text:
...start another blog, or two, or move to twitter. Facebook? Never.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
I don't have a true spare bedroom in our down-sized townhouse, so Mom sleeps on the fold-out couch in the den. It's not bad, really. A private room with a dedicated bath only a few feet down the hall, telephone and TV with VCR/DVD. I've stayed in worse hotel rooms. And we wouldn't want it to be too nice, you know.
The cats don't mind Mom, which is one less potential source of stress. In fact, when The Twins heard she was coming they decided to help me make up her bed. It's a good thing she is not allergic to cats.
Hey, you. I can't put put the elastic around the bed with you under the sheet.
What? Were you talking to me?
Come on - get out of there.
I think you need to pull up a little on your side.
I'll fix the top while you smooth the rest of the wrinkles.
Would you cut it out, already? She can't sleep in a bed with you big lump under there.
It can get cold here at night - she might need this polartec throw.
Thanks. Can't forget the cat bed, whatever the excuse.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
End of Day 2
Little sister (Gp 4 weights)
|Th 1/4
|Sa 1/6
|Mo 1/8
|Su 1/14
|Tu 1/16
|Th 1/18
|Su 2/4
Event log
F 12/29 Kittens arrive
W 1/10 2nd dose of deworming meds
Th 1/25 Start doxycycline x 10 days
Su 2/4 Kittens return
Friday, December 29, 2006
This just in
Luke (orange/buff tabby) and Leia (calico tabby). Two sibs from a found litter of I don't know how many. Cricket and John greeted them at the door, and don't understand why they aren't allowed in the Nursery yet.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Chanson Triste - End of 1st week
In spite of a few out-right wrong notes, I do see progress since last week. I have changed the fingerings to eliminate extended extensions. I think the phrasing is better. I have eliminated most of the extraneous facial tics (what does one do with one's expression in a piece like this?)
After watching, I would prioritize my tasks as follows:
1) Finalize and lock in one set of fingerings
2) Intonation!!!!
3) Fix the floating little finger on the bow
I think that will be enough for a week.
My audience.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
So last summer I invited her to join me for a week at SummerKeys, thinking that an intensive week of lessons and playing would be a good jump start. It worked. She loved it. She's practicing regularly, though has yet to locate a teacher anywhere near the small southern town where she lives, and has purchased a better quality and slightly smaller viola (via eBay *grin*).
She's attending a very small church, whose musical contingent consists of two elderly pianists, the 10-year-old pastor's daughter who recently began taking piano lessons, and her, a fledgling violist. I can't believe it, but she and the 10yo got together, learned a couple of Christmas carols, and performed them on Monday. She said she achieved a lovely vibrato sound because her right arm was shaking so badly during the performance. I told her that's called bow vibrato.
She's amazing. I'm so proud of her.
(BTW, the Blogger spell check thinks that violist is misspelled, and suggests vilest as the alternative. And foulest. Cellist passes without comment, though Blogger is also not in the dictionary. What a hoot.)
Monday, December 25, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Brain dump
I think my ability to remember so many details and then to write them down in a somewhat organized fashion is a useful side effect of my medical training. That is to say, it is a skill I developed through practice. As a medical student, I learned to take a detailed history and perform a physical exam on a patient, then in somewhere from immediately to 24 hours later organize the information in a standard format, and present it to a senior physician for the dual purpose of taking care of the patient and receiving a critique of my own process.
These are the factors I think important in producing a useful synopsis of a cello lesson:
(1) During the lesson, pay attention to the teacher. No kidding! That means listen and observe without fiddling or trying things out until the teacher has made his/her point. I make mental notes of what I am doing as I then try it, with the idea always in mind that I will want to record it later.
(2) Begin reviewing the lesson material immediately upon departing. I run through the lesson mentally as often as there is enough time during the drive home. Details start falling out of short-term memory even before the end of the lesson. This slows the decay, and results in more remembered details when you finally get to the keyboard or paper.
(3) Use a standard format for recording the information, as this will provide a memory jog when writing. My current format is fairly simple, and aided by my teacher's organized use of lesson time. As you have seen, I record bullet points of technical and musical things I need to focus on during the coming week, broken out by the musical element (scale, etude, piece) where they were discussed.
(4) Write down everything you remember as soon after the lesson as you can. I usually do this that evening or, at the latest, the following morning.
A fun experiment to try: record your lesson. Over the course of several lessons, do a brain dump at various times from immediately after to just before your next lesson. Compare what you remember with what you hear on the recording. If you are not already convinced that you forget so much so quickly, that will do it!
And the last step to make this a useful exercise is to use your notes at each practice session. A variation on the previous experiment is to do a brain dump after your lesson, but practice all week without looking at your notes. Do a second brain dump just before your next lesson, and compare the two.
I'm in the process of transitioning from one style of practice log to another, yet undefined, style. I'll write more about that later.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Then I took a shower. The twins kept guard on the sink, as they often do. As I stepped out of the shower, John softly pawed the plastic cover from DH's razor that was still lying on the sink, gently picked it up in his mouth, jumped down from the sink and exited the bathroom. I think I need to search the house...
Cello lesson
I did have a lesson, though, and as a transplant from a city which nearly closes down at the sign of a snowflake, am quite proud of myself for accomplishing the snowy commute. Having shared my desire to perform in the recital on the 11th, we started with a scale but spent most of the time on those two pieces. Brain dump follows.
Scale: d harmonic minor, 4 octaves. Linked half notes only.
* Intonation of the highest octave needs higher LT and lower 6th. I've noticed that I can't really pre-hear that augmented 2nd when I am playing in that octave.
* When shifting upward in thumb position, thumb should stay 1/2 step behind 1st finger, and not lag lazily behind.
* Vibrato is good in thumb position (Yay! That took a painstaking year to develop.) but is not so good passing from finger-to-finger in lower positions.
* Worst shift was from C# III to Bb IV in both directions, but especially downward. Coordinate extension and string crossing. Don't keep hand in an extended position when vibrating (can't vibrate in extension!). This discussion led naturally to the next piece.
Chanson Triste
Technical points
* Instead of maintaining open extension in 1st two measures, try shifting downward to the Bb (1/2 step), then quick extension to C while passing the vibrato.
* Maintain a "vibrato mitten" when vibrating. The angle of the hand to the FB changes on 1 vs. 4. Use 3 to help support 4 in a curved position. If the motion is not relaxing, I am doing something wrong.
* In a cantabile song with continuous vibrato (like this one), lower the elbow so that the flat finger comes away perpendicular to the side of the FB. This decreases the need to collapse at the DIP in order to get the fleshy pad on the string.
* Moving down a 5th across strings
- When using a higher finger, stop the lower string with the next lower finger prior to crossing to lower note. Pulling lower string slightly close may help. Sledge finger over without lifting.
- When using 1, keep finger angle flat to FB. Contact on upper string closer to DIP than usual (below callous), though not actually a DS. Roll finger up slightly to catch lower string closer to finger tip.
* Descending qu-ei-ei under slur motif - that is a slur, not a phrase marking. Don't fall away from the eighths. Musically, they should lead to the next qu.
Musical points
* Tempo a little slower than the one I chose. (Initially I played much slower - before video I posted yesterday.)
* Discussed the character I was aiming for. I considered my too-slow tempo lacrimose. (T- calls a too, too slow tempo lugubrious.) Not what I want. I hadn't come up with a good term for my too-fast tempo. Love-sick, perhaps. We discussed the Russian concept of "smiling through the tears", with a short diversion to Chekhov. That called to mind nostalgic as a possibility. I'll work with that this week.
Breval Sonata in C
Technical points
* Open chord string crossing measures (I told you this was my worst part.) Practice as gestures. Character of note (down- or up-bow). Character of next note, after string crossong. Link the notes in tempo. Add the next note. etc. Get in character - oompah band. Enthusiasm!
* Opening chords. In tune!!!! Slight break on 3 notes, big one on 4.
* Opening measures. First note in the string. Full tone. Exciting.
* Need to work on all of the trills.
* Not too short on the slurred up-bow staccatos.
* Add a little staccato in the repeated triplets (piano) to change the character more obviously.
Musical points
* Yes, this piece is at high risk of sounding boring - if I play it that way!
* Make it not boring. Right.
An excellent lesson. My marching orders are clear. I can't wait to practice.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Chanson Triste Baseline
Forgive me for not writing more. This is the first time I've done a video recording (a Digital Elph is a dangerous thing), and I'm feeling overwhelmed at the number of things I had no idea I do when I play. Plus, I'm really tired from my recent travels, and I need to exercise and prepare for my cello lesson this afternoon.
So, feel free to offer constructive criticism now, or to wait until after I post my own critique.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Happy hubby.
Happy me.
Crap shoot
Two hours in Vegas, and not a PacMan in sight. I just don't understand the thrill of watching little pictures go round and round. DH tells me there is an excellent gym here, but it's outside of security, and the security lines can be an hour or longer. What a waste.
So, I'm carrying an extra bag in order to take home two new pairs of running shoes. Since I gottem, I might as well usem. I have run in Nike Air Pegasus since 1981. There were no Pegasus's on sale, so I bought a pair of... Maxair, it says on the side of the shoe, and a pair of the new Free 5.0's I have been wanting to try. So far I have taken 1.5 laps around the D concourse in the Maxairs. They feel fine. New, but fine. Stopped to take a call and charge my phone battery. Too much blogging today.
I notice that many of the pillars in the airport have "This is a smoke-free facility" signs on them. I also notice clouds of smoke wafting from the bars and from the glass-enclosed slot machine islands. The latter remind me of the old patient-waiting areas in the hospital where I trained. We used to call them CIU's, Cancer Incubation Units.
Have you noticed my improved hyphen usage for the past couple of days? I have a bathroom book (you know what I mean) called BUGS in Writing: A Guide to Debugging Your Prose, in which I read about hyphens this week. A timely topic.
I think I have time for one more lap before boarding the last leg.
Somewhere, out there
Here I am, somewhere over America. Well, not am as you are reading this, because I can't connect to the Internet while I am in the air. But am as I am typing. I can't tell where, exactly, over America I am (or was), because of the thick cloud cover below. I remember the first time I flew above the clouds in an airplane. Even with my junior-high-school-level knowledge of geography it didn't seem right that we were flying over Antarctica to get from Pennsylvania to Michigan.
This is the first-class leg of my journey, which I assume is karmic payback for suffering overnight in that cramped coach on the way out. Ordering lunch was interesting. Instead of going from front to rear in an orderly fashion recording choices, the flight attendant flitted randomly from seat to seat. But not randomly. Apparently, this was in order of priority on her list, as she addressed each passenger by name. Alas, I was next-to-last, and had no choice. But I got what I would have chosen, anyway. Let's hear it for liking the road less traveled.
I indulged in a glass of wine with lunch, even though it was before noon on the east coast. After all, it's late afternoon at my destination, and besides, I wanted one. I didn't see the label, but there were kangaroos hopping around the neck of the bottle - a White Tail chardonnay (is that one or two words?)? Must be the wine-of-the-month, as they had the same selection on our Hawaii flights. DH didn't like it, but maybe it was the food. I thought it was fine with the butter and cheese in my sandwich today.
A humongous oatmeal cookie and decent cup of coffee for dessert, and I'm ready to... nap? No, practice. I'm working on memorizing Chansome Triste, by visual, auditory, and intellectual approaches. I've finished reading Cumberland (see sidebar. Unless you are reading this post from the archives, in which case the sidebar will have changed. Instead, look for a book report that I will post later.) and am working on application. My seatmate is sewing away on a doll's quilt, and I am singing. What a creative little corner we have.
It's the big day. Last travel day of my year. I started at dawn, waiting for the bus. Two trains to the airport. (I love the place that Metro crosses over the Potomac, especially in the early morning hours.) On-time departure, and now I'm in Detroit, waiting for the next leg. Should board in 10 minutes or so.
This is probably not very interesting to read, but I wanted to e-mail posts from my Treo, just because I *can*, you see. (Oh, good. Looks like the Blogger gateway is open.)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Yesterday's trio was an All Schubert Day. We started out on string trio reading the Allegro of D471, the only movement completed in that trio, followed by the Minuetto and Rondo of D581 (first version), having made a valiant but unsuccessful attempt at the first two movements. Then the violist wanted a switch so we moved on to the piano trio, Op 99. It was a Bb kind of day. That piano trio has a wicked cello part, and I haven't practiced it at all this month. I think I have a subliminal conviction that it is impossible, so what's the point of practicing? I gave up on trying to read the notes, and just played it by ear, a surprisingly successful strategy. Yesterday, anyway.
I also had P- accompany me on piano while I tried out a couple of recital options, with T- as audience. I found out last week that my music school has two adult recitals coming up in January, one for string players on the 11th, and a second for chamber music on the 25th. My trio there will play the 4th mvmt of Beethoven Op 1 No 1 on the 25th, but the organizer also asked me to consider playing on the 11th. Since my Bach Prelude is nowhere near performance ready, I'm considering a couple of other options.
I don't have a lot of solo performance experience, so I thought I'd choose something that is technically well within my grasp, and that I could confidently buff for performance in only three weeks. My candidates are (1) the 1st mvmt of the Breval Sonata in C, since I worked on it a little this month while both assisting Pink Fluffy Slippers by recording a practice accompaniment track and avoiding my own practice requirements, and (2) Chanson Triste, by Tchaikovsky, a second selection from Suzuki Book 4. My secondary motivation for considering these two pieces is that they are the audition pieces required to get approved to take beginning level Suzuki teacher training.
I haven't played Chanson Triste before, but it is very cellistic, and was the vote by my trio members. (The Breval is actually rather boring as a solo, somewhat better as a cello duet, but that isn't an option.) I played it again for my neighbors yesterday evening, and they enthusiastically endorsed that plan. A-, the 9yo cello player in the family, is really getting into it, choosing to practice rather than almost anything. I hope I provide additional inspiration. So that is my tentative plan. I have until Thursday to commit.
Monday, December 18, 2006
This is nuts
I got to DC early yesterday morning, having spent the night on three flights via Las Vegas. That's the nuts part. I was only a couple thousand miles short of making the next frequent flyer status level. I've heard stories of people booking a flight to Alaska, then turning around and coming home to meet year-end mileage requirements. Maybe next year I'll see if Guanaco is up for a visit. But this year I spent an afternoon researching flight options and discovered that, for a mere $200 (extra) and 26 hours of travel time, I could expand my scheduled trip to DC and get the extra miles. I'll find out next year whether it was worth it. That flight from LAS to DTW in a fully booked coach was pretty miserable.
Today in addition to business I have a rehearsal with my favorite piano/string trio, and tomorrow cello quartet followed by the annual Christmas "party" with my old orchestra. A little seasonal music-reading is what the doctor ordered to call up some Christmas spirit after this month of travel. And after I get some rest I have some thoughts about memorizing music, practice journals, and studio classes I want to post.
Friday, December 15, 2006
My Tarot Card
You are The Wheel of Fortune
Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success
The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Random Observations
1. Hatches on-board ships can be dangerous. One form of injury occurs when the hatch slams down on your hand, fracturing all four proximal phalanges (the finger bones closest to the knuckles). This can be fixed, however, and the construct looks like a set of crossed hairpins, one "X" in each finger.
2. Orthopaedic (and other) surgeons spend one year after they finish their residencies and pass a written exam collecting details about the cases they perform. They submit these cases to an examining committee, and must successfully defend their treatment decisions in an oral examination in order to become board certified. There have been a number of orthopaedic surgeons who spent their entire case collection period in areas of current military operations. That is an interesting set of case decisions to defend! Good news - all of them passed their boards.
3. I saw an interesting poster about hamate fractures (one of the bones in the wrist). This is usually caused by a strong blow to a closed fist. Perusing the list of injury mechanisms, it is reassuring to note that in the midst of current world event, boys will be boys. Four of them had punched a wall, and one a tree.
4. Waikiki beach is still beautiful, though hemmed in by tall buildings in increasing density. It also gets very crowded when the local running club trots by.
5. A Hawaiian Luau features mostly Tahitian Hula. What's up with that?
6. The Honolulu airport has no glass in most of the windows. What a great place to live.
7. When Oahu experiences an earthquake, they turn off the electricity.????
8. When there is a traffic fatality, the highway is closed for the duration of the investigation. If you happen to be in a car on said highway, too bad. People have been known to leave the car on the highway and get a hotel room for the night, returning to retrieve the car the next morning after the highway reopens.
9. Sending blog entries via e-mail is a nice feature, but having to log on to Blogger in order to complete the post kind of defeats the purpose. Scratch that. The last two posts have bounced at the gateway. Fortunately, I had copied the post to my e-mail account and was able to grab the post there and paste into a post when I did get access to a computer. And I can't believe there is no way to mail a photo in.
10. I have a piano trio rehearsal scheduled tomorrow evening, and I haven't touched my cello since last Wednesday. This is going to be painful.
11. I am nearly over my cold, but still have fluid in both ears. More pain anticipated.
That is all.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
One less desirable aspect of the guest bathtub, from the feline perspective, is that the lip around the back of the tub is fairly narrow. I guess I wasn't paying attention when John got bored and tried to walk around behind me, because I was sure surprised to hear a splash and subsequently feel a sudden pain in an otherwise unspecified dorsal aspect of my corpus as he vigorously pushed off out of the tub. Fortunately, I didn't need to wash out the wound. I did help to dry the cat. That's a lot of water to try to lick off.
It occurs to me that my biorhythms must be at a nadir this week. URI, barotrauma to both ears, scalp and posterior person lacerations. What next?
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
I'm not a guy, and I'm not an orthopaedic surgeon, but I found the first session on treatment of trauma in the current areas of conflict to be... simply excellent. You can't imagine the quality, professionalism, and thoughtfulness of these military surgeons. One of my overwhelming impressions from this morning is how proud I am to have served with people like these (including the one I married).
So I'm here in Hawaii in mid December collecting some needed continuing education hours and a few thousand miles toward a higher frequent flyer status for next year. I'm also reveling in a few days respite from winter cold, visiting friends and classmates who are stationed here, reviewing some medicine I haven't thought about since medical school, and enjoying a meeting where there is never a line in the Ladies Room.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Pit stop
I was right about dinner on Saturday night. My taste buds were out of order, but I enjoyed dinner at per se anyway. The wine was excellent, and I focused on the more extroverted tastes in the meal. That's a good tactic for getting through nine courses, anyway.
And now it's Monday. Thanks to the URI I have some residual barotrauma to my ears, which did not clear well on the landing yesterday. My nose is still draining maliciously down the back of my throat. And last night after scooping kitty litter under those lovely spiral stairs you may have noticed in previous photos I stood up short and hit the top of my head on one of the oak posts. Hard. Today I have a healing 1 cm. laceration and a very sore crown. But nevertheless, I'm leaving for Honolulu in two hours, so I had better go pack.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
I hate being sick
Yes, it's cold in NYC this week. I brought my parka knowing that it is not at all fashionable, but I've been intercepting lots of envious looks. Unfortunately, I've not been much up to going out, now being at day 4 of an upper respiratory infection. I used to tell my patients that a typical cold lasts a week, but if we add treatment with "x" medication we could probably shorten it to 7 days. (I'm easily amused.) Three more days to go, so I'm expecting the worst today and tomorrow. Too bad I won't be able to taste the lovely dinner we have planned for this evening.
Another cello sighting yesterday. We went to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Circle in the Square last night. The band consisted of keyboard, a reed doubler (mostly clarinet and sax), one cello, and percussion. The cello played pretty steadily, more countermelody and harmony than rhythm, and an occasional solo line. Wonderful instrument. It's amazing what one string player adds.
Friday, December 08, 2006
OK, I'm traveling. And I'm posting. Maybe. That depends upon whether my Treo can handle Blogger Dashboard. I like the feature of being able to e-mail my posts, but last time I tried this I still had to edit and publish through Dashboard.
I'm sitting at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square thumb typing on said Treo. NYC is enjoying a seasonal cold snap. The westerly winds were so brisk around this corner of the hotel last night that I thought I was sleeping in a wind tunnel. That led to some interesting dreams, I'll tell you.
This morning I caught a few minutes of the Today show with my breakfast coffee. They were broadcasting a number by Il Divo. I'm not big on vocal groups, but these are four guys who sounded like a classical answer to the Back Street Boyz. They were performing on a Persian rug covering an outdoor bandstand, surrounded by a 20+ piece orchestra who seemed to be all women. Very cold women, dressed in wool coats and hats and playing with gloves on. Sure looked that way in a closeup on one of the violinists, anyway. I didn't see any short fingers on those gloves. The orchestra was playing with great enthusiasm - probably to stay warm!
I think it's time to hit the streets in my hardy midwestern parka.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
There she goes
powered by ODEO
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Trip to the vet
Today was Round 2 of Feline Leukemia Virus vaccine. The master tactician (that would be me) succeeded in boxing up all three cats in under 15 minutes. I always worry that I'll fail, we'll arrive too late for our appointment, and be denied access. That's probably a little leftover neurosis from my youth (my mother was never on time for *anything*). But having done this a couple of times now I think I've got a routine:
(1) Brush Cricket where she is napping at the foot of the bed; snag her and carry to open box in the next room.
(2) Pick gentle John up off the top of the cat tree and put into second box.
(3) Close all bedroom doors and disassemble the bed in order to extricate Madeleine from underneath it. After several minutes of chase, corner her by the door and carry a large squirming kitty who doesn't like to held under any circumstances 10 feet to place in the last box.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Break dancing
It's Tummy Tuesday. To see more of the (feline) sunny-side-up variety, visit LisaViolet.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Wedding gig
On Saturday I attended the wedding of a close cello friend. We were stand partners for a long time, he on the inside and I in the outside seat. (I'm thinking six years, but that could be just a magic number I am pulling out of the air.) I taught him everything he knows about turning pages. Having played in a cello trio at one of his employees' weddings, he thought it would be a shame to waste all of that prior experience, and he would like to have his old trio play at his own wedding. The bride agreed to have us, but would not part with the groom for the purpose of the musical interlude, so he recruited a fellow student to take his place and we dusted off the old trio books. I played Cello 3.
I wonder how many gigging cello trios there are? It's certainly not the first combo that comes to mind, but I think it's rather pleasant for background music. We are playing as the crowd is gathering, prior to their trooping outside for the ceremony (hence the background chatter in the clip). In fact, it may be better than an ordinary string trio or a flute trio, as the violin and flute would be much more demanding of attention in their higher registers.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Cello lesson
Today at my lesson I only worked on the Prelude to the 2nd suite. I had a few moments of insight where I realized that I am trying too hard. And many more moments of frustration that without trying the notes elude me. One of my teacher's studio rules is that you come in when you get there, and great if you're there for part of the preceding student's lesson. And you are welcome to stay into the next lesson as long as you like. It just happened that the student following me both last year and this is the same high school sophomore. Last year she was working on the Saint-Seans concerto, and this year on Lalo, as well as Lee, Grutzmacher, and Duport etudes that are still well in my future. It is so incredibly valuable to see a more advanced student learning. Not only do I get a taste of the "next" technique, but I see both her and my teacher applying the technique that I am currently learning so that I can build on it in the future, without the distraction of my own playing.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
How I practice scales
I adopted my current scale routine when I began working with my current teacher, a year and a month ago. I practiced scales before that, but somewhat haphazardly. He had me start with E major, shortly followed by c# natural minor, 4 octaves, to learn the standard (Duport) scale fingering that does not use open strings. I play with the metronome at 88, which provides an optimum bow speed for producing a rich sound with four beats/bow, as follows:
* half notes, changing note every-other note, i.e. not on the bow change
* quarter notes, four notes/bow
* eighth notes in three patterns:
- 8 notes/bow, repeat the octave
- 7 notes/bow, change on the octave
- 8 notes/bow, as it comes, starting down then up bow
I run through this every time I practice scales (daily!), then do the 4 octave arpeggio using the fingering 1st note - 1,3 or 4,2 - 1,3,2 - 1,3,2 - 1,2,3 where "-" indicates the shift. I do this in a variety of patterns from half notes to eighth notes, sometimes repeating the note at the string crossing and sometimes not.
It's a little more complicated than that, because I'll also apply a number of practice techniques to isolate troublesome shifts, or eighth notes, or intonation, or tone quality (especially in violin range), depending on the time available and what sounds worst on any given day. I usually do only one scale each day, currently d minor (to complement my Bach), and it takes 20-40 minutes.
Some days I add (attempt) thirds in double stops or triplets in double stop fingerings, and also broken thirds, but only for E MAJ. I haven't tried those in my lesson yet. If I'm really feeling ambitious I'll try other things from Yampolsky, like subdominant and dominant arpeggios, or more rarely sixths in double stops.
What about you? I TAG any musicians reading this blog to describe your scale routine.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
I had no idea that some cats like an extra stretch until my cat sitter demonstrated that point with John one day. She picks the cat up around the front shoulders, letting the rear feet hang free. Some cats don't like that, but others, John included, stretch front feet to the ceiling and back feet to the floor. It looks like a reflex to me, but he seems to like it. Since she started it he has developed the habit of stretching his front feet out to indicate it's time to get down, then allowing you to rotate him heels over head to the floor.
Here he goes...
It's Tummy Tuesday. To see more of the (feline) sunny-side-up variety, visit LisaViolet.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Over Thanksgiving week I had the opportunity to play with a different trio. This one is interesting because the violist is also an accomplished pianist, so we might work on either piano or string trios when we get together. We've played together in various group combinations for five or so years, but rehearse only every month or two since I've moved from the area. It is a real pleasure to play with them because we are fairly well matched in our level of musicianship, and are all decent sight readers. This time we were a string trio, and Beethoven Op 3 was on tap. That gave us a chance to play movements we have been working on for a year or two, as well as to read the last couple that we haven't gotten to yet. The violinist is recovering from a knee replacement in October, and is just getting back to playing, so when we finished all 6 movements we thought it a very good night. What makes this group so much fun to read with is that we are all very good at staying out of each others' way, regardless of the technical difficulties in our own parts. That is not such an easy skill to develop, and I really miss them.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
During the extended stays of my first groups of foster kittens, I found myself wishing for something they could climb on and scratch to bits, first while they were confined to the office, and later when I loosed them in the general vicinity of my furniture. I figured it also wouldn't hurt to have something to entice my resident cats away from the couch. And since they are primarily indoor cats (primarily with respect to Cricket's occasional rooftop forays) it would be nice to find something they would enjoy playing on in addition to scratching, both to increase their general activity level and to "enrich their environment."
So, early in Thanksgiving week I took delivery of two pieces of Custom Cat Purrrniture. This is constructed of recycled spindles and beams, and covered with carpet remnants. It is large and heavy, and sturdy enough to withstand multiple climbing and flying felines without tipping. The proprietor gives a 30-day money back guarantee, but not the usual kind. Instead of allowing you to return it without question within 30 days, he requires you to keep it for 30 days and if your cat won't use it within that time frame he'll take it back. Well, I won't be able to return mine. John was inside the base of one unit within 30 seconds of it entering the house. It hadn't even been moved to its place yet.
Do you see the hole in the platform John is sitting on in the office? That's the third level up on the Orbitor, and his favorite thing to do so far is to enter the base and shoot up through the spindle. Or launch. Whoosh. It's quite entertaining.
This post is cited in this week's Carnival of the Cats, hosted by Scribblings.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Bow bugs
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Having gotten that far, the next thing I have started working on this week are the bridges, the few notes that tie together what I can play to the tricky bit, or the transition from one tricky bit to another. An example.
The etude begins with four measures in first position followed by four measures of the same notes an octave higher played in thumb position, with the thumb on the half-string harmonic. The first note of the first passage is open string G followed by 4th finger D on the A string, and the first note of the repeated motif is harmonic G followed by 3d finger D on the A string. This week I have spent all of my practice time on this etude just getting the following steps:
Step 1: play open G with hand loosely in 1st position, play harmonic G with the thumb (get the location)
Step 2: play step 1 followed by 3d finger D on the A string (get the hand position)
Step 3: play the last few notes of the first passage (which includes a shift to 2nd position) then step 2 (get the shift)
Step 4: play step 3 then the next few notes in the second passage
Step 5: play both passages
It still amazes me how long it takes the muscles to be able to do this reliably, and then it amazes me again to see how reliable it is once that happens. This is what keeps me coming back to the cello.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Practice assistant
This is the room I used to practice in. This is the chair I used to sit on to practice. This is a space occupying lesion. John, my music-loving cat, came to listen to me practice, and stayed to push me off my chair. As you can see, there wasn't much room left for a cello player there.
It's Tummy Tuesday. To see more of the (feline) sunny-side-up variety, visit LisaViolet.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Running in the cold
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Practice Quote
Confront Your Confusion in
The Deeper I Go the Deeper It Gets
Jamie Andreas
Friday, November 17, 2006
Bug hunt
This week's lesson focused on my scale and the Bach prelude (2nd Suite). Last week I convinced my teacher that Bach wasn't ready for a semi-private airing yet (phew) and I am so glad I found a way to get past the PAS and work on it a little this week. Not a bad technique, really, especially because it doesn't feel like practicing. Exactly. In his most recent book Philip Johnston calls it a Bug Hunt, but he used to call it The Spot Method. I like the new moniker. After my bug hunt I had widely-spaced groups of red dots in the middle section, and had given up and drawn a red line over the dozen bars after the cadence 2/3 of the way through.
The dots are only part of the process, of course. For the rest of the week (what little remained) I limited my practice to only measures that had red dots (or bars) above them. I need to get over the fear that if I don't continually practice what I can already play I will forget it. It's so inefficient. But so much more fun than struggling with the hard stuff.
I got my reward. I was able to play through the entire movement when directed to do so. Not without error yet, but it was great progress. I did laughingly warn my teacher that I was sure I could play it through as long as he didn't care what notes I played, and of course his first comment was on my shaky intonation in a couple of sections. Picky, picky. But then we got on to the cool technical moment and I learned how to do something he called up-bow continuation. It's a way of leaving the bow distribution uneven when you play more notes in one direction than the other. Not exactly a new concept, but it seemed very illuminating in that context. A good day. As soon as the glow of accomplishment wears off I'll go practice again.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Madeleine has always been shy. Although she's the Grande Dame of my house at seven years old, she has given up the dominant status to each new cat as they have successively arrived. DH calls her our 'Fraidy Cat. She is startled even by his footsteps. (Though not mine. Wonder why?) I should have suspected she would be like this when we had to move a very large stack of hay bales she was hiding behind in order to extricate her from the barn. Though she runs from strangers, she is very loving to both of us, and also to my mother and sisters. It's curious that she hides from his family members, but takes to mine immediately. Is it their smell? Our collective aura?
The occasion for this entry is that we finally have caught a video clip of Madeleine begging. She has done this ever since she was a kitten, no training required. You'll never see this in person, but you get to see it here.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Gp 3 Update
I knew last week that my PAS was getting out of hand. I had a concert on Monday, and thus those orchestral pieces I listed a while back to perfect. And I have started working on the 2nd Bach Suite as my big project in my lessons. That in itself is wonderful. I love that suite, especially the prelude, and it's a delight to finally feel ready to work on it. But I can't just play it into perfection, and I'm still devising practice strategies for this kind of music. And I've felt disappointment that I'm not getting this faster emanating from the general direction of my teacher in the past couple of lessons. (Is it real or Memorex? His disappointment or my projection?)
So, thank you PFS for this completely irrelevant Breval project. It reminds me how well I can work on something that nobody cares about but me. And at least I'm practicing something!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Breval Session 2
I would prioritize my remaining tasks as follows:
1) double string crossings in m. 29-30
2) bring the triplets up to speed
3) add the bowing to the triplets in m. 27
4) bring the whole passage up to performance tempo
I have decided that my final performance tempo will be quarter note = 120 bpm.
Some cellists would find the fast triplets to be the most difficult technical aspect of this piece. For me, it's the double string crossings. I find the combination of left and right hand challenges to be very awkward, especially at a fast tempo. So I would choose working on that as my next task. But as before, I would try to sort out the left and right hands separately. As an aside, I find that the Suzuki books often have good preparatory suggestions for the method pieces. I was a little disappointed in the prep etude for string crossings in book 4. It's just more of the same, which I guess means I'm disappointed it doesn't break it down far enough for my needs. Another exercise for the student, so here I go.
Right hand first. I know that the goal of an efficient string crossing is to play on the "inside" of each string, inside being the closest side of one string to the next string played. Double stops can be invaluable for training the amount of right elbow motion needed to achieve this. (This is true whether you are crossing one string or three.)
Step 1: Analyze the double stops I need. I see both measures are identical except for the dynamics. In each case, the first three pairs of notes alternate from the G string to the A, and the last pair is from the C string to the D. For double stops I will play in eighth notes GD DA GD DA GD DA CG GD.
Step 2: Observe my right elbow motion (height) while playing repeated AD double stops. Then when playing repeated DG double stops. (There is a reason that mirror was conveniently in front of me when I took that picture of John in my last post.)
Step 3: More slowly, alternate DG downbow, pause, lift elbow to AD height while pivoting the bow on the D string, AD upbow. Pause, lower elbow to GD height with bow pivot on the D string, GD downbow. Etc. Set the metronome as slow as necessary so that I don't feel rushed. Stay at the slow tempo until my elbow no longer overshoots its mark and I no longer have the tendency to "lift" the bow between string pairs. Then increase the metronome speed in steps to the intermediate target of 72 bpm. Repeat the entire process for the DG and GC pairs.
Step 4: Alternate playing down GD up DA with down CG up GD, first slowly then gradually up to 72 bpm with eighth note ds.
Step 5: Play the ds pattern I need at 72 bpm. Might start more slowly then increase speed if I can't do it right off. GD/DA GD/DA GD/DA CG/GD repeat
Left hand. Before I go on to cross strings without double stop, I'll learn the fingering. String heights change just enough when the strings are stopped that you have to recalculate crossings, anyway. The key to left hand efficiency in fast double stops is to keep a finger down once it is placed until you need to use it again.
Step 6: analyze left arm motion. Play double stop down GD up DB back and forth (1 down on B). Then down BD up DD (3 down on B, 4 down on D together). Then down AD up DC (1 down on A, 2 down on C together). Then down DG up GF# (1 down on D, 3 down on B together). What I see is a slight rise in my left elbow with each subsequent pair, then drop and repeat the same sequential rise for the second measure.
Step 7: Practice playing the pairs of double stops in order, no tempo, with pause in between. Focus on keeping fingers down together for each pair of double stops. My fingers would move something like: 1 down (B), 3 down (B) 4 down (D), 1 up then down (A), 4 up, 2 down (C) 1 up then down (D), 3 down F#. Next measure open G, then 1 up then down (B), 3 up then down (B), then as before. When I can do this and still be relaxed, start at very slow metronome and gradually speed up to 72 bpm. Have I maintained the elbow motion I saw in Step 6? If not, find the tension I have introduced and eliminate it by going back to slower and building up again.
Step 8: Continue at 72 bpm. Alternate playing the pairs of notes as double stops for a measure then clean string crossings for a measure. I should not be able to see a noticeable difference between the arm motions from one measure to another.
A lot of words, but by writing them down I feel like I understand a good approach to the problem. Not only that, but I tried it out before I sat down to write, and can play those measures up to near my target of 120 bpm. A good night's work, I think.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Practice buddy
All of my cats have at least tolerated my practicing, though the females have consistently liked it less than the males. I know that in humans women have more sensitive high frequency hearing than men (on average), so I wonder if cats have a similar gender difference. None of my cats care for the violin, at least the way I play it. They'll stick around for a bit of Bach in the lower register, but as soon as I hit the E string - whooosh! - they're out of the room. That would be consistent with cats having more sensitive high frequency hearing than humans (on average.) Good thing for them I primarily play the cello. However, I think that given their druthers they would rather I switch to piano. I have a lot more company when I'm practicing my rudimentary keyboard skills or having piano trio rehearsal at my house than I ever do when I'm practicing my cello.
That said, John is a special musician's cat. Generally, when I start practicing he comes running in from wherever he is to be with me while I play. Usually he's calm, but a couple of things set him off. When I was working on Duport #2 in f# min he regularly howled and tried to climb my back. Really. Ripped holes in a couple of T-shirts. Imagine my amazement when he did the same thing while I was improvising on the black keys of the piano. Just goofing off, but in a modal version of the same key. Do you think he has perfect pitch? I used to think my Duport was just really horrible. This photo and clip show him in more typical practice mode.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Thinking out loud
Anyway, I've spent a good part of the past year learning and trying to apply ways to practice more efficiently. (When you start late you don't want to waste time.) So I thought it would be fun to devise a plan for attacking this section. After I write it down I can decide whether I've learned anything. Any musicians reading this entry may feel free to criticize (constructively!!!)
I'm going to limit my practice to measures 25-31. I have a very bad habit of playing on from whenever I start, so I will even put a sticky note over the measures before and after to fight that tendency. Then I divide the problems into three general categories: notes, bowing, and rhythm. Or left hand, right hand, and brain.
I won't spend much time focusing on notes. The critical thing about notes when you are needing to bring a section up to speed is that you decide on one fingering and stick to it. I would play everything in this section in 1st position, so that's straight-forward. I just need to remember to play the recurrent F#'s (noting that I've actually been in the key of G since measure 11.) I might play a G MAJ scale from open G to D on the A string a couple of times to get the finger patterns set, but will leave repetitions of the notes until later in rhythm study.
Rhythm is the biggest problem in this section. Taking Ms. MacKinnon's advice to heart, I need to figure out how to practice the rhythm without having to also think about the notes and the bowing. So I'll start with testing away from the cello. Can I say the rhythm with the metronome? I'd start with a tempo under performance speed, but fast enough to get the character of the piece. 72 bpm (quarter note) is good. Although I usually use the word "trip-e-let" in my head when I am reading triplets, when it's really tricky I revert to food. So quarter = "prune", 2 eighths = "jel-lo", and an eighth note triplet = "pine-ap-ple".
Step 1: MM=72 practice going back and forth between foods OUT LOUD. So, prune, prune, jello, jello, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, jello, jello, prune, prune, etc. Mix 'em up; try to trip yourself.
Step 2: MM=72 Say the measures OUT LOUD: one-two and jello jello |prune pineapple pineapple pineapple| pineapple pineapple pineapple pineapple | pineapple pineapple pineapple pineapple | jello jello jello jello | jello jello jello jello | pineapple pineapple pineapple pineapple | If I can't say it from the notes immediately, I'd write it out like this and just read it to the metronome. If I still can't say it out loud, I'd slow the metronome down enough so that I could.
Step 3: MM=72 Say the measures OUT LOUD while clapping at the same time.
Step 4: MM=72 If this was really hard or I really wanted to be obsessive, say the measures OUT LOUD while clapping the rhythm AND walking around the room (or marching in place), one step per beat (quarter note.) [You might think this is silly, but IT WORKS. Both your rhythm and your coordination will improve.]
Step 5: Play the rhythms on the cello, using open strings only. Play the triplets on open G and everything else on open D. Or pick another pattern. Do this until I can play it correctly 3 times in a row (or pick another target.) (Optional: say the rhythm out loud while playing. Personally, I would do that only if I couldn't just play it the first time.)
At this point I should have the rhythm down pretty well. I might test it by playing the notes in rhythm but NOT playing the slurs and NOT playing the string crossings in m. 29-30 yet. For these measures I might just double the lower notes of the two (also a good fake if I need to play the piece with someone before I've worked out those string crossings.) I'm still concentrating on the rhythm.
Next it's time to look at the bowing problems. But not tonight. This post is long enough, and I still want to practice.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Winter is coming
Last weekend was a perfect running weekend. I ran outside both days, and it was warm enough for a walk around the pond behind my house to cool down and enjoy the weather afterward. As we crossed a foot bridge at the last turn I noticed that the water appeared unusually lumpy. Lumpy water? Took the old eyes down close enough to get a good look, and discovered the lumps were rocks that someone had tossed on top of the ice on the pond. Ice? I guess it's getting pretty cold at nights. My outside running days this season are numbered.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Practice Quote (deja vu)
This is a paragraph in a newsletter I was reading tonight, "Clicker Trainers Use No Punishment" and Other Training Myths by Melissa Alexander:
To get a truly reliable behavior, there's only one way to do it. Practice with intent. Generalize the behavior. Practice in the conditions in which you need the behavior reliable. Work on latency. Keep records and train until you've achieved the level of reliability you need, whether it's nine of ten or 999 of 1000.
Practice Quote
Lilias MacKinnon
Music By Heart (1938)
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Big and Little
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Kahlil Gibran
Last day
If you had been watching the weight chart for Group 3 (I know you haven't, as it's buried deep in the October archive) you would have seen that Charlotte, the smallest kitten, weighed more than 2 lbs on Monday. They're going back to the shelter today for their spay and neuter operations tomorrow morning, and they'll probably be out ready for adopting on Friday. I'll miss the little buggers, as always. They are enjoying a fine day of playing all over the house while intermittently napping in the office, where I am working. I'm very pleased how this group turned out. From shy, bitey kittens who didn't like to be held they've turned into lap-seeking motorheads who play with soft paws (sheathed nails), mouth gently without biting, use a scratching box consistently, and stay off the dining room table most of the time. They will make very good pets, and I hope each finds someone to love them.
I asked for a couple of extra days with them to decrease a possible stressor on my bigs. I received the sad news last week that two of the kittens from Group 1 have tested positive for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). Ordinarily the shelter tests Mom, and if she is negative the kittens aren't tested individually. In this case, Mom was negative but the kittens eventually tested positive after being adopted. The bigs went to the vet today to be tested, and I'll spare you the suspense... they are negative (very happy smile.) But they *hate* being crated and transported, and I didn't want to add a recent experience of seeing littles boxed up and not returning. So that's all done, and the kittens go back tonight.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Another reason to love...
Doesn't she look great with a red cello case?
My cello case doesn't usually sit upstairs by the rail, but I had dropped it at the way station after orchestra rehearsal. This year I have scheduled my piano lesson, my cello lesson, and an orchestra rehearsal all on the same day. The two lessons are in the same place, with a 1.5 hour break between, so I pack a lunch and rent a practice room for an hour. That's a long day, so it's no wonder the cello stops upstairs while I grab dinner.
This semester in orchestra we are playing Dvorak Symphony No. 8 (old 4), the Grieg Pomp and Circumstance, Overture to Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (that would be the one who lived from 1854 to 1921), and Winter from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The Dvorak is an old friend, my third time through it. I'm relatively new with this orchestra, so it's been nice that my first two large pieces were Beethoven's Pastorale Symphony and this Dvorak, both of which I've been through with two other orchestras. And both of which have complex and exposed cello parts that I have had plenty of time to work out the puzzles of. You will recognize the slow bits of P&C as what you commonly hear at high school graduations, but I'll bet you didn't know that the opening and interludes are fast and tricky. H & G also has some parts that I think are too fast for me to play accurately yet. I haven't given up, but for now I practice them slowly to get the notes, fast in short bursts to get the gestures, then during rehearsals keep my bow and fingers moving in the right rhythm and hope for the best with the notes. Winter is rather fun. Our soloist is a recent Eastman grad who has recently moved back to the area, and whose Dad plays in the viola section.
I know that has nothing to do with cats, but I don't want to leave you with the impression that kittens are my entire life. They're just a very fun part of it.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Robert K. Cooper
The Other 90%
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Tuxedos large and small
Eyes: peridot green
Ears: black with white ear hairs
Nose: black
Face: black
Chin: white
Brows and whiskers: white
Tummy: white with a black "heart"
Front feet: short white socks
Back feet: white stockings
Paw pads: black
Tail: short and thick
Eyes: golden green
Ears: black with black ear hairs
Nose: black
Face: black
Chin: black with a white "dribble" down the right
Brows and whiskers: white, except mostly black right brow
Tummy: white
Front feet: white socks, a little longer than Cricket
Back feet: black with one or two white toe tips
Paw pads: black
Tail: very long and very skinny
Eyes: muddy green
Ears: black with white ear hairs
Nose: pink with a black beauty mark
Face: white to eyes and forehead
Chin: black
Brows and whiskers: white
Tummy: white
Front feet: short white socks
Back feet: high white stockings with black posterior knee pads
Paw pads: black center, pink toes
Tail: still growing, but more like Cricket. Often looks like a bottle brush.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Peter Howard
Friday, November 03, 2006
Time spent with a cat is never wasted
I'm sitting here acting primarily as a bed for kittens, so of course I find that quote at this minute to be resonating. But when did Colette say this, and upon what occasion? I recently listened to an audiobook recording of Claudine At School, and I can assure you it wasn't there. Don't you love life A.I., anno Internet? You have a question, you look up the answer. Unfortunately, all I've found so far is an interesting wikipedia entry (I didn't know all that) and a million websites listing cat quotations.
Questions 1 Inquiring Minds 0.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Frank R. Wilson
Tone Deaf and All Thumbs?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Littles rule the world
Yesterday the floor, tomorrow the world. Today littles rule the high ground. One of many fun things about taking care of kittens is that each day is like having a whole new group, they grow so much overnight. The bigs gave up without a fight. I suspect it is overwhelming to be confronted with that much concentrated energy. Now that this group is healthy, they are either asleep, or in motion.
Playing under a chair is so passe.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
All the world's a toy
One dose of Flagyl to go. I don't know if you remember Lotus demonstrating the kitty wrap and med administration a few weeks ago, but that is not what it looks like with these three. Sheila is starting to get it, but with the other two it's a fight the entire time. I'll be glad when we don't have to do this anymore.
Now that the diarrhea is better I'm letting the kittens explore the house. This is a hoot. The littles own the floor and the bigs stay up high to observe. And when a kitten is learning, everything is a toy. I have skirted chairs at the dining room table. See how much fun that is.
Monday, October 30, 2006
William James
Saturday, October 28, 2006
OK, not a disaster. Minor catastrophe, maybe. I was gone all day to attend a workshop by Susan Kempter on childhood development and targeting music teaching strategies. I left the kittens in the office with the door closed. Unfortunately, while they were playing they also managed to close the door to the Nursery. AKA the bathroom. AKA the room with the litter box and food. Poor kitties. They were starving and thirsty. There were two pools of urine on some bubblewrap on the floor. And a small pile of feces in the "canyon" of computer wires. Yuck. That was a pain to clean up. The good news is that the stool had really firmed up since starting Flagyl for presumed giardia on Thursday. The potentially bad news is that I can't imagine that is all the excrement in eight hours from three kittens who would usually fill a litterbox in that time. And I haven't found any more yet. The very good news is that they were ravenously hungry, and their weights today reflect their improved appetites since Thursday. Always a silver lining.
This photo is of the three imps where I often find them sleeping upon my return to the office. It's the chair I sit in while working at the computer.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Circle ball
We've reached a number of milestones in the past few days. Seamus and Charlotte can get out of the tub, though they still haven't figured out it's easier to jump up on the back where the seat is a little lower. Seems like Group 1 got that in no time. All can jump up onto a chair, and I see that Charlotte has made it up to the window sill and discovered the pulls for the blinds. And as of last night all can pull themselved over the box barricade at the door, so the office door has to be shut until I'm ready to let them into the house at large. We are heading up to the shelter shortly to have their persistent diarrhea checked out, and they'll get house privileges after that has resolved.
D loaned me a popular cat toy that consists of a ping pong ball enclosed in a plastic track. It's been sitting out all week, but they finally figured out how it works yesterday.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Gp 3 Day 7
Socialization is proceding well. The amount of biting is decreasing. Everyone has a nice relaxation response to being picked up. Seamus finally purred, quietly, not to be confused with the rumbles his sisters produce. And there is definite lap-seeking behavior when they get tired, my favorite part.
Group 3 is still confined to the Nursery and adjacent office. I thought about getting a baby gate, but instead rigged up a make-shift barricade of boxes and a wooden stool to keep them confined while allowing access to big cats and people, as well as visual access to their space. Seeing Cricket swoop over the wall is a thing of beauty. John, on the other hand...
Monday, October 23, 2006
These kittens have a bit of an oral fetish. When they are either tired or overstimulated they bite my fingers - hard. And they rootle each other, trying to nurse. If they clamped down on Mom like they do on my fingers, no wonder they were found alone! The good news is, I have usually been successful at stopping this behavior with enough time and consistency. What I do: when they nip, I take my hand away. If they keep pursuing, I set them down. My verbal cue that this is about to happen is "Ouch." Eventually, when I say Ouch they stop. Really. The behavioural term for this is negative punishment: removing something the animal values (petting) in order to decrease the occurrence of an unwanted behaviour. The most important part is the consistency. No mouthing, period, or you end up with an intermittent reinforcement schedule, which will make the behavior even harder to eradicate.
As to the rootling, that is not uncommon in kittens who have been removed from Mom at this young age. However, D assures me that early removal can also be a good thing, making it easier to socialize kittens who have not had previous human contact.
And OBTW, the other human member of my household thought Shariah was too feminine-sounding, so tkfkas (the kitten formerly known as Shariah) is now named Seamus.


text:
Thursday, 02 November 2017
Dr Kenneth Y T Lim and his team were invited to visit a school in Punjab, India from 17-21 July 2017. They conducted workshops with teachers at the Delhi Public School in Amritsar, Punjab on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Dr Lim also conducted workshops for about 20 Science and Mathematics teachers. The teachers were introduced to Dr Lim's Six Learnings curriculum design framework as they discussed how to integrate STEM objectives into their lessons. His team was also involved in the early stages of the school's design of the Makerspace based on his OER project "Extending the Six Learnings curriculum design framework and the Disciplinary Intuitions theory of learning".
Dr Kenneth Lim and his team working with teachers of the Delhi Public School in Amritsar.

subset: commoncrawl


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By Thomas Uher,Adam S. Zantis
Planning is a crucial administration functionality and its powerful execution is important to make sure the good fortune of any undertaking. This moment variation of Thomas Uher's and Adam Zantis' textbook keeps its specialize in operational instead of strategic elements of programming and scheduling of tasks, offering the reader with the sensible making plans abilities had to be profitable.
Unlike so much different textbooks that mostly specialise in the serious course procedure, Programming and Scheduling Techniques incorporates a entire overview of more than a few practices used all over the world. issues lined during this completely revised version include:
- deterministic scheduling suggestions together with the bar chart, the serious course process, the severe chain technique, the a number of task chart and the road of balance
- a comparison of the severe course and important chain scheduling techniques
- options for computer-based scheduling
- stochastic scheduling thoughts together with the severe course procedure in line with Monte Carlo simulation and this system assessment and overview method (PERT)
- risk in scheduling
- work study.
By protecting a extensive diversity of scheduling innovations this ebook is appropriate for these making plans tasks in any undefined, quite in interdisciplinary or foreign contexts.
Learning actions, step by step courses, and a downloadable solutions e-book be certain no reader is left at the back of. Written for college kids learning undergraduate and postgraduate structure, development, construction/project administration, volume surveying, estate improvement and civil engineering courses.
Light Metals 2012 (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series) by Carlos Suarez
By Carlos Suarez
Der Elektromotor im Hybridfahrzeug: Vergleich von drei by Harald Petschnik
By Harald Petschnik
Elektromotors im Hybridfahrzeug. Die Anforderungen an den Elektromotor sowie drei unterschiedliche Elektromotorentypen, die in serienreifen Automobilen bzw. Neuentwicklungen zum Einsatz kommen, werden hinsichtlich Aufbau, Wirkungsweise und Wirtschaftlichkeit untersucht. Um einen direkten Vergleich der drei unterschiedlichen Motorentypen hinsichtlich ihrer functionality zu erhalten, wurden diese in einem jeweils baugleichen Go-Kart getestet. Die Auswertung der Testergebnisse ergab, dass die Synchronmaschine mit Permanentmagneten, unter Berücksichtigung des Bewertungskriteriums elektrischer Wirkungsgrad, knapper Testsieger vor der geschalteten Reluktanzmaschine wurde. Der Wirkungsgrad des Elektromotors leistet einen hohen Beitrag zum Gesamtwirkungsgrad des Fahrzeuges. Das Testergebnis bestätigte die Auswahl der
Synchronmaschine, für den elektrisch effizientesten Elektroantrieb im Hybridfahrzeug.
RFID-Baulogistikleitstand: Forschungsbericht zum Projekt by Manfred Helmus,Agnes Kelm,Lars Laußat,Anica Meins-Becker
By Manfred Helmus,Agnes Kelm,Lars Laußat,Anica Meins-Becker


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Celebrate the beginning of fall at the Town of Kennebunk's annual HarvestFest on Saturday, October 13! Having volunteered at this event myself I can say that it is filled with fun, family friendly activities throughout the day. Examples include, pumpkin decorating, face painting, scavenger hunt, parade and more! I look forward to seeing you there! Click Continue Reading to see the HARVESTFEST flyer below.
Tag: Fun
West Kennebunk FAMILY FUN DAY!
The West Kennebunk Village Committee means it when they say "Join us for a Day of Fun"! They deliver on this promise by offering a wide variety of activities for everyone of all ages on Saturday, August 4 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm on Alfred Road in West Kennebunk. There will be a pancake breakfast, face painting, bounce houses, watermelon eating contests, crafters, a parade and MUCH MORE! Click Continue Reading to see their FAMILY FUN DAY flyer below.
Looking for something fun to do this coming weekend? Then head on down to Wells Harbor Park (331 Harbor Road) to enjoy a day full of FREE games & activities on Saturday, July 28 from 11:00am-4:00pm! Click Continue Reading to see their HARBORFEST flyer below. Continue reading "HARBORFEST – WELLS, MAINE"


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Much of the world's population lacks adequate clean water, either because of physical scarcity or because they are denied equitable access to water resources. Such conditions inevitably breed conflict. Water-related violence is common in many parts of the world and is generally expected to...More
©2019 Catholic Relief Services228 W. Lexington St. Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3443877-435-7277[email protected]
Catholic Relief Services eases suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.
We are the official overseas relief and development agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and a member of Caritas Internationalis and the National Catholic Development Conference.


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Cute blonde Audrey. This babe has extraordinary tight body, small perky tits and so pretty face! This cute blonde audrey pictures has 330 x 470 61 kb Jpeg. Cute blonde audrey is a popular picture for wallpaper. If you have a problem about intellectual property, child pornography or immature images with any of these pictures, please send report email to webmaster at Sexpornimages.com, we will remove it immediately.
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Jefree Burks is accused of shooting Amber Flores to death on Van Fleet Street in late February.
Court documents allege Burks was seen hanging out of an SUV shooting at the car Flores and her boyfriend were in. The car continued on hitting a tree before coming to a stop. Her boyfriend Dejaven Pratt survived but was critically injured.
RELATED: Man accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend was denied
Marci Mendez is Flores' aunt but at just 10 years older, she said they were more like sisters.
"She was a 19-year-old just finding her way in life, excited about becoming a new mom," Mendez said.
Investigators allege Burks knew Flores was pregnant at the time of the shooting.
Mendez said Flores was four months into her pregnancy and already had baby names chosen.
"We found out the gender, unfortunately, when she passed. So, she was going to have a boy and she was going to name him Noah," she said.
Now, the family's focus is on justice. Burks is set to be arraigned Tuesday.
"She will always live on through us," Mendez said.
Investigators believe others are involved in the case, possibly in the vehicle with Burks as he allegedly shot.
The family is asking anyone with information about the case to contact Crimestoppers.
Report a typo to the ABC13 staff


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All items will be delivered to the Leona Cox Community School front office:
Leona Cox Community School
18643 Oakmoor Street
Santa Clarita, CA 91351
Phone: 661.252.2100
There is no charge for shipping.
Personalized garment items are non-returnable.
Any items to be returned must be labeled with a Return Authorization # and dropped off or shipped to BrandUSpiritwear.com at:
28241 Crown Valley Suite F
Laguna Niguel, California 92677
Phone: 877.347.0103 ext.3


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Let this web site spoil anyone utilizing this type of Cool Outdoor Chairs image collection which often boasting fantastic dwelling designs. For anybody that need a good dream home style and design, this Cool Outdoor Chairs photo collection could be the correct source of recommendations. Fulfill your private drive by figuring out just about every image with Cool Outdoor Chairs picture stock perfectly. The look viewed just by Cool Outdoor Chairs pic stock has to be guideline in comprehending your dream residence. Do not allow your home glance negative, basically prettify the application along with the suggestions because of Cool Outdoor Chairs picture collection. It can be vital so you might have a relaxed dwelling for the reason that seen in Cool Outdoor Chairs snapshot stock considering you will spend a lot of time at home daily.
As adjective, cooler, coolest
moderately cold; neither warm nor cold:a rather cool evening
feeling comfortably or moderately cold:I'm perfectly cool, but open the window if you feel hot
imparting a sensation of moderate coldness or comfortable freedom from heat:a cool breeze
permitting such a sensation:a cool dress
not excited; calm; composed; under control:to remain cool in the face of disaster
not hasty; deliberate:a cool and calculated action
lacking in interest or enthusiasm:a cool reply to an invitation
lacking in warmth or cordiality:a cool reception
calmly audacious or impudent:a cool lie
aloof or unresponsive; indifferent:He was cool to her passionate advances
unaffected by emotions; disinterested; dispassionate:She made a cool appraisal of all the issues in the dispute
(of a number or sum) without exaggeration or qualification:a cool million dollars
(of colors) with green, blue, or violet predominating
great; fine; excellent: a real cool comic
characterized by great facility; highly skilled or clever: cool maneuvers on the parallel bars
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As adverb
As interjection
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:in the cool of the evening
calmness; composure; poise:an executive noted for maintaining her cool under pressure
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to become cool (sometimes followed by down or off):The soup cooled in five minutes
We cooled off in the mountain stream
to become less ardent, cordial, etc
; become moderate
As verb (used with object)
to make cool; impart a sensation of coolness to
to lessen the ardor or intensity of; allay; calm; moderate:Disappointment cooled his early zealousness
As Verb phrases
cool down, to bring the body back to its normal physiological level after fast, vigorous exercise or activity by gradually slowing the pace of activity or by doing gentle exercises or stretches
cool off, Informal
to become calmer or more reasonable:Wait until he cools off before you talk to him again
cool out, Slang
to calm or settle down; relax:cooling out at the beach
As Idioms
blow one's cool
blow (def )
cool it, Slang
calm down; take it easy
cool one's heels
heel (def )
As adjective
Also, outdoors
characteristic of, located, occurring, or belonging outdoors:an outdoor barbecue; outdoor sports
As noun
a seat, especially for one person, usually having four legs for support and a rest for the back and often having rests for the arms
something that serves as a chair or supports like a chair:The two men clasped hands to make a chair for their injured companion
a seat of office or authority
a position of authority, as of a judge, professor, etc
the person occupying a seat of office, especially the chairperson of a meeting:The speaker addressed the chair
(in an orchestra) the position of a player, assigned by rank; desk:first clarinet chair
the chair, Informal
electric chair
sedan chair
(in reinforced-concrete construction) a device for maintaining the position of reinforcing rods or strands during the pouring operation
a glassmaker's bench having extended arms on which a blowpipe is rolled in shaping glass
British Railroads
a metal block for supporting a rail and securing it to a crosstie or the like
As verb (used with object)
to place or seat in a chair
to install in office
to preside over; act as chairperson of:to chair a committee
to carry (a hero or victor) aloft in triumph
As verb (used without object)
to preside over a meeting, committee, etc
As Idioms
get the chair, to be sentenced to die in the electric chair
take the chair, to begin or open a meeting
to preside at a meeting; act as chairperson
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"Home Away From Home" is what we offer to our guests at Urban Pet Hospital & Resort. Our resort offers individual suite equipped with cable TV/DVD. Some of our suites feature live view web cams that allow the owner of our guest to view our guest from anywhere where there is Internet connection.
We feature a big outdoor play area and we walk our guest three time a day. We also offer daycare and swimming for our guest for a nominal additional charge.
Urban Pet Hospital & Resort is the only facility in central Iowa that offers an indoor counter-current pool from Endless Pool and underwater treadmill for both therapeutic and recreational purposes.
For the security of our guests, the facility is monitored by a number of cameras. To learn more about our resort facility or to schedule a tour of our facility, please contact us.
Our Guests are walked 3 times a day.
Policy: We need at least 48 hours for cancellation. If cancelled within 36 hours of arrival time there will be 25 % charge and, if it is cancelled within 24 hours there will be a 50 % charge. If you do not arrive then there will be 100 % charge. Prices are subject to change.


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Compare & Book flights from Pu'er to Visakhapatnam online. Find all Pu'er Visakhapatnam / Vizag promo tickets from all major airlines, cheapest price starts from
Time zone in Pu'er is : GMT+08:00
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This Bottle Opener Ring makes opening your favorite beer as easy as a flick of your hand! Perfect for both beer connoisseurs and college party animals. You never know when your favorite alcoholic beverage will be available, so prepared with the comfortable and ultra-handy bottle opener ring.
$ 0.01
Customer Reviews
49 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Size 15 Ring,
This review is from: Bottle Opener Ring (Kitchen)
Had a buddy size it, its a well made ring, really cheap, fast shipping, but the size is a 15. Hope this helps!
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
But s***, it was eighty-nine cents!,
This review is from: Bottle Opener Ring (Kitchen)
This ring had an expected delivery date several months out from my order date, but actually arrived in under 2 weeks. The fact that it has free shipping from China even though it's only 89 cents is in itself an amazing feat, let alone it arriving well before the expected delivery time window. The ring is huge, but does work. I usually just have it laying around, and grab it when it's convenient. It hasn't broke yet, but honestly, after just a few uses you've pretty much got your money's worth. What's not to love?
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Sausage fingers need only apply.,
This review is from: Bottle Opener Ring (Kitchen)
I am a very small person, so when the ring was huge on me, I figured it was that. After a series of average to larger sized humans tried to find a finger it could fit on? It was made for a giant, or someone with a ridiculously big thumb.
window.ue_csm.cel_widgets = [ { id: "DAra1" } , { c: "celwidget" } , { id: "fallbacksessionShvl" } , { id: "rhf" } ];


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It has made me think about the way I support people. It's all very well to say "I'll pray for you" - and important to do it - but it's also important to do the mundane jobs like cleaning a friend's bathroom when they're not able to do it. These things should be an addition to prayer, not a replacement.
(Also, of course, I need to stop whinging that the people at this church are unloving and stand-offish, and just get on with loving them regardless...)


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According to an unsourced report over on Taiwanese news source Digitimes, Taiwanese vendors such as Asustek and MSI are being leaned on by Intel and Microsoft in an effort to promote Windows 7 systems running on Intel's Atom, over and above those running competing operating systems on ARM-powered devices.
According to the report Asustek and MSI will be pushing Wintel-based tablet PCs at the upcoming Computex tech fest in Taipei, while giving ARM the cold shoulder.
Asustek and MSI showed plans to use Nvidia's Tegra chipset with Android OS in tablet PCs this year, but the wire says "persuasion" from Intel and Microsoft has helped put these plans on hold.
ARM-designed chips power most mobile phones you can think of. Intel's Atom powers netbooks but is struggling to find its way into smaller devices because of its power requirements. The tablet arena, exemplified by the iPad which uses a different chip, altogether combined with Apple's own OS looks like being the new battleground.
We've asked Intel for a comment on the allegations and will update this story when this is forthcoming.


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The season has been going well for the Cottonwood Clippers. The team just got back from a meet in Kingman where they got to compete in an Olympic sized pool. And With their final meet coming up fast, the swimmers break from its regular routine to raise money for the team.
This year's team has close to 100 swimmers, broken up in an 'A' team and a 'B' team. Those swimmers are partaking in quite a task. Swimming a mile and raising money for their team.
Each swimmer takes his/her turn in the pool going the distance of one mile. Supporters pledge money to help support the swim team and its activities.
The fund-raiser is going on this week at the Cottonwood swimming pool. Some of the faster swimmers can do the mile in about 23 minutes, while it takes more time for the smaller and less experienced swimmers, but just about all of them participate in the event and do the best they can.
The coaches ask each swimmer to raise a minimum of $25. If they raise $50 they can get a 'Mile T-Shirt,' and trophies are awarded for each age group for the fastest time for that extra competitive edge.
In the past, the team has rewarded the top three fund-raisers by comping next year's registration fees, sent the top person to a swim camp or by giving them something special like an embroidered towel, bag or back pack.
After the fund-raising is over, the team will get ready for the Verde Valley Invitational in Cottonwood.
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1st Collection and processing of data
Every access to our home and every time a deposit on the home page file are logged. The store serves internal system and statistical purposes. Logs: name of the file, date and time of the call, transferred amount of data, notification of successful retrieval, Web browser and requesting domain.
In addition, the IP addresses of the requesting computer logs.
Further personal data will only be recognised when this information voluntarily, such as a request or registration.
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If you provide us with personal data made available, we use it only to answer your questions, handling with you and for technical administration.
That your personal data to third parties or otherwise only in cases where it serves the purpose of the contract settlement - in particular transfer of data in order suppliers - is necessary to payroll purposes, or if you have previously agreed. You have the right to consent granted with effect for the future at any time.
The deletion of personal data, if your consent to the storage revoked if their knowledge to meet with the purpose of storage is no longer needed or if their store for other legal reasons is inadmissible.
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At the written request you will be happy about the personal data.
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Name: Jimbo
Date: 5/2/2001 12:21:35 AM (GMT-7)
IP Address: 184.108.40.206
Has anyone been overclocking a celeron 800, is it even possible? If so what have you guys been able to get it up to? Thanx
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Last weekend, we got a taste of what trends our favourite Australian celebrities and influencers are wearing this racing season. A few weekends have already passed, but it really is Derby Day that kicks off the biggest week in spring racing. We saw a lot of intricate and unique hairstyles and accessories, which generally spells out what party dressing will look like as we head into the summer months. This year's Melbourne Cup looks are proving that bright hues are well and truly back, and unique headpieces are having a real moment.
The looks we can't stop talking about in the office today, are Jennifer Hawkins in Alex Perry, Jodi Gordon in pink for the second year in a row, and Kate Waterhouse's unique turban.
Click through to see the best-dressed from the 2017 Melbourne Cup Carnival and shop our favourite picks for spring.
Love spring trends? Follow us on Pinterest.
Source: whowhatwear


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University of Florida
After lackluster season opener, Gators offense has room to grow
On his very first snap as a starting quarterback, Luke Del Rio took a risk.
He dropped back, checked his options and fired a pass deep downfield to wide receiver Antonio Callaway.
The heave was about five yards too long.
"You're always excited for the first play... I was really juiced up," Del Rio said. "It was probably the farthest I've ever thrown a football. I threw it and was like, 'Oh, that's way too far.' I didn't think I could overthrow him, but I did."
Del Rio would eventually calm the excitement and delivered a passable performance in the No. 25 Florida Gators' 24-7 season-opening win over UMass. He was 29 of 44 for 256 yards and two touchdowns.
But with Florida opening its Southeastern Conference schedule on Saturday, Del Rio will need to take another step forward if the Gators want to remain competitive.
"I thought he played OK. He'll play better," UF coach Jim McElwain said. "You can see the sense of calm out there the whole [time] he was there. There wasn't a lot of panic. That's crediting a good quarterback."
"His team believes in him," McElwain said.
Del Rio showed flashes of his potential throughout the game — his first in front of more than 88,000 in The Swamp.
On the Gators' second possession, Del Rio orchestrated an 11-play, 71-yard scoring drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to an open Callaway in the end zone. Del Rio threw for 52 yards on 5-of-6 passing and added a pair of carries for 9 yards — including a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 to keep the drive alive. The five passes went to four different receivers.
"Luke just played his game," said receiver Brandon Powell, who led the team with 73 yards and had a fourth-quarter touchdown catch. "He stayed comfortable in the pocket and threw the ball. That's just Luke."
McElwain added: "He's confident. I'll tell you what he does. He does a good job of studying the plan and understanding where it's gonna be."
But while Del Rio found spot success, the offense as a whole had difficulty extending it through four quarters.
The offensive line struggled in pass protection and "moped around," forcing Del Rio to scramble and make plays with his feet.
The running backs failed to get a push at the line of scrimmage, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. The most notable run was a failed fourth-and-1 from junior college transfer Mark Thompson, a 6-2, 237-pound bruiser back who was stuffed at the UMass 5-yard line.
Six players caught multiple passes, but most of the completions came on screens and checkdowns.
"We were having successful plays," Del Rio said. "[It was] just penalties, one missed blocked here, a drop here, a missed throw here, just little things like that kind of hinder drives individually. But I thought we did a fairly decent job of executing the game plan."
Those mistakes didn't cost the Gators on Saturday against the Minutemen, a team with eight wins over the last four years.
But miscues could come back to haunt them this week against Kentucky.
Florida has won 28 straight against the Wildcats, but the last two have been decided by just 11 total points.
Del Rio acknowledged that Florida needs to make explosive plays to win, but added that he isn't going to force a big play for the sake of it.
"Those have to come to you," he said. "When you try to force those that's when you turn the ball over, that's when you get behind."


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EPISODE 019: Adapting Ideas from Other Churches with Josh Williams (Part Two)
This week on the podcast, Carl welcomes Josh Williams back to the studio. Josh has over 10 years of experience in the church media world and currently leads worship, production and stage design teams at Velocity Church in Greenville, SC. This week, Josh and Carl continue their discussion about adapting ideas from other churches. They give 3 filters for taking ideas and making them your own. For complete Show Notes, sharable content for your team and more visit http://www.twelvethirtymedia.com/podcast


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One of Fernie's last mountain bike events of the season will roll around some of the areas most iconic trails on Sept. 24. According to Heather Lavers, a Fernie Mountain Bike Club (FMBC) board member and an event organizer along with Angela Etheridge, "the motivation for starting the event was to have an end-of-season biking event where we'd all get together and ride a lot in one day to cap off the bike season."
The Highroller is a "poker ride" where contestants ride routes to checkpoints. Each checkpoint gives riders a stamp. Once the riders have completed the loops they will have enough stamps for a poker hand – the highest hand wins.
"Participants start and finish at The Royal and ride singletrack all day, collecting stamps at designated spots along the way. The total distance of trails is around the 40 to 50 kilometre range with 1,500 to 2,000 metres elevation gain," explained Lavers. "The number of stamps corresponds to the number of cards that you get in a single poker hand. Top three hands win first pick of prizes and the rest of the prizes are drawn randomly. We all enjoy a dinner put on by Infinitea and a beer from Fernie Brewing Company (FBC). We usually have a contest in the evening, such as best tie or bike shirt, and the winner gets to drink from the FBC keg for the night for free until it is gone."
The event is not new for Fernie, and Lavers believes it has been happening for around 10 years.
"As the years have gone by, the event has gotten a bit more organized and more people are wanting to do it every year. It has gone from having the after-party in someone's back yard with a potluck to dinner being provided by Infinitea and everyone gathering at the Royal. The route has changed over the years. It used to be the biggest peaks, Big Money, Slunt and Hyper Extension," she said. "This intimidated a lot of people and limited registrations, so it has evolved over the years to be more appealing to a vast range of ability levels, and last year we introduced the addition of the 'Lowroller'. It's like the Highroller, but smaller, you still have the possibility of getting up to six stamps/cards."
This year will also see the addition of stamp spots at Fernie Alpine Resort.
"We have changed up the route this year to include some areas on the ski hill that we haven't included previously, such as the trails Blackforest and Snakebite. Also we have some sweet hats for swag instead of an event t-shirt for all participants," said Lavers.
Just because riders sign up for the event does not mean they need to complete all the loops. The event is also looking for people who aren't riding to help out and add an extra layer of fun to the event.
"We are always looking for volunteers, they are needed for morning registration, various shifts for check in during the day at The Royal and to man the feed station," said Lavers "This year we have made a call out to any groups or individuals who would like to add a creative twist and have some friendly competition around the feed stations. We are hoping people will have some fun with this idea."
All ages and abilities are encouraged to come out and enjoy the end-of-the-season event, in order to register riders must be members of the FMBC.
"We typically have anywhere from 65 to 125 people, the variance is usually based on the weather. Only mother nature knows how many people will sign up this year," said Lavers "This event is for everyone who rides, you do not have to complete the entire route – high or low, you still get a hat, beer, dinner and a chance at prizes – even if you only get one stamp. I cannot emphasize this enough, you don't have to ride the whole route to have fun."


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Welcome back to the 9th edition of Cambodia Golf Today, the leading golf magazine in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
A lot has happened in the past three months and we would like to start off by congratulating our good friends Fabrice Ho for his new role as the new Golf Operations Manager of Phokeethra Country Club and David Baron for earning his Advanced PGA Professional Certification. They both definitely deserve it.
Angkor Golf Resort's Junior Academy Initiative has finally begun phase three. Initially with over 250 Cambodian youths participating in the program, we are now down to only eight boys and four girls. For the next six months, the twelve candidates will continue to train under Angkor Golf Resort's Head Pro, Alan Martin, to prepare for the next phase where only four of them will make it through.
Master Coach Albert Valentine is back with another article in the mental tips series. The topic this will be about "Focus" and how it can help you succeed in golf and in life.
We also feature Hanoi as your next golf getaway with three beautiful courses on offer in the northern capital of Vietnam. A lively city and not too far; thus, it is the perfect getaway destination from Cambodia for a couple days of golf in Hanoi.
With this issue, we make a start to diversify the magazine a bit more with the lifestyle section featuring BMW, Heineken and V Club, a new high end club for a great night out in Phnom Penh. There will be more surprises coming in the next issue.
Enjoy reading Cambodia Golf Today and please tell us what you think of the magazine through the contact page of this website.
Until next time, keep hitting them straight!