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Finding My Family
Day 3
Cold and windy in Mt. Laguna. I left the lodge with good intentions to hike out but the local outfitters store had other plans. I popped in to ask for help with my back sores and fell into the "shake down" trap. (shake down = experienced backpacker going through your things, one by one, and telling you what to get rid of).
After deconstructing my backpacking system, trying to sell me a new bag, and sharing some warm vegan chili, I made it out and hiked 3 miles. I found a cozy camp spot with Marissa, James, and James's mother Aurora.
Day 4
On the PCT you are only alone if you want to be. I enjoyed a slightly overcast, solo hike out of town, but I was ready to find "the others".
I spent the day in search of hikers. For 17 miles I hopefully followed footsteps.
My hope dimmed with the setting sun. The evening brought back whipping winds which whacked me in the face at every turn.
Feeling defeated, I almost gave up my quest to find hikers. Peering out over cliff sides I questioned:
Tent?! 😀
Rock. 😕
Tent?! 😀
Rock. 😕
I almost gave up this game and decided to pitch my tent in a tiny spot with slight wind protection (or so I thought).
I emptied the contents of my bag. Squeezed my tent between prickly bushes, and decided...NO. Keep going.
1 mile away was the promise of a real tent site. Maybe...just maybe...hikers would be there.
Around 8pm upon playing my game of "Tent or Rock" I saw the lime green glare of Kim's "Nemo Hornet" tent. A far too unnatural color to be anything other than a hiker. With some pep in my step I hurried down and found them. I found them! A group of hikers. I looked for my spot and out of their tents came two friendly faces.
Meet Kim and Charlie.
Day 5
Kim woke me up in time to tell me everyone was packed up and leaving. Not wanting to be alone, I rushed out of my tent and hurriedly packed. Charlie -- who stayed much calmer than I -- patiently waited for me.
We hiked 14 beautiful miles and eventually caught up (crushed!) to the others.
When I found Kim she anticipated my speed and swiftly moved out of my way, accidentally backing up into a cactus. Thus began her identity as Prickles Cactus Butt.
Got our first hitch into Julian by Cathy, a self described pot head grandma.
We ate at the pie shop (apple cider for me). We drank beer with hikers at Carmen's, and we stuffed our faces with veggies and fries down the street. Prickles, Cosmic Charlie, and our newly adopted member Ed "smoke beard" have made a little trail family.
Found my place in Julian!
We hitched out of Julian, hiked 3.3 miles uphill and camped on a mountainside. We shared hummus pretzel carrot siracha burritos. And we talked about our past lives, past relationships, and cats.
Today has been the best day so far.
Day 6
Hot desert heat. 100 miles! We celebrated with bourbon, a bee sting, and a sun burn.
Life is good.
We camped at mile 101 where we met Bill Thompson. A 75-year-old ultra runner, and bad ass! Super suave and decked out in his 1950s hipster onesie. Evergreen long sleeve top connected to yellow orange and green striped pants. Amazing. He came here from Australia and is hiking from Campo to Big Bear as training for his 100 mile race in San Diego! Unsurprisingly, we have a mutual friend. Howie Stern, ultra runner and ultra photographer extraordinaire! Everyone I meet in the woods knows Howie.
Day 7
Trail magic. I first stepped out of my tent blind without contacts. I happily said, hi, to the "stranger" in front of my tent. Until I realized it was Ian! After which I jumped with joy, into his arms.
He provided. Boy did he provide! My trail family and I enjoyed avocados, bread, and fancy carbonated water! This was just the morning.
We hiked to eagle rock. Did eagle pose. Drank bourbon and took photos.
4 miles later we made it to Warner Springs, and Ian's car. We enjoyed a luxury ride to the post office, a warm bath at the resource center, and a cold beer picnic thanks to our trail angel Ian.
I dig this life.


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Dear Miss Sweettooth,
You may be my longest running relatiohship. For as long as I can remember, you have been there. Day or night, holiday or everyday - you are a constant presence in my life. I can feel you as you ride in on that white horse, waving the flag.Trying to get my attention, which you always do, no matter what is going on.
I wish it could be different. I wish that what we have had a better mental health balance. More of a Give and Take, like between good friends but what we have is, you call and I pony up. All you have to do make a little bit of noise, and I want whatever you are selling.
Maybe it is better now. Last week, you came roaring in on Monday morning but settled down a bit the next few days. Wednesday, I looked up and it was lunch time, I almost missed it. When you are quiet, the world is a lovely place and I find my way around, quite easily. When you have Something going on, I only have eyes for you.
There must be some song Somewhere about quitting you but after all these years, I do not believe that is possible. We will have to learn to coexist with each other. Let's try to spend the rest of our time together, being mindful and thankful for our relationship, thankful that after 60 years, it would so cool to go out on a high note. Are you with me?
Posted by email@example.com at Monday, February 27, 2012

subset: commoncrawl


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Hello girls,
This is a late post by me, but as
they say better late than never!!!
My dear friend Christine has very recently sent me this
blog award!
Christine sent this to me and I must
tell you that I was really happy about it!!!
The only thing that is involved is to
just say 7 thing I am grateful for!!!
Well, here they are:
I am really grateful for
1. my family's good health,
2. the fact that I have real friends that love me despite the fact that I have never seen them in my life!,
3. the fact that life happened this way that I came to meet my husband!
4. my daughter's existence,
5. the fact that God is next to me on every step of my life and helps me get through difficult situations,
6. for the kind of life that I live since I have so many things that so many people lack and consider a luxury, and finally
7. every difficulty that came into my life and has made me become a stronger person for my family!
So these are from me now!!!!


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Architect for Brooklyn Brownstone LANDMARK
Budżet $10000-20000 USD
Project Overview:
I have recently purchased a house in Brooklyn. The brownstone will require a complete gut renovation. The home is a landmark property so prior to any work being started, various permits are required by the city. I would need an architect who has experience with expedited permit requests, as this is a time sensitive project.
Interior Design:
The garden level and parlor floor will be specified as my living quarters, while the other 2 floors will be configured as individual 2 bedroom apartments intended for rental use. The general layout has already planned but I am open to potentially reevaluating.
Exterior Design:
I want a deck that extends from the master bedroom with a staircase leading down to the garden.
Must have a portfolio
Available to come and tour the property
Experience with NYC landmark permits
7 freelancerów złożyło ofertę na kwotę $16076 do tego projektu
I can design the HVAC system of your project. I am a licenced new York professional engineer. I can stamp the drawings for DOB approval
Hi I have read the requirements of your project with very carefully and I am interested I think I have accomplish your job If you give me opportunity, I will do my best for you Best Regards
I'll show your home before it is built; (visualized in 3D), prepare construction documents for DOB, Preservation, and Contractor. Your building, ready to be built, without headache. I can come tomorro
Hello, I'm a designer and architecture technician who loves to create personalized and comfy spaces according to the client taste. I hate generic designs that got no soul, and I want to propose something that resemble Więcej


text:
Budapest Social Agenda
Our Previous North South Conference
26 July - 2 August 2018
Follow CPEConferences on social media to view how our past delegates have enjoyed our North South Conference agenda!
@cpeconferences #cpebudapest2018
Academic Sessions
Please note that although we have a provision for the academic sessions below, the academic agenda will remain fluid until the final agenda is provided to you at the Welcome Drinks.
Day 1: Thursday 26 July | Welcome Drinks & Dinner
Welcome Drinks
Join your fellow delegates for a welcome drink to kick off the exciting conference week ahead.
Venue: Atrium II - Corinthia Hotel
Welcome Dinner
On top of the conference hotel at the stunning rooftop bar, Sky Lounge, join your fellow delegates for a Welcome Dinner following the Welcome Drinks event. The venue hosts the perfect atmosphere for grilled food and fabulous drinks.
You will have a choice of 3 menu options when booking your tickets for this event. Please ensure you select your preferred option when completing the Activity Registration Form.
Venue: Sky Lounge - top floor of the Corinthia Hotel
Dress Code: Smart casual
Inclusions: 3 course meal, wine and beer.
Day 2: Friday 27 July | Academic Field Activity & Session
Academic Session: Hospital in the Rock Museum
Meet in the foyer of the Corinthia Hotel at 12:45pm to walk to the museum. Alternatively, please meet at the entrance no later than 1:30pm as the tour will begin at 1:45pm.
The hospital was created in the caverns under Castle Hill in the 1930's in preparation for World War II and was mainly used for general emergency treatment, however it also treated many civilians injured in aerial attacks. After closing in July 1945, the hospital re-opened at the start of the Revolution eleven years later treating civilians and soldiers alike. The Hospital in the Rock was converted into a nuclear bunker between 1958 -1962, with the original plan being that in the event of a nuclear or chemical attack, certain doctors and nurses would have gone there first to survive and then later reopen the hospital to treat other survivors.
The museum is 1km long, and located 15 metres underground in a natural cave system. It is about 15-18 degrees inside.
Venue: Hospital in the Rock Museum
Inclusions: Private English speaking guide, 60 minute tour of museum
Note: Due to safety reasons, you will not be able to remain at the Hospital upon conclusion of the tour. Please wear comfortable walking shoes.
4:00pm to 7.00pm - Academic Session
Venue: The Tas conference room of the Corinthia Hotel
Day 3: Saturday 28 July | Academic Field Activities
Academic Session: House of Terror Museum
Please meet in the foyer of the Corinthia Hotel at 9:45am for a strict departure to allow time to place any large bags or backpacks in the cloakroom before the tour begins. If you will be joining the group at the entrance to the House of Terror Museum, please ensure you arrive and have placed your bags in the cloakroom prior to 10:10am.
The House of Terror Museum was established in 2002 as a memorial to the victims of the two terror regimes the country survived, and at the same time depict what life was like for Hungarians in the 20th century. The Museum was created with the intention to help people understand that the sacrifice for freedom was not in vain and it aims to educate people on how the victory of freedom and independence was achieved through the fight against two cruel systems of the 20th century. This incredible building, the only one of its kind, is a monument to the memory of those held captive and tortured throughout these times.
Venue: House of Terror Museum
Inclusions: Private English speaking guide around the House of Terror
Note: Large bags and backpacks are not permitted inside the House of Terror Museum. The museum staff have recently advised that these items must be left in the cloakroom before the tour begins.
For those doing both the House of Terror and Hungarian Parliament Building, it is a 25 minute walk between these venues. We recommend you have lunch after the tour of Parliament Building.
Academic Session: Tour of the Parliament Building
Please arrive at the entrance of the House of Parliament Visitor Centre no later than 12:30pm for a 12:45pm start time. If you are not attending the House of Terror Museum tour and will be departing from the Corinthia Hotel, it is approximately 20 minutes by train. Please give yourself plenty time to arrive as the tour will begin on time and you will not be allowed access otherwise.
The Hungarian Parliament (also known as the Parliament of Budapest) is rightfully considered as one of the most beautiful parliament buildings in the world and is the seat of the National Assembly in Hungary. Erected between 1885 -1902, it is the largest building in Hungary, and it has been selected as a World Heritage Site due to it's prominent panoramic location on the Danube. There are over 250 statues on both the facade and the buildings interior which represent great figures from Hungarian history, including Hungarian rulers and famous military figures. The Parliament is home to legislation, the Hungarian Holy Crown and the Prime Minister, and is a symbol of historical and political messages.
This tour begins at the Visitor Centre.
Venue: House of Parliament Visitor Centre
Inclusions: English Guide through the Parliament building including Staircase XVII, The Old Upper House Hall, The Upper House Lobby, Dome Hall and The Grand Stairway.
Day 4: Sunday 29 July | Social & Academic
A Tour of a Jewish Region and Lunch with the Locals
Meet in the foyer of the Corinthia Hotel at 8:45am for a strict 9:00am departure.
Experience the Jewish region of Budapest with a passionate local guide, seeing an area not often visited by tourists to help you gain a deeper understanding of the country and its history.
The experience will begin with a tour around the (late) Jewish district by car with your guide providing historic information about the district and the sites. The route comprises sites like the Dohány Street Synagogue, the tree of life, the street of the orthodox community, Király Street. Following the car tour, our guide will take us to visit a Jewish local where you will learn about the traditions, religion, cuisine, and history of the Jews in Hungary, as well as about their current life.
Following this tour, we will enjoy a traditional Jewish lunch with a local family - a truly special experience. We will travel to a local home where your hosts are the parents or friends of our guide, who will provide informative and interesting commentary on Budapest and Hungary along the way. Upon arrival you will be greeted by your host with traditional Hungarian pálinka (fruit brandy). After lunch, we will return to the hotel.
Location: Multiple locations in Budapest's Jewish Quarter
Inclusions: Bus pick up and drop off from the Corinthia Hotel, local taxes, English speaking guide, traditional lunch and wines
Exclusions: Donation for the upkeep of the synagogue (4-5 euro per person is recommended and to be paid in cash)
Note: Please note that the itinerary may not run in this order. Your guide may change it, however each part will be covered.
Day 5: Monday 30 July | Social
Day Tour of Lake Balaton
Please meet in the foyer of the Corinthia Hotel at 8:45am for a strict 9:00am departure.
A full day tour of the magnificent lake region, with tastings of 5 local wines and a delicious lunch. Andras, our fantastic guide, will spend the day with us, sharing his passion for the region.
Marvel at the beauty of the lake on a scenic 10 minute ferry ride from the south to the north, experience the beauty of the Tihany Penninsula - the pearl of the Balaton and enjoy a coffee/tea along with Hungarian cake in a cafe right on the lake.
Our day at Balaton lake will be completed by a visit to a winery with an amazing view over the Balaton. We will taste delicious wines and enjoy a great cold plate meal and hot meal at a family run winery.
Location: Lake Balaton
Inclusions: Private return bus transfer from Corinthia Hotel, private English speaking guide, ferry ticket, entrance ticket into the abbey, lunch, and wine tasting (5 wines)
Please note that once you confirm your attendance at the dinner by completing your activity registration form, you will be emailed a menu within 24 hours. Please reply promptly with your selection so that we can forward the details onto the restaurant.
Day 6: Tuesday 31 July | Academic Field Activity
Academic Session: Walking Tour & Lecture – A retrospective on communism in Eastern Europe
Please meet in the foyer of the Corinthia Hotel at 9:45am.
The Last Glorious Defeat of the Hungarians: The 1956 Revolution and War of Independence, before and after. A guided tour led by a professor who specialises in the communist history of Hungary.
Professor Miklós Molnár takes us on a walking tour of Budapest from the era of communism including lunch at the Rákóczi tér (very local, Mamma's home-style goulash, chicken paprika and cottage cheese pancake (cost of lunch to be shared among the participants)
Please note: Although the tour is of no cost to delegates and accompanying persons, lunch is not included and is to be paid individually on the day.
Day 7: Wednesday 1 August | Academic
9:00am to 2:00pm - Academic Session
Venue: The Tas conference room of the Corinthia Hotel
Day 8: Thursday 2 August | Departure Day
Book your activities
To book any of the above activities, please complete the Activity Registration Form that was emailed to you previously with the Social Agenda Release email. Please complete one form per delegate. If your accompanying person is also attending the conference as a delegate please ask them to complete the form that was emailed to their email address.
Please note that the activities within the social agenda are non-refundable. Should you need to cancel, please let a member of the CPE Conference Team know and we will do our best to accommodate this request.
If you have any issues with booking these activities please contact our conference team at [email protected]


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Saturday the 25th September in Sydney
Sunday the 26th September in Melbourne
True Blood in Dallas: True Blood's cast members and Charlaine Harris to attend fan event in AustraliaTweet this! Posted by " Dallas " at 8:22 PM
Labels: events
Talk Blood Radio has ended for Season 4. Thanks to all my great co- hosts and sponsors. All 12 episode podcasts are available for FREE from Blogtalk and itunes.
To bring back Blogtalk for Season 5 we will need episode sponsors, if you'd like to sponsor an episode for Season 5, please contact me !
Index to all previous shows HERE
You can also listen and subscribe to all the radio shows on iTunes HERE
Comments, suggestion -- please contact "Dallas".
Comments, suggestion -- please contact "Dallas".


text:
While offshore sailing enthusiasts the world over follow the Clipper fleet as they race through the South China Sea, Deckee discovered that some of the race's best stories come from the support teams who follow the yachts around the world, leaping into action as the weary sailors arrive into port.
Justin "Jay" Haller is the leader of the of Black Hand Gang, the affectionate name given to the Clipper maintenance team, who are often found with black, greasy hands from servicing engines, rigging and other equipment.
Jay, known to his team as "The Chief", has spent time as a technician in Antarctica and working on America's Cup yachts. The 2015–16 Clipper Race is his seventh edition of the race. The Chief put aside his tools to answer a few of Jess's questions.
Jess: In some stopovers, the yachts are only in port for a few days. If there's been breakages it must be a crazy few days to get everything fixed. Can you tell me about the most challenging stopover?
Jay: I remember Hawaii during the Clipper 2007-08 race as being one of our most challenging. Two of the boats were de-masted on the passage between China and USA. The fleet was diverted to Hawaii whilst we sourced two replacement masts, and we had to charter a specialist Russian transport plane to fly the replacement rigs and standing rigging out to Honolulu. We managed to load the rigs into the plane with just two inches of spare space remaining in the hold.
Jess: What are the most common breakages and maintenance issues the fleet experience?
Jay: Every day is different and brings different challenges. From generators to computers to rigging issues, no day is ever the same. Working through maintenance issues with the crew and skippers reduces the workload in the long run as they become more familiar with the systems.
We do get some rather surprising issues too. During the last race in 2014, one of the teams reported feeling two or three heavy impacts on their rudder. When it came into port you could clearly see the markings of a shark bite. We took the rudder off and removed some rather large teeth which were embedded pretty deeply. The bite was about a foot and a half across, so it was a pretty big shark. In almost 14 years on the job, that was a first. All images: ©CLIPPER RACE Jess: It's an endurance race so the crew are encouraged to minimise damage. Are there penalties for the yachts that need to replace damaged and broken equipment?
Jay: The teams do get penalised for damaging equipment. Skippers and crew are responsible for looking after their boats and it promotes good seamanship.
At the end of the stopover, the damages and costs are tallied up and penalty points do get applied to the overall standings.
Jess: How extensive are the tool and spares kits carried on the yachts? Are the crews able to fix many issues at sea?
Jay: The yachts carry a standard toolkit and various basic spares which allows them to carry out repairs. A lot of the equipment on board requires specialist knowledge to carry out the repairs, though there are quite often engineers amongst the crew who are able to make some repairs at sea which we can then check over in port.
Jess: What's the one breakage or maintenance issue you dread most?
Jay: Collisions at the race start. This does not happen very often, but it is always at the back of my mind. I find the race starts quite stressful and I try to avoid watching them for this reason! As the race progresses however, the crews settle in and the breakages tend to reduce.
Jess: You must have seen a few ports in your time. At which stopover have you been most impressed by the marine services and facilities available?
Jay: I would have to say the Abell Point Marina in Airlie Beach has been the most impressive so far. You are never quite sure what to expect when working with a first-time port, but the facilities we required were all on hand and the marina staff were always willing to go the extra mile for us. No ask was too much for them and it really helped make our operation go a lot smoother.
Jess: How does it feel to see the yachts set off on each leg? Are you relieved to see them go or nervous while they are at sea?
Jay: Seeing empty pontoons at the end of a stopover may be a rather empty feeling for friends and family, but for the maintenance team it is always a fantastic sight. It means that our worklist has been completed and the boats are ready and off for their next voyage.
Jess: If your toolkit went missing on the way to the next stopover and you had to get the fleet back out on the water with only one tool, what tool would you chose to have with you?
Jay: Hmm, I think it would have to be my Leatherman. It can be put to many good uses. I don't go anywhere without it.
You can follow the Clipper fleet at https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com


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Photo Questions
- Make sure your photo has good lighting – enough to see the details of your loved one's face, but not so much that their face is too bright to see. Darker photos make it hard for our designers to capture the details!
- A head-on shot is preferred. Make sure that you get the full face in the photo, including the ears and forehead. If we can only see half of the face or the photo is taken from the side, only half of the face will be on your product!
- Avoid blurry photos – the higher the clarity of the photo, the better. Remember that the photo will be shrunk down, so some subtle features may not be seen as clearly in the final product.
Our products are printed with up to two faces. In order to receive two faces on your order, when placing your order you must select the 'Two Face' option located on the product page. Faces will be separated and cropped individually unless the two faces are overlapping.
If you do not see the option to include more than one face on the product page, then that option is unavailable for that product.
Does it have a face? If so, we can print it! While some of our designs are specific to humans, dogs, and cats, we have tons of fun, printed designs for you to choose from and purchase.
Unfortunately, we can't provide a proof before ordering because our designers have to personally set up your image and crop out your loved one's face, but rest assured that if there are any issues, we'll send you an email for a new image.
Yes, we crop the photo for you! We only use the face of your loved one, all other details are cropped out. Just send us a high-quality, head-on photo and we'll do the rest!
If your pet or person has an accessory, hat, or collar that you would like to keep (or get rid of), please specify these details in the order notes.
Ordering and Payment
Absolutely! We also stack discounts with any sale that we have going on. Here are some discount codes:
- 10+ Pairs (15% off): tenplus
- 20+ Pairs (20% off): twentyplus
- 40+ Pairs (25% off): fortyplus
- 100+ Pairs (30% off): hundredplus
If you would like to cancel your order, you must do so by 11:59PM the same day you placed your order due to our 1-day production turn around, you will receive a full refund.
We will be happy to help you change your color, size, and/or picture with the order – just send us a message by 11:59PM on the day you ordered, as soon as possible with your order number and desired changes. No changes will be made to orders after 11:59PM the day of your order as they begin production immediately.
If you need to change your shipping address, we can help right up until the order is shipped. Please send us a message below with the current shipping address on file and the address that you would like to change it to.
Since we create one-of-a-kind, custom products just for you, we are only able to cancel orders and provide full refunds if they are canceled by 11:59PM the night you placed your order. After that point, your order goes into production. To cancel an order, please fill out our Contact Form below to send us an email with your order number and we will be able to assist you. Our designers work quickly, so be sure to contact us as soon as possible!
Please review our Return Policy here if you have other questions regarding this subject.
We accept all major credit cardsand use a Credit Card Processor called Bolt to make your payments safe, secure and easy. In addition to all major credit cards, we also accept PayPal for a quick checkout! Please note that all of our prices are listed in USD and your card will be charged in your respective currency.
Once your order is placed we are only able to refund your order. We are not able to add charges to your card for security purposes.
If you are receiving a refund through any major credit card, the refund processing time is 1-2 business days. If you are receiving a refund through PayPal, the refund processing time is 7-10 business days. Don't worry, we don't think you'll need to receive a refund, unless you accidentally add too many socks out of excitement.
Product Questions
We use a process called sublimation. Our apparel is defined as "no feel." This means you cannot feel any ink or cracking on your custom products since the product itself is dyed.
Our socks come in Adult Small, Medium and Large as well as a Children's size. Our sizes correspond with US standard shoe sizes as follows:
Adult Small: (Women's 4-8)
Adult Medium: (Women's 9-11 / Men's 7-9)
Adult Large: (Women's 11+ / Men's 10-13)
Children's: Youth (1-5)
All socks are crew-style socks and come up to mid-shin on the average adult.
Our custom mugs are 11 ounces in size.
Our blankets come in two sizes each perfect for the ultimate cuddle session. Our regular size is 50″ x 60″ and our large size is 60″ x 80″
Our socks are made of 60% Polyester, 10% Acrylic, 25% Nylon, 5% Spandex.
- For our socks, machine-wash them inside-out with cold water and tumble dry on low heat or line dry. Using a mild detergent and avoiding the use of fabric softener and dryer sheets will allow for long-lasting results. These instructions are for the best result possible. Washing our socks with like colors as you normally would your other clothing will not affect the quality of your socks in any way.
- For our mugs, hand-wash them with a mild dish liquid. Our mugs are dishwasher safe, but we recommend hand-washing to ensure long-lasting use of your new custom mug.
- For our blankets, machine wash separately with cold water. Tumble dry on low and do not bleach the blanket. Be sure not to wash your new blanket with other clothing when you first wash it! It tends to shed a bit of fuzz upon first wash.
Shipping Questions
Typically, it takes about 1 business day for our one-of-a-kind products to be produced and sent out. Once shipped, USPS will deliver continental US orders in 3-5 business days. International shipping times vary based on the destination.
After placing your order, you may not change your shipping from domestic to international and vice versa.
For our US customers, we charge a flat shipping fee of $3 for our socks and $4.99 for our mugs. The shipping cost for our international customers depends on the destination of the order. If you'd like to see how much international shipping will be to your destination, please add an item to your cart and enter a shipping address into our shipping calculator. Typically, international shipping is $10-$30.
We happily fulfill international orders! Our production time will be the same and shipping costs vary depending on where the order is going. Depending on your home country a customs tax may be applied in addition to your shipping cost.
NOTE: All prices on our site are USD. Once you complete your transaction, it will charge your card in your respective currency.


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Recently I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know Bradley Callow co-founder of Rich Legacy. Bradley and his Co-Founder Gordie Bufton work with high-performing families empowering both parents and children to better understand the unique pressures and risks that live around high-performing families.
Bradley and Gordie define high performing families as families that have at least one high performing parent who may work as an executive, entrepreneur, or some other kind of high profile, high pressure professional.
Perhaps more importantly they work with parents helping them develop a rich legacy plan. This plan ensures that children grow up empowered to carry on the high-performing legacy, rather than crumbling under pressure and becoming endlessly dependent on their parents to maintain access to the quality of life they grew up with.
I grew up in one of these high-performing families, so Bradley invited me to participate in a series of conversations about my experience growing up in this type of family.
Talking with them about their work has been extremely eye opening and healing for me.
Additionally, these conversation have caused me to reflect on the similarities between high-performing families and high-performing teams, remote and co-located.
It is not uncommon to hear company leaders refer to their team as a family.
As a society we tend to think of families as tight knit, intimate, trusting, loyal, and safe, so the idea of a professional family, especially when it comes to remote teams, is very romantic.
However, it is important to keep in mind that not all families are healthy. Many families are disconnected, cold, mistrusting, full of betrayal and emotionally and/or physically dangerous. Others maybe close in unhealthy ways that lack boundaries. This is known as enmeshment.
All children crave feedback from their parents.
In healthy families, children get positive feedback. This encourages positive attention seeking behaviors, which in turn allows for more positive feedback to flow from parents to children.
In unhealthy families, children are often starved for feedback and attention and may resort to negative attention seeking behaviors. For these children, any kind of feedback becomes better than none.
Similarly, all adults crave feedback, aka professional recognition, from their co-workers, supervisors, industries, and so on.
Remote workers need even more explicit feedback from leadership to feel seen and heard from a distance.
On healthy teams individuals will get regular proactive and usable feedback from leadership. This feedback reinforces high and equally realistic expectations and sets individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole up for success.
On unhealthy teams, team members lack feedback or get feedback that reinforces low or unrealistically high expectations and may become fearful of feedback and/or prone to lying, hiding mistakes, slacking, competing in unconstructive ways, internal conflict and so on.
If you are a leader that wants to build and lead a loyal team, you can't just name your team a "family." Instead you must commit to educating yourself about:
What a healthy high-performing group (family, team, etc) actually is.
How a healthy high-performing group is created and cultivated.
How to use proactive and responsive feedback to encourage positive and favorable behavioral norms.
When you focus your leadership in these ways, your team will begin to crave your feedback.
Perhaps more importantly, they will take your feedback to heart and experience it as constructive.
High Performing Groups
A high-performing family, team, or group is not the same as a family, team, or group with a high-performing leader.
The former suggests that all members are equally empowered and high-performing, whereas the latter suggests co-dependence.
Cultivating a High Performing Group
Bradley and Gordie know their shit.
They have developed a model for the creation and cultivation of high-performing families, which I feel can be applied to any type of high-performing group to achieve similar results.
The model identifies five principles: connecting, understanding, balancing, influencing, and empowering.
Proactive and Responsive Feedback
Proactive feedback, also known as modeling or leading by example, can be explicit or implicit. This type of feedback is general.
Responsive feedback is usually more specific, explicit, and corrective. This type of feedback is most effective when it aligns with previously given proactive feedback.
Bradley and Gordie developed a series of questions to help their clients evaluate where they are or are not on point with proactive and responsive feedback as it relates to these five principles.
I have tweaked and re-framed these questions slightly so they more directly relate to high-performing professional teams.
1. Connection
Connection is a vital part of any healthy relationship, personal or professional. Without connection teams don't form and nothing happens. If nothing happens there is no high-performance. Establishing a strong sense of connection is especially challenging for remote teams and therefore must be addressed explicitly.
Ask yourself these questions to determine the extent to which you are modeling connection:
What is the current state of my relationship to my team?
While maintaining healthy boundaries you want your team to be clear on who you are as a person. When you are simply the "boss" people can project their crap all over you. Be human. Share your story. Share your vision. Help people connect to your humanity and your vision for the company.
Have I spent one-on-one time with my team members?
Depending on the size of your team it may not be possible to spend one-on-one time with each team member. However, you can spend time with each department head or manager and then encourage them to spend one-on-one time with each person they directly supervise and so on down the line. This ensures that every person in your organization feels seen and heard and has a person to turn to in times of need.
Am I showing unconditional respect to my team members?
Respect must be earned, right? I agree 99%. Your team members need to show up to earn your continued respect over time. And, as a leader, you set that tone for your organization. At its core, does your company culture respect the humanity and diversity of your team as a whole and your team members as individual contributors? Start with respect and you will create positive behavioral norms. Give respect to get respect!
Am I giving feedback that helps my team expand?
Focus on the positives. That's not to say ignore or deny the negatives, but make sure you adhere to the magic ratio (3-5 positive - 1 negative). The magic ratio will help your team expand instead of contract; and expansion is success.
As the leader who is modeling connection, you have given your team the implicit feedback "I care about and respect your humanity, you have permission to be yourself."
Once you have connection your team can start to build trust. Trust makes people feel safe. When people feel safe they are willing to take bigger risks together. High-performance is not possible without calculated risk taking.
2. Understanding
Opening up and being seen and heard is vulnerable and always risky, but when your team members feel connected and they trust you and the company, opening up becomes a calculated risk they are willing to take. This calculated risk helps you get to know team members better. Knowledge is power and makes you a better leader. Understanding, like connection, is harder for remote teams, because the lack of proximity results in a lack of small talk and casual encounters. Creating virtual spaces for team members to socialize is a wise and popular strategy.
Ask yourself these questions to determine how you can encourage even more understanding in your team:
Am I seeking first to understand and then to be understood?
Listen more than you speak. Encourage team members to share their experience of working for your company. They are on the ground and therefore full of wisdom. Listen to them, the good and the bad, and then use the information gathered to lead them towards more success.
Am I speaking my team's language and considering their diverse learning style?
Unless you are interested in cultivating minion cult style followers, don't expect your people to adapt to you. Rather adapt to them. As a leader it is your job to speak everyone's language and lead with all learning styles in mind.
You have modeled connection and understanding and you and your team are thriving. The difference between an overachieving and a high-performing team is sustainability over time. The key to sustainability is balancing energy expenditure and energy renewal.
3. Balancing
Now you want to ensure that you are modeling balance. Balance is an art and a science and most importantly a practice. A balanced team will reduce conflict, sick days, and turnover. Remote teams are capable of offering more balance to team members, but are also more vulnerable to workaholic tendencies. Encouraging team members to set and stick to office hours is highly recommended.
Ask yourself these questions to determine if you are leading and modeling balance:
Am I clear on my own needs and wants?
Understand your own motivation. Are you taking action based on your wants and needs, the wants and needs of your team or are you taking action based on what you think you 'should' be doing? Don't should yourself to death. When people see that you are motivated by your wants and needs, rather than the shoulds, they will be way more likely to acknowledge and honor their own wants and needs.
Am I practicing self-care?
You can not have high-performance without a healthy baseline: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Any stories you tell yourself about lacking time for self-care are undermining your success. If you model self-care your team will follow your lead. If you don't they won't. The result? You either end up with a group of powerful healthy people or vulnerable and soon to be burnt out people. Your choice.
Am I balancing the needs and wants of each team member, the team as a whole, and my own in order to find a compromise?
As a leader you have the power to bulldoze the wants and needs of the team and individual team members and focus on your wants and needs above all else. However, doing so will set you up to fail. Show your team that one of your wants is to help them create balance in their own lives. Let them know you need them to practice self-care, so they can be 100%.
Now you are modeling connection, understanding, and balance. You are well on your way to cultivating a truly healthy and high-performing professional family, aka a rockstar team of loyal professionals who crave your feedback. The next step is to harness the influence you have begun to cultivate.
4. Influencing
Unlike manipulation which is about trickery and has nasty side effects, influence is the capacity of a person to be a compelling force on the actions, behavior, and opinions of others. You have taken the time to connect with your team, you understand who they are, and you respect their wants and needs. This means you have earned the right to influence them, to shape them. Remote leaders will have to work harder than co-located leaders, because influence is often enhanced by physical presence. Using video conferencing and video recording to communicate with a remote team is much more effective than email or audio alone.
Ask yourself these question to determine if you are influencing or manipulating your team.
Am I leading by example?
By now I hope you see that you need to lead by example when it comes to fostering connection, deepening understanding, and establishing balance. In what other areas can you lead by example? What else can you practice before you preach? How can you be even more accountable to your team and in so doing inspire them to be accountable to you?
Am I allowing team members to develop their own ideas or strategies?
If you aren't allowing your team to come up with their own ideas and strategies you aren't taking full advantage of your influence. Trust that your influence will inspire good ideas and strategies. Dictation is not influence.
Then use your influence to help your team members refine their ideas, giving them the right mix of positive and constructive feedback until the idea is the best it can possibly be.
Am I encouraging team members to connect with and share their unique "why" or core motivations?
Let your team members influence you, by letting their "why" be part of the conversation. The more each team member feels a strong "why" to show up each day, the more work turns to play and the more powerful your team becomes.
You and your team are connected, which has lead you to trust and understand each other. You are all working together to find the right balance and you are using your influence to inspire creativity, innovation, problem solving, and self leadership. In other words you are empowering your team members to spread their professional wings and soar.
5. Empowering
Empowering others to stand alone is the greatest thing a leader can do. That is how legacies and protegés are born. Remote teams are more likely than co-located teams to be made up of independent contractors and part-time workers. Remote leaders are wise to empower their team members. People are much more likely to develop a healthy sense of loyalty to a leader who empowers them to be the best they can be.
Ask yourself these question to determine if you are truly empowering your team:
Am I willing to let them fail? If not, why?
While failure ought not be the end result, as a leader you are wise to hold space for failure as an important part of the road to success. In doing so you let your team know that it is safe to try new things, that failure can be a teacher. Failure is empowering, because it gives team members a chance to learn from their mistakes and self correct.
Am I leading based on my ego or my highest self?
Fear of failure is about ego. As the leader you must be aware of your ego. It is an important function of your mind, but be mindful of its attempts to run the show. Always double check to make sure that the voice in your head, the one guiding your actions and feedback, is informed by your best interests, the best interests of the company, and the best interests of the individual team members in question. Whenever possible empower all of the above mentioned parties, as well as the company.
Am I helping my team members grow as professionals or holding them back out of fear?
Just as some children will grow up to leave home and branch out on their own, while others will grow up to become key players in the family business, some team members may eventually feel compelled to move on, while others will be inspired to stay and work their way up. Be mindful of any impulse to encourage those you sense will stay while discouraging those you feel might leave. Team members who may feel compelled to branch out will eventually do so anyway, and you want to them leave with fond memories.
If you follow this advice and give your team proactive and responsive feedback about the importance of connection, understanding, balance, influence, and empowerment, you will be cultivating a healthy group dynamic that will earn you a loyal team; that will admire you and crave your feedback now and well into future.
If you enjoyed this article and found the advice laid out here actionable and helpful, please leave a comment.
If you have complimentary advice about how to give feedback your team will crave we would love for you to share it.
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The Human Difference: Chimpanzees and Bonobos - Men and Women
Like Chimps ~ But Not That Much Like Chimps.
Although I accept evolution as true, there is something that has been bothering me for some time.
I know that, genetically, we humans are more closely related to chimpanzees, than chimps are to gorillas, but that fact certainly is not obvious to the beholder.
Most people can see a strong resemblance between chimps, bonobos, orang utans, gorillas, baboons, monkeys, etc, and even something of a resemblance with humans, but most people would assume that it is the hairy apes and monkeys that would be more closely related ~ not the 'naked ape' (as Desmond Morris calls humans).
Why is it, I keep wondering, that humans seem so different from the other apes, in spite of the closeness in DNA?
Why do gorillas look more like chimps than we do, even though they are more distantly related?
What is the human difference ~ and what causes it?
* * * * * *
Naked Ape
Author: Desmond Morris.
Published by Delta ~ April 13, 1999
And it is not just in looks!
The major difference is probably brain use and brain power ~ the way we think and what we can learn.
Is it true that this is where God comes into the equation?
Or aliens, even ~ as some people believe?
Monkeys Look More Like Chimps Than Humans Do!?
Earlier Humans
Published by DK CHILDREN ~ April 11, 2005
Go Ask the Chimps!
After a book presentation on genetics ~ during question time ~ I once asked a well-known and respected geneticist a question which had long been gnawing at me;
~ why was it, that, though we are more closely related to chimps than chimps are to gorillas, chimps still look closer to gorillas and we seem very different.
His answer?
'Why don't you go ask the chimps!'
That was when I started to realise that the experts didn't know the answer, either!
Chimpanzee and Bonobo - Our Closest Cousins
Evolutionary Psychology and the Mind
DNA Similarities and DNA Differences
I watched a documentary on evolution, which included coverage of this subject. It was called 'What Darwin Never Knew'' and it was shown in Darwin's anniversary week (Feb 2011).
I hoped to get some answers.
So what does make humans different?
Is it that we have more genes than any other creature?
(I understand that many people thought that this must be the case ~ including scientists)
But no!
According to the documentary, we have the same number of genes as a chicken, and fewer than a maize / corn plant.
Are these genes very different, then, from those in other animals?
It appears not.
Many were identical in humans and in other creatures.
These results may not be the ones expected, so what is the answer to the puzzle?
It's not the number of genes, or the mutations in these genes ~ so what causes 'the human difference'?
It seems that the answer lies in the parts of the DNA not classified as 'genes'.
So what can be found in our DNA?
There are genes, switches and bodyplan DNA.
And these three types could explain the difference between us humans and other animals ~ including our closest relatives, the chimps
The Evolution of Mankind?
99% Similarity : 1% Difference
Our closest relatives are the chimpanzees and the bonobos. We share approximately (slightly less than) 99% of our DNA. That is a very close relationship!
Yet we are noticeably different.
In spite of their obvious talents, chimpanzees do not do what we do. They do not study astronomy, or build rockets to explore outer space. They do not join Internet forums, in order to discuss religion and philosophy. They do not write symphonies or choreograph ballets.
They are very able, though. We must not under-estimate them. They can use tools. They can learn to communicate via sign language. They have even beaten humans in an IQ test.
But they are not human ~ not quite. There are subtle but very real differences.
What causes those difference?
Our DNA may be 99% similar, but it is 1% different. And that difference may be very important!
Some of Frans De Waal's Books:
Frans De Waal
"One can take the ape out of the jungle, but not the jungle out of the ape. ~ This also applies to us bipedal apes."
Frans De Waal ~ 'Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are'
A quote from Frans De Waal, on Amazon:
"For me, there is nothing more logical than to look at human society through the lens of animal behavior."
Website of Frans De Waal:
Geladas - Old World Monkeys
DNA - The Double Helix
The One Per Cent
One percent sounds like a trifling amount, but, when we are talking about 1% of the DNA in our bodies, it is no small figure. Indeed, 1% means about 30 million DNA letters.
In 30,000,000 letters of DNA, there could be many substantial differences. Have any been found?
According to the TV programme, 'What Darwin Never Knew', researchers have actually found thirteen places, where human DNA differs from chimpanzee DNA.
When they tried one of the different types of DNA in a mouse, to see what effects it might have, the scientists discovered that it was 'active all over the place', but one specific position was in the paw ~ in the areas of the thumbs and big toes.
Humans have thumbs which can touch each of the other digits separately, easily and with strength ~ thus enabling humans to be exceptionally dexterous in this respect. Other apes have useful thumbs, but not to this extent.
Although genes decide our traits, it is not gene DNA which actually causes humans to have such useful thumbs, but switch DNA. Switch DNA can 'turn genes on and off'. But what 'tells' this DNA to flick its 'switch'? It is another type of DNA, which has been labelled 'bodyplan'.
Primate Hands and feet
Human Difference
The Human Brain
The Human Brain
Humans have a larger brain than other animals ~ including their primate relatives.
Why is that? How has this feature come about?
Researcher, Hansell Stedman, has made an interesting discovery.
As part of his research into Muscular Dystrophy, he was studying the genes which made muscles ~ and, he found that, in humans, there was something not quite right.
In one gene, he discovered a mutation. Compared to other animals, there were 'two letters missing'.
Such a mutation might be expected to cause damage to the individual, yet it was one that all humans had, without any apparent muscle disease.
Stedman looked at the same gene in apes, and found that all four letters were in place. It was the same as any other muscle-making gene.
What muscle did this gene govern? Stedman found that, in apes, it made muscle for chewing, and for closing the jaw.
The lack of the two gene letters in this area, in humans, means that we humans chew with much less force than do apes.
Stedman concluded that this difference would also have another ~ very important ~ effect. He decided that the less powerful jaw muscle, in humans, could affect the evolution of the human brain.
How could this be?
The ape head, with its very strong large jaw muscles, is different from the human head. Ape skull plates fuse much earlier than human skull plates ~ at about 3-4 years in an ape, but at about 30 years in a human.
The result is that the human brain has more growing space, over a much longer period of time. As far as brain power is concerned ~ bigger seems to be much better!
This is another important area, where DNA, which is the same in other species, is very different in humans.
Source: Documentary 'What Darwin Never Knew'.
Our Primate Relatives
More Evolution and Genetics
More on Jaws
In April 2009, someone named Geoff posted some information to the Internet,about jaws and evolution, asking: 'what if our diets changed and our brains got bigger due to proto-human society dealing and adapting to an increasingly frequent and nearly catastrophic mutation of the jaw?'
This is a reference to the mutation discovered by Stedman.
This is how 'Geoff' explains it:
"There is a protein called myosin heavy chain 16 (aka MYH16) which in chimpanzees and other non-human primates is expressed almost exclusively in their powerful jaw muscles. ........
" ... Non-human primates have DNA that codes for the complete MYH16 protein. The corresponding part of human DNA is missing a random chunk – which causes a frameshift mutation." ...
"... a frameshift mutation occurred in early humans that affected the production of the protein MYH16. This protein is involved in the strong powerful jaws that primates have, but not humans."
* * * *
The original source ~ G Milburn on 'Human Evolution and Frameshift Mutations' ~ is not currently available at the original web address.
And Yet More On Jaws
This is from an article in 'The Guardian', by Timothy Taylor, re Peter Forbes.
"After the switch to an upright posture, probably the biggest single anatomical change on the journey from apes to humans was the weakening of the jaw ... and that weakened jaw enabled a raft of innovations."
It continues, that "The ape brain could not grow because of the huge muscle load anchored to the skull's crest, and apes cannot articulate speech-like sounds because of the clumsy force of their jaws. This mutation allowed the increase in human brain size and the acquisition of language".
How and why should such a mutation occur?
The article gives an explanation from Richard Wrangham, as explained in his book 'Catching Fire'.
What is that explanation?
'Wrangham maintains that it was cooking that led to the change. Cooked food does not need strong jaws. In genetics a function that becomes redundant always leads to the gene being disabled by mutations. Around 2.4m years ago an ape switched to mostly cooked food. In the fossil record, a new proto-human appeared 1.8-1.9m years ago: Homo erectus had a much larger brain and no crest on the skull, indicating that the weakened jaw muscle was now standard.'
Was it cooking that led to man?
Steve Jones has reviewed Wrangham's book and mentions 'claims that cooking led to our leaving the trees, to sex roles, to marriage, to emotional restraint, to consciousness, and to society itself ..', adding 'Anthropologists have a fatal tendency to decide, without much evidence, what made us human ...'
Jones notes:
'Homo sapiens is the culinary primate. Compared to apes, we are gutless; small mouths, weak jaws, modest stomachs and a large intestine only half the size of that of our relatives. Cooking means that food is in part digested before it gets into our mouths.'
'Primates with smaller guts have larger brains (and brains are expensive), and ours is the smallest of all, probably because cooking liberated our intestines from a large part of the drudgery of digestion. The spare energy went straight to our heads.'
But he maintains: 'The problem with making grand theories about the past is that they often rest on too few facts'.
What Darwin Never Knew - Plus Related Items
Katie Pollard's Research
Katie Pollard is one scientist who has been studying DNA and brain evolution and she has found that more than half of 'switch' differences are 'near to a gene involved with the brain', including a gene affecting the cortex ~ the area of the brain concerned with music, language, mathematics, etc.
She found that 'small changes could have profound effects'.
Katie Pollard on the differences between humans and chimpanzees:
"... our DNA blueprints are nearly 99 percent identical to theirs. That is, of the three billion letters that make up the human genome, only 15 million of them—less than 1 percent—have changed in the six million years or so since the human and chimp lineages diverged. ....... somewhere among those roughly 15 million bases lay the differences that made us human."
DNA / Genes
In the documentary, 'What Darwin Never Knew', Katie Pollard mentioned 'a massive mutation' ~ and it concerned the human brain cortex.
Scientists had found an area of DNA, related to development of the cortex, where there was a difference of 18 letters (18 base pairs) between chimpanzees and humans.
To put this into context, there was a difference of only two letters (2 base pairs) between chickens and chimpanzees, whose ancestors had branched apart 300,000,000 years ago, and which are nowhere near as closely related to each other as humans and chimps are. The ancestors of chimps and humans branched apart only 6,000,000 years ago, so these changes must have occurred relatively quickly and relatively recently.
Thus, in humans, it seemed that there were areas, where there had been unusually accelerated change. Since the documentary was made, these regions have been named 'Human Accelerated Regions' ~ or HARs. It seems that these are often 'switches' which have resulted in 'rapid, recent evolution'.
There are forty-nine HARs, but HAR1 concerns brain and neurological development and may help to explain 'the human difference'.
It has been suggested that HAR1 may be evidence of creation, rather than evolution, but scientists assure us that this is, in fact, evolution in action.
* * *
What Darwin Never Knew
Wikipedia Quote
"Human accelerated regions (HARs), first described in August 2006, are a set of 49 segments of the human genome which are conserved throughout vertebrate evolution but are strikingly different in humans."
'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind' - Julian Jaynes
"The Human Brain Sets Man Apart"
"The human brain sets man apart. About 2m years ago it began to grow in size, and today it is about three times larger than that of chimpanzees, man's closest relative.
"Human intelligence and behavioural complexity have far outstripped those of its simian cousins, so the human brain seems to have got more complex, as well as bigger."
From: 'Man, Deconstructed' ~ published in 'The Economist', August 17th 2006, and quoted here:
How Humans Evolved
More Genes, DNA and Darwin
Two Million Years Ago
So, humans and apes branched six million years ago and human brains started to grow two million years ago.
What else was happening to humans two million years ago??
According to a headline in Science Daily, dated October 21st 2009, 'Tool-Making Human Ancestors Inhabited Grassland Environments Two Million Years Ago'.
Is this relevant to the brain changes, I wonder?
The article states that: 'Dr Thomas Plummer of Queens College at the City University of New York, Dr Richard Potts of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History and colleagues report the oldest archeological evidence of early human activities in a grassland environment, dating to 2 million years ago' ~ 'at 'Oldowan archeological site of Kanjera South, Kenya'.
The article notes that: 'scientists as far back as Charles Darwin have thought that adaptation to grassland environments profoundly influenced the course of human evolution'.
According to Wikipedia, it is '2.5 million years since the appearance of the genus Homo'.
Book: 'From Monkey Brain to Human Brain'
This looks like a quality book, from a reliable source, which can educate us on the subject of the human - chimanzee difference.
'From Monkey Brain to Human Brain' is also sub-titled: 'A Fyssen Foundation Symposium'. It is edited by Stanislas Dehaene, Jean-Rene Duhamel, Marc D. Hauser and Giacomo Rizzolatti and was published in June 2005, by the MIT Press. (418 pages)
Amazon quotes from a review by Michael Posner. Posner, Professor Emeritus in Oregon University's Department of Psychology, calls it an 'amazing volume' and states that it 'modernizes Darwin by showing how closely the human and monkey brain are linked in morphology and genetics'.
Amazon quotes from a review by Guy A. Orban, Professor of Neurophysiology at Belgium's Catholic University Leuven Medical School. He refers to it as a 'remarkable volume', stating that it illustrates 'the striking similarities between our brain and that of our smaller cousins, even for higher cognitive functions'.
Amazon's 'Product Description' notes that 'The extraordinary overlap between human and chimpanzee genomes does not result in an equal overlap between human and chimpanzee thoughts, sensations, perceptions, and emotions' ~ in spite of the 'considerable similarities' there are also 'considerable differences'.
(The Fyssen Foundation encourages 'scientific inquiry into the cognitive mechanisms that underlie animal and human behavior'. )
If you go to Amazon, there is a facility to 'look inside' this book, in order to examine its contents.
Book: What it Means to be 98% Chimpanzee
This book looks as if it could be really thought-provoking!
'What it Means to be 98% Chimpanzee: Apes, People, and their Genes' by Jonathan Marks.
Published byUniversity of California Press ~ 1st edition, December 2002. (312 pages)
Amazon provides some reviews for this book, including one from the 'New England Journal of Medicine'. This one begins: 'Do not be deceived by the title of this book. ... being 98 percent chimpanzee means nothing: despite all similarities, chimps are chimps, and humans are humans'.
The writer, Guido Barbujani, adds: 'We have largely the same genes as chimpanzees, and these genes do the same things in much of our bodies, but in the brain, the patterns of gene expression diverge dramatically. ..... what it means to be human is a fantastically complex question .....'
The following is an extract from an Amazon review from 'Booklist': 'Humans share about 98 percent of our genetic makeup with chimps, which would be impressive ... if we could figure out what it means. We also share about half our genes with fish and about a third with daffodils, but almost no one argues that anything can be learned from fish and flowers about human behavior
Other books by Marks:
'Human Biodiversity: Genes, Race, and History'
'Why I Am Not a Scientist: Anthropology and Modern Knowledge'
'The Alternative Introduction to Biological Anthropology'
Evolution Hub From Another Hubber
Human Baby
The Role of God?
I can certainly understand why Christians see 'the human difference' and believe that God must be behind it, but which humans first displayed this difference?
~ Was it Homo erectus / ergaster?
Is that the species to which Biblical Adam and Eve were supposed to belong?
And genetics show that we are closely related to chimpanzees, so logic would tell us that, if God were involved, then it would have been to breathe special life into a type of ape, rather than to mould Adam out of the red earth.
To me, it seems logical and true that humans evolved from apes, but I still think that there is something of a mystery in our past and, indeed, many scientists are concentrating on researching the evolution and development of the human brain ~ which should answer many questions.
Ancient Aliens??
Ancient Aliens?
How did humans change from only having basic animal-like awareness to having complex human awareness?
Did advanced aliens come to earth in ancient times and cause mutations in the primitive apes, thus turning them into ... us?
Some people believe this theory to be true.
Some believe that there are items in the Bible which support it.
Here is an example from 'The Book of Genesis':
Genesis 6:1-4 (New International Version, ©2010)
'When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. ......
'The Nephilim were on the earth in those days ~ and also afterward ~ when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.'
Dolphins and Elephants
Self Awareness
Self-awareness goes with intelligence.
Dolphins and elephants recognise themselves in mirrors from a quite young age and show a strong interest in their reflections.
Their behaviour with mirrors is much like our own.
And there are almost unbelievable claims that elephants can paint self-portraits!
Can those stories really be genuine?! Is it just good training?
Certainly, though humans may seem to be exceptionally aware and intellectual, we are not the only intelligent animals!
So, presumably, we did not need aliens to make us intelligent and aware.
More Primates
Conclusion - Do I Have My Answers?
No-one has all of the answers regarding the human difference. No-one really knows everything about this for sure.
Are we different, because we started cooking our food?
Is it because our brains can grow so large, owing to us not having very strong jaw muscles?
Is the difference somehow related to us moving onto the grasslands?
Is our HAR1 DNA responsible for all of the intellectual differences between us and the chimpanzees?
Is our ability to use our thumbs so dexterously behind our advanced intelligence?
Is it a combination of these factors?
Certainly they seem to go a long way towards explaining the important differences between humans and apes ~ including our closest relatives, the chimps.
Chimpanzee and human genes are very similar, but, in other parts of our DNA, there are major differences. Some differences have affected our thumbs, some have affected our jaws, and, consequently, our heads ~ and HAR1 DNA seems to have caused 18 base pair differences between humans and chimps.
So it is important to remember that, though our DNA is very, very similar to that of chimpanzees, it is definitely not identical ~ and it is the differences which cause the difference.
And the research goes on ...
Copyright Tricia Mason. All rights reserved
I am not a scientist and may well have made some errors. If so, do please excuse them ~ and let me know. That would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Clever Chimps!?
The Making of Mankind - Leakey
The Making of Mankind
My 'Evolution' Hubs
- The Facts of Life: Reproduction and Evolution
From a single cell, a new baby will develop. From a single-celled organism, all of complex life developed.
- Evolution - Creationists Right and Darwin Wrong ??!!
National Geographic made a documentary about creationist arguments against Darwin. Here they are ~ plus a few extra ones!
- Evolution - Could the Creationists Have Got It Right ??!!
The Creationists are convinced that God created life, just as described in the Bible ~ in the Book of Genesis. Could they be correct?
- Brain Size, Evolution and Usage
Brain size and usage ~ a fascinating subject. The human brain , that is. I have often heard that we only use a small percentage of our brains. This set me thinking; nothing seems to...
- Evolution and Creationism - My Take On Them and How I Arrived Here
Happy 202nd Birthday Mr Darwin! (12 February 1809 ~ 12th Feb. 2011) The Origins Debate: Mr Darwin, the creationevolution controversy began with you! Ever since your 'Origins', 150+ years ago, there has...
Bonobo - Cousin to Humans
Related hubs from Other Hubbers:
Human-Like Gorilla
Bonobo Behaviour - Human-Like?
Relevant Links
- Nature news
- Jaw-dropping theory of human evolution
- Tool-making Human Ancestors Inhabited Grassland Environments Two Million Years Ago
- Catching Fire by Richard Wrangham | Book review | Books | The Guardian
- The Artificial Ape: How Technology Changed the Course of Human Evolution by Timothy Taylor | Book re
- Brain size and evolution: is there a valid correlation?
- NOVA | The DNA of Human Evolution
- What Makes Us Human?
- Human accelerated regions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- What Makes Us Human? Studies of Chimp and Human DNA May Tell Us | www.ucsf.edu
- Does the HAR1 gene disprove Evolution?
- Jaw-dropping theory of human evolution
About the similarities in chimp and human DNA, I found this to be especially enlightening,
how in the article published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science which states about only a 1% difference (a claim that goes back to 1975), the chimp genome was not built from scratch. Small pieces of the chimp DNA were first sequenced; that is, the order of the chemical letters was determined using chemical procedures in laboratories. These small strings of 'letters' were then aligned with the human genome in the places the evolutionists thought they should go (using computers to compare and place the segments). Then the human genome was removed, leaving a pseudo-chimp genome that assumed common ancestry (evolution), creating a mongrel sequence that is not real. The assumption of evolution in constructing the chimp genome in this way would make it look more like the human genome than it really is. But even with this evolutionary bias, the actual differences are much bigger than 1%.
You can never take so called "scientific" conclusions as fact especially as reported in the media because when you actually examine the science used the assumptions made, frankly the facts you often discover it is not really science at all.
Great post! Thanks for sharing! The field of bioinformatics is greatly advancing this research in this subject area!
Superb hub. Excellent research, clear succinct prose and style, beautifully presented. It's so refreshing to read another evolutionist on hubpages! I was beginning to think that I was in a very, very tiny minority here. This is such a beautiful piece of work, too. I am full of admiration.
I find the natural explanation entirely satisfactory and I think that many of the differences that we perceive as being so great from within our necessarily human perspective might not really be so by other measures. There is no doubt about the storyline of our evolution, all that remains now is to fill in some of the details.
A great hub, all the accolades, voted up, facebooked and tweeted. This hub deserves much more attention than it has got so far.
Thank you!
interesting article from a non-scientist :)
YES, the docs also don't know it all.
but they often act like it. frustrating others.
But just the fact, that the brain would have space to grow, does not mean it will.
So 2.4m years ago apes were able to use fire?
All because of a cooking accident, we were able to building nuclear bombs?
When meat fell into a fire…. and was not thrown away… but "tried" and found "good"?
And now recently we abandoned cooking and invented "fast-food".
Will it make our brains grow even more? (brain is fat, so yes?)
Will fast-food make mankind even more intelligent? (cook less, study more?)
Or will sophisticated cooking foster more intelligent chidlren?
Sounds somewhat logical.
I often tend to believe, we are far less intelligent than we think, humans in crowds often act not more intelligent than a bunch of bacteria... consume, consume, consume until there is nothing left to consume.
i have posted some follow up thoughts here:
I think 'allegory' is the word you are aiming at (?)
Personally, I believe the bible is mostly allegory. (can you imagine the damage to the earth if the sun stood still as in Joshua?"
The writers of the bible were not unintelligent, but I think they were trying to explain the universe before the adoption of scientific method. I'm fairly positive they didn't get most of it literally correct, even if they were devinely inspired. (shucks, my wife and I sometimes have difficulty understanding each other, and we have an awful lot in common):)
One of my favourite notions was something I had seen on a science program (sorry, I don't remember the name) about genetics. They took the first line of the gospel of John "In the beginning was the word. . ." and said something like: "The bible is correct. That word is 'gattaca'" which is the acronym for all the proteins in the correct order for the human genome.
And a last thought (not all mine, but I like it)
The truth doesn't care what I believe. It has no mercy. It will always be right.
I like your exploration of the idea, but would like to propose a possibility for the 'Adam from dust vs. Adam from ape' hyposthesis.
The creator made the life, the genome and evolution as the mechanism for creating a soul. A soul is a delicate and complex entity requiring. Having done so and observing the result, humans were created by manipulating the existing genome, and creating an organic matrix to grow it in (from 'dust'), thus creating humans.
Scientists are trying to this even now: creating life out of chemicals and there is some evidence that they will one day succeed.
I doubt that the real thing is anything like this simple, but if I can imagine a way that both genesis and origin of species can be compatable, surely the mind of the infinite can also.
Just a thought.
Great hub, well researched, and plenty of links for us to follow up
A powerful thought provoking hub, Trish. I believe that if humans evolved from chimps there would be no chimps.
WOW!!!!! This hub was so interesting, educational and I just loved it.....
People that don't believe humans can be as hairy as apes just need to look at those that have the genetic throwback 'werewolf syndrome' - very hairy, including face, including women.
Educational hub.
I liked your wolf/poodle analogy in THAT hub - maybe could tease that out into a hub & explain in plain english for non-scientists to understand?
Excellent, well-researched and provoking article. One would need to write another hub to even address the the arguments you have raised. Geneticsts still seem to disagree on the human-chimp-gorilla gene question. What might help is to find a fossil of the forerunner of the great apes which includes us. None have been found so far as I expect you know. Really first class work...Bob Up and awesome
This was an interesting article. I still believe in creation though, because everything is too complex to have just happened. I think man started as man, but has evolved because of his environment. This will be a question everyone has forever.
You did an excellent job on this hub.
Brilliant hub. Very impressive and enjoyable to read.
I think I read somewhere that we are more closely related to sharks than sharks are to other fish?? If I remember correctly and that's true, then outward appearance and closeness of relations don't always correlate, as evident with chimps, gorillas and humans.


text:
Two weeks ago we updated our app; improve some functionalities after receiving feedback.
Now busy with preparations for the World Dairy Expo 2018 in Madison. Check the dates; like to see you in Madison in October!
With regards,
Two weeks ago we updated our app; improve some functionalities after receiving feedback.
Now busy with preparations for the World Dairy Expo 2018 in Madison. Check the dates; like to see you in Madison in October!
With regards,
We had a lot of fun on the Central Plain Dairy Expo; unexpected visitors in our booth #485.
And also our support in South Dakota was visiting the booth. When I am at home in the Netherlands, we can call him for support when local support is needed.
It was good to stay in Sioux Falls; we met new people, interesting conversation and also new costumers coming. It keeps us busy. Thanks!
With regards,
Edwin van Ens
Dairy Applications
We are coming to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From March 27 – 29th we will be at the Central Plains Dairy Expo.
You'll find us there in the Arena Booth #485. Check the schedule here. When you plan to visit the Expo, please stop by at our booth, we hare happy to meet you.
Another thing we like to announce is our second big release; thanks for all the feedback we'd received on our first release, we improved the web portal and made more information available.
We made a big improvement in our report; you are able to see a report of product group, sections and even per feeding cycle and batch. All these options are not only possible based on weight, but also by costs.
A lot of new functionalitties are build; we like to explain on our booth on the Central Plain Dairy Expo.
We can give you a demonstration of our system to show you and help you with your feed management on the Dairy. So step by!
Keep you posted and updated.
Dairy Applications TMR feeding system, recognized as one of the innovative companies at the World Dairy Expo 2017 in Madison.
This year it will be the 3rd year that Dairy Applications will exhibit at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. The first year we did only have a design of our software, last year we had a working application in the latest development stage. Now we are very proud to have clients in the USA and the Netherlands, and we are ready to help you improve your feeding process with our Dairy Applications TMR system.
We are currently developing new functions in our system to have more accurate reporting, a much better insight in cost reporting. Next, to that, there will be improvements in the day to day using of our TMR feed management system. It will be easier to update ingredients and rations. The Wifi connectivity is much more stable on the farm and many more small improvements to enhance the user experience.
Please visit our booth EH 4431 from Oct 3 -7 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison Wisconsin the USA.
Corry, the wife of Onno, will join the exhibit team this year, so it will not only be boys this year at our booth.
From July 18 – 24 Onno was in the USA to visit some clients prospects and Post Equipment who will be helping us with the distribution of our system in the USA.
The most important reason to come to the USA was the open day July 22 at Sunrise Dairy, which was our launching customer in the USA over a year ago.
We had a fantastic day at the farm of the Andringa's with many farmers and neighbors visiting the farm to look at the new setup with Milking Robots of Lely. At the same time, we took the opportunity to explain our Total Mixed Ration feeding system to many interested farmers and nutritionists.
So we would like to thank Sietse Andringa and his whole family and staff for this wonderful day and the opportunity to be a part of the event.
A large part of the season Edwin was in South Dakota and met many new farmers to show our system. He also installed two new wifi weigh boxes on the farm of a new client. This farmer uses two TMR mixers to feed the cattle. The Dairy Applications system is now used to have a better insight in the feed intake and the feed efficiency. In the pictures, you see some examples of our connected Wi-Fi weight box to the existing scale head.
After the World Dairy Expo, we will be in the USA another week in the Wisconsin and South Dakota region. So when you would like to meet up let us know, and we will schedule an appointment.
Thanks and hopefully we will see each other early next month at the World Dairy Expo.
Edwin & Onno
June 2017
It has been a while when we have sent our last newsletter, so we would like to give you a short update.
From May 11-18 we made a business trip to the United States, we visited farmers and advisors in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Virginia. The goal was to meet our customers, pilot farmers and a couple of new clients. We had good meetings with dairy farmers and nutritionists who use our product and gave valuable feedback.
Let's be clear….
We have experience in what we do, but we are new in the market. We use new and more modern technology, we have a subscription model which limits initial investments, and our goal is to support you to grow your business efficiently by giving more insight in the feeding process. We learn a lot from our clients and test farmers and are constantly looking for improvements in our system.
That's why….
We started to initiate a new release with our development team.
The handling of the leftovers will be more flexible on request of the farmers using the system. In the app, you can weight leftovers when you collect them, but it will soon also be possible to estimate the weight of the leftovers when you are using them to feed to another feed group.
We will build new reports to have more insight into the cost of feeding per group, ingredient and the total herd.
We are improving the feed reports based on the feedback, making sure that you can use them to steer the feeding process and to manage your feeders.
We are on our way …..
We like to stay in contact with all kinds of tools like mobile phones/internet/social media, but also personal. In July we will visit the US again; from October 3-7 you are welcome at our booth 4431 on the Dairy Expo te Madison. We will be there for our 3rd year; the time is flying.
We can connect you!
Last but not least, we can always welcome new customers. So when you are interested in using our TMR feed management system, just let us now.
Thanks for subscribing our newsletter.
We keep you posted.
Dairy applications TMR system web portal.
From today we have released our Dairy Applications TMR App in the Google Play store. So it is now possible to download the app and to register on our website an account. In this way, you can register your farm on our web portal and look at our app. When you would like to feed on your Dairy with our system, you need a Wi-Fi connection and a subscription to our system. We like to set up your farm for you, just drop us an e-mail, and we will go from there.
To go to the Dairy Applications TMR web portal to register your farm you can follow this link. Click on the green link "New to Dairy Applications? Sign Up!".
Last days for our first 50 offer!
At the World Dairy Expo, we had a first 50 offer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the expo. This offer is still valid for a limited time until December 30, 2016, and gives you over 60% of discount on your first yearly subscription which includes a Wi-Fi box to connect with your feed mixer wagon. So don't wait and contact us now!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Last but not least we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. We are looking forward to talking to you and meet you in 2017!
From October 4-8 we have exhibited at the World Dairy Expo in Madison to show the Dairy Applications TMR Feed Management application. This year we had many visitors from next year and a lot of new visitors. We were able to show the almost finished application at the expo and had very enthusiastic reactions from farmers and suppliers.
During the Expo, we gave over a hundred demo's showing the web-portal, which is the heart of the system to manage your farm and the Dairy Applications TMR App which is used to manage the feeding process in the barns when mixing the rations for the cows.
The highlights of our feed management system which we showed at the expo are below.
This screen shot is in English, but the Dutch language is available and Spanish is coming soon.
Mobile App:
Improve Feed Efficiency:
Excellent Reports:
Lifetime updates:
There is much more to tell, so do not hesitate to e-mail or call us and ask for a demo or a quote. The first 50 offer is still valid for a limited time until December 30, 2016!
We are proud that we have won the competition for a testing day at the Rabobank UX center (user experience center) at the Rabobank headquarters in Utrecht.
We will be able to test our Dairy Applications TMR feed management applications with large Dutch dairy farmers using the experience of the Rabobank UX center interaction specialists. This will help us a lot to build an even better TMR feed management solution.
For more information see: News (in Dutch) on the Rabobank website.
Last Tuesday we had a meeting with the Rabobank UX center experts to decide what would be the most beneficial to test. We will focus on the user experience and reporting when the dairy farmers are using our web portal dashboard to control the TMR feeding process on the farm and to see if we can improve on reporting and user friendly ness or our solution. The user experience tests will able us to have a much better insight on how a dairy farmer interact with our solution and due to eye tracking technology you could see if the information and buttons are on a logical place on the screens. As a part of the research the user experience experts will interview the dairy farmers to be able to give us valuable feedback to improve our software and more important to improve the user experience.
At the moment we are preparing for the World Dairy Expo in Madison USA booth EH 4431 please feel free to visit us there and experience our application by yourself. You can e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com to setup an appointment or just visit our booth.
The actual tests in the Rabobank UX center will be end of this year. We will keep you updated and hope to see you in the meantime in Madison.
The last few months were a challenge for us at the Dairy Applications headquarters in Garyp. Our development team was not delivering the solutions up to our standards. So we had to make a tough decision to change the whole development team. Which you can imagine is quit a challenge.
We believe that this decision is the right one to move forward and to make sure that we will have a fantastic TMR feed management solution to support the dairy farmer in managing and improving their rations. It is all about 'More Milk Less Costs'.
The new team will start next week and we will be ready to give a demo at the 50th World Dairy Expo in Madison from October 4-8, 2016.
We will see you in Madison!


text:
lake city skill hill
Hey, listen up.
It's not always about crazy progress. Things don't necessarily need to be newer, faster, and re-upholstered.
This is because it is fun to be able to time travel.
My preferred time travel mechanism is the T-Bar lift at Lake City Ski Hill.
Lake City is not exactly known as THE place to ski in Colorado. Backcountry skiers could disagree with me. They don't need the help of machinery to pull them to the top of the hill, like the rest of us do.
Lake City is a good place for kids to learn, or for those of us that are a little worn out with wild boar being served at ski resorts.
I've never been anywhere quite like it. From what I hear, it's like a lot of little ski areas where people in the midwest grew up learned to ski.
It's small. No fuss. No fluff.
Admission: $10
Lift: 1 Poma lift
To buy a lift ticket, you walk into the rustic shack where the smoke seeps out of the chimney into the cold Colorado sky. It doesn't look like like much from the outside.
Inside, there is no insulation, just the bare plywood protecting skiers and snowboarders from the elements. The rafters of the building store boots and skis from the late 90's, early 00's when parabolic skis were oh-so-cool.
It is the coziest place, perhaps on planet earth, because of the wood stove centered in the room. Metal folding chairs and a couple of vinyl booths surround the room, perfect for humans to sit on and buckle their boots. Tinsel hangs on the windows from holidays gone by. To me, it feels like childhood in there.
It is the best way I know to ski in 1995 again.
If only they played some good R&B from this decade on a boombox.
The prices are not inflated here. Bring your sack of quarters. Hot chocolate costs 75 cents and includes the freeze dried marshmallows. I think they also have some fresh marshmallows to double down. This may be unpopular to say but aren't astronaut grade marshmallows better tasting, longer lasting, than the jet puffed variety?
The last time I was at LCSH, it was Betty Lou's (one of three that work at the hill) last day. She labored at this 247 vertical feet family ski hill for many years, helping all the kids trade in for bigger boots and longer skis. She hosted them after school in this hut in the middle of Hinsdale County, near the revered cannibalist Alfred Packerd's massacre site. We will save that interesting story for another day. Need something to look forward to. But the important part is that Betty Lou is one of those people that warm you up like a good cup of Swiss Miss hot cocoa.
This place is magic, at least to me. The three workers at Lake City Ski Hill think that Crested Butte is a cosmopolitan destination, calling our 1500 person town "a zoo" and "the BIG city." Our tattered ski clothes, hot from the winter 2014 collection is too fancy here. They don't need any of that. The skiers of Lake City are perfectly happy in this corner of the San Juans, with their couple of ski runs, slow tow rope lift, outhouse bathroom, and their decades' old jackets.
So as snow falls an inch here and not there in Crested Butte, I don't have a lot of enthusiasm for my home ski mountain. I am not enticed by its many lifts, bars, or terrain parks.
But I am longing for a certain place, a place that has stayed the same, a place that has withstood the test of time.
In my cell phone, I have their contact saved as Lake City Ski Hill. I don't know who does the responding. To find out if they are open, I text them.
They respond promptly, "Not yet, need about a 6" dump."