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I was asked to write an article for the YES newsletter on networking, then Andrea suggested a Valentine's edition would be better suited to love. Oh yes, a topic I'm an expert on!?! So I thought I'd write about the kinds of people that we all know, who are close to us and you might even recognise a little bit of yourself.
Check out the current Yes Group Newsletters
I also had a film review for Slumdog Millionaire published in the Coaches Community Newsletter last month as well.
Who are the kinds of people that we all like to know and meet, who are closest to us and single? Are they like you?
There are so many brilliant people in the personal development world and I'm sure it would be easy enough to just hook them all up. Networking and meeting other singles can't be an issue, as you're already out of your house and talking to people. Most of you don't even need an excuse to high five or hug someone!
Now I know most of you don't go to networking events to specifically meet your partner, more likely to get away from the one at home… just kidding. If you aren't getting out often enough, come on over to the next YES group or crash a birthday party, a hobby of mine now!
What are the date's that most singles dread, due to peer pressure and society of course. Would it be Christmas and New Year? Birthday's? Or Valentines Day!? Some of the ladies I know shudder at the thought of being single over that period. Will their coupled up friends ask what plans they have, with the reply being another 'too busy for a relationship' excuse!
Many people I know in the personal development world have moved on from their 'old' lives and friends and now prefer the company of a new peer group on their level of understanding. They've discovered themselves and are looking for someone to complement them. Yes it's good to be comfortable in your own skin and around yourself, so why not be yourself around other people as well and maybe that special somebody. Or are you waiting for that perfect person to walk into your life? They might already be there under your nose and you've not taken the time to get to know them. Saying you've altered your old paradigms is not the same as taking action and proving it.
Are you one of those people that can't move on from a relationship that is clearly over, where you feel the need to be in a relationship because you think you can't survive alone? Or someone who gets so close and then sabotages it on purpose because they're scared of commitment? Not wanting to get too involved, as you've only ever know how to live by yourself?
Have these attitudes been serving you or is it time for a change now.
It's easy to get into a comfort zone as we all know, life is on the edge and on the other side of that zone. Even if you stretch it just a little, you'll have more options open to you.
Do you hope the stars are going to offer you a break or are you going to have to make it happen? If you've been waiting a while for the universe to deliver, when are you going to accept the opportunities already present.
Have you heard the story of the person in a boat, lost in the ocean. They pray for God to rescue them. Soon a rescue plane comes but the person waves them off and says 'It's okay God will save me.' Then comes a boat and a helicopter but they all get the same response. When they die and get to heaven, the person cries out to God, 'Why didn't you save me?' God says, 'Didn't you see the plane, boat and helicopter I sent?'
What more do you want, it is up to you to say YES! God helps those that helps themselves.
Are you not 'seeing' the people that are already in your life. Are you waiting for them to be part of your past; or would you prefer them to be part of your future?
Maybe you are wondering what other people will say or think. You want to act cool in front of your friends and seek approval. Whilst you're over in their head space, who is in yours? Does it really matter what someone else's opinion of you might be, constantly trying to please others. Wouldn't it be better to live your life the best way that you want!
You'll know whether someone might be the right person by the way that you feel about them when you meet or talk. Instead of waiting till later or next time, seize the once in a lifetime opportunity to say hi and exchange numbers if you hit it off. There may be other people you could meet in the future, but you have to remember you live in the now. And this now is never to be repeated, do you really want to miss out? They could step out the door and meet someone else, where is your later then!
When someone meets another person in their life, they have a chance to say something and a choice to make, whether this is going to be a moment that you might learn from (and live happily ever after for those that like fairy tales) or potentially regret months or years from now. People will keep turning up in your life, you will get 'better' offers BUT you won't get that same offer again, it is up to you to decide what you do.
As time moves on, you see a potential partner happy with someone else now. They might be happily married, with kids and it is too late to turn back the clock. They may have grown to be the person that you could now possibly get along with, not having given them a chance before.
These are the choices you made and it could have been decisions in the past that are showing up again in the present. Maybe they're just showing up as a reminder to you, to change your ways.
Are you going to make the same choices again, to have the same results show up in your future or are you going to take a risk and give that someone, who's momentarily turned up in your life now, a chance… Instead of replaying your old programs and beliefs, how about playing 'what if' – "what if this could be a moment to move my life forward in the direction I want." "What if this person is the right one for me." Find out. Do you want to look back at your life with regrets and wonder about those decisions that could have been the 'what if' – I didn't think so.
Stop making excuses or looking for the worst case scenario (I'll just get my heart broken again crap) and step out and take control of your life. Organise to meet up for a coffee, agree to go on a date, do something crazy and fun, no matter where it might lead. You might just become good friends or end up going somewhere you've never even been before!
And you're not really giving that somebody a chance to be happy with you; the person that you're really giving a chance to be happy is yourself!
Don't be just a footnote in someone's story, be a whole chapter; even better still, write your own!
The future is still unwritten, get writing your story now, the way that you want it to be…
Remember "Life's for sharing" – who is that special someone you are going to share it with? 🙂
This Valentines Day I was at another Personal development seminar with great people at Play To Win .


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Yup, yet another roast chicken recipe. This one turned out particularly well, thanks in part to the fresh chicken from Kaufmann Poultry at the West Side Market. Check out a more detailed step-by-step at my recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken.
The beet, giblet, barley and goat cheese salad was also delicious. The beets (also from West Side Market) were fresh and delicious and paired beautifully, as most people know, with the goat cheese. I loved the flavor with the giblets – it was decadent and rich – but served them separately since Zak wanted no part of the offal meat and he liked his version as well.
Herb Roasted Chicken with Beet, Giblet, Barley and Goat Cheese Salad
Herb Roasted Chicken¹:
1 Jonathan red apple, quartered
1 large parsnip, roughly chopped
1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
5 small cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 cups curly leaf parsley, including stems, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
2-3 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbs. Brummel & Brown
1 tbs. fresh curly leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
To begin, in a medium or large saucepan heat roughly half of the water necessary for the final brining solution over medium-high heat until it reaches a simmer. A little at a time, add kosher salt and sugar while whisking until dissolved. It may be necessary to add more water to the saucepan in order to dissolve all of the salt and sugar. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, transfer the water, plus any additional water according the measurements above, to a container large enough to hold the brining solution and chicken. This can be done in a large ziplock bag, though I prefer to use a large stock pot
Add all other brine ingredients and allow brining solution to cool to room temperature, placing solution in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes if necessary. Once the solution is room temperature or cool to the touch, add the chicken to the solution. Place the chicken in the refrigerator and let soak in brining solution about one hour per pound (round up to the nearest hour).
Remove chicken from brining solution by straining through a colander. Make sure you save all brining ingredients. Dress the chicken with apples, parsnip, onion, garlic and parsley by shoving deep into the cavity. Allow the chicken to rest overnight, at least 18 hours, resting on a roasting rack. This allows most of the moisture to evaporate from the skin of the chicken, which will result in a crispier skin (my favorite part!).
Preheat oven to 475°.
Remove chicken from refrigerator and place on a baking dish on top of a roasting rack.
Combine all ingredients for herb-"butter" and stir thoroughly to combine. Rub bird all over with herb-"butter," including under skin and inside cavity. Place chicken in preheated oven on center rack. Roast at 475° for 15 minutes or until skin is light golden brown. After 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350°. Roast chicken roughly 20 minutes per pound (rounding up to nearest pound), or until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken's thigh reads 185º. If chicken becomes overly brown, tent with a piece of tinfoil.
When fully cooked, remove chicken from oven and cover with tinfoil. Rest 15-20 minutes, which will allow juices to redistribute and result in a tender, juicy bird.
Beet, Giblet, Barley and Goat Cheese Salad:
1 package giblets and neck, silvery skin removed from gizzard, if included
2 tbs. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup 1% milk
3-4 medium beets, scrubbed clean
1/2 cup pearled barley, rinsed
2 cups homemade vegetable stock, divided
2 tbs. curly leaf parsley, roughly chopped
3 tbs. goat cheese
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Oven should be preheated to 350º for chicken above.
Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in 10″ cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken giblets with kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and dried thyme. Add chicken giblets and sauté until lightly browned on all sides.
Add milk and reduce heat to low. Cover pan and maintain at barely a simmer for 1 1/2 hours until giblets are tender. Let cool and finely chop. [Note: The milk in which these are simmered makes a divine white gravy. Reserve this and thicken it with a touch of cornstarch mixed with water to make a really beautiful biscuits and gravy or sauce for pretty much any meat.]
Roll out two large sheets of tinfoil (about six inches long) and place them on top of one another. Place beets on center of sheet and drizzle with 1 tbs. of olive oil, making sure beets are evenly coated. Create a tinfoil packet for the beets by folding the top layer of tinfoil lengthwise, folding the edges over, and crimping. Repeat with the bottom layer of tinfoil. Just in case, place on a baking sheet to catch drippings. Place beet package in oven and roast roughly one hour. When cooked, a knife will be easily inserted into the largest part of the beet.
Meanwhile, bring 2 cups homemade vegetable broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pearled barley and reduce heat to a maintain a steady simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes until pearled barley is cooked through.
When beets are fully cooked, remove tinfoil packet from oven and carefully open (there will be steam, so watch out). Pour olive oil, which should be infused with a lovely red from the beet into a small mixing bowl and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, slip off skin of beet. Slice into 1/4″ discs. You may want to use a pair of latex gloves so as not to stain your fingers.
On a large serving platter, place pearled barley topped with beets, parsley and large pinches of goat cheese. I served the giblets separate since Zak wasn't eating them.

subset: commoncrawl


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On October 2nd I featured this awesome interview with my friend Jodi McKee (click here to read her spotlight from 2010). In this interview, Jodi eloquently discussed the experience of being pregnant and chronically ill - an important perspective for all of us who might start a family someday.
In October I also wrote about "IBD Icons", a national contest aimed at celebrating the achievements of those living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Renowned American Idol Contestant Casey Abrams partnered up with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) to bring us this unique awareness campaign. For every vote cast, Janssen Biotech, Inc. generously donated $1 to the CCFA for research and education.
I had the unique opportunity of interviewing Katie Jeter-Boldt, a finalist from Kansas City, Missouri. The winners of IBD Icons have been announced and I'm excited to report that Katie was one of two winners!! The 2011 IBD Icons are Doug Yakich and Katie Jeter-Boldt! On December 4, 2011 Casey Abrams recognized the winners onstage at a concert to kick off the Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon and ½ Marathon to benefit CCFA.
Congratulations Katie!!
Keep up the incredible work; you're living proof that anything is possible not despite, but perhaps BECAUSE of chronic illness...


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...The latest twist in the plot comes from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, where scientists working in the lab have found a link between the health of hives and the diversity of plants on which bees forage for food.
Although the finding needs to be confirmed in field trials - which the team is hoping to instigate - the indication is that a diet of diverse pollen gives the bees the amino acids they need to synthesise their full panoply of chemical defences against pathogens.
A reasonable hypothesis, then, would be that if you put your bees to work pollinating one particular crop all summer and feed them on one particular food all winter, such as corn syrup - as is the practice in US commercial hives - they're going to fall like insects out of the sky when an unpleasant disease comes along.Along with that goes the notion that if you lose a diversity of wild plants, you'll begin to impact wild bees. (The reverse may also apply, a little more intuitively.)
A recent study using records kept by amateur naturalists in the UK and the Netherlands suggests that the diversity of bees and flowers have been declining at similar rates for more than a century - a conclusion that could suggest the causes are intertwined.
If a monoculture diet was the only issue, perhaps it wouldn't matter; perhaps the insects would survive.
But add in a lack of genetic diversity among commercial stocks, the use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals to which they may be somewhat sensitive, changes to the availability of water brought about by everything from man-made climate change to dams, the greater mix of pathogens that commercial bees must encounter as the hives travel from one workplace to the next, the declining extent of "natural" habitat for wild bees, and so on and so on and so on - and once again, "everything" becomes a reasonable suspect.
If this is right - and other branches of the natural world such as coral reef ecosystems are also under multi-frontal attack - it raises a pretty obvious problem: how do you combat "everything"?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Disappearing Bees and Frogs and...
New research on bee colony collapses, which have accelerated and expanded over the past five years, suggests the culprit is indeed us, but in more complex ways than previously thought. If the researchers are right, this lends new significance and urgency to biodiversity conservation policy. Richard Black at the BBC:
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EDMONTON — He'll wear a mic but Mike Reilly might not have much to say Saturday when the Edmonton Eskimos host the Toronto Argonauts.
Edmonton (9-8) will know long before kickoff the relative importance of its regular-season finale. The contest will mean nothing if Winnipeg defeats the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night because that would leave the Eskimos fourth in the West Division and visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Division semifinal.
If Ottawa wins, the Eskimos could finish third in the West with a win over Toronto. That would force Winnipeg to head to Hamilton as the crossover squad.
But if there was nothing on the line, chances are Eskimos head coach Jason Maas would play Reilly sparingly against Toronto, limiting on-field insight he could provide.
Not surprisingly, though, Maas wouldn't say who he might rest Saturday.
"I don't have to say anything right now," he said. "We'll put out the best roster that we need to put out there.
"We want to win the ball game no matter who's out there."
However, Reilly, the CFL passing leader (5,554 yards) wants to play regardless.
"I want to play the game, the whole game," he said. "I don't want to come out for a single snap.
"I want to play every pre-season game, I want to play every post-season game and every game in between. That's how I prepare every single week. Until I'm told differently I'll still prepare that way but those are decisions that are above my head."
Last month, the CFL fined Edmonton $20,000 and Maas $15,000 for refusing to wear live microphones Oct. 10 during a 40-20 road win over the Montreal Alouettes. The Eskimos later apologized.
The league added if Maas refused to wear a live microphone again, he'd receive "the maximum fine allowable" and be suspended for Edmonton's next game, which in this case would be a first-round playoff contest.
The live mic games are being promoted as a way for fans to hear interactions between coaches and quarterbacks. They were mandated by the league's board of governors and agreed to by all teams.
Reilly and Maas decided against being mic'd up against Montreal because it made them feel uncomfortable. But Reilly will wear one against Toronto.
"It's a situation (now) that I'm comfortable with doing it," he said. "But again that doesn't mean that's how it will be in the future.
"No matter how much anybody wants to act like that's a rule you have to follow, we have a CBA and it protects us and it specifically states we have the choice. Maybe that was not known by some people earlier but that's the reality."
Reilly said another concern he had initially was exposing fans to the sometimes salty language that's spoken on the field.
"I'm colourful on the field and that honestly was one of my major concerns," Reilly said. "I have a lot of faith in TSN ... they've proven to me in the past they're not going to make the player look bad in terms of the heat of the moment you're saying stuff.
"It will be in the back of my mind but again when you're on the field you've got to play how you play because that's what makes you the player you are."
Toronto (5-12) is playing for next year having dropped six straight and 10 of their its 11 games. Veteran Ricky Ray will make his 200th career start and look to improve to 3-3 against his former team.
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Ray began his CFL career with Edmonton in 2002 and led the Eskimos to two Grey Cup wins before being dealt to Toronto prior to the 2012 campaign. Ray has amassed a 103-95-1 career record but injuries have limited to just eight starts this season (3-5).
"We're just trying to play our best football," he said. "That's all we can do each week regardless of the situation, just go out there and try and play our best game.
"I'm looking for us to go out and execute, make plays on offence and score some points."


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Namaste friends...
I need your opinions on how I should place the gods & goddesses on my altar. I'm gonna be moving into my own apartment soon & I plan to have a nice 3 tier altar in the living room. Currently, as I'm still staying with my parents. My altar is in my bedroom using a long bookshelf so all my gods & goddesses are sort of on same level.
Currently, I have Laxmi, Ganesha, Saraswati & my wife who prays to Buddha intends to have Ma Kali in the new house. My wife is Thai & in Thai's way of setting up the altar, Buddha should be on top tier. But as a devotee of the great Mother, somehow i feel different about it.
Maybe I'm wrong in my perception, therefore need some opinions from you guys.
Thank you.
Om Shanti


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Brandon House Hotel and Solas Croi Spa
New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland
Property Type:Hotel
Phone number:+353 51 421703
Check In after 15:00
Check Out before 12:00
The Brandon House hotel and Solas Croí Eco Spa is conveniently situated on the N25 in historical New Ross, nestled between Wexford and Waterford. With easy access to some of the best beaches Ireland has to offer, and a wide selection of child friendly activities, this four star old country house is ideal for anything from short breaks, to long leisurely rests. It is a true haven for the weary traveller, pampering the spirit and providing enjoyment for all the family


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Being a parent, having to comprehend your desires for your children and their disability makes up for intellectual and emotional efforts in order to adjust to the situation. That is why Kids S.P.O.T. is open to give a positive and life-changing experience for you and your child.
We focus on providing outpatient rehabilitative care to children with learning delays or developmental disabilities. We live by our commitment and goal to help your precious little ones reach their full developmental potential through improving their health and body function, thus, giving them a higher level of independence and quality of life.
As such, we make sure that you take part in your child's development for a better patient outcome by becoming your partner throughout this entire journey.


text: So it was the first time I was travelling alone and coming from Lahore to Dammam after the end of semester.I was so excited to meet my parents and siblings that I did all my packing two days before going. Moreover I reached airport 3 hours before the flight timings.However the weather was foggy and I had a feeling hat something wrong will happen and it did. t 7 pm there was an announcement that come to gate no.24 where we were informed that due to the foggy weather, he plane was unable to land and instead it has now gone to Karachi so kindly either go home or wait if you want to get a hotel.I felt so sad as it meant to live one more day without my mom 😦 Anyhow because the hostel was entirely empty as everyone has already left for their homes so I had no other option but to take hotel. Worse still there were very few ladies and the rest were men.Also most of the ladies did not even knew Urdu properly but thankgod I met two girls in the car on our way to the airport which provided me with the confidence.Finally we arrived in the 'Crown Plaza Hotel' which was a lot better than I expected.Never the less the dinner was not free and then I bought a burger of 45o rupees which did not taste so good.I was so sleepy but the two girls and I talked till the morning and then they took us to the airport at 8 am.Just imagine that we had to sit in the airport for almost 8 hours.I felt that today even we wont be able to go and finally the staff announced at 4;30 in the afternoon that your flight is ready to depart. This announcement gave me immense joy as finally I would be able to go back home for 3 weeks.It was a 5 hours long flight almost which ended my journey and I came to Saudia Arabia.I really wish that there is no such problem or fog when I go back to Lahore.


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David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
20 Lincoln Center Plaza
January 5-7, $22-$167
Shanghai Dance Theatre makes its New York debut January 5-7 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center with Soaring Wings, an evening-length celebration of harmony about the "bird of good fortune," the Japanese crested ibis. Set to traditional Chinese music, the environmentally conscious work celebrates the interdependence between nature and humanity, building the theme around the rediscovery of ibises in Shaanxi Province in 1981, thought to be in extinct in China and Japan as the result of twentieth-century modernization. Presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group as part of its Image China program, which began in 2009 "as a bridge of cultural exchanges between China and other countries," Soaring Wings features more than two dozen dancers, including principals Zhu Jiejing and Wang Jiajun. Zhong Jiani's lush, elegant costumes bring the endangered species to beautiful life; the show is written by Luo Huaizhen, with music by Guo Sida, direction and choreography by Tong Ruirui, lighting by Xing Xin, makeup by Xu Bin, and props by Li Hongchao. The award-winning Shanghai Dance Theatre, which was founded in 1979 and melds Chinese classical dance with ballet and folk traditions, has been traveling the world with Soaring Wings and such other productions as Fragrance, so its New York debut is greatly anticipated.
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Report: Minnesota Vikings Trade No. 3 Pick To Cleveland Browns
The Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns will swap the Nos. three and four pick of the first round, with the Browns moving up a spot, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports.
Nothing has been officially announced, but Glazer is reporting that the Browns were concerned that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were attempting to move up and take their top pick.
Reports earlier indicated that the Minnesota Vikings' top pick was defensive back Morris Claiborne out of LSU.


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Daimler has been behind its major rivals in China, the largest vehicle market in the world. In fact, it sold just 228,000 cars in China in 2013, compared to Audi's almost 492,000 and BMW's over 362,000 deliveries. To catch up and even surpass them, Daimler is doing what was once regarded as unthinkable for the German carmaker – allowing access to new Mercedes-Benz models and suiting engines to Chinese regulations.
The carmaker's continued lag in China has been attributed to it doubts over the sustainability of growth in the country. Likewise, German labor union has been putting up strong resistance to shifting output from Daimler's Sindelfingen plant.
Also, Daimler had been very wary of sharing technological know-how over concerns of piracy. But now Chinese authorities have taken significant steps to crack down on copyright violations, Daimler has become more lenient in popping the hoods of its vehicles for them.
Likewise, Daimler executives have realized that closer cooperation is the best option to take if they want to catch up with Audi and BMW in China, which has been growing substantially through the years. In fact, Daimler is commencing production of its new-generation C class both in China and Germany.
In the past, Daimler would delay production in China by months. Daimler's joint venture with Beijing Automotive Group Co., Beijing Benz Automotive Co. (BBAC), is currently constructing a new production line for the Mercedes GLA compact.
Before the joint venture could the C class and the GLA, it must have models must undergo a 160,000km emission durability test and a regulation test with Chinese authorities – processes that may take up to a year.
The processes also entail allowing Chinese officials to take samples of components and make detailed measurements. Rene Reif, head of engineering and manufacturing at Beijing Benz, remarked that "to put it bluntly," Daimler is transferring know-how. [source: automotive news - sub. required]


text: Field Trips Field Trips Field Trips Add-Ons More Testimonials More Guided Programs More Educational Resources More Preparing for your trip More If you are interested in scheduling a group visit, contact our Tour Services Coordinator at 608-264-6557. We will work with you to identify your group needs and tailor a program to enhance your Museum visit. Availability Field trips are available year-round. Cost Student $5 Additional adults $5 Teachers Free Reduced Fee Qualifications Schools with a 50 percent or greater economic disadvantage rate, as determined by the Department of Public Instruction, may qualify for reduced rates. Curriculum Standards for Field Trips Thinking Like a Historian The Wisconsin Historical Museum practices the "Thinking Like a Historian: Rethinking History Instruction" (TLH) inquiry-based educational theory. TLH provides a common language among educators and students. The theory allows for the historical process to be combined with historical categories of inquiry which promotes historical literacy. Wisconsin Model Academic Standards Wisconsin Historical Museum field trips support and enhance core language arts standards while uniquely providing a different learning environment for students. Museum programs support "Common Core English Language Arts Standards for Reading: Informational Text and Speaking and Listening."


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We've had many days off due to snow and extreme cold. It has left me missing my students so I experimented with some ways to collaborate digitally. Here's what I've got going on:
Ask 3 is a great app that allows for interactive collaboration. It is based on the idea of "ask 3 before me" so that students can learn from each other. I've set up a general class board where I can set up a topic and then individual class boards where my students can create their own. As a teacher I get instant updates when a student posts a comment. And it is FREE!!! All you have to do is set up the class and share the code.
The other tool I am using is a website called Nowcomment.com . Create a teacher account, upload a document for discussion (cut and paste from a website is easy!), set it to private and invite those you want via email! Students can comment on sentences, paragraphs, or the whole document.


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Topic: How to Reduce Minority Male Out of School Suspensions
Minority male students are 3 times more likely to be Suspended than any other high school student group.
National Average for Male Out of School Suspension: 16%
White American: 36%
African-American: 34%
Asian American: 1%
Hispanic American: 23%
Native American: 1%
Poor School attendants (School lateness, Class cuts)
Poor Academic Skills (Reading and Math Levels)
Family Issues (Out of School Behavior)
How the 100% Graduation Rate Program Address the Problem:
- We met with the student and their parent to sign a 4-year agreement to graduate on time.
- We held 12 after-school training sessions on Economics and the US Legal System for 9th graders.
- We met school officials if any student was suspended.
- We talked with student's parents if students, developed a school lateness and absenteeism problem of 3 days or more.
- We met with each student to discuss their academic needs starting at the beginning of the 10th grade.
- We held 18 after-school training sessions on Academic Preparation, Social Skills and Job Readiness for 10th graders.
- We help place students in summer job programs or help find them summer jobs from 9th grade to 11th grade.
- We met with student's summer job employers and gave them our contact information.
- We conduct in-school training sessions for our junior and senior classes to the completion of high school.
100% Graduation Rate Program Results:
Camden, New Jersey – **Program Participants Group B (105) compared to Program Sample Group A (105)
The Male Program participants had a 26% lower Out of School Suspension rate. Compared to the City's sample group of males – 29% (30 out of 105) to 52% (55 out of 105).
**Selection Process:
Each year, the City's two largest high schools – Camden High and Woodrow Wilson – Guidance Departments selected 15 incoming high school freshmen for the program. These students were classified as at-risk, based on having grades below C in Math and/or Reading, or had a poor student behavior problem.
The students were then randomly assigned to a Program Group- A (Non-treatment) or Group B (Program Treatment) – based on their seating during the program's orientation.
Our Recommendations:
State Education Departments should encourage School Districts to reduce out of school suspensions by:
- developing 3 and 5-day in-school suspension programs, which address anger management, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
- working with Community Service organizations to provide before or after school individual and family counseling.
- assessing school's practices and policies as it relates to non-violent offenses by students.


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About Us
For your reading enjoyment we are pleased to present the obligatory "about us" page.
Matt and Leigh Craine live in the charming little hamlet known as Rancho Cordova, home of the infamous (and alas closed, and then reopened with a different style and NOT nearly as good as) Sheepherders Inn.
We have 2 insane, spoiled and absolutely adorable (when they are a sleep) Boxers who keep us busy and require constant love and attention.
Matt's hobbies include; photography, sorting the photo's we've taken, and building slideshows of said photos. In addition, The Husband can be found on his computer, woodworking, building huge fire pits, and of course finding things that aren't aligned or installed straight, and fixing them.
Leigh's hobbies, well geez, as they can change weekly it's hard to pin down... We'll go with Photography which seems to be her main focus. She has been known to take up gardening, sewing, cooking, party planning, shopping, creating slide shows, and of course being damned funny, we're talking quality funny here!. Really, it's more then a hobby it's a gift -just ask her :) Please peruse the site and enjoy! We welcome all forms of compliments, kudos's and at ta boy's/girl's drop us a line at email@example.com


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You can take part in a wonderful Spiritual Walk on Inis Oírr this Wednesday, 14th June 2017 with walk leader Pius Murray. This year will be the 3rd annual walk on Inis Oírr to celebrate the Islands Lá Fhéile Phatrún or Caomhan's (St. Kevin's) Day. Caomhan is the patron saint of Inis Oírr (Inisheer). Caomhan's Phatrún Day takes place in June each year. Tourists, Islanders, and guests all gather to celebrate the Phatrún together. This is a day of celebration and festivities including an open-air mass, traditional Irish music and Sean-Nós dancing.
The total cost for the walk and return ferry ticket is 30 euro per person. We recommend that everyone wears warm, waterproof clothing and walking shoes/boots. You may also wish to bring a snack, packed lunch, and bottle of water. Please email Pius at firstname.lastname@example.com, or contact him at Mob. + 353 87 982 8173.
Depart Doolin Pier: 10:00 am
Depart Inis Oírr: 4:45 pm
Walk Leader: Pius Murray
Find out more about the Inis Oírr Ferry and things to do on the Island HERE.
Pius Murray M. 0879828173
E. email@example.com
See also www.pilgrimpath.ie


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The following is a guest post from a staff member of the New York Film Academy:
My passion for Eurogames came at a very young age. My father used to run a computer game import business which, when you're seven, is akin to having an astronaut as a dad.
As a result, gaming inevitably became a large part of my childhood but being responsible folk, my parents did limit the amount of time I spent playing video games. I quickly figured out that I could get my fix equally well by playing board games during my downtime without any objection from the powers that be. By demanding the same kind of dynamism from my board game experience as I expected from their video counterparts, it didn't take me long to progress from simplistic chance-based games to more rewarding games like Carcassonne, Caylus, and the deservedly acclaimed Puerto Rico.
But before all those was an indirect predecessor that really opened my mind to open-ended gaming. It's a game which ticked all the right boxes, accomplished everything it tried to be, and is sorely in need of a re-release.
Today we're looking at the Milton Bradley/Games Workshop classic, HeroQuest:
HeroQuest (Hero Quest is also acceptable if the lack of space troubles you) was an archetypal fantasy dungeon-crawler released around 1990 depending on which side of the pond you were on. The game is party-based and ideally played with between three to five people, lasting around two hours unless the players are very unlucky.
It's one of the few Games Workshop titles to feature a board (and easy to digest rules, for that matter) but does also include superbly detailed miniatures for playing pieces, the quality of which you'd expect from GW.
Players progress through a series of 'levels' as directed by the game master – who gets to have fun trying to screw over the players at every opportunity – and fight an atypical assortment of orcs, skeletal warriors, zombies and things of that ilk. Cheesy fun, but also brutally unforgiving and very immersive once the board has been fully populated with the furniture that comes with the game.
Covering the finer aspect of the game-play mechanics is outside the scope of this post, but here's a great video overview which does it justice.
Instead, what I'd like to do is look at it through the lens of Yehuda's 10 Most Important Aspects of a Game, which should really be industry standard when it comes to reviewing anything:
A Non-Offensive Theme: No concerns on this aspect. Given that it involves combat the suggestion of violence is inherent, but nothing that would raise eyebrows. 9/10
Limited Decisions on Each Turn: The game is remarkably delimited, and even encourages players to explore the board and approach situations from different angles. In terms of the number of actions a player can choose to carry out during his or her turn, this aspect deserves no less than: 10/10
Heaviness: There are a fourteen different 'quests' in the vanilla version of the game, which can take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes each to complete. However, this massively depends on the number of players as well as the disposition of the group. So in theory the game can go on for about five hours since the quests lead on from each other, but in reality I've never seen anyone make it through the whole thing in one sitting – if the dungeon hasn't managed to kill off all the players by the two hour mark, sadly, boredom seems to set it. In that respect the game does have a lot of drag, but at the same time it doesn't feel like a premature end if you decide to stop after quest number X and pick it up at a later date. 7/10
Multiple Strategic Goals: This is an area in which HeroQuest excels. Not only can players differ as to how best to achieve a shared objective – which leads to hilarious scenarios – but the game also offers at least one side-quest per level. These side-quests, if undertaken, can yield items which are hugely helpful later in the game but also finely balanced in the danger/reward ratio. And given that the game master has conflicting goals and is constantly throwing in the proverbial spanner, the game truly is a strategic head-scratcher and a superb exercise in balanced game design. 9/10
Randomness Without Luck: HeroQuest's combat system is dice based and ergo dependent on some gambling. However, given that the system is nicely weighted to give realistic probabilities of your wounded dwarf managing to kill a towering gargoyle, everything has a veneer of fairness to it. And anyway, you generally have the option of applying tactics and avoiding the fight if you don't fancy your odds. 8/10
Interaction: It's certainly a fun social experience and coordination between players is needed, but I wouldn't go as far to say that outcomes are hinged upon negotiation and trading. It's just not that kind of game. 5/10
Depth: HeroQuest has an abundance of depth thanks to its dynamic gameplay mechanics and number of options open to the player at any given time. The only place it lacks depth is in the story department; evil wizards, dwarves, treasure chests… yadda yadda yadda. These clichés were even old hat when HeroQuest was brought out - thankfully the loose storyline can be entirely ignored without ruining the game experience, but they still missed a trick in trying to dumb it down what is essentially a very nuanced game for a younger age demographic. 7/10
The Game Experience: Anyone who played this as a kid will attest to the swelling nostalgia it brings to them as an adult. That alone is the hallmark of a superb game. 9/10
Replayability: A slight let down here by HeroQuest's very nature; once you know the details of a quest, that knowledge mars the surprises of the game. Again though, Milton Bradley/Games Workshop did keep a steady stream of add-on packs going to counter this, and I guess if I'm still playing it two decades later the issue is moot. 8/10
In Conclusion
HeroQuest went on to win the hearts of many, as well as an Origins Award for its incredible game art. Games Workshop also put out a similar game albeit with a sci-fi setting at around the same time, but whereas Space Hulk was deemed fit for a re-release in 2009, HeroQuest remains sadly dead despite its international success. This is baffling given that Space Hulk was flawed with silly game-play mechanics like time limits on moves and a rushed-feeling playing time.
Until HeroQuest gets the re-release it so rightfully deserves, there's always eBay. It was so successful on release that enough were published for there to be a good number of surviving copies, but high demand brings with it a price tag of around $100…
… And that's for a copy which doesn't look like it's been used to house hamsters.


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Do Not Feed The Bears (Fear Is Lying To You)
As a woman who has had a successful career in sales and built a business around helping people sell their product, service or themselves, I... Read More
What new characteristics are critical to Sales Success? Meet the Next Gen Sales Pro.
One of the hardest employee positions to fill right now is that of Sales Professional. My LinkedIn inbox and email are hit 4 or 5... Read More


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|Problems? Is your data what you think it is?
Re: Perl and Bioinformaticsby Fortinbras (Novice)
|on Mar 26, 2010 at 02:35 UTC ( #831018=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
Wow -- excellent overview!
Re: answering BioPerl questions, the BP list email@example.com is a great place to see good examples by BP gurus. Very generally, we
1) prod politely for code/data if necessary;
2) give short answers to FAQs using links to an appropriate HOWTO or Scrapbook example;
3) give longer answers if the questions are deep, usually with code examples;
4) start long developer discussions if the questions are interesting;
5) admit guilt if the problem is actually a bug, then fix it;
6) generally assume the supplicant is completely ignorant, but infinitely intelligent.
I highly encourage monks to check out the wiki for easily distributed packets of sageliness.cheers FB
In Section Tutorials


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This is a postcard showing a open-top tram car (No.569) at Levenshulme Tram Terminus on Stockport Road in 1905.
The postcard was published by Nostalgia Ink.
If you would like to add any further information, memories, pictures or stories regarding the post, HistoryME would love to hear from you.
Please contact us by using the form below:


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Gabriel & Dresden is a musical partnership responsible for 17 #1 hits on the Billboard charts, remixes of The Killers, Shiny Toy Guns, Annie Lennox, Dido, Jewel, and were also tapped to remix Gustavo Santaolalla's Academy Award winning theme track from Brokeback Mountain "The Wings". With the success of their just completed year-long tour in support of their critically acclaimed artist album released just last year, Gabriel & Dresden have proved that both in the studio and behind the decks at venues around the globe, they have become known as a genre defying and dance floor mastering duo. They are set to do it all over again – with Toolroom Knights Vol 2, releasing on Oct 23rd backed with a long list of tour dates – all kicking off at Lovefest.
At this year's Lovefest, Gabriel & Dresden will be performing both in the Parade and at the much anticipated after event with Sasha, with quite a bit to celebrate. Toolroom Records tapped the famed team to mix their second edition in the Toolroom Knights series. Toolroom Records is responsible for some of the most forward thinking house music releases in the last 4 years, and has received numerous nods in recognition for the feat. Recent Toolroom releases include Mark Knight's chart topping "Insatiable", Artificial Funk "Your Never Alone" Noirs "My MTV" and recent club anthems from Robbie Rivera "Your Mistake", Paul Harris "Find Yourself A Friend, Dave Spoon "Outside EP" & Fedde le Grand "Just Trippin'
Toolroom Knights Volume 2 is a dual disc that again refutes any attempt to pigeonhole the sound that Gabriel & Dresden encompass. This mix takes the listener on a more organic and textural musical landscape, adeptly blending sounds from indie rock band Junior Boys to Claude Von Stroke, Apparat, and The Knife. This collection brings the debut of Gabriel & Dresden's popular remix of the Killers "Read My Mind," and includes exclusive tracks such as Gabriel & Dresden's re-interpretation of label boss Mark Knight's (with D. Ramirez) "Columbian Soul", their remix of Monochrome "Pearl", and Shlomi Aber & Itamar Sagi's "Blonda". Unreleased Josh Gabriel tracks "Summit" and "Crosstalk" add a peek into the solo record he's quietly making.


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Patio Covers to Keep Your Landscape Looking Great
Eagles Patios: You need more than just a shade essential
Rain, rain. Go away, come again another day, I want to enjoy my patio today. If only this cute poem works, but we know it doesn't. Of course we have to deal with the excessive heat of the sun and comes winter time, it's going to snow, which is even worse. Wed have better solution which is more realistic, durable, beautiful and highly functional. I'm talking about Patio Covers Houston Texas by Eagle Patios.
Spending time outdoors fully protected by the whims of nature is always a wonderful experience. You get natural light, natural air and the views are of course all natural. A lot of homes has some sort of outside structures which is connected with the main building or separate from it. They got different names but they have the same purpose.
We have pergolas. They are separate from the house and so are gazebos. Patios and sun rooms are connected to the house. What makes them completely useful is when they have overhead covers. The covers may come in the form of slatted or solid structures. For the covers to really extend complete protection from the weather, a full cover is required.
Patio Covers to Keep Your Landscape Looking Great
We want you to be in full control every time you're in your patio. You should enjoy your patio free from threats of impending bad weather. There are so many activities that one can benefit from patios as long as they're covered. Barbecue parties, reading, watching TV, taking your siesta, receiving and entertaining visitors, and many more.
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Patio Covers to Keep Your Landscape Looking Great – If you ask around you will know that we get our materials only from the best sources.
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There's got to be more to life than running.
Actually, who am I kidding? That's been part of my problem....indulging in all the other temptations life has to offer and missing out on the running part. In fact, I've possibly indulged a little too much in online political comment just lately and might not be in my current situation if I'd decided to don my running shoes and deliver my political comment on foot and in person. And while I'm on the subject of running shoes I should tell you that according to Richard Cronin, the author of the excellent blog, The Beirut Taxi, all I have are 'shoes, a bottle of wine and a strong self-belief that anything is possible as long as you want it hard enough.'
But as well as running shoes I have other sporting footwear to accompany me in my love of wine and deluded self belief.
Whilst metaphorically clad in my boxing boots but literally glugging wine I had the recent good fortune to come across a website called My Boxing Coach. If you have any interest in the Noble Art I recommend visiting the site. It's an absolute gold mine of information and advice and is run by a Scouse geezer called Fran Sands.
Fran is a rare breed. He's from Liverpool but appears to lack the innate desire to enter Debenhams whilst wearing a big overcoat with deep, empty pockets. And, indeed, to leave Debenhams a short time later, at speed, with the pockets full.
Neither does he spend his days watching re-runs of Jeremy Kyle while awaiting the arrival of two important documents in the post. The first being his dole cheque and the second an acceptance to his application to be a guest of Jeremy Kyle.
On the site, Fran often replies to my critical comments (I prefer to think of them as cheeky rather than offensive) which are usually based on the regional stereotyping of the Liverpudlian. Fran's latest cutting riposte was to grant me free access to his newest product based on the premise that I need the money to 'enlarge my collection of Chas and Dave records.'
Here is an example of Fran's excellent coaching advice:
If you care to visit Fran's site you'll encounter pure pugilism in its most artistic form. No mention of dirty tricks like leaning on your opponent, striking him with the elbow after he deftly avoids your hook, or kicking him in the bollocks.
I am a devotee of Fran's site and thank him for the paucity of dirty tricks because I feel a little like I've been twelve rounds with Roberto Duran right now. Not as a result of trading blows, however, more due to the unfortunate outcome of being hit by life's little upper cuts.
The latest kick in the bollocks was to arrive at my place of employment (from where I am officially banned.....unless completing outstanding work) to discover that the leave I had booked for Mrs Mac's race in July has disappeared into the ether. Assuming I return to work after the Carpet Parade on 14 July, I will be mixing it with the natives of SW11 on the 16th rather than sweeping the Clyde Stride.
In another post I might have termed this 'ironic' and attached a video of an attractive Canadian woman with a mouth so large she could have made a fortune in porn (!!). But it really is just a fuckin' kick in the bollocks, so enjoy.
Getting the Gonads
There's got to be more to life than running.
Posted by Subversive Runner at 23:51 1 comments
Step Aside Alanis, This is Irony
According to the curly headed, wide mouthed Canadian songstress, Alanis Morissette, irony can be defined by rain on your wedding day or a free ride when you've already paid. I'd argue with her on both counts and suggest that the former is to simply ignore the long range weather forecast and the latter is just bad timing. I reckon I could have a go at outdoing her on the ironic front.
How about this:
You discover that a colleague that holds a senior position to you is taking part in the Three Peaks Race. I'm talking the Ben Nevis/Scafell Pike/Snowdon one rather than the real challenge in Yorkshire. He looks for advice on various hill walking matters and eventually arrives at the subject of dealing with blisters. Being a generous kind of fella you provide him with advice on taping one's feet and give him a large amount of the sports tape you've acquired over the years. Despite the fact that you yourself have a major physical challenge looming that in the past has caused blisters that look not unlike Marty Feldman's eyeballs.
Fast forward to last Sunday and you're walking through Fort William high street with your support crew treading gingerly on Marty Feldman's eyeballs because you had insufficient sports tape to make a significant impact on the blister prevention front in the West Highland Way Race.
Then, just to prove it really is a small world, the same senior colleague appears in front of you bounding along on feet made a size larger due to the abundance of sports tape covering his toes.
You introduce him to your support crew as the recipient of your largesse. And as the senior colleague that suspended you shortly after trousering all your sports tape.
Now, Alanis, forget having a black fly in your Chardonnay, have a read of the event above.... that's ironic.
Or how about this?
Despite being suspended you seek permission to enter your workplace in order to finish some outstanding work that failed to get completed due to being unceremoniously marched off the premises some weeks before. You're granted said permission and arrive at the place that has felt like home for the past fourteen years. After being greeted by colleagues and engaging in the normal type of banter associated with that profession ('You're back!!! I didn't realise we had a new cleaner!' and 'That's a bit off isn't it? Making you come in to collect your P45!' etc, etc) you notice a letter addressed to you in the mail tray.
You open it to discover it's a letter of congratulations from your senior colleague acknowledging the fact that through your hard work and personnel management skills you've reduced the levels of sickness absence in your workplace.
Now, Alanis, forget ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife, have a read of the event above.... that's ironic.
Anyway, the blisters are healing well and my absence from my workplace has had little impact on attendance numbers due to my hard work in ensuring we're fully staffed. So I'll use these reasonably healthy feet and abundance of time wisely and head out the door to the running club. But before I go I should make a mention of the comments section of this blog. I've always felt it appropriate to allow anyone to comment in anyway they wish.
It's called freedom of speech (!!!!!).
But I've had to take the decision to moderate all comments due to an avalanche of spam. I'm not sure freedom of speech extends to receiving unsolicited advice on how I can enlarge my penis using some king of vacuum pump; how to unlock an I-Phone 4; or where the best strip joints are in Israel (honest!).
I just hope my credit card isn't raided when they take the money for the vacuum pump.
Posted by Subversive Runner at 08:45 2 comments
Not a Religion
When I was a boy I used to look forward to Christmas so much that December 25th became the single most important event in my calendar. It was the defining day around which 364 other days were either placed in preparation for, or in remembrance of.
If I had occasion to argue with my parents and subsequently decided to run away from home I would be put off because Christmas was either looming and I'd fail to receive my presents or because Christmas was still a live memory and I couldn't run away and take all of my presents with me.
Then it all went tits up when I learned that Santa Claus didn't exist and that the celebration of Jesus' birthday had been bastardised to sell cheap, plastic crap to the parents of misguided children while giving said parents a few days off work and an excuse to get shitfaced.
I think in many ways the lost Christmas of childhood was replaced by the mid-summer weekend and the West Highland Way Race.
So today, in the hangover of Christmas, as the pine needles gather on the floor and dust collects on the baubles, I remember that day. Not the 25th December, of course, but that ninety five mile journey that begins in Milngavie and ends in Fort William....or somewhere short of.
I shouldn't have even been on the start line. Fact. But if you've lived your life as a chancer as I have you can easily delude yourself into believing that having completed a distance training programme that amounted to two twenty mile training runs coupled with a bit of muscle memory is enough to carry you ninety five miles through the Highlands of Scotland.
So on Friday 17th June I appeared in the car park in Milngavie with my support crew, as I have for the last five Christmases, and duly registered for the West Highland Way Race.
'You look fit, Dave,' I was told by Thomas Loendorf, who was to storm to a fourth place finish some hours later.
Indeed as I stepped onto the scales to have my weight recorded at 72.6 kg a suggestion might have been gleaned that my leanness was as a result of spending hours in the hills.
Alas, no; both Thomas and the scales were unaware that a loss of 4 kg in weight had more to do with the stress and concern caused by other events in my life than by a dedicated training plan.
So the race began and I took care to leave Milngavie at a very reserved pace. Every time I got the urge to close another runner down I reminded myself that the race has not yet begun and will not do so until I'm clear of Loch Lomond some forty miles north.
The first checkpoint at Balmaha came and went in four hours and seventeen minutes and I was feeling quite comfortable. Maybe there's something in this minimal training plan and muscle memory, I thought.
Then, with twenty three miles under my belt, my legs began to complain. I don't blame them as it's the farthest they've travelled since the River Ayr Way Race last September but I could have done without it with not even a quarter of the race in the bag.
As I neared Rowardennan at twenty six miles the muscle fatigue and accumulation of lactic acid made the ignominy of a very early withdrawal a real possibility. How could I possibly continue with another seventy miles to push when I was shuffling along like Albert Steptoe?
Anyway, I arrived in Rowardennan to be greeted by my fantastic support crew and was given clean socks, hot soup and fresh water. I quietly told Mrs Mac that I doubted I would see the end of the race but got up and pushed on anyhow.
To my surprise I found a second wind and was able to make good progress all along the Lochside to Beinglas Farm at around forty miles. The running seemed easy and my legs had loosened up which created mental images of my fourth finisher's goblet, full of red wine, resting in my hand. As quickly as those images appeared I banished them from my mind and gave myself a good mental slap. Deal with the here and now.
After leaving Beinglas Farm there was a bit of run/walk action over the undulating ground and when I arrived at Derrydarroch Farm the familiar feeling of tightness and muscle fatigue in my legs reappearred. I hoped that I could walk it off on the journey to Bogle Glen but things just got worse.
I was weighed at Auchtertyre Farm by Eddie Welsh to discover another absent 3 kg in body mass. If nothing else at least I'd at last achieved the fighting weight I failed to make in my last ring encounter two years ago, but the weight loss was somewhat portentous for my immediate future.
There was some confusion at Auchtertyre regarding taking an accompanying runner. I was sure that the recently amended rules stated no co-runner until Bridge of Orchy but discovered that a local decision had been taken to adhere to the established rules of an accompanying runner from half way. That was good enough for me and I set off with big David Ross who had the instruction to kick my sorry arse if I faltered.
All I can describe the next ten miles as is an unmitigated disaster. My legs were obviously shot and my already blistered feet were becoming worse. Both of these factors reduced me to a walk on a section that I can usually run the best part of. Coupled with that I felt violently nauseous and immediately vomited up a wine gum which was the only sustenance I'd attempted since the half way point.
To make matters worse a driving rain had been a constant companion for the past few hours and there appeared to be no letting up. Poor weather isn't usually a problem for me but without an intake of fuel and the ability to move fast enough to keep warm it was just another nail in my rapidly sealing coffin.
I shuffled into Bridge of Orchy having travelled sixty miles and decided that for me, the war was over. I knew I was making the right decision despite some vociferous opposition from my support crew and the suggestion that my sexuality was in question. I knew that to venture out on to the bleak and exposed Rannoch Moor in a rapidly deteriorating condition would have been irresponsible.
So what now?
Well, Santa Claus doesn't exist and Christmas is no longer. I will not run the race next year but would like to remain involved, either as support for big David Ross and/or Martin Antoninus Horatio Hooper or as a marshall.
Finally, and very poetically considering the allussion to Christmas, my pal Tomo put the whole experience into context:
'The West Highland Way Race is only a footrace.....it's not a religion.'
Posted by Subversive Runner at 09:36 14 comments
More Unbelievable Than a Soap Opera
My Clever Plan......it was implemented and executed perfectly. I've even managed to avoid hospitalisation due to overdosing on Brufen. I should, therefore, be prepared for the West Highland Way Race this weekend.
But as the saying goes, no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy. In this case the enemy isn't some suicidal, sandal-clad Taliban (Ok, Ok, in my day the enemy would have been a donkey jacket wearing member of PIRA.....or more usually a member of the neighbouring British regiment but you get the idea). Nope, the enemy, in this case, is my own seventeen year old daughter. Allow me to explain.
Following my employer's close scrutiny of my online witterings I'm afraid I lacked the minerals to leave three years worth of blog posts on here. Although none compromised the security of my employer nor revealed the identity of any of our 'customers,' many mentioned the lighter side of my job. If my previous non-job blog posts had survived the cull you might have read how I left my family home at the age of fifteen and by the time I was seventeen I was living in my flat in Peckham with ex-wife/partner (no.1) and my then one year old daughter. Back in those heady days in the 1980s I considered myself quite independent and capable of taking care of myself.
I applied this idea of independence and capability to my own seventeen year old daughter and planned to leave her for a few days while I travel from Old London Town to a far away land where men wear skirts and women have a hierarchical system based on the number of their remaining teeth (stop yawning and wake up at the back!).
What could possibly go wrong?
Then, as My Clever Plan is running along nicely, I get a telephone call informing me that my independent and capable daughter has been involved in a motoring accident. After discovering she's suffered no injury we have a discussion that goes something like this:
'Dad, I've crashed some boy's car and I need £800.00 to fix it.'
'I don't understand. You can't drive and have no licence. How could you possibly have crashed some boy's car?'
'He let me drive his car from the road onto his drive but I crashed it into a post.'
'Did he know you have no licence, no insurance, no experience behind a wheel and a father that will kill him slowly?'
'Then tell him to come here because I've got my cheque book ready.'
I hang up and realising the nearest tattoo studio is closed simply use a biro to write the words 'cheque' and 'book' onto my knuckles. Then my delight at avoiding hospitalisation due to Brufen abuse dissolves and is replaced by an acceptance that I am to be incarcerated for life for the vicious slaying of 'some boy.'
There's also an acceptance that I clearly can't leave my daughter alone for a few days and a rather large spanner is thrown into the works of My Clever Plan. I related this story to my pal and fellow West Highland Way athlete, Keith 'Corned Beef' Hughes (see what I did there using the words 'fellow' and 'athlete'.....stop laughing).Corned Beef's comment was:
'Your life is more unbelievable than a bloody soap opera, Cobber (he's Australian).'
So the next instalment of the soap opera that is my life, that is a 95 mile race from Milngavie to Fort William, appeared to be in jeopardy again. But a knight in shining armour appeared in the form of the mother of my daughter's friend and the gig's back on.
Daughter will stay with friend's mother for the period of my absence so I can be assured that:
1. My house will not be burned to the ground.
2. A Facebook event involving a rave at my address will not be created.
3. A phone bill that would make Bill Gates shudder is not on its way.
I do hope that friend's mother will heed my warning and keep her car keys safe.
See you in Milngavie.
Posted by Subversive Runner at 15:53 9 comments
My Clever Plan
Right, this ain't funny now.
I injured my back last Friday and despite the fact that I was in serious pain I guessed it would be better soon. After all, it's simply the recurrence of a very old condition that I acquired when I used to lift very heavy weights off the floor, off a bench, or in a squat.
Powerlifting....it lacks the technical aspects of Olympic lifting and is purely a demonstration of brute strength. But get it wrong and say hello to a lifetime of lower back problems.
So right now it's just ten days until the West Highland Way Race and I'm still hobbling around stiffly like the tin man out of The Wizard of Oz. All he needed was a bit of lubrication to get him going but sadly I can't claim the same. I've covered my arse in so much Ibuprofen gel it's greasier than an Asda car park. In fact it's so greasy that if I dared sit on a bicycle I'd have to have the seat surgically removed from my rectum.
It seems to be having little effect, however, and I'm starting to get slightly nervous about starting the race. I've phoned the doctors two days on the trot and failed to get an appointment. I call the moment the lines open to be greeted by a recorded message that tells me:
'Hello, your call can't be answered at present and is being held in a queue. Please hold for a member of staff or hang up and call back later.'
On the first day I hung up and called back later. I was told:
'There's nothing left at all today, I'm afraid. Please call back tomorrow first thing.'
So this morning I called the moment the lines opened. I got the recorded message and held. When I eventually reached the top of the queue I was told:
'There's nothing left at all today, I'm afraid. Please call back tomorrow first thing.'
That recorded message. What it should really say is:
'Hello, your call can't be answered at present because there are two hundred coffin dodgers, asylum seekers and hypochondriacs that called a microsecond after we opened the lines. They are all in front of you in a queue and you don't stand a snowball in hell's chance of getting an appointment. Please hold for a member of staff to disappoint you or hang up and spend a while in blind optimism then call back later and let us disappoint you then.'
So, I have a clever plan, and my clever plan is thus:
1. To continue to fund the NHS through my taxes to ensure that everyone bar me gets an appointment at the doctors.
2. Keep slapping the Ibuprofen gel on my arse.
3. Swallow Ibuprofen tablets like a child left alone in a ball pond full of Smarties.
4. Go for a very gentle run tomorrow.
5. Go for a much longer run on Friday.
6. Do nothing physical thereafter.
7. After my admittance to hospital for overdosing on Ibuprofen hope I'm released in time to start the West Highland Way Race.
Posted by Subversive Runner at 12:09 12 comments
Sciatica....A Pain in the Arse
It's taken me a little while to report on it but I had the interview without coffee. It went something like this:
'Do you recognise this reproduction of a comment made in your name?'
'Yes, I do.'
'Did you write it?'
'Yes I did.'
'Then you're a very naughty boy, and I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee.'
Actually, the final part of the interview wasn't like that, but it might have been if you believe the words of the person that made the third comment on my last post (thanks for that, Anonymous....keep taking the tablets....).
Anyway, I will now wait until sometime in early July when I will return to Meerkat Manor to have my fate decided upon. Until then I have a 95 mile foot race to prepare for. And true to form, as I enter the final phase of the pre race process, I have injured myself.
ITB? Nope.
Ankle? Nope.
Hip girdle? Nope.
STD? Nope.
It went kinda like this:
A brown envelope comes through the door. I open it. No lottery win, no pools success, not even notification that I've achieved the next stage in a prize draw where I could win a new car, a holiday abroad, a flat screen telly, or one of 3,500 boxes of Vienetta that's nearing its 'Use By' date
All it is is a poxy electric bill.
But wait....what's this????
'You are now £538 in credit. You need to do nothing, we will carry your credit over to your next bill.'
A phone call later and the customer service representative is told I'd rather the credit accrue interest in my account rather than burgeoning the ever inflating coffers of Southern Electric.
But she needs a current meter reading.
'Wait right there,' I tell her.
So I'm trying to squeeze my body through a six inch gap to get past the washing machine and deep into the cupboard under the stairs that houses the electric meter. At one point I'm almost upside down with a headtorch on but, by golly, I'm getting that meter reading and recovering the five hundred quid that Southern Electric wish to kindly carry over.
It was during this operation that I trapped my sciatic nerve and now have a sharp localised pain at the base of my spine just above the crack of my arse that has me walking like Douglas Bader with a rather large marital aid shoved up his 'Arris.
I've had a good look through the Yellow Pages and have located a decent local chiropractor that should be able to cure this problem in just under two weeks.
For about five hundred quid.
Cheers, easy.
My injury, painful as it is, failed to prevent me, Mrs Mac, Horatio and Mrs Horatio (Horatiette?) Hooper from being the guests of my Borough Commander at the Colonel's Review of the Trooping of the Colour yesterday.
True to form my training for a 95 mile footrace suffered the usual setback of a light lunch that turned into a furious engagement with much Guinness and whisky.
I attach the following pics.
Posted by Subversive Runner at 18:44 4 comments


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The Hill is reporting that Federal regulators will let a Pennsylvania university continue to dispense Plan B — also known as the morning-after pill — through a vending machine.
The Food and Drug Administration decided not to intervene following a "politically motivated uproar" over the vending machine Shippensburg University installed in its nurses' office.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — Vending machines at one Pennsylvania University doesn't just dispense soda and snacks — it sells the morning-after pill.
At Shippensburg University, getting access to Plan B, the emergency contraception pill is as easy as getting a soda. Students can now buy the pill at a vending machine on campus.
"We had some conversations with them and did a survey of the student body and we got an 85 percent response rate that the students supported Plan B in the House Center," said Dr. Roger Serr, Vice president of Student Affairs at Shippensburg.
The university does not profit from the sales. It pays $25 for one dose and that's exactly what the student has to pay.
Dr. Serr says that somewhere between 350 and 400 doses are sold each year to the female population. The pill can be legally sold over-the-counter to anyone 17 or older.


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- 31-page comprehensive study guide
- Features 2 chapter summaries and 5 sections of expert analysis
- Written by a college professor with an MFA in Creative Writing
Dancing At Lughnasa Summary and Study Guide
SuperSummary, a modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, offers high-quality study guides for challenging works of literature. This 31-page guide for "Dancing At Lughnasa" by Brian Friel includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 2 chapters, as well as several more in-depth sections of expert-written literary analysis. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay topics, and key themes like Paganism vs Catholicism and Change and Precarity.
Plot Summary
Dancing at Lughnasa is a two-act play by Irish dramatist Brian Friel. The play debuted in 1990 and received many accolades, including several Tony Awards. It was also adapted into a 1998 feature film directed by Pat O'Connor.
Dancing at Lughnasa is set during the summer of 1936 in the Irish town of Ballybeg. Though a fictional town, Ballybeg contains many similarities to Glenties, in County Donegal, where Friel lived until he was ten years old. In keeping with its autobiographical strains, Dancing at Lughnasa is framed as a memory play. The play's action takes place in the past, pausing for intermittent reflection from a man, Michael Evans. Michael recounts his childhood from a present-day perspective, musing on numerous events we never see played out on the stage.
At the beginning of the first act, an adult Michael narrates his memories of the summer of 1936, when he was seven years old. That summer, Michael lived in a cottage in the small town of Ballybeg, Ireland, with his mother, Christina, and four aunts—Kate, Maggie, Rose, and Agnes. The sisters serve different functions within the household; Maggie runs the house, Rose and Agnes knit gloves to sell in town, and Kate works outside the home as a schoolteacher. The sisters are unmarried, though all have had potential suitors. Christina receives irregular visits from Michael's father, Gerry, a charming but unreliable wanderer who works odd jobs in various locations.
Michael explains that this was the summer the family got their first wireless Marconi radio, allowing them to receive music from Dublin. This was also the summer the women's brother, Jack, returned home from Uganda, where he had been working as a missionary in a leper colony for the past twenty-five years. Michael notes that in his memory, Jack's return feels connected to the radio. Likewise, the Marconi radio serves as a kind of metaphorical stand-in for Jack's condition. The frail signal mimic Jack's malaria-sick body, and the irregular spasms of music align with his own unpredictable spurts of memory. When he arrives, Jack seems to have forgotten his sister's names and some words in the English language, since he is accustomed to speaking Swahili. He also appears to have foregone the family's Catholic faith and adopted the theological beliefs of tribes in Africa.
In Act One, the sisters express their desire to attend the harvest dance at the annual Festival of Lughnasa, a pagan celebration of the harvest. The staunchly Catholic Kate forbids them from going, complaining that Ballybeg is in a frenzy over the festival. The women wax fondly over old and potential suitors and erupt into dance when Marconi plays an Irish dance song. Michael's father, Gerry, arrives at the house, and Christina talks with him in the garden. Gerry tells Christina he will come back to marry her in two weeks, but Christina is wary of his promise. They dance in the garden while the other sisters look on. Kate denounces Gerry in a foreboding moment, sensing that "it's all about to collapse" (35). A present-day Michael confirms the foreboding atmosphere, explaining that Kate lost her teaching job soon after because the parish priest was suspicious of Jack's paganism. Michael says that although Kate was right about a lot of things, she was wrong about Gerry not wanting to marry his mother. He reveals that the two never had a formal wedding but were married in spirit.
The second act begins two weeks later, in early September. Jack's health has improved, but he remains fixated on his time in Africa. Gerry reveals that he has thought about his future and wants to join an international brigade to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Christina tells Kate that the buyer who works with Agnes and Rose will no longer accept their gloves, as a new glove factory has opened in town. Though the buyer urges Rose and Agnes to apply for work in the factory, they decide to leave home instead. Michael later learns that the sisters moved to London, where they became homeless. He reveals that Gerry was injured in Barcelona and eventually stopped visiting Christina. He also reveals that Jack died of a heart attack, Kate went to work as a tutor, and Christina worked in the glove factory. Michael says the spirit of the house died with the absences of Rose, Agnes, and Jack, and that he left home as soon as he was old enough. The play ends with a tableau of the family, drifting in an ethereal dance as Michael reflects that in memory, "everything is simultaneously actual and illusory" (71).
Dancing at Lughnasa explores themes of Catholicism versus paganism, pleasure versus responsibility, change versus nostalgia, and economic uncertainty. The play also explores the tension between two opposing forces: the world of duty, morality, and responsibility (aligned with Catholicism), and the escapist world of music, dance, and fantasy (aligned with paganism). While Kate represents the former, the other family members gravitate toward the latter, as a source of relief and release from their otherwise troubled lives.
Act I


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They are Nguyen Binh Nguyen with Nuoi Di (Nourish a Prostitute), Ngo Manh Ha with Hoi Am Cua Me (Mother's Warmth), Doan Khac Huy with Jiro Khong Chet (Jiro is Not Dead), Huynh Sang with Bua Trua (Lunch), Tran Ngoc Anh Huy with 98 Ngay Ky La (98 Strange Days), and Pham Thi Thu Trang with London Khong Phai La Nha, Dung Khoc (London is Not Home, Don't Cry).
At the final on Wednesday, January 13, at 272 Convention Center in HCM City's District 3, each competitor will have four minutes to talk about their book and major social issues.
The winner will get a cash prize of VND100 million (US$4,600), a two-year print and electronic book publishing contract, a two-year media sponsor's contract with tiki.vn, and a five-star trip to the central city of Da Nang. — VNS


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This Adorable Singing Cat Is Happy And He Knows It
Instead of "clap your hands," it's "meow."
Instead of "clap your hands," it's "meow."
Say hello to your new favorite "way to go" meme.
Peek-a-boo! I see you! Watch Benny, an adorable English bulldog puppy playing a game of peek-a-boo.
Your vet bill won't get any cheaper but at least it gets delivered to you in the best way possible!
This is what pure joy looks like. The owner says he was never taught how to do this, he just learned out of sheer interest and practices daily. I love how happy he looks!
Passing motorists save a prairie dog that got too big for its own hole, freeing the distressed rodent. The act of kindness was captured on dash cam and smartphone and took place on Olkhon Island in eastern Siberia.
In 2012, a screech owl was discovered blind and emaciated on someone's front porch in central California. Veterinarians nursed him back to health but deemed him "non-releasable" due to his loss of vision, preventing him from hunting and surviving on his own in the wild. It's believed that he only has about 10% of his…
Watch what happens when these babies drive through a tunnel. Their reactions are priceless! The compilation is set to some pleasing piano/driving music so come along for the ride :)
5-year-old Sadie is devastated by the prospect that her baby brother will one day grow up. In her defense, he does seem pretty adorable.
Watch rescued elephant Faa Mai play with an elastic ribbon at the Elephant Nature Park sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand. What a beautiful animal.


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Running For My Life, In A Green Tutu
I have been saved by exercise over and over again. Depression knocks at my door, and one of the ways I've learned to keep it outside is exercise. Particularly running. I get into my own head with good music and all the awful stays away, at least for a little while.
I've had ups and downs with it over the years, injuries, bronchitis-induced asthma, and chronic foot aches and pains.
The foot pain has been hanging on for a few years now, making running difficult sometimes.
I'm doing it anyway.
I am running, icing, stretching, cross-training and resting. Lather, rinse, repeat.
If I can do this, so can you. I will run until I can't. And when I can't, I'll figure out another way to get moving. Being able to play with my kids without getting winded means that much to me. I'm running for my life. I'm running to keep the bad at bay. I'm running to refill my glass.
I'm running for them. They deserve a wife and mother who feels strong and able. That's what running gives me. I ran in my first 5k in several years yesterday, and it felt fantastic. I can't wait for the next one.
Most of the time I'm not actually dressed in a green tutu. I break that out for special occasions.


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Fruit of the Tree Reflection
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!
Jesus finds Himself in the wilderness after His Baptism. The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into a confrontation with the temptations offered by Satan. Jesus emerges victorious. How do we measure up?
In Genesis we visit the well known Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Satan, under the guise of a serpent, uses persuasive deceit to rob the vulnerable Eve and then Adam of a Life of Ease in Paradise. How do we engage or better yet disengage Satan in our lives?
Psalm 32 is associated with the Rite of Penance. Confession and a contrite heart fits in with the practice of humility necessary to live rightly before God.
In Paul's Letter to the Romans, he wants to make the point that we are responsible for our sins even though we may be helpless to stop them.
Given the knowledge we discuss and glean in faith today, how will we manage ourselves as we live in the future?
Morning has Broken
Eleanor Farjeon (1931).
Cat Stevens
The Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden …". Gen. 2:16.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Ps. 32:5.
Just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. Rom. 5:18.
Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Matt. 4:10.
Prayer: God of wilderness and water, your Son was baptized and tempted as we are. Guide us through this season, that we may not avoid struggle, but open ourselves to blessing, through the cleansing depths of repentance and the heaven-rending words of the Spirit. Amen.
Just as I am
Charlotte Elliot (1823).
Antrim Menninger Choir
Prayer: Beloved friends, in this season of repentance and healing, we accept God's invitation to be ever-mindful of the needs of others, offering our prayers on behalf of God's community in the church and the world.
Fill us with your strength to resist the seductions of our foolish desires and the tempter's vain delights, that we may walk in obedience and righteousness, rejoicing in you with an upright heart. Amen.
We Believe
Prayer: Dear Lord God of mercy, your word was the sure defense of Jesus in his time of testing. Minister to us in the wilderness of our temptation, that we who have been set free from sin by Christ may serve you well into life everlasting. Amen.
God be with You
Jeremiah Rankin (1880).
Jim Reeves
The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26.
We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus' blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!
Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!


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Often, the kids will ask me what Pete does when he's at work. Well, I am not sure I completely understand what he does and it's difficult to explain ski design to toddlers so they really don't get it. I am proud to say they understand that their dad works hard to provide a life for us and for me to be able to stay home and take care of them. They can tell me the city he works in and the name of the business; so I'll count it a success.
Well, today I was able to show them a few videos that showed them what their dad has been working so hard on the past few years. PowderMagazine published an online article highlighting the new JetForce airbag from Black Diamond. Pete has been heavily involved and it's nice to see the outcome of all the hard work. I'm praying for continued success and safety and hoping he will get a pack of his own.
Below is the link to the article and three videos (in which, Pete appears quite a bit - esp. the last, at the bottom of the article) showing the process in getting the airbag made. Disclaimer: the videos have a loud fan noise so beware of the volume if watching in a public place. I am so proud of my husband and the many hours he has put into this process - including a trip to Austria last March. He is very humble about the whole thing but I was pretty excited when a copy of the patent arrived at our house with his name on it. Whatever God gives our family in the upcoming years, I am thankful for the 6 years (so far) he has had with Black Diamond.
New JetForce Airbag Changes The Game


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Dallas-based singer/writer Laura Ainsworth has a secret identity. By day, she's the co-creator of the Comedy Wire radio service, providing witty one-liners and parody songs to top radio shows worldwide. It's earned her a behind-the-scenes reputation as one of the most-quoted, most-played and least-credited funny women in the world.
But by night, she slides into the spotlight in her trademark elbow-length gloves and sequined gowns. With her beguiling, nearly-three-octave voice, she breathes fresh new life into the Great American Songbook. Her voice is a pure, sexy, pitch-perfect instrument that can hold, float and caress notes in a way uniquely her own, but with echoes of Ella Fitzgerald, Keely Smith, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Tony Bennett and Mel Torme. It's not surprising that elegant, supper club jazz is in her DNA, since she grew up watching her dad, renowned big band sax man/clarinetist/arranger Billy Ainsworth, accompany many of those very same musical icons.
Laura creates live shows that usher the audience into her own enchanting world, a cocktail mix combining the retro look of classic club shows of the '30s and '40s with a sophisticated modern musical sheen and just a twist of flirtatiously naughty humor. It's an intoxicating blend that has attracted some of the top jazz players in Texas to her side, including longtime partner Brian Piper, one of the most sought-after pianists/producers in the Southwest. Piper has accompanied countless legends, including Mabel Mercer and Cab Calloway, and he was recently honored as a Newport Beach Party spotlight new artist and "2011 Dallas Jazz Musician of the Year."
Now, the magic they create on stage has finally been captured in the studio with Laura Ainsworth's debut CD, Keep It To Yourself. Produced and arranged by Piper and featuring his ace modern jazz trio (John Adams, Mike Drake) as the core band, the album ranges from contemporary tunes, like the hilarious female revenge fantasy title track (now being pushed hard to AC stations), to fresh new takes on standards such as "Love For Sale," "Midnight Sun" (a tribute to her idol, Ella) and a "La Vie En Rose" that shifts from lush, French ballad to hot, '30's Parisian jazz, complete with virtuoso violin by Milo Deering of the hot jazz/bluegrass fusion group, Beatlegras. Then there are the delightfully obscure gems that only a musical archeologist like Laura would know. They include a swinging ditty about the woes of dating called "That's The Kind of Guy I Dream Of (You Should See The Kind That I Get)," cut but never released by the Nat King Cole Trio, and last heard as a Betty Hutton B-side in 1952. And her modern take on Helen Kane's innocent 1928 hit "He's So Unusual" reveals a surprising and humorous twist in light of today's frank sexual mores.
Perhaps the standout is Laura's haunting rendition of the classic, "Skylark." While the entire CD shuns modern studio wizardry, "Skylark" was truly recorded the one-fashioned way: live in a single take with jazz guitarist Chris Derose, a favorite accompanist of Michael Feinstein, Patti Austin and Willie Nelson. There are no punch-ins, sweetening or Autotuning, no showy vocal gymnastics to detract from the lyrics. There is just the irresistible combination of a great singer, instrumentalist and song, all coming together to move the soul. That's the feeling listeners will rediscover when they hear Laura Ainsworth's Keep It To Yourself!
|POSTED BY: disturbed3003
|POSTED ON: 06 Jun 2011 04:48 PM
Highly talented Jazz vocalist, Laura Ainsworth, releases a spectacular Jazz CD, "Keep It To Yourself." Ainsworth, who is accompanied by the Brian Piper Trio and guests, create an album that is overflowing with vibrant passion and soul. She takes the ambiance of the '40's and '50's supper clubs/bands and elegantly mingles that feel with modern day flair. Opening up the album, the title track, "Keep It To Yourself," reels you in as Ainsworth sweetly expresses her elegant and classy voice with a sophisticated style. Her rendition of the great classic, "Dream A Little Dream of Me," is truly superb as she spins her own magnetic style to this song. The songs, "Midnight Sun" and Skylark" are smooth Jazz at its best as Ainsworth voice carries with a smooth and silky tonality. If you are a fan of Diana Krall or Ella Fitzgerald, then you will truly appreciate the delectable Jazz songs on the outstanding CD, "Keep It To Yourself."
-Diane and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team