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About Us
Headquartered in Boston, BNY Mellon Asset Management North America, which recently announced its brand will be Mellon effective January 2, 2019, is a specialist multi-asset investment management firm dedicated to serving sophisticated investors globally. (Click here to learn more about our new brand) We provide clients with high-quality single and multi-asset investment solutions using both active and passive strategies.
The firm was formed in 2018 when three of BNY Mellon's largest U.S. investment managers—Mellon Capital, Standish, and The Boston Company—combined. This strategic shift created an asset manager with the combined scale and investment capabilities to offer institutional and intermediary clients a broad range of specialist investment solutions.
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Our investment strategies span a wide range of active and passive investment disciplines across the style, geography, and capitalization spectrum. Our strategies are designed to meet growing client demand for more diversified, sophisticated investment solutions from a single provider.
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|Ground breaking crew makes symbolic statement. (Facebook photo)
It was only early March when a public announcement was made that the business, closed for about 2 1/2 years, was about to be sold and approval sought for a new venture to be built in its place. Several weeks later, city approval was received, then demolition workers began tearing down the original structure.
Now, as you can see in the photo above at Tuesday's ceremony, just three months since the original announcement the ceremonial ground breaking has taken place and construction work has begun on a two-story building.
The Lecce Group LLC and John and Katrina Isopo behind the initiative at 1018 Keynes Avenue. It will have a second-floor outdoor patio with a view of Upper Union Street. First-floor seating will be for 100, with 35 of those seats on the outdoor patio. Second floor seating would have about 60% of its 100 seats on the balcony.
|The proposed new restaurant. (Drawing from Lecce Group LLC)
• Go here to visit the Capital Region Brew Trail
• Go here to visit Dowd On Drinks
• Go here to visit Dowd's New York Wines Notebook

subset: commoncrawl


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By Veronika Kallus
Indian Peter welcomes us to his Coffee House on the High Street. Adam Smith is there today, and James Watt. Also Rabbie Burns, Adam Ferguson and Robert Adam (strange, this collection of Roberts and Adams, isn't it!?). Economists, philosophers, poets, historians, architects, inventors and engineers – all these outstanding figures of the Scottish Enlightenment are gathering here over a cup of coffee and some conversation this afternoon.
Obviously they don't – but they could have. And at various occasions, in various coffee houses, in 18th century Edinburgh, some of them in whatever combinations did meet, drink coffee, smoke tobacco and debate their progressive ideas.
Mike Maran, dressed up in Delaware Indian costume and speaking as Peter Williamson, known as Indian Peter in his day, welcomes his guests, talks about inventions and theories, poems and postal services (one of which Peter Williamson established in Edinburgh in the 1770s) as if he never did anything else. Well, he is an immensely skilled and experienced storyteller, with delicately crafted tales and deeply researched stories that delight his audiences again and again.
This particular one gives his talent room to expand in so many directions. Just the story of Indian Peter himself has so many layers. Brought up in Aberdeenshire, kidnapped, shipped to America, shipwrecked, purchased as a farm labourer, allowed to make his own living, family, farm – then all lost again in raids by Indians, taken by them as a slave, escaping, joining the army, being captured by the French. Finally he was shipped back to England after 12 years. That's where he started to tell his story.
Also the setting in a Coffee House on the Royal Mile allows Mike Maran to expand in multiple directions, embracing Deacon Brodie and Burke and Hare as well as Robert Fergusson's epitaph or Sir Walter Scott's story telling skills.
A fantastic, informative, atmospheric hour of storytelling and delightful music played and performed by Rona Wilkie on the violin and directed by Patrick Sandford. Don't miss this firework of thought and stories.
On at Valvona & Crolla August 23-26 at 13:00


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Senior Electrical Engineer
- Recruiter
- Skilled Careers
- Location
- Birmingham, Solihull
- Salary
- £40-55k + Excellent Benefit Package
- Posted
- 12 Jan 2018
- Closes
- 12 Feb 2018
- Ref
- Specialist area
- Building services (general), Electrical engineering
- Function
- Engineer
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Senior Electrical Engineer – Solihull
£40-55k + excellent benefit package
I am currently working alongside a hugely successful consulting engineering firm with an office in Solihull just outside Birmingham; they are looking to appoint a Senior Electrical Engineer due to planned company growth and a busy pipeline of high profile projects.
Having been established for over 70 years' they now have offices throughout the UK and the rest of the world.
Senior Electrical Engineer Duties
- Run large UK centric projects
- Be both a technical design expert and confident in front of clients
- Mentor and lead teams of interdisciplinary engineers
- Continue to develop your engineering skills
Senior Electrical Engineer Requirements
- Proven background in hands on design work
- Confident with electrical design
- Competent in front of clients
The company boasts generous salaries and because it is entirely employee-owned, all staff receives profit share; this is in addition to one of the best pension schemes in the building services industry.
My client are involved in a wide range of industry leading projects. As a Senior Electrical Design Engineer, you would be involved in a variety of projects in the commercial, education, mission critical, leisure, healthcare and cultural sectors.
Senior Electrical Engineer Benefits
- Opportunity to work in a company with a great training scheme (including supporting chartership if desired)
- Great company benefits package
- Fast-track your career above what a normal engineering firm would provide
If you are looking to be a part of a consultancy with an unparalleled reputation for excellence in engineering, and the chance to take your career to the next level then this is the role for you.
For more information on the Senior Electrical Design Engineer position, please contact Sam Skelsey on 0207 065 7276 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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Toyota Sequoia Maintenance and Repair
I am having a similar issue with the VSC coming on in corners on dry road. What was the issue? My dealership cant figure it out.0
My VSC problem is pointing towards a bad computer component that controls the engine, excelorator, and brakes that help prevents the skid.
I can't do anything with this VSC problem until something is done with my rotted frame, which is currently more critical. I'm hoping that my VSC problem is really a bad sensor, and not the computer. My VSC problem only occurs when I have passengers in the 2nd or 3rd row seats.0
I am going to have to take a look at my frame! I always have people in my 2nd and 3rd row. I have 5 kids. I find that mine goes off more on left hand curves. The last time I drove it the VSC came on and stayed on until I had slowed to about 2 miles an hour. I lost control of the steering and it pulled me off the road. The dealer keeps sending me home with it.0
Yes, take a look at your frame. Please send me an email, and I'll send you some pictures of my frame for comparison.
The Toyota dealership should be able to read the codes which should point to the cause of the VSC going off. It's either a bad sensor or the computer that controls the VSC.
When the VSC, skid indicator, and audio alarm all go off, indicating a skid, and the computer takes over and controls the engine and brakes, the only way I can get it to stop is to stop the Sequoia, turn off the egnition and turn the vehicle back on again. The vehicle will run okay until you go around another curve in the road.
Has anyone else out there experienced their Sequoia thinking it's in a skid when it's not??0
dlcole76054 Posts: 21Is this rust endemic to all geographic locations or only to places that use salt heavily in the winter to clear off the roads?
In Texas, we use sand, not salt for road clearance and rust generally is not a problem. Also, I have lived in cold weather country (Northern Virginia). We just took the vehicles to the car wash, which had an under-carriage rinse facility...usually about once a month was all it took. No problems and this was mid-1980s before improved rust proofing.0
For what I understand, the Sequoias are built with the same frames as the Tacomas and Tundras which were recalled because of a defect on the frames that is described as "Premature Rusting." This rusting is caused either because of substandard material and/or because of manufacturer's storage of the units. The frames are rusting from the inside out. Toyota settled a lawsuit with the manufacturer of the frames for $25M.
Most of the affected vehicles are from northern states where winter is most prevalent and many states uses a mix of sand and salt to treat roads, a practice that have been going on for over 40 years. Manufacturers knows of this practice and install the frames with anti-corrosion coating. Somehow Toyota overlooked this condition and put these defected frames on the affected vehicles. I have read post of other states having the same problem but not as extensive as Snowy states. Other makes of vehicles are not experiencing the same rate of deterioration as the Toyota Sequoias, Tundras and Tacomas. Salt is not affecting all the vehicles the same. There are vehicles on the road with 15, 20 years and longer where their frames are still solid with just minor surface rust even though these vehicles are in the same states that uses salt. This salt issue is the argument Toyota and their defenders want to use to deny any responsibility. They already accepted and recognized that the Tundras and Tacomas had "prematurely rusting" frames. The Sequoias should be at least considered for a more in depth look at the condition of frames and determine is not all but some of the vehicles were built with this defective frame.0
countryboy498 Posts: 1So my wife and I just bought 2001 Sequoia with 158,000 miles on it but we weren't worried because of the Toyota name and quality. We have had a 1996 Camry and a 2000 4 Runner with almost zero issues. We currently have a 2007 Camry and now this Sequoia.
After reading some posts on here I went out and looked at the frame under the engine compartment and noticed 2 small rust holes the size of a dime each. Other than that though my frame doesn't even show signs of rust. We live in Michigan, so it see's its fair share of salt. Before we bought it I brought it to my friends garage and he put it on the life and everything, frame looked good on the bottom. Should I be concerned with only 2 small spots?0
mcfly3 Posts: 1On December 28, 2011, I brought my 2001, Toyota Sequoia in to be serviced for rear brakes and to get the oil changed. My certified mechanic called me at home and strongly suggested that I come in to see what he discovered while my vehicle was up on the lift. So I stopped in to take a look. He showed me extensive rust holes in the middle of the frame welds on both the passenger and driver's side. He also pointed out that the rear differential case has severe rust damage. He strongly urged me to stop driving the vehicle and stated that it is unsafe in its present condition and that he has never seen such extensive frame rust damage on a vehicle this well taken care of. The drive train, outer body, and interior are in mint condition. I also have always made it a point to power wash the salt (calcium chloride) off the under carriage after driving in the Northeast after snow or ice storms, when salt is used on our roads. I contacted my local Toyota dealership and they gave me the phone number to Toyota Headquarters. The end result was, they were sorry to hear that I had a rotted out frame and suggested that I get rid of the vehicle because there is currently no recall for the Sequoias. Although, after going online at the Toyota forum I found out that they're are over 300 consumers with the same type of issue with their Sequoia frames in our state, so I do not stand alone. I am floored that a company like Toyota, that prides itself in being committed to safety does not care and will not take ownership when they knowingly used cheap Japanese steel to build these faulty frames. I currently have three young children and this is my primary vehicle. I cannot afford to throw $8 K away (Kelly Blue Book) on this vehicle. Please help!0
Sorry to hear that. As you can see there are hundreds if not thousands of vehicles in the same condition including mine. I don't know what would take for the NHTSA to start investigating this issue. Perhaps a death or a whole family mainmed. At this point I think our government is failing us. NHTSA if you are reading these posts please help us. Toyota Motor Sales USA will not do anything until our government steps in. They will tell you they are sorry your vehicle needs repair and that it is over the warranty period. They will tell you that they have never hear about this problem with the Sequoias. They will say not to believe anything thing you read online. All lies meant to discourage you from seeking relief. Have a Toyota Dealership conduct a frame inspection and get the results in writing.
File your complaint with the NHTSA and with your state AG. Be prepare to hire a lawyer to represent you in court. Take pictures of your vehicle to show the condition of your car as a whole and the frame rust. Edmunds.com could also help by forwarding threads like this to the proper authorities if Edmunds.com is interested in addressing some of the safety issues we are all experiencing. What about this Edmunds? are you willing to help us?0
Sorry to hear that you have joined our group of unhappy Sequoia owners.
For whatever it's worth, file formal online consumer complaints with the NHTSA and your State Attorney General's Office. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of support from both our Federal and State governments. I've had a couple conversations with the NHTSA and they have no plans to even start an investigation regarding this serious Toyota Frame Rot problem, even though they have a database full of complaints. And my State AG's Office says they have NO authority to even get Toyota to respond to my case. Therefore, what's the purpose of these agencies.
Media coverage of this serious problem will probably be the only way to get Toyota to do the right thing and/or a class action lawsuit. Taking legal action on your own against Toyota won't get you enough money to even pay your lawyer.
We should all be fighting for a "buyback" option and not just a frame replacement.
From what I've heard from Toyota Tundra owners who had their frames replaced, had nothing but problems afterwards. And many ended up just getting rid of the truck to stop the headaches.0
I just had my 2001 frame replaced by Toyota without any cost to me. They told me if there were any additional parts that needed to be replaced while they did the frame we would have to pay for that, but not the labor since they were already doing the frame. I had it done at Premier Toyota of Newport (Rhode Island). The service manager, Ray, said that he would do whatever he could do to help other Sequoia owners as long as the regular maintenance on the Sequoia had been done at a Toyota dealer (which is shown in their nationwide data base). Another 2002 Sequoia's frame was being done when I picked mine up. Hope this helps!0
I just had my 2001 frame replaced by Toyota without any cost to me. They told me if there were any additional parts that needed to be replaced while they did the frame we would have to pay for that, but not the labor since they were already doing the frame. I had it done at Premier Toyota of Newport (Rhode Island). The service manager, Ray, said that he would do whatever he could do to help other Sequoia owners as long as the regular maintenance on the Sequoia had been done at a Toyota dealer (which is shown in their nationwide data base). Another 2002 Sequoia's frame was being done when I picked mine up. Hope this helps!0
Hi somrtym, you had posted back in December 7 that Toyota did or was going to replace your frame. I assumed by your new post that the frame was finished recently. Someone else had asked what process your put in place to have them so easily agreed to replaced the frame. I just got noticed last week that Toyota had responded to the Consumer Office referred to by the Attorney General in my area. Toyota response was just sending them the same letter of claim denial they sent me. A copy of it.
I will try to contact Toyota again to see if they have a change of heart. It seems that there is no recourse unless individuals are willing to take it a step further. The NTHSA and the AG are of no help although they know the problem exist and is real. Please let us know how you got to convince them to do the right thing.0
slcnoble Posts: 1Hi...I also just took my 2001 Sequoia in for an oil change and they advised that is was unsafe to drive. They had a Toyota FTS come out and do a report, I filed a claim with Toyota and with teh NHTSA. However, the Toyota Customer experience representative said they could offer me nothing in return. I purchased the vehicle in Kansas City but the vehicle came from PA. Can you please tell me the steps you took to getting your frame replaced? I'm willing to do most anything as the vehicle only has 97,000 miles on it and is in amazing condition except for as the service manager said it " the frame has cancer".
Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it.0
Sorry you are having the same problem most of us are having. Toyota will deny any claims unless the Government gets involve which is about time.
File a complaint with the NHTSA at this site: http://www.nhtsa.gov/
Also, file a complaint with your Attorney General.
If you read past posts there is more info there.
Good luck.0
mikem_68 Posts: 1How did you get it replaced at no cost?
I just took my 2001 in for an Oil Change and rear door handle and the dealer told me about a 4 inch hole in the frame due to rust and that it is unsafe to drive. Contacted Toyota and got the "There are no recalls to address this issue..." My dealer contacted Toyota directly to open a case with them. I have taken my vehicle to the same dealer for service ever since purchasing it used. It now has 255k+ miles and runs great. No major problems until today.
I have filed a complaint with NHTSA already and hope others do as well. Hopefully Toyota will issue a recall at some point. After all, my understanding is that the Tundra is based off the same frame and there is a recall for the Tundra frame issue.0
I asked the same question. somrtym either is just pulling our legs or just don't want to help. Maybe Toyota swear her to secrecy. File the complaint to the NHTSA and try to alert as many people you see with Sequoias. Get a lawyer!0
telejnkie Posts: 2So I've seen a lot of others with this same problem but I too need some advice. When my alarm goes off (for no reason), I've checked and do have a dome light on inside the car, but no door adjar light on the dash. I tried removing the drivers side door switch and thought that fixed it. It didn't go off for 2 days, then went off 4 times in a row. I'm now thinking it's the rear door, because sometimes the dome light doesn't come on when opening the rear door and also get no door adjar light at least with no key turned on. When I turn the key on then I do get the door adjar from the tailgate (hmmm voltage issue)? I was hoping its only a rear tailgate door jamb switch, but I can't find one. How does the rear door adjar work on these without a visible door jamb switch? Where is the thing? Thanks0
ryanations Posts: 1I have a 02 Sequoia Limited with 150k miles. I wanted to know if anyone has attempted to remove the catalytic on the exhaust permanently? I live in a rural area and they don't require emissions so Im not worried about that part. I wanted to know if there was a way to trick the O2 sensors on it since there is one before the cat and one after on each side. I also wanted to do this to improve the MPG on it since I only get 14mpg and can't seem to get any more even when Im on the Freeway. Also I wanted to know if anyone has actually installed a aftermarket intake and what type of difference did you see in it. Thanks0
mycomputer Posts: 1I just purchased a used 2002 Toyota Sequoia and the Radio Power is not coming ON when pushed. I checked radio fuse and it is OK. What else might be the problem?
skrdrgn8 Posts: 1I've read a bit about my car, so I am familiar with the ABS/TRAC self test noises that happen after initial acceleration.
My Sequoia recently started making another noise after those clicks, it sounds like a puff of air coming from somewhere under the dash on the driver's side. This didn't start happening until after we got it back from the dealer for service on the ABS computer system.
Any ideas what this could be? Something I can simply fix or do I need to call the dealer again?
jeppsen Posts: 1I have a 2003 Sequoia and am experiencing the exact same power loss symptoms. How did you fix the problem?0
redphaedrus Posts: 9See my post #2039.0
peggysue3 Posts: 1I have a 2001 Toyota Sequoia Limited and just replaced the belt tension. Love my vehicle and considering it has 460,000 miles on it she still runs beautifully. Anyone else have high mileage on theirs and still running great?0
harbo Posts: 136I feel like a "piker" with only 200,000 on my 02. Runs great and feels like 200K more. Any maintenance tricks.?0
doby2 Posts: 3Hey I have a 2003 and we just hit 200,000 and we just love this truck. It has a smooth ride for an SUV. In fact we love it so much this is our second one we had 2000 the first one off the line out of Indianopolis toyota plant when the model was brand new. We tried a Q56 in between that one and the 2003. I say stick with Toyota we have found it to be very reliable and we have only had to do a few minor things to it, a Yaw Sensor and the dealer replaced the tracking system other than that it's been a solid truck. By the way we put almost 300,000 on the first one..0
spaceman6 Posts: 2I had a small fire this evening under the hood of my 2003 Sequoia. The problem started when I shifted from reverse to drive and the brake pedal seemed to temporarily lock up. A mile or two down the road, the VSC/Trac Control light came on, followed by the ABS light, followed by the smell of burnt plastic, followed by the brake pedal going all the way to the floor on its own, while driving in traffic.
I'm trying to track down a diagram of the engine compartment to determine exactly what caught on fire, but I'm assuming its the VSC computer or something else brake related. It was a box located in the far left corner of the engine compartment, right up against the fire wall.
If someone could help identify this for me before I head to the repair shop where it was towed, that would be helpful so i can do a little research. From what I've read on here tonight, there have been plenty of issues with the VSC computer and possibly even a recall or two. Any chance this repair will be covered by Toyota? If not, and because it involved a small fire, will my insurance be able to cover the repairs or am I looking at a pretty hefty out-of-pocket expense?0
I took my 02 Sequoia SR5 in for a recall with the undercoat on the frame. Although it passed with no damage, and they applied the required undercaot protection, they found a laundry list of other items in need of attention. Just wanted to run the list by others to see if it sounds reasonable. Because the car is still at the dealership, I don;t know the exact mileage but it's about 160,000. Here's the list and applicable costs:
oxygen sensor (high priority) - $600
power steering fluid, dirty and leaking from both lines (high priority) - $1158
timing belt
induction service (clean carbon out of upper intake and throttle body) - $169
transmission fluid cleanse - $110
brake fluid cleanse - $130
corroded battery cleanse - $65
coolant flush - $80
spark plugs - $284
brakes @ 30% - brakes and roters - front=$606, rear=$653
Your thoughts???0
Take your car out of there and run as fast as you can. Take it to a competent mechanic and have a second opinion. Show them the list but not the prices. Although you may need most of all that work done you may be able to do it at half the price. Do not neglect the power steering fix and the brakes job. If the car was running fine before you took it in it should run the same now for some time, enough at least to take to another mechanic. Some shops will even let you bring the parts in like the rotors ($80.00 a pair), brake pads $40/60) Spark plugs and oxygen sensors. Check around on some auto parts stores, they some times run a computer test for free and let you know exactly which one you need, the car has four. You only will need to replace them a couple of weeks before your state inspection. If they are faulty, the damage is contagious, one bad sensor can damage the second one in the same bank, 2 sensors per bank. Good luck.0
Thank you!! I did more research online after my post and came to the same conclusion regarding cost. The only reason I went to the dealer in the first place was to have the recall item attended to, I do have a mechanic that I trust and will certainly take it to him. I appreciate the feedback!0


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Why Breitbart's Big Hollywood is Wrong About Almost Everything
Every other post on Breitbart's "Big Hollywood" site is based upon the following assumptions:
- Hollywood is full of liberals.
- They try to inject their liberal ideals into movies.
- These movies fail at the box office, because ...
- ... you and I don't like that shit.
Let's look at these one by one.
- Hollywood is full of liberals.
Sure, why not. Most cities are of the left, most artists are of the left, and Hollywood is a city full of artists. Plus businessmen. But we'll let that go for now. Onward and downward.
- They try to inject their liberal ideals into movies.
Sure, why not. Every once in a while anyway. I think of the framed portrait of Ronald Reagan that showed up whenever we dropped a defcon in 1983's "War Games."
But Breitbart's second assumption comes dangerously close to the whole McCarthyite, HUAC-led and FBI-supported blacklist of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Back then, right-wing reactionaries searched for anything that might indicate leftist, un-American politics, and, in its fever dream, wound up condemning "The Best Years of Our Lives," "Gentleman's Agreement" and "It's a Wonderful Life." Among others.
This second assumption also ignores how conservative most Hollywood movies truly are. They are wish-fulfillment fantasies about men with guns who blow away objectively evil bad guys and save the day. They're blueprints for any speech at any GOP or NRA convention.
We'll take the last two assumptions together:
- These movies fail at the box office, because ...
- ... you and I don't like that shit.
This is where Breitbart really performs a faceplant. I don't even need a sentence to refute these two assumptions. I just need one word:
In the 21st century, there's been no movie, particularly a big-budget movie, that contained more squishy leftist ideals (trees, etc.), and a greater attack on the right (war, etc.), than "Avatar." It's basically an attack on Bush, Cheney, the Iraq War, and the military industrial complex. As I stated in my review back in 2009:
Hell, it's not even subversive. It states its apostasy out loud. "We will show the sky people they cannot take whatever they want!" Jake, the avatar, shouts before the final battle. "This is our land!"
Psst: We're the sky people.
James Cameron's "Avatar" is the classic Breitbart culprit: a Hollywood movie that sneaks its liberal, leftist agenda into a mainstream movie to poison us all.
And how did it do at the box office? You might have heard a little something-something about it. I think the first something was 2.7 and the second was billion. That's what it grossed worldwide: $2.7 billion. No. 2 all-time also belongs to Cameron: "Titanic" at $2.1 billion. Third is "Marvel's The Avengers" at $1.5 billion. Fourth, the last "Harry Potter," is at $1.3 billion.
In other words, only two other movies are within half of what "Avatar," with its awful, anti-GOP message, grossed.
I'm not saying "Avatar" did this well because it liked trees and disliked war, or because its heroic native peoples attacked a military-corporate complex hell-bent on exploiting natural resources for its own financial gain. I'm saying that whenever Breitbart's Big Hollywood makes its four big assumptions at the top of this post, they need to solve a problem like "Avatar." Or at least address it. And they never do.
Sooner or later, you always have to wake up.
Posted at 06:17 AM on Fri. Apr 11, 2014 in category What Liberal Hollywood?
Daniel wrote:
What bothers me the most about the Breitbart site is the assumption that there is a narrow political agenda in most movie-making. I doubt that is the case. Yes, it happens (as with "Avatar", but even a movie like "12 Years a Slave," which is intentionally politically resonant, is not strictly speaking liberal or conservative - and it certainly isn't Democratic or Republican. The same can generally be said of the "one man with a gun" movies that you've mentioned. In "Die Hard," the government is consistently portrayed as incompetent, but is this meant to be a conservative message? I doubt it. Scoring political points is not the rubric of movie-making as a general rule. As I write this, I seem to recall that you made a similar point at one time, but, nevertheless, if Breitbart gets something wrong, it is not only that movies with a liberal theme can find, and frequently have found, a sizable audience, but also that movies can rarely be aptly described in terms such as liberal or conservative.
Comment posted on Fri. Apr 11, 2014 at 06:46 PM
Erik wrote:
Very nice points. Very, very true.
We could even go further. Scoring political points is not the rubric of most things as a general rule. It's not of the mainstream media, for example. It is of Fox News, though.
The earlier point I made about this might have been here:
Or it might have been earlier. But I often lose track of it when I follow people like the Breitbart folks down the rabbit hole of their logic. Thanks for letting me come up for air.
Comment posted on Sat. Apr 12, 2014 at 07:28 AM
Twitter: @ErikLundegaardTweets by @ErikLundegaard
NPR's David Greene Interviews...Me
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2018 Reviews
The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful
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Recommended Movies
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri


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text:
I recently received a note from a Mrs. Sanford, an elderly woman in the Midwest, addressed to "Astronomer Yeomans." She relayed her recollections of Halley's comet in 1910 and expressed surprise that she would live to see the great spectacle a second time. Her father had held her in his arms as they both admired the comet's subtle beauty stretched across the western sky. She said that the sight of the comet with her father that night in May was one of her most cherished memories. A postscript added that she had just turned 85 and that she hoped the comet was in better shape than she was.
Halley's comet is indeed in good shape, although the reception we are preparing for it is difficult to justify on scientific terms alone.
Like many of my astronomer colleagues, I've been trying to explain that comets in general, and Halley's comet in particular, represent the least changed material in our solar system and, therefore, it offers our best opportunity for examining the chemical mixture from which our solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago.
Halley's comet is described as a dirty snowball three miles in diameter with an enormous surrounding atmosphere, and it is thought that this snowball contains the same primordial mix from which our solar system formed.


text: During the 79th annual Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) Leadership Conference, J.W. Jones was named an honorary member of MHA. This designation is conferred upon individuals in recognition of outstanding public or private service within the sphere of association work. Honorary members are nominated by the MHA Board of Governors and elected as such by the voting membership. Jones began his ...Read More »


text:
Gotta love this error message I got when trying to set a password that was "too long" on Intense Debate:
Intense Debate Error Message
Jul 17th, 2008 | Miscellaneous, Technology, Web
Great Article: 8 steps to serving better (X)HTML
Sep 16th, 2006 | Web
Earlier today I blogged about Tantek Çelik's talk at The Future of Web Apps so I decided to mosey on over to his blog. There I found this gem:
Simple technologies recombined, not technological breakthroughs, spur disruptive innovations
Nov 16th, 2005 | Marketing
Yesterday when I blogged about simplicity I forgot to mention Clayton Christensen's take on simple technology. Clayton's ground-breaking book was entitled "The Innovator's Dilemma" and is a must-read for any developer who wants to understand the business dynamics between market incumbency and innovative uses of technology.
From his extensive research Christensen states in The Innovator's Dilemma that disruptive innovations are almost never the result of technological breakthroughs but are instead recombinations of existing and often inexpensive technology in forms the former market leaders don't pursue. He states the driving reason for the market leaders ignoring disruptive innovations the people in their sales organizations fight against pursuing them because they don't see big enough market opportunities and/or they can't make large enough margins compared to their incumbent business. That is, until it's too late.
Christensen defines disruptive innovations as those "innovations1 that allow small companies to topple once strong, market leading companies and establish themselves as market leaders. His first example was 8" disk drives manufacturers who put out of business all 14" disk drive manufacturers. The latter sold to mainframe vendors at 60% margins, and their customers were interested in larger capacity and faster drives, not in more expensive slower smaller drives with less capacity (which had to be sold at only 40% margins!) But mini-computer manufacturers purchased the 8" disk drives and over time the 8" disk drive manufacturers improved their products to the point of being good enough (key phrase) that mainframe vendors decided to buy from them rather the pay for the increasingly feature rich and increasingly expensive 14" disk drives. At that point, with cost structures requiring 60% margins, the 14" disk drive manufacturers couldn't maneuver and they all failed.
Examples of recent disruptive innovations with which you might be familiar are:
- Open-source ASP.NET apps and .NET developer tools such as DotNetNuke in the content management space, and NUnit and related for testing tools. Both of these started out much more simple than commercial alternatives, but are evolving.
- Simpler .NET components. Five years ago most components vendors were US-based. Today, the Internet has empowered many vendors outside the US to compete on price alone for the simpler components. One only need look at the number of the vast number of Internet Email Components for .NET to see this trend for what it is.
- Small-project Outsourcing. Another trend near and not-so-dear to many developer's hearts - outsourcing - is all about being able to offer development services for less. Look at places like RentACoder where you can have small projects developed for literally a tiny fraction of what it would cost to hire a developer in the US to do the same work (smart and entrepreneurial developers should see this as an opportunity rather than a problem…) Today RentACoder's projects are simple and inexpensive; tomorrow, who knows?
- RSS vs. incredibly fragmented and expensive alternatives to content syndication; RSS is simply XML, after all.
- Wikis, "The simplest thing that could possibly work" according to the Wiki's inventor Ward Cummingham have edged out many commerical collaboration solutions, and most people say they do it better than what came before.
- MySQL started out as a simple and basic alternative to Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2. When you look at all the people who deployed early versions of MySQL because of its price (optionally free) instead of going with one of the big three, you realized that good enough really was an important concept at play. Now MySQL v5.0 is out and has stored procedures, triggers, views, and more. And if MySQL ever becomes good enough for everybody, Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM can't compete at their margins.
I could go on, but those should be enough to help you understand the concept if my abstract description wasn't enough.
Actually, if you think of another example, it would be cool if you would make a comment here and let me and my readers know about it!
1 - Also note that Christensen defined the term "innovation" to encompass a broader scope than just what we think of as technologies. He included business models as innovations too.
Technologies are best when they are simple
Nov 15th, 2005 | Marketing, Programming, Web
What's the next big thing? AJAX? Ruby on Rails? PC Virtualization? Open-Source Software? Data Security? Open Office File Formats? Windows Vista? Windows Live? Apple's iWhatever? Yeah, all those things will get lots of hype, but the next big thing is something we've had access to all along:
Are my thoughts revolutionary? Nah, I've been reading about it at places like Information Week and the other usual suspects. Even Bill Gates at Microsoft gets it, through Ozzie at least (though execution will be the key.) But unlike all that gets hyped, simplicity as a concept that is for real.
Let's look at two of the best known examples:
- Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
- Really Simple Syndication.
Over the years, the world's Internet email infrastructure evolved from that simple little mail transfer protocol (spam and all!) And RSS exploded as a method to syndicate blog posts in a very short order instead of one of the many complex content syndication concepts most of us never even heard of.
To most people the Internet came out of nowhere ten (10) years ago yet it evolved for at least twenty (20) years prior. The Internet's foundation protocol TCP/IP isn't exactly simple, but once the simple protocols HTTP and HTML were layered on top, Internet use exploded because implementing websites was simple (by comparison.)
But it's not just simple technologies, its also simple to install and simple to use applications: ASCII text editors (i.e. Notepad), web browsers, email clients (w/apps like Outlook Express), instant messenger clients, wikis, blogging apps, online forum apps, and QuickBooks (simple is relative; accounting is required yet QuickBooks doesn't really require accounting expertise.)
And to many people this simplicity makes sense. Scott Cook (founder of Intuit) got it. The founders of the original Instant Messenger (ICQ) got it. Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay) got it. Google gets it. The original author of PHP Ramus Lerdorf gets it. And a lesser known group also gets it; the developers of Basecamp (although 37 Signals could also be the poster child for when a group elevates a concept to an ideology, and like all ideologists, becomes blind and misinterprets the concept. But I digress…)
Okay this is all obvious, and well, it's simple. So what's the big deal? People recognize that simple is important but without a simple roadmap, most don't know how (pun intended.) I don't know that I can provide that roadmap, but at least I can get you started.
First, just for grins, let's look at some counter examples:
- MS-Access – Have you ever tried to develop an app is MS-Access? Yeah right.Access it pretty easy in where it allows you as a user to point and click, but once you hit its brick wall of end user functionality, you've got to be an Access guru to do anything more with it.
- VB.NET – Thank god for the My namespace in VB 2005, albeit five years late, but VB.NET is still too damn difficult to use productively without weeks of learning.Don't get me wrong, I love the power of VB.NET language, but it has very little transitionality.
- ASP.NET – I know its blasphemy, but let's be real: VIEWSTATE, __doPostBack(), Server Controls, @Register, @Import, WebForms, DataGrid, etc. etc. There's so much complexity there, where does one start? It's no wonder so many people still use ASP & VBScript.
- Exchange Server – Oh my god! How complex a beast can you get? Most POP3/SMTP servers use files and directories; Exchange using some bastardization of an Access/Jet database that corrupts whenever the power fluctuates. And have you ever tried implementing server events?
- SharePoint – I can't even figure out SharePoint as a user, let alone as a developer. What was Microsoft thinking?
- Active Directory – Need I say more?!?
I've bashed on Microsoft thus far, but let me not give them all the credit:
- XML, though itself simple, has been complicated with namespaces which I've studying for literally years I but still can't figure out how to use.
- SOAP – Okay, Microsoft was heavily involved here. But why did they have to make web services so hard?I mean, what was wrong with HTTP POST?
- J2EE – There's a reason J2EE developers get paid the really big bucks.
- Oracle – Have you ever tried to tune an Oracle database application?
- Content Management Systems – Is there anything out that can pass for simple? I've been using DotNetNuke on one of my sites for a while and I can tell you, it isn't.
This brings me to my key point. Aside from being intuitively obvious, what's so great about simple?
The Benefits of "simple" are, quite simply:
- For the User: Productivity
- For the Platform Provider: Rapid and Widespread Adoption
But you say that all of my counter examples have widespread adoption?
Do not underestimate the institutional will of large organizations to implement tremendously complex technology, because they can.
On the other hand, departmental users, users in small businesses, college students, home users and more can't deal with complex technology. If it's too difficult, they don't or can't use it. And there are many, many more of them than there are large organizations. What's more, large organizations are effectively made up of these small groups and individuals. Simple technologies benefit all.
Microsoft, with its Windows monopoly has been able to get away with complexity and consequent low user productivity and low platform adoption with many of its products for a long time. But with the new challenges from Google, SalesForce, et. al. they better get pragmatic religion, and they better get it fast.
And that roadmap to which I referred? To quote Albert Einstein:
As simple as possible, but not simpler
Visual C++ and LINQ - is it Needed?
Sep 26th, 2005 | Programming
Esther Schindler who is the editor of the email newsletter DevSource Update recently wrote about Visual C++ and Microsoft's LINQ Project that adds the ability to use SQL code directly in VB and C# programs (emphasis mine):
Ever since the PDC, developers and the press have been talking about the LINQ technology that Microsoft showed off. The overwhelming response appears to be positive, and from all I can tell (I haven't taken the time to read the tech docs) it seems to be justified. But I can't help it if I see the plot holes in a movie, and it's my job to ask the questions that everybody is trying not to ask. After all, what we saw at the PDC wasn't a product. It wasn't even a technology preview. We (rather gratefully) got a peek at what the Smart Folks at Microsoft are scribbling on their white boards. This is the time to point out any problems — when they can be incorporated into the final design documents.
For instance, I carefully noted that, in all the LINQ demos, nobody so much as mentioned C++. (A Microsoft PR person later told me that each language group sets its own priorities, and the Visual C++ team hasn't decided yet where LINQ will fit.) Also, everybody has asked programmers about the wondrous capabilities of LINQ; what do the DBAs think? I realize that DBAs and programmers rarely drink at the same bars, but still…!
My response to her concerns about LINQ and Visual C++ is:
You should use the right tool for the right job. Anyone programming databases with C++ is almost certainly using the wrong tool. VB.NET and C# are much better tools for doing database development. Hopefully this is so obvious I don't have to explain why.
She continued with (emphasis mine):
The larger question, though, is about the much-vaunted ability for a Visual Studio programmer to access databases without knowing SQL or XML particularly well. I'm wary of anything that promises "ease of use" by assuring someone that it's okay to remain ignorant. I remember, far too well, how the computer industry promised to make computers "idiot-proof." The result? We now have a lot of idiots using computers. Sometimes, making things simpler _isn't_ a good idea.
I'm not saying that LINQ is a bad thing. Far from it: I suspect it's an elegant solution of the "Duh, why didn't we think of this before?" variety. However, this is the time to raise the uncomfortable questions, and I don't see very many people doing so.
Uh, as far as I can see, LINQ doesn't hide SQL or XML, it just gives a much cleaner syntax for accessing that can be syntax checked at compile time. A developer would still need to write SQL and to understand XML. For example, this looks like to me it requires knowing SQL:
Dim custs() As Customer = …
Dim waCusts = Select c.Name, c.City From c In custs Where c.State = "WA"
Did Esther really look at LINQ before writing this editorial? Maybe people aren't asking the questions because the questions are not relevent?
My blog's been quiet, but dotNetInfluencers.org has not been…
Jul 19th, 2004 | Miscellaneous, Programming
Though my blog has been quiet for several days, it doesn't mean I haven't been working on online projects. Since I launched it over a week ago, http://www.dotnetinfluencers.org/ has taken a lot of my time, but it is coming along better than I had hoped for! If you not familiar with what I'm doing over at dotnetinfluencers.org, basically it is a Wiki, but with a twist. Instead of a normal wiki where everyone is encouraged just to write stuff, I'm encouraging people to help me define an XML schema about people, activities, events, and so forth related to .NET programming.
The idea is instead of a lot of writing define a list of properties for each item and then programatically we can generate lists based on those properties. I'm using FlexWiki and it has a language called WikiTalk which we'll use to process the properties and provide the lists. Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here is most of the actual text at this moment for a Wiki page about MSDN Magazine (the properties are the list of the colons, the values on the right; to understand the rest you'll need to learn about WikiFormatting):
:Summary: About MSDN Magazine TopicType: DotNetPeriodical PeriodicalPublisher: [CMP] PeriodicalName: MSDN Magazine PeriodicalShortName: [MSDN] PeriodicalEditor: ??? PeriodicalFormerEditors: JoshuaTrupin PeriodicalLanguage: [English] PeriodicalFirstPublished: 2000Mar PeriodicalFormerNames: MicrosoftSystemsJournal, MicrosoftInteractiveDeveloper PeriodicalUrl: http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/ PeriodicalStatus: [Active]
From the above and numerous other wiki "topics", we can generate an automatic list of periodicals on dotNetInfluencers.org:, and/or many other lists. Now don't those page properties look suspiciously like attributes or subelements of an XML element? I thought you'd think so… If you haven't seen dotNetInfluencers.org, check it out. Browse around to get a feel for the site, and then add yourself and/or anything related to .NET. Better yet, if you'd like to help me build this site to the point we can define and public the XML Schema which is the purpose and goal of the site, send an email to mikes (at) xtras.net.
UPDATE: This project is no more and my email address has changed.
Getting Past the XSLT Error: "Expression must evaluate to a node-set."
Jul 14th, 2004 | Programming
So I just blogged about how I find XSLT somewhat frustrating. Admittedly some of the frustration is based on my relative lack of experience with XSLT. One area ripe with potential frustration is the concept of the node-set data type for which learning has caused me a bit of hair loss recently!
A typical scenario using XSLT is to apply an XSL file as a transform to an XML file to produce output, often HTML. Of course never one to be satisfied with the typical scenario, I found myself compelled to use numerous data sources and even embed XML in my XSL file (For those not familiar with how to pull XML from another XML file, you use the document() function.)
Anywho, while embedding XML, and even when copying subsets of XML documents into variables in my XSL file, I kept running into the dreaded "Expression must evaluate to a node-set" error while trying to access subnodes. For a long time I could not figure out how to get past it.
(BTW, the following assumes MSXML 4.0)
I finally figured out the pattern (I think :). Basically if you "select" a subset from a node-set, you get a node-set, like this:
<xsl:variable name="month-as-node-set" select="$issue-date-as-node-set/IssueDate/Month"/>
However, if you select from a node-set but instead use </xsl:value-of> as a subelement, you get a string, and you can't later select directly from a string.
<xsl:variable name="month-as-string"> <xsl:value-of select="$issue-date-as-node-set/IssueDate/Month"/> </xsl:variable>
Of course you can use the MSXML-specific node-set() function to convert back to a node-set from a string (As a side note: Why didn't the XSLT standards committee include such a vital piece of functionality in the standard?!? And be sure to declare the namespace msxsl; for exactly how, see my last example at the bottom of this post):
<xsl:variable name="month-as-node-set" select="msxsl:node-set($month-as-string)"/>
Next, if you want to output the values contained in the XML elements but not any of the markup, any of these will do:
<xsl:value-of select="$month-as-node-set" /> <xsl:value-of select="$month-as-string" /> <xsl:copy-of select="$month-as-string" />
Of course it you actually want the markup output, you need to use <xsl:copy-of> like so (as example where you might want this is if you include HTML markup like < UL> and < LI> inside your XML elements and you want to copy it intact to your output):
<xsl:copy-of select="$month-as-node-set" />
Lastly, you can't select sub-nodes using a string (which is the reason I was inspired to write this post.) If you try, you get "Expression must evaluate to a node-set.":
<!-- This CRASHES WITH: Expression must evaluate to a node-set. --> <xsl:value-of select="$month-as-string/Name" />
Here's a complete example which will work with (and otherwise ignore) any XML input file. Note it crashes if the last <xsl:value-of> is not removed:
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt"> <xsl:variable name="issue-date-as-string"> <IssueDate> <DayOfWeek> <Name>Wednesday</Name> <Number>4</Number> </DayOfWeek> <Month> <Name>July</Name> <Number>7</Number> </Month> <Day>14</Day> <Year>2004</Year> </IssueDate> </xsl:variable> <xsl:variable name="issue-date-as-node-set" select="msxsl:node-set($issue-date-as-string)"/> <xsl:variable name="month-as-string"> <xsl:value-of select="$issue-date-as-node-set/IssueDate/Month"/> </xsl:variable> <xsl:variable name="month-as-node-set" select="$issue-date-as-node-set/IssueDate/Month"/> <xsl:template match="/"> <html> <body> <table border="1"> <tr> <td> <!– This outputs just "July7" –> <xsl:value-of select="$month-as-node-set" /> </td> </tr><tr> <td> <!– This outputs just "July7" –> <xsl:value-of select="$month-as-string" /> </td> </tr><tr> <td> <!– This outputs just "<Month><Name>July</Name><Number>7</Number></Month>" –> <xsl:copy-of select="$month-as-node-set" /> </td> </tr><tr> <td> <!– This outputs just "July7" –> <xsl:copy-of select="$month-as-string" /> </td> </tr><tr> <td> <!– This outputs just "July" –> <xsl:value-of select="$month-as-node-set/Name" /> </td> </tr><tr> <td> <!– This CRASHES WITH: Expression must evaluate to a node-set. –> <xsl:value-of select="$month-as-string/Name" /> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html> </xsl:template> </xsl:stylesheet>
If you need more info than I've provided here, you can check out Using msxsl:node-set() to Process Result-Tree Fragments on Microsoft's MSDN website.
I hope those who are stumped as was I by the "Expression must evaluate to a node-set" error are able to locate this post when googling and hence greatly reduce the amount of hair loss they experience while solving this problem!
Ranting about XSLT's verbosity
Jul 14th, 2004 | Programming
I've been trying to learn XSLT for a few projects, and I find it both a fascinating and extremely frustrating language! I read about the designers goals (from Michael Kay's XSLT: Programmer's Reference) and just shake my head, i.e. : "XSL stylesheets should be human-legible and reasonably clear" and in the next sentence "Terseness in XSL markup is of minimal importance." It seems to be because terseness wasn't a goal, they decided to see just exactly how verbose they could make it! This IMO directly counters the goal of making it human-legible and reasonably clear!
For example, I wanted to be able to display days as "3rd" and "10th" without having to store the "rd" and the "th" in my data so I decided to write a function (template) called "suffix-day" to do so:
<xsl:template name="suffix-day"> <xsl:param name="day" /> <xsl:variable name="last-digit"> <xsl:value-of select="$day mod 10" /> </xsl:variable> <xsl:value-of select="$day" /> <sup> <xsl:choose> <xsl:when test="$last-digit=1">st</xsl:when> <xsl:when test="$last-digit=2">nd</xsl:when> <xsl:when test="$last-digit=3">rd</xsl:when> <xsl:otherwise>th</xsl:otherwise> </xsl:choose> </sup> </xsl:template>
Of course to call "suffix-day" the XSTL designers wouldn't have been so forward thinking as to allow syntax such as this:
<xsl:call select="suffix-day($issue-day)" />
Or even this to allow expliticly specifying the parameter name:
<xsl:call select="suffix-day(day:$issue-day)" />
Noooooo, that will not do! It must be VERBOSE or it is not in keeping with the lofty aspirations of XSLT! Instead, we must call it like so!:
<xsl:call-template name="suffix-day"> <xsl:with-param name="day"> <xsl:value-of select="$issue-date" /> </xsl:with-param> </xsl:template>
Or even better, what if we have a template that needs five parameters? Oooh. So instead of:
<xsl:call select="this-little-piggy($market, $stayed-home,$roast-beef, $none,$wee-wee-wee)" />
We'll get to bask in verbosity with this!:
<xsl:call-template name="this-little-piggy"> <xsl:with-param name="piggy1"> <xsl:value-of select="$market" /> </xsl:with-param> <xsl:with-param name="piggy2"> <xsl:value-of select="$stayed-home" /> </xsl:with-param> <xsl:with-param name="piggy3"> <xsl:value-of select="$roast-beef" /> </xsl:with-param> <xsl:with-param name="piggy4"> <xsl:value-of select="$none" /> </xsl:with-param> <xsl:with-param name="piggy5"> <xsl:value-of select="$wee-wee-wee" /> </xsl:with-param> </xsl:template>
Now now, doesn't that feel more righteous? I'm just warm and fuzzy, and tingly all over right now. :-)
Okay, I'm probably dead wrong with my criticsm of XSLT. There's probably many great reasons why it should be verbose and I'm just being ignorant and short-sighted. Normally I never want to come across ignorant or short-sighted and I normally want to be objective and willing to acknowledge when I'm in the wrong.
But not today. I just wanted to vent. No, actually I just want to rant! Rant, rant, rant! So I don't want to hear it from you why I'm wrong. Go away and leave me alone. Sue me if you don't like it. :)
Announcing my Latest Project! (Well almost…I need some help first)
Jul 5th, 2004 | Miscellaneous
I'm a categorization junkie. I have always been that way. If I'm interested in something I go out and research ad-nauseum, and then create exhaustive categorized and cross-referenced lists. I think that's why I like databases and XML and data-driven websites. There's something fundamentally satisfying about having data in a format that it can be easily sliced and diced, especially when you can be confident the list is incomplete.
Though I have frequently created lists of things and categorized them, with the exception of my business Xtras.Net where we list and categorize 3rd party components and tools for .NET, all of those lists are made at a point in time after which their accuracy fades.
Several years ago I wanted to purchase a loft condo and after several web searches I learned two things about real estate and the web. First agents for the most part don't get the web, and/or second it is the goal of those in the real estate business to control access to information; too much money is at stake. All I wanted was a comprehesive list of loft condos in Atlanta so I could do my own research before going to see an agent, but such a list was nowhere to be found.
I spent an entire weekend researching the web and came up with a list that I later thought "What the heck, why not put on the web?" You can find that list here: Atlanta Loft Condos. It is now hopelessly out of date, and I keep thinking one day I'll spend a weekend and update it, but that weekend will probably never come.
Anyway, one of the things that I'd love to have is a good comprehensive list of of what I call ".NET Influencers." That list would include all the activities in which they've been involved such as conferences, books, magazine articles, user groups, and so on. Why do I want this? Well, honestly, it just seems like it would be really beneficial to a lot of people, myself included.
For example, a company was were working on a Web Services project where security was extremely important. The project needed to integrate with SQL Server and ASP.NET. They want to develop inhouse, but don't have time (or realize it would be foolish) for their staff to learn best practices on their own. They could send their staff to training classes, but as a former trainer I know training classes can be a blunt instrument when you need surgical precision. (Trainers don't get all mad at me; training classes are great when someone needs to learn a broad base but not typically when they have highly specialize learning requirements.)
What if instead they could find someone who specialized in Web Services security, had experience with SQL Server and ASP.NET, who proved their expertise by writing books or magazine articles on the subject, and had their expertise acknowledged by giving sessions at conferences? They could hire that person for a 2-3 day crash-training/consulting project to teach their team best practices specifically for our project. They could pay that person a premium hourly rate, and it would likely be the best consulting money they had ever spent (I know this to be true; around 1997/98 we needed to learn SQL Server so we hired Mike Hotek for a two day consulting job and paid a handsome daily rate. It was definitely the best consulting money we ever spent.)
So who would benefit in the prior scenario? The client company would because they'd get their specific project addressed yet the cost of the consulting plus development would likely be much less than if they learning it on our own or even outsourced it. The expert consultant would also benefit because he would be paid handsomely for his time on a close-ended project without the need to be concern about a non-paying call-back.
In another scenario, imagine a conference promoter is sceduling a .NET-related conference and wants speakers for the hot topics dujour. Rather than just going with the same old people they already know and asking them to whip up something, they could find world-class experts. That would make the conference content tremendous. Who would benefit? Clearly the conference promoter, the newly discovered experts, and most of all, the conference attendees.
I could go on with similar scenarious, but I think you get the picture. I've wanted to, for quite a while actually, put together an XML Schema that would allow .NET Influencers to document their "influencial activities." I've worked on it on and off for months, but each time I've run into road blocks because I've not actually used XML enough to intuitively know how to best design a schemas. I've spoken with many XML "experts" and several said they were interested in helping, but nothing ever came of it (in one case, I never got around to emailing back…my bad!)
The XML Schema is perfect for this, I believe. Such an XML Schema would allow someone to create and publish what I'll call an "Influencer Resume" containing a list of all their .NET-related activities (i.e. it should contain everything that would qualify them as an expert in some area of .NET, but not contain that they worked at MacDonalds until they were 18.) Once lots of .NET Influencers created and published their Influencer Resumes, it would give .NET-related websites all over the Internet something else to aggregate making the information searchable and sortable in a variety of ways. Practically everyone would benefit, don't you think?
Over the holiday weekend I have finally it figured out. How do design the schema that is. I've prepared a proof-of-concept, and it is very close to fruition. It could be released to the world within days.
But first, I need some help. I need about ten (10) .NET Influencers to spend about an hour to create a subset (or complete version if possible) of their Influencer Resume and then review what I've done in context. A few hours work for you, no more, and when done you'll have that which you've put off for years, that which you need to market yourself; the list of articles your written, conferences sessions you've delivered, other things related to .NET you've done.
Can you help me out, please? If you don't think you are one to help with the above but you do have a blog, you can help by blogging a short blog about my need for this help? Or if you know someone who would be a great candidate, email him a link to this post, please. The sooner I can get past proof-of-concept, the sooner this think will see light of day and we'll all benefit!
It's Always Something (#1): Wrestling with System.Xml.Xsl.XslTransform and the Document() function
Jun 29th, 2004 | Programming
It's always something!
At Xtras, we have a rather sophisticated email broadcast system that we developed internally. Our system uses a set of tables in our SQL Server database that models the type of email, who it should go to, the mailing lists, etc. It loads each newsletter subscriber's name and email address using a FOR XML EXPLICIT query from our SQL Server. It uses .XSL files to contain the HTML and/or Text content for each email, and then it uses a System.Xml.Xsl.XslTransform object to generate each HTML/Text email using a transform of the subscriber's .XML fragment and the current newsletter's .XSL file. Once generated, it attempts to send using the SMTP component from /n software's IP*Works!, and logs the success of failure into our database.
It is actually quite an elaborate and powerful system, and my hat's off to Bill who developed it. However, it isn't perfect. First, there is very little user interface; "the cobbler's children go barefoot" as they say. The second is our infrastructure doesn't contemplate organization of .XSL files; there are literally hundreds all in the same directory. But probably the biggest problem with it has been our approach to creating new email newsletters; we literally copy the XSL file from last newsletter issue and edit it, updating it for the current issue.
Data driven? Automated? Modularized? Yes it is, at least the parts that had to be are data-driven, automated, and modularized. Like inserting the recipient's email address and sending the emails. But all other parts are manual! Maybe you've gotten emails from us in the past where we've made errors like having two different dates on the same email in different places? Now you know why…
Recently I grabbed a book on XSLT (Michael Kay's XSLT: Programmer's Reference; it's actually quite good even though it's four years old by now) and started learning how to write modular XSLT. Of course it has taken longer than I planned so our next newsletter is late (our June newsletter for XDN; anyone notice its really late? Sorry…) I managed to prepare a really elaborate stylesheet and pulled almost all of the content of the newsletter from data in our SQL Server database. I then got the newsletter ready to go and passed it on to Bill to have him send it, and guess what? It blew up his email system, giving code access security errors!
Now you have to know Bill. He is very focused on completing his current projects, so Bill was not happy that my new .XSL blew up his "working" system! But he understood that it would probaby take longer to rewrite than to solve the problem, and it is something we need to solve anyway.
The code access security error took us down the wrong path. What I had added to the XSL file was a call to the XSLT
So the moral of this long-winded story is, if you are using an XslTransform() and you add a reference to the document() function in your .XSL file, you'll need to add an XmlUrlResolver for it to work. What follows is a self-contained simple example; copy into a class can call that class' Exec method on a form click event to test (oh, and you'll need to put an .XML and .XSL file at http://localhost/xslt/ for it to work):
Imports System.XmlImports System.Xml.XPathImports System.Xml.XslImports System.Text.EncodingPublic Class Test Private Const outFile As String = "XsltOutput.html" Public Sub Exec() Dim xslt As New XslTransform xslt.Load(FileUrl("XdnJun2004.xsl")) Dim data As New XPathDocument(FileUrl("Subscriber.xml")) Dim writer As New XmlTextWriter(outFile, UTF8) Dim xmlr As New XmlUrlResolver xslt.Transform(data, Nothing, writer, xmlr) End Sub Private Function FileUrl(ByVal filename As String) As String Dim baseUrl As String = "http://localhost/xslt/" Return CType(baseUrl & filename, String) End FunctionEnd Class
I hope this post finds its way into Google's index in hopes others with the same problem don't have to spend as much time as we did trying resolving this problem.


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Rooney not worth big money, say Chelsea fans
After reports of Chelsea's interest in the Englishman gathered momentum in recent days, the Stamford Bridge outfit had a bid rejected for the striker on Tuesday.
Chelsea were alleged to have offered United Juan Mata or David Luiz in a part-exchange deal for Rooney, but they released a statement refuting they had made such a bid, and that their offer was cash-only.
Jose Mourinho is keen on bolstering his attacking options at Stamford Bridge and after missing out on the likes of Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani - who moved to Monaco and PSG respectively - he wants to spend big on Rooney.
But Chelsea Supporters Trust spokesman David Chidgey is unsure that a big-money move for Rooney is a risk worth taking.
Chidgey told Omnisport: "I'd have the Rooney of about five years ago like a shot, no doubt, because he was certainly one of the best players in England, if not Europe.
"But the Rooney of now? He seems after he forced United's hand a few years ago, wanting more money…I don't think he's been the same player for United since then.
"I worry that he's been playing at the top of his game for 10 years, is he burning out? What's his motivation? Is it about playing for the money or playing for a team?
"He seems to fall out regularly with United, do we want that Rooney at Chelsea?"
Chidgey is aware that most players who leave Old Trafford do not tend to kick on in their career, and feels the fact United are reportedly listening to offers for Rooney - who according to reports is "angry and confused" with his situation - is worrying.
"Manchester United are very, very good at selling their big players," he said.
"They very rarely let players go who they actually want to keep and they think who can do a job for them.
"If they're prepared to let him go, that suggests they've had enough of him and I'd be very concerned by that.
"Wayne Rooney might be angry and confused - I'm just confused."
Chidgey does feel that Chelsea need to add quality to their forward options though, and feels that if the price is right - and no better options surface - that the signing of Rooney could work.
"I think, as a lot of supporters do, that we are in need of getting a top quality striker," he said.
"Maybe he's not performed at United because he's not happy there. Maybe he needs a new challenge. He's been there a long time, he's won an awful lot, maybe he needs to go somewhere else and get his passion back.
"We don't know whether (Fernando) Torres can ever be the player he was. (Demba) Ba came in to do a job in January and (Romelu) Lukaku, while he has the potential to be a Chelsea great, is still young.
"So we need a striker and it may well be that Rooney is the only one available.
"I think we can win the title whether we get a striker or not. If you look at the amount of goals we can score elsewhere on the pitch, I still think we would be in with a good shout if we did nothing.
"Having said that, I think we would be in with a better shout if we did add to the striking department because it would make us stronger."
Chelsea open their Premier League campaign with a home fixture against newly-promoted Hull City on August 18.


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Common Room Chill
Can you believe it's been twenty magical years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published? Neither can we, yet at the same time how did we ever do without the wizarding world? We've got it all from cool casual athleisure looks of comfortable jumpers, t-shirts and hoodies in the season's hottest hues of berry red and navy blue. Our tops bear some of your Harry Potter favourites allowing you to be transported back to Hogwarts quicker than floo powder!
Now we all know that the athleisure trend has moved on from being a simple fashion moment to being a way of life! Our cool yet casual tracksuits offer a perfect way to opt into the look. But don't worry, you don't have to pledge allegiance to any one house as our track tops sport the Hogwarts emblem. Our cool laid-back looks allow you to kick back at home in top notch style comfortably or head out on the town with ease!
If reading before bed is more your thing then worry not as our Harry Potter nightwear will keep you looking cool and feeling cosy, while you top up your knowledge on all things Harry Potter. You can slip on some slippers, throw on a robe or nod off in our Harry Potter PJs and from just £12 you'll be sure to snooze in style.
So why not put on your favourite Harry Potter films or re-read the book you love most? But before you do so, pop into store and get your hands on some seriously stylish Harry Potter clobber.


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In my previous post I covered our external colours as well as upgrades and pricing where relevant, which now brings me to internal colour selections.
Structural Upgrades:
I did make some structural changes such as adding a Galley and adding a door to gain entry to under the stairs. We decided to do this from the Pantry rather than through the wall along the stairway. I wanted a full wall along there so originally there was a Linen cupboard however I had this removed. It does mean that we lost some shelving in the Pantry however for me I felt it suited us better.
The cost to add the Galley was $712 which would normally only include open shelving and no cupboard space nor sink. It worked out well for us though because the Promo meant that we would get a full fit out including underbench cupboards, sink and Caesarstone benchtop.
I also decided that rather than have yet another Linen near the Powder room downstairs I would have the doors removed and leave the bottom two shelves so that we could essentially turn this into a hall cloak area, where the kids could leave school bags as well as jackets and shoes.
Internal Upgrades and Colours:
The interior wall colour is Southwards (shown below) and architraves/doors will be gloss white.
As much as we would've loved to upgrade the interior doors I couldn't justify the cost for the ones I wanted and decided that this was something easy enough (and cheaper) to do post handover. I figured that I would put my budget into our 'non-negotiables' so we are going with regular, white standard doors and standard polished door handles throughout.
The staircase we opted for is an upgrade, noted down as the Traditional Option 5. It's the same as in the Waldorf Grange. We are currently able to get Category 2 Option 2 as part of the 'Dare to Dream' Promo but have just found out that the cost for the upgrade is $7180. I'm hoping at Tender we will see a credit for the Cat 2 option otherwise this
will have to be
removed will be an expensive staircase that I'll be glad I upgraded too.
We have decided to add 3 stair lights (I will do a separate post covering Electrical with pricing) because if you're spending that much on a staircase then you should show it off day and night right? Not to mention the safety benefits if someone wants to go down for a midnight snack.
With our flooring we have chosen Spotted Gum, which we have requested to be laid throughout the lower floor (with the exception of wet areas of course) and skip carpet, which is normally in the formal lounge and theatre rooms. Our thinking was that I wouldn't be so concerned if guests walked in with shoes on and if the kids accidentally had spills while watching a movie in the theatre room (which they commonly do) then it's not a big deal to clean up. This was included as part of Promo so no extra upgrade costs here.
For our carpet we already were upgraded to Cat 2 carpet and underlay with the Promo but decided to upgrade to Cat 3 for both. Carpet colour we've gone for is Komal (a dark grey), which will be entirely upstairs (again except wet areas). We've been told to expect additional costs of around $3500 for the upgrade but again have to wait to Tender for confirmation. Unfortunately I don't have a sample of the colour.
Floor tiling selections will be covered a bit later with other tile selections.
The kitchen was the main area we wanted to focus our budget on, as in cabinetry and I was pretty adamant that I wanted the kitchen as displayed in the Waldorf (which is also the same one displayed at WOS) Pictured below.
The Promo gave us the following upgrades (in addition to many others but these are what really saved us some money;
* 40mm stone to Island with waterfall edge
· * Extension to overhang (1080mm width)
· * Silk finish to kitchen, galley and pantry cabinet doors
To provide Colourtech finish to cabinets in Satin Finish and Colonial Profile, we paid $3242 for the Kitchen, $1475 for the Galley, Powder Room $757 and Master Ensuite $1716. We also paid $352 for the overhead cupboards to be fitted with a light shelf for downlights and $645 for two overhead cupboards to be fitted with Glazed Doors (one at each end). All doors will be in Pearl Grey colour and Stone benches will be Crystal Chalk, a standard colour.
Splashback, Galley, Master Ensuite and Powder Room will all be in the Masia Blanco 75mm x 150mm (same as WOS, pictured above and laid in brick pattern, again as above). Cost of upgrade $810
Master Shower will be the same tile in longer version, measuring 75mm x 300mm and costing $1600 to upgrade.
With the remaining ensuites we chose a standard tile of the same measurements in Gloss White color (the above picture shows the upgraded tile on top and standard on bottom) to match. Shorter version for vanity's and longer for showers.
Floor tiling chosen for all wet areas flooring and around the spa is called Himalaya Grey 600mm x600mm and I'm totally in love with it. It looks like a concrete colour, which I understand may not be to everyone's taste but I can't wait to see them laid. This tile was also an upgrade and cost $2800.
Outdoor Tiles for the Terrace and Balcony are the Como Black External 450mm x 450mm and cost $170. I'm still a little unsure of the Black tiles for the external areas however the Tile consultant convinced me that it was a smart decision to match the external tiles with the carpet colour so that it looks continuous and I can understand the rationale behind it, it's just the darker colours are quite different to my usual taste.
Other Items:
Other upgrades internally that did cost extra were the Posh Bristol Shower Rail, at $41 each we added to each ensuite and to the Master Ensuite in addition to the Shower Ceiling Dumper we got as part of the Promo. We also added Niches, ensuites 2,3,4 cost $160 each and Master $194.
We are scheduled for Tender around the 20th October so there won't be much activity on the blog until then, where hopefully I will be able to confirm pricing of upgrades etc. and post Electrical plans.


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Brand Label: Ksubi
ITEM MOVED TO ARCHIVE: On May 22, 2018 4:28 pm, Fashion Stylist Online noted this item may be out of stock at Barneys New York because it was not referenced in their latest online catalog. If this item is out of stock at Barneys New York, you may be able to find similar fashions sold there or elsewhere on our Ksubi Designer Brand Directory.
Available for Purchase Online at Barneys New York for $190.00Pin It
Ksubi's Slim Pin jeans are constructed of faded blue cotton denim detailed with whiskering and fraying. Cut with a slim fit and mid rise, this pair captures a vintage-'90s aesthetic. Sits at waist. Slim through hips and thighs. Whiskering. Fading. Fraying. Five-pocket style. Belt loops. Signature cross-stitched logo-patch-inspired embroidery at back. Oxidized silvertone hardware. 10.0" rise, 27.5" inseam, 12.0" leg opening (approximately). Zip fly. Button closure. Available in Rewind (faded blue). 100% cotton. Machine wash. Imported. Our model is 5'10"/178cm and wearing a size 25.
Shop other brand label items from Ksubi on FashionStylist.com.
This item was published for sale online by Barneys New York on May 22, 2018 3:18 pm and last updated by us May 22, 2018 4:28 pm.
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New promo codes and links offering limited time promotions, sales coupons, and special offers on Ksubi designer fashions and accessories will be posted on each designer label apparel page. For the latest up to date information on this Ksubi Women's Slim Pin Jeans | Pants, Clothing And Workwear fashion item, including product specifications, ordering options, pricing, shipping details, high resolution pictures, shopper comments, and other sales media, visit the Barneys New York Online Store.


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We are passionate and authentic, we like to have fun, and we hope to show the love of Jesus to students all across Orange County. No matter where you've come from, or what your story is, you're welcome here. We aren't perfect, but we're real and we're honest. We love Jesus and have found purpose and meaning in our life.
Ever been in the middle of a bustling train station during rush hour? Jr. High and High school students often feel that way—even when they're alone! It can be a confusing and exciting time.
The Crossing Student Ministries (CSM) is a youth group especially tailored to help them sort it all out. With a dynamic worship experience—complete with a live band, inspirational speakers, heartfelt small group discussions, and fun games—students explore their relationship with Jesus and how that can influence every decision they make.
We aim to be a community that serves each other out of love, not obligation. We love others and welcome all. Come join us as we walk out life together and learn about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Where: 2115 Newport Blvd. / The Warehouse
When: Weekend Experience – Sat 5:30pm / Sun 11:15am
Jr. High Instagram
Where: 2115 Newport Blvd. / The LOFT
When: Wed 6:30-9pm; *if students come during the weekend services, we sit with parents or together at the 11:15am service.


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Ok, let's get the same old "I was born to tell stories" and "videography is my passion" blah blah blah out of the way, shall we? I started Poetic Cinema back in 2009, I love weddings and I love telling stories!
Now on to the nitty gritty and what you likely came to this page for:
I believe that holding hands with your wife should NEVER be taken for granted, no matter your age
I will take every opportunity to jump on the back of a full grocery cart and ride it all the way to my car in the back of the parking lot
And speaking of parking in the back, I do that to get extra steps in through the day and it annoys my wife and son
I never believed how much a part of your family a dog could be until we got one
I think taking your pants off once you're sure no one is going to come over is an extremely comfortable way of enjoying the evening
If I feel like busting into a dance move in front of people on a run, I will do it (just ask my wife)
I say "that's what she said" at every opportunity, and remarkably there are a lot of opportunities
Well, if this doesn't scare you off, then I just might be your videographer! In all seriousness, I do love what I do. I love being part of what is likely the most important day in your life and providing you with a keepsake to forever remember the details and the emotion of your day and share with loved ones, including future little misters and misses 🙂


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Star Trek Into Darkness screens the first 30 minutes of the film in London. New mini-spoiler revealed!
We are just about two months away from the theatrical release of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS and J.J. Abrams crew has done a phenomenal job of keeping the plot under wraps. If the movie does end up being about a new character named John Harrison, I think a lot of fans are going to be disappointed, but it will prove that you can never fully trust a Bad Robot production until you see it with your own eyes.
With that being said, Paramount did screen the first thirty minutes of the movie in London the other day. This constitutes about a quarter of the movie and we still are not quite sure who the hell Benedict Cumberbatch's character is. What we do know is that it is shaping up to be one hell of a summer movie. The Hollywood News posted their take on the footage screened and had this to say:
Everything you expect, we witnessed. From Spock and Kirk continued in a constant battle of wit, Kirk bed hopping and wisecracking, and space scenes that boggle the mind, this footage promises so much more. Itâs exciting to learn that there is a significant progression in the amount of footage shot in IMAX following on from the success of what was achieved in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE â GHOST PROTOCOL, with some stomach-churning aerial shots involving cityscapes and water guaranteed to blow your mind.
Though the editing, effects and music were not finished, J.J. Abramsâ eagerly anticipated sequel-without-a-colon looks certain to blow 2009âs STAR TREK out of the water in regards to both scale and ambition. And the best bit of all? Youâre so engrossed that your mind doesnât allow you to once think about STAR WARS.
They described the footage of Cumberbatch at the children's hospital and the away mission on Nibiru that many of us already saw in front of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY. Obviously the volcano sequence was cut short in the IMAX screenings and this group got to see it play out completely. That being said, neither sequence is really going to shed much overall plot detail, which is good. I really don't want the movie ruined for me before opening day.
But, if you want a mini-spoiler, the folks over at Bleeding Cool reported on the same footage which they say included the first appearance of Peter Weller in the film. Now, Weller's identity has been unknown to this point, but the footage refers to him as Admiral Marcus. It would be safe to assume that he is in some way related to Alice Eve's Carol Marcus, Kirk's future wife in the original timeline. That means Robocop is Captain Kirk's father-in-law! My brain just exploded.
I envy those who have seen footage so far. I am greatly looking forward to this latest away mission when STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS opens on May 17, 2013.
|The Hollywood News, Bleeding Cool


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The employers' organisation downgraded its 2012 outlook from the 2.2pc it was predicting in August to 1.2pc, largely because it expects the private sector to sit on its £70bn cash pile because of uncertainty caused by the eurozone crisis.
The CBI expects business investment, on which the Government is pinning its hopes for recovery, to grow by just 6.9pc this year against its previous estimate of 9.3pc.
The warning came as KPMG found the numbers placed in permanent jobs by recruiting agencies fell for the first time since July 2009, as employers became more nervous about the economic outlook. Separately, respected think-tank NIESR estimated the UK grew 0.5pc in the three months to October, the same as the preceding three months.


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SHILTON, a parish, partly in the hundred of Faringdon, county Berks, and partly in that of Bampton, county Oxford, 2.5 miles S.E. of Burford. Bampton is its post town. The village, which is small, is situated in a valley watered by a rivulet. The inhabitants are wholly engaged in agriculture. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1794. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Oxford, value £112. The church is an ancient edifice, standing in the adjoining parish of Alvescott. The parochial charities produce about £42 per annum, of which £8 goes towards the support of a school. John Gwynne, Esq., is lord of the manor.The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003
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from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- v. To fish out; to find out by skill or laborious investigation; to search out.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- transitive v. To fish out; to find out by skill or laborious investigation; to search out.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To search out; hence, to discover by subtle means or by strict examination.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
I am in a fair way to expiscate my family history.
Tom vanished, like Aubrey's apparition, with a melodious twang, and a perceptible odour of tar; and so, being determined to expiscate the matter, I proceeded towards the Broomielaw, and in due time became master of the locality of the Cat and Bagpipes.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 62, No. 382, October 1847
He has no exculpatory witnesses; he has had no time to expiscate facts; the evidence for the prosecution is handed to him in court; and he can make only such observations as occur at the moment, knowing all the while that the prisoner's fate is already determined on.
Pilgrimage from the Alps to the Tiber Or The Influence of Romanism on Trade, Justice, and Knowledge
The lads came back shockingly late
Unsteady in speech and in gait,
With a tale piscatory
Of ichthyic glory
The ladies will labor to expiscate.
JM is testy about some expiscate instances.
Or deichthyofaunate.
To fish out.


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Dreams are rudiments of the great state to come. We dream what is about to happen.
To dream of a spider, denotes that you will be careful and energetic in your labors, and fortune will be amassed to pleasing proportions. To see one building its web, foretells that you will be happy and secure in your own home. To kill one, signifies quarrels with your wife or sweetheart. If one bites you, you will be the victim of unfaithfulness and will suffer from enemies in your business. If you dream that you see many spiders hanging in their webs around you, foretells most favorable conditions, fortune, good health and friends. To dream of a large spider confronting you, signifies that your elevation to fortune will be swift, unless you are in dangerous contact. To dream that you see a very large spider and a small one coming towards you, denotes that you will be prosperous, and that you will feel for a time that you are immensely successful; but if the large one bites you, enemies will steal away your good fortune. If the little one bites you, you will be harassed with little spites and jealousies. To imagine that you are running from a large spider, denotes you will lose fortune in slighting opportunities. If you kill the spider you will eventually come into fair estate. If it afterwards returns to life and pursues you, you will be oppressed by sickness and wavering fortunes. For a young woman to dream she sees gold spiders crawling around her, foretells that her fortune and prospect for happiness will improve, and new friends will surround her.
To see interpretation in Spanish please click here
I had a dream that involved a lot of spiders in a wound in my finger. I eventually held the wound to the sun and they caught on fire and I was healed. There was never pain. WTF.
A friend dreamt that we were walking down a passage, and she saw a spider, to her it was massive, and at first i didn't see it, she tells me, and as we got closer she carried on about how big this spider is, and then i picked it up with one hand, squishing it, and saying to her, see, the spider isn't that big! What does this dream mean? This friend had this dream about me...
Michelle @ 2011-03-18 13:11:09i had a dream a big black and orange striped spider was crawling over me i couldnt get away from it realy weird if you read this please contact me i have this same dream PLEASE contact me! AIM imurmomspimp911yahoo: imurmomspimp_911@yahoo please!
I had a dream a big black and orange striped spider was crawling over me i couldnt get away from it realy weird
I had a dream a spider was coming down right at me but as it got closer I went to bed very strange because naturally I would have reacted but I didn't feel like I could.
I had a dream that I was surrounded by gold spiders. They were long legged like daddy long legs. I was trying to walk and stepped on a couple barefoot. I ended up with a grey puss like wound on my wrist.
Ive had a couple of dreames that im being tuormented by a large black spider in my house and im trying to catch it but everytime i go near it or trap it in a glass sum how its gone to anouther room or on the wall. its as if the spider knows im scared of it and is trying to make me leave the house. what does this mean
I dreamed spiders keep surrounding my sister crawling up her and I had to spray her to kill them. They were attacking her. She was never bitten. They were pretty spiders. They were coming from a window behind her.
Dreamt one night of a ritual where people ate spider eggs of having a baby
I hade a dream that i opened the car door and thre was a big spider in its web. It wasnt trying to attack but my sister hit it and it landed on my daughter then i flinged it off of her, but i dont know if i killed it. what does that mean?
I keep dreaming that a big spider is coming down from my ceiling towards me and Iam sleeping and I wake up so quick from the dream what does this mean I don't remember what color it is.I only know it is big and it is a spider. Can you tell me what this mean?
Seeing a big trachila spider on the ceiling


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The Scientific NetworkSo far this week I have seen patients and answered calls every night.
I met new workmen in my bathrobe.
I came home to find my kitchen table in the great room.
I have scrubbed walls.
I still must pack for an extended trip to Experimental Biology and then to house hunt in Oklahoma City.
Oh, and I hand over my patient responsibilities about the time I board my plane on Friday.
In short, I am tired. If you see me dozing in the back of a session at EB, please don't wake me. I need the rest.
In the meantime, please forgive me a video post. A friend sent me this parody of The Social Network trailer this morning, and I had to share:


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The dynamic rhythms of guitar accompaniment and rich sounds of melody instrumentation have greatly contributed to the sounds of traditional Gaelic music in more recent times. Learning this rugged style includes time spent on chord work, progressions, ear training, tune knowledge, and interpretation.
This level covers the basic aspects of picking technique and fingering, the primary chords of selected keys, and simple accompaniment techniques.
Advanced Beginner/Intermediate:
This level develops students resources for song and tune accompaniment. Secondary chords and modal progressions are introduced. Strumming and arpeggio (finger-picking) patterns are explored. Exercises and tunes for flat-picking are introduced.
Advanced accompaniment techniques, such as chord substitutions, are explored. More advanced concepts in ear-training and theory are introduced. Flat-picking instruction includes medleys of jigs, and march/strathspey/reel groups.