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7 Reasons Your Group Launch Failed

7 Reasons Your Group Launch Failed

By Allen White empty room

Fall is a prime season to launch groups in churches across the country. In my consulting work, I am working with churches from Florida to Washington and Southern California to New York City. Among churches of various sizes and denominations, we are seeing some tremendous results. But, not every church hits a home run with their group launch. Here are some reasons why.

  1. You picked the wrong topic.

Small groups are a great vehicle for people to grow spiritually. But, in order for people to grow in a group, they need to actually be in a group. If a church’s goal is to connect their congregation into groups, then a felt needs topic is very attractive. If you give people something they want to study, they will jump right in. If you offer something they “should” study, it may not go so well.

Let me go on the record: Healthy, balanced small groups cannot live by felt needs topics alone. But, kicking off groups usually doesn’t go well with series on evangelism, stewardship, fasting, or other self-sacrificial studies. You need to establish your goal. If you want to increase the number of groups, then go felt needs. If you want to grow your people deeper, then offer these topics to your established groups.

  1. You set the bar too high.

The more requirements for group leadership, the fewer leaders you will recruit. If you required all of your new leaders to be church members, complete a lengthy leadership training process, or graduate with their Master of Divinity, you certainly limited the number of groups you could launch this Fall.

Your level of acceptable risk will greatly determine the reward. If you invite people to do a study with their friends, then you are only limited to people with friends. If you increase the requirements, you lessen the impact.

If you choose to lower the bar next time, then lessen the risk by forming “unpublished” groups. If the groups don’t appear on your church’s website, group listing, or bulletin, you are not implying any kind of official endorsement of the groups. If friends invite friends, you will form good, lasting groups, and if someone gets in a bad group, well, it was their friend’s group after all.

  1. You focused on recruiting group members.

As a pastor, if the invitation is for potential group members, you may or may not actually start groups. You will certainly give yourself a lot of busy work trying to find enough leaders to accommodate the prospects or trying to place people in the right group. But, you’ve missed the mark and the point.

If you have a bunch of prospective group members, you might have a group. If you have a leader, you WILL have a group. In fact, the best way to get into a group is to start a group — you’re automatically in! When the focus is on recruiting leaders, you will greatly increase your number of groups. If your focus is on members, you will probably just end up with a mess.

  1. You put too much distance between the invitation and the response.

When you or your senior pastor made the invitation for people to start a group, how and when did they respond?

If they were sent to the church website to register, they didn’t go.

If they were sent to the church lobby, they walked right by.

If they were invited to a meeting in the near future, they forgot.

If they had a sign up card in their hand during the service, bingo, they’re in!

If they were sent an email to remind them to sign up at church on Sunday, they forgot again.

If they were sent an email with a registration link, then they signed up.

The less distance between the invitation and the response, the greater the result.

  1. You gave too many steps from “Yes” to starting the group.

If the pathway from the response to the group starting took too many steps, then you lost leaders at every phase.

If you recruited months in advance of your group launch, there were too many days before they started. Cold feet and good intentions didn’t get them there.

If you required a training class, a membership  class, a pastoral interview, a group orientation, a group connection, and a final debrief meeting, you lost, lost, lost, lost and lost new group leaders.

If you kept the steps to a minimum, based on your own acceptable level of risk, you kept far more than any of the above scenarios.

  1. Your recruitment period was too short.

A few years ago, I was working with two churches of similar size who were launching groups on the same week. One church recruited 20 new leaders. The other recruited 60. The first church recruited leaders for one week. The second church recruited for three weeks in a row. Triple the recruiting equaled triple the result. You do the math.

  1. Your senior pastor was not on board.

If your senior pastor was hesitant about your next series in any way, it hurt you. Half-hearted appeals and hit or miss invitations lead to lackluster results.

If your senior pastor didn’t make the invitation for leaders, that was a huge miss. The senior pastor will get three times the result of any other staff member. I’ve served as an associate pastor for 20 of my 28 years of ministry. As soon as I learned this, I never made the invitation again.

How do you get your senior pastor on board with the series you recommend? You don’t. If you want your group launch to succeed, you have to get on board with where your senior pastor wants to go. If you respect your senior pastor’s direction, you will see respectable results. If you try to pressure your senior pastor into a series that is not his idea, you are on your own (literally).

Last Sunday, I worshipped with a church who had never had small groups. Their senior pastor decided it was time. He cast vision for groups. He kept the response close to the invitation. He focused on recruiting leaders. He did it all right. Then, on Sunday afternoon, 360 new group leaders showed up for training (and they have two more weeks to recruit!)

Learn the lessons from your failed attempt. There is no shame in failure, but there is shame in not learning.

Why Small Group Coaching Fails

Why Small Group Coaching Fails

By Allen White Image

Almost every small group pastor or director will agree coaching small group leaders is important. Yet, many of those pastors would also admit they don’t know how to adequately coach their small group leaders. Having tried and failed at various coaching structures many times myself, I have found three key issues in unsuccessful (and eventually successful) coaching.

Unclear Expectations

Many coaching structures fail simply because no one knows what a coach is supposed to do. Is the coach an administrator or record keeper? Is the coach a trainer? Is the coach a figurehead so we can say we have a coaching structure? What do we expect our coaches to do?

If we need coaches to train leaders, then why are small group pastors still running centralized training meetings? Do we really need coaches to collect rosters and reports? Don’t we live in the 21st century? After all, churchteams.com will solve all of these administrative issues. (In an effort for full disclosure, I believe ChurchTeams is the best small groups’ database on the planet. Boyd Pelley did not pay me to say that. He did buy me an ice cream once.)

What do we need coaches to do? We need coaches to do the things we can’t do ourselves. If we had, say, five small groups, then what would we do with those leaders? We’d call them on a regular basis. We’d get together for a cup of coffee. We would personally encourage them, answer their questions, and pray for them. We would invest in the relationship. What if our coaches started there? Coaching is based on relationship. If there’s no relationship, not much coaching will take place.

Unreasonable Requirements

A friend of mind called me a while back. He was frustrated because many of his coaches were quitting. I asked him what he was asking them to do. He wanted his volunteer coaches to hold a monthly training meeting with their leaders on the church campus. Then, I asked him if he’d ever driven in his city?

This was a major metropolitan area. So, think of requiring volunteer small group coaches to hold monthly training meetings in the middle of one of the 10 largest cities in the U.S. It wasn’t working, and his coaches were quitting.

Face to face meetings are great. If you can pull them off with all of your leaders together, that’s really great. But, most people can’t. Fortunately, there are some alternatives.

Why not meet “together” with small group leaders on freeconference.com or Skype? Every day I coach small group pastors across the country over the phone or by teleconference. I’ve met few of them in person, but we connect on a weekly basis. We have a relationship, and they have seen success in growing their groups. This works with leaders locally too.

Facetime is necessary (the real, in-person version). Again, coaching is built on a relationship. But, maybe the face to face meetings are with one or two group leaders and not all of them. We can use other means to connect at other times. Don’t get me wrong. I am not advocating a simple “Like” on Facebook or a bulk email to all of the leaders at once. The connection must be personal to grow the relationship.

Lack of Accountability

None of us likes to make people uncomfortable. Some of us avoid this discomfort to the point of not asking our coaches if they’re coaching. Then, we discover not much coaching is taking place. We shouldn’t be surprised.

Only what we supervise gets done. Now, we don’t have to come down on our coaches like a ton of bricks, but we do need to ask. Rather than asking, “Have you contacted your leaders?” we should assume the good, qualified people we recruited to coach are actually coaching. The question could go like this, “What are you learning from your leaders?” They won’t get defensive.

They might respond, “Well, I haven’t contacted any of them lately.” That’s okay. Give them a deadline, “I understand you’re busy, but connect with your leaders in the next two weeks, then I’ll check-in with you again.” Presuming the best about our coaches both honors and motivates them. Giving them accountability helps them keep their commitment to coaching and eliminates the guilt of not fulfilling their commitment.

Effective Coaching

Effective, motivated coaches need direction that is clear, reasonable, and accountable. How do I know? A good coach taught me that…as he was resigning. Do your coaches know your expectations? Do you know your expectations? Are your requirements reasonable? And, if it’s truly important, are you holding them accountable? These three simple words will transform your coaching structure.

Catch The 10 Biggest Coaching Mistakes Webinar with Allen White on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 1pm Eastern. For more information: https://allenwhite.org/10mistakes

The Right Topic Will Make or Break Your Fall Launch

The Right Topic Will Make or Break Your Fall Launch

By Allen White

Nothing will accelerate your group launch faster than the right topic. When you choose a theme for an alignment series that is a common felt need in your congregation and your community, people will run to join groups. But, the reverse can also be true. Choosing the wrong topic will drive them away.

1. More “Mature” Topics Will Limit Your Launch

Several years ago, I was working with a church that started every year with a 21 day fast. They wanted to design a curriculum to support the fast. While I would never attempt to talk a church out of such a significant initiative, I did caution them that forming new groups might be a little challenging. On the bright side, the refreshments would be very easy. They started a handful of new groups for their members and had a great experience with their fast. But, they were far from involving the entire congregation.

Some topics are for more mature believers rather than for people in the community who may have never darkened the door of your church. Anything to do with money: budgeting, giving, generosity, capital campaigns, and so on are challenging to form groups around. While many people need help managing their finances, too many evangelists desiring $65 million jets have created a poor association between the church and money for most of the world. Don’t go there.

Other topics like evangelism, spiritual disciplines, and spiritual gifts are great for the congregation, but probably won’t draw much interest from the community. There are ways to promote these topics more indirectly.

Instead of creating an alignment series around a capital campaign, why not create a series around what the church is raising money for? If the church is taking new initiatives to help the poor or become a resource in the community, then these are the topics to promote. Maybe the church is investing in the next generation. People are very concerned about the world their children will grow up in. They can get behind the vision of the church to reach the community, and then they might even give.

Instead of creating curriculum to teach your people evangelism, why not produce a series that is evangelistic? Talk about the needs in the community. You could even include a presentation of the Gospel. You could do evangelism with the curriculum rather than teaching how to do evangelism. A series like All In focuses on the story of Jesus and offers the Gospel message.

There are ways to introduce mature topics to a broader group. But, the largest group launches come from topics that touch a nerve.

2. Felt Need Topics Will Attract People Who Need Help

When you talk to your neighbors and others in your community, what are they concerned about? Many people struggle in their relationships, their marriages, and their parenting. These are great felt need topics which can reach a broad audience.

People also deal with anxiety, worry, and stress. Some feel like giving up or are lost in even successful careers. What will bring them meaning and hope? Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef who recently committed suicide once asked, “What do you do after your dreams have come true?” Even those who seem to have it all often feel a deep void. How can your series help them?

Of course, the granddaddy of all church-wide campaigns is The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. Other series which have drawn in the community include Kerry Shooks’ One Month to Live, Live Like Your Dying, and Half Time by Bob Buford. I’ve worked with churches to produce series that deal with leaving a legacy, common fears, hope, or ambition that have helped some churches more than double their current numbers of groups. A couple of churches now have twice as many people in groups than they have in weekend attendance.

3. What is Your Senior Pastor Passionate About?

The best topic you can choose for a successful curriculum and group launch is the idea that your pastor is the most passionate about. Does he have a life message or dominate them he speaks about often? Does she have a clear direction on what the Fall series should be? The best topic is not necessarily the hottest topic to the church, but the hottest topic for your pastor.

Once you have that direction, you don’t have to start with a blank piece of paper. Most pastors have files full of sermons they’ve preached over the course of their ministries. There is no shortage of content. Why not research the pastor’s hot topic in past sermon files? You’ll be surprised what you come up with.

And, remember, you’re not creating the next Purpose-Driven Life! Your study may not make the bestseller list, but your pastor’s teaching on your video-based curriculum will be very popular with your congregation. What’s even better is that when your felt need topic draws in the friends, neighbors, and co-workers of your members into groups, they will be introduced to your pastor through the video curriculum. When these new folks are invited to church, they will feel like they already know your pastor from the videos!

Concluding Thoughts

Where are you headed this Fall? If you’re creating your own curriculum, I hope you’ve already started. If not, there are semi-custom offerings from allinsmallgroups.com and other sources that have scripts and study guides already written. The hard work is taken care of. Your pastor just needs to personalize the scripts and shoot the video. If push comes to shove, curriculum you purchase can also help you form new groups as long as your pastor is passionate about it.

The topic will make or break your next alignment. Where are you headed?

The Future of Church

The Future of Church

By Allen White

Photo by yarruta via 123rf. Used with permission.

[Dear Readers – Do you ever have thoughts that you can’t get away from? For a few years now, I have almost resisted writing about some things that have been stirring deep inside me. Also, over that time period, a number of events as well as ministry startups in various sectors have confirmed many of the things I’ve been sensing. Over the next month or so, I will post some of these thoughts. What I am writing should not be taken as an indictment of any ministry or methodology. I am sincerely inviting you to wrestle with some things I’ve been wrestling with. I would appreciate having you join the conversation.]

Megachurch, as we know it, is not the future. In an increasingly secularized society, the tolerance for more “big box” churches will decrease. Churches are already viewed by municipalities as heavily reliant on city resources, yet do not pay taxes. In fact, some of their prime locations could generate more revenue as a Costco. I foresee zoning as a continual obstacle.

Speaking of taxes, while I don’t see tax deductions for charitable contributions disappearing, the new tax law makes most people’s charitable contributions irrelevant in regard to their taxes. Since the standard deduction has increased to $24,000, for many households their mortgage interest, charitable giving, and medical expenses aren’t going to top that amount. Now, I’m not a CPA, but the math is pretty simple to pencil in. If giving no longer offers a tax advantage, then how will giving be impacted? If giving decreases, then what happens to capital campaigns and building projects?

Then, we could go back and ponder the question asked by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson in The Externally-Focused Church (Group Publishing 2004): If your church disappeared from your community would you be missed? Does your community rely on your church? Do you pick up the slack where government services lack? Can you serve the under-served in your community? Or, does your building provide a meeting place for weekend gatherings, then sit empty the rest of the week?

The climate is changing. I haven’t even mentioned those churches who are fighting a culture war that’s already been lost. I also didn’t bring up a moral majority that’s become an oxymoron.

The strategies that served us well over the last 25 years are not going to do the same in the next 25 years. It’s time for a shift.

Decentralized Organization

The “hero” in any church is the member, not the pastor. The best representation of the impact and ministry of the church is the individual member. Members will determine the effectiveness of the church’s outreach. While churches can have a great location, in the churches I’ve served, we found that less than 2 percent found their way into our church from merely passing by. About the same went for paid advertising, social media, or other forms of advertising. How well does your church make disciples? There is nothing more attractive than a believer whose life has been transformed inviting a friend who’s noticed their life change.

When you look out at your congregation on Sunday morning, do you see an audience or an army? If it’s an audience, then they need to be entertained. The concern is over comfort and convenience. If you perform well and offer a good experience, then the hope is they will return.

But, if you see them as an army, that’s a different story. Your army needs to be equipped and empowered to serve. They don’t need to be catered to. They don’t need to be fretted over. They need marching orders. They need permission and opportunity to live out what God has called them to do.

The focus changes from gathering to scattering. For the last 25 or more years, we have gathered well, but scattered poorly. It’s time for a change.

Flexible, Unrestricted Gatherings

About six years ago, in a conversation with Josh Surratt, Lead Pastor at Seacoast Church, he mentioned a family from their church who had moved to Maine. Every Sunday morning, they gathered with about 40 friends and neighbors in their living room to watch the service at Seacoast together. My immediate reaction, “Well, maybe it’s time to redefine a ‘campus.’”

Conversations like this led to the idea of microsite churches. In my initial brainstorming with my friend, Brett Eastman, we imagined smaller communities or places where multisite churches wouldn’t build a campus. What if the service via steaming video was brought into homes, restaurants, or smaller meeting places to serve these areas? The microsites would rely on unpaid staff to manage them, but with connection and support from larger organization.

One of the first places we saw develop these microsites was NewSpring Church in South Carolina. They took a little different spin on the idea by using “houses campuses” as a trial balloon to determine whether a community could support a viable multisite campus eventually. It was essentially planting a multisite campus with a less expensive, less risky trial run. We also interacted with the folks at The Rock Church in San Diego, who had heard from people who were not comfortable walking onto their main campus on Sunday morning. So, they multiplied 50 microsites in venues where these folks felt more comfortable gathering. This included bars, night clubs, and other locations. Read more about the early days of microsites.

By developing a microsite strategy with online video and support, there is no limit to a church’s potential to reach any community that can provide someone to pioneer the work. Once the strategy has created a unit of one, then the sky’s the limit. Locations can easily be rolled out in same language communities or translated into other languages and cultures. Potentially, these flexible, unrestricted gatherings can multiply without church-owned property or paid staff. As long as their kept small and taught to multiply, securing larger gathering spaces is unnecessary.

Meaningful, “Volunteer” Ministry

I hate the word “volunteer,” but it’s the word everyone uses, so here we go. With the congregation as an army, the key to deploying the army is gifts-based ministry. God has gifted and called every believer to fulfill his or her mission on the earth. Calling is not limited to clergy. Ministry is not limited to paid staff. For all intents and purposes, the only difference between “volunteers” and paid staff is the source of their income and possibly their availability.

If the church fully embraces the concept of the priesthood of believers, then it can accomplish far more than what it’s currently doing. The key is to champion the member, help them discover their spiritual gifts with a tool like Network, and to support and deploy them as they do the work of the ministry. When believers are operating in their gifts and abilities, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and supported by their pastors and churches, they are unstoppable. They find meaning and purpose beyond what anything else can provide. And, the church functions as it should.

I led the gifts discovery and deployment process at a church I served for 15 years. Every member who attended a discover your ministry type class met with me for a post-class interview. I was always amazed at what people aspired to do and how God had equipped them. In fact, I even identified my future wife this way!

Our church reached a point where we only started new ministries out of these conversations following the gifts discovery class. Some of these ministries, we heard about from sources in the community because our people were serving based on their gifts and hadn’t told us what they were doing. That thought just makes me smile.

The church burdens many of its members with meaningless ministry – parking lot attendants, greeters, coffee servers, and so forth. Potentially the worst staff position in any church is the “guest services coordinator,” because this person must constantly hustle to fill vacant spots every weekend of the year! Why? Because no one is called to this. (Feel free to argue in the comments, but read on).

Yet, believers rise to the occasion in gifts-based ministry. Pastors – do you want your members dragging themselves out of bed to serve or jumping out of bed to serve? The difference is organizing ministry around spiritual gifts rather than filling slots.

Microsites are easier to multiply than megachurches. Microsites don’t require church-owned property, elaborate budgets, or guest services. As someone is welcomed into a member’s home, isn’t that the only guest services needed?

What about training? Who can be trained more quickly – a pastor or a location host? No location host to date has been required to earn a Master of Divinity first.

Most churches will never have the budget, paid staff, or buildings to accomplish what God has called them to do. Well, that’s if we look at the church as an institution. But, in viewing the church as the body of Christ, there is millions of dollars worth of property in the homes of the church’s members. The “staff” originates from gifts-based assessments. There might be a few expenses, but really no budget.

As it becomes harder to fill and maintain the big box church, there are viable options. Examples like the Tampa Underground (tampaunderground.com) are worth considering. After 10 years of developing their model, they are now sharing their learnings with others.

The future of the church is bright, but it is different. While previous models of ministry have served us well, it’s time to reconsider our strategies and redefine our ministries.

How “Okay” Beats “Better”

How “Okay” Beats “Better”

By Allen White herjavec_robert

“Nobody ever leaves ‘good enough’ for ‘potentially better'” according to Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank fame in the December 2016 issue of Fortune magazine. He makes a very good point. While Herjavec was starting his software security business, he found difficulty selling something slightly better than what people were currently using. I’m a buyer like that.

A nice young man named Storm calls me once in a while from Citrix. I’ve been their customer for many years, since I’ve found GotoMeeting to be a very stable platform for my coaching groups. Storm would like me to consider Citrix’s version of Dropbox. He’s a very nice young man. He gave a solid presentation. He checks up on me now and then. The only problem is Storm wants me to sign up for Citrix’s version of Dropbox, and I’m a longtime Dropbox user. Good enough wins over potentially better.

Now, if the Citrix’s version came bundled with GotoMeeting and gave me a discount, then maybe. But, I have Dropbox links in my emails, my articles, everywhere. It’s a lot to unlink just to link back up with a similar product. If Dropbox had a catastrophic failure, then maybe I would switch to a different platform. But, until I have a compelling reason, I have no motivation to change.

Let’s pretend you are Storm from Citrix, and I am your church member. You want me to join a small group. I “don’t have time for a group” a.k.a. “it’s not a priority in my life.” Why? I have friends already. I have a regular quiet time. I’m involved with other things at church. Now, without overselling small groups or making them mandatory (both tactics will fail), why should I join a small group? How are groups better than what I’m currently doing?

If you can answer this question, then people might abandon what they’re doing for something they perceive as better.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below.

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We will NOT be closing the current community, but we will be porting user data over to the new system over time, so please get used to using the new community!

We will be working on it every single day until it's exactly what you want!

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R.A. The Rugged Man Announces New album!

Lou_CypherLou_Cypher Make Reasonable Choices.H. E. Double Hockey SticksPosts: 52,498 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited February 2012 in The Essence
Over the course of his career, R.A. The Rugged Man has gone from a mysterious cult figure to a full-blown underground rap superstar, touring the globe, producing movies, murdering verses alongside hip-hop's biggest names, and drawing praise from peers and critics alike. In this exclusive clip, R.A. reveals some details on his new album Legends Never Die, the official follow-up to the classic Die, Rugged Man, Die.

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Posts Tagged ‘fudgepop’

This chocolate episode came at a good time, allowing me to share some of Alton’s chocolate goodness with friends and relatives at the holidays. There is really no way we could have eaten all of this chocolate without help! It’s really too bad that my mom doesn’t live closer to me because, though she is tiny, she can pretty much eat her weight in chocolate. Somehow, we persevered and the recipes from this episode have been devoured. All of the recipes in this episode are ganache-based, meaning they are composed of a mixture of chocolate and cream. First up is Alton’s:

Ganache Frosting

This ganache is composed of only two ingredients:  chocolate and cream.

Only two ingredients for this frosting: bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream.

The recipe starts with heating a pint of heavy cream (which is also a pound) in a microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until simmering. Note:  when heating milk products in the microwave, use a vessel twice the original volume of dairy to prevent overflow. While the cream heats, chop a pound of bittersweet chocolate with a serrated knife.

A chopped pound of chocolate.

Place the chopped chocolate in the bowl of a food processor and pour the warm cream over the chocolate. Let the cream/chocolate sit for two minutes.

When the two minutes are up, pulse the chocolate and cream three times, or until smooth.

Chocolate and cream after pulsing 3x.

Transfer the ganache to a bowl. You can use the ganache immediately as a pourable cake glaze.

Ganache transferred to a bowl.

Or, you can let the ganache cool for an hour and whip it in a stand mixer to make a cake frosting.

This ganache will keep for two weeks if kept tightly covered and refrigerated. For later use, bring the ganache to room temperature before whipping with a stand mixer. I first used this ganache frosting to frost a simple sheet cake, which we ate for multiple days.

A slice of sheet cake with Alton’s ganache frosting.

I actually prefer this frosting cold because I like the dense mouthfeel of the cold chocolate in contrast with soft, light cake. After frosting a 9×13″ sheet cake, I still had enough frosting for two dozen cupcakes, which I frosted for my in-laws’ Christmas party. I will say that the frosting is best aesthetically when used after the first whipping. This frosting is quite rich, so you only need a thin layer of frosting for a good punch of chocolate. This is about the easiest chocolate frosting you could ever make, and it is so much better than anything you could buy in the store.

Chocolate Truffles

When we headed to my sister-in-law’s house for Thanksgiving, I decided to bring Alton’s truffles to share. I made the truffles two days before turkey day. To make Alton’s truffles, place 10 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and add 3 T of unsalted butter.

Set the chocolate aside while you bring 1/2 C cream and 1 T light corn syrup to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.

Heavy cream and light corn syrup.

While the cream heats, place the chocolate/butter in the microwave for 30 seconds; stir the mixture and put it in the microwave for another 30 seconds or until the chocolate starts to melt.

Pour the simmering cream over the chocolate and let it sit for two minutes.

Cream poured over chocolate/butter.

After two minutes, stir 1/4 C brandy into the chocolate, stirring until smooth.

Brandy being stirred into chocolate mixture.

Pour the chocolate mixture into an 8×8″ baking dish and place it, uncovered, in the refrigerator for one hour.

After an hour of chill time, use a melon baller to portion the ganache into rough balls, transferring them to a parchment-lined sheet pan; do not worry about shaping the truffles at this time. When all of the truffles have been portioned, place them back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Portioned ganache.

This is the point of the recipe where things get a little more technical, as Alton used a heating pad to melt eight ounces of bittersweet chocolate, keeping the chocolate between 90 and 94 degrees; it is critical not to go above 94 degrees, as this will change the crystalline structure of the chocolate. I found that I had very uneven heating with my heating pad, so I gradually melted my chocolate in the microwave, stirring and checking the temperature after every 15-20 seconds.

Once your chocolate is melted and between 90 and 94 degrees, roll your truffles into smooth balls with gloved hands. Dip an ice cream scoop into the melted chocolate and place a truffle ball into the scoop, using your gloved fingers to coat the center with melted chocolate.

Coating a truffle center in melted bittersweet chocolate.

Once coated in chocolate, place the coated truffle into a topping of your choice:  chopped pistachios, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, or toasted coconut. It is ideal to let each truffle sit in the topping until the next truffle is done being coated with chocolate.

Transfer the finished truffles to a wax paper-lined airtight container. Store the truffles in the refrigerator, but serve them at room temperature.

I ended up with 32 truffles, and I used toppings of powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and chopped pistachios.

Oh my, these truffles are super rich. If you are able to keep your coating chocolate in the ideal temperature range, your truffles will have a crispy chocolate shell surrounding their dense, rich filling. The filling is creamy, rich, slightly bitter, and intensely full of chocolate. These are absolutely worth the time and effort of making, as well as the calories. They pair fantastically with bourbon or with coffee, depending on the time of day. This is a wonderful recipe.

Good Eats Fudgepops

This episode finishes up with Alton’s version of a fudgecicle.

Ingredients for fudgepops: bittersweet chocolate, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, heavy cream, and whole milk.

Start by putting 2 T cocoa powder into a medium saucepan, and add 12 ounces of heavy cream and eight ounces of whole milk.

Cocoa powder combined with milk and cream.

Bring the milk and cocoa to a simmer over medium heat, whisking to combine.

Cocoa powder combined with milk and cream, and brought to a simmer.

When the dairy is simmering, pour it over eight ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate, letting it sit for two-three minutes.

Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth and add 2 t vanilla extract.

Using a turkey baster, equally distribute the chocolate mixture among popsicle molds.

Chocolate distributed among popsicle molds.

Place the fudgepops in the freezer for four hours, or until set.

Alton’s fudgepop.

Conversely, if you are craving hot chocolate, Alton says you can melt one of his fudgepops in the microwave. I chose to halve this recipe since I was just making the fudgepops for two of us, and I ended up with four fudgepops. These fudgepops are full of rich chocolate flavor and they are pretty creamy. They did have a very slight icy texture, but I thought these were pretty good. They were very hard to get out of the molds, but that may have been more of a function of my popsicle molds than due to the recipe itself. I don’t know that I would go out of my way to make these again, but I’ve also never been the biggest fudgepop fan.


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The Anchoring Effect – A Subconscious Decision Bias

In many situations big and small, be it shopping for a car or a house, waiting to be seated in a restaurant or deciding about how much money to put in a business venture, we get anchors thrown our way. Unknowingly yet powerfully as by its definition, the anchor keeps us floating in our decisions in a range close to it.

In a 1974 research paper” Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics And Biases, Kahneman, and Tversky conducted an experiment where they used a rigged wheel of fortune that only stops at 10 or 65. Then they asked participants an irrelevant question; what is the percentage of the African American nations in the US? Results showed that despite the lack of rationality in the wheel of fortune numbers being of any relevance to answering the questions. ‘rational’ participants still responded by staying close in their answer to the suggested number.  They did it without knowing they were.  They were staying close to the number where the wheel stopped, which Kahneman called the “Anchor”.

The thing about Anchoring as a bias is that people not only are unaware of it, but they also deny that the original number impacted their decision.  Yet, in fact research shows that any initial value suggested while you are making an estimate will influence you to stay close to it. Triggering, right?

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and was told that the wait time was 30 minutes? The number 30 has created your psychological zone of what is acceptable. In that case when the wait time turned out to be 20 minutes you were very pleased.  Had you been told the wait time was 10 minutes, you would have been increasingly frustrated by waiting for the same 20 minutes.  The difference here was not in the actual waiting time, but in the anchor suggested.

Do you feel a slight twitching in your right hand? Kahneman suggests that by suggesting this to you, I would in fact induce a feeling that you may have not had before. A twitch or an awareness of any other sensation in your right hand. The power of suggestion is a way to explain anchoring bias. Another explanation is that anchoring is a process of adjusting up or down from the suggested number and stopping when uncertainty about the new value becomes too high.  At any rate, If I ask you whether Marilyn Monroe died in the age of 70 your estimate will come older than your answer if I had asked if she died at 25.

It is unsettling if not terribly upsetting to think that our decisions are largely influenced by stimuli that we either consider irrelevant or are even unaware of. This threatens our sense of rationality, objectivity and autonomy.  So, what is a way to combat the effects of anchoring?

As suggested in Kahneman’s book ‘Thinking fast and slow’, it is by the deliberate mobilization of rational thinking.  Psychologists Adam Galinsky and Thomas Museeweiler suggested an intentional act of ‘thinking the opposite’ of the anchor as a way to combat the process by which our minds produce relevant arguments and thoughts confirming our bias to stay close to the anchor. An argument supporting the deployment of intentional skepticism in making decisions as opposed to automatic piloting our judgments by relying on our intuitions and past experiences.

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Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme Is Releasing a Christmas Single

Christmas is coming early for Queens of the Stone Age fans.

On Tuesday (December 4), the band announced that frontman Josh Homme will be releasing a holiday single this week. The A-side is set to feature the singer's take on "Silent Night" with help from Australian blues singer-songwriter and guitarist C.W. Stoneking, and the B-side is a reading of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas," which features Homme, his wife Brody Dalle of The Distillers and "their three little elves."

The tracks were recorded during QOTSA's 2017 Australian tour and will be released digitally on December 7th. The single will also be pressed as a limited edition 7" record, which will be released on December 14th. The vinyl release is available for pre-order here, and comes with a digital download of the two tracks.

As the website states, "proceeds from the single will benefit the Sweet Stuff Foundation, the non-profit created by Homme in 2013 to provide assistance to career musicians, recording engineers, and their families struggling with illness and disability, and to Support Act, an alliance with a similar mission founded in 1997 in Australia by AMCOS, APRA, ARIA and PPCA."

Check out the single announcement and album artwork in the band's tweet below.

Photo: Getty Images

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24 Things I’ve Learned in 24 Years

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn money or products from companies mentioned in this post. Thank you in advance for supporting Aly Dawn Photography!

I’m normally not one to publicly announce my birthday. I usually just let people remember … and usually end up disappointed and hating my birthday (seriously, it’s happened before). This year, I thought I’d try a different approach. I’ve been really focusing on self love this year. After I became a mother, I found it was really important to take care of yourself first, before you take care of your sweet baby. If you don’t, it’s really hard to feel pretty because children drain so much of your energy. Anyways, today I am turning 24. I’ve learned a lot in my 24 years of life, and I am excited to learn & improve even more over the years to come.

I set up the tripod, put on a dress that makes me feel beautiful, and took birthday pictures with my boy.

And today I’m celebrating me.

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

1. make time for yourself

I feel like this is important in all phases of your life. It’s important for me to have alone time. I try to schedule in alone time everyday. Most days it’s when the baby naps. Some days it’s while I’m in the shower (I always linger just a little longer…) but my favorite is when my husband willingly & lovingly says, ‘I’ll watch our son, you do something for you.’ He’s a keeper! But, seriously. Making time for you is very important to keep you sane.

2. confidence is beautiful & powerful

3. stop talking about yourself & start listening

You are important, but so is your friend. So, stop talking about yourself & listen to those people in your life that are important to you. Ask questions about their life. Be engaged. Listen to their problems, excitement, anything they feel like telling. So, it’s OK to stop talking & lend an ear.

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

4. things work out when you work at them

The first time you do something is always the scariest. How could it possibly work out? It always does, especially when you put the work in.

5. love takes work…

… but it’s worth it!

6. it’s ok to ask questions

Most of my life my pride has gotten in the way of me learning new things. I have learned that asking questions is totally ok and actually helps you even more in the long run.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

7. change can be good

8. stop comparing yourself to others

I am enough. I am beautiful. I am perfect just the way I am. I’ve learned that I should stop comparing myself  to others. I’m not better than them, they’re not better than me, we’re just different. And that’s OK.

9. it’s ok to treat yourself

You deserve it! Don’t feel too guilty for that extra piece of cake. Don’t feel bad about buying that super cute dress you’ve had your eyes on. Treat yourself every once in a while. It’ll help keep you sane.

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

10. care salesmen are the worst

Enough said.

11. it’s ok to have opinions

This has been a hard one for me. I’m a people pleaser. I never would say my opinion to other people without feeling like I was making someone upset … so there was a time where I wouldn’t say my true feelings, just what everyone wanted to hear. But, it’s ok to disagree and to have your own opinions. I don’t think any less of you because you do something differently than me.

12. being a mother is the best and worst job

I’m sure all other mother’s would agree with me. There’s something so rewarding about being a mother. Watching your little one grow and develop. Watching them learn new things from you teaching them, or them learning by themselves. There’s so much joy and happiness that comes from being a mother. But, on the other hand, it is the toughest job in the whole world. I’m constantly worrying about my son. I am constantly tired. Constantly trying to figure out how I could possibly teach him the way of life. Motherhood is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done.

But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love being a mother.

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

13. family is everything

14. life is short

So, hug that person and quit fighting. Love, guys, spread love everywhere!

15. god is in the details of your life

I’ve learned this at a young age. He’s always there to guide you. He’s there in your darkest days. He’s also there when you’re happy! He’s working on every small detail in your life.

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

16. being an introvert is cool …

… and totally ok! It took a long time for me to accept the fact that I was an introvert. But, I am. And you still like to talk to me. I just do better one on one than in a large group. 🙂

17. messy house is totally ok

I’ve had a long day. I’ve been running around cleaning up after my son and the house is still a mess. And that’s ok. Because it’s not always going to be clean. And I have to accept that! But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t strive for it. 😉

18. it’s ok to cry

I hate crying. I really do. But, I have learned that it’s totally ok to cry sometimes. Get it out of your system. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed. It’s ok (I might need to continue to tell myself that!).

19. your body really does change after childbirth

I didn’t believe them. But they were right. My body is changed forever, for the better.

Aly Dawn Photography 24 Things I've Learned

20. it’s ok to say no

21. grudges aren’t worth it

22. forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself

I read that somewhere and really liked it … it’s true. I’m still working on forgiveness, though.

23. getting out of the house everyday is a must

For your sanity. I sometimes find myself not going outside at all in the day … and then I realize why I’m getting frustrated with the baby. I need fresh air. So, I plan on scheduling more outside time this year!

24. nobody’s perfect

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I am a photographer, a wife, a sister, and now a momma to be. I strive to capture the beauty in ordinary things. I love to photograph people, places, and things that I love and cherish. I am a lover of natural light, macro, lifestyle, and dark and moody images. I am a die hard Nikon fan, I love yellow starbursts, I am a pianist, and I am obsessed with photography, maybe a little too much!

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Market Correction as high as 50% Is Impossible? Don’t think it can happen?

So i stumbled this article today and I think is pretty interesting to share with my readers. I have been bearish since end of 2015 and it is quite insulting to see the market trade against my view, well, we are talking about Mr.Market don’t we.

Nevertheless, as a trader we need to know when we shouldn’t trade and obey to our rules. There are always opportunity for us to come back to reap a great profit rather take unnecessary risk.

Below is a good article where i share the same view with the author.

There is little doubt currently that complacency reigns in the financial markets. Nowhere is that complacency more evident than in the Market Greed/Fear Index which combines the 4-measures of investor sentiment (AAII, INVI, MarketVane, & NAAIM) with the inverse Volatility Index alongside the S&P 500.

Market Greed/Feer Index vs SPX 2006-2017

Market Greed/Feer Index vs SPX 2006-2017

The reason I revisit the index above is due to last Thursday’s postin which I presented two arguments concerning the potential for a 50-70% decline in the markets. John Hussman’s view was simply a valuation argument stating:

“To offer some idea of the precipice the market has reached, the median price/revenue ratio of individual S&P 500 component stocks now stands just over 2.45, easily the highest level in history. The longer-term norm for the S&P 500 price/revenue ratio is less than 1.0. Even a retreat to 1.3, which we’ve observed at many points even in recent cycles, would take the stock market to nearly half of present levels.”

The second argument was from Harry Dent based on demographic trends within the economy as the mass wave of “baby boomers” become net-distributors from the financial markets (most importantly draining underfunded pension funds) in the future. To wit:

At heart, I’m a cycle guy. Demographics just happens to be the most important cycle in this modern era since the middle class only formed recently — its only been since World War 2 that the everyday person mattered so much; because now they have $50,000-$60,000 in income and can buy homes over 30 years and borrow a lot of money. This was not the case before the Great Depression and World War 2.

And based on demographics, we predicted that the U.S. Baby Boom wouldn’t peak until 2007, and then our economy will weaken — as both did in 2008. We’ve lived off of QE every since.”

Not surprisingly, those two comments drew a lot of fire from readers such as this one:

Reader comments

Reader comments

Or this one…

Lance Roberts' Reader Comments

Lance Roberts’ Reader Comments

Hmmm….where have I heard this before.

“Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau. I do not feel there will be soon if ever a 50 or 60 point break from present levels, such as they have predicted. I expect to see the stock market a good deal higher within a few months.”

– Dr. Irving Fisher, Economist at Yale University 1929

This Utopian belief of now infinite stability within the financial markets due to ongoing Central Bank interventions is a most dangerous concept. This is particularly the case given the structural and economic shifts in the economy due to the rise in debt which has derailed the efficient allocation of capital. As shown below the economy is currently mired at the lowest average annual growth rate since 1790. (Data courtesy of Measuring Worth)

Average Economic Growth by Cycle 1790-2017

Average Economic Growth by Cycle 1790-2017

Furthermore, a quick analysis of past history suggests the regularity of corrections which have run the gamut of devastating blows to investor capital. (Monthly data courtesy of Dr. Robert Shiller)

Length of Market Recoveries and Subsequent Declines 1873-2007

Length of Market Recoveries and Subsequent Declines 1873-2007

If you look at the chart above you will notice the longest economic expansions in history have also been followed by declines of 30% or more. With the current economic expansion now the 3rd longest in history at 92-months, a subsequent correction of 30% or more should not be surprising.

Of course, what fuels corrections is not just a change in investor sentiment, but an ignition of the leverage that exists through the extension of debt. Currently, leverage is near the highest levels on record which is the equivalent of a tank of gasoline waiting on a match.

Margin Debt Net Credit Balance vs SPX 1980-2017

Margin Debt Net Credit Balance vs SPX 1980-2017

And…corporate leverage. The chart below shows the total liabilities and equity of non-financial businesses in the U.S. divided by the Gross Value Added. I have overlaid the S&P 500 for relevance.

Total Corporate Liabilities and Equity vs GVA vs SPX 1964-2017

Total Corporate Liabilities and Equity vs GVA vs SPX 1964-2017

As can be clearly seen, leverage fuels both halves of the full market cycle. On the way up, increases in leverage provide the capital necessary for accelerated share buybacks and increased speculation in the markets. Leverage, like gasoline, is inert until a catalyst is applied. It is the unwinding of that leverage that accelerates the liquidation of assets in the markets causes prices to plunge faster and further than most can possibly imagine.

It has only happened twice already since the turn of the century. Yet, less than a decade from the last crash, investors have once again fallen prey to excessive exuberance and the belief that somehow this time will most assuredly be different.

Measuring The Size Of The Next Correction

As a portfolio strategist, there is little question the markets are still confined to a bullish uptrend. Currently, portfolio allocation models remain near fully invested. Therefore, what concerns me most is NOT what could cause the markets rise, as I am already invested, but what could lead to a sharp decline that would negatively impact investment capital.

[Important Note: It is worth remembering that winning the long-term investment game has more to do with avoidance of losses than the capturing of gains. It is a function of math.]

What causes the next correction of magnitude is unknown. It always is until after the fact. There are many factors that can, and will, contribute to the eventual correction which will “feed” on the unwinding of excessive exuberance, valuations, leverage, and deviations from long-term averages.

The chart below shows the deviation from the long-term trend line. I have calculated an advance to 2400 for the S&P 500 which, as I said in “2400 or Bust”, is a reasonable target for the current “melt-up” phase of the market.

SPX Trend Line Support

SPX Trend Line Support

As stated above, the bull market trend which began in 2009 remains currently intact (dashed blue line). A correction from 2400 back to that bullish uptrend line, which occurred in both 2011 and 2012, would entail a decline to 2100. That would be a 14.2% decline and while not technically a “bear” market, for many investors it will certainly “feel” like one.

But what if a simple correction accelerates? To analyze how a market accelerates to a 50% correction, we can use a “Fibonacci Retracement” analysis as shown in the chart below. As defined by Investopedia:

“The Fibonacci retracement is the potential retracement of a financial asset’s original move in price. Fibonacci retracements use horizontal lines to indicate areas of support or resistance at the key Fibonacci levels before it continues in the original direction. These levels are created by drawing a trendline between two extreme points and then dividing the vertical distance by the key Fibonacci ratios of 23.6%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8% and 100%.”

Fibonacci Retracement Levels 2007-2017

Fibonacci Retracement Levels 2007-2017

So, a 50% retracement from the 2400 level would push the markets back towards 1547. As identified in the chart, a 23.6% retracement from the 2009 lows would violate the bullish trend line. Such a violation would set up a change in trend, from bullish to bearish, thereby bringing more selling into the market.

If the next wave of selling starts to trigger “margin calls,” the next three levels of retracement become much more viable. The market would initially seek out support at the 38.2% retracement level of 1748 which would be a decline of 27.16% and would push the markets into an “official” bear market. As margin calls accelerate, so does the forced liquidation which then bleeds over into psychological panic selling as investors reach the point of capitulation.

This is where “buy and hold” quickly becomes “get me the $*@# out.”

That can’t happen you say? As shown in the chart below, corrections of 50% to 61.8% of the previous advance are common with corrections even eclipsing 100% as well.

SPX Monthly 1967-2017

SPX Monthly 1967-2017

It is unlikely that a 50-61.8% correction would happen outside of the onset of a recession. But considering we are already 91-months into the current cycle and extremely levered, there is a rising level of risk that should not be ignored.

By the way, a 50% retracement would register a 35.5% decline in investor portfolios. A 61.8% retracement would destroy 43.9% of investor capital.

And that is how you get a 50% decline.

However, while I show that the greater levels of a potential correction will likely be coincident with a recession, as they have historically been, it does NOT mean that a recession is required. A sharp rise in interest rates or inflation, a downturn in economic growth, deflationary pressures from the Eurozone, or a credit related issue in the “junk bond” market could all do the trick.

No one will know, until in hindsight, what the catalyst will be that ignites a “panic” in the market. This is why we do analysis to understand the potential risks in the market as compared to expected reward. What is abundantly clear is that the potential “upside” in the market is currently outweighed by the “downside” risk. It is important to remember that our job as investors is to “sell high” and “buy low.”

Unfortunately, for most, they are already doing exactly the opposite.

There is one important truth that is indisputable, irrefutable, and absolutely undeniable: “mean reversions” are the only constant in the financial markets over time. The problem is that the next “mean reverting” event will remove most, if not all, of the gains investors have made over the last five years.

Don’t think it can happen?

You might want to reconsider.

Full credit to: Lance Roberts

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It’s Time To Tame Your Admin

You open your inbox and it’s a mess.  😳 There are emails from clients you need to respond to, and things are slipping through the cracks.

The rest of your admin just isn’t being taken care of either – and you know it’s not good for your sanity, or for your business. You’ve got post-it notes here. Reminders there. And you’re still dropping balls left, right and center.

You’re S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D, overwhelmed and frustrated.  I get it!

The good news is: It doesn’t have to be this way.

The secret to less frown lines, more time, and a stress-free inbox lies in using systems to tame the avalanche of admin you’re ploughing through on a daily basis – and in hiring support where and when you need it.

Which is exactly where Tame Your Admin comes in.

Tame Your Admin will help you implement the systems you need to ensure your admin/emails are handled in a timely, efficient manner – and can be handed off to an assistant (with ease) once you’re ready.

The end goal is to extract you from the day-to-day admin of your business, for good.

Step Away from Your Inbox For Good

Over my years working alongside leading entrepreneurs, I’ve seen first-hand how admin is a double-edged sword.  YES, it’s essential to your business but no, it’s not something that’s best done by YOU as the business owner.

When I work with my clients, getting them OUT of their inbox is the first thing we do to help them feel less frazzled, and regain their freedom. As a business owner, you’ve got limited time in your day, and far better things to do than sending or answering the countless emails that clog up your inbox.

Implementing systems, hiring admin support, and stepping away from your inbox will all have an incredible impact on your days – and this DIY program will teach you exactly how to do that.

(Even if you’re a bit nervous because you want things handled flawlessly – your business is your baby, and I get that!)

Here’s what you’ll learn in Tame Your Admin:

  • Assessing where you’re at with your admin and what your hiring needs are.
  • Creating documentation & templates for routine emails (including customer service, client scheduling, and more) – taking the guesswork out of it for your assistant, and the micromanaging out of it for you.
  • How to train, delegate, and supervise your assistant to ensure your client experience is handled with the care it deserves (ultimately, making retaining your clients and getting referrals a snap!).

When you’re done with this course, you’ll be ready to hand off your inbox to your assistant, for good – or if you need one, find the right person to work with you moving ahead.

As a result:

  • You’ll save HOURS as you won’t be dealing with an influx of emails – or need to be in your inbox at all!
  • You’ll know that your client experience is top-notch, with everything is handled in a timely and efficient manner.
  • You can step away from your business for the weekend – or weeks at at time – knowing that your customers are well-cared for.
  • Reaching that next level of success becomes a reality – because you have room to focus on revenue-generating activities, and renewed enthusiasm for your work.

During Our Time Together We’ll Cover:

Module 01: Your Admin Assessment

Lesson 01: Define Your Admin
Lesson 02: Assess Your Time
Lesson 03: Your Ideal Schedule

Module 02: Where to Get Help FIRST

Lesson 01: Admin Assistance
Lesson 02: Technical Assistance
Lesson 03: Specialists

Module 03: Get Your House In Order

Lesson 01: Inbox Management and Best Practices
Lesson 02: Process, Procedures and Documentation
Lesson 03: Delegation and Automation

Module 04: Find Your Support Superstars

Lesson 01: Position Descriptions
Lesson 02: Finding Quality Applicants
Lesson 03: The Interview Process

Module 05: Working with Your Team

Lesson 01: On-boarding New Team Members
Lesson 02: Managing Your People
Lesson 03: Expectations and Feedback

PLUS, scroll down for limited time bonuses!!

How Tame Your Admin Works

I understand that giving up control of your inbox can be terrifying! Most of us want things done a certain way – and so we’re not convinced that someone else can do it as well as we can.

Don’t worry.  If that’s how you feel, you’re NORMAL. 😉

Tame Your Admin will help you hand off your inbox with confidence, and know that whoever is handling it is actually doing a better job than what you’re able to do on your own.

I also know you’re busy, and your time is precious – so I’ve made this course streamlined and effective. No fluff or make work-projects.

Delivered instantly upon purchase, through a combination of video training and worksheets – Tame Your Admin will give you the exact same systems I’ve used to help leading business owners step out from under admin overwhelm, FAST.

My promise to you:

Everything I share with you in this training has enabled my clients to exit their inbox permanently – and grow their online businesses from startup to seven figures, and beyond.

(Yes, your results may vary from theirs, but one thing I know for sure is this:  When you’re not stuck in your inbox handling admin for hours on end – there is so much room for growth to happen!)

Get Started Now for Only $397!

As soon as you sign up, you’ll get access to the full program, and will be ready to start taming your admin right away!

Go from idea to action today! Free guide and worksheets

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Historic Designation

The 300 Mile Museum

America’s Routes Seeks Historic Designation for Loudoun’s Rural Routes

Greengarden Road
The bridge over Panther Skin Creek on Greengarden Road in Western Loudoun County. The old bridge from 1910 that was mass produced for the first automobiles and built by Luten Bridge Co. in York Pa. (Photo By Douglas Graham/WLP)

Having Loudoun’s rural roads be determined by the state as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places would officially honor their historic significance (which spans three centuries) and distinctive character. It would recognize these roads as the “living museum” they are, following travel patterns that began with Native Americans and endured through centuries of migration, wars, and the revolutionary age of the automobile.

America’s Routes team member Jane Covington is leading this effort. Over the coming year, Covington will personally drive and walk every unpaved road in Loudoun County, documenting each distinctive physical feature (in photos and words), and tie those features to the rich cache of detailed and original documents in the Loudoun County Circuit Court archives. Her work will marry what every visitor can see on our roads with the historic evidence of their place in our history (and that of the nation), as told first-hand by those who built and used the roads in the centuries before us.

One of the most significant documents from which Covington will work is the Yardley Taylor map of Loudoun County, drawn in 1853. This highly detailed map of the County identified hundreds of owners or occupiers of residences and 77 water-powered mills, and noted the denomination for each house of worship. The details of this map provided useful guidance to commanders in the Civil War, and the roads it delineated are remarkably  unchanged from those in use today in the rural areas of the County. (Library of Congress)

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When Assisted Suicide Becomes a Viable Option

One of my most controversial opinions is related to the subject of euthanasia. I strongly believe that if all one has to look forward to is a life of pain with no hope of relief (for example: a person riddled with terminal cancer and suffering horrendous pain), one should have the RIGHT to put an end to that pain and suffering in a loving environment–surrounded by family and friends, rather than having no choice other than doing it in a desperately violent way (throwing oneself into incoming traffic, shooting oneself, etc).

HOWEVER, when people are forced to contemplate suicide as a way out of a hopeless situation in which they are given very few options; that’s completely unacceptable. A system that pushes people to those extremes, is a failed system that needs to be dismantled.

The only two things that keep some of us from running our wheelchairs into traffic are 1) the fear of NOT dying! And 2) the fear of injuring and/or potentially killing other people in the process.

The title of this short blog entry pretty much encompasses the spirit of my letter to governor Brown (see below). Any and all help spreading the word is greatly appreciated.

April 13, 2018

Governor Edmund G. Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Brown:

My name is Shannon Nelson. I am a 47 year-old quadriplegic woman living in Emeryville.

I’ve been paralyzed from the chest down since 1995 due to a spinal cord injury caused by a swimming pool accident. I moved (actually escaped) from Maine to New York–after being abandoned in a nursing home by my family at 41 years of age–then from New York to California. I suffer from severe nerve pain and couldn’t handle another brutal New York winter.

I moved here not only because of the warmer weather but also because researching the best places to live as a disabled individual consistently showed California–specifically the Bay Area–as the best option.

After a year and a half of navigating the system, I’m exhausted, disheartened and feeling utterly hopeless.

Rights on paper alone are useless.

Every single disabled resident of the Bay Area I’ve met so far (except those with ample financial resources), struggles a great deal due to the lack of state resources allocated to their care. Actually, to say that we struggle is a huge understatement. When you start considering assisted suicide as a perfectly viable option, you have to pause and question not your own sanity but that of the people in charge of making decisions that directly (and negatively) affect the most vulnerable.

I’m sure you receive hundreds, probably thousands, of letters from distraught marginalized Californians begging for their fair share of the pie; therefore, I’m not delusional enough to expect my little letter to educate you about our plight and make you change policies to help us.

The reason for this letter is simply to document our struggle and hopefully educate our fellow Americans about what we have to go through. If enough people join our cause, maybe, just maybe, we will get people in charge of writing legislation to listen. This is why I decided a good first step would be to contact those people.

Most disabled people I know, myself included, have made peace with our disabilities to varying degrees; however, when we struggle–for example–to find caregivers willing to work for the starvation wages that the state of California pays, we feel utterly helpless, more so than by the fact that we are not able-bodied.

In addition to struggling to find and keep reliable caregivers willing to work for such low wages, many of us also have to deal with the never-ending, ever worsening lack of affordable housing. As I’m sure you know, it has now reached a crisis level.

I am on a wait list to get all of the hours of care I need as well as for affordable housing; however these wait lists are unbelievably long (years!) I recently had a severe medical emergency that caused me to spend five days in the ICU at Alta Bates Medical Center–which led me to the realization that I might actually die while waiting.

When I read an article about you, sir, boasting about the state’s budget surplus, the first thought that came to my mind was “at whose expense?”

Years from now, when you’ve retired from public office and are asked to assess your time as governor, will you think about all of the Californians that were left behind?

The “greatest country in the world” does not treat its most vulnerable citizens with dignity. That, I believe, is a tragedy.

Shannon Nelson

Rights On Paper Alone Are Utterly Useless

Time flies! I cannot believe it’s been over four years since I created this blog, made one entry and forgot about it, until recently.

The blog entry below is from October 11, 2013, while I was living in a shelter for disabled victims of abuse in New York City after literally escaping from a nursing home I had been dumped into (in Maine) at 41 years of age.

Since then, I’ve had a brush with death, made peace with my estranged mother, lost her to cancer and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area (where I recently had another close encounter with death).

The incredibly overrated Bay Area is one of the biggest disappointments I’ve ever experienced. I refer to it as The Gentrification-On-Steroids Area.

Rights on paper alone make for great public relations, but they are utterly useless.

So, to go back to the beginning of this journey: I escaped from a nursing home in the middle of the night back in September of 2012, with nothing but two boxes of medical supplies and some clothes, and made my way to New York City (with the help of a couple of very kind friends), nearly died from a bone infection while in New York, moved to the Bay Area (where I recently spent 5 days in the ICU with a relentless respiratory infection), and here I am, in what was supposed to be the Promised Land for The Disabled, feeling shattered with hopelessness. Needless to say, this is not what I had envisioned…

Wait lists for affordable housing and personalized attendant care are so long I have become convinced that I will likely die waiting for these basic necessities.

So, I thought, why not renew my efforts to reach out and educate my fellow Americans, especially those naive enough to call this “the greatest country in the world”, about the plight of the disabled community? It never ceases to amaze me how little people know about what we have to go through simply for what most people take for granted. Unless you yourself are disabled or have disabled relatives or close friends, you probably have no idea about the incredibly challenging, sometimes downright hellish, conditions we are made to endure.

I can almost hear a conservative and/or libertarian minded person reading this and thinking “what an entitled little thing that Shannon is! What makes her believe that we should provide for her needs?” And my reply to that person would be “I did NOT choose to become disabled. I was working full-time, having landed my dream job after putting myself through dental school by waitressing. I was contributing to the system and living a very active life; until the day I dove into a swimming pool and broke my neck. As a civilized nation, we should take care of those who cannot take care of themselves: namely children, the elderly and the disabled. As a taxpayer, I never complained about my tax dollars going to schools even though I had no children. It’s what civilized societies do.”

And while that’s a long answer, I might have to add “do you have any idea how much this country spends on what it calls defense (military) spending, a huge chunk of which is absolutely wasteful and unnecessary? If a SLIVER–a tiny sliver–of those resources were allocated to taking care of those in need we would have a much more fair and just society. We might actually be able to earn the right to call ourselves ‘the greatest nation on the planet’.”

But what do I know? I only speak from, you know, personal experience.

Don’t Call Us “Freeloaders”.

My name is Shannon Nelson. I am an auntie, a friend, a sister, a former dental assistant, a student of life, and I also happen to be a quadriplegic.

I decided to create this blog to do my part in educating my fellow Americans on the plight of disabled individuals in this country.
I am neither a “radical” nor a “freeloader”. I am simply a human being who after breaking her neck in a swimming pool accident, became paralyzed from the chest down. While I enjoy engaging in political and philosophical debates, I choose not to get caught up in useless finger-pointing.

Before breaking my neck and becoming a quadriplegic, I was working as a dental assistant. I had health insurance which I paid for with my dedicated work. I did everything I was supposed to do: I put myself through dental school, got a full-time job, paid taxes and contributed to the system. Then everything changed on June 4, 1995, which is the day I broke my neck.

Over the years, I’ve struggled not only with the limitations of being in a wheelchair, but also with the consequences of the limited resources allocated for the care of the disabled in our country. I am completely paralyzed from the chest down and need assistance on a 24/7 basis, but up until last year (while living in Maine) I only received an average of 12 hours of paid assistance a day. I had to rely on family and friends to volunteer their help during the remaining time.

My caregivers were paid low wages and received little to no benefits. Thus, it was nearly impossible for me to find reliable help on a consistent basis. I wish I could find the words to describe the feelings of hopelessness I had whenever yet another of my caregivers left me for a better paying job. Like me, countless other disabled individuals face this disheartening situation on a regular basis. As a result, we often burden our families to the breaking point.

After approximately 17 years of relying on family and friends, it became very clear to me that I had become a burden to them all; and no, I don’t say this with anger or resentment. I understand. It was never their place to take care of me without any financial compensation to begin with. But at 41 years of age, I had no options left other than being sent to a nursing home, which wouldn’t be so bad if nursing homes were equipped or staffed to take proper care of severely disabled residents. One of my best friends, also a quadriplegic, died in a nursing home due to complications caused by a pressure sore. Chip was only 47.

Death itself does not scare me. I happen to believe that life never ends. However, the prospect of suffering a slow, painful death due to inadequate care, does scare me. I could go into details about countless horror stories of neglect, but I will spare you.

Needless to say, I did not choose to become paralyzed; therefore, I don’t understand why I, along with millions of other disabled Americans, are treated as second-class citizens. As far as I’m concerned, the greatness of a nation should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.

I often felt like the governor of the State where I previously lived saw disability as optional. He actually proposed budget cuts that would have left me and thousands of other disabled Mainers living on the streets. Fortunately, he was unable to carry out his atrocious plan.

Tired of a hopeless situation, last Fall I did something that I never thought I could do: took a handicap accessible cab to the train station and left everything behind for a life that didn’t necessarily offer or guarantee a more dignified existence for me in New York. And here I am, still going through the system, still feeling like a burden but in a different way. Without getting into details, the type of abuse I suffered in Maine was a product of the frustration of having to take care of me without any financial compensation; while I no longer have to endure that type of abuse here in New York, I do feel the heavy weight of an unjust system that treats its disabled as a burden, and makes a point of reminding us of our perceived “uselessness” by depriving us of opportunities.

I am currently residing at a facility for disabled adults (while I await handicap accessible housing), and the general feeling in this place is one of hopelessness. I refuse to let despair get the best of me. I will continue to fight like hell even if I have to die in the process (I am currently facing some serious health challenges.)

Does it make any sense that corporations that make billions of dollars in profit are given obscenely large tax breaks while disabled citizens like myself suffer a nightmarish existence due to the limited resources allocated to our care? That is, in my opinion, morally unacceptable in a civilized society.

No, I am NOT an anti-capitalist or a “radical leftist”. I believe in responsible capitalism. But I ask you to consider this: The average CEO in the United States makes between 300 to 400 times what the average worker makes. In addition to their regular salary, they also receive millions of dollars in bonuses. Millions on top of millions. Corporations that make billions of dollars in profit receive taxpayer money in the form of subsidies and tax breaks. Yes, taxpayer money, your hard-earned dollars, going into the bank accounts of the obscenely wealthy! On the other hand, 1 in 5 children live in poverty, and most disabled Americans do not receive a sufficient amount of care to live a dignified life. Need I say more? Is this acceptable to you? If you believe so, that’s fine. Needless to say, you are entitled to your opinion; but while you let our most vulnerable citizens bear the brunt of an unjust system, please do not call this “the greatest country in the world”.

I have a healthy level of love, appreciation and respect for my country. And precisely because I love it, I want it to be better. I would like the United States to be seen as a nation in which the less fortunate of society are treated with the dignity and respect that all people deserve. We need to practice what we preach.


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*I'm on trial!*

Located in Melbourne, VIC (assisted rehoming)

1 ½ year old Alaskan Malamute Male

Hi I'm Mayhem. Thanks for checking me out.
My owners are moving and they can't take me with them so I need a new family and place to call home.

I am super friendly and outgoing - some say I'm still a puppy. I live with a girl (desexed female Rottweiler) who is my best pal, and on occasion I get to play with this little fuzzy dude (maltese x) when he comes to visit for play dates every week.

I am good looking - well that's what they tell me, super healthy and really intelligent.

I love hanging out and being part of the family, I'm toilet trained which I've been told is a bonus too.

I love to run around, but you'll also see me running around in circles chasing my own tail! I'm a bit of a goof that way - they even nicknamed me Tails because of this.

I am used to being pampered by a groomer - hey how'd you think I keep looking this good! - but I love getting wet and swimming in my shell pool.

My favourite toy is my starmark treat dispensing chew ball. I'm really clever and have learnt how to get the food out as I carry it and bounce it around.

I am crate trained and love sleeping in my crate overnight inside. I have great manners, I even sit in my crate and wait while you feed me until you say it's ok to eat.

I’ve not had much exposure to young kids, so primary school aged or older would be better.
I do see some cats around every now and then. I kinda wanna play but I’m not really sure? If you’re a dog savvy cat we might just get along.
I’ll need secure, high fencing to keep me safe and sound in my new home.

I am really going to miss my old family, but I'm really excited to meet you, snuggle up to you and love you with all my heart. Mayhem aka Tails xox

Mayhem is desexed, vaccinated, microchipped, flea and worm treated.

Adoption Process

Please fill out our online adoption application or email us at


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Guacamelee! 2 (PS4) - four-way melee

Guacamelee! 2 (PS4) – four-way melee

The only Mexican-themed Metroidvania gets a sequel featuring four-player co-op and lots of wrestling.

Shenmue I & II - Sega's classics return at lastGame review: Shenmue I & II remastered are still all-time classics

As many people have already pointed out, the last month or so has seen a bewildering number of new Metroidvania games being released. Its always been a favourite genre of indie developers, but just recently weve had Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Deaths Gambit, numerous Switch ports, and Castlevania in Super Smash Bros. And now theres Guacamelee 2, a follow-up to one of the best-received Metroidvanias of recent years and, unfortunately, a rather poorly timed sequel.

The Metroidvania genre is always a strange one to discuss because its almost completely ignored by traditional publishers. The name is a portmanteau of Metroid, which hasnt seen a new mainline entry for eight years (although there was remake Samus Returns last year) and Castlevania, which has now gone four years without a new game (despite a well-received Netflix series and the aforementioned Smash Bros. cameo).

In other words, the only people not making Metroidvanias are the companies that invented the concept. Which is more unfortunate than it may seem, because it means indie developers are constantly tempted to create games that not only play like the genre progenitors but look like them too. But thankfully Guacamelee is different and it doesnt restrict itself to either dingy castles or goopy sci-fi corridors. Instead, it features an awful lot of chickens.

As you might gather from the screenshots the most obvious defining feature of Guacamelee is that its based on Mexican culture and folklore, as you once again take on the role of legendary luchador Juan Aguacate. None of the sprawling story that results, with its multiple parallel dimensions and alternate timelines, is taken at all seriously although, as with the first game, we never really found it all that funny either. But to be fair, we do get the distinct impression it wouldve worked better if it had spoken dialogue rather than just text.

Metroid and Castlevania II (the first game was just a straight action platformer) were both released in the same year and both came up with a similar concept of non-linear 2D action where you explore a large open-ended map and use recovered items and equipment to reach previously inaccessible areas. In this sense Guacamelee 2 is a fairly traditional example of the genre, with its main deviation being a more Zelda-like structure where you have both an overworld area to explore and a series of dungeons with a boss at the end of them.

As you might expect from Juans luchador status (and the games name) theres also much more emphasis on melee combat. As such youll frequently find your progress halted as youre locked into a single screen and have to defeat every enemy that is thrown at you before you can move on. Theres an impress variety of opponents – much more than the first game – that range from rolling armadillos to giant earthquake-causing skeletons, and although Juans range of moves is relatively limited many enemies require quite specific tactics to take down.

Monsters will often be surrounded by a coloured shield, indicating that they have to be attacked with a particular move – such as an uppercut or thrust punch. The dimension shift gimmick from the first game also returns, which means enemies only appear as ghostly shadows if youre not in the right dimension to damage them. The combat is actually relatively easily, especially once youve unlocked some of the more powerful moves, but keeping on top of each enemy and navigating the platform perils of the screen youre on can get very tricky.

Guacamelee! 2 (PS4) - not your typical Metroidvania

Guacamelee! 2 (PS4) – not your typical Metroidvania

The first half of the game is fairly easy overall but the second half, or anywhere off the beaten path, becomes very difficult. At times theres hints of both bullet hell and hardcore platformers like Super Meat Boy as you combine pixel perfect timing with trying to remember to switch dimensions, perform an eagle jump at just the right angle, and then wall jump all in the same split second and while fighting a bad guy.

It can feel an awful lot like the video game equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your stomach but like any firm but fair game it feels great when you manage to pull it all off.

More: Gaming

By now we should have started talking about all the bold new innovations for the sequel, but were afraid that list is rather short. Theres new drop-in/drop-out four-player co-op but this really doesnt seem the sort of game to benefit from such an option. Weve had a great deal of difficulty finding enough partners of equal competence and to be honest everyone whos played the game has quickly decided theyd rather do so on their own.

The upgrade system is also new and works via a list of Achievement-like requirements to unlock new wrestling moves, abilities, and what comes very close to being actual cheats. You can also still transform into a chicken (the games equivalent of Metroids morph ball), which now has a much greater repartee of moves and its own special mini-dungeons.

Guacamelee 2 is just as enjoyable as its predecessor but its hard to pretend its any great leap forward. Theres more of it, in every way, but if youve played the original youre unlikely to be surprised by much of it. But even with the intense competition at the moment this is one of the best Metroidvania games of the year and proof that a change in scenery is often all thats needed to make an old idea seem new again.

Guacamelee! 2

In Short: Only a small improvement on the first game but this is still one of the most original Metroidvanias around, in terms of both its setting and its gameplay.

Pros: Lots of unusual wrinkles to the usual Metroidvania formula, with excellent combat and open world structure. Welcome new upgrade system, great presentation, and level design.

Cons: Gameplay is not very different from its predecessor and the co-op seems ill-suited to the style of gameplay. Dungeons can go on a bit too long.

Score: 8/10

Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed) and PC
Price: £15.99
Publisher: DrinkBox Studios
Developer: DrinkBox Studios
Release Date: 21st August 2018
Age Rating: 12

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