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Happy Almost New Year!
I hope your holidays have been happy and bright, and that you find excitement and wonder in all the possibilities of a brand new year on the horizon.
Today is a big day. Today I excitedly admit to the world, and to myself, that I have absolutely 100% found my passion. I finally know who and what it is that I want to be when I grow up. Wheee! And you may have guessed it... I want to be a documentary filmmaker. Today I am one step closer. Today I launch the official website for the first documentary film of my career. And I am thrilled to share this creation with YOU. Thank you for being here, and for being a part of this crazy journey.
"Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does."
- Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad
WTOWW : News & Updates
I had the opportunity early on in the month to hike up into the San Bernadino County Forest with members from The Story of Stuff community. We visited a Nestle well site (one of twelve) that has been pumping water out of the mountains, upwards of 68,000 gallons a day, (and then selling it back to us in plastic bottles) on a special-use permit that expired in the 1980s. The Story of Stuff, along with two other non-profits, are currently suing the Forest Service for not enforcing the renewal of this permit. To read more about their work on this issue, and why the Privatization of water is such a frightening concept, visit their website : storyofstuff.org
I toured the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant in Playa Del Rey, CA. This plant is operated by the City of Los Angeles, and is responsible for processing 340 million gallons of wastewater every day. The plant is the city's largest and oldest treatment facility. Free tours can be arranged by appointment.
I read Dr. Richard Oppenlander's important and enlightening book, "Comfortably Unaware". In this book, Dr. Oppenlander outlines the relationship between our food choices and the sustainability of our planet. He suggests that the only way to truly live sustainably on this earth is to shift to a plant-based diet, on a world-wide level, and soon. I have found myself fully inspired by this book (I recommend you read it), his life's work, and his fearless approach to a sensitive subject. I am thrilled for the opportunity to interview Dr. Oppenlander in March, and excited for all I will learn as I experiment with a smaller personal water footprint through the implementation of a plant-based lifestyle in the new year.
Thank you!
As always, thank you for your love and support! If you are interested in participating in this project, or if you know of anyone who might be a good contact, resource, or interview, please be in touch. Namaste.


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My /home partition consists of an entire physical disk. It is formatted as btrfs. I want to snapshot it. I'm confused regarding subvolume naming, in particular.
I am aware that there are similar questions, but each similar question seems to be asking something different from what I'm asking (and they are older, which means probably outdated, given the rapid development of btrfs). For example, the answer to this question is apparently not the answer to my question because my /home partition is a separate volume and the man page for btrfs shows a different command for creating snapshots now.
another similar problem, no solid solution.
someone else as confused as me on the naming issues
My question:
Starting simple: is this the correct command to take a simple snapshot of my home partition?
btrfs subvolume snapshot /home/@home /home/@home_snapshot_20120421
I got really brave and tested it and it does not work. The error is
error accessing /home/@home. As shown below, @home is listed.
I'm obviously confused on subvolume names. Do I need to use them in creating snapshots? Some examples show taking snapshots of home using
/home as the source parameter, but based on examples of root volumes, it seems to me that I need to use
Would this command work? And if not, why?
btrfs subvolume snapshot /home /home/@home_snapshot_20120421
Is the
@ just a naming convention? Is it meaningful at all?
Here's some output that may be relevant:
btrfs subvolume list /home
ID 256 top level 5 path @home
I'm not sure what that means, exactly. When I try
btrfs device scan it gives an error (e.g. unable to scan the device /dev/sda1). My file system doesn't have any errors. Everything is fine.
Here are my partitions. In response to one reply, no /home is not my only btrfs partition.
/dev/sda1: (boot partition) TYPE="ext2"
/dev/sda2: (root partition) TYPE="btrfs"
/dev/sdb1: (home partition) TYPE="btrfs"
/dev/sdc1: (shared partition) TYPE="btrfs"
/dev/sdc2: TYPE="swap"

subset: commoncrawl


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Available for a limited time only, I present to you the Carolina Clogs. The safest, most efficient, most stylish, and most eco-friendly work boots on the market today. You'll be the envy of everyone on the jobsite with these on your feet! I made these by recycling pallet wood into a giant block of wood including a bent lamination on the sole of the boots. The blocks of wood were carved down by hand using power carving attachments and a humble angle grinder. Then I added a wheel in the heel so I can get out my shop with efficiency and added an insole and laces to keep my foot in place and comfortable in my wooden shoes.
These are just too fun.
Excellent work on both the project and ible.
What a craftsman you are.
Fantastic video you have put together there showing the making of your shoes.
You are very entertaining and a funny bastard to boot.
super cool idea and work! you got my vote!


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Along with Juvederm, we carry Restalyne and Teosyl. No single filler is appropriate for every situation, so Central Plastic Surgery carries all different types of dermal filler to suit your needs. Depending on what you are looking for – improved jaw contour, increased cheek volume, smoother lip lines, under eye bag contouring, smoother laugh lines, fuller lips, non-surgical nasal reshaping, eradication of frown lines – we have a dermal filler that will be suitable for the job.
We welcome any questions you may have about the dermal filler and carry a lot of literature that is available to you if you desire. Come in to our plastic surgery office today to discover which dermal filler will suit your needs!
- You can scroll through medical spa Before and After photos below, or visit the Photos page to see all of our Before and After photos.


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Tomatoes are awesome. Yep, I'm a fan. I'm actually attempting to grow some in my little raised box gardens this year (if I don't kill them) and it looks like I might have at least a dozen heirlooms in the coming weeks! So exciting. I digress. Last night I made my first tomato pie. And it too was AWESOME! The Fiction Addiction Cookbook Book Club girls agreed. Recipe here.
We're cooking from the Back To Basics, Y'all cookbook and it is a bitch. It's like the old school Martha Stewart magazines where she had these ridiculous recipes with ingredients that involved a plane ride. Seriously. I have the entire late 1990's collection of mags to prove it. (I'm a pre-jail Martha Stewart connoisseur – something else you probably didn't know about me.)
|Last night's book club fare: caramel cake, amazing roast, jambalaya, and a really tall chocolate cake
I'll be so happy when we switch to the Southern Living Farmer's Market Cookbook next meeting. ANYWAY! I picked the easiest thing I could find in the veggie section of the cookbook for last night's meeting and cheated my pants off. No homemade crust. No homemade mayonnaise, though I'll admit I was willing to try to make the mayo, but I didn't have the lemon or particular mustard needed to whip it up. I did use basil, parsley and thyme from the garden. Yea me! Even though I thoroughly skimped on the effort, it was rockin' good. I'm making another when my tomatoes come in.
I know, I'm a complete nerd, but SOMEBODY get me some Lisa Loeb Cake and Pie glasses! I am obsessed. LOVE! THEM! Anyone know Mrs. Loeb? I'm waiting…
I made reservations at Husk. I'm about to bust at the seams with excitement. So anxious to be Charleston bound. I have a Charleston board on Pinterest. If ya wanna check it out go here. I can't wait to try Diggity Doughnuts, swing by Roti Rolls, check out Heirloom Book Company (cookbook store), pop in and say hi at Sweeteeth Chocolate's new digs, and hit the Mount Pleasant Farmer's Market. You can see what kind of vacation this is going to be. Don't worry. I'll share (photos).
I'm also newly obsessed with The Zac Brown Band. And I wish I were at the beach.
I gotta go eat the omelet my daughter made me. (She actually went outside and picked the herbs, grated the Gruyere cheese and made it 100% herself… and better than I could!) She's now making cinnamon toast. Happy Tuesday.


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It's been a while since we updated you on the film's progress! Being busy is good, and being super-busy means that your film is a hit! We are still opening in theaters this month, in Santa Cruz, Pittsburgh, and re-opening in Chicago, after a great run there in March!
International Film Circuit and Wendy Lidell have done an amazing job, and the film has had theatrical runs in almost every state, and in many cities, sometimes running for weeks. Check the Find a Screening page lists screenings to come and in the past.
As part of our campaign, we have worked locally with many wonderful organizations: Planned Parenthood, National Organization for Women (NOW), the YWCA, Veteran Feminists of America, and groups focusing on LGBTQ rights, rape prevention, public policy, lawyers's associations, women and gender studies, African American studies, the ACLU, Code Pink, Emily's List, labor & employment groups, women in the arts, girls' empowerment, and that's just for starters. All these partnerships have promoted great conversations, and even some on-the-spot activism.
One example: The day after we opened in the Bay Area, the SF Chronicle published a letter to the editor, asking if students received free tickets to see the film Selma because of its historical importance, why wasn't the same thing happening for She's Beautiful When She's Angry? That night at a Berkeley screening, an audience member brought up the letter, and then a woman in the audience jumped up and said, "We can do this! If everyone puts in $5 in the hat, we can give free tickets for low-income students to see the film." That night and the next we raised over $1300, and bought tickets for around two hundred students in Oakland, SF, and Berkeley.
The theatrical will continue a little longer, but our concentration now is on getting the film into colleges and other forms of distribution. We have started education distribution with Cinema Guild, and SBWSA has been their top seller for the past three months! Order it here.
People frequently ask about Video on Demand and selling DVD's, which have been delayed because of the huge expense of clearing music rights for different markets...we're still working on those.
We're starting on the educational materials, and setting up our website to provide research information.
We're showing in film fests around the world -- lately in Turkey, Australia, Ireland, Seoul, Canada and Spain.
We're breathless, but happy, many thanks to you all!!
Mary, Nancy and the She's Beautiful Team


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If this sounds like your just-right job, please contact Austyn Iwuh at 801.###.#### or e-mail your CV and references to ...@comphealth.com.
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Today begins National Women's History Month in the United States, as declared by presidential proclamation. This month we recognize and honor the accomplishments of women throughout the ages which will, in turn, empower our daughters with endless possibilities for their future.
In 1970, Helen Reddy released the song I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar, a thunderous statement on the women's liberation movement. It was a time when women were burning their bras, freely expressing their sexuality, and moving out of the kitchen into the workplace. After 40 years, Reddy's lyrics still rings true, we still have "a long, long way to go."
As I am writing this blog, the White House also released Women In America: Indicators of Social And Economic Well Being, the first such report since 1963. Women have made great strides and today many women hold powerful positions in careers once solely the domain of men. There is still, however, much work to be done and the space sciences are no exception.
The one question from young girls I've received over the years that has caused me the most dismay is, "Who was the first woman on the Moon?" It always makes me sad to answer, "No woman has ever been there." I still have hope that, within my lifetime, there will be a different reply: that I will be able to answer with the name of the first woman to have taken that step.
Unfortunately, women and girls still lag behind men in STEM subjects and careers, for a variety of reasons which will not be discussed today. What I will say is that I have long believed in the need for more role models for girls, especially in the sciences. It's why I started WomanAstronomer.com.
So, in celebration of Women's History Month, I will be blogging and tweeting about the amazing women in space, planetary science, and astronomy. I invite you to join me in celebrating the accomplishments of these wonderful women, to spread the word of their incredible work. (If you know of someone I should include, please let me know.)
First up is Lori B. Garver, Deputy Administrator of NASA. You can check out her biography here, which also has links to follow her on Facebook and Twitter. I think she is a truly inspirational woman and a role model for anyone, especially girls, interested in space.
With the recent surge of activity in the commercial space industry, the future holds even more opportunities for women in the space sciences, the chance to work on spacecraft, to design systems for humans in space, to find planets orbiting distant stars, "to go where no one has gone before." My generation was "I am woman, hear me roar." Your generation can be…I am woman, see me SOAR!
Clear skies!


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Dance Nights and Teaching Sessions
Steven Shaw and Helen Blackburn, hold a Modern Sequence Dance ** Thursday evenings at Ossett War Memorial Community Centre in Ossett, West Yorkshire. If you are in the area why not pop along and join them.
They teach all the new sequence dances as they are released and provide an up to date sequence dance programme of all your favourite dances.
Starts 7.30pm until 10 pm, please bring your own refreshments.
** excluding dates: 13/12, 24/1, 28/2, 28/3, 11/7, 18/7, 26/9, 24/10, 7/11,14/11, 28/11, 12/12** Please contact us before attending is you are unsure.
Private Dance Lessons
Private dance lessons are available upon request. Steven Shaw and Helen Blackburn teach in Leeds, West Yorkshire. If you would like to book a one to one private lesson, please telephone 0113 273 6885 to make suitable arrangements.
For Those Special Occasion Dances
If you are planning a special occasion dance, perhaps a birthday or anniversary party and would like dance MC's for the evening, why not contact Steven Shaw and Helen Blackburn on 0113 273 6885.


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Interpretation is an ongoing series of works and exhibitions held every two years, curated by industrial designer Andrew Simpson at Vert Design. The exhibition brings together Australian designers, urging them to work with a specified material and or process with opportunity for expansion. The exhibition forms a catalyst for production of new works and exploration of new ways of making. The designers share the ideas and secrets behind their creations, allowing them to explore how each designer's creative process works. Often in design the process is just as intriguing as the finished outcome, and so the process and the experimentation becomes a part of each exhibition.
For enquiries, please use the contact below or simply leave a message:
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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On Monday, a friend asked if anyone wanted to go see the latest HotCity Theatre production "Connected". Fresh off the annoyance of the many Super Bowl ads' weak attempts to socialize their commercials (50%), when I saw that the show had created Facebook profiles for its main characters, I was intrigued. And at last night's world premiere of Lia Romeo's show, I was impressed.
First of all, the show runs through the 23rd of February, so I highly suggest you buy tickets right now. I promise this blog post isn't going to be a theatrical review, but I might just go again, I liked it that much. It's at an intimate black-box style theater in the Kranzberg Arts Center in the heart of Grand Center (corner of Olive and Grand), and it's fantastic. "Connected" combines an excellent script of four vignettes with notably talented performers. Simple and effective set design and lighting top it off.
But I'm no theater expert; I want to comment on social media. I work in an industry that didn't exist 15 years ago and is now the subject of social commentary in all kinds of entertainment, literature, and even college classes. Major brands, small businesses, nonprofits and even government entities are still scrambling to figure out the best ways to utilize the power and promise of social media to their advantage. Simply put, HotCity Theatre took a play and turned it into an experience.
Two weeks before rehearsals even started, the actors in this small production were charged with creating Facebook profiles for their characters. With hints from Romeo, the actors set up their profile and cover photos, "liked" pages, made friends, and posted status updates. Cast member Jake Bucher, student at Lindenwood University, explains that he literally Googled "What would a bro do" to help him understand his character and create the profile. Helene Estes, junior at Visitation Academy, agreed:
"Every day we were making posts and statuses as our characters, which was great because Jill was always kind of a part of me even though I wasn't in rehearsal," explained Estes of her character Jill Beale. Not only is making a Facebook profile an excellent way to understand and create your character, but it also encouraged interaction and bonding among the actors before even meeting in real life (as can happen in the digital world).
I befriended each of the characters before the show, and I admit I was excited to have a heads-up about some of the characters before the show was ever even performed. They only created five profiles on Facebook, so I still got to discover 15 other characters throughout the 90 minute show, but seeing the conversations did help me get in the world of high school social media drama (including my 28-year-old self having to Google HMU to learn that it means "hit me up").
"We didn't just want to put ads up," said Director Chuck Harper in a KWMU interview last week. Indeed, I had not heard of the show at all, but I was suddenly devoting a little time each day to seeing what else I could learn about it and who might be interested to hear. The production also included attention to detail such as the opening screen; the show's start included a projection of a chatroom conversation, complete with sexual innuendo. But as the chatters slyly weaved in the story of going to a theater, having to turn off their cell phones, and raving about HotCity and how they might even donate after the show, the audience was laughing already. Theater-goers expect someone to make those announcements but nobody expected to be hanging on the every acronym-laden sentence of an online avatar telling them to do so.
As for the content of the play, playwright Lia Romeo explains in a KWMU interview last week that she didn't have an agenda, but she did have messages to communicate. I quite agree with that summary; the social commentary was clear but executed in such a way that I didn't feel attacked or overwhelmed. The smart writing and remarkable acting delivered powerful messages about the implications of social media without hitting you over the head. Although all four storylines were loosely tied to high school in some way, the concepts were universal and this was not just about how high schoolers react to social media. One awkward girl becomes an overnight YouTube sensation and deals with the ramifications of infamy vs fame. Two students prank their teacher on an online dating site and end up having a very honest conversation about loneliness. The popular girl stereotype, panicked at trying to follow her Facebook feed to find the hottest party, ends up drunkenly confessing to her sadness when her many Facebook "friends" did not show up to her dad's funeral. And a recent graduate grapples with her only social competence existing within her World of Warcraft community.
Not many experiences make me want to go online and connect, review or report afterward. But I felt compelled to find HotCity Theatre online, research the playwright and actors, send personal messages of positive feedback to the cast's fake profiles, and encourage friends to go see this show. The medium is the message. Well done HotCity!


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– Admission is FREE (tips encouraged)
The Iceberg storytelling show returns to Red Light Café for a fifth installment. The theme for this evening will be "By the Skin of My Teeth", and the night will be recorded for The Iceberg podcast. So come out and laugh, gasp, and cheer on the brave souls telling stories while enjoying some good grub and craft beer.
This is a FREE show, and tips are definitely encouraged for our intrepid performers.
The night will feature:
- Dera White
- Cory Draper
- Myke Johns
- Cory Byrom
- and more…
Plus a special reading from Robert McGlasson.


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Episode 17: Intermarriage - A Fact of 21st Century Judaism
Dan and Lex close out their three-episode series on Intermarriage: The New Normal in this episode. They explain why they don't think intermarriage is bad for American Judaism, explore questions of what it means to be a "Jewish leader," and discuss shifts away from binary, either-or ways of thinking.
(0:01 - 10:36): We begin the episode by articulating our belief that intermarriage is not a problem to be solved, but simply a fact of 21st Century Judaism. We then reflect on issues of intermarriage and gender that we discussed Keren McGinity and the intersection between intermarriage and race that we touched on with Paul Golin. [2] We also discuss the disconnect between American Jewish institutional leaders, many of whom still see intermarriage as a problem, and most American Jews, who take intermarriage is a given and nevertheless seek and believe that the can have meaningful Jewish lives. [3] [4]
(10:37 - 21:56): Next, we take a look at the idea of "Jewish leadership," suggesting that some institutional leaders imagine their constituencies to be broader (perhaps all Jews in their area) than they are in actuality (the subset of local Jews who are engaged in that organization). Returning to the subject of intermarriage, we think through why intermarriage isn't inherently bad for American Judaism.
(21:57 - 35:33): We discuss the shift from binary, either-or ways of thinking to new ways of thinking that don't assume, for example, that a person or a family must either be Jewish or not Jewish; we seem to be looking at a present and a future in which Judaism will be on of a number of parts of people's lives. [5] Building on this thinking, we express concern that in not believing that Judaism can stand up against "competition," a self-fulfilling prophesy comes about in which it truly cannot. [6]
(35:34 - 44:47): We re-visit the question of "Jewish leadership," critiquing the tendency to conflate the idea of a "Jewish professional" with a "Jewish leader," and overstating the actual influence "leaders" seem to have with "regular Jews." We also argue that those who elevate the status of "leaders" send the message to the rest of us that it is not our place to invent or innovate new and exciting ways of being Jews, when such innovations by regular Jews might be quite successful if they were undertaken.
[1] This episode is coming out the day before Shavuot begins. If you'd like to participate in the Shavuot Unbound initiative that we mention at the beginning of this episode -- deep immersion in Judaism with a 21st Century twist -- click here!
[2] To access the first two episodes in our Intermarriage: The New Normal series, click here (Episode 15, with Dr. Keren McGinity) and here (Episode 16, with Paul Golin)
[3] Dan tells the story of the twelve spies who saw themselves as "grasshoppers." For the full story, see Numbers 13:1-14:24.
[4] Lex mentions Big Tent Judaism's "Stained Glass Ceiling" report. To explore its findings, click here.
[5] In this segment, Dan critiques the tendency to dismiss engagement by non-Jews (and Jews) with various "modular" ideas of Judaism instead of being into the whole system. Dan mentions the celebrities who have gotten involved with the Kabbalah Centre as potentially an example of legitimate "Jew-ish" engagement. To learn more about the Kabbalah Centre and decide for yourself, click here.
[6] Lex refers to an episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where Jon Stewart asserts that Easter is far preferable to Passover. To view that clip, click here.


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Your care management team is ready to get you started on the road to effective self-management of your diabetes. Whether you have just been diagnosed with diabetes, have been told your blood sugar is elevated, or have had diabetes for many years, our pharmacist, registered dieticians, nurses, and nurse practitioners are available to discuss your diabetes targets, and to work with you to help achieve those targets.
The ABCs of your Diabetes Care
Diabetes Education Program at the North York Family Health Team
The North York Family Health Team Diabetes Education Program is made up of a nurse and dietitian, both certified diabetes educators.
We offer the following services for adults:
Group Classes:
Prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes
Individual Counselling:
Prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, Glucometer Teaching, Post-gestational diabetes and Insulin Start/Titration
Centre for Complex Diabetes at North York General (Branson Site)
While most patients usually manage quite well with standard levels of care, the CCDC provides comprehensive care for patients with complex diabetes needs. Care is provided over a shorter term, is patient-centered, goal specific, and allows for frequent follow-up.
CCDC Patients typically experience one or more of the following:
- Unmanaged diabetes complications
- Comorbidities which impact glycemic control
- Barriers in accessing health care
- Recurrent hospitalization or Emergency Room visits
- Complexities requiring case management


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Contact Brian
Higgins Calls for Buffalo Building Inspectors to Fully Investigate Freezer Queen Facility at Outer Harbor
August 14, 2006
Inspection Would Stop Freezer Queen From Leaving Decrepit and Unsound Building
Buffalo, NY
—Today Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) sent a letter to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to discuss the distressing situation at the Freezer Queen facility at 975 Fuhrmann Blvd in Buffalo. Specifically, Higgins asked Mayor Brown to have Buffalo's building inspectors give the facility a thorough examination as soon as possible. Higgins also forwarded documents he requested and received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Mayor Brown which details the specific violations at the Freezer Queen facility.
Higgins' letter to Mayor Brown comes after a July 8 story in the Buffalo News reporting that the Freezer Queen facility had been abruptly closed by its owner and that the 175 people employed there were put out of work. The News reported that the plant "failed a food safety inspection in mid-June", and that "rather than correct the violation, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture would not immediately disclose, the company stopped production."
After receiving a request from Higgins to disclose Freezer Queen's violation, USDA sent Higgins a list of documents describing in detail the violations. "The appalling details in these documents strongly suggest a pervasive pattern of poor maintenance, insufficient capital investment and overall poor management of the facility," said Higgins. "While these poor business practices are detrimental to food safety, these same poor practices can also be detrimental to the actual condition of the building itself. That being the case I respectfully suggest that the City's building inspectors give the facility a thorough examination as soon as possible."
"There is an unfortunate pattern which has developed along Buffalo's waterfront in which large national and international corporations have gotten away with leaving massive, decrepit, unsound buildings without investing in remediation, stabilization or demolition. A thorough examination of the property by the City's building inspectors would be a positive first step in order to prevent this pattern from repeating itself at the Freezer Queen site," said Higgins.
Summary of USDA documents on Freezer Queen
(the names of most USDA and Freezer Queen personnel were redacted by the USDA prior to these documents being provided to Congressman Higgins)
Date Highlights of Document
1/23/2006 Live Cockroach in Gravy Tank
2/17/2006 Live Cockroach in Gravy Tank
Cockroach on Stairs beside Gravy Tank
4/20/2006 At a 4:40 a.m. inspection, dried food from the previous day or previous days was found on several machines.
Live Cockroach in machinery.
6/8/2006 More dried food from previous day or days found on machines
Six live German Cockroaches
6/13/06 Letter from Freezer Queen to USDA requesting new USDA inspector.
6/14/2006 USDA meets with Freezer Queen to discuss corrective action
6/16/06 Letter from Freezer Queen to USDA detailing remediation. This document suggests that parts of the facility are strewn with debris and parts are not routinely cleaned.
6/19/2006 Letter from USDA to Freezer Queen explaining that facility was shut down on the 13th because of "cockroach infestations, sanitation performance issues and serious insanitary conditions observed throughout your establishment." Says that assurances provided by Freezer Queen to date are not good enough for USDA to allow them to reopen.
7/6/2006 Freezer Queen tells USDA it is closing up shop.
7/13/2006 USDA Terminates inspection service at Freezer Queen
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The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow #1) by Rachel Morgan
Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day's work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she's about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamor follows her into the Fae realm. Now she's broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.
The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he's discovered of the Fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it'll take all her training to get out alive.
This was one of those book for me that I wasn't sure if I like it or not. There were several things that I liked but also several things I disliked about the book. There was one part that made me continue read the book and later actually like it at the end. The book is very fast paced and super easy to read, I read it in a little over 5 hours and one sitting. I really enjoyed the world building and Creepy Hollow and most of the residents there. A few I'm not sure about and for good reason as it turns out in the end. It is really easy to get lost in the world of Creepy Hollow. I liked the concept of the Guild and it kind of reminded of Vampire Academy meets Shadow Hunters and I cannot wait to see and learn more about it. I was not a huge fan of Vi, she seemed a little immature at time even for YA. I also thought for someone who is on top of her class she gets her butt kicked way to many times. I know not all hero win and get the behinds kicked but it seemed to be happening to her way more plus like I said she is the top student and could have handled some of her situations a bit better. We also have her Insta-Love with Nate, which made no sense to me at all. Actually the entire Romance between them made very little sense and seemed a off. I could not at all relate to it. Nate, He seemed forced and while he was funny most of the time, sometimes it just seemed forced to me. There is a lot of backstory to him and yet we know almost nothing about him but I think we will learn a lot more in later books. The person I absolutely loved was Ryn, if not for him would have quit the book about 25% in. It is clear early on that there is some kind of history between him and Vi but it is not revealed until much later in the book… what and why. I think if the book would have concentrated more on the main story line instead of the romance part it could have been much better. But overall it was enjoyable. There are some big plot twists and which made it really good and made sure I will read the second book in the series. Overall it was a good read and I'm curious to see what happens next but I really hope Vi grows up a bit in future books.
I rate it 3★
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Did you really think I wouldn't look for you?" "Honestly? Yes. You seemed a little busy losing your tongue down someone else's throat."
"Whatever game you're playing, you're going to lose," he whispers. "And I'll be right there to rub your nose in it when it happens." "Great. Well, at least I have something to look forward to." I cross my arms. "Now why don't you go parade your lack of dignity somewhere else?"
"I refuse to let you talk me into a make-out session in a dodgy, underground tunnel. I have standards, you know."
Available NOW
Rachel Morgan spent a good deal of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making, crafting endless stories of make-believe and occasionally writing some of them down. After completing a degree in genetics and discovering she still wasn't grown-up enough for a 'real' job, she decided to return to those story worlds still spinning around her imagination. These days she spends much of her time immersed in fantasy land once more, writing fiction for young adults and those young at heart.
Rachel lives in Cape Town with her husband and three miniature dachshunds. She is the author of the bestselling Creepy Hollow series.
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Do you want to start a travel blog? You, my friend, is in the right place! Starting a travel blog can seem like a daunting task, where do you begin? How is a travel blog different from a regular blog? What is the cost? Those are just a few of the many questions we will be answering in this complete guide to starting a travel blog.
In this guide, we will be covering everything you need to know to get your blog set up, from the idea-generation to long-term success.
Although this is a guide written with how to start a travel blog in mind, many of these tips and strategies can be applied to any blog of any niche.
Your mission statement The technical setups Setting up your WordPress Travel blog essentials Blogging for longterm success
Please note the strategies outlined in the following sections focus extensively on running a successful, thriving travel blog with an active audience base. These strategies may not be relevant if your sole intent and purpose are to blog for yourself or for the sake of keeping an online journal. That said, if you already have a blog and are looking to develop it further, many of these strategies may be helpful for you as well.
Before you start, you might want to download the Blog Master Plan worksheets to follow along with this tutorial. Just enter your details below and get them straight to you inbox:
1. Your mission statement
So you have decided that you want to start a travel blog, perhaps you want to share your photos with friends or family, or talk about your travel experiences and adventures, or maybe you want to help others with travel tips and guides, whatever the purpose you have decided for your blog, there is an important question I want you to answer:
Why do you want to start a travel blog?
First of all, it is important to realize that travel blogging is a very competitive niche. Simply searching for "travel blog" on Google comes out to more than 300 million results. You may be writing out of pure passion for yourself, but the truth is unless you are writing for yourself and only you, you will want to have an audience for your blog.
In this section, I want you to really consider some of the questions below as you start out on this journey. These questions are the exact questions I had asked myself when I started Wander Station and they have helped me significantly in defining my goals, purpose, and strategy.
Question 1. What type of travel blog do you have in mind?
A travel blog is essentially a blog on travel. There are different types of travel blogs out there, depending on what you want to write about, your blog content would vary, and so would your blog audience.
Here are some ideas of the different types of travel blogs:
- Photoblogs: blogs where photography are the primary focus. You want to show your adventures through pictures instead of through content and too much writing.
- Travel guides/reviews: you want to write comprehensive guides and articles that feature different places of interest.
- Lifestyle travel: you mainly talk about your adventures with photographs, in addition to interesting stories that happened along the way.
- Trip recaps: similar to lifestyle travel but with more details on places of interst that might be useful for someone who is just doing research.
- Travel tips/tutorials: Not particularly focused on specific destinations but more informational posts on travel tips, tutorials, packing tips, how to travel plan, etc.
Of course, you can also have combinations of these or perhaps include content outside of travel. For instance, Wander Station is a travel plus personal development blog.
Keep in mind the more specific you focus on a topic, such as "luxury travel in Europe" or "restaurant guide in Bangkok", the more focused your audiences would be, but also the more specific details you will need to provide based on your knowledge and experience.
Question 2. Who are you writing for?
Most of us write for others, as I am sure you would agree. We want people to read our posts and look at the photos from our amazing adventures (and don't you deny it! ;) But, one of the hardest things to do when it comes to having a travel blog is also just that, building an engaging audience. And it will be difficult, and I am not just saying it either. Chances are after you have released your blog into the wild, you will be hearing crickets for a long while, months, possibly, or even years.
But, there are a couple things you can do to get a better headstart on day one, and that starts with defining your audience.
You may be writing for "the average leisure traveler", or you may be writing for someone as specific as a "mid-30 to mid-50s solo, vegan, female, world traveler residing in Australia who also has a full-time job". Depending on how specific and broad your audience profile is, it could greatly vary your writing style, and in turn, vary the audiences that are attracted to your blog.
Think of it this way, if you are someone who matches the profile of the latter example and you land on 2 blogs that both has an article on solo hiking trails in Tasmania. Upon weighing the credibility behind these 2 blogs, you eventually finds out the first blog also writes a whole bunch of different travel articles on things outside of travel while the second blog focuses extensively on solo travel and hiking trails, which one are you more likely to trust, not to mention come back to the next time you hit the road solo?
Question 3. What value are you providing?
Value is important because it is the one ingredient that attracts and retains readers to your blog. According to dictionary.com:
If you are constantly popping out blog posts that readers find useful, interesting, and helps them in some way, that's what keeps them coming back and that's how you build a following. On the other hand, imagine if you are reading a blog where the author just writes content with no real, tangible meaning or purpose, they may have shared photos and review of an interesting landmark, but if all they do is talk about their own adventures without going into detail what else there is to do or be aware of, you may find yourself only understanding one side of the story and at a loss of what to believe. In the latter case, there were little to no value provided and you might not return to that blog in the future.
Question 4. What is your goal behind this blog?
What is in it for you? When I am asking this question, I don't mean it in a selfish, I-better-get-something-out-of-this-or-else, kind of way. I want you to really ask yourself what it is you want out of building this blog. What is your goal? Is it the joy of being able to share and help others in their travel endeavors, or is it about self-fulfilment or a way to practice your writing or photography?
Your goal should be something that will mean just as much to you today than 2 or 5 years from now. It should also be the stepping stone to come up with your blog's mission statement. Keep in mind your goal should be easily explained in one or two sentences and not more.
Question 5. Is your blog sustainable?
Is your blog sustainable in the long run? A couple months from now, are you still going to have content to share? What about a year from now, 5 years from now? I have seen many blogs come and go simply because the owners behind them had "gotten tired" of the topic. And that's not the only reason, sometimes owners leave because they are not seeing the rewards for their efforts, ie. in the form of visitors, followers, traffic, pageviews, income… you get the gist.
Which is why I cannot stress enough just how important it is to have real, tangible goals and purposes in the event that even though you don't have any of those "validations", you still enjoy every minute of the creation process. Being passionate in the topic definitely helps, but it is also the perseverance and that undying spirit to continuously create.
Now that you have thought about those questions and you are still good with starting your blog, in the next section, I am guiding you through the step-by-step process of setting up your blog in the real world (ie. on the World Wide Web).
2. The technical setups
This is the part many people get stuck on, what is a web host? What is a domain name server? What the what is a blogging framework? I won't bore you with the technical definition of all those things here. In this section, you will learn the exact step-by-step of getting your blog up and running, no technical knowledge needed. Let's begin!
3 Simple steps to go from zero to blog:
Step 1. Registering your domain name
Your domain name is your virtual web address that others can access to get to your blog. Registering a domain name takes 2 minutes, but the hard part is coming up with a name. A general rule of thumb is to keep your domain name short and easy to remember. Avoid dashes and underscores no matter how much you are tempted to include them, and try to stick to .com or .co extensions.
Travel-related words: Since you are starting a travel blog, here are some travel-related words to get you thinking:
- adventure
- atlas
- backpack
- beyond
- bond
- escape
- explore
- flight
- globe
- lost
- miles
- pack
- passport
- planet
- unknown
- voyage
- wander
- wonder
If you are stuck on a name, I highly recommend Bust-A-Name to help with coming up with a list of domain name ideas based on the keywords and phrases you enter.
Naming your blog after yourself: 9 times out of 10, the domain name you want is probably taken. If you have got a unique name, why not name your blog after yourself? Naming your blog after yourself is a great way to brand yourself and stand out as an expert in your field.
Once you have settled on a good domain name, there are 2 ways to register:
- Register through a domain registrar. Simply enter the name you'd like, confirm it's available, add to cart, and check-out. The cost for a single domain is usually around $10-15/year, renewable on an annual basis. Pro tip: always stick to one domain registrar for all of your domains. It's much easier to keep track of this way and you won't have to waste money down the line transferring your domains between registrars.
- Register through signing up with a web hosting plan. Bluehost, one of the most affordable and beginner-friendly web hosts out there, offers a free domain name with any of their shared web hosting packages. In the next step, I will show you exactly how you can get one.
Step 2. Sign up for web hosting
Your web hosting provider is the company that provides you the virtual storage you need to house your blog platform, content, images, databases… in other words all of your website data and files. Think of these as your virtual filing system that is accessible to you anytime and anywhere in the world. Perfect for when you are on the road or away from your computer.
Here's what to do:
1. Visit Bluehost and select a plan. The basic plan is more than enough for you at this stage, there are always opportunities to upgrade later on.
2. Enter the domain name you have determined in the previous step.
3. In the next screen, you will be prompted to create your account by filling out your personal information, payment details, and selecting your package. You have the option of paying for a 12-month price, 24-month price, or a 36-month price. For good reasons, the longer the duration of your package the more your savings.
Pro tip: Be sure to opt-in for Domain Privacy Protection as it hides your personal information when people look up your domain.
4. Click on Submit. Once your payment has been processed, you will be prompted to create a password for your account.
Once you have set a password, you are set to move to the next step!
Step 3. Installing WordPress
1. Login to your Bluehost control panel. Once you are inside, you should see a screen with a whole bunch of icons. This might be overwhelming at first, but I promise you most of these will probably be rarely used by you, if ever.
2. Look for the icon to install WordPress.
3. The Bluehost Marketplace will open up, click on the link at the bottom to start the installation wizard.
4. In the screen that follows, you will be prompted to select the domain you want to install WordPress on. Choose the domain you have just registered. The page will take a moment to verify the domain is valid, once it's verified, click Next.
5. Enter your installation settings. The Admin credentials would be your WordPress user and login information. Make sure to also checkmark the 2 checkboxes at the bottom, then click Install.
6. WordPress will start installing on your domain, wait until you get the Installation Complete checkmark. Ignore the progress bar and click on the view credentials here link once prompted.
Ignore the next step on the screen and click on the link under "Installed to", we are going to set up your WordPress!
3. Setting up your WordPress
The 5 Essentials steps to set up your WordPress blog:
- Familiarize yourself with WordPress
- Installing a theme
- Installing plugins
- Updating your permalink structure
- Connecting with Google Analytics
Step 1. Familiarize yourself with WordPress
1. First, log in to WordPress with your administrator credentials.
2. Follow the onscreen prompts to set up your new blog!
3. Once your blog is up and running, familiarize yourself with your new WordPress dashboard and the different menu options. WordPress is an extremely easy to use platform so don't worry if you don't get it right away. There are tons of information and tutorials on the web available so if you are ever in doubt, remember your answers are only a search away.
Step 2. Installing a theme
1. To set a theme, navigate to Appearances > Themes and then Activate a theme of your choice.
2. If you'd like to install new themes, you have a few options:
- Free themes: Head on over to Appearances > Themes > Add New Theme for a directory of themes you can directly download and install within WordPress.
- Paid themes:
- ThemeForest has one of the best paid WordPress theme collections on the web. High-quality, professional themes are plenty for a low investment of $40-60 each.
- StudioPress is my personal go-to for their highly customizable framework, Genesis (which I currently use). They also have gorgeous premium themes available priced at around $99 a piece.
- Plus, Elegant Themes, Template Monster, and Themify.
- Customized themes: If you prefer a more customized route, you can hire freelancers on UpWork.com who may be up for the challenge!
If you are not sure which theme would work for you, there are some of my personal favorites and some that I have seen used by other travel blogs:
Step 3. Installing plugins
Plugins are like upgrades, they provide extra functionalities and features to your blog. To install a plugin, head over to Plugins > Add New, once you have installed your plugin, click on Activate and that's it!
Listed below are some of my favorite plugins that I highly recommend you to install:
- Yoast SEO: An excellent plugin that forces you to write better content, not only does it evaluate your writing, it is also the ultimate SEO cheat machine for people who don't know SEO to learn what it's all about.
- Contact Form 7: Emails made simple. How many times have you skipped contacting someone because they only had their email address listed on their site? Build your own form on your WordPress blog and remove the headache from your visitors.
- AccessPress Social Share: Easily share your posts on social media with these simple share icons.
- Simple Social Icons: Link to your social networks on your blog wherever widgets are accepted.
- WP to Twitter: Automatically post a tweet to Twitter every time you have published a new blog post.
- Interactive World Map: This is a premium interactive map plugin that's highly customizable and feature maps of different continents, countries, as well as the world.
If you are using the Genesis framework for your themes, here are some additional plugins I would also recommend (note these are Genesis-only):
- Blox Lite – Content Blocks for Genesis: Add a content block anywhere in your Genesis theme – great for customizing your blog's look and feel without knowing how to code.
- Genesis Custom Headers: Similar to Blox Lite except it is just for adding a content block in the header area above your post/pages.
- Genesis Simple Share: Similiar to AccessPress Social Share above but a much more lightweight version for easy social media sharing of your posts.
Step 4. Updating your permalink structure
A simple but impactful step, permalinks are the custom URL structure for your webpages.
By default in WordPress, your permalinks are usually in the
/year/month/post-name/ format. What we want is instead of having those extra numbers in your URL, which are typically irrelevant from a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) perspective, we want to select an alternative format, in our will go with just
To configure your permalink format, navigate to Settings > Permalinks:
Select the "Post name" option and click Save Changes. You are good to go!
Step 5. Connecting with Google Analytics
An advanced but essential step and one that I would recommend to ANY website. If you are unfamiliar with Google Analytics, it is a useful, free tool for capturing web traffic and referral data. Metrics like which of your blog post is getting the highest number of visitors? Where are your visitors coming from? Who is linking to your site? Which days of the week do you have the highest traffic to your site? Etc.
To set up Google Analytics on your new WordPress blog, follow these simple steps:
1. Head on over to Google Analytics. Click on the Sign In link at the top. A dropdown will appear, select Analytics.
2. Login with your Google email or create a Google account if you don't already have one.
3. Once you have signed in, click on Sign up in the following screen:
4. Under New Account, select Website and fill out the rest of the form with your information:
Once you are done, click on the blue button to continue. A popup will appear asking you to read and accept the Terms & Condition, select I agree once you are done.
5. In the following screen, you will be prompted with your unique Google Analytics Tracking ID and tracking script. Go ahead and copy the script highlighted in the big box at the top:
There are a few ways to add these scripts to your WordPress, but to keep things simple, we are going to go with the plugin option. Following the same plugin installation from step 6 above, download the Insert Headers and Footers plugin.
Once the plugin had been installed and activated, navigate to your plugin configurations (found under Settings > Insert Headers and Footers):
Paste in the tracking script you have copied from Google Analytics into the Scripts in Header box:
Click Save.
It will take between 12-24 hours for any traffic data to be captured, once it's been 24 hours, you will be able to access those metrics under All Web Site Data > Reporting in your Google Analytics account.
Congratulations, your blog is ready to go!
4. Travel blog essentials
Now that your blog is good to go, it's time to get serious. As I am sure you'd have noticed by now, running a blog is no easy feat; it is not as simple as just sharing content, but rather sharing with strategy and purpose. In this section, I am laying out the top 3 essential ingredients to running a thriving travel blog.
Ingredient 1: Write yourself a fancy about page
Who is the person behind that blog? Don't we all wonder that the first time we land on a blog? Especially a travel blog.
Personally, my reason had always been to understand what kind of traveler the blogger is, is he or she similar to me? If they are similar, that means their content might be more relevant for me. I am also interested in information such as where the person had been, how did they get started with traveling. The more of my questions that are answered, the higher credibility and trustworthiness I have for the blogger and their content in return.
As you lay out your about page, here are some things I'd recommend to include:
- Your story
- Some travel facts
- Type of traveler you are
- Favorite travel destinations
- Where you are heading next
And don't forget to add a photo of yourself as well!
Ingredient 2: Include lots of real-life pictures
Regardless of what type of travel blog you have, pictures are a must. These can be pictures from your travels, pictures of maps, pictures of what's in your suitcase, anything. Not only are pictures worth 1000 words, they are also visually engaging for the readers. Remember, your readers are always looking for ways to connect what you are describing to how it looks in reality.
Especially for people who are researching about their travel destination, preparation is key. They want to know what they are getting themselves into, and ofttimes seeing it as a photograph is much more definite than imagining what it might look like. As we all know, expectations are not always the reality, we definitely don't want our readers to be disappointed if they do end up taking your advice, only to end up with something completely different.
Ingredient 3: Link to relevant external resources
If you are blogging about a particular destination or place of interest, it's always a good idea to provide additional links and resources in your post for readers who might want to find out more. Maybe link to the official website, or perhaps directions on how to get to said place via the public transit line, or maybe even a link to a suggested itinerary. The possibilities are endless and your readers will thank you for it.
5. Blogging for longterm success
Tip 1: Coming up with an editorial calendar
Editorial calendars are excellent ways to add accountability. In short, it is a plan of all your blog tasks laid out in a calendar or journal format.
I like to rotate my editorial calendar on a 2-week cycle. You may want to have yours stay the same within a given cycle too or you may want it to vary over time. I find it's much easier to keep track of what my tasks when they always happening on the same day every other week, but of course, yours would depend on your needs and availability as well.
Here are some ideas of what you tasks you can include as you build your calendar out:
- New blog posts
- Social media updates
- Writing days
- Blog maintenance
- Post graphic creation
- Social engagements
- Research days
Pro tip: Try focusing on one task per day in your calendar. Don't bombard yourself with multiple tasks per day, and definitely stay away from multitasking if you can help it! Trust me, it will be much easier to stay consistent and make progress if you focus on one thing at a time.
Tip 2: Optimizing for search engines
When it comes to traffic generation, search engines are going to be one of your main sources of traffic. This is why it is so important you know what you are doing to get your blog posts at the forefront of what your target audience is searching for. Without going into the nitty-gritty details of SEO, here are some key points to help you optimize your blog posts:
Keywords and/or phrases: Which keywords or phrases does your audience have to search for to land on your blog? Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to plan out what keywords to focus on throughout each post and highlight them throughout your content:
- Page title: Your page titles should always be between 50-65 characters. Google search results typically display up to 65 characters including spaces and symbols. Be sure to have your keyword in your post title as well.
- Page URL: In WordPress, you can set a permalink with every blog post. Try keeping your links short, sweet, and only contain your keywords or phrase. For instance, if your blog post is titled "The 10 reasons you should start a blog today", your permalink could be condensed to something like "reasons-to-start-blog".
- Page description: Useful for increasing clickthroughs through search engine results. This is a roughly 150-160 character description of what your post is about.
Links: Links can be external or internal. External links are links to your blog from a source outside of your own site, while internal links are links from within your site targeting each other.
- External links are deemed as far more trustworthy and reliable than internal links according to search engines, the more third party websites that link to your site is usually an indicator the higher you will rank in search engine results. The general rule of thumb is to link between your posts but also connect with external influencers to get your website linked from their sites, usually this can be done via commenting on other people's sites with a link to your own blog (of course, not as a mean of self-promotion but rather to leave a relevant comment), guest posting, or getting featured.
- Internal links, on the other hand, are great ways to retain readers on your blog as they click within your site. Aim to include at least 2-3 internal links with every blog post to keep the readers engaged and stay on your site longer!
Page content: Is your content valuable and relevant to your keywords? As a rule of thumb, aim to write posts between 1500 to 2000 words.
Images: Often overlooked but frequently picked up by search engines. Include your keywords in your image file names and image titles (or ALT tags). These are great ways to boost your ranking in search engines and get your images to show up in Google image search results.
Page speed: Fast loading web pages is not only a great user experience but yet another way to boost your search engine rankings. Optimize any large images on your web pages by saving them for the web, and deactivate unnecessary plugins that are not used to reduce load time.
Tip 3: Creating shareable social media graphics
Are you a visual person? One of the things I find myself often doing as I scroll through my social feeds is how frequently I'd skip over text updates but stop when I see a visual update. In fact, when I learned that our brains actually process visual information 60,000 times faster when text, I wasn't all that surprised.
As you blog more and more, you will want to create shareable social media graphics for each and every one of your posts. Not only because they are great visual representations of your content, they also make all your social media updates pop right in front of your audiences. Some ideas of what you can have in your graphics:
- Blog post title
- A quote pulled from your post
- Certain highlights pulled from your post
- Facts and figures
- An action your audience can take based on your post
You can also use combinations of these in a single graphic, the key is to be creative and keep the text at a minimum. It is a visual graphic after all! Keep in mind that depending on which network you want to promote on, the sizes for your graphics can also vary. Here are the most recent social graphic sizes for your reference (as of December 2016):
- Twitter: 440px x 220px in preview, 1024px x 512px expanded view
- Facebook: 1200px x height varies
- Instagram: 1080px x 1080px
- Pinterest: scaled to 236px in preview, general rule of thumb is to create them as a vertical rectangle, the longer the more real estate your pin is taking up on your audience's screen (the better)! Infographics are great for Pinterest
- LinkedIn: minimum 646px x 220px
- Tumblr: 500px x 750px in feed, 1280px x 1920px expanded view
- Google Plus: 497px x height varies
Tip 4: Building a mailing list
When a visitor goes to your blog, reads a post or two, and then leaves, none of their information is captured (other than the basic demographic/technology data that's captured within your Google Analytics). If you want to notify that same visitor that you have just published a new blog post or that you are releasing a product, there's no way you can find and target that visitor again.
This is precisely why having a mailing list on your blog from day one is so important. Your mailing list is essentially a list of your visitors' email addresses. You might be asking but how do you get their email addresses? The solution is simpler than you think, and it starts with directing the same question back at you: what would prompt YOU to offer up your email address?
The answer is simple, there's gotta be something in it for you.
That's why this strategy is really a 2-step process. Step 1 is providing that incentive to your visitors to propel them to opt-in, and step 2 is to provide the opt-in form for them to actually type their email address into.
- An incentive: Provide something of value that your audience would get in exchange for their email address. This incentive could be a free download (kind of like what I am doing at the bottom of this blog!), a free checklist, an ebook, an e-course, some bonus tips and strategies, etc. Again, be creative. What is your post about? What can you provide in addition to the post itself that the reader might find helpful?
- The opt-in form: There are a few ways you can have this opt-in form on your blog. Using a free WordPress form plugin like Contact Form 7 to manually keep track, or use an automated third-party tool like ConvertKit (what I use) or MailChimp (more beginner-friendly) that will manage and host your list for you.
Tip 5: Maintaining an active social media presence
In today's digital-centric world, connections are hugely important in positioning yourself as an expert amongst all the competition out there. If you are an introvert like me, you will find this strategy extremely difficult to carry out. Don't be disheartened, though, with practice you will get better at it, the important thing is to take a deep breath and start. One tweet, 2 follows, 3 replies… every step counts.
Not sure how to begin? Here are some ways to start:
- Following other travel bloggers and influencers
- Sharing and retweeting their content
- Comment on their blogs and social statuses
- Engage with your own followers by replying to every tweet
- Share your own posts and tweets regularly
When people see that you are active, they are more likely to trust you and follow you. Not only that, when you engage with other travel bloggers and influencers regularly, those bloggers and influencers might follow you back one day and be more open to collaborating with you down the line. You never know where your connections might lead, so keep at it and keep reaching out!
Still haven't downloaded your blog Master Plan worksheets? Fill out your details below and get them straight to your inbox:
And there you have it, how to start a travel blog in a nutshell. I hope you have found this post helpful, many of these sub-topics I have brought up can be an entire lesson in itself. I have only scratched the surface of what maintaining a blog is all about, the rest is up to you!
Wishing you all the best in your blogging journey, and I would love to check out your new blog if you found this post helpful.


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The Lottery Team
Lottery co-ordinator Gill Graham says the best bit about her job is ringing the winners to let them know they have won and make their day. Every Friday morning is draw time and you'll often see a guest of honour being hauled into the lottery office to start the running of the weekly draw. So if you get a call or message from Gill on a Friday morning the chances are it is good news!
Our Lottery Canvassers
Richard Scarbrough (L) and Patsy McDonald (R) are based in retail stores, town centres and out in the community in East Lancashire to let the public know about our fantastic hospice lottery.
Our lottery canvassers have official photo identification on them at all times and you can call the lottery office if you have any concerns on 01254 287013.
Licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission under the Gambling Act 2005. Ancillary Remote Operating Licence Number 000-004242-A-313715-002 Operating Licence - 000-004242-N-103928-008. It is illegal to gamble under the age of 16 years.
Promoter: Sharon Crymble
Gamble responsibly - gambling should be fun. If gambling is causing you a problem, for confidential advice and support contact www.begambleaware.org : Helpline: 0808 8020 133
Please write to: The Promoter, East Lancashire Hospice Lottery, Park Lee Road, Blackburn, BB2 3NY.


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I'm doing final preparations for the "Dinner For Six", sponsored by Focus Singles at Cornerstone Fellowship in Livermore. Dinner music from 7-9 pm, followed by dancing from 9 pm to midnight. This flier was mailed to over 1,000 people!
Thanks to Dave Matas and Paul Schaffer for setting this up!


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"It would be naïve to think we will not have human relationships with the Artificial Intelligence in our lives"
Dennis R. Mortensen, creator of the virtual meeting set-up assistants Amy and Andrew from x.ai, hosted a talk "It looks like a human, it sounds like a human" at Web Summit this year. It struck me there, that the question is not whether machine interactions will be part of our daily lives. They already are and will be even more. We need to start thinking what human artificial intelligence relationships will be made of.
Smiling back at a bot
Already in the sixties an experiment at MIT, the "DOCTOR" script for the computer Eliza showed that people speaking with an automated telephone therapist made users become emotionally attached to the program. They occasionally forgot that they were conversing with a computer. How was this possible? The machine seemingly displayed empathy by repeating what callers were saying. And it created follow-up questions by re-assembling the input questions into open ended output questions. A computer program playing their own words back to the callers made people feel heard. And the same people formed an attachment to a machine, like to a caring therapist or deeply listening friend.
So, to dive deeper into the subject I tried out a few bots. "Poncho" sends you weather forecasts and replies to simple weather related questions. At some point I found myself sending smileys and thumbs up back to Poncho. Its message had made me smile, and I sincerely felt that I wanted to smile back. I've had the same experience with Siri. I'm aware what makes me smile is the humans' humour who had programmed the bot. There is a feeling that my smile back will reach the human creators behind the bot – but still, there I am, sending a smiley to a bot. A budding form of human artificial intelligence relationships?
So, what are the types of human artificial intelligence relationships we are seeing?
Arguably, not all that seems AI is AI. Poncho, Siri, Eliza all only execute script logic to assemble pre-scripted answers. Certain recommendation engines – like the Amazon one – do find patters beyond human programmation and act based on that.
Leaving this distinction aside for the moment we are seeing different types of relations appear. We are seeing AI as helpers or virtual assistants that schedule meetings for us or that automatically reply to simple emails or translate for us. AI can be there in the form of advisor, suggesting what to buy next, what else we could like. It can act as a guide or a coach – for example bringing design choices to us and suggesting which step to take next when designing a website. Some say, AI could be better teachers than humans – leaving personal bias out of the student-teacher relationship and being able to adapt better to the needs and pace of individual students. A collaboration between Georgia Tech and IBM ventured far into this area.
AI Intimacy
AI supported systems have the potential to observe us more intimately than our closest friends and relatives, or even than we can ourselves. Could AI indeed become our doctors and therapists? As an example, the platform ShareCare allows you to interact with physicians via video or chat. Now, where it gets interesting is when an Artificial Intelligence listens in to those conversations, with the aim to understand your physical and emotional wellbeing. The AI can register the look in your eyes. Are you nervous, how quickly are your eyes moving today? Is the eye movement indicating high stress? The AI can compare this to the eye movement of millions of people who have had a heart attack coming up and can warn you of bad things before they potentially happen.
This intense amount of data analysis gets presented to us can have a profound impact on how well we know and understand ourselves. Where am I when the irregularities appear? Who am I with? What is good for me, what bad? AI can help us stay healthy and prevent accidents or major illnesses. Will we at some point be dependent on it to feel and read our body signals correctly? Will human artificial intelligence relationships be made of total dependency?
It does not end here. Silicon Love Dolls are being turned into sex robots – with configurable personality traits. Could sex robots help reduce sex based crime and violence? Or will they contribute to an increasing objectivation of women? Is there room for love in human artificial intelligence relationship? From the epic Space Odyssey 2001 in 1968, to AI Artificial Intelligence in 2001 or the more recent Her (2013) or Ex Machina (2015) storytellers have investigated this question from the love angle – and have shown that it will get complicated.
AI as an extension of ourselves
Marshal McLuhan said: "First man made the hammer, then the hammer made the man". Like a car is the extension of our legs, artificial intelligence is an extension of our brains. Maurice Conti, director of strategic innovation at Autodesk uses human, AI and robot collaboration to make engineering feats come alive that seem impossible by mere human imagination. Also, the Paul Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence is betting on human AI collaboration to solve the toughest scientific and engineering challenges of our times. Elon Musk has a more pessimistic view – and nonetheless advocates us augmenting our brains with AI chips and has founded Neuralink. He see this as a way to stay in control. We ensure we have access to the power of the machines, while also having access to our most human capacities.
The next frontier
We are surrounded more and more by Artificial Intelligence. Some is invisible to us – analysing, predicting, proposing behind the scenes. Others we meet in chat conversations or as advisors while scheduling, designing or requesting customer service help. Yet others we encounter in physical forms – more and more human like, mirroring our movements, gestures, facial expressions, giving us a feeling of empathy while supporting us with mundane tasks or tasks that are too difficult for us to perform ourselves.
To conclude, I realize we will co-exist more intimately with AI powered machines than I would have ever imagined. We are in a relationship. For a truly healthy relationship we need to intimately know and understand ourselves. What makes us uniquely human? The more emotional, creative, compassionate, illogical and messy sides of our being come in the focus. Do we dare to dive into our deepest humanity and express that ever more? I feel it is necessary to not lose ourselves in the "AI and I" relationship. We need this self exploration to design and build AI for the good. To use it and enhance and transform us in ways that will benefit our species and our planet. Being at a new frontier with technology means being at a new frontier of ourselves. Exciting times.
For further reference – a source that makes me hopeful:
For the relationship between humans and technology:
For a collection of articles:
Kevyn Eva Norton
Latest posts by Kevyn Eva Norton (see all)
- AI and I – Human Artificial Intelligence Relationships - December 7, 2017


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When school is working how I want it to work, we have days like today.
One of my children today commented that it was like an old fashioned school. All grades in one room. This is my inspiration for school and learning together actually, and it has many benefits.
We gathered around after maths and learned a new technique, drawing optical illusion artwork. It was a real success and was school exactly how I like it… Learning together regardless of age and each working at their own pace. There was much encouragement and persistence. As well as a surprising attention span and accuracy from my Littles.


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This is just the first album- I still need to update this part. :)
"Before the Storm"
Along the pillows and cradles
Long after all the damage had been done
We walked the hills searching
For something lost before the sun
And along the hills we wandered
Full of branches and debris
We saw two hearts beating
That belong to you and me
Cause we were born, we were born
We were born before the storm
And as we turned our gaze to the heavens
We mostly see clouds
In the shapes of lions
Cleaning their cubs
We stare in envy
From the ground
Cause we were born, we were born
We were born before the storm
And when you read my palm
Did you know we'd go wrong?
And when you go into the woods you gotta bring breadcrumbs
But through the trees
I see a sunbeam
And a butterfly to be our guide
Cause we were born, we were born
We were born before the storm
"29th of June"
All the old trees
Fell to their knees
When the storm came through
On the 29th of June
Bough did break
The front porch shaked
The baby cried
And three people died
Windows smashed
Roads covered in glass
I was on the mound
When the guns began to sound
And the sky tore down the town
Electric lines
Blew like twine
Began to spark
The fire starts
It seemed like hell
Began to swell
Up through the dirt
And covered the earth
I tried to pray
But then gave way
To the final sin
And let the flesh win
And the sky tore down the town
"Colors in the Sky"
All I do is wait for rainbows
As consolation to the rain
Maybe God is just a scarecrow
Somedays a farmer in a field of pain
And in the din I hear the wind blow
As the gristmill grinds the grain
And I've got sorrows on my table
And there's no bread on my neighbor's plate
Still I see colors in the sky
I see colors in the sky
I see colors in the sky, I don't know why
I see colors in the sky
And if the spectrum stopped appearing
And the world remained in gray
Would our necks grow tired from staring
Into a sky of soot and clay?
And as the darkness does surround us
In the horrors of our days
Guess I just can't stop believing
In a purple, orange, green haze
Still I see colors in the sky
I see colors in the sky
I see colors in the sky, I don't know why
I see colors in the sky
"Gloves and the Turtle Dove"
15 years I've worn these gloves
I've worn these gloves for 15 years
Made of yarn, black and brown
Frayed and torn, they keep my hands warm
In the wintertime, I wear them everyday
In the summertime, they're packed away
You knitted them with love and time
Back when our fingers were intertwined
Intertwined, intertwined, intertwined, intertwined
In the wilderness, I heard the cry of love
In an open field I saw a turtle dove
With a wounded wing and nothing to eat
I picked some berries and laid them at its feet
It closed its eyes, then disappeared
It was the color of my glove
And, like you, it never reappeared
"Opportunity to Love"
Look at all the damage the days have done
Think of all the people that have come and gone
I can hear the echo of each mistake
All of my good friends seem far away
Maybe it's a good time in your life
To let a new person into your life
Don't shy away from the opportunity to love
The ocean is warm as you walk in
But it always gets colder where you learn to swim
Wish I knew some place that was always safe
And water is clear enough to see my face
This is a good time in your life
To let a new person into your life
Don't shy away from the opportunity to love
Maybe it's a good time in my life
Maybe it's a good time in my life, in my life
"Invisible Man"
He's taken a bath
He's combed his hair back
He's put on clean clothes
But he knows
You'll still recognize him
So he looks in the mirror
And, poof, he disappears
By whispering his name
Three times to himself
Never seen again
And the Invisible Man
Has skin as clear as glass
He carries a past
Even though you can't see him
In the light he walks around
Forever lost and never found
Just a memory of someone that used to be
There's no shadow on the wall
No footsteps in the hall
He moves like a breeze
Through everything you see
For eternity
When someone takes their own life
Because they hate their life
That'll fuck up your life
And never stop hurting
And the Invisible Man
Has skin as clear as glass
Carries with him a past
Even though you can't see him
In the light he walks around
Forever lost and never found
Just a memory of someone that used to be
"I Want Nothing"
Since the beginning of time
People cry when people die
Look at the Stations of the Cross
Read from the broken poets' hearts
Believers and heathens all see
There's better ways for being free
Then breaking skin until there's blood
And pushing the poor into the mud
I take walks to help me dream
And it's in dreams that I believe
Not in a flag or a country
Not in the hate is money
I see the love in a stranger's eyes
From across the great divide
Let's take the lessons that we've learned
And let the mercy spill on Earth
Well, I was born into the lucky few
With the luxury to choose
To turn away from what enslaves
And to ignore what I can't change
I know this life can't be all pure
My sins are many to be sure
But I want nothing of a world
Built on greed and hurt
I want nothing from that world
"Another Bad Dream"
Woke up with another bad dream today
Birds flew away and the moths stayed
Through the window shade of a penny arcade
I saw the whole world burn and fade
Woke up with another bad dream today
The son I never had ran away
Followed his footprints into a cave
But it was too dark for him to be saved
And in my bed, lay down my head
And all I see are days of dread
And when I wake from my slumber
Only bad dreams I do remember
Bad dreams coming on hard tonight
Eyelids fighting stage fright
And if that's the truth that's inside me
Lord, help me be one that never sleeps
"First and Last"
In the morning, my mind feels free
As I watch a fox hide under a tree
But later on as the day does progress
The sounds of the world make my head a mess
And when it's dark, I lay down
The world is quiet, but I feel loud
And in my dreams there's no order, no plan
In the chaos of sleep, I'm a crazy man
The first and the last parts of the day
Always feel so far away
So far away
And when you're knocking on death's lonely door
No one will hear everything you've absorbed
The Tower of Babel will take the shape of your tongue
Cracked and dry from a life in the sun
And feeling wise from all your years past
You'll search for words for what you've amassed
The end of days are what they will be
And nothing's clear as the fox in the tree
The first and last parts of the day
Always feel so far away
So far away
"Bloom Again"
Well, I've seen my days
Melt away
Like an ice cream cone
Ignored in the sun
All the critters in the ground
Know what I'm talking about
They've got somewhere to hide
Till the gettin's good
So I stood like a tree
Through nature's bitter schemes
And I waited my turn
To bloom again
My turn to bloom again


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Goldsher must receive payment of your order first and this must be verified before delivery can take place. Our acceptance of a customer's order is upon the delivery of the items to the customer's address.
Goldsher will attempt to supply all goods to the customer within a day or two of the order being made. The maximum amount of time that an item should take to arrive to the customer should be 7 working days.
If you wish to return any of our items you may do so if the products are not damaged in any way and in a saleable condition. Products can be returned in 14 days but details must be emailed to us in advance. Goods must be returned via special delivery and proof of purchase is required to the Goldsher address which is Goldsher Jewellery, PO BOX: 51983, SW9 6YR.
We regard our customer's private details as something very important which cannot and will not be passed to any other party.


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The fourth issue of a six-issue mini-series is often a problematic issue. The premise of the series has already been explained in the previous issues, while the conclusion lies ahead. Sometimes, that means the fourth issue raises the stakes and piles more challenges upon the protagonists, driving the story forward. Robert Rodi tries to do that here with Thor's trip to Valhalla that goes wrong, but it feels like more of the same. So far, "Thor: For Asgard" has had three issues of 'things aren't right in Asgard and the natural order of things,' and nothing changes. That idea continues, but doesn't become more urgent or compelling. It's a flat line that isn't nearly as effective as it was for the first three issues.
Last issue, Thor enlisted the help of the Valkyrie Brunhillde to visit Balder in Valhalla and, hopefully, reveal the meaning of portentious dreams the Thunder God has been having about his deceased friend. With Asgard decaying and Ragnarok on the approach, Thor hopes that Balder will have some knowledge about what is happening and if there is any way to fix it before it becomes worse. Instead, Thor finds that Balder is not in Valhalla and Hela has plans to further upset the natural order of the Nine Realms, no longer fearing the wrath of the Asgardians. What she does is surprising and somewhat shocking, but it becomes merely another symptom that something is 'not right' anymore. Since it only affects the dead, it lacks the immediate punch to the gut that's required. Hela's disruption is more trivial at this point in the series than it should be.
The most intriguing scene in the issue is the continued subplot focusing on Odin and his answer to the charge that he raped his wife. This subplot has moved at a snail's pace of two pages per issue, but, at such small intervals, Rodi is able to focus and deliver concise, compelling dialogue that packs a punch and also makes the reader want to see more. We still don't know what Odin is doing with Asgard in such dire straits. His short conversation with his wife is illuminating as Odin relies upon fate as an excuse for his actions. But, as Jord says, "Prophecy is not permission..." and ties into the theme of the series that fate in inevitable and, possibly, immoral. No matter what any of the gods do, Asgard continues to degrade and Ragnarok seems to come. Should knowing that it will happen make everyone embrace fate or should they fight against it, even if it's simply by saying "No"? That idea is worth exploring in the context of the Asgardians and is a smart subtext for the series.
Rodi's writing may lack the punch necessary to drive the series forward, but Simone Bianchi's art is heading in that direction as well. For this series, he and colorist Simone Peruzzi have used washed out, muted colors, sometimes avoiding hard blacks. In this issue, that effect is more pronounced than ever, moving away from clear and crisp line work. Take a look at the preview pages and notice how faded the art looks with the lines a little less defined than Bianchi's art usually is. With scenes with numerous characters and somewhat detailed backgrounds like Valhalla here, the lack of clarity is a problem.
More than that, Bianchi's pages lack the same strong designs that previous issues had. His panel-to-panel storytelling is serviceable usually, made up for in ornate and stunning page layouts. Some pages look intricately designed, but not as many as previous issues. Hopefully, this isn't a sign of deadlines catching up with Bianchi, because his art has been a perfect match for both the world of Thor and the tone of Rodi's writing so far, and it would be a shame if the series ends on a lackluster note.
It's not unusual for the fourth issue of six-issue minis to be less compelling than what came before; Rodi tries to work against that problem, but provides more of the same. Instead of raising the stakes, most of the issue maintains the same general level of threat to Asgard. The final page does take things to another level, following up on an idea introduced in a previous issue, suggesting that issue five will get things back on track and pushing strongly to the conclusion.


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[Download] Gallows - "True Colours"
Gallows have upped the first taste of their new lineup since their mad man Frank Carter parted ways just over a month ago. It was a weird one hearing that Frank was leaving, for me, seeing Gallows in their early days as a teenager I remember the energy Frank could transpire to the crowd, the pure crazy that dripped from his pasty frame. This new track with Wade MacNeil formerly of Alexisonfire is our first sample of the new direction the band are about to embark upon. In short, it's 37 seconds of pure adrenalin. The sound is different, and they've gone with the name "True Colours", although I'm sure a lot of fans will disagree it is their true colours, this is time for people to open their minds and accept the new line up. This is Gallows. You can download it over here.