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We humans

The skill you need now: presentation literacy

Jan 5, 2017 /

TED curator Chris Anderson discusses the transformative power of speaking to an audience from the heart.

You’re nervous, right?

Stepping out onto a public stage and having hundreds of pairs of eyes turned your way is terrifying. You dread having to stand up in a company meeting and present your project. What if you get nervous and stumble over your words? What if you completely forget what you were going to say? Maybe you’ll be humiliated! Maybe your career will crater! Maybe the idea you believe in will stay buried forever!

But guess what? Almost everyone has experienced the fear of public speaking. Indeed, surveys that ask people to list their top fears often report public speaking as the most widely selected, ahead of snakes, heights — and even death.

How can this be? There is no tarantula hidden behind the microphone. You have zero risk of plunging off the stage to your death. The audience will not attack you with pitchforks. Then why the anxiety?

It’s because there’s a lot at stake — not just the experience in the moment, but in our longer-term reputation. How others think of us matters hugely. We are profoundly social animals. We crave each other’s affection, respect and support. Our future happiness depends on these realities to a shocking degree. And we sense that what happens on a public stage is going to affect these social currencies, for better or worse. But with the right mindset, you can use your fear as an incredible asset. It can be the driver that will persuade you to prepare for a talk properly.

That’s what happened when Monica Lewinsky (TED Talk: The price of shame) came to the TED stage. For her, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. Seventeen years earlier, she had been through the most humiliating public exposure imaginable, an experience so intense it almost broke her. Now she was attempting a return to a more visible public life, to reclaim her narrative. But she was not an experienced public speaker, and she knew that it would be disastrous if she messed up. She told me:

“Nervous is too mild a word to describe how I felt. More like . . . Gutted with trepidation. Bolts of fear. Electric anxiety. If we could have harnessed the power of my nerves that morning, I think the energy crisis would have been solved. Not only was I stepping out onto a stage in front of an esteemed and brilliant crowd, but it was also videotaped, with the high likelihood of being made public on a widely viewed platform. I was visited by the echoes of lingering trauma from years of having been publicly ridiculed. Plagued by a deep insecurity I didn’t belong on the TED stage. That was the inner experience against which I battled.”

Monica Lewinsky at TED in 2015. Photo: James Duncan Davidson.

And yet Monica found a way to turn that fear around. Her talk won a standing ovation at the event, rocketed to a million views within a few days and earned rave reviews online. It even prompted a public apology to her from a longtime critic, feminist author Erica Jong.

The brilliant woman I am married to, Jacqueline Novogratz (TED Talk: Inspiring a life of immersion), was also haunted by fear of public speaking. In school, at college and into her twenties, the prospect of a microphone and watching eyes was so scary it was debilitating. But she knew that to advance her work fighting poverty, she’d have to persuade others, and so she just began forcing herself to do it. Today she gives scores of speeches every year, often earning standing ovations.

Jackqueline Novogratz at TEDWomen in 2010, where she gave her fifth TED Talk after many years of public speaking. Photo by James Duncan Davidson
Jacqueline Novogratz at TEDWomen in 2010. Photo: James Duncan Davidson.

Indeed, everywhere you look, there are stories of people who were terrified of public speaking but found a way to become really good at it, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Warren Buffett to Princess Diana, who was known to all as “shy Di,” but found a way to speak informally in her own voice, and the world fell in love with her.

Elon Musk being interviewed by Chris Anderson on the TED stage in 2015. Photo: James Duncan Davidson.

If you can get a talk right, the upside can be amazing. Take the talk that entrepreneur Elon Musk (TED Talk: The mind behind Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity …) gave to SpaceX employees on August 2, 2008. Musk was not known as a great public speaker. But that day, his words marked an important turning point for his company. SpaceX had already suffered two failed launches. This was the day of the third launch, and everyone knew failure could force the company’s closure. The Falcon rocket soared off the launch pad, but right after the first stage fell away, disaster struck. The spacecraft exploded. The video feed went dead. Some 350 employees had gathered and, as described by Dolly Singh, the company’s head of talent acquisition, the mood was thick with despair. Musk emerged to speak to them. He told them they’d always known it would be hard, but that despite what had happened, they had already accomplished something that day that few nations, let alone companies, had achieved. They had successfully completed the first stage of a launch and taken a spacecraft to outer space. They simply had to pick themselves up and get back to work. Here’s how Singh described the talk’s climax:

Then Elon said, with as much fortitude and ferocity as he could muster after having been awake for like 20+ hours by this point, “For my part, I will never give up and I mean never.” I think most of us would have followed him into the gates of hell carrying suntan oil after that. It was the most impressive display of leadership that I have ever witnessed. Within moments the energy of the building went from despair and defeat to a massive buzz of determination as people began to focus on moving forward instead of looking back.

That’s the power of a single talk. You might not be leading an organization, but a talk can still open new doors or transform a career.

TED speakers have told us delightful stories of the impact of their talks. Yes, there are sometimes book and movie offers, higher speaking fees and unexpected offers of financial support. But the most appealing stories are of ideas advanced, and lives changed. Young Malawian inventor William Kamkwamba’s inspiring talk about building a windmill in his village as a 14-year-old (TED Talk: How I harnessed the wind) sparked a series of events that led to him being accepted into an engineering program at Dartmouth College.

William Kamkwamba speaking at TEDGlobal in 2009. Photo: James Duncan Davidson.

Here’s a story from my own life: When I first took over leadership of TED in late 2001, I was reeling from the near collapse of the company I had spent 15 years building, and I was terrified of another huge public failure. I had been struggling to persuade the TED community to back my vision for TED, and I feared that it might just fizzle out. Back then, TED was an annual conference in California, owned and hosted by a charismatic architect named Richard Saul Wurman, whose larger-than-life presence infused every aspect of the conference. About 800 people attended every year, and most of them seemed resigned to the fact that TED probably couldn’t survive once Wurman departed. The TED conference of February 2002 was the last to be held under his leadership, and I had one chance and one chance only to persuade TED attendees that the conference would continue just fine. I had never run a conference before, however, and despite my best efforts at marketing the following year’s event, only 70 people had signed up for it.

Early on the last morning of that conference, I had 15 minutes to make my case. And here’s what you need to know about me: I am not naturally a great speaker. I say “um” and “you know” far too often. I will stop halfway through a sentence, trying to find the right word to continue. I can sound overly earnest, soft spoken, conceptual. My quirky British sense of humor is not always shared by others.

I was so nervous about this moment, and so worried that I would look awkward on the stage, that I couldn’t even bring myself to stand. Instead I rolled forward a chair from the back of the stage, sat on it and began.

Too nervous to stand, Chris Anderson addresses the 2002 TED audience from a chair, ultimately inspiring them to follow his lead in forging TED's next chapter. Video still courtesy of TED.
Chris Anderson addresses the 2002 TED audience. Video image courtesy of TED.

I look back at that talk now and cringe — a lot. If I were critiquing it today, there are a hundred things I would change, starting with the wrinkly white T-shirt I was wearing. And yet … I had prepared carefully what I wanted to say, and I knew there were at least some in the audience desperate for TED to survive. If I could just give those supporters a reason to get excited, perhaps they would turn things around. Because of the recent dotcom bust, many in the audience had suffered business losses as bad as my own. Maybe I could connect with them that way?

I spoke from the heart, with as much openness and conviction as I could summon. I told people I had just gone through a massive business failure. That I’d come to think of myself as a complete loser. That the only way I’d survived mentally was by immersing myself in the world of ideas. That TED had come to mean the world to me — that it was a unique place where ideas from every discipline could be shared. That I would do all in my power to preserve its best values. That, in any case, the conference had brought such intense inspiration and learning to us that we couldn’t possibly let it die … could we?

Oh, and I broke the tension with an apocryphal anecdote about France’s Madame de Gaulle and how she shocked guests at a diplomatic dinner by expressing her desire for “a penis.” In England, I said, we also had that desire, although there we pronounced it happiness and TED had brought genuine happiness my way.

To my utter amazement, at the end of the talk, Jeff Bezos, the head of Amazon, who was seated in the center of the audience, rose to his feet and began clapping. And the whole room stood with him. It was as if the TED community had collectively decided, in just a few seconds, that it would support this new chapter of TED after all. And in the 60-minute break that followed, some 200 people committed to buying passes for the following year’s conference, guaranteeing its success.

If that 15-minute talk had fizzled, TED would have died, four years before ever putting a talk on the Internet.

No matter how little confidence you might have today in your ability to speak in public, there are things you can do to turn that around. Facility with public speaking is not a gift granted at birth to a lucky few. It’s a broad-ranging set of skills. There are hundreds of ways to give a talk, and everyone can find an approach that’s right for them and learn the skills necessary to do it well.

Several years ago, TED’s content director, Kelly Stoetzel, and I went on a global tour in search of speaking talent. In Nairobi, Kenya, we met Richard Turere, a 12-year-old Maasai boy who had come up with a surprising invention. His family raised cattle, and one of the biggest challenges was protecting them at night from lion attacks. Richard had noticed that a stationary campfire didn’t deter the lions, but walking around waving a torch did seem to work. The lions were apparently afraid of moving lights! Richard had somehow taught himself electronics by messing around with parts taken from his parents’ radio. He used that knowledge to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence, creating a sense of movement. It was built from scrapyard parts — solar panels, a car battery and a motorcycle indicator box. He installed the lights and — presto! — the lion attacks stopped. News of his invention spread and other villages wanted in. Instead of seeking to kill the lions as they had done before, they installed Richard’s “lion lights.” Both villagers and pro-lion environmentalists were happy.

It was an impressive achievement but, at first glance, Richard certainly seemed an unlikely TED speaker. He stood hunched over in a corner of the room, painfully shy. His English was halting, and he struggled to describe his invention coherently. It was hard to imagine him on a stage in California in front of 1,400 people, slotted alongside Sergey Brin and Bill Gates.

But Richard’s story was so compelling that we went ahead anyway and invited him to come speak at TED (TED Talk: My invention that made peace with lions). In the months before the conference, we worked with him to frame his story — to find the right place to begin, and to develop a natural narrative sequence. Because of his invention, Richard had won a scholarship to one of Kenya’s best schools, where he had the chance to practice his TED Talk several times in front of a live audience. This helped build his confidence to the point where his personality could shine through.

Richard Turere at TED in 2013. Photo: James Duncan Davidson.

He got on an airplane for the first time in his life and flew to Long Beach, California. As he walked onto the TED stage, you could tell he was nervous, but that only made him more engaging. As Richard spoke, people were hanging on his every word, and every time he smiled, the audience melted. When he finished, people just stood and cheered.

Richard’s tale can encourage us all to believe we might be able to give a decent talk. Your goal is not to be Winston Churchill or Nelson Mandela. It’s to be you. If you’re a scientist, be a scientist; don’t try to be an activist. If you’re an artist, be an artist; don’t try to be an academic. If you’re just an ordinary person, don’t try to fake some big intellectual style; just be you. You don’t have to raise a crowd to its feet with a thunderous oration. Conversational sharing can work just as well. In fact, for most audiences, it’s a lot better. If you know how to talk to a group of friends over dinner, then you know enough to speak publicly.

And technology is opening up new options. We live in an age where you don’t have to be able to speak to thousands of people at a time to have an outsized impact. It could just be you talking intimately to a video camera, and letting the Internet do the rest.

Presentation literacy isn’t an optional extra for the few. It’s a core skill for the twenty-first century. It’s the most impactful way to share who you are and what you care about. If you can learn to do it, your self-confidence will flourish, and you may be amazed at the beneficial impact it can have on your success in life, however you might choose to define that.

If you commit to being the authentic you, I am certain that you will be capable of tapping into the ancient art that is wired inside us. You simply have to pluck up the courage to try.

Excerpted from the book TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson. © 2016 by Chris Anderson. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.


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The Becker Archive contains approximately 650 hitherto unexhibited and undocumented drawings by Joseph Becker and his colleagues, nineteenth-century artists who worked as artist-reporters for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly observing, drawing, and sending back for publication images of the Civil War, the construction of the railroads, the laying of the transatlantic cable in Ireland, the Chinese in the West, the Indian wars, the Chicago fire, and numerous other aspects of nineteenth-century American culture. These “first-hand” drawings, most of which were never published, document in lively and specific ways key developments in the history of America as it struggled to establish its national identity.

Sheila Gallagher and Judith Bookbinder
Co-Directors, The Becker Collection

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The lot of the Civil War sketch artist

Interactive Feature from @BC
The lot of the Civil War sketch artist
: On assignment, these artists sent scenes of war to their newspaper editors, who sometimes saw—and printed—things differently.

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US tourists heading to Iran after sanctions lift: NYT

American tourists are heading to Iran in the aftermath of last month’s sanctions removal which saw Iranian tourism boom again, a new report says.

According to the New York Times, tour operators speak of a surge of bookings by many Americans who, undeterred by a State Department warning about travel risks to Iran, are keen on visiting the country.

Tour operators say the demand has been so acute that they are racing to add new departures and selling them in record time.

“It’s similar to Cuba in my mind where suddenly it’s both OK to go there officially but also with travelers thinking this place is going to change,” said Barbara Banks, director of marketing and new trip development at the Berkeley, California-based Wilderness Travel, which sold out its spring trip to Iran and is planning a fall trip focused on the saffron harvest.

“They want to experience the destination before it gets watered down by lots and lots of people going,” the report quoted her as saying.

Tourism in Iran is already popular with Europeans.

Iranian officials told the Associated Press last fall that about five million foreign travelers visited Iran in 2014, and that the country aims to attract 20 million tourists, spending $30 billion, by 2025.

Among growth signs, Air France recently announced that it plans to start three flights weekly between Paris and Tehran beginning in April.

Already Iran is a one-stop destination from New York.

Iran hosts some of the world’s oldest cultural monuments, including 19 Unesco World Heritage Sites, and its varied terrain ranges from desert locales to ski resorts.

“It’s just extraordinarily beautiful, and the sites are as magnificent as any you can find in the world,” said William O. Beeman, a professor and chairman of the anthropology department at the University of Minnesota.

In response to an increase in inquiries, the Seattle-based Mir Corporation, which has been operating in Iran for 15 years, has added new train trips and small group departures in the country this year, for a total of about 10 different trips.

The report also points to some deficiencies such as shortage of enough hotels and some financial restrictions for foreign money transfers.

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Top Iranian Official Highlights Security along Borders after Turkey Coup

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani gave an assurance that the country’s common border with Turkey remains secure after an abortive military coup caused turmoil in the neighbouring country.

Speaking after a special meeting of the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran, held to discuss the latest developments in Turkey in the wake of the failed coup, Shamkhani said Iran is in close contact with Turkish officials to get a better understanding of events in Turkey, since light needs to be shed on all aspects of the coup.

He further underlined that Iran’s northwestern borders near Turkey are secured, noting that the Iranian ground and air forces are well prepared for protecting the country.

As regards the issues discussed in the meeting, Shamkhani said the SNSC members were unanimous in stressing the need for Iran to maintain contact with Turkish political officials and support the Turkish government and nation in the face of the coup.

Earlier on Saturday, the Turkish government came under siege by a faction of military forces who sought to end the rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan citing the leader’s drift away from the country’s long-held secularist values.

The military attempted to use helicopters and tanks to overthrow the Turkish leadership.

According to the state-run Anadolu agency, at least 90 people were killed amid the military coup attempt in Turkey. The victims include civilians and military servicemen.

The coup attempt was led by Col. Muharrem Kose, a former Turkish military officer who was dishonorably discharged in March 2016 for his alleged association with anti-government and US-based dissident Fethullah Gulen.

Gulen’s movement known as Hizmet, once claimed as many as 2,000 officers within the Turkish military prior to crackdowns by Turkish President Erdogan.

Supporters of Gulen have long attempted to use the judiciary to advance corruption investigations against Erdogan sparking a bitter divide between the two groups. Turkish authorities accuse Gulen of attempting to form an opposing “state within a state” known by many in Turkey as the “Parallel Structure.”

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Friday, February 15, 2008

Snack Time

My little lambs, Buddy and Circle-Gay follow me to school everyday and I have a hard time untying the double knots in my shoe laces as they squirm around between my shoes and my hands looking to get some scratches. As soon as I get my hands on them they roll over and show me their bellies like "here to be scratching, please." I go inside to get them something to eat and they wait patiently outside the door until I re-appear and they start to dance. Buddy prances and Circle-Gay circles wildly. It makes me laugh every single day! Then it's snack time.
Such great dogs.

Fastrigosso said...

But what are they having for a snack? :)

Jelly said...

They're having foie gras and lump caviar on thin toasts with watercress.
Nahhhh - they're eating some lamb treat thing from the pet store. I haven't tried it, so I can't say if it's yummy - but they seem to like it.

Jay said...

Oh gosh, I just love puppies!!!


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Abuse Allegations to Manipulate the Family Courts and Child Custody.

The Alarming Rise Of False Allegations Of Abuse

Parental alienation occurs when a parent consciously or unconsciously attempts to brainwash, or otherwise influence a child’s memories, perceptions, feelings, and relationship toward the other parent in a negative, unhealthy, selfish, or destructive way.

And this kind of behavior is repulsive enough.
But one of the most extreme, and increasingly popular forms of parental alienation arising in custody cases today involves the false allegations sexual or physical abuse against a child in divorce action.
And there is a reason for this: it’s a fast and easy way to get your parenting rights terminated and create unhealthy separation between you and your children during a divorce, even as court-ordered child-support keeps flowing.
Of Course, this is why within professional circles, false allegations of sexual abuse in a divorce action are commonly referred to as :The Nuclear Option.

Because with one simple, fraudulent allegation, your divorce opponent can not only inflict massive damage to your relationship with your children, but can completely destroy your life as well.

Attorneys & You - Dad's House - #WeAreHere

Please help by making a small donation to the Legal Representation Fund of Zoraya and David Inguanzo. An alienated parent and child desperately trying to maintain a meaningful relationship despite unjust court intervention and vexatious and malicious family law litigation by opposing party.
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Children want shared parenting...what's the problem?

Custody Arrangements for Very Young Children

How should separated parents share time with infants and toddlers?
Recently, I have found myself thinking a lot about the best, and the worst, custody arrangements for very young children. When I say very young children, I am thinking about infants (aged newborn to roughly 18 months) as well as toddlers (aged 18 months to about 3 years).
Below, I will offer some of my own thoughts about this very important, and it seems, increasingly controversial topic. But at the outset, I want to invite readers to share their experiences about what is working for you, and what isn't; about what custody arrangements you have chosen for your own very young children, and about what schedules were imposed on you by a court, an ex, whoever.

I am looking for your input, because I have been hearing more and more from parents who are very unhappy about parenting plans for their very young children. Mostly, I have been getting emails or telephone calls from parents, usually mothers, who are scared to death that their very young child has been divided - and is being damaged both now and in the long term. I also have heard from other parents, mainly fathers, who are afraid they are being shut out of their very young children's lives - now and for the long run.

There are a lot of complicated psychological, practical, and legal issues involved in custody arrangements for very young children. I will not delve very deeply into the details in this post, or I will end up going on for too long. Look for future posts with more specifics.
Psychologically, the quality of attachment relationships is the main concern about the well-being of very young children. Children form a close bond with those who care for them, usually their parents, in the first year of life (and beyond). The development of attachments is a biologically driven process, one that is observed in other primates, other mammals, and precocial birds. (Think of ducklings swimming in line behind their mother on a pond in springtime.)

Very young children can and do form multiple attachments, including to mothers, fathers, grandparents, nannies, and so on. Still, children have a primary attachment figure, the person they prefer to offer them comfort in times of anxiety or pain. (A daycare worker can comfort a distraught toddler when no parent is available, but given a choice, an 18 month old will run to Mommy - or Daddy.)
Now we are getting to the nub of one controversy. A great deal of psychological research shows that the quality of the primary attachment - particularly whether it is secure or insecure - in very young children predicts the development of various psychological and social problems in the future. (Importantly, attachment is a central concern not only for custody but for other issues like day care, families where both parents are employed for long hours, hospitalized premature infants, incarcerated parents, and a variety of other issues involving parents' relationships with their very young children.)

So in disputed custody cases, parents, lawyers, and various experts can and do end up debating whether a very young child's primary attachment (usually to the mother) is all-important and pretty fragile - or whether their secondary attachment (usually to the father) is just as important and perhaps is being undermined, maybe deliberately, by a doting or vindictive primary attachment figure. Specific questions and debates range from whether babies, or toddlers, should have overnights with their secondary attachment figures to whether parents should share joint physical custody of infants, alternating back and forth every day if necessary.

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Friday, May 6, 2011

It always comes back to a world war

The crazy old lady strikes again! Let me start off by telling you a bit about my crazy old lady neighbor. She has lived in her house since 1942, her husband was a WWII vet who went crazy and then died. She never had kids, she has only had one cat in her life, and she claims she still doesn't have a cat even though I have seen cat food in her garbage can more than once. The first time I met her it was a cold March day. She spent 25 minutes talking to me outside about WWII and certain regions in Japan (wondering if I was familiar with them). She is clearly a hoarder. I try not to look in her house in fear of what I might see but this photo depicts what I imagine it looks like in there....maybe worse. She smells awful and dresses like a homeless man but she is super smart and can be really sweet. No matter what we are talking about it always comes back to a war (usually world war II, but yesterday it was world war I). Here is a recap of our conversation yesterday:

Crazy lady (CL): Are you pregnant?
Me: Yes, I am.
CL: Congratulations, you are carrying low. My aunt so and so always said that if you carried low that meant you were having a boy.
Me: Yes, I have heard that but the doctor says I am having a girl
CL: Well, they are probably right then. My aunt so and so had one child who died from the flu around WWI. You know, at that time they said that this was caused by germ warfare. That the Germans were the ones who spread that around. The Germans were much more advanced at that time. We lead in science now but back then it was the Germans.
(I just keep nodding along at this point as she continues to repeat parts of this story for a while).
CL: So anyway, congratulations on becoming a mother. I am glad you are going to have a child, so many women get abortions these days.
Me: (stunned, shocked) Umm, yes. Thanks.

And we both go our separate ways......

  1. What a beautiful woman-to-woman moment, just in time for Mothers Day. Imagine all the info she'll have for you once Edith is on the scene. Info involving a world war, of course.

  2. I feel like the crazy lady's life provides a real nice forecast into my future. Except I won't be a home owner, and instead of war I'll talk about movies all the time. Man, won't that be fun.

  3. Well Chuck I am pretty sure that was her mothers house so maybe if you stay at your grandma's house long enough.......


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Chicken in Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

Here is a recipe I created! I was searching online for a recipe using tomatillos, but did not have the complete list of ingredients called for in any of the recipes. So....I made up my own! It turned out fabulous and I will be definitely using it again. Hope you enjoy it!

4 Tomatillos - quartered

1/2 yellow onion - chopped

3 cloves garlic - chopped

1 banana pepper - chopped

1 t fresh basil - chopped

1 t fresh scallion - chopped

1 10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup

1 T olive oil

1/2 onion sliced

2 chicken breasts

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

cooked brown rice

1. Blend first six ingredients in food processor.

2. Put mixture in small saucepan and simmer 10 minutes.

3. Add can cream of mushroom soup. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently

4. Cut bone from chicken breast, slice into thin fillets.

5. Brown chicken with onion slices in olive oil on both sides.

6. Add can diced tomatoes to chicken and onions. Simmer 3 minutes.

7. Pour chicken, onions and tomatoes into 9 X 13 casserole dish.

8. Pour tomatillo sauce on top.

9. Bake in oven for 45 minutes.

10. Serve over brown rice.

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Something to Sink Her Teeth Into

Lil Cherub has grown the cutest two little teeth. I'm sure she doesn't know what to do with them yet...though she has bitten me a few times already... Anyway, they are a reminder to me that she is growing so quickly! Babbling, crawling, cruising, eating lots of food to keep up with all of the energy she is spending. I made my own babyfood for all three of my little blessings. However, this time around I'm taking on a new challenge! She loves to eat toasted o's and graham crackers, so Ive decided to make my own teething biscuits and crackers . I found several recipes at a website that was a great resource to me with my first two blessings, I hope to try this one out this weekend and post pictures soon!

Baby Teething Crackers

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup milk

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In food processor or in large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Blend in enough of the milk to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball.

On a floured surface or pastry cloth, roll into a rectangle about 3/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 x 3-inch rectangles. Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Stick each cracker 2 or 3 times with the tines of a fork. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the crackers are thoroughly dry. Cool on a rack. These crackers should be hard. If necessary, put them back in the oven for a few minutes.

Yields 10 to 15 crackers.

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Clean Water Project

Providing community access to clean, safe drinking water

The global water crisis

We don't think about water much in the western world. Accessing clean, safe water is as easy as turning on a tap in our home. But that's not the case everywhere. The UN suggests that each person needs 20-50 litres of safe freshwater a day to ensure their basic needs for drinking, cooking and cleaning; however, more than one in six people worldwide don't have access to this amount of safe freshwater.

The results are devastating. Globally, diarrhoea is the leading cause of illness and death, and 88 per cent of diarrhoeal deaths are due to a lack of access to sanitation facilities, together with inadequate availability of water for hygiene and unsafe drinking water.

The water problem in Mae Sot

For the most part, the water problem in the border community of Mae Sot (where Imagine Thailand's Clean Water Project is currently focused) is not lack of water; it is lack of water clean and safe enough to drink.

Each of the sixty migrant schools-–for students who have left Myanmar because of the violence and poverty caused by the military government–-must make a difficult decision. They can either buy expensive bottled water on an extremely limited budget or allow their students to drink water that, full of toxins, elements, and bacteria, isn't suitable for consumption. When students drink unsafe water, they often become sick–-sometimes chronically. In fact, 80 percent of all fatal childhood diseases can be attributed to a lack of clean drinking water and sanitation.

Imagine Thailand believes that every student has a right to affordable, healthy drinking water so that students can learn, develop and grow to their full potential.

Why filtration makes sense

Since 2008, Imagine Thailand has been working to provide each migrant school in Mae Sot with a source of clean, reliable drinking water: a reverse osmosis water filtration system. This water filtration system removes bacteria and toxins and cleans the water to nearly 100 percent purity. These systems are affordable and practical because they tap in to an existing water source (where schools don't have one, we often drill or find new sources) and deliver clean water right where it's needed.

The cost

Most systems cost 90,000 to 120,000 Thai baht, equivalent to about $3,000 to $4,000 Canadian dollars. The cost includes the physical system and installation along with parts and maintenance for three years. During the first three years, the school gradually takes over maintenance and ordering parts so that the system remains in use for years to come. The life of each system is approximately 10 years.

Because access to clean drinking waster is also an issue for the communities surrounding schools, we encourage and train school leaders to sell water to their community at a reduced rate--usually half the cost of commercial water. This provides the community with the benefit of affordable clean water and provides the school with an income source to help pay for water system maintenance and a new water system down the road. Schools also use revenue for food, teaching supplies and teacher salaries.

Schools partner with Imagine Thailand by providing labour to install the system and people to train in ongoing maintenance.

Does it really make a difference?

Clean water is essential to life and health. Improving access to clean water and sanitation is one of the UN's Millenium Development Goal targets and it is crucial for these children to develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. When we see the joy--and relief--of the students and teachers after a new water system is installed, you understand how much this means.

Water celebration at Love and Care School.

How to get involved

To make a donation, visit Send us an email to let us know you’d like to direct your donation to the Clean Water Project. To find out more about this project or discuss fundraising opportunities in your school, church or workplace, contact us.


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Okay, so Crusader is finally out. Huzzah! And so on and so forth.

On CreateSpace, on Amazon.com (Kindle and print) and Amazon.co.uk (only on Kindle as yet).

Oh, but no time to rest on my laurels. Renegade is a-calling.

Bill said...

I must say that Pagan/Jack Henderson are probably some of the greatest characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I split the two because, as you well know being the author, they seem to be separate personalities. You pointed this out after Marie ate the wolfsbane, stating that Pagan was over the issue, yet Jack would still need some time. Sorry for rambling. The books are brilliant, the characters are top notch (loved the character of Bolt), and I absolutely cannot wait for the release of Renegade. Cheers, sir.

Anonymous said...

please dont dillydally about writing renegade dont blog so much and maybe u could spend that time writing. I dont usually like male leads but i like Jack I cant wait to find out what he really is .
Please dont make us wait its crule!
ur fan

Anonymous said...

Please hurry up with Renegade!! I cant wait!

Big fan..Lina x


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Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Impey announces new, sleek Aqua-Screen Pure Curved

UK specialist wetroom supplier Impey Showers Ltd has announced a visually alluring new addition ‘Aqua-Screen Pure Curved’.

Impey is renowned for its innovative designs and use of high quality materials and this is clearly demonstrated in the brands latest panel launch.

Manufactured from 5mm toughened safety glass and treated with Impey’s unique Aqua-Shield easy clean finish, ‘Aqua-Screen Pure Curved’ will provide a convenient and practical solution to most bathroom configurations.

Sophisticated and sleek, the ‘Aqua-Screen Pure Curved’ can be fitted as a single panel in a corner or alcove, making it ideal for small bathrooms and ensuites. The unusual curved glass has been designed to maximise the available showering area; a unique design solution when space is of a premium.

Standing at 1900mm in height, the glass is secured with a multidirectional 1200mm trimmable bar, with a solid, chrome finished square foot, which supports

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Capability as discrete unit of purpose

Capability is a very important concept for any enterprise. Capability is used to manage the relationships between the enterprise mission and the enterprise successful functioning.

Enterprise mission is a short and catchy statement which describes a reason WHY an enterprise is doing what is it doing. Mission links the goals (nouns) and activities (via verbs or gerunds).There are a few patterns for the mission statement:
  • “do this until that is achieved”, e.g. “Eliminate poverty”
  • “do this while you are achieving that”, e.g. “Earn money by making cars”
  • “do this because of that”, e.g. “Create a better everyday life for the many people”
  • “do anything to achieve this”, e.g. “Go there, don't know where, bring that don't know what, but this must make me happy”.
Enterprise successful functioning is a result of the behaviour of a complex socio-technical system (or even a system of systems).

To be able to manage the relationships between the enterprise mission and enterprise successful functioning, it is necessary to make these relationships explicit, reliable (with formally validated quality) and quantitative. Capability is one of the key artefacts to do this.

Unfortunately, the concept ‘capability’ has no commonly-agreed definition. Different people understand it differently ( see http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.ch/2015/10/concepts-crisis-in-it-and-sister-domains.html ). This article offers a reconciliation between several interpretations (or projections) of this concept.

There are two major interpretations of the concept ‘capability’:
  1. Capability as discrete-unit-of-purpose (do right things)
  2. Capability as measure-of-performance (do things right)
Mainly the first interpretation will be discussed below.

Related blogposts - http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.ch/search/label/%23%23terminology

2 Capability as discrete unit of purpose

The mission of an enterprise can be decomposed into an approximate hierarchy of discrete-units-of-purpose must describe WHAT an enterprise must be doing to conduct its mission.

An example (see figure below) is a strict hierarchical decomposition of the “rent-a-car” business into capabilities-as-discrete-unit-of-purpose.

Note 1: Potential synonym of “capability-as-discrete-unit-of-purpose” is “capability-as-a-discrete-unit-of-mission”.

Note 2: In theory, the decomposition is strictly hierarchical, i.e. some “complex” capabilities are built from some subordinated “simple” capabilities. Also, it is possible to say “aggregated capabilities” and “detailed capabilities”. For example, aggregated capability “Collaboration” comprises the following detailed ECM capabilities (not exhausted list):

  • Sharing files
  • Pattern “One writer and many readers”
  • Pattern “Few managers, several members (writers) and many visitors (readers)”
  • Co-editing
  • Invitation of any internal person as a visitor (reader or writer)
  • Invitation of any external person as a visitor (reader or writer)
  • Notifications (or alert)
  • Local copy for off-line work
  • etc.

Note 3: In practice, there is no exact hierarchy of discrete-units-of-purpose within an enterprise because some discrete-units-of-purpose can be shared.

Note 4: Some capabilities may be outsourced.

Note 5: If outsourcing and sharing are ignored, all enterprises in the same industry sector (e.g. telecom) have the same capability-as-discrete-unit-of-purpose decomposition. (Such a decomposition also called “industry sector reference model”, e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Process_Framework_(eTOM) ).

A capability may be implemented in one of the following ways:
  • Internally as a business function (including people, resources, tools and other functions)
  • Externally as a commodity which are available from the market (e.g. banking)
  • Externally as partnership with a service provider
  • Deliberately missing (because of some reasons, e.g. maturity level)

For example, the capabilities of an IT department can be implemented as the following:

  • Governance, Business Analysis, PMO, Application Support – internally
  • Infrastructure – externally as the partnership with an IaaS provider
  • Development – externally as the partnership with an ecosystem of providers
  • Testing – externally as commodity, e.g. testers are available for 11 $ per hour
  • Service desk – externally via contract with a company MMM
  • Enterprise IT Architecture – deliberately missing

Again, internally implemented capability is a business function. Capability itself is an abstract construction.

3 Building internal implementations of capabilities as business functions

An internal implementation of a capability (actually a business function) may use other functions (all subordinated and some shared) and some tools. How to select tools for an implementation of a particular business function? Obviously, the selection must be explicit and quantitative to be able to verify a choice tool is the best. Also, it is mandatory to avoid unjustified duplications at the scale of an enterprise (or “silo” effect).

Thus, it is necessary to establish relationships between the capability demand (i.e. requirements of a particular business function) and the capability supply (i.e. features of some tools).

A few intermediate layers (see figure below) are necessary to make these relationships explicit and practical.

  • Concrete Business Capability – concrete functionality needed for the business, also known as requirements.
  • Uniform Business Capability – enterprise-wide agreed functionality, which may be implemented once and reused many times (usually based on good business practices and business patterns).
  • Generalised Technical Capability – Industry “de-facto” or “de-jure” standards for functionality of particular class of tools (e.g. DBMS, DMS, web browser).
  • Specific Technical Capability – Particular functionality implemented by a particular tool, also known as features.
  • HTML5 specifications for web browsers as defined by W3C (generalised technical capability)
  • HTML5 implementations in Chrome, IE, Safari, etc. (specific technical capability)
The use of the mentioned above capabilities is described below. Imagine (see figure below) an implementation of the business function B1 that comprises the business function C3 (which is “smaller” than B1) and the tools T1, T2, T3 and T9.

This implementation of the business function B1 requires (in addition to C3) some concrete business capabilities (as requirements described by the owners of the B1) – B1A, B1B, ... B1Z (see figure below). Their implementations reply on the tools T1, T2, T3 and T9.

All the tools expose some specific technical capabilities. Some of those capabilities implement the concrete business capabilities of the business function B1 (see figure below).

Some of the concrete business capabilities from various functions may be very similar. For example, the delegation of authority is a stable and well-defined business pattern ( see http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.ch/2012/07/practical-process-pattern-dam.html ). Also, there are numerous “good business practices” proven by practice and helped many companies to avoid “trial and error” improvements. Thus is it logical to have a set of uniform business capabilities that is actually, enterprise-wide collection of good business practices.

So, one of the concrete business capabilities of the business function B1, e.g. B1A, was agreed to match the uniform business capability BC10 (see figure below).

In the similar manner, some of specific technical capabilities can be similar. For example, the specific technical capability T1B and the specific technical capability T2A are the same generalized technical capability TC30 (see figure below).

Thus the tool T2 can be eliminated because its specific technical capability T2A can be provisioned by the tool T1 with its specific technical capability T1B (see figure below).

4 Example

The business requested some “collaboration” functionality to exchange information among staff members, volunteers, and service providers. The requested concrete business capabilities (primarily aggregated) are the following:
  • Multilingual
  • Omni-channel
  • Various audiences
  • “Book shelf” as static documentation (slow changing by designated groups)
  • “Tool box” as operational documentation (changing with the speed of operations by groups which are involved in operations)
  • “Forum” as interactive knowledge capturing and exchange (ah-hoc changes by communities of practices – speed of Internet discussions)
  • “News channels” as real-time information (feeds and streaming)
  • Activity monitoring
All of these concrete business capabilities were mapped against the generalised technical capabilities as shown in table below (columns “Capability demand”). Additional columns “Capability supply” show the level of provisioning of those generalised technical capabilities by an in-house ECM tool.

5 Other interpretations of the concept ‘capability’

Performance-related interpretation: capability is a measure of how well a function with achieving a desired result. Such a measure can be qualitative or quantitative. Numerous “heat maps” use this interpretation (see figure below).

The important consideration for performance measurement of capabilities is that a function is considered “self-contained” thus capability of a function depends on capabilities of all other functions and tools used by this function (see figure below).

Capacity-centric interpretation: capability is availability of resources required to achieve a desired result. This is very ERP-oriented interpretation.

#bizarch from the #entarch point of view

This blogpost is a placeholder for my presentation at the IASA e-summit. This presentation contains (in notes) additional URLs to various blog posts.

Question 1: How #entarch and #bizarch can help innovations?

There are a few mutually enhancing factors.

1. Less stress, higher performance, higher security, less risk, higher predictability of results, and better operations thus liberating people's business potential.

2. Routine activities will be gradually eliminated thus increasing the time for added-value contributions.

3. Armed with actionable patterns, different staff members will employ similar services to implement similar enterprise capabilities thus increasing the re-usability of these services.

4. Modern technologies will be employing in a coordinated and transparent way to streamline evolution and reduce overlapping and omissions.

5. Disjointed solutions and systems will fuse into a corporate unified business execution platform, which will allow quick experimentation for various business ideas thus enable business innovations.

6. Staff members can concentrate on innovative solutions for the unique challenges of their business and not waste time re-inventing the wheel.

Question 2: What is the difference between business and technical capability?

An extra blogpost cover this issue - see http://improving-bpm-systems.blogspot.ch/2016/05/capability-as-discrete-unit-of-purpose.html

Question 3: How #bizarch and #entarch help to software-defined enterprise?

This will be presented at a BPM conference in Lisbon on 2016-06-23.


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comment 1

Physicians Must Not Lag Behind National Policy on Transgender Discrimination

As a native New Yorker, I was thrilled when last month Governor Cuomo announced plans for an executive order that prohibits discrimination against transgender people. This executive order would apply to issues such as employment and housing, expand existing anti-discrimination protections to include gender identity, transgender status and gender dysphoria.

There have also been advancements involving the protection of transgender people from discrimination in health care settings. Just two months ago, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed legislation that clarifies protection for transgender individuals from discrimination by health care providers and insurers. This legislation builds on a portion of the Affordable Care Act in order to ensure that patients are not treated unjustly due to their gender identity.

The question remains: Why is government action even necessary?

In 2011, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force surveyed 6,450 transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Their report found that discrimination against the respondents was widespread. Those who identified as transgender or gender non-conforming were twice as likely to be unemployed as the general population. Almost half of all respondents (47 percent) said that, “they had experienced an adverse job outcome, such as being fired, not hired or denied a promotion because of being transgender or gender non-conforming.”

With respect to direct housing discrimination, 19 percent of respondents reported “having been refused a home or apartment” and 11 percent reported “being evicted because of their gender identity/expression.” Those who identified as transgender or gender non-conforming were also twice as likely to be homeless as the general population.

The field of health care was not immune to this dismal outlook. Many of the respondents postponed their medical care due to an inability to afford care (48 percent) or due to perceived discrimination (28 percent). 19 percent of these respondents reported “being refused medical care due to their transgender or gender non-conforming status, with even higher numbers among people of color in the survey.”

What remains particularly alarming to me, as a physician-in-training, is that half of respondents in the report said that they had to educate their medical providers about transgender care.

I unfortunately cannot say that I am surprised. In my medical training so far, I have only received a single lecture on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) health. However, my school is far from being the only institution that needs to have improved training on the health needs of transgender patient populations. A recent study asked deans from medical schools across the United States and Canada about their school’s coverage of LGBT-related content in the curriculum: less than one out of every four deans felt that their schools did at least a “good” job. One-third of participating medical schools reported having zero hours of content on LGBT health in the clinical curriculum. While the vast majority of medical schools (97 percent) reported teaching students to ask patients if they have “sex with men, women or both” during the sexual history component of the patient interview, only 30.3 percent reported to have instruction on gender transitioning and 34.8 percent reported to have instruction on sex re-assignment surgery.

Last month, in-Training published a podcast that features Olivia, who is “one of the few openly trans medical students in the country.” With her unique perspective as a member of both a marginalized community and an institution with traditional privilege, Olivia describes the history of medical discrimination against transgender individuals and how to counter this through curricular reform.

Even if medical schools actively work to increase LGBT-related curricula, there needs to be an increased mindfulness about not perpetuating continued marginalization of LGBT populations. A commentary in JAMA published last month describes how, by creating a speciously distinct category for “transgender health instruction,” medical schools run the “risk of casting transgender people as ‘other’.” Rather, schools should integrate instruction on transgender care throughout the cultural humility, biochemical, psychosocial and psychiatric components of the curriculum.

Medical schools do not have the luxury to procrastinate making the appropriate and needed changes to their curricula. There have recently been some innovative initiatives that seek to leverage the power that transgender patients have as consumers of health care. For instance, RAD Remedy provides a national database of health care providers with the aim of “connecting trans, gender non-conforming, intersex and queer folks to accurate, safe, respectful and comprehensive care.”

While this is a fantastic project, it demonstrates the limited access to good health care that transgender individuals continue to suffer from. Poor health outcomes from discriminatory barriers to health care are exacerbated by an increased risk for HIV infection, violence and substance abuse among transgender patient populations. Consequently, medical schools must act now to ensure that they are adequately training future physicians whose capacity is not limited to patients of a certain gender identity.

Tehreem Rehman (4 Posts)

Contributing Writer

Yale School of Medicine

Tehreem Rehman is an MD/MPH candidate at Yale/Johns Hopkins. She is invested in addressing the impact of adversity and trauma on psychopathology, clinical and community interventions for violence, and the relationship between healthcare provider biases and health inequity. Tehreem blogs at www.tehreemrehman.wordpress.com and can be reached on Twitter @tehreem_rehman.


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I have 8 siblings now!!!!!

Posted by: Lydia mae

This is my new sister. She weighs 7# and 10 ounces. She is 20 1/2″ long and does not have a name yet, but some of us think that her name should be Tara.  I think that Her name should be Patience because she didn’t cry when she was born and doesn’t cry very much.

She is very content and Perry loves her just as much as anyone else does. He is so protective. When she
(the baby) started to cry in her sleep for just a minute, he came running over and said: “Baby cry Mom, Baby cry” and started to look concerned. Mom told him that she (the baby) was fine and that she was just sleeping. I am glad that he is not jealous of her getting all of the attention.

  1. camille riley says:

    my first name is Tara! =)

    Patience is a pretty name too though.

  2. Stephanie Patience. 🙂

  3. From Katie: “Mama watch baby girl watch baby girl. (I put up picture of you new baby) AAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW so cute so cute, Cute baby girl. aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww”
    Okay just wanted to let you know

  4. I am so happy for you and your family.

  5. TF @ Made From Scratch says:

    Congrats! She is beautiful:) I am so happy for you all, what a blessing!

    -TF a fellow QF blogroll mama 😉

  6. Congratulations on your beautiful daughter! I have a daughter named Patience and we highly recommend it if you’re still looking for a name : )

  8. Oh she is beautiful!!!!!! I missed the whole thing and was so looking forward to reading your live posts yesterday. Your blog was the first one I looked for tonight when I got back on the computer. So glad everything went well for you guys and everyone is well. Can’t wait to see what you name her.

  9. So beautiful! I’m eager to see what ya’ll name her! 🙂

  10. She is absolutely beautiful! What a precious gift from God!

    The pictures are great, and the little baby is adorable!

    Have you thought of a name?

    God bless you and your new little girl. 🙂

  12. How precious! I hope you can find a name soon.

  13. I have twin cousins named Patience and Prudence. No kidding! MaddieLynn says you should name her Evangeline.

  14. Congratulations!
    I stumbled across this blog some time ago, though I don’t think I’ve ever commented, and I’ve been checking here every day to see if the baby has arrived yet. I’m so happy for you!
    What a beautiful baby. She’s goooorgeous! Such rosy red lips, round little face…dark hair….to be honest, most newborns need a little time to develop their beauty, but she’s already breathtaking.
    But, of course, there’s more than looks. Children are from the Lord, and what a blessing to see another soul sent into the world. I can’t believe y’all kept up with posting! But it is really neat to read all the posts. Thanks for doing that. I look forward to updates!

  15. Caroline says:

    How about the name Caroline for the newest addition?

  16. Congratulations! She is soooo beautiful, I can’t wait until I get my hands on her (just 3 more weeks) 🙂 Grandpa and I are very proud of her!

  17. I’M A FUNCLE…………..AGAIN!!!! She is adorable!!
    I wish I could come down for a visit, to see her:(

    Children are a blessing from the Lord…………and you all are very blessed!

  18. What a beautiful baby! Congratulations and God bless! 🙂

  19. I’m just taken with how pretty she is! Congrats guys! Hope Mom’s doing well! I like both Tara and Patience… and according to other commenters, Rose… Tara Rose, Patience Rose, etc… I like all three!

  20. Congratulations!!!!! I just smiled when I read it was a girl. Praying for the whole family, but especcily for Kim and Perry and Baby-yet-to-be-named.

  21. What a cute baby….if you are still undecided about a name, I recommend making a poll at iVillage – here is the link: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppbabyname

    They are really helpful there….good luck choosing!

  22. I second Tara Patience- it sounds very nice together. Also if/when she’s married and changes her name, everyone will ask her if she “lost Patience” 🙂

  23. Angela H. says:

    I really like Tara! Actually, Tara Patience sounds very nice together also…..just a thought. God bless you all! Kim, I hope you are feeling better and more rested soon.

  24. Congrats all! I just found your site recently and have enjoyed it. Subira means patience in Swahili for what it’s worth…:-) Don’t you just love getting all this help naming your child?

  25. Sheila,
    Funny you should suggest that name, we were all thinking Tara something or Something Patience!
    -Kaitlyn 🙂

  26. Caroline says:

    I just got back from vacation, too, and I had to check in with y’all! Congratulations, Kim & Perry, and the whole family. Your new addition is adorable. I’ve never gotten to name a girl so I can’t help giving some suggestions: Samantha, Bethany, Catherine, Molly, Mary Claire, Eve….

    Get as much rest as you can, Kim. That won’t be hard with all your little helpers. God bless!

  27. She’s lovely and congratulations all! Way to go, baby bloggers! Nice work Kim!

  28. SuperSweet!

  29. Erin M in MO says:

    I also thought she looked like a Rose!! Maybe that could be her middle name. 🙂 Congratulations! You now have 7 sisters… I have 9 brothers and think every one of them are great. 🙂

  30. Loverly!

  31. Congratulations! God has truly blessed your family. (I knew it would be a girl. :))
    I know you’re not asking, but: Stephanie Patience.

  32. Sue Keith says:

    I am Sue, and I met you when you were with your grandmother in Sunday School class, in Hillsboro, OR. I have three boys, so it is a blessing to see a baby girl. Although mine are a lot older, now I wish I had taken time to enjoy them more, but having twins, each about the weight of your new one, was hard on me, leaving me with a few problems. So count your blessings! I have been following your blog for a while now, and got to see the pictures this morning, before Great Grandmother did! Our prayers are with you. Sue and John Keith

  33. Desiree says:

    Congratulations!!!! She looks so sweet. I am so happy for your family.

  34. She is gorgeous! I just got back from vacation, and I just had to check in on you. I have been praying for you!

  35. Congratulations!! She’s beautiful!!

  36. Congratulations!! She is beautiful. We have been moving all day but this morning I was catching up on the posts. Congrats again!!

  37. I think she’s beautiful and looks like a Rose! Reading this blog daily and seeing her new little face makes me want to have another baby of my own…congratulations, again!

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The veiny one-eyed monsters from the Prologue have finally manifested themselves in the story proper!
Although noted in the script as the V.O.E.M. ( or Voem) they generally go by the name Adherents. I am attempting to make them as unsettling as possible, giving them a creepy vibe. Even our battle-scarred raider Quartermaster Marg is put off by them!

They sound creepy as well, in case you missed the animated version of the prologue it can be found here.

Whatever they want with all of those lifeforms, it can’t be pleasant!


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Tag Archives: Haval H5

Spied: Great Wall Haval H5 caught testing in India

It’s quite literally raining SUVs and CUVs in India! Ford Ecosport, Renault Duster, facelifted Captiva, Tata Safari Storme, Mahindra XUV500, Force One, Premier Rio, Mahindra Mini Xylo, XA Alpha concept, you name it and it’s there.One more SUV


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[Guest reviewer Colin Brown profiles each game in the Winter Bundle available now on IndieGames' co-created site Indie Royale.]

mif2000's Hamlet, otherwise known in full as Hamlet or the last game without MMORPG features, shaders and product placement, is quite a mouthful. It certainly sticks to its word, though, as I found nary a tweet button or DLC offer in sight. But of course, talking about what a game doesn't do is a poor substitute for discussing what it does do. So what exactly is Hamlet besides a bold stand against the perils of modern gaming? Well, it's a pretty loose adaptation of Shakespeare's play pocketed with short adventure puzzle vignettes and thoroughly enhanced with the addition of time travel.

A little man with a lightbulb on his head travels through time and crushes Hamlet by mistake. Not wanting to risk a paradox, and already on thin ice for time travelling into a fictional story, the little fellow takes Hamlet's place and must rescue the fair Ophelia from Claudius and his cronies. This takes the form of some very abstract puzzles, often based on tweaking the environment in very subtle ways. If nothing else, Hamlet delights in playing with genre conventions and adventure game expectations with some fairly clever and unexpected solutions.

Now, the actual puzzles can be a bit mixed at times. Most of the puzzles involved rather delightful eureka moments, completely challenging the puzzles you've come to expect from other, more traditional adventure games. Figuring out these puzzles was difficult, but incredibly rewarding, and it was rare to hit a total dead end thanks to the vague clues the game offers when stuck. Any adventure game I can look back on and point to genuinely innovative solutions is a win in my book. Others puzzles, though, were slightly less engaging, with annoying tropes like a maze puzzle and some challenging timing sections. Overall the good outweighs the bad, but the way mif2000 absolutely nails many of the puzzles makes the few so-so segments stand out.

But I really can't fault a game with a boss battle against Claudius rocking out to some heavy metal riffs. It may not be the most faithful of adaptions, but the absolutely delightful artwork and anachronistic features make for an incredibly amusing adventure. I'd rather not spoil some of the more outlandish additions (the kraken battle is a particular winner for me), but the absurdist streak in this adaptation makes for a clever and funny premise. It's rather short, of course, but Hamlet is a great example of an adventure game that thinks outside of the box.

[Hamlet, Greed Corp, Bit.Trip Runner, Conquest of Elysium 3, Leave Home, and They Breathe are available in the Winter Bundle now at Indie Royale.]


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Home Bangalore Gadget boy

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    Is there a shiny newgadget you’d like to tellus about? Mail gadgetboy@newindianexpress.com

    Rezvani Beast Alpha
    The Beast Alpha goes zero to 100kph in 3.2 seconds courtesy a 2.4l turbocharged engine that belts out 500 HP. The hard top is removable, while the sidewinder doors are like no other. rezvanimotors.com

    OnePlus 3T
    The 3T has ultra fast charging, a 2.3GHzSnapdragon 821 processor and 6GB ofRAM. You can also choose internalstorage upto 128GB, while a 16MP cam isavailable in both the front and the back. Crafted from special aluminium alloys, the 3T is light (158g) and slim (7.35mm) and is available in gold and gun metal colours. oneplus.net

    Protruly VR
    Protruly is a Chinese tech company thatspecialises in optical and electrical tech. Theywill soon launch their first smartphone which willpossibly be the first one with 360 degree VRcapability built in. The device could be used for 3D, panoramic, VR and AR imaging. Coming soon.

    PhotoScan App
    Google’s new app promises totake all your old physical photos, scan and save them in pristine quality. It doesn’t just take a picture but digitally enhances it, correcting glare and improving the quality tremendously. Free download. Available for iOS and Android. goo.gl/oGQiiz

    Firefox Focus
    Focus is a new privatebrowser for iOS that is set bydefault to block trackers forads, analytics and socialfeeds. It also easily erasesyour history and loads yourpages much faster. Free download. itunes.com

    Lepsi Watch Analyzer
    This incredible device measures the performance ofmechanical watches for accuracy and precision. A watcH scope allows you to place the watch on it and connects to your touch device (with the app installed) to provide a full report on your wristwatch. It measures variables such as rate variation, amplitude, beat error against the atomic clock. All data is recorded and stored in a database. Compatible with iOS and Android. lepsi.ch

    HYT Axl Rose
    The Skull watch made famous by HYT now has an Axl Roseversion co-created by the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses. Only 25editions of the watch are available. Features include a supertitanium case and special liquid inside which tells you the time. Available December. hytwatches.com

    Tudor Pelagos LHD
    Watchmaker Tudor has introduced a new numbered editioN of the Pelagos dive watch specifically for left-handed divers. The titanium watch can be worn on the right wrist and go down upto depths of 500m. The luminescent markers come in a new beige colour and the watch has a power reserve of upto 70 hours with a Tudor manufactured movement.tudorwatches.com

    -Ashok Pandian

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Friday, June 22, 2007
The artist for all of Bloodlust Software releases in the past is working on a new AGS adventure game under a new banner, Gnarled Scar Manipulations. As explained by the developer of The Knobbly Crook:

You play as O'Sirus the Snip, a simple paper farmer who realizes he is connected to something much bigger. He'll struggle to join the Royal Guffaloon, the Crookian warrior police, he'll end up in the massive stronghold of the Bogold Empire, and eventually he'll be on the front lines of a huge war. I can't hide the rock, paper, scissors theme with my screenshots, so I'll say it has a big part of the way things work in the Knobbly Crook. Magic takes many strange forms, and O'Sirus controls those three elements (Tic is his paper bird).

A short one room demo is available for download.

More images: [1] - [2] - [3] - [4] - [5] - [6] - [7]
Blogger Alex said at 6/22/2007 02:53:00 AM:
That art is incredible.


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Our Locations

Telephone Number

Email Address

Welcome to Infinity Resort - A Luxury Resort.

Annapurna Base Camp

The Annapurna Sanctuary is a natural alpine amphitheatre completely surrounded by snow capped mountains, Grandeurs Glaciers, all over 6000 meters.

Annapurna Circuit Trek

The Annapurna Circuit trek is one of the most popular trekking destinations in the world. It offers the most variety of any treks in the world.

White Water Rafting in Nepal

At the foot of the Himalayan Mountains, Nepal is blessed with an amazing diversity of rivers. Simply put, we live in a white water enthusiast’s paradise with an awesome variety of white water rafting adventures to tempt any type of traveler. From convenient ½ day excursions to full on 12 day river expeditions, the possibilities are endless! In fact, with so many river options, you can dramatically cut down on the need for bus travel in Nepal, as our waterways can connect you to and from many of Nepal’s most popular destinations!

Originating from the Langtang Himal, a trip on the Trisuli River enjoys scenic valleys, terraced rice fields, and impressive gorges with exciting but not overly challenging white water rapids

Lower Seti River

This unique river passes through two beautiful and contrasting scenic areas offering a goodvariety of Nepali landscapes with local villages, terraced rice fields, waterfalls, jungle corridor and a beautiful white sandy beach for camping under the stars.

Wildlife Adventure

In Nepal ,Wildlife diversity is a unique feature. Various types of wildlife elephant-trekking-khao-sok     found from lowland Terai to up  6000 Meter elevation. Wildlife  tourism is also a major source  of tourism in Nepal. There are  some animals and birds that are  found only in Nepal such as the  Spiny Babbler. Nepal is also  host to a large number of Rhododendron species. The wildlife of Nepal includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats in different climate & altitude. Elephant, Rhinoceros, bengaltiger, snowleopard, Arna, blackbuck, Nilgai, GauriGai, Spotteddeer, Axisdeer, leopard ,barasingha, wildcat, bear, musk deer, Tahr, ghoral & much more wildlife found in Nepal. These Animal has attract the many thousand of tourist every year who like to hunt taking licece and observe.www.nepalwildlifesafari.com who organize trophy hunting & various types of wildlife study and observation tour. Conservation Trophy Hunting: Trophy hunting is the selective hunting of wild game animals. Although parts of the slain animal may be kept as a hunting trophy or memorial (usually the skin, antlers and/or head), the carcass itself is sometimes used as food.Trophy hunting has firm supporters and opponents. Public debate about trophy hunting often centres on the question of the morality of sport hunting and the question of the extent to which the money paid by trophy hunters benefits the population of game animals and the local economy. Trophy hunting should not be confused with poaching, the practice of taking game illegally.

Outdoor Swimming Pool

Note: This service is only for clients.

Paragliding is one of the most exciting adventures in air. Nepal is the second best destination after Switzerland for sky adventure. Sarangkot hill near Pokhara city is main station. The paraglidingwonderfully diverse geographical structure, climate and flow of air are suitable for paragliding in Nepal. Anyone can have wonderfully exciting adventure of gliding in air like a bird independently. Paragliding adventure is includes observing superb views of natural landscape and mountain scenarios.  Sarangkot station offers the finest sceneries around Annapurna Conservation Area including the aerial view of Pokhara city. The magnificent views of Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Fishtail, Mt. Lamjung and Himchuli etc. while flying over the sky are very impressive. The picturesque views of Fewa Lake, green woods, rice fields and settlements give thrill and amusements with breath taking experience. Paragliding offers you some of the finest panoramic views from the sky. Sarangkot is popular among domestic and international visitors for the sunrise and sunset views. Sarangkot hill station is used to get full view of Pokhara city. Paragliding adventure has different levels and varieties of flights depending on its technical challenge and distance- Acrobatic Flight, Cross Valley flight, Cloud-buster flight and Hawk Adventure etc. Paragliding sport is most entertaining who can fly oneself or can be enjoyed by sitting back who want of fly but can’t pilot oneself. The adventures are life memorable with taking photographs/ video while experienced pilots control and operate the glider in the time. Best seasons for paragliding are during the months of November to February.

Bungy Jump

Bungee Jumping is thrilling extreme adventure sports designed for heart-quickening adventure from high above in the gorgeous by tightening a nylon rope. Bungee jumping in Nepal is in the
gorge of Bhote Koshi River from the height of 160 meters in which specially constructed steel bridge for jumping. This thrilling and the pleasant experience of jumping from the bridge is one of the very unforgettable adventures in life. Bungee Jumping as an adventure is permitted from Bridge on Bhote Koshi River. The bridge is designed by New Zealand’s leading bungee consultants and engineers. Bungee jumping is operated by well experienced jump masters after informing and instructing all the safety rules.

Pokhara is famous for its remarkable beauty. The serenity of Fewa Lake and the giant Machhpuchhrey guarding the Pokhara city create an ambiance of peace and beauty. Apart from its natural beauty, it is also famous for 523 species of birds, migratory and non-migratory, breeding and non-breeding. During the spring we can see a variety of migratory and breeding birds

Zeep Flyer

Zip Flyer is adventure activity recently operated in Nepal. It gives the image of cable car but totally different in reality. Zip flying is thrilling adventure because it is in descending incline in a rapid speed sitting in a trolley. Zip line in Nepal is near Pokhara city, from Sarangkot to Hemja VDC stretched 1.8km. and this can be covered in about 2 minutes. This Zip line is world’s tallest, longest and fastest line to have heart pounding experience. It is officially declared world’s most adventurous activity in Nepal. The line is thrilling with 200 ft. vertical height inclined of 56 degrees which has speed of 160km/hr. Zip Flying is very exciting adventure which gives experience of bird like flying for very short moments.

Shuttle Service

Parking at Infinity Resort

Air/Bus Tickets

Mountain Flights:
People who have a limit time period for holidays can enjoy the mountain flights, which offer the panoramic views of the chain of Himalayas.

Air Tickets:
We provide air tickets to the major cities of Nepal and major trekking destination. International Air tickets are also made on request.

Bus Tickets:
Buses are the main forms of public transport in Nepal. We provide Luxurious Tourist Bus Tickets to the major cities in Nepal and major Trekking Destination.

Bus & Train Tickets to India:
We also provide bus and train tickets to various parts of India.

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What's New?

The UK Recruitment Landscape of October

Posted by Megan Stollery

21-Nov-2016 11:40:28

Interested in seeing how the recruitment market performed in October this year? Our recruitment market analysis of October 2016 is presented in the infographic below. To recap, we saw a decrease in permanent and temporary vacancies on a MoM basis. Check out this overview of the top three sectors with the strongest quarterly growth in permanent and temporary roles.

Top Three Permanent Role Sectors

  • Call Centre & Customer Service
  • Graduates & Trainees
  • Defence & Military

Top Three Temporary Role Sectors

  • Logistics Distribution & Supply Chain
  • Call Centre & Customer Service
  • Science & Research

Want to see more? Check out the full infographic below to see just how well these top sectors performed.

Oct 2016.png

Topics: Recruitment Trends , Infographics


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Just when you thought mushrooms were only useful as culinary garnishes (or maybe hallucinogenics as well), Gavin McIntyre and Eben Bayer, two students from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found a more noble purpose for the functional fungi- building insulation made from oyster mushrooms.

Greensulate is a fire-retardant board made out of water, flour, perlite, and mushroom spores. The idea came from an assignment which asked that they produce a form of sustainable insulation. The insulation material is grown by pouring the ingredients into 7 by 7 inch molds with hydrogen peroxide. When this mixture is placed in a dark environment, the mushroom oyster cells start to grow into a 1 inch thick panel, which is then dried to prevent fungus from growing. The pair have a working prototype, which in true college fashion, was grown under their beds.

“I think it has a lot of potential, and it could make a big difference in people’s lives,” said RPI Professor Burt Swersy, whose Inventor’s Studio course inspired the product’s creation. “It’s sustainable, and enviro-friendly, it’s not based on petrochemicals and doesn’t require much energy or cost to make it.”

+ Mushrooms Become Source for Eco-Building


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Menlowe Ballet grows into its second year with formation of Guild and move to local performances

by Linda Hubbard Gulker on April 12, 2013

Lisa Shiveley and Heidi Magnussen, ED and Guild member of Menlowe Ballet

Six days a week, Heidi Magnussen found herself at the Menlo Park Academy of Dance where her two daughters take lessons. So, when Menlowe Ballet took up residence last year, it was natural for Heidi to get involved with the new dance company, becoming a member of its Guild.

“The inspiration for my joining the Ballet Guild is our daughter’s love of dance,” she says. “That’s what motivated me to attend Debut [the first production] in November 2011. I knew almost immediately that I wanted to be involved — it was so inspiring and beautiful. And, I love how the performing arts brings together and unites various parts of the community.”

For Menlowe Ballet Executive Director Lisa Shiveley, the Guild’s formation has been a real blessing. “Once our first couple of seasons came and went, I saw that we had some momentum,” she says. “My question was ‘how do we scale beyond where we are now?’

“One obvious answer was the 700 families involved at the Studio. I knew I needed to tap into their energy.”

While conceding that a Guild’s focus at most professional dance companies is fundraising, Lisa says the duties Menlowe’s Guild performs are much broader. “There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed beyond fundraising, particularly for a new company. For example, this season Guild members have been a tremendous help with ad sales.”

One factor that may spur ticket sales is that the Menlowe Ballet performances will now be held at the Menlo-Atherton Center for Performing Arts. “My hope is that people will have dinner on Santa Cruz Avenue and then come to the ballet,” says Lisa.

The spring season’s offering is titled Reverie, featuring the world premiere of Sweet Sadness by choreographer Viktor Kabaniaev, and two works by Menlowe Ballet Artistic Director, Michael Lowe, Chuntian and Surfside.

Reverie plays on Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday, April 21 at 2:00 p.m., at MAPAC (555 Middlefield Road). Tickets, which range from $28 to $45 may be purchased online at the company’s website or by calling (800) 595-4TIX (4849).

Photo of Heidi Magnussen (right) and Lisa Shiveley (left) by Irene Searles

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Carpet Cleaning

Tips to Remove Pet Odours

Living with our pets is not very easy. Our home environment we share with them constantly risks to be damaged. Sometimes their presence alone is enough to cause bad smell and stains around the house. Home fabrics such as carpets and upholstery get dirty very easily and are very often visited by our pets that [...]

5 Things to Know About Taking Care of Your Curtains

A regular clean is vital. A healthy curtain is of course much easier to clean. When it comes to remove a stain from this decorative item, the best results can be achieved with a thoroughly clean curtain which is totally free from dust. The first step for an effective and easy cleaning is therefore a [...]

Reasons To Keep Your Carpets Clean

  Keeping your house clean on a daily basis is normal, however taking care of your carpets on a daily basis is not so common. Many people don’t do the necessaries everyday even though there are many reasons why they should. Clean carpets mean less allergies and more peace of mind, but there are a [...]

The Challenge of Commercial Carpets

In our experience here at Innovate Carpets London, commercial carpet cleaning is not an easy task. When it comes to big areas and a large number of rooms to take care of, it’s not only cleaning products and expertise that matter, but something else. Getting the job done in a professional manner is not something [...]

In & Outs of Leather Treatment

Cleaning upholstery in general is not very easy. You can’t choose a cleaner randomly and try it on your sofa. First of all it is necessary to follow the manufacturer’s indications written on the label. You also have to become aware of the properties of each cleaning products as well as of the peculiarities of [...]

Which Carpet is Best For Each Room

Carpet industry offers a wide range of carpets, each of which was specifically designed by carefully selecting materials according to their properties. A great contribution was also given by the creation of new strategic types of fibers. Innovation in this field has brought to a range of different carpets that can satisfy the variety of [...]

DIY Carpet Stain Removal Guide

It may be best to read this whole article through just to see which section applies to your situation. This first list will give you an overview of general actions taken to remove nasty stains from a carpet. It does not guarantee their removal, but in many cases you may be lucky.

5 Tips to Clean Your Carpet [infographic]

Cleaning your carpet can be a daunting task. Here at Innovate Carpet we put together a collection of 5 essential tips on carpet cleaning. In London, or anywhere else in the world, the help of a pro is sometimes essential, but following these tips you will make sure your carpets live a longer life!

Risky Products!!

“Going green” is our effort to make our activities on earth less invasive and harmful to the environment.  Although it is seen as the fashionable thing to do recently, going green in certain situations is not only helpful to our environment but also healthier for us, too.  Carpet cleaning is one such area. Little known [...]

General Tips for Carpet Care

Although carpeted floor is ubiquitous here in London, it is surprising how many people do not know all that much about carpet cleaning. If your carpet needs special care, either because of severe deterioration or because it has been damaged, it would be more advisable for you to hire some carpet cleaners in London. However, dear reader, if it is daily care you want to know about, read on!


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Oregon commits react to Kelly departure

When reports surfaced earlier this month that Chip Kelly would be staying at Oregon instead of going to the NFL, Ducks recruits breathed a sigh of relief. All 13 commits confirmed they were still on board with Oregon despite the coaching uncertainty and were looking forward to playing for Kelly.

But Wednesday morning's news that Kelly will be taking over as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles could throw things into flux for the nation's No. 21 recruiting class.


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House votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), moves forward with replacement legislation

By a vote of 245-189, the House of Representatives passed the Republican bill (HR 2) to repeal the law. With this largely symbolic vote completed, House Republicans are moving to replace the law.  Four committee chairmen – Dave Camp (R- MI) of Ways and Means, Fred Upton (R-MI) of Energy and Commerce, John Kline (R-MN) of Education and the Workforce; and Lamar Smith (R-TX) of Judiciary – plan to hold oversight hearings and draft bills to replace elements of the ACA.

Malpractice liability is expected to be the first issue to be taken up by House Republicans. They introduced bills highlighting two approaches to changing the system. One measure (HR 314), introduced by Rep. Thornberry (R-TX), would help states create specialized “health courts” featuring a judge with medical expertise or a panel of neutral experts to award damages. The second bill (HR 157), sponsored by Pete Sessions (R-TX), would protect physicians from litigation stemming from care provided as emergency services. Other measures introduced would allow consumers to purchase insurance across state lines, codify President Obama’s executive order clarifying that no federal funds could be used for abortions under the ACA, and permanently ban federal funding of abortion and eliminate tax breaks for health insurance premiums on policies that cover abortion-related services.

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Acquerello, other local restaurants honored for wine lists

Photo: Acquerello

San Francisco’s Acquerello is honored in this month’s Wine Spectator as one of the publication’s picks for the world’s best wine programs. The three other new recipients of the  “Grand Award” are A Voce Columbus in Manhattan, Commander’s Palace in New Orleans and Sierra Mar in Big Sur.

Congrats to Acquerello co-owners Giancarlo Paterlini and Suzette Gresham, and the restaurant’s 26-year-old wine director Gianpaolo Paterlini.

There are 75 restaurants total that are in this little elite club; the only other Bay Area restaurants with the same badge of honor are Gary Danko, the French Laundry and RN74.

While the Chronicle’s Jon Bonné has lauded the streamlined, “incredible shrinking wine lists” in the Bay Area, Wine Spectator rewards the other side of the spectrum, the encyclopedic ones:

The Grand Award winners generally offer 1,500 or more selections, with superior breadth and depth in many of the world’s classic wine-producing regions. They have also passed a rigorous inspection that evaluates the overall quality of their wine program, cellars, service, ambiance and cuisine.

Of course, through no fault of the honored restaurants, all Wine Spectator lists must reference the Great Wine Spectator Hoax of 2008 that saw a fictitious restaurant earn/buy an award.

In related news, Wine Enthusiast has released its list of the 100 Best Restaurants in America, from a wine point of view, described as “standouts for wine lovers, boasting visionary beverage programs and innovative menus, with eye-catching ambiance and exceptional service.”

Nine local restaurants made the list: A16, Gary Danko, La Toque, Manresa, Press, Quince, Auberge du Soleil, The French Laundry, and the Restaurant at Meadowood:

Acquerello: 1722 Sacramento Street, at Polk; (415) 567-5432 or

· Previously: The Bay Area’s incredible shrinking wine lists [San Francisco Chronicle]

Paolo Lucchesi