deaf, and Ms. Raine said she was nervous about the reaction when the play opened in London.
After a press performance that included representatives of various publications for the deaf, though, she was relieved. ''At the end they clapped by waving their hands, which was really moving,'' she recalled. ''I thought: 'O.K., we've got a kind of different tribe here, but they like it. Thank God for that.' '' STEVEN McELROY


text:
Chilli Penguin Wood Burning Stoves
Made in the UK, contemporary stoves for every home
Chilli Penguin wood burners are a little bit different to any other range of stove. They have neat clean lines and come in a wide selection of colours in addition to traditional black, which means they often appeal to interior designers or rooms designed around colour. But their real difference lies in the way in which all but the smallest Chilli Penguins come with the ability to boil the kettle, cook a casserole or heat the bath water. Chilli Penguins are nothing if not versatile.
Originally designed for canal boats, with their range of colours and sizes means there is a Chilli Penguin stove to suit every size of home from the smallest cottage to large farmhouses, and every style, from the most rustic to the most chic.
Built by hand at their North Wales workshop, Chilli Penguin stoves represent the very best of UK manufacturing. Each stove is made to order, these stoves are not mass produced.
Every Chilli Penguin stove is designed to meet the most stringent of UK and EU standards, minimising combustion gases and ensuring maximum burning efficiency;
A range of options ensure you get the perfect Chilli Penguin stove
Along with a choice of six colours, Chilli Penguin stoves come with a number of additional options like boilers and plinths to ensure you get just the right unit to suit your personal style.
Hand built from high quality steel, every Chilli Penguin stove is covered by a full 7 year manufacturer's warranty, proof of the company's commitment to the highest standards of build quality and design.
To learn more about Chilli Penguin stoves, or view to the complete range, pay us a visit.


text:
Please note, the box has been opened as part of our quality control inspections and as such all the seals have been broken. The item itself is brand new and has never been used.
This is a great opportunity to buy a fully functioning product at a discounted price, supplied with a two year warranty.
Product Ref: 108790
Casio Music UK has combined with Rockschool to provide a FREE digital downloadable book with the purchase of selected qualifying instruments. An access website code to the digital music will be provided in the form of a leaflet inside the product box.
The Casio CDP 230R comes readily equipped with Acoustic and Highly-Compressed Large-Waveform (AHL). When coupled with the authentic to touch Scaled Hammer Action, it brings the sound of the digital CDP 230R closer to that of an acoustic piano, and delivers more texture and depth with every keystroke. Also included is the polyphony, which will which can create up to 48 notes simultaneously; a significant advantage when playing at a higher level, or just as a way to experiment.
Up to 700 separate tones are stored within the CDP 230R, making the possibilities endless to expand variation in a performance. The effect of a full band can also be achieved at the touch of a button with the CDP 230R's Auto Accompaniment feature, producing all the chords and supplementary harmonies you need to easily build the layers of a performance. Further, there are 200 pre-set rhythms that can act as a full musical accompaniment, and 152 stored songs to either play along with or simply just listen to.
The CDP 230R is packed with features to help create the most original music possible. Reverb and Chorus are present to embed each keystroke on the timbre with classic effects. The Layer function can allow you to layer two tones alongside one another, resulting in the perfect accompaniment to slower performances. The Split effect can then divide the CDP 230R into two separate instruments, meaning the player can control two effects with either hand. This shows the amount of variety and variability available to create a truly unique performance.
The Step Up Lesson feature on the CDP 230R is an effective way of learning how to master songs. The feature allows the player to listen to the desired phrase, play it with assistance via the LCD screen, and then perform it on their own. The CDP 230R will then evaluate the performance, and can even give assistance by calling out finger numbers. This means effective learning, anytime, making the CDP 230R perfect for both beginners and more intermediate players.
Standard Courier Delivery
When you add this product to your shopping basket, you will be provided with our standard courier delivery option. This will deliver the piano to the ground floor of your house or building. Please note that if there is not a ground floor entrance we may not be able to deliver there. You may also need to help the delivery driver as this product comes packaged in large boxes.
This may not be suitable if you are unable to help the driver if required, or if you need the piano delivering upstairs. Please consider whether this is the most appropriate delivery service for you, as other delivery options are available at an additional cost.
Delivery and Installation Service
This service can be arranged on an ad-hoc basis via a specialist piano delivery company. Delivery times cannot be guaranteed until we have made arrangements with the delivery company. If you would prefer a delivery and installation service, please contact our sales team on 0330 365 4444 who will be happy to set up a quotation for you and provide you with more information on this service.
Any electrical items in your order may have been designed to work with a 240V circuit, using a United Kingdom G type plug connection. An adapter or transformer may be required for these items to work properly and safely in your country. Some items work with a range of voltages, or have a switchable voltage control built in. Please refer to the specific product details for further information.


text:
For a long time, it had been unclear who was supposed to be the girlfriend of French superstar Paul Pogba. But now we know: it was Lisa Thiolon who managed to conquer the heart of the Juventus midfielder.
Dark hair, a slim yet feminine figure and stylishly dressed. Besides that, Lisa Thiolon loves high heels, as shown by the many pictures shot by paparazzi photographers. That same tabloid press reportedly also saw how the couple were shopping for wedding rings at the most expensive jewellers' in Italy.
They did this in style: the SUV was parked on the sidewalk and during shopping Paul Pogba and his girlfriend Lisa had no intention to wait in the checkout queue, to the irritation of other customers.
Which might make you think, also thanks to his extrovert fashion style and outward similarities, that Paul Pogba would be another Mario Balotelli. But nothing like that, Pogba is in every way a super pro who lives for his career.
Which now is still at Juventus, where he makes about four million euros annually. But there is enough interest for the best player in the French national team. Oddly enough, at Manchester United he had failed to break through and refused to renew his contract. That same club, however, would again be flirting with him to get him to return, but FC Barcelona as well is trying to catch the midfielder with Guinean roots.
The start of the relationship between Paul Pogba and Lisa Thiolon dates from 2012. It is unknown how the two first met, partly because they both give few interviews and certainly do not like to talk about their private lives. They did, however, recently go on holiday in New York. Both Lisa and Paul are very fashion-conscious, and in this the Frenchman likes to go quite crazy in terms of clothes and hairstyles. He already had a leopard print applied in his hair once, and likes to wear eccentric clothes. Lisa likes to dress stylish and sexy.


text:
Undergraduate researchers, scholars present at NCUR 2007
A record 2,031 students were accepted to present their original research at NCUR 2007. Biology, politics, English, and psychology were the most popular subjects. During the three-day event, students presented their original research on topics ranging from homeland defense and decision science to pharmacoeconomics and the involvement of mathematics in ancient Greece.
Abstracts were presented by students attending colleges and universities nationwide, ranging from large research institutions such as Columbia University, Duke University, Rutgers University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Yale University, to smaller liberal arts colleges such as Dickinson College, Reed College, Smith College, and Vassar College.
Over the past 20 years there has been a tremendous growth in undergraduate research at all types of institutions. At Dominican, for example, many departments integrate undergraduate research into the curriculum from the freshman year onward. Students in the science department are involved with stem cell research, as well as research into breast cancer, sudden oak death, the genetics of obesity and the threat to biodiversity created by the spread of non-native plant and animal species on public land.
The annual NCUR conference was created in 1986 to promote undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study. NCUR attracts student presenters from all corners of the academic curriculum. Attendance grew from 260 presenters in 1986 to 1,900 presenters in 2006.
The central premise of undergraduate research is the formation of collaboration between students and faculty, noted Dr. Sibdas Ghosh, chair of Dominican's Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and a member of the NCUR board of governors.
"Undergraduate research combines teaching and research and, as a result, replaces the traditional archetypes of teacher and student with a collaborative, investigative model, which uses research done with a faculty mentor," said Dr. Ghosh. Before joining Dominican's faculty in 2001, Ghosh was director of undergraduate research at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.
"Undergraduate research truly motivates students to learn by doing," he adds. "With faculty mentors, students engage directly in practicing the work of their discipline, while they avoid passively acquiring knowledge that this discipline has produced."
In the previous two years, Dominican's science students earned a 100 percent acceptance rate into both medical and graduate school, including the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the University of Washington School of Medicine, the UC San Diego School of Medicine, and the joint MS/MD program at UC San Francisco/UC Berkeley. in 2007, five students were accepted directly into Ph.D. programs at UCLA, USC, Loyola University Chicago, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. All of those students were exposed to undergraduate research while at Dominican, and all of these students presented their work at past meetings of NCUR.
NCUR 2007 was held on Dominican's San Rafael campus, located about 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Keynote speakers included Dr. Dale Bredesen, president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Age Research; Dr. Millie Hughes-Fulford, NASA science astronaut and director of The Laboratory of Cell Growth in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco; and Melba Beals, head of Dominican's Department of Communications and a member of the Little Rock Nine.
Posted January 24, 2007


text:
(Click on a title)
Every Book I Write is a Failed Book (22/12/09)
It isn't good ideas that keep Jenny Diski writing but how to transform them into something new, she tells Rosemary Goring.
A writer's life: Jenny Diski (19/04/2004)
The solitary and uncompromisingly clever novelist tells Helen Brown she is trying to re-trieve the Bible from stupidity.
Making a solo voyage Jenny Diski has used her life on the edges of insanity to great and frightening effect in her novels.
Ajay Close finds her only need now is for a good degree of solitude.
Puffing her way around a continent (01/09/2002)
Mark Sanderson reviews Stranger On A Train by Jenny Diski
Critical perspective
British Council comtemporary writers review
It isn't good ideas that keep Jenny Diski writing but how to transform them into something new, she tells Rosemary Goring.
When I suggest that the heroine of Jenny Diski's new novel is insane, or close to it, Diski crows with laughter. It's a smoky cackle, the infectious, mocking, back-row bark of the school rebel or heckler. "Difficult is a good word to describe her," Diski conceded of Marie de Gournay, her latest subject. She licks chocolate biscuit off her fingers as she sits at her kitchen table in Cambridge, a cat-like smile setting her eyes alight. What next, she seems to be wondering, crouching at the mousehole of this conversation, tail swishing.
Difficult is a word that has, one suspects, often been used of Diski. Brought up in east London, she was the daughter of a volatile mother and charming, feckless father, whom she describes as a conman. This tempestuous marriage finally ended when her dad left for his mistress. Subsequently, Diski went a bit wild. Put into a mental asylum at the age of 15, she later tried to commit suicide. Even though she became a protégé of Doris Lessing, whose son was a school chum, for some years she seemed hellbent on self-destruction.
Now an elegant, handsome fifty-something, with sleek silver hair, she looks precisely as you'd imagine the owner of a narrow brick house in a quiet Cambridge terrace. There's no trace left of that painful adolescence. Until you look int of company, but there's no doubting that given the choice, Diski would rather not have to spend the afternoon talking. Being sociable is really not her thing.
This is the writer, after all, who once travelled to the land of the penguin (Skating to Antartica), and didn't want to leave her cabin when the ship berthed; who crossed America by rail (Stranger on a Train) and would have stayed cocooned in her own thoughts had the craving for cigarettes not driven her to the smoking car. For some time after moving to Cambridge to be close to her new partner, the poet and don Ian Patterson, she lived in the house across the street from him. A few years ago she took the plunge and crossed the road (2the cats were getting confused"), but the top part of the house has been converted to her own private space, with study and bathroom. Given the urge, and a few tins of beans, she could isolate herself up there for weeks.
Many aspects of Diski are echoed in her new heroine. In her absorbing, questioning novel Apology for the Woman Writing – a title taken from one of de Gournay's own works - Diski offers a glimpse into the life of this feisty French bluestocking at the turn of the 16th century. De Gournay was an ungainly girl who exasperated her mother by refusing to learn any domestic skills. Wholly uneducated, she hid in her step-father's library and only devoured every shelf, but made herself fluent in Latin and Greek in the process.
There were two turning points in de Gournay's life. The first was when, as Diski writes, "she resolved to be neither nun nor a wife. She could see nothing wrong with just reading books. But could a grown woman have a life that was devoted to reading?" Her ambition to earn a living through literature was remarkable for her times and her sex. The second life-changing event was reading a collection of essays by Michel de Montaigne, now widely regarded as the father of the modern essay. Montaigne's work struck such a chord with the girl that she fainted with excitement.
Living testimony to the power of self-belief, de Gournay made Montaigne's acquaintance, and so badgered the poor man that he felt obliged to name her his "fille d'alliance". Appointed his editor after his death, de Gournay thereby achieved her aim of surviving by her pen.
Diski admits that envy of Marie was one of the spurs for this novel. "I think Montaigne is completely wonderful, and completely complicated and difficult, and I like him very much. He's so comprehensible. He's just a bloke, in many ways, and that's what he was trying to achieve as well, and I think that chimes awfully well. I hate the business of things having to be relevant and contemporary, but it strikes me that Montaigne is always contemporary."
Like Marie, Diski had an intense response to Montaigne's work. "There always was this sense that he was whispering in your ear, that he was terribly close. I didn't need to be revived," she adds, in a voice dry as toast. "I coped all right … There are some writers you come across, and it's as if you've found your best friend. You know. You pick up Dostoevsky when you're 18, you pick up Nabokov when you're 14, you pick up Hardy. There are people who you read - you might read them quite differently as the years go by – but you and they are passionately involved when you first read them because you are passionately involved in writing. And some kinds of writing or writers just click, and its so understandable what happened with Marie de Gournay."
Sadly, however, it appears that de Gournay was not much of a writer. Diski's disappointment is tempered by wry realism. "It's the business of not being the best. Now that is also central to the book, because actually most of us aren't the best. Hardly any of us are the best. And there is also that thing that every writer must have which is, what's the point of writing if im not Joyce, or Beckett or whoever floats your boat?
"And that's unanswerable. At some level there is no point in writing, I'd say. There's a part of me that still feels that quite powerfully. The world really doesn't need more half-good books … im totally arrogant, but I'm not arrogant enough to think im good enough. And in a sense that's what keeps me writing. Every book I write is a failed book. I feel that very strongly. Otherwise why write another one?"
Diski's constant questioning of her vocation is unexpected, given that she has wanted to write since she was a child. She talks to the "huge hiatus from the wanting to write to the writing", her life as teacher and mother intervening until she finally got started at 36 with a novel about sadomasochistic sex, Nothing Natural. Yet despite the late start, her teenage experience of the Lessing household was instructive.
"The thing about living with Dorris," she says, "there was this feeling of a serious writer. It wasn't about glamour, it was about going upstairs every day and shutting your door and work, work, work, work, work. I got a very non-glamorous view of being a writer from being there. What you did in order to be a writer was to write."
Diski has taken that lesson further than most, since her books are, as she happily admits, almost entirely about the business of writing. The notion that a good idea would be sufficient reason to start another book earns a look that would wither a triffid.
"They're all the same bloody ideas. What's interesting to me, why I wrote a novel about her [de Gournay], is the whole incredibly difficult thing of why on earth I ever started writing. Which is pretty much what all the books are about. They're about being a writer. I mean, there are some stories there, but I don't think ideas are interesting. There are no really original ideas … So my sense with every single book is, 'Oh, that's not what I meant, that's not really worked.' So you get on and write another one. Partly that, and partly I have to pay the gas bill."
The kitchen is growing darker as rain clouds gather over the garden. Diski leans forward. "And that's the essential compromise. I want to be a professional writer like Marie de Gournay wanted to be a professional writer and therefore I write for money. On the whole I don't write for s much money, or the way people want me to particularly, or the way that would make me a best seller. Certainly not in the way that would make WH Smith jump up and down in excitement." (That thought seems to please her.)
Apology for the Woman Writing, she says, "is a book for readers", by which she means those fascinated with the act of reading. "The question that hovers over the whole thing is: does the quality matter?" Diski looks quizzically across the table. "But I don't need to answer that, do I?"
She knows full well she doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to do. It's one of the things that makes her "difficult". Fascinating and admirable, too.
Rosemary Goring
The Herald 15.11.08


text:
- Yes
- Yes
- 3
- No
- 4
- Quiet
Holiday Accommodation & Location Details
The Mill Meadow lodges in Llanbister in Powys are best suited to nature lovers as they sit within an area of special scientific interest due to the vast range of wildlife living in the surrounding area. The lodge park is also located in a fantastic position in the South of Wales.
The location means visitors of the park can head to the seaside town of Tenby within an hour which has rich golden sandy beaches and a vibrant seaside culture. There are also an endless amount of restaurants on offer in Tenby, which range from traditional fish and chip shops to Indian takeaways.
Further afield is the Snowdonia national park which is one of the most popular tourist places in all of Wales has something for everyone. This is due to the beautiful scenery and mountainous terrain offering endless possibilities for outdoor sports and enjoying leisurely days out.
When it comes to accommodation at Mill Meadow Lodges there is a choice between three different sizes of lodge. The first of these lodges is the Buzzard Lodge which costs from £375 per week and can sleep four people. This lodge has two separate bedrooms as well as a large open plan living area.
The living area also includes a relatively spacious kitchen which has a microwave, cooker and plenty of white goods. Outside you can enjoy relaxing in the private hot tub and admiring the stunning views.
The second of the lodges is the Mill Otter lodge which also sleeps four people. This lodge is comfortable and has a double bedroom as well as a twin. Large French doors lead out onto a patio area which has garden furniture such as chairs and tables and a private outdoor hot tub.
The last of the log cabin accommodations available is the fox lodge which costs from £375 per week. This lodge has two bedrooms which can be either doubles or twins depending on your needs. There is also a veranda which leads out onto a decked area equipped with a hot tub.Tags: Lodges in Mid Wales, Lodges in Powys, Lodges in Wales
Accommodation Listings
|Accommodation Details
|Weekly Price (£s)
Buzzard Lodge
Otter Lodge
Fox Lodge


text:
No single- or two-passenger cars on the Williamsburg Bridge during the morning or afternoon rush. A new ferry route. Extra turnstiles in some Brooklyn subway stations. The packed lanes of 14th Street in Manhattan given over solely to buses. Twice as many bicyclists whizzing over the East River from Brooklyn.
Welcome to the L train shutdown.
The first details of the sweeping and complex workaround for the April 2019 closing of part of the L train line were released on Wednesday by the agencies tasked with remapping the daily human migration during the temporary absence of one of New York City's busiest lines. It was the most comprehensive look so far at plans to reroute more than 400,000 daily riders affected by the 15-month closing of the line's tunnel beneath the East River, which is in desperate need of repair after flooding during Hurricane Sandy.
The L line has helped fuel some of New York City's fastest growing neighborhoods, like Bushwick, Greenpoint and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. It will be closed from the Bedford Avenue stop in Brooklyn to its terminus on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan.
The New York City Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority jointly released the preliminary plans for coping with the disruption. They were frank: Rerouting the 225,000 people who take the train beneath the East River each day, the 50,000 who use it just to travel across Manhattan, and everybody else who rides the line, will not be easy.
"New Yorkers will face major disruption, with an impact — including increased ridership on alternative routes — that will be felt far beyond the immediate corridors now served by the train," the agencies wrote in a release detailing new bus lanes, bike lanes, street and bridge traffic patterns, ferry schedules and bus routes that the workaround will entail. "It will reach into Central Brooklyn, up and down the East River waterfront and crosstown in Manhattan."
Eighty percent of the L train's burden is expected to shift to alternative subway lines, said Veronique Hakim, the managing director of the Transportation Authority. To accommodate passengers, trains will be beefed up on the J, M, Z and G, with free MetroCard transfers between the lines at certain junctures. More trains will run on those lines, and on the C and G tracks, trains will also have extra cars. New stairs and turnstiles will be added at a number of stations.
The plans represent a major challenge for the city, eclipsed in scope in recent history perhaps only by the transportation challenges following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack and immediately after Sandy. They are the result of more than a year of research, which included community input, and were to be presented to the City Council in a hearing on Thursday; the final version will require more community feedback.
"What we are doing is recommending a series of service plans that try to serve as many of those customers in as elegant a way as possible," Ms. Hakim said.
Buses are expected to accommodate 15 percent of displaced L train riders. During peak hours, the entire Williamsburg Bridge will be open only to vehicles carrying three or more people, emergency vehicles and trucks, a designation known as HOV-3. The New York City Police Department will work with the transportation department to enforce the rule, said the city's transportation commissioner, Polly Trottenberg.
The L runs across Manhattan underneath 14th Street. In its absence, commuters within Manhattan will travel on 14th Street itself, entailing "a pretty bold envisioning of 14th Street," Ms. Trottenberg said in an interview. New bus-only lanes will transform the street from nearly end-to-end during rush hours. Sidewalks will be expanded to accommodate the extra crowds waiting at the stops.
Ms. Trottenberg said she anticipates that the number of people biking from Brooklyn on the Williamsburg Bridge — currently 7,000 a day — will double. A new bike lane will be built along 13th Street from Avenue C all the way to where it ends at Horatio Street in the West Village, and will include both an eastbound and a westbound lane.
A new ferry will link Williamsburg at North 6th Street to Stuyvesant Cove on Manhattan's East Side. The operator has not yet been selected.
Amid the bracing unveiling of the L train plans, there was some good transit news released on Wednesday: the city's subways showed early signs that the multimillion dollar emergency plan instituted last summer to speed up trains and fix outdated technology are starting to pay off.
The number of major failures — snarls that bog down 50 or more trains at a time — dropped 20 percent on weekdays between June and October, Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the Transportation Authority, announced at the agency's board meeting. There were 64 in October, down from 81 in June, conditions that led Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to declare a state of emergency.
Taken more broadly, there were 25 percent fewer major signal mishaps on average over the June to October time period, compared to the average for the first half of 2017.
The improvements come after Mr. Lhota installed his Subway Action Plan last summer, an $836 million fix for the crumbling transportation network. It is too early to tell if riders are personally feeling the improvement. "It's a little better," Mr. Lhota said. "But I don't think we're there yet."


text: i woke up feeling fine somehow started to lose track of what was going on around me at work at 10am. i was feeling all flu-like symptoms including drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, chills, and aches. i pushed through until the end of the day which i really shouldn't have. it was an iffy drive home, but i did my best to stay alert on the road. i immediately crashed on my bed the second i got into my room and didn't give a crap about anything else


text:
Today was non-uniform day at school which is always one of my favourite days of the academic year since I can be comfortable in my own damn clothes ! This year we had a theme, specifically a seventies themed, which made things a little frustrating so I spent all week worrying over whether to go preppy, punk or as a member of The Runaways. Although, that in turn, derailed me from stressing over which college I want to study in next year so you can take the distraction as a positive or negative. In the end, my outfit wasn't exactly my favourite to have worn on a non-uniform day as I would have liked to have added a few less feminine elements. However, as always, I decided to go way out of my comfort zone, cue unnecessary anxiousness as I approached the school but just like every year, those worries somehow morphed into confidence by the time I reached the school doors !
I wore four inch heeled boots to school ! I repeat, four bloody inch heels ! This should really be the title of this post, if not the opening line ! I have no idea how I got through the entire day and evening without slipping once but I did it and it felt amazing ! Considering I have awful coordination, I do love wearing heels and strangely find them so so comfortable to wear plus they are a great boost for my self-esteem. Not only did I learn today that being a little taller than usual creates a lack of short jokes from friends for the day (THANK YOU HEELED BOOT BABIES, YEA THANKS !) but I also discovered that being short can have one, maybe pushing for two, perks. That one being that the sink is much easier to reach when brushing teeth in the morning. Cue me screaming into mam, "I NEVER REALISED I WAS THIS SHORT !"
I can't believe I have spent an entire post rambling about what I wore today without even getting to describe it - what ! My hair is too long to spike with sugar and water and I've been too tired to put together a proper punk look so I went for a more preppy style with the blue blouse, A-line skirt and knee highs. I tried to add in a few punk elements with the double-winged eyeliner, which I forgot to photograph close-ups, the lace and also my leather jacket and chunky boots. I never wear knee-highs to the knee, especially not with these boots, since I'd be afraid of being cat called which is unfortunately the reality of things - even in a smaller town - but today I felt so confident, it was a 'feck it' moment ! And I should try make more moments 'feck it' moments, they're good.
Also, I went to see Bridget Jones's Baby this evening and oh my god, it was amazing ! My friends and I did not stop laughing for the entire film and it was also artistically beautiful - the locations are so well-chosen - and now I want to see it all over again !
On a final note, I listened to so much music this month that I'm going to leave it until the next post !
Grace x


text:
At the end of May, our very own Jen Gagg attended the CPS Hate Crime Schools Launch in London.Here's what Jen had to say following the event –
Today was the launch of the new resource toolkit for schools. The toolkit aims to tackle homophobia and transphobia in schools.
The day started with a warm welcome from Peter Lewis the Chief Executive of the CPS (Crime Prosecution Service). We listened to a number of people throughout the day but the two speakers who stood out for me were Joshua Garfield of Proud London whose talk was entitled 'Taking Part' and Jay Stewart, co-founder of Gender Intelligence.
All the speakers spoke about what is just, fair, safe and decent.
Many schoolchildren sadly suffer in silence.
According to Superintendent Paul Giannasi, there are 3 key heading areas that we should focus on:-
1. Prevention
2. Responding
3. Educating
School life can be a hostile place and we should not be bystanders.
Youth Trans did a project and out of 7000 16-25 year olds, 1000 were identified as Trans. 72% of those self harm and cyber bullying in particular is on the increase. The message was clear – much more needs to be done!
LGB & T students don't want to be tolerated, they want to be celebrated and loved.
Another stark message struck a chord and was most definitely loud and clear;
Challenge It, Report It, Stop It!
This new resource toolkit will give support to many in raising awareness but making sure that people know about it will be the challenge!
We can spread that message, let's start today!
You can download a copy of the toolkit from the True Vision website under Education Support.
Thanks for reading,Jen


text:
The political capital that the Pope makes from this and the unseemly haste to canonise the last Pope show that it is still an important business.
The Official Catechism (956) quotes from Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, one of the principal documents of Vatican II, on the intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.... They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus.... So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."
What is a saint in Scripture?
Does it refer only to those that the Pope has canonized? To these and also
to 'uncanonical' saints that are venerated regardless? Only miracle-workers?
Only martyrs? Anyone deceased who might have been at all good or at all
Christian? The New Testament provides this definition whenever it uses the
word hagios, which is rightly translated as saints: those who are
consecrated and sanctified unto God. It is clear from its various contexts
that it refers to ordinary believers in local churches. Paul even uses the
title for the Corinthians ( 1 Cor. 1:2 and very significantly I Cor. 6:1-2)
despite their being 'yet carnal' (I Cor.3:3). Were all apostles? Were all
prophets? Were all teachers? Were all workers of miracles? (cp. 1 Cor.
12:29). In the opening verses of Ephesians and Colossians Paul identifies
the saints with the 'faithful brethren' and not exclusively with the
overseers and deacons (Phil. 1:1). In Hebrews we find a whole chapter
devoted to why 'so great a cloud of witnesses' (Heb. 12:1) (greek.
martyrion - martyrs) are to be regarded as martyrion. Only by faith is the
message of chapter 11. These are of course not largely supposed to be saints
in the Roman Catholic system.
Historical origins of 'the mediation of the saints'
How then did the veneration of saints arise? Consensus among historians is
that what they term the 'cult of the saints' emerged in the fourth century.
Roman Catholic theologians would not deny that the beginning of the Roman
Catholic Church was in the establishment of Christianity in 330 AD, and as I
recall the motto of Roman Catholicism has been semper idem - always the
same. There is little doubt that 'Christianity' in the fourth century was
half-paganised. Constantine patronised important foundations of pagan
religion as well as Christian. Paganism was of course only suppressed in 385
it had coexisted officially with Christianity for this century and had been
recently revived under Julian the Apostate. Augustine reports a member of
his congregation:
'To be sure, I visit the idols, I consult magicians and soothsayers, but I
do not forsake the church of God. I am a catholic Christian'. Psalms 88
Sermon III.4.
Although the saint was regarded as residing in heaven, his intercession only
rested partly on that fact, the belief in his presence at his tomb was of
equal importance:
'Here lies Martin the bishop, of holy memory, whose soul is in the hand of
God; but he is fully here, present and made plain in miracles of every kind'
Gregory of Nyssa spoke of relation of praying to the saints with their
decomposed bodies or relics thus:
'those who behold them embrace, as it were, the living body in full flower:
they bring eye, mouth, ear, all the senses into play, and then, shedding
tears of reverence and passion, they address to the martyr their prayers of
intercession as if he were present.'
We must take note of the syncretistic influence of the spirit of the 3rd and
4th centuries - neoplatonism - which was influential amongst the
theologians, particularly the Alexandrian and Cappadocian fathers. The
policy of ecclesiastical authorities in the fourth century was to conserve
as much as possible, when churches replaced temples there was no sudden
change: services, pagan inscriptions, images and idols were kept. Cardinal
J.H.Newman in his book 'The development of the Christian religion'
catalogues an extensive list of Roman Catholic rituals which he admits to be
of 'pagan origin'. Msgr. O'Sullivan in 'The externals of the catholic church
' wrote similarly: 'thus, it is true that some Catholic rites are a
reproduction of those pagan creeds'.
We may look at the influence of the Hellenistic and Roman beliefs which were
still very much current in Late Antiquity. There was the ancient cult of
heroes whereby the dead were idealised, it was accepted that some form of
worship was due to the deceased in the family or in a public cult of
emperors and heroes. We find however a distinction kept between the cult
worship of the heroes and the gods. Tombs of Christian martyrs carried the
same name as those of the older heroes - heroon.
Augustine also speaks of how 'When peace came to the church, a mass of
pagans who wished to come to Christianity were held back because their feast
days with their idols used to be spent in an abundance of eating and
drinking' and that 'Pagans had now entered the church and brought their evil
habits with them'. We know that in external forms there was no real
difference between the pagan cult of the dead and the Christian feasts of
saints. Candles were burnt on graves, offerings were made of lamps, flowers,
ointments and foodstuffs. Practices such as leaving the infirm to spend a
night in the tomb of the saint for healing have their precursor in the cults
of the healer gods Asclepius, Sarapis and Isis. As in pagan custom also,
effigies of healed limbs were hung in thanksgiving. We know too that the
cult of relics was not unknown to antiquity - the bones of Theseus for
The gods were localised and guardians of particular cities, a role the
saints came to assume. Direct substitution of saint for god was normal
procedure for instance Constantine's cousin Gallas brought the bones of St.
Babylas to Daphne to replace the oracle of Apollo there.
The concept of the patron saint was popular at this time, an invisible
friend for protection and inspiration. Ammianus Marcellinus relates the
theology of this at the time:
'The Theologians maintain that there are associated with all men at their
birth...certain divinities of that sort, as directors of their conduct.' For
the 2nd century rhetor Aelius Aristides it was the god Asclepius, for the
Christian poet Paulinus it was St. Felix. This was where the custom of a
Christian name came in. Baptism was supposed to have cancelled the influence
of the stars that had initially formed the personality, the individual was
given a new protecting spirit and new genius as well as taking the name of
the saint who was supposed to guarantee all this.
These protecting figures were called in to do their job at death
particularly. In the burial chamber of the Vincentii (late 3rd-early 4th
century) the lady Vibia is depicted being led into the feast of the gods by
her good angel. In 396 Lady Veneranda is depicted in her burial chamber
together with the martyr saint Petronilla - the supposed daughter of the
apostle Peter, and who hasn't been mentioned since. Worshippers lost many
advocates for their times of need when the temples and shrines were finally
closed and it is not difficult to speculate how they filled the void. (The
bulk of the evidence presented here is selected from 'The cult of the
saints: its rise and function within Latin christianity' by PRL Brown).
There are also social and political reasons for a particular rise of
interest in saints at this time, but in the interests of space I cannot
recount them here. We may not be inclined to doubt the Roman Catholic
scholar Karl Adam when he declares in his 'The spirit of Catholicism' (p.2):
'We Catholics acknowledge readily without shame, nay with pride, that
Catholicism cannot be identified simply and wholly with primitive
Christianity, nor even with the Gospel of Christ.'
The basis of prayer
In Christ's teaching on prayer, we are directed to pray 'our Father' because
the basis of prayer is the Father and child relationship. Earnestness,
amount of words and vain repetitions do not count (Matt. 6:7ff.). It is only
upon the basis of our sonship that we are heard. All our requests are to be
made known to God (Phil.4:6). Moreover, our access to God depends solely
upon Christ's work for us (Heb.10:19-22). We are raised to sit with him in
heavenly places (Eph.2:6). We come boldly to the throne of grace for help
in time of need therefore (Heb. 4:16). We know that there is only one
mediator between God and men and that is Christ (1 Tim.2:5). It is sometimes
said however that the infinite and perfect mediator we have in Christ is our
primary mediator and the saints are our secondary mediators. When however,
secondary evidence, reserves, ballots, braking etc. come into play it is
only once the primary has been proved insufficient. There is no possibility
of this being the case with Christ. The cult of the saints clearly
undermines therefore, the unique mediatorial glory and all-sufficiency of
Christ. Is his righteousness not enough that the "merits" of the saints
should be dispensed instead of his?
This is one obvious area where Roman Catholicism is not only far away from
the Gospel but actively undermining and counterfeiting it.


text:
This event has passed.
Slow Sunday Drive
May 27, 2018 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm| $25
Want to spend an exciting afternoon in one of the most natural parts of Iowa? Then bring your Gator or something similar in order to ride on the trails of Whiterock. Come on May 27th, the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, to join and excursion of Whiterock. Spend the afternoon enjoying the sun and watching nature thrive with your family and friends. It will be a 13-mile ride through the trees and trails of Whiterock with some amazing views. The drive will begin from the pond area at the Garst Farmhouse, 1390 Highway 141. Park in town and use the underpass near the golf course to access Whiterock. Limited parking will be available at the Garst Farm complex.


text:
This little bunny graces the cover of one of my FAVORITE magazines this month. Spool Needlearts Quarterly Fall 2011 issue was in my mailbox today and there's so much stitchy goodness in this issue. The magazine is a year old – Happy Birthday Spool! – and has not disappointed during the inaugural run. Cross Stitch enthusiasts always have plenty of goodies to interest them and if you are a multi-crafter like me, you will be in heaven.
Highlights of this issue include: an awesome Rooster design, a trio of chili peppers, a witchy Halloween scene, a fall alphabet, a CD sampler bag, a Sledding Santa, a Snowman stocking, a quartet of Kooler penquins, and Santa's star. AND those are just the counted work projects I listed. There's so much more!!!
Look for Spool at your local needlecraft shop or subscribe online today.
Happy Birthday Spool – here's to many, many more!


text:
Mobile app developer Mobile Rocket shortlisted for two awards at the North East Business Awards 2019Share This Article
Aycliffe Business Park resident Mobile Rocket are delighted to have been shortlisted for not one but two North East Business Awards. The business has been shortlisted in the categories of innovation and digital technology, recognising their innovative approach to developing new products and services within the mobile apps market.
They will attend the Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside heat to be held at the prestigious Ramside Hall Hotel in March and if successful, will go on to the grand final in May.
Adam Lee Managing Director said: "We are delighted to be recognised for our innovation and digital technologies. We offer our customers the most up to date technology for their mobile app platform. We work with our customers to understand their requirements and can offer them a standard or bespoke app solution to ensure the app acts as an extension of their brand, adding real value through engaging and timesaving features.
Due to our continued development, our mobile apps feature reusable elements enabling customers to make significant cost-savings and quickly realise a return in investment. They are also user-friendly allowing customers to manage their app and access a host of statistics and reporting tools."
Adam added: "Our continued investment into our app platform adds further value to our customers as they benefit from future features at very little or no further cost."
The company has built a strong customer base since it was established in 2014 specialising in the recruitment, health and fitness, education, hospitality and business sectors.
They have a team of highly skilled project managers and developers who can exploit the most up to date technologies to deliver the best results for customers.
With over 268 billion mobile apps being downloaded a year and businesses continually looking for new ways of engaging and retaining customers via mobile technology, the future is exciting for Mobile Rocket.


text:
Buy Auto Part
Page 1 of 1 • Share
Buy Auto Part
Basically when you say travel agency you can imagine somebody that can assist you in planning your trip or someone has to be responsible with all the preparations you will need. Travel agencies are retail business at assist customers in planning, reserving and preparing vacation holiday tours or only transportation and accommodation you need to have.Travel agencies sell products that are related to travelling they also give out great customer service to every client that they will have in order that you will understand the nature of the work of such agencies it is very important to know the history and background of the industry. Those agencies basically take care of the services or preparation for suppliers like airline companies; they basically will be the one that will take care in preparing and reserving ticket to airlines for the customer. This is a very convenient way so that you will not be worried and it is less stressful for you to do all the preparation on a trip.Travel agencies can also assist you preparing for the renting cars or cruise liners depending on the type of vacation holiday you will get. This is also a great way so that you will be able to free yourself from all the burden of calling car rentals in the place. Most of those agencies basically have connections with hotels, transportations and excursion buses that are needed in your travel. You need to keep in mind that they can also give you discounted rates on the trip that you will want.Basically it is known that the British company is one of the oldest agencies in the world. It is said that the travel agencies rooted its beginning in the year 1758 and it usually have rich customers. Before they said that the company is a first class bank but they ventured to other business like planning and preparing travels for their customers. It is known that agencies gave it way only in the 19th century. A famous many like Mr. Cook developed a travel package for customers that love to travel and then it then from then on it made a great mark to many travel agencies in the market. In the 19th century many travel agencies are already present since that first travel agency became very famous especially to rich people that want a hassle free vacation. They realize that it is convenient and practical to have a package holiday tour rather than doing thing by themselves with all the preparations and planning. Many tourist love the idea of package holiday tour since they need to do is wait for the time of their vacation.
suspension compressor
suspension compressor
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum


text:
The best thing about starting a business when you're 9 years old: Respecting your clients is as natural to you as respecting your elders. Going above and beyond is all in a day's work for us. We're all about you: Your time is as important to us as our own. We'll never waste resources on tasks your landscape doesn't need. Our professional teams will arrive when they say they will to do the work we've promised.
Over the years, Handy Andy Outdoors has become synonymous with innovative solutions and beautiful designs. Whether you have a large project or a small one, we're here to help. With years of experience, we have discovered there are areas we can call specialties: Landscape Lighting, Irrigation Installation, Hardscapes, and Outdoor Living Spaces. These are just a few of the projects we love to do. Let us help turn your dreams into a reality.
We hold everything in our business to the highest professional standards — and you should, too. From our team members' professional uniforms to our clean, branded trucks, you should always be proud to have us parked out front.
A company is only as good as its team members. At Handy Andy Outdoors, our team is a huge source of pride. Our team members have been with us for years. They're dependable. Hardworking. Trustworthy. Reliable.
Andy is by far the BEST landscaper we have ever employed. We have lived in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, we have used "the most popular", the "most expensive", the most most whatever that means and by and far Andy is the BEST for everything—fair pricing, accommodating, prompt , goes the extra mile and all I can say is we are going to miss him a lot. We are moving which is the only reason we are not continuing. He is one in a million!! – S. Orloff
We selected Handy Andy Outdoors for two very large transformation projects in our front and back yards. We were thrilled with the results of both projects. The Handy Andy team listened to our ideas and needs for the space and created a design that fit our family's lifestyle. Andyand his team helped us from concept to design to implementation and finally maintenance. Both the front and backyards had overgrown 40+ year landscaping/trees (the space was not usable for playing or entertaining) and Handy Andy was able to utilize some of the existing landscaping in the new project which made the…
We have had the pleasure of using Handy Andy Outdoors for more than 15 years and we are still as pleased as we were the first time his company serviced our yard. We have had extensive landscaping done including filling in a swimming pool and relandscaping our back yard. He has always been fair in his pricing and prompt with his service. The men that work for him are polite, efficient and good at their jobs. If we ever have questions or requests for a special service our calls are answered immediately. Basically Andy is just a great guy who…
I am very pleased to recommend Handy Andy Outdoors for all landscaping and yard care. Andy is extremely knowledgeable about which plants will grow best in your yard, and he has the most creative vision about how to accomplish a beautiful, show-worthy lawn. He is a fine and honest businessman who stands behind all of his work. I recommend him highly. – N. Floersheim
Made the decision to consider landscape improvements a few years ago. Handy Andy provided architect layouts with suggestions, detailed line item summary, projected cost estimates and followed through every step delivering the job in on time, on budget and with extra efforts that exceeded expectations. Best investment ever-and keeps providing on going views that are remarkable. Perfection. – M. McGinn
I always get compliments on how beautiful my yard looks and I tell everyone I was just smart enough to hire Handy Andy. His staff does a great job every week with maintenance and they are prompt when doing special projects. It's a pleasure to truly enjoy the way our house looks. – L. Mencher
Handy Andy has handled my lawn care needs for 20 years and I believe that returning to the same company year after year is the best testimonial a service provider can get. His employees are efficient, knowledgeable, friendly, and respectful of property. When the rare problem has occurred, they have returned and corrected it in a timely manner. I am always confident that Handy Andy will keep my lawn healthy and looking its best. – J. Perkins
Very user friendly…great service and…prompt follow-up! – J. Thompson
I love the looks of my yard thanks to Handy Andy Outdoors! The crews are courteous and dependable. The monthly charges cover the basics, however, Handy Andy Outdoors does offer special services on request at a set fee depending on the job. I certainly would recommend Handy Andy Outdoors! – J. Slater
Handy Andy Outdoors has performed a number of extensive landscape and hardscape projects on two homes over the last fifteen years along with full yard maintenance for the past three years. I have always been impressed by the creativity, skill and determination to get things right and on budget. I wouldn't use anyone else. – Todd


text:
1860 Federal Census Surname Listing
Muskegon County's population in 1860 was 3,943 with 1,452 of those residents residing in the village of Muskegon. Six townships, Muskegon, Norton, Ravenna, White River, Dalton and Casnovia, made up the "County" of Muskegon at its formation in 1859 when it separated from Ottawa County. There may be more than one family with the following surname.


text:
Georgetown, Illinois
Corn and Soybeans
3600 Twin Line Bulk-Fill with 16 Row Interplant
What was your first Kinze product?
The first Kinze product we bought was a 12-row econo-fold planter in April of 1996. We switched from a planter that didn't give us the spacing that we wanted, to a Kinze with the finger pickup unit. We were very happy with that planter for a number of years, before we moved up to a Kinze 12-24 interplant planter, which we fell in love with immediately.
What keeps you coming back to Kinze?
Accuracy is a big thing for me. I love driving by our fields in the spring. You can see rows of corn in all directions. You'll drive by competitors' fields and the corn's close together, or there are wide spaces. They may have the population they want, but the spacing that Kinze offers is one of the key features as to why we have stayed with the Kinze lineup.
Charlie's Full Testimonial Video
See Charlie's full testimonial below and how his Kinze planter provides accurate spacing for every acre.
Join our mailing list
Sign up to receive the latest news on Kinze products and innovation.