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I have always loved stories. I was one of these kids who, when I was a boy, would stay up under my covers with a flashlight and read comic books. I especially loved, from the time I was young, serialized stories. To me, the three most beautiful words in the English language are not "I love you." They are "to be continued." I just love serialized stories. I love the feeling of them.
A lot of the most powerful and popular stories around us are serialized stories. The Bible is a serialized story. The "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" are serialized stories. "The Sopranos" is a serialized narrative. "Harry Potter" is a fabulous serialized narrative. "Survivor," God help us, is a serialized narrative. The comic books, the comic strips in our newspapers, are all serialized narratives. To me, if it's a continuing story that you want to come back to for more than one day, that's a serial. And they're very popular.
They really have a wonderfully powerful pull on all of us. And I think that power for a serialized narrative has to do with that delicious sense of enforced waiting. You cannot find out what's going to happen next right away. You have to wait. And I think it's powerful because we live in a world that seems to be accelerating all the time. Lots of people want to get to the bottom line right away. They want to know right away, and a lot of them are city editors.
"What Happens Next?"
– Mike LenehanAnd the faster and more insane everything else moves, the more powerful it is when the writer or the director or whoever says, "No, we're going to slow down. We're going to wait. We're going to make you wait." It becomes extra powerful. It's really helpful to learn how to speed up and slow down. The paradox is that when you're in the boring stuff, that's when you need to speed up and when you're in the best stuff where things are really moving rapidly, you slow down. The reason you slow down is so that the reader can really feel and process and really enter that scene. And the reason you speed up, usually, is because you have a lot of ground to cover, and it's not necessarily going to be that interesting to cover every inch of that ground in great detail. So at that point, your average distance per sentence really goes up.
And how do you slow down? You allow more space on the page. You allow more sentences. You literally write in shorter sentences. You get more paragraph breaks. You use space. You find pauses inside the scene that occur naturally that you would normally skip over. Pauses are really, really helpful.
We all long for completion of the cycle, which is what narrative is all about—wanting the cycle to be completed. And serial narratives force us to wait. And there's great, great pleasure in that unfolding.
I've been doing serials now for 15 years at the St. Petersburg Times, and when I started, there were only a couple of other people that I knew of who were doing them. Now a lot of papers are doing them, which I'm really excited about, and there's a lot of people who do them. At our newspaper alone, 10 to 15 people have done serials over the years. I'm not the only person who does them there. I just do them more obsessively than anyone else.
My first piece of advice would be to study the stories that are all around you. A lot of the newspaper writers I know, at night when they go home from the newsroom, they're carrying reports and books related to their beats, which I think is a terrible, terrible mistake. The best writers I know, when they go home, they read something else. They read fiction, they read a nonfiction book. They go watch a trashy movie, they go watch whatever. They really enjoy stories of all kinds.
I really encourage you all to read "Harry Potter." I read the four of them. But as I read them, I realized there was a lot to learn from J.K. Rowling. She really understands how to hold a reader by her side. And that's a skill, by the way, which with serials is absolutely essential. The first and most essential quality of a serial narrative is that it has to be immensely and intensely and inescapably readable. Other stories in the newspaper are not judged by their readability. But serials are judged almost entirely on whether they get read, and that is a very, very hard standard.
It's really instructive to watch people read what you write and to see how hard it is to get someone to stick with you to the end. And in a narrative, it's absolutely essential. So it really helps to watch what works, to learn from what works.
One of the reasons for a serial's power is it unfolds gradually. You have to go to sleep at night with the story unresolved, and these characters in these situations seep into your dreams and into your waking hours and your sleeping hours. You live with them. Most of the things that are important to us do not begin and end in a single day. Serial narratives have more of the rhythms of life. So that gradual unfolding is helpful. And it really helps if there's somebody whom the reader cares about and wonders what's going to happen to them. Again, that sounds obvious but you'd be surprised how many times we ignore that.
It also helps if there's movement. If the story begins at point A, and you get to the end and you're really only at A, your readers are going to be really pissed off. I need some movement. I may not need things to blow up, but I need some movement. I need something to happen. And most readers, I think, feel the same way, at least for a newspaper serial.
It also helps if, at the end, there's a shred of hope, or if not hope at least some new understanding that the reader takes away from it so they do not feel it's a waste of their time. The worst thing, and readers get really, really pissed, is if at the end there's nothing they take away from it but bleakness. But they don't have time for days and days of that. And if you write a story, a serial, and it ends like that, just be aware you're going to bother some people. I'm not trying to say that you have to have a happy ending, but there has to be something at the end that makes the reader feel it wasn't just a waste of their time.
This is important in all stories; it's especially important in a serial. Find a frame. You have to find a really good, simple frame. You need a simple frame to get at the complexity of your issue. Sometimes we think that for a complex story or for a complex theme, we have to have a very complex setup. And actually it's the opposite. The more complexity you're after, the simpler your frame needs to be. The more macroscopic your themes are, the more microscopic you need to go in your frame.
Every single story we write, every single story there is, has an engine inside of it. And it's a question, an unanswered question that the reader wants to know the answer to. And all these questions are very simple questions, and they're all a version of "What happens next?" Those three words are what make all narrative go. And it's really useful to look at the stories around you and understand, what are their engines?
Pay attention to what are the engines of the stories around you. Pay attention to what is the engine of your story. I want to say on this thing of engines, your engine is not what your story's about. Your engine is just what's under the hood making the story go. It's this raw power. Whatever road you turn onto with that engine and the destination that you choose is up to you. What it's going to be about, what are the themes you're going to describe? What are the things you're going to focus on? Those are up to you. But when you pick your story, there is an engine inside of it already, and you have to identify it and understand it so you can use it and harness it.
Think cinematically. Think in terms of very specific human detail. Think in terms of scene detail. Think in terms of anything that allows the reader to literally disappear inside whatever you're describing. And to do that, you need details. You need scenes and scene details. You need dialogue. You need people talking to each other and not to you. Newspaper journalists love to interview people and have people give them great quotes. But it's much more powerful if you can have people when they're screaming, whispering, cursing, flirting, whatever they do to each other. You want dialogue.
Emotion. Emotion's another part of thinking cinematically. Movies are a very emotional medium, and in newspapers, we're trained to distrust emotion. We're trained to think only about what the facts are. But the fact is that one of the reasons we care so much about certain facts is because there is a river of emotion beneath them. And it's worth understanding and paying attention to what are the emotions underneath what you're writing.
These are probably the three most important words I'm going to say: Let it unfold. Tape those to the top of your computer screen. Let it unfold. The conditioning in newspapers is so deep to not let anything unfold, to sum up, to get to the bottom line, to cut to the chase, to hurry to the end, to whatever. But unfolding is just absolutely subversive in newsrooms, but it's absolutely at the heart of narrative. You have to let the scene unfold.
A year ago myself and two other reporters, Anne Hull and Sue Carlton, did a serial narrative live on a daily murder story. We were covering a murder trial. And we got to the next to the last day of the trial, and there was no action, according to newspaper standards. All day, the jury was out deliberating. The defendant, this 15-year-old girl who was accused of killing her mother, was sitting in a holding cell. And the only thing that happened in terms of official action was that around five o'clock the jury sent out a little note saying, "Can we go home for the night?" That's it. And the editors back in St. Pete said, "So today's story is going to be really short, right?"
No. No! All that waiting. That is power there. So we spent that day writing about what the families were doing and where they were and what they were saying to each other and what the lawyers were doing. Most importantly, what the defendant was doing. We found out she's in this little cell. She's not allowed to bring in there anything to read. It's cold in there. There's a metal toilet in there that has been used by dozens of inmates in recent weeks and has not been cleaned, so the place stinks. And all she has to do is to think and wait and look at the walls. And the walls, according to her lawyers, were covered with graffiti.
So we asked her lawyers, "When you go in to talk to her, please write down what some of the graffiti says for us." And they did. And that becomes this detail where we quoted, "Lonnie loves Laura. God bless you. Fuck you very much." And that unfolding of her waiting and everyone else waiting, that's powerful. Let it unfold.
This one I learned from Roy Peter Clark from The Poynter Institute. It's a term he uses. He says, "Scatter the gold coins." What he means by that is make sure that you reward the reader for going down the path with you. Especially if you're writing a long story, you want them to feel like it's worth their while. So make sure that as you go, you reward them. You give them really great details or really great moments, or a great quote or a surprise turn. Something funny and unexpected happens. Whatever. But there has to be something that says to the reader, "This is good. If I keep reading it's going to be worth my time, and I'm going to keep reading."
Create a recognizable world. We tend to write in this very sort of formal, detached, odd way where we really, really struggle to create a world that feels like the world we know. And you know when you get to a detail in a newspaper that feels right and is true, it almost jumps off the page at you. And I look for those details really hard. The ones that are going to make it clear: This one isn't just a name and a face, this person is real.
The last one is gain altitude. This is another one from Roy. Most of the time in a narrative, you're at ground level with your story. You're in the middle of it, in the thick of it. But it helps at certain points to rise up above the action, to be able to see it clearly and describe what's really happened with some authority.


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Comimg up just in time for Christmas and thanks to the label Relative Dimensions is a FREE release for all to download called "In Beats & Bass Volume 3". Some nice mid tempo funksters in this release from respectful artists worldwide. Check out Relative Dimensions for your FREE download in the near future.
Mixed by Vinyl Messi, this is In Beats & Bass Volume 3 Promo Mix.
My Babe-Psychotropic Frequencies
On That Thing-F – Block
The Project-Kenny Beeper & Jesswah
I Know-Budapest Burlesque (DJ Clairvo Remix)
Levels-Nick Jonas (Monstafunk Remix ft. Kurnel MC)
Don't Take No Mess-Mr Rich and The Caretaker
It's My Turn-Psychotropic Frequencies
Sunshine Of Your Love-MassEvil
All Night Long-Leygo
Wot Is It-Doctor Moody ft. Frilla (F-Block Remix)
Dollar Dollar Bill Yall-Titan Sound (VIP Jungle Cream Refix)
Junglist Boogie-F-Block

subset: commoncrawl


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Out of almost any year in American history—and certainly during my short lifetime—the role and efficacy of the free press are now more uncertain than ever. Part of this is certainly because of the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency, but much of the public's distrust in print publications and other institutions in the media would have remained regardless. I've done a decent amount of media reporting in the last three years, but I haven't dedicated a piece to the role of the media at Wesleyan, particularly that of The Argus. As editor-in-chief for next semester, along with Gili Lipman '17—though I speak here only for myself—and an equally concerned member of the community, I believe that The Argus has the potential to become an essential part of the Wesleyan experience as a top-notch college newspaper through our own discipline and with the help of the community.
From our staff writers to the layout staff, The Argus is a team effort. The more members of the community join The Argus, bringing their diverse experiences with them, the better the paper will be for everyone in the community. Outgoing Editors in Chief Erica DeMichiel '17 and Jenny Davis '17 have done a remarkable job improving the paper this semester by listening to members of the community and carefully deliberating over what effective change looks like. While there is a long way to go, tangible evidence of this can be seen in the growth of our Voices section under its editor, Devonaire Ortiz '18.
An important qualifier, of course, is that as long as this publication is created through the labor of unpaid full-time students, there will always be mistakes, some of which can be avoided. The very nature of a student-run organization itself inherently involves learning from mistakes. If we had more time and less of an opportunity cost in writing and editing the paper, the quality would certainly improve, and, I hope, the paper would be more responsible for everyone in the Wesleyan community.
Much of this opportunity cost would be assuaged by an hourly wage for members of the editorial staff, and even some staff writers, all of whom work upwards of 10 to 20 hours a week for no pay. Our only paid staff members are in copy, layout, and distribution. No editors are paid, not even the editors in chief.
Paying college newspaper staff is not unprecedented, and editorial teams at many other schools, including UConn just up I-91 from us, are paid for their time. Comparatively, getting the editorial staff at The Argus to receive even a minimum wage has proven to be an uphill and sometimes controversial battle. However, that is not the point of this article, nor would it magically fix the institution's problems of inclusivity and diversity, but it's an often unknown and under-discussed aspect of the paper that deserves to be a qualifier at the very least.
The Argus' publication of the infamous op-ed questioning the legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter movement brought to light broader problems of inclusivity in the media, including The Argus as a historically white institution. Along those lines, the problem of whose voices were being heard and published by The Argus came to the forefront as well. I've listened to these concerns and taken them to heart, as have many of the current editors, and I can attest to the fact that the atmosphere of the institution has changed. New writers and editors of color have joined the staff, and there have been far more conversations at The Argus this semester concerning inclusivity, sensitivity, and diversity of coverage than ever before during my tenure as a staff writer and editor.
The key element that has changed in the way the staff discusses our relationship to the broader Wesleyan community—besides the sheer amount of time we dedicate to these topics—is the focus on the socially conscious and editorially sound decision to make, rather than simply avoid, controversy. All too often after last fall, especially in the opinion section during my time as an assistant and later full opinion editor, the primary concern came in the potential backlash a piece would cause rather than the content or argument itself. With a shift in editors and more senior members of the staff who have become used to a more tense media climate on campus, this worry has subsided in large part and has been replaced by a willingness to simply do the right thing.
While we've made some progress, there are still several concrete steps we can take to make The Argus a better and more responsible paper. The first is to become more proactive, and less reactive, in our coverage and creation of policies. Many of the immediate steps taken last fall in response to the activism around the BLM article were not embraced by much of the community precisely because they were reactive and appeared to have not crossed our minds previously. This has begun to change in The Argus' updated editorial philosophy concerning the opinion section, letters to the editor, and a recent editorial on covering a Trump presidency more broadly. Similar proactive steps have begun in the creation of a sexual assault policy for the paper, as complicated and sensitive as that is.
For a media publication writ-large, there are other steps that I would like to implement or at least see implemented long-term. I think that the twice-weekly model is a perfect fit for a school of Wesleyan's size and cultural richness, and while we take pride in being the oldest twice-weekly student paper in the country, there are time-sensitive events that can be feasibly published on the web before the two production nights of the week. So far, publishing on the web first has been reserved for the biggest breaking news stories on campus, often in the form of briefs. This has partially changed this year, particularly with the Scott Backer coverage and the Trump protests, which were more in depth than many breaking briefs before. However, I see no reason why certain events-oriented articles and university coverage have to always wait for the next print issue. Sometimes a Second Stage review is far more relevant when released mid-week rather than on a Friday, or a profile of an author coming to campus should go online before the lecture rather than half a week after it happened.
This would also make editing and production easier for the editors who are already overworked in many respects and could use the half-hour break an earlier published article would afford. Simply having a section editor on call at different points in the week—particularly in the news section—along with a copy editor and later an editor-in-chief would make the process streamlined and simple for breaking news articles, which can often be daunting when people are asleep or in class (hopefully not both).
Another step The Argus took this semester was an increase in visual media coverage, particularly with the introduction of Facebook Live. Overall, the paper could use more photos, and could make multimedia far more relevant to its coverage. With a rich arts scene and top-notch film department, there's every reason to believe that The Argus could step to the fore of visual reporting with the coordination of its students.
Finally, and most importantly, communication between The Argus staff and the campus community will be crucial for a better symbiotic relationship. While the line between staff and community isn't that thick, especially with the accessibility of weekly meetings at 5 p.m. in Usdan 108 and The Argus social media pages, it still feels as if we talk by each other rather than with each other. Much of this is due to the prominence of social media over in-person conversations. However, I've been touched this semester by the amount of positive interactions I've had with members of the community in person about the paper, from simple requests to difficult disagreements.
I feel like a true community reporter here, and there may not be another point in my career where I will see such a tangible impact of my work in a community as intimate as this one. I also feel a great responsibility in this role, which I've attained somewhat unintentionally through a passion for writing (this is my 61st article of the semester and 115th in my career at The Argus). For better or worse, I've become the face of The Argus for many, and I take that quite seriously. However, the institution is far greater than I, and it will live on long after I graduate. I'll always have my own opinions, but my first and foremost obligation next semester will be to the Wesleyan community, followed by the long-term vitality of the paper. With your help and engagement—from emails and aside comments to joining the paper and making your impact in print—we can make a better community through a better student newspaper.
Jake Lahut can be reached at email@example.com and on Twitter @JakeLahut.


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Should You Have a Maternity Shoot? Why Real Moms Did, Did NotPlus, what to prepare when you decide to have one, according to pro photographers
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Demi Moore may have set the trend for pregnant women everywhere when she did the August 1991 cover of Vanity Fair magazine in her birthday suit, her tummy round and bulging with seven months of pregnancy. Twenty-five years ago, that experience may have been a privilege for celebrities, but these days, practically any mom-to-be can have her own Demi moment. Just go online and type #maternityshoot, and you're bound to find a great deal of prenatal photographs.
Most celebrities with a bun in the oven have also had their pictures taken specifically for this special moment. Locally, Neri Naig, Paula Peralejo, Mariel Rodriguez, and Iya Villania, to name a few, all posed for the camera with their pregnant bellies. And, just recently, Georgina Wilson bared her growing baby bump for a magazine cover.
But, we wonder: Would a regular mom like us be willing to do a maternity shoot? We asked several women to find out how they feel about it, and we were surprised with the answers.ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Some of the women cited their physical appearance as a reason not to do it. "I skipped it because I didn't feel glamorous being pregnant," says Marga Llanera-Alaguia. "In fact, I hardly have any pregnant photos!" It's not uncommon to feel this way because women's bodies encounter lots of physical changes during the course of the pregnancy.
What other parents are reading
For some expectant moms, however, it is during this time that they feel most comfortable with their bodies. This alone encourages them to create a keepsake of this stage in their lives, hence the photo shoot. "Amazingly, I felt better with my body when I was pregnant. I felt sexier. I was able to wear what I would not wear before. Plus, I wanted to document my pregnancy," shares Angel Cruz-Daylo.
For Diane Aquino-Manauis, "I had to skip mine because I was ordered by my OB-GYN to rest. I was a little upset because this was my first pregnancy, and at the same time relieved that my daughter was okay because I followed my doctor's orders," she says.CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch now
Some also cited busy schedules for not being able to do so. But for these women, phone apps like Bumpie, which takes photos of the belly week after week, sufficed.
Interestingly, maternity photographs also serve more than just a documentation of the pregnancy or a precious memento. It can also help convey to your child how he or she came into this world.
"I had one so that it will be easy to explain to my son that he came from my tummy," explains Leah Araos-Castillo, "because I heard from a friend that her son cannot imagine himself being inside his mom's tummy."
For those who want to give it a go, photographer Sofia Genato of The Stork Studio advises that the best time to do it is between 31 and 35 weeks of your pregnancy, when the belly is rounder and already prominent.ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
First time mom-to-be Ann Medialdea Dela Cruz, who had her shoot at 36 weeks, shares a lesson learned: "I should have done this earlier when I still felt fab and it was easier for me to move, not now when everything feels big and heavy." Of course, there are photographers who will still accommodate your request to shoot, but it might be too tiring for you and your baby past the 35th-week mark.
So, how should you prepare for the shoot? A tip Sofia gives clients is to know what kind of shoot they want. Do you want it done indoors or outdoors? With props or without? Is there a theme? You may then discuss this with your photographer during a pre-consultation session.
Photographer Lai De Guzman, who has been doing maternity shoots for over six years, also encourages women to search for inspiration. "This helps both wife and husband to get into a fun project, which they can do together in preparation for the shoot."ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
As far as the trends go, Sofia says that pregnant women are now more playful and adventurous with their concepts. "More moms are now looking for more than just studio portraits," she remarks. Lai agrees, saying, "In the past, the options for maternity shoots were limited to a private space like a studio. These days, clients are willing to be photographed outdoors or in places that a team of stylists can build and create."
What other parents are reading
Both Sofia and Lai acknowledge that the openness to do maternity shoots is a result of the popularity of pre-nuptial photo sessions. With engagement shoots a popular prelude to the wedding photo session itself, it's only logical that couples would also want to have their pregnancy documented. It's also the same reason why newborn photography is popular.
One factor that women have to consider is the cost of the shoot. With all the things you have to prepare for with the baby's arrival, including the hospital bills, it's only pragmatic to take into account how your maternity shoot will fit into your budget.ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
Rates for maternity shoots differ -- they can go from as low as P3,000 (depending on packages) in mall studios, to much higher, if done by an experienced professional. It also depends on the photographer's rate and your chosen theme. You'll also have to factor in the fees for the makeup artist, hairstylist and props stylist.
Some women we asked were lucky to have photographer friends who were willing to snap their pics for free. And then there were others who chose to do it on their own—from styling to photography.ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW
At the end of the day, it really is a combination of factors that will determine if you should (if you can) have a maternity shoot or not. If you decide to skip it, there are other ways to remember this special moment by. But for those who opt to do it, maternity shoots serve as a reminder of the life that they've been entrusted with. Mom-of-two Kaycee Anne Lim, who did it on both her pregnancies, explains it well. "Pregnancy is an experience not every woman is blessed with, and I think having a photo shoot celebrates this blessing."
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Here Goes Nothing...
What can I say? Music moves me and it's about time I make some moves... I truly believe that we get what we give out of this life and when we devote our time and energy into creating something we are proud of we can never go wrong.
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What's the first word that pops into your head when I say the word 'love'? Any takers?
Mine was 'Jess' – followed by, I'm ashamed to admit it, 'pizza'.
How does it feel to love and be loved? Who loves you the most? Whom do you love the most?
Jesus said that the two most important things we should do are first to love God, and then to love one another – following God's own example of love.
In Deuteronomy (7.7) we read that God didn't choose his people Israel because they were the biggest or best nation around – he chose them because he loved them (see also 10.15).
God's love came first in the Old Testament.
And God's love comes first in the New Testament as well. The apostle John says,
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4.19 (NIV)
Paul makes it personal,
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2.20 (NIV)
Jesus loved me and give himself for me, Paul says – and he loved you and gave himself for you. In our reading this morning, we heard Jesus describe that to his disciples before it happened:
'We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.'
Mark 10.33-34 (NIV)
Jesus did that – he gave himself for you – because he loves you.
Just now I asked what's the first word that pops into your head when I say the word 'love' – well, what's the first word that pops into your heard when I say the word 'sin'?
If you're doing Slimming World you might answer 'chocolate cake' or 'a glass of wine' – an advert for ice cream had the strapline, 'It's so good it's sinful'. In today's world the word 'sinful' often means 'something enjoyable'.
But Jesus didn't give his life simply because of a few accidental mistakes or because we ate one too many slices of chocolate cake.
Several years ago there was a series of letters in a newspaper under the heading, 'What's wrong with the world?' Supposedly one of the responses was this:
Dear sir,
I am.
Yours sincerely,
GK Chesterton
Source unknown
A minister rose to address his congregation: 'I have become aware that there is a man among us today who is flirting with another man's wife. Unless he puts £10 in the collection box, his name will be read from the pulpit.'
When the collection plate came in, there were nineteen £10 notes, and a £5 note with this note attached: 'Other five on payday.'
Arthur Conan Doyle, author of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, used to say he believed every man had a skeleton in his closet. At one dinner party he was challenged to prove his theory – so Doyle had his guests select the most unlikely candidate they could think of: they selected a well-known clergyman. Doyle sent him a note saying, 'All is discovered, flee at once!' – the man disappeared and was never heard of again.[1]
True or not, these stories all convey the same thing: that there is something very wrong, deep within us, that causes us to feel guilty and ashamed. 'Sin' has been trivialised by Slimming World, adverts and others, but it is powerful and dangerous. Minimising it will not solve the problem, will not make it go away.
That is why Jesus had to give his life as a ransom for many (45).
The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah put it like this:
[The Lord says,] 'My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.'
Jeremiah 2.13 (NIV)
These are the two parts of all sin: (1) rejecting God, and (2) deciding to go our own way. My people are thirsty, God says, but they won't come to me, the source of living, never-ending, water. To make matters worse, they try to quench their own thirst – but their cisterns will never hold enough water to quench their thirst.
St Paul put it like this:
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator.
Romans 1.25 (NIV)
Being greedy with chocolate cake, making mistakes, telling lies, gossiping – and of course more serious wrongdoing – these aren't the problem, they are symptoms of the deeper problem.
Hear these famous words from Isaiah:
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53.4-6 (NIV)
Iniquity is an unusual word – so let's watch a video to help us understand what it means.
In our reading this morning, an example of a crooked or bent out of shape way of thinking is the way James and John wanted the top spots in Jesus' kingdom. 'Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory,' they said (37).
They wanted to sit on glorious thrones and rule over other people – not understanding that Jesus' glory was his obedience to his Father – even to death on the cross.
On Thursday this week I was told about someone who has lied about me and misrepresented me to people in Amington. Now, part of my anger is justified and righteous – but most of it is not. And I can't tell you how crooked and bent out of shape my week has felt since then – because I have allowed my anger to get the better of me, instead of forgiving as I have been forgiven by God.
The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2.20). Jesus said, 'the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many' (45).
Crucifixion was – and is, because people are still crucified today – a terrible way to die. And yet nowhere does the Bible go into any of the gruesome details – Jesus uses only four words to describe what would happen to him: mock, spit, flog and kill. The gospel writers don't elaborate much on those four words, and nor should we. That's because the physical pain – though awful – wasn't the most important thing that happened when Jesus died on the cross.
Listen to the true story of Maximilian Kolbe, told by Nicky Gumbel as part of the Alpha Course.
Like Maximilian Kolbe, Jesus died willingly. He was not forced to die by an angry or cruel God, as some people describe it. He knew the cost, he knew the pain, and yet he still gave himself freely, for you and for me.
And, like Maximilian Kolbe died in place of Francis Gajowniczek, but in a far greater and even more wonderful way, Jesus died in our place. The Bible gives several pictures of how this works:
- We are released from the burden of guilt and shame, as Jesus takes it and carries it for us, destroying it on the cross.
- We are restored to be the people God made us to be – the legal term is 'justified', it's 'just-as-if-I'd' never sinned.
- We are reconciled to God, one another, and creation – our relationships are healed, we are made into a new family.
- We are ransomed and set free – as Jeremiah said, we have abandoned God, the living water, and tried to quench our thirst by ourselves. God's just punishment is to give us what we ask for: if we abandon the living water, what happens? We die – except Jesus gave his life in our place, so we don't have to die. He paid the ransom; we are set free.
It's not fair on Jesus, and we don't deserve it, but that is the wonderful, amazing, extravagant love of God.
And, to be honest, it's hard to receive.
Whether it's because we are British, or plain old human pride, it's difficult to receive God's overflowing, over-the-top, abundant love. We don't want charity, and deep down there is part of us that thinks we don't really need it. Other people are worse than me, we tell ourselves, let them go first.
But friends, that shows the profound truth that Jeremiah shared: our natural and sinful instinct is to reject the living water God offers us, whether it is his gift of life, or his gift of forgiveness.
Receiving God's forgiveness is part 1. Part 2 is learning to forgive, others and ourselves. That is often equally difficult, sometimes more so. But the two go together: as we learn to receive God's forgiveness, so we are more able to forgive others, even ourselves. As we learn to forgive others, even ourselves, so we are more able to receive God's forgiveness. And that is going to be the focus of the rest of our service this morning.
[1] See http://message.snopes.com/showpost.php?p=397159&postcount=7.


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You might have heard that you can get reimbursed for food you lost during the blackout, but apparently it's a rumor. According to the New York Daily News, Rotten food? Rotten luck, sez Con Ed:
The utility's policy is to cover claims up to $350 per household when the electricity is zapped.
It even has a form on its Web site that customers can use to claim food losses, and consumers have been E-mailing them around.
But Con Ed said yesterday that the policy doesn't apply to last week's outage, which left millions of its customers in the dark for 12 to 29 hours.
Drat! When I heard, I got my hopes up. It figures I'd recently filled my freezer with all sorts of things only days before the outage.


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6 Reasons It's Time To Move Out Of Your Home Office
Many large and successful companies had their humble beginnings in a home office, it's the best way to start a business on a budget and offers a lot of flexibility. But, there will come a time when your business needs to move beyond the dining table and distractions. The thing is though, making the decision to move from your home office isn't easy, it's a giant leap into the unknown and will impact your budget but, do it too late, and it could affect the growth of your business.
Is it time to amove out of your home office?
So how do you know when it's time to call the office movers to move you from your home office into an external office space?
Here are some things to consider.
1. Your productivity has plummeted
There's no doubt about it, working from home can involve plenty of distractions. Kids, partners, pets, neighbours and household chores calling your name all hinder productivity and focus. If your productivity has plummeted of late, leaving you stressed and anxious about deadlines, perhaps it's time to plan your office move.
2. Your business is growing
When you work from home, business growth is quite obvious. You'll either be outgrowing your office, you need room for employees to sit or you're so overwhelmed with orders, you've outgrown your garage to store your inventory. When it's this obvious, it's time for a move.
3. You want to be more professional
It can be challenging to maintain a professional image when working from a home office. There's trying to maintain a phone call or Skype meeting while children are crying in the background or being unable to invite clients for a meeting amongst mess and children's toys. Brand image is everything these days and if you're finding it difficult to maintain your brand image while working from home, perhaps now is the time for an office move.
4. You've run out of room
If you've run out of room to store your products, that's a good thing because you're making sales! But wouldn't it be great to be able to use your garage to park your car and claim your linen cupboard back for its original purpose? In addition to running out of room to store products, if your home office is starting to get seriously cluttered, it can be quite hard to get your creative juices flowing amongst mess and clutter. A new office space has the potential to kick your creativity up a notch which will hugely benefit your business.
5. You need to hire employees
If you're at a point of needing to hire employees but you're uncomfortable having them work in your home office (or you have no space), it's time to move to an external office. You can't grow if you can't hire.
6. You miss the buzz of an office
Working from home does have its perks, but if you're working solo, it can feel very isolating. If you're craving the buzz of an office and the ability to brainstorm with other entrepreneurs or share a coffee with someone other than your dog, perhaps it's time for you to consider a move to an office.
Moving office can seem like somewhat of a daunting task, particularly when trying to run a busy business. Instead of putting yourself through the stress of doing it yourself, we suggest using professional office movers who offer professional packing and unpacking services and can safely and efficiently move your office and inventory for you.
David Extra is the owner of Xtra Care Removalists Brisbane and strives to make every home and office move smooth and stress-free for his clients. Xtra Care Removalists perform furniture removals in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba.


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Online Reference
For Body, Mind & Spirit
The Path of the Shaman Then and Now
May 14, 2002
Amber Wolfe
READ TIME: 9 mins
I recently heard a wonderfully simple definition of the word
It was: "A shaman is one who helps people in their dealings with the other worlds."
These other worlds are the realms above, beyond, and deep within the experiences of our lives. These are the realms of spiritual, psychic vision and of pure, natural Earth energies. In shamanism, these worlds were traditionally represented as the upper world of the sky, or spirit levels, and the lower worlds of Earth and Nature. Humankind, along with all its symbols and traditions, was the middle world. Because of their abilities to alter their states of consciousness, the shamans were able to explore these worlds and bring back vision. The skill of the shamans was such that they could interpret the contents of their vision for the people.
One of the ancient symbols representing the shaman was that of the living tree. This symbolized the shaman as a rooted, living channel between sky and Earth, between Humankind and Spirit. Because of the shamans' great connectedness to the chaotic energies of Nature and Spirit, they were the journey-makers between the worlds. Only the shaman was considered able to control the flow of energies in the other worlds. This ability came from the many lessons and experiences that were part and parcel of the shamanic path. These varied experiences gave the shaman the wisdom, perspective and objectivity to work with all the worlds of Nature, Spirit, and Humankind. The shaman was master of energies beyond the understanding of most other people.
Often, the methods for making these otherworldly journeys were kept secret and hidden from the people. The knowledge gained from the shaman's journeys was rationed out to selected students and initiates who were considered ready for the experience of otherworldly journeys. The work and methods of the shaman were jealously guarded in some cultures, leaving no access to the knowledge for the people they served. However, there were some shamans who endeavored to do more than just interpret their own experiences in the journeys to other worlds. These shamans returned from their journeys with psychic methods, maps, and guidelines to help the people gain their own knowledge.
These shaman mapmakers had perhaps learned one of the deepest wisdoms of shamanism: There are no other journeys than the journey of the Self. Each person must make his (or her) own journey in this world or that within??"the realms of everyday or within those of spiritual vision and Nature's energies.
The shaman, as mapmaker, could assist the people with methods and point out hazards along the way. The shaman could even summon forth aspects of the people's own spirit and power that they had not known existed. The shaman could evoke the highest abilities of the people and awaken them to their own spiritual quests. In doing this, the shaman truly helped the people deal directly with the other worlds of Self, Nature, and Spirit.
In ancient times, the challenges to survival were so harsh that most people were unable to pursue any but the most basic life paths necessary to live. Very few people had the time or inclination to make explorative journeys into Spirit or to consider the subtle balance of energies in Nature. Nature was sometimes adversary, sometimes nurturer; always Mother??"Core of all life. Primitive people looked to the shaman to interpret the surrounding mysteries of Nature and to communicate with the realms of Spirit. The shamans were protected, honored, and often feared by the people for the powers they held.
While the role of the shaman was central to the life of the people, the presence of the shaman was often quite separate from them. The shaman had abilities and wisdom that clearly set them apart. Additionally, the levels of openness and attunement to the energies of Nature that the shaman had to maintain, made it difficult to live among others. One meaning of the word shaman is "ascetic." Ascetic means someone who chooses to live a life of self-denial and isolation, generally in the service of a higher cause.
At times, the isolation of the shaman required another person of wisdom to act as an intermediary between the shaman and the people. Most often this was a medicine person whose knowledge and experience closely paralleled those of the shaman. While the shaman some- times chose to live apart from the people, the medicine person lived within the center of the community. Indeed, the medicine person was seen as the core of the tribe or community. Although the shaman was an object of awe and sometimes fear, the medicine person was a comfortable, familiar part of the community.
Many traditions held that the shamans had suffered self-inflicted mortal wounds, or had been devoured by the spirits and energies of the other worlds. The shaman had endured these traumas, returning wounded, yet self-healed. These experiences gave the shaman the great compassion and sensitivity of a wounded healer. The shaman had experienced the horrors and healings of the other world. As wounded healer, the shaman dwelt between the worlds, ready to travel into Spirit at all times to facilitate healing for another person.
The shamans knew that their function was to remain as a clear connection to the other worlds and as a centering force for the chaotic energies surrounding Humankind. The shaman's task was to stay centered in self-power, uninfluenced by the paths of others. Differences in traditions and philosophies meant nothing to the shamans. The energies they held, and the levels they dwelt upon, were beyond division. While the shamans reflected the myth and tradition of their people, their not ruled by these. The shaman held the boundless, purest forms of Nature energy. When shamans healed someone, they dealt directly with the necessary energies. They pulled these through themselves and through the patient. The healing process was, and is, completely cooperative and interactive. To ignore the contribution of either is to miss the beautiful dance of shamanic healing.
The shaman knew that just as all paths are self-paths, all healings are self-healings. In the presence of the shaman, the person could often release the blocks and doubts that prevented him or her from reaching the deepest levels of wisdom and self-healing. Most people, particularly in ancient times, considered the healings to be only the magical actions of the shaman. When patients had other world experiences during a shamanic healing, they most probably did not consider them to be self experiences. More likely, they considered them to be the magic of the shaman.
All of the tools, props, and ornamentations of the shamans did little to convince the person of their own self-healing abilities. However, what these did was to open the levels of faith needed to let healing energies through. Simply put, faith-healing is self-healing. The shaman, as wounded healer, was, and is, most purely a self-healer. The shamans' tools were the symbolic connections they had made to the deep healing levels and to Nature energies. These tools were their totems and sacred helpers. They were the link to the powers and worlds beyond form. They mapped the way and enabled the shaman to meet, Spirit to Spirit, with the person being healed. With such a meeting of Spirits, the possibilities for healing and transformations were limitless.
They still are.
As we have evolved in modern times, we have become much more conscious of our incredible self-healing abilities. We have begun to access the vast amounts of knowledge stored in the other world aspects of our Self. Like the shaman of old, we have become aware of ourselves at the center of a great cosmic dance of worlds, energies and Spirit in Nature. Shamanism, as we explore it today, maps the way to the worlds of Nature in order to help us grow and expand our own vision.
We all have the capacities to follow a shamanic path. In our increasing attunement to Earth wisdom, we have all become like shamans mapping our journeys and our relationships with Nature. Upper, lower, middle, and Spirit worlds blend as we dance with Nature and with our Self. Our expanding awareness and relationships to the worlds of minerals, plants, humans, and animals have become central to our greater communion with Nature.
As we move closer to the center of our Self, we see that all of the wisdom and experiences of our lives have been like a great shamanic journey. Whatever traditions or philosophies we have explored before beginning our study of shamanism may be seen as part of the journey, or path, of the Self. The path of the shaman is truly the path of the Self.
In the reemergence of interest in shamanism, we can all learn from the wisdom and energies of Nature. The abilities shown by the shamans can be, and are being, awakened in all of us who wish to tap directly into the heart of Earth wisdom and spiritual vision. We are ready for a more significant communion with the other world aspects of our Self and with the purest energy of Nature. The shamanic path gives us this clearly by demonstrating the remarkable gifts of power and attunement that we may attain, for the good of all.
The path of the shaman is a constantly moving, changing dance of life. Everything in the shaman's universe has energy, vibration, consciousness, and power of its own. This view of the universe is called animism. The quest of the shamanic path is to achieve attunement with these vibrations and familiarity with Spirit. This level of attunement and familiarity represents the attainment of power for the shaman.
Even in the attainment of this power and the mastery of these vibrations and energies, the shaman knows that power is a gift. Whatever has or has not been done in pursuit of this power, it is ultimately a gift of Spirit to Self. Knowing this, shamans can allow the energies of all the worlds about them to flow through. The shaman stands at the center of all the worlds, balanced and in harmony with life. This is the heart of the Shamanic Path.
I've have discussed the traditional views of the shaman and the shamanic path for several reasons. One reason is that the reemergence of interest in shamanism has made the word shaman far more common than the person of the shaman, who is always a rare, special individual. Another reason is that many of the historical hallmarks of the shaman can provide guidelines for us in present times. Finally, by understanding how the shaman has been viewed in ancient times, we can begin to see how far we have come in both our present view of shamanism and our self-view as well.
When we understand the heart of the shamanic path, we may be better able to see how we can incorporate shamanic methods and experiences into our own self-development. An added benefit is that our development parallels the development of the planet. As we grow in strength and power, we empower the planet and all who live here. Our attunement to the deep shamanic energies of Nature heals and nurtures Nature itself.
Heal yourself??"Heal Mother Earth
See also:
Please note that the use of Llewellyn Encyclopedia articles
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Link to this article:


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Ideal for use in face masks. This 3mm diameter cord stretches and fits comfortably over the face, and is safe for use in home washer and dryer machines.
WonderFil® is temporarily making this product available for the thousands of sewers out there making face masks for their loved ones, and to help with the difficulty of finding elastics during this time.
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Junkin' Monday
This weekend I went to the Flea Market at Venice Antique Mall west of Omaha. Found some really fun items, but left a couple behind---So... when we went to the zoo yesterday in Omaha we stopped by the Flea Market again to get what I should have bought the first day! And lo and behold I found this!
Oh she's rough alright, but I just couldn't pass her up. One of the kids asked me what I was going to name her. I informed them I only name my mannequins, not my dress forms. But, as I was photographing her I kept seeing personality, and I think she does need a name.
Now, what to do with her? I'm open to any and all suggestions. What do you think I should name her? and please help with ideas of what to do with her. I should add that she's a bit musty smelling and if you can't tell in the photo--very rough, rusty, and wobbly. I have one very similar in really good condition already in my sewing room. (I'd hate to make her feel second rate by putting her in there with my other one.) If you click on the photo, it will enlarge and you can see the condition.
Don't forget to check out the other fun Junkin' Monday finds!
7 comments
Dear Jill, we are so glad the Kitchen Girls sent you and that you decided to join in! Your dress form totally needs a name...an old and funky one! If you peel off that stretchy fabric that they are usually covered with, it gets a lot easier to work with, you can decoupage or paint it for example...without that material, it really becomes a blank canvas. Whatever you decide to do, we are so happy you rescued it, those old forms are wonderful and they are hard to find for a reasonable price! We hope you'll come back next Monday!ReplyDelete
Marcela & Clara
What a great find. She may be a bit rough now but that'll only add to her appeal once you get her cleaned up & even out the legs so that she is not so wobbly.ReplyDelete
LOVE your blog & your creativity! That wire nest you made is adorable!
Ok Jill for your first Junkin Monday you steal the show!!!! I have been looking for a year now for a great dress form. For a name, Hazel, pops to mind??? Glad you had to make the trip back.ReplyDelete
That dress form is fabulous! A most wonderful find!ReplyDelete
hi ya jill, i gots {yes, gots} me some vintage envy, i do.ReplyDelete
i think you should call her
pronounced "sal-t"
not saul-t, saaaal-t. with a drawl. like a nebraskan trying to have a sweet southern drawl.
i'm just sayin.
Yea! Glad you came today (we knew you wouldn't be able to resist...you always have the coolest stuff!) We have two dress forms in the store. One is Marlene (the name of lady that we bought her from) and Sally (she's a Sally Stitch dress form). Now, you're gal is pretty special, we've never seen one like her in our parts, so we will name her Norma after our grandma...now - go ahead and call her anything, but we'll just think of her as Norma :)ReplyDelete
Very Cool! I ALWAYS go to Venice in the Spring and in the Fall...but this time I was in AZ. I would have loved to meet you there. So fun to meet another Nebr blogger! We must stay in touch okay? I'm just touching base at home tonight and tomorrow before leaving for Scrapfest... but I really wanted to drop you a quick line and say HEY!! Hoping we can keep in touch!ReplyDelete


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Metzger Construction recently completed the Park 225 Office Building in Pasadena Texas for IDV Development. The 122,000 tilt wall office building, located off Beltway Greens Blvd. is a great addition to the area.
Recent Posts
- Metzger Construction selected as a top Houston-area interior contractor
- Inspired Preschool Groundbreaking 2017
- 430,000 sf Mens Wearhouse Distribution Facility Addition in Southwest Houston
- Park 225 Office Building Completed
- Second Flowserve Industrial Manufacturing and Distribution Center Recently Completed


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Last Friday, Wired magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson appeared in avatar form to sit down with me and an audience of Residents to discuss his groundbreaking book, The Long Tail: The New Economics of Culture and Commerce, and autograph copies of the virtual edition. After the break, a lightly-edited transcript of our conversation with Chris (known in SL as "LongtailChris Anderson"), touching on numerous related topics, including Google's recent purchase of YouTube, Second Life and 3D printing, and the Long Tail's impact on social fragmentation, media distribution, corporate profit, developing nations, independent artists, the metaverse-- and beer.
Chris Anderson's appearance sponsored by Wired Magazine and Millions of Us.
Reuben Millionsofus: Well, thank you to everyone for coming to join us here. Our guest today is not only the editor of Wired (whose office in SL we'll be unveiling in the next couple days) but also the author of The Long Tail, a book that grew out of a blog about the odd effects that digital distribution is having on the way in which we view economics of content. It's a huge honor to have him here today and with that, I'll turn the stage over to Chris Anderson and the famous Hamlet Au.
Chris Anderson: Thanks, nice to be here. It's an odd keyboard, so my typing is going to suck.
Hamlet Au: Thanks for coming all, let me start with my own introduction.
If "The Wisdom Crowds" was the cocktail buzzword of the last few years, then "The Long Tail" is the term for today. When Chris Anderson coined it, he was describing an Internet-driven economic phenomenon, but since then it's been applied to various pursuits, from foreign policy to education. Sign of a book here to stay.
Unsurprisingly, The Long Tail was a New York Times bestseller on its July release, and still maintains a very healthy position on Amazon's chart. (The long tail of The Long Tail right there.)
His book on the aggregation and acquisition of stuff via the Net is particularly apt to discuss here. Because if there's one thing Second Life has, it's stuff. Terabytes of user-created content from more than 3 years of this world's existence, sitting in thousands of Residents' inventory. So hopefully he's able to help us understand the Long Tail of the metaverse, too.
Formerly an editor at The Economist, Chris Anderson has been editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine for the last five years. He stewarded it through the post-dot com crash to maintain and grow the magazine's relevance. And not just as the standard-bearer of digital culture, but as an indispensable resource for understanding the post-9/11 era, too.
Last year, to no one's shock, Wired won a National Magazine Award for general excellence.
And this month, I'm happy to say, they finally featured Second Life on the cover.
So it's a double pleasure to welcome Chris to SL, to speak about The Long Tail and related topics, and if we're lucky, to autograph some books, too. And with that, ladies and gentlemen and aliens, mythical creatures, and furries of indeterminate gender, please join me in welcoming Chris Anderson's avatar!
[audience applauds]
Thanks again for coming, Chris.
CA: This is the coolest thing I've done all morning.
HA: To start off, give us the "elevator pitch" for The Long Tail.
CA: The Long Tail describes the world beyond the blockbuster. Our economy and culture is shifting from mass markets to millions of niches. The rise of distribution methods with unlimited capacity or "infinite shelf space", of which the Internet is the foremost (but not only) example, have made it finally possible to offer consumers an incredible variety of products and other goods that were previously suppressed by the economic and physical limits of traditional retail and broadcast.
The Long Tail refers specifically to the "long tail" of the familiar fast-falling demand curve in economics—we've usually looked just at the high part of the curve on the left, where the hits are. But the tail of smaller-sellers is incredibly long, and when you can offer everything all those niche product can add up to a market that rivals the "head".
Phew... now on to the fun stuff. Ask away...
HA: Excellent. Walk us through one of the most potent examples of the Long Tail phenomenon from your book, and tell us a bit about the factors at play.
CA: Well. The most dramatic--but by no means only--examples are in the media and entertainment businesses... That's where there is a huge amount of variety and cultural diversity that has been obscured by the very narrow focus on blockbusters in traditional distribution channels, from retail shelves to radio stations.
For example, today, around 40% of the music downloaded on
digital music services such as Rhapsody are tracks not available at
For Netflix (DVDs) and Amazon (books), about a quarter of their sales are for titles not available in the largest bricks-and-mortar retailers in their industry. Products that aren't for everyone--but may really suit some people--typically don't pass the economic test for traditional retail. But because each of us has some niche interest somewhere and we now have distribution methods with "infinite shelf space" and near-zero marginal costs, we can now aggregate all these minority tastes. This new market of a million niches is adding up to a big new opportunity and the fastest-growing one around.
HA: As you say, much of The Long Tail dwells on media content-- books, movies, and so on. But that's only a small part of the overall economy. Does the Long Tail apply to the fundamental material or perishable industries of modern society? In other words, is there a Long Tail for, say, raw steel, or bushels of mache?
CA: Mache? But to answer your question, yes. To greater or lesser degrees, it applies almost everywhere that digital economics are lowering the cost of distribution. That includes hard goods (think eBay) and services (think Google AdWords, which are the Long Tail of advertising.)
To give an example that shows just how far you can take this, Anheuser-Busch recently started a new division called "Long Tail Libations".
[audience laughs]
What's the Long Tail of beer? Microbrews! Supply chain efficiencies in supermarket distribution now mean that you can efficiently stock twice as many products as just 15 years ago, so there's room for minority beer tastes.
HA: (Mache are those leafy greens you put on salads. Trader Joe's has them, they're hard to manufacture, but they rock.)
So to my next question... Don't the realities of corporate management make the Long Tail fairly irrelevant? Take the film industry. When a big budget movie is a huge hit, the parent corporation's stock goes up, and the executives get rich. So executives have incentive to finance out-the-gate hits, but do they really have an immediate, next quarter incentive to foster the long tail of their back catalog, where profits are slow to come?
CA: But hits are unpredictable. Why risk your career on the toss of a dice when you can spread the risk over a larger portfolio of smaller investments? The profits in the back catalog (which is just one form of the Long Tail) aren't slow--they're steady!
HA: A lot of people worry about how the Long Tail effect might fracture society. To that concern, you've said, "We may be more fragmented, but we'll also be richer as a culture." But let's consider a specific example. If thanks to the Long Tail, all the conservatives are only reading Bill O'Reilley and his kind, and all the liberals are only reading Al Franken and his kind, how can this possibly make our political culture richer?
CA [nods]: Yeah, I get that a lot. Clearly the political climate at this moment isn't helping. Broadly, I think that this is just a case of a pendulum overswing. We've been so hungry for fresh, authentic voices in politics that we're rushing for the blogs, even though they're often shrill. I suspect over time we'll get better at compiling a more balanced view from many source rather than just counting on the New York Times to do it for us.
HA: Wired.com just reported about a Second Life project that can take in-world objects and fabricate them in the real world. Assuming this 3D printing becomes a widespread and affordable procedure, what Long Tail applications do you see coming out of it?
CA: I saw a great quote the other day that 3D printing
"makes complexity free".
HA: Obviously the purchase of YouTube by Google is the big Internet news this week. Reflect on it for us. What's it say about the Long Tail phenomenon?
CA: It's a huge vote of confidence. Media learned how to compete with the Long Tail in the 90s, because the bandwidth of the time made text work online. Then the music industry learned to compete with the Long Tail around 2000, when the bandwidth made sense for MP3s. Now TV is going to have to compete with web video. They thought we wanted thirty minute and one hour dramas and high production content that only they could created. The truth is that we do, but we also want more. YouTube offers us more, and what's great about it is that's it's unbounded in supply, diversity and source.
HA: Rodica, there were some questions from the audience?
[Event moderator] Rodica Millionsofus: Yes, Gwyneth Llewelyn want to know Wired has been at the forefront of the Net culture — always was and always will. Some Wired editors and columnists are regular residents of SL now. Do you wish to reveal now the plans that Wired has for Second Life?
CA: Fortunately, I've got [Wired editor] Chris Baker, my SL master, sitting next to me here. Rodica has built us an amazing environment and there will be an open house there… [Ed - details to come ]
Rodica Millionsofus: Ariel and Csven both have economics related questions:
Ariel asks, "If Long Tail revenues of any significance are spread over time, what are the short term incentives to producers who can often get a higher short-term return on investment?" Csven asks, "How's the time-based work coming on the data?"
CA: Yikes. Okay, I'll try to answer that one. There are two Long Tails in content. One is broad appeal down to narrow appeal. The other is new versus old. So the Long Tail revenues that you describe as being slow to mostly refer to the second, the monetization of archives over time. The other big point to make is that we're not just talking about a monetary economy. Most of the content created in the Long Tail these days --from blogs to web video -- is done for free, with no expectation of financial return. There are plenty of business opportunities in *aggregating* that content, but the money doesn't necessarily accrue to the creators.
Now for the second question. Csven, could you elaborate?
Csven Concord [from the audience]: Some time back you posted a couple of images showing some time-based data. Just wondering if you've continued that analysis.
CA: Ah. Yes, I did a project on the Long Tail of Time (for a Long Now lecture.) We quantified the decay function of content (mostly music) over time, thanks to a cool service called InfoFilter. It, unsurprisingly, turned out to follow a powerlaw curve as well, although it was hard to make many predictions on the exponents because music is so diverse. What we're mostly focusing on right now is estimating the latent value in archives by looking at where sales fall off the predicted powerlaw curve.
Rodica Millionsofus: Speaking of new versus old, Epredator [Potato] wants to know, "Is Web video going to have to compete with participation in the metaverse?" He continues that question with, "Do you think the Long Tail applies to the number of environments like Second Life, i.e. lots of metaverses?"
CA: I think the question is what YouTube competes with. Does it compete with TV, the Web, real life, or Second Life. I suspect the answer is that it mostly competes with TV and the Web, and less with interactive and communal activities such as games and SL.
As for the second part, I see lots of Long Tails here. Yes, lots of niche communities, both within places like SL and in other metaverses. Also the content created in-game, of course. And finally the different usage modes, from casual to intense, which are not as widely spread in traditional gaming.
Rodica Millionsofus: A computer columnist for CBC Radio and
Sue Stonebender [laughing from the audience]: That would by my question, I'm the columnist asking...
CA: Yikes. That's a bit outside my area of expertise. I did
run the Economist bureau in
Many people have noted that there's a similarity between the
Long Tail and CK Prahalad's "bottom of the pyramid" theory, which is
also about the big market below the traditional markets. I spent a while in
Rodica Millionsofus: Icon Serpentine wants to know: "How does the Long Tail affect small business and independent artists?"
CA: Well, it's a very good thing, but I wouldn't expect the rewards to be loads of money. Basically, the democratization of the tools of production and distribution mean that it's easier to make and distribute products, which means that there's more variety out there and that it's easier to tap distributed demand and not just the usual geographically-concentrated demand. That means larger audiences, for a start. How to turn that into money isn't always clear, although in music at least there's a clear shift from selling music as a product to using free music as an advertisement for the live show, which is an experience that can't be replicated well online (SL aside!).
For other small businesses outside of entertainment, the opportunities lie in being more efficiently aggregated in global markets. Like the eBay effect, but in more markets and for more goods.
Rodica Millionsofus: And one last question from Zenigma Suntzu… He asks, "What are some of the ways to convert a business that has been 'head' focused to Long Tail? For example, print music where quite a lot of it is out of print and unavailable."
CA: The big issues in those business lie in the conversion of the products to digital, and clearing the rights. Each industry is different, but in general those transaction costs are still really high. I call that the "elephant in the room" of the Long Tail, and it's the biggest barrier remaining. The costs of releasing archival material have to be so low that you can afford to have much of it not sell at all.
You just can't predict what will sell and what won't, so you have to find methods to get it all out there and let the marketplace sort it out.
[audience applauds]
Chris Anderson bows, then moves to the autograph session, signing the SL edition created by Falk Bergman.
Anderson autographs his book for a leopard-lady fan
Reuben Millionsofus: Thanks so much for coming Chris. Next time we'll get you an actual long tail from Luskwood to wear.


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What is the effect of cold showers after very intense training (body fully covered in sweat, high pulse, increased body temperature)?
I'm especially interested in how it affects perspiration.
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What is the effect of cold showers after very intense training (body fully covered in sweat, high pulse, increased body temperature)?
I'm especially interested in how it affects perspiration.
Taking cold showers(10-15 ℃) after training or workout have many benefits:
It helps in lowering the damaged tissues temperature by constricting blood vessels.
Cold helps numb nerve endings which provides instant localised pain relief.
Brings down heart rate and increases circulation.
It minimises inflammation and help you recover faster.
It is more effective in relieving delayed-onset muscle soreness, which generally occurs one to four days after any physical activity.
It reduces uric acid levels, so it is beneficial for people suffering from gout.
It boosts glutathione levels in the body which is a very beneficial antioxidant.
Those who should avoid cold showers:
1] Those who suffer from heart diseases as constriction of blood vessels can lead to a heart attack.
2] People having high blood pressure, because blood vessels will constrict and can reduce the supply of blood to different organs, especially the brain.
Ice bath:
In sports therapy, an ice bath, or sometimes cold-water immersion or cold therapy, is a training regimen usually following a period of intense exercise in which a substantial part of a human body is immersed in a bath of ice or ice-water for a limited duration. While it is becoming increasingly popular and accepted among athletes in a variety of sports, the method is controversial, with a risk of hypothermia, with the possibility of shock leading to sudden death. Many athletes have used cold water immersion after an intense exercise workout on the belief that it speeds up bodily recovery; however, the internal physical processes are not well understood and remain elusive. Generally research into the health effects of cold water immersion as part of an athletic training regimen is inconclusive, with some studies suggesting a mild benefit such as reducing muscle damage and discomfort and alleviating delayed onset muscle soreness, with other studies suggesting that cold water immersion may slow muscle growth and interfere with an overall training regimen.
[Source 1]
[Source 2]
You also maybe interested in:
- A cold shower maybe more beneficial to your fitness[Dr. Mercola].
- Effects of hydrotherapy on various systems of the body(NCBI)
- The effects of cold water immersion and recovery of inflammation


text:
We're kick-starting 2018 with a stand-out memoir from Nadja Spiegleman. You may not know who Nadja is yet, but you likely will have heard of her father, Art, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus (Pantheon, 1991). You may have heard of her mother too; Francoise Mouly is the art director at the New Yorker. In I'm Supposed To Protect You From All This, published by Text, Nadja weaves an intense and poignant family history that explores the difficult relationship she has with her mother, and what it feels like to grow up with such a severe family history (Maus recalls her paternal Grandfather's experience of the Holocaust).
Nadja remembers her driven, high-powered French mother as being fiercely loving when she and her brother were small children. But by the time Nadja grew older, Mouly became explosively angry and their relationship grew increasingly tense. Eager to understand, and to find out more about Mouly's background, Nadja interviews her mother – a project Mouly took to with surprising enthusiasm. Through these interviews, we find out about Mouly's strained relationship with her own mother, and see how each generation reshapes the past and passes along inherited trauma to the next.
The narrative is engaging and universally relatable in that it blurs the boundary between truth and memory. Through different retellings of events by different family members, we see how memory is an unreliable narrator when it comes to recording the past. In terms of her own life, Nadja writes with searing clarity about body shaming (namely that her mother put her through), sexual abuse and self-harm. And then she writes about charming childhood memories, such as a lemon cake her mother made. Nadja writes beautifully and her voice is hopeful and intelligent; we can sense how the past has shaped her as both a person and a writer.
When I'm Supposed to Protect You From All This was first released in late 2016 it pulled in excellent praise:
"Spiegelman braids the past with the present… At the core of these culled recollections is less a tally of pain and grievances than a testament to survival." – The Guardian
"Nadja Spiegelman has written a richly detailed memoir about the contradictory life narratives that connect and divide four generations of women on her mother's side." – New York Times
"Passionate, penetrating… Spiegelman nimbly interrogates the workings of memory itself – its shifting shape and unreliability, its fictional character." – Siri Hustvedt
"Spiegelman's narrative complicates, blurs, and questions the line between the self and the other – that basic fault-line of all autobiographical writing – as perhaps only a story about mothers can." – Elif Batuman
Readers will approach I'm Supposed to Protect You as a candid exploration of mother/daughter relationships, a topic often written about but rarely with as much verve and clarity. The book is also a timely look at the pressures that have been put upon women over the generations. It's a dazzling, unforgettable work that deserves all the praise it is expected to pull in when published in paperback on 25 January.
- Bill Godber, Turnaround MD.
I'm Supposed to Protect You From All This is published on 25 January by Text Publishing Company (9781911231110, £9.99, Paperback)


text:
Stanley Mullen (1911-1974), born in Colorado Springs, was a U.S. artist, museum curator and pulp writer who wrote over thirty sf and fantasy stories. He studied writing at the University of Colorado at Boulder and drawing, painting and lithography at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center where he was accepted as a professional member in 1937, and went on to work as assistant curator of the Colorado State Historical Museum during the 1940s.
Mullen wrote over 200 stories and articles in a variety of fields. His sf and fantasy stories began with "A Dero Named Clarence" for The Gorgon in 1947. Many of his stories were Space Opera, often in Planet Stories, until about 1959. His three books, from small presses, are Kinsmen of the Dragon (1951), which pits the hero against a secret society whose magical science has roots in a parallel world which, being under the sea, is accessible by submarine; Sphinx Child (1948 chap), a fantasy short story; and Moonfoam and Sorceries (coll 1948). Mullen's story "Space to Swing a Cat" was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1959.
He became involved with the small press publisher New Collector's Group before starting his own small press publisher, Gorgon Press, in 1948.
(Edited from Mullen's entries on Wikipedia and the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction where you will find further information.)


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Finding affordable car insurance is not as challenging as you may think. For example, good drivers are often eligible for discounts on their premiums just for maintaining a great driving record.
There are many other ways to cut the cost of auto insurance as well.
Our partners at Trusted Choice assembled a list of 50 ways to get better car insurance deals, find auto insurance discounts and reduce your overall insurance costs. Even if you are in a high-risk category, such as teens or seniors, you can find ways to save on car insurance.
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We browse multiple insurance companies to find the lowest-cost car insurance that meets your needs. We will also help to find additional discounts for you, like bundling multiple policies together.
You can get started now by getting a quote and more information from one of our agents.


text:
Results from Durban Firm Survey Presented to Business Leaders
Results from a study on manufacturing firms in greater Durban were presented by UKZN academics and researchers Dr Myriam Velia and Mr Glen Robbins to local business leaders and those who participated in the survey.
The UKZN research team spoke about highlights of the research into medium and large manufacturing employers in the eThekwini region.
The survey demonstrated the dynamic picture in manufacturing sectors such as clothing and textiles, agro-processing and metal works and enabled the researchers to understand changes in employment levels within manufacturing firms.
The data reveal that the top constraints to growth have changed over the last decade. 'Manufacturing establishments are notably affected by sluggish economic growth, depreciation of the rand/dollar exchange rate and high electricity costs, while the availability of technical/vocational skills is a notable constraint to expansion in 80% of firms,' said Velia.
Said Robbins: 'A greater supply of skilled workers is required by the manufacturing firms studied to specifically increase their labour demand. Some of the results differ markedly from those that were found a decade ago for the same study area, reflecting a better integration of firms into the global context and new challenges.'
The UKZN research team is confident that the survey analysis will provide policymakers, the business community and researchers with valuable insight into the efficacy of current industrial policies, and will be a valuable resource for research on the focus of future policies for industrial development. The survey also positions the city of Durban as one of the few local governments with panel data on manufacturing firms.
UKZN's Dean of Research, Professor Urmilla Bob, said: 'This research project is an impressive example of a long-term product and it contributes to the development and transformation of society and also the development and sustainability of the city and the sector. This research is making an impact in the real world and is further building the capacity of the next generation of scholars and researchers.'
Mr Takalani Rathiyaya of eThekwini Municipality said: 'The conversation on this research must continue and based on the results, we are putting together an action plan to sustain the sector and to improve on current offerings.'
Ms Kylie Griffins of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA) added: 'This research is useful to understand the local economy,' while Mr Pat Moodley of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) said: 'The findings from the data-set are interesting and give us insight on how this sector can become sustainable to further grow and expand our market, to compete globally and to create employment.'
Melissa Mungroo


text:
Literally Speaking
It is the old lie of the Academy:
the literalists have no imagination.
If they conspire to live on the surface
of things, of words always, if 'levels of meaning'
signifies for them a grammarian's bookcase,
or a carpenter's telltale gadgets,
consider how the world requires of them
the keenest sense of wonder,
how our casual figures of speech
must send them out in a fever
with picks and shovels, axes and winches
to retrieve into the plainer sight
of the eye what we've long abandoned:
the holes to China, the falling stars we've bumbled,
night-ships that have sadly passed us by.
Theirs is an earth of the blessedly sane
whose power comes from their fierce loyalty to it.
They are the magicians we are unkind to,
the eccentrics who live out our fictions,
consorts to the man in the moon,
keepers of the light at the end of every tunnel.
If for them a rose is always a rose,
are they not richer for it?
Envy them: when they speak of a wolf
in sheep's clothing, they have nothing
in mind but a four-legged miracle;
when they say the grass is greener,
they're knee-deep in a field's rich hue;
when they say something simple,
like love, they mean it.


text:
The Komodos
Our Club
Honours Board
Lest We Forget
Senior Section
Junior Section
Under 16s/14s Boys Rugby
Under 16s/14s Girls Rugby
Under 12s/11s — Mixed Boys, Girls Rugby
Under 10s/9s — Mixed Boys, Girls Rugby
Under 8s/7s — Mixed Boys, Girls Rugby
Rugby Tots
Our Sponsors
Komodos' News
51 Results for
Cameron Bates
Excitement Builds Ahead of Bali Junior Rugby 7s Tournament in September
After the run-away success of the inaugural Bali Junior Rugby 7s Tournament, interest in claiming the final spots in six age group categories for the 2018 edition in September is rapidly heating up. The Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club is again hosting the incredible event at Finns Recreation Club in upmarket Canggu on ...
Post-match report: Jakarta Komodos Rugby Club v Rugby UNJ
The Jakarta Komodos Rugby Club's first friendly XV-aside game of the pre-season was originally scheduled against the Jakarta Bantengs, however due to limited squad availability they withdrew from the fixture very close to game day. This gave us the opportunity to take on the team of young bloods from Universitas Negeri ...
Young Australian Rugby Star Puts Jakarta Komodos Junior Players Through Their Paces
The Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club were treated to a guest coaching appearance by Australia U20s fullback Clay Uyen during the Club's regular Saturday training session this morning. Clay, who played for the now-defunct Western Force based in Perth and will be soon brining his skills to Sydney in NSW, said he was ...
Indonesia's first junior rugby tournament labelled 'Stunning Success' after 2017 Bali Junior Rugby Tournament
The very first junior rugby tournament in Indonesia has been labelled a "stunning success" by participants of the 2017 Bali Junior Rugby Tournament, with expectations high that next year's event will attract even more teams from throughout the Southeast Asia and wider Asia-Pacific regions. The inaugural Bali ...
Major Breakthrough in Indonesia Rugby Development with Inaugural Bali Junior Rugby Tournament 2017 This Weekend
In what is being hailed as a major breakthrough in the development of junior rugby in Indonesia, teams from Indonesia, Australia, Timor Leste, Singapore and Thailand have been confirmed for the inaugural Bali Junior Rugby Tournament 2017 at Finns Recreation Club (nee Canggu Club) this weekend (Sept. 23, 24). Multiple ...
Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club 2017-2018 Season Kicks Off Saturday
The Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club 2017-2018 season kicks off with a traditional Western barbeque, refreshing beverages and a host of fun outdoor activities at the Jagorawi Golf and Country Club this Saturday (September, Aug 26th). The family friendly day is open to all potential players, boys and girls and young men ...
Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club Launches 2017-2018 Season on Saturday, August 26
The Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club (JKJRC) is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2017-2018 junior rugby season on Saturday, August 26. The new season, the only dedicated junior rugby development programme in Indonesia, is open to mixed boys and girls teams in the Under 6s/7s, Under 8s, Under 10s, Under 12s ...
Sponsors Urged to Get Behind Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club for 2017-2018 Season
The Jakarta Komodos Junior Rugby Club (JKJRC) is urging companies, charities and individuals to consider sponsoring the development of rugby in Indonesia. The new junior rugby season, which kicks off on August 26, involves a mixture of expatriate and local boys and girls. In addition, the Komodos have a team of young woman ...
Ex-All Black Byron Kelleher to Lead Rugby Training Session for Jakarta Kids on Saturday
All Blacks' legend Byron Kelleher will lead a rugby training session for girls and boys of all ages at the British Jakarta School this Saturday morning (July 8). The training, organized by the British Chamber of Commerce (Britcham), is open to any children interested in trying out the sport ahead of the Jakarta ...
International Interest Growing in Inaugural Bali Junior Rugby 10s Tournament this September
Junior sides from rugby clubs in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia have expressed interest in participating in the inaugural Bali Junior Rugby 10s Tournament 2017 at the Changgu Club in Bali on Sept. 23 and 24. This is a ten-a-side tournament (13 players per team may register) with ...


text:
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I seek to make a difference with outstanding performance. I have earned the respect of individuals, businesses, and financial institutions in my community.
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Welcoming new clients and those who may be considering my firm!


text:
Maine wants your ideas as it prepares to enter the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge, a $500 million grant competition among the states sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.
On Friday, Sept. 9 at 10:30 a.m., the state's Race to the Top team will host the first in a series of webinars to inform and gather input from the public as it starts putting together an application to enter the nationwide competition.
The team invites educators, members of the media and the public to participate in the session, which will offer an overview of the competition, an update on what the Maine team has done to date to prepare an application and an opportunity for participants to share ideas.
The Race to the Top team expects to schedule a second webinar for the end of September.
Visit Maine's Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge web page for instructions on participating in the webinar. If you can't make it online to participate in the session live, it will be archived and accessible from the webinar section of the Race to the Top web page.
Resources and more information
- Janine Blatt, Early Childhood Specialist
Maine Department of Education
- Race to the Top web page
- Share your ideas for Maine's application through the Maine DOE Newsroom


text:
|Graph shows reply rate of messsages containin the listed
keywords, plotted against the average reply rate of 32%
(This image belongs to OKcupid)
Pretty cool! Earlier in the year, Okcupid was updating Oktrends every few months, now however their last update has not been since April. (If by a miracle any of the Okcupid researchers out there read this, please start updating Oktrends again! Also I love you.)
Of course these results are only true for people who use Okcupid. Therefore we can only say that on average there are more twenty year old female Okcupid users that enjoy rough sex than any other age group. It is also important to not mix correlation and causation, but there's a whole book for that.
The fact that they do this makes me glad that Okcupid is somewhat transparent about what they are doing with user's personal information. Imagine the kind of correlations Facebook must discover (and not share with their users)? I really cannot suggest a single article, because they are all fascinating. If you haven't already, go and check it out. And let me know if you know of any other sites out there like this.