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My Colorado Home

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Lately, I've been missing my Colorado home something terribly.  Besides the fact that we didn't get to make a trip back to Colorado this summer, I know the Aspens are in full, fall force, like this photograph I found on the Colorado State Parks website.

Can't you just smell the cool, fresh mountain air?  Aah!  Memories!  I long to...
  • go camping again in Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • hike the steep, mountain paths, shaded by the towering trees above.
  • dangle my feet in a chilly, mountain stream.
  • bask, from a rocky ledge, in the sun's warm rays.
  • feel the mist of a waterfall on my face.
  • listen to the trees' gentle whispers.
There's just nothing about Kansas that even compares.

I finished Adina's, first year, birthday invitations and have given the recipients plenty of time to retrieve theirs from their mailboxes, so it's time to reveal them to you all.

I'm so excited about them and just love the quilted effect!  I saw the idea for them here on Kristina Werner's blog.  She created a pdf of instructions and card patterns here, which made it totally easy to create my own version.  I cut the card base from orange cardstock and layered with pattern papers, consecutively from bottom to top, from Stampin' Up, My Mind's Eye (There's that same paper, from Hobby Lobby, I just couldn't resist.), and Stampin' Up again.  Each patterned paper layer was trimmed with a white, machine stitch; and, with the exception of the very first green layer, which was attached using my AdTech Glue Runner, they were adhered to the card base using dimensionals.  I, then, cut two of the pumpkin stems from green cardstock; trimmed one with a white, machine stitch; enclosed the backside of the stitching with the second stem; and attached it to the card base.  The tag was hand cut from orange cardstock and clear embossed with the "YOU'RE Invited" sentiment.  I, then, rounded the far right (base of the tag) corners, using Stampin' Up's Corner Rounder punch; adhered them to the top of the pumpkin; and trimmed them off with a Stampin' Up, Really Rust button, laced with green embroidery floss.  The only mistake I made was forgetting to sign the back of each one.  Sorry, guys!

I have one more pumpkin project coming your way tomorrow, and then, I've joined a couple challenges to wrap up the countdown to World Card Making Day.  It looks to be a busy Saturday, with the family, so I'm crossing my fingers to be able to sneak a little time, to create, in my loft.

A Great Bag!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

I'm always on the lookout for a great bag, so you can imagine my excitement, when I saw Parenting's article entitled "30 Adorable Diaper Bags: All Under $50".  I jumped right online and was pleasantly surprised to discover that I actually own two of their 30 bags.

Both are made by Ju-Ju-Be and are super fabulous!  We keep the Be Quick clutch in our trunk and grab it for quick errands or trips to the park.  They both are machine washable, reversible, only cost $35 and $15 respectively, and come in all sorts of great colors and patterns.  Here are a few of my favorites.

I'd love to get one of their Be All bags for those longer trips that just require more stuff.

So, today, I just wanted to call your attention to a new card set in my Etsy shop Lofty Designs.  I'd love for you to go check it out along with my other listed sets.  Let me know if there's something specific you're looking for.  I'd be honored to custom make it for you.

This card came from several trial and errors.  I had an idea in mind that I was super excited to try out, but when I did, I just wasn't happy with it.  I am, however, very pleased with the final result, as you see it here.  I began by stamping the "THANKS so much" sentiment, on white cardstock, with Close to Cocoa ink.  The pumpkin image was colored with Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive inks, before being stamped just above the sentiment, on the white cardstock.  I, then, framed the images with orange cardstock and again, with a larger, dark brown cardstock.  I punched the bottom edge of the dark brown cardstock with Martha Stewart's Doily Lace Edger punch.  I, then, machine stitched a white threaded frame around the orange cardstock frame and adhered all three layers onto the olive green card base.  Before packaging it, in a set of five, with envelopes, I trimmed out the white cardstock layer with a glitter edge.  I think anyone would be totally thrilled to find this thank you in their mailbox!

Such a Silly Weekend

Monday, September 28, 2009

We decided not to do any of the many activities KC had to offer this weekend.  We wanted to take it easy and just be a family.  It still seemed to go by so quickly, but I have a few pictures to show you that it really was such a silly weekend, as the title of this post proclaims.  It all began Friday afternoon.  I left Adina in her high chair with some Cheerios, so I could go check on Ezekiel, and came back to find this.

She was just shoveling in more Cheerios, completely oblivious to the fact that she had one stuck to her nose.  Then, Saturday night, Adina had a little accident in the tub, while BJ was in charge.  That literally never happens!  Her accidents always seem to happen on my watch.  Anyway, he was trying to get things cleaned up, when I walked around the corner and saw this.

I literally laughed out loud.  Who can resist a naked baby bottom?!  On Sunday, it was Ezekiel's turn to be silly.  The boys dove right in to crazy hair night at Awana.

Yes, that is my son!  Doesn't he look so cute?!  He really loved his silly do, and I have to admitt that I had so much fun doing it.  I cannot wait for Adina's hair to grow out!  It's difficult to tell from the picture, but he had a little blue in his, too, just like Daddy.

We also decided that, with the cooler fall weather and all, it was about time to buy Adina her first pair of shoes, so off we went to Target.  We'd hoped to find some similar to Bobux or Robeez, minus the expense; but they were all really ugly, so we ended up with these cuties... one pair for church and the other for every day.

I found a couple really great deals in the way of scrapbooking kits, too.  They were both more than 50% off and too cute to pass up.  This first one is called Marcella by K&Company and comes with all kinds of stickers, embellishments, die cuts, and spunky paper. I just love the bright colors, and aren't those little owls just too fun?!

This second kit is called Animal Crackers Ella by Making Memories.  It, too, comes with all kinds of stickers, printed paper blossoms, and enough fabulous paper to motivate any scrapper to get to work.

It's been way too long, since I've pulled out my own albums; but I did so, just to see where I'd last left off, as soon as I got home with these gorgeous kits.  This is what I found.

To be fair, I have completed Ezekiel's second, third, and fourth years of life.  It's just this first year that's giving me a headache.  There are so many pictures, and every one of them is too cute not to put in his book.  I used my Mickey Font Cricut cartridge to cut the title and numbers from Blue Ballet cardstock by Stampin' Up.  The rest of the paper, with the exception of the So Saffron piece from Stampin' Up, came from two, baby boy, scrapbook kits, similar to the ones above, that I purchased at Hobby Lobby.  There was very little stamping... just the photo corners stamped in Blue Ballet ink.  The white buttons, tied with orange embroidery floss, were from a bag I picked up on my last trip to Archivers.

Happy Birthday, Kari!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Just a quick post to wish my long-time friend a very happy birthday.

There's just something extra special about a friend that's known you since you were little (the fourth grade, to be exact) that makes it easy to reconnect, even when distance and time drag on.  Kari's that friend to me.  Happy birthday, girl!  I love you!

I started Kari's birthday card with a teal layer of cardstock clear embossed with little flowers, which just so happen to be the perfect negative image of the flowers on the teal party hat, and dots.  The second layer of purple cardstock was stamped several times, with the "Celebrate" sentiment, using Orchid Opulence ink.  For the third layer, I stamped party hats, in Green Galore, Orchid Opulence, Taken With Teal, Yoyo Yellow, and Real Red inks, on white cardstock.  I also added glitter for that little, extra, shimmer effect.  For the fourth and final yellow layer, I kept it simple by punching just the lower edge with Stampin' Up's Scallop punch.  I, then, used my sewing machine to frame the sentiment by sewing a straight stitch, with white thread, across the top and bottom edges of the purple layer.  I wrapped a striped, monochromatic teal ribbon (which incidently, was leftover from Ezekiel's birthday thank yous) around the yellow, cardstock layer and tied it in a knot.  A few dimensionals on the back gave all the layers lift from the red card base.

Pome on the Range

Friday, September 25, 2009

While the roofers were pounding away on our roof Wednesday, we headed on a little field trip to Pome on the Range in Williamsburg, Kansas.

Ezekiel's homeschool buddy, Ryan, got to come along, which totally made his day.  They could hardly wait to get started picking apples and quickly realized that apple trees are fantastic for climbing.  I was able to get them to sit still for a second for a quick snap.

Even Adina got in on the action.

Here's a picture of the boys with their spoils.

We picked 75 pounds of Golden Delicious apples in all.  That's a lot of apple goodies, folks!  Obviously, we made BJ carry the big bags.  The people running the place even took us around back for a quick tour of the facility.  We got to see the line of apples being washed and hand sorted for the market and for cider.  The $7 a gallon for their apple cider is totally worth it!

I've already made two apple pies to pair with homemade ice-cream for our BBQ tonight.  My mouth is watering!

The pumpkin and fall leaf decor has made its arrival throughout my home, and I'm totally in the swing of Fall!  Although, it didn't take much doing.  If you're still working on your mojo, here's a little card for inspiration.

I know!  I know!  More stitching?!  I just love the stitching, guys!  I started with a layer of orange cardstock, which I clear embossed with Autumn Leaves' flourishes.  I, then, stamped and water colored the pumpkins on white cardstock, using Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa, and Green Galore inks.  For the green, cardstock layer, all I did was punch the bottom edge with Martha Stewart's Doily Lace Edger punch.  All three layers were joined with a white threaded, zig-zag stitch.  The "to You from me" sentiment was stamped, in Jet Black StazOn ink, on brown cardstock; punched out, using Stampin' Up's Scallop Circle punch; and adhered to the back, of the top, right edge, of the orange cardstock.  All the layers were then attached to a kraft-colored card base.  I made sure to hang the punched sentiment, over the top edge, like a tab.  Finally, I wrapped that cute orange, with white polka dots, ribbon around the whole card face and tied a bow.

Our New Roof

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Our roof BEFORE...

and AFTER...
It really is beautiful!  It looks perfect with the grey color of the house, now, and will look even better, later, when we save enough money for new siding.  The new skylight, on the back side, lets in TONS of natural light right above my craft table.  Let me tell you... I cannot wait to have some time to create by natural, unfiltered light!  Lately, I've been super inspired by fabric.  I'm working on a few Christmas gifts, which will have to wait until after Christmas to make their appearances here on my blog, and I'm dreaming up a homemade, birthday, party skirt for Adina.  I've also got a great party invitation in the works.  Her birthday is right around the corner!

I finally got the rest of Adina's nine-month pictures, and some of Ezekiel's six-year pictures, sent to our out-of-state friends.  They received theirs care of this pretty, little thing.

I just had to have that patterned paper, at the far left edge of the card face, when I found it at Hobby Lobby!  Isn't it gorgeous?!  I love the colors!  It's by My Mind's Eye and was the inspiration for this card.  I colored the flowers' centers and the dots on the petals with Apricot Apeal ink and the outer edges of the petals, as well as the outer edges of the flowers' centers, with Pumpkin Pie ink.  I, then, stamped them randomly onto white cardstock.  The leaves were colored with Old Olive ink and brushed over, with Glorious Green ink, before being stamped, like the flowers, onto the white cardstock.  I never would've put Old Olive and Glorious Green together, but they matched the patterned paper perfectly, and I was so pleased with the result.  For a little glam, I glittered the centers of the flowers.  The white, now stamped, cardstock was then attached to the card face.  Before layering the patterned paper, I punched both sides of it, using Stampin' Up's Scallop punch; and then, wrapped it, from the front, around to the back of the card.  I wish that I would've taken a photo of the edge of this card, because I love the way the patterned paper forms a kind of book spine.  I saw this idea here on Nichole Heady's, the creative mind behind Papertrey Ink, blog.  The sentiment was stamped, in Old Olive ink, on white cardstock and framed with green cardstock.  A couple dimensionals gave it a little lift from the card face.  Finally, I threaded natural, hemp twine through a Stampin' Up, Pumpkin Pie button, letting the ends hang free, before adhering the button, to the left of the sentiment, with a glue dot.

I'm working on a couple projects for World Card Making Day Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Maybe, I'll have to use this occasion to reveal Adina's first birthday invitation as well.  Happy creating!

Excitement Is in the Air!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Besides it being the very first day of my most favorite time of year, look what pulled into our driveway this morning!

There was pounding on the roof, a spinning ladder and elevator, and strange people stomping about, above our heads, for about an hour this morning.  How exciting!  We're getting a new roof tomorrow!  Adina couldn't take her eyes off all that was going on, but after Ezekiel's lectures and punishment for the "I wanna pull my hair out!" day yesterday, nothing was going to distract him from what he needed to accomplish.
Well, I'm sure that he took a few peeks every now and again; but for the most part, this is what he was doing.  I think that he felt terrible for how he'd behaved, because yesterday afternoon, he cleaned his room without being asked!  He also kissed my toe, when Sophie (one of our dogs) raced over and sliced it with her toenail.  (Her toenails probably need to be cut again, huh?!)  Then, when I left, by myself for once, to go to the grocery store, he kissed and hugged me twice, told me that he loved me about a gazillion times, and walked me to the front door to say goodbye.

Anyway, back in July, we were sitting in the kids' playroom, getting everyone ready for church, and praying that the rain and wind would let up enough to be able to get to church without looking like wet dogs; when a huge branch, from our Sycamore tree, landed on the backside of our roof.

We really are lucky that it didn't do more damage.  It didn't puncture the roof, no power lines were pulled from the house, and after waiting a few days to let the adjustor see exactly what had happened, it had slid off the roof enough that BJ and I were able to get it off the roof together... albeit, not without several scary moments.  Then, one of our neighbors came to the rescue with his chainsaws and wood chipper.  He even pitched in and did some of the dirty work himself.  We have been so blessed with such wonderful neighbors!  Insurance covered some of the damage, after all their crazy deductions; but in having the damage inspected, we discovered that our roof was in pretty bad shape already.  So, we filed another claim for hail damage, put the two checks together, along with like another, entire paycheck of BJ's, and are getting a new roof.  Praise the Lord!  We'll be safe and dry and hopefully, a little warmer this winter.

So, I thought maybe you'd like to see the the thank you card that I made for our knight in shining armor neighbor.

I began by embossing the "Thank You so much" sentiment on dark purple cardstock.  I, then, layered three pieces of lime green cardstock, scalloped down the left side with Stampin' Up's Scallop punch, over the far left third of the card face.  I tied a white, frilled ribbon, in a bow, over the right side of the layers.  I, then, tied a length of natural, hemp twine around the white bow, laced it with a white button, and tied it in a bow as well.  I punched the white cardstock circles using Stampin' Up's 1-3/8" Circle punch.  They were, then, randomly stamped with stems inked with Green Galore ink and topped off with purple, flower gemstones by Hero Arts.  All four circles were arranged in a square pattern and popped off the card face with dimensionals.  After rounding the top and bottom corners of the far right side of the card face, it was ready for delivery.

An "I Wanna Pull My Hair Out!" Day

Monday, September 21, 2009

Today has been one of those "I wanna pull my hair out!" days... maybe it's the rain or the chilly weather... I'm searching here.  I wish I could find something to blame it on, but I cannot.  I'm a little lost for words.  So, I'll just post a picture that makes me feel warm and cozy inside.

I also want to wish my friend Betsy's daughter, Lily, a very happy first birthday!  She should be receiving this in the mail.

I began with a layer of red cardstock embossed with clear polka dots.  I'm loving those polka dots, people!  I then stamped the "happy bird-day to you!" sentiment several times, across a piece of purple cardstock, in Orchid Opulence ink.  I finished up the paper layering with the party birds.  They were stamped on white cardstock and water colored in shades of Orchid Opulence, Real Red, Green Galore, Pretty in Pink, and Tempting Turquoise ink.  I grounded them with a Bordering  Blue shadow and glittered each one for dimension.  I, then, machine stitched each layer together, with white thread, on the purple cardstock.  Finally, I gathered and attached a pretty, red ribbon, to the backside, of the white cardstock, and popped it all off the pink card base with dimensionals.

I'm off to do some more creating.  Have a blessed day!

On the Road to Beautiful

Sunday, September 20, 2009

I was so encouraged that maybe, just maybe, we might be doing a few things right, as far as parenting goes, this morning in church.  Glen Kahler preached a sermon entitled "Parental Engagement Required."  Lately, parenting Ezekiel, with his little, growing fits and back talking, has been a HUGE chore.  Some days, I just want to pull out all my hair; but then, I think, "What if I've got a misshappen head?"  Other days, I want to throw my hands in the air and walk out the front door, but that would be child neglect and endangerment.  Glen called attention to the scripture many Christian parents seem to draw encouragement from, in Proverbs 22:6, which says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  I love how he defined train as "creating a hunger in your child to learn according to their bent."  He reminded us that not every child learns the same way, and every child is unique.  Ezekiel definitely floats that boat!  I know that sometimes Ezekiel may get a little lost along the way, but if I remember that he is simply "On the Road to Beautiful," as Charlie Hall so eloquently puts it, and don't give up on bettering his training, one day, he too, will find his wings and fly.

Yesterday, we had an awesome day being outside in the gorgeous weather, working in the yard, and enjoying one another's company.  Look what we did!

The shed is now affectionately called our little barn thanks to three coats of Sherwin Williams' Real Red paint.  I love it!  It's my little bit of country in the big city.  We wanted to get it finished before a neighborhood BBQ we're having, at our house, this Friday.  (BJ won Zarda BBQ for ten, in a drawing, and we decided that getting to know our neighbors better was the best way to celebrate.)

Then, on a routine trip to Wal-Mart, we found these beautiful, fall to spring Pansies.  I didn't purchase them at first, but I couldn't stop thinking and talking about them.  When BJ ran to Lowe's, to get more mulch for my gardens, you know I had to ask him to look at the pansies, too.  He brought me home these!

Aren't they just gorgeous?!  I'm crossing my fingers that they last all winter in our sunny, front yard.  I totally wasn't thinking about planting anything new, in my gardens, this fall; but these beauties are sure to give a warm welcome, to all our visitors, with their delicate, little faces.

Today, I thought that I'd share the BBQ invitation that I sent out to all our neighbors.
I cut the shape to look like a BBQ apron, using my Fiskars' oval cutter.  I used the orange cardstock face as a frame for a checkered, patterned paper by My Mind's Eye.  The apron pocket was hand cut and machine stitched, before it was embossed with "YOU'RE Invited."  I finished off the pocket with an apple stamp, which I colored, before stamping, with Green Galore, Chocolate Chip, and Garden Green ink.  A little glitter, to add some shimmer, on the front, and a dimensional, on the back, prepped it for its new home.  I set Really Rust eyelets on either corner, of the top, of the apron, to thread orange ribbons through, knotted each ribbon on one end, and joined the other ends in a bow.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Ezekiel has been studying Noah in his Bible class.  (You can read more about Noah and the flood in Genesis 5:28 through 9:19.)  I have heard this story dozens of times, since I was little, and it has always been one of my favorites.  I love how...
  • the Bible says that God called Noah "righteous."
  • Noah obeyed God in the face of others' ridicule.
  • Noah wasn't even a carpenter and still built a boat that weathered the world's first storm and managed to stay afloat.
  • Noah probably never once stopped telling others about God's warning to send the flood and would've welcomed any, who turned from their wicked ways and listened to God's message, into the safey of the ark.
  • the first thing Noah did, when the waters receded and he and his family were safe and sound, standing on dry ground, was build an altar of worship and thanksgiving to God.  The Bible says Noah's sacrifice was a "soothing aroma" to God and that "the Lord was pleased with the sacrifice."
Today, when we finished with our reading of Noah, all I could think was that I so desperately want to be pleasing to God!  I don't want to let Him down!  I want to be chosen, like Noah was chosen!  I want to stand firm, in my faith, in the face of adversity!  I want to be like Noah!  I want to be safe!

Some of you have heard about the arrest of Jesse Dimmick, after his taking hostages, Jared and Lindsay Rowley, in Dover, Kansas.  What you may not know is that Lindsay is BJ's cousin.  Click here to see the video of Jared and Lindsay's interview, following their escape.

After seeing this video, something greater hit home for me... maybe it was...
  • Lindsay's tears.
  • how Jared said, "words cannot describe what we went through," while shaking his head.
  • the fact that this is absolutely NOT the way to celebrate a week-old marriage!
  • how I know they still haven't gone home after this whole ordeal.
  • that I don't know if I ever would've seen them again, if things had taken a different route.
  • just seeing their beautiful faces safe and sound.
Whatever it was, if you're reading this, Jared and Lindsay, we love you and are so thankful to God for keeping you safe!

There's something about papercrafting that brings me a sense of peace.  So, this card is for Jared and Lindsay.

Knowing that Jared and Lindsay are huge K-State people, I decided to go with a Wildcat, color scheme.  I started with a dark purple background, that I stamped with white, fluttering leaves and dots, and the white cardstock, that I stamped, with the truck image.  I, then, watercolored the truck image in shades of Eggplant Envy, Pale Plum, Basic Black, Close to Cocoa, and Bordering Blue; and embossed the truck body and hubcaps to give it a more refurbished, old truck appeal.  (I was trying to steer away from the old clunker look.)  I also grounded the image with a Bordering Blue, watercolor shadow.  The truck image was framed with black cardstock and anchored, in all four corners, with black brads.  I stamped the sentiment, which says, "thought you could use a little pickup," in Eggplant Envy ink and punched it out, using Stampin' Up's Tag punch.  I hand cut the dark purple and lighter purple frames, using the orignial punched sentiment as a guide.  After using Stampin' Up's old, Handheld Rectangle punch on the left side of the sentiment (or the top of the tag), I threaded a black and white gingham ribbon through, wrapped it around the card itself, and tied a bow for that perfect, finishing touch you know I love so much.

Mom's Chocolate Sheet Cake

Thursday, September 17, 2009

I've been craving Mom's Chocolate Sheet Cake for a couple of weeks now.  BJ and I are not big fans of chocolate cake, but there's something about this recipe that keeps drawing us back for more... maybe it's the nostalgia of Mom's, sweet smelling kitchen or the cooler, fall weather calling me to bake.  Wherever the craving came from, it was satisfied, at dinner, last night (and then again, at lunch, today).  Yum!  Yum!
Even Adina couldn't stop shoveling it in!  Isn't it just too cute how her left eye closes slightly more than her right, when she smiles real big?!
Yesterday afternoon, I got a text from my sister, Cristi, saying that she had finally gotten her driver's license.  Get off the road, people!  Just kidding... Kinda!  Anyway, this card is for her.  Congratulations, lady!
Purple is Cristi's favorite color, so I decided to make a monochromatic, purple card with the exception of my neutral white.  I started with the top layer of patterned paper by Frances Meyer.  I then layered on a deep purple cardstock, which I embossed with clear polka dots, although it's difficult to tell from the picture.  There's a little bit of shine attributing to their existence.  I then finished off the bottom edge with a little, white scallop, using Stampin' Up's Scallop punch, and straight stitched all three layers together with white thread.  I colored the words of my CONGRATS! stamp with Eggplant Envy ink and the little star with Pale Plum.  I then glittered up the star for a little more shine, punched the sentiment out using Stampin' Up's Scallop Circle punch, and cut slits in the upper and lower halves to thread a fringed, white ribbon through.  A couple dimensionals, on the back, pop it off the card face; and a little bow, above, adds the perfect finishing touch.


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Catch Wrestling Singapore: Semi-Final Match

Recently, the Catch Wrestling Alliance held a four-man tournament event in Singapore. The Alliance reported the results as follows:

Semifinal 1: Matt Tran defeats Josh Robinson by pin in 1:46.

Semifinal 2: Ryan Vance defeats Chan by pin in 4:51.

3rd place match: Josh Robinson defeats Chan by heel hook submission in 1:05.

Final: Matt Tran defeats Ryan Vance by decision in 20:00.

You can watch the first semi-final match between Matt Tran and Josh Robinson below. Be sure to watch the CWA Facebook page for the remaining videos to be posted. Big thanks to Raul Ramirez for working to make the matches available.

Also, be sure to keep an eye out for registration to the Frank Gotch World Championship that takes place July 3rd.

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Monthly Archives: June 2012

Internship Week 1

I am an intern for AAI Corporation for Summer 2012.  The position I was hired for is for a Aerosonde-UAS Training Specialist.  This internship is directly what I will be doing once I graduate with a degree in Unmanned Aircraft … Continue reading

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text:
Hair Stylist - Purley

at Touché Hairdressing (view profile)
Location Purley, United Kingdom
Date Posted January 2, 2018
Category Hairdressing
Job Type Stylist
Salary Band £20,000 - £24,999
Contract Type Permanent
Hours Full Time

Are you passionate about Hair Styling and Colouring?

If you answered "yes" then we might have the perfect opportunity for you...

Touché Purley urgently requires a Hair Stylist with at least 2 years salon floor experience to join their friendly and fun hairdressing team. We require a person:

  • Who listens, understands and delivers clients an exceptional service,
  • Is talented, smart and passionate about Hairdressing,
  • Is willing to work hard in a successful team,
  • Is motivated to learn new and refresh older techniques.

We can offer you:

  • An excellent salary,
  • Uncapped commission paid on Services and Products,
  • A Pension,
  • Ongoing training at the Surrey Hair Academy (see,
  • Career opportunities to become an educator, assessor, manager, etc..

If you think you have what it takes to become a Touché Hair Stylist then please apply asap.

We do have other roles coming available, so if you have Hairdressing or Hair Teaching Qualifications (to NVQ or equal) please feel free to apply.

Only registered members can apply for jobs.


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Summer Camp Wordpress Instructor - Los Altos

  • TBD, Los Altos, CA
  • Part-time

Company Description

At Edventure More (EDMO), a 501(c)(3) non-profit enrichment organization, we create school year and summer camp programs for Pre-K-8th graders where learning is experiential, personalities shine, collaboration is key, and no one ever gives up. Our unique and culturally rich environment builds the social, emotional and academic intelligence kids need to become the makers, shakers and amazinators of tomorrow! Visit to learn more.

Job Description

The PRO Wordpress Instructor is responsible for running the PRO Maker room and instruction for 5th-8th grade campers. They train on all PRO Maker & Wordpress curriculum and teach every day, bringing this hands-on curriculum to life for our campers. Instructors should be prepared for a summer filled with personal and professional growth, classroom management practice and a whole lot of FUN!

Main duties include:

  • Approach education with passion and excitement and build positive model relationships with campers
  • Set-up, organize and manage the technology classroom including supplies, curriculum and classroom management
  • Lead lessons each day on various themes and projects as assigned through the curriculum
  • Manage Counselors while in the PRO Tech classroom
  • Refine curriculum and add personal contributions as seen fit with guidance of the Camp Director
  • Work closely with Camp Director and other staff members to create fun camp games, songs, skits and activities - and participate in all
  • Assist in daily camper check in and check out procedures
  • Interact with parents in a professional and energetic manner
  • Help cultivate healthy self-esteem and a natural love for learning
  • Instill the EDMO Vibe of kindness, respect, honesty and FUN in all campers

Position reports to: Camp Director

Manages: Counselors

  • Bachelors Degree (or degree in progress) in a related field and/or relevant experience
  • Experience working in and using Wordpress as well as experience with photo, film and design
  • Passionate about writing and self expression
  • Classroom teaching experience preferred but not required
  • Be creative, patient, positive and willing to problem solve
  • Experience (and a love for!) working with kids
  • High sense of responsibility and dependability
  • Previous camp experience preferred but not required
  • Strong team player
  • Experience facilitating groups of children and/or working youth programs with proven classroom management is preferred

Note: Do not be discouraged if you only have experience/expertise in one subject area. We love teaching like-minded humans!

Additional Information

- $12 - $17 / Hour Based on Location and Experience + Overtime at 1.5 x hourly rate

- 7:45 am - 4:15 pm: Monday - Friday

- Additional Assigned Overtime until 6pm.

- This is a Full-Time Summer Position running 5 - 10 weeks from June - August depending on location. Please visit our website at to see specific dates for each location.

- Training: Staff training will take place the week prior to the start date of the assigned location as well as mandatory curriculum training TBD.

- Extended weeks and school year work are also available for qualified candidates. Ask for more info!

Application Details:

- Resumes are accepted on a rolling basis until positions are filled. The sooner you apply, the better your chances.

- Please attach your resume and cover letter in a PDF form to ensure compatibility.

Alumni Staff:

- If you have worked for us in past summers, please use the alumni link emailed to you to submit your application for 2018.

We look forward to receiving your application! If you have questions about our job opportunities please contact Greg Nelson at 415.282.6673.

CAMP EDMO is powered by Edventure More, a year-round 501(c)(3) non-profit enrichment organization. 5% of summer camp proceeds and 100% of donations support camp scholarships and subsidized science, maker and technology programs in local schools.


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Dementia Friend?

A very short post as I set off to run the Portsmouth Marathon, for dementia research charity BRACE.

I’ve just signed up to be a dementia friend and also a dementia champion – an initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society to get more people to understand what it’s like living with dementia and how to best help people. It’s at

I’ve also been reading a very interesting blog at

It’s written by Wendy, who’s 58, and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s earlier this year.

It’s sometimes difficult to know how best to help people with dementia, so learning direct from those living with the disease is ideal.

Having upset dad with a well-meant homemade Christmas card; disrupted the peace of the nursing home when mum’s dog tried to chase the home’s pet rabbit; and nearly killed off one of the other residents by giving him a piece of cake when he was on a special diet – it’s probably time I did learn more.

I mean at the moment, with dementia friends like me, who needs enemies!

3 thoughts on “Dementia Friend?

  1. Rosemary Bishop

    A trueful blog, but meant with the very best of intentions at the home, we will never do such a thing again!! Good luck with MARATHON 46. RB X

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Paul’s Preacher Probem: Meet Phillip G. Kayser

It seems like every election we have another extreme religious figure who becomes a campaign issue for a candidate. Obama had Rev. Wright and McCain had Rev. Hagee and Parsley. Sarah Palin has an actual Kenyan witch hunter. Now Ron Paul has his own embarrassing association. The preacher is Rev. Phillip G. Kayser, a pastor at the Dominion Covenant Church in Nebraska, who has a following in Iowa. The Paul campaign issued a press release (that it later removed from its site) heralding the endorsement of Kayser. The problem is that Kayser believes that gays should be executed according to biblical law. It was a a highly destructive endorsement for Paul who is attracting civil libertarians to his campaign. No one can stop someone from endorsing you, but the campaign clearly sought this endorsement from an extremist with reprehensible views. Unlike Wright, Kayser is not Paul’s personal minister, but the press release made him Paul’s problem in reaching out to civil libertarians.

While the campaign was right to pull the press release, it now should take responsibility and disassociate from Kayser. This is, in my view, another example of the dangers of faith-based politics, something that I have long condemned as inimical to separation principles.

I have not hidden my admiration for Paul, with whom I have spent considerable time discussing constitutional and policy questions. He is genuinely committed to the anti-war and civil liberties issues that he has made part of his campaign — the only such candidate in either the Democratic and Republican campaigns.

It was Paul’s Iowa chair, Drew Ivers, who recently touted the endorsement of Kayser — stating “the enlightening statements he makes on how Ron Paul’s approach to government is consistent with Christian beliefs.” Either Ivers did not know about Kayser’s extremist views (which is possible) or he didn’t care (which would be scary).

Kayser has stated that he and Paul disagree on homosexual rights, including Paul’s support for repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Paul also voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment. Kayser’s views are toxic and hateful. He told TPM, for example, he wanted to reinstate Biblical punishments for homosexuals, which include the death penalty. It is also a concern that Paul’s Iowa state director, Mike Heath, led the Christian Civic League of Maine and was involved in an anti-gay campaign in that state.

It was not Paul’s view on homosexuality but his view on federalism that attracted Kayser. “Under a Ron Paul presidency, states would be freed up to not have political correctness imposed on them, but obviously some state would follow what’s politically correct.” I share many of Paul’s federalism concerns about the shift toward unlimited federal jurisdiction. However, Kayser appears to think that federalism means that states can exempt themselves from the Bill of Rights. He is obviously wrong. Yet, he views federalism as a way of restructuring society along sectarian lines: “Ron Paul’s strictly Constitutional civics is far closer to Biblical civics than any of the other candidate’s on a whole range of issues.”

Kayser’s church appears at war with the separation of church and state — heralding a society that directs implements Christian rules and values:

Christ said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). Not some authority or most authority, but “all authority.” There is no square inch of planet earth over which Christ does not have authority. He has the authority to rule over the state, business, farming, science, art, economics, education, etc. This means that all of life must be governed by His Law-Word. Christ will not be satisfied until all enemies are placed under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:20-28), and “He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law” (Isaiah 42:4). A major portion of the church’s ministry must be to call all competing authorities to repentance through the faithful teaching of the Law-Word of Scripture.

That vision of government seems strikingly similar to the model found in places like Iran, which apply their own religious code.

Notably, he admits that it may be difficult to switch over to a Christian version of Sharia law.

“Difficulty in implementing Biblical law does not make non-Biblical penology just. But as we have seen, while many homosexuals would be executed, the threat of capital punishment can be restorative. Biblical law would recognize as a matter of justice that even if this law could be enforced today, homosexuals could not be prosecuted for something that was done before.”

Notably, the Dominion Covenant Church proclaims its purpose as “[p]romoting and enjoying the dominion of King Jesus over every area of life.” The church calls for “a reconstruction of our society.”
For civil libertarians who are unwilling to support President Obama after his long record of rolling back on civil liberties and increasing national security powers, including his recent signing of a law allowing for indefinite detention of citizens, Paul has become an alternative candidate. However, he cannot court civil libertarians while maintaining associations with such people as Kayser. Once his campaign chair put out the press release, it became a campaign issue and requires more than just a withdrawal of the release without comment.

Source: TPM

96 thoughts on “Paul’s Preacher Probem: Meet Phillip G. Kayser

  1. Humana People to People creates their job to strengthen under-developed
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    on infected diseases and even more.

  2. Well, as for me, I would prefer Huntsman instead of Obama as a first choice and Romney as a second choice. At least Huntsman does not support a Constitutional Amendment banning civil marriage for sexual minorities. I swear I read somewhere that Ron Paul said civil marriage for sexual minorities is a States Rights issue but he would support a Constitutional Amendment to usurp states rights and enshrine discrimination in our Federal Constitution. John Huntsman does what Ron Paul does, go to his website to look what his policy would be, and there is nothing at all listed for sexual minorities. Ron Paul has a position statement on homeschooling but nothing on civil rights for sexual minorities. John Huntsman likewise says nothing on this topic on his website.
    See more details at:

    • We, here in America.. have a much larger issue than any other issue.. and that is the fact(s) that there are laws that thwart our US Constitution and what it is suppose to protect, God-given personal Rights, Liberties and Freedoms. Bush signed the Patriot Act.. and Obama signed (in secret, no less) the NDAA.. which, allows for arrest, indefinite detention, torture and assassination of American citizens.. all without due process. Secondly, economically and financially.. the USA is headed for a crisis that will make the Great Depression seem like a walk in the park. And its ‘by design’ in so that chaos will break out and into the streets.. and therefore, Obama will have a just cause (in the eyes of the American people) to enact Martial Law, allowing the military to intervene and start policing our neighborhoods, going door to door collecting everyones guns and arresting people in so to hold them indefinitely.

      So, if a huge number of us are locked away somewhere at a FEMA camp, its not going to matter much of minority marriage/unions are an issues, is it?

      Get the picture? Thirdly, which of any of those running for the presidency will be willing to overturn the Patriot Act and NDAA.. getting the government out of the personal lives of the citizens.. and also, do the right and most sensible things to get our economy back on track as well as, putting the US in a more favorable view to other countries, with a foreign policy that allows the US to get along with others and not make enemies out of everyone else because the US is a bully?

      As far as I know, Ron Paul is the only one with such a mindset. Romney wants to keep the Patriot Act and the NDAA. Santorum does, as well. The object is to get our rights, freedoms and liberties back in full-force.. and our economy back on track.. and a foreign policy that is effective toward helping America and making friends out of other countries.. giving them back their sovereignty and not policing them and trying to make them as we think they should be. We wouldn’t like it if we were constantly policed by foreign military here in the US… but, its going to be such as that if we don’t do some NOW! All the candidates are war-mongers.. with the exception of Ron Paul. He is the brightest and most well-informed of them all… by far. The rest have another agenda.

    And I’m a Born-Again Christian.

    RON PAUL 2012!!!!!

  4. Did you ever read Dr. Kayser’s material? Or are you just quoting the Huffington Post? I’ll bet you that if you called him and interviewed him, you’d find him to be far different than you’re saying based on someone else’s news report that takes something way out of context and twists it around.

    In all of the hullabaloo, I decided to read Dr. Kayser’s materials because I couldn’t believe that anyone would even say that here in the US. Guess what. There is no place in any of his materials where he says that homosexuals should be executed. In one of his studies, he said that was the way they handled it in the Old Testament. But, there is a new covenant now. He says Christians are to love and not hate. He may believe that homosexuality is a sin, but he is not the monster that you and the Huffington Post says he is. Hate speech in this case was contrived by the HP by taking words out of context. Dr. Kayser never did say or write anything that I can see as hate speech. Research his work (books, sermons, etc.) and find out for yourself. Don’t just quote the Huffington Post.

    I will not ever vote for Ron Paul. And if he pulled the press release about Dr. Kayser without finding out the real truth of the situaiton, then he’s nothing more than just a wish-washy politician at heart, after all. Real men stand up for the truth.

    But, this destroying a good man’s reputation for the purpose of hurting a political campaign like the Huffington Post seems to have done is just dirty pool.

  5. Nice try to hurt one of few honest leaders around…. I am physician and supposed I get a person that is bleeding to dead, he also has a horrible acne problem, very painful hemorrhoids and a bad smelling ugly fungus on his toes. If he is bleeding to dead, the acne and other problems are irrelevant. We are killing the US dollars. Iran, racist comments, drugs and whatever you want are just distractions. We need to solve the bleeding before we kill the US….He is the only one talking about solving the REAL problems not the bothersome acne . . .

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Kota Damansara Community Forest

Last weekend’s done some painting about forest scenery. I refer to a photograph taken by my friend whom also a professional photographer, Michael Low. This one is captured during one of his trip of photo hunting. The scenery is taken while he was on a small boat on a manmade lake at Kota Damansara Community Forest. What really amaze me is at this age there is still some real forest just outskirt of Kuala Lumpur. I was captivated by the scene of canoes basking under the late afternoon sun. I bet it’s a wonderful experience for him.

Kota Damansara Community Forest

3 Responses to “Kota Damansara Community Forest”

  1. Absolutely gorgeous. It makes me want to go there.

  2. You are amazing. Is this an acrylic painting? Any tips on how to do the reflection work?

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Some good news for “bellowing” Gordon Brown

The Prime Minister has been fêted once again by the international community,  this time being named 74th most important global thinker by Foreign Policy magazine.

74th is hardly number 1, or even top 10, but he’s the top European leader (unless you count the Pope). Better still for him, they praise him for “his leadership during the financial crisis” and brand him as “one of the world’s most courageous leaders”. Mr Brown is constantly keen to trumpet himself as courageous and it is suggested that he fancies himself as Churchillian in his actions following throughout the credit crunch.  It certainly must be reassuring for him to read something that doesn’t tear him apart everyone once in a while.

However, it’s not all good news for the PM. Foreign Policy also notes that “Brown will very likely not be prime minister of Britain for much longer. The Labour Party will almost certainly suffer ignominious defeat in a national election sometime by mid-2010. The prime minister, who as chancellor of the exchequer under Prime Minister Tony Blair oversaw the inflation of massive housing and financial bubbles, will be known by his caricature in the British press, as a paranoid, bellowing, and incompetent leader.”

Churchill may have lost an election despite doing great service to the British people, but no-one deemed him bellowing let alone incompetent. This article gives an insight into the write-ups Mr Brown will receive once he leaves office (I’m not writing off the election though).

Against his old rival Tony Blair, Brown may have the last laugh. Mr Brown is noted for an appalling public image but a legacy of doing the right thing during the financial crisis (that he didn’t do enough to prevent). Mr Blair had a good public image but his most notable action was the Iraq war – which as the Chilcot Inquiry is showing, will be remembered as a textbook example of how not to do foreign policy.

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Some Info about Luxury Vinyl Installation

If you are looking for the best flooring in Alpharetta, GA then you should consider luxury vinyl flooring Alpharetta, GA. You are going to see that it will be very easy to create the look and feel that you are searching for at a great price if you go with this type of tile. This is not nearly as expensive as if you are to use granite flooring and this will also be a lot cheaper than carpets in many cases.

Many people are thrilled about using luxury vinyl flooring Sandy Springs, GA because it is actually very easy to install. It may even be possible to install it on your own but it will be important that you have the requisite skills; this is just one more way to save money. All you have to do is take the backing off of the tile and then put it down on the floor where you want.

Another benefit of luxury vinyl flooring Alpharetta, GA is that you will see that it’s going to last for a very long time. This type of flooring will not break easily so replacement is not an issue as frequently as you would think. This tile is covered with a protective cover so that you do not have to worry about tearing or even ripping.

Finally, the best luxury vinyl flooring in Sandy Springs, GA is very easy to clean and take care of. You will never need to pay someone to come in and clean them for you. If you are looking for a great flooring that is always going to be easy to take care of and look great then this is the only way to go.

If you are considering Luxury Vinyl flooring Alpharetta, GA you want to make sure that it is going to fit where you need to do the installation. It is very easy for you to find a style that will fit exactly where you need to. This tile can also come in a wide range of colors and designs, so it is possible to find them to fit any décor that you can imagine.

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Forum of Private Business

Red tape adds over a billion pounds to the care home sector

15 July 2015 14:30

Compliance now costs the care industry £21,250 per firm with independent care homes having to stump up £26,000, but the true cost is much higher

• SMEs in the care industry spend £21,250 compared to £14,200 for a typical SME
• Internal compliance costs have risen to £340 million
• Consultants account for £181 million or 35% of the entire cost
• Red tape adds up to £520 million in terms of salaried staff costs but this equates to over a billion pounds in lost care costs/
• The big difference between the care industry and other sectors is the cost of industry specific compliance (including the CQC) which accounts for £5,800 per firm.
• Members spend 15% less time on employment law, the same amount of time on health and safety and 50% less consultant costs than other firms
• Costs are likely to increase due to punitive measures being targeted at care home managers
• The Forum believes that the increase in the National Living Wage will mean that radical deregulation is required with a much greater focus on care.

The cost of compliance in the care industry has risen to £521 million with £181 being spent on external consultants. Costs per firm are £4,760 for health and safety, £5,500 for employment law, £5,230 for employment law and £5,800 for industry specific legislation and environmental compliance.

Businesses in residential care spend over £8,200 on external consultants to ensure compliance out of a total spend of just under £26,000 per firm. Organisations who undertake social work without accommodation spend around £21,600 on compliance with just over £7,000 on consultants and other social activities spend £6,750 on consultants out of a total of £17,700.

These figures are expected to increase significantly as a result of the increase in the budget and the general increases in employment – care homes saw a much greater increase in general payroll costs than other sectors.

“While everyone wants a high quality care system in this country to take care of an aging population, the Kennedy report has shown that there is tension between compliance needs and care needs” said the Forum’s Managing Director, Ian Cass.

“We have become really worried that punishments for care home managers in particular will lead to a new slew of paperwork that cannot help with the care of their charges. Caring for the most vulnerable in the community should be one of the most rewarding jobs that a person could have but the industry is beset by low pay/margins and increasingly bureaucratic workload”.

As a result the Forum has created a new Management Liability Policy to allow these organisations to focus on offering high quality care to their employees and giving them back the ability to react quickly to any emergency – vital for most care organisations.

We have also increased cover for our members in this industry removing the pernicious 51% prospect of success clause on our standard cover and including support for companies that have to act before they have time to take insured advice.

Overall Forum members pay around half as much for employment law and health and safety specialists as other firms, but spend a similar amount of time on health and safety compliance and 15% less on employment law.

This can make a big difference in an industry where the cost of care is rising, but these costs cannot be passed on to the customer as councils and private individuals have access to limited means to fund their care needs.

For further information visit

If you would like a full copy of the results please email me.

Thomas Parry
Research Manager
Tel: 07885 888085

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Tel: 01565 626023

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My Books

by Joyce

So you’ve seen Melody’s book stack already. Here is mine. I’m actually only reading The Help and Homeschooling for Dummies. The other ones are resource books that I’m skimming. And I’m hoping to get to The Me Project soon. And you can read more about my reading list HERE. And I get free issues of Martha Stewart Living, Woman’s Day, and Family Fun, so I’m reading those too. =p

What are you reading lately?

– Joyce

3 thoughts on “My Books

  1. Pingback: Our Week in Photos (Week 12 of 52) | Keeping up with the Moys

  2. I’ve been reading To Kill A Mockingbird ever since January. I’m not reading as much as I would like to. And to think I’m planning to read ALL the books in Time’s 100 greatest novels list. Ha! Good luck with that! How are you liking The Help? I haven’t even watched the movie yet. Another thing to add to my to-do-maybe-if-I-got-time list. 🙂

Your turn! Share your thoughts with us.

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Limitation Act Sections 3-5

In this post we shall see sections 3-5 of the Limitation Act.

Law of Limitation

Now before we start with this subject there are a few points we need to keep in mind. First thing is that I am not going to write long sentences here and make it tedious for you to read and for me to write. So I will make an effort to provide all the information… Continue reading Law of Limitation


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Why Learning Informs Strategy

Under a Scaffolded Social approach to learning, we don’t blindly tell stories to people, but rather co-create stories with them. The difference lies in that space: not ‘to‘, but ‘with‘. At a single stroke we move from a ‘broadcast‘ mindset to a co-creative one, which gives us the advantage of many brains and many skills in a ‘sense making‘ community, instead of just the ones with the appropriate job titles.

How learning informs strategy

Does this just add to the noise? Maybe. But it also helps us identify the signal.

Remember the three layers of narrative, the three levels on which stories operate within the organisation? Personal informs the co-creative, and co-creative informs the organisational. Which is a long way of saying that you tap into the unheard wisdom, the tacit and tribal knowledge, whilst still maintaining all of the great formal knowledge that you’ve had up until this point. And with that access, we can update and align the organisational story.

Do this well and we build data to update the strategy. Which is an easy win in a complex world.

The 3 levels of narrative

About julianstodd

A learning and development professional specialising in e-learning and learning technology.
This entry was posted in Learning and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Why Learning Informs Strategy

  1. Pingback: This Week’s Links « Timothy Siburg

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Phollowing the Philadelphia Phillies is phun again

I trace my love of the Philadelphia Phillies to my father. As a 15-year-old fan, he convinced members of the 1950 National League Champion “Whiz Kid” Phillies to sign his autograph book. Phillies games always seemed to be playing on the car radio when I was young, the mellifluous baritone of Harry Kalas and the flat Nebraska drawl of Richie “Whitey” Ashburn floating in the air.

As a child, I was one of those “scared of the ball” kids, but because my father loved baseball I sort of liked it too. I have warm memories of him taking me to Veterans Stadium to watch the Phillies play (it always felt like we were playing the Montreal Expos, and we always lost 3-2). I would smell, then sip, his weak ballpark beer, not really liking it. And I do not recall how many times he tried to explain to me what an “RBI” was; despite my mathematical bent, I just could not wrap my head around a “run batted in.”

Until…some six years after his death, watching parts of the 1988 National League (NL) Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets, it all just sort of clicked.

Since their founding in 1883 as the Philadelphia Quakers, the Phillies have mostly been very bad. In that first season, they went 17-81, winning just 17.3% of their games. During one particularly brutal stretch (1918-1948), they won just 37.3% of their games (1,752-2,939).

It is a wonderful bit of irony that, in 2007, on their way to an 89-73 record, their first playoff berth since 1993, and the start of a five-year run as NL East champions, the Phillies would become the first professional sports franchise to lose 10,000 games.

Overall, in their 135 seasons, the Phillies have won 47.1% of their games (9,664-10,836) games. However, as Figure 1 shows, they have been a little better—if just as streaky—during my lifetime (4,024-4,108, 49.5%).

Figure 1: Philadelphia Phillies Winning Percentage, 1967-2017Phillies win%, 1967-2017

Following the collapse of 1964, when the Phillies had a 6½ game lead on the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL[1] with 12 games to play…and the Cardinals roared back to become League Champions, the team went into freefall, bottoming out at 57-99 in the strike-shortened 1972 season. However, by 1975, future Hall-of-Famers like left-handed pitcher (LHP) Steve Carlton and third baseman Mike Schmidt had them winning 86 games. Between 1976 and 1983, the Phillies made the playoffs six times, getting to the World Series twice (1980, 1983), winning it for the first time ever in 1980.

Between 1984 and 1987, the Phillies nearly broke even (322-325; 49.8%). And then the bottom fell out again: excluding the fluke 1993 NL Championship[2], between 1988 and 2000[3], the Phillies won only 44.3% of their games[4].

I started avidly following the Phillies in 1989, coincidentally the year I moved to Boston to start a doctoral program. And while I started following the Boston Red Sox as well, the Phillies remained my favorites. They were my link to my childhood in the Philadelphia suburbs and to my late father. In those days, Phillies games were broadcast on 1210AM, which transmitted at a powerful 50,000 watts. I could thus listen to night games (after sunset) on my radio; one night in September 1992, I listened to the Phillies game while driving a rental car in northwestern Iowa![5] The broadcast was often plagued by static, but the later it got, the more clear the signal became. I would often take long walks listening to the game on my Walkman radio, startling passers-by with a sudden whoop of joy or anguished cursing.

It wasn’t just the games. It was the broadcasters. Harry and Whitey were still broadcasting (though Whitey would die in September 1997), supplemented by Andy Musser and Chris “Wheels” Wheeler. Night after night, they were the reassuring and comforting voices of old friends. I learned more about the game of baseball from Wheels, whose strong Philadelphia accent reminded me of my own family, than from any other announcer. Ever.

That visceral connection to the radio announcers persists. One negative consequence of the Phillies’ poor play since 2013 has been spending far less time listening to the superb team of Scott Franzke and Larry Andersen (a Vaudeville act for the 21st century)

In 2001, as I returned to my hometown for a four-year hiatus, the Phillies started a 12-year run of excellence, highlighted by those five consecutive NL East Championships (2007-11), two NL Championships (2008, 2009) and their second World’s Championship (2008). In 2001, 2003 and 2005 they missed the playoffs by a median two wins. Overall, the Phillies they won 54.8% of their games from 2001 through 2012 (1,065-878).

Aging players not traded or released soon enough doomed the Phillies to identical 73-89 records in 2013 and 2014; following the latter season, superstar shortstop Jimmy Rollins was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking the unofficial start of a long rebuilding process. The bottom completely dropped out in 2015, as the Phillies went 63-99. They improved somewhat in 2016 (71-91) before sinking again to 66-96 in 2017. Overall, from 2013 to 2017, the Phillies record was 346-464 (42.7%).

Just bear with me while I examine the 2017 season in more detail.

Figure 2 charts the Phillies’ daily record in 2017, starting with game 30 (a 10-innning 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals), both overall (“cumulative”) and in 30-day increments.

Figure 2: 2017 Phillies Win Percentage, Cumulative and in 30-Game IncrementsPhillies 2017 Win%

The 2017 season started well: after beating the Miami Marlins 3-2 on April 27, the Phillies were 11-9 (55.0%).

From that day until the end of the first “half” (a 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres), though, the Phillies went 18-49 (26.9%), to finish the first half an abysmal 29-58 (33.3%), putting them on pace to finish the season a historically-bad 54-108.

The four-day All-Star respite was a turning point, however. After losing three of the first four games once play resumed on July 14, the Phillies won nine of their next 12. Overall, the team went 37-38 over their last 75 games, playing the equivalent of an 80-82 season over the 2nd half of 2017.

It may not sound like much, but I will gladly take the full-season equivalent of 26-win improvement between the first and second “halves” of the 2017 season.

And why were the Phillies so much better in the 2nd half of 2017?

One word: offense.

Offense. The Phillies were outscored 424 to 332 in the 1st half of 2017, while breaking even (358-358)[6] in the 2nd half. Put another way, while the Phillies allowed as many runs per game (4.8) in the 2nd half as in the 1st half (4.9), they scored a full run more per game in the 2nd half (4.8 vs. 3.8).

   Table 1: Offensive Statistics by Position, Before and After 2017 All-Star Break

C Cameron Rupp 0.680 36.7 Cameron Rupp 0.767 43.1 +0.087 +6.4
1B Tommy Joseph 0.779 90.7 Tommy Joseph 0.635 49.4 -0.144 -41.3
2B Cesar Hernandez 0.735 69.8 Cesar Hernandez 0.842 117.6 +0.107 +47.8
SS Freddy Galvis 0.724 81.7 Freddy

0.653 91.2 -0.071 +9.6
3B Mikael Franco 0.657 78.3 Mikael

0.730 85.1 +0.073 +6.9
LF Daniel

0.800 43.9 Rhys

1.014 148.9 +0.214 +105.0
CF Odubel Herrera 0.685 71.7 Odubel Herrera 0.928 111.2 +0.243 +39.5
RF Aaron Altherr 0.886 116.1 Nick Williams 0.886 116.1 -0.071 +32.2
START 8 Players 0.740 582.0 8 Players 0.793 775.8 +0.054 +193.8
BENCH 5 Players†† 0.664 141.6 5 Players††† 0.738 147.4 +0.074 +5.8
TOTAL 16 Players 0.716 740.7 20 Players 0.778 1019.2 +0.063 +278.5

     * On-base percentage plus slugging percentage

     † Index of Offensive Ability standardized to a 162-game season

   †† OF Michael Saunders[7], C Andrew Knapp, LF/2B Howie Kendrick[8], INF Andres Blanco, 1B Brock Stassi

     ††† OF Aaron Altherr, C Jorge Alfaro, OF Hyun Soo Kim, 3B/SS J. P. Crawford, C Andrew Knapp

Table 1 pinpoints precisely where the offense improved. It summarizes the offensive performances ([OPS], my Index of Offensive Ability standardized to a 162-game season [aIOA][9]) for the players with the most plate appearances (PA) at each position (excluding pitcher), before (left-hand side) and after (right-hand side) the 2017 All-Star Break.

Before the All-Star Break, the Phillies’ primary eight starting position players, led by right fielder Aaron Altherr (0.886 OPS, 116.1 aIOA[10]) and first baseman Tommy Joseph (0.779, 90.7), combined for a good-but-not-great 0.740 OPS and 582.0 aIOA. The problem was that the three 1st-half PA leaders had average-to-mediocre offensive performances: shortstop Freddy Galvis (0.724, 81.7 in 348 PA), third baseman Mikael Franco (0.657, 78.3 in 347 PA) and center fielder Odubel Herrera (0.685, 71.7 in 346 PA).  The primary five-man bench (i.e., the five non-starting hitters with the most PA) was also subpar, combining for a dismal 0.664 OPS and 141.6 aIOA. Overall, Phillies hitters combined for a below-average 0.716 OPS and 740.7 aIOA in the 1st half of 2017.

After the All-Star Break, however, the offense improved dramatically. A slightly altered lineup of eight regular hitters combined for a 0.793 OPS and 775.8 aIOA, up 0.054 and +193.8 from the 1st half. The primary five-man bench was also better offensively in the 2nd half, producing a respectable 0.738 OPS (+0.074) and 147.4 aIOA (+5.8). Overall, Phillies hitters combined for a solid 0.778 OPS (+0.063) and 1019.2 aIOA (+278.5) in the 2nd half of 2017.

The 2nd-half charge was led by two talented holdovers (Herrera and second baseman Cesar Hernandez) and two dynamic rookies (left fielder/first baseman Rhys Hoskins and right fielder Nick Williams). Herrera, the Phillies’ lone 2016 All-Star, saw his OPS jump 0.243 and his aIOA jump 39.5 in the 2nd half; overall he finished the year with a 0.778 OPS in 563 PA and a respectable 86.7 IOA, 3rd on the team. Hernandez saw his OPS jump 0.107 and his aIOA jump 47.8 in the 2nd half; overall he finished the year with a 0.793 OPS in 577 PA and a team-leading 91.7 IOA. Altherr was 2nd overall in aIOA in 2017, despite losing time in the 2nd half to injuries, producing an All-Star-level 0.856 OPS, albeit in only 412 PA.

But the truly exciting players to watch in 2018 may be Williams and Hoskins, each just 24 years old. Williams, acquired in the July 2015 trade that sent LHPs Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman to the Texas Rangers, made his major league debut on June 30. In his 343 PA, he had an 0.811 OPS and 71.6 IOA (equivalent to a very strong 139.7 over 162 games). Hoskins, selected by the Phillies in the 5th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, made his debut on August 10. In only 212 PA, he hit 18 home runs (HR) and drove in 48 runs, finishing with an astonishing 1.014 OPS and 69.0 IOA (equivalent to an MVP-level 223.4 over 162 games).

Those five players (with Hoskins at his more natural first base[11]), along with some combination of Franco, Galvis and rookie J.P. Crawford at shortstop and third base, and some combination of Rupp and rookies Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro, also acquired in the Hamels deal, at catcher could provide the Phillies a vastly improved offense in 2018. That offense could also benefit from resigning a healthy Daniel Nava, who had a 0.814 OPS with a 31.3 IOA in 214 PA for the 2017 Phillies.

Pitching. Here there is less reason for optimism in 2018, as Tables 2a and 2b reveal.

    Table 2a: 2017 Phillies Pitching Before 2017 All-Star Break

Category W-L ERA OOPS* IP/G K/9 aIP/OOPS aSPI/aRPI††
Top 5 Starters 16-27 4.51 0.768 5.6 7.8 905.5 960.9
All 9 Starters 18-36 4.68 0.790 5.6 7.1 1146.7 1195.9
Top 7 Relievers 10-20 4.14 0.719 2.6 8.7 579.7 625.4
All 16 Relievers 11-22 4.59 0.753 3.3 8.5 713.4 687.5
Total††† 29-58 4.65 0.776 8.9 7.6 1859.0 n/a

     * OPS by batters faced, standardized to 162-game season

     † IP divided by OOPS standardized to a 162-game season

     †† Starting Pitcher Index (SPI) or Relief Pitcher Index (RPI) standardized to a 162-game season

     ††† Mark Leiter, Jr. made 3 starts and 12 relief appearances before the All-Star Break. His performances are separated into each pitching category.

      Table 2b: 2017 Phillies Pitching After 2017 All-Star Break

Top 5 Starters 20-19 5.13 0.802 5.5 9.1 803.2 876.0
All 10 Starters 25-26 4.95 0.795 5.4 8.4 1096.3 1164.4
Top 7 Relievers 8-10 3.75 0.702 2.7 9.0 612.4 682.5
All 16 Relievers 12-12 3.74 0.681 3.5 9.5 831.8 909.2
Total* 37-38 4.47 0.763 8.9 8.8 1886.0 n/a

     * Mark Leiter, Jr. made 8 starts and 4 relief appearances after the All-Star Break. His performances are separated into each pitching category.

In the 1st half of 2017, five right-handed pitchers (RHP)—Jeremy Hellickson, Jerad Eickhoff, Aaron Nola, Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez—combined to start 67 games. The best starter, by far, was Nola, the Phillies’ 1st-round pick in 2014. He pitched to a 6-6 record with a solid 3.59 ERA, 0.644 OOPS and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) in 13 starts, averaging 6.2 IP/S.

In the mid-1990s, I developed two metrics for assessing starting pitchers. One is simply IP/OOPS (applicable to any pitcher); the second is a Starting Pitcher Index (SPI)[12]. In the 1st half of 2017, Nola had an aIP/OOPS of 232.2, 2nd behind Hellickson (235.8), and an adjusted aSPI of 310.5, ahead of Hellickson (270.9) [13] and Eickhoff (260.5).

The bullpen was better, though still not good. Seven relievers—RHP Hector Neris, Pat Neshek, Luis Garcia, Joaquin Benoit, Edubray Ramos and Jeanmar Gomez, plus LHP Joely Rodriguez—combined to pitch 224.0 of the 288.1 innings logged by Phillies’ relievers in the 1st half of 2017. The best 1st-half reliever by far was Neshek, the Phillies’ lone 2017 All-Star,[14], who was 2-2 with a microscopic 1.27 ERA, 0.540 OOPS and 9.2 K/9 in 35.1 IP (38 games), converting 10 of 12 (83.3%) holds/saves.

I also developed a RPI (Relief Pitcher Index)[15]. Neshek led 1st-half relievers with a 121.8 aIP/OOPS, well ahead of Garcia (110.8), Neris (106.9) and Benoit (97.7), as well as a 241.6 aRPI, lapping Neris (202.9) and Benoit[16] (186.8).

In the 2nd half of 2017, the starting pitching actually got slightly worse while the bullpen was greatly improved. By most measures—ERA (+0.27), OOPS (+0.05), IP/S (-0.2), aIP/OOPS (-53.4) and aSPI (-31.5)—Phillies starting pitching was worse in the 2nd half than in the 1st half. Only on wins (+7), losses (-10) and K/9 (7.1 to 8.4) did they improve.

Five starters—Pivetta, Nola, Eickhoff, Mark Leiter Jr. and Ben Lively—combined for 54 starts. Nola was again the best starter, going 6-5 with a solid 3.49 ERA, 0.712 OOPS and 10.3 K/9, averaging 6.3 IP/S; his 2nd-half aIP/OOPS of 266.0 and aSPI of 361.0 were both well ahead of Pivetta’s 187.4 and 258.7, respectively.

The bullpen, however, was demonstrably better. By every measure: wins (+1), losses (-10), saves (11 to 22), holds (32 to 41), hold/save percentage (75.4 to 86.3%), ERA (-0.85), K/9 (8.5 to 9.5), aIP/OOPS (+118.4) and aSPI (+221.7), Phillies relievers improved in the second half.

Seven relievers—Neris, Garcia, LHP Adam Morgan, LHP Hoby Milner, Ramos, RHP Ricardo Pinto and RHP Jesen Therrien—combined to pitch 199.0 of the 262.1 innings logged by Phillies’ relievers in the 2nd half of 2017. Neris, Garcia, Morgan, Milner and Ramos led the 2nd-half bullpen improvement, pitching 160.0 innings (some combination of these five relievers averaged 2.1 innings per game), going 8-8 with a 2.53 ERA, 0.641 OOPS and 9.6 K/9, converting 53 of 60 hold/save opportunities (88.3%). They combined for a 539.0 aIP/OOPS and 621.4 aRPI.

Overall, Phillies pitching was slightly better in the 2nd half than in the 1st half. The staff ERA dropped from 4.65 to 4.47 (still not great), while staff OOPS dropped from 0.776 to 0.763. The staff strikeout rate did substantially improve from 7.6 to 8.8; aIP/OOPS increased incrementally from 1859.0 to 1886.0.

None of this means the Phillies will even have a winning record in 2018, let alone make the playoffs. What it does mean is that young, exciting players like Altherr, Hernandez, Herrera, Hoskins and Williams (plus Alfaro, Crawford and Knapp), young pitchers like Nola and, if he can return to form, Eickhoff (2015-16: 14-17, 3.44 ERA, 6.1 IP/S in 44 starts)[17], and a power bullpen led by Neris, Garcia, Morgan, Milner and Ramos should make the Phillies entertaining to follow again in 2018.

Until next time…

[1] Prior to 1969, there were only the two Leagues—National and American—and the teams that finished first in each League met in the World Series. The Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in seven games in 1964. Divisional play debuted in 1969, followed by the Wild Card in 1995.

[2] They lost the World Series to the defending World Champion Toronto Blue Jays in six games.

[3] In total, 65 games were lost in 1994 (47) and 1995 (18) to the 1994-95 players’ strike.

[4] Even if you include 1993 (97-65, 59.9%), the Phillies still averaged only 71.5-85.5 (45.5%).

[5] Mitch Williams blew a save, and the Phillies lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-5.

[6] It took a heroic 11-0 win over the New York Mets on the last day of the season, October 1, to break even in 2nd-half run differential.

[7] Saunders was released on June 23.

[8] Kendrick was traded to the Washington Nationals on July 28.

[9] IOA is the sum of two values, runs produced (runs + RBI – home runs) and 0.5 * stolen bases * stolen base percentage, multiplied by OPS. I standardized it to a 162-game season by multiplying it by 162 and dividing it by the number of games in the 1st half (87) or 2nd half (75).

[10] I believe he and second baseman Cesar Hernandez had a very good shot to make the All Star team until each was derailed by injuries.

[11] Joseph’s 2nd half offensive decline may well have resulted from losing playing time to Hoskins.

[12] It is the sum of the sum of three values (IP, [wins/wins-plus-losses]*10[12], K/9 * 5) divided by OOPS

[13] He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on July 29.

[14] And who was then traded to the Colorado Rockies on Jul 26.

[15] It is the sum of four values (IP * % inherited runners stranded, [wins/wins-plus-losses]*10, K/9 * 5, [saves+holds]*save-hold percentage) divided by OOPS. I was unable to find inherited runners scored values broken down by season halves, so I used the full-season values for both halves.

[16] Benoit was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31.

[17] And maybe Jake Thompson (3-2, 3.27 ERA in 8 starts, though only 5.1 IP/S) and Lively (4-7, 4.26 ERA, 5.9 IP/S in 15 starts)? Thompson and Eickhoff were ALSO acquired in the Hamels deal, while Lively arrived in the December 2014 trade that sent right fielder Marlon Byrd to the Cincinnati Reds.

Unpacking Twitter arguments, both coherent and incoherent

Following ratification of the United States Constitution (Constitution) on September 17, 1787, debate ensued over whether it sufficiently safeguarded individual liberties. James Madison, then a United States House of Representatives (House) member, responded by drafting a set of Amendments, which he presented to the House as directed in Article V. Seventeen Amendments won the necessary two-thirds vote in the House, of which 12 then won the necessary two-thirds vote in the United States Senate (Senate). These 12 Amendments were sent to state legislatures for approval on September 25, 1789. Two Amendments, one relating to the number and apportionment of House Members and one limiting the ability of Members of Congress to increase their own salaries, did not get the required three-fourths vote (a majority vote in 11 of what were then 14 state legislatures); the latter was ratified as Amendment XXVII on May 5, 1992.

On December 15, 1791, Virginia became the 11th state to ratify the remaining 10 Amendments, codifying what we now know as the Bill of Rights. These Amendments are striking in their directness and simplicity; Amendment I, for example, guarantees freedom of religion, speech, the press, peaceable assembly and petitioning the government for “redress of grievances” to all American citizens with just 45 words.

Well…within reason. The jury is still out (pun intended) on to what extent religious belief permits discrimination. It is illegal to yell “fire” (falsely) in a crowded public place. Libel and slander laws prevent newspapers from printing demonstrable falsehoods. Peaceable assemblies can be prevented or halted on public safety grounds. And so forth.

The most inalienable rights can be restrained in practice because a free society needs to balance individual liberties with the greater societal good. Rights bump up against each other: one’s religion may teach that homosexuality is a sin, but does that sanction denying a wedding license to two men or two women, if that is your job? Here freedom of religion (Amendment I) appears to conflict with “equal protection of the laws” (Amendment XIV, Section 1).

I chose the words “appears to conflict” because while I may wear many hats (political scientist, biostatistician, epidemiologist, film noir researcher, Phillies-phile) I am NOT a Constitutional scholar, although I do love my “pocket Constitution.”

IMG_3270 (2)

Having laid that predicate, though, I turn now to Amendment II: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

I have no desire to re-litigate 226 years of interpretation of those 27 words, other than to question the purpose of the first and third commas (the Amendment makes much more sense without them). “Well regulated” should be hyphenated, and I would not have capitalized “State” and “Arms”…but I digress.

I joined Twitter (please follow me at @drnoir33) in July 2017, primarily to have another venue in which to promote this blog; my first tweet (July 10, 2017) linked to this post.

As of 12:37 am EST, October 12, 2017, I have tweeted an additional 836 times, averaging 8.9 tweets per day. I have also issued 1,940 “Likes,” averaging 20 per day. Most of those tweets were expressions of my personal political views, which I have tried to avoid in this blog (with a notable exception).

Just bear with me, however, while I break my “no personal political views” rule. My goal is not to espouse a particular position, although that is a semi-unintended consequence of this discussion. Rather, I want to analyze a series of counter-arguments presented, with wildly varying degrees of coherence, to a position I took on Twitter.

I read this column on the day after the horrific Las Vegas shooting.

Will Bunch’s cri de coeur strongly resonated with me. It, along with the ongoing inability of elected officials to prevent mass shootings (as well as chronic gun violence, a separate issue) and our increasing inability as a nation to converse rationally about guns, drew me to a radical conclusion.

At 12:32 am on October 2, 2017, I linked to Will Bunch’s column and tweeted:

It is time to repeal the 2nd Amendment. Period. Enough is enough.

My argument is that Amendment II is an anachronism (“well regulated Militias?”[1]) that prevents a long-overdue conversation about the proper place of guns (and other “arms”) in 21st century American society and how best to balance private ownership rights with the public good. Even advocates for gun control seem stymied by the absolutism of (one interpretation of) Amendment II. “But the 2nd Amendment establishes a right to own guns!” they cry in frustration and despair.

In addition, I do not understand a how a “free State” can codify the ownership of guns (whose sole purpose is to injure and kill) but still consider such requirements of the “general Welfare” (specified in the Preamble) as food, shelter and healthcare to be a privilege[2].

I do not call for Amendment II repeal frivolously. Since Bill of Rights ratification, only 17 (out of an estimated 11,669 proposed, or 0.23%) Amendments have successfully met the requirements of Article V, and none in the last 25 years. That is one new Amendment every 7.5 years.

And I gladly entertain coherent counter-arguments; I am too steeped in the epistemology of epidemiology not to consider alternative viewpoints.

That original Tweet (my own cri de coeur) has still received no “Likes” or replies, nor has it been retweeted (not atypical for my tweets). And so I tweeted some version of it 42 more times (not counting tweets I wrote defending my position) over the next 10 days.

During those 10 days I was called “Demseftist,” “slimy,” “retarded,” “communist,” “snowflake,”[3] “stupid,” “dangerous,”[4] “liberal,”[5] “nitwit,” “ignorant,” and “irredeemable.” I was told to leave the country (twice—the second time North Korea was helpfully offered as my new home). I was directed to “go eat [my] lollipop in a corner.” I was accused of “idiocy” and “whining,” for the “nonsense” I wrote. There is this gem: “Have the government clap your hands for you if you’re a statist and you know it.” And: “It doesn’t matter what you think. I’ll continue to keep my guns and buy as many as I want.”

But the single best response, referring to how difficult the repeal process would be, was: “I’m planning on flying a unicorn to mars also.”

To which I responded, “Have a nice trip. Dress warmly.”

I have not yet had a response to that.

There were strong words of support as well, but the vast majority of written responses were in opposition.

Here then, in chronological order, are the counter-arguments to my Twitter call for Amendment II repeal, along with my counter-counter-arguments. I am deliberately not sourcing or dating these responses to avoid accusations that I am simply mocking responders, although every cited thread is may be read on Twitter[6].

Argument 1: I am trampling on the Constitution.

Article V details how to amend the Constitution. Amendment XXI (1933) actually repealed Amendment XVIII (1918; prohibiting the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors”). Ergo, repealing an Amendment is Constitutional.

Argument 2: “The Bill of Rights is not a cafeteria…each amendment depends on the others.”

I had to research this. I summarized what I learned in the opening paragraph. Bloc ratification of the Bill of Rights was an accident of history; repealing one of the first 10 Amendments does not repeal them all.

It does, however, lead to the single best argument against my position: the slippery-slope gravity of repealing any “rights” Amendment, including (by my count) Amendments XIII (abolishing slavery), XIV (Section 1: due process/equal protection), XV (universal male suffrage), XIX (female suffrage), XXIII (District of Columbia suffrage), XXIV (abolishing poll taxes), XXVI (18-year-old suffrage).

Argument 3: “You people slimy repeal then what what’s next? Constitution was written for reason this is it.”

I have no idea what this means, or what the tweet’s author thinks the reason for writing the Constitution was.

Argument 4: “So you feel only the government should have guns, like in China and Venezuela, two countries with skyrocketing murder rates by people ‘n gov.”

Let me deal here with every variation of the “you only think the government should have guns” theme.

No, I do not think only the government should have guns. I broadly support gun ownership, but within a very strict regulatory framework that balances ownership rights with public safety, analogous to the regulatory framework which dramatically lowered the vehicular death rate.

And while the 2009 homicide rate (homicides per 100,000 inhabitants) was appallingly high in Venezuela (49/100,000, nearly 10 times the United States’ 5/100,000), it was only 1.2/100,000 in China. Even if the rate in China has increased four-fold since then, it would still be lower than that in the United States in 2009.

This is also an invalid comparison. China and Venezuela have authoritarian repressive governments lacking centuries of democratic experience. A better comparison would be democracies like Australia, which instituted gun buyback programs in 1996 and 2003, and whose 2009 homicide rate was 1.3/100,000 (down from 2.1/100,000 in 1989). The rates in comparable democracies were similarly low (and lower than that of the United States): Belgium (1.82), Canada (2.05), Denmark (1.01), Finland (2.5), France (1.31), Germany (1.86), Greece (0.85), Iceland (0), Israel (2.1), Italy (1.1), Japan (1.02), Liechtenstein (2.8), Luxembourg (1.45), Netherlands (0.93), New Zealand (1.3), Norway (0.6), Portugal (1.17), Scotland (1.79), South Korea (2.3), Spain (0.9), Sweden (0.89) and Switzerland (0.71); Northern Ireland (4.72) is an exception, though still slightly lower than the United States.

Argument 5: We need arms to protect us from an oppressive government.

When the Constitution and Bill of Rights were ratified, the newly-formed United States of America had just defeated Great Britain (in part over lack of representation in policy making) and was trying to move from a collection of colonies through a loose confederation of autonomous states to a full-fledged democratic nation. Precedents were few. The French Revolution was taking place. Governments had mostly been despotic and authoritarian. So, in the context of late 18th century geopolitics, this makes some sense.

It is also true, however, that in the 226 years since the ratification of the Bill of Rights the United States has never come close to having an authoritarian government systematically and violently oppressing its inhabitants. Even the Civil War, whatever its long-term causes, was triggered when troops from the secessionist Confederate States of America fired on Fort Sumter (in the Charleston, SC harbor) on April 12, 1861.

Now, there have been times when the American government oppressed its citizens (or gave state and local government oppression a wink and a nod): the internment of the Nisei (American citizens of Japanese descent) during World War II, the movement of Native Americans onto reservations and the Jim Crow era (72.6% of the 4,742 lynchings between 1882 and 1968 had a Black victim; for more see here).

I have yet to hear an Amendment II advocate argue the Nisei would not have been interred had they been better armed, that we should have provided equal firepower to the Native American tribes[7], or that Black citizens should have defended themselves through armed insurrection.

Frankly—and deliberately setting aside my objective, data-driven voice—I find the notion that Amendment II saves us from a government that might, maybe, some day (you just never know!) turn authoritarian and oppress its citizens redolent of an almost pathological paranoia. And that is terrifying, because you cannot reason with paranoia.

Argument 6: “Guns kill like forks make people fat. If not guns, it will be a uhaul into a crowd of 20k people.”

From the terrifying to the absurd we go.

This tweet’s author essentially makes two arguments.

One, the object used in an action is distinct from the action itself.

This is nonsense. Guns were designed to kill, full stop. And there are two ways to gain weight (outside of serious illness or genetic predisposition): increased calorie consumption and decreased calorie burning. Increased calorie consumption occurs through eating. Eating often requires using a fork. Ergo, forks can make you heavier, albeit indirectly.

There is no “indirectly” with guns.

Aim. Pull trigger. Fire.

Two, there is no point trying to prevent gun violence because criminals and terrorists will just find other ways to hurt us.

This may be the most dispiriting thing I have read recently…and that is saying something in an era of Category 5+ hurricanes, out-of-control California wildfires, Mexican earthquakes, and Twitter wars between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Imagine a prison warden, knowing a prisoner was a suicide risk, saying, “There is no point taking away the prisoner’s belt and shoe laces; (s)he will just find some other way to kill her/himself.”

Any preventive action is worth at least trying.

Argument 7: Equating gun ownership with freedom (or safety).

This is a variation of Argument 5, so I will simply repeat what I wrote on October 4: “I am an American. I do not own guns. I do not want to take guns from collectors. BUT: ‘gun ownership’ and ‘freedom’ are not the same thing.”

Call me…something…but I argue that if you were truly free, you would not feel the need for guns to protect you. And while it may be true that the Amendment II right to bear arms implies a kind of freedom, you can still be free (under all other “rights” Amendments) without it.

Argument 8. It is unrealistic/incredibly difficult/don’t bother trying.

 It is absurd not to attempt something because it might never come to pass. And as sobering (and oddly reassuring) as it is that any proposed Amendment has only a 1 in 435 chance of ratification, 27 Amendments have been ratified. An Amendment has been successfully repealed. It can happen.

I highly recommend Daniel Okrent’s Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, ironically pictured here with a tasty adult beverage. Reading it, I learned that forces aligned in favor of Amendment XVIII (and the authorizing Volstead Act) appeared to be unstoppable…until suddenly they were not.

IMG_0516 (2)

Argument 9. How are you are going to take away all those guns from people?!?

One version of this argument specifically singled out “from the South,” which sent chills up my Yankee spine (despite being raised about 33.5 miles northeast from the easternmost point of the Mason-Dixon Line).

Again, I am not calling for the abolition of guns (or “Arms”). My maternal grandfather served in the Philadelphia Police Department between 1935 and 1955, rising to the rank of Detective, and I would love to own his service revolver someday.[8] I also still want a Thompson sub-machine gun (AKA Tommy gun, AKA Chicago typewriter, AKA chopper); ammunition not necessary.

Moreover, in the same way repealing Roe v. Wade simply reverts the decision whether to criminalize abortion back to individual states, repealing Amendment II would leave it to Congress and/or the legislatures (more likely, perhaps, under Amendments IX and X) to pass any laws concerning gun ownership they choose. The idea that any American legislative body would outright ban civilian gun ownership (or any other commodity) is ludicrous.

It is a fascinating (illuminating?) quirk of the Constitution, though, that “arms” are the only “objects” specifically protected vis-à-vis private ownership.

Argument 10: “Guns have been protected since the dawn of this nation they have been valued very high.”

Poor syntax and lack of punctuation aside, this is the “because it has long been so, therefore it must be so” argument.

And there may be some truth to it…

…except, despite 265 million guns being in private hands in 2015 (half owned by just 3% of American adults, averaging 17 guns per owner), only 55 million American adults (22%) own even a single gun. And this was after a 70 million increase in guns owned between 1994 and 2015.

Apparently, guns are only valued enough to own by a relatively small minority of American adults.

Argument 11: Rights come from God, not the state, so repealing Amendment II would not actually change anything.

There are many responses (mostly from my days studying political theory), but I will limit myself to one.

I am a Jewish-raised Atheist, so appealing to God is not a valid argument for me.

But my favorite argument is this:

Argument 12: “BTW it’s your right too. Buy a gun, get training, go shooting, have fun, then come back.”

Thank you for the kind offer (seriously–no sarcasm intended), but no thank you (excepting my grandfather’s service revolver and a Thompson submachine gun with an empty ammunition drum).

Perhaps the best argument in favor of my call to repeal Amendment II is that, should it gain legislative momentum, it would spur responsible gun owners to disavow the absolutists in favor of broad compromises. I recognize that may be Pollyanna-ish thinking in this highly polarized age, but I also observe that the Right to Life movement has had great success chipping away at laws protecting abortion rights using a similar “start from the extreme position tactic.”

Until next time…

[1] Prompting this unnerving response: “I don’t know what world you exist in but militias do still exist. That’s the beauty of them they’re not regular army. Come and go at will.” He added, “Actually it was written so the people would have the tools 2 form a militia.”

[2] One example: “Healthcare is not a right. Ppl need to take responsibility for their own actions. Obama did wrong forcing healthcare on all”

[3] This person also advocated for repeal of Amendment XIX (women’s suffrage).

[4] I have never been called “dangerous” before, so I took that as a compliment.

[5] Yes, actually, but I prefer “practical progressive.”

[6] I also exclude a particularly offensive respondent who proudly (and with unapologetic misogyny)  proclaimed his phallic attachment to his firearms.

[7] Here is a truly baffling response: “The Native Americans couldn’t fight back because they started to disarm them. Research wounded knee creek massacre.” That is, arm the Native Americans so we cannot slaughter them?

[8] I would also love his badge, but that seems to have been lost.