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When the New Times asked me to attend Ted Nugent's concert last night at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix (Sunday, August 5, 2018) and write about the crowd, I was apprehensive at first and a bit conflicted. Why was this, you may ask? Well, for a few reasons.
First and foremost, I like Ted Nugent. Talk to him about music and you'll understand why. The guy is a huge fan of rock and roll music. He is, dare I say, "Bigly" passionate about the subject and has an almost encyclopedic mind when it comes to bands and concerts he attended. When I interviewed him in 2016 for this article, we talked for almost 90 minutes about all manner of things, but mostly his obsession with the art form that has given him so much opportunity in this lifetime. It's kind of endearing, really, but there are the other layers to the Ted Nugent onion.
Even though I like Ted Nugent the music fan, when you talk to him, you realize that the only thing he's a bigger fan of than music is himself. He likes to talk about himself and the confidence he exudes goes way beyond charming bravado. He's a walking Ted Nugent propaganda machine, which is also amusing, to a point. Then he opens his mouth about politics and the state of our country and things really start to go sideways for a guy like me who likes to look at all sides of the argument before making up my mind. With Nugent, there is only one argument and that is his own.
On Sunday night, at least for the first half of the show, Nugent stayed true to form and riled up his audience with multiple accolades about how great his riffs were and are. He did say wonderful, and well deserved, things about his top notch band which features Greg Smith on drums and Jason Hartless on bass, but still most of the focus was on how great his songs were and how great it was that he was in Phoenix to play them for the crowd who he referred to as the "Last great white buffalo" at one point before deciding that he, himself, was actually the "Last great white buffalo."
Another reason for some apprehension on my part, at least for this assignment, was that I usually write about the band, not the crowd. I am part of the crowd, you see, so when I start to point fingers, I have to remember that there are still three fingers pointing back at me. The only way to do this fairly is to just call it as I saw it and what I saw was, in most ways, pretty much what I expected to see, even though I had never been to a Ted Nugent concert.
The first thing I noticed was just how shitty many Nugent fans park. There were lots of oversize trucks in the parking lot which is a direct reflection on Nugent's attitude about many things: go big or go home. Anyway, as we drove through the lot looking for a space, it was hard not to notice now many people were having a difficult time fitting their car between two small white lines. Tailgating was also in effect and Bud Lights were getting downed with impunity at several instances by middle aged white dudes in t-shirts bearing the images of animals and cars in most cases.
While on the subject of middle aged white dudes, of which, technically, I am one, this was the bulk of the Ted Nugent audience. Most of my fellow 45-55 year old guys were wearing some combination of a concert or car-related shirt and cargo shorts and walking slowly as to not spill the $10 beer in their hand. It is odd that so many people were getting their drink on in a major way yet Nugent never touches the stuff. Personally, I always felt a little odd drinking at Fugazi concerts back in the day, but I guess, to be fair, I didn't let their views on alcohol stop me either.
While I'm not a statistician, I'm moderately good at math and would estimate that 65% of the crowd was a white male aged somewhere around 53. 30% of the crowd was white females who also looked to be about 50, and 4.9% of the crowd was Native American males and females, also in a similar age range. The other 0.1% of the crowd were children and people of color. So who goes to see Ted Nugent (at $50 for the cheapest ticket, mind you)? That's right. Middle-aged white people and not necessarily the pretty ones.
I expected to see a lot of Trump hats or shirts but I only saw one. There were a lot of people wearing camo (one extremely furry, i.e., bearded dude had a killer camo kilt), but not as many as I expected and a lot of people wearing clothes that represented the US flag or the US military, as well. One young-ish lady, early 40s, I'm guessing had a wonderful shirt that said "LOVE" on the front but each letter in "LOVE" was made up of either rifles or hand guns. Fitting and definitely a great way to get Nugent's attention.
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A very patriotic crowd for a very patriotic artist, I suppose. In fact, the backdrop for Nugent's stage was a large US flag, so it was fitting that he opened with the Star Spangled Banner, as well, which guaranteed an immediate standing ovation at the end. It's not that most of the crowd didn't seem friendly, because the few people we spoke to were very nice (and drunk), but there did seem to be an underlying vibe of confrontation in the air, which Nugent loves. The guy loves to be the loudest guy in the room and when he's holding a guitar, that's fine, but much of the crowd also seemed like they like to be loud in rooms, too.
My wife said to me at one point, "This is the true Republican America here" and I have to agree. There were about 1500 folks gathered to celebrate their particular brand of freedom rock with Uncle Ted on a Sunday night and they had a blast. They might not have been the most stylish or diverse crowd, but they ate up everything the "Motor City Madman" had to offer and then some. Would I want to go to another Nugent show? Probably not, well, definitely not, but I still admire the guy's taste in music and he's a fantastic showman, even if he also serves as his own hype man, kinda like Chuck D and Flavor Flav wrapped into one almost 70 year old hard rockin' body.
And if you don't get that last reference, you were probably at the concert.


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In u-boot, downloaded by usb serial port, we set by commands below the fusemap:
1 - fuse override 0 6 0x5860
2- fuse override 0 5 0x0010
We have already stored the boot and kernel partition in the eMMC (SD4 ), we set the BOOT MODE as 00 (Boot from fuses).
After "reset" by command in u-boot I aspect that the boot coming from eMMC, but really doesn't start.
Have any suggest ?
Thank in advanced

subset: commoncrawl


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17 years of expertise means we are a step ahead of our competitors. Our teams are not only experts in SEO, but they are masters in sales and marketing, which is a tremendous asset when putting together an SEO campaign.
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17 years in the business means we are a step ahead of our competitors.Our team are not only experts in SEO, but they are masters in sales and marketing, which is a tremendous asset when putting together an SEO campaign.
We like to win. What drives us is competition and continuing to excel. Our goal is to innovate and always be the best at what we do. We understand that the real competition is ourselves and that is why we continue to see our rivals scrambling for second place.
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Fabien Celestin '17 heads out the door of his apartment, walks down to the metro, takes it two stops, hops off and makes his way to a local bagel shop to grab breakfast on the go.
He picks up a newspaper and takes in a quick view of the White House as he continues his morning commute to his internship site.
Celestin is interning in Washington, D.C. this spring with America Scores, a national nonprofit with multiple branches across the country that combines soccer, poetry and service-learning for young students.
"This is my first internship, my first time living in the city on my own," Celestin said. "I get to work with kids ranging from 8-14 years old and the adults who care for them.
"We coach soccer and teach poetry in 47 Washington schools, serving 1,500 low-income youth," Celestin continued.
The internship with America Scores, which is called DC Scores in Washington, D.C., was a natural fit for Celestin, who is a member of Centre's soccer team and a Resident Assistant.
"I chose DC Scores because it encompasses many of my interests," he said. "I've always enjoyed learning about sports and health, education policy and working with kids. I chose to work for a cause that I care about with an organization I respect."
Celestin is one of 49 Centre students with an academic internship this semester, a record number for the spring and fall terms. His experience is also part of the College's study-away program, which intentionally includes internship opportunities combined with a course of academic study in either Chicago or Washington, D.C.
"Being a liberal arts college, Centre prepared me well for the rigors of the office environment but also for the challenge of relating and interacting with people of vastly different social groups," Celestin said.
"The well-rounded education and emphasis on open-mindedness that Centre provides really has helped immensely over my time at DC Scores," he continued.
Celestin is learning a lot from this six-credit academic internship, especially when it comes to everyday work skills that don't lean on academics.
"I'm gaining a lot of interpersonal skills," Celestin said. "The persona one uses to handle a group of 30 elementary school children in a class differs largely from the persona you need to coach 30 middle school soccer players—and both of these personas differ even more from the persona you use to conduct yourself in a room full of donors.
"Learning to be flexible and to relate to people in any context has been the greatest learning experience for me so far," he added.
While Celestin isn't sure yet what his career path might be, he recognizes that he is making excellent connections in Washington, D.C. that could lead to future opportunities.
"For me, DC Scores was not about finding a career opportunity," Celestin explained. "With that said, the organization has tons of connections and the people here have proved invaluable in my process of finding internship opportunities for the summer, prospects that include Congress and a couple of think tanks."
Learn more about academic internships at Centre.
Learn more about study away programs at Centre.
by Anne Evans
Photo: Fabien Celestin '17 (back row, fourth from left) with students from the DC Scores program in Washington, D.C.
Washington D.C. internship combines soccer, poetry and service for Fabien Celestin '17
Fabien Celestin '17 heads out the door of his apartment, walks down to the metro, takes it two stops, hops off and makes his way to a local bagel shop to grab breakfast on the go.


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Survey: Have you ever been to Arizona/Grand Canyon?
Hi Ashley just watching "A place in the sun" property show is there, would love to visit :)
Would love to visit & to also travel across America in one of those big shiny trucks haha :)
Julie my neighbour did that they rented a cool convertible & had a fantastic trip & went to those places, said was just brillliant, oh will be great..lucky you :)
Cloud you & I can do a Thelma & Louise haha :)
haha Ian ya nutter :) xxx
29 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavourite answer
It's one of the biggest single thing besides the ocean and the sky that you can "see"...
It's pretty awesome...the size of it really can't be fully appreciated unless you stand on the edge of it...truly amazing place...
- Anonymous1 decade ago
I've said it so many times on here in answers i am just dying to get to the Grand Canyon and to see the Hoover Dam.My sister and hubby have been, along with Las Vegas the lucky things. I'd also love to travel across California/San Fransisco and Mexico as well.
- 1 decade ago
Yes 13 times and am going again in 15 days!! Only 2 times to the grand canyon though
- julie aLv 61 decade ago
Hiya Mel, the answer..No not yet but we are doing a fly drive California next year for 3 weeks (been saving for it for over a year..still a long way to go) and we are going to go to Las Vegas and the grand canyon on the trip.it is so easy to drive in the states as we went to Florida last year and we had a car and seen most of it, there is no stopping like here..you just keep going, I really want to see Beverley hills the most..just to see the shops.
- What do you think of the answers? You can sign in to give your opinion on the answer.
- 1 decade ago
Yes. Lived in AZ 18 years-besides taking out-of-state visitors that wanted to see it, we used to vacation on the north rim-it's 9,000+ feet, has Kaibab deer that wander among the people because hunting has not been allowed for 100 years. North rim is not convenient to visit. Next to it is the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. You cannot see it all in one week.
- Tim In CbusLv 51 decade ago
Hello again Mel!
I was just in Sedona, AZ last Thanksgiving holiday for a week. I love that area. Very beautiful. I would live there if I could.
If you want, send me an email and I will try to share some photos with you. :-)
- Amethyst PhoenixLv 61 decade ago
Yes I have. When I was 17 my mother and I got in the car and drove most of the way cross country for Summer break.
- Ian 52Lv 71 decade ago
Shhhhhhhh secret did you know how the Grand Canyon was formed ?
First Scotsman in Arizona lost a penny , took him fookin years to dig it up !! : ) lol
- FUUUUUUUUUU♥Lv 71 decade ago
I live there (:
Hahah, yes i've been to the Grand Canyon like 3 times xD
- SaaskiLv 51 decade ago
Yes, I have. God's Cathedral built by His Hands. Simply Gorgeous.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Several times. It's a wonder of nature. Iam shocked this country has not yet turned it into a trash receptacle.


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A pharmaceutical company with 3,500 employees was spending over $22 M on their healthcare spend, with their biggest issue being the lack of clear insights into their healthcare risks and cost drivers. This employer has a mainly young population and had assumed that they were healthy in general, but wanted to know of any issues or hidden factors that might impact the productivity and well-being of their employees.
The preliminary step in all such analysis is to load the client's data onto our z5 Risk Management Platform. Immediately upon doing so, we discovered that while average age of the group was "young", the number of individuals who were a higher than normal risk was relatively high for this group. Actually we observed 20% higher than average risk for members aged 30- 40 years old. Moreover, while overall the health was good, and the most expensive members were consuming lower than typical costs, the mid-risk range population was driving higher than typical cost for this population. In fact, this year's highest risk members were in the lower half in previous years.
Our clinical analysis supported these indicators, with fundamental shortcomings in care gaps. We observed almost 45% non-compliance in areas such as fundamental preventative screenings including cervical cancer and PSA testing. This group of Emerging High Risk members created an opportunity for identifying those ~1,400 members, and targeting them with pro-active programs to mitigate their risk factors.
Other factors easily surfaced in the platform were certain high-costs related to an unusual number of high-risk deliveries, as well as much higher-than-typical ER utilization, presumably by a population with no time (or patience) to visit a PCP.
While the employer's perception was that the population was healthy as a whole, using our platform, emerging risks that had the potential to spiral out of control without any intervention were uncovered, and we were able to make specific recommendations for mitigation:
- We targeted four areas for a focused program around reducing gaps-in-care for members with the three most significant chronic conditions, as well as general and preventative wellness measures:
- Asthma: improve use of medications
- Hyperlipidemia: drive compliance with annual lipid screenings and medication adherence
- General wellness: improve age-appropriate medical screenings as well as routine and preventive office visits
- This group had strong indication for prenatal therapy and pregnancy management. Utilization of these programs has been noteworthy.
- Telemedicine alternative were recommended. We modeled almost 10% ER cost savings based on a modest channel redistribution.


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Monday morning's better than Black Friday deals are listed out here below; our deal-hunters work hard to find these items and research their previous lows every day so we can prove that our deals are the hottest around! We'll be sending out our Hot Deals newsletter around lunchtime, as usual, and there is still time to enter our Thank You 300,000 Times giveaway before tomorrow at 5 PM CST, when we draw the winner of a Wii U and $100 Amazon gift card! Click here to enter and get multiple entries today and tomorrow by sharing us on social media!
SanDisk 64GB Ultra Fit CZ34 USB 3.0 Flash Drive (SDCZ43-032G-G46) - $32.99 at Amazon
Today only, Amazon has the SanDisk 64GB Ultra Fit USB 3.0 Flash Drive (SDCZ43-032G-G46) on sale for $32.99. Alternatively, the 32GB model is $17.99 and the 16GB model is $11.99. It has a low profile, meaning it's designed to stay in your laptop, car audio system, or other device. It includes SanDisk Secure Access Software to password-protect your files. The bonus one-year subscription to Sandisk RescuePRO Deluxe helps you easily recover deleted files. It is also backed by a five year limited warranty. This is a new model; it was first made available at Amazon on August 10th. There is one detailed positive review on the product page that 28 people have found helpful. For further comparison, the USB 2.0 version of this flash drive had stellar 4.5/5 star reviews based on 5,219 customers. Google Products shows that the next best price is $60.24.
Samsung 4TB D3 Station USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive (STSHX-D401TDB) - $119.69 at Newegg
On Black Friday 2013 Staples had the 4TB Seagate Backup Plus 4TB External Hard Drive for $159.99. Today Newegg has the Samsung 4TB D3 Station USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive for $119.69 with coupon code "EMCPAPE28". Although these drives are from different manufacturers, the average user they will get very similar performance from both. This external drive received an average of 4 out of 5 stars from 34 customer reviews and for a more in depth look you can check out this review from Techradar. The next lowest price we could find right now is $142.99 from Goodios (via Amazon).
Don't forget to use coupon code EMCPAPE28 to take 10% off! .
Thanks for Visiting and Happy Shopping!


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Friday, January 30, 2009
My sweet baby9 comments Posted by Warner at 4:58 PM
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mia... we are ready for you :)14 comments Posted by Warner at 9:32 AM
Friday, January 16, 2009
Maddie Update5 comments Posted by Warner at 4:18 PM
Monday, January 12, 2009
Fat belly Fun... or not!12 comments Posted by Warner at 4:11 PM
So my pregnancy all in all has gone really well. I have yet to be sick and have been feeling really good to keep up with the holidays and other fun stuff..... but i have finally hit the "no fun" wall real hard! Those of you who have had hard pregnancies would laugh, i'm sure, but i have no energy anymore... i cry at least once a day (for no reason might i add)... my belly is HUGE... My back hurts, and i can't get comfortable at night. So reading my own words i realize this is nothing new, but it still sucks! so any way on a happier note the things that make my world go round these days would include.... when my sweet sister-in-law comes to babysit so shawn and i can go to the temple or the movies :) , Jimmy Johns salt and vinegar chips, watching the bachelor and the biggest loser while eating peanut butter cookies or some other yummy treat :) , and hot tubby's ! also enjoy the pic because i think it is the first belly shot.. and probably the last considering i avoid the camera at all costs these days :)


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In the classic late 80s film "Field of Dreams," Kevin Costner is inspired to turn his cornfield into a baseball field after hearing a mysterious voice whisper the famous line, "If you build it, he will come."
Indeed, the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson soon shows up, followed closely by the Chicago Black Sox and half of the town.
Unfortunately, many marketers believe that if they only build an 'awesome' website, the customers will start pouring in. But what happens when visitors show up and, instead of playing ball and inviting all their friends, turn right around and leave?
Building a 'site of dreams' requires a whole lot more than a pretty hero image and scrollspy navigation. To truly capture and engage today's consumers, brands must focus on creating an immersive, interactive user experience that spans channels and devices.
Here are three UX pitfalls causing your customers to abandon your site, and how to make them stay.
1. Complex registration, login & checkout
The fastest way to make site visitors turn on their virtual heels and leave your site is by welcoming them with a laundry list of questions.
The same goes for abandoning cart. I'd rather shop somewhere else than provide my social security number to buy a T-shirt.
11% of US consumers admit to having abandoned a site because it asked for too much information (Forrester). And as mobile usage approaches 25% of all internet usage, lengthy forms will become an even bigger roadblock as consumers attempt to register and checkout via smaller mobile screens.
If you build this, they will stay
Give consumers a fast, simple way to register for and login to your site or app regardless of device.
Social Login allows visitors to verify their identities with the click of a button using their existing social accounts, while granting you permission-based access to the information you need.
Offer login options from payment providers like Amazon and PayPal to further simplify the checkout process by auto-filling mandatory fields like credit card number and shipping address.
2. Lack of connectivity
The interdependent growth of mobile and social have made modern consumers 100% connected, nearly 100% of the time.
The ability to consistently reach out and interact with others has turned even the most mundane, everyday events into social experiences, from listening to a song on Spotify to checking in at a restaurant.
Modern consumers don't just want to read your content, they want to discuss it. They may want to buy that pair of shoes, but not without seeing what their friends think first.
User-generated content is 20% more influential, 35% more memorable and 50% more trustworthy than any other medium, according to Millennials (Social Times).
You can bet that if you fail to provide consumers with a forum to check in with peers on-site, they will seek it elsewhere – and may never return.
If you build this, they will stay
Make your site or app a hotspot for consumer interaction by implementing solutions like comments and reviews.
Enabling customers to share and consume valuable feedback in the context of your site not only creates a sticky user experience, but it also builds brand trust and improves SEO performance.
3. Single channel experiences
As mentioned earlier, mobile usage is quickly growing, with 44% of adult consumers under 35 visiting websites on their mobile phones on a weekly basis (Experian).
While marketers are embracing responsive design as an extension of desktop experiences, many are failing to see how mobile contributes and fits in to the overarching multichannel picture.
67% of online shoppers admit to having recently made a purchase that involved more than one channel (Zendesk), with many of them using multiple screens in tandem.
Having to start from scratch as an anonymous user each time you engage with a brand on a new device is extremely frustrating. Failing to connect the dots between channels is a sure fire way to send users on a search for a more cohesive user experience.
If you build this, they will stay
Providing visitors with a quick and painless way to register and login across devices is only the first step to creating successful multichannel experiences.
Next, you need to use a database that can store and aggregate data from multiple sources to create a single, actionable view of consumers, enabling one experience to pick up where the last device left off.
Creating a website is easy, but building a sticky yet streamlined user experience is harder than it sounds. Brands that start by developing a strategy to combat these three key areas of abandonment are sure to hit a homerun.


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Publisher: Sans Minds
Skill Level: Intermediate
DVD Run time: 49 minutes
Type of effect: Variation of Strange Travelers by Paul Harris
Manufacturer's Write Up:
Leap of faith creates a powerful connection between you and your spectator. SansMinds Creative Lab has modernized a classic plot and made it even more streamline and visual.
Imagine a thought of card, that only the spectator knows, visually vanishes in the performer's hand and reappears in the spectator's hand. No more complicated moves and you can quickly reset the effect.
When the effect is finished you will leave your spectator an impossible experience and a question in mind. How did you do it? This is Leap of Faith. Check out the trailer now to experience the impossible moment!
How accurate is the ad copy? This is basically the solution to 'what would happen if the princess card trick and strange travelers had a baby?'
What's in the box? DVD and a few needed supplies to build your gimmick.
How are the production values: Sans Minds always makes great DVDs, Jason is on the street doing the live performances – and Herman is back in the studio teaching you everything you need to know.
Is it well made: You make the gimmick, the reason it was not made for you is that it is very labor intensive. A good portion of this DVD is in gimmick constriction, be prepared to do a lot of arts and crafts.
Is it well taught: The entire first half of the DVD is gimmick construction and setup – the remainder is teaching you the routine.
Storage? Does it "pack flat?" 10 cards total including your "thick" gimmick.
Does it "play big?" If you've seen David Blaine perform strange travelers (un-gimmicked, I might add) then you've seen the reaction you can get from this effect.
Difficulty / Skill level required: You will need to build a convincing gimmick that involves, cut, paste, tape, and card splitting.
How practical is this in the real world? (can it really be done?) As always with thick gimmicked cards, your angles are the "lines" that get created by light and shadow – be wary of them.
Overall score: let's toss out the traditional score of 1-10 and make this something that we all can appreciate and understand.
_____Very Satisfied
_____ Somewhat Satisfied
__X__ Neither Satisfied or Dissatisfied
_____ Somewhat Dissatisfied
_____ Very Dissatisfied
_____ No Opinion
To be honest, I am terrible at gimmick building, glue gets everywhere and I can't card split to save my life. At the end of the day $30 is too much for me for the amount of time and work that I still need to put into this bad boy.
+ Hey do you want to see my full review with even more of my opinions and ideas? Visit this link for my video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3ZMZ70cbDQ


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News from The Living Room
Part of writing a blog is giving a flavour of who we are as a business, what makes us tick, what drives us and is at the core of our soul!
Gratitude is the best attitude
We are all familiar with the saying 'If you haven't got anything nice to say then don't say anything at all.' The modern addition is 'and don't write it on social media.' But the joy of hospitality is that every customer is bombarded to write reviews. There is a certain…power…to it.
The joy (and that is of course a grateful 'joy' not a sarcastic 'joy', believe that and you will believe anything) is working in a low paid, long hours' industry with the highest review culture. Those cute little fluffy kitten YouTube clips may be the most popular but in this industry unfortunately there is a minority who seem to have an image of man eating lions with gnashing, drooling jaws stained with blood as they take to the pen…
The impact of watching all those cute kittens is unfortunately only momentary, as we know, the quirk of the human psyche receives criticism with greater impact than praise or neutral comments. In short we give greater weight to negative reviews rather than positive ones – born out by the 'helpful votes' on Trip Advisor. As well as how we feel after we read one!
We are always happy to help people feel more 'fluffy and cute' so we have decided to shift the negative focus of some of our more, shall we say, challenging reviews.
Because of our late arrival from London and watching England's first match in town then on to a club and a racially motivated incident occurring,resulting in reporting it to the police so got back to double room at 6am. Checkout was 10am, which through tiredness and stress, was overshot. Staff were not particularly understanding but suppose that is there policy. Cab fare of ten pounds also added to expense as slightly out of easy accessiblity at umsociable hours. Also as a result missed breakfast.
What the reviewer meant to say (although it was a female name and only men stayed, interpret that as you will!) was –
Thank you for waiting up for us to arrive because we wanted to watch the match in London. We really appreciated the fact that you dealt with the unexpected appearance of the Police during breakfast because we wouldn't answer our phones to them. Thankfully you kept the rest of the guests happy and calm while you spoke to them and we had a lie in. It was really kind of you to allow us to stay in our rooms two hours over departure time, sorry that your cleaner then had to wake us up and you had to pay her to wait for us. We were grateful that you then let us hang around in the hallway for ages and one of us charge our phone in the corridor – all without discussion or acknowledgment. It is just such a shame that the delicious smells coming from the kitchen were making us hungry but I suppose you always want what you can't have.
My husband and I decided to pop in for breakfast this morning and all the tables for two were either right next to the door or in the doorway so we decided to sit at a table for three next to the sofa. As we went to sit down the waitress told us that the table is for more than two so therefore could not sit there. I could have understood this if it was busy but it wasn't and there were plenty of tables available. I'm absolutely disgusted with the way we were treated and definitely won't be going back or recommending to my friends!!!! I fear for your longevity in this area.
What this reviewer meant was –
Thank you for waiting patiently while we played musical chairs making our minds up where to sit. It was understandable for you to ask that if we sat at a larger table would we mind moving if a group came in as we could see you only have eight tables and it was getting busy. We realise that there were other tables for two away from the door but they were not to our taste. Sorry that my husband so rudely responded in front of other customers saying 'well if you don't want our custom then forget it' and then stormed out. As my husband works for the bank that supports your business and was in fact in the business development department we realise what hard work it is running your own small business and totally understand it is important to use reviews to be honest and genuine to help businesses grow. What a lucky coincidence!
Didn't really enjoy breakfast please don't put rocket on a cooked breakfast it just not right.
What this reviewer meant was –
Thank you for putting rocket on my breakfast. I really appreciate the fact it brought up some unresolved anger for me and therefore helped me to release my deep rooted issues about rabbits. .
I am absolutly disgusted with this place . I had booked my my friend and i to go for afternoon tea there today , my friend has a terrible life threatening desease [ see theorie of everything film ] and i have no idea what has happened to her , but she was driving from her house in Winchester and didnt turn up at my house . I cannot get her on her mobile either . It is extrememely unlike her not to call if she cant make it . Anyway Ive called the Living room today , having booked a Living social voucher , and they refuse to extend the time i can use it [ ive paid already ] as im off to Canada tommorrow for 3 weeks , by which time the voucher would of run out . No Customer service skills here !!!!. I run my own business and am absolutly disgusted at their attitude .
What this reviewer meant was –
As a business owner myself I realise that voucher systems are difficult to manage as people buy them months before and often forget they are due to go out of date. It was, therefore, very kind of you to fit us in at the last minute because you already had a large number of bookings due to many others suddenly realising the date was due to expire on that very day. You patiently dealt with my constant phone calls all afternoon to say I would be late and then as you were due to close me phoning to ask to change the date. I was so lucky to then be going abroad for three weeks. I understand many other people would have also liked the opportunity to extend their voucher after a holiday let alone have a holiday (particularly being able to leave their business for three weeks) but I would say to them 'you can't have it all.'
Just come back from a weekend trip staying at this B&B it's clean and a nice room bed was comfy bathroom was very small but clean and your sink is in your bedroom nice area to stay but would maybe stay somewhere else next time nearly 200 pounds for 2 nights in a B&B was very expensive I thought for a basic room you have to be quiet because it's like being in a bedroom at home not impressed😕
Thank you for being quiet whilst moving around the hotel especially when guests are asleep such as when you returned late from your concert. It is great that you totally understand our concept of being homely. We like it when guests make the most of our extra facilities such as the honesty bar which resulted in increasing your bill to nearly £200. It was lovely when you left that you made the effort to be positive saying you will definitely come back and then took the time to write the following in the Visitors Book – 'Had a great stay thank you. Was made very welcome. Will come back.😕
My personal favourite review gave the staff high marks but cleanliness, breakfast and such like was apparently very average. So I now will show my gratitude for it making me laugh.
Thank you dear reviewer for missing breakfast each day due to your hangover – it boosted our profit margin which always cheers me up. It was also really kind of you to stay in bed all day because you were so hungover as it saved on our cleaning wages. But an especially huge thank you for covering up the fact you had vomited in the bin. It took us ages to work out where the smell was coming from as you had kindly taken out the bin bag whilst being sick. It was so thoughtful of you to then put it back in the bin covering the vomit – maybe part of your training for working as a Nurse for the NHS? Such consideration is rare.
The truth is that our gratitude goes to the guests, the absolute majority who make the place so genuinely friendly, warm and humorous. Not one of the reviewers above said anything to us, no complaints, no negatives, no feedback which is why it becomes the natural path to focus on the negative – it feels personal because you have no chance to resolve anything or give a context, the lion pounces and draws blood before you know it!! And you can't help wondering why. But we are genuinely customer focused, I'm not saying we are everybody's cup of tea or even the best thing since sliced bread (we all have our off days where we are a sandwich short of a picnic). Our solution would be a review site for customers. We could focus on all our amazing guests, all the people who come back here time and time again but woe betide the guest who ruins the experience for others! As the dad getting his three child out of the car in M&S's car park just said – 'come on guys let's try to remember to be human'.
Thank you to all our truly fabulous guests!
Scoop the Poop
Part of writing a blog is giving a flavour of who we are as a business, what makes us tick, what drives us and is at the core of our soul. So to give you an insight into our minds, if you were a fly on the wall, you would learn that our most impassioned subject is … dog fouling. Yes, literally any kind of dog mess. We are not impassioned by any particular kind – it all drives us into a rant. Any kind that has been allowed to happen on OUR grounds. In the week of a controversial budget potentially leaving the vulnerable vulnerable and the ever growing world of atrocities we still revert back to horror whenever we walk outside and find a 'present'. We rant and rave and then argue whose turn it is to clear it up. And this is how we fight all our power battles – the weakest clears the mess. Maybe this is the same the world over – in partnerships, businesses and Governments?
Dog mess, as a contentious issue, can lead to all sorts of philosophical debate and psycho analysis at The Living Room. What kind of person allows their dog to excrete on someone else's land? To take this even further what kind of person saves their dog mess and carefully places it on our path because we wouldn't let their dog in? And then how do they psychologically benefit from showing off to the neighbours that they proudly left it there? Have people got no respect? Would they like it if we sent a human to do the same to them? What is happening in the world? And so we go on…
And then we move on to our heroes, for example, the person who camouflages themselves and stakes out in the bushes to report the offenders. Or my dad – who became so fed up with a customer constantly letting their dog mess in front of his shop door that he put it in a bag, followed them home and put it through their letterbox. The National Trust poster below shows how emotive a subject it is even for a whole society. Or my brother in law who bought a pair of shoes from ebay that had dog mess on the bottom. When he complained the seller said 'what do you expect for that price?'
So this is who we are deep down. A team so angered by dog fouling that it brings us together to create a stink. It decides our power battles. It makes us question humankind. It stirs our primal emotions of anger, disgust and surprise. To us it's simple – you own a dog. It eats. It poos. You clean it up. As our neighbours tree poster succinctly reads …
In the meantime, if you visit us not only do you now have an insight into what 'makes us tick' but you will also know who is in control of the business by which one of us always gets away with not cleaning up the dog mess! Or more like which one of us is delusional enough to keep claiming they were the last to clear it up so it is not their turn!
Our Fifteen Minutes of Fame
So as its New Year we are following the tradition of looking back over the past year. Our most significant event in 2015 was our very own screening on Channel 4's Four in a Bed, equal we are sure to the long awaited Star Wars screening. Much to the amusement of our customers, bemusement of ourselves (we still haven't been able to face watching it) and entertainment of voyeurs Zak got his 15 minutes (plus a bit extra) of fame. But in the words of Han Solo – Zak decided to 'play the great kid, don't get cocky'.
Zak, not usually known for his extrovert behaviour took the high road and showed his diplomatic and reasonable side to the nation – not usually obvious working alongside his mother but it's nice to know it exists! His game plan was 'to be fair' and 'nice' – has his mother taught him nothing about playing games? So while Zak flounced around in his new wellies milking cows – bought as part of his no holds barred TV wardrobe – his mother was left holding, and scrubbing, the fort.
We were second to be filmed. On returning back from the first location shoot, along with the camera crew, he was confronted by a rather heated discussion with our cleaner which wouldn't have proved a consistent business approach, let alone game plan, to being diplomatic or reasonable especially as the cleaner was being sacked.
The tension was palpable.
The scene was set.
The cameras poised.
The Bet lynch lookalike 'contestant' arrived and silently declared war. Although she didn't know I was the joint owner, meaning I overheard her on the telephone insisting she was 'playing fair' unlike the others. Did she mistake fair as delusional? As Obi Wan Kenobi would say 'Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.' She nicely played up to the role of scapegoat and 'baddie' as presumably chosen for her at production stage – some people never learn! She left us pondering on a follow up programme 'Four Leaving the Bed'. Despite the apparent hairs, cobwebs & yellow stuff she planted, sorry we mean found, upsetting her to the point of deeming us such poor value pay that she felt compelled to underpay she clearly didn't find it upsetting leaving the room strewn with false eyelashes, corn plasters, lipstick on the window (was she kissing her reflection?) and chocolate smeared on the bed (well we hope it was chocolate). I suppose when you are busy pointing the finger you can't use them to pick things up.
Customers always ask, 'Was it worth it? Would you do it again?'
Well, Zak gained some admirers. Customers popping in who only wanted to speak to him. Giggling girlie anonymous phone calls that his mum had to listen to! Lovely messages of support. And TV critic Twitter fan @auntiepegg who labelled his face on TV as …'a right dish!!!' Of course we didn't get any mileage out of that!
Did good triumph over evil – well no. We were joint third with the baddie because Zak was fair and paid the full price or over!But as Ahsoko Tano said, 'This is a New day, a new beginning'. And we don't need TV to know we were actually the best!
Are Shoes the Window to Your Sole?
Are Shoes the Window to Your Soul? (If so I'm in trouble!)
Today our larger than life guest Desmond was reading news about an £800 pair of sneakers. He asked if my shoes had cost that much because they were 'rather groovy'. I suppose they are quite groovy but definitely not 800 pounds' worth. There's the saying about being comfortable in your own shoes. Taking it literally I might well be but our customers aren't always as comfortable.
Apparently I have frog shoes.
I look like I'm in a pantomime.
And was even asked if I wake up in the morning with the thought of 'what shoes can I wear today to look stupid in front of the customers.' Some might just call that customer service.
But there is the odd customer, well not literally – heaven forbid we would ever think of any of our customers as odd – who is as tough as old boots and also dares stand out from the crowd. Take Krishan, owner of Thrive @ http://thrivechiropractic.co.uk..
He doesn't care what people think of his barefoot shoes.
Admittedly we shake in our boots when he walks in but that's not from laughing at his footwear, more due to his diva demands. Maybe it's true that shoes are the window to your soul. Maybe being confident to be different explains why he has to always order food that isn't even on the menu. Why he then relishes in extravagantly announcing to other customers that they too can order whatever they would like, going so far as to make his own personal recommendations. (A list which generally includes my own secret food.) We can't help but succumb to his offensive charm, sorry, we mean charm offensive, all in the name of customer service and never, no never through gritted teeth!
Research claims that shoes serve a practical purpose and also serve as nonverbal cues with symbolic messages. For example, practical and functional shoes belong to agreeable people. Attachment anxiety can be shown by those who always have brand new or well-kept shoes as they worry what others think of them. Liberal thinkers really do wear scruffier less expensive shoes. So what about our B&B guests who wear their novelty slippers to breakfast? Well we don't really like to judge our guests because we always aim to put ourselves in others shoes. But what we do think is that it's amazing the guest feels so comfortable and at home that they are free enough to eat breakfast wearing a cuddly animal head or whacky cartoon character on their feet. So good for them!
And as Dr Seuss in Oh, The Places You'll Go says, " You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you can choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go…"
We hope your shoes will bring you here rather than walk on by, the crazier the better (shoes not you)… but be warned – shoes CAN broadcast your deepest secrets…


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Henry Cox was born in 1884 in Derbyshire and moved north to Settle, North Yorkshire, with his widowed mother and brothers and sisters when he was only 3 years old.
He started work in the cotton mills when he was only 11 years old in 1894 and walked over three miles a day to work and back. When it was cold he sheltered under his mother's shawl.
You can find out about the different sorts of jobs in a cotton factory by downloading this handy list.
We have put together some ideas for using the audio segment and the story of Henry Cox for use with KS1 and KS2. Click here for Teacher notes on the Victorians.
You will also need the handouts Henry Cox and the Doctor and Henry Cox Leaving School.


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Project Highlights
- 186,000 square foot Geo-Seal Barrier installed to meet regulatory goals
- Site development kept on-time and on-budget
- 60-mil barrier system chosen to offer highest level of protection against methane exposure
Project Summary
During initial environmental due diligence, this property was noted to have elevated methane in the subsurface (in excess of 15% by volume). While this was a perfect location for a multi-unit residential development as it was next to major traffic corridors and near many Fortune 500 employers, the environmental concerns paused redevelopment planning.
Modern Geosciences (Modern) was asked to develop a remedial strategy that could incorporate a methane mitigation system within the building design. Drawing on over three decades of methane mitigation experience, Modern's lead design engineer developed a cost-effective approach that satisfied all the parties plugged into the development. This included a customized passive collection layout and use of Geo-Seal to mitigate potential vapor concerns. This was supplemented by subgrade moisture conditioning and padsite preparation. Additionally, Modern incorporated a high degree of construction inspection and verification sampling to ensure the system was installed per their specifications.
Dr. Kenneth S Tramm – a leading expert in air quality monitoring, environmental due diligence, risk-based closures and remedial design – is the founding Principal with Modern Geosciences and managed the project for the developer/client. Dr. Tramm sourced Geo-Seal as part of his overall vapor intrusion solution due to its industry-leading effectiveness and long-term performance. Shares Tramm, "I felt confident in specifying Geo-Seal on this project due to its proven effectiveness in the field and the support of the Land Science team."
Site development is underway and the apartment complex should be open by early 2018. Following installation of Geo-Seal, the client/developer was able to meet regulatory goals and move forward with construction to keep the project on-time and on-budget.
Technology Description
Geo-Seal is a gas vapor management technology designed to eliminate vapor intrusion on environmentally-impaired sites, including sites designated as a brownfield. Geo-Seal is a chemically-resistant material placed between the foundation of the building and the soil pad to eliminate vapor intrusion and stop contaminant vapors from permeating through the slab. By using Geo-Seal, developers can ensure a healthy indoor environment while reducing the cost of site remediation and expediting site construction.
About the Client
Modern Geosciences provides expert vapor intrusion (VI) inspection and mitigation services designed to confirm, identify and locate the source of potential contamination and to mitigate the health risks posed to associated indoor environments. Founded in 2011, Modern Geosciences is focused on delivering innovative environmental solutions for its clients. Based in Colleyville, Texas, a suburb of Ft. Worth, Modern Geosciences provides cost-effective solutions to environmental challenges for clients spanning a number of industry sectors.


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End of E3 and Site News
June 10, 2011 Leave a comment
I want to thank everyone who came and visited the site during E3. It was an hectic time and with this being the sites first E3, it was quite a challenge of getting up as much information as possible and I know a lot of our posts got buried due to the amount of information that was coming out, but I believe we got out everything that was relevant, especially information pertaining to Wii U, I believe we got everything related to that.
Now this is probably long overdue, but we have also brought in two new staff members for the site, KKSlider who is going to be bring us Let's Plays and Music of the Day in which he specializes in sheet music which I think is very unique as it is something I have not came across before and definitely great to take a look at.
Also NintendoWiiBoy joined as well, he is primary a content poster but he will also be helping with the sites design and possibly reviews as wells.
Now going forward with the site, we launched our Back In The Day Rewind feature in which we are going to be focusing on Retro games. I was surprised by the response it received (positive), so there is going to be a good deal of focus on that feature.
We are going to be looking at other features for the site as well, not exactly sure at this point what we will do and I am saddened by one of the planned features fell through due to the people pulling out what they had planned, but I may still find a way to that same feature in the future.
You may have notice some slight changes in the site layout recently with the addition of the top stories, twitter feed, and community links and the removal of the archive and category list which was replaced by the search bar. Stuff like that will always happen as we continue to refine the site and give it a much better look.
Lastly, remember to visit our youtube, face, and twitter pages and subscribe to them.
Thanks again everyone


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A Department of Housing & Urban Development official said Monday religious institutions receiving federal funds for housing programs will have to abide by a new HUD rule prohibiting discrimination against LGBT people.
John Trasviña, assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, confirmed the rule would impact religious institutions during a conference call in response to a question from the Washington Blade, saying, "All HUD housing providers are covered under this rule."
Asked to clarify whether these providers include religious institutions, Trasviña replied, "Yes."
Ian Thompson, the ACLU's legislative representative, first wrote in a blog posting on the ACLU's site last week that the rule will cover religious institutions that receive money for federal programs.
"[T]he rule will require all organizations that operate HUD-assisted or HUD-insured housing facilities to serve LGBT Americans looking for shelter and housing — including religious organizations," Thompson said. "[O]nce a religious organization chooses to provide housing services or programs with the aid of federal funds and benefits from HUD, it cannot shield itself from traditional safeguards that protect civil rights in the provision of those services."
Thompson added that religious organizations providing entirely private housing services are unaffected by the change.
"We are pleased that HUD said that all organizations must provide equal access to HUD housing programs and did not sanction the use of religion to discriminate," Thompson concluded.
The rule, first proposed in January, covers programs serving an estimated 5.5 million Americans, including those living in low-income subsidized housing.
The measure, which has four general components, requires owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing to make housing available to applicants and occupants regardless of their LGBT status.
The rule clarifies "families" otherwise eligible for HUD programs can't be excluded because of one or more members of the family's sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status.
Additionally, the rule prohibits owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing or housing whose financing is insured by HUD from inquiring about the sexual orientation or gender identity of an applicant or occupant of a dwelling, whether renter or owner-occupied.
Trasviña said HUD clarified this provision doesn't prohibit voluntary and anonymous reporting of LGBT status in state, local or federal data collection requirements.
Additionally, the measure has a bearing on mortgage insurance programs. It prohibits lenders from using LGBT status as a basis to determine a borrower's eligibility for Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgage financing.
"These days, when one-third of new homebuyers are served by FHA lenders, this last element to make sure that one's sexual orientation or gender identity is not a basis for denying an FHA loan is critically important to America's families," Trasviña said.
Trasviña added that rule is "governed as a HUD program rule," so, unlike the Fair Housing Act provision, HUD offices throughout the country will enforce it and not just the Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced on Saturday during a speech at the 24th annual Creating Change conference that HUD would this week make final the rule by publishing it in the Federal Register. On Monday, the department published the text of the final regulation.
Trasviña confirmed that the Federal Register would publish the rule this week, but in response to another Blade question said he couldn't give a more definitive time for when the rule will be published.
"That's a little bit out of our control," Trasviña said. "Typically, the rules get printed within a week once they're submitted, so the rule has been submitted, we're just waiting for its publication."
Trasviña noted that publication of the rule will start the 30-day period before the measure will go into effect and expects the measure to go into effect starting in March.
In a statement provided by HUD, gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) commended the department for implementing the change, saying "I am grateful to the Obama administration for instituting this important policy."


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Incontinence (bowel/bladder)
We get it. Incontinence is an embarrassing issue that most people would rather not talk about, let alone seek treatment. The reality, though, is that urinary incontinence impacts more than 25 million people in the United States, including cancer survivors. More importantly, there are many treatment options available to men and women so that you can improve the quality of your life.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that urinary incontinence affects only those diagnosed with prostate cancer or cancers of the pelvis, such as the bladder or rectum. But other cancers also can trigger incontinence:
- Breast cancer — hormonal therapies can dry out vaginal or urethral tissues and trigger incontinence
- Lung/Esophageal cancer — a chronic cough can strain or stretch the muscles involved in urination
- Brain or Spinal Cord Tumors — these can impact the nerves that control bladder or pelvic muscles
Nausea or vomiting that sometimes occurs during any cancer treatment also can lead to stress incontinence.
Talk frankly with your doctor if you have incontinence issues because these symptoms can be managed. Behavioral therapy, dietary changes, medications, electrical stimulation devices and surgical procedures are all effective options to deal with either stress or urge incontinence. At Washington University School of Medicine, we also have a dedicated interdisciplinary group of urologic specialists who treat urinary and bowel incontinence as well as other pelvic floor disorders in the Center for Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Disorders (COPE).


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Appropriateness of Care Program Details
Home / Physicians News / Appropriateness of Care Program Details
Appropriateness of Care Program Details
RQHR's new appropriateness agenda has five elements:
- The first is to steal shamelessly from Intermountain Health's ten projects. These include reducing iatrogenic and nosocomial events such as ventilator acquired, surgical and other nosocomial infections.
- Secondly, we are asking members of sections of departments to introduce one element of the "Choosing Wisely" strategy relevant to their section. For example the Section of General Internal Medicine has committed to reducing the use, and duration of use, of Foley catheters.
- Thirdly through Dr Carson's great work we are pursuing the PPO strategy which allows standardisation of orders including admission orders. The fourth is the introduction of clinical pathways with particular attention to stroke care prostate and spine care.
- The fourth area of emphasis is on appropriate resource use. Here the region and its medical staff have already started working collaboratively to standardize ordering of diagnostic tests and the use of standard approaches to orthopaedic and neurosurgical procedures.
- The final area of work is to work on the appropriateness of surgical and medical interventions and on ensuring appropriateness of documentation.
RQHR will work collaboratively with the Saskatchewan Provincial Initiative on Appropriateness and indeed Dr David Kopriva will provide medical leadership with his colleagues for this provincial initiative. Saskatchewan's health system physicians and other leaders identified improving "Appropriateness of Care" as a key system priority. Overuse, underuse, misuse and unjustified variation have been widely used to describe care that is considered "inappropriate (treatments, procedures, medications, diagnostic testing).
- A provincial framework has been developed with the intent that the framework's processes will be broadly applied and widely utilized by clinicians
and health care organizations in SK across the continuum of care. The framework consists of:
- A quality improvement methodology to improve Appropriateness of Care at the clinical practice level;
- A stakeholder engagement and communication plan;
- A plan that outlines infrastructure requirements for capturing, analyzing and reporting essential data; and
- A toolkit with information to support groups or organizations who want to undertake improvement work in any clinical area
MRI of the lumbar spine was chosen as the pilot project to test the Appropriateness of Care framework in 2015-16, with the goal of improving appropriateness of MRI requests.
A provincial Clinical Development Team of clinical experts and patients is steering the MRI improvement work. The team includes representatives from several physician specialties in Saskatoon and Regina. These include radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, family practitioners and patients from Saskatoon Health Region and Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region. (RQHR: Dr's Ekong, Rodwan, Goyal, Konstantynowicz SHR: Dr's Babyn, Shepel, Woo, Fourney Patients: Cindy Dumba and Heather Thiessen)
The Clinical Development Team met several times over the past few months and after reviewing data and leading practices from other jurisdictions, a consensus emerged that there is an opportunity to improve the process for ordering an MRI for patients with low back pain with or without associated leg pain. The group recommending that a Lumbar Spine MRI Checklist be completed and accompany each freeform requisition for a lumbar spine MRI. The checklist provides an easy way to present important patient information and help better understand the reasons for ordering an MRI and whether or not these reasons conform to current guideline recommendations.
Implementation of the checklist will be phased-in, focusing on physicians in Saskatoon Health Region in September, and those in Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region in October. The Appropriateness Project team members will be communicating with the physicians and their office staff over the next several weeks to provide information about the checklist. The checklist will be required in Saskatoon Health Region as of October 1, 2015 and in Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region November 1, 2015. As of these dates, if the checklist doesn't accompany the requisition, the medical imaging departments will consider the requisition incomplete and follow their already established processes for incomplete requisitions.
An evaluation of the checklist will be completed- revisions may be made based on feedback from physicians once the checklist has been tested for 3 months in each region. The testing time period will end January 31, 2015.
Related Document:
Appropriateness of Care Program Details


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Many community members visit our New York elder law attorneys to ensure that they will have the financial resources necessary to obtain appropriate senior care when the time comes. Unfortunately, without prior preparation many local residents are not able to acquire high-quality assistance to maintain their preferred quality of life as they age. This weekend the Carroll Gardens Patch interviewed Assemblywoman Joan Millman about these and similar struggles that many area seniors face.
Assemblywoman Millman was recently appointed the new Chairperson of the New York Assembly Committee on Aging. She explained how her role requires her to be a funding advocate, because there are significant financial questions when it comes to state aid to help area seniors. She described how "they threaten every year to close centers, and that's of real concern to the seniors who use them."
Besides working to provide as many resources as possible to help area seniors, the Assemblywoman mentioned that she also works to raise awareness about the prevalence of New York elder abuse. She explained how the abuse includes both physical acts as well as financial exploitation. Consumer Reports recently noted that elderly financial abuse affects as many as one million seniors every year. Often the abuse is perpetrated by family members or close friends who take advantage of vulnerabilities for their own gain. As Assemblywoman Millman shared, "we get cases in this office where a son and daughter-in-law convince the mother to sign over the brownstone to them, and now the woman is convinced the daughter is going to sell the house from under her and now she doesn't have any place to live."
One of the main problems with catching cases of this abuse is the reluctance of many victims to come forward. She explained how many seniors feel that "there's so much shame and embarrassment, they can't tell anybody. Because how do you tell somebody that your own child is stealing from you or threatens you."
There remains far too little awareness of elder abuse and neglect in our area. While law enforcement officials are working on the problem, quite frequently wrongdoers are never held accountable for their conduct. One of the best ways for community members to ensure that they do not fall victim to abuse and neglect is to put a New York elder care plan in place to have access to the quality assistance when necessary. Preparation is often the difference between having a choice of acceptable living options and being forced into a mediocre facility. In addition, by contacting a local elder law estate planning attorney, residents will know that trained professionals are aware of their monetary situation which may prevent possible elder financial abuse or exploitation.
See Our Related Blog Posts:
Many Options Exist to Help Seniors with Money Management
Powers of Attorney Pose Risks and Complications for Area Families


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The city formally announced its stricter security policy for the City Administration Building today, and it appears more adjustments are on the way.
We obtained an internal e-mail sent to city workers (below), which notes "other changes" are coming soon. In addition, the memo reminds workers they can't carry concealed weapons into city buildings, even if they have a concealed-carry permit.
But the city says in an e-mail in response to our question that while city workers can't carry concealed weapons, "Private citizens with concealed carry permits are able to carry their weapons."
(Incidentally, El Paso County's policy is as follows, as stated by county spokesman Dave Rose: "If you have a concealed carry permit you are permitted to carry in county buildings except the Judicial Building and CJC [Criminal Justice Center]. You are not permitted to display firearms in County buildings.")
We've asked the city to provide more information about the "recent security incidents" that led to the crackdown, and will circle back if and when we get some answers.
To: All City Employees
From: Michael Sullivan, HR Director
Date: January 11, 2013
Subject: Workplace Safety
Mandatory Employee Acknowledgment of the City's Weapon Prohibition
In light of recent national events involving workplace violence, the Mayor and City senior leadership are taking a series of preventive measures to make the City of Colorado Springs a safer place for our employees and visitors.
An important early step in this effort is to educate employees regarding City policy that, among other things, prohibits employees from possessing or using weapons at the workplace or during work hours. Please take a moment to read and complete the mandatory Employee Acknowledgment of the City's Weapon Prohibition at the link below no later than January 25, 2013.
[link here]
While we are, of course, concerned about all City facilities, we are looking at the City Administration Building in our first phase of review. In an effort to improve safety, the security staff will become more vigilant to ensure that all employees are wearing their city ID badges. Please help them and wear your city ID at all times when in the CAB. The security precautions below will begin at the CAB effective January 22, 2013.
All employees will be required to show their City ID badge to the guards at the front desk upon entering the CAB.
If you have lost your ID badge or have never been issued a badge, you may come to Human Resources (CAB 702) between January 11 - 18, from 10 am - noon to receive a new badge. During this period, you will not be charged the cost of a replacement. If you need other arrangements for a new ID, please contact Tammy Anderson-Shirley at 385-5118.
Police, Fire, and Airport employees that frequently come to the CAB and need a new ID may contact their HRC for more information about obtaining a new ID.
Please note that effective January 22, 2013, all CAB visitors will be required to sign in, show ID and state the nature of their business. All visitors to the CAB will be issued a visitor badge, which must be worn while in the building.
Employee and visitor safety are our highest priority. Other changes to promote a safer work environment will be coming soon.
Thank you,
City Human Resources Staff
Mayor Steve Bach's administration is battening down the hatches at the City Administration Building.
On a test run yesterday, two uniformed people requested our IDs at the front door, before we were allowed to even enter the lobby. We also would have had to sign in and state the purpose of our visit, had we stuck around. Which we didn't.
When we paused and made no move to produce an ID, both security folks got panicky looks in their eyes. Asked if there had been problems with unsavory characters causing trouble, they said "no." But we weren't even allowed to look at the bulletin board, about five steps from the guard station, where public meeting notices are officially posted in compliance with the Colorado Open Meetings Act.
Bach did away with such security measures in his first month as mayor, June 2011. Columnist John Hazlehurst wrote back then that Bach ended "the annoying practice of forcing city employees to show a badge or sign in when entering the downtown City Administration Building. Visitors no longer will have to sign in, either."
Hazlehurst called it "a political master stroke." So what do we call the latest move to reinstate the practice?
Bach also has his offices under keypad lock. And he often employs the services of police to protect him during public appearances.
Early Wednesday afternoon, we asked the mayor's communications director what's up with this. We'll post the response if we receive one.
Meantime, don't leave home without your ID and a good reason for being at the CAB.
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EDITORIAL The goal of San Francisco's energy policy ought to be to remove all private interests from the generation, distribution, and sale of electric power, and the fastest way to get there is to condemn, buy out, and municipalize Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s local grid. But community-choice aggregation — a system under which the city acts as the equivalent of a buyer's cooperative and purchases power in bulk to resell at a discount to consumers — is a good first step.
Even Mayor Gavin Newsom seems to realize that. Under pressure from CCA advocates, including Sup. Tom Ammiano, Newsom has earmarked $5 million in his next budget to begin implementing an aggregation system that the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), under chair Ross Mirkarimi, has been putting together.
Now it seems the last roadblock is the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, whose members suddenly and unexpectedly had issues with the budget allocation when it came up a couple of weeks ago. They wanted more information. They wanted to hold hearings. We understand their concerns — CCA is complex and important, and it has to be done right.
But the SFPUC should have been the lead agency pushing for public power years ago. The commissioners should have been holding hearings long ago — on the high costs of PG&E power, on the city's legal mandate to run a public-power system, and on the value of CCA. They should have been pushing the mayor to allocate a few million dollars for a full public power feasibility study and pushed for this CCA allocation as part of their regular budget discussions.
Instead, it's been up to the supervisors to analyze, promote, and advocate for the program, and it's been Ammiano, Mirkarimi, and the LAFCO people who have done most of the work.
It's really annoying that the mayor is willing to put up $5 million for CCA when advocates have had to fight tooth and nail for a few hundred thousand dollars for a municipalization study. But it's the first time in decades that any mayor has done anything but stand in the way of anything that looked even a tiny bit like public power, so it's a historic moment (of sorts). The SFPUC needs to actively support this project and begin talking about the next step — how to get rid of PG&E for good. SFBG


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That's pretty much sums up how my first 'cross race back since my blown up kneecap went. I felt okay but clearly did not have the leg speed to keep up with the group(s).
I guess starting in the back doesn't help that much either. But I was riding with guys for the 1st lap and slowly started to fade out…like my engine wasn't quite getting the fuel throttle I thought I was layin' down. I suppose that's what happens when you spend 5 days in Vegas walking around looking at bike goodies. That and drinking beer in the street.
But I will not give up just quite yet, giver another week of training and hit up some sweet races near the Oval down in Cowtown. Should be a pretty good time. Eddie G is spending a bunch of $$ to put on a great show/sporting event, so I'm going to be sure to not miss a minute of it. I'm shooting for Costume Podium – top step. I've got some sweet threads to sport during the Dark Knight and I'm pretty pumped about that.
At least I was able to rail the sandpit while Bradley was there to take my photog…
Does this skinsuit make me look fat?…(kinda a little)


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New posters for sci-fi/thrillers Apollo 18 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes have landed online. For those unaware, director Gonzalo López-Gallego's Apollo 18 is a found-footage pic set in space which posits that 1972's Apollo 17 mission was America's last "official" manned moon trip. According to the new sheet, the film will help explain why the nation stopped visiting the moon (I'm assuming that it has nothing to do with the fact that the climate sucks and there isn't HBO).
As for Rise, director Rupert Wyatt's prequel stars James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Tom Felton, and John Lithgow. Aside from featuring an ape creepily peering over Franco's shoulder, the international sheet on display here does a nice job of explaining why animals can't have nice things. Check out each of the new posters after the jump. Apollo 18 opens on September 2nd with Rise hitting theaters this weekend (August 5th).
Here's the Apollo 18 poster:
Here's the synopsis:
Officially, Apollo 17, launched December 17th, 1972 was the last manned mission to the moon. But in December of 1974, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense. What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission. While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it's the real reason we've never gone back to the moon.
Here's the Rise of the Planet of the Apes international poster [from IMP Awards]:
Here's the synopsis:
A single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a war unlike any other — and to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. The Oscar-winning visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of Avatar and Lord of the Rings is breaking new ground, creating a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.


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Sedalia community not worried after rare jail escape
SEDALIA - The search continued Friday afternoon for an inmate who escaped from the Pettis County Jail.
29-year-old Sedalia resident Brandon McGee escaped from the jail late Thursday. According to the Sedalia Democrat, McGee escaped after dismantling shower room equipment and entered into a service corridor leading to an exit.
Melissa Hunton owns Gamezone Comics with her husband in Sedalia. The 32-year-old has lived in Sedalia her whole life. Hunton said because the escapee's charge was non-violent, she isn't very worried about the escape.
"It kind of puts my mind at ease that he was being held for taking advantage of people's money and things like that," Hunton said. "At least he's not a murderer, that would make me a lot more scared. If they can figure out where their loose ends are, they should be able to tie them up pretty quickly."
Hunton said this is the first escape she can remember for at least the last 15 years.
Another Sedalia resident, Craig Hall, lives less than three blocks from the jail. Hall also said he wasn't worried about McGee's escape.
"If the Sedalia Police Department does their job and does what they're supposed to do, which is to serve and protect, then I feel safe knowing they're out there patrolling the streets," Hall said.
McGee was described as a white male, 5-feet-9-inches tall, 130 pounds with brown eyes, brown hair and a goatee. He was being held on a charge of fraudulent use of a credit device.
Sedalia law enforcement officials said they had no further comment on McGee's escape.


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Smartwatches: Function, fashion or fad?
- Smartwatch shipments are predicted to skyrocket from 15 million in 2014 to 373 million in 2020
- Many consumers see smartwatches as a fashion accessory%2C so the aesthetic of the devices is important
- Lots of start-ups are throwing their hats into the ring looking for a piece of the smartwatch market
If you ask someone what they think about smartwatches, you're likely to get one of two answers: Either they're the next big thing in consumer tech, or they're a ridiculous ploy by big tech companies to "connect" yet another analog holdout.
Smartwatches are exactly what they sound like: wristwatches with enhanced, connected functionality. You can browse notifications, receive e-mails or even talk on the phone. Basically, it's a Dick Tracy watch.
But unlike smartphones or tablets, smartwatches are "wearable tech," meaning they must aspire to a degree of style and comfort not required of other gadgets.
"Smartwatches may even be more fashion than they are technology," says Michael Wolf, chief analyst at NextMarket Insights. His firm predicts the number of smartwatch shipments will skyrocket from 15 million in 2014 to 373 million by 2020.
Analysts seem to agree that this question of form vs. function is one of the biggest challenges to consumer adoption, to a degree unprecedented in the rest of the tech industry.
"One of the biggest lessons the early smartwatch pioneers discovered [is that] it's a fashion accessory device, and thus people won't buy it if it doesn't look good," says Joshua Flood, senior analyst at ABI Research.
Early smartwatch designs like Microsoft's SPOT failed for this reason, he explains, but the design teams behind more recent iterations seem to have gotten the message. "This is why we are seeing so many companies pushing their style element or philosophy," Flood adds.
Wolf agrees, citing poor style as the primary reason Samsung's heavily hyped Galaxy Gear smartwatch has struggled.
But that doesn't mean smartwatches are doomed. Just look to the start-up sector, where companies like FiLIP are making GPS-enabled watches that help parents locate and communicate with their kids.
Surprisingly, the big name in smartwatches is a young start-up called Pebble. Launched earlier this year, Pebble was the most successful campaign in Kickstarter history, raising more than $10 million on a $100,000 goal.
Unlike the Galaxy Gear or Sony Smartwatch, Pebble features an e-paper display —functionally similar to the kind used on Amazon Kindle e-readers. The display allows users to read e-mails, screen notifications, and interact with apps in direct sunlight.
"It's a pretty good mix (of fashion and technology)," says Pebble founder and CEO Eric Migicovsky, pointing to the customizable screen as an example of this balance. "Instead of having to choose to wear just an analog watch one day or a digital watch when you're going for a run, you can wear the same physical device and change it according to what you want."
But with looming competition from Apple, Google and Microsoft, Pebble has its work cut out. Each of those big-name brands is expected to follow Samsung into the wearable tech market, and with the infrastructure advantage afforded by Google Now, Apple's Siri, and, eventually, Microsoft's rumored "Cortana" digital assistant, the playing field looks increasingly inhospitable to start-ups.
"I do think that Google, Microsoft and Apple could really be big, because they do have the good platforms," Wolf explains. Even Pebble's Migicovsky acknowledges the competition, but points to his company's early start and third-party potential as a silver lining.
"There are quite a few competitors in the market," he says, "but no one else enables developers to actually write apps that run directly on the device and have it work with iPhones and Android smartphones."
However open brands are with their smartwatches, everyone seems to agree that, for the time being, the devices will remain mere accessories to your smartphone — companions, not replacements. But once app integration and battery life improve, Flood suggests, "We could eventually see a smartwatch as a stand-alone device."
For more product reviews and news, visit Reviewed.com, a division of USA TODAY, and follow @ReviewedDotCom on Twitter.


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Recording Europe
The Audiobook
About the project
We're DIY musicians and sound engineers from Switzerland and Iceland who met some years ago and became friends because we have a similar approach to music and creativity. We are doing this crowdfunding campaign to help us finance the production of our first audio book.
Recording Europe has been our project since 2015, an ever-evolving concept based on the idea of a nomad recording studio that tours Europe to record and film bands. So far more than 50 bands in 10 countries have worked with us, and in February 2018 we will add 18 bands from the Faroe Islands to the list.
But beyond recording images and sounds, Recording Europe is about telling stories.
We told such stories in the past through a documentary, video sessions and video-blogs. This time around we want to share the story through an audiobook, a medium that allows us to add a sonic dimension to our thoughts and words.
Our trip to the Faroe Islands will provide the background for the story we want to tell. But more importantly we want the book to convey the untold reality of the independent music scene, which constitute the immense majority of musicians, where means are limited but where passion is the fuel, dedication is abundant and creativity unbound. To that end we will dig into our respective experiences and share our experiences as DIY musicians and recordists.
In our minds the Faroe Islands are the perfect embodiment of the DIY scene: it's musically booming, yet few are aware of the immense creativity going on there. We feel that immersing ourselves there is a great way to inspire our story.
After we return from the Faroe Islands we'll commence the writing of the book. Once the script is finished we'll narrate the book ourselves, mixing our voices with every audio tool available to us to paint an immersive sonic picture of our story. Estimated completion of the audiobook and delivery of all the rewards is december 2018.
About past tours:
The first Recording Europe focused on Western Europe and its main goal was to direct a documentary about the DIY ethics of the bands met on the road, record 33 bands in 33 days and print CDs of the recordings. You can watch the movie here:
Hand made / silk screened CDs and posters of the first tour
The second Recording Europe focused on Scandinavia and was about producing video sessions such as these:
and daily video blogs cut and uploaded from the road:
we also film/record/mix concerts :
What are the funds for?
The funds will help us with travel expenses, and since we will be flying to the Faroe Islands there are things we can't bring with us and so have to rent there.
The audiobook itself will come in hand made physical copies that will bring producing costs (as well as the other rewards available through this campaign).
We provide our services to the bands for free, but accept donations if any.
Many many thanks to www.visitfaroeislands.com for believing in us and providing us with plane tickets.
About the project owner
Find us on facebook:
Kevin Galland
Kevin is a musician and audio engineer from Switzerland, and a graduate from an Audio Engineering Society affiliated school. He came up with the Recording Europe concept in 2015 when he felt the urge to meet people and multiply his hands-on experience as a recordist in unfamiliar/challenging conditions. During that trip he directed a documentary, and was joined by his friend Ragnar Ólafsson in 2016.
He has been playing music for more than 20 years, and got interested in producing/engineering during his late teenage years. Since then Kevin has been passionate about the Do It Yourself (DIY) ethics and attitude, even before he knew about the existence or the name of such a movement. That passion intensified with the years and became the main topic of the documentary he directed. He taught himself as a hobby for close to 10 years until he decided he wanted to make producing music his job, and attended a two year program in an AES school.
He worked live or in the studio for bands/artists/companies such as Ubi Soft, Unfold, Zéro Absolu, Coilguns, Louis Jucker, Among Gods, Julien Fehlmann, Myrra Rós, The Rambling Wheels, Yvan Bing, Juan Blanco...
Kevin worked and learnt for 2 years as an assistant at Studio Mécanique, Switzerland. It gave him the chance to work with/for inspiringly humble people, practice his craft on vintage gear as well as cutting edge technology, and dedicate himself to music both inside and outside of his comfort zone - Baroque, Jazz, Metal, Hip-Hop, Film scores, Pop, Punk...
Ragnar Ólafsson
Ragnar Ólafsson is writer, musician and recording engineer from Iceland.
Since graduating with a B.A in Literature from the University of Iceland in 2008, Ragnar has made his living as a DIY musician. He has recorded, produced and self-released more than a dozen albums with various bands and projects, and toured and performed his music in more than 30 countries.
Always passionate about finding his own voice in music, and never playing to the forces of commercial or mainstream music, Ragnar's music has the quality of being unique and personal, but not always profitable. This has pushed him to acquire a wider range of skill set and learn and master every instance of the music business, from composing, arranging, recording, producing and releasing music, to booking concerts, planing tours and handling media communication.
He first got the taste of the DIY modus operandi at the age of fourteen when he started writing music music fanzines in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he grew up. At the same time he developed an affinity for putting together music projects and went through a colorful palette of bands and band-members which included Olof Dreijer (from the Knife) and singer-songwriter Jens Lekman.
After High School Ragnar moved to Svalbard where he worked for two years and formed the world's northernmost band at the time, Iris-Magnus. After moving back to Iceland in 2003 Ragnar started studying singing and electronic music at Tónlistarskóli Kópavogs, alongside his literary studies, and supported himself as a music engineer, cover artist, vocal coach, troubadour and jazz pianist before making his living from his own music.
Ragnar describes himself as a chameleon when it comes to music: As multi instrumentalist and singer he has performed music in styles ranging from jazz and opera to folk, pop, rock and metal.
Ragnar is a founding member of several Icelandic bands. Most notably Ask the Slave, In Siren as well as his most successful act Árstíðir who has released four studio albums to date, had two #1 hits in Iceland and through relentless touring built a devoted fanbase in Europe, Russia and the United States. Ragnar is also the lead vocalist of Lightspeed Legend, a keyboardist for Sign, and session organ player for Sólstafir.
In recent years he has regularly composed and recorded soundtracks for indie short films and trailers. His first solo album "Urges" was released digitally to the world in June 2017.


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Kenya's Extreme Winemaking High Above The Equator
The mist lifts from the mountains of Kenya's fabled Rift Valley, better known for its flamingoes and zebras than its wine, as women weave in and out with baskets of grapes on their heads.
It is grape picking time at Kenya's only commercial vineyard.
Dressed in cowboy boots and jeans with three days' stubble and greying hair, manager James Farquharson supervises the harvest and pretty much all else going on at the vineyard.
He dips his hand into one of the baskets and looks at a bunch of grapes with satisfaction.
"We're practically on the Equator and at very high altitude. That makes management of the vines here very different from the way it would be in France or even in South Africa," he explained.
The goal on this more-than-mile-high farm is ambitious -- to produce a quality wine in Kenya.
The brand is called Leleshwa -- the name of a small olive-like local tree. It is produced at the Rift Valley Winery which is owned by Kenya Nut, whose core business, as its name suggests, is cashew and macadamia nuts.
Farquharson spent his childhood between Kenya, Scotland and South Africa, where he studied wine making. Then came a managerial position with a large privately-owned South African wine producer. Though he found the job stimulating it was "too office-based" for his liking.
Out of the blue, Farquharson received an email saying a rich Kenyan businessman was looking for a specialist to develop his vineyard -- and it is now more than three years since he decided to take up to the challenge.
"I said to myself that this was a chance for a wonderful adventure, to try something different," he recalled.
Pius Ngugi, the businessman who owns Kenya Nut as well as Thika Coffee Mills, had tried making wine from vines at his farm north of Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley in the 1990s.
-- 'It's Kenyan' --
After deciding he was never going to achieve a wine of constant quality, he put the project on the backburner. His son Mbugua Ngugi, knowing how close the project had been to his father's heart, revived it -- but this time seeking out a professional viticulturist and winemaker who knew Africa.
The vineyard's geographical situation -- at 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) right near the Equator, 90 kilometers (55 miles) northwest of Nairobi -- as well as Kenya's climate provide Farquharson with several challenges.
But he knew extreme winemaking was working elsewhere, including in Argentina which has some of the world's highest vineyards at more than 3,000 meters along the Andean mountain range.
"We'll never produce the sort of 'great wines' that the French do," said Farquharson, but "we try to keep it simple and respect the fundamental principles of wine production."
Feedback so far is encouraging.
"From the wine-making point of view everything seems to have been done properly," said Marcus Mitchell, the chef and manager at the Talsiman, a restaurant set in the leafy upmarket Nairobi suburb of Karen.
"It's light, it's summery and it's Kenyan," he said of the Leleshwa wine.
Cost is also on its side, since Leleshwa is exempt from heavy import duties that push up the price of French or the popular South African and Chilean wines.
A Leleshwa Sauvignon blanc retails in local supermarkets for KES 540 (about six dollars/4.2 Euros) and the brand's red for KES 645, which is about 10 to 15 percent less than a comparable Chilean wine here.
For Mitchell, Leleshwa can hold its own against the South African and Chilean wines.
"Reactions so far have been very good. The challenge is getting people to opt to taste it," he said.
The wine from Naivasha, however, is gaining a following among Kenya's fast-growing middle class that is more and more "open to the idea of paying for quality products," Mitchell said.
Over the next 10 years the vineyard hopes to boost annual production to three million bottles from just 80,000 currently.