text:
Clanking and bumping down through the gears like a horse descending a staircase, my driver and I came to a stop outside Holy Money Temple. The midday heat caught up with us instantly, searing away the everyday clarity of the ride. I swung myself out of the machine and handed the driver a crumpled $70,000 note.
If you're travelling through enough developing countries with enough different currencies, I find it's not worth memorising exchange rates. You hand over a note or two at random and walk away like a cowboy from a completed shootout. Half the time this means you'll be a generous exoticism, half the time a iron haggler (or perhaps some strange modern breed of mega-bastard). In the end your bank balance is about the same and you're saved a crisp infinity of mental arithmetic.
The mob of salesmonks the driver and I were immediately rushed by meant I couldn't even see the temple at first. Unusually thick and vicious for this time of year, the crowd sent me reeling backwards as I slapped imported woodcarvings and bundles of postcards from my face. I remember a wet blast of panic as my legs clipped the front of the car- if I fell down it was all over and a month from now I'd be trying to spell "souvenierectomy" on my insurance claim form. Boy, do I hate filling out forms. I'd only just gotten my balance back when the crowd changed direction, surging forwards with even greater force.
Finally I managed to get one of my arms free from the press. With my body tilted at a 45 degree angle I reached into my pocket a flung a fistful of pre-prepared $15,000,000 origami darts up through the air. Sure enough, the crowd immediately thinned as half the monks went surging off in the direction of the money. I turned to face where the mob was least dense, tucked myself into a low, heavy shape and came barging out of the crowd in a spray of prayer beads.
Keen to preserve momentum I proceeded at a slow jog, wheeling myself around in a large circle until I found myself face to face with the temple itself. It was sat squat and snug between the jungle's off-green grass and a low, clouded sky. At that point, lukewarm sweat already dripping into my eyes, I began running.
Holy Money Temple might be the most functional temple in the world. Some 400 years ago the impoverished locals built it as an offering to their God of Commerce, hoping for some monetary boon. Ever since then, strange, wealthy folk from all over the world have been arriving, tugged here by what the locals still perceive as some celestial magnetism. The locals quickly decided that manna from Heaven was there to be eaten, so the monks began charging entrance fees, the children began to practice keening and hobbling and so on.
Nothing holy about it, course, but tourism isn't the easiest concept to explain. You know the word 'travel' has the same root word as travail? Both come from the old French verb travailler, to work hard. It's only recently travel has come to mean something closer to 'holidaying', even though the Romans used to take holidays to recover from travelling.
My jog slowed to a fast walk with the temple proper still a ways away. The heat was horrible and my shirt was already clinging to my back, recoiling from the terror-sun. Keen for anything to take my mind off how gross I looked, I considered my mission for the 100th time.
So I had to satisfy, or perhaps defeat, four masters if I was going to receive the Citizen Kane of videogames.
Again: Masters of what, exactly? Game design? This didn't seem the place to find a developer, except perhaps one who'd been driven insane by too many crunch cycles or by seeing his dream design document, the love of his life, twisted into a boring release by publisher pressure or bad luck. How could you comfort such a man? How could you destroy him?
People who turn their back on videogames are always harder to intrigue than anyone who's never played them in the first place. Shamed as you might be to have abandoned, say, poetry or indie film-making, people who've left games behind tend to view them as they might view the long-abandoned skateboard in their garage, the one under the tool bench next to the new Renault Clio.
With someone new to videogames, it's wonderfully easy to intrigue them with nothing more than a lurid, articulate description of something they had no idea was possible. In doing so, in proving to them that their mental categorisation of something is factually as well as philosophically incorrect, you poke a hole in their world, and they then attempt to fill it. "Really? What else can games do?" "Could I play one of these games?"
But old gamers have already been there, wherever it is you're talking about, and as you talk the images you describe will have the other guy's experiences and disappointments drawn over them like a massive white bedsheet. They'll nod at your excitement, share in it, whatever it is, whatever you say, and then they'll cooly dismiss it by telling you why games aren't for them.
I came hurtling up the crooked steps past the temple's entrance, two at a time, two, four, six, eight, sweat dripping off my nose with each leap. Holy Money Temple is beautiful, of course, as all immense stone structures are. Ten, twelve, fourteen. Despite being some of the most immutable buildings in the world, the natural materials they're built from grant animism. Sixteen, eighteen, urgh, twenty. Standing at the gaping 12 ton entranceway to some hill-sized monument, the reptilian bit of your brain starts hissing that you're going to be eaten up. That same lizard will croak that each crack in the wall is a scar, that every draft is a breath. Thirty-two, fuck, thirty-four, mother, thirty-six, fuck, thirty-eight, mother, forty, fuck.
As I got to the top I looked back down through a smearing of sweat. None of the monks had bothered keeping pace with me, and were instead crowding either side of a minivan that had just arrived, stuffed with a rich bounty of tourists. The monks were rocking the van back and forth on its wheels, each time tilting it a little further. I felt a pang of sympathy for the tourists. A year or two ago I might even have tried to help. Wiping sweat from my face with the entire length of my forearm, I turned and went stumbling into the temple. As I took my first steps into the shade I heard a crash followed by a chorus of cheers as the minivan tipped onto its side.
With no idea what I was looking for I found myself drifting down through the mausoleums instead of up around the spires and crenellations, just to keep out of the sun. It was nice. I seemed to have the place to myself, and could let the drafts of this enormous building blow softly on animal embers deep in my belly. I produced a can of Winter Melon drink from my pack, a beverage I'd bought for $800 in the last town on the way here. I discovered then that despite the appealing name, it was jelly-thick and tasted like wet cigars. I resolved to stick to unappealing-sounding drinks for the rest of the journey.
I emerged at the top of another huge staircase on the opposite side of the building. It was a more noble view this time, looking out across the top of an endless, sodden jungle. There was only one person around, a single monk in brown robes tending to a balustrade halfway down the staircase. Flicking a pair of tiny spiders from my shirt, I dropped down onto the stairs above him and dragged some more Winter Melon drink down my throat.
"Fixing that balustrade, there?" I ventured. Even my voice sounded sweaty. Do vocal chords sweat? The monk turned to address me.
Now, an aside: I remember my proudest moment playing Demon's Souls. It wasn't defeating a particular demon or sending my character's heavy frame hurtling from some devious trap at the last second. It was using the character creator to make someone who looked religious. I was playing a priest (I usually do when given the option, not sure why) and I'd managed to make a character who actually looked like a believer- tall, but with a narrow enough face that his height seemed awkward rather than strong. Then sheared brown hair, a protruding chin and nose, hooded, bovine eyes and a softness and stubbornness of expression. Obviously I've met more than enough real-life holy rollers to know that they have no features in common whatsoever, and yet this character unquestionably looked like a manchild of God, a real living stone.
That's what this monk looked like. The resemblance was uncanny, in fact, except for his Asian features and shaved head. He spoke perfect, heavily accented English.
"Bitter melons are not bitter," he said, "As I have fully tasted the bitterest of the bitter." Then he turned back to his work.
I glanced at the can of Winter Melon in my hand, then back at him. "You want some?"
Again, he turned to face me bodily. "Bitter melons are not bitter," he repeated, "as I have fully tasted the bitterest of the bitter." And again he turned back to his work.
Something was up. His intonation had been identical, both times, and I thought I'd seen something. So again, I spoke. "You just repeat the same thing over and over, don't you?"
He turned. "Bitter melons are not bitter," he said, and I found myself wishing I could hammer a button to get him to speed up. "As I have fully tasted the bitterest of the bitter."
I saw it clearly this time. Stitched in a thread of a slightly different brown to the rest of his robe was the old Playstation logo, stretching proudly across his chest. Then he turned back around.
I reached into my bag and opened the foil on the pack of HD cigarettes. Discarding the shed skin, I carefully eased one cigarette from the massed ranks and lit it, hastily blowing any smoke whatsoever from my mouth. The taste alone! I held the lit stick and stared at it in awe. My mouth felt gooier, and my teeth felt as hard and eager as the pins on a plug.
All the time I kept one eye on the monk's back. He wasn't going anywhere. At last, with the kind of meticulously blank expresion only ever seen on people doing something they know to be really, really stupid, I lifted the cigarette to my mouth and took a drag. It was unspeakably gorgeous. Problem was, I sucked the whole world away too.
Inside me the throbbing, thudding smoke spread outwards from my lungs like a floor rushing up to catch someone taking a tumble. And the person falling was me, I was falling into my own mouth. Every part of me, from my ears to my guts, registered an unbearable wash of red, and then-
I was sat on my ass, reclined yet keeping my back off the floor with both hands. The cigarette was still between my lips. I could feel its heat, its plumpness. I was also still in the grounds of the vast temple, but it had changed. For one thing it wasn't a ruin anymore, but seemed newly constructed. And the sky! It had become a livid, seductive purple, with the biggest fucking moon I've ever seen. It was only after I'd voided a few seconds staring at the monstrous thing in damp terror to make sure it wasn't careening towards me that I stood up and started noticing the statues.
To my left was a twenty-foot tall Harman Smith from Killer 7, wheelchair and all. Facing him across a plaza was a similarly-sized female figure- the spindly form of Aeris, of Final Fantasy VII fame. And beyond them were more statues, far too many, stretching off to the distance. At a glance I recognised Sparkster the Rocket Knight, Neku from The World Ends With You, Samus, even the protagonist of Shadow of the Colossus with his sword held high above his head.
Wheeling like a man under attack, I spun around and looked up at the biggest structure of all. A neat staircase, six feet across and ladder-like in its intensity that went lunging skywards towards a van-sized head of some kind. The head was still covered in scaffolding, but after a couple of shaky steps in its direction I began recognising the eyes, the ears, the beanie. It was Parappa the Rapper.
The monk from before was here too, hugging himself at the bottom of this staircase. He, at least, was the same as before. Perhaps a little stronger in stature, and younger.
"You!" I shouted. My voice and actions seemed heavy and premeditated in this place, like I was controlling myself with fluid keyboard imputs. "You're one of the Masters! I knew it! Did you build this place?"
He stopped hugging himself and looked over. The Playstation logo on his chest was no longer hard to distinguish, but stitched vividly in bright red thread.
"What of it," he said.
I looked around, exasperated. How long must this have taken a single man?
"These are all Japanese videogame characters," I said. "Why?"
"This place is a monument to Japanese game design," said the master. "All the stones you see, I tore from the Earth. All the statues you see, I carved into shape. Such was my dedication… once. Now, I haunt this place without the strength to finish it. Tell me, traveller. What are Japanese games to you?"
I gawped at him across the plaza. After everything I'd been through, it was finally– I mean, I was here. It was beginning. Okay.
"Japanese games are everything to me," I said, stalling for time. "Games, as an ever-evolving medium, are built on the successful implementation of ideas, and the Japanese games industry is often characterised by its pursuit of exceptionally far-fetched ideas. This extends further than strange, brightly coloured trips like Um Jammer Lammy, Rakugaki Showtime, Tomena Sanner and the like. That willingness to experiment has also resulted in fourth-wall breaking stuff like Metal Gear Solid and envelope-pushing horror games like Resident Evil or the original Siren, whose deliberate hobbling of the player could never have come from the West. What do we have- Thief? Dead Space? These are games about empowerment, really. You were right to build this place in tribute, Master."
The Master was staring at me, his gaze as ominous and overloaded as that massive moon. Was that it? Had I proved mysel–
"No," said the master. "Japanese games are overrated."
"WHAT?" I screamed.
"I see clearly now," he continued, gesturing vaguely at Parappa's bulbous head. "That's why I cannot rightfully finish my work on this place. Japanese games are a haven of terrible dialogue and outdated mechanics, hoisted up on the shoulders of mindless fanboys. Like myself." He sniffed, sadly.
"Most Final Fantasy games are terrible," he went on. "Let's start with that. And you want to talk ideas? What are the other big-selling series in Japan? Dragon Quest? Dynasty Warriors? Exactly how many ideas are present in those? And let's not forget that Killer 7 was an accident. You knew that, right? It wasn't nonsensical because it was art. It was nonsensical because it was disassembled a few times and then thrown together at the last minute to hit a deadline. That's a bitter pill to swallow.
"There's an air of reverance surrounding Japanese games that I now know to be misplaced. I was taken in. We were all taken in. And now is the time to start taking these games to task on their failures. The Western games press unifying on the subject of Metal Gear Solid's mostly-terrible dialogue would be a good start. Or they could begin marking down games for continuing to use turn-based battles, the same way you'd attack a game for not having a decent checkpointing system."
I stared at him, stunned, until I got a searing pain in my fingers. The HD cigarette had burned all the way to the filter. I picked the stub off the floor and used it to chainsmoke another one. They burned fast, these things.
"No," I said, exhaling and taking a few strides towards him. "You've let doubt into your heart and now you've got it backwards. You're getting tangled up in this. Yes, the biggest games in Japan have terrible problems they might never answer for. But the Japanese games industry isn't just those big games. And besides, don't you ever think about how fucked up the West's big games are? Modern Warfare, Grand Theft Auto, Gears of War, Halo? You know how fucking violent those games are? You know the definitive characteristic of Western games in Japan is that they're violent? Why aren't we praising Japan for the more wholesome spread of games which populate its sales charts? No, instead we just talk about how 'Everyone plays games in Japan! It's so cool!' Well, I wonder why. I wonder if it's because the shelves aren't almost exclusively full of shit like Dudekiller 3 and Bloodguns: Sordid Edition? You ever go to a videogames shop in the West and count what percentage of the games on one shelf are about killing?"
The Master turned to look up at the Parappa head. Was I getting through to him?
"Yeah, it's true that a successful series in Japan often won't change to address issues that companies in the West would try and upgrade," I said, "And that they instead prefer to put them out again with increasingly ludicrous numbers attached. Tekken 6. Final Fantasy XIII. Resident Evil Fucking Zero. Nintendo have the right idea, not affixing numbers to anything so you don't know they've put out The Legend of Zelda twelve times. So, yeah, the Japanese games industry stalls and farts and falls over when you hinge a great deal of money on a project, and Resident Evil only got rebooted with Resi 4 because nobody was buying the old stuff anymore. But you can't just look at that, or the porn games, or the shovelware. No country-wide creative scene should be judged by what the public buy in the greatest quantity."
"You're telling me," he said, "that the way to appreciate the Japanese games industry is to judge it selectively. You're as bad as I was when I built this. You're a fanboy."
Oh, that hurt. "I'm not," I said sadly. "I just like games that put themselves out there. Games that are so concerned with pursuing their original idea that whether the game is frustrating or how long it lasts as entertainment fades into irrelevance. Like the King's Field games, or Robot Alchemic Drive, or the experimental titles you find in the Simple series."
"But they're all terrible," he said. "Those games you just mentioned. They're not good videogames."
"What?! No!" I gasped. "They're fun! They're great games! They're some of the greatest games that nobody's ever played!"
"You're lying to yourself," he said. "You're so lost. You are just like I was." The corners of the Master's mouth tugged downwards after he said this, producing a rigid frown. "If these games were so good, then why didn't you finish any of them?"
The world seemed to tilt around me. "I didn't finish any of them? No, I… God. I didn't. …How did you know that?"
He wasn't looking at me anymore. He'd gone back to gazing at the acres of statues he'd lovingly crafted. The awful weight of this place was killing me. I chained another cigarette under the purple sky and smoked in silence. Choosing my words carefully, I spoke my last piece.
"Alright. Maybe some cult Japanese games are shit. Okay. And maybe some of them aren't. Maybe some are really good, like Jumping Flash, Incredible Crisis or Ore no Ryouri. But to question whether these games are fun to play is completely missing the point. What matters is that they exist. What matters is that these are games that don't just end up on shop shelves because they'll probably make money or go on to become a successful intellectual property, which is all that happens in the West. These days if you want shelf space in game shops in America or Europe you need to go through a big publisher, and the big publishers won't touch you unless they think your game will sell.
"Because shelf space is cheaper in Japan and the game-buying public buy a broader range of titles, odd games appear on shelves for no other reason than the developers that made them had faith in them. These games represent a step taken towards the games industry growing up into something more resembling the music industry, with the creators putting stuff out for no other reason than that's what they want to do. That's incredible and to be supported. That," I shouted, with a flourish of my arms, "Is worth building all of this for."
More silence. The Master turned to face me. Again, he sniffed. "Yeah," he said. "Alright."
"Alright what?" I asked.
"Alright, you beat me. I'll finish the temple."
"I've beaten you? That's it?"
"That's it. You can find the next Master in Da Ja Mountain Town."
I looked at the HD cigarette in my hand. Again, it had sizzled down to nothing. As I neglected to light another a terrible nausea came bubbling over me. The world began spinning and I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes. When I opened them again I still felt like ass, but the world was back to normal. The monk was skinny and insignificant again, and he was still fiddling with that balustrade.
Careful not to speak in case I set off his bitter melon line again, I walked up and looked around him to see what he was working on. There, on the flat stone surface, was a tiny pile of wet sand no bigger than a small plate of food. It had been flattened and pushed into various towers and ledges, and the monk was stroking it with a toothpick. If you looked closely, you could just make out something that looked like a pea-sized Parappa head.
Clutching my belly I turned back the way I came. It was a long way to Da Ja Mountain Town.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Have you ever wanted to shout it,
From the rooftops�let it ring?
Our God is still alive,
And, His praises�we shall sing!
We stand up at ball games,
Yell and shout�when there's a score;
But, the greatest of all games,
Sometimes, we tend to ignore.
The war of the ages,
The battle over sin;
It has already been won,
Our LORD�the victory did win!
Now, that's something to shout about,
Stand right up and cheer;
He has everything under control,
Nothing�we need fear.
Each day�He gives us victory,
And, He shows us how it's done;
Believing on His finished work,
That race�already run.
O Glory�Hallelujah,
All praise to our King;
Let's all sing and shout,
Dance about�let the HALLELUJAHS ring!
Jan. 11, 2001
Aimee Love
Special permission from: firstname.lastname@example.com
must be obtained to print this content.
Aimee Love
Souldout Graphics


text:
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents may not be as common as car accidents, but the results can be far more devastating. they are responsible for nearly 6,000 deaths and upwards of 80,000 serious injuries each year according to the National Safety Council. These accidents typically occur when a car, bus, or truck driver fails to see a pedestrian, or is going too fast to be able to swerve out of the way. Negligent driving such as speeding, texting while driving, reckless driving, or even DUI are common causes of serious injury pedestrian accidents. Many state and local governments such as Maryland and Baltimore City have traffic laws designed to protect pedestrians in crosswalks. You do not have to be walking in a crosswalk in order to recover damages for and injury suffered. An experienced Baltimore accident lawyer can seek monetary damages for accidents occurring in parking lots, on sidewalks, and even in the middle of the street.
Pedestrian accidents due to negligent driving of another person can result in serious or catastrophic injuries. Pedestrians are incredibly vulnerable compared to automobiles and can suffer serious injuries regardless of how fast the car, truck, or bus was going at the time of impact. Being knocked down by an automobile can cause various types of serious injury such as broken bones, brain injuries, and torn ligaments. These types of injuries can require urgent medical attention, and months of expensive and time-consuming rehabilitation. The Herbst Firm will fight to have your past and future medical expenses paid for as you recover from your injuries.
Not all pedestrian accidents involve a vehicle, as injuries can occur walking through poorly marked or maintained parking lots, roads, and sidewalks. Typically the local government is responsible for maintaining sidewalks and right of ways. If the government does not perform regular maintenance on public walkways, they may become unreasonably dangerous. Large cracks and uneven surfaces can cause a pedestrian to suffer serious injuries that may result in a successful damages claim against the government. The government or a property owner may also be found at fault for an injury for failing to clean up debris from a roadway or sidewalk. Other non-automobile injury accidents can occur as the result of negligence on the part of a construction company for neglecting to safely maintain a construction site.
Accidents can happen to anyone but children and the elderly are especially vulnerable. Most pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas like Baltimore City where automobile traffic is heavy and streets are generally crowded. If you or someone you know has been injured there may be a potential claim for monetary damages. The Herbst Firm is an experienced law firm that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for free consultations. The lawyers at The Herbst Firm are standing by to give an honest evaluation of your injury case, and are prepared to put forth the effort necessary to achieve a fair settlement or verdict.


text:
Monday, August 11, 2008
My review of The X-Files: I Want to Believe, appears today at Strange Horizons. Shockingly, it is not positive. If you've clicked through from there you might also be interested in my posts about Wall-E and The Dark Knight.
Posted by Abigail Nussbaum at 5:16 PM
Labels: self-promotion
2 comments:
- RichM said...
It seemed like a combination of bad writing full of holes (self-link) and a willingness to simply go through the motions. And not even the distraction of eye candy to cut the tedium.
It was so disappointing, I did what I never do and went out the next night to see a movie that had a chance of being good. And Hellboy II was, at that.
- August 11, 2008 10:10 PM
- Boutade said...
A very nice review Abigail. Probably your best yet. I wondered what had happened to the movie (my fan friends hadn't said word one about it, which surprised me). Now that I read your review, I see I didn't miss much, and if all we have now are the good years, that's fine with me.
- September 05, 2008 9:17 PM


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February 12, 2010
Dear Friends, Family, Ministry Partners, & Share Plan Supporters,
Greetings again from the road of revival-land. We've been in wonderful meetings in recent days and witnessed some great victories. I'm not going to mention the below normal temperatures because I know that many of you have experienced "white precipitation" in great quantity. Hold on to your gloves and scarves because spring is not here yet, however, it is coming. We hope these brief glimpses help you to feel more familiar with our schedule. Thanks for your prayers.
Rev. Allen & Evelyn Cobb were role models in ministry for Larry while growing up on the Michigan district. Rev. Cobb was often a counselor at youth camp. He always had revivals in churches where he was pastor. Larry considers Jackson, Michigan First Church of the Nazarene as his first revival after entering the field of evangelism full-time. We enjoyed lunch with them at Lakeland, Florida.
The Avon Park Holiness Camp Grounds is a wonderful Christian community in Avon Park, Florida. We had the privilege to minister there on January 22. Dr. Eldred Kelly is the president and doing a wonderful job keeping the message of holiness the highest priority. We also ministered at Avon Park Church of the Nazarene on Sunday, January 24 with Pastor Randy Rupert and the church family. We regret that we failed to get pictures for you.
Avon Park Holiness Camp Meeting worship center is much larger on the inside than it appears on the outside, seating near 700.
Peggy and Howard Carrell, laymen from Danville, Illinois and Rev. Tim and Marcia Taylor, pastor and wife from Lake Placid, Florida always provide wonderful memories and new blessings when we can get together.
Tam and I visited a service at the Peace Valley Camp Meeting on one of our nights off between engagements. Rev. George Holley and his wife, Patti were preaching and conducting Bible Study. Ken Osborne and his wife, Ann were providing the music. We enjoyed fellowship after service at a "swanky" McDonald's restaurant along with a dear couple from the camp.
Gordon and Thorne Koteskey now live near Clearwater, Florida after many years in Horton Bay and Boyne City, Michigan. Gordon is a cousin to Larry's mother, Mabel Leckrone. We always enjoy visiting them when we get within a reasonable distance. Their faithful service and devotion to God have proved that "Jesus Never Fails."
"Eddie the Egret" was sitting just outside the door of the Koteskeys when we got ready to leave. If you notice, he proves that he does have a leg to stand on. The other one was tucked up under the feathers to prevent sunburn. Ha.
Larry preaches for the Florida Holiness Association morning chapel service in Lakeland, Florida.
Rev. Glen Allison is the president of the Florida Holiness Association in Lakeland, Florida. His magnanimous spirit and humble service is a great testimony to Gods work of holiness in the human heart.
Pastor Tim and Lu DeMoranville were so hospitable to us while at the Harbor City Church of the Nazarene in Melbourne, Florida. The meetings went so well that we extended the services for 4 extra days. Many victories were realized that would not have come to pass, had we closed as originally planned. Confirmation superseded weariness at the close of the last service. God is moving among these people and the future looks bright as new determination resists the enemy.
On Saturday night of Super Bowl weekend, we hosted the first annual "Soup or Bowl" competition at the Harbor City church before the evening service. Favorite soups, chili and stew were brought, tasted, and judged. Prizes were awarded to the top three vote-getters. No one went away hungry physically or spiritually.
Larry tries out his bowling form on the "Wii" while visiting our close friends, Tom and Sandi Fentress in The Villages, Florida. The fitness platform turned out to be a torture platform as old records were broken and new records were repeatedly set. Recreation clears the mind from clutter that clogs creative thinking. OK. Lets get more recreation. All in favor, say, Yes!
Thanks again for your prayers! If there is any way that we can pray for you or your family, let us know. We'll also pass the request to our prayer teams. There is tremendous power in prayer for others. We are still reworking our website, so check it out if you haven't been there for a while. www.leckroneministries.org We always welcome the opportunity to see you if we get the chance. Bye for now.
Blessings to you and yours!
Larry & Tam
February 12-14 Summerfield, FL (personal work and ministry)
February 15-17 Sanford, FL (coach repair)
February 19-21 Jacksonville, FL
February 24-28 Ft. Walton Beach, FL (First Ch. of the Nazarene)


text:
Another great list of free social icons
By: OSH Editorial In: Icons Resources
A couple of months ago i posted a list with some really nice and useful social icons which you can find here: A list of very nice and free social buttons. We had a lot of nice comments and emails about this list so i have decided to create another great list of social icons and i must say i have found some really nice and useful social icons, and all are for free! I think that this list is even better then the first one.
This list contains some different styles of icons!
Hello you, if you are new here, you might want to subscribe to our RSS feed for updates on this article and our site.x
Social Network Icon Pack · Komodo Media
Set of social icons by Tydlinka
Web 2.0rigami
Socialize Icons – DryIcons
Free Hand Drawn Doodle Icon Set for Bloggers
Handycons 2 – another free hand drawn icon set
Social Icons Made of Wood
Set of social icons 2 by Tydlinka
webtoolkit4.me releases the first icon set
Free Vectors – 20 Free Social Bookmarking Icons
Heart: A Free Social Icon Set
Handycons – a free, hand drawn social media icon set
Social Icons hand drawned by TheG-Force
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9 Comments
July 1, 2009
thank you, I had some missing… some of their quality is perfect…
July 6, 2009
This is a really useful post. Thanks for sharing those social icons. I really love that Origami set!
July 6, 2009
@Module23 Werbeagentur Koblenz -
Thank you, yes the Origami set! are very nice icons, a little bit different but nice.
August 19, 2009
I like it is very useful to me.
Thanks a lot.
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March 23, 2010
cheers for these, some lovely icons here
July 28, 2010
I love the origami ones! The firefox symbol looks brilliant.
October 19, 2010
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Mr. Kirk S. Hachigian is Lead Independent Director at Allegion Plc, Independent Director at NextEra Energy, Inc., Independent Director at PACCAR, Inc., Executive Chairman at JELD-WEN, Inc., and President at JELD-WEN Holding, Inc. He is on the Board of Directors at Allegion Plc, NextEra Energy, Inc., Forethought Financial Services, Inc., PACCAR, Inc., Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, National Association of Manufacturers, and National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
Mr. Hachigian was previously employed as a Principal by Skykarr Capital LLC, Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer by Cooper Industries Plc, President & CEO-Asia Pacific Operations Unit by GE Lighting Solutions LLC, and Chairman & Chief Executive Officer by Cooper Power Systems LLC. He also served on the board at American Standard Cos., Inc., Trane, Inc., and Cooper Controls.
He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.


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Meet the Artist: Dorothy Faison
Tour Date:
Wednesday Mar 21 10:15 AM
Honolulu Museum of Art
Event Information:
Meet the artists who are in the exhibition Hawai'i Art Now. Each Wednesday from Feb 15 to April 18, we offer an encounter with an artist who is in Hawai'i Art Now. A docent will lead you on a tour of the show, where an artist will be on hand to discuss his or her work. This week's artist is Dorothy Faison Meder.
Her statement about her work in the exhibition:
These works are from The Lawnboat Chronicles, the historical and ironic narrative I created on the global environmental impact of lawns, movements of species, and the Hawaiian Sandalwood trade. I also founded The Lawnboat Historical Society and its website Lawnboats.com, where the film The Lawnboat Chronicles gives an overview of the Lawnboat history.


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your selection
Most women will agree: there are no shoes better suited for warm summer days than airy and light sandals. Paul Green is an Austrian shoe manufacturer which has dedicated itself to the art of creating sandals that convince not only with their look, but also with a high comfort. Even demanding women will be thrilled by the current Paul Green collection: Finest materials, such as nubuck leather, filigree details like studs or ribbon applications as well as delicate, gaudy or natural colors make it easy to find the perfect shoe for any taste. Every single model is characterized by an exact manufacturing and a perfect fit – this way you will always feel comfortable, whether you wear sandals in your leisure time, professional life or to festive occasions.


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McLeod Law Group represents clients in a variety of business matters and disputes. The firm has helped form companies and partnerships of all types, including negotiating and drafting incorporation agreements, articles, bylaws, operating agreements and partnership agreements, whether acting as counsel for the newly formed entity or one or more of the founding members/entities. The firm has also helped negotiate or, where necessary, litigate, disputes arising out of the operation or management of various business entities. This includes shareholder buy-outs or cash-outs, as well as agreements to re-organize or re-structure various entities in order to facilitate resolution of such disputes and continued profitable operation of the business entities. In addition, when otherwise unavoidable or necessary, the firm has assisted in advising companies and shareholders/members in the dissolution of business entities, including the formation of dissolution funds and the methods for calculating loss exposure and necessary reserves.
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- Research
- Open Access
The role of venous valves in pressure shielding
- Constantinos Zervides1Email author,
- Andrew J Narracott1,
- Patricia V Lawford1 and
- David R Hose1
© Zervides et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2008
- Received: 02 November 2007
- Accepted: 15 February 2008
- Published: 15 February 2008
It is widely accepted that venous valves play an important role in reducing the pressure applied to the veins under dynamic load conditions, such as the act of standing up. This understanding is, however, qualitative and not quantitative. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the pressure shielding effect and its variation with a number of system parameters.
A one-dimensional mathematical model of a collapsible tube, with the facility to introduce valves at any position, was used. The model has been exercised to compute transient pressure and flow distributions along the vein under the action of an imposed gravity field (standing up).
A quantitative evaluation of the effect of a valve, or valves, on the shielding of the vein from peak transient pressure effects was undertaken. The model used reported that a valve decreased the dynamic pressures applied to a vein when gravity is applied by a considerable amount.
The model has the potential to increase understanding of dynamic physical effects in venous physiology, and ultimately might be used as part of an interventional planning tool.
- Peak Pressure
- Reverse Flow
- Transient Pressure
- Venous Valve
- Chronic Venous Deficiency
The motivation behind this study was a desire to understand the physiological effects of compression cuff therapy for prevention of deep vein thrombosis. It is generally accepted [1–4], that deep vein thrombosis is associated with flow stasis, particularly in and around the venous valves and their sinuses. From a survey of the literature, it rapidly became apparent that the role and quantitative performance of venous valves, even in the normal physiological state is poorly understood. Texts on venous physiology always identify the role of the valves as the control of reverse flow [4–7]; most often in the context of muscle pump action to maintain flow in the direction of the heart and sometimes in the context of postural changes and of exercise. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of gravity on the pressure and flow distribution in a simple representation of a vein in the leg, and in particular to quantify the role of the valves in pressure shielding under the action of standing. The effects of a range of parameters on the shielding performance of the valves are examined. It is demonstrated that the effects depend not only on the distribution, location and performance of the valves themselves, but also on the geometric and mechanical characteristics of the veins. It is anticipated that this information will be of direct interest to the vascular surgeon because it provides an indication of the likely effect of interventions, including removal or repair of valves as well as insertion of bypass grafts, on peak pressure distributions in the peripheral vasculature.
A person who stands, inactive, for a period of time will be subjected to the full hydrostatic pressure gradient in the venous system and the pressure in the veins in the foot will reach something of the order of 100 mmHg [8, 9, 7]. This is confirmed by Pollack [10] and by Arnoldi [11]. The presence of a valve or valves cannot shield against this static pressure – which will be associated with the physiological phenomenon of blood pooling, and related to oedema through the Starling equation [7], but it can alleviate the transient maximum that will occur as posture is changed. In the absence of valves, a simple analysis would suggest that the transient pressure peak experienced in the vein might be double the final standing pressure. Neglecting inertial and viscoelastic effects in the vessel wall, the stress in the wall of the vein is proportional to the instantaneous applied pressure, and it is postulated that incompetent valves do not provide adequate transient pressure shielding and thus might be strongly implicated in the formation of varicosities [9, 12, 13]. A primary quantitative measure of valve, or rather system, performance is given by its effectiveness in reducing the pressure peaks associated with the transient response. A second measure might be one of the effectiveness of a postural change, and the associated action of gravity on valve opening and closure characteristics and thus on the 'wash out' of the sinuses and displacement of stationary pockets of blood. Although a full three-dimensional analysis is required to address this question in detail, the one-dimensional model presented in this paper is used to examine whether the properties of the system are such that there might be sufficient backflow to close the valve for realistic geometries.
Materials and Methods
A series of ordinary differential equations are written to represent the electrical system. The nonlinear elastic properties of the vein, including those associated with collapse, are represented by a tube law [14–17]. The main purpose of the tube law is to capture the vein's flexibility at small negative pressures as collapse is initiated, whilst maintaining the properties of a stiffening response for higher negative or positive pressures. A penalty of this formulation is that it does not reduce to the standard linear approximation at small positive pressures, and for the current work, a modification has been implemented to remedy this deficiency. A number of numerical techniques are available for solution of the derived equations [18]. The one adopted for the current study is a Lax Wendroff formulation, which is accurate to second order in time and space. For completeness, the governing equations and the numerical discretisation are listed in Appendix 1. This formulation has been adopted in other studies of the cardiovascular system [19], although Brook [16, 20], has identified conditions under which numerical instabilities might be manifest. Numerical testing has indicated that the system is stable under the pertinent conditions for the current study.
One of the important properties of the system that will have significant influence on the results is the boundary conditions applied at the proximal and distal ends of the vein segment. For the purposes of the current study, a constant atmospheric pressure boundary condition has been applied at the proximal end and a constant flow boundary condition at the distal end. It is recognised that the prescribed boundary conditions might represent a gross simplification of physiological flow in the venous segments of interest. The important feature of the proximal pressure boundary condition is that it allows unimpeded reverse flow into the vein segment as gravity acts. It would be possible to apply a negative pressure representative of that in the thoracic cavity, but as a constant offset this would not significantly affect the results. A transient thoracic pressure representative of respiration could also be applied, but primary focus in this paper is on relatively short term events associated with a near-instantaneous application of gravity. The relatively low frequency respiratory cycle would not significantly modify the results. It has further been assumed that there is a constant flow into the 'bottom' (distal end) of the vein, based on average steady state drainage into the femoral vein. It is unlikely that there will be significant backflow through the distal end during gravity application, due to the higher resistance of the smaller vessels. More sophisticated descriptions of transient flow waveforms measured under a range of conditions can be found in the literature. Of most direct interest is the study reported by Raju S et al [21], who describe flow conditions under ambulatory conditions but not under first application of the gravity field, whilst Neglen and Raju [22] also focus on the measurement of ambulatory pressures in individuals with signs of chronic venous deficiency. Willeput R et al [23] and Abu-Yousef M [24] focus on rest and respiratory conditions. Again, it is suggested that the frequencies associated with these temporal variations are relatively low compared with those associated with the phenomenon addressed in this paper. Furthermore, the starting condition for the analysis is a steady flow through the system (equal to the distal end flow), with no gravity applied.
This paper focuses on the transient pressure and flow distributions in a vein segment, with and without valves, under a near-instantaneous application of gravity. The system is considered passive, and effects of the muscle pump are not included: similarly other relatively low frequency external load factors are neglected. A body force is applied, in the opposite direction to flow, representing the action of gravity under a change of posture from horizontal to vertical: this force is sigmoidal in time, so that there is smooth transition from zero to the full gravity force, which is then held constant.
Results and Discussion
Baseline condition, no valve
A series of numerical tests were performed, to ensure that the model performed properly and returned accurate results for simple conditions, including for example using a linear tube law, for which analytical comparisons were available, and for other conditions for which numerical results have been published [17, 19]. Once these tests were passed, a first baseline analysis was performed using the following parameters: vein diameter 1.19 cm [25], vein thickness-to-diameter ratio 0.2 [26], vein length 1 m, wall stiffness 1 MPa [27], blood viscosity 0.004 Pa.s, blood density 1000 kg/m3, distal (inlet) flow 15.1 ml/s [25], proximal (outlet) pressure 0 mmHg (0 Pa), near instantaneous body-force application (gravity increased from zero to 9.8 m/s2 over 0.01 milliseconds). These values are given in convenient units: all analyses were performed in SI units. The initial condition, prior to the application of gravity, was a steady flow in the opposite direction to that in which gravity would be applied (i.e from distal to proximal end of the tube).
Baseline condition, valve performance and gravity application time results
No valve
Perfect valve
"Real" valve
Leaky valve
Gravity test
Diameter (cm)
Length (m)
Young's modulus (kPa)
Poisson's ratio
Blood viscosity (mPas)
Blood density (Kgm -3 )
Gravity application time (s)
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Valve distribution
No valve
Valve location from inlet (m)
No valve
Valve performance
No valve
First peak (mmHg)
136.9 (18.2 kPa)
60.2 (8.01 kPa)
60.3 (8.02 kPa)
65.4 (8.69 kPa)
50.3 (6.69 kPa)
Second peak (mmHg)
127.1 (16.9 kPa)
81.9 (10.9 kPa)
81.9 (10.9 kPa)
115.8 (15.4 kPa)
72.6 (9.66 kPa)
Maximum pressure (mmHg)
136.9 (18.2 kPa)
93.3 (12.4 kPa)
93.9 (12.4 kPa)
115.8 (15.4 kPa)
99.3 (13.2 kPa)
Dynamic pressure ratio
Valve closed time (s)
No valve
Maximum collapse (%)
Maximum expansion (%)
The analysis of the baseline condition gives some confidence in the operation of the model, and also provides quantitative information on the peak pressure that can be expected at the distal end of the vein in the absence of protection from venous valves. Further confidence has been developed by comparison of the results with those from three dimensional models using a commercial finite element code, but the reporting of these results is beyond the scope of this paper.
Effect of perfect, real and incompetent valves
The model was next used to evaluate and to provide quantitative information about a hypothesis often expressed in text book descriptions of venous physiology, e.g. Browse [13]:
'The venous valves normally protect the wall of the vein below each valve from the pressure in the vein above it.'
In a final test on the reference configuration with a perfect valve, the time over which gravity was applied was increased from near instantaneous to 100 ms (more consistent with the likely time taken to stand up). As expected, the first and second pressure peaks were lower (by the order of 10%) but perhaps surprisingly, the absolute peak was a little higher. This was due to different interactions of the wave reflections in the system, but it does not affect the overall shape of the response, nor indeed the conclusions.
Parameter studies
Parameter variation test results
Perfect valve
Diameter test
Stiffness test
Distribution test
Length test
Location test
Diameter (cm)
Length (m)
Young's modulus (kPa)
Poisson's ratio
Blood viscosity (mPas)
Blood density (Kgm -3 )
Gravity application time (s)
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Near instantaneous
Valve distribution
Valve location from inlet (m)
0.25 and 0.75
Valve performance
First peak (mmHg)
60.2 (8.01 kPa)
66.3 (8.81 kPa)
56.8 (7.55 kPa)
56.3 (7.48 kPa)
63.2 (8.4 kPa)
32.6 (4.34 kPa)
33.2 (4.41 kPa)
46.8 (6.23 kPa)
32.6 (4.33 kPa)
87.2 (11.6 kPa)
Second peak (mmHg)
81.9 (10.9 kPa)
114.3 (15.2 kPa)
74.9 (9.97 kPa)
74.6 (9.92 kPa)
95.5 (12.7 kPa)
55.6 (7.39 kPa)
55.9 (7.44 kPa)
57 (7.58 kPa)
99.3 (13.2 kPa)
90.2 (12 kPa)
Maximum pressure (mmHg)
93.3 (12.4 kPa)
115.8 (15.4 kPa)
89.5 (11.9 kPa)
90.9 (12.1 kPa)
104.5 (13.9 kPa)
92.9 (12.36 kPa)
57.2 (7.61 kPa)
77.5 (10.31 kPa)
110.5 (14.7 kPa)
105.3 (14 kPa)
Dynamic pressure ratio
Valve closed time (s)
0.09 and 0.17
Maximum collapse (%)
Maximum expansion (%)
Changing the overall length of the system (whilst maintaining the position of the valve at 0.5 m from the inlet), or changing the position of the valve along the length of the 1 m vein, increased the dynamic pressure ratio, suggesting that the optimal position for a valve in a vein with the imposed boundary conditions is near to the midpoint. Finally, a test with two valves, one at one-quarter length and one at three-quarters length produced a pressure shielding of the same magnitude as that obtained with a single valve halfway along the vein.
The one-dimensional model reported in this paper permits the quantitative evaluation of the effects of venous valves on the loads and geometrical changes induced by the action of gravity. It is an important first step in a longer-term study of venous valves, venous diseases and their prevention. With refinements to the venous valve description, applied tube law and boundary conditions, a more physiologically realistic model can be created in an equivalent form to the Westerhof arterial model [29]. This will enable the model to be validated against physiological data. For the purposes of this paper though the greatest interest is in the dynamic pressure ratio, which provides a measure of the increase of the peak local pressure in the system (due to dynamic effects) over the corresponding hydrostatic pressure. It is demonstrated that, for a configuration typical of the femoral vein, the dynamic pressure ratio without a valve is 1.83, and that with a perfect valve located halfway along the vein is 1.25. The absolute pressure reduction is over 40 mmHg (5320 Pa). The model has been used to investigate the quantitative influence of variation of a number of parameters. Following extensive in vitro and in vivo validation, this model might be used to evaluate the effects of valve incompetence on venous pressure distributions and could have implications for the understanding of the progression of disease in the context of varicose veins. It might also be used as part of an interventional planning tool.
The reported study is entirely theoretical. Validation against other reported numerical studies has been performed to give confidence in the numerical implementation, but validation against experimental data is an important next step. Some experimental data does exist for collapsible tubes with gravity effects, for example of the filling under gravity of an initially collapsed tube [30], but none of direct relevance to the current study. A preliminary experimental model that can be used directly to validate the current model has been reported by Potter [31] and Burnett [32] but this is not yet sufficiently mature for detailed comparative evaluation. Validation against physiological data, such as that presented in the works referenced in the section on boundary conditions, will require first the construction of an improved numerical model with a more complex network representation of the venous circulation in the lower limb. In the longer term a detailed three dimensional (3D) model is required to compute the haemodynamic characteristics in the region of the valve, and to evaluate the effects of local geometric and material variations. The 1D model described in this paper provides important mutual validation data for such a 3D model, as well as the potential to provide local boundary conditions for it in the region of the valve.
Appendix: Equations and discretisation
A1: Governing equations
The variables used in equations 1–7 were: A0 – undeformed vessel area-, An i – vessel area at point i along the vessel length at time n-, μ – fluid viscosity-, ρ – fluid density-, E – vessel wall Young's modulus, σ-vessel Poisson's ratio, h – vessel wall thickness and finally r – vessel radius-. All variables used were described in SI units.
A2: Lax-Wendroff discretisation
This study was funded by the British Heart Foundation under BHF PhD studentship FS/05/086/19462. Many useful synergies arose between this and a parallel study on deep vein thrombosis, EPSRC GR/S86464/01, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Authors' Affiliations
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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So I do not think that it is altogether fanciful or incredible to suppose that even the floods in London may be accepted and enjoyed poetically. Nothing beyond inconvenience seems really to have been caused by them; and inconvenience, as I have said, is only one aspect, and that the most unimaginative and accidental aspect of a really romantic situation. An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. The water that girdled the houses and shops of London must, if anything, have only increased their previous witchery and wonder. For as the Roman Catholic priest in the story said: "Wine is good with everything except water," and on a similar principle, water is good with everything except wine. (On Running After One's Hat, All Things Considered)
"They don't know they're born". What a poetic saying that is, and how much it applies to us all! One of Chesterton's most common themes-- and a central theme of Christianity, of course-- is the need for perpetual rebirth and renewal. We have to remind ourselves constantly that we are born-- we have to fan the flame of wonder and gratitude in our own souls.
Here are some of my own mental exercises in doing just that:
If you are walking down a city street, imagine how much you would like to walk down the same street a hundred or two hundred years ago, or a hundred years in the future, and pretend you are a time traveller visiting our own day. This is the temporal equivalent to being a tourist at home. Remember that every day is a unique, unrepeatable moment in time-- and what a strange idea that really is.
Imagine you have no shoes, or are in one of those dreams where you're wearing no trousers (yes, I've had them), or that you're trapped on a bitterly cold day without adequate clothing. Feel what a wonderful thing it is to be clothed and warm.
Think of the fresh air that you breathe, that surrounds you at every moment, and drink it in.
Look at the shops around you and imagine that conglomeration had advanced so far that all small businesses had been swallowed up by one or two retail giants. Imagine a whole street of Tesco. Then thank God for all the different shop signs in your field of vision.
Imagine everybody could hear everybody else's thoughts, and enjoy the delicious cosiness of having your own mental retreat.
If you are a man, look at a passing woman and reflect how strange it is to share a world with such beings—as though unicorns and fairies were to be seen out every window. As Chesterton put it in Orthodoxy: I could never mix in the common murmur of that rising generation against monogamy, because no restriction on sex seemed so odd and unexpected as sex itself.
If you are young, or middle-aged, look at an old person and think of the world they carry around in their memories—one that is as inaccessible to us as Homer's Greece. Honour them as "a traveller from an antique land".
Listen to the accents being spoken around you, and reflect on the fact that every region on Earth has its own unique way of speaking. Isn't it odd? And isn't it amazing?
Look at the old buildings around you, and think how dramatically satisfying it is that new stories are played out on the same stage—new stories, linked to the old ones. Think how extraordinary it is that we know of the lives that have passed before our own. As G.M. Trevelyan wrote: The poetry of history lies in the quasi-miraculous fact that once, on this familiar spot of ground, walked other men and women, as actual as we are today, thinking their own thoughts, swayed by their own passion, but now all gone, one generation vanishing after another, gone as utterly as we ourselves shall shortly be gone like ghosts at cock-crow."
Listen to the chatter around you—going on everywhere, all the time, without cessation—and think how marvellous it is that there is always something happening. New things happen every day, in every office and home and alley. I can easily imagine a world where life scated along on the tram-tracks of utter monotony. Anyone who thinks this is true of this world is projecting.
And so on. And so on. And so on.


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Posted at 09:59 PM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I've made a surprising discover lately regarding narrative practice and the business world. I've read two business books over the last couple of months and it seems to me that narrative ideas are beginning to bleed into corporate America in a surprising way. Now how is it that capitalist's are more accommodating to narrative ideas then our own mental health practitioners? Not sure, but a little of what I have found follows:
Exhibit A: Tell To Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story by Peter Guber. Yes, it has the unfortunate "win at all costs" title that sells books in our culture, but inside what you find might surprise you. Some of the headings in the book include;
The Beauty of Metaphors
Witnessed Experience
The Hidden Power of Backstories
What Fuels Emotional Transportation
Playing The Story Forward
I would argue that you could find several of those headings or similar, in many books about narrative practice. This book still suffers from the discourse of competition and ideas about winning in business, but it was surprising all the same.
Exhibit B: REWORK by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. We all know how narrative practitioners love to put RE in front of everything, Re-author, Re-story, Re-whatever, its become code for narrative practiced here. Well now there's Re-work. The authors, not narrative folk by any means, have done a very nice job of building quit a counter story to many of the dominant discourses that have floated around business for quite some time, unexamined. Some of their headings include;
Don't Be a Hero
Reasons To Quit
Throw Less at The Problem
Welcome Obscurity
Make Tiny Decisions
Go To Sleep
Yes, they do still fall into several dominant ideas out there in the business world but for the most part, they work to build an effective counter story for much of the discourse that still commands corporate America.
So I'm on the look out for that next book that moves these ideas further into the business world. Maybe it could be mine. I mean, I do have some material I could start pulling together...
Posted at 07:16 AM in Books, The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I have another post up at the OC Metro where I take on the myth of the rugged individual. Please take a look and share:
Yesterday I was with a client who is a budding entrepreneur and the subject of networking came up. She was about to leave a job where she was in the company of many people, and where opportunities to travel and expand her network were plentiful. She was going to leave all of this to begin her start-up in her apartment and was becoming aware of, and concerned about, the isolation she might face...Read More HERE
Posted at 11:59 AM in Narrative Inquiry, The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to get together for lunch with my friend Suzanne Broughton. Because of our schedules, it seems that Suz and I can only get together once every six months. For those that don't know, Suz has been the biggest influence on me with all the online/social media stuff that I do. Suz was the one that bullied me into starting Dharmabum, getting on Twitter, and hooking me up with the OC Metro writing gig. At some point yesterday our conversation turned to the influence of Twitter. Suz is a big proponent of the power of Twitter and its potential reach. I wont bore you with all of that, but she did suggest that I get a little more detailed with my Twitter profile. There's not much you can do in a 160 characters, but surprisingly it did cause me to pause and think about who I am these days. In a nutshell this is what I came up with:
Narrative Therapy/Inquiry Practitioner. Blogger for @OCMetro Magazine, Social Entrepreneur, Community Worker, Art & Poetry Enthusiast. Test Pilot & Raconteur
Now that might not seem like such a big deal to anybody, but two pieces hit me in a enlightening way.
Social Entrepreneur: Yes, I have a long entrepreneurial background, and have even spoke about social entrepreneurship at a conference, but I never identified as a social entrepreneur. Until now. It struck me that what Anne and I are doing with the Narrative Project of Orange County is establishing a social enterprise. A low/no cost community counseling clinic that will serve our community in need. I have to say, it felt good to try on this new identity.
Community Worker: But I think it felt even better to discover that I am at a place, where at times I wasn't so sure I wanted to be, working in the community giving back. As I look back now it all makes sense, all the schooling and training, the amazing people that have influenced me and my world view, the theory, the practice, the hard times, all of it has brought me to this place where I can call myself, a community worker. I'm right where I've always wanted to be.
So who knew a conversation about Twitter would lead me here, but that's what happens when you have lunch with Suz. I suppose I should also apologize to all my friends in advance, now Suz wants to me to get on Foursquare. Sorry.
Posted at 09:56 AM in Friends, musings, The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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After a little hiatus that took place for no other reason then getting distracted, I have a new post up at the OC Metro. I really appreciate the opportunity to bring narrative ideas to the larger public, especially the local business/entrepreneurial community. So please take a look and if you like what you read please share it with a friend.
Orange County is a center of high achievement, entrepreneurial accomplishment, and all the trappings that come with material success. So it should come as no surprise that a piece of my practice includes working with clients who are struggling with the problem of perfection, and the bad effects it brings into lives...Read More Here.
Posted at 10:02 AM in Narrative Inquiry, Narrative Therapy, The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive, Writing | Permalink
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It's been a crazy week. In the midst of all the teaching stuff there has been some great news to report on the Narrative Project of OC front. Yesterday Anne and I went to UCI to meet with the crew at the Economic and Community Development Law Clinic to begin setting up the structure of the NPOC as we move toward non-profit status. I feel very fortunate that they took on the Project, and are working hard to make it happen. As it progresses I'll continue to update.
I would also like to introduce the Project's legal eagles, Christina, Susan and Katie. Thanks guys!
Posted at 10:53 AM in musings, Narrative Therapy, Postmodern Therapy, The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I have a new post up over at the OC Metro. Go have a look please. It seems to have hit a chord.
I am currently watching CNBC and the DOW is down another 300 points. The riots in London continue unabated, and all this after the debt ceiling fiasco in Washington that lowered government approval ratings to all time lows. Will the bad news ever end?...Read More Here
Posted at 09:18 PM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I have a new post up over at OC Metro magazine. Please take a look if you have a moment.
Recently I found myself in an airport bookstore looking for something to read as I was about to board a plane for a five hour trip to the east coast. Typically I avoid the rotating volumes of business advice that are part and parcel of all airport bookstores, but this day my attention was captured by a row of a recently released publication professing the "hidden power of story."As someone with a counseling and consulting practice centered on narrative and narrative inquiry, I bought the book....Read More Here
Posted at 09:11 AM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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Well it's that time again. I have a new post up over at the OC Metro where I introduce the SOAR process to strategy development. Please take a look.
If you are looking to facilitate high-engagement and strengths-based strategic planning in your organization, small business, non-profit, or family, it's time that you learned to SOAR...Read More HERE
Posted at 12:12 PM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I have a new post up over at the OC Metro where I take on fear and how to get out from under it. I even quote Stephen Madigan in this one. Narrative practice in corporate America. I think there's a book here somewhere...
In my counseling practice I am currently working with two budding entrepreneurs. Both of these new business builders are starting companies in similar fields, and both of these talented individuals have often found themselves struggling with the F-word.
Read More Here.
Posted at 06:58 AM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I have a new post up over at the OC Metro where I show how experience near questioning can lead to innovation in teams, non-profits, or organizations. Please take a look.
Asking the right questions in your organization, non-profit, or team can change everything. The traditional questions that tend to be asked in organizations are diagnostic questions. These types of questions are deficit based and lead to a problem based, problem focused culture. The alternative to this type of focus is questions that are strength based and lead to engagement and positive energy...Read More Here
Posted at 08:31 AM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I have a new Postmodern Executive post up over at the OC Metro. Please take a look..
As someone who spent a large portion of my professional career starting and growing a successful business, I am often asked for advice by aspiring entrepreneurs. In the past I was always ready with a standard set of recommendations that I would dispense, but over time my thinking about how best to support new business builders has begun to change. I have noticed over the years that the overriding theme that seems to get in the way of budding entrepreneurs is the powerful idea of personal failure and all the discourse that swirls around failure..Read More HERE
Posted at 10:39 AM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I'm pretty excited to be the first featured blogger over at the OC Metro. Please click through this link to take a look. I wasn't sure how my approach and writing skills were going to be received, but it seems to be working out pretty great so far. Suz and the OC Metro have been very supportive. Many Thanks!!
I also have a new column up:
As someone who uses the narrative approach to conflict resolution, I try and follow a few basic principles when working with parties that are involved in a dispute....Read More Here
Posted at 10:01 AM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I have a new post up at The OC Metro.
If your company was to tell a story, what kind of story would it be? Would it be a thriller, where escape seems impossible? A mystery, where everybody is puzzled and no solution seems imminent? A tragedy, where your organization may be experiencing a reversal in fortune? Or worse yet, a slapstick comedy?..Read More Here
Posted at 05:28 PM in The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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There's a new post up titled The Learning Decade over at The OC Metro. Please take a look.
Fast Company is calling the next decade the Learning Decade. The author of the recent article, Sam Herring, co-founder and executive VP of Intrepid Learning Solutions and the chair of ASTD's board of directors says the main drivers of this move to learning investment by organizations include: top line innovations, disruptive technology, competitive pressures, increasing speed, virtuous circle, emerging markets, industry change, industry consolidation, brain drain, failing grade, return to growth, future jobs, knowledge workers, leadership vacuum, culture change, and unanticipated conditions...Read More Here
Posted at 08:54 AM in Appreciative Inquiry, The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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My new article, Intervention to Innovation is up over at the OC Metro.
Last week I attended a webinar put on by David Cooperrider who is the co-creator of Appreciative Inquiry and faculty at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management. One of the pieces that really caught my attention was his particular take on the 80/20 data set. He pointed out that most organizations will put 80% of their focus on weaknesses. This wide view on what is wrong with organizations, inevitably leads to a problem solving culture that can begin a cycle of: Read More
Posted at 05:47 PM in Appreciative Inquiry, The Entrepreneur, The Postmodern Executive | Permalink
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I wanted to let everybody know that my blog The Postmodern Executive at OC Metro Magazine is now up and running. From the first post:
Join me in conversation as I begin to unpack the values and practices of the postmodern executive. My hope is that this blog will provide readers with a map to a new way of organizing careers and organizations, and in the process provide inspiration and resources to what is now known as appreciative organizing.
So if you're interested in approaching your work and career in new and exciting ways, bookmark my blog and come back often. Thanks!
Posted at 01:31 PM in The Entrepreneur | Permalink
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I wanted to let everybody know that beginning shortly I will be one on OCMetro.com's bloggers. I am very excited about this new project and will let you know more as it gets going.
The goal of my OCMetro.com blog will be to provide a social constructionist perspective to help leaders, managers and teams create preferred outcomes in their organizations, careers, and lives. The challenges and opportunities Orange County executives and organizations face in a rapidly changing environment requires new and innovative approaches to change. I will draw on my strong background in both entrepreneurship and postmodern theory as the foundation for my writing and research that will be presented on the blog.
I hope you will join me in discussion there when we get started.
Posted at 08:54 AM in The Entrepreneur | Permalink
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I'm sitting at home in the rain, watching CNBC. It's been a while.
I have a long history in the corporate world. I have a long entrepreneurial history. Both have been successful. I was a former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award finalist in 2005 and was recognized for Excellence in Entrepreneurship a couple of times by the Orange County Business Journal. I helped grow a successful business and was responsible for a couple hundred employees. I successfully exited that business earlier this year. It was a wonderful ride.
When I went back to school to become a therapist, I thought I would be leaving that piece of me behind. But over the last couple of years, I realized those skills I possessed would be of value to me in multiple ways, and that somehow, I would enter back into the business world in a fulfilling and interesting way.
Well it looks like those possibilities are approaching.
Six months ago I proposed to a large business/lifestyle magazine headquartered here in OC that I become their executive/organizational therapist and coaching blogger. Well I heard back last week and it looks like it's all going to come together early next year. I couldn't be more excited. This could open opportunities for the Narrative Project to enter into organization development, mediation, and executive development work, which I think would be great fun to take on. More on this as it becomes official.
And today I sent off my proposal to speak at the AAMFT student conference taking place in LA next February. I hope to speak about The MFT and Social Entrepreneurship. We all know young MFT's can all use a little entrepreneurial fine tuning, and an introduction to other career paths outside of govt work or private practice.
Wish me luck.
Posted at 02:22 PM in The Entrepreneur | Permalink
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Here's a vid of Steve Jobs giving a commencement at Stanford. Good stuff:
Posted at 10:55 AM in The Entrepreneur | Permalink
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LOOK DOWN IN MERCY (308 pp.)Walter BaxterPutnam ($3.50).
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Himself a company commander of a British outfit in the early Burma fighting, Author Baxter writes with authority and unblinking candor. His book is not for the...
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Student Town Hall: Webster University Stance on Hate and Harassment
Jan. 18, 2017
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Cases will be explored in small groups, with a pizza lunch provided.
tags: webster life, webster today, diversity and inclusion, students, student affairs,


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Going to Court is the last resort. Court proceedings are financially and emotionally taxing and we do not make the recommendation to go to Court unless all other methods of dispute resolution have been exhausted.
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Every time I hear the utterance of the phrase, 'happy wife, happy life', I sigh a little bit at the poor schmuck saying it. Last night I was watching a cooking show, (so shoot me; I like cooking), and this brow-beaten beta male with a genuine harpy for a wife rolled it out no less than three times. So let's have a look at what's going on with this phrase.
Month: February 2016
Shitlord of the week.
Today I present, the shitlord of the week, courtesy of Mr Bayou:
A schoolboy in Russia has won a month living with a porn star as a prize in an online competition.
My favorite quote from the original post:
'I saw her and I liked everything, she has got good sizes…. and so on. I am looking forward to our meeting so much, everything is boiling inside me. I am happy so much.
'I have told my mother and she has taken it badly, but I think we'll sort it out. When I meet the girl, I'll say: "Hi, I am that very boy, I've won you."'
Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for our shitlord of the week.
Friday links and stuff
I know it's not Friday for most of you, but it is here in Australia and we're in front and the rest of you are just catching up.
Saudi Arabia to send troops to Syria?
I have a contact who is ex-military at quite a high level. He participated in quite a few war-games with the Saudis. The thought of them invading their own arsehole sends him into fits of hysterical laughter.
If Britain leaves the EU will implode.
If they stay my head will implode. Britain pays the EU 55 million pounds a day for the privilege of losing control of their own democratic process.
Being offended is a trendy self-absorption of the rich.
I hate everyone equally so pretty hard for me to get offended.
World's safest man killed at work.
God does have a sense of humor.
Let's see; your business model is built on people sending lots of messages to each other and after becoming wildly successful you decide to install a "Trust and Safety Council," to censor some speech that you don't like. If you own Twitter stock and you don't intend to sell it I have a Nigerian friend called Moses who would like you to help him transfer some money …
Update: Twitter CEO named as weasel of the week.
It comes out every Tuesday and it should be a go-to for you on your weekly internet travels.
Same with these guys. I love Brainpickings, (although they aren't restricted to only Tuesday).
The Federalist is imploding over Trump.
As are the majority of conservative sites and publications. What they are going to do when he wins the nomination is beyond me, (something which I called last July and all my friends made fun of me – who's laughing now?) How bonkers has The Federalist gone? They're now willing to vote Hillary over Trump to "save" conservatism.
And finally, for your viewing pleasure, a sad Bernie Sanders supporter cries that there are people out there who would vote for Trump. If you've ever wondered how politicians like Julia Gillard get elected, this is the reason. Have a good weekend!
10th trait – The modern man is confident.
It's Thursday morning where I live. Time for another trait:
The modern man is confident.
Continue reading "10th trait – The modern man is confident."
9th trait – The modern man spends less than he earns.
The next post on the fascinating list is:
The modern man spends less than he earns.
Continue reading "9th trait – The modern man spends less than he earns."