text:
Hi devs,
This blog has moved. I'm now over at debuggerdotbreak.judahgabriel.com.
See you there,
Coding? Take a break and gain some software wisdom
Hi devs,
This blog has moved. I'm now over at debuggerdotbreak.judahgabriel.com.
See you there,
Summary: A modern dev stack for modern web apps. See how I built a new web app using RavenDB, Angular, Bootstrap and TypeScript. Why these tools are an excellent choice for modern web dev.
Twin Cities Code Camp (TCCC) is the biggest developer event in Minnesota. I've written about it before: it's a free event where 500 developers descend on the University of Minnesota to attend talks on software dev, learn new stuff, have fun, and become better at the software craft.
I help run the event and this April, we are hosting our 20th event. 20 events in 10 years. Yes, we've been putting on Code Camps for a decade! That's practically an eternity in internet years.
For the 20th event, we thought it was time to renovate the website. Our old website had been around since about 2006 – a decade old – and the old site was showing its age:
It got the job done, but admittedly it's not a modern site. Rather plain Jane; it didn't reflect the awesome event that Code Camp is. We wanted something fresh and new for our 20th event.
On the dev side, everything on the old site was hard-coded – no database – meaning every time we wanted to host a new event, add speakers or talks or bios, we had to write code and add new HTML pages. We wanted something modern, where events and talks and speakers and bios are all stored in a database that drives the whole site.
Taking at stab at rewriting the TCCC websiite, I wanted to really make it a web app. That is, I want it database-driven, I want some dynamic client-side functionality; things like letting speakers upload their slides, letting attendees vote on talks, having admins login to add new talks, etc. This requires something more than a set of static web pages.
Additionally, most of the people attending Code Camp will be looking at this site on their phone or tablet. I want to build a site that looks great on mobile.
To build amazing web apps, I turn to my favorite web dev stack:
$(".contentWrapper.container").attr("data-item-text", "zanzibar");
into this:
this.itemText = "zanzibar";
I find these tools super helpful and awesome and I'm pretty darn productive with them. I've used this exact stack to build all kinds of apps, both professional and personal:
And a bunch of internal apps at my current employer, 3M, use this same stack internally. I find this stack lets me get stuff done quickly without much ceremony and I want to tell you why this stack works so well for me in this post.
I'm at the point in my career that I don't put up with friction. If there is friction in my workflow, it slows me down and I don't get stuff done.
RavenDB is a friction remover.
My old workflow, when I was a young and naïve developer, went like this:
This went on and on. It wasn't until I tried RavenDB did I see that all this friction is not needed.
SQL databases were built for a different era in which disk space was at a premium; hence normalization and varchar and manual indexes. This comes at a cost: big joins, manual denormalization for speed. Often times on big projects, we have DBAs building giant stored procedures with all kinds of temp tables and weird optimization hacks to make shit fast.
Forget all that.
With Raven, you just store your stuff. Here's how I store a C# object that contains a list of strings:
Notice I didn't have to create tables. Notice I didn't have to create foreign key relationships. Notice I didn't have to create columns with types in tables. Notice I didn't have to tell it how to map codeCampTalk.Tags – a list of strings – to the database.
Raven just stores it.
And when we're ready to query, it looks like this:
db.Query<Talk>().Where(t => t.Author == "Jon Skeet");
Notice I didn't have to do any joins; unlike SQL, Raven supports encapsulation. Whether that's a list of strings, a single object inside another object, or a full list of objects. Honey Badger Raven don't care.
And notice I didn't have to create any indexes. Raven is smart about this: it creates an index for every query automatically. Then it uses machine learning – a kind of AI for your database – to optimize the ones you use the most. If I'm querying for Talks by .Author, Raven keeps that index hot for me. But if I query for Talks by .Bio infrequently, Raven will devote server resources – RAM and CPU and disk – to more important things.
It's self optimizing. And it's friggin' amazing.
The end result is your app remains fast, because Raven is responding to how it's being used and optimizing for that.
And I didn't have to do anything make that happen. I just used it.
Zero friction. I love RavenDB.
If you're doing .NET, there really is no reason you shouldn't be using it. Having built about 10 apps in the last 2 years, both professional and side projects, I have not found a case where Raven is a bad fit. I've stopped defaulting to crappy defaults. I've stopped defaulting to SQL and Entity Framework. It's not 1970 anymore. Welcome to modern, flexible, fast databases that work with you, reduce friction, work with object oriented languages and optimize for today's read-heavy web apps.
In the bad ol' days, we'd write front-end code like this:
Then, we discovered JQuery, which was awesome. We realized that the browser was fully programmable and JQuery made it a joy to program it. So instead of doing postbacks and having static pages, we could just update the DOM, and the user would see the new email address:
And that was good for users, because the page just instantly updated. Like apps do. No postback and full page refresh; they click the button and instantly see the results.
This was well and good. Until our code was pretty ugly. I mean, look at it. DOM manipulation isn't fun and it's error prone. Did I mention it was ugly?
What if we could do something like this:
Whoa! Now anytime we update a JavaScript variable, .emailAddress, the DOM instantly changes! Magic!
No ugly DOM manipulation, we just change variables and the browser UI updates instantly.
This is data-binding, and when we discovered it in the browser, all kinds of frameworks popped up that let you do this data-binding. KnockoutJS, Ember, Backbone, and more.
This was all well and good until we realized that while data-binding is great, it kind of sucks that we still have full page reloads when moving from page to page. The whole app context is gone when the page reloads.
What if we could wrap up the whole time a user is using our web app into a cohesive set of views which the user navigates to without losing context. And instead of a mess of JavaScript, what if we made each view have its own class. That class has variables in it, and the view data-binds to those variables. And that class, we'll call it a controller, loads data from the server using classes called services. Now we're organized and cooking with gas.
Enter AngularJS. Angular makes it a breeze to build web apps with:
Angular also add structure. You load data using service classes. Those services classes are automatically injected into your controllers. Your controllers tell the service classes to fetch data. When the data returns, you set the variable in your controller, and the UI automatically updates to show the data:
Nice clean separation of concerns. Makes building dynamic apps – apps where the data changes at runtime and the UI automatically shows the new data – a breeze.
JavaScript is a powerful but messy language. Conceived in a weekend of wild coding in the late '90s, it was built for a different era when web apps didn't exist.
TypeScript fixes this. TypeScript is just JavaScript + optional types + features from the future. Where features from the future = ES6, ES7, and future proposals – things that will eventually be added to JavaScript, but you won't be able to use for 5, 10, 15 years. You can use them right now in TypeScript.
So instead of writing ugly JavaScript like this:
We can instead write concise and clean, intellisense-enabled TypeScript like this:
Ahhh…lambdas, classes, properties. Beautiful. All with intellisense, refactoring, error detection. I love TypeScript.
There are few reasons to write plain JavaScript today. It's beginning to feel a lot like writing assembly by hand; ain't nobody got time for that. Use modern language features, use powerful tooling to help you write correct code and find errors before your users do.
You don't need to drink $15 Frappamochachino Grandes to design elegant UIs.
We've got code at our disposal that gives us a nice set of defaults, using well-known UI concepts and components to build great interfaces on the web.
Bootstrap, with almost no effort, makes plain old HTML into something more beautiful.
Add a Bootstrap class to the <table> and it's suddenly looking respectable:
A plain HTML button:
Add one of a few button classes and things start looking quite good:
Bootstrap gives you a default theme, but you can tweak the existing theme or use some pre-built themes, like those at Bootswatch. For TwinCitiesCodeCamp.com, I used the free Superhero theme and then tweaked it to my liking.
Bootstrap also gives you components, pieces of combined UI to build common UI patterns. For example, here is a Bootstrap split-button with drop-down, a common UI pattern:
Bootstrap enables these components using plain HTML with some additional CSS classes. Super easy to use.
Bootstrap also makes it easy to build responsive websites: sites that look good on small phones, medium tablets, and large desktops.
Add a few classes to your HTML, and now your web app looks great on any device. For TwinCitiesCodeCamp, we wanted to make sure the app looks great on phones and tablets, as many of our attendees will be using their mobile devices at the event.
Here's TwinCitiesCodeCamp.com on multiple devices:
And on iPhone 6 and small phones:
This is all accomplished by adding a few extra CSS classes to my HTML. The classes are Bootstrap responsive classes that adjust the layout of your elements based on available screen real-estate.
RavenDB, AngularJS, TypeScript, Bootstrap,. It's a beautiful stack for building modern web apps.
TwinCitiesCodeCamp code is on GitHub.
Last week I sent the dreaded, "I'm going out of business" email to clients of my BitShuva Radio startup:
A few years ago, I wrote a piece of software to solve a niche problem: the Messianic Jewish religious community had a lot of great music, but no online services were playing that music. I wrote a Pandora-like music service that played Messianic Jewish music, Chavah Messianic Radio was born, and it's been great. (Chavah is still doing very well to this day; Google Analytics tells me it's had 5,874 unique listeners this month – not bad at all!)
After creating Chavah, I wrote a programming article about the software: How to Build a Pandora Clone in Silverlight 4. (At the time, Silverlight was the hotness! I've since ported Chavah to HTML5, but I digress.)
Once that article was published, several people emailed me asking if I'd build a radio station for them. One after another. Turns out there many underserved music niches. Nigerian music. West African soul. Egyptian Coptic chants. Indie artists. Instrumentals. Ethiopian pop. A marketplace for beats. Local bands from central Illinois. All these clients came out of the woodwork, asking me to build clones of my radio station for their communities.
After these clients approached me – with no marketing or sales pitches on my part – it looked like a good business opportunity. I founded BitShuva Radio and got to work for these clients. I had founded a startup.
But after almost 2 years, making less than $100/month on recurring monthly fees, and spending hours every week working for peanuts, I've decided to fold the startup. It wasn't worth my time, it was eating into my family life, preventing me from working on things I really wanted to work on. So this week, I cut the cord.
Along the way, I learned so much! Maybe this will help the next person who does their first startup.
Here's what I learned:
When I acquired my first client, I had no idea how much to charge. For me, the work involved forking an existing codebase, swapping out some logos and colors, and deploying to a web server. A few hours of work.
I dared to ask for the hefty sum of $75.
Yes, I asked for SEVENTY-FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS! I remember saying that figure to the man on the other end of the phone – what a thrill! – $75 for forking a codebase, ha! To my surprise, he agreed to this exorbitant charge.
In my startup newbie mind, $75 seemed totally reasonable for forking a codebase and tweaking some CSS. After all, it's not that much work.
What I didn't understand was, you charge not for how much work it is for you. You charge how much the service is worth. A custom Pandora-like radio station, with thumb-up and –down functionality, song requests, user registration, playing native web audio with fallbacks to Flash for old browsers – creating a community around a niche genre of music – that's what you charge for. That's the value being created here. The client doesn't care if it's just forking a codebase and tweaking CSS – to him, it's a brand new piece of software with his branding and content. He doesn't know what code, repo forking, or CSS is. All he knows is he's getting a custom piece of software doing exactly what he wants. And that's worth a lot more than $75.
It took me several clients to figure this out. My next client, I tried charging $100. He went for it. The next client $250. The next client $500. Then $1000.
I kept charging more and more until finally 3 clients all turned down my $2000 fee. So I lowered the price back to $1000.
Money is just business. It's not insulting to ask for a lot of money. Change as much as you can. Had I knew this when I started, I'd have several thousand dollars more in my pocket right now.
Don't drown!
When I built my first the first radio software, Silverlight seemed like a reasonable choice. HTML5 audio was nascent, Firefox didn't support native MP3 audio, IE9 was still a thing. So I turned to plugins.
Over time, plugins like Silverlight fell out of favor, particularly due to the mobile explosion. Suddenly, everyone's trying to run my radio software on phones and tablets, and plugins don't work there, so I had to act.
I ported my radio software code to HTML5, with Flash fallbacks for old browsers. KnockoutJS was the the new hotness, so I moved all our Silverlight code to HTML5+CSS3+KnockoutJS.
As the software grew in complexity, it became apparent you really need something more than data-binding, but Knockout was just data-binding. Single Page Application (SPA) frameworks became the new hotness, and I ported our code over to DurandalJS.
Soon, Durandal was abandoned by its creator, and said creator joined the AngularJS team at Google. Not wanting to be left on a dying technology, I ported the code to Angular 1.x.
Shortly after, the Durandal author left the Angular team over issues with the Angular vNext design, and founded Aurelia.
If I was continuing my startup today, I'd be looking at riding that wave and moving to Aurelia or Angular 2.
What am I saying? Staying on top of the technology wave is a balancing act: stand still and you'll be dead within a year, but move to every new hotness, and you'll be forever porting your code and never adding new features. My advice is to be fiscally pragmatic about it: if your paying clients have a need for new technology, migrate. Otherwise, use caution and a wait-and-see approach.
Applying this wisdom in hindsight to my startup, it was wise to move from Silverlight to HTML5 (my paying clients needed that to run on mobile). However, jumping around from Knockout to Durandal to Angular did little for my clients. I should have used more caution and used a wait-and-see approach.
My startup grew out of clients asking for custom versions of my radio software. "Oh, you have a Pandora clone? Can you make one for my music niche?"
Naturally, I spent most of my time building custom software. They pay me a nice up-front sum ($1000 in the latter days), and we go our merry way, right?
Turns out, it's a terrible business model. Here's why:
Clients continually want more features, bug fixes, more customization. I charged that $1000 up-front fee to build a custom station, but then would spend many hours every week responding to customer complaints, customer requests, bug fixes, performance fixes, new features. And I didn't charge a dime for that. (After all, the client's perspective was, "I already paid you!")
In hindsight, I should have built a customizable platform, ala WordPress, in which potential radio clients could go to my website, bitshuva.com, spin up a new radio station (mystation.bitshuva.com), customize it in-browser, let them use the whole damn thing for free, and when they reach a limit of songs or bandwidth, bring up a PayPal prompt. All of that is automated, it doesn't require my intervention, and it's not "custom" software, it's software that the client themselves can customize to their OCDified heart's content.
Had I done that, my startup probably would be making more money today, maybe even sustainably so.
Bottom line: Unless a client is paying for 25% of your annual salary, don't go follow the "I'll build a custom version just for you, dear client" business model. It's a fool's errand.
I'm a people-pleaser. So, when a person pays me money, I amplify that people pleasing by 10.
"Hey, Judah, can you add XYZ to my radio station this week?"
"Judah! Buddy! Did you fix that one thing with the logins?"
"How's it going, Judah! Where is that new feature we talked about?"
"Hey Judah, hope it's going well. When are you going to finish my radio station features? I thought we were on for last week."
I wanted to please my precious clients. So of course I said "yes". I said yes, yes, yes, until I had no time left for myself, my sanity, my family.
A turning point for me for over late December, at my in-laws. I was upstairs working, rather than spending the holidays with my kids, my wife. "What the hell am I doing?" The amount of money I was making was small beans, why am I blowing my very limited time on this earth doing *this*?
You see why folks in the YCombinator / Silicon Valley startup clique put so much emphasis on, "You should be young, single, work exclusively on your startup, all-in committal." I can totally see why, but I also completely don't want that lifestyle.
Maybe if I had followed YCombinator-level devotion to my startup, it would have grown. But the reality is, I value things outside of software, too. 🙂 I like to chill and watch shows and eat ice cream. I like to relax on the couch with my wife. I like to teach my son how to drive. I like to play My Little Ponies with my daughter. I like to play music on the guitar. I like to work on tech pet projects (like Chavah, MessianicChords, EtzMitzvot).
The startup chipped away at all that, leaving me with precious little time outside of the startup.
On a more positive note, running a startup taught me all kinds of things I would have never learned as a plain old programmer.
When I launched my startup, I was mostly a Windows desktop app developer (i.e. dead in the water). I didn't know how to run websites in IIS, how to work with DNS, how to scale things, didn't understand web development. I didn't know how to market software, how to talk to clients, what prices to charge, didn't have an eye for "ooh, I could monetize that…"
Building a useful piece of software — a radio station used by a few thousand people — forces you to learn all this crap and become proficient and building useful things.
In the end, getting all retrospective and and hindsight-y here, I'm glad I took the plunge and did a startup, even if it didn't work out financially, because I learned so much and am a more rounded technological individual for it. Armed with all this knowledge, I believe I will try my hand at a startup again in the future. For now, I'm going to enjoy my temporary freedom. 🙂
Thanks for reading.
Summary: With the departure of Microsoft's CEO, what does the future hold? Irrelevance, unless a visionary comes to change course.
Microsoft's original vision — a PC on every desk and in every home — was a grand, future-looking vision. And Microsoft succeeded, that old vision is today's reality; everyone has a computer and Microsoft is largely to thank for that.
But today? Microsoft's Ballmer-guided mantra, "We are a devices and services company", is not a grand vision. From the outside, Microsoft appears to be directionless, reactionary, playing catch-up.
Directionless: What's the grand Microsoft goal, what are they trying to achieve? The answers seems to be the mundane business goal of selling more copies of Windows. OK, that makes business sense in the short term. What about the future?
Reactionary: Microsoft got a PC on every desk. But instead of pushing computing forward via the web & mobile devices, they've been reactionary: letting these revolutions happen outside the company, then retrofitting their old stuff to the new paradigm.
Catch-up: Microsoft had a PDA, but never advanced it; it couldn't make phone calls. Microsoft won the browser war, then did nothing; it couldn't open multiple tabs. Microsoft had a tablet, but never pushed it to its potential; it never optimized for touch.
Instead, Microsoft stagnates while a competitor steps in and blows us away with PDAs that make phone calls, tablets that boot instantly, app stores that reward developers for developing on your platform, and browsers that innovate in speed and security and features. Microsoft continues to play catch-up, when they should be leading technology forward.
Microsoft needs a grand vision and someone to drive it. They need a forward-looking leader to drive this vision. If they want to be a devices company, innovate with hardware – maybe flexible, haptic displays for Windows Phone, for example. The huge R&D budget — $9.4 billion in 2012, outspending even Google, Apple, Intel and Oracle — could play into this.
Will the next Microsoft CEO be a forward-looking tech visionary? Microsoft is headed towards consumer irrelevance and business stagnation. I'm convinced it will arrive at that destination unless a future-minded visionary reroutes the mothership.
Just finished giving this tech talk:
It may sound grandiose, but it's essentially true: developers have a superpower. We're the inventors of the modern age. We have a unique power that is new to humanity: we can build useful things and instantly put a thousand eyeballs on it. All for about $0 and very little time investment.
(My startup company, BitShuva internet radio, was the product of about a weekend's work, where I churned out a minimally viable product and published it in 2 days. The net result is several radio stations across the web and a few thousand dollars in the bank.)
The things we're doing with software are diverse and jaw-dropping:
Software is doing that, and more: giving us turn-by-turn directions, driving our cars, winning Jeopardy!, challenging Chess champions, letting us communicate with anyone in the world at anytime…the list is staggering and is only increasing.
And we, software developers, are the ones who make it all happen. This bodes well for our careers.
Building software is a superpower that shouldn't be wasted building CRUD apps for insurance companies. That may be necessary to pay the bills, but developers should build their side projects to advance their goals and tackle the things they want to tackle.
Build your side project, build what's interesting to you, build what you think the world needs. If nothing else, you'll expand your horizons. And if it works out, you might just have contributed something useful to the world and even made a little money on the side.
Looking for good software & technology conferences in 2013? I did a bit of scrounging around, talked with some colleagues, and came up with this big list of 2013 dev conferences, ordered by date.
Author's note: I attended the spring <anglebrackets> in April, and it was positively fantastic. Highly recommend this conference.
If you're into futurism and technology evolution, The Singularity Summit might be for you, with speakers like Ray Kurzweil and Peter Norvig. The dates for 2013 are yet unannounced.
As for me, I'm headed to anglebrackets/DevIntersection in April. This dual conference will host speakers like Scott Hanselman, Phil Haack, Damian Edwards, Elijah Manor, Christian Heilmann. Should be a blast!
Know any good conferences not listed here? Let me know in the comments.
Summary: Joining the Twin Cities Code Camp leadership team. Being interviewed by Mike Hodnick, a well-known Minnesota developer and Code Camp leader. We talk software, the future, code camps, and, of course, llamas. If you find this amusing, you may want to follow up when the tables are turned and I interview Mike.
Who are you?
I'm Judah Gabriel Himango, I work for Avtex. I like programming. I like thinking about technology futures and the evolution of software. But mostly I like programming. Creating things is fun.
What are you most excited about in joining the TCCC leadership team?
The existing TCCC leadership is composed of some of the most well-known, respected names in the Minnesota software community. If I surround myself with excellent people, I might trick people into thinking I'm excellent, too.
Why is TCCC a great event to you?
Code Camp gave me perspective on the Minnesota dev community. Helps you see the broader picture, outside of your little technology ghettos and outside your company. I love talking with nerdly folk; with them I am in my element! 🙂 Really, the reason Code Camp rocks is the people. You get to talk to other devs you'd normally never be exposed to. Good networking comes out of that, but it's not all about career — it's good to pick other people's brains, hear what other people are building, expand your own ideas and horizons. Code Camp does that. Oh, and the tech presentations are fun, too.
Llamas or Alpacas?
In my last Code Camp talk, I built, in front of a live audience, Twin Cities Llama Radio. Oh yeah! May the llamas reign forever and ever.
As a programmer, what is your technology comfort zone (what do you typically work with)?
Oh man. I typically work web dev these days — everything is moving to the web. But, honestly, even though I've done web dev for 2 years, I'm not really comfortable, in fact, I feel inadequate. It's like I should really know more than I do, and someday, somebody's gonna find me out and expose me as an imposter. Even in my talks, I preface my them with, "Hey, I am not an expert! Forgive me for blatant factual errors. But listen to me anyways." 🙂
But, yeah, web dev is where I'm working now, where I think the most innovation is happening, and where I'll be for the foreseeable future.
What is a hidden gem of programming that you think every programmer should know about, but most don't?
Distributed map/reduce function in Erlang. Yes, Bob, I did.
Do you contribute to any open source projects?
Yeah, I'm a big believer in open source, honestly. I've contributed to some libraries I've found useful, such as HtmlAgility Pack, RhinoMocks, Lucene.NET, and Ninject. I've also created a few open source projects for my own stuff, like Chavah Radio. I'm currently in the process of launching a startup, and my main product will be open source as well.
Second try: llamas or alpacas?
Alpacas are llama-wannabes with an inferiority complex. Also, did you know *anyone* can start a Alpaca farm? That's what an infomercial told me. I mean, are Alpacas so depraved and needy that they resort to late night infomercials? Llamas, dignified and honored as they are, would never stoop to such a low.
Five years ago, did you see yourself doing what you are doing now?
No way! I was really sheltered, actually. I was at a small company writing software; they treated me really well, and I have fond memories of my time there, but I was kind of living in a technology ghetto, ignorant of the state of technology, jobs, and trends in the industry. Code Camp helped me break out of that and see the broad software community, engage with other software people, exchange ideas. Since then, I've started speaking at software conferences and user groups, growing my skills, expanding my horizons. I think the last 5 years have been awesome, I've advanced myself professionally, I look back and am astounded at how far I've come. (Woohoo, go me! :pats self on back:). I'm looking forward to the next 5.
Why does a mouse when it spins?
LOL. At first, I read that, and I was like — wait, is that a typo? OH LOLZ HE MADE A MISTAKE!!111 But then I Googled it, and now I see the light and higher the few. Probably the same difference as a duck, one has wheels. Yee-ahhh!


text:
Click here to enter the contest
(Following Gretchen Parlato at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)
Good luck!
Your Friends at ObliqSound
About In a Dream
Gretchen Parlato's voice is a thing of wonder. Striking the ideal balance between precision and flexibility, she is never predictable, blurring the lines between singer and instrumentalist as she takes a lyric--and at other times improvised flights of wordless fancy--to places it's never before been. On In a Dream, her debut album for ObliqSound, just released August 25, Parlato and her intuitive support team reinvent constantly, Parlato impeccably articulating in a voice so ethereal that the listener might very well feel that he or she is in a dream".
Coming four years after her self-titled debut, In a Dream finds Parlato embarking on a beguiling journey deep into the heart of both her own compositions and classic material by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and others--all of which she instantly makes her own. Each song emerges as a unique world unto itself, yet there's an undeniable thread linking them all together.
Aligning with a virtuosic quartet she describes as inspiring, creative, sensitive, musical souls"--Lionel Loueke on guitar, Aaron Parks on piano and Fender Rhodes, Derrick Hodge on acoustic and electric bass, and drummer Kendrick Scott--Parlato brings the warmth and compelling command of her much-heralded live performances to 10 exquisite new peeks into her artistic personality. In a Dream firmly places Gretchen Parlato in the upper echelon of today's vocal artists.
This story appears courtesy of All About Jazz Publicity.
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tyler Stevens focuses his practice in the area of commercial real estate finance. He represents investment banks, commercial banks, institutional lenders, private equity investors, and loan servicers in a variety of real estate finance transactions, including permanent and bridge loan origination; mezzanine and other subordinate debt financings; construction loans; loan participations, syndications and other co-lender arrangements; and workouts and restructurings.
Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Stevens worked in the banking and real estate, as well as the corporate and tax, practice groups of a large Southeastern regional firm.


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Always dreamed about a job in the fashion business? An internship offers you the necessary dose of experience and is the best way to get in. Thanks to an internship, you know how it really works behind the scenes and you get in touch with the right people who can help you with your career. What is the top 5 of the worldwide fashion internships of your dreams, according to Careerstyler?
- Freelance stylist assistant is looking for an intern (New York City)
This is one of our favourites! Who doesn't dream about becoming a real stylist? Besides being able to take the initiative, this intern has to be creative, well-organized and dynamic. You're constantly looking for new designers and creative ideas and attend many fashion shoots. Apply via the website of Free Fashion Internships. Also Check their Facebook page for other fashion internships in New York and California.
- i-D magazine is looking for interns (London)
This internship is music to our ears! The ultimate fashion forward magazine, with his headquarters in the heart of London, contains a mix of fashion - and contemporary culture updates and has already scouted many talents in the fashion business. Do we need to say more? Apply here!
- Rika is looking for a womenswear design intern (Amsterdam)
This gorgeous feminine and tough at the same time brand with Scandinavian roots is looking for a talented designer intern to help with the entire new collection. This is the full package: from making moodboards to the ultimate final result. Check the vacancy here!
See by Chloé is looking for a sales & marketing intern (New York)
The best preparation for the real fashion business life. This intern is engaged in business relations, sales analysis, organization of the sales market and customer service. Communication and social skills are required. Send your résumé to email@example.com.
See by Chloé (Pre Fall 2014)
- Raf Simons is looking for an assistant product manager intern (Antwerp)
Also Dior's creative director and Antwerp talent Raf Simons is searching for an intern who will help with the whole production process of the collection. He/she also maintains contact with the fabric manufacturer, follows up everything per manufacturer, and last but not least ... you help organising the SS2015 fashion show in Paris! Check the vacancy on FFI!


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From time to time I answer questions here that I find intriguing. Here is one of them, asked by a female submissive: "I met a Dom on the Internet. He is awesome. But he is very high protocol. At first I liked all aspects of it. I am now starting find it too confining and am beginning to dread the all-encompassing aspects of it. One more ritual and I think I will lose it. I … [Read more...]
I Won't Do That!
Is Long-Term Poly Possible?
I have already written some articles on kinkweekly.com on polyamory. Still, I get quizzed on poly triads more than on any other BDSM topic. Perhaps it is the fantasy. The Dom/me having two slaves to serve him/her is ultra hot. But I am talking about more than just a casual threesome which happens as much in the vanilla world as around here. I am examining long-term poly … [Read more...]
Long-Term BDSM
The question I get asked most often is how to keep a long-term (over ten years) BDSM relationship fresh and exciting. Since my current live-in situation has lasted for eight years, I am close enough to ten years to offer counsel. As with all advice, it should be filed under the category of "opinion." That said, just talking about the subject can be enlightening – so let's go! … [Read more...]
Meta-communication or metacommunication, is a secondary communication (including indirect cues) about how a piece of information is meant to be interpreted. It is based on idea that the same message accompanied by different meta-communication can mean something entirely different, including its opposite, as in irony. The term was brought to prominence by Gregory Bateson to … [Read more...]
Jealousy and Polyamory
Polyamory is so appealing – especially to Dominant types -- that I think it might be one of the major reasons so many people enter this lifestyle. With much of what we do now being offered, however inaccurately, to the general public – from Fifty Shades to Porn Conventions like AVN welcoming BDSM participants – Poly might be one of the last "secret" aspects of BDSM. Surely, … [Read more...]


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Hotels in Riga, Latvia
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Beautiful hotel located in the heart of Riga, near Piazza del Duomo and the Presidential Palace, nominated for 5 times as Latvia's best hotel, situated in the old city that dates back to 1400, rich in history...
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The Central Hostel boasts an exclusive location near the Old Town. This building is located close to major attractions and a short walk from the train station and bus station.
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Hanza Hotel was recently renovated and offers comfortable rooms and amenities within walking distance from Old Town, the railway station and bus station. The hotel is located in downtown, near the main bridges of...
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Near the bus and train stations, in the museums area and surrounded by famous places of relaxation and entertainment, there is the Boutique Hotel Monte Kristo, an elegant and welcoming hotel situated in the...
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Clarion Collection Hotel Valdemars is an elegant and magnificent Art Nouveau building of the first '900 in the heart of the historic center of Riga. It is located in the Old Town area, dedicated to Art Nouveau and...


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Pursued by the pirate…
Bess Farrar might be an innocent village miss, but she knows enough about the world to doubt Lord Channing's motives when he kisses her the very day they meet. After all, local gossip insists that before this dashing rake became an earl, he sailed the Seven Seas as a ruthless pirate.
Bewitched by the vicar's daughter…
Until he unexpectedly inherits a title, staunchly honorable Scotsman Rory Beaton has devoted his adventurous life to the Royal Navy. But he sets his course for tempestuous new waters when he meets lovely, sparkling Bess Farrar. Now this daring mariner will do whatever it takes to convince the spirited lassie to launch herself into his arms and set sail into the sunset.
A Christmas marked by mayhem.
Wooing his vivacious lady, the new Earl of Channing finds himself embroiled with matchmaking villagers, an eccentric vicar, mistaken identities, a snowstorm, scandal, and a rascally donkey. Life at sea was never this exciting. The gallant naval captain's first landlocked Christmas promises hijinks, danger, and passion – and a breathtaking chance to win the love of a lifetime.
An international e-book release ~ 1st November 2015
Buy A Pirate for Christmas: A Regency Novella from:
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Penton Wyck, Northumberland, December 1822
Rory opened the gate and stood back to let Bess and the donkey go through ahead of him. "I don't believe we've settled terms for Daisy's use."
Bess fixed startled dark blue eyes on him. "What do you mean? We always use Daisy. It's tradition."
A rascally smile stretched his lips as he shut the gate. "There's a new hand on the tiller at Penton Abbey—or had you forgotten?"
"But…you helped to catch her. And if you don't let us have her, everyone will be so disappointed." Her voice firmed. "It will make a bad impression."
"I wanted to see her to work out what she's worth."
Bess brightened. "Are you offering to sell her? I'm sure we can set a price."
He propped his back against the fence and folded his arms. "Not sell, rent."
She frowned. "How much?"
Without shifting his attention from Bess, he hooked the heel of his boot on the fence's lowest rail. "Not how much, what."
She looked distinctly uneasy now. Again he applauded her instincts. "You're being cursed enigmatic, my lord."
"I'm merely negotiating fair hire for this magnificent animal, Miss Farrar."
Bess looked doubtfully at the small donkey, muddy and unkempt after living outside all summer. "And what might that be?"
"Nothing too ruinous." Wicked triumph flooded him as he stared unblinkingly at Bess. "One kiss, and Daisy is yours for the play."
"K-kiss me?" Bess stammered, staring aghast at the handsome, confident man slouched so elegantly in front of her. She was so shocked that she forgot to hold on to Daisy, but luckily Lord Channing had his wits about him and caught her before she scarpered.
"Aye, that's what I said," he told her calmly, as if he was a civilized man and not a wicked rake. Because surely only wicked rakes went around kissing ladies they hardly knew.
"The gossip was right," she muttered, too rattled to mind her tongue.
"That I'm an opportunist?"
"That you're a…a libertine."
His low laugh sent seductive music rippling across her skin. "Good Lord, it seems I've provided the locals with plenty of entertainment even before I play Joseph."
"Which doesn't mean this particular local has to provide entertainment for you, my lord."
He plastered a regretful expression on his face. "Of course you don't. Please forgive me for asking." He turned to open the gate and started to lead Daisy back the way they'd come.
"Where are you going?" Bess asked, bewildered.
"I'm putting Daisy back in her field. I'm sure you'll find another donkey. At a pinch, a pony will fit the bill."
Bess caught a growl behind her teeth. She'd known Channing an afternoon, and already he counted as the most provoking person she'd ever met. Her hands clenched in the greatcoat's voluminous pockets as she stared after his retreating back.
He'd taken another ten steps before she spoke. "I didn't say no."
He pulled Daisy up and turned to face Bess. "You didn't say yes."
"You startled me. I'm not used to rogues demanding my favors in return for agreeing to perfectly reasonable requests."
He sent her a careless smile. "I'm so pleased that I'm broadening your horizons."
His insouciant air ruffled her temper. He was obviously used to kissing women at the drop of a hat. She couldn't be nearly so casual about the idea, even if she'd wager he knew how to kiss a girl until he filled her dreams. "You're proving yourself worthy of your reputation."
"As a Scot, a pirate, and a philanderer?"
"When you lend us Daisy, you're helping the community."
"Looked at that way, so are you when you kiss me."
The impudent devil. She wanted to call his bluff. And if it wasn't a bluff, tell him he could keep Daisy, and go away and rot in his shabby, empty mausoleum of a house.
But since he'd mentioned kissing, she couldn't help staring at that mobile mouth. There was something so sensual about the shape of his lips. The precisely carved upper lip, the fuller lower one. The creases at the corners hinting at laughter.
Of course he was laughing at her. He believed he held a winning hand, while she was about to throw in her cards and declare herself defeated.
Unfortunately, he was right.
"One kiss?"
He looked surprised. Then pleased.
Then predatory.
Nerves knotting her stomach, she faltered back a step. Not just because she'd kiss him, but because of how she'd kiss him. She very much doubted she was up to his usual standard of partner. This man had seen the world, while she'd never been past Newcastle. And she'd bet that he'd left the girls in all those exotic ports kissed to the point of dizziness.
Thinking about kissing him certainly made her dizzy.
He arched one russet eyebrow. "Is that a yes?"
"You're a naughty man, Lord Channing," she said, unsure if the remark was compliment or insult.
"I promise you'll like it."
She made a dismissive sound, even as the excitement pounding in her blood promised that indeed, she would like it. "For the greater good, I can endure a little kiss."
He snickered softly. "No need to cower, my wee village maiden. I'll see that your first kiss is memorable."
Cower? She'd show him cower. "It's not my first kiss," she snapped before she could stop herself.
Dear heaven, could she sound any more gauche? Mortified heat flooded her face, making a mockery of the cold day.
"Oh?" Now, plague take him, he looked more interested than ever. "The vicar's daughter has a shady past. How intriguing. Perhaps you can teach me a thing or two."
"Don't be absurd," she said shakily, curling her hands into fists until her fingernails dug into her palms. Daisy, bored with standing so long, started to nibble at the dry winter grass.
"Who was the lucky laddie?" Channing's eyes glinted with devilry. "Or was there more than one?"
"You're not acting like a gentleman, my lord," she said stiffly.
"But I am acting like a Scot, a pirate, and a libertine."
"There's no need to sound so proud of yourself." Mustering every ounce of courage, she stepped up in front of him. "Very well. I'm ready."
He caught her arm. "I wish I had another donkey that I could barter for some enthusiasm."
Interrupting Daisy's foraging, he shortened her rein and pulled her toward the woods. He marched across the open grass with a determined step, and because he held Bess's arm, she went, too, more confused than ever. Not least because while she resented Channing cornering her into this disgraceful bargain, she didn't at all resent the idea of kissing him.
She must be losing her mind.
"Aren't you going to kiss me?" She cringed that the question emerged more like a complaint than a protest. He'd touched her earlier but now, with kisses in the offing, she was vitally aware of that strong hand curled around her arm.
"For shame, Miss Farrar. Have you no care for your reputation?"
"My reputation?"
He lowered his voice, although there was nobody except Bess and Daisy to hear him. "If I kiss you in the open, someone might see us."
Curse him, he was right. Even on a cold, miserable afternoon like this, one of his estate workers might pass by and glimpse them embracing on the edge of an empty field.
Trepidation kept Bess uncharacteristically silent as Lord Channing escorted her into the shelter of the trees. How had she reached a point where the new earl was about to kiss her? How had she reached a point where she wanted him to kiss her?
"Stop thinking," Channing murmured, drawing her off the path into a secluded glade. Even in the middle of winter, the leafless trees crowding around them offered privacy. "I can hear your mind churning like a millwheel. It's putting me off my stride."
"I can't help it," she said unsteadily.
"It won't be as bad as you imagine."
The problem was that she didn't for a moment imagine it would be bad. She was convinced it was going to be very good indeed. The kind of kiss that made a girl yearn.
Bess was very content with her sequestered life. She dreaded the thought of anyone shattering that tranquility and making her hanker for something beyond Penton Wyck.
Daisy ambled along behind them without any of her usual tricks. Perhaps, like Bess, the donkey recognized Lord Channing as unstoppable, and she'd decided cooperation was the best strategy. For once, Bess wished Daisy would act up. But true to her contrary nature, she followed as quiet as a lamb.
The earl released Bess in the middle of the small clearing and she immediately missed the touch of that large, capable hand. He tied Daisy to a branch, using an impossibly complicated knot that was a reminder of his maritime background. Goodness, he must have been a first-rate pirate. One glance from those purposeful green eyes and any merchant would quail and immediately hand over his cargo.
She'd always considered herself strong-willed. Compared to Lord Channing, she was a sapling in a whirlwind.
"She'll bolt," Bess said.
"No, she won't. That knot will hold through an Arctic gale." That interrogatory eyebrow arched once again. "Are you planning on bolting, too?"
The donkey nosed idly at the leaves scattered about the brown grass. Bess shifted from one booted foot to the other. "Then you wouldn't let us have Daisy for the play."
"Quite right." The smile in his eyes didn't reach his lips. "If only the villagers knew the sacrifices you're willing to make on their behalf."
"I'd rather they never knew about this…disreputable bargain," she said stiffly, even as her heart raced so fast with sinful anticipation, she felt lightheaded. "Please, get it over with."
She stood up straight, closed her eyes and pursed her lips, then opened her eyes again when Lord Channing burst into laughter.
"Something amuses your lordship?" she asked coldly.
It took him an exasperatingly long time to stop laughing. "You said you've done this before."
"I have."
Twice. A long, long time ago.
"Then you clearly have grounds for complaint."
Her eyes narrowed. "I certainly do now."
His gaze softened and he studied her face as if he meant to paint her. The prickling, defensive back and forth faded to breathless expectancy.


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KEENE, GEORGE LAWSON (1898–1956). George Lawson Keene, possibly the most decorated World War I soldier, was born on September 23, 1898, in Crockett, Houston County, Texas, to Abner Lawson Keene and Laura (Woodson) Keene. His parents were both descendants of pioneering Texas families, and his grandfather, Edward Y. Keene, was a member of the Mier expedition and had survived the Black Bean Episode in 1843. George Keene, who was known as Lawson, grew up in Crockett and enjoyed participating in sports and hearing about his family history. Family tradition has long held that Lawson served a term as a page in the Texas House of Representatives and graduated from high school at the age of sixteen. Although he had planned to attend Texas A&M, a year or so of odd jobs in and around Crockett and the growing war in Europe pushed him in a different direction.
Just prior to the United States's entry into World War I, Keene enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio on March 24, 1917. He was first assigned to Company G, Nineteenth Infantry, and received only minimal basic training before being moved with the Nineteenth to Mexican border duty. After the formal declaration of war with Germany by the United States, Lawson Keene was subsequently assigned to Company K, Twenty-eighth Infantry. In June 1917 Keene and the Twenty-eighth Infantry became a part of the Second Brigade, First Division, and entrained to Hoboken, New Jersey, where they departed for France on USAT Tenadores and landed at St. Nazaire, France.
Shortly after arrival in France, the First Division began extensive training to compensate for the lack of basic back in America. Although various individuals and companies of the Twenty-eighth Infantry participated in trench actions during this training, until January 1918, Company K was generally held as a reserve force. Keene was made a platoon leader and promoted to corporal and was among those involved in early actions. His real introduction to combat, however, came on the morning of May 28, 1918, at Cantigny, France, just as an hour-long artillery barrage ended. The oft-attacked village was selected for America's first major combat role. Two days of fighting left Americans in control of Cantigny and provided the First Division, especially Company K of the Twenty-eighth Infantry, with its first combat experience. This was the start of an intensive five months of action for Keene. He participated in actions at Montdidier-Noyon in June; in August at Aisne-Marne, where he was promoted to sergeant; in September at St. Mihiel; and in October in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. During this time, Keene's action in combat resulted in citations that ultimately produced two Silver Stars and a Distinguished Service Cross in addition to several French, British, and Italian medals as well as multiple unit and division citations. One of the Silver Stars came for action during Aisne-Marne and included the citation: "…with great courage (Keene) assisted his officer (2 Lt. Samuel I. Parker) in organizing a group of men who had become demoralized and was a prime factor in the capture of enemy's strongpoint." His second Silver Star, in the form of an Oak Leaf Cluster, was awarded for distinguishing "…himself in action northeast of Exermont, France, 9 October 1918, while remaining in command of his platoon, although suffering from the effects of gas." In addition to the Silver Star, Keene received the Purple Heart for severe wounds as well as for the effects of the gas. The Distinguished Service Cross best signified Keene's individual contributions to helping win World War I.
By July 18, 1918, Company K and much of the Twenty-eighth Infantry had been depleted with casualties. With officers in short supply, experienced senior enlisted men were given field promotions and moved to other units. In July, Keene was named the enlisted leader of a platoon from Company K under then Second Lt. Samuel I. Parker. Action during July 18–19 resulted in a Medal of Honor for Parker, who later recommended Keene for the same award. Instead, Lawson Keene was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The citation praised Keene
…for extraordinary heroism in action….Corporal Keene, then acting sergeant, rendered splendid assistance to his commanding officer in helping…organize and lead a group of American and French Colonial soldiers against an enemy strong point….During the attack, Corporal Keene was in command of the troops on the right flank, and in storming the position, he rushed forward at the head of his men, hurled a hand grenade in the trenches, subdued one of the most difficult posts of the enemy position and personally captured an officer on whom was found important maps of the enemy positions.
On the second day, Corporal Keene served in the capacity of an officer by commanding a company in the first wave of the attack formation and when his battalion commander became wounded he rendered valuable aid in assisting in maintaining control of formations until the objective was reached.
Keene's commanding officer Second Lt. Parker lauded Keene's "gallant conduct under fire" and described him as a "born leader of men" with "sound judgment and cheerful nature" whose actions helped the platoon capture "6 machineguns and about 40 prisoners." Keene earned his second Silver Star for his actions at Exermont in October 1918, when he "displayed exceptional courage in directing his men when hostile counter-attack was imminent." Keene explained to a Houston Chroniclereporter in 1933 about his wounds: "I was gassed and ordered to report to the rear, Keen said. "But I couldn't. There wasn't anyone to lead my men. I had to stay on."
Following Germany's surrender on November 11, 1918, Keene and his company, along with others in the Twenty-eighth Infantry, remained in Germany as an occupying force. He returned to the United States in September 1919 and was discharged at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky, in March 1920. Disabled due to his wounds, Keene entered a program for extended training. He selected watchmaking and jewelry and relocated to Dallas, where he trained at the Southwestern Watchmaking School. After a year working at a Dallas jeweler, Keene returned to Crockett and married his childhood sweetheart, Dewey G. Kennedy, on November 11, 1921. They lived for a time in Dallas, returned briefly to Crockett, and then in 1926 relocated to the oil boom Goose Creek community south of Houston where he continued his jewelry business. He received his Purple Heart for the six wounds and gassing in 1934.
In Goose Creek, today a part of Baytown, Keene served as an elected official, took leadership roles in local veteran's groups, including the local Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a key member of the East Harris Draft Board during World War II and worked for the local General Tire and Rubber Company factory as a foreman and remained there until his death. He also returned to a childhood love of the theater by producing, acting in, and building scenery for local dramas. Selected as a citizen representative regarding various local transportation issues, he was among those disappointed in Harris County's funding of local road projects and led a failed effort to create a new county in the eastern part of Harris County. He was instrumental in development of the Baytown-La Porte Tunnel project of the 1950s.
Through his veteran and civic activities, Keene's World War I history became locally known. Often reported in Crockett and Baytown newspapers as a local hero, not until the 1960s did Keene's true war accomplishments become more broadly reported. This was due as much to the inconsistent method in which the War Department recognized and made awards for World War I as it was to Keene's lack of self-promotion. Although the United States Army had started a review process as early as 1920, members of Congress, prompted by James Ambrose Gallivan, U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts in January 1920, pushed for more visible consideration. Gallivan took to the floor of the House and noted that only one enlisted man had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I. Others joined in asking for a review. Some fifteen years later, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, then chief of staff of the U. S. Army, officially instituted a formal review. As a result, Samuel I. Parker, by then a colonel, was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1936 for his actions on July 18–19, 1918. Parker then lobbied for his platoon leader, Sgt. George L. Keene, and provided testimony in support of awarding the Medal of Honor to Keene for the same action. Keene's last commanding officer, Col. Conrad S. Babcock, also presented evidence in support of the award. The committee considering awards, citing legislative limitations, elected to present Keene with the Distinguished Service Cross instead, and he received that award in 1937, nearly twenty years after the war had ended.
In 1940 Albert Thomas, then U.S. Congressman from Texas, took up the issue. He first corresponded with Secretary of War Harry H. Woodring on May 4, 1940, and forwarded a copy of Colonel Parker's recommendation asking for reconsideration. Woodring responded twelve days later and advised Thomas that Parker's testimony had been considered by the Decorations and Awards Board on January 11, 1937, at which time the board elected to award the Distinguished Service Cross and not the Medal of Honor to Keene
Although Keene was considered a "war hero" in the media and local circles, it was not until after his death that a medal count revealed Lawson to be the most decorated soldier from World War I. In the 1960s, as news features appeared, Keene was incorrectly credited with having been the recipient of the Medal of Honor in 1940, a misread of final action on Congressman Thomas's legislation. Since the 1970s that error has been published in stories throughout the southeastern part of Texas. Family members say that Keene never claimed to have won the medal nor did he promote himself as a hero.
In recognition of his war contributions, Keene was named an honorary colonel in the Texas Military by Governor Ross Sterling in 1932 and again by Governor James V Allred in 1936. Although his World War I accomplishments were continually publicized in the Baytown and Crockett areas, the length of time that it took the War Department to complete its review process relegated Keen to the local news. A fire in the National Service Record Center in 1973 destroyed most World War I service records, including Keene's. As a result, only within the past few years, around the centennial of the war, has a renewed interest in World War I brought Keene's accomplishments to light.
George Lawson Keene died at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Houston on October 20, 1956; his wife Dewey Keene died in Baytown on August 27, 1979. Both are buried at Earthman Memory Gardens in Baytown, Texas. They had no children.
In the 1980s an oil painting of Keene, based on a photographic portrait, was presented to the Houston County Historical Association in Crockett in the Houston County Courthouse, where it remains today. His medals and his surviving papers remain in the possession of family members. Keene's medals and awards include the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, World War I Victory Medal with Five Campaign Bars, Legion of Merit, the Cross of Military Service, two French Croix de Guerre with Palm (one presented personally by Marshal Ferdinand Foch in France during the war and the other some ten years later in the U.S.), French Fourragere, French Knights of Verdun, French Tadac St. Mihiel, French Médaille Militaire, French Chateau Thierry Medal, Italian Cross al Merito de Guerra (War Merit Cross), Mexican Border Service, World War I Occupation of Germany, First Division Medal, as well as several citations.
Leonard P. Ayres, The War With Germany: A Statistical Summary (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1919). Baytown Sun, March 5, 1956; October 24, 1977; June 17, 1987. Matthew J. Davenport, First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I (New York: Thomas Dunn Books, St Martin's Press, 2015). Houston Chronicle, March 6, 1926; March 26, 1933; October 26, 1934; March 5, 1937; October 13, 1940. Houston County Courier (Crockett, Texas), November 8, 2015. Houston Post, October 12, 1918; January 14, 1920. "Keene, George L., Sgt," TogetherWeServed, United States Army (https://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=300915), accessed July 3, 2018. George Lawson Keene Scrapbooks, Family Records, Private Collection. Rosters, General Orders, Citations and Application for Victory Medal, George L. Keene, Co. K, 28th Infantry, 1st Division 1917–1920, First Division Museum and Archives at Cantigny Park, Wheaton, Illinois. Service Record Card File Entries, George L. Keene, Fort Sam Houston Museum and Archives, San Antonio, Texas. Albert Thomas Papers, 1937–1965, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston. United States Army, The Story of the Twenty-Eight Infantry in the Great War (privately published, 1919). Vertical Files, Houston County Historical Association and Museum, Crockett, Texas. Harry H. Woodring, 15 May 1940, letter to Albert Thomas regarding decision to award George L. Keene the Distinguished Service Cross instead of Medal of Honor, Records of the Office of the Secretary of War (Record Group 107) Entry 90, General Correspondence, Box 65, National Archives, College Park, College Park, Maryland.
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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.Handbook of Texas Online, James C. Burnett, "KEENE, GEORGE LAWSON ," accessed April 03, 2020, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fkeen.
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One more timelapse video
In the meantime … I've added one more furniture modeling timelapse video to my youtube channel: It's another couch I modeled and I hope to get it into Poser resp. DAZ Studio as my next freebie this week.
New timelapse video
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Timelapse videos: modeling in Blender
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Dying Swan Couch
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Floor Plan
The architectural visualization course is over, I'm still working on it for a nice bathroom, guest toilet and an entrance though. In the meantime I'm following a new course to enhance my modeling skills with new techniques. Here's what we've done so far (deco and pen is not part of the course, these are models
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Freebie: European Electrics
I've almost forgotten to present my latest freebie: Availabe as DAZ and Poser Props and as Obj, free for commercial or non-commercial use. Download at Renderosity or at ShareCG Image copyrights: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Apartment – Bedroom final render
Here's the final render of the bedroom of the apartment with some clutter, more lighting and a teddy (Fur made with particle system slowing down the render on my graphic cards … Anyway, the machine was able to render.): Participant of the CGTrader Digital Art Competition Oh, and here's a render form another point of
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Apartment – Bedroom with bookshelf
Blender Market has it's spring sale and I couldn't resist – now I have one, two, three … more addons to play with. 😉 First one is a book wizard, very useful for architectural visualization projects. To try it I spent my apartment project a little cultural spirit with a shelf in the bedroom: For
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Apartment – Bedroom
The bedroom is almost done, some clutter has to be added, but then I will go the bathroom modeling, I've already some (more) ideas for the vanity, faucet etc. For all images with no watercolor sign: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.


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After meeting the Discipline requirement, both of the following professional practice experience requirements must be met in United States or its territories prior to sitting for the exam:
a) Minimum of 2 years (to the day) of professional practice experience in the discipline under which the individual is applying for certification;
b) Minimum of 1,000 hours of diabetes education (DE) experience earned within 4 years of application date, with a minimum of 40% of those hours (400 hours) accrued in the most recent year preceding application.
To learn more, see Eligiblity Requirements for Initial Certification, Professional Practice Experience, on page 4 of the Examination Handbook.
Diabetes self-management education and support or DSMES, also referred to as diabetes self-management training or diabetes education, is performed by health professionals who have appropriate credentials and experience consistent with the particular profession's scope of practice. For NCBDE's purpose, diabetes education (DE) is used.
Visit page 5 of the Examination Handbook for full details on NCBDE's definition of DE including what components of the process can be counted toward your DE practice hours and examples of activities that cannot be counted.
It is important to note that regardless of discipline, knowledge (and the ability to apply that knowledge) is necessary across all areas of the examination content outline.
Click here for the details on the discipline requirement.
Click here for the details on the continuing education hour requirement.
Click here to review the fee information.
Unique Qualifications Info/Application


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Boxer Floyd Mayweather said Saturday a rematch of his famed 2015 fight with Manny Pacquiao will take place this year.
Mayweather posted a message on Instagram on Saturday saying, "I'm coming back to fight Manny Pacquiao this year. Another 9 figure pay day on the way."
He also posted a picture of himself with Pacquiao at an event in Japan.
The pair first fought in a much-hyped match three years ago, when the unbeaten Mayweather came out on top. The Philippines' Pacquiao has been chasing a new fight ever since.
One of the wealthiest sportsmen ever, Mayweather, 41, retired from the ring after his victory over Conor McGregor a year ago.
In the Instagram video, Mayweather said: "I'm coming back in December.


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Airfare And Hotel Price Tracking Save With Yapta
If you have to travel at the last minute, then it's possible to find some amazing deals online. Prices can range from $800 to $5000 an hour, so your definition of low airfare must be pretty broad to offset the steep price with your comfort needs. Our Lowest Airfare Guarantee is more than a marketing promise; it's a promise to you our valued customer.
Orbitz and Expedia will search only their databases for the available flights, car rentals and hotel rooms. Things like 75{edc915d87e07a58b6d41cd9c671f4b60d52e810d8c486e81a6fab119fae31245} off on all airline airfare , 100{edc915d87e07a58b6d41cd9c671f4b60d52e810d8c486e81a6fab119fae31245} off on the second air ticket and 50{edc915d87e07a58b6d41cd9c671f4b60d52e810d8c486e81a6fab119fae31245} on all air tickets are false claims. On Tuesday JetBlue announced the return of a big winter sale launched one week ago, with discounted airfare starting as low as $34 one way.
Most flight search systems display prices for flights either side of your chosen date, in order for you to see how much you could save by amending your itinerary or travel plans. There are many websites that search not only a variety of airlines, but that also search other websites to compare airfare and find you the best price.
In addition, many of the airlines only show their best fares, or special web-only discount airfare rates, on their own websites and not on the travel websites. Often they have a 'special offers' page, and you might be lucky and score a cheap airfare for when you want to travel.
In other words, if you have a choice of fares leaving at 2 pm and midnight, and the airfare leaving at 2 pm is in economy and is more expensive than the same class airfare leaving at midnight, you can choose the 2 pm airfare. SITA Airfare Price supports a full fare display and pricing transaction set, along with many other functions needed to simplify the complex world of fares.


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Nanoloop is a complete sequencer/synthesizer/sampler package with clear, minimalistic graphical interface.
It runs smoothly not just on high end phones (Desire, Droid etc) but also on mid-range and low end devices such as Legend and XPeria mini series.
Six channels, each can be synth or sampler
Load samples from SD-card
Sample via microphone
Re-sample, export samples
FM-, noise- and filtered wave synthesizer
Fast and easy to use stepsequencer
8 patterns and 2 instruments per channel
Song editor with loop function
Send and receive projects via e-mail
Files compatible with the iPhone version (via iTunes only)
Export songs to device's music library (Ogg Vorbis format)
A few example projects are included.
What's in this version : (Updated : Dec 18, 2013)
Sound closer to the original version: More "dry" filter on low resonance, lower noise volume, shorter envelopes.
This app has NO advertisements
More Info:


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- kivisikAsked on October 13, 2011 at 06:26 AM
Why is there a limit on the number of submissions? What is it determined by? Is it a monthly limit, a total account limit, or calculated with some other method? - and is it fixed or can the limit be increased?
Thank you in advance,
- JotForm SupportidarktechAnswered on October 13, 2011 at 06:35 AM
Hi Kivisik,
Thank you for your message. For free accounts, the limit of 100 submissions is on a monthly basis, and it will be reset the following month.
You can extend this free limit when you upgrade to premium, you can find more information right here.
- JotForm SupportabajanAnswered on October 13, 2011 at 06:49 AM
Just to add to what my colleague has stated, the submission count is divided among all of your forms. So, if you have 10 forms each having had 10 submissions in a given calendar month, your submission quota would have been exhausted for that month. Additionally, deleting submissions has no effect on the count.
There has been some confusion about this in the past and I thought it wise to clarify our policy.
- kivisikAnswered on October 13, 2011 at 08:22 AMThank you!


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If you are a current member subscriber of the AUA who is having problems receiving your Journals promptly at your current mailing address, let us know by completing the form below.
This form will only fulfill missing issues up to four months to include your current issue.
Member subscribers are encouraged to view any other issues online.
If you are a member who was previously dropped and is now current, please email firstname.lastname@example.com. Do not complete this form.
Please indicate a mailing address below that is best suitable for you to receive your Journals only.


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Do you keep a journal - or wish you could get one started? Literary Mama wants to help.
Three times a month, I'll post a writing prompt. Open a notebook and write for 10 minutes. Don't worry about grammar or punctuation - just write. Then let the writing simmer and your mind wander for awhile.
And who knows? Maybe you'll discover a character for your next short story or a theme for a narrative essay. Or maybe you'll use the idea to create a special holiday card or photo album for someone in your family. However you decide to use your journal entry, I know you'll enjoy re-reading it months--and years--down the road.
Also: Every three months, I'll accept submissions and choose a few pieces to post for LM readers to enjoy.
When my kids were young, the parade was the highpoint of their Fourth of July celebration -- the candy, the horses, the Shriners and their go-karts, and of course, the fire trucks. After the parade, and dressed in as much red, white, and blue as they could find, they marched around the front yard, waving miniature flags and singing "Yankee Doodle" and "God Bless America" to the best of their ability. But it was the marches of John Phillip Sousa keeping the beat to the bursts of the evening's fireworks that transformed their sugar-induced euphoria into a patriotic experience.
"I can feel the beat in my heart and all the way down to my stomach," I remember my four-year-old yelling to me over the ka-booms. "It's hot, and it feels like it's going to jump out of me!"
Sousa marches have the same effect on me, so, today, I post a brief biography of "The March King" and encourage you to tap your foot to the beat.
John Phillip Sousa grew up around military band music. Beginning at the age of six, he studied voice, violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone, trombone, and alto horn. His father played trombone in the United States Marine Band and enlisted him in the Marines at age 13 as an apprentice after he attempted to run away to join a circus band.
Sousa conducted the US Marine Band, also known as "The President's Own," from 1880-1892 and under four presidents (Hayes, Garfield, Cleveland, Arthur, and Harrison). From 1900-1910, he led The Sousa Band, a civilian concert band, on three European tours and one world tour. After World War I, he lobbied for music education and composers' rights.
All together, he wrote 136 marches, including Semper Fidelis, the Official March of the United States Marine Corps, and The Stars and Stripes Forever, the Official March of the United States. Listen to more John Phillip Sousa marches, performed by the United States Marine Band, here.
Journal Entry: What makes patriotism "hot" for you and your family? What makes your heart beat faster; what brings your hand to your heart and tears to your eyes?


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A great location with something for everyone.
Mountain,sea and pool views from the terrace 500 metres (about a 10 minute walk along new footpath)from unspoilt beach (with facilities and beach bar/restaurant), 10 minutes drive from Estepona, few minutes by car from Duquesa port and town of Sabinillas - a great place with lovely beach front, promenade, a number of good restaurants and cafes a real feel of Spain - a 30 minute walk from the beach along the promenade to Sabinillas.
Resort has two pools one with a lifeguard in the summer months (usually June to September) and one open access throughout the year, free sun loungers and umbrellas, and childrens pools at each pool(open all the time). Secure parking and store available for golf clubs and bikes. Apartment has heating and air conditioning. Security guards and secure access to the apartment, spacious gardens and pool areas. Free Wifi.
A free younger children's water park and play ground in Sabinillas. Plyagrounds on promenade in Sabinillas.
The apartment is surrounded by golf courses and adjacent to the Finca Cortesin golf course home of the Volvo World Match Play and Jack Nicklaus Academy, and Dona Julia. Casares Golf and Country Club and restaurant is "over the road". The famous Sotogrande, San Roque and Valderrama (home to the 1997 Ryder Cup) are all nearby and it is close to the picturesque village of Casares.
The apartment is 25 minutes from Gibraltar. 25 minutes from Marbella and Puerto Banus. 50 minutes from Malaga Airport via toll motorway. Car recommended to get the most out of the area but taxis and local buses are available close by.
Frequent flights into Gibraltar (BA and Easy Jet fly from Gatwick and Monarch from Luton or Manchester or many carriers to Malaga. Ryanair to Jerez about 90 mins drive.
For larger groups of 8 or more or for friends wanting to stay we can arrange other apartment rentals close by - please ask.
Payment in British pounds or euros please ask for exchange rate.
Please note the TV has satellite but recent changes to satellite reception mean it is unable to receive English TV in common with all other rentals in Southern Spain. DVD player is available for your enjoyment.
Location - Casares Playa, Nr. Duquesa, Estepona, Costa del Sol Spain
Property Type - Apartment
Sleeps up to - 4
Number of Bedrooms - 2
Single Beds - 2
Double Beds - 1
Air conditioning,
2 Bath(s),
1 Bidet(s),
Board games,
Cable or satellite TV,
Coffee maker,
Free standing stove/cooker,
Free standing fan(s),
Combined fridge/freezer,
Games for children,
Internet access,
Ironing board,
Outdoor furniture,
Private parking space,
2 Shower(s),
Local TV,
Vacuum Cleaner,
Washing Machine,
Deep sea fishing,
Horse riding,
Mountain biking,
Scuba diving,
Water sports,
Wind surfing,
Amusement park 50+ km / 31+ miles,
Bank 1.6 km / 1 mile,
Boat trips 5 km / 3.1 miles,
Bus station 5 km / 3.1 miles,
Bus stop 500 m / 550 yds,
Casino 50+ km / 31+ miles,
Cinema 30 km / 18.6 miles,
Forest 10 km / 6.2 miles,
Golf club 200 m / 220 yds,
Historical site 5 km / 3.1 miles,
Hospital 50+ km / 31+ miles,
Nature Park 20 km / 12.4 miles,
Nightclub 5 km / 3.1 miles,
Pharmacy 2 km / 1.25 miles,
Port 5 km / 3.1 miles,
Restaurant 200 m / 220 yds,
Sea 500 m / 550 yds,
Shops 1.6 km / 1 mile,
Supermarket 1.6 km / 1 mile,
Taxi rank 400 m / 440 yds,
Theatre 30 km / 18.6 miles,
Thermal baths/spa 300 m / 330 yds,
Town centre 2 km / 1.25 miles,
Train station 30 km / 18.6 miles,
Arrival days can be flexible and short breaks available but there is an extra charge of 60 euros for end of stay cleaning/linen change for short stays. Last minute booking discounts please ask. Longer stays welcomed please ask for special rates. Rates include air con/heating. Early and late departure accommodated when possible.
Booking deposit - 25%
Balance to be paid - 6 weeks prior to arrival.
Refundable security deposit - �150GBP
Final Cleaning charge - incl except short brGBP
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Tonight I have the first training session with the Soccer Club I wish to join this year and I am super nervous!!! Continue reading
Tag Archives: nervous
My Biggest Insecurity Ever
Well I am about to write about my biggest insecurity EVER and when I say big i mean this is what stops me from doing a lot of things…. this is what stops me from being confident… this is something that affects me everyday some days more than others but it is still a major thing that affects my life……. Continue reading
Overcoming my Insecurities
There are so many things im my life that are just little insecurities of mine, some I have not shared with anyone and others only to those close to me know about. To be honest
some most of them are small and petty but to me they mean something and they affect me no matter how small they are….. they are my insecurities and I aim to overcome them one by one……
Yesterday and Today I can say that I did overcome one of the very small insecurities that I have… this was the simple thing of not wearing stocking under my dress when I went to work! I have completely pale pasty legs (which is another insecurity of mine!) and every time I wear a dress or a skirt I will always wear a pair of stockings to give me some colour and make my legs look nice and healthy but yesterday and today it was way too hot and as I struggle in the heat normally I made a decision with myself that today will be the day when I will not wear those stocking and I will go to work with my naturally pale legs and if anyone does not like it well then they can simply suck it!!
Let me tell you I was very self-conscious when I walked in to work but I thought to myself other people do this everyday and you can do it too, all you have to do is hold your head high and act.. well act normal and I mean who is going to say anything too me? I mean if someone comes up to me and says 'hey look at those pasty legs' well Id give it back to them and tell them where they can shove it…..
But anyway I overcame my pasty pale legs and I enjoyed myself yesterday and am enjoying myself today.
We are who we are, we cannot change every little details about ourselves, we must learn to love ourselves for who we are.
The Start of a New Life
A few months ago I started the whole process of looking for a new house to live in with a friend and my boyfriend, it was a totally new experience for me as i have never lived out of home.. but the boyfriend asked if I wanted to move with him and to be honest it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I never believed he would asked me to live with him, i honestly never expected it but it made me so happy that I started searching right away.
I jumped on www.realestate.com.au and began my search for a home for us to live in and after many many searches, saving for the bond and finding someone else to move in with us we finally found a place that fit our criteria to a T!!
I can happily say that as of yesterday afternoon we were finally accepted into the home that we applied for!! I was so happy that I called my boyfriend right away to tell him the good news! He was happy too though not as happy as I was/am!!
Now we have the awesome job of getting the Bond and Rent together to pay the agent and then on Saturday we go to out local Ray White Office found here – www.raywhite.com – to sign the final documents and then we get the keys to our new rental home!!
I cannot truly express how happy yet nervous I am over this 🙂
This May Be It!!
Well I had 9 bloody open for inspections to see on Saturday and I ended up going to most of them, I had help from one of the guys I will be moving out with to go see the rest so both our days were full on!!
So whilst we were at one house which was totally old and yuck! The real estate Man told us about another house not too far that we may be interested in….. Well let me tell you we really liked the house! It was simple but nice and had everything we needed and was in much better condition than most of the other homes we looked at so that was good! 🙂
I literally just emailed the application through now and the estate agent said he will give me an answer by late today or tomorrow… So I am hoping it will be a yes!! 🙂 and then we can move into a new home! I am so excited yet nervous at the same time!!!
Fingers crossed for me please xx
Inspection number 2!
Well I saw the second house today and let me say I loved it!! It was smaller than im used to but I can't expect to have a massive house with my budget!
The rooms were a decent size and the ensuite was nice too, the kitchen was spacious and nice and the backyard…. Well it's small but I'm not too fussed on that! 🙂
I took a rental application and will speak to those I am moving out with and hopefully we can hand in the application and start the process!!
Sneak peak at the house!! Xx
Well there comes a time in everyone's life when it is time to move out of home!! And I have decided (along with my boyfriend) to move out of home!!
I have never lived out of home before so I am very nervous as I know there are plenty of things that I relied on my parents for that I am going to have to do all by my self! Things like paying the bills, doing the grocery shopping, cooking cleaning and a whole lot more!!
Now we have to be out by the start of october as the boyfriends parents are travelling Australia and renting their place out so he will have no place to live 😦 But don't worry as i have been searching everyday to find a nice house for us to live in! Currently we are looking for a simple 3 bedroom 2 bathroom home and hopefully something with a bit of a yard as we are bringing a little jack russel with us!!
We were going to move out with one of my friends but unfortunately that fell through 😦 but now luckily one of the bf's friends has decided he would like to move out too so he would like to move out with us! (this will make paying the bills easier!!) The only problem is that he wants to move closer to the city and i prefer the Northern suburbs!! so we have to try to find something in the middle that we will both be happy with!! The other problem is that i have looked for the areas that he likes and unfortunately with our price range there does not seem to be many places out there that suit our parameters 😦
On the plus side I am going to see a house tomorrow in the area that i wish to live in 🙂 so if that house is nice than maybe we will move there and maybe it will just be the bf and myself which would be good but I mean I wouldn't mind having someone else to help out!
One thing I have loved doing is shopping for things for the house!!! I have so many things on lay by at Target it's not funny!!! I have towels and sheets and a mattress protector and lots more!! We have been very lucky with items for the house as the bf's parents are giving us a lot of things from their house so we don't have to worry about the bigger items such as a fridge and bed and all that!!
Time to look for more houses and hopefully find something everyone will be happy with!! I'll do my best to keep those who actually read this updated!!


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Grand Prize WINNER Congratulations to the Grand Prize Winner of the Paigee Winter Olympics Drawing Contest! @ember0 Congratulations to the winners! Paigee Winter Olympics Logo 2018 The new Paigee 2018 Winter Olympics Logo is here! Get ready for the Paigee Winter Olympic Drawing Competition coming soon to PaigeeWorld! Olympic logo created by @queenwicky009. Full Contest Details will be available here soon - https://contest.paigeeworld.com/olympics The Paigee … [Read more...]
Paigee Winter Olympics – Coming Soon
PaigeeWorld - Paigee Winter Olympics Drawing Competition This year Candace Rohrick - New Westminster Realtor is sponsoring the PaigeeWorld, Paigee Winter Olympics Drawing Contest. The contest will be held in February 2018. PaigeeWorld is a social network for young artists founded by Paige Rohrick. PaigeeWorld has over 600,000 members and over 10,000,000 uploads! PaigeeWorld helps kids build personal self confidence, meet friends, and encourages their imagination and … [Read more...]