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So Seahawks and Steelers, eh? Should be a good Superbowl, I think, after watching all of the Broncos-Steelers game and a bit of the lesser conference game. I am an expatriate of Broncos Nation, which means many of my Sundays after church have been spent in front of the television. There were a few things this season that reminded me of the religious significance of football. One was that when 49ers linebacker Thomas Herrion died after a game, his casket was draped not with a baptismal pall but a 49ers blanket. The second was that when Hurricane Katrina hit, Mayor Nagin directed stranded people to find sanctuary in the Superdome.
But every football game (and the sport in general) has religious significance, as Denver Post religion reporter Eric Gorski deftly points out in his fun and yet smart and respectful piece in Sunday's paper, "O Come, All Ye Faithful":
If the Broncos are a religion, these are the High Holidays.
The cathedral is a glimmering oval of steel along the interstate. . . .
Services start at 1 p.m. sharp today. In the end, someone will probably kneel down.
Scholars and clergy will tell you there are legitimate parallels between sport and religion. Both are steeped in ritual, help forge identity and unite people from different walks of life in a common cause. . . .
These same scholars and clergy will tell you there are risks to blurring football and faith: of potential idolatry, or misplaced prayers and priorities.
It's a great piece that covers a broad range of religions and treats them all respectfully -- even a priest who wore orange vestments the first time the Broncos made it to the Superbowl.
The conceit behind the piece could have resulted in knee-jerk collection of quotes from various clergy, but the author really educates the reader about various religious views. Too bad my Broncos didn't do as well as Gorski.


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It's so nice to have my world here, where wild flowers fill the shore, fruit hangs up the branches, birds fly around playfully, chirping, frogs crowing ...
When I was a kid, I used to come and play by a river.
When I was not near, I could hear the gurgling sound of the little red singing, you see how happy the river is! The water was clear, and the fish and shrimps would always gather here to play, dance, sing and whisper. If you got any closer, you might hear what they were saying and doing.
Every spring the wild flowers on the shore would rush to the front, and there was a great mass, red, green, purple, and pink, which made up a beautiful watercolor, and we could smell the fragrance of the fragrance of the honey bee, the hard work of the bees, the work of singing and the work of singing, the "buzzing ..." Butterflies and flowers dance together and display their bodies.
And there's a tree that doesn't do anything wrong, where the birds will settle down, where they will sing and dance, and there will be a strong feeling of affection in the air, and if you're not afraid of being found out by Mother Bird and Papa Bird, you can go see the bird and play with it, but don't let their parents find you.
If the tree is ripe, you can also take it down, wash it with the river, sit on the green and soft grass, eat a big, bright smile.
This moment, this scene ...
How, how happy, how thoughtful.
What a beautiful scene for poetry.
Everything here is really, really beautiful!
In such a beautiful and full of vitality of the place to have a piece of my world, I am really very lucky!
It's nice to have my world here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Every great living religious work must have had a birth, but not many celebrate their birthdays. The Bhagavad Gita, a classic Hindu scripture, does. This year Hindus are celebrating the Gita Jayanti today, December 2.
The Bhagavad Gita records a conversation on the battlefield of Kurukshetra between two figures, Krishna and Arjuna, just before the start of a great eighteen-day battle. The warrior Arjuna is distraught over the prospect of fighting against his relatives and teachers, and Krishna seeks to persuade him to engage in the upcoming battle. The discussion deals not just with the propriety of war, but also with the ethical dilemmas, the religious practices, and the philosophical issues that concerned Indian elites at the time of its composition. And we are told in the Mahabharata, the massive epic poem of which the Bhagavad Gita is a small portion, that their dialogue took place on the eleventh day of the waxing moon in the lunar month of Marghashirsha. This year, that day falls on December 2 of our solar calendar.When I visited Kurukshetra in 2011 for the Gita Jayanti, a local official told me with great confidence that the Gita was celebrating its 5103rd birthday. That would make the Gita 5106 years old today. Textual historians are more circumspect. According to current scholarship, the Bhagavad Gita was composed in the century or two before or after the time of Christ. But scholarly skepticism does not diminish the observances that mark the birth and life of this classic text.Around the world, in Singapore or Malaysia, the United Kingdom or the United States, wherever Hindus have come to live, the Gita Jayanti is celebrated. Most often it is a modest festival. It may consist entirely of a collective recitation of the seven-hundred verses of the Bhagavad Gita text. Some communities organize competitions for children in Gita recitation. One group, the Swadhyay Parivar, arranges for young people to give speeches on the philosophy of the Gita. According to its website, 2.2 million children participated last year. For the International Society of Krishna Consciousness devotees, recitation of the text is combined with distribution of copies of the Gita, as translated by the founder of ISKCON, Swami Prabhupada.Nowhere is the Gita Jayanti celebrated with greater élan than in Kuruksetra, a small pilgrimage town in the state of Haryana, where according to tradition the Gita took birth. Since 1989, the Kurukshetra Development Board has organized and promoted the celebration of Gita Jayanti as part of a larger five-day Kurukshetra Festival. In addition to recitations and discourses on the work, Kurukshetra hosts a procession of musician and holy men, cultural performances in several great tents, political leaders being felicitated, fireworks, an enormous crafts fair of over five hundred displays from throughout India, and a lovely Deep Daan, where hundreds of dainty clay oil-lamps are set afloat at nightfall in the water-tank at the center of town. My teenaged friend Akash Rana writes that he and his friends are "enjoying too much" the festival this year, with the dances of all the different states and the spicy foods from all around India. He wishes I could be there.Like many great religious works, the Bhagavad Gita has lived a long and varied life since its time of birth. Readings and recitation, translations and commentaries have reinscribed this classical Sanskrit work into new currents and disputes for two millennia. Medieval Brahmin scholars and Krishna devotees, British colonial scholars and German Romantics, globe-trotting Hindu gurus and Indian anticolonial freedom fighters, and modern spiritual seekers in India and around the world have all kept the work alive through their own dialogues with the Gita. In celebrating the birthday of the Bhagavad Gita today, we can also celebrate this long interpretive history.
This is a guest post by Richard H. Davis, professor of religion at Bard College and author of The Bhagavad Gita: A Biography.


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Despite a relatively mild winter so far, North Lincolnshire Council is preparing to respond to harsh conditions when they arrive.
The council response will be with a salting programme based on giving priority to certain routes and when snow falls giving major routes top priority.
More than 700km of roads are salted by the Council's Highways Department in North Lincolnshire – 51 per cent of the total network, which is higher than the national average.
The Council urges that in bad weather residents ask themselves if their journey is really necessary, give themselves extra time for the journey, slow down and take extra care.
If motorists get into trouble, especially in snow, they should stay with their vehicle until help arrives.
Residents are asked to make sure their vehicles are properly prepared by always carrying warm clothing and suitable footwear in the vehicle, keeping screen washer bottles full and making sure windows are clean, as well as carrying spare water on long journeys.
Lights should be checked and kept clean and batteries should be fully charged.
For more on salted roads go to www.northlincs.gov.uk .


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Just like everyone else in the world. And yeah, this will be kind of a flashback post along with a bit of goal setting. Just like everyone else has written. 2009 was a tough one for us. We started out the year with having to face the fact that the kid we thought was being fairly well behaved while he was in the care of other adults (IE. school) was starting to have some huge behavioral issues. We knew he was a tough kid. We knew it wasn't easy being his parents. But we thought he was just being himself with us since he was comfortable around us. We didn't realize how much "being himself" came into play during school hours. I don't know if we were in denial, or if we were totally delusional, but reality was pretty much shoved in our faces toward the end of his kindergarten year. He had some issues, OK some pretty big issues. We were forced to face the problems head on.
We took some assessment questionnaires (some very confusing and repetitive assessment questionnaires) and it seems that our son is on the scale for ADHD and Oppositional Defiance Disorder (I had no clue there was a name for him freaking out so much when things don't go his way). With the help of a new awesome pediatrician, a few specialists, and a lot of good friends, we spent the remainder of the year getting through it (OK having him on ADHD meds hasn't hurt either).
Colin has been less defiant, less violent, and less emotional. The key word being "less". Some days are so bad I have to leave the house to keep from going insane. Some days I just want to crawl into a hole and cry for hours. Some days I wonder what I've done as a parent to deserve the hand I've been dealt. Some days run very smoothly and I get an "I love you Mom out of the blue." Or a hug when I ask for one. I am very happy to say goodbye to 2009, and what I hope proves to be the toughest part of learning to help our son be a productive member of society. And a productive member of our family too. It was very draining trying to anticipate how he is going to react to something we know he isn't going to like, and to try and put it in a way he can understand that it isn't a slam against him.
So one of my hopes for 2010 is for us to become closer as a family, and for us to want to spend time together instead of wanting to pull a Homer and Bart choking session each time we are in the same room. I have other hopes for me, on a more personal level, and I'll share them in another post (this one is already too long!)
That is just a small amount of what we've been through in 2009, I guess I shared it with you so you have a better understanding of why I've backed off on my blogging, and why they've been such superficial posts (well, more so than normal). I didn't want to be the "Debbie Downer" of the blogging world, and I didn't want to fake happiness when I wasn't feeling it. Look for another "resolutions" post coming soon!


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Audi Tradition will be honoring racing legend Bernd Rosemeyer at the Goodwood Revival by displaying four Auto Union Silver Arrow cars on its stand on September 14 to 16. Audi Tradition is the heritage division of Audi. This means that famous drivers will be showing off the outstanding technology of these legendary racing cars in the next three days.
The demo runs will be managed by Formula 1 legend Jacky Ickx, five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. It's also at this famed event that the recently acquired Auto Union Type D Dual Compressor will officially debut. It was 75 years ago that the great Auto Union driver had won his last Grand Prix in England in October 1937.
But Rosemeyer attempted to break a record and got killed in the process only three months later. Audi Tradition is commemorating his success in the very first British Grand Prix by holding a parade of Silver Arrow cars at the Goodwood Revival. Goodwood, which is one of the most prominent classic motorsport events in the world, will serve as the host to the introduction of the Auto Union models beside their Mercedes-Benz rivals from the 1930s.
Expect to see 10 Silver Arrow cars at the event. Audi tradition will also be presenting a privately owned replica of an Auto Union Type A from 1934. On each of the days during the event, Audi Tradition will conduct a demo run of replicas of the Auto Union Type C (1936) and of an Auto Union Type D Dual Compressor (1939).
Visitors will also get to see the well-known "Karassik models" that are built using mostly original parts. These are the Auto Union Type D (1938) and Audi Tradition's newly acquired Auto Union Type D Dual Compressor from 1939. Ever since these two vehicles got a restoration in the in the early 1990s, this is the only time that they will be seen beside each other. We have Paul Karassik to thank for making this possible. He went to the former USSR to track down these parts.
On the other hand, customers in the United States are currently aching to get their hands on new 2012 Audi R8 models that have been designed exclusively to US customers. All of these models are based on the R8 V8 and R8 V10 Coupes.
The German premium carmaker will only build 20 examples 2012 Exclusive Selection Edition R8 V8 vehicles as well as 30 examples of the 2012 Exclusive Selection Edition R8 V10 vehicles.


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Southwell County Homes Ltd are a much trusted and well established building company with over 25 years experience of all types of building work; we are renowned for our substantial country homes, built with traditional materials and in a style to suit you and the environment.
Based in Leven, we undertake projects in Beverley, Driffield, Hornsea, Hull and throughout the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Whatever your building needs we can take the strain off you by managing your project for you. We can help you create your dream home, develop your land or assist you renovating your home or outbuildings. Helping you plan your work and finances to suit your workload and your budget.


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J just turned 5! She's getting so big and smart. This year we decided to let her have a friend party. Normally we only do family parties or go swimming with cousins. But 5 is a big year and we decided we would do a princess birthday party for some of her little girl friends.
We had the morning to get ready for the family party that was later in the day, though, so we started out by going to Maceys to get the donuts for J's donut cake. I let her pick which ever donuts she wanted.
We had the morning to get ready for the family party that was later in the day, though, so we started out by going to Maceys to get the donuts for J's donut cake. I let her pick which ever donuts she wanted.
She was pretty happy about her donuts. They wanted to eat one right out of the store, but I told them they had to wait. Now I'm thinking, it probably would have been ok to go ahead and eat one. We had several donuts left over.
Candy Land was her next request. Her and M played with that for about 20 minutes together, while I fed V.
Then, after lunch, it was finally time for her princess party. She could hardly wait another second. We took them to Renaissance Acadamie in Provo for princess hair-dos and mini manicures. I found this place on a whim, and I'm really happy that I did. It's one of those places that you pass by a thousand times and wonder what exactly it is. But after our first party plans fell through, I googled little girl birthday party ideas in our area, and this one came up.
M's hair has never curled so good. Lets keep our fingers crossed that I can get it to curl like this again because it was darling on her.
All of our little princesses loved the party and had a fun time. They were also all very beautiful and excited about their hair an nails.
Since Maceys is right by the hair salon, we went back over to get ice cream cones for the kids (and the moms).
We got done and got everyone home and then we went home to meet up with Trevon so we could go out for dinner. J chose JCW's and we all were ok with that.
When you have a carseat to carry around, you get creative with how to keep it out of other's ways and keep it close by when it doesn't fit sideways in the booth.
Then we were off again to swim.
And then we had the donut cake. Pretty easy and simple, I was really glad I didn't have to worry about frosting a cake the night before. I would definitely suggest going this route for a super quick and easy birthday cake.
M loves to do everything J does, so she couldn't help herself from helping J blow out the candles. Thank heaven J seems to still like the little shadow.
Talk about a full, fun birthday! I don't think there was anyone more tired than these two by the time we got them in bed. They played hard and had fun and were ready for a rest by bed time.
Did you have birthday parties growing up?
My birthday parties were mostly family parties with my cousins (basically my best friends anyway, so win win there).
Best birthday cake you ever made?


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Hello World,
The past few weeks, Annebelle, Linda and I have been working on one of favourite projects so far; a movie. The movie is based on academic honesty and the use of Alfred Hitchcock's 9 film techniques. If you want to check it out, click on the link Dial 'A' for Honesty
In terms of coordinating this whole project, I think we used class time quite well. Our first lesson, Linda was not there, but Annebelle and I had a lot of time to brainstorm ideas and get some storyboards done. Through the whole process we kept a journal or an agenda for what we wanted to get done. I think the agenda could have helped if we were unorganized, but we stayed on task and had similar visions for the final product. Therefore, the agenda was rather more of a hassle to get done instead of it helping us to know what to do. Some days we finished early, and sometimes we went over time, but in the end, we had a lot fun doing it and I'm quite proud of what we achieved.
I was really excited to work with both Linda and Annebelle because they are both really nice and passionate. I find myself often taking the leader role, and this time I felt like I was a bit of a hassle. Both girls reassured me that I wasn't at all, but it annoyed me when I directed them around. In that way, I guess you could say I was the director of the film, mostly because I had pretty clear visions of what I wanted the shots to look like, and luckily the girls agreed. When it comes to creative projects, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, which sometimes becomes a hassle, but often pays off well in the end. I therefore offered to do the editing part because, well, first of all then I could make sure I cut it like I wanted to, and I really enjoy seeing the quick and fascinating progress from raw material to a visual story. It might sound like I am really bossy, but I can reassure you that they both agreed on my ideas, and that they didn't seem to mind it… 🙂
If you want to see our log and all documented pictures, click here and if you want to see our agenda and reflection for the first lesson, click here
Overall, I'm really happy with the finished result and with the group work we did. It was difficult to get all the techniques in there, but we succeeded which I am surprised by, but really happy with.
So now for you, to what extent is academic honesty important?


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In charge of Meditation for Yoga Roof's Teacher Training.
Yoga has always been the heart of my life experience. I started practicing Hatha yoga when I was very young.
For some years I lived in an ashram (monastery), both in the United States and in India. During this period I had the opportunity to deepen my Hatha Yoga practice but also to study oriental philosophies.
In those years my teachers have been, among others, D. Brooks, Paul Muller Ortega and Bill Mahoney, and many other Hatha Yoga teachers, among which John Friend and Laura Loftus.
After this beautiful and life changing experience I came back to Europe and I tried to integrate these teachings in my daily and professional life as a Director of Human Resources in various organizations.
Furthermore, I decided to deepen my knowledge of Hatha Yoga, specializing in Yoga for children, "Hormon Yoga Terapie" for women in menopause and Yoga for the elderly.
Today, the aim of my teaching is to share the sweetness and the spiritual depth of a path that conjugates the beauty of physical balance with the passion for inner research.
Through the ancient and traditional practice of yoga, I wish to help people find stability, peace, wellbeing and meaning in their life.


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SKWOD / ParkFit
by envisage on September 10, 2016 in 0
This app idea won its founders a spot at the well-regarded startup accelerator muru-D by Telstra. SKWOD (previously known as ParkFit) is a mobile platform for popular fitness trainers to sell their weekly fitness programs and meal plans direct to their subscribers. The iPhone and Android app handles the tech so that trainers and fitness personalities with a significant fan base are empowered to better engage with their mobile customers, build their brand and community, as well as earn subscription income. Quality lasting fitness journeys exist because of communities and peer support. With SKWOD users are lead by their trainer, supported…
by envisage on March 10, 2016 in 0
Zingit marketplace app. The app development team at Envisage Apps created Zingit based on the vision of our client to enable free trade between local buyers and local sellers via a mobile platform. The Android and iOS app (iPhone and iPad) makes selling and buying online EASY, fun and addictive!


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Picture Framing Toronto | Dimensions Custom Framing & Gallery
High quality custom picture & mirror frames in Toronto using acid and lignin-free mat and mount boards and UV filtering glass.
Products & Services
Custom Framing
At Dimensions we consult with you to create the perfect framing design to beautifully present your items. Not only is their appearance showcased but they are also protected for your enjoyment in years to come.
We use acid and lignin-free mat and mount boards containing no impurities. UV filtering glass protects against irreversible damage caused by light exposure and is an excellent way to slow down the process.
Specialty Framing
You name it, we frame it! We apply a creative approach to framing and take great pleasure in framing anything you wish to present and preserve!
Mirrors reflect more than just your image and therefore we make sure that your mirror is right for you and your space. Our free on-site consultation will help you choose the best size, shape and location to provide balance and style to any area of your home or office.
Laminating is a creative and long lasting alternative to conventional framing. We mount, protect and display your prints, certificates, diplomas, newspaper articles, etc. on specially selected wood which is then completely sealed with a durable and transparent laminate.
Not sure what to frame?
That's okay because here at Dimensions we have catalogues of prints to browse. Find something that fits your taste and your space. Stop into our gallery and let us help you find the piece that's perfect for your home or office.
Ask us about installations, consultations and delivery! 416.463.7263


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Written by Patti Pauley
While hundreds of thousands of holly jolly people in the United States flock to Christmas parades currently happening in their cities in anticipation of the holiday season, a town by the name of Klagenfurt in the country of Austria is giving St. Nicholas the long, monstrous bony finger by instead celebrating the Christmas Devil himself-Krampus. That's right folks, in lieu of kids sitting in the fat man's lap, they are instead terrorized by over 1000 plus Krampus' parading down the streets in the Krampuslauf festival held on December 5th, 2016.
Next week, the largest concentrated gathering of 'Krampi' will descend unto the streets of Klangenfurt in a wicked cool, booze-infused festival welcoming the beasts much to the delight of the little town that embraces their legendary devil. Although the participants tend to be mostly men trying to out-do one another in their Krampus costumes, women participate in the parade as well dressed as Perchta, a pagan goddess of Germanic origin. After the parade, the festival goers celebrate further in an after-party filled with the sounds of Black Metal and of course, more booze. What a party!
Krampus is widely known to be Santa's dark shadow for the holidays in German folklore, punishing mischievous boys and girls by beating them and throwing them into a cage they the demon carries on his back. Although mainly a European tradition, in recent years the western side of the world has been giving more attention to the terrifying, holiday goat-beast in horror films allowing the Christmas Devil to breathe new life into people's holiday shenanigans where it may have not been prior.
So if you JUST HAPPEN to be in or around Austria next week, you may want to check this out. Or if anything, plan for next year as the Krampuslauf festival is one hell of a bucket list item to check off.
Featured Photo Credit: Osterreich Werbung


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Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC to Host Manufacturing Day Event
Posted by IndustryNet on Thursday, October 11, 2018
In celebration of Manufacturing Day 2018, Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC will open its doors on Friday, October 12, 2018 to students from local Career Techs and high schools as part of an effort to inspire the next generation of opportunities that a career in manufacturing can provide.
Planned activities at Aerobraze OKC include tours of the facility, equipment and product manufacturing demonstrations of machining, welding, brazing and fabrication. The day will also include a hands-on activity intended to showcase Aerobraze's expertise in sheet metal fabrication.
Blueprints and work instructions will be provided for the students to assemble an item made from cut, bent, milled, and drilled sheet metal fabricated parts. Each student will leave with a gift bag that contains an F-15 fighter jet made from metal pieces cut by water jet and slip fitted together.
WCC Aerobraze OKC developed and manufactures heat exchangers for the U.S. Air Force's F-15 fighter jets.
Mark Saffell, Operations Manager, explains: "With the ever increasing skills gap for manufacturing jobs, we want to get young people excited and educate them about manufacturing as a career choice.
The average age of workers in the manufacturing sector, as of 2017 Oklahoma state data, is 45 years of age. Only 2% employed in manufacturing are under age 20, and 7% under the age of 24. In the upcoming decade, this will leave a huge skills shortage gap. We hope opening up our doors to the local Oklahoma City community will encourage the younger generation into manufacturing careers."
About Manufacturing Day
Manufacturing Day is an annual national event taking place at various manufacturing companies across the US during the month of October.
It is executed at the local level supported by thousands of manufacturers as they host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other local community members at open houses, plant tours and presentations designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers.
About Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC
Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC is a leading manufacturer of heat transfer related assemblies and other high temperature sheet metal components for aerospace, military and energy production customers.
These include aircraft cabin / cockpit environmental heat exchangers; light aircraft exhaust systems; fuel cell heat exchangers; combustion heat transfer assemblies; and others including turbine engine related components.
Quality standards include: AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9001:2015, AWS D17.1/D17.1M:2017 (welding), FAA Repair Station # BG2R715K | FAA-DER – Heat Transfer Products & Exhaust Systems | FAA PMA #SW-352 | FAA-DMIR On Staff
More information about Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze is available at www.wallcolmonoy.com/aerobraze
Related Companies: Wall Colmonoy Aerobraze OKC
Related Searches: Aircraft Engine Parts
Interested in seeing your company's news on IndustryNet? Learn more about our marketing services.


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Welcome Welcome! .....have you ever started a journey where you just didn't know where it would go, what you would do, or even who you would become because of it!! Well this is it. OUR TIME. Welcome to this journey! We are starting this blog to spend more time talking about things we love, the life we live, and the products we use! Awesome Right?! It's genuine and real kiddos just living life to the fullest! We would love for you to join us! We need the support that every new blogger needs help is to grow! Please send us messages, contact us, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube! Let us know that you're here and that you're rooting for us in this journey! We need your internet high five! We can't wait to meet you!
The Adorable Crew,
Claire, Ruthie and April


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Clinton Campaign Also Not A Fan Of Free Speech: Sends Legal Threat Letters Over Trump Ads
from the oh-please deptIf there's one thing that the two major Presidential candidates seem to agree on it's that we have too much free speech and all you First Amendment whiners should quiet down. Just this morning, we wrote about Trump threatening a documentary filmmaker with a cease & desist letter (the latest in a fairly long list of defamation threat letters). And it appears that the Clinton campaign is also ramping up its similar legal threat letter business.
Last week, it sent cease & desist letters to broadcasters in Florida who were airing Trump ads that used some footage of Michelle Obama back in the 2008 campaign taking something of a swipe at Clinton. And, just today, the campaign supposedly sent out cease & desist letters to broadcasters airing new Trump ads claiming that Clinton is "under investigation by the FBI."
The letter lists some pro-Trump PACs, including Rebuilding America Now and Future 45, and the titles of ads they are funding.Uh, yeah, there's no way in hell that's defamation. Yes, it's inaccurate to say that the FBI "reopened" its investigation, because technically the investigation never closed. But it's perfectly accurate to say that the FBI was investigating things related to Clinton's emails. There's no way in hell that the difference between continuing an investigation and "reopening" an investigation reaches the level of "actual malice" needed to satisfy a defamation claim. And, no, the fact that Comey said that there's nothing new in the emails doesn't change the analysis here. Especially in a political ad, some amount of rhetorical hyperbole is to be expected.
Elias' letter says that "at no point" did the FBI "reopen" the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.
Yes, I know this campaign has been pretty bitterly fought by both sides, and a month ago, Trump threatened to sue Clinton over her campaign ads, but both of them are full of shit, and are blatantly misrepresenting or ignoring how the First Amendment protects speech, including the speech in their opponents' TV ads.
Wouldn't it be nice if one of the two people who will win tomorrow actually respected the damn First Amendment?
Filed Under: campaign ads, cease & desist, defamation, donald trump, false light, first amendment, free speech, hillary clinton


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Where in the world have I been...sorry, it seems like this is a constant in my life..LOL. I should not complain...a busy life is usually a blessed life, and God has certainly blessed us plenty!! Let me give a little recap of our week in the Magpoc household...
- Thurs 5/21: Playdate and Room Parent Meeting
- Fri 5/22: Another playdate/swimming/football/basketball; Heintje and a family friend (thanks Uncle Vu!) installing solar panels for our swimming pool. With all these boys at the house, Joey wants to be with them. That means I have to be outside, too...I'm not a fan of outside!
- Sat 5/23: Continue with solar panels. That night went to a going away party for Jaime...have a great time in the Windy City..we are so proud of you!! Did not get home until almost 3am!! Wow, party animals..LOL!
- Sun 5/24: Errands in the AM with Heintje. Get ready for BBQ the next day. Internet/landline at home craps out..UGH!
- Mon 5/25: Happy Memorial Day. BBQ all day, ATT try to fix phone, NOPE! Heintje dropped the laptop (just bought in Nov) and the screen is shattered! No internet, no laptop! Thank GOD it was not Jordan...otherwise we would only have 2 children right now...LOL...
- Tue 5/26: Field trip for Jordan's class
- Wed 5/27: Registration for the kids at school; another BBQ dinner at the house
- Thur 5/28: This has been too much for me!! I called in sick with a migraine. Heintje ran a bunch of errands with Ken..got the elliptical!! Biggest Loser is ON :)
- Today 5/29: Lunch and cleanup for Jordan's class.....I'm SOOO ready for the weekend!
Did you enjoy my little whine fest...sorry about that! Should have warned you :) Anyway...on to some fun stuff. It's almost June and I still haven't posted all of May's Color Me Miki goodies...here goes!
Here is part 2 of the Webster's Pages kit from Color Me Miki. I created this mini book for Mother's Day. It is supposed to be an album about me and the kids. But then I started cleaning out my room and figured I have enough mini-albums so I decided to give it up for a RAK at Color Me Miki. Sorry, the RAK is closed and a winner was chosen. I hope she liked it!
Here is the cover. After I took pictures, I added more stickes, ribbons, and other goodies. It's so fun to just keep coming back and adding things here/there...everywhere!
Thanks so much!!


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HistoryCapoeira emerged as a way to resist oppression, secretly practice art, transmit culture, and lift spirits. Some historians believe that the indigenous peoples of Brazil also played an important role in the development of Capoeira.
Most Brazilian scholars have argued that Capoeira emerged as a way to conceal the fact that slaves were practicing to fight (against their owners), concealing it with a seemingly happy dance routine. This explains why today's Capoeira appears to be a mix of both fighting techniques and flowing artful dance.
After slavery was abolished
in 1888, the freed people often moved to the cities
of Brazil. With employment scarce, many joined or formed
criminal gangs. They continued to practice Capoeira,
which in time became associated with anti-government
and criminal activities. As a result, Capoeira was outlawed
in Brazil in 1890, and the punishment for practicing
it was extreme. Rodas were often held in areas with
plenty of escape routes, and a special rhythm called
cavalaria was added to the music to warn players that
the police were coming. Capoeira practitioners (capoeiristas)
also adopted apelidos or nicknames to make it more difficult
for police to discover their true identities; this custom
is practiced even today.
Kongo scholar K. Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau has posited that "capoeira" could be derived from the word kipura in Bantu language Kikongo, a term used to describe a rooster's movements in a fight and meaning to flutter, flit from place to place, struggle, fight, or flog. In Portugese capão means capon, castrated rooster.
The gameCapoeira does not focus on injuring the opponent. Rather, it emphasizes skill. Capoeiristas often prefer to show the movement without completing it, enforcing their superiority in the roda. If an opponent cannot dodge a slow attack, there is no reason to use a faster one. Each attack that comes in gives players a chance to practice an evasive technique.
Capoeira is played in "roda", a circle of people. People who make up the roda's circular shape clap and sing along to the music being played for the two partners engaged in a capoeira "game" ("jogo"). In some capoeira schools an individual in the audience can "buy in" to engage one of the two players and begin another game. Three instruments that are played are called the bateria. These are berimbaus, which look like an archer's bow using a steel string and a gourd for resonance, and the other instruments are two pandeiros (tambourines), a Reco-Reco (rasp), and an Agogo (double gong bell).
The ginga (literally: rocking
back and forth; to swing) is the fundamental movement
in capoeira. Capoeira Angola and capoeira regional have
distinctive forms of ginga. Both are accomplished by
maintaining both feet approximately shoulder-width apart
and then moving one foot backwards and then back to
the base, describing a triangular 'step' on the ground.
This movement is done to prepare the body for other
/source: wikipedia/
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text:
I've been absent from this space for the last couple of months because I've been hibernating.
One of the definitions of "hibernation" is "to withdraw or be in seclusion." Every January, I try to remove myself from the daily insanity of connectedness to discourse with myself and ensure that my life is proceeding in the direction I want and need. I intended this year to be just the same, but as I moved through the holidays and January to jump back into my routine, I realized I needed to make it different.
I needed to evaluate and to reconfigure my life for renewal.
Since August, I've been working on completing my novel and revising it in accordance with suggestions received from agents and editors. It's some of the hardest work I've done in a long time, but at the end of every session, I feel cleansed. I feel wrung-out as if I've just finished a hot power vinyasa yoga class.
My life has been overflowing with the hours spent on my yoga mat and my meditation cushion, trying to calm my mind and become less stressed, less cacophonous. I wanted to expand my presence without making more noise.
Books have been my constant companion, especially a number of the meditation and life balance texts and exercises that are part of my on-going Path to a Better Something Series.
My pens have been burning trails across notebook and journal pages. My fingers have been flying over the keyboard as if enchanted. I've written about things that have been bumping around in my brain for a long time, things that simply needed to come out. I've also written about things about which I wasn't even aware I was thinking. I've been taking writing classes and working with a wonderful coach to help me define the next chapter of my life.
It was during a class that a friend and teacher informed me all of my writing was circling back to the same place. She demanded that I write about the experience, give voice to my heartbreak, my shame, my embarrassment, my disappointment. Consequently, I've spent the last month working on an essay that I never wanted to write.
Friends and family have told me that I should write this essay, but I demurred, put it out of my mind because I knew it would rip open wounds only recently begun to heal. I knew it would make a bad situation worse. So I wrote…and wrote…and wrote, hoping to outrun the predator nipping at my heels.
My first draft ran out past six thousand words, anger and hurt and blackness all over the tear-stained pages.
My friend read my draft and showed me how I could turn that morass into calm and straight-forward language that would not ignite, would not come across as a poison-tipped arrow. She showed me that the things about which I worried were not, and had never been, under my control. I may have acted in one way, but anything related to another person is not mine to control.
The essay is now down to just over two thousand words, and even if it never sees the light of day beyond my classmates and friends and family, I am finally free. I no longer beat myself up over a misstep. I no longer feel on-going disappointment and shame towards myself. Instead, I simply acknowledge my mistakes and try to learn from them.
It's a funny thing, how we can be so damaged by something and yet convince ourselves that we've got it covered; we aren't affected. While I put events out of my mind, my body and my brain knew the depths of the blackness enveloping my soul, the harm that would result if I didn't get it out.
Meditation and yoga are not for everyone, but silence and stillness are good for us all. I've come to understand that sitting and allowing energy to process itself in natural ways will ultimately lead me to a place where I can deal with it in constructive ways.
So I can come out of hibernation.


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Title: Too Hot To Handle
Series: Bad Boys (Zero to 60) #10
Author: Susan Arden
Genre: Military Western Romance/Erotica Humorous
Release Date: January 12, 2016
A wedding. An airport.
A girl on the run.
And a Marine in need of salvation.
A girl on the run.
And a Marine in need of salvation.
Margo Santero
Riding in a rodeo with a pack of adrenaline-hyped cowboys isn't what it was cracked up to be. When my mom died, I found out the hard way everyone has a price. And trust is a commodity. This isn't the life I envisioned, but neither is the demented offer my step-uncle tosses my way. With a sick threat, he ups the ante, forcing me to bolt. One day I'll fix Axel for good. For now, I've gotta a run.
Rod McLemore
She stormed into my life. A beautiful hurricane with dark secrets, blinding curves, and a smart-mouth I should kiss into submission. She's on the run and needs my help. Not that she listens. But if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to make her mine. Even if it means I have to lie, cheat, deal with her horse from hell... Or get out my M9. Won't be the first time I've pulled the trigger.
STORM WARNING: This is a seismic erotic romance, detailing a barely-legal runaway and a dirty-talking McLemore. If a fiercely protective aka alpha-male cowboy lights your fire, then you've come to the right ranch.
If you can't stand the heat, better not come near this nuclear fusion Western, 'cause baby you will get burnt!
If you can't stand the heat, better not come near this nuclear fusion Western, 'cause baby you will get burnt!
Purchase Links
Author earnings from the sales for January 2016, will be donated to the amazing Semper Fi Fund, which helps wounded US Marines.
I received this book as an ARC for a honest review. This book was read and reviewed by Stacy Aube for Cutting Muse Blog Review.
What do you get when you mix a former marine with a barrel racer? A whole lot of trouble and steamy romance. This was a great story showing what lengths people will go through for those you love.
I absolutely love cowboy books so great job.
Too Hot To Handle, Book #10
also includes the prequel Never Say Never
Title: Never Say Never
Prequel for Too Hot To Handle
Series: Bad Boys (Zero to 60) #9
86-page prequel released Jan 5, 2016
Purchase Links
Pulling away from my mouth, she gazed at me, her pupils fully dilated. "I'm ready to come. Are you?"
"Margo," I grunted, taking hold of her hands. I wanted to kiss every inch of her skin. "I'm going to take my time with you. Suck on your clit until you soak my mouth."
"Let's go somewhere. Anywhere." She piloted my hands down between her thighs. "Fuck me. So hard you bruise me. Fuck me everywhere," she begged. "So rough it hurts. Really. Hurts. Can you?"
"Yeah." I captured her wrists.
We stared at each other. She asked me to hurt her. Something I'd never delivered to another woman, but with her everything was different. Margo unlocked a side of me that demanded I mark her. Even if it meant she'd experience pain mixed with pleasure. I got what she was after—I hungered to give her that and more, but not in my truck. We'd need hours…days. And a plan.
"Please," she whimpered, her breath sweet against my mouth.
"Not here. The next time we fuck, I want you in my bed. Open and submitting to me. Baby, I'll give you what you need. So much, you're going to surrender completely to me. Or not at all."
IT SMOLDERS, then you've come to the right ranch.
This girl wants it hard.
This man isn't going to let her get away.
Also Available
#1 Tempted by Trouble
#2 Twice Tempted
#3 Stephen McLemore – The Cowboy Rode a Harley
#4 Girls' Night Out
#5 Brandon McLemore – Leather and Lace
#6 Collared by the Cowboy
#7 Rory McLemore – Breaking the Bad Boy
#8 Catch Y.O.U. 4 Xmas
#2 Twice Tempted
#3 Stephen McLemore – The Cowboy Rode a Harley
#4 Girls' Night Out
#5 Brandon McLemore – Leather and Lace
#6 Collared by the Cowboy
#7 Rory McLemore – Breaking the Bad Boy
#8 Catch Y.O.U. 4 Xmas
Author Bio
Susan loves comedy in all forms. And music—anything dance-able. You'll find her singing and dancing if she's in the kitchen and cooking. And speaking of things that sizzle, if romance starring a dirty-talkin' sexy cowboy ignites your fire, then stay in touch via Susan's RED-HOT ROMANCE newsletter. Sign up for freebies, releases, and bad boy news!
Author Links


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Mammals move by using contractile muscles that pull against attachment points in their rigid internal skeletons, causing the bones to change orientation relative to each other around specific joints. This muscle contraction directly affects the movement, as the muscle pulls in a linear fashion in the direction the mammal wants the bones to move. This method of motion is shared by all vertebrates with internal skeletons.
Mammals use this method of motion is a variety of ways, enabling them to crawl, climb, run, jump, fly and swim. Each of these movements has several variations as well, except for flight which, among mammals, is done only by bats. Mammals are found nearly everywhere on Earth where air is accessible. Their musculoskeletal design works so well that the largest animals on land and in the water are mammals.
This is not the only type of movement in the animal kingdom, however. Arthropods, such as crabs and insects, have an exoskeleton, and they use attachment points on these shells, rather than on internal bones, as the basis for movement. Because of this orientation, arthropod muscles actually pull the opposite way they need the joint to move, rather than in the same direction as with an internal skeleton.


text:
Aleppo 9-2012 (for Noura), 2014, handmade egg tempera, wall installation, dimensions variable. Installed at Portland Museum of Art, Maine, USA from January 2014-January 2015.
My vibrantly colored "blast" murals replicate the remnants of mortar shell explosions from the Syrian civil war and become contemplative bridges to original sites of violence. Aleppo 9-2012 carefully reconstructs the outline of an explosion remnant in the Ancient City of Aleppo near the Al-Madina Souq, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In late September 2012 the historic souk and other nearby medieval buildings were engulfed by a major fire during fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Armed Forces. The fire destroyed over 700 shops and marked the beginning of devastating violence in Aleppo, which continues today.
The graphic rendering of the pattern left on a nearby wall confronts the shattering force of such an explosion. Yet it also suggests art historical references, such as Islamic geometric patterns, fabrics and bricks from the lost souk, iconography drawn from Middle Eastern miniature painting and contemporary graffiti left by both civilians and Syrian Armed forces near the site of the explosion. This appropriation of diverse cultural inspirations challenges the artificial East-West dived as well as the vast gulf between the horrible and the beautiful.
A variation of this work debuted during the summer of 2013 as an artist in residence in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at the Jamjar Gallery.


text:
The iPhone Compass App
The Compass app on your iPhone works like a magnetic needle compass. Launch the Compass app by tapping its icon in the Utilities folder on the second Home screen. You see the direction you're facing.
But wait — there's more. If you were to tap the little arrowhead icon in the lower-left corner of the Compass screen, the Maps app launches. Now for the cool part: Tap the little arrowhead icon in the lower-left corner of the Maps app two times and the blue marker grows a little white cone that indicates the direction you're facing.
Also note that when the map is in compass mode, the little arrowhead icon in its lower-left corner grows a little white cone as well, letting you know that you're now using the compass mode.
If you rotate to face a different direction while Maps is in compass mode, the map rotates in real time. So the map always displays the direction you're currently facing, even if you've moved around a bit, which is pretty darn cool.


text:
Hi sweeties <3
Today I have done absolutley NOTHING! :)
Well, except the day 5 of the squat challenge, u know, doing ma squats.. As I suppose to.. And I did.. Hehe.
Btw, I will do a categorie here on the blog called "30 days squat challenge". I am going to post up all the days of the challenge in there and pictures will show up so you guys can look back to it if you are interested in trying. I hope this shit works, but only time can tell and after the challenge is done. ;)
Anyway, I have taken some ego pics of me today, WOOP FOR EGO!
I went for the tanned look this time, and my eyebrows, OH MY, they were perfect today, even if it doesn't show on the pics, they were perrrfect.. ;)
I am wearing my Vassen Rainbow Grayish/Blue Circle Lenses. ;)
Yah, I got dry lips, but w/e dude!


text:
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Pavane and Galliard - Percussion Part
|NeonCRM by Neon One


text:
How can Mobility improve your Productivity?
Posted on March 29, 2012
The big question since the dawn of the modern mobile era is how mobile devices can work to improve your productivity. For society, big leaps in wealth tend to come with leaps in productivity, such as the Industrial Revolution, the production line, factory automation and the Internet.
Mobile offers such an opportunity to increase productivity too, to enable us to do more, faster and smarter; and every company will have opportunities to use this technology to improve their business.
The ongoing question is how to approach a mobile project and when? A deep knowledge of different mobile technologies is important to understand how they can be leveraged by a business to improve efficiency and productivity. Such gains can be realized both through customers and employees.
What can a customer do to improve their productivity? A great example is mobile checkins from Air Canada with their iPhone app. It reduces the need for checkin agents on the one hand, and reduces the need to queue for the customer. Both Air Canada and the customer win.
Employee efficiency applications will be specifically targeted towards building efficiencies with a particular business process. These can be production processes, sales processes, customer support processes or maintenance processes. The ability to record information instantly, at a given moment and at a given and recorded place, then have that information instantly transferred elsewhere can bring a whole host of advantages. These range from increasing throughput to increasing customer satisfaction.
What is clear is that companies who wish to be category leaders in their industries will need to have a mobile strategy for their business.


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Woodland Park Zoo
601 North 59th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
Event Planning & Group Sales
Lancer Catering 206.548.2662
Additional Venue Information
Rain Forest Food Pavilion can accommodate up to 200 guests seated, 250 reception–style;
Rose Garden accommodates a ceremony for up to 200 guests.
We offer eight other venues for groups of 25–250.
Price Range: Facility charge varies from $500 to $2,000 depending on venue; catering costs vary with menu selection
Catering: Full-service, in-house catering by Lancer Catering
Types of Events: Wedding ceremonies and receptions, dinners, cocktail parties, picnics, auctions, tours, birthday parties, corporate retreats, meetings, proms, holiday parties, and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.
Availability and Terms
A deposit equal to half the cost of the venue fee is required to hold a date. The remaining balance of costs is due one month prior to the event. Call or email for available dates
Description of Services and Facility
Seating: Woodland Park Zoo will make necessary arrangements for table and chair needs
Servers: Provided by Lancer Catering
Bar Facilities: Full-service bar and staff provided by Lancer Catering; services with hosted or no-host options are available
Dance Floor: Available upon request
Parking: Complimentary for after-hours events
Disabled Access: Woodland Park Zoo is fully accessible
Linens, Napkins, China, and Glassware: Provided by Lancer Catering to accommodate event formality
Cleanup: Provided by Lancer Catering and Woodland Park Zoo; guests are asked to remove items brought in
Decorations: Please inquire
Special Services
Leave the planning to us! Our experienced sales and catering staff will custom–design your event to meet any and all of your event needs! Woodland Park Zoo and Lancer Catering are committed to reducing environmental impact of events—ask us how to GREEN your event.
Hailed as one the finest zoos in the world, Woodland Park Zoo offers the best in corporate and private event planning. Amid a 92-acre botanical setting with more than 300 species of animals and 1,000 species of plants, your guests will be instantaneously transported to nearly every region of the world. Don't forget, funds generated from your event help support the zoo's top-notch animal care, education, and conservation programs that are helping to preserve wildlife species all over the world!
Be sure to let this business know you saw them on BanquetEvent.com


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Saftronics, Ft. Myers, Fla., recently expanded its reach in the AC and DC industrial drive market wth the acquisition of Fincor Electronics. The company currently maintains a network of engineering centers in the Southeast and Northwest and will now bridge the gap with Fincor's locations in the Midwest.
Terms of the deal weren't disclosed.
Saftronics became interested in York, Pa.-based Fincor while providing it with drive products as part of an alliance with Colfax Corp., the previous parent company of Fincor.
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text:
We're Going to Wilmington!
Nemo, schmeemo. While all you M&A-loving, Tinseltown wannabees drool over the Disney-Pixar deal, we're going to Wilmington!
At high noon today, the Delaware Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the closely watched Disney corporate governance case.
Last August, Delaware chancery court judge William Chandler backed Disney's directors in a shareholder lawsuit. (Click here for the 174-page opinion.) The judge ruled that the directors did not breach their fiduciary in their hiring and firing of ex-Disney president and fallen super-agent Michael Ovitz. The decision was a serious blow to corporate governance watchdogs, who had hoped the case would provide shareholders with proper redress for misguided board decisions.
Chancellor Chandler's opinion pinned most of the blame for Ovitz's disastrous Disney stint -- he was fired after 14 months and received a $140 million severance -- at the feet of ex-chief Michael Eisner, who despite coming out on the right side of the decision was described by Judge Chandler as "Machiavellian." Here's The Wall Street Journal story on the decision from last August.
University of Wisconsin law professor Gordon Smith has all the appellate briefs on his Conglomerate blog, and promises post-game analysis after the argument. Update: Here are some musings on the case from University of Illinois law professor Larry Ribstein.


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Pink will make history at the Brit Awards in London later this month by becoming the first international artist to be honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Music prize.
The 39-year-old Trouble singer, who unveiled her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, will collect the award before closing the ceremony on 20 February.
"I am so honored to be recognized with the outstanding contribution to music award at the 2019 Brits!" she said in a statement. "Since the beginning of my career the British fans have been some of the most fierce and loyal in the world.
"I am humbled to receive this honor and be in the company of an illustrious group of British icons!"
David Bowie, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John and Oasis have been among the A-listers who have won the award in the past.
Announcing Pink's latest accolade on Wednesday, Brits chairman Jason Iley, who is also chairman and chief executive of Sony Music UK and Ireland, said, "Pink is a trailblazer, a phenomenally talented singer and songwriter, and truly one of the greatest artists of our time. It is a real pleasure to honor her at this year's Brit Awards with the Outstanding Contribution To Music Award.
Pink To Become First International Artist To Win Brit Awards Top HonorPink To Become First International Artist To Win Brit Awards Top Honor
"With her remarkable career spanning nearly 20 years, Pink is one of the most successful artists in the world, consistently releasing multi-million-selling albums and selling out tours all over the globe."


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God I hate this stand. As a long-term frequent user I wholeheartedly recommend that no other human purchases this product! Despite Herculean tightening of the centre bolt it's like a see-saw on the centre and makes giving any kind of welly on the bike impossible!!
The Tacx Spider Team workstand is very light and packs down small, making it ideal for travel, but it has its limitations for general workshop use.
At 4.1kg including tool tray, the Spider Team is light, but can be configured to 'race build' by ditching one slider and the tray, getting weight down to a frankly ridiculous 3.7kg. When you're a jobbing pro mechanic flying about the place, keeping weight down is critical for saving excess baggage charges.
Buy this online here
Tacx rate the Spider Team for bikes up to 15kg, so you're not going to be doing any racked-up steel tourer bike or monster downhiller work on this stand.
The Spider Team arrives mostly assembled; the only thing you need to do is pop the arm onto the base, decide the correct axle spec and insert your choice of axle spacer and quick-release skewer if needed.
One word of warning: the instinctive way to unfold the legs is to hold the top of one leg and push down. This is likely to end with the skin between your thumb and index finger being eaten by the hinge at the top of the leg.
Folding up the stand involves sliding the fork mounts right to the end of the arm. Then undo the lever on the pivot, slide the arm along and fold it down. The folded package measures 105cm tall and 25cm across, and can freestand in a corner or behind a door until needed.
Packing the Spider Team for travel means removing the arm, and possibly the three sliders. The now-naked arm and base standing together measure 83.5cm tall and 18 x 16cm across – small enough to fit into a medium-size suitcase. The three sliding sections can be stowed wherever they fit.
If you want to save space and weight by ditching one of the fork sliders and tool tray, the two sliders are identical – you change fork or dropout width or diameter by swapping insets, so if you don't plan to mount the bike by the rear dropout there's no point carrying the second slider.
The Spider Team Pro breaks down into two parts by lifting off the arm section. On the pole there's a press-button that aligns with a hole in the black plastic head to lock the swivel. The head then cannot spin or be removed until the button is pressed in. This can be an issue – if you've not locked the head because you wanted to be able to spin the bike, lifting to relocate it can see the legs fall off. And if you've unlocked the bike, sometimes it can lock again mid-spin.
If you remember which leg the locking point aligns with you can spin the bike back and forth so long as you don't overshoot – I marked that one leg with a strip of red tape to help. Watching videos of pro mechanics spinning bikes around full circle, you can't help but guess they have disabled or removed the locking buttons somehow.
With this stand, the 90cm height a bike's bottom bracket sits at can't be adjusted – a compromise to cut down on weight (Tacx claim the height is 100cm). The tilting function does allow a degree of adjustment to this, but as there's no way to secure the BB area, tilting more than a small amount forwards while fork-mounted risks the bike turning around the headset and falling off.
Where the tilting mechanism does come in useful is when mounting the bike by the rear dropout; it allows the bike to sit horizontal or even tilted down. This means you can work on the front of the bike (with or without the wheel fitted) without the handlebar flopping to either side under its own weight. Yes, this can be avoided using one of several 'flop-stop' holders, but if weight is a prime consideration it's a nice benefit. The same tilt means a drivetrain can be set horizontal when fork-mounting.
Pro mechanics are focused on speed of turnaround, and – let's face it – the machines are new. The chances of a team bike needing prolonged, detailed investigation of a slipping gear, errant brake block or wonky BB are extremely remote, so achieving optimal ergonomics takes a backseat to low weight and compact size. If you're going to spend hours working on your bikes and don't have a good yoga teacher, you might end up sore.
The foot of each leg sits 55cm out from the centreline of the stand, giving a triangle-shaped footprint 94cm on each side. This is a larger distance than the Park PRS-21 and just a tiny bit smaller than the Feedback Sports Sprint. The tilting rubber pads give excellent purchase on uneven surfaces – well, you never know what quality of car park the team bus will pitch up at...
As the legs can be locked at any distance the Spider Team could easily be used in a confined space such as a van, shed or small hotel room.
Fork-mounting a bike
In the box you get no fewer than 14 grey plastic inserts to suit various combinations of axle diameter and width. Sizes accommodated are 5, 9, 15 and 20mm front, and 5mm rear at 130/135mm, plus 10 and 12mm.
Although having a box of bits to suit pretty much every combination is a good thing, the reality is these are not a good way to work on multiple bikes of differing specs within a short timeframe. Once the inserts are slid into the holder they aren't coming out without the help of a decent screwdriver in the provided slot and a fair bit of welly. It's a process that gets boring real fast, and the soft grey plastic marks up.
Again this reiterates the race heritage of the Spider Team – having a truck full of 5mm-QR, 110/130mm-dropout weasel-weight bikes to wrangle means you never need to think about wrenching on a dual bolt-through mountain bikes.
The Tacx-branded QR skewers are nicely chromed and workable enough, but unlike the Park and Feedback Sports front QRs they aren't an 'exaggerated-cam' design. This means to clear the fork tip 'lawyer lips' you need to wind/unwind the nut three or four turns. The fact that the default-for-most setup is a 5mm QR with 9mm plastic 'fake axle' ends means you really need two hands to tighten or loosen the QR – so get good at holding onto the fork ends while winding/unwinding/clamping/unclamping lest your bike fall off in a potentially expensive/sweary pile.
The bottom bracket sits on two 4mm-thick rubber blades, with 10mm clearance under the BB shell. The inside width is 49mm, outside width 57mm – designed to fit in between 68mm external bearing cups to aid stability.
Optional extras
The included plastic tool tray is a minimal affair compared to other brands, with four 10mm and six 5mm holes for tools. The tray mounts in one of four positions – either side of the arm or at a slight angle to straight on – and turns along with the arm.
The tray height is 23cm below the bottom bracket shell and isn't adjustable, so I found myself sometimes collecting the tops of large screwdrivers and hex T-wrenches with the pedals/cranks. The tray has to be removed to fold the stand.
A padded bag is available to carry the stand.
In use
The tilting mechanism is locked by friction, not indent – this gives unlimited adjustability but also makes a very robust lock hard to get. There's a two-finger-width handle to twist to lock and unlock the tilt, which can be twisted out of the way so as not to foul the cranks.
The arm slides back and forward to achieve balance, locking with a lever, as do the fork/dropout mounts. Unlike other designs where the fork slider is secured by screwing a handbolt in or out, the lever is fast and slippery-hands-proof. Incremental gains and all that.
A notable feature of lightweight materials and small size is that there's quite a noticeable amount of play in the main head area – this translates into movement back and forth once the bike is mounted. With only 7cm of alloy pole inserted into the plastic head the result is a less-than-airtight fit. If you are washing a bike, replacing cables/bar tape or performing basic adjustments, some movement is fine – but this really isn't the stand to be doing a 70-80Nm bottom bracket installation on.
Again we come back to the raison d'être of the Spider Team Pro – lightweight, compact, fast.
Over several months of daily workshop use the Spider Team Pro performed well for road bike work – but I did have other stands to hand for mountain bikes and disc-equipped bikes with axles other than 5mm QR. If I'd had to swap axle adapters on even a weekly basis the shine would have gone off our relationship sharpish.
Talking of shine, the finish showed a few signs of wear but only where it had been dinged against benches and so on.
The bottom line is that for the RRP of £179.99 it's a high quality bit of kit. If you want a light and compact stand and you only work on one or two bikes, then at easily-found prices closer to £120 it's a great stand that should give years of service. And it does have the ability to accommodate any axle standard with a few minutes' swapping of adapters.
The Tacx Spider Team is very light and packs down small, making it ideal for travel. Just be aware of limitations
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Tacx Spider Team Workstand
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
It's really aimed at the person with one type of lighter-weight bike, who might occasionally have to work on another.
Tacx say:
"The Spider Team is developed with the help of WorldTour team mechanics who use the repair stand intensively on a daily basis. Thanks to their tips, you too can professionally and efficiently adjust, assemble and repair. The Spider Team is light, compact when folded away and easy to carry. The work surface can rotate and tilt. Exchangeable components for fork holders are included as standard, meaning all frames fit. Also suitable for other brackets such as time-trial bicycles, bicycles with sensors for power measurement and bicycles with electronic gearing.
Types of bicycles
Suitable for racing bicycles and MTBs with 5 mm quick release. Includes exchangeable components for fork holders, so also for modern MTBs.
Also suitable for bicycles with other brackets such as time-trial bicycles, bicycles with sensors for power measurement and bicycles with electronic gearing (Shimano Di2 or Campagnolo EPS).
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Bicycle rests on bracket support; attached to the front or rear fork
Work surface is tiltable and can be rotated 360°
Fork holders adjustable in length
Removable tool tray
Lightweight aluminium frame
Triangular profiles; dirt is less likely to adhere to the surface
Anodised tubes; detergent-resistant
Wide rubber feet; solid and stable
Retractable and foldable, size 120x23x18 cm
Weight 4.25 kg
Maximum load 15 kg
Working height 100 cm (bracket)
Packaging, size 90x30x15 cm
Alloy and plastic construction means no corrosion, and very light.
The alloy parts are solid, the plastic ones, not so much. Can't help feeling if the head was alloy the overall package would be much more stable.
Bearing in mind the USP of minor work/cleaning of lightweight bikes, it's a cracker. Very solid foundation, and adjustable enough to get stuff done.
Over two months of daily use nothing developed to give concern.
Wow. Lightest in its class. Possibly the world.
Ergonomics aren't a strong point.
For RRP it's good value, for online prices, bearing in mind the caveats, it's very good.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Admirably. Easily set up/put away, freestanding, very stable, slightly annoying spinning options and tool tray but not deal-breakers.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Weight and stability of the base. And for low-torque work, the top section stability is fine.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The spinning function. Annoying. Surely could be made on-off with a little thought.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes, particularly at discount
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, but only if they specifically needed the strong points and didn't need the weaknesses. The compromises are stark.
Use this box to explain your score
If Tacx fixed the spinning-lock issue, indexed the tilt, made the tray adjustable-height and tightened the head/tube tolerances, they'd have a real winner on their hands. Oh, and something about the axle adapters. Them too.
About the tester
Age: 42 Height: 183cm Weight: 71KG
I usually ride: Charge Juicer My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, singlespeed and Dutch bike pootling
5 comments
No see saw problems for me. Would def. recommend.
Decathlon do them (intermittent stock) for £99.
Similar prices from €uropean dealers.
If you want to be careful about possible movement, although it would require a fair knock to come off the BB cradle - a simple home-made strap does sufficiently for me.
Considering the cheapest park tool seatpost stand is ~£75, and is very cumbersome. The Tacx spider for £99 is no brainer value.
The reviewer's preference for the Feedback is clear. Less clear is the overall 7/10 scoring for the Tacx Spider. It received 8 or above in 4 of 6 categories and simply averaging yields an 8. The Park gets an 8, despite scoring 1 point lower overall. So whence the 7 ??
More valuable: what are the reviewer's and actual users' views on the Elite Race stand, which is available at 40% lower cost. Much appreciated. Thanks all.
The reviewer's preference for the Feedback is clear. Less clear is the overall 7/10 scoring for the Tacx Spider. It received 8 or above in 4 of 6 categories and simply averaging yields an 8. The Park gets an 8, despite scoring 1 point lower overall. So whence the 7 ?? More valuable: what are the reviewer's and actual users' views on the Elite Race stand, which is available at 40% lower cost. Much appreciated. Thanks all.
Overall score is tricky, and not always reflected by a few out-of-10 sections. They give a rough idea, but it's not an average. Re Park, yes that got 8/10 - but only just. Both stands annoy me for different reasons, and I'd take the FBS Sprint in a heartbeat over both. But to rate them 5/10 based on the fact the FBS is so far ahead would be churlish - so long as you understand the caveats, and for some weight/size is a premium, you can make up your own mind.
Haven't used the Elite Race, so can't comment. It's pretty much a copy of the PRs-21 by the look.


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WASHINGTON — Construction spending plunged by the largest amount in nearly five years, reflecting spreading weakness in the housing industry.
The Commerce Department reported Friday that construction activity dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.20 trillion in July, down 1.2 percent from the June level. It was the biggest one-month decline since a 1.3 percent fall in August 2001, when the country was mired in the last recession.
The decline was far worse than the unchanged level of activity that Wall Street forecasters had been expecting. It served to underscore that the Federal Reserve's two-year campaign to raise interest rates to slow the economy was having a significant impact on construction, one of the most interest-rate sensitive sectors of the economy.
The July decline, which followed a 0.4 percent increase in June, was led by a 2 percent fall in private residential construction.
It was the fourth consecutive decline in residential construction and the biggest drop since January 2002, providing dramatic evidence that the nation's five-year housing boom has come to an end. The declines pushed private residential construction down to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $627.4 billion.
Builder confidence has plunged this year as they have struggled with weakening demand in the face of rising mortgage rates. A record backlog of unsold homes has forced many builders to offer an array of incentives to reduce supplies.
Outside of housing, there continued to be areas of strength in construction as nonresidential private building activity edged up 0.3 percent to a record annual rate of $303.5 billion. Gains in July came in construction of office buildings, power plants and transportation facilities.
Public construction fell by 0.7 percent in July reflected a 1 percent decline in state and local building projects which was only partially offset by a 2.6 percent rise in federal construction activity.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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If you're looking for a strong Super investment that offers both options and security, this excellent opportunity in St George ticks all the boxes.
On offer here is a freehold commercial building, with a busy, long established newsagency plus an additional income stream from the upstairs apartment.
The only one in this busy country town, St George Newsagency offers excellent cashflow, with a 2016 net return of $180,000.
2 freehold blocks with commercial premises plus residence
2.5 bedroom residence generates $250 per week
Newsagency established for over 50 years
Owned and operated by the current owners since 2000
Excellent reputation plus regular, loyal clientele
Business turnover around $1 million plus agencies commissions of $70,000
Largest range of magazines, books and stationery in the area
Only Gold Lotto agency in town
Dry cleaning service + other products
The business has 7 sub agencies servicing the town and outlying areas
Fully computerised and easy to operate with bar-coding of all stock
Financial statements available for serious buyers
Whether you're seeking a Super investment, or strong family business, this one is well worth further investigation.
St George is a thriving town and service centre, offering great infrastructure, plus a variety of education and health services.
Future growth in the area will offer great potential for this already successful enterprise.
Price: $895,000 Freehold and Business + SAV


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Home stretch. Practice. Travel. Rehearsal on Tuesday. More practice. Then on Friday is the show.
I've built some interesting masking patches in Quartz Composer to use as plugins, and now I'm neck deep in VDMX, which is my live performing software. I'll be posting updates with fresh images, dispatches from the rehearsal, and food notes. Because come on, it's Manhattan. And knowing me, I'll probably get all weepy around Thursday. I particularly can't wait to hear the Dan Visconti's whole composition with full orchestration, including the circuit bent toys.
The full name of the show is coLABoratory: Playing It UNsafe on Friday, April 5 at 7:30pm at Carnegie Hall. The piece that Dan and I are doing, Glitchscape, is one of five new compositions (though ours in the only one that has a new live video piece as a part of it. If you're in New York, tickets are still available here, and I'd be honored if you saw it. And I'd really love to hear what you think of it if you do.
If you know anyone in the New York area who likes new music and experimental film performance, I'd really appreciate it if you'd forward them the invitation to the event via Facebook (which also has links to tickets and stuff).
And finally, here's another cryptic preview image, from a bird that was in the show, then cut from it, and now is back in very different form. See you soon, and thanks for reading this stuff.


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I met with the owner's representative and signed a lease agreement today to represent this beautiful Spanish home by Universal Studios in the Hollywood Hills. Large home in a great location with intricate details throughout, and large windows allowing natural light to flood the property. Flexible owners would like to leave furnished, and will allow tenant to paint interior should they so desire. Priced to lease quickly--take advantage!
For Lease @ $3,500/mo 3 Bed3 Bath 2,458 Sq. Ft
This is a large home that is priced well in this location. It has exquisite Spanish details, an open floor plan, updated kitchens and baths, and is ready to go. If you would like to see this home, please contact us anytime @ 661.600.7463 or email email@example.com.


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Past and Future of Food Systems Innovation
Where are we coming from in food system innovation, and where are we going?
This is a question that I am asked almost every day by very well meaning entrepreneurs and investors who are attempting to create a mental model for understanding the innovations happening in food.
Food is one of the biggest markets, and also one where innovation happens in very slow cycles. This is true for 3 reasons-
the market is so big that change takes time to permeate.
farms and farmers have traditionally been hard to reach geographically, which creates latency in information transfer and learning.
Food is special to consumers- it transmits culture, so we don't want it to change, and it transmits sickness, and we don't want innovation that kills.
Mostly, when we think about food innovation, we think about laboratories and GMOs and the word synthetic.
Some of us think that's cool, some of us think that's totally horrific, but we ignore the fact that the Slow Food movement is as much an innovation in food systems as eggless mayo.
After thinking on the subject for some time, I propose the following 2x2 as a simple, rational way of understanding where ideas and changes fall inside of food systems.
Quick History-
For an absurdly long time, food was slow and diverse because thats how you made sure you didn't starve. Diversity meant that if climate was particularly brutal in one direction or another, you didn't lose all of your growing crops, just a subset of the total calories available to you. Slow was a necessity because the industrial revolution was very late to food.
From 1945 or so onwards, two guys really pushed agriculture out of the lower left corner- Norman Borlaug and Earl Butz. Driving science and policy respectively, they drove us towards a modernized, commoditized, mechanized food system.
Starting in about 2000, America started to get suddenly suspicious of the food coming out of that top right hand corner. Highly commoditized, frictionlessly delivered calories started to look like a good way to get sick and die young. We started to panic, and to reassess.
by 2006, we had The Omnivore's Dilemma and Slow Food USA. Slow Food arose as a reaction against the impossibly quick calorie delivery systems we were eating, and Michael Pollan effectively questioned the role of the big commodities in our food system (corn, specifically). Suddenly, there were two camps- the mainstream food system eating commoditized, frictionless food, and the Pollan camp eating "slow", diverse foods that were the antithesis of this movement.
If you had the label this axis with actual food, it would look like this-
Filling in around the two camps-
From 2006 onwards, innovation in either of the two camps was becoming more and more difficult- creating "slow food" that was better than what was being served in high-end restaurants seemed impossible, and creating "fast food" that was cheaper than what you could get at McDonald's seemed impossible.
From 2006 to 2016, our food innovation has mostly been in the two other camps-
fast, frictionless services in food that offered more diversity in both ingredients and selection.
highly commoditized foods that were connected to the values of "slow".
Some amazing businesses have been built in the top left corner and bottom right, respectively.
Chipotle proved you could make food values-oriented and "slow" while selling commodities- their menu is still basically corn-based, but better corn. Corn fed to animals outside. Corn rolled into healthier shapes.
Sweetgreen and others have proved that diversity can be bundled and delivered at high-speed and low-friction through innovations around the supply chain and a focus on selection over price.
Today, we're innovating in all 4 Quadrants-
The decade between the release of the Omnivore's Dilemma and the present day saw entrepreneurs who pushed the edge of innovation further in every direction, by overturning the idea that "slow" meant expensive and laborious and that "fast food" meant unhealthy and cheap.
There are myriad examples of these innovations across food- Munchery/Spoonrocket/Sprig, for example, took the approach of questioning why physical locations and counter service was an asset in eating a quick meal, and brought values of "slow" to the fast food market.
I want to highlight 4 companies in particular who exemplify the innovations in food systems in 2016-
Soylent shattered what we believed to be the upper limits of calorie-delivery systems. There has been much ink spilled over the evils of soylent, but I think its amazing to see this quadrant fully played-out; we have arrived at Peak Fast Food. You don't call your business Soylent unless you understand the sweet irony of creating the perfect commodity.
Hampton Creek shattered what we believed to be the remix potential of commodities. The ability of Hampton Creek to be "slow" while also creating a product made almost entirely of agricultural commodities is a feat of both technology and marketing. They have expanded what is possible in the commoditized food space, while also proving that moral high ground in food, and an association with the "slow' is a critical part of making a powerhouse CPG.
Blue Apron shattered what we believed to be the limits on diversity in a convenient form. The food eaten by the Michael Pollans of the world is unquestionably more delicious- it is also much more time, much more money, and much more of a pain in the ass than eating a big mac while driving down the highway.
Meal kit startups (don't hate me for using Blue Apron here, if you're a fan of another version) have helped to crack the code in how to bring the values of diverse, sustainable food systems into the bright light of modernity. Strip away the cumbersome food pickup from a well-meaning hippy farmer. Strip away the peeling, washing, soaking, fermenting. Strip away the waste, the traditional recipes that feed a family 5 times larger than the norm, strip away the anxiety of the recipe.
You are left with a frictionless meal that delivers you the satisfaction of the "slow".
Good Eggs Proved that "slow" is hard, and really, really worth it. The rise and fall of B2C "slow" food delivery companies is a familiar tune in SF and NYC, but GoodEggs really exemplified what is possible in the space. As they continue to grow out of a rocky end-of-year, the dream of "slow" food continues.
10 Predictions for this year in Food
You're caught up in innovation in food over the last 50 years. So what happens this year?
More ways of delivering "slow" values in frictionless ways. We've got one heck of a model in meal kits, but the game is not yet played out. Startups with great ideas in this space will rise this year to prominence. As these new ideas start to come forward, the dominance of the meal kit model will start to fade. The winners will be the companies who embrace not just frictionless, but habit-forming.
Soylent will be unstoppable. This is one of those classic "first they laugh at you…" stories- Soylent will be worth a billion dollars by December 2016. A major CPG brand will launch a clone of Soylent with a ton more sugar and fat in the recipe.
The Great Chipotle Illness Scare of 2015 will drive innovation around how to grow more diverse foods in a commoditized ways. Freight Farms is a great example of a company poised to win like crazy on this theme. Positive public sentiment around "slow" and diverse food will weaken as the spectre of unsafe food starts to assert itself.
Supply constraints in "slow" food will get weirder and weirder. This is the year that consumer preferences will start breaking supply models for stable purchasing. In layman's terms- we'll hear more stories about shortages of foods that no one grew or cared about in 2012.
New Ingredient creation will be a thing. Creating new foods, not just new recipes, will be a big focus of early R&D innovation. Recipe innovation will get more and more quantified in the next 5 years, so the logical next step is pushing up into creating new foodstuffs. New ingredients.
McDonald's will become more like Chez Panisse, and Chez Panisse will become more like McDonald's. As the year draws to a close, we'll have seen the launch of initiatives in fast food to become more like the hyper-local, diverse and sustainable restaurants of the world, and we'll see those values start becoming more and more interested in commoditization and frictionless experience design.
The Biggest companies in food will start to question when they're buying "slow" food rivals. The Annie's acquisition for General Mills for approaching a billion dollars shows just how hard it is for "fast" food companies to innovate in other quadrants. You can bet they'll start finding ways to buy into these competitors before they become this expensive.
Kitchen hardware companies in food will prove to be too early.Current kitchen gadgetry is not going anywhere, because consumers are questioning the very value proposition of cooking at home. Selling new kitchen hardware to consumers will be a deadly vertical until these companies start to build friction-reducing services around their products.
The MIT Open Agriculture initiative will get a for-profit, closed-source copycat in Silicon Valley. If someone does not do this by December, I will, like Werner Herzog, eat my shoe.
Venture funds investing in all 4 quadrants of the food system will close this year. They'll be small (20–100m) and they'll blend elements of private equity into their composition so they can accelerate CPG brands, but they will close funds this year and they will find great deals. Existing software-based venture funds will slow the pace of funding in the space because the majority of VCs see "food stuff" as one category, not four.
Bringing it all back home
The Sistine Chapel of internet-enabled commerce is going to be food & food systems. Those that have a firm hold on this are going to have a great 2016.
I am collecting opinions on this subject- hit me up at email@example.com if you have ideas on food in 2016.
Caithrin Rintoul


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How My Business Took Off When I Wrote a Book
Last year I left a financial planning job with a large wealth management company to start my own business. I loved the company and learned so much from my time there; however, I was interested in working with people on building their wealth rather than just investing their wealth. I didn't have the tools and resources at my former firm to help these individuals; however, I do now.
As any entrepreneur will tell you, the first few years of starting your business are incredibly difficult. Even if you have the best products and services, you need to get your name out there and despite the fact we have numerous online tools to help us promote our businesses, it is difficult to break through all the noise that is out there. I knew when I started my company that I would have to compete with the noise and break through somehow.
One of the first things I did was start my blog, Financially Blonde. My blog is a great opportunity for clients and future clients to hear my voice when I am not with them and gain a better understanding about working with me. I have gained a few new clients from the blog, and many of my current clients are subscribers.
In addition to writing on my own blog, I started writing on other websites like AOL Jobs and Money Saving Pro to get my name out there as much as possible. All of these opportunities have helped me break through the noise and gain traction for my business.
My latest step in growing my financial planning practice has me the most excited, though, and it is my book, Train Your Way to Financial Fitness. The book was just published this week; however, I have been working on it fo r over a year now. I wrote the book as a marketing tool for my business. As one of my mentors said to me, "Your book is a $15 business card." He told me that books are a great way to gain authority and grow a business, and I am already seeing the truth in his statement.
One of my plans for growing my financial planning practice is to engage in more public speaking opportunities. I have created programs educating individuals on financial fitness and making smart money choices, and I have three different versions of these programs. I have a program targeted for high school students, one for college students and then one for companies to include as part of their employee benefits education programs.
The first few months of my business, I presented these ideas to numerous groups; however, I did not get much interest in return. This is understandable as I was a relative unknown entity with seemingly minimal credentials to speak on financial fitness, despite working as a financial planner.
As I have neared my publishing date, though, I have reached out again to those groups and similar ones to make them aware of my book and how it ties in with the type of education they should be providing, and amazingly, the reception is completely different.
I have been overwhelmed at the change in response from people and the only different between my pitch last year and my pitch now is my published book. Even my clients are excited about the book because now they have an easy way to tell their friends and family about me because they can just send them a book.
With thousands of financial planners out there, it is difficult to stand out from the crowd and grow your business. If you find that your growth has stalled, perhaps you should think about writing a book yourself.
There are so many wonderful tools available for you to self-publish if you have trouble finding a publisher. Amazon makes it very easy for you to get your self-published book on their site, and even has a company to help you get it printed.
A book is truly a wonderful marketing tool to help you gain credibility, grow your brand and spread the word about what you do. If you want to grow your financial planning practice, or any other business for that matter, I advise you to start writing. You won't regret it.


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You can always read my latest blogpost here.
These are general guidelines, not rules. Not every applicant will be able to do these in this order and some may be more relevant than others.
These are general guidelines, not rules. Not every applicant will be able to do these in this order and some may be more relevant than others.
1. No magic bullet:
There's no getting around it. The essays are a slog, and if you're applying to schools with many supplements or several schools not on the Common Application, it's a lot of work. But – the good news! – doing the work is a way to focus your experience, your perceptions, your goals, and your sense of yourself as a soon-to-be college student. Finding your voice and your story will help you make that transition. The essays will help you learn how to present yourself, how to talk about your interests, talents and accomplishments - without bragging.
2. Ask for help – from people and online:
Writers (and doctors and engineers and parents) ask for help all the time. Just because writing is a solitary activity doesn't mean you shouldn't seek advice and reactions from teachers, guidance counselors, family friends, parents, or the abundant information online. Ask for help brainstorming. Read online posts about how to tackle various questions. And be prepared to rewrite. And rewrite.
3. There are no formulas and no right answers.
Students often ask me: What does the school want me to write? The school wants to know what YOU think and what your experience is. The essay is a kind of interview. Reveal yourself. Make sure you essay tells us what it is that you want the colleges to know about you: Your passions, your talents, your ambitions, the qualities that make you who you are.
4. Choose colleges before you begin writing.
Make a chart of what essays are required for each college: 1. The topic. 2. The length. 3. The due dates. Have a sense in advance how many essays you might have to do – whether it's 3 or 15 or even 20. Some colleges/universities have 2, 3, 4, or even more essays. Though the essays may only be 100, 250 or 500 words, they must be well-considered words. Some of the essays are creative ("What makes you happy?" "What's the sweetest sound you've ever heard?"), others are more straightforward (why this college/why your major).
5. If you are applying mostly to schools using the Common Application, it's almost always best to start writing that essay first.
It's critical to know which universities use which essays or groups of essays. 700+ colleges use the Common Application and many have supplements in addition to the core Common App essay (1 essay chosen from 5 prompts, 650 words). Other universities have their own essays entirely, among them: MIT, Georgetown, UTexas, and Universities of California (1 application for all 9 branches). If you are doing Common App schools, plus MIT, plus Georgetown and UCalifornia schools, that is about 15 essays (from 100 to 500 or 650 words) right there. Once you see the essay requirements all together – whether they are core essays or supplements – you might change your mind about your college selections.
6. Recycle essays or passages where you can.
Once you have your list with all the topics and lengths, you can start to see what topics and pieces of essays you might be able to "recycle" and use multiple times. It is NOT cheating to use the same passages in multiple essays. What you DO NOT want to do is write a generic "Why I Want to Go to X College." If your WHY THIS COLLEGE can be used multiple places, it needs work: specificity, detail, and homework: study the college, the curriculum and what makes it stand out to you.
7. Which essay should you do next? It depends on deadlines, recycling, and other factors, such as where you might be applying early action/decision (usually Nov. 1 deadlines). There are no hard and fast rules. If you're applying to the University of California system, you must submit applications during the month of November – and that's it. A number of big universities are not Common Application schools. If these are top choice universities, you might want to do these first – even before the Common App essay, as long as you're not applying early elsewhere.
8. Getting down to it.
There are dozens of websites that give advice about the nitty gritty of writing the essays. There are also many sites that publish college essays. DO take a look at these if you need help getting started or getting ideas, but don't feel you must write essays like the ones you're reading. There is a huge variety in college application essays. And keep in mind that the essays you're reading online have been through many drafts. You are not going to turn out a terrific essay in one or two sittings. Don't be discouraged! Prepare to do 3 or 4 or more drafts.
9. The writing and language, in a nutshell:
Much of the advice comes down to: write in your own voice, as though you are talking more than writing an academic paper. The tone should be more informal than the stiff, academic language you would use when writing a history paper. It's sometimes helpful to write the essay as though you're writing a letter to someone – a friend or mentor.
SS language, word choices and other writing tips:
The essay is not a place to show off your SAT vocabulary or your penchant for writing poetry. Use SS language: Simple and Straightforward. But though it's SS, it must be precise, detailed, and specific. For instance: "My parents are in the military and we moved a lot. " vs: "My parents are medics in the Army, and we've lived in five countries since I was born, including Poland, Germany, and Botswana." Specific details are always more memorable, and forcing yourself to focus on detail focuses your brain and your powers of perception.
10. It's often great to start an essay with an active example of what you'll be writing about. Put us in the middle of the action and then step back and explain how you got there and how it relates to the essay prompt.
"The conductor pointed his baton to the string section, and we began the fugue that ends the second movement of Brahms' Requiem. My fingers responded to the building excitement of the rapid tempo, and I was enveloped by the sweep of sound.
"I fell in love with the violin when I was six, and music has been the center of my life since then. I felt joy every Saturday morning when I began my weekly lesson with Mrs. Jones and later that day when I played in our town's youth orchestra…."
OR: A very different sort of story:
"The policeman grabbed me by the arm and demanded I show him my ID. I had no idea what I had done wrong, and I didn't have my wallet with me. I was just riding my bike in San Diego. I didn't think it was a crime to ride on the sidewalk."
"This was my first experience of discrimination in the United States, where we moved from Algeria when I was ten years. It would be the first of many times that I would encounter…."
Please visit my website and contact me for a free consultation. email@example.com 1-855-99-ESSAY