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Part 3
RYAN: Welcome back to The Muppet Mindset. We're here with Bill Barretta (we've let him out for a bathroom break, we swear) for the final part of our interview. Bill, any final first words?
BILL: Final, first words…hmmm…Bye and hi?
RYAN: On Sesame Street, you have the honor of performing Elmo's father, Louie. Though Louie rarely appears on the actual show, he is used quite frequently in the "Talk, Listen, Connect" specials benefiting military families. How did you get cast as Louie?
BILL: Kevin Clash had this beautiful song written by Mark Radice called "Proud" about a father and son and wanted to record it with Elmo. He asked me if I would sing the dad part and so I did. The song came out beautifully and I think it caught people's attention at Sesame and so they decided to work with Kevin on developing that relationship further and integrating Louis into some upcoming projects. Oh, and then building the puppet.
RYAN: Why does it seem like all of the bad things happen to Elmo's family? Louie gets deployed, Elmo's mom loses her job—Thank goodness for all of the funds from Tickle Me Elmo or else the Elmo family would be in bad shape.
BILL: I think you probably already know the answer to this but Elmo is the platform that Sesame needs to use for these sensitive topics especially when it applies to families and children. And yes, pimping out their son to bring in the cash hasn't hurt them either.
RYAN: You have performed Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, and Swedish Chef for many, many years. What is it like to take over three hugely iconic characters—especially three characters performed by Jim Henson?
BILL: I think my initial reaction was pure excitement. But it didn't take me long to realize that it was not going to be easy. I've resigned myself to the idea that I am basically doing an impersonation of these characters and only that at best. These characters came from within Jim and were a part of him. There is no way I could ever be comfortable performing these characters as if they were my own. For me, I am honored beyond my wildest dreams to be performing them and I hope that while I am doing them that I am able to capture some of the spirit and integrity that Jim brought to the world with these guys.
RYAN: Did you know Jim at all before he passed? How was it decided that you would take over these characters? What is a recasting process like for characters like these?
BILL: Only briefly was I in his company years ago. Once when I saw him coming through the entrance of Sesame Place – where I ran from my manned post and said. "Mr. Henson welcome to Sesame Place can I show you anything". He said, "Do you know where the new automated characters are?" That happened to be by coincidence the manned station that I had left unattended. So I took him there. And then again I met him with Brian in New York at his apartment.
I'm not sure exactly how they were all decided. I know Brian asked me to perform Rowlf after discussing it with the family. The other thing was, I never thought I would be performing Rowlf or Dr. Teeth because I had begun performing Bobo and he was my "vocal tribute" to those Jim voices that I always loved. Now it's quite difficult to separate them all and I have to try and make sure they maintain their character and not be too hung up on the voice. It's the personality of the character that separates them as individuals.
Recasting is often something that grows out of a pre-existing pool of performers. It's so important to the creative process if we are lucky enough to fulfill roles with people that we already have relationships with. Again, as I mentioned earlier, it's the relationships below the puppets that are truly driving the characters. If you throw a total stranger into the mix it becomes a large learning curve to get to that place that seems so easy and seamless to watch as the characters interact with each other. And it's not that new performers aren't welcome, but the ideal situation is that it might grow from the core group somehow…We've been lucky.
RYAN: I do a few Muppet voice impressions just for fun, including Rowlf and Dr. Teeth. I've always wondered how it affects your throat to do such deep, gravelly voices for long periods of time. I only toss around a few lines every once in awhile and my throat hurts. Is there a special trick you use to keep your throat from hurting during long recording sessions?
BILL: Not really. Water's good or lemon juice works well if you need it, but water mainly.
RYAN: It's been so great lately that we've been seeing more and more of Rowlf, Scooter, The Electric Mayhem, and other classic Muppet characters. Has there been a conscious decision within The Muppets Studio to bring these classic characters back to the spotlight?
BILL: This is a difficult question to answer. I know that Debbie McClellan who is really the most familiar with the characters and their history really tries to keep all the characters alive and well as best she can. But now that David Rudman has begun to perform Richard Hunt's characters, and very well I will add, and Vogel is doing Jerry's, I think it is more comfortable for the Studio to try and have them more present.
RYAN: This Christmas the Muppets performed "The Twelve Days of Christmas" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Do you know how they chose the Muppets to perform? It was so cool to see Rowlf, Scooter, Sam Eagle, and Robin on late night TV.
BILL: As you probably know it was based on The John Denver Special, so the original characters that the core group now performs were in it, but then I believe Steve, Eric and Debbie decided who else should be in it.
RYAN: Whose idea was it to have Rowlf performing with The Roots?
BILL: I think it was people at the Fallon show. In the original John Denver version Rowlf was a cut away shot to him at the piano, so it kind of stayed true to the original in that way.
RYAN: At the D23 Convention in Anaheim last year Pepe, Gonzo, and Fozzie got to meet with tons of fans. How much fun was it to get to socialize with Muppet fans live and in-prawn?
BILL: It was wonderful, but I have to say not the most comfortable way of doing it. Dave, Eric and I would have preferred not having a wall between us and the folks there, but I hope people enjoyed it, nonetheless.
RYAN: When the Muppets rolled in on the river boat, was Pepe singing "Prince Ali" from Aladdin? That's what it seemed like in the one video Disney released.
BILL: That was one of the songs we did. Except the words were changed to "I'm Pepe, fabulous me, Pepe the King Prawn". Other songs were Miss Piggy's version of "Cruella DeVille", titled "Miss Piggy, That's Moi" and a finale of Rainbow Connection and The Magic Store.
RYAN: When you were shooting the material for the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" promotions in Disneyland, were you and the other Muppeteers given some time to explore the theme park and enjoy yourselves, or was it all just business?
BILL: Yeah we did actually have some time one day to go around the park, but we really worked long hours. Some in the day while guests were there, but mostly during the hours when the park was closed. Long nights.
RYAN: In the commercial with Fozzie, Pepe, and Sara Ramirez, was the effect of Fozzie shocking Pepe with defibrillators added in post-production or was a stunt-prawn used?
BILL: Though we do have a stunt Pepe, that was a post effect.
RYAN: After six years in the House of Mouse, it appears that the Muppets are finally being accepted and utilized in the Disney family. Is there a distinct change in the way the Muppets are thought about within the company, or has it always been positive and it's just now had enough time to shine through?
BILL: Everything takes time. Especially when a large company like Disney who is used to taking 2D or CG characters and exploiting them throughout all of the various outlets that they have available to them. How do you use that same business model with a smaller, reparatory-like group of characters that are not animated? The Muppets live in our world and if you want to stay true to the integrity (original or single performed, not multi-casted characters) and philosophy of the Muppets, it makes it harder to meet those larger scale demands that Disney requires. It has taken time for The Muppet Studio to find the right exposure for this very specific situation and it's not easy. They've hung in there and fought for the right thing and it is now paying off. It's a selective strategy that can be very risky, but they're doing it and it's become quite fun to be a part of. I'll admit, it was frustrating for a while, but I understand how tough it must be to be in their shoes.
RYAN: Pepe has always been a huge flirt and it seems like he's been able to say things or get away with things that human actors—or even other Muppets—wouldn't be able to get away with. Why do you think this is?
BILL: I suppose it's just because of who he is. His character type dictates that approach to life. In a way he's like Ralph Cramden. He's got big, bold and not very gracious opinions, but everyone knows in the end that he's just a blow hard. Also, I think the Spanish side of him allows him to get away with dialogue that is misconstrued or misinterpreted. And being Spanish, he's very passionate emotionally, which makes it fun to put him into different situations and see how he reacts.
RYAN: Alright, now I've got some random questions for your characters. Do you think they'd mind answering a few?
BILL: I guess it depends on who you're asking? But give it a shot.
RYAN: For Johnny: Where did you meet Sal and does he work cheap? I could really use a servant monkey.
JOHNNY: Uh…I am currently not at liberty to discuss the details of how we met due to some legal ligamentations going on at the moment between myself and the PETA people.
As far as if you are implying that I pay Sal for his services, I must inform you at this time that he is a friend of the family and asked to be my gentlemen's monkey as an act of love and respect.
I have to say, I don't think Sal is going to like the term servant you use; thank God he can't read too good.
RYAN: For Bobo: I'm trying to work out but the traditional exercise strategies just aren't working for me. Do you have any special tips?
BOBO: Stop exercising. Any special tips…beef tips?
RYAN: For Pepe: I have a very good friend with a fantastic accent, yet for some reason he's still single. What is he doing wrong?
PEPE: He's talking too much, okay. There is the old saying…Accents speak louder than words. It's true okay.
RYAN: For Pepe: I also have a very good friend who is recently single—and female. Would you like her number?
PEPE: Is it toll free?
RYAN: For All: Who's the guy underneath you?
ALL: Come again kid? Is that what's been itching? Unbelievable, okay!
RYAN: For Bill: What advice do you have for Muppet fans who someday want to work with the Muppets?
BILL: Keep practicing. Set up a camera at home and work with it as much as you can. And don't use reverse image monitors. We still work the way Jim started it all. Right is left and left is right. And more importantly, if you have a character or characters you perform, that you are comfortable with, make sure you can maintain that character while you are performing the puppet technically. And visa versa, if you are technically proficient; make sure your characters are equally strong. Finding that balance is very important.
RYAN: Finally, Bill, what is your favorite flavor of muffin?
BILL: I'm afraid I'm not a muffin man…Do you know the muffin man?
I guess if I had to choose, it would be blueberry…Why?
RYAN: Bill, thank you so much for doing this interview with me. I can't tell you enough how much I respect and love you and your work. I hope someday that I get to meet you and shake your hand. The Muppet Mindset is in debt to you forever for this amazing interview! If you ever want to be asked random, in-depth questions about you and your characters, The Muppet Mindset is always glad to oblige!
BILL: Anytime Ryan. Hope I didn't run on too long and I hope what I've said makes some sense.
I cannot adequately thank Bill Barretta enough for this fantastic interview. He's a great guy and the Muppets are so lucky to have him. I know I'm not alone in saying that I can't wait to see how Bill will make us laugh next!
I hope you all have enjoyed our interview with Bill Barretta! If you wish to thank Bill, leave a comment here or some where else where I'll see it and I'll be sure to pass it on to him.
Be sure to read Part One and Part Two of my interview with Bill Barretta!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, email@example.com


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Journal Article
"Costs and Benefits of Renewables Portfolio Standards in the United States." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 52 (2015) 523-533. LBNL-187516..
"Costs and Benefits of U.S. Renewables Portfolio Standards." International Associaton for Energy Economics Energy Forum Third Quarter 2014 (2014)..
A Prospective Analysis of the Costs, Benefits, and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards. 2016. LBNL-1006962..
A Retrospective Analysis of the Benefits and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards. 2016. LBNL-1003961..


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Warning. This is a rare nerdy technical post more for. It is about Healthcare XML standards.
I've was kindly asked to testify at a meeting in DC this week about standards at an hour when I'm normally not awake. But despite a deep aversion to not getting enough sleep, I was up and on the phone. What made me do such a thing? Well, the discussion was about what actually will work in terms of making health data liquid. What standards should be used for the integration of such data?
Somewhat to my surprise and usually to my pain, I've been involved in several successful standards. One was used to exchange data between databases and consumer applications like spreadsheets and Access. It was called ODBC and worked surprisingly well after some initial hiccups. Another was the standard for what today is called AJAX, namely building complex interactive web pages like gmail's. Perhaps most importantly there was XML. These are the successes. There were also some failures. One that stands in my memory is one called OLE DB which was an attempt to supplant/replace ODBC. One that comes close to being a failure was/is the XML Schema specification. From all these efforts, there were a few lessons learned and it is these that I shared with DC this Thursday. What are they?
- Keep the standard as simple and stupid as possible. The odds of failure are at least the square of the degrees of complexity of the standard. It may also be the square of the size of the committee writing the standard. Successful standards are generally simple and focused and easy to read. In the health care world, this means just focus first on that data which can be encoded unambiguously such as demographics, test results, medicines. Don't focus on all types of health data for all types of health. Don't focus on how to know if your partner should have access to what (see points 2,3, and 4 below).
- The data being exchanged should be human readable and easy to understand. Standards are adopted by engineers building code to implement them. They can only build if they can easily understand the standard (see above) and easily test it. This is why, in the last 15 years, text standards like HTTP, HTML, XML, and so on have won. The developers can open any edit editor, look at the data being sent/received, and see if it looks right. When Tim Berners Lee first did this on the internet, most of the "serious" networking people out there thought using text for HTTP was crazy. But it worked incredibly well. Obviously this worked well for XML too. This has implications. It isn't enough to just say XML. The average engineer (who has to implement these standards) should be able to eyeball the format and understand it. When you see XML grammars that only a computer can understand, they tend not to get widespread adoption. There are several so-called XML grammars that layer an abstract knowledge model on top of XML like RDF and in my experience, they are much harder to read/understand and they don't get used much. In my opinion Hl7 suffers from this.
- Standards work best when they are focused. Don't build an 18 wheeler to drive a city block. Standards often fail because committees with very different complex goals come together without actual working implementations to sanity check both the complexity (see point 1 above) and the intelligibility (see point 2 above). Part of the genius of the web was that Tim Berners-Lee correctly separated the protocol (HTTP) from the stuff the browser should display (HTML). It is like separating an envelope from the letter inside. It is basic. And necessary. Standards which include levels or layers all jammed into one big thing tend to fail because the poor engineers have to understand everything when all they need to understand is one thing. So they boycott it. In health care, this means don't include in one standard how to encode health data and how to decide who gets it and how to manage security. If all I, as an engineer, want is to put together a list of medicines about a patient and send that to someone who needs it, then that's all I should have to do. The resulting XML should look like a list of medicines to the me. Then, if it doesn't work, I can get on the phone with my opposite number and usually figure out in 5 minutes what's wrong. Also I can usually author this in a day or two because I don't have to read/learn/understand a spec like a telephone book. I don't have to have to understand the "abstract data model". The heart of the initial XML spec was tiny. Intentionally so. I heard someone say indignantly about the push to simplify Health IT standards that we should be "raising the bar on standards" not lowering them. This is like arguing that we should insist that kids learn to drive an airplane to walk to the next door neighbor's house. All successful standards are as simple as possible, not as hard as possible.
- Standards should have precise encodings. ODBC was precise about data types. Basic XML is a tiny standard except for the precise encodings about the characters of the text, Unicode. That is most of the spec, properly so, because it ensures that the encodings are precise. In health care this means that the standard should be precise about the encodings for medicines, test results, demographics, and conditions and make sure that the encodings can be used legally and without royalties by all parties. The government could play a role here by requiring NPI's for all doctor related activities, SNOMED CT for all conditions, LOINC for all labs, and some encoding for all medicines (be it NDC, rxNorm, or FDB) and guaranteeing that use of these encodings is free for all use.
- Always have real implementations that are actually being used as part of design of any standard. It is hard to know whether something actually works or can be engineered in a practical sense until you actually do it. ODBC for example was built by many of us actually building it as we went along. In the health care world, a lot of us have built and used CCR as we go, learning what works and what doesn't very practically and that has made it a good easy to use standard for bundling health data. And the real implementations should be supportable by a single engineer in a few weeks.
- Put in hysteresis for the unexpected. This is something that the net formats do particularly well. If there is something in HTTP that the receiver doesn't understand it ignores it. It doesn't break. If there is something in HTML that the browser doesn't understand, it ignores it. It doesn't break. See Postel's law. Assume the unexpected. False precision is the graveyard of successful standards. XML Schema did very badly in this regard. Again, CCR does fairly well here.
- Make the spec itself free, public on the web, and include lots of simple examples on the web site. Engineers are just humans. They learn best by example and if the standard adheres to the points above, then the examples will be clear and obvious. Usually you can tell if a standard is going to work if you go to a web site by the group and there is a clear definition and there are clear examples of the standard that anyone can understand. When you go to the HL7 site the generality and abstraction and complexity are totally daunting to the average joe. It certainly confuses me. And make no mistakes. Engineers are average joes with tight time deadlines. They are mostly not PhD's.
Let's be honest, a lot of standards are written for purposes other than promoting interoperability. Some exist to protect legacy advantages or to create an opportunity to profit from proprietary intellectual property. Others seem to take on a life of their own and seem to exist solely to justify the continued existence of the standards body itself or to create an opportunity for the authors to collect on juicy consultant fees explaining how the standard is meant to work to the poor saps who have to implement it. I think we can agree that, whatever they are, those are usually not good standards. Health data interoperability is far too important an issue to let fall victim to such an approach.


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A Project-Based Approach to Teaching Elementary Science
New research reveals that when science, reading, and math come together in rigorous hands-on projects, student collaboration, engagement, and achievement can soar.
Find Out More
Equity-Centered Project-Based Learning
Cheng, B.H., Clark, T.L., Allen C.D., Garcia, A.G., and Scipio, D. (2023) Equity-Centered Project-Based Learning. Lucas Education Research. This paper provides a background on recent research related to learning and instruction, focusing on two mechanisms essential to deeper learning: (1) inclusion of authentic learning contexts and (2) valuing student voice as part of instruction. The […]Learn More
Including teachers in the social justice equation of project-based learning: A response to Lee & Grapin
Adah Miller, E., Makori, H., Akgun, S., Miller, C., Li, T., & Codere, S. (2022). Including teachers in the social justice equation of project-based learning: A response to Lee & Grapin. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1– 7.Learn More
The Impact of Project-Based Learning on AP Exam Performance
Harnessing a cluster randomized controlled trial, we estimated the impact on students' advanced placement (AP) examination performance of a project-based learning (PBL) approach to AP compared with a lecture-based AP approach.Learn More
Research Award
Equity-Centered Learning Environments (ECLEs)
LER funded four research teams who are engaged in ongoing research addressing equity and student-centered learning in educational contexts across the country.Learn More
Research Award
Democratic Knowledge Project
The Democratic Knowledge Project is a project-based learning civics initiative that includes a year-long 8th-grade civics curriculum, Civic Engagement in Our Democracy.Learn More
Mapping Enabling Conditions for High-Quality PBL: A Collaboratory Approach
This paper explores enabling conditions for scaling high-quality project-based learning (PBL) to understand factors that influence how PBL spreads, whether and how it can be sustained and the extent to which it informs meaningful change in schools.Learn More
Designing Project-Based Learning Curricula
This paper provides instructional designers with guidance on how to design high-quality PBL curricula, drawing on the LER research base, the learning science literature, and best practices from the field. To provide developers with guideposts that can inform design decisions, the paper describes a set of design principles that can support the creation of content-rich, student-centered experiences.Learn More
Interdisciplinary Education: Literature Review and Landscape Analysis
Related to project-based learning, interdisciplinary education can create more relevant learning experiences for all students. This report, produced by RTI International for Lucas Education Research, explores the field of interdisciplinary education through an extensive literature review and landscape analysis. In both parts of the report, RTI examines the definitions of interdisciplinary education; how, where, and why the approach is practiced; and finally the existing research, resources, and structures for interdisciplinary education.Learn More
Motivating Teaching, Sustaining Change in Practice
Miller, E.C., Severance, S., and Krajcik, J. (2021). Motivating Teaching, Sustaining Change in Practice: Design Principles for Teacher Learning in Project-Based Learning Contexts, Journal of Science Teacher Education, 32:7, 757-779 In A Framework for K-12 Science Education, researchers call for teachers to make dramatic shifts in practice – and sustain in these changes in practice […]Learn More
Research Award
Enabling Conditions Collaboratory
The Enabling Conditions Collaboratory brought together four research teams to work towards understanding the conditions that support high-quality PBL.Learn More
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Posts Tagged 'husqvarna'
Live @ IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit Orlando: Outdoor Products Maker Husqvarna On "The Partnership Of Equals" Between Marketing And IT
One of the highlights of attending any of IBM's events like the Smarter Commerce Global Summit in Orlando, Florida, last week is the opportunity to meet with and speak with IBM customers.
John Marchiodona, VP of marketing, and Simon Howard, head of IT for the Americas, at Husqvarna, are two prime examples.
John and Simon are the poster children for marketing and IT coming together to create new capabilities and opportunities for their customers, in their case for a 300+ year-old commercial concern that now focuses on outdoor products, including chainsaws, lawnmowers, and the like.
John and Simon explained in the interview Scott and I conducted with them how new digital opportunities, particularly in the social space, have required them to come together earlier and more often to map out new requirements and capabilities for better serving their clients.
As they explained, "Technology is becoming more and more a requirement for everybody," and a good example of the fruits of their labor was a new social media section of the Husqvarna site that contained videos demonstrating the safe and productive use of their products.
As they explained in our discussion, theirs' (marketing and IT) is a "partnership of equals," and that to fulfill on the new digital demands of their consumers, "they have to have the necessary platforms in place to do what they want to do."
Written by turbotodd
September 13, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Posted in customer service, customer stories, retail, smarter commerce, social commerce, social networks, social platforms
Tagged with chainsaws, customer service, husqvarna, it, marketing, online video, outdoor tools, social media
Live @ IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit — Opening Keynote Debrief: Motivate the Elephant
If you love nothing else about IBM's Smarter Commerce initiative, you have to love the fact that it's driven by results.
Here in Orlando, day one of the IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit has already revealed some of those facts, or business outcomes, that demonstrate the power of a more integrated customer experience in action.
By way of example: I mentioned earlier via Twitter that over $27 billion in sales generated by the Internet Retailers Top 500 is powered by IBM Commerce software.
Another example: IBM manages $57 billion in annual procurement spend managed on behalf of our clients.
Yet another: IBM analyzes over $100 billion of commerce transactions each year in the cloud and conveys that insight back to our customers.
But those are results on the so-called "back-end."
Let's turn our attention for a moment to the newly empowered consumer: 86 percent of them use multiple channels in their shopping efforts, and they spend four to five times more than the average.
Four in ten smartphone users search for an item while in the store, and yet online sales via mobile devices were up 300 percent over 2010.
Or how about this one: 77 percent of the global population are now mobile subscribers.
That's an immense opportunity.
Guy Kawasaki On Enchanted Customers
As former Apple evangelist and social media thought leader and author Guy Kawasaki kicked off today's keynote session here at the IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit, he explained to the audience that we had over 200 interesting and very valuable sessions of the audience's peers and outside industry experts sharing their own insights.
He began with the notion of the "chief executive customer," that is to say, with placing customers at the center of the commerce experience.
Citing his own book, "Enchantment," Kawasaki revealed there are three pillars for building enchantment with your customers. One, you have to be likable. Two, you must achieve trustworthiness. And three, you have to do something "DICEE" (the acronym which translated to "Deep," "Intelligent," "Complete," "Empowering," and "Elegant.")
Kawasaki shared some compelling examples of which he spoke. After running into Virgin mega CEO Richard Branson at a speaking engagement in Moscow, Branson cornered Kawasaki and asked him the ill-fated question: Do you fly on Virgin Airlines?
Kawasaki admitted that, as a loyal United customer, he did not. Branson then used his charm and personality, and even a quick shoe shine, to convince Kawasaki he should reconsider.
Kawasaki now also flies on Virgin.
The Legend Continues…
After some other amusing anecdotes, Kawasaki turned the rostrum over to Craig Hayman, IBM's general manager, Industry Solutions.
Hayman talked about examples of businesses that have had to completely reinvent themselves (Play-Doh, the children's product, used to be a cleaning goop used prior to World War II!).
Hayman explained that the rate and pace of change in today's marketplace is soaring, but that ultimately the customer "owns the transaction."
"If you disappoint them," Hayman explained, "they're going to share their point of view (especially via the social media!) and then move on."
Hayman handed the reins over to Lenovo senior VP of supply chain, Jerry Smith, who explained that Lenovo is a $30 billion global personal technology company with 27,000+ employees and customers in 160+ countries.
Partnering with IBM, Smith explained, Lenovo rebuilt its company around a global supply chain vision whose goal was simple yet straightforward: To become the undisputed #1 supply chain in personal technology by providing a best-in-class customer experience.
As Smith related to the gathered audience, "We need you (Lenovo's sales force and partners) to sell product on the water," meaning those units which were already on ships leaving China heading for parts around the globe.
Lenovo's supply chain overhaul saw delivery performance go up by 15 percent, and onboarding costs/time down some 85 percent, giving them better negotiating leverage, higher order speeds, and leaner inventory, a must for the PC business.
The Grass Always Grows At Husqvarna
Smith's handoff was to two executives from Husqvarna, the 300+ year-old company that, these days, specializes in outdoor equipment.
Think chain saws and lawn mowers.
"Grass always grows," explained John Marchionda, Husqvarna's VP of marketing, as his counterpart from IT, Simon Howard, nodded his head in agreement.
Husqvarna's most recent marketing investments include a social video education space on its website that are both sales force and tutorial, explaining the likes of using chain saws safely, and effectively, and helping turn the inventory in the process.
The last IBM customer to "testify" in the morning session was Aditya Bhasin, the senior VP for Consumer Marketing and Digital Banking.
"People trust other people, not institutions," explained Bhasin. He and his team are using that knowledge to make banking better, combining the best of human interaction with a more robust and effective technology system.
One example: "BankAmeriDeals," a form of digital couponing that combines buyer behaviors, shopping, and payment systems to bring more value to its customers in direct savings on purchases.
Another: Its new Facebook branch, which is helping match consumers with local ATMs and bank branches, and helping answer customer questions through a medium they're most comfortable with.
Change Is A Four Letter Word
The co-author of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, Dan Heath, batted clean-up in the morning session by talking about a theme universal to many of IBM Smarter Commerce clients' initiatives: Change.
"Change is a four-letter word for a lot of people," Heath explained, before challenging the audience to think about "what happens when you leave Orlando? Will the change you envision be a change you are willing to fight for?"
Heath explained that change is definitely within the art of the possible: We're certainly optimistic about change the moment we decide to get married.
With much laughs from the audience, and Heath's wedding album pictures onscreen as pudding proof, Heath explained that change is made more difficult by the battling two sides of our brains: The Rational, Conscious, and Deliberative side, and the Emotional, Unconscious, and Automatic side.
The emotional side is like a big elephant in our heads, the little devil telling us "We deserve ice cream" or "Call my ex."
The rational side…well, we like to often ignore that side.
To make his thesis actionable, Heath explained a three-part framework for thinking about change.
One, he explained, we have to "direct the rider." Point to the way you want to change and "find the bright spots," those areas of opportunity where you've already succeeded.
Second, "motivate the elephant" — give them a compelling reason to change.
And finally, "shape the path," for change.
That is, "cultivate a culture that's more conducive to change" and encourages more people to participate.
Written by turbotodd
September 5, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Posted in best practices, business analytics, business travel, conference, customer experience, customer service, customer stories, enterprise mobility, ibm software, innovation, smarter commerce, social networking, social networks
Tagged with bank of america, dan heath, guy kawasaki, husqvarna, smarter commerce, social media, switch


text: Is life a battle between good and evil or an inconsequential rest stop between oblivions? Consider Luis Gomez, the benchwarmer, waiting slack-armed for his turn in the batting cage, where he will likely have only enough time to momentarily practice bunting before a Blue Jay regular commands him to step aside. As he waits for this truncated, ignominious turn, two blurry figures hover above his narrow shoulders, each figure perfectly positioned to whisper influence into an ear. But what could these indistinct spirits possibly have to say to Luis Gomez? In his 8-year major league career the utility infielder batted .210 with a .261 on-base percentage and a .239 slugging percentage. He never hit a home run. He stole 6 bases but was thrown out trying to steal 22 times. Once he was called on to pitch in a bullpen-savaging blowout. He gave up three runs in one inning. In his final game he batted 8th in the order, just above the pitcher's spot, for a lineup that was 1-hit by Mario Soto. The last of Gomez's fruitless at bats was a popup that whimpered to extinction in the glove of the opposing shortstop. He stands here somewhere in the middle of that featureless career, waiting for a couple weak swings in the cage, and the two entities hovering near his ears seem incapable of making themselves understood. They will only mutter incomprehensibly as they fade, the two voices indistinguishable from one another, no guidance, no angel and devil, no choice between paths, no paths at all, or maybe infinite paths, all of them leading to dissolution.


text:
Today, I am one. One year old (in blog years, that is). Pretty darn awesome. It's been nothing but fun leaping into the land of kidslit blogging. That's in great part due to the fantastic, supportive, encouraging, welcoming community of expert bloggers who've been stopping by Shelf Elf to say hello since the beginning. It's been delightful and I'm all set to take on the Terrible Twos in the kidlitosphere. (Does this mean I can slip some tantrum posts in every once in a while now? Just kidding…)
As promised, thanks to the generosity of a whole bunch of you reader/blogger types, I've got a little celebratory mini-carnival of happiness, just to say, "Happy Birthday to Moi." So go check out all of my cool birthday gift-reviews. I feel spoiled… truly spoiled. I send each and every one of you a virtual cupcake with an elf on it.
From Terry:
Happy Birthday! We hope you enjoy My Name is not Isabella! Fun, history, girl power!
From Sarah:
Happy Birthday! I hope you enjoy Katherine Appelt's The Underneath.
From Cheryl:
Happy blogiversary! It is something to celebrate.
You said you like sad books with romance. The Pretty One has sadness and pain, and romance, but it also has hope. Hope you enjoy it.
From Jen R:
Happy birthday! I know you like mysteries, so I gift you Eleven, by Patricia Reilly Giff, reviewed here. Here's to many more years of blogging at Shelf Elf.
From Kelly:
Happy anniversary! You're doing a bang up job.
Here's a present that might come in useful one day. You never know when you might run into
From Em:
Oh man, oh man, I don't know what to give you! How about one of my recent favorites? Happy Birthday! Gossip of the Starlings.
From Miss Erin:
You will love this: The Patron Saint of Butterflies.
From Janice:
Happy blogiversary.
I hope you enjoy The Princess and the Captain AND Red Sky in the Morning. Neither are new books, but they both are a bit sad, but great stories.
You can find them here.
From Becky:
Happy blogiversary! I hope you enjoy Artichoke's Heart.
From Melissa:
My contribution: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. Happy blogiversary!
From Doret:
Happy Blogiversary
Its my first time here but I see we have some books in common so I know you'll enjoy The Missing Girl by Norma Fox.
From Mother Reader:
Always a challenge to find the right gift…
It's not a light book, but I'd love you to read Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
From Megan:
Happy Blogiversary to you! You live in a zoo!
My gift to you is…
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor.
From Jennifer:
I gift you only the best YA supernatural/horror in recent history: Bliss.
Happy Reading!
Thanks for the fun everybody!
(photo © Adrian van Leen for openphoto.net CC:PublicDomain)


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Tagged: street artist
London Sights Part I
London. Sweet, polite London. You have stolen a piece of my heart. I dare say there is no way of getting it back. No way at all, 'cept maybe going back and staying awhile.
The first thing I said when I arrived in Miami and walked off the plane was, "I'm getting back on… take me back, please!"
My London holiday was by far one of the best experiences of my life. I'm excited to finally share those special memories with you!
Over the next few weeks I will be taking you through my London and Ireland adventures. I hope you can all join me on this special journey. Continue reading


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Knowing what to do after you've *finally* finished the first draft of your manuscript and have mopped up all the blood, sweat and tears that went into it can be a bit of a mystery if you're new to the game. You know editing comes into it, and you may have heard about beta readers, but what comes first, and more importantly, how do you go get started?
To help with the cacophony of questions littering your head, I've made a general guide to help you get going. This is very much based off my own experience, and is not an exhaustive list:
- After you've written that last word on your manuscript, put the whole thing away somewhere and leave it for a good amount of time (I personally leave it for about three months, but others leave it for longer) and get on with other things. Start a new project; finish any others lurking around; if you're thinking about publication, research which avenue might be best for you and what that entails; basically, anything to keep your mind stimulated but doesn't involve that first draft. This is to make sure that when you do eventually go back to it, you can view it with fresh eyes – meaning that plot holes, weak characters or lack of world building will jump out at you and therefore be easier to fix.
- Don't focus on spelling or wording on this initial edit. Look at the big picture instead. Are there any holes in your plot? Do your characters feel flat or serve no purpose? Does the story start in the right place, or are the first few chapters unnecessary? What scenes work, and what don't? If you're finding it hard to tell if certain points of the story are unnecessary, try removing them and see if it affects the overall plot. If the plot still flows, then those scenes (however beautifully written they are/despite how much you personally love them) have to go. Nothing ruins a good book more that scenes that jar the pacing by adding nothing.
- Once you've fixed the big issues with your manuscript, you can either put it away again, or continue on to the next stage. Again, I personally leave it for a bit because I know I get far too close to my work.
- Now it's time to really focus on your characters and world building. Your characters need to feel like real people – give goals and dreams, flaws and bad habits, and don't hole them up into stereotypes. If they're from very different backgrounds/circumstances to you, make sure you do your research – not only to make them realistic, but to avoid being insensitive to readers. (If you're worried about your representation of people from different walks of life to you, you can always hire a sensitivity reader at a later stage.) When working on world building, think about the social structure of each place, use all five senses to describe things and make sure you don't fall into the pit of info dumping. Also, in dialogues scenes, look out for 'white room syndrome', when no description about where or when the scene takes place is included.
- Next, we get in to the more technical aspects of writing. Tense, point of view and grammar. (If you feel your manuscript is shaping up nicely, you can start looking at spelling, over-use of words and continuity, but I would leave that until last.) It doesn't matter what point of view you use, or what tense, as long as you keep them consistent throughout the manuscript – unless you have a very good reason not to, like an intentional stylistic change to illustrate a certain point. If you struggle with grammar, there are a lot of helpful books and forums, as well as YouTube guides. (I have a book on grammar that's actually written for kids, but the language and examples are so clear that it's the one I go to most.)
- The stages of editing can get a bit murky here – some writers have to repeat steps until they're happy and end up with a good number of drafts, others breeze right through and end up with relatively few. However, whether you've done a lot of back and forth on your work or not, this part is important. Read your work aloud. I'll say it again: READ YOUR WORK ALOUD. From start to finish, until you're sick of the sound of your own voice. This is so you can clearly see problems with sentence structure, missing words, typos, continuity, repetitive description and all that jazz (as readers we're always pleased to spot others' mistakes, but are far less pleased as writers if someone kindly points them out in our own work).
- Finally, when you are happy with your manuscript and can't find anything else to work on, it's time to send your work to beta readers. These can be other writers, friends, family or simply people you know love to read. What is important to note, however, is that it's far more helpful to send your work to readers who readily consume books in that genre than ones who have never read/rarely read within your genre, as the feedback you receive will be more relevant. When you do receive feedback, look for trends in what people are saying. If eight people say a scene isn't working, then it's probably wise to take another look and see if it truly does need revising. If one beta reader hates a character but the others love them/make no comment, then perhaps that's just their personal taste. Consider all feedback, but remember that it is still your work, so you have the final decision on what to change.
So there you have it. Where you take your work from there is completely up to you. Whether you opt for traditional publishing, self-publishing or somewhere in-between (be absolutely sure you don't head down the path of vanity publishing – an old but good rule on how to tell a vanity publisher from a real one is that money should always flow to the author, not away) make sure you do your research.
Kathryn is a children's and YA author, and currently has her fantasy trilogy, Half-Wizard Thordric, published with Creativia Publishing. Her YA speculative fiction novel, The Origin Stone, will be published in March 2019 by Nuff Said Publishing.
An avid reader, she also writes poetry, book reviews and short stories. She loves animals and is a slave to a parrot and budgie, and currently lives on the Isle of Wight with her husband, a curious and eccentric being who never fails to provide her with inspiration. You can find her on twitter @KaptainKat90, or go directly to her website www.kathrynwells.co.uk.
~Kathryn Wells~
If you'd like to be a Guest Blogger on Booknvolume


text:
- Title
- The failure behaviour of poorly cemented sands at a borehole wall using laboratory tests
- Creator
- Hashemi, Sam; Melkoumian, Nouné; Taheri, Abbas; Jaksa, Mark
- Date
- 2015
- Type
- Text; Journal article; Technical Note
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/170797
- Identifier
- vital:14206
- Identifier
- Identifier
- Abstract
- Borehole stability analysis is an important challenge for researchers in the field of geotechnical, mining and petroleum engineering. Several borehole instability problems during or after the completion of drilling, have been reported by a number of exploration companies in Australia. Many of these problems are reported in drilling projects in poorly cemented sand formations at depths of up to 200 m beneath the ground. The sand production problem, as it is known, has also been observed in weakly bonded sandstones where the debonding of sand grains can be triggered by fluid pressure and induced stresses leading to the failure of the sandstone at the borehole wall. The strength of a granular material formation is generated mainly by a natural cementing agent that bonds sand grains together.
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Relation
- International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences Vol. 77, no. (2015/07/01/ 2015), p. 348-357
- Rights
- Copyright Elsevier
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- Borehole stability; Experimental study; Thick-walled hollow cylinder; Poorly cemented sand; Mechanical properties; 0905 Civil Engineering; 0914 Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy
- Reviewed
- Hits: 934
- Visitors: 912
- Downloads: 1


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If you go
What: Sierra's Race Against Meningitis, 5K Run/Walk.
When: 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at the Budweiser Events Center, 5280 Arena Circle. Check-in opens at 7 a.m. but packets can also be picked up before the event from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the McKee building, 5260 Arena Circle.
Cost: Preregistration is $22, which includes a long-sleeved T-shirt. Preregistration closes Wednesday. The kids fun run preregistration is $10 and includes a T-shirt. Costs on race day will increase by $10.
More info: Visit http://sierrasraceagainstmeningitis.com" title="sierrasraceagainstmeningitis.com" for details about meningitis or the race.
Now in its seventh year, Sierra's Race Against Meningitis 5K Run/Walk is back next weekend in remembrance of Sierra Krizman, who died in 2007 of bacterial meningitis (meningococcal disease).
The race is also a reminder from the Krizman family to the community that the meningitis vaccine should be a part of every person's preventive health care.
"I think it's important for people to know every three years they should get vaccinated," said Lisa Krizman, Sierra's mother. "(Meningitis) is such a deadly disease and if it's not caught, chances are you will die from it or have some severe disabilities or problems."
The 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at The Budweiser Events Center, 5280 Arena Circle. Preregistration is $22, which includes a long-sleeved T-shirt. Preregistration closes Wednesday. The kids fun run preregistration is $10 and includes a T-shirt. Costs on race day will increase by $10.
Krizman said they vaccinated 300 people last year at Sierra's Race, and have vaccinated more than 2,800 people in the last seven years.
She and the other organizers of Sierra's Race choose a meningitis survivor every year to speak at the event and share experiences.
Leslie Meigs has been in touch with the Krizman family through the "Meningitis Angels," a support group of meningitis survivors and families. She was asked to speak this year at the race.
The now 23-year-old was 8 when she woke up nauseous one morning at her Texas home. She was never sick so her mom took her to the doctor. Her mom was told it was a basic virus and brought her daughter home. Meigs developed sharp headaches and a fever that climbed to 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
"My mom knew something was wrong when she laid me on the floor to change the sheets and she noticed purple spots like bruises on the back of my legs," Meigs said. Her mother asked her if she'd fallen at school. Then she noticed the marks on her face and arms.
"The next thing is, I pointed to the dresser and said, 'Do you see the two angels sitting on the dresser? I remember white glowy figures looking at me and smiling," Meigs said.
That was at 10 p.m., so her mother called the emergency room. When medical personnel heard her symptoms, they told her to bring her daughter in immediately because another patient a week before had died within 24 hours of developing those bruise-like spots.
Meigs threw up on the way to the hospital. "Everything was aching and hurting. My temperature was 105. My blood pressure was so low they couldn't get a reading. They were sure I was going to die," Meigs said.
Medical staff sent her on a medical helicopter to Texas Children's Hospital.
She was put into a drug-induced coma for a month and hospital staff resuscitated her daily with a crash cart as her heart kept stopping. The doctors told her parents that she was brain dead and in organ failure. Her parents came in to say goodbye a couple of different times.
The day after her parents and doctors discussed pulling the plug on the machines keeping her alive, her right hand started twitching, which meant she had some brain activity.
"They figured I'd have severe brain damage, that I'd be blind, that they'd have to amputate my limbs. They said it was like my body had unplugged and then plugged back in," Meigs said.
They took her in for surgery to clean out the deep gangrenous sores on her body. Her parents expected her to come out of surgery without arms or legs. However, the sores hadn't reached her bones, which meant she didn't need to have any amputations.
Now that she's studying pediatric medicine (she is getting her pre-med degrees in health communications and bio-chemistry), Meigs was interested in her medical file so she went back to read it at the children's hospital. "You remember it as an 8-year-old when everything is so big and scary," she said. "I got to go back and read my chart, which was also scary." She has no idea how she survived.
She continued to grow up with various complications, and had a kidney transplant two years ago because her kidneys were finished. Her kidneys started to fail in high school but she preserved them a few more years by eating a specific diet.
She finally realized after high school that she was never going to outgrow the results of the disease. She might look normal and healthy, but she will live with results of the disease for the rest of her life.
Now she speaks about the disease whenever she can to share her struggles and how they can be prevented.
Contact Reporter-Herald Staff Writer Jessica Benes at 970-669-5050 ext. 530 or email@example.com


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As if the excitement of gambling wasn't enough, Janelle and I came up with our own rules for a game where we compete against each other with slot machines.
Yes, we were there for educational purposes. Yes, we were there to learn. Yes, we gambled.
We went to the NCTE conference during the day, hung out at night. We met a couple of friends who were also there for the conference, and we ate at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the MGM. It was a really fun time. We got to screen a pilot episode of a pretty stupid TV show and give our opinions. I wasn't kind. I walked the strip several times, and bought the best shoes I've ever owned (and the most expensive!)
My neck and shoulder were killing me the entire trip, I'm pretty sure it's due to the all of the cramped flights. But no complaints, because I always remember the best parts.


text:
Sweet, sweet David Beckham. We love you as a pro soccer player, and we love you as a hubby and father to you adorable kids. But truthfully, we really love your abs. Especially when you're being filmed and your robe gets stuck in a car door, you "lose" your shirt in the bushes, and now you're left stranded in just a pair of tight little briefs from H&M. On behalf of the female population, thank you for this.
H&M's new ad for David Beckham Bodywear is about underwear, but let's get real, it's really about his abs. (I mean, look at those! Talk about fitspiration!) They're so perfectly chiseled I almost threw a quarter at my computer screen. The new ad, which is actually a short film--you can watch it below--was shot by Guy Ritchie, you know, Madonna's ex.
In the video below, you can watch the man candy run, jump, and my personal favorite, emerge from a swimming pool (at the 0:55 second mark, ladies).
What does David think? "I hope everyone has as much fun watching the film as I had making it," he said in a statement. Yes, David Beckham. We will. We really will. And oh, you can thank H&M for getting you this Valentine's Day present a week or so early.


text:
American Chris Horner, nicknamed 'Grandpa' by his peers, created more than one landmark when he won the Tour of Spain on Sunday at the age of 41.
Horner is the first rider from the United States to win cycling's third Grand Tour. Andy Hampsten won the Giro d'Italia in 1988 and Greg LeMond took the Tour de France in 1985.
At almost 42, Horner is also the oldest Grand Tour winner by a hefty margin. The father-of-three, who lives in Bend, Oregon, outstrips the Vuelta's oldest previous winner, Tony Rominger of Switzerland in 1994, by nine years, and he is almost six years older than the Tour de France's most senior winner, Fermin Lambot of France in 1922.
"How long will I continue racing? I have no idea. At least two or three years would be good," the RadioShack rider told reporters before the start of Sunday's final stage.
"If my legs are still turning the same way, I will continue.
"But I hope people appreciate everything I've done, it's so complicated to get to this level. This is the hardest victory of my career so far," added Horner, a professional of 19 years, who said he did not yet have a contract for 2014.
"The problem is my age. If I was 20, it would be very different, 50 different teams would be offering me a job."
Born in Okinawa, Japan, where his father was serving in the U.S. army, Horner began working in garages and building sites as a teenager in order to buy his own bike. He turned professional for the small U.S.-based Nutra Fig squad and spent a decade mostly with minor American teams.
In 2005, aged 33, he took part in his first three-week stage race, the Tour de France, finishing 33rd, and then raced for two years as a team worker with Belgian squad Lotto.
Horner's breakthrough in Grand Tour racing came when he finished ninth in the Tour de France in 2010, the same year that he took his first major stage race, the Tour of the Basque Country.
In 2011, after winning the biggest race in the United States, the Tour of California, a bad crash and subsequent abandon put him out of the Tour de France, although the following year at RadioShack Leopard, his current team, he finished 13th.
This year started badly for Horner, with a knee injury wiping out almost the first half of the season. However, a victory in the toughest mountain stage of the Tour of Utah in August and second place overall showed that the American had rising form for his one Grand Tour of the season, the Tour of Spain.
"For many his victory is a surprise but not for me and I've been working with him for five years now," Horner's sports director Jose Azevedo told El Mundo newspaper on Sunday.
"He's come to this race rested because (before Utah) he had not been racing for several months and at this point in the season that makes a big difference."
Famous for his love of hamburgers and chocolate bars and his upbeat temperament, Horner's nickname in the peloton of the Tour of Spain is 'el abuelo' – 'Grandpa'
"I've always been under-rated or not quite given the leadership when I think I should have had it for different reasons," Horner said earlier this week.
"Maybe (because of) my age, or maybe I'm not brass enough, but there's always something in my career that made people think I'm not as good as I am."
(Editing by Clare Fallon)


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One of our readers, Fortuna F, from Los Angeles, sent in this recipe and photo for what promises to be a superb and easy to prepare soup:
Adas Bis Silq
Serves 6
- 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
- 6 cups cold water
- 10 leaves Swiss chard
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- lemon wedges for serving
- Wash lentils well and place in a heavy pan with the cold water. Bring to a boil, skimming as needed, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour or until lentils are soft.
- Was Swiss chard well and cut off stems. Cut leaves down the middle, then shred coarsely.
- Heat oil in a separate pa, add onion and fry slowly until it becomes transparent. Stir in garlic and cook for another 15 seconds.
- Add shredded Swiss chard to pan and fry, stirring often, until leaves wilt.
- Pour onion and Swiss chard mixture into the lentils. Add coriander, salt pepper to taste, then add the lemon juice. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve soup in deep plates with lemon wedgrs for squeezing into soup according to the individual's taste. It goes perfectly with any Middle Eastern bread.
Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!


text:
Another unexpected treat was getting tickets to one of Eddie Izzard's work-in-progess shows in the cabaret space at Soho Theatre. A late Monday night (after dinner and drinks) was a challenge, but it was fun. He really is a one-off.
Opera-wise, it was Cape Town Opera's visit with Porgy & Bess, which proved itself to be more of an opera than a musical in this excellent production. Moving it to a South African township worked, though the highlights were all vocal – the soloists and chorus were thrilling.
I'm not sure I know how to categorise Desdemona, a collaboration between poet Toni Morrison, director Peter Sellers and favourite Malian singer Rokia Traore, but given it was Rokia that largely drew me to it and was the best thing about it, I've decided it's music. Her songs were lovely, but the narrative that accompanied it was never-ending and somewhat pretentious. It would have made a great concert!
I never made it to Bryn Terfel's festival in his back yard in North Wales (though we had tickets for the last one, which was cancelled!) so well done Southbank Centre for bringing Bryn Fest to me! The evening of songs from the Golden Age of Broadway featured a quartet of favourites – Julian Ovenden, Clive Rowe, Hannah Waddingham and Emma Williams – as well as the man himself, and it was full of highlights. You rarely hear these songs with a full orchestra and that was a huge bonus. It was lovely to see Bryn & Clive's take on Brush Up Your Shakespeare. I expected Clive to be word-perfect given he's currently playing it in Chichester, but Bryn was too – no mean feat with all those Shakespeare references.
Though I had a ticket, I missed the opera evening because I had a better offer (a freebie return to the wonderful Sweeney Todd!) and I caught only half of pianist Huw Warren's free foyer concert, which featured a trumpeter and a jazz version of a Welsh hymn, but was glad I caught what I caught. The Wales Choir of the World event was another treat, featuring choirs from 11 countries on 5 continents. The highlights were the South African choir, the Cory Band and the massed choir & brass band rendition of the world premiere of a Karl Jenkins The Hero's Journey. As I left the RFH, a large audience on the riverside were being taught to sing in Welsh for Bryn's Big Sing which was a fitting end to this mini-festival.
Four Proms this month, starting with the much criticised populist opening night. Well, I enjoyed it; what's wrong with a bit of populist patriotism?! More Bryn (the 5th time in 17 days!) in Delius' lovely Sea Drift, a quartet of premiere league soloists for Elgar's full Coronation Ode and orchestral pieces from Tippett and Elgar again – oh and a Mark Anthony Turnage world premiere, just in case you were feeling a bit too nostalgic! Six days later, Handel's oratorio Judas Maccabaeus was given a rare but enjoyable outing by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Age of Enlightenment with another quartet of fine soloists. This was followed three days later by a concert version of Berlioz The Trojans – long but lovely! Again, some great solo turns from Bryan Hymel, Eva-Maria Westbroek and Anna Caterina Antonacci, this time with the superb orchestra and chorus of the ROH under Antonio Pappano. So to the night of the opening of the Olympics where an early start for Beethoven's 9th meant we (and conductor Daniel Barenboim, who later carried in the Olympic flag!) wouldn't miss Danny Boyle's spectacular on TV. Barenboim's West-East Divan Orchestra, made up of young Palestinian and Israeli musicians, was right for the occasion but also played brilliantly and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, also right for the occasion, were stunning. What a prologue for the evening that followed!
It was time to catch up with some art this month and I started at the De Morgan Centre where the work of ceramicist William and his painter wife Evelyn is showcased in a small but superb collection; eye-poppingly beautiful (if you're into Arts & Crafts and / or the pre-Raphaelites) . Picasso & Modern British Art at Tate Britain was a brilliantly curated show putting Picasso alongside those he influenced, including Wyndham Lewis, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Graham Sutherland & David Hockney. I was less enamoured by Migrations – Journeys into British Art at the same place, more because of the quality of the work than the idea of the exhibition, which was a good one.
My annual trip to the Serpentine Gallery to see their Pavilion (an excellent, largely below ground, collaboration between Ai Wei Wei and Herzog & De Meuron, the team that did the Beijing birds nest Olympic stadium) was extended to see Yoko Ono's show which was more interesting, and a lot less pretentiously avant-garde, than I was expecting.
Finally, during a weekend in Bath, I popped into their newly renovated Holburne Art Museum for a lovely small portrait sculpture exhibition and stayed for What Are You Like (based on the Victorian parlour game, where people draw their favourite things) and their permanent collection. This is now one of the best regional art galleries; well worth a visit.


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Strengthening families through biblical principles.
Focus on the Family addresses the use of biblical principles in parenting and marriage to strengthen the family.
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Big Sissy
I knew that having babies would have an effect on Mica. I knew she'd be excited but that there would be many adjustments to make. I knew it would be difficult for her to go to bed on her own and get herself ready for things in a timely fashion. But she has done surprisingly well with both of those issues, considering the bad habits we had tolerated for so long (sleeping in our bed, dawdling, etc.). I also knew she'd get very bored, which I was right about, too. For the first couple of weeks after the babies arrived, she ever so patiently put up with being cooped up in the house with two screaming infants without complaint. I guess it was due to the excitement and newness of it all. But then, welcome to boredom city! I enrolled her in VBS (but then forgot to take her, oops), sent her to the library with Grandma, encouraged her to read and watch what she had borrowed from the library, asked Starla to take her to Chuck-E-Cheese's, played board games and helped her with projects whenever I got a free hand, and allowed cousin Hope to come over. That took care of all of 4% of the boredom she felt. Finally, I turned to Facebook friends for help with this plea: "Mica is going a little stir-crazy. Anyone want to take her for a play date sometime?" and tagged all her friend's parents in the post. The response was actually pretty good. She went on three play dates this past week and I have another two tentatively planned for next week. I can tell a huge difference when she gets a chance to get out of the house. Now when she says she's bored, I can remind her of what she's got coming up. If she just can't wait until then, I tell her to clean something, or practice her school work. That usually stops the complaint for a while.
There were two things I did not anticipate from Mica that surprised me. I knew that she would take the role of "big sissy" seriously. I just didn't realize how seriously. From the moment she met them, it was like she was a little mommy, instinctively knowing exactly what to do, from how to hold them, to soothing their crying. She is the best helper ever! If anything, she is too over-the-top with her mommying antics. She wants to kiss them all the time, hold them all the time, change their diapers, pick them up whenever they cry and feed them herself. "Herself" is a very important word. It's as if she gets insulted when anyone tries to help her take care of them. At only one week, she believed herself an expert at carrying them around. We would let her try, as long as she had someone to "spot" her, usually Amor. But she would get so aggravated and complain that Daddy was always "snatching the baby" from her. One night she begged to pick up Bella and bring her to me. Amor insisted on spotting her and Mica agreed on the condition that he not snatch her. Well, sure enough, Amor didn't think she was doing it right and tried to take Bella away from her. I could tell Mica had a good grip on her so I just laughed when she turned away from him, Bella in tow, and started running, yelling "My baby! My baby! My baby!" The next day while at the doctor's office for a scheduled appointment, we asked him to make it a rule, no picking up or carrying the babies. That way he was the bad guy, not us. It's doctor's orders.
The second thing I didn't anticipate, or even consider beforehand, was the running commentary that Mica creates. She talks nonstop! I can't determine if this is a new behavior or one I just never noticed before. With her as my only child, I always made a point of paying attention to whatever was on her mind. I want her to grow up knowing that her thoughts and opinions matter. But I'm finding it extremely difficult to focus now. At any given time, I have Amor asking me questions, the TV on in the background, various babies crying with specific needs, my own mind running thoughts, and then there's Mica's little voice in the background, filling up any chance of a quiet moment. Her chatter involves 3 methods: copying the noises the babies make, reenacting the thing the baby just did, or translating what the baby is thinking as he or she bellows. That is in addition to voicing her own needs and complaints. With me being so busy with the babies, Amor has been the one more "in charge" of her lately and he has his own way of dealing with her that is much different than my approach. She often comes to me to challenge and complain about him. She is also very adept at the art of debate. Argumentative, dogmatic, and always right… my mom always facetiously hoped for me to have a little girl who was just like me. I guess she got her wish.
Double Talk Quote: Mica – "Mommy, I was quiet for an hour!"
Relatable Lyrics: "Fireflies" by Owl City https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDHvX5ImRgA&index=4&list=LLmekDNA5dH80KEriIgwZLZQ
Verse: "A friend loves at all times and a brother (or sister) was born for help in a time of need" Psalm 17:17
Word that has lost its meaning: (to me, anyway) Boring
Written: July 27, 2014 (4 weeks)


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Sunday Reads: Cold Temps, Cold Tea and Warm BedPosted: November 25, 2012 | Author: JJ Lopez aka Minkoff Minx | Filed under: China, Cuba, Diplomacy Nightmares, Egypt, Environment, Environmental Protection, Environmentalists, Foreign Affairs, Gaza, GLBT Rights, Hamas, Israel, Japan, Middle East, morning reads, productivity, psychology, Psychopaths in charge, racism, right wing hate grouups, science, social media, Tea Party activists, the internet | Tags: Climate change, dolphin and whale hunts, Down Syndrome, Mohamed ElBaradei, Mohamed Morsi, Motivation, NASA, NOAA, succession, Twitter and war |28 Comments
Good Morning!
It is cold in Banjoville, we are talking low 20's, and living near the river makes the air feel damp and harsh. I've avoided the news this weekend, there is something going around…like when you have a hunch that you are coming down with a cold…but instead of dreading it, you are actually welcoming it. Why? Because it gives you a reason to sleep all day and not have to explain your crappy attitude to your family and friends.
Actually, the yesterday started very well and exciting, but when I opened the fridge and was hit with the leftover turkey fumes, it just drained all the energy out of me.
Anyway, here are some links to get you started this morning. You got your cup of Joe? Mug of tea? (My tea is already cold.) Flask of Southern Comfort? (Some may prefer whiskey or vodka, but I love me some SoCo.)
Juan Cole had an interesting post this past week, If You are 27 or younger, you've never lived through a colder than average month (Bump)
Paul Bump at Grist points out that The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on global temperatures in October 2012 as follows:
"The average temperature across land and ocean surfaces during October was 14.63°C (58.23°F). This is 0.63°C (1.13°F) above the 20th century average and ties with 2008 as the fifth warmest October on record. The record warmest October occurred in 2003 and the record coldest October occurred in 1912. This is the 332nd consecutive month with an above-average temperature."
He then did a quick calculation, and concluded that if you were born after April, 1985, i.e. if you are 27 or younger, you have never experienced a month with a global average temperature colder than the 20th-century average. (Obviously, you may have experienced a month at lower than local averages, though that would be rare, too; the point is about world averages.)
Cole links to a video from NASA:
One thing that is not cold, is the tension in Egypt. I have a few updates that you may not have read about yet:
Egypt braces for more protests
If Sunday is anything like the last several days in Egypt, it will not be quiet.
Egypt's ElBaradei Calls on President to Rescind Near Absolute Powers
Prominent Egyptian democracy advocate Mohammed ElBaradei has called on Egypt's president to rescind the near absolute powers he has granted himself.
ElBaradei says President Mohamed Morsi must take the action to avoid the possibility of increased turmoil in the country that has recently shed its longtime repressive government.
Nobel laureate ElBaradei addressed crowds that gathered Saturday in Cairo's central square to protest President Morsi's decrees that put him above judicial oversight and protect his Islamist supporters in parliament.
Egypt's highest body of judges, the Supreme Judicial Council, also condemned President Morsi's decree. The judges Saturday called the move "an unprecedented attack" on the independence of the judiciary. Judges in Alexandria have gone on strike, saying they will not return to work until the decree is withdrawn.
Egypt rights groups and ElBaradei denounce Mursi decree
Critics and supporters of Mr Mursi have staged rallies since the decree was announced
More than 20 Egyptian rights groups have called on President Mohammed Mursi to withdraw the decree granting himself extensive new powers.
The 22 groups signed an open letter saying the president "has dealt a lethal blow to the Egyptian judiciary".
Meanwhile, in another part of the Middle East:
Cagle Post – Political Cartoons & Commentary – » Middle East crisis social media
Here is an op/ed from Robert Fisk: Netanyahu leads Israel into isolation Go ahead and give that a read.
I've got more news that involves two sides fighting…this time in Japan, between the right-wing Nationalist and the environmentalist: Dueling protests in Tokyo over dolphin and whale hunts
Environmentalists and nationalists held opposing rallies over the issue of Japan's dolphin and whale hunts in a rare showdown in central Tokyo on Saturday, leading to angry scenes.
About 50 anti-whaling activists gathered at a park in the Shibuya shopping district with banners bearing slogans such as "Stop the cruel dolphin hunt!" while across the street about 30 nationalists shouted "Get out of Japan!"
The nationalists accused the environmentalists of undermining Japanese culture and traditions, saying "environmental terrorists" should be sent to slaughter houses.
I can only think of that episode of South Park…Whale Whores:
Stan and his family are spending his birthday at the Denver Aquarium where they will get to swim with the dolphins. Things turn bloody when the Japanese attack, kill all the dolphins and ruin Stan's big day. There seems to be no end to the senseless killing. Stan takes on the cause to save the dolphins from the Japanese.
Down in Cuba, there is quite a stir about a recently elected official: Cuban transsexual elected to public office
Adela Hernandez hailed election triumph as another milestone in gradual shift away from macho attitudes in Caribbean country. Photograph: Ramon Espinosa/AP
A Cuban transsexual has become the first known transgender person to hold public office in the country, winning election as a delegate to the municipal government of Caibarien in the central province of Villa Clara.
Adela Hernandez, 48, hailed her election in a country where gays were persecuted for decades and sent to rural work camps as another milestone in the gradual shift away from macho attitudes in the years since Fidel Castro himself expressed regret over the treatment of people perceived to be different.
Hernandez, who has lived as a female since childhood, served two years in prison in the 1980s for "dangerousness" after her own family denounced her sexuality.
"As time evolves, homophobic people – although they will always exist – are the minority," Hernandez said by phone from her home town. Becoming a delegate "is a great triumph", she added.
This is a big deal in Cuba:
For years after the 1959 Cuban revolution, authorities hounded people of differing sexual orientation and others considered threatening, such as priests, long-haired youths and rock 'n' roll enthusiasts. But there have been notable changes in attitudes toward sexuality.
"I would like to think that discrimination against homosexuals is a problem that is being overcome," Castro told an interviewer some years ago.
Read the rest of Hernandez story at the link.
I've got another transgender, I guess it is more of a cross-dressing story for you. This one is about The 72-year-old Chinese grandfather who models teen-girl clothes I will just post a picture…you can click to see the rest.
18 November 2012 01:09 PMoffbeatchina.com
…and, what is more, looks pretty good doing it. Kate Moss, eat your heart out, the world's newest superpower has a new supermodel to match. But Liu Xianping is not your average clothes horse.
Why does that image remind me of Andy Warhol?
More newsy articles after the jump…
Let's get back to the states, this "Succession" thing is not going away.
Truckin' to Treason: The Hot Air of Secession
A white Ford F-250 pick-up rumbled through town, a Confederate rebel flag on a pole behind the cab; on the rear bumper were a pro-life and three Anti-Obama stickers, two of which could not be revealed in a family newspaper.
I think I have seen that truck driving around Banjoland…anyway, just go read the whole thing. It is good.
From a legal perspective: The Volokh Conspiracy » Public Opinion on Secession That article is also very good.
This next story caught my eye, for obvious reasons: Would I want my daughter 'cured'? The dilemma of a father whose child has Down's Syndrome
Out of America, there is always something new. The latest example of that country's unparalleled contribution to medical progress is the announcement by the University of Washington that its scientists had succeeded in removing the extra copy of chromosome 21 in cell cultures derived from a person with Down's Syndrome. Since it is the possession of three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome that defines Down's Syndrome, it is clear that this breakthrough has startling potential for addressing a condition which is far and away the commonest form of congenital disability.
Again, that is just the first paragraph. My mom was talking about this new scientific possibility last week, go read the rest at the link.
One last article for you this Sunday morning…one that is the absolute opposite of what I feel right now. Three Critical Elements Sustain Motivation: Scientific American
Got motivation? Without it, the long, difficult hours of practice that elevate some people above the rest are excruciating. But where does such stamina come from, and can we have some, too? Psychologists have identified three critical elements that support motivation, all of which you can tweak to your benefit.
I'm sorry, there is no way in my apathetic, lethargic, indifferent mood I can even begin to read about the three key components of motivation…I really don't give two shits about things anyway! Boy, I am tired. (Ah…that is it, the post is over…and I can go back to bed.)
I do hope you all have a wonderful Sunday, please enjoy the last day of this long weekend. So…if you are around, stop and make a comment below, what sort of things have you been reading and thinking about today?
28 Comments on "Sunday Reads: Cold Temps, Cold Tea and Warm Bed"
Here are a couple of stories I wanted to mention:
Bangladesh Fire Kills More Than 100 and Injures Many – NYTimes.com
Some states preserve penmanship despite technology gains POLITICO.com
And this link to a blog post about cursive that I think goes well with the politico one:
One more, maybe some of you have seen it…: Casey Anthony Likely Googled 'Foolproof Suffocation': Report
Okay, I'm going back to bed.
RalphB says:
Great post JJ. Hope you are well and have a lovely day.
That Chinese dude reminds me of Andy Warhol as well.
NW Luna says:
Me too.
RalphB says:
This doesn't even take into account higher numbers of hispanic voters. I'd be interested in opinions from Banjoville.
Election Day in the South told a newer and more surprising story: The nation's first black president finished more strongly in the region than any other Democratic nominee in three decades, underscoring a fresh challenge for Republicans who rely on Southern whites as their base of national support.
Obama won Virginia and Florida and narrowly missed victory in North Carolina. But he also polled as well in Georgia as any Democrat since Jimmy Carter, grabbed 44 percent of the vote in deep-red South Carolina and just under that in Mississippi — despite doing no substantive campaigning in any of those states.
The results show a region cleaving apart along new electoral fault lines. In the region's center, clustered along the Mississippi River — where Bill Clinton polled most strongly — the GOP remains largely unchallenged and the voting divide between blacks and whites is deepening. Nearly nine of 10 of white voters in Mississippi, for instance, went for Republican nominee Mitt Romney this year, according to exit polls. About 96 percent of black voters in the state supported Obama.
The pattern is markedly different in the five states that hug the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Florida, which together hold 82 of the South's 160 electoral votes. A combination of a growing black population, urban expansion, oceanfront development and in-migration from other regions has opened up increasing opportunities for Democrats in those states.
"Georgia is an achievable target for Democrats in 2016," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, a frequent Obama surrogate during the campaign. "What you're going to see is the Democratic Party making a drive through the geography from Virginia to Florida."
Ralph, I will respond a bit later, when my head is not so stuffed up. Hope you are enjoying your Sunday evening.
I'm watching the Saints … nasty interception … Brees really blew this call and we're all tied up. No happiness in Mudville at the moment.
It's quiet today.
RalphB says:
Too quiet. Is that drumming I hear in the distance? 🙂
Yup, it sure is. 😉
janey says:
As to the down's syndrome news. I knew a guy with Down's who died when he was barely in his twenties from the heart problems that come with this syndrome. Would it be better if he had not been born with this disability? Also I have a daughter with a broken chromosome which is also pretty common if you group all the syndromes together. I doubt if they will be able to fix that in this millenium. We will always have handicapped children but maybe thinking they can cure something will lead to greater knowledge of what the genes do in our bodies.
The Washington Post @washingtonpost
With fewer federal research dollars, drug companies are footing the bill and creating questions of bias: http://wapo.st/10QZZOt
NW Luna says:
That's what happens when you get government out of research. Makes it easy to guess if the trials reach their endpoints or not.
JJ sorry to be Off Topic, but Fredster mentioned over at Widdershins that you had a problem with Firefox updating without your permission. So I thought I would post my answer here in case you didn't see it.
You can change the About:config at the url line, or you can go to TOOLS, OPTIONS, ADVANCE, UPDATE tab. You can choose NEVER CHECK FOR UPDATES or…….you can choose to be ASKED if you want the update. Note if you chose ASK, they will haunt you. They claim that there is a security risk to not updating, but frankly, I think that's bulls!t. Just make sure you have a good and current antivirus and firewall program, because if you don't, no browser, current or old, is going to protect you.
In any event, this should take care of the auto update problem from now on.
Thanks so much…I will do that. Really appreciate you posting that, and thanks to Fredster too.
You can also roll back to an older version. I did it back when they came out with the major changes and turned the whole thing into a travesty. There are websites with all the previous versions.
Site of all versions of FF.
Oops looks like spam got me.
RalphB says:
For sheer gaul, this has to take the cake. A spectacular failure as a CEO criticizes unions for being "rich".
Raw Story: Fiorina: 'It is not fair' that public workers are 'so rich'
Carly Fiorina, who reportedly stood to receive more than $42 million after being ousted at HP in 2005, says that public workers should receive less benefits because "it is not fair" that unions are "so rich."
NW Luna says:
She can take her $42 million and shove it. WTF, is she whining for — that she's not even more insanely filthy rich?
RalphB says:
Why would anyone listen to a greedy incompetent stooge like Fiorina? She did her best to kill HP before they could get rid of her in the first place. Her opinion is worth less than nothing!
NW Luna says:
JJ, get as much rest as you need — hell, as much as you want. This is a great round-up of interesting stories.
Saw an story when I clicked thru on the Independent story on Down's:
Laszlo, an educational psychologist by profession, had wanted to demonstrate that what we call 'genius' is not a naturally occurring or genetically created phenomenon, but could be achieved by any child, given intensive early tuition on a one-to-one basis.
Laszlo Polgar proceeded to demonstrate his theory: his eldest daughter, Zsuzsa, became a Grandmaster and woman's world champion; and the middle daughter, Zsofia, achieved the title of International Chess Master (one rung below Grandmaster status) before abandoning the game as "not enough for me". But it was the Polgars' youngest child, Judit, who challenged all conventional thinking about the innate superiority of the male mind at chess. Unlike all other girls – or women – she refused to take part in the closed ghetto of female events and would play only in male competitions: in these, having started playing competitively at the age of six, she would chew up and spit out Grandmasters and their egos in a style combining breathtakingly direct aggression with lethal tactical trickery. ….
And when I first started going out with Gusztav he would say, 'My God, you are looking at things with a man's brain'. Well, that's how I live. People say I'm tough and harsh. But the truth is that it's just not acceptable for a woman to be self-confident."
I thought the story illuminates that "male" and "female" ways of thinking and behaving are not dictated by the person's gonads.
I saw that story too Luna, it almost went into the post. Oh, I don't know what is wrong with me, maybe allergies? Yuk.
NW Luna says:
Does sound yukky. IIRC, there are over 200 different upper respiratory viruses. Mutating all the time, just slightly different forms, so our bodies get exposed to new ones they haven't made antibodies against.
It's not your fault if you get sick.
Greywolf says:
Reminds me a bit of grad school; my advisor occasionally complained that I had a 'male' attitude. I said that since men dominate the field, that should be a good thing, but he disagreed.
It shouldn't be wrong to be different, and gender shouldn't dictate thinking.
NW Luna says:
"male attitude" LOL! Your advisor must have had a problem with insecurity.
Yeah, I've been told that too. As far back as junior high (if not earlier). I think it had something to do with growing up without TV and the "appropriate" role models, fortunately.
NW Luna says:
I just read that 10% of Microsoft employees in the USA are hired on a H-1B visa. Then I thought about all those Americans with tech experience who can't find jobs.
Microsoft is so eager to find qualified engineers and programmers for its thousands of vacancies that it has offered to pay a bounty to the government in exchange for extra visas in order to import more foreign workers. …. But the tactic may have backfired. ….
Researchers claim that some companies use the visas to bypass older, more expensive American job seekers. And some economists question contentions by Microsoft and other technology firms about a dearth of domestic high-tech talent. But most troubling to critics is the fact many employers need not prove they are unable to find qualified Americans before turning to foreign hires. [emphasis added]
….Norm Matloff, professor of computer science at the University of California, Davis who has analyzed H-1B visas, argues the guest workers should command premium salaries given their presumed sought-after skills. Yet according to Matloff's research, the foreigners as a group are underpaid compared to American citizens and permanent residents with comparable experience. "The fundamental motivation is cheap labor," Matloff said.
RalphB says:
As someone who worked in that industry for years, I can guarantee the truth of those allegations. Cheap labor is what it's always been about and not a lack of American talent.


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'Great Expectations' is just unfurling its lovely spring colors.
Last week I showed photos of little hostas in our gardens. To see the pictures, click here. In this post, I will cover medium and large hostas emerging with their vivid and beautiful spring colors. All the hostas pictured in this post are for sale at our nursery. I have noted Hosta of the Year award winners. Only 22 hostas out of the thousands of named cultivars have received this honor. For more information on these winning hostas, click here.
Nursery News: Carolyn's Shade Gardens is a retail nursery located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in showy, colorful, and unusual plants for shade. The only plants that we ship are snowdrops and miniature hostas. For catalogues and announcements of events, please send your full name, location, and cell number (for back up use only) to email@example.com. Click here to get to the home page of our website for catalogues and information about our nursery and to subscribe to our blog.
'Great Expectations' has a lovely habit when fully out.
We grow 'Praying Hands' in a pot with dwarf Solomon's seal, and it emerges very late—you can just see the first leaf poking through. 2011 Hosta of the Year
'Praying Hands' fully emerged. 2011 Hosta of the Year
'Paul's Glory' will have a gold center later in the season. 1999 Hosta of the Year
'Patriot' also emerges late. 1997 Hosta of the Year
'Liberty' has wide, bright yellow margins. 2012 Hosta of the Year
'Liberty' is a glorious sight when full grown. 2012 Hosta of the Year
'June' looks different depending on whether it is grown in sun or shade. In shade above, it is very blue. 2001 Hosta of the Year
'June' is yellower in a sunny area. 2001 Hosta of the Year
.Many beautiful hostas have been selected from 'June'—here 'June Fever'.
Another progeny of 'June'—'June Spirit'.
'Halcyon' is a great medium-sized hosta with a true blue color.
'First Frost' was selected from 'Halcyon' so has a deep blue center but with creamy yellow margins. 2010 Hosta of the Year
The intense spring color of 'Blue Ivory', another progeny of 'Halcyon'.
'Brother Stefan' is just getting started. 2017 Hosta of the Year
'Brother Stefan' when more fully emerged. We grow it in a very sunny spot, and it is immense. 2017 Hosta of the Year
One of my favorites, 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd' with its huge, blue, cupped leaves. 2014 Hosta of the Year
'Abiqua Drinking Gourd's' leaves actually hold water. 2014 Hosta of the Year
If you are local, be sure to check out the medium and large hostas in our garden in person. They do not display their lovely habits and colorful leaves as well in a nursery container. You will find them all clearly labeled in our display gardens.
Nursery Happenings: You can sign up to receive catalogues and emails about nursery events by sending your full name, location, and phone number to email@example.com. Subscribing to my blog does not sign you up to receive this information. Please indicate if you will be shopping at the nursery or are mail order only.
Carolyn's Shade Gardens is a local retail nursery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S., zone 6b/7a. The only plants that we mail order are snowdrops and miniature hostas and only within the US.
Facebook: Carolyn's Shade Gardens has a Facebook Page where I post single photos, garden tips, and other information that doesn't fit into a blog post. You can look at my Facebook page here or click the Like button on my right sidebar here.
Notes: Every word that appears in orange on my blog is a link that you can click for more information. If you want to return to my blog's homepage to access the sidebar information (catalogues, previous articles, etc.) or to subscribe to my blog, just click here.


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Getting Bigger All The Time
24 July 2012 Leave a comment
in which we try to get tricky with Excel and find that Excel has adequate built-in trickiness already, thank you very much indeed
Over the years I've had a number of roles that involved fixing, tuning, cleaning and otherwise future- and bullet-proofing a fair number of Excel workbooks. There's a whole catalog of potential issues to entertain and amuse but very common is the Extending Input Data Set. (I capitalised that in the hope that I might have christened some kind of Excel anti-pattern).
Your average Excel user is smart enough to know that some input data may grow over time: they may be copy-pasting from some other source, grabbing a database query result or even just typing in more values over time. It's very common to see a row-by-row enrichment of such data for analysis and the formulae need to be extended to match the rows of input data. In the worst case, users have pre-copied more rows than they expect ever to need and don't notice when they've started to miss data. More happily, they copy down as they see the data extending. If they see the data extending, that is1.
Helping a colleague to avoid such an unpleasantness recently led to a couple of interesting (to me) solutions. Firstly, we looked at extending the calculations applied to a list of data that we knew would extend every time we ran the spreadsheet model.
We assume we have a defined name, input_data that does what it says. Further, we have output_formulae, which should correspond one-for-one with the input_data rows. When input_data changes, we want to automatically extend output_formulae to match. Pretty straightforward, as it turns out:
Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range) If Intersect(Target, Range("input_data")) Is Nothing Then Exit Sub End If ExtendOutputFormulaeAsRequired End Sub Sub ExtendOutputFormulaeAsRequired() Dim inputRowCount As Long, calcRowCount As Long inputRowCount = Range("input_data").Rows.Count calcRowCount = Range("output_formulae").Rows.Count If inputRowCount <= calcRowCount Then Exit Sub ' enough formula rows already - could reduce if needed, but not done here End If With Range("output_formulae") ' Assumes just formulae are needed: .Offset(calcRowCount, 0).Resize(inputRowCount - calcRowCount, .Columns.Count).Formula = _ .Rows(calcRowCount).Formula End With End Sub
That works pretty well. At least, it does if input_data is defined, something we can usually do fairly easily, using a named formula, something like =OFFSET(B2,,,COUNT(B:B),6) (assuming we have 6 rows and there's a non-numeric column heading in B1, which in this case there is).
Here's the wrinkle that gives rise to the second interesting (to me) question, that necessitated a question on Stack Overflow. What if I can't be sure that all my columns will be the same length? I want the length of the longest column (there won't be gaps vertically, which is something at least). So in the sample below, there are 7 rows of data in columns B to G, with a heading on row 1, so 7 is the longest column and defines the number of rows in input_data.
|Input data – extend me!
I don't want to use .CurrentRegion because I can't be certain that adjacent cells won't be populated at some time in the future. We can't do something like MAX(COUNT(B:G)) because COUNT() is built to handle two-dimensional ranges. I tried to be tricky, {=MAX(COUNT(OFFSET(B1:G1),,,1000000,1))}, hoping that Excel would evaluate the COUNT() for a set of OFFSETs from B1 to G1. Excel wasn't fooled. Stack Overflow time then, and enter SUBTOTAL(), a function I confess I've never used in over 20 years of Excellence.
I define a new name, input_data_columns as =Sheet1!$B:$G, which I can then use in the definition of input_data_rowcount:
In a worksheet this needs to be Control-Shift-Entered as an array formula, but there's no obvious way to do this when defining a Named Formula. Fortunately, although I don't understand why, it works OK anyway, leading in turn to input_data becoming
That works! Is it future-proof? Probably not2 but it might very well be an improvement on what came before.
Briefly checking what happens, if we remove the MAX() and put the remainder into a worksheet as an array formula, we get {4, 4, 7, 4, 5, 5}, which is indeed the result of COUNT() on each column.
1 From a selfish perspective, this is a Good Thing – it requires "professional" expertise to deal with and has put bread on my table many a time.
2 See 1