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Fear of challenges
I've been noticing this somewhat, recently, but an incident today crystallized it.
When did people become afraid of challenges?
My daughter wanted to run Blood Furnace with her alt (62 Rogue). She picked up a pug (I know) of levels 62-65, and lacked only a tank. Or so she thought. What the REST of the group thought they needed was a level 70. A babysitter. And when no level 70's answered the call, and the rogue wanted to bring in a level 64 warrior tank – the rest of the party bailed. "No 70, this won't work, I'm not going to waste my time…"
As I said, I've begun noticing this over the past couple of months. Every instance, some players seem to want a babysitter. Someone for whom the instance is a walkthrough. Heaven forfend that they have to WORK – to be CHALLENGED….
What most concerns me is… what happens when they reach the level 70 instances? The heroics, or Kara? How long will it take the player to learn the control and push and reaction to the "oh crap" that they SHOULD have learned in levels 1-69? How many wipes at THIS level will I have to endure – where repairing my cloth armor takes as much gold as what I used to see the tank needing at level 60-65?
I can answer that, actually, because I've already been there a couple of times. I'll see a LOT of wipes. Of "oops". Of … of mages panicing and running AWAY from tank and healer. Of hunters feigning death right next to the healer. Of healers dropping their group assignment to throw some things on the main tank — and seeing half the party die. Of tanks who can't handle more than two mobs.
Challenge yourself, and when the rough runs begin it won't be YOU the officers are discussing in chat. Ask for a babysitter all the way up and, well, don't be surprised when you never seem to be the one invited for the runs at the top.
12 Responses to "Fear of challenges"
Great googly moogly. I remembers tanking Blood Furnace with some guildies at 62, and I weren't even protection specced then. Weren't easy, but I got the job done and maybe learned a thing or two. It'd be easy as choppin' bunnies now, but I wonders if yer daughter's pug would go "Never minds – his boots is greens." /shakesheadinamazementification
Once there is an abundance of end-level players, people are afraid of runs that aren't a "sure thing". Back in TBC beta and just after release players would be all over an instance at the intended level… but once the 70's became steady supply they'd rather not do the instance if they don't have that "insurance". I agree, it's damn sad. But the same happened before the expansion too. I remember people being deathly afraid to take a 58 into Scholo… half because they think that the slightly larger aggro radius would aggro the entire instance, and half because they're jerks who would rather find a friend who in 70 to take, even if that person didn't really want to go.
I have nothing against having a "babysitter" but it's just asinine to flat out leave a group if one's not there. Wipes aren't expensive, why fear them? If crap goes bad too much, sure, quit, but give it a chance first…. you might be surprised what not-70-yet players can pull off.
lol, I remember hitting /leaveparty when my group insisted on getting a 70 tank for ramparts. They then had to "/5 LF healer, last spot Ramparts"
I had a little wake up call on Christmas running Ramparts with my little 60 shadow priest Daxie. I was reluctant to be main healer due to my spec and the fact that it was an appropriate level group. In short, I wanted an Easy button.
I reluctantly decided to go despite the gut instinct that it was a bunch of kids that made up the rest of the group. And sure enough, they had some Halo/FPS tendencies. But, after calming them down and reinforcing the fact that I was specced shadow (so my heals weren't as effective as a Holy specced), I encouraged them by saying that we could do this (instance).
From that point on, the group waited for marking, followed the kill order, and suffered no wipes up to the 2nd boss. That's right, we DIDN'T wipe on the hall with the 4 casters + 1 melee pull.
We ended up wiping once on the 2nd boss and 2-3 times on the last boss, before the MT had to go, and the other tank left as well. We brought in a guildie (lvl 70) and 4 manned it. Yes, we hit the easy button for the last boss, but the time before that was the real learning experience!
People can get PUGs? I can't even get guildies to do instances…Of course, it might just be that Earthen Ring as a server sucks, cause I can't find a Kara guild that will accept a feral druid either.:P
I have a few Alts that I am slowly bringing up and I would love to do SM (or whatever) with a group in the same level as me. It would be nice to run with Guildies on Alts but that never seems to work out. When I do answer an LFG and get a group it seems that it is the same bunch of nit wit Ninjas that were around when I started my first Toon.
So ya I do call on a friend that has Alts and do trade runs with them. I dont get a group I just stand back and watch the carnage. Is this the right thing to do? Prolly not but I can't stand the heartache of trying to teach people how to work together.
Hmm… maybe that is why I haven't been able to find a tank for my furnace run as of late.
However, my last BF run, we did not wipe. I was the highest lvl in the group. Level 64 Disc+Shadow Priest. Our tank was a guildie druid dps build at level 61. He turned out to be a great tank. Had another guildie rogue at lvl 64, a lvl 61 shaman (enhancement) and a lvl 62? hunter. We mark and followed the kill order. There were some confusion in the beginning but once we settled down, it was fun as the game supposed to be. Not even a challenge. Relax and enjoy the game. No need to rush to level 70 just yet.
I have only once joined a group that had a much higher level player. An hour banging on various Kurzen minions in STV while trying to find help for my L34 pali had become frustrating. An L60 mage with three lower level players in tow invited me to join the group. I did so. The mage then single-handedly blew away every mob in the tunnel complex. I found this extremely distasteful. I don't want handouts. I now either leave or refuse to join groups with baby sitters.
When my L59 NElf huntress arrived at Honor Hold and went to work on demonic sappers I was thrilled to get my first Netherweave drops to advance my first aid. I ground the sappers with a vengeance. It was a very easy farming task. On returning to Honor Hold sometime later after completing one of the newbie quests I observed an L70 leading an L60 out of the sappers' tunnel. I was appalled. How spineless and incompetent can you get?
For me, having a high level player solo an instance or quest while towing a lower level player along to gather unearned loot is the moral equivalent of shoplifting. It certainly accounts for much of the gross incompetence demonstrated by a large percentage of L60+ players. Fat heads with phat lootz.
Even the level 70 isn't always an "easy" button. I was in the LFG queue for Ramparts on my 62 Fury/Arms warrior, willing to tank and indeed that is what I was called to do. The group consisted of 60 Holy Priest, 70 Holy Priest, 60 Rogue, 62 Hunter and myself. I had never been there so I asked for them to mark/explain. The 60 Holy Priest was "an expert" at the instance and thus he ran the markings, but he was slow as molasses and he marked static groups for pulls right next to a patrol that hadn't been killed yet. Add to that the Hunter never retraping or staying on the kill target. So we wiped quite a few times leading up to the first boss. Right before that boss our 60 Priest suddenly hearthed out without saying anything and his guildie (the hunter) is the new group leader and adds a 61 Rogue, even after asking him what happened the group got no explination.
It was around this time that I realized this 70 Holy Priest (who should be able to heal this place in all greens or less) just didn't know what they were doing. We wiped on the first boss (luckily killing the boss just wiping on the adds) and then we wiped on the rampart between the last bosses. This group was slow, very slow and just hard to control anything with.
You would think that with a non prot tank they would try and work more as a team but even the Holy Priest didn't know how to heal properly as evidenced by the fact that I got little more then a couple renews on the Dragon Boss and I bit the dust while he was still at 20%, how does a level 70 Priest of any spec let a warrior of any spec die to that boss when the rest of the group is not taking much if any damage at all? I just didn't get it at all.
Personally I like running things undergeared or not correctly specced just for the challenge of it too. Also there was always the timed Baron runs in Strat that my guild ran where we tried to clear it out as fast as possible, we even had a race going with another guild on who could post the fastest time (us in partial MC gear them in MC and partial BWL at the time).
Challenges are what this game is all about, I don't want "easy" mode for anything. Like when my Deadmines group broke apart I resisted being run through the place and instead used my warrior to run the other two through. Then one of them switched and ran me through after much convincing on their part. This was when I found out that DM was a challenge for this Paladin. She would run from the first room all the way to the first boss collecting everything in her path and then AOEing them down (as Holy Spec too so no Sanc Bless just Consecrate and Ret Aura). Then when we hit the boat she pulled the entire ship at once, I mean once Smite was dead she ran around up to aggro VC then dropped down and aggroed Cookie and brought them all to the ramp next to Smite and took everything down at once. Challenges are fun even if it is in Deadmines you have to find a way to make it interesting.
I agree alot more players are always looking for easy runs – Be it Dead Mines, or Underbog. A couple of 70's in the mix = a sure sucess. Yeah right.
I got run through Gnomer once by a 70 warrior who was friends with my questing partner at the time in RL – and I got bored. I know people who have never Pugged a real run – always asking Guildys or friends – Can you run me through "I need this item " or even now im finding there are a few speed levelers that just want to hit 40 or 70 with as minimal effort and time on their part. Firstly I'd like to say I think I know my Shadow Priest well. I also like to say that because I've Pugged it – or grouped at the right levels, I got to understand how other toons and people play – strategies when ur missing a class – tricks and failings. Meeting far too many people who don't have a raid required skill toolbarred. 1st thought is EBAY – but then they explain, they never used it. They never learned their class well.
Being 70 and getting better geared is great! – You feel all powerful, and the last thing I want to do is do babysitting run I detest doing Easy runs.


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Lauren Faulkenberry
From UA Libraries Digital Services Planning and Documentation
Lauren is in the School of Library Science, in the Book Arts program. She previously studied art at Washington University in St. Louis. Lauren is a freelance writer and illustrator. In 2000, her alphabet book What do Animals do on the Weekend? won the Nancy Kranzberg book of the Year Award at Washington University. You can read more about Lauren here: http://www.insculpo.com/NewFiles/aboutme.html and see examples of her work online here: http://www.insculpo.com/

subset: commoncrawl


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With support from 15 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators, a motion demanding the resignation of Prosecutor-General and Special Investigation Division (SID) Secretary-General Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘), who was at the center of a recent political storm, was put on the legislative agenda yesterday.
A vote on the motion could be held within a month.
The motion against Huang was jointly tabled by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU).
A second round of voting was needed after those backing the motion failed to collect more than half of the votes in the first round.
In the second round, in which only a simple majority was required to win, KMT legislators Yen Kuan-hen (顏寬恒) and Chen Ken-te (陳根德) voted in favor of the motion, joining Lee Ching-hua (李慶華), who had voted to push through the motion in the first round.
Twelve KMT legislators abstained from voting in the second round.
The motion, which demands that Huang step down immediately for his "violations of the Constitution and laws, and disregard of the legislature," was listed on the legislative agenda following a 46 to 38 vote, with 12 abstentions.
Huang was indicted earlier this month on charges of leaking classified information in violation of the Criminal Code and the Communication Security and Surveillance Act (通訊保障及監察法) during the SID's pursuit of an improper lobbying case involving Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
The SID's handling of investigations into the case led to concerns over a possible failure to uphold judicial independence and due process of law, and also wiretapping abuse.
KMT caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) said the KMT lawmakers who failed to vote against the motion would not face party discipline because the party did not demand in advance that caucus members toe the party line.
Lee said he would have voted in favor of the motion even if the KMT had decided to impose the whip in the case.
"Huang should have tendered his resignation of his own accord. It will take a long time to regain the public's trust in the judiciary if he leaves now, not to mention how long it will take if he continues to resist the demand [to step down]," Lee said.


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So… you're into your 15th year of 24/7 and you haven't slept past 6 am since God knows when cause the Saints won the Super Bowl. The city is bursting with visitors and we're having occupancy levels like never before which is a good thing… but you soooo tired.
And you're wondering "why did I give up that 9 to 5 corporate job with weekends off and a paid vacation?!!"
And then the doorbell rings. You open the door and you meet the girls. You fall in love instantly and the next 5 days are delightful. Now you remember why you do this thing called innkeeping at a Garden District B&B in New Orleans!
Meet the "Twisted Sisters" – they have flown in from the Carolina's, New Jersey, Ohio and Florida to pass a good time as we say in New Orleans. What they have in common is that they meet in the late fifties while attending nursing school.
Now these aren't your ordinary 70-year-olds. They are vivacious, beautiful, smart, funny and loving… all with a very unique personality. Best of all, they wear the coolest jewelry!
So here we have another version of the YaYa Sisters. They have experienced a lifetime together… boyfriends, husbands, careers, children, grandchildren and everything in between. Good and bad.
They have gathered at least once a year since 1990 and sometimes twice a year. They have traveled the world together, but most importantly they have traveled life together.
My life has been touched by these remarkable women.


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If you just opened this like I told you to, tie yourself down to whatever chair you're sitting in, because this email is going to be a rough f#cking ride.
For those of you that have your heads stuck under rocks, which apparently is the majority of this staff, we have been F#CKING UP in terms of night time events and general social interactions with the Bikini Girls. I've been getting texts on texts about people LITERALLY being so f#cking AWKWARD and so f#cking BORING. If you're reading this right now and saying to yourself "But oh em gee Robert, I've been having so much fun with the other interns this week!", then punch yourself in the face right now so that I don't have to f#cking find you and to do it myself.
I do not give a flying f#ck, and the Bikini Girls do not give a flying f#ck, about how much you f#cking love to nerd out with each other over draft prospects. You have 361 days out of the f#cking year to talk to each other, and this week is NOT, I f#cking repeat NOT ONE OF THEM. This week is about socializing with the Bikini Girls while welcoming new talent to the Green Bay Packers, and that's not f#cking possible if you're going to stand around and talk to each other and not about our Ranter party. Newsflash you stupid c#cks: THE BIKINI GIRLS DON'T LIKE BORING BLOGGERS. Oh wait, DOUBLE F#CKING NEWSFLASH: THE BIKINI GIRLS ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO HANG OUT WITH US IF WE F#CKING SUCK, which by the way in case you're an idiot and need it spelled out for you, WE F#CKING SUCK SO FAR. This also applies to you little sh#ts that have talked openly about post partying at a different Packers draft party IN FRONT OF THE BIKINI GIRLS. Are you people f#cking stupid? That's not a rhetorical question, I LITERALLY want you to email me back telling me if you're mentally slow so I can make sure you don't go to anymore night time events. If the Bikini Girls openly said "Yeah we're gonna invite Cheesehead TV over", would you be happy? WOULD YOU? No you wouldn't, so WHY THE F#CK WOULD YOU DO IT TO THEM?? IN FRONT OF THEM?!! First of all, you SHOULDN'T be going to another Packers draft party, I don't give a F#CK if Brian Carriveau is going to be there. YOU DON'T GO. YOU. DON'T. GO. And you ESPECIALLY do f#cking NOT convince other Ranter staff to leave with you.
"But Robert!", you say in a whiny little b#tch voice to your computer screen as you read this email, "I've been cheering on our team all year, doesn't that count for something?" NO YOU STUPID F#CKING #SS HATS, IT F#CKING DOESN'T. DO YOU WANNA KNOW F#CKING WHY?!! IT DOESN'T COUNT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN F#CKING UP AT SOBER F#CKING EVENTS TOO. I've not only gotten texts about people being f#cking WEIRD at games (for example, being stupid shits and saying stuff like "durr what's a 2-point conversion?" is not f#cking funny), but I've gotten texts about people actually cheering for the opposing team. The opposing. F#cking. Team. ARE YOU F#CKING STUPID?!! I don't give a SH#T about sportsmanship, YOU CHEER FOR OUR G#DDAMN TEAM AND NOT THE OTHER ONE, HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN TO LAMBEAU? ARE YOU F#CKING BLIND? Or are you just so f#cking dense about what it means to make people like you that you think being a good little supporter of the Packers is going to make our matchup happy? Well it's time someone told you, NO ONE F#CKING LIKES THAT, ESPECIALLY THE F#CKING BIKINI GIRLS. I will f#cking junk punt the next person I hear about doing something like that, and I don't give a f#ck if you SOR me, I WILL F#CKING ASSAULT YOU.
"Ohhh Robert, I'm now crying because your email has made me oh so so sad". Well good. If this email applies to you in any way, meaning if you are a little @sswipe that stands in the corners at night or if you're a weird sh#t that does weird sh#t during the day, this following message is for you:
I'm not f#cking kidding. Don't go. Seriously, if you have done ANYTHING I've mentioned in this email and have some rare disease where you're unable to NOT do these things, then you are HORRIBLE, I repeat, HORRIBLE PR FOR THIS BLOG. I would rather have 4 unpaid employees that are fun, talk to girls, and not f#cking awkward than 8 that are f#cking losers. If you are one of the people that have told me "Oh nooo boo hoo I can't talk to girls I'm too sober", then I pity you because I don't know how you got this far in life, and with that in mind don't f#cking show up unless you're going to stop being a damn c#ck block for our blog. Seriously. I swear if I see anyone being a damn b#ner at tonight's event, I will tell you to leave even if you're sober. I'm not even kidding. Try me.
And for those of you who are offended at this email, I would apologize but I really don't give a f#ck. Go f#ck yourself.


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Your Child, Your Self
Connecting with a kid who's your polar opposite is easier than you think.
Polar Opposites
My 7-year-old daughter is the spitting image of me. Blue eyes, curly brown hair, fair skin. But that's where our similarities end. Maddie thinks a meal isn't complete without meat, but I'm a vegetarian. She's naturally drawn to people, whereas I'm a bit of a recluse. Her flashy outfits totally overshadow my muted neutrals. I often say that if she didn't have my impossible-to-tame ringlets, I'd swear she wasn't mine. (And when she struts around in a pink shirt and orange pants, I'm not exactly begging for mother-daughter recognition.)
In truth, though I'm generally delighted to be the mom of such a spitfire, our differences sometimes frustrate me. I never assumed or expected my daughter would be my clone, but I hardly envisioned a polar opposite either. It turns out, I'm not alone. "Parents often overestimate the amount of influence they'll have in terms of shaping their kid's personality," says Victoria Manion Fleming, PhD, a marriage and family therapist at North Shore Wellness Services in Northbrook, Illinois. "It can be a tremendous shock to realize our children aren't how — or who — we expected them to be."
Expectations vs. Reality
If you're a girlie girl, chances are you've been picturing weekly mother-daughter mall excursions followed by mani-pedis. Or if you're a bookworm, perhaps you've envisioned long talks about Shakespeare plays with your high-school-age son. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we all have at least some expectations that our child will mirror ourselves.
But as our children grow and their personalities emerge, reality often diverges from fantasy. "We think our kid is going to be an extension of ourselves, but at some point he or she becomes a unique person with a separate view of the world," says Michael Bradley, EdD, a psychologist for teens and families in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, and author of Heart and Soul of the Next Generation (Harbor Press). And when those dreams are dashed, it can be disconcerting.
Dealing with Disappointment
When Jennifer Twiggs, 43, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was a kid, she went out for every sport. "If there wasn't a girls' team, I would just play on the boys'," she says. Jennifer couldn't hide her dismay when her 14-year-old daughter, Julianna, chose cheerleading. "I'm trying to be supportive. I went to the first game to watch her cheer — but it's really hard for me to be cool about her jumping around behind the boys in a tiny outfit."
According to Fleming, it's good to own up to your emotions. "When you're in touch with how you're feeling, you won't just react from the gut," she says. In other words, you'll be able to deal logically, instead of emotionally. That helps you figure out what's behind the misgivings. And if you're afraid you can't bond, fear not. "I don't know any parents who can't relate to their kid on some level," says Geraldine Kerr, a marriage and family therapist in Morristown, New Jersey. "It's really a matter of being willing to connect where the child wants to," she says. In fact, your son's different interests may give you new options for conversation. He loves soccer and you're clueless about the game? Go to a match and pay attention while he gives you a play-by-play. In other words, spend time in his world and let him show you the lay of the land.
Just keep in mind, you may end up feeling inadequate if your daughter's a science whiz and your knowledge of Saturn stops at "midsize sedan." For the first time, you're no longer omniscient, and it's unnerving to feel you don't possess the tools to help your child. "We all need to feel competent in our jobs, so this sets off self-esteem issues in many parents," says Fleming. But you can still help your daughter with her schoolwork by showing her how to look up information on the Web — you're providing parental supervision and learning right alongside her. Sit and talk with her as she works through her homework. You'll get a sense of what she's good at, and by explaining it to you, she'll get a better grasp on the concepts.
When You Clash
If I'm being honest, my ever-so-sociable daughter can be exhausting. She always wants to do things together, and I sometimes find myself about to snap, "Can't you read a book by yourself?" Admittedly, I don't think experts would agree that's the best approach. Better, says Bradley, would be what he calls a compliment-and-compromise strategy: Tell her you love spending time with her, then ask if she can occupy herself quietly for 20 minutes before you do something fun together.
The Upshot of Differences
Contrasts in personalities can be a great asset. "As a therapist, I worry about the kid who's exactly like his mom or dad," says Bradley. "I start to wonder, Is this for real? Or is he doing things just for parental approval?" Bradley is also suspicious of the overly accommodating child. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to please others, but when that desire causes a kid to be something other than what he truly is, he can become depressed and anxious, and act out in other ways," he says.
In the best-case scenario kids can say and do things on their own, even when those things are the opposite of what you say and do. A child who can respectfully disagree with an adult is creating his own distinct identity, an asset when he must confront tough decisions in the future. If he's resolute enough to keep his sense of self intact when he's with you, he'll probably be able to stand up to his peers as well. So if his buddies are telling him that drugs are cool, he'll likely make his own choice. "Children with strong identities have higher self-esteem, which greatly reduces the lure of dangerous behaviors," says Bradley. "These types of kids tell me that drugs are a waste of time." You can also revel in knowing that this child will reliably tell you the truth. If your kid feels powerful enough to say, 'Our religion is stupid,' you can usually believe him when he tells you he's not taking drugs, according to Bradley.
As for me, I'm still baffled by my daughter's flamboyance, but I'm also impressed with how she can make friends with just about anyone. Watching her through the years, I've learned a thing or two. The other day I walked into a class at my gym and actually struck up a conversation with someone I didn't know. My new friend and I made a lunch date for next week...but I highly doubt I will be wearing orange pants.
Irreconcilable Differences
When you have a kid whose beliefs differ from yours, how do you draw the line between what's just unfamiliar and what's unacceptable?
Experts advise asking yourself: Are my child's activities hurting him or others? Is this an expression of individuality or does it truly reflect risky behavior? If your son dyed his hair purple but he's still bringing home good grades and showing up for dinner every night, he's probably okay. The eggplant-colored locks may be keeping you up at night, but if he's fulfilling his responsibilities, it's likely best to look the other way, says adolescent psychologist Alec L. Miller, PsyD, chief of child and adolescent psychology at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York.
If his actions violate your morals, ethics, and values, ask him to articulate his rationale. For instance, if he says he wants to join a racist group because it offers unconditional acceptance, try to help him find another place where he can feel that sense of belonging. At some point you may need to exert control — by not letting him drive your car to rallies, say — without demanding he adhere to your beliefs. "Values that are forced on a child are typically rejected, while those that are quietly modeled are usually freely adopted," says Bradley. If you've carefully chosen your battles thus far, eventually your child will realize that this is really important to you and come around.
Sibling Revelry
When one kid is a carbon copy of you and another is the opposite, how do you keep from favoring the mini-me?
Resist the temptation to pretend that there isn't any difference between the children, says New York City adolescent psychologist Alec L. Miller. "Your kids are too smart for that, and hiding your feelings sends the message that being different is not okay."
Be as nonjudgmental, supportive, and accepting as possible, says Miller. There's no reason to feel guilty for enjoying the time you spend with your parallel child — so long as you schedule plenty of togetherness with the kid who's different too. And instead of just grinning and bearing it, be a good sport and actively find some enjoyment in it. "I don't know of any secret recipe other than telling yourself that this is giving your child pleasure, which should make you happy as well," says Miller. And maybe you'll even expand your horizons. Tell your daughter up front that you've never listened to rap music and admit that you may be prejudiced against it, then ask her to teach you what it's all about. Who knows? You may end up buying a Ludacris album one day.
Bridging the Gap with Other Adults
You're an avid Democrat, your mother-in-law's a major GOP'er. How do you deal? "You can almost always find something to talk about," says marriage and family therapist Victoria Manion Fleming. Her tips:
Ask good questions. For instance, if your friend's husband mentions that he's originally from Tulsa, acknowledge the connection ("My brother lived in Tulsa for a while") and then ask what brought him to your area. Take a genuine interest in his answers.
Extend an olive branch. "Disconnects are often rooted in misunderstandings or miscommunication. A small act of kindness can go a long way," says Fleming. For instance, do you know where your cubicle-mate likes to shop? Keep your eye out for a coupon or sales-event flier.
Stick to specific activities. "If you all go bowling, you'll focus on the game," says Fleming — meaning, you won't have to do as much talking.
Relax. Remember that you have a mutual connection with this person. If it's your husband's mother, let him direct the conversation. The onus isn't always on you.
Copyright © 2007. Used with permission from the November 1, 2007, issue of Family Circle magazine.


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The final stages of the the animation process are drawing near. Here are a few pencil tests taken from my most recent work. At the start of February, all rough animation will be complete. My final semester at KCAI will be dedicated to coloring, compositing, and editing. I'm in good shape to meet my deadline in May.
My homemade multi-plane camera system is reaching completion as well. I'll be able to produce clean and consistent tests with this little marvel. Just cut a hole in an old coffee table and I'll be attaching a camera mount for my DSLR.
Practical Uses For Old Furniture


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Carolyn C necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 131 diseños de 29 diseñadores freelance.
F2F pty ltd
After 12 years specializing in Presentation Skills training with another Australian corporate training organization, I started my own company, F2F, 5 years ago to broaden out into other communication skills training including Influencing, Facilitation and Business Writing skills.
In short, our differentiation is 3-fold.
1. We believe all communication must be authentic. We do not teach slick presentation tricks, contrived body language or clever techniques. We support business people to be themselves when communicating in order to be seen as credible, to build genuine rapport, strengthen relationships and create more positive outcomes.
2. We keep it simple. Our current strapline is "doing the basics...brilliantly!". We teach core, proven communication skills at the highest level.
3. We aim to be flexible, relaxed, warm, fun and easy to deal with for the HR and management functions, as well as participants.
I have recently taken on a second trainer to help with the workload. She's a friend of 10 years and, like me, is keen to keep the culture vibrant, joyful, warm and real.
more here: f2fcommunications.com.au (see Vision &Values and Philosophy &Approach)
CURRENT MARKET: medium-large blue chip Australian organizations. The HR function will most often look at the website which is 80% female, but all participants see the logo on the training materials and business card who would be 50:50 male:female.
FUTURE MARKET: I am extremely keen to move the company in 3 new directions over the next 2-5 years:
1. Online product - audio and video training and refresher material. This may be relevant for not only my current corporate clients but also a broader 'general public' market.
2. Allowing my new trainer, and potentially another, to take on more of the training so the company is not so reliant on my own availability. So the logo needs to reflect a greater sense of size.
3. Personal development - in a perfect world at some stage i'd like to include more "health, wellbeing and personal development" training to our repertoire of both face-2-face and online products and services. Again this would not only be to the corporate market but going further afield to the general public.
As a 1-person-business for the past 5 years, with a sales, rather than marketing focus, I was happy with the simple, homey feel of my current logo (see http://www.f2fcommunications.com.au).
As the business expands however, in terms of clients, projects, trainers, and offerings, we need something that reflects a higher level of sophistication and also has broader appeal as we start to offer some online training for people potentially working in smaller companies and eventually a broader personal development market.
Having said that, we want to keep the warm and real feeling of the company.
So in short:
*A bit feminine
* Corporate but soft
* Real, authentic
* Idea only - Perhaps something to do with nature given we're about being 'simple', 'natural', 'authentic'??
* Current colors are charcoal gray & deep burnt orange. Please stick with the orange. happy to keep or ditch the gray. also like deep olive green as a base or sky blue for highlight but open to possibility.
* Our name is F2F, meaning Face 2 Face, so the current logo includes two faces to help people make the connection. this idea may stay or go but we must stick to F2F rather than the full phrase.
* We're considering a new strapline. Possibilities include: "Simply Communicating"; "We're just really good at communications training!"; "It's personal"; "Keeping it real".
with thanks and anticipation, Carolyn
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Cebalo and Klovans, Gaprindashvili are World Senior Champions
Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 9:17PM
Miso Cebalo and Janis Klovans have won the World Senior Championship with 8½/11, half a point ahead of group including last year's co-champs, Larry Kaufman and Mihail Suba. It's the first senior title for Cebalo, and the fourth for Klovans. In the (just-for-) women's division, former women's champ Nona Gaprindashvili won with 7½ out of 9, half a point ahead of Elena Fatalibekova. Gaprindashvili is also a repeat champion.
Congratulations to both players!
HT: Chess Today
Dennis Monokroussos | Comments Off |
tagged Cebalo, Gaprindashvili, Klovans, World Senior Championship in Nov. 2009 News


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Bretagne corner tv unit
reference - B304
With its solid wood construction, smooth running drawers and well-fitted doors this outstanding collection offers a wide choice of cabinets, cupboards, bookcases, chairs and occasional tables. Built with professional craftsmanship-quality furniture that is built to last.
This highly popular collection is now available in 4 different options, the Lacquered, the Classic, the Kaleidoscope and the Unlimited. Just click on the CUSTOMISE tab to look at the real choice that is now available to make, so that the furniture you buy really match the rest of your home. All of the paintwork and finishes are completed at our Somerset-based paint shops.
SPECIFICATIONS • Height: 58cm • Width: 108cm • Depth: 55cm • Weight: 41kg • Wood Type: Oak


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The NCAA tournament came to
Louisville Tucson this weekend, and the GOAT decided to take in last night's Arizona-UL game in his hometown retirement refuge. Unfortunately, his Cardinals were trounced by the Wildcats, but that's not the most regrettable aspect of the evening. ESPNU's cameras lingered on the ailing Ali for minutes at a time, a televisual gawking that, over time, was sure to catch The Champ in moments of need. Consider to yourself how long you could go without picking your nose.
Muhammad Ali Is Still The Greatest
The NCAA tournament came to


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This fun and reusable vibrating cock ring is made of supple elastomer and produces mild vibrations
This fun and reusable vibrating cock ring is made of supple elastomer and produces mild vibrations that both the wearer and receiver can enjoy. The Big O has its batteries already included and comes equipped with an easy one-touch on/off switch for great usability. We also loved the pre-programmed 9-stage vibration pattern that includes pulses and intensity changes allowing you to find your perfect rhythm. Comfortable to wear, quiet, and discreet, this penis ring is a great choice for ScreamingO Cock Ring fans looking for a non-disposable option.
BigO Vibrating Cock Ring
Translucent Coral Elastomer
Stretches up to 5 inches
2 watch batteries included
-- Jack Hoffman from CARNAL NATION
Product Video
Keywords: ScreamingO Screaming O Screaming-O
Brand: Screaming O
Product Details
Texture: Nubby
Color: Pink
Length: 1.75 inches
Diameter: 1 inches
Intensity: 2/5
Volume: 1/5
- Latex-free
Reviews & RatingsRate and Review It
Customer Reviews
Had this for a while but just used it for the first time a few weeks ago and my partner absolutely loved it!! She kept having more and more orgasms because of it. Great product!!!
this toy is great if you plan to use it one time. it feel apart after the first use
we used it one time, and then it would no longer work. basically a cheap piece of junk.
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It was past 3 a.m. when the state Senate's top lawmaker, Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, expressed total frustration at the moment. "Anybody have any great ideas? Let me know."
He appeared to be immediately concerned with getting some of his fellow Democrats to vote for a budget in the middle of the night. But the words also seemed to comment on the terrible fix California is in, and from which there seems to be no way out. We can't balance our budget. We can't pass a budget on time. We can't solve the press problems in schools, health care, prisons, water and other issues, problems we know we need to solve. And our election campaigns offer no new ideas for getting us out of the mess.
The good news is that there are people working on big change. Today in San Francisco, a new enterprise called Rethinkcali.com is launching an effort to rewrite the constituton by Twitter. Churches, unions, and busines leaders are meeting and talking behind the scenes about big reform efforts, perhaps timed to the next big statewide elections in 2012. Where will this lead California? I don't know.
Here's one idea for Sen. Steinberg. Don't even bother with the budget next year. Let the new governor, the legislative Democrats and legislative Republicans submit their own budget proposals to the voters, as has been suggested by the blog Calbuzz. And have the legislature spend the year on constitutional reform and revision. Is such an effort likely to produce broad reform? Not at first. But a focus on reform would, at the very least, produce some new ideas.


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Senior Emily Lambert skippered the B-division team at the Harry Anderson Trophy. The Crimson would earn second-place beating out rival, Yale by one point. (Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard sailing team secured two second-place finishes in the first coed regattas of the season, while also finishing 10th during the opening women's regatta to round out the slate this past weekend.
The No. 10 Crimson coeds beat out 19 teams, including rival Yale, to secure second-place in the Harry Anderson Trophy, hosted by Bulldogs. In the A division senior Brendan Kopp skippered all 10 races as sophomore Sarah Pierson and freshman Richard Bergsund split time at the crew position. The trio finished second in the division, recording 71 points including a win, one third-place and two fourth-place finishes.
The B division skipper, senior Emily Lambert, sailed with senior Alexandra Jumper, along with sophomore Ben Lamont and Bergsund. Highlighting the weekend for the quartet was a third-place finish during the fifth race and a pair of fourth-place finishes. Harvard totaled 76 points in the B division and 147 overall. Wisconsin took home the regatta crown, beating out the Crimson by nine points. Harvard edged Yale by one point, and defending champion Boston College placed fourth with 164.
The No. 8 women's team sailed in its first race of the season competing in the Toni Deutsch '58 Trophy at MIT. Sophomores Morgan Russom and Isabel Ruane teamed up to compete in the A division, securing two first-place finishes, three second-place finishes and a third-place showing to round out the afternoon. The B division team of sophomore Caitlin Watson and senior Caroline Lowe teamed up for all 26 races during the weekend, notching three fourth-place finishes. Harvard finished with 406 points total between the two squads, good for 10th place.
On Sunday Harvard hosted its first home regatta of the season, sailing against Tufts and MIT in the Harvard Invitational. The Crimson claimed second place, finishing just four points behind Tufts for first. The A-division team was skippered by freshman Gram Slattery with classmate Emma Smith for all eight races on the afternoon. The duo would secure two second-place finishes and notch a win in the seventh race tallying 27 points overall. The B-division team had freshmen Brian Drumm and Nicholas Gordon sail every race for the Crimson. They won twice and finished with 24 points.
The Crimson will return to action on Sept. 17-18 competing in both the Mrs. Hurst Bowl hosted by Dartmouth and the Hatch Brown Trophy at MIT.


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This one's for all the LAN party devotees out there.
The Fang Battle Box is a gaming PC designed specifically for those who lug their computers around to LAN parties. Which, as you can see from some of the images here, can be a precarious business.
The Fang's solution is to use a smaller motherboard and then wrap everything else in a giant protective case, complete with handle for carrying.
CyberPower's Battle Box [Maximum PC]


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I was told to implement a web service which, given 2 inputs (street name, cross street name) the output is the crossing geographical coordinates.
What is the best way i should go?
Is there a standard for Geographical Web Services that queries a database?
Are there same similar examples? (I haven't found anyone)
We use PHP, and a Postgres database with Postgis.
I have developed a solution whith nusoap and xml but I really don't know if this is a good solution.


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Dive sites in Fiji don't get much better than in the Somosomo Strait. In fact, it's home to some of the top-ranked diving spots in the world.
Swim through warm, clear waters to explore the vibrant underwater world. Get up close with colourful coral, majestic molluscs and a rich array of sea life.
In the Somosomo Strait, you can explore the world-famous Rainbow Reef, home to renowned dive sites the Zoo and the Purple Wall. But it's the Great White Wall that brings divers back to Taveuni and the Somosomo Strait year after year.
The sheer drop off boasts a dazzling display of hard and soft corals, colourful sponges and crinoids that look white from a distance, but up close you'll find all the colours of the rainbow. Deeper down at 20 to 60m, the wall's name becomes clear, with white corals in full bloom.
Fiji is also known as the 'Soft Coral Capital,' thanks to the abundant 'Dendronepthya' soft coral in Somosomo Strait. Dive sites along the Rainbow Reef such as Fish Factory, Annies Bommies, Nuku Reef and Jerry's Jelly have backdrops so vivid you'll definitely want to bring your underwater camera. And with more than 1,200 species of reef fish, over 450 types of mollusc and the chance to spot manta rays, Spinner dolphins and humpback whales, the Somosomo Strait is a dive enthusiast's dream.


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A private university of 11,000 students near the center of Dallas, SMU offers strong undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs through seven schools.
Excellence in Action: Doing common things in an uncommon way.
The Rotunda Academic Scholars Program (Rotunda) is a premier scholars program that seeks to promote leadership, scholarship and service. Through individualized academic counseling, intentional programming that caters to the developmental needs of each scholar as they progress in school, and unique and targeted opportunities to nurture and develop a leadership skill-set, Rotunda strengthens connectedness to the institution thereby increasing retention and cultivates a population of adept "World-Changers" as they begin their post-undergraduate life.


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Change for Conservation
Cathay Dragon and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have been running the inflight charity-fundraising programme "Change for Conservation" since 2004, and as of December 2011 a total of HK$8.35 million has been raised. Travellers on Cathay Dragon flights are encouraged to donate spare change to TNC when returning from their journeys. Funds are used in the conservation projects run by TNC in various parts of Mainland China, such as creating a system of protected areas with sustainable policies in place; alleviating poverty, one of the principal causes of unsustainable natural resource use and biodiversity loss; and developing sustainable economic alternatives for the people in these areas.


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Posts TaggedChillingo Ltd.
Zombies are on the attack! Why? Who knows — it's just what they do. But you can vaporize them before they takeover the city and turn it in to their smorgasbord.
Mixing strategy and shoot-'em-up attacks, Dead Stop declares you the protector of the people. The gore factor is low and the art cartoonish, making this one game that's as appealing to all ages as it is simple to play. (Don't confuse simple for easy, though. These flesh-eaters put up a fight!)
Is Dead Stop a feast or famine when it comes to being fun? Find out after the break. (more…)


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Use Foil in Walls?
A version of this article appears in the March/April 2005 issue of Home Energy Magazine.
March 01, 2005
Q. I'm desperate for some balanced information. I'm putting new cement-based clapboard siding on my house on top of a plywood shell. The siding contractor said that he typically wraps the house in Tyvek. I live in the southwest corner of the Mojave Desert at about 3,200 ft above sea level and here we have both hot and cold seasons.We can go down to the teens in the winter, and at times in the summer it hits 120ºF. The climate is typically dry, but it can pour during the winter storm months. I want to do something to increase the heat-and-cool retention. I understand that Tyvek does not do this. I thought that there might be some thin insulative medium that we could apply under the painted cement siding. I researched on your Web site and found no mention of a material that I found at savenrg.com (www.savenrg.com). This is a reflective film to be installed in double layers and separated from the siding with a 1/4-inch gap. The site touts the improved heat-andcool retention provided by this material, which is called a radiant reflector. It is apparently not porous, and after ...
To read complete online articles, you need to sign up for an Online Subscription.
Once an order has been placed there is an automatic $10 processing fee that will be deducted with any cancellation.
The Home Energy Online articles are for personal use only and may not be printed for distribution. For permission to reprint, please send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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You know how you have that friend-for simplicity's sake, we'll call him Aaron Froucho-that you're never quite sure is gay or straight? What better way to answer the question for all eternity than with a $14 keychain? The thing has three readouts, "gay," "straight" and "maybe," so if you get "maybe," keep asking until it decides one way or the other. Or, if you're feeling lonely, just go with it. Aaron will. [Play via Nerd Approved]
Gaydar Keychain Answers That Question Once And For All


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Having a pool in your yard is like a gateway to summer fun, especially when you have kids and they're able to invite their friends over, and get some great exercise. A lot of people know the basics of pool safety because it's just common sense, but if you haven't taken much time to think about it beyond that – you could be leaving your family and friends vulnerable to some dangerous disasters and worse case scenarios like drowning that do happen from time to time, mostly due to negligence, which is preventable. Not only that, but pool safety is also very important during the winter months as well, as about 20% of drownings happen during winter. Let's take a look at some essential tips you've got to consider in order to keep your kids safe at the pool.
There are numerous reasons that you should have your pool area fenced in. Some pool-owners are reluctant to install a fence because of the aesthetics, but there are types of less intrusive fences you can use to surround your pool, for example a a glass pool fence. Not only that, but safety should be the number one priority above looks. That's why fences are mandatory for pool owners at least in Australia. Also, it's not just about protecting people, either. A fence will also help prevent animals from falling into your pool and drowning. A helpless animal is never a pleasant thing to find floating in your pool.
Summer isn't the only time to think about pool safety. 1 out of every 5 times that somebody drowns, it happens in the wintertime. Pools are often covered in the winter, making them very difficult to escape if you fall in. A fence is the first step to take, but it doesn't do any good once somebody is on the inside of it. So, to really up the safety of your pool in the winter (or even if it's going to be unused for a while in other months), consider installing a pool net which goes over top of your pool similar to a cover, but it prevents anyone (or animals) from falling into the water. A net can go over top of your pool cover.
Pool alarms help you feel much safer with kids around the pool when it is unused. They work by loudly alarming you whenever a large enough mass disturbs the pool surface. This is something all parents need to use as an aid, but you still have to be aware that the best form of defence against accidents is to...
As a parent, you've got to be very diligent with supervising your kids when they're in the pool. That means at all times. If you've got to run inside for a few minutes, get them out of the pool if they're not old enough to be confident in their swimming abilities. Young children should never be left alone in the water; it only takes a split second for tragedy to strike. If you have kids in the house, talk to them about the basics of pool safety and how they can help prevent drowning by being an additional set of eyes and ears, and taking care to shut the gate, and never swimming alone. There's no substitute for setting boundaries and drilling the severity of pool safety into your kid's heads from a young age; you can't be too paranoid when it comes to staying safe in the water.
In Australia, a popular pool safety program, Kids Alive - Do the Five; created by PoolWerx and the popular Olympic swim coach Laurie Lawrence teaches some lessons for those who own swimming pools in their backyards, or when visiting homes with pools, or even community pools.
Do the Five - is a short list of some very important tasks for the pool owner.The five things are listed above. It's meant to be sung, as a song - with an upbeat rhythm. It's a great teaching tool for young children - and for parents.
Annie Reid
Mother and Pool Owner
Brisbane, Australia


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Ladies and gentlemen, the state of the bird blogosphere is strong, stronger than ever, in fact. In the last ten days the two biggest bird blogs in the bird blogosphere, 10,000 Birds and the ABA Blog, have had their biggest days in terms of traffic ever. On a monthly basis more people are visiting bird blogs than ever before and traffic continues to rise. There are many fine birding blogs putting out great content, attracting lots of readers, and exploring the intersection of the internet and birding.
Sure, the state of the bird blogosphere is different than in past years. There has been an acceleration of the switch to group blogging and blogs with an institution behind them continue to grow in influence. Bird blogs run by individuals have seen their readership drop in absolute numbers as well as compared to the numbers put up by group blogs. Some blogs have grown in readers and influence and some have virtually disappeared. Big year blogs have grown in popularity and it seems that there is no greater way to engage people about a big year than blogging it. But what matters most is that we are still relevant in this age of social media and content sharing. Someone, after all, has to provide the content to share!
As of this post going live there are nearly five hundred bird blogs listed on the Nature Blog Network though only forty are averaging more than one hundred readers a day. There are, of course, quite a few bird blogs that do not list on the Nature Blog Network, and quite a few blogs that are listed there that do not categorize as bird blogs even if birds are a large part of their content. There are a lot of bird blogs but not a lot with a lot of traffic. Of course, people write bird blogs for many reasons other than amassing readers but traffic is the only metric we have to go on. (That is, until we launch the Bird Blog Awards.)
I thought it would be helpful to break down bird blogs into a couple of categories to see what is happening in different sectors of the bird blogosphere.
Group Blogs
The monsters that are group blogs are dominating our niche. We at 10,000 Birds are on pace to break 100,000 visitors for the fourth consecutive month and this is despite fighting (and finally winning) a war with spambots. The ABA Blog has been putting out great content and helping to revitalize the American Birding Association. Birding Frontiers has added an excellent European flavor and a strong focus on tricky identifications to the bird blogosphere. Nemesis Bird has come on strong with a core of great young birders twitching rarities at a pace that astounds those of us with full-time jobs and families. Birding is Fun, the brainchild of Robert Mortensen, does exactly as its name implies. The Bird Ecology Study Group, perhaps the first true group bird blog, continues to put out great content about the ecology and behavior of the birds of Singapore. The only big group blogs that have seen a decline over the last year are BirdingBlogs.com and North American Birding, both of which have had very few posts recently. (North American Birding seems close to defunct, largely because the driving force behind the blog, Greg Neise, has been focusing most of his efforts on working with the ABA.)
Institutional Blogs
The aforementioned ABA Blog tops the list in this category because of great content and because the ABA was smart enough to hire a bird blogger, Nate Swick (who 10,000 Birds readers will, of course, recognize), to run the blog. Cornell's Round Robin is visually compelling but light on content. (Their last post was 21 December.) You can tell when they hit their mailing list with a link to their blog, however, because their traffic goes through the roof. Audubon Magazine's blog, The Perch, while more of a consevation blog than a birding blog, gets very nice traffic. Though the ABA has a smaller base to work from their blog gets the most traffic of the three, probably due to their excellent use of social media and their willingness to use their blog as a place to make major announcements about the organzation. It's nice to see them thriving and it makes me, as a blogger without an institution backing him up, worried should one of the big organizations get their online act together.
Individual Blogs
Though there is still a constant stream of new bird bloggers getting into the bird blogging game the age of the individual running a well-read bird blog is essentially over. In terms of traffic, the only blogs on the Nature Blog Network top ten in the bird category are Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus, The Zen Birdfeeder and Birdchick. The first is really more about Christianity than it is about birding, The Zen Birdfeeder is a labor of love for Nancy Castillo and she does a great job engaging her audience and her customers as a bird-feeding store owener, and Sharon Stiteler's blog, while wonderful and with a unique voice, has seen a decline in traffic as she focuses on other projects.
It is nearly impossible for an individual to keep up with the amount of content a group can generate and a single voice gets lonely compared to the chorus that a group can provide. Even "celebrity" bird bloggers like Julie Zickefoose and Bill Thompson have had traffic slow down. Again, this isn't to downplay the quality of the content being put out by bird bloggers blogging alone but to highlight the challenge of keeping a blog going year after year after year by yourself. It is amazing that it can be kept up at all, and also amazing how much good content can be found in the many blogs getting between thirty and two hundred visitors a day.
Big Year Blogs
The one aspect of individual blogging that seems to work really well is the big year blog. The limited time frame, the built in story lines, and the intense focus on a single goal make them very compelling. Last year featured several really good big year blogs come out and it looks like this year has another fine crop. Perhaps some birders should pitch in together and decide ahead of time to do a big year blog together in 2014? That would be a blog to be reckoned with!
I and the Bird
The return of I and the Bird is exciting (though I may be biased) and a great way for a new bird blogger to get some links and maybe some recognition. We bird bloggers need to help promote each other and drive traffic to each other's sites. A rising readership lifts all blogs after all.
If you are a bird blogger and are seeking to be widely read you might be best served by joining or starting a group blog or finding institutional backing. If you insist on going it alone remember that writing about the intersection of birding and something else is a great way to get readers. Or you could always do a big year…
Bird blogging is here to stay though it will always be changing. What do you think the next big thing in bird blogs will be? And should we start a yearly Bird Blog Awards in order to help spread the word about the great content that is out there?
It is fascinating to track the trends in bird blogging. I think we hit a point of saturation with personal bird blogging. I used to read every single blog listed in my blog roll "The Big Birding Blog List", but I just can't keep up with all of them anymore. I read every post from every BirdingIsFun contributor on their own blogs. In addition to them, I only have a handful of other blogs that I frequent daily. The multi-author and institutional blogs generally offer a great venue with quality posts than in and of themselves steal away my time.
BirdingIsFun.com has had two record breaking months of traffic in a row and is on track for a third right now. I still don't comprehend the metrics fully and there are certainly ways to increase traffic that I haven't realized yet.
Greg Neiss and Nate Swick are doing amazing things at the ABA. I understand why their personal blogs are being sacrificed upon the alter of the ABA. They deserve a lot of credit for helping restore the ABA to relevancy.
I'm tempted to plunder a couple of the great writers and photographers from BirdingBlogs, but dang that Gunnar. In his own strange way he has endeared himself to me and I don't want to start a birding blog war. That is the curious and wonderful thing about the birding blogosphere…we are almost all friends and extremely supportive of each other, promoting and sharing each other's work regularly.
It's been an interesting ride and we'll see where it goes into the future.
A birding blog war you say? I would certainly read about that!
I hereby declare open season on Gunnar's BirdingBlogs.com! Watch for a throw down in tomorrow's Google + hangout.
As Robert suggests, I definitely think it's a rising tide lifts all boats scenario. If one blog is doing really well, that opens up opportunities for other blogs, particularly with regard to Google search optimization. I know I generally see the ABA Blog (and to a lesser extent, my own) having good days when other blogs are doing so as well.
I think it goes back to why people write online. Many were just interested in sharing photos and short stories with friends, and once Facebook came along that was a more efficient way to do that. That did, however, leave room for the multi-author blogs with a bit more clout to come in and offer those people who still wanted to write, opportunities to do so for a larger audience but with less pressure to publish. I see us as having just as many voices, but in not as many places, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Cool, I'm in the top 40 again!
Thanks for including us (Round Robin) in this roundup! Nate's point about Facebook superseding the needs of some bloggers is right on track. The "daily diversion" aspect of a blog can now be done on Facebook and is a great way to feature existing articles, videos, Macaulay Library sounds, species accounts, etc., without diverting people to a separate page (i.e., a blog) first. I wonder how other bloggers feel Facebook is either helping or hurting their cause?
Hugh, I was a late started in embracing Facebook as a venue to interact with my readers, but since I have my web traffic has jumped significantly. I've tried to keep my blog as the central hub with all social networking as the spokes connecting to people and bringing them back to the blog. As an independent birder, I pretty much have to in order to establish a brand and reader loyalty. I suppose my blog is my institution. Where you represent a well-known and very loved institution in the birding world, I'm confident your goals and purpose for existing are different than many bloggers. Your blog doesn't need to be the entree, just a really nice side dish.
Thinking about the ABA, I'm of the opinion that the ABA Blog has become the flagship of that institution. The ABA also has a very vibrant Facebook community wherein the public interacts regularly on a personal level with ABA staff and even the ABA president. While a large percentage of ABA members never visit ABA websites, more and more of their print publications are directing folks to their internet presence for supplemental content.
I've noticed many independent bird bloggers have abandoned their blogs and enjoy fulfilling their passion for sharing within the context of Facebook, Google +, and to a lesser extent Twitter.
This internet environment is changing so rapidly, it'll be fun to watch it evolve. I hope I can stay on the leading edge of it.
I think I can safely speak for some of us so very much lesser lights when I say that my blog isn't about those reading it as much as it's about the one writing it.
Now I'm not saying I would exactly m i n d having an audience as large as (but different from) that of 10kB, but I think I'm reaching the handful of people who care about the things I care about, and writing a little bit several times a week is a good writerly discipline for me and a great way to keep from doing my real work.
Don't count us out just yet on Birdingblogs. Our posting frequency have just diminished, but we still get a lot of traffic on daily basis in spite of not posting much. I was travelling a lot last year myself , and did not have that much time to keep up my own posttings.
A series of commttments from the others at the same time. Tom became a father, for instance.
Reloading with the second round of World Birding DestinationCuo right now.
And additionally I am very excited over the Birding 101 blog which has been my main blogging focus lately.
But it is also true, that a lot of the bloggers content themselves sharing on FB: In truth, the formats compliment each other.
There will be more and more birders who blog. Because it still is the best way to share you bird photography to a larger public if you have a set you want show, and to tell a story about it.
It gives alll those thousands or even milliions of new digibirders a space of their own. Bird blogging can only grow if you ask me.
I'm for one am very happy I and the Bird returns in a new more interesting format. Too bad I missed the Cormorant issue. I could have suplplied a picture and link to Red-legged and Guanay Cormorants.
Keep up the good work 10Kbirds, ABAblog and BirdingisFun. And all the others in the birding bloggersphere
Yeah, North American Birding is, shall we say, in stasis. Or how about torpid?
I had a bunch of essays in my head … mostly about being a kid birder in the 70s that I needed to build a home for, and I found a bunch of really cool people who wanted to party with me. But now the party seems to have s l o w e d.
But, the house is still solid—maybe I'll find someone to help whack the weeds and clean the windows…
…but yeah. My duties at the ABA have consumed me. And I'm having a blast.
Check out the ABA's newest blog (multi-author): Listers' Corner: http://bit.ly/13K0f38
Corey, I have tried to join the Nature Blog Network a couple of weeks ago but have not received any response from you. I am still waiting for approval and the html code, so I can place this on my blog.
Please advise if there is a problem and whether I have done something wrong.
It would be great to have my blog included on your TopList!
This is an interesting conversation on bird blogging, guys. I'm grateful to hear the perspectives of so many excellent bloggers as I watch the development of social media as one of the venues I use within the marketing strategy for my Birder Murder Mysteries. I've often benefited from getting a mention on your blogs, and I try to return the favor – in fact, in the newest ebook versions of my mysteries, we're now including links to a variety of online birding resources and blog lists. I figure whatever we can do to raise up new birders, the more we all – birds and birders – benefit.
Always a late bloomer. I have just begun blogging, mostly about birds. I have spent more time outside than in this virtual reality and have only just found all these amazing blogs. Just this morning I discovered Nature Blog Network and this here 10,000 Birds tonight. Sigh. Better late than never I suppose. Luckily I am not looking for traffic, simply a place to express. All of you have inspired me greatly. Thanks.
Thanks for the mention, I think…You know, it's odd. My stats don't agree with the Nature Blog Network stats. Julie Zickefoose on Blogspot is entering its eighth year of existence, and Google Analytics is consistently showing between 750-1300 page views per day, about 25,500 in the last month, in fact. My hits have gone up, in fact. NBN shows me in the 300's per day, withering away there on the second page of the list. Maybe NBN slices and dices the data differently. Whatever…I stopped obsessing about hits years ago. I appreciate my readers and they appreciate what I post three days a week. Call me a dinosaur, but I disagree that the "age of the individual running a well-read bird blog is essentially over."
© 2013 10,000 Birds. All words, images, and opinions are the property of their respective authors unless stated otherwise.


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Warrens Equine Seaweed Meal - 2.5kg
- Seaweed Meal.
**While we do our best to keep the website up to date, there will be times where some products and services listed are not available. If your order can not be filled we will inform you ASAP, we will offer you an option to back order the item, an alternative item or a refund. Products are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time, including after you have placed your order. Please note this Website is NOT Stock Controlled.**


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PJ Van Rooyen
13 Nov 2012 14:37
Bafana Bafana skipper Bongani Khumalo in a match against Mozambique. (Manus van Dyke, Gallo)
"Obviously tomorrow's game is a good challenge for us, playing the champions of Africa," Khumalo said after only taking part in half of Tuesday's training session.
"It's always good to come up against good teams and teams that have achieved.
South Africa take on the current African Cup of Nations champions, having beaten them 2-1 in the first ever Nelson Mandela Challenge match in 1994.
Khumalo flew in from Greece on Tuesday morning after doing duty for Greek outfit PAOK on the weekend, but said he would be ready for the fixture at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday.
"Everyone is looking forward to the game and personally, I've just arrived this morning, after playing on Sunday evening for my club," he said.
"It was a late kick-off and a long journey but I should be okay."
Proving a point
The former SuperSport United defender believed Zambia would be eager to prove themselves against their hosts, but added Bafana were ready for their southern African counterparts.
"They are the champions, no matter who they call up, and they want to do well," Khumalo said.
"They want to prove a point, so regardless of who they have, they will put up a fight."
Meanwhile, Bafana coach Gordon Igesund admitted some squad members were still feeling the effects of a tough domestic campaign after playing three Premiership matches in six days.
"The players are looking a little jaded at the moment and I have to be very careful how much I do with them out here," Igesund said.
Fully prepared
"Some of the players are feeling the aches and pains. These guys have had a tough time and it's been difficult for them."
Even though Igesund would only have the full squad for a single training session ahead of the match, the Bafana coach said the team would be fully prepared to take on the continental champions.
"It's obviously very difficult.
You want to do in one training session what normally takes five or six sessions," he said.
"I tried to do a little bit of everything – some pressing, closing down, squeezing and counter-attacking.
"It's difficult and I let Bongani do only half the training after he only arrived this morning, but it's part of being in the national team." – Sapa
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MORGANTON, N.C. — Twelve activists who blocked a North Carolina chemical plant were arrested in a protest against the company's sale of products used in the natural gas drilling process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Morganton Public Safety Chief Mark Tolbert said the protesters faced a variety of charges, including trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Croatan Earth First! spokeswoman Maria Rowan said sheriff's deputies and police began warning dozens of activists at the Momentive resin plant on Monday afternoon that they had a half hour to disperse — or risk arrest.
She said the environmental activists, who had been protesting at the plant for hours, were starting to leave when police moved in. "It seemed they were randomly grabbing people as the crowd was actually moving. I'm not sure why," Rowan added.
Tolbert said protesters ignored the warnings to leave.
"They were interrupting the flow of business for the company," he said. "The company was already late delivering a load of product to a destination and had not left yet. The company said they had to get the truck on the road. When some of the protesters continued to speak and disrupt the flow of things … we tried to break it up. But it kind of escalated," Tolbert said.
"We didn't want it to go that way and the company didn't want it to go that way either. We really wanted it just to be peaceful. We wanted it to be like, 'OK, if you're not going to leave we'll just put you in these flex cuffs and take you down and post your bond and go on your way.' It didn't exactly go that smooth. But it wasn't a bad situation, either," he said.
Between six and 10 police officers and Burke County sheriff's deputies had been watching the protesters at the plant in Morganton, about 60 miles northwest of Charlotte. Protesters had erected wooden barriers at each of the plant's two gates before 8 a.m.
The blockade began after the plant's employees had arrived for work, and production was able to continue during the protest. However, a tanker truck was stopped from leaving to deliver a shipment, Tolbert said.
Protesters erected the pair of three-legged, 20-foot-tall wooden structures at the plant gates. Each has a protester stationed on top, and their safety could be imperiled if they were forcibly removed or the tripod toppled, said Rowan, 44, of Carrboro. As many as 100 other people were lying down in the entrance road, she said.
The group aims to stop the spread of fracking to North Carolina, where lawmakers have created a commission to establish rules that would allow the process to be used to extract gas from underground rock, Rowan said by telephone from the scene.
Supporters say fracking will bring a much-needed economic boost. Some scientists believe some North Carolina counties may hold large deposits of the gas. But fracking opponents are concerned about possible harm to people and the environment.
Columbus, Ohio-based Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. was working with law officers "to ensure the safety of all parties," spokesman John Kompa said in an emailed statement.
"MSC is committed to providing innovative, safe and effective solutions designed to help increase the efficiency of oil and gas operations," Kompa said. "Hydraulic fracturing has been used by the oil and gas industry since the 1940s and has become a key element of oil and natural gas extraction worldwide. We believe modern hydraulic fracturing is a safe … and controlled procedure."
Momentive Specialty Chemicals is owned by parent company Momentive Performance Materials Holdings LLC, which was formed in 2010 with the combination of Momentive Performance Materials Inc. and Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc. The parent company is controlled by Apollo Global Management LLC, which is known for buying troubled brands and later selling them for a profit. Apollo's investments include fast-food chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.


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And here I present to you my one of a kind Pandan Creme Brulee Tart in all it's green glory. This tart may make you think of the Hulk, Green Lantern, aliens or even the musical Wicked, but trust me, it tastes so sensational and unlike anything else you'll ever taste. The creme brulee element is so smooth and creamy, with the intoxicating fragrance of the pandan. Then the pastry gives that rich buttery flavour with some crunch, finally topped off by the burnt sugar top which cracks in your mouth and gives this caramelised smokey flavour. With the sugar brulee top, this tart just would not be as good as it is now.
Some tips and tricks for achieving the perfect pandan creme brulee tart
- Bake the shortcrust pastry until it's really golden to ensure it's leak proof for the filling
- Make sure you strain the creme brulee filling with a fine sieve so you get the smoothest consistency
- Put the baked tart shell in the oven and then pour in the filling because it's very hard to move a full tart shell with the filling sloshing about
- Don't overbake the tart as you want the filling to still wobble and be soft and not curdle
- Don't be afraid to really torch the brulee top as you want a good crisp sugar crack but also to have the burnt bits that really add flavour.
Pandan Creme Brulee Tart Recipe
I used two recipes that I adapted for my recipe. The shortcrust pastry was from Belinda Jeffery and the creme brulee filling from Epicurious.
Shortcrust Pastry
Makes enough pastry for one 26-28cm tart shell
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
125g cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/4 cup (60ml) iced water
1. Combine the flour and salt into a food processor and mix them together.
2. Add the butter and pulse everything until the mixture resembles medium-fine breadcrumbs.
3. With the processor running, pour in the iced water and process only until the dough forms a ball.
4. Tip the dough out onto a board and shape it into a ball. Flatten it into a disc and wrap it tightly in cling film.
5. Chill the dough for about 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is firm, but soft enough to roll.
Custard Filling
2 teaspoon pandan extract
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1 whole large egg
1/2 cup CSR caster sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Add pandan extract to saucepan with cream and milk. Heat over medium heat until hot, then let steep off heat 30 minutes.
2. Whisk together yolks, whole egg, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
3. Add cream mixture into the eggs mixture and whisk until smooth.
4. Strain custard filling through a fine-mesh sieve into measuring cup.
Bake Pandan Creme Brulee Tart
2 tablespoon CSR caster sugar
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Put tart shell (in tart tin) in a 4-sided tray.
3. Put tray in oven and pour custard into shell.
4. Bake tart until just set but still slightly wobbly in center, 30 to 35 minutes (custard will continue to set as it cools).
5. Remove tart from tray and cool on a rack 30 minutes. Remove tart tin and cool to room temperature for an hour more.
6. Just before serving, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over top of tart. Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth just above top of tart, avoiding crust, until sugar is caramelized and slightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
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Ogden Outdoor Adventure Show 260 - Opening Day
- Dec 1 - Snowbasin & Powder Mountain Open - Ski Utah Official Snow Report
- Dec 2 - GEAR:30 presents Women in the Wild: Backcountry Skiing
- Dec 3 - Ogden Nature Center Holiday Open House
- Dec 3 - Yoga for a Cause, YogaLoft at The Front 1-3pm
- Dec 5 - Utah Avalanche Center Know Before You Go Clinic at Union Grill
- Dec 10 - Nordic Valley Projected Opening Date
- Dec 10 - 2016 Elk Festival at Hardware Ranch
- Dec 12 - An Evening with Terry Tempest Williams
- Dec 16-18 - Weber Outdoor Program AIARE 1 Course
- Dec 31 - Nordic Valley Frosty Fat Bike Series
- Jan 14-16 - Bear House Mountain Guiding AIARE 1 Course
- Jan 19-22 - 2017 Ouray Ice Festival
- Jan 21 - WSU Ski Day at Powder Mountain
- Jan 27-29 - Weber Outdoor Program AIARE 1 Course
- Feb 3-5;17-19 - Exum Mountain Guides Ski Mountaineering Clinics, Tetons
- Feb 4 - Sweaty Yeti Fat Bike Race, Wolf Creek Resort
- Utah Ski Resorts Guide
- Colorado College Students Vandalize Utah Ruins
- Patagonia Donates $10M in Black Friday Sales
- 86 Year Old Rock Climber
- Billy Goat's Never Ending Through Hike
- 9 Instagram Shots Every Outdoor Lover is Guilty Of
- 2 Moose Feeling the Love at Snowbird
TRIP REPORT - Cottonwoods Backcountry via Ben Bauter, and Green Pond Snowshoe
"Nothing burns like the cold." - George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
Thank you to GOAL ZERO for powering today's 258th Episode of the Ogden Outdoor Adventure Show! Look for us on Facebook, Instagram, iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, thebanyancollective.com, and on the Podbean App for Android & iPhones.
Chat with us on Twitter @OgdenAdventure or @BanyanPodcast
As John Muir would say, "The Mountains are calling and we must go…"
New parking at Causey, Maggie Odette climbs 5.14b at age 49, Cocaine is washing up on shore. Local events update, Outdoor Jukebox, Quote of the Week, and more!
CDT thru-hiker Bryden Bowley on gear, loneliness, food, daily mileage, and more!
Your weekly dose of all things Ogden Outdoor Adventure featuring guest alpinst/climber, Derek DeBruin.
Your weekly dose of all things Ogden Outdoor Adventure.
With special guest, Brandi Bosworth of the Ogden Nature Center chatting Birds & Brews!
The latest in adventure news and events from Ogden, Utah!
OOA Show 332 with thru-hiker Bryden Bowley before he sets out on the CDT Trail. Also, adventure news, events, Worth Watching, Weekly Happy, Quote of the Week, and Outdoor Jukebox!
Ep. 331 - Twilight. Adventure news, events, gear, and a Yellowstone trip report.
OOA Show 330 - It Can't Rain All The Time with guest Joe Farley of Transcend Gear and the best crag pack made, the Crag Crusher.
Interview with Ogden premium glove maker company owner, Leathers. Adventure News, Events, and more!
Professional rock climber Sonnie Trotter interview, Adventure News, Events, something Worth Reading, GEAR:30 segment, My Lands, Quote of the Week, Outdoor Jukebox and a whole lotta Earth Day chat. Enjoy!
This year we decided to sip beers at The Angry Goat and chat with one of the owners and manager Beau Bradbury along with Molly from the Lighthouse Lounge and Sydnie Furton from Visit Ogden to chat all things Ogden Restaurant Week!
Includes an interview with Caren Warner of Outdoor Weber. Plus adventure news, #onthedocket, something worth watching, gear, My Lands, Outdoor Jukebox and more! Enjoy
Events, latest Ndventure News, Weekly Happy, two Worth Watching's, and more on the latest OOA Show Ep. 326 - Kungsleden
We announce the return of the Bug Hucker's podcast with new Host, Cole Larsen.
Weekly Happy, #OnTheDocket, Adventure News, Worth Listening, GEAR:30, My Lands, Quote of the Week, Outdoor Jukebox and more. Enjoy!
With Derek Debruin, Bear House Mountain Guiding. Also, Adventure News, Event, Worth Watching, GEAR:30 Segment, My Lands and more!
Interview with Kory Davis of Ogden Avalanche about tonight's Utah Avalanche Center Fundraising Event, Backcountry Bash! The Front Climbing Club hosts the event and includes local beer, pizza, and a silent auction. Also, Adventure News, Events, something Worth Watching, Quote of the Week, and Outdoor Jukebox.
Professional XTERRA athlete, Will Kelsey, joins us to chat about this weekend's 2018 XTERRA Pan Am Championship triathlon and XTERRA Trail Run National Championship, oh, and also touring the country in an old RV. Also, events, adventure news, Worth Reading, Outdoor Jukebox, and more! Enjoy!
OOA Show Ep. 315 features an interview with new Snowbasin GM Davy Ratchford along with mountain Communications Coordinator Megan Collins. Also, a throwback Weekly Happy, Events, Adventure News, something Worth Watching, Outdoor Jukebox, and more.
Fully loaded - Kase Johnstun, Ogden Pub Runners Founder kicks off the podcast followed by Ogden Bicycle Collective's Danielle Dawn and Ogden City Arts' Lorie Buckley and Derek Williamson chatting about the upcoming Bike Homecoming.
So what do you do in August? Well, you drink beer, play bird trivia, and get to know the Snarlin' Yarns. Brandi Bosworth with the Ogden Nature Center sat down with us this week to provide insight into the 3rd Annual Birds & Brews happening August 24th.
Ahhh, it's that time of year again, Summer OR, the greatest party in the outdoor industry. I mean, the highbrow gathering of outdoor industry professionals clinking Stanley shot glasses of fine whiskey lemonade over conversations of comparitive cuben fiber products, recent epics, and athlete sightings. It's a fast and frazzling 4 days of wicked awesome gear, friends, and beer. All the beer. And, yes, sometimes whiskey. But, mostly beer.
It took us 2 weeks to get this one right, but then we nailed it! From down by the Ogden River to the top of Powder Mountain, we spent time with full-time van-lifer, Jake Nelson, in The Vansion, discussing the realities of van life, how to build out your own van, and van hacks.
OOA Ep. 310 includes special guests Greg Scothern and Rod Kramer from Weber Pathways. We chat TrailFest 2018 presented by Bank of Utah, along with upcoming community events, adventure news, a new #worthlistening segment, Outdoor Jukebox and more!
Ogden Tedx is Friday, June 29th. We spoke with duo presenters, Rebecca Virgo & Tabatha Butler about their subject: Serendipity in Collaboration.
SUP'ing Pineview and podcasting in an RV down by the... well, my house. OK, it's parked next to my house. Initially we nicknamed the RV "Studio B," but we just renamed her to "Studio RV." It's kind-of a nice place to podcast, actually. Plenty of room. Anywho, we chat Adventure news, events, pop-culture, gear-of-the-week, outdoor jukebox, and more.
A conversation with adventurer, marketer, boat captain, Chase Burch, about work life balance, chasing your dreams, sailing, and pizza.
Featuring a conversation with adventurer, marketer, boat captain, Chase Burch, about work life balance, chasing your dreams, and pizza. Plus, On The Docket, Adventure News, Quote of the Week, Outdoor Jukebox and more.
We chat with Kasey about Friday Night Lights as one of the best television shows of all time, review Solo, Kasey's Coming of Age preferences, and of course, this year's Ogden Film Festival.
4-song set from The Band Gooch from inside a van at The Monarch in the heart of Ogden, Utah's Nine Rails Arts District.
5 Songs from Chūck Dūb & Piér Carsõn as recorded LIVE at The Monarch Building in the heart of Ogden's Nine Rails Arts District during Ogden's First Friday Art Stroll.
4-song set featuring The Keyvin VanDyke Trio.
4-song Van Sessions with Scott Rogers recorded LIVE at The Monarch Building.
Recorded LIVE in a van backstage at the Ogden Music Festival, this is Jubilee with a 2-song mini Van Sessions.
Keyvin VanDyke with a 2-song Mini-Session backstage at the Ogden Music Festival.
Brooke Mackintosh as recorded LIVE at The Monarch Building in the heart of the new Nine Rails Arts District in downtown Ogden, Utah.
4 song acoustic set with musician Paddy Teglia as recorded LIVE at The Monarch Building in the heart of the new Nine Rails Arts District in downtown Ogden, Utah.
Van Sessions with Carrie Myers LIVE at The Monarch.
Van Sessions featuring a 4-song set from local Jazz band Standards and Substandards.
Michelle Moonshine 4-song set on Van Sessions.
Van Sessions at The Monarch Building featuring Dave Garofalo, formally of SafetySuit, with a four song set of new music.
The best local professor-attorney band in Ogden, The Snarlin' Yarns with an 8-song set on Van Sessions live at The Monarch.
Van Sessions at The Monarch with Battle of the Bands winners, Farr Gone. Recorded LIVE inside TanVan, inside The Monarch Building which is located in the heart of Ogden's Nine Rails Arts District.
LIVE from The Monarch Building in Ogden, Utah, Carrie Myers with The Proper Way debut songs off their album Ain't No Good Thing Ever Dies.
Wasatch Wildgrass 3-song set, LIVE from the Ogden Music Festival.
September 2018 Van Sessions kicked off with a bang and included a rocking set from Nothin' Special! High energy entertainment in a van during Ogden's First Friday Art Stroll.
Michael Furry - Utah State Flatpick Champion as recorded in a van down by the river backstage at the Ogden Music Festival
Recorded LIVE in a van at the Garden beside the Monarch Building in Ogden Utah in conjunction with Ogden City Arts, First Friday Art Stroll, and arts nonprofit, Ogden First, this is Van Sessions with Ogden local and Nashville recording artist, Sammy Brue, with KJ Ward.
This is what it sounds like when you get 6 musicians in a van backstage at the Ogden Music Festival presented by Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music. Sugar and the Mint were phenomenal!
Branson Anderson rounds out Season 4 of Van Sessions with a phenomenal 4-song set!
2 members of The Hollering Pines joined us for a mini-Van Sessions set recorded LIVE backstage at OFOAM.
An eclectic 4-song set by solo artist Lysergic Ashes in a van down by the railroad tracks during Ogden Utah's First Friday Art Stroll.
A phenomenal 4-song acoustic set in a van by a Jill Johnson, a melancholy singer who will leave you with a smile and a warmed heart.
Busting onto the Ogden scene, Giants in the Oak Tree, crushed their 4-song Van Sessions set. Busting out the doors with the drums, this episode sounds amazing for shoving a full band in a tight space. This one is a must listen!
A mini-session as recorded at the OFOAM Ogden Music Festival in a van down by the Weber River at Fort Buenaventura. We were able to hear 2 songs from Kaysville artists Syd & Libby Gerrard before their Ogden Music Festival set.
From rocking a piano bar to playing 88 keys in a van down by the railroad tracks, Kendrick Zane along with guitarist Tom Hopkins performed 4 original songs in this Billy Joel inspired set.
Jarom Eubanks, who recently impressed Katy Perry on his American Idol audition with his relaxed pajama pants attire. Playing an 88 Key Keyboard in an '87 Dodge camper van down by the railroad tracks during Ogden's First Friday Art Stroll.
Nicholas Garn otherwise known as The Reverend & The Revelry performed an amazing 4-song set for #VanSessions.
#VanSessions Season 4 featuring a 4-song set with the sultry sweet soul of Cherry Thomas.


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BRICS 4th Meeting: `Non-West, Not Anti-West' (REPORT)
(Video via IBTIMES)
Top emerging economies, coming under the banner of BRICS, on Thursday criticized the West for financial mismanagement, called for a "merit-based" selection of the next World Bank chief, rued the slow pace of reforms in the International Monetary Fund, declared that dialogue was the only way to a peaceful resolution in Syria and Iran, but failed to go beyond motherhood statements and give the bloc a meaningful push.
The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries took baby steps towards facilitating intra-BRICS trade and investment in local currency, but failed to reach any agreement on a BRICS development bank. They signed an agreement to extend credits in local currencies under the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism.
However, the suggestion for a BRICS Development Bank was pushed to a later date, since there were major differences among the members.
Spreading themselves beyond economics, the BRICS members articulated an alternative political vision with regard to current international issues.
"The views were more non-West, than anti-West", explained an official. While these were mainly broad-brush positions on current events, their importance lay in the fact that five emerging global leaders actually sat across the table to agree on these points.
In a statement at the end of the plenary session, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "The world is passing through uncertain times. The rapid recovery of the BRICS economies from the financial crisis highlighted their role as growth drivers of the global economy. Our cooperation is intended to explore meaningful partnerships for common development, address global challenges together and contribute to furthering world peace, stability and security."
In its Delhi Declaration, BRICS members opposed violence as a way of resolving political crises in other countries. "Global interests would best be served by dealing with the crisis through peaceful means that encourage broad national dialogues..." On Syria, BRICS supported the Arab League and special envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.
On Iran, they observed, "We recognize Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with its international obligations, and support resolution of the issues involved through political and diplomatic means and dialogue between the parties concerned, including between the IAEA and Iran and in accordance with the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions."
The BRICS nations put their might behind Afghanistan, saying it needed "time, development assistance and cooperation, preferential access to world markets, foreign investment and a clear end-state strategy." Israel was rapped on the knuckles for its settlement policy, but BRICS advocated direct negotiations with the Palestinians. The underlying theme was a repudiation of the western developed countries' approach, without actually getting into the details.
In an action plan, BRICS leaders agreed to meet before United Nations General Assembly meeting every September, much like the Non-Aligned Movement and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation meetings; regular gatherings of finance ministers, central bank governors, trade ministers, national security advisers, etc.
But underneath the camaraderie and the determination to strike a different path, serious differences exist. On the economic front, it would be a tussle between India and China, while Russia is pushing the political agenda, particularly on Iran and Syria, where BRICS supported the Russian viewpoint. India and Brazil pushed through their joint pitch for reform of the UN Security Council, which China has not been enthusiastic about, although Russia supports it.
While the BRICS joint statement blamed the Eurozone crisis for the state of the global economy, Indian officials saw this as a way of deflecting criticism of China manipulating its own currency, which also leads to a lot of distortions.
The BRICS development bank too has been kicked down the road, because India still has many reservations. The PM, in fact, preferred to focus on improving the World Bank rather than creating a new institution, as China does.
"We must address the important issue of expanding the capital base of the World Bank and other multinational development banks to enable these institutions to perform their appropriate role in financing infrastructure development," the declaration read.
Indian finance officials see the BRICS Bank idea primarily as a way of legitimizing the use of Chinese currency overseas. Second, they feel that any BRICS bank would essentially be a Chinese bank, because none of the other countries have the financial depth to fuel such an institution. India wants the global financial architecture to change, but at a much slower pace. South Africa supports the Bank, but Brazil cannot, because it already funds the Latin American development bank.
On the election of the next chief of the World Bank, the five countries did not even attempt to find a consensus candidate that could have been an alternative to the Korean-American chosen by the US.
The G20 received a unanimous thumbs-up as a forum for global financial governance and agreed to coordinate positions at the body. Russian president Medvedev said, "We confirmed all agreements on our cooperation in updating the international currency and financial system. One of the goals here is to renovate the IMF. We analyzed the situation in the world economics and came to an agreement on a further coordination of actions within our organization, including preparation for the next G20 summit."
South African president Jacob Zuma made a spirited call for including the development concerns of sub-Saharan Africa in the BRICS development plans. "We feel that Africa is being treated with respect. There is no feeling that people are looking down on our continent."
--- This article first appeared in the Times of India
Related: BRICS nations stepping up innovation to improve healthcare: Study
Related: BRICS: Not bound by 'unilateral' sanctions on Iran
Related: BRICS countries call for World Bank Presidency voting review
Related: Protests outside Hu Jintao's hotel