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We are slaves to a small farm and are also riders, so any mention of farming and motorcycles is of special interest, particularly articles from the era when motorcycles and automobiles first came on the scene and their use overlapped that of horses and buggies. It was a transition which took some years to fully evolve and I find the contrast fascinating.
Earlier I posted a piece on George M. Hendee of Indian and his farm in Conn., and while there's no famous person involved in this piece it does reflect on the use of the earliest motorcycles on the farm. Why do I have an image in my head of me riding around the place trying to balance a basket of eggs on my head?
"The motorcycle is speedy and inexpensive in operation. It requires but little storage room and can be used on poor roads. For these reasons it is adapted to the use of single men on the farm. On a motorcycle they can go to town easily and quickly after the chores are done; the farmer boy, too, can get away for an afternoon at a ball game or to go hunting. If a side car is used, two persons may go on a pleasure trip. In general the motorcycle may be used for pleasure just as a horse and single buggy are used, with the advantage that much greater distances may be covered in a given time.
As a business machine, the motorcycle is of great use when hurried trips to town are necessary. In sections where hired men insist on the use of a horse, a man who owns a motorcycle is entitled to more pay than others because he needs no horse. On the other hand, it is well to have a definite understanding with the motor cyclist, so that he may not spend too much time on the road.
The capacity of the motorcycle is limited to 2 or at most 3 passengers even when a side car is used; and unless the roads are good, the side car must be left at home and the 2 persons ride tandem. The motorcycle can be used but little for carrying produce, though it is a fine thing for the rural mail carrier. Few women ride motorcycles but the side car can be used by a woman quite comfortably if the roads are good. For its capacity, the motorcycle gives a great deal of pleasure and is very serviceable. Its principal limitation is lack of carrying capacity. The first cost of the motorcycle is reasonable and is the principal one, and if properly cared for, the machine entails but a small upkeep.
Before purchasing a motorcycle, the farmer should consider several factors. One is, of course, the first cost. Another is the amount of use he can make of it both for himself and for his family. If he is purchasing for the boys, he should consider whether they are capable of caring for the machine and using it wisely. A third factor is the real value of the machine for business purposes. In some cases it can be used for many trips and for long rides…
Speeding and fast riding cause many motorcycle accidents. The rider must watch the road closely because his machine is easily unbalanced. Curves must be taken with discretion, to avoid the skidding of the machine from under the rider. Mud and sand must be negotiated with care, otherwise a nasty spill may result.
When a side car is used, it must be so fastened that the front wheel is not pulled out of line.
The motorcycle requires careful handling if serious accidents are to be prevented. One should learn to ride by practicing on little-used roads before he attempts to go where there is much traffic."
Source: "Farm Knowledge: A Complete Manual of Successful Farming Written by Recognized Authorities in All Parts of the Country; Based on Sound Principles and the Actual Experience of Real Farmers". Prepared exclusively for Sears, Roebuck and Co. 1918.
© Victoria (Rumble) Brady – vrumblesramblingbikerblog.wordpress.com


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You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'vashti bunyan' category.
i've always tried to share the music i like in posts but i never felt like i could accurately explain why i liked a certain song. i always sound like a failed literary journalism major. but reading allen's recent post on music, i was inspired to give it another go. this is a playlist of "tender" songs that i recommend. the songs are linked to videos so you can listen to them first hand.
love will tear us apart – susanna and the magical orchestra
the song is a cover of a joy division song. in contrast to the original's faster colder approach, susanna and the magical orchestra give a much slower haunting affair. the instrumentation and vocals sound fragile, but never weepy. the song sounds like how a bluesman looks; under the weary smile, you know that there is a tried and hardened soul. this song has a certain cleansing quality.
through the roof 'n' underground – gogol bordello
gogol bordello are often tagged as gypsy punk. a gypsy is a troubadour in the truest sense; carrying with him the bass drum and accordion under one arm and the slander and pride that comes with being a gypsy in the other. the song is uplifting. eugene hutz's warbling voice is courageous and familiar like that of an old friend. " And as we're crossing border after border/We realize that difference is none."
glow worms – vashti bunyan
listening to the gentle guitar, the lyrics are exactly the sort of words you would expect to accompany the melody. fragile and fleeting, all the while surely returning to the beginning. "dawntime mist begins reflecting light/waking sun will soon forget our night/love me through the day and i'll with you go/into summer and the next year's snow." through the impermanence of our lives, bunyan offers a faithful heart. the idea is simple and grand.
the night they drove old dixie down – the band
there is something about civil war america that i have always been attracted to. it was unsettling to empathize so strongly with the confederate south when our text book history lessons told us not to. it is the pain and sadness of defeat. the redemption that the south wanted so strongly to believe in, this is what i find so moving. it is this tenderness of a wounded heart and the faith of a people that i am so strongly attracted to.


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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
My Sweetgum Wreath
37 comments:
Good morning Dawn, the first wreath with the hydrangea flowers almost looks like butterflies --cute.ReplyDelete
Thats so pretty! I've never seen sweet gum before.ReplyDelete
Good morning Janet! I was shooting for the delicate look of nature.ReplyDelete
Hi Sunita, I had never held a sweetgum ball before, they are really hard!
That is really pretty Dawn! We have sweet gum here in Texas. It is one of the few trees here that have pretty fall colors.ReplyDelete
Great job! So, instead of fussing and you know saying a few ugly words about all of the gumballs around here, maybe I'll make something too! Thanks for the idea.ReplyDelete
You are so talented! A good use for sweetgums, too. My greyhound, Charm, just hates getting sweetgum balls stuck between her toes!
Dawn, it looks great! I really like the addition of flowers. Softens it and adds color and a different texture. I did something similar years ago (in Alabama) but mine was a combo of sweetgum, the pods from cotton, small pine cones, and misc stuff.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 31, 2009 at 7:48 AM
Looks awesome Dawn! The kids love those --they enjoy tossing them around, hehehe. But, I think I would prefer they make something crafty out of them --ah BOYS, hehehe. Have a great day -spring break here so schedules are off. Ciao!ReplyDelete
Really cute Dawn. I knew if anybody would know what to do with them you would. You are so talented. Keep us up on any other projects with the gum balls.ReplyDelete
Wasn't Skeeter sweet to send them to you.
Dawn, Nice wreath...I think it's a fantastic and creative use of gum balls....The direction you chose was perfect.ReplyDelete
Hi Dawn, what a great idea! I think going with the natural flowers was a good idea. We have sweetgum trees here in southern Michigan, but the balls aren't quite as large.ReplyDelete
Ms. Dawn, that's a most lovely wreath! You and my wife have great wreath making skills. She loves doing it and it's plain to see that you do too. She sometimes offers hers for sale at summertime craft shows and other happenings during the warm months. Have you thought about doing that?ReplyDelete
Yes, mother nature is the best. As is your wreath!!ReplyDelete
Ouch Cameron, poor Charm.
Hi Tina! Wow, you are so much like my sister, making all that beautiful art from common nature things. I must have been sleeping when God passed out the aritic talent, but I sure do appreciate those of you with the gift of creating art treasures!ReplyDelete
Hi guys,ReplyDelete
Meadowview thymes, I'd love to see the fall color of these trees, the Northern one sounded interesting and big.
Darla, I've heard these can also be made into a garland, spray painted gold after they are strung, glitter too.
Cameron, Do you partake in the greyhound rescue? We have longtime customers that spearhead the project up here in Maine, they tell me about it all the time, HUGE commitment.
Roses and lilacs, I do lit baskets full of pine cones, hemlock, spruce and pondorosa pine. Thanks for the idea of adding sweetgum!
Anonymous, surpose sweetgum balls are softer than a horse apple? Bad husband when he was a kid! LOL
Hi lola, Yes, that was nice of Skeeter to send them to me. You, Skeeter, Tina and my mother have already seen my wreath! Thanks for the second comment on it.
Thanks Gail, I never know what I'm going to do until I do it.
Monica the garden fairy, I love crafting things from nature, and seeing things from nature for that matter!
TC, I'm on Etsy, has your wife heard of it? It's not pricey at all and it's the largest craft show.
Hi mom, ditto from Lola's comment!
SAM, Dawn here. I'm Tina's sister from Maine. I apparently got the sewing/crafting gene and my sister got the growing and blooming gene. LOL
It's very pretty, and I like how it looks on the door. I wish I was crafty!ReplyDelete
I simply love your basket. It is gorgeous.ReplyDelete
Hi Dawn, you are a real artist. I love the final look with the hydrangea petals, nice and simple and sweet with the spiky balls. Lovely.ReplyDelete
Good afternoon all! I am still on break but popped in here for a sec to say hi! Love the hydrangeas so much! The sweet gum wreath is very nice too-something you can do with those pesky things. ttylReplyDelete
What a lovely wreath. I'd much rather have those spiny balls hanging on a door than underfoot - ouch! I really love the amazing fall color of the sweetgum trees that grew in our neighborhood back in California. Sometimes I used the green balls in flower arrangments. They're very interesting.ReplyDelete
Hi guys,ReplyDelete
Bright and sunny here in Maine (for the time being at least) My snow is melting!
gardenerprogress/Catherine, I love being crafty and learning things about making crafts, they are pretty to see too.
Hockinghill gardener, thanks!
Frances, I thought of more dried flowers but anything else would of overwelmed it, don't you think?
Hi Tina, don't work to hard!
VW, I'll bet the greenish sweetgum ball would be a interesting addition to a flower arrangement. The things other than flowers (mushroom, pods, etc) always grab my eyes.
- AnonymousMarch 31, 2009 at 2:37 PM
That is the best use of gumballs that I've ever seen. You can have the enormous amount that falls from my my one lone tree each year. :)ReplyDelete
Great idea...we have these everywhere in South Alabama. I have used them for other decorative purposes in the past...but a wreath is very clever!ReplyDelete
Dawn, I laughed when I read your snow is melting. No snow here for a while. Friday before last when I went to town the Dairy Queen in Topsham was opened and also Fat Boys. Today when I went to town food vendors on the mall and a lotta cars at the town commons. My crocus have been blooming for 2 weeks and dd's are half up. Hard to believe that those few miles make such a difference.ReplyDelete
Wow, our neighbor has a tree that produces tons of these sweet gum pods! I always though of them as a nuisance. I didn't even know that you could anything with them! The reef is really beautiful, I think I may have to give this a go!ReplyDelete
I don't mean to bother, but how did you get the sweet gum balls to stick together?ReplyDelete
Hi guys,ReplyDelete
Perennial Gardener, thanks for the compliment! I'm sure if I had one of these trees in my yard, I would thinks of these as pesky. They probaly stick to everything.
Dirt princess, thanks again! I had fun doing this wreath.
Mom, look closer in those copper pictures, I took them yesterday. You can see the snow out the door and window. Until today, still a foot of mush and banks as high as my waist. We lost a good deal today, let it rain!
Hi Zach, If you look in the first picture you'll see in the upper right hand corner a odd looking electrical thing. It's a hot glue melting pot and just big enough to dip the gumballs into. I never touched the glue or burned myself. The wreath becomes self stable once done.
The wreath is very pretty. I never thought of making such. We have a tree here and they are awful to walk on.ReplyDelete
Lovely wreath! It turned out very well.ReplyDelete
I love the flower arrangement and of course, the Wreath. You did an awesome job with it. Wasn't it Tina or Skeeter who made reindeers out of gum balls? Is this a relative of the same tree?ReplyDelete
Good morning!ReplyDelete
Dot, I can imagine these are painful to feel under a barefoot, ouch!
Thanks, sweetbay.
Chandramouli s, I believe it is Skeeter's mother in law that made the reindeer and yes, same thing. Creative lady!
When I saw the word wreath as part of your post title...I got so excited. Love making wreaths.ReplyDelete
Yours is the greatest!!
Very cool.
Dawn, those pesky gum balls never looked so good to my eyes! It looks like they found a nice home with you...ReplyDelete
We are surrounded with these trees in our neighborhood. I knew they had to be of value somehow. One time I tried using them as mulch. I heard that they would keep squirrels out of the flower beds. Well, that didn't work.Plus I ended up with a massive amount of seedlings! This is a much better use.ReplyDelete
Amazingly Lovely!!! Thank you for showing us your thought process as well. To see it change from "Country" to that masterpiece with the delicate blooms at the end was cool :-)ReplyDelete
My mom taught me how to use these as individual ornaments to give as gifts when we were kids. Spray Painted and with glitter :-) So I've been doing the same with my little Elem. school age kids as well. Think I'll grab a bunch more this season to make this wreath for me :D
Hey guys! Does anyone know of where I could find sweet gum trees? I live in metrodetroit-ferndale. I've recently become obsessed with the sweet gum balls for decoration. I'd also like to tap one (make salve out of the sap, doesn't hurt the tree). So maybe one that's in a park and not someone's lawn. Thank you!!ReplyDelete
Ashlie, Not familiar with Detroit but I would expect any good nursery would be able to order you some sweet gum trees. Failing that perhaps you could order some online?ReplyDelete


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A new study has found that a change in weather patterns brought on by the strong El Niño of 2015 fuelled the Zika outbreak in South America.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool used a new epidemiological model that looked at how climate affects the spread of the Zika virus by its two main vectors: the yellow fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito.
They also looked at temperature-dependent factors including mosquito biting rates, mortality rates and viral development rates within mosquitos in a bid to predict the effect of climate on virus transmission.
The model showed that in 2015, when the Zika outbreak occurred, the risk of transmission was greatest in South America.
The researchers believe that this was likely due to a combination of El Niño and climate change, which created conducive conditions for the mosquito vectors.
Dr Cyril Caminade, a population and epidemiology researcher who led the work, said: "It's thought that the Zika virus probably arrived in Brazil from Southeast Asia or the Pacific islands in 2013.
"However, our model suggests that it was temperature conditions related to the 2015 El Niño that played a key role in igniting the outbreak – almost two years after the virus was believed to be introduced on the continent."
According to the University of Liverpool, the model can also be used to predict the risk of future outbreaks and help public health officials tailor mosquito control measures and travel advice.
"Zika is not going away," said Professor Matthew Baylis, from the University of Liverpool's Institute of Infection and Global Health. "The development of tools that could help predict potential future outbreaks and spread are extremely important."
Image credit: preventable diseases, flickr/Creative Commons


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Just God Things Blog – STOP PLAYING DEFENSE
STOP PLAYING DEFENSE by Mary Parks
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Clemson? For most people it is not the academics, its FOOTBALL. And I really never got into football until I became a student. I never understood the love until I was able to stand in the middle of the student section and sing our alma mater. I kid you not, I got cold chills the first time I sang it with everyone. Once I drank that Kool Aid down in Death Valley, I am forever hooked on the sport. PS Clemson is still the reigning National Champions…. Anyways you may be wondering, why is this girl talking about football?
Defense means the action of defending from or resisting attack. When playing football, this is when the team is trying their absolute hardest to not let the other team score. And so many times this is how Christians, myself included, live their life. We are always trying to defend what we believe. We are always contentious to not step on people's toes when talking about Christ. We want to live our life's quietly and hope that someday somehow people will magically just see the light that has been in us.
I grew up believing if I could learn how not to sin, then that is when I will be a "good" Christian. I could not hang out with people that were different than me. Heaven forbid I went to a party. Did those people not know what they are doing? But looking back, all I was not accomplishing anything and I was full on judging other people. I felt that I was truly living a life Christ would live by not sinning.
As Christians, we are not called to play defense. Defense is draining. Every single game, I watch those guys get trucked by one another, and wonder what it does to the human body. It is physically draining to be on defense 24/7. Once, we have given our life to the Lord, the battle isn't ours anymore. That is when He will fight our daily battles. We have to learn to TRUST in Jesus and let go of trying to fight every single day against temptations. Jesus has already given you victory over all circumstances, so start living in that freedom. We need to go boldly and do the tasks that Jesus has called us to do.
If the battle is already won against the Satan, why are we still using our energy to defend ourselves against his attacks? Every time Clemson scores at a home game, we have the cannon that goes off. The crowd gets so excited when we get a touchdown. Every single day we have an opportunity to score a touchdown…. Are you going to intercept the ball or just keep trying to play defense?
***Insert Tiger Band line here*** GO!


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Public Finance Management Reader-Learner Reference
The public finance management (PFM) Reader-Learner Reference illustrates initiatives by citizen groups constructively engaging government in PFM decision-making. Public finance management, seen from a social accountability perspective, involves the following steps: participatory planning, participatory budget formulation, participatory budget review and analysis, participatory expenditure tracking and participatory performance monitoring.
The contents of the Public Finance Management Reader-Learner Reference is not meant to be prescriptive nor does it claim to be comprehensive. It is meant to help social accountability practitioners and other stakeholders to search for more relevant social accountability materials that focus on public finance management.
Public finance management materials refer to models and tools related to public finance management at the macro and micro levels. It includes operational frameworks, guidebooks, manuals, handbooks, guidelines, checklists, software programs, field guides, and guide notes, among others, that are specifically developed, designed and used for aiding, demonstrating, and implementing the steps of public finance management as seen from a social accountability perspective.
The Public Finance Management Reader-Learner Reference also includes key reference materials such as books, articles, essays, stories, online materials, and the like that cover and/or provide a deeper understanding of the practice of procurement monitoring such as context and background information, e.g. historical, economic, socio-cultural, and political background.
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Budget Review and Analysis Click here to get list
Expenditure Tracking Click here to get list
Performance Monitoring Click here to get list


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When we examine the differences between humans and cognitive systems, we often point to lack of bias in automated systems vs. the unavoidable biases that humans bring to making judgments. But is that really true? The fact is that every time we select a training set, write an algorithm or design a ranking scheme, we are building in our biases of how the world is ordered, and what is more or less important in any category. We build in relationships when we build ontologies that in turn are used to sort and categorize incoming data.
Make no mistake. Categorization is part of what makes us tick. Humans could not navigate their world if they did not establish knowledge frameworks. At a basic level, we classify objects or actions into two categories: "pay attention" and "ignore." We couldn't get out of bed in the morning if we had to perceive each time the significance and properties of the floor, the closet, the door or the pictures on the wall.
People make sense of their world by sorting events or objects into categories of things with similar attributes. This process is an innate. As we learn, we use what we already know to predict how something new might be similar to what we have seen before. Agatha Christie's Miss Marple is a classic example of extrapolating from experience.
But there are all-too-human pitfalls to categorization because it may order our thinking and prevent us from seeing new trends and patterns. Categories shift and evolve according to the context within which they are used. I don't notice the dandelions in the lawn unless I'm gardening. Otherwise the lawn is just background. Categories may also mislead if we insist on mashing marginally related things into the same category because we have no other place to put them. And worse, they perpetuate stereotypes, as Amos Tversky noted: to get rid of stereotypes, we need to get rid of categories.
As I've listened to talks at various conferences this year, I've noticed that the issue of unintended bias in automated systems is increasingly under discussion. In the digital world, bias is an issue in medical diagnoses, for instance. As we cross the divide from physical to digital, how do we determine what biases or expectations we might be building into self driving cars or home health aid robots?
People design systems, so perhaps unintended bias is unavoidable. Perhaps for many systems that need quick, but not perfect answers, bias may even be helpful if the designer's and the user's world views are congruent. Product recommendation systems come to mind. But what if you are looking for the unexpected? In that case, forcing matches, or relying on a single view may eliminate an "aha! moment."
One of the effective design strategies we've seen is to incorporate multiple categorization and/or ranking systems with a voting algorithm and a flexible set of heuristics so that it's possible to examine more than one set of recommendations. In the spectrum from "good enough" to "elegant," it appears that allowing a competition among multiple "takes" on what's important and what's-related-to-what is our best bet at developing the kind of subtle understanding we need to select ideas that are both contextually sensitive and effective in solving the problem at hand.Share


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San Diego Comic Con 2011 is starting. I'm not there. No offense to the Con, but my Cad Bane costume still needs stitching, and I don't believe in doing these things halfway.
There should as usual be a fair amount of TV news and previews, though, along with the other entertainment wares presenters will be peddling, and I'll be keeping an eye on it. In the meantime, TIME's Techland will be providing coverage, including Lev Grossman, who is both reporting at the Con and promoting his upcoming novel The Magician King.
Lev's dispatches are regularly my favorite thing about SDCC, and here's why–from his walk-up post:
Plus when you're 42, you feel creepy ogling the teenage cosplayers. You do it — don't get me wrong! But you feel creepy.
So you're not exactly sprinting to catch that cross-country flight to San Diego. You're more like a monarch butterfly returning to that one glade in Mexico that gets all covered with butterflies every year. You're looking forward to some tasty milkweed or whatever, but damn your wings are tired. And some of those other butterflies could use a shower.
In the meantime, from humid, garbage-smelling NYC, I'll keep my eyes peeled for reports. What are you most curious about?


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It�s been more than a decade since director and sometime writer Jason Reitman hit the ground running, churning out, in order, the thoughtful, offbeat, and entertaining string of films �Thank You for Smoking,� �Juno,� and �Up in the Air.� He hit a few bumps with �Young Adult,� bombed with �Labor Day,� and misfired with the ambitious but underappreciated �Men, Women & Children.�
Now he�s reteaming with Diablo Cody, who also wrote �Juno� and �Young Adult.� He�s also back with �Young Adult� star Charlize Theron, again tackling a challenging role and turning it into something recognizable and real.
She plays Marlo, a harried mom with a workaholic husband Drew (Ron Livingston), a loving 8-year-old daughter, Sarah, and a younger son, Jonah, who�s got an undiagnosed medical problem that leaves him prone to tantrums if routine isn�t followed. Three more things: Their home is a constant mess, she�s exhausted all the time, and she�s almost nine-months pregnant. Marlo is overwhelmed by life.
It�s her wealthy, full-of-himself brother Craig (Mark Duplass) who pulls her aside and insists that things will get even tougher after the baby arrives, so he would be happy to hire a night nanny for them, someone to help out at home so Marlo and Drew can at least get a good night�s sleep. It�s an idea that�s alien to Marlo, but one that she finally accepts shortly after freaking out at a school administrator who says Jonah needs to find a school where he�ll fit in.
A little girl soon arrives, and shortly after that there�s a late-night knock on the door, and a different sort of little girl is standing there. It�s Tully (Mackenzie Davis), the night nanny, immediately reading Marlo�s reaction to her, saying, �I�m older than I look.�
Beyond her big, eager to please eyes and her infectious smile, Tully couldn�t be any more energetic and chirpy, to the point that she comes across as a bit cartoonish. But she�s sure a welcome addition for Marlo. Almost immediately she�s getting that needed sleep, being awakened by Tully only when it�s time for her to nurse. Sometimes when she gets up in the morning, and Tully has gone home, the whole house has been cleaned. They even start hanging out together at home, trading stories, though Marlo�s are of the personal type and Tully�s are more informational; she�s a walking encyclopedia about interesting stuff, at least stuff that Marlo finds interesting.
Throughout all of this, Drew is a bit removed. He works hard, and when he�s home, is good with the kids. But he doesn�t even bother to stay up late enough to meet Tully.
This all becomes a movie about life that was once in upheaval taking a turn for the better. Marlo is certainly seeing herself come around, happy that she�s getting her life in order. The character arc that Theron follows is spot-on, and her changes � physically and emotionally � are completely believable.
But Tully wants things to be even better. Finding out that Marlo�s marriage to Drew has lost its spark, she comes up with a plan to help. The solution is an odd one, but not any stranger than the fact that, even after a big chunk of time, we know very little about Tully. When Marlo asks her what she does during the day, the answer is vague. When asked if she has a boyfriend, she says she�s �in several relationships.� Marlo believes she�s got no other choice but to trust this young woman.
This all moves along breezily, then jumps into a bizarrely out-of-the-blue conclusion that doesn�t fit into the framework of what�s come before it. There will likely be much discussion among viewers as to what actually happens, and why. But one thing everyone should agree on is that the film isn�t about Tully or the husband or the kids or life�s difficulties. It�s about Marlo. She�s a fascinating character as created by Diablo Cody and presented by Charlize Theron.
� Ed Symkus writes about movies for More Content Now. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Written by Diablo Cody; directed by Jason Reitman
With Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingston, Mark Duplass
Rated R
Movie review: Tully' has an odd but upbeat story to tell
It�s been more than a decade since director and sometime writer Jason Reitman hit the ground running, churning out, in order, the thoughtful, offbeat, and entertaining string of films �Thank You for Smoking,� �Juno,� and �Up in the Air.� He hit a few bumps with �Young Adult,� bombed with �Labor Day,� and misfired with the ambitious but underappreciated �Men, Women & Children.�


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As the topic says, i was playing the other day, all good. Login a few hours later and webserver was red for me, my buddy said 'strange im logged in ??'
Looked at the forums, several searches later i find solutions that are stickied that arent relevant anymore (in current windows), tried nontheless. No result.
Only way i can login is use my VPN which worries me because i have seen ppl get banned/timed out due to vpn use/abuse, dont care about the specifics tbh.
Current state is, tried all forum and sticky found options, nothing works, only VPN on server in my country works atm. It sucks, it is really laggy while i have SUPERFAST up and down speeds (fastest isp in country) which all worked fine.
No updates on windows/antivirus/anything, flushed DNS too, reset router several times, im at a loss atm. Might aswell not play after several years or more of doing just that. Would like a solution because i found a nice clan here, that is enough for me to have a good time. Some say its an ISP issue, id find that strange that they would block something out of the blue after a long time of play.
Any advice besides the stickied thread (which is out of date i think, but tried it anyway, been getting flak for 'not reading forum stickies' while i tried all i could find in several different searches spread over several days now)
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Web login red, sticky and forum advice did not work for me
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Re: Web login red, sticky and forum advice did not work for me
Rumors. We don't ban anyone based on VPN use. It's a tool that some people require to get around ISP restrictions. Sounds like that may have happened to you. You might be able to contact your ISP and get it resolved, or they might give you some crap reason they block us.
[email protected] for exploits and cheaters.
grimnir.me Some old WAR blog
Re: Web login red, sticky and forum advice did not work for me
That is good to know, im not very familliar with VPN usage and whatnot. The latter proved to be the case, they blocked a whole range apparently due to suspicious behaviour (VPN usage when i asked specifics)... non negotioable, had my formula massively reduced, lookin at other ISP's now.
I hate that big brother bollocks
Thanks for the reply !
I hate that big brother bollocks
Thanks for the reply !
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I recently had the privilege to speak at the Microsoft Accelerator, Kinect Class. The topic was teams, something I have always been passionate about, and I was able to get a copy of the video the recorded. Quite useful for improving your delivery. The video is a bit long, even after removing the Q&A. I'd love to hear your comments below…
First Mentor Meetings at The Microsoft Accelerator, Kinect Class, powered by TechStars
The Microsoft Accelerator, Kinect Class, powered by TechStars.
Yep, quite the name. I liked the original name better, The Kinect Accelerator, although it was also "powered by TechStars". The name change makes it sound like Microsoft may have other types of classes. Stay tuned, I bet there will be news about this soon.
If you don't know what this accelerator is, you can find out more here. Suffice to say, there are some cool teams doing crazy stuff with the Kinect device. Mashable talks a bit more about it here and references the press release about the 11 teams.
The name may be a mouthful, but that doesn't stop the group of eleven teams from being awesome. Thanks to a generous offer from Dave Malcolm, the managing director for the program, I've joined a group of 25 other mentors to help these teams create world-class businesses. A few days ago was my first long mentor stretch of meetings with the teams, and it was a lot of fun. I spent an hour each with four of the teams, and then I was able to watch the teams weekly demos. It was quite inspiring.
I mean, here are a group of people at a similar stage in their business creation process that I am at with FANZO, and they are all asking the same questions I am. And, funny enough, it's a lot easier to answer those questions as a mentor than it is to do so as a CEO. I thought I would share a few of the common questions, this being only the 2nd week of the three-month program, for those other teams I haven't had a chance to chat with yet, and for those other entrepreneurs out there looking to move ahead.
Who is my customer?
This was probably the most discussed question. This is probably not surprising given that it is one of the hardest startup questions to answer. What was interesting, however, is that each team seemed to already have the answer, they just couldn't let go of all the other possibilities. One team is focusing on the interior decorating vertical, and was trying to decide between working with design firms or going straight to customers. This seemed an easy answer to me, but the allure of the mass market is hard to ignore when you are in the thick of it. My advice, pick a passionate subset who would see the most benefit from your idea, and focus strictly on them. You can always pivot later.
How can I get in touch with someone in my target market?
For some the answer to this is easy. Buy a few clicks on google, and away you go. But if you are doing business to business stuff, or have a unique set of customers, it can be a bit more challenging. One of the teams in working in the health care space. They would like to get in touch with someone locally who is working with people who have a specific ailment. They would also like to chat with someone in the insurance world. This is where Steve Blank's "get out of the building" can really pay off. You just gotta start making phone calls and buying lots of people coffee. Your drinking a ton of it anyway, might as well get some use out of the time. It is good to work your network, definitely start there, but don't be afraid to just google for people. You'd be amazed at how helpful even busy people can be. Especially in the northwest…
Can you help me with technical/product problem X?
One of the nice things about being a geek is that people ask you geeky questions. It was fun to geek out about software update strategies, brainstorm some ideas to address lighting concerns. I love this stuff, so it was a joy to work on product stuff with some amazing technologists. The key is to have no fear. Every problem is surmountable, if you just look at it the right way. And asking for help can really help you identify that unique perspective. It is something I practice as often as I can. It's part of the reason I really miss pair programming now that I am working on FANZO alone. (Hope to fix that soon..:)
What is the thing that is keeping you up at night?
This isn't a question the teams have asked me, but one I have been asking the teams. When Brad Feld gave his chat about being a great mentor, one of the stories he shared was how he has been working with teams recently. He doesn't have much time, so he asks this question and they work on that. I love the open-ended part of this question. Founders are people first, and they run into lots of challenges that have nothing to do with the business, but can totally kill their progress. This allows a discussion about those things with a person who has been there. Great question leads to great discourse.
All for now. Looking forward to my next half day with the teams. I'll be meeting at least three new teams, so I'm looking forward to hearing some more good questions. In the meantime, if you have a question, and answer or both, feel free to drop it in the comments. Thanks!
How to stub geocoder for use in cucumber tests
As I continue to work on FANZO, I occasionally run into something where google doesn't help much. When this happens, I am forced to be creative to get something to work. I always wonder if there is a better way, so I thought I would post my latest kludge and see what others know that I don't.
I've been using geocoder to help me get geospatial data for addresses when they are entered into our system. I've also been enjoying using cucumber for BDD. To complicate things a bit more, I'm also using guard to auto run my tests, and I'm using spork to keep the framework bootstrapped so the tests run faster. However, my tests were still running slow. I figured, rightly, that I was making too many requests to the google maps api via geocoder, and that was slowing things down. So, how to fix it?
First, I had to address the problem in RSpec. Google helped me here. There is a gist here that adds a call you can use to mock all of the geocoding calls, and it warns you if you missed one. I found this very helpful, and I really sped up my RSpec tests.
Second, I had to address the problem in cucumber. The cucumber initialization works differently than RSpecs, and my first attempt at dropping in something similar to the RSpec fix just didn't work. So, after the tests taking longer and longer I finally worked out a solution. I am including it here. Please let me know in the comments if you know a better way to accomplish this
In features/support/env.rb I put the following in the Spork.prefork
require 'geocoder/results/base' class MockResult < ::Geocoder::Result::Base def initialize(data = []) super(data) end end
Also in features/support/env.rb I put the following in the Spork.each_run
Before do options = {address1: 'address1', address2:'address2', coordinates:[1,2], state_id:1, postal_code:'98003', country_id:1 } MockResult.new.tap do |result| result.stub options ::Geocoder.stub :search => [result] end end
That was sufficient to mock the search call, which actually hits google maps, for each test. Hope this helps.
Testing a Devise OmniAuth view with RSpec
So, in the process of building FANZO's latest experiment I've been creating a new web application with Rails. This is my first foray into Ruby and Rails, so I've been bouncing all over google and stack overflow picking up the bits and pieces necessary to duck tape the first experiment together.
After working through Michael Hartl's excellent tutorial on building a simple twitter-like app, I started off by putting together a simple rails app. I then looked into how to integrate user authentication and application authorization into the registration workflow. Devise has a nice integration with OmniAuth which I thought would speed this development flow up, so I installed those gems and I was off.
Once I got into the details, however, I find a dearth of information about how to effectively test views that are generated with Devise. Turns out there are a bunch of steps, which I pieced together from various stack overflow questions and blog posts, but I didn't see the last mile. So I thought I'd blog about what I ended up with, in the hopes that someone with either benefit from it or tell me that I'm doing it all wrong…:)
So, why am I testing a view? Because I have some logic in it to handle the case where a new users authenticates through twitter, but I still want to capture their email address and allow them to set their own password (I will generate and email the user a password if they come through facebook, then they can reset it at their convenience). So, without further ado, here is my spec for the view for the new action that registers a new user:
describe "devise/registrations/new" do before do view.should_receive(:resource).at_least(1).times.and_return(User.new) view.should_receive(:resource_name).at_least(1).times.and_return("user") end it "renders default look for completely new user" do view.should_receive(:devise_mapping).at_least(1).times.and_return(Devise.mappings[:user]) view.should_receive(:resource_class).at_least(1).times.and_return(Devise.mappings[:user].to) render view.should render_template( partial: "_new_user" ) view.should_not render_template( partial: "_twitter_authed_new_user") end it "should show post twitter auth fields" do OmniAuth.config.mock_auth[:twitter] = OmniAuth::AuthHash.new( { uid: '12345', info: { nickname: "wilma" }, extra: { access_token: { token: "a token", secret: "a secret"} } }) session["devise.twitter_data"] = OmniAuth.config.mock_auth[:twitter] render view.should_not render_template( partial: "_new_user") view.should render_template( partial: "_twitter_authed_new_user" ) rendered.should have_selector("#user_twitter_user_id", value: '12345') rendered.should have_selector("#user_twitter_user_token", value: 'a token') rendered.should have_selector("#user_twitter_user_secret", value: 'a secret') rendered.should have_selector("#user_twitter_username", value: 'wilma') end end
There are a couple key pieces that took a while to figure out how to include:
How to properly create the mock auth hash. When using the mock, valuable not only in view specs, but in controller and request specs, it needs to have the type
OmniAuth::AuthHash or you will get a bunch of undefined method errors.
How to set the environment up with appropriate mocks so that the form in the view will properly execute without a bunch of undefined objects. This code:
view.should_receive(:resource).at_least(1).times.and_return(User.new) view.should_receive(:resource_name).at_least(1).times.and_return("user")
is necessary to render the form. This code:
view.should_receive(:devise_mapping).at_least(1).times.and_return(Devise.mappings[:user]) view.should_receive(:resource_class).at_least(1).times.and_return(Devise.mappings[:user].to)
is necessary to render the links partial, which devise creates by default.
The view code that makes this pass looks like this:
<% if session["devise.twitter_data"] %> <%= render "twitter_authed_new_user" %> <% else %> <%= render "new_user" %> <% end %>
The new_user partial looks like this:

Sign up
 <%= form_for(resource, :as => resource_name, :url => registration_path(resource_name)) do |f| %> <%= devise_error_messages! %>
<%= f.label :email %>
 <%= f.email_field :email %>

<%= f.label :password %>
 <%= f.password_field :password %>

<%= f.label :password_confirmation %>
 <%= f.password_field :password_confirmation %>

<%= f.submit "Sign up", id:'commit' %>
 <% end %> <%= render "devise/links" %>
and finally the twitter_authed_new partial:

Almost there
 <% resource.twitter_user_id = session["devise.twitter_data"].uid %> <% resource.twitter_user_token = session["devise.twitter_data"].extra.access_token.token %> <% resource.twitter_user_secret = session["devise.twitter_data"].extra.access_token.secret %> <% resource.twitter_username = session["devise.twitter_data"].info.nickname %> <%= form_for(resource, :as => resource_name, :url => registration_path(resource_name)) do |f| %> <%= devise_error_messages! %>
 <%= f.hidden_field :twitter_user_id %> <%= f.hidden_field :twitter_user_token %> <%= f.hidden_field :twitter_user_secret %> <%= f.hidden_field :twitter_username %>

<%= f.label :email %>
 <%= f.email_field :email %>

<%= f.label :password %>
 <%= f.password_field :password %>

<%= f.label :password_confirmation %>
 <%= f.password_field :password_confirmation %>

<%= f.submit "Complete", id: 'commit' %>
 <% end %>
And for those interested, here are the relevant cucumber tests that drove the feature:
Feature: Creating Accounts Scenario: Create account via email and password Given a user visits the registration page When the user submits valid email and password Then he should see his profile page And he should see a signout link Scenario: Create account via facebook Given a user visits the registration page When he clicks the facebook link Then he should see his profile page And he should see a signout link And his facebook data should be stored in the DB Scenario: Create account via twitter Given a user visits the registration page When he clicks the twitter link Then he should see almost there page And there should be hidden twitter data When the user submits valid email and password Then he should see his profile page And his twitter data should be stored in the DB
What Drives Sports Engagement
Sports Engagement
I know I promised a posting on the scientific evidence around why so many people are passionate about sports, and I am working on it. But, while waiting to meet with a Professor of Anthropology who has graciously offered to discuss her class on Culture and Sports, I started thinking about the drivers around sports engagement (Thanks to Suraj Rajwani for planting the seed).
The question is, what increases or decreases a persons engagement with their team or their sport? This will be another good question to discuss with my scientific friends, but in the meantime I thought I would capture a few of my impressions.
Skin in the Game
As we all know, there is a big difference between watching a game where we care about the result, and one where we are indifferent. The emotional connection is significantly higher in the first case, whereas the second is more of an intellectual, almost artistic, exercise. Although it can be fun to just watch in amazement at what some of these athletes are capable of, this can wear off after a bit and doesn't provide the emotional attachment that explains the passion inherent in sport fans. So, if caring about the result can drive emotional engagement, what are some different reasons people care? I think a lot of them have to do with having skin in the game.
One way to have skin in the game is to be publicly affiliated with a team. When all of your friends and acquaintances know you are a fan of a certain team, then there is a correlation between the team results and your behavior. Teams are, in essence, brands and generally iconic. They have a mythos about them. By associating with their team, they tie their identity to the brand. It is a deeply personal connection. A study done on brand communities and personal identity shows how people express themselves through their brands. With a part of their identity tied up with their team, I would say a fan has a lot of skin in the game.
Another way to have skin in the game is to derive a direct result from its outcome. March Madness started today. What separates this particular basketball tournament from other tournaments throughout the year and the post season? The level of engagement is extremely high, even relative to other post season tournaments such as the NIT, or even other sport playoffs such as the college world series or BCS bowl games. What drives this?
I am sure there are many answers, but what struck me is the importance of the bracket to my personal engagement. Without having filled out a bracket I would not be interested in any of the games outside those of my team (Go Irish!). But, having filled one out, and sharing it with my friends and family online, now I have skin in the game. The competitive nature of the "bracket game" itself makes all these other games interesting because their results impact my success. Now I can watch any game of the tournament, and have a team I desire to win. My engagement is 100x.
Not too different from competition, but Suraj reminded me that having money on the table is the most basic way of having skin in the game. Whether it is a simple side bet with your buddies, or a more sophisticated routine in Vegas, a bet increases your engagement with that event substantially. Now there is a prize waiting at the end, be it a wad of cash or just bragging rights. This makes the outcome of the game much more compelling as it will entail a personal result.
So, how does this information impact FANZO? Obviously, engagement is a huge goal for a consumer social community. No engagement, no community. Based on the information above, if we are to increase engagement with our service we should include elements of affiliation, competition and betting. If done well, this will make more teams and more sports relevant to a single consumer, and therefore drive more engagement. So, expect to see elements of each eventually in FANZO. Betting will be tricky, given all the legal constraints, but I imagine we'll come up with something interesting. After all, bets for prestige are almost as compelling as those for money. Just ask my fellow madness bracket players who the reigning champion is…:)
Can you think of other ways to drive sports engagement? I'd love to hear about them in the comments…
Why Do Fans Love Sports?
A Leap of Faith
As we dig into building this new company, we need to ask and answer some fundamental questions. Following the Lean Startup stuff, one of the first things we need to do is identify our leap of faith hypothesis, and figure out ways to test it. Our current best shot at our core hypothesis is:
The vast majority of sports fans consider watching the game alone a big enough problem that they will actively look for a solution.
Pretty much our first crack at an MVP will be to test this hypothesis. So, the question then is, how does one test such a hypothesis? While tooling around with this in my head, I though of a more fundamental question I should fully grok the answer to prior to working on this.
Why do fans love sports?
There are so many sport fans, and they circle every sport known to man. Some sports are well-known, like College Football or the NBA. Others are strange, like the Modern Pentathlon, but still have cult followings. What attracts us to these games? Why do we keep coming back for more? Why do we dress up in crazy outfits, make fools of ourselves and scream at the TV?
Seriously, why?
So, got a question? Ask google! A quick search finds lots of people asking the same question. Either bloggers, or on your favorite question sites like Yahoo Answers or Ask Jeeves. Very empirical, non scientific data, but fun to look at all the same. This post will review some of those answers. My next post will, hopefully, focus on more scientific data.
There is something magical about sports
First let's have a look at what a sports writer has to say about why we love sports. Ben Miller writes a column for The Daily, the University of Washington's newspaper. Ben asks the same question, and provides three thoughts on the answer, at least for him.
- We will always come back because our teams are always there for us
- Anything can happen in sports
- Sports is a way to unite people.
It's funny that Ben included number one. He wrote this in Seattle in 2006. Shortly after in 2008, the Seattle SuperSonics left to become the Oklahoma Thunder. So perhaps they won't always be there for you. But I get his point. There is always next season. When a new season starts, the pains of the past are forgotten. I notice this myself every August. "It looks like Notre Dame may put it together to make a big run this year". I easily forget the mauling we received in the previous years weed wacker bowl. Each season brings new hope, and as humans we need and love hope. It is what keeps us going.
I like his second answer best as I think it gets closer to the core truth. Anything can happen in sports. His examples are George Mason making the final four, and the Seahawks getting to the Superbowl. There are tons of stories of Cinderella fitting the glass slipper and winning big. Everyone loves the Cinderella story because we all can easily identify with her. We can project, and dream that someday perhaps we will win something big. And every year, there is a chance that something like this could happen with our team.
Case in point, my Notre Dame team was picked to finish 12th, in the bottom of the bucket of the Big East. Then they lose their best player, a preseason all-american, to a destroyed knee before he played a regular season game. Now 12th looks more like 16th, aka dead last. And yet, as I write this they are sitting in second place. And they beat Syracuse, the number one team in the country. Who knew they could pull this off? Humans love hope, but they love happy surprises even more!
I agree that sports are something that help unite people, but I don't know if this is a legitimate reason why people like them. I think it is more of a side effect of a shared love. It's also a safe topic for small talk, similar to the weather, although with more passion behind it. I think the shared experience aspect of it is quite compelling, so I will chat more about that below.
Why do we give so much attention to sports figures?
A similar, related question, is why do we give so much attention to sports figures? Eric Ringham asked this question on Minnesota Public Radio after Brett Favre toyed with his sport by playing with retirement. A number of people provided answers to his question, while others complained that people like sports too much.
- Sports are a celebration of the human body and spirit.
- Sports are a shared experience defined by strong emotion.
- It includes winning and losing
I think the idea that sports are a celebration of the human body and spirit is also core to the truth. I am constantly awed by what people at the top of their sport can do with their mind and their body. Seriously, have you read anything about what the Tour de France does to its participants? We treat athletes like gods because they come close to showing us what God looks like, since they are created in his image.
But there is also a dark side, which adds even more drama and attention. Be it the competitiveness of Michael Jordan, the mental fortitude of Tiger Woods or the pure endurance of Lance Armstrong, we see the limits of human capability, while also seeing how human they are by how easily they fall. As fans we place them on pedestals, we still hold the ability to knock them off. And we love that. We love to identify with greatness, dreaming for the moment that perhaps we could reach a similar pinnacle. And when we fall short of that, we love our ability to knock the athlete down a notch as well. Sports allows us to celebrate the best within us, as well as the darkness within us. It's therefore very attractive.
There are few moments people remember more than those associated with strong emotion. Be it the highest highs, or the lowest lows, we remember. For those my age, I'm sure you remember where you were and what you were doing with the Space Shuttle blew up. You also, I'm sure, remember where you were and every detail of your first kiss. Well, sports can also provide those highs and lows. When your team wins the championship, or even that big game, you live it vicariously. It remains with you.
I remember so many details of the "Game of the Century"when #2 Notre Dame played #1 Florida State in 1993. And my memory stinks, just ask anyone who knows me. I also have very clear memories of the game immediately following, when ND lost to an unranked Boston College team ( to this day I can't stand BC ). The highs are euphoric, practically intoxicating. They are religious experiences. The lows become shared experiences, things that tie us closer together with our fellow fans. War stories we can discuss for years and years to come. By providing such highs and lows, sports make us feel more alive. They help us reach our edges, where the good juice lives. Their emotional peaks and valleys are addictive, and we love them.
Another commenter discusses the fact that sports include winning and losing, and that makes it attractive. I agree, but would like to expand on that by saying that sports allow us to enjoy the richness of competition within a simple environment where there is an obvious winner and loser. I think what is attractive from this sense about sport is that the game, in general, is clean. People who cheat are ostracized by the sport and by its fans (just read about all the doping scandals in cycling). So, even though the rules of the particular sport may be complex (I still don't get cricket), the rules are basically black and white. Anywhere this isn't clear, such as the human elements of the ref etc. we put in place mechanisms to control the variance, such as video replay.
I think the purity of sport is attractive because it is so different from the real world, a world full of grey and half truth. The purity of the sport allows us to escape our own lives for its duration. The sport can be understood, and its repeatable rules applied. They are like computer programs that a sporting community can compile and run. Clean, pure, simple, focused, we love them for all of it.
Where does that leave us?
So, after reviewing other people's answers, and throwing my own thoughts in as well, I propose the following as an unscientific, gut feel answer.
We love watching sports because they make us feel like we are closer to the Divine.
We just discussed that each new season brings us hope, and how our team is always there for us. Isn't this similar to the role the Divine plays in our lives? Do not most religions espouse hope? Do not most religions provide an avatar of that which we can depend upon? We all have this hole in us that we wish to fill with hope and communion. Sports give us a taste of what we need.
We also discussed how we identify with the athletes, especially the Cinderella ones, and we place them on pedestals for worship, as if they were gods. Why are they treated this way? For what purpose? Again I would say it is to fill a need we have to believe in something bigger than ourselves. These athletes show us the capabilities of the human spirit, pushing the bounds of body and mind. It is no wonder that, as the world becomes more secular, the salaries athletes can demand grow astronomically higher. We need to fill that hole, and the athletes become willing accomplices in our worship.
We discussed how the euphoric high of the big win was like a religious experience, almost like touching God. Watching your team win the championship has been likened to great sex, also a spiritual endeavor. Our spirits call out for these strong emotional experiences, as they make us feel more alive.
Finally, we discussed how sports are clean, pure, simple and focused. We might say God like. They define a world that is more controlled and easier to understand, as we wish a clear moral code would do for our world. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and we strongly desire it's simplicity.
So, I believe I can say that sports give us experiences and icons that show us what being close to God would be like. And by living vicariously in them or through them, we attempt to sate our desire to get closer to the Divine. Sports stretch us emotionally, physically and mentally, even as spectators. They unite people in shared experience, touching the communal necessity of the human spirit.
Next I will strive to see what science has to say about this question. In the meantime, what is your answer? Let me know in the comments below.
A New Adventure
There comes a time in your life when you need to make a decision between following expectations or breaking with tradition. For different people this happens at different times. There are plenty of stories of young folk going on walkabout, trying to find themselves. Great stories like Into the Wild are so popular they get sucked into Hollywood, because people are fascinated by young folk who break with Tradition. Heck, the whole punk movement was a response to this question. I'm not saying that things only happen at extremes, but the extremes certainly make the most noise.
Some people, however, are slower than others. For them, it's called a midlife crisis. They buy a crazy new car to publicly espouse their virility, or they find a new lover for the same purpose. Other's quit their job to follow their dream, or perhaps "turn their life around". Or some, like Kevin Spacey's character in American Beauty quit their job to turn their life around by finding a lover. Now that is hard-core.
Finally, there are those who refuse to even think about the concept of breaking from tradition. I can understand why. Even people making obviously positive change are still change agents, and frequently considered deviant. By countering tradition you face public ridicule, even from those you love. Certainly, differing from the norm is a hard step to make, which is why I think the majority of people will not consider it.
So where do I fall in all this mess? I've always danced on the fences of tradition, working in various startups. I have done this both inside large companies like my work building RealArcade at RealNetworks, as well as losing the salary in return for the shares when I helped start Smilebox. But I've never gone and done it on my own. So, as I hit my 40th birthday and it was time for my own midlife crisis, I left Smilebox to cofound a new company. This blog will be about me, striving to achieve my full potential while fighting the gravity like pull of tradition.
Off I go, on my new adventure. I hope we all enjoy the ride.


text:
Waiting is a fact of life. We wait in lines. We wait at stop lights. We wait for babies to be born. We wait, and wait, and wait. Our response is often one of wanting to "get it over with." From a child's annoying "Are we there yet?" to impatient drivers cutting off other drivers to get someplace quicker, we seem to have an aversion to waiting.
The flip side to waiting, however, is expectation, anticipation and hope. This is beautifully captured in the Spanish language. The verb esperar means "wait, expect and hope." One of the themes of Advent is waiting. It is usually cast in terms of our expectation for a Savior — the pre-Christian expectation of the Jewish people for a Messiah, and the Christian hope or expectation for Jesus to come again in glory. The relationship between these three realities is not coincidental. Waiting devoid of anticipating something is a drudgery. Anticipation without the hope that something can become a reality is meaningless.
If we take a look at the whole of Salvation History, beginning with Creation, continuing with the formation of the people of Israel, etc., we find a God who gradually enters into relationship with us and reveals himself to us. And then, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4). St. Paul uses the term "in the fullness of time." This expression implies that God was waiting for a specific time for Jesus, the Son of God, to come to earth.
Another Gospel passage that comes to my mind is the parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus portrays the father as waiting for the return of his son. "While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him" (Luke 15:20 — italics added). While his son was away, this father had been waiting for him. The father looks for his son, anticipating his return. And when he finally sees the beloved son whom he has been expecting, the father can't wait any longer. He doesn't wait for his son to come to him, he runs to his son.
Powerful waiting
These two passages beautifully describe how God, in a sense, waits. God expected and prepared for the coming of Jesus to earth. Only when the time was right, and not a moment too soon, did Jesus appear. In the same way, God waits for the fullness of time in which God can run toward us and wrap us in the embrace that he has been eagerly anticipating to shower over us. Waiting can therefore become a powerful experience in which to encounter God. The process of waiting can be understood as the point of connection for entering into a profound relationship with God. I think the key is keeping in mind what we are waiting for, rather than becoming impatient because of the time spent waiting. So often we fill up that precious "waiting" time by "doing other things." The Father figure in the parable kept looking for his son. The son was the object of his waiting. Therefore, he never tired of waiting because he wasn't waiting — he was expecting his son.
A few years ago, I stopped doing things when I was waiting. You might want to try the same thing. For example, the next time you are waiting in a doctor's office, instead of fidgeting, gaming or flipping through magazines, how about consciously becoming aware of waiting. What are you feeling as you sit in that office? What is it that drives you to fidget, game or flip through magazines? The "fullness of time" for you is when you hear your name called. How did you feel when your wait was over?
Take another example: waiting to meet up with a friend, for a birthday, Christmas or an important event. What is the difference between the two types of waiting — waiting for an appointment and waiting for something to happen in life?
All of our moments of waiting can prepare us for what we are ultimately waiting for — the complete revelation of God in Jesus Christ in our lives today. It is there that our waiting can be said to "meet" God's waiting. If that ultimate "wait" becomes a conscious one in my life, then I can apply what I have learned about how I wait for other things to this ultimate expectation. When I meet God where he waits for me — in creation, in Sacred Scripture, in the Sacraments, in other people — I can experience the fullness of time with God who runs to meet me with more joy than when I hear my name called in a doctor's office or when an anticipated event arrives. In this way our anticipation, our expectation, our waiting, is satisfying and becomes a welcome, sought-after experience.


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By Pallavi Bose Thacker
Sara Ali Khan, daughter of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh is debuting opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in the movie Kedarnath. Kedarnath is being directed by Abhishek Kapoor and the movie features Sushant and Sara in lead roles. As per the sources, the first schedule of the movie is already shot in the holy city Kedarnath. The cast and crew has already left for the second schedule and I will keep you posted about the same.
But right now the talk of the town is a picture which is said to be the first look of the movie. The picture is featuring Sara Ali Khan and OMG it seems that the internet is not stopping over. They are finding many similarities between Sara Ali Khan and the young Amrita Singh. And we can't blame the internet. It is true. Have a look at the picture given below and you will realize yourself.
Kedarnath's team has released two pictures of the actress. Both the pictures look quite similar and it seems that the actress is riding on to something. Abhishek Kapoor, the director of the movie has titled these pictures as "Shahi Sawaari". As we told you earlier the first leg of the movie is already shot and for the second leg everyone is back in Mumbai where the rest of the movie will be shot. Other than this Abhishek Kapoor has identified other scenic locations like Triyuginarayan Temple, Akhand Dhuni Temple and the virgin regions of the Chopta forests. In the movie Sara Ali Khan will be playing the role of a tourist whereas Sushant is the guide in the movie. And the movie showcases the love story between them.
Well, looks like an interesting watch, right??? Can't wait for the movie. It is slated to release in June 2018. Do share your views about the same in the comments below.
As always thank you so much for taking out time and reading my blog.
Always keep smiling, it makes you look beautiful!
Images source: Google


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You may be asking yourself how necessary it really is to receive regular dental treatment from a professional dentist. The truth is that without having a dental check up twice a year, you are at a much higher risk of having certain conditions (diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer) go unnoticed. In addition to cleaning your teeth more thoroughly than brushing at home, dentists are able to detect symptoms of these more serious conditions so that they can be treated before growing worse. Seeing one of our Sterling Heights no insurance dentists will save you from more trouble in the long run.
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The past couple of months have seen great changes in our household. We moved and everyone knows that's a big deal – even if it is just 3 miles down the road. We had a couple of lovely long-term house guests – and even though that's fun, it's still a big deal. And, the number of screens in our house tripled by way of smartphones, laptops and tablets too. Needless to say I was more than a little bit distracted by life's big changes and so screen usage was, well, let's just say it increased significantly. And not just screen time mind you, but everyone on their own screen, small and big, with headphones on so in order to communicate you had to wave your hands wildly in front of their dazed eyes. WHAT THE?
While it worked for a little while and admittedly gave me what I needed personally in some regards, (leave-me-alone-I've-got-stuff-on-my-mind-tend-to-yourselves-can't-you-see-I'm-busy?), it did not give me what I wanted as far as family life was concerned.
Then last week's ice day off from school was sort of the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back as we had an entire day of individual screens for all members of the family, plus headphones. And when even my 14 year-old said he was needing some parameters set around screens after that crazy day, I knew it was time.
I need some ideas and funny enough, I went to my own book, because I knew I had done this before! And I knew I had even written about it… "As our kids have gotten older and the number of screens have increased, we felt we were heading down the slippery slope of obsessive screen time…" So now, just because the kids were older still and the screens had multiplied again, didn't mean we needed to necessarily recreate the wheel.
So I opened to Chapter 52 SCREEN FREE, which isn't about really being screen free, just partially screen-free in various times and places. And there were some ideas I knew I could implement again – things like screen free zones in the house and screen free hours during the day and a day or two of complete screen-freeness during the week. We're going to start today and I think we'll start with a little smart phone holding tank for all the tiny screens in the family. We'll put them all together so they can keep each other company for those few hours of the day after school and before dinner.
And when the pre-teens come over this weekend to hang out and maybe even sleep over? I'm going to follow the lead of another mom I know who decided that pre-teen gatherings at her house would require each participant checking their phone into the resident parent. So that when they were all together they would be really together, body, mind and spirit.
That's what I'm going for. Not totalitarianism, just a little more time when we can all be together body, mind and spirit too. Them. And me.
*If you want to do something official about your screen time, The Center for Commercial Free Childhood hosts an annual screen free week, during which you can create your own campaign at home, at schools or in your community.


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Collection Information
Size: 1 Reel ca. 750 items (on 1 microfilm reel)
Summary: Certificate of Incorporation; draft of articles of incorporation and by-laws; minutes of A.H.C. meetings, April 1939-January 1940; 12 reports regarding progress of activities and council objectives; fundraising file containing correspondence (some photocopies) between A.H.C. and possible contributors, 1937-1939, and a list of possible sponsors; files on the economic study of handicrafts in the United States under grant from the Carnegie Corporation including surveys of craftspersons' production, marketing, and financing skills and experiences; photographs of samples of handicrafts; financial records; and miscellany.


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Arizona Memorial Service Hi-Jacked by Left – Together We Thrive
That slogan gained notoriety at the Arizona Memorial Service for the victims of the massacre that killed six and injured many others, including Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Fed. Judge John Roll. People were shocked to see blue t-shirts draped over the backs of the chairs in the stadium where the service was held. No one had ever seen that done at a memorial to the dead and wounded before. What on earth is that about? Workers in red t-shirts had been seen earlier placing the shirts dutifully on each seat. Fliers bearing the same slogan were given to the attendees, prompting more questions about this oddity at a memorial And whoever heard of promoting a catchy slogan at such a solemn occasion? Afterall, this wasn't a marketing opportunity like the Super Bowl.
So whose idea was it and what was their purpose? Immediately some pundits blamed the White House and Barack Obama, probably because a segment of the crowd turned the occasion into a rowdy pep rally for President Obama, cheering, clapping, whistling and shouting out. Such inconsiderate behavior was first blamed on the college students and Obama was deemed an innocent uncomfortable victim who did a superior job of letting it grow into thunderous applause for himself and climaxing with the possibility of another term in the Oval Office. He never made any effort to calm them down or remind them of the solemnity of the evening and the grieving of the families present. He certainly should have known to do so. He's a Harvard grad described by the main stream media as brilliant, savvy, intellectual, intelligent and eloquent.
Even the fair and balanced Fox News experts said they didn't believe Obama had anything to do with it and that he looked uncomfortable with all that adulation. This author was suspicious from the git-go. Every organization Obama has ever been associated with used t-shirts to solidify a base of supporters, voters, volunteers, organizers, agitators, protestors, union members. T-shirts seemed to be the key to a leftist hand in this.
An internet search of the slogan turned up the following web post:
The Chicanos Unidos Arizona were bussed in for the "Together We Thrive Event". Being pro-amnesty, pro-illegal immigration, who do you think booed Gov. Jan Brewer when she rose to speak? Who do you think cheered wildly when Obama rose to speak? This was the first time this author realized that the service was named, billed and known from it's inception as the "Together We Thrive Event", not the Arizona Memorial Service. Why was this organization bussed in from Phoenix for this event? Why was anyone bussed in?
Finally, the proof was found at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/johnberry_iv/C94H
As soon as Obama became president he started a volunteer program, Organizing for America, which he hoped would enlist America's impressionable youth. Perhaps a strong voter pool for him in the next election? Notice the slogan "Together We Thrive" at the top of the post dated 2008? Is it a coincidence that the Together We Thrive event that was expected to be a solemn tribute to the victims turned out to be an Obama campaign rally? Is Obama just an innocent victim of circumstance? His poll nmubers have been going down steadily and were in dangerous territory. He needed a positive to boost his negative approval numbers. As his former Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel said, "Never let a crisis go to waste." He didn't. Clinton once bemoaned the fact that 9/11, or something like it, never happened during his presidency to give him a legacy other than Monica Lewinsky.
Obama's presidential campaign of 2008 was extremely heavy on branding. Obama had a logo which appeared everywhere on everything imagineable, including shirts. His use of left-wing organizations such as ACORN AND SEIU was "in your face" in their red and purple t-shirts. Now it appears that the tragedy in Arizona became a branded event, and lo and behold, it was an old Obama brand from 2008. Organizing for America. Once an organizer, always an organizer. Together We Thrive – and get re-elected.Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )
Black Panthers Intimidate at Polling Place
Meet the Black Panthers' Samir Shabaz.
This is hate speech, which is a crime. He's inciting hatred and suggesting his listeners kill whites and their babies. But…he was not arrested, nor prosecuted for this. What would have happened to a white man saying those things about African-Americans?
He turned up at an election polling place in Philadelphia, PA, in 2008 when Obama was running for president, in full Black Panther garb and brandishing a "billy club." Weapons and intimidation at polling places are not allowed, yet Shabaz and fellow Black Panther, Jerry Jackson, stood directly in front of the doors scowling at voters and raising that club in a threatening manner. News reports quote offensive comments made by Shabaz towards voters.
Shabaz is forced to leave and as he is walking away, he makes a racist statement.
Listen closely. It comes up immediately. Turn up your sound. You may have to listen twice.
The President of the United States does not "rule". Monarchs, dictators and tyrants rule. The POTUS "serves" his constituents.
Obama's long time friend and advisor, Valerie Jarrett, has the "ruler" mentality.
Charges were filed against Shabaz and Obama's Dept. of Justice had a slam dunk case, complete with audio and video of the crime, backed up with witnesses. BUT, someone at the top, Atty. Gen. Eric Holder, instructed the DOJ to drop the charges and ignore this case. Perhaps that order came down from Obama himself. At the very least, we know that Obama did NOT call Holder and order him to carry through with it.
Black Panther rule? Chicago thuggery?
What can we expect to see at the polling places in the 2010 election, which everyone knows is CRITICAL? Democrats are expected to loose their majority and will no longer be able to jam legislation down the throats of dissenting Americans. CRITICAL election.
Who will be standing at the doors of the polling places in November of 2010?
Are you prepared to bravely walk past them and vote?
Give this some thought and decide how you will handle this. Perhaps voters should get groups to go together. Women should go with men. Use cameras or camera phones to catch any intimidation. Don't be caught off guard. Plan ahead. Call the police if anyone is giving a threatening demeanor and/or carrying any type of weapon. Every polling place should have good honest men close enough to escort voters to the doors if needed.
We can't let this go unchecked in America.Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 3 so far )
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Mets sportscasters raise money for Danbury Women's Center
Cohen, a Ridgefield resident, and his fellow anchors on SNY-TV, are raising funds for their three favorite charities through Pitch In for a
Good Cause Foundation
. Tickets for two blocks of seats at Citi Field, the new stadium home of the Mets, are available -- in the Pepsi porch area for the July 30 game and in the Big Apple area on Oct. 3 -- through the foundation's Web site
Cohen's charity of choice is The Women's Center of Greater Danbury . Hernandez chose Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn, in honor of his mother who had Alzheimer. Darling chose Juvenile Diabetes Association
This is the second year the foundation has been in existence. It was started by Cohen and his wife, Lynn, in 2008.
"I was home recuperating from surgery and started doodling one day," Lynn Cohen said. "I found myself doodling 'Gary-isms,' things he says on the air. He's know for his call 'It's outta here!' and I thought, what a great T-shirt logo that would make."
The rest, as they say, is history. Lynn Cohen went into Deborah Ann 's Chocolates soon after and chocolatier Debby Grismer told her she was looking for a fundraiser for The Women's Center of Greater Danbury. Grismer sits on the board.
"That really rang home for me," Lynn Cohen said. "I was unfortunately in a relationship where I suffered abuse some years ago before I met Gary. I knew I could really wrap my energy and heart around this cause."
Lynn knew that "Gary, Keith and Ron were in an incredible position to make a difference." She called Hernandez and Darling and talked to them about starting a foundation. They liked the idea. Then she pitched it to Cohen.
The first year, the Pitch in for a Good Cause Foundation raised $40,000 for each of the three charities.
Even with the tough economic times today, the foundation's Web site has had numerous hits already this season.
"Last year, in the last weekend of the season, Lynn had 1,300 participants in a block of seats at Shea," Gary Cohen said. "She's done an incredible job of putting together a charitable organization that has done some good work."
Gary Cohen said the best thing about the Pitch in for a good Cause Foundation is that its "raising money for some great causes."
"That was what really sold Keith, Ron and me on it," Cohen said. "We decided to take whatever celebrity we have and do something positive for the communities we live in."
Gary Cohen has been a sportscaster with the Mets since 1989.
He and Hernandez and Darling have been co-anchors since 2006 when the Mets TV channel, SNY-TV, went on the air.
Contact Susan Tuz
at firstname.lastname@example.com
or (203) 731-3352.


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Title: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
Author: Erika L. Sánchez
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Mexican-American
Number of pages: 344
Time it took me to read: 7 Days
Synopsis: Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents' house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.
But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga's role.
Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
But it's not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister's story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?
Novel Review:
Okay, I have to start out with a confession. When I started this read, the first few chapters seemed to go on forever and I put the book down several times, thus the reason it took me an entire week to get through (very unusual for me). It wasn't that the first part was bad writing, boring or anything like that. It was just too slow for me. I really thought this was going to be added to my DNF list. I am so GLAD I stuck with it.
This read pulled at so many of my emotions. First, I laughed my butt off. Julia is one witty and funny character. I listen to the audio and every time my twelve-year-old daughter was in the room she laughed right along with me. I cried at the sad parts and while there weren't that many my tears flooded when they did appear. And I felt Julia's frustration with her life and the circumstances she had to go through.
Looking back, I don't think the book was slow. I think I had just come off this high from reading two books from the same series. I had devoured those books in two days, well over 1,000 pages. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is not that kind of book. It is one of those books that you need to grab a good cup of coffee, a warm blanket and sit by the window with and savor each and every page.
This is a book that reaches down into your soul and demands your attention. There are so many lessons to learn from this read, from how mental illness affects everyone differently, how the intersections of cultures affect individuals, and even how people mourn differently.
I highly recommend it to English teachers everywhere, to parents, children, and the rest of the world. I cannot say enough good things about this book.
My rating:
Find out more about the book and Erika Sánchez here
Follow Erika Sánchez on Twitter, and Facebook


text: Five-Time Supercross Champion Ricky Carmichael to Attend Greensboro Round Press Release | January 23, 2014 The following is from Feld Motor Sports… AURORA, Ill. (January 23, 2014) – Feld Motor Sports announced today that Ricky Carmichael, a five-time Monster Energy Supercross champion, will be in attendance this Saturday night at the fourth round of AMSOIL Arenacross, featuring Ricky Carmichael's Road to Supercross, from Greensboro, N.C., and the Greensboro Coliseum. Affectionately known as the "G.O.A.T." (Greatest of All Time), Carmichael is the driving factor behind the Road to Supercross. As an elite amateur rider and someone who needed time to acclimate to the challenges of the professional level of the sport, Carmichael knows first hand what value there is in a true development system that allows riders to maximize their potential throughout their journey as a pro. With rising Road to Supercross stars like Aaron Plessinger, Jacob Hayes, Keith Tucker, and more already making a name for themselves in AMSOIL Arenacross, it's obvious that the introduction of the program was a successful endeavor and a much-needed initiative that only serves to benefit the overall health of the sport and its riders. Plessinger made history just two weeks ago by becoming the first Road to Supercross competitor to win an overall in the Arenacross Class, doing so in just his second night of professional competition. "The Road to Supercross has already turned out better than I could have ever imagined," said Carmichael. "It's obvious that this sport has some extremely talented young riders ready to take that next step and now they have the proper platform and avenue to do so. Now all the fans of AMSOIL Arenacross have the chance to see these up-and-comers in person at the very beginning of their careers and will be able to brag about it once these kids reach their full potential in Monster Energy Supercross." Carmichael's visit to Greensboro is to not only support the Road to Supercross and its talented young competitors, but also engage with the fans of AMSOIL Arenacross. Carmichael will be a part of the Track Party inside the Greensboro Coliseum on Saturday afternoon from 5-6 p.m. EST, signing autographs for those in attendance and welcoming North Carolina fans that have been awaiting the return of AMSOIL Arenacross since it last visit during the 2009 season. Additionally, Carmichael will be introduced during opening ceremonies before taking to the track inside the Greensboro Coliseum for a hot lap alongside the top three riders in the championship – Babbitt's Monster Energy/AMSOIL Kawasaki presented by Maxxis teammates Zach Ames and Tyler Bowers, and Motosport.com/MJM Express/Spinechillers Racing Kawasaki's Michael McDade. The action from Greensboro begins at 7 p.m. ET this Saturday night. The entire AMSOIL Arenacross season will air on FOX Sports 1, including re-airs on FOX Sports 2. Live timing and scoring from each round of the AMSOIL Arenacross season returns for the 2014 season! To follow the intense racing action live, log onto www.Arenacross.com. For more information on the 2014 AMSOIL Arenacross season, and to purchase tickets, log on to www.Arenacross.com. Never miss out on the latest news! For more information on AMSOIL Arenacross, please log on to www.Arenacross.com. To follow AMSOIL Arenacross on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, long on to www.facebook/com/AMAarenacross, www.twitter.com/Arenacross and www.instagram.com/Arenacross. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/ArenacrossLive. By Press Release


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100+ performances, 17 parks, all 5 boroughs, 280,000+ fans, and now, an app! SummerStage challenged software developers to create the 2013 festival app.
SummerStage, a program of City Parks Foundation, presents performances of outstanding artistic quality, free of charge, to serve the diverse communities of New York City. The artists represent a breadth of genres and cultures and perform in an outdoor setting accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. SummerStage strives to develop audiences' deepening appreciation for contemporary, traditional, and emerging artists as well as the communities in which these artists originate.
SummerStage is looking for the app which best reflects the mission outlined above and uses the SummerStage content to engage the 280,000+ attendees to SummerStage's annual summer-long festival. Apps that creatively utilize both the SummerStage API and other provided APIs to offer a beneficial and positive experience to festival-goers, and reflect the fact that SummerStage extends to 16 parks beyond Central Park, will be judged higher.
$9,000 in prizes
Grand Prize Winner
• Winning app will be used as 2013 Official SummerStage App
• Designer acknowledged in stage announcements at every SummerStage show
• Express entry and VIP seating for 4 for every free show in Central Park
• Express entry and reserved seating for 4 for every benefit show in Central Park
• Designer acknowledged at City Parks Foundation Annual Gala Presented at SummerStage
• Table seating for 2 at City Parks Foundation Annual Gala Presented at SummerStage
Popular Choice Winner
• Express entry and reserved seating for 4 at every free show in Central Park
• Express entry and reserved seating for 4 at choice of 4 benefit shows in Central Park
• 2 SummerStage T-shirts
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Please read the full rules for eligibility.
Please read the full rules for submission requirements.
How to enter
- Create an account on, or log in with, an existing ChallengePost account.
- On Hacksummerstage.com click the "Register" button to confirm your interest in participating. This step ensures that you will receive important challenge updates.
- Get a SummerStage API key from UPlanMe, Inc. by clicking here.
- Create a working software application that utilizes the SummerStage API
- Complete all of the required fields on the submission form, and submit your product design by including a link, video, text description, and at least one screenshot of your working application and confirm that you have read and agree to the challenge rules.
Sean Barkulis
Co-Founder, UPlanMe, Inc.
Mike Geiger
President, Chief Integration Officer, JWT North America / JWT New York
Nora Lanning
Director, Marketing & Communications, City Parks Foundation
Georgia Maloney
Associate Director, New Media & Marketing, City Parks Foundation
Paul Sutton
Director of Digital Production, JWT New York
Judging Criteria
Quality of the Idea
Includes elements of creativity and originality specifically applied to SummerStage
User Experience
Includes design, ease of use and visual appeal
Includes the potential impact on the festival experience of SummerStage attendees