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The Royal Chronicles

Author\’s commentary, Special Features, Outtakes, and Extras from Marilyn\’s Royal Blog

Archive for the ‘Royal Profiles’ Category

The Royal Report for Sunday August 22, 2010 – The Princess Royal at 60

Posted by Marilyn on August 22, 2010

Princess Anne, The Princess Royal celebrated her 60th birthday on August 15th. The only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, she is considered to be the hardest working royal yet her causes get little attention. On this episode I look back at her life and highlight this misunderstood royal.

Listen to the episode here

Publications mentioned

Hello! Canada August 23, 2010 No 184

Star Magazine August 23, 2010 issue – Cover story William & Kate Royal Romance in Ruins

OK! Magazine weekly August 23, 2010 – Cover Story The William & Kate Wedding Tell-All!

From My Royal Collection

Riding Through My Life HRH The Princess Royal with Ivor Herbert

Resources used for this episode

The Official Website of the British Monarchy – The Princess Royal

The Princess Royal by John Parker

Princess Anne;: A royal girl of our time by Anne Matheson and Reginald Davis

Anne: The Working Princess by Paul James

Anne and Mark – Text by Judith Campbell, Photographs by Srdja Djukanovic

Tune in live to the next episode of The Royal Report on Sunday August 29, 2010 at 9:00PM EST (North America)

The topic will be: August 31, 2010 will mark the 13th anniversary of the death  of Diana, Princess of Wales. On this episode, a tribute to the late princess.

Posted in Royal Profiles, The Royal Report | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

The frustrations of a royal profiler

Posted by Marilyn on April 3, 2007

If you visit my other blog, you may notice that from time to time I post Royal Profiles – though this link doesn’t list all of them. These profiles are on lesser known royals, hangers on, courtiers and various other people associated with the royal family.

I enjoy writing these profiles and I’m almost never at a loss for subjects. However, there are times when, although I might have an idea for a person, I can’t locate any information on them!

One example is Ingrid Seward. A well known royal watcher and commentator, editor of Majesty Magazine – one would think that there would be no problem with finding biographical information on her. Wrong! Although I found a little bit of material, most of my searches turned up lists of books she’s written and she is invariably described as “Noted royal watcher Ingrid Seward replies” or “Ingrid Seward, Editor of Majesty Magazine”.

Hardly the stuff of compelling reading.

Another two examples are Raine Spencer, the step-mother of Diana, and Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald, dresser and confidante of the Queen for 67 years. Raine is invariably written up as the “evil step-mother”, “Acid Raine” and there is no shortage of information on how much the Spencer children hated her. Can I find out where she went to school? No.

Bobo, on the other hand, was the devoted servant to the Queen. But very little is known about her prior to her entry into royal service. What was her birthdate? How many brothers and sisters did she have? How did she find out about the position? Nada.

I thoroughly enjoy researching these profiles, and it’s challenging for me to source information, but these moments make me want to throw in the towel.

Posted in Commentary, Information, Royal Profiles | 5 Comments »


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I wish to express, as bestly as I can, the importance of our kindred’s relationship with Rúnatýr and how this relationship has rewarded us. Firstly, it may come as a surprise to know that the name of our kinship, though counted by many as a kenning for the Scandinavian Óðinn, is not officially documented in historical sources (as far as I have been able to ascertain). That fact however is inconsequential as we know that the many recorded versions or offshoots of PGmc *wōđanaz have been associated with the many offshoots of the PGmnc *rūnō. The root meanings ascribed to the god’s name are “the furious/excited one” and the meaning of his gift is ascribed to “secret, whisper or hidden knowledge”. As such, we have come to know Rúnatýr or at times Wôdan/Wuodan in his non-hidden mysterious form, as our titular god. Although it may have been viewed at the time that we had selected the name of our kinship for reasons of swift need, without fully understanding why we chose it beyond Rúnatýr being a 1:1 ration evoking Wuodan along with the carved rune staves of modern use.  In the years since however, it has come increasingly clear that, through our religious devotion and pursuit of the Mysterious One’s cult we have come to an even more profound and intimate understanding of the fundamental role of Rúnatýr in the establishment of our (kinship’s) world.

For those of us who have put in the time to delve deeper into the mysteries of Rúnatýr, it can be said that we have only scratched the surface of our potential wisdom. Through our devotion to retrieving our cultural and religious foundation, we have learned that with an open ear and a mind worthy of interpreting the signs, we can best orient the never-ending rebuilding of Rúnatýr’s folk towards what the Eldest has been working towards with us. There is a reason that our kinship feels like home, why it has survived as it has thus far and why it is poised to remain so long as Rúnatýr sees fit: The High One has been chanting us into existence and, he is teaching us the spells of our world one day at a time.

In the simplest of terms I am saying that when the kindred was founded, the reasons and purpose in the beginning were far more simple. We came together to honour the gods and share in our company. In the process of this and over the years, I have been observing our development. How we interact, what we are good at, what we seem to be moving towards, etc. what I have found most exciting is that in the very fabric of our being there is a mystery. Many of us have felt it, there is just something about us, something that when we poke at it or try to figure out what it is that we are feeling… it resists being named, tamed or in any way tampered with. In French, it is called a je ne sais quoi. We can also call it a quintessence, that mysterious fifth essence that is mysterious, but cannot be uncovered. Over the past couple of years I have called this as I understand to be the most apt appellation: rune, in the description of “secret, mystery”. But one must not get confused with this mysterious rune and the runes which some cast as a form of divination or even the characters themselves. These characters, which are often accompanied with a poetical understanding of them, are a form of sorcery which emulates the example of Rúnatýr. Rather, the rune of which I speak, the “mystery of the cult”, is the hidden understanding, orally communicated, traditional knowledge of our people. That, our kinship is the result of the divine “sorcery” on the part of Rúnatýr, where we are the product, but also the echo which feeds back to the Whisper God. It is this give and take, gift exchanging of sorts (or rather the result of which) that has made us into an impressive people and that mysterious essence which is our link to the sacred, our link to each other.

At first this may seem a paradox. We have a general, if not a generally understood taboo, which has developed by which over time we have come to set our year’s worship towards other gods and not Wuodan. In the spring, we worship Ing and Frîa, at Midsummer we worship Sunna and in the harvest tide… Dônar. At Yule, however, we have at times honoured various guises of Wuodan, such as Grim, Hâr and the All-Father… but not Wuodan. In the last couple of years, the Yule worship has been given towards the ancestors. But, if we take a closer look at our worship at all times, we without fail give honour to Rúnatýr. It could be argued that when we believe we are hailing our kinship, we are in fact, equally hailing and worshipping Rúnatýr our titular god. This is how I have come to know this custom and I know it is the way it is meant to be. If one imagines a people as the waters of a well, the walls of the well being what bounds the kinship, the wind, the bits of the world above which falls into the waters… can be understood as the effect of Rúnatýr on the people. We are the ripples and, in turn, the echo produced by the influence from above as well as the sound… ever so faint… of the ripples crashing on the stone walls of the well are impressed upon the elements above. Rúnatýr is Rúnatýr, the people descended from the god, the god impressed upon by the people. A gift for a gift, a mystery for a mystery. And so, there is no paradox, Rúnatýr always gets his share.

There are a number of precedents in the lore for this sort of relationship. I am not going to get into detail on each one or debate the validity of these episodes. I merely highlight them here for a general comparison as only our experience is truly “real” as such events have come to pass in our own kinship memory. Of these ancient sources, we find the tales of three legendary figures: Jarl, Jarl Hakon Galen and Kettil Runske. Respectively, their tales are told in the Rígsmál (Lay of Rig : Codex Wormianus 14th Century), Böglunga sögur (Bagler Sagas, ~13th Century Sweden) and the Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus (A History of the Northern People, Olaus Magnus 16th Century Sweden). It is possible to see a connection to these three tales, in how they relate to, in my interpretation, Rúnatýr and how these stories can inform the mysterious undertaking which led to our kinship’s inception.

Without going into great detail, in the Lay of Rig (possibly Heimdall or Óðinn, either way, here a “Rune-God”) returns to his sired son, Jarl, who has excelled in nobility and teaches him the mystery of the runes. Eventually Jarl impresses Rig to such a degree that the god legitimises his son and takes him as his own. He gives Jarl his own name and the young man then becomes Jarl-Rig, which in essence translates as “the noble king”. Rig taught Jarl-Rig every rune that he knew and in turn, after conquering 18 kingdoms, Jarl-Rig teaches these to his youngest son Bairn, who becomes Young-King (Kon-Unng). A transmission of the various mysteries of life, specifically noble life from one generation to the other, once the younger has proven himself to the elder. The transmission being from Rig to Jarl (Rig) to Bairn (Young-King).

In the story of Hakon Galen, or Hakon the Mad, we do not encounter Óðinn in any form handing him the secrets of the runes. However we see a few things on note. Mainly that Hakon is a Jarl and that if one takes a literal translation of the name Hakon, we get Hár-Kon or “a descendant, king, of the High One”. This makes for an interesting relation or comparison to Jarl-Rig, who is a descendant of the High One and also Kon-Unng who is the “young king, the young descendant”. As with Kon-Unng, who is the son of a wise man, a descendant of the people, Hár-Kon is the son of a wise man, Folkvid the Lawspeaker. Folk-Vid meaning “widest of the people”, could be another name attributed to Óðinn indicating that he is “broadest or most wise of all his people”. Hakon is also called the “mad” or Galen. Galen itself, which came to be known as “madness” is related to the PGmnc  *galdraz which has a broad understanding as “to speak, yell, chant (magically)”. In this way we can understand his connection to the knowledge of runes, various hidden mysteries, by way of his “spoken madness”. The early Christians of his age may have viewed strange mutterings as a form of madness, where in reality he may have been speaking charms. The similarities between Rig, Jarl-Rig and Kon-Unng with (Hár), Folkvid and Hár-Kon Galen are worthy of further study.

In the Swedish folktale of Kettil Runske, we find interesting parallels between it and that of Hakon Galen. In the tale of Hakon Galen, we learn that he is in a race against a Norwegian rival king, Inge Bardsson who was his half-brother. Hakon was from Bergen and Inge ruled from the Archdiocese of Nidaros. Interestingly enough, in the tale of Kettil Runske, we hear that there was a disagreement between a king in Borga and Näsbo which resemble very much the two kingdoms in Hakon Galen’s tale. The king in Näsbo had commissioned a troll by the name of Gilbertil to dig a trench down the center of the island so as to partition the land accordingly. The king in Borga, being incensed, commissioned another troll by the name of Kettil Runske to investigate. When Kettil arrived by boat, he saw that Gilbertil had been digging a tunnel between the two extremities of the island and intended the sea water to finish the job. Kettil opened the earth above him and commanded him to stop. Gilbertil just mocked him and as a result Kettil threw a troll-stick (runestaff?) at him. Gilbertil caught the stick, but his hands became stuck to it. He then tried to pry it off with his feet, but they too were stuck to the stick. He then in a last ditch attempt, tried to free himself with his teeth and they too became fastened. Thus Gilbertil was bound, hands, feet and mouth and Kettil tossed him into a hole which is still known to this day as Gilbertil’s Hole.

It is said that Kettil stole his troll-stick from Óðinn and so brought the runes to mankind. In essence, in this case as with those above, Óðinn is Rúnatýr. Due to the late date of this folktale, it may be that there is much Christian interference there in. For one, it may be that the persons of Kettil and Gilbertil are versions of Hakon and Inge, making them trolls and separate from the kings allows the tale to remain told, without offending early Christian sensibilities. If this is the case, then it may be that in the Lay of Rig, Rúnatýr, taught Hakon/Kettil the runes as opposed to him stealing them. As in the tale of Hakon Galen, Kettil is wise with “gale”, the power to enchant the mysteries (runes). This may be where Hakon owes his nickname, the Mad. Another interesting notion is that, in the recorded history, Inge is eventually victorious over Hakon as Hakon dies before Inge and so does not inherit the kingdom… could it be that Kettil’s vengeance over Gilbertil is a folk memory of “what if things went the other way” and Hakon, through his runecraft won victory in the end? Of this we will never know for sure. If we give the name of Kettil the same treatment as above we can draw a line of runic transmission as such: (Óðinn) – King – Rune-ish/Mysterious Cauldron (Runsk-Kettil).

Then there are two the sections of the Hávamál, which are called the Rúnatal and the  Ljóðatal  which are attributed to Hár, but in this case most wisely Rúnatýr. In these poem, which seems to have been an effort to itemize important maxims for people to learn from, we are left to wonder about the  meaning of the Rúnatal and the Ljóðatal and what are their purpose? Let us draw an interesting comparison between the eighteen runes (mysteries) of the Ljóðatal  and the eighteen kingdoms conquered by Jarl-Rig. It is important to note that the runes here which Hár took up are not the little pieces of wood with markings on them, as we know them today. Rather they were either charms or runestaves engraved with a series of incised markings. This is evinced from the Ljóðatal translating to “a number of charms”, the runes (mysteries/engravings) when accompanied with their ljod/gale (charm) make up the spell . Making these more akin to the troll-sticks of Kettil Runske. It is possible that these are an allegory or a similitude drawn with the kingdoms of (Jarl) Rig. Let us not forget that these are “mysteries” which were taught by Rúnatýr, or rather a profound understanding of those mysteries of life. When you understand the mystery (rune) and it’s charm (gale), you can use it to overcome what is pertains to… as we read from the Rúnatal and Ljóðatal.

If we draw on all this above, we can then mirror these ancient examples to our own history. Our kindred was founded in 2008, by two individuals (one of whom parting ways) and chose Rúnatýr as its name as a source of inspiration and modeled on ideas pertaining to runes, albeit a poor understanding of the concept of “rune”. As the years went on the governance structure went through a few changes. Each form was important for the time it served and ushered about positive change. It could be said that as time went on, we learned from the mysteries which grew from our kinship and as such we refined and redefined our ways. In 2014, after a year of inter-governance, a new model, not of governance, but of inter-relation, was chosen. It was the expressed will of the Rúnafolk that we should highlight the strengths and unique characters of our strong Hearths. That each “head of their household” should help steer the collective of Hearths and Heathens, known as “the Kindred” into the future was what was sought. This brought about the recognition of Stewards.

Time goes on and we begin to understand the runes of our kinship, the mysteries of the cult, it can be said that we are following the example of Rúnatýr. We are learning wisely and in turn Rúnatýr, as Rig had done for Jarl, has legitimised our namesake in him. The process of transmission, following the ancient examples being: Rúnatýr – Steward (House Warden) – Rúnafolk (People of the Runes/Mysteries). As I highlighted above, it is that Rúnatýr saw us digging a hole/well, and seeing this good work, he tossed us down the runes. In time the waters of life flowed in and we support each other upon these floating staves. In return, we offer Rúnatýr and the gods worship, which echo off the inner walls of the well and make resound in their ears… in kind they return to us much bounty. The more we learn, the better we will become at our worship and the gift-cycle shall endure.

I will leave off with one such rune we have come to share this past Yule and may we share it for many more years to come. This song, our Weshêling song, called An Eeking Gale, is brimming with many layers of mystery. Each verse, intonation and gesture holds many interconnected meanings which only our kinship knows the depths. It may be read and spoken by anyone, but without the proper tune, gestures and understanding as well as the appropriate time to perform it… it cannot be fully appreciated. The words may seem bizarre, and they are as such for a reason. I will not elaborate upon the meanings or the rune of this piece, but know that if ever you wish to partake in it, you will have to come travelling to our door at Yuletide. We also have other customs, such as our sacrifices, drinking ritual and wortcraft, which are just as teeming with mystery and these too must be enjoyed in the company of Rúnatýr:

I greet thee now,

You greet me how?

A tip o’ the bowl just right.

To sup on good cheer

An’ by that ol’time seethe

For our kinship be-lieve

Eek fro’ ebb: Rúnatýr!

Say Cheer! (Cheer)

An’ wes thu hêl!

Now Drink!

Drink up my dear!

An’… (Drink hêl!)”

Stw. Erik of Erikhêm

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Two hour figure study

This oil sketch was done on a 9×12 Artist’s Carton Panel by Guerilla Painter. It is quite absorbent and took me a while to build up enough paint to really get the painting where I wanted it. The papers are convenient to use, but I’m thinking they could be gessoed or coated with an acrylic primer before I use them again.

Also, I only used three colors to paint this, Naphthol Red, Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Yellow.

9x12" oil painting on Artist's Carton paper

9×12″ oil painting on Artist’s Carton paper

About Ruth Kaldor

Artist Visual Arts Instructor Cabot Vermont
This entry was posted in Figure painting, Oil Painting, Painting and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Two hour figure study

  1. Art Maine says:

    Your red, blue, and yellow
    make for a fine fellow,
    who is lost in deep thought
    about clothes he forgot.

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Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Saturday, 12 January 2013

My Christmas In Vancouver

Happy weekend, everyone! I thought I would share some pictures from my holiday out on the west coast with you.

I want to thank Betty for the tips on posting photos on my blog while I'm waiting for the browser button to be fixed!

Well, I finally got to meet my little granddaughter, Jenna-Lynn.

She has stolen our hearts and has thoroughly wrapped her Papa around her little finger. She is after all, the first girl born into our family so it's completely understandable!

Jenna-Lynn and her Daddy.

This is Jenna-Lynn's big brother Zachary. He is heavy into Angry Birds.

Zachary loves this cape!

We took a trip to Port Coquitlam where we saw the Terry Fox statue. Terry Fox was a young man who had lost his leg to cancer and attempted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.

The disease claimed his life in 1981 but his efforts live on as well as his spirit. He is one of our national heroes. "All you need is will, you don't have to be gifted, and your dreams will come through if you try," is written on the plaque.

Here are three of my guys; Hubby, our youngest who joined us from Illinois, and our middle son. Zachary and Jenna-Lynn take a stroll while Nanny takes the picture.

For all my tea friends, this is The Urban Tea Merchant which my DIL and I visited. {Photo courtesy of the Internet}

We had hoped to have tea there but we neglected to make a reservation and they were booked solid that day. I think they would have tried to squeeze us in when they heard that I came all the way from PEI to have tea there, but they had no room.
So, we got our tea to go; a spicy green tea, Christmas Lights, and I tasted my very first french macaron. It was lemon. Mmm!

My beautiful DIL smiles for the camera. We had a wonderful time shopping in the big city.

There was a lot of excitement Christmas morning as you can imagine!

Our youngest son gifted me with this cute teacup ornie from Cracker Barrel. He knows I love teacups and cardinals. Funny thing is my other DIL back home also received this very same teacup. A friend of hers was down visiting in the States and she got one  at Cracker Barrel as well. What are the chances of that? We don't have a Cracker Barrel on PEI.

My son with his prized drum kit. All three of my sons are very musical.

On our way to Whistler Village, New Years Day. It was a two hour drive and the scenery was spectacular! Loved the mountains.

We stopped at Shannon Falls in Squamish on the way.

A strange tree formation.

And here we are at Whistler Village with the ski slopes in the background. The air was bone-chilling there and Hubby and our  youngest son were cold for a good part of the visit as they weren't dressed for it.

The Village was all lit up for the holidays and looked like a post card.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Earl's Restaurant and the food was fabulous! Our youngest took this picture so alas, he is not in it himself.

Here I am taking a picture of my son and DIL while my youngest takes a picture of all of us.

Hubby, Zachary, and me in front of the Olympic Rings.

We had a wonderful visit.

On our way home back to PEI with the sun setting. All we see beneath us is clouds. We flew 3600 miles to get there and pretty tuckered when we got home.

I hope you enjoyed my little peek at Christmas in Vancouver. Please join me on Monday for another Tea Time Tuesday. Thanks for visiting.

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

  1. How wonderful to gather for Christmas, and such a distance too. PEI to Vancouver.

  2. How fun! So glad you shared the photos! What a wonderful family and how special you were all able to get together for Christmas, and in our neck of the country too! We LOVE Earl's. Always good. And Whistler is such a fun place to visit, although we have never been there for Christmas, just during the summer. Ruth

  3. Hi Sandi! Great to see your family photos at Christmas. You have a beautiful family and I am so glad you got to take this wonderful trip! The photos of Whistler are spectacular. I have been there, some years ago. I was there in summer though.
    Blessings, Beth

  4. Beautiful pictures! You have a lovely family.

  5. Hello, Sandi

    You had quite the Christmas adventure with your lovely family. The children are little cuties!

  6. Lovely pictures of wonderful family times. I love your little teacup ornament. Such a thoughtful gift.

  7. Hi Sandi,
    You have some nice memories captured on camera. My Mom and sister and I went to Whistler when we visited my sis there 17 years ago and I loved it too.
    Your grandchildren are adorable!

    Enjoy your weekend,

  8. Oh Sandi, how delightful- everyone looks so happy - and your gbabies are darling.

    Love this post.

  9. Wonderful pictures of your trip to Vancouver Sandi. I haven't been to Whistler but my nephew goes mountain biking there in summer. We love Earl's restaurant in Fort McMurray. Your grandchildren are really cute. It must have been so wonderful to spend time with them all. See you on Monday for TTT.

  10. Hi Sandi, Looks like you had a wonderful time with your family. How nice. That village does look like a postcard! Cute grandchildren, so glad you finally got to meet Jenna Lynn. My name is Gina Lynn, very close! :)
    Have a great rest of your weekend! Gina

  11. Preciosas imágenes de tu viaje de Navidad. Tienes una hermosa familia. Te felicito.
    Tu blog me fascina, todos los días lo miro para ver tu tazas que son únicas.

    Yo soy de Argentina, también preparo el té los martes pero lo hago con mi estilo y mis tazas que son más humildes. Le doy un toque de poesía porque soy escritora.

    Un beso Sandy y gracias por venir a mi blog, es un honor para mí.

    Espero que puedas traducir mi mensaje.

    Un abrazo bien grande.
    Yo también soy tu seguidora.

  12. Sandi ... what a lovely family! Looks like some fabulous memories were created. Wonderful photos ... my fav is the one with Zachary and Jenna-Lynn strolling off while you took the photo of your sons. Wishing you a wonderful week-end..Hugs and blessings, C. (HHL)

  13. You have a beautiful family and it looks like you had a wonderful time visiting :)
    Thank you for sharing your delightful pictures.

    Hugs to you,

  14. Hi Sandi,
    You have a beautiful family. Your grand kids are adorable. Love your Whistler photo's. We went there for a wedding a few years ago. Loved it there. Thanks for sharing.

  15. Sandi:
    Your Christmas story is so magical. How lovely to have spent it with most of your family. Only Jeff and family were missing but you get to see them when you got home. I hope Joel and Carina get to move home to PEI this year..Love Auntie P

  16. What great photos Sandi! Beautiful scenery. Grand children are adorable!

  17. Sandi,your holiday looks wonderful. I am so pleased you had such a good time with your family. xx

  18. Hi Sandi,
    what a precious time to be with the children and grandchildren for Christmas. Your grandkids are both so cute kids. I am happy that you had a wonderful time.
    Best greetings,

  19. Dear Sandi,
    What a wonderful trip!! Your granddaughter is absolutely darling! All the "kids" are.
    Great trip and thanks for sharing.
    Ruthie from:

  20. I loved seeing your family pics and all the scenery. What a wonderful time you must've had being with your darlings. Aren't those grands so cute??!! Your whole family is precious, Sandi! You are blessed. XO

  21. So sweet, your little grand daughter is just precious. I can tell a good time was had by all.
    Thanks for letting us share in the fun.

  22. Dear Sandi ...

    What a beautiful kalidescope of pictures you have shared... and how very special to meet your darling grand-daughter... What memories you have laced into your hearts. Whistler is truly beautiful in the winter, especially if you're a skier...

    A fabulous trip and a gorgeous teaset... It really is a friendly setting that endears one to cherish family and home... Sweet blessing to you and your family...Hugs

I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY! ~ Sandi

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February 27, 2014

Lessons I Learned While Working Are Still Working

I spent 36 years in one industry before retiring over thirteen years ago. It was an exciting and rewarding career that allowed me to interact with some of the big names in the music and radio business. I got to live the rock and roll lifestyle for a dozen years as a DJ at Top 40 radio stations. Eventually, I moved from performer to consultant and researcher and spent the next 26 years on airplanes and in hotel rooms. And, yes, the George Clooney movie of a few years ago about frequent fliers is quite accurate. I have one of those 1,000,000 mile cards from Delta.

Over the course of three and a half decades what did I learn then that is helping me now?  I didn't really appreciate it at the time, but a solid foundation was being built. Here are some lessons I learned that continue to influence me today.

Being in the right place at the right time can make a huge difference. My career was moving forward very slowly and I was having doubts about the lifestyle of a DJ. Long hours, low pay, and living with the constant risk of being fired because of low ratings lead to a stressful life.

Just then my brother happened to write a complementary article about the radio station I was programming while he was in town for my wedding. That article was seen by someone at the top radio consulting company. They had an opening and I got it. Instantly my life and career were on a path that would allow me to own my own consulting and research business a few years later, enjoy financial stability, and retire early. All because of one article, in one small newsletter, seen by one person, at exactly the right time. I would never have even been on their radar without that event.

Being at the right place at the right time is something you really can't control. But, if you are alert enough to recognize that opportunity, grab it. Some may call this luck and that may play a part. But, if you are not sensitive to the big chance when it presents itself being lucky won't help. Train yourself to look at situations with a fresh eye. When others see a problem, do you sense an opening?

Paying your dues. To break into radio at the age of 15, I started as a janitor at a tiny radio station in suburban Boston. Mopping floors, throwing out the trash, and running errands for the announcers eventually lead to a chance for me to try out for an on-air opening and get it. The truth is I got the job because I agreed to work for virtually nothing after school and weekends. I hung around the station even when I wasn't being paid, doing newscasts and playing taped programs for free.

I'm afraid there are a lot of people today who believe society owes them success. Hard work, learning the ropes, and doing the stuff others don't want to do are foreign concepts to many. They believe starting at the bottom and working your way up is not for them. I'm pretty sure that skipping the first several rungs of the ladder will set you up for a nasty fall at some point.

Long hours and sacrifice are part of building anything meaningful. My first  air shift as a DJ while away at college was from 12 midnight to 6AM Monday mornings. I had an 8 O'Clock class that I almost never attended and barely managed to squeak by with a D. Several months later I worked from 6 PM-12 midnight 6 days a week while carrying a full class load. Later as a consultant I worked seven days a week for almost three years to establish my business.

It was not often pleasant, but building something worthwhile comes at a cost.  I chose to make those sacrifices to build what I was striving to build. There was no other way.

Your word is your most valuable asset. I had more than one client tell me that I had their total trust and confidence. They believed my word was my bond and i would do everything in my power to help them succeed. In life, as well as business, trust and honesty must be earned. The cost if you squander them can bankrupt a business and a life.There is nothing more valuable than your word. Protect it at all costs.

Take an occasional calculated risk. When I was fired shortly after moving from Salt Lake City to Tucson in 1980 I had a real problem: a family with two kids under the age of 3 and no way to support them. After long discussions with my wife, we decided I would try to establish my own consulting and research business. The odds were against us. I didn't have much money for marketing and promotion.

It worked. One major station decided to take a chance on me and that lead to a national client base. It was tough at first. We didn't even allow ourselves to go shopping at a mall for one full year. But, the calculated risk we took paid off. It probably helped that we had no Plan B. It had to work.

Learning must never stop. One important lesson cost me my business and pushed me into retirement at least 4 or 5 years earlier than I had planned. I allowed myself to coast on past performances and reputation. While the industry was changing all around me, I continued to use the same approach that had worked so well for so many years. I stopped learning and evolving. When radio finally went through another gigantic upheaval in 1996 I had no way to stop the decline in my business.

The lesson was simple: never stop learning. Whatever you know today is likely to be different or obsolete much sooner than you expect. Whatever your expertise or experience, it will become worthless at some point if you don't keep learning. It doesn't matter if you are in business or retired, the world will pass you by if you step to the sidelines and watch the parade.

Know when to fold 'em. In 2001 my wife and I looked at the wreckage of the business and had to make a critical decision. Do we take a chunk of our savings and attempt to resurrect the business?  Or, do we say it was a great run while it lasted. and stop?Retiring when I did was a real leap into the deep end but that's what we did. We took that risk. We knew when to call it quits.

Sometimes you have to stop something you are doing, or change direction. You may have to undergo a difficult transition to get to the next stage. You may have jump into the deep end of the pool without a life preserver. But, the riskiest decision you can make in such a situation is to not jump. To continue along a path that isn't working for you is only going to take you farther away from where you want to be.

February 24, 2014

Medicare Decisions Made

About three months ago I wrote the post, My Medicare Decisions Are Only a Few Months Away.  Then, I was considering all my options for coverage that will begin on May 1st. Should I opt for traditional Medicare, pick an Advantage program, or take Medicare but add Medigap and Part D drug coverage?

The decisions are not easy. There are dozens of options available with all sorts of different monthly premiums, including some at $0. Being rather healthy (my recent food poisoning episode not withstanding!) should I take a bare bones package now and upgrade when my health requires it? What if I wait too long, have an expensive problem and my "gamble" backfires?

My Medicare card arrived in mid-January, actually several weeks before I could even sign up for anything else. Of course, I was given the option to mail the card back and tell the government I was not going with traditional Medicare. But, I think they mail the card as early as they do to "help" me decide. With the card in hand and active steps on my part needed to choose differently, they may be counting on folks just going with the easiest choice.

Not so fast. I still wanted to look again at all my options and costs. Betty and I discussed the amount of risk we were willing to accept to save some money each month. We talked through the choices and what seemed to make the most sense.

As I looked at Medicare Advantage programs I was initially attracted by the low premiums, decent coverage, and simplicity: one check to one company takes care of everything. But, upon closer inspection two serious flaws became evident. Advantage programs don't travel. That is, they provide for coverage in your home county, but are difficult if not impossible to count on when traveling. A good policy at home might turn out to be worthless if I had a medical problem while on an RV trip far from Scottsdale.

Secondly, the type of coverage that certain Medigap policies provide is not part of an Advantage plan. The customer will still be on the hook for a potion of costs that Medicare doesn't cover. And, it is not possible to buy a supplemental policy if someone is covered by an Advantage program. I could be liable for more than $6,000 in additional costs each year.

Two weeks ago, I finally made my choice, filed the applications, paid some money in advance, and prepared myself to enter a new world of health coverage in just over two months. I decided to go with traditional Medicare, adding both robust Medigap  and a Part D drug coverage policies. The cost was $250 less than I was paying last fall, and $70 less than the individual policy I purchased through the Health Marketplace for coverage that started January 1st.

Medicare will cover up to 80% of my expenses. The Medicare supplemental policy will pay the 20% remaining and for 100% of some services that Medicare doesn't cover. I choose Plan F, certainly not the most inexpensive, but with the type of benefits I want. The Drug coverage policy will leave me with a monthly cost of $3 for the two basic, generic prescriptions I take now. In the future, their formulary looks to be on par with others and should keep my prescription costs under control.

The cost of basic Medicare is deducted automatically from my monthly Social Security check. The other two policies will require me to pay two additional premiums. Was this the easiest choice? No. Was it the most inexpensive? No. Did it provide the security and peace of mind I wanted? Yes.

With a chance to pick other policies and other approaches every fall, I am feeling pretty good about things. Time will tell.

February 20, 2014

A Funny Name, A Beautiful Getaway

Dead Horse Ranch State Park. Not the most alluring name, is it? The good news is the dead horse that gave this park it's name has been gone for quite some time. The even better news is this is a real gem in the Arizona State Park system and only 90 minutes from our home.

Betty and I decided to take a quick break from routine with a two night trip here a week ago. With the weather predicted to be sunny with highs in the upper 70s, the timing couldn't be better. We hadn't camped here since last fall and were anxious to get back.

Located along the Verde River in Cottonwood,  there are three campground loops for RVs, another just for tents, and a section with a dozen cabins for rent. Horses are available for hour long adventures among the hills. Even better, there are miles of hiking trails along the river and around three picture perfect lagoons, meant for fishing, picnics, or simply sitting on a bench and loving nature. Bailey, our dog, was in heaven: more new smells and places to explore than even her hyperactive little doggie legs could take her. Even a pack of coyotes howling at the full moon didn't distract her from her explorations.

Like all Arizona State parks we have been to, Dead Horse Ranch is well maintained. The shower and restrooms are clean and modern.. Each site has a picnic table, grill/fire ring, water and electric services. A dump station is located on the drive out. Our site had a huge tree offering perfect shade throughout the day. Nothing more than a light breeze gently shook the awning projecting from the side of the RV.

The mini break was just what we needed. We slept late, ate simple meals, read, napped, walked several miles each day, had solid discussions about a marriage book we are reading together, and watched a movie as it got dark.

For arm chair travelers, here are some pictures to entice you to Dead Horse Ranch State Park some day. It can be unpleasantly hot here in the summer. But, for a mild mid-February break, there is no place better.

"Where should we explore next, Daddy?"

When the trees turn green in a month this will be amazingly lush

Perfect spot to sit

Which path to take? It doesn't matter when you are retired!

A full moon on Valentine's Day Night - how romantic!
I'll let Bailey decide

My beautiful bride on her birthday and Valentine's Day

My two "girls"

And a relaxing time was had by all

February 17, 2014

I Survived Week One of Retirement

A regular reader sent me an e-mail a few weeks ago. It was a recap of the first week of full retirement for her and her husband. I thought it captured the excitement, fear, joy, dread, anticipation, sense of freedom and change so well, I asked if I could use it here. Other than removing the names and a few minor adjustments, it is a real-life glimpse into the first blush of the phase of life I call a satisfying retirement:
WHEW! It is NOTHING like I thought it  would be. The party is over.
Key to business was handed over to next (young!!) guy.
Feels WEIRD!!
 But-- first of all, it's only a week!  I am finding that hubby and I are processing retirement completely differently! (We worked together so retired on the same day.)
I am DONE. FINI! Can't even bear to TALK ABOUT the industry that has BURNED ME OUT TO A CRISP!
Hubby...still nostalgic, going through his scrapbooks and thank you letters from the clients. Still wants to talk about all the good times.
ME: Anxious to buy the RV.

Hubby--taking his time with research.
Hubby : Needs a lot of time alone to process this, for now!
ME: Thought I would want to immediately jump into some "FUN"  part time work/hobby, but I DO NOT! I can't BELIEVE this feeling of relief and freedom! I am not going to work any time soon!! This is a true surprise to me, this feeling of wanting to NOT WORK AT ALL.  Ready to PLAY,read,NAP,hike,travel.
Hubby: Still thinking he may want at some future date, to work part time... he is leaving it open ended.
I am also having dreams/not quite nightmares, but INTENSE dreams related to the work I was doing that aggravated me so much-- like my SOUL is throwing it all off, night by night.  Till I am "cleansed!"
hmmm..this retirement stuff is not for wimps is it?
Also--I have days I feel really "safe" and secure, and a couple of days when I am saying to myself "WHAT WERE WE THINKING WE MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO LAST TILL WE ARE 100..we may become bag people!! LOL!!!"
Well,it's just week one.

I am sure this journey gets.. a bit easier, right?? right??

If I could have written an e-mail that perfectly describes the rush of emotions and thoughts in the first seven days of retirement, it would have looked very much like this. I had forgotten about the dreams and almost a sense of "flushing" the old from your system, but she has it absolutely right. That happened to me in just the same way.

I assured her she and hubby were exactly on track. All of these emotions and the sorting things out will take weeks, maybe months before a more settled mindset begins to assert itself.

But, then, one day, husband and wife will turn to each other and wonder" why did we wait so long? Life is meant to be lived on our terms.

Viva retirement!"

February 13, 2014

I Miss a Good Morning Newspaper

Like many folks in my generation, a morning paper in the driveway was part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents subscribed for all the time they lived independently and I developed the same habit. Except while away at college, I started my mornings with a paper and a cup of coffee. At one point I actually subscribed to two daily papers: the local one and the New York Times.

I grew up reading the Boston Globe, considered one of the best papers in the country for decades. Later, daily papers in Cedar Rapids, Salt Lake City, Tucson, and Phoenix started my days. I never gave it much thought: papers were just part of the fabric of life.

Obviously, that is no longer the case. Print newspapers are an endangered species. Each year produces a growing list of cities and towns without a printed paper. For many cities that still have a physical paper, it may be delivered only a few days a week. The paper has gotten thinner, the ink smudges more easily, and the desperation of subscription telemarketers increases with each call.

Aware that many people get their news and information from the Internet, most newspapers have made a valiant effort to develop and promote a digital version of the paper. Some, like the New York Times, have seen strong growth in this area. In fact, one report I saw noted the Times added over 600,000 digital subscribers last year alone.

As anyone who has tried to access the digital version of their local or national newspaper knows, there are problems. Reading a story on a tablet or even a laptop isn’t the same as turning pages. It just isn’t. Ads in the print version are more easily avoidable than videos that suddenly start up on line, or ads that crawl across the screen and pop up in the middle of a story.

Most sites now have pay walls, so you can get a little of the paper’s content but after a point you must subscribe to be able to read the rest. If you subscribe to the print version the digital version is either added in or comes for a small premium, but a digital subscription alone costs about as much as having the paper end up in your driveway.

Besides the physical decline in virtually all newspapers is the serious drop in quality. In Phoenix, the 6th largest city in the country, our only major newspaper has local news restricted to two or three pages. Business news? Two pages. The arts?  Today that means movies and pop music. Interested in books, paintings and dance, or other forms of artistic expression? Don’t look for much in the newspaper.

I am quite aware that the Internet and all the forms of social connection and information exchange makes the traditional form of newspaper news delivery obsolete and much too expensive to produce.

That doesn’t mean I can’t be sad I don’t have a high quality, entertaining, and informative alternative waiting for me each morning. Reading a good morning newspaper allowed me to start the day slowly and at my own pace.

I miss it.

February 10, 2014

Just One Little Can

It is amazing what power exists in one small can.

Two weekends ago I had an experience I have never had before: food poisoning. I will spare you any of the details, but it was not pleasant. We believe a can of tuna fish that made up part of my dinner on Friday evening was the culprit. I have never had anything come upon me so quickly and violently.

By Sunday afternoon I began to eat some solid foods again, if dry toast, jello, and broth constitute solid food. On Sunday evening I allowed myself a baked potato with just a hint of butter. Monday morning, after sleeping almost 10 hours, I felt almost human again.

A side benefit: in 48 hours I lost almost 6 pounds. As a diet I wouldn't recommend it, but the body is an amazing machine that rids itself of whatever is causing problems as quickly and efficiently as it does.

Once again, this lost weekend impressed upon me the absolute blessing good health is to my satisfying retirement. It is almost a cliché that you don't realize what feeling good is, until you don't. To not feel your stomach doing its job or to not feel too weak to get out of bed, are too easily taken for granted when healthy. Granted, at almost 65 I have the usual aches and pains that come with age, but nothing significant. I have no issues that restrict my ability to go about my daily life pretty much as I see fit.

Experiences like this past weekend make me appreciate that blessing. I am well aware that too many people, including lots of readers of this blog, have ongoing physical limitations that make each day a push through their infirmities. They do it because they choose to live as fully as possible and fight against the pain and problems. I hope that as I begin to face the health complications that are waiting for me I can show the same grace and determination that these folks do.

Finally, and just as important as the slap of health reality this episode gave me, was a fresh appreciation for the incredible woman who is sharing my life. Betty did things to help after some of my more unpleasant attacks that I am not sure I could have done, at least not with the concern, and love, and compassion she exhibited. She immediately put her own needs aside, getting as little sleep as I did during the worst times and ministering to me.

I am not sure how a small post on food poisoning turned into a love letter for my wife, but that was the end result. She has her 60th birthday on Valentine's Day (so appropriate!). My goal is to surprise her with a little something special to help show her how much I love her. I will be happy to spend the time with her, watching her enjoy the activity I have found and us simply being together.

Just one little can: with a powerful result in two remarkably different ways. Isn't it amazing how life gives us so much to learn from even the simplest event?

No thanks. I'll pass

February 6, 2014

Searching For Your Life-Long Passion May Be A Waste of Time

I read something not long ago that has stuck with me over the last several weeks. It was a piece of advice that seems counter intuitive to common wisdom. But, as I thought about where my life is right now, it made sense: spending time and energy looking for my next great passion or overriding interest might be a  waste of time and opportunity.

Let me explain.

There is no doubt that a passion or hobby that is meaningful to you is one of the keys to a satisfying retirement. Just filling time will not keep you happy for long. So, why might searching for those things that inspire and motivate you be a waste of time? Because it may mean you miss so many other experiences that will enrich your retirement.

If you spend all your time searching for the perfect passion, or the one activity that will define you, are you missing the fact that all we really have is today, right now? Are you bypassing experiences or something that might be fun or memorable but you know isn't really part of your passion search? Or, how do you know something that strikes you today as fun or a momentary pleasure may not open the door to a whole new avenue for you to explore?

Examples? OK, let's say you play the guitar for fun. You can follow a melody or handle the most important chords - enough to have fun but that is about it. Then, one day you find yourself playing a melody or putting together some chords just because they sound good. You work at it a bit and realize you have just composed a new piece of music.

Suddenly, you realize you have an ear for making new music; melodies are popping into your head. You have stumbled onto a passion for creating music that never would have happened if you hadn't starting playing the guitar just for fun.

How about the last time you volunteered to tutor a youngster after school. You find you enjoy watching him or her light up when they finally understand that math problem or importance of an historical fact. They get excited because they can read a page in a book without help.

You get excited: you have discovered you REALLY like to teach and interact with kids. You discover you can get a teaching certificate based on your life experiences. Your long buried passion for teaching explodes after a stint of volunteering.

How about this blog? I have always liked to write but didn't have any outlet so I kept journals. It was pure happenstance that I stumbled into the world of blogging almost four years and discovered an important passion.

The point is don't allow yourself to stagnate just because you haven't stumbled onto the one thing that lights your fire. Try all sorts of activities, add to your life experiences, take a gamble on something different. When you find that passion, the thing that pushes you out of bed each morning, you will know it.

In the meantime you have had fun, learned something new, helped others, got your blood pumping, or at the very least gotten off your butt.

OK, maybe not this much off your butt

February 3, 2014

Top Google Searches In 2013

A few weeks ago I stumbled across a series of pages on Google: the top searched terms and events in 2013 for all sorts of categories. It became apparent that I am not as far out of the loop as I thought I would have been in some categories, but without a clue in others.

So, what were some of the top searches on the Internet last year? Here is a sampling to help you determine if you are a closet 'hipster."

People: Here I did OK. I recognized eight of the top ten names. I do not know why I should know Mindy McCready or Amanda Bynes.

Events: Nine out of 10 rang a bell. I gather Mayweather vs. Canelo involves two fighters but watching two men smash each other with gloves doesn't do it for me.

Most Searched People: Who is Drake? What did Selena Gomez or Katy Perry do to deserve my attention?

Athletes: I recognize only three of the top 10 names.

Celeb Pregnancies: Once past Kate Middleton, I have no idea.

Celeb Breakups: 1 out of ten registers, and a giant yawn for the rest.

Dance Moves: I have heard of one of them: Gangnam Style, but I thought that was a big deal in 2012.

Reality TV Stars: Zero out of 10, a total air ball for me.

Songs: Another zip for 10.

Video games: Another in the Grand Theft Auto series rings a bell. The other nine? No idea.

TV Series Finales: I have seen a few episodes of Breaking Bad and heard of Dexter but the rest mean nothing (since I don't watch current TV).

I am not bothered that I did poorly in several of the categories that were most important to so many people. Frankly, if I knew the top 10 dances or celebrity breakups of 2013 I'd have a reassess how I am spending my time.

So, how do you think you'd do? Test yourself by clicking here for the full report.


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How to Object To The Drill Site Size Increase Planning Application – With Link

Clayton Wellman added this article to the Leith Hill Protection Camp Facebook group.

Click here to read the online Application Display on the Surrey County Council planning website.

Clayton says:

You can comment on (object to) the new plans to increase the size of the site and add perimeter fence and guardposts etc here:…

screen-shot-2016-12-06-at-10-20-59If it is helpful, this is what I wrote:

“This application should not be allowed to go forward without a further Environmental Impact Assessment for the new site parameters The site being in such a sensitive location in unspoiled woodland at the heart of the Surrey Hills AONB demands that any environmental impact be carefully considered. The change to the plans is a material change with substantial increase in erections and size. Not only that, it means the site will now extend closer to waterways and the threat of contamination will thereby be increased further. This must be reconsidered, otherwise it is, in my view, no longer legal or valid as it is markedly different from the plans passed previously

Furthermore, the site is completely unsuitable for access and construction. The lanes leading to it are extremely narrow, high banked and with ancient woodland lining the sides. It will be impossible for HGVs to get up and down to the site without causing irreparable damage. This is a direct threat to the AONB. No traffic management plan will be suitable and the plans should fail on this point alone.

On a general note, the primary purpose of the AONB designation is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape, with two secondary aims: meeting the need for quiet enjoyment of the countryside and having regard for the interests of those who live and work there. These plans and those that came before entirely contradict these purposes. They threaten all aspects of the AONB status and designation. The proposal is unwanted by the community, it brings no benefits to those who live and work in the area and it will destroy the peace and opportunity for quiet enjoyment. It is obvious to see that rather than conserve and enhance, it will destroy, pollute and degrade. In short, the application is not suitable for this location whatsoever and should clearly be rejected altogether.”

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Album review of These Are The Days

After 2 ½ years, Danish rock band Saybia returns to deliver their follow up record to their amazing debut The Second You Sleep. A tough challenge, which the guys found very hard to take on, if you read the lyrics. Their debut record consisted of perfect rock songs about love and loneliness, but after their sudden success and constant touring through Europe, the guys found they had nothing left to fight for. So they rented a house on an island and for two months they wrote new songs and they came up with These Are The Days.

Opener Brilliant Sky shows a more positive side of the band, and nearly over three minutes, the song is a radio hit to be. The same can be said for Bend The Rules and the love ballad “I Surrender”. Although executed very well, you have already heard it on their first record. Doesn’t take away the beauty of the songs though.

Guardian Angel, like Bend The Rules another song about the struggle the band had with their success, has a beautiful chorus and a guitar solo that is Saybia worthy. After that the songs get a bit weary. We Almost Made It, again about their struggle, never reaches it’s potential, and “Soul United” and “Flags” aren’t their best moments. The band get’s their act together with the powerful “Stranded”, which will give you chills live. The power of the song isn’t captured as it should be, but it’s still really beautiful. “It’s Ok Love” is a piano ballad which can be beautiful if you are in the mood for such a song. If you aren’t, the song is terrible. I will go for the first. Bonus track “Untitled” finishes the album. With it’s seventeen (!) minutes, this song is a bit too much. The guitars are gentle, and it builds up quite nice, but when the fade out kicks in after ten minutes you kinda had it.

Saybia have created a record which doesn’t live up to the expectations. Still, it’s a record with enormous potential, and some true gems. Most of the songs are amazing when played live, and singer Søren Huss still has an amazing, powerful voice. It’s too bad the band never really rocks to it’s fullest, and the topic “struggle with success” get’s boring after a couple of songs. But still, it’s Saybia, and it has it’s beautiful moments.

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we did a good thing

  • Mar 11, 2012

You’re probably familiar with the idea cycle: it begins with elation and excitement, inevitably roadblocks and frustrations crop up and then the self-questioning– was this really a good idea? Sometimes it’s not, and you drop it, other ideas spark just enough light along the way to guide you to the end.

Our plan to create a Senior Recital Night had more than it’s share of roadblocks, but everything changed when the mother of this sweet girl died two weeks ago in her sleep. We weren’t sure whether to go backward or forward, but Sienna spoke up, “I’m playing; my mother would want me to.”

The rest of us moved forward with renewed vigor, anxious to make the evening a fitting tribute to Sienna’s mother, Julie, and a satisfying performance for each of the musicians.

Since we did most of the planning by email, many of the parents didn’t meet each other until the night of the performance. It was amazing to see all our efforts come together: the food, the photos, the talented accompanist, the gorgeous programs, this beautiful tree hung with photos and crystals, and the people in attendance. Oh the people!

The room filled with the usual parents and grandparents but also dozens and dozens of teenagers attending to support their friends. Our concert was conceived to complement, not compete with, Concerto Night, and we were especially happy to see several performers from last week’s concert come to support their fellow musicians.

As I introduced the program, I spoke a bit about Sienna’s mother and told some of what Stefan shared with me about Sienna, “She doesn’t just play the violin, music is in her soul, it’s who she is.” He also told me of her kindness, her friendly nature and her lofty goals for the future (she’s going to Utah State on a music scholarship and will double major in music and pre-med). I acknowledged Sienna probably has no idea Stefan tells me these things, just as many of the kids there don’t know the admiring words spoken in their favor. None of us, especially teenagers, understand how many people care about us. But I hope that nights like this, with a room full of loving support, help them comprehend how many people wish the best for them and are cheering them on to a prosperous future.

I love teenagers. If you’ve read my blog very long you’ll know I reject the media disparagement of this generation and believe they are the best and the brightest souls to walk this earth. Watch them, talk to them, get to know them– you’ll be amazed.

And how was the concert? Gorgeous, beautiful, inspiring. We saved Sienna for the end and I knew in the first bow strokes her performance would be unforgettable. As for Stefan? Well, here’s his last two minutes:

two minutes of Kreisler from Michelle Lehnardt on Vimeo.

p.s. I’ll add two more videos as I finish them. Sienna’s performance and a “best of” from the evening. But Erik is out of town and wanted me to get Stefan’s video up asap.

p.p.s. I’m actually amazed at the sound quality on my camera. Pretty nice, huh?

March 9, 2012
March 13, 2012

  1. Reply

    March 11, 2012

    You did a very good thing.

  2. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    I love teenagers too. They are in short supply in our ward right now and just today we had a meeting to discuss that topic. I shared a story from when I worked with the youth years ago and how recently I let one of them know how inspiring he was as a 12 year old boy (he shared his testimony at the Hill Cumorah visitors center on a Temple trip to Toronto and I’ve never forgotten it). I think it’s so important to let kids know how that they inspire us). The end.

  3. Reply

    Jan Russell

    March 12, 2012

    You my friend, are a good thing.

  4. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    Oh my goodness, Michelle. That video of Stefan playing was amazing. What a gift and a talent (and a whole lot of practice time!) I love teenagers too. They are such a blessing and a huge source of light in my life. I will never ever regret saying yes to my callings serving the youth. Working with them brings me pure joy every day.

  5. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    Simply beautiful! Also, I didn’t comment on your post about the queen. That was inspiring! You are inspiring.

  6. Reply

    k. novella

    March 12, 2012

    oh. my.

    look at those fingers FLY!

    he did amazing.

  7. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    You know how I feel about teenagers…they are some of my favorite people in the whole world.

    Stefan is stunning as always! And yes you did do a wonderful thing. Congratulation are in order for him and all the other performers.

  8. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    A very good thing! And Stefan is amazing. What time and dedication.

    Teenagers are one of the best things in this world! I love them!!!

  9. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    I agree what you say about teenagers. I have a pre-teen and I he is so wonderful!! I love him and love to talk to him. I use to fear for the future, but now I am so excited to see what is in store.

  10. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    This reminds me of my mom, who is constantly finding a way around limitations.

    When I was in 5th grade, the school was doing a mural but would only let Gifted and Talented kids participate. My mom thought that was unfair, so she organized a bigger and better mural that everyone could be a part of. That’s the kind of mom you are, and the kind of mom I hope to be.

    And btw, Stephan’s gorgeous music made my day. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  11. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    I was so proud of every single performer. As a parent of musicians you know I KNOW what it takes to get those pieces to the level they were. The emotion behind it all left me wanting to stand up and wrap my arms around each and every one of them. It was a good thing indeed and I’m so grateful to associate with everyone involved.

  12. Reply

    March 12, 2012

    Oh… I wish you’d let me know!!! I wanted to be there. The evening looks absolutely wonderful. And I loved all that you said, especially about how loved these young people are. Tears for Sienna , but awe at her courage. You are always doing good things. And Stefan? He amazes me.

  13. Reply

    March 13, 2012

    Oh my. Tears my friend.

    I cannot wait until I have teenagers in my life. How beautiful. xo

  14. Reply

    March 13, 2012

    You inspire me. I’m determined to help implement something like this at our high school. What a gift you gave those seniors…I am so moved by it. I’ll have to ask you details sometime. And do you know if Sienna performed in Jack Ashton’s chamber orchestra Sunday night?

  15. Reply

    March 13, 2012

    wow! xox

  16. Reply

    Mitchell Family

    March 14, 2012

    I’m glad you blog because apparently even though we talk every day you fail to tell me some of the best stuff.

    By the way happy pi day. Lizzy texted me a reminder that I need to make a pie which I will do but it will notbe the same without Stefan’s playing and the Lehnardts to share it with.


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Visual Studio 2010 SP1 hot fix for build details crash available

If you have already installed Visual Studio 2010 SP1, you probably noticed that Visual Studio crashes if you want to view the details of a build from Team Foundation Server 2008.

Today Microsoft released a hotfix for this very annoying problem.
You can find the hotfix here

  • Jochen

    Many thanks dear collegue 🙂


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Space Science

Fireballs Awe Early November Skywatchers 32

saskboy writes "NASA reports that an unusual number of fireball meteor sightings have been reported recently, possibly due to the larger number of people being outside for Halloween trick or treating, and others looking for the highly visible planet Mars while it's in the planetary neighborhood. From the article: "On Oct. 30, for example, Bill Plaskon of Jonesport, Maine, was 'observing Mars through a 10-inch telescope at 10:04 p.m. EST when a brilliant fireball lit up the sky and left a short corkscrew-like smoke trail that lasted about 1 minute.' The physical cause of the fireballs in the sky are likely the Taurid meteor shower. According to the International Meteor Organization, the Taurid shower peaks between Nov. 5th and Nov. 12th. 'Earth takes a week or two to traverse the swarm. This comparatively long duration means you don't get spectacular outbursts like a Leonid meteor storm,' rather closer to 'one every few hours.'" These meteor sightings have also, of course, sparked UFO speculation.
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Fireballs Awe Early November Skywatchers

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  • by dave-tx ( 684169 ) * <> on Saturday November 05, 2005 @02:52PM (#13958495)
    ....while driving to work in the early morning. Brightest one I'd ever seen, and was quite a shock to see so clearly amidst the street and traffic lights. Honestly had no idea they could be so bright - it was easy to see it break up and fragment. Very cool indeed!

  • by tsa ( 15680 )
    I think UFO's are a lot more interesting than fireballs. I, for one, welcome our firy overlords.
  • I read somewhere that the chances of anything actually coming from Mars are like, a million to one or something.
    • I was looking eastward when I saw one of these fireballs fall from the sky. It was seen early in the morning, rushing over Winchester eastward, a line of flame high in the atmosphere. Hundreds must have seen it, and taken it for an ordinary falling star. Albin described it as leaving a greenish streak behind it that glowed for some seconds. Denning, our greatest authority on meteorites, stated that the height of its first appearance was about ninety or one hundred miles. It seemed to him that it fell to
  • She had been telling me about seeing these bright lights appear quite recently. She asked people in the parking lot what it was and they thought it was Mars. Now at least there may be another plausible answer.
  • These meteor sightings have also, of course, sparked UFO speculation.

    Oh, boy. Why don't these people just GROW UP!?!?!?!?! If there were UFOs "out there", at least the sort we could recognize, they would surely have either made themselves known, conquered, or otherwise interactred with us by now. Of course, since the probability of a humanoid ET is extremely small (something like a billion to 1), the probability is likewise that any ETs that exist would interact with us in a manner detectable by our t

    • The UFOs would surely avoid meteor showers like these. Either that, or we are seeing UFOs that have been struck by these meteors and are falling into our environs (in which case I must get a picture of them, the GIMP, and the Impact font ready so I can add to my personal MeteOWN3D!!1 gallery).
    • If there were UFOs "out there", at least the sort we could recognize

      If you recognize it, it's not an unidentified flying object.

      As a skeptic I love when people ask me if I believe in UFOs. I always say "Yes." They look at me funny until I say, "I believe people see flying objects they can't identify. I don't believe these objects are aliens tourists." UFOs exist. They will always exist. Aliens visiting Earth? lol
  • I saw what I thought was a fireball a few days ago, but wasn't sure since it was so bright. It was a big streak of green across the sky I saw in my peripheral vision clearly through the city lights. I thought it might be just fireworks, but now a fireball seems a much more likely explanation.
    • The one I saw years ago in southern Saskatchewan was definitely green and bright enough to be seen during daylight in the early evening. It tore through the clouds and lasted for at least a few seconds which was long enough to realize what it was.
  • UFO's... (Score:3, Funny)

    by sadler121 ( 735320 ) <> on Saturday November 05, 2005 @04:26PM (#13958954) Homepage
    With the emergence of "Bird Flu" that is spreading rapedily across the world and now 'fireballs' appearing in the sky, all I have is one thing to say...

    Hallowed are the Orii
  • We [] were having our annual picnic out at our dark site last Saturday. The night was a little cool, seeing was decent with some very high north-south haze that was almost overlapping the Miky Way when it came up.

    Anyway, I saw a couple myself, one headed south to north that had a huge shedding tail and moved very fast, (I actually mentioned to another observer that it looked almost like another shuttle breaking up, with smaller pieces) and later one in the south skies headed east to west that looked very like
  • Hi, I'm some douche with a telescope who is easily impressed by things that have been around for billions of years, like meteors. Also, I'm constantly baffled by that big yellow glowing god that comes out during the day time before the moon goddess arises and protects us in our slumber.
  • by DoctaWatson ( 38667 ) on Saturday November 05, 2005 @07:02PM (#13959810)
    I'm glad to hear the fireball I saw in the sky last night wasn't just a figment of my tequila-soaked imagination.
  • me and a bunch of friends were at a hill station sorta place (on nov. 3rd, 0100-0400). very little ambient town light so it was those typical starry nights u never see in the city...really starry.

    between the 5 of us we saw 5-6 of these. none of them were bright enough to be "fireballs" but of one them, which i missed, was bright enough for me to see the area light up from the flash.

    this was before we got drunk.
    • What's it with people getting drunk, and then bragging about it on the Internet? This is no less than the third alcohol related posting on this thread alone? Are almost all astronomers trying to look like jocks by getting plastered before they impress the ladies with their large scopes?
      • pointing out the fact that i/we weren't under the influence while the observations were made. we weren't there to see the stars or look at anything there goes ur "astronomers trying to look like jocks" theory.

        bragging about getting drunk...? talk about projecting!
        Freudian Projection:

        "The individual perceives in others the motive he denies having himself. Thus the cheat is sure that everyone else is dishonest. The would-be adulterer accuses his wife of infidelity."

        "A defense mechanism in which

        • Far be it from me to start a flame war over fireballs and highballs, but I don't get drunk, and don't care to. Talk about a waste of money, time, and health.

          I was simply pointing out that not everyone is impressed with random peoples' ability to consume too much alcohol and then brag in public how little self control or good sense about alcohol they have.
  • Someone just invented some REALLY good fireworks for (Guy Fawkes|Bonfire Night) []. No alien conspiracies here.
  • ..damn, I blew it.
  • It's been cloudy and raining for several days now.
  • Look at the B&W picture in the article. A Borg cube is quite clearly visible.

"No matter where you go, there you are..." -- Buckaroo Banzai


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Math Education

Mathematics As the Most Misunderstood Subject 680

Lilith's Heart-shape writes "Dr. Robert H. Lewis, professor of mathematics at Fordham University of New York, offers in this essay a defense of mathematics as a liberal arts discipline, and not merely part of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) curriculum. In the process, he discusses what's wrong with the manner in which mathematics is currently taught in K-12 schooling."
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Mathematics As the Most Misunderstood Subject

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"No matter where you go, there you are..." -- Buckaroo Banzai


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An Investigation on the Adoption Levels of Soil and Water Conservation Practices among Small Holder Farmers in Lake Chilwa Basin: Lessons from Malosa and Likangala Extension Planning Areas.

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About 85% of land degradation in the world is caused by soil erosion which is caused by water (Omatayo and Chukwuka, 2009). In many tropical and subtropical, soil erosion is a serious threat to long-term agricultural productivity unless appropriate soil conservation measures can be implemented. These problems have serious implications on the economy and the ability of the country to feed itself (Amphlett (1984). With a variable climate and unreliable weather pattern, it is increasingly becoming essential to make sure that the little water that falls to the earth is stored in a proper way for agriculture and other uses. This can be made possible by following recommended soil and water conservation practices in farmer’s fields or gardens.

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Category Archives: Rankings

Scottish Man’s Top 5 Games of the Year 2015

I’ve been pretty bad at updating this for the last couple of weeks, but I’ve had zero free time since about mid-December. Now that the Festive Hellfest has effectively ceased, I can get back to this.

As 2015 draws to a close, it’s time to sit and reflect on what a year it has been for video games. 2015 was the year of rocket powered cars playing football, a man dressed like a bat beating up bad guys (again) and endless countryside views plagued with horrendous monsters.

Here, I will list my top 5 games of the year but before we get started, I’d just like to say that this list is my list. It’s completely subjective. I’ve not played every game that came out this year, but I really love some of the ones I did play, and I’m going to write about them here.

Got a problem? Good. Let’s begin.

5. Helldivers

Early this year, Helldivers took me comepletely by surprise. Upon it’s release I decided to give it a go thanks to some buzz around the internet and that sweet, one-week-only PS Plus discount. What I got was my favourite online co-operative experience, ever. Helldivers doesn’t hold your hand, and each failure is entirely you and your team’s own fault. Everything is out to kill you and you have to stay on your toes at all times. Helldivers is a blend of punishing difficulty, hilarious moments, satisfying victories and constant replayability. That combination earns Helldivers it’s place on this list.

4. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is a walk through the countryside gone horribly wrong. The game begins with you overlooking an empty town, each one of it’s inhabitants gone, and it’s your job to figure out why. There’s no real gameplay in Rapture. All you can do is walk and watch events unfold. It’s an interactive story, and it’s done incredibly well. The mystery surrounding the story keeps you interested for the entire duration and the music punctuating the significant moments is stellar. The voice acting feels incredibly real and the setting and presentation is beautiful. There’s nothing to dislike about Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.

3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Step aside, Bethesda, there’s a new king in town. CD Projekt RED’s incredible The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the biggest, most beautiful games I’ve ever seen. The only real flaw I can think of is that there is too much of it. I put at least 100 hours of my time into The Witcher and I think I’m only halfway through the main storyline. The thing keeping me from finishing it was the hundreds upon hundreds of sidequests that were just as well detailed and written as the main story quests. The Witcher‘s world is also something truly special. It feels endless, lived in and real. The Witcher 3 is an incredible accomplishment, and it’s a game I will happily keep chipping away it for (probably) the rest of my life.

2. Rocket League

The biggest surprise this year, for most, came from Rocket League. Released in July for free to PS Plus members, Rocket League came out of nowhere and stole all of our Summer away. Rocket powered cars playing football is an idea that doesn’t work on paper, but the execution was of the highest quality. Rocket League is simple and incredibly fun. It is, without a doubt, the best sports game this year.

1. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain disappointed me in a lot of ways. The story we were promised and the story we were given were completely different things. It felt unfinished. All of the game’s cutscenes were in pre-release trailers, and I had a pretty sour taste in my mouth when I realised that my favourite video game series of all time was finished without really finishing at all. As a Metal Gear Solid game, MGSV doesn’t cut it. However, MGSV done something no game in the series had done before. Up until MGSV, the Metal Gear games were story first, gameplay later. The focus was shifted dramatically for the fifth installment, and gameplay was at the forefront of the experience. Believe me when I tell you that for all of MGSV‘s narrative shortcomings, it’s gameplay more than makes up for all of it. The game never gets boring. I was constantly finding myself in new situations, even when I was 150 hours deep and no game has forced to me to experiment and improvise like MGSV has. Even after playing until I reached 100% I still wanted more. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is, without a doubt, my game of the year.

The Top 25 Games Of The Decade So Far.

With 2015 nearing it’s end, it’s about time we started thinking about the best games of the decade so far.

Obviously, there are some possible contenders still to release in these last few months of the year, so I may reevaluate this once we hit January 2016.

A little disclaimer, before we get started: Apologies if your favourite game of the last five years isn’t on this list, but I am only one man. I only have so much time and money, and I wouldn’t feel right putting a game into this list that I haven’t actually played and basing it’s ranking on a Metacritic score.

So, let’s begin.

25. Limbo (2010)

Death is necessary if you want to progress through the dark and damp world of Limbo. Filled with traps and tricks that you won’t see coming until it’s too late, Limbo is the story of a young boy looking for his sister, and it’s a creepy jaunt through spooky forests and broken factories. It features some challenging platforming and brain picking puzzles, and is available on pretty much every platform on the market.

24. Trials: Evolution (2012)

I’ve never tried heroin, but I imagine it’s nowhere near as addictive as Trials: Evolution. Taking the tried and tested formula of the critically acclaimed Trials HD and expanding on it tenfold, Trials: Evolution is more of the same and it does everything it’s predecessor did well, but just a little bit better. The leaderboards will keep you coming back again and again, and there is no feeling more satisfying than completely destroying a friend’s high score.

23. Gravity Rush (2012)

In Gravity Rush, you play as a superhero named Kat, in the beautiful town of Hekesville. Parts of the town have disappeared, monsters keep appearing and attacking innocent people and it’s up to Kat to use her gravity altering powers to get to the bottom of it and restore Hekesville. It features a fun cast of characters, and Kat is one of the most likable protagonists I’ve ever had the pleasure of controlling, but how the game plays is where the true greatness of Gravity Rush shines through. Gravity Rush is truly unique, and it needs to be played to be believed.

22. Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013)

Mortal Kombat with superheroes. With Injustice: Gods Among Us, NeatherRealm Studios have made a fun and accessible fighting game that hardcore and casual fans of the genre can enjoy. With an interesting single player story, fun online modes like King of the Hill and having the ability to pit your favourite DC superheroes and super-villains against one another, Injustice: Gods Among Us will keep you coming back time and time again.

21. Helldivers (2015)

Helldivers is a fast paced, gruelingly difficult and surprisingly deep online co-operative twin stick shooter. You take control of one in a team of four intergalactic soldiers fighting off wave after wave of alien enemies while trying to complete objectives in the name of Super Earth. Helldivers is one of the most fun and intense co-operative multiplayer experiences I’ve ever had, and one of the funniest, too. Friendly fire is always on, and supply drops and reinforcements can shoot down from orbit and squash you like a bug, leading to some frustratingly hilarious moments.

20. Tearaway (2013)

No game has made me smile more than Tearaway. Using all of the PS Vita’s tools, Tearaway will surprise you up until the very end. Using the Vita’s front facing camera to show your face on the screen, or watching your finger burst into the game world using the back touch pad are just a couple of the great ideas Media Molecule had with TearawayTearaway is also available on the PlayStation 4 in the form of Tearaway: Unfolded, but the Vita version is the definitive version. If you’re going to play any, stick with the original.

19. Fez (2011)

Fez is a love letter to old school video games, to a time where a pen and paper were your greatest ally. With it’s unique perspective shifting mechanic, Fez had me scribbling symbols and maps onto scraps of paper like a crazy person, trying to figure out an alien language, pulling my hair out over seemingly impossible puzzles and even leaving my game on when I went to work and leaving my girlfriend on guard duty for the infamous clock puzzle. Fez is a treat for the eyes and ears, with stunning pixel art visuals, and a fantastic soundtrack. You won’t find enemies or bosses, but you will find a satisfying adventure that will reward you for your exploration. Do yourself a favour and play this game.

18. Guacamelee! (2013)

You play as undead luchadore Juan, and smash through enemies and puzzles in an effort to save El Presidente’s daughter from the evil Calaca. Guacamelee! is a fast paced, tightly controlled Metroidvania, with some stellar combat and a quirky visual style. It ranks up there with the best Metroidvania games of all time, and is an absolute blast to play. What are you waiting for?

17. Heavy Rain (2010)

From the minute the game boots up, Heavy Rain get it’s hooks in you. Heavy Rain is an interactive movie by developer Quantic Dream, and it’s one of the most gripping stories I’ve ever experience in a video game. Part crime drama, part thriller, Heavy Rain will keep you on the edge of your seat with all of it’s unpredictable twists and turns from beginning to end.

16. Batman: Arkham City (2011)

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a superhero game done right. Batman: Arkham City took what made the original great and gave you bigger, better, more. Arkham City features a much larger environment than it’s predecessor, and one of the best Batman stories available in any medium. It also has one of my favourite boss battles in recent memory. If you’re a fan of Batman or action-adventure video games in general, Batman: Arkham City is the game for you.

15. Rayman Legends (2013)

Rayman Origins was released in 2011 to critical acclaim and was an amazing return to form for the Rayman series. 2013’s Rayman Legends took what was great about it’s predecessor and made it better. With clever 2D platforming, heart stopping time attacks and amazingly done music based levels, Rayman Legends is sure to be a blast for anyone that plays it.

14. Resogun (2013)

Save the last humans! Resogun is now the measuring stick for shoot ’em ups. A launch title for the PlayStation 4, Resogun is pure fun. Smooth 60fps gameplay, a sharp difficulty curve and a techno soundtrack makes Resogun a blast, and it’s score based, multiplier focused gameplay is sure to get your blood pumping.

13. Hotline Miami (2012)

Indie top-down shooter Hotline Miami is a punishing exercise in discipline. Kill everyone to succeed. One mistake and it’s all over. The grueling difficulty and quick retries are what make Hotline Miami greatYou’ll find yourself saying “Okay, this time” after every single failure. It’s fantastic soundtrack compliments the intense action, and it’s music is sure to stick with you long after you’ve finished the game.

12. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is beautiful. It has an interesting story, and well written characters, but the real star of the show is the wonderful world you inhabit during it’s near 50 hour main story. It’s a joy to explore, and there is no shortage of things to do. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will eat up your time, whether you want it to or not.

11. Dead Space 2 (2011)

Alien zombies. Is there anything more terrifying? In Dead Space 2 you play as engineer Isaac Clarke, who is suffering mentally after the events of the first game. You wake up in an asylum with amnesia on a space station called The Sprawl, which has been overrun by a swarm of Necromorphs. It’s your job to get Isaac to safety, but things just keep going wrong. While not as scary as it’s predecessor, Dead Space 2 ramps up the action while staying true to itself, and any fan of the survival horror genre owes it to themselves to play it.

10. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS (2014)

There is no greater couch multiplayer game than Super Smash Bros. Fun, competitive and chaotic battles between you and your friends is what Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS does best. Featuring beloved (and not so beloved) characters from Nintendo’s history, and from elsewhere, Super Smash Bros. lets you answer the question you were asking yourself throughout your childhood. Who would win in a fight between Mario, Sonic and Mega Man?

09. Super Meat Boy (2010)

Super Meat Boy is simultaneously the best and worst 2D platformer I’ve ever played. Never before has a game made me shout, swear and sigh as much. With some of the tightest controls in video games, Super Meat Boy takes pleasure in watching you fail over and over and over again. The true greatness of Super Meat Boy is the satisfaction of beating that level you’ve been stuck on for the last 45 minutes, and it will keep you coming back with it’s time based leaderboards, hidden secrets and collectible bandages scattered throughout it’s 150+ levels.

08. Portal 2 (2011)

Stephen. Fucking. Merchant.

07. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014)

Randomly generated dungeons, power ups and abilities are the bread and butter of The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. You start off with nothing, and as you progress through room after room of enemies, you pick up items that may make you stronger, smaller or faster. The random generation keeps the gameplay fresh and unpredictable, with one run making you feel like an unstoppable God-like being, and the next reducing you to a scared, crying baby. Isaac is a massive game that never gets boring and keeps you on your toes.

06. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

Skyrim is one of the most immersive, deep and vast Western RPGs money can buy. You can sink hours and hours into it and still find new things to do, new dungeons to explore and new beasts to slay long after you’ve finished it’s main story. A well thought out world, well written dialogue and epic, epic battles against dragons and giants and bears (oh my!) make Skyrim a pleasure to lose yourself in.

05. Rocket League (2015)

The vastly successful Rocket League is the biggest surprise of 2015. It came out of nowhere and sucked up all of our free time, and we loved it. On paper, Rocket League sounds stupid, but there’s this competitive magic to it that keeps you glued to your TV match after match. Nice shot!

04. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain falls short in a number of ways, but compensate for all of those shortcomings with the best gameplay of any game of the current generation so far. The Phantom Pain is a joy to play, whether you’re sneaking into a fortified base, or in an all out firefight against a number of enemy soldiers, you won’t want to put the controller down anytime soon. The game succeeds in making you feel like a legendary soldier behind enemy lines, and it’ll keep you coming back for more.

03. Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Grand Theft Auto V is a blast. Whether you want to enjoy it’s story, sights, or go on a full on rampage, this game has something for everyone. Los Santos is a horrible, superficial place filed with bad people who care more about their appearance and their bank accounts than they do about their families, and it is wonderful.

02. Mass Effect 2 (2010)

The pinnacle of the Mass Effect series. Embark on an adventure through the galaxy, searching for clues on how to defeat the colony abdutcing Collectors. Boasting deep customisation, tight gunplay, interesting characters and an incredible planet-hopping story where the decisions you make may make or break your final mission, Mass Effect 2 is every sci-fi fan’s dream game.

01. The Last of Us (2013)

The Last of Us has it all. Great gameplay, incredible motion captured acting, a gritty, realistic setting and one of, if not the best, stories told in video games. The Last of Us will beat you around the head, kick you in the teeth and leave you emotionally exhausted but you won’t be able to stop. The award-winning story is the focus here, and it’s sure to stick in your mind for a long, long time.


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Fire in the Dusk

University Of Oxford First World War Poetry Digital Archive
Manuscript in pencil with corrections in ink and pencil in Ivor Gurney's hand. The poem was sent to Marion Scott in a letter of 7 September 1918. Included in 'War's Embers' (1919). Found in a coverless notebook used by Gurney from late August to mid-September 1918.


text:
The Prophet

University Of Oxford First World War Poetry Digital Archive
Manuscript in red and black ink in Edmund Blunden's hand. Corrections in black in and blue pencil. The poem was published in 'Masks of Time' (1925) and in 'Undertones of War' (1928). The poem was completed sometime after the war, but was begun sometime in 1917.


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Letter: To Merfyn Thomas.

University Of Oxford First World War Poetry Digital Archive
Wishes Merfyn Thomas happy birthday / hopes to be able to be there for upcoming birthdays / a birthday gift of a book about slide rulers / a luncheon / having everything that he needs but some slippers and a pen refill / waiting to know about assignment at Codford / love to the family.


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