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This blog was originally supposed to be about my photographic experiences... However, it is now about my morse key collection. and stories about the keys, and their refurbishment. For those interested in CWCOM ( a free program to send and receive morse over the internet). please visit my other blogsite for all information, including download sites https://morsepower.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Friday, 26 November 2010
another Irfanview example
Reduced Gamma to 90
increased contrast to 6
then cropped.
then saved.
Posted by Gerry at 19:44 1 comment:
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Using Irfanview, to "improve" a pic
Two clicks and the difference is quite remarkable...
1st, move the "Gamma" slider to .60
2nd move the "contrast" slider to 6
click OK
then save....... job done.!.
1st, move the "Gamma" slider to .60
2nd move the "contrast" slider to 6
click OK
then save....... job done.!.
Posted by Gerry at 13:06 1 comment:
Saturday, 6 November 2010
In Car Entertainment
This is my new "toy"... MP4 player, with camera, digi movi cam, FM radio, webcam, games, and loads of other stuff !... I bought it from "BT Shop"... especially to play my Helene Fischer videos!... (I do have others on there too! !)..when I am waiting for " `er indoors " to come out of the supermarket with a trolley load !..
I do not drive the car, with this setup!... it is all tucked away, out of sight, when driving...
The speakers were bought seperately, and are powered by a small battery pack (4 x AAA)
The sound quality is really very good, as good as my external computer speakers, and as good as my "proper" earphones... Certainly makes a change from the boring stuff on Radio 4..... !
Posted by Gerry at 18:10 No comments:
Sunday, 12 September 2010
The Watercress Line .... or Mid Hants Preserved Railway.
Either way, it is a super little preserved line, that runs from Alresford to Alton in Hampshire, southern England.....The line is known to the engine drivers and fireman as "over the alps", because it has some very steep gradients in the climb, therefore it needs BIG engines to haul the rake of coaches .... There are several BIG steam loco`s at the shed, and they usually take it in turn to steam on the weekends.... This last weekend saw the introduction to the fleet of an engine that has been re-built and refurbished, since it last steamed over 45 years ago.... the engine is a Stanier Black Five... general purpose loco, number 45379. Also on duty this weekend, was a Serbian built 0-6-0 tank engine, that had been bought and repainted in BR colours / logo , 30075, doing a shuttle service between Ropley, and Alresford, with an observation car in tow, while the "big boys" got on with providing passenger and goods services every half hour.... The other big boys on duty were 34007 Bullied Pacific "Wadebridge" .... Number 88 on a visit from the Somerset and Dorset joint railway... .... 73096 BR standard Class 5 loco, and 92212 a Class 9F loco.....
There was so much going on, with engines being changed over, and the different services provided, that it was, without doubt, a very successful weekend for the staff..... Re-creating the whole atmosphere of how it used to be when I was a boy ..... way back in the 1950`s.....
Posted by Gerry at 22:49 No comments:
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Exakta RTL 1000 35 mm film camera
The lens on the camera has this info around it....
ORESTON 1.8/50 MEYER-OPTIK GORLITZ 534617 f1.8 to f16 and 12" to 30` or .33 to 10 mtrs (infinity)
The small lens on the bottom right has this info around it
SOLIGOR 1:2.8 f =28mm f2.8 to f16
No 17102225 0.45 to 10 mtrs (infinity)
Made In Japan 2` to 30`
The tall lens on the left has this info around it
SOLIGOR 1:4.5 f = 200mm f4.5 to f22
No1680190 3 mtr to 50 mtrs (infinity)
Made In Japan 10` to 200` (infinity)
There is an original Handbook and an extra handbook for the Penta Prism that is attached to the top of the camera. Also there is a "Johnson`s photography handbook" and a Exakta History (hardback) (the one at the bottom) a spare prism lens (I think) and a flash connector for the hot shoe.
The camera, case, and strap, are in very good condition, being made of leather, All the glass in the lenses looks like new, no scratches or dust.... and they all fix on the camera with simplicity and ease... they all focus well, and the shutter system works without a fault.
Posted by Gerry at 17:57 1 comment:
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Portsmouth International Kite Festival 2010
Posted by Gerry at 18:14 2 comments:
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
A new set of pics using EZ and a 1.4 teleconverter
Firstly , the location... The pink flower is about 10 feet (3 mtrs) from the camera. and the object behind it is about 3 feet (1 mtr)...
There is no "scientific" or "technical" expertise involved in taking these pics.... just a random thought that came into my head....
The first two pics are taken with the Sigma 1.4 X teleconverter lens screwed onto my FZ28 movable zoom lens. The camera has had the MPX count reduced from 10 to 7 mpx. to give the EZ (Extra Zoom) feature, this makes the 18X zoom into 21.4 X BEFORE bringing into account the Digital Zoom..... NO digital Zoom is used in these shots. So, with the Zoom set at 21.4 X and the 1.4 Teleconverter lens added, this brings the Optical Zoom up to almost 30 X...(29.96 ).... ALL the pics are taken "hand held" standing up....
The third pic has the camera mpx reduced to 3mpx.... giving MORE EZ...!... Zooming out to the "normal" 18X zoom position (before you go into digital zoom) and adding on the EZ, brings the ZOOOOM out to 32.1 X optical zoom.... (NO teleconverter used on this shot)...
The Fourth pic is a crop of the third one.... Cropped by about half the total of the orginal pic, to illustrate that having 3mpx as the EZ setting does not necessarily mean a huge degradation in picture quality when cropped.... (It does show some serious degradation if cropped really close, i.e. to show the hover fly at the left of the flower head)...
The next two pics are a repeat of the previous two, as a double check on picture quality....
The last four are similar operations, except that I have added the 1.4 X Teleconverter lens to the camera, now giving a fantastic 45 X optical ZOOOOOM (32.1 x 1.4 = 44.94 X optical zoom)
Check out the two "crop pics" to see the quality of the pics.... (don`t forget to click on the pics to see a larger version.)
Good enough for viewing on a computer screen, at 3mpx, maybe a little rough if printed out above the normal "postcard size".... but hey!.... Photography is supposed to be fun ! ! ! ..
Posted by Gerry at 13:36 No comments:
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Auto Adjusting pics with Irfanview
see a larger version of each pic, just click on it.....
Just a few experiments to show what difference "Auto Adjust" can make to a pic, using one or two clicks only..... with IRFANVIEW.... a quick and simple program for editing your pics.... You can do quite a lot of stuff with it.... including straightening the verticals or horizontals, cropping, inserting text, colour changing (RGB- GRB, and other combo`s) vertical flip, horizontal flip, (mirror image effect), and of course you can adjust the colour balance, either by manually adjusting the R G B sliders along with the Brightness, Gamma, Contrast, and Saturation.... You can add raindrops if you want, turn the pic into a negative, and B&W, or even make it look "old fashioned" by making it a Sepia colour... The program is FREE to download, and FREE to use.... Download the main Irfanview program from here,
and install it,..... then download the "plugins" part, and install that.... it should automatically go into the original Irfanview setup program, so you don`t have to mess about with it... and within 10 minutes of your first download starting, you have it up and running !...
In a "low light" situation, (such as a sunset) you may want to include the "foreground" in the pic, so this is where the AUTO ADJUST comes into use.... as you can see, the first pic is very dark, almost black, in the foreground, yet with one click on the auto adjust, you can make out the line of the roadway, and the houses...
The same situation with the spider`s web....
You can see how the Sepia effect works, and this too can be "improved" with the use of the AUTO ADJUST
Posted by Gerry at 10:18 1 comment:
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Yes, it IS Optical ZOOOOOM. 36X on the FZ28
One of my contacts on flickr, was asking about my Sigma Telephoto lens (1.4X) and during my reply I suggest that they get the TCON 1.7, and the adapter tube, as my Sigma is not available any more, (half a days searching on google).... I suggested that by reducing the MPX count from 10 to 7 would give a big improvement on the Optical zooom.... ! then I thought about going down to 5mpx. and here is some remarkable results...
The pics have text installed on them to show what zoom was used. I must say, the quality of the last pic with the 36 X zooooooom is quite impressive....
click on the pic to view larger.... and then click on the pic again for even bigger versions
Bear in mind this is a 1.4 X telephoto lens, that screws directly onto my FZ28 lens, NO adapter tube is used... The TCON 1.7 will give a bigger zooooooom capability.
Posted by Gerry at 19:40 No comments:
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Agriculture key to India's growth: FM
Chidambaram also calls for judicious management of water resources.india Updated: Jun 08, 2007 16:53 IST
Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday called for higher growth rate in agriculture, saying the sector was key to the growth of India's economy.
"Our manufacturing and services are growing into double digits but agriculture is not growing. The agriculture sector is the key to India's economic growth," he said at a ceremony to sign an agreement between the governments of India and Andhra Pradesh and the World Bank for restoration of water tanks in the southern state.
He said judicious use of water resources was key to the growth in agriculture and hoped that empowering water users under the scheme would ensure judicious management of water resources.
Chidambaram also allayed apprehensions over borrowings from the World Bank and said it was happy to lend to India.
"Money is not a problem. World Bank was founded by India and other countries. World Bank is there to borrow money from it. If not India and other countries, who will borrow from it," he asked.
"There is no problem in borrowing money from the World Bank as long as it is used wisely and efficiently without leakages and to create assets and the money is repaid."
The finance minister said the World Bank was happy to lend to states like Andhra Pradesh, which were active in implementing the projects effectively and efficiently.
He was responding to remarks made by Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy during his speech.
"When we approached the World Bank, some political parties expressed apprehensions that we are bartering the interests of the common man and by accepting their conditions making life miserable for the common man," said the chief minister.
He said the suggestions of the World Bank were only aimed at making the projects sustainable and there was nothing wrong in implementing them.
First Published: Jun 08, 2007 16:29 IST

subset: commoncrawl


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Lviv, Ukraine. December 22, 2017 – Canadian Armed Forces Captain Humberto Lopes, Chaplain of Joint Task Force-Ukraine, is shown holding up a pair of winter boots that were provided to the children at the Home for Children #1 Orphanage during Op WARM FEET. (Photo: Joint Task Force-Ukraine)
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Canadian Armed Forces Captain Humberto Lopes, Joint Task Force-Ukraine Chaplain, Lieutenant (Navy) Julie McDonald, Joint Task Force-Ukraine Public Affairs Officer and Captain Annie Kerr, Joint Task Force-Ukraine Movements Officer, are pictured with volunteers from the Home for Children #1 Orphanage during Op WARM FEET. (Photo: Joint Task Force-Ukraine)
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(Photo: Joint Task Force-Ukraine)
Operation WARM FEET: Winter boots for Ukrainian orphans
Reprinted from The Maple Leaf
Posted on Thursday February 1, 2018
While the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deployed on Operation UNIFIER have the primary task of providing military training, mentoring and capacity building for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they have also been committed to reaching out to Ukrainian communities through humanitarian projects.
"With the support of the Chain of Command, we have been assisting non-profit local organizations by means of voluntarily contributions, fundraising events, and by CAF members' voluntary participation in day programs designed for disadvantaged children and young adults with mental disabilities," said Captain Humberto Lopes, Chaplain of Joint Task Force-Ukraine. He has led this project during the operation.
One of the new humanitarian initiatives of Operation UNIFIER was to offer support for Home for Children #1. This orphanage in Lviv, Ukraine houses fifty-five young children full-time, ranging from 2 to 6 years of age. After contacting the Home for Children director, it became clear that winter boots were one of the most pressing needs for the kids. That knowledge ignited the idea and initiative of Operation WARM FEET.
Op WARM FEET's goal was to provide winter boots for every child at Home for Children #1; boots are an essential clothing item for harsh Ukrainian winters. The idea was well received by Op UNIFIER members, who contributed generously to the initiative.
"The contributions and fundraising initiatives were so successful that we surpassed our monetary expectations, and therefore we were also able to offer our assistance to another orphanage in Kamianets-Podilskyi looking for help to provide gloves and winter hats for twenty-two children," said Captain Lopes.
The success of Op WARM FEET clearly demonstrated the generosity and support of Canadian soldiers to Ukrainian society. Each visit at the orphanage enriched their experience in Ukraine as they embraced a simple but significant cause in a very tangible way.
They provided a caring human presence and the resources to purchase winter boots for the children.
Perhaps the best part of Op WARM FEET was the thank you: the children hugged the troops and sang songs. Indeed this was the best part of the day, and the best gifts Op UNIFIER members could have received.


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Beaches Apartments offer eight modern 2 & 3 bedroom apartments each with 2 bathrooms and en-suite with Spa. Each unit is fully self contained with cooking and laundry facilities and a double lock-up garage. Flat screen TVs, DVDs and Foxtel are standard. WiFi is an optional extra. Relax by the heated pool or enjoy a BBQ in our outdoor entertaining area.
Browse below to see what we have to offer.
Two Bedroom Unit
Enjoy your private north facing balcony enjoying the view of the pool area and landscaped gardens. Many sleeping configurations are available for these units.
Three Bedroom Unit
Enjoy your private north facing balcony overlooking the beautiful Merimbula Lake or the pool and landscaped gardens from your bedroom. Our largest units have a wide variety of sleeping arrangements.
Pool & BBQ Area
Relax or entertain by our heated pool. We have a large outdoor entertainment area featuring both gas and electric BBQs. A beautifully kept pool and surrounds will keep the children and adults happy all day long.


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LPG Gas Bottles from AvantiGas
AvantiGas is one of the UK's leading LPG suppliers to homes and businesses living in off-grid areas. Now offering a wide range of gas bottles to UK homeowners, we're the new, competitive choice in the gas bottle and cylinder LPG market. Just like our off-grid bulk service, everything we do is designed around you; once we understand your requirements will be happy to advise on the best solution to suit your life.
Why choose AvantiGas for LPG Gas Bottles?
• Trusted LPG supplier.
• Local knowledge – we're investing in your area.
• Direct approach - cut out the middleman.
• Fully managed, hassle-free supplies that are tailored to suit your budget.
• Convenient delivery service.
Our bottle range is 6kg, 11kg, 11kg (FLT), 18kg, (FLT) 19kg and 47kg.


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Please read description carefully.
Do not base your order on the picture presented.
Description of the Tri-Anim Supraglottic airway
Made from a medical grade thermoplastic elastomer, i-gel has been designed to create a non-inflating, anatomical seal of the pharyngeal, laryngeal and perilaryngeal structures while avoiding compression trauma.
Eligible for FREE or discounted ground shipping.
Medex SKU: TRA-441-8205030


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The Fort De Soto Dog Park is the only Pinellas County dog park that has a dedicated beach area for dogs. There's also an enclosed gated area for small dogs and one for large dogs. Dog showers and water fountains are easily accessible.
(beach entrance is at the far southwest corner of dog park)
However, there are some rules that every dog owner must follow.
Pet Rules*:
- Park closes at dusk.
- Patrons use the dog park at their own risk.
- handlers are liable for any injury or damage caused by their dog (s).
- handlers are limited to 3 dogs.
- Dogs shall be licensed and vaccinated with a tag on their collar at all times.
- Handler must be 16 years of age or older.
- Children under 12 are not permitted without a responsible adult.
- All dogs must be leashed when entering and exiting the park.
- Dogs must be under the control of their handler and attended to at all times.
- Handler must carry a leash with them at all times while in the park.
- Handler is responsible for picking up and disposing of their dog's waste in designated receptacles.
- Dogs in heat are prohibited.
- No dogs under 4 months of age. Check with your veterinarian before introducing a new puppy to the dog park.
- No aggressive dogs.
- Handlers must stop their dogs from digging and are responsible for filling any holes their dog makes.
- No excessive barking.
- No bathing of dogs within the park.
- No food or smoking with in the fenced area.
*Rules come directly from Pinellas County Website – http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/dog_parks.htm#rules
Related articles
- Paw Playground (desotodogs.wordpress.com)
- Pete and the Wonder Egg (a cool blog post with pictures of the Ft. Desoto dog park when staying at the campground a couple of years ago)
27.613865 -82.734040


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News By Tag
* Types Of Pollution
* Kinds Of Pollution
* Sound Pollution
* Noise Pollution
* Air Pollution
* Water Pollution
* More Tags...
Industry News
Industry News
Types of Environmental Pollution
Pollution is the result of exponential growth and development in the nation. By all means it is hampering the quality of human life and creating an imbalance in the ecology.
By: Jennie Gandhi
Many new inventions and introductions are causing a danger to human life as they are done artificially. This artificial and unsystematic way of generating high level of comforts is producing components that are inevitable to human life. Be it any thing including the basic needs of life like clothing and even food is now being produced synthetically. Just one insight into the depth of ecology will make us realize that the increasing need of the present day lifestyle is eventually creating an imbalance in the ecology.
Here are some of the most common types of environmental pollution that are gradually bringing people to a morbid stage:
Noise Pollution
Any kind of noise that is unpleasant to human ears is considered as noise pollution. Loud and hard sounds coming from factories, machinery, automobiles, trains, fire crackers, and explosives are also contributing to noise pollution. It is also caused by some natural calamities like harsh winds and volcanic eruptions. Both natural and artificial factors contributing to noise or sound pollution have their impact on human health. This kind causes irritation, hearing issues, and headache. However these are not major issues but extremely unpleasant sounds can be very harmful as they can cause an increase in the cholesterol, constrict arteries, an increase in the flow of adrenaline, and also forces the heart to function at a faster pace. All these can be life threatening as these factors can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Water Pollution
Any kind of harmful components or contaminants entering the water bodies like river, oceans, lakes, ponds, and streams cause water pollution. Many human activities like washing cleaning, and dumping waste significantly contribute to water pollution. The soaps and detergents used these days are also made of harmful chemicals and synthetic materials that produce more contaminants in water. Furthermore, dumping waste like cans, bottles, and plastic materials also pose danger. It not only destroys marine life but is also hazardous to human life. This kind of polluted water is not safe for drinking, agriculture or even industrial use.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is caused by discharge of harmful substances in the air. One of the key contributing factors is automotive pollution. With the growing technology, the number of vehicles on road is dramatically increasing which is eventually giving a pushing up the level of air pollution. Apart from this, industries indulged into thermal power plant, cement, steel, mines, petro-chemicals, and steel also generate harmful substances that are released into the atmosphere. This kind of pollution has caused harm to the protective ozone layer in the atmosphere. This layer protects the earth from the harmful effects of ultra-violet rays but thinning of this layer is causing a danger to human life.
Radioactive Pollution
Radioactive pollution is a rare kind but is detrimental. It is caused by accidents in the nuclear power plant, improper disposal of nuclear waste, and operations of uranium mining. Radioactive pollution causes cancer, various kinds of birth defects, and many other serious health issues.
Soil Pollution
Soil pollution, also known as land pollution, is defined as the contamination of soil. These days many artificial substances and synthetic pesticides are used for agriculture. Such substances release contaminants that create an imbalance in the soil and also prevent natural growth of the plants cultivated on polluted land. Key factors contributing to soil pollution are sewage pills, hazardous waste, non-sustainable agriculture practice, use of inorganic pesticides, deforestation, strip mining, and certain human activities like dumping and littering.
# # #
Jennie Gandhi has a passion for writing and writes on diverse topics including fashion, beauty, automotive, educational, motivational and even technical. Read about pollution on http://www.pollution.in


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Search for flights on more than 400 airlines
Sign up to receive text alerts about your trip
Prices found within past 7 days. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
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Located in the city of Punta Cana in eastern area of the Dominican Republic, flights to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) kick start your adventure on this beautiful island which has been a favourite vacation for decades.
If you are interested in natural beauty, then consider booking an excursion to Samana, a peninsula on the northeastern part of the island by plane.
Once you arrive on this peninsula, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful spots on the island, you can enjoy the stunning terrain by horseback, truck safari or simply hiking. Mostly untouched by tourists, head here for a glimpse of authentic Dominican Republic culture.
Or perhaps you'd prefer a luxurious cruise around the amazing Cap Cana instead This tour takes just over 8 hours and you'll spend time at the coral reef as well as enjoying the onboard bar and entertainment.
Punta Cana is an excellent place to base yourself whilst in the Dominican Republic and because the whole island is connected by a very effective public transport system, it s very easy to travel around.
Fare, taxes & fees: Fares include all taxes and fees, except baggage fees. Rates shown reflect fares found by other Orbitz users over the past 7 days. Due to rapidly changing airline prices & seat availability, these fares may no longer be available.
Refunds/changes/cancellations: Itinerary changes, if permitted for the fare, will have a $30 service fee charged by Orbitz. Additional airline charges may apply.
Other conditions: Schedules, fares and rules are subject to change without notice. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights/dates or in all markets. Lower fares may be available. Fares will not be honored retroactively or in exchange for any wholly/partially unused ticket. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable. Fare rules are provided for the selected itinerary before booking.


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How To Prepare Parents For a 3 Month Session | Sarah Kane/
I remember my first 3 month session in my brand-new in home studio and thinking "how the heck am I going to pose this baby and give my clients a full gallery of images?" If you can relate then this blog post is going to reduce so much stress and worry for you. In no time you'll find 3 month sessions to be fast, relaxing and a lot of fun! A great way to earn some extra money and not spend hours in the studio!Read More


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January 22, 2019
Today, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that "on sale" activity under post-AIA 35 U.S.C. § 102 includes activity that is confidential, affirming the Federal Circuit's 2017 decision in Helsinn Healthcare S.A. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals (reported in a previous IP alert here).
Writing for the Court, Justice Thomas noted that while "the Court has never addressed the precise question presented in this case," the Court's precedents "suggest that a sale or offer of sale need not make an invention available to the public." Further, because "the phrase 'on sale' had acquired a well-settled meaning when the AIA was enacted," and because Congress had not seen fit to remove "on sale" from the statutory language, the Court concluded that "Congress did not alter the meaning of 'on sale' when it enacted the AIA."
The Court's decision today appears to have settled this interpretation of the AIA.
Fitch Even IP Alert®


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Baby blanket, Organic baby blanket, Security Blanket, Lovey Blanket, Custom personalized, photo prop, natural organic nursery, baby blankets
by bbsforbabies
This is the latest item in my shop and I'm very excited about it! I am in love with this fabric, it makes the BEST blankets.
This is for a 100% handmade lovable and huggable super soft Certified Organic cotton interlock knit blanket. Which you design!
Want to make your blanket for the holidays - https://www.etsy.com/listing/112166623/christmas-baby-blanket-hanukkah-baby
You pick the print, the colors, the font, and what it says.
I put it all together for you and have it professionally printed here in the USA.
This blanket measures 27" x 34" and is the perfect size for swaddling a new baby or wrapping around bigger one. It has a wonderful stretch to it so you can wrap up those little ones snugly, and a fabulous weight making it wonderfully warm and soft.
This blanket additionally features
++ print on BOTH sides, sewn with a stretchy stitch to maximize stretch
++ convenient loop, double stitched to blanket, allowing you to attach toys, pacifier clip, or link-a-doos to the blanket. Also very convenient to attach to a stroller.
++ top stitched for extra durability
++ rounded corners so little eyes don't get poked.
++++ This blanket is easy to order!
Please see the last picture and cut and copy the below form into the "message to seller" box on checkout.
1. pick your pattern on side one
2. pick your color on side one
3. pick your font on side one
4. pick your layout on side one
5. pick your font color on side one (please remember to use a good contrasting color)
6. what do you want your blanket to say?
7. pick your pattern for side two
8. pick your color for side two
From start to end this blanket takes about 3-4 week to print, sew, and deliver to you!
++++++ If you need a proof of your blanket please leave a note as such in the message to seller box when you check out. You will have 48 hours to review your proof and get back to me, otherwise off to the printers your fabric order will go.
+++++++ as this is all your custom design, there are no returns on this item.
+ check out my other items at http://www.zibbet.com/bbsforbabies
+ Keep up with my latest projects and ideas:
** Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/BBsforBabies/
** twitter http://www.twitter.com/bbsforbabies
** http://www.bbsforbabies.com
** http://bbsforbabies.wordpress.com/
Review by {{review.reviewed_by_user_name}} on {{review.reviewed_at}}
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Item will be shipped from United States
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Jason Nicastro joined Isgenuity in 2009, and over the past 10 years has demonstrated a unique ability to create meaningful spaces and places while at the same time developing valued client relationships. Jason's unwavering commitment to realizing his clients' vision combined with his natural ability to produce quality design work has seen his portfolio of work win design awards and industry recognition. He has been instrumental in realizing some of Isgenuity's most high-profile work for acclaimed institutions and organizations.
Jason's enthusiasm for mentoring and his natural leadership have played an important role in developing a culture at Isgenuity that fosters learning and engagement throughout the firm. He has spearheaded multiple initiatives that have developed the firms structure in alignment with our mission.


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What Next? Wandsworth
What Next? Wandsworth
What Next? Wandsworth work to promote the arts across different sectors in the borough, including the local authority, health and housing services and major developments. They have been active in seeking to influence cultural strategy and the use of the public realm on these sites for arts and culture events.
There's something for everyone, for every age…from world class venues to hidden local gems, almost every day of the week all year round, right on your doorstep.
What Next? Wandsworth worked with partners, organisations, artists and practioners to create a limited edition Arts & Culture map for local residents and visitors. It shines a light on 50 venues all over Wandsworth that offer a wide range of arts, entertainment and activities, as well as learning and participation. As this map is a pilot, it doesn't include everything on offer, but is just the start of something special to give a taste of what is available.
To download a copy of the map:
This map has been brought to you by What Next? Wandsworth. The group is an open voluntary group for residents, arts and community organisations, business people and individuals who want to champion the contribution that the arts and culture make in Wandsworth's communities, part of the What Next? national movement. Find out more at www.whatnextculture.co.uk and follow us on twitter @WNWandsworth.
We are very aware that some venues and other organisations aren't completely accessible to everyone. However where 'other inclusive access' is indicated, these venues do offer, as much as is possible, something extra – whether it's Pay What You Can/Free performances, Parent and Baby or Relaxed events. Find out more on each venue's website.


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Michigan's economic growth continued to outpace most other states during 2017. Our growth has begun slowing, however, and our absolute results against most economic measures remained average or below. It is more important than ever for Michigan to be aggressive with fresh, bold strategies that help us outperform the competition and become a "Top Ten" leader.
Where our economy is concerned, complacency remains the enemy.
Despite reaching a 10-year low, Michigan's annual unemployment rate still lags the average of peers and "Top Ten" states. Private sector employment has exceeded the average growth in "Top Ten" states for three out of the last four years, but Michigan's labor force participation rate, while improved over the last year, remains below the "Top Ten" and peer state averages.
Michigan's per capita personal income levels continue to grow, but remain well below peers and "Top Ten" states. Michigan per capita income growth has outpaced the average of "Top Ten" states in recent years, but Michigan's 2017 per capita personal income level remained more than $4,000 less than the peer state average and over $10,000 less than "Top Ten" states.
Michigan's per capita GDP levels, while still growing, remain well behind those of peer and "Top Ten" states. Michigan per capita GDP growth has generally outpaced both the peer and "Top Ten" averages in recent years. However, the average per capita GDP of peer states in 2017 was over $5,000 higher than Michigan's, while "Top Ten" per capita GDP was more than $12,500 higher.
Michigan's population has stabilized, but peers and the "Top Ten" are growing faster. After losing population in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Michigan has had six straight years of positive growth. During that same period, however, peer and "Top Ten" average population growth has been as much as 10 times higher than Michigan's.
Input - Cost and Value
In 2017, Michigan was improving or holding steady in 37 (nearly 70 percent) of the 54 indicators used to measure the cost of locating here and the value provided. However, Michigan's overall ranking remained in the bottom half of states on nearly 60 percent of the measures.
Michigan—Competitive on Costs
Michigan's average ranking on cost factors compares favorably with "Top Ten" and peer states, and is stronger than both where tax and government measures are concerned.
The perception of Michigan's overall business climate has been holding steady, but requires improvement. Michigan's business climate was considered the worst of all 50 states in 2009. In 2017, Michigan's average ranking among the major business climate indices was 24—the same as during the prior year.
Michigan's tax climate is among the best in the nation. Michigan's corporate tax climate continues to be ranked among the 10 best in the U.S., and the overall business tax climate is ranked 12th.
State and local government in Michigan is generally smaller and more affordable. State and local government taxes increased slightly during 2015, but remain lower than the "Top Ten" average and on par with the peer state average. Michigan has fewer government employees per capita and lower government payroll spending than nearly all "Top Ten" and peer states.
However, unfunded OPEB liabilities remain a problem. Michigan's unfunded other post-employment benefit (OPEB) liabilities are nearly 16 percent higher than peers and more than 24 percent higher than the "Top Ten."
Trends: Cost and Value Indicators 2016-2017
Michigan—Lagging on Value
Michigan's average ranking is well behind both the "Top Ten" and peer states on factors measuring talent, infrastructure, and place.
Michigan must continue to focus on workforce development. In 2017, Michigan ranked in the bottom 10 of all states with respect to career and college readiness, the number of students enrolled in career and technical education classes, and the number of out-of-state students enrolled at our colleges and universities. Michigan also ranked in the bottom half of states for the percentage of 4th and 8th graders testing proficient in reading and math, respectively, the number of critical skills degrees and certificates awarded by our colleges and universities, and the percentage of working age population with an associate's degree or higher.
Several aspects of Michigan's infrastructure ranked near the bottom of all states. Michigan ranked 30th for the percentage of households with high-speed internet. We ranked 39th for the percentage of bridges and urban roads in poor condition.
Innovation shows strength as well as areas for improvement. Michigan ranked among the top states for the value of goods exported (6th) and research and development investment by universities (6th). On the other hand, we rank only 30th for the share of population 25–34 with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Absolute Rankings: Cost and Value Indicators 2016-2017


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Take a trip down memory lane to a time when aluminum trees were cool or when you HAD to get a Rubik's cube for Christmas to show just how smart you were. Christmastime has been a magical time for many years. Here is how people celebrated Christmas from the 1950's to today and each decade's Christmas Trends.
Christmas during the 1950's
The tree was the center of attention. Aluminum Christmas trees very extremely popular as well as bubble lights. Many trees had a toy train set that went around it. Some trees would be sprayed on with snow and popcorn strings would be made to go around the tree.
This was a time with little technology. The house might have had one television, and Christmas specials weren't popular yet. Kids asked for barbies, pogo sticks, hula hoops, and other simple toys. Going sledding was the best way to spend time with friends in the snow. Parents would tell their kids to "cool it" if they wanted Santa to bring them gifts.
Toy's R Us was founded in June of 1957 and soon became an extremely popular toy store. Additionally, holiday commercials were starting to air. Here is a cool but kind-of creepy holiday egg nog commercial that might cause a few nightmares.
Christmas during the 1960's
The trees were still extravagant and many of them were still aluminum. Tinsel and glass balls trees were "far out".
Christmas specials started airing around this time. Frosty the Snowman aired on December 7th, 1969. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer aired on December 6th, 1964. I can't imagine how exciting that must have been for all of the little girls and boys around that time.
I loved the hairstyles in the 1960's. I think they are really "bitchen". Here's a tutorial video for 1960's holiday hair.
See Related Article:Making Memories
Christmas during the 1970's
Christmas specials were becoming more common and a tradition for families. Kids searched in Sears Roebuck and J.C. Penney's Christmas catalogs for the items that they wanted. They also went to Toy's R Us and marveled at the toy store that held all of their heart's desires.
Christmas trees were REAL, and bulky. They came from department store lots. Pet rocks were "out of sight". Pong was "righteous".
Here is a really "far out" Toy's R Us Commercial from 1975.
Christmas during the 1980's
Wearing turtlenecks and Guess jeans during the winter months was "fantabulous". Shoulder pads, perms and tons of hairspray was "boss".
There were so many cool toys in the 1980's that I wish I had TODAY, as an adult. (I was almost an 80's baby, I was born in 1990.) Cabbage Patch dolls, Smurfs, Rubik's Cubes, Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, the list goes ON AND ON. It must have been "tubular" to be a kid in the 80's…
One of my favorite Christmas movies, A Christmas Story, came out in 1983. Here's my favorite clip from the movie:
Christmas in the 1990's
Now this I remember.
American Girl dolls and the Spice Girls were SO IN. Every little girl wanted a Spice Girls CD and an American Girl doll (along with doll accessories) for Christmas. Mariah Carey Christmas songs were being played everywhere. Beanie Babies had HOLIDAY EDITIONS. Everyone wanted a Nintendo 64.
A TV in each child's bedroom was becoming the norm, so if a kid was too old for the traditional Christmas specials, he/she could tune into more teen or adult Christmas movies, like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
Watch Clark Freak Out
Seeing Santa at the mall was also a big event. Most parents would load up their van and take the kids to the mall to see Santa and to ask kids to pick out toys to put on their Christmas list. Christmas was also still celebrated at school throughout the country, but learning about other holidays and customs as well was added to curriculum.
Christmas in the 2000's- Today
Starting in the 2000's until now almost every artist has recorded at least one Christmas song, either a remake of old one or their very own . Here are the top Christmas songs made since the year 2000. (Click here.)
As technology rose, more and more teenagers, pre-teens and even kids started to ask for devices wrapped under the tree. It went from Razor phones to Blackberrys to smartphones, Ipads and laptops. Game consoles became very popular, but flashback items such as Genesis Sega Classic Game Consoles, Magic 8 Balls, Transformers, Yo-Yos, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, and so much more are a bigger hit than some of the modern toys today. Are people beginning to miss how simple childhood used to be?
Toy's R Us filed for bankruptcy this year.
With big retailers such as Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target, there seems to be little need for toy store chains. Additionally, Christmas is also no longer celebrated at many schools. While looking at the simplicity and magic of my childhood Christmases, I yearn for the same for my child. He's only four and still asking for toys and believes in Santa, but I wonder if that will change soon. He also likes the old Christmas specials, which makes me happy because we can watch them together.
Although living in a world of technology does have its advantages during the holidays. It's easy to find Christmas events and free places to see Santa. I just took my son to a free light show last weekend. Theres is also a million ideas on how to do fun crafts with your kids or easy crafts you can make yourself on Pinterest or Youtube, like the video below.
Well there you have it.
Christmas has changed somewhat throughout the last 60 years. What has remained the same in the holiday tradition is that during the holidays, the love for family remains the same.
To our family, Christmas is an important time to reflect on the miracle of the birth of the Christ Child. And although I see Jesus leaving schools, I still see the real meaning of Christmas remain in many households. I hold this dear to my heart.
What is important to you during the holiday season? Feel free to share below.
-Holly, the imperfect momma.


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Anti-semitism and a disdain for Christianity seems to be on the rise with educators in America and around the world. Meanwhile, the teaching of Islam seems to be increasingly popular with academia. This insanity is a result the upside-down PC world we live in. Ten years ago, a teacher who would have given this assignment to high school students would have been fired from his position. Today, he is likely considered "thoughtful" and perhaps even "insightful" by the leftist majority in academia. It's time for parents to wake up and pay attention to what their kids are being taught in school…
A pair of high school students who take classes at SUNY Oswego via a specialized program are upset at an assignment their "Principles of Literary Representation" class received: Defend Hitler's Final Solution.
CiTi/BOCES New Vision program teacher Michael DeNobile handed out a "Top Secret memorandum" to the class "addressed to senior Nazi party members." It asked students "to put themselves in the shoes of Adolf Hitler's top aides," according to a report at Syracuse.com.
Students Archer Shurtliff and Jordan April, who ended up on opposite sides of the, er, "debate" wondered: Does DeNobile really want students to argue in favor of "the Nazis' justification for genocide?"
Although the lesson does tell students it is "not for you to be sympathetic to the Nazi point of view," and is just "an exercise on expanding your point of view," Shurtliff and April allege it created a rather intolerant atmosphere.
One student did a Nazi salute in class, they say, and another said he wished he'd been assigned the pro-Holocaust side "because Heil Hitler, duh."
Trending: VIDEO: Hilarious and Disturbing Adam Schiff Impersonation by Greg Gutfeld Show's Tom Shillue
From the story:
The students brought their concerns over the assignment to DeNobile, administrators in the New Vision program and educators at their home schools.
The classroom assignment took them on a mission: To make sure no other student would be asked to argue in favor of killing Jews again.
They carefully documented each meeting and conversation with their teachers. They researched other cases, including one in which a teacher was disciplined.
They came up with dozens of alternate assignments and materials that didn't force kids to argue on behalf of mass killings. They contacted the Anti-Defamation League, which advocates for Jews.
Within a few days, an alternative assignment was offered. Jordan wrote about America's AIDS crisis and response. Archer wrote about the internment of Japanese-Americans and compensation paid to survivors.
The students said they weren't satisfied with the administration's response.
They are calling for an apology, for the program to retract the assignment completely, and agree to never give it again.
Despite the alternative assignment offered, many chose to stick with the original.
Archer and Jordan say DeNobile and administrators defended the assignment, claiming they were told "the essay was a lesson in having to do things you don't like, and in seeing the other side of an argument."
But Shurtliff shoots down this rationalization rather easily: "It's settled opinion. You can't say that Jews deserve to die. It should be a settled thing."
In a letter to New Vision officials, Anti-Defamation League Education Director Beth Martinez wrote
There is no assignment that could ever be given to students that even hints at their [sic] being "two sides" to the "Final Solution"/Holocaust that would be pedagogically or morally sound, and we are very disturbed that students are reportedly being asked to be a part of this.
Indeed, the assignment says the objective is for students to go "outside [their] comfort zone" and to train their brains "to logistically find the evidence necessary to prove a point."
High schoolers — vouching for the annihilation of an entire people is … merely going "outside their comfort zone"? Lovely.
For entire story: College Fix


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Chocolate. Fudge Sauce. These three little words make a powerful statement for Carol Ann McLaughlin, founder of Sweet Carol Ann's. Carol Ann has been in the catering business at the Jersey Shore area for over 30 years, and the star attraction of her spectacular dessert creations was her decadent fudge sauces, so much so that her friends and clients were always clamoring for more. The popularity of the chocolate fudge sauce she developed for her catering business led to the start of her confectionary company which continues to expand into retail stores in New York City and online. Sweet Carol Ann's Fudge It comes in three flavors: Salted Caramel Fudge, Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge, and Peppermint Fudge. I had the opportunity to meet Carol Ann McLaughlin at the Fancy Food Show in NY this past June and naturally sampled all three flavors. This is the first of a three part series on food entrepreneurs. "What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product better than anyone, know your customer, and have a burning desire to succeed," said Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy's. An entrepreneur is someone who sees an opportunity, sizes up its value, and finds the resources to make it work. Entrepreneurs are typically innovators introducing something new to the marketplace, putting a different spin on a product or a process – and willing to take a risk for their success. Find out from Carol Ann what it takes to launch a new food product in a highly competitive industry. After the interview, check out After Hours at Jersey Coastal Live for more information.


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Here is a document that contains a lot of info and links for lawyers and aspiring lawyers in Kentucky hoping to work in the nonprofit/social justice space.
And here are the links in the handout.
in which I try to say something true
Here is a document that contains a lot of info and links for lawyers and aspiring lawyers in Kentucky hoping to work in the nonprofit/social justice space.
And here are the links in the handout.
My mom got hitched recently and she's moving to southern Indiana. Happily for you, that means she's selling a lot of high-quality stuff on Saturday from 7-12 at 2010 Emerson Avenue in Louisville. Below are some galleries of some of the stuff that will be available. If you are interested in pre-purchasing something and picking it up on Saturday, text or call her at 606-923-3885.
I know she's my mom so I'm biased, but the taste-level on this yard sale is off the charts. Extremely good stuff (and great prices) here, peeps.
(Also, if you're in the market for a house, she's listing it, too, soon. Come take a look.)
Check back in to this site over the next few days. There's a LOT more odds-and-ends that will be going into the sale and we'll try to post representative pics of some of the stuff here.
(I'm serious, a loom.) Here's what my mom says about it: "This loom was bought in 1972 in Hawaii, and at the time we were told that it had originally been used in a school in California in the late 1800's and then was shipped to Hawaii. This is an antique floor loom, 4 Harness, Counter-Balance, 36" wide, sinking shed with metal heddles in the harnesses." (I have no idea what any of that means.) $500
A presentation's slides should be completely inscrutable without the presenter's narration.
With that unimpeachable truth stated, here are my slides for a presentation I'm giving tomorrow to the Terry Scholars, new and (like me) old, down at Davidson College. I'll be talking about the dispute between the Smoketown neighborhood and MSD over the construction of a combined sewer overflow (CSO) basin in Smoketown.
But, really, this is a talk about why and how to make art in our lives and communities. Art happens when we bring our full humanity and expertise to a problem. Creating art in your career or personal life requires hard work, courage, and curiosity. You need a high tolerance for not knowing why you're doing a thing or what it will lead to and a deep commitment to growing as a person, getting to the margins, gaining expertise, and giving gifts.
I'm pretty excited about giving this presentation, seeing my amigos at Davidson, and honoring the legacy of Dean Terry. If you want me to give this presentation to your org or business, I require a sliding scale honorarium that begins with BBQ and ends with a number in front of four zeros. ;-)
As I hope you can tell from the remembrance below, the trip my Pop and I took with Honor Flight to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C. was incredibly special to both of us. It will be one of my most treasured memories of a gentle man we will bury tomorrow in Somerset. If you can, I would love it if you would make a donation to Honor Flight in tribute to H.D. Jasper's life and service.
In the fall of 2013, I got to accompany Pop on a trip to Washington, DC sponsored by a nonprofit called Honor Flight. This is a program that flies veterans from across the country to visit the memorials in DC. Every veteran travels with a chaperone and I was Pop's chaperone. A few days before the trip, I got a call from the organizer of our trip. The voice on the other end of the phone was deadly serious, no chit-chat. He said, "Look, I normally don't like family to be chaperones because family don't understand that they're not on this trip as tourists. They don't understand that they have one job. You have one job. One job: nobody falls!" I assured him that I understood. One job.
So, we fly to DC and the whole time I'm saying to myself, "No falls. No falls. No falls." And, we've got guys in wheelchairs, guys in walkers, guys using canes, guys on oxygen. All in their eighties and nineties. We're getting on planes, climbing up into Greyhound buses, climbing down the steps of the buses, walking around monuments and memorials. There are chaperones everywhere all chanting to themselves: "No falls. No falls. No falls." We're lining the staircase of the Greyhound helping guys up and down. We're saying it to each other using only our eyes: "No falls. No falls. No falls." And, then there's Pop, literally waving everyone off, including me. He's using the handrail when there are hands all around him to help, he's walking off the path and over knotted tree roots, and I'm going to be the "tourist" who let his grandfather fall on the Honor Flight.
I'm not sure what the right verbs are because it's hard to say that a man in his nineties "bounded" or "hopped". The adverb "lithely" isn't quite right, either. But, to the extent that a man who was born before the USSR was founded can be said to have a spring in his step, at 94 years old, Pop had one that day. I would never say that Pop was showing off, but he did seem to really enjoy not needing our help.
Pop took real pride in living independently and being able to care for Dixie after her stroke. I'm sure every grandkid will agree that Pop's bear hug was surprisingly strong every time he gave one. Again, not showing off, but showing you that he's still got it. When I asked Pop what the key to staying fit into his nineties was he said, "Keep moving and don't sit on your butt." I am not sure whether the Jasper family has a crest, but I would like to propose this as the official Jasper family motto. I've never seen such a bunch of doers.
A few years ago, Pop started rounding his age up. When we met John Yarmuth, the Congressman from Louisville, on our trip to DC, Pop immediately invited Congressman Yarmuth to guess how old he was. The Congressman guessed 87, because, "that's how old my dad would be today." "Ninety-five," Pop replied. Walking away a few minutes later, I said, "Pop, you're 94." "I know," he said, "but I'm closer to 95 than I am to 94."
Here is an all-purpose blessing you have my permission to use without attribution: may you live so long that you start rounding up.
I will forever be grateful that Pop lived so long, because, really, it took me a long time to know my Pop. The trip we took to DC was one of the first days we had ever spent time together one-on-one. When I was a kid, I was too young to go on fishing trips up to Canada. Technically, I guess I'm probably still too young because what Pop said at the time was, "You've got to be old enough to put your own worm on your own hook" and I'm not sure I could pass that test today.
So, on our trip to DC, Pop eventually ran out of war stories and started telling me stories about growing up in Somerset, about getting punched by a shoplifter, about meeting Grandma at Newberry's when she was working in the stationary section, about honeymooning with Grandma in the Smokies where a bear grabbed their picnic lunch out of their back window. He told me what tree made the best hiking sticks (sassafrass). He told me about the time in 1978 when he drove himself five miles to the hospital while having a heart attack. "Why didn't Grandma drive you?" "Well, I was afraid to have her drive on the snow and ice," he said.
He told me that he retired in 1982 after another heart attack. "I've been retired a long time," he observed. While some of my earliest memories are of traveling by train to visit Pop and Grandma in Pennsylvania before he retired and they returned to Somerset, I've only ever known Pop as someone who was retired.
One of the hard truths about family is that it takes a long time to get to know those closest to us.
Part of that is that we're too close: like trying to read a book pressed against our nose, our hearts can't focus on the things closest to it.
Part of it is that we get stuck in our old patterns of thinking and fail to recognize the changes in each other and ourselves as we grow, learn, and age. We expect people to stay the same and it is hard work to see a loved one for who they are right now, today. It's as though we look into a kaleidoscope and remember a design that was particularly beautiful or surprising or jarring and forget that the kaleidoscope is continuing to turn. New patterns are forming and dissolving at every moment.
And, part of knowing someone else, of seeing them in three dimensions requires knowing yourself, becoming yourself. In other words (and to state the obvious), part of understanding depends on who is doing the understanding. As I changed, what I understood about Pop changed.
If Pop had passed away sooner, I'm almost certain that I would remember him as a bear-hugging, gardening gentleman who blew my mind as a child by encouraging me to touch the Touch-Me-Nots growing in his backyard and who long ago spent a freezing winter fighting Germans in the Battle of the Bulge.
But, if he had passed away sooner—before I had a family of my own—I'm not sure I would ever have grasped that while Pop had some remarkable stories about chasing bootleggers and shoplifters and Germans, those stories don't really describe what I treasure about Pop or what I came to understand about him and from him just in the last few years of our lives together. Instead, to me, what made Pop remarkable was his steadfast devotion to Dixie before and after her stroke and the way he cherished his family.
After being born in rural Kentucky in the 20s, going to war, and having a bunch of heart attacks, there was probably no one more surprised than him to discover that he had lived long enough to meet a great-great-granddaughter a few weeks ago.
When a German sniper shot the barrel of his 35-caliber carbine in two on his first day of combat in World War II, Pop had the good sense to throw down his useless gun and say, "Lieutenant, I'm getting out of here!"
When Pop returned from the war, he had the good sense to love his family, cherish them, and devote himself to them.
As a young man, it was easy for me to understand and admire Pop's service during the war. It took me a lot longer to understand that it was what he did after the war that made him the man we dearly love, the man we will always miss, and the man who showed us how to live and love with a servant's heart.
If you're like me, you have your bike set up on a trainer in your basement and, as you've sat there on your bike set up as a trainer in your basement, you've thought: "You know, this would be a lot less boring if I had a desk in front of me. I wonder how I can make that happen."
My guess is that most of you are not broken in the same way I am and you've never wondered how to build a desk on top of your bike set up on a trainer in your basement. That's awesome.
For those of you still reading, I think it's safe to assume that we share a few things in common:
For a few weeks after the "bike desk" idea burrowed its way into my skull cave, I looked around the room at the walls and ceiling and researched computer monitor arms and heavy duty hinges on the internet. The rough idea was to create a kind of Murphy Bed Desk that could fold or swivel out in front of the bike as needed. For a variety of reasons (the top of which was lack of technical prowess), I never landed on an obvious, easily-implementable solution along the arms-or-hinges line of thought.
Instead, one day I looked over near the furnace and saw a white plastic card table folded up and thought, "Eureka!"
My guess is that every American household has at least one of these white plastic tables. Between the office and home, I think we have three. They come in handy when you're going to be playing with heavy-duty bubbles for 4-5 hours with kids. Or you have a construction or assembly project heating up in the garage. Or you need a kids' table at Thanksgiving.
Or, in my case, you find yourself needing to build stilts for a desk to fit over your bike sitting on a trainer in your basement.
Here are the basic ingredients for some desk stilts:
Tools you'll need
That's it. Here are the rough steps you are going to follow:
There you go! A lot of pedantic detail over what is a pretty straightforward process. All in, if you don't have a table, you're looking at a cost of less than $150 to build yourself some bike stilts that can modify a table into a standing desk or bike desk. Less if you already have a usable table. Plus, if you're buying in volume, you're probably going to have a few bolts and nuts left over.
Frankly, in 2017, we shouldn't be going to Lowe's to modify our desks to fit over our stupid bikes sitting on dumb trainers in our sad basement. Lifetime or some other company should have gotten on the Standing Desk Express that is barreling down the culture tracks and manufactured a table with dramatically telescoping legs already. They make one for modest height adjustment down from the standard desk height because, I guess, kids. But, I haven't seen any in my modest research that go up to accommodate all of us doers out there. If you know of one, let me know. Even with two standing desks at the office and now this contraption at home, I'm in the market.
(Wrote the last part of this piece a couple days later while sitting and sweating at my bike desk.)
As far as what equipment is sitting on my bike desk, I use an iPad with a Magic Keyboard and Studio Neat's Canopy. If the Canopy's dimensions didn't require the Magic Keyboard, I'd probably go with the less-expensive, but highly regarded Logitech Easy Switch bluetooth keyboard instead.
When it comes to working out, I'm basically the laziest. I know some people who won't work out unless they have the accountability of having paid for a gym membership and a personal trainer. Others are out there on the trails riding bikes, getting their sneakers muddy.
Hakuna matata, friends. Whatever works for you.
But, for old boy, if "working out" means any more than "stumbling down to my basement in the morning with a cup of coffee and a podcast queued up", I'm just not going to do it. Which is why Santa nailed it a few years ago when the TRX straps showed up under the tree.
TRX straps are basically black and yellow nylon straps that hang from either a door or a ceiling. They have some hand grips at their ends that easily adjust to various lengths.
For a long time, I was just sort of doing the exercises that came on the cards with the TRX straps. Eventually, that got pretty boring. Recently, I found an app—Virtual Trainer Suspension—that provides over a hundred easy, medium, or hard exercises to do with TRX straps. So, three days a week (hopefully), I go downstairs and discover muscles I didn't know I had. Which is not a coming of age euphemism. Rather, it's a way to say, "Wow, there are a LOT of exercises one can do with TRX straps." Legs, back, arms, core: if there are muscles there, TRX has a way for you to exercise them.
The app usefully provides videos of each exercise from a couple different camera angles. The killer feature though, is the ability to drag exercises into custom workout routines. Then, you can pick how you want to do those exercises. Are you going to do all of the tricep curls in three consecutive reps or do you want to do the whole cycle of exercises and come back to triceps at the beginning of the next cycle? Do you want to do a certain number of reps or do each exercise for a set amount of time?
For me, having this kind of structure in my workout prevents the second form of laziness from creeping into my workout. To remind you, I'm basically the laziest about going to work out. And, even once I'm working out, I'm also the laziest. I'm pretty sure there are internet videos out there of me wandering around the downtown Louisville YMCA very lackadaisically flying a few butterflies and pressing some benches.
Rather than flopping around the Y for an hour, the Virtual Trainer Suspension app keeps me on a schedule and tells me at the beginning of the workout—based on the time I'm going to do each exercise and the time I've decided to rest between each exercise—"Okay, bro, your workout is going to take 26 minutes and 40 seconds." "Okay, I'm in for less than half an hour," I think.
I'm sure there are all sorts of accessories one can buy to trick out ones TRX straps, but the only one I would suggest buying is the wall mount. I have mine, as pictured above, bolted to a floor joist.
For a long piece of black and yellow nylon that has little obvious crossover use as a sex toy, the TRX straps are not cheap. But, for those of us who live in a reality where there needs to be almost zero activation energy required to go get some exercise, the TRX straps are the best, most versatile, in-home option for lazybones like me.
I guess this is a lifestyle blog now, so stay tuned for my DIY solution to building a desk for your stationary bike (on which I am typing right now.)
Last month, Donald Trump claimed in a tweet that "I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."
Politifact immediately rated this claim a "Pants on Fire" level of lie. Election experts all agree: the amount of voter fraud in American elections is vanishingly low.
Nevertheless, we must treat these unserious claims from the President-Elect seriously for two reasons. First, though millions more Americans would prefer Hillary Clinton to be President, Donald Trump will be President. So, every foolish, dangerous, and demonstrably false thing he says must be taken seriously. But, second, and more importantly, Donald Trump's claim of widespread voter fraud is part of the GOP's larger strategy of actually rigging elections through voter suppression.
Here's how it works: you convince voters that voter fraud is a problem (it isn't) and use that nonexistent "fraud" to pass laws that make it difficult for college students, elderly people, and poor people to register to vote. Combine difficulty registering to vote with a reduction in polling places and restrictions on early voting (Kentucky doesn't even have no-excuse early voting) and you have a Republican recipe for making sure "their" voters are the most likely to get to the polls.
So, while voter fraud doesn't exist, voter suppression certainly does and it's coming to Kentucky and Washington, DC. Here's what it will look like:
Again, all of this will happen based on—forgive the easy pun—Trumped-up allegations of nonexistent voter fraud.
Instead of making it more difficult and expensive to register to vote and more time-consuming and inconvenient to cast a ballot, we can instead insist that our policymakers pass laws making it easier for everyone to participate in our democratic process. Kentucky once led the country in election reform, adopting one of the first computerized voter databases in the nation. We can do it again. Here are three things that our representatives could do this year to expand rather than restrict voting rights in Kentucky:
First, Kentucky should adopt universal vote-by-mail (UVBM). Three states—Oregon, Colorado, and Washington—already conduct all of their elections by mail-in ballot. For the state, there are a number of benefits. UVBM is safer and more secure than having polling places. It also creates a verifiable paper trail. It's also less expensive while making it easier for state officials to maintain the voter roll. For voters, it's more convenient. It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that voter turnout increases when you allow people to vote from the comfort of their kitchen tables.
Second, if we cannot pass UVBM, our legislators can repeal the restrictions on absentee voting to allow everyone to vote within a couple weeks of the election if they want to.
Finally, Governor Bevin should honor his commitment to the automatic restoration of voting rights for former felons. Kentucky is one of three states that does not automatically restore voting rights to citizens who have served their time. Currently, more than 250,000 Kentuckians cannot vote because of this prohibition. Governor Bevin has claimed to support restoring voting rights, but has actually processed exactly zero citizens' applications to vote again.
Unfortunately, voting rights restrictions are likely to be coming to Kentucky. If not from Washington, then from Frankfort. As a community, we should be deeply suspicious of a party'spolicies and commitment to participatory democracy when that party a) lies to b) justify unnecessary legislation that c) makes it more difficult for people to vote. These are the actions of a party that knows it cannot win when everyone votes.
As citizens, we must reject the leaders who enact policies that erode the very foundations of our democracy. Restrictions on voting distort our representation and damage our republic. This damage, once done, will be hard to undo. We cannot allow it in Kentucky and, indeed, can do more to make it easier, more secure, and less expensive for everyone to participate in our democracy.
It's a tough time to be a Kentucky Democrat. We've lost the state House of Representatives—badly and for the first time more than a century. Just look at this .gif of the Eastern Kentucky vote in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
We have, as a national party, made ideological commitments to a multiracial, inclusive politics that has not translated well to a pretty rural, mostly white, mostly Christian Kentucky. And, by "not translated well" I mean, "Holy smokes, that was brutal."
Meanwhile, our commitments to equality based on race, sexual orientation, gender, and national origin are non-negotiable. Let me put it this way: there will never be a moment that the KKK plans a celebration parade for a Democrat if I have anything to say about what being a Democrat means.
With a national party building a young, multiracial, multiethnic, cosmopolitan coalition of voters, Kentucky Democrats find ourselves in what Ulysses McGill might call a "tight spot."
So, what are Kentucky Democrats to do? This is what we do. Here is my four-step plan to fight.
You guys, we are going to lose so hard. I mean, we already lost hard, but we are going to keep losing hard. We are going to lose more going forward than we have in the past. In Kentucky, the way to win is to challenge every state House seat, every state Senate seat, every Congressional seat, every statewide office every time. We run everywhere. Every time. Again and again. And we're going to lose terribly. It's going to be painful, occasionally embarrassing, and seemingly futile.
And yet, these losing campaigns and candidates are our only hope. These fearless losers will be the ones showing up knowing they're going to lose and fighting anyway. They will be the ones having tough conversations with neighbors and church members about their values, illustrating in word and action how their Christian faith informs their commitment to Democratic principles.
In Kentucky, the way to win is to challenge every state House seat, every state Senate seat, every Congressional seat, every statewide office every time. We run everywhere. Every time. Again and again. This year, two Republican congressmen ran unopposed. In 100 state House races, 64 were contested and 11 Democrats ran unopposed while 25 Republicans ran unopposed. (You can see the full results here. Pay special attention to those House races where Republicans ran unopposed. Do you live there? This essay is especially for you.)
We have to begin to compete everywhere. Every race that is unopposed is a race in which voters are hearing no counterargument, engaging in no conversation. No one is offering those voters a separate vision of how we can move forward as a Commonwealth and nation than the one offered by the unopposed Republican.
For the national party, waiting for the demographics to catch up with your ideological commitments may be a winning strategy. In Kentucky, we can take no comfort in demographics. Our mostly white, mostly Christian neighbors are mostly going to get older. Heck, unlike most states, we can't even count on our millennials to vote Democrat.
And, even if we could count on demographics, that's still not the way to win. The way to win is to engage with our neighbors. To keep talking, advocating, listening, learning, shaking hands, building trust, and being helpful. We keep showing up. We fight everywhere for the hearts and confidence and votes of our neighbors. Not because we can win this next election or the one after that, but because we owe it to our neighbors to fight and our vision of the future compels it.
Though we may not intend it, when the Democratic Party fails to contest a race, we risk communicating to voters that we do not believe they or their votes are worth fighting for. That's the wrong message to send to big chunks of our state for two reasons: 1) it's not true, of course, and 2) it's bad politics.
As Democrats, we support raising the minimum wage, higher taxes on corporations, and paid sick-leave for all workers. We know that workers benefit in higher wages and safer workplaces when they are represented by unions and believe that any worker who benefits from union negotiations ought to also pay dues to the benefit negotiating those better wages and better working conditions. Let's take our case to our neighbors everywhere across Kentucky.
As Democrats, we are proud of our President, Democrats in Congress and former Governor Steve Beshear for expanding access to affordable healthcare to tens of thousands of Kentuckians who desperately needed it. The Affordable Care Act has been a tremendous benefit to Kentucky and Kentuckians. But, our work is not over! Still more people need coverage and we are committed to reducing cost and expanding coverage.
In case it's not clear: I understand that the 25 people who could have run against these unchallenged Republicans would have lost. Badly.
So badly.
And, wow, the two Democrats that could have run against Brett Guthrie and Hal Rogers? Incinerated. Dust.
We don't have any other choice but to fight and lose. We need candidates willing to stand up across Kentucky and say that the values they learned in Sunday School—inclusion, fair play, welcoming the stranger, caring for the needy—are the same values that inform their position on making taxes less regressive, ensuring that everyone that works makes a living wage, negotiating a path to citizenship for undocumented workers in Kentucky, expanding access to affordable healthcare to everyone.
Look, I understand that for some voters are never going to be for you if you're not in favor of banning access to safe abortions and banning gay marriage. But, I don't think that's most voters. I especially don't think that's most voters after we've shown them our hearts and guts in race after race. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the Democratic Party's (non-negotiable) positions on these two issues will doom Kentucky Democrats to a century in the minority in Frankfort. I don't think so, but maybe.
What I think is more likely is that authentic candidates unwilling to compromise on core Democratic principles will begin to rebuild Democratic power slowly, one campaign at a time. This progress will be painfully slow for many Kentuckians who will be hurt by Republicans' efforts to weaken unions, restrict voting rights, reduce state revenues by cutting taxes on the wealthy, roll back protections for the LGBTQ community, privatize public education, and limit Kentuckians' access to trial by jury. But, we will make progress.
I want to be super-clear on this: I don't think voters who vote "against their self-interest" are to blame. Part of a commitment to democracy is a belief that all voters are smart enough to decide what's important to them and what's in their best interest. I don't think voters who voted for Trump are bigots or racists or Islamaphobes (unless, of course, they are). Voters don't owe the Democratic Party anything and in places in the state where we ceded a full 25% of the House races without opposition, I understand the sentiment that Democrats have abandoned those places and don't care. Democrats have lost the credibility to cry, "But they're voting against their self-interest!" when across large swaths of the Commonwealth we've played virtually no role in helping to frame our neighbors' "self-interest" within a larger web of policy considerations.
I am convinced: there is nothing about the Democratic Party's national commitments and platform that prevents Democrats from winning in mostly rural, mostly white, mostly Christian Kentucky. By showing up, listening, learning, advocating, and arguing—even where we're going to lose, heck, especially where we're going to lose—Democrats will win in Kentucky again.
This is going to be a long, long slog and to do it the Kentucky Democratic Party must commit to building an infrastructure to train candidates, amateur campaign managers, and volunteer campaign workers. Democratic grassroots in Kentucky are energized today like they haven't been in years. We understand: there is no one coming. It is up to us. The KDP must harness that grassroots energy and give its activists the tools they need to organize, fund, and execute campaigns across the state.
We have already seen the success that organizations like Emerge Kentucky and Wellstone Action have had in training future candidates to run for office.
One recent graduate of the Emerge Kentucky program, McKenzie Cantrell, narrowly defeated a party-switching incumbent (who was well-supported by independent PAC spending) to return a Kentucky House seat to the Democrats earlier this month. Without Emerge Kentucky, I'm not sure McKenzie becomes Rep. Cantrell. (By the way, ladies, the deadline to apply for Emerge Kentucky's next training has been extended to December 1.)
Training people to run for office and run campaigns and organize communities works. Leadership, public speaking, campaigning, tweeting are not God-given gifts like height or 20/20 vision. They're skills that can be learned, honed. Because we are going to run candidates everywhere, every time, the Kentucky Democratic Party owes its candidates and organizers this training. Not once candidates win a primary. Now. Before they run. While they run against other Democrats. All the time. All over the state. This is the work of the Kentucky Democratic Party.
Slowly, we will begin winning. It may be a surprise in a rural district from an especially strong candidate. Or, we may pick up a suburban district in northern Kentucky after a few swipes at it. But, slowly, we will begin to win.
Ironically, it may be a statewide office that we win first with the help of a bunch of losers at the bottom of a ticket. While coattails at the top of a ticket matter, people forget that having strong candidates at the bottom of a ticket can drive voters who otherwise may not have voted at all or may have otherwise voted for the other party to the polls. I'm not fancy enough to know what the opposite of coattails are, but they exist and—with the help of Kentucky Democrats in larger cities—these losers with reverse coattails may elect a Democratic governor in 2019 or a Democratic Senator in 2020.
It probably won't happen that fast, though, folks. We need to be real about where we are: this is a decade-long project and just a ton of hard work and losing. For a long time, we're going to have to run in a way that says, "This is not about winning. This is about fighting." Of course, I happen to believe that once Democrats stop caring about whether they win or lose, they will run the kinds of campaigns that will eventually win.
Winning by losing. In a state where many of us worship a God whose death vouchsafed eternal life, it's a strategy so crazy it just might work.
Action Item:
Share this post with someone you know who would make a good candidate for public office in Kentucky, some loser who loves a good fight. Tell them why you think they would make a good candidate, and, tell them you'll help. Tell them losing is okay: it's all part of the plan.
I'm not sure why the thought popped into my head. Maybe it has to do with the election about which he would have had so much to say. Maybe it's because I've recently wished I could ask his advice about some things. Maybe it's because I say his name at least a hundred and fifty times a day: "Will, do you need a new diaper?" "You did it, Will!" "Will, put your bottom in the chair." "Will, use your gentle hands on Rooster." "Go get a book and I'll read it to you, Will."
Whatever the reason, a few days ago I thought, "I'd like to read that sermon, 'Enthusiasm,' that Dean Terry once wrote." I found it in my files, read it this morning, and want to share it with you. The sermon is called "Encouragement," not "Enthusiasm."
Dean Will Terry, for those of you who don't know, was the long-time Dean of Students at Davidson College and who in his retirement served as a mentor to me and dozens of other students. He passed away last Spring before our Will was born. Outside of my family, no one did more for me to encourage me. As he notes, that encouragement includes not only applauding the good acts and notions, but also lovingly holding us to account for our shortcomings.
The sermon made me miss him terribly. We could all use his kind of encouragement: genuine praise, kind accountability, all wrapped in a North Carolina draw and served alongside some burgoo.
The full text is below. Here is the .pdf version with his notes. Here is a pull quote to get you started:
"Beyond this why should we even be concerned about the gift of encouragement? Because we care about people. Because we care about ideas and causes and wish to see them embraced and see them prosper. Because we care about institutions—church, college, family, town, nation—we care about friendship—and desire that they be authentic instruments of growth and nurture and justice."
For those of you who can subvocalize this sermon in Dean Terry's lilting, wily conversational style, you are in for a special treat. For those of you who must simply hear his words, well, they're pretty good all on their own.
Several years ago, I was preaching at Steele Creek; it was my third Sunday there. The first two Sundays had passed without incident. On the third Sunday I was preaching away and an elderly gentleman, a newcomer to the congregation, delivered a loud AMEN and his fellow worshipper, also an elderly gentleman, answered with an equally fervent AMEN. I was startled, but managed to contain my composure. The AMEN's continued at intervals throughout the rest of the sermon. I must admit I was encouraged; it gave momentum to the sermon. I'm not sure I would want it as a steady diet, but at least someone was listening, and that is always encouraging.
Today let's talk about encouragement. To encourage is to make another bold, to hearten, to reassure, to comfort. To encourage is to inspire with courage, to make another confident.
The Bible is the story of God's encouragement of men and women. God chose Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, each with his unique gifts, to be the patriarchal leaders of the nation. He made them bold to be pioneers of faith. Moses he inspired with the courage he lacked so that he might be the great emancipator. He heartened Jeremiah, Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Micah to be prophets. Prophetic vocation is a hard taskmaster, and it would not have been possible without God's encouragement. The Bible is a book of encouragement. It is significant that the word in the New Testament for encouragement and the word for Holy Spirit have the same root.
Beyond this, our encouragement is found in the deeds, death and raising of Jesus and in his being lifted to power. Jesus Christ is God's supreme act of encouragement to us. It says that God has not destined us for wrath but for salvation, not for despair for for hope, not for destruction but for wholeness. Is there better or more encouraging news than that?
In fact it is the ease that the work of Christ's encouragement enables us to he encouragers. We see it in the life of the Christian about whom we read this morning. His name is Barnabas which means"son of encouragement." A great Christian scholar has written this moving tribute to him: "Barnabas is one of the most attractive characters in the New Testament. He possesses the rare gift of discerning merit in others. Probably inferior in ability to Paul, he was his superior in Christian graces. He seemed to have been utterly without jealousy, eager to excuse the fault in others, quick to recognize merit, ready to compromise for the sake of peace. Paul's elevation of character seems to have been hardly human while the virtues of Barnabas make him singularly lovable. The Paul of history contributes to the progress of the world. Barnabas and those like him make the world endurable to live in."
Barnabas does not dominate Acts as do Paul and Peter, but he always seems to appear at the crucial time, not just in the life of the church but in the lives of individuals. His first act of encouragement was financial. He sold his farm and put the proceeds at the feet of the disciples to be used for evangelism and for the help of the needy. His stewardship illustrates his encouragement of mission and people.
He was Paul's great encourager. After his conversion to the Christian faith, Paul came to the church to be put to work. They rejected him. It is no wonder, for he had been a literal monster, the one who consented to the death of Stephen and persecutor of many more. Their rejection deeply depressed him, for he believed his call to ministry was a genuine one. Self-doubt began to creep in, Was he wrong, had he not been called? Barnabas took him for real. Be stood up for him, he stood beside him, he spoke for him. It was because of Barnabas that Paul had a future in the church. Later Paul wrote "love thinks no evil" and Barnabas illustrates the point in the superlative. In a sense Barnabas represents the gospel in microcosm, his grace is illustrative of God's grace for us all, forgiving our past and giving us a future.
Another incident indicates the part of encouragement which involves wisdom. The church at Jerusalem had heard of strange happenings in the church at Antioch. There Gentiles were being swept up into the church. Disturbed, they needed an investigator. Barnabas was the overwhelming choice. William Barclay said, "It was by the grace of God they sent the man they did, for they sent the man with the biggest heart in the church." When he saw this marvelous sight of Gentile converts being swept up into the church, he was glad and encouraged a ministry to these new believers. Not only did he encourage them with his words, but with a better form of encouragement by rolling up his sleeves and going to work. There was more work there than he could do and so he sought help. The partner he called was Paul, and the first real missionary team was formed. He gave Paul his first real job. It takes great wisdom to find the right man for the right job. It takes even more grace to push another ahead of you, because you perceive that he is abler and will enhance the cause for -which you are both working. The being willing to be upstaged for a cause more important than your own career is at the heart of encouragement and may be its most eloquent part. And that too is why Barnabas is known as the "son of encouragement."
One of the great tragedies of the early church was the severing of the friendship between Barnabas and Paul, but that too was the result of Barnabas' habit of encouragement. The issue was John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas' who was a member of the team that went out on the first missionary journey. He had gotten cold feet and quit. Paul refused to take him on their second trip. Barnabas thought he should be given a second chance, just as Paul had been given a second chance. Though his friendship with Paul was important, it was not as important as the future usefulness of another person, se he let Paul and Silas go on their way, and he took John Mark under his wing. He saved John Mark, and as Paul later acknowledged, Mark became a valuable disciple. Wherever Barnabas went he left lives and churches enriched and growing. Barnabas and those like him make the world livable and illustrate that the encouragement of Christians of one another is indispensable for Christian growth.
BUT I am not encouraged about the abundance of Barnabas in each of us or the number of Barnabases among us. We live in a time of put-downs. The "nabobs of negativism" have center stage in our culture. Churches often make the mistake of confusing piety or orthodoxy or their special cause as being of more importance than the harmony of body, the nurture of persons or the proclamation of the gospel. Frankly, I am depressed by the rigidity, the hostility (downright hate) that appears in letters by Christians in the newspaper. There seems to be more delight in imagining people in hell than joy in their calling to heaven. Is encouragement a forgotten grace? More to the point, is it even a possible one in our kind of world? There is much about the style of the Christian community and individual Christians that discourages rather than empowers.
Moreover, we need to look at the sources of discouragement among us. Why are we more prone to be negative and discouraging than encouraging? The first reason is a low opinion of ourselves. If we do not feel good about who we are, when something is missing in our lives, then the basic instinct is to put down the other guy. Negativism about other people is bred in insecurity. It festers in jealousy. It breeds in failed personal expectations and goals. Hostility is another origin of the discourager as is frustration and unhappiness. There are many reasons why we neglect the grace of encouragement and we need to be introspective enough about our foibles and failures to understand our condition.
Beyond this why should we even be concerned about the gift of encouragement? Because we care about people. Because we care about ideas and causes and wish to see them embraced and see them prosper. Because we care about institutions—church, college, family, town, nation—we care about friendship—and desire that they be authentic instruments of growth and nurture and justice. It is interesting that much of the literature being written about business success is couched in positive terms, where success is attributed to a positive relationship with people rather than a negative response, where confidence building takes precedence over harassment and motivation by fear. Because as teachers, as lovers, as parents and preachers and as friends, encouragement is the best way for our fellows to grow to,be healthy mentally and spiritually. Because encouragement is a more productive lifestyle than carping and faultfinding. Supremely because we no less than Barnabas are the recipients of God's great encouragement in Jesus Christ.
If we follow Barnabas' model, we find that encouragement allows people to seize upon their strengths and work through their weaknesses; to acknowledge guilt but to seize forgiveness. It is a method of trying to catch people doing something right rather than glee in finding them doing something wrong.
On the other hand, we may not make encouragement a Pollyanna exercise, merely sweetness and light. Encouragement often has in it the element of judgment. Encouragement includes often telling people what is wrong with their behavior. True encouragement tries to separate the behavior and the person.
Several years ago a clergyman designed a technique called crisis intervention and its method illustrates what I am trying to say. He discovered it when he was trying to help a lady who was dying with cirrhosis of the liver but would not admit that she had a drinking problem. He had the family gather around her bed to recount to her incidents that they had observed of her drinking and its ensuing behavior. They told her how they felt about what she did about their anger, frustration, embarrassment. Then they told how much they loved her and they instinctively touched her to demonstrate that love. They indicated how they wanted her to live and to enjoy life once again. It was because they loved her that her actions so disturbed them. They affirmed her as a person, but confronted her behavior. Such also is the nature of encouragement. It was a method our Lord has used time and again with us.
To be an encourager, to aspire to be a latter-day Barnabas, is a model for ministry well worth the attention of every Christian who wishes to build up the body of Christ. We have all been objects of encouragement by a parent, a brother or sister, a grandparent, a preacher or teacher, a friend or coach an employer or employee. It is their encouragement that has made us as whole as we are. But the question is: are you an encourager? Is your vocation to encourage adopting encouragement as a way of living and loving?
I'm writing today to raise money for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. I have set a goal of raising $1,787 for KFTC. Why $1,787? Two reasons: 1) that seems like an achievable goal and 2) 1787 is the year we got our Constitution. Just after the ink was dry on the final version of the Constitution, a woman asked Benjamin Franklin what kind of government the convention had created.
"A republic, if you can keep it," he responded.
Following the truly frightening election of an authoritarian bully two weeks ago, progressives, activists, Democrats, and even people who normally don't pay much attention to politics are mobilized and motivated like I've never seen before. The energy—driven by fear of what's to come and the discovery that in 2016 there is so much work yet to be done—is palpable and everywhere. Will we keep our republic? Will we be enough for this moment and worthy of our forebears?
New leaders and new organizations will emerge from this energy, especially aided by our ability to organize so much and so well online. This is good stuff. Great stuff. Go get 'em, everyone.
But, [whispers]: KFTC has been organizing in communities across Kentucky for thirty-five years, y'all.
In these dizzying, disorienting days in which we find ourselves having to prepare for a Trump Administration, people have a natural inclination to start something new. Let me just suggest this: KFTC has a time-tested structure into which you can pour your energy and enthusiasm. KFTC has local knowledge and a preexisting network of alliances, allies, and members to welcome you and your energy and enhance your work.
If you are looking to do something, to get involved, you could do far worse than showing up at your local KFTC meeting next month.
Right now, they are working on the following issues:
And, here's the thing: KFTC's mission and issues are driven by what their members want to work on. So, if you have an issue you care deeply about, getting other KFTC members to care about it means that KFTC as an organization cares about it. Recently, the Bowling Green chapter has done tremendously good work on advocating for reforms to landlord-tenant law in their community.
Here in Louisville, the Jefferson County chapter of KFTC is organizing awesome events like this one coming up about community land trusts. If executed well, a community land trust in a neighborhood like Smoketown could build wealth among the working families and preserve affordable housing in the neighborhood in perpetuity. Sounds awesome, right? That kind of project only gets off the ground with the attention and energy of an organization like KFTC.
Restoration of voting rights for former felons is so important to me. And, KFTC has been working on this issue for more than a decade, making slow, incremental, hard-fought progress across Kentucky and in Frankfort. It's not a sexy issue and the 250,000 people affected by disenfranchisement literally have no political power. Without the leadership of KFTC and the long attention to this issue by KFTC members, this issue wouldn't be on anyone's political radar. Full stop.
Most people don't know this, but when I was in law school, I had a radio show on UK's student run station, WRFL. The BlueGrassRoots Radio Review was truly terrible. But, KFTC came on the show anyway and talked about restoration of voting rights for former felons way back then. Here's that interview:
I have to say, relistening to (parts of) that interview before posting it made me a little sad. That was 10 years ago and we are still working on restoring voting rights for former felons in Kentucky. Check that: Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is still working on restoration of voting rights. Even though I claim that this issue is "so important to me," I haven't done any work on that issue for almost eight years. Which is, to my mind, Exhibit A for why KFTC is important. Without organizations like KFTC with the will and skill to endure and continue to fight, politicians and policymakers can just try to run out the clock or grind grassroots organizations down with delay. But, KFTC is not going anywhere and while policymakers may delay, KFTC will be back next year, too. My energy and enthusiasm comes and goes. KFTC presses on.
When Benjamin Franklin said, "A republic, if you can keep it," I don't think he was referring to keeping the republic safe from foreign invaders. Instead, I think he meant that keeping a republic will require vigilance by and the active engagement of all its citizens. We must be worthy of a republic. We must, generation after generation, earn a republic.
At KFTC, you will find an organization of vigilant, engaged citizens ready to harness your energy and work alongside you toward a better, fairer, more prosperous Kentucky. You will find an organization through which you can earn your republic.
Join something new if you want. Start something new if you must. But, first, support the work of the longtime organizers in our Commonwealth.
Good job, you made it to the end!