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[dropcap style="font-size:100px; color:#992211;"]L[/dropcap]ate bedtimes and less sleep may lead to weight gain in healthy adults.
Oh to be thin and unemployed…
Chronic sleep restriction among adults with late bedtimes may be associated with weight gain due to the consumption of extra calories during late-night hours.
A new study suggests that healthy adults with late bedtimes and chronic sleep restriction may be more susceptible to weight gain due to the increased consumption of calories during late-night hours.
Sleep makes you fat?
In the largest, most diverse healthy sample studied to date under controlled laboratory conditions, results show that sleep-restricted subjects who spent only four hours in bed from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for five consecutive nights gained more weight than control subjects who were in bed for 10 hours each night from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
The study found an overall increase in caloric intake during sleep restriction, which was due to an increase in the number of meals consumed during the late-night period of additional wakefulness. Furthermore, the proportion of calories consumed from fat was higher during late-night hours than at other times of day.
[quote]The study also
found that during sleep
restriction males gained
more weight
than female[/quote]
"Although previous epidemiological studies have suggested an association between short sleep duration and weight gain/obesity, we were surprised to observe significant weight gain during an in-laboratory study," said lead author Andrea Spaeth, a doctoral candidate in the psychology department at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa.
Sleep makes you fat Research?
The study, which appears in the July issue of the journal Sleep, was conducted in the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The study group comprised 225 healthy, non-obese individuals, ranging in age from 22-50 years. Subjects were randomized to either the sleep restriction or control condition and spent up to 18 consecutive days in the laboratory.
Meals were served at scheduled times, and food was always available in the laboratory kitchen for participants who wanted to eat at other times of day. Subjects could move around but were not allowed to exercise. They were permitted to watch TV, read, play video games or perform other sedentary activities.
The study also found that during sleep restriction males gained more weight than females, and African Americans gained more weight than Caucasians.
"Among sleep-restricted subjects, there were also significant gender and race differences in weight gain," said Spaeth. "African Americans, who are at greater risk for obesity and more likely to be habitual short sleepers, may be more susceptible to weight gain in response to sleep restriction. Future studies should focus on identifying the behavioral and physiological mechanisms underlying this increased vulnerability."
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that weight gain is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common sleep illness that has a severe impact on health and quality of life. The risk of OSA increases as the degree of additional weight increases, with an extremely high prevalence of OSA in people with morbid obesity. Anyone who has experienced recent weight gain and has symptoms of OSA, such as loud and frequent snoring, should be evaluated by a board certified sleep medicine physician.
Last week the AASM issued a statement supporting the new policy of the American Medical Association (AMA) recognizing obesity as a disease requiring a range of medical interventions to advance treatment and prevention. In conjunction with obesity interventions, proper treatment of OSA can dramatically improve overall health and contribute to successful weight management.
Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Image copyright of freedigitalimages
Some of the news that we find inspiring, diverting, wrong or so very right.


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To support the development of future scientists, the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IPA) offers positions for interns and diploma and doctoral candidates.
Applications can be sent throughout the year to one of the contacts below. It should be kept in mind that:
We will then advise you whether we are able to schedule an internship for you, or if you are on our waiting list. (Contact: Stephanie Zähnle)
Bachelor and Master Theses
In order to assure optimal supervision, the specific topic should complement current IPA research activities. Appropriate branches of study are primarily in engineering and the natural sciences. (Contact: Dr. Anke Roiger)
Doctoral Candidates
A limited number of scholarships are available to doctoral candidates under the DLR guidelines for promoting doctorates. (Contact: Prof. Dr. Markus Rapp)
IPA offers term employment for work on specific projects to students, scientists and junior scientists. Payment is according to Germany's "Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst" (TVöD) valid since October 2005 (formerly BAT).
Our list of open positions is available at "Jobs and Carreer at DLR: Institut of Atmospheric Physics".

subset: commoncrawl


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50 knitted gifts winnerWednesday, December 11, 2013
Christmas 2003
Did I ever mention how I always knit the sweaters my children wore in our Christmas card photo? I think that I did it until Charlie was about 13. It was a fun tradition and I always looked forward to choosing the pattern. This sweater was a Classic Elite pattern. Made out of the yummiest cotton.
The winner of 50 knitted gifts for year-round giving is #71, Olivia. Please e-mail me with your address. (My address is in the sidebar.)
I had a fun thought. I think someone should challenge themselves. Knit every pattern in that book in the year 2014. I'd probably want to start with the New Years Mitts and continue through every holiday and season ending with the champagne cozy and champagne! AND you should start a blog about it! You know, sort of like that Julia Childs movie, Julie and Julia. Don't you think that sounds like fun!?
I'll be back with the weelicious giveaway. Elementary hats giveaway is still open!
6 comments
I love that you knit all of those Christmas card sweaters.ReplyDelete
- Lisa12/11/2013
That book looks great!! I think I'll have to look for it on Amazon...love the blog idea too :)ReplyDelete
That WOULD be a fun challenge! So fun to see the parade of Christmas sweaters you have done.ReplyDelete
The hats look great - would love to win this!!ReplyDelete
- Kathleen12/11/2013
So cute!ReplyDelete
Wow! I love those colors! They really look yummy!ReplyDelete


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Visit us often for information on upcoming Chamber events.
To become a member of the Westland Chamber of Commerce, fill out the Application form. Choose your membership and become a member today!
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The Westland Chamber of Commerce advocates integrity in business and works in harmony with local, state and national groups for the development of its members.
Read our latest Chamber Newsletter!


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Well, the whole hurricane thing has blown over as it were. I was just on the Skype with a friend in Ireland and she told me my mayor said we were not allowed out until 3pm. I broke the rules and went out earlier than that for a walk.
I have to be honest, I was looking for wreckage. There really wasn't any. I did see a twig had broken off from a tree.
I also saw some busted police tape. No doubt the awful wind or a homeless person seeking shelter.
I walked out to the mighty Hudson River. The water was choppy, but like Vegas wave machine choppy. Not tsunami choppy.
Then I saw parents with their kids playing soccer and people jogging. Something was really wrong. Where is the hurricane? I filled my bathtub with water! I bought extra ice cream!
I must be honest and still give kudos to everyone that told of the complete annihilation that may lay ahead. I think they did a good job and even though it didn't warrant shutting down the subways or Broadway it was a good idea. Much better to react like this than to react like they did with Katrina. So kudos all. And me? Well, I just have some extra bottles of water. No harm. And now foul.
I even met a lovely couple from close to where I lived in LA. She is here because her mum is dying of cancer. I told her about mine and how tough it was but how much she is doing all the right things. Lovely people. I wish her well.
So folks, this about wraps up my Peabody-worthy news coverage of Hurricane Irene Comes to the Big Apple. And the apple didn't fall from the tree, but it was a fun event and thank God really there was minimal damage.


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You have just played the match of your life, or one of them, one of the many matches of your life, in the Australian Open final, where you fought back from the brink of defeat against one of the most dominant athletes on Earth. You fought for almost six hours, clawing at chances, screaming at yourself and scowling, until your opponent, who never shows weakness, visibly started to weaken. While he gasped for air and crumpled to the ground after rallies, you somehow got stronger. (But then, that's what you always do: You get stronger.) The power of your ground strokes, as measured by their average speed, was higher in the sixth hour of tennis than in the first. You broke the unstoppable champion early in the fifth set. The crowd believed in you. You had control of the match. And then, in a way that managed to seem both impossible and unsurprising, the champion got a second wind, and you lost.
How must it feel to be Rafa Nadal today? The cruelest thing about this glutted golden age of men's tennis is that it keeps producing astonishing matches, matches that actually expand your idea of what sport can be, and someone has to lose all of them. We've seen Roger Federer, probably the most effortlessly brilliant tennis player who ever lived, shattered and weeping on the court after losses that seemed to groan up from the Old Testament.1 We've seen endless variations on "Andy Murray having his heart handed to him," to the point that his career increasingly seems to be in the hands of some demented opera composer. Murray's five-set loss to Djokovic in the semifinals last Friday was clearly both the best match and the most painful moment of this year's Australian Open — or it seemed that way, until we saw Nadal play a match for the ages and still lose to Djokovic on Sunday.
There's Psalms 137:9, and then there's Wimbledon 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(8-10), 9-7.
Six hours! It was the longest Grand Slam final ever, a match that felt like old-school naval warfare, just two ships cannonading each other until they both started to sink.2 Losing a final like that should be a bigger honor than winning the tournament under less amazing circumstances. But that isn't how it works. After the match, the commentators instantly started eulogizing Djokovic — how much he'd proved, how much he'd learned about himself — while agreeing that Nadal might need months to recover from the spiritual devastation of the defeat. You win, in our sports culture, or you're not a winner. That's the consequence of one slightly mishit down-the-line backhand in a six-hour match. How must it feel to be Rafa Nadal today?
Only if the cannonading involved breathtaking tennis shots.
Until this tournament, I never fully realized how much Nadal means to tennis. I knew he was a great player, obviously. But I'm a goner for Federer, and Nadal has often felt to me like an infuriating obstacle, a berserk dervish with the demonic power to out-frenzy Roger's grace and lucidity. His tennis was a bludgeoning adrenaline rush, a Ramones song that lasted four hours. Had he never been born, Federer would have won the 20 majors he seemed destined for in 2007. I admired what Nadal had done, and I loved the insanity at the top of the men's bracket. But deep down, in some atavistic corner of my sports fan's heart, I kind of wanted him gone.
One of the great things about this era of the game, though — it goes along with the cruelty we were just talking about — is that it feels almost epic. That's a word that gets thrown around a lot in sports, but I mean it literally here. Think about, say, The Iliad. It's a book about combat, about wild golden armies tearing each other to shreds, but here and there in every battle there are heroes whom no one can touch. Hector and Achilles and Ajax and the other superheroes of the B.C.E. basically wade through the enemy, mowing down everything in their path. They're not even in danger. There's absolutely no chance that some minor Trojan is going to bring down Achilles; it's not happening. And after hundreds of pages of this, when they finally start facing each other, you can't freaking believe how intense the moment is, because you've been primed to think they're invincible.
Isn't that basically the state of tennis today? Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have won every major tournament but one3 in the last seven years. The occasional Jo-Willie Tsonga crack-up aside, those three and Andy Murray are practically guaranteed to meet in every semifinal. They spend the early rounds of the tournament scything down ranks of lesser players, and when they finally play each other, you can't freaking believe how intense it is. They're all larger than life.4 They all seem essentially invincible.5
Take a bow, Juan Martin del Potro, champion of the 2009 U.S. Open.
Or the top three are, at least. Murray feels like a slightly lesser hero, as if when the divine protectors were being handed out he screwed up and drew Hephaestus.
Federer had won 24 straight matches before he lost in the semis to Nadal. Djokovic had won 43 straight matches before he lost to Federer in the French Open semis last year.
What I realized during this Australian Open is that Nadal sets the tone for this state of affairs more than anyone else, certainly more than Federer. Roger is so cool and frictionless that, most of the time, he seems less like a prism of epic intensity than a dispassionate analyst of it.6 Djokovic, since his ascent, has been so much better than everyone else that he's largely been able to act like a careful clinician, the administrator of his own talent. And Murray has lost to the other guys so often that his anger and frustration seem basically inconsequential. In other words, the game may be epic for the fans, but you won't always catch that ground note of holy-shit intensity if you only watch the other three players. Left to themselves, they don't exactly project deep contact with the secret fires of time.
Not to draw a lot of 1:1 comparisons here, but sort of the way Athena always seems to have one foot in and one foot out of the myths she shows up in.
Nadal, though? He plays like he's fighting giants. It's not just the sneer, or the muscles, or the hair, or that forehand — you know, the one where he swoops the racket all the way around his head like he's whipping the team pulling his chariot. It's also that frantic tenacity that used to drive me so nuts. Federer seems devastated when he loses but he also seems to sense losses coming and accept them before they arrive. When Nadal falls behind, he turns the match into life and death. He gets mad. He hesitates less. He hits the ball harder. He doesn't look sad or scared. He looks defiant, and he plays like he's possessed.
As a result, he carries matches to a higher plane than they have any business reaching. Djokovic could and should have won the Australian final in four sets, but Nadal refused to surrender, played lethal tennis, and took Djokovic to a place he'd never been. Instead of notching a routine victory, Djokovic had to tap into the same well of inspiration that Nadal was already drawing from. You could say that all these guys have learned what it means to fight on the plains of Troy because Nadal does it in every match. And we see him do it, so we know what it means, too.
Of course, the terrible thing about tennis, as opposed to mere epic warfare, is that you have to do it again next week. Ultimately, I think what's clued me in to Nadal's greatness is that, ever since Djokovic's rise, he plays this way and still loses. Our sports culture may value winning over everything, but there's nothing more epic than tragic defeat. There's a moment in David Winner's book Brilliant Orange, a history of the Dutch national soccer team, when one of the players from the immortal Dutch squad of the '70s — the group that finished second at two straight World Cups — describes his team as "second but imperial." No one in sports is more imperially second than Nadal right now.
But is that any consolation? How does it feel to die at the end of the book, this many times in a row? I mean, think about it. You spend years in the shadow of your rival. You never stop working or believing. Finally it all comes together: you surpass him. For a year, maybe two, you win everything. You turn the game upside down, and your bottomless reserve of will makes you seem unstoppable. All the records are going to fall.7 Then, more or less suddenly, a guy you used to beat comfortably surpasses you. Long before your reign was supposed to end, you find yourself overshadowed again. You lose five straight, six straight, seven straight to the new champion, all in finals, three of them in majors. You're 25, in what should be the peak of your prime as an athlete, and you're right back where you started. It turns out that your relentlessness isn't an unstoppable force. But — precisely because you have it — you keep going as if it is.
Nadal won nine majors, completed the career Grand Slam, and won a gold medal at the Olympics before his 25th birthday.
"I'll keep fighting," Nadal told the crowd in Melbourne. It's a marvelous thing to watch.
But how does it feel?


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The video is a visual metaphor of existential freedom, predominance of essence over existence, and conditionality of boundaries it also has a sculptural dimension related to the evolution of form. The space as a black absolute presented as an allegory of authentic freedom as well as the narrative links to the discourse of how the consciousness and existence are related to each other.
Egor Kraft is, 24 years, young artist, illustrator and designer, currently based Moscow. Since 2002 he started his career, working as a freelancer on editorial illustrations, graphic designs & murals.


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At the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, game designer Keiji Inafune, then at Capcom, said the Japanese game industry was "finished". At this year's E3, one Square Enix exec seemed to realize just that.
Tears Of The Kingdom's Newspaper Questline And The State Of Hyrulean Journalism
On the way to an E3 dinner, Square Enix exec Kouji Taguchi tweeted that because Square Enix acquired Eidos, it was able to save face with titles like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Hitman: Absolution, adding that Japanese games have experienced a "humiliating decline".
"Every day this week, I've been worried about how Japanese games will make a comeback." He's not alone.
Twitter / @tah3gucci3cozy3: E3最終日終了、最後のディナーに向かう。E3参加して ... [Twitter]


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BOSTON — A Californa marketing executive and author was sentenced Wednesday to three weeks in prison for paying $50,000 to cheat on her son's college entrance exam.
Jane Buckingham, 51, was sentenced in Boston's federal court after pleading guilty in May to a single count of fraud and conspiracy. She is the 11th parent to be sentenced in a college admissions bribery scheme that ensnared dozens of wealthy parents.
The Los Angeles resident admitted to paying $50,000 to a sham charity operated by admissions consultant William "Rick" Singer, who then bribed a test proctor to take the ACT exam on behalf of her son at a Houston, Texas, testing site in 2018. Singer has pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme.
Buckingham gave her son a practice test at home and led him to believe he was taking the real test on his own, authorities said. Her lawyers said the measure was intended to protect him from learning about the scheme.
It landed her son a 35 out of 36 on the ACT, placing him in the 99th percentile nationally. Buckingham aimed to get her son into the University of Southern California, prosecutors said. It's unclear whether he enrolled at the school.
Prosecutors recommended six months in prison and a $40,000 fine, saying Buckingham was "more deeply engaged in the mechanics of the fraud than many of the other parents" in the case. By having a proctor take the test on her son's behalf, they said, she deprived him "of even the opportunity to get any of the answers right on his own."
Buckingham is CEO of the Los Angeles marketing firm Trendera and has authored several books, including "The Modern Girl's Guide to Life." She apologized in a letter to the court, saying she is ashamed and has "absolutely no excuse."
"My family and my children have been lucky to have so many advantages that other families and children do not," she wrote. "And yet I committed a crime so that my son could have another advantage, an unfair and illegal one. It was a terrible thing to do."
More than 50 people have been charged in the admissions scheme, which involves wealthy and famous parents accused of paying bribes to rig their children's test scores or to get them admitted to elite universities as recruited athletes.
A total of 19 parents have pleaded guilty, including four who reversed earlier pleas of not guilty this week. Another 15 are contesting the charges. Trials are expected to begin in 2020.
SOURCE: Foxnews


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Game Size 37 MB
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Driven: 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman
If you're looking for an automobile that had as its fans the great, the good and the bad of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, then look no further than the Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman, possibly the ultimate plutocratic limousine.
And here's a handful of the most famous: Coco Chanel, Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, George Harrison and Elvis Presley. Of those you'd file under 'dictator' or 'world leader', you can add Nicolae Ceauşescu, Josip Broz Tito, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, FW de Klerk, Ήamon de Valera, Pol Pot and Enver Hoxha. You can also include Leonid Brezhnev, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, noted Citroen SM fan Idi Amin and former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. We'll leave you to decide who from this roll call drops into which category of 'famed' owner.
Finding a 600 Pullman that's not been owned by someone of note must be quite difficult, given that a mere 2,677 of these fabulously expensive cars were built between 1963 and 1981. We're in Kuwait to drive one of only two complete, running 600s in the Kingdom, an automobile which you'll not be surprised to learn has an interesting ownership history. And that's not counting its current owner, Ahmad J Al-Qathiby – a man with a penchant for classic European limousines.
When it was first unveiled at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 1963, the Mercedes-Benz 600 – or W100 Grosser Mercedes in Benz-speak – was an impressive statement of intent from its maker. The long-awaited successor to the immense pre-war 540K, it was intended to be simply the best car in the world – and work started on the project back in 1955.
The team put together to style the Mercedes-Benz flagship was headed by Paul Bracq and Bruno Sacco (who would subsequently be responsible for the company's finest automobiles). Meanwhile, Dr Fritz Nallinger and his crew – Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Josef Muller and Karl Wilfert – were tasked with engineering a car that bore the weight of West Germany's expectations. The team was not encumbered by any form of development budget restrictions, and consequently created a clean-sheet design. The most exciting aspect of the 600 was its engine, dubbed the M-100. It was the company's first V8, a 6329cc powerhouse bristling with all the latest technology – sodium-filled valves, hardened valve seats and aluminium alloy cylinder heads. It developed 250bhp and 369lb ft, which were enough to push the 2,640kg limousine to a top speed of more than 125mph.
But it was the high standard equipment tally and bespoke nature of its build that really set the 600 apart. Hydraulics powered just about everything – including the suspension, windows, seats, glass partition, door locks, trunk lid, sunroof, disc brakes and doors. This set-up was chosen by Nallinger because of its silence and smoothness – much to the chagrin of later owners who had the prospect of fixing leaky systems.
There were several body variations, too. The 600 was offered in standard-wheelbase four-door form, as well as four- or six-door Pullman, and a Landaulet version (note the German spelling of Landaulette), favored by the less-than-shy plutocrats. Our Pullman, chassis number 2,029, is a long-wheelbase four-door, of which 428 were made – and this one has done rather a lot of travelling in its long life.
In 1971, our car was delivered to its first owner, the Government of the People's Republic of China. It was to become the personal car of Marshal Lin Biao, at one time among the most trusted of Mao Tse-Tung's Generals. He would end up enjoying the sybaritic pleasures of this most un-Communist of cars for a tragically short period of time: Lin died on 13 September 1971, when the aeroplane in which he and his family were flying crashed in deepest Mongolia. It was flying low to evade radar, on its way to Soviet Russia, allegedly after his assassination attempt on Mao failed.
Following the 'Lin Biao incident', the car was placed into storage. As Lin was an officially condemned traitor of the Communist Party of China, the continued use of his Mercedes-Benz was no longer appropriate. And the 600 remained this way until 1986, when it was pressed back into use for Prince Sihanouk, head of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea.
It didn't last long in this role either, and was soon on its travels again – this time to the USA, where it was bought by Dr Armand Hammer, American industrialist and the former Chairman and CEO of the Occidental Petroleum Corporation. He had the 600 restored to concours condition (good enough to pick up a Judges' Award at the 1989 Amelia Island Concours, where it proudly wore the stars and stripes on its bumper-mounted flagpoles), before using it as his personal car. Again it proved a short-lived relationship, as Hammer died in 1990.
Our car has been in Kuwait since the mid-1990s and, wearing a mere 32,000km on the clock, it remains in rude health despite the difficulties in getting parts there. It's clearly cherished by its wealthy owner, as it's lacking the coat of sand every other automobile in the Kingdom seems to be wearing. That makes his offer to lend us the 600 all the more generous.
My plan is to drive the Sheikh's personal assistant around Kuwait, and see how it feels to be a chauffeur in the world's finest limousine. But because of my large feet and long legs, the cramped driving compartment is far too uncomfortable – even if it is a sight to behold, lined as it is in gorgeous rosewood and red leather. The rear looks even more inviting so, turning an irritating set-back into an opportunity, and in the interests of giving readers a true feel for life with the 600, I join our host in the back and summon his driver to give us the full guided tour of the tiny oil state.
Typically, thanks to wide-opening doors the rear is easy to get in and out of in a most dignified way – and despite the fact the seats are set so far back, you slip round easily and almost flop into the softly-sprung bench. Once settled in, legs outstretched, feet buried in the deep-pile carpet, it's tempting to fiddle with the built-in old-school CRT television and VHS, while seeing what's in the drinks cabinet (non-alcoholic, as Kuwait is a dry state). But we're here to evaluate the 600's strengths, not play with the gadgets.
Our driver fires up the V8 and, from where I'm sitting, the noise levels don't change at all. I'm aware the engine is idling, but I can't actually hear it. Yes, it's quiet, but our host is already hammering away on a superbly paced and loud business call. He's not using one of the two magnificent corded hand-sets built into the business-unit-video-player-drinks-cabinet, though, but a slimline smartphone that seems totally out of keeping with our surroundings. With nary a shudder, our driver engages gear and drifts effortlessly into the traffic – and I can immediately see the appeal of the 600 from where I'm sitting. After a busy day running a country, or counting your millions (or billions), this is the perfect place to get away from it all, and watch the scenery outside silently scroll past through the curtained side-windows.
It's hardly a surprise that the 600 cushions rear passengers from the realities of pot-holed urban blacktop like no other car I've experienced. The seats are typical Mercedes-Benz items from this era – firm to the touch, but yielding and well sprung. Combine this with air-suspension, 80-profile tires, a 3.20m (126in) wheelbase and that hefty curbweight, and you have all the ingredients needed to obliterate any sensation from the road below.
We smoothly halt for a major junction, and I figure it's time to road test some of the 600's finer features. We're already aware that the air-conditioning is working well, easily fending off the heat of the Kuwaiti evening, but it's time to exercise those much-vaunted hydraulic window controls – and true to Mercedes-Benz engineer Nallinger's wishes, they glide up and down silently and effortlessly. It's quite a contrast to our guide, who has by now conducted several deals while we've been hustling through rush-hour traffic.
I ask how he finds running a car like this in the Middle East. 'We do have some trouble getting parts, as many specialists won't deliver here,' he says. 'Our local Mercedes-Benz dealer is also unwilling to service the 600.' But otherwise, running the car here is as painless as it's ever going to be. Gasoline is cheap so an 8mpg thirst is no problem, and in city traffic dominated by super-sized SUVs it's actually not that unmanageable.
At this moment the lights change, and our driver puts his foot down. For a car with no pretensions of performance, it accelerates really well. And somewhat surprisingly we're not thrown around the cabin, as there's little of the suspension squat I'd been expecting. But I'm forgetting that the 600 was always going to need a fair bit of agility – hence the limited-slip diff – to evade possible terrorist threats (or insistent paparazzi).
This truly is a car defined by its buyers – interesting bunch that they are – and it meets their unique demands perfectly. We've been afforded an insight into the lives of the rich and (in)famous, and can't help but like what we see. You can, too, as the Merc is for sale for around $165,000 (45,000 Kuwaiti dinar). The world would be a poorer place without cars like the 600 Pullman.
1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman
Engine 6329cc all-alloy V8, SOHC, two valves per cylinder, Bosch D-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection
Power 250bhp @ 4000rpm
Torque 369lb ft @ 2800rpm
Transmission Four-speed auto, limited-slip diff
Steering Recirculating ball, power-assisted
Suspension Self-levelling air-suspension, adjustable damping, torsion bar stabilisers, rear swing-axle
Brakes Discs all round, servo-assisted
Weight 2640kg Performance
Top speed 125mph; 0-60mph 9.0sec
Published Dec 7th, 2015
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Uncyclopedia:Anniversaries/April 9
< Uncyclopedia:Anniversaries(Redirected from April 9)Jump to navigation Jump to search
April 9: Stereotype Dismissal Day (France), Croissant & Beret Day (France)
- 1812 - Pretentiousness makes its first appearance in Victorian England.
- 1832 - Captain Petey Widdershanks Blunderbub Shaleweather Monkeyturtle Johansen III obtains his first ship, and immediately sets sail in search of wenches and grog.
- 1865 - Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders himself to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. The two later wed in Vermont.
- 1877 - Oscar Wilde pens his play Salome: A Tragedy in One Act which describes his personal experience spilling milk on his favorite sweater.
- 1905 - The famous Bacon and Cheese Sandwich is envisioned; planning takes everal months.
- 1940 - Germany invades Norway and Denmark. Sweden feels left out.
- 1967 - Status Quo plays their first show, at the University of London. Diptheria is involved.
- 2005 - Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed, thus squashing rumors that Parker Bowles is a man.
- 2009 - You are reading this anniversaries entry, about to move on to the next one.


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Solution Providers - 2017


text: Laurie Crogan Laurie Crogan has a big imagination. Her unique custom designs and installations grace the floors of beautiful homes and businesses from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area and beyond. Her brilliant work can be found in epic mansions and in humble cottages alike. Known for her outstanding craftsmanship in creating intricate inlaid floors in linoleum, cork and rubber, Crogan has a remarkable ability to translate ideas into reality. Her visual abilities and warm personality have earned her an enthusiastic and loyal following among her clients, who think of their floors as pieces of art and of Crogan as a friend. Crogan Inlay has done as many as 14 floors for the home of Jill Collins (ex-wife of Phil) and 3,000 square feet for Virgin Atlantic mogul Richard Branson's V-2 headquarters in London. Her numerous creative clients include actors Jack Nicholson, Carrie Fisher Ted Danson, Johnny Galecki, artist David Choe, songwriter Allee Willis and more. She has also participated as a principal designer in a number of historic restorations of buildings and homes that are recogized as architectural treasures including those designed by Rudolph Schindler, Paul Williams and Frank Lloyd Wright. Laurie Crogan's one-of a kind designs have been featured in many magazines including: Time, Sunset, Better Homes and Garden, Country Living, Los Angeles, Fine Home Building, as well as The Los Angeles Times. Crogan's work was also featured in the home restoration book "Linoleum." All images and original designs (c) Laurie Crogan


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Born and raised a Catholic, Lorraine appears to have been given the Supernatural Gifts of God. Her books and work have shown us many predictions that have already come true, with more happening all the time.
A strong believer in God, her work is about bringing as many to come to know Him as possible, while also teaching about respect for others of different beliefs.
While religion can be a very good thing, it can also see some of the worst (not to mention hypocritical) behaviour from those connected to them. Intolerance, power struggles and superiority to anyone not of similar beliefs is rife and she feels this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
God is about love, respect, tolerance, compassion, caring, selflessness and goodness towards everyone and everything living alongside us – unconditionally. Unless these qualities are seen, practiced and strived for, those professing to know and serve Him are not only deluding themselves they are good people, but are making God saddened. Continue reading


text: I am off to my fave city this weekend, New York! I can't wait to soak in the energy and style and visiting with friends and enjoying some awesome meals. Do you have a city that completely inspires you?? I even have an NYC pinterest board to pin some fave photos. Have a great weekend!


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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
I'm listing my house for sale in a few days and my real estate agent wants me to leave the smart home platform (LinuxMCE) with the house. Two major concerns:1) Would this violate the PPL? I'm not selling the hardware per say, just including it with the house.2) I would have to train the new owner on and provide support for the system, so everyone here would not have to. This would require getting paid for my time and I'm not even sure what I would need to charge.I'm leaning towards ripping everything out and taking it with me. Just looking for advice from the community. Thanks everyone.
As an Ex-Realtor I would strongly, but respectfully disagree with your Realtor. If this was a commercially available and installed system like what Totallymaxed's company has going then i'd say yes. On that note, I'd say yes with a twist. I don't know where you're located but with the current housing market i'd price the house without it and market the house with it. It may sounds illegal or weird but it's not. In the description of the listing i'd explain that the house is priced without the system but if the buyer wants the system it can be included for the price of $xxxx.xx (or make an offer for the automation system). If that violates any licensing laws is another topic.There are two ways to view this and your Realtor obviously didn't think this through. Seller: Do you really want to be attached to your house after you've already sold it? Most people don't and a Realtor looking out for your best interest (the way they should be) would never recommend anything that would cause you to remain attached to the home for any length of time after the sale, both morally or legally. Of course there are exceptions but this is hardly one of them. What if the new owners are computer idiots and they keep breaking the system? How long do you really want to carry that burden? The extra money may seem cool now but what about 2 years from now? Then there's the topic of what you're responsible for and what they're responsible for, so you'll need a contract. Now you're providing a service with a contract and you're getting paid, we're back to the licensing issue. I'm pretty sure in some states you don't need anything special to operate as a business. DBA's, LLC, etc just make it more official and carry certain perks. You'll want to be paid extra for the system and that extra price of the home may boxs out potential buyers. Most people I tell LMCE about are impressed but not impressed enough to go spend money to achieve the same. Some people will simple over look your house because while it's a cool house it is more than what they need. In this market more buyers are trying to satisfy their needs over their wants. Buyer:Do you really want to depend on the seller after the sale of the house? Most buyer don't and a Realtor looking out for their best interest would never recommend anything that would cause them to need the seller after the sale. Most buyers would be smart enough to walk away from a situation like that. Again, you're boxing out a subset of potential buyers. The buyers would be more willing to take on a system that was commercially supported and not a home brewed setup that only the previous home owner and a subset of geeks on the internet (no offence) can support. If you say there's no support, you just boxed out even more buyers. Most people would never take on something like this with out external support or the means of supporting it themselves. I think your gut feeling is correct and you should rip it out and repair any holes or other damage left by the system. If I were you I wouldn't even offer it unless you bought it from Totallymaxed and can transfer the support. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm totally into LMCE but let just be honest with ourselves, most users will need some sort of support. Maybe not using LMCE but maintaining LMCE.


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The Family—A Divine Blessing
It is a great privilege to be here today to address you. My heart is filled with wonderful feelings as I contemplate the great blessings we enjoy as a result of the reestablishment by the Lord of his church 144 years ago today.
His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, exists for the perfecting of the Saints and for the unifying and exalting of the family of our Father in heaven.
"To the members of our Church," President Stephen L Richards has said, "the home [or family] has an enlarged significance that is subordinate to nothing else in life, for it constitutes not only the source of our greatest happiness here in this life, but also the foundation of our exaltation and glory in the life to come. After all, it is essentially a religious institution. It has its origin in [a] religious ceremony. It is the fulfillment of [a] divine command. Its government is of a religious nature and the finest of its products are spiritual." (Stephen L Richards, Where Is Wisdom? Deseret Book Co., 1955, p. 193.)
The Lord has said that in the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood "the power of godliness is manifest." (D&C 84:20.) Thus, clothed with the holy priesthood of God and commissioned by the Lord, a man takes his place at the head of his family. Through his righteous leadership, the power of godliness may be manifest in his home. This sacred obligation and stewardship he shares with his wife, his helpmate. In partnership with our Heavenly Father, they experience the joy of creation as children bless their home and enlarge their family circle.
A wife and mother will be an inspiration to her family and to her husband and will honor him in his divine appointment as head of their family.
President Hugh B. Brown has said to the women of the Church:
"There is no better way to worship and glorify God than by assisting his sons on the upward and difficult climb. This takes patience, tolerance, forbearance and other typically feminine virtues." (Hugh B. Brown, "The Exalted Sphere of Woman," Relief Society Magazine, December 1965, p. 887.)
A husband and father will endeavor to be noble and faithful in carrying forth his sacred responsibility to teach correct principles to his children by precept and by example.
Recently I heard a father tell of the powerful influence his own testimony and example had in the life of his daughter. His lovely daughter was being pursued by an ardent admirer—one who had unfortunately turned away from the Church and who, through his wrongdoings, had been cut off from the blessings of the priesthood and Church membership. This girl thought she loved him and believed she might be happy with him.
Her concerned parents invited the young man into their home and tried to convince him of the need to put his life in order and to follow Christ. The father bore a fervent testimony of the reality of the Savior and of the joy that comes through obedience to his gospel. However, his words were rejected by the young man. In fact, the boy scoffed at such ideas and afterward tried to convince the girl that her father was old-fashioned and a hypocrite.
This accusation, the father said, was the young man's undoing. That daughter defended her father and his beliefs. She knew him. She knew the validity of his testimony. She knew her father lived as he believed—his sincere love of the gospel and his example of living its teachings she could not doubt nor deny.
Her love she would save for another whose testimony was like that of her father, whose life would be blessed with the joy and peace that comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Today she is the wife of such a man, a happy mother of a lovely family born in the covenant of an eternal marriage. Oh, how blessed is the influence of a righteous father!
The scriptures tell us that "nevertheless neither is the man without the woman … in the Lord." (1 Cor. 11:11.)
It was said of the great General Robert E. Lee that if he was early trained in the way he should go, his mother trained him. If he was "always good" as his father wrote of him, she labored to keep him so. If his principles were sound and his life a success, to her, more than to any other, should the praise be given. A family member wrote of him:
"As Robert grew in years he grew in grace; he was like the young tree whose roots firmly imbedded in the earth, hold it straight from the hour it was first planted till it develops into majestic proportions. With the fostering care of such a mother the son must go straight, for she had planted him in the soil of truth, morality, and religion, so that his boyhood was marked by everything that produces nobility of character in manhood." (Fitzhugh Lee, General Lee, New York: New York University Society, 1905, pp. 20–22.)
Following a 13-year-old girl's successful completion of a difficult and challenging assignment, she wrote this to her mother:
I have a secret
known only by me.
It helps me, it holds me,
It keeps me happy.
You will not believe this,
but surely it's true
'It' is my mother.
Yes, Mother, it's you.
You, you are my secret strength
And to you I'll always be true
And here is a message
Which comes from my heart:
Mother, I love you.
—Suzanne Pinegar, "Secret Strength"
A mother's inherent qualities of trust, courage, and faith lend strength to every member of the family.
Children also provide strength to the lives of family members. As we celebrate the Easter season, we reverence the most significant demonstration of brotherly love ever shown. The atoning sacrifice of Christ was the supreme example of unselfish love. While Jesus was our only brother who could make such a sacrifice for us, each of us can and should make Christlike sacrifices daily for one another through unselfish actions and willing service. It is in the home that we experience many opportunities to do this.
One day my older brother, Lynn, came hurrying home from high school basketball practice, bringing a teammate with him. Upon entering the house, both made a dash for the kitchen to satisfy their hungry appetites. My brother's friend loudly described his feeling of hunger by using a few vulgar and profane words to accent his anxious mood. Lynn quickly, quietly, but firmly said, "Hey, don't talk like that. My little brothers might hear you. I don't want them to learn words like that. Besides, they might think less of you than they ought to."
Unknown to my brother, my friend and I did hear that conversation, but the profane words were quickly erased from my mind by the thoughtful concern and courage shown by my older brother. That experience made a positive, lasting impression on my young mind. At the risk of sacrificing a friendship, his kindly chastisement of his friend taught me a lesson of love and concern for others and of courage to uphold the right.
So important are our relationships with our family members as we learn these lessons of life that family home evening has been revealed by the Lord as a prescribed means for the enduring development of all family members.
Each Monday evening families will gather together, with father presiding, to experience one of the highlights of the week's activities. During this special time together, the family, regardless of size or circumstances, may receive instruction and inspiration. Here in the sacredness of home father and mother teach correct gospel principles to their children. The children also have opportunities to teach and to share their thoughts and talents. Often the most effective learning takes place as family members help each other prepare for family home evening. Parents and children increase in their love and appreciation for one another as they participate in family home evening and strive to apply the principles learned there throughout the following weeks and years.
President Kimball, whom we have sustained as president and prophet today and of whom I testify is a living prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ, has indicated that heaven was in his home when home evening was held. He has also said:
"While one objective is reached by merely being together, yet the additional and greater value can come from the lessons of life. The father will teach the children. Here they can learn integrity, honor, dependability, sacrifice, and faith in God. Life's experiences and the scriptures are the basis of the teaching, and this, wrapped up in filial and parental love, makes an impact nothing else can make. Thus, reservoirs of righteousness are filled to carry children through the dark days of temptation and desire, of drought and skepticism. As they grow up, the children cooperate in building this storage for themselves and the family. And so we have as a basic part of the Lord's programs the home evening and the family prayers and the teaching of gospel principles in our homes." (Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, Deseret Book Co., 1972, p. 113.)
The Lord has blessed us with families that we might maintain our eternal relationship with him. May we recognize the importance of this divine blessing and do all in our power to fulfill this sacred responsibility. May the Spirit of the Lord be with us in our homes, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Show All Answers
In order to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus, meetings will be conducted pursuant to the provisions of the Governor's Executive Orders N-29-20, which suspended certain requirements of the Brown Act and will not be physically open to the public. You may observe a livestream of City Council and Standing Committee meetings.
If you wish to make either a general public comment or to comment on a specific agenda item, please submit your comment (include Agenda Item Number in the subject line), by emailing the City Clerk. All comments will be shared with the Council Committee and placed in the record. Every effort will be made to read your comment into the record, but some comments may not be read due to time limitations.
Email comments will be accepted until the Mayor announces that public comment for that item is closed. You do not have to wait until the meeting begins to submit a comment.
If you would prefer to read your comment live during the meeting, log into the meeting using the Zoom virtual platform and the instructions found on each council meeting agenda.
Assistance will be provided to those requiring accommodations for disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Persons requesting accommodation should contact the City in advance of the meeting, and as soon as possible, at 209-577-5396.
Council members may contacted by phone, fax or email. You may also ask a question using our online reporting tool or public comment link.
Modesto City Council Page


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Sample of Metallica and Lou Reed's Song 'The View' Hits the Web
There's no mistaking Metallica's thick guitar attack and Lou Reed's spoken, attitude-driven vocals in 'The View,' a 38-second sample of which can be heard now online in advance of their joint album, 'Lulu.'
Due Nov. 1, 'Lulu' will include nine other songs, with three of them exceeding 10 minutes. 'The View' is among the shortest at 5:17. The album concludes with the longest of the bunch, 'Junior Dad,' which clocks in at 19:28.
Metallica and Reed produced the album along with assistance from Greg Fidelman (whose credits include Metallica's 'Death Magnetic' album) and Hal Willner (who has worked a few Reed solo albums).
The snippet of 'The View' seems to support what Reed told Rolling Stone earlier this year: "They're bringing Metallica, with all that power. And because they're pretty sophisticated, wherever I go, they're still with me."


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Indie Pendant
Written by Kris on February 9, 2012. Permalink
Less than a week until February 14th. Do you have something for your Valentine?
The Indie Pendant is a hand-made, satin brass pendant which you can customize with a special date, your loved one's name, or anything else, up to sixteen characters.
Purchase Information:Price: $40.00
Available from: Greener Grass Design


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Latest Release - Rimworld Mods
If you are excited about the latest Rimworld edition, Latest Release Rimworld Mods should be of your interest too. Even the game has been released recently, many different Rimworld Latest Release Mods have been released to help the players fulfill the desire for even more action. If you are one of those who can't miss the latest upgrades, it is definitely something you should try. With Rimworld Latest Release Mods you will succeed faster and experience more entertainment. What could be more thrilling than imagining the life after few decades? The best thing is that you can impact it yourself too – with Latest Release Rimworld Mods free files you can shape the game in the way you prefer.


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Last week, I spoke at the big web marketing conference Pubcon, and a highlight of the event was hearing persuasion expert Robert Cialdini speak. Cialdini has been a big influence (no pun intended) on my own writing, and it was great to hear him in person. He tends to stick to the broad principles of influence and persuasion rather than specific marketing tactics, but he did bring up the ubiquitous "About Us" page in his speech.
Like Me, Buy from Me
One of Cialdini's major elements of persuasion is liking. If I find you likable, I'm more likely to do business with you. Similarity boosts liking. If we seem to be members of the same group or have commonalities, it's even easier to like you. So, how, on a static website, do you get people to like you?
Include Some "About ME"
Cialdini suggests using the About Us page to become more likable by including individual information and personal interests. As just one illustration, he suggested listing your three favorite "driveway songs" - those songs that keep you in your parked car until they are over. Irrelevant to business, but humanizing. And, if a prospect says, "Hey, I'd sit in my car for that song, too," you'll have established a bit of commonality.
Building on that concept, think about personal interests likely to connect you with your customers. Sell golf products? Talk about your interest in golf, how you got started, and perhaps some personal struggles with the game. It's probably risky to include personal items that could distance you from your customers - having an interest in racing is great, particularly if you are selling automotive performance products, but including a video of you doing hot laps at the Nürburgring in your Lamborghini might be off-putting.
Often your personal interests won't relate directly to your business or have a high degree of overlap with your customers. That's still fine - including this information will humanize you and make you more likable.
Case Study: PetRelocation.com
- They own at least one animal, probably a dog or cat.
- They care about their pet enough to go through the expense of moving it to a distant location.
These characteristics establish an immediate premise for "group membership," and the PetRelocation About Us page takes advantage of that. First, they include an extensive listing of their staff, not just a few executives. If you talk to someone at the firm, you can probably find their photo and their story on this page.
Second, even though the bios for each person are short, they all emphasize their love of pets. CEO Kevin O'Brien's mentions his early start in "doggie daycare" and that he lives with "a whole bunch of dogs and cats." CFO Angie O'Brien's bio talks about a three-hour drive with a talking parrot that wouldn't shut up. First employee Matt Kincaid's bio, in keeping with Cialdini's recommendation, not only mentions his two dogs but also brings out his guitar playing and music writing.
All of this information tells potential customers of the firm that this isn't a faceless corporation (would you trust your devoted companion to the loving care of United Airlines?), but a group of real people who have real lives and love their animals. This humanizes the company, increases liking, and builds confidence that the firm actually cares about the pets entrusted to them.
Is It Perfect? PetRelocation.com's About Us page serves the firm better than nine out of ten About Us pages. There's no boring corporate history and no bland, generic mission statement. There are no lengthy resumes of guys in suits sporting impressive Ivy League degrees.
But, tinkerer that I am, I could suggest a few improvements.
At the risk of making the page longer, I'd use images that match the content. Instead of small, avatar-like head shots, I'd include larger photos showing not just the staffer but his/her pets. This would be a powerful visual statement to underscore what the text says: these are people who actually have pets, and really love animals. Not every visitor is going to read the words, but even a quick glance at the pet-laden photos will convey the message.
As an alternative, or even an addition, I'd consider a group photo of staff members with lots of their pets. I'm sure it would be chaotic to set up, but done right it would send a strong message of common ground with potential customers.
I'd also edit the text be sure each pet is named. If someone has six dogs, list their names and breeds. This will emphasize the "pets are individuals" message. And, when a potential client spots a fellow Golden Lab or Siamese owner, the bond will be even stronger.
Including more short stories, like the backseat-driving parrot, would further engage the readers.
Will this increase the text on the page? Absolutely. But, I'd bet that it will be more interesting and get read even more. Ultimately, some or all staff members might merit a short individual page to incorporate one or more photos with pets and a pet story or two.
No Personal/Business Overlap?
Some businesses can more easily find common ground with their customers than others. For example, what if you make machine parts or are a productivity consultant? That makes things a bit more difficult. You can try to find some common ground, like, "Bill has always been fanatical about doing things as efficiently as possible. He installed a heated mirror in his shower so he could shave while showering, and has been known to jot down ideas on the tile with a grease pencil." But, I'd be careful not to stretch this to the point of implausibility.
As Cialdini suggested, just include some things that make you human and likable. His "driveway songs" clearly have nothing to do with business, but can still serve that purpose. So, mention something you are enthusiastic about.
You should include sufficient depth to engage the reader a little. I don't think "Roberta likes cats, chocolate, and caffeine" is enough to get the job done. You don't need to include paragraphs of irrelevant information, but give the reader enough information about your topic to develop a connection.
Does Personal Info Boost Conversion?
Cialdini cited one study that had pairs of participants conduct a negotiation by email. Nearly a third of the negotiations failed because the parties couldn't reach an agreement. When the negotiators first exchanged a few personal details by email prior to the negotiation, though, the failure rate dropped to a mere 6%. While that's not a perfect analog to a better About Us page, it certainly confirms that appearing more three-dimensional and human to another party can increase the chance of success.
Your Turn
Does your About Us page say enough about YOU? Have you encountered a great About Us page that separates the company from its similar competitors? Share your thoughts in a comment!
Roger Dooley is the author of Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing (Wiley, 2011). Find Roger on Twitter as @rogerdooley and at his website, Neuromarketing.


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In a recent post to his blog Hakre looks at iterating over iterators (multiples all at once) using either the Append Iterator or the MultipleIterator.
PHP's SPL has two build-in Iterators that deal with multiple iterators at once: AppendIterator and MultipleIterator. In this posting I'll cover both a bit.
He gives some sample code for each - showing how to use the AppendIterator to combine multiple iterators into one set and using the MultipleIterator to attach (not append/merge into one set) multiple iterator objects to a single, iteratable object. He als mentions a "lost" iterator, the DualIterator that never made it out of a SVN repository and into the main codebase.


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What if I told you that you can put yourself in a better position to succeed by simply sharing your time, either once a week or once a month, with other like-minded and motivated individuals?
Successful individuals such as Benjamin Franklin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, all met with groups of like-minded people on a regular basis, to help one another achieve common goals and grow. Today, this is called a "mastermind", first coined by Napoleon Hill in 1925. In this article, I'm going to go over what a mastermind group is, how it can benefit you and your business, and how to form one, step-by-step.
Thomas Edison (left) and Henry Ford (right)
What Is a Mastermind?
A mastermind is a peer-mentoring group of individuals who meet on a regular basis (in-person or virtually) to push each other to work to their highest potential and hold each other accountable. Many successful entrepreneurs today, from Bill Gates to Pat Flynn, use masterminds to help grow their business and work on their personal development.
Jim Rohn, author and motivational speaker, tells us that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Are the people you spend the most time with helping you with your personal development and business' growth? This is where participating in and being a part of a mastermind group can improve that.
Why Join a Mastermind?
Accountability: The first reason I recommend any entrepreneur join a mastermind group is because the people in that group will keep you accountable.
Every week, in my mastermind group, we ask each member how their business is progressing and if they followed through on what they planned to do last week.
I never want to let the individuals in my group down, so when I say to the members in my group that I am going to do something, you can bet I wind up doing it to tell them about it the next time we meet.
Feedback: A mastermind group will give you feedback from people who are trying to build a business just like you. They have a special insight and mindset that is hard to find. Other like-minded entrepreneurs will tell you what's wrong or right about your ideas with no bias. They are not your customers and they are not your competitors.
The people in your group can be your best source of advice at times when you're unsure where to turn to. The members in my group have a very unique yet relevant perspective. This makes for some amazing feedback that has helped me tremendously when it comes to what direction to go in and what next steps to take for my business.
Collaboration: Not only does your mastermind group allow you collaborate on ideas but you can help people or get people in your group to help you with projects or tasks. While this isn't the main function of a peer-mentoring group, as a result of meeting with other talented entrepreneurs on a regular basis, you might find opportunities to work with other members in your group.
There's also an opportunity for you to cross-promote with other members in your group. Everyone in your group will likely be using social media and maybe even have a blog. In my mastermind, I've promoted their content on my Twitter account in exchange for being featured and interviewed on their blog.
Network: This is also a great way to network. You might connect with people, who know other people, that might be able to help you out or that you might be able to help out. The more you expand your network, the more doors open up for you.
Having connections and knowing people who might know people in various industries can come in handy when you least expect it.
Resourceful: The members in your group will likely be very diversified with many different specialties and areas of knowledge. Maybe you're someone with a lot of knowledge in marketing but you need help with design. If there's another member in your group that has a design background, you can help them with marketing while they help you with design.
The blending of different backgrounds, skills and knowledge creates a fantastic environment for you to learn, play off of your strengths and correct your weaknesses. I've learned a lot from the members of my mastermind group about topics I previously had no knowledge about. There will always be something unique that you can bring to your mastermind group and that others will bring that will be of value to you and the rest of the group.
Support: Besides being a support group to encourage you and keep you going when you encounter hard times in your business, your mastermind can be a place where members can get their questions answered and solutions to their problems.
Every week in my mastermind, someone is blown away by the quality of help and solutions they receive to their problems. It never ceases to amaze me how creative we can get, as a group, to tackle someone's issues in that meeting.
What a Typical Mastermind Might Look Like
To give you an idea of what a mastermind looks like, here's what mine looks like:
Every Tuesday night, I meet with three other online entrepreneurs. We meet using Google Hangouts, which is a free video call/chat software that is easy to use.
Once we all get on, we begin with a round-table style discussion. Each person has the chance to give everyone else an update on their business, their challenges and wins since the last meeting.
After everyone gets the opportunity to update the group, we usually feature or "hot seat" someone every meeting. This person gets the opportunity to go deeper with their challenges, and they also get a chance to get feedback from the group. Every meeting, the featured person changes. Sometimes, someone is featured simply because they might need the most help at that time. Most of the time however, everyone has a shot to be in the hot seat.
Sometimes the mastermind meeting will be more informal than this, and we just discuss our businesses as a group. Some of my best takeaways came when our sessions were informal and didn't follow a structure.
These sessions usually don't go on for more than an hour and they are extremely beneficial and a great investment of my time, every meeting.
How to Find or Form a Mastermind
The first thing you need to do is go where people like yourself congregate. If you're an ecommerce entrepreneur, you don't need to strictly look for other ecommerce entrepreneurs, instead look for other motivated entrepreneurs in any industry.
I recommend first starting with Meetup.com if you're interested in meeting up with other entrepreneurs in person. Meetup.com has many groups of local entrepreneurs looking to connect that you can easily join for free. If you can't find one, consider starting your own.
If you're more interested in an online mastermind, I would recommend going to forums and Facebook groups for online entrepreneurs and ecommerce entrepreneurs.
You will probably have to take the initiative in these groups and ask if anyone else is interested in forming a mastermind with you. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.
As long as you don't make it all about you and you are genuine in wanting to create a peer-mentoring group where entrepreneurs can help one another and grow together, people will be interested. Here's a script similar to what I used when I was looking for other people to form a mastermind with me.
From here, you will want to contact the interested individuals you think you would get along with and make a good fit for your group. It's a good idea to vet everyone that is interested to first, ensure that they're serious about joining the group, and second, to see if their goals and values align with yours and the rest of the group's.
Once you get everyone's emails, send out a spreadsheet, using Google Docs, to quickly determine everyone's availability. Use this spreadsheet template to help you see what everyone's availability is. You ideally want to have a weekly or monthly meeting at the same time and day every week to make it easy for everyone.
Once you see an alignment and a date and time that works for everyone, it's time to contact all your members and schedule the first mastermind session.
Running Your First Mastermind
You should let your new group know what the structure will be like for the very first meeting. You're all strangers and there might be some members who are nervous, so let them know what to expect to ease their anxiety.
Make it clear that the first meeting will be very informal and casual. Everyone should get an opportunity to introduce themselves, talk about their business and what they hope to get out of this mastermind group.
In the beginning, at least for the first several meetings, follow a format or keep to a structure for the meetings until there's a lot of chemistry in the group.
Use software like Google Hangouts. Skype and Zoom are good alternatives as well. It's best to ask your group, when you first send out the scheduling spreadsheet, what software they use or prefer.
It's a good idea to try and find someone who is experienced and has run or participated in masterminds before (or even is already in one) to make your sessions run smoother since they can take the lead for those first few (potentially awkward) meetings.
While there's no ideal number of members for your group, try to keep it relatively small. In my experience, a group size of 4-6 people works best. With too many members, the meetings might be too long and there might not be enough time for people to get an equal opportunity to share and get value.
Go out and Find a Mastermind
Now it's your turn. You will need to take the initiative. You will need to put yourself out there and find the right people.
If you don't know where to start looking, leave a comment below and let everyone else know you're looking to join a mastermind! Who knows, you might find the group of people who will help your business grow as well as help theirs. If you have any questions and feedback about masterminds, be sure to let me know in the comments below as well.
About The Author
Corey Ferreira is a passionate entrepreneur, coconut water lover and content creator at Shopify.


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The New York Times today explores China's invasion of Afghanistan -- commercial invasion, that is -- centered on a $3.4 billion Chinese government copper mining venture that, in addition to the copper mine, is supposed to include new coal mining, power plants, road building, school building and (local sweetener) mosque building. Whether these grand plans all come to pass, the point is this:
While the United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda here, China is securing raw material for its voracious economy. The world's superpower is focused on security. Its fastest rising competitor concentrates on commerce.
S. Frederick Starr, the chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, an independent research organization in Washington, said that skeptics...
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"Why Does Interpol Need Immunity from American Law?" is the question Andy McCarthy asks in commenting on the Executive Order that President Obama issued on December 17 to lift restraints on the international police agency. Andy goes on to describe these restraints first put in place in 1983 by President Reagan to bring Interpol under key aspects of American law when investigating Americans and American interests:
Specifically, Interpol's property and assets remained subject to search and seizure, and its archived records remained subject to public scrutiny under provisions like the Freedom of Information Act. Being constrained by the Fourth Amendment, FOIA, and other limitations...
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Photo: Dan "It wasn't supposed to be that way" Senor with some of the guys in June 2003.
Belowis the second part of a three-column series assessing the benefit, gain, outcome of six-plus American years in Iraq as we rev up to do it all over again in Afghanistan -- only with much more exciting logistics.
The column:
So much for the lack of post-surge U.S. business benefits in Iraq, as I wrote last week. Now, what kind of post-surge ally is Iraq?
No kind.
I write in wonder that the ultimate failures of the surge strategy -- which include the failure of anything resembling a U.S. ally to emerge in post-Saddam Iraq -- have never entered national discourse. Rather,...
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My destination for the next few days. Happy Christmas to all!
My destination for the next few days. Happy Christmas to all!
This week's syndicated column is the first in a series on the impact of the Iraq "surge" strategy:
The main reason the "surge" in Afghanistan is on is because the conventional wisdom tells us the "surge" in Iraq "worked."
The problem is, the Iraq surge did not work. Yes, the U.S. military perfectly executed its share of the strategy -- the restoration of some semblance of calm to blood-gushing Mesopotamian society -- but that was only Step One. The end-goal of the surge strategy, Step Two was always out of U.S. control -- a fundamental flaw. Step Two was up to the Iraqis: namely, to take the opportunity afforded by U.S.-provided security (Step One) to bring about both "national reconciliation" and, as the powers-that-were further promised,...
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Here "the people" are, mainly university students, burning Prez Obama in effigy in Kabul in October. "Focus on the people of this country," Adm Mullen urges his troops. OK. How 'bout if he goes first?
Via the AP:
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan — The top U.S. military officer on Thursday visited the front lines of the war in Afghanistan, where he advised troops to "focus on the people of this country."
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his first stop at a small base where U.S. forces have taken heavy losses since arriving in August. The Army's 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry has suffered 21 killed and 40 wounded — out of a group of roughly 800 — in the short time it has been deployed.
But troops have also made inroads against Taliban supply lines in the critical Kandahar province.
Mullen told the troops that the way to win is to focus on protecting major population areas and ensuring that Afghans can move freely in their own country....
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Via Bloomberg:
Iraq must free itself from Iranian influence through national elections in order to preserve its sovereignty, an Iraqi lawmaker said.
"Our compass is clear," Ayad Jamal Aldin, whose Ahrar party is contesting parliamentary seats in the nationwide vote set for March 7, said today in an interview in London. "The real danger in Iraq is Iran. It controls Iraq with a firm fist."
Senior U.S. officials repeatedly have accused Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq by equipping and financing militants who have killed American forces. The number two U.S. commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Charles Jacoby, yesterday said that he has detected Iran's sway in Iraq's political, military and economic domains. ...
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Shocked: Mustafa Abu Maryam, the youth pastor at the Islamic Circle of North America Mosque, center, listens to comments by Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society, during a news conference about the Pakistan Five in Alexandria, Va., Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. At left is mosque spokesman Essam Tellawi
The pattern is set. 1) A member of an Islamic community making his way to jihad becomes a story. 2) Islamic community spokesmen expressing shock becomes another story. 3) End of story.
Whether it's the Army's Hasan and his killing spree or Northern Virginia's five jihadis and their capture, the pattern is always the same. Islamic inspired event. Islamic feigned wonderment. Total media incuriosity and reliance on propaganda put over by known hostile actors and groups. That's the way the mainstream...
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Hey, Arlington educators: Debate this!
The story below is typical of what happens, as I argue in The Death of the Grown-Up, in a society when there are no boundaries: Nothing is beyond the pale.
Fortunately, not absolutely everyone agrees. Bravo to the citizen who said no.
From the Washington Post: "School Cancels Taliban Debate"
A principal in Arlington County announced Monday that she will call off an assignment that asked students to represent the views of the Taliban during a mock United Nations after some parents called it inappropriate.
An e-mail sent to parents of eighth-graders at Swanson Middle School from Principal Chrystal Forrester and two teachers said the assignment was "clearly a bad choice for a debate topic."
"Recognizing the pain that has touched many of our families and neighbors due to the terrorist...
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Scott and Vicki Behenna write in with an update on the ongoing and even promising efforts to free their son Michael, whom I have written about here and here. They write:
Merry Christmas to the many friends and supporters of Michael,
An update about Michael is difficult because this time of year is all about being together with family and friends. While we will be able to see Michael over Christmas, our family will not feel complete until Michael is freed from Leavenworth.
Several things are happening toward that end and we are eagerly anticipating a favorable outcome. Michael's appellate brief will be filed in December...
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Ooo-hoo -- Jihadis! Who wants to join a shovel-ready cash-for-work program sponsored by the USA and thus put a strain on Taliban leaders and cause them to reconcile with Hamid Karzai next year?
On the Big Plans behind the reconciliation program for jihadis in Afghanistan, from today's Washington Post:.
The Bush administration displayed little enthusiasm for Afghan reintegration efforts, preferring to fight insurgents over trying to make peace with them, but Obama's strategists on Afghanistan have bet heavily on the idea. A recent Japanese government pledge of $5 billion in aid for Afghanistan is expected to be applied largely to reintegration efforts, and the United States has also vowed to commit money.
But the effort...
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Photo: Um, a picture is worth a thousand words?
Via NISNews:
THE HAGUE, 12/12/09 - The appeals chamber of the Bar Association's disciplinary council has acquitted lawyer Mohammed Enait (above) of contempt of court. He has the right not to rise when the judge enters the courtroom and can wear a Muslim hat during sessions, it ruled Friday.
It is customary for lawyers to stand up during court cases when the judge enters the courtroom. Enait deliberately refuses to do so. His argument is that his religion maintains that everyone is equal and as a Muslim, he therefore does not want to behave subserviently.
The disciplinary council of the Bar Association reprimanded the Islamic lawyer in May. On three points, he showed contempt of court, it ruled; he refuses to rise, wears an Islamic head-covering during sessions and showed contempt of a judge in...
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From the Washington Post today:
BAGHDAD -- Chinese, Russian and European companies won the right this weekend to develop major oil fields in Iraq, while U.S. firms made a paltry showing at auctions that represent the first major incursion of foreign oil companies into Iraq in four decades.
Just let that sink in a little. After six-plus years of flowing blood and treasure, exhaustive focus and plain exhaustion, not only did US MRAPs never get to fill up for free (for the great privilege of clearing out Iraqi viper nests), but now not even our lousy oil companies get a consolation prize at the big Iraqi oil party.
China's state-owned oil...
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The Connecticut paper the Republican American reported the death of a Marine corporal who succombed to grievous wounds caused by an IED Helmand Province. Xhacob Latorre, 21, of Waterbury reportedly lost both legs during his combat mission in August. From the obituary:
An article published in The Washington Post in July reported that Marines of Latorre's unit had pushed deep into southern Afghanistan to cut off Taliban supply lines from Pakistan and to restore order in areas long neglected by NATO forces.
The Marine mission in Khan Neshin in the lower Helmand River valley was the most significant deployment of U.S. forces near the Pakistani border with southern Afghanistan.
The brigade's focus was to meet local leaders and to distribute handbills explaining their presence.
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This AP picture pretty much says it all but just to make sure, let's read the original caption:
In this picture taken Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, an Afghan police trainee from the United States Marine police mentoring program eats a lollipop as Marines search a house that was thought to have explosives during a joint patrol in Khan Neshin, in the volatile Helmand province of southern Afghanistan....
Insert primal scream.
From the story:
KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan— The U.S. Marines were tense looking for bombs buried near a mud compound in this remote farming town in southern Afghanistan. Their new Afghan police colleagues were little help, joking around and sucking on lollipops meant for local kids.
The government...
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One of the things Congress wasn't interested in asking General McChrystal about was the September incident at Ganjgal, a hamlet in eastern Afghanistan. There, McClatchey's Jonathan S. Landay observed the deadly effect of McChrystal's increasingly restrictive ROEs first hand when repeated appeals for air and artillery support from an ambushed team of 13 US Army and Marine trainers assigned to the Afghan Army went unanswered. This failure was due, Landay reports, to "new rules to avoid civilian casualties." Three Marines and a Navy Corpsman were killed in the hours-long battle, which also claimed the lives of eight Afghan security personnel and an interpreter.
As Landay wrote:
U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines – despite being told repeatedly that...
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Last week, a friend of mine on the Hill invited me to suggest some questions for Gen. McChrystal prior to Tuesday's hearing. His invitation finally prompted this somewhat hasty list here (which prompted this not-to-be-missed Marine vet's list here).
None of these questions was asked, of course (and particularly not the Marine vet's ones about calibrating the names of the military branches to better suit the COIN "hearts and minds" mission, e.g., changing The Army to the Warmy). After the hearings, I found myself still thinking about all that hadn't been asked and what should have been asked, and put together a mostly new sequence for this week's column:
Gen. Stanley McChrystal's long-awaited testimony before Congress on the Afghanistan "surge" was, according to one account, "uneventful." The general himself, another story noted, was "a study in circumspection." And questioning from lawmakers...
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Global jihad: Not just anyone can get in.
AP is reporting:
Five young American Muslims arrested in Pakistan met with representatives of an al-Qaida linked group and asked for training but were turned down because they lacked references from trusted militants, a Pakistani law enforcement official said Thursday.
"References" -- as in "excels at jihad," or, "can turn any household item into a bomb"?
... Usman Anwar, the local police chief in the eastern city of Sargodha, told The Associated Press that the five are "directly connected" to the al-Qaida terrorist network.
"They are proudly saying they are here for jihad" or holy war, Anwar said.
Oh, those wacky young American Muslims.
A key break in the case came not from federal agents or spies, but parents worried their sons may have made a terrible decision....
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Behold Asim Hafeez, the new British Home Office official charged with identifying British jihadists and mobilzing them -- no, sorry, diverting them -- from the path to jihad. Or something.
According to Martin Bright, who reported on the appointment last month at the Jewish Chronicle, there is "serious concern among more moderate Muslim advisers across Whitehall" about their new colleague, whom one fellow advisor described as a "hardcore Salafi."
Only among "more moderate Muslim advisors"? How about the suicidal non-Muslims who likely hired him? Of course, if they were concerned they wouldn't have picked him in the first place. The Islamization of England continues apace.
A guest post at Harry's Place quite instructively elaborates on Hafeez's belief in an Islamic state.
A number of Hafeez's talks are available online which appear to not only back up Bright's accusations...
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From the Times of London:
Although the Taliban are estimated at only 15-20,000, they are proving a more formidable enemy than previously realised. According to John McCreary, a defence intelligence analyst, for every allied soldier killed, wounded or kidnapped last month, the Allies killed, wounded or captured a single Taliban, compared with six a year ago. Allied soldiers killed two anti-government fighters for every Nato and government death. "During all of 2008 the kill ratio was never so close," said McCreary. "This should be unacceptably embarrassing news for the coalition."
How come this is happening?
One reason is the restriction on the use of air power imposed by McChrystal to try to reduce civilian casualties, which were turning people against foreign troops.
Conventional wisdom unsupported by the fact that jihadist forces a much...
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It's a deal: Five, 15, 20 years in Afghanistan -- who's counting?
Withdrawal to start in July 2011? Dream on. The quiz kids behind "COIN" have always been happy to plunk down US troops for the duration, and now this from Kabul, via the LA Times:
Afghanistan's security forces will need U.S. support for another 15 to 20 years, President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday in the latest in a series of indications that U.S. involvement there is likely to last far into the future.
That would help explain the massive construction projects...
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Tom Stone, a pal and Marine vet (Vietnam), writes in with one more question for Gen.McC:
Sir, in light of the fact that you have forgotten, either intentionally or not, everything you were ever taught at West Point concerning warfare and the prosecution of same, I am wondering if you have considered changing the names of our Armed Forces to reflect more accurately what you and this administration have decided to pursue in the conflict, er, ah, war, er ah, anti-Islamic, no, that won't work, well, whatever you are about to do in Afghanistan.For example, looking into your McChrystal Ball, you have certainly contemplated changing the name of the Marine Corps to…The Peace Corps. Their mission is to win hearts and minds through goodwill acts of compassion and deference to the locals. And hey, the Army, how about….The Warmy – kind of gives you a fuzzy cuddly feeling, doesn't it, just how you want us to treat the Afghanies. And gee, the Air Force, easy one, how about….. The Air Farce? They can't bomb or air strike, don't want to hurt the locals. Oh No. And since so many of our finest are in the Reserves, surely you must have considered renaming them….The Reserved.You remember, think twice before you shoot, the three second questions to be asked before pulling the trigger, holding back, just being down right, well, ….reserved!*** If you have not considered any of these, feel free to take me up on it and you can take all the credit. Now YOU GO GUY....
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Commander-on-the-Ground becomes Commander-on-the-Hill as Gen. Stanley McChrystal testifies before Congress today.
A few questions, just to break the ice:
Q: Sir, you wrote the following the folllowing in your initial Afghanistan assessment:
A more forceful and offensive StratCom approach must be devised whereby INS are exposed continually for their cultural and religious violations, anti-Islamic and indiscriminate use of violence and terror, and by concentrating on their vulnerabilities. These include their causing ofthe majority of civilian casualties, attacks on education, development projects, and government institutions, and flagrant contravention of the principles of the Koran. These vulnerabilities must be expressed in a manner...
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From today's Washington Post:
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cautioned troops on Monday to exercise greater discipline in Afghanistan to minimize civilian casualties and to win Afghans' support as they implement the administration's new war strategy.
The perfect send-off to "counterinsurgents" ordered into "armed social work," to win not anything like a war (for what? don't ask), but rather the "support" of 20-plus million tribalistic and barbaric Muslims.
Howz about if the good admiral goes first?
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Now available online is the English translation of the summons to Geert Wilders to court in Amsterdam on January 20, 2010 for exercising free speech in defense of his country and, in fact, the wider Western world and civilization. Such as it is. (Here it is at Jihadwatch.)
The Wilders summons is the perfect dhimmi document, a shameful manifestation of the extent to which Islamic legal restrictions against criticizing Islam have been incorporated into a submissive Dutch justice system.
Read through at least part of this lengthy, repetitious document to see what, according to Amsterdam prosecutors, is illegal and punishable by jail time in Holland...
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In refining and repacking (for size) some of the "How Important Is Marjeh?" material for this week's column, I came to a new definition of "counterinsurgency" (below). It's worth emphasizing how very important our understanding of "counterinsurgency" is. Why, just today, Charles Krauthammer points out that "the 2009 U.S. military [is] the finest counterinsurgency force in history."
What does that mean? I'm sorry. After watching the Pentagon at work for the last eight-plus years, I have observed that "COIN" doesn't mean winning wars, it means "armed social work" for "hearts and minds," or "trust" of "the people." It doesn't lead to a VI Day or VA Day, it leads to endless, pointless, wasteful "nation-building." It is a big scam and Uncle Sam is the easy mark.
So much simpler (to say the least) to face the ideological facts, the legal facts, the historical...
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Marine Mom writes in late last night:
Just when I thought I had seen it all, I read of this weakness by Gen. McChrystal.
Headline: "Let the enemy in Afghanistan give up with dignity."
The full McChrystal quotation, via MSNBC, is this:
"I think they [the jihadis] should be faced with the option to come back if they are willing to come back under the constitution of Afghanistan — that they can come back with dignity," he said. [Note: Afghan constitution enshrines sharia so this represents no concession.] "If you look at the end of most civil wars and insurgencies, I think that everybody needs a chance...
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From Time magazine today:
Joint U.S.-Afghan operations are plagued by mistrust, with the living quarters of allied and Afghan troops separated by walls, razor wire, guarded gates and machine-gun nests. "Currently, coalition forces eat, sleep and play in separate spaces from the people they are trying to train," U.S. Marine Captain Jason Moore noted in a report earlier this year for the Corps' Command and Staff College at Quantico, Va.
In part, that's because Taliban sympathizers in the Afghan military have shot and killed U.S. troops.
That's why.
But Captain Moore is troubled by the message walls, razor wire and machine-gun nests are sending:
"Intentional or not, it conveys a sense of...
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Here is a video of a Palestinian woman stabbing an Israeli border guard in the lower abdomen on October 25 with a knife she had hidden in her clothes. Via The Jawa Report:
Here is a video of a Palestinian woman stabbing an Israeli border guard in the lower abdomen on October 25 with a knife she had hidden in her clothes. Via The Jawa Report:
Prezident Obama gave his big Afghanistan speech last night, and it was, of course, a mess.
It was rhetorically deceptive -- what with the 9/11 jihad further attributed to "men" from al Qaeda, a "group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world's great religions" -- and it was symbolically diabolical, what with the lives of those dewy-faced cadets in the audience in the balance. The point of it all? The 44th POTUS ordered up 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan to begin bringing them all home by 2011.
More depressing still, however, was the conservative reaction, which was all about seeing its glass half full. (Make that three-quarters full.) The futility of "nation-building" anywhere in the Islamic world lost on these poor infidels,...
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EU dream team -- von Rompuy and Ashton
Today is not just the day Prez O explains his already explained Afghan strategy, or details his already detailed "surge" of 34,000 troops to Afghanistan. ("God help our troops," writes Ralph Peters.)
Today, December 1, 2009, is also the day that, as my friend Paul Belien writes at Brussels Journal, "the Lisbon Treaty comes into force and the European Union (EU) takes on the status of a genuine state with its own President and Foreign Minister."
That would be President Herman von Rompuy, and Paul, author of the essential history A Throne in Brussels, having...
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