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Sunday, May 17, 2009
Home Again
Well, we arrived home yesterday (Sat), tired but both excited about the trip we had just completed and always excited about getting home as well. Our Trip took us to some wonderful places. We love the Finger Lakes area of upstate NY, we were surprised by the quality of the wines. Even though we had been to Niagara Falls before, it remains one of our favorite places. It was our first visit to Niagara on the Lake, and we loved and will recommend it to our friends as it was recommended to us. The Highlight of the trip was definitely Kentucky with both the Kentucky Horse Park, and spending a day at Churchill Downs. We would love to go back there for the Derby one year. Now that we are home, we are already planning our next road trip which will be about twice as long and take us to the West Coast and Yellowstone among other places. After roughly 3500 miles and 15 states and Canada, we are ready to do it again. We will keep you all informed.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 7:56 PM No comments:
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A day of Driving and visiting
We drove quite a bit today passing through several states to see and old friend who lives in Sun City near Hilton Head, SC. We had a nice visit with Bob and seen his lovely home which his wife Kay has put a wonderful stamp on with her tea cup collection. We also seen Bob's home workshop which is extensive and he does all of his work with only one good arm. We were definitely impressed. It was good to see Bob again and hope we can visit with him and Kay again soon.
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Bourbon Trail
Well, yesterday was another day in Kentucky and a fun one. We started out on the Bourbon Trail. The Bourbon Trail is a list of seven bourbon distilleries that offer tours and tasting. Well, we went to five of them including, Four Roses, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill and our favorite tour, Makers Mark. We found out that to be a bourbon, the mix has to include at least 51% corn, after that they can use most anything they want with most using some type of wheat or barley. After going through the distilleries we spent the rest of the day smelling the mash wherever we went, but finally by the end of the day when we arrived in Tn it finally subsided. We tasted a bourbon at Makers Mark that was especially good the they make only at Kentucky Derby time, called Makers Mint Julep ....yum yum. Well, tomorrow we start for home, but we are going to swing over to Hilton Head SC to stop and see Bob Clark, an old friend, then homebound by Saturday.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 6:32 AM No comments:
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Churchill Downs
What a marvelous day we had today. We spent the day at Churchill Downs. First of all there was almost no one there, so that made it very nice. And what an inexpensive day it turned out to be. First the parking was free, and the entrance fee for seniors is only one dollar. I did buy a program for two dollars and enjoyed the day only making four bets, I wound up loosing $1.40, not bad. Judy and I not really being gamblers were there to enjoy the atmosphere and the surroundings. We both were able to get great photos and again able to get up close and personal with the horses and jockeys. Very few of the favorites won the races today, a lot of underdogs came through to win. We would love to come back here for the Kentucky Derby one day. Judy even got good luck beads because it was our first time here, dang, they didn't work. We are staying in Albany, Indiana tonight which is right outside of Louisville where Judy is working hard on our schedule for tomorrow......"The Bourbon Trail"
Posted by Judy & Jim at 7:25 AM No comments:
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Kentucky Horse Park
Wow, that kind of explains our day at the Kentucky Horse Park. Today we got to get up close and personal with Kentucky Derby Winners, Preakness Winners and some of the most famous horses of recent times. We started our day with a Horse Farm Tour that took us to three operating horse farms. First they were all extremely beautiful with horse barns that look like fabulous houses and just as clean. Our first stop was a breeding farm where high priced stud horses do their work. We seen horses with $75000 stud fees and being used two and three times a day. We then went to another stud farm that was even larger than the first and where we seen all the tools of the trade, ask me about the Gigolo sometime. Next we went to a farm that housed the pregnant mares and the new colts where the youngest colt we seen was ten days old. After all that we returned to the Park where they have 50 different breeds of horses from around the world as well as several museums. A couple of amazing facts about "Man of War". His stride was 28 feet long, much longer than most horses, Secretariat for example was four feet shorter. Man of War was only beaten once in his career, but a horse called "Upset", Ironic isn't it.
We took a ride on a horse pulled trolley, went to the Horse Hall of Fame show, the all breeds show and did a lot of walking around through museums and halls. We would recommend this as a destination vacation, because it is fabulous.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 6:50 AM No comments:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
West Virginia to Kentucky
Well, today was a day that we kind of just drove. We left mid morning and started for Lexington, Kentucky. The drive through West Virginia was very nice. The scenery was very nice, we were driving through mountains and rolling hills covered with trees in every shade of green, the traffic was light and the drive was enjoyable. We Stopped in Charleston, and took pictures of the Capitol building and in Weston for a picture as well. We arrived in Lexington in late afternoon and we are looking forward to tomorrow and the Horse Farm Tour and the Horse Farm Park.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 6:18 AM No comments:
Monday, May 11, 2009
We left Niagara Falls this morning and started toward West Virginia. Judy who is so good at finding places for us to see, found a place for us to go in Pittsburgh, the Duquesne Incline. This cable car railroad system was built in 1877 and one of the top attractions in Pittsburgh and rated one of the most romantic attractions in the country. I am not sure why, but it was a fun ride to the top where we were able to get great pictures of the city and its rivers. After the ride we headed toward West Virginia where we will spent the night in Morgantown. Tomorrow we already have places to see in West Virginia.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 7:00 AM No comments:
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Niagara on the Lake and Maid of the Mist
What a full and wonderful day this has been. We crossed the border into Canada today with no problems and headed to Niagara on the Lake. Niagara on the lake is a small quaint community that is called the quaintest town in Canada and we have to agree. The town is adorned with spring flowers this time of the year and is filled with great shops and places to eat. We walked around for a couple of hours, took a lot of great pictures and headed back to Niagara Falls, but not before stopping at a winery for some wine tasting. We both commented that there seems to be more vineyards in this part of Ontario than we seen in New York. The wine was good and we headed back to the States side to again go on the Maid of the Mist. The wind today was in excess of 50-60 mph in gusts so part of the big observation tower was closed. The boats were running so we boarded the boat and headed to Horseshoe Falls, with the mist and the wind blowing, it was quite an experience, but one we wouldn't have missed for anything. We did get wet, but it was sure fun. Tomorrow we are heading towards Kentucky with a stop in West Virginia.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 7:15 AM No comments:
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Niagara Falls
We left Watkins Glen this morning and stopped at four wineries for a little more tasting and had a great lunch at one of them then headed for Niagara Falls. We checked into our hotel about 3 PM and then drove down to goats island and walked around. The falls are absolutely outstanding, even tho we have been here before, their magnificence will blow you away. I have already forgotten how many gallons a minute go over the falls, but will write it down next time and let you know. We were back to the hotel early (I think the wine finally caught up to us) and will be getting up early and heading to Canada and Niagara on the Lake which we have been told is one of the quaintest little towns they have ever seen. After Niagara on the lake, more of the falls and tomorrow night when they light them up, we will be watching.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 7:42 AM No comments:
Friday, May 8, 2009
Another Day of Wine Tasting
What a wonderful day of wine tasting we had. We tasted wine at nine wineries today. OK, So that is a lot, but we tasted normally only a couple at each winery and Judy being the designated driver was very careful. Of course we stopped for a long lunch overlooking Seneca Lake. First let me talk about the wine. The Riesling here are exceptional with most wineries specializing in that variety. We also found some nice chardonnays and some other sweet wines that were quite good. The people in the tasting rooms were well versed in wine and were extremely engaging and interesting. Now about the area that we are visiting is outstanding. Seneca Lake is beautiful and of course being the spring of the year a lot of the plants are just blooming making the area even more interesting. We are looking forward to another day here then we will be on our way to Niagara Falls.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 7:34 AM No comments:
Thursday, May 7, 2009
We bought our first Wine
We left Staten Island early this morning and had a beautiful drive to Watkins Glenn, NY. The drive was in low overcast clouds but that seemed to make the Poconos in PA even more intriguing. When we arrived in Watkins Glen we went to the local chamber of commerce and got some information but more importantly pointed us to the local wine association offices where we bought a Riesling pass ( for $12) which allows us to taste wine at 27 different wineries. Now I know we will not go to that many wineries but it will still be cheaper than paying for tasting at each one we go to. We had some time today so before we checked into our motel we stopped at two wineries and of course this time of the year we were the only tasters there. We tasted some good wines at both and decided to buy one for the road. We won't do this often, heck how many bottles can you get in an already full trunk. Tomorrow we will visit more wineries, with Judy taking it easy and being the designated driver. If you click on the link to the right that says pictures from this trip you will see many more pictures from this trip and we upload more every day.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 7:03 AM No comments:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Staten Island
We left Steve's this morning after a wonderful stay. Steve and Patty are wonderful hosts and of course it was wonderful to see Mike and Matt and Matt's girlfriend Christina. Wonderful food was eaten, great games of cribbage played and the conversations were wonderful. We arrived in Staten Island with no traffic problems and registered at our normal motel (the Hampton Inn). About 5 we went over to Judy's brother Eddie and his wife Carol, with daughter Kim arriving in a few minutes. It was nice to see them again and then we headed off to a great local German restaurant where we had some great food, maybe too much Riesling and apple snaps, we are back at the hotel ready to start our adventure into the NY wine country tomorrow.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 8:27 AM No comments:
Monday, May 4, 2009
Celebration at Steves
Well, today was a day where Patti cooked delicious goodies and a lot of Matt's friends came to celebrate with him. Plans were for an outdoor grilling and party, but the rain drove it all inside except for Steve in the drizzle grilling the brats and burgers. Matt has some wonderful friends and it was a fun day, but another of those lousy days of cribbage for me, oh well, there is another day tomorrow and maybe my luck will change.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 5:03 PM No comments:
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Matts Graduation
Today was the big day for Matt, his college graduation. A big day for Steve & Patti too, two kids through college with Mike having graduated two years ago. The weather was tolerable, with umbrellas popping up with each brief drizzle, but the speakers kept it nice and short and a great time was had by not only the graduates but all the guests as well. Matt majored in Business which seemed to be one of the largest groups of the 1800 graduates. One thing a person can always be sure of when visiting Patti, lots of great food, and today was no exception. We even started dinner with a little champagne and a nice toast to Mike and Matt. Oh, by the way, everybody beat up on me in cribbage today, so tomorrow, REVENGE TIME.
Arriving at Steve & Patti's
We were up early this morning to be sure and get started before the construction started near Rocky Mount. thank goodness we missed it all. The drive thru Washington DC was effortless even though we upset Jill (our GPS) by going a different way than we wanted. But after a couple of "recalculating" she guided us the rest of the way to West Chester, Pa. A lot of cribbage was played today, with me being able to beat everyone but the ladies who continually beat up on me. Tomorrow morning it is Matt's college graduation, and our wish now is "PLEASE NO RAIN" Then probably more cribbage.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 8:13 AM No comments:
The Road to Rocky Mount
The longest day for us on any road trip is always the first and today was no exception. As always it took us three hours to get our of Florida and having driven this road often it is usually a very boring easy trip. Today we drove over 600 miles before our stop in Rocky Mount. One of the things that we have always noted on this drive is as soon as we reached the South Carolina border we keep seeing billboards for South of the Border. South of the Border is a shopping area in SC just south of the NC border. The have literally hundreds for billboards along the interstate all across SC, some of them rather funny, so this time I took a picture or two of the billboards, Yes the first day out can be kind of boring. Tomorrow, Steve & Patti's and some cribbage.
Posted by Judy & Jim at 8:12 AM No comments:
Our First 2009 Road Trip
We enjoyed our Road trips two years ago, so we decided that 2009 would be the year of another two road trips. The first one will take us to our grandsons Matt's college graduation, then into Staten Island, NY to visit Judy's Brother and family. Then we will go into Manhattan for a couple of days to get our theater fix. Then we will head to the Finger Lakes Area of upstate New York to visit some wineries then onto Niagara Falls (again) and Niagara on the Lake. After we get our fill of Niagara Falls we will travel through West Virginia to Louisville to visit Louisville Downs. Then another fun part, we will visit bourbon distilleries by taking the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky and then eventually home.So we are busy packing the car, programming our GPS (We have a new one called Jill). Judy had the trip all planned on Microsoft Streets and Trips, so we have a pretty good idea of our agenda. Again we will keep a running journal on here for our friends and family
Posted by Judy & Jim at 8:10 AM No comments:
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Here are pictures of the baby blanket I am currently working on. It was unfortunately for a shower that was this past Saturday. I severely underestimated how long the crocheted edging would take. When Friday night came up, I knew I wasn't even going to come close to finish so I called in reinforcements. Luckily my best friend, Jessi, was home from med school that weekend. She is the one that taught me how to knit, so I knew we would get some serious work done. At 3am we decided it was time to call it quits. I ended up staying up till 5 because I thought that I could still get it done. I am sure we have all been at that point where you are just desperate for a project to just be finished.
Sadly, I went to the shower with the half finished blanket. The proud parents still loved it. I was just disappointed in myself for having poor time management skills with this project.
Current status on the blanket: unfinished.

subset: commoncrawl


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This last weekend a couple of my favorite blogs featured potatoes... ZestyCook...For the Love of Cooking. These blogs gave me a hankering for my Fiery Potatoes.
There is a fun little Tibetan restaurant in Salt Lake called, 'House of Tibet.' I have been eating there since I was in high school. They have a GREAT lunch time buffet that you can taste each of their fabulous, flavorful dishes. One of my favorites after their noodles with cabbage are the spicy potatoes.
I bought my office dinner from House of Tibet and every LOVED their potatoes. One of my co-workers loved the potatoes so much he went online and found a recipe similar to what House of Tibet serves. I have modified the recipe he found as I didn't feel it used enough seasoning as the original recipe called for.
Life My Fire! Potatoes:
3 large garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons pepper sauce
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 medium russet potatoes (scrubbed and cut into 1 -inch chunks)
Notice from my picture I didn't include the garlic...yes, I forgot to add the garlic to the potatoes...they still turned out just as fabulous!
Preheat oven to 500 F.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl...you can do this on the cookie sheet you intend to bake them on...but I find it is easier to do it in a bowl. Toss and coat evenly. Place coated potatoes on a cooking sheet in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove, scraping bottom while stirring to expose uncooked potato.Return to oven and continue to roast an additional 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with fork.
Talk about comfort food! These potatoes can mend ANY bad day! I love that they are spicy and baked!


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Now look at the rules that were set for us:
The rules are:
*No shopping in any store-Micheal's, AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, Archivers, and etc.
*No online shopping
*No window shopping
*No HSN shopping
ONLY USE WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR SUPPLIES!!!!!Ok the challenge starts today. If you want to participate and you are not a member of SOC you can check in here with a comment and we can inspire each other. You can start anytime I'm starting today. Come on you can do it or we can do it.


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if the rainbow of gorgeous leathers above didn't get your attention, then watch the following video, and then join me for a tour of of the w. schillig USA furniture showroom (in the 220 elm bldg) during april's spring high point market! (yup, two months later, i'm finally getting a chance to do a market recap post!)
|sturdy, yet comfortable! the curved end cushions hugged me and didn't want to let me go... (and thanks to material girl jill seidner for taking some the pictures for this post!)
|i am cracking up here because there is a hidden button in the seams of the sofa cushions that controls the foot and headrests- i told you, this is german engineering at it finest!
|yes, electronic controls mean the sofa needs electricity to be used, but you can still float schilling's pieces in the middle of the room because they are offered with battery packs, which are charged via this sleek lil chrome outlet. hawt.
|all the visible working parts are chrome-plated and beautiful no ugly clunky black metal mechanisms that should be kept hidden at schillig!
|what is kept hidden is the amazing engineering inside every cushion....
|even the top stitching is precise
|just because it's well engineered, doesn't mean it's not stylish either. love the chanel inspired stitching on this sofa.
|stylish, yet still precise.
|not everything in the showroom is
|also loved these rocking chaises- available in single, double and triple seaters.
|another piece that caught my eye was this bed with movable headboards, because sometimes you just have to float a bed in a room, and this will allow it to be done stylishly (and with versatility).
|and how about this sectional which converts into a bed- or is it a bed that converts to a sectional?
|whichever it is, it coverts hands free ,as david kicked it into shape!
|and yes, i heard my mom yelling again- "don't kick the furniture!" ;-)


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One Senator, Michael Bennet (D) of Colorado was not to happy to see his constituents. They showed up at his Hart Office building office asking to meet with the Senator in his Hart Senate Office building. Instead of a meeting with the Senator, they got a meeting with the Capitol Police The protesters were arrested about 10 a.m. were charged with unlawful entry, a Capitol Police spokeswoman said.
Read it all here.


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Back to ComicCon- When I heard that Erin Gray (from "Buck Rogers" and "Silver Spoons" among other things) was going to be signing autographs at ComicCon, I knew I wanted to go. It took me about ten minutes to get up enough courage to talk to her. (I was a very shy kid, too). But I'm glad I did. She was very gracious and easy to talk to. In fact, I realized later that she had tricked me- she made me talk more about myself than about her. She seems to be a great person and I enjoyed meeting her very much. This photo was taken at our meeting.
Erin was back at ComicCon this year, along with Gil Gerard, Margot Kidder and several other celebrities in the autograph section. I couldn't be there, but if I do get lucky enough to go again, I'd definitely like to talk to Erin. Here's to hoping we meet again!
MARA JADE, DANCING GIRL: I must confess that I haven't read many of the Star Wars novels. That's a shame, because I understand that many of them are quite good. I have picked up a few things here and there, however. I at least have heard of the name "Mara Jade." She was "recruited" by the Emperor to kill Luke Skywalker. She didn't, but her story doesn't end there. She eventually marries Luke! I won't give anything more away, but you can peek online to find more information on her. I mention her because I recently became aware of a photo of Mara Jade that stopped me in my tracks. It's this one:
Holy. . .she was a dancing girl for Jabba the Hutt? She apparently disguised herself as a dancing girl in an effort to kill Luke. Unfortunately, she was not aboard the sail barge that took Luke & company to the Sarlacc pit, so her attempt to kill Luke failed that time. But wow! I suddenly have gained a little more interest in this person. I guess I just have a thing for dancing girls.
More about Mara here:
TALK ABOUT A COMEBACK: It was at least five years ago, as I was driving to work, that I heard on the radio that Hope Sandoval, the lead singer for Mazzy Star, had died. It was sad news, as I enjoyed some of Mazzy Star's work, most notably the song "Fade into you." I was sorry that she wouldn't be putting out any more albums. So perhaps you can imagine my surprise when I heard that she had made a new album and was planning a tour! Youch! I'm so glad the radio DJ was wrong. But why was he wrong? I can only think of three reasons:
1. The DJ was somehow given incorrect information.
2. The DJ was an a***ole
3. It was April Fool's Day.
Anyway, I'm glad she's still around. I would recommend the song "Fade Into You" if you're into that download sort of thing.


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Wade is Mr. Foodie now, he loves almost everything he has tried, thankfully. We did start with cereals - brown rice and oatmeal at 4 months and he took to those just great.
As far as "real food" goes, he has tried: apples, bananas, apricots, mango, kiwi, cantaloupe, butternut and acorn squashes, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, avocado, and, of course, the infamous puffs (which Nathan calls "huffs"). The only thing he has not been a fan of is the avocado, which totally surprised me. I have been making most of the food and have become a HUGE fan of the Magic Bullet - makes whipping up some food a breeze.


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After going to church and spending some time in Provo, we drove up to see my dad for dinner on Father's Day. I am so grateful to have such amazing fathers in my life. My dad, my father-in-law, and my husband have all influenced my life in one way or another. I am grateful for the way they all honor the priesthood they hold and how they lead and guide their families in righteousness. I have to say, Father's Day has become much more meaningful now that I have a child and have seen what an amazing father Devin is for Braden. He has always been so involved in everything and has made it very clear to me that our family is his top priority. I loved how often he would check up on me while he was on volleyball trips to ask about Braden. He cared about all the little details about Braden's life. I love that! With all he had on his mind on those trips, it meant so much to know that he still cared enough to ask about how Braden was doing. I am so grateful for Devin and for what an amazing father he is!
Braden is sporting his new pirate summer jammies from Grandma. He loves them!
My beautiful parents
These two are buddies. Braden just lights up when he's around Grandpa!
I had to include this one because it looks like Braden is getting a talking to from Devin :)
We were missing the other siblings! Can't wait for the family reunion in July!
I know it wasn't Mother's Day, but I had to throw this one in also. Isn't she stunning??


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Ok things must have been very strange in the office today - since this was another email from the girls. Either that or they wanted to let me know that THEY had found a way to cope with the upcoming "day to day" and didn't want me to be left out.
I am passing this on to you because it definitely works and we
could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following
simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner
peace. Dr Phil proclaimed, 'The way to achieve inner peace is to
finish all the things you have started and have never finished.'
I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't
finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished a
bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's
Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the remainder of
my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos,
and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I
feel right now.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Posted by Kat @ Inspiration CAN be Found Everywhere at 5:56 PM
Labels: Funnies
2 comments:
- annie kelleher said...
i love that joke!!!!!
- January 20, 2009 at 10:36 PM
- Bonnie said...
I loved it too. Hello Kat. I found you by way of Annie Kelleher. What great blogs. Do you mind if I add you to my sidebar? Thanks.
- January 21, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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I thought I have seen it all.
sling Note is what makes the iPad computing experience so unique and magical.
Lassoing web clippings and dragging them over to a basket or notepad really works and is so intuitive!
The free hand ink tool could use a bit more smoothing and undo and redo would be enhancements, but I have to give a 5 star because the idea and implementation is so brilliant.
Just buy it before this hits the top ten and gets popular in price.
Mobile Buster really has something here. Just check out the video.


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Mainly this reflected Internet Explorer use - 577 million users were not using the most secure version of the browser - largely represented by those using Internet Explorer 6 (rather than upgrading to IE7, which was released in October 2006).
My agency also still uses Internet Explorer 6 as our default web browser.
Fortunately, as a large organisation. we do not rely on our web browser to provide network security. Our IT professionals employ a series of firewalls and other safeguards to mitigate the risks in using an older and more vulnerable browser.
However the majority of our customers do not have access to this level of IT skills and resources.
Home users either do not use firewalls, or rely on either the basic Windows firewall or one that came with their modem. Sometimes there isn't a robust anti-virus product in use either.
Based on our website statistics, about 27% of visitors still use Internet Explorer 6 and another 3-4% use old versions of other web browsers.
This means that more than 30% of our website users are more vulnerable to security risks than they need to be.
My question is, what is our agency's duty of care towards these people - 0ur customers?
I've identified the following options.
- No duty of care - it's a jungle out there, our job is to deliver government services not take on responsibility for the web browser choice of our customers.
- Warn - we should actively let people know that they should use the most current version of their web browser to protect their own security, but take no action to enforce the use of current browsers.
- Warn and inform - we should both actively warn people and show them visibly when they are not using the most secure version of a web browser, with a path to upgrade if they choose.
- Warn, show and take action - we should first warn and then block anyone not using the most secure browser versions, forcing our customers to upgrade.
Which is the best option?
I tend to disregard the first option - doing nothing is a poor solution when customer security is at risk.
The last option, take action, is a dangerous path to walk. For customers accessing our sites from within corporate environments there is generally no option to upgrade their browser. Forcing an upgrade would simply stop the sites being usable for these people - including our own staff (who use IE6).
We currently apply the second option - telling people they should use the most secure web browser, but stopping short of telling them whether they are using the most secure version. The shortcoming here is that many people do not know how to check if their web browser is the most current version, so may place themselves at risk unknowingly.
The third option - warn and inform
The report from Google recommends the third option - both warning the customer about the risk and telling them whether they are using the most secure version - with a path to upgrade if needed.
This approach is the most satisfying for me. It covers the duty of care I feel our agency has and supports customers who are not technically literate.
Which approach does your organisation take, and why?


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So what I'd like from every single one of my adoring fans (and even those who only read this to see what heresies I'm currently exploring!) is a description of how God speaks to you - personally.
I don't want biblical answers, scriptures or things the church have told you, I want to know how He speaks to your heart, how you "hear His voice". I'd love to hear whatever it is you want to share.
I won't be quoting anyone anywhere and it will be used purely for my research. You can comment here, Facebook me if you are a friend, or email me on email@example.com if you want to be more discreet.
Thanks folks - looking forward to a plethora of diverse communications!


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Fun job perk. Every once in a while a vendor sends us something fun as a giftie to thank us for working with them. One of my affiliates has started doing this on what appears to be a monthly basis (I'm hoping).
Got this at work on Wednesday...so pretty. And even better is what was inside...fruity spring goodies. And the non-chocolate kind. Making it super easy for me not to eat them...my coworkers love them though. Love you special vendor.


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I created these pictures for my family....Ness, the ice cream one is in homage to the lovely moment you described. JB is so cute until you see her chomping on Hank's head!
And finally, my homage to 2008 and love, starring Asher and I. Everyone wants to dog on 2008 now that 2009 has reared her hopeful, high-fiving self. But let me tell you...2008 saw Asher and I become family, Josie and Hank become (so simple, so amazing) and Mom and Dad celebrated 35 years together (and they still look at each other the way Barack looks at Michelle). 2008 can take her knocks but from the Loctor-Hardy-Ewings, we say, "Thanks Year, nice to have you here."


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1 1/4 c sugar
1/4 c butter
1/4 c applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 c plain yogurt
3-4 mashed ripe bananas
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 1/2 c flour
Chopped nuts(optional)
Cream butter, applesauce and sugar, add bananas, eggs, yogurt, vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients until just mixed.
Pour in greased pans and bake at 350. Time depends on pan size. I usually do 2 small pans and 1 medium sized pan. The small ones bake for 30-35 min, until done. The bigger pan bakes for about 40-45 min. If you did 1 big pan, it would take about an hour.


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George Bush --
I've thought long and hard about Katrina -- you know, could I have done something differently, like land Air Force One either in New Orleans or Baton Rouge. The problem with that and -- is that law enforcement would have been pulled away from the mission. And then your questions, I suspect, would have been, how could you possibly have flown Air Force One into Baton Rouge, and police officers that were needed to expedite traffic out of New Orleans were taken off the task to look after you?
So his regret about Katrina is not the botched response, the thousand deaths, the fact that New Orleans still hasn't recovered: it's that the first response that the White House came up with was the Louisiana as flyover country photo-op. That Super President didn't land and inspire people with his appearance. Even when he screws up, it's always about him.


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Below you can browse the different types of hearing protection we offer.
Our 'PRO Series' offers custom made hearing protection to cover a wide range of environments, while the 'Universal Fit' range gives you off-the-shelf protection. In the 'Other Protection' category you will find custom ear plugs for swimming, sleeping and maximum noise reduction.
Click on an image to view the product range.


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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
6 comments:
- Joel Shepherd said...
I still say I'll really know I'm in the future when I can just tell it what to do...
And I'm still waiting for those holographic projection glasses that make it look like the book is hovering in mid air before me. Or the you tube video, or whatever...
- 12:36 PM, July 29, 2008
- Lou Anders said...
I don't think that's too far off.
- 1:56 PM, July 29, 2008
- Joe Abercrombie said...
Weird thing is I was just this last week having a discussion on a forum about e-books, and postulating they would truly take off when you don't need a seperate reader but could get them on your phone, and that the improving screens and efforts to get web pages onto phones would make that happen soon. I am already out of date, as always.
Incidentally, I tried a pair of those glasses around this time last year. SF author Rob Grant is a gadget freak and had a pair hooked up to a video i-pod. They're a pretty strange experience. Impressive, though.
- 3:52 PM, July 29, 2008
- Lou Anders said...
eReader is apparently working on a version for the Blackberry. Also, if Google's Android software succeeds in bringing Web 2.0 to phones, then I imagine this, or something like it, or a variety of somethings, will make every phone as comfortable for reading. So yeah, it's happening fast.
Re: glasses - I imagined they were already here, and whether they got marketed or not was all we were waiting for!
- 4:46 PM, July 29, 2008
- Jeff C said...
I bought a Sony Reader earlier this year and feel like I probably wasted money on it. As much as I like it, I do prefer a backlit device. Plus, like Joe stated, its nice having 1 device that can do multiple things. 2 months after buying the Reader, i bought an iPod Touch and think it will quickly replace the Reader as my e-reading device.
I thought I heard rumors of Mobipocket working on an iPhone version, too. That would definitely kill my need for the Reader.
I asked this on the SFF World Forum, but will ask here. Any chance we see the Joe A books in ebook format? I own them already in trade pb, but would rebuy them in ebook form (i love the series..just reviewed the first 2 on my blog).
- 8:34 AM, August 14, 2008
- Lou Anders said...
There are some e-related things in the works, and I don't think we're more than a few months out from announcing some cool developments. However, we license the Abercrombie books from Gollancz directly, and I don't believe that ebook rights are part of our agreement, so the onus for that one isn't on us.
- 8:50 AM, August 14, 2008


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Briefly introduced at CES, the ASUS RAIDR EXPRESS unfolds a little more on SweClockers. This new PCI-Express SSD takes the form of a PCI-Express card x2 Gen2 (or 1 GB/s in each direction) that integrates a PCI-Express to SATA bridge, two SandForce SF-2281 controller and a Toshiba NAND MLC 19nm.
At first, the 120 and 240 GB versions will be launched, with the performance to 765/775 MB/s (sequential read/write) for the first and 830/810 MB/s for the second. Reads and random writes are 100K IOPS, but note that it is not clear whether this performance is obtained with compressible or incompressible data.
Power consumption is high for an SSD as 7 watts at idle and 16 watts in operation, the fault is probably of the PCI-E to SATA bridge. Note that ASUS highlights the TRIM support, a feature also supported by the OCZ PCI-Express SSD but has never been functional under Windows. OCZ products are managed as SCSI devices, and if TRIM equivalent is available (SCSI Unmap) it is only supported by Windows 8… but not by OCZ drivers.
We should expect that ASUS will do it better, because if not users on a recent Intel platform will benefit from using two SATA 6Gb/s RAID 0 SSD, TRIM is supported in this configuration. ASUS software deliver a RAMDisk software, configuration app(SSD TweakIt) software to balance the load between the RAIDR, hard drive and RAMDisk (ROG HybriDisk), a benchmark software (ROG CrystalDiskMark), a toolkit to update and secure erase and the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013.
The RAIDR EXPRESS should be launched in mid-May.


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Friday, August 26, 2016
A What Off Quack On The Attack!
Almost every day.
I get the stories.
Tell the glories.
Tell the weird.
Can get cheered.
What was that?
I'm a duck not a cat?
Ducks paddle fast?
Ducks have a blast.
Ducks need to duck.
Back up the truck.
My son said this...
Whoops, it was a miss.
My daughter did it.
Nope, not that bit.
It was the pup.
Schultz licked it up.
Or was it the cat?
Oh, this is going splat.
Too many identities at my sea.
I'm turning into Old One Eye and her spree.
I can't have that.
A cyclops duck is not where it's at.
It was all me.
All stories I did with glee.
Yep, I did every bit.
It feels good to admit.
How long is a day?
Gave that a play.
Scaredy Cat.
Really me where I'm at.
Cat conversations.
Tuned to the same stations.
The aging machine.
All me at my scene.
Doggy Spa.
All I can say is aww.
The cookie caper.
I made the paper.
Hmmm was that really a What Off display? More like Sherry had guilt at her bay. She wanted to confess to it all and used the cat's wall. How dare she fool everyone. Her kids are busy out having fun. So she made things up that she did. Maybe she needs to be turned into a squid? Nah, the cat didn't confess for her. I haven't got a lying bone under my fur. Can you believe she was such a tricky lass? She sure fooled my little rhyming ass.
Fill your rummer, get drunk all summer.
63 comments:
- Replies
Quilt guilt... I have that at my bayReplyDelete
Gives me plenty of fabric playReplies
Lots to doDelete
With plenty in view
Never admit. Always deny.ReplyDeleteReplies
Live in denial?Delete
That may get you on trial
Weird can sometimes be fun, and kids always leave you with funny antics to share ;)ReplyDeleteReplies
That they doDelete
Way more than a few
The aging machineReplyDelete
does not sound serene.
Looking for the fountain of youth
here at my booth.Replies
Still not found?Delete
Maybe you have to dig deeper into the ground
August wind and August moonReplyDelete
Listen to that far-off loon
Let the breezes take your guilt
You don't need it as a quiltReplies
Won't keep you warmDelete
As it brings forth a storm
A What Off Quack On The Attack!ReplyDelete
Duck thing and nothing that lacks
Not even spurts
Of those guilts
Of one-eyed elements out to hijack
A hijacking they may goDelete
Have to watch what happens below
What ever floats your boat. Aging is not a good subject in this house. You have a great day Pat.ReplyDeleteReplies
haha not one to speakDelete
There at your creek?
and when she's not commenting on kids, she works in her garden and comes up with Ten Zany Birds. Plus a music career. Busy Sherry What Off on everythingReplyDeleteReplies
She does a tonDelete
As around she does run
Stories about kids can be funReplyDelete
as long as the kids don't mind
but if they do
then its not a good find
Yeah, have to mind thatDelete
Could cause a spat
The cat is a duck?ReplyDelete
What crazy luck.Replies
With a quackDelete
On the attack
We do have a quacker factory at our lake!ReplyDeleteReplies
Get to go seeDelete
And chase with glee?
Being a follower of Sherry's I really enjoy her post,ReplyDelete
Wonderful write hope she appreciates it.
Glad it was grandDelete
Here in my land
I LOVE Sherry's blog posts. They always make me laugh and lighten my mood. I was thrilled to see her featured in one of your rhymes. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Yeah, they are always funDelete
As she gives a story a run
A poem about a duck? Mighty tempting.ReplyDelete
On this one maybe me I'll be exempting.
A poem about Sherry makes me want to sing--
Or play a violin, viola or something.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It OutReplies
Well you know what goes with duckDelete
Can avoid it at any luck
But easy to fit
Stick with violin for a bit
Sherry's blog is always a pleasure to read, and I'm sure she'll get a kick out of your tribute. All it needed was a little background music... a string quartet, of course.ReplyDeleteReplies
The cat would hurt the earsDelete
Background music to cause fears
Did you really say a cyclops duck?ReplyDelete
rhyming with that is my tough luck!
(I'm sure you know, Mr. Pat ~
You and that sassy cat!)Replies
That I didDelete
Flipped your lid?
Go, Sherry:)ReplyDeleteReplies
Gone and goneDelete
At her lawn
Have a fun weekend, Pat:)ReplyDeleteReplies
same to youDelete
At your zoo
I love Sherry's blog. :)ReplyDelete
A fun oneDelete
to give a run
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDeleteReplies
A mistakeDelete
You did make
What funReplyDelete
In sun
Cats run
Quacks spun
Kids stun
Frowns noneReplies
Not a frownDelete
Unless in comes a clown
Beautiful writing! Happy Friday ♥ReplyDelete
For mee
orlin N cassie...uh, iz it just uz... ore is de B werd used a lot in thiz post ~~~~~ReplyDelete
heerz two a barbel~~less catfish kinda week oh end guyz ♥♥♥Replies
That it may beDelete
But they quack you see
Sherry's coolReplyDelete
Her violin makes me droolReplies
Drools and snoresDelete
But does he do chores?
quack quackReplyDeleteReplies
Flying VDelete
the way to be
You're post made me go check Sherry's out!ReplyDelete
Thanks for giving her a funny shout!Replies
A fun placeDelete
in which to embrace
Kids and pets sure can make your head spin. But never confess under any circumstances!ReplyDeleteReplies
haha hide that you sayDelete
I'll remember at my bay
No matter about a duckReplyDelete
I will go check out Sherry's blog or I am a schmuckReplies
Can't be thatDelete
At any blog mat
A cyclops duckReplyDelete
What an odd thing
I bet he's unhappy
A monocle I'll bringReplies
Could help outDelete
But beats a land bound trout
I'm so glad one of my visitors told me about this post. Thanks for the shout-out, Pat! Yeah, I'm on a real guilt trip! ;)ReplyDeleteReplies
haha was fun to doDelete
As the duck bill rang true


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Globeathon is a movement by people from all over the world working to raise awareness for, and ultimately increase early detection and prevention of gynaecological cancers.
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Every sponsor counts. Every team counts. Every person counts. Every shilling counts. Every Step Counts. With only Kshs. 1000/-, you can make a difference.
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Miami might not be the first place that comes to mind when we think of great dining cities — the beach, the sun, and the sand don't necessarily go hand-in-hand with heavy fine dining. But just because it's a health-conscious city doesn't mean that it's not allowed to have some of the best restaurants in America. And from a sushi restaurant that serves only 16 diners per night to an institution renowned for its stone crab claws, it certainly does.
Miami's 20 Best Restaurants (Slideshow)
The dining scene in Miami is booming right now, and has been for the past several years. It seems like every week another great restaurant is opening, and people are starting to take notice: chef Michael Schwartz's The Cypress Room was named one of the 50 best new restaurants in America last year by Food + Wine. The city is a true melting pot of cultures, with not only Latin cuisine playing a large part but also French and Asian influences chiming in as well; while "fusion" might have gone out of style elsewhere, it's still alive and well — and breaking new ground — in Miami.
From South Beach to Downtown Miami to Wynwood to the Design District, Miami's restaurant revolution is going strong. And as opposed to most cities, where dinner is a rest stop before the evening really gets going, in Miami the restaurant is often the destination in itself. Stepping into some of Miami's hottest restaurants is like stepping right into the heart of the city's nightlife scene, with elaborately designed spaces filled with folks on a mission not only to see and be seen, but to also eat some stellar food.
In order to assemble our list of Miami's best restaurants, we looked at not only the amount of buzz these restaurants are getting (and some of these restaurants have been buzzed about for years), but the level of critical appraisal, classic status, reliability to deliver a world-class meal, creative ingenuity of the cuisine, and quality of the overall dining experience. We also incorporated selections from our rankings of the 101 Best Restaurants in America, the 50 Best Casual Restaurants in America, America's Best Steakhouses, and The 101 Best Burgers in America, and supplemented our list with pre-existing rankings in both print and online from some of Miami's leading authorities, including Miami Herald, The Scene Miami, Miami New-Times, and Miami Living.
20) Tongue & Cheek
A veteran of the Wolfgang Puck organization and former chef at Campanile and Patina in Los Angeles — and former three-month apprentice at The Fat Duck in England — chef Jamie DeRosa loves bold flavors. His menu at this comfortable, casual restaurant, with its white stone walls and elegant feathered wood columns, ranges from chilled peach gazpacho to chicken-skin chicharrones with bacon-sriracha aïoli, from a beef-cheek burger with pimento cheese to Florida grouper cheeks with smoked almonds and wild mushrooms. His side dishes include homemade tater tots with garlic aïoli, and "poutine" of braised brisket with aged cheddar and pastrami-spiced fries. Need we say more?
Want more great Miami content? Find it here. For more great restaurant coverage in other cities, check out our rankings of the best restaurants in New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Austin, New Orleans, and San Francisco.
These restaurants may not be temples of gastronomy, but they sure offer some mighty good food


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Unfortunately this bird species appears to have affected native bird populations. You can't move around Melbourne for any length of time without seeing them. The common myna is listed as one of the World's Top 100 worst invasive species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN website here).
|The Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) in typically aggressive pose
Chloe (1993-2009)
We think Digbee was born around 2005. We got him from the RSPCA in March this year. It would be fair to say he is sometimes more at home when indoors!


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Hero Navdeep upcoming film under the direction of Ram Prasad is getting ready at jet speed. The movie had hit the floors in the month of May but the title has not been announced yet. After several discussions, the unit of the film has confirmed the title as 'Natudu'. Currently the team is canning songs in Bangkok on hero, heroine.
Touted to be a message centric film, Kavya Shetty is playing the female lead role. DS Rao is presenting the movie on 'Legend Pictures' banner. Navdeep is currently busy wrapping 'Bangaru Kodipetta' which is expected to hit screens in the month of August.


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Saturday, January 30, 2010
Movies that prepare us for transformation
1 in 8 child prescriptions contain errors
Clinton's summit more popular than Davos - survey
Obama has suspicious number of letter-writing fans named 'Ellie Light'
Scientologists 'heal' Haiti quake victims using touch
Bill Clinton arrives in Haiti with supplies
Sheep Gives Birth to Human-Faced Lamb in Turkey
$16.5 million more for MicroCHIPS, to get trials started for its implantable device
Human sacrifices 'on the rise in Uganda' as witch doctors admit to rituals
Expert Explains the Flu Vaccine Deception and the Swine Flu Hoax
Mind-reading systems could change air security
Movies, the multimedia presentations of the entertainment industry, are obviously a huge source of symbolic imagery, presenting us with occult messages via a broad spectrum of means. In this post I'm going to discuss a small number of the many movies that are preparing people for the coming transformation. The kind of occult symbols, imagery and themes that are appearing in so many popular movies validates what I have been presenting about the plan to transform you by way of the coming mark of the beast, to trick you out of your very soul. Many of them are about turning humans into non-human beings. One TV series from 2005, "Threshold," is particularly convincing because it contains so many of the signal elements in a single package and presents them in such an articulate manner! Lord willing, in the next post I'll address Threshold in some detail.
The mega blockbuster "Avatar," by James Cameron, has already broken records for popularity. Its lead character is a human who is transformed into an alien being. (Spoiler alert) The lead character is a savior who fulfills prophecy, saving the aliens and their world from bad humans. He requires the help of a dragon who rules the skies. He secures the dragon's help only after he joins with it. His avatar body is like the Nephilim, a giant of superior abilities. It was created by blending human and alien DNA. The transformation is completed when he is connected to the mystical Tree (like, grafted into the tree of knowledge of good and evil) and his soul is permenantly transferred from his human body. Does this all seem familiar? It is yet one more retelling of the same story told by the Olympic ceremony signs, the cryptic practices of the secret societies, crop circles, channeled messages from "aliens," corporate logos and marketing imagery, comic books, classic literature, ancient "mythologies" and many, many other movies!
Here's an image of the lead character's Avatar. In this scene he has a third eye represented in the marking on his forehead. This can also be seen as a bindu, a dot, placed within a large V. The V forms a downward pointing delta, the symbol that signifies the daughters of men. The dot inside it, which actually looks like a sperm, signifies the heavenly male sons of god.
A phenomenon is occurring where some who watch this movie want very badly to become a glorious being with a life on the alien world Pandora, the setting for the movie. The world is named for the Greek goddess who is in reality either a fallen angel or the direct offspring of a fallen angel. The most popular reference in our culture to Pandora involves Pandora's box, which, when opened, released evil and thus trouble into the world. The impact of the movie on some viewers is as though Pandora's box has been opened in their lives.
There have been reports that depression (referred to as the "Avatar blues") and even suicide has resulted when some who have watched Avatar want so badly to be transformed that they can no longer bear their present state. This is the kind of forceful evidence that can hardly be ignored: We are being led to desire transformation. Our culture's arrival at such a place as this is due to more than just the influence of a single movie. Avatar is for some like the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. It adds to the total as a substantial addition to a very substantial sum! The effective witchcraft brings some of the folks who experience the movie beyond the point where their lives seem manageable. They are literally being brought to destruction. The so-called solutions brought by the counselors of those who suffer are simply more lies and drugs, sorceries on top of sorceries. People long to be transformed. This is imprinted into creation, but the Avatar kind transformation into an alien beast is not what was imprinted into Adamic mankind.
In the recent writing about Cain as the son of the serpent I referred to the increasing popularity of vampire movies, mentioning the recent blockbuster "Twilight." I haven't seen the latest, which is a sequel, but I did rent the original on DVD recently so I could see why it is so popular. The plot is about a girl who was not yet a vampire but wanted to become one so she could be like the vampire she had become infatuated with. This movie featured only one occult symbol that really stood out to me. The way it was presented shows that it was placed there intentionally. In a restaurant scene, a fleur-de-lis image appeared in a cabinet behind the diners. It was subtle and, although it appeared only briefly, my attention was drawn to it. The fleur-de-lis is a triple helix DNA symbol. The lead female character wanted to be transformed just as symbolized by the fleur-de-lis.
The movie "District 9" (2009) is about aliens who come to Earth for a visit, whose purpose is hidden. They stayed on Earth until they had made a sufficient quantity of a substance that turns humans into aliens. The lead character is a human who is turned into an alien by this substance that changed his DNA, beginning with his left hand. Why is the district assigned to the aliens numbered nine? Remember the Royal Arch degree ritual of Freemasonry called three times three? (3x3=9) Remember the occultic logo of Nine Points Management & Research / Nine Points Capital Advisors, LLC.? The gestation period of a human is 9 months. The dragon's interest is in generating hybrid offspring with the daughters of men. District 9 is where the human was turned into an alien. The film was produced by Tri-Star Pictures, which I find interesting because it alludes to the triple helix upgrade plot of the fallen stars/angels. Their logo famously features Pegasus, the Greek god with the appearance of a winged horse that was sired by Poseidon and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Perhaps Pegasus is merely fictional, but it seems far more likely that he is one of the Nephilim involved in a sequel plot to hijack the Lord God's heritage!
There are other movies that spill the beans on the mark of the beast plot through varieties of combininations of sub-themes. Many have already noted the messaging evident in "The Matrix." In "Sleep Dealer," (2008) people connect to a network where they can work and interact with each other in enhanced ways. The essential network connection isn't established by way of an implanted chip but rather by means of special ports implanted in their bodies.
Some movies present these themes with strong support lent by the imagery woven into the visuals. Here's an example of some symbolic imagery from the upcoming "Clash of the Titans." I haven't it seen yet, obviously, but it is supposed to be a remake of the popular version from 1981. You see on their shields the triple helix signal triskelion, encircled, with distinct serpent/dragon features. This movie features the Watchers and their Nephilim spawn, by name including Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Perseus and Andromeda.
The "DaVinci Code" franchise (2006, 2009) has for its main character a symbologist (played by Tom Hanks), who is an expert on the interpretation of symbols. The plot revolves about the discovery of long hidden mysteries that have been concealed and then revealed by means of the symbols left behind by the guardians of the mysteries, men of secret societies. While it comes far short of exposing the greater truths I've been revealing in this blog, if you've learned how to interpret symbols you can read the them from the vast imagery that has been so painstakingly presented.
In another franchise that draws from the same resources Tom Horn covers in his new book, "Apollyon Rising 2012 - The Lost Symbol Found and the Final Mystery of the Great Seal Revealed", "National Treasure" (2004, 2007) is little different. In this production, which is sponsored by Visa, the well known sponsor of the Olympics, the lead character (played by Nicholas Cage) discovers great mysteries due to his ability to interpret the clues left behind in cryptic codes and symbols. A triquetra is featured, which is a fundamental triple helix DNA signal that is also understood by many to signify the number 666. It appears in a church, under which is found the great treasure that consists mostly of Egyptian artifacts, remnants of a time when Nephilim ruled the kingdom. Again, secret societies were responsible for the treasure and the clues that lead to its discovery. And again, the real secret that is far more valuable is not disclosed, unless you can interpret the deeper meaning of the symbols.
A sci-fi miniseries from 2005 called "The Triangle" focused on the Bermuda Triangle. The themes of alternate dimensional realities and time-space anomalies were explored, which are a relevant subset relating to mysteries of the "alien" deception. The use of symbols is subtle but, if you're looking, you'll find a dragon on top of a television in one scene that is lit up by lightning in a storm caused by a time-space phenomenon. It casts a dramatic shadow on the wall. A peculiar lamp is also in view. If the shadow it casts were not hidden by other objects we would see an upper-case letter G. It speaks to me of the enigmatic G that appears between the compass and square of freemasonry. It represents the secret name of God, but also GENERATION, the procreative powers of male deity. Other symbols appear that you might recognize, like the two in this scene on the left. The red cross appears earlier in the show as well, representing the red dragon's life in the blood of the union of the daughters of men (horizontal element) with the sons of god (vertical element). The three-legged thunderbolt in the yellow upward pointing delta signifies the sons of god with the mark of the beast calling card of Zeus that may be seen on Harry Potter's forehead.
Lord willing, I'll continue in the next post with "Threshold," (2005) a stunning bean-spilling production.
Blessings in Y'shua!
4 comments:
- Joe Brazzeal5:47 AM
Hi Bob,ReplyDelete
I saw "District 9" (and wanted to see it again) before you made this post. I think it is entertaining and very original in a sci-fi movie.
My assessment of the film is unlike yours, though.
You said, "...is about aliens who come to Earth for a visit, whose purpose is hidden." I understood their visit as accidental, as opposed to intentional, due to a malfunction and the ship headed toward the nearest livable planet. The aliens were half-starved and the humans had to break in to the disabled ship. But let's suppose that the visitors had malevelent intentions and they just ran out of gas, or galactic fuel, before they could do harm.
You said, "They stayed on Earth until they had made a sufficient quantity of a substance that turns humans into aliens." They scrounged the dump yard for years to accumulate enough material and to process it, to enable their ship to take them home. Or, to what?
You said, "The lead character is a human who is turned into an alien by this substance that changed his DNA, beginning with his left hand." It's obvious that this was accidental, rather than voluntary or intentional. It seems to me that Wiccus (I think that is his name), being the nerd that his is, would be the last one in line to desire a transformation.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that, when I watch movies, quite a bit goes over my head. Which is why I usually watch them again. But, I don't see the same plot here that you do.
Just call me Roger Ebert and you can be Bob Schlenker ;-)
P.S. Did I say I really liked this movie?
Hi Joe,ReplyDelete
Your view is valid and must surely be the popular view. My interest in this blog is much more tightly focused on the underlying and sometimes subtle themes concealing and revealing the great secret. With "District 9" offering multiple and sometimes conflicting elements in their story, it seems pretty obvious that they intended to weave the great secret into their drama but keep it subtle. It's apparent to those who know it, but undetectable to those who aren't consciously aware and actually looking for it. If I posted my assessment from this post to a review site for the movie I'm sure most folks would wonder what planet I'm from. :)
Hello everyone,ReplyDelete
I'm new to this blog, but I am impressed and happy to see like-minded people out there talking about this issue who are awake to what is really happening around us. I agree about Bob's analysis of "District Nine", which I just recently saw last weekend. Let me add that I noticed another (blatant) occult symbol that may have been missed by some: The Baphomet (i.e., Goat of Mendes). In several shots one sees the MNU (?) military forces wearing arm patches with a very geometric looking (e.g., like the new Air Force logo) goat's head, but it is even more blatant in one scene where the insignia on the front of one of the uniforms is drawn in a more realistic fashion, and it is clearly the Baphomet symbol. I will assume that those of you reading this are familiar witht his symbol, but if not it is easily found on the internet. Any comments about this, and why Peter Jackson included this very blatant Luciferian symbol in the movie, if it was about "aliens?"
Good observations - thanks for sharing them, osuredleg! The MNU was notably creepy. Welcome to the blog! Peter Jackson's movies feature demons of many varieties. I introduce in a more recent post the theme of some of his most popular movies (Lord of the Rings) as promoting a primary antichrist symbol, the Apollo solar disk and Olympic pyramid capstone, the "unseen ring" that rules them all. Instead of alien "prawns" he presents orcs, dwarves, elves, hobbits and such - demon spawn all.ReplyDelete


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Based on Matt. 5:21‑26
Marguerite Higgins, Pulitzer Prize winner for international reporting, stood by a marine during the Korean War. It was 42 below zero, and the soldier was weary and covered with frozen mud. She asked him, " If I were God and could grant you anything you wished, what would you most like?" He stood motionless for a moment and then raised his head and replied, "Give me tomorrow." In a fear‑filled world of uncertainty where there is a big question mark about whether or not man has the sanity to prevent a nuclear holocaust, this is a common choice‑give me tomorrow.
On the other hand, Peter Bagdanovich, the well‑known director of The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, was asked why he makes all his movies of the past. He replied, "I like any time better than now. I just don't like what is happening today. The music bores me, the cars are ugly, the people are dull. So I retreat to the past." In a decaying world where so much of what was once good is being lost by the modern mania for the new at any cost, this is the choice of millions‑give me yesterday.
Each of us can identify with both choices, for they are the only two directions anybody can go to escape today. Retreat to the past, or march forward into the future. Each choice has its values that can be defended, but Jesus in the Sermon On The Mount rejects them both. Instead, Jesus chooses to third alternative, the one the other two are trying avoid. He says, don't escape to yesterday or tomorrow, but stand fast, and live for today. Now is where its at.
The Lord's Prayer in chapter 6 is a now prayer. Give us this day our daily bread. All of its petitions are for now. Hallowed be your name‑now. Thy kingdom come now. Thy will be done on earth‑now. Forgive us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, not eventually, but now, today. The Christian life is a now life. Jesus began this sermon with the beatitudes, and you will notice they are not past or future, they are present. Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are the meek; blessed are the merciful, etc. All of them deal with the now and not the some day. Not, blessed will be, but blessed are. The Christian life is to be a blessed life now.
The whole emphasis in this sermon on prevention is based on the now principle. You do not wait until your anger becomes murderous hatred to deal with it. You control it when it is developing right now. You don't wait until lust is boiling passion to deal with it. It is not, get them while they are hot when it comes to emotions, but get them while there warm, or even cool. You don't give the germs of evil a chance to develop and create infection, but you go after them now. Catch the disease in its early stages, and stop it before it progresses. Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country, and their souls as well. Now is always the best time when it comes to prevention. The best time to do anything is between yesterday and tomorrow.
In this passage Jesus gives some specific examples of how the now principle is applied. The gist of them is this: Little problems don't tend to fade away, but tend to grow and become bigger, and so deal with them now when they are small, and not later. If you have a bad relationship developing with someone, you don't wait until resentment has time to fester and make healing hard. You don't say after I worship God on Sunday, I'll try to patch it up on Monday. That is the give me tomorrow choice, and Jesus says don't make that choice. Drop what you were doing, and settle the matter today. Now is always the best time to do what prevents evil from building a stronger wall. "Don't let the sun go down upon your wrath." Why not? Because you are choosing procrastination as a method of dealing with sin, and it is not a wise choice. Deal with your anger today, and prevent all of the sorrow it can produce when you let it go another day.
In verse 25 Jesus says, don't wait until you get to court to settle a conflict. This is obviously a case where the accused knows he is guilty. Do the right thing now says Jesus. Quickly agree with your accuser, and settle the issue out of court. If you procrastinate and let the thing drag on into tomorrow, you will suffer the consequences tomorrow. Get your punishment over today by settling the issue today. This is the only wise choice. There are endless court cases that waste years and millions of dollars, and magnify the miseries of everybody involved, that could have been settled in an hour if people were wise enough to choose the now way.
The whole point of Jesus in the radical statements of verses 29 and 30 about gouging out your eye, and cutting off your hand, is not to promote mutilation of the body, but to give emphasis to the importance of the now and prevention. Don't wait for the future day of judgment to let God deal with your rebellious body. Deal with it yourself, and do it now. Bring it under your control, and choose to regulate its activities now. It is folly to wait. The wise are into the discipline of today. In chapter 6 Jesus deals with all of the anxieties of life, and He says in verse 34, summing it all up, "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." Just seek God's kingdom and His righteousness today, and life will be okay.
One last illustration of this theme is in 7:12. Jesus gives us the Golden Rule that sums up the Law and the Prophets. "Do unto others what you would have them do to you." That is the essence of the victorious life. You live in the here and now, and you do today in your relationships with others what you want them to do to you. The Golden Rule is golden because it is a rule as relevant as the golden sun that shines today, and each day. It is a rule for living, not in the past, or in the future, but today.
The priest and the Levite, who walked by the wounded man on the road said, give me tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow I will not be so busy, and I can get involved in such an inconvenience, but not today. The Good Samaritan was good, and what Jesus expects the Christian to be, because he was a now man. He responded in love now, because the need was now, and tomorrow would too late. Jesus is not saying we can do everything at once, but He is saying we can do something at once, and it is this strategy of living in the now that will fulfill the past and enrich the future.
If the new year is to be a year of growth and progress, and a year of pleasing God by doing His will on earth as it is done in heaven, then it will have to be a year in which we grasp the importance of the now life. When does a decaying world most need salt? Now! When does a dark world most need light? Now! The popular song of the 70's said, "What the world needs now is love sweet love." If now is when I have lost my keys in the dark, now is when I need the light. Tomorrow's light is of no value. If now is when the road is icy, now is when we need the salt. The point is, the need is always now, therefore, the solution, to be relevant, must also be always now, and so the Christian life must be a now life.
Christians fall into the same traps everybody else does. The trap of the good old days, or of the glorious days of the future. Both can rob us of the real, which is the now. We tend to think of teaching and learning as preparation for the future. It is that, to be sure, but we miss the best of what education is unless we see its value for the now. All we can know of God and His will is for today. It is like our daily bread. It is not for the future only, it is for living today. It is now food so we can live for God today, and enjoy our relationship to Him, and the more abundant life.
Yes, it is all good for the future, but it is also good for today, and it is only by redeeming the now that we can prepare for the future. The great French General, Marshall Lyoutey, asked his gardener to plant a tree in Algeria. The gardener objected that it was a slow growing tree and would not mature for a 100 years. In that case the General said, there is no time to lose‑plant it now. Waiting is not the solution, for now it the time to get moving. Robert Browning was right when he wrote, "Put in the plow and plant the great hereafter in the now." Not all of us get into the mating game, but rare as the dodo bird are those who escape the waiting game, the putting off of life until tomorrow.
A New York psychologist sent out letters to 3,000 men and women picked by random from the phone book. The letter asked only one brief question, "What have you to live for?" The answer was to be very brief. He was shocked that 2,000 of them responded with an answer. More shocking was the nature of the answers. Over 90% of them were just enduring the present while they waited for the future.
They were waiting for their marriage to improve.
They were waiting for their children to grow up.
They were waiting to become grandparents.
They were waiting to retire.
They were waiting to take their dream trip.
They were waiting always for something good and exciting to happen. Practically everyone was giving up today, waiting for the golden tomorrow, and never stopping to recognize that today is the tomorrow they waited for yesterday.
It is not wrong and foolish to hope and dream, but when this becomes the dominate focus of life, it is a foolish choice that robs people of God's best. We all have many things we must wait for, and it is legitimate to do so, and necessary, but to neglect the now in our hand for the tomorrow in our heart is to have a short in our head. Jesus is saying, get wired right and recognize that today is the day of salvation, and today is the day of sanctification and service, and today is the day to enter into all the blessings that God wants us to experience. Must we wait for everything? Is life all in the future? Not so, says Jesus. He came that we might have abundant life; not just hope for it in the future, but have it now, in this life, today.
The future is bright with God's promises, but the present can be made bright with the fulfillment of His promises. The poet asks a good question‑why not now?
There's a song that faith can sing,
Why not now?
There's a hope a friend may bring,
Why not now?
Hoarding the sunshine does not pay,
Joy was meant to give away,
Why not share your gifts today?
Why not now?
There are burdens love may lift,
Why not now?
Kindness bears a golden gift,
Why not now?
Earth has never known a creed
Like a pure unselfish deed,
Hearts are aching, give a heed,
Why not now?
Alfred Grant Walton
The list could go on and on. Each of us could add specifics for the coming year. If I am ever going to read the Bible through‑Why not now? If I am ever going to share my faith with my friends or neighbors‑Why not now? If I am ever going to obey Christ in some area of my life‑Why not now? Now is always the best time to do what is good and right and pleasing to Christ. There is no better time than now.
Reality therapy is a new concept which says, so what if you had a rotten past that conditioned you to all kinds of negative behavior and thinking. Right now you are a free and responsible person able to choose what you want to be. You do not have to be bound by the past. That is what the message of the Bible is about too. God has given us the ability to choose an alternate path. Our grandfather and father may have walked in a certain path, but we are free to choose a different path. That is what Jesus is saying over and over in this sermon. You have heard that it was said by men of old, but now I say to you. Jesus says, there is a new and a now way to go that fulfills the old, and is superior to it.
Christians are to be realistic and recognize that now has the greatest potential for life. I can't change the past, and I can't claim the future, but I can choose the now, and in the now reap the harvest of the past, and sow the seeds for the future. God wants us, not wishing for the past, nor waiting for the future, but working in the now.
In the name of God advancing,
Plow, and sow, and labor now;
Let there be when evening cometh,
Honest sweat upon the brow.
And the master shall come smiling
When work stops at set of sun,
Saying as He pays the wages,
Good and faithful man‑well done.
Author unknown
Victories do not come to those who will someday conquer, but to those who conquer now. The alcoholic who wins the battle is not the one who says, "I will stop someday," but the one who says, "I will stop now‑not forever, but today, and thus, day by day, victory in the now will be the way to go into the future." Someone said, "If you want to know what you were in the past, look at yourself now. If you want to know what you will be in the future, look at yourself now." Now is the only time you can deal with realistically, for now is all you really have. Wise is the man who recognizes this, and Jesus expects His followers to be wise now people.
When is the best time to do what is right? Jesus says, the answer is now. The Pharisees said, not so, for there is a time for everything, and they legalistically ruled out doing what is right and good if the now was not convenient. Wait till tomorrow was their advice to Jesus when He healed people on the Sabbath. Don't do it now, for now is to be devoted to keeping other rules and regulations. They wanted to keep life all compartmentalized, but life will not cooperate. Just as children today won't always get sick between 9 and 5, so problems in life never confine themselves to the convenient time for solution. Jesus said, you deal with the now problems with now solutions, and He healed people on the Sabbath, because they needed healing on the Sabbath. He was a now healer, and not a later healer.
One of the reasons grandfathers are often more loving than fathers is because grandfathers are more often now people, and fathers are more often later people. Loving people are now people. I have been in both roles, and I know that now is better than later. Parents just do not realize how fast their children grow up. Grandparents do, for they have been there, and that is why they tend to be now people, for they know it is so true, its now or never.
Jesus is trying to help us learn this lesson before we waste a good chunk of our life. If we will just believe Him, and become people who focus on the now, we will be more effective Christians. The way you live with eternity's values in view is by recognizing that anything that is a good goal to achieve in life, is a goal you must strive for now. And unknown author wrote,
If you have hard work to do, do it now.
Today the skies are clear and blue,
Tomorrow clouds may come into view,
Yesterday is not for you; do it now.
If you have a song to sing, sing it now.
Let the notes of gladness ring
Clear as song of bird in Spring,
Let every day some music bring; sing it now.
If you have kind words to say, say them now.
Tomorrow may not come your way.
Do a kindness while you may,
Loved ones will not always stay; say them now.
If you have a smile to show, show it now,
Make hearts happy, roses grow,
Let friends around you know
The love you have before they go; show it now.
Jesus practiced what He preached, and refused to even wait a day to meet needs that were now needs. Many whom Jesus healed could have waited another day. Some of them had already suffered for years, but Jesus said, when it is in your power to meet a need now and do good, love demands that you do it now. To wait for the sake of a law, a tradition, a ceremony, or custom, is to say that all of these things are of more value than a person. Jesus rejects that value system. Nothing is Christlike that treats persons as secondary to anything, or to anyone, but God Himself. With this kind of value system, where you put people first, you become a now person living the now life.
This being the case, Satan's most successful strategy is to get the Christian to miss God's best by procrastination. It is not only the thief of time, it is the thief of every good value God has for your life. If you wait until it is convenient to do the will of God, you will seldom get it done. The most persistent temptation of life is to wait for a more convenient time. Satan well knows that time may never come.
William Wilberforce played a major role in destroying the slave trade in England. Many of his closest friends came to him suggesting that he shelve the matter until the Napoleonic wars were over. He was wise enough to see the folly of waiting. If it's God's will to fight this evil, then it has to be fought now, was his attitude, and he tackled it, and got the job done. He may not have done so had he waited.
It is faith in the ultimate victory that enables the Christian to be an optimist in the now, even when the now is negative. Ralph Waldo Emerson had this kind of faith. When fire was destroying his priceless library of rare books, many of them autographed by world‑famous authors, he stood and calmly watched it perish. His friend, Luisa May Alcott, came to his side to console him, but he responded, "Never mind Luisa, what a beautiful blaze it makes! We'll enjoy that now."
The now life makes the past and the future relevant and practical, for it takes the values of these two zones we cannot touch, and applies them in the only zone we can touch‑the now. The now life reaches back into the past, and takes all that God has done, and reaches out into the future, and takes all that God promises to do, and with all of this faith and hope, builds a foundation on which one can stand with a sense of security and optimism knowing that nothing can change what God has done, and nothing can alter what God will do. Charles Elliot spoke with the mind of Christ when he said, "The best way to secure future happiness is to be as happy as is rightfully possible today. Today is a precious gift. Use it well."
The question is often asked, "Why are there so many unfinished saints?" Why is it nearly 2000 years after grace has been merited to sanctify tens of thousand of worlds like ours, so few have become mature in Christ, able to live the victorious Christian life? The answer is, because we do not listen to Christ in this Sermon On The Mount. Nor do we listen to Paul who makes it clear in II Cor. 6:2, "Now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." People tend to live too much in the past, which can never return, or in the future which may not even be, and so they miss the only place they can live for Christ‑the now.
C. S. Lewis in Christian Behavior points out that good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the things you do in the now, and everyday little things, are of great importance. He writes, "The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed up. And apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible." This is what Jesus is saying in our text. The victorious life is the now life. It is the life where you don't just drift, but take decisive action to prevent evil in all of its forms from gaining power in your life. The only way you can promote a good harvest is to prevent the weeds and bugs that will hinder the harvest. The only way you can promote your own happy future is to prevent now those evils that can rob you of that future.
It is of interest that modern psychiatry is catching up with Jesus, and recognizing that the solution to the messed up mind is not in the past, but in the now. Carl Jung, the famous psychiatrist, said, there is a difference between the psychology of Freud and myself. He finds the basis for neurosis in the past, in childhood. I find it in the present. I ask, what is the responsibility from which this patient is retreating? Why is he dodging out of life into illness?" Modern psychiatry is leading people right back to the Sermon On The Mount. Live the now life that Jesus describes. Act now to deal with your inner sins, and prevent external acts of evil, and you will not get your life messed up. It is simply a matter of recognizing what even the pagan poet that Paul quotes recognized, which is, "In Him we live and move and have our being." The Eternal Now‑The Triune God is our ever present context of living. In God all is now, for there is no past or future in eternity. It is always now, and if we could only be aware of this, and deal with all of our problems and weaknesses now, we could prevent so much of life's sin and sorrow.
Jesus ends the Sermon On The Mount with a story about a wise and foolish man. The future held the same thing in store for both of them. It was rain, wind, and the flood. The difference between them was what they did in the present. The wise man built on the rock, and the foolish man on the sand. It is the choices you make now that determines how you will fare in the future. The only way to prepare for the future is to choose to do what is wise in the now. Jesus practiced this, and if you read Matt. 8 you will see He was no arm chair philosopher. He left the mountain on which He preached this sermon, and that very day he lived the now life. He healed a leper, and a paralyzed servant of a Centurion. He raised up Peter's mother‑in‑law, and then that evening he ministered to a host of sick and demon possessed people.
Joseph Wood Krutch wrote, "All postponements are potentially dangerous, and to postpone life itself is the most stupendous of follies. One can no more live in the future than one can live in some good old days of the past. One must live now or not at all, and not to live at all is the greatest of mistakes." Deitrich Bonhoeffer, the famous pastor imprisoned by Hitler, did not know he would be executed by the Nazi's in 1945, but he knew it was a real possibility. Yet, shortly before he died he wrote this poem to God‑
"With every power for good to stay and guide me.
Comforted and inspired beyond all fear,
I'll live these days with you in thought beside me,
And pass with you, into the coming year.
That is the way Christ wants us all to move into the coming year. It is with the attitude that whatever the future holds, be it good or ill, I choose not to escape into the past or the future, but to live the now life.
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The morning started out with great sunlight. Fota gardens was positively buzzing with dozens of mating common darters laying in the ponds and even a few hunting out on the cut grass in front of the mansion there. I was hoping for a ruddy somewhere but ended up finding no evidence of them there. Still, I got some close-ups of the common darter
Ok, a great start, but as I was ready to continue my walk the sun disappeared and was replaced by that flat grey light we Irish inhabitants all know so well, and that's how it stayed. The entire walk revealed only one speckled wood, even the reserve outside Cobh had no hawkers, even though they where there this time last year. It's amazing how clouds make insects vanish almost instantaneously. I settled instead on taking some scenery shots. I did find this gadwall in Cuskinny in with the mallards.
The below shots are HDR's, intentionally exaggerated, they are not intended as an exercise in realism as my nature photographs are but rather are made to look like say an album cover, I am a big fan of Travis Smith's covers, so I guess that's what influences me here.


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Monday, January 11, 2016
Fan Cruise with Ellis Paul!
Cozumel Mexico
Purchase tickets onlineclick here to purchase tickets
website: fanclubcruises.com
Join Ellis Paul, Radsolav Lorkovic, and other special guests on 3rd Fan Cruise from Tampa, FL to Cozumel, Mexico!
Departure from Tampa on Thursday afternoon, followed by a Bon Voyage Cocktail Party
Ellis will play a concert at sea on Friday
Arrival in Cozumel on Saturday
Ellis will play another concert at sea on Sunday, with a Q&A and Storytelling Session to follow
Return to Tampa on Monday morning
For more details, click the link above!


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Outpatient health-care services REIT Healthcare Realty Trust (NYSE:HR) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.30 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2009.
The board of directors said the quarterly dividend is payable on August 30 to holders of record at the close of business on August 15. The regular dividend payment equates to a $1.20-per-share annual dividend, yielding 4.7% based on the closing price today of Healthcare Realty Trust's stock.
Fool contributor Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned, and neither does The Motley Fool. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Here are some examples, to get you all going:
This one is from Margaret, who brought it to me last Saturday, at our Pins&Needles gathering.
This two are mine. Can't wait to see all of yours! I will be collecting them at the beginning of our meeting and at some point we will raffle them all. See you all soon!


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First was to make a background on an old childrens board book. With gesso, stamps, paint and watercolor crayons. Then a transfer of me when I was a child. yeah, that's me with my mouth wide open in my high chair. lol! Same as now right? Always laughing and talking. A good thing I guess.
Then I had to write a letter to my small self and what I would wish for her.
Turns out a lot of things I have and want in my own life!
The next spread was to do a piece that represented the opposite of a traumatic event in your childhood. I didnt have one so to do a time when you were happy. The first things I could think of was my tire swing and playing in the haymow.
The thing that was cool was that I knew I wanted a tree on one page and a barn on the next and when I turned the page and started looking to do the background - there was a tree on one side and a barn on the other!! Very freaky.
So I used kids book pages to make part of the background and the whimsy is of myself since the memories are by myself. That continues now too - I like my alone time.
Once I can get the next videos to load - ugh! I can get started on the next lesson. Looks like we are making a stuffed monster!


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On 14 March 2015 the Business School celebrated 65 years of Human Resource and Personnel Management at Middlesex University with a reunion for former students and staff. To mark this historic event, we are catching up with alumni from these programmes to ask them about how their time studying at Middlesex has shaped their career and what changes they have seen in HR since they graduated.
In our final feature celebrating 65 years of HR at Middlesex, we speak to Freelance HR Consultant Andy Hall. Looking back at his career of over 20 years in HR, we find out what motivated Andy to set up his own HR consultancy and how his time doing MA Human Resource Management enabled him to succeed.
Andy Hall – Owner and Freelance HR Consultant at Mattix HR
With a portfolio that includes work as HR Project Manager at Euro 96, HR Manager at the Football Association (FA) and Head of HR at The Really Useful Group Ltd, Andy Hall has established himself as a successful HR practitioner in the entertainment industry.
Immediately after leaving Middlesex, Andy went to work as the first ever HR Manager at the FA where he found himself working in a busy company, surrounded by professionals focussed on marketing, merchandise and, of course, the core functions of governing football and managing England's football teams. As a result, Andy discovered that straight out of university he was almost solely responsible for co-ordinating the FA's HR processes.
Each of Andy's roles thereafter were as a consequence of being in such a high profile role at the FA. Finding himself in similar positions, with little other HR resource to work with, Andy became used to operating almost as an internal HR consultant, facilitating an enhanced approach to HR handling in every level.
In 2010 Andy made the decision to leave Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group and move into freelance work, setting up his own consultancy, Mattix HR. He has since worked with clients including BAFTA and Jersey Boys UK, among many other names in the entertainment industry.
Speaking about what skills are essential for working in HR, Andy told Middlesex: "Forming great relationships with the management team is key to what I do, as well as making sure you're always being positive and not threatening or creating barriers to business success."
Andy also revealed that good people skills and a level of understanding will make any HR job far more rewarding.
"I empathise with people so I find it easy to engage with them and understand where people are coming from. I've also always been interested in people's motives and how conflicts develop, and I enjoy facilitating situations where these are resolved."
Changes in HR
In looking back over his career in HR, Andy is conscious of the effects of the huge professionalisation that has taken place over the past 20 years. Not only has there been a big shift from administrative and transactional working to more tactical, strategic thinking, but the number of people pursuing a career in HR has risen hugely, as have their expectations.
"There is more expectation now than there has ever been that people's working ambitions will be fulfilled," Andy says. "In the 80s people thought it was great to have a job, and the average person might spend ten or 20 years in the same company. Nowadays there are far more people with freelancing and portfolio careers in HR.
"You also see much more flexible working, as well as more women in the workplace generally, and many more at senior level."
Andy also noted the effect that the introduction of technology, and the ability to constantly communicate, has had on the workplace in general. Emails and instant messages sent directly to our laptops and mobiles often mean that nowadays, and especially at senior levels, you're never really away from work.
"It's impossible to conceive of, if you're under 40 years old, what the lack of technology was like. I was lucky that I worked with an Anderson Consulting team in my early career, and they made me an early adapter, which enormously helped by accelerating my skills at exactly the right moment."
Re-energising a career in HR
Andy's choice to come to Middlesex was made early on in his career when Thames Water, the company he then worked for, decided to downsize, making Andy and his team redundant. Feeling under skilled and dispirited Andy decided it was time to take on further education, and applied directly for a master's at Middlesex.
"The MA I did at Middlesex really re-energised me and brought me up to date, giving me a wider and more analytical perspective on the profession that I was already in. It was like taking a step back and really looking at HR," Andy says.
Andy enjoyed the new challenges that his masters presented him with, and fresh perspectives from both students and lecturers helped him feel invigorated.
"David Lewis' classes were really full on." Andy told Middlesex, "There was no hiding place, and it really made you think. You need to be really comfortable with employment law and almost need to be able to think like a lawyer. David's lectures really helped with that.
"Sue Glycopantis, my Labour Economics lecturer, gave the single most challenging and interesting, yet highly technical and intellectual lectures of my entire master's course." It was great to meet up with Sue again, and finally take the opportunity to thank her, at the recent HR reunion evening.
Reminiscing about his time at Middlesex, and the opportunities that opened up from one another afterwards, Andy told us: "My time at Middlesex was nothing other than pivotal in my career – I'll always be grateful for that."


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