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During the 30-plus years I've been counseling couples and teaching them how to resolve conflicts, I've identified many ways they tend to polarize around money. For example, Money Avoiders are often married to Worriers, and Money Monks to Amassers.
When opposite money personalities don't attract right off the bat (and they usually do), they will end up as opposites eventually. This rule of thumb, aka Mellan's Law, means that if two Spenders enter into a close relationship, they'll fight each other for the "super-spender" role. The other Spender will gradually take on comparative "saver" characteristics and may eventually come to look like a Money Hoarder. (Someone has to set limits, after all, or the couple will be bankrupt in no time.)
I consider this dance of opposites to be the "power struggle" phase of a relationship. If a couple works toward balance, they may eventually emerge from the struggle and reach what Don Montagna, my old friend and former Ethical Society leader, has called "no-fault love."
Fortunately, dueling couples can be guided to better alignment and harmony with help from you and a therapist, counselor or coach. To shed light on this challenge, I turned to a couple of experienced financial advisors.
Christine Moriarty, president of MoneyPeace Inc. in Bristol, Vt., is a CFP who is passionate about helping couples get on the same page and move forward together. Rick Kahler, another CFP who is president of Kahler Financial Group in Rapid City, S.D., has established a reputation as a "therapeutic educator" par excellence through his client work, teleclasses and books (including the newest, "Wired for Wealth: Change The Money Mindsets That Keep You Trapped and Unleash Your Wealth Potential").
How, I asked these two pros, did they handle situations with polarized client couples in their practice?
Scenario 1: Politics
Political polarization leads to money disputes
In this season of often-negative political campaigning, I marvel at couples like James Carville, a Democrat, and Mary Matalin, a Republican, whose ideological differences don't seem to get in the way of loving and respecting each other. On the other end of the spectrum are a Manhattan couple you may have read about in The Wall Street Journal. When the husband, a Republican, left for an extended business trip abroad a few years ago, he asked his wife, a Democrat, to mail the absentee ballot he had already filled out. "It was a real dilemma," she later admitted, but decided at last that "the right thing" was to throw his ballot away. (Yes, her spouse found out. He told the Journal that he still hasn't gotten over it.)
A client couple of Christine Moriarty's was even more politically polarized. In fact, they had "liberal" and "conservative" sides of the lawn for candidates' signs. Each of them wanted to donate more to favorite candidates, leading to angst and power plays around how to spend their money.
"I talked to them about needing to work together," Moriarty told me. "Though we looked at their whole financial picture, we focused on this bone of contention early in the process."
She helped take the problem off the table with an inspired solution: "From the money they pooled for expenses, we decided to allocate $60 a month to separate accounts for each of them. That would be the maximum amount of political or charitable donations they could each make without consulting the other spouse." They also agreed to dedicate another sum of money in their joint account for causes and candidates they could both support.
Along the way, the couple gained a broader awareness of the need to bridge the disagreements dividing them. "Because we were having so many conversations about where they were aligned and what worked for both of them, they began to understand that proclaiming their differences was actually intensifying the conflict," Moriarty explained. One telling result: They decided to stop posting the two sets of signs in their yard, realizing that it only publicized their dispute and didn't serve the candidates on either side.
Scenario 2: Sabotage
Unresolved issues sabotage the planning process
Like a pebble in one's shoe, small events can magnify over time to bring everything to a standstill. Moriarty told me of another couple whose financial planning was stymied because the wife was furious with her husband for buying a vacuum cleaner. "We could not get past that to discuss investments or other plans," she said, "so even though the vacuum was a month old, we focused on its purchase."
When the old vacuum broke, the husband had gone out to buy a new one. What infuriated his wife was that he spent $400 on it without consulting her. She agreed it was money well spent since they both liked to buy quality, but the process (or lack thereof) was the issue.
"In the end, we instituted a $100 spend policy," Moriarty said. "No one spends more than that without consulting the other." This resolved the problem, allowing the clients to continue their financial strategizing with her.
Couples need to work and make decisions as a team, Moriarty emphasized. Twelve years after this particular couple found resolution, the process is still working for them "because we got to the core issue and created a solution. It wasn't really about the vacuum cleaner at all." As a longtime couples therapist, I agree. It's almost never about the vacuum cleaner.
Scenario 3: Power
Friction arises from issues of togetherness versus autonomy
One of the polarizations I've encountered between spouses or unmarried partners is that of different needs for closeness and independence. Moriarty told me about a client who started a plumbing business soon after his marriage. Although his wife had a job of her own, she did the books to help out, then took on more duties as the business grew. When children came along, she finally had to quit her day job to juggle caring for them with handling marketing, ordering and other responsibilities for her husband's company.
After the last child started high school, she decided to pick up her old career again. Her husband was distraught and angry. This was their business! How could she leave it, especially after the rocky years they'd been having? How would he keep going without her?
In a session with both clients, Moriarty learned that the wife was tired of carrying the weight. The plumbing business was not her dream; it was her husband's. He never paid attention when she urged him to study the numbers side of running a company. He wouldn't even learn to use Quicken.
After a great deal of therapy and several meetings with Moriarty, they reached a compromise. The wife would hire and train a new part-time office manager, and every month she and her husband would meet to discuss business issues. He was not allowed to draw her into business matters at other times. He would have to sink or swim on his own.
To his credit, Moriarty said, he took on the steep learning curve. Progress was made. The business survived. Thanks to their therapy, and a caring financial planner who helped them "meet in the middle," their marriage survived as well.
Scenario 4: Baggage
Old baggage makes money harmony impossible
A high-earning couple who came to Kahler were so dysfunctional around money that they couldn't even plan ahead to pay their income taxes. The marriage was storybook in every other way; but whenever they tried to focus on their finances, they would disagree so heatedly that the discussion turned into an argument. As a result, they no longer talked about money at all.
"With polarized couples," Kahler said, "when you hit resistance with any topic, that's when you're going too fast." You need to back up, adopt a "beginner's mind" that makes no assumptions, and practice what psychotherapist Ted Klontz, Kahler's coauthor, calls "exquisite listening."
In this case, Kahler began by using some of the tools in his process to explore the clients' personal and family money histories. Learning many details of each other's past for the first time, the husband and wife found they had internalized different "money scripts" while growing up.
"Within two years of starting to work with my team, they both commented that they could now have difficult discussions around money," Kahler told me. "It took five years altogether, but they've succeeded in balancing their budget, saving for 100% of their tax bill, and investing enough from every paycheck for a modest retirement."
Take note of those relatively long time spans. In a situation like this, it's often not possible for polarized clients to resolve all their differences and start acting sensibly in just a few sessions. You will need time and patience to help them overcome their old emotional baggage.
Scenario 5: Ignorance
Lack of financial knowledge creates crippling money anxiety
Rick Kahler also worked with a couple who were drastically polarized around the husband's business debt. The wife was so anxious about it, in fact, that her health and their marital relationship were suffering.
"My analysis indicated that he was a very successful business owner who was taking appropriate risks and making excellent decisions," Kahler said.
To help the two clients better understand where each of them was coming from, he worked with them to elicit early money memories and their emotional content, and asked the couple to write down their money scripts. "We do the data-gathering first, and then we give these assignments as homework," he explains. He usually handles the follow-up session in conjunction with a psychotherapist.
Educating the wife about appropriate business risk-taking was a specific challenge. "In my work with them, her anxiety level has fallen substantially," Kahler told me. "I can explore his decisions in her presence and reframe them for her in a way she understands. They both tell me that every time we meet, her anxiety decreases."
This is partly due, I believe, to getting a second opinion that everything is OK from someone she trusts. It's also a result of the manner in which the message was delivered: calmly, patiently and with respect for her feelings.
In this case the husband benefited, too. "Since I've started working with them, he has doubled their income and the value of his business," Kahler said.
What makes Kahler so effective with polarized clients? He said frankly, "It took me $80,000 and 12 years of training to learn how to do a better job as a therapeutic advisor and educator." He made this investment in therapy to understand his own issues, then used this knowledge to deepen his work with clients.
Final Thoughts
When you're faced with a couple in conflict, patient and empathetic listening will help each partner feel understood in the other's presence. If you go on to validate their individual needs, explore their fears and concerns and eventually suggest solutions that allow them to meet in the middle, you will be helping them cross the bridge between their differences so each can compassionately enter the other's world. As they move closer to harmony with each other, their relationship with you will grow stronger by the day.


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Directe contactpersoon voor Lindab producten in uw land
Foto 1/5
Object: Demonstrative Passive House Designer: DOM ARCHITEKTÓW Projektowanie Budynków Pasywnych, arch. Emilia Durka-Zielińska, arch.Walenty Durka Contractor: DOM ARCHITEKTÓW Products: Ducts and fittings Photos: Juliusz Sokołowski
Demonstrative Passive House is the designing studio and architects home. The object is built in the passive standard house. Construction had to implement all modern solutions in accordance with sustainable environmental development assumptions, from organic origin materials, therefore renewable and the most recyclable.
The priority was highly effective heat recovery from ventilation, application of possibly short and unbranched ducts, which, together with the ventilation cross control and glycolic ground heat exchanger don't rise hygene objections.
The outer location of air ducts was consistent with the designed interior in the industrial style and demonstrative characteristics of the object.
The use of low compression ventilation system was to minimize electric energy power consumption. Applied ducts, LindabSafe cyrcular fitting and aesthetic RGS grilles were mounted directly on the ventilating ducts.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly 1,200 retailers said on Thursday they will urge a federal judge to reject a proposed $7.2 billion settlement between merchants and Visa Inc (V.N) and Mastercard Inc (MA.N) over credit card fees, calling it an "unacceptable" proposal that would strip away stores' legal rights.
The proposed settlement was submitted in October for preliminary approval by the court. If it receives first preliminary and then final approval, it would be the largest federal antitrust settlement in U.S. history, offering nearly 8 million merchants $7.2 billion in cash and temporary reductions in the interchange, or swipe fees, that stores pay to process credit and debit transactions.
Since it was first announced in July, the settlement has drawn a vocal chorus of opponents, including 10 of the 19 retailers and trade groups appointed to lead the litigation on merchants' behalf. Those opponents - which include the National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Restaurant Association - delivered a brief Thursday that asks U.S. District Judge John Gleeson to reject the proposal.
Nearly 1,200 other merchants said in court filings that they were unhappy with the deal and would submit multiple briefs expressing their dissatisfaction. They range from some of the best-known U.S. retailers, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) and Ikea, to small businesses and major trade groups like the National Retail Federation.
"The declarations from about 1,200 merchants, small and large, from every corner of the country, and every type of merchant speak volumes about the fact that something is very seriously wrong with this deal," said Jeff Shinder, a lawyer representing the named plaintiffs opposing the deal.
Opponents said the settlement offers no meaningful reform to swipe-fee rates. They have also blasted litigation releases that would shield Visa and Mastercard from new lawsuits over swipe fees.
"Fundamentally, these merchants and their representatives object to the settlement because it will neither introduce transparency nor give merchants the ability to inject competition in a market that has not functioned competitively for decades," objecting plaintiffs wrote in a court filing. "And the release, given its scope, will make the competitive problems in the marketplace worse for merchants, not better."
Visa, Mastercard and lawyers for stores that support the settlement have said they are confident the court will approve the deal. Trish Wexler, a spokeswoman for the Electronic Payments Coalition, a trade group representing Visa and Mastercard, has called the objections a transparent political ploy by some merchants to force congressional action limiting swipe fees for credit card payments.
In a brief order last week, Gleeson said that "at first blush" the proposal meets the legal threshold for preliminary approval, but he noted that the standard will be more stringent for final approval.
A hearing on preliminary approval has been scheduled for November 9.
Reporting by Jessica Dye; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and David Gregorio


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- will start the season or play a lot of games at a position
- have presented a projection that we believe in but could be wildly off for non-injury reasons.
- who's performance could significantly effect the performance of the team.
There aren't many other options. Zimmerman, Werth, and LaRoche all have a long enough track records that any performance other than the expected respective awesome, very good, and average would be a surprise. Morgan is a complete wild card after last years crash. Morse, Bernadina, Espinosa, and Ramos all don't have enough major league time for good evaluation. It falls to Desmond almost in default. If the Nats' spring wasn't filled with worrying about 4th/5th starters and two OF positions and the showing of the most heralded power prospect of this generation things might be different. Fans might be paying more attention to Ian rather than setting and forgetting him, but that is what's going on.
What ARE Nats fans expecting from Ian Desmond? I don't think it's too much. Last year he put up a line of .269 / .308 / .392. Projections have him in the .275 / .325 / .420 range - so a couple more hits, a couple more homers. Is that line crazy? . 275 and a mere 15 homers? It just may be.
Remember that Ian was moving up the minors at a snails pace before 2009. Often he was bumped up not because he forced the issue, but because it was necessary for his development not to linger too long in the low levels. He never had high averages. He never showed much interest in walking. His power came in bursts here or there. Since he always seemed to hang on at the higher level it didn't seem crazy that he'd make the majors, but it was getting more and more likely that it would be after age 25 in maybe a reserve role.
Then in 2009, Desmond "got it". He hit .300 with pop in 42 games in AA, .350 in 55 games in AAA. With SS manned by the offensive mediocrity of Cristian Guzman there was no reason to hold him back. But a closer look at 2009 shows some numbers that are disturbing. He had a batting average of balls in play of .371 in AA and .425 in AAA. Those are numbers that suggest luck as much as skill. One could argue that the AA performance was Ian finding his groove and crushing the ball all over the place. I wouldn't think so, but with those power numbers I think the argument could be made. Those AAA numbers though, that reeks of a lucky streak.
It does seem odd to argue that a player was "lucky" for what amounts to a season, but really it was <100 games. We've all seen players have a hot season up until the All-Star break then cool off. That's 90 games. I'm not saying I don't think Desmond improved, but I'm thinking he got better AND was really lucky.
Worse yet the major league numbers from last year show a player who may not have what it takes. Remember, Ian was this close to being sent down around the All-Star break last year before going on a tear. After that hot July and August, he finished the season by going .239 / .288 / .330 in September. His walk rate for the season was the lowest of qualified batters in the NL. His K-rate was up there where the sluggers swing and miss*. His LD% (rough percentage of hits that are line drives) was among the lowest in the league. These are all bad things.
*To give you an idea - the only guys around in K-rate to Desmond with less power were the two complete disasters of leadoff hitters (Michael Bourn and Nyjer) and a Petco guy Chase Headley. Other guys around him with maybe a bit more power - Garrett Jones, Dexter Fowler... these aren't the guys you want to be compared to.
Looking at how he was pitched - it is easy to see what happened. He got a TON less fastballs to hit (went from 77% of pitches thrown to him in his brief 2009 sting to 57% last year), and he swung at these off-speed pitches all the time (Swinging percentage of pitches out of the strike zone jumped from 25% to 33%). I suppose it could be something Desmond could learn to deal with but he was never forced to since being brought into the Nats system. He was pushed up despite being the hitter he is not because of it.
I'm glad Desmond is being batted 2nd because he isn't the type of hitter that can take being pitched around in the 8th hole, but it might in fact be a problem. It is quite possible that rather than Desmond prospering because he is batting 2nd ahead of a trio of good to great hitters, that instead it's the only thing propping him up. That in any other spot in the lineup Desmond would fail and fail hard.
Desmond is still most likely to hit his projections - that's what these things are for - and I was wrong last year (though only in a "worse than expected" way) so I could be wrong this year too. But I'd say there's a decent chance that Nats fans who have not thought about Desmond because they were sure he'd be fine this year might be in for a nasty surprise.


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Makeover Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce
This was my great-grandmother's recipe. I have another version made with mushroom soup, which cuts down on prep time, but sometimes you just can't take shortcuts! Try serving it with egg noodles and steamed veggies. —Julie Stack, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Total TimePrep: 35 min. Bake: 45 min.
Makes4 servings
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
- 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2-1/2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. thickness. For stuffing, in a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, water and poultry seasoning.
- Place 1/4 cup stuffing over each chicken breast. Roll up from a short side and secure with toothpicks. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Coat chicken in flour mixture.
- Place seam side down in an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spritz chicken with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Discard toothpicks.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Whisk flour and milk; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in the sour cream, salt and pepper. Serve with chicken.
Nutrition Facts1 stuffed chicken breast with about 1/3 cup sauce: 401 calories, 13g fat (3g saturated fat), 106mg cholesterol, 627mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 2g fiber), 43g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.
Recommended Video
Mar 18, 2013
We really did not care for this at all. The stuffing had FAR too much poultry seasoning in it. They also took a long time to make. I also think that the cooking time is WAY too long. If you are pounding your chicken out thin, it doesn't take almost an hour to cook. The mushroom sauce also didn't have much taste to it. Had to add some spices. Will not make again.


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New England editorial roundup
The Westerly (R.I.) Sun, Nov. 16, 2012
Money never had more potential power in an election cycle than this recent one.
November's presidential election was America's first following the U.S. Supreme Court's odious Citizens United decision of 2010. That misjudgment prompted creation of "super PACs," fundraising organizations which can accept unlimited donations from people, corporations and/or unions to independently support or attack politicians or political causes.
Leveraging billions in donations, PACs flooded airwaves nationwide with negative ads. They funded other forms of campaign-based advertising, like mailers. Recipients of finances included Obama and Romney both, and candidates all the way down to entrants in local races. The imprint of special-interest money was everywhere.
Thus, on Nov. 6, Americans could see, on the largest scale possible, how PACs and their piles of independent dollars could affect voters. Which, refreshingly, was not much. Many candidates who received significant monetary assistance ended up as losers.
According to numerous media sources, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson infamously became the highest- spending political donor of all time this election season in support of eight candidates. But none of the Adelson eight won. Moreover, American Crossroads, a PAC co-organized by Republican strategist Karl Rove, spent $104 million to support or oppose 19 total office-contenders. The return on investment?
Two politicians opposed were defeated. All other 17 races finished opposite as to how American Crossroads attempted to manipulate them.
Regrettably, such poor results almost certainly don't signal a slowdown for PACs, but an evolution. Already on forums such as RedState.com, pundits are predicting the future of outside fundraising: less negative advertising, more analytics. This means financing voter-bloc identification studies and "get-out- the-vote" movements, ballot-swinging methods proven more effective than attack ads.
Money shouldn't have equal or greater worth on Election Day than voters' independent voices. While Nov. 6 momentarily upheld constituents' advantage over PACs, it's likely a matter of time before these associations discover new ways to gain increased leverage.
There is hope. In an August question-and-answer session on reddit.com, Obama expressed interest in repealing the Citizens United decision. Although this wouldn't disallow PACs, it would limit considerably their fundraising capabilities.
In Obama's second term, several conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices could retire. If America's highest judicial body gains applicable voting numbers, it should strike down Citizens United, reduce super PAC power, and return balloting back to what it should be: voters forming opinions solely based upon convictions, and not money-driven outside influences.
The Concord (N.H.) Monitor, Nov. 13, 2012
New Hampshire no longer a lowly little state but an independent nation? Oh, what fun. A chance to design a whole new flag and print and mint our own money. Presuming this new republic is a democracy and the vote turns out the same, would the state be led by President Maggie Hassan? Or could the populace choose to call its leader something entirely new � Top Dog, maybe, or The Decider? Who knows? We may get the chance.
New Hampshire voters turned out in droves last week to re-elect President Obama, reject the extreme agenda of Republican gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne, silence House Speaker Bill O'Brien and replace most of the wingnuts elected to the Legislature in 2010. We thought we were in for a few sane but tame years, free of preposterous bills, political tirades, conspiracy theories and the kangaroo court Redress of Grievances committee. But it's beginning to look like we were wrong. Only a week went by before news of a new political group arrived, a group with the potential to offset the entertainment value lost when some of the Legislature's more colorful characters were defeated. We're referring, of course, to the Foundation for New Hampshire Independence, an organization devoted, as its website says, to peacefully "separating from the federal government of the United States."
So far, 35 people, including one Stephen M. from Concord, have signed the foundation's petition calling for the peaceful secession of New Hampshire from the United States. Five people are listed as the foundation's board of directors, including one who acknowledges that he was inspired to move to New Hampshire by the Free State Project. The group has social media accounts and a website, nhindependence.org, on which it outlines some of the benefits that would come with independence. They include an end to the stifling federal bureaucracy and freedom from federal taxes. An independent New Hampshire would instantly, the group says, become one of the 10 richest countries in the world. Of course, there are a few impediments to secession, as Southern states learned a century and a half ago, not to mention that the Supreme Court long ago declared secession illegal.
In an interview with Monitor State House reporter Ben Leubsdorf, Neal Conner, the secessionist group's treasurer, swats away those impediments. Whether the federal government recognizes it or not, the right to self-determination is real, he says.
Part of New Hampshire was, from 1832 to 1835, an independent republic based around Pittsburg's Indian Stream. A militia from that short-lived nation even invaded Canada, freed a fellow countryman and shot up a British judge's house. So we'll be watching the new group's progress. We're glad that they appear to be peaceful and are not calling for armed insurrection. To further their cause, the secessionists are seeking donations and they're registered with Paypal to make contributing easy. They're also waiting to hear from the IRS about their request that donations to their secessionist cause be tax deductible � we kid you not. Once that's in, all they'll need is some silly hats and a secret handshake.


text: Note: This list of websites is for your examination; it is not necessarily comprehensive and is not an endorsement of any of the services and information offered/described. If you find information in this list that is incorrect, offensive or otherwise inappropriate, please contact me. Likewise, if you would like to offer feedback, or if you know of an additional resource not listed that you feel should be included because it may be of help to others, please let me know. You may phone me at (415) 452-5484 x3 or write Dr. John Wilde, City College of San Francisco, c/o DSPS/R323, 50 Phelan Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112 or email me at email@example.com.


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The Long Room, All Hallows Church, Erncroft Road, Twickenham, TW1 1EW (off the A316/Whitton Rd)
19:00 – 21:00
Our Twickenham workshop is just a few minutes from Twickenham town centre, convenient for the A316 cycle lane, and is run in conjunction with The Turning Hub, Richmond's mobile bike club.
Bring your bike, use the tools and learn basic (or more complicated) bike maintenance. Tea (and if you're lucky biscuits) on ready supply! We'll have bike stands available and you can tune your bike up yourself, or to get some help from our qualified mechanic.
Some small parts available for sale (cables, brake blocks), bring your own parts if you want to fit them.
Please come along if you have some mechanical aptitude and would like to help others learn.
The Long Room at All Hallows Church can be accessed via Erncroft Way or via a side gate to the right of the church on the A316. It has 'Peaches Nursery' on the door.


text:
You're already a great coder, but awesome coding chops aren't always enough to get you through your toughest projects. You need these 50+ nuggets of wisdom. Veteran programmers: reinvigorate your passion for developing web applications. New programmers: here's the guidance you need to get started. With this book, you'll think about your job in new and enlightened ways.
The Developer's Code: What Real Programmers Do
by Ka Wai Cheung
The Developer's Code
What Real Programmers Do
by Ka Wai Cheung
This title is also available as an audio book.
Customer Reviews
I like books that gather a number of essays and thoughts about technology (in this case, software development) and bundle them in a single volume so I can contemplate what it is I do as a profession. The Developer's Code – What Real Programmers Do by Ka Wai Cheung (published by Pragmatic Bookshelf) fits that description perfectly. I've often said that one or two gems from a book like this can make it an excellent buy. For me, this one met and surpassed that criteria.
- Thomas "Duffbert" Duff
This is the next "Pragmatic Programmer"—a guide for the beginner, a reminder
for the expert, and a wonderful chunk of wisdom about the craft (and life)
of a developer.
- Derek Sivers
Founder of CD Baby, sivers.org
Ka Wai Cheung has written a book for professional developers seeking a
code they can live by. This is not a book replete with conventional, find-it-
in-any-blog ideas but a very powerful, focused approach to the craft
and realities of professional programming.
If you are looking for a rehash of stale, sterile rules for programming, this
is not the book for you. But if you are seeking a perspective on what
creating software is, or if you want a set of guidelines laden by real-world
experience, this is a book you need.
- Bob Walsh
Author and Founder of 47 Hats
Packed with delicious lessons yet consumable in bite (byte?) sized chunks
—there's a lot to be learned in these pages. Take some time and learn from
someone who's been there.
- Adam Hoffman
Senior Development Lead
About this Title
Pages: 160
Published: 2012-02-20
Release: P1.0 (2012-02-15)
The Developer's Code isn't about the code you write, it's about the code you live by.
There are no trite superlatives here. Packed with lessons learned from more than a decade of software development experience, author Ka Wai Cheung takes you through the programming profession from nearly every angle to uncover ways of sustaining a healthy connection with your work.
You'll see how to stay productive even on the longest projects. You'll create a workflow that works with you, not against you. And you'll learn how to deal with clients whose goals don't align with your own. If you don't handle them just right, issues such as these can crush even the most seasoned, motivated developer. But with the right approach, you can transcend these common problems and become the professional developer you want to be.
In more than 50 nuggets of wisdom, you'll learn:
- Why many traditional approaches to process and development roles in this industry are wrong—and how to sniff them out.
- Why you must always say "no" to the software pet project and open-ended timelines.
- How to incorporate code generation into your development process, and why its benefits go far beyond just faster code output.
- What to do when your client or end user disagrees with an approach you believe in.
- How to pay your knowledge forward to future generations of programmers through teaching and evangelism.
If you're in this industry for the long run, you'll be coming back to this book again and again.
"This is the next Pragmatic Programmer: a guide for the beginner, a reminder for the expert, and a wonderful chunk of wisdom about the craft (and life) of a developer.
—Derek Sivers, Founder of CD Baby, sivers.org
Interview with the Author
This is a book about what programmers do, and yet, there's only one chapter devoted to code. Do explain.
"First and foremost, there are plenty of great books on code, and it's very difficult to write one that reads fluidly and makes you feel like you're in the midst of development as you read it. I admire a really well written book like that—Joshua Kerievsky's Refactoring to Patterns comes to mind.
"The professional programmer has so much more to absorb these days. There's the client, co-worker, customer, time and changing requirements. And, I haven't even gotten to the programmer—staying motivated and productive through long development stretches, or maintaining that hubris that makes us want to contribute more to the community. I wanted to focus on those aspects of developer life moreso than, say, best coding practices."
Is this a book just for software professionals?
"At the core, I'm speaking directly to new and veteran programmers alike. But, I'd like to think this book can be enjoyed by anyone interested in learning about a trade. I want this book to be approachable to the masses.
"This book isn't just talking to my fellow programmer, but it's my best explanation for how our industry works—this is what I do, how I do it, what I learned, where I made mistakes, and how I adjusted inside of an industry that's in constant flux. In that sense, I think it's a read that anyone can relate to."
What's the one piece of advice you could give to a new programmer just beginning the journey?
"When you're a newbie, you expect all the answers to be there. Here's the best way to program X, here's the best methodology for solving Y. You just want to plug-in and have all the answers for how to be a successful developer out in front of you. But, to a large extent, we're still making it up as we go. The types of apps, the audience, and the medium are constantly changing.
"Look at the NOSQL debate: relational databases have been the gold standard for years. Now that storage is cheap and a user base isn't simply localized to a corporation, the parameters for a 'well-performing' database have changed.
"For the new programmer, I recommend keeping an open mind and realizing this fact. How you're approaching work today may not be how you approach it a year from now. As an industry, we're in constant adjustment."
Contents & Extracts
- Introduction excerpt
- Metaphor
- Follow Metaphors with Care
- Plan Enough, then Build
- Launch is Just the First Release
- The "Ivory Tower" Architect is a Myth excerpt
- Throw Away Your Old Code
- Diversification Over Specialization
- Metaphors Hide Better Ways of Working
- Motivation
- The Perks are in the Work
- Begin Where You Love to Begin
- Be Imperfect
- Stop Programming excerpt
- Test Your Work First Thing in the Morning
- Work Outside the Bedroom
- First Impressions are Just That
- The Emotional Value of Launch
- Find an Argument
- Productivity
- Just Say "No" to the Pet Project
- Constrain All of Your Parameters
- Cut the Detail Out of the Timeline
- Improve Your Product in Two Ways Daily
- Invest in a Good Work Environment
- Keep a Personal To-Do List
- Create "Off-Time" with Your Team
- Work in Small, Autonomous Teams
- Eliminate the "We" in Productivity
- Complexity
- Sniff Out Bad Complexity
- The Simplicity Paradox excerpt
- Complexity as a Game of Pick-Up Sticks
- Keep Complexity Under the Surface
- Hard to Code Might Mean Hard to Use
- Know When to Refactor
- Develop a Programming Cadence
- Teaching
- Teaching is Unlike Coding
- Beware the "Curse of Knowledge"
- Teach with Obvious Examples
- Lie to Simplify
- Encourage Autonomous Thought
- Clients
- The Tough Client is Ubiquitous
- Demystify the Black Magic of Software
- Define the Goals of Your Application
- Be Enthusiastic and Opinionated
- Be Forgiving and Personable
- Value is Much More than Time
- Respect Your Project Manager
- Code
- Write Code as a Last Resort
- A Plug-in Happy Culture
- Code is the Ultimate Junior Developer
- Separate Robot Work from Human Work
- Generating Code at Its Core
- The Case for Rolling Your Own
- Pride
- We Have a Marketing Problem
- Lessons from the Cooking Industry
- Bibliography
Ka Wai Cheung is a developer, designer, and founding partner at We Are Mammoth, an award-winning team of web developers as passionate about approachability as they are about technology.
Ka Wai is also the co-author of Flash Application Design Solutions: The Flash Usability Handbook.


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Kate Hudson Reveals Heath Ledger Was Her Best On-Screen Kiss [VIDEOS]by Michelle McGahan | PopCrush
When Kate Hudson stopped by 'Watch What Happens Live' with her 'Wish I Was Here' co-star Zach Braff, she opened up about her favorite on-screen kiss and played one cringe-inducing round of 'Plead the Fifth.'
When a caller phoned in to ask the actress which on-screen kiss was the best, Hudson didn't hesitate.
"I would say my favorite one was Heath [Ledger]. That was pretty excellent," she revealed. (And not to hurt Zach Braff's feelings, the caller graciously left him out of the question.)
"He was just so beautiful and sweet and gentle," continued Hudson, who starred alongside the late actor in 'The Four Feathers.' "I would say I look back at all [of them] … and that was really — he was lovely. That's a tough one to answer, but … an amazing [memory]."
Hudson was also game for host Andy Cohen's staple game, 'Plead the Fifth.' As he asked her questions like, "Have you ever smoke pot [with your 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' co-star] Matthew McConaughey?" and "Have you ever taken a dip in the lady-pond?" the actress answered honestly — although some of her answers may surprise you.
Watch Kate Hudson reminisce about kissing Heath Ledger in the video above, and check out her playing 'Plead the Fifth' in the video below.


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By Kiki Keane
Boy! Left to my own devices (Rachel is away on a retreat), I have become even lazier than normal. Rachel is away one day and I fall down on my job. I decided that Journey 2, The Golden Girls, a trip to the library and surfing the Web for adventure books was a far better use of my time than a blog post. Sorry.
Here's my thought/question of the day:
Have you ever been slapped in the face by the words in a book? Did those words inspire you or push you to make you change your life, or at least part of your life?
I have. It happened last Friday. The book itself is nothing special. I wouldn't have even picked it up if it wasn't this months pick for my book club. Bloodland, by Alan Glynn (Limitless), is a suspense novel about an unemployed journalist who is writing a book about a dead celebrity, which leads him to some nefarious dealings of some powerful, shady people. It wasn't so much the words that made me slap my head and say "Duh," rather it was a scene. A man, Rundle, is anxious. He should be. Everything he has worked for could come crashing down around him at any moment. It turns out that the anxiety is from fear of losing control. I read that scene and I thought, "F**k!" My situation is nothing like Rundle's. I'm not afraid of losing control or losing everything. The Duh/F**k moment was the realization that what I have been experiencing that last eight weeks is not nerves, but anxiety. And what I experienced last week was a full blown attack. I have never actually been sick before going to work. I have never dreaded walking out my door in the morning. I have never had to fake a smile. Until last week, that is. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could live through it. It was only for 23 weeks, after all. But I couldn't. I started to hate people. Not, the people-can-be-so-annoying kind of hate, but the burning, rage-filled hate. And when Rachel became the optimistic one in the group, I knew something had to be done. So, I quit.
The good news is that I don't hate people anymore. I trust them less, but I don't hate them. Also, I'm back to being plain old nervous about not making enough money for my trip and falling flat on face, instead of nursing an ulcer. Bad news: back to the Want Ads.
Just an FYI: A new episode of Richard Engel's Hidden Planet has been released on the Rock Center iPad app. It will be on the website next week. The current episode is about the Saqqara plateau, Egypt's oldest pyramid complex. Good stuff!


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The Greeting Farm's Beanie Anya ready for winter. I made this cute tag from a random tag from Michael's. Stamped Anya in Tuxedo Black, colored with Copic's then fussy cut out. The background is sprayed with Ranger's Sail Boat Blue Alcohol ink. Random glitter paper from my stash of paper (seriously-everyone has one of those right?) and the fun extra's are from the new Bundled Up set from Crate Paper. It's pretty gloomy here in Colorado so it was a perfect day to play in the craft room. I guess all that was missing was hot cocoa and Christmas music playing in the background.
Till later. Happy Crafting.


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Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday Special + Cyber Monday! $5 Tutorial Download Special
14 comments:
- Amy HenryNovember 25, 2012 at 12:05 PM
I've already purchased this bundle, but I'd like to purchase for a friend. Is it possible to have the links sent to her and not me?ReplyDelete
MIMI, YOU ROCK GIRL!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
hey Mimi u just got an order from England lol :) XXXReplyDelete
- evolverNovember 25, 2012 at 4:40 PM
:( I just ordered the t-shirt maxi tut last week. I wanted all four...ReplyDelete
thanks lady! the only one I didn't have was the t-shirt maxi...I just ordered it.ReplyDelete
Mimi - how you style this for the winter? What fabric choice would you use? Would you add sleeves?
Also mimi, can you fallatize/winterize that jumpsuit? I think it'll give ppl more ideas with what they can do with your tutorials... :) me included.ReplyDelete
- Felicia W :-)November 26, 2012 at 8:57 AM
Hello there! I am a newbie to sewing..working on my first class project now (pajama pants of course). teeheeReplyDelete
I needed a visual for doing the waistband and found your website. OMG!! amazing. I wish I had the courage.
I would like to buy the tutorial for the regal skirt with sash and I have a question. This may sound a little strange, so please bear with me. My body type is a straight box (we were taught to know our body types in class), would this skirt work with someone with an athletic build such as mine? Thank you for the inspiration. I'm going to be the star pupil thanks to you.
Just bought the tee - shirt dress since I now have a little job. Yeeee Haaaa.ReplyDelete
Mimi I lyk your style & I would rather buy the items online because sewing is another thing for me. From South Africa how & where do I start, any advice for me darling? My email: email@example.com
Mimi I lyk your style & I would rather buy the items online because sewing is another thing for me. From South Africa how & where do I start, any advice for me darling? My email: email@example.com
Just bought the Maxi! ExcitedReplyDelete
hi mimi is me again lol :) i am a bit confused with the maxi skirt tutorial, on ur previous DIY u said that the skirt was made from B5650.pattern , but ur maxi skirt tutorial is different from the actual pattern ? can u please e0mail me if u r using a different method ?ReplyDelete
my email is : email@example.com
PS: love this maxi skirt tutorial u rock :) xxx
I ran across your blog about a month ago and you a bad chick. I am looking at purchasing your tank top jumper but cannot seem to locate it anywhere. Any help please


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Create the classic holiday atmosphere that will melt hearts this Christmas with our Grand Fir wreath and garland. Made from the same foliage as our beautiful Grand Fir, this delightful wreath features dark green tips with light brown painted stems for a timeless, traditional look.
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The World's Finest Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Trees™
Since 1976 | Copyright © 1995-2018


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140 Birkdale Court
- Price$64,900
- Acres.1
About This Property
The Cliffs is a gated community perched 200 feet above beautiful Possum Kingdom Lake. The natural canyons, rolling hills and lake views provide an unparalleled environment. There is full-time professional security and amenities include an 18-hole championship golf course, Chaparral Grille and Spurs Bar, marina and ship store, hotel, conference center, spa, fitness center, swimming pools, tennis courts, playground, parks and more. Owners receive 36 complimentary rounds of golf per year. No requirement as to when you must build a home.
Essential Information
Community Information
Community Mailbox, Private Road, Private Sewer Co., Private Water Co.
Boat Ramp, Club House, Community Pool, Gated Entrance, Golf, Guarded Entrance, Marina, Playground, RV Parking, Spa, Tennis
School Information
Additional Information
Listing Details
Users may not reproduce or redistribute the data found on this site. The data is for viewing purposes only. Data is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS or NTREIS.
Listing information last updated on June 4th, 2020 at 1:00am CDT.


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Top This: Thanksgiving Leftover Pizza
Learn how to work a new topping onto your pies.
If there's any problem with Thanksgiving, it's that you have leftovers. And even that's a nice problem to have. But that sort of interferes with pizzamaking, right? There you are, all ready to prep your sauce and stretch out a ball of dough when Aunt Mabel reminds you, "You're cooking? We've got a whole fridge full of food!"
Well, we've got the solution for you: Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza. Make one of these for them, and then go about your usual pie-slinging business.
This pizza is topped with Food Lab goodness: Turkey and Gravy, Really Good Stuffing, The Ultimate Homemade Green Bean Casserole, and Ultra-Fluffy Mashed Potatoes.
One good thing about this pizza is that it's OK if you miss the mark and make it sort of oblong, like I did here. The rustic presence-of-hand thing here fits in with the holiday.
And, yes, we've seen the Onion gag about Thanksgiving pizza.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Awesome game. I'll have to watch the recording tomorrow, but from where I was sitting
it looked like M.A.F. had made great saves. They came out intense in the first period
scoring the first two goals. But it seemed to me like they put it in cruise control until later
in the third period.
I was very surprised to hear people complaining about Fleury's play as well as Hal Gill's.
Must have been some negative Nancy's from the Trib.
Steelers sightings - Big Ben was in attendance as well as James Farrior.


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Views: 409
I would say it totally depends on circumstances. A simple answer would be "no" since it encourages bullshit and I don't find the concept of paying someone to lie to you as being entertaining at all especiallly when there are far better uses for money.
However, this is a group thing and it might not be the best time to make a stand for rationality. I have encountered one tarot reader who made it very clear before she "read" the cards that there was no mysticism involved and she was using the cards merely as prompts to get me to think about aspects of my life I hadn't considered. If time permits you could find someone like that or even better, find a Darren Brown type person who has the skills but could trick them and then later explain how it was done.
Your call, tricky situation. Good luck!
Fortune telling is always promoted as entertainment although people who believe in it aren't swayed by that. I don't think one session is going to make believers out of people who were previously skeptical. If people did go for it I'd probably just be annoyed at hanging around people like that (the way I am annoyed when my pagan acquaintances assume everyone is pagan and talk about superstition and nonsense). If it's up to you, you can always say no. Fortune tellers are an even bigger waste of money than lapdances or gambling.
How to spend ones money is obviously a subjective thing.
If people go into it with their 'eyes wide open', then on one level so be it......and chalk it up to harmless fun. However, if impressionable people and in particular adolescents are going to be involved then may be reconsider.
Or as mistercliff commented, get a magician and have some fun in the knowledge that it's just conjuring & tricks!!.
Not wanting to sound like a killjoy......but I personally wouldn't want to give my money to a charlatan....would feel like I was condoning the practice!!:)
Oh my Gwynnies! Atheists debating sin... :)
What is the service you anticipate paying for? Bullshit? Entertainment? Then such fulfills the contract. If a future occurs congruent to prediction, that's grounds for suit.
© 2020 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


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ROCHESTER — Local fire departments are banding together to make this holiday season one of good cheer and pleasant surprises.
This week, any purchase made at the Dover Uno Chicago Grill after 4 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday will benefit those fire departments in their efforts to build a robust toy bank for hundreds of struggling families throughout the region.
The Rochester Fire Department, along with the Dover and Somersworth fire departments, will also host a touch-a-truck event this Friday, Nov. 23, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Uno's, where families are invited to drop off toys and show their families local fire trucks, "Sparky, the Dog," and "Pluggy, the Fire Hydrant." There will be face painting as well as gift wrapping available for a small donation. Uno's is at 238 Indian Brook Road in Dover. Uno's will donate 20 percent of all proceeds from 4 p.m. to close Thursday, Nov. 22 through Saturday, Nov. 24 to the regional toy bank drive. The funds raised through this week's event will be used to purchase any specialty toys requested by families in need, so in addition to donated presents, children get at least one item they requested from Santa Claus.
Rochester Fire Capt. Paul LaClair said every year the toy bank drive brightens the departments' spirits. At the end of the year in Rochester, there is a party where families are invited to meet the firefighters and pick up their gifts, though families may choose to pick them up anonymously as well.
"The firefighters just want to give back to the community so it's quite an experience to be at that party and see how they appreciate it, and all the hard work everyone does to get it in place for them," he said. "We couldn't do it without the community. They donate the toys, the money, and we just throw it all together. We do our fundraisers too, but if it wasn't for all the people in the community, it wouldn't happen."
LaClair noted his department has been expanding the toy drive for years and last year provided more than 300 families, including about 750 children, with gifts for Christmas.
Firefighter Matt Moore with the Somersworth Fire Department said last year his department helped about 700 children. Moore added several local businesses have volunteered to collect donated toys this season, and Walmart in Somersworth also has Christmas trees decorated with children's wishes patrons can purchase to help out.
"It's nice to know that the kids are going to wake up with something under their tree on Christmas," Moore said. "That helps everyone here in the fire department and in the community get into the holiday spirit."
Toy donations may be made anytime through the rest of the year at any of the cities' fire stations. LaClair said those dropped off past the cut-off date in the middle of December will be donated into next year's toy bank drive, and sometimes the department will give the leftover toys to families who lose their children's belongings in a fire. The fire departments also request those dropping off gifts keep them unwrapped, so the fire department can place the right toy with the right child.
Rochester has two fire stations: the downtown location is at 37 Wakefield Street in the Lilac City, with the Gonic station is on Route 125.
The city of Dover has three stations, at 9-11 Broadway, 25 Durham Road and 262 Sixth Street.
The Somersworth fire station is at 195 Maple Street in Somersworth.
Dover, Somersworth, Rochester firefighters collecting toys for needy kids
ROCHESTER — Local fire departments are banding together to make this holiday season one of good cheer and pleasant surprises.


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It's a big claim, but it's true: the most productive years of your life are right around the corner. In fact, they can begin just 21 days from now. And if you read on I will show you how.
May I make a bold assertion?
Then I have to tell you – You're in the right place!
Because in a moment I'm going to reveal a proven and practically painless way you can eliminate procrastination, multiply your productivity, and start achieving all that you want in life.
Just a few minutes from now, you will feel more powerful. You will feel in control. And you will feel hope that you can become a productive person with initiative, energy, and motivation to get things done.
But before I reveal the secret to becoming a consistently productive person, I have to debunk a myth about productivity. It's a myth that's so often repeated that many people still cling to it-even though it's rarely if ever effective.
You see, a lot of books and information products are packed with productivity techniques...as if the techniques, by themselves, could transform you into a top producer. But this simply isn't true. The fact is...
Sure, techniques can help. But they're really not addressing the underlying issues.
The trick is not to fill your head with more techniques — it's to reprogram your mind so that work is no longer "hard"...but interesting and easy. So that you have fun getting things done. So that you stop causing self-induced stress...and begin working smoothly in the "flow" state.
The bottom line is, you must get rid of the limiting attitudes and beliefs you have stored in your subconscious mind and replace them with productive thoughts and habits.
This is why you cannot rely on traditional productivity techniques alone. You might make some progress, but you won't experience rapid transformation.
You don't need a new technique; you need a total "productivity makeover" to quickly transform you into the productive person you want to be. You need a shortcut.
The secret is to eliminate subconscious blocks, create new thought patterns, and harmonize your conscious and subconscious mind.
If all this sounds complicated, don't worry. It's actually far easier than you may think. Anybody can do it if they meet this one requirement...
I Have Dropped a Couple of Bad Habits...
"In reviewing these CDs, I systematically went through the program and used each CD for my own personal and professional development. Through the use of Dr. Fiore's CDs I became aware of how I have been subtly 'hypnotized' over time into unproductive patterns of behavior that detract from leading a more full and productive life. Since using these CDs I have been able to get into 'the Zone of my optimal performance' both professionally and personally. I have succeeded in losing a couple of bad habits that I wasn't even aware of having. I have patients for whom prescribing these CDs will greatly accelerate our work of deconstructing their self-defeating patterns. I whole-heartedly recommend Dr. Fiore's CDs for anyone interested in improving their productivity."- Michael Gray, Ph.D. - Developmental and Clinical Psychologist - Albany, California
When my team and I set out to help people overcome procrastination and lead highly productive lives, we knew an audio program that used hypnosis would be one of the most effective transformation tools we could develop.
You see, hypnosis is one of the most misunderstood (and effective!) tools for self-change available in the world today.
When you say "hypnosis," most people think of magic shows, silly stage acts, and possibly even witchcraft.
Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth.
Hypnosis is simply this: a relaxed state of mind in which you are more receptive to suggestions.
The use of hypnosis to treat disease (also called "hypnotherapy") has been around for more than half a century. In fact, the British Medical Association approved the use of hypnotherapy in 1955. The American Medical Association approved its use in 1958.
As you might imagine, if major medical associations have approved the use of hypnosis to treat disease, imagine how powerful it is when treating thought patterns that stand in the way of your productivity!
Furthermore, popular news sources have recently gone on the record in support of hypnosis:
There's a reason why the media is getting behind hypnosis: it's because it really works!
But here's the most exciting part. When you combine hypnosis with new productive thought patterns you have the perfect recipe for consistent productivty!
Download four mini-sessions created by Dr. Neil Fiore, productivity expert. Learn to Relax and Center, a valuable life skill.
The retail value of this product is $29. Right now it's yours free.
Thanks for requesting your free copy of Relax and Center by Dr. Neil Fiore.
Watch your email for the link to the report. It will be emailed to you within the next 20 minutes.
Like Software for Your Brain!
"Neil Fiore's Productivity Engineering CD's upgrade your work performance and mental attitude. They're full of tips and techniques for working in the flow state, dealing with complex projects, and coping with your own perfectionism and other self-sabotaging behavior. Neil's program helps you achieve balance, decrease stress, enjoy life more, and produce more than ever."- Kelly Imamura - JD, CPA, CFP - New York, NY
Here's what my team and I did: we conducted an in-depth search to find the world's leading productivity expert who could create the kind of hypnosis program we envisioned.
During our search, we investigated scores of people and interviewed 8 different professionals who met our strict qualifications.
Finally, we discovered Dr. Neil Fiore. As you'll see, there's nobody in the world as qualified as he is to help you increase your productivity. Nobody can even come close.
Less Procrastination, More Fulfillment!
"Neil's THE authority on using hypnosis to reprogram your thinking so you experience far less procrastination and stress, and much more productive peace and fulfillment. I'm doing great, thanks to Neil's CDs!"- Suzanne Falter-Barns
- Founder - GetKnownNow.com
Not only does Dr. Neil Fiore have his doctorate degree in counseling and psychology from the University of Maryland, he's also a published author, productivity coach, and certified hypnotherapist.
His book The Now Habit: Overcoming Procrastination While Enjoying Guilt-Free Play has been in print since 1989 and has sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide.
His one-on-one clients include famous business people, politicians, and athletes. (I just can't mention them here because of confidentiality agreements — but you would recognize their names!)
Some of his many corporate clients include Bechtel Power Corporation, Levi-Strauss, Kaiser-Permanente, and AT&T.
Dr. Fiore has even created a successful audio program for Nightingale-Conant, the world's largest distributor of personal development programs. And he was recently named one of the "Top 10 Self-Help Gurus" by Boardroom Reports, the publisher of Bottomline Personal and Bottomline Health magazines.
Because of his enormous recognition and success, Dr. Fiore is in high demand these days. Between client work, speaking engagements, and writing, his schedule is packed.
To tell you the truth, when we approached him with our idea, we were worried that he was going to turn us down. But once he caught the vision, he was eager to help.
Wow - wasn't at all what I expected
" Dr. Fiore leads you on a journey down to the inner blocks and attitudes that keep you not just from being more productive. Then he effortlessly guides you past those blocks and helps you develop more productive attitudes. I recommend them to anyone who wants to be more productive and live life more fully."- David Deutsch - A-List Direct Response Copywriter - Author, Think Inside the Box!
The Results Have Been Incredible
"I've struggled for years with paralyzing procrastination. I didn't think it was possible to fix my bad habits just by listening to a few CDs...but the results have been incredible. Thanks to this simple system I'm able to sit down and get to work right away. Thank you so much."- Chris Haddad - Copywriter - Seattle, WA
I've Been Using the Tools Regularly
"I am deeply enjoying your Productivity Engineering CDs. I just started a new challenging job the same week I received them, so I have been using the tools in your sessions with some regularity! The safety net is a fantastic image for me."- Martha Garvey - Author of My Fat Dog and My Fat Cat
Are these folks any different than you? No, they are not. They simply put aside their doubts and gave Productivity Engineering a try. As a result, they are now living more productive lives than they ever have before. They are more accomplished, more fulfilled, and more satisfied with life.
I'm confident the same thing can happen for you.
How can I say that?
First, the feedback. It's resoundingly positive.
Second, we have extremely low return rates. In fact, if we see more than 4% of any single program returned for a refund, we stop carrying it.
Dr. Fiore has created a truly marvelous program — and you can tell the moment you start listening. There is the soft sound of violins, Dr. Fiore's soothing voice, the positive suggestions. Not to mention the content itself is some of the most life-changing material you'll ever hear.
In each session, Dr. Fiore uses hypnosis techniques to put you into a relaxed state — a trance, if you will — so that both your conscious and subconscious mind are working together to learn as fast and effectively as possible.
You are still totally in control. You can stand up and walk away at any time. In fact, a telephone call can break the trance, which is why it's important to be in a quiet environment.
As you enter this relaxed "learning" state, Dr. Fiore walks you through exercises specific to your stage of the journey. These exercises are simple and effective. As you follow his instructions, you will be creating lasting change in your life-so that you become a more productive and fulfilled person.
In fact, this "interactivity" is one of the things that makes the program so unique. Other hypnosis programs are just a bunch of random trances. But Dr. Fiore brings 30 years of clinical experience to the trance state, which means you're going to experience results much more quickly.
A Lot Less Wasted Time
"Although it has only been a week, I have already noticed a difference in my attitude towards goals - I'm now working on several home business projects that I had stalled on earlier. I'm ordinarily an anxious person and a profound procrastinator in my freelance writing business - which was going nowhere - so I definitely needed to curb my self-sabotage tendencies. I first heard you on a sample recording at The Hypnosis Network and instantly liked and trusted your voice and manner of speaking. Your credentials are also reassuring. Thanks again!"- Pam Mueller - Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Some of the things you'll learn include:
The recorded sessions you'll be listening to are so packed with information and exercises-and the audio is so crisp and so clear...
Don't be surprised if you reach the end of a session and forget you're still at home. That's how relaxed and "in the moment" you'll be.
Since each session builds on the one before, you will notice more and more positive change the deeper you go.
And best of all, you can repeat the program as often as you like, to make sure your new productive thoughts are embedded into your subconscious mind.
As Dr. Fiore mentioned in a recent interview, it is not uncommon for people to "slip up" two or three months down the road. They forget about what they learned...or they just get too comfortable...and start letting old unproductive thought patterns sneak back in.
That's why it's so helpful to have the program right at your fingertips. If you experience a "hiccup" like this, it will be simple to fix. Simply spend a few minutes each day going back through the program. You'll find yourself back on track in no time.
Productivity Engineering is an 11-session program that uses hypnosis to help you become the most productive person you can possibly be.
The feedback of the program has been astounding. To encourage you a bit, listen to what people like you are saying about the Productivity Engineering program:
The Hypnosis Network audio programs can help you
"Being consistently productive and fearless in your prospecting is absolutely a function of a well-honed mindset. The Hypnosis Network audio programs can help you to create a winning mindset so that you can become a success and reach your full potential."- Brian Tracy - CEO of Brian Tracy Intl. - The Psychology Of Selling
They Work!
"So often peak performance programs only engage the conscious or subconscious mind, the right brain or the left brain. But this program taps into them all, which is why it is so effective. The 'six breath' technique is invaluable. I am amazed at how I can instantly get into a peak performance state anytime I want and get positive results."- Vicki Kunkel - Vicki Kunkel International - Chicago, IL
This Program is Extremely Effective
"As the editor of ProcrastinationHelp.com, I have reviewed a lot of products designed to eliminate procrastination. If I could choose only one product to help with procrastination issues, it would be Productivity Engineering by Dr. Neil Fiore. This program is down-to-earth, easy to follow, and extremely effective."- Tomas Drakou - Founder and Editor - ProcrastinationHelp.com
One of the Best Programs I've Ever Been Introduced To
"Investing in programs that help me get and keep the edge in life is something I do regularly. Having been exposed to hundreds of programs, I can tell you that Productivity Engineering is one of the best programs I've ever been introduced to. I HIGHLY recommend you get Productivity Engineering The results will speak for themselves."- Stephen Pierce - Business Optimization Strategist - President of Innovation Marketers
This is just a small taste of the kind of feedback we've been getting. We've got many more personal stories and testimonials on file here at our Texas office.
In Mental Toughness, Dr. Neil Fiore will show you how to overcome setbacks in your life, how to finish difficult projects, and how to stick to your goals when the going gets tough.
Like Productivity Engineering, Dr. Fiore uses his 30 years of clinical experience combined with hypnosis to quickly produce dramatic, positive results.
Plus, Mental Toughness is the perfect companion to Productivity Engineering, and it's yours free simply for taking action today.
WARNING: Because the number of bonus programs available is limited, this special incentive is only guaranteed until they run out. We reserve the right to remove this offer at any time.
If you have any interest in improving your ability to get things done, what are you waiting for?
It sounds unbelievable, but it's true. We will give you one full year to try this program. If at any time you feel that this is not helping you, just send it back for a full refund of the purchase price. If you have any questions along the way, we answer our phone and open our emails personally. Just contact us.
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Productivity Engineering 4CDs
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Mental Toughness 2CDs
Productivity Engineering 4CDs + Download
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|Productivity Engineering is a 4-CD program.
|Therapist: Dr. Neil Fiore
How to have a successful hypnosis experience:
Productivity Engineering
Productivity Engineering is an 11-track audio hypnosis program on four CDs. Dr. Fiore has created this program to be incremental; in other words, each session builds on the prior one. Therefore, it is vital that you:
The recommended listening sequence is as follows:
Days 1 through 3:
Listen to CD 1, Track 1, which includes the Centering exercise, at least once each day. Become proficient at this exercise because it is critical to your improved productivity.
Days 4 through 6:
Listen to CD 1, Track 2, Committee Meeting Exercise, for three days—several times a day if you can. It is vital that you learn to hold a committee meeting of all parts of you—no matter how unusual that sounds at first!
Days 7 and 8:
Listen to CD1, Track 3, at least once a day, or more if you have time. You're going to put what you've learned into actual practice; now you begin setting and achieving a workable goal
Days 9 and 10:
Learn to create your own safety net that you will always have, by listening to CD 1, Track 4. Again, you should listen to the session at least once daily.
Days 11 and 12:
Dr. Fiore will show you how to analyze your fears and transform them into motivation in CD 2, Track 1, Turn Fear Intro Motivation, which you need to listen to one time a day. If you have time, repeat the session that day.
Days 13 and 14:
Use CD 2, Track 2, Optimal Performance, at least once daily, and, as always, repeat it on each day if possible.
Days 15 and 16:
By listening to CD 3, Track 1, Removing the Procrastination Habit, at least one time a day on these two days, you will learn how to uninstall your procrastination habit.
Days 17 and 18:
Now that your old bad habit has been removed, you're ready to install the productivity habit with CD 3, Track 2. Do this session once or more daily on these days.
Days 19 and 20:
With CD 4, Track 1, Total Procrastination Elimination, learn how to connect your conscious and unconscious mind so that you can totally eliminate procrastination. As always, listen to the session at least once each day.
Days 21 and 22:
Using CD 4, Track 2, you'll understand how to take your memories of fears and failures and "metabolize" them so that they no longer encourage self-sabotage. Again, listen once a day to this track—or more if you have time.
Days 23 and 24:
You'll be pleasantly surprised by the unique Five-Year Plan on CD 4, Track 3. You should listen to this track at least once daily on these two days. This session, far from concluding this program for you, leads you toward implementing it for the rest of your life!
Upon completion of Productivity Engineering:
Once you've completed the program, whenever you feel you need reinforcement of your new productivity techniques, choose a track that is the most meaningful for you and listen to it.
Productivity Engineering is an 11-track downloadable audio hypnosis program. Dr. Fiore has created this program to be incremental; in other words, each session builds on the prior one. Therefore, it is recommended that you:
Days 1 through 3:
Listen to Session 1, Program Introduction and Centering. Becoming proficient at this exercise is critical to your improved productivity, so use it whenever you transition to a new project or activity. When used at least three to five times a day, it will become automatic within two to three weeks. This powerful exercise can double your productivity.
Days 4 through 6:
Listen to Session 2, Committee Meeting Exercise, for three days consecutively, and listen several times a day if you can. It is vital that you learn to hold a committee meeting of all parts of you to end self-sabotage, and to gain the cooperation of all the diverse parts that comprise you.
Days 7 and 8:
You're now going to begin setting a workable goal that you can achieve in seven days. Listen to Session 3, Effective Goal Setting Exercise, and work on the steps toward that goal through Day 13, while listening to tracks as directed below.
Days 9 and 10:
Learn to shut off your stress response by creating your own safety net that you will always have, after listening to Track 4, Creating Your Own Safety Net.
Days 11 and 12:
Dr. Fiore will show you how to analyze your fears and how to transform the energy of stress into motivation on Session 5, Turn Fear Into Motivation.
Days 13 and 14:
Listen to Session 6, Optimal Performance. By the end of Day 13, you will have taken major steps to achieving the goal you set on Day 7.
Days 15 and 16:
You will learn how to uninstall your procrastination habit with Session 7, Removing the Procrastination Habit.
Days 17 and 18:
Now that your old bad habit has been removed, you're ready to install the productivity habit with Session 8, Installing the Productivity Habit.
Days 19 and 20:
With Session 9, Total Procrastination Elimination, you will learn how to connect your conscious and subconscious mind so that you can totally eliminate procrastination.
Days 21 and 22:
Using Session 10, Eliminating Self Sabotage (Goal Achievement), you'll understand how to integrate the parts of you that fear failure and cause self-sabotage so that they contribute to your success.
Days 23 and 24:
You'll be pleasantly surprised by Session 11, Five-Year Plan. This session, far from concluding this program for you, leads you toward implementing it for the rest of your life! Put your Five-Year Plan in an envelope to be opened five years from now. You'll be amazed to see how many of your goals you have achieved.
Upon completion of Productivity Engineering:
Once you've completed the program, whenever you feel you need to reconnect with your inner genius, choose a track that is the most meaningful for you and listen to it.
Can I be hypnotized? What if I'm "resistant"?
People of average intelligence (unless there is some form of organic brain damage) can be hypnotized in most cases if they are willing and do not resist.
The depth of hypnosis varies with a person's ability to respond. If you are not a naturally responsive subject, you can improve your receptivity to hypnosis with practice.
If you are totally resistant to the intent of the program you are considering, then it's not for you. You can't use hypnosis if you don't want to, because no one can hypnotize you against your will.
How should I use this program for maximum effectiveness?
A comfortable chair is the best place to listen, although a couch will also work. If you are listening to these in bed, for the first cycle it will be best if you do not go into a deep sleep unless so stated by the hypnosis session itself. After the first cycle, you may use the sessions before bedtime (they make great sleep aids). Do not try to listen at your computer – experience shows that it won't work.
These sessions work best when you are undisturbed and comfortable. Please make sure your phone ringer is off and that you will not be disturbed for a 25-minute period. Headphones are OK, but are not necessary.
Listen to only one session a day - the introduction does not count as a session. The sessions are incremental and should be listened to in the order presented on the CDs. We do recommend that you repeat each session at least four times before moving on to the next session. You will find that the programs will be the most effective if you listen at least 5 days a week for a minimum of three weeks . . . changing behavior is not going to happen overnight.
Once you have listened to all the sessions in order, we suggest that you go back and re-listen to the sessions that you find most relevant. The listening order can now be mixed.
If you have multiple programs from The Hypnosis Network, please complete each program separately and completely before moving on to another one.
How do I know if it is working? How will I know if I am actually hypnotized while listening to the sessions?
The experience of hypnosis is different for everyone. For many people, hypnosis is much like reading a good book. You are absorbed, but are still aware of your environment and your internal dialogue.
The depth of the trance has no effect on your results. The best way to notice if the hypnosis is working is to notice your decisions during the day surrounding food and exercise. Gradually, it will be easier and easier to make the right decisions.
Can I listen while sleeping?
It is not a good idea to listen to the hypnosis sessions while lying down to go to bed. If you fall asleep, the sessions will not be effective. A great time to listen is in the morning when you wake up, or in the evening when you get home from work.
Will the program work if I fall asleep while I'm listening?
Probably not, but sometimes hypnosis is confused with sleep. If you wake up at the end of each session, then you were in a deep trance and were not asleep – which is excellent! If you wake up hours later, then you were asleep and the session will not be effective.
What if I stay completely aware during the hypnosis session?
The hypnosis sessions on these CDs are pretty light, meaning that it is not like the movies. You're not going to become a zombie.
Some people experience the sessions in the way you would experience a great work of fiction. You are totally absorbed, but are aware of the outside world. Other people (usually if they are tired or really need the relaxation) get so absorbed that they do not remember listening to the session. Either way, you will get results. The results are not tied to "going under," but instead are tied to the focusing.
Can I listen while driving?
Absolutely not. Never listen to a hypnosis session while driving or engaged in any activity that requires your attention. Please listen in a quiet place where you will be undisturbed, without operating a vehicle or any dangerous machinery.
Can I contact someone if I still have questions?
Yes! Please let us know if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions. We always welcome customer input.
How to contact us:
US and Canada toll free: 888-332-6463
Other international callers: +1 817-566-0050
Or you can email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
We want to see you succeed, and we are here to help you! Please contact us if you need any assistance.
Do you ship overseas? Do you ship to APO boxes?
Yes, absolutely. Many of our customers live outside the United States.
Orders shipped to Canada will ship from the United States using USPS (US $19.95 flat rate).
Orders shipped to the United Kingdom, Ireland, other European Union countries, and Australia will ship from a nearby location using the local postal service (US $9.95 flat rate). See details at checkout. No import duties or handling fees should be assessed for any of these locations.
Orders to other international addresses will ship via the U.S. Postal Service Global Priority Mail for a flat rate of $19.95. Our prices do not include duties or value-added taxes. If assessed, these charges are the responsibility of the package recipient, who will be billed for them by the local Customs office.
Shipments to APO boxes are sent by Priority Mail using the U.S. Postal Service. NOTE: We cannot track shipments sent via the U.S. Postal Service and cannot guarantee delivery times.
What if it doesn't work? Do I have to try the product for a year before returning it?
No. If you purchase a Hypnosis Network program directly from us, you can return the program at any time within a period of one year after your order date for a full refund of the purchase price. (Your order date is printed on your receipt.) Most people know within about 2 months whether a program will be effective or not, but we like to give you plenty of time so you do not feel rushed.
Productivity Engineering Download
$119 - Now Only $79
Mental Toughness Download
Productivity Engineering 4CDs
$119 - Now Only $97
Mental Toughness 2CDs
Productivity Engineering 4CDs + Download
$238 - Now Only $119
Mental Toughness 2CDs + Download
Neil Fiore, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist, a trainer, and the author of four books. Dr. Fiore, a former president of The Northern California Society of Clinical Hypnosis, has conducted training at CSPP, Summit Hospital, Smithsonian Institute, Levi Strauss, UCSF and Stanford.
Dr. Fiore is the author of The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play. He runs seminars and training programs that combine the use of hypnosis and other therapeutic devices to obtain peak performance and productivity.
From his experience as a Lieutenant with the 101st Airborne Division, a manager with Johnson & Johnson, a Statistical Analyst for Shell Oil, and a psychologist and career counselor at the UC Berkeley, Neil brings practical tools for life and work to his seminar participants.EDUCATION
Productivity Engineering - eliminate procrastination and achieve your goals
Mental Toughness - enhance your resilience and persistence
Effective Goal Setting - set goals
We offer a one-year no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
If you are not getting the results you expected from any of our programs, you can return the product within one year of your order date with no questions asked. Your order date is printed on your receipt.
We honor all people as unique individuals and will NEVER share any correspondence (whether it be written or verbal) with anyone outside of the company without your written consent.
Furthermore, it is our commitment to protecting the privacy rights of anyone who visits our site.
We collect email addresses of those who ask to receive free downloads of our products, those who subscribe to our newsletter, those who sign up for our free teleseminars, and of customers who order products.
We will only use these email addresses to send you unique product offerings and discounts, information about your order, or information specific to lists you may subscribe to. You will always have the option of removing yourself from a list by following a link that is at the bottom of all of our newsletters.
Furthermore, we do not sell trade or otherwise share any information about our site visitors with third parties.
We honor all people as unique individuals and will NEVER share any correspondence (whether it be written or verbal) with anyone outside of the company without your written consent.
Furthermore, it is our commitment to protecting the privacy rights of anyone who visits our site.
We collect email addresses of those who ask to receive free downloads of our products, those who subscribe to our newsletter, those who sign up for our free teleseminars, and of customers who order products.
We will only use these email addresses to send you unique product offerings and discounts, information about your order, or information specific to lists you may subscribe to. You will always have the option of removing yourself from a list by following a link that is at the bottom of all of our newsletters.
Furthermore, we do not sell trade or otherwise share any information about our site visitors with third parties.
We offer a one-year no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
If you are not getting the results you expected from any of our programs, you can return the product within one year of your order date with no questions asked. Your order date is printed on your receipt.


text:
Another one for my fiction workshop class, along with Ten Percent. Criticism is greatly appreciated.
I wake up.
My surroundings haven't changed; every time I wake up, I wake up in the same room, in the same place, in the same position. The room is roughly a cube, and I would estimate it to be about two and a half times my height in each dimension; I don't know my height, but what I can see of my body proportions without a mirror suggests I'm somewhere between five and a half and six and a half feet tall. I have no other reference besides this guesswork, and of course I could be grossly incorrect, especially about the height of the ceiling (I cannot get anywhere near it). The walls of the room are a dull gray – most everything here is a dull gray – with no luster and a flat texture. Its contents, not including myself, are a single bed, single table, and single chair. The frame of the bed is as high as the soft part of my knee when I stand next to it, and if my thumb from the tip of my nail to the joint is one inch long then the mattress is about four inches thick when not compressed by my body weight; it is apparently of the simple spring type. There is no pillow. The tabletop is square and almost exactly the length of my arm from the tip of my fully-extended middle finger to my armpit; sitting atop a single, central leg that becomes an X-shape at the floor, the table reaches about two thumb-inches below my navel when I stand next to it. The seat of the unpadded but otherwise ergonomic four-legged chair is about knee height; the back is as high as my crotch. There is one exit from the room – a doorway of dimensions such that I cannot pass through with my elbows extended out from my shoulders or my arms above my head – and no windows. The floor is of the same material as the walls and ceiling. White light comes from a globe recessed into the ceiling at what seems to be its exact center. If the light was in the center of the floor rather than the ceiling, I estimate it would be exactly between where the bed is attached to the floor and where the table is, directly across the table from where the chair is when I wake up (the chair isn't bolted down; often when I wake up, the first thing I do is move the chair; out of spite, perhaps).
What I know about myself is less than I know about the room, because it is harder to study my own body than it is to study my surroundings. As I said before, my estimate of my height is broadly between five and a half and six feet tall. I am not particularly muscular nor particularly fat; to estimate my weight would require a more exact understanding of my height. My hair is dark brown, as evidenced by my relatively sparse body hair and the color of the short hair I pulled out of my head for the purpose of that same test. I am male. Every time I wake up I am dressed in a plain gray coverall without any tags or markings, a pair of gray briefs, and a pair of plain gray shoes with no laces. I always wake up in the bed, lying on my back with my arms at my sides and with my
shoes on, even though when I lay in the bed to rest (not to sleep; I cannot recall a time when I have laid down in the bed of my own accord and fallen asleep) I always find it more comfortable to do so on my stomach with my head resting on my arms and my feet bare.
As can probably be assumed, I have no memory of events before I came to this place. I do not know my name. I know many facts, but strangely disjointed ones; for instance, I know what a month is – a 28 to 31-day period, segmenting the year – but cannot name any of them, identify how many there should be, or identify what a year is beyond "a certain number of monthsâ€. Likewise, I know what a city and a country is, but cannot name one of either, never mind those attached to my birth. I know I live on the planet Earth but otherwise have no knowledge of what a planet is or what Earth is besides being the planet on which I live. I can name each part of my body and even explain to a fair degree what each part does, and of course know the names of all of my furniture (and often wish for an ottoman, knowing fully what one is).
I do not eat. I do not recall any intermittent states of sleep besides being awake and jolting awake, nor any dreams. I have no reference with which to keep track of time; not even the ability to make marks for the days (or what I call the days; sometimes the time between waking up and waking up is barely long enough to get out of bed).
I sit up on the bed. I have the almost-uncontrollable reflex to rub my eyes to free them of the sticky detritus of dried tears, but even though I know to expect them I have never had to deal with them in my memory, regardless of the number of times I have suddenly opened my eyelids to face my mostly-featureless ceiling.
Today I will go to one of the other rooms. By a rough count, I haven't left the bedroom in about fifteen days. Based on the fact that the previous two days were especially long, I think I'm due today for torture.
My bedroom is at the end of a hall; leaving my room, the rest of the hall extends to the left. The hall is longer than I can walk even on the longest day, and the most doors I have counted walking all day are 2133 on the left side (counting my own room) and 2024 on the right side. Near my room, the doors are spaced fairly close together, with probably only six inches of partition between the rooms, but the space of empty wall from door to door grows as you go down the hall until by the thousandth door the spacing has become one hundred paces or more.
With the exception of the bed, table, and chair in my own bedroom, each of the rooms in the hall is featureless except for the light in the ceiling, placed (as in my room) in the exact center. However, not all the rooms are the same size, and seem to vary by about ten feet – all are cubes, which is disconcerting because of the difference in ceiling heights.
The reason I am leaving the room today is to try and obscure the strange noises with the warning voice. Going past the doorway of the ninetieth room on the left is one of the five ways to invoke the warning voice. "THIS IS NOT ACCORDING TO PROTOCOL,†the voice says. "RETURN TO THE AREA OF THE LIVING QUARTERS.†The voice says this once every time my whole body passes past the close side of the doorway; it will not activate again after a slow count to five.
The other four ways I have discovered that activate the voice are all ways in which I have attempted to kill myself after particularly bad sessions of torture. I woke up from each of them in the bed on my back, no lasting harm done. I tried each of them at least fifteen more times with the same effect. My failure to commit suicide after trying at least sixty times gave credence to my previously-held theory that I am in hell. However, an eternity to contemplate my sins would be preferable to an eternity of not remembering anything, sin or otherwise, that I could contemplate, so I must conclude that I am not in the traditional hell (what tradition, I could not begin to say).
The noises occur every torture session, and in some ways are the worst part of all, which is why I am on my way out the door, counting the doors on the left. Before the ninetieth door I stop and wait, on edge, straining my ears to listen for the warning that will begin the noises and the torture. The noises are the same each time. Having done this before, I know how to poise myself so that when the torture buckles my knees I will fall forward and pass the door and be warned to return to the area of the living quarters.
It begins.
"IT IS AGAINST PROTOCOL TO ATTEMPT TO MOVE DURING THE FOLLOWING PROCESS,†proclaims the voice above me as the noises start. The first noise is like someone saying "shoop†and then there is a constant tapping and a few other noises I cannot describe. My muscles begin to seize shortly after this begins, but I do not buckle yet.
There is a voice amid the noises; central to them, in fact. Hearing its gibberish is terrible.
"Here come old flattop
He come groovin' up slowly
He got joo-joo eyeball
He one holy rollerâ€
Here I buckle.
"THIS IS NOT ACCORDING TO PROTOCOL down to his knees
RETURN TO THE AREA OF THE LIVING QUARTERS he just do what he pleaseâ€
The voice , replaced by "shoopâ€s and taps. I my jaw is clenching and unclenching and I am making strangled noises. I would scream if I could; the pain is unbearable, as accustomed as I am to my ordeal.
"He wear no shoeshine
He got toe-jam football
He got monkey finger
He shoot coca cola
He say 'I know you, you know me'â€
I cannot squirm back past the door in time to cover up the sound of the next thing the voice says. I never can.
"One thing I can tell you is you got to be free
Come together
Right now
Over meâ€
I weep, insensate with pain and the haunting familiarity of the noises, the inescapable feeling that they should have meaning. That is the root of their terror.
I have never been able to count the seconds of the pain, even though there was a period of about forty tortures where I tried for each one, but it is long. The pattern of the noises repeats once.
It does stop, and I wake up in my bed, wailing my agony.
The PROTOCOL Rehabilitation System
The PROTOCOL system is a new advancement in the science of rehabilitation. The subject's mind exists in a virtual conceptualization of a perfect world without hunger or fatigue, most of the subject's memories and knowledge locked away to prevent the mind from recognizing the world as false. In this way, the subject is kept perfectly still as injuries to the body are quickly reversed by state-of-the-art medical practices.
Muscle stimulations every few minutes are a necessity to ensure proper healing, but the program overlays the experience with the subject's favorite song to greatly dampen the effects of the pain. The system operates in a series of cycles, and at the beginning of each the simulation resets.
The test subject for the first use of the PROTOCOL system is 28-year-old Marcus Gold, who received several critical injuries in an automobile accident. Marcus's favorite song, which his wife told the presiding doctors reminds him strongly of when they met, is "Come Together†by the Beatles, and so that is the song the system overlays the stimulations with; of course, his mind does not currently process the associates it normally makes with it. We believe this to be a calming factor for the otherwise-traumatic experience.
The main argument against the use of the virtual aspect of the PROTOCOL system is that time will be dilated for the subject, but data at this point in the experiment cannot confirm or deny this.
At the end of this first work-day of testing, the results are promising. The two-month process will continue as scheduled.


text: Thursday, December 29, 2011 Visits to ED for Arm Fractures Expected to Rise With Aging Baby Boomers A new study suggests that number of people who go to the emergency department (ED) for a broken arm could rise by nearly a third by 2030, when the youngest baby boomers turn 65, says an article by Reuters. Researchers analyzed data on 28 million ED visits across the United States in 2008 and found 370,000 cases of humerus fractures. Children ages 5-9 accounted for the highest overall number of humerus breaks, but the arm injuries also spiked among women after age 40 and men after age 60. The researchers report that 38.7 million Americans were 65 or older in 2008, but in 2030, that number will be 71.5 million. In their article, published in Arthritis Care Research, the researchers project 490,000 ED visits for humerus breaks in that year, with much of the increase likely to be among older Americans. The highest number of proximal humerus breaks, an injury often associated with falls, was seen in both men and women after age 45. Those rates kept rising until about age 84. Women were more than twice as likely as men to have proximal humerus break, and saw an uptick in the breaks starting after age 40, which the researchers attributed to lost bone density, says Reuters. Fractures near the elbow were the second most common upper-arm fracture. Children under age 15 accounted for almost 65% of those. Nearly 90% of upper-arm breaks were caused by falls, prompting the authors to call for "[r]igorous safety measures to reduce falls and improved preventive treatments of osteoporosis." Comments want to know about post fracture treatmet Posted by Aboobacker Sidheeque on 1/14/2012 8:03 AM


text:
Welcome! You know what day it is? You guessed it! Friday!!!! Here's your congratulatory open thread in which to revel in excellence.
Here's how it works. You start commenting about whatever you want and...that's it! You just talk about whatever you want. Share some knowledge, ask some questions, gif it up.
We are coming from Hackerspace, Lifehacker's awesome commenter driven little sibling. Check it out throughout the week and maybe you'll like it so much you might stick around and drop a post or two on us.
Here's some tunes for your Fri-day par-tay:
Pure chillstep #9 from 8Cvetko on 8tracks Radio.
Image: I waste so much time