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Archive | August, 2012

One for the new media ethics book – is it ok to link to people’s Facebook pages in news stories?

27 Aug has a story up at the moment about a domestic between a politician and his wife on a flight.

Aside from the fact that the story is from Canada – you need to click through to know this – they have taken the rather questionable move of linking directly to the wife’s personal Facebook page.

While we are big advocates of linking for context our media ethics alarm bells are ringing on this one. Yours?

(Hat tip: Heidi Costello, Digital News Editor, APN Australian Regional Media)

New Fairfax Business Network aims to lure like-minded advertisers

27 Aug

The Fairfax Business Network (FBN) is the brand new portal created by Fairfax Metro Media for advertisers looking to reach business and finance minded audiences.

The Australian Financial Review – Picture: Lachlan Hardy, Flickr.

The FBN is now home to business titles including The Australian Financial Review, BusinessDay, MySmallBusiness, BRW, Executive Style, Money, Smart Investor, Money Manager, Trading Room, InvestSmart and ASX.

The network has been designed to give advertisers a one-stop shop to a combined audience of over 2 million monthly readers.

The new network comes after Fairfax posted a loss of $2.7b last week.

Fairfax Metro Media chief executive Jack Matthews said, “The Fairfax Business Network has been created to give our advertisers one easy gateway to engage with out audience through multiple platforms, across our extensive portfolio of business and personal finance brands.”

Fairfax Media made a similar move last year when they created Fairfax Woman’s Network, combining eight titles into the network, allowing advertisers to engage with millions of readers.

News publications embracing the digital age

23 Aug

Sophie Lane, a final year journalism student, talks about which publications are most accessable for young, online readers.

Most journalists wouldn’t have  heard the sentence “the industry is changing”. While we’re all well aware of the progression from print to online, the job losses, and the new career paths we all must embrace for this change to run smoothly; few news publications are getting it ‘right’.

Unfortunately for us, it’s not as easy as a simple copy and paste command. The digitised platform carries conventions of its own, and all within very good reason.

Research shows 80 per cent of online readers will only read above the ‘page fold’ of each website they visit. That is, they will not bother scrolling down their page in order to find more information. The 20 per cent of readers who do drag that scroll bar decline with each and every digitised day.

So just how does your favourite news outlet stack up against the rest when it comes to the online world?

The Age (Fairfax Media)
The newspaper whose size you love to hate has managed to move forward without losing its metaphorical curves. The publication, as part of online content, now offers a subscription service that mimics the exact layout of your hard copy morning paper- page flicking and all. The best part about it is that thanks to the zoom feature, you don’t have to reach for your glasses. Spread out, relax and read. The Age has embraced online in the classiest of ways.

The Herald Sun (News Limited)
This publication invites you to ‘access all areas’ with an ‘exclusive’ pass to online content for a fee that amounts to far less than your hard copy paper. What’s clever about this model, is that the Sun has hidden video, audio and interactive gems from the general public- meaning the site is sure to gain your subscription soon enough. At $1 for the first month, you’re granted online savvy content produced with nothing but the digital medium in mind. Eye catching, scroll-less and interactive, The Herald Sun has got it right. (News Limited) is a dedicated online publication– allowing them to keep things fresh with innovative ideas for the online reader. A menu bar titled ‘video’ brings you the latest news coverage according to regional state or section of interest. There’s enough digital content in this section to last readers (or ‘watchers’) hours. The best part is, as of yet, there’s no subscription fee!

How can you make your articles online friendly?

  • Use dot points to avoid readers feeling as though there’s too much text
  •  Insert links where possible to keep your article interactive
  • Create an interactive graphic (such as a google map, or soundslide) to keep readers ‘watching’.

3 radio jockeys who said too much

23 Aug

In an industry where you’re paid to talk, one would think big mouths equal big bonuses. Unfortunately for these radio jockeys, it was their talking teeth that landed them in the media firing range.

Kyle Sandilands
The Fox FM broadcaster was suspended from his own ‘Kyle and Jackie O Show’ after asking a teenage girl, live on air, about her sexual experiences. As if this wasn’t controversial enough, the shock jock continued to question the female after she confessed to an incident involving being raped as a 12 year old child. The live program continued to fill the ears of listeners without so much as a flinch from Sandilands. Shocked audiences continue to talk about the scandal today, while Sandilands continues to hold his position on air.

Derryn Hinch
Hinch was infamously sent to jail for naming a Melbourne paedophile priest in the 1980’s. Years after his release, Hinch striked again, breaching suppression orders against the names of two sex offenders, for which he received 5 months home detention.

Neil Mitchell
The 3AW talkback host did more than just ‘talk Melbourne’ in October of 2010 when he decided to name two Collingwood Australian Football League players interviewed by the police for alleged sexual assault against a female. The players, Dayne Beams and John McCarthy, were revealed to Australia after Mitchell was warned not to name who he thought was to blame.

Which shock jocks should zip it? Have your say below!

Sophie Lane

Fairfax announcements on new positions

22 Aug

The new positions at Fairfax have been announced, here is the email that hit SMH journos’ inboxes, national topic editors cover The Age and SMH as far as we understand UPDATE: The Age now included below:

SMH Mon-Fri Print Editor – Richard Woolveridge

Richard is a 40 year veteran of media who has spent the past 14 years working in digital media. He began as local government and crime reporter, was editor of the South London Press from 1980-90, chairman of the Guild of British Newspaper Editors from 1988-90, before moving to Australia. He is a Walkley Award winner in the headline category and was deputy chief sub and acting chief sub of the SMH before moving to digital publishing.

Heath Gilmore has been appointed Deputy Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald (Mon-Fri) print edition.

SMH Saturday Print Editor -Judith Whelan

Judith has more than 25 years’ experience in newspaper and magazine journalism in Australia and Britain. She has been the Saturday editor of the Sydney Morning Herald since August last year after spending seven years as the editor of Good Weekend. Before joining Good Weekend Judith was assistant editor of the Herald, overseeing features, opinion and arts coverage. She was nominated for Walkley Awards while reporting in the transport and health rounds for the Herald.

Sun Herald Print Editor -Kate Cox

Kate has worked at Fairfax Media for 14 years including stints in the Canberra Press Gallery and as health reporter, property reporter and Olympics reporter. Kate developed S magazine and in recent years has been a regular on radio and TV. She has edited numerous sections including Travel, Sunday Metro, My Career, Tempo, mag, Fit for Life and the children’s pages. Most recently she has been the successful editor of Sunday Life. Editor -Conal Hanna

Conal Hanna was a founding member of Fairfax’s in 2007 and has been its Managing Editor for the past three years. Before that, he worked in newspapers and magazines, writing and editing everything from news and sport to travel, food and opinion. He has a strong commitment to innovation in journalism.

Tablet Editor -Stephen Hutcheon

Stephen has been tablet editor since December 2011. At the Herald, he has been foreign editor, China correspondent, online editor, online technology editor and national online sections editor.  A member of three Walkley Award winnings teams, Stephen has been a fellow at Harvard University’ Joan Shorenstein Centre for Press, Politics and Public Policy and has also taught online journalism at university.

News Directors

Deputy News Director (day) -Tom Allard

AM Deputy News Director AM – Liam Phillips

PM Deputy News Director PM – Tom Reilly

National Topic Editors

Entertainment – Monique Farmer

Society – Adam Morton

Life – Sue Bennett

Foreign – Connie Levett

Business – Mark Hawthorne

Food and Wine – Lisa Hudson*

Travel – Lauren Quaintance*

Drive – Toby Hagon*

Managing Editor (National) – Mark Baker*

Local Topic Editors

State – Sherrill Nixon (Sherrill will take up her position at the completion of her duties overseeing the newsroom review in late 2012)

Investigations/Feature Writers – Anne Davies

Community – Kathryn Wicks, who will be responsible for the new social media team led by Georgia Waters.

Sport – Ian Fuge*

Justice – Lisa Davies*

Domain – Stephen Nicholls*

* Incumbent

For The Age:

The Age

News Director – Steve Foley

Mon-Fri Print Editor – Mark Fuller

Saturday Age Editor – Margie Easterbrook

Sunday Age Editor – Mark Forbes

Online Editor – Daniel Sankey*

Tablet Editor – David Dick*

AM Deputy News Director – Craig Dixon

PM Deputy News Director – Dan Silkstone

Weekend Deputy News Director – Melissa Singer

State Editor – Michelle Griffin

Justice Editor – Dan Oakes

Social Media Editor – Angus Holland

Investigations/Features Editor – Graham Reilly

Community Editor – Paul Austin

Weekend Features Editor – Mary-Anne Toy

Sports Editor- Alex Lavelle*

Images Editor & Edit Operations Manager – Viki Lascaris*

Video Editor – Andrew Webster

Data-driven strategy isn’t just hyperbole

22 Aug

Karalee Evans works in digital but still has her soul as well as a passion for writing, snowboarding and politics. Working in communications, digital and strategy for the past decade (there is no way to write that without sounding old), Karalee still isn’t an expert. But she can pour a pretty mean pint. This is her fourth column for MediaRound.

Data intelligence is by no means unique to the online era or indeed the year of Big Data; historically we’ve used everything from phone surveys, door-to-door polls and even mail-in coupons to identify our audiences’ needs and address them. Of course, digital data has given us access to far more insights than ever before – but more important than the source of data is how we manage it for the best results.

It’s an understatement to say that marketers and strategists have access to more data than ever before. Not only do we have a wealth of information coming in from online analytics and behavioural tracking, we’re also privy to offline consumer data from a whole range of sources. When you add online and offline data, you have a staggering volume of information at your disposal. If not carefully managed, that volume can end up as white noise and overwhelm your strategy and tactics instead of strengthening them.

The key to successful targeting is not necessarily the volume of data being used. What usually matters most is the accuracy with which the strategist can use the available data to understand the consumers it wishes to engage with, and calibrate its tactics to do so most effectively.

The potential for targeting grows even further when you combine both online and offline data. Until recently, most strategists have struggled with incorporating offline insights into their online strategy, and vice versa. However, continuous improvements in analytics and database technologies mean that we’re increasingly able to link online data to its offline equivalents, generating even more comprehensive profiles of consumer behaviours and values in the process.

Every aspect of the intersection between humans and technology is fed by, and feeds, the collation of data. Every time you check-in on Foursquare, Tweet, ‘like’ something on Facebook, send an email, make or receive a phone call, transfer money, purchase an eBook, search for a hotel in Darwin, download an episode of GoT, purchase the latest Gaga song, read about Clams licking salt on, watch a cat swim in a bath on YouTube…. transactional and behavioural data is the result.

For example researchers have found a spike in Google search requests for terms like “flu symptoms” and “flu treatments” a couple of weeks before there is an increase in flu patients coming to hospital emergency rooms in a region (and emergency room reports usually lag behind visits by two weeks or so). So, if you’re a strategist for a Big Pharma, you should be using this intelligence to predict supply and demand for your cold remedies and conversely if you’re a Health Prevention Director, you can predict demand for health services before the epidemic.

Data alone is not the silver bullet. It is what this data is feeding that in my opinion, is the next disruptive innovation.

Data-driven strategy is now pretty mainstream. Everyone is talking about it, and trying to do it. Big Data is one of the most widely used, and misunderstood, topics of the modern-day tech bubble. But behind the hyperbole, there are real examples of innovation that will create new markets and change the course of how industries and specialties will deliver their value proposition. And it’s driving a new value network of roles and jobs. A report last year by the McKinsey Global Institute, projected that the United States alone needs 140,000 to 190,000 more workers with “deep analytical” expertise and 1.5 million more data-literate managers, whether retrained or hired just to sustain data-driven processes.

And when you consider this predictive power of data in fields like public health, economic development and economic forecasting, data-driven strategy is already becoming the next big disruption.

Connecting insights into both online and offline worlds lets marketers not only better target their actions, but also evaluate their results in a more comprehensive fashion. However, the sheer volume of data involved in these processes further highlights the need for a structured approach to targeting.

For their part, marketers can aim to structure available data according to business goals (like raising sales amongst a certain age group) rather than by traditional demographics. They can eliminate data not relevant to the scope of their campaign, or isolate the points which are most obviously actionable. But they need to remember that the full picture of data sometimes reveals far more than its parts. It’s a tricky balancing act between “too much” and “too little” data, especially as online and offline become increasingly interlinked. Marketers need to focus on the objectives of their campaigns to avoid being overloaded.

By bridging the gap between online and offline worlds, strategists can reach their audiences based targeted insights and not just demographic profiling. But the challenge to adopting data-driven strategy within your business is not the lack of available data; it’s whether you have invested in the skills and talent to really understand what’s meaningful and what’s just dirty data and hyperbole.

Digital First is not just a race

21 Aug

by Hugh Martin

In 2004 the night before the opening of the Athens Olympics, two Greek athletes Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were forced to withdraw from the Games after missing a doping test. It was a huge story at the time as the two were major medal hopes for the host country.

That night a bunch of Fairfax journalists were having dinner at a restaurant in the Plaka, within sight of the Parthenon, getting ready for a fortnight of olympic reporting.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s then gun reporter, Jacquelin Magnay, happened to mention to the online editor that she had got hold of the Greek athlete story ahead of her international competition and was planning on sending it to the Herald’s newsdesk when she got back to the hotel after dinner.

The online editor convinced her that the story wouldn’t hold and that it would be all over the web within no time if they didn’t get it out immediately. Magnay agreed, and together they telephoned the news editor of It was 3am in Melbourne when they woke the news editor. He rolled out of bed, turned on his computer and took Magnay’s copy over the phone writing it straight on to and web sites.

Within minutes the story had hit the wires and ricocheted around the world. But Fairfax had already published.

Fast forward eight years to Adelaide 2012. As Media Watch reported last night, last week Adelaide Advertiser crime reporter Nigel Hunt had a genuine scoop about fraud in the South Australian Victim of Crime fund.

In the intervening eight years since the Athens Olympics “Digital First” has become the war cry in newsrooms around Australia (instead of merely the pleadings of online desperados).

Now there is no question of “holding stories for the paper”. But choosing the best time to publish, calculating when is the right time to maximise the exposure of a genuine exclusive – that is still an art.


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Book Sale 2017

After an enjoyable Members’ Night, we opened with a record crowd on the first day of the sale. Customers followed our “BOOKS” signs past construction on Rte. 42 to find us, as they always do!  Hopefully, next year we won’t have to compete with road equipment and road closings again.

Trucking along

Party time

Disinterested dog shopping with her owner

Our pricing specialist

Serious shoppers

Two members chatting

Checking photos

Clean up crew

A member and daughter shopping

One dealer checking books

“Missed a spot”

Five workers

Sue and Jill

Book Sale 2012

The 2012 Book Sale takes shape in the former Country Baker shop. From our display at Buehler’s, to transporting books and tables, sorting and organizing, to members’ preview night, sales days, Bag Day and take-down: our members get into the act and our customers seek us out, reminding us that all the work is worth it! Look for us next year.

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Dan Burcea

A Dan the Handyman

Want To Connect With Dan? Get Started Now

Handyman in Santa Ana

California State Contractor Licensed with over 30 years of experience. We are specialized in all home repairs including electrical, plumbing, drywall, carpentry, painting, tile work, appliance installation etc

Handyman Details

Email Address ...@....com
Phone Number 714-746-... Confirmed

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Ford Sylvester

FiveQuarter Handyman Services

Want To Connect With Ford? Get Started Now

Handyman in New Hope

Ford Sylvester, owner and principal craftsman at FiveQuarter Renovations, has over twenty years experience in residential home improvement. From foundations to chimneys, rough framing to complex trim details, simple drywall patches to high-end total house renovations, I've earned the understanding, tools and techniques to realize virtually any home improvement project. With my wealth of experience, you can rest assured that your project is in good hands, and will enhance your home and quality of life for years to come.

Handyman Details

Email Address Confirmed
Phone Number 484-716-...
Provider Type Individuals

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Book Now

Glyder Apparel is a unique and affordable workout line that we have the pleasure of selling at our studio and online.

"We set out to offer women a fitness collection that wouldn’t sacrifice great quality, unique designs, or affordability. A line that was not only super fashionable and functional, but hands down-the best fitting, highest quality, performance garments they had ever sweat in." - Glyder Apparel

If you would like to shop on their website: you can order with us at a 15% discounted rate for a limited amount of time!

This collection does not have any products yet. Try adding one here.


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++ed by:

2 PAUSE users
3 non-PAUSE users.

Grant McLean

XML::SAX::PurePerl - Pure Perl XML Parser with SAX2 interface

  use XML::Handler::Foo;
  use XML::SAX::PurePerl;
  my $handler = XML::Handler::Foo->new();
  my $parser = XML::SAX::PurePerl->new(Handler => $handler);

This module implements an XML parser in pure perl. It is written around the upcoming perl 5.8's unicode support and support for multiple document encodings (using the PerlIO layer), however it has been ported to work with ASCII/UTF8 documents under lower perl versions.

The SAX2 API is described in detail at http://sourceforge.net/projects/perl-xml/, in the CVS archive, under libxml-perl/docs. Hopefully those documents will be in a better location soon.

Please refer to the SAX2 documentation for how to use this module - it is merely a front end to SAX2, and implements nothing that is not in that spec (or at least tries not to - please email me if you find errors in this implementation).

XML::SAX::PurePerl is slow. Very slow. I suggest you use something else in fact. However it is great as a fallback parser for XML::SAX, where the user might not be able to install an XS based parser or C library.

Currently lots, probably. At the moment the weakest area is parsing DOCTYPE declarations, though the code is in place to start doing this. Also parsing parameter entity references is causing me much confusion, since it's not exactly what I would call trivial, or well documented in the XML grammar. XML documents with internal subsets are likely to fail.

I am however trying to work towards full conformance using the Oasis test suite.

Matt Sergeant, matt@sergeant.org. Copyright 2001.

Please report all bugs to the Perl-XML mailing list at perl-xml@listserv.activestate.com.

This is free software. You may use it or redistribute it under the same terms as Perl 5.7.2 itself.


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Sticker 074 america has More Shopping Malls than High Schools

Sticker #074More Shopping Malls than High Schools

by Joe Biel

And don't get us started on the funding disparity.

That just shows how America's priorities are.

Point taken. I guess being from North Jersey, I hear "mall" and immediately think of the great concrete wasteland that is Willowbrook Mall. So since that's what "mall" means to most people, then yeah, absolutely nothing false about it.

Define shopping mall. A supermarket, a pizza place, a dry cleaners and a parking lot? Maybe. But if we're thinking MALL mall, then no. Just because you read something that scares you, and it fits in as proof of what you believe needs to change about America, it doesn't mean it's true. Of course I do believe we're brainwashed to buy/consume more than we need, as well as placing too much value on material possessions... but some frightening fallacy sold as fact doesn't help.

wow. is that really true? that's disgusting.

Statistic is meant to encompass both conventional malls and strip malls. I don't believe that to be misleading. Go visit the suburbs for further proof!


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Archive for December 2010

Complete the Year Consciously

December 30, 2010

For this week’s audio podcast, click here.

These few days before the start of the New Year have a magical and sacred quality to them.  I appreciate the lull in activity that often takes place this week and the opportunity we have to reflect back on the year that is ending, as well as to create new possibilities and intentions for the year that’s about to start.  It often seems more exciting to focus on our “resolutions” for the coming year than it does to look back.  However, before we jump ahead and start making our goals for next year, it’s essential that we complete the year that is about to end consciously.

As much as I personally love this completion process, I usually have mixed emotions reflecting back on the year.  There is often excitement, gratitude, and joy for all of the wonderful accomplishments, experiences, insights, and more.  There is also sadness, disappointment, and sorrow over the things that I didn’t accomplish, the people and things I’ll miss, and the places in my life where I struggled or failed.

This is as true as ever as 2010 comes to a close. This past year I’ve experienced some really big highs and some painful lows. I’m truly grateful for all that I’ve learned and experienced. And, while I have lots to appreciate from this past year, I’m also glad to see it end! How about you?

Due to the common mixture of emotions we experience and especially with a year like 2010 which created a lot of growth opportunities for most of the people I know and work with, it’s essential that we embrace and practice the art of completion.  Completion is a conscious process we engage in whereby we do and say whatever we need to in order to create a true sense of closure to an experience (in this case, the year that is about to end).

Because we often have resistance to authentically celebrating and appreciating ourselves, reflecting honestly on our accomplishments or our failures, acknowledging our real results or lack thereof, grieving loss with depth, and more – we usually just roll through the end of things and either avoid completion all together or move onto the next thing as fast as we can.  When we do this, however, we miss out on a sacred and important process.

Completion allows us to bring things to a close with a sense of gratitude, reverence, and peace.  When we allow ourselves to experience a sense of true completion, we move into the next phase of life bringing with us the gifts, lessons, accomplishments, experiences, and more from what we’ve just been through.  When we don’t take the time to truly complete something, we end up carrying baggage, regrets, fear, and unresolved issues into our next experience.  These things don’t serve us and often end up undermining our success and fulfillment.

As we get ready for 2011 and begin to think specifically about what we want to create and experience in the New Year, one of the most important things we can do is to complete 2010 in a conscious and powerful way.

Completion Questions

Here are some questions you can ask and answer yourself, as a way to create a sense of completion for 2010:

  • What were my biggest lessons in 2010?
  • What am I most proud of from this past year?
  • What were my biggest disappointments in 2010?
  • What am I ready to let go of from this past year?
  • What else do I need to do or say to be totally complete with 2010?

As you take some time to think about and write down your answers to these questions, see if you can reflect on this past year with a sense of appreciation and empathy.  The word “appreciate” means to recognize the value of (not necessarily like, agree with, or want to experience again).  Whether your year was “wonderful,” “terrible,” or somewhere in between – we each have so much we can appreciate about this past year.  And, it’s important for us to have as much empathy as we possibly can for ourselves (and those around us), especially right now.

If you’re anything like me, you probably had some big failures or disappointments this past year.  When we can remember that we almost always do the best we can with what we have in each moment of our lives, we can hopefully let go of our feelings of shame, guilt, or embarrassment over any of the things that didn’t go as planned for us in 2010.  And, you probably had some incredible things happen in your life this past year as well.  It’s important that we acknowledge ourselves for all of it – the highs and the lows.

See if you can create some sacred time in the next few days to share your answers to these completion questions with some of the important people in your life (and maybe ask them to answer these questions as well).  By creating a conscious intention for completion, you will give yourself the gift of appreciation for this past year and in so doing, allow a space to open up in which you can create your goals and intentions for 2011 with a sense of peace, power, and clarity.  And, as you ponder these questions, you may realize that there is something important you want to do or say in order to leave 2010 behind and step into 2011 with freedom and passion.

Have fun with this.  And, congratulations on completing another year of this magical, bizarre, wonderful adventure we call life – what a ride!

How will you consciously complete 2010? What can you do or say to leave 2010 behind you in a powerful, authentic, and peaceful way? Share your thoughts, ideas, insights, actions, and more on my blog below.

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Appreciation: The Most Meaningful Gift

December 22, 2010

For this week’s audio podcast, click here.

During one of her shows a few years back, Oprah Winfrey made a profound and beautiful statement that I appreciated very much. She said, “We do shows about lots of ‘stuff’ and my ‘favorite things,’ but what people want more than anything else is to know that they’re appreciated…that’s the best gift of all.”

At this time of year it’s easy for us to get caught up in the stress of getting everything on our “list” crossed off, preparing for parties and events, and rushing around to buy last minute gifts. And, with money tight for many this year, there can added stress when thinking about what gifts to get for family members, friends, co-workers, and others.

Instead of just giving “stuff” for the holidays this year, what if we gave the people in our life the most meaningful gift of all; our appreciation? Let the people around you know what you appreciate about them and why.

What do you value most about your best friend? What is it about your kids that you really appreciate? What do you love best about your spouse? How does your co-worker or your boss make your job and life easier and more fun?

Expressing our heartfelt and genuine appreciation for the important people in our life is magical and it’s essential to our ability to create happiness, fulfillment, loving relationships, healthy families, successful teams, and productive communities. Appreciation is also an important element of effectively dealing with the stress of challenges and uncertainty that so many of us are facing these days.

This year, our holiday gifts can be expressions of true appreciation which will have real impact on our relationships and make our holiday season one to remember. And, with things the way they are these days, taking time to appreciate others and life is so important this year.

Here are three simple suggestions to make your holiday gifts and your holiday season special and meaningful:

1) In addition to (or instead of) giving actual presents, take time to write heartfelt thank you cards. Write cards of gratitude – letting the people around you know what you appreciate about them and how they have impacted your life this year in a positive way. Express your appreciation genuinely, specifically, and personally – in a heartfelt way.

2) Ask people what they really want. Giving something specific that someone really wants will have them feel appreciated and valued. It doesn’t have to be expensive, as long as it’s personal to them. And, if you ask them directly you may find out that what they really want is something simple that can’t be bought or doesn’t cost money.

3) Give the gift of your time or service – Make a list of a few important people in your life and instead of buying them something, call and ask each them if there is some project they’ve been putting off or procrastinating that you might be able to help them with. Schedule time to come over to their house or support them specifically in getting that task or project accomplished.

Remember what most people want, more than almost anything else, is to know that they are loved, valued, and appreciated. Appreciation truly is the best gift we can give to the people in our lives (for the holidays and at any time of the year).

What do you appreciate about the people around you? How can you express that appreciation in addition to (or instead of) buying presents for the important people in your life this year? Share your thoughts, ideas, insights, actions, and more on my blog below.

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Stay Grounded During the Holidays

December 8, 2010

For this week’s audio podcast, click here.

The holiday season is now in full swing.  If you’re anything like me you probably have mixed feelings about the holidays. I love the excitement, parties, decorations, rituals, music, gifts, connections, and more. However, even these fun things can wear on me. And, the stress, drama, consumption, obligation, expense, and more that often come along with this time of year are not on my list of “favorite things.”

In addition, I often feel like I’m not doing enough, not on top of my “list,” and I sometimes worry that I won’t get everything done in time to make the people in my life happy the way I want to. Can you relate?

This year, especially with all that’s going on around us in the economy and the world, what if we each made a commitment to appreciate the holiday season and enjoy the whole experience – regardless of our circumstances or any external pressure we may feel?  Appreciating the holiday season, as with anything in life, will make it much more enjoyable and much less stressful.

Instead of rushing around in a high state of anxiety and worry about crossing every item off of our never-ending to-do list, we could choose another way – one which will make this holiday season enjoyable, fun, and peaceful for us and those around us.

Here are a few things we can remember this holiday season to make things more fulfilling and less overwhelming:

– Take Responsibility for Your Experience. It’s important to remember that the stress we experience during the holiday season does not come from the holidays themselves, but from us. We’re always the creators of our own experience and the more we can remember this and live our lives from this perspective, the more empowered we are.  When we stop thinking, speaking, and acting as if we’re mere victims of holiday madness (or anything else in our lives for that matter), we can dramatically enhance our enjoyment and lower our stress.

– Remember That You Are at Choice. We always have a choice about how we engage with anything. This holiday season we can choose to be annoyed by family members, obligations, forced work gatherings, crowds, prices, or anything else. Or, we can choose to enjoy the magic and fun of this time of year.  We may not always get to choose the people and circumstances around us, but we always have a choice about how we relate to them.  Our experience of the holidays (and of life) is up to us, as it always is.

– Focus on What You Appreciate About the Holidays. Consciously choose to focus on the things that you appreciate about the holiday season the most. Tell the truth about this to yourself and to those around you. If at all possible, don’t participate in work or family gatherings out of obligation. But, regardless of where you are, what you do, or whom you are with – make a commitment to appreciate what’s happening, the people around you, and the many blessings of this season and in your life right now.

Even and especially when things are challenging, we always have so much to be grateful for. At this time of the year, we can take a step back, breathe deeply, and experience the gratitude we have for our lives, the people in it, and for ourselves. If not now, then when?

While there are always things for us to do, gifts to buy, gatherings to attend, and much more going on at this time of year; we can choose to have this holiday season be one that is filled with authentic peace, gratitude, and joy – if we’re willing to look for, find, and focus on what we appreciate.

How do you relate to the holidays?  What can you do or shift to have this holiday season be one you truly enjoy and appreciate?  How can you stay grounded during the holidays? Share your thoughts, ideas, insights, actions, and more on my blog

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When You Fall Down, Get Back Up

December 2, 2010

For this week’s audio podcast, click here.

Have you ever seen a small child learn how to walk?  If you have, you know what a remarkable experience it is.  I’d heard about this, but had never witnessed it first hand until Samantha, our (almost) five year old, took her first real steps when she was just over a year.  She and I were playing in our family room one night and although she’d taken a step or two here and there, and could get around okay while holding onto an adult or a piece of furniture, she hadn’t really “walked” yet.

That night I was holding her hands and pulling her across the room with me, as she took some steps.  I decided to let go to see what would happen.  I did and she took a step or two and then fell down, face first, on the soft carpet.  She was fine.  She looked up at me and although she couldn’t speak, she made it very clear that she wanted me to pick her up so she could try again.  I did and this time when I let go she took about four or five real steps and then fell down.  I screamed, “You did it!”, started clapping wildly, and yelling for my wife Michelle to come into the room.

Michelle came running in.  Samantha and I went to the far end of our family room.  I held her hands to steady her, started walking with her across the floor, let go, and then it happened – she really walked – all the way across the room, by herself.  When she fell down, Michelle and I were so elated and moved, we both burst into tears and joyous laughter at the same time.  Samantha, so proud of herself, began to shriek with excitement and to clap her hands as she was lying there on the floor.  And, of course, she wanted to get back up and go again.

We all know how to do this – fall down and get back up.  Assuming we know how to walk, which most of us are fortunate enough to be able to do, we went through this specific and miraculous experience ourselves when we were very small.  We’ve also gone through it in a figurative sense many other times as we move through the ups and downs of life.  The question isn’t whether or not we’ll fall down; the question is will we be bold enough to get back up again?  Too often, sadly, we fall down and then decide we can’t get back up.  Boldness is about having the courage, willingness, and commitment to get back up when we fall down – even if we’re scared or don’t think we can.

Resisting, complaining about, or even feeling sorry for ourselves about the “bad” things that happen is totally normal and what we’re often encouraged to do by people around us and our culture in general – whether we do it out loud with others or just in our heads.  However, these things, while understandable, don’t address the real issues, the emotions we’re experiencing, or make things better for us. Facing difficulties in our life can actually be an incredibly rewarding and positive experience for us – if we choose to allow our challenges to be opportunities for growth.

Below is a list of some things to appreciate when we “fall down” in life.  Obstacles, failures, and challenges can:

– Give us important feedback about where and who we are

– Provide an opportunity for us to be courageous

– Allow us to wake up and notice all the good things that are happening that we hadn’t been paying attention to

– Give us a great opportunity for learning, growth, and improvement

– Allow us to learn to appreciate ourselves, even when things don’t turn out exactly as we want them to

– Give us an opportunity to get in touch with, take responsibility for, and express our real emotions in an authentic way

– Challenge us to play bigger, make adjustments, or re-think our approach

By learning to see our challenges as opportunities, we take our power back from the situations, circumstances, and outcomes of our lives. Our ability to appreciate difficulties, learn from them, and use them to our advantage, gives us an important insight into who we really are and how to create success and fulfillment in a conscious, deliberate, and authentic way.

Being bold, going for what we want, and living with authenticity doesn’t in any way mean we won’t fail, struggle, or fall short.  In fact, if we aren’t failing or facing any challenges at all, it’s probably a good indication that we aren’t playing all that big in our lives.  It’s important for us to make peace with the fact that we will fall down many times throughout our journey.  However, when we make a commitment to ourselves to get back up, dust ourselves off, be real about how we feel and what happened, and not let it stop us from being who we are and going for what we want -we tap into what true power, boldness, and authenticity are all about.

As Mark Twain reminds us in one of his many famous quotes, “Dance like nobody’s watching; love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening; live like it’s heaven on earth.”

Where in your life have you recently fallen down? Have you gotten back up yet?  If so, great – acknowledge yourself.  If not, what will it take for you to get back up, learn from the experience, and appreciate yourself in the process? Share your thoughts, ideas, insights, actions, and more on my blog below.

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Friday, June 16, 2017

Adam Ramsey — A fire in the world’s laundromat

The Italian author and journalist [Roberto Saviano] is well-known world-wide as the leading expert in the Calambrian mafia. Saviano has written about crime in Italy and about international drug money. He’s followed the flows of cash and he’s been awarded numerous prizes and honourary degrees for his work. But of all of the places he’s researched, he holds particular contempt for one.
Speaking last year, Saviano said:
“If I asked you what is the most corrupt place on Earth, you might tell me, well it’s Afghanistan, maybe Greece, Nigeria, the South of Italy and I will tell you it’s the UK.”
This isn’t because he thinks that the police in Britain generally accept more bribes than others, nor that our politicians stuff their brief cases with brown envelopes more than others. Rather, it’s because of the role of the City of London in laundering the proceeds of crime across the world. It’s because of the place that London takes at the heart of the planet’s biggest network of tax-havens and secrecy areas; which extends to our Overseas Territories, through the Crown Protectorates, and into the imperial metropolis itself.
But it’s not just Saviano, and it’s it just about the Cayman islands. Last year, the MPs of the Home Affairs Select Committee investigated London’s role in money laundering. Here’s their own summary of what their report says:
Open Democracy
A fire in the world’s laundromat
Adam Ramsay

1 comment:

Kaivey said...

He's a brave guy. He has to have a different identify so the mafia don't know who his family is. He rarely sees his family because of this. They might kidnap one of them. He says he's scared of many things, but death isn't one of them. It's amazing we have people like this. Someone needs to expose the rot in Washington.


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Archive for November, 2017

November News

Milwich & District Produce Guild

November’s meeting is on 23rd November and is intriguingly entitled “Marigolds and Butterlamps.”  It is about the festivals of the Cathmandu Valley.

Our meetings are usually held on the fourth Thursday of the month at The Village Hall, Milwich, beginning at 8pm.  Visitors always welcome.

Further information may be obtained by the Chairman, Mike Baggaley on 01889 270161, or m_baggaley@btinternet.com

Milwich W I 2017                                                        11th October 2017

Whilst Diane Scott created some beautiful Flower Arrangements using Autumn Flowers, which were raffled at the end of the evening, she told members about her wonderful Granddaughter who at the age of two suffered a brain haemorrhage resulting with frequent epileptic fits. She is now nineteen and has received exceptional care over the years and has depended on her Seizure Alert Dog, a Golden Retriever. The dog remains with her, night and day and can sense when a fit is about to occur and able to alert a carer who will look after the patient. Diane and her husband Ivor, who also attended the meeting, have worked hard to raise money for the training of these wonderful dogs to help other sufferers, by giving talks and demonstrating Flower Arranging.

Next month on Wednesday November 8th at 7.30pm at Milwich Village Hall, Elaine Hocknell (one of our own members) will be discussing Good Food and Nutrition with Members. Visitors are always welcome to our friendly W I.

Milwich All Saints’ Village Hall Hire.

Please contact 07805 569014 for rates and booking or email sharonlhodson@gmail.com

Milwich Village Hall

Opening Fridays 3rd and 24th November

from 10.30 – 11.30am

Hot drinks always available

Garden produce, Plants and Crafts when available

Change your library books at the Mobile Library 11 – 11.40am

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Author Archives: oldcoloradonews

How do film-makers manipulate our emotions with music?

BBC Arts & Culture has an article with the above title which cites a couple of music cognition studies.  The BBC is currently airing a program called  Sound of Cinema:  The Music that Made the Movies which you can watch if … Continue reading

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Do informal musical activities shape auditory skill development in preschool-age children?

This article reviews the literature regarding the effect of “musically active” families on the musical development of children, and takes the position that based on the research, early music activities (including with infants) can affect children’s ability to learn, or, … Continue reading

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Two articles from the July 2013 issue of Psychology of Music

The July 2013 issue of Psychology of Music is available online (although it’s behind a paywall in most databases).  I summarized the abstracts of a couple of the more interesting-sounding articles below, but you can check out the full table … Continue reading

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A rundown on recent music news & blog posts

While I’m excited about the relatively new Music Cognition U: A Resource Center, it seems that just grabbing a news feed may not be the best way to ensure that you’re always providing relevant articles.  For example, a recent post … Continue reading

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Psychology of Music November 2012

The major articles published in the latest Psychology of Music are listed below.  You can see the complete table of contents here: Authors:  Marion Long, Susan Hallam, Andrea Creech, Helena Gaunt, and Linnhe Robertson Title:  Do prior experience, gender, … Continue reading

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Music Cognition Table of Contents for Topics in Cognitive Science

One-third of the October 2012 issue of Topics in Cognitive Science is devoted to the question “Why should music be of interest to cognitive scientists?”  (as blogged by Henkjan Honing at Music Matters.  While I read the abstracts of several … Continue reading

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Music and Early Language Acquisition

Authors:  Anthony Brandt, Molly Gebrian and L. Robert Slevc Publication:  Frontiers in Psychology Publication volume & issue:  vol 3 no. 00327 Year:  2012 Link: DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00327 From the abstract:  “…we argue that it is more productive from a developmental … Continue reading

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Home / All News / Supreme Court reverses ruling in auto theft that went nowhere
DepositPhoto image
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Supreme Court reverses ruling in auto theft that went nowhere

In the context of a criminal statute, to “take” a motor vehicle does not necessarily mean to “move” it or drive it, the Supreme Court held on Sept. 6 in State v. Thonesavanh.

There were two ways to reach that conclusion, a painstaking grammatical construction of an ambiguous statute, concluding that movement is not required for a taking; or a plain meaning point of view, concluding that movement is not required for a taking.

Justice David Stras

Justice David Stras

The former was the majority view, authored by Justice David Stras; and the latter was a concurrence authored by Justice G. Barry Anderson and joined by Chief Justice Lorie Gildea. It was partially joined by Justice Margaret Chutich.

The majority declined to apply the rule of lenity; the concurrence by Anderson and Gildea said it was not necessary to reach but decided to address it in view of the majority’s opinion. Chutich did not join in the concurrence’s discussion of the rule of lenity.

The opinion reverses the Court of Appeals, which had affirmed the Nobles County District Court’s dismissal for lack of probable cause.

In pari materia

The defendant locked himself in a car owned by J.V. that was left running. The defendant had earlier knocked on J.V.’s door, and since it was early in the morning and the defendant was a stranger, J.V. called the police. The officer eventually persuaded the defendant to get out of the car and then arrested him for theft of a motor vehicle under Minn. Stat. 609.52, subd. 2(a)(17) (see sidebar).

There are three elements to the crime — taking or driving a motor vehicle without consent and with mens rea.  Only the first is at issue in the opinion. The issue was framed as whether adversely possessing a vehicle, even for a brief period, rises to the level of a taking.

While the word “drives” contemplates movement, the meaning of “takes” is less clear, Stras wrote. No dictionary definition determines whether movement is required in a taking of a vehicle, and therefore the statute is ambiguous, he wrote.

The majority then turned to three canons of construction that led it to conclude that all that is required to “take” a motor vehicle is to adversely possess it.

The canon against surplusage disfavors a construction of “takes” that incorporates “movement” because it favors giving each word or phrase in a statute a distinct, if not identical, meaning, Stras wrote. However that canon does not completely address the question because the words take and drive do overlap in meaning.

Thus the court turned to the doctrine of in pari materia, which applies only to ambiguous statutes and allows two statutes with common purpose and subject matter to be construed together to determine the meaning of ambiguous statutory language. The rationale for the canon is that related statutes should be considered as one systematic body of law.

Applying the in pari materia canon, the court has previously held that even temporary control or dominion over property amounts to simple robbery.

“If the crimes of simple robbery and theft are simply different degrees of the same crime, it would make little sense for us to ascribe one meaning to the word ‘takes’ in the simple-robbery statute — adverse possession of property belonging to another — but an entirely different meaning to the same word in the motor-vehicle-theft statute — movement of the property,” Stras wrote.

A contrary holding would violate a corollary of the canon, which is that a legislative body generally uses a particular word with a consistent meaning in a given context, the court continued.

The third canon applied by the majority explains that when a statute uses a common-law term without defining it the Legislature has adopted its common-law meaning. The motor-vehicle-theft statute has retained the framework of common-law larceny, the court said. Although the statute defines theft as taking or driving the motor vehicle, the element of “takes” still originates from the common law.

“Given the common-law origins of the modern theft statute, the retention of the word ‘takes’ to describe the actus-reus element of the offense indicates that we should define the term in accordance with its common-law meaning, consistent with the direction provided by the imputed-common-law-meaning canon,” Stras wrote.

Accordingly, the court held that to take a motor vehicle under the statute requires only adverse possession.

Not the grand canon

The court then examined, and rejected, the rule of lenity, a canon that requires a court to construe an ambiguous criminal statute in favor of the defendant.

The rule of lenity applies only after all the other canons of construction have been exhausted and a “grievously ambiguous” statute remains, Stras wrote. “It is not, as some courts have suggested, some sort of grand canon that towers over all the others and allows a defendant to prevail in every instance in which a criminal statute is ambiguous,” he wrote.

The court declined to use the rule to adopt a construction of “takes” that requires movement where multiple other canons favor an adverse-possession construction.

“[T]he rule of lenity appears to be in a class of one among the canons of construction, because it dictates a result — the defendant wins — rather than unmasks the meaning of the statute itself. Indeed, strict application of the canon would render all other canons — both intrinsic and extrinsic — meaningless once a court has declared a criminal statute ambiguous,” Stras wrote. The court said in State v. Nelson in 2014, that the rule of lenity applies if the statute remains ambiguous after canons of construction are applied, the court noted.

Lenity will rarely apply

The dissent argued that the text of the statute is unambiguous and the rule of lenity need not be applied as the majority did.

The case law supports the construction that the motor-vehicle-theft statute unambiguously does not require carrying away, Anderson wrote.  Because “takes” unambiguously does not require movement the court need not reach the lenity issue, Anderson said. But since the court did so, he went on to address it.

Several cases suggest that the court has applied the rule of lenity without exhausting the other canons of construction, Anderson wrote.  He continued, “Even when we have described the rule of lenity as one of last resort, we have rarely ruled against the defendant when presented with an ambiguous criminal statute.”

Among possible interpretations, “the court has arguably chosen the least defendant-friendly option for both the rule of lenity’s position among other interpretive aids and the amount of ambiguity that must exist for the rule of lenity to apply. The result is a rule of lenity that will rarely apply,” Anderson continued.

Defense attorney Mark Nyvold declined to comment on the case. Nobles County attorney Kathleen A. Kusz could not be reached for comment.

Minn. Stat. § 609.52, subd. 2(a)(17)

The statute states in relevant part as follows: (a) Whoever does any of the following commits theft . . . : . . . (17) takes or drives a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner or an authorized agent of the owner, knowing or having reason to know that the owner or an authorized agent of the owner did not give consent . . . .

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Home / Bar Buzz / Bar Buzz: Would-be president v. Prince
Prince performs at the Billboard Music Awards in 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (AP file photo)
Prince performs at the Billboard Music Awards in 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (AP file photo)

Bar Buzz: Would-be president v. Prince

An obscure 2008 presidential candidate who claims to be the half-brother from whom Prince pilfered “all of my songs” wants his day in court.

Ernest E. English Jr., of 121 Cady St., Rochester, New York, wrote Carver County District Court Judge Kevin Eide seeking a hearing in a letter dated Nov. 3. It was filed by court administration on Nov. 27.

“Everything that I mention is real,” English’s letter says. “Prince was my half-brother and he stole all of my songs and never paid for them.”

English has popped up in a few previous filings in the sprawling dispute over Prince’s estate. The musician died on April 21, 2016, without leaving a will.

English is listed as a pro se party in one filing, and is listed among a dozen or so names of people demanding notification of all orders and filings pertaining to the case. The demand notices are dated April 25, 2017, and July 18, 2017.

He also has an entry on the Federal Election Commission’s website, listed under the same mailing address, as a one-time presidential candidate. A separate site, thegreenpapers.com, indicates that English filed his intent to run with the FEC on Jan. 30, 2008, for that year’s presidential election.

It is unclear how far he took that bid. Any record of his vote total could not be found by press time.

In his letter to Eide, English makes reference a previous court hearing “a little time ago,” which he missed. He could not attend, he said, because of major surgery from which he said he still is recovering. “I would like [it if you] could put that action on the docket for me,” English writes in an almost illegible scrawl.

He also makes reference to a previous letter to the judge that he says indicated he could not attend the previous hearing. No such letter appears to be in evidence among the mountain of documents filed about the sprawling dispute over Prince’s estate. It is unclear what hearing he refers to.

“All I want is the court to make me hole [sic], financial [sic],” the letter says.

The letter also offers support for unidentified female party to the case. “I feel bad about the sister,” English writes, “because I believe she is my half-sister. But the others, I can’t speak for.” There are many candidates to could fit his vague description.

A court spokesperson said it is possible that no previous letter from English ever was submitted to Eide previously, or that whatever letter was filed might not have been made public.

“We have had no other communication with the filer,” said Kyle Christopherson, a State Court Administrator’s Office spokesman, said in an email.

Details surrounding English’s cryptic letter to the court could become clearer later, if Eide takes action on the filing.

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Ministry Profiling to Find the Best Fit

Staffing to Match the Right Person to the Right Task

In doing a ministry assessment you will determine what ministries need to be happening in order for you to accomplish God's purposes and design for your church or ministry organization. The next step is to

determine the people resources
needed for these ministries.

To effectively accomplish the tasks or positions within these ministries, people should have the right gifts, heart passions, and personality. Their experience and walk with God would also be factors to consider.

While each ministry leader can be responsible for his/her own staffing needs, a central staff coordinator greatly facilitates the process. This person would have an awareness of the big picture to help prevent people from being overused or misused. This person would be responsible for matching the right person to the right task. That is done through ministry profiling.

Whether you are that central staff coordinator or a leader of a specific area, the steps for ministry profiling are basically the same.

  1. Make sure you, as the staff coordinator or ministry leader, have a good understanding of ministry profiling.
  2. Develop a profile of the type of person who would be best suited for each ministry position or task needed to accomplish each area of ministry. You will need at least a basic job description for each ministry in order to know the tasks involved in each position. The question you are asking is what kind of person would best fit this job description.
    • What spiritual gift(s) should this person have?
    • Is it important for this person to have a heart for a particular age group, gender, social status, need, issue, or type of ministry?
    • Are there personality traits that would either help or hinder a person in this ministry?
    • Should the person have experience in a certain task?
    • Should there be a certain maturity level in someone's walk with God for this particular ministry?

    In addition to this content, the Staffing Ministry Manual includes a list of spiritual gifts used in different ministry areas, a manually scoring spiritual gifts test measuring the seven gifts in Romans 12, and a one page assessment form to use for personality traits that simply requires people to mark where they would fall on the spectrum of certain opposite traits that could affect how they serve. You are permitted to copy and use the spiritual gifts test and personality traits assessment in your ministry.

  3. Develop ministry profiles for each person in the church or at least for the people you want to consider for a certain ministry position. The profile will assess a person's spiritual gifts, heart passions, personality temperament, experience, and walk with God. The profile can then be used in the recruitment stage of staffing to determine if the person is a good fit for a specific area. Design a plan on how you will administer the spiritual gifts tests and other inventories needed to develop a person's ministry profile.
    • You can teach on it and develop the profiles as part of the classroom experience. -- Everybody Has a Part Spiritual Gifts Curriculum.
    • You can administer a spiritual gifts test to help you identify people's gifting. Spiritual Gifts Tests Resource helps you do that. (Please note: The MAX Pak includes the curriculum, tests resource, and book.)
    • You can make the development of a person's ministry profile part of a newcomers or membership class.
    • You can provide one-on-one counsel during which time you either develop a person's ministry profile or discuss it with them.
  4. Maintain records of the results of your assessment for each person. Include in those records vital statistics for contacting purposes, gender, and age. Also include the person's spiritual gifts, passions, and experience (what he/she has done in the past, what he/she is currently doing, what he/she is willing to do). Keep records in a way that is easiest for you to keep track and to retrieve information when needed.
    • Consider developing a computer database. This method will give you good retrieval as you can develop filters to pull up people who fit the criteria needed for a task.
    • You could also keep a notebook, rotary file, or notecard system. You would have to manually sift through these records to locate people best suited for a task.
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Archive for polaroid

Lois Loren – Photoshoot – 1 July 2017

Posted in Weekly Wonderings with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on 7 July 2017 by misselisabethuk

Had a really great shoot with Lois last weekend we tried a lot of different things out, from ideas I had initially when booking the shoot to some that just came to us on the day whilst being in this amazing location.  Lois and I have worked together a number of times now so we are familiar with how each works – what works and what doesn’t.  There is also a trust that comes with working with someone a number of times, that the result is going to be something that you are both going to be proud of.

Before any shoot Lois and I set up a Pinterest board and both add our ideas to it so we get a feel for what we are both aiming for on the day and it is from there that we decide the wardrobe, makeup and props for the shoot.  I try to limit the wardrobe to a couple of options and then play around with composition and lighting.  Usually we get more than we need to on a 2/3 hour shoot.  I’ve found that unless you have a big production always go simple, it’s the simple ideas, simple wardrobes that work best as you can get creative with lighting, poses etc as well.  There is an endless stream of potential outcomes anyway without getting two complicated with wardrobe and props, which risk too much time being spent on them rather than the photographic output.

Prior to the shoot I did a recce of the location I had stumbled across (not literally) when I was out running one morning. These are the photos I took initially of the location, a few weeks prior to the shoot:

I wanted to see what the light was like and envisage what it might be like on shoot day, trial what settings I needed on my camera and what lens/es I needed to use to get different shots.

I decided for this shoot that I would be a bit more camera orientated as I have been trying out different cameras and mediums of late.  So I decided I would parallel run with my Canon 5D mark III as my main camera, then have some fun with a Konica C35 automatic 35mm camera loaded with a Kentmere ISO 400 black and white 35mm film (still to be developed) and an old Polaroid Impulse camera loaded with a colour 8 exposure Impossible film.

After a shoot I pull all the images together and send them over as digital contact sheets to Lois to choose from.  So, for this post I cannot show you all the digital contacts or film output but what I can show you is one particular digital shot that I had in my mind’s eye which I have already shared in Instagram and the output from the Polaroids.

First the Polaroids:

I was really pleased with these, they give a real 80s vibe and I will definitely shoot Polaroid again.  The other image which I wanted to share on this blog post is one of the digital images already shared on Instagram:

I wanted to express the feeling of isolation and thought that this was a good metaphor for the idea of limbo, “Limbo is a place where all you can do it wait”.  Recently a person I am close to suffered a mental health episode and was sectioned and whilst this is difficult for that person, those around them are also dealing with a situation which is equally if not more distressing.

It’s difficult to capture the situation in its entirety in this blog post but by having first hand experience of this I can see that both sides are equally isolated, in limbo at the hands of the human condition.  Although we are more aware of mental health nowadays, people in general still do not want to talk about it and those that face living with someone with mental heath issues are often avoided, ‘tarred with the same brush’, because people feel awkward and are unable to deal with it.

As a result of this I have also been thinking more about us as a human race; we strive to prolong life by keeping our bodies fit but ultimately not a lot is known about the brain and what can be done for the ageing brain and maybe, just maybe, the concept of zombie-ism is that the body lives on but our mental capacity dies leaving a body fit as a host physically but with an unfit brain….. hence a zombie craves a new brain to survive…. food for thought?!

On that note, enjoy your day it’s a beautiful day in the UK and I am aiming to get outside and take some more Polaroids, black and white this time.  Take care all.  Peace!

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Track of the day #251: Palm Haze – Gravitation

Fuzz-drenched perfection is probably the most concise way to sum up ‘Gravitation’, the latest track from Vancouver via Brazil based band Palm Haze. More succinct than its length gives away, ‘Gravitation’ is a tense combination of anxious guitars and relaxed, barely there vocals. Although the track makes heavy use of fuzzed-out, heavy guitars it’s still daydream-like in its shoegaze state.

Palm Haze are set to release an EP in late 2017.

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New this week On Demand from Uncork’d Entertainment; help me out and pick it up on Amazon here

Directed by Bartosz M. Kowalski
Written by Bartosz M. Kowalski, Stanislaw Warwas
Starring Michalina Swistun, Nicolas Przygoda, Przemyslaw Balinski, Patryk Swiderski, Pawel Brandys, Anita Jancia, Pawel Karolak, Malgorzata Olczyk, Bartlomiej Milczarek, Mikolaj Zamorski, Karolina Czajka, Marta Grabysz, Joanna Kurek, Adam Rosolek, Pawel Krawczyk, Lena Gruszka
Find out more about this film here

When I see the words, “Based on True Events” I become both leery and creeped out. Those words are tossed around quite a bit these days, so sometimes that’s put in front of films simply to add more heft. Then again, when it really is based on true events, I can’t help but feel a chill go down my spine because there’s a twisted kind of voyeurism feel that I am not comfortable with while watching a film with so little fictionality to buffer the violence. THE PLAYGROUND falls into the latter category as it takes an unflinching look at a trio of children bereft of any of the romanticism and innocence that often are associated to children in the movies.

Gabrysia (Michalina Swistun) has a crush on Szymek (Nicolas Przygoda) and plans to ask him on a date on the last day of school. Szymek is much more interested in taking photographs and hanging out with his best buddy Czarek (Przemyslaw Balinski). The storyline at first poses these three characters into a collision course, but after a disturbing confrontation, the film then follows Szymek and Czarek through the rest of the day hanging at the mall, hoping to check out new video games at the store, and abducting a younger child in broad daylight.

THE PLAYGROUND is a harrowing and disturbing look at the pointlessness of violence. The young boys seem to look as innocent as can be, but this film seems to want to make a point that even the most innocent can be capable of the most atrocious acts. This is not a movie that is easy to sit through. The confrontation between Gabrysia and Szymek is uncomfortable to watch, simply because of the harmless innocence behind this exchange. But these are children, forced into adulthood by their parents and not knowing what to do with these tools. Because of that, they act out violently and while it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense given the fact that this violence seems to be so avoidable and so pointless.

Both the confrontation with Gabrysia and the abduction of the child from the mall is going to be too much for many to handle. I’ve seen some of the goriest stuff out there, but was chilled to my core at what goes on in this film. Writer/director Bartosz M. Kowalski and his co-writer Stanislaw Warwas never let the camera blink or turn away from even the most inhuman of events that go on. The final moments of this film, taken from a distance away from the action, is a long uncut shot of some of the most heinous of imagery I’ve seen in film. What got to me is that the violence is taken in such a passé manner. THE PLAYGROUND is going to remind you of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE in the way it nonchalantly depicts its violence, as if to say, this kind of thing happens all of the time. Filmed in a Gus Van Sant like documentarian style that follows the children rather than guides them from one scene to the next, THE PLAYGROUND has some star-making performances and some images that will sear into your mind. You can’t unsee this violent and compelling film. You’ve been warned.

If you like what I said above, help me out and click on the link to buy it on Amazon here !!!


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In which state do you need a Medical Marijuana Recommendation?

Your Recommendation is evaluated and approved by a state licensed doctor. We personalize all legal documents in accordance with the laws of the state you select.

Just got my recommendation from MMJDOCTORONLINE today, thanks for saving me the hassle of running around.


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Friday, June 27, 2014 Back in the Saddle Again

Good morning!  Well, I am back in beautiful Lompoc, California, a hidden gem.  It is a small town (I have finally figured out that these are my favorites, about 50 miles or so north of Santa Barbara.  This RV park is lovely, quiet, convenient and affordable.  I met a lighting crew manager here who is smart enough to stay in some tricked out tents, brought food.   This is a great way to save $ on these assignments if you plan well especially since there is really no real weather here, except “partly perfect”.  I tented before I bought the RV and it worked out fine, but I feel better with doors that lock and food that is not out.  I have been blessed to not see bears but raccoons…wooo hoo. Those little fellas apre devious.  When I first stayed here at the beginning of the year, I was FLAT on my face 96% of the time, crying sleeping eating consolatory chocolate, having just broken up with my “boyfriend” (he was 50) of a year, my very first since my divorce.  Wow that hurt.  It is cathartic to be here 6 months later with a different perspective.  And agaCinst advise, better judgement, etc.  I spoke with him via phone today.  Closure, right?  Pics follow (of Lompoc)

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Blok Marble Tablet Stand

Blok Marble Tablet Stand by Studio Macura | moddea

Made from Acquatico marble block, this tablet stand is decorative yet functional. Design by Studio Macura.
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Zamothrace iPad Air/Mini Case

Zamothrace iPad Case by Innerexile | moddea

With its unique z-shape folding cover, Zamothrace doubles as a stand and provides the ideal viewing angle in portrait and landscape positions. Design by Innerexile.
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Clear Case and Stand for iPad

Clear Case and Stand for iPad by Sanwa Supply | moddea

I haven’t seen any clear iPad case/stand as stylish and practical as this one by Sanwa Supply. Its cover rotates and folds to support portrait and landscape placement, or even the typing position. A non-slip grip provides a stable fit in the hand. It’s made of durable crystal clear polycarbonate.
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Upload a photo to the contest

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Photo Contest

Meet Nugget

The Tabby
Jennifer Parreir Gladstone, MO

We just adopted Nugget one month ago.  She has been a joy!  She absolutely loved our Christmas Tree and I'm sure she thought we put it there just for her.

4 months

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Photo Contest

Meet monte

The american shorthair
olivia west hartford

Monte loves people and is frisky and playful. He loves greenies treats and fancy feast appetizers! Please got for him!

4 years
monte boo
tuna fancy feast appetizers and feline greenies any flavor
crazy touchy feely hyper people
Favorite Foods
fancy feast appetizers and greenies treats

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Tightening the Purse Strings

Tightening the Purse Strings

It’s well known that I have a fairly type A personality.  I love lists, and utilize Google Drive to organize basically every aspect of my life into a beautiful list or spreadsheet.

Since about 2010, we’ve had a written monthly budget based loosely on Dave Ramsey’s model.  My grandpa taught me the Dave Ramsey method while I was still in college.  At the time, I didn’t utilize it much as I had little debt, and even less income.  To be honest, I would really love to take another one of his courses, or read some of his books.  I think now as a mature 30+ adult (stop snickering), I’d be able to gleam more from it.  But I did learn to keep track of expenses and to plan out where each of your paycheck will go.

Now, for about the last 5 years, not much has changed with our budget.  Our income went up slowly over time, as did our expenses.  Each change, since it was gradual, was easy to incorporate into my already perfected monthly budget.  For example, when we upgraded from our starter home to our current house in 2012, I was able to just bump up the amount of our mortgage payment, and luckily take away from our budgeted “play” money.  However, since we’re moving half-way around the country, and going from a double income down to one, I had to go back to basics and am recalculating our estimated monthly expenses.

An area I’m struggling with right now?  Clothes.  Right now I don’t budget for clothing purchases; they come out of our “play” money.  But guess what?  Our play money is about to be drastically reduced when I finally achieve the goal of becoming a SAHM, but we’re still going to require clothes.

Did you know, that on average the American family spends $1,700 on clothes per year?  Ugh.  So, that’s roughly $150 a month that needs budgeted.  Do we really spend that much?  Surely not.  Then I thought about my current Kohl’s credit card statement.

So, I did what no one should ever do, but what actually needed to be done.  Since I order most of our clothes online, I looked back on what we’ve purchased in the past 6 months, or roughly the amount of time Wee One has been alive.  I only looked at the 3 stores we shopped the most, so these results don’t even take into consideration any stores I made random purchases from or any clothes actually purchased in person.  Let me tell you, it is ridiculous.  I won’t go into the cost, but here’s the amount of clothes we bought.

To be fair, Princess Pigg (our 4 year old), and Wee One (our 7 month old) likely required some of those clothes since they change sizes frequently.  But, other than being pregnant and requiring maternity clothes, I have been the same size for at least the last 5 years.  And yet, I *usually* clean my closet out twice a year.  This cleaning process ususally results in at least two big black trash bags full of clothes being donated to Salvation Army or our local women’s center.  And that’s just my clothes.

My question is this: Is this normal American family shopping habits, or are we excessive?  Or are American shopping habits just excessive?  Is the answer to budget $150 a month and tighten things up everywhere else, or stop buying so many freaking clothes?

I’m going to say it’s a happy combination of the two.  Or a not so happy, but at least not sad, combination.  My belated goal for 2016 will be to average only one new article of clothing per month per family member, with exceptions being made for the piglets.  I’m going to budget $100 a month for clothes, for our family of 4, and we’ll see how far that gets us.  Hopefully this combo will require me to not only shop thriftier, but also to evaluate every purchase to see if it’s what I want in my closet.

2 thoughts on “Tightening the Purse Strings

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New Rochelle

Located in downtown New Rochelle, the Monroe College New Rochelle campus is nestled in a diverse, thriving suburban community in Westchester County.

St. Lucia

The scenic Monroe College St. Lucia campus in Barnard Hill Castries on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia combines the best of many worlds.

Monroe's Queens Extension Center is located in the heart of downtown Flushing, a vibrant and ethnically mixed district of Queens.

Mind Reading Show

Date: Thursday, September 14, 2017

Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Location: King Hall / Mintz Auditorium


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om nom nom :: restaurant review [poissonerie omega]

a few weeks ago, my friend martin [also], a devout foodie, took me out for lunch to help kick my ass out of an end-of-year kind of depressive slump. somewhat bored with options both in our own neighbourhood and in the plateau [which is where we often end up], we settled on finding something in cote-des-neiges, crammed as it is with eating establishments of various sorts, most of them highly affordable.

we ventured down lacombe street, which certainly has its fair share of places and were thinking of going to frites alors. while that would have been fine, it did sort of defeat the purpose of getting out of a rut if we ended up going to a different location of a franchise where we had eaten many times before. so martin suggested we check out "the fish place next door". as a maritimer, the idea of eating fish in a non-ocean-adjacent city at a place that looked a little dive-y had me nervous, but i figured that it was at least something new.

upon entering, while the place definitely had the decor of a shish-taouk takeout, i was surprised to a selection of fresh fish laid out for us to choose from. far from a fast food joint, the presentation was more like a specialty market. the menu was not huge- it had between half a dozen and ten selections- but it was certainly less generic than i was expecting.

martin ordered a fish and chips, while i went with the calamari- basic staples, yes, but ones which are often poorly prepared.

the gentleman behind the counter set to work, battering and frying the fish/ seafood himself, illustrating that the counter display wasn't just for show. most times you get fried fish, you're getting something that's been battered and frozen, then just tossed in a fryer as a finishing touch. at omega, you're getting the real deal.

most surprising to me- the seafood snob- was that the fare was actually really damn good. my calamari were perfectly cooked, which is rare. a lot of times, calamari are served too soft/ mushy [undercooked] or become rubbery [overcooked]. as ubiquitous as they've become, they're remarkably finicky to work with.

martin's fish and chips [haddock] were amazing. the crust had a perfect crunchiness to it, while underneath was a perfect fluffy batter and delectable fish that almost melted together. the fish was not overbreaded and everything was moist without being mushy- the sort of delightful texture that most places fail to achieve.

as you might expect from the decor, omega is also budget friendly. dishes range from $8.95- $16.95, some permanent and some daily selections. they're also a fish market, so you can take some of those tasty-looking catches home with you to cook later.

omega is as unpretentious as it gets- there is a small number of tables, no liquor license and a restricted menu. it's not the kind of place you're going to want to take someone for a first date. but after you've gotten to know each other and you'd prefer to enjoy each other's company over some tasty, hearty food, then this is the exact sort of place you're seeking.

poissonerie omega
3525 lacombe, montreal

as long as you're here, why not read more?

i keep seeing this ad for tictac candies:

am i the only one who finds the suicide bomber clown at the end a little unnerving? all the nice natural things like the bunny and the [extinct] woolly mammoth and the fruit get devoured by a trying-to-appear-nonthreatening-but-obviously-psychotic clown who then blows himself up. congratulations, tictac, i think this ad has landed you on about a dozen watch lists.

oh and by the way, showing me that your product will somehow cause my stomach to explode in a rainbow of wtf makes me believe that doing consuming tictacs would be a worse dietary decision than the time i ate two raw eggs and a half a bottle of hot sauce on a dare.

armchair centre back :: finding your best boss

everything i know about bosses, i've learned from watching the premier league this year.

it's been a long time since i posted about my love of football [soccer], possibly because i was traumatised by seeing my darlings swansea city getting mauled week after week, all the while looking like they were playing for the right to choose between being executed by guillotine or firing squad. it's been a very long season. well, half a season. suddenly, however, it doesn't seem so bad. the reason for that is very clear: carlos carvalhal. swansea's new portuguese manager is a breath of fresh air, and a complete switch from the focused and pragmatic paul clement. now, i liked paul clement, and i think that his internship at some of the best clubs in the world made him a real catch. it's just that sometimes you need to find someone who connects with your team, your people, which carlos definitely seems to have done. as the days lengthen and the weather shows some signs of…

digging for [audio] treasure

my computer tells me that i need to cut down the amount of music stored on my overstuffed hard drive. my ears tell me that that would deprive me of some wonderful listening experiences.
halifax, nova scotia was not the easiest place to find out about music with limited appeal. it was a very music-centred city, to be sure, but, being smaller, things like noise, industrial, and experimental music struggled to gain a foothold, even as the alternative rock scene exploded in the early nineties. i was lucky enough to have some friends who were happy to share music that they loved, but i knew that there were lots of things that i was missing out on.

with the dawn of the internet, and various types of music sharing, i found myself able to discover bands that i'd heard about, but never managed to track down, from the days of underground cassette culture. and, to my surprise and elation, many of them do very much live up to what i'd imagined from reading descriptions of them in catalo…


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Morton & Gettys launches health care law practice

Morton & Gettys is pleased to announce the launch of our new healthcare practice. While the firm has offered legal services in the healthcare field for some time, our new practice offers more comprehensive representation  addressing administrative and regulatory matters.

Our attorneys will work with healthcare clients to develop innovative ways to increase profitability and protect assets while ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.

“The healthcare industry is constantly changing, which brings new challenges to healthcare professionals and providers almost daily,” said Jim Morton, founding partner of Morton & Gettys. “This new emphasis allows us to better serve our clients in the tri-county area by providing local, cost-efficient and thorough counsel specific to their needs.”

Read more about the new practice area here.


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Motorway Services Online

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Lorry parking at Emsworth services.

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