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April 2021

Bitmovin raises $25M Series C

The company will leverage this investment to drive the continued expansion of its product innovation and technology leadership in the streaming space.
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Bitmovin Newsroom

Browse our press releases and articles to find out about our latest product releases, company news, and video technology trends, as well as industry accolades we’ve received.
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Chauvel & Glatt, LLP is a San Mateo, CA based law firm that has been providing legal services for 25 years. Its services include:

(1) general business representation, business formation and dissolution, acquisitions and mergers, contract review and preparation;

(2) general civil litigation (usually on defense side), transportation related disputes, collection cases, breach of contract, employment law, real estate and corporate disputes;

(3) estate planning, trusts, estate tax savings devices and strategies, trustee representation, trust litigation, and probate administration:

(4) real estate transactions, sales, leases, tenancy in common agreements, real estate financing agreements:

(5) intellectual property, trade secret disputes and litigation, trade name and trademark registration, copyright, licensing agreements, trade secret protection planning;

(6) employment law and representation, wrongful termination litigation, representation of clients in Labor Commission and EEOC claim matters, and

(7) niche specialty in representation of motor carrier, warehouse, logistics providers, brokers, forwarders and other transportation industry entities before regulatory agencies, administrative agencies and courts.

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Efficient marketing for accountants and bookkeepers – Month of Marketing Q&A with David Cristello

How can you streamline business processes, reduce the amount of time it takes to complete tasks and improve productivity? In this Month of Marketing session, you can ask David Cristello of Jetpack Workflow anything about marketing tech & workflow.

David is the Founder of Jetpack Workflow, a cloud-based client management system designed to remove those pesky bottlenecks and roadblocks to productivity.

Don’t miss the chance to quiz David on anything workflow related this year.

David Cristello, Jetpack Workflow

David Cristello

Steve Major, The Revolutionary Firm and Matt Wilkinson, Bizink

Matt Wilkinson

Date & Time

Friday 22nd September, AEST: 9am | NZ: 11 am

Thursday 21st September, PDT: 4pm | EDT: 7pm

If you can’t make it, register anyway and we’ll send you the slides and recording.

You only need to register for Month of Marketing once, add your details to register for every event with one click.

Leave a Reply


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  1. Address to my Infant Daughter, Dora, by William Wordsworth

  2. Anecdote for Fathers, by William Wordsworth

  3. A Baby Running Barefoot, by D. H. Lawrence

  4. Baby's Eyes, by Edith Willis Linn Forbes

  5. Butterfly Lesson, by C. J. Heck

  6. The Child and the King, by Mary T. Lathrap

  7. The Child Meditates, by Maxwell Bodenheim

  8. The Children, by Guy Wetmore Carryl

  9. A Child's Sad Eyes, by Thomasena Martin-Johnson

  10. Christ Blessing Little Children, by Fred Emerson Brooks

  11. The Dead Child, by Francis Jammes

  12. A Dream of Childhood, by Mary Morgan

  13. For a Child, by Joyce Kilmer

  14. Infant Joy, by William Blake

  15. The Little Boy Found, by William Blake

  16. Little Maiden, by Dollie Radford

  17. The Lover of Children, by Edgar Guest

  18. Marbles, by W. J. Mallory

  19. Margaret, by Carl Sandburg

  20. My Child, by Evelyn Scott

  21. On Seeing a Child Fall Asleep, by Mary Morgan

  22. On the Way to School, by Charles Ghigna

  23. Our Baby, by Edgar Guest

  24. A Roxbury Garden, by Amy Lowell

  25. Since You Arrived ..., by Christine Ann Clatworthy

  26. A Song, by William Blake

  27. Three Years She Grew in Sun and Shower, by William Wordsworth

  28. To a Child, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  29. To a Child in Church, by Carolyn Crosby Wilson

  30. To a Child Playing, by Richard Chenevix Trench

  31. To a Child, Two Years Old, by Nellie Seelye Evans

  32. To an Absent Child, by Marjorie Allen Seiffert

  33. To an Infant Sleeping, by Richard Chenevix Trench

  34. To an Old Schoolhouse, by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

  35. To His Two Children, by Li Bai

  36. To My Child, by Richard Chenevix Trench

  37. We Are a Family Now, by Nicholas Gordon

  38. Where's the Baby?, by Alice Williams Brotherton


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Add to cart Add to cart

Country: Panama
Region: Boquete
Farm: Elida Estate
Lamastus Family
Processing: Washed & Natural
MASL: 1700 – 2500 MASL
Variety: Geisha
Roast: Filter

Available in 70g jars only. Sold as a set of 2 jars. Washed & Natural.

The Lamastus Family has being producing coffee in Elida Estate for four generations since 1918. Elida Estate coffees are produced under a unique world-ecological condition: it is shade-grown, bird-friendly, the farm is located at a very high elevation, in a microclimate with very low temperatures, the coffee trees are surrounded by the Volcan Baru National Park, a virgin native cloudy rain forest.

At the turn of the century, Kentucky born Robert Lamastus started an Arabica coffee plantation in a farm located at around 5,600 ft (1,700 m) above sea level in the skirts of the Baru Volcano in Boquete, Panama. At the time their grandfather processed and exported what is still today considered as one of the highest quality coffees in the world. Nowadays and three generations later, the tradition continues, the Lamastus family, still produces, processes, exports, and now roast its own rare estate coffees.

The Lamastus, produce these estate coffees in three different farms located in Boquete, Panama. El Burro Estate, Luito Geisha Estates, and Elida Estate. They are located in the highest area of the country in steep hills in the skirt of one of the highest volcanoes in Central America, the Baru Volcano. Elida Estate is the highest coffee farm among all three in Panama located between 5,500 and 8,200 ft (1,700 and 2,500m) above sea-level. Because of the high altitudes where the coffee is grown the beans are very dense and uniform and they are mild with a medium body, good aroma, and high acidity. These estate coffees are considered among the best in the world.

These estates are planted with Arabica coffees in rich deep young volcanic soils and are kept in optimum conditions to develop the best quality coffee that the trees can produce. The cherries are delicately hand-picked, at strict full maturity, by native Ngobe-Bugle Indians in an area where our main objective is to keep the environment to its most pristine and natural condition. The coffee is then processed with most care to keep the rich flavor of the coffee in three different processing methods (Natural, Washed, and Honey). Then, the coffee is carefully selected, rested for 60 to a 100 days (depending on the process) in burlap sacks on wooden floors and then exported directly by the Lamastus family. In 2020, washed coffee from their Elida Estate came 2nd in the Best of Panama competition and same coffee but natural processed placed 6th.

Delivery Overview

Perth Metro Deliveries – Next business day delivery for order placed before 1pm for items in stock.

National & Regional Deliveries – Next business day shipping for order placed before 1pm with Express Post for items in stock.

Pick up from Blacklist Coffee Roasters Warehouse – Next business day pick up for orders placed before 1pm for all items in stock. Our roasting warehouse is open from 7am to 1pm Monday to Friday at 41 Welshpool Road, Welshpool WA.

Weight N/A

Washed 70g + Natural 70g

Grind Type

Whole Beans

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Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.


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Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African-American Newspapers

December 4, 1930

On December 4, 1930, the Philadelphia Tribune ran an advertisement that the Standard-Theatre (South Street & 12th) was hosting a return engagement of the Whitman Sisters Company. The Whitman Sisters were the highest paid act on the Negro vaudeville circuit and toured extensively from the 1910s through 1930s. The troupe featured four sisters, Alberta (“Bert”) who performed in male drag, Mabel, Essie, and Alice, who was one of the best tap dancers of the era. Cultural historian Constance Vails Hill describes the group in her book, Tap Dancing America: A Cultural History:
The Whitman Sisters’ fast-paced shows were based on a variety format of songs, dances, and comedy skits; it included a cast of up to thirty performers, with a chorus of twelve to fourteen girls, and a five or six-piece jazz band...The handsome and debonair ‘Bert’ Whitman, dressed in a top hat and tails, strutted onstage to introduce the ‘Queen of Taps,’ Alice Whitman.  Cute as a button in her baby-doll costume, she sang with the sultry voice of a Helen Kane, flirted when she balled the jack, and then cleared the stage for the audience to focus on her solo routine of pullbacks, wings, and time steps; she finished with a shim sham shimmy, in which she danced mostly from the waist down, wearing a shawl and a little flimsy thing around her middle with a fringe and a bow on the back. Beneath her floppy bows, she produced very clear taps. There was no scraping or shuffling, just the sharp distinct sound of a hoofer, weighted and fluent.

For more on the Whitman Sisters, see Nadine George-Graves, The Royalty of Negro Vaudeville: The Whitman Sisters and the Negotiation of Race, Gender and Class in African American Theater 1900–1940.

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Steampunk fiction, reviews and interviews

Silk and Steel

Ahoi! I hope the week is treating you all wonderfully! Here we’ve had small folk birthdays and giant pizzas and a lot of James Bond! XD

So Vraxi and Edmund are up to mischief and who is leading who astray? I’ll let you make that judgement! 😉 Um, this one might be a little long sorry I couldn’t really see a way to break it up without stretching it over three posts and I thought that one scene stretched across three posts might be way too disjointed so, totally understand if it’s too long to get to the end of! XD Also I hope my paragraph gaps are working this time – they always seem to work on the preview and then vanish on the real thing so I’ve made them double spaces this time… tentacles crossed!

Also this one comes with a Parental Guidance warning (coz I’m a responsible parent type, me)- remember kids, if a friend comes up to you in the park and offers you drugs, you should say thankyou, because drugs are expensive 😉

Massey’s Tea Rooms on Bridge Street was as elegantly tasteless as any middle class old aunt could possibly desire but the fact that not many middle class old aunts lived that close to the university meant that it was usually full of students instead.
“This place always reminds me of my Grandmother’s parlour,” Edmund whispered, splitting a cep-barm in half and moping up the last of his stew.
Vraxi frowned, “I do apologise,” he said earnestly, “would you rather have gone somewhere else?”
Edmund laughed and shook his head. “No, no, it’s lovely. The food is lovely and the company is too, so the décor is inconsequential really, isn’t it?”
Vraxi shrugged, “I was about to confess I rather liked it but as that would equate me with the league of mentally unstable old grandmonsters I think I would do well keep quiet for once.”
Edmund laughed out loud and the yag’s colour rose in soft cloudlike swirls beneath his skin as he realised it was the first time he had ever heard him do it.
“You know what this evening needs?” he asked suddenly, finishing his drink as Edmund shook his head and wiped a tear of laughter away from the corner of his eye, “it needs what every evening needs – what life here in general always needs, I find – more fun. Are we done here?”
They made their way through the dark cobbled streets to the park which overlooked the red river, found a bench that was veiled by an overhanging mul’ai tree and filled their pipes with the resin which flaked easily under the heat of a match.
The moon was lost in banks of cloud and from the branches of the dead tree a few roosting crows flapped and snapped at eachother.
The rust coloured plumes of smoke gave the night air a hint of burnt toffee. “Reminds me of a fair I never went to,” Vraxi mused.
Edmund looked at him curiously and drew a long draft on his own pipe. “A fair you never went to?”
“Just so. A few years before the world ended – when fairs really knew how to be fairs, you know; cloud candy and apples on sticks, music and lights and a big top tent…” he trailed off, taking another tug on his pipe “…I watched it for a bit from my balcony. It looked fun.”
“I don’t think I have ever seen one.” the half-demon mused, “certainly grandmother would never allow us to be seen dead at something like that, I would not be surprised to learn that she feigned a bout of rheumatics each time one was in town to prevent me from even knowing of their existence.”
Vraxi chuckled and filled his lungs again with the sweet honey flavoured smoke. “I wonder if Xander has ever been to a fair…” he mused dreamily, and then shook his head; of course Xander would never have been to a fair – not as a child, certainly, and the yag was sure he would rather die than have his friends drag him along to one now.
He puffed out a cloud of copper coloured vapour and frowned; he had let himself get sidetracked from his mission, but here he was sitting next to someone… a very beautiful and intelligent someone, his mind corrected him… who probably knew more about the possibilities of what he was hoping to achieve than anyone else of his acquaintance. A student of demonology. Why had he not thought to ask Edmund about it before?
“Do you think it is possible,” he aksed, “for a demon to be… good?”
Edmund looked startled. “Am I not good?” he asked, taking another long draft of the opiate and puffing perfectly heart-shaped smoke rings into the crisp night air.
Oh dear, Vraxi thought as his heart did a sudden somersault, he’s going to be the undoing of me at this rate. “How are you doing that?” he asked, attempting the feat himself with no success.
Edmund laughed at his feeble efforts. “It’s my super power.” he said shyly, and then giggled and bit his lip.
Vraxi narrowed his eyes at him and smirked but gave up trying. “But seriously, you are only half demon, if you don’t mind my saying so.” he ventured.
Edmund shot him a sidelong look, “Does that mean I can only ever be half good?”he asked, “Because then you would have to ask ‘ah, but which half is the good half?’ Or perhaps you might start to wonder, ‘are they both good?’ Or ‘is neither?’ Or is ‘good’ even a thing? Is it an absolute? Or is it a perspective? Is it a constant? Is it relative? Does it change as time goes by?”
“If your intention is to make my head spin, you are succeeding.” Vraxi chuckled.
Edmund smiled ruefully and looked at his shoes. “Sorry. It’s just that these questions more than fascinate me. Can you understand? I have spent my entire life building my conception of self around these philosophical conundrums.” He took a long draw on his pipe, “My thesis – Demons of Love and Light – is an enquiry into some of those very questions…”
“Demons of Love?”
“And Light, yes. There are all sorts of demons, you see, just as there are all sorts of humans… all sorts of every creature… my argument is that it is perhaps more useful to look at the domain of the demon’s power, rather than to try to label demons as all evil. In reality, the complexities of the soul of any creature transcend such monochrome labelling anyway, don’t you find?”
Vraxi tugged on his pipe and tried to process what he thought Edmund was saying, “do demons have a soul then?” He asked finally.
Edmund burst into another fit of giggles that brought tears to his beautiful eyes; “I hope so!” he managed, almost choking on his pipe smoke. “Or else I will have failed in my thesis and be laughed out of the academic world for good.” He looked at Vraxi as if he was looking at a someone who needed to be treated gently. “That is how the church is able to bind them,” he said, “by using sigil magic to transfer their soul from their body and bind it to the soul of a human.”
Vraxi shook his head, “I never considered how it worked,” he said, frowning at his own lack of knowledge on something so commonplace, “that is very interesting indeed.”
He stared out over the dark expanse of parkland and chewed the end of his pipe. Of course it made sense, now he thought about it, the demon inside Xander was just a displaced soul… in which case, perhaps, they could find it another body – one that wasn’t being used by anyone of course – and somehow transfer it into that. If they could trust it. And if it was indeed good.
Good. He chewed that word over in his mind, beginning to realsie what the half-demon was driving at… the more he thought about it the less he could say with any certainty exactly what the word meant. Not good then, he decided, just trustworthy – that is a simple concept enough to judge it on.
“Stone the crows will you look at that?” the half demon murmured, tugging Vraxi’s sleeve and pointing up at the sky. “See her? There, my goodness, isn’t she beautiful?”
The yag strained his eyes but all he could see was the full moon, riding out from behind the clouds and bathing the park in silver light, falling on the black feathered backs of the crows as they fluttered down from the mul’ai trees to bathe in its ethereal luminescence.
“Why are they doing that…?” he murmured.
“Look, look!” the half demon insisted, “she is there, look, the moon beneath her feet, crowned by the sun and cloaked with the night-sky sprinkled with stars. She is Vesna and Kesylika combined, life and death made one…” he stood up, balancing precariously on the back of the bench as he fumbled inside his coat pocket and pulled out a notebook. “It is an ancient demonic prophesy, listen…”
Hurriedly flipping through the pages, he found what he wanted and read aloud, “I am not gone, only am I grown wings and with them flown – fleeing into the wild hearts of my children, look and find me for am I not here? Am I not your Mother? Queen of life and death and love, crowned with the blood red dying sun, with the moon beneath my feet and cloaked in stars. The end is come, and I am here with you; The Lady Of The Apocolypse.” he pointed the book at the sky “It is her, look!”
But the yag wasn’t looking at the sky anymore. He was looking at the crows , rising in the moonlight, flocking together until their fluctuating forms began to merge and meld and become one…
“The crow man,” he whispered, slowly tugging Edmund down from the bench by his coat tails. “Ziga was right!”
“The what?”
“Look.” He pointed at the ragged figure that was forming on the path, eyes glowing like pearls and a crescent-moon staff clasped in its hand.
The half demon peered wide-eyed into the darkness, “I don’t see anything.”
“There! There, look, on the path.”
“There is nothing there! Look at the sky,”
“There is nothing in the sky…”
They looked at eachother incredulously, each almost furious at the other’s seemingly wilful ignorance of the apparition in front of them.
And then they both dissolved into fits of hysterical laughter and rolled off the bench onto the grass, where they lay on their backs, gasping for breath with tears of mirth streaming down their cheeks.
It took several minutes for them quiet down and then they lay there in silence, staring up at the frozen canopy of stars through the dead branches of the mul’ai tree.
“Oh my goodness,” the half demon gasped, “I have never laughed so hard in all my long undeath.” He chewed the end of his pipe and blew more heart-shaped smoke rings up into the darkness.
“I’m going to crack that one day,” Vraxi promised.
“I told you, you can’t, it’s my super power.” he smiled, “everyone has one.”
Vraxi turned his head and looked at him doubtfully, “I am not entirely convinced of the truth in that statement,” he said. “Certainly I, for example, have many things I excel at… probably I am the greatest libertine this city has ever known, not to mention the very best thief…but those things are hardly super powers…”
Edmund propped himself up on his elbow and smiled, “You’re right,” he said shyly, “your super power is something far more wonderful than any of those things. It is that you are the very best friend anyone could ever wish for.”
Perhaps it was the effect of the opiate, or maybe the fact that this had been a particularly long and difficult day but it took a momentous effort for Vraxi to ignore the voices in his head which began screaming that Edmund was wrong, deluded, naive, or simply didn’t know him well enough to see what a cheap, shallow, self-serving and utterly worthless monster he truly was. If even Xander, who knew him better than anyone else, couldn’t call him ‘friend’, then what the hell did Edmund know?
He swallowed hard and forced himself to chuckle, hoping Edmund couldn’t tell how close he was to tears. “Some would say, you should choose your friends with more caution, Edmund,” he quipped, folding his arms behind his head and closing his eyes in what he hoped was a relaxed and nonchalant fashion..
Edmund rolled onto his belly and leant his chin on his hands. “Can I… can I ask you favour?” he whispered.
“Anything under the dying sun,” Vraxi said expansively, spreading his arms wide to illustrate his point.
Edmund smiled sheepishly, “Tomorrow I am supposed to give a speech… at the library… about my thesis… I don’t really want to do it but I have to it’s part of the course…”
Vraxi frowned, “I am not entirely certain I can help you give a speech…” he said doubtfully, “…and do not ask me to break your legs so that you can get out of it,” he added, waving a finger sternly at the half -demon.
Edmund giggled. “No, you misunderstand me… wilfully I suspect,” he added, with a little smile, “I mean I’d like you to come… that is, if you’d like to… you don’t have to…I mean, it will probably be very dull and boring and I shall probably trip over my tongue and mess it all up but it’s just that… I would feel better about it… if someone I liked… if you… were there…”
Vraxi rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. “I would love to come.” he said earnestly.
“You would?”
“Oh course!” he sat up and felt about in his pockets for a match. “I have never been invited to a speech before; I am utterly honoured Edmund that you would want me there and I am certain it will an incomparable success!” He re-lit his pipe and then reached across and re-lit Edmund’s as well. “What time would you like me to be there?”
Edmund took a few puffs on his pipe to get it going. “It starts at seven pm, if that isn’t too late for you?”
Vraxi shook his head and puffed thoughtfully on his pipe for a moment, a sudden plan beginning to grow in his ever-active mind…
“It is not too late at all,” he began cautiously, “but would it be an inconvenience to you, Edmund, if a… friend of mine… were to come along as well? It is a friend who is new in town,” he explained quickly, seeing Edmund’s face fall at the suggestion, “and I fear that if I leave him on his own he may… get into trouble…”
“I see.” Edmund hugged his knees and rested his chin on them looking doleful. “Of course it is fine.”
Oh dear, I am going to have to level with him, Vraxi thought, unable to bear the sight of his beautiful, kind, intelligent friend looking so dejected. “Listen Edmund,” he said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder and bringing his face down so that they were eye to eye, “may I tell you a secret?”

3 responses

  1. I hope that a splendiferous time was had by all birthday small folks!🎉🎂🎉
    You’ve blindsided me good ‘n’ proper! In the most marvelicious of ways. I was expecting all manner of scurillous shenanigans, but instead, found myself treated to the most unexpectedly touching, tender, and gorgeous contemplations. How I loved this glimpse through hearty smoke rings into the hearts of our heroes…it was every bit as as enthralling as twas enchanting.
    Too long? Sorry? Strewth, I would have gladly carried on reading for another three hours and relished every resinous word unleashed🥰

    Edmund propped himself up on his elbow and smiled, “You’re right,” he said shyly, “your super power is something far more wonderful than any of those things. It is that you are the very best friend anyone could ever wish for.”

    …. it took a momentous effort for Vraxi to ignore the voices in his head which began screaming that Edmund was wrong, deluded, naive, or simply didn’t know him well enough to see what a cheap, shallow, self-serving and utterly worthless monster he truly was. If even Xander, who knew him better than anyone else, couldn’t call him ‘friend’, then what the hell did Edmund know?

    Sniffsniff😢 Oh good grief…❤💔❤ I’m all of a fluster and quite undone now…fit for naught but pottering off to park my bum on a bench for a wee while in hopes a friendly freebie…😁 xxxx toodle pip xxxxx

    Liked by 1 person

    May 21, 2020 at 5:28 am

    • Penny Blake

      Oh yay! I’m so glad it was a sweet surprise – I wanted to build up those layers of complexity within the characters and their worlds – the harsher / darker – the comical / skulduggerous – the tender /courageous … I wasn’t sure if it would work or just seem chaotic or disjointed so I’m so glad you loved it, thankyou! xxxxxxxx And I’m sorry for the heart ache! Hugest hugs. I feel a meanie giving them all such a hard time (devil horns 😉 ) Lol, have fun on your park bench – tentacles crossed! XD xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

      Liked by 1 person

      May 22, 2020 at 10:30 am

      • Oh it was.🥰 You’ve weaved a wonderfully textured tapestry of words and worlds❤ with all those facets glinting like finest gemstones, whichever aspect you shine your light upon💎 😂 Hugest hugs back😁 It was the bestest sort, as poignant as twas precious in that moment. Why thank you indeedy!🤭 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

        Liked by 1 person

        May 22, 2020 at 2:22 pm

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2021 Kansas City Chiefs Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

Jenna CiccotelliAnalyst IIIMay 12, 2021

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) looks to make a pass during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
Steve Luciano/Associated Press

In their quest to go back-to-back as Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line faltered when it mattered most.

But the team has assessed those needs heading into 2021.

Guards Joe Thuney and Kyle Long joined the team in free agency, and former Los Angeles Rams center Austin Blythe has come in to replace Austin Reiter. They also added center Creed Humphrey in the second round of the draft.

The new-look offensive line will be charged with protecting star quarterback Patrick Mahomes throughout a new 17-game slate in an attempt to clinch a third consecutive AFC title.

Here's what the Chiefs will have to contend with as they do so.

2021 Kansas City Chiefs Schedule

*Full television schedule can be viewed on the team's official website.

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Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

The Chiefs lucked out by landing some of their most difficult matchups at home, with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers—both 13-3 and division winners in 2020—coming to Arrowhead Stadium this upcoming season.

The Cleveland Browns, who went 11-5 and gave the Chiefs a run for their money in the postseason, will also be among the visitors to Kansas City.

The team's road schedule also shows promise, with the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles (both 4-11-1 last season) and the 7-9 Washington Football Team among the road trips coming up. All three of these teams had disappointing seasons in 2020 and now have some uncertainty at quarterback.

Joe Burrow will return from the knee injury that ended his rookie season early for the Bengals, while the Eagles and Washington welcome new starters in Jalen Hurts and Ryan Fitzpatrick, respectively.

These matchups should allow the Chiefs to be in a solid position to repeat as the league's offensive leaders after finishing with 415.8 yards per game in 2020.

Key Matchups

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

The AFC West was a breeze for the Chiefs in 2020, with Kansas City coasting over the next-best team, the 8-8 Las Vegas Raiders

Things could look different this season, with offensive line changes appearing to be the trend around the division.

The Raiders lost Trent Brown and Gabe Jackson, while the Chargers made a number of changes headlined by the addition of Matt Feiler. At the same time, they lost tight end Hunter Henry to the New England Patriots

With new units in place to protect each team's signal-callers, the divisional matchups could prove to be a tougher hurdle for the Chiefs in 2021 than they were a year ago.

The Chiefs-Packers matchup provides a look into what the Super Bowl could have been in 2020, and what it could be in 2021 if everything continues on the same trajectory of last season. For Kansas City, it looks as though that could happen with this schedule.

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Emerald Ecstasy Green Smoothie Vitamix Recipe – Healthy & Tasty!

My Emerald Ecstasy Green Smoothie Recipe has become a favorite way to introduce skeptics to the idea of drinking something Green! It is the first recipe in my 30 Green Smoothie Recipes Ebook. It is sweet and delicious.

In 2008 I was the first Vitamix demonstrator in my region to make green smoothies and hand them out as samples in a show. I invented this recipe to taste great to a skeptical crowd (back then, the term “Green Smoothie” wasn’t as well known as it is now). I jokingly call this a “kindergarten” green smoothie because admittedly, it is high in natural sugars, but if you are looking for a great way to get kids, skeptical husbands, wives, or anyone who look at the green with a turned-up nose to try something green, look no further than this Emerald Ecstasy Green Smoothie Recipe!

Emerald Ecstasy Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1/2 cups of green grapes
  • 1/4 of a large, or 1/3 of a small pineapple
  • 1 whole large banana
  • 1/2 of a small, or 1/4 of a large green apple
  • 2 big hands full (about 1 cup each) fresh spinach
  • 2 cups of ice

Ingredient Notes

Green Grapes

  • Red grapes would taste just as good, but you won’t get the pretty green color if you choose red.
  • Be sure to remove grape stems, they are bitter.

  • The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be!

  • You can use any greens in this recipe. If you aren’t familiar with the importance of rotating your greens, or what different kinds of greens you might use in a green smoothie, I highly recommend my 30 Green Smoothie Recipes Ebook!
  • A single sprig of fresh parsley is a nice addition to this recipe.
  • If you use kale, collards, or swiss chard, de-stem for best taste and texture. Beet greens do not have to be de-stemmed, but they will turn the recipe brown instead of green (red + green = brown). The taste is great, but the color is off. A great way to hide the color of a smoothie is to serve in a stainless steel smoothie cup, and use stainless steel straws!

Dates (optional)

  • If this recipe isn’t sweet enough for your taste, you can add Dates. Add them right after you add the water with the green grapes. This way they will be near to the blades and will get liquified easily.
  • Be sure to check for pits. Medjool dates are the softer variety but often come with pits. Most “pitted dates” are of the Deglet Noor variety. Deglet Noor dates are more compact, and drier than Medjools. Any kind of date will work in this recipe.
  • Stevia is a great alternative to dates that does not affect blood sugar.

Superfood Smoothie Blend (optional)

  • Grab a copy of my 30 Green Smoothie Recipes Ebook to get more details, but in short, if you keep your green smoothie recipes free of additives (use only water, fruit, and greens) they are a cleansing, detoxifying snack.
  • That being said, many people want their green smoothie to be a meal replacement. I’m a big fan of these Superfood Blends because they are created with the BEST POSSIBLE ingredients, they are delicious, and you don’t have to keep 5-10 bags of different superfoods on hand. Just one scoop of any of the four delicious flavors, is a nutrient boosting addition to any smoothie!
  • Use the directions in this blog article about How to Blend Berry, Grape, Chia, and Flax Seeds when using these Superfood Blends.
  • Ancient Greens is the flavor that would be most appropriate for this recipe.
  • Use Coupon Code BlenderLady when ordering the Superfood Blends to get a 5% discount!

Add ingredients in the following order: water, grapes, pineapple, banana, apple, greens, ice. If you have a Standard model start at Variable Speed #1, quickly move the dial to 10 (in less than 5 seconds), then flip the switch to High. If you have a Standard Programs, OR either of the Next Generation* models, start at Variable Speed #1, then move the dial quickly (in less than 5 seconds) up to Variable #10 (High in a Standard model = Variable #10 in the other models).

Blend on High using the tamper as needed.

I like to blend until all of the spinach pieces disappear and the smoothie is all one color. I don’t use the smoothie setting on a model that has programs because I like to stop blending my green smoothies right when the last speck of greens (in this case spinach) disappears. This ensures the green smoothie will be smooth, and creamy, and still cold! If you like warmer smoothies, blend until the smoothie is the temperature you like.

Emerald Ecstasy picture

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If you’ve tried this recipe, how did you like it? Please leave comments and/or questions about this Emerald Ecstasy Green Smoothie Recipe below…

7 thoughts on “Emerald Ecstasy Green Smoothie Vitamix Recipe – Healthy & Tasty!”

  1. Hi Lea Ann, I have had my Vitamix for a year, although I used lower speed blenders and food processors before that to puree food and make smoothies.

    Made Em Ecstasy for the first time, with a few substitutions.
    1. HATE bananas, LOVE avocados
    2. Used mixture of water and coconut water
    3. After tasting, tossed in 1 small lime wedge to give a little “sparkle” to the taste

    Seemed on the sweet side, so thinned with water. Tasty and very attractive looking — who doesn’t like green?

  2. This is still my go to smoothie as I always have the ingredients in the freezer or most of them anyway. Both my husband and I love it. It was the first smoothie with a ‘green’ in it I ever tasted and I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. If you are new to
    Green Smoothies, this recips is sure to please.

  3. I am a newbie to green smoothies and this is my absolute favorite combination! I used dates at first, but now I find it sweet enough without. I have it for breakfast several times a week! Thanks LeaAnn for a great recipe!

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The Blinds Company

Tarporley Window Blinds

The popularity of blinds seems to rise every year, as more and more people bring them to their windows. Our supplier partners have an excellent reputation and can deliver to Tarporley. Blinds can protect your room from the sun, or bring additional privacy. They're easy to fit, and great value. Ready to start discovering? Click an image below.

We work with the best partners in the country, who can deliver almost anywhere in this fair isle.If you're uncertain about your needs, select any images above and start exploring.

Most roller blinds stay pretty clean unless you have lots of dirty fingers touching them, but even so a quick wipe with a damp sponge is usually all it takes to get them clean. Our online partners can offer a wide range of classic and modern blinds to home and surrounding areas.Blackout blinds will keep your room very dark.

We have great suppliers who can make your Tarporley windows really great. We really do. We find that our products are an excellent solution for bay windows. Bay window curtains can be very heavy and require specialist and expensive installation for the rail. It's hard to imagine the impact blinds can make to a room. From your office to your living room, there's opportunity to spruce up your house.

If you're not ready to make a decision today, that's fine. We'll be here tomorrow! Venetians first tried out their new window coverings in the 18th Century. And now they are firmly back in fashion across the UK. Our partners are proud that they offer the best quality products for your home, or your office. Celebrate a great 2021 and take one step closer to making your dream home.

We believe we offer the best choice of blinds for Tarporley customers. If you don't see the type of product you need, then just click on the closest product image to find your way to the blinds that are exactly right for you. Tarporley residents are getting more and more passionate about window blinds. It's not hard to see why. We are pleased you stopped by. We love the subject and can go on for hours and hours. You can probably tell.

We will direct you to a great selection of window blinds online for delivery to Tarporley. The prices are extremely competitive, but sometimes there are very big discounts and sales. Click on a product to find out more.


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Bitcoin IRA™ Releases New Video Highlighting the Benefits of Investing in Crypto for Retirement

Bitcoin IRA, the world’s first, largest, and most secure digital asset IRA technology platform that allows clients to purchase cryptocurrencies and other digital assets for their retirement accounts, today released a new video highlighting why investors should consider Bitcoin in a retirement account.

Bitcoin continues to far out-perform the S&P 500 and nearly all other traditional asset classes in 2020 and over the last 5 years (source: MarketWatch). This video explains the many benefits of adding Bitcoin to a retirement account, including the tax advantages, and how to get started.

Watch the new video here.

In addition to Bitcoin’s strong market performance, Bitcoin IRA has recently launched several new programs to help make investing in cryptocurrencies easier and more accessible. The company’s traditional program enables individuals to rollover their existing IRA and buy crypto using their proprietary 24/7 online self-trading platform, while their all-new Saver IRA™ program allows consumers to start a new retirement account and contribute for as little as $100 a month.

The company also added physical gold as a new asset option earlier this year enabling its clients to buy and sell investment-grade, US-certified gold bars, directly on its platform alongside 7 other digital assets including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Stellar Lumens (XLM) and Zcash (ZEC).

Bitcoin IRA has over 1,600 reviews with an average rating of over 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Source : Bitcoin IRA

Author: admin

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Alexey Koloskov

CEO, Co-Founder, Orion Protocol

Alexey Koloskov is Orion Protocol’s CEO and Co-Founder, with extensive experience spanning the two worlds of traditional finance and DeFi. He started his journey in the crypto space in 2016 as Chief Architect and Creator of the Waves DEX (now – the most successful decentralized exchange to date.

Over the past several years he has established a reputation as an active and expert participant within the blockchain development community.

Prior to this, Alexey spent years creating software for some of the largest international banks (including Deutsche Bank and UniCredit).


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The New Sharing Economy

From the Creative Commons blog:

At the beginning of summer, many of you told us how much you share in a survey for Shareable Magazine. The results of that survey have been translated into a study of “The New Sharing Economy” by Shareable and Latitude Research. Visually, the study features nifty diagrams depicting what we share the most and how sharing has evolved over time. Substantively, “The New Sharing Economy” reveals some encouraging trends, such as that sharing in the virtual world makes people more comfortable with the idea of sharing in the physical world (in fact everyone in the study who shared online also shared offline), and that most of these people believe they will partake in even greater corporeal sharing in the next five years.

The survey itself is interesting stuff indeed. I particularly like this passage about generational similarities:

Sharing is a basic part of human life, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that older generations were just as likely to share as Millennials. In fact, participants aged 40+ were more likely to feel comfortable sharing with anyone at all who joins a sharing community (with varying levels of community protections in place) and to perceive “making new friends” as a benefit of sharing, whereas Millennials tended to feel comfortable sharing only within smaller networks.* Attitudinally, however, Millennials were more likely to feel positively about the idea of sharing, more open to trying it, and more optimistic about its promise for the future.

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.

Join 28,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community!

Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Follow Adafruit on Instagram for top secret new products, behinds the scenes and more

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers –

Maker Business — Peloton to break ground at a new manufacturing campus in Ohio

Wearables — A costume and a photo op

Electronics — Ew! Sticky!

Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New CircuitPython Releases, RP2040 Singles and more! #Python #Adafruit #CircuitPython @micropython @ThePSF

Adafruit IoT Monthly — Toddler Clock, Predictive Weather Station, and more!

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EYE on NPI — Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — New Products 06/09/21 feat. #Adafruit #Trinkey #QT2040 – RP2040 USB Key with Stemma QT!

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at !

1 Comment

  1. I’m in a good mood today, but this "new" sharing economy is feels pretty insulting to me actually.

    Why? It sounds like investor-seeking hyperbola of hipsters that slept through even the most basic introduction to economics and world history.

    Consider how modern a concept real estate is in Western culture. Discover historic alternatives financial and business organizations the mostly persist to today (guildes, trade/labour unions, credit unions/ building society, co-operatives, socialism (theory & ideology)). The newest concept I can think of is micro-loans.

    I like sharing, and I like open hardware and software. But it isn’t novel, it’s _familiar_. I have no idea what they’re teaching kids in kindergarten these days. 🙂

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mental health written with Scrabble letters

In the beginning, the pandemic hit us hard in various directions. Isolation, unemployment, and various other difficulties have had a detrimental effect on mental health. Nonetheless, here we are a year later. How are we faring in the face of adversity?

Let’s take a look at 2020.

For this blog, we will refer to data from the US and the UK, as there hasn’t been much research on the impact of the pandemic on mental health globally, which is already a sign of mental health not being deemed important all around the world.

A wide March 2020 report saw several worrisome signs in the United States. One of its key findings was that citizens consumed in March more alcohol. A large number of the respondents experienced different health issues, such as fatigue, loss of stamina, difficulty concentrating, and falling asleep. One out of four people was experiencing low energy.

A variety of other research done in the UK saw similar findings. One out of four people participating in the research said their anxiety increased during the lockdown. Moreover, a third of participants met the diagnosis of generalized or situational depression.

Girl sitting on a chair with her back turned

The Bad: Fear and loneliness

Psychiatrist Marchenella Rietschel at the Central Institute for Mental Health in Germany believes the depression in the pandemic results from people’s apprehension of family conflict, increased social anxiety, and increased family strain due to quarantine, as well as in part to sickness. The epidemiologic studies and surveys undertaken so far suggest that younger individuals are more susceptible to a rise in psychological distress in the pandemic. Often, it is shown that young adults and women with newly identified mental illnesses are more likely to suffer from disorders.

The Bad: Stigmatization

It is more difficult for people newly released from quarantine to recover from their exclusion. Many of them establish mixed feelings. No one’s past experiences would be just the same as they leave quarantine. People who recently healed may have to distance themselves from families, parents, friends, and other people in the community and ensure their wellbeing remains secure.

"mental health matters" t-shirt

The Good: More time to look after yourself

During the height of the lockdowns, a lot of people started taking care of their well-being more. A lot of people found it beneficial to consider it a change of time, even though they didn’t really plan it for themselves. People prioritize looking after themselves. Even now, there are several different approaches one person could take. For example, one could read more, spend more time exercising, learn better ways to relax, search the internet for new information, research new coping methods, discover new ideas, or seek therapy if needed. One can see this as an opportunity to be creative, not a chore.

The Good: Deeper connections

As the pandemic continued, people started valuing more and more the importance of human connection and interaction. Even though interactions had to happen virtually, it felt that there was a surge of togetherness, of solidarity. People were, and still are, there for each other, in a broader meaning of the word than before.

Let’s take a look at 2021

Scientists are analyzing massive databases to determine the effect of pandemic prevention interventions on people’s mental wellbeing. While the whole picture has not been painted yet, we can see the early contours — and the overall first impression is grim.

Scientists see a worldwide “surge” in depression. According to a December 2020 U.S. Census Bureau poll, 42 percent of citizens in the world experienced anxiety or depression that month. This was a significant rise compared to last year.

The image seems to be the same all over the world. For example, one of the latest Nature articles reports an increase in depression rates among U.K. adults in June 2020, relative to pre-pandemic levels.

What’s next?

The truth is no one can predict what’s in store for the world moving forward. What we, as young people, ought to do is stay resilient in the face of challenges and be kind to ourselves and those around us.

balloons with smiley faces

Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month by devoting a few minutes to yourself each day. Focus on your emotional wellbeing, whether it takes five minutes or an hour. Speak out and share why you’re fighting. Whether you use social media or simply speak with friends, family or colleagues – mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 by telling those around you why you’ve joined the fight for mental health and help create a movement for change. You are not alone.


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Blog Home

A pushbutton control panel for your Zoom calls

Arduino TeamFebruary 5th, 2021

Today with most people working from home using teleconferencing applications, a custom control panel for such interactions could come in handy. This inspired professor Elena Long to design her own Zoom interface around an Arduino, a 3D-printed enclosure, and a series of pushbuttons that allow for custom printed icons.

Long’s device features 12 main buttons — five momentary, seven latching. These are wired to light up via LEDs. There’s also a large red mushroom button on the end provides a final latching input, which is perfect for aborting calls with a flourish.

Whereas many would assume the console is powered by either a Leonardo or Micro, Long’s unit is actually based on a Mega set up with the HoodLoader2 bootloader that enables it to act as a virtual keyboard.

Those wishing to recreate the project for their desk can find more details on Long’s GitHub.

One Response to “A pushbutton control panel for your Zoom calls”

  1. jeanyvesk Says:

    Hello. It’s not clear :
    How do you switch between the 2 (the 8u or the 2560) micro to program ?

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The Day When the US Tax Authorities Found Al Capone ‘Touchable’ – The British Newspaper Archive Blog

The Day When the US Tax Authorities Found Al Capone ‘Touchable’

With tax evasion and avoidance in the UK news so much at the moment, we thought readers would be interested in reading this BNA press release based on two stories in the Archive about the trial of Al ‘Scarface’ Capone for tax evasion.

In 1931, the penalty in the US for tax evasion was 11 years in prison

Eighty-one years ago, American gangster Al Capone was found guilty of 5 of the 23 income tax evasion charges he faced and was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment.

In the past, punishment for tax evasion was severe. When Al Capone was convicted for tax evasion he was refused bail, sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment and fined £10,000 (In today’s terms £530,000) According to the prosecution, Capone owed the US Government at least £50,000 (in today’s terms £2,650,000) in taxes – he had not paid a penny either in his own name or in any of his other alleged aliases.

Evening Telegraph – Wednesday 4th May 1932
Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

The British Newspaper Archive holds newspapers that covered his trial and an extract from ‘The Cornishman’ of 29 October 1931 documented Capone’s arrival at the courthouse: “He was guarded by a fully armed bodyguard and his motor car which cost him £4,000 was armoured and bullet-proof. Shrapnel and buckshot splattered off it like raindrops.

The newspaper goes on to describe the atmosphere when the judge read out Al Capone’s sentence: “It was a scene of intense drama when the sentence was pronounced. Capone was momentarily appalled by its severity, but kept firm control of himself”.

Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at The British Newspaper Archive, comments: “The trial of Al Capone is just one example of the many fascinating stories that are waiting to be uncovered at the click of a mouse. Thousands of newspaper pages are scanned every day and the online Archive is nearing 6 million pages this month, one year since its launch, so you can search through the billions of stories within seconds and all from the comfort of your own home.”

Nottingham Evening Post – Wednesday 17th June 1931

Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

About The British Newspaper Archive

1. The British Newspaper Archive is a partnership project between the British Library and brightsolid. From November 2011 to 2021, up to 40 million pages from historical newspapers across the UK and Ireland (spanning the period, 1700 to 1950) will be uploaded to the website.

2. The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive research collection.

3. brightsolid began life in 1995 as Scotland Online and is a leading UK independent provider of IT business services to large public and private sector organisations. The online publishing division of brightsolid has significant expertise in the digitisation and management of archival records, and works in partnership with the British Library, the National Archives and the National Records of Scotland. Headquartered in Dundee, the company is owned by the publishers D.C. Thomson and has offices in Edinburgh and London.

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#TooCuteTuesday: Give Zhe a Chance at a Loving Home!

Zhe FB

Happy #TooCuteTuesday CCAI Family! Please share and advocate for Zhe!

Zhe was hosted in the US this winter! Zhe is a super sweet 11 year old boy who is easy to fall in love with. He is overall very obedient and does a good job communicating despite language differences. He has been picking up some English, including counting and saying things like, “bye-bye” and “good night”. He gives and receives hugs, kisses, and high fives easily. He is polite and will say, “Thank you Mama” when the host mom gives him something. He gets very excited sometimes and will get very loud and animated (both when he’s happy and upset). He is very ticklish, smiles and laughs a lot, and loves to dance, which is super cute! He is also quite the poser for the camera. He is pretty easy going and has become easy to correct. He likes to play by himself a lot, but will play with others sometimes. He doesn’t seem interested in watching TV, unless it’s a Chinese cartoon (then he could probably spend hours watching if you let him). Zhe likes playing in the backyard-going down the slide, digging in the gravel, riding bikes and scooters around. He also seems to like putting the train track together and running the train on it. He found the game, “Trouble” and LOVES IT! He also got the card game “War” for Christmas and has enjoyed playing that a lot. He loves the computer and will ask to go on it a lot, and the host family got him an mp3 player for Christmas which he now listens to all the time.

Shen Wen Zhen Web Lg 3 Shen Wen Zhen Web Lg 2

When he first arrived, Zhe could do a 24 piece puzzle independently, but was frustrated and unable to do puzzles larger than that. The host family gave him a 48 piece puzzle for Christmas, which he tried to trade with the host daughter, because she got a 24 piece puzzle that he could do. Of course, she didn’t want to trade because hers was a princess and she can’t do bigger puzzles either. Anyway, the host family and Zhe have been working on how to do puzzles together (separating the edge pieces, looking for all the pieces for one particular part of the puzzle, etc.), and one day he called the host mom downstairs to show her that he had put his 48 piece puzzle together completely independently! The last week of hosting Zhe got out a 63 piece puzzle he had never attempted before and was able to complete it independently! The 63 piece puzzle had been presented to him before, but he was too intimidated to even attempt it. This time he got it out and initiated it, along with completing other puzzles he hadn’t tried before. He also learned to “pump” himself on the swings – he was very proud and wanted host mom to get a video of him! The host family hopes Zhe finds a forever family soon!

Shen Wen Zhen 1.12.15 (6)Zhe is a Special Focus child, meaning he may be matched to a family either with or without a dossier in China and may also be accepted along with another child!
Please call 303-850-9998 or email waitingchild2@ccaifamily.org for more information about Zhe.

Please share and advocate for Zhe! This boy needs a loving family. Be a voice for Zhe and make a difference in his life!


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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Last Of Us

Honestly, I'd be more interested in a post-apocalyptic game that doesn't rely on monsters. The Road was so depressingly effective (and so effectively depressing) because it was just about society falling apart, without needing a zombie infestation to cause it.

It would make a better game too, in my opinion, to leave the zombies behind; the use of (mostly) inhuman monsters as enemies in this seems like a cheap way to get around the "lead character as murderous psychopath" problem that the Uncharted series has started to run into, and doesn't actually leave the unnecessarily combat-heavy gameplay behind.

If they're really serious about driving storytelling forward, Naughty Dog need to commit to pushing their themes through gameplay, not just cutscenes. The problem with the story in Uncharted 3 is how most of the stuff you play seems non-canon for Drake's character; all the murdering is just something you do to keep you entertained as you move from point A to B.

There's such a disconnect between the flawed-but-fundamentally-good guy you see in the cutscenes and the remorseless gunslinger you actually play as. If that dichotomy isn't resolved effectively in The Last Of Us then I don't think the story is going to have the resonance Naughty Dog are hoping for.


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Doc Diaries: Tunnel Vision (part 1)

I love to travel.  But not like most people do.

One of my favorite things about traveling, and especially by airplane, is the actual experience of being on the plane.  Watching the world through a window.  Trying to notice how even familiar places and things look somewhat distant and alien through an airplane window.  I try to look out the window and take pictures that will somehow explain the thoughts and feelings and curiosities and perspectives that are hiding within myself.

The sequence of images from a flight is as much a record of the changing environment around the plane, as it is a memorial to the way that my attention sometimes flutters from one subject to another, noticing commonalities and differences this time around that I had somehow missed before.

It was raining during a recent flight from Ohio to Utah, which felt kind of appropriate, because there had been some sad things on my mind that were still there.  Still on my mind.  Watching the pattern of rain on the window reminded me of crying.

Sometimes when you cry, the tears start off slowly.  You can feel them forming little puddles below each of your eyes, and the puddles grow, and grow, and grow, and then they spill over.  The streaks start to run down your cheeks.  Sometimes that switch to full-blown crying is cathartic.  Other times it's just confusing.  Sometimes, it feels like I just want to run as fast as I can and leave everything behind.

So you start to run.  But the tears are still there.  You're still crying.  The sadness is still there, but at least you're doing something about it, even though you can't really do anything about it.  You're still crying, but the movement feels like it helps.

You keep running.  You're still crying, but beyond that tear-streaked face, the scenery is changing.  The blurriness in your eyes means that you can't see it very well yet, but you know what those colors used to look like, and they're different now.  You realize that you still can't see very well yet, but the tears might be starting to dry up.  Maybe, just a little.

Is this progress?  I mean, who's to say?  All I know right now is what it feels like to run

The human body can only generate tears for so long before it needs a break.  You're still running.  The tears are still there, but it's not anything new anymore; it's only what's left at this point.  The world outside is starting to look a little clearer, but all you can tell is that it's a place you no longer really recognize.  The cloud of sadness is still there.  I mean, it goes as far as the eye can see.  But now it's a little bit easier to see that there are things other than just the sadness.

Finally, you're back to an even keel.  The sadness is still there, of course, but you feel like you've done something about it.  You kind of have, even though you haven't really.  Something changed, but it's not the sadness that changed.

The tears leave little, dry crystals on your cheeks that remind you of where you've been, of what you've been through, and of what's still yet to come.  You're still running, and the sadness is still there, but at least you survived for a little while.

I generally travel to see people.  And then once I get back to the airport, I stay curious.  It's fascinating how many facets of life are supported by people, and it's equally fascinating how many everyday objects are characterized by the ways that people are supposed to interact with them.

The only precipitation during the second leg of the flight was snow that had already fallen on the Utah tarmac.  So I looked around for other secrets that were hiding in the world beyond the window.

The latch for the luggage compartment is one detail that can really make you think.  How many different latches have to be built into a modern jet?  It's a bunch, right?  From manufacturing, to maintenance, to daily operation, there are so many things that a person might need to grab, and so many different ways they might need to grab it.  Some of them have to be usable with thick mittens on, others are meant to be operated with a single finger.  Some are removable, like tools.  Others (like the luggage compartment latch) hide behind a smooth surface, waiting for the right person to push and pull in the right sequence.  Yet others are obvious and always apparent.

There are so many latches on a jet, and each one tells you a little story about how a human is meant to interact with the plane.

Once we leave the gate and start to taxi, it's easy to think about how small we are, and how far we move, in relation to the world around us.  Sometimes I wonder about how our perspectives of mountains and other geographical features have changed over the ages, as it's become gradually easier and easier to get to them and beyond them.

But doing so is still both easy and difficult.  It's easy enough as a passenger — you just find a ticket and go.  But there's so much difficulty in practice — someone had to devise a chemical that you could spray onto an aircraft that would stay on there despite high speeds and tremendous amounts of wind, so that it would prevent ice from building up on the surface of the aircraft and making control surfaces difficult to operate (or less effective at manipulating the flow of air).

And it's weird.  There are a bunch of things in life that are like that.  I mean, it's so easy to walk, but imagine having to explain how to walk to someone who had never learned.

But then you take off and see a mountain range under your wing.  No big deal…

You see your shadow on top of a cloud.

And when you land, there's that age-old reminder: people made this happen. The complete Tunnel Vision series:

  1. Rain & People
  2. Colors, Textures, & Lines
  3. Clouds
Hey, it's me! I’ve been a documentary photographer for 17 yrs, software engineer for even longer, and plenty of other things in between.


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Thursday, 16 October 2014

Out tomorrow

I'm planning to go out tomorrow to do "Bulwick and back", a ring of 60 caches. When things are going well, I'd expect to do about 10 caches per hour, so I'll probably set off at 11 and get back at 5.

At cache 31, the route crosses a road which would take me back to the car in 4 km, which isn't a long way if you're on a bike and tarmac, so I could break the ring into two if I do an extra 8km on the bike. I'm not sure yet; the alternative is to take enough batteries to do the whole thing in one lump. I think I'd need three batteries to complete the route, which means that I'd take four, plus lighting (in case it takes a lot longer than I think and it gets dark, which is at about 6:00 or 6:30 now). And a bottle of water, and the usual emergency kits for A) the bike and B) me.

So what I'll do, is take enough supplies to do the whole circuit in one lump, but when I reach cache 31, I have the option of changing my mind.

  1. I walked it in 4.5hrs; I don't recall any stiles (that doesn't mean there weren't any..). If you go clockwise, you'll face two wide muddy uphill field crossings after #8, a lumpy grass section around #12-14, but from there it's mostly farm tracks and wide easy paths, and the odd cropfield crossing.

  2. There was one really horrible stile, see my write-up.


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Monday, June 15, 2020

June 14th

Randy came over and we did some work on his Honda Pilot - we replaced the thermostat, a tickover sensor and a sensor in the rear differential.  I managed to drop a gasket under the airbox, and taking that out we found the filter was filthy, so we replaced that too.  We went to get some lunch, and figured out that the cooling system has air bubbles in it (strangely never had that problem changing the radiator in the Jeep, so he'll work on that - it seems as simple as running it with the heater on for a while.

In the evening we went for a flight around Beale Air Force base's airspace, and it was glorious - warm enough, but no thermals or bouncy wind.  We even saw what looked like a Flightstar or Hurricane single seater and a couple of powered parachutes over by Camp Far West lake.

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Just like humans, dogs can experience allergies that bring them discomfort. Symptoms like watery eyes, constant sneezing, and itchy ears are telltale signs that your canine is suffering from allergies. As dog owners, we always want to make sure our pet feels healthy and comfortable. That’s why we put together our allergy essentials, from prescription items to paw wipes!

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BetaGen Topical Spray

BetaGen Spray

The BetaGen Topical Spray is a prescription product that gets the job done with anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. If your dog has serious lesions from skin irritation, this topical spray aids in cleaning and healing the wound. Please speak to your veterinarian if you think your dog could benefit from this product.

E3 Ear & Paw Wipes

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If your dog tends to spend a lot of time licking and chewing their paws, they’re likely experiencing skin irritation. E3’s Ear & Paw Wipes are designed to clean your pet’s paws and ears. Great for both cats and dogs, these wet wipes are infused with medication to treat skin fungus and infection. These wipes are easy to use and disposable.

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Earthbath Grooming Wipes help to keep your pet fresh and free of funk in between baths. These wipes can be used to clean paws, underbelly, and coat. With options like Mango Tango, Puppy, and Hypoallergenic (fragrance-free), you can find the best fit for your pet. All versions clean and deodorize while also adding shine to your pet’s coat.

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Want to clean up more than your dog’s allergies? Check out our blog on Earthbath’s natural and gentle pet shampoos and conditioners!


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Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Run free, dear Saba!

Our friend, Saba, is gone.

Saba was a great pup. One of the first pups that Mum knew before she even had a twinkle in her eye for me or, my sis, Gracie. Mum took this shot of her from across the fence one nice, summer day.

Saba lived next door with her family. They moved in about three months after Mum. We've been really close with her family the entire time we've all lived here. Mum goes to their parties, we all exchange little Christmas presents every year, and Saba's Mum watches my kittie bros and our home when we are off to agility trials.

Saba used to want to make friends with my kittie bro, Wiggy. Wiggy was not so sure about the whole friendship thing, but Saba never gave up trying. Saba used to play with us through the fence, even through the coldest, snowiest day of the year.

We loved Saba. She grew old and sick this past year. No longer could she walk and today was the time she was helped to pass to the Rainbow Bridge.

We will miss Saba, her love, her kindness, her gentleness, and her strength. Run free, dear Saba, we love you and always will!

  1. sad woofies and burfs, sooo sorry ur friend went to the bridge, Johann..Angel Lacylulu here, me will take care of Saba...

    b safe,
    sad rocky, bear and angel lacylulu ;)

  2. what a great friend u had there juz next door... i know your whole family will miss her dearly...

  3. We're so sorry to hear about Saba, Johann. It's so hard to lose a good friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

    Love ya lots,
    Maggie and Mitch

  4. sad to hear.......losing a dog is one of the hardest things there is.

  5. It is not easy when it comes to parting, take care...

Thanks for barking in!

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The Genealogy of “More”

Genealogy is not just family history. It can also be as “a fictional narrative, an imagined developmental story, which helps to explain a concept or value or institution, by showing ways in which it could [have] come about” (Bernard Williams, Truth and Truthfulness, 2002, p. 31).

So here is a genealogy of “More.” It starts, of course, with “Once upon a time….”

Once upon a time, with the human race just dawning, we discovered there was “more,” in ways that other animals did not. Our contemplative consciousness of time and space revealed the universe as more than just a place to satisfy our needs. Ruminating on relationships with other tribal members, we said, “There is more than just myself.” When exploring the terrain and never running out of space, we thought, “There is more out there than we will ever get to.” One simple glance at the heavens told us that however much we imagined more, there would always be more than even that. When people died, we wondered if there was a kind of “more” beyond our earthly lives as well.

So important was the “more,” that we appointed priests to be in charge of it. They explained the heavens, pronounced moral rules for tribal relationships, told us there was more to us than meets the eye, assured us that we matter even after we are dead, and used music and ritual to elevate our imagination. These kinds of “more,” they explained, exemplify the “More of Being”: the marvel of life itself, the miracle of loving and being loved, the spaciousness of the human mind, the depth of the human soul, and the wonderment of being part of eternity. They described it, sometimes, as “sacred,” our intimations of the Divine.

We were hunter-gatherers then, in small bands that hardly ever encountered other tribes like ourselves. Our needs were few: we lived in caves or moved around wherever water was handy and food plentiful. We had no need of possessions.

With the dawn of agriculture, however, we settled down to farm and became aware of property. As our numbers grew, we needed more land, and when our expansion ran into similar expansion by other tribes, we decided to appoint kings to protect “our” more from “theirs.” With royal power came the right to palaces and riches. But the kings also organized a government, won wars, and minted coinage, thereby creating something called the “economy,” and bringing us wealth beyond our basic needs. When we saw what the coins could buy, we wanted more of them.

Thus was born a second kind of more: not the “More of Being,” but the “More of Having.”

Over the centuries, this More of Having accelerated exponentially, especially with the marriage of science to technology, and the invention of more things to own than we had ever imagined. To facilitate buying, trading, selling, and saving those things, we created advanced economies with a financial sector in which even money could make money. The range of goods and services, treats and toys, that money could buy seemed as infinite as the heavens that once had captured our imagination; and, ironically, the air pollution that came with the production and use of our things prevented our seeing the heavens anymore anyway.

At first, the priests had done pretty much everything: they were also our doctors, lawyers, scientists, and teachers. Because evolution proceeds with ever-great complexity, however, the non-priestly roles were absorbed by other specialists. Priestly healers bourgeoned into corporate medical, pharmaceutical, and insurance mazes so convoluted that no one completely understood them. Priestly judges gave way to an equally tortuous judicial system, and priestly educators morphed into a labyrinth of institutions that mostly served the vast infrastructure of “having,” and the lucky few who were the biggest “havers.”

The final blow to the old-time priesthood had been the demise of bloody sacrifice. The ancient Jewish Temple mutated into synagogues, where expert “religionists” (rabbis, cantors, educators, executive directors, and so on) sought valiantly to fight our intoxication with the More of Having by remembering the More of Being.

Help came from (of all places) philosopher Emanuel Kant, who famously declared, “Two things filled the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” But religionists were not alone in claiming expertise in these two fields. Astronomers mapped the heavens with planets and stars that physicists explained with mathematical equations; psychologists reduced Kant’s moral law to an unconscious that psychotherapy sought to uncover.

As scientists successfully claimed ownership of both “the starry skies above” and “the moral law within,” the liberal religionists, at least (those who most appreciated science), began wondering what was left for them to do. By the late 20thcentury, lots of them kept busy as ritual functionaries, running through worship books on calendrical occasions and maintaining a monopoly on life-cycle ceremonies. Others specialized in the somewhat inchoate art of healing, relationship-building, small-group formation, and meaning-making. Still others threw themselves into social-justice causes. All three solutions were meritorious.

But the More of Having proved addictive. The computer era promised not just things but ever-updated versions of them. Even bar/bat mitzvahs and weddings became experiences we might “have.” Soon synagogue membership declined, because religionists who promised the More of Having could always be outclassed by others who offered the same sort of things and experiences for less. The market for self-help books, meditation classes, and destination weddings boomed.

Then came the game-changer: a thing called covid. With so many dying daily, we remembered that life is tenuous. Why had we been running so hard to get more and more of the More of Having? It had all worked well when we could keep on running, because the More of Having depended on constantly having more of it. But when we found ourselves locked away in our homes, with the fun places boarded up and the economy shut down, the More of Having failed us. Life, we saw, is a state of being not of having.

With all that carbon-spewing production and transportation shut down by Covid, we could actually see the stars again. The zoomed faces from around the globe brought recognition of human continuity beyond our own tribe. Once again, we took seriously the More of Being: the miracle of being alive; the challenge in raising our children — differently, perhaps, than we were raised — with more appreciation for God’s universe, more time for family and friends, and the desire to perfect the soul through thinking and conversing, artistry and imagination. Instead of counting our possessions, we would count our days — and make our days count. We would affirm human dignity, save the planet, and grow the world’s kindness and comfort.

As these thoughts dawned on us during Covid, we began attending synagogues again (albeit virtually), and by late 2021, we were told we could return in person. More and more people did: not just the regulars, that is, the people who had always attended whatever the synagogue offered, but new faces, people who had never given synagogues a thought, some of them not even Jewish. They wanted to find out if synagogues had something to say about the More of Being.

Here ends the Genealogy of More, up to Sunday April 25, 2021, the 13th of the Hebrew month of Iyar, 5781. There is more to the story of More, but alas, genealogies are retrospective, not predictive.

As of this writing, most synagogues are focused on the technical business of opening up safely, and of producing High Holy Day worship both in person and on zoom screens. But everyone knows the real questions lie beyond all that. Once we know how to open, we will have to demonstrate why it is worth our opening. And that raises the question of whether we are wise, willing, and bold enough to restructure our synagogues as tomorrow’s Jewish wellsprings for the More of Being.

3 responses to “The Genealogy of “More”

  1. Larry

    You hit this one far out of the park! Thank you. Also Lewis

    On Sun, Apr 25, 2021 at 3:10 PM Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Ph.D. wrote:

    > lawrenceahoffman posted: ” Genealogy is not just family history. It can > also be as “a fictional narrative, an imagined developmental story, which > helps to explain a concept or value or institution, by showing ways in > which it could [have] come about” (Bernard Williams, Truth ” >

  2. Gary Bretton-Granatoor

    Brilliant. I shared it with some of my board members. I hope you are well and vaccinated. I am about to become a grandfather in 9 weeks. I can’t believe it. Hope to catch up soon. B”yedidut G

    Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor (he, him, his) 917-941-3256 Skype: gary.bretton-granatoor Check out my website:

  3. Gerald I Weider

    Very insightful and thought provoking.
    Thank You Larry

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Tag Archives: congregations

Congregational Algebra

Are you interested in launching a thoughtful conversation on what your congregation should be doing better? Most people are. But they don’t know how to begin. If you open the conversation with, “How can we do better?” you get everyone’s favorite complaint – something you have probably heard before. The conversation goes nowhere new. Conversations depend on the conversational frames that introduce them!

General Rule # 1:

Conversations require conversational frames, a way to think about the issue at hand.

We all use such frames, usually just by asking, “What do you think of X” or, ”The agenda now calls for a discussion of Y.” These straightforward frames can be disastrous because they invite people to say the same things they always do. The people who feel strongly (pro or con) reiterate what you knew they would say in advance; the whiners whine all over again; most people have nothing new to say.

General Rule #2:

Inviting conversations but ignoring the frames with which we introduce them is disastrous.

As we just saw, conversations poorly framed invite redundancy. Information theory measures information as ”the extent to which a communication cannot be predicted in advance.” By that measure, most meetings on “what we ought to do about X” elicit little or no information at all. Everyone leaves frustrated and worn out, and the meeting chair is left with copious notes on virtually nothing that could not have been predicted without the meeting even having occurred.

General Rule #3:

Conversational frames should be intriguing, inviting, unthreatening, and compelling

Intriguing: They should shed new light on the way the topic is to be               approached.

Inviting: They should get people to lean in, suspecting they have                               something to say; not sit back waiting for others who are “smarter” or            more expert” to talk.

Unthreatening: They should avoid pressing hot buttons that put people on          the defensive or suggest they should keep quiet lest they sound stupid.

Compelling: They should make the issue sound both interesting and           important – worthy of attention and requiring action.

Not all topics require such careful consideration of frames. Some issues are just “technical”; they call for “fixes” that are pretty straightforward. If the roof is leaking, you don’t need a philosophical introduction about the theological implications of water damage!

But the question of how to make the congregation a better place is not technical. It is what Ronald Heifetz calls “adaptive” – the answer will emerge only from engaging conversation that determines the actual nature of the problem. That’s where congregational algebra comes in.

I am not sure where the equation comes from (it is cited everywhere, in books and on line), and it occurs in several different forms, but I use the following version as a frame to prompt “How can we do things better” conversations. (My colleagues -Isa Aron, Steven Cohen, and Ari Kelman – and I used it in our book, Sacred Strategies, 2010]). Here it is.

C = D x V x F x B x S > R.

Or, spelled out: Change = Dissatisfaction x Vision x First Steps x Belief in ourselves x System, all of which must be greater than Resistance.

Next time you have a general conversation about doing things better, frame the discussion by asking, “What gets in our way when we try to improve what we do?”

  • Some congregations are satisfied with mediocrity; they will never feel challenged to change.
  • Others have no large Vision of where they should go. Without vision of something better, they will be leery of voicing Dissatisfaction, even if they feel it. Or, if they do voice it, they will leave dispirited, with no clear vision to guide their way beyond it.
  • Some congregations never manage to take the necessary First steps. They make plans that never even get off the ground.
  • Others lack Belief in their own ability to succeed. They have an institutional inferiority complex. When it comes to thinking big, it doesn’t even pay to try!
  • And many congregations lack efficient Systems, so that bold initiatives get started, but fizzle out and die. By System, I mean such things as good professional personnel; effective communications; mutual accountability, proper support staff; and the like.

My own experience suggests that the two most common problems are lack of vision (and, therefore, fear of acknowledging dissatisfaction) and systemic dysfunction.

Whatever the case, try some congregational algebra the next time your board meets to think through “how we can do things better.” Frame the conversation with an algebraic equation that is actually fun to discuss. Ask them what will most prevent them from succeeding at whatever it is they decide to do: Dissatisfaction? Vision? Taking First Steps? Belief in Themselves? or the System (and if, the latter, what part of the system is broken)?

It will help you generate later conversations that will target your congregation’s weakness and move you to a new level of conversation and problem solving.


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Four things you should know about open data quality

Originally published on the Open Data Institute blog. Original URL:

1. A quality dataset is a well-published dataset

First impressions are everything. The efforts made to publish a dataset will guide a user’s experience in finding, accessing and using it. No matter how good the contents of your dataset, if it is not clearly documented, well-structured and easily accessible, then it won’t get used.

Open data certificates are a mark of quality and trust for open data. They measure the legal, technical, practical and social aspects of publishing data. Creating and publishing a certificate will help a publisher build confidence in their data. Open data certificates complement the five star scheme, that assesses how well data is integrated with the web.

2. A dataset can contain a variety of problems

Data quality also relates to the contents of a dataset. Data errors usually occur when the data was originally collected. But the problems may only become apparent once a user begins working with the data.

There are a number of different types of data quality problem. The following list isn’t exhaustive but includes some of the most common:

  • The dataset isn’t valid when compared to its schema, for example there are missing columns, or they are in the wrong order
  • The dataset contains invalid or incorrect values, for example numbers that are not within their expected range, text where there should be numbers, spelling mistakes or invalid phone numbers
  • The dataset has missing data from some fields or the dataset doesn’t include all of the available data – some addresses in a dataset might be missing their postcode, for example
  • The data may have precision problems — these may be due to limits in accuracy of the sensors or other devices (such as GPS devices) that were used to record the data, or they many be due to simple rounding errors introduced during analysis

3. There are several ways to fix data errors

Some types of error are more easily discovered and fixed than others. Tools like CSVLint can use a schema to validate a dataset, applying rules to confirm that data values are valid. But sometimes extra steps are needed to confirm whether a value is correct.

For example, an email address (for contacting a company, for example) might be formatted correctly but it might contain a spelling mistake that means it is unusable. There are a variety of ways to improve confidence that an email address is valid, but you can only reliably confirm that an email address is both valid and actually in use by sending an email and asking a user to confirm receipt.

Another way to help identify data quality issues is to check data against a register that provides a master list of legal values. For example, country names might be validated against a standard register of countries. Open registers are an important part of the data ecosystem.

Other types of errors are much harder to fix. Company names and addresses may become invalid or incorrect over time. Publishing data openly can allow others to identify and contribute fixes. Making things open can help make them better.

4. Sometimes ‘good quality’ depends on your needs

One way to help improve data quality is to generate quality metrics for a dataset. Metrics can help summarise the kinds of issues found in a dataset. You might choose to count the numbers of valid and invalid values in specific columns. Run regularly, metrics can identify if the quality of a dataset is changing over time.

However, it’s hard to make an objective assessment about whether a dataset is of a good quality. Sometimes quality is in the eye of the beholder. For example:

  • GPS accuracy in a dataset might not be important if you only want to do a simple geographic visualisation. But if you’re involved in a boundary dispute then precision may be vital.
  • Inaccurate readings from a broken sensor might be an annoyance for the majority of users who might want them filtered out of a raw dataset. But if you are interested in gathering analytics on sensor failures then seeing the errors is important.

Fixing all data quality issues in a dataset can involve significant investment, sometimes with diminishing returns. Data publishers and users need to decide how good is good enough, based on their individual needs and resources.

However, by opening data and letting others contribute fixes, we can spread the cost of maintaining data. Making things open can help make them better, remember?


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Grant Green

Birth Name Grant Green
Born June 6, 1935 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died January 31, 1979 (aged 43) New York City
Genres Jazz, bebop, hard bop, soul jazz, jazz blues, jazz-funk
Instruments Musician, songwriter
Associated acts Lou Donaldson, Larry Young, Big John Patton, Idris Muhammad

Grant Green (June 6, 1935 – January 31, 1979) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Recording prolifically and mainly for Blue Note Records as both leader and sideman, Green performed in the hard bop, soul jazz, bebop, and Latin-tinged idioms throughout his career. Critics Michael Erlewine and Ron Wynn write, “A severely underrated player during his lifetime, Grant Green is one of the great unsung heroes of jazz guitar … Green’s playing is immediately recognizable – perhaps more than any other guitarist.” Critic Dave Hunter described his sound as “lithe, loose, slightly bluesy and righteously groovy”. He often performed in an organ trio, a small group with an organ and drummer.

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Ain't it Funky Now

Apart from guitarist Charlie Christian, Green’s primary influences were saxophonists, particularly Charlie Parker, and his approach was therefore almost exclusively linear rather than chordal. He thus rarely played rhythm guitar except as a sideman on albums led by other musicians. The simplicity and immediacy of Green’s playing, which tended to avoid chromaticism, derived from his early work playing rhythm and blues and, although at his best he achieved a synthesis of this style with bop, he was essentially a blues guitarist and returned almost exclusively to this style in his later career.

Green was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He first performed in a professional setting at the age of 13 as a member of a gospel music ensemble. His influences were Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Jimmy Raney, he first played boogie-woogie before moving on to jazz. His first recordings in St. Louis were with tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest for the United label. The drummer in the band was Elvin Jones, later the powerhouse behind sax player John Coltrane. Green recorded with Elvin again in the early 1960s. Lou Donaldson discovered him playing in a bar in St. Louis. After touring together with Donaldson, Green arrived in New York around 1959–60.

Top 3 Grant Green Recordings

How To Play Guitar Like Grant Green

Grant Green : Biography on Grant Green

Rediscovering the Forgotten Genius of Jazz Guitar. This heartfelt biography celebrates the life and music of unsung hero Grant Green, the late jazz guitar genius who played on nearly 100 albums from the early ’60s to the late ’70s, but narrowly missed celebrity.

Best of Grant Green

A Step-by-Step Breakdown of the Guitar Styles and Techniques of the Jazz Groove Master (Guitar Signature Licks). Explore the many stylistic turns of one of the most influential guitarists in jazz! Renowned guitar educator Wolf Marshall takes you inside 13 of Grant Green’s most popular tunes to examine his unique lines and musicality.


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Posts Tagged ‘Open gardens’

Open Gardens in Box, Wiltshire

0 Written by Lisa on 21st Jun 2012 in Inspiration

We went to Wiltshire last weekend for a bit of a break.  Originally we’d planned to go to Rome (My 40th birthday present) but we decided that it would be much nicer to go there in the early Autumn when it’s not so hot.  So, not quite as glamorous, but fabulous all the same.

We stayed in a gorgeous studio apartment near the village of Box and on Sunday some of the local houses opened their gardens to raise money for the local church.

I wanted to share the pictures of this house and garden which was adjacent to the church – I had to stand in the churchyard to take a proper photo, but the Magnolia grandiflora looked gorgeous against the house, I bet it looks a picture when it’s in flower.

At the back of the house was an old wisteria and there was a fabulous view of the church next door.

The house and garden have recently changed ownership and there were signs that work has started to renovate them.  It was obvious that both were once amazing and I hope that the new owners are able to restore the garden to its former glory.

This is the view from the upper terrace at the back of the house over the rest of the garden…

It had a country manor feel to it with wonderful mature trees and a natural stream that cascaded down an original Roman wall, through the garden and out to the river beyond.  The areas around the house were more formal.

There’s something about going to visit gardens that belong to your average family (perhaps it’s the nosey streak in me!) and we visited a few others on Sunday too.  For me this garden had the most magic and I’d love to know what it was like in its heyday.

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I specialise in helping families to turn their gardens into an extension of their home and into a space that can be used and enjoyed all year round.

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On Friday, 17th we had another event at the Java User Group Cologne. An evening about Java web development with Apache TomEE and Vaadin. More than 40 Java enthusiasts participated that evening. The event was hosted by Faktor Zehn, the company which hosted the first NetBeans Evening Colonge, too.

The evening was scheduled from 6:30 pm till 10 pm. But due to a lot of informative stuff and many interactions with the interested attendees, it lasted till midnight. Frankly more than half of the attendees omitted the last talk, which started at 11 pm. Folks, even it had been really late, you missed an impressive talk!

Here some impressions of that evening (all photos by my, authorized by the speakers).

Andy Gumbrecht (Tomitribe) presents the application server Apache TomEE [1] and the micro profile [2].

Sami Ekblad (Vaadin) introduces the server side web framework Vaadin [3].

Teemu Suo-Anttila (Vaadin) hacks a short web application based on suggestions of the attendees. The result of the live coding is available online [4].

Jan Ortmann (Faktor Zehn) presents their framework Linkki to wire up applications with Vaadin. Unlike the other presented software this isn’t open source yet. But Jan promised it will become open source soon – just after polishing the code.

And the last talk introduced Java EE testing with Arquillian [5] (Andy again).

All in all this had been a very informative evening. If you missed this evening, you might vistit JavaLand in March. Most of the speakers will talk there. Me too. I’m going to talk about the new Java Shell.

Stay tuned!

[1] www.tomitribe.com

[2] microprofile.io

[3] vaadin.com

[4] github.com/tsuoanttila/cologne-jug

[5] arquillian.org