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WordPress Optimization Bible

Update: Automate and simplify many things outlined in this article for free using ManageWP.

This WordPress optimization tutorial is the most comprehensive guide to WordPress optimization created with the intention of helping you troubleshoot performance related issues and provide you with guidelines on how to speed up your WordPress site..

If you ever experienced slow WordPress admin panel, "MySQL server has gone away" message, pages taking forever to load or you want to prepare your site for a major increase in traffic (for example Digg front page) this is the guide for you.

1. Check the Site stats

Most commonly the problem with slow loading sites is just the sheer size of the page. A typical webpage today will be loaded with images, flash, videos and javascripts all which take a significant portion of bandwidth.

If you want to start dealing with this issue seriously you need to get Firefox browser, Firebug extension and Yslow plugin.

Yslow module will allow you to get a performance score from 0-100.  Getting your site to 80+ score should be your aim.

Try to keep your page size under 100KB. Try to keep it under 50kb if possible. If you have a lot of multimedia content then by all means learn to use YSlow.

Learn about ways to improve the page loading speed.

Another useful Firefox extension worth checking out is Google's Page Speed.

2. Check your (Vista) System

In rare occasions when you are loading your and other sites slowly, it can be your Vista system that is causing the slowdown.

If you are running Vista check this article for a diagnosis and a possible solution.

3. Check the Plugins

Plugins are usually the prime suspect for slowdowns. With so many WordPress plugins around, chance is you might have installed a plugin which does not use the resources in an optimum way.

For example such plugins that caused slowdowns in the past have been Popularity contest, aLinks or @Feed.

To check plugins, deactivate all of them and check the critical areas of the site again. If everything runs OK, re-enable the plugins one by one until you find the problematic plugin.

After finding the cause you can either write a message to the plugin author and hope they fix it or search for an alternative.

4. Check your Theme

If it's not the plugins, and you are troubleshooting slowdown of the site, you should check it with a different theme.

Themes can include code with plugin capabilities inside the theme's function.php file so everything what applies to plugins can apply to the theme.

Also, themes may use excessive JavaScript or image files, causing slow loading of the page because of huge amount of data to transfer and/or number of http requests used.

WordPress comes installed with a default theme and it's best used to test the site if your theme is the suspect for poor performance.

If you discover your theme is causing the slowdowns, you can use the excellent Firebug tool for Firefox browser to debug the problem. Learn more about Firebug, your new best friend.

You can also use this site get general information about the site very fast.

5. Optimize Database Tables

Database tables should be periodically optimized (and repaired if necessary) for optimum performance.

I recommend using WP-DBManager plugin which provides this functionality as well as database backup, all crucial for any blog installation.

WP-DBManager allows you to schedule and forget, and it will take care of all the work automatically.

Other alternative is manually optimizing and repairing your table through a tool like phpmyadmin.

6. Turn off Post Revisions

With WordPress 2.6, post version tracking mechanism was introduced. For example, every time you "Save" a post, a revision is written to the database. If you do not need this feature you can easily turn it off by adding one line to your wp-config.php file, found in the installation directory of your WordPress site:

define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', false);

If you have run a blog with revisions turned on for a while, chance is you will have a lot of revision posts in your database. if you wish to remove them for good, simply run this query (for example using the mentioned WP-DBManager) plugin.

DELETE FROM wp_posts WHERE post_type = "revision";

This will remove all "revision" posts from your database, making it smaller in the process.

NOTE: Do this with care. If you are not sure what you are doing, make sure to at least create a backup of the database first or even better, ask a professional to help you.

7. Implement Caching

Caching is a method of retrieving data from a ready storage (cache) instead of using resources to generate it every time the same information is needed. Using cache is much faster way to retrieve information and is generally recommended practice for most modern applications.

The easiest way to implement caching (and usually the only way if your blog is on shared hosting) is to use a caching plugin.

The most commonly used is WP Super Cache.

A new kid on the block, W3 Total Cache is more powerful alternative, maturing with every day.

8. MySQL Optimization

MySQL can save the results of a query in it's own cache. To enable it edit the MySQL configuration file (usually /etc/my.cnf) and add these lines:

query_cache_type = 1
query_cache_limit = 1M
query_cache_size = 16M

This will create a 16 MB query cache after you restart the MySQL server (the amount depends on the amount of available RAM, I use around 250MB on 4GB machine).

To check if it is properly running, run this query:

Example result:

Qcache_free_blocks 718
Qcache_free_memory 13004008
Qcache_hits 780759
Qcache_inserts 56292
Qcache_lowmem_prunes 0
Qcache_not_cached 3711
Qcache_queries_in_cache 1715
Qcache_total_blocks 4344

Further MySQL Optimization:

There a lot of options you can play with so here is my MySQL config file instead, tuned in for 4GB, quad-core dedicated machine. This will most probably not work for your machine out of box, use it just as a general guideline.

bulk_insert_buffer_size = 8M
max_heap_table_size = 32M
query_cache_limit = 4M
query_cache_size = 250M
query_cache_type = 1
query_prealloc_size = 65K
query_alloc_block_size = 128K
tmp_table_size = 32M

# for slow queries, comment when not used

nice = -5
open_files_limit = 8192

max_allowed_packet = 16M

key_buffer = 64M
sort_buffer = 64M
read_buffer = 16M
write_buffer = 16M

Tip #2:
Here is a further read regarding MySQL optimization and another one here.

Extremely useful mysqlrepot tool will help you tweak that mysql like nothing. Mysql tuner is one of the best and quickest tools out there to tell you how can you fix up your database. MySQL Tuning primer and MySQL Activity Report are another two scripts to try out.

Maatkit is an extremely useful toolkit for managing MySQL.

MySQL slow query log is valuable for getting info about most problematic queries. To activate it you can edit your my.cnf

This will create a log of slow queries and those not using indexes. Now you need to be able to identify the slow ones for which you can use external slow log filter and parsing tools. Using 'EXPLAIN' is an effective way to understand and optimize complex queries.

You can also install mytop, a 'top' command clone that works with MySQL.

9. PHP Opcode Cache

PHP is interpreted language, meaning that every time PHP code is started, it is compiled into the so called op-codes, which are then run by the system. This compilation process can be cached by installing an opcode cache such as eAccelerator. There are other caching solutions out there as well.

To install eAccelerator, unpack the archive and go to the eAccelerator folder. Then type:

make install

This will install eAccelerrator.

Next create temp folder for storage:

mkdir /var/cache/eaccelerator

chmod 0777 /var/cache/eaccelerator

Finally to enable it, add these lines to the end of your php.ini file (usually /etc/php.ini or /usr/lib/php.ini):

The changes will be noticeable at once, as PHP does not need to be 'restarted'.

Note #1: WP Super Cache and eAccelerator work fine together showing further increase in performance.

Note #2: If you like even more possibility for performance, check the WP Super Cache and eAccelerator plugin.

Note #3: Unfortunately eAccelerator won't work if PHP is run as CGI. You can try using fastcgi which will work with suExec and eAccelerator.

Note #4:W3 Total Cache mentioned earlier already utilities both memcached and APC making it amazingly fast.

10. Web Server optimization

Apache optimization is something books have been written on so I will first forward you to this article here. Indepth apache compilation tips here, performance tuning here, VPS tips here and keep alive tips here.

You can easily test changes in your configuration by running a test from your command prompt

ab -t30 -c5 http://www.mysite.com/

and comparing results. I get around 200 req/s on VPS server.

For more flexible testing you can use Autobench which works in conjunction with httperf, another benchmarking tool.

Use a fast web server like nginx to serve static content (ie. images) while passing dynamic requests is another popular technique you can use to improve performance.

Note #1: More cool resources. Optimizing Page load time and a great series on website performance.

Note #2: You can find even more tips&tricks on Elliot Back's site

11. "MySQL server has gone away" workaround

This WordPress database error appears on certain configurations and it manifests in very slow and no response, usually on your admin pages.

Workaround for this MySQL problem has been best addressed in this article.

This problem evidently exists, but the suggested fix is valid only until you upgrade your WordPress. Hopefully it will be further researched and added into the WordPress core in the future.

Note #1: Sometimes increasing MySQL wait_timeout to 1000 will help with this issue.

12. Fixing posting not possible problem

If you experience WordPress admin panel crawling to a halt, with inability to post or update certain posts, you are probably hitting the mod_security wall.

ModSecurity is Apache module for increasing web site security by preventing system intrusions. However, sometimes it may decide that your perfectly normal WordPress MySQL query is trying to do something suspicious and black list it, which manifests in very slow or no response of the site.

To test if this is the case, check your Apache error log, for example:

tail -f /usr/local/apache/logs/error_log

and look for something like this:

ModSecurity: Access denied with code 500 (phase 2) ... [id "300013"] [rev "1"] [msg "Generic SQL injection protection"] [severity "CRITICAL"] [hostname  www.prelovac.com"] [uri "/vladimir/wp-admin/page.php"

It tells you the access for this page was denied because of a security rule with id 300013. Fixing this includes white-listing this rule for the page in question.

To do that, edit apache config file (for example /usr/local/apache/conf/modsec2/exclude.conf) and add these lines:

SecRuleRemoveById 300013

This will white list the page for the given security rule and your site will continue to work normally.

13. RSS Pings and Pingbacks

Reasons for slow WordPress posting may include rss ping and pingback timeouts.

By default WordPress will try to ping servers listed in your ping list (found in Settings->Writing panel) and one of them may timeout slowing the entire process.

Second reason are post pingbacks, mechanism in which WordPress notifies the sites you linked to in your article. You can disable pingbacks in Settings->Discussion by un-checking option "Attempt to notify any blogs linked to from the article (slows down posting)".

Try clearing ping list and disabling pingbacks to see if that helps speed up your posting time.

Following are the general Rules for optimizing page loading time

14. Use subdomains to share the load

Most browsers are set to load 2-4 files from a domain in parallel. If you move some files to a different domain (subdomain will work) the browser will start downloading 2-4 more files in parallel.

It is good idea to move your theme image files to a subdomain you create. I have created demo.prelovac.com/images and moved my theme images there. I have then changed the theme style.css to reflect the full url to the new image files. Job done!

15. Minimize the number of HTTP requests

You can lower the number of HTTP requests by using fewer images (or placing all images in one large image and position them with CSS), fewer javascripts, fewer css files (usually meaning fewer plugins).

Good effort has been made by PHP speedy plugin which will merge all your JavaScript and all CSS files in one big file which really helps in lowering the HTTP request numbers. The biggest drawback of PHP Speedy is that it's not 100% compatible with all plugins.

Also use the CSS Sprite generator to move all your images into one image and then use CSS background-position to display them. This will cut your number of HTTP requests significantly.

16. Compress the content using apache .htaccess

If you have our own server you can chose to gzip all content sent to browsers. This will lower the loading time significantly as most html pages compress very well.

Add this code to your .htaccess

AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/plain text/xml text/css application/javascript application/x-javascript application/x-httpd-php application/rss+xml application/atom_xml text/javascript

17. Create expires headers

Expire headers tell the browser how long it should keep the content in cache. Most of the images on your site never change and it is good idea to keep them cached locally.

Add this to your .htaccess (make sure mod_expires is loaded in your apache if you have problems)

ExpiresActive on
ExpiresDefault "access plus 30 days"
Header unset ETag
FileETag None

Here is an alternative setting:

Header unset Pragma
FileETag None
Header unset ETag

# 1 YEAR

Header set Cache-Control "public"
Header set Expires "Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:00:00 GMT"
Header unset Last-Modified

Header set Cache-Control "max-age=7200, must-revalidate"

Header set Cache-Control "public"
Header set Expires "Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:00:00 GMT"
Header unset Last-Modified

Use cacheability engine to check your cache configuration.

18. Cache Gravatars

Many blogs use Gravatars, the little images next to your comments. However gravatars have two big flaws in regards to site optimization:

  • Every gravatar image is a new HTTP requests even if same image is loaded (page with 100 comments would have 100 additional HTTP requests)
  • Gravatar images do not contain expire headers

What we can do is create a local gravatar cache, where images would be cached and served from our site. Ideally you would place the gravatar cache on a separate subdomain (see first heading).

I use a plugin from Zenpax.com which allows all gravatars to be cached locally.

19. Optimize the images with smush.it

It is often overlooked that your images can be optimized (made smaller) which can significantly reduce loading times.

Wouldn't it be perfect if you could open a site, press a button in your browser and get all images on the site optimized and made available in a single zip file. That is possible thanks to smush.it and their Firefox plugin. It is amazing how effective this is!

20. CSS on top, JavaScript on bottom

It is golden practice to put CSS files on top of the page so they are loaded first. JavaScript files should be placed on the bottom of the page (when possible). I have created a simple plugin which will move the properly registered JavaScript files to the bottom of your pages. The plugin is called Footer javaScript.

Modern webservers and websites have grown to depend on many different factors.

This article covered various approaches to optimization from system level apache, PHP and MySQL changes to settings within your WordPress.

I hope following this guide will help you create a fast and responsive WordPress based site.

  1. Dec 31st, 2016 4:15 PM

    Hey there,
    Great article
    Thank you :-)
    short comment but yes!! everything included in two words and smile
    Keep rocking

  2. Dec 9th, 2016 2:48 PM

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  3. Dec 9th, 2016 2:44 PM

    thank admin, it is really very informative. thanks for sharing.

  4. Nov 19th, 2016 6:49 PM

    Thanks dude, it will be proven helpful for beginners.

  5. Nov 19th, 2016 6:48 PM

    thanks admin to share such a nice information about optimizing WP powered websites and blogs.

  6. Nov 10th, 2016 3:47 PM

    They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad that I'm going to miss mine by just a few days.

  7. Oct 25th, 2016 8:19 PM

    Thanks man.. nice article which is very useful for me

  8. Oct 12th, 2016 8:08 PM

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“The Indigo Sun” by Rupa Bhullar

I found “Indigo Sun” by Rupa Bhullar to be, like the curate’s egg in the famous phrase,  “good in parts.” It captured effectively the smells and sounds of Rajasthan and gave you an in-depth account of life there, but the story was slow off the blocks. Also, I could not reconcile myself as a reader to what I felt were some glaring anomalies. The character of Maya was well sketched and totally believable. But that little fellow Ananda, the son of a watchman in a hotel! How on earth did he get so much wisdom from being an uneducated boy. I could not believe that someone like him could hold forth on so many subjects under the sun. I found those parts quite boring.  Continue reading ““The Indigo Sun” by Rupa Bhullar”

Jaipur Literature Festival

Everyone but everyone is speaking of JLF or to the uniatiated  the Jaipur Literature Festival. There are innumerable tweets about it. There are shows on national TV channels and the newspapers have reserved lots of space to report the highlights of this interesting literary feast. It is fast becoming South Asia’s leading literary event. It draws many associated with literature: writers, poets, lyricists, publishers and readers too of course from all parts of the world. Continue reading “Jaipur Literature Festival”

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I’m at Bloglovin’ Now…

My dear readers,

I know this may not be something new to you, but after reading a post by Not Your Average Crochet, I’m inspired to connect with Bloglovin‘ too. I’ve seen many blogs that are doing this and for some time I was thinking how can I do that too. So Hannah Over at Not your average Crochet had inspired me to do this.

So now, yes, you can also follow me on Bloglovin’ by pressing the button at the side. For WordPress users, I’m writing down the step by step way on how to be on Bloglovin’ too.
Step 1: If you are interested in being on Bloglovin’, sign up at Bloglovin’ to have a free account.

Step 2: Return to your WordPress dashboard, Under “Appearance” Click Widget.

Step 3: At Widget, Insert “Text”, you can choose any URL buttons you like and viloa, your readers can follow you on Bloglovin’ too.
These are some sample follow buttons at Bloglovin’ that you can have on your Blog.
Follow on Bloglovin
Follow on Bloglovin

Have fun… photo Winky.gif

2 thoughts on “I’m at Bloglovin’ Now…

Comments are closed.


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Busy Stitching up…

Hello lovely friends and readers… Happy Wednesday.. wow.. mid-week already.. what are you up to lately?

For Friends in the Southern Hemisphere… Seems like winter has come in full swing for you and wow.. can’t believe the skiing season has opened over at Mt. Hutt, New Zealand.. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee… Now you know where to go if you’ve been missing Snow 😀 (LOL, especially for someone like me who has lived on the equator for most of my life…. I’ve always been very fascinated with Snow.. 🙂

Courtesy Photo from Mt. Hutt

I’ve been busy stitching up some Snowman ornaments 😀
I’m happy to share the inspiration and links with you.

Jingle bell snowman

“Fa La La” From Plum Pudding Needle Art

Firstly is this Design from Plum Pudding. You may find the pattern here. What I’ve done different is added the bells to the bottom. What do you think about it?

Next, I’ve also stitched up Barbara Ann “Let it Snow” design and added a snowflake charm on it. 😀 Really loving this design.
You may find the free design here.

photo 1

Barbara Ann~”Let It Snow” design

 Happy Winder days to my friends in the South. ~ Enjoy!
(I’m Linking this up for Small SAL over at Stitching Lotus)

For more information on Embroidery classes, please click here.

19 thoughts on “Busy Stitching up…

  1. And over here I’m busy melting because I’m wearing hand-knit socks and long sleeves, when it’s ridiculously sunny out! Excellent idea to add the bells to that cross stitch 🙂

    • Oh dear.. I guess summer must have already arrived for u in the northern hemisphere.. While the south is enjoying some coolness now.. For you I guess is Time to switch to shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops 🙂

  2. It’s kind of fun to see Christmas ornaments in June–and they really are cute! On the other hand, seeing snow? I’m not ready for that yet!

    • Hee hee..thanks for your comment and I guess if I’ve been staying in a tropical island like myself all the time.. It will be great to see snow.. On the other hand I heard northern hemisphere had quite bad winter last year and hopefully summer will be great for u.. 😀

  3. it won’t be long and we will start prep for winter crafts…. but for now stitching in a lounger in the garden – what a treat ….. 🙂

    • heehee.. i know is like what 6 more months away.. the days are passing too fast.. I’m dying of heat here.. and I’m dreaming of somewhere cooling.. 😀
      I wish you a happy and successful week ahead. 😉

  4. Beautiful ornaments! I love the bells. I am happy that summer is here for us in the states. This last winter was a doozy for everyone. I am taking each day one day at a time and enjoying the summer days.

    • Thanks… I’m glad u are having fun with summer.. I’m just dying of the heat here in Singapore and thinking of somewhere cold.. 😀

  5. I’m enjoying our short period of heat here in the UK so thinking of snow seems so strange! Although Christmas will sneak up before I know it so I should make a start soon!

Comments are closed.


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House values rising faster than unit values- Cameron Kusher

Up until recently unit values were showing a stronger value performance compared with detached housing. Over recent months, with the gap between house prices and unit prices moving closer together, we have started to once again see detached housing outperform the unit market.

Over the 12 months to October 2013, the rate of value growth across the combined capital cities has been stronger for houses (8.2%) than it has been for units (5.9%). The commonly held view is that house values appreciate at a more rapid pace than unit values due to the underlying land value however; this has not necessarily been the case throughout most of the past five years.

Over the five years to November 2013, capital city house values have increased at an average annual rate of 3.7% compared to growth of 4.0% per annum across the unit market. If we look at the two previous five year periods we see that growth in house values outstripped unit values.

Between October 1998 and October 2003, house values rose by 15.0% pa compared to unit value growth of 11.1% pa. Between October 2003 and October 2008 house values increased at an average annual rate of 4.9% compared to 3.6% pa for units.

The stronger growth in house values over the preceding two five year periods highlights a time when houses were typically favoured over units however, this trend may have started to change over recent years.

house data 1

As mentioned, value growth for houses has recently started to outpace that for units. What we are probably seeing currently is that the extremely low mortgage rate environment is resulting in a preparedness from buyers to stretch themselves a little further in order to purchase a detached house rather than a unit.

It will be interesting to see if the higher level of growth reverts to units over the coming year in Sydney and Melbourne as selling prices rise and affordability becomes more challenging for detached housing. Moreover, once interest rates begin to eventually rise we may also see the dynamics shift.

One of the main reasons why value growth has been more closely aligned between houses and units over the past five years comes down to affordability factors. As the second chart shows, the median selling price of a unit has consistently been between 10% and 15% lower than that of a house since early 2006.

Although that may not sound significant, the current difference is 14.8% which equates to $80,000 across the combined capital cities which is much more than a year’s average wage. A couple of other changes began to take place from early 2006.

It was at around this time that household savings levels began to rebound from record low levels. Also at this time we saw household debt and housing debt levels peak, although debt levels have not reduced significantly it may have contributed to rising demand for units as opposed to houses due to their relative affordability.

house data 2

If we also look at dwelling approvals data we see that in recent years there has been a sharp escalation in the proportion of approvals for higher density product as opposed to houses. This is a trend which I would expect to continue, largely due to the lower prices of units and increasing demand for people to live in inner city areas and those located close to pre-existing transport infrastructure.

Over the 12 months to September 2013, 42.4% of all dwelling approvals were for units as opposed to houses. Although houses still account for the majority of dwelling approvals, the proportion of unit approvals has increased from: 38.9% a year ago, 33.2% five years ago, 34.2% 10 years ago and 29.6% 20 years ago.

It is also important to keep in mind that these figures are national; the proportion of unit approvals is generally higher in capital cities.

house data 3

If you look at the dwelling approvals data over the past 12 months across the capital cities, you can see that higher density living in our major capital cities will be a central feature into the future.

More than 50% of all approvals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin and Canberra were for units as opposed to houses over the 12 months to September 2013.

house data 4

Although many home purchasers probably still aspire to own a house as opposed to a unit, in reality it is becoming much more difficult to obtain, particularly in our major capital cities.

Affordable houses tend to be a long way from the city which is less desirable to many purchasers, as a result we are seeing a rising prevalence of higher density construction in our major capital cities, particularly within inner city areas.

These units not only tend to be significantly more affordable than houses within the same areas but from an investors perspective they tend to offer stronger rental demand and a higher subsequent rental return. These factors may lead to stronger demand from both investors and tenants and subsequent stronger levels of value growth for units as opposed to houses over the coming years.

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Cameron Kusher is Corelogic RP Data’s senior research analyst. Cameron has a thorough understanding of the fundamentals such as demographics, trends & economics. Visit

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Why does Sydney have the most expensive housing market?

Sometimes when people try to answer this question, they point out that more expensive property prices are offset by higher wages in Sydney; and this argument is true.  Sydney wages are higher, but not to the same extent as property prices compared with other cities.  Based on data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week, the gap between Sydney and Melbourne wages is only around $5,000 (9.2%) per annum, Brisbane is fairly similar, with a wages being $5,100 (9.4%) lower per annum.  Perth wages are roughly on par with Sydney’s, showing a $490 (0.9%) difference.  The largest gap between Sydney wages and the other capital cities is apparent in Hobart where the difference is a more significant $10,500 (19.3%) per annum.

The data released by the ABS is unfortunately quite lagging, being current to June 2010.  To compare apples with apples, we have provided median dwelling prices from June 2010 to highlight what might be described as some inequity of dwelling prices when we compare Sydney incomes with dwelling prices.

Looking at the differences between average wages and median dwelling prices, the only capital city where the comparison of incomes and dwelling prices is roughly equitable is in Melbourne.   Melbourne dwelling prices and incomes are roughly 9% lower than Sydney’s.  A more up to date look at current dwelling prices shows that in October this year, Melbourne’s median dwelling price is now 11% lower than Sydney’s.

Looking at Australia’s third largest city, Brisbane, shows that incomes are 9% lower than Sydney’s, but dwelling prices are 15% lower.  Since June 2010 the gap between Brisbane and Sydney dwelling prices has widened to nearly 25%.

Adelaide dwelling prices are 25% lower than Sydney’s while wages are tracking 17% lower.  Based on median prices to October 2012, the gap between Sydney dwelling prices and Adelaide’s has widened to 30%.

Average wages/salary’s across Perth are only 1% lower than Sydney’s but median dwelling prices are 7.2% lower.  The October median dwelling price data now shows Perth dwellings to be 13% more affordable than Sydney’s.

The gap between Sydney and Hobart wages and prices is the largest of any city, with Hobart wages averaging 19% lower than Sydney’s, however, dwelling prices were getting close to being 40% lower than Sydney’s back in June 2010.   More recent October data shows the median dwelling price in Hobart to be 43% lower than Sydney’s.

The average wage in Darwin is only 2% lower than Sydney’s, however, median dwelling prices are 10.5% lower.  Darwin is one of the only cities were the gap between median dwelling prices has narrowed since 2010 (a reflection of the recently strong growth conditions in Darwin), with the Darwin median dwelling price recorded at 8.3% lower than Sydney’s median dwelling price in October 2012.

Finally, in Canberra, the average wage/salary is 6% higher than Sydney’s, making Canberra Australia’s highest paid capital city.   While incomes are higher than Sydney’s, dwelling prices were 13% lower than Sydney’s back in June 2010.  Based on the October median price data, Canberra dwellings are now 7.5% more affordable than Sydney’s.

The question still remains, though, why are Sydney prices so much more expensive than other capital cities.  Like any pricing related question, the answer often comes back to the relationship between demand and supply.  From a demand perspective, Sydney has the largest population of all the capital cities and the second highest level of population growth (based on raw numbers rather than percentage change).  New South Wales also attracts the largest number of overseas migrants.

From a supply perspective, the inefficiencies surrounding land release and development across New South Wales has resulted in an insufficient level of new dwelling construction, creating a housing market which is undersupplied.  The undersupply of housing tends to place some upwards pressure on prices.

Other reasons, apart from the higher incomes argument, likely come down to a handful of other factors.

  • Geographically, development and urban expansion in Sydney is curtailed by the large tracts of national park and the large number of waterways located across the Sydney metro region
  • Sydney is one of Australia’s most mature housing markets.  The long established inner city and coastal areas tend to push the overall median prices up.  In fact, the outer western and northern fringes of the Sydney metro region provide some of the most affordable capital city housing markets across the major capitals.
  • Another factor is the high cost of vacant land across Sydney, which is much higher than any other capital city.

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Reserved for the Groom's Family Vintage Style RESERVED signs - Vintage Heart Collection - Comes in 3 sizes

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Instant Bullet Chapter 16

Okay, now I’m taking a break. Turns out that the way the chapters were expanded and split in the volume (this is expanded from five pages in the original chapter 16, with the rest becoming the new chapter 17) it took literally a minute to translate and not much longer to edit, so here you go. Many thanks to the anons who donated and made it possible to get the volume, since this literally wouldn’t be possible if I were still using the magazine raws. Next up is chapter 16.5, which I’m going to go out of my way to procrastinate on so I don’t become more of a NEET than I already am. Expect it probably early next week.

3 thoughts on “Instant Bullet Chapter 16

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Pulaski Foundation’s delegation visits Washington, DC

Pulaski Foundation’s delegation visits Washington, DC

This June, the President of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation Zbigniew Pisarski, Member of the CPF Council Dr. Katarzyna Pisarska and the Coordinator of the Defense and Security Program at the CPF, Maciej Kowalski visited Washington DC, fostering trans-Atlantic relations and building lasting ties with governmental, institutional and industrial partners.

President Pisarski and Mr. Kowalski were active on the Capitol Hill, attending the Senate Foreign Relations hearing at the invitation of Senator Cory Booker (D). Mr. Pisarski and Mrs. Pisarska attended both the House and the Senate Subcommittees on Europe. They met with congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle, which emphasizes the bipartisan commitment of the United States to the security of Poland and NATO alliance.

Mr. Pisarski, Mrs. Pisarska and Mr. Kowalski convened with leaders of organizations with which Pulaski has cooperated previously or is planning to in the future. Results of these constructive meetings will be measured by new initiatives in the area of research and conferences, set to be announced in the near future.

Among others, the delegation met with:

  • Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator from Illinois, Democratic Whip
  • Cory Booker, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, Member of Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Rachel Ellehuus, Principal Director for European and NATO Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense
  • Gregory Pfelger, Director for Easter Europe, National Security Council
  • Rob Thompson, Director for NATO, National Security Council
  • Michael Carpenter, Senior Director of the Penn Biden Center, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine
  • Ian Brzeziński, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO policy (2001-05)
  • General Ken Todorov, former Deputy Director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency
  • Admiral Brigham McCown, former CEO of the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
  • Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy
  • Bridgett Wagner, Senior Vice President for Policy Promotion at The Heritage Foundation
  • Phil Karber President of the Potomac Foundation
  • Glen Howard, President of the Jamestown Foundation
  • Tom Karako, Senior Fellow, International Security Program, CSIS


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Fellow Yellows – Debenham Leisure Centre FC

Eastern Counties League, Division 1
Debenham LC FC v Haverhill Borough FC
Saturday, 12th April 2014, 3pm
Entrance £5, Programme 50p
Distance 105 miles, Attendance 42
As the delightful young lady serving replied amiably, “Ask the man in the bar; the one with a beard and a hat.” I doubt she could have understood the true value of her words.

140412 ECFL D1 Debenham LC v Haverhill Borough (59)w

I’d left home hoping The Hornets – this mid-Sussex variety – could finally put to rest the debate over shorts colour at Vicarage Road. A win would’ve seen black top the table; anything else gave red the accolade.
Arriving by car – probably the only way to reach this pretty agricultural area – I’d paid my dues, got my bearings and, headed out for a pre-match coffee. Engagingly as she served, we talked about the club and particularly the badge I seen on a jacket lapel. “Where can I get one?” I enquired.
140412 ECFL D1 Debenham LC v Haverhill Borough (61)wArriving back in the bar, “the bearded one” – with an astonishingly familiar name – recounted wonderful anecdotes of growing up in Leicester; a school friend of (our) Eddie Plumley’s son. Having opened lines of communication which I hope to one day return to, I appreciatively relieved Steve of one of his own badges and, headed out to the greet the emerging players.
On the nearside stood a colour-coded stand whilst, the other three sides were bordered by practice pitches and appropriately colour-coded fields of rape.
Arriving from the corner of the pitch, the teams both had chances to go ahead in the first minute but, soon settled down to an evenly balanced fixture. The away team were pushing for promotion; the Hornets were playing with one eye on the forth-coming First Division Knock-Out Cup Final.
140412 ECFL D1 Debenham LC v Haverhill Borough (83)wWhere the ref was looking was anyone’s guess but, it wasn’t long before he’d completely misread Ryan Weaver’s “tumble” and, awarded the visitors a free kick in a dangerous position. As complaints rang out, both on and off the pitch, I wondered how this pressure would get to the young official but thankfully, by the end of the game most were respectful of him.
140412 ECFL D1 Debenham LC v Haverhill Borough (164)wEven more fortunately, Sam Chivers saved the kick and prevented Haverhill from doubling their lead; he’d had no chance against Ross Elkins’ thunderbolt ten minutes earlier. Taking heart from their stopper, the Hornets picked up the pace and were soon level from an Adam Rickwood half-volley. This in turn drew more out of the visitors with Aaron Forshaw, Jon Carnfield and, Weaver all coming close. The real hero however was Chivers who, time and again saved brilliantly, including a very debatable, last minute Gavin Taylor penalty.
140412 ECFL D1 Debenham LC v Haverhill Borough (133)wProving they were equal to Haverhill – just after the restart – Debenham were also awarded a soft penalty which, they too failed put away. Still, with their tails up – a few minutes later – the “always better playing downhill” Hornets managed to take the lead as Rickwood got his and the yellows’ second.
It could so easily have been three as Ed Cussons struck the bar direct from a corner and, a long range effort was only just tipped over by the unnecessarily verbal Anthony Choat. Frustrated at being behind – despite Debenham being in the ascendancy – Haverhill were soon lunging in, rushing passes and, slicing shots. This would only settle down once substitutions were made.
140412 ECFL D1 Debenham LC v Haverhill Borough (181)wHaving failed to hit the target all half – thanks to some sterling play by long serving Hornet captain Rob Kemp and his team – deep into injury time, Haverhill had one last attempt. As the shot beat Chivers, Tom Fenner (6/5/14 – Sorry Tom. Paul Grainger just informed me it was Ben Green who saw red.) stuck out a hand; a red card was shown, penalty given and, Forshaw tucked it away.
At the final whistle, a handful of children moved their own game on to the main pitch as Debenham grouped to dissect the performance. About me, the equaliser seemed long forgotten; the ever-friendly locals had returned to conversations on life and the forthcoming final. Two hours early, Steve had said “Hope the game meets your expectations”. It had and much more.
Manager Paul Grainger may have admitted after “Conceding a last minute goal for the second Saturday in a row is so frustrating…” however, he clearly omitted that watching a wonderfully family-friendly, yet humble, Hornets club compete ably throughout the match, in a beautiful location – a club with a fan called Steve Sherwood, who went to school with one Gary Plumley – it doesn’t get much better than that.
shorts league
 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Initially appearing in the 2013-14 Watford FC matchday programmes, consequently these reports will have a delayed publication on here.
140412 DebenhamLC (1)

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So, on July 4th and some of the other holidays where patriotism in America soars, I pay attention to the wording and rhetoric. I tend to notice that the language tends to talk about our freedom as coming from our country and from our founding fathers’ definitions of what this country would be all about. But I do find that troubling from my understanding of the Bible and even some of the principles expressed in our founding documents.

What I get from the Bible is that our freedom is not provided by the country where we live, but rather a gift from God. Freedom cannot be given by our country, only protected or limited, preserved or forfeited by a country’s actions to exert power over individuals. In fact, there are countries, other institutions, and even individuals who seek to limit our exercise of freedom. But the Bible talks clearly about our freedom as a gift from God.

Consider the story of Adam and Eve’s fall from perfection and grace. Their relationship with God was based in the freedom He extended to them–they had the run of the garden and could choose whatever they wanted to do, even to be the very first to go against God and sin. (See Genesis 1, 2, and 3 to get the gist…) That freedom to choose God and His ways, or not, is one of the fundamental aspects of freedom in our world. Or for a step further, look at Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (NIV) The most important freedom is certainly the freedom Jesus won on the cross and in rising from the dead–a freedom I abuse and treat as cheap far too regularly. John 8:32 tells us “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NIV) We are set free when we embrace the truth that Jesus’ death on the cross has fully paid for our sins and His resurrection from the dead promises us the same restoration of true and rich life.

If you think about all of the freedoms our government offers, like religion and speech and press and assembly and the rest, they arise from a deep understanding of what the freedom God offers really means and how it can be manifested in the world. The Declaration of Independence stated that it was “self-evident” that we were “endowed by their (our) creator with certain inalienable rights…” and “That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men…” The document truly recognizes the government as an institution to protect and preserve the freedom we’ve already received from God. And when it came to the writing of the Constitution, the states and framers were very quick to recognize that all of the work they’d done to set up government was too unfettered to ensure the freedom of the population. So the very first amendment proposed, immediately upon ratification of the Constitution itself, was all about protecting our freedoms.

So, on July 4th, I’m thankful for a God who gave me freedom, for a country set up to protect my freedoms, and for all of those who’ve fought and labored to preserve those protections. And I thank God for the ways His grace and providence continue to offer me freedom in spite of who I am and what I do. Excellent and Amen!

About puyman314

I am one of the volunteer worship leaders at Hopewell United Methodist Church in Downingtown, PA, where I've attended since 1973. I was baptized, confirmed, married daughter was baptized and confirmed there...and I GET to be a worship leader there! I work hard at being a useful follower of Jesus Christ, and I try to share what I learn and my passion for worship with others. By day I'm a professional computer geek and 24/7 I'm a husband and father and son and friend.
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Horseware Amigo Fly Rider

Horseware Amigo Fly Rider

The Horseware Amigo Fly rider is made from a super lightweight and breathable skrim fabric and is ideal for hacking, exercise, or warming up at events etc in the hot summer months.

It features easy release closures, a removable shaped hood and reflective strips for safety. It is cut around the saddle, to be inserted between the bottom and top flap to ensure security when riding.

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Rainbowyoga's Blog

Not just another yoga site

The physics of balance May 26, 2011

Filed under: Asanas — rainbowyoga @ 12:11 am

The three essential elements of balance are alignment, strength, and attention. Alignment of the body with gravity is crucial; it makes balance physically possible. Strength gives us the power to create, hold, and adjust alignment. And attention continually monitors alignment so we know how to correct it from one moment to the next.

In many ways, balancing the body on one leg is much like balancing a seesaw. The same laws of physics apply: If you align the center of gravity over the base of support, you balance. If you don’t, you don’t. It’s as simple as that. Of course, since your body is quite a bit more complicated than a seesaw, balance is often not so simple to achieve.

Let’s explore Vrksasana to see how alignment with gravity works in a one-legged balance. When you stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) preparing for Vrksasana, your feet form your base of support. The center of gravity—the point you need to place exactly above the center of your base in order to balance—varies a little from person to person. But it’s generally a little below the navel, deep inside the belly; and, since humans are more or less symmetrical right to left, it’s right on the midline. If you stand in front of a mirror and imagine a plumb line that runs from the ceiling to the floor and passes through this center point, you can see that it ends right between your feet, at the center of your base of support. Your weight is evenly distributed on either side your midline. It’s pretty easy to balance here.

But the moment you lift your right foot off the floor and start to draw your right knee out to the side for Vrksasana, everything changes. Your base of support becomes narrower; now it’s just your left foot. And the weight of your leg swinging out to the right moves your center of gravity to the right, so it’s no longer on your midline. To compensate, you automatically shift your whole body to the left, working to bring your center of gravity back onto the new plumb line that runs through your new base of support.

To do this, you must distribute your body weight in equilibrium on either side of the plumb line. But it’s important to understand that distributing your weight in equilibrium doesn’t necessarily mean placing equal weight on each side of the line, as you do in Tadasana. To illustrate how distribution of weight works, think of two people of unequal weight trying to balance a seesaw. They can balance if the lighter one sits farther out and the heavier one sits closer to the center.

In yoga, the same principles apply: A light part of the body far away from the center of gravity can counterbalance a much heavier one that’s closer to that center. In Vrksasana, for instance, as your relatively light bent leg moves out to the right, quite a ways from your center, you counterbalance by moving heavier body parts—your hips and torso—slightly to your left. Just like two people striving to maintain balance on a seesaw, you must pair any movement you make on one side of the plumb line with an opposing movement on the other side.

Every time you use your arms to balance by holding them out to the sides like a tightrope walker, you’re intuitively taking advantage of the fact that as weight moves away from your center of gravity, it has a greater effect on your equilibrium. If you have difficulty in Vrksasana and otherone-legged balances, by all means use your arms to help stabilize yourself.

It’s obvious that moving your center of gravity horizontally affects your balance, but moving it up and down can have an equally dramatic effect on your pose. You’ve probably noticed that Vrksasana becomes a little more difficult to balance in when you bring your hands from your sides to prayer position at your heart, and even harder when you take your arms overhead. That’s because each of these movements raises your center of gravity. When the center of gravity is high, just a few degrees of tilt can move it far enough off the plumb line to upset your balance; when it is low, there’s more room for error. If you have trouble balancing in Vrksasana, try lowering your center of gravity by practicing the pose with your standing-leg knee slightly bent and the arms in a lower position. Only straighten the knee and raise the arms overhead after you have achieved success with the knee bent. Starting with the knee of the standing leg bent can also be very helpful in the other one-legged balances.

You can also enhance your equilibrium in these poses by spreading the toes and the ball of the standing foot. The broader your base, the more stable you are, and even the slightest widening of the sole of the foot is surprisingly helpful.

Although one-legged balances all have much in common, each also presents specific challenges. In Vrksasana, for instance, you are especially likely to fall toward the inner edge of your standing foot. When you’re first learning the pose, one way to counterbalance this tendency is to shift the hips a little more in the opposite direction, bringing more weight onto the outer edgeof the foot. This movement can keep you balanced long enough to build strength, endurance, and, eventually, more vertical alignment.

Another way is to use the strength of your foot and lower leg muscles to shift your center of gravity. Actively pressing down into the big-toe ball of the foot and the inner heel causes a rebound up through your body and shifts your center of gravity toward the outer edge of your foot; pressing into the outer edge of the foot shifts your center of gravity more over the inner edge. Such skillful use of your muscles is an important part of balancing. While alignment with gravity is crucial, your bones can’t put themselves into line; they need the muscles to move them into position, hold them there, and reposition them as needed. This is where strength comes into the picture.

The gluteus medius connects the outer rim of the pelvis to the upper thighbone, and it’s easy to find. (The gluteus minimus lies underneath the medius, so it’s harder to palpate.) You can feel yourleft gluteus medius by first running your left fingertips along your pelvic rim until they’re exactly at the side of your body, then sliding them down about two inches and pressing them into the flesh.

If you continue pushing on this spot as you lift your right foot, you will feel the gluteus medius harden beneath your fingertips. It will contract the instant the foot leaves the floor, and it may get even firmer as you progress into Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, especially if you do the variation with the lifted leg off to the side. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus of the standing leg must work very strongly in this variation, because lifting your other leg so far out to the side gives its weight tremendous leverage to pull that whole side of the trunk down. The gluteus medius and minimus of the lifted leg are also very active in this pose. That’s true for some of the other one-legged balances too, including Ardha Chandrasana and Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III).

The best way to strengthen these crucial muscles is—you guessed it— to practice lots and lots of one-legged standing poses! All the poses discussed in this article will help; each will work the muscles in a somewhat different way. To maximize the value of a pose for strength training, try practicing it with the support of a wall or ledge so you can hold it for a long time without losing your balance. Hold it until muscle fatigue causes you to lose proper positioning of your limbs or trunk. Then come down and practice on the other side. You’ll get even better results if you repeat this process several times.

Smaller muscles are also important in helping you balance in poses like Vrksasana and Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana. When you stand in them, you’ll probably find your foot and ankle making frequent side-to-side adjustments. The inner foot presses down (pronation), then the outer foot (supination), then the inner foot again, and so on. If you pay attention to this involuntary small dance, you’ll see that pressing down the outer edge of the foot shifts the body’s center of gravity toward the inner foot, and vice versa.

Being narrow, the foot has very poor leverage for shifting the entire mass of the body left and right. The muscles that press the inner and outer foot down must, therefore, be quite strong to move the center of gravity far enough—and fast enough—to maintain balance. The primary muscles involved are the tibialis anterior (on the outer front shin) for supination, and the peroneus longus and brevis (on the outer calf) for pronation. The supinators are strengthened by almost every standing pose, one-legged and two-legged alike. The pronators are strengthened more by one-legged standing poses, especially Vrksasana, in which they help offset the tendency to overbalance toward the inner foot.

When you stand on one foot, one leg must do the work of two. To appreciate how important strength is in balancing, let’s take a close look at the muscles used in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose).

As you stand in Tadasana in preparation for the pose, each hip is supported by the leg below it. The instant you lift one foot off the floor, the foundation of the hip on that side is pulled out from under it. Yet you usually don’t collapse toward the ground. What holds you up? Two muscles in the opposite-side buttock, the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus, do most of the work. These are the two most important muscles to strengthen to improve all of your one-legged balancing poses.

The better you get at balances, the less muscular effort you need to maintain them. This is because you become more skilled at using your bone structure to support your weight, rather than wasting muscle energy to do so. You also waver less, so you need to make fewer and smaller muscular corrections. Such finesse often depends on practicing other poses to gain adequate flexibility, which allows you to place your center of gravity in the most favorable position. It is important not to try to muscle your way through balancing poses, replacing good alignment with brute force. If you find yourself clenching the floor with your toes, white-knuckled, there’s a good chance you are using too much brawn and not enough brain.

Of course, some one-legged poses, such as Virabhadrasana III and Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon Pose), will always require a great deal of muscular action. But if you use alignment wisely in such poses, you can save your strength for where it is needed. And you discern where it is needed by honing your powers of attention.

The price of balance is constant attention. Think of all the actions you must coordinate to remain stable in a pose like Ardha Chandrasana. You must keep your center of gravity under close observation and tight control to maintain its precarious position above its narrow base of support, the standing foot. To manage this, your nervous system must stay on its toes and do some fancy footwork. It keeps repeating three steps: monitoring your position, calculating any necessary corrections, and directing these adjustments.

To monitor your position, your nervous system has to answer the questions “Which way is up?” and “Where is my body?” It has several ways to do this. Before you turn your head to look up in Ardha Chandrasana, your eyes collect data about your position from the horizon line or wall in front of you. The semicircular canals, which are balance organs in the inner ear, also help you find “up” by feeling the downward pull of gravity. And pressure sensors on the bottoms of your feet detect which way you are tilting. To indicate body position, nerve endings in your joints signal the angle of your limbs, trunk, neck, and head. Nerve endings in your muscles and tendons detect force and stretch, and others in your skin detect stretch and pressure. In addition, your eyes provide visual information about the location of various body parts. From all of this sensory input, you can tell whether your body is where you want it to be—for example, whether your lifted leg is too far forward or back for an optimal Ardha Chandrasana. You can also tell not only where you are in space but which way you are moving and how fast.

To calculate corrections, your brain adds up all of this information, compares it with an image of where it wants your body to be, and does some heavy number crunching to decide what movements to make. To direct the needed adjustments, your brain and spinal cord do additional computations and send nerve signals to dozens of muscles, telling them to contract or relax as needed. As you make these movements, your sensory systems constantly monitor the results and start the cycle of correction over again.

That’s a lot of work. No wonder it’s a challenge to balance and chew gum at the same time! Let’s look at how this complex process affects your practice.

If you’re like most people, you depend primarily on visual input to maintain your balance. Have you ever tried balancing on one foot with your eyes closed? If so, the odds are that you couldn’t stay there for long. You’re probably so good at using your eyes for balance that you don’t bother to use the other systems you have available.

Now think about what happens when you practice Ardha Chandrasana outdoors. If you direct your gaze toward the horizon, you can probably balance, but if you turn and look up at the open sky, you may quickly lose your equilibrium. Even though your eyes are open, you no longer see a fixed point of reference to tell you which way is up or which way you are moving.

Another reason it’s hard to look up in Ardha Chandrasana, even indoors, is that turning your head changes the position of the balance organs in your inner ears with respect to gravity. Nerve impulses that used to mean “up” and “down” now mean something different. Your brain needs time to reinterpret all of these messages. If it doesn’t adapt to the new conditions rapidly enough, you may fall over. One way to overcome this problem is to turn your head very slowly and incrementally, pausing to rebalance at various points along the way. Another good approach is to focus your attention on the sensations from your standing foot, ankle, and hip, allowing them to guide your balance as you turn.

Since the brain compares your actual position with an image of where you want to be, it helps to have a pretty precise internal image. And some mental pictures are, of course, more helpful than others. One very useful image is your old friend, the plumb line that runs vertically up from the center of your standing foot. If you can develop a strong internal sense of this line, it will help your nervous system calibrate movements that maintain equilibrium around the line.

In Ardha Chandrasana, it’s helpful to expand the concept of a plumb line to a plumb plane. Imagine that the plumb line lies on a flat, vertical surface, like an infinitely thin wall, that divides your standing foot in half lengthwise and runs up through your body. Concentrate on keeping your head, trunk, pelvis, and both of your legs balanced on either side of this plane. But don’t abandon the plumb line; you still need it to keep your standing leg from leaning too far back toward your heel or forward toward your toes.

At a higher level of the nervous system, your attitude toward practicing balancing poses has a tremendous effect on your success. Approach them seriously and with determination, but also with good humor, patience, and curiosity, like a child learning to stand. If you can laugh when you wobble or fall yet be ready to try the pose again in earnest, you have found true balance in your practice.

Balancing Tips

  • Do one-legged balancing poses on a firm, level surface.
  • Do them early in a practice session, when you are fresh rather than fatigued.
  • Keep your gaze gently fixed on one point.

If you still have trouble balancing:

  • Use a wall for support.
  • Bend both knees before lifting one leg.
  • Keep the knee of your standing leg bent.
  • Put extra weight on the outer edge of your standing foot.

Hold your hands out to your sides like a tightrope walker.

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Random News: Persona 4 goes Anime!

I don’t know if anyone of you already know this news. I saw in ANN, that Persona 4 RPG will going to take their debut in the anime world. The director is Seiji Keishi, which is the director of Angel Beats, Seto no Hanayome (one of my favorite comedy anime), and Carnival Phantasm (mix between Fate/Stay Night, Tsukihime, and Melty Blood (TYPE – MOON)). The one who design the character is the same one in the game and off course the voice cast will also be the same. The music is also composed by Shoji Meguro. The anime will be aired this fall, which is October. Well, I don’t know how this is going to turn up, but I think I’ll just have to wait.

Official Website: http://www.p4a.jp/staff/index.html

News Source: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=12870

10 responses to “Random News: Persona 4 goes Anime!

  1. Persona 3 was (kinda) Persona Trinity, set in the same area at the same time. But they completely destroyed the personas and the plot. so you can really tell its from P3

  2. Oh god, YES! Greatly looking forward to this anime.

    By the way, there is already a Persona 3 anime, and I honestly prefer Persona 4 to Persona 3. I’ve beaten Persona 3: FES (not The Answer, that’s WAY too hard) and I’m about 20 hours into Persona 4 and I’m loving it a whole lot more. Nothing beats the final boss music from Persona 3 though. Hated that fight against Nyx. Moonless Gown is TOO CHEAP, it makes Nyx a gimmick boss.

    Back on track, CAN’T WAIT FOR IT!

  3. No, it isnt Persona 3, but its a spin off of the game. Sure it doesn’t have the exact same characters like this P4 anime, but its still set in the same area.

  4. p4 and p3? it p5 now! dectructoid LOLz +_+
    if anime…surely hope it wont be like persona trinity soul…because what i know from watching it…i just disappointed with the whole story because is was way too dark from a normal anime =_=lll
    well…kinda looking have a high hope for a nice anime from p4 because p4 game walk-through was nice and the character in it have less flaw(which i mean is personality) and i sure it would be better than any persona anime that ever was

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Intensify Attacks in Libya – HuffingtonPost

Intensify Attacks in Libya

France’s admission last week that it has been arming the Libyan opposition was met with intense criticism. The move, logical and appropriate given the inadequacy of air attacks, should be welcomed. Yet, it is still not enough. Nato must now intensify its attacks to finally defeat Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

Four months after the international community convened to protect the Libyan population, Nato is still yet to utilise its military capacity to full effect. For example, the deployment of attack helicopters last month was supposed to have dramatically tilted the balance in the opposition’s favour and help them build on their progress at the frontline. Attacks, however, have hardly materialised.

It was precisely this dithering in the early stages of the uprising that allowed Gaddafi to regain lost territory from the protesters, consolidate his position and thus remain defiant to this day.

Now, suggestions are that Nato is unwilling to take that extra step. The Economist magazine, for example, says Nato powers hope “the rebels will not capture Tripoli after a headlong advance from the east”, apparently because of the “risks of retribution being inflicted on Gaddafi loyalists” in a rebel advance.

Instead, Nato seeks an implosion of the Gaddafi regime from within, so that the eventual result is a peaceful and negotiated settlement between the regime and the opposition, in the absence of Gaddafi and his sons.

That strategy is flawed for a number of reasons. Firstly, delaying the offensive toward Tripoli will allow Gaddafi to try and consolidate his position, thereby prolonging the conflict and increasing the death toll.

The strategy is also based on hope rather than logic. The only way an implosion of the Gaddafi regime might be provoked is to actually help the opposition embark upon Tripoli and put them in a position to liberate it. In other words, elements within the regime must have a reason to betray Gaddafi. In any case, and thirdly, retribution can and is likely to take place irrespective of whether certain state apparatus’ are kept intact, and there is little the outside world can do about it.

Finally, keeping traditional regime elements intact, in particular the inner circles of Gaddafi and his sons, may end up proving counter-productive. These groups generally tend to be an extension of their masters, rather than independent of them. If left intact, they can continue to undermine any transitional phase and essentially operate to create instability, create a stronghold for themselves in the country and perhaps try and force the return of Gaddafi and/or his sons – with the support of arms and funds from existing external backers.

In other words, a military push toward Tripoli should be promoted and not discouraged. If Nato wants to avoid instability and bloody retribution then it should instead aim to swiftly end the Gaddafi regime and focus efforts on the post-Gaddafi transitional period, with a particular emphasis on representation.

That means ensuring both opposition and regime elements – like the army, police, as well as any key tribes, groups and individuals who are yet to side with the opposition – are given a seat at the roundtable and assured that they have a stake in the new Libya.

Iraq has taught us not to place too much emphasis on Libyan exiles, or those who constitute the core elements of the eastern-based opposition; previously underestimated or unknown elements are likely to emerge from the woodwork. As the conflict drags on, strong personalities are likely to emerge, not least from within the ever-powerful military on both sides. It is during war and conflict that new and powerful leaders are often born.

The least attention has so far been given to ways in which the people of Tripoli can rise up, so that the journey toward liberation is smoother and avoids a bloody, arguably unavoidable show-down in Tripoli once the opposition gets there.

The regime has a vast network of spies and informants, lurking on the streets and cafes of the capital. There is little that can be done to shut this down. However, what can be done is give Gaddafi more than one battle to fight.

Civil unrest in Tripoli, as a result of fuel and water shortages, combined with opposition advances in areas outside of Tripoli, will be too much to bear for the regime. The aim here is essentially to target the manpower and resources Gaddafi needs to sustain his regime and survive; in other words, shut off the supply lines and make conditions so unbearable and unmanageable that Gaddafi and his inner circle either have the choice of leaving the country or succumbing to defeat as a result of the significant drain on their resources.

It is clear now that the question should no longer be how long the military campaign will go on for but, rather, how long Gaddafi and his regime can survive. The West has another two months until its current mandate for air attacks expires. But it cannot afford to wait; Gaddafi recognises the impossibility of winning this conflict military, so he hopes Nato’s resolve for carrying on will end.

In other words, Gaddafi believes he can wait it out, divide the coalition and force the international community to settle for the prized ceasefire lifeline. He should be given no such opportunity. It is the regime that has its days numbered. Once the international community accepts and capitalises on this by expanding and intensifying its attacks, then the sooner it and the Libyan people will achieve the end-game of liberation.

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Proper Knowledge Yields Freedom: A Civil Debate

QueenPearl9 said…

Dear RBG Street Scholar, your agreement with the observations of a white man who described black people are selfish, ignorant, and greedy merits serious contemplation as all of humanity is guilty of these faults. What we should all be asking is why are these very human characteristics be such an impediment to progress when it comes to Black people. Greed, ignorance, and selfishness has not served as an impediment for anyone else.
I no longer use such statements as “black on black” crime because a general observation of crime in general will reveal that there is “white on white” crime, “Latino on Latino crime”, “Asian on Asian crime” etc. Although our society is diverse, it is still very much polarized and people live and associate with members of their own group for the most part. the statistics on murder committed in the usa reveal that most people know the person who killed them.
if we are slaves because of our human characteristics of greed, selfishness, and ignorance are we saying that other groups of people are exempt from such characteristics? are we saying that they are morally stronger than us? black people are suffering from slavery of yesteryear and from “Jim crow” of yesteryear which has obviously had a traumatizing affect. It is important to always remember that slavery and Jim Crow were enforced through law and thus, our oppression was legal, something that many people forget when these topics are being addressed.
black men are only group of men who dare not run down the street for any reason because of fear of apprehension from the police whether he has a criminal record or not, whether he committed a crime or not. are black men the only men committing crime in America?
we kill ourselves everyday by internalizing that we are somehow inferior, by thinking that only we suffer from social ills. I would love to see how other groups would fare if they went through the trials and tribulations of the African American.

RBGStreetScholar said…

Hi QueenPearl9, thank you for the intelligent and passionate comment…and most of all thank you for the respectful tone you bring with your different views.

Despite the wealth of solid information presented within this page / course alone, I am nonetheless not surprised that you would not agree. But if you are a true seeker of the full page and follow some links before you take your final position on this most important topic-“THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES”.
The long answer as to why I / we hold the position that we (Afrikans in Amerikkka) are still slaves is articulated in the body of the communiversity’s content quite well I think …Ones cumulative overstanding of content once they spend some quality time with it. …For those who choice to pick one lil thing out of the larger picture and formulate an ill informed position, here’s the short version of my / our reasoning:
The idea that we are still slaves is not merely my observation, it is a well documented fact, researched , written about and struggled against by many more learned then I for the past 100 + years ( post emancipation proclamation). All one needs to do is look at the data / indices of “well being” during chattel slavery times and compare that data to our condition as a group today. All qualifiers included, the masses of our people are even worst off today then during those times:
RBG Street Scholars Think Tank “State of Black America”
Its just that your “education” does not view these things as of primary importance, RBG does.

That is much of what we do here ( look at problems & offer solutions). But people see what they want to see and read what they want to read, more frequently the not, with a total disregard for all facts. Everything I put on the more than 20 websites / 5,000 learning objects-media assets is well documented by the most respected and scholarly sources (Afrikan scholars, educators, psychologists, historians, sociologists, personologists, elders, ancestors etc…are our professors).
Fact, selfish, ignorant, and greedy are not Afrikan peoples original way.You can’t explain away how these things keep us enslaved by saying “other people manifest them also”, because every other people has a history that is quite different from ours.
In order to come up with the correct perspective you have to put what a people does in its proper historical context.
No one else has our history…
DeAfrikanized culturally ie., we lost our land, language, religion, God, folkways, mores and power of our own being.
DeHumanized in the eyes of the rest of the world as to justify the slavery, rape and murder.
Inferiortized in our own mind and spirit to hate our self.
These things took place systematically over the course of hundreds of years…And you dare say that we should be bunched in with others who have these flaws–WRONG.
Please see and read:

If you study the school closely you will find that selfish, ignorant, and greedy are the ways of a European conceptual framework, ie. white supremacy. There is no separation between the past, present and future–based on our history we can’t afford to do what others do, epically our former slavemaster.

Let’s look at an illustration:
Afrikan & Traditional Afrikan American Family Worldview / Definitional System / Conceptual Framework vs The European’s:
>we, ours, us–not I, me, mines
>cooperative–not competitive
>groupness–not oneness
>spiritual-not material
>man & women were a complimentary dualism–not man vs women
>man in harmony with nature–not man vs nature
>peace and harmony–not greed and violence…and I can go on and on.

The main take home point here QueenPearl9 is we are other than our self / controlled by anothers way–that’s a slave sista and the primary cause of 99.9% of current intergroup problems.

For example, if you look at the characteristics to the right in the above illustration you don’t know if I’m talking about the dope game on the corner or corporate America–because the dope game as it is played out in every ghetto/barrio is merely a microcosm of the corporate American ethos.

Finally, on a most fundamental level, any people who don’t provide food, clothing, shelter, energy, education, protection and recreation (to name a few) for themselves are slaves to those who provide those things to them. Just look at all that I present in this school. Ask yourself, are the things RBG Street Scholar presents important for Black people to think about ? Once you answer yes, ask yourself this, are they taught in such a comprehensive manner in K-12, college, graduate school?–hell no. Why
BECAUSE WE ARE STILL SLAVES and slaves must stay ignorant of self. In other words its still against the rules for us to educate ourselves. Its still against the rules for us to defend, define and development in our own image and interest. And the main culprits today in this self-alienation process is us; because of the brainwashing of white supremacy/racism (socio-structural, institutional and interpersonal)…I mean, it use to be against the white man’s law and rule for us to read and many were lashed and kill for trying to do so; but today you have to lash us to make us read. This is called intropression: When the opressed are subject to oppression as long as us we internalize the oppressor and thus do to ourselves what the oppressor once did..THAT IS A SLAVE.
Take the time to read the Willie Lynch Letter above with close attention. Its saying the same thing.

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Review: Iron King by Julie Kagawa

28 Jun

Series: Iron Fey, book # 1

Published: February 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen

Details: Paperback, 363 pages

My Rating: 4.5/5

My Summary:

Meghan ventures into fairy land in search for her kidnapped brother, where she faces many dangers together with her friends. I loved this action-packed book! Great world-building, very well written, wonderful characters and a touch of forbidden romance. Can’t wait to read the sequel Iron Daughter.

A few chapter in:

The Iron King is a series that has been around for while, with three books out and a forth on its way later this year. I have only heard good things about it, and so I am expecting it to be a good read. Actually, anything after reading Evernight is bound to feel great.

Oh, and this book is also next on my “what to read next” poll, hence why I’m finally picking it up now. As always, thanks to all who voted!!

I’m now a few chapters in, and I’m already in awe over the writing. Now, this is how you tell a story! And yes, I am looking at you Claudia Gray.

Okay, so with that initial praise out of the way. Here’s what I know so far:

Meghan Chase lives far outside on the country side with her mom, her step dad Luke and her little half brother Ethan. Her dad disappeared many years ago, and ever since she’s felt like a guest in her own house, as Luke never truly welcomed her in. Ethan however cares about her, and it’s adorable to watch.

As we enter the story, Ethan is scared, because there are monsters in his wardrobe. Meghan chases this off as one of his imaginary monsters, and heads off to school with her best friend Robbie.

But weird things have only begun, and strange things keep happening as her 16-year old birthday draws closer. It all culminates when Ethan is kidnapped and replaced by a strange creature known as a fairy changeling. Not only that, but her best friend Robbie reveals his true identity as a fairy.

Yep, it seems as if Meghan just stepped through the Rabbit’s hole in Alice in Wonderland. Still, she forces herself to keep it together, because she has a brother to save.

And so, that’s how, a moment later, she finds herself venturing into Fairy Land in search for her brother, accompanied by her ever protective fairy best friend Robbie. A journey that takes a dangerous turn as soon as they step through the portal.

I don’t think she’s been there more than a full 24 hours yet, and already she has been chased by hounds, a dark mysterious horse rider, goblins, a strange water horse and what not else. She’s also met a rather unusual travel companion, a talking cat!

In short, this is just getting more and more interesting. And so far, I am loving it!

After finishing the book:

I found a new world that I want to live in: Nevernever in The Iron King.

Because WOW, it’s been some time since I’ve entered a world as fascinating and complex as that of The Iron King. An I’m in awe over the ability to create such a world. I envy you Julie Kagawa!

Yep, like you’ve guessed, I just finished The Iron King. And I feel a bit like I did when I finished The Mortal Instruments Series, which is a strong desire to jump into that world again.

In many ways, these two series share some similarities. A girl who thought she was normal, discovers she’s anything but, while she plunges into a supernatural world she did not know existed, in search of a kidnapped family member. Accompanying her on the journey is her best friend and a dark brooding young man who hate each other’s guts. Both series provide non-stop action, as they are chased by one strange creature after another, jump into several portals/trods and also end up visiting an oracle.

Yet, the similarities never bothered me. On the contrary, I welcomed them. Because I loved the Iron King for the same reasons as the Mortal Instruments. For the wonderfully drawn supernatural world, the quirky characters and of course the romance.

Speaking of similarities, it also shares some similarities with Glimmerglass, with how both heroines (due to mixed parentage) can live in both worlds. All though, while I had problems understanding how that made the heroine potentially powerful in Glimmerglass, it was perfectly clear in Iron King, another proof of what a much better fairy book Iron King is if compared to Glimmerglass.

Okay, so moving on!

The plot reminded me a bit of The Neverending Story, that is, how disbelief causes the death of magical creatures. I loved The Neverending Story as a kid, and so this particular theme really struck a chord within me. I was almost hyperventilating during that last part when they trekked through Machina’s territory, and oh how I suffered with Ash.

The characters were so well-rounded, that I felt as if I was walking side by side with them throughout the book. As so many other have commented, the cat Grimalkin may have been my favorite secondary character. So cool, so cate-like, what’s not to love? All I can say is that it was a true pleasure to get to know this little creature. Oh I may have offended him now by saying “little”. Sorry Grim!

Meghan was a great main character as well, she had some spunk in her, and I loved her determination to get back her brother. The romance did not take a forefront but was still very sweet, and oh so forbidden as well. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. And the ending brought tears to my eyes, because Ethan is just the most adorable character!

There was really only one thing I didn’t quite understand, and that was why they didn’t go with Grim when he offered another safer route to Machina’s fortress? It seemed a bit strange that they would decline his offer.

But that is a small complaint to an otherwise wonderful book. Be assured that I will be continuing with the sequel Iron Daughter in a very near future, as I need to revisit this world again!

3 Responses to “Review: Iron King by Julie Kagawa”

  1. Saundra June 28, 2011 at 3:02 pm #

    LOVE the review!!!!

    • tess June 28, 2011 at 5:48 pm #

      Thank you!! 🙂

  1. Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa « After Twilight… - August 11, 2011

    […] read Iron King a while ago and remember being in awe over the world building. Julie Kagawa had created the most […]

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Posts Tagged ‘Fish & Cat’

EIFF 2014: Fish & Cat (Shahram Mokri, 2013)

June 23, 2014

The narrative, as it were, of Fish & Cat is told through what appears to be one long, continuous roving shot lasting over two hours in length, in the mode of cinematic experiment popularised by Aleksandr Sokurov’s Russian Ark in 2002. It employs a time-warp motif for the conceit, doubling back on what it has previously shown, either immediately before or sometimes much earlier in the film, to focus in on new topics. Additionally, while single-take experiments like both Silent House horror features may follow a lone protagonist venturing through a given locale, Shahram Mokri’s film crisscrosses between multiple characters across a fairly large plain, weaving its way through both the present and flashbacks while still under the guise of a sustained real time shot, even as space-time paradoxes become something of a regular feature…

Click for the full review for Sound On Sight


text:
Musings on Apollonia

I’ll be happy when I finally get to the point of bringing Reagan and Kennedey’s runaway mother Apollonia back in their lives and in the present context. I don’t know how they will react. In my head she’s somewhere lurking in the shadows. I know where, they just don’t.  That’s going to be epic and a pivotal plot point in my story. Apollonia is off the chain and I can’t wait to write for her.

4 thoughts on “Musings on Apollonia

  1. I wonder how Reagan and her family’s going to react when they see Apollonia. I’m guessing Reagan will be the most unforgiving at first. I can see her father wanting to get back together with his wife. Since he never really moved on, I assumed he was still in love with her. Anyway, great idea bringing Apollonia into the storyline.

    • Thanks for your comment. Yes, I’ve always intended Apollonia to return at some point. I’m not for sure what will happen with her marriage to Ray, yes he’s in love with her, but can he forgive her for what she did? You’re spot on about Reagan, I think she will the hardest one to win over. She is pig headed like her mother, but she has a higher moral system then Apollonia. Thx again 🙂

  2. Does that mean that she’s coming soon? I can’t wait! Ik it’ll be hard for everyone, but I think they can come around. It’ll take a long long long time, but I think it can be done lol. I actually think Reagan and her will bond the most, they seem so much a like. And I think that’s Reagan’s biggest problem is that she tries so hard not to be like her mother but she’s basically becoming her everyday. And I think when she realizes that she can work on it.

    • Thanks for your comment. It’s still going to be a little while longer before Apollonia makes her appearance as her children are grown ups, but you will see her soon. I’m not sure yet how Reagan’s relationship with her mother will be. They never really were close when Reagan grew up, but there are things Reagan has gone through that are coming up that may cause her to look at things differently. Thanks for your patience. Reagan is coming back soon, I can’t wait. I’m having Reagan withdrawals since I haven’t played with her in so long. LOL

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“Are Some Things Better Off Not Said?”

— April 27th, 2006 —

I know, I know… I haven't written here in a while. No excuses. I'm here now, so everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

Lately, I have been looking in the "man in the mirror." Not hoping to mirror the careers of MiJac and 50 Cent, but, I am trying to figure out things within my life. There has been on transitional phase within the storybook that is my existence. I am single. This is the first time (and probably the last) that I'll write about this.

It was said to me that my friends were the culprit in destroying a burgeoning relationship that was seemingly headed down the road of Bobby and Whitney. That I justified their actions, while allowing outside influences to tear us apart. I really don't know. In my heart, I apologized for my part in our story and went on to have one of the most realest conversations with my former other half. In the end, I am trying to come to the conclusion about two things.

  1. How am I going to live my life?
  2. Where do I go from here?

What I have noticed is that I do not know what my legacy is while being on this playing field. That lightweight urks me. Because I sometimes feel as if I am not respected by my peers and friends. It's as if everyone seems to take me for granted, including myself from time to time. My ex told me the other day that those same friends are the one's talking to her about me, negatively, behind my back. My thought is that if that is true and you pay it no mind, that's fine — but why allow the same phony-ness to continue to be in my area. Friend or no friend, if I know that that person is a grimey-ass person, then I will tell you and I'll ride for you in making sure that neither one of us gives that person the time of day to continue to be a negative influence.

I am in a transitional period in my life. I feel it in the air, like my name was Beanie Siegel. I look to my past and I see that I was truly happy, regardless of the outcome of my relationship. But that I understood that there were some things that I would no longer stand for. I look at the life that I am living now, as a single black man and I see that the perks a re not necessarily all that great. But the stress and the room for error is minimum.

By using relationships as a means of holding a title (boyfriend, girlfriend) allows the person no room for error. Man, woman, whomever places so much into those words that the goal and the road to get there become blurred. In the movie, "A Bronx Tale" came this quote:

"You gotta do what your heart tells you to do. Let me tell you somethin' right now. You're only allowed three great women in your lifetime. They come along like the great fighters, every ten years. Rocky Marciano. Sugar Ray Robinson. Joe Louis. Sometimes you get 'em all at once. Me? I had my three when I was 16. That happens. What are you gonna do? That's the way it goes, you know? Tell you right now. See this girl? Maybe this girl, she put wind in your sails. Maybe she's your first great one."

I still feel her coursing through my veins and I would be a fool to not believe that the same can be said on her end. One of the hardest things to do in life is to step forward on a decision. I am not the smartest, sexiest, strongest, or any other "s" word that you can inject, but I do know that a heart has a conscious.

Those three words once uttered meant everything and I spent life and limb trying to make sure that those would be the same words heard until my life is no more. My ex and I have had differences that were many. Yet, the love was still there. I do not know where I am going. The road to happiness is, indeed, a blur — with obstacles and alternate routes diverting away from the goal. Is she the one for me? My heart and mind battle on that. But my actions have been soften, along with my tone. I see my actions and the part that I played in this story as being heinous. I just don't know where I'll end up.

Through it all, the missteps, the mistakes, and the love — are some things better off not said?

4 Responses to ““Are Some Things Better Off Not Said?””

  1. G. Cornelius Says:

    Damn…Been there…And still there…I’ll keep you posted

  2. G. Cornelius Says:

    And I posted the picture this time…My bad…I’ll keep you posted

  3. Dayrell Says:

    where ya been kev?

  4. Dayrell Says:

    new spot:

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