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The Agile Executive

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Posts Tagged ‘Jonathon Golden

A Special Technical Debt Offer from the Cutter Consortium

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The good folks at Cutter are making the October Issue of the Cutter IT Journal (CITJ) available to anyone who is interested in getting deeper into the intricacies of technical debt. Here is the table of contents for this issue:

  • Opening Statement by Israel Gat
  • Modernizing the DeLorean System: Comparing Actual and Predicted Results of a Technical Debt Reduction Project by John Heintz
  • The Economics of Technical Debt by Stephen Chin, Erik Huddleston, Walter Bodwell, and Israel Gat
  • Technical Debt: Challenging the Metaphor by David Rooney
  • Manage Project Portfolios More Effectively by Including Software Debt in the Decision Process by Brent Barton and Chris Sterling
  • The Risks of Acceptance Test Debt by Ken Pugh
  • Transformation Patterns for Curing the Human Causes of Technical Debt by Jonathon Michael Golden
  • Infrastructure Debt: Revisiting the Foundation by Andrew Clay Shafer

Being the guest editor for this issue, I can attest better than anyone else how much I learned from the various authors, from Karen Pasley (the October issue editor) and Chris Generali (CITJ Editor-in-Chief).

Click here for details of this special offer including downloading instruction.

Fresh Perspectives on Technical Debt

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Update, October 15: The issue has been posted on the Cutter website (Cutter IT Journal subscription privileges required).

Cutter is just about ready to post the October issue of the IT Journal for which I am the guest editor. Print subscribers should receive it by the last week of the month. Jim Highsmith and I will be reflecting on it in our forthcoming seminar on technical debt in the Cutter Summit.

This issue sheds light on three noteworthy aspects of technical debt techniques:

  1. Their pragmatic use as an integral part of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC).
  2. Extending the techniques to shed light on various nuances of technical debt that have alluded us so far.
  3. Applying the techniques in new domains such as devops.

Here is the Table of Contents for this exciting issue:

Opening Statement

by Israel Gat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3

Modernizing the DeLorean System: Comparing Actual and Predicted Results of a Technical Debt Reduction Project

by John Heintz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Economics of Technical Debt

by Stephen Chin, Erik Huddleston, Walter Bodwell, and Israel Gat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Technical Debt: Challenging the Metaphor

by David Rooney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Manage Project Portfolios More Effectively by Including Software Debt in the Decision Process

by Brent Barton and Chris Sterling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The Risks of Acceptance Test Debt

by Ken Pugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Transformation Patterns for Curing the Human Causes of Technical Debt

by Jonathon Michael Golden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  30

Infrastructure Debt: Revisiting the Foundation

by Andrew Shafer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Action Item: Apply the techniques recommended in this issue to govern your software assets in an effective manner.

Overwhelmed by a “mountain” of technical debt? Let me know if you would like assistance in devising and carrying out plans to reduce the debt in a biggest-bang-for-the-buck manner. Click Services for details.

Technical Debt at Cutter

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No, this post is not about technical debt we identified in the software systems used by the Cutter Consortium to drive numerous publications, events and engagements. Rather, it is about various activities carried out at Cutter to enhance the state of the art and make the know-how available to a broad spectrum of IT professionals who can use technical debt engagements to pursue technical and business opportunities.

The recently announced Cutter Technical Debt Assessment and Valuation service is quite unique IMHO:

  1. It is rooted in Agile principles and theory but applicable to any software method.
  2. It combines the passion, empowerment and collaboration of Agile with the rigor of quantified performance measures, process control techniques and strategic portfolio management.
  3. It is focused on enlightened governance through three simple metrics: net present value, cost and technical debt.

Here are some details on our current technical debt activities:

  1. John Heintz joined the Cutter Consortium and will be devoting a significant part of his time to technical debt work. I was privileged and honored to collaborate with colleagues Ken Collier, Jonathon Golden and Chris Sterling in various technical debt engagements. I can’t wait to work with them, John and other Cutter consultants on forthcoming engagements.
  2. John and I will be jointly presenting on the subject Toxic Code in the Agile Roots conference next week. In this presentation we will demonstrate how the hard lesson learned during the sub-prime loans crisis apply to software development. For example, we will be discussing development on margin…
  3. My Executive Report entitled Revolution in Software: Using Technical Debt Techniques to Govern the Software Development Process will be sent to Cutter clients in the late June/early July time-frame. I don’t think I had ever worked so hard on a paper. The best part is it was labor of love….
  4. The main exercise in my Agile 2010 workshop How We Do Things Around Here in Order to Succeed is about applying Agile governance through technical debt techniques across organizations and cultures. Expect a lot of fun in this exercise no matter what your corporate culture might be – Control, Competence, Cultivation or Collaboration.
  5. John and I will be doing a Cutter webinar on Reining in Technical Debt on Thursday, August 19 at 12 noon EDT. Click here for details.
  6. A Cutter IT Journal (CITJ) on the subject of technical debt will be published in the September-October time-frame. I am the guest editor for this issue of the CITJ. We have nine great contributors who will examine technical debt from just about every possible perspective. I doubt that we have the ‘real estate’ for additional contributions, but do drop me a note if you have intriguing ideas about technical debt. I will do my best to incorporate your thoughts with proper attribution in my editorial preamble for this issue of the CITJ.
  7. Jim Highsmith and I will jointly deliver a seminar entitled Technical Debt Assessment: The Science of Software Development Governance in the forthcoming Cutter Summit. This is really a wonderful ‘closing of the loop’ for me: my interest in technical debt was triggered by Jim’s presentation How to Be an Agile Leader in the Agile 2006 conference.

Standing back to reflect on where we are with respect to technical debt at Cutter, I see a lot of things coming nicely together: Agile, technical debt, governance, risk management, devops, etc. I am not certain where the confluence of all these threads, and possibly others, might lead us. However, I already enjoy the adrenaline rush this confluence evokes in me…

Cutter’s Technical Debt Assessment and Valuation Service

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Source: Cutter Technical Debt and Valuation Service

The Cutter Consortium has announced the availability of the Technical Debt Assessment and Valuation Service. The service combines static code analytics with dynamic program analytics to give the client “x-rays” of the software being examined at any desired granularity – from the whole project portfolio to a single instruction. It breaks down technical debt into the areas of coverage, complexity, duplication, violations and comments. Clients get an aggregate dollar figure for “paying back” debt that they can then plug into their financial models to objectively analyze their critical software assets. Based on these metrics, they can make the best decisions about their ongoing strategy for the software development effort under scrutiny.

This new service is an important addition to the enlightened software governance framework that Jim Highsmith, Michael Mah and I have been thinking about and contributing to for sometime now (see Beyond Scope, Schedule and Cost: Measuring Agile Performance and Quantifying the Start Afresh Option). The heart of both the technical debt service and the enlightened governance framework is captured by the following words from the press release:

Executives in charge of software governance have long dealt with two kinds of dollar figures: One, the cost of producing and maintaining the software; and two, the value of the software, which is usually expressed in terms of the net present value associated with the expected value stream the product will generate. Now we can deal with technical debt in the same quantitative manner, regardless of the software methods a company uses.

When expressed in terms of dollars, technical debt ties neatly into value vis-à-vis cost considerations. For a “well behaved” software project, three factors — value, cost, and technical debt — have to satisfy the equation Value >> Cost > Technical Debt. Monitoring the balance between value, cost, and technical debt on an ongoing basis is an effective way for organizations to stay on top of their real progress, and for stakeholders and investors to ensure their investment is sound.

By boiling down technical debt to dollars and tying it to cost and value, the service enables a metrics-driven governance framework for the use of five major constituencies, as follows:

Technical debt assessments and valuation can specifically help CIOs ensure alignment of software development with IT Operations; give CTOs early warning signs of impending project trouble; assure those involved in due diligence for M&A activity that the code being acquired will adapt to meet future needs; enables CEOs to effectively govern the software development process; and, it provides critical information as to whether software under consideration constitutes an asset or a liability for venture capitalists who need to make informed investment decisions.

It should finally be pointed out that the technical debt assessment service and the governance framework it enables are applicable to any software method. They can be used to:

  • Govern a heterogeneous environment in which multiple software methods are used
  • Make apples-to-apples comparisons between disparate software projects
  • Assess project performance vis-a-vis industry norms

Forthcoming Cutter Executive Reports, Executive Updates and Email Advisors on the technical debt service are restricted to Cutter clients. As appropriate, I will publish the latest and greatest news on the subject in the Cutter Blog (which is an open forum I highly recommend).

Acknowledgements: I would like to wholeheartedly thank the following colleagues for inspiring, enlightening and supporting me during the preparation of the service:

  • Karen Coburn
  • Jennifer Flaxman
  • Jonathon Golden
  • John Heintz
  • Jim Highsmith
  • Ken Collier
  • Kim Leonard
  • Kara Letourneau
  • Michal Mah
  • Anne Mullaney
  • Chris Sterling
  • Cindy Swain
  • Sarah Wiesbrock

Technical Debt on Your Balance Sheet

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Colleague Jonathon Golden introduced me to a new plug in to Sonar. The plug in calculates the cost to fix the technical debt accrued in a product. For example, you might find an accrued technical debt amounting to $1M in a 500KLOC application. Obviously, you will need to spend $2 per each line of code to “pay back” your debt.

The expression of technical debt in monetary terms is intriguing. Unlike financial debt, there is no credit limit on technical debt. Hence, unless a team is proficient at refactoring on an ongoing basis, technical debt tends to grow over time as the underlying software decays. Beyond a certain level of debt, no good option is available. The code decayed to the point in which fixing anything in a hazardous proposition – every fix is likely to break something else. Under such circumstances, most/all of the development team gets sucked into maintaining the software instead of developing new features and functions.

Monetizing technical debt can have two far reaching implications, as follows:

  • A credit limit on technical debt can be established.  For example, when the technical debt reaches a certain level (say 25 cents per line of code), new functionality is put on hold. The team applies itself to aggressive refactoring to reduce the debt to an acceptable level.
  • For companies who capitalize software, technical debt could become a line item on the balance sheet. It will simply be listed as a liability.

From a customer perspective, the monetized technical debt on the balance sheet of a software vendor is a proxy for the technical risk involved in licensing software from this vendor. Such monetization could be easily extended to report technical debt per product family. With such reporting in place, the technical risk associated with licensing a specific product can be assessed.

Software vendors might frown at the requirement to monetize technical debt. I would contend that such a reporting requirement is absolutely consistent with the spirit of the Agile Manifesto:

Customer collaboration over contract negotiations

In other words, if you are reluctant to list your monetized technical debt you can’t really claim you practice Agile.

Written by israelgat

September 29, 2009 at 8:18 pm

Don’t Take Your Boss to Lunch

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During my Agile 2006 presentation I made the following recommendation to the audience:

Don’t take your boss to lunch; take him/her to the daily stand-up meeting.

The point I was trying to get across is straightforward: there is no substitute to “touching” Agile and being touched by Agile. Instead of preaching the benefits of Agile, get your executive engaged in the Agile process.

Last week, colleagues Ken Collier, Jonathon Golden and I were on a Cutter Consortium consulting engagement. The CEO of the company we were consulting to immersed himseld  in the workshop. I would say he spent about 50% of his time in the three day workshop in which we worked with his team on Agile and refactoring.

This CEO certainly got it [Agile]. And, he took his CTO and us to lunch.

It might have been a breach of my own counsel don’t take your boss to lunch…

Written by israelgat

September 27, 2009 at 6:18 pm


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The Alpine Wanderer

A380 takeoff from Christchurch Airport

Photos of the second a380 to takeoff from Christchurch International Airport

Christchurch Lean Means Festival

Photos from the Lean Means Festival in Christchurch

An Evening in Christchurch Central

The combination of longer days, soothing warm weather and a beautiful sunset was the perfect recipe for a Tuesday evening in town with friends. After a brief conversation over social media, I headed over to pick up a couple of... Continue Reading →

End-of-Semester Star Gazing Trip

Some sunset and night-time photos over banks peninsula

An Early Sunday Sunrise.

What's the best thing to do after a very late night of 1950's-themed partying? The most obvious answer, it would seem, is to get up at 5am the same morning for an hour-long hike up the hills. We therefore chose... Continue Reading →

A Colourful Evening in Christchurch

On Thursday evening, I headed into town to check out some public events taking place. I picked up a friend, then we headed into Hagley Park, in the centre of the city. The council was hosting a night light show... Continue Reading →

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Posts tagged “war on fat people

The government can, Private companies cannot or else it means war

Last night my lovely fiancee and I were talking about our insurance coverage. Then I started thinking about how people complained because private insurances charge women higher rates than men and how that was a “war on women”.

Yet when the government (senate finance committee’s) proposed taxing medical devices to raise 40 billion dollars in “revenue” and listing tampons and breast pumps as one of the said medical devices to be taxed, no one shouted war on women/moms.

What about auto insuran…ces charging higher rates for men, is that a war on men?

Or when auto insurances charge higher rates for red cars, is that a war on red?

When insurances charge higher rates for fat people aka hi bp people, is that a war on fat people?

When insurances charge higher rates for people who smoke once every 3 months aka 4 times a year aka 320 instances in an 80 year lifetime, is that a war on people who smoke?

Yet when government taxes a 16oz soda drink? Its ok. Its not a war on fat people.

When the government taxes tobacco and alcohol? Its ok its not a war on people who celebrate graduations or the birth of their baby boy.

I mean honestly i get why insurances do it there are statistics involved. They have to insure that they can pay out and yet continue covering their other customers.

But what i dont get is how the government can take a “flat rate” standard potion of a persons income for “social security insurance” or “disability insurance” regardless as to whether the person smokes, drinks, or eats like a glutton. Maybe thats why those programs are failing because they were designed as though people are entitled to them no matter what they do nor what they bring upon themselves.

So why charge people the same “common” “fair” ssi and disability insurance rates from their pay checks but yet turn around and tax them differently when it comes to funding the salaries of politicians? why?
Its just a thought im currently pondering.

Oh and as for the next first lady, i hope the cause she takes up isn’t telling “educating” parents what to feed their kids but rarher telling parents how to budget their money, how to save for  a rainy day, what fund will work best to put their children through college and most of all when it comes time to choose between an iPhone 5/ps3/xbox/etc v.s. new school clothes for their kids i hope she will “educate” parents on which one to choose….that is all for now.

By: Milton L. Jefferson

“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” Benjamin Franklin


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CONNECTIONS: The Berkshire hotel stampede

More Info
By Tuesday, Feb 14 Life In the Berkshires  3 Comments
An artist's rendering of the Courtyard Lenox Marriott hotel, scheduled to open in April.

About Connections: Love it or hate it, history is a map. Those who hate history think it irrelevant; many who love history think it escapism. In truth, history is the clearest road map to how we got here: America in the 21st century.

Why are hotel and motel chains overbuilding in Berkshire County? Do they believe there is demand for all those new rooms? Do they estimate off-season occupancy is growing? Do they think in-season occupancy is sufficient to carry the business year-round?

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 23, 2004: “In the old days, construction statistics and other business data were closely guarded secrets. Developers can now look at competitors’ numbers and tell at a glance if an area is becoming overbuilt.”

If that is true, if lack of accurate information is not the reason, what motivates them?

For our purposes, overbuilding is defined as additions to supply from new construction even when current supply of space clearly meets or exceeds demand for space. Why overbuild?

One theory is that demand eventually catches up with excess space so new builds are good business. However, according to a study conducted by John B. Corgel, professor at the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, two other things occur before demand catches up:

“First, continuing construction of buildings no one needs is an obvious misallocation of society’s resources. Second, overbuilding imposes financial pressures on existing property owners who may then default on mortgage loans.”

The Bonnie Briar Gilded Age cottage (center), more recently the DeSisto School on Route 183 upland from Stockbridge Bowl, is slated to become a 50-room hotel, with 209 condo units in the surrounding property.

The Bonnie Briar Gilded Age cottage (center), more recently the DeSisto School on Route 183 upland from Stockbridge Bowl, is slated to become a 50-room hotel, with 209 condo units in the surrounding property.

Corgel’s finding would mean, as more motels and hotels go up, extant hostelries have to lower prices to attract market share. The result could be that older properties are unable to meet their financial obligations and close. So does demand actually catch up? If you build it, they will come? Or does overbuilding drive out the older businesses and, for that reason, the new builds fill up? Actually the net number of rooms available does not increase?

In the Berkshires this is a very important question because there is an environmental impact that could, in itself, lower demand. Large hotel/motels surrounded by impermeable surface parking lots change the look of the countryside. If Berkshire becomes more urban, fewer tourists may come.

Moreover, the older inns and B&B are likely to be smaller, renovated structures. Reuse of extant buildings does not exhaust as many resources as new builds, and the smaller, older structures better suit the character of Berkshire County.

The Hilton Garden Inn Lenox Pittsfield.

The Hilton Garden Inn Lenox Pittsfield, opened last year.

Corgel continues, “In the past three decades, hotels became the most overbuilt among property types.”

In his study, Corgel found that builders did not look at current statistics closely enough because they believed demand is cyclical over time. They ascribed to the theory that demand would catch up.

However, in their study, William Wheaton and Lawrence Rossoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the hospitality industry was “less conforming relative to those of the general economy”.

The hospitality industry experienced longer lag times; demand did not catch up with space available as quickly as in residential or office buildings. Wheaton and Rossoff concluded, “Property types with longer lag times are the most prone to overbuilding.”

In another study, Wheaton found that a burst of increases in occupancy may be incorrectly interpreted as a long-term change and trigger development.

So if Tanglewood books a great season, we get three more Marriotts? Maybe, but there is more to it than that.

In an earlier study, Wheaton found that property types with high rates of obsolescence experience relatively high frequency of and persistent demand for replacement. This characteristic raises the probability of overbuilding. Hotels are the prime example. The public demands something new in a hotel more often than in office space or even residential space. So hotels build new exactly because they believe they can outperform the older properties.

An artist's rendering of the Berkshire Hotel, currently being built from the former Searles Middle School on Bridge Street in Great Barrington.

An artist’s rendering of the Berkshire Hotel, planned to be built from the former Searles Middle School on Bridge Street in Great Barrington.

In Hong Kong, Wang and Zhou found “developers will knowingly oversupply the market at the first sign of opportunity because of the high cost of holding land.” Development increases the value of the land whether or not the hotel they build makes a net profit.

At the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University, a study found “The lodging industry has incentive to maintain excess capacity.”

Why would oversupply be considered beneficial?

First, that is not exactly the proper phrasing. Those in the industry know oversupply depresses profitability; even so, there are still incentives to create excess capacity. There is more money available at better rates for new builds. Tax deductions for depreciation help carry the new hotel even when it is not profitable. Spreading loss over a chain of hotels, some very profitable, may also be a benefit. The objection to obsolescence makes resale, hotel swapping and flipping advantageous. It is even more advantageous after the tax deduction for depreciation expires. Finally, the increase in land value by building enhances resale.

So, at the end of the day, even though it may negatively impact the community aesthetically, may negatively impact extant businesses, there are reasons to overbuild. The incentives may be more cynical than an honest net profit and serving a public need. The reasons may be revenue-neutral or actually produce a negative cash flow for the new build; nonetheless, expect more and more permit applications.

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3 Comments   Add Comment

  1. Susan Bachelder says:

    Your astute evaluation of a regional trend that is clearly underway in Great Barrington makes it essential that every Town guard against this, and promote a controlled measure of growth commensurate with its population – present and projected – the lifestyle of its current residents, and its vision for itself carried forward. This requires serious study of both regional trends and the singular issues that face every town. Your article helps to start that dialogue for all of us. thank you.

  2. Carol Diehl says:

    Thank you so much for this! There is the tendency to think that any development is good for the town, when we may be giving over the real draw, our natural resources and authentic small town charm, to ugly white elephants.

  3. John H Hart says:

    Carole. Great read as usual. I can’t help but wonder with all the new hotels being constructed why is the Crown Plaza in Pittsfield in foreclosure? One might think that one of these developers could pick it up for pennies on the dollar and add to their already excessive inventory of rooms.
    Or is it because it’s in Pittsfield?

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CONNECTIONS: An accident brings a president to the Red Lion Inn

Tuesday, Mar 20 - As a result of the Sept. 6, 1901, assassination of President McKinley, three things happened: Theodore Roosevelt became president of the United States, the function of the Secret Service expanded to include guarding the U.S. president and William Craig was assigned to guard Roosevelt.


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[MUSIC] LL Cool J To Host The 2016 Grammy Awards 5th Year In A Row LOOK:

5 Years in A Row

Major news for the two time grammy award winning actor and legendary rapper, LL Cool J. He is the 2016 Host for the Grammy Awards. This will be his fifth year in a row. Every year I see him hosting is another year I feel grateful that a person of color is shown in a major way at the Grammys. After they stopped televising the categories most Afrikan American artist thrive in, all hope was lost, but LL keeps hope alive for the young brown girl, and brown boy to see themselves represented at the Grammys. See what the academy and LL had to say about this hosting 2016’s awards;

‘We are delighted to welcome back the very talented LL Cool J as our host for the 58th Grammys,” said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. “His unique expertise, both as a Grammy-winning recording artist and accomplished actor, allows him to connect with both his musical peers and the fans at home, and his dynamic personality and charismatic energy set the perfect tone for our show.’

‘The performances and moments that take place on the Grammy stage are awesome in so many ways for the audience and artists alike,” the 2016 host said. “I’m honored once again to host Music’s Biggest Night as we celebrate the talented music creators of today. It’s going to be an incredible night and I’m excited to share this experience with the world….more here

See The Full List Of Grammy Nominations And Predictions Here

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© 2015 Tahir Register The B.L.A.C.K Media

No Gossip, No Rumors, No Negativity!


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First Look: Danai Gurira As Afeni Shakur In Tupac Biopic “All Eyez On Me” Cast & More

Perfect Casting

Danai Gurira, star of The Walking Dead, and creator of the hit broadway production; “Eclipsed” will now star as the legendary, and powerful political activist and mother of Tupac Shakur, Afeni Shakur. Tupac’s Biopic is being created by the hands of Benny Boom, famous music video director and entertainment mogul. Before the untimely death of Afeni Shakur who at the time was an executive producer on this project, Afeni was said to’ve hand picked Danai to play her in this major production. A win for such a powerful actress, she will do this role justice.

All Eyez On Me, the title of the Tupac Shakur biopic, which is also the name of his best selling album selling over 10 million copies in the US making it a rare diamond album, will be one of theaters greatest movies. The cast includes new comer, actor Demetrius Shipp Jr. who’s resemblance to 2Pac is so uncanny, you literally won’t believe your eyes;

demetrius shipp jr theblackmedia 2016 tupac biopic

The cast also includes; Kat Graham as Jada Pinkett, Jamal Woolard (who played Biggie in Notorious), Dominic L Santana as Suge Knight, Hill Harper and the list goes on. The casting is perfect, and against a huge 45 million dollar budget, this movie is sure to be of quality, expertise, and passion, as 2Pac meant a lot to so many people, and still does. After the passing of Afeni, the passion grew stronger. The trailer of the film is on it’s way accord to the official instagram page. The film was shot in Atlanta, and has been seen by several people in the industry, including Ashanti, The Game & Big Boy;

all eyez on me suge knight theblackmedia 2016

– :) Thanks For Reading #SOULdiers

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© 2016 Tahir Register The B.L.A.C.K Media

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Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

Now that it’s officially summer, all I want are salads. Right now I could eat a salad for every meal. Give me all the veggies, all of them. After I completed my first whole 30, I never wanted to buy store bought salad dressing ever again, that shit is loaded with sugar and additives. Living in Canada, I don’t have access to some of the dressings that American whole 30’rs rave about. Today I decided to experiment with some apple cider vinegar and it turned out delicious, it was a party in my salad bowl.

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 Business for sale in Canada – Bc – British Columbia – Industrial cleaning & maintenance contractor

Business for sale, Buy a business or sell a business. Find a business broker or a franchise for sale. Over 19,000 banks and 2,700 venture capital firms in The Business Place

In order to contact the buyer/seller, you must be a registered user of the site and must be logged in

Business for sale in Canada - Industrial cleaning & maintenance contractor

Asking Price: 1,490,000 $ CDN Real Estate: Lease
Sales Revenue: 1,084,915 $ CDN
Net Profit: 439,583 $ CDN
Year Established: 1992
Employees: 1FT, 8PT
# of family members employed: Not Disclosed
Location criteria:
Canada/British Columbia/Bc

Business types:

Business categories:

Cleaning Services

Business description

this is a well-established business performing technical cleaning and specialized maintenance services for clients primarily in the energy & utilities sectors. The company has a history of solid performance, has trained and experienced staff and has key suppliers in close proximity. The business has long-standing and key service agreements with clients located in w canada and elsewhere. As well, the focus of the business is based on the technical expertise of services delivered and time-sensitive demands of the client. This is an all season business – but with a majority of revenues realized from fall to spring. The premises are in a light-industrial location and the vendor seeks to lease back the premises to the buyer, or the buyer may consider relocation. The shop is fully equipped with fixtures and tools in place, in addition to offsite storage facility. And now, the opportunity exists for either a hands-on or a strategic buyer to capitalize on taking this business to the next level of growth and development.

Additional information

Additional information: Not Disclosed
Support & training: Not Disclosed
Reasons for selling: Other Business Interest
Financing available: Not Disclosed
Inventory / Stock value: Not Disclosed

Real Estate

Ownership: no
Lease: yes
Lease terms: Not Disclosed
Location: Not Disclosed

In order to contact the buyer/seller, you must be a registered user of the site and must be logged in


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The Oscars: a night to remember

By Andreana Holowatyj

Much like every other industry, movies and Hollywood work hard year round. Time is dedicated to make grand productions. Annually, the greatest production of all is a celebration to acknowledge the select films and individuals; this event is known to the world as the Academy Awards, or the Oscars.

This enchanted evening, in its 84th year, was accompanied with a million dollar question- “Who are you wearing?”

Coverage of the awards ceremony promptly began as guests filled the infamous Kodak Theatre.

Whether it be Tina Fey sporting a custom Carolina Herrera gown, Viola Davis in gorgeous Vera Wang, Michelle Williams with Louis Vuitton, or even Cameron Diaz wearing a stunning Gucci dress, a significant part of this evening is dedicated towards naming those designer labels. Even men are asked about their sharp tuxedoes.

The five seconds of fame each guest attributed to their outfit by naming the brand of their dress or suit stirs buzz for the designer. Behind each ensemble is weeks of preparation, tailoring, and for women, the most difficult decision of which dress to choose for this significant occasion.

In the days that follow the Academy Awards, magazines fill spreads with the best and worst dressed. Morning talk shows gossip about favorite pieces and those that failed to impress. Even Facebook is littered with opinionated statuses. For in the fashion world, it can mean almost as much to be known as ‘Best Dressed’ as it does to be awarded an Oscar.

When it comes to the actual event, there was even more anticipation to learn of the coveted Best Picture title. This year, that award went to the silent film, “The Artist.” While it stood against many other worthy competitors such as “Moneyball,” “The Help,” and “Hugo,” its unique ability to draw in audiences brought in this distinguished award.

Throughout the evening, many others experienced life-changing moments. Whether it be Meryl Streep walking away with her third Oscar after 17 nominations over her career, or Christopher Plummer becoming the oldest Supporting Actor winner at 82 years of age, it was a memorable night for all involved. At the end of the evening, as all guests dissipated to the after-parties, the curtains closed one final time. That is at least until next year.


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When Is A Swimming Pool Not A Swimming Pool?

Q.: When is a swimming pool not a swimming pool?

A.: When it is found in the Auschwitz concentration camp!

“Eh! A swimming pool can be NOT a swimming pool? You don’t say!?”

 Yes, that’s quite right: a swimming pool is not a swimming pool when it is found in the Auschwitz concentration camp! In this case we are dealing with a “reservoir for the fire brigade”!

“What about the diving board” you may ask. The diving board has been placed there by those “devilishly cunning Nazis” to make it impossible for future holocaust deniers to claim that this structure is anything other than a water reservoir for the fire brigade!

The Auschwitz Swimming Pool

Robert Faurisson

20 July 2001 (with addendum of 27 July)

The German-Australian revisionist Frederick Toben has brought to our attention the fact that today, beside the swimming pool at Auschwitz I, there stands a signboard bearing, in Polish, English and Hebrew, a notice intended to have the visitor believe that the pool was in fact a simple reservoir for the fire brigade.

It reads as follows:

“Fire brigade reservoir built in the form of a swimming pool, probably in early 1944”

He asks when exactly this signboard appeared. I myself have no idea but the inscription is just as fallacious as any number of the Auschwitz museum’s other allegations or explanations. One fails to see why the Germans, rather than settling for an ordinary reservoir, would have made one in the fashion of a swimming pool… complete with diving board.

The pool was a pool. It was meant for the detainees. Marc Klein mentions it at least twice in his recollections of the camp. In an article entitled ‘Auschwitz I Stammlager’ he wrote:

The working hours were modified on Sundays and holidays, when most of the kommandos were at leisure. Roll call was at around noon; evenings were devoted to rest and to a choice of cultural and sporting activities. Football, basketball, and water-polo matches (in an open-air pool built within the perimeter by detainees) attracted crowds of onlookers. It should be noted that only the very fit and well-fed, exempt from the harsh jobs, could indulge in these games which drew the liveliest applause from the masses of other detainees (De l’Université aux camps de concentration: Télmorgnages strasbourgeois, Paris, les Belles-lettres, 1947, p. 453).

In his booklet Observations et réflexions sur les camps de concentration nazis he further wrote: Auschwitz I was made up of 28 blocks built of stone laid out in three parallel rows between which ran paved streets. A third street ran the length of the quadrangle and was planted with birch trees, the Birkenhaller intended as a walkway for the detainees, with benches; there also was an open air swimming pool (booklet of 32 pages printed in Caen, 1948, p. 10; its text is a reproduction of the author’s article published in Etudes germaniques, n° 3, 1948, pp. 244-275).

  1. Klein, professor at the Strasbourg medicine faculty, took care to point out that his first statement had been submitted “to the reading and scrutiny of Robert Weil, professor of science at Sarreguemines lycée,” who had been interned in the same camps as himself (p. 455).

In 1985, at Ernst Zündel’s first trial in Toronto, I spoke of M. Klein’s recollections but the real specialist on the history of the Auschwitz I swimming pool was at that time none other than the Swedish revisionist Dietlieb Felderer. If I remember correctly, the Canadian press headlined an article on his testimony about it. Moreover, in his writings he often returns to this and other quite concrete, quite precise subjects just as disquieting for the supporters of the exterminationist argument.

The water of the swimming pool can obviously be used by firemen in case of emergency. In his booklet, M. Klein wrote that “there were firemen at the camp with very modern equipment” (p.9). Amongst the things that he had not expected to find on arriving, in June 1944, “at a camp whose sinister reputation was known to the whole world thanks to the Allied radio broadcasts,” one may note, for the detainees, “a hospital with sections specialised in line with the most modern hospital practices” (p. 4), “vast and well fitted-out wash houses along with communal W.C.’s built according to the modern principles of sanitary hygiene” (p. 10), “the micro-wave delousing process which had just been created” (p. 14), “the mechanical bakery” (p. 15) the legal aid for the detainees (pp. 16-17), the existence of “dietetic cooking” for some of the sick, with “special soups and even a special bread” (p. 26), “a library where numerous reference works, classic textbooks, and periodicals could be found” (p. 27), the daily rolling by, next to the camp, of “the Krakow- Berlin express” (p. 29), a cinema, a cabaret, an orchestra (p. 31), etc. M. Klein also notes the horrible aspects of life in the camp and all the rumours, including the “horrific stories” of gassings which he seems not really to have believed until after the war, and then only thanks to the testimonies in the “various trials of war criminals” (p. 7).

Addendum of 27 July.

A wartime detainee and, like M. Klein and R. Weil, a Jew himself, confirmed, in a short testimony written in 1997 entitled “Une Piscine à Auschwitz,” that he saw, in July 1944, dozens of his fellow prisoners busy at work on the said pool which, he pointed out, had “a diving board and an access ladder”; he could have added “along with three starting blocks for races.” He wrote that towards the end of that month “a newsreel director had some deportees filmed swimming there.” As one might expect, he enlivened his account with the regular stereotypes of the SS men’s or kapos’ brutality and he saw in the making both of the pool and of the film nothing but a propaganda operation. His report ends with two interesting remarks. First, that in 1997 no guide was “aware” of the pool (which nonetheless was before the guides’ very eyes and of which a photograph accompanies the article: we read that this picture, showing a swimming pool full of water, was taken in that year) and that the author would like to know just where the newsreel might be today. His question is akin to those put by some revisionists: might the film not be “at the headquarters of the International Red Cross”? Doubtless he meant: at the International Tracing Service (ITS) located at Arolsen-Waldeck in Germany and operating under the direction of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with headquarters in Geneva. Since 1978, this body has barred revisionists from its archives, which are known to be an exceptionally rich resource. For its part, the Auschwitz State Museum probably possesses documentation relevant to various aspects of this swimming pool’s construction, e.g. the project, the plans, the financing, the requests for and the supply of building materials, the requisition of labourers, the inspection visits.

(Reference for this account: R. Esrail, registration no. 173295, « Une piscine à Auschwitz », in Après Auschwitz (Bulletin de l’Amicale des déportés d’Auschwitz), n° 264/octobre 1997, p. 10).

Swimming Pool, Auschwitz Camp, June 1996.

‘Inmates from Auschwitz and surrounding camps enjoyed swimming and sunbathing beside the pool on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Although not as popular as sports like soccer, some competition was organized where inmates from different countries of origin, and different camps, raced in individual and relay events.’

Above photo and caption from http://www.air-photo.com

Photo below provided by an anonymous donor.

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Song of the Day: Fairytale of New York by The Pogues feat Kirsty MacColl

THE POGUES-"Fairytale Of New York" The best christmas song. Will play this all year round #myhappychristmas @Blanca Prado Stuff UK:

Fairytale of New York” is a Christmas song written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan and first released as a single on 23 November 1987 by their band The Pogues, featuring singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl on vocals.

It was Christmas Eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, won’t see another one
And then he sang a song
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I’ve got a feeling
This year’s for me and you
So happy Christmas
I love you baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

They’ve got cars big as bars
They’ve got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
It’s no place for the old
When you first took my hand
On a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me
Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging,
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing “Galway Bay”
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

You’re a bum
You’re a punk
You’re an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it’s our last

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can’t make it all alone
I’ve built my dreams around

The song was written as a duet, with the Pogues’ singer MacGowan taking the role of the male character and MacColl the female character. It is an Irish folk-style ballad, and featured on The Pogues’ 1988 album If I Should Fall from Grace with God.

Originally begun in 1985, the song had a troubled two year development history, undergoing rewrites and aborted attempts at recording, and losing its original female vocalist along the way, before finally being completed in summer 1987. Although the single never reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, being kept at number two on its original release in 1987 by the Pet Shop Boys’cover version of “Always on My Mind”, it has since proved enduringly popular with both music critics and the public: to date the song has reached the UK top twenty on twelve separate occasions since its original release in 1987, including every year since 2005, and was certified platinum in the UK in 2013. The song has sold 1.18 million copies in the UK as of November 2015. In the UK it is the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century. “Fairytale of New York” has been cited as the best Christmas song of all time in various television, radio and magazine related polls in the UK and Ireland.

Although there is agreement among the band that “Fairytale of New York” was first written in 1985, the origins of the song are disputed: MacGowan insisted that it arose as a result of a wager made by The Pogues’ producer at the time, Elvis Costello, that the band would not be able to write a Christmas hit single; The Pogues’ manager Frank Murray has stated that it was originally his idea that the band should try and write a Christmas song as he thought it would be “interesting”. It was banjo player Finer who came up with the melody and the original concept for the song, which involved a sailor looking out over the ocean. Finer’s wife Marcia did not like the original story, and suggested new lyrics regarding a conversation between a couple at Christmas. Finer told NME, “I had written two songs complete with tunes, one had a good tune and crap lyrics, the other had the idea for ‘Fairytale’ but the tune was poxy, I gave them both to Shane and he gave it a Broadway melody, and there it was”.

It is clear that the basic components of “Fairytale of New York” – the title, the musical structure and its lyrical theme of a couple’s conversation – were in place by the end of 1985, as evidenced by MacGowan’s description of the song in an interview with Melody Maker in its 1985 Christmas issue:

I sat down, opened the sherry, got the peanuts out and pretended it was Christmas. It’s even called ‘A Fairy Tale of New York’, it’s quite sloppy, more like ‘A Pair of Brown Eyes’ than ‘Sally MacLennane’, but there’s also a céilidh bit in the middle which you can definitely dance to. Like a country and Irish ballad, but one you can do a brisk waltz to, especially when you’ve got about three of these [drinks] inside you… But the song itself is quite depressing in the end, it’s about these old Irish-American Broadway stars who are sitting round at Christmas talking about whether things are going okay.”

MacGowan had decided to name the song after J. P. Donleavy’s 1973 novel A Fairy Tale of New York, which Finer was reading at the time and had left lying around the recording studio. In the same Melody Maker interview MacGowan expressed regret that the song had not been completed in time to be released for Christmas that year, and hinted that the track would appear on an EP that The Pogues were due to record shortly. In January 1986 the group recorded the song during the sessions with Costello that would produce the Poguetry in Motion EP, with bass player Cait O’Riordan singing the female part. Costello suggested naming the song “Christmas Eve in the Drunk Tank”, after the song’s opening lines: the band were scornful of the suggestion, with MacGowan pointing out to Costello that a song with such a title was unlikely to be favourably received and played by radio stations. The majority of the lyrics had been written while MacGowan was recovering in a bed in Malmö after being struck down with double pneumonia during a Pogues tour of Scandinavia in late 1985 – as he later wryly noted, “you get a lot of delerium and stuff, so I got quite a few good images out of that”.However, despite several attempts at recording it, the group were unhappy with the results and the song was temporarily put aside, to be returned to at a later date. Guitarist Philip Chevron later said, “It was not quite there. It needed to have a full-on, confident performance from the band, which it lacked.” The producer of the final version, Steve Lillywhite, diplomatically described the version recorded with O’Riordan’s vocals as not “fully realised”. Extracts from these earlier versions can be heard on the 2008 box set Just Look Them Straight in the Eye and Say… POGUEMAHONE!!.

In March 1986 The Pogues toured the USA for the first time. The opening date of the tour was in New York City, a place which had long fascinated MacGowan and which inspired him to write new lyrics for the song. Among the members of the city’s Irish-American community who saw the show and visited the band backstage after the concert were film-maker Peter Dougherty and actor Matt Dillon: both would later become friends with The Pogues and play important roles in the video for “Fairytale of New York”. Another major inspiration was Sergio Leone’s film Once Upon a Time in America, which MacGowan and whistle player Spider Stacy would watch over and over again in the tour bus as they travelled across the country. Apart from shaping the ideas for the lyrics, MacGowan wrote a slow, piano-based introduction to “Fairytale of New York” influenced by the film’s score by Ennio Morricone: the intro would later be edited together with the more upbeat original melody to create the final song.

As 1986 went on, however, The Pogues encountered various problems that brought a halt to their recording activity. Their record label Stiff ran into financial difficulties and went into administration, although as the label still owned the rights to The Pogues’ recordings this meant that a distribution deal had to be negotiated in order to release any new Pogues material. The group’s deteriorating relationship with Costello saw them part ways with their producer, and after increasingly erratic behaviour Cait O’Riordan, who had become romantically involved with Costello, left the band in October 1986. The departure of O’Riordan meant the song had now lost its intended female singer.

The song attracted attention from the start due to some of the language used in its second verse, where MacGowan’s character refers to MacColl’s character as a “slut on junk” (heroin), and MacColl responds with a tirade that includes the words “faggot” and “arse”. On 18 December 2007, BBC Radio 1 banned the words “faggot” and “slut” from “Fairytale of New York” to “avoid offence”. MacColl’s mother, Jean, called the ban “too ridiculous”, while The Pogues said they found it “amusing”. The BBC said, “We are playing an edited version because some members of the audience might find it offensive”. Later that evening Radio 1 backed down and said that after a day of criticism from listeners, the band, and MacColl’s mother, they reversed the decision. The unedited version was then played later on that day. Other BBC radio stations, including the traditionally more conservative Radio 2, had continued to play the original version throughout this period, the ban having applied to Radio 1 only. The MTV channels in the UK also removed and scrambled the words “slut”, “faggot” and “arse” from the song.

In his Christmas podcast, musical comedian Mitch Benn commented that “faggot” was Irish and Liverpudlian slang for a lazy person, and was unrelated to the derogatory term for homosexuals.

The Pogues

The Pogues 1.jpg

Also known as Pogue Mahone (1982–1984)
Origin London
Genres Celtic punk, Irish punk, celtic rock, celtic folk
Years active 1982–96, 2001–present
Members Shane MacGowan
Spider Stacy
Jem Finer
James Fearnley
Andrew Ranken
Darryl Hunt
Terry Woods
Past members Cait O’Riordan
Phil Chevron
Joe Strummer
Dave Coulter
James McNally
Jamie Clarke
This entry was posted in Music and Musicians / Song of the Day and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

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This blog used to be called EDL Extra. I was a supporter (neither a member nor a leader) of the EDL until 2012. This blog has retained the old web address.

Saturday, 7 August 2010

Real Islamification: Halal For All in Harrow!

Parent and animal welfare groups in Harrow reacted in anger yesterday over plans to serve only halal meat in local schools.

All 10 secondary schools in this area will now be providing an exclusively halal-meat menu for all school children – whether they like it not. To top that, eventually all the borough’s 52 primary schools will be included in this ‘scheme’ in the Islamification of north-west London. This is a very large liberty the council has taken on behalf of Islam. I hope everyone realises the utter audacity and Islamo-supremacist intent of this scheme.

The move has also outraged animal rights groups and families who claim that their views on the treatment of animals were being compromised to accommodate the Muslim faith. So again, Islam trumps other belief systems. So again, the sensitivities and beliefs of Muslims trump the sensitivities and beliefs of others.

Yet leftists and left-liberals still have the nerve to claim that there are no such processes of Islamification going on in this country. They cannot change their tune here by saying, like Mohammed Rizvi, that this policy is ‘commonsense’ or that it is not an important change. That is just to change the goal posts or shift the nature of the argument. If you’re an animal-rights activist, or someone who simply cares about animal suffering, then this new policy is neither commonsensical nor unimportant.

This is as perfect an example as one can get of the Islamification of the United Kingdom. It is a case which could have been designed to exemplify the problem and reality that is the Islamification of a hitherto non-Muslim country. So it’s no surprise at all that Mohammed Rizvi, of the Pakistan Society of Harrow, should say that this ‘isn’t about Islamification or pandering to Muslims’. Methinks that Mr Rizvi doth protest too much, eh? After all, the Islamifier is not going to confess to an attempt, which in this case has been successful, to Islamify part of the Abode of War (Dar al-Harb).

This is also a blatant example of the denial of choice. What about the beliefs of those who don’t believe in halal meat? Why is their strong moral position deemed irrelevant or secondary to that of Muslims? Is it because religious beliefs always trump non-religious beliefs? Is it also because monotheistic religions always trump the beliefs of other religions? And, finally, is it the case that Islam, the religion of the Colonial Oppressed and of the Brown Exotic, always manages to pull the strings of politically-correct council leaders? Vive le difference!

What if some poor little kid doesn’t like the idea of animals being slowly bled to death in order to provide him with beef or whatever? Perhaps he should construct his own beliefs against ritual slaughter and construct them into a religion and then perhaps councillors may start to take him seriously. Perhaps he should also paint himself brown and give himself a foreign name, say ‘Mohammed’.

According to the 2001 census, just seven per cent of Harrow’s population are Muslim. That doesn’t matter because minorities rule. Or according to leftist or PC councils they do! They are ‘the oppressed’. They are the Other. Therefore what they believe is true and what they do is right. Full stop. We must simply follow the example of the Brown Exotic and the Oppressed.

Let me give you an example which is also a succinct history lesson.

The left, on the whole, supported Israel before the 1967 war. It suddenly stopped supporting Israel after 1967 – when Israel had won the war with its genocidal Islamic neighbours. Israel quickly moved from being ‘oppressed’, and thus from being righteous, to being the oppressor, and thus evil.

Believe me, this is how the minds of the PC vice police and the left work. It is brutally simple and it’s the oppressive majority that always suffer for it. We must also realise that these privileged and university-educated professionals don’t see themselves as part of the majority or as belonging to the oppressor-class. How they manage that piece of self-delusion I don’t know.

These PC individuals have infiltrated and controlled our society to such a degree that everyone is basically frightened of them and their puritan strictures. Yet halal is even condemned by the RSPCA and the Government’s veterinary advisers. However, leftist and PC councils and left-liberal civil servants also see the Government as the Oppressor even though they are just as much part of the Establishment as they are.

Take these examples of the PC Establishment imposing their views and ideologies on the majority. Take Steve Hilton of Harrow, a quality assurance technologist, who said:

“I think animals should be killed humanely. The problem is, if I didn’t allow my children to eat halal, I would be called a racist but people should have a choice.”

And another inhabitant of Harrow who said:

“I don’t mind people having dietary requirements as long as they don’t force it on someone else. I wouldn’t force a Muslim to eat pork.”

Thus we can see here that a specific political ideology, political correctness, is literally being force-fed on the populace – on the majority. And we are letting it happen.

Ritual Slaughter Itself

But what exactly is the reality of ritual slaughter? For a start, each year more than 114 million cows, goats and chickens are killed under halal rules in Britain. Halal is exempt from legislation requiring animals to be numbed before slaughter. Will this also be true of cliterodectomy or polygamy in the near future? Who knows!

More specifically, the Government’s Farm Animal Welfare Council found that animals could remain fully conscious for up to two minutes during halal slaughter. It has therefore called for all animals to be stunned before slaughter.

Despite all this, parents in Harrow said they had not been consulted. Cheryl McGlone, 40, whose two sons go to one of the borough’s schools, said:

“If my sons found out how the animals had been killed there’s no way they’d want to eat it.”

Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, also said:

“Forcing the majority to accept the customs of a minority is obviously wrong.”

So what is the future for Harrow and beyond? A council spokeswoman said: “All Harrow’s high schools are to serve halal meat from September.”

1 comment:

  1. If people REALLY don't want it, they would withold their council tax, hold a demo, smash some muslim windows. But they won't. They are sleeping. They have got the mosque, the halal. The next thing will be that non-muslims will not be allowed to work in halal industries. All this aggressive islamisation is greeted by - NOTHING!

    Cheryl McGlone says her sons will be upset if they knew how the animals are killed. SHE is not upset. SHE is not a thinker! Will they be upset when mum is not allowed to leave the house without wearing a big black tent and a male member of the family to escort her? When the stinking old paedofile imam comes round to circumcise both boys??Too effing late!!


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More Ways to Eat Well Recipes

Need some meal inspiration? Don’t worry – we’ve got your back with these simple, tasty recipes!

Mexican Eggs

How do you like your eggs in the morning? We like ours with a kick! Here’s how to make Mexican Eggs.

Mexican Eggs
Serves 2

  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 red onion (diced)
  • 1 teaspoon of frozen coriander
  • 1 teaspoon of frozen chilli
  • Salt & pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Schwartz Season It All Mix
  • Oil

Bring a pan of water to the simmer and poach your eggs for 6 minutes for soft poached (or until your eggs are to your liking).

Place the tomatoes in a separate hot pan and scorch all sides.

Remove the tomatoes and roughly chop them.

Mix the tomatoes in a bowl with the chilli, spice mix and coriander then add the finely diced red onion.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place the eggs on a serving dish (2 per portion) and spoon over the salsa. Enjoy!

Grilled Mackerel, Couscous & Pickled Cucumber

Laidback lunchtimes are all the rage! Spend less time in the kitchen and more time catching up with friends over this Grilled Mackerel masterpiece.

Grilled Mackerel, Couscous & Pickled Cucumber
Serves 4

  • Iceland Couscous with Vegetables 500g (frozen)
  • 4 Mackerel Fillets (defrosted)
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Pinch of sugar

Peel the cucumber into ribbons and mix in a bowl with the juice from the lemon, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar.

Lay the mackerel fillets on an oiled tray and place under a pre-heated grill for 5 minutes or until the skin has blistered and turned brown.

Heat up the Couscous thoroughly in a pan.

Divide the Couscous between 2 plates and top with the mackerel and the lightly pickled cucumber ribbons. Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Mackerel, Couscous & Pickled Cucumber

This dinner is banging! Easy to prepare and full of flavour – it’s Bang Bang Chicken!

Bang Bang Chicken
Serves 4

  • 1 pinch of red chilli flakes
  • 50g peanut butter
  • 20g honey
  • 1 lime
  • 1 pinch of frozen coriander
  • 4 chicken breasts (defrosted)
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Put the peanut butter and honey in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Add the chilli flakes and lime juice and mix well. Set the sauce aside.

In the meantime, butterfly the chicken breasts and add the vegetable oil and coriander. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Cook the chicken in a non-stick pan until the juices run clear.

To serve, place the chicken onto a plate, top with the Bang Bang sauce and serve with salad.

Blueberry Frozen Yoghurt

Frozen fruit is so handy! Satisfy your sweet-tooth with this frozen wonder.

Blueberry Frozen Yoghurt
Serves 2

  • 450g 0% fat natural yoghurt
  • 300g frozen blueberries
  • 1 ripe banana

Keep 100g of blueberries aside and place the rest into a food processor (or a large bowl if using a hand blender) along with the yoghurt and peeled banana.

Puree the ingredients until well combined.

Pour the mix into a container (or loaf style tin) and stir in the remaining 100g of blueberries.

Cover with a lid or cling film and freeze for 24 hours.

Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.


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Hi-Tech (Iranian) Bomb Found in Kabul

A Hi-tech bomb similar to the ones used to kill US soldiers in Iraq was discovered in Kabul recently.
The BBC reported:

A hi-tech bomb, similar to the ones used by militants in Iraq, has been found in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Afghan intelligence sources say the bomb can penetrate heavily armoured vehicles and was set up by a road to target a high-level government convoy.

There is increasing evidence that sophisticated explosives technology is crossing into Afghanistan from Iraq.

Police and government officials say they believe Iran is the source of these so-called “shaped charges”.

Hi-tech charges have been found in Afghanistan close to the Iranian border before and senior police and government officials have told the BBC that Iran’s security agencies are involved with supplying the Taleban insurgency with money, weapons and explosives.

I propose the Joe Lieberman plan.

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KitKat now on 13.6pc of Android devices

 Android numbers for June 2014

Joins Jelly Bean and Gingerbread in top three Android versions

Google has released the latest Android platform data and as you can expect, there are no surprises. KitKat has continued growing swiftly and is now present on a 13.6 percent of the active Android devices.  It has overtaken Ice Cream Sandwich to become the third biggest Android version.

Among other versions, Jelly Bean still remains the most used Android version with presence on 58.4 percent of the devices, followed by Gingerbread on 14.9 percent.  Froyo is present on just 0.8 percent of devices and Honeycomb’s market share has fallen below 0.1 percent, thus it is no longer included in the Android platform statistics.

Here is a look at what has changed from last month:

Froyo: Down to 0.8 percent from 1 percent

Gingerbread: Down to 14.9 percent from 16.2 percent

Ice Cream Sandwich: Down to 12.3 percent from 13.4 percent

Jelly Bean: Down to 58.4 percent from 60.8 percent

KitKat: Up to 13.6 percent from 8.5 percent

You can check out the history of Android version distribution, since Google has been publically publishing the data, at this link.

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Putting a Spring in my Step

I can see the future. I can predict without a shadow of a doubt that wine will play a huge part in my life during the next 8 hours. Those of you who follow, or my friends on facebook, know that this week has been extremely challenging with my youngest daughter being taken to hospital. She’s going to be in hospital for at least another week but she’s stable now and the chances of getting a sudden call to go to the hospital are slim. Slim enough for me to crack open a very good bottle of red wine and take some time to relax anyway.

This and other situations has made me think about the support network we all have with our friends and acquaintances in Second Life. Even after all my years in this social environment I am still pleasantly suprised and humbled by the support we give our friends in times of need or crisis. From promises of prayers, to positive energy to sending love and light our friends network is always quick to lend a hand and helpful words and messages. I believe in prayer and I also believe in the power of positive thinking so every single message and word mattered.

Words are powerful. Thank you to all my friends who have used that power for good and kept my family in their thoughts and prayers.

Body – Maitreya Lara

Skin – The Skinnery Maitreya applier and Estee Catwa Head Applier

Eyes – IKON – Sovereign Eyes

Ears – Mandala – Steking Ears

Dress – United Colors – Skura Angel Dress **NEW** Mesh Body Addicts

Hair – Tableau Vivant – Shabby Hair

Shoes – fri.day – Cora Heels

Glasses – Meva – Milan Sunglasses

Location – Saint Pete City

Poses – Posesion

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This is a touOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAching story about social behaviour and the limitations which the society burden us.

A book with two completely different parts.

The first part of the book tells us the story of a young couple who lived without worries before they meet each other, embracing social causes in a society clamouring for changes. Both with the naive attitude of those with not great concerns. Passionate about their discoveries, but completely disconnected from the real world.

This first part reminds me of a light novel in which the innocent behaviour of their characters is the tonic. They are people with their basic needs covered and the energy of youth that bring their effort to “higher objectives” without second thoughts and no knowledge.

“They were escaping from nature and solitude, and their hearts sang cheerily of Bloomsbury”.

In the second part, this same couple discovers in the worst possible way what it is like to live in a world in war.

“Only yesterday-nay, only this morning when the sun rose – the world was the world ant, not hell”.

But, sometimes we refuse to understand and accept what is happening because it is too horrible.

“He considered the situation, dispassionately and curiously detached from it; deciding with an odd lack of emotion, that to-morrow could not be as to-day”.

What can be more terrifying than to understand mankind is really like? When there are no moral or social constraints, to stop no one. Without thinking about consequences of their acts. With the blessing of many and the fear of even more.

Returning to civilization could be striking and hard after a near death experience.

“The change from the horrible to normal surroundings – from brutality and foulness to the order of a great town – was so sudden and complete that it took away his breath like a swift plunge into cold water; and as the life of the city enwrapped him and claimed him for its own, for one crazy moment it seemed to him that the last few days were impossible”.

William discovers unknown loyalties for his country. His wishes of a fair world for everyone, men, women, etc. disappear after his experience and the risk of losing everything.

We don’t want to see what we think is impossible. William didn’t believe in the possibility of a war in Europe, although it has always happened through our history, and will continue to happen. Most of us think that the terrible things will never take place where we are, and among the people who we know.

One of the best sentences in the book:

“Of course, it shouldn’t happen-we all know that-of course it shouldn’t happen, but it does”.

The sadness of discovering that …

“I don’t seem to have been much good… but there comes a time… when nothing matters”.

“The question is … if you’ve been much use when you’ve done it”.

There is a word that was repeated frequently in this book: hitherto. And, I believe that there was a good reason for this. The whole story goes from the security, the known, the discoveries and possibilities of a civilized society, hitherto to…. a war.

Cicely Hamilton was born Cicely Hammill in 1872. Her father was in the army; when her mother died she was looked after by strangers who were unkind to her. She was educated at Malvern and in Germany, taught for two years but, disliking institutions, turned to acting in provincial rep (using the name Hamilton) as well as writing adventure stories for cheap periodicals. She believed in equal pay and birth control, being opposed to sentimentality about marriage and motherhood, and her ‘personal revolt was feminist rather than suffragist.’ Besides William-An Englishman (1919), Cicely Hamilton wrote over twenty plays, of which the best-known was Diana of Dobsons(1908). Her polemic Marriage as a Trade appeared in 1909. Her only other novel wasTheodore Savage (1922), an apocalyptic story of civilisation destroyed by scientific warfare. Cicely Hamilton died in 1952.

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Washy Washy!

A few weeks ago I did a post on how to stay a little less germy this Fall, which you can find HERE if you’re interested. As we near flu season, I just couldn’t resist doing another feature on our germy hands! Yesterday, as I was hopping from Target, to the gas station, over to our OT’s office, and home, with a quick stop to Old Navy and Michael’s in between, I really  couldn’t help but picture in my head all of the germs and cooties I was collecting from the things I touched. Most of the stuff I put my hands on were things I couldn’t help: door handles, shopping carts, elevator buttons, you name it. There are things you can do to make these small situations less germy but, the BEST way to save yourself from these gross little boogers is WASHING. When we got home from our day the first thing I did was bring both boys and myself to our kitchen sink to wash up. I could not let them eat, drink, or play with their toys, knowing all of the germs we brought home with us. I might sound like a freak here but, after we all suffered from the Norovirus a couple years ago, my germ-ophobia skyrocketed!

Next time you leave your house just think about everything you’re touching. I was overly grossed out when I pumped gas. Just looking around me and witnessing one person cough into their hands, the next wipe their nose on their wrist, and another, well, he didn’t do anything specific but, he came off to me as maybe one of those ones who may not wash their hands after a potty break. *No judgement* They were all pumping gas at the same gas station as me, and although they didn’t use the same pump, the likely hood of the persons before me doing the same things, was high.

Remember, washing your hands isn’t just for YOU, it’s for everyone around you! Your kids, their teachers, your mailman even, we’re all affected by each others lack of washing and trust me when I tell you, having the time off from work isn’t as fun as when you’re not healthy! Save those paid days off for when you can really enjoy them!

I found this amazing handcrafted soap from Lynnburg Lane on Etsy and it is FABULOUS! Your kitchen and bathroom soap doesn’t need to be an eyesore! Go for something that can be a statement piece at your wash station! It might just get your kids, friends, and family more encouragement to wash more when they’re visiting!

Video Here

lynnburg lane

kisses THH

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Images May Not be Vehicle Specific. For Display Purposes Only.

AVO Turboworld Throttle Controller

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Product Description

The AVO DBW Throttle Controller allows you to re-map your throttle inputs to the throttle body controller, giving you full control over it’s behaviour. You may have noticed with your DBW car that the position of the gas pedal doesn’t necessarily correspond to the throttle response. This is because the factory settings are a non-linear map that decides what’s optimal for their needs, not yours. The AVO DBW Throttle controller brings back that control over your car.

The DBW Controller unit allows you to choose between 3 separate modes of operation: Standard (STD), Power (Po) and Off Road (oF).

  • Po mode has 9 selectable steps with increasingly aggressive throttle mapping.
  • oF mode has 3 selectable steps with increasingly milder throttle mapping. When the throttle pedal is below 30% operation, oF mode provide a far more precise throttle map from 0%-30% throttle opening. However, if the throttle goes above 30%, it will switch over to Standard mode for safety reasons.
  • Std mode is the normal throttle mapping from the factory.

Installing the DBW Controller is very easy, and can be accomplished in as little as 10 minutes. However, once the controller is installed, it will need to be programmed for your vehicle’s specific throttle mapping. Once this is done, it will remain in the Central unit’s memory even if removed from the vehicle.

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Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Need To Write Recommendation? Use This.

Innovative educators are often asked for letters of recommendation from students as well as colleagues.  This can become a little overwhelming if you don't have a few good strategies. Lisa Buitekant, Kris Karlson, Steve Warre, three teachers at Horace Greenley High School in Chappaqua, NY have a useful strategy that others can customize for their needs.  They are high school teachers and each year they several requests from students for college letters of recommendations. When they do, they have students fill out a questionnaire evaluation form.

The form requires certain answers to questions to even be eligible to receive a recommendation i.e. they must answer "No" to if they have ever cheated or had an unexcused absence.  It also asks students to share their feedback around experiences they had in this teacher's class. The answers provide useful information to include in the recommendation.  You may also want to ask students to complete a strength's profile from Thrively which will provide additional useful insights for a recommendation.

Here is a screenshot of the self evaluation and you can see the whole thing here
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For recommendations for professional recommendations, you can change the eligibility and feedback questions to be appropriate for that audience. For example an eligibility questions such as: "Have we ever worked on a professional project together?"  I do not write recommendations for those who I have not worked with in an official capacity, so that would be a disqualifying question. A feedback question might be something like "Share what we have worked on together and why you felt it to be a memorable experience."  For career recommendations, instead of using a tool like Thrively use one geared toward careers such as Myers Briggs

What do you think? What is your process for drafting recommendation letters? Do you ask for self-evaluation questions? Are there ideas here you feel would be helpful? Aniy other useful strategies?

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The Kitchen Connoisseur

Ideas for the centrepiece of every party

Mike Holmes: Granite vs. Quartz

Which is better, granite or quartz?

“In just about every kitchen I do the homeowner wants granite. As consumers, we’ve been taught that a good kitchen will have granite countertops.

Granite and quartz are the two heavyweights in kitchen countertops. But when we talk about countertops, we have to think about practicality. Should it look good? Absolutely. But my top priority is that it’s safe and does its job.

For a kitchen countertop to be safe, it has to be non-porous with low VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

VOCs are bad for the environment and they’re bad for anyone breathing them in. Pores are bad because they’re tiny pockets for bacteria to collect. You can contaminate any food prepared on a porous surface that hasn’t been properly cleaned.

To do its job, a countertop needs to be durable, stain-resistant and scratch-resistant. Most people think granite is top of the line. But it depends.

Granite is natural rock. I love natural building materials — wood, stone, straw, whatever — and I love granite. But it has its drawbacks.

For one, it’s expensive. Why? Because it’s natural. This means it comes in one big slab of stone that needs to be extracted from the earth. Extracting and shipping granite takes a lot of energy. It can be harsh on the environment.

In nature, no two stones are equal. Every stone is different. And because granite is natural, it’s not going to look the same throughout the entire slab. It might even look different from the sample you originally saw. The good news is that it’s always beautiful. It just might not be exactly what you expected.

Also, because a granite countertop is a single slab, there’s going to be a seam if your kitchen counters bend or curve. And because it’s natural rock, the seam isn’t easy to hide. It’s hard to match up the natural colours and veins in granite.

On the other hand, quartz is manufactured and coloured. What you see is what you get. Your countertop will look exactly like the sample — there are no surprises. And because it’s all one colour, any seams can be hidden. This lets us be more creative with kitchen design.

Quartz countertops are actually about 90% quartz and 10% acrylic or epoxy binder, like resin. The resin means quartz countertops have higher VOCs than granite. And we know this is bad for the environment and indoor air quality.

But some granite contains radon. (Remember, granite is in the ground and so is radon.) It’s usually not a huge concern. But if radon levels in your home are already an issue, granite might not be the best choice.

You’ll also need to reseal granite once a year. Granite looks solid but it’s porous. Quartz is not — it’s non-porous. So you’ll need to seal a granite countertop but not a quartz countertop. It’s no big deal — it takes less than an hour once a year.

Usually, a water-based penetrating (or impregnating) sealer does the trick. The silicone in the sealer works its way into the tiny pores and coats them. But it doesn’t completely seal them. That means the surface will be stain-resistant, but not stain-proof. You’ll still need to quickly clean up any spills like coffee or wine.

Quartz isn’t sealed so you don’t have to worry about sealing or stains. A rag, soap and water are all you need. And if there are tough spots, usually a vinegar-water solution is enough.

If you’re going with granite, you can’t go cheap. Because when you do, you’re usually getting a thin slab of granite. The thinner the slab, the weaker it is. So what are you really buying? Know where the granite is coming from and how much of it you’re getting.

In terms of strength, quartz performs. It’s one of the hardest materials on earth — harder than glass. The way it’s manufactured mimics the way granite is made naturally — through intense pressure and heat. So they’re comparable in strength. But this process takes a lot of energy, which isn’t ideal for the environment.

Granite or quartz, they’re both good options. That’s why they’re both expensive. In some cases, quartz can be more expensive than granite. But both get a thumbs-up as long as they’re properly installed by a professional who will make sure it’s level and sealed, especially around the sinks and faucets to prevent water damage.

Bottom line: It comes down to the homeowner’s budget, the kitchen’s design and how much upkeep the homeowner is willing to commit to.”

For more information on granite vs. quartz, please visit:

Thanks to Mike Holmes and the National Post for this article. (

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Over 90% of Lincolnshire children get first secondary school choice despite rise in applications

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Despite the number of applications for places at secondary schools in Lincolnshire rising by 153, 92% of children in the county have received their first choice today.

Of the 7,660 offers made to secondary schools (up from 7,507 last year), 7,029 are heading to their preferred school in September.

The figure for second preference offers is 6% (459), while third preference offers is 0.8% (58).

A total of 114 children will be offered a local school that isn’t one of their preferences.

All those children who haven’t got their preferred school will be offered a place at another school so there will be no-one without an offer.

Lincolnshire County Council said because of appeals and movement on the reserve list, it is normal for the percentage of first preferences to increase by the time children start in September.

Parents have until the end of March to lodge an appeal if they are unhappy with the offered school.

If they return the appeal form by the deadline it will be heard before the end of term – if it is received late it will still be heard but this may be in the last week of term or even in September.

Some 95% of parents (6,915) applied using the online application system and they can log on to see the offered school from today.

For admissions into schools in September 2015 there are 53 secondary schools in Lincolnshire, including 51 which are their own admissions authority and determine their own admissions policy. The other two have the local authority admissions policy.

Councillor Mrs Patricia Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Children’s Services, said: “Yet again, it’s good to see so many children getting their first school of preference and this should be even better by September.

“It is always our intention to support as many parents as possible with their choice of school.

“There are many stories about how stressful the admissions process can be but every year the overwhelming majority of parents have no problems in gaining admission to the school of their choice.”


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Lincoln village councillor resigns to join armed forces

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A Conservative councillor who has represented a village near Lincoln for over a year has resigned to join the armed forces.

Alexander Bridgwood, 24, was elected as a Conservative West Lindsey district councillor for the Cherry Willingham Ward in May 2015.

However, just 15 months into his four-year term, he has informed West Lindsey District Council’s chief executive Manjeet Gill of his decision to resign.

He said: “It has become clear that I am not able to fulfil this role to the fullest extent that I would wish and that taking up a role in the armed forces is incompatible with holding elected office.

“It has been a tremendously exciting period to be involved in our democracy and working with the very dedicated team of Conservative councillors who run the council.

“I am so proud to have worked with people to deliver a shared vision of making the district more prosperous, more enterprising, more accessible and more connected; a vision of a West Lindsey that is increasingly green, where people want to live, work and visit; where we are encouraging residents to be, and building communities that are, more active and healthy.

I will always cherish the memory of my election, knowing that local people had put their trust in me.

“I regret deeply that I am unable to complete my full term but know that local residents will support me in my new role in our armed forces.”

Councillor Jeff Summers, the Conservative leader of West Lindsey District Council, said: “Alexander first stood as a Conservative candidate in 2011, despite being unsuccessful in his first attempt he persevered and was successfully elected to represent his home village and surrounding communities of Cherry Willingham in 2015.

“I am very sorry to lose such an exceptional young man; however, I am confident that as he has served the district he will serve our country with diligence, honour, intelligence and courage.”


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I love me (and that’s OK)

There is a huge stigma, especially among women, that we are arrogant if we say something nice or good about the way we look, feel or act. The media and Western culture has given us distorted and unrealistic “body goals” that are frankly unachievable and we immediately feel like a failure for not looking like a photo-shopped version of a supermodel.

A few months ago, me and my friends were talking about areas of our bodies we don’t like (girls, I know you relate) when one of my friends threw us by asking “What is your favourite thing about you?” It stumped us for a second, as we aren’t used to answering this question but sharing the answers and feeling like people were listening without judgement was so empowering. Please try this with your friends!

I know a lot of inspirational fitness stars always say how they are happier because they are healthier, and to be honest I always thought it was a load of BS. Like, yeah it is easy to be happy when you have a body like that! But I honestly feel like I have got to that place now, and my figure does not look like theirs! For me, completing my half marathon made me look at my body in a different way. I was grateful for it and respected it. It carried me through that distance through sheer determination, through pain and mental barriers. It’s pretty hard not to love your body once you’ve pushed it further than you thought it would go.

The picture of me finishing my race below I would never have shared a few months ago. My legs don’t look great because of the lighting and the movement, I’m sweaty, it’s a bad angle in general. But f*ck it! My body just did something amazing. And I love it.

half marathon

Let’s all try a little harder to not only love ourselves, but love other women. No judgement. No body shaming. No embarrassment. Because you’re amazing and so is your body (and it’s ok to say that)!

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Why I Don't Like This Word as a Person With a Disability

Do you have one word you wish people would stop using to describe your life? Is there a word or a phrase that really gets under your skin? For me that word is “normal.”

Every single person in this world is different and unique in their own way. That is what makes the human race special; everyone is an individual with their own preferences and their own tastes. This by extension means that everyone sees the world in a unique way. Everyone has their own view of what “normal” looks like.

For me, normal is waking up, putting on my braces and trying to figure out how to adapt to the world around me. I am what some people would call unconventional. I do not walk like other people; I don’t have the flexibility or coordination that other people have. Sometimes the way I have to do things shocks other people, and they often ask, “how come you don’t do this the normal way?” What people don’t realize is that the way I do things is the way I have to do things. It is my “normal.”

Next time a person uses the word “normal,” I hope they stop and think about what they are truly saying. If someone does something differently than someone else, that is OK. Quite frankly, I think the word “normal” takes away from a person’s individualism.

A wise man once told me that “normal is a setting on a clothes dryer.” Every person is different, and we all need to embrace our individuality, not hide from it!

Find this story helpful? Share it with someone you care about.

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