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Home > RC Planes > Full Plane Range
Model: EFL7950Brand: E-Flite
Generally In Stock, Please Confirm Before Ordering
This product is due May 2019. We are taking pre-orders now.
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a legendary long-range supersonic interceptor and fighter-bomber that continues to serve in some countries more than 60 years after making its first flight. Capable of top speeds up to and even beyond Mach 2, the F-4 set numerous speed and altitude world records while serving the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. The E-flite® F-4 Phantom II 80mm EDF is an Extra Scale replica that delivers outstanding authenticity and incredible performance with fantastic handling- especially when it's equipped with exclusive Spektrum™ AS3X® and SAFE® Select technologies (BNF® Basic version only).
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The E-flite® F-4 Phantom II 80mm EDF is a replica of the awe-inspiring supersonic interceptor and fighter-bomber legend. It features an accurate outline and an abundance of Extra Scale details including molded-in panel lines and hatches, main gear strut covers, removable ordnance and tanks, plus a factory-applied finish that pays tribute to the VF-51 "Screaming Eagles" squadron. Functional Extra Scale features include LED landing and navigation lights, full-flying stabs, operational flaps and control surfaces with pocket hinges, sequenced nose gear doors and electric retracts with shock-absorbing struts so you can fly off a variety of surfaces, including grass fields. The 6S-compatible brushless inrunner motor and 100-amp ESC are perfectly matched to an 80mm 12-blade fan to deliver incredible thrust and speed, plus a turbine-like sound. It's also the easiest to assemble Phantom ever with a factory-finished EPO airframe that bolts together- no glue required- in less time than it takes to charge a battery. And it all adds up to deliver a unique flight experience with the best handling and performing F-4 model yet!
This is the first high-performance F-4 Phantom model equipped with exclusive Spektrum® AS3X® and SAFE® Select technologies. AS3X works behind the scenes to smooth out the effects of wind and turbulence to deliver a locked-in feel that makes it seem like you're flying a much larger airplane. Optional-use SAFE Select offers pitch and bank angle limits along with automatic self-leveling that can be turned on and off at the flip of a switch making this an easier to fly Phantom than there's ever been before! And if you don't want to enable the SAFE Select features, simply bind the receiver normally and only AS3X will be active.
The 12-blade 80mm fan, high-RPM brushless inrunner motor and 100-amp ESC combine with your 6S 4000–5000+mAh LiPo battery to deliver great vertical performance and a fantastic speed range with virtually instantaneous throttle response. This power system also delivers better performance and longer flight times than the 6S-compatible power systems used in larger EPO or even similar sized composite and wood models that were available in the past. But what makes the experience truly rewarding is the fantastic sound it produces- it's almost like a real turbine.
The F-4 Phantom II 80mm EDF features an accurate outline and an abundance of Extra Scale details including molded-in panel lines and hatches, main gear strut covers, removable ordnance and tanks- more details than you typically find on similar class and smaller models.
Factory-installed LED navigation and landing lights, full-flying stabs, operational flaps and control surfaces with pocket hinges- even sequenced nose gear doors- are functional Extra Scale features that take your experience to another level.
The steerable nose gear with dual wheels and the wide-spaced main gear feature reliable, factory-installed electric retracts equipped with durable metal components and shock-absorbing struts that make it possible to fly from a wider variety of surfaces including paved runways and even grass.
Construction with fully-molded EPO material makes it possible to replicate complex detail and shapes in a lightweight yet durable form. The result is an outstanding scale appearance that's easy to maintain and delivers the best possible flight experience, plus the factory-installed metal-geared servos with ball-link equipped linkages deliver crisp and precise control at every speed.
No glue is required for assembly and you can have the F-4 ready to fly in less time than it takes to charge a battery! The stabs plus the two-piece wing with an innovative hands-free connection system bolt into place and can easily be removed for convenient storage and transport.
The factory-applied paint and decal finish pays tribute to the VF-51 "Screaming Eagles" squadron, while providing excellent visibility and a model you'll be proud to show off everywhere you go.
Some items that are showing as in stock are in stock at our holding warehouses, not at the shop. To double check the stock levels at the shop, please contact us on 01909773471 or email@example.com.
The delivery times for most items is 1 - 3 days but again, please double check stock levels on important orders before placing an order via the website.
The delivery costs for courier next day are for mainland UK only. If you live in the Scottish Highlands/Islands, Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, then a shipping surchage will apply. please contact us for prices. Smaller items can still go 1st class via Royal Mail.
Please note International customers will need to contact us for a shipping price prior to ordering via the website. This all depends on the size and weight of the items. Please get in touch with us for any postage costs. Please note we do NOT ship large cars or heavy items outside of the UK. This is due to massive postage costs and problems regarding returns.
If you have any questions regarding stock levels or delivery, please get in touch.
All small accessories and spares can be sent by Royal Mail. If this is a service you would prefer, then please call us on 01909 773 471 and we can arrange this for you.
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The Model Basement now have a loyalty point scheme active on the website. As you can see from the products, every item has a point value. Each pound you spend with us, you will receive 1 loyalty point. 1 point is worth 1p. You can accumulate these points as you shop with us, then when you are over £5, you can spend them on the website! Easy as that.
Even if you collect most of your items from our shop, you can still order via the website and select the "shop collection" delivery option. Then you can come to our shop, collect your item and still get your points!
Please note this scheme is online only. Customers who order via the telephone can still be added to the scheme manually. Please ask for more details on this. Before placing orders online, please make sure you are registered with us first otherwise your points won't be allocated.
So happy shopping and if you have any questions about the scheme or any other queries, please get in touch.
The Model Basement
Finance is now available on all products above £250! We offer 12, 24, 36 and 48 months with a fixed 15.9% typical APR. Please note this can't be done through the website at this moment in time. You will need to call us or drop into the shop to sort out finance. As long as the item is above £250, finance is available!
Please get in touch with us today to find out if you're applicable.
You must be over 18 years to apply, live in the UK, have a valid UK bank account and not be bankrupt. Your credit file will be searched on application to see if you are eligible.
The Model Basement is a trading name of Rother Valley Optics Ltd.
Rother Valley Optics Ltd is registered in England and Wales 04762707. Registered Office: 21 Station Road, Kiveton Park, Rotherham, S26 6QP. Rother Valley Optics Ltd acts as a credit broker only. Rother Valley Optics Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conducts Authority. Credit provided subject to age and status..
If you have any questions about this, simply give us a ring or drop into the shop for a chat.
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More often than not, when working with couples, one person's style is different from the other. This potentially causes stress and frustration when trying to decorate a home. Finding a common ground where both parties feel a part of the decision making process is not always easy but it certainly can be! Today, it's all about mixing styles so with a little compromise on both sides, you can have a space that both he and she love to live in. It just takes a little understanding for how to mix styles so they work together.
For example, when it comes to selecting a sofa, you may opt for neutral upholstery (or leather) that may appeal more to him, while adding contemporary or more feminine style accent pillows that will soften the look and appeal more to her. Likewise, the wall art might lean toward her style, but the accessories within the room could appeal to him using items from rustic materials such as ceramic pottery in earthy colors. The style of area rug (i.e. pileless woven rug) may be chosen by him but with softer colors that may appeal to her.
These are just some suggestions to show you that even drastically different styles can be made to work with the right balance and style. It's all about taking out the stress and adding in a little compromise. After all, a space that is enjoyed by both parties helps to make a happy home!
Leave a ReplyWant to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

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TEFL Jobs Overseas is a complete guide for TEFL jobs, TEFL teachers, TEFL information or TEFL Courses. TEFL Jobs Overseas has many current TEFL jobs for teaching overseas. Before beginning your teaching overseas adventure, you can find any TEFL information you need to help make an informed decision about a TEFL teaching career teaching English overseas.
My goal as a teacher is to help students improve their English skills through tailor-made lessons fit to match the needs of each individual student. I have been teaching English as a second language for ten years, and I have vast experience with private tutoring as well as teaching classes of ten or more students. I am currently employed at a private language school in Manhattan where I have been teaching students from many different countries since 2006. The vast majority of my students have been Korean, and I am familiar with the particular strengths and weaknesses of Korean students who are learning English as a second language. In addition, I have a Master's degree in TESOL from Adelphi University.
I am very patient, and my approach to teaching is student-centered. I specialize in accent reduction, spoken, and written English, as well as fluency and vocabulary, all while helping to insure that students develop confidence in their ability to learn and produce language in a safe and supportive environment. I also have extensive experience with curriculum development focusing on lessons that cater to the need of the student.
Please feel free to contact me if I can assist you in improving your English or building on the language skills you already have. My rate is $40 an hour. I am available in the New York City area, and Jersey City, New Jersey.


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PLC controlled automatic humidity measurement and dampening system, is a system designed to ensure on line measuring of inner humidity of the raw materials and depending on this, to add the necessary amount of water automatically in order to make sure that the targeted humidty value is reached . There are specific versıons for different types of raw materials.
The system is combined of four main units.The ammount of the raw materials passing through the system is precisely measured with the aid of a Granular Material Flowmeter. Following this, the actual humidity inside the granule of the raw material is determined via a Microwave Hummidity Sensor located inside the Humidity and Hectoliter Measurement Unit. This data submitted to the PLC control unit, is used to calculate the amound of water necessary to be added in order for a raw material to reach the determined humidity value .This data is transferred to the Water Additon Unit. The Water Addition Unit, opens the proportional valve and ensures that the determined amount of water is automatically added. The added water amount is measured via a Magnetic Flowmeter. The dampening system comprises two versions which are; 20 ton/hour and 35 ton/ hour.


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A.H. Vandenberg, U.S. Senator
A.H. Vandenberg, U.S. Senator
Vandenberg, Arthur Hendrick (1884-1951). Editor, U.S. Senator; helped create the United Nations. TLS, 2 pp., Dec. 18, nd (ca. 1920). To Joseph D. Oliver, concerning political matters. Seeking a contribution of $250 from a poltically like-minded individual to help further his work. Some soiling at the top edge. Verygood.
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"THE STONE" A Story of Covenant
The play "THE STONE" is composed with the stories of Asian immigrants who have struggled in settling down their lies in the States. We invite the United Church of Christ to see this play as it will help your churches understand Asian cultures and histories and also help all of us learn to embrace one another as one Church.
"THE STONE" is written and directed by Young Lan Kim, the North American Pacific/Asian Disciples representative for the Pacific Southwest Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Young Lan Kim's thoughts on the play:
if we do not understand others who came from different cultures and histories, the movement for wholeness will be in vain. In "THE STONE," we reflect our experiences and struggles as immigrants. It delivers pains, wound, and hope of Asian immigrants. At some point of our lives, people in the States immigrated into this country and had same struggles and difficulties in their family histories. We believe many people will find their sympathy in our stories and it will help them to embrace Asian sisters and brothers who are experiencing the same difficulties and pains in life.
"THE STONE" also deals with conflicts between generations and identity issues. It is easy to lose who we are in this new land and conflicts of generations are a serious issue in the life of immigrants. However, Asian community is not only one who has this conflicts and identity issues. Those are very common in any other ethnic communities.
As "THE STONE" share the stories of people who have been faced with those issues, it comforts our sisters and brothers who are in difficulties of life and encourage them to stand still as they hold the promise of God. It is also asking Christians to check up their lives in faith.
The play has been on tour in the Pacific Southwest Region and will be playing through June 16th at these locations:
June 2, Sunday 4:00pm, 2013
Wilshire Christian Church
3281 W. 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Phone: (323) 898-1435
June 8, Saturday 7:00pm. 2013
First Christian Church of Whittier
6355 Greenleat Ave.
Whittier, CA 90601
June 9, Sunday 10:00am, 2013
First Christian Church of San Bernardino
1001 N. Arrowhead Ave.
San Bernardino, CA 92410
Phone: (909) 885-6534
June 9, Sunday 1:30pm, 2013
Nanum Christian Church
7938 Riggins Rd. Phelan, CA 92371
Phone: (760) 868-0224
June 11, Tuesday 7:30pm, 2013
First Christian Church of North Hollywood
4390 Colfax Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91604-2898
Phone: (818) 763-8218
June 16, Sunday 10:00am, 2013
Casa de Oracion Iglesia Cristiana Discipulos de Cristo
201 Fir Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 232-4737
Convocation Contact:
Young L. Kim
(909) 702-8486
Regional Office Contacts:
Young Jun Yang & Young Lan Kim, Co-Directors
Email: email@example.com


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I've had a quilt stuck in my head for over a year. I have sewn it virtually in many fabrics and colour combinations, tweaking the design each time. When I saw this striped fabric at Mrs. Pugsley's, I knew it was time to make it for real.
Sunday, 2 November 2014
A Recurring Quiltmare
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Volunteering makes a huge difference to the lives of those at our hospital affected by HIV. It is also very rewarding for volunteers themselves, providing opportunities to gain new skills and experiences, meet new people, pass on knowledge, become involved in the community, and have fun.
We have a range of volunteering opportunities available. These include spending time with patients and helping them in a variety of ways, supporting the chaplaincy service, providing administrative support, and helping out with vital fundraising work.
If you are interested in volunteering at Mildmay's London Hospital then please email email@example.com for more information and an application form. Following a successful interview you will be invited to an induction which will equip you with the information and skills you need to start volunteering at Mildmay.
If you would like to volunteer with Mildmay outside the UK please visit


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TOO BIG TO FAIL : Paul Giamatti actively playing Ben Bernanke. ( Macall B. Polay ) Watching is definitely fantastic reminder associated with the two that of a plum-insane policy TARP was, and the reason why a lot of pretty not-insane men and women finally coalesced about it. The movie an HBO adaptation connected with Andrew Ross Sorkin s famous record in the problems should an exceptional work dramatizing the actual virtually comical notion method that ended in basically just about every treatment most of us attempted during the personal crisis. First, another person will say, No, we could t possibly complete that. It verts illegal to the public, dangerous to politicians, totally in the garden that tolerable range connected with authorities activity and also pretty perhaps illegal.
Then things would obtain worse.
And then: Okay, let s do that.
This held throughout the federally midwifed and taxpayer-supported great deals involving Bear Stearns to help J.P. Morgan, from the Federal Reserve ersus rescue regarding AIG, with the idea that taxpayers would likely obtain upwards these kinds of deadly possessions in addition to advertise all of them later, and, finally, by way of the ultimate plan: massive many arrest money funneled specifically in to exclusive megabanks, which had been forced to accept your funds.
No one particular preferred it. Not Hank Paulson or maybe Timothy Geithner or perhaps Ben Bernanke. Not the particular Congress that initially rejected to be able to pass your bailout nor a lot of the healthier banking institutions which were required to acknowledge it. It simply seemed, into the people in the centre with the crisis, such as the merely issue that might work.
And, fairly amazingly, presented the haste with that the policy has been created and the uncharted situations during which it absolutely was implemented, it have work. Sort of. It worked to criminal arrest the financial crisis, though the item didn big t are available at any place approximately keeping a economic collapse (that said, economists Mark Zandi along with Alan Blinder estimation (pdf) in which your downturn could ve been significantly more painful without having it).
But of which meant the fact that collapse Paulson plus Bernanke and Geithner have been facing, the disaster which manufactured unthinkable as well as above market plus unprecedented and certainly against the law insurance policies necessary, didn t happen. And consequently Americans saw the policies but simply lightly discovered the pain that will brought these into being. And and then that they experienced your aftershocks and also after that this also shouldn t become underestimated found the actual signup bonuses which intended this economic system acquired happen to be preserved and reacted with the horror along with hatred which TARP and also the banking institutions as well as the full really matter hence thoroughly deserved.
Which will be exactly why Too Big for you to Fail can be quite considerably worth your time. The financial meltdown wasn t that prolonged ago, but also so, them s tough to be able to recollect precisely how crazy of which span was, the way the economic climate s guardrails shook and then curved after which it shattered and how we pretty much tipped over. But this s worthy of remembering, only when because doing so s a common possible explanation pertaining to why all of us have genital herpes virus treatments did, and why we are in which we all are.


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Join us for a fun and informative day of training with Datu Tim Hartman of the Modern Arnis system.
Datu Tim will be sharing with us his extensive knowledge of the tactical applications of the karambit and tomahawk.
This seminar is open to attendees of all ages.
Training tomahawks & karambits will be available for purchase at the seminar.
If you have any questions, please contact Guro Chris Thompson of theFMA Academy directly at the e-mail below:
This is going to be an amazing seminar. Pre-registration is highly recommended to reserve your space today.
Saturday, February 6th, 2016. From 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Duncan's Martial Arts
Cost:Pre-registration by January 17th, 2016. – $75
After that the fee is $95


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To get an awesome yard sign, email email@example.com. If you would like the Residents for a Greener Grandview to put a sign in your yard, simply provide your address and we will get it there! If you prefer to pick one up, say so and we'll provide you with instructions on how to do that.... Continue Reading →
Issue 31 is a resident-led initiative to strengthen zoning requirements for the "Green Space" along Goodale Boulevard. This area was first labeled the "Green Space" by the City in 1989 with zoning protections and setbacks for privately owned, residential property due to the area's uniqueness and in recognition of its significance and importance to our... Continue Reading →
November 6, 2018 Sample Election Ballots
The Franklin County Board of Elections has made the Grandview Heights' Sample Ballots available on its web site. Attached is the Sample Ballot for Congressional District 3. If you don't know which District you are in, look up your sample ballot on the Franklin County Board of Elections' web site. Gather information about the candidates... Continue Reading →
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted Breaks Tie Vote in Favor of Proposed Green Space Ordinance
In a Decision issued on September 12, 2018, Secretary Husted broke the Board of Elections' tie vote in favor of putting the Proposed Ordinance on the November 2018 ballot. In doing so, the Secretary flatly rejected the City's Protest. Noting that the City failed to support its position with any detail or substance, the Secretary... Continue Reading →
Response to Public Records Request Reveals New Documents Relating to BZA Aesthetic Review Of 980 Elmwood Plans
In response to a Public Records Request, the City of Grandview Heights recently provided information and documents relating to the proposed house at 980 Elmwood Avenue. Among the documents produced by the City was a packet of documents containing computer-generated renderings (pictured above) which show how the proposed house will look on the site from 4 different... Continue Reading →
Make Your Voice Heard Today By Telling City Leaders To Put The Proposed Green Space Ordinance On The November Ballot!
Residents for and against the Proposed Ordinance should be able to agree that residents, not City leaders, should decide whether the Proposed Ordinance becomes law or not. City leaders are not being driven by the community as a whole, but by a handful of residents threatening to sue. And, City leaders are using public funds to... Continue Reading →
August 24, 2018 Update: Board of Elections Vote Tied – Ohio Secretary of State's Office Will Cast The Deciding Vote As To Whether the Proposed Green Space Ordinance is On or Off the Ballot
This morning, the Board of Elections held a hearing on the City's protest to determine whether the Proposed Ordinance would be on or off the November ballot. The vote by the Board was tied 2-2. The Committee supporting the Proposed Ordinance requested that Brad Sinnott, 1 of the 4 voting members of the Board of... Continue Reading →


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Perth Museum and Art Gallery Perth
Experience Perth Museum and Art gallery's new 'Only in Whispers' exhibition in a unique over 18s only setting!
This late event also offers a special chance to explore the museum basement if you're brave enough and you can also see grizzly objects from the Museum's collection.
This will all be brought together with gruesome tales from Local Author Gary Knight who is an expert on Perthshire's dark underbelly and sheds light on its grisly past!
(18+) Booking Essential | £10 | Book Tickets >
Book your ticket in 4 simple steps:
1. 'Select a Date' – Either May 17th or 24th
2. Select 'Tickets'
3. Choose your 'Type' of ticket and 'Time' you would like to visit
Due to the gallery capacity of the 'Only in Whispers' exhibition and the Torchlight Tours which take place in the museum stores, time slots have been allocated.
4. Check out – complete the payment and you are good to go


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Counselling Session £35 – £50
Concessions available for counselling students, armed forces and people on a low income.
Supervision – £60
Counselling session will last for approximately 50 minutes.
Supervision session 90 minutes per month in line with BACP ethical framework.
Please allow 24 hours notice for cancellations or rescheduling, failure to do so will result in full charges being made. If I have to cancel I will aim to give you 48 hours notice.


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Approach To Coaching
Diane approaches executive coaching as a long-term commitment to resolving issues and nurturing positive change. A typical executive coaching relationship extends over 9-12 months in four phases:
#1. Alignment of Goals: an analysis of where you (and your sponsor) see your needs, where you're at and where you want to be.
#2 Prep work: introspective work, reflecting on professional and personal dynamics. This information is examined to look for patterns affecting performance.
#3 The Plan of Action: a clear road map for reaching your goals; including some quick wins to build momentum.
#4 Coaching Conversations: weekly meetings, face-to-face or by telephone, that keep you moving toward your goals.
In working with senior executives, Diane identifies the issues, opportunities and default patterns of behaviour that play a major role in performance and success.
With her breadth of experience she can quickly find both the 'pain spots' – what's holding you back – as well as the 'sweet spots' – where making changes can propel you to effective action.
Diane's long-term hands-on approach means she's in the trenches with your real-time professional pressures while keeping her coach's eye on your agreed-upon goals and the plan for achieving them. Throughout the process, while supportive, you can expect Diane to hold your feet to the fire.
Diane is known for her success in developing mature, skilled leaders who are strong communicators and relationship builders.
Her past clients report livelier, more open conversations with a focus on innovation and building solutions. This new team culture becomes a draw that attracts and develops talented candidates; thereby providing a marked competitive advantage.


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Government signs have a huge range of uses. For the most part, governments are responsible for the majority of the signage we see in our daily lives. They provide the road signs that label where places are, provide distances and above all directions.
Plastic sign engraving
160x76 mm
£9.72 incl. VAT
Acrylic sign
297x210 mm
£84.90 incl. VAT
Aluminium sign
400x150 mm
£44.17 incl. VAT
Brass sign
154x43 mm
£31.38 incl. VAT


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Easing Knee Pain In the Active Adult
If you're experiencing knee pain, it's very easy to think that it's nothing - that it will go away on it's own. But if you're an active individual - it's hard to sit around and do nothing to wait for it to heal up. If that's happening to you, you're not alone - and we hear this type of thing all the time. In fact, knee pain is one of THE most common problems that we see in our clinic.
Download Our Free Report to Learn Easy Ways To End Knee Pain Without Being Forced to Miss Your Favorite Class or Activity
One of the most common patterns we see with active adults is that they've often seen multiple providers and different therapies - and while that has helped in the short term - the pain always comes back - whether that's days/weeks/months/years. They're looking for a solution that provides SUSTAINABLE pain relief - one that carries over into the activities they love to do.
Does This Sound like You?
Knee Pain is distracting you from enjoying the activities you love?
You worry that your knee pain may cause you to miss out on your fitness routine, outdoor adventure, or family vacation?
Dedicated to improving your health and getting out of pain but unsure about the next step?
Skeptical and unsure about seeking care because you've seen multiple providers with limited results?
Worried that the next step may be a costly and often debilitating surgery?
We May be Able To Help - Let's Set Up a Time to Learn More About What's Going On
100% secure. We Never Share Your Email.


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McDowell Mountain Music Festival is one of our favorites in the SW region. It's a small festival with a big heart – and this year, they're blowing it out of the water with their lineup. We've picked out a few reasons to head over to sunny Phoenix, AZ next Spring!
First and foremost, MMMF is Arizona's only 100% non-profit music festival. Isn't that incredible?! Now in its 13th year, they continue to send proceeds to the Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation and the UMOM New Day Center. The Phoenix Children's hospital has become one of the leading children's hospitals in the country and currently boasts 70 pediatric subspecialties. That makes it one of the most prestigious as well. The UMOM New Day Center is helping the homeless everyday. UMOM provides safe shelter, housing and supportive services to help many reach their full potential. Your ticket helps bring awesome music and awareness to great causes. Do it for karma!
The diverse MMMF lineup has something for everyone. Plan your trip to Phoenix now because you can't miss some of our favorites including Beck, The Avett Brothers, or Porter Robinson.
Beck's original sound is one of the many reasons his fans love him. His spin on pop music has earned him an Album of the Year Grammy win over the likes of Sam Smith, Beyonce, Pharell and Ed Sheeran. We cant wait to hear his hits, like this one, live in March.
The Avett Brothers are legendary rockers. They're coming all the way from North Carolina to bring their signature sound that blends North Carolina mountain bluegrass with a healthy dose of folk, hip-hop, punk and classic rock mixed in. Come for the hits and stay for their stage antics and parade of instruments.
Porter Robinson is another North Carolina native who brings an unforgettable light show and an EDM edge to the lineup. After producing hit after hit like produces hit after hit like "Flicker," "Easy," and "Language," it's not wonder this 23 year old artist won MTVu's Artist of the Year Award this past March. Don't forget your dancing shoes!
MMMF is hosted in in the beautiful Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix. This festival only has two stages one main stage and one local one to showcase the homegrown talent. You'll be able to hop from one set to the next, catch your favorites and discover even more with no problem!
Stay tuned for more lineup announces and grab your tickets now!


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Episode 53 – KiriKai, Free Sun Rising & Code Orange
A cracking show for you this week…
- My guests are the brilliant grunge band KiriKai who talk Coventry, bringing grunge back and, of course, metal 2 the masses Coventry.
- I have a song of the week from long-time friends of this show Free Sun Rising.
- I review the stunning new album from Code Orange.
- There's a look at what gigs are coming up over the next few days.
- And there's news from Gojira, (hed) PE, Darkest Hour, Black Rose Cadillac, The Prophets, Metal 2 the Masses Coventry, Vengeful Atonement, Metal Wave Promotions & Splintered
Podcast time! Excellent!


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Floral Styling & Floristry
I am experienced florist, with skills that span weddings, events and floral fashion, working with fresh, dried and faux flowers and foliage. I am available to work on commercial and creative projects, with private clients, magazines, stylists and brands. I have previously worked with Seedlip, Fortnum & Mason, The Finacial Times How to Spend It, People Tree and on fashion shoots.
For this latest Pizza Express event I was asked by Lucre PR to style a terrace and table in Belgravia to feel like an al fresco Italian banquet. The purpose of the event was to highlight the less well known Pizza Express Romana range for the press.
Here is an example of one of my fresh flower crowns, perfect for a bride or bridesmaid. This piece was created as a bespoke order for Brides Magazine. The roses are all scented and from the Real Flower company and mixed with seasonal British wild flowers.
This is an example of one of my fresh flower crowns, perfect for a bride or bridesmaid. This piece was created as a bespoke order for Brides Magazine. The scented David Austin roses are from the Real Flower company.
I worked with my client, Lucre PR, to style this 2019 Veganuary press event for Pizza Express to highlight all the vegan options on the restaurant chain's menu. My brief was floral and prop styling that felt contemporary and fresh and inline with the idea of modern vegan living. I used seasonal Spring flowers and vases in palette of pastel colours, balanced with greys. I also used lots of foliage to keep it looking fresh and preventing it from straying into wedding territory.
For this Bacardi advert I styled the plants and foliage to transform London venues into a Caribbean party. I also created a distressed paint effect on the shutters to be in keeping with the vision of photographer Jason Bailey.
Tracy Cole from Hello Flora asked me to help her style a baby shower at her beautiful home. The mother-to-be didn't know the sex of the baby but knew she was going to call it Avery, which we incorporated into one Hello Flora's signature giant wreaths. We used fresh and vibrant summer pastels mixed with a few more muted tones and lots of foliage for a sophisticated edge. All the flowers were faux, from the Hello Flora collection.
Hello Flora were commissioned by Meet Bernard, a South East London fashion store to create an eye-catching window display. I assisted them in creating a faux floral arrangement which exploded from a pair of jeans. The brief was to convey the new season (spring), the new management and their new collection.
Happy Chinese New Year to you all. Firstly I wanted to share with you this lovely photograph by Hunter Rae featuring some Chinese lanterns which I gave a fun floral makeover for a portfolio shoot we collaborated on.
My final fresh floral fashion tutorial of the year is a fun and festive tiara, perfect for New Years Eve. It is inspired by a really beautiful crown from the Dolce & Gabbana SS17 Milan catwalk show
These earrings are really quick and easy to make and need very little in the way of materials and equipment. The earring findings themselves cost less than a pound, and the beauty of this tutorial is that you can treat yourself to a gorgeous potted orchid in the name of fashion and decorate your home at the same time.
This fresh floral tutorial takes its inspiration from the Marc Jacobs Fall 2016 ready-to-wear catwalk. There were a few dramatic looks featuring coque feather collars but I wanted to add a fresh floral twist,
I am going to show you how to make a really fun, festive, party headband, inspired by the Dolce & Gabbana Autumn/Winter 2016 campaign. Big, bright flowers featured heavily in the Dolce & Gabbana collection, as did headbands, sequins and black petersham bows and embellished details.
I am going to show you how to make a simple rose choker, inspired by the Gucci Autumn 2016 campaign. This is a really easy and fairly inexpensive project. You can buy a single rose stem from your local florist or pick one from your garden.
Tracy Cole, owner of online faux flower boutique 'Hello Flora', asked me to help her style the Georgian building, Stone House, in Lewisham, for her Christmas pop-up event. I styled trees and garlands using ribbons, giant stars and faux flowers including roses, berries, succulents and foliage.
My friends Sarah and Nick had a beautiful and relaxed wedding and garden party reception. All their friends and family pitched in to make it a day and night to remember. My contribution was to make Sarah's bouquet and Nick's buttonhole, going to the flower market with Sarah to choose the succulents and foliage to complement her vintage inspired dress and red accessories.
When non alcoholic drinks brand Seedlip were ready to launch their second drink, Garden 108, they asked me to bring the new label to life in the form of a sculpture.
I want to say thank you to everyone at Fortnum & Mason for inviting me to take part in their Celebrate the Season event, and for being so helpful and welcoming. I made fresh flower headpieces from scented roses, demonstrating floristry and millinery skills and offering advice. Fortnum & Mason is itself a magical space, calming and at the same time uplifting, so it was a joy to be able to create there.
I was asked by the Financial Times to create a foliage headpiece for a beautiful fashion editorial, shot on location in rural Ireland. The incredibly talented Damian Foxe was the stylist and photographer so I was really excited to be involved.
For the People Tree Christmas catalogue I was asked to create some floral and foliage accessories to compliment the A/W clothing range. I used berries and roses and mixed winter foliage to make crowns and a belt, weaving in some of People Tree's jewellery range for added sparkle.
For this fashion shoot in April 2014 I created fresh flower headpieces to compliment the styling, using vibrant Spring flowers such as peonies, wild grasses, ranunculus, veronica, lisianthus, freesias, viburnum and delphinium. To add interest I also used some vintage woven fabric to create a turban, a fabric covered hat base and an abstract wooden headpiece, as bases for the flowers.
I lent my achieve pieces, the dried flower crown, the diamanté tiara and the twig antlers, to photographer Peter Warrick and stylist Lucy Ansa-Addo for this regal themed editorial. The shoot appeared on the online magazine Institute.
I was asked to create some costume accessories and props for an creative shoot depicting modern versions of ancient Greek and Roman Gods and Godddesses. I made Demeter a crown out of dried wheat, dried hydrangea and nigella seeds.


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may flowers.
As soon as the weather starts to warm up, I get flowers on the brain. I wish I could have fresh blooms every day! These particular images have really caught my eye. Such gorgeous styling!
I am especially in love with peonies, ranunculus and billy balls - what are some of your favorite florals?


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How to avoid unprofitable & ineffective compensation plans
First of all consider this question.. are you motivating your employees & sales people to drive the results your business actually needs (effective) or just to be busy (ineffective)?
- Any equity MUST be
- vested over a period of time (typically 2-4 years) just to be eligible, not just paid out
- performance based in order to even qualify for vesting
- time locked to ensure that you get the desired results within the time-frame your business needs them
- allocated to someone who is actively contributing with effective & significant results
- side note: always check to ensure ongoing rates
- I've seen too many entrepreneurs or CEO's give away up to 2 percentage points too much straight out of the starting blocks (!!)
- Compensation packages must motivate individuals toward the objectives your company actually needs to achieve
- is profitability important to your business model or stage of your company?
- will you pay a commission or compensation just on a certain revenue achievement or must that revenue be profitable?
- how profitable?
- will you pay all commissions or compensation upon contract signature from your client or will you phase it to ensure better cash-flow?
- 25% at contract signature?
- 50% at invoice issued?
- will you issue the invoice upon termination of service?
- will you stagger the issuing of invoices to benefit your cash-flow?
- will there be a warranty period on your invoicing schedule?
- how will you reflect this in your commission payout?
- 25% at invoice paid?
- have different commission accelerators for activities that bring your company greater benefit
- on products that you want to clear from stock or are strategic to your business needs
- early, mid or late month, quarter, year if that's when you want to bring in significant results
- always "cap" your commission for "over-achievement"
- motivate your staff to spread the consistent revenue income throughout the year
- keep them hungry
- always have a minimum achievement barrier for eligibility of a commission
- typically 70-80% of budget becomes a trigger
- i.e. only upon reaching 80% of achieving your sales do you qualify for 80% of your total commission and then incrementally onward
- typically 70-80% of budget becomes a trigger
- is profitability important to your business model or stage of your company?
- Objectives, goals & budgets must be S.M.A.R.T.
- make plans clear and simple so that your staff is motivated to stretch themselves & achieve their objectives
- instill milestones to ensure that you monitor the progression
- create triggers / pulse checks for additional support, adjustment or facing the reality & consequences of short-falls
- time lock the revenue targets
That last element is the simplest yet the most overlooked item of them all. I've seen too many passionate entrepreneurs & CEO's set sales targets but then leave the window for achievement open.
Here's a painful example of what can happen:
- You've written into the gals contract that she's to receive x% commission upon achieving x revenue.
- You needed the revenue in Q1 and she hasn't delivered, so you've invested in coaching & other resources to help out.
- Q2 has gone by, then Q3 & finally in Q4 you decide to fire her for non-performance.
- And guess what happens next?
- The revenue you badly needed in Q1, Q2 & Q3 never came, but in Q4.. on the 3rd week of December.. a deal finally comes in.
- Now mind you that you've had to lay-off valuable resources because the sales weren't coming in.
- If you're an early-stage entrepreneur you've probably had to stop paying yourself along the way for the company to survive.
- Your head is barely above water, and because you didn't do your job by time-locking over what period of time the revenue needed to be generated, your gal is about to walk away with a commission check.
- These are funds your company dearly needed just to stay afloat!
How are you feeling about your situation now?
How to build scalability into any organization
In a January 23rd post earlier this year, I briefly mentioned the Horizon 1-2-3 framework originally developed by Mehrdad Baghai, Stephen Coley, and David White, who authored The Alchemy of Growth: Practical Insights for Building the Enduring Enterprise. In it they established a view that companies that are successful in the long term have growth initiatives in three stages. Subsequently, many consulting organizations worldwide have used dozens of frameworks over the years to analyze the trends which impede their clients' ability to grow.
Allow me to summarize for you what I've been seeing as the #1 culprit for limiting the growth of organizations worldwide.
Premise; The H1-2-3 framework is built around the point of view that to sustain growth, a company must maintain a continuous pipeline of business-building initiatives. Companies considered sustainable & scalable are characterized by their ability to create new business opportunities by innovating from within their core business ares whilst building new off-shoots at the same time.
Challenge; With the limited resources that the majority of modern-day companies face today, where can you find the time, resources & funding to innovate?
Solution; Identify within your organization who's ready to operate at each Horizon, and then stimulate their development by holding them accountable.
- (H1) is the work resulting in more consistently effecting change through improving and extending present operations (routines and habits)
- Who in your organization is working at this day-to-day level?
- Are they the right people / profile?
- What monthly gatherings are you promoting to review & improve on the recently past activities?
- How do (what proof are you collecting) these gatherings benefit your future activities, both immediate & mid-term?
- Who in your organization is working at this day-to-day level?
- (H2) is empowering the team to ask themselves how their daily/weekly activities & focus facilitate the creation of new opportunities
- Who in your team is ready to step-up to the next level?
- What weekly questioning and periodic structured pulse checks are you committed to?
- How are you fostering increased risk taking & the capability of the team in dealing with a greater degree of uncertainty & adversity?
- (H3) is where futures must be imagined, researched and developed.
- Who in your organization is passionate & skilled at seeding options today for the future?
- What is the required business acumen for understanding the related research, pilot projects, proof of concepts, etc you'll need to succeed & innovate?
- How are you going to measure the practical implementation of the same, both immediately & on a continual basis?
Results; A client of mine is currently putting this model into effective use. The Managing Director is a visionary and he needed to break himself away from the daily routines that were keeping him from affecting the broader & longer term results of his organization. Last year he asked one of his next-line management to step-up & shadow his responsibilities. After one quarter, this 1st line executive had gained deeper knowledge & understanding of what it took to "play at the next level".
Having also experienced professional growth & personal development, he was tasked to find someone one level down & do the same exercise. At the same time he was sharing with his immediate management colleagues the direct & indirect benefits of this experience. Each quarter the Managing Director rotated his direct reports through this process. Whilst he gradually freed himself to a level at which he significantly impacted the broader scope he desired, this exercise permeated throughout the organization giving more voice to many more layers of management & personnel in general.
Whether you're staffing levels are 5, 10, 50, 100 or 1,000, what can you learn from this exercise? What are you holding onto that you should let go of? Who's growth are you debilitating by continuing to carry on the way you do today?
Surviving a resource crisis – Getting past "overwhelmed"
Last week I ran into an entrepreneur who was clearly on edge! For the sake of confidentiality, let's call her "Jane", who is typically a burst of energy & sunlight whenever she walks into a room. Concerned over her current state, I asked what I could do to help.
Jane replied that she was just over-tasked! She has recently lost some key members of staff and until they got replaced it' was going to be long uphill climb. 😦
I delved deeper and asked her to recount her day, especially the parts she found most stressful.
- Just moved into a new office & a lot of unpacking to do
- 3h meeting with a key investor who's helping on a part-time basis to re-align / re-prioritize the product strategy
- Detailed account management & work-plan hand-over from exiting staff
- distributed amongst early, mid & late stage opportunities
- 3-4 phone calls with prospective new accounts
- 2-3 phone calls with existing accounts
- early, mid & late stage
- 45m to 1h each
- early, mid & late stage
- 1h phone call with key board member & investor
- followed by 1h brainstorming session to come up with 4 alternatives for a new client
- Planning & booking next weeks day-trip abroad for fund raising
- 1h phone call with a prospective Technology Partner
- 60 new e-mails
- 30 were of which addressed
- Follow-up on meetings from the previous week
- Scheduling interviews for new staff
As she took a deep breath, I said "so in others words.. you had a pretty busy day.. eh?" 😉 I needed to break the tension in the air after her intense recount of her 12 hours that had just passed!
Fast-forward to the solutions we came up with:
- Let's start off with the fact that to Jane's benefit, she walks to work (about 30 minutes each way)
- Giving her time to decompress & put things into perspective
- ACTION; It's already a great practice! You might want to take along a tape recorder to document your thoughts for later action
- HINT; Once you've addressed something, regardless of how daunting the task, you automatically reduce the stress associated with it.
- When you write something down, like an action plan, it's emotionally relieving.
- ACTION; It's already a great practice! You might want to take along a tape recorder to document your thoughts for later action
- Giving her time to decompress & put things into perspective
- Upon inquiring about her energy levels during the day, we came to the conclusion the 3h intense product meeting took place early in the day when her energy was still low
- Jane is typically a late morning / early afternoon person and therefore this intense "brain zapper" early in the morning had conditioned the rest of her day
- ACTION; Monitor this situation 2 more times & if the affect is the same, reschedule these types of activities for later in the day
- Jane is typically a late morning / early afternoon person and therefore this intense "brain zapper" early in the morning had conditioned the rest of her day
- The 3-4 Account calls, along with the account management / work-plan hand-over process was made extra draining as early, mid & late stage situations were all addressed at the same time
- Like-minded tasks require less energy to process, and the thought / solution process required to address all three stages made it that much more difficult to cope with the mounting challenges of the day
- ACTION; Whenever possible, group like-minded activities to facilitate your execution of the same
- HINT; take one stage in the morning, another stage around mid-day & the 3rd stage late in the afternoon
- By grouping your activities, you get your brain into "auto-pilot" and become more effective due to the "repetitive assimilation / thought process"
- Group phone calls: block out a 2-3h patch of time if necessary, but try not to spread phones call through the day
- Group inter-personal activities: performance reviews, business meetings, business / non-business lunches
- Group meetings that require travel: don't fly off to Paris for the day & only one meeting, try to fill the day with prospecting activities if no further meetings are possible
- just like you shouldn't book meetings all over town unless there is a favorable pattern , like starting from home & ending in-town where you'll have dinner
- HINT; take one stage in the morning, another stage around mid-day & the 3rd stage late in the afternoon
- ACTION; Whenever possible, group like-minded activities to facilitate your execution of the same
- Like-minded tasks require less energy to process, and the thought / solution process required to address all three stages made it that much more difficult to cope with the mounting challenges of the day
- Schedule your e-mail time & action them immediately!!!
- This has been my personal biggest learning over the course of the last few years!!
- ACTION; Turn off the "automated push" in your e-mail & manually retrieve it when you're ready to deal with it
- Likewise, turn off all pop-ups & alarms, especially Skype or Instant Messagers
- HINT; Don't allow e-mail to follow you on your mobile phone! Personally, I only access e-mail on my iPhone when I have "time to kill", which is rare, and even then I focus mainly on my personal e-mails
- Educate your clients & colleagues as to the hours you check e-mail and in case of an emergency have them sms you with the header of the e-mail you need to action
- discipline yourself to only view & action those limited emergency e-mails
- Time-lock your e-mail viewing!
- I review my e-mail twice per day at 10h00 & 17h00 for 1h block each time
- Action your e-mails on-the-spot, or schedule time in your calendar to carry out the respective action if you first need to research / investigate of have someone get back to you with more details
- Educate your clients & colleagues as to the hours you check e-mail and in case of an emergency have them sms you with the header of the e-mail you need to action
- HINT; Block out your calender for "to-do's"!!
- Unless you "make / reserve time" to do something, the likelihood is that it won't get done!
- STOP (!!) using "to-do" lists
- Make sure you build rest / compensation blocks into your daily calendar
- 5-10 minute window for unwinding / regrouping
- 10-15 minute window in-between meetings when travel is not required
- 15-30 minute window in-between meetings when travel is required
- Unless you "make / reserve time" to do something, the likelihood is that it won't get done!
- This has been my personal biggest learning over the course of the last few years!!
The next morning I got an sms from Jane, thanking me for our conversation! She had taken a lot of the key-points on-board, and even though the day was busier than before, Jane was having a very powerful & rewarding day!! 🙂
These actions will make the difference between you being able to manage your energy & time, when the same is limited. Time & energy, just like money & people are "resources". You have to carefully plan & adjust the resources you have if you're to use them at optimum levels. In this fashion, you'll more easily be able to distinguish between urgent & important, thus you'll get the right things done right at the right time!
Reducing your Employee Churn/Burn Rate & Getting Results
What is the most value asset you have in your company? You shouldn't have to think too hard! It's the people that execute on your strategy.
So why do you always seem to be "the last man left standing" in your organization?
I'll share with you the answer, followed by two key lessons & one practical example/result as to the "why" of so many company's having challenges in retaining staff these days. An especially complex issue to understand, given the current economical crisis, is the unemployment rates around the world are still incredibly high.
The Answer is that we, as leaders, typically do a very poor job of recruitment, induction, ongoing management & assessment of our most valuable assets. And the general root cause is through poor communication and lack of courage!
Personally, even though sometimes hard to swallow, I firmly believe in the 90/10 rule, which states that if one of your staff isn't working out, it's 90% YOUR fault.. & only 10% theirs!
Do you think I'm being harsh, unfair & unrealistic? Well, consider this.. who's in the drivers seat?
- Who (ultimately) did, or approved the hiring?
- How clear were you in defining and communicating the Mission & Vision of the company?
- Did you receive acknowledgment, or other form of undeniable proof that you were clearly understood?
- How clear were you in defining the role to be fulfilled & the specific outcomes to be expected of the role?
- Key words being "role & specific outcome".. forget job description!
- How clear were you in communicating the behaviors you expected whilst your team executed on your plan?
- How did you manage the first signs of lack in performance or alignment with your vision, message and/or expectations?
- How often did you sit down to agree S.M.A.R.T. objectives/goals?
- How frequently did you follow-up to make necessary adjustments?
- How quickly did you put someone on a performance plan when they didn't deliver on what was agreed?
- How much planning & thought went into the induction, education/training, mentoring or skills acquisition process the individual needed to succeed?
- How much coaching or mentoring did you consider to be required from yourself, or senior/more experienced staff?
- How quickly, and how brave were YOU in having "the difficult & uncomfortable conversations"?
- Are you paying & rewarding your staff to perform?
- Are you doing the opposite?
- How are you motivating/encouraging non-performance/conformance?
- Are you paying & rewarding your staff to perform?
I could go on & on.. but I think you get the point! It's YOUR company, YOUR department or YOUR team, and therefore YOU are the ultimate responsible person for the outcome/output of everyone's role. If things aren't working out then look inward before you look outward, and once you've completed this assignment take responsibility to make the immediate & necessary adjustments.
Lesson #1
- Be crystal clear on Your Vision… & communicate it… communicate it… communicate it…
- Who needs to do What, How & by When?
- This requires acknowledgment & buy-in, however remember you're the boss (90% responsibility), so make sure that "your team" buys into "your plan", even if you need their help in constructing it, and not the opposite!
- Where do you want your company, area or department to be?
- When do you expect specific results?
- When do you expect escalations when things are in danger, or aren't going according to plan?
- How do you want (expect) your employees to behave, handle themselves and handle adversity (which is sure to come)?
- What are the rules of engagement?
- What are the boundaries & non-boundaries that you expect people to respect & understand?
- What are the focus areas they're supposed to be focused on in order to achieve success?
- Who needs to do What, How & by When?
- Be crystal clear on Your Mission… & communicate it… communicate it… communicate it…
- Why do you want your people to behave in a certain manner?
- Why do you need your people to achieve certain results?
- Why do you require specific results within specific time frames?
- Why is the company in business to begin with?
I've embedded the Core Values, which are the "behaviors" or "rules for the road" within the context of the Who, What, Where, When, Why & How above. That, in short, is your Core Ideology!
Lesson #2
The next biggest lesson you might have to learn, is regarding COURAGE. Courage to stand-up to the "know-it all's" who've never run an enterprise but have every theory in the book as to how your organization should run! I find these days far too many companies have "grayed the line" between "boss & employee" and between responsible for direction & responsible for execution. If you're going to take 90% responsibility for the failure of an organization, you need to get straight, and clearly understand, who's "experienced" and better still "paid to run the show".
In order to deliver on the above, you need the right skill-set that's for sure, and you also need to have the backbone to "listen first" and "act accordingly second". Acknowledging someone's perspective and giving them voice doesn't mean that you have to take their advice or recommendations over your own experienced opinion or gut instinct/intuition. It only makes you more responsible and accountable to the eventual decisions you make.
Once you've guaranteed success, then you can stand back, be humble and allow your team to bask in the glory of having executed excellently on a plan. Take 90% of the responsibility, give 90% of the credit and you'll have an effective & motivated team!
I've spent hours-upon-hours giving practical workshops to MBA students who have paid a pretty penny to gain a highly valuable education, just like I've spent hours-upon-hours with both managers and employees who've read the latest books containing magical and earth moving experiences. What I always share with them is that "now you have the logic, it's time to go out into the real world to implement and execute".
The execution of an idea is always more important than the brilliance of a thought, or even a strategy. A brilliant thought without effective execution is merely an illusion. A brilliant strategy, without effective execution, is merely a waste of everyone's energy & time.
Practical Example/Result
I recently walked into an assignment that demanded many changes in a short period of time. Multiple colleagues had just been fired for non performance and conformance. I was walking into an understandably hostile environment!
I stood in front of a room and shared my "what" followed by my "why". Then came my "how", where I told them that I only expected 1/2 (!?!?) of the output, dedication and commitment that I was willing to put in myself! However, I also advised them that I typically give 300% to every assignment!!
I explained that I would give them 48 hours to go through the grieving process of having lost their colleagues, followed by 15 days to be at 80% or better, and showing signs they would be at 150% by day 30.
I committed myself to complete transparency & communication, just as I would to holding them as accountable (where & when) as I would hold myself. I shared with them that there would be 2 day, 15 day & 30 day milestones, at which time I would have conversations with non-performers & either implement a performance plan or retire them. I would also make it a regular habit to commend the good performances along the way.
I shared with them that in a 24 hour weekday, I'm hoping you have 8 hours of sleep, and I'll guarantee you that more than 50% of the remaining 16h will be based on, or thinking about, "work". Therefore, if you're going to dedicate more than 50% of your "awake" time to "work" during a 5 day work week rather than to your loved ones & special interests, it's absolute lunacy to work in a place where you're not motivated and inspired. As a consequence, if I ask you or if you decide to leave, then we're only doing each other a favor based on a general concern & well-being for all.
One person left within 48 hours, a few more within the first 15 days, then a few more within the next 15 days. Along the way change happened, a pride which previously didn't exist filled the department! Results, followed by customer satisfaction, started to sparkle where it didn't exist before. THEY, the last ones standing, did all of the work. I merely gave them direction and the opportunity to be everything I already knew they could be.
Top 3 things to focus on when fixing what's broken
Having just finished up another successful assignment at a hyper growth enterprise, and noting that the core principles of success were again very similar to many other situations faced over the past +25 years, I thought I'd share my 3 areas of focus.
I should add to this that two days before I departed, an interested 2nd line manager/team leader asked if I could share with him some insights. He had witnessed remarkable changes in a very short period of time, and whilst I had been very busy with first line management, he recognized the possibility to learn some very practical & valuable lessons directly himself.
It inspired me that again we had been able to affect collateral interest, as well as a desire for change deeper within the organization, so I rallied the entire 2nd line leadership team and spent the next 2 hours giving them some day-to-day examples of the following:
- Customer Centricity – Focus on the Customer
- We have Internal Customers
- Every person in every department, in one way or another, facilitates the servicing of External Customers
- By serving the needs of our Internal Customers, we are either directly or indirectly addressing the needs of our External Customers
- Open up the lines of communication & ownership by first committing to, and then respecting, bi-lateral Service Level Agreements
- We have External Customers
- Shift from a systems interoperability focus to a successful customer purchasing focus
- Now start to look for opportunities to enrich & enhance the customer purchasing experience
- Open up the lines of communication & ownership by first committing to, and then respecting, Service Level Agreements
- We have Internal Customers
- Ownership – Never let go until you're satisfied
- Ownership is a like a hungry dog with a bone.. you never let go until you're satisfied the hunger is quenched
- You can never assume the client, internal or external, is satisfied with a solution until you have direct confirmation/validation from/of the same
- Every obstacle is merely an opportunity for you to find another alternative path to a solution
- Don't accept that a problem can't be fixed until you've exhausted every means, including escalated your concern to the highest level within your organization
- Ownership is like a football team moving forward to score a goal, just because you've passed the ball forward, your contribution to the goal isn't over until the ball is in the net & you're embracing your colleagues in celebration
- Just because you've forwarded a need or requirement, your job isn't done until you've confirmed/validated that the next person is carrying out the necessary task(s) until the "client" is satisfied
- Trust is good.. but verification is proof.. & much.. much better!
- Confirm the goal! Confirm with the "client" that they've gotten the result they expected, and then celebrate the WIN/GOAL/SCORE & never just the great pass
- Ownership is a like a hungry dog with a bone.. you never let go until you're satisfied the hunger is quenched
- Communication – "Engage with.." instead of "talking to.."
- Communication is a bi-directional inter-activity & never a uni-lateral conversation
- Effective communication requires active empathetic listening
- Effective communication is never assuming that you know what the other person has just said, but repeating it for acknowledgment & confirmation of detail
- In effective communication, there is no such thing as "common sense".. common sense is merely an accumulation of related experiences, and we all have different filters (interpretations & perceptions) based on our past influences
- More than talking to someone, effective communication is when you confirm that an intention is understood, and the expected outcome has been agreed to by the "actioning party"
- To borrow from Engineering terms, effective communications requires an active & affective acknowledgment process (ACK/NAK or checksum), which is an infallible confirmation that what has been requested, has been acknowledge and understood
- Effective communications requires a S.M.A.R.T. conversation, with specific confirmation by all parties as to what has been requested vs. what will be delivered by when by whom to where & how
- Communication is a bi-directional inter-activity & never a uni-lateral conversation
These might sound simple enough that you would actually overlook or underestimate the impact that they are already having on your organization, but the fact is, and I'm willing to be openly challenged on this, you show me a problem in your organization, and I'll show you where one, if not all of the above are responsible for the lack of results that you know your enterprise is capable of.
How to fix your company in 30 days
Whether you're a "hired" senior executive or an entrepreneur leading your enterprise to greatness, you've probably raised your head from the table more than once and questioned yourself as to "how am I going to fix what's broken(?)". And regardless of whether you already have a plan to action on this thought, or not, checking over the following points can only help you fix it faster, better, cheaper.. and maybe even keep you out of bigger trouble than you are already in!
- Gut Check Time – How committed are you to affect change in your organization?
- Are you willing to embrace this opportunity for self reflection & personal awareness/growth?
- Are you committed to taking the necessary action steps required to fix the situation first, and the root cause second?
- Core Ideology Clarity – Do you have, and have you communicated, your organizations Mission, Vision & Core Values?
- Mission = The Purpose for being (The WHY for your organizations existence)
- Simon Sinek's Start with WHY is the masterpiece in this area
- Vision = The Dream you want to manifest (The WHAT of the outcome you want to achieve)
- Cameron Herald's Painted Picture is the tool of choice if you're having challenges here
- Core Values = The Rules for the Road (The HOW you & your team will behave whilst executing your strategy)
- Mission = The Purpose for being (The WHY for your organizations existence)
- Gut Check Time – Do you have proof that your staff/Team have bought into and fully understand your Core Ideology?
- Do they understand the "why" things need to change?
- Have you looked them "in the white of their eyes" & confirmed they're on-board?
- How are they "living" your Core Ideology day-in / day-out?
- Seek "outside & unbiased" contribution from nothing less than a non-consultant consultant
- As the "owner of your own experience", don't shoot yourself in the foot by getting someone who is too close to the business to be objective as to what the true cause for the issues are
- In fact, the root of the problem might be yourself.. are you ready to admit that?
- Validate you have an "Engagement Model" that works
- Are you communicating "at/to", or "with" your team?
- "Communication is a bi-directional activity, and it requires active & empathetic listening
- Do you have a One-Page Plan, or similar framework to ensure that you and your team are literally on the same page in what concerns your goals & objectives
- Are your goals/objectives S.M.A.R.T.?
- Do you have regular review/Pulse Check cycles? – "People don't do what you expect, they do what you inspect"
- 15m Daily Huddles?
- 1h Weekly Strategic Meetings?
- 2h Monthly Sanity Check & Planning Meetings?
- Half Day Quarterly Strategic Review & Adjustment Sessions?
- Semi-Annual Full-Day Strategic Alignment & Planning Workshops Off-Site?
- Annual Full-Day/Two-Day Strategic Alignment, Planning & Executing Your Strategy?
- Do you have Periodic Performance Review Cycles with your Team?
- What's your feedback loop to track & measure progress along the way?
- How do you ensure you're hitting your milestones in a timely manner?
- What's your escalation process to avoid surprises & keep you in the drivers seat?
- Are you communicating "at/to", or "with" your team?
- Gut Check Time – Are you Strategy or Execution focused?
- The execution of an idea is ALWAYS more important than the brilliance of the thought!
- Don't get hung-up on a beautiful strategy if you're not going to be able to execute on it
- Do you have the proper (and proven) skill-set on-board to execute?
- Don't get hung-up on a beautiful strategy if you're not going to be able to execute on it
- The execution of an idea is ALWAYS more important than the brilliance of the thought!
- Communicate, Communicate & Communicate again
- Don't take anything for granted!
- Keep up the communication with your team, and those you need support from to keep everyone motivated
- Circulate results & celebrate wins!
- Look / seek out "quick wins" to boost confidence & motivation
- Get some air beneath your wings
- Praise the great work!
- Address set-backs as opportunities for learning & growth!
- Give your plan "teeth"!!
- Make sure there are consequences for non conformance!
- Celebrate as a TEAM, so that you can repeat success as, and when needed, to overcome any challenge
It really is that simple! The complexity comes when you have to judge how bad things have gotten and for how long. How corrupt or rotten has your company culture become? This is the difference between a 30 day, 3 month, or a 3 year fix. This will be the significant reason why your employee churn will be single or double digits. The deeper the already ingrained bad habits, the longer it will take to build new & healthy habits! Remember, you don't stop doing things wrong, you learn how to start doing things right! You don't stop practicing bad habits, you learn & practice new healthy & productive habits! It takes up to 21 consecutive days of practicing a new healthy habit before it becomes ingrained in your DNA, so you have to be persistent & diligent.
Finally, if you can find a way to make it fun & rewarding, then you're going to increase the probability & speed of your success.


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Leisure:Video Games
TS - Episode #44 - Potato Fools
Gearbox sure knows how to keep us guessing! Not long after they threw us a curveball and put them out to pasture, a wild Battleplan appeared to brighten our week! We'll break down the info we got, speculate about the info we didn't, recap some sales on Gearbox games, and just maybe get a little loopy by the end of the show! Get out of the back lines and into the latest episode of THiRD SHiFT!
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How To Run a Great Team Meeting
Running a great meeting is an essential skill for all leaders. Too often leaders fail to have a structure for their meetings. They create their agenda the night before (or not at all) and lose control of the meeting when attendees take over and use the time as their own personal platform. Having a simple framework to follow and prepare for is the key to success. Consider following this simple agenda that can be used for all regularly scheduled meetings with your team.
- Connect - Use this time to do an ice-breaker or get to know you exercise. This allows people to connect with one another on a personal level and perhaps learn something new about each other. I recommend 10 minutes.
- Celebrate - Use this time to recognize individuals for production, the entire team for collective production, and individuals or teams for living out the values/convictions of your organization. Remember that everyone has a desire to be recognized for their efforts in making your team a success. Don't forget to acknowledge the efforts of those in administration and other departments not tied to actual production or revenue generation. I recommend 10-15 minutes.
- Equip - As a leader, you need to demonstrate your knowledge and competence of your industry and the latest developments having an impact on your team. Equip them with a specific tool, training or industry update to help them be more successful personally and professionally. You might consider bringing in an industry expert or have a top producer train your team as well. I recommend 20-30 minutes.
- Commit - Have your team commit to action items they will implement based on what they have learned in your meeting. A great exercise to get the thought process going is KEEP-START-STOP. This exercise has individuals ask, "What should I keep, start and stop doing in order to improve my individual performance in the weeks ahead?" Go around the room and ask people to share. Use these action items in your one-on-one meetings with your team as well. I recommend 10-15 minutes.
This simple framework allows you to conduct a focused and structured team meeting in under an hour. If your team needs additional time to discuss issues or have questions answered, require them to submit those to you 24 hours prior to the meeting so you can build additional time into the agenda for a Q&A session at the end. I like to have this session be at the end so that if there is an issue that does not impact everyone, then the rest of the team can excuse themselves from the meeting.
What structure or agenda do you use for your team meetings? I'd love to learn from you...
Make it a great day!
Coach Dan


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Halloween, decided to strategically plan my voyage this time. Left work a lil' early then parked at Kaiser Bowls. Took the skateboard to Downtown to look at all the freaks that were out and about. Was freakin weird. Giant crayons walkin around with pokemon, 2 older folks with butts the size of yoga exercise balls dancing there heads off. Good times.
Had a chance to see this really interesting band, Art is... & the family band I think they were called. I guess this is the same guy who does those big ol' eagle flag paintings. But it was cool. So much love screamin outta one family, made me smile a bit.
Wanted to stay but promised a friend I'd go check him out in Waikiki playin with Crucible. So I skated back to my car, well, tried to than gave up and took the bus, but there was so much damn traffic goin' into Waikiki I pretty much gave up that idea. Riding the bus with the Joker, a giant baby, the Harlem globetrotters, an escaped convict, a samurai and Sweeney Todd and his twin brother was getting a lil' weird and not to mention louder than hell, so I got off and skated back to my car instead.
Went to Cirque Hawaii (the old IMAX theatre) to catch Crucible and Killswitch... uh I mean Phoenix Rose. Got there and to my surprise it turns out to be a Halloween Dance party in the main area, random skanks, drunken tourists and slutty nurses galore. And moved my way to the main stage where the opening band Technical Difficulties were doin some pretty good covers. You could tell they weren't quite used to the whole stage presence thing yet, but they did a good job. The sound was pretty awesome in there. I couldn't stand the fact that it was IMAX seating though. And you had to you know... sit. So I ran up to the front in this 5'x5' lil' standing area were the staircase was connecting to the theater and stood there and took pictures. Crucible did there thing as they always do, came out heavy, Had sound problems galore. Matt did what he could and rocked it as only he can.


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We are bound by the confines of time… the one thing that, so far, we haven't managed to stop, slow down or reverse. The cactus here in Arizona are sprouting and blooming before the inevitable heat wave hits and the citizens of Phoenix hibernate indoors until September or October. We're trying to make the most of these last cooler, breezy days where the temperature only tops out at 90 and not 115.
What I really mean to say is that, already, the Comfort Zones show is coming to a close this week but not before a few events to give you a last chance to come see it!
Thursday, April 18, 5:30p-7:30p
Starting on Thursday, Comfort Zones will be open as part of the monthly Get Your Phx event from 5:30pm-7:30pm. This month's theme is Grand Openings on Grand and will feature food and beverages at (9)The Gallery, a glass blowing demonstration, special hours for Bragg's Factory Diner, and of course a chance to see the Comfort Zones show where I can barrage visitors with information on all the artwork, all the references leading up to it, why I'm interested in the subject to begin with, what my favorite color is and why I keep dreaming about tornados. Go ahead and ask.
You can RSVP to the event on Facebook here.
Friday, April 19, 6p-10p
For those who can't stand the First Friday crowds, we will be open for Third Friday. This may be your last Friday night art walk that doesn't involve mass amounts of sweating and searching for that next bottle of water. Also, Mathias Kessler's projection Timeline looks the best at night.
Saturday, April 20, 1p-4p
Literally your LAST CHANCE to see Comfort Zones! I would love to see you there since spending too much time alone in the art space begins to render me incapable of intelligible conversation.


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February 14th. Valentine's Day, the day of love! It's such a simple day with a sweet message, yet every year we hear about the woes of those who simply do not want to celebrate this day or those who cry "foul!" because this holiday was made up by Hallmark.
I used to be this person...Read More


text: November 17, 2016 by Katherine Anderson "I like life so much. I don't know why. I never have bad days."I graduated last year from high school, and now I'm in the transition program, where I do some cooking and shopping, and I work and learn. My same friends are there."I like working at Central DuPage Hospital best, because I love the people there. I like to help kids and people a lot. Right now, I'm working in the cafeteria. Sometimes it's messy. I clean off the tables and wipe them down. I also help in an office. I like to work and clean. And I like to be kind and helpful."I've been playing piano and taking dance lessons since I was a little girl. I have a lot of piano pieces I play—mostly songs from Disney. I'm also a good actor. I've never had stage fright before."My favorite place to visit is Jamestown, New York, because I like to watch I Love Lucy, and she was born there. Her house is still there. At the Museum, they've set up the rooms with the scenes from the show. I like the show with the chocolates best. It's so funny! Lucy can't talk because she's eating so much!"I want to go to New York City someday and get a job there because it's my favorite state and my favorite city. My dream is to be a nurse there and to help people."


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No, this isn't the story of my birth. It's my account of the events leading up to Noah's birth.
It all started a week or so before Noah's expected due date of January 5 when Yilin called me at work with some signs of very early stage labor. It wasn't anything to be overly concerned about, but I wanted to be home in case things progressed quickly. I rushed home and frantically got my last minute things prepared. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shaver, clothes, camera, iPad, chargers, laptop, tennis balls, birthing ball, yoga blocks, and on and on and on. I made a few trips to load up the car and then... nothing. Nothing happened. I decided to work the rest of the week from home, which wasn't too bad since things were really quiet in the office given it was the last week of the year.
Over the next few days weeks our routine was pretty much enough light contractions one day for us to think labor was any time now to no contractions the next day. Since the contractions were enough to trick us into thinking labor was soon, I kept on deciding to work from home.
The weekend after Noah's expected due date, there wasn't much indication of labor so I went back to work. Again, not long after having reached the office, Yilin called and told me she was feeling stronger contractions. And again I rushed home, but this time most of our things were already packed. All I had to do was re-pack the toothbrush. And again, after waiting for awhile, nothing happened.
All throughout these false labor days, I would repeatedly ask "are you having a baby, yet?" I'm not sure if this annoyed Yilin, but it definitely helped me to try to bring my anxiety levels down a bit. If you haven't read my post on waiting for a baby to come, then you'll know that each day that Noah didn't come was a kind of mental torture for me.
As the days progressed, I would wake up each day and think, "I'm going to have a baby today. For sure! ... For sure ... For sure?" I was getting more and more anxious each day, but Yilin didn't seem to be all that worried as she continually badgered me to take her into the city for dinner. I eventually caved in and agreed to take her for dinner in the city for just one night.
You know the saying, "give you an inch and you'll take a mile"? Well, the one night out in the city turned into three nights out in the city.
We began our third night out by visiting our friends upstairs around 7:30. They just had a baby boy a week before (on Noah's expected due date. Yes, I was secretly racing to see who would deliver first -- I was the only one racing. I also can't wait for them to meet each other). We hung around for a little bit and socialized with some of our other friends who were also there. We finally left around 8:15PM (late lunch so a late dinner didn't bother us) for chinatown.
We had dinner at a little Indonesian place that's run by Malaysians and, planning for the next day, ordered some take out for lunch, too. Before heading home, we stopped by a drinks and dessert place to try to maximize our date night and the street parking that we'd already paid for.
Yilin complained a little bit about having contractions, but to me it didn't seem like anything worse than what she'd been experiencing for the last week and a half.
Once we were back home, we watched some TV before heading to bed around 12:30. Well, I was in bed around 12:30, I wan't sure what Yilin was doing.
Stay tuned for part two...


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Court case to challenge government on climate targets
Court case adjourned to 4th July Facebook event
Find out more about the case, London meeting, 16th June Facebook event
As a member of the Paris climate agreement, the UK has signed up to play its part in the overall aim: "Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change."
The UK's emissions targets under the Climate Change Act are to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. Emissions budgets for five year periods are determined by the Committee on Climate Change. It's extremely concerning that according the Committee we are well off track to meet the cuts we need to make by 2030, let alone 2050.
But the organisation Plan B have been asking a different question - are the targets themselves sufficient to meet the aims of the Paris climate agreement?
In fact the Committee on Climate Change themselves have agreed that the UK's current targets are less ambitious than the Paris agreement. Plan B are supporting eleven concerned citizens, aged between nine and 79 to take the government to court to revise our emissions reductions targets to make them more ambitious. They include a Rabbi, a medical doctor, university students worried about their futures, a single mother in social housing, and a lawyer from the British Virgin Islands who witnessed the destruction of Hurricane Irma at first hand.
Supporters of the case include Professor Sir David King, the government's former Chief Scientific Advisor. It is part of a trend of citizen climate cases aiming to make governments act, and if successful would set a very important precedent.
You can find out more here including the detailed rationale behind the case as set out in the letter to Secretary of State Greg Clark.
If you would like to support the case, they have a crowdfunding page.


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A Practical Manual For Improving Opening-Middlegame Play
How does a master think and play after the opening? Does he come up with brand new plans and ideas for every game? A master or a master-caliber player will almost always outplay amateur and club players due to superior knowledge and understanding of middlegame plans and ideas amassed over time, from either personal experience or other master games.
Typical plans and ideas are an essential part of a master's thinking cap
With the abundance of games and information boom in 21st-century chess, the lines have been blurred between the opening and middlegame as what we call "opening theory" now covers 20-30+ moves! Thus, I call it opening-middlegame. It is no secret that knowing and memorizing opening theory is helpful, but who wants to do that all the time? Where is the sophisticated challenge of finding possible plans and joy of discovering creative ideas in this game if what we have to do is always memorize a bunch of theoretical moves?
While I'm not saying one should stop researching and remembering new opening theory altogether, I propose a new way for you to study the game:
1. Look up and collect a set of master games arising from your favorite opening or pawn structure, then
2. Carefully find and understand the typical plans and ideas.
The only challenge I see with this system is the lack of guidance when playing through the games which could be solved either by a) hiring a coach or b) finding instructive game annotations. To all self-learners, aspiring masters, and improving masters out there, a grandmaster guidebook for this valuable learning system has arrived—Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide (CSGG) by GM Mauricio Flores Rios.
According to the author, a self-learner himself, this book is mainly written to help players apply their new-found strategic ideas in their practice. It aims to achieve this not only by annotating numerous grandmaster games, highlighting standard ideas and main plans for both sides but also systematically grouping them according to commonly occurring structures!
To give you, dear reader, an idea of how useful this book can be helpful to non-masters and masters, I will not be merely summing up its unique characteristics in relation to other popular books written on the subject of structures, but will also share the most instructive and inspiring parts of the book that have positively influenced my play so far.
To give a clear preview of what to expect from this book review series, here is a simple outline:
I. Unique Characteristics of CSGG
II. Highlights of my Favorite Games
III. Impact on my Recent Games
I. What is CSGG's unique value compared to other books on pawn structure?
There have been a number of materials written on the topic of pawn structure;, the more well-known ones are Winning Chess Middlegames by Sokolov and Pawn Structures by Soltis. There's no doubt that these books have value in their own right, but here are reasons why I find CSGG more practical and helpful:
1) Better Game Selection. The sample games are well-picked because the games either have a spectacular tactic, an interesting positional struggle, or an instructive demonstration of smooth endgame play, rendering themselves memorable or inspirational to the reader. A feature that this book does equally well with existing books is that the set of games show how both sides can win e.g. a win for side playing with IQP and a win for side playing against IQP. This way of presentation helps the player become well-prepared and more objective during the game in any given structure. Last but not least, it uses both classical and recent games which lends the material useful for the modern player.
The excerpt and positions from the part II of this review show a few of these classic & modern games
2) Clean & Clear Chapter Layout.Each pawn structure-chapter begins with a short description on the structure followed by a list of general plans for both sides (see pic). Then each game is prefaced with a "Learning Objective" and ends with "Final Remarks," ensuring that the reader have "take-aways" after playing through each game. This design is consistent with author's desire to create a manual that will help self-studying players to apply their knowledge in their games, as expressed in the introduction.
Illustration #1: "Learning Objective"
Illustration #2: "Final Remarks"
3) Easy to Use. It's easy to use because the games are annotated with a balance between light verbal explanations and concrete lines. While verbal explanations make any chess read light and entertaining, a helpful annotation must also present concrete moves and ideas. After all it is the moves that are the main argument when we are playing. The difficulty in studying some annotated games from other books and databases comes from the convoluted, thick supporting lines that gets confusing and holds one down on the chessboard for hours!! The author of this book provide concrete lines that are accurate (most probably because it's engine-checked), and within a reasonable amount—one or two lines with the intent of helping the reader understand the better and worse choices. As a result, I can regularly go through at least one game at the end of the day.
4) Useful Exercises. Exercise positions can be in every book if reader wants to guess or solve the next move in any diagram positions in the book! Very few of the existing books on pawn structure are encouraging with this by having White/Black to Play underneath select diagrams. Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide goes another mile by allotting a chapter for exercises. The Exercise chapter consists of 50 exercises divided into four levels, whose solutions are well-explained verbally and concretely in the following chapter. I am still going through this chapter and so far I think it has multiple purposes:
a) Test knowledge of typical ideas gleaned from the chapters
b) Feed more ideas (typical & atypical) on a given structure
c) Give practice on correctly executing the idea (using concrete analysis & tactical skills)
Here's a few of the exercises with the author's solutions:


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Welcome to the workaday week. Mondays come round quickly don't they? I hope you're in creative mood because I'm really interested to see what you come up with in response to this week's poetry prompt. There are so many possibilities.
Thanks to everyone who has so enthusiastically embraced these weekly prompts. Your contributions to this site are much appreciated, so please keep them coming. Remember, if you've missed a prompt you can catch up later. And if you have other poems for children, feel free to submit them. They can be previously published as long as you retain the rights. Send submissions via email to email@example.com as a Word or Text document attachment and add a line or two about your writing process. Please also include your name on your poem attachment. It makes things a little easier for me if I don't have to track back to emails.
Happy writing!


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Matt and I have some big dreams. We dream of having kids, moving back to the mountains, and buying a single family home with a big yard. We dream of Matt one day qualifying for the US open, of me becoming a bestselling author, of Millie finally being crowned Best Dog in the Galaxy. We dream of winning chili cookoffs, karaoke competitions, and giveaways for local escapes worth $10,000.
|Go to Mardi Gras in Nola–a dream we made a reality
Yes, we have a very big, ginormous dreams, and while some of these may never come to fruition (we cook chili maybe twice a year), we do what we can to make others a reality.
Those who are close to us have probably heard us talk about our desire to make a podcast. These discussions are usually after a few glasses of wine, but the thought always lingers in the back of our minds, even when sober. Finally, one snowy night, after a round of very strong rum & cokes, we sat down in front of Lappy and started recording. Our podcast turned into a webcast, because just recording our voices seemed really complicated that evening. We spent a solid 25 minutes talking about movies and pop culture, and ended with a rant from yours truly about everybody needing to lay off criticizing T. Swift. It was totally brilliant, but after considering our (my) level of inebriation, we decided to delete.
Fear not, dear readers–our dreams of a webcast did not melt with the snow (how's that for a metaphor??). After weeks of frustrating work schedules and menopausal weather, we finally got back to it. We probably could have been a little more prepared, but it started to feel like we were leaning on "oh, we need to plan it first," as an excuse, and decided there was no time like the present.
So here it is, friends, in all its glory–the first edition of Power Couple TV. The star of this video is clearly Millie, who stares creepily from the hallway at multiple points. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for future episodes, and we would LOVE to hear your thoughts on upcoming topics!
All Love,


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These days more than ever, online security is paramount. That goes for any online activities, from texting to shopping.
As the internet continues to evolve, in good ways and bad, there's always a constant stream of tips and suggestions for safeguards to keep your information safe online. Some of those tips have been around for years, and potentially ingrained in your psyche.
Among those would probably be knowing how to identify websites that might actually be scams. You just look for the trusty padlock icon to the left of the URL. That indicates everything's legit, right? Actually, it doesn't.
Just because it's secure doesn't mean it's safe
You shouldn't have to go through a checklist every time you get online. I mean, you're not flying a plane after all. But you would be wise to make sure the sites you visit are actually safe.
Typically, that means glancing up at the URL, and checking for the padlock symbol along with the "https://," with the "s" indicating the site is secure. That indicates that info going back and forth between your browser and any given site is happening over a secure, encrypted connection, which is especially important where you enter sensitive information into online forms such as credit card numbers. But what you need to realize is that just because a site is secure doesn't necessarily mean it's safe.
Bonus: Fake Black Friday apps and websites are now out in full force
You know what the padlock means. The problem is, scammers know it too, and they're adding that symbol to their websites so you'll drop your guard.
In fact, almost half of those of those fraudulent sites have the padlock, first reported by security writer Brian Krebs. According to data from PhishLabs, a cybersecurity firm, less than one half a percent of phishing sites had the padlock symbol in 2015. That number skyrocketed, up to 24% last year and around 49% right now at the end of 2018.
It's a win-win for cyber crooks, since it's become easy and cheap to use an encrypted connection and to obtain certificates that allow the padlock to be displayed on their sites.
Staying away from scam websites
Some browsers issue heavy warnings to users about potentially dangerous and unsecure sites. That's part of the reason scammers started adding the padlock in the first place.
But don't use the padlock alone to determine a website's legitimacy. Whenever possible, type the URL yourself instead of clicking on a link. Besides browsers, security software can also back you up, with the ability to alert you to possible fraudulent sites as well.
Watch out! Scammers changing info on Google Maps to steal your money
Scammers will do anything to trick you into giving up your information, and they're always coming up with new ideas.
Click or tap here to find out how they're trying to fool you this time, using a navigation app.