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Vermeer Iowa is an authorized dealer for the best-in-class equipment in the industry. We partner with the best brands in the business to bring you genuine parts and equipment to keep your equipment running smoothly for years to come. Our experienced, highly trained technicians are familiar with a large selection of brands, which means you can expect exceptional service when you visit your local Vermeer dealer for repairs. Our salesmen are also very knowledgeable about each of the brands listed below and will work with you to determine which manufacturer is the best fit for your business needs. Click on the logo of the manufacturer to go to their site for more information, or contact a sales representative for more details about any brand.
Sherrill Tree – Sherrill Tree Arborist Supplies is all about connecting tree enthusiasts with the highest quality gear at the best prices. Bringing decades of experience to product development, it is their priority to make tools that foster health, safety and long-term growth.
Wyo-Ben – Wyo-Ben is a leading producer of a unique colloid clay called Wyoming Bentonite. Using their years of expertise, Wyo-Ben excels at solving the drilling and construction industries' complex and diverse issues with quality products.
Baroid – Baroid is a leading company in the industrial drilling products arena. You can expect high performance products that were the result of cutting edge research. Find the right product for your industrial drilling, construction, HDD, mining, or geothermal project with Baroid.
McLaughlin offers a full line of utility locators and vacuum excavators using both air excavation or hydro-excavation for safely finding and exposing existing infrastructure as well as a number of trenchless installation products. McLaughlin offers a full line of Hole Hammer pneumatic piercing tools, Mighty Moles. As evidenced by the companies longevity and success, McLaughlin takes pride in providing workable solutions for the underground industry since 1921.
Today, award-winning VAC-TRON Equipment has been named the 13th fastest growing company in the country by Inc. VAC-TRON Equipment, which has more than 30 industrial vacuum products and more than 50 WET and DRY uses.
Felling Trailers is a family owned and operated full line trailer manufacturer located in Central Minnesota. Felling Trailers currently manufactures over 3,500 trailers a year ranging from a 3,000 lb utility trailer to a 120,000 lb hydraulic gooseneck trailer, and its standard trailer line includes over 220 models. Felling's pride and differentiation is its customized trailer division. Their engineers utilize the latest industry leading design techniques along with their experienced metal craftsmen and cutting edge technology to turn its customers' conceptual trailer needs into a tangible product. Felling Trailers' current capabilities allows them to provide a high quality product that is distributed across North America and internationally.
Larson Cable Trailers, this is the trailer for underground utility contractors. Build by and for, Rick Larson, Larson Digging, Inc. These trailers not only lift cable reels, but also figure 8 and rewind cable. Larson Cable Trailers are real world solution to more productive work. These trailers are even capable of hauling small equipment.


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Comfortable working in fast pace, high pressure start-up environment
Raze Technology Limited
Raze Technology Limited members View more
Hi i am Vince the founder of Raze! I am passionate about transforming deep research technology into innovative products/solutions that enhance our livelihood. We are currently working on Raze, an innovative nanocoating that can effectively eliminate germs, odour and VOCs with just a hint of light...
What we do
Raze's patented nanotechnology makes use of the light energy from our surrounding to removes bacteria and decomposes odor-causing substances, VOCs instantly and permanently.
After decades of academic research, countless publications and multiple patents, the technology behind Raze was born. With a combination of nanotechnology, light and boundless determination, we discovered a fundamentally new approach to clean air.
Raze is developed into a series of cleaning products and household items that allow consumers and enterprise alike to effectively eliminate indoor air-pollution immediately and permanently (as long as there is light!)
Backed by two Fortune 500 investors and our founder's strategic global network, Raze has strategic access to a multitude of market channels. With the increasing awareness of our wellbeing, air-quality a vital factor. Raze is consist of the brightest scientist, engineers, and business executives. Come join us on our journey to bring clean and healthy air to the world!
Why we do
Powerful. Advance. Efficient.
Our patented photocatalyst nano technology, combined with proprieotory spraying machines eliminates air pollutants in extremely efficient performance
How we do
1. Antibacterial Effect
Raze controls many kinds of bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus, which can lead to food poisoning, and E. coli, the cause of O157.
2. Antiviral Effects
Raze's antiviral effect has been verified with the avian influenza virus(H9N2 subtype)
3. Deodorizing Effects
Raze removes the smells of onions, rotten fish, cigarette smoke, and other unpleasant odors from daily activities.
4. Decomposition Of Indoor Air Pollutants And Gases (VOCs)
Raze decomposes indoor air pollutants and gases from building materials, furniture, and fixtures.
As a new team member
Job Description
.Collaborate with multiple departments to ensure consistency of designs across various media outlets
.Will shape and maintain our visual identity and company branding
.Create compelling and effective logos, designs, print and digital media
.Will support our brand's ongoing evolution across our website, marketing efforts, education/sales materials and future product development
.Look after our website and digital assets, creating new content and making regular updates
.Improve our visual presence on social media
.A strong diverse portfolio of illustrations or other graphics
.Familiarity with design software and technologies (such as Adobe Suite, Sketch and similar design tools)
.Excellent organization and prioritization skills, meticulous attention to detail and the ability to multi-task across projects
.Excellent oral and communication skills
.2+ years of professional experience in fast-paced environment
.Good command of spoken and written English and Chinese
.Immediate availability is preferred

subset: commoncrawl


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Using Risk-Based Clinical Trials Monitoring to Improve Data Quality
Do the numbers add up for using risk-based clinical trials monitoring?
RBM versus traditional studies survey results show:
Are you ready to transform your clinical development through advances in RBM?
Join Alan Frederickson and Crona O'Conallain — both of QuintilesIMS — on Nov. 30 when they'll share recent research showing how RBM can increase study quality and patient safety.
By attending this 90-minute sessiom you'll find out how to design and implement a risk-based clinical trial monitoring program, starting with key concepts including:
This session will give you a roadmap for establishing a risk-based monitoring plan that can1) prevent no data "surprises" in your monitoring that could be revealed during an inspection … 2) help you be fully compliant … and 3) satisfy the FDA.
In addition, you'll take away these invaluable specifics:
Meet Your Presenters
Alan Frederickson, Senior Director, Technology & Automation Solutions, Data Sciences, Safety & Regulatory, QuintilesIMS
As Sr. Director, Technology and Automation Solutions for Quintiles, Alan focuses on enhancing the quality and efficiency of technology solutions to support Risk-based Monitoring, Clinical Data Management, Biostatistics, Medical Writing, Regulatory and Pharmacovigilance, with workflow management and data accessibility, aggregation and analytics.
Crona O'Conallain, Senior Director Data Sciences, Safety and Reporting at QuintilesIMS
Crona O'Conallain holds a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University College Dublin (UCD). Crona has held numerous leadership positions with her 14 years in the QuintilesIMS Global Data Management organization, and is now on the QuintilesIMS's leadership team for Risk Based Monitoring, leveraging her Data Management experience in supporting the development of a Centralized Data and Operational Surveillance (CDOS) organization that drives the RBM model.
Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing


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Construction and Demolition Recycling
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris accounts for a significant portion of the waste going to local landfills, and C&D Debris is much more challenging to recycle than bottles, cans and newspapers!
To help residents and businesses reduce and recycle more C&D Debris, each RecycleSmart Member Agency has enacted C&D Diversion Ordinances in January 01, 2017 that requires a minimum 65% diversion or more of C&D debris from projects that exceed specified size or cost thresholds.
If your project is within the RecycleSmart service area, you must use a Registered C&D Transporter and an Approved C&D Processing Facility for proper C&D disposal. RecycleSmart has developed lists of approved vendors (see below).
Local C&D Recycling Regulations & Requirements
All jurisdictions within RecycleSmart's service area have implemented C&D recycling regulations. Each jurisdiction requires contractors or property owners to develop a simple "Waste Management Plan" (WMP) that outlines how 65% or more of C&D debris generated by a project has been diverted for reuse or recycling. This can be accomplished by taking C&D debris to Waste Recovery Facilities located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Your receipts must include weight or volume information and must be included with the final WMP when submitted to the jurisdiction at building permit closing.
If property owners or contractors pay to have their C&D Debris hauled for disposal by a third party hauler, the hauler must be a RecycleSmart registered C&D Transporter. Permitted transporters have been approved by RecycleSmart for safe transport of C&D Debris and all listed service providers acknowledge the obligation to use RecycleSmart's Certified Disposal Facilities.
Contractors and property owners are still allowed to "self-haul" their waste for disposal, but you must use a RecycleSmart Approved C&D Processing Facility.
Resources, Forms and Approved Vendor Lists
RecycleSmart Ordinance No.12-2 was established to permit waste recovery facilities and C&D transporters. This allows RecycleSmart and Member Agencies to better track material diversion and haulers within the RecycleSmart service area and direct those materials to proper C&D disposal facilities.
Please check with the jurisdiction where your project is located to get the most current ordinance requirements.
All C&D Debris material coming from construction and/or demolition jobs in the RecycleSmart service area must be taken to an approved processing facility. This list identifies all current approved C&D Processing Facilities.
Unless self-hauled by the generating contractor or property owner, all C&D Debris from construction and/or demolition jobs in the RecycleSmart service area must be transported by a Registered Transporter.
Facilities that want to be a RecycleSmart Approved C&D Processing Facility should submit this application. Each facility will be assessed for its ability to recover at least 65% of accepted C&D debris. Required attachments: Facility Site Map and Diversion Documentation Report.
Use this application if you want to apply to be a RecycleSmart Registered Transporter. There is a $370 annual registration fee and quarterly reporting is required.
If you have questions, please call RecycleSmart at (925) 906-1801.


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Meet author Peter Lerangis, ask a question about the Seven Wonders books, and watch videos from Peter.
PETER LERANGIS is the author of more than one hundred and sixty books, which have sold more than five and half million copies and been translated into twenty-eight different languages, including The Colossus Rises, the first book in the New York Times Bestselling series Seven Wonders, and two books in the 39 Clues series. Peter is a Harvard graduate with a degree in biochemistry. He has run a marathon and gone rock climbing during an earthquake - though not on the same day. He lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their two sons, Nick and Joe. In his spare time, he likes to eat chocolate.
Have a question for Peter? Type your question in the box below, then click "submit." We will post Peter's responses to questions below, so be sure to check back.
"A high-octane mix of modern adventure and ancient secrets, The Colossus Rises is Lerangis' most gripping work yet. Young readers will love this story. I can't wait to see what's
next in the Seven Wonders series!" – Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series
"Part Goonies, part MacGyver, part Percy Jackson, this big series starter is sure to please readers looking for underdog heroes and their unbelievable adventures. . . . The tension of whom to trust and why keeps readers guessing, and the quick action, high stakes, and clever solutions make this a slam dunk." – Booklist


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My favorite seasonal transition is definitely from summer to fall in all aspects! The climate change, home decor, & especially apparel. I'm by no means a fashion expert, I don't categorize myself as a fashion blogger either. However, I do express my inner self through the simple gift of style. To wear what you love is certainly a form of art we create within us. Lately, I've been obsessing over minimal clothing and believe anyone is able to achieve their perfect wardrobe with the right, curated pieces. Famous Footwear and I partnered up to share a couple of my favorite street looks styled with two of their fabulous ankle booties (the ultimate fall staple)! As soon as I saw these on the site, I knew they were going to be amazing selections!
Street Style #1
Nothing says comfort like a basic dress, denim piece, and lace up booties! I'ma sucker for black and denim, always have been. I decided to style this look with the burgundy Rocket Dog Meno Lace Up Boot , instead of black or nude boots. I love that these booties make a subtle change to any outfit and are appropriate for most occasions. These burgundy boots are ideal for the season, especially for edgy/hipster style! Throw a pair of these babies on along with your favorite slouchie/cap/hat and you'll have a Fall-inspired outfit in seconds. Effortless transitions at it's finest!
Street Style #2
Yal, dusters are a huge staple in my wardrobe right now. They're fashionably chic, yet you can dress them down for an edgy look as well. My kind friend Denisse from NYC got some great shots of this outfit and I felt this was one of my best street looks so far. Obviously I'm back at it again with the denim as usual. I just really love how perfectly these cognac naturalizer jump booties go with high rise jeans. They are very comfortable and make it easy to explore in! Definitely a more relaxed style and ideal for busy, long days!
Photo Creds: Denisse Diaz Photography
I'm highly satisfied with these new seasonal booties from Famous Footwear! They're two out of 5 shoes from my F/W 2016 wardrobe capsule. All you need are a few statement pieces and lots of simple basics to create your ultimate style. I look forward to sharing more minimal-inspired looks later on in the season! Let me know if you enjoyed this post! xx
*DISCLOSURE: Huge thanks to Famous Footwear for sponsoring this post. They did compensate me with boots & payment, but all styles & reviews are my own!


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While frustration looms among growers as intermittent rain continues to cause delays, harvested crops have yielded close to five-year average figures. However, crop quality has been more variable.
In Morayshire, persistent rain has put a stop to harvest, despite good initial progress, said Iain Green "The weather while we were cutting the first 100 acre of winter barley was fantastic, yields were decent and we didn't even have to dry it. But in the last 10 days, we have only had around 20 minutes of cutting and the weather doesn't look like improving anytime soon."
Richard Boldan, farming near Howden in East Yorkshire said: "What initially looked like being a nice spread out harvest is now going to be a mad scramble when it dries up."
Mr Boldan made a start harvesting October-drilled Belepi winter wheat at the weekend [August 5], which yielded 9.5-10t/ha (3.8-4t/acre). Elgar oilseed rape (OSR) harvested a few days earlier averaged 4.74 t/ha (1.9t/acre). "It is notable how little straw there is, I suspect this is a result of the dry spring," he said.
See also: PICTURE GALLERY: Harvest 2017 - How's your #FGHarvest17 going?
Lincolnshire grower, David Forest took advantage of two days of good weather at the weekend to clear 49ha (120 acres) of winter wheat. He said he was 'very satisfied' with JB Diego and Gallant, both of which yielded between 8.2-10.9t/ha (3.3-4.4t/acre), with second wheat some of the best performing crops to date.
"Hybrid and conventional OSR came in at about 3.7t/ha (1.5t/acre) on average at 44-46 per cent oils, which is better than last year," he added.
Good progress between the showers this week albeit it's a wet one again this morning! #harvest17 pic.twitter.com/UvruotvEGq— WilliamMorfootLtd (@WilliamMorfoot)
Good progress between the showers this week albeit it's a wet one again this morning! #harvest17 pic.twitter.com/UvruotvEGq— WilliamMorfootLtd (@WilliamMorfoot) July 14, 2017
Farming on mostly sandy loam soils, Andy Roberts, from Pattingham, near Wolverhampton, had winter wheat and spring barley ready for harvest last week but said spring barley had gone from being 'barely fit to brackling' in a short space of time.
Despite weather being 'catchy', he has now harvested all his winter barley and OSR. "Venture winter barley averaged 6.5 t/ha - quality was good and so it will be going for malting."
OSR yields of Nikita and Elgar averaged a pleasing 4.5 t/ha (1.8t/acre).
Tom Bradshaw, who farms near Colchester, Essex, has cut 115ha (285 acres) of Null-Lox spring barley variety Chapeau, which is destined for Gleadell. He said: "The quality has been very good, nitrogen has averaged 1.75 per cent and it yielded 6.3-6.4t/ha.
"We have cut 15 acres of wheat but it is too early to say how it is doing. Moistures are around 15.5-16 per cent which is a bit higher than we would like."
Showers in Essex, where NFU president, Guy Smith farms, are adversely affecting wheat quality. He said: "Bushel weights are creeping dangerously low to 72 for feed variety Santiago, but it is fair to say there are good and poor crops."
According to AHDH Recommended List trial results, winter barley yields from 13 trial sites across the UK have averaged 9.64t/ha (3.9t/acre), similar to the five year average of 9.61t/ha (3.8t/acre)
Of the six-row hybrid feed varieties, Belfry (111 per cent), Bazooka (110 per cent), and Sunningdale (109 per cent) all performed well, as did conventional six-row variety, Funky (108 per cent).
The two-row feed varieties with the top yields were KWS Orwell (105 per cent), California (105 per cent), KWS Infinity (103 per cent) and Surge (102 per cent).
Meanwhile, OSR varieties across the sites averaged 5.14t/ha (2.1t/acre), just below the four-year average of 5.42t/ha (2.2t/acre). Yields range from 4.54t/ha (1.8t/ha) in Hampshire to 5.69t/ha (2.3t/acre) in Oxfordshire.
The restored hybrid varieties Wembley (109 per cent), Windozz (106 per cent), and the conventional variety Flamingo (104 per cent) have performed well to date.
Source: AHDB


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The huge summer boxing show, presented by Team Reps Boxing, 'Rise of the Warriors 8 – Carnage on the Coast at the Park Hotel in Tynemouth has conformed an extra charity bout.
Lewis 'The Coyote' Wile, cousin of promoter Andrew Wie, will make on Anthony 'The G-Man' Gargan both, both fighters will be fighting to raise money to charities close to there hearts.
Lewis will be fighting in in of 'Beat', who are the UK's leading charity supporting anyone affected by eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS or any other difficulties with food, weight and shape. www.b-eat.co.uk
Anthony also is raising money for a fantastic cause, 'Breast Cancer UK' www.breastcanceruk.org.uk
Tickets are available from both fighters, from Reps Gym (StationRoad Wallsend) or by calling the dedicated ticket line on 0191-26227252.


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Cold and flu season is terrible for everyone, but it's a special kind of miserable for mamas and their little ones. But this year, we've got you covered with the nine items you need to take some of the sting out of the sniffles. Brace yourself, mamas (and just keep holding on for warmer weather!).
1. For infants with a fever: Kinsa Smart Stick Thermometer
Your baby's thermometer needs an upgrade. When high temps hit your little one, reach for the Kinsa Smart Stick Thermometer. This savvy device takes their temperature, offers real-time advice through a smart phone app, and tracks your little one's symptoms. It will even send symptoms straight to your doctor. Now that's smart.
Kinsa Smart Stick Thermometer, Amazon, $17.00
2. For toddlers with a fever: Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer
With all the same functionality of the Smart Stick Thermometer, Kinsa's Smart Ear Thermometer provides 1-second, 1-button readings (perfect for those wiggly toddlers in your life). It connects to the app via Bluetooth, and the sensor tip offers easy cleanup with no probe covers required, meaning you and your toddler are one step closer to feeling better.
Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer, Amazon, $26.49
3. For fussy toddlers with a fever: Kinsa Sesame Smart Ear Thermometer
We know, we know; aren't all sick toddlers fussy? Thanks to the charming design of the Sesame Smart Ear Thermometer, you can have Elmo as your nurse as you diagnose your little one's illness. Even better, the Sesame Smart Ear features your child's favorite friends in the app. (And with a sick kid, you're going to need the pick-me-up too, mama.)
Kinsa Sesame Smart Ear Thermometer, Amazon, $36.99
4. For a cleaner way to breath: Crane Drop Humidifier
A humidifier that actually looks chic? We never thought we'd see the day. But the Crane Drop Humidifier does so much more than look cute perched on your baby's changing table. The ultrasonic cool mist technology increases moisture in the air for easier breathing (especially overnight), and clean control antimicrobial material in the base reduces mold and bacterial growth by over 99%. Those germs don't stand a chance.
Pro Tip: Prevent mineral build-up in the base by adding the Crane Demineralization Filter. Already seeing build-up? Clean it with a vinegar solution to keep your humidifier scum-free.
Crane Drop Humidifier, Amazon, $40.99
5. For a better night's sleep: Babyganics Chest Rub
Bedtime with a cold rarely goes smoothly. Our solution? Smear a little of Babyganics' Cold Relief Chest Rub on your baby's chest and neck for a natural way to open stuffy nasal passages. The natural menthol formula has an almost instant effect—you might even want to steal it for yourself.
Pro Tip: Get a second tube to keep in your diaper bag. (Because stuffy noses rarely happen at home when you're prepared.)
Babyganics Cold Relief Chest Rub, Target, $6.99
6. To spray away the sniffles: Little Remedies Saline Mist
Odds are, you're not going to want to wrangle a baby and a traditional nasal passage irrigation system. (We know—that just sounds complicated!) Skip the mess and reach for this Sterile Saline Mist from Little Remedies. This gentle spray moisturizes dry or crusty nasal passages and flushes out excess mucus causing those sad little sniffles, all without any alcohol or harsh chemicals.
Pro Tip: Use this spray before attempting to remove mucus—the whole process will go much smoother.
Sterile Saline Mist from Little Remedies, Amazon, $13.28, pk of 3
7. For babies too little for tissues: FridaBaby NoseFrida
We'd love it if every infant came equipped with the ability to blow their own nose, but alas, that duty is still left up to us. When your little one has the sniffles, ditch the outdated bulb syringe and opt for the award-winning NoseFrida, proudly referred to as The Snotsucker. The mechanics seem a little gross at first (yes, you are actually sucking the snot out of that little nose!), but trust us, it's worth it.
Pro Tip: Stock up on extra hygiene filters before the cold hits so you don't run out in your time of need.
NoseFrida, Amazon, $19.89
8. For babies who need to breathe better: Babyganics Bubble Bath
A warm bath is already one of the best ways to soothe a fussy, sick kid, but Babyganics Vapor Bubble Bath steps up the nurturing a notch by infusing their bubbles with natural menthol, eucalyptus and rosemary. And the non-allergenic formula won't irritate sensitive skin, so it's the perfect way to comfort littles with a cold.
Pro Tip: Feel like you're catching your baby's cold? Breathe deep while you bathe so you can soak up the menthol benefits too.
Babyganics Vapor Bubble Bath, Amazon, $15.67
9. For tiny runny noses: Boogie Wipes
Dissolve crusty boogers and mucus with ease with these soft wipes made with natural saline. Boogie Wipes feature spunlace technology for a gentler wipe on sensitive noses, as well as soothing chamomile, aloe, and vitamin E to treat raw skin with care. Throw a pack in your diaper bag to wipe up runny messes all cold + flu season long.
Pro Tip: Wipe with a downward motion to help remove those bad boys from baby's nose.
Boogie Wipes, Amazon, $12.99
Motherly is your daily #momlife manual; we are here to help you easily find the best, most beautiful products for your life that actually work. We share what we love—and we may receive a commission if you choose to buy. You've got this.


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Generally speaking, things that you need to know include the IP address of the remote VPN endpoint, the type and level of encryption being used and any pre-shared or other encryption/session keys that will be used. If it is a Windows Server OS based VPN, you also need a valid user name and password. For more details, review the following TechNet article: Introduction (Virtual Private Networking with Windows Server 2003: Deploying Site-to-Site VPNs).
The router on the network you want to connect to will sometimes require an account to be set up to allow VPN connection. Some networks will use one main account that all users VPN through. Others, like the one I run, have a seperate account, or login for each user (We only have about 15 people who use VPN) Having a seprate login for each user allows me better access control. I can remove, or restrict one account with out affecting everyone else. It also makes it easier to track who is connecting to our LAN and when they connected.
This may be too much info, but maybe it'll help if you are setting up a LAN to LAN IPSEC VPN between two devices such as routers or firewalls.
First IPSec has to decide that data traffic is "interesting" and should be encrypted. It does this by matching an access-list or an interface on the device. Once traffic is matched the following occurs.
IPSec has 2 phases, both of which need to be configured. The peers negotiate the attributes in each phase.
The FIRST phase, which must be successful before the second phase can begin, authenticates the IPSec peers and sets up a secure channel. This secure channel encrypts the 2nd phase negotiations. You'll configure the following.
peer IP address
encryption algorithm – examples: DES, 3DES, AES256
hash – examples MD5, SHA1
lifetime – usually in kbits or seconds
Diffe-Hellman exchange
secret key – this is your pre-shared key
The SECOND phase (occurs after the first) negotiates the IPSec Security Association (SA) parameters. This SA is what protects the data sent between the peers. The attributes in the SA that you configure is;
encryption algorithm – examples: DES, 3DES, AES256
hash – examples: MD5, SHA1
lifetime – usually in kbits or seconds
Diffie-Hellman exchange for PFS – optional
That is pretty much it. If you are setting up a LAN to LAN VPN it's important to remember the steps when troubleshooting. 1) Traffic has to be "interesting" 2) Phase 1 has to complete 3) Phase 2 has to complete. They have to occur in order and if any fail you won't be able to send traffic between your peers.
Good luck!
Register Hereor login if you are already a member


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- Home
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Box Hill? Didn't think there was much to ride in Surrey. Unless a mountain bursted up, lol. Great interview, hope Mitch goes a long way, seems like a quality dude! Only good things can happen when you've got Peaty around...boom, BOOM!
wet? roots? east coast much?
@cameron.hoefer, step away from the hatorade.
Yea, I like his attitude. He joined the SPSNA so he could ride and have fun instead of heaping on tons of pressure racing on a factory team. I do wonder though, is he sponsored by the SPS or did he pay in like the rest of the team?
I heard these guys are pretty fast.
I also think he wanted some fast guys to ride with
No roots or rain in America!!?? I know the UK has great riding but... Washington and Oregon have amazing rooty, wet, steep, and fast terrain.
Mitch is rad! I wish they had some riding clips in there. Kid slays it! Stoked to see him on a real team!
Mitch Ropelato, what a genuine down to earth positive attitude bro, good luck this season


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Today's Helpful Bytes: Updating Software on your iPhone and iPad
Even with 20+ years of IT experience, it can be difficult to balance keeping up-to-date with all of the latest software updates. As a general rule of thumb, I keep up to date with releases and updates because there are often bug fixes and security updates. Occasionally, there are major changes to the look and Read More
Today's Helpful Byte: Size Matters – The Ideal Length of Everything Online
I'm an engineer – so I like accuracy and precision where possible and am typically a "rule follower." But I've also learned over time that life is not always black and white. There isn't always a "right" answer to most questions in life – and we are often asking the wrong question. But enough about life. Read More
Today's Helpful Byte: Online etiquette – The ultimate guide to social media manners
Here's a status update that's hard to ignore: Social networks and online apps are suddenly among today's most popular communications tools, with over 1.23 billion people now logging in daily to connect with friends, family, and colleagues on Facebook alone. But as we often forget, they're also among the most public and visible of digital Read More
Home life hack: family sharing options on smartphones
With or without kids, sometimes coordinating daily life can be tedious and time-consuming. However, there are several useful, FREE options available to help by simply tapping into the power of your smartphone! Read more via Amy Iverson: Why you should be using family sharing options on your phones | Deseret News
Useful iphone info – enhanced 911, performance tips
Today's helpful byte includes some useful tips for the iPhone. I'm a "power user" of my smartphone, and have taught a couple classes on making the most of your iPhone. And a couple of these are new – several are good reminders! Tip #10 is useful for people with chronic health conditions, serious allergies or Read More


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Blog Archives
Picture Prompt
Check out today's prompt over at The Dabbler and don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter starting in September.
Snow Day
The Birthday Prompt
Today's prompt–to write a story about one of your characters' birthdays–may seem simple, but it isn't.
Why's that? Because of one extra rule I'm going to throw in:
The birthday celebration you're writing about must be correct to their culture and must also be different from what's usually done in our culture–how different is up to you.
Some thoughts to get you started:
- In medieval times, they often didn't celebrate birthdays. Instead babies were named a number of days–sometimes years–after their birth, and their Naming Day was celebrated.
- Many cultures send their kids on pilgrimages or vision quests when the kids become adults.
- Jehovah's Witnesses don't even CELEBRATE birthdays–what if you're character's mad because if they lived in the next town over, they'd be having a big party, but their parents don't believe in that stuff?
- Not all cultures give gifts on birthdays, and in some, it's common practice to only give gifts that will be useful.
I hope that will help get you started. Please post the first sentence–or paragraph if it's short enough–of your response in the comments.
My response:
For my tenth birthday, my mother took me to Free Cove. I'd always wanted to see the capitol with its four towers, representing the four great families of our nation.
Today I'd like to share three themed anthologies with you. Not all of them will pay much for your story, but they'll all pay something. The best part about these anthologies is that they'll allow you to see your name in a book–if you're stuck in novel revision like me, it's probably the only way you'll see your name in a book for a while.
Each of these anthologies have a theme. Some are more specific than others. I've stayed away from anthologies which are tribute to famous(usually dead) authors and their mythologies, but there are usually a few of those published each year if you're interested.
Please remember that I do not post full guidelines here and to read through the websites thoroughly before you submit.
Mermaid Tales: An Anthology will be published by Lucky Thirteen. They want stories of up to 20, 000 words about mermaids–other than The Little Mermaid, that is. Being a start up, they can only afford to pay $10 for stories of up to 10, 000 words and $20 for stories of up to 20, 000 words. However, this looks like a fun little anthology to be involved in and contributors will also be allowed to buy copies at production cost for a certain period of time.
The Inanimates I is seeking stories of between 3, 500 and 15, 000 words in which one of the main characters is an inanimate object with the fears and feelings of a human. They don't want any dolls or dummies though, so be creative. They'll pay an unspecified flat rate for each story and a contributor copy or two. Again, this sounds like more fun than profit.
The Mothman Chronicles is the highest paying of these anthologies, prepared to pay five cents per word up to 4, 000 words for stories involving the mothman. The stories do not have to be in known mothman territory. They do however have to be sent in by July 1st, so start brainstorming your ideas tonight.
Remember to thoroughly read the guidelines, to edit your story until it sparkles, and to enjoy the process. Themed anthologies are a fun way to get your name out there and to see yourself in print–so take advantage of them this summer and submit to as many as you can write stories for.
Prompt time July 1st
All the best stories are driven by character wants and needs. To truly understand your characters, you must understand what each of them wants and needs. Sometimes those are not the same things, and come directly in conflict with each other. The same can be said for our own lives. Sometimes we know what we want, but not what we need. Other times we don't know either.
While great stories can be written without full understanding of oneself, the best writers are constantly trying to understand themselves better. It is this constant drive to understand ourselves that gives us the willpower to seek understanding with our characters.
In light of that, today's prompt is one I would like you to do for yourself–and one of your characters.
What is your definition of true love?
Young Markets
If you've ever used Duotrope's Digest to find a market for your work, you'll notice that beside the name of some markets they've put the word "fledgling". The word indicates that the market is less than six months old. Six months is used as the marker because most new markets fold within the first six months.
Today I've gathered three new markets that would love to see your work and will even pay you for it.
Specutopia is a brand new magazine looking for only the best speculative fiction. Their definition of speculative fiction includes science fiction, fantasy and everything in between, but doesn't include horror. If they like your work, they'll pay you one cent per word. They'd like to pay you more, but starting up a magazine, even electronically, costs money and they need to pay for their bandwidth. Oh well.
Abomination Magazine is a slightly less new magazine that, unlike Specutopia, would love some horror stories. In fact, they'd prefer you to scare their pants off. So much so that they won't accept your story if it doesn't scare them. However, they're still only going to pay you one cent per word because they're broke too.
Fantastic Frontiers Magazine I think this is the oldest one on today's list, and this market is also the highest paying. They'd like to see your fantasy and science fiction stories of up to 2,000 words. Unlike the other guys, they had some proper money to get themselves started, so they're willing to pay you three cents per word instead of one. Don't you feel like you're moving up in the world? Well, that's only if they like your work.
Don't forget to keep submitting your work. Every time you get a rejection, send that story back out. Every time you get depressed, write something new and send it out. The only way to get published more is by writing, editing and submitting more. Quite a number of writers spend months working on the writing and editing part and never get to the submission part. Start submitting now, and you're one step ahead of all of them.
Prompt Time April 27th
We all have different memories of our families, and most of us have physical mementos, objects by which we remember those we've lost. These physical objects–jewellery, books, anything once loved by our loved ones–sometimes become as precious to us as the people we represent.
My grandmother spent Tuesday night digging some of these mementos out of my old room at my mother's house. She returned to me some of the most precious books I own: special edition fairy tales from my dead aunt, guide books I got on my trip to Scotland, old notebooks I haven't looked at in years.
Today I'd like you to write about these mementos. Not about your mementos, but about your characters' mementos. You can learn a lot about a person by walking into their room and looking at their most precious objects. Today you're going to find out exactly how much.
Write a scene in which your character is contemplating at least one of their most precious mementos.
Please post your first sentence in the comments.
My first sentence:
"I was taken away from everything I love at the end of my childhood. Unlike normal kids, my childhood ended abruptly one day when my mother told me we needed to hide from the Gods."
Canadian Markets
I've always been proud to be Canadian. Maybe it's because Canadians are polite. Maybe it's because Canada's really, really pretty. Maybe it's just because at least our politicians, while not the most intelligent or trustworthy, aren't warmongers.
Whatever it is, I've noticed that Canada isn't really given the recognition it deserves. Many of the best modern musicians, actors, artists and especially comedians, are from Canada. Here in Canada the arts thrive, aided by hundreds of grant programs, government-funded arts education programs and library-run creative programs. We may not have the same level of control over the mainstream media as the Americans, but with a tenth of their population, how can we be expected to?
More importantly, us Canadians like to do it ourselves. With a fondness for literature and a do-it-yourself attitude stolen from the pioneers, Canadians have created hundreds of magazines, dozens of which are specifically looking for fiction. Over the last year or so I've discovered many of these markets for writers, some of which pay small fortunes.
Today I've decided to share with you three not-so-famous Canadian magazines that will pay quite a bit for your fiction.
Descant Literary Magazine is a Canadian magazine, coincidentally run by the same people who run Now Hear This, the literacy company I worked for last year. They accept short fiction, short essays, reviews and poetry, and they pay $100 flat for accepted works. They prefer paper submissions and they do mention that it could take a long time to get a response and to go from acceptance to publication.
FreeFall Magazine is a quarterly Canadian magazine accepting poetry and prose. They also run occasional contests. FreeFall will pay you $5.00/printed page for published works.
The Fiddlehead claims to be the oldest literary journal in Canada. I can't tell you for sure if this is true or not, not being well enough educated on the history of Canadian literary magazines(maybe I should do some research…) but what I do know is that they're looking for short fiction up to 6,000 words and poetry. The other thing I know is that they'll pay you $40/printed page when your work is published.
On my journey to discover Canadian literary culture, I've learned that Canadians tend to give fiction and poetry quite a high monetary value. Some of these pay rates made my jaw drop the first time I found them. I dream of someday being published by one of these magazines–maybe you should make it one of your goals, too.
If you'd like a more comprehensive list of Canadian literary journals, you can find one here.
Prompt April 13th
Happy Friday the thirteenth! Originally today's prompt was going to be based off of a single emotion, but in celebration of the fact that it's Friday the thirteenth, I decided to go for a more… morbid prompt:
Write a story beginning with a character sitting at the very front, looking out the front window of a train when someone jumps in front of it.
Please post your first sentence in the comments.
My first sentence:
I'd always joked about seeing a jumper, so when it finally happened my first thought was 'hmm, I thought the splat would've been louder'.


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In August, Nature published a brief review (subscription required) by me of P. Z. Myers's collection of essays The Happy Atheist (2013). Describing the review, I think fairly, as "decidedly mixed," Jerry Coyne recently took exception to the following sentence from it: "For example, his analysis of the idea that God guides evolution by acting undetectably at the quantum level, if amusing, is a popular rather than a scholarly treatment, and incorporates value judgements [sic: Nature insisted on British spelling] that are unsupportable by science." Coyne complains:
I take issue with Branch's claim that Myers's rebuttal of the "quantum-mechanics-guides-evolution" argument is popular rather than scholarly. In fact, there is no scholarly rebuttal, for that claim is a God-of-the-gaps argument, an unnecessary add-on to science that cannot be tested. And an untestable claim is one that need not be taken seriously as either science or theology. Further, I'm not sure how "value" judgments are involved in dismissing that argument, except for the "value judgment" that science has never needed supernatural add-ons. If Branch really thinks that, then his organization, the NCSE, should dismiss naturalistic evolution as a "value judgment" as well.
There's a fair amount of unpacking to do here.
Myers's rebuttal of the idea that God guides evolution by acting undetectably at the quantum level is popular rather than scholarly in that it addresses a popular, rather than a scholarly, exposition of the argument: Kenneth R. Miller's in Finding Darwin's God (1999). Certainly Miller isn't immune from criticism. But if Myers was serious about rebutting the idea, he wouldn't have confined himself to Miller. As Daniel C. Dennett—no great friend of theology—advises in his recent Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking (2013), "in order not to waste your time and try our patience, make sure that you concentrate on the best stuff you can find, the flagship examples extolled by the leaders of the field, the prize-winning entries, not the dregs." Not that I mean to characterize Finding Darwin's God as the dregs, but it simply isn't providing—and wasn't intended to provide—a detailed treatment of the idea.
There are such detailed scholarly treatments, and (pace Coyne) there are scholarly rebuttals of them: as the philosopher Thomas F. Tracy observes in his article for the Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science on "Theologies of Divine Action" (2009), "The idea of divine action at the quantum level presents an ongoing direction for research, rather than a settled position." Coyne may not be interested in such scholarship; I'm not particularly interested in it myself; and I don't fault Myers for not being interested in it either. But if Myers is going to engage with it in his book, then I think that he ought to address it in a scholarly fashion. I don't mean that he ought to be solemn or to festoon his essays with footnotes or to analyze every position on the table; I certainly don't mean that he needs to feign respect for positions he finds silly. But I mean that he needs to address the "best stuff [he] can find," as Dennett advises; he needs to take the time to understand it and to present it fairly; and he needs to articulate his criticisms clearly.
That gloss on "scholarly" responds also to Coyne's complaint, "it's completely unfair to criticize [The Happy Atheist] for not providing a 'scholarly treatment'." Since my review specifically cited three popular books—Jason Rosenhouse's Among the Creationists (2012), Steve Stewart-Williams's Darwin, God and the Meaning of Life (2010), and Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion (2006)—that, broadly, share Myers's attitude to science and religion, but do a better (if not a perfect) job at accurately presenting and fairly criticizing the positions they attack, it's at least slightly, if not completely, unfair to characterize me as offering the Courtier's Reply to The Happy Atheist. Rather, it's as though I'm observing that the child crying "The emperor is wearing no clothes!" is in fact pointing not to a naked emperor but to a scantily-clad noble. Candor in critique is admirable, but it's no substitute for accuracy and fairness.
Coyne could have dispelled his wonderment about how value judgment is involved in Myers's criticism of Miller by consulting the text. For example, one (not the only) of Myers's criticisms is, in effect, that a God who acts only at the quantum level isn't worthy of worship. Miller, he says, is engaged in "some serious trivializing of [his] god ... [he] reduces the omnipotent, omniscient lord of the universe to a manipulator of quantum indeterminacy." Well, leave aside the fact that Finding Darwin's God is quite clear on the point that divine action is not restricted to the quantum microlevel—"At a minimum," Miller writes, "the continuing existence of the universe itself can be attributed to God"—is it true that a quantum God wouldn't be worthy of worship? However you want to answer that question, it's hard to believe that science is going to provide the answer for you. It seems clear that whether something (or anything) is worthy of worship is not a matter for science but for axiology, the philosophical study of value.
To clarify, I am not claiming here that all arguments against the idea that God guides evolution by acting undetectably at the quantum level will necessarily involve value judgments; I am only claiming that one of Myers's arguments did. I am also not attempting to defend the idea in general, or any specific version of it, against all arguments against it; I am only claiming that one of Myers's arguments against Miller's version of the idea rested on a substantive and undefended value judgment. More could be said about the rest of Myers's arguments about the idea that God guides evolution by acting undetectably at the quantum level, and indeed more could be said about whether the idea is defensible, but I'm not going to try to to do it now (and perhaps not ever: as I said, I'm not particularly interested in the scholarship here). I stand by the judgment that The Happy Atheist's treatment of these issues is amusing, though. (It quotes Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett!)
Let me end with a few points of agreement and disagreement. I agree with Coyne (and Myers) that the idea that God guides evolution by acting undetectably at the quantum level is untestable: the inclusion of the word "undetectably" is a clue. (But I disagree that it is a God-of-the-gaps proposal: it merely asserts, rightly or wrongly, the compatibility of divine action with our best scientific theories, whereas a true God-of-the-gaps proposal would take the current absence of a naturalistic explanation of a phenomenon as evidence of the existence of God.) I also agree that untestable ideas, including supernatural "add-ons" (in Coyne's phrase), are not within science's domain. But that doesn't mean, contra Coyne, that they are not of interest to theology. I suspect that, insofar as untestable ideas are of interest to theology, theology itself is not of interest to Coyne: a waste of time at best, and probably a great deal worse. It's evolution, not theology, that I'm interested in defending, so perhaps I'll leave it there.


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Bolton Wanderers vs Arsenal, Reebok Stadium, Premier League
Kickoff – 20:00 (01:30 IST), 1 February 2012
So, the January transfer window has finally shut. Well, it doesn't make much difference to the Arsenal team, anyways. Gooners around the world, waited in anticipation and agony, and in hope against hope, that Arsene Wenger will finally bow down to their wishes and sign one massive player for a truckload of money, who would transform the fortunes of the club, and more concerningly, the immediate on-field problems.
Of course, that didn't happen. We signed one massive player though, who has a legendary status at the club, a beard and has taken 34 revolutions around the sun. His name is Thierry Henry. He also has the small matter of 226 goals marked across his name.
Lots of banter coming in about the second signing though.
Wenger: Can we have Gotze?
Dortmund: No.
Wenger: Can we have Kagawa?
Dortmund: No.
Wenger: Can we have Barrios?
Dortmund: No.
Wenger: Can we have Großkreutz?
Dortmund: No.
Wenger: HMMM..(About to hang up, a few freckles formed on his forehead)
Dortmund: Hang, on a second. You can have Thomas Eisfeld for £420,000.
Wenger: Really? WOW!! OK, I will take him.
And thats how the very exciting transfer window grinded to a halt. We have an unknown midget from the minehouses of Dortmund, who will soon be bossing our midfield. Here's hoping we have unearthed a gem. Arsene Wenger certainly thinks so.
"Thomas is a player we have liked for some time.We've watched him closely this season, where he has excelled for Dortmund's youth team.He is young but has proven to us that he can play, that he has the attitude and technical ability to be a valuable addition to our squad."
Meanwhile, there were some players going out on loan for the rest of the season. Chuks Aneke extended his loan spell at Stevenage. Let's hope he can score the winner against Tottenham in the FA Cup 5th Round. Riyo Miyachi, a schoolboy a year ago, has been loaned out to tonight's opponents, Bolton. Let's hope he returns a Wilshere. Sanchez Watt, another youngster, who has spent spells at Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday, has joined FA Cup high-flyers Crawley Town. And there could be one more exit. Anzhi Makhachkala (hope I got that right) are keeping tabs on out-of-sorts Russian playmaker Andriy Arshavin. The Russian transfer window closes in 3 weeks time, giving them plenty of time to hammer out a deal.
Arshavin has a mixed time in the English capital. After sparkling performance for Russia in the European Championships in 2008, he was under the radar of various clubs across Europe, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. However, Arsenal was his destination as a last-second deal was clinched on February 2nd. His impact was instant. He scored a brilliant goal from a narrow angle against Blackburn Rovers and then was a crowd favourite after he put up a once-in-a-lifetime performance at Anfield, netting past Liverpool 4 times. In the 2009-2010 season, he was played as a striker in most of the games, thanks to the club's huge injury list. He further scored 12 goals and made 7 assists through the season.
Throughout the season, he was a popular figure in the English media. First, for his voice, where he was compared with a meerkat. And then, for his views on English weather and driving women. He despised the gloomy English weather as well as female hands behind a steering wheel.
His 3rd season, he will be fondly remembered for the winner against Barcelona, which came at the end of a well-worked move, and was probably Arsenal's best European performance in a long-long time.
But, this season had been the low-point for the burly Russian. He has looked completely out of sorts and the Emirates crowd has been unforgiving. There have been complaints about his willingness and his concentration. He has had the odd effort though, against Bolton (Carling Cup), Leeds and QPR, where did much of what was constructive. The lowest ebb came when he came on to replace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the match against Manchester United. A chorus of boos greeted him as he ambled his way on to the pitch. At that moment, I really felt for the guy. But, probably, a fresh challenge would do both, him and the club good.
Anyways, enough about Arshavin, for now. Arsenal welcomed back Coquelin, Arteta, Henry and Sagna back into the team against Aston Villa, after all suffered uneven times out in the physio room. Arteta will be the most important man back. He has been the fulcrum in the engine room and has been sorely missed in the defeats to Swansea and Manchester United. Sagna, who injured himself in the North London derby, back in October, is another player who has been sorely missed. His deputy, Carl Jenkinson, also fell prey to the injury monster. Wenger has since played Djourou, Coquelin, Koscielny and Yennaris at right-back, all to various success levels. Stability at that position is vital, and Sagna, who has been Arsenal's most consistent player, over the course of 4 seasons, provides exactly that. Also, Arsenal welcome back Kieran Gibbs, who has resumed training with the squad and should be fit for the Blackburn game over the weekend.
Staying in the physio room, Jack Wilshere suffered another 'setback', which could keep him out for another 6-8 weeks, or probably the end of the season. This is really bad news, and probably sparked the Eisfeld signing. Arsene Wenger had this to say on the young midfielders' setback.
"Jack is gutted. It is a massive disappointment, but I am really disappointed for him as well because he is a football animal. I am so sad that at that age you have to be out for such a long time with not any obvious reason. If you had told me that Jack would not have played one game by February, I would have said 'that is impossible'. We miss that little burst from Jack. Let's hope it goes well and we have good news from the specialists."
And while we are about it, Eisfeld is another injury-prone player. He had an extensive medical at the club, before he was signed, and also a training session, to monitor his fitness levels. He had suffered a horror injury to his anterior cruciate ligaments (whatever that is!) in 2009. All we can hope is he can keep himself fit and be a vital player for the team.
And yes, while we are still about it, I got an interesting stat online. Since August 2002, Arsenal has suffered 138 more injuries than Chelsea to first team squad members. In the same period, Arsenal has suffered 86 more injuries than Manchester United.
To what extent these stats are true, I have no idea. But, it does make you think what may be the reason. Is it bad luck or just that we sign injury-prone players, who suffer long times out in the primes of their career, and are not the same when they make their returns.
Moving, on the Aston Villa game has been one of the highlights of the season so far. 2-0 down at half-time and 3-2 up, in 16 minutes of the second half is no ordinary feat. So, what exactly might have ignited that comeback. There have been reports of the captain falling out with the manager after the Manchester United loss. But, van Persie was quick to dismiss them all. And, celebrations in the Villa game, have raised a suspicion or two. van Persie raced his way to celebrate his second goal with Thierry Henry, while he gave Wenger as much as a little look.
Yes, I am blowing things out of proportion here. Henry, Vermaelen and van Persie did have a word or two with the team, but that doesn't necessarily mean things are falling apart in the team. Arsene Wenger still reigns supreme and has a control over all things on the field. Theo Walcott revealed later, what van Persie's words were at half-time.
"Come on we want to win this trophy, we must win this game!"
And, supposedly, Wenger had this to say.
"You can feel sorry for yourself or show you have the mental qualities to play for this Club."
Walcott has been doing a lot of talking about winning a trophy for the fans. And that flukey goal over the weekend did the credentials no harm. Meanwhile, Robin van Persie escaped a possible match-ban after Villa boss Alex McLeish claimed he had elbowed his player, Carlos Cuellar. (Go, find yourself a different reason, McLeish!).
And, in other news, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been given the backing of Arsene Wenger, to be selected for England, for EURO 2012.
"You cannot rule it out – we will see in the next three months, If he does well, why not? It is not because you are young that you cannot play. We live in a world of immediacy.I would not have expected him to be so mature in September because he still looked like a boy.Now suddenly he looks like he can take pressure and that he has the personality to produce under pressure."
'The Ox' was thrown into the limelight in the disastrous mauling at Old Trafford, which I don't want to talk about. Since then, he has put on impressive displays, whenever he has played, scoring goals against Shrewsbury in the League Cup and Olympiakos in the Champions League; his most impressive performance coming in the 2-1 loss at home to Manchester United. He has drawn comparisons with England's best striker at the moment, Wayne Rooney, who is similiar in build and style of play.
Well, all's well that end's well, we are in the 5th Round of the FA Cup, and will face either Sunderland/Middlesbrough, away from home, on 18th February. The FA Cup seems to be Arsenal's best bet of a trophy this campaign, considering we are 18 points adrift of the leaders, and we will face Barcelona in the next round of the Champions League, should we ward off AC Milan (It's a conspiracy). With heavyweights Manchester City and Manchester United, both knocked out; the remaining giants Arsenal and Liverpool, along with Tottenham and Chelsea, are favorites to life the famous cup.
Moving on to the game tonight. Bolton will be particularly hard to beat, this time around. Last time, Arsenal trounced them 3-0, thanks to a red card brandished to Dave Wheater, in a game, in which van Persie scored his 100th Arsenal goal. Bolton went on a terrible run, and occupied the last spot in the league for long periods, but since the turn of the year, they have picked up vital results. They have beaten Everton and Liverpool in the league and ensured progress in the FA Cup with wins over Macclesfield and Swansea. Their last game against Liverpool was the best performance from the Trotters this season. Having lost to Manchester United, 3-0, just a week earlier, they put in a battling performance against the Reds.
This time round, the battle will be won in the midfield. Bolton captain Nigel Reo-Coker and Fabrice Muamba will look to cut all supply lines leading to van Persie, managed by Ramsey and Arteta. David N'Gog put in a good performance against his old club last week, but emulating it in this fixture will be hard for the inconsistent French striker. Bolton lost Gary Cahill to Chelsea, but have replaced him with Tim Ream from New York Red Bulls. He will, however not feature tonight, as he is back in the USA, sorting visa's. Bolton, will, in most probability, go with the same team that started last week.
Arsenal's leaky defence will be tightened with the returning Sagna, who is most likely to feature, at the expense of Coquelin. Arteta, will take his place in the centre of midfield alongside Ramsey, with Rosicky having to content with a place on the bench. There have been rumours of Wenger planning to give Ramsey a breather, which would, of course mean Rosicky will take his place.
Here is how the teams could line up.
Yesterday's results will give more impetus to Arsenal to collect a win. Chelsea extended the difference between themselves and the Gunners to 6 points, while Liverpool's win at Wolves means they leapfrog us to 5th place, 2 points ahead in the table.
Memories of last time will hopefully not hover this fixture. Tamir Cohen scored a 89th minute winner for Bolton, despite Arsenal dominating vast periods of the game. That loss scuppered any hopes of a league title.
Praying for 3 points.
Jai Arsenal 🙂


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Welcome to my Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote. See today's daily inspirational quotes below.
May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie
May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself. - Jonathan Lockwood Huie
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Thursday, April 17, 2014
Growing Up - Staying Young
The trick is growing up without growing old.
- Casey Stengel
Too many people grow up.
That's the real trouble with the world,
too many people grow up. They forget.
- Walt Disney
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
- e. e. cummings
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
- John Wooden
You grow up the day you have your first real laugh - at yourself.
- Ethel Barrymore
If we don't change, we don't grow.
If we don't grow, we aren't really living.
- Gail Sheehy
Don't go through life - grow through life.
- Eric Butterworth
Curiosity keeps one young - in thought and in action.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Further reading: How to Stay Young
Never Stop Learning
Staying Young
Never Too Old
Unstoppable Youth
The Power of Laughter
A Young Child
Posted by Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Labels: age, aging, Casey Stengel, e. e. cummings, Eric Butterworth, Ethel Barrymore, Gail Sheehy, grow up, growth, John Wooden, old, personal growth, stay positive, Walt Disney, young, youth
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|"Nymphéas" by Claude Monet
Basically, I am an art lover. I spend a lot of time in museums and galleries and art exhibits. Lucky me, I know. Sometimes when my life gets really hard, there is nothing more positive than thinking about a beautiful painting or a sculpture or... or... So many images, all of them arousing a torrent of passion. (It works so well for me and yes, I am this crazy!)
Some painters became my friends throughout my life. Friends as in
Anais Nin's quote: "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
I love Van Gogh. I love Hieronymus Bosch. I love Goya. I love El Greco and so many, so many others. Don't get me started!
But there is one painter I would spend so much time with and luckily I do spend a lot of time with him since he is French and you find a lot of his paintings in Paris.
I am pretty sure that as I write Claude Monet's name, a smile appears on your face.
Monet and Impressionism. Monet and his subtle touch on ephemeral colors, feelings... impressions... Claude Monet, one of France's most celebrated painters.
In 2010, there was a retrospective of his works at the Grand Palais in Paris. 900.000 people went there, sometimes queuing for hours to try to have a glance at paintings so famous and yet so fascinating.
I went there several times, being lucky enough to own a pass that allowed me to avoid the crowd, more or less. The exhibit closed in January 2011 but there are still a lot of Monet's paintings to be seen in Paris.
Go to Le Louvre, to Musée d'Orsay and to Musée Marmottan (dedicated to Monet and his Impressionists friends). Do not forget to spend some lovely and peaceful moments at the Musée de l'Orangerie, right in the Jardin des Tuileries. This is where you'll find the most impressive series of the Water Lilies (Nymphéas), offered by Monet to the French people as a whole. Nice gesture! Priceless paintings. Pure beauty.
But if you are staying a tiny bit longer in the Paris area, try to go to Giverny. It is a small village in Normandy, 80 kms west of Paris. You'll find how to get there on this page...
Why Giverny? Well, this is where Monet chose to live with his family in 1883 until his death in 1923. And this is where he had the famous pond with water lilies done.
The first time I went there I remember being quite surprised. The pond is quite small. The garden is not huge either... And then I realized why Monet was such a great painter. His Nymphéas paintings are boundless, true to the artist's infinite vision.
The house itself is lovely. A little bit surprisingly pink, considering the houses in the area but so lovely. Monet's paintings are all about color, aren't they. It is not possible to visit the whole house but the curators have opened a few rooms, enough to get a feeling of Monet's life there with his wife Camille and their two sons and Alice Hoschedé and her six children. Yellow walls. Blue gingham curtains. Shining copper kitchen utensils. Friendly and huge wooden kitchen table...
Do not expect to see real paintings on the walls. Copies only. Impressive number though. Who cares about seeing a real Monet's painting there though? Aren't we right in the heart of his paintings in Giverny?
After visiting the house, you follow the crowd through the garden which has been kept the way Monet designed it and you'll find in it all the flowers he kept painting...
Monet painting in his garden, surrounded by children shouting and laughing. Monet painting in his garden surrounded by friends, some of them very famous.
And then you get to the pond.
There are people all over the place and yet you feel so overcome by the atmosphere that you only hear peaceful chirping and you suddenly feel like Monet is so close to you, sitting by his easel, translating his impressions to the canvas. So real. Amazingly real because it is so easy to watch the pond and see the paintings.
I know I am a daydreamer. Maybe you'll only see the real water lilies and this will be great too because the pond is truly a bewitching place.
There is a flowering calendar of Monet's garden. It says that the nymphéas (water lilies) only start flowering in July. I have been there mid-June and they already were in full bloom.
Memories and pictures work so well in my life. Right now, I am in Brittany, weathering a tempest. The scenery is breathtaking. The wind is howling all around the house. No gulls in the sky. Hares, rabbits and birds are gone in hiding. From time to time, the rain lashes against the window panes.
But there I am in Giverny too, enjoying so much peace and quiet! So lucky. So happy.
|"Nymphéas" by Claude Monet
|"Nymphéas" by Claude Monet
*Good Luck, and Good Night*


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The staff at Kraft Cleaners would like to thank all our customers for a successful year and wish you and your families a very Happy Holiday Season.
How to Properly Store Summer Clothes
It's about time to switch out your summer wardrobe for something a bit warmer.
While you could simply leave your summer clothes in your closet, it's best to store them until you need them again.
Here are some tips on how to do this properly.
Clean Thoroughly
It's a good idea to have nicer summer clothes dry cleaned immediately before storing them. This will help to get rid of any dust, dust mites, allergens and pet hair that may have collected on them while in your closet or drawers.
Use an Appropriate Container
Bags and boxes degrade rapidly, are prone to developing holes and offer little protection against the elements. To make matters worse, it's easy for pests to get into them.
We recommend that you keep your summer wardrobe in a sturdy plastic storage box with a tight-fitting lid. Add a dryer sheet to help make them smell good as well as remove excess lint, hair and other unwanted debris.
Maximize Space
Fold them neatly in a way that takes up the least amount of space. Starting on one end of the container, pack them as tightly together as you can until you've filled it up. Make sure you don't over-stuff it, however, or the lid not fit.
As an extra precaution against pests, place mothballs inside the container. In addition, consider securing the edges where the lid meets the container with duct or packing tape.
Storing your summer wardrobe may seem like a simple process, but avoiding problems requires a lot of consideration. If you follow the above tips, your clothes should be good as new when you want them next summer.
How to care for your suit between dry cleaning visits.
To keep a suit looking its best between trips to the dry cleaners, here's a few tips that can help.
- Rotate your suits. Wearing the same suit over and over will cause it to show wear after a while.
- Use a steam cleanerto remove wrinkles before wearing. Set the steam to the lowest heat setting. This way you always appear freshly pressed without the added costs.
- Brush offany dirt or food particles that may be clinging to the suit after you wear it. Start by going against the grain of the cloth and use short, quick strokes. Finish with a second pass that goes with the nap.
- Allow your suit to hangfor a day or two on a good wood hanger after wearing it. This allows the material to recover and drape out most wrinkles between uses. Make sure all of the pockets are empty to avoid creating creases, or odd shapes in your suit.
- Cover it up. Use a cloth cover which allows air to still circulate through the suit even when its being stored.
Busted: 6 Dry Cleaning Myths You Were Wrong About from ABC News and 20/20.
"From garment bags to removing stains, here are some commonly held dry cleaning myths that "20/20" busted … "
A few more reasons to use Kraft Professional Cleaners to Dry Clean your favorite clothes
Technology: Kraft Professional Cleaners are on top of the latest cleaning and fabric technologies.
Value: Kraft Professional Cleaners provides good value to their customers through quality work, excellent customer service, and the extra free time to do the things they'd rather be doing instead of washing and ironing clothes.
Extend the life of your garments: Kraft Professional Cleaners can help extend the life of your clothes as frequent cleaning extends the life of a garment by removing stains and ground-in dirt and soils.
Odor removal: Kraft Professional Cleaners specializes in odor removal and flood and fire restoration of water- or smoke-damaged items.
Free Pick Up and Delivery: Kraft Professional Dry Cleaners is located in San Antonio, Texas. Offering FREE pickup and delivery to New Braunfels, Schertz, Alamo Heights, Dominion, TPC area, and many more. See why all of our customers in San Antonio and New Braunfels love our service. We take care of your dry cleaning like it's our own!
Free pick up and delivery is always a great reason to use Kraft Professional Cleaners
… here are a few more:
Moths: Clean clothes are the first step to preventing moth and other insect damage. Insects can damage clothes either directly or indirectly. Direct damage is caused by a group of insects feeding directly on a fabric. Indirect damage is caused when insects feed on spilled food or perspiration on the fabric. Moths attack the garment directly, especially wool and wool blends.
Neckties: Ties are often made of delicate fabrics (such as silk) and require special care. Whether you've spilled gravy on your favorite tie or are just looking to spruce it up, a high-quality dry cleaner is best equipped to clean it.
Stain removal: Dry cleaners use complex procedures and special stain removal chemicals to remove stains. Different stains require different treatments, which stain removal technicians are trained to administer. Why risk a disaster using an over-the-counter "all-purpose" stain removal product or trying a "home remedy" when you could rely on your drycleaner's expert removal abilities?
Preservation: Many dry cleaners specialize in the preservation of wedding gowns, christening gowns, and other family heirlooms. Preservation is a special type of storage that helps prolong the life of a garment for years and years. Cleaners often say that they aren't just preserving a customer's garment, they're preserving a memory.
Quality: This is what dry cleaning experts should provide and you should expect from them. Accept no less.
5 More Benefits of Dry Cleaning
Kraft Dry Cleaning shares 5 more reasons why you should dry clean your professional and casual clothes:
Laundry: Kraft Professional Cleaners has a commercial laundry department where we process shirts, cotton pants, and other items. With the convenience and superior level of pressing that comes with commercial laundry, it won't just be your dry clean-only clothes that look like a million bucks. Your business casual and casual attire will look their best, too.
Household textiles: Kraft Professional Cleaners doesn't just clean clothes. We also process household items such as blankets, comforters, decorative pillows, rugs, and even upholstery and draperies.
Inspection: Before we return a garment to you, we conduct an inspection to make sure your order has met expectations. If we spot a problem, the garment gets sent back to receive further attention. Safeguards like this help ensure that your clothes will look their best when we deliver them back to you.
Knowledge of fabrics and fashions: You may know what rayon, silk, and cotton are, but what about angora, faille or seersucker? There are numerous fabrics and fibers that dry cleaners must know about in order to care best for the clothes they receive. Each fabric can respond positively or negatively depending on the treatment administered.
Just right: That's how your clothes will look when you trust them to Kraft Professional Cleaners.
5 Benefits of Dry Cleaning
Alterations: one of the many services offered by many dry cleaners.
Buttons: repair loose buttons or sew on new ones, if necessary.
Convenience: Pickup and Delivery FREE from Kraft
Expertise: Dry cleaners have the expertise to clean your clothes right.
Dry cleaning/finishing: helps to return garments to a "like-new" condition get crisp, wrinkle-free, like-new appearance that can't be beat.
Let Kraft take care of your dry cleaning needs!
Happy 2016!!
We hope everyone is having a great year so far. Make your life easier this year by letting Kraft handle your dry cleaning. Call us to pick up your dry cleaning and we'll drop it back off right to your door, cleaned, pressed and ready to wear. Best of all, pickup and delivery is free!! Call Kraft today and take this chore off your list this year!
Happy Holidays
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their continued business! We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year!!
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Guitars and Life : I'm obsessed with music and guitars. This blog is the "guitar" blog with much stuff about music and guitars - my life and recovery blog is available at http://guitarsandlife.wordpress.com
Thursday, 23 August 2012
One of those days...
My daughter, like thousands of other 16 year olds, got her GCSE exam results today. 2 A*s, 9As and 2Bs.
:-) :-) :-)
Happy and proud to be her parent day!
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Difficult Decisions or just Hypocrisy
Some stuff in the news recently has had me thinking... where are things just difficult decisions that the people who have to make them have a very tricky course to steer and where there is no real "right" answer overall and where is there just plain hypocrisy.
Today I read that Tony Nicklinson has died. This poor man who was undoubtedly highly intelligent was left severely paralysed as the result of a stroke. He had campaigned for the "right to die" - essentially the issue being he couldn't kill himself as physically he could not administer the lethal injection or take the pills. Recently the High Court ruled that if he asked his family or a doctor to carry this out they could still be prosecuted for murder. It seemed on face value an absurd ruling, this clearly intelligent man who had thought it all through and who was clearly suffering psychologically due to his physical condition simply wanted his wishes to be carried out. If he could have killed himself he would have but he was unable to. In the end an infection and his refusal to take food meant he now has passed away and his wishes regarding resuscitation have been respected as they should be and his death was by natural causes. However I can't criticise the judges in this case - firstly they don't make the law, parliament does, they interpret that and adjudicate but murder is murder there was no blurring in their view. I support the decision however painful for Mr Niklinson as I can see the issues it may bring up - ensuring that the person is fully compos mentis when they make that decision, there is no duress being brought to bear on the individual etc. etc. If this is to be a "right" in future we need all those kind of things thought through and a public debate through parliament on whether as a nation we do agree with it or not. Mr Niklinson's legacy may well be that we do indeed have that national debate, sadly you can today rightfully say that will be too late for him. So this is a decision, in my opinion, where for the judges making it there was no "right" answer frankly - I'm glad I was not in their shoes.
Now Mr Assange - is it right for the UK to be sabre rattling over his being granted asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy? Are the charges Sweden true or not? Who knows, if we don't get a trial little chance of ever knowing the truth. Is he right to be afraid? Possibly. Does he have the right to ask for asylum in the way he has? Compare this with the Pussy Riot protest and trial in Russia and the condemnation that the UK government has levelled at the Russians about freedom of speech. Just for a moment think on this... let us say that as a protest against the monarchy the Sex Pistols had reformed, stormed into Westminster Abbey and thundered out a performance of their 1977 anti-royalist anthem "God Save The Queen" on the day of the recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Or more believable young black rap artist today jumped up on the alter of St Paul's performing an anti-government rap littered with obscenities. Would we expect these people to be arrested and prosecuted? At least with something along the lines of breach of the peace? I doubt very much that nothing would be done. Heck not that long ago St Paul's was in court trying to evict peaceful demonstrators in tents outside the building from its environs. We shout for freedom of speech; we decry rigid clampdowns on anti-establishment protest in countries we have a historical philosophical beef with but seem in the next sentence to be similarly vindictive against people who lead protest against our own establishment. Are these tricky decisions or just hypocrisy?
Sunday, 19 August 2012
We've been on holiday... to the Cotswolds. Finding little places like this.
Big places like this
And lots of things like this... the girls weren't so keen on the trains for some reason!
An old fashion family holiday for us, although with the additional of Girlfriend-of-son-of-Furtheron (GOSOF - that doesn't work!). We stayed in a farm converted into holiday cottages which was lovely but in the middle of nowhere, seriously to get a phone signal required gymnastics in the rafters. I didn't realise how quiet it was until lying in bed this morning in our little quiet suburban street I wanted to scream out the window at the cars and planes and people on the way to the shop to shut the hell up!
I'd love to live in Bath I think, really lovely place. Still back to the grindstone now... Sorry I'll drop by blogs as I catch up with life!
Sunday, 12 August 2012
So proud
Last night like many millions sat, then stood and shouted and cheered as "little Mo" ran to victory in the 5km to get the distant double gold. A fantastic achievement by any standards.
However what makes me so proud was that Mo came to this country as a refugee and last night Britain showed our true side as a multi-cultural nation. As Mo knelt and prayed after his run and 80,000 cheered the roof off what more needed to be said. An Islamic refugee national hero.
Britain - I love you.
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
It all seems to be 50... and what I am grateful for.
I read a couple of blog posts about loneliness today. Interesting isn't it that we live in a world where we can all stay connect much better than we ever used to - we were trying to explain to the kids how my wife and I kept in touch when we were courting... er we met each other! We did luckily have phones at home, we got one when I was about 16 I think - honestly up until then I'd have to use the pay phone over the road on the little green. But it is interesting that I think loneliness is on the increase despite all this. My daughter have 100s of "friends" on Facebook and Twitter - but truth is she doesn't know hardly any of them. On here many people read and comment and I have a blog roll I visit, people I find interesting or we have a common bound, sometimes music, often recovery.
So what am I grateful for - my family for a start and my wife. I'm never lonely as I have that basis for a start. I have a load of friends in AA, I may not spend a lot of time with them socially outside the rooms (some do) but truly they are great friends.
My wife has been organising a bit of a do for my impending 50th - in the end the venue moved from home to a pub she knows that has a function room. There is a sense of irony that a recovering alcoholic has his do in a pub, but many of those coming can drink safely and sanely - although I almost guarantee the noisiest most boisterous lot will be the AA members there! Anyway - the room has a capacity limit... near 50... It is all 50 at the moment.
Friday, 3 August 2012
Gigs Galore
Several are open mic nights but I'm planning to get there early and get a slot and see how it goes. Also I've been asked to play a Songwriters Showcase at Canterbury which I'm really looking forward to as it'll be my first gig as a 50 year old!
All up at my music site for info.
Book reviews - Code to Zero & Warlord
Super read this one. Great cold war thriller with some terrific twists in it and good characters as well. The novel starts with a man waking in a public toilet in a railway station in Washington in the late 1950's. He has lost his memory entirely. You follow him trying to figure out who he is. Once in learns that though soon he knows someone wiped his brain and is still chasing him. Soon figuring out friend from foe and why this is happening now is a complex picture. It turns out he is a rocket scientist, one of the best and has been working on the USA programme to get its first satellite into space. His amnesia must be something to do with this. But what? Is he the spy or it is the spy who has done this to him? Throughout the plot in the present of him trying to find who he is and why this may have been done to him you are given various flash backs with the main characters allowing you to slowly piece his past together at the same time the character is trying to as well.
Top book well written, a good story line, characters & twists and a tense climax. Complete double thumbs up on the FITUBRS scale.
Warlord by Angus Donald
The forth in the series of books inspired by the Robin Hood legend. I've covers these in other reviews before here and here at least... I like these series of books and found Warlord being downloaded to my Kindle on the day of release automatically from my pre-order - clever that (I know I'm supposedly an IT professional, honestly though folks it is getting on for at least 20 years since I really did anything technical, but this new found stuff just amazes me at times!). Ok to recap all books are written from the point of view of Alan Dale, he of the old legends who as a boy joins Robin's band of thieves and outlaws when rescued from the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.. yes yes you all know the stories. However in Angus's version Robin becomes a knight of repute standing alongside King Richard on his crusade and now in this novel in his fight in France against King Philip for the return of lands taken from English hold. By this book Alan is a full knight who is betrothed to his love. However life isn't smooth for Alan, firstly he has to do as Robin and the King bid, largely gory battles in France and also the need to discover more about his heritage and his father's death. He father was hanged by the Sheriff of Nottingham but he's died with only telling Alan a tantalising fact that he had been ordered to kill his father by a mystery man. So when not slaughtering the French Alan is in France tracing his father's early life. He discovers who is his nemesis and why and a good adventure all around follows, with excellent weaving of the fictional and legendary Robin Hood characters around the factual campaigns of Richard the Lionheart. I also find out that Mr Donald had a similar childhood library to me - he recalls a Ladybird book about Richard the Lionheart - I remember that but think maybe my brother or a friend had it... however I devoured many times the Silver Arrow a Robin Hood adventure that was in the old book cupboard in our hallway. I've looked on line and it'll cost me nearly £20 to relive my childhood now... damn should have held on to all that "tute" as Mrs F calls it :-)
I will say it is a double thumbs up on the FITUBRS scale again from Angus (have to be good - last time he came and sort out the review here!) No honestly highly recommended if you love this kind of historical adventure. Now stop reading now to avoid a serious plot spoiler!
My kids noticed a long time ago that many of the books I read had Templars in them or the Holy Grail ... often both. To date this series has only featured Templars in the periphery as they were on the crusade etc. but this time they feature more heavily and guess what... the grail appears! Hooplar!!! The kids were ecstatic when I told them - well er no actually their eyes rolled and some muttering about every book I read having these two themes... untrue... a good percentage maybe but not every one!
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Isolation vs Integration
So here I am in the "new" job... I've put the quotes there as actually I've been here over 10 months now and rapidly it'll be a year so is it still "new"? It feels it to me. And there in lies a crux of issues that have been assailing me of late. Let me throw a bunch of things at you... culture, complexity, change, commitment, belonging...
A little history lesson. I worked at the same place from 1991 - 2010 until I was made redundant, something I was happy about at the time, that old place was on a downward spiral and my mojo had decidedly left me and I found myself regularly the harbinger of bad tidings "We tried that three times before and it failed due to a, b, c etc.". I needed to get out and get a change. After 7 months not working I got a job with a small consultancy firm - I didn't mind the work and the fact that as a consultant you go into somewhere and can be extremely focused, most of the everyday stuff is just not relevant or of interest to you. However I really really hated the life out of a suitcase not at home except at weekends flavour of life so after 7 months there I was looking for a local job, I found one with a respected company in it's field and was going to start there when another job I'd applied for just before the other one fell in my lap - I was stunned it is with a prestigious institution in the heart of London and frankly I never expected to get the job. I took that job instead and here I am...
When I joined I knew that the department I'm in was in a massive period of change, essentially 2 or 3 departments all joining together and a root and branch organisational change under-way. I joined in the middle of this and it wasn't pleasant, the culture of the organisation is a bit "job for life", there is a relatively very low turnover of staff and due to a union dominated employer/employee relationship change takes a very long time and is frequently disrupted by the unions. I understand some of why they do this, however it angered me at the time I joined. Due to some logistical issues I was initially put in an office that was not with people I closely worked with, they were in another office block. The reorganisation look longer than planned/hoped and it wasn't until April this year I was really in place in the job and we only located all together a month ago in a new office block. The whole change process is still ongoing and much is still being said of transition rather than normalisation.
I realised - or rather I've been burying from my conscious focus! - through another blogger that my actions have been isolationist not one of integration. I frequently lunch alone, reading books/blogs at that time - it has become "me time". Maybe not a bad thing, but hasn't helped my feeling of belonging a part of here. Also the institution is large, it doesn't have the normal structures you may be used to in a corporate world (where I've spent most of my working life) the whole thing is effectively a group of alliances to a brand but more on a sort of franchise basis than a wholly owned subsidiary. This again makes understanding the politics, the drivers, the real objectives very difficult to grasp - a very senior may say something about policy or strategy but really they have little direct authority to implement that completely they have to sell, cajole, entice others to that view point, all the time remembering that some of those they need to influence have the option of taking a large chunk of the organisations prestige, funding etc. with them if they decided that they didn't like that direction and would be better served in another similar institution. The complexity is frankly baffling - I have found it a very hard environment to get my head around I can say. The politics are just too complex to say and the lack of cohesive communications and conflicting prioritisations and decisions too numerous to keep track of.
So I find myself regularly faced with all the above and soldier on trying to affect some little part of my activities to be seen as a successful contributor to the overall. I have to say though I'm struggling with the commitment to it, I keep thinking that the level of energy especially emotionally that I have to put in to dealing with the above is not worth the effort really.
Now before people leap in with comments about leaving the job - I know all that etc. I'm make one observation, my wife often says "You'll never be happy where you work". Frankly, she has a fair point, I've always bitched about it, always taken probably too much to heart my need to be seen as this or that or the other and to deliver what I believe is the right result and my vision of my expectations it probably far too high to be healthy. I come back to the AA thing about acceptance. It is a good job, a very good job, with a very respected employer, in fact the place is pleasant to work in the majority of the time, the people nice enough it is just me wanting the unobtainable.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Best bit of the Olympics so far...
Anyway the best bit for me so far was the Men's 200m Butterfly final. Phelps beaten at his last meeting in an event he has not been beaten in for 11 years - and in the last few cms as well. Amazing. Then the BBC interview live with his overcome Dad was just pure TV gold, hats off to the BBC for doing that - I doubt a non public funded broadcaster would have taken the risk.
The BBC has a great story about it. Watch the race then the interview which is on there as well...


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I really do appreciate the time you take to read my ramblings here at A Week by the Bay. Looking back at the weeks passed and the subsequent writings from those moments, it's been a blessing to figure how to combine all these events and my passion for writing into one space. I find that some essays are redundant and I've overexcited myself over commonplace things such as $3 water or terrible guys in San Francisco, and so in spite of all these ridiculous details, I thank you all!
You can always stay tuned for what's to come in 2016 by here, and also:
And maybe this will be my only year in San Francisco– perhaps there shall be many more. But wherever I end up in this next year, and in spite of what I shall be doing professionally, just know that here I shall remain, always, for as the way to this blog says it all: Paris Kim is a Writer.
Happy New Year!!