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Posts Tagged 'Education'
Failure is for the privileged.
I recently attended the 4th annual CrossRoads conference organized by Infosys Foundation USA. It was filled with some great speakers and panels, but the most profound moment for me was a single statement made by Kipp Bradford, "failure is for the privileged."
I have written about failure before in The Over Promotion of Failure:
Almost daily I see posts on social media by educators promoting the benefits of failure. It often seems that there is a push to intentionally embed failure into instructional activities. This always rubs me the wrong way. Failure has almost universal negative connotations. It doesn't feel good and sometimes it is extremely difficult, if impossible, to recover from big failures.
For the past several years we've been bombarded with advice about the "wisdom of failure." Books by business giants and self-help gurus tout the importance of learning from mistakes. The problem with the focus on failure is that failure is a weak process when put up directly against its counterpart: success.
I want to be clear that I'm not against learning from failure. It's certainly useful that humans have the rare biological luxury of being able to learn, non-lethally, from our failures — we can remember them, share stories about them, even laugh about them. And all the stories and lessons about what you can learn from failure represent real opportunities to do better. The problem is that none of the advice and literature on failure fairly compares learning from failure to learning from success.
We have to ask how abundant or common are useful failures compared to useful successes? If opportunities for learning are rare, it's hard to make a practice out of them. Unfortunately, truly useful failures that change our thinking (as opposed to merely stupid failures that just confirm what we already should have known) are relatively rare. (http://www.businessinsider.com/we-learn-more-from-success-than-failure-2014-6)
Mr. Bradford added another angle or perspective that I had not considered when he stated that failure for the privileged. This prompted me to see what others might have said about this. Here are some of my findings:
Not everyone "gets" to fail. If you are a student of color you have to be perfect. Think about the standardized test that plays an over-sized role in determining an accelerated or remedial course. You better not fail. Think about the rates of suspension and expulsion. You better not fail. Think about use of force incidents on campuses. You better not fail. Think about using a word the teacher doesn't know. You better not fail. Think about hiding the fact your parents are undocumented. You better not fail. (Failing is a Privilege)
It also important for teachers to realize that failure in classrooms is an exercise of privilege. The effects of failure aren't the same for everyone. For students who are marginalized in any way, failure has the potential to reinforce every negative image, bias, or stereotype they are facing. For students who struggle academically, failure can tell people they aren't smart enough. For students who are marginalized socially, failure can tell people they aren't cool enough. For students of color, failure can reinforce racist beliefs that they aren't good enough. (When Failure is a Privilege)
Failure has become a trend in the past decade. As a society, we increasingly say "Failure is OK" or "Failure is essential to success." But in this process of normalizing failure, we ignore the fact that failure affects people differently, and that privilege plays an important role in who is allowed to fail — and who isn't.
"It's OK to fail," one professor told the class. "Students worry too much about their GPA." And while I was never one to panic about grades, I did lose a key scholarship after finishing my freshman year with a 2.5 GPA. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many low-income, first-generation students — those who are in college only because of the scholarships that got them there. If those scholarships are lost, their dreams may be lost as well. More-privileged students don't have those concerns. If they fail courses one year and require an extra year in college, they can afford it. (When "Failure Is OK' Is Not OK)
While a first-gen/low income student is out there taking risks, their families may be struggling to put food on the table, All of this is assuming the student would have somewhere to live and at least be self-sustaining, which may not even be the case. "It's not like you have the luxury of saying, 'If this doesn't work out, then I can find another means of providing for myself pretty easily, or I have my parents to fall back on, or have some source of wealth to support me while I go through this very risky process,'" Rodriguez said. (The privilege to fail)
Helping Learners Move Beyond "I Can't Do This"
I work part-time with elementary learners – with gifted learners during the school year and teaching maker education camps during the summer. The one thing almost all of them have in common is yelling out, "I can't do this" when the tasks aren't completed upon first attempts or get a little too difficult for them. I partially blame this on the way most school curriculum is structured. Too much school curriculum is based on paper for quick and one shot learning experiences (or the comparable online worksheets). Students are asked to do worksheets on paper, answer end-of-chapter questions on paper, write essays on paper, do math problems on paper, fill in the blanks on paper, and pick the correct answer out of a multiple choice set of answers on paper. These tasks are then graded as to the percentage correct and then the teacher moves onto the next task.
So it is no wonder that when learners are given hands-on tasks such as those common to maker education, STEM, and STEAM, they sometimes struggle with their completion. Struggles are good. Struggles with authentic tasks mimics real life so much more than completing those types of tasks and assessments done at most schools.
Problems like yelling out, "I can't do this" arise when the tasks get a little too difficult (but ultimately are manageable). I used to work with at-risk kids within Outward Bound-type programs. Most at-risk kids have some self-defeating behaviors including those that result in personal failure. The model for these types of programs is that helping participants push past their self-perceived limitations results in the beginnings of a success rather than a failure orientation. This leads into a success building upon success behavioral cycle.
A similar approach can be used with learners when they take on a "I can't do this" attitude. Some of the strategies to offset "I can't do this" include:
- Help learners focus on "I can't do this . . . YET."
- Teach learners strategies for dealing with frustration.
- Encourage learners to ask for help from their peers.
- Give learners tasks a little above their ability levels.
- Emphasize the processes of learning rather than its product.
- Reframe mistakes and difficulties as opportunities for learning.
- Scaffold learning; provide multiple opportunities to learn and build upon previous learning.
- Focus on mastery of learning; mastery of skills.
- Avoid the urge to rescue them.
- May need to push learners beyond self-perceived limits.
- Build reflection into the learning process.
- Help learners accept an "it's okay" when a task really is too hard (only as a last resort).
Focus on "I can't do this . . . YET."
The use of "YET" was drawn from Carol Dweck's work with growth mindsets.
Just the words "yet" or "not yet," we're finding give kids greater confidence, give them a path into the future that creates greater persistence. And we can actually change students' mindsets. In one study, we taught them that every time they push out of their comfort zone to learn something new and difficult, the neurons in their brain can form new, stronger connections,and over time, they can get smarter. (Carol Dweck TED Talk: The power of believing that you can improve)
By asking learners to add "yet" to the end of their "I can't do this" comments, possibilities are opened up for success in future attempts and iterations. It changes their fixed or failure mindsets to growth and possibility ones.
Teach learners strategies for dealing with frustration.
What often precedes learners yelling out, "I can't do this" is that learners' frustration levels have gotten a bit too high for them. Helping learners deal with their frustrations is a core skill related to their social-emotional development and helps with being successful with the given tasks.
The basic approach to helping a [student] deal with frustrating feelings is (a) to help them build the capability to observe themselves while they're in the midst of experiencing the feeling, (b) to help them form a story or narrative about their experience of the feeling and the situation, and then (c) to help them make conscious choices about their behavior and the ways they express their feelings. (Tips for Parents: Managing Frustration and Difficult Feelings in Gifted Children)
You can help your [student] recognize that learning involves trial and error. Mastering a new skill takes patience, perseverance, practice, and the confidence that success will come. Instead of recognizing that failure is temporary, a [student] often concludes, "I'll never succeed." That is why encouragement is by far the most important gift you can give your frustrated [student]. Take her dejection seriously, but help her look at her challenge differently: "Never," you might reply, "is an awfully long time." Eventually, she'll learn from your encouraging words to talk herself out of giving up. (Fight Frustration)
Encourage learners to ask for help from their peers.
I must tell both my gifted students and my summer campers several times a day to ask one of their classmates for help when they are stuck. I have a three before me policy in my classrooms, but sometimes when I tell them to ask for help, they look at me like I am speaking another language. It makes sense, though, as they often have been socialized via school procedures to ask the teacher when they get stuck.
The following poster is going up in my classroom this coming year to remind them of the different possibilities for getting help if and when they get stuck on a learning task:
The bottom line becomes facilitating learner self-reliance knowing that these are skills learners can transfer to outside of school activities where there often is not a teacher to provide assistance.
Emphasize the processes of learning rather than its product.
School curriculum often focuses on the whats of learning – the products – rather than the hows of learning – the processes. When the focus changes to the process of learning, learners are less apt to feel the pressure to create quality products. "Research has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning process increases their attention and focus, motivates them to practice higher-level critical thinking skills and promotes meaningful learning experiences" (Engaging students in learning).
The biggest step an educator can take to implement a process-oriented learning environment is to let go of expectations about what a product should be. Expectations can and should be around learning processes such as: following through to the task completion, finding help when needed, trying new things, taking risks, creating and innovating, tolerating frustration, and attempting alternative routes when one route isn't working.
Reframe mistakes and difficulties as opportunities for learning.
I've blogged about normalizing failure and mistake making in The Over Promotion of Failure:
I reframe the idea of failure, that oftentimes occur within open-ended, ill-defined projects, as things didn't go as originally planned. It is just a part of the learning process. I explain to my learners that they will experience setbacks, mistakes, struggles. It is just a natural part of real world learning. Struggles, setbacks, and mistakes are not discussed as failure but as parts of a process that need improving.
Contrary to what many of us might guess, making a mistake with high confidence and then being corrected is one of the most powerful ways to absorb something and retain it. Learning about what is wrong may hasten understanding of why the correct procedures are appropriate but errors may also be interpreted as failure. And Americans … strive to avoid situations where this might happen. (To Err Is Human: And A Powerful Prelude To Learning)
Scaffold learning; provide multiple opportunities to learn and build upon previous learning.
Many maker education, STEM, and STEAM activities require a skill set in order to complete them. For example, many of the learning activities I do with my students require the use of scissors, tape, putting together things. Even though some of the learners are as old as 6th grade, many lack these skills. As such, I do multiple activities that require their use. Learners are more likely to enjoy, engage in, and achieve success in these activities if related skills are scaffolded, repeated, and built upon.
In the process of scaffolding, the teacher helps the student master a task or concept that the student is initially unable to grasp independently. The teacher offers assistance with only those skills that are beyond the student's capability. Of great importance is allowing the student to complete as much of the task as possible, unassisted. The teacher only attempts to help the student with tasks that are just beyond his current capability. Student errors are expected, but, with teacher feedback and prompting, the student is able to achieve the task or goal. (Scaffolding)
By allowing students to learn from their mistakes, or circling back through the curriculum will allow more students to access your instruction and for you to have a better understanding of where they are at with their learning. Let's face it, learning can be messy and if you try to put it into a simple box or say a single class period and then move on, it isn't always effective. (Strategies and Practices That Can Help All Students Overcome Barriers)
Focus on mastery of learning; mastery of skills.
Sal Khan of Khan Academy fame has a philosophy that focuses on mastery of learning and skills that is applicable for all types of learning:
A problem, Khan says, is the next block of material builds on what the student was supposed to learn in the last lesson, and it's usually more difficult to pick up. So a student learns only 75% of the material, we can't expect that student to master the next section.
When students master concepts and learn at their own pace — all sorts of neat things happen. The students can actually master the concepts, but they're also building their growth mindset, they're building perseverance, they're taking agency over their learning. And all sorts of beautiful things can start to happen in the actual classroom. (Sal Khan TED Talk Urges Mastery, Not Test Scores In Classroom)
This approach puts forward the notion that students should not be rushed through to more complex concepts without having the foundational knowledge needed to successfully transition to the next level.
Khan believes we should be teaching students to master the material before moving on, ensuring that students are given as much time and support as they need to tackle each new concept before trying to build upon it. As Khan says, you wouldn't build the second floor of a house on a shaky foundation, otherwise it will collapse.
Mastery learning:
- Reframes a student's sense of responsibility, where performance is viewed as the product of instruction and practice, rather than a lack of ability.
- Encourages a student to persevere and grasp knowledge they previously didn't understand.
- Gives students the time and opportunity as they need to master each step, instead of teaching to fixed time constraints.
- Provides feedback and assessment throughout the learning process, not just after a major assessment. (Teaching for mastery)
Give learners tasks a little above their ability levels.
Giving learners tasks a little above their ability levels is actually a definition for differentiated instruction. It also helps to insure that new learning will occur; that learners will be challenged to go beyond their self-perceived limitations. 'People can't grow if they are constantly doing what they have always done. Let them develop new skills by giving challenging tasks" (15 effective ways to motivate your team). As learners overcome challenges, they will be more likely to take on new, even more challenging tasks.
Avoid the urge to rescue them.
I've had learners cry (even as old as 6th grade), get angry, sit down in frustration. Educators, by nature, are helpers. The tendency is for them to rescue learners from the stress and frustration of reaching seemingly unsurmountable challenges. But, and this is a big but, if educators do rescue them, then they are taking away learning opportunities, the possibility of the learner achieving success on his or her own.
May need to push learners beyond self-perceived limits.
This is the next step after not rescuing learners. The educator may have to push, encourage, cajole, coax, persuade, wheedle learners to go beyond what they thought possible. It is similar to a coach who really pushes her or his athletes. Sometimes it appears mean or callous. The big caveat to being successful with this strategy is that the educator must first have a good relationship with the leaners; that learners really understand that the educator has their best interests at heart.
Build reflection into the learning process.
Time needs to be built into the day or class period where students reflect on what they've learning and make meaning of it. This helps with processing information as they reconcile it with their prior knowledge and work to make the information stick. This is a great opportunity for thinking to be clarified, questions to be sought, or learning to be extended. (Strategies and Practices That Can Help All Students Overcome Barriers)
Help learners accept an "it's okay" when a task really is too hard (only as a last resort).
Yep – this is absolutely the last resort.
Natural Differentiation and Personalization Through Open Ended Learning Activities
This past summer I facilitated maker education classes for 5 to 10 year old kids. This school year I am a gifted teacher meeting with 2nd through 6 grades one day per week per group. I like mixed age groups and have no problem designing learning activities for them. I realized that the reason for this is that these activities are open ended permitting each student to naturally and instinctively to work at or slightly above his or her ability level. This actually is a definition of differentiation.
Many classrooms consist of students from different knowledge backgrounds, multiple cultures, both genders, and students with a range of disabilities or exceptionalities (Alavinia & Fardy, 2012). Differentiated instruction is defined as "a philosophy of teaching that is based on the premise that students learn best when their teachers accommodate the differences in their readiness levels, interest, and learning profiles" (Konstantinou-Katzi et al., 2012, p. 333). (in http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Differentiated_learning)
One of results or consequences of providing such activities is an increase in learner engagement, excitement, and motivation. Open ended learning activities permit and encourage learners to bring their "selves" into the work. They become agents of their own learning.
Because of this freedom, they often shine as true selves come through. Learners often surprise both the educator and themselves with what they produce and create. It becomes passion-based learning. Not only do the activities become self-differentiated, they become personalized:
Personalization only comes when students have authentic choice over how to tackle a problem. A personalized environment gives students the freedom to follow a meaningful line of inquiry, while building the skills to connect, synthesize and analyze information into original productions. Diane Laufenberg in What Do We Really Mean When We Say 'Personalized Learning'?
Personalized learning means that learning starts with the learner. Learning is tailored to the individual needs of each learner instead of by age or grade level. It is more than teaching to "one size fits all" or just moving to learner-centered learning and changing instruction. Personalized Learning takes a holistic view of the individual, skill levels, interests, strengths and challenges, and prior knowledge. The learner owns their learning. Barbara Bray in What is Personalized Learning?
The educator, in this environment, introduces the activities and then steps back to let the learners take over their own personal learning. The educator lets go of expectations what the final produce should be; should look like; should do. The educator becomes a provider of resources, feedback giver, and communications facilitator. S/he becomes a tour guide of learning possibilities. S/he shows learners the possibilities and then gets out of the way.
Creating the conditions for self-differentiation and personalization can occur with learning objectives that start with action verbs such: create, write, explore, invent, make, imagine, prepare, build, compose, construct, design, develop, formulate, originate.
Parting Shot: The following is an Animoto I created to show how many forms of making there are, but it also demonstrates what can happen when open ended projects are introduced into the learning environment.
Breaking Things as a Form of Education
One of my learners' favorite things to do at my maker education summer camps is taking toys apart – breaking them and then putting back together in another form. This got me thinking that breaking things should be part of every teacher's and learner's education. These include:
- Breaking physical objects apart to see their components and how they work.
- Breaking apart how the physical classroom is set up and letting learners help create the setting where they will learn.
- Breaking down barriers of communication . . between educators and learners; between learners and other learners; between the school and parents; between school and the community; between the community of learners and the rest of the world.
- Breaking apart and crushing stereotypes about different genders, ages, ethnicities, and sexual orientation when age appropriate.
- Breaking down walls that keep schools isolated from the world outside of those walls.
- Breaking attitudes that "we've always done it that way."
- Breaking a system that believes children should be grouped by age and grade.
- Breaking (and throwing away forever) the current assessment systems and the related belief that standardized tests actually measure student performance and achievement.
- Breaking apart the idea and practice that children and youth cannot nor should not be teachers.
- And one big NOT . . . NOT breaking the natural passion and excitement that humans have to learn.
These are just my initial thoughts. What would you add to this list of breaking things as a form of education? I want to create an infographic on this list so please add to it!
Maker Education: Pedagogy, Andragogy, Heutagogy
Maker education is currently a major trend in education. But just saying that one is doing Maker Education really doesn't define the teaching practices that an educator is using to facilitate it. Maker education takes on many forms. This post provides an overview of how maker education is being implemented based on the teaching practices as defined by the Pedagogy, Andragogy, Heutagogy (PAH) continuum.
created by Jon Andrews
Traditionally, Pedagogy was defined as the art of teaching children and Andragogy as teaching adults. These definitions have evolved to reflect teacher practices. As such, andragogical and heutagogical practices can be used with children and youth.
PAH within a Maker Education Framework
The following chart distinguishes and describes maker education within the PAH framework. All teaching styles have a place in Maker Education. For example, pedagogical practices may be needed to teach learners some basic making skills. It helps to scaffold learning, so learners have a foundation for making more complex projects. I do, though, believe that maker education projects and programs should go beyond pedagogical oriented teaching as the overriding goal of maker education is for learners to create something, anything that they haven't before.
Driving Questions
- Pedagogy – How well can you create this particular maker education project?
- Andragogy – How can this prescribed maker project by adapted and modified?
- Heutagogy – What do you want to make?
Overall Purpose or Goal
- Pedagogy – To teach basic skills as a foundation for future projects – scaffolding.
- Andragogy – To provide some structure so learners can be self-directed.
- Heutogogy – To establish an environment where learners can determine their own goals, learning paths, processes, and products for making.
Role of the Educator
- Pedagogy – To teach, demonstrate, help learners do the maker education project correctly.
- Andragogy – To facilitate, assist learners, mentor
- Heutagogy – To coach, mentor, be a sounding board, be a guide very much on the side.
Making Process
- Pedagogy – Use of prescribed kits, templates; step-by-step directions and tutorials.
- Andragogy – Use of some templates; learners add their own designs and embellishments.
- Heutagogy -Open ended; determined by the learner.
Finish Products
- Pedagogy – A maker project that looks and acts like the original model.
- Andragogy – A maker project that has some attributes of the original model but that includes the learner's original ideas.
- Heutagogy – A maker project that is unique to the learner (& to the learning community).
Questions Learners Should Be Addressing Every Day at School
I believe it is every educator's responsibility to help insure that learners are addressing the following questions during each school day:
- What questions am I asking today?
- What answers am I seeking today?
- What am I exploring today?
- What am I making today?
- What am I finding exciting today?
- How am I playing and having fun today?
- How am I using failure to inform my learning today?
- What am I doing today to cooperate with others?
- How am I documenting my learning today?
- How am I sharing with others what I am learning today?
- What am I doing today that has the potential to benefit the world?


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MSD Animal Health (known as Merck Animal Health in the United States and Canada) is proud to continue our dose-for-dose campaign in support of the Afya Serengeti project and Mission Rabies. Just by performing routine vaccinations, you can join veterinary professionals across the globe in their efforts to eradicate rabies and save lives in the Serengeti.
When you vaccinate a dog or cat with Nobivac® vaccines*, MSD Animal Health will make a contribution to the Afya program.
*When you use Nobivac vaccines, you are supporting MSD Animal Health's ability to supply ongoing support and vaccine donations to Mission Rabies and the Afya Serengeti project.
MSD Animal Health is a proud supporter of the World Rabies Day initiative, which aims to improve rabies prevention and control through education, vaccination, and awareness. You can support World Rabies Day by making a donation at www.rabiesalliance.org/world-rabies-day.
To learn more about the Afya Serengeti project, contact your MSD Animal Health representative. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com.
"Every time I vaccinate a dog with Nobivac here in California, I know that, through Merck Animal Health, I am vaccinating another dog against rabies in the Serengeti. And whether or not my client recognizes it, we are touching lives and improving the quality of life for dogs and people on the other side of the globe."
– Laurie Leach, DVM
Beverly Oaks Animal Hospital and Emergency Animal Clinic
Sherman Oaks, California, USA
"Doing the right thing for society is very satisfying in itself, and supporting the campaign has gone down really well with both our clients and our staff who feel that we're doing our bit to help create a better world."
– Roeland Wessels, DVM
Companion Animal Clinic St Anna Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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Carla bunny - Medium - Maileg DKBrand: MAILEG
Product Code: mdk-16-7241-01
Availability: In Stock
This bunny with her floppy rose pink ears comes complete with her favorite woolly jumper dress. She's a new favourite here at Sisters Guild, nothing to do with her sharing the same name with the founding sister.
Maileg bunnies and rabbits make great lifelong friends.
There are so many more clothes to choose from too; pretty ballerina tutu's, tights, tunics, nightgowns, summer dresses, rompers and dungarees. You can see the collection for the Maileg characters and accessories here.
Created by Maileg Dk
medium size bunny
Height : 46 cm
Recommended age 3+
Due to the weight/dimensions of this product a separate shipping quote is required if you are outside the UK.
Please contact us.
Please contact us.


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Kyle, TX 78640
Charming open floor plan on a huge cul de sac lot!Main floor is complete with tile throughout and spacious kitchen that's perfect for the cooking enthusiast. Wood flooring upstairs, great Master suite, and an upstairs bonus area that could have many possibilities - kid's play area, media space, office, etc. Covered patio overlooks the oversized backyard.
Amanda Rickman with Prosper Properties
2018 Tommy Hazelton. All rights reserved. © Collaborative Home Search by RealSavvy
Based on information from the Austin Board of REALTORS® for the period through [see date below]. All listing information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, ACTRIS and their affiliates provide the MLS and all content therein "AS IS" and without any warranty, express or implied. Listing information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing


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Blackhawks honor Chicago Cubs World Series Win Before Game
The Chicago Blackhawks know all about winning the big one as they've won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
Just before their game against the Dallas Stars at the United Center, the Blackhawks decided to show some love to the Chicago Cubs by honoring their World Series win on Sunday.
Blackhawks honoring the Cubs before the game. pic.twitter.com/DufqnniOwZ
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) November 7, 2016
Three key Cubs players during the World Series run, Jason Heyward, Kyle Schwarber, and Mike Montgomery, brought out the Commissioner's Trophy and flew the W before the game.
Mike Montgomery, Kyle Schwarber and Jason Heyward bring out The Commissioner's Trophy. #Blackhawks #Cubs pic.twitter.com/Jh17zQElZX
— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) November 7, 2016


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Online lead generation techniques is a very important skill in the business world. This will help you to attract customers for your business. You can either do it yourself or hire a company to do it for you. The latter choice is risky, so it is always better to find ways to generate leads yourself. The article below offers solid tips and ideas on how to go about doing that.
Don't fall victim to the belief that generating leads requires a big budget, because it doesn't. Talking to people over the Internet is very economical and you can be very effective if you know how to do it. Target your audience precisely, perfect the call to action and make it as easy as possible for people to plug in to your offer.
Go to networking events in your community. Lead generation isn't just about emails, ads, and social media. It's also about getting personal and direct communication. Hit as many networking events that you can, especially those related to your target audience. This is one of the most effective ways of generating leads. Open up your business to the world and allow customers to come in and see how they work.
Even if you're an architect or real estate agent, you can let potential customers in to see how organised and authentic you really are, which can generate leads. Set time every week to follow up with potential leads. It usually takes more than one touch point to turn a potential qualified lead into a real hot lead. SO after you've made first contact, set time a week or two later to touch base again. It's about frequency here to make this person into a customer.
Search engine optimisation, while organic, is all about lead generation as well. How? Your targeted customer base is searching niche specific keywords. If you're targeting the right keywords with all of your sites and content, then you're generating new leads. This does take time, but it's a process that should always be in the works.
If you have not been tapping into the power of social media enough, then it's time to expand your efforts. There are cost efficient social media campaigns you can run on the most popular sites, and ways to really make content go viral. All of your customer base is there to help you share what you can do for your new customers.
As you research keywords for your lead generation campaign, be open to long-tail keywords. You shouldn't use a ton of these, but some that are specific and that work for your business are the ones to use. Keep trying out some, tweak them if needed, and you will find ones that work efficiently for your business.
Building content on your site sure does take time. If you get frustrated and forget to do this often, then nothing is going to really work for you. Keep up with posting new content, and interesting content is going to attract people. Always make sure you never put this strategy to the side.
Stop trying to butter customers up! When you need to generate more leads, use a direct approach with them, because chances are good that neither you nor they have a lot of time for small talk and schmoozing. Get to your point, offer a great price for clicking the "buy now" icon and get better results.
Create a local reciprocal referral database for yourself and other local businesses. You can set it up on Google Documents and ask people you know to join it. If you know someone who needs dental work you can refer them to a dentist on the list and, if he knows someone who needs you he'll, do the same.
Speak to folks while you wait in lines or run other daily errands. It can't hurt to be friendly, and you can never tell when someone may need what you are selling. Do not mention a sales pitch too soon, but find out if they would have an interest in what you are selling without being pushy.
Set up a calendar for your online lead generation techniques. Future leads can be set aside if you need to space it out further. Creating a schedule makes you come off as more professional and friendly. This will also stop you from trying to appeal to the same people multiple times.
After reading the above article, you should be able to tell the difference between a good lead and a bad one. If you go about generating leads on your own, then follow the tips that you read here. Outside companies that offer lead generation is usually a bad idea, but with the tips you just learned, you should be able to be successful at it on your own.


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A collective and independent studio specialising in all aspects of dynamic visual communication. A team of graphic designers, illustrators and web developers work together to provide cohesive strategies and vibrant products.
Sometimes complexity cannot be explained in a simplistic way. Sometimes it needs to be explained in all its beauty.


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Native American Art and Arch. - Unit 4
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- Basis to Lakota cosmology
-Nomadic lifestyle
-Merges with modern physics
-"Something that moves moves"
-taku skan skan
- Western cosmology
-Entire universe in motion
1. from a primal rock that squeezed out its own blue blood
2. made water and dome of heavens
-4 winds (4 young brothers)
1. led to spatial and temporal ordering
-Sense of place is tied ideas about cosmic generation
1. but this view is an exception to the stereotype
-Most common is fringe clothing and feather bonnett
- Dates of fringe clothing and feater bonnett
- 1700-1870 ce
- How Lakota cosmology is like Iroquois and Hopi worldviews
1. mapped into spatial zones - sky, earth's surface, and realms beneath
2. 4 cardinal directions (4 winds)
3. axis - linked to Sun dance pole
4. sense of transfer of power between spiritual beings and humans
5. sense of emergence from earth (primal rock)
6. similar in ritual - humans will impersonate and personify spiritual forces
- How Lakota cosmology is dislike Iroquois and Hopi worldviews
1. Lakota's view of the entire universe being in motion
2. Less emphasis on aspects of cosmology related to settled community life - ie: emphasis on moral order, good/bad in Iroquois Plains cosmology is overlooked more often that Pueblo and NE obscured by warrior image
- Plains parallels with Eastern Woodlands
1. in lower Missouri and burial mounds
2. also had clay figurines and hopewell style pottery
3. also had some agriculture in the river valleys of the Plains
4. settlements of pit houses and sod roofs
- Plains differences with the East
1. Never built platform mounds
2. Never had complex social hierarchies
- 2 elements of European life that transformed life on the Plains
- Horse and guns
- Date horses introduced to Plains
- early 18th c (introduced by Spanish 200 yrs. earlier)
- Date guns introduced to Plains
- arrived with fur trade: 17th, 18th, and 19th c.
- Revolution of the horse culture began
-began 1700
-Apache and Navajo acquired horses from Spanish and traded them wiht neighbors to the North
-hunting societies became more active
-enabled communities to grow in size
-competing for access to the herds
- State of war
- 1860s adn 1870s
- Rivals because of herd competition
1. Eastern Sioux vs. Ojibwa
2. Western Sioux vs. Crow
3. Cheyenne, Arapacho, Lakota (allies) vs. Earth-lodge dwellers of river valleys
- Lewis and Clark exploration
- early 19th c.
- California Gold Rush
- 1849 - severe disruption of hunting patterns
- Extinction of buffalo
Defeated the Plains people
- 1878-southern herd gone
- 1880/1881-northern herd gone
*Plains life lasted only about 150 years
- Date of Spanish settlement in California
- 18th c.
- Date of Europe-American migration
- 19th c.
- How did contact with Europeans drastically affect Plains arts?
-Led to a diminution of arts for ceremony
-by mid-19th c. many arts were for exchange w/ whites
- Great Plains - 1700s
Algonquian speakers came from north of the Great Lakes
1. Cheyenne
2. Arapaho
3. Blackfeet
followed by:
4. Plains Cree
5. Ojibwa
- Great Plains - 1800s
- Sioux moved westward across
- Earth lodge dwellers
1. Pawnee, oto, osage, iowa (lower missouri)
2. arikara, mandan, hidatsa (upper missouri)
- settled tribes
- Mandan and Hidatsa
- Nomadic tribes
- Lakota and Crow - follow buffalo
- Plains geography
Miss. river to Rocky Mts.
Southern Canada to Mexican border
- Crow patterns
- graphic - blue is common, outlined in white. bold, goemetric
- Lakota patterns
- Uses solid background color
- Old man coyote
- first to dress horses (Crow)
- Lewis and Clark
- 1804
- Men's art
1. chronicling events
2. began with pictographs
3. narrative scenes on buffalo hide robes and shields
4. or images from visions as in the Great Lakes
5. Band histories (winter counts)
6. medicine wheels
- Medicine wheels
-giant,round,solar symbols from boulders
-used for ceremonial centering
-may be 3,000 years old
-used to mark solstice
-Sun dance
-ritual pole - axis at center of the world
-dance enclosure - made of tree limbs and branches
-mortification in sacrificial rights
- Sun Dance
-combines celebration,fulfillment of vows
-if you prove your worth through self-sacrifice, you receive strenfth and protection in battle
- Pipe bundles
sacred pipes that sustained a whole tribe
-cared for by pipe keepers
- Pipe keepers
- holy men who had the bundle's rituals and would pass teh bundle and its ceremony to a younger member
- Male roles more public in these cultures
- Mandan, Kiowa, and Cheyenne
- Years of increased contact
- after civil war in 1860s
- Increased contact in Plains
-forcible resettlement
-end of seasonal migration and warrior societies (men hardest hit)
-more dependent on whites due to extinction
- reservation era - men's art
-cultural upheaval
-mens artistic traditions in rapid decline - no war shirts or sacred shields
-no paintings - a strong need to document traditional life
-pictoral histories in small books
-some scouts commis. to make drawings
- Fort Marion
Cheyenne and Kiowa
-drawings were more detailed, perspective, landscape settings, showed daily lives of imprisonment
- Arthur Amiotte
- makes collages based on this tradition
- reservation era - women's art
-flourished, enforced leisure - lots of beadwork (symbols of ethnicity, tradition)
-more lavish design
-non-traditional items such as suitcases, handbags
-intro of trade cloth, ribbon... (calico, men's tailored suits, huge variety of clothing styles, forced by loss of buffalo)
- Sun dance banned
- 1883 to 'civilize' indians
- Powwow began
- July 4th celebration became common
- Ghost movement
late 19th c.
-religious visions of prophet Wovoka, medicine man: live peacefully and world would revert, whites would disappear, included recognition of a messiah
- Clothing of Sun dance and ghost movement
- beautifully painted - belief in power against bullets
- Wounded Knee
- Dec. 1890:The end of an era, Lakota, 200 participants massacred
- Persistence of vision
-Crow fair in Montana
-Lakota quillwork
-powwow as competitive dance
-some revival of sun dance
- Metis
- mixed race: scottish, english, french, with cree and ojibwa
- Metis art
-skilled embroiderers
-instruction at missionary schools (floral imagery predominant)
-influences: combine Euro and indigenous modes - stylistic fusion
-eagerly acquired by traders, travellers, and indians
- Big foot memorial ride
December 1990, South Dakota
-2 weeks to travel the 250 miles
-1000 years ago, roamed from Canada to Yellowstone river to Rocky mts
- Sioux name
- mistranslation of Ojibwa meaning "enemy"
- Year gold miners invaded black hills
- 1872
- The hostiles
- Lakota ancestors who refused to give up their way of life
- Year government took black hills
- 1876
- Year of Fort Laramie Treaty
- 1868
- Wovoka's vision
1989 - there will be suffering for 7 generations, but after the 7th generation there will be rebirth. promised peace and happiness
-ghost dance movement
- Year Lewis and Clark invaded plateau region
- 1805
- 1st catch ceremony (plateau region)
- ceremony when caught first salmon in the spring
- gifts of marriage ceremony (plateau region)
- woman's family gave salmon, man's family gave a horse
- "I will fight no more forever"
- Famous words of Chief Joseph, leader of Nez Perce tribe)
- Oliver Howard
- Found Howard University in D.C.- one of the first all black universities)
- Plateau and California and great basin geography
- 400 miles wide - froom cascades in W. Washington, north to B.C., east to Idaho and MT, south to CA
- crossroads region
- some area of plateau region is more costal, some more plains
- Great Basin
- seperates California from the east
- By this time the plateau region was a tourist commodity
- 19th c.
- Plateau art
1.basketry - highly varied, coil cedar root-klikitat, tule reed mats-yakima
2.flat twined bags-yakima, nez perce, cayuse, umatilla-called corn husk bags. diff design on each side
3.style similar to plains geometric style, intro in plant fibre
- Pomo
far west tribe (6 villages N. of SF)- very proficient basketmakers
1.relies on rhythmic repetition
2.complex rotational geometry
3.art began to die in late 19th/early 20th c., but sold to outsiders. wealthy patrons emerged-offered annual support
4.basketry observed by drakes crew in 16th c.
- Pomo feathered baskets
marked life stages
1. new mother received a red feather basket, then presented to mother-in-law
2. first bath in basket with shell beads
3. adolescents confined during first menstruation also received fine baskets that they would eat and drink from and keep throughout their life
4. gift exchange at marriage - man offered shelles, woman offered baskets
5. baskets cremated with body at death
6. individuals were judged by quality and quantities of their baskets
- Washoe baskets
- found in Great Basin and Western Nevada - hunter gatherer culture
- discovery of gold, game supply reduced, men became ranch hands;women domesticss. lake tahoe a resort
- 1858
- Washoe bskts - commodity market
- 1895-1935, led to noted artists
- Degikup design
tightly coiled, designs woven in, often an incurving rim
ie:Louisa Keyser
- Cosmology of the North
1.belief in shamanistic transformation
2.perched on the shaman are small birds and mammals, on his head is a small spirit helper
3.essential bond b/w humans and spirit animals
- Shaman
1. a doctor wo diagnosed illnesses and prescribed for the sick
2. interpreted unknown forces that controlled food supply (a rainmaker mask, understand or affect natural/spiritual forces)
3. architect of the ritual dances that were the point of contact b/w people and spirits
- Becoming a shaman
- was a man/woman who had been atypical or psychotic in behavior as a child - channaled into role of a shaman, could also become a shaman later in life
- Who saw spirits? (north cosmology)
- anyone could see spirits, but shaman saw them clearly and more often
- Where did a shaman work?
- in dimly lit room while drumming and chanting, rattling could cover up his conversation with a spirit
- Shaman tricks
1. Could survive burns, thrown bound by hand and foot into the sea, or speared through the stomach without a mark
2. Believed he could also transform himself into an animal - had power of collective beliefs b/c the performance usually grew out of sickness or poor hunting
- Shaman masks
- a way of interpreting spirits that the shaman contacted during trances. Were symbols of balance b/w all natural forces
- Shaman clothing
- wore carved amulets and distinctive clothing for public performances that testified to their powers and visionary experiences.
- yup'ik artists
- depicted the mystical journeys of shamans in carved and painted masks that have been greatly admired by many Western art lovers, especially during the 1930s and 40s
- Alaskan eskimo houses
- Built houses large enough to accommodate the entire populations of one or two villages to house the dances
- eskimo maskmaking
1. after contact with the west, stopped making them for ceremonial purposes.
2. began carving them w/o eye holes for touristic decor
3. also stopped b/c of the inundation of white religious belief - the sacred artform depended on belief to continue
- Subarctic zone
1.from Cook Inlet in West
2.to southern shores of Hudson and James bays
3.Boreal forest and TAIGA
4.short growing season
5.but rich w/ animals,plants,fish
- Arctic zone
1.north of the tree line
2.humans as far north as northern greenland
3.herds of oxen and caribou
4.reliance on seals,walrus,wale
5.coastal populations
- Sub-arctic popuation
- populated about 12,000 years ago
- Arctic population
- populated about 4,000 years ago
- Links to Siberia
- eskimo tied to Chukchi and Evenk of NE Siberia
- Arctic language
1. the eskimo - Aleut group
2. aleut and yup'ik as distinct branches
3. yup'ik also found on Chukchi peninsula in Siberia
- Arctic Names
Alaska - Eskimo
Canada - Inuit
- Sub-arctic languages
East: Crees are Algonquian
West: speak Athapaskan
- Sub-arctic names
U.S. - athapaskan
Canada - Dene
- 1st contact with the Inuit
- Sir Martin Frobisher, 1576
- Russian settlement
- in SW Alaska - 1741
- Danes and Norwegians (north)
- settled in Greenland, 18th c.
- Jesuit missionaries (north)
- Eastern Cree county, early 17th c.
- Hudson's Bay trading posts (north)
- Later in 17th c.
- 20th c. changes in North
- Gold, minerals, oil
- North post WWII (north)
1. permanent settlement
2. residential schools
3. disease
4. depenency
- Klonkike gold rush (north)
1890 - accelerated contact
many souvenirs, developed more intricate and detailed engravings
- women wove whale baleen baskets by this date (north)
- 1915
- crafts become more standardized (north)
- 1920s - dolls, bracelets
- modern tech and consumerism began to have effects (north)
- mid-20th c.
- "Sons of the wind"
photo of 4 pillars
1992, Colleen Cutschall (lakota)
- photo of man's war shirt
- Lakota artists 1870
- photo of 3 braded cradles
- 1990, Kiowa artists
- Photo of tipi
1980s Kiowa artist
Black Leggings tipi of the Kiowa warrior society
- photo of painted buffalo robe
- Mandan artist 1800
- detailed picture of interior of earthlodge
- After karl bodmer, 1836-43
- photo of horse effigy dance stick
- Lakota, 1880s
- "Between 2 worlds"
Wohaw (1855-1924), Kiowa
pencil and crayon drawing
- black and white photo of twined bag
- Nez Perce artist, 1910
- photo of baskets
- Louisa Keyser, Washoe (1850-1925)
- photo of feathered basket
- Mary Posh (pomo) dates 1905
- picture of red war shield with man painted in middle
- Arapoosh (sore belly), crow 1820
- black and white photo of beaded horse collar
- Crow artist, 1890-1900
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text:
Juniper isn't your average fox. Ever since her birth, she's lived as a pet in her mom's house. If you think she looks familiar, you might have seen her from this popular YouTube video or her Instagram fan page. In the video, you can see Juniper take part in her everyday antics as she jumps on the bed in search of a "mouse" underneath the snow-white sheets. There's a lot to be said about how adorable Juniper is, but her mom advises anyone who wants to adopt a pet fox to think twice before making that decision. They are very different than dogs and cats, and often require very specific living conditions.
On her Instagram account, she explains, "Foxes are not like owning a dog or cat. Foxes smell. Bad. Their urine and feces smell like skunk mixed with ammonia. There is no way to "de-scent" a fox. You cannot keep a fox indoors 24/7. They need an enclosure no less than 10′x10′ for ONE fox (Seriously). Foxes are destructive, they will destroy things in your house. Foxes must be fed some raw meats and bone content in their diet. They also need taurine, or they can go blind, suffer from seizures, and even die. If you get a fox, you need to find a vet willing to treat one. Most vets will not treat foxes. Foxes are ILLEGAL in many areas. Just because they are legal in your state, does not mean the same is true for your city."
Recently, Juniper became very close friends with Moose, an Australian Shepherd mix. They've known each other since the first day Juniper came home, but their bond has grown stronger since then. The unique duo spends most of their day playing, eating, and sleeping together. Just take a look at the following photos and you'll see just how close their friendship is.
Juniper always smiles when she's around Moose.
She likes giving kisses.
The two spend a lot of time cuddling with each other.
Moose knows when to take a break.
Juniper is always up to some mischief.
Here are the two enjoying some downtime together.
Just look at how much fun they're having.
There's never a dull moment when they're together.
They even celebrate each other's birthdays together.
Their unique friendship isn't something you see every day.
Going to the park is always eventful when they're around.
Here's Juniper posing for a photo with her mom.
Be sure to SHARE this cute story with your friends and family.
H/T: Bored Panda | juniperfoxx


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Raising awareness for Coeliac disease with a delicious gluten free and vegan bread recipe! Read more
We've compiled our 31 favourite vegan recipe's you won't be able to resist Read more
We're SO excited to see what 2018 has in store for us! Will you be bouncing your way to a fitter lifestyle or trying floatation therapy?! Read more
Kombucha has become a huge trend among health food lovers. We thought we'd delve into some of the research to look into the health benefits of Kombucha. Read more
We KNOW this sounds too good to be true.. but you need to try it! There's nothing more satisfying than baking your own cakes for Christmas. Read more
Its Halloween so why not try this mouthwatering pumpkin pie cheesecake recipe! Read more
If you speak to any Vegan, or someone with a lactose intolerance; the thing they are most likely to miss is cheese.. But not to worry, we'll be spoiling you for choice with all our new vegan ranges. Read more
Many of you are now more aware than ever of the importance of a sufficient dietary protein intake. More of us take our health more seriously and have become health savvy than ever before. Read more
It's fair to say most of us love chocolate to a greater or lesser extent… certainly here at Out of This World we are all chocolate connoisseurs having become very familiar with the huge range of vegan, raw, organic, fairtrade, and sugar free chocolate we stock. Read more
Were sure you'll all be happy to know we are open as usual and the shop is looking mighty fine! Read more


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La Capella is the space used by Barcelona's Institut de Cultura to showcase the work of emerging artists. In recent years, its activities have focussed on the organisation of exhibitions with the aim of bringing the public into contact with some of the most innovative works by the city's artists. The project BCN Producció, which was begun in 2006, is currently the main feature on La Capella's programme of events. It aims to foster the participation of artists and professionals in the sector, selected by an independent panel of judges on the basis of public competitions.
Thanks to the BCN Producció programme as well as the other activities carried out, La Capella places itself in a prime position on Barcelona's contemporary art scene, which complements the efforts of spaces such as the Sala d'Art Jove, Sant Andreu Contemporani and Can Felipa in the realm of emerging artists.


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FitRanX Helps You Take Fitness To The Next Level
Summit Fit Dojo is the first gym to launch FitRanX in Westminster, CO -- a standardized fitness ranking system.
What Is FitRanX?
FitRanX in Westminster, CO is the first of its kind. Its a fitness ranking system that has been strategically designed to help you achieve your fitness goals of losing weight, getting in shape, sculpting lean muscles, and toning problem areas -- while using a ranking system that is common in our culture, such as martial arts, military, academics, and professional working environment.
The best part about FitRanX is that its a comprehensive and standardized ranking system that was created to help you stay motivated and allow participants and fitness trainers, at a glance, see where your fitness level is.
Summit Fit Dojo is based in Westminster, CO and is the first personal training center in the Colorado Front Range that has implemented the FitRanX system.
How Does FitRanX Work?
As mentioned before, FitRanX works through a standardized fitness testing format, as opposed to the commonly used fitness assessment tests that personal trainers have employed for years.
There are 8 FitRanX levels, and since this is a systematized fitness ranking program, if you are a level 5 based out of Westminster, CO then a person in New York City has to do the same exercises to achieve the level 5 rank of FitRanX.
This is based on what a personal trainer may think of you as an individual, or how long ones been training at a fitness center. Its based on the performance of sequenced exercises needed to pass each level.
In addition, each fitness level in FitRanX has a corresponding color, similar to the military or martial arts.
Level 1 = Grey
Level 2 = Gold
Level 3 = Orange
Level 4 = Green
Level 5 = Blue
Level 6 = Brown
Level 7 = Red
Level 8 = Black
So, in essence, one could achieve a black belt in fitness.
Is FitRanX a Good Fit For Me?
If you have a hard time staying motivated and keeping up with a fitness program, then FitRanX is a perfect fit for you. It gives you a clear path, with specific goals to strive for, while ensuring you are achieving a total body workout with a balanced approach to fitness.
Or, if you feel like you need to be in shape before joining Summit Fit Dojos FitRanX program, then youre missing the big picture. FitRanX is for ALL fitness levels. So, no matter where you are on your fitness journey, Summit Fit Dojo and FitRanX has created a scalable program that allows you to train with various fitness levels in the same class. Youll never feel left behind or out of place.
To learn more about a FitRanX training center in Westminster, CO contact Summit Fit Dojo at: 303-920-9747 or simply visit their website.
( Press Release Image: https://photos.webwire.com/prmedia/46782/183705/183705-1.jpg )
- Contact Information
- Javier Lozano Jr
- Owner and Head Fitness Coach
- Summit Fit Dojo
- (1) 303-920-9747
- Contact via E-mail
This news content may be integrated into any legitimate news gathering and publishing effort. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


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Josh Wiener
50 years: Policy experts to examine the past, project the future of long-term careMay 22, 2014
Top U.S. health policy experts will examine changes in quality of care, service delivery and financing for long-term care for the last 25 years — and project them for the next 25 years — in a meeting of top minds Wednesday in Washington. Individuals may attend the event in person at the National Press Club Ballroom or via a webcast.
Speaking out against the CLASS ActOctober 23, 2009
This week, the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C., held a briefing on the CLASS Act, a long-term care insurance plan that generally has garnered praise from the long-term care community.
Problems with the CLASS ActOctober 23, 2009
The Kaiser Family Foundation recently held a briefing on the much-touted CLASS Act. There was much praise to go around. I heartily disagreed with most of it.


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TICKETS for the Karlstad conert ELEGI feat. Karl-Martin Almqvist & Elias Stemeseder
ELEGI feat. Karl-Martin Almqvist & Elias Stemeseder PRE BOOK your tickets to the concert at Arenan in [&hellip
Parallel Activity – DEBUT ALBUM and upcoming tour
Parallel Activity recently released their debut album "RUBICON" on Imogena Records. Upcoming Swedish tour in feb: 2018-02-05 [&hellip
ELEGI feat. Karl-Martin Almqvist & Elias Stemeseder
The duo ELEGI with Edvin and Alfred Lorinius here meets the two musicians Karl-Martin Almqvist (Danish Radio Orchestra) [&hellip
STORM, Farvel (official video) OUT NOW!
VIDEO RELEASE! Good people, here we go with the first officially released song from our upcoming album [&hellip
>>NEW ALBUM with FARVEL October 13<<
Farvel is releasing their third album Östtomta on October 13. Concerts at Moods, Zürich, literaturcafé, Biel/Bienne and [&hellip
Looking back. 2016 has been a good year
I'm happy to look back on 2016 and say that it's been a good year musically (also [&hellip
Double nominations
Both Naoko Sakata Trio and Farvel are nominees for the prestigious price 'Jazzkatten – group of the [&hellip
Rewievs on STORMFAGEL's debut album
STORMFÅGEL has got several fine reviews on the debut album. Here's some quotes in both English and [&hellip
TOMORROW IS THE DAY OF RELEASE (may 6). HAVE A LOOK AT THE ALBUM TEASER TO GET [&hellip
DARK HORSE got a new website
Check out all the juicy stuff about DARK HORSE in their new space online! www.triodarkhorse.se


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Mansion Monday: Charming Uptown home nestled on Arabella Street
Mansion Monday: Charming Uptown home nestled on Arabella Street
This week's Mansion Monday feature takes us Uptown, where a home is on the market for $1,295,000.
The two-story home is located near Audubon Park at 1510 Arabella St., complete with a magnificent front porch with a gas lantern entrance.
Some of the other features include a wrought-iron gate and remote entry to a newly-widened driveway. The home also includes new insulated duct work.
The home has four bedrooms and three baths. It also features a double oven, pantry, pull down attic stairs, stainless steel appliances and beautiful courtyard.
Contact Gardner Realtors for more information at 504-887-7878.
MOBILE APP USERS: View Home Here


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To celebrate the close of this year's Waterloo Festival, local groups present in words and music their responses to the 'war and peace' theme of the festival.
This celebration of post-war Waterloo with SE1 United, Living Memory heritage project and Futures Theatre includes jazz, dancing, art and peace doves.
St John's Waterloo
73 Waterloo Road, SE1 8TY


text: Dedicated to the rootsy genres of samba and choro, Henrique Cazes has been active in the music scene of Rio de Janeiro as a researcher, musician, arranger, and professor. Cazes started to play the violão (acoustic guitar) at six. As a self-taught musician, he also learned the cavaquinho, mandolin, banjo, and viola. In 1976, he debuted as a professional in the group Coisas Nossas. In the '80s, he was a member of the Camerata Carioca, where he met mandolinist Joel Nascimento and c... Read more


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Ende Tymes IV Announces Line-Up, Starts Fundraiser
This May, the Ende Tymes Festival of Noise and Experimental Liberation will return to New York City for its fourth consecutive year. Some of the more notable acts performing at this year's iteration of the festival include Hiroshi Hasegawa, formerly of legendary Japanese noise band C.C.C.C.; illustrious noise-maker and perennial Ad Hoc-fave Kevin Drumm; MV Carbon & Bill Nace, the latter of which recently teamed up with Kim Gordon as Body/Head for one of our favorite records of 2013; and forward-thinking electro-noise stalwart Pete Swanson, who will be performing with Jefre Cantu-Ledesma of Root Strata. Ende Tymes has started a fundraiser page to help with the costs of the festival, offering a variety of merch-- including archival recordings and weekend passes for the festival-- to those that donate. The festival is also accepting submissions of video art to be displayed during the concerts.
Ende Tymes IV will take over Silent Barn and Outpost Artists Resources from May 8-11 this year. Peep the full line-up, then head over to the festival's fundraiser page to donate. Below, check out a promotional video produced by Ende Tymes.


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All my favorite libertarians in one place.
- Posted by Paul Gowder on March 6th, 2011 filed in academia, sometimes produces political theory
- 1 Comment »
There's the silly kind of [right-]libertarianism, which leads people to think that it's impermissible to have things like antidiscrimination laws — that's the kind that gets all the public attention and leads me to make snarky comments.
Then there's the smart, interesting, and challenging kind of libertarianism that hews to a vigorous (and perhaps too-broad, but defensible) traditional conception of liberty while leaving open the possibility that there might be other political values worth pursuing, like social justice. Numerous philosophers/political theorists in the latter school have started a blog, and so far every single post is extremely worth reading. This should be on your blogroll right now.
One Response to "All my favorite libertarians in one place."
Curt Says:
May 23rd, 2011 at 12:06 pm
I too am a fan of the Bleeding Heart blog. But do you really want to call libertarians like Richard Epstein "silly?"


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We welcome you to the Pearl of the Chesapeake!
Settled in 1706, Rock Hall is a charming Chesapeake Bay village with miles of shoreline, public docking and many marinas. Our artistic community is alive and vibrant with constant inspiration from the unspoiled surroundings; musicians come from near and far for our enjoyment. The restaurants offer everything from steamed crabs served waterside to fine dining to take-back-to the boat selections.
Beginning as a small harbor town, Rock Hall has been an important part of the historical fabric of the Eastern Shore. Watermen and their families have worked the bay for generations which has created a wonderful cornerstone for this close, friendly community. In fact, our welcome sign lets people know that 'Nice people live here!'
We welcome you to navigate our town and find the things that lure you, relax you, and refresh you. Fishing, boating, hunting, birdwatching, biking, hiking, sunning, playing, or just sitting back with your favorite drink – we've got it all in Rock Hall.
Check out our calendar for upcoming festivals, events, contests, races, car shows, fireworks and more. As far as we're concerned – the more the merrier!


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Make Your Story is a series of articles by novelist Barth Anderson about things you might consider when writing your life-story, autobiography, or when mining personal material for your art.
In approaching your life story, you should consider that you might not know it as well as you think you do. Consider your own life the way you might consider a stranger's. Consider it unknown territory. Terra incognita. If you don't, you'll miss diamonds hiding in the shadows and truths you never considered. Consider what you've never considered before.
Consider your life-story's beginning.
Where would you start? Don't be too chronological. If you were going to start writing your story right this minute, what would the first scene be? Consider a vibrant welcome for your reader as she walks through the doorway of your story. Consider your most crucial moment. Consider your greatest triumph. Consider what's actually fascinating to other people. About you.
What's the hook to being you?


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Play Books For Babies
After eating, Yu-chan cleans her teeth, so do Koro, Mike and Pi. What is Mr. Monster doing? He's sucking a lollipop! Be sure to clean your teeth afterwards, Mr. Monster!
15 x 17 cm, 26 pages, Full-colour illustrations
First published March 1998
Rights sold: China, Korea & Taiwan


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We're delighted to announce our 2017/2018 charity partner is Dreamflight. The T&A team will be undertaking various (fun!) activities throughout the year to support Dreamflight as much as possible.
'Dreamflight is a UK charity that changes young lives through taking children with a serious illness or disability, without their parents, on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida. Established in 1987, Dreamflight believes that fun and joy are just as important as medical research and equipment – especially for children who perhaps can't wait long enough for the breakthrough they need or whose illnesses and treatments have brought pain, distress and disruption to their lives.'
To find out more about Dreamflight, click here.


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Silver needle in the Skype
Philippe BIONDI and Fabrice DESCLAUX has written a paper / a presentation for Blackhat Europe.
The paper is a bit old but gives a view of how Skype works. Anyone who is interested in Skype, technically, may want to browse through the presentation.
Here are the contents;
1 Context of the study
2 Skype protections
Binary packing
Code integrity checks
Anti debugging technichs
Code obfuscation
3 Skype seen from the network
Skype network obfuscation
Low level data transport
Thought it was over?
How to speak Skype
4 Advanced/diverted Skype functions
Analysis of the login phase
Playing with Skype Tra±c
Nice commands
5 Conclusion
Enjoy your skype!
Silver Needle in Skype


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Words that start with abcq
Found 1 words that start with abcq. Browse our Scrabble Word Finder, Words With Friends cheat dictionary, and WordHub word solver to find words starting with abcq. Or use our Unscramble word solver to find your best possible play! Related: Words that end in abcq, Words containing abcq
- Scrabble
- Words With Friends
- WordHub
- Crossword


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Mohem was founded on the belief that the best way to create a healthy and happy lifestyle is to promote total health and fitness.Summer is an active time: Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Swimming, Boating, Camping, Beachcombing,Driving, ad infinitum….You can save your feet from the heat as well with our cool, rugged and comfortable Mohem Hiking Shoes. And at a very affordable price!Start your summer season off on comfortable feet with the Mohem shoes!Order your pair now!Rugged rubber outsole featuring Multi-Directional Traction (MDT) that delivers reliable stability and protection while on the trail
Breathable air mesh upper lets the air flow through,very durable and comfort
Easily adjustable lace-up system with rustproof eyelets for a secure and reliable fit
Soft shoes design,fresh and breathable lycra net cloth
Pure handmade,Made in China! High Quality And Inexpensive
Mohem Jason Men's Casual Trail Shoes Outdoor Hiking Shoes


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Our next Silicon Valley Insights evening featuring Facebook engineer and VR magician Erich Owens is less than a month away, and there are (literally) only a few tickets left, so reserve your seats today before they are gone, gone, gone!
UPDATE: Prague event is sold out, but there are still a few tickets left for Brno event
If you're a machine-learning, VR, AI enthusiast, you are not going to want to miss this exclusive event. Erich, a former engineer at Oculus Rift and current engineering manager for the Identity Team on Facebook Spaces (which combines VR with social media), will be sitting down with STRV COO Lubo Smid to talk shop on September 19 in Brno and then again on September 21 in Prague.
The fireside chat will be held in English followed, as always, by an after-party, where you can enjoy a beer or two and mingle with Erich as well as others in the local IT community!
Can't wait? We caught up with Erich recently and asked him a few questions about his unique journey to Silicon Valley. Read what he had to say below.
Tell us about your path to Facebook.
I studied applied mathematics at Columbia and Brown and spent some summers doing research work in material science at Stanford and systems engineering at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I left my PhD program early in 2011 and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where I worked for two startups. First Quid, where I designed NLP and data visualization algorithms for making sense of large corpuses of unstructured text data. Then Newsle, a startup that tracked your social network's mentions in the news. I was the first employee, and wrote their entity disambiguation and real-time news clustering ML algorithms. Since joining Facebook in 2013, I've worked on several things, including:
- the News Feed ranking algorithm (improving the quality of surfaced news and public content stories),
- overhauled the Comment ranking algorithms (ranking the comments beneath big public stories),
- wrote VR-based simulations for improving the tracking systems of Oculus headsets,
- designed the avatar auto-generation algorithm for Facebook Spaces and leading the team working on making avatars more expressive and emotive.
You spent nine months on the Computer Vision team at Oculus Rift (acquired by Facebook in 2014) and have been a part of Facebook's Social VR + AI/Computer Vision teams since the end of last year. How did your interest in VR, AI and machine-learning evolve?
The raw excitement comes from a childhood love of science fiction. Technology is fascinating in how it lets humans connect with each other and become more human — VR lets us feels like we're standing in the same room as someone across the globe even more than a video chat or instant message. The ability to switch between such different fields (AI, ML, Computer Vision, VR) really stems from my love of math. So many new problems become an exercise in clever mathematical models that have familiar pieces and optimizations (matrices, high-dimensional functions, vector space models, optimization) that reappear again and again.
Speaking of Facebook Spaces, it's in beta now, but can you give us some hints about how it's going to take VR to the next level?
There's so much more that we want to do with Facebook Spaces — the sky is really the limit. For now, we are continuing to focus on adding new capabilities and features that help people connect with their friends and family in new ways. We think of these as "social building blocks," the components that let friends have fun and be creative in the VR space together. A recent example is the ability to broadcast Live from Spaces, which we just launched in July. It lets you and your friends share your VR experience with a larger audience. We'll be building a lot of more things like this. For my team specifically, the social building block that we're focused on is avatars: We're working on making them even more expressive, because it's our hope that future improvements will help people to connect with each other in even more meaningful ways.
What's the coolest part of your job?
The chance to work with an absolutely brilliant team. On a regular day I will be talking with AI experts about classification algorithms, character artists who have built games like the Sims 4 and worked on Hollywood blockbusters, and star engineers who built the shader and rendering systems at Pixar. These people aren't just technical geniuses, they're storytellers and well-rounded humans. I'm a better person just for being around them. (The chance to play with new ideas in VR is another bonus.)
What advice can you share for those who are eager to land a job with one of the Valley's IT giants?
The Internet means it's easier than ever to learn something new. Take advantage of this and publish your results. Follow a tutorial teaching you how to build facial recognition. Work through an expert's iPython notebook showing you how to train a neural network that can synthesize new music. Take a Udacity or Coursera class about something you have no idea how to do. Bring a sense of excitement and humility with you as you learn, study your whiteboard algorithms.
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This well maintained Bavaria 32 has been well cared for by its owner and boasts a huge amount of electronics.
Fitted with Volvo Penta MD 2020 which has the saildrive gator changed June 2017.
This boat is perfect for small family to take cruising.
For more information contact Joss Walsh on
firstname.lastname@example.com or +353-87-7777-322
VHF radio Simrad RD 68 DSC.
Garmin 3010 chartplotter/radar.
RaymarineST60 Tri-Data speed/depth, Wind, Repeater.
Raymarine 4000+ autopilot.
Humminbird fish finder.
(Garmin and Raymarine on integrated system).
Sony marine FM/AM radio/CD receiver unit.
Echomax radar reflector.
55Ah starter battery, 130Ah House Battery.
Shore power, battery charger.
Three 220 volt shore power outlets.
Selden Mast, Boom and Gas Rod Kicker.
2 Lewmar self tailing 2 speed Genoa Winches at helm. 2 Lewmar self tailing single speed Winches on coach roof.
All lines led aft.
3 pair Cleats Fore, Midship and Aft.
Fenders and Warps.
Plough anchor and 50 meters 8 m/m chain.
Sail cover and Spray Hood in need of some attention. Dodgers as new.
Bathing ladder.
Mainsail Elvstrom battened orignal, two reefs single line old but still in good condition.
Genoa Arun Sails 2010, cross cut foam luff on Furlex furling system. Excellent sail in very good condition.
Cruising chute Sea Tech 2007, with snuffer, hardly used new condition.
Four berths in two cabins, two berths in saloon.
Galley with two burner and oven gas cooker and fridge. 150 litre fresh water tank.
Big heads with shower, wet locker and40 liter holding tank.
Hot water calorifer with engine and shore power heating.
Navigation Table with white or red lighting.
Teak folding Cockpit Table
Volvo Penta MD 2020, 19 hp driving a saildrive (hull seal renewed in June 2017) fitted with a Bruntons two blade Varifold propeller.
Ambassador rope cutter.
90 litre fuel tank.
The Old Coastguard Station
Coal Harbour, Dun Laoghaire
Co. Dublin


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A good night's sleep is essential if you want to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on the trails.
Cold ground and the lumps and bumps that Mother Nature presents can make it a challenge to bed down in comfort when you're hiking.
Choosing the best sleeping pad for backpacking can ensure a decent night's sleep in the backcountry.
Unless you have a team of sherpas carrying your kit you're probably not going to be able to bring your comforter and memory foam pillow with you.
If you're anything like me then your already too-full pack may have just enough space left to squeeze in a sleeping pad and that's it.
Quick Look at Our Top Picks:
Sleeping Pad
Best overall
Top Pick for cold-weather
Best Budget Buy
*Below, you'll find our detailed reviews and a buyer's guide, but you can also click the links above to see current prices of our top choices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
While it may not provide the comforts of home, buying a decent sleeping pad can still have you waking up with a song in your heart rather than a crick in your back.
We've reviewed the top 10 best sleeping pads on the market and have also put together a buying guide so you'll know what to look out for when buying yours.
Sleeping Pad Buyer's Guide
When buying a sleeping pad for backpacking you want something that is going to be comfortable, warm, easy to use and easy to store.
Sleeping pads come in three main types:
- Air Pad
- Self-inflating
- Closed-cell foam (CCF)
The majority of sleeping pads are of the air pad, or inflatable mattress type.
Some backpackers may prefer the closed-cell foam (CCF) mattress pads for their compact size and lightweight properties while others will be prepared to pay more for the convenience and performance you get from the self-inflating pads.
Air Pad, Self-inflating or Closed-Cell Foam?
Air Pad
Air pads require manual inflation so you'll need to either blow air into the mattress with your mouth or use a pump to inflate it.
Normally it shouldn't take more than around 15 to 20 breaths the get it inflated. The higher the altitude, the tougher this is going to be.
You can use a pump but the added weight to your pack really doesn't justify the bit of effort it saves you.
Some sleeping pads will have their stuff sack double as a pump sack. To use one of these:
- Open the stuff sack and scoop air into it
- Roll up the open end to seal it - leaving you with a bag full of air
- Connect the stuff-sack via a valve to the valve on the mattress
- Press down on the sack to push that air into the sleeping pad - voila!
It's a clever way of giving you the convenience of a pump without having to carry one. It's more hygienic too.
When you inflate the pad by blowing air in with your mouth you also end up blowing moist air into the pad.
This moist air reduces the isolating properties of the air in it and can lead to the development of bacteria in the sleeping pad.
- Pros: lightweight, comfortable, compact storage
- Cons: can puncture easily
Self-inflating Sleeping Pads
Self-inflating sleeping pads have foam inserts that expand when the pad is unrolled. As the foam inserts expand they open up cells in the pad creating a vacuum.
With the valve open the vacuum draws air into the cells to inflate the pad. The benefit of this is that it saves you a whole lot of huffing and puffing.
Simply unfurl the pad, open the valve and come back after dinner to a fully inflated pad. A few breaths may be required to get the pressure just right.
Self-inflating pads are usually made from more durable material and provide great insulation. They do tend to be more expensive than foam pads or air pads and don't store as compactly.
- Pros: easy to deploy, great insulation, comfortable
- Cons: not as lightweight as air pads, more expensive, less compact storage
Closed-cell Foam
The closed-cell foam pads, or CCF, are made of little closed air cells in a dense foam.
These pads either roll up or fold like an accordion. They are a lot more durable because they can't be punctured and will also cost less than the air pad or self-inflating pads.
They are lightweight but can be bulky. Despite the bulk they store easily on the outside of your pack without having to worry too much about damaging them.
They aren't the most comfortable though so make sure you've got a flat, even space to lie yours on. These are a good option as a stand-alone sleeping pad or as an additional insulating layer under an air pad.
- Pros: lightweight, cheaper, more durable than other two options
- Cons: less comfortable
Each of these types will have their fans but for the majority of backpacking applications we'd suggest getting a good inflatable air pad.
Sleeping Pad Shape
Sleeping pads will come in either a rectangular or a tapered wedge shape.
The tapered shape is sometimes referred to as a mummy shape. The main benefit of the mummy shape versus the rectangle sleeping pad is that it uses less material which shave a few ounces from your pack weight.
The mummy shape also takes up less space which could be an issue if there are two of you trying to fit into a small shelter.
These are a great option if you're a side sleeper because you won't miss the reduced width along your torso or at your feet as long as you don't draw your knees up while sleeping.
If you sleep on your back or stomach then these may not be the best choice. The tapered shape could result in your hands and feet falling off the edges.
Sleeping Pad Warmth & "R-Values"
While you'll be relying on your sleeping bag for the majority of your warmth, having the best sleeping pad will make a big difference to how cold you'll get.
The reason for this is that, even in summer, your body heat is lost to the ground you're sleeping on. The more you insulate your body from the ground, the more you'll be able to retain that body heat.
The air in the sleeping pad will provide some insulation but good quality sleeping pads will also have at least one layer of synthetic insulating materials.
The ability of each sleeping pad to be able to resist heat flow is measured and is given an R-value. The higher the R-value, the better the sleeping pad is at insulating you from the cold floor.
Most sleeping pads will have R-values that range between 1 and about 6.
Don't be tempted to buy the sleeping pad with the highest R-value.
In order to add more insulation the manufacturer generally has to add thicker material and you end up with a heavier pad.
Decide beforehand what the coldest temperatures will be that you expect to encounter on your backpacking trips and then choose the R-value you need accordingly.
Here's a rough R-value guide:
- Summer: 1-2
- Spring and Fall: 3-4
- Winter: 5+
If you're trying to decide between two sleeping pads with similar R-values then check out their respective weights.
The warmth-to-weight ratio will give you a good idea of which one uses smarter design and better materials to achieve the required insulation.
Some sleeping pads use smart layering and special materials to capture radiant heat from your body to help keep you warm.
They may also use specially designed channels between the cells to reduce the loss of heat by convection. If you're going to be backpacking in really cold weather then you need to take all of these into consideration.
If you're only ever going to be heading out in summer then focus more on weight and comfort.
Sleeping Pad Reviews
We've reviewed some of the best sleeping pads for the money. Here are our 10 favorites:
With an R-value of 3 this air pad is a great choice for cooler backpacking in spring or fall but works fine for summer or mild winters too.
At 1 lbs 8 oz it isn't the lightest sleeping pad but it's still fairly lightweight when you consider the durability, comfort and insulation it provides.
The SpeedValve is a great feature if you like setting up and setting off in double quick time.
What We Like
- More than 100 isolated cells distribute air evenly for great stability
- ThermaCapture layers help to retain body heat and gives this pad an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio
- SpeedValve halves inflation time and deflates almost instantly
- 75D polyester bottom and 50D (75D on the newer model) top fabric provide good durability
What We Don't Like
- Not as light as we'd like
- A little noisy when adjusting sleeping position
Sleeping pads that are warm enough for winter backpacking often have a lot of extra weight from the insulation materials.
This sleeping pad has an R-value of 5.7 which makes it great for cold temperatures but even the large size only weighs in at 1.4 pounds.
The smart ThermaCapture layers allows them to dispense with additional insulation material and the tapered mummy shape also allows for a reduction in weight.
The tapered shape is quite pronounced and will best suit side sleepers.
What We Like
- ThermaCapture layers give great insulation without adding too much weight
- Baffled internal cells give good stability when moving around
- Packs down compactly to the size of a water bottle
- Stuff sack doubles as a pump sack for easier inflation
What We Don't Like
- It's a little narrow. Get a size up if you want your arms to stay on it.
- Makes a bit of noise when moving
If you're looking for a budget friendly sleeping pad then this is a great choice.
With an R-value of 1.3 it's only really suitable for summer backpacking.
For the price you get a very comfortable sleeping pad that weighs in under 19 ounces and packs up into a bag the size of a water bottle.
The 75D polyester material exhibits good durability and it comes with a lifetime warranty.
What We Like
- Good comfort at a great budget price
- Easy to inflate (10 to 15 breaths) and deflate
- Side rail cells keep you from rolling off
What We Don't Like
- If you're a side sleeper and a little heavy then you're going to feel the ground when you roll over.
If you want an ultralight sleeping pad that still performs in cooler spring / fall conditions then this is a good option.
The internal construction and ThermaCapture layers result in an R-value of 3.2 at an impressive low weight of only 12 ounces for the regular size.
The 2.5" thickness and soft-touch fabric make for a very comfortable sleeping pad.
What We Like
- Excellent warmth-to-weight ratio makes this a good 3-season sleeping pad.
- Baffled internal structure provides excellent support and stability
- Really light and packs down to the size of a water bottle
- Very comfortable
What We Don't Like
- A little noisy at first but it quiets down with use
- Takes a little longer to inflate than we'd like
If you're looking for a really warm sleeping pad then this rectangular air pad with an R-value of 5 is a top quality choice.
At 3.5 inches thick it's also going to be one of the most comfortable sleeping pads you'll ever own.
It takes a bit of huff and puff to get it fully inflated but the quality of materials and level of comfort you get make this a great winter sleeping pad choice.
What We Like
- High-loft synthetic insulation provides great insulation
- Antimicrobial treatment prevents microorganism growth inside the pad
- Cell layout provides good support and keeps you cradled on the pad
- High durability material
What We Don't Like
- A bit difficult to blow up
If absolute comfort is your top priority then this air pad ticks all the right boxes. The individual air cells allow for excellent weight distribution even when adjusting your position.
The two separate inflation layers allow you to inflate the bottom layer fully for maximum isolation from the ground while reducing the upper layer inflation for a softer sleep.
This pad is also available in a rectangular format for back sleepers.
At 1.6 pounds it's certainly not the lightest sleeping pad but once you lie down on it you'll forgive it the few extra ounces.
What We Like
- 548 air sprung cells distribute the air evenly for good support and stability
- Two independently pressurized layers allow for fine tuning inflation for optimum comfort
- Antimicrobial treatment prevents internal bacterial growth
- Good durability with extruded TPU layer that prevents delamination
- Near instantaneous deflation
What We Don't Like
- A little heavier than we'd like
If you weigh and measure all of your kit but still insist on a good night's sleep then this ultralight, compact sleeping pad will do the trick.
It's only 3 inches thick but the layout of the baffles and non-stretch material make it very comfy.
The insulation is good for temperatures down to around 30 to 40 degrees.
It comes in either a 20 or 25 inch width and weighs in at a very light 13.5 ounces for the 20 inch regular size. The 20 inch felt a little narrow so we'd rather go for the 25 inch pad.
What We Like
- Non-stretch fabric and baffles provide excellent point-deflection resistance - no bottoming out with elbows or hips.
- Primaloft insulation and Aluminized film provide great insulation and radiant heat retention
- Side baffles provide good support when you roll towards the edge
- Compact and ultralight
What We Don't Like
- The 20 inch size is too narrow
This sleeping pad is ideal if you're looking for a lightweight summer pad at a low price.
With an R-value of 1.3 you're not going to take this out in winter but even without insulation the way the air channels have been designed allow for decent warmth.
The big valve makes it easy to inflate and deflate and it packs very compactly.
It's only 2 inches thick but the cell arrangement provides good support and comfort.
What We Like
- Ultralight and packs down compactly
- Easy to inflate - 10 to 15 breaths
- Very durable - Ripstop 20D Nylon fabric with TPU coating
- Air cell layout provides good comfort and support
- Price
What We Don't Like
- Bottoms out at the hips a little if you're on the heavy side
If you're looking for a lightweight CCF pad for summer or an extra layer of insulation under your air pad for winter then this is a good option.
With an R-value of 2.6 it'll do a good job in even fairly cool conditions. It folds out easily and lays flat immediately. Folding it up is just as easy.
The rectangular shape makes it a little bulky so you're going to have to stash it outside your pack.
The dimple design and thermal design elements make this pad more comfortable and warmer than a lot of others we've seen.
What We Like
- Heat trapping dimples and ThermaCapture coating provide good warmth
- Very light and compact
- Hard dimples underneath for durability and softer upper dimples for comfort
- Very durable
What We Don't Like
- A bit bulky so it has to be stashed on outside of pack
With an R-value of 3.4 this pad is warm enough to use in cold winter conditions but at 1.4 pounds it's light enough to rival some summer sleeping pads.
The convenience of being self-inflating doesn't compromise the weight too much.
In fact, the isolating properties of the expanding foam inserts are part of the reason this pad performs so well in winter conditions.
At 1.5 inches thick this pad combines good cold temperature performance in a lightweight and compact form factor.
This closed-cell foam mattress is one of the lightest and most compact that we've seen.
What We Like
- Self inflating allows for easy deployment
- Great compressibility for compact stowage
- Diagonal-cut foam inserts provide excellent warmth
- Very light for a self-inflating pad
- Really quiet
What We Don't Like
- After self-inflating it still needs a few breaths to fully inflate
These are all great products but if you made use choose just one it would come down to these two:
Our Favorite
We just loved the Thermarest NeoAir XLite Mattress. Its clever thermal design elements make it ideal for all but the coldest conditions.
The cell layout, baffles and the feel of the fabric make it super comfortable. These qualities combined with a low weight make it a standout choice.
If I was backpacking in the winter, I would combine this with a foam pad underneath to boost the warmth.
Best For Budget
If we were counting pennies and still wanted a good sleeping pad then we'd have to go with the Klymit Static V Lightweight sleeping pad.
If we were only doing summer backpacking then this pad would even make us think twice about buying a more expensive sleeping pad.
The quality fabric, comfortable and smart cell design and the lightweight compact storage makes this a great choice if you're on a budget.
A comfortable sleeping position is such a personal thing so there's not one solution that is going to suit every backpacker.
Each one of the products above are great choices but it's important to give some thought to the conditions you expect as well as your sleeping position and weight tolerance before making your choice.
Weight is important but don't sacrifice comfort so that you can brag about the 2 ounces you shaved off your pack weight.
Buying the best sleeping pad for your budget will have you waking up refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges the next day brings.


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On my needles :: October 2013
By Belinda On October 14, 2013 · Leave a Comment
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As the days in October slowly get cooler, it is high time some new woollies get knit. Straight from Iceland (thanks A & M!) I am trying my hand at stranded knitting for the first time, using two different shades of green Lettlopi wool. I am using […]
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text: Bug Shields Meyer Truck Equipment has the Bug Shield to match your car or truck model. Made of virtually unbreakable polycarbonate and available either in smoke or paintable clear. We can paint your bug shield to match your vehicle color. Call us toll-free in Evansville (812) 477-5555 or Jasper (812) 695-3451 or contact our sales staff for details.