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Gear & Axe

Session 0, Day 0

You all fought alongside Earl Bromkar Floki during the Coven War. Whether you were from this world or from Earl Bromkar’s Odin worshipping world of Mid-Realm, you fought alongside of him for the forces allied with the human kingdoms against those of the Coven. Now that Earl Bromkar has been granted his own city and castle, Attigen. He has chosen to settle and rule here, but not ready to settle down, you have come together with your former brothers (and sisters) in arms to form an adventuring company. These are some ways you might have come to fight with Bromkar:

  • You were a sworn warrior of Bromkar’s clan.
  • You were taken slave as a spoil of war in one of his raids, but have proven yourself so he has freed you.
  • You were from Rhodic/Duri/Daemineria/Fankoria/Jeznar assigned to fight with Bromkar and grew to respect him as a leader and now your commision with your home country is complete now that their war has ended.
  • Or other…

Attigen is a medium sized town, but a heavily fortified castle. It sits on the the coast of the mainland near the Duri Federation. It is also on the edge of the former territories controlled by the Coven which the covered by dense forests and mountains. Within those dark lands, the monsters that served the Coven have receded (or lay in hiding) and their riches remain to be discovered.

Session 1, Day 1-3

The party started their new adventuring career with a feast with Earl Bromkar.

  • Bromkar offers each party member 200 gp to find his missing miners at the Twilight’s Hollow mine.
  • The miners discovered a buried Tameen tomb and started to investigate before they stopped sending messages two weeks ago.
  • Vaunk, Steen, and (third gnome relative) give up their share for 2% mine’s output for the next year.
  • Brokmund’s former sword instructor Neerio was a guard stationed with the miners.

Day 2 evening / day 3 morning

  • Party is challenged in the night by a voice speaking Elvish. When Thjafi answered that they are from Attigen an arrow landed at his feet.
Session 2, Day 3

The party fights off a squad of four centaur who were former Coven soldiers. The rest of the night is uneventful and they make for the mine in the morning.

Misc. loot: a petrified mouse, an old chess piece made from glass, an ancient arrow of elven design.

Session 3, Day 3-8

The party finishes their evening rest after being interrupted by centaurs.

Day 4 2:30 am – a distant flute plays gnomish folk songs in the distance. The party chooses not to investigate.

Day 5 10:00 am – the party happened upon a burnt grove. Tracks indicate a group of 5-8 gnolls with a wagon moved east. A possible treant also uprooted from the area.

Day 6 5:00 am -an owlbear attacked the party. It is killed and its hide taken.

Day 8 late afternoon – the party arrived at mine

Session 4, Day 8
  • Party subdued a band of rural gnomes (mounted on giant badgers) stealing/borrowing supplies from the miner’s lodge, killing one of the gnomes.
  • The lead gnome says their village rescued five miners and had been housing them in their village. The party leaves the gnomes 30 days of rations to bring to the miners. The gnomes warn that the miners saw mummies and mummy bears come from the disturbed Tameen tomb.
  • Kiri is the name of one of the gnome scouts (still living).
  • Inside the entrance the party fought off bears wrapped in bandages and ceramic amor, but they seemed made of living flesh and bone.
Session 5, Day 8-9
  • After defeating the bears disguised as mummies, the party withdrew to the storage house outside of the mine to have an extended rest.

Day 9 before sunrise

  • While resting a group of sprites questioned the party about their intentions towards their woods. They read Shamash’s intentions and let the party pass.
  • The party went deeper into the mine to find an elevator that was rigged with a bomb. After disabling the bomb the party goes down the mine.
  • Just after the elevator were two more traps (falling ceilings).
  • At the lower level the party encountered what first appeared to be mummies, but what ended up being animated trees wrapped in mummy wrappings.
Session 6, Day 9

Day 9 morning

  • Licking their wounds from the fake mummies, the party retreated back to the elevator for a short rest.
  • Moving on, they encountered a 30 foot deep pit and engaged two hooked horrors. The party defeated them, but K’un L’un, Steen, and Vaunk all fell during the engagement.
  • The party retreated back to the surface and took an extended rest.

Day 9 afternoon

  • The party crossed a bridge over the 30 foot pit. Vaunk detected a trap and avoided it.
  • The party discovered a side corridor blocked by an animated face with two arms. It posed a riddle which Steen solved granting them entrance.
  • In a dust covered room there was an ancient Tameen console controlling a cryogenic chamber and a skeleton holding an ornate pistol.
  • The party activates the cryogenic chamber releasing the sleeping Tameen princess, Miratari. She claims to be the heir to the lost Tameen empire, and if the party “serves” her by helping her restore her empire, she will greatly reward them.
    • Her father, who went insane, tried to have her killed.
    • The most brilliant engineer and artificer of his day, Kwalish, protected Miratari by hiding her and putting her into cryogenic sleep.
    • She thinks she is a powerful cleric capable of casting Earthquake.
  • Miratari allows Vaunk to take possession of the intelligent pistol, Blackrain, which is devoted to her protection.
  • The party and Miratari move into the next area where they find four miners tied up and gagged, but alive.

Loot: potions of healing x4, scale mail (magical, but unidentified), pistol (Blackrain, unidentified), 16 sp, 6 gp, 3 pp

Session 7, Day 9-17

Day 9 afternoon

  • The party entered the back of the mine where they found an even larger Tameen section. Four miners were tied up in the center with their packs. When Brokmund approached, his former master Neerio came out from a side chamber and warned him not approach as their packs were trapped. Neerio had betrayed the miners and Earl Bromkar.
  • Remnants of the Coven squad known as the Grimtooth Battalion emerged to challenge the party: Smash the ogre wielding a small naval canon and four hobgoblins. Neerio offered to broker a payout to the party, but neither the party or the Grimtooth members seemed interested.
  • During the fight Princess Miratari tried to cast Earthquake, but her spell failed. She regrouped and successfully cast Cure Wounds on Thjafi instead.
  • The party defeated the Grimtooth members and captured Neerio.
  • They found in another room some more Tameen artifacts and treasures.

Loot: 8 gems (50 gp), 2300 cp, 170 sp, 30 gp, studded leather +1, rapier +1, schematics to cartridge shots

(Identified from previous session)

Blackrain – pistol +1, intelligent; three shot revolver taking cartridge shots

  • Special purpose: templar (tasked with protecting the children of Pharaoh Soophis); souldrinker (when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, the pistol slays the creature and drinks its soul, unless it is a construct or an undead. A creature whose soul has been drunk by Blackrain can be restored to life only by a wish spell. When it drinks a soul, Blackrain grants you temporary hit points equal to one fifth the slain creature’s hit point maximum. These hit points fade after 24 hours. As long as these temporary hit points last and you keep Blackrain in hand, its magical bonus becomes +2, and you have +1 on saving throws and ability checks.)

Scale Mail +1

Day 10-17

  • The party returned the miners and Neerio to Attigen to the celebration of the town and the thanks of Earl Bromkar.
  • The party told Bromkar that Miratari is an orphan they found along the way.
  • Brokmund executes Neerio for his betrayal.
  • The party has the following options for their next action:
    • A phantom airship is disrupting a trade route
    • The gnome village of Burrabor who sheltered five miners were upset when the party killed one of their scouts so they sent the miners to a slave market. (current choice)
    • Earl Bromkar has ordered the siege and destruction of Burrabor.
    • Miratari is still trying to orient herself to this new modern world, but she thinks she could find her way to Kwalish’s other hidden cryo-chamber.
    • The Grimtooth Battalion led by the quickling gunslinger Jaezin Bor is off to sell the stolen elemental coal.

Loot: 800 gp each for securing the mines and rescuing some of the miners

Session 8, Day 19-20

The party celebrated and rested for a couple days after returning from the Twilight’s Hollow Mines.

Day 19 evening

  • Earl Bromkar introduced the party to Myron (Tom’s new PC), a friend and warrior, who recently returned from the town of Gai Moor’a with a report of the major players. Additionally Bromkar adds:
    • The gnomes holding the five remaining miners are trying to sell them as slaves in Gai Moor’a but have run into unexpected trouble.
  • Howellan Tark introduced himself to the party. He is a Fankorian industrialist and provided weapons and vehicles to Earl Bromkar and other allied forces including the warforged K’un L’un himself. In a private conversation with K’un L’un, Howellan revealed that he still has access to a diagnostic mode in the warforg’s subconscious.

Day 20 morning

  • The party set out on a merchant ship to Gai Moor’a officially as mercenary guard to make a more subtle entrance. Howie Tark is also on board hoping to setup trade contracts with Gai Moora if they open trade with Attigen and/or the Duri Federation.
  • Before even leaving sight of Attigen they were attacked by giant octopi and then sahaugin.
Session 9, Day 20-26

Day 20 – 26

  • The party continued to sail towards the neutral town of Gai Moor’a
    • Encountered giant crabs, a friendly group of aquatic elves allied with Earl Bromkar, and outraced a pirate ship
    • The night before arriving at Gai Moor’a, Howie Tark brought the two party members on watch (K’un L’un and Brokmund) to the back of the boat and showed them his toolkit, offering upgrades for K’un L’un should he want.
  • Upon arrival in Gai Moor’a the party took to the streets under the guise of mercenary guards on shore leave. The ship was asked to wait until the party is ready to leave.
    • Visiting a shrine to the Mid Realm gods, Throthgar developed a rapport with the devout deserters seeking redemption in the eyes of Odin and Thor. Led by the old veteran, Brother Vitel, the faithful reported that the gnomes tried to sell the dwarven miners to the Sons of the Kraken, but neither the gnomes or the dwarves have been seen since that meeting over two weeks ago.
    • Visiting the slave market Brokmund buys a Fankorian engineer (Bob) to give him a second chance. The party is told that the gnomes, led by The Fonk, tried to sell the dwarves in the market originally, but said they would get ten fold the price from the Sons of the Kraken because the dwarves had political value. The engineer is sent to the boat to wait for the party.

Day 26

  • Myron hit the street and discovered that Tark is taking bids for smuggled suits of steamplate he’s trying to sell. This goes against the wishes of Earl Bromkar who does not want more weapons sold to a town he wants fealty from.
  • Vaunk also hit the streets and was accosted by Sons of the Kraken guard who were looking for a certain “country” gnome. They offered a reward for information leading to this gnome’s location.

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Thursday, May 1, 2014

May Customer Challange: Mother's Day

It is May and time for a new Gecko Galz Customer Challenge!!
This month our theme is Mother's Day!!
There is only one rule, and that is you need to use at least ONE  product from Gecko Galz!!
It can be one of the free products, stamps, collage images, or digital papers!!  It is up to you!!
The winner will receive a $15 Gecko Galz Shopping Spree and a Vintage By Me Paper Pack
I also want to announce our
April Anything Goes Customer Challenge Winner
Anne Mills
Congrats to Anne!!!
We thought it might be fun to share a couple of inspiration pieces from the Design get your Mojo going!!
You can stop by their blogs to get all the Yummy Details!!
(that's me)
Here is another Mother's Day Tag I did....
We can't wait to see your creations!!
Thank you for visiting!!
  You have until 11:55pm Eastern time on May 30th to play along!
You can link up your creations below.

  1. Congrats to Anne Mills, that is beautiful! Love what all my DT sisters have made for this challenge, so much beauty and detail! What a talented group, I am proud to be a part of. Wishing you all the best of luck, have fun creating for this challenge! ~Diane

  2. these are some wonderful mother's day creations!

  3. Congratulation Anne, Love the colors and images. Great DT projects too. Kim

  4. beautiful beautiful DT pieces! xo

  5. Congrats to Anne! Am looking forward to playing along this month, maybe even twice! Love the new look to the blog, and as always, the DT have outdone themselves. Bravo ladies!

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Thursday, October 10, 2013

Day 11: 10 LBS Lost, Going to a Concert Tonight - #Stereophonics

first off, i'm going to a concert tonight. to see the Stereophonics, one of my favorite bands. if you don't know who they are, please make an effort to find out-they are SO worth it! here's a first step:

what a voice, eh? glorious.

so i'm super excited to go to this concert, however i'm a tad trepidatious. (is that even the correct tense/use of that word?). the reason i'm apprehensive (that's better) is that as i said in a previous post, i've been taking the whole social plans thing easy during this two week cleanse period because it's just better/easier that way. not only because it's easier to be away from temptation or being reminded of what you CAN'T have, and because i get more tired than usual because i'm eating less overall, but also because i think a big part of this cleanse is actually about self-reflection.

the quieting of the food noise in my head has left me with a very stripped-down and raw version of ME. and that's a very fragile state to be in, no matter who you are or how confident you are in general. so it makes sense that along with this period of resetting yourself physically, you also take some quiet time out to reset yourself spiritually and emotionally as well. i mean, that kind of happens on its own anyway. i keep saying that i feel like i just got the BEST therapy, but really it was the cleanse. i highly recommend it. (unless you are REALLY in trouble and actually need real therapy or professional help. go get that instead, in that case. :)

in summation, of course i'm excited to see one of my favorite bands. but i'm nervous at how i'm going to feel standing and cheering and dancing for a few hours (in case you've never heard how i behave at a concert, the high-pitched screaming right by the camera in this video is, in fact, me). and also, what if there's no champagne there, and i order a vodka-soda with some that cheating on my commitment to my cleanse, considering i said i'd only break the fast for champs?

i'm pretty sure i've used this GIF before. i'm totally ok with it. this GIF is important at all times.

lastly, i have lost TEN POUNDS (LBS), you guys! as of this morning! how cray is that? day 11, ten LBS. i know i know i know it's not about the weight loss, but now i'm on a mission to see if i can lose the 15 LBS that the cleanse website says is the high-end of a typical weight loss for this cleanse. since i've pretty much proven to myself beyond the shadow of a pistachio nut shell that i can do this cleanse, now i want to challenge my body to do it to it's maximum results.

wish me luck tonight!

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Game of Roles, Game of Thrones S4e10

zap-game-of-thrones-season-4-episode-10-the-ch-008Hi Readers,

It’s been a fortnight since the finale and originally I was going to name this post with some pun related to “How to Train Your Dragon” or a comment about farm boys because of Grenn, or something relating to Father’s Day because Tywin’s was less than optimal. That being said there wasn’t a particular scene that I thought was better done than others (well there’s one exception… sort of) and every actor (even in the scene I loved least) played their role so well, hence the title. So, let’s dive into the finale of season four! Continue reading “Game of Roles, Game of Thrones S4e10” »

Shoot Me Now, Game of Thrones, S4e9

game-of-thrones-s4-ep9-ygritte-620x348Hi Readers,

So last Sunday was our second to last episode for season four of Game of Thrones, and I have to say that I was quite shockingly underwhelmed and bored by it, considering it was, on the whole, the most action packed episode of the season, and in all fairness, incredibly well done. It was not what I’d consider a poor episode, and not the weakest of the season, but it didn’t do it for me, and here’s why. Continue reading “Shoot Me Now, Game of Thrones, S4e9” »


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Matt and Gillian kick off their coverage of the TV Movies with In the Beginning. Find out how the USS Good Ol’ Boy is to blame for everything. Minbari!Rabbi Koslov is as awesome as his human counterpart. Baby!Ivanova, Baby!Sheridan, Bab- ALL THE PRECIOUS BABIES.

Duration: 7724 secondsSize: 46.29 Mb

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European Barberry Berberis vulgaris Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Herbs lists barberry as being anti-helicobacter, fungicidal and anti-parasitic.

Barberry is a thorned, deciduous shrub growing up to 3 meters (10 feet) in height common  to most areas of Central and Southern Europe and the Northeastern regions of the United States. It grows well in dry, sunny locations, flowers in mid-spring to early summer and produces a fruit (Fructis berberidis) that can be harvested in early autumn or fall.

The leaves of the barberry plant are spatula shaped with numerous spiny teeth arising from the axils of thorns on short bushy shoots. Barberry has yellow, unpleasant smelling flowers that form hanging clusters, which form into long scarlet colored berries with a sour taste (1) (2).

In folk medicine, european barberry root bark has been used for various conditions including liver dysfunction, gallbladder disease, diarrhea, indigestion and urinary tract diseases (3) (4) (5). It has been applied in many cultures to treat malaria, and leishmaniasis (4) (5) (6).

American Indians used barberry to improve appetite, a function that was soon picked up by early American settlers. It was also reportedly used for treating stomach problems such as ulcers and heartburn (3), and is listed in the American Medical Ethnobotany Reference Dictionary as being effective in reducing fever (7).

Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Herbs lists barberry as being anti-helicobacter, fungicidal and anti-parasitic. It reports indications of barberry against staphylococcus, streptococcus and yeast, and claims that it is superior in bactericidal properties to chloramphenicol, a commonly prescribed antibiotic drug (8).

The constituents berberine, columbamine, and oxyacanthine show evidence of antibacterial activity, with some suggestion that berberine sulfate might be amebicidal and trypanocidal (3) (9). Research indicates that berberine is specifically effective against cholera, giardia, shigella, salmonella and E. coli (10).

The German Commission E Monographs list barberry not only as useful for treating liver diseases, but also as a stimulant for the circulatory and respiratory systems (11). Barberry is claimed also to have anti-viral activities, and as a treatment for chronic candidiasis, indigestion and parasites (12).

Laboratory studies have shown that berberine has some activity against E. histolytica in mice (6).

Barberry is generally considered safe when consumed orally and appropriately for medicinal purposes, but due to its moderately toxic properties cannot be recommended for consumption in quantities over 500 mg. Barberry has been classified as unsafe to take during pregnancy due to its uterine stimulant properties. Due to the lack of reliable studies on the use of barberry during periods of lactation it is not recommended for use while breastfeeding (4).

  1. Dorfler HP, Roselt G.  The Dictionary of Healing Plants.  New York, NY:  Blandford Press.  1989.
  2. “Barberry, Berberis vulgaris.”  Indian Spring Herbal Encyclopedia.  (Accessed May 30, 2003)
  3. Foster S, Tyler VE.  Tyler’s Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies.  Fourth Edition.  New York: The Haworth Herbal Press,  1999.
  4. Jellin JM, Batz F, Hitchens K.  Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.  Third Edition.  Stockton, California: Therapeutic Research Faculty, 2000.
  5. Gruenwald J,  PDR for Herbal Medicines.  First Edition.  Montvale, NJ:  Medical Economics Company, Inc.,  1998.
  6. Hostettmann, K, Marston A, Maillard M, Hamburger M. ed. Phytochemistry of Plants Used in Traditional Medicine.  Oxford:  Clarendon Press,  1995.
  7. Moerman, DE.  American Medical Ethnobotany:  A Reference Dictionary.  New York, NY:  Garland Publishing.  1977.
  8. Duke JA, et. al.  Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.  Second Edition.  Boca Raton, FL:  CRC Press.  2002.
  9. Lueng AY, Foster S.  Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics.  Second Edition.  New York, NY:  Wiley & Sons,  1996.
    10. Chevallier A.  Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.  Revised Edition.  Sydney, Australia:  Dorling Kindersley.  2001.
  10. Blumenthal M, et. al. ed.  The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines.  Austin:  American Botanical Council,  1998.
  11. “Barberry, Berberis vulgaris.”  United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Medicinal Plant Database.  Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.  (Accessed May 30, 2003).

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Historical Fiction Revisionism #1:All Is not quiet on the western front.

Seen here after the debut of the first and self-proclaimed "fire and ice" serve,  Andrew along with the rest of the western chapter of the GRC recuperates after an active match.

The fire and ice serve is an interesting take on the original swanerdoodle, but less cunning and sexed up with the chance dynamism of hovesque backhand torque.  Sorry anymore details are DADT.   Well anyhow i don't know if it will be fire or ice that gets the eastern chapter going again, from what I've tasted of desire, I side with those that favor fire, but if it had get going twice, I know the power of Ice is also great and would suffice.

Fixed Gear

I wonder if Huebner bought his fixie on Kriegslist?

Hott match in progress!

Save yourself one day of “tennis women hot” or
“sexy tennis ladies” google searches by checking out the Sharapova Wozniacki match currently going on. All I can say is video is better that photo, and two is better than one!

live feed: http://www.usopen.org/en_US/console/console.html?ts=1283805334976&video=A&syn=&db=false&ref=www.usopen.org/en_US/interactive/video/live.html&alt=

Seduced By Power, Memoirs of a Muscly Woman

I always thought of Serena as linebacker or the product of some last strain of Amazonian DNA. Though broad and powerful, even slighter women players under this lens appear closer to her.


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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Interesting human phenomenon, the notion that because I have learned some hard lessons, cut my way through one thicket or another, somehow others should not be required to do the same. All I have to do, for example, is tell someone my conclusions, they will listen and hear ... and they won't have to raise a sweat on that subject.

Parents, if they're anything like me, do this all the time -- hoping against hope that their accrued wisdom can somehow be passed into their children. No parent wants his or her kids to be lonely or sad or too cocky ... so there is the effort to point out the hard lessons the parent has learned. No one who has been to war (short of psychotics) would wish such a thing on anyone else. The experience is just too horrific, too compelling, too wounding even when you set aside the physical wounds. And in spiritual endeavor the wish is the same -- that all those tears and all that sweat will have some meaning and that that meaning can be transmitted.

But there is one more hard lesson that goes with all the other hard lessons. It cannot be transmitted, no matter how ornate or intricate or sensible the explanations. Kids have to go through their own thickets; the wounds of war serve little or no wider understanding; and the mounds of wisdom collated in books or minds will not suffice in spiritual endeavor.

The hard lesson is -- experience cannot be shared. And that can feel pretty lonely right up until the moment that its factual nature is accepted. The fact that experience cannot be shared does not mean we cannot converse or point out the particulars of a problem. We don't have to be stupid or heartless. But that pointing out is not the same as the experience of a particular thicket -- a thicket that may rip the skin off your heart or fill you with an unspeakable peace.

I guess the bottom line of the fact that experience cannot be shared is something like, "Patience!" and "Get over yourself!"

Why anyone invented koans when there are living situations like this ... well, it beats the hell out of me.

1 comment:

  1. It became obvious as soon as I had my first baby that tabula rasa is a myth and he came equipped with the deluxe karmic package and thus had his own path to trod and tangles to navigate. It seemed to me that what I could do was to let him know that he was unconditionally loved for being him, and try to give him the best tools I knew to navigate his thickets.

    My kids are grown now, mid-thicket you might say. I certainly passed on many of my delusions and fears, that unconscious content we transmit to our offspring. But I also see in them toolkits they employ that have ethics, and self control, and compassion, and self-inquiry, some of which I recognize as part of my legacy as their mother.

    So I'd say yes, your kids can't 'know' your experience, but you can show how you navigate it, both in conversation and (most importantly) in demonstration.


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Vulnerable places

I talk a lot about raw, emotionally vulnerable play on this blog, and whenever I have a roleplaying experience that scratches that itch, I gush about it here. But I haven’t very thoroughly explored the issue of how to achieve a safe space for that kind of vulnerability. I’d like to examine a recent case to see what comes to light.

I’m preparing to play in an Apocalypse World campaign. I, along with Hans, my friend and MC, have been looking forward to it  with relish. We both feel that we’ve had fun with past AW games, but never really gotten at the emotional core of apocalypse world play. for my part, following my initial, very moving experience over a year ago, I’ve had a string of one-shots that were mostly just fun, casual and diverting, without a lot of emotional investment in the characters. not to knock fun, casual and diverting, but for this game, Hans and I wanted something deeper. When I hit up my friends to play, I emphasized this in an email:

“[We’re] looking for a game that really emphasizes the humanity and desperation of the post-apocalypse, with folks who are prepared to go to some emotionally vulnerable places and aren’t afraid to have their buttons pushed. “I will Not Abandon You” play, as it were. If you’re down for that, you’re welcome to play with us!

One friend read that and decided to bow out, both for scheduling reasons and because he wasn’t sure if an RPG setting was a place he wanted to be “emotionally vulnerable.” and more power to him! I have no judgment on that and feel like the email did its job in exposing that difference in priority. Then another player, my brother in fact, asked me, in a slightly apprehensive tone, “what exactly do you mean by ’emotionally vulnerable’?” I told him it was mainly about adhering to the Apocalypse World tenet of playing characters like real people, and examining real grief, real suffering, real joy. He seemed satisfied with that answer, though he later decided to bow out of the game anyway.

But it got me thinking: I say something like “emotionally vulnerable” and assume everyone knows what it means, but I’m not even sure *I* know what I mean by it! It’s more of an instinctive, felt thing that defies definition, but I set about to try to express it, so I could make sure my fellow players understood me. Here’s what I came up with and emailed the group:

When I say “emotionally vulnerable play” I DON’T mean group therapy masquerading as roleplaying, or pre-planning what themes will be addressed and how, or elevating emotional resonance OVER the characters and story. In fact, I feel that we can only achieve real emotional resonance THROUGH maintaining the integrity of the characters and story. What I DO mean is, bringing to the game an openness to being powerfully emotionally affected by play. Beyond that, it’s individual to the specific game. So, for this game, “emotionally vulnerable play” is centered on AW’s tenets to play the characters as if they were real people, and to make Apocalypse World seem real. To me, that means engaging a lot of empathy as players. We don’t necessarily have to play nice, compassionate people, but whatever fiction and characters develop, if we maintain awareness and appreciation of their plight on an emotional level, we can avoid devolving into humor as emotional avoidance or pure action-escapism. Humor and action are great, but not at the expense of empathy.

So that, if you like, is my “definition” of emotionally vulnerable play. It basically amounts to “tell me what game we’re playing and I’ll tell you what emotionally vulnerable play means in that game. Both a game’s structure and its subject matter deeply affect what kinds of themes you can address, and how. For instance, here’s a list we came up with of themes that we came up with that interest us in Apocalypse World:

The touching humanity of people in desperate circumstances
What happens to human society in the midst of catastrophic collapse
The possibility of love in the midst of misery, cruelty and violence
Characters coping with the effects of abuse, violence, sexual assault, etc.
Unconventional sexuality, both functional and dysfunctional
Possible sexual relationships between PCs
PCs as a sort of intentional family, though maybe a fucked-up one
Trying to build a better world out of a pile of shit
The search for meaning/transcendence/redemption in a god-forsaken world

Now, I don’t expect to hit all of these themes, or even most of them, in one game. But this, I hope, gives us a sort of constellation of themes that clearly lays out the range of possibilities for play, without locking us into a narrow course or particular outcomes. We’ll follow where play leads, but with a strong set of orientating trajectories that send us down fruitful avenues. Of course, the real test is whether this sort of listing and discussion is actually useful in soliciting emotional buy-in and producing satisfying play. We’ll soon see!

5 thoughts on “Vulnerable places”

  1. Very inspiring…on of these days i’d like join one of these games. I think it’d be an awesome experience, especially with one of your “emotionally vulnerable play”. :3

  2. I’ve appreciated this kind of play when it arrives organically and I’ve found games that leave a space for it among those I enjoy. I’d even say I generally prefer those kinds of games.

    But steering towards those kind of moments hard and including that as a goal/mission statement prior to a game project is something I’d *personally* be wary of. This for reasons too long and various to enumerate here but the kernel of my hesitancy lies in the belief that those moments are most powerful when subtle and “found.” Whether you’re talking about a movie script, a novel, or a role-playing session.

    I’ll be curious to hear how this develops. You’ll be playing an outstanding game in any case. (more than a couple dozen sessions of AW for me now…)

  3. As the MC of the game Joel’s discussing, Matthew, I have to say I agree with you–those moments have to be “found”, and can’t be forced. We’re not trying to force it. We’re saying, “In this game, we really want to find these emotionally vulnerable moments. Let’s seek them together!”

  4. I understand where you’re coming from, Matthew. I had similar misgivings when I wrote the original email. I only did so when vague talk about “emotionally vulnerable play” was prompting people to ask questions. I was quite concerned that I would overstate or overplan the themes we might address, and thus stifle the spontaneity of play. I was delighted to find this wasn’t the case!

    After the first session, the group discussed this briefly, and came to the conclusion that listing so MANY themes was what kept it fresh and alive. Listing, say, two or three themes WOULD channel play narrowly into a predetermined course, but with so many themes laid out on the table as it were–more than would be POSSIBLE to address satisfyingly in one game–it simply provided a rich tapestry to draw from.

    I also tend to think that framing the themes as open-ended questions or issues, rather than answers or conclusions, helps immensely. An old Story Now technique. 🙂

    But in any case, the whole thing’s an experiment! I didn’t know how it would turn out; I just took it into my head to try a new method of communicating expectations and hared off with it. Seems to be working out pretty well so far, but it”ll be a field for constant refinement, like all other creative techniques.

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A weblog designed to share Geography resources with students and colleagues

Friday, March 26, 2010

Crystal ball aside...

Categories: Environmental Hazards, s1 and s2
This is the plan for my one period of s4 today. As the class have a little test coming up, we need to make sure that all of the hurricanes work is finished before Wednesday. Fortunately, we don't have too much to do. I'll give some homework on the impacts of the case study hurricane, which means Mrs Gordon can just pick up on this and check understanding. As a general refresher and to start the period, we'll use this flash game from Tony Cassidy's site. This will allow me to link the work I did with the class last Friday to the work that has been completed this week. We'll then move on to continue looking at predicting hurricanes. Again, Mrs Gordon has been through most of this, so the exercise in the picture above is all that is really left to be completed. Providing we have IT access, it would be nice to finish off the period testing how well the students could prepare against a hurricane simulation. Have used this loads and it's always a useful exercise. Simple period with s1 today as we are talking about favela building for next week. Then it's the weekend :)

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Click HERE to see photos from past Christmases
Fed up with our traditional female angel, I made this "alternative one" using a hunky charity shop doll, some tartan from Edinburgh, a safety pin, some feathered wings from a card, and a black balloon for his vest.
OUR HOUSE stuffing
Every year, I make cornbread stuffing with cranberries, sausage, and pecans. The recipe can be found HERE.
My Christmas Goodies business continues to grow. I made this cake and all the marzipan fruits on top.
Christmas cake 2
This is another cake for a friend who prefers royal icing. Nick has to help with the icing, because I don't have the patience!
The chocolately yule log was this year's alternative to those who don't like fruit cake. I made the marzipan mushrooms based on (poisonous) ones we found on our mushroom hunting forrays.
Speaking of mushrooms, I was thrilled to be able to get Antonio Carluccio to autograph his book for Nick when I was in London in November. Gorbachev subtitled it "the quiet hunt" after receiving his own copy of a previous edition.
G Turkey.jpg
I got up at 5:00 to go and get our free range, organic turkey from the butcher.
Here's Simon, our friendly, award winning butcher.
Movies Snacks
On Christmas Eve, we watched our favourites (shown left) and ate popcorn and nachos.
N Roof.jpg
Nick cleans the roof, ready for Santa Claus.
G Santa
Santa gets ready.
Christmas breakfast included gingerbread muffins.
B Beach 2
Then we headed for Bournemouth beach. I wore my kilt.
B Beach
These beach huts sell for thousands!
Beach hut
But their owners know how to party.
N phone.jpg
Nick wishes his mother a Happy Christmas...
N Frisbee
...before losing the Frisbee in the waves.
B Gifts 2
Back home, we exchanged gifts
I got all of the Booker Prize nominated books (winner on top).
Monopoly board RS
I made Nick this personalised Monopoly game featuring places we've been. Click for larger view.
B 20 Questions
We both gave each other the hot new game of the season: 20Q.
N Mushrooms
Friends Dave and Gillie gave us stained glass porcini mushrooms.
B Sale
On December 27th, we got up at 4.00 a.m. to rush to the Next sale. We went back at 9.30 to go to John Lewis for more bargains.
LONDON, December 29 & 30

As soon as we arrived in London, we headed straight for the Tate Britain, where we saw a fascinating exhibition of works by Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Walter Sickert, London & Paris, 1870 - 1910. The entire exhibition is viewable on the Tate's website.
Tate Degas.jpg
L'Absinthe is one of Degas most celebrated works.

Tate Toulouse.jpg.
The Clowness Cha-U-Kao by Toulouse-Lautrec
I had not heard of Walter Sickert before, and when I got home, I found out that the painter is one of the prime suspects for having been Jack the Ripper. Patricia Cromwell has done a whole thesis on the subject.
Tate Turner 2.jpg
We also saw the Turner Prize winning Shedboatshedby Simon Starling.
Tate Turner.jpg
I preferred the playful work of Jim Lambie.
I liked the name of this Tavern.
G Snow
We took advantage of the snow slide outside the Tate Modern.
N Snow.jpg
Because of the weather, we were the only people there.
St Pauls
St. Paul's cathedral from the Millennium Bridge
 Cock shirts
This shirt was found in Covent Garden.
Rachel Whiteread's EMBANKMENT, at the Tate Modern
Whiteread 2
We had fun walking among the white cubes.
Sunday 2.jpg
Sunday in the Park With George
Cone art
We saw this modern Christmas decoration in Soho.
Sunday.jpg Daniel Evans.jpg
The main reason that we went to London was to see Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George at the Menier Chocolate Factory. The highly acclaimed production used state of the art graphic images and starred Daniel Evans, who wore a great wig.

Five months later...we returned to London on June 3rd to see the new production of Broadway's hit musical, Avenue Q, which happened to be showing at a theatre right next door to the one where Sunday in the Park With George was now playing. While waiting outside the stage door of our theatre, who should emerge behind me, but the two lead actors from Sunday! I was thrilled to get a chance to speak to Daniel Evans personally and to get him to sign his autograph. In fact, I am probably the only person in the world to have an Avenue Q program signed by Daniel Evans!
Zt Daniel Evans.jpg
Getting Daniel Evans' autograph in June, 2006
Zu Daniel Evans.jpg zv Daniel Evans.jpg
Autograph DE
Daniel Evans' autograph on Avenue Q program
P Jenna.jpg
Jenna Russell had replaced Anna Jane Casey as Dot in the show, so we weren't familar with her work, but Daniel Evans said she is great. When I got home, I discovered that Jenna had sung the theme to Red Dwarf, as well as appearing in Guys and Dolls with Ewan McGregor
Q Jenna.jpg
Jenna Russell signs another fan's program.
London tree
In Trafalgar Square, holding Reece's Nutrageous bars and standing in front of the giant tree, an annual gift from the people of Norway.
London guitar
Nick got a new acoustic guitar for Christmas.

NY Both.jpg
We spent New Year's Eve at three of our local pubs. Our friends dressed in a pirate theme, so we quickly put together outfits.
NY Elephant.jpg
I don't know this man, but his hat is great!
NY Coke.jpg
Making Nigella Lawson's "Ham in Coca-Cola" for New Year's supper.
Naked Boys Singing 2.jpg
I think this is the cast of Broadway's Naked Boys Singing.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

My Hero- My Defender: The Scarecrow Sprinkler!!

Introducing My Hero! LOL! This is a "Scarecrow Sprinkler" there are two of them that defend my Kingdom! There is a motion detector underneath the sprinkler. So when it detects motion (obviously) it will start a sprinkler sweep from left to right. It scares off cats, birds, dogs, the Reliant meter reader, and anything else that happens onto my Kingdom! Very cool! So to speak!


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The Strangers Long Neck

Trading With Strangers

The man who had suddenly appeared at the top of the hill was a stranger. Right below him, and carrying a dead boar between them, were three men who had hunted in this area since childhood. Fear flicked across the stranger’s face. His nostrils flared as he sucked in more air; his eyes widened, and the landscape became larger before him. The three men dropped the boar and raised their weapons.

They stood there, staring at each other. The stranger tried his best to smile. Two of the men glanced at their leader for a sign. Then the sun came out. The chain of colorful stones the stranger was wearing around his neck glistened and sparkled. The leader’s eyes focused on the stones and he now wore an inquisitive expression. He had never seen such beautiful stones before. Then something amazing happened. Instead of killing the stranger and taking his colorful stones, he decided to trade. He would offer the hungry stranger some of his boar in exchange for those fantastic stones.

Somewhere in the not too distant past, trade between strangers began. The old way had been “fight or flight”. If you saw strangers, you either ran from them or tried to kill them. Once we learned to trade with strangers, our world jumped on a rollercoaster of change and progress. We ventured beyond our tight-knit families and tribes to build cities and civilizations. We moved from isolated villages to the global village, and to the World Wide Web. If there’s one reason more than any other that Web sites fail, it’s because the web teams managing them lack understanding of, and empathy for, their customers. The customer is a stranger and this book is about helping you understand your customers so that you can create more intuitive Web sites that are truly easy to use.

The pull of the tribe-the organization or departmental unit-is great, but it is the single greatest source of Web site failure. This book will give you a range of techniques to avoid that pull and to truly understand and design for the stranger. And it is as much about intranets as it is about public Web sites. Remember, employees are the customers of the intranet.

To live in the modern world is to be surrounded by strangers. To live in the primitive world is to live only with family, the department, the tribe of graphic designers, or content writers. This you must resist, which will be hard because the Web is a cold place. It’s not like running a shop or a restaurant or an offi ce. You don’t get the normal feedback you would get if you were a manager and walked into your supermarket and saw big queues at the checkouts or unhappy faces.

Real people use your Web site every day. Real people? Yes, real people. Strange as it may seem, that’s an incredibly hard thing for most of us involved in Web site management to understand. And out of sight is out of mind. We don’t see these “people”, so in essence they don’t exist. That is why Web sites fail. The Web sites that succeed get constant feedback from their customers as they seek to complete tasks on the Web site.

This book gives you methods to get that feedback in the form of defensible management metrics. Over a 15-year period, the ideas have been developed within some of the world’s largest organizations, including Microsoft, Tetra Pak, Rolls-Royce, Schlumberger, IKEA, Cisco, and OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development).

The essential underlying method is called task management, which is based on the following principles:

  1. Every Web site has a small set of tasks that deliver a huge amount of value. These are the top tasks and they exist in what I call the Long Neck.
  2. Every Web site has a large range of tiny tasks. Carefully managed, these tasks have the potential to deliver value, but they also have real potential to destroy value by getting in the way of the top tasks.
  3. Manage the top tasks, not the content or the technology. Focus relentlessly on helping your customers complete the top tasks as quickly and easily as possible.

There are two skills you must develop if you want to succeed in web management. The fi rst is empathy for your customer. You have to develop a real feeling for your customer (the stranger), to think like your customer and use the words your customer uses. Easy to say, but one of the most diffi cult challenges that any of us faces is walking in someone else’s shoes.

The second skill involves linking and connecting. The Web is, in essence, a network and you must combine empathy for your customers with an understanding of the journey they are on-the tasks they need to complete. In order for them to complete their tasks you will have to create appropriate links. Linking seems simple, but is incredibly hard to do right, because to create great links you must be truly thinking like your customer, using their language, making it as simple as possible for them, and saving them as much time as possible.

When researchers fi nally counted the number of genes in the human body, they were a bit depressed. They had expected to fi nd a lot more. You see, they already knew that an earthworm has about 20,000 unique genes. Surely, the grand and majestic human would have at least 10 times more?

Not so. The poor old human only possesses about 30,000 unique genes. (Now the earthworms were delighted. It was frontpage news on Earthworm Daily, and they partied for a week.) Both humans and earthworms are networks. And a network is made up of two things. There is the node, the gene, the webpage. This is the place, the thing, the entity. But the gene on its own is not a network. It needs something else that is much more crucial in creating a network. So what is it that makes a network a network? It is the link, the connection. And this is the difference, a major difference, between us and those party-animal earthworms.

Humans, you see, may not have all that many more genes than an earthworm, but we have far more links between our genes. It is the connections between our genes that makes us human, and it is the lack of connections between earthworm genes that makes earthworms, earthworms. So, even at the genetic level, there is a simple and compelling message: It pays to connect, it pays to link, it pays to cooperate.

What about The Selfish Gene, you might justifiably ask? That wonderful book by Richard Dawkins brilliantly made the case that all genes care about is perpetuating themselves, and they use us humans and other species simply as gene-carriers and genereplicating machines.

Maybe so, but Dawkins points out that even the selfish gene has learned to cooperate:

Colonies of genes they may be but, in their behavior, bodies have undeniably acquired an individuality of their own. An animal moves as a coordinated whole, as a unit. Subjectively, I feel like a unit, not a colony. This is to be expected. Selection has favored genes that cooperate with others. In the fierce competition for scarce resources, in the relentless struggle to eat other survival machines, and to avoid being eaten, there must have been a premium on central coordination rather than anarchy within the communal body.

Linking is what makes the Web, the Web. Over the years, through a whole range of customer tests, I have found that there are three things that really annoy customers when they visit a Web site:

  • Confusing menus and links
  • Poor search results
  • Out-of-date information

The Long Neck

According to Wikipedia, “The Pareto principle states that, for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.” Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist and sociologist. He noticed that 80% of Italy’s wealth was owned by 20% of Italians and when he surveyed other countries he found that the same principle applied. Through continuous research on Web sites over an eight-year period in 15 countries with over 60,000 test participants on a wide range of subjects, we (my associates and I) have found that:

  • 25% of effects come from 5% of causes;
  • 60% (not 80% as Pareto suggests) of effects come from 20% of causes.

What does this mean? A very small set of things (the Long Neck) has a huge impact-5% of things have 25% of the influence. On every Web site there is a small set of super-important tasks that your customers wish to complete. You must get these tasks right, otherwise you lose your customers. We have found that this Long Neck phenomenon occurs when people are using Web sites to decide:

  • What they want from a vacation destination;
  • What is important to them from a personal development point of view;
  • What they want from a new car;
  • How they are going to choose a university;
  • How they search on the Web to find out more about Barack Obama or John McCain, etc.

One of the key promises of the Web is the collapse of geography. We can go all over the world in an instant. And we can buy and sell digital items at almost zero distribution and storage cost. Physical things that used to be difficult to locate are now much easier to find.

In 2004, Chris Anderson, editor of Wired magazine, coined the term “Long Tail”. According to Anderson:

The theory of the Long Tail is that our culture and economy are increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of “hits” (mainstream products and markets) at the head of the demand curve and toward a huge number of niches in the tail. As the costs of production and distribution fall, especially online, there is now less need to lump products and consumers into one-size-fits-all containers. In an era without the constraints of physical shelf space and other bottlenecks of distribution, narrowlytargeted goods and services can be as economically attractive as mainstream fare.

Long tail

The Long Tail is a great concept and is definitely true in many situations. Being a fan of somewhat obscure music, I’m certainly delighted that I can use the Web to get music I would otherwise have been unable to find.

A problem with the Long Tail theory is that it is primarily concerned with the costs of storage and distribution, which, it points out, are negligible for digital content. There are other costs, including:

  • Creation
  • Finding
  • Review

We are now told that content will be created for free by a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs. In certain cases this is true, in other cases not. It’s hard to see a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs producing animation fi lms of the same quality as Pixar’s, or creating blockbusters like Avatar.

While there has been an explosion in writing for children, it is not evident that there has been an explosion of J. K. Rowlings. It’s very easy to make and distribute music, but it’s not so easy to find the new Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, or Velvet Underground. Have you used an intranet that employs the enthusiastic amateur content development model? It doesn’t work very well, does it? There is a book inside everybody and the Web lets that book out. Quality content does not increase just because you increase the amount of content created. It just becomes harder to find.

Every time you add a piece of content to your Web site you affect:

  • The quality of the navigation;
  • The quality of the search;
  • Your ability to manage the content on an ongoing basis.

Every piece of content requires at least one link, and sometimes many more. The fewer links you have, the less likely they are to be confusing. (Of course, too few links and you’re into earthworm territory.)

It’s easier to manage a quality search environment for a Web site with 1,000 pages than one with 10,000. It’s simply more likely that the right result will come fi rst. A good search engine is less than half the battle. Managing a quality search environment is more about psychology than technology. It’s about understanding the words people use and why they use them. Just because someone searches for “cheap hotel” does not necessarily mean they want a cheap hotel. Perhaps what they’re really after is a four-star hotel at a two-star price?

Certain types of content don’t require ongoing review to ensure they are maintaining their quality. Much art, music, and literature can’t be wrong, so to speak. However, a description of how to treat a particular disease can become wrong as a result of new research.

Product details may need updating, telephone numbers may change, policies and procedures may become outdated. In other words, some content goes out of date, and that is a significant cost of Web site management.

Most web teams have a culture of launch-and-leave, when what they really need is a culture of review-and-remove and a continuous improvement of top tasks. That’s a cost-and the bigger the Web site, the bigger the cost.

Entering the Dead Zone

Much of the Long Tail is a Dead Zone. It’s a dead and useless tail full of dead and useless content. Perhaps it would be manageable if this dead and useless content stayed in the tail. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. It confuses the link options and gets found in search results, disguised as useful content by including words that people search for when they’re looking to complete top tasks.

Because people are so impatient, they often don’t notice and end up using this useless content. They follow instructions that were intended for a previous version of the product. They take down the wrong number, they think the training event is on July 10, when that July 10 was for the previous year, and so on.

This sort of content is not just low value, it’s destructive to value. Later, you’ll find out how to measure the impact of this destruction of value which undermines credibility, brand, and trust. We call it a “disaster” when customers come to your Web site and think they’ve gotten the right information when in fact it’s wrong.

This book is about the other end of the graph, how to keep the Dead Zone content at bay. Sometimes this top end is referred to as the “head”. Through analysis of hundreds of such graphs it occurred to me that the “head” really looks more like a neck.

Long neck

I began to notice three distinct sections of the graph:

  • Long Neck: Roughly 5% of the content accounts for 25% of the demand;
  • Body: 35% or so of the content accounts for about 55% of the demand;
  • Long Tail and Dead Zone: 60% of the content accounts for about 20% of the demand.

In an age when there has never been as much stuff thrown at us, it’s never been more important to understand the essence of the situation. The more stuff there is out there, the longer the neck becomes.

How does that happen? Well, when analyzing 1,000 search terms, for example, the top 50 search terms (5%) accounted for 31% of search volume. In other words, a small set of search terms were getting searched for again and again. However, when analyzing 5,000 search terms from the same search environment, the top 250 search terms (5%) accounted for 39% of search volume, an 8% increase. The Long Neck had gotten longer. The more choice there is out there, the longer the neck becomes.

I call this the Bob Dylan effect. You can increase the number of singer-songwriters as much as you like, but there is still only one Bob Dylan.

We are living through an Information Big Bang. How on earth is the most important stuff going to get found? When your customers have so much choice, why should they read or view your stuff? Furthermore, why should they act based on what they have read? If you want to make an impact-and avoid ending up in the Dead Zone-you need to understand the Long Neck. If you want to influence the impatient stranger-that’s to say, if you want people to buy, to follow a new policy, to decide in your favor, to think that what you say has value-you need to understand their Long Neck: the things that really matter to them.

Understanding what really matters to a stranger is the single biggest challenge in web management. I once worked with a car manufacturer whose product managers and engineers thought that words like “engine” and “brand” were really important to their customers. But the words that actually mattered to their customers were “affordability”, “reliability”, and “low fuel consumption”. So, an organization may be focused on the same basic things as its customers, but if it uses the wrong words to describe them, then it’s speaking a different language. You’ll fi nd an “engine” in the Long Neck of an “engineer”, but it’s “reliability” that the customer really cares about.

Your Long Neck and a stranger’s Long Neck are rarely the same. You must accept that and work with it. If you can manage your Web site from the stranger’s point of view, then everyone can succeed. In our increasingly interconnected world-the essence of which is the Web-this is not a utopian dream but a utilitarian necessity.

Sean Wilentz is the author of the book The Age of Reagan. Talking about Reagan to Newsweek, he stated: “The key is to understand the economy of leadership: You should have ideas but they should be clear, but most of all they should be few-three at the most. Rearm the country, cut the weight of government, and win the cold war. After that we’ll see. That’s what Napoleon said: ‘You win and then we’ll see’.”

So, here are the three ideas of this book:

Know the stranger’s Long Neck. It is far more important to understand the Long Neck than the Long Tail. You might think that the Long Neck is obvious. Not so, and often what you think the Long Neck is, may not be what your customers think it is.

Continuously improve your top tasks. The Long Neck is made up of a small set of top tasks and it’s important to manage them through a process of continuous improvement. To manage, you need to measure, and what you measure is your customers’ ability to complete these tasks. The three key measures are: Task success rate, disaster rate, and completion time. (A disaster is where a customer thinks they’ve got the right answer but it’s wrong.)

Manage with facts, not opinion. A key shift in the modern world is a shift away from opinion and gut instinct, to hard data. Evidence is customer centric. Opinion is organization centric.

Buy now


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Saturday, December 10, 2016

Shopping For A Used PC

Am still shopping! Not sure where I am going to get all the money but am looking into buying a PC that I van totally devote to my documentary film project. I prefer Macs but they are so damn expensive, a new system with the standards I need might run upwards of $2000-3000 USD.  With a Mac I could use Final Cut Pro to edit video, a program I have used a bit before (dads funeral video) and prefer.

To save on costs I am looking to get a used PC with lots of RAM, a fast I7 quad processor and a big hard drive 750 GB to 2.5 TB (somewhere in that range). All this computer lingo gives me a headache!! If I can get a system for under $1000 CAD and then run Adobe Premiere in it (video editing software). It should work fine for me. Later on, in a few years I can buy another used unit to do 4K video. That is if I am still making movies then.

This sort of tech improves daily so buying state of the art is sort of a waste of money. I can buy used and good now, and make my movie then move on to other used computer systems and cameras later on.


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Exercises to Strengthen a Spine With Osteoporosis

by Julie Saccone

About Julie Saccone

Julie Saccone is a senior communications specialist and former journalist who began writing in 2003. She works in the health-care industry distilling research findings and complex medical topics for media and trade publications. Saccone has been published in newspapers including the "National Post" and "StarPhoenix." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Ryerson University and an honors Bachelor of Science.

A simple activity such as lifting a bag of groceries the wrong way can cause a serious spinal fracture if you have osteoporosis, also called brittle bones. An estimated one-third of women and one-fifth of men will suffer a fracture related to osteoporosis in their lifetime, according to Dianne Daniels in “Exercises for Osteoporosis." Regular strengthening exercises targeting the spine from your neck to lower back can help prevent bone loss, relieve stress on your bones and build muscle strength to reduce your risk of a fracture.

Neck Exercise

Sit up straight in a chair with both hands on top of your thighs. Place one hand on the back of your neck, just below your head. Gently press your head back into your hand using your neck muscles. Stop your head from moving using your hand. Hold the position for three seconds and repeat.

Upper Back Extension

Sit slightly forward in a chair with your shoulders relaxed and arms by your side. Tuck in your chin and bend your arms at your elbows. Slowly bring your arms backward as you straighten your back and pull your shoulder blades together. Repeat the exercise three times.

Reverse Fly Exercise

Lie on your back with a pillow under your head, knees bent and feet on the floor. With the ends of a resistance band in each hand, straighten both arms above your chest. Keeping your elbows straight, slowly pull one end of the band toward your side as far as possible. Pause and then slowly release the band and repeat the exercise with the other hand.

Arm and Leg Raise

Lie on the floor on your stomach with your arms straightened in front of you. Press both hips into the floor and gently lift your right leg and left arm at the same time. Hold the position for five seconds, then repeat with the other leg and arm. To increase the resistance of the exercise, use wrist or ankle weights.

Lower Back Extension

Kneel on the ground, knees and feet hip-width apart and the palms of your hands on the floor. Slowly raise one leg, keeping your knee bent, until it reaches the height of your buttocks. Hold the position for five seconds before gently lowering your leg. Repeat with the other leg.

Pelvic Tilt

Lie on your back, knees bent, hands by your side and feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and gently lift your pelvis upward so that your back is flat against the ground. Hold the position for five seconds, then repeat.

Bridge Exercise

Lie on your back, with your arms by your side and legs extended in front of you. Raise your legs gently and place them on a stability or exercise ball so that your feet and calves are resting on the ball. Tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your hips off the ground. Lift your hips as high as possible before gently lowering them.

If you have osteoporosis, you can benefit from weight-bearing activities such as walking, plus stretching, balance and posture training in addition to strengthening exercises. Consult your doctor before beginning any exercise routine, and to discuss how often to exercise. Avoid any exercises that involve heavy lifting, bending forward, quick twisting motions or reaching downward. These motions put additional stress on your bones, which may lead to a fracture.

Photo Credits:

  • Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images

This article reflects the views of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Jillian Michaels or JillianMichaels.com.


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Monday, October 28, 2013

Into the Wild: Northlake Nature Center and Big Branch Marsh

Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
On this gorgeous fall weekend, we took advantage of the weather to revisit two of our favorite hiking trails on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Despite being surrounded by towns and cars and people, the Northlake Nature Center and Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge offer quiet seclusion deep within nature. (Well, they were quiet until we arrived with our two wild kiddos!)
Spotting turtles in the pond

Part of the experience of any trip we take is getting there, and the kids have come to crave their snack-filled, Scooby Doo watching car ride as the beginning of their grand adventure. Once we arrive at our first stop, their tummies are full and they have enough energy built up to run a marathon. As usual, our five-year-old darted out of the car before we even stopped the engine. He was on a hunt for lizards, something he has become a pro at catching.

It's been more than a year since we last visited the Northlake Nature Center, located across the street from Fountainbleau State Park. While the initial entrance looked the same, as we started walking into the woods, we noticed many improvements to the boardwalk and new trails weaving in between old ones. It was shaded and cool in the forest, and although we caught sight of monstrous mosquitoes, they seemed to spare us from harm during our mid-afternoon walk.

Swamp at the Northlake Nature Center
Engraved signs shaped like rocks provided a non-intrusive education on the area's wide variety of trees and their names. At the beaver pond, our oldest spotted the distinctive head of a red-eared slider turtle, and as we watched, several more popped up around him. From here, we took the Eagle Trail, which led us past a small cypress-tupelo swamp and through the pine forest to the edge of the Nature Center near Pelican Park (a local ball park). The path changed many times, from the initial boardwalk to a cushy pine needle pathway, then to the paved portion of a bicycle trail followed by a wide road lined with large rocks. It began to rain on us at this point, and the kids tucked away inside their strollers while we turned onto the last leg of the trail leading us back around to the beginning boardwalk. When we reached the beaver pond again, they sprinted and squealed their way back to the car, spooking any wild animals that may have been lurking in the shadows.

Big Branch Marsh

From the Nature Center, we headed toward Lacombe and the remote Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. As it was Sunday, the Visitor's Center was closed, but this hands-on display inside an old church is definitely worth a visit if you haven't been before. The main hiking path in Big Branch is the Boy Scout Road boardwalk and trail, located off Transmitter Road. The boardwalk itself begins through one of the most peaceful settings in south Louisiana. A scattered pine forest opens up into a marsh decorated with lily pads and their lovely white blooms. Although only a 1/4-mile long, the boardwalk brings you to a magical place not often experienced.  Unfortunately the rain picked back up, and once again we were deterred from venturing out along the 4.5-mile Boy Scout Road leading to Bayou Lacombe. Perhaps next time, we'll discover what lies beyond the boardwalk...

  1. It is so wonderful to see the white lotus blooms on the water out at NLNC, Big Branch, and Cane Bayou.

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James List

James Nellis is Your REAL ESTATE Resource for Calion, AR

Homes for sale

Calion, AR

*An affiliate of the "Nellis National Real Estate Lists" - a network of top real estate agents dedicated to providing home buyers & sellers the best resources and services to make your dreams come true!

Best Real Estate Experience.
Best Real Estate Professionals.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most important transactions of your life. You deserve the absolute best real estate experience, which means you need the best real estate professional to be your guide.

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IN Calion, AR

3 Baths
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1900 Area
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5 Beds
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Calion is known for its numerous beautiful scenery, historical grounds, urban living and natural surroundings that make it a perfect place to live. Whether you are looking for a contemporary home, a condo or any other type of house for sale; you can find it in Calion.

Condos for sale in Calion

More people today are opting to live in condos and Calion has a high number of condominiums.  Condos attract the modern persons who really don't mind living in a building regardless of how high it may be. When purchasing a condominium in Calion, you need to thoroughly check the condo unit and get professional assistance in inspecting the condo to ensure that it is in good state and that it will give you value. It is also important for you to note that in Calion, all newly purchased condo units also require registration with your local Real Estate Board. You need to fill and submit an application form together with any other required documents. It is also important to note that there is a fee you will be required to pay upon filing of the application for registration.

Townhouses for sale in Calion

Townhouses in Calion, have today increased in demand with more people opting for townhouses as opposed to single family houses. One of the reasons as to why most people opt for townhouses to single family homes is due to the low maintenance. However, real estate market in Calion is generally growing and becoming desirable to many home buyers today. When looking for a townhouse in Calion, AR you need to consider the location of the townhouse. You can choose to purchase a townhouse that is near a metro stop or one that is in close proximity to a major highway giving you an easier commute.  Townhouses that are near a major highway also increase the value of the property making it a great and safe investment. There are two types of townhouses in Calion; interior unit and an end unit. Many home buyers hunting for townhouses always opt for the end unit townhouses since they provide you with a better resale value, offer more privacy and bigger space to enjoy outdoor activities.

Factors to put into consideration when looking for houses for sale in Calion

There are so many factors that many home buyers in Calion need to consider. Some of the most common factors that you should put into consideration when purchasing a house anywhere is your budget, the location of the house and your personal requirements. These factors are great and can be of great help to you when looking for an ideal house for sale in Calion. However, there are more detailed factors that you also need to put into consideration to make your search for a great house in Calion easier and fun. One of these factors is a garage. It may seem less important but it is so important for you to choose a house that has a spacious garage especially if you have several cars. A spacious garage can also be of help when your friends or relatives visit. A garage also provides an additional resale value to your property. The number of bedrooms and bathrooms may also be an important factor to consider. I know you think that this is common sense but when looking for a house; things can get a little confusing that most people settle for what does not match their needs and requirements. Another factor to consider is the basement; if you love a house with a basement you need to look for a house that has a basement with walkout level and separate entrance. This provides a good resale value since most people looking for houses for sale in Calion prefer homes that have a direct access to an outdoor patio or deck. It is also very important for you to learn about the current Calion real estate market situation and mortgage market place so as to make an informed decision on the right time to buy a house and the best home opportunities in Calion and where to find them. The information can also help you know whether to choose regular sales or distressed property sales. If you do not have any knowledge about the current Calion real estate market situation or you find it hard to find an ideal home of your choice by yourself; you can get a skilled real estate agent to assist you. A good real estate agent as the one noted on the top of this landing page will be able to assist you get an ideal house for sale in Calion that suits your needs and requirements and is in a strategic location. Remember to learn about regulations in the area to keep you in the loop about what to expect in the process of purchasing the house.

James Nellis
887 Client Reviews

Call: 703-436-9842

ATG Title


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James List

James Nellis is Your REAL ESTATE Resource for Hickory Glen, Fayetteville, AR

Homes for sale

Hickory Glen, Fayetteville, AR

*An affiliate of the "Nellis National Real Estate Lists" - a network of top real estate agents dedicated to providing home buyers & sellers the best resources and services to make your dreams come true!

Best Real Estate Experience.
Best Real Estate Professionals.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most important transactions of your life. You deserve the absolute best real estate experience, which means you need the best real estate professional to be your guide.

FEATURED Homes for sale

IN Hickory Glen, Fayetteville, AR

3 Baths
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1900 Area
2car Garages
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HOMES FOR SALE IN Hickory Glen, Fayetteville AR

Hickory Glen, Fayetteville is known for its numerous beautiful scenery, historical grounds, urban living and natural surroundings that make it a perfect place to live. Whether you are looking for a contemporary home, a condo or any other type of house for sale; you can find it in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville.

Condos for sale in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville

More people today are opting to live in condos and Hickory Glen, Fayetteville has a high number of condominiums.  Condos attract the modern persons who really don't mind living in a building regardless of how high it may be. When purchasing a condominium in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville, you need to thoroughly check the condo unit and get professional assistance in inspecting the condo to ensure that it is in good state and that it will give you value. It is also important for you to note that in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville, all newly purchased condo units also require registration with your local Real Estate Board. You need to fill and submit an application form together with any other required documents. It is also important to note that there is a fee you will be required to pay upon filing of the application for registration.

Townhouses for sale in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville

Townhouses in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville, have today increased in demand with more people opting for townhouses as opposed to single family houses. One of the reasons as to why most people opt for townhouses to single family homes is due to the low maintenance. However, real estate market in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville is generally growing and becoming desirable to many home buyers today. When looking for a townhouse in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville, AR you need to consider the location of the townhouse. You can choose to purchase a townhouse that is near a metro stop or one that is in close proximity to a major highway giving you an easier commute.  Townhouses that are near a major highway also increase the value of the property making it a great and safe investment. There are two types of townhouses in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville; interior unit and an end unit. Many home buyers hunting for townhouses always opt for the end unit townhouses since they provide you with a better resale value, offer more privacy and bigger space to enjoy outdoor activities.

Factors to put into consideration when looking for houses for sale in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville

There are so many factors that many home buyers in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville need to consider. Some of the most common factors that you should put into consideration when purchasing a house anywhere is your budget, the location of the house and your personal requirements. These factors are great and can be of great help to you when looking for an ideal house for sale in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville. However, there are more detailed factors that you also need to put into consideration to make your search for a great house in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville easier and fun. One of these factors is a garage. It may seem less important but it is so important for you to choose a house that has a spacious garage especially if you have several cars. A spacious garage can also be of help when your friends or relatives visit. A garage also provides an additional resale value to your property. The number of bedrooms and bathrooms may also be an important factor to consider. I know you think that this is common sense but when looking for a house; things can get a little confusing that most people settle for what does not match their needs and requirements. Another factor to consider is the basement; if you love a house with a basement you need to look for a house that has a basement with walkout level and separate entrance. This provides a good resale value since most people looking for houses for sale in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville prefer homes that have a direct access to an outdoor patio or deck. It is also very important for you to learn about the current Hickory Glen, Fayetteville real estate market situation and mortgage market place so as to make an informed decision on the right time to buy a house and the best home opportunities in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville and where to find them. The information can also help you know whether to choose regular sales or distressed property sales. If you do not have any knowledge about the current Hickory Glen, Fayetteville real estate market situation or you find it hard to find an ideal home of your choice by yourself; you can get a skilled real estate agent to assist you. A good real estate agent as the one noted on the top of this landing page will be able to assist you get an ideal house for sale in Hickory Glen, Fayetteville that suits your needs and requirements and is in a strategic location. Remember to learn about regulations in the area to keep you in the loop about what to expect in the process of purchasing the house.

James Nellis
887 Client Reviews

Call: 703-436-9842

ATG Title


text:
James List

James Nellis is Your REAL ESTATE Resource for 97213, OR

Homes for sale

97213, OR

*An affiliate of the "Nellis National Real Estate Lists" - a network of top real estate agents dedicated to providing home buyers & sellers the best resources and services to make your dreams come true!

Best Real Estate Experience.
Best Real Estate Professionals.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most important transactions of your life. You deserve the absolute best real estate experience, which means you need the best real estate professional to be your guide.

FEATURED Homes for sale

IN 97213, OR

3 Baths
3 Beds
1900 Area
2car Garages
4 Baths
4 Beds
2200 Area
2car Garages
3 Baths
4 Beds
2000 Area
2car Garages
2 Baths
3 Beds
1600 Area
1car Garages
4 Baths
4 Beds
3000 Area
3car Garages
4 Baths
5 Beds
3400 Area
3car Garages

97213 is known for its numerous beautiful scenery, historical grounds, urban living and natural surroundings that make it a perfect place to live. Whether you are looking for a contemporary home, a condo or any other type of house for sale; you can find it in 97213.

Condos for sale in 97213

More people today are opting to live in condos and 97213 has a high number of condominiums.  Condos attract the modern persons who really don't mind living in a building regardless of how high it may be. When purchasing a condominium in 97213, you need to thoroughly check the condo unit and get professional assistance in inspecting the condo to ensure that it is in good state and that it will give you value. It is also important for you to note that in 97213, all newly purchased condo units also require registration with your local Real Estate Board. You need to fill and submit an application form together with any other required documents. It is also important to note that there is a fee you will be required to pay upon filing of the application for registration.

Townhouses for sale in 97213

Townhouses in 97213, have today increased in demand with more people opting for townhouses as opposed to single family houses. One of the reasons as to why most people opt for townhouses to single family homes is due to the low maintenance. However, real estate market in 97213 is generally growing and becoming desirable to many home buyers today. When looking for a townhouse in 97213, OR you need to consider the location of the townhouse. You can choose to purchase a townhouse that is near a metro stop or one that is in close proximity to a major highway giving you an easier commute.  Townhouses that are near a major highway also increase the value of the property making it a great and safe investment. There are two types of townhouses in 97213; interior unit and an end unit. Many home buyers hunting for townhouses always opt for the end unit townhouses since they provide you with a better resale value, offer more privacy and bigger space to enjoy outdoor activities.

Factors to put into consideration when looking for houses for sale in 97213

There are so many factors that many home buyers in 97213 need to consider. Some of the most common factors that you should put into consideration when purchasing a house anywhere is your budget, the location of the house and your personal requirements. These factors are great and can be of great help to you when looking for an ideal house for sale in 97213. However, there are more detailed factors that you also need to put into consideration to make your search for a great house in 97213 easier and fun. One of these factors is a garage. It may seem less important but it is so important for you to choose a house that has a spacious garage especially if you have several cars. A spacious garage can also be of help when your friends or relatives visit. A garage also provides an additional resale value to your property. The number of bedrooms and bathrooms may also be an important factor to consider. I know you think that this is common sense but when looking for a house; things can get a little confusing that most people settle for what does not match their needs and requirements. Another factor to consider is the basement; if you love a house with a basement you need to look for a house that has a basement with walkout level and separate entrance. This provides a good resale value since most people looking for houses for sale in 97213 prefer homes that have a direct access to an outdoor patio or deck. It is also very important for you to learn about the current 97213 real estate market situation and mortgage market place so as to make an informed decision on the right time to buy a house and the best home opportunities in 97213 and where to find them. The information can also help you know whether to choose regular sales or distressed property sales. If you do not have any knowledge about the current 97213 real estate market situation or you find it hard to find an ideal home of your choice by yourself; you can get a skilled real estate agent to assist you. A good real estate agent as the one noted on the top of this landing page will be able to assist you get an ideal house for sale in 97213 that suits your needs and requirements and is in a strategic location. Remember to learn about regulations in the area to keep you in the loop about what to expect in the process of purchasing the house.

James Nellis
887 Client Reviews

Call: 703-436-9842

ATG Title