text:
What are the conditions of life for our students in the era of the new, digital media? To return to and extend our earlier argument, as well as being vicarious viewers of movies, today's learners also play computer games in which they are the central character and in which their actions and identities in part determine narrative outcomes. They do not just listen to the top forty songs on a play list constructed by the radio station's play list; they create their own playlists on their personal listening devices. They are not only consumers of broadcast television, but also cruise across thousands of television channels and millions of YouTube clips; or they make their own videos and upload them to the web. And rather than reading and writing being separate activities, as often as not, they are positioned as writers at the same time that they are also readers in today's writing experiences—in wikis, blogs, Facebook or MySpace, instant messaging, SMS or Twitter. Traditional relationships of culture, knowledge and learning are profoundly disrupted, and even the terms of the either/or differentiations we have hitherto ascribed to these relationships: creator/audience, producer/consumer, and writer/reader. These old distinctions have all become blurred. The key to these changes is an intensified cognitive and practical input on the part of previously more passive recipients of culture and knowledge, a shift in the direction of the flows of knowledge and culture, a transformation in the balance of creative and epistemic agency.
Kalantzis and Cope (2012) New Media Literacies.
In the past, the term 'literacy' referred simply to the ability to read and write, the medium of these processes being paper. However, technological changes have developed a range of new ways of reading and writing, using digital mediums which are radically different from traditional paper-based ones. The idea of a discrete 'digital literacies' and the need to look at the notion of 'literacy' afresh, developed from this.
Early discussions about 'digital literacy" by people like Gilster emphasised the need to take an 'inclusive' view of literacy in a way that allowed the inclusion of traditional 'print' literacies. This is useful, given that paper and screen based mediums exist in tandem and complement one another. This being the case, the early use of the terms 'digital literacy' and 'digital literacies' extended to literacy in the digital age. However, more recent discussion focuses specifically on digitally generated texts and the way in which ongoing developments drive changes in the way we engage with one another. It is worthwhile looking at the special affordances they provide and the challenges they present.
The diagram below (Futurelab) identifies eight main issues which we need to take into account when looking at the concept.
Prensky's paper entitled Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (2001) highlighting the ease with which those exposed to digital devices at an early age embraced them. As early as 2004, Evans noted that young people were "initiating, appropriating and establishing changes to literacy practices in a fast and furious manner. These changes, using the ground-breaking and rapidly developing technological advances of this new century, mean that young children and the youth culture of today are living their lives with and through the aid of digital technology."
Buckingham, (2007), a media specialist, reported similarly, stating that children were using digital mediums more often and that the Internet, computer games, digital video, mobile phones and other contemporary technologies were providing them with new ways of representing the world. He noted that these tools facilitated opportunities for children's imaginative self-expression and play, serving as a medium through which intimate personal relationships were being conducted. Outside school, he says, children are engaging with these media, not simply as technologies but as cultural forms. Buckingham challenges educators to take note of this, so as to be in a position to provide students with the means to understanding them fully and to use them appropriately. For Buckingham, this is what digital literacy in the classroom is about.
Lankshear and Knobel (2008) point out that just as we we need to understand that 'literacy' involves particular kinds of texts and particular ways of reading that vary enormously, (comics, books, poems, legal briefs, technical manuals, newspaper and academic articles requiring different backgrounds and skills to be read with understanding), the same applies to digitally mediated literacies, which involve a wide range of social practices and conceptions of engaging in meaning making. Digitally generated texts are represented by a wide range of genres, including blogs, video, texting (SMS), instant messaging, online social network pages, discussion forums, Internet memes, FAQs, and online search results.
Jones and Hafner (2012) also note that reading and writing are increasingly mediated by digital devices, characterised by "new literacy practices, shaped by the affordances and constraints of digital tools" (35). They highlight important differences between traditional and new mediums. For instance, while most books are designed to be read from front to back in a linear fashion, digital sources are not – they are generally more interactive, provide the ability to move about the source in a non-sequential way by using hyperlinks, based on the reader's own choices. This allows readers to play a more active part in reading than is the case in traditional print-based media. Furthermore, digital texts provide a multimedia approach to reading, providing images, video and audio resources to support the text. These are characteristics of what we call multimodal texts. Jones and Hafner say that this enables us, both as readers and writers, "to interact with texts in ways that were previously difficult or impossible" (35). For instance, it is easier to contact the author to point out errors via email or the comment facility and, in some cases, to annotate the texts we read and engage in conversations with other readers. These new affordances, say Jones and Hafner (2012:36), "have required people to rethink their understanding of reading and writing, refine their ideas about what a reader is, and adopt new practices in reading and writing." This does not mean that the reader takes total control of the hypertext reading experience, as the creator of the text determines the links, thus providing limits to our reading. This being the case, warns Burbules (1998: in Jones and Hafner, 39) we need to ensure that we are critical when interpreting links in hypertext, asking questions about the associations the writer is making, those the writer is not making and the assumptions and biases that these reveal.
Kalantzis and Cope (2012), in their book Literacies, identify seven modes of meaning in their discussion of multimodal theory. The graphic above provides a representation of these.
- Written meaning – writing, and reading
- Visual meaning – making still and video images
- Spatial meaning – positioning oneself in relation to others, creating spaces and ways of moving around in spaces
- Tactile meaning – making experiences of things that can be felt in terms of touch, smell, taste
- Gestural meaning – communication through movements of the body, hands, arms, facial expressions, eye-movement, demeanor, gait, clothing and fashion, hairstyle… (see Multimodal representations of identity in the English-as-an-additional-language classroom in South Africa for examples of these modalities)
- Audio meaning – communication that uses music, ambient sounds, noises, alerts, hearing and listening
- Oral meaning – communication in form of live or recorded speech.
Clearly, digital technologies are able to represent a good number of these, but not all – yet!
Jones and Hafner also draw attention to Ong (1996) and Wolf (2007), who have highlighted the point that the development of writing helped to change the way we think, freeing us up to engage in abstract reasoning as opposed to memorising facts. Today we believe that learning to read results in physiological changes to the brains of children, with learning to read additional languages enabling other changes. On a recent BBC2 television programme (Dara O'Brien's Science Club, episode 5), the idea was raised that no longer needing to remember telephone numbers provides similar freedom for the brain to do other things. Jones and Hafner ask whether it is reasonable to ask whether the shift to reading hypertext could result in cognitive changes.
Research by Rowlands et al. (Jones and Hafner, 40) suggests that early exposure to hypertext helped participants to develop "good parallel processing skills needed to move efficiently from one document to another". However, there is concern that this can impact negatively on the sequential processing skills required to understand the logical progression of longer narratives. Carr, (2011, in Jones and Hafner, 40) suggests that "reading hypertext may compromise our ability to read conventional texts and follow complex arguments", with the stimulus of moving between documents short circuiting "both conscious and unconscious thought, preventing our minds from thinking either deeply or creatively". However, Pinker (2010) suggests that such distractions have always been present and that we have developed ways of dealing with them. His claim is that "the ability to reason and follow logical arguments does not come from the media we use, … but from effort and education" (Jones and Hafner, 40).
Wheeler, (2012: 15) provides a useful overview of digital literacies, which he describes as 'widely disruptive'. "…new media and digital technologies offer new opportunities for learning, yet the disruptive nature of these tools and the seismic changes that they bring require us to conceive an entirely new set of literacies." Importantly, he emphasises the idea that digital literacy is NOT about skills or competencies, but rather about 'cultural engagement', which I would take to involve a good understanding of the digital world around us and how to operate successfully within it. Wheeler identifies nine key digital literacies:
- social networking
- transliteracy (ability to operate across a wide range of digital platforms)
- maintaining privacy (staying safe online)
- managing identity (using multiple online identities)
- creating content (eg – blogs, participating on wikis, discussion groups)
- organising and sharing content (posting to different platforms, saving and collating information online)
- reusing/repurposing content (mashing, mixing)
- filtering and selecting content (finding, saving content in ways which enable us to find it easily)
- self broadcasting (sharing one's own content with others across different platforms).
Most of these aspects are expanded upon below, albeit under different descriptors.
Blogs and Blogging.
Blogging is an easy and effective way to generate, save and share content. Rebecca Blood, an early analyst of blogging, regards blogs as the first native genre of the internet, given that they have no clear predecessor in print-based media. Jones and Hafner suggest that blogs draw on the communicative affordances of digital media in a way that has created something unique and that they can teach us a lot about new practices of reading and writing hypertext. The subject matter covered by blogs varies greatly, being created and maintained for very different reasons. These include personal diaries/journals, alternate takes on the news and events, critiques of mainstream broadcasting and news events (news watch), commercial practices of various kinds, personal views on politics, marketing, archiving, images (photo blogs, video blogs, audio blogs), augmenting hobbies and pastimes (collections, techno-gadgetry, sport, genealogy, fanzines, travel journals educational tools, for delivering content, as class diaries, and for reflecting on practice. Lankshear and Knobel (2008) suggest that the diversity of weblogs and weblogging practices cautions against conceiving blogging as a specific singular type of writing.
Blogging software provide an easy to use editor and a range of attractive templates for writers to choose from. Further choices are provided in respect to add ons in the form of blog rolls (links to the blog sits of others), links to Flickr sites and so on. The structure of blogs is unique, in that 'posts' are displayed in reverse chronological order. Hyperlinks play a major part, allowing bloggers to provide evidence of their claims in the form of newspaper and other online articles. Internal links are also possible, with links to one's own earlier posts. Perhaps most important is the comment feature, which allows readers to enter into a dialogue with the author or one another. In many cases, the comments provide a more interesting discussion than the original blog post.
Jones and Hafner (2012) suggest that blogs show that digital media has changed in ways that people think about the practice of reading and writing, with bloggers seeing them as interlinked, with the one feeding into the other. Furthermore, publishing a post is not the end of the line as in the case of a printed article, but a part of a process where comments by readers provide an ongoing conversation. An important aspect of digital media is that they are "always evolving and always unfinished" (Jones and Hafner, 42).
Bloggers and tweeters have, in the past, considered themselves above the law, resulting is a series of libel suits. The recent Leveson inquiry has made it clear that they need to adhere to the same standards as traditional media organisations. However, there is now a realisation that the law has been overzealous in the past, as in the case of Paul Chambers, who was successfully prosecuted for his joke tweet about Doncaster airport. Recently, Keri Starmer said that the law would in all likelihood take age into account over abusive posts, except in the case of sustained attacks by internet 'trolls'. (The Times, 18/12/12) or excessively offensive online behaviour.
Mashups and Remixing.
Another interesting aspect of digital narratives is the ease with which content can be mashed and remixed. Mashing refers to the ability to take an original artifact and change it so as to add value in some way. For instance, the popular practice of combining two or more songs to create a new one which is very different from the originals, or to combine web resources in such a way as to make something new and useful, as done by combining a map with photographs to show where thy were taken. Remixing usually refers to changing an original artifact into something unique and different, be it a 'remix' of a song (think about the two different versions of Eric Clapton's song Layla) or a 're-interpretation' of a photograph. The photographs below are examples. The second photography has been edited (remixed) to provide a more striking image, highlighting the curve of the London Eye. The final photograph is a mashup – where an image has been superimposed on another to provide a more impact.
What is important here is that editing digital mediums is very much easier and cheaper than mediums that came before. This means that more people are in a position to enjoy working with these mediums, including children. Digital still and video capability is built into most mobile phones, as are sound recorders. Both image and audio editing suites are affordable.
Intellectual property, ownership and copyright issues.
In academic circles, the practice of acknowledging sources of information by citing and referencing is well established. However, the ease with which digital sources can be copied and pasted leads in many cases to situations where work submitted by students "reads like a patchwork of online articles cut and pasted into their assignment without any proper form of attribution" (Jones and Hafner, 45). This is further complicated by the fact that software like Turnitin identify one's own previous work as a source and mark it as possible plagiarism, making it necessary to reference one's own previous work.
In the commercial world of music and photography, some see remixing as theft which deprives them of income from their work, notwithstanding that others might see the new product as distinctly different. For example, Hitler film parodies on YouTube could well be seen as breaching copyright rules, but have not resulted an any legal action to date. However, one needs to be extremely careful when targeting individuals, as an executive of BNP Paribas found out. Lankshear and Knobel make the point that different people read and interpret the same text in different ways, with some unable to make sense of texts that others handle with ease. The same applies to photoshopped images, which are taken literally by some, but simply as absurd remixes of images by others with a better understanding of the medium. Lessing (in Jones and Hafner, 46) suggests that remixes and mashups are more than simple copying, requiring "a creative reworking … so that when it is placed in the new context and mixed up with texts from with other sources it takes on a new meaning or significance."
Mikhail Bakhtin (1986:89), cited by Jones and Hafner, (45) points out that texts are "filled with others' words, varying degrees of otherness or varying degrees of our-ownness". The essential issue here is that there is no true original version of anything and that we necessarily build on the ideas of others. Lessing argues that the "law acts to constrain creativity and the development of culture, by unnecessarily limiting the extent to which people are free to build on the work of others" and that people have less freedom to borrow and build on the creative works of the Disney Corporation in the way its founder borrowed to build on the creative works of others." This notwithstanding, mashing and remixing are very common forms of creativity on the web.
Lessing is the person responsible for the Creative Commons licensing system, whereby owners can indicate to others clear terms under which their material can be used. Creative Commons copyright is often seen on blogs, wikis and photo sharing sites like Flickr. This image can be used by anyone as long as it is attributed to the owner, is not used for commercial purposes and is not used in a derivative form – that is, no mashing.
Micro blogging and texting.
There are a wide range of other 'new' literacies based on text, such as texting, email, messaging and micro-blogging, What is particularly interesting about these is the form they take – essentially short bursts of words, in most cases using platforms which are asynchronous. These platforms are extremely popular, notwithstanding the fact that they do not take advantage of the 'rich' multimedia affordances (images, audio, video) that other digital technologies offer.
Written language remains our primary communication tool in online environments (Jones and Hafner). Some forms of writing like texting, which is very popular with young people, generate controversy given that users make use of non-standard grammar, spelling and abbreviations, generating accusations that the use of computer mediated communication systems has resulted in children's writing becoming substandard and impoverished. The original over-reaction about such language has largely been debunked by writers such as David Crystal, who has shown that claims that children can no longer write, with allegations of 'text speech' common in GCSE exams, cannot be substantiated. Crystal shows clearly that children are aware of the difference between traditional writing and informal writing, where interesting and creative new forms of language, driven by the limitations of 140 characters, are used appropriately, adding to the richness of our language rather than destroying it.
Jones and Hafner point out that while these short messaging forms might lack the rich cues of face to face conversations and the affordances of richer digital systems, users of sms and other short messaging systems have developed ways in which to limit these shortcomings. These include the use of abbreviations, non-standard typography and spelling and emoticons. Furthermore, they point out that these do more than simply substitute for "the kinds of cues we use in face-to-face conversations" (70) and that we cannot assume that "there is a more or less one-to-one correspondence between emoticons and facial expressions and between certain forms of non-standard spelling and actual speech" (70) Thus, while systems of emoticons and typography draw on facial expressions and phonology "they are not simple replications of these systems in writing. They are systems in their own right, with their own conventions and their own sets of affordances and constraints" (70).
Jones and Hafner contest the oft held belief that text based digital communications are an 'imperfect replica' of transitional modes of communication and that claims that they lack richness are based on a false deficit model of analysis. People do very different things with text based digital communication than in normal written or verbal conversations, Additionally, simple sms type digital communication has resulted in a wide range of new interactions which were not possible up till now.
The story goes that the developer of Blogger, Evan Williams, tried to 'add value' to the blogging experience by developing audio blogging, by which bloggers could make their posts 'more expressive' by embedding recordings of their own voices. There are a number of apps which enable one to do this easily, including Audio Boo. However, the idea of audio blogging has never really taken off. Nor have other 'rich' media approaches. Jones and Hafner (73), point out that even though computers come standard with webcams and most IM clients, and that video chat is supported by many social networking clients, "very few people actually engage in this form of interaction." However, another development by Williams, the micro-blogging platform Twitter, which limits a post to 140 characters, has proved extremely successful in spite of it providing little in the way of richness that other digital media provide.
The reason for the success of Twitter and other 'impoverished' media like sms is that of transactional costs – essentially, the effort and hassle involved in transacting or sharing information. The richer the medium, the higher the transactional costs involved, given that we have to attend to more modes while engaging with others. A face to face conversation involves a wide range of niceties – small talk, showing interest and attention, ensuring that our gestures, facial expressions and voice quality are appropriate and that our responses are delivered within the time frame expected by the person we are talking to. A text based communication, be it a message (sms) or a tweet, cuts across these demands, enabling us to concentrate of the essential message (which could include taking more time to consider how replies or questions are framed) and enables us to do other things (multitasking) at the same time.
There are other reasons for the popularity of tweeting and sms. For young people, it provides a way of communicating with friends without their parents listening in. Low cost interaction via sms and Twitter also provide new affordances – "increased opportunities for monomodal communications using only text" (Jones and Hafner, 2012:74) which support the ability to communicate and maintain relationships more regularly but in less detailed ways. Low transaction cost mechanisms support sharing of thoughts, feelings and ideas. Jones and Hafner suggest that what people are mostly doing when they share is less a matter of transacting information as maintaining connections with friends – doing friendship.
18h40 Cheesecake: hihi
19h08 Snowbread: wowo
21:33 Cheesecake: kaka~~~
23h05 Snowbread: ~^.^~
This series of interchanges between two friends, according to Jones and Hafner (74), is not a real conversation but a process of maintaining a virtual connection, as suggested by earlier work by Berg, Taylor and Harper (2005), in which they identified young people's text messages to one another not so much as an exchange information but rather as the exchange of tokens of friendship
In others ways, low cost texting is also instrumental and efficient – asking a partner to pick up a packet of sugar, informing a friend that one will be late, telling the boss that a report has been completed. Before texting, doing these interactions involved long and complicated phone conversations and a trip down the corridor and knocking on the boss's door.
The limitations of getting a message across in 140 or so characters has already been seen to force users to be creative and imaginative in terms of using emoticons, short forms and newly created words. In an innovative experiment by the University of Iowa, applicants for the School of Business were told to submit admissions essays in tweet form, with the promise of a scholarship for the most creative effort. The winner submitted a haiku, "creatively combining one of the newest forms of communication with one of the oldest forms" (Snee, 2011 – in Jones and Hafner, 78).
Digital Identities.
Another affordance of text-based digital communications is the facilitation of new identities, by which people can 'assume' new personas. There are a range of reasons for this – avoiding identification, acting out a different role to the one we use in real life and to comment on our lives from behind a mask, rather like a clown, actor or puppeteer does. Often, people will join a service not knowing quite what to expect, and will use an assumed identity while they test the waters. Avatars and false identities abound on the web. We see people describing their lives while using the persona of a fish (Twitter feed Erica's Fish @ericasfish), or other domestic creature. These false personas are often transparent, but this is not always the case, as indicated by this well known cartoon.
I will be featured in 2 books! That sound you hear is the human sobbing over her English degree.
18 Jul 11Erica's Fish @ericasfish
Homeowner Association mtg = disaster. 5th proposal for bowl upgrade denied. Why'd I vote for the cat for HOA president. WHY.
20 May 11Erica's Fish @ericasfish
Dear @amychua – My mother tried to eat me while I was encased in an egg. Frankly I find your tiger parenting a bit wimpy.
25 Apr 11Erica's Fish @ericasfish
The cat is asleep with a paw on her face. She is a heap of dumbness, mesmerizing and beautiful.
These trans-personalisations allow people to analyse and comment on themselves and their world from another perspective. There are aspects of this kind of behaviour which can be dangerous, as in cases of old men masquerading as young men or even women, so as to create digital relationships (and possibly physical ones) with others, which could make the target of these relationships vulnerable. However, deception and harassment are not always the case and Turkle (1965 – in Jones and Hafner, 79) suggests that young people can use 'identity play' to 'try on' different kinds of identity in the safety of their own homes. People who engage in such text-based identity play are not necessarily pretending to be someone else but exploring different aspects of the 'real life' identities, as in the case of Erica's Fish, where Erica "is communicating about herself, what happens to her and how she feels about it through her fish." This is a case of a person using identity play to look at and comment on her life from a very different perspective – "a process which helps her to share different aspects of herself with her followers" and to reflect on her life and activities in a different (and perhaps creative) way. More importantly, suggest Jones and Hafner, is the way it helps to use different styles of writing and inventing screen names, message signatures and by aligning themselves to different groups and communities by using different social language.
Managing Content.
Managing the wealth of information online effectively so as to be able to find it at a later date can be a challenge. A good number of people rely on the use of their browser's 'Favourites' or 'Bookmarks' feature. While these work for often used links, they are far from adequate when saving a large number of articles on a variety of topics which are returned to from time to time. For instance, a blogger writing about an issue such as police brutality and corruption will need to save articles as they are reported to use at some later date. Arranging these effectively in, for instance, folders, takes a good deal of time and effort. Social bookmarking applications like Delicious and Diigo are far more effective for this kind of resource management, providing a simple click on link to save the article. Finding the relevant and related articles is made easy by the process of using one's own system of 'tags' – simple words and phrases (UK, police, policing, Met, police brutality, corruption, fraud, set-up, manufactured evidence, lies, deceit) which one remembers easily. When looking for articles relevant to these posts, one need only put in the most commonly used tag(s) (police, UK) to bring all the sources up. Tagging us widely used in web 2.0 applications, including blogs like this one.
We see that the term digital literacy has two distinct meanings. The first refers to an overall understanding of the digital world in which we live and the impact that digital technologies have on the way our society, its institutions and ourselves individuals. The second refers more specifically to the applications and devices we use to create and share information – that is, to 'write' and 'read' using digitally mediated mediums. What emerges from this is the power of the participatory read/write web, where we share a wide range of information via blogs and wikis, Twitter, YouTube or photosharing services like Flickr, Instagram, EyeEm, Starmatic or Hipstamatic. New Media/Literacies are about being creative and sharing information on the public space. In many respects, this space is akin to the Wild West, where participants make up their own laws as they go along. And like the wild west, dangers abound. The greatest of these is probably access the the information that we do not intend to give away – the personal data that we use to sign up for services and which the bandits of the internet abuse in a range of ways, including selling off contact information to touts who use it for marketing purposes and criminals who abuse it by stealing our identities and/or money. Other organizations, including Facebook, annex our information and resources and treat it as their own, using byzantine methods to keep their dealings secret from customers. As this moment, the Facebook owned photo service Instagram is attempting to back down from its recent declaration that photos taken and shared using their service will henceforth be regarded as their property. At the same time, international debates are taking place which could see the world wide web regulated to a far greater extent. What is particularly worrying is that oppressive regimes are leading the call for this regulation, with themselves as the chief regulators. Quite how all these issues will be resolved is not clear. However, users of the web need to realise that united action might soon need to be taken if the freedom of the web as we know it is to be maintained. The affordances of new literacies, together with the web in terms of the ability to reach a large number of people quickly has already been used successfully to express the public will and ensure that people like Gary McKinnon was not extradited to the USA. Pressure groups active in the UK include 38 Degrees and Avaaz.
These concerns notwithstanding, the use of the wide range of Web 2.0 applications provides us with a range of powerful tools with which to create and share information, be it textual, visual, audial or, as is ofter the case, a combination of these in the form of multimedia presentations. We have seen that these applications enables us to be creative and that they appeal to and are regularly used by younger people. We also see that there is a divide between the ways in which younger people use these technologies at home and at school, with home use generally providing greater opportunities for creating and consuming information. This situation poses challenges which schools need to face.
Buckingham, D. (2007) Beyond Technology: children's learning in the age of digital culture. Polity Press, Cambridge.
Evans, J. (2004) Literacy Moves On. Using Popular Culture, New Technologies and Critical Literacy in the Primary Classroom. David Fulton.
Futurelab. (2010) Digital literacy across the curriculum.
Hafner, C. & Jones, R. (2012) Understanding Digital Literacies. A practical introduction.
Kalantzis & Cope (2012) Literacies. Cambridge University Press.
Kalantzis & Cope (2012) New Learning. Transitional designs for pedagogy and assessment.
Lankshear, C. & Knobel, M. (Eds.) (2008) Digital Literacies. Concepts, Policies and Practices. Peter Lang, New York.
Wheeler, S. (2012) Digital Literacies for Engagement in Emerging Online Cultures. eLC Research Paper Series, 5, 14-25.
Other useful articles.
Disruption can be good. José Picardo, Network.Ed blog, 12/5/2012.


text:
Item Barcode
Call Number
Material Type
|Computer File Accompanies Open Access Book
On Order
This all new book covering the brand new Snort version 2.6 from members of the Snort developers team.
This fully integrated book and Web toolkit covers everything from packet inspection to optimizing Snort for speed to using the most advanced features of Snort to defend even the largest and most congested enterprise networks. Leading Snort experts Brian Caswell, Andrew Baker, and Jay Beale analyze traffic from real attacks to demonstrate the best practices for implementing the most powerful Snort features.
The book will begin with a discussion of packet inspection and the progression from intrusion detection to intrusion prevention. The authors provide examples of packet inspection methods including: protocol standards compliance, protocol anomaly detection, application control, and signature matching. In addition, application-level vulnerabilities including Binary Code in HTTP headers, HTTP/HTTPS Tunneling, URL Directory Traversal, Cross-Site Scripting, and SQL Injection will also be analyzed. Next, a brief chapter on installing and configuring Snort will highlight various methods for fine tuning your installation to optimize Snort performance including hardware/OS selection, finding and eliminating bottlenecks, and benchmarking and testing your deployment. A special chapter also details how to use Barnyard to improve the overall performance of Snort. Next, best practices will be presented allowing readers to enhance the performance of Snort for even the largest and most complex networks. The next chapter reveals the inner workings of Snort by analyzing the source code. The next several chapters will detail how to write, modify, and fine-tune basic to advanced rules and pre-processors. Detailed analysis of real packet captures will be provided both in the book and the companion material. Several examples for optimizing output plugins will then be discussed including a comparison of MySQL and PostrgreSQL. Best practices for monitoring Snort sensors and analyzing intrusion data follow with examples of real world attacks using: ACID, BASE, SGUIL, SnortSnarf, Snort_stat.pl, Swatch, and more.
The last part of the book contains several chapters on active response, intrusion prevention, and using Snort's most advanced capabilities for everything from forensics and incident handling to building and analyzing honey pots.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Situated between the market towns of Monmouth and Coleford.Broadstone park is situated on the edge of the forest of dean, right on the English welsh boarder. A Small family run site with facilitates to meet most needs. these include a fully stocked trout lake and new luxury shower and toilet block.
A great place for walkers and bikers a like, with ample walk and moutain bike trails in the woodlands surrounding the site
Click here to write a review


text:
Field Test of Thermal Precompressionby Tuncer B. Edil, (M.ASCE), Univ of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States,
Patrick J. Fox, (A.M.ASCE), Univ of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States,
Document Type: Proceeding Paper
Part of: Vertical and Horizontal Deformations of Foundations and Embankments
A new concept for improvement of soft ground using moderate heating to control post-construction settlement is presented. The long-term creep behavior of a peat is presented based on laboratory oedometer tests involving step-stress and step-temperature changes. Field evidence with regard to the effect of temperature on one-dimensional creep of peat deposits is given based on the performance of two test fills, one of which is equipped with a ground heating system. The feasibility of thermal precompression as a method of accelerating in situ settlement has been discussed.
Subject Headings: Field tests | Thermal effects | Soil settlement | Soft soils | Structural settlement | Soil stress | Thermal loads | Construction management
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
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text:
Naturopathic doctors specialize in a drug-free, natural approach to healing the body through diet and lifestyle modifications and the use of natural medicines.
The naturopathic approach combines evidence-based medicine with time-proven healing techniques to create an integrative model of medicine.
Our goal with treatment is to restore normal or optimal function to the body by an assessment of your unique genetic makeup, blood biomarkers, diet and lifestyle, hormonal balance, toxic exposures, immune system function, structural alignment, physical fitness, and mental emotional health.
From this information we determine the most effective, safest, and least invasive treatment. Many times this includes the use of vitamins, minerals, medicinal herbs, homeopathy, and diet and lifestyle changes.
What education is needed to become a licensed Naturopathic doctor?
Naturopathic doctors (ND) attend 4-year post-baccalaureate naturopathic medical schools.
The school I attended was founded in 1956, and is called the National University of Naturopathic Medicine (NUNM), in Portland, Oregon. It is the oldest federally and regionally accredited naturopathic school in the country.
We are trained to become general practitioners (GPs), and similar to other family physicians, we prescribe pharmaceutical medications, order lab work, and perform minor surgery.
What is the difference between a ND (Naturopathic doctor) and a MD (Medical doctor)?
The first 2 years of medical school for both MDs and NDs are very similar and focuses on learning the basic and clinical sciences. In years 3 & 4, MDs learn all of the areas of medical specialization and NDs are trained to become family doctors who specialize in a drug-free, natural approach to healing the body.
The typical treatment options from a medical doctor include drugs and surgery. You may also be told to "watch and wait" if no diagnosis can be found or no treatment is warranted at that time.
A Naturopathic doctor may also recommend that you follow the conventional standard of care treatment, if this is the safest and most effective treatment. However, drugs come with side-effects and varying levels of effectiveness. And many people do not want to take drugs unless absolutely necessary.
Naturopathic doctors have many treatment options to choose from before turning to drug therapy, including lifestyle modifications, botanical medicines, nutritional supplements, homeopathy, and body work.
Did you know?
There are still conventional medical schools in the US that do not have a single class in nutrition. With four years of training in clinical nutrition, this means that Naturopathic doctors are much more qualified to give you advice about your diet.
What is the role of a Naturopathic doctor in your health care?
As a Naturopathic doctor (ND), I specialize in how to keep people well.
Most family physicians are not trained in how to keep people well; they instead specialize in the treatment of disease.
I reserve drug treatment for when diet and lifestyle treatments have failed, or when it is the least invasive and most effective treatment option available for the particular patient.
What is the difference between a Naturopathic doctor and a homeopath?
Homeopathy is one single modality that a Naturopathic doctor may use for treatment. Other modalities include botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, IV therapy, and physical manipulation.
To become proficient in the use of homeopathy, many years of study are required. I have studied homeopathy for the past 10 years and have received certification from the New England School of Homeopathy from the world-renowned homeopaths Drs. Paul Herscu and Amy Rothenberg.
What is the difference between a Naturopathic doctor and a nutritionist?
The training for nutritionists is varied and can be anything from a weekend online course to years of training.
Naturopathic doctors receive 4-years of nutrition training in the classroom and in the clinic with patients throughout their medical education. Because NDs are medically trained professionals, we are the most qualified to give you advice on the best diet for your current health situation.
Naturopathic nutrition advice differs greatly from what you hear in the mainstream media.
The most commonly held myths about Naturopathic medicine…
#1 Naturopathic doctors are anti-drugs, anti-vaccines, and anti-surgery.
When someone asks me if I am against surgery and drugs I often respond with, "If you are in a car accident and you break your neck, don't come to me." Go to the hospital where the advances in modern medicine are nothing short of a miracle. Emergency medicine is where conventional medicine shines and it saves thousands of lives every day.
However, if you want to speed up your healing time, ease your pain and suffering from the accident, and strengthen your bones to prevent future breaks, then make an appointment with a Naturopathic doctor.
The same goes for drugs. I prescribe them when they are the least invasive, yet most effective course of treatment for the patient.
Vaccinations are a very big topic for another blog post. However I will say that it is not as black and white as the mainstream media would have you believe.
Vaccinations have also saved many lives. I support better studies of the long-term safety of each vaccination, as well as alternative schedules that fit the individual needs of each patient.
Bottom line- A more informed public is demanding the safety information of vaccinations and this is a good thing. We want to do what is best for our families and the population at large.
And this is what creates advancement in medicine.
#2 You have to choose between seeing an MD or an ND.
I frequently collaborate with MDs, DOs, DCs, acupuncturists, personal trainers, massage therapists, ect.
Cardiologists specialize in the heart, Gastroenterologists specialize in the gut, and Naturopathic doctors specialize in complementary and alternative medicine. If your ND is telling you not to see a MD, or your MD is not open to working with your ND, then it's time to find a new doctor that is better suited to your needs.
Gone are the days of thinking your doctor's word is set in stone. You are free to question, seek second opinions, and find a new and better doctor at any time!
#3 Naturopathic doctors can be trained online through correspondence courses.
To become a licensed ND you must attend a federally accredited 4-year post baccalaureate naturopathic medical school, as well as pass the national board exams. There are a total of 8 schools in North America that have the Naturopathic doctor degree.
However, the confusion lies in the fact that there are still some states that do not regulate who can call themselves a Naturopathic doctor. It is important to know that there are online learning Naturopathy programs that teach nutrition and other healthy living principals. But other than bearing a similar name, there is no similarities or connection between the programs or degrees.
#4 Naturopathic medicine is not scientific.
Naturopathic medical schools teach an evidence-based medical approach, just like any other medical program.
We follow conventional medical guidelines when we perform physical exams, order blood work, and make diagnoses for our patients. We are taught to follow the standard of care in medicine, consult medical journals, and look through the current research when determining a patient's treatment plan.
The medical school I attended has a complementary and alternative medicine research institute and offers a Masters of Science degree in Integrative Medicine Research.
When approaching a patient's case I use three types of information to guide my decision making: modern research, traditional wisdom and evolutionary biology, as well as my clinical and personal experiences.
Does this mean that every treatment I recommend is double-blind placebo studied, or soundly backed by science?
Nope. And this applies to both naturopathic and conventional medicine practices.
Sometimes in medicine we have the experience that a treatment works, before we have the solid supportive evidence in research. Observations such as these are often how we determine what to research. As doctors, we recommend what we believe to be the best treatment for each patient, and our recommendations evolve and improve over time.
Another important note is that scientific research is fallible. There have been many times in history that the previous interpretation of the research turned out to be wrong.
John Loannidis, a researcher and big proponent for good quality scientific research, highlights this by saying, "Moreover, for many current scientific fields, claimed research findings may often be simply accurate measures of the prevailing bias", in his paper Why Most Published Research Findings Are False.
Let me give you the example of the old recommendation to take a baby Aspirin a day to prevent heart disease.
For years doctors were recommending people over a certain age, without previous history of cardiovascular disease, to take a baby Aspirin a day to prevent their first heart attack or stroke. However, it turns out that this was not a well-researched recommendation and was doing more harm than good.
The current research now tells us that 1,667 people would need to be treated before 1 person would see benefit with the baby Aspirin a day treatment. And after 1 year of continued treatment, 0 deaths were prevented.
While there is no benefit to the Aspirin treatment in people without prior history, it will slightly increase your risk of stroke or a gastrointestinal bleed. And although the increased risk is small, the consequences of these problems can be severe and result in death.
So if there was no benefit, and the treatment caused more harm than good, why were doctors recommending it? Well, because this was the recommendation based on the interpretation of the data at the time, and it turned out to be wrong.
This same misinterpretation of the research applies to the cholesterol lowering medications called statin drugs.
For years well intentioned doctors were writing thousands of prescriptions for statin drugs for people with no prior history of heart disease. These prescriptions were given as a preventive measure, or to lower already elevated cholesterol levels.
It turns out that ZERO lives were saved with this recommendation, while 1 in 50 people were harmed by developing diabetes or muscle damage.
Therefore statin drugs are no longer recommended as a preventive treatment, or in people with elevated cholesterol but no other risk factors for heart disease.
*Do not make a change to your medication without first talking to your doctor about how to do it safely.
#5 Naturopathic medicine uses treatments that are not FDA approved.
TRUE, and this is why…
A Naturopathic doctor may recommend both FDA approved and non-FDA approved treatments for your care.
Conventional medicine also uses drugs for purposes that are not in the approved labeling. This is called an off-label use of a drug.
Doctors get into medicine to help their patients, and this includes recommending treatments that they have observed from clinical experience to work.
With that said, some natural cures and treatments are not patentable. And non-patentable treatments are not as profitable as drugs. Often the FDA will not spend the money needed to put it through testing, especially if there is no evidence suggesting it is dangerous.
#6 If natural medicines are so effective than drug companies would be using them.
They already do. The fish oil medication called Lovaza is one example.
It is estimated that 25% of modern prescription drugs contain at least one compound now, once derived, or based on compounds derived from plants.
Take the opium plant in the development of the painkiller morphine, as one example.
So if natural medicines are so effective, then why are pharmaceutical companies not making a drug out of every natural product out there?
The biggest problem is that nature cannot be patented. Not unless you alter it chemically in some way. And non-patented products make much less money.
This is also why there may be less incentive to put money into the research of naturally occurring products. There is just not as much money to be made in natural medicines, as compared to pharmaceuticals.
#7 Modern medicine believes natural medicine is not worth studying.
Many conventionally trained doctors have started to use natural therapies in their practices because patients are asking for alternatives to drugs, and because there are many natural medicines that are safe, gentle and effective.
The NIH (National Institutes of Health), one of the world's foremost medical research centers, has a dedicated institute to conduct and support research on complementary health products and practices.
The Osher center for Integrative Medicine is a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Woman's Hospital, to offer a fellowship training program in alternative medicine research.
The Institute for Functional Medicine has been created to train all types of physicians in the art and science of better medicine through addressing the underlying causes of complex chronic diseases and functional disease, with dietary and lifestyle modifications that prevent them.
According to a 2007 survey, Americans spent $33.3 billion dollars out of pocket for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners. Clearly there is an interest in CAM, and there is an increasing need for research to improve treatment protocols and our understanding of alternative therapies.
#8 I've seen a Naturopathic doctor and it didn't work, therefore naturopathic medicine does not work for me.
There are good doctors and bad doctors. There are doctors that are a good fit for your needs, as well as those who are a bad fit. The same could be said for mechanics, or wood workers, or plumbers, or lawyers, or architects, or, or, or… you get my point.
And because there are many different treatment modalities in natural medicine, all Naturopathic doctors practice differently.
I urge you to do your do your research, get a recommendation, and find a doctor that will fit your needs.
Why do I need a naturopath when I can go into a health food store or consult Dr. Google?
Contrary to popular belief, just because something says it is natural, does not mean that it could not be harmful to you when taken incorrectly.
For example, taking large doses of iron, calcium, or vitamin D when you do not need it, can create negative or toxic effects. And of the billions spent on supplements each year, much of if is just very expensive urine.
People take supplements based on something they read on the internet, the recommendation of a friend, or otherwise unqualified person, rather than seeking the advice of someone who specializes in the use of natural medicines.
Can you imagine if everyone took pharmaceuticals in this way? ("Well my friend Sally told me that her aunt Clara's hair stylist takes Abilify for that") Yikes!
It's important to know what the unique needs of your body are, the products that will put your body into balance, and how to track the process with the changes you have made.
Also, the supplement industry is poorly regulated. So it is very important to know the quality and safety of the products you are taking. What is on the label is not what is always in the bottle!
This recent investigation, done by the New York State Attorney General's office, exposed some major retailer brand supplements on this very topic. "The New York State attorney general's office accused four major retailers on Monday of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements and demanded that they remove the products from their shelves."
Buying from unknown sources online also puts you at risk for taking counterfeit or improperly stored products.
Curious what other people have to say about what it's like to work with a Naturopathic doctor?
CLICK HERE to see


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Make, learn and talk about needle lace.
I am thinking that it would be fun to learn this lace using the above free book. I am going to start with the design on page 37, DMC thread size 20, and the Teneriffe Wheel - Circle from Snowgoose. I will post picutures and if anyone wants to join in, that would be great. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
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I downloaded the same book and have been looking at it, off and on. There are just too many things I want to learn. Maybe I'll join you. But I want to finish my first Pag piece first.
I hear you there. I am going to continue on the Pag lace too, but just want to in my spare time start this as well.
I learnt to work teneriffe lace from the same book. You're going to love it :)
Hi Linda, What size circle are you doing? I have several looms and sizes. Are you using the Round stitch-round from Snowgoose? I also have a set of large circle/squares and small circle /squares that I purchased from Beggars Lace [no longer in business]. They included directions for the "Polka Spider Web". I have the little Daisy Loom show in her book on pg.100. I have only played around with it. This should be fun. Hope others join in.
A Lace Book I don't know about? Shock Horror! More about the book and where to get it, please!!!!!
And Linda - how come you have some "Spare Time" ? I need instructions about that too! :)
I have a copy of the real book & have been making Teneriffe for a while now. Made my own wheel from covered plastic. Works a treat.
Nice to hear from you Jenny. What are you working on now?
Go to the SOL LACE group on needlelacetalk. In the long resources section under the group logo is a link to Alex Stillwell's book. ariz.edu site.
Elizabeth Ligeti said:
A Lace Book I don't know about? Shock Horror! More about the book and where to get it, please!!!!!
And Linda - how come you have some "Spare Time" ? I need instructions about that too! :)
I also have an actual printed copy of the book but it was incredibly nice of the author to allow it to be made available like that. It's the book I always recommend to people to learn from.
Thank you Lorelei. I did not think of checking it out like that! My brain is not always in gear these days!!!!!
I have this book and it is what I used to get started. I have both the snowgoose round wheel and an older brass round wheel. I have found different shaped patterns online that I downloaded and have used to make cardboard patterns. I took a picture of an old square pattern and did the same think although I would love to find a real one. I am eternally grateful to the authors of the online books and sites I have found for patterns and directions.
Hi Lorelei,
What am I not working on! I have a piece of Teneriffe on the go to make myself a doiley similar to the one I made my friend a few years back. This one will have a different weaving pattern in the wheels though. Not sure of the end size yet, just working the 3rd wheel at the moment. This is all between some Lefkara Lace, knitted baby shawls, patchwork quilts & lots of other things.
Lorelei Halley said:
Nice to hear from you Jenny. What are you working on now?


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Make a contribution to the work of the NCBP by participating on a standing committee. Jennifer Parent (who becomes NCBP president on August 4, 2018) will make appointments to the following committees for the 2018-19 year. If you want to be a part of this great group of people, be sure to sign up for a committee no later than June 15, 2018.
21st Century Lawyers Committee: Plans and promotes live programs to connect with NCBP members between annual and midyear meetings via online virtual sessions. This is an exciting committee for those interested in cutting edge and creative ways to connect leaders across the country on topics relevant to NCBP members.
Communications Committee: Generates communications about NCBP activities and services, and provides other information that will enhance members' roles as leaders of their organizations. The committee has oversight for the electronic newsletter, NCBP BAR PRESIDENT, as well as the NCBP website, www.ncbp.org, and the newly revamped NCBP Resources Pages. If you have a passion for social media and electronic content, then this is the committee for you!
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8/25/2020 » 8/27/2020
2020 Annual Meeting


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Gina is known as the "East Coast Mommy" and this is the name of her blog where she shares many of her ideas. Today she has these darling little Felt Monkey and Frog Clips for us to make. Her little guy is holding them up for us to see and he is a cutie. The girls will be thrilled to have something new to wear in their hair back to school or daycare and fastener these on the little guys jacket or hat. She has complete instructions and patterns for you to follow. If you haven't already, Gina would LOVE if you would follow her on facebook. She has lots of tips, tricks, and tutorials to share with you.
Thanks so much for sharing my tutorial. I hope lots of people make these fun little clips! 🙂


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Losing Simon Cowell will be addition by subtraction, returning "American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe claims.
Lythgoe, a longtime judge on "So You Think You Can Dance" who helped create Britain's "Pop Idol," whichspawned "American Idol," told Us Weekly that Cowell's aversion to country music kept a lot of talent from breaking through on the show.
"We've had some incredible country voices — in truth, Simon would have gotten rid of them straight-away because he wasn't a country fan," Lythgoe said. "This season we have a 16-year-old kid with an incredible voice and a jazz kid who does this fabulous scat-singing. Again, we wouldn't have had him on the show because Simon would have said, 'He's not an American Idol! Get rid of him!' ... What you are definitely going to get this season is an American voice and American music."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
With Cowell gone, "The energy in the audition rooms is totally different," Lythgoe told Us. "You aren't tired at the end of the day, even though we are seeing twice as many kids as we did in the past. We are enjoying it; we are laughing."
The newly ordered panel of judges, which includes Jennifer Lopez andSteven Tyler, won't be cruel to auditioners that don't have what it takes, he said.
"It's not about saying, 'You are carrying too much weight, you don't look like an American Idol,'" Lythgoe told Us. "What I see is warmth and artistic understanding of the person standing in front of them."
Tyler will tell a reject, "'I hear your soul. But it's not in the voice of American Idol. Thanks so much for coming,'" Lythgoe said.
Lopez "is growing in stature all the time," he said. "She's her own person, and she knows what she wants to say, and she'll just start saying it: 'Now what I think is this.' And it isn't anything trite ... it's from her heart and she means it."
Cowell, who left to launch a U.S. version of "The X-Factor," is not involved in the upcoming season, Lythgoe said.
"He's never been a producer," he added. "Simon Fuller created 'Idol.' Simon Cowell has never had a producer credit. He just got too big for his boots."
Selected Reading: Us Weekly, AmericanIdol.com, NJ.com.


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Yesterday was a painful day. I was following the events of General Conference, that world wide gathering of United Methodism which takes place every four years. It is a time of holy conferencing and communion of the Wesleyan faithful from all over the earth. I was once blessed to attend the gathering in 2008 in Fort Worth, Texas with my mother. It was an experience I will never forget and always treasure, so I was devastated to read the news reports and accounts on social media yesterday which relayed the extreme strain and real possibility of a potential break in the denomination.
I love this Church. It is mine, and that of millions of Methodists. It is the church of my birth, my childhood, my youth, my adulthood, and my pastorate. I have joined it with all that I am, and served it with all that I have. I have made great sacrifices personally to be Methodist clergy, and I expect to give much more during the course of my life. Just the thought of it being rended caused me great agony, emotionally and spiritually. So much so that I was overwhelmed, and I cried.
I cried tears the likes of which had not fallen since my first marriage failed, and my family dissipated from the promise made during the worship of Holy Matrimony. I cried as if I was once more confronted with a brokenness that would never be fully healed in this lifetime, a failure from which no restoration would come. I cried as if the feelings of betrayal that destroyed my family were once more tangible in the possibility of the loss of my beloved United Methodist Church. There have been times in my life when the only thing I had was God, and God was readily available in the United Methodist Church. No denominational break can take God from me, but I fear that this may not be the case for all. What might the loss of United Methodism mean for others?
There are many who feel loss right now about their place in the United Methodist Church. They wonder if their identification as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer means that they are denied God's grace or the love of Christ's Church. They wonder if they can be welcomed into worship and the fullness of church life their heterosexual counterparts enjoy. They have experiences of pain, suffering, rejection, and persecution. They fight for inclusion. Many of my beloved family and friends count themselves in these numbers.
Others feel like they are being portrayed as monsters for their understanding of Scripture, and their faithfulness to the current doctrine of the Church. They feel villainized and unfairly depicted. Labeled hate mongers and cast as the Judas of this drama, they feel as if they too are misunderstood. They have loved this Church, tried to be faithful to the Bible, and just to the doctrine. They have their own tales of struggle and suffering around this issue. They are the counterpart to the first perspective, and no less in pain.
I cried for both sides. I also cried for my own: another stuck between the two. I thought the Church was where all can come before God, no matter their sin or state of being, and encounter grace. I thought we all fell short of the glory of God, and were looking to grow beyond ourselves into reflections of Christ who died because we all sin. The sins may differ, but the consequences are all the same: brokenness. As one whose life was forever changed because of sinful heterosexual sex, I cried that my family of faith was threatened with its own form of divorce. No one person, perspective, or side is right. I suspect that there is truth to be cultivated from all sides. There is no simple truth, no ready fix, no easy path. However, I believe that the path will be dictated by the desire to walk together or away from one another.
I cannot change the events of General Conference, or the hearts and minds of those elected to represent me and the Annual Conference I serve. So I turn to prayer. I pray for God to overwhelm us all with grace, hope, and truth. I pray that every United Methodist recall the pledge to the Body of Christ in our membership, not just our vision for the Church. I pray we can hold fast to one another, no matter the side we hold to be righteous. I pray for the leaders of our Church, both clergy and laity, to endeavor to model Christ as the denomination and the world outside of it look on with bated breath. Many marriages like my own have failed because one party was all too wiling to walk away. I pray that we recall our covenant before God to endure until we are parted by death. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. No sin can either. In our collective imperfection, let us model perfect unity. Let us love in spite of our differences in expression, identity, and perspective on any issue. May God turn my tears of fear and sorrow into tears of joy, that the United Methodist Church will persist despite all obstacles and present trials.
I have no answers. I have only prayers, and this incredible faith that God can do all things. May God's will be done in and through the United Methodist Church. Amen.


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I arrived on Friday evening and went to meet my buddies in Gordon's Wine Bar near the Embankment tube station. This is a crowded cellar that sells only wine and basic food. It's a cosy spot with an unusually friendly crowd for a London venue. Much badinage at the crowded bar and chit chat between the tables. If I were a fit and single man I would make it a regular haunt. We ate later in an average Italian restaurant up the road and looked in at a listless jazz club (the Alley Cat). The strident and charmless female vocalist drove us out and we headed back to the bosom of our hotel bar.
Saturday morning brought us to the Dickens exhibition at the London Museum. A lot of background padding but it was worth the visit to see his manuscripts. The small regular writing and the copious corrections were in evidence from Great Expectations to his last work The Mystery of Edwin Drood - no change or deterioration in the hand, or in the working method. There was also a ledger of household expenses where you saw evidence of how his financially feckless father was a drain on his resources. We stopped off for a nostalgic visit to Portobello Road on the way back - full of tourists but entertaining. I had some mulled wine and bought a couple of CD box sets (Sam Cooke and Ella Fitzgerald).
On Saturday evening we started with drinks in the French House in Soho - still full of character and characters - and still not serving pints. Then up the road to the Red Fort - one of London's finest Indian restaurants. A bit stuffy in terms of clientele and too many waiters faffing about but the food was superb - delicately spiced and beautifully presented.
Replete we waddled down the road to Ronnie Scott's where we'd booked a table to see Sarah Jane Morris and her band. Nice. She's a big gallumping lass and a bit too right on for my taste ("The Gay Man Blues") but it was a tasty night of music. A couple of great guitarists, including the super cool Dominic Miller (Sting's main man), and an ass-kicking brass section. And so to bed.
On Sunday morning we headed to Hampstead Heath for a stroll down memory lane. We took an unfamiliar route turning onto the Heath just before Jack Straw's Castle and soon got lost. A phone call to a local friend and much GPS consulting soon got us out of there and back on Heath Street where it was time for lunch. We found an adequate Greek place (Bacchus) near the station and had a decent meal of hummus and lamb chops.
We had arranged to meet some friends in the Sir Richard Steele on Haverstock Hill. This is a place of low resort much frequented by scum bags and super-annuated rock musicians. Ideal for a spot of Sunday afternoon drinking. By sheer coincidence it transpired that an old friend Johnny Johnson was playing so we settled down to a couple of hours of rock and roll. It's a long time since I've heard Eddie Cochran's Cut Across Shorty sung in anger. And a fair old dollop of Jerry Lee Lewis - great stuff.
But the schedule was remorseless so at 7pm we headed down to the Roundhousewhere we'd booked tickets for the burlesque circus La Soiree.. Good dirty fun with some notable balancing acts and juggling. Some of the characters combined comedic patter with virtuoso tricks. The girl with the hula hoops fair stole the show.
On Monday, our last day, we finally got to the Courtauld Institute on the Strand. A fine eclectic collection - Van Gogh, Manet, Gaughin and a number of great Cezannes. An interesting curiosity for me was the Wyndham Lewis collection - including a fine cubist self-portrait.
Our hotel, the Radisson Vanderbilt, was a major find. Its location beside Gloucester Road tube station was ideal for exploring the city and it had all the facilities of a decent hotel for only £70 a night.


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First lets start of with the meaning of the word philanthropy. Philanthropy is the effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. That being said, you're not going to belive this but a local family, who wishes to stay somewhat anonymous, is putting on a FREE concert on June 5th 2010 at Waikiki's Sunset on the Beach featuring Keali'i Reichel……FOR FREE!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! – Sing 4 Hugs, Keali'i Reichel Free Performance – Waikik's famed Sunset On The Beach
When I asked Brett why he was doing this, his answer was typical for the kind of people he and his wife Dee (kids too) are. Brett said, "That value of giving back has been a focus in our family since day one. We've been blessed in our lives and thought that by encouraging the kids to give back, that they in turn would learn how to be compassionate towards others not as fortunate, or whom are facing some of life's many challenges that we all experience at some point in our lives".
The real benefactors of the amazing example of paying it forward is the HUGS organization in Hawaii serving Hawaii families. HUGS has for 28 years provided support for the children throughout the Hawaiian islands whom are facing a life-threatening disease. "By bringing attention to this unique non-profit, we felt we'd be helping to aid in their continual quest to raise funds a real challenge for any non-profit" says Brett.
In a statement Brett said "Thanks to the huge support of family and friends working on the event with us, Dee and I look forward to being part of this free concert for the entire Oahu community by Keali'i at one of Oahu's most beautiful venues Sunset on Beach at Waikiki Beach on Saturday, June 5th at 6:30pm. Hey…how often can one invite the whole island of Oahu to one big party let alone with Keali'i there! Be a supporter and buy a shirt supporting the event, bring a donation to give to HUGS and share the Aloha".
:::::big sigh:::: How unreal is it that ANYONE among our citizens here in Hawaii has made such a public call to action to bring Aloha through music, dance, culture and gift….the gift of giving.
ALOHA Dee, Brett, Torry and Leila!
Filed under: All About The Aloha | Tagged: free concert, hawaii, hawaii children, hugs love, Keali'i Reichel, sing 4 hugs, sunset on the beach, surf 4 hugs, waikiki | Leave a comment »


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Kusatsu is an onsen town in Gumna Prefecture. Its a great place to visit and it looks like there are many other good places to see nearby. Unfortunately, we had bad weather on our trip and we only saw a small part of it.
The highlight for us was Saino Kawara Park. A small park right near the middle of town with great autumn scenery and one of the best onsens I have ever been in. Very large, busy open onsen with great water. No chance of photos :-(
There's also a nice gallery/shop in town right near the park.
Kusatsu also has a rather strange downtown thermal area.
Raised ducts carry the onsen water
To a kind of waterfall
There is some nice walking around this downtown area
We stayed at a very nice little Ryokan call Hinoki.
We drove in from the east and were quite disappointed with Gumna, though the area just to the east of Kusatsu looks nice. We left to the south and were treated to some great scenery. Also Karuizawa to the south looks like a good place for a food loving foreigner to visit.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
Kusatsu, Gumna
Posted by davidfromoz at 4:37 AM
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A critical smash on Broadway and in London, the two-time Tony Award-winning hit musical American Idiot will be in residence at the intimate UNLV Judy Bayley Theatre Oct. 21-Nov. 9 as the Broadway director and designers work with UNLV students in reworking their tour.
In addition, two special performances benefiting the Nevada Conservatory Theatre at UNLV will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, and 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9. Tickets are just $30; $25 for students, seniors, and military.
American Idiot tells the story of three lifelong friends, forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Their quest for true meaning in a post 9/11 world leads them on the most exhilarating theatrical journey of the season.
Based on Green Day's Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum album, American Idiot boldly takes the American musical where it's never gone before. The result is an experience Charles Isherwood of The New York Times declares "thrilling, emotionally charged, and as moving as any Broadway musical I've seen this year!"
Featuring the hits "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "21 Guns," "Wake Me Up When September Ends," "Holiday" and the blockbuster title track, American Idiot features the music of Green Day and the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, direction by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), choreography by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Black Watch), music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), Tony Award-winning set design by Christine Jones and Tony Award-winning lighting design by Kevin Adams.
For show times and tickets, visit pac.unlv.edu or call 895-ARTS (2787).


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--Nathaniel Hawthorne
I think my mental processor must be getting slower, or else my RAM needs to be upgraded. I have been trying to process a race report on the Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake for days and days, and yet it just would not gel. It is a great event, and I am glad I undertook the challenge, and I had a lot of fun. But at the same time, it was the Murpyh's Law of weather--windy swim and bike, rain in Lubbock (WTH??!!!) and then a sunny hot run with high humidity -- in Lubbock??? How do you write any kind of unified account of that type of experience.
Then, things went from bad to worse when I read the race report from Crazy Jane, M.D., who seemingly just floated, unworried and untroubled, through conditions that I found very challenging. Since Jane has a license to practice medicine and the ability to prescribe medications to her psychiatric patients, I immediately suspected that she had been self-medicating. That, and I rationalized that the swim did smothe out for the later waves and the wind died down for the later waves on the bike. So. See, it was much harder for me. (Blah blah blah excuses and rationalizations).
And then I read a version of the quote set out above in reading a recent magazine article in connection with the Boston Marathon about Bill ("Boston Billy") Rogers. And it kind of snapped into place. I have been chasing butterlies, trying to get faster and be happier with my skills as a triathlete. The worst moments of the weekend happened when I was chasing the fastest, the inability to sleep the night before worrying about swimming open water without my wetsuit, bumming out about my swim time, being judgmental about my bike performance, pulling the plug in the last mile of the run rather than risk puking. The happiest moments of the weekned were when I just "sat quietly" (or as Mark Allen says, "quieted the mind") and just focused on the task at hand--making a good swim stroke, efficient pedal cadence or rapid foot turnover. If I had done that more, the race, which all in all should be considered a success, would have been even more of a positive experience.
The Swim
I swam what time?
The day began very windy, me shivering in the water before the swim start, sans wetsuit. I had decided to swim without one to begin getting accustomed to the feeling in advance of Ironman Cozumel, which is not wetsuit legal. I ran and swum a good warmup, which allowed me to start swimming without hyperventillating. I thought I was doing OK and would swim somewhere in the mid-40s, which is my normal, pedantic, half-iron pace, but it was not to be. I found the lake to be fairly choppy and sucked down much water. The swim times in the pros and the rest of the field would indicate adverse conditions and perhaps a course that was long. I saw myself bouys being blown and moved during the race. That said, with all the improvements to my swimming of late, I was not expecting to swim ELEVEN MINUTES SLOWER than I've swum the course before. I was not happy, as you can see:
Starts with "F" and rhymes with "Duck"
Note to the race organizers: 4 main buoys spaced 400 to 500 meters apart is not adequate for a half-iron race, especially one that starts in the dark and has lake chop. It certainly would neither kill you nor break the bank to have a little round buoy every 100 to 150 meters to aid in siting and provide interim goals for iffy, middle-aged swim novices.
The Bike
The bike involved a much quieter mind, and although I was not as fast as I had hoped, I showed some gains in fitness. I narrowly edged out my previous performances on this course, notwithstanding much tougher conditions than the last two times I did this race. I wanted to average a touch over 18 mph, and through the first 40+ miles I managed to do so. A stiff 20+mph wind from the north, and the last two northerly-oriented climbs out of Ransom Canyon, however, served to lower my average speed to such an extent that I could not bring it back above 18 by the time I re-entered Buffalo Springs Lake Park on my way back to T2.
Re-entering the park, one had to deal with car traffic on the road--getting stuck behind cars during a race?? That probably cost a couple of tenths of an mph off the average, but the main issue was one of safety. Note to the organizers: close the road over the damn to incoming traffic until the race is over.
The good news is that the parts of the course most like Cozumel--flat and windy--I did just fine. If the road does not tip up, I am in my element. I was able to just relax, hunker down, focus, and chip away at time and distance. Hopefully, this is a seed of confidence for a quiet mind on race day in November.
The Run
The good the bad and the ugly. The good was the relatively flat portions of the course where, notwithstanding some tired legs, I was able to get a rhythm going and set a sustainable pace that chewed up the distance and got me from aid station to aid station in good stead. I even overtook Coach Liz about a mile after T2, which surprised me to no end because she's a hard case and a great athlete. But, I took a cue from Hillary Biscay, "no walking in Ironman," (at least on the flats in my case) and every time I had a wave of discomfort, I just focused on my stride and rationalized, "the fastest way to get this overwith is to keep running." That is what one needs on Ironman day.
The bad--three very steep hills. It made no sense to run them on the day, so I power walked. It's just a tough course, so no excuses but no worries either.
The ugly--chasing butterflies. I wound up running a better pace on this course than I have in the past, due to my consistency (if not speed) running the flatter sections. Had I known that, I would have been content to keep the mind quiet in the last mile and a half and just suffer a little more discomfort and done even better.
At the time, however, I was thinking about the PRs and the time goal butterflies that had gotten away--indeed they were unrealistic given the swimming and biking conditions and might have been unrealistic even under ideal conditions. In so doing, the butterfly chasing brain began to ask, "what's the point? No need to puke if you're not going to PR." And so I began walking instead of channeling my inner-Hillary-Biscay. Coach Liz passed me back at about 3/4 of a mile to go. I should have run with her and finished a fun race with a friend, but I quickly cut her loose and hobbled until the finish line was comfortably in sight.
So, again, I finished Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake. I did not get near the numbers that I had placed on myself, but in a sense, those numbers will come when I stop chasing them and just get down to the business of putting one foot in front of the other during individual moments.
Even more important than the numbers, however, was the experience and its fruits. I put some big deposits in the Ironman Bank on which I can draw in Cozumel in November, and learned a ton. Better still, the beer was great, the comeradery authentic, the after party loud and boisterous, and the hunger for more such races rekindled. The road goes on forever and the party never ends.


text: shannonmarie 11 Posted June 20, 2013 Hi Shannon, Great Thread. Congrats on your wedding. Saw the pictures on the Now Jade thread... absolutely beautiful! Makes me even more excited for my wedding in November. I am trying to do some DIY projects, just wondering what are the best things you made/brought to Mexico and what could you have done without. Also, how did you make out packing/getting everything to Mexico? Thanks, Trisha Thanks Trisha! I wanted to keep things simple and we did not want to drag down a lot of extra luggage. We each had one checked bag for our own clothes & only one extra bag packed FULL... That bag contained welcome bags for our guest.. We had 60 and did one bag per couple. Kept them simple, survival kits, koozies, deck of cards, welcome note, ect... For decor, we only brought some picture frames, chair sashes, bubbles, menus, & programs.. That's it, and squeezing it all into one pretty large checked bag without going over the 50lb weight limit was hard. I honestly couldn't imagine if we took down anymore decor. In my opinion, it is not needed. We did splurge and just used the resort centerpieces. We got 8 @ $65 each. Expensive, but worth it in our opinion. Would not want to lug down all the vases/glass in our luggage. My motto is always less is more & I'm so happy I stuck with it. So in all honestly, don't sweat the small stuff, do a little DIY projects that don't take up too much time or room.. Towards the end of my planning, I had a "to-do" list of some small things I wanted, like paper lanterns, acyrlic ice, etc & I just said screw it! So happy I didn't waste the time or money on it. It's not needed. The location itself is absolutely amazing without all the headaches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: 16 Jul 2014 Work in progress by Michael Petrus | posted in: Nezařazené | 0 We are working on it to get you the book as soon as possible. Here you can see our working board with thumbnails and notes. This is one of the parts when the original page had to be split within the expansion of the book.


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Imagine with me for a moment. It's early in the morning on the shores of Puget Sound. You've bundled up for the cool October morning, cup of hot coffee or tea or what ever wakes you up in the morning, in hand you huddle with others like wise clutching their morning steam power. There is a fog bank rolling over the top of Whidbey Island coming across the water towards the shores of Cama Beach. The water is still, and dark like glass.
It's quiet, other than the murmurs and shivers of the early risers, until a lone loon wails it's plaintive song. It's cry echos against the hill-side, leaving everyone quietly in awe of the new day.
Through the fog bank, the light of the sun coming up from behind the hillside creates a miasma of pink and purple sunrise.
Shuffling off to class, bags and hooks in hand, focused on learning the new skill, or hoping to just pick up a trick or two, you find yourself draw to looking at the water. And suddenly it doesn't matter if you are "getting it right", you realise that you are sitting in a room with others, like yourself who love the textures of the fiber they are working with. You stop your reverie and look about the room, instead of picking up your hook you decide to watch the others. Their hands are dancing, in silent rhythms, magic is being made with a single hook and a strand of 4ply yarn.
After class you gather with a new friend to sit at a table outside and have lunch. Sure it's misting, but the fresh marine air is crisp and clean. Worries melt away, and the early morning cry of the Loon is replaced by the chattering of Bald Eagles. It's primal, it's touches your soul.
After lunch you gather together with your friends to enjoy a talk or a workshop, and once again the hooks come out, and the inspiration flows. You've figured out a new skill, or a half step that just makes it so much easier. Then you hear the shout of someone from outside, "Whale! Whale!" Hooks get dropped and people rush to the shore, and the local Orcas are playing not more than 100 feet off the shore, the Bald Eagles sing out, Kingfishers dive for fish, and some where you hear a gull laugh at the folly.
Beyond the crochet, beyond the new technique, beyond the learning about yarn and hooks, and fiber and color, you have had a time, that takes you back…no television noises, no non-stop chattering, no rush hour, no bumper to bumper shopping carts. The joy and awe on everyone's faces illuminates the afternoon, and then again the crochet hooks and yarn begin to stitch their magical threads.
As the sun begins to set behind the Olympic Mountains, the orange ball radiates out shafts of light that begin to paint the clouded sky in an artists' palette of purples, reds, tangerine and it is outlined in gray and white. Everyone stops to look, to take a photo. The Eagle cries one last time as it heads to its nest, and the Raven child says "kerplunk", you hear a distant Great Horned Owl hoot in the distance, and then the Loon once again sounds its plaintive cry…
Time for dinner, everyone decides to make it a potluck. The gathering of kindred souls has created a bubble that no one wants to break. Sitting in the old building, warm and cozy, good home cooked food to share with friends. Laughter, and more hooks and yarn it's almost surreal in how good the experience is…
Now for the evening program. Not just a speaker full of hot air, but an interactive event, no one cares if you're crocheting while they talk. No one admonishes you, you're on a roll, everyone gets that. The instruments come out and songs are song both silly and sad, fun and heartwarming. The sounds of a dulcimer echo off the hills, and you are transported to a time further back still, when humans enjoyed simpler pleasures.
At last it's time for bed so another day can begin a fresh. You wash, and change and scramble into your warm blanket, and as you rest your head on your pillow the visions of the day pass through your mind's eye. You've never felt so relaxed, you've never been so inspired, you never expected life to be this good.
Yeah, I'm pitching the retreat…but I thought instead of telling you how reasonably priced it is, and how much work we're putting into it, that I would share my end goal with you. The above story is exactly my vision for people coming to the retreat. I have a little piece of Heaven here on Camano Island; I want to share it with you.


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A friend of ours from Seattle came to visit with his two little kids this weekend. They don't have a lifestyle conducive to pet ownership, and both kids are slightly animal averse. We figured that some fun times on Farcical Farm might help them to overcome their fear of fauna. Within hours they were playing a rousing game of fetch with Willow, and over the course of two days they got quite comfortable with all of the critters here. On Saturday I attached a grab strap to the Wintec stock saddle and put Raven to work on some pony rides.
After that I switched to the Wintec sport saddle (which fits Raven much better) and took myself for a pony ride along one of our usual routes. Sometime since we last rode that way a local farmer has filled one of the fields with 40 heifer calves -- next year's milking stock, I assume -- and they all came *running* when they saw Raven. She kept her head for about 30 seconds and then bolted, which she has never done to me before. I lost both stirrups but kept my seat and managed to pull her up and turn her around with a series of mini one-rein halts. When we got back to the cows I dismounted and did some ground work to get her thinking again. After that I let her burn off a little energy with a long gallop, and she managed to keep her brain in when we passed the black and white aliens on the way home. I must admit that the attention of all those sweet, vacant eyes is a bit unnerving.
One thing I learned is that Raven cannot cope with fear and the bit at the same time. When she loses her head she loses all ability to relax and accept contact with her mouth, which leads to a downward spiral in communication. This warrants much more ground work in situations that make her uncomfortable, and a complete dental checkup to ensure that everything is OK in there. I have also ordered one of these, based on the gut instinct that it might make a big difference for her. Raven's temperament is so different with and without a bit in her mouth (even the mildest possible bit) that I wonder if simple pain lies behind her uncharacteristic unwillingness.


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Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Days with Daddy
John has been doing so much with the boys on their day off together. Andy did get stung by a bee, but he was fine.
Posted by Angie at 8:30 PM 1 comment:
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Saturday, October 4, 2014
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Few will mourn the fact that inflation has hit the lowest level since November 2009, so prices are rising at their slowest pace for three years.
Yet before you cheer, there are two caveats to take into consideration.
The Office for National Statistics identifies slowing energy prices as the biggest reason for the drop. But four of the big six energy companies have recently announced prices rises of way over inflation that will hit in the next couple of months.
Clearly that runs a big risk of pushing the rate back up. Factor in too terrible harvests that could feed through to food prices and the threat to families and businesses from inflation is far from over.
And even a rate of 2.2% is still some distance ahead of the average pay increase.
The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest the average rise in wages was 1.4% over the last year. So for many households that means while prices are rising less fast, the gap between what is coming in and what is going out is still getting wider.
As discussed earlier, this month's inflation is particularly important as it is used to set the rate of increases for pensions, benefits and business rates.
The rate is so low this month that pensions will actually rise at the higher rate of 2.5%, courtesy of the government's 'triple lock'.
But unless the Chancellor changes his mind, (which there is some pressure on him to do) benefits will rise next year at 2.2% and business rates at 2.6%.