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9th May 2016 Shannon Kovacs

6 Ways To Capture A Stunning Photograph

Is your camera just gathering dust because you don’t really know ‘where to start’ when it comes to taking a brilliant photograph?

We spoke to Dave Peck, who knows how to take a fantastic photograph or two, and he shared his six top tips for achieving a magical picture.

Here’s what he had to say:

As a landscape/seascape photographer who has featured on the site, thortful asked me to compile a ‘6 top tips’ to help you capture that perfect scene. I am aiming this at beginners and those of you who want to quickly improve their imagery. Here we go then…

1. Use ‘A’ or ‘Aperture Priority’

Most landscapes should feature interest from the foreground to the background and usually you want all of those features sharply in focus. The Aperture of your camera’s lens controls how much is in focus and you ideally need this to be as small as possible. On a DSLR you should ideally aim for an f-stop of f16 upwards. If you focus on a point in the mid ground, this should make sure everything is acceptably sharp. Of course, rules are there to be broken, so do not be afraid to experiment! The best way to learn about ‘Depth of Field’, which is the term photographers use to describe this, is to photograph a fence or wall at an angle of around 45 degrees and change the aperture for each shot. Then look at the results. Portraits, conversely benefit from using a wider aperture to throw the background out of focus

2. Use a tripod

One of the downsides of using a small f-stop will be a slower shutter speed. This can result in blurred photographs. There is little point in having everything in focus if the whole photograph is blurred. My photograph of Bamburgh Castle was taken an hour before sunrise and needed an exposure of one-minute to properly expose it. Therefore, use a tripod or other support to help. There are cheap tripods for sale from many online auction sites that, although they may not last forever, will help you experiment with your photography. If you cannot afford one, or do not want to buy a tripod, look for somewhere to balance the camera. For a long time I have carried a small beanbag in my camera bag to put onto rocks, posts or the floor, which enabled me to get that shot that would otherwise be ruined through camera shake. You can also use jumpers, coats etc. or just put your camera down on anything solid and then use some imagery software to crop your photograph to make it straight.

3. Hold your breath as you squeeze the shutter button

The most common mistake beginners make is pressing the shutter button too hard when taking an image. If your camera is on a tripod this should not really apply, although I have seen it happen! With the camera on a tripod use a ‘cable release’ or use the ‘self-timer’ setting on your camera to allow camera shake to disappear before the shutter fires. If you are shooting without a tripod, briefly hold your breath as you gently squeeze the shutter to make sure everything you think you are capturing remains in shot. The familiar portraits with the top of peoples heads missing is usually caused by an over excited shutter button press. Gently does it.

4. Shoot from higher for lower viewpoints

We are used to viewing the world from the height at which we stand. To give your images more impact think about climbing higher if possible or, get down on your knees. Sometimes a good image can be turned into a brilliant image just by shooting from an unusual angle.

5. Composition

Landscape photographers usually pay some regards to the ‘rule of thirds’ in their compositions. This rule involves dividing the frame of your image into equal thirds and, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect (at four points), using one to place your main point of interest in the photograph. This could be someone’s face in a portrait, a castle in a landscape or a motorbike or car in a sports shot. Usually, with action images you would give more space in front of the subject for it to move into. Following the rule of thirds also means keeping your horizons either a third of the way down from the top of the frame or a third of the way up from the bottom if you want to include a dramatic sky. Using this simple compositional tip will improve your photographs straight away.

6. Look at photographs

If you love photography then this seems obvious, but I have learnt almost all that I have learned in my 35-year career by looking at loads of images, some I liked, some I didn’t and working out why they had this affect on me. The next stage is to try and work out how it was achieved and try and recreate it with your own twist. It may be a particular lighting technique takes your eye, or a particular way of composing an image, but either way look at good images with a quizzical eye to improve.

See more of Dave Peck’s cards on thortful here.

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COMING SOON: Chocolate Cards!

Choc card with Valentine's

We’ve got a delicious new addition for your thortful cards on the way! Soon, customers will be able to add a premium 100g bar of chocolate from luxury choccy brand Chocolate and Love to their card, for those times when they want to add a little extra love to their card.

Organic and fairly traded, we’re going to be offering a variety of flavours to begin with: Mint, Orange and the original tasty Panama.

Chocolate close-up

Your designs will be formatted in a similar way to the Keepsake Cards, with a 5mm strip of your design printed onto the spine of the card, and any message printed on the left-hand side of the inside.

Single Choc card open

We hope this will give thortful customers all the more reason to buy your cards, setting us apart from other retailers and adding to the thortful ethos without taking away from your great designs. All in all it will mean more sales for you, and more of those precious royalties! 🙂

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U.S. Manufacturing

Take a ‘Topeka’ the Mars Candy Factory in Kansas

When you open a package of M&M’s and pour the colorful candy-shelled chocolates into your hand, you may not give much thought to where the candy was made.

Neither did I, until I had the chance to meet some of the people who create these delicious little treats at the Mars Wrigley Confectionery in Topeka, Kansas.

The Topeka facility specializes in creating filled M&M’s ─ like the brand-new M&M’s Caramel, as well as Snickers candy bars. Next year it will add Twix candy bars to the list. And they’re adding 70 new jobs to help take on the expanded production. Over 95% of Mars Wrigley Confectionery products sold in the U.S. are made locally by the company’s team of over 5,000 associates working across 12 domestic sites. More than 300 associates work at the Topeka facility.

Walmart is proud to work with companies like Mars Wrigley to bring locally-made products to customers. That’s why we’ve committed to buy an additional $250 billion in products through 2023, creating new jobs across communities like Topeka.

Check out this video to meet the people who make your favorite candy.

Meet the Families Behind Our Grass-Fed Beef

They say you are what you eat.

When we shop to feed our families, we’re especially concerned with what’s in the food we’re buying and where it came from. Thanks to two cattle ranching families who came together years ago to farm grass-fed beef in Utah and Wyoming, we’re able to provide this option – our Marketside Butcher brand – at over 2,000 of our stores.

It’s important to do business with people who care about their customers as much as we do. Working with Jones Creek, that care is obvious. The Crandall family has been farming cattle on their ranches in Utah and Wyoming for over five generations, and they’re committed to a product that’s as natural as it is tasty.

Check out this video to see why they believe in producing beef with no added hormones or antibiotics, but lots of passion and care.

U.S. Manufacturing

These Artists are Mixing Up the Cocktail Game

Watching a professional mixologist craft the perfect cocktail can leave you awestruck.

From their performance-style bottle flips as they mix the ingredients to the spectacle of the drink itself, it’s truly a form of art.

The bottle flips take time to master, but creating that perfect cocktail at home is definitely within reach. However, it can be intimidating. While craft cocktails are in vogue right now – especially with millennials – many of them report they don’t know how to make them.

We were approached in the summer of 2016 by Walmart’s mixed drinks buyer, Tammy Patton, who wanted help in creating a new, exciting product that resonated with these customers. “The mixed drinks and bar ingredients category hasn’t seen innovations in a while. It all started with us needing lime and lemon juices, which surprisingly, we didn’t have in that category,” Tammy said.

What we came up with – a selection of mixers and bar ingredients called Cocktail Artist – fills this gap. From the ingredients to the packaging, it stands out. We went straight to the experts – eight award-winning mixologists from across the U.S. – and worked with them to create premium ingredients they would be excited to use. They became our spokespeople for each of the products, with their faces on the bottles of the ingredients they helped make.

Each mixologist honed in on the mix or ingredient he or she was passionate about. They were enthusiastic and took ownership from the get-go – all the way to doing store demos, taking pictures with customers and signing bottles. We went with an Andy Warhol-style concept and the idea of turning the labels into actual pieces of art.

We started with two products, then grew to eight in March of this year. And in 2018, we’ll expand to a total of 15. And with new products, come new bartenders. One of them, Skyy John, better known as Tipsy Bartender, is one of the biggest influencers in this category, with 26 million followers. To keep up with demand at our plant in Cincinnati, we’re proud to be adding jobs to that community. What’s great is that none of our mixes are made with high-fructose corn syrup and at the same time, they’re affordable. You can make some really high-quality cocktails and not break the bank.

“This line has really revitalized the category. The major players in that space are bringing more to the table and innovating. We’re growing a new customer base, and they’re coming back more often,” Tammy said. “We’re really proud we can offer quality products like this to our customers.”

Our goal was to create a craft cocktail movement. I think we’re on our way.

The Opioid Epidemic Has Changed Safe Disposal of Prescriptions

The opioid epidemic is as serious of a drug crisis as America’s ever seen. It’s so deep-reaching that nearly every community has felt its effects.

And while prescription pain medications are an appropriate treatment option for some, the reality is that unchecked supplies in the public pose a significant health concern. Just as prescription drugs should be prescribed carefully, they must be stored and disposed of carefully.

Providing a means for proper drug disposal is a fundamental way Walmart can help. Today, we announced a new, free, convenient solution for responsible opioid disposal, DisposeRx. It’s a first-of-its-kind solution and I’m so proud of our team and the work they’ve done to bring this simple means of disposal to our patients.

We know the person who was prescribed a prescription opioid medication isn’t always the only one who is at risk for misuse. This innovative option for medication disposal will help keep families and communities healthy, and DisposeRx is one more way we can make a difference.

Here are a few more reasons why we wanted to help with this critical issue.

CEO Doug McMillon's Note to Associates on Tax Savings

Happy New Year! I hope you and your families had a great holiday season. Thank you so much for all your efforts to serve our customers during our busiest time of the year. I know there were many smiling faces on Christmas morning and throughout the season because of you. Thank you for serving them so well and for helping each other to do it as a team.

We’ve got some really good news to share today. As you know, the President and Congress have approved a lower business tax rate. Given these changes, we have an opportunity to accelerate a few pieces of our investment plan. We plan to continue investing in you, in our customers through lower prices, and in our future--especially in technology to help improve your jobs and the experience for our customers.

So, we’re pleased to tell you that we’re raising our starting wage to $11 an hour for Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club, Supply Chain, eCommerce and Home Office hourly associates effective in February.

We’re also providing a one-time bonus to hourly associates that pays a larger amount the longer you’ve been with our company. Associates that don’t benefit from the new starting wage increase are eligible for the bonus and it will range from $200 to $1,000 depending on your length of service. As an associate who’s been with the company more than 25 years, I understand the value of experience and we all appreciate those of you that have helped build this company over the years.

I’m also excited to tell you that we’re making an important change to benefits by expanding our paid leave policy to provide full-time hourly associates with 10 weeks of paid maternity leave and six weeks of paid parental leave. This expanded parental leave also applies to salaried associates and to parents who adopt. We will also contribute $5,000 to the cost of adoption. I recently heard from two associates on this topic—one through an open door note and one at a town hall. Both pointed out how limited our policy was for adoptive parents so we’re happy to be addressing that concern now. Families are a priority to us and connecting with and caring for a new family member is obviously important.

As we look to the future and how we’ll win with customers, we’ll be assessing what additional investments are needed, and we’ll make those decisions with you, our customers, and our shareholders in mind.

Thanks again for everything you do. I’m proud of our progress and we have momentum. Let’s build on that in 2018!


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Archive for the ‘cooking traditions’ Tag

Fun With Tamales   Leave a comment

Restaurant dining offers various experiences beyond not wanting, or not knowing what, to cook at a given time. We want more than sustenance, and I typically desire something better than what I can prepare myself. Then, I want to know how it’s done so I can fix the dish myself sometime. Cooking classes offer a variation of these themes. Each time I participate in such an activity I learn a lot and make some new friends. This is just what happened with Barbara Santos-McAllister’s recent Tamales Class offered through her local business, Cocina Corazon.

Tamales are nothing new to me, but it’s been years since I last made them. I have a treasured hand-written recipe from my grandmother with her instructions, but they’re vague and come from having prepared them a lot. Some specifics are missing.

With seven other women, in a kitchen belonging to Barbara’s friend, we met to make tamales with four different fillings: pork with green chile, chicken mole, poblano with cheese, and dulce (sweet). Barbara did a massive amount of work before the class. Not only did she have all of the necessary ingredients at hand and prepare all of the fillings in advance, she also had food for us to nosh throughout the class. Her salsa almost overshadowed everything. Almost.

We learned to make masa, spread it and the filling on the corn husks. Then waited while they steamed, which was the only downside. Even though it was fun, it was a very long evening!

Cocina Corazon
Four-and-a-half Plates


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Archive for the ‘fine dining’ Tag

Bestia, the Besty   Leave a comment

Reservations at the highly-rated Bestia in industrial Los Angeles are hard to snare. Although unable to reserve a table, we did, nonetheless, get two seats at the chef’s counter. (Thanks to my brother.)

Some people might not have appreciated the view. However, we were thrilled to have our line of vision occupied by the well-orchestrated crew preparing colorful, creative salads. Interestingly, we didn’t begin our meal with a salad. We ordered one later.

Our well-versed server suggested sharing several small plates. His subtle nod of approval when we decided on the crab crostino suggested we were off to a great start. Ordinarily, squid ink aoili, crab and Thai basil might vie as the leading flavor. Instead they all win.

I can’t resist bone marrow. It’s served here with spinach gnocchetti that we scraped it into.

Next, agnolotti, one of six pasta offerings; house-made, of course. The mini ravioli-like “parcels” were light and savory. Coated with brown butter and filled with braised oxtail, it was silky and surprisingly light. Toasted pistachios and currants added texture and sweetness.

Finally, the chopped salad, a combination of Brussels sprouts, endive, mint, salami, and fried lentils — all thinly sliced, er chopped.

We had to have dessert. Really! Imagine bananas Foster with peanut butter ice cream. I couldn’t. The ingredients, only a playful mind could conjure, was childlike in the best possible way: fun, crunchy, salty and sweet. The ice cream is made in-house.

Bestia is in a reclaimed warehouse. It’s loud, lively and its accolades are well deserved. I can’t wait to return.

Five Plates
2121 7th Place
Los Angeles

Picture Perfect Cuisine   3 comments

Erik menu

Our Swedish hosts are practically family; several years ago their son lived with us for a school year as part of an exchange program. He became my Swedish son. We stayed in touch; they’ve visited us twice since Pete was with us. Our trip was a chance to see the places we’d heard about; his parents wanted to treat us to a surprise, in addition to graciously opening their home in Gothenburg and showing us the sites.

The surprise was a two-day trip to Stockholm topped off with a special dinner at Erik’s Gondolen, known for its 33-meter high view of the harbor and fine cuisine. Neither aspect disappointed. As previously noted, dining companions always add much to the experience.

Erik hake

The Pancetta Wrapped Hake was too difficult to resist. The mild, flakey fish wrapped in bacon featured soft-as-butter scallops floating in a pea and parsley cream surrounded by a subtle artichoke foam. It was almost too artistic to eat. Almost.

Erik fish casserole

Gondolen’s Classic Fish and Shellfish Casserole was reminiscent of cioppino, a fish stew. Two orders of the Fried Rack of Lamb with Brisket Sausage completed our order. As much as enjoyed one another’s company, we spoke very little while eating. Our server recommended spot-on wines to pair with our dishes.

Erik lamb

We easily could have left after finishing our entrees, but cloudberries called. These amber-colored, raspberry look-alikes were tart and nicely complimented by house-made vanilla ice cream.

The memories include the view, the food and the friendship.

Erik’s Gondolen
Five Plates
Stadsgården 6 (Slussen)
Stockholm 104 65

A Tale of Two Servers   2 comments

redbird sign I recently returned to enjoy dinner at Scarpetta in Bevery Hills. It was as good as I remembered, although I think one element was even better: the service.

Our server, Christian, enhanced our meal with his knowledge of the menu and attentiveness. He knew the ingredients, the preparation and offered to make changes if needed.

The next evening we dined at Redbird, the new restaurant in what was once the rectory of St. Vibiana’s in downtown Los Angeles. The press about chef/partner Neal Fraser’s new digs has made getting a reservation feel like winning the lottery. However, thanks to the service, we didn’t feel victorious.

redbird vibiana

Our questions about the menu were answered by our (nameless) server rote-style stating what we could read for ourselves. A few items were unknown and he did fill in those gaps, but without the passion Christian radiated at Scarpetta.

I ordered Ora King Salmon served with roasted beets, farro verde and pomegranate. The fish featured the most beautifully-crisped skin I’ve ever tasted. However, the farro was ripe with the distinct infusion of goat cheese. Had I known, I would have made another choice or at least requested a different side dish. Half the fish and beets were gone by the time our server returned to check on us. It was evident I wasn’t eating the farro.

I inquired about the offending ingredient and the server needed to check with the kitchen. He returned praising my discerning palette — admittedly, it wasn’t much of a stretch. I continued to enjoy the fish, which, again, was cooked to perfection. A manager offered apologies, explaining that  staff is trained to ask about dietary restrictions. My dislike of goat cheese is based on personal preference; I can’t, in good conscience, call it a restriction. At that point it appeared it was my fault for not informing the server of my aversion. Even if I had, he hadn’t been aware of its presence. I was offered another side, but at this point my entrée was nearly consumed.

A friend suggested a complimentary dessert. That didn’t happen. Instead, the farro was boxed up for me to take home. I’m confident Christian would have handled things much differently.

Scarpetta                                                                                Redbird

225 N. Canon Dr.                                                                                114 E. 2nd St.

Beverly Hills                                                                                Los Angeles

Meals Manufactured One at a Time   Leave a comment

The Factory Kitchen blends so well into the industrial area near downtown Los Angeles that skepticism, and perhaps a little fear, become part of your mental landscape the closer you get to the restaurant. Fortunately, the valet station provides some reassurance; and once you enter the sparsely decorated, but entirely functional space of this upscale eatery, you’re transported to, well not quite Italy, but, at least philosophically, some distance from where your car is parked.

However, the menu does get you closer to Italia than you might imagine even though courses aren’t antipasto, el primo, or el secondo. Instead, they’re more aptly named: “to begin…,” “to continue or share…,” and “by itself.” I began with the pomodori, a colorful plate of heirloom tomatoes with red onion, shallots, basil and doused with a vinaigrette. This was summer on a plate.

Factory tomatoes

The mandilli di seta, previously unfamiliar to me, is a signature dish. Almond basil pesto and fiore sardo are spread on sheets of fresh pasta and folded handkerchief-style on the plate. What it lacked in visual allure is compensated for with silky texture and combined elements of the ingredients.

Factory pasta

From the “by itself….”we ordered the prosciutto, featuring a mound of the freshly sliced meat, on a crown of puffed sage-dough. Awkward to eat, it was like a billowy, elegant pizza. The tonnetto, pan-seared albacore with green cauliflower and other grilled vegetables was creative and enticing.

factory tuna

The Factory Kitchen fits into its neighborhood, until the food arrives. Then it stands out.

The Factory Kitchen
Four-and-a-half Plates
1300 Factory Place
Los Angeles, CA

Top of the Class   4 comments

The distinction between a dining experience and consuming a meal is more than semantics. At Alma, Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant in America 2013, it’s an obvious dissimilarity.

Consider: the five- or seven-course menu are the only choices. Although asked about dietary restrictions, none were tested to see how they’d be resolved. For example, the New Zealand lamb is cooked to medium rare. If that was an issue, we were told, a substitution would be made. It was the chef’s way or not at all. Ultimately, the lamb, only a heartbeat away from a baahh, was melt-in-your mouth rich and tender enhanced by an almond milk sauce and new potatoes. Wait, I’m jumping ahead.

The repast comes with snacks: one-bite morsels worthy of larger plates. Mega-flavors are infused in pint-size portions. The first two snacks were previews of the creativity and range of textures/tastes awaiting our palates. My favorite was the quarter-size English muffin topped with burrata, uni and caviar. One bite wasn’t enough.

The meal featured smoked cod with Myer lemon and asparagus sauce; root vegetable soup poured over an egg yolk and Shitake mushrooms; octopus; the aforementioned lamb; and white chocolate semi-freddo with grapefruit and bitters. The final snack was a warm, glazed lemon curd-filled donut hole.

Alma exterior

Alma is inconspicuous; our server was vibrant and knowledgeable. The open kitchen is the size of a walk-in closet. Six chefs with varying duties choreographed a meal that will never be replicated. There’s no real menu.

The experience was enjoyable and enlightening; I ate everything. Still, it’s unlikely I’ll return. In a few weeks Alma will only offer a nine-course menu, further reducing the choices.

Four-and-a-half Plates
952 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, Calif.

Forget Turkey   1 comment

Everyone’s been talking turkey for the past week, so MacKenzie’s Chop House is a welcome change. Although there are a few tempting seafood dishes, the real focus is on red meat. The menu features an array of steaks, from New York to Porterhouse, from Filet Mignon to Ribeye. Prime Rib, Buffalo Steak, Rack of Lamb and Pork Chops round out the menu along with several side salads.

Although MacKenzie’s clearly emphasizes beef, and ours was cooked to perfection, there’s also an impressive attention to detail when it comes to service. Without hovering, the staff executed perfect timing knowing just the right moment to answer a question, to refill glasses, to remove plates, to provide a new utensil. Anticipation was personified.

Of course, this might have been for naught had the food been substandard; it wasn’t. The Spinach Salad with roasted red peppers and bacon was dressed with maple-balsamic vinaigrette. Even the House Salad was above average: mixed greens sharing the plate with balsamic-marinated apples and croutons.

Our entrees, the Prime Rib and Filet Mignon, were juicy, pink in the middle and tender. Yes, it’s true that bacon with anything is almost nirvana, but when wrapped around a piece of beef tenderloin the flavors are intensified. A baked potato and a large quantity of broccoli filled out the rest of the plate.

There were two regrettable aspects of the meal: not being informed until we were done that Crème Brulee is a house specialty and being too sated to try it.

MacKenzie’s Chop House

Four+ Plates
128 S. Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, CO

The Other CIA   Leave a comment

It’s often a barely discernible mistep on a fine dining experience that puts everything else off-kilter. When at a table set with a bread plate, a butter knife and a bottle of olive oil, I expect bread. Even if I don’t always eat it (which I usually do), the cues tell me it’s coming. Its absence is distracting. Such was the case at Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley. Since our server was nowhere in sight after our salads arrived we couldn’t even request it.

The mix of greens with red and yellow tomatoes were delicately coated in a pesto dressing. Roasted corn and pearl mozzarella, suggestive of miniature marshmallows, took the salad to another level. Nonetheless, the pesto dressing would have been perfect to soak up with a hard-crusted piece of bread.

CIA cod

Once the entrees arrived, I forgot the missing bread, at least temporarily. Pan-seared Ling Cod, delicate in flavor and texture, was served on a bed of creamed spinach. Creamed spinach gets a bad rep; I’ll defend it any chance I get. The addition of Shitake mushrooms made something good even better.

CIA sampler

A choice of four desserts, not counting a selection of artisan cheeses, made it difficult to reach a decision, so the sampler settled the issue. Two were particularly intriguing: Piped Cheesecake and Sliced Chocolate. The former was a deconstructed version. The latter was dark chocolate with spheres of crème brulee. Don’t ask.

Still, I did miss that bread.

Wine Spectator Greystone
Four Plates (Barely)
25555 Main St.
St. Helena, Calif.


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Board Game
Organized Crime
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Koplow First Edition
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11.40 x 21.50 x 1.10 inches
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Excellent Mafia strategy game. Best with 4 players. Usually runs for 4 hours. Each player is the boss of a Mafia family. Ultimate objective is to be the last surviving Boss by rubbing out the others and their protective Hit men. Moving your Hitmen round the board you aim to gain power by controlling profitable illegal and business activities. However to get control of these activities you need a positive vote by all the Bosses. Money gives you more votes. You can also buy Corrupt Officials, like Senators, who give you more votes. Voting is fun as you seek you influence the other Bosses or create alliances.

As they move around, your Hitmen can kill other Hitmen, and risked being rubbed out themselves. They also try to avoid making Mistakes which can be costly. They also try to pick up useful Power cards.

At any turn, you can decide to launch an attack on a player's Home base where the Boss is. If successful, the other player is out of the game. If not, you risk retribution.

Great fun, with a lot of skill and negotiation.

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Poacher's Dirk - forgotten, yet great item

Hello Summoners, recently i've started to play Assasin junglers and found this lovely item {{item:3252}} , for those of you, who don't know what it is. 500g 10AD, UNIQUE passive: Stealing 4 jungle monsters from enemy jng will transform it into Serrated Dirk {{item:3134}} I think this item has briliant design - rewarding you (saving 600g) for counterjungling. But i've never noticed anyone else to buy this item. Why is it so?
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About the Writer

Through reflective essays that evoke introspective consideration of the intangible, mysterious, and less-talked-about aspects of the Christian experience, Bo Bowen offers honest rumination on what it looks like – and what it feels like – to gradually mature as a believer in God and a modern-day follower of Jesus of Nazareth.

Bo lives in Johns Creek, Georgia with his wife, Leigh, and their three children, Katy Jo, Annabelle, and Brennan. He holds a Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He currently serves as Discipleship Pastor at Dunwoody Baptist Church in Dunwoody, Georgia.

You can contact Bo via the Comments section of this blog, by e-mail at bovernon@me.com, or find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Koffee with Karan Season 4: With the Students of the Year: Alia, Varun and Siddharth

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kwksoty02Our preview on this episode told you that Karan Johar brought to the couch his ‘students’ Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra for another brilliant episode of this new season. Being the parent director of these new kids on the block, K Jo swore to not protect them this episode and let the world hear their untold stories. The star cast of SOTY who are now moving ahead in their respective careers chatted about their past, the film industry and their lives. Read on!

Alia Bhatt as she is known to be the ‘button cute’ girl chatted amiably about her life before films happened. The little Bhatt daughter said that she simply knew that she wanted to be in that ‘big television box’ she watched every day. Alia started dating when she was in the 6th grade but had her first ‘serious’ relationship when she was in the 10th grade. Karan Johar emphasized on the ‘serious’ part of it as maybe even he didn’t know how to react to the idea of that just like we don’t. Grateful to K Jo for such a ‘glamorous’ debut, Alia’s eyes twinkled as she spoke about making it big in the film industry.

Varun Dhawan has indeed got the ‘cheater’ image, and the poor guy fails to understand where does that come from. “Why me man! Date me first to know if I will cheat on you!” he kids around with Alia. Varun reflected upon the taboo of star kids making it big only because of their family name. “My surname has helped me in a lot of ways but that doesn’t mean I don’t work hard enough to make my way up the ladder. Talent is needed to make it as an actor,” he said. Varun is in this ‘really liking’ phase with someone who is not from the industry and would not like to be named, and the boy indeed seemed earnest about this girl. Another reason for his fans to go ‘Oh so cute’ on him!

Siddharth Malhotra’s revelation about dating a South African supermodel must have surprised a lot of fans. The chocolate boy spoke about being an outsider to the industry and still making it to where he is. “At parties, people spoke to Varun and Alia about how they had seen them as little kids, but no one had seen me as one. I would still say that they were all so warm to me even though I had no childhood connection with anyone,” he said. Siddharth seems to be the more ‘dateable’ out of the two as per K Jo’s survey, and the calm and cute actor maintained his charm throughout the episode.

kwksoty3The rapid fire round was indeed on fire! While the most exciting rumour Alia has ever heard about herself was that she is Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt’s daughter, Siddharth would have breakfast ‘sunny side up’ if he woke up with Sunny Leone in bed. The most shocking part was the President of India question, where it seems only Siddharth knew the right answer (Manmohan Singh and Prithviraj Chauhan, are you seriously people from the age of social media?). Alia managed to win the coffee hamper with some of the best answers and Siddharth Malhotra won the GQ round with a clear score. Looks like Alia needs to do some serious research on movies too, let alone current affairs!

The SOTY star cast along with the brilliant and in Alia’s words ‘ruthless’ host Karan Johar, this was an entertaining and a very homely episode. It was fun to see the trio on the couch together and we look forward to all three of them once again on the show!

5 best Quotes:

“What makes my father different is the fact that he calls himself mad.”-Alia Bhatt

“I like somebody a lot, let me just put it like that.”-Varun Dhawan

“Initially, Siddharth actually looked right through me and he spoke to me like I am a small child.”-Alia Bhatt

“Parineeti Chopra makes me very insecure.”-Alia Bhatt

“Not being from the industry is an advantage, it keeps you more sane.”- Siddharth Malhotra.

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At Somerton: Secrets and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

It’s Downton Abbey – but less miserable!

At Somerton

Publisher: Hot Key Books
ISBN: 9781471400865
Published: 3/1/2013

It’s the early 1900’s, and Lady Ada Averley is returning with her family from India, where her father has worked for the British Empire. They’re returning because her father believes it’s time for Ada to ‘come out’ in society and make a good impression to land herself a suitable husband, as was the norm for the time period and class. However, Ada is distracted by the love she feels for an Indian student travelling to Oxford with his tutor. When they get to England though and to the family seat of Somerton Court, Ada and her sister Georgiana discover their father is remarrying, hints and rumours abound about the real  reason for their father’s dismissal from India, and another potentially disastrous family scandal threatens to rock the Averley family and their position in polite society forever.

You want love triangles? This has more than triangles, this books has love pentagons. I marvel at how on Earth Rasheed managed to write this without getting her head tied in knots, I know I’d have got confused trying to map the tangles out. Remarkably though, the various relationships are very easy to keep a track of as the reader, and include some really nice takes on the various dynamics too. My especial favourites were the troubled relationship between Sebastian (Ada’s  new step brother) and his servant Oliver and the equally convoluted one blossoming between Ravi and Ada.

It’s not often you come across homosexual romance in fiction (in my experience anyway) and I love how this has just so neatly been slotted in. It’s an interesting one to put in and you really get drawn in with Sebastian as he struggles to hide the truth and keep his position in society while still having the relationship he wants. I especially love the way it’s been written too; I read a fair amount of fanfiction (please don’t judge me!) as well as regular fiction and the way homosexual relationships are treated in that is, more often than not…. stereotypical. Seriously, some writers need to step away from the cartoons because no one acts the way these writers will portray two people in a relationship, let alone a homosexual couple. Rasheed’s writing though is brilliant – no ‘what the…?’ moments here, the scenes between Sebastian and Oliver read like a couple, not like a mushy cut out. I’ve got to give her a couple of thumbs up for that reason alone, the rest of the story is just gravy. It’s so nice to read a homosexual relationship properly written for a change, rather than as a chance to try out as many demeaning endearments as possible.

The relationship between Ravi and Ada is equally interesting because, like the one between Oliver and Sebastian, it was highly unusual for its time. This is the time of Empire remember, when Britain still played a massive (if not solitary) role in India’s politics but the population back in Britain was still largely ignorant of the country and its culture. For someone to be in love with an Indian would have been hugely controversial and I love the constant wrangling Ada has with herself to love Ravi or to fit in for her father’s sake and reputation with the rest of polite society and not go against what is expected of her.

She’s a pretty interesting heroine, is Ada. As well as daring to be in love with an Indian, she also has an eye on going to University, which was almost unheard of for women then. Even if they did go to Uni, they couldn’t actually get a degree, just study. She’s also quietly behind the suffragette movement but although she’s a bit of a feminist, she still thinks of her family and her father’s reputation. Her hands are tied by it, but she thinks of family first and her own desires second. She’s very easy to like as a character; smart and savvy, able to argue her point and understand someone else’s, but equally able to concede ground for the sake of others. I really like her and I can’t wait to read more about her.

It’s a very political book too. Whilst Ada is preoccupied with getting her chance at Oxford and independence, the issue of Empire comes into play over and over again. Unlike History though (which I freely admit as a former History student can be really boring sometimes), this is just enough politics to be interesting, not enough to get bogged down and dull. I really liked the two viewpoints of the British presence in India, since this isn’t a period of History I’d ever really had an interest in before. Ada’s view of a benevolent Britain in Indian government versus Ravi’s view of an exclusive government really brought the period alive and I find myself wanting to know more about Empire history than I ever thought I’d want to know before. Like I said – just enough to pique interest, not enough to bore you if you’re not a History geek.

A historical read without getting too historical and if you love a good love triangle, you will adore this book. Really, really well recommended.

Find it here

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

The pause that refreshes or a deathly silence?

btt button

Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don’t mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.

As someone who generally reads more than one book at a time, as well as having a fair bit of reading for school, it is the natural state of things to take breaks. Reading one book straight through is the exception, not the rule, although the length of the break could suggest that I have lost interest. Usually I switch between two or three books at a time as the interest strikes me; I'm not methodical about it. Sometimes a book will grab me by the horns as this one did lately, and this one, and then I will answer its call and read away until it's done. Sometimes, a book-in-progress sits for months atop the pile before I dive in again, reading 100-page chunks at a time. Middlemarch is like that for me. I know I will finish it. I'm just not in the right mood to read it through. With others though, that long pause is a death knell, the sure sign that I've moved on to another book, even if I can't quite admit it yet.

Nise' said...

My norm is to stick with a book to the end.

Lori said...

One book at a time, and a straight sitting, that's me. Here's mine.

Criticlasm said...

I'm the same. I usually have a few going at the same time; one will grab me and I'll race through, and others will go at different paces. And I find short story collections and some non-fiction I can read non-linearly, so I do that as well.

But yes, some pauses last a very long time. Like Magic Mountain that I started in 1998, or Middlemarch, or even Mansfield Park, which gripped me but in the Norton Critical Edition, which just takes more effort to read.

And then there's War & Peace, daily. :)

pussreboots said...

I read many books at a time too but have only taken 3 extended breaks.

beastmomma said...

It took me awhile to get through Middlemarch, but I found that the further I got into the story, the faster it went. Here is my response:


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Cover Reveal: BLACK TIE OPTIONAL by Ann Marie Walker!

cover reveal

I’m so excited to reveal the cover of Ann Marie Walker’s BLACK TIE OPTIONAL! In this new romantic comedy by the co-author of the Chasing Fire series, a wild night in Vegas for a joint Bachelorette/Bachelor party sees two enemies turn into lovers.

Everything about Coleman Grant III oozes power and sex. And not the perfunctory kind either, but the sheet clawing, heart stopping, gasping for air after you’ve screamed so loud you can’t breathe kind. From his dark wavy hair that stands in an artfully rumpled mess, to the blue eyes that sear your skin, to his full, sensual lips – on the surface he’s pure perfection.

Too bad he’s an asshole. An arrogant, uptight corporate raider hell bent on destroying the environment one species at a time.

Everything about Olivia Ramsey screams hippie humanitarian. From her blond hair tied in a sloppy bun, to her faded jeans with the Bonnaroo patch sewn on the thigh, to her combat boots still splattered with mud from the previous day’s site visit.

So it makes perfect sense that they would get married. In Vegas. Stone-cold sober.

Cole needs a wife. Olivia needs to save an endangered species. But what starts as a marriage of convenience soon turns into a battle of wills and sexual tension. Love is a game, and Olivia and Cole are ready to win.

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Cover Reveal! Constellation by Jennifer Locklear

cover reveal

I’m excited, proud, and honored to be sharing the cover of Constellation by Jennifer Locklear. Jenn is not only a valued friend but has been a contributor to this blog on many occasions.

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Cover Reveal: Touching Down by Nicole Williams

cover reveal

The whole world might be in love with him. But all he’s ever loved is her.

Grant Turner’s name is synonymous with football. The fans and media can’t get enough of the player known as The Invincible Man, a nickname he earned while growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country and the nickname he’s kept by being one of the best players in professional football today. No one can take him down. He’s unstoppable.

But even a suit of armor has its weak point, and Grant’s has always been Ryan Hale.
They were a couple of kids when they fell in love, and just when it looked like the happy ending neither expected was within reach, Ryan disappeared. No explanations. No good-byes.

Grant coped by throwing himself into the game for seven years, and he’s finally moved on. Or so he thinks.

When she walks back into his life, all of those feelings come crashing back, despite the warnings in his head that tell him she’ll leave him again. Grant can withstand the league’s toughest defensive line, but he’s always been weak where she’s concerned.

No man can take Grant Turner down.

But one woman certainly can.

One woman will.

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Coming October 9th

Pre-order exclusively on

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Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

Website |  Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram

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for making this cover reveal a success!

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Cover Reveal: BLUE by Jill Patten

cover reveal

Coming September 22nd

Jill Patten

Add to your Goodreads shelf now

He is a thief.

She is his victim.

Lance King, known as Blue, is the charming, local surfer bad boy everyone falls for. This comes in handy since he enjoys taking advantage of privileged college kids as they throw money around wherever they go. What turns out to be a typical spring break quickly changes when he meets the one tourist who exceeds his expectations.

Phoebe McCormick is on her way to having the time of her life. With Panama City Beach in her sights, and her two best friends by her side, the possibilities are endless, or so she thinks. What she isn’t expecting is Blue, the local surfer to nearly ruin her long anticipated spring break. Her carefree attitude and his charismatic personality is the perfect combination for a successful friendship, but their relationship turns out to be anything but. Once the fantasy world of spring break is over and life resumes in Pennsylvania, a secret she thought she’d be able to keep hidden emerges, making it difficult to ignore.

He steals her money, but she will steal something far more valuable from him — a memento that will forever change his life.

She is a thief.

He is her victim.

**This is a standalone**

stalk the author

Jill Patten was born a Yankee, but raised a southerner. She lives in the small town of Mayberry, North Carolina which was made famous by a popular TV show back in the sixties. (Maybe there will one day be a statue of her at the end of Main Street. Ha! A girl can dream, right?)

Jill has always loved to read, even during reading labs in middle school for reading comprehension. Judy Blume was her first author she hero-worshipped, maturing to revere the works of Stephen King. With all the fantastic authors today, she simply cannot choose a favorite. Her taste is very eclectic and she loves almost all genres. When she’s not captivated by her fictional characters, she spends time with her sweet husband and two beautiful children.

Music is her muse. Jill also loves elephants, sarcasm, and anything made with sugar, especially sweet tea. She enjoys all things rude and crude and laughs at stuff she probably shouldn’t. She has been accused of being bossy a time or two, but doesn’t really see it herself.

All in all, Jill is just a small town girl in this great big world trying to enable your book addiction.

Oh, and if you read her book, please leave her a review – good or bad, she’ll love you forever.

Web  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads Amazon page

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for making this cover reveal possible.

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Cover Reveal: Every Little Thing by Samantha Young

cover reveal

Bookish Temptations is very excited to be part of the cover reveal for EVERY LITTLE THING by New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Young! The second book in the new Hart’s Boardwalk series returns to the picturesque Delaware beachside town for another heartfelt and sexy story…

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Cover Reveal and GIVEAWAY! Tempting Jo by Nancee Cain

cover reveal

I am so thrilled to help Nancee Cain in her cover reveal today for Tempting Jo. It’s just so perfect and beautiful! Check it out… Continue reading


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Ed Lover draws from a conversation he was having while he was chilling at his favorite cigar club and poses a question. What hurts more: being broken up with, or breaking up with somebody? Thus, a discussion is commenced about the difference between what is at stake in each situation. When family, and kids are involved, it often makes things more difficult.

Ed also talks about rebound relationships- a mistake we often make. When we end relationships, sometimes we think we need to upgrade immediately to make the other person look bad or feel jealous. But, as Ed says, rebound relationships are never a good idea. Click on the audio player to hear more in this exclusive clip from the “Ed Lover Show.

RELATED: Why 2 Years Isn’t Long Enough To Be In A Relationship Before Having Kids [EXCLUSIVE AUDIO]

RELATED: Michel’le Explains Why She Stayed In An Abusive Relationship With Dr. Dre For So Long [EXCLUSIVE AUDIO]

RELATED: The Ed Lover Show Cast Reveals The Best Relationship Advice They’ve Ever Gotten [EXCLUSIVE AUDIO]

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Pure Comedy: Funniest Tweets From The 2014 Grammys

- By Bossip Staff
4 of 26

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards show was a never-ending snoozefest with memorable moments sprinkled between controversial snubs, awkward performances and LL’s rambling but, as always, Twitter saved the “biggest night in music.”

Hit the jump for the funniest tweets from the 2014 Grammys.

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Operations Department

Leased power looks interesting and could bail you out of a power shortage –

Here’s the deal… while pulling a recent north-bound stone train the Lebanon & Northern’s only functioning locomotive, an old Bachmann F9, went all coffee grinder on me and rolled into town on its last leg.  This put a pretty serious dent in stone traffic and threatened to shut down the railroad permanently because none of my B&M equipment is compatible with the Lebanon & Northern’s rolling stock due to the older Rapido couplers.  That left me in a bit of bind because I needed to clear up the mainline so the routine B&M traffic could run.  Then a solution reached out and slapped me in the face… leased power.

Last week I was puttering around on the internet and I decided to visit one of those large east-coast online N scale retailers.  I didn’t see anything exciting for a while but I decided it might be worth checking their clearance items just to see what was available.  Among other things I discovered an offer for damaged Life-Like FA2 units (the old plastic frame ones) for $7.50 each.  I thought about it for a while but I decided I could use a few for projects or fixer-uppers so I ordered two of those and a couple clearanced Bev-Bel freight cars.  I’ll save details about the other items for another post but one of the locomotives I received was a pretty nice Life-Like FA2 Alco demonstrator unit.

The only damage was a broken ladder on the left side, which was easily located in the jewel case and glued back on.  I have to tell you that I like factory demonstrator units and I think they add something interesting to look at on a layout.  This recent acquisition was the perfect solution to the power shortages on the Lebanon & Northern.  I added a couple drops of Labelle gear oil and sent her for a test run, all was well.

For the time being the Lebanon & Northern will be leasing the Alco demonstrator unit until the problems with their F9 (which was actually in the process of getting a new look) can be rectified.  If the F9 can’t be resurrected then I suppose the lease will last until a replacement unit can be procured.  You may never find yourself in the odd position of trying to track down a decent running Rapido equipped locomotive but the whole unique situation worked out for me because I was poking around on the right website at the right time.  Regardless, leased motive power can add something interesting to the look of an otherwise boring train, and it probably doesn’t hurt to have a few decent locomotives stowed away just in case anyway.  Try it out… I ended up ordering two more FA2s, I think it’s worth the shot.

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Where to stay

The wedding takes place 6km from the centre of Bruges, making Bruges the perfect place to stay. We suggest the following places:

  • Hostel Snuffel is affordable and well-located, both for visiting Bruges and coming to the wedding. You could even come by bike! A bed in a dorm costs around €23. A private room with double bed and private bathroom €60. Many of the wedding guests already booked a room here.
    Update: it seems that for the wedding night (July 1), there are no more spots left in the dorm rooms. There are still 2 private rooms left.
    If you need a low-cost option, there is another hostel in Bruges.
  • For people who want something nicer and more personal, we suggest to book a bed&breakfast. These are typically small-scale, with only a couple of rooms and delicious breakfast. There are plenty in the centre of Bruges. These bed&breakfasts have excellent reviews: Le Foulage, Blanc de blancSaint SauveurHuyze WeyneBlomdaele, BGuestSymphonia and La maison Bruges.
  • If you want something special, it is also possible to book a room on a boat.
  • The happy couple will be staying at this super romantic B&B.


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Music Theory & Composition,

book your free 30-minute consultation today!

Need more info?

Meet Sakari, founder and instructor of Bow and Quill Music.

Download the Rates and Policies for more information on prices.

Learn the benefits of taking private lessons at any level.

Read testimonials here.

. . . [Sakari] has a passion for teaching and makes even the most mundane of exercises fun and educational. . . .   – Jordan C.


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A world of music, auto racing, travel, literature, chess, wining, dining and other crazy thoughts….

From the Calm of the Tireuse to the Mania of the Pigalle Country Club

December 18, 2013

pigalle country club

pigalle country club

PARIS – I started the night at the Tireuse open mic, beneath the shadow of the Panthéon in Paris’s 5th Arrondissement, and I finished it at the wild Pigalle Country Club open mic near the manic place Pigalle. Both open mics were cool and worth their price in beer….

The Tireuse had a really good crowd and enough interesting musicians to keep the heart beating fast, and the mind and musical appreciating spirit wondering what might happen next. There were a lot of first-time musicians, and there were a number of surprises, like the saxophone player who played along with Ollie, the MC.

As it turned out, Ollie and the sax player played just before I was supposed to take to the mic – oh, and incidentally, I cannot mention this night without saying that suddenly there was a new and improved sound system. One of the only downsides since its inception of the open mic at the Tireuse, previously the Ptit Bonheur la Chance, was that the sound was horrible. A small, crappy amp. But now, there are two good little amps which make for great sound on both guitar and vocals.

It was wonderful. But I was immediately disheartened to discover that the sax player would play with Ollie just before my two-song set. How could I compete with that?!?! I decided, in fact, in a sudden moment of perspiration, to invited the sax player to play the first song with me. He agreed. And so we did “Crazy Love,” by Van Morrison, with this guy on sax. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I then did “Just Like a Woman,” which I had not done for a long time.

And Then the Contrast of the Pigalle Country Club open mic

After that, and after hearing several performers, I decided to go off to the open mic of the Pigalle Country Club bar, near Place Pigalle. This open mic is run by the members of the band “The Burnin’ Jacks,” the lead guitarist of which has played and recorded with me. It turned out he was not there last night, but the rest of the crew was. And what a contrast to the Tireuse.

Here, in this cool small bar where anything seems to go, the feeling of the open mic is, anything goes. It’s lots of acoustic rock ‘n roll, and lots of fun. It’s chaos and and anarchy, and no list for the performers, but just, “Hey, take the mic when you want.” I played my staple “Mad World,” but I started off telling them that I had a new cover song that I do, but cannot really do. That is “D’yer Maker” from Led Zeppelin, and I immediately wished that I had done the whole thing from start to finish, because it did decide to do the first few verses just to show how I cannot do it… and lots of people sang along… and then I quite in the middle.

Anyway, for me, it wasn’t about going to sing as much as going to hear. And the lightness, the fun, the rock ‘n roll vibe did not fail. I love this little open mic, even if it is not totally designed for my kind of cover songs (or my own songs). As a study in contrasts and different styles, I don’t think I could have done better than the Tireuse and the Pigalle Country Club in the same night…. You might call it the Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones….

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If you love sophistication and adore beautiful, rich fabrics, Jaye E. Clothing will entice you with their latest Collection of effortless styles that are as pleasurable to the eye as it is on the body.

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Pooja Sareen

Finally after spending almost twenty years in Indian jail Dr. Khalil Chisty gets the Supreme court nod to travel back to Pakistan. Dr. Khalil Chisty a Pakistani Scientist was arrested in India and sent to Ajmer jail, after 18 year-long trial was allowed by the Supreme Court today to travel back to his home in Karachi.

Dr. Khalil Chisty was granted bail last month, now 80-year-old Khalil Chisty can’t even walk properly needs help from people to walk. He has been convicted for killing a man during the brawl in Ajmer in 1992. Though he claims that he visited Rajasthan city to offer prayers at the Shrine of Sufi Saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty.


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Convict Conditioning

If you’re a fan of the Convict Conditioning series, or of bodyweight training in general, you would be interested to know that this popular series from Dragon Door now includes a log book.
While Paul Wade remains a secretive and elusive character, the techniques he divulges in Convict Conditioning are simple, effective, and useful for athletes of all experience and strength levels.
In the 1st Convict Conditioning the focus was on the 6 fundamental strength movements. In the 2nd book, the goal is “strength-calisthenics” and work on some of the more peripheral parts of the body.
There was one place that the old school calisthenics never died out; a place where the older systems were perfectly preserved, like an ancient insect trapped in amber - in prisons.
This week our essay from featured coach Paul Wade discusses the lost art of bodyweight training and the true strength that can be built on a simple program of progressive calisthenics.
While we normally interview our featured coaches, that was not possible with Paul Wade. No interview and no photos. Why? Because the "convict" in Convict Conditioning is no joke.


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Archive for the ‘General stuff’ Category

Sometimes – working for nothing just feels “right”…

December 5, 2014 Leave a comment

Sometimes, someone just leaves a great impression.

On the PowToon website, users have a way to request work/consulting from me. Many of the messages I get are either “please do this for me for nothing…”, or personal insults.

Last week, someone contacted me, wanting help with a school project – they wanted help adding “cool stuff” to a project.

Normally, I would just reply with a pleasant reply, explaining it was not a support line, or a “fee help line”, but this email was different.

Apart from wanting “cool stuff”, (which I suggested was not the right thing…), they obviously wanted some HELP, (and had also asked about my prices).

So – I started an email exchange.

During last week, that person and I exchanged ideas, concepts, and what I saw was someone GROWING, someone with an open mind willing to learn, and also being appreciative of the advice I was giving.

I love working with people who show some enthusiasm:

Thanks you so much! That really helped me

Thanks for all the help !! I really appreciate it.

I added all your suggestions. Thank you

In between each of these was another question, and I really hope that I helped someone grow in their skillset.

Just occasionally, you FEEL that doing something for nothing is a good thing to do. It makes so much more sense than answering the emails that mean nothing.

Today I got an email from the same online form that had 3 words in it – “Philosphy of Education”. If they can’t be bothered to read the form, or use full sentences, and realise what it is for then why should I? I’d rather reserve my efforts for the Stephanies of the world, and Stephanie – I hope that project went brilliantly, it was fun working with you.

The seesaw between “100% utilised” and “Yes – I could do that!”

October 15, 2014 1 comment

Being a freelancer is hard at first – you take almost anything that comes along.

When you are little more established – there’s a balancing act to perform. When do you take work, and when do you not take work?

This morning I had to turn down an Articulate Storyline opportunity for next week as I am blessed with being 100% utilised for the net few weeks, however – should you leave space free for just such a contact or not? This was a GREAT client, and although it was below my usual budget would have made a great prospect going forward.

So – nothing remarkable in this post, just pondering how do people handle this sort of situation?

Focusing on the experience rather than the “product” – so why do IDs focus on “training” all the time?

October 10, 2014 4 comments

Steve Jobs focused on the Apple “experience” rather than the product – you can see a GREAT YouTube video here that shows this.

In the same vein – why do Instructional Designers seem to focus so much on the “course”, and the “training” – rather than the REASON we spend all our hours producing all of this content?

I had a discussion earlier this week on “An Ebola Course”. But for me it was not “…an ebola course”, it would be online content that saved lives. This is a mind-switch.

I would LOVE to see a forum or group of IDs have “No Training Words Week“, where – just for a week, just 7 days, we NEVER used words like “training”, “course”, “authoring”, “quiz”, “test” or ANY of the other “learning’y” words.

Could we/they do it?

Could we get through ONE working week with nothing but discussions on VALUE, or workflow, or profit/loss, or process re-engineering, or risk, or profit, or production or technique or re-financing, or loss, or problem-solving, or creativity.

Is it really too hard? Those are the words our customers and clients use in THEIR daily lives.

Try to talk the same language your customer/prospect/client uses – do you even know what language they DO speak?

Freelancer Instructional Designers – take a risk, sometimes it guarantees success rather than putting the next invoice at risk! Take up that flag of professionalism, but become a “business pro”, not just a “training pro(vider)”. It makes sense doesn’t it?

That mind-switch can be hard, and sometimes, your prospect, customer or client does not want it – but that is no reason not to TRY it. You owe it to yourself don’t you? If nothing else you certainly owe it to your profession.

And now for something completely different…

July 2, 2014 1 comment

Apart from the fact that a good Instructional Designer should probably not begin ANY sentence with “and”, this blog post celebrates the triumphant return of The Monty Python Team, (nearly all of them…) to the London stage last night, and some complete silliness from a Skype discussion I had earlier.

I was trying to discuss the merits of 14:9 Articulate Storyline slide dimensions with a colleague versus 4:3.

When I type :3 something wonderful happened….

It interprets :3 as a cat licking its paw.

14_3 on Skype

I never knew that, and I suspect you did not either. Unless you are cleverer than me and understand social media more. Or talk about eLearning or PowerPoint slide dimensions a lot in your Skype-life.

If you did NOT know this, promise me that next time you Skype someone, at an opportune moment you will just type :3, and then pretend you have no idea what you did.

We all have to right to be silly once in a while – and on that note “Hurrah for Monty Python!”

I just need to slap someone with a fish now…..

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Posts Tagged ‘magic’

The Magic of Instructional Design – Thought #1

September 6, 2010 1 comment

As well as an Instructional Designer, I am a close-up magician. I go to other people’s dinners, parties, charity balls and weddings. I am paid for having fun 😀
As an old joke goes – I said to my Dad, “Dad, when I grow up I want to be a magician”, and he replied, “Son, you can’t do both”.

I post regularly on magic forums, (yes, they do exist…), and have noticed many posts sharing similar traits and themes to those posted on eLearning/Instructional Design forums, some of which I would like to investigate over the next few posts. These are personal views and observations; I have not performed any statistical analysis to back them up!

Thought #1> Technical Prowess vs. Performance
Magicians love, (absolutely love – sometimes to the point of obsession), discussing sleights, and how to make them better. It is odd that we achieve mastery of sleights at the point where our audience can see nothing of our abilities! The performance side of magic seems to take a second place.

Many learning forum discussions seem to revolve around the technical side of things, “how to do stuff” rather than “how to present stuff”. The theoretical art of eLearning seems to be of interest to fewer people, posts of this type seem to generate less active interest on forums.

One lesson I have learned from both magic and eLearning/presentation sources, is that it’s not how complicated you make it; it’s how simply you present it. Great magical plots are simple to understand from the spectator’s perspective, (although there may be some complicated antics going on behind the scenes…)

In regards to knowledge transfer of any sort, it’s how simple you make it; how simply you show it, how simply you can explain it, how simply you illustrate it, how simply you tell it, and how simple you make the finding of supplemental information and data – no matter how complicated or technical the actual subject.

One great tool to assist you is the “readability statistics” available in Word; it checks how simple the content text is. If necessary – copy the text from PowerPoint to Word.

Remember the KISS principle, (Keep It Short and Simple), and learn how to utilize it in courses, (although ironically, this principle seems to be too simplistic for many people?)

Let me know if you agree, disagree, or need me to explain anything!

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Alexandria’s Irish Jig Internship

998718_399216803522599_1653264905_nName: Alexandria Clyburn

Major/Minor: Communication, LCS

Year: Senior

Company Interned For/Project Completed: Jig: The Story of Irish Dance

Hometown: Cartersville GA

AC: If you could sum up your internship in five words, what would they be?

Alexandria: Best experience I could have.

AC: How did you come across your internship?

Alexandria: The Amica Center sends a group to Ireland for a summer to intern, I went with them!  If you want to learn more about it I suggest you stop into Amica or email them.  It was an amazing opportunity and I received class credit for it.

AC: What were your day-to-day activities?

Alexandria: I worked to increase promotions of the Irish Dance show that I worked for.  The days were so much fun and the team I worked with was incredible.

AC: Are you maintaining a connection with your co-workers from your internship? If so, how?

Alexandria: YES!! It is SO important to stay connected, especially if you want opportunities in the future. I am friends with them on Facebook and we keep in touch!

AC: Why do you think it was important to complete an internship?

Alexandria: I learned the responsibility of going into work every day, working towards a deadline, and working as part of a team.  It’s really going to prove beneficial when I have to start working every day.

AC: Any plans for after graduation?

Alexandria: Graduate school here at Bryant!

AC: Any advice for underclassmen?

Alexandria: Get involved, and network, also, get an internship!

Comments are closed.


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Anti-Stress Health Benefits of Massage Therapy

Life happens. It’s a simple statement, but it rings true – especially in these tough times. Some people who can’t find a good outlet for pent-up stress may handle extra pressure in their lives by drinking more, smoking more or developing a reliance on anti-depressants. But a more positive solution to stress management and maintaining overall wellness may be as close as your friendly neighborhood spa. Here are some ways that regular massage therapy treatments can help you find the relief you’re looking for… naturally.

A Session on a Massage Table Releases Dopamine

It’s all about the dopamine: Dopamine is a chemical naturally produced by the body that helps to keep the central nervous system and overall balance functioning smoothly. In short, dopamine helps us feel good. When high levels of stress are present this balance is disrupted, leading to feelings of depression and anxiety. The kneading and pressure on the muscles provided through massage therapy encourages the release of dopamine and thereby helps the body to manage stress better.

Get Your Chee Circulating Again

Let your “chee” flow: The ancient art of acupuncture teaches that a body’s natural energy (or chee) flows through a complex system of channels both within the body and across its surface. When that “river” of energy is dammed up by pain of any kind, the chee can no longer flow properly and the imbalance this causes negatively affects overall wellness. Regular visits to massage tables unblock these energy dams, eases pain and allows the body to return to a more natural balance.

Relax, Relax, Relax

It is relaxing: One of the byproducts of excessive stress is a tightening of the muscles and an overall feeling of tension. It’s like your teeth are clenched all the time. Our bodies cannot handle stress appropriately without the removal of tension; and no drug or artificial stimulant can help us to relax better than a natural massage therapy treatment. A good massage table is designed with relaxation in mind: you literally sink into comfort from the moment you climb aboard. The combination of the therapist’s skills, quiet music and perhaps aromatherapy all work together to help the body achieve a completely relaxed state.

The Bottom Line

If chronic stress is manifesting itself through physical pain and debilitating depression, regular massage therapy treatments can help your body heal itself naturally and give your mind the relief it needs from your daily cares and worries. You have great powers for self-healing: a good massage therapist can help.


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Winter Swim Tips & Pool Swim Opportunities

This week the BTC Blog is Swim focused. We have some winter swim tips from Russ Scherwitz, information on BTC winter swims as well as some information on the USAT National Challenge Competition. Enjoy.

Swim Tips from Russ: Taking Your Swimming to the Next Level in the “Off-Season”

So winter is upon us and besides a polar bear swim, all of our efforts are contained to the pool. How do you make the most of this time and improve your swimming? Here are some easy concepts to consider:
russ scherwitz

  • Attend a swim clinic that focuses on rebuilding the stroke from the most basic concepts toward a full stroke
  • Try swimming more often versus more volume. Instead of 2 swims each week totaling 8000 yards, try 5 swims totaling 8000 yards. Increasing your exposure to the sport.
  • Make one swim each week a chance to play and explore how your body moves in the water. Add this into your workout plan and learn through experimentation and creativity. Possible concepts to learn – buoyancy, breath control, drills, speed play, sculling, and body alignment.
  • Hire a coach to work with you on your stroke – good coaches are worth this investment and can often make significant changes in a few hours
  • Enter a Masters swim meet! We have many opportunities to isolate the running discipline to gage our improvement, do the same for swimming and biking!
  • Add “drylands” to your swimming workout. Push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches, pull-ups, and other body weight exercises right on the pool deck between swims.
  • Remember that the fastest vessels are all pushed, rather than pulled. Work on developing a powerful finish to your stroke and really develop the kick. Come race day when you “shut your legs off” and 50% of your kick effort is better than others at 100%, you’ll reap the rewards of having a good kick in training.
  • Work on ankle flexibility and shoulder flexibility to increase range of motion for better propulsion in the water.
  • Develop your kinesthetic awareness. Being able to control your movements to greater degrees of accuracy and awareness is an important self-coaching tool that everyone needs.

Winter Organized and Open Swim Opportunities

ECC and UB PoolJoin us for Sunday morning BTC swims at the ECC Flickenger Center (across from the Buffalo Bison’s baseball stadium), hosted by Brad Boyle. Complete swim details can be found here.
Many BTC members also use the UB pool to do their swim training.  Although the UB pool has a variety of daily “open swim” times, we have designated Wednesday evenings, from 7:00pm-9:30pm, during the indoor swimming months (October – April), as “BTC group swims at UB.”  We do not provide any specific workouts, or coaching services.  However, this is a good time to get tips from experienced members as well as meet people in the club.

UB Pool Discount and Rates Information

swimmersIn order to access the UB pool, you must have a UB recreation membership (or purchase a 1-day pass for $5), howeverBTC members can purchase a discounted membership for $15 per month to get access to all of the UB facilities. Complete UB swim details.

USAT National Challenge Competition – Log Your Workouts!

Screen Shot 2013-12-07 at 9.40.26 AMThe 2013-2014 National Competition Challenge (NCC) started on December 1st.  December is swim month!  This  FREE  3 month USAT club challenge  is where you log your own workout data into the USAT website and we (the BTC) compete as a team against other USAT registered triathlon clubs across the country.  Clubs are ranked each month, based on total training mileage.  We are also running our own contest within the BTC where members that reach certain monthly thresholds and are included in a raffle for prizes.  Did we mention that it is FREE!?  All you have to do is swim, bike, and run, and enter your workout data into a web form.  And, every mile helps!  Even if you only log 1 workout during the next 3 months that will still help to increase the total mileage for our club.

Our involvement in the NCC is being coordinated by Charlie Watson.  In order to participate you must send an email to Charlie, using the address, and include your name, your age, and your USAT number.  You must have a valid USAT number to participate.  Charlie will then register you, and you will receive an emai from USAT directly that will include your login credentials so that you can log your workout data.

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Gray Floral Eyeglasses for Women

Gray Floral

S L 5517-135 Size guide

Frame Price:

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Description Details Reviews

Give your style a floral boost with Jasmine. With an acetate finish and spring hinges, these wayfarer eyeglasses are both comfortable and durable.

Lens Types Available for This Frame

  • Single Vision LensesIncluded
  • Bifocal Lenses$41
  • Progressive Lenses$69
  • Non-Prescription Included

Frame Details

  • Size: Large
  • Weight: 15g - Lightweight
  • All EBD frame weights displayed are without the lenses. Lightweight frames weigh 15 grams or lighter. All other frames weigh 16 grams or more.

  • Material: Acetate
  • Other Features: Spring hinge

Based on 19 reviews

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  • Pleasantly surprised!

    Lauren A. on March 07, 2016 Color: Gray Floral; Size: L

    This was my first time ordering prescription glasses online. I have a pretty strong prescription, so I was a little worried at how the glasses would look once they arrived, but I can't say enough good things about eyebuydirect! The glasses fit perfectly, and the lenses look like they were made for the frames! I can't believe I was paying upwards of $400 for glasses in store. Already looking at my next pairs on EBD!

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  • Love these glasses

    Lenore M. on March 05, 2016 Color: Gray Floral; Size: L

    I read other reviews here and agree whole heartedly with all the positive reviews I read. I have a larger face than most and these glasses fit extremely well. I also think I look great in them! lol

    Was this review helpful? (11)
  • Had a little problem. I call Eye Buy . They sent me out a new pair. It was very fast and easy.

    Michael H. on May 11, 2016 Color: Tortoise; Size: L

    This was my 8 pair. Eye Buy is the only place I will ever buy my seeing glasses.

    Was this review helpful? (8)
  • love my glasses

    Cindy M. on March 22, 2016 Color: Black; Size: L

    I am so happy with my glasses and the customer service of this company!! the only downside would be the shipping time of about 2 weeks or so but it was definitely worth it!

    Was this review helpful? (8)
  • Great styles, fabulous prices

    on February 20, 2016 Color: Gray Floral; Size: L

    Always great styles with very affordable prices. Plus quick shipping.

    Was this review helpful? (6)
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Here Is 'The Bachelor' Season 22 Premiere Date

Stephanie Topacio Long
THE BACHELOR - Arie is back and ready to race into America's heart yet again when he returns for a second shot at love, starring in the 22nd season of ABC's hit romance reality series "The Bachelor," returning to ABC in January 2018. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)ARIE LUYENDYK

Extra champagne is in order for "The Bachelor" premiere this year.

We're scheduled to see former "Bachelorette" contestant Arie Luyendyk Jr. handing out roses for the first time come January, and it turns out Season 22 has a special premiere date. ABC revealed via EW on Wednesday that it falls on New Year's Day. That means we have one more reason to celebrate during the holiday weekend.

Luyendyk Jr. was previously a contestant during Emily Maynard's season of "The Bachelorette," which aired in 2012. Newer fans will be meeting him for the first time, but long-time viewers will remember him as Maynard's race-car-driving runner-up. As the Bachelor, he'll get a chance to try soothe the ruffled feathers of Team Peter -- a group still irritated that recent runner-up Peter Kraus didn't land the job -- and find love along the way.

Cheers to the "kissing bandit" being on the loose when "The Bachelor" Season 22 premieres Monday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

[via: EW]


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How the Spurs have slowed the Rockets' high-flying offense

James Harden draws the attention of three Spurs defenders as he drives towards the rim. (Getty)

The Houston Rockets offense is mortal. That is now a certainty. But if you’d have been plopped in front of a basketball game for the first time in your life this past Monday night, you’d have been forgiven for thinking otherwise.

The Rockets blitzed the San Antonio Spurs, the NBA’s best defense, in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup. They poured in 126 points in a 27-point blowout on the road, and had rational people believing that the series could turn into a bloodbath. They bombarded the Spurs with 22 3-pointers. The Daryl Morey-Mike D’Antoni basketball revolution was seizing power, and the Spurs were in danger of being its first high-profile victim. They were in trouble. They might have even been done. Finished. Kaput.

And then they weren’t.

Then they put together two extraordinary defensive performances, and all of a sudden have a chance to go up 3-1 in the series Sunday in Houston. They held the Rockets to a season-low 92 points in Game 3. They held the league’s second-best offense — one that at one point broke the century mark 61 games in a row — under 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time all season. They turned the narrative on its head.

So how have they done it?

Make-or-miss league

With 6 minutes and 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Game 3, James Harden ambled up the Toyota Center floor, the basketball at his fingertips, and the Spurs at his mercy. He crossed over to set up a Clint Capela screen, turned the corner and bore down on the lane. He then flung a one-handed cross-court pass to an expectant Trevor Ariza, who caught the ball with his defender still in the painted area. In rhythm, Ariza rose up, untroubled by a late close-out, and unleashed a 3-pointer.

He missed.

The shot was straight out of the Morey-D’Antoni-Harden basketball factory, a picture-perfect look at the rim. Yet it just didn’t fall.

You’ve probably heard the cliché that the NBA is a make-or-miss league. The secret about clichés is that, at least to some extent, most of them are true. Shot-making determines so much in basketball, and it has determined a whole lot in this series. The Rockets shot 44 percent from 3-point range in their rampant Game 1 win. They fell to 32.4 percent in Game 2, and dipped even further to 30.8 percent in Game 3.

The disparity wasn’t all about shot quality either. Houston hit 59.3 percent of catch-and-shoot threes in Game 1 compared to 40 percent in Game 2 and 31.3 percent in Game 3. More tellingly, it shot 50 percent in Game 1 on 3-pointers with the closest defender between two and six feet away — the middle range of’s contested/uncontested continuum. In Game 2, it hit just 28.6 percent of such shots. In Game 3, it was at 34.5 percent, and was 5 for 24 on “open” or “wide open” threes (with the closest defender over four feet away).

Especially in the first half of Game 3, the Rockets missed a number of shots that they’d expect to make. They not only missed threes, they missed a collection of floaters, mid-range jumpers and contested layups that often fall through the net at a higher rate.

After Game 1, with the external freakout kicking into high gear, Tony Parker was asked to explain what had just transpired. “They shot the ball very well,” he said. “We didn’t.” That was all. And to some extent, Parker was right. The intimation, of course, was that shooting would regress to the mean, and the series would even out. And it has.

But this hasn’t been all about make-or-miss. There are perceptible, quantifiable things that the Spurs have done to slow down the league’s second-best offense. And in a way, the Ariza miss from above is a perfect example of most of them. That’s because almost everything about the play, aside from the shot itself, was an outlier among San Antonio’s many outstanding defensive possessions in Games 2 and 3.

San Antonio’s best defensive adjustment has been its offense

The very first problem for the Spurs on that third-quarter possession was a missed shot — their own missed shot. LaMarcus Aldridge left his turnaround jumper short, and in doing so left San Antonio stuck with cross-matches. But more on that later.

The missed shot also prevented San Antonio from getting set — a condition the Rockets have taken advantage of all year. They love to push the ball. They got up 23.6 percent of their field goals this season in the first six seconds of the shot clock, the second highest rate in the league, and compiled a 59.5 effective field goal percentage on those early shots. The efficiency is inflated by steals, of course, but a good portion of the early shots come after opponent misses, too.

One of the biggest issues for the Spurs in Game 1 was that those misses were plentiful, and thus Houston’s opportunities to attack before San Antonio’s defense was set were also plentiful. Houston scored 27 fastbreak points in Game 1. Of its 87 total field goal attempts, per NBA Wowy, 31 came after defensive rebounds, and its effective field goal percentage on those attempts was 64.5 percent. That’s 40 points right there.

In Game 2, the Rockets were similarly effective after defensive rebounds (63.9 eFG%), but simply didn’t get as many opportunities to be effective. The Spurs couldn’t miss — they scored 1.36 points per possession — so the Rockets only grabbed 23 defensive rebounds compared to 42 in Game 1. Only 18 of their 83 field goal attempts came after defensive boards, and they tallied only 13 fastbreak points.

Game 3 was in some ways similar, and in some ways even worse for Houston. It again pulled down a relatively low number of defensive rebounds, but this time its effective field goal percentage on 17 attempts after defensive boards was just 44.1. Its fastbreak point total was a measly seven despite swiping 12 steals.

The Spurs played exemplary transition defense in Game 2 and especially Game 3, and ensured that Harden and the Rockets had to manufacture much of their offense in halfcourt sets. But the first step was improving on offense themselves.

“I don’t think we executed in a very wise manner,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after Game 1. “We disobeyed a lot of basic basketball rules that they can take advantage of. If we’re going to shoot quickly and shoot poorly, that’s going to be a fastbreak all night long. And they’re better at that than we are. So we’ve got to play a lot smarter than what we played tonight.”

Essentially, the one true prerequisite for San Antonio’s masterful defensive gameplan was smart offense. The Spurs got smarter with the ball in Game 2, and that has allowed their defensive execution to become the story of the series ever since.

Kawhi Leonard

Before we get into philosophies and X’s and O’s, no analysis of San Antonio’s defense is complete without an ode to Leonard. Nothing they do would be possible without without him. If there is one player who’s a one-man pick-and-roll coverage, it’s him. When he goes under screens, he has the length to still contest Harden’s threes. When he goes over, he has the strength to fight through the screen. When he trails, he has the speed, quickness and length to recover and challenge a Harden floater or layup from behind.

Leonard is the reason keeping Houston out of transition is so important. Because Harden guards Danny Green on defense, it can be difficult for Green to get back to his man after a missed shot or turnover. Whenever Harden gets to go at anybody other than Leonard, that’s a win for the Rockets. Only when Leonard is matched up with his fellow MVP candidate can San Antonio stifle Houston in the halfcourt.

Defending Moreyball

It’s no secret what Houston wants to do on offense. Statistically, the most efficient shots in basketball are at the rim and behind the 3-point line. Houston wants the most efficient shots in basketball. And, more often than not, it gets them. During the regular season, a remarkable 81.7 percent of the Rockets’ shots were taken from either the restricted area or beyond the arc, by far the highest percentage in the league. It was extreme. And it was effective.

So what have Popovich and the Spurs done? They’ve gone to the corresponding defensive extreme. They’ve done everything in their power to both run the Rockets off the 3-point line and swarm them at the rim. After 84 percent of Houston’s shots were layups, dunks or threes in Game 1, only 72 percent were in Game 2, and 76 percent were in Game 3.

If the Rockets were running anything remotely resembling a traditional NBA offense, those percentages would probably be in the 50s, too. San Antonio has conceded mid-range jumpers and floaters. It has baited the Rockets into shots it knows they don’t want to take. And it has done so to an extent the Rockets clearly aren’t comfortable with. Other teams have tried this, of course, but not many have A) done it this drastically, and B) had the personnel to do it successfully.

The most obvious example of the strategy is the way the Spurs have dealt with Harden kick-outs. Unlike Aldridge on the Ariza 3-pointer above, secondary defenders rarely had even one foot in the paint in Game 3, especially when they were guarding Ryan Anderson or Eric Gordon. Look at Manu Ginobili’s positioning here as Harden drives to the opposite side of the rim:

And here’s Danny Green in the fourth quarter, essentially leaving Pau Gasol one-on-two with Harden and Capela so that he can stay within close-out range of Gordon in the corner:

Nonetheless, Harden would often sling his patented lefty cross-court pass, even when a weak-side defender stayed at home on his shooter:

And when a pass did find a shooter, San Antonio’s close-outs were either textbook or overzealous. Or, given the gameplan, both. The Spurs would rather see a mid-range pull-up jumper than any type of 3-pointer, even if the 2-pointer is wide open after a defender has flown by.

On many occasions, the Rockets resisted the Spurs’ bait, but on some, they took it. Houston attempted 13 shots that’s play-by-play classified as “floating,” and made just four of them.

Harden was 2-for-3 on floaters, but often passed them up. Instead, he’d pull up for a three, attack the San Antonio big man at the rim, or dish to a wing. Oftentimes that wing was covered. Harden had 43 points on the night, but just five assists. Aldridge and Gasol actually did a very respectable job confronting Harden when he charged toward the cup. That allowed the Rockets to stay at home on shooters.

The Spurs varied their pick-and-roll coverages, at times hedging and going under, at times trailing Harden and zoning up. When they did zone up — when the big man sat back in the paint as the on-ball defender fought over and around the screen — Harden had the options of a 17-foot jumper or a 10-foot floater almost without fail; but he rarely took them.

This meant that the one area of the court to which the Spurs weren’t devoting defensive resources wasn’t one the Rockets were taking advantage of. But the Rockets also weren’t as effective at the rim and behind the 3-point line because the Spurs were so keyed in on both. Harden wanted to get others involved, but the Spurs wouldn’t let him.

The Rockets weren’t automatically less effective because the Spurs chose to hone in on their offensive strengths. But they were less effective because the Spurs did so successfully and because Houston didn’t (or couldn’t) take advantage of the side effects of San Antonio’s strategy — namely the vast swaths of empty court between five and 20 feet away from the rim.

Houston’s answer in Game 4 may or may not be to take more mid-range shots. It may or may not be to stick to what has worked and trust that 3-point strokes will return to form. Either way, San Antonio has done remarkably well to solve problems that after Monday’s blowout almost felt unsolvable.