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I attended a fantastic talk about big data visualisation at the YOW! 2014 conference in Sydney last month (slides), where Doug Talbott talked about how to understand and visualise large quantities of data. One of the things he mentioned was Shneiderman's mantra:Overview first, zoom and filter, then details-on-demand
Leaving aside the thorny issue of how teams structure their software systems as code, one of the major problems I see teams having with software architecture is how to think about their systems. There are various ways to do this, including a number of view catalogs (e.g. logical view, design view, development view, etc) and I have my C4 model that focuses on the static structure of a software system. If you inherit an existing codebase and are asked to create a software architecture model though, where do you start? And how to people start understanding the model as quickly as possible so they can get on with their job?
Shneiderman's mantra fits really nicely with the C4 model because it's hierarchical.
Overview first (context and container diagrams)
My starting point for understanding any software system is to draw a system context diagram. This helps me to understand the scope of the system, who is using it and what the key system dependencies are. It's usually quick to draw and quick to understand.
Next I'll open up the system and draw a diagram showing the containers (web applications, mobile apps, standalone applications, databases, file systems, message buses, etc) that make up the system. This shows the overall shape of the software system, how responsibilities have been distributed and the key technology choices that have been made.Zoom and filter (component diagrams)
As developers, we often need more detail, so I'll then zoom into each (interesting) container in turn and show the "components" inside it. This is where I show how each application has been decomposed into components, services, modules, layers, etc, along with a brief note about key responsibilities and technology choices. If you're hand-drawing the diagrams, this part can get a little tedious, which is why I'm focussing on creating a software architecture model as code, and automating as much of this as possible.Details on demand (class diagrams)
Optionally, I might progress deeper into the hierarchy to show the classes* that make up a particular component, service, module, layer, etc. Ultimately though, this detail resides in the code and, as software developers, we can get that on demand.Understanding a large and/or complex software system
Next time you're asked to create an architecture model, understand an existing system, present an system overview, do some software archaeology, etc, my advice is to keep Shneiderman's mantra in mind. Start at the top and work into the detail, creating a story that gets deeper into the detail as it progresses. The C4 model is a great way to do this and if you'd like an introduction to it (with example diagrams), you can take a look at Simple Sketches for Diagramming Your Software Architecture on the new Voxxed website.
* this assumes an OO language like Java or C#, for example
IŌĆÖve been talking to people in the halls about what they learned about goals from last year, and what they are going to do differently this year. WeŌĆÖve had chats about New Years Resolutions, habits, goals, and big dreams. (My theme is Dream Big for 2015.)
Here are a few of the insights that IŌĆÖve been sharing with people that really seems to create a lot clarity:
Maybe the most important insight is that while you donŌĆÖt need goals to make your habits effective, itŌĆÖs really easy to spend a year, and then wonder where the year went, without the meaningful milestones to look back on. That said, IŌĆÖve had a few years, where I simply focused on habits without specific goals, but I always had a vision for a better me, or a better future in mind (more like a direction than a destination.)
As IŌĆÖve taken friends and colleagues through some of my learnings over the holidays, regarding habits, dreams, and goals, IŌĆÖve had a few people say that I should put it all together and share it, since it might help more people add some clarity to setting and achieving their goals.
Here it is:
How Dreams, Goals, and Habits Fit Together
Enjoy, and Dream Big for 2015.
This a guest post by Alex Zhitnitsky, an engineer working at Takipi, who is on a mission to help Java and Scala developers solve bugs in production and rid the world of buggy software.How to approach the production debugging conundrum?
All sorts of wild things happen when your code leaves the safe and warm development environment. Unlike the comfort of the debugger in your favorite IDE, when errors happen on a live server - you better come prepared. No more breakpoints, step over, or step into, and you can forget about adding that quick line of code to help you understand what just happened. In production, bad things happen first and then you have to figure out what exactly went wrong. To be able to debug in this kind of environment we first need to switch our debugging mindset to plan ahead. If you're not prepared with good practices in advance, roaming around aimlessly through the logs wouldn't be too effective.
And that's not all. With high scalability architectures, enter high scalability errors. In many cases we find transactions that originate on one machine or microservice and break something on another. Together with Continuous Delivery practices and constant code changes, errors find their way to production with an increasing rate. The biggest problem we're facing here is capturing the exact state which led to the error, what were the variable values, which thread are we in, and what was this piece of code even trying to do?
Let's take a look at 5 methods that can help us answer just that. Distributed logging, advanced jstack techniques, BTrace and other custom JVM agents:1. Distributed Logging
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So, 2015 ... happy new year! 2014 was a busy year with workshops, conferences and consulting gigs in countries ranging from Iceland to Australia. I'd like to say a huge thank you to everybody who made 2014 so much fun.Software architecture vs code
One of the things that I spent a good chunk of time on during 2014 was the conflict between software architecture and code. I've written about this before, but you will have seen this in action if the code for your software system doesn't reflect the architecture diagrams you have on the wall. If you've not seen it, my closing keynote from the ABB DevDay conference in Krak├│w, Poland last September provides a good summary of this.
What I'm really interested in is how we can solve this problem. And that's really where my focus is going to be this year, by taking my C4 software architecture model and representing it as code. I already have some experimental code and tooling that you can find at structurizr.com, but I'm going to be enhancing and expanding this over the coming weeks and months. I want to get people thinking about how to appropriately structure their codebase, understanding that there are different strategies for modularity and adopting, what George Fairbanks calls, an architecturally-evident coding style. I also want to provide tooling that helps people create software architecture models and keep them up to date, ideally based upon the real code and with as much automation as possible. To give you an example, here's a post about diagramming Spring MVC webapps.
I'll be posting updates on the blog, but if you want to hear me talk about this, I'll be at the following conferences over the next few months.
As a final note, my Software Architecture for Developers ebook is only $10 until the end of this week.
All the best for 2015.
Several Summers back, I used a 30 Day Improvement Sprint to share my best insights and best lessons learned on getting results. I called it 30 Days of Getting Results:
ItŌĆÖs timeless advice to help you be YOUR best.
The overall goal of the site was to help you master productivity, master time management, and achieve work life balance. The idea was that by spending a little time each day, you would get back lots of time and energy and produce better results. And we all need an edge in work and life.Rise Above Productivity, Time Management, and Work-Life Balance Challenges
Here are the key things that I tried to help you with:
So if youŌĆÖre struggling with any of the above, you might find just the piece of advice or the one or two ideas that help you find your breakthrough.The Making of 30 Days of Getting Results
Behind the scenes, when I wrote each of the 30 days, I gave myself a 20-minute time limit (a 20-minute timebox for you in the know.) I would then write as if writing to somebody where I only had a small window of time to help them as best I could to achieve better results, in any situation.
It might seem like the first few days start slow, but things pick up from there pretty fast. Also, itŌĆÖs self-paced so you can hop around to any particular day that you think you need the most.
IŌĆÖve had many people tell me that it was the course that they needed that helped them set and achieve better goals, while also helping them make new habits and break bad habits. ItŌĆÖs also helped them find more energy as well as enjoy more of the things that they do. ItŌĆÖs also helped them find ways to spend more time in their strengths and do what makes them come alive.
I will say that the user experience isnŌĆÖt that great. The site was a test and I didnŌĆÖt want to spend a lot of time on the site design. That said, itŌĆÖs pretty straightforward. When you go to the home page at 30 Days of Getting Results, youŌĆÖll see a brief intro and overview, and then you can dive in from there, by either starting with Day 1: Take a Tour of Agile Results, or by clicking through the 30 Days on the left-hand side of the menu.30 Days of Getting Results at a Glance
Here are all the days at a glance for your convenience:
The course is free. Hopefully that doesnŌĆÖt de-value it. It has a lot of the lessons you would learn in some of the most advanced productivity and time management training.The Structure of the Daily Lessons
The structure of each day is the same. It includes an outcome, a lesson, and an assignment. And right up front, I include a relevant quote and picture. Here is an example of Day 24 ŌĆō Bounce Back with Skill:Quote: ŌĆ£Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.ŌĆØ ŌĆō Anonymous Your Outcome: Your Outcome: Bounce back with skill and roll with the punches. Learn to draw from multiple sources of strength and energy, including your mind, body, emotions, and spirit. Lesson Welcome to day 24 of 30 Days of Getting Results, based on my book, Getting Results the Agile Way. In day 23, you learned how to design your week with skill to get a fresh start, establish routines that support and renew you, and spend more time on the things that count for you. Today, we learn how to bounce back with skill. Bouncing back with skill helps us roll with the punches, refuel our bodies, and keep our spark alive. ItŌĆÖs how we keep our engine going when the rest of us says ŌĆ£we canŌĆÖtŌĆØ and itŌĆÖs how we ŌĆ£shut downŌĆØ or ŌĆ£turn it offŌĆØ so we can bounce back stronger.
TodayŌĆÖs Assignment
If you want to start off well for 2015, and you have big dreams and big goals in mind, then give 30 Days of Getting Results a try:
If you want to take it slow and steady, then just try one lesson each day. If youŌĆÖre feeling gung-ho, then see how quickly you can make it through all 30 at your own pace.
To help you stay on track, if you take the slow and steady route, build the habit by adding a simple reminder to your calendar in the morning to go and take the next lesson. Do it Monday through Friday and take the weekends off.
Enjoy and best wishes for your best year ever.
Dream Big for 2015 (my personal theme for 2015)
I don't know about you, but when I read about the exploits of people like John von Neumann, Alan Turing, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Kurt Gödel in Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe by George Dyson, I can't help but flash back to the Age of Heroes, where the names are different--Achilles, Odysseus, Agamemnon, and Ajax--but the larger than life story they lived is familiar. Dyson's book is the Iliad of our times, telling the story of great battles of the human mind: the atomic bomb, Turing machines, programmable computers, weather prediction, genetic-modeling, Monte Carlo simulation, and cellular automata.
Which brings up another question I can't help but ponder: is it the age that makes the person or is it the person that makes the age? Do we have these kind of people today? Or can they only be forged in war?
Anyway, I found this advice from John von Neumann, as told by Julian Bigelow, about how to go about building the MANIAC computer. This advice still echoes down project management halls today:
"Von Neumann had one piece of advice for us: not to originate anything." This helped put the IAS project in the lead. "One of the reasons our group was successful, and got a big jump on others, was that we set up certain limited objectives, namely that we would not produce any new elementary components," adds Bigelow. "We would try and use the ones which were available for standard communications purposes. We chose vacuum tubes which were in mass production, and very common types, so that we could hope to get reliable components, and not have to go into component research."
They did innovate on architecture by making it possible to store and run programs. Some interesting quotes from the book around that development:
This article is meant for knowledge workers that want to be more on top of things and feel secure that they havenŌĆÖt forgotten about something, freeing their mind for the actual tasks at hand. It especially applies to┬Āthose that are using or want to use SCRUM, a popular and formalized Agile methodology, in their day to day work.
I got hooked on Agile back in 2005, while working for Db4o, and never looked back since. Improving the process per iteration and having┬Āa manageable amount of work per sprint gave me peace of mind and focus, enabling me to deliver the right software solutions to the stakeholders. When I got asked to join a tech startup in 2011 as its CTO I suddenly had a lot more to deal with: hiring and managing staff, managing costs, reporting to the board, applying for subsidies and making sure the books were┬Ākept in order. On top of this I still operated as SCRUM Master and technical lead within a SCRUM team.
During this period one of my co-founders introduced me to Getting things done by David Allen. It took him only about 15 minutes to explain the basics and I got started with it straight away.
You can optionally watch this presentation to go along with the article:
As knowledge workers, and more specifically consultants, we have a diversity of responsibilities. You have personal responsibilities, like planning┬Āa doctorŌĆÖs appointment or picking up your kids from daycare, and you have responsibilities from your employer like ordering a backup disk, co-creating a course or preparing a presentation. Lastly you also have responsibilities from your client, like sprint tasks, meetings and organizing innovation days. Truly staying on top of all these responsibilities is tough, real tough!Agile
For those of you that are not familiar with Agile methodologies. Agile is an iterative process. In each iteration a team commits to a finite amount of work. A typical iteration has a length of two weeks, which is its deadline. All stories, the units of work in an iteration, can be made actionable by the Agile team.GTD
Getting Things Done takes a slightly different approach. There is a single inbox, comparable to the part of a backlog in SCRUM, that hasnŌĆÖt been groomed yet. By regularly reviewing the inbox, it can be emptied by turning items into actionable tasks, high-level projects, calendar items, reference material or just trash. Actionable tasks can be extracted from a project, that will move it forward. Actionable tasks should be kept together to be able to prioritize them upon review.
Please refer to the book Getting Things Done by David Allen in order to get the full explanation but below follows a quick overview.Quick overview of GTD Inbox
The purpose of the GTD inbox is to collect anything new that might or might not require your attention. Whenever something pops up into your mind that you think requires your attention, either now or in the future, you collect it here. It doesnŌĆÖt need to be organised. It doesnŌĆÖt even need to be an attainable goal. As long as you get it off your mind and file it away for review, the inbox has done its job. Reviewing the inbox will empty it into one of the following categories.Trash
You may find that a lot of the things you collect in your GTD inbox donŌĆÖt really require you to take any action at all, so you can throw them away with impunity! Good riddance!File
Many a time you get a piece of information that you donŌĆÖt need immediately but would like to be able to reference in the future. These items go from your inbox into a file. This file can be physical, a folder structure on your computer system or something completely different.Calendar
Though people have a tendency to put too many things in their calendar that really donŌĆÖt need to be done at that exact time, inbox items that do have a specific time window move from there to your calendar.Waiting for
If you delegate something you expect it to be done after a certain period of time. Though these dependencies are kept out of SCRUM for a good reason they are a part of everyday life. Move these from your inbox to your waiting for list so you can check in with whoever you delegated it to in order to be aware of their status.Someday maybe
Colleague sent you an adorable youtube frolicking puppy compilation? Maybe you didnŌĆÖt have time to watch it when it was brought to your attention but why not put it away to watch later? Items that you donŌĆÖt need to do but would like to get around to eventually should be moved over here.Projects
There are many things that people have on their to do list that they keep on staring at and get intimidated by for some reason. Often this pertains to items that are of a too high level to pick up straight away. This can range from Bring about world peace to Organise daughterŌĆÖs birthday party. Both of these tasks really consist of multiple clearly actionable tasks even though one gets the impression the latter is easier to attain in oneŌĆÖs lifetime. Things that should be more clearly defined belong here. Review them and extract actionable tasks from them that move the projects closer to their goal.Next actions
This is the work horse of the GTD system and is where you actually pick up tasks to do. You place well defined tasks here. If you need to call someone about a case, be sure to save this tasks along with the name of the person, their phone number and case reference to remove any impediments, like having to look up their number or the case reference. This way you make the barrier to get something done as low as possible.Obstacles
Of course there are a few obstacles to overcome using these two methods side by side as a consultant.
Since GTD encourages you to work on the most important thing at that time, you could be required to make private phone calls during consultancy hours or respond to a mail from a co-worker while getting ready for work. This causes work-time and private time to overlap. The obvious solution would be to track work intervals for each task. However, this takes a little bit of time and discipline so should ideally be automated.
GTD requires you to review at least daily what should be done with stuff in your inbox and what the next most important actions are. This takes time. Is this personal time? Should it be billable? In my opinion working with GTD reduces stress and increases productivity and effectiveness. Thus working with GTD will make you a more valuable employee which is something your employer should invest in.
While both GTD as well as Agile work with definitions of work, the priority of stories in SCRUM is determined by the Product Owner. How can this be incorporated into GTD? Well, even though the Product Owner is in charge of the priorities inside the sprint, he does not have a full overview of everything that needs doing in your life. Therefore you are the one that determines the order in which your tasks need to be performed. Within these tasks only the ones coming from your sprint have a relative order pre-determined by the PO.Improvements
In my day to day usage of GTD I found that there are a few identifiable improvements.
Due to work requirements I need to maintain multiple calendars. Since some GTD inbox items end up in your calendar this sometimes means having to create multiple items in your calendar, which causes needless overhead. It would be beneficial if this would be supported by software, so that a GTD inbox item can automatically be delegated to one or more calendars.
When tasks are coming from external applications like Jira they have to be kept in sync. It would save time if this could be managed automatically.
Lastly the question of ownership. Who owns a task? The assignee, the author or the company on whoŌĆÖs behalf it needs to be performed? I strongly believe that tasks belong to the author or organisation that the author wrote them for. If tasks have been delegated or synced from external systems they should be revocable by their owner. At the same hand an organisation should not have or control access to tasks a person authored without the authorŌĆÖs permission.Conclusion
Unfortunately there is currently no software tool that would serve all my needs as outlined here. However the most essential properties of such a tool should be: multi-platform to ensure availability, tagging support to be able to categorise without having to split up the list and owned by you.
One of the core concepts in the Software Architecture for Developers course is that the Quality Attributes (non-functional requirements) need to be understood in order to provide foundations for a system's architecture. It's no good building a system that fulfills its user's functional requirements if these are delivered incorrectly. Consider the embedded software in a pacemaker. It may correctly analyse the rhythm of the patient's heart and conclude that a shock is required but if this is performed at the wrong time (possibly due to jitter in the response) then it may kill the patient.
Discovering that critical quality attributes are not being met can require a complete system redesign e.g. modifying an asynchronous system to be synchronous. Therefore the early identification of key Quality Attributes is important to drive your design and in the selection of tools and technologies.
However I've often had difficulties getting course attendees to identify specific attributes, as opposed to generic ones, for a case study. For example, most people will identify performance as important but struggle to go beyond this to consider trade-offs between, say, throughput and jitter.
Therefore, in the last couple of courses, I have expanded the identification of Quality Attributes to include a very brief (and lightweight) Quality Attribute Workshop for our case study.
The Software Engineering Institute has a description of how to perform a Quality Attribute Workshop which includes a full process and template set. While excellent (and a core part of their ATAM architecture evaluation process) this is too involved for a short training course. We therefore just performed the 'Identification of Architectural Drivers' and review steps.
Importantly the SEI also provides a very useful tool for the identification of Quality Attributes - a taxonomy. This is not just a list of attributes with a detailed description, it actually breaks down attributes from the generic to the specific. Take, for example, the following diagram for performance:
(Performance Taxonomy Extracted from Barbacci, Mario; Klein, Mark; Longstaff, Thomas; & Weinstock, Charles. Quality Attributes (CMU/SEI-95-TR-021 ). Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 1995.)
The Quality Attributes are broken down under the 'Concerns' branch. For example, in the case study used the 'Response Window' is an important metric which needs analysis.
The 'Factors' branch, lists properties of the system that can impact the concerns. In our case study the 'Arrival Pattern' and 'Execution Time' are both important factors that need to be considered.
Lastly the 'Methods' branch lists tools/theories that can be used to analyse the concerns.
This diagram is useful for identification as it encourages the reader to consider all the aspects of the attribute in question and the measurable specifics for it. Without this taxonomy it is common to hear comments such as "it has to run quick enough" but with the taxonomy the analysis becomes much more detailed and useful.
However there is a danger, particularly with using a general, external taxonomy. My observation is that once provided with a taxonomy the participants tend to stick very closely to it and forget out the Quality Attributes NOT listed on it. For example the SEI list does not include Usability attributes or anything covering Internationalisation/Localisation. In response to this I'd suggest creating your own domain specific taxonomy. For example, if you work on retail websites you'll want more focus on usability and less on safety criticality.Conclusion
I have found lightweight Quality Attribute Workshops to be a very effective way of identifying Quality Attributes in a short space of time, particularly if you use a Taxonomy to focus the participants. However you must be careful to not become blinkered by what it lists. Therefore I'd suggest you create your own taxonomy, specific to your domain.
I did a major cleanup of my post on lessons learned from John Maxwell:
Lessons Learned from John Maxwell
It should be much easier to read now.
It was worth cleaning up because John Maxwell is one of the deepest thinkers in the leadership space. HeŌĆÖs published more than 50 books on leadership and he lives and breathes leadership in business and in life.
When I first started studying leadership long ago, John MaxwellŌĆÖs definition of leadership was the most precise I found:
ŌĆ£Leadership is influence.ŌĆØ
As I began to dig through his work, I was amazed at the nuggets and gems and words of wisdom that he shared in so many books. I started with Your Road Map for Success. I think my next book was The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Ironically, I didnŌĆÖt realize it was the same author until I started to notice on my shelf that I had a growing collection of leadership books, all by John Maxwell.
It was like finding the leadership Sherpa.
Sure enough, over the years, he continued to fill the shelves at Barnes & Nobles, with book after book on all the various nooks and crannies of leadership.
This was about the same time that I noticed how Edward de Bono had filled the shelves with books on thinking. I realized that some people really share there lifeŌĆÖs work as a rich library that is a timeless gift for the world. I also realized that it really helps people stand out in their field or discipline when they contribute so many guides and guidance to the art and science of whatever their specific focus is.
What I like about John MaxwellŌĆÖs work is that itŌĆÖs plain English and down to Earth. He writes in a very conversational way, and you can actually see his own progress throughout his books. In Your Road Map for Success, itŌĆÖs a great example of how he doesnŌĆÖt treat leadership as something that comes naturally. He works hard at it, to build his own knowledge base of patterns, practices, ideas, concepts, and inspirational stories.
While heŌĆÖs created a wealth of wisdom to help advance the practice of leadership, I think perhaps his greatest contribution is The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. ItŌĆÖs truly a work of art, and he does an amazing job of distilling down the principles that serve as the backbone of effective leadership.
Everybody has a story. I thought I would share mine at Sources of Insight:
My Story of Personal Transformation
ItŌĆÖs the story of how I figured out how to do more of what makes me come alive, and how to share my unique value with the world.
ItŌĆÖs a journey, but this story is a look backwards, and how it helped me shape my path forward.
I included some of the key questions I asked, as well as some of the key resources I used to get a new lens on work and life.
Life can really be a game of chutes and ladders, depending on the questions you ask, the choices you make, and the actions you take.
I think one of the biggest challenges we have in life, is a very personal one. ItŌĆÖs the challenge of finding our voice. ItŌĆÖs the challenge of finding our passion, our purpose, and our talents. ItŌĆÖs the challenge of becoming all that weŌĆÖre capable of. And, itŌĆÖs the challenge of how to make the most of what weŌĆÖve got, while helping others in our unique way.
The other big challenge is avoiding regret, learning to live with regret, or learning how to live without regret. What we regret the most, are the things we have a chance to change. ItŌĆÖs our opportunities lost. Or, to put it another way, we regret the things we didnŌĆÖt do. That can include things like not being true to ourselves, not expressing our feelings, not staying in touch with friends, or not letting ourselves be happier.
The top regrets in life based on research are: education, career, romance, parenting, self-improvement, leisure, finance, health, friends, spirituality, and community. Education is the top regret because it impacts so many areas of our life, and itŌĆÖs within our control.
The way I learned to write my story forward is to combine a combination of answering the following questions on an on-gong basis:
Transformation is a journey of challenges and changes. And thatŌĆÖs where our greatest growth comes from.
Best wishes for your best year, ever.
Hey, it's HighScalability time:
Don't miss all that the Internet has to say on Scalability, click below and become eventually consistent with all scalability knowledge (which means this post has many more items to read so please keep on reading)...
ŌĆ£Another year over, And a new one just begun.ŌĆØ ŌĆō John Lennon
Ready to get your game on?
January is a great time to focus on what you want out of this year. As you close out last year, you can reflect on what went well and what things you could improve. Focus on the growth.
January is also a great time to build some momentum. January and December are the bookends for your year. ItŌĆÖs interesting how they are both a month apart and a year apart.
What you fill that year with, is your opportunity.
If youŌĆÖre having a hard time remembering what it means to dream big, I put together a collection of dream big quotes to rekindle your imagination.
IŌĆÖve also put together a set of posts to help you create goals with skill:
One of the most helpful things IŌĆÖve found with goal setting, is to start with 3 dreams or 3 wins for the year. I learned this while I was putting together Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life. As my story goes, I got frustrated and bogged down by a heavy goal process and lost in creating SMART goals. I finally stepped back and just asked myself, what are Three Wins or Three Outcomes that I want out of this year? The first things that came to mind were 1) ship my book, 2) get to my fighting weight, and 3) take an epic adventure.
It wasnŌĆÖt scientific, but it was significant, and it was simple. But most of all, it was empowering.
In retrospect, it seems so obvious now, but what I was missing in my goals was the part that always needs to happen first: Dream big. We need to first put our dreams on the table because thatŌĆÖs where meaningful goals are born from. ItŌĆÖs the dreams that make our goals a force to be reckoned with. Really, goals are just a way to break our dreams down into chunks of change we can deal with, and to help guide us on our journey towards the end in mind. ThatŌĆÖs why we have to keep pushing our dreams beyond our limits. That way we donŌĆÖt try to push ourselves with our goals. Instead, we pull ourselves with our dreams.
If you want to know how to get started with Agile Results, before you get the book, you can use the Agile Results QuickStart guide. You can use it to create your personal results system. ItŌĆÖs a simple system, but a powerful one. Individuals, teams, and leaders use it to bring out their best and to make the mot of what theyŌĆÖve got.
To give you a quick example, if you want to rise above the noise of your day, just take a quick pause, and write down Three Wins that you want out of today. If youŌĆÖre day is pretty tough, you might say, ŌĆ£great breakfast, great lunch, great dinner.ŌĆØ We have those days. Or, if youŌĆÖre feeling pretty good, you might say, ŌĆ£ship feature XŌĆØ or ŌĆ£clear my backlogŌĆØ or ŌĆ£finish my presentationŌĆØ or ŌĆ£win a raving fanŌĆØ, etc.
It sounds simple but by having Three Wins to hold onto for today, it helps you focus. It helps you prioritize. And it helps you get back on track, when you get off track. It also gives you a quick way to feel good about your achievements at the end of the day, because you can actually name them. They are your private victories.
So, if you want to practice Agile Results, just remember to think in threes: Three Wins for the Day, Three Wins for the Week, Three Wins for the Month, Three Wins for the Year. It will help you funnel and focus your time and energy on meaningful results that matter. And, youŌĆÖll build momentum a moment at a time, as you respond to challenges, exercises your choices, and drive your changes in work and in life.
Linus Torvalds in his usual politically correct way made a typically understated statement about "pushing the whole parallelism snake-oil" that generated almost no response whatsoever.
Well, not quite. His comment on Avoiding ping pong has generated hundreds of responses, both on the original post and on Reddit.
The contention:
The whole "let's parallelize" thing is a huge waste of everybody's time. There's this huge body of "knowledge" that parallel is somehow more efficient, and that whole huge body is pure and utter garbage. Big caches are efficient. Parallel stupid small cores without caches are horrible unless you have a very specific load that is hugely regular (ie graphics).
Nobody is ever going to go backwards from where we are today. Those complex OoO [Out-of-order execution] cores aren't going away. Scaling isn't going to continue forever, and people want mobility, so the crazies talking about scaling to hundreds of cores are just that - crazy. Why give them an ounce of credibility?
Where the hell do you envision that those magical parallel algorithms would be used?
The only place where parallelism matters is in graphics or on the server side, where we already largely have it. Pushing it anywhere else is just pointless.
So give up on parallelism already. It's not going to happen. End users are fine with roughly on the order of four cores, and you can't fit any more anyway without using too much energy to be practical in that space. And nobody sane would make the cores smaller and weaker in order to fit more of them - the only reason to make them smaller and weaker is because you want to go even further down in power use, so you'd still not have lots of those weak cores.
Give it up. The whole "parallel computing is the future" is a bunch of crock.
An interesting question to ponder on the cusp of a new year. What will programs look like in the future? Very different than they look today? Or pretty much the same?
From the variety of replies to Linus it's obvious we are in no danger of arriving at consensus. There was the usual discussion of the differences between distributed, parallel, concurrent, and multithreading, with each succeeding explanation more confusing than the next. The general gist being that how you describe a problem in code is not how it has to run. Which is why I was not surprised to see a mini-language war erupt.
The idea is parallelization is a problem only because of the old fashioned languages that are used. Use a better language and parallelization of the design can be separated from the runtime and it will all just magically work. There are echoes here of how datacenter architectures are now utilizing schedulers like Mesos to treat entire datacenters as a programmable fabric.
One of the more interesting issues raised in the comments was a confusion over what exactly is a server? Can a desktop machine that needs to run fast parallel builds be considered a server? An unsatisfying definition of a not-server may simply be a device that can comfortably run applications that aren't highly parallelized.
I pulled out some of the more representative comments from the threads for your enjoyment. The consensus? There is none, but it's quite an interesting discussion...
This is a follow up to Santa Lands on a Virgin Atlantic Plane with 4D Technology. It turns out that you can measure the magic in the air.
Here is the page thatŌĆÖs tracking the festive magic:
Here is a snapshot of the page:
How are we measuring the festive magic? Using cloud-based Dynamics social analytics software.
Via the ThereŌĆÖs Magic in the Air site:
ŌĆØAt Virgin Atlantic we love the festive season and so do lots of our customers.
So this year, we wanted to see how much ŌĆśfestive magicŌĆÖ our customers and employees are creating around the world.
Partnering with our friends at Microsoft, we're using cloud based Dynamics social analytics software to calculate the volume and sentiment of social posts on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. WeŌĆÖre analyzing the posts for positive mentions of keywords like ŌĆśChristmas,ŌĆÖ ŌĆśmagicŌĆÖ and ŌĆśreindeer.ŌĆÖ So we can understand how much of that festive magic is being generated every day until 7January, 2015.
We're doing this in a totally anonymous way, and we're not storing any personal information. We just want to understand how much magic we're collectively creating during this period.ŌĆØ
What a fun and festive way to show software in action, and use technology to light up the holiday season.You Might Also Like
Santa Lands on a Virgin Atlantic Plane with 4D Technology
IŌĆÖve put together a roundup of the best productivity books that have helped me get better results in work and life. It contains many of the same books that I recommend to people and teams that I mentor. Here is the list:
It has a lot of books. To be productive, it takes a lot of skills, and a lot of self-mastery. And, you never know which book is going to do it for you.
I organize the productivity books in a scenario-based way:
At the end of the list, I included all the books in a simple, flat A-Z list so you can quickly check against your own productivity book collection to see if I have mentioned books that you donŌĆÖt have or donŌĆÖt know about.
IŌĆÖve put this list of productivity books together to give you an unfair advantage. Competition can be fierce. Remember that the best person to always compete against is youŌĆöfind ways to be better, faster, or cheaper, when it comes to making things happen. ItŌĆÖs how you stay in the game, and itŌĆÖs how you change your game.
In fact, productivity is a backbone for surviving and thriving. Yeah, itŌĆÖs a big deal.
Also, bear in mind that the big idea behind extreme productivity, or effective productivity is to focus on learning and growth. If you have a growth mindset, youŌĆÖll win in the long-run, because youŌĆÖll get better over time, and you can compound your effort. Also, learn to embrace the effort, and to love the work you do, or love the way you do it.
Your work is the ultimate self-expression, and the legacy you leave behind, can be an inspiration for yourself, as well as for others.
My Productivity Books page will be a living catalog of the books I draw from, and itŌĆÖs part of my bigger Great Books collection, where I share the worldŌĆÖs best books for insight and action on business, career, leadership, personal development, and more.
I know there are a lot of productivity books on my list. If I can only recommend one, I start people off with Getting Results the Agile Way. I wrote it specifically to help people get better results in work and life with a simple system I developed over time in extreme scenarios. It integrates proven practices for personal productivity, as well as positive psychology, project management, sports science, and more in terms of achieving high-performance with flow. And, itŌĆÖs easy to get started (Here is the Agile Results QuickStart.)
I believe in the power of books to change lives. Productivity is just one area, but itŌĆÖs an area that impacts all the other major areas of our life.
If you can master productivity, you can know more, be more, and achieve more.
And, if you balance that with living your values, making an impact, and enjoying the journey, that is the key to living la vida buena.
Microsoft and Virgin help land Santa on top of a plane at 30,000 feet. If youŌĆÖve been wondering where SantaŌĆÖs been, he landed on top of a Virgin Atlantic plane and did a photo shoot with the passengers.
Microsoft teamed up with Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic to bring the magic of Christmas to life. In the worldŌĆÖs first 4D experience in flight, Santa Claus appears to land on top of a Virgin Atlantic plane at 30,000 feet.
HowŌĆÖs that for some fancy flying with modern technology?!
Each passenger was also given a Windows tablet so they could track Father Christmas and chat with him during the flight.
HereŌĆÖs the video of Santa landing on top of the plane and visiting with the passengers:
Video: Santa Lands on Top of a Virgin Atlantic Plane at 30,000 Feet
Here are a few scenes that show Santa in action ŌĆ"
HereŌĆÖs one of SantaŌĆÖs reindeer peering down into the cabin from on top of the plane:
HereŌĆÖs Santa peering down into the cabin from above the plane before he goes inside:
Santa sees somebody he recognizes:
Santa boards the plane and walks the cabin:
The kids are excited to see Santa:
Adults are happy, too:
Santa has time for some photo shoots:
Santa leaves to get back to his sleigh on top of the plane:
Virgin Atlantic and Microsoft wish everybody a very, merry Christmas:
HereŌĆÖs Richard BransonŌĆÖs post on the story:
Santa Lands on Virgin Atlantic Plane at 30,000 Feet
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
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I didn't try it on mono, but it should also work with some tweaking, see details here
Xmas is a good time to surprise kids, and what's more fun than a talking computer ?!Hello world !
Nothing's easier, and this kind of Hello World will appeal them to programming in a flash :
#r "System.Speech" open System.Speech.Synthesis let synt = new SpeechSynthesizer() let say s = synt.Speak(s: string) say "Hello world !"
Of course, if you're french like me, it'll say this with an awful french accent - something like h├®lo ouorld !
But you can select a different voice if available by providing hints:
open System.Globalization let english = CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("en-US") synt.SelectVoiceByHints(VoiceGender.NotSet, VoiceAge.NotSet, 1, english) say "Hello world !"
Far better !Can you beat it ?
Now, a talking fizz buzz, up to 100 ! Can you beat it ?
[1 .. 100] |> List.map (fun n -> match n%3, n%5 with | 0, 0 -> "FizzBuzz" | 0, _ -> "Fizz" | _, 0 -> "Buzz" | _ -> string n ) |> List.iter sayEven harder !
Now with a recognizer, we can wait for voice user input.
The problem with the Grammar API is that it's totally mutable and not really DSL oriented. Let's correct that :
open System.Speech.Recognition type Grammar = | Phrase of text:string * result: string | Lst of Grammar list | Alt of Grammar list | Repeat of min: int * max: int * Grammar let rec build = function | Phrase (text, result) -> // Just build the a single phrase GrammarBuilder(SemanticResultValue(text,result)) | Lst grammars -> // Append parts of grammars one after the other let builder = GrammarBuilder() grammars |> List.map build |> List.iter builder.Append builder | Alt alternatives -> // Create alternatives let choices = alternatives |> List.map build |> List.toArray GrammarBuilder(Choices()) | Repeat(min, max, grammar) -> // Repeat a part of the grammar GrammarBuilder(build grammar, min, max)
This is not a full DSL for speach recognition, you can look at all the GrammarBuilder methods to add more possibilities.. Even here, I'll use only Phrase and Alt.
Now, we need a recognizer and wire the grammar with functions that will be called when a part of the grammar is recognized or rejected. It is mandatory to set grammar's culture to the recognizer's culture. There's usually a single recognizer installed by default on your system and it uses installed system's culture. In my case, it'll be french.
let recog = new SpeechRecognizer() let recognize grammar recognized rejected = let builder = build grammar builder.Culture <- recog.RecognizerInfo.Culture printfn "%A" recog.RecognizerInfo.Culture recog.LoadGrammar(Grammar builder) recog.SpeechRecognized |> Event.add (fun e -> recognized e.Result.Text (string e.Result.Semantics.Value)) recog.SpeechRecognitionRejected |> Event.add (fun e -> rejected ()) recog.Enabled
We can then use this to create a little Christmass quizz thanks to the FSharp.Data FreeBase Type Provider !
We'll use free base to find a list of Actors who plaid Santa in movies.
For this, install the FSharp.Data NuGet:
nuget install FSharp.Data -o packages -x
The dll should be in .\packages\FSharp.Data\lib\net40\FSharp.Data.dll
#r @"packages\FSharp.Data\lib\net40\FSharp.Data.dll" open FSharp.Data let fb =FreebaseData.GetDataContext()
Let's build the grammar
let santaActorsFilms = fb.``Arts and Entertainment`` .Film .``Film characters`` .IndividualsAZ.S .``Santa Claus`` .``Portrayed in films`` |> Seq.map (fun c -> c.Actor.Name, c.Film.Name) |> Seq.toList let santaActorsGrammar = santaActorsFilms |> List.map (fun (actor,film) -> Phrase(actor, film)) |> Alt
Here is the function to call when an actor is recognized.
I tried to pass a discriminated union as a value, but even if the API uses an object, the documentation states that it has to be a bool, an int or a string. I used only strings here.
let recognized text value = say (sprintf "True ! %s was Santa in %s" text value)
Here is the function when the speech could not be matched with the grammar.
It is also possible to get the audio of the text in this case. I decided to ignore it due to time constraints.
let rejected () = say "No, Not a Santa !"
Now, let's run it !!
recognize santaActorsGrammar recognized rejected
At this point the speech recognition configuration should appear if it's the first time you use it.
Once done you should be able to try the quizz !
If your OS culture is not english, don't hesitate to use a local accent for actor's name !Conlusion
I hope you had fun with this API, and that you'll want to tweak it for your own demo !
The full code - using FSharp.Formatting - is on my gist
Happy Christmass !namespace System namespace System.Speech namespace System.Speech.Synthesis val synt : SpeechSynthesizer
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Peruvian Serpentine Chandelier Earrings
Roll over image to zoom in
Fresh from South America, this pair of earrings simply drips with elegance. Combining a beguiling mix of natural stone and polished silver surfaces, they're a lovely way to add an eye-catching accent to an outfit.
A creamy green serpentine teardrop dangles within a ropy, silver-plated frame, with dangles and droplets of silver beneath.
Earrings measures 2.25" L x 1" W (5.7 cm x 2.54 cm), and have sterling silver wire hoops for pierced ears. Handmade in and fair-trade imported from Peru.
For bulk pricing on these and other items, please contact our Customer Service department at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Recent reviews:
September 3, 2014 - Gorgeous, these will get you tons of compliments. These move and refract light with lots of life! True, the serpentine stones are each a bit different, but I feel that adds to the charm. Love these.
July 25, 2014 - VERY PRETTY - much prettier in person & light weight enough for even sensitive ears!
July 25, 2014 - These are gorgeous. Wonderful craftsman ship and can't beat the price.
April 17, 2014 - Awesome! Really love them.
March 22, 2014 - These, and the Manco-Capac chandelier earrings, have to be the best earring value ever encountered---so gorgeous, with real "character" in each individual Andean stone. The Serpentine color is exquisite. Wear them to feel like an Incan princess!
Artisan: Artisans in Peru
Legend states that the village of Chinchero -- high in the Andes Mountain range and overlooking the Sacred Valley of the ancient Inca civilization -- is the birthplace of the rainbow. This traditional Andean Indian village still clings to their cultural roots, filling their colorful market with crafts made with native materials and techniques passed down for centuries.
The remote and extreme geography of this region allowed crafts such as textiles to develop independently of outside influence, leading to ingenious innovations and wonderful techniques that make that their fabrics so unique. Using a mix of complex heading arrangements, intersecting warp weaves, and tubular weaves combined with spindle-spinning and centuries of know-how, every piece they create is a work of art and a little slice of history. Worldwide sales of their crafts helps create interest and raise awareness of this folk art, and of the many indigenous artisans who create them.
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A lovely natural piss from a lovely natural cock.
THAT AS HOT! I would love to put my hand in for a nice "toilet bath", with a powerful PISS stream splashing all over, and then get "flushed down the toilet" by a torrent. Please do post more like this, thanks.


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This is another great book by Sandra Brown. I am a new listener and have made it my goal to have all of her audio's. I have never been disapointed... ever.
"The Worst"
I thought I was going to like this story with all the advertising of the movie. I don't know if it was good or not. The narrator is bad, real bad!! I couldn't listen any longer and never finished. I'm glad I didn't waste all my CD's on it. Listen to the sample before purchasing, I didn't.
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Rural Success Stories:
Kaufman Trailers
Kaufman trailers carry precious cargo...hope
by Scott Rager
Trailers are an essential part of the agricultural and rural economy, but in Beaver City, trailers built by Kaufman Trailers carry more than livestock and ag supplies, they carry hope. When a friend of Rob Kaufman's, and a champion of Beaver City, mentioned that Nebraska would be a great place to expand his business, Kaufman was intrigued.
As writer Scott Rager learns, Kaufman found in Beaver City the labor, land and economic development incentives he needed to build a 26,000-square-foot facility there. Now Kaufman Trailers employs 40 full-time employees in the town of approximately 600.
Kaufman Trailers provides a steady paycheck, an opportunity to grow in the company and benefits that rural Nebraska needs to keep its residents while bringing new residents in. Kaufman trailers are a quality product built by people who are excited to come to work every day. Learn more in our February Rural Success Story.
Game On
Magic started it all
We head into the fantastical world of gaming for this month's Rural Success Story. There writer Scott Rager finds two young men who found their love of the game Magic: The Gathering could make the perfect business opportunity.
As friends Cody Dame and Tanner Lytle of McCook organized a business plan, they applied for the Hormel Family Foundation Business Competition and were selected as the winners. With $25,000 cash investment, plus additional consulting and advertising, their idea became Game On, a place that sells games and gaming systems but also creates a community gathering place.
Game On now has two locations, and they still offer a place for nightly organized play where gamers can connect with each other. "Gaming is great practice for life," Lytle said. "The skills you use when playing Magic or any other strategic game translates into being the best you can be in any situation."
McCook Economic Development Corporation
How McCook created a sense of place
by Betty Sayers
McCook is a town that gets it right when creating a city center that draws walkers, bicyclists, foodies and shoppers. But that didn't just happen by accident. It took hard work and cooperation from a group of citizens focused on a common vision.
Nebraska Rural Living wanted to find out how McCook did that, so Betty Sayers visited with Rex Nelson, economic development director in McCook, to learn more. What she found was that McCook decided not to focus on business recruitment, but instead focus on entrepreneurship and business retention through the McCook Economic Development Corporation.
Through the Keystone project, and with improved relationships among the business community, public and private entities, McCook is bringing enthusiasm and energy to businesses in the community. "Rural life is wonderful," Nelson told Sayers. "We're always looking at ways that we can invest our time and resources to help make the rural life economically rewarding as well."
Sunheat International
GROW business Sunheat International warms up chilly days
As you complete your holiday shopping, we encourage you to take a look at what Nebraska entrepreneurs have to offer through the GROW Nebraska website. This month, we are sharing some tips for finding GROW Nebraska products and also featuring one of GROW Nebraska's entrepreneurs in our Rural Success Story. Sunheat International products are sold in GROW stores and through BuyNebraska.com.
"It's that time of year when staying warm dominates our thought process, and nobody has heat on their mind more than Josh Rookstool of Sunheat International," writes Scott Rager. Sunheat International is a Nebraska-based business that focuses on quality by selling through independent stores, not big box chains.
"We prefer to work with mom-and-pop stores because they understand the product and cater to the customer," Rookstool says. Check out the story behind Sunheat International and take a look at what other GROW Nebraska entrepreneurs offer in this month's Rural Success Story.
Articles & Essays:
Nebraska's world link: from Europe to Nebraska
Angela Davis' essay in Nebraska Rural Living has been a long time in the making. Davis, a world traveler and friend of NRL founder Betty Sayers, has often talked of exploring the links between other parts of the world and Nebraska. And finally, in this month's essay, she explores the similarities between the Netherlands and Nebraska as demonstrated by something both areas have in common, windmills.
Davis, a native New Orleanian, is married to a Dutch farmer, and she was excited to find that a windmill she insisted be in her wedding photo is the same windmill that resides near the village of Wissenkerke, where the couple bought a home. "Windmills are an iconic part of the Dutch landscape, and a visit to one is a must for visitors to the Netherlands," Davis writes.
But windmills have also played a central role when pioneers settled the plains of Nebraska. Davis found that Erwin Hinckley Barbour described the Platte Valley region as a windmill center in his essay written in 1899. Though these two areas are more than an ocean apart, Davis brings them side by side in her essay and shows that you can find common ground wherever you might find yourself in the world today.
Night Sky Photos - Photo Essay
Clear skies over Nebraska
We asked readers and fans to submit their night sky photos for our photo essay this month. The array of colors visible in the night sky is stunning.
And reader Ron Korngiebel takes us inside the process of photographing the night sky in his essay. We find out what it takes to capture those stunning photos and where to turn for more information.
Join us for a trip through the stars in February's photo essay.
Find a job and join us in Nebraska
We hear every day about people who long to move back to Nebraska. But what holds many back is finding a job once they move back, or even before they move back. And we want to help. So we have partnered with the Nebraska Department of Labor to provide a job-searching tool accessible through our website. Find out more here.
Krafty Kristmas
A Kris Kringle Krafty Kristmas!
by Michelle McCormick
Michelle McCormick has given herself the lofty title of "junkionado" since she and friend Kim spend the last weekend every September cruising the roads of central Nebraska on the famous Junk Jaunt. She found several treasures this year but wasn't sure what to do with one item until a Christmas craft show inspired her.
For less than $10, Michelle transformed a dirty window into a twinkling Christmas centerpiece admired by her family and friends. Her thriftiness shows how treasures are just waiting to be uncovered in the piles during Junk Jaunt.
Read how she came up with her Krafty Kristmas in an essay that will get you into the holiday mood. Fill a cup with eggnog, sit back, and look at what's around you to come up with your own Krafty Kristmas.
Rural Foodies:
Beaver Bar & Grill
Angry Beaver tops the food chain in Beaver City
At an age when most people find themselves thinking of retirement, Doris Wentling found herself settling into the restaurant business. And though it may not have been where she first imagined herself, she has thrown herself into it wholeheartedly, not once, but twice. Most recently at the helm of the Beaver Bar and Grill in Beaver City.
Wentling was first at the Branding Iron, a steakhouse in Beaver City which she owned and operated with her son Randy. But after she sold it, a fire demolished the restaurant. Wentling saw a town without a restaurant and she couldn't stand idly by. "After the fire there was no place to eat in Beaver City," she told write Scott Rager. "Everyone in town felt the loss."
So Wentling and her family started Beaver Bar and Grill to fill the void. The Rural Foodies ventured down to Beaver Bar and Grill in search of comfort food and what they found will make your mouth water. An Angry Beaver burger, a fast disappearing Runza Casserole and the perfect steak are just a few of the many choices on Beaver Bar and Grill's menu. Explore all the restaurant has to offer in this month's Rural Foodies.
Cunningham's Feed
Its easy to be well fed at Cunninghams Feed
In the heart of the Republican River Valley, you will find Cunningham's Feed, a restaurant with thoughtfully sourced ingredients, unique menu options and the perfect setting for a Valentine's date. When Rural Foodies were looking for something more than blue plate specials and bar fare, they headed to Cunningham's Feed, a place that never disappoints.
There they found a buzzing crowd, a warm welcome, and tasty surprises served with a friendly smile. Owners Kevin and Mitzi Urbom know what it takes to keep a restaurant up and running in rural Nebraska, and they deliver with consistency.
None of the menu options disappoint, but at Cunningham's Feed, they know that quality beef is what makes frequent patrons in Nebraska. "Quality steaks that are perfectly prepared are what keep restaurateurs in business and Cunningham's Feed knows that well," Scott Rager writes.
Tuffy's Tavern
Tuffy's Tavern is putting Smithfield back on the map
by Scott Rager
Tuffy's Tavern in Smithfield had been shuttered for many years when Mark and Carmin Whittaker purchased it in August 2013. Scott Rager writes that they were hoping to capitalize on Carmin's culinary expertise while providing the community with a much-needed dining option. And that's exactly what they did.
Locals are finding their way back to Tuffy's Tavern, but the comfort food is drawing in those from outside of town as well. Rager says that their Tuff Burger alone is worth the drive.
The Rural Foodies went to Smithfield in search of a good meal but left with much more. "The Whittakers' hard work and determination to revitalize not only a restaurant, but a town, has given hope to a place that is in need of much more than a hot meal," writes Rager.
Haythorn Land & Cattle Co.
Haythorn Ranch offers culinary experience straight from the Old West
by Scott Rager
North of Lake McConaughy lies a ranch where you can stumble into the pages of a Louis L'Amour novel, writes Scott Rager. And the family that runs Haythorn Ranch has the western hospitality and tasty cooking to make you feel right at home.
Craig and Jody Haythorn have a long family history in rural Nebraska dating back to 1884, but in 1999, they built an event center to host the Cattlemen's Ball that year, a large scale extension of their habit of inviting people to their family table.
Since then, the facility has been used for weddings, receptions, meetings and retreats with full catering services available. And the Haythorns' smoked meats, a centerpiece of these occasions, can also be ordered and shipped anywhere in the United States through Haythorn Land & Cattle Smoke Shop. We invite you to meet the Haythorns in this month's Rural Foodie experience.
Keep in Touch
Our newsletter comes out once a month, but today's social media also allows us to keep in touch between issues. Take a look at our Facebook page. Follow us on Twitter. Find us @NebRuralLiving. And visit our blog. We love hearing from our readers, because (and we're not biased) we have the best readers around!
Dynamic Towns & Cities:
Village of Oxford Proves Good Things Come In Small Packages
Cruise into the small (pop. 900) Village of Oxford in south-central Nebraska, and you're greeted by a main street broad enough to park cars in the middle as well as at the curbs. The first Oxford citizens designed a spacious community with room to expand. Clean, wide streets and sidewalks with big, shady trees welcome customers and visitors. Twenty-two businesses comprise the business district, first laid out and built in 1880 when the Republican Valley Railway Company (later to become the Chicago, Burlington and Quincey) crossed Harlan County and into the fledgling town. more...
Indomitable spirit keeps Bertrand vibrant and dynamic
"To make a small community thrive, you work together."
Bertrand is thriving in great part because this solidarity message is spoken in many different ways and by people of all ages and occupations in Bertrand. The town is bustling with committees planning the Bertrand Rodeo, the famous Bertrand craft show, a talent show, theater, music and sports activities, and fund raising events for families in need. Businesses also thrive in Bertrand. Over 72 businesses handle most wants and needs in the community, including a medical clinic and a weekly newspaper, the Bertrand Herald, which was recently sold to new owners.
Benkelman is a town with a view...and a view of the future
About as far south and west as you can go and still be in Nebraska, Benkelman is a town with a view, built on spectacular terrain featuring lookouts and ledges. Only three hours from Denver International Airport, you'll find the hectic, high-priced urban lifestyle evolves into wholesome, affordable, rural living in Benkelman and Dundy County.
The lifestyle of the almost-mythical American rancher and cowboy come alive in Benkelman. There are more veterinarians than doctors in Dundy County, and no wonder: an estimated 70,000 cattle range on land that is all privately owned, with not a single commercial feedlot.
Great school is only one jewel in Axtell's crown
Surveys tell us that one concern of people considering the change to a rural lifestyle is the quality of rural schools. They shouldn't worry. A recent Department of Education study found that nationwide, rural children did better than their urban counterparts in science and math, and that rural educators were more likely to report being satisfied with their working conditions. Read more about why a great school is just one jewel in Axtell's crown.
Also Featured This Month
Handcrafted wooden buckets permit freedom, serenity for Indianola couple
Be forewarned: The story that follows may entice you into giving up your corporate job and joining the ranks of entrepreneurs who live contented lives in rural Nebraska. Jim and Marilyn Gaster work, manage their business and dwell in a hand-built, rambling log house nestled in a hidden paradise with spectacular views of the canyons south of Indianola.
Artisan breads are just the beginning for the Back Alley Bakery
Technologically speaking, retained-heat brick ovens are way dark ages, in use by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans thousands of years B.C. So why, in an age of microwave Hot Pockets and dough-in-a-can, do people still make bread this way? Oh, you poor creature. If you have to ask, for the sake of your culinary soul, schedule a trip immediately, if not sooner, to the Back Alley Bakery in Hastings.
Harlan County tests its wings in nature-based tourism
Residents of Harlan County, Neb., know spring is just around the corner when the American White Pelicans return from their winter feeding grounds to take up temporary residence at the Harlan County Reservoir.


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Ratings based on 1 Verified Reviews
They paid and stayed. We double-checked.
5.0 Room cleanliness
5.0 Service & staff
4.0 Room comfort
3.0 Hotel condition
They paid and stayed.
We double-checked.
We double-checked.
for Everyoneby A verified travelerfrom Toronto, ON
Beautiful HaciendaPosted Nov 7, 2014
Friendly and helpful staff. Delicious breakfasts and a short cab ride away from town.


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The biography of Alfred de Musset. This page has biographical information on Alfred de Musset, one of the best poets of all time. This PoetrySoup page also provides access to the poet's poems, best poetry, quotes, and video biographies...if available.
Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay (11 December 1810 – 2 May 1857) was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist. Along with his poetry, he is known for writing La Confession d'un enfant du siècle (The Confession of a Child of the Century, autobiographical) from 1836.. 19th century poet
More Alfred de Musset Information


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Iggy Azalea Rapping Nonsense
Disney's Frozen Whitewashing Controversy - Disney's "Frozen" is apparently sexist and racist.
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Tag Archives: Regional Transit System
Alachua County Voters Reject Sales Surtax for Transportation Funding
Despite support from a range of institutions, voters struck down the one-cent sales surtax increase in Alachua County that would improve transportation, leaving the City of Gainesville and the Regional Transit System of Gainesville to reassess their plans and look for alternative sources of funding.
Surtax To Fund Transportation Projects To Hit Ballot
Initiative to increase sales taxes by 1 percent to fund Alachua County transportation projects hit ballot in November.
RTS Changes Bus Routes Due to Ridership
The Regional Transit System is making changes to its spring 2014 schedule to better accommodate riders based on which routes are being used more or less often.
Some Of Gainesville's Game Day Garbage Cans Are Going Green
Gainesville is making an effort to be more environmentally friendly by purchasing solar-powered trash compactors and recycling units.
Transportation summit addresses Gainesville's road issues
City officials and local residents spoke out about Gainesville's transportation problems at a five-hour transportation summit on Wednesday.
Man faces life-threatening injuries after rear-ending RTS bus
A 74-year-old man is now facing life-threatening injuries after rear-ending a Regional Transit Bus early Wednesday morning.


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Events commemorate Hurricane Andrew, 20 years later
Aug. 16
Friday Aug. 17 and Saturday 18
Homestead Mayor Steven C. Bateman and the City Council are inviting the public to a weekend of history and celebration Friday and Saturday.
Families of Homestead's earliest pioneers will be present to share their stories of challenges faced during the early days of homesteading in South Florida as well as during Hurricane Andrew 20 years ago, an important point in Homestead's history.
Events will include a $10 cocktail reception at 8 p.m. Friday at the Community Center, 1601 N. Krome Ave., and a free festival in historic downtown Homestead from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, contact Homestead steering committee chair Yvonne C. Knowles at 305-323-6564 or email email@example.com
Aug. 25
Do you have a story to tell about your experience with Hurricane Andrew?
The Miami Science Museum is hosting Hurricane Andrew Remembrance Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 25 at the museum.
The day's events will include:• A planetarium show, "Remembering Andrew Under the Stars,'' at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Hurricane Forecasting: Then and Now, a panel discussion, from noon to 12:45 p.m., led by Frank Marks, director of the Hurricane Research Division and Chris Landsea, science and operations officer with the National Hurricane Center.
• Hurricane Andrew Remembered, from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., will feature hurricane experts Max Mayfield, former director of the National Hurricane Center, now hurricane consultant on WPLG-ABC 10; Stan Goldenberg, survivor and hurricane researcher at NOAA's Hurricane Research Division, and Bryan Norcross, former meteorologist with WFOR-CBS 4 and now on The Weather Channel.
• The Aftermath of Hurricane Andrew from 3 to 3:45 p.m., with Kate Hale, the former director of Miami-Dade Emergency Management, and Richard Ford of the Salvation Army Disaster Relief Team.
• Theater video presentations: Andrew Specials at 11:20 a.m., 12:50, 2:20 and 3:50 p.m. The program will include television footage covering Andrew before, during and after the storm struck.
Tropical weather briefings at the Magic Planet at 11:45 a.m., 1:15 and 2:45 p.m.; kids' activity stations where visitors can tell their Andrew stories and write their experiences on cards to be placed on a pinup board.
It's all free with a paid museum admission. The museum is at 3280 S. Miami Ave. For more information, visit www.MiamiSci.org.
Hurricane Andrew
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When I'm not working or taking classes at the local university, I'm a sporadic writer who loves Maroon 5 and recently learned how to play pool. I'm a bit of a cinephile, so I love getting out and seeing the latest movies and netflix is one of my best friends (when it chooses to cooperate with me). I have a dog named Riley, and I'm very close to my siblings. Strawberry Daiquiri's are the best!
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11:02 am
Fri February 28, 2014
California's Getting Drenched, But Drought Is Far From Over
Originally published on Fri February 28, 2014 2:18 pm
The heavy rains forecast for much of drought-stricken California have indeed descended on the state.
Here's Friday's headline from Southern California Public Radio: "LA Rain: 2nd Storm Hits Overnight With Heavy Rain, Flooded Freeways."
The Los Angeles Times sums things up this way: "L.A. Storm Delivers Significant Overnight Rainfall."
To the north, KQED's headline says this: "Bay Area's Next Storm on the Way With Lots of Rain and Wind."
In many parts of Southern California, an inch or more of rain fell overnight, as this National Weather Service map shows.
But the latest map of the state from the U.S. Drought Monitor website shows how far California still has to go to be out of danger. True, the data are from before the rain and snow of the past couple of days, but still:
94.56 percent of the state was rated as suffering from drought conditions — 90.82 percent was classifed as either "severe," "extreme" or "exceptional" (the worst).
"How much will the current series of storms help?" KQED asks:
"Well, they won't hurt, that's for sure. But they will do little to make up the state's deep precipitation deficit or prevent the water shortages we're facing at least through the end of this calendar year. The good news is that right now forecasters are seeing increasing chances of another storm visiting the state next week."
The more immediate effect, as we warned Thursday, is an increased risk of flooding and mudslides, especially in parts of Southern California where wildfires have cleared away vegetation. USA Today writes that:
"Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for 1,000 homes in two foothills suburbs east of Los Angeles in advance of the storm.
"The cities of Glendora and Azusa, about 25 miles northeast of Los Angeles, issued the orders at midday Thursday for homes that could be endangered by debris flows from nearly 2,000 acres of steep mountain slopes. Those towns sit at the foot of the steep San Gabriel Mountains, where a wildfire stripped nearly 2,000 acres of vegetation last month, meaning flowing water could pose a danger."


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Aug 15, 2013
3 years ago i had protected oral sex with a prostitute in Prague. She suminiatered the condom. Do I need to get tested?
| Response from Mr. Cordova
Hi there,
I am not sure what "suminiatered " means and neither does Google. However, I can tell you that oral sex is a low-risk activity. Using a condom lowers the risk even more.
I do not think you need to test for this incident in particular. However, anyone who is sexually active should be tested for HIV and all other STD's at least once a year, and preferably every six months.
Based on your question I am assuming that it has been at least three years since your last HIV test. You're way overdue for a full round of testing if that's the case.
In health,
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Gary E Johnson et al v. Commission on Presidential Debates et al
|James P Gray, Gary E Johnson and Gary Johnson 2012, Inc
|Republican National Committee, Democratic National Committee and Commission on Presidential Debates
|Case Number:
|September 21, 2012
|California Central District Court
|Presiding Judge:
|Philip S. Gutierrez
|Referring Judge:
|Arthur Nakazato
|Nature of Suit:
Available Case Documents
The following documents for this case are available for you to view or download:
|Date Filed
|Document Text
|February 24, 2014
|JUDGMENT by Judge Fernando M. Olguin. (MD JS-6; Case Terminated) (vdr)
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Use the links below to access additional information about this case on the US Court's PACER system. A subscription to PACER is required.
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This video is part of the following collections:
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danny December 20, 2011
sure is great sex here
hard cock November 1, 2011
hey Mike,i would like to cum all over you!! How i like a man cum's while's he being fucked and then cum over his belly!!
boochie February 3, 2013
Erection problems. Long before Viagra! That 'Joey Stefano' was HOT back in the late 80s.
i69blondes February 27, 2013
That blonde cock is amazing
Hahn February 26, 2014
Fucking hot ! I had no idea Mark Andrews and Joey Stefano worked together....
Mike September 26, 2011
Someone wanna cum with me?
ich September 21, 2011
rooni February 20, 2011
joey stefano
notts June 5, 2011
wow i want to bone the dark hair guy so bad and im straight wa\nt my throbbing hard cock up his tight arse so bad im cummmmin now
Drainer August 11, 2011
That's Joey Stefano
tom August 24, 2011
love how he spreads those legs wide and receives that cock made my cock hard sexee hot also hot to take it doggy style laying on stomack with legs spread
Mika February 8, 2011
Does anybody knows the name of the dark men? Weiss jemand den Namen des dunkelhaarigen Kerls?
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Half an hour far from the centre of Rome, in a beautiful apartment located in a quiet private street, B&B Albalonga offers a double room and private bathroom, breakfast and parking included in the price.
Central heating or a heater in the listing
Continuous access in the listing
Breakfast is provided.
Space where guests can cook their own meals
Towels, bed sheets, soap, and toilet paper
Central heating or a heater in the listing
In the building, free or for a fee
In the building, free or for a fee
Continuous access in the listing
Breakfast is provided.
The listing can accommodate a gathering of 25 or more attendees
Easy access to the building and listing for guests in wheelchairs
Private or Shared
Free, in the building or nearby
Posted emergency information and resources
Please note that this is our family home, therefore smoking is not allowed as well as renting the room for a purpose other than tourism. Parties are not allowed. No pets.
Since the house is located in a small building, we and our neighbors trust in your discretion and education.
Stay here and you could give this host their first review!
I love playing my bass, reading books, traveling with my wife and cuddle my cats


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Abraham's Perseverance
One of the hardest things we have to endure in life is waiting for God to fulfill His promises to us. Though He seems to tarry long at times, we should not let this make us think that He will ...Read More
Queen Esther
The ambivalence with which Mordecai and Esther are portrayed and the flaws they evidence will be discussed further in the coming days. However, the Lord used them, warts and all, to rescue his people in their time of dire need. ...Read More
Witnessing His Glory
The angels sang "Glory to God" at Christ's birth. The heavenly elders give glory to God around His throne. Why don't you follow their example and give God glory today in every circumstance of your life?Read More
The Scroll and the Watchman
John Calvin comments: "What Ezekiel heard belongs to all teachers of the Church, namely, that they are Divinely appointed and placed as on watch-towers, that they may keep watch for the common safety of all. It was the duty of ...Read More
Providence and Evil
We see God's ordination of wickedness for a good end most clearly in the crucifixion. God used the evil plans of Christ's enemies to fulfill His good plan for His people (Acts 2:23). An evil act is still an evil ...Read More
Anchoring Your Soul
Is your soul anchored to the biblical hope of the future, the new heaven and earth, where there will be no more sin and suffering?Read More
Lessons in Humility
The ability to listen to many sides of an issue before adding one's own opinion manifests self-control and a teachable spirit. Those who are quick to speak are selfishly concerned with their point of view—they like to be heard. The ...Read More
The Eyes of the Lord
When we relate the command to bless our enemies to the rest of Scripture we may fall into one of two extremes. We can either put ourselves into unnecessary dangers by refusing always to defend ourselves, or we can use ...Read More
Our Kinsman Redeemer
Jesus has paid the moral debt we owed to the Father for breaking the law of God. He was not obligated to pay this debt, and the Father was not obligated to accept this payment. But in their great love ...Read More
David Hood
Christian theologians have always recognized that sins of omission, the failure to do what we know is right, incur the judgment of God (James 4:17). Our negligence and failure to think things through can cause many problems for other people ...Read More
DevotionalsDaily readings to encourage your heart and mind in the pursuit of God and his glory.
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- Perseverance of the Saints
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- Creeds and Confessions
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- Heaven and Hell
- Heresies
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- Ten Commandments
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- Controversies in the Church
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- Lordship Salvation
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- Stewardship of Creation
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- Marriage and Family
- Divorce
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- Practical Theology
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- Grief and Death
- Pastoral Ministry
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- Anxiety and Worry
- Apostasy
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- Depression
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- Fellowship
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- Legalism
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- Money and Stewardship
- Oaths and Vows
- Prayer
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- Repentance and Forgiveness
- Sanctification and Growth
- Service
- Spiritual Fruit
- Suffering
- Thankfulness
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- Ancient Church
- Biography
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- Twentieth Century


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Vermont Castings or Weber?
LybanApril 25, 2007
I am looking at either the Weber or Vermont Castings Grill.
I cannot decide but did notice that the new Webers seem to come with s/s grates. Where as the Vermont castings grates are Porcelain enamel.
I am wondering how the s/s grates are for cooking and cleaning. My old model grill uses enameled Porcelain and it cleans up very well.
I hate to not buy the weber because of this but it might be an issue.
I'm doing the same debate. Overall the Weber (S620) seems better made, but the VC has significantly higher btu's per sqaure inch of grill area. The VC is 117 btu's / sq " while the Weber is only 86. Theoretically the VC will do a much better job of searing/carmelizing meat.
Curious if anyone else has thoughts on these 2 mfr's.


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The Wii-exclusive Bust-A-Move Revolution has been given a new name. Its title is now Bust-A-Move Bash!.
Brought to us by Majesco, the game will ship early next year and features a unique control system as to be expected. The gameplay is more of the same fast paced puzzle-based antics with some added extras thrown in.
Puzzle Mode: 500 levels across five different areas.
Vs. Mode: Up to 8 players can go head-to-head simultaneously
Shooting Mode: A completely new mode where bubbles come flying at you from all angles.
3,022 news items
Vortex said:
There's a complete bust-a-move for the Wii? I liked the arcade bust-a-move, but I don't think I'd by a whole $50 bust-a-move game. Cant they just come out with the original for the VC?
Master Foot said:
If that's the real graphics above, then Nintendo is taking the "graphics don't matter mentality" a little too far. The Wii is capable of better.
quartzlcc said:
A fair point, but it would probably be listed as $40.
Splintercell4ever said:
The game still busts its move on me.
Epsilon said:
Master Foot, the above picture is actually a screenshot of the original Bust-A-Move and likely the graphics will be better on the Wii sequel.
Umm... said:
How the 8 player is possible?
MANiK said:
I remember this game on N-64, I loved it. I can't wait for it to come out on the Wii.
Project Ukulele - Possible Hint at Characters
Could it be?
Free to Play Pokemon Shuffle now available on 3DS eShop
Nintendo offers another micro-transaction based title
Gold Mario Amiibo is a Wal-Mart Exclusive
Get ready to shell out your coins
Area Effect Announces Izle for Wii U
Part action, part adventure, all cel-shaded
Nintendo Confirmed As Sponsor For APEX 2015
Another positive step for the Smash competitive scene
Majora's Mask 3D Collector's Edition Contains Skull Kid Figurine
Pre-orders are now open!
Ackk Studios Rings in the New Year with New Y2K footage
Starting the New Year with a bang!
Is Nintendo Making A New Wii U Gamepad?
Recent commercial may have leaked new GamePad model
Zeldathon Relief Announced
Pot smashing for a great cause
Why the Inclusion of The Duck Hunt Dog in Super Smash Bros. Was Brilliant
How the the most hated character in video games rose to the top of the Smash heap
Michael Jordan said:
No they're making it from the movie ... Speed Racer: The Video Game
daveoneal said:
Thanks Rob. I had no idea this one was published. I'm very happy about it! Yes, Jonathan, it is hard as all get-out, ... Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight review
daveoneal said:
This was a very well-written review. Apparently Super Hexagon was developed by Terry Cavanagh (who made vvvvvv), so ... Cosmophony review
dirk said:
:p p ... TMNT: Smash Up
dirk said:
cool :p ... TMNT: Smash Up
Wii's World is not officially affiliated with Nintendo! (but they wish we were).


text:
Economy faltered in final quarter of '12
Key factors: falling exports, companies not restocking, cuts in defense spending
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy shrank unexpectedly late last year, a reminder of the biggest threat it faces in 2013: sharp government spending cuts and prolonged political budget fights.
Several factors helped push the economy into negative territory for the first time since mid-2009. The contraction in the October-December quarter came in at an annual rate of 0.1 percent, according to a government estimate released Wednesday.
The Commerce Department said the economy shrank last quarter mainly because companies restocked at a slower rate and the government slashed defense spending. Exports also fell.
Economists say some of those factors could prove temporary. Still, the slowdown from the 3.1 percent annual growth rate in the July-September quarter was unexpectedly sharp.
For all of 2012, the economy expanded 2.2 percent, better than 2011's growth of 1.8 percent.
The Federal Reserve referred to the fourth-quarter slowdown Wednesday in a statement after a policy meeting. The U.S. economy appears to have "paused in recent months," the Fed said, mainly because of temporary factors. The central bank said growth would likely resume this year. But it reaffirmed its commitment to stimulating the economy by keeping borrowing costs low for the foreseeable future.
Looming government cutbacks may already have hindered the economy: Concern over the year-end fiscal cliff could be one reason businesses slowed their restocking. And defense spending may have fallen as agencies prepared for automatic spending cuts. Congress managed to avert the fiscal cliff but only postponed the start of automatic spending cuts until March 1.
The drag from the government comes as private-sector growth is picking up. Consumers and businesses spent more in the October-December quarter compared with the July-September quarter.
Consumer spending, which drives about 70 percent of the economy, added 1.5 percentage points to growth last quarter. Business investment and home construction contributed, too.
But government spending cuts and slower company restocking, which can fluctuate sharply, subtracted a combined 2.6 percentage points from GDP. And a drop in exports subtracted an additional quarter-point.
Defense spending plummeted more than 22 percent, the steepest drop in more than 40 years. Nearly all those cuts were in services, such as weapons maintenance and personnel support. The Defense Department said spending fell in part because of the drawdown in forces from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The deal Congress reached with the White House to avoid the fiscal cliff delayed spending cuts of about $85 billion. Yet those cuts appear likely to take place eventually. Congressional Republicans see them as a way to force Democrats to make budget concessions.
At the same time, Americans are coming to grips with an increase in Social Security taxes that is leaving them with less take-home pay. The lower pay could cut roughly a half-point off growth this year, economists say. The automatic spending cuts, if they take place, could subtract an additional 0.3 percentage point, Marple estimates.
Everything from the National Park Service to federal law enforcement to health research would be affected. Social Security and veterans' benefits, along with other entitlement programs, would be exempt.
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