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I wrote the following piece about J.D. Salinger when I was in high school. It is probably the only piece of high school writing of which I am not entirely embarrassed. In light of Salinger's recent death, I republish the piece here. I think the voice of a fifteen year old can do better justice to Salinger than anyone at my age.
I first encoutered Holden Caulfield at fifteen. I was lonely and silent, wavering feebly in the enormity of life. He was a high school drop out, sidetracked and enraptured by the naiveté of youth. It was love at first read.
J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye became, in many ways, my bible. My father's folded red copy became a permanent fixture on my nightstand and a second copy never left my backpack. I reasoned that if the 214 pages depicting Holden's struggles—adrift in New York City—were always at hand, then ultimately, I would never be alone. At fifteen, I celebrated the novelty of imagination.
Like Holden, I "didn't want to tell anybody anything." I was afraid. I was afraid of a disinterested, preoccupied world. Holden warned that we realize, when we start talking, exactly what we don't want to say. And so I kept quiet. Yet in secret, I, too, asked those same, befuddled, philosophical questions. And no one answered. I took the time in the irrational, ashen hours of the morning to compose my own peace of mind. I, too, opted for getting lost on the sidewalk.
At fifteen, I wanted to help him up, share with him my own fragility, my own indecision. Over time, the distinction between Holden Caulfield and J.D. Salinger blurred—they were one in the same to me. I wanted to give back to them everything they had given to me. It was Salinger who moved me with the allegorical bliss of the field and the infantile horses. With the identity of a child, still lost, still so uncertain, pained with the heartache at the hypocrisy of friends and vying for acceptable. He taught me that it is beautiful to cry out of happiness of I'm that marvelously affected. And it is okay to be "just okay." Holden Caulfield opened my eyes when I realize, affectionately, that I had an ally.
There is no denying, however, that Holden Caulfield is not exclusively my ally. Throughout the past fifty-two years he has become the voice of adolescent anguish, not only in the wilderness of '50s prep-school kids, but for all of America. The Catcher in the Rye appeared in the American Library Association's annual list of "Outstanding Books for the College Bound" every year from the mid-1950s through the 1990s. After fifty-two years, it is still the second most frequently taught novel in United States' schools. Sixty million copies have been sold since its publication. I can hardly call Holden Caulfield "my own."
When anyone else—a parent, a teacher, a friend, a stranger—used to tell me, The Catcher in the Rye is my favorite book," I grew defensive, even angry. I thought that no one could possibly have a connection with Holden like I did. No one could understand him the way I could. No one would ever identify with his nostalgia, his isolation, his despair like I did. After all, he was my first love.
I have come to realize, however, that almost all teenagers and adults alike recognize Holden as one of their own. The novel speaks to all adolescents who are trying to understand the world and their place in it as they recognize the inadequacies in adult behavior. Holden discovers the compromises we are all forced to make, and, like all of us, he wonders why we are not disturbed about it more than we are. The fact that Salinger's novel was and still is considered one of the greatest American novels of all time is a testament to human nature's uncertainty, inhibition, fear, detachment, distrust and indifference. Even the few who claim to dislike the book share the same kind of sensitivity to the world as Holden. Perhaps they do not enjoy the book because Holden's disappointment rings so true with them. We all despise the seemingly disinterested world. We are all afraid. The preconceived notion that no one else can possibly feel the way "I do" makes the rest of the world seem strange and distant. America's common love for The Catcher in the Rye serves as a reminder that there is a little bit of Holden Caulfield in all of us.
Salinger does not capture the voice of a particular generation. He is rather the timeless voice of all Americans who feel that they are "falling down, down, down" as Holden describes. Even though Holden Caulfield is older than my grandparents, in my mind, he will forever be my peer. He will forever grow with me as I accept life's compromises, discover my own weaknesses, sell out and turn gray. Holden Caulfield transcends age. He is the friend of all adolescents and adults alike who have yet to face the phoniness of this "crumby" world. My father is pushing fifty and still claims that he does not know what he wants to be when he grows up. He, like Holden, is still so lost, distrustful of the seemingly inattentive, "phony" adult world. Throughout the past fifty-two years, Holden Caulfield has become the American people's most beloved confidant.
I have read and re-read Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye countless times, and with each reading I want all the more to reach out, to help Holden up, to reveal to him my own vulnerability, my own hesitancy. I am still enraptured by the naiveté of youth—that nostalgia. I am confident I will never lose it. And now and then I still have dreams in bookstores, of making Holden's acquaintance for the long walk home.


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Posted in Virginia August 09, 2016
This Little Known Trail In Virginia Is The Perfect Place To Get Away From It All
There's nothing more instantly soothing than quality time spent outdoors, especially in a state as beautiful as Virginia. If you're in need of something of an escape from your daily routine, no place will provide a breath of fresh air like Roaring Run Trail in Botetourt County. Not only is this trail in pristine National Forests, but it also happens to feature wildflowers and a waterfall.
Side note: While this trail is relatively little-known throughout the state, you can be sure this area is a local favorite. Be sure to be courteous to fellow hikers and always protect the trail. For more short and sweet hikes that pack in incredible scenery, be sure to check out these 12 Great Hikes In Virginia Under 5 Miles.


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Took the new niner out for the first official trail ride last night at Luton. Temps were low 60's, sun was out and the trail was dry and perfect. No leaves on the trees yet, so you can see inside the forest for quite a ways.
This was some of the most fun I've had on a bike in a very long time. And I've had some good ones. The ride was so simple - no shifting, no suspension - NO chain slap (love that).
I determined there are two rules to piloting a single speed rigid bike:
#1 Pedal or walk (no in-between, no guessing - either get off your lazy ass and pedal or give up and walk the walk of shame)
#2 Be extra vigilant (watch for every imperfection in the trail - small hidden roots, holes and rocks that would normally be soaked up by your cushy shock - now all of a sudden really matter)
There was lots of standing up and pedaling. Which is good for me, because I'm not much of a climber, so hopefully this helps with what I have always been lacking. My hands really hurt - combination of no shock and just lacking "bike muscles" and my middle and lower back were crampy later. I think just from having to stand up and pedal.
I really did feel like the 29" wheels carried more momentum than my old 26". There were spots that normally put me down for granny gear that I felt like I was carrying up most the way just by momentum. Or else it could have been the combination of...1000mg of Acetaminophen, (1) Hammer Fizz Tablet, (1) Reese Peanut Butter Egg and (1) fat guy on a brand new mountain bike.
Overall, a super fun ride. I was under no time constraints. I was solo. Peaceful and quiet.
I showed up to ride happy, and that's exactly what happened.


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Download Aplikasi HP Handphone Gratis (Java Symbian) Mobiles Free
Download Gratis Aplikasi HP Handphone java symbian smart phone, pda tanpa registrasi, 100% gratis. Aplikasi Handphone. download gratis aplikasi hp mulai dari java, symbian (.jar, .sis, theme hp) dll. download gratis aplikasi hp ada game game hape terbaru .jar java .sis .exe : -antivirus -jamesbond quantum of solace -madagascar 2 -kamus indonesia inggris -pdf reader -aplikasi islami dan masih banyak lagi dijamin gratis
Although perhaps not the most critically acclaimed CGI movie series, Ice Age has become one of the most successful. The last one netted itself more than $500million worldwide, so it's no surprise that the now-extinct creatures from the series have found themselves in peril once more in a new adventure.
Ice age is a top-down affair where you use your keypad to roam about the pre-historic environment, collecting eggs to save the unborn dinos from an unthinkable fate. Ok, so it's only unthinkable because this is a family film adaptation rather than a David Attenborough-style documentary.
You get to play as key characters from the film, such as Sid and Buck, although the film's plot has little effect on the gameplay itself. It's predominantly a run-of-the-mill mobile adventure, with plenty of hopping over lava takes and avoiding of airborne pterodactyls, there's a decent amount of variety between the levels. You even get to take to the skies yourself atop a friendly flying dino.
However, accessible as it may seem, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is let down by its controls whenever it tries to turn up the heat. They perform just fine whenever you're roaming around, but when you've got a T-Rex chasing you or are trying to protect a nest from a gang of predators, it all just gets a bit too frustrating as you trip you and are forced to re-play the level for the tenth time.
Yep, the save points really aren't all that generous in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, even though the film's core demographic barely has an age that breaks into double figures. So, when the clumsiness of the controls sees you fail in some vital task, you'll generally have to replay a reasonably chunk of the game too.
In other respects, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a decent film tie-in. It looks just fine, it's got the characters a true Ice Age fan would expect and, at least to start with, is simple enough to play to keep even younglings engaged. Unfortunately, the derailing limitations of the controls turn the game's stumbles into a show-stopping car crash that's likely to see you throwing your phone across the room rather that continuing at a few key points.
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Inspired by the Newage Vision, The NewAge Foundation, organizes Motivational, Spiritual and Leadership Training Seminars and Workshops to facilitate speakers and trainers to reach out to the society. The Foundation also organizes Meditation Camps and Spiritual Retreats, Courses on Tarot, Feng-Shui, I-Ching, Vastu, Aromacology, Energy Healing, Ayurveda and other Alternative healing Methods around India and also promotes Secularism and Global Oneness.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Come join me at Reiki Training By Dr Paula Horan- 2nd Degree Class on The NewAge Foundation
Posted by The NewAge Foundation at 9:20 AM
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Create lyrics explanationSelect some words and click "Explain" button. Then type your knowledge, add image or YouTube video till "Good-o-meter" shows "Cool" or "Awesome!". Publish your explanation with "Explain" button. Get karma points!
2PM – What Time Is It Now lyrics
Yo (yo). Yo, everybody. Listen carefully
What time is it now? I said, what time is it now?
It's time for change, it's time for a new generation
It's time for a new star to shine.
So, what time is it now? What time is it now?
It's 2-P-M. You hear that? I said, it's 2-P-M.
Lyrics taken from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/0-9/2pm/what_time_is_it_now.html


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Watching the women's World Cup (soccer-fûtbol)...always inspires-and reminds how"beauty" includes the top tier female athletes accomplishing incredible feats-
And who- no doubt...over the years-overcame unique obstacles to achieve that level of athleticism.
Whether wearing make-up-or not, hair styles-that are no-fuss short or -pulled up and back in ponytails...differences are visible on the pitch-but we bet one universal action-besides protesting a yellow card=is putting on sunscreen.
Lately-we've been getting mixed messages about what's an effective -safe- full spectrum sunblock (Environmental Working Group-which accesses the effectiveness+ toxicity of ingredients and is ginormously popular---and as subscribers to Consumer Reports-their assessments which rank our preferred mineral "Natural" sunblocks-with eyeball grabbing "Don't Work That Well At All"- as many of the chemical ones tested and even gave the beloved by derm brand EltaMD -spray sunscreen-UV Aero SPF 45 only a "fair"for UVA and "good" for UVB--- HMMMMM).
Basically we want a sunblock that effectively blocks the immediate sunburn-y UVB rays---and also blocks out the long term damaging-and deeper penetrating UVA rays-that shine down all the time-even on cloudy days-and through window glass too...with an accurate rating of SPF30+. Also preferred-lotion or stick...as we feel we breath in the sprays-though acknowledge-they are convenient for outdoors use.
Another Reason To Go Spend The Strong $:
USA and Europe have different requirements (the EU requires broad spectrum sunscreen to provide UVA protection=one third potent- or more- of the SPF value) - AND have different labels-imo it is tougher for a USA consumer to accurately know which sunscreen effectively blocks out those two different sun damaging rays...
AND sunscreens have more sun blocking ingredients that are legal-across the POND or Canada including Mexoryl XL.
One Solution:
We got a chance to chat with Dr. Leslie Baumann recently-who suggested layering sunscreens...something we already do when competing in triathlons where the all sun swim/bike/run courses invite participants to "get the sunburn of their lives."
New Sunscreen:
The multi-tasking Exuviance Sheer Daily Protector Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF PA++++ (this later indicator-designates effective UVA blocking)-which spreads on -slightly tinted- but dries up opaque. It comes in a smartly packaged bottle and is more liquid-y than any sunscreen we've used...and in fact-it needs to be shaken (15 secs) before application. $42 online.
|top twists on/off...shake it up with it on, obvs
The sun-blocking 'active ingredients' are the proven mineral blocks- titanium dioxide 7%, and zinc oxide 6%.
The anti-aging ingredients include Vitamin E and Lactobionic Acid---free radical scavengers which are anti-aging goodies-esp. important given recent scientific research that shows sun damage can occur hours after exposure-and therefore hopefully treated.
Also on board-a potent Green Tea extract and a PHA/Bioniccomplex that prevents the youthful appearance must collagen in the skin from breaking down due to photo-aging.
|we're a tad neater than this but wanted to visually convey the tint/texture
BONUS: Fragrance Free (that means no added fragrance at all to even neutralize the scent), Paraben-Free, and Oil-Free as well as well as non-acnegenic, non-comedogenic-so good for all skin types.
We use this easy to spread on sunscreen- facially-under a BB+ from South Korea we're obsessed with or foundation by our new fav Rouge Bunny. (a later post)
Even with the SPF+ rated BBs or CCs-we don't feel we slather on enough of either to block out the sun...let alone re-apply every two hours like we're supposed to with sunscreen. Does anyone?
Coppertone: When we compete or exercise outdoors---we layer a physical sunblock (Elemental Herbs or Beyond Coastal) over a chemical one from the neck down...and use Coppertone® Water Babies® Pure and Simple Lotion SPF 50 with active ingredients Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5%), Zinc Oxide (14.5%)- it's free of dyes and fragrances which can irritate skin...and is easy to spread on. $9.99 online
PS: Recommended by the Miami based Dr. Baumann -but not tried -yet-the Heliocare supplement.
CODA: We've been reading up on potential damaging effects of exposure to other parts of the solar spectrum-like from man-made lights, blue light rays (HEV) from electronic devices etc. Oh yeah, there's that too. Though we have yet to see a sunscreen pitched for that-just new ingredients hitting the market.
PART FOUR: Long Lasting Eye/Lip Pencils


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Emerald Ash Borer Handiwork, photo by mandj98.
The Emerald Ash Borer information site says:
Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients.
Since its discovery, EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in southeastern Michigan alone, with tens of millions more lost in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Virginia, Ontario, and Quebec. The Michigan Department of Agriculture page on the Emerald Ash Borer explains that the best way to stop the spread of EAB (and to avoid fines ranging from $1,000 to $250,000 and jail time of up to five years) is to not transport firewood. All types of firewood can transport invasive pests other than EAB including Beech Bark Disease, Asian Longhorned Beetle, Sirex Woodwasp, and Gypsy Moth.
This photo is part of James' massive Michigan photo set (slideshow).


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VeriSign and Qualys Announce Strategic Relationship to Deliver Protection Against Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
June 29, 2009 by FindMyHost News · Comments Off on VeriSign and Qualys Announce Strategic Relationship to Deliver Protection Against Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
Webmaster Tools – MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world, and Qualys, Inc., the leading provider of on demand IT security risk and compliance management solutions, today announced a strategic relationship whereby iDefense intelligence is integrated with scanning data from QualysGuard® Vulnerability Management (VM). The integration drives immediate availability of two new services that combine advanced, in-depth security threat intelligence and vulnerability scanning data, which enables enterprises to protect critical IT assets from compromise or attack, particularly against zero-day threats and vulnerabilities. Zero-day threats are exploitable security vulnerabilities in software that are discovered before the software vendor identified them and begun a process for patching.
Through the first of these services, iDefense has made its iDefense Exclusives security vulnerability data available through QualysGuard® VM. Availability of iDefense Exclusives enables Qualys to create scan signatures for zero-day vulnerabilities. This enhancement to QualysGuard VM offers security teams more efficient and accurate risk mitigation capability against zero-day threats and vulnerabilities.


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Saturday, January 19, 2013
Things you'll learn:
1. How the left's railroading hidden bills within others to get them passed.
2. That those we elect have to vote without time to read.
We have to live with this?
And, please, leftwingers...we don't care WHAT you think of Rand Paul; this is important and you just have to get past your Alinsky challenges and try to address THE TOPIC. I would appreciate links showing this happened as often during the Bush administration. If it did, it's WRONG.
33 comments:
- The Question Man said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 19, 2013 at 3:23 AM
There is an agenda to be achieved so there is no time for formalities. Insanity!
- January 19, 2013 at 4:29 AM
- The Question Man said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 19, 2013 at 4:44 AM
- The Question Man said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 19, 2013 at 4:45 AM
- Ducky's here said...
1. How the left's railroading hidden bills within others to get them passed.
2. That those we elect have to vote without time to read.
No, what we will learn is that the fringe right is so naive they don't know that this is how congress works.
Left or right, this is how it has always worked.
So what do we do about it? Do it the Rand Paul way? Take any serious issue, tack on the word "Obamacare" and howl at the moon?
- January 19, 2013 at 5:36 AM
- Ducky's here said...
Question man, do you actually compose that stuff?
Sort of a stream of consciousness (or unconscious in this case) Joycean thing?
- January 19, 2013 at 5:38 AM
- Z said...
Question Man...do you get mad, write comments, then spread them to blogs? You're so wrong and so off topic, I'm not sure what this is...? wow
- January 19, 2013 at 6:58 AM
- Joe said...
Ever since I have been blogging, I have advocated a Constitutional Amendment that restricts a bill to one topic only, no riders, no earmarks, no nothing.
You want a bridge built in your district, Dear Congressman, have the guts to bring it up as a separate bill and vote on it. See how far you get.
"But we'll never get everything done we want done!"
- January 19, 2013 at 7:07 AM
- Z said...
Ducky, that´s clearly not true. Nobody doesn´t know bills have hidden bills inside them so your insult is wasted, but if you watch the videos you could better contribute here. I think Paul has a point....it is just that you can´t allow it to sink in.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:07 AM
I learned that 0bama, Biden and the rest of his comrades are not capable of speaking one word that is true
- January 19, 2013 at 7:13 AM
- Z said...
Mindy, but he looks SO sincere !
i cannot type here today because i cannot figure out how to get the a with an umlaut off of where I should get an apostrophe ...and my y is a z and vice versa...this has happened before and I do not remember how to solve it...my computer helper is in France, so it might be a while before I will be back.
This is not on my email but only here at the blog. I type a y and get a z...I type an apostrophe and get an a with an umlaut over it...man
if anybody can help, please do....I swear the universe is telling me to stop blogging about 1000 times and 1000 ways a day.
Oh my! Why question man just removed his comments is curious. think he realized how uninformed and bigoted he truly sounded..I would type a question mark but I cannot find it.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:21 AM
- Ed Bonderenka said...
Duck: don't conflate that Rand (whom I'm suspicious of) used Obamacare as an example of how bad the process is with his recommendation for fixing the process.
Remember when Obama said all legislation would be on the web for examination before voting?
Hahahahahahahahahhahahaha. O my ribs hurt.
I suspect that porking up was what was wrong with the Sandy Relief legislation, but when the pork was challenged, the challengers were demonized.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:32 AM
This is what I have learned! Liberals are evil and I cannot stand dealing with them any longer.
1. Liberals want to suffocate you with laws and regulations.
2. Liberals care more about the criminals than the victims of crime.
3. Liberals want to imprison someone defending themselves longer than the criminal who commits the crime.
4. Liberals detest free thought and are extremely narrow minded.
5. Liberals want NO ONE to be able to defend themselves with anything.
6. Liberals will lawyer you to death.
7. Liberals hate ALL firearms and guns, stun devices, pepper sprays, knives, any type of self defense.
8. Liberals are extremely stupid and have no desire not to be stupid.
9. Liberals want to trash and burn the U.S. Constitution.
10. Liberals insist that you always be politically correct.
11. Liberals are some of the most intense phonies around.
12. Liberals ONLY respect the 1st. Amendment if only what they want is spoken.
13. Liberals believe that a liberal government knows what is best for you ALWAYS.
14. Liberals would tax you more than any king of the past has ever done.
15. Liberals want everyone to follow every mindless trend or fad.
16. Liberals talk compassion for victims, yet make magnitudes of victims by taking away people's self defense.
17. Liberals are some of the most superficial individuals alive.
18. Liberals want a constitution with one rule, obey the government.
19. Liberals look at life and society through very narrow horse blinders.
20. Liberals have all sorts of ideas to problems that don't work.
21. Liberals would disarm the military protecting the country if they could.
22. Liberals usually have no personalities and bore people to death with meaningless government or legal crap.
23. Liberals blame non-liberals completely for criminals acting the way they do.
24. Liberals are very strong blind conformists.
25. Liberals have a motto; the government and criminals are your friends.
26. Liberals would protect the environment for the speckled flat tailed manure worm over creating 50,000 jobs.
27. Liberals talk about civil rights for everyone, yet try to ban displays of Christmas.
28. Liberals usually have very WHINY voices, always whiny attitudes.
29. Liberals want to force you to purchase ONLY what they deem acceptable.
30. Liberals want to fine you several hundred dollars for not recycling an aluminum can.
31. Liberals will severely mourn the execution of a mass killer much more so than the victims.
32. Liberals use affected catch phases such as 'time out' or 'time in', normally reserved for toddlers, for everyday use with adults.
33. Liberals are massive cowards and admire and look up to the criminals for strength.
34. Liberals have a rule when attacked by a criminal, roll up in a ball and suck your thumb.
35. Liberals want the criminal to sue you if you defend yourself and in any way that hurts the criminal, even emotionally.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:40 AM
36. Liberals insist you hug everyone and touch each other even when you have the flu.
37. Liberals are famous for getting into your face and your space about even trival non-important issues.
38. Liberals want to vaccinate you to death, even against pathogens you are in no danger of catching.
39. Liberals want to outlaw toy plastic guns of all types for children, as they think it teaches them violence.
40. Liberals hate bullies, yet fully encourage the bullying of people by the state if they exercise their freedom of speech too much.
41. Liberals totally hide true violent crime statistics of unarmed population centers.
42. Liberals want all hunting and fishing outlawed.
43. Liberals cannot stand preppers/survivalists, they want EVERYONE to line up in miles long columns of people for fema crumb handouts after disasters.
44. Liberals want everyone to behave and act like insect drones.
45. Liberals classify as any criticism of a race or nationality as a hate crime.
46. Liberals feel more sorry for the serial rapist with AIDS that society did this to, than the rape victims.
47. Liberals are either absolute control freaks or absolute desiring to be absolutely controlled.
48. Liberals want to make people that are mavericks, the criminals of the state.
49. Liberals want you to live and die by the credit card.
50. Liberals have made going into debt into an artfulness.
51. Liberals would rather have cheap Chinese junk than good solid manufacturing jobs in the U.S.
52. Liberals nickel and dime you to death.
53. Liberals have no sense of humor and really only have a good laugh when taxes go up.
54. Liberals get aroused at words like; higher taxes, gun control, more laws, big government, Barack Obama.
55. Liberals are wonderful at censoring anything not liberal.
56. Liberals would make breathing the air a tax, if they could get away with it.
57. Liberals take the fun out of everything.
58. Liberals turn their children into adults with no ambition other than to get as much welfare as possible.
59. Liberals have two favorite occupations; lawyers and tax agents.
60. Liberals have a way overblown opinion of themselves and other fellow liberals.
61. Liberals believe all parts of the gun are evil, not that the criminal is evil, just the gun.
62. Liberals have a deep hatred of anyone that talks about defending themselves against the poor criminals.
63. Liberals truly when they talk, no sense comes out, just noise.
64. Liberals secretly worship karl Marx.
65. Liberals don't leave people alone, they heckle someone until they give in on anything.
66. Liberals would force you to be monitored 24 hours a day, this is their dream.
67. Liberals are masters of making people feel guilty for something that was not their fault and over practically anything else.
68. Liberals override logic, reason, and basic sense with feelings, especially for the criminal.
69. Liberals believe that a criminal has the right to be kept safe anywhere, included inside your home while holding a weapon on your family.
70. Liberals would not come to the rescue of a person being attacked, they would just call 911.
71. Liberals will legally try to loophole you to the ends of the Earth just to prove they are in control.
72. Liberals are the sneakiest characters alive and will lie, and fully believe their lies, to get what they want.
73. Liberals have evil intentions behind those golden words they say that their only want to benefit society.
74. Liberals would amend the freedom of religion right in the Constitution to exclude anything with God in it.
75. Liberals make regular household items into contraband like non-water saving toilets.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:50 AM
- Ed Bonderenka said...
nvnaBTW, what Joe said.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:51 AM
I think you may not have a US keyboard selected in your control panel.
Helper in France? Come on....google a question...or youtube. There's zillions of people that can help.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:51 AM
76. Liberals flood the system with laws and regulations, that a lawyer can't keep up with, so they get to fine as many, ignorance of the law, people as possible.
77. Liberals make people forget about what freedom truly means in liberal strongholds.
78. Liberals attempt to pass laws to make everyone follow the crowd, the herd.
79. Liberals expect you to never question authority or them.
80. Liberals want the police to act like Nazi Gestapo of Soviet KGB to be as menacing as possible to install fear of authority.
81. Liberals have no idea or concept of being fair or what justice really means.
82. Liberals automatically label anyone that comes with a non-conforming idea as a radical conspiracy trouble maker.
83. Liberals can publish the names of honest law abiding gun owners, but would call it a civil rights violation if all welfare recipients' addresses were published.
84. Liberals ultimate tax plan is that you get to keep nothing from your paycheck.
85. Liberals like to blame a certain race for unfair treatment in the distant past of another certain race for why that certain race commits more violent crime now.
86. Liberals want to make cash money illegal, as well as prohibiting owning gold, silver, or any precious metal.
87. Liberals say they can't stand criminal profiling, but certainly do this with anyone that wants to keep their firearms for protection.
88. Liberals will blindly and automatically accept anything written by a professional as fact.
89. Liberals create restaurant police to make sure you can't be served what they deem too much or bad for you.
90. Liberals want to abolish states rights and make everything federal.
91. Liberals are extremely radical when it comes to their idealism and capable of real craziness when someone disturbs a bat cave or some mouse's home.
92. Liberals emphasize words in cutesy manners to make themselves appear less threatening and totally in control.
93. Liberals have little or no morality and behave mostly on animalistic impulses with bizarre weirdness.
94. Liberals want all voting precincts within 500 feet of a welfare office.
95. Liberals will fully support the worst most evil and perverted movies and yet try to take away good honest people's self defense in real life.
96. Liberals will stand on a soap box over the graves of gunshot victims to further their agenda to disarm everyone.
97. Liberals would be the ones that try to force everyone to have a tracking ID chip implanted into everyone's hand or head.
98. Liberals fully believe in equal opportunity employment for everyone, as long as they are fellow liberals.
99. Liberals want to classify and have put into mental institutions anyone and everyone that is not a conformist to the liberal control authority.
100. Liberals have no idea the value of money and will spend themselves, their country, the world into complete despair and utter bankruptcy.
This is but 100. There are thousands of other legitimate reasons why liberals have a true stench about them.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:52 AM
- Ed Bonderenka said...
and of course, some of the captcha phrase worked its way into my comment.
- January 19, 2013 at 7:52 AM
- JonBerg said...
Great post today! I forwarded the video and Anon's list RE: Liberals, to many!
- January 19, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Good News:
From ABCNews
"In Crime, a Remarkable Trend"
"Preliminary FBI data released yesterday indicate a remarkable decline in reported crime in this country – one that, contrary to some expectations, accelerated last year despite the deep recession. If the results hold steady in a final assessment next fall, the violent crime rate will have fallen by 44 percent from its recent peak in 1991.
That's our own figure, based on an extrapolation of the preliminary FBI figures.
It suggests we could see a final estimate next fall of 425 violent crimes per 100,000 people – down from 758 per 100,000 at its recent high 19 years ago, and its lowest since 1973″
- January 19, 2013 at 11:07 AM
Great Britain with a complete self defense ban...is:
2100 per 100,000!
The US is way down the list...European gun crime is higher.
- January 19, 2013 at 11:19 AM
- FreeThinke said...
Joe said:
"Ever since I have been blogging, I have advocated a Constitutional Amendment that restricts a bill to one topic only, no riders, no earmarks, no nothing."
You took the words right out of my head before i could get them down, Joe. ;-)
You have, of course, identified the crux of the problem.
The trouble is that Ducky is right in that this (I've always thought outrageous) way of doing business has been entrenched for a very long time, and is, therefore, accepted as Standard Operating Procedure.
No one in power EVER wants to give up ANY of their power voluntarily, so this Great Flaw in our system is unlikely ever to be corrected.
Now, if we could elect only saints to serve in government ...
Yes, and it would be nice if pigs had wings and hell froze over too, wouldn't it? ;-)
- January 19, 2013 at 11:33 AM
- Waylon said...
I can't believe that there is even a question of passing a bill into law without taking the time to read and debate what is in the bill.
What sort of sane society would even consider enacting laws blindly? Where is this world heading with this sort of insanity coming to the fore? It shouldn't even be a question of right/left, that phony to me. It's just what is expected by any citizen who entrusts an elected official to be in this position.
- January 19, 2013 at 1:02 PM
- Kid said...
Here's a picture of the current presidential and congressional leadership
Rules? screw that! they all say. Rand makes good points then at the end wants to make another rule? :)
There is no one fighting for us. I'll believe in the tooth fairy before I'll believe in this "checks and balances" thing I learned about in school.
It's up to the people, and unfortunately the majority of the voting people support all this.
Trying to get anyone in government to cover for us is a waste of time. Time for plan B.
- January 19, 2013 at 1:14 PM
- Z said...
Kid, what is your PLAN B??
did you hear Obama the other day? I got tears in my eyes as I heard a sitting American president who simply doesn't want half of America's thoughts counted.
THe belittling comments about Conservatives, the nasty digs at FOX when the left is SO far worse in their rhetoric.....the implications...it was so painful. I just can't get used to a schoolyard bully calling us names, \practically, as our leader.
I felt dirty and so sad. just awful
- January 19, 2013 at 1:19 PM
- Kid said...
Z, I won't listen to or watch that POS.
he's an insult to civilized society let alone America. Notice I don't capitalize anything that refers to him.
Plan B. Z, It's a very detailed and complicated plan ! It relies on the element of surprise as well ! I simply can't discuss it with anyone, tho I will need everyone's help. ;-)
- January 19, 2013 at 1:24 PM
looks like you fixed you keyboard / language / regional settings?
Good job.
- January 19, 2013 at 1:29 PM
- Kid said...
Here is a pretty good article I read about obama's "grotesque" use of children discussing such a serious subject as the mass murder of 5-6-7 year old kids and then gun control.
It was very grotesque. How about a meeting on the budget or Iran's nukes - let's get 40 kids and see what they think.
It's all wrong now.
Or How About This biden explaining to the NRA guy that the government can't enforce the laws they have so they must enact more laws. And do it without laughing.
- January 19, 2013 at 1:31 PM
- Z said...
Wow, Kid. It's SO much worse than most of us even think.
And the Republicans are cowed by the media and (I believe) something way bigger than the media to SHUT UP and LET IT ALL HAPPEN.
Won't ONE person "in the know" love this country enough to tell the truth to us all? HOW could this administration get away with so much?????
THe letters by the kids were SO clearly not written by kids but Obama says they were SMART KIDS :-)
I wonder how many black kids attended Sandy Hook in CT, by the way. I remember watching the children leaving the school and the safe house nearby and didn't see one black child but they found one for the stage. Not saying they made him up, but...odd.
Anyway, when the GOP TRIES in the very small ways they have to fight this president back, Axelrod's got such an amazing comeback that Obama parrots that it's positively scary...Axelrod is VERY GOOD. He beats Carville in evil and amazingly convincing belittling remarks...Obama would be nowhere without Axelrod.
- January 19, 2013 at 2:40 PM
- Kid said...
Z, Thoughts:
The repubs are afraid of being tagged racists and have even conceded they must somehow move to the left to gain power again. I noticed a comment by Krauthammer - basically the repubs should wait for socialism to fail then let people see the benefits of conservatism again. That's going to take a while..
I think the repubs should stand down, vote present and announce it weekly. The country voted for this, we won't stand in the way. Let us know how your decision worked out in 4 years. The dems are going to do what they want. the repubs can only take the blame for it if they keep trying to pretend to fight it. Exception for gun controls.
Opus has a great post about guns at her place.
Again, everything obama does is staged and fake. his whole life is fake.
As far as axelrod and others, they are at war with America, they will do or say anything, and they lie 24/7.
How about the lying about the school where obama's kids go being protected by secret service. (Interesting the initials are SS -history rhymes) The fact is that they have and have had 12 private security people and would have them regardless if the POS's kids went there or not.
The NSA's point is valid. obama and many politicians if not all exempt themselves from situations the rest of us have to live with.
You'd think that would even PO the braindead ducks, daves, and libtards but No I guess.
- January 19, 2013 at 2:57 PM
What Obama and his advisers appear to have overlooked is that it doesn't matter one jot what children think of guns, or anything else for that matter: politics is an adult business, and should be shaped by adult arguments, not childish fears.
The use of children to front a potentially big overhaul of Americans' constitutional rights is really about silencing dissent, exploiting the wide-eyed innocence of worried children to try to shame those adults who still dare to say: "But what about my constitutional rights?" Indeed, it is normally only the most censorious, authoritarian regimes or groups that use children to front or follow through political campaigns.
Children are perfect fodder for moralistic political campaigns because they are naturally and naively moralistic, seeing the world in brutally black-and-white terms. That the current campaign to overhaul the Second Amendment now uses children as some of its chief spokespeople is very revealing – it reveals just how cynical and unthinking this campaign is, and that it is driven more by childish fear and simplistic morality than by that old adult pursuit, politics.
- January 19, 2013 at 3:10 PM
What Obama and his advisers appear to have overlooked is that it doesn't matter one jot what children think of guns, or anything else for that matter: politics is an adult business, and should be shaped by adult arguments, not childish fears.
The use of children to front a potentially big overhaul of Americans' constitutional rights is really about silencing dissent, exploiting the wide-eyed innocence of worried children to try to shame those adults who still dare to say: "But what about my constitutional rights?" Indeed, it is normally only the most censorious, authoritarian regimes or groups that use children to front or follow through political campaigns.
Children are perfect fodder for moralistic political campaigns because they are naturally and naively moralistic, seeing the world in brutally black-and-white terms. That the current campaign to overhaul the Second Amendment now uses children as some of its chief spokespeople is very revealing – it reveals just how cynical and unthinking this campaign is, and that it is driven more by childish fear and simplistic morality than by that old adult pursuit, politics.
- January 19, 2013 at 3:11 PM
- Z said...
Anonymous..good points...the left uses kids a lot. I wasn't AS outraged that he used them at that signing, but the more I read Kid and others, and think about it, I think it wasn't right.
Also, can't a PRESIDENT teach children good manners by SHAKING THEIR HANDS instead of walking by "high fiving" them? What a DAMNED JERK.
TEACH THE KIDS...even if you don't know better, Obama.
God, I detest the man...Lord, forgive me.
Kid...of all the times to get a cold and rely on some TV these next two days... and the inauguration's on. I hope there are some really good TCM movies!
Meet The Mess's John Gregory, too, bemoans guns in school, but HIS KIDS' SCHOOL HAS THEM :-)
Michael Moore HATES GUNS but his bodyguard has them. Rosie McD hates guns, but her bodyguards have them. See, apparently, it's okay for THEM to be safe. not US.
- January 19, 2013 at 6:56 PM


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About a decade ago, I went to an independent movie theater in New York City to watch Go Tigers!, a documentary about the people of Massillon, Ohio and their obsession with their high school football team. I thought the film was well done and an interesting look into why anyone would care so much – in many instances, too much – about the exploits of teenagers on the gridiron. Go Tigers! opens in, of all places, a hospital. A woman, who has just given birth to a boy, is visited by a Massillon football coach and a member of the team's booster club. After some idle chit-chat with the post-partum patient, the coach and the booster put a miniature football at the foot of the infant boy's crib. We then learn that every newborn baby boy in Massillon gets a similar visit and a gift of a miniature football. How could you place such expectations on every boy – and the parents of every boy – in your town, I thought. Children should be allowed to discover sports organically, that way they'll only play or watch if they truly love the game.
In June, 2010, my girlfriend and I welcomed Elena into our lives. The first child for both of us, we were excited to meet the young lady who'd been hanging out in my girlfriend's womb for over nine months (Elena apparently enjoyed that womb immensely – labor had to be induced to coax her from her cocoon). Now, at almost 14 months old, we're still learning about Elena's personality and her likes and dislikes, a process that will continue for as long as we're alive. We're also getting a better idea of how Elena will look as she gets older. Her height and weight, relative to her age, have been in the highest percentiles since she was born. One of the delivery room nurses mentioned that Elena's femur, or thigh bone, was longer than the average newborn's, which means she will likely be tall. Myself and many others have noticed that Elena's feet are rather big in proportion to the rest of her body. So, preliminary signs point to Elena developing into a tall female. Elena also sucked the thumb on both her left and right hands her first few months, causing my girlfriend and I wonder if Elena is ambidextrous (now she rarely sucks her thumb and, when she does, it's almost always the right thumb). Elena was just two months old when I sent the following text message to one of my friends:
"I'm going to have to teach her how to dribble and shoot with both hands."
I was half-joking. But, I started to wonder, how serious was my other half? Was I already placing unreasonable expectations on her? Whatever happened to letting my child's interest in sports develop organically? She may not even like sports, let alone basketball.
That last thought bothered me the most. I love sports. Heck, I talk about sports for a living. How in the world could I possibly have a child who doesn't like sports? As she grows up, I want Elena to enjoy reading. I want her to be interested in and cognizant of the world around her. I want her to be respectful of others and to always say "please" and "thank you" at the appropriate times. I want her to speak clearly and confidently. But, I also want her to enjoy sports. I want her to play sports, preferably ones I know well, like basketball, or baseball, or softball, so I can teach her the fundamentals and basic ins and outs of the game. The title of this post is derived from something I recently told my girlfriend; I don't want my daughter to throw like a stereotypical girl. I want to teach Elena how to properly cock her arm back, elbow up, and throw a ball straight and with the proper amount of strength. I want her to enjoy watching sports, preferably sports I enjoy, like baseball, basketball and football. I want us to be able to share sports and to be able to talk about sports, just like I did – and still do – with my parents.
The fact Elena is a female doesn't change my desire for her to like sports one bit. My mother is a big fan of the NBA and of tennis, capable of breaking the strengths and weaknesses of players and teams down to the smallest detail. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve my mother and basketball – watching the New York Knicks' deep playoff runs in the early 90s, going to Knicks and New Jersey Nets games at Madison Square Garden and Continental Airlines Arena, respectively. I've also been the play-by-play voice for a few different women's college basketball teams. Getting to know the female players and mostly female coaches on a personal level and watching them perform up close has given me a tremendous appreciation of the skill and artistry possessed by females in athletics. I also know women are capable of being talented athletes and/or avid sports fans while retaining their femininity, if they so choose. So, the idea that Elena is given a pass regarding sports because of her gender doesn't wash with me.
Although my girlfriend has gotten more interested in and become more knowledgeable about sports in our nearly five years together – largely because she's with someone whose personal and professional life revolves around them – she didn't play sports growing up and readily concedes she's unathletic. As a result, fairly or unfairly, I've placed the burden of molding Elena into a sports lover squarely on my shoulders. However, I don't want to be overbearing. Many people are turned off by specific sports or by sports in general because they were force-fed them growing up, definitely a fate I don't want Elena to suffer. So, how can I strike the right balance?
Recently, I discovered Elena likes my basketball. One day, I put it in her lap while she was in her car seat. She carefully ran her tiny fingers along its grainy texture and succeeded in pushing it with both hands. One day at the park, I gave her the basketball, sat across from her and tried to get her to roll it to me. Elena didn't quite understand what I wanted her to do, choosing to keep the ball instead. I'm going to get her a smaller ball that may be easier for her to roll and work on getting her to push it back and forth with me. Once she masters that and also masters walking, maybe I'll try to get her to bounce the ball with two hands, and then with one hand.
Since I work most evenings, I'm rarely home to put Elena to bed. My girlfriend usually sings a song to Elena as she lays her down in her crib and she recently wondered why I didn't do the same the handful of nights I put her down. The only song I could think of that a) is appropriate to sing to a baby, b) I know all of the words to and c) I can sing reasonably well with my terrible singing voice is Take Me Out to the Ballgame, the baseball standard. After I read her a bedtime story, I begin singing as I pick her up and continue the song once I put her down, usually singing it twice. I even got Elena a children's book that includes the words to the entire song (Take Me Out to the Ballgame actually has two verses and a chorus; the part that's usually sung – and the part I've been singing to Elena – is the chorus). I really hope it's one of the first songs she learns all of the words to and is able to sing herself.
By exposing her to a basketball and to Take Me Out to the Ballgame, I'm slowly indoctrinating Elena into the world of sports. How much more I intentionally expose her to will depend on how her interests develop. Maybe she'll never appreciate sports in the same fashion I do, but I want her to understand how important sports are to me and that they can be fun to play and follow. One day, she may fall asleep with a football (or a baseball, basketball, tennis ball or volleyball) at the foot of her bed; I just don't want to be the one who forced her to put it there.Follow @raford3


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When taking an organisation that has absolutely no concept of what lean or even "best practice operations" is, where do you start? For the record I like to call these types of organisations "Germans". I am joking of course (not much). The most challenging organisations I have worked have been German and Chinese. German organisations are fairly typical in my experience of being extremely ERP (read: SAP) orientated with very complex planning systems that never seem to reflect the reality of what is going on in production. They then spend all their time "managing" the difference and not really understanding what went wrong. Back to my original question, where do you start if this is the case for you? Or as a consultant you are called into start a "lean transformation" or something like that?
There are as many answers to this question as there are lean consultants in the world. Let us explore some of the more popular ones.
- Understand your value streams first. We can call this the Womack approach. From what I have read and have heard this is the LEI general way to go about creating a lean transformation. I have never been able to convince a company to take this approach of identifying value streams, asserting management of the value streams and then driving those horizontally across the organisation. It is too big a pill to swallow at the beginning. I cannot help but think that if you could, it would be the most successful way to start.
- Map your processes. Now, some might say this is the same as above. But it is not. Processes and value streams do not correlate well with one another. This could go back into the age old argument of what came first the process or the value stream but I need to finish that off with Melvin before writing about it. (Melvin is my fascinatingly geeky American friend). So map your processes, then start to understand where they are going wrong. Work to make them more reliable (less output variation = better quality), available (better PTU) etc. Sounds like it could be sensible approach doesn't it. The issue here is that you are completely ignoring how productive you are and what value there is being produced. You will become obsessed with perfecting your processes very quickly without considering what is outside.
- Start small, show an example of good practice and then spread. I used to do this. This was my preferred method and I have had some success with it as well. For example, I had a supplier who was just in chaos. They worked hard but definitely not smart. The first thing that struck you when you visited was what a mess the place was. They said this was a consequence of their work. I disagreed. I showed them pictures and video of other production environments in far dirtier industries and then I went through the theory, application and positive results of implementing 5S. They seemed to be pretty convinced but wanted to pilot it first. So we took one small area of the factory where my parts were made and we implemented 5S in that area. We ensured that the senior management understood what good should look like and set up and auditing system for the MD daily. Everyday he went down and asked questions of what they were doing. Within a week the guys in the area next to it had got jealous of the attention and quality of the workspace that they started doing it themselves. Within 6 months the entire factory had gone through a 5S transformation and the SAP system could show the increase in productivity that had been achieved. Now this was not world class levels of 5S, it was more just cleaning stuff and applying labels but it showed how things can easily improve with the right attention. I am not advocating this method. Just putting it forward as an option. The downside of this is that it is rarely sustained well and only usually impacts small areas at a time leaving the big gains untouched.
- Educate all management levels on lean. This one I like. One of the barriers to lean implementation (I would rather call it a lean organisation), is that a lot of people do not believe in it. Once they really see it working in a good way they usually get it but then they can find it hard to apply the principles to their own area. A recommended way to start then is by educating all management levels, together, about lean. Why is lean used, why it is beneficial and how to understand what value streams etc are. You then look to the organisation itself to take the principles and apply them directly led internally. I can only think that this is probably the most painful way to start the lean journey but as long as management remain committed the business case will come as the improvements develop. I have not seen this approach ever proposed or used however. Why? I don't know honestly.
So that is just some thoughts from me on how to start a lean journey. Please note the journey never ends so you need to be very committed. I look forward to your comments!
3 thoughts on "Where to start being lean. The real lean startup?"
For what my comments are worth, I was worried where you were going until I got to the last one! Completely agree that educating at the top is where it should really start.
Mapping is all too often seen as a theoretical exercise and even if done well, implementing real and lasting change off the back of it rare: "Map our processes? We're too busy doing real work!"
Pilot areas have their challenges too, often championed by a local enlightened soul, and unable to get the cultural changes across an organisation needed to make the transformation permanent.
So I definitely see "The Top" as the best place to start (we could call it 'leadership'). Why is it so rare in pracitce? For what it's worth, I believe the problem is that a real lean transformation, whilst effective, takes too long and is too ethereal for management who have quarterly targets to achieve, and that this attitude trickles down… "5S? Who cares if the tools are back in the right place, get the plant up and running again!"
How can we get top management to put aside the short term and *lead* the long term transformation???
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So, on Tues C got the call for the payment and has been getting updates since as to the progress of our applications. Was told they were dispatched yesterday so was expecting a knock at the door today and lo and behold at 9am they arrived!
Will be getting the plane tickets later today too which only leaves our coach tickets to London and the overnight hotel stay to be bought. It all feels so much more real now. Funny really, as we have been planning this for some time but even so the reality of our move just caught up with me as the postman handed over our passports. We're actually doing this.
In other news, I got K's eyes tested recently after a mother at K's nursery handed me a flyer about the importance of testing children's eyes early on - they can be tested from the age of 2 which can be helpful in aiding their learning as if left it won't get detected until they reach school age. I'd been planning to as poor eyesight runs in the family (I've had glasses since I was 5) but it spurred me on and he does need glasses. We just picked them up yesterday, pretty nifty Lego themed frames and so am now slowly trying to introduce periods of wearing them. He is doing well so far.
I would stress the importance of getting your children's eyes tested early on, even if you don't think they are needed, children get free eyetests and glasses up until the age of 16 here in the UK so it won't even cost you anything. K showed no signs of needing them as he is long sighted and I was only really looking for signs of short sightedness as that is what runs in the family. It could make a big difference!
We went to Puxton Park on Mon which is near Weston Super Mare and had a really lovely family day out. Have also enjoyed a few more canal walks and are heading down to Cornwall next weekend to visit some family which should be fun with a possible overnight camping trip on the way home with some friends.
We are enjoying the beautiful weather although knowing how much sun we will soon be living with makes me much less inclined to go out in the middle of the day and have so far avoided getting burnt.
So with just 7 weeks exactly until we leave for London, we are getting more things done and the flat is emptying even more. It is still a fun process and a very spiritually cleansing exercise in letting go. Bittersweet but full or promise of things to come.


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