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Focus on the Family Broadcast >> All Episodes
A Man Called Norman (Part 2 of 2)
Original Air Date 09/06/1984Get Social and Listen
On this classic Focus on the Family program, the Rev. Mike Adkins tells the humorous and poignant story of his efforts to befriend and share the Gospel with his neighbor Norman, who was a recluse and a social outcast. (Part 2 of 2)
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Mike: He looked at me out of those eyes, out of those thick glasses. And I said, "Norman, do you know who Jesus is?" He said, "Do you know who Jesus is?" I said, 'cause people were beginning to look, I said, "Norman, did you ever think about asking Jesus to come into your heart and your life?" He never repeated me. For the first time, he said, "I've given it serious consideration."
John: Well, that scene in an ice cream shop was just the beginning of a 29-year friendship between our speaker today, Mike Adkins and a man called "Norman," a man who the Lord had asked Mike to befriend. On today's edition of "Focus on the Family" with our president and author, Jim Daly, we'll hear the lessons that Mike Adkins learned. And these are lessons that will benefit each and every one of us.
Jim: John, I've always loved this message because it's a motivator. It motivates us to act, not simply to just read our Bibles and pray, which are very important, but to actually do.
John: Uh-hm.
Jim: And I think the story of "A Man Called Norman," it's profound in so many different ways. The first is the fact that God loves Norman.
John: Hm.
Jim: And even though he's not perhaps as sharp as everyone else and he has other issues, God sent Mike Adkins as his neighbor to befriend him--
John: Uh-hm.
Jim: --and to learn more about Norman and to care for Norman. And it's a beautiful story, I think that could come right out of the Scriptures for us today if they were still being written--
John: Uh-hm.
Jim: --and to illustrate the beauty of brotherly love, one for another. And that really captures it, doesn't it?
John: It does and I really like the way that God worked on Norman and Mike, too. I mean, Norman had to be pulled of a life of--
Jim: Abuse, yeah--
John: --outcast and yes. And Mike had things that he had to wrestle with and God spoke to both of them and through both of them to many, many people. And it really is an amazing testimony of God doing remarkable things.
Jim: And last time, we even heard Mike talk about the Lord laying on his heart to invite Norman on his family vacation. Now I don't know about you, John, but if I had kind of a strange neighbor and I felt the Lord saying to me, "Take Norman on your family vacation," first of all, I'd have to get through that myself. Then Jean and I would (Chuckling) have to--
John: I'd have 101--
Jim: --and Jean ... (Chuckling)
John: --reasons not to do this.
Jim: And again, it just is a great testimony to Mike's faithfulness and he did it and look at the beautiful bouquet that Norman became--
John: Uh-hm.
Jim: --because of Mike's faithfulness.
John: Well, let me just quickly introduce Mike Adkins for those who weren't with us last time or haven't heard the previous airings of this presentation. He was a federal coal mine inspector, until God led him into a full-time ministry of evangelism and singing. And he's got a number of Gospel music albums and lives now in West Frankfurt, Illinois with his wife, Carmel. And after we hear this portion of Mike's message, we're going to do something, Jim, a little different. We're gonna give him a call and get an update about what God's been doing in Mike's life and I know he'll have a story. He always--
Jim: Yes, he does.
John: --has a story to share.
Jim: He's a great storyteller.
John: Indeed and let's go ahead and let our listeners hear. We're gonna roll back just a little bit, get a recap from the last time. And with that, here's "A Man Called Norman" on today's "Focus on the Family."
Mike: He walked out of that house and I saw that he lived there and I said, "Oh, no!" (Laughter) I said, "Lord, that's weird Norman over there!" (Laughter) I said, "You had me buy the house across the street from weird Norman." (Laughter)
This time he came out to work on his lawn mower out in the backyard. Suddenly the presence of the Lord settled all over me. I didn't expect it. I was surprised by it, but it settled all over me and when it did, it seemed that faith or confidence or I don't know the right word, more than I normally possessed, it began to well up in me and I did something that surprised even me.
I got up, barefoot, coveralls, walked across that street and walked up to Norman in his backyard by his lawn mowers [sic]. I said (Clearing throat), "You havin' trouble with your lawn mower, Norman?" He looked at me and he said, "You havin' trouble with your lawn mower, Norman?" (Laughter)
I said, "I'm not much of a lawn mower mechanic, Norman" and I heard him say, "I'm not much of a mechanic, Norman," as I looked at him. (Laughter) I cleaned a spark plug, tightened a screw or two. I don't know anything about a lawn mower. And I prayed and pulled that rope and it ran like it'd been to the repair shop. It just hummed--just "hm." I got up and I looked at him and he looked at that lawn mower and he looked at me and he looked at that lawn mower and he did something. For the first time I saw when he grinned real big, I saw a green and yellow tooth right here. (Laughter) And I saw one over here and one here and one here. (Laughter)
It'd been a busy year, busy year. (Laughter) I'd been workin' at the coal mine and I was tired and I'd been singing in churches on the weekend[s] and I was telling the Lord about it, you know, 'cause my vacation was comin' up. And you know what the Lord told me? He said, "Why don't you take Norman with you on vacation?" (Laughter)
I said, "I'm goin' to Opryland, Lord. Norman at Opryland just ... " And I said, "Lord, I'm not gonna do it, now. Sir, I'm tired and ... " A couple of weeks later we was [sic] going down the highway to Opryland (Laugher), Norman sitting in beside me, my wife and kids in the back.
We got to Opryland and I didn't put him on the Wabash Cannonball, you know, because he's about 62-years-old at the time and I was afraid he might have a heart problem over that, you know. So, I tried to pick out a ride he could handle and I found the bumper cars. We got him in there. He sat down in that big old bumper car and he got everybody in the place caught over to one side. (Laughter)
They turned that ride on. He had the whole crowd pinned and he had his car sideways and had 'em jammed in over there and they were mad. (Laughter) And he was lookin' around and lookin' at me goin', "Heh." And he couldn't figure it out. And we began to laugh and we were standin' outside that place, tears began to run in my eyes. I said, "Look Carmel. Look at him, Norman, he's got everyone caught over there." And the kids went, "Uh-ha."
And finally somebody got loose. And the ride was about half over and they felt like they had been cheated and they were in a hurry. They came all the way around that rink and they wanted to hit somebody before that ride was over and there sat Norman. And they hit him full speed ahead. He went, "Oh." And then he really tried to get that thing going. And here comes someone else and they were starting to get loose now in great numbers and one-by-one, they'd come around and they'd hit Norman.
And the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me at Opryland and He said, "That's what they've been doin' to Norman all his life. People [have] been hittin' on him. They've been hittin' on him.
I had taken Norman an old suit of mine that I didn't wear any more. God brought that to my attention. And I went over and looked in his closet and I couldn't believe my eyes: old shoes of every description you can imagine, old suits, sweaters that hung this way, all kinds of ties--bolos, sparkly ties, big wide ties, little ties--nothing that anyone would want to wear.
I said, "God, give me an opportunity to bless me some way, Lord." And a revival to sing at came in and I know they gave me an offering at the end of the revival. And the Lord said, "Buy Norman a suit." I went downtown. I bought one of the nicest suits I could find. I made sure it cost at least more than any suit I owned in my wardrobe. And I went to get him and take him and he picked it out. He liked it. It was kind of dark blue. He had good taste. It had a little stitching around here; it was polyester. It was nice; it was expensive.
I said, "Norman, you ever been clean?" (Laughter) He said, "It's been years." (Laughter) He said, "I'm a hermit, you know. My dad got killed in the coal mines about 50 years ago. [He] went to work one day. I was just a little boy and he didn't come home. Some men came to our house and said the roof fell in on him. I remember his funeral. I saw my uncle, haven't ever seen him again." I said, "Norman, I'm gonna run some water for you in your bathtub and I really want you to get clean, 'cause tonight I want to take you down to a church that's having a Gospel singing."
I went in his bathroom. I couldn't believe my eyes. I pulled the curtain back--oh. The floor was like dirt. The tub was so filthy, I had to take all the sacks out of it first. He saved paper sacks; I didn't know why. I took 'em all out and then I cleaned the tub with SOS pads and when I turned the hot water faucet on, it fell in the tub. (Laughter) And I got it back up and taped it back on. It leaked a little, but it worked all right.
And I got his hot water ran [sic] in there and I went in there and I said, "Now, Norman, see, you've got a new white shirt and a tie to go with your suit and you got new shoes and socks and underclothes. And let's really get clean. I mean, you know, really, really" ... and I said, "When you're through, holler at me, okay?"
He went in there, in the bathroom and I went into the living room to look at that unbelievable house he lived in. Wallpaper sagging--rain had got [sic] in--falling off the walls and the ceiling and dirt everywhere. He had an old coal furnace that belched smoke in the wintertime. Something was wrong with it. I don't know how he lived at night when he turned that on in the wintertime. Sometimes he didn't use it; I saw that he had several covers on his bed he'd just crawl under.
And that old mattress, it was like that and I shook the curtain and dust just came out of it. And I said, while he was in there in the bathtub ... I heard him in there. He was in there soaping, "Oop-a-loopa, loopa, loopa, loopa," he was beginning to sing. He finally said, "I'm okay, I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm clean."
I went in there and I pulled that curtain back. I had told him to get out of the tub and just put a towel around him. There he stood. His glasses were off, water dripping in the floor and I … with a towel around him. And I looked at him and I ... have you ever seen mud that had just been smeared? (Laughter) I said, "Not clean enough Norman. I want you to get back in the tub? Now, Norman, I'm serious, now get clean. We want to be ... " And went back into the living room, looked ... went back in after he said he was okay. That went on time and time again. Finally, the floor was wet; the mirror was wet; the tub was wet; I was wet; he was wet, but when he got finished, I had scrubbed his head. I got him down like this; I didn't hurt him, but I got him in a headlock where he couldn't get away.
I got an SOS. I got some Lava soap and I got a sponge and I began to rub the top of his head. And I rubbed it and he'd go, "Mm-m-m, m-m-m." (Laughter) I rubbed it and pretty soon I looked and there was a bunch of white showing through. He had beautiful white hair.
I scrubbed some more; I said, "Put your face up here." And I scrubbed his face and I gave him the sponge. I said, "All right, big boy, from the neck on down is yours; get it clean." (Laughter) When we got finished--water all over the place--you could rub your thumb on him anywhere and he'd squeak. (Laughter)
We went downtown to the church, to the Gospel singing. We sat down; people would come up to me and say, "Well, Brother Mike, we're really glad to have you visiting here tonight. God bless you. And who's your friend?" About the time they'd get his hand, I'd say, "That's Norman" and they'd go ... (Laughter)
One Sunday right after that, the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me and said, "Today is Norman's day. Take a Bible; get a pastor friend." We went over to Norman's. We got the Book of Romans and we began to tell him how we've all come short of the kingdom of God--how he could receive salvation. At first he didn't understand and then he grasped it. He said to me, "Oh, I see what you mean." He said, "I used to listen when I was a little boy to the radio. My mom would play ... that preacher was on." He said, "You mean like my windows right there are so dirty."
He said, "And you're saying that Jesus--if I'll ask Him--will clean my heart up like sometimes when I wash my windows?" I said, "Yeah, Norman, he'll clean up inside of you and then the outside, too." And he said, "I would like that." In that old house, with the wind blowing and the cracks in the walls--old dirty house--Norman prayed a simple prayer. And he said, "Jesus, Mike said that if I'd ask You to, You'd come into my heart and I'd like that. Come in" and he was washed white as snow.
I rejoiced and God began to do a work in him, but God began to do a work in me. I didn't mind if everybody in town knew I was helping Norman. I used to tell 'em down at the ball game a little bit during the intermission. A bunch of us guys would be standing around drinking a Coke and I'd say, just out of the clear blue--I couldn't stand it anymore; I wanted praise so bad [sic] for this little good deed I was doing--I said, "I'm helping Norman." (Laughter)
These guys would look at me like, "Huh? What do you think they're gonna do in the second half, Fred? They gonna run the ... " And God said, "That's not loving your neighbor as yourself."
Now, folks, I want to tell you something. When I'm in a church that needs this message because they have a lack of love, I always mention to 'em that God is praised in a lot of places. Most Christians, generally speaking, love God, but not many love their neighbor as theirself [sic]. I'm gonna finish with this.
I had pride in me. God still works on it. He said, "Are you willing to help Norman, no matter how long it takes? Are you willing to help him, take him places, make him a part of your life? Are you really willing?" I said, "Oh, God, he's so unlovely sometimes." And one night He challenged me with what I want to close with.
He said in the bathroom one night, I was standing there looking at his bathroom. I had remodeled his bathroom by now, fixed his faucet. I fixed his sink. I'd got him some new walls and I put him a new Celotex ceiling in and had a light I was working on. And there was one thing in that bathroom that I just would not touch. It was over in the corner. And (Laughter) it was dirty and I just said, "No." (Laughter)
I said, "Now, God, sing in a choir? I'll sing in [a] choir; I love 'em. I love You all the time, but yeah, I'll do that. Travel all over the country and sing and tell 'em about Jesus? Okay, Lord. Not that." (Laughter) He kept troubling me about it, troubling me about it. I kept telling Him no, kept telling Him no. I fought that thing. I said, "No way."
He said, "All I want you to do is fix that ring and lid on the top of it." You see if you look at it and I did, it had the two bolts that held the ring into the ceramic part. One of those bolts has broken off. And if you accidentally bumped into it, it would just swing down by that one bolt and hang beside the bowl. And He said, "Look over there." And I looked and someone ... and I'm gonna ask Him one of these days. I'm not brash towards our Father, but I'm gonna ask Him. I don't think He'll mind. I'm gonna ask Him who put that there. In a plastic bag was a brand-new ring and lid. All I had to do was take a bolt off, take the old one off, throw it away, put the new one on, put the bolts on it and it was finished; but I wasn't gonna touch it.
Sat over in front of my television. One night He troubled me so bad I couldn't watch television. I finally turned around to Carmel, my wife and I just said, "I'm not gonna do it." (Laughter) She was looking at the Sears catalog or something. She looked at me like ... (Laughter) I couldn't stand it. About an hour later, I went up and got my coveralls out of the pantry and I put 'em on and put the collar up. (Laughter)
I pulled the sleeves down, found me some gloves that came down over the sleeves. She laughed and told me later if I'd have had an operating mask like a surgeon, I'd have had that on. (Laughter) I got my toolbox and I crept across the street real late over into Norman's bathroom, got the tools out, started working on that thing. And that one bolt that was left, I just couldn't ... tried to get that box-end wrench on it. It just wouldn't ... and if I was God and a guy was finally willing to do somethin' like this, I'd just have him touch that thing and it'd come right off, wouldn't you? But it wouldn't do it. I just …
And finally, I tried to get as close as I could to it (Laughter) without touching it, you know--"Watch it, whoa, watch it." (Laughter) And I'll tell you something. You gotta hug one of them things to work on it, you know? (Laughter and Applause) And I just couldn't get it off. And so, I know we're in a church and I'm gonna trust God, He's got a good sense of humor, because here's what I finally had to do. It's true. I had to get down on that old filthy floor so I could see up under that thing. (Laughter)
And I crawled (Laughter) and I took that wrench and I finally got it on that nut and I moved it a little bit and old rust and dirt just hit me right in the eye, like that. (Laughter) I said, "This ain't the `700 Club'! (Laughter) This ain't `PTL." And I began to have one of Jim's pity parties he was talking about and uh ... the Spirit of the Lord took care of it. He spoke to me and said, right there on the floor, He said, "When you do it unto the least of these, you do it unto Me." It changed me. I didn't care if anybody noticed. I didn't want any money. I didn't want any acclamation for it. I didn't care anymore. I just began to see when it said, "I'll give my body to be burned, but if I have not love, it's for nothing."
I began to understand that word "Loving your neighbor as yourself." I went back home and I said, "God, what else will You have for me?" He said, "Son, get in your car and take those songs that I've given you all over the country and leave 'em at radio stations."
I think maybe He thought, "Maybe I can trust him, maybe use him a little bit." And I went in the car, over all the radio stations and He opened up television and suddenly, record sales came in and then doors opened to speak all over the country. But He never allowed any of that to happen in my life, not the first bit of it, no matter how much I agonized with Him for 35 years, no matter how much I hollered and said, "Why can't You use me, God? Why am I havin' to wait?" until He had taught me to love my neighbor as myself through my friend, my neighbor named Norman. He opened the doors and today one of the favorite things that I get to tell around the country, if it be in Indonesia or Holland or America, is the story of how God used the old man named Norman to teach me to love my neighbor as myself.
John: What an unforgettable "Focus on the Family" broadcast, a real classic for you today. And it should be obvious why this message has resonated with so many over the years. Jim, this is the Gospel. This is "love your neighbor" lived out and told so powerfully, so beautifully by Mike Adkins.
Jim: Yeah, this is it, John. And I hope this message has inspired our listeners to really think about being a good neighbor, just what the Gospel says and befriend someone like a Norman and really allow the Lord to change their own hearts, as well.
John: Hm.
Jim: That's what it's about, isn't it? And you know one of the best parts of working at Focus on the Family, John, is getting to meet amazing Christians like Mike Adkins.
John: Uh-hm.
Jim: I mean, he's just a wonderful human being. And I gave him a call yesterday and he agreed to be on the phone with us to answer a few follow-up questions about Norman.
Mike, as you know, we've been listening to "A Man Called Norman," a great story of redemption and you tell it so well, Mike. It blesses me every time I hear it. But over the last couple of days, we've been listening here at Focus on the Family. It's great to have you on the phone. We really enjoyed the stories you shared in the early part of the message, which we heard last time, Mike. But I'm just wondering, when the Lord asked you to take Norman on your family vacation to Opryland--
Mike: (Laughing)
Jim: --Mike, what was in your head?
Mike: I was wondering if I'd really heard God when I felt a leading to take him with us, you know, on vacation. But boy, it sure turned out to be the Lord and--
Jim: Oh, yeah.
Mike: --and He taught me so much through Norman. I've often told people and they'll say, "What's that story about?" I'll say, "Well, God I thought was sending me across the street to help an old fella, get him cleaned up and everything else. And the truth was, God was cleaning me up in a lot of ways, where maybe not physically did I need that, but I needed it a lot of ways spiritually.
Jim: Now your good friend Norman, he did pass away a few years back. Tell us about that--
Mike: Yeah.
Jim: --moment, that emotion.
Mike: Well, he had become almost a replacement for my grandfather. My grandfather passed away when I was just a teenager. And Norman just sort of replaced him in my heart.
And in April 24th, in 2000, he went to be with Lord. I got to be with him the last three hours and it was one of the most precious times of my life, because I had felt God there so strongly—His presence.
Jim: Hm.
Mike: And I watched him shed his last tear and as I was comforting him, telling him that he was gonna see Jesus pretty soon; everything was all right. And he was at real peace. And I know he heard me and I know he understood what I was saying. But it was one of the most difficult times for me personally, because I still miss him. He was a blessing to my life, I could never describe to ya how much really.
Jim: You know, one of the things John and I, we were talking about last time is just the conviction that the story brings to our own hearts, to look for the people around us that are like the "Normans" in our own lives. And you're talkin' to an awful lot of people right now, Mike. And what would you say to encourage those of us that might give the excuse that, you know, the pace of life is too fast and I've got young kids and the list goes on and on? What can you say?
Mike: Well, those things, of course, are very true. I got a call a couple weeks ago. It was a young man's wife. And she said uh, "My husband started a men's group down at our church, age 7 to 70. And they have each month a project where they go out and they help someone in great need. And that really blessed me to hear that.
Jim: Hm.
Mike: And then, you know, we get some wonderful, wonderful letters. I got one here. And this was a minister in Tennessee and he said, one Sunday after church a man came to his office, very distraught, crying. He said he'd been lookin' for work all over the area, been sleepin' in his car, driving around for six days. He said, "I've got a full tank of gas now and I heard about a job 200 miles from here, where I might get some work."
And he began to weep and he said, "I'm so exhausted, I don't think I can make the trip." So, the pastor bought him a motel room and when they went in to pay for the motel room, his wife, the pastor's wife and kids had followed in another car. And when they got to the motel and went inside, his children asked their mom. "What's going on? What's this about?"
And she explained how desperate the man was. And the children were just flabbergasted. They said, they didn't know any human could be that alone. And so, when the man came out of the motel office, the children ran up to him and the little boy handed him a dime.
Jim: Hm.
Mike: And he said, "The tooth fairy left this for me, but I don't need it."
Jim: Oh.
Mike: And then, the little girl had a box of Graham crackers a lady at the church'd given her. And she said, "I don't need this either." And that so profoundly impacted that man, that it gave the minister a great opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus with him. And then on the way home, the daughter said, "That man reminded me of Norman." They'd seen—
John: Hm.
Mike: --that story. (Chuckling)
Jim: Oh, yeah.
Mike: --and heard that story.
Jim: Well, Mike, it's such a powerful story and even that little story about Norman's impact illustrates the point and for people to get involved in their neighborhood and in their community, that's really the essence of it and do it in name of Christ. It's not simply to be a good friend, but it does have a purpose to it and that's to lead someone to the Lord, right?
Mike: That's the bottom line, because if they don't know the Lord, wow! It's almost like, what's the point?
Jim: You know, one place I'd love to be in heaven is standing near you as you and Norman say hello to each other in heaven again. That'll be a great day.
Mike: (Weeping) I'm sorry
Jim: I want to see you two embrace each other, my friend.
Mike: I look forward to that. (Sigh) Sorry, I didn't want to get emotional. (Sigh) But thank you for that.
Jim: Mike, we love you. Thank you for your witness and your example to us all.
Mike: Thank you.
Jim: God bless you.
Mike: God bless you.
John: What a touching way to finish this two-day program and it's a "Focus on the Family" classic, pretty to see why, isn't it? We've enjoyed our relationship with Mike Adkins over the years so much. He has such a big heart and we've heard from hundreds and hundreds of people who have really responded to the message of this presentation.
Featured Broadcast Resource
A Man Called Norman
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Mike AdkinsView Bio
Mike Adkins is an evangelist, singer and songwriter. He is also the author of the best-selling book A Man Called Norman. Mike has sung and spoken around the world and has appeared on more than 300 national television programs. He and his wife, Carmel, reside in Illinois.


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Whether you've found the right home, you're just starting to look at homes, or getting ready to make some offers and want to make sure you're really approved with no surprises you need to talk to a lender. The term "Pre-Approval" is probably the most abused of all mortgage terms. Getting a Box Home Loans Pre-Approval means making offers with
The term "Pre-Approval" is probably the most abused of all mortgage terms. Getting a Pre-Approval means making offers with Underwriter Approval on Credit, Income and Assets. Lenders try to pass off Pre-Qualification as a Pre-Approval, and they throw the term around like a cheap suit. Be careful. Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval are not the same thing. Which one is right for you? You decide.
Pre-Qualifications are an issued opinion from a lender letting you know if you would qualify for a loan. A loan officer will analyze what you tell us you make and what you state your assets are. As long as what you state is accurate, a pre-qualification is generally accurate but still needs to be reviewed by an underwriter. If all you need is a quick answer to 'can I afford this house payment?' – then get a pre-qualification. If you're ready to start placing offers on homes, you really should get pre-approved.
A Pre-Approval means that lender will fully underwrite your application, credit report, and income and asset documentation prior to you actually making an offer on a home. Here are the reasons why a Pre-Approval is a good idea:
– See more at: https://www.boxhomeloans.com/purchasing/ready-to-make-offer/#sthash.i2HxU8Lu.dpuf
The CDA Properties mantra is "Real Estate Happiness!"
Do you know what? I enjoy being happy! Am I happier than others or do I know a secret you don't? Probably not. But i do know that when I am happy, my days are better, my relationships are better, and I just feel better.
We can each have different activities, people, interactions, delicious desserts, traditions, places, memories, songs and things nobody else might ever understand that make us happy. In fact, I am positive I would be happy right now if I was eating ice cream and watching a great movie. Some of you would be much happier if you were fishing, hiking, or lying by a pool. And we are all right. It is such a great thing that we are each unique in what makes life good for us.
At CDA Properties, we believe that where you live plays a huge role in your happiness. We all need a place to call home. As real estate agents, we want to help you through your journey to find your next home. Maybe the condo you are renting is too small because your family just grew with an adorable little baby. Or congratulations are in order because you just got that new job, but that means you need to move to a new area. How many of you want to find out the benefits of owning your first rental property or want to buy another rental because you already know how great it can be?
To us, Real Estate Happiness means we are the industry experts that get to find out where you want to go and how we can help you get there. We love walking first time home buyers through their first purchase. That smile on your faces when we help you find the perfect place makes the work we do every day well worth it. The best day of my career was when I gave the keys to a family and as the door closed, I walked down the driveway and heard them scream in joy because they were so excited they were moving into that house (True Story and we laughed about it together later when they found out I heard them.) I was able to help them find Real Estate Happiness.
We want to be there for it all. We have clients that have rented from us as tenants, worked with us as agents to purchase a home, and then hired us to manage that home when it turned into a rental property. We got to see the happiness come from each step they took.
That is what drives us and we want to help you create your Real Estate Happiness.
Salt Lake City, CDA Properties, as a local leader in the residential property management field, CDA Properties was recently accepted as a member of the National Association of Residential Property Management (NARPM), joining more than 3,300 residential property managers throughout the United States.
NARPM is a nation's only professional organization for manager of small residential properties, from single unit to 4-plexes. Members represent of $6 billion worth of residential properties nationwide. NARPM was founded in 1988 and continues to grow rapidly. It provides networking, education and public relations services to professionals with the residential property management arena.
CDA Properties has always maintained the highest standards in our profession and now we have the endorsement to boot. Through continual refinement of our processes we have become more efficient in order to better care for our both our homeowners and tenants.
Should you come across our site and desire a free consultation for property management services and agent would be glad to visit with you at your home and see what we can do for you. Please feel free to call 801-268-4134.


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Letter from Pairoroku to Te Whatanui, 28 Sep 1853
Reference Number: MS-Papers-0032-0677B-10. Object #1032743
Letter written from Otaki. Sent on to McLean with a note from Te Watanui?
3 pages written 28 Sep 1853 by Pairoroku in Otaki to Kipa Te Whatanui and Sir Donald McLean in Muhunoa, related to Ngati Toa, Ngati Raukawa.
A transcription/translation of this document (by E Ma) appears below.
Download alow-resolution PDF or high-resolution PDF
Te Reo Maori (E Ma)
28 Hepetema 1853
Ki Muhunoa[?], ki a Te Watanui
E hoa,
Tena koe. E tama, (ka) kua tae atu ta matou pukapuka ki a Te Rotu kia haere mai i te Paraire. Ko te rangi hoki tenei i rite i a tatou hei korerotanga, i whakaae ai hoki korua. No korua te he, kihai i haere ki toku whare i to korua hokinga, ki te ki mai kaore korua e hoki mai. Heoti, ko tenei, haere mai i tenei rangi ano mo te ahiahi ka korero. Heoti ano.
Na Pairorokua
Ki a Te Makarini
E hoa, e Ma, tenei ano ahau kei te tohe noa ki aku moni i a Te Watanui, tekau ma waru pauna i roto i takoto ai i a ia, 1847. He kuao hoiho te utu, kaore ano te matua hei putanga mai mo te kuao, hei utu mea ana ahau me moni he utu £18.
English (E Ma)
28 September 1853
To Muhunoa[?], to Te Watanui
Greetings. Young man, our letter has got to Te Rotu about coming here on Friday. This was the day that was arranged for our talk, and you two agreed. You are in the wrong because you did not come to my house on your return to say that you two would not come back. However, come today for a discussion in the afternoon. That's all.
From Pairorokua
To McLean
Friend, Ma, I am still arguing for my money from Te Watanui, £18, that he has had [since?] 1847. A foal should have been the payment, but there has been no horse to produce the foal, and I say he should pay in money with £18.
Part of:
Inward letters in Maori, Reference Number MS-Papers-0032-0677B (23 digitised items)
Series 2 Inward letters (Maori), Reference Number Series 2 Inward letters (Maori) (3148 digitised items)
McLean Papers, Reference Number MS-Group-1551 (30238 digitised items)
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Today, we feature The Hues (aka Alex Calder) of Edmonton, soon to be a Vancouverite. He's been sending us tracks for about a year now, and we figured it's time to show him some 'spect up in the place. We talk about how pirated software and brutal Canadian winters can have an effect on your musical productivity.
Here's his latest track, In Town, exclusive for the inhabitants of the Electric Sound Basement dwellers...and for good measure, here's one from a while back, Ellen Brown.
And without further ado, our interview with The Hues!
GS: What's up with Edmonton and all the synthesizer geniuses who come from there? From Cadence Weapon to Nik Kozub's Nrmls Wlcm to the now-Toronto based expats Pilotpriest and DVAS, and now The Hues, are we in for an Edmontonian global takeover?
TH: Haha I'm not too sure actually. I dunno if I'd classify myself with those guys though, they're the synth geniuses.
I think most of the reason some people here work on music so hard is because of the shitty long winters we have. Also, there is never anything going on, none of the bands or shows people want to see ever come here, so people stay in their rooms a lot more and make music with their free time.
Yeah, Nik Kozub and Cadence Weapon really keep it together here. They really promote Edmonton as much as possible as a city with lots of good talent. I will be moving away to Vancouver March 2nd, so I guess I won't be in Edmonton anymore making music.
It'll always be my home though. Actually, I'm sure I'll probably move back here in a year or something when I get too scared out in Vancouver haha.
GS: Imagine The Hues was more than just Alex Calder. What if The Hues were a full-on, several member touring spectacle? What would that look like?
TH: Well, originally, it started out as me and all of my friends actually.
There were like 8 of us. We played one show, it went horribly! It was just a bunch of us dicking around on a stage with no rehearsal whatsoever.
Afterwards, I wanted people to think that there were lots of members in The Hues, but in reality, it was just me making the music, hence me keeping the name. I used to make lots of music with friends, but after a while, I just realized I find it really hard to make music with people. At least the music that I want to make.
But also, speaking of The Hues having more members and playing live, I have been getting together with some of the guys from the group DVAS who still live here.
We will be opening up for Shout Out Out Out Out on Feb 28th and March 1st at the Starlight Room in Edmonton. I am pretty excited, we'll be using real instruments for the entire thing.
GS: Tell us about how you make your music. Where do you start and how do you know when you've hit something right?
TH: That's a tricky question. Most of the time it starts with a keyboard line.
My music making has changed a lot in the last couple of months. I switched from using the program Reason to using Ableton, it was a really nice switch. But when I got Ableton I started to make songs much differently.
Unfortunately, my pirated version of Ableton that I had doesn't work anymore, so making music lately has been very tricky. If it's done one thing though, it's made go back to playing all of my instruments again. I've also taken a liking to using Garage Band to record things into.
But yeah, when I figure out something that I think is catchy, I really just work around it so much. I can sit for hours and hours just working on one part of a song.
Other times, I can make a song in like 15 minutes.
Pretty much all the music I make, especially the songs I put lots of work into, I absolutely hate afterwards.
GS: What's on your mind these days as far as inspiration? What makes your creative clock tick?
TH: Kind of weird actually.
I find when I don't listen to any other dance music, I make the best dance music.
I've been listening to a lot of people like Ariel Pink and John Maus lately. It's kind of the more lo-fi side of pop music, if that makes sense.
But I feel when I get ideas from listening to songs, it's never really dance music.
Don't get me wrong, I love listening to all the latest Breakbot remixes and Shazam songs that come out, etc. I dunno, maybe it's more like, I can't compare to those guys at all, so when I hear their songs it's such a love/hate thing.
I could get really deep into it and say something about how when I am feeling the most depressed and out of place I make the best music and feel the most creative, but I think that's the same for everybody. When you're not content you strive to feel content, so I guess that's what spawns creativity in people.
GS: Are there any other musical ideas you'd like to be involved in? Like, I dunno, some kind of down-tempo side project, or a marching band?
TH: Well, I really like the idea of a punk band. So hopefully when I move away I will start a two or three piece punk band with some friends. I just love seeing punk shows, although it's seldom that Edmonton gets them. That's another thing that I have a love/hate relationship with.
Punk music fans always seem to be such elitists, so I really treat my punk music listening as a guilty pleasure that stays behind closed doors haha. I think punk music and dance music a quite similar in a lot of ways. I think they stir up a lot of the same emotions. But yeah, I will keep doing The Hues stuff for a long time, I'm sure.
It would be nice to start a punk band, even though I am pretty ignorant of punk music.
I think ignorance is what it takes with punk music though.
THE HUES - In Town
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - My Girls (Hatchmatik Disco Bootleg)
CIRCLESQUARE - All Live But The Ending
KUSTON BEATER - Automat Aux Tomates
LARRY HEARD - 25 Years From Alpha
FAN DEATH - The Best Night


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some of our latest courses!
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RHS certificate in horticulture stages 2 , 3 & masters
Garden, Horticulture and Garden Design Book Store
The Book Store gives access to a wide range of books, many at discounted prices. Recommended reading if you are studying one of our courses or considering doing so.
There are student text books, encyclopedias and light reading starting at less than £5. Go to Book Store.
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by Matt Holcomb, PhD
The present study is a cohort comparison study which evaluated possible difference in performance between high school athletes completing preseason baseline neurocognitive testing in group versus individualized settings. Findings, suggest that baselines obtained in group settings showed decreased performance when compared to those tested individually. Far from condemning the practice of group neurocognitive testing, the purpose of the article is to educate and highlight limitations of group administration on neurocognitive testing; thus minimizing its impact on performance. Limitations include a lack of effort testing, retrospective group assignment, and unstandardized instructions (particularly for participants assigned to the "group" condition). There is also no control for team-effects (most football players received individual administration, while soccer players received group administration). Read more


text: Zeynep Bilginsoy and Jon Gambrell Associated Press Published 6:41 PM EDT Oct 13, 2018 Istanbul – Turkish officials have an audio recording of the alleged killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi from the Apple Watch he wore when he walked into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul over a week ago, a pro-government Turkish newspaper reported Saturday. The new claim published by the Sabah newspaper, through which Turkish security officials have leaked much information about the case, puts more pressure on Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to Khashoggi. Also Saturday, Ankara's top diplomat reiterated a call to Saudi Arabia to open up its consulate, from where Khashoggi disappeared, for Turkish authorities to search. The writer, who has written critically about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, vanished after he walked into the consulate on Oct. 2. The kingdom has maintained the allegations against it are "baseless," though an official early on Saturday – on Khashoggi's 60th birthday – acknowledged for the first time that some believe the writer was killed by the kingdom. The disappearance has put pressure on President Donald Trump, who has enjoyed close relations with the Saudis since entering office. On Saturday, Trump expressed concern about Khashoggi's fate and lack of answers, so many days after the journalist disappeared. "Our first hope was that he was not killed but maybe that's not looking too good from what we hear but there's a lot to learn, there really is," Trump said at the White House while welcoming back American… [Read full story]


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Last year, "Glee" featured player Jane Lynch took to the stage of the Nokia Theater to accept the Supporting Comedy Actress Emmy. This year she has landed a starring role as host of the 63rd annual kudocast airing live on FOX on Sept. 18.
Lynch is likely to contend again for her scene-stealing performance as Sue Sylvester. Were she to win, she would be the first emcee to pick up an Emmy since Tom Selleck won Best Drama Actor for "Magnum P.I." while presiding over the 36th annual awards in 1984.
MAKE YOUR EMMY PREDICTIONS: Vote for Jane Lynch and "Glee" HERE
In making the annoucnement, academy chair and CEO John Shaffner said, "We're delighted to have Jane Lynch host the Primetime Emmys this year. When our host has comedic, dramatic and musical talents — as Jane proved in last year's opening number — we know it's going to be fun for us and for the audience at home!"
Added rookie Emmycast producer Mark Burnett ("Survivor"): "Jane was my first and only choice as the host for this year's Primetime Emmys, and I am glad she said 'yes.' She has incredible comedic timing, and is a charismatic, talented actress whose energy leaps off the screen and stage. I am thrilled and excited to have her as our host."
And Lynch said, "I am tickled pink to be hosting the Primetime Emmys on FOX. I'm looking forward to singing, dancing and sporting my finest tracksuit." She is only the third woman to solo as host of the Emmys. The first was Angela Lansbury in 1993 on ABC and the second was Ellen DeGeneres in both 2001 and 2005 on CBS. The first woman to co-host was Lucille Ball with her then-husband Desi Arnaz at the 4th awards while the most recent was Heidi Klum at the 2008 Emmys.
As of late, the emcee of the Emmys has been drawn from the talent pool of the presenting network. Last year, NBC showcased their new late night star Jimmy Fallon, the year before CBS used Neil Patrick Harris of "How I Met Your Mother" to host. The last time the Emmys were on FOX was in 2007 and Ryan Seacrest, who presides over ratings juggernaut "American Idol" for the network, was the solo host. The following year, ABC tapped Seacrest and the rest of the nominees in the newly-created Reality Show Host category to co-host and the result was one of the worst-reviewed Emmycasts ever.
Last year, Lynch and the kids of "Glee" took part in the spirited opening of the Emmys.


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Before you read this, make sure you scroll down to the previous entry and watch that young man's statement. His name is Joe Cook, and he returned from Iraq last year. He wanted to make that video– he was not paid by the McCain campaign to say what he said. He said it from his heart. Because he knows. He knows what our country faces today.
A lot has been said about McCain's experience as a POW, and I won't repeat the story here. He is a hero, and no one can deny that.
Unfortunately, there are many who think he will lead us into war. They see him as trigger-happy, unwilling to sit down and discuss things. Perhaps because he has fighting experience, they see him as only a fighter — and they fear that in this time of uncertainty, a McCain presidency will mean WWIII.
These are not new fears. In fact, when I hear these things coming out of people's mouths, I almost want to laugh… or cry. Doesn't anyone remember anything of history?
Modern man has a very short-term memory. And I guess I'm asking a lot… not only am I asking you to remember the events of September 11, 2001, I'm also asking you to remember the events of February 26, 1993. The World Trade Center was bombed… under the presidency of Bill Clinton. The guy who liked to sit and talk about things. The president that the world loved.
And we were attacked again. Why? Because we weren't strong. And everyone knew it.
I'm actually asking you to remember farther back than 1993. I'm asking you to remember the greatest presidency of the twentieth-century. A "trigger-happy" guy. Someone who everyone said was going to lead us into WWIII. Someone who wouldn't sit down and talk to the enemy… at least not until we could talk on equal terms.
When I hear all the talk about McCain leading us into war with Russia, I just have to shake my head. McCain doesn't want war with Russia any more than we do. He has seen war. He knows what war is. He knows what war does. Do you think he likes war?
Peace comes through strength. Peace doesn't come from us weakening our defenses, hoping everyone likes us, and then sitting around and waiting for our enemies to attack us. Sure, it would be great if everyone loved us. But they don't. And they won't. It's a sad state of affairs, but not everyone loves everyone. "Love your enemies" is a uniquely Christian belief. As much as we would like to think that everyone can just get along, everyone can love everyone… it isn't that way right now. There are people that want to destroy America. And, with all due respect Senator Obama, they don't want to sit and talk about it. They want to kill us. They don't mind if you want to sit and talk about it… because, sure, they'll sit and talk. While their men attack your country behind your back.
But back to the greatest president of the twentieth century. It is only now, after his death, that Ronald Reagan is getting the proper credit for his achievements, although many political analysts are still reluctant to attribute the success to him. Something revolutionary happened. A superpower was erased from the map; an empire ceased to exist. Even though these days Russia is rising as a threat, no one can deny that the disappearance of the U.S.S.R was astonishing. The Cold War that had threatened America for so long came to an end. What happened? Who deserved the credit for this incredible victory?
When Mikhail Gorbachev told the students of Stanford University in 1990 that the Cold War was over, the message was received with applause. His additional statement, "And let us not wrangle over who won it," was punctuated with a standing ovation and wild cheers.
It was, perhaps, an odd reaction. Other civilizations have fallen in history, and most of the causes are well known. The fall of the Soviet Union was, in the words of Henry Kissinger, "the greatest diplomatic feat of the modern era." Why did the Soviet Union fall at that moment in history? It had survived depressions and economic struggles before. As Dinesh D'Souza points out, "Historically, poor economic performance is commonplace, but the peacetime implosion of a great political regime is rare." It fell not of its own power, as some historians still argue. Its fall was the result of a courageous man whose courage and understanding of the struggle outweighed his inexperience in foreign policy. The students of Stanford were happy to avoid the discussion of who won the Cold War because no one wanted to acknowledge the cause of victory. No one wanted to admit that radical Ronald Wilson Reagan had been correct.
Now, the threat of Russia may be back in our minds, although before the invasion of Georgia, the Cold War may have seemed slightly remote. It may be too easy to take the 1989 collapse of the Berlin Wall for granted, as if it was inevitable rather than a surprise. Political theorists even fall into the trap, with a modern analysis of the conflict that radically departs from that one given by the intellectuals of the time. Paul Wolfowitz points out that the claim of contemporary politicians and intellectuals that "the Cold War was universally understood at the time to be a fight between 'good and evil' in which our choices were clear" is inconsistent with a study of 1980s.
In 1983, Ronald Reagan declared to America that the communist Soviet Union was "the focus of evil in the modern world." Not all shared Reagan's assessment of the nature of the Soviet Union. He was mocked, criticized, and declared a warmonger. (Sound familiar?) Rather than recognizing the threat Communism posed to the free world, Reagan's critics portrayed him as the threat. A journalist for the New York Times warned, "For a President to attack those who disagree with his politics as ungodly is terribly dangerous." One author, Burns Weston, cautioned against the "error in our one-sided characterizations of the Soviet Union" and urged America to stop the "evil empire" rhetoric, to "cap the volcano before it is too late."
Reagan refused to "cap the volcano," refused to ignore the injustices of the Communist system, and refused to alter his rhetoric, even when his wife Nancy attempted to persuade him to temper it. A year after Weston published his concerns over Reagan's approach to the Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall fell, just as Reagan had predicted in 1987.
Reagan understood the true nature of Communism and the true nature of the struggle in which the world was involved. Since its conception, the Communist system had oppressed its citizens and threatened the security of the world, spreading its errors across the globe. After World War II, with the new possession of nuclear weapons, the danger of the Communist goal of "revolutionary movement against the existing social and political order of things" grew.
In the 1970s, the threat had found fertile ground in which to grow without much disruption. The leadership of America had begun discounting the danger, looking for ways to cooperate with the system, and building a friendship with the Soviet Union. All of this was done despite the Soviets' oppression of their citizens, subjugation of other countries, and the system's direct opposition to the rights America held dear. The Soviet Union was pleased with America's new outlook. Evil enjoys being ignored and allowed to work covertly, so that its progress, once realized, cannot be stopped.
When Reagan began to fight the evil and push back the threat, he was criticized for his harsh rhetoric, his intolerance, and his "sectarian religiosity." The Soviet Union of the 1980s, his critics insisted, was not the Soviet Union of the 1940s and 50s. There were no mass executions, no Gulag, no torture or intimidation. While the threat of a nuclear war was still present, they admitted, America could avoid war if the Soviet Union was treated as the fellow superpower it was and negotiations continued as they had under Nixon and Carter.
Reagan knew the Soviets were a superpower—in some areas, stronger than the United States. He understood the importance of open dialogue with the Soviets, but he refused to continue the negotiations of Nixon and Carter. Détente had compromised America's position and the SALT talks had only enabled the Soviets to build more nuclear weapons. The Soviet Union was still a place of evil. It was still spreading its errors, invading countries and subjugating citizens, and committing acts of terror throughout the world. It was still a place where people were arrested for the ideas they held, where people were prohibited from emigrating, where the state regulated the press and religion, and where freedom and self-determination were viewed as menaces to the system. Most fundamentally, Reagan felt, the Soviet Union could never be a place of peace unless it was a place of freedom. Freedom could only come when the Communist system was abandoned—a system inherently opposed to individual freedom.
Reagan knew the struggle was ultimately not a political one. He knew America was facing the conflict between right and wrong, freedom and oppression, good and evil, and must ignore it no longer. Only by understanding the true nature of the conflict historians call the Cold War was Reagan was able to help the people push down the walls of Communism. Reagan's rhetoric, often dismissed by critics as empty, was a sign of hope to the oppressed people behind the Iron Curtian.
After Reagan's reelection, he received a tiny note on tissue paper, "so small a microscope was almost necessary to read" it, written in Russian. Smuggled through to the Radio Free Europe offices in Germany, it was from ten women, prisoners in a Soviet labor camp. It read:
Mr. President:
We, women political prisoners of the Soviet Union, congratulate you on your reelection to the spot of President of the USA. We look with hope to your country which is on the road of freedom and respect for human rights. We wish you success on this road.
Aside from producing his stirring rhetoric, Reagan's awareness of the nature of the struggle influenced his foreign policies and relations with the Soviet Union. First, he understood that good, diametrically opposed to evil, could never concede to evil's demands. Thus, he remained steadfast and faithful in his commitment to freedom, never compromising the security or peace of the American people. Despite criticism from the Soviet Union and fellow Americans, Reagan remained resolute, rejected the notion of "accommodation" with the Soviet Union, and refused to compromise away the principles of America for the sake of a false sense of peace or agreement. Although remaining open to dialogue with the Soviets, he understood that a true resolution to the conflict would not come by empty bargaining or making agreements that only increased production of weapons.
Secondly, Reagan believed in the renewal of American strength and realized good must never weaken in the face of evil. Thus, he built up the American military and became an unwilling participant in the arms race, knowing the free world could no longer allow the Soviet Union to dominate.
Lastly, he defended the people oppressed by the Soviet Union, understanding that if the embers of freedom in every human soul were nourished, the people would be empowered to throw off the totalitarian regime that had oppressed them. He pressured the Soviet government to restore human rights and supported Solidarity's fight for freedom in Poland.
In the present day, as the United States has a chance to look back at the Reagan administration, Reagan's once-critics fall silent. In a U.S. News and World Report article after Reagan's death, Jay Tolson questioned, "Was Reagan's fealty to his ideals . . . the crucial factor in bringing about the collapse of the Soviet empire and the end of the Cold War?" He admits that most Americans, if they once criticized Reagan, now answer the question in the affirmative.
Reagan made mistakes, of course, and his presidency is not without its failures, but "failings and shortcomings come across, by and large, as blemishes only slightly diminishing the large triumphs—restored national confidence, a nascent industrial and economic boom, and the winning of the Cold War." Perhaps Reagan's popularity has increased now, after his death, because the world does not have to feel threatened by his uncompromising attitude or because his mistakes have been forgotten. On the other hand, perhaps it is realized that his strategies worked, his predictions were fulfilled, and the world is a different place because of his presidency.
All that being said, is John McCain the same man as Ronald Reagan? No. He's not. But are the critics the same? Yes.
There is evil in the world. There are countries that would like to see us wiped off the map. We cannot weaken our defense and then attempt to sit down and negotiate with the evil.
John McCain is not afraid to face that evil. He will not lead us into war, but he will also not lead a weak country.
We have seen what happens when America is weak. McCain will keep us strong.
Senator Brownback, the man I backed for the Republican nomination until he had to pull out, recently told a group of Catholic university students:
"John McCain has been pro-life for the past 24 years. I will keep pushing him on the stem cell research issue, but John McCain is very strong on the social justice issues. He is key for our times. The Russian bear is coming back. We are facing militant Islamics, and Iran is very problematic. We need a candidate who is very good on the national security issues."
I may not agree with everything John McCain says. But I agree with Brownback: McCain is key for our times. Peace comes from strength.


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The Complaints procedure details how a student should make a complaint regarding the SU or persons involved with the SU. The complaint form referred to by this policy is on this page, above.
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Summer is coming! Really, I promise. It is. Eventually... What better way to make it feel welcome than a pretty dress? Karly took Stenzo poplin and called for summer to come!
Hey! It's Karly from Paisley Roots here. I have been dying to try some Stenzo Poplin and this Poppy on white was just so happy, I HAD to order some!
With it being May, I really should have made something for myself, but I snagged the last yard of this and sadly, my long legs require a bit more than a yard. Instead it got made into a beautiful Desert Rose dress for my girls. I'm really quite jealous. The print on this is just phenomenal and the colors are so vivid.
Sewing with it was a dream and this dress was easily put together in an hour. Having the good fabrics really does make a huge difference in sewing. And who doesn't love those quick satisfying sews??
We went to Grandma's house for a few days and got to take pictures there. We already miss the gorgeous views and wonderful weather! At least when the warm weather finally gets here to stay, this little girl will be totally ready and styling!
Also Happy Friday the 13th! I hope everyone has a great fun/scary night planned!
Lucky Karly got the last of this print, and her even luckier girls got to benefit from it! You can find all the poplins from Stenzo here and let your imagination run wild. Thanks so much, Karly! Fun Friday, indeed!!!


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This entry is a spinoff of another post I never got around to finishing. That post was about Apple's current stranglehold on the mobile music market and what they're going to have to do if they want to continue to dominate. Essentially, my argument was that Apple needed to start offering devices that could do more than just play music. If Steve Jobs thinks he can fight off the rest of the world with just music, he's sadly mistaken — devices want to converge.
This segues nicely into what I'd like to talk about: the iPod as a mobile phone. At first glance, this might seem a little strange, but turn the logic around (i.e., the mobile phone as a music player) and it might not seem as far off. In fact, it isn't "off" at all — a lot of the new mobile phones are capable of playing various audio formats, including MP3 (like my new Nokia 7610, and my SE K700i before that, and...). Why wouldn't one want to consolidate the two devices? I'm obviously the wrong person to pose this question to because I'm that guy who absolutely can't wait for my mobile phone (or whatever this all-in-one device will finally be called) to "contain" and "control" my life. That said, I can't imagine a typical end-user who wouldn't want to, at the very least, merge their portable music player with their mobile phone.
There are a few kinks in this chain to be sure, but nothing that can't and won't be resolved. The biggest hangup with moving music to a mobile phone is storage space. Currently the best mobile smartphones ship with 64MB or less of internal memory, though many of them also offer memory expansion in the form of various flash media. While the cost of solid-state media continues to fall, the reality is that it will take nothing less than hard drives to achieve the type of storage required for our music collections (solid-state drives will eventually rule this space, but we're talking years). It should come as no surprise that this hurdle has already been cleared and mobile phones with HDDs are already upon us. Though there are serious issues related to hard drives in mobile phones, namely shock-resistance and the tradeoff between spinning platters and battery life, these issues are being taken care of and will soon be non-existent (hell, you need look no further than the iPod itself or Sony's Network Walkman Digital Music Player to get a sense of how long a battery can be made to last and how durable such a device can be). Furthermore, these devices will be rather expensive (the Samsung linked to above will be $800) and I think it goes without saying that they will be treated with care (like most iPods now).
So, here's the deal Apple, if you'd like to keep your competition down and sales of the iPod up, add a GSM or CDMA antenna to the music player and let it ride. I would be the first in line for such a device (shocking, I know) and I imagine that there would be a lot of people behind me.
As soon as smartphones start adding 1" and .85" drive bays, it's not going to take long for end-users to realize that their two or three devices can be made into one, and there is no turning back when that happens. As good as the iPod interface is, and as pretty as the design can get, it's not going to be able to compete with mass storage on a mobile phone.
Surely Apple is aware of the power they could wield if they came out with a mobile phone capable of playing music and has probably been contemplating such a device for a while now. There is some evidence available that leads one to believe that Apple is cognizant of what the future is going to require, most notably the recent deal struck between Apple and Motorola that will allow users to play iTunes AAC (FairPlay DRM) files on some Motorola phones. While this approach seems to belie the iTunes Music Store's end-goal of selling more iPods, it could be working to do just that in the long run if the iPod is no longer just a music player. It's well known that iTMS barely turns a profit and that the money, in this case, is in the device (and not the content... yet). Given this information, it's quite possible that Apple is simply going to 'tease' the public for a while by allowing its files to be played on certain mobile phones. Then, and after the public is convinced that they need their iTMS music on their mobile phone, Apple will announce the 'iPhone.'
I realize that this might sound odd, but quite frankly, there is no other option for Apple. You can't convince me that consumers are going to buy a mobile phone based on whether it can play iTMS files as the Apple-Motorola agreement might have you believe. Nor can you convince me that Apple would be content with simply licensing its DRM technology to every mobile phone manufacturer and banking on iTMS sales. Apple needs to continue selling iPods to stay competitive in the digital music space and to continue selling iPods it is going to have to morph it into a more robust device.
If history is any indication, Microsoft's format will ultimately be king and Apple will be left to fight for a share of the 10% of people that stay away from Microsoft as a rule. With that knowledge as a backdrop and the realization that Windows Mobile (Microsoft's smartphone/PDA OS) is on a rapidly increasing number of smartphones, that Microsoft's music format is competing directly with Apple's, and that HDDs will soon be in mobile phones, one arrives at the logical conclusion that the iPod, as we have come to know it, is dead.
I'm not saying that Apple needs to create a full-fledged mobile platform to compete with Windows Mobile (oh, just imagine an OS X-based mobile phone though), but I am saying that they need a device capable of more than just playing music. It's going to be hard to persuade Joe Public that he needs an iPod after Sprint offers him a Windows Mobile device with a 5GB hard drive and tells him that it can play WMA and MP3 files (in addition to being a, for lack of a better term, "pocket pc").
While most everything I've brought up can be done today, Joe Public either doesn't know about it or can't afford it, and so Apple has a window, albeit a small one, to produce something before the cat's out of the bag and service providers start offering these über-devices for $50 with a two-year service contract.
The quick and dirty solution for Apple would be to use the Palm or Symbian operating system to power a phone-capable device and bundle it with an iPod application that would emulate the Pixo interface (to satisfy those who've come to know and love the iPod user experience). While it's anyone's guess as to what Apple will ultimately come up with, I do hope they come up with something — the opportunity is huge — forget music and think 'life.'
The incredibly satisfying part about all of this is that it doesn't really affect me, at least not negatively. As soon as mobile phones with HDDs become affordable, I'll have one. I couldn't care less what proprietary audio formats it can decode because I don't use, nor will I ever if I can help it, any of them. All I'll require is that it be able to play the open, ubiquitous MP3 format — a very safe bet. Notwithstanding the fact that I'm unaffected either way, I, more than just about anyone, welcome and encourage an Apple mobile phone — let's hope they realize what's at stake here and produce accordingly.


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To see the Old West at its most authentic while listening to country music at its finest, Douglas Rogers pulls on his cowboy boots and strides into the little town of Luckenbach.
Luckenbach, Texas is not easy to find. There are no signs to it on the Hill Country road between Austin and Fredericksburg as they're always being stolen by country music fans as mementos.
But turn down a single-lane dirt track off Highway 290, 75 miles west of Austin, drive past some vineyards and wheat fields, and there it is: five dusty tumbledown wood shacks with rusted iron roofs set under a canopy of oak trees.
There's a dance hall to one side; an out-house lavatory down by a creek, and hitching posts to tether your horse. A sign above a ramshackle porch reads: "U.S. Post Office, 1850."
It's not a post office but a general store, at the back of which is a tiny saloon with creaking wood floors and a vintage stove around which, on any given night of the week, cowboy musicians will pull on their dusty boots, pull out guitars, and strum country tunes over bottles of beer and bourbon. Willie Nelson might even wander in; Lyle Lovett's been known to pop by. The locals say you can't find a more laid-back place without being unconscious - and they have a point.
I had long thought Luckenbach a mythical place of country music folklore. It's the title of a classic 1977 Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings ballad about leaving the hassle and stress of everyday life behind for a simpler place. Subtitled Back to the Basics of Love, the song became a massive hit in the 1970s, its chorus an unofficial Texan anthem:
"Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas, with Waylon and Willie and the boys,/ This successful life we're livin' got us feuding/ like the Hatfields and McCoys,/ Between
Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs and blue eyes cryin' in the rain/Out in Luckenbach, Texas, ain't nobody feelin' no pain."
When, on a recent visit to Austin, I learned it was a real place in the nearby Hill Country, I jumped at the chance to see it.
The town was established in 1849 as a trading post for Comanche Indians and German pioneers who settled this part of Texas Hill Country and named after Carl Albert Luckenbach, the husband of the owner of the general store.
By the end of the 19th century it had all the buildings it has today, the community hall rebuilt in the 1930s as a dance hall. By the 1960s, though, trade had declined, and most of the residents had left. Its population was precisely three in 1971, when the writer, humourist and country music sage Hondo Crouch bought it with two friends for $30,000.
Hondo, a beloved Texas legend with a battered cowboy hat and piece of straw permanently fixed in his mouth, declared the town a "Free State of the Mind," named himself Mayor and "Clown Prince" and appointed his friends ambassadors to foreign countries. He poked fun at one illustrious neighbour - President Lyndon B Johnson - whose ranch, the so-called "Texas White House", was across the creek.
The town's reputation as a country music centre began in 1973, when Hondo's friend, the hard-boozing singer Jerry Jeff Walker and his Lost Gonzo Band recorded Viva Terlingua! in the dance hall. The album became a classic of the "Outlaw" country scene that had set itself up in opposition to the processed, commercial sound of Nashville.
It was Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, however, the leaders of the movement, who carved Luckenbach into country music legend. Back to the Basics of Love was a number-one country hit and reached the top 20 of the rock charts - though, bizarrely, Jennings had never actually been to Luckenbach when he recorded it.
The song's suggestion that we sell that "diamond ring, buy some boots and faded jeans and go away," hit a chord, and soon music fans and tourists were beating a path to the ramshackle doors.
The town was almost destroyed by the love. It became popular with motorcycle gangs, and when Willie Nelson held his annual July 4 picnics more than 15,000 people would turn up - too many for the town to cope with. Hondo never saw the commercialisation. He died in 1976, the town's ownership passing to his daughter and grandson, who still run it.
These days Luckenbach has returned to the gentle ethos of the song. The town occupies 10 acres, but the action centres on those five tumbledown shacks. An old egg-house and a warehouse next to it are business offices where staff book events for the dance hall, run a website, and put out a monthly newsletter - the Luckenbach Moon. Visitors can hire the dance hall - or the town - for parties, weddings, hen nights. "We close off the road and you get the whole place to yourself," says the manager, Neal Brown.
With its benches, bare roof beams, and wood ceiling fans, the dance hall has hardly changed since the 1930s. In January, Brown arranged a live rerecording of old songs with many of the original musicians, selling tickets in an online auction for $1 each - the same price it cost fans to watch Jerry Jeff Walker back in 1973. Other local acts appear during the week and on weekends, the hall catering to more than 200. The outhouse by the creek meanwhile has indoor plumbing for the first time.
Walk into the general store - a small statue of Hondo Crouch on a plinth outside - and you're back in the Old West. Goods are rung up on a vintage cash register; pots, pans, boots and spurs hang from the ceiling; and dust gathers on ancient boxes of soap, flour and starch on the shelves. A handwritten sign nailed to a shelf reads: "We Don't Call 9/11". It has a Colt Revolver hanging from it.
The bar is at the end of the store down some steps. It's a cold Monday evening when I arrive and a dozen men and women in cowboy hats and jeans are sipping beers, shooting the bull. Photographs of Willie, Waylon, Jerry Jeff and dozens of other country stars adorn the walls. A poster reads: "God Bless Johnny Cash"; another: "Texas for Secession." "If you need credit," reads a sign by the bar, "You don't need a drink, you need a job". As a visitor it was hard to buy a drink: complete strangers kept buying them for me
At a small table in front of the stove, two grey-bearded cowboys and a sweet-voiced girl in jeans and cowboy hat were playing Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams songs. The scene was like a painting of the Old West; the strumming and singing too beautiful for words. Then a mobile phone rang.
"Damn," said one of the men, switching off his phone. "We don't need 'em. Did without 'em before. I could write you a letter." Then he paused. "Well, not really," he chuckled. "I don't write too good."
Where the locals love to two-step
Luckenbach is not the only cult country music location in Hill Country. Austin, which bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World, has a number of old classics, while the historic town of Gruene, between Austin and San Antonio, is home to the oldest dance hall in the state.
Luckenbach's dance hall might be the state's most famous, but the town of Gruene had one first (1281 Gruene Rd; 830 606 1281; www.gruenehall.com). The hall, on a tree-covered hill overlooking the Guadeloupe river an hour south of Austin, has a fake gabled façade: the venue behind it is a long, narrow corrugated-iron roof barn with open sides covered in what looks like chicken wire. It is famous for its rockabilly, country and folk acts, and musicians play on a simple raised stage facing a 500-strong crowd sat at liquor-stained wood tables.
The hall, built in the 1870s, has helped launch the careers of George Strait, Lyle Lovett and many others. Its walls are covered with photographs of hundreds of musicians who have performed here, among them Townes van Zandt, Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Dixie Chicks.
Gruene is a destination in itself, with river rafting and canoe trips down the Guadeloupe; excellent barbecue shacks; and the historic Gristmill Restaurant, set in a century-old cotton gin, its outdoor deck tables on the cliffs overlooking the river. Lone Star Music Shop (www.lonestarmusic.com), on Gruene Road, is billed as "The Coolest Music Store in the World." You decide.
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I have an account with the Gibraltar office of a UK building society –no name, no pack drill as they say. If I pay a cheque drawn on a British bank in to my account I have to wait for over two weeks for it to clear. Why?
If I asked the building society I would be told in a patronising manner about banking procedures, the distance, the need to establish whether the funds are there and so on and so forth.
There was a time when you might have taken what your bank manager said at face value. However in recent years two things have dramatically change the financial landscape so patronising homilies are no longer acceptable.
The first change has been the economic crisis brought about by our once trusted banks that at the best were woefully incompetent and at worst acted in a criminal manner. The second change is we are all now savvy with the all singing and dancing ATM machines and some people even have internet banking so we are more clued up on how things work.
Back in 2002 I paid two thousand pounds in to my Gibraltar building society account. The cheque just happened to be drawn on my UK bank. Forty eight hours later I was in the UK, checked my bank balance on the ATM and got a nasty shock. Whilst I still had the funds to meet the cheque my account was way down on what I thought the balance was – two thousand pounds lower! I then realised that within 48 hours of my having handed the cheque over in Gibraltar it had been removed from my UK account.
Given the speed the money was withdrawn from my UK account did it arrive in Gibraltar as quickly? Not on your Nelly – it took the full two weeks. So let us grasp this – my two thousand pounds went missing for 12 days – I didn't have it in the UK, I didn't have it in Gib – so who had it?
Have things improved over the years. The answer in short is "no!" Last week I paid a UK cheque in to my account. The word from my building society is and I quote: "You will need to allow 10 working days after the day you pay a UK cheque into Gibraltar Branch - before being able to draw against it." So that is 10 working days, add four days for weekends and the day you paid it in – total two weeks and a day. Yet I happen to know the funds were drawn from the UK account within days. So who has it?
I decided to ask a man who should know – after all he is the CEO of the Financial Services Commission. Marcus Killick told me: "The UK cheque clearing process is a fairly time consuming procedure which is a legacy from the times when banks did not have computers - in fact the process is largely determined by how long it takes to move pieces of paper (i.e. the cheques) around the country. The system not only involves a number of main clearing banks but also a very large number of agency banks (this group includes building societies, small domestic banks and subsidiaries of foreign banks).
"The process involves manual intervention, manual checking and manual handling which can invariably lead to errors such as cheques getting mislaid or misread. Because of this banks/building societies often do not give credit for value (i.e. withdrawal) until a number of days has passed. Since 2006 this length of time should not normally exceed T+6 i.e. 7 days."
Well seven days it isn't, it is 15 and in the electronic banking age as well. So why do UK cheques paid in to a Gibraltar building society take 15 days when the sum is removed from the account in around 48 hours? A cynic might say it allows the bank or building society to sit on it, invest it and earn a high rate of interest because it is lumped in with other funds in transit. Luckily I'm not a cynic
Footnote: In his comments Marcus Killick also pointed out that UK cheques will be phased out by 2018. This will mean that Gibraltar-based building societies that operate the payment book system will have to completely change their modus operandi as cash and cheques are the only straightforward method of operating. Clients do not have a banking account code so transfers have to go through a rather confusing system.


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Halcyon Global Ltd.
Here at Halcyon Global, we know how to help people like you to understand the complex and often hidden undertones that exist in your relationships at work and at home.
Founded in 2006 by Chloe O'Sullivan, the people we work with range from individuals to global corporations. What they have in common is a desire to better understand themselves and a commitment to achieving healthier and more effective relationships.
Halcyon's work with organisations
We help organisations to transform their culture to one that is blame free, promotes self-accountability and has a genuine results focus.
Organisational problems are almost always people problems. Conflicts that look 'political' are really personal and they result in individuals looking out for themselves rather than focusing on organisational results.
All the while employees are not focused on results for the organisation, they are working for their own interests and against the company mission. The costs are enormous on many levels but despite continuous efforts to find solutions, organisations continue to suffer from disengaged employees, who lack accountability and passion and damage morale.
Using our award-winning* War to Peace® methodology, we have devised a solution that helps businesses to transform the way their people relate to each other – and to their customers, suppliers and shareholders. No matter what industry you work in, your success relies on your relationships and we can help you.
If you want to achieve concrete and measurable results by having fewer people problems, more cooperation and increased productivity, contact us to see how we can help you.
Photos from a War to Peace® workshop held at Cisco Systems UK headquarters, Feltham, Middlesex:
With our award-winning* War to Peace® workshops, we offer your people radical new ways of understanding themselves and how they relate to others. We have a reputation for creating fun, engaging and thought-provoking learning that sticks, providing long-term results for the participants - and the people they work and live with.
We also offer one-to-one executive coaching, provided by our professionally trained coaches, to grow the natural strengths of your leaders, enabling them to lead lasting change in your organisation.
Halcyon's work with individuals
If you're fed up with dealing with difficult people and want to be better equipped to deal with anyone, no matter how difficult they seem, you have come to the right place.
Is there someone in your life that you just don't have the relationship with that you want? If only they would change, wouldn't life be so much easier?
What would it be like to have the relationships you want without needing anyone else to change?
Maybe you've tried different self-help courses and read some books, but somehow the techniques they taught you just seem to stop working after a while? Or perhaps you are just feeling dissatisfied with your relationships and you can't put your finger on what the problem is?
If this sounds familiar, we can help you.
With our award-winning* War to Peace® workshops and one-to-one coaching, we offer you radical new ways of understanding yourself and how you relate to others. We can help you to:
- Gain self-awareness and confidence in your ability to relate to people, even the ones you find most difficult.
- Recognise the early signs of going to war and to choose a different course of action.
- Learn multiple ways of quickly changing how you feel, so that you can switch from an unresourceful emotional state to a resourceful one.
- Gain insight about the unconscious impact of your warring style and what it provokes in others.
- Shift perspectives to see things from multiple viewpoints and experience 'putting yourself in someone else's shoes'.
- Quickly focus on and control what's controllable in a relationship to become more empowered.
- Join a network of people who understand the frameworks you will learn and can offer you support.
Photos from a public War to Peace® workshop in London, UK:
Behind our name
Halcyon, pronounced "hal-see-on", is best known in the phrase "the halcyon days of youth" and it tends to be used nostalgically, referring to the seemingly endless, carefree and sunny days of a joyful, happy childhood.
The halcyon is, in fact, a mythical bird (often associated with the kingfisher) and originates from the Greek myth of Alcyone:
Alcyone was a Greek demi-goddess and wife of Ceyx. When Ceyx perished in a shipwreck, Alcyone threw herself into the sea in a fit of grief. Out of compassion, the gods changed them into halcyon birds. When Alcyone made her nest on the beach and waves threatened to destroy it, the gods restrained the winds and made the waves be calm during seven days in each year, so she could lay her eggs. These became known as the "halcyon days", when storms never occur.
We want you to experience many more Halcyon days and fewer storms, so that you have the relationships you want at home and at work.
*War to Peace® won Nokia Siemens Networks' Innovation Award.


text: The Hemlock family is a vampire family residing in Bridgeport. They start out with 4,000 Simoleons. The family consists of Belisama, the Evil toddler who has learned to walk and talk, but hasn't been potty trained. She is the daughter of Wogan and Morrigan Hemlock who are also vampires. Wogan has a townie sister called Brigit, whom he is enemies with. While Belisama and her mother have a feud with Jessica Talon, Wogan is best friends with her. Wogan and Belisama have a feud with William Fangmann, But Morrigan is his best friend. Morrigan and Wogan have opposite relationships with the other vampires of Bridgeport. Wogan and Morrigan work in the criminal career, however, Morrigan is one level higher than Wogan.


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This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Turkey urged to normalize with Israel because of Armenian genocide
- Turkey considers Chinese missile defenses, violating NATO agreements
- Documents reveal Pakistan's collaboration on drone strikes
Turkey urged to normalize with Israel because of Armenian genocide
Turkey has still not normalized its diplomatic relations with Israel since they were broken off after the the deaths of nine Turkishcitizens on May 31, 2010, in a confrontation between Israel's navy andthe boat Mavi Marmara in a flotilla headed for Gaza in violation ofIsrael's Gaza blockade. Now a Jewish leader in Turkey is urgingTurkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to normalize relationshipswith Israel for its own benefit.
Many people have accused Turkey ofperpetrating a genocide in 1915, when 1.5 million Armenians werekilled by Turkish forces. Turkey has bitterly denied that it was agenocide, and in the past that conclusion has been supported by theIsraeli government. However, now the 100th anniversary is approachingin 2015, and Zali De Toledo, head of the Association of Turkish Jewsin Israel, is pointing out that Erdogan's policies are causing Israelto reconsider its opposition to the genocide designation.
Althoughfor many years Israel has held back from commenting on the matter forfear of angering Turkey, last year the Israeli parliament had a debateover whether to recognize the mass killing of Armenians by OttomanTurks during World War I as genocide. Zaman (Istanbul)
Turkey considers Chinese missile defenses, violating NATO agreements
The United States and NATO are expressing concern over Turkey'sannouncement that it will purchase an FD-2000 missile defense systemfrom China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp, or CPMIEC,instead of rival systems from Russian, U.S., and European firms.CPMIEC is under U.S. sanctions for violations of the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act. Furthermore, Turkey is a member ofNATO, and the new missile system will be incompatible with other NATOmissile systems, making it difficult or impossible for Turkey toparticipate in NATO operations.
For years, Generational Dynamics has predicted that in the comingClash of Civilizations world war, China, Pakistan, and the Sunninations would be allied against the U.S., India, Pakistan, and Russia.In recent weeks, we've seen several changes along that trend line:Saudi Arabia and Turkey are distancing themselves from the U.S. andthe West, while Iran is showing signs of wanting to reduce tensionswith the West. Hurriyet (Ankara) and The National (UAE)
Documents reveal Pakistan's collaboration on drone strikes
Pakistan's politicians have for years been demanding an end toAmerican drone strikes targeting Taliban militias in Pakistan's tribalareas because the strikes are so unpopular with the Pakistan people.It's been a poorly kept secret that Pakistan's Inter-ServicesIntelligence (ISI) agency has tacitly approved the drone strikes.Now, previously secret documents confirm this and a lot more.
Thedocuments describe dozens of drone strikes that were agreed on indetail by the ISI and the CIA. The documents also confirm anothersuspicion: that the ISI has funded Taliban-linked terrorist groupsthat have attacked American forces in Afghanistan. Washington Post
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Turkey, Israel, Armenia, genocide,Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mavi Marmara, Zali De Toledo,China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp, CPMIEC,China, NATO, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India,Pakistan, Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI, Taliban
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