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Thank You Notes are probably the type of notes we write the most. They're not only nice notes to write but sometimes, they're socially required.
(Want to download this handy guide? Sign up below and we'll send it to you!)
So what makes a good Thank You Note?
First, don't be intimidated, you are thanking someone and that's always well received. Second, it's easy to write a thank you note because the format is usually the same every time.
Here's a breakdown:
1. The Date
September 23, 2007
Most people will like to keep your thank you note and it's always nice to be able to look back and see when the note was written.
2. The Salutation
Dear (person's name),
You can always use "Dear" as a salutation, it's the most popular but consider using others like "Hello" for a more casual note or "Dearest" for a loved one. Don't forget to use a comma after their name.
3. The Body
This is the content of your thank you note. Thank your recipient as genuinely as you can. If you're thanking someone for a gift, mention it in your note. It's extra nice if you mention how you're planning to use their gift. Try to add a little something extra like "Hope your mom is doing well" or "Let's get together soon".
4. The Closing
If you're not sure what's appropriate for you note, "Sincerely" or "Sincerely Yours" are classic choices. Other good choices are "Warmly", "Love", "Affectionately" or "Best Regards" for a business or more formal thank you. Write what sounds most genuine to you.
5. The Signature
Usually your first name for more personal notes and first and last for social or business notes. Make sure to always hand write your signature and make sure it's legible. If it's not legible, you might consider using personalized stationery and eliminate that problem altogether!
- Think about the stationery you're using for your note. Your choices say a lot about you so choose nice paper and print neatly.
- Really think about the moment you opened your gift, that'll help your words flow.
- Add a compliment like "You have such great taste". People always like to be complimented.
- Keep your note short, to a paragraph or two, it's a note not a letter.
Remember that while there are guides to writing a thank you note, a note that comes from the heart is always a good one. So just jump in there and write your note, your recipient will be so glad you did!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Pavement deterioration modeling and design of a composite pavement distress index for Kentucky interstate highways and parkways.
Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Industrial Engineering
Degree Program
Industrial Engineering, MS
Committee Chair
Bai, Lihui
Pavements--Deterioration--Kentucky; Roads--Deterioration--Kentucky
Pavement deterioration is one of the most important driver for prioritizing pavement management and preservation (PMP) projects. The primary goal of this thesis is to provide reasonable predictive functions from multiple linear regression (MLR) models and artificial neural networks (ANN) that can be adopted by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Furthermore, we use analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to design a composite pavement distress index in order to help Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) prioritizing PMP projects based on 11 different distress indices. Numerical results show that the MLR models provide relatively high R square values of approximately 0.8. Both MLR and ANN models have small average squared errors (ASE). Finally, for all nine distress indices studied in this thesis, MRL models are recommended to KYTC due to their simplicity, interpretability along with robust performance that is comparable to the ANN model. Finally, a priority rating method is developed using analytical hierarchy process and it integrates 11 pavement distress indices into one priority score. A case study shows that the propose AHP-based rating method overcomes the drawback of KYTC's current rating system for overemphasizing the international roughness index (IRI) among all distress indices.
Recommended Citation
Luo, Chenglong, "Pavement deterioration modeling and design of a composite pavement distress index for Kentucky interstate highways and parkways." (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 868.


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We all know the feeling; you are writing an important document on your computer, you select "Print" and then you hear that awful noise: your printer is out of ink. You go to the store and pick up some cartridges, and you shell out almost sixty bucks doing so every time you make a trip. Printer ink is probably one of the most expensive things that you need to upkeep with your computer and technology items. Most people don't know about the easy ways to cut down on costs and to save more ink every month. Here are some ways that you can save money on printer ink.
Buy Online
Firstly, buying ink from the store is going to cost you a lot more than if you bought in bulk online. You can actually save money just by doing this simple step. A great website that has really low prices is all-ink.com. It will save you more money buying a lot of ink now for cheap then having to waste gas money in addition to your out of pocket costs going to the store and buying the ink.
Shake It Up!
Most people don't know that if you actually shake up your ink cartridges, you will be able to use them for longer. This is because when the powder sticks to the top of the cartridge, it does not get used. A lot of powder gets stuck in there. I tried this out for myself and found that I had another full cartridge of ink once I shook it up. My printer recognized that it was empty, and then after shaking it and putting it back in, it actually showed a completely full bar and treated it as if it was a brand new cartridge. It's amazing what something so simple can do for you money wise!
Recycling your cartridges is actually a great way to earn a few extra bucks. Yes, that's right, they actually give you money to recycle used printer cartridges. This is an offer you simply cannot pass up and it will give you a little cash back from the money that you spent on the ink in the first place.
Amazon Price: Too low to display Buy Now
(price as of May 25, 2016)
Instead of having to buy brand new every time, you can refill them with ink instead. This will save you TONS of money. Who knew that cheap made plastic could really cost you that much? If you don't want to refill them yourself, having someone refill them for you is also an option. However, that will probably cost you a little bit of cash, but not nearly as much as if you had to buy them brand new every time.
Print in Grey Scale
If it's possible, print in grey scale. This uses half the amount of black ink that your printer would normally use, so you can make it all last longer. This also helps when you do need to use a lot of ink you have already saved up enough to print out that picture or big project you have been waiting for.
Paying for ink does not have to be expensive if you know what to do and how to manage your ink consumption. Be smart about what you are printing, and try not to waste ink on something you don't absolutely need. Get your cartridges refilled or recycle them so that you can save money in the long run. Buy ink or cartridges in bulk online instead of paying so much money just to go to the store and buy them in person. Shake your cartridges to make the ink last longer and receive up to 100 more useful prints out of your ink. All of these tips should help you save money this month and put that into something more important whether it's making a down payment on a house, buying a new car, or getting that big screen TV you have always dreamed about.


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Tight on time but still want to see all five towns? Read on to find out how to make this possible with the one day Cinque Terre itinerary!
For those of you who are not familiar with the area, Cinque Terre is more accurately a region, rather than a singular city. The region of Cinque Terre is made up of five waterfront villages: Riomaggiore, Monterroso, Vernazza, Manarola, and Corniglia. While you could spend countless days wandering these beautiful towns, it is possible to get a taste of each village in only a day! I've created the perfect one day Cinque Terre Itinerary for you all!
One Day Cinque Terre Itinerary: Where to Stay
On my recent visit to the Cinque Terre region, my friend and I stayed at the Ostello Tramonti just 2 kilometers outside of the villages, in a town called Biassa, for a total of two nights. This location allowed for us to get an early start in Riomaggiore, as well as enjoy the sunset in the villages without having to rush back to a far off larger city. This hostel is the ideal location for travelers on a budget! They offered a delicious, but small, breakfast for 3,50 euros, as well as very delicious dinner sets for approximately 10 euros. For the convenience of the guests, the hostel provides a shuttle to and from Riomaggiore (8:30-10 am and then again 8:30-10 pm) for 1 euro each way.
One Day Cinque Terre Itinerary: Park Pass
A one day ticket (includes park entry fee, all trains and buses, wifi at stations) for the park costs 12 euros. If you are trying to do all the villages in one day then I recommend buying this pass as soon as you arrive in Riomaggiore in the morning.
Riomaggiore offers access to a nice hike (1.5- 2 hours round trip, but you should spend some time taking in the view from the top).
We grabbed a quick slice of take away pizza and headed down to the rocks for a view of the water for a post hike snack. Of course there are healthier options available but when in Rome!
We took the train from Riomaggiore straight to Monterosso where we enjoyed our first gelato of the day and then wandered through the charming alleyways (note all the beautiful gigantic lemons!!)
We then started our next hike of the day, a 2 hour hike from Monterosso to Vernazza. While a bit challenging in the heat of the day, it was definitely worth the views! Make sure to take into account the amount of walking that you will be doing when picking out an outfit, and more importantly, shoes for the day.
In Vernazza we took a break at a restaurant by the water where we split a pizza before indulging in a second gelato haha. Like I said, when in Rome! If you were looking to save a bit of cash there are a bunch of small markets in Monterosso where you could pick up a panino, etc to bring along for the hike – to be eaten either along the way or by the water in Vernazza.
Heading to the Dolomites as well? Check out these 7 spots that you can't miss!
Next we took the train to Corniglia – unfortunately due to a missed train, a delayed train, and a sporadic bus schedule we didn't actually have time to see anything more than the Corniglia train station. Make sure that you check the train schedule and keep an eye on the time so that this doesn't happen to you!
Finally we took the train to Manarola which quickly became our favorite of the five villages. It offers the quintessential picture perfect view of Cinque Terre. We started out with the loop of the city along the wooden pathway, ending in the cemetery that overlooks the water. After a quick wander we settled into a waterfront bar, Nessun Dorma, with a jug of wine and a perfect view of the setting sun.
All in all, this is a perfect one day Cinque Terre itinerary for exploring the five picturesque towns. While it would have been nice to have more time to spend exploring each, we did not feel rushed, despite our full day!


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How To Enhance Your Natural Beauty?
Each person has different features which makes them unique and beautiful. Natural beauty is defined as an already existing feature created by nature or naturally that is beautiful on its own. However, leading busy schedules in life have a tendency to take over our lives and often make us forget to take care of ourselves. Skin and body in general is something that requires time and dedication to care for it, and therefore if you are someone that is interested in taking extra care of yourself, then here are a few tips on how to do so. Personal grooming- is one of the most important elements to taking proper care of your body. Moisturizing your skin regularly is a great way to make sure that your skin remains healthy.
This is because throughout the day our skin dries up as we remain outside under the intense heat of the sun. Lotion and other skin care products soak in to your skin best when your skin is wet; therefore it is most advisable for you to use lotions and other moisturizing products after a shower. Poor care of your skin and natural ageing usually results in wrinkling. There are many ways in which wrinkling can be reduced, such as avoiding applying pressure on your face and sensitive skin, continuous use of skin care products and lotions, and even indulging in anti-wrinkling injections.
Despite many assuming it is unnecessary, for those that want to take that added step in taking care of your body, these above and below mentioned are perfect solutions. Your hair is also something that also requires regular care. Washing it often, minimising the use of heat and other chemical products and applying oil are a great way to keep it healthy. Salons often offer hair care services such as conditioning treatments, head massages with natural oils and so on. These are great added ways to take care and maintain your hair.
Occasionally visiting a few cosmetic clinics could be considered as a part of personal grooming essentially means to take added care of you. Mental grooming- this is as important as physical grooming. There are many of us out there that spend a lot of time and money on our appearance, and yet fail to truly feel beautiful. The only way you can accept your physical beauty is by accepting who you are as a person. Being hard on ourselves can be easy to do; but to truly love and accept yourself for the way you are is the hardest and yet the most rewarding thing you can do. The first step is to focus solely on all the features you think look the best, and then truly appreciate it for what it looks like. Having a positive approach to how you look at you is the best way to naturally enhance your beauty.


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Indulging in your favorite Halloween treats isn't the end of the world, but some candies are ridiculously disproportionate when it comes to nutrition content. And, if you're a health-conscious person with a sweet tooth, you might want to know what candy is "healthier" than others.
INSIDER spoke with registered dietitian Lisa DeFazio about how best to rank the sweets. She agreed that the sugar, calories, and fat are the best numbers to look at to determine how "healthy" these candies are.
We then compared the information for one serving size of either the fun, snack, or mini size available for each of your favorite treats. You would be surprised at how many brands have multiple pieces of candy for one serving, so be sure to check the labels on your favorites. The nutritional information was based on the company's official website or off of the nutrition labeling we found for the products sold online or in stores. It's also important to note that this ranking doesn't consider other relevant factors like sodium and fiber.
When it comes to making the healthiest candy choices, DeFazio recommended going for the hard candies that tend to have low to no fat, instead of choices with higher fat content, like chocolate.
"Overall, candy is candy," she said. "When we are looking at candy they are all going to have sugar, so you can't really categorize candy by sugar because it is going to be a negligible difference. You'll do less damage with the stuff that has less total fat."
That said, her personal favorites are chocolate bars — Snickers and 3 Musketeers, to be specific.
See where your favorites rank — based on fat, sugar, and calories — below.
Smarties might be the smartest candy choice to indulge in this Halloween. DeFazio says that this is because they are "straight sugar" and they don't contain any saturated fat. There is also the added fact that they are low in calories and are gluten, dairy, and peanut-free, according to the official website.
Tootsie Pops
"Lollipops and Tootsie Pops are good because they take a lot of time to eat," DeFazio said about these treats. She also mentioned that there are under 100 calories in a serving which adds up to less "damage" nutritionally.
"It's really about what's going to do the least amount of damage in the least amount of time that you are consuming it," she said. "In 20 minutes you can go through five or 10 mini chocolate bars and be 1000 calories in, that's why the lollipops are good."
Sour Patch Kids
Before Sour Patch Kids were kids, they were martians. According to MentalFloss, the candy was originally called Mars Men in the late 1970s but changed after the product came to the US.
Kids and aliens alike should consider eating this candy before other chocolate sweets, according to DeFazio. This, again, is because of the low fat and calorie content.
Only airheads would skip out on these candies. DeFazio said that although these are higher in calories, they are nutritionally sound options with low fat. There are also eight flavor options to ward of taste boredom. When the candies were first released, however, there was only one flavor option — red. People couldn't agree that the flavor was either cherry or strawberry, The Daily Meal reported.
Laffy Taffy
Laffy Taffy was brought to life with the help of a few people. The first was the author of "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" Roald Dahl, the second was Quaker Oats who helped finance the film version of the book to create the accompanying real-life candy line, Mental Floss reports. Laffy Taffy is just one candy that has been brought to life from Willy Wonka's imagination. Nestle, which currently owns the Wonka brand, makes over 13 different Wonka-inspired sweets, according to the official website.
Starburst is owned by Wrigley, the home of another candy on this list — Skittles. According to the Wrigley website, Starburst was initially called Opal Fruits when it debuted in the UK. There were only four flavors when Opal Fruits was introduced, and now, Starburst has tons of other products and flavors including jelly beans and gummibursts.
Nutritionally, although Starburst has a lot of sugar, DeFazio said that the low-fat content still makes them a better option compared to chocolate candies — no matter what version of the sweet you eat.
Tootsie Rolls
Tootsie rolls are very low in fat but high in sugar. For World War II soldiers, this sugar rush gave them energy. Mental Floss reports that the candy rolls were in every World War II soldier's rations because they wouldn't melt or go bad over time.
Brach's Candy Corn
Candy corn is a polarizing Halloween candy — people either love them, or they hate them. Even so, USAToday reports that more than 9 billion kernels of candy corn are sold every year. DeFazio ranked this classic Halloween candy as one of the last "better candies" on the list. This is because the tiny treats are high in sugar and calories, but still low in fat.
Skittles were ranked by DeFazio as one of the worst non-chocolate candy options. Not only are they high in calories and sugar, but they also have more fat than other candies.
Livestrong reported, however, that Skittles also have a surprisingly high amount of vitamin C. This probably has nothing to do with the fact that Skittles are the second most popular chewy candy in America, according to The Daily Meal. This shows that nutrition really doesn't sway people from indulging in their favorite sweets.
Kit Kat
DeFazio said that Kit Kat candies are ones that will add up quickly due to their addictive qualities.
"When you are eating candy you can't stop at one, that's the problem when you start with a chocolate bar, it's like chess, and chemically your body gets these serotonins and dopamines," she said. "There is a chemical thing going on so if you don't want to end up eating five or 10 then don't start."
Kit Kat candies are so popular and addictive that there are more than 200 flavors in Japan and tons of unique variations on the original treat in the Middle East and the Philippines, according to Mental Floss.
Milky Way
Milky Way candies have less fat and sugar compared to other sweets on this list, according to DeFazio, who ranked them after Reese's and Kit Kat bars.
According to Shape, however, they are the "hands-down" best healthy chocolate-bar splurge. This is partly because of the serving size. Back in the day, the bar was more than three ounces, Mental Floss reports, almost double of what a regular size bar is today.
DeFazio noted that Butterfinger and Milky Way candies are similar from a nutrition standpoint. One thing Butterfinger has that Milky Way doesn't is a partnership with Bart Simpson. According to The Daily Meal, Butterfinger worked with "The Simpsons" from 1998 until 2001 and again in 2013.
Baby Ruth
Although the nutritional content of Baby Ruth bars isn't that different from others on this list, it was named one of the most influential candy bars of all time by Time. The creators of the bar claimed it was named after the current president's daughter Ruth, but the most obvious association is with the Yankees star Babe Ruth.
3 Musketeers
3 Musketeers bars may be the most straightforward sounding candy on this list, with a whipped chocolate center and chocolate coating, but they initially came in three flavors. And yes, that's why it was called a 3Musketeers bar. According to The Daily Meal, the original flavors were chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Rationing during World War II led to the flavors being widdled down to just the chocolate.
There are six different colored regular M&M'S, and only so many pieces come in one Fun Size candy pack.
DeFazio noted to be aware of how many pieces of candy come in packs like M&M'S since some types may have more pieces per serving.
"People will say to eat 8oz of candy, but people don't know what that is and when they see the actual serving size it's a whole different ball game."
DeFazio said that Snickers are one of the worst chocolates due to the high amount of sugar, calories, and fat. But that doesn't stop people from indulging in the candy. They are considered a staple candy due to the combination of chocolate, peanuts, and caramel. This is what Time called the "holy trinity of confection." The publication also listed the candy as one of the most influential bars of all time.
Almond Joy
Almond Joy candies are very similar to Snickers nutritionally but have a slightly higher fat content. Greatist reported that Almond Joy has an extra dose of fiber and unsaturated fat thanks to the almond center. The Hershey brand, which creates Almond Joy candies, is the largest buyer of almonds in North America, according to Mental Floss.
Raisinets are very high in calories and sugar but have less fat than other candies on this list. DeFazio said that the good news is you get a serving of fruit with this candy too. Greatist reports, however, that you can make this treat healthier by going for the dark chocolate variety instead. There are also other varieties including chocolate covered cherries and cranberries, according to the official website.
Nestlé Crunch
Crunch bars are one of the highest calorie and sugar options on this list, even though one of the main ingredients is puffed rice. Time reported that this bar is one of the most influential because it introduced a cheaper and unique chocolate bar filling.
Peanut M&M'S
Although Peanut M&M'S have fewer calories than a Crunch bar, they also have two more grams of fat. Again, keep in mind how many pieces are in a package when deciding between candies to indulge in.
The creator of Peanut M&M'S, Forrest Mars, would have passed on these chocolate bites because he was actually allergic to peanuts, MentalFloss reports.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
"Who stops at one peanut butter cup," DeFazio asked. "You can easily eat up to 45 grams of fat and 800 calories with these."
People who can limit their Reeses consumption to one cup missed out on a great candy deal back when the product was first released in the 1930s. Reeses were originally called penny cups, according to Teen Vogue, because they retailed for only 1¢.
Fun Size Twix bars not only have the highest calories, but the highest amount of fat, which is why DeFazio ranked this candy last. Whether you are team right cookie or left cookie, they both have the same nutritional value. The name Twix actually comes from "Twin Bix" a play on words for the bar's double cookie packaging, The Daily Meal reports.


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It was against the Edmonton Oilers, in a March 12 game at the Pepsi Center, when the Avalanche's season began an irreversible slide. A win that night would have been the Avs' third in a row and would have moved them to a record with more regulation wins than regulation losses.
Instead, the Avs were shut out and they would lose eight of their next nine to effectively fall out of the playoff race. Despite some recent better play, the Oilers again brought out the very worst in the Avs, beating them 4-1 on Friday night before booing fans at the Pepsi Center.
"It was the story of our year really. They score on us, we get deflated on the bench," said Avs winger P.A. Parenteau. "I wish I had the answer. It's not fun. We've been playing some better hockey, but tonight there was no life."
Why the Avs were no match for Edmonton this season will be one of the many puzzlers when it's analyzed soon. The Oilers just fired their general manager, but they went 4-1-0 against Colorado this year.
The return of goalie Semyon Varlamov to the Avalanche lineup did not go well. Varlamov looked rusty, but in fairness he didn't get any help from a soft defense and indifferent backchecking from forwards.
Parenteau managed to score the Avalanche's only goal, a backhander from near the crease. It was his team-leading 17th goal of the season.
Otherwise, the Avs registered close to a zero on the battle meter. Good body checks were few and far between. They were officially outhit 15-9 through the first two periods, and were tagged with seven official giveaways.
"We were soft in the second period, and when you're soft against those guys, they'll make you pay," Parenteau said. "I think (Ryan) Nugent-Hopkins has three goals against us this year, and he's got four all year. I think that's a sign of us playing soft a little bit."
The Avs did put 19 shots on Edmonton goalie Devan Dubnyk in the first period, but there still wasn't a lot of traffic or rebounds.
Colorado's duo of Paul Stastny and David Jones — earning a combined $10.6 million this season — was a nonfactor all game. The pair combined for no points and one shot on goal. Their other linemate, Jamie McGinn, finished with one shot.
"Tonight, the overall game, we just weren't good enough," said Avalanche coach Joe Sacco. "The second period was the Achilles' heel. Our power play really let us down. Not only did it not score, but we didn't get any momentum off it.
"On their third goal, we got a bad line change a few seconds after a power play, and we got a 3-on-1 break against."
The game broke a streak of four consecutive games with at least one point for the Avs. But they're still in last place in the Western Conference.
"It's not fun at all, losing," said defenseman Jan Hejda. "We didn't play good for sure tonight. We just gave their skill guys way too much room."
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360, email@example.com or twitter.com/adater


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Category Archives: Laurie Wagner
Dealing with Company and your dog during the Super Bowl 2
People ask me all the time what to do when company comes over. That seems to be a big challenge for most dog owners. Either their dog wants to charge to jump, lick & pester or, to see what they taste like!
My new dog Annyong is more toward the latter. He probably would have been fine, but since I didn't have the time or attention to focus on him 100%, I kept him in the crate for safety reasons. This is what I would recommend unless you are able to focus on his behavior. Why risk it?
So what I did was (video below):
I started with a dog comfortable in his crate, in a relaxed mood.
Next, as company comes in to watch The Superbowl, I drop his supper-kibble by kibble- into his crate to give him something else to think about. By using his meal I can give him hundreds of "rewards" or distractions without worrying about him overeating. I also don't have to worry about him not being hungry & more interested in focusing on "intruders!".
My sister, also a dog trainer assists me by giving some kibble to get him thinking about that rather than all the commotion. As time goes by, his outburst get fewer & fewer. Each time I give him some more of his meal, sprinkled in with some treats for good measure. If I was able to do this on a weekly basis he would be much more settled with company. My girl, Ziva barked a little when the family arrived but quieted down almost immediately.
Dealing with Company and your dog during the Super Bowl
People ask me all the time what to do when company comes over. That seems to be a big challenge for most dog owners. Either their dog wants to charge to jump, lick & pester or, to see what they taste like! My new dog Annyong is more toward the latter. He probably would have been fine, but since I didn't have the time or attention to focus on him 100%, I kept him in the crate for safety reasons. This is what I would recommend unless you are able to focus on his behavior. Why risk it?
So what I did was (video below):
Started with a dog comfortable in his crate, in a relaxed mood.
Next, as company comes in to watch The Superbowl, I drop his supper-kibble by kibble- into his crate to give him something else to think about. By using his meal I can give him hundreds of "rewards" or distractions without worrying about him overeating. I also don't have to worry about him not being hungry & more interested in focusing on "intruders!".
My sister, also a dog trainer assists me by giving some kibble to get him thinking about that rather than all the commotion. As time goes by, his outburst get fewer & fewer. Each time I give him some more of his meal, sprinkled in with some treats for good measure. If I was able to do this on a weekly basis he would be much more settled with company. My girl, Ziva barked a little when the family arrived but quieted down almost immediately.
Low Conflict Resource Guarding
So my new dog Annyong isn't perfect. I knew this going in. Last week during his earned freedom time he picked up one of my kid's toys & wouldn't let me have it. I didn't think he'd bite me over it. But he did. I tried to take it from him & he took a piece of my flesh from my hand. (see video below)So today (with e-collar already on) he had taken something into his crate during his freedom time. Instead of going head on "give it to me, drop it, out" etc. I told him to get out of his crate "come" as I tapped the e-collar (on 8/100) & had him go to place. Then I was able to safely take an object left behind from his crate.
Day 4 progress. Dog v. Cat
I haven't been able to practice this for a few days… I got further than before, however I didn't have all my tools (prong & ecollar) with me. If I had I could have gotten further today. It was the first time he was out of the crate not eating looking at the cat, laying down, so that is good progress. His face wasn't relaxed though.
That's our next milestone to be achieved.
Remote collar giving my dog freedom
Annyong is learning to stay close to me, and not trip up my daughter riding her bike. By keeping the distance short I'm now working on getting his attention with a distraction-his kid! He's doing amazing! Low level e-collar (8/100) is usually not even felt by people. I can't feel until an 8 & some people can't feel until a 12. And when you do feel it, it feels like a tickle "I think I felt something". Hardly shocking. Yes, they go up high, but I don't use them that way.
You can & should have a dog to be proud of.
Would you like to have a Dream Dog?
Day 3 progress. Dog v cat
So as you can see I'm not rushing anything. As a matter of fact I hadn't thought of introducing them until I noticed Monday my cat wasn't hiding any more. That indicated to me the dog wasn't sending off a dangerous vibe anymore. So each day this week I've been feeding them closer & closer, challenging Annyong's impulse control & focus. I want him to choose to make good decisions, not tell him all the time what he should be doing "come sit down stay" blah blah blah. (video below)
Could I have moved this along faster? Did I have to wait a month, 5 weeks to be exact? Sure I could have brought him to the cat or the cat to him. What would have happened? Dog would have lit up (like he did on day 1) & cat would have ran. Dog would have gotten harsh physical correction to override his strength & intensity on the cat. (This dog was almost impossible to handle when I was just training him under his previous owner). So I would have been forced to be heavy handed with him had I rushed things ahead of their timetable. Cat would have hid longer. Both animals would lose trust in me.
So by going at their pace I'm able to achieve more. Better results with softer handling. They are speaking to us all the time. Are you listening?
Dog vs. Cat…working on attention & impulse control
Annyong has been with me just over a month now. I've been following my own protocols to the letter: Crate & leash only for at least 2 weeks- inside & out of the house. He's been out of the crate on drop leash, proving he will listen to me if I say his name. I give commands on leash & practice his obedience. I have taken him in fenced in yard & practiced on drop leash name & recall, coming back to me with high value food reward, coupled with a low level e-collar (5 works good for him usually). He has been doing AMAZING. Except…. he still wants to eat the dreaded evil cat! (video below)
On the first day here, the cat walked near his crate, probably not even noticing him. The dog blew up & he hasn't been in the area since. Now whenever the dog catches a glimpse of the cat, he lights up, but milder & stops almost instantly. Over the last week or so, the cat has been joining us in the living room again, on the opposite side of the crated dog. (When I have him out of the crate, I make sure the cat is behind a closed door. #1 keeps him safe, #2 keeps dog from losing focus). Remember: avoid what you can't control, train what you can. One of the first times I had dog out of crate, showing him how to relax & chill with me, the cat wandered out & he went to an intense focus I couldn't break him out of. I had to end the session as he was past the point of coming back to a calm enough state he could be out.
So now that the dog has settled in & is under better control & making better decisions, I see if I can get his attention when the cat is in sight. I wish I'd recorded this from the start, as the cat was only a few feet eating to begin with. Annoying showed interest, but didn't freak out. Because he didn't freak out, the cat didn't run. Because the cat didn't run, the dog didn't freak out…you get the picture. So I pulled out the video & recorded keeping his attention while the cat was in the background. This is a first. Them being in the same area together. At one point you may notice his ears go forward & he gets a little intense, I tap his e-collar (level 15 for this, probably could have gone lower). He chills & goes back to eating.
I will continue with this now daily until I can control the dog's attention & intensity around the cat. As I progress, I will bring him toward cat, call him away (on leash
& ecollar), add some movement on the cat so it doesn't trigger dog past the point I can control his attention…
I haven't seen the dog mean harm to any person or dog yet, even though he came to me after breaking out of a fenced in yard & attacking 2 dogs & going ballistic when company came (previous owner). And wanting to eat their cat. I've seen him slip out of my car & charge at a dog on day 3 with me & run right past the dog & lay down. Most people would have been upset it happened. I was relieved he didn't do anything. It proved he didn't want to harm anyone as if he wanted to, he would have. He's a good dog. And he's mine. And I love him. Stay tuned.
Sit On The Dog
Sit on the Dog
by Jill Priest & Laurie Wagner (originated by Margot Woods)
If you only do ONE exercise with your dog, it's this one.
Not sit. Not stay. Not even come.
This exercise will do more to create a bond and build a relationship of trust & tranquility with your dog than any other.
In order to help your dog learn that you will not be available to entertain him at all times, and to teach him that he is expected to calm down and be well-behaved during those moments, we will introduce the long down, or "sit on the dog" exercise.
"Sit on the dog" is deceptively easy: place your dog on his leash, then sit on it, allowing him just enough length to lie quietly at your feet with a little bit of tension on the leash. (If you have a large or particularly active dog, you may want to wrap the leash around one leg after you've sat on it.) And then ignore your dog for 30 minutes. That's it.
Be sure to "sit on the dog" when you are working on something else: watching television, reading the newspaper, working on the computer. You must do the exercise for a minimum 30 minutes, at least once, and preferably twice a day, after the structured walk. It is helpful to have each family member practice the "sit on the dog" exercise. It may take a little while, but you will find that your dog will settle quietly at your feet, and learn that when he wants your attention, sometimes he will just have to wait.
If your dog does anything for attention, you are to ignore him. If he climbs up on you, chews the leash, mouths your hand, or anything else that is inappropriate, grab the leash next to the collar and put steady, gentle downward pressure on the leash – no talking or touching the dog allowed! Continue to provide this pressure until he settles again, and continue with the "sit on the dog" exercise. The 30 minutes begins AFTER your dog settles down. This means the first few times you do the exercise, it may last as long as 45 minutes or an hour – some dogs have lasted even longer than that. Take heart – your dog will soon learn to settle very quickly.
The "sit on the dog" exercise often feels like you are "not doing anything" with your dog, and people are sometimes tempted to not do it. To skip this exercise is to deny your dog the gift of self-confidence, self-control, and "doggy zen." It teaches your dog how to calm himself down by choice, it teaches him to defer to you when you are not able to pay attention to him, and it teaches him that yes, he is fully capable of relaxing quietly, something puppies can have a hard time learning. "Sit on the dog" is an excellent exercise for achieving the overall leadership role you should have with your dog.
I did this today with my new dog, Annyong:
Watch this time lapse video to see before your eyes how by not talking or touching him he settles. At one point the cat comes out (his current nemesis) but we start over & he settles back down. This is a POWERFUL tool.
Here is Margot's cute pictoral.
Let me know if you have any questions. email@example.com
Thinking of A Dog's Needs Before My Own
So this dog had been OBSESSED with his previous owner. Now he does not need me to love him up so he replaces one addiction with another. To feed him a normal amount of attention would be disastrous for him. So I give him an occasional kiss or two here & there. I haven't said more than a few words to him. I changed his name so I say his name a few times a day. And I'm teaching him "go potty" in a certain spot in the yard. That's about it. So he's more apt to listen to me when I do speak. We all know plenty of people that never shut up and we tune them out, right? So because I'm not filling his head with constant chatter I have his full attention when I do speak.
This dog does not need love right now. He needs peace, stability & lots of structure. Tough love so he learns independence & that he can stand on his own 4 paws. When he is in a better place, I will gradually give him love, making sure it doesn't excite him too much. Preventing him from transferring his obsession from one owner to the next. I have to be a bit distant. I can do this though. Every time he starts to panic & obsess over me I shut down all emotions & eye contact. He's doing well, better than expected by a long shot. Our few kisses so far have been delightful! I can't wait for more! But this isn't about me & my needs right now. This is about him & his.
I had a 9 month old poodle pup recently in. Had been with owners only a few months. Left the breeder at like 5 months. Why so late? Was he returned? Planned on breeding, but they had problems & decided to sell him? I don't remember the answer, but those questions went through my mind. But the crux of the matter is he was acting out at home- in his new home without any dogs. He was impossible to walk & would react when he saw a dog, pulling & clamoring, making a scene when he didn't get his way. What did this dog need? Did he need to learn commands & walk nicely on a loose leash? Yes. But I believe if you give the dog what he NEEDS, he gives you back tenfold what you WANT- attention, respect, obedience, manners. So instead of working him on leash a lot day 1, I worked him a bit so he wasn't so resistant & was a bit connected to me. Then I brought him into the day care to give him what he needed- to be back with dogs! He'd lived with a pack of dogs for his first 5 months & then isolated from dogs the next 4. That's a huge component why he was behaving so poorly. By giving him some play time, he was then able to shake off some pent up energy & frustration & then I was able to get him to pay attention to me on the next walk a hundred times better.
Over the summer an owner came to me with her dog that was impossible to walk. He pulled like crazy, especially when he saw another dog. And because the dog was so impossible to walk, she didn't walk him. She just found it easier to leave him in the fenced in yard. So that bandaid didn't last long. As the dog became more & more frustrated in the yard, he one day climbed the fence & attacked another dog. And another, and another. The fact that he was being confined to a huge fenced in yard was the root of all of this. Dogs aren't meant to live behind 4 walls any more than we are as humans. It's called house arrest & is a prison sentence. But too many dogs live like this day in & day out. And they bark & bark & bark… out of boredom & frustration. So this dog came to me & did I demand he focus on me 100% & learn a perfect heel & not to pull on the leash? Heck no. This poor dog hadn't been out of his 4 walls in almost a year! So I took him for a long walk along the grassy area across the street from us. I let him sniff & sniff & sniff until his heart's content. Eventually as he started to pull to sniff I squeezed the leash a bit & he stopped pulling. Repeated the process until he finally showed some interest in me & then built on that. The next walk I introduced food to him. So he would pull on the leash, I'd squeeze the leash tight & he'd come back. I'd immediately release the tension on the leash & give him some kibble. It took a day to get him to where I wanted him to be, but I felt I got more by starting off by giving. I gave him some freedom to explore & satisfy his need to sniff & take in nature. And he thanked me for it with some amazing attention & I now have a great new friend out of it. 🙂
Day 5: First Walk With Both Dogs
So these dogs haven't officially met yet. They drove home in the car together but tied back so they couldn't reach each other. Gotta keep things safe!
First walk with a new dog. Dog on right (red slip leash) is Ziva. I've had her 7 years & she was also an owner surrender. She was one of the toughest dogs I've ever met. I learned so much from her though! It's making my new dog Annyong (left, blue leash) seem like a cake walk. He was also an owner surrender. Both dogs were very challenging, beyond the owners' skill sets. It's very important to chose a dog that matches your skill set.
So I first had them walk on either side of me. They weren't allowed to sniff each other.
Annyong looking pretty chill. Ears to the side, mouth open, softer eyes, no tension on leash. This is huge progress!
Now a half hour later they are a little more settled. I'm allowing them to walk more closely but still no sniffing. I want them to both be calm & settled before they formally meet. Probably another day or 2.


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A couple of years ago
A couple of years ago I was approached about joining a Steel on Steel group, and exchanging Evening Reviews with two women in my recovery group. I knew these women casually, and liked them, but we weren't super close. I was a tad hesitant; however, something in me felt drawn to them and intuitively I trusted them immediately so I agreed. My oh my, would that decision have impact on my life!
And, so we began. We would meet every other Sunday night at a local church and go through the process of self-examination through others-examination. We took turns answering a series of questions about our lives and recoveries, and then the other members challenged our perceptions with the soul stirring propositions of … is it possible? And … would you consider?
Meeting after meeting, and night after night, we began to grow closer. We gave one another spiritual consent and became rigorously honest. Tears were shed, laughter rang out, feelings were felt and hugs were exchanged. I can honestly say I have never known women and relationships quite like these. Even though we didn't talk day in and day out, and rarely saw each other socially , when the pen and paper came out to review our day, we bared our souls. And when the door closed and Steel on Steel began, we cut right to the heart of the matter. Our recoveries began to grow, and I can honestly say that mine was transformed. In short, it was magic.
And then one day something subtly began to shift. One of the members began to pull away ever so slightly. The nightly texts were sporadic, and the Steel on Steels were rescheduled. Something was changing but I couldn't put my finger on it. Perhaps I didn't want to know. And then came the news- she was moving away. She was moving because of her husband's job.
I felt sad. I felt afraid. I felt somehow oddly betrayed. The self-centeredness rose up within me and I was angry! Somehow it seemed like all this was happening "at me"… such is the nature of us spiritual beings struggling with our human experience. Ugh!
Finally, we decided to meet and discuss our options. Do we disband or do we modify our format and continue? Do we walk through the fear and change or do we – as one of the ladies put it- make a conscience decision not to trust each other? Wow. That's a zinger.
Alcoholism – cunning, baffling and powerful. Alcoholism wants me isolated and offended. It wants me full of distrust and disdain. It wants me disconnected from God and my fellows. It turns a blessing into a burden.
The aching simplicity of this situation became clear- we are in relationship with one another. We love and trust one another. Relationships evolve and change. Spiritual principles do not. So we did what we were taught as children- we told the truth, we brushed off our proverbial skinned knees, we said our apologies and we ran back onto the (spiritual) playground, hand in hand, to face another adventure.
I love these women. And I love the fact that when my mind begins to wander and conjur up conspiracies, I have a spiritual program of action to bring me back to center. These days it includes (and will continue to include for hopefully a long, long time) these two beautiful, inspiring spiritual warriors who I am blessed to call friends.
Life really is kindergarten every day.


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Check out the official spoiler-filled guide for Arrow, episode 14 "The Odyssey".
- After Oliver (Stephen Amell) is shot, he turns to a surprising person for help – Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards).
- Diggle (David Ramsey) is stunned when he sees Felicity walk through the front door of the lair dragging a dying Oliver behind her, and the two team up to save Oliver's life.
- As Oliver (Stephen Amell) hovers between life and death, he flashes back to a seminal event on the island – a daring escape attempt with his new friend Slade Wilson (guest star Manu Bennett).
- Katie Cassidy, Willa Holland, Paul Blackthorne and Susanna Thompson also star. John Behring directed the episode with story by Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg and teleplay by Andrew Kreisberg and Marc Guggenheim (#114).
Source : CW
Are you excited to see Felicity discover Oliver's secret? And Will Diggle be happy with this new development?


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The embedded telemetry of water treatment plants, wastewater lifting stations and the aqueduct networks serving the industrial groups in Frosinone, Cassino and Rieti.
Wastewater Treatment Telecontrol
Supervision and telecontrol of the Villasimius wastewater treatment plant. The Villasimius telecontrol system (Cagliari in Sardegna) designed engineered and controlled with Movicon
Water Quality Control
The region of Emilia Romagna in Italy. An interesting water quality monitoring and telecontrol project commissioned by the region of Emilia Romagna and MURST uses system based on the Movicon SCADA.
Waterworks Telecontrol Management
Mediterranea Acque Spa Mediterranea Acque Spa has been given the mission to unify and simplify the remote control systems following a merger between public utility companies in Liguria, Italy. The adopted solution is based on Movicon.
Integrated Waterworks management
Gruppo Acque Spa. The Gruppo Acque Spa is in charge of the water supply services for a large area in Tuscany. The company chose to use Movicon to monitor and telecontrol water throughout the region using Movicon's Web Client feature and redundant servers for security purposes.
Water Purification System
ACSM spa Lake Como plant. ACSM Spa is a state-of-the-art company in using the best technology to design engineer applications for managing public utility systems. One application example, the only one of its kind, was installed at a water purifying plant in a cavern situated at Lake Como using the Movicon supervisory system.
Water treatment Supervision
Water Treatment Management and Control system. Always clean water, thanks to the technological control of the plants. Applying the best technology to public utilities is always in the best interest of us citizens. Keep calm knowing water is safe to drink with Movicon.
Water network remote control and management
The Amat Spa water network, Imperia. Amat Spa has been commissioned to unify and simplify remote control systems within a plant consisting of different supervision systems installed throughout. The solution they have adopted is based on Movicon 11.
Water network management system
The Siciliacque water network. Siciliacque has been commissioned to unify and simplify remote control systems within a plant consisting of different supervision systems installed throughout. The solution they have adopted is based on Movicon 11.
Industrial wastewater treatment
Ecofor Service S.p.a. Ecofor Service S.p.a's industrial wastewater treatment plant uses Movicon to manage its chemical and biological processes. A major part of the industrial sectors use water within their production processes. Water used in these processes must meet certain demands according to the environmental laws before being released into the environment.
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Angelfall by Susan Ee
Narrated by Caitlin Davis
Series: Penryn & the End of Days #1
Skyscape / Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Date Read: April 16, 2015
Goodreads | Audible | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
3 Stars
I have a feeling that I went into this book with my expectations set way too high. I was ready to read a story that was supposed to knock my socks off but this book lacked any kind of "Wow" factor for me. I have had this book in my TBR pile since I picked it up as a freebie in January 2013 and I couldn't wait to read a story about angles. I remember even then how much everyone was raving about this book but I somehow kept skipping over it.
I decided it was time to finally read it when a group of my friends on Goodreads organized a buddy read. With all the 5 star reviews, I just knew that I would love it. I wanted to love it. I wish that I had loved it but I didn't love it. I didn't hate it but I didn't think that it was any better than just okay.
I switched back and forth between reading this book and listening to the audible version. I never fell in the love with the narrator and I did find that I liked the book a bit more when I was actually reading the story instead of listening to it. I think that Caitlin Davis did a good job with the narration and she sounds like I would expect Penryn to sound but for some reason this narration just didn't connect with me.
I thought that the plot was decent. There were enough twists and turns to keep things exciting and it was a unique storyline. There were some really awesome moments in this book and there were a few spots where I found myself rolling my eyes. There were a few times in the book that I wished that things had taken a different direction but it was overall a solid story. I did feel like the book dragged at times and it was always very easy for me to set this book aside to do something else.
I had expected to fall in love with Rafe. Everyone keeps saying how much they love Rafe. I wanted to join in on the love but it wasn't meant to be. I thought Rafe was okay but his character lacked that something extra I had expected. I didn't connect with Penryn in any way either. I didn't dislike her but I didn't find myself loving her either.
I still plan to read the second book in this series, World After. I liked it enough to want to see what the fuss is all about in the second book and heck, I already bought the silly book so I might as well read it. I am definitely in the minority with my rating of the book so I would tell anyone interested to give it a shot since most people seem to love this book.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Review - Angelfall by Susan Ee
2 comments:
I felt the same way when I finished reading Angelfall. Really, cant figure out why a lot loved it but you know what? I ended up liking World After. You might do too. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
That's good to know! I do plan to go ahead and read the second book. Hopefully, I will feel the same as you did. I am also very glad to hear that someone else felt the same about Angelfall.Delete
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2012-2013 Mills College Art Lecture Series
September 13 Desirée Holman
Lisser Theater
Desirée Holman is an Oakland-based interdisciplinary artist. Holman manipulates figurative props and costumes in role-playing scenarios to ask what games of make-believe can tell us about our behaviors in the 'real' world. Holman was awarded the 2008 San Francisco Modern Museum of Art SECA award and a 2007 Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue award. In 2011, her second solo museum exhibition opened in the Berkeley Art Museum's MATRIX program.
September 19 Abelardo Morell
Danforth Lecture Hall
Best known for installing and photographing camera obscuras, Abelardo Morell was born in Havana, Cuba in 1948 and immigrated to the United States at the age of 14. He has received a number of awards and grants, including a Guggenheim fellowship in 1994. Among his many books are a photographic illustration of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and a collaboration with the designer Ted Muehling and neurologist Oliver Sacks. A retrospective of his work organized jointly by the Art Institute of Chicago, The Getty, and The High Museum in Atlanta will be on view starting in the summer of 2013.
October 10 John Chiara
Danforth Lecture Hall
Chiara photographs cityscapes in a process that is part photography, part event and part sculpture – an undertaking in apparatus and patience. Many times this process involves composing pictures from the inside of a large hand-built camera mounted on a flatbed trailer to produce large scale, one-of-a-kind, positive exposures. A native Californian who lives and works in San Francisco, Chiara has produced work focused on Bay Area landmarks, including Lands End, Lime Point, and Point Bonita.
October 30 Michael Robinson
Danforth Lecture Hall
Michael Robinson is a film and video artist whose work explores the joys and the dangers of mediated experience. Cultivating new resonances between seemingly disparate elements, his collaged films ride the fine lines between humor and terror, nostalgia and contempt, ecstasy and hysteria. He was listed as one of the top ten avant-garde filmmakers of the 2000's by Film Comment magazine and featured as one of the "Best 50 Filmmakers Under 50" by Cinema Scope magazine.
November 5 Greil Marcus
Jay DeFeo and all that Jazz
Lisser Theatre
Greil Marcus is the author of Lipstick Traces, The Dustbin of History, Mystery Train, 'The Manchurian Candidate', The Old, Weird America, and most recently The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years. With Werner Sollors he is the editor of A New Literary History of America, published by Harvard University Press in 2009. He lives in Oakland.
November 14 Melissa E. Feldman
Danforth Lecture Hall
Melissa E. Feldman is an independent curator and critic who writes regularly for Art in America and frieze. Feldman is the guest curator of the exhibition Dance Rehearsal: Karen Klimnik's World of Ballet and Theater at the Mills College Art Museum. Recent projects include the traveling exhibition Afterglow: Rethinking California Light and Space Art, The Life and Times of Sarah McEneaney at Mills College Art Museum, and Sampler: Textiles at Creative Growth at Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland.
February 6 Gay Outlaw
Danforth Lecture Hall
Gay Outlaw draws upon materials that range from industrial to domestic and familiar to make work with a strong sense of pattern and play. Her experience as pastry chef and photographer inform her sculpture, including a 34-foot wall of fruitcakes installed in Yerba Buena gardens. A recipient of the SECA award in 1999, Outlaw has had recent solo exhibitions at the Sacramento Center for Contemporary Art, Gallery Paule Anglim in San Francisco, and Napa's di Rosa Preserve.
February 20 Julio Cesar Morales
Danforth Lecture Hall
Julio Cesar Morales is an artist, educator, and curator. He utilizes a range of media including photography, video, and printed and digital media to make conceptual projects that address the productive friction that occurs in trans-cultural territories. Morales' work consistently explores issues of labor, memory, surveillance technologies and identity strategies. He teaches and creates art in a variety of settings, from juvenile halls and probation offices to museums, art colleges, and alternative non-profit institutions.
March 6 Jennie Ottinger
Danforth Lecture Hall
Jennie Ottinger is a painter who was raised in Massachusetts and currently lives in San Francisco, CA. Ottinger earned her BFA from California College of the Arts and her MFA from Mills College. She recently had a solo exhibition at Johansson Projects entitled What To Do With Your Orphan: A Manual and has had work at the NADA Art Fair in Miami, Southern Exposure, Headlands Center for the Arts, Adobe Books and Volta NY Art Fair, as well as galleries in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles.
Lectures made possible with generous support from the Herringer Family Foundation, Jane Green Endowment for Studies in Art History and Criticism, and the LEF Foundation.
All lectures are free and open to the public.


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Things were looking a bit confused in Newcastle in May 2016. As the club was relegated from the Premier League, Newcastle supporters appeared to be positive for the first time in years. Rather than the tears that usually greet relegation, the general view was that this was a temporary hiccup in a bright future for the Magpies. Newcastle fans' unlikely optimism was down to another oddity: the arrival of a man who had until just two months before been managing the biggest club on the planet.
With Newcastle having near-ceased being a football club and become more and more a vehicle for Mike Ashley's sadism, Rafa Benitez turning up on Tyneside was a significant coup, but not one that was without reason. While managing his boyhood club must have been a dream, Benitez never suited the job in Madrid – his impersonal approach to man management, his distaste for the meddling of those above him and his tactical preference for machine-like teams influenced by the ideals of Arrigo Sacchi meant his days at football's answer to Disneyland looked numbered from the start. Newcastle on the other hand have a strong working class fanbase desperate for something to latch onto in a city closer to his family home on Merseyside and, while he has previously been a thorn in the side, Ashley finally appears to want to sell up which requires a successful team if he is going to get a good price. On top of this, his popularity and the fact he could easily get a role at a bigger club give him the leverage to gain more control over and shape the team.
Arriving in March, it was too late to save Newcastle from the drop, however Benitez went about building a squad that would get them straight back into the Premier League. Questions were asked of his lack of expience of the Championship so he brought in players who knew what it took – in came Mohamed Diame and Isaac Hayden fresh from promotion with Hull City, Matt Ritchie who was promoted with Bournemouth in 2015 and Daryl Murphy and Grant Hanley arrived from other Championship sides. Dwight Gayle had also played Championship football with Peterborough and had shown glimpses of talent in the Premier League, while Ciaran Clark and DeAndre Yedlin had also played Premier League football. Only Matz Selz, Jesus Gamez and Achraf Lazaar posed much of a risk in translating styles and none of them played much. Newcastle even managed to turn a £30m profit by offloading the likes of Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum and Andros Townsend amongst others for significant fees.
Benitez also adapted his strategy to an approach more in line with traditional English styles. He kept his signature 4-2-3-1 but Newcastle attacked far more frequently down the wings than any of his previous teams had, with the average attacking pass over 5 metres closer to the touchline than the second-highest average. Newcastle also sat deeper than most of his previous teams – one of the first things he did at both Liverpool and Internazionale was to get them defending 10-15 yards higher up the pitch but Newcastle maintained a deep defensive line throughout the season.
The most clearcut adaptation was the use of mixed marking at set pieces. Benitez's name has become synonymous with zonal marking in England however Newcastle only mark zonally with a handful of players at the near post, as the rest of the defenders mark man-to-man. Few Newcastle players are strikingly big or physical so it's difficult to see why Benitez has opted for this change other than it just being easier for the players. Although the dangerous front post area is protected, Newcastle's system can be beaten with movement and blocking. For example, when Clark gave away a penalty against Brighton, Jamaal Lascelles gets blocked off and loses his man, Paul Dummett is so pre-occupied with keeping tight to his he can't focus on the play, while Karl Darlow is unable to come out and claim the ball due to the bodies in front of him. Clark actually does the most sensible thing and simply holds the attacker to keep tight, allowing him to keep his eyes on the ball coming into the box, but is unlucky that the referee calls for a foul when most get away with far worse. Despite this they still only conceded ten goals from dead balls – the third most successful in the league.
A Rafa Benitez team being well organised defensively won't come as a shock though – regardless of the change in style, the Spaniard always makes solidity a priority to give his team the best chance of maintaining control. While most coaches speak of control in terms of possession of the ball, Benitez typically speaks of control in terms of managing the flow of the game, which can be done through possession but also by strangling the life out of the game so the opponent can't use the ball. This makes it far easier to implement game management techniques so that the team stays fresh for the end of the season – if you know you can protect a lead when you gain it, you won't necessarily need to play at 100% for the whole 90 minutes.
Newcastle defend in two deep, narrow banks of four, crowding space in the middle of the pitch to force play out onto the wings. There they can trap the opposition against the touchline, blocking passes back inside, and put pressure on the player in possession. The pressing is typically started by the winger when the ball reaches the opposition full-back, with the Newcastle full-back pushing out to the opposition winger to ensure he can't turn should he receive the ball down the line and the centre-midfielder comes across to provide protection for both of the wide players, stopping the opposition from turning inside to keep them trapped on the flank. Meanwhile the attacking midfielder sticks close to any opposition player trying to pick up the ball deep in midfield and the striker pushes up against the nearest centre-back, making it difficult for the full-back to play the ball forward, inside and backward and forcing them into hitting it long which is simpler for the defence to deal with.
There's little variation from this though – whereas previous Benitez sides have mixed sitting deep to conserve energy and trade long balls with pushing high to stop opposition defenders from playing out, Newcastle rarely defend in the opposition half. Dwight Gayle will chase after anything hit forward and some of the other attackers might offer him support if they need a goal or are already close by, however it's individuals making appropriate decisions for that particular situation rather than a concerted team effort to press as you would see from a Jurgen Klopp or Mauricio Pochettino side.
This could be another adaptation to Championship football, not allowing space behind them for opposition players to run into in a more direct league and less hard running for a 46 game season, or alternatively preparation for the Premier League, where they will probably have to defend more. On the other hand, it could be that he wishes to introduce these concepts slower from a solid base or that he simply doesn't have confidence in many of the players to play a more complicated game. We can guess based on his previous teams but without knowing the why it makes it hard to predict what we will see from Newcastle in the future – will we see a slow evolution into another crushing machine, a squad overhaul to achieve it or is Benitez heading in a different stylistic direction for his time on Tyneside?
These questions carry over into how Newcastle attack. While they try to play patiently out from the back, few of the players are particularly suited to it. Dummett and Lascelles are good defenders however neither look comfortable on the ball, Isaac Hayden is always available for a pass and is brave in what he attempts but sometimes lacks the technical quality to pull it off, playing balls behind advancing players or under-hitting them, whereas Jack Colback has better control yet mostly plays safe square passes and avoids the ball. Clark is confident enough to stride forward with the ball and can pick out a pass, but it's Jonjo Shelvey who Newcastle rely on to advance into attack.
With the quality of his passing, he can send the ball to pretty much anyone's feet and regularly tests the offside line, feeding Gayle's runs off the shoulder of the last defender with balls over the top. Newcastle's early build up play is mostly geared toward getting Shelvey on the ball, with Shelvey dropping to the left of the centre-backs to pick up the ball from deep or staying central ahead of them as Hayden drops off to the right to make space for him deep in midfield.
Despite his obvious talent, this isn't without its issues. One minor quibble is that rather than wait in space, he will often move towards the ball and restrict it – his dribbling ability is good enough to open up space again but in the Premier League he may be squeezed out more. Secondly, a wider problem is that Newcastle's dependence on him to move the ball forward makes him an easy target – him being marked out of a game or missing a match through injury or suspension would cripple Newcastle's build-up. Lastly, Shelvey can't really be depended upon to be ever-present: he's easily frustrated and pretty much guaranteed to kick out at someone at least once a match. While an understandable reaction to the rough treatment he endures, defenders knowing they can get a rise out of of him should lead to more than the one rescinded red card he received last season.
Newcastle's problems in playing out aren't just the limitations of the defenders though. The wingers hugging the touchline makes them easy to isolate and difficult for Newcastle's deeper players to reach with passes and, although he has the ability to come short and lay the ball off quickly, Gayle mostly looks to offer the longer option by darting behind the offside line. Ayoze Perez is left as the main link in attack and isn't comfortable enough with his back to goal to make it work. Despite having good technique and being quick at moving the ball, he generally won't turn to face goal when receiving the ball, meaning it will quickly go backwards when played into him from deep. Mohamed Diame will happily turn and drive at the centre of defence when played in that role, but is slower at covering ground defensively and isn't as neat a passer in the final third.
As a result, Newcastle play usually goes down the wings. On the left, with Dummett not providing capable attacking support despite being a willing runner, Yoann Gouffran will just look to hit crosses into the box. Therefore most Newcastle attacks go down the right. DeAndre Yedlin provides Shelvey's best passing option – more technically capable than Dummett, easily accessible compared to the wingers and facing play unlike Perez, the American is the simplest way of progressing the ball into the opposition half. He will either send Matt Ritchie down the line or play into the winger's feet and overlap, with Perez moving across to help link play and Hayden moving up to provide an easy out-ball should a move break down.
The objective for these four players is to either move the ball back into the middle for someone to have a shot from the edge of the area – Gouffran tucking in off the flank once the ball moves into the final third and Shelvey often making runs from deep to give extra options – or for one of them to get in behind the defence and fire a ball across the face of goal from the byline. Even free-kicks follow this pattern, with many slid down the outside of the wall to someone running into the gap behind to cross. Gayle will sometimes join in with the link-up play, laying off one touch passes for Ritchie and Perez, however he mainly positions himself in the area between the opposition right-back and centre-back, attacking the back-post to tap in when the ball is played across from the right. Although a more simplified role than many previous Benitez strikers, the position still requires mobility, making Aleksandar Mitrovic and Daryl Murphy unsuitable.
Even though this Newcastle side bears many of the hallmarks of a Rafa Benitez side, it differs significantly from previous ones. The problem with evaluating how the Championship victors will fare in the Premier League is that we can't necessarily know how much of their strategy will continue once promoted. They are a hard-working, organised side but have some clear flaws that haven't been addressed over the summer, understandably frustrating Benitez: "when I decided to stay I was expecting another thing. Now we are where we are." Is this the same Newcastle side we will see this coming season or will Benitez shift towards his previous ideals? It's hard to work out how much of the team is Benitez moulding them and how much is simply him making do.


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Healthcare associated infections
Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are a major cause of poor outcomes for patients. Research shows that a significant proportion of infections can be prevented by adherence to established infection control practices. The SA Health Infection Control Service monitors the occurrence of HAI and provides state guidelines, tools and resource materials to assist Infection Control Professionals in all clinical settings. The Service also provides information and fact sheets for the health professional and the consumer, and education on the principles of infection prevention to various health professionals.
Heater-cooler device contamination - Information for patients and clinicians about heater-cooler device contamination and the steps SA Health is taking to address this issue. For more information visit the Heater-cooler device contamination page.
Health service standards
The prevention of HAI is considered to be a high priority patient safety issue and is covered under Standard 3 of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. These standards contain the essential requirements for good clinical practice in all Australian hospitals, and compliance is considered mandatory for accreditation. In order to assist healthcare facilities to comply with Standard 3, SA Health has developed a a number of resources. A suite of audit tools (PDF 238KB) has also been developed; excel version of the tools are available on request by contacting SA Health's Infection Control Service.
The SA Health HAI Prevention Policy Directive (PDF 422KB) outlines requirements for an effective infection control program.
The second edition of Standard 3 contains actions grouped into 4 main criteria:
- Clinical governance and quality improvement
- Infection prevention and control systems
- Reprocessing of reusable medical devices
- Antimicrobial stewardship.
Governance and quality systems for infection prevention, control and surveillance
Systems must be place to support and promote prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection and improve antimicrobial stewardship. This includes
- integrating infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship into clinical governance and quality systems
- use of a risk management approach when implementing policies, procedures and/or protocols
- undertaking surveillance of healthcare associated infections
- partnering with consumers in their care.
The SA Health HAI Prevention Policy Directive (PDF 440KB) outlines the requirements for an effective infection control program.
Infection prevention and control strategies
Strategies for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections are developed and implemented. These include:
- implementation of standard and transmission-based precautions
- development of a hand hygiene program designed to increase healthcare worker compliance
- development of systems and protocols for aseptic technique
- development of systems and protocols for indwelling medical device management
- maintaining a clean and hygienic environment
- development and monitoring of a risk-based health workforce immunisation program.
Managing patients with infection or colonisation
Patients presenting with, or acquiring, an infection or colonisation with a multidrug-resistant organism, Clostridium difficile, Candida auris or other transmissible infection during their care are identified promptly and receive the necessary management and treatment.
This includes:
- the appropriate use of standard and transmission-based precautions (previously known as additional precautions)
- using risk assessment for the placement of patients with infectious diseases and multi-resistant organisms; tools include:
- protocols for communicating a patient's infectious status on transfer between service providers.
Antimicrobial stewardship
Safe and appropriate antimicrobial prescribing is a strategic goal of the clinical governance system. This includes:
- monitoring of antimicrobial usage
- monitoring of antimicrobial resistance
- National alert system for critical antimicrobial resistance (CARAlert).
Cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation
Healthcare facilities and the associated environment are clean and hygienic. Reprocessing of equipment and instrumentation meets current best practice guidelines.
Communicating with patients and carers
Information on healthcare associated infections is provided to patients, carers, consumers and service providers.
Further information
For further information on the prevention of healthcare associated infection contact SA Health's Infection Control Service on (08) 7425 7161.


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The stated goal of The Myth of Depression as Disease
is to explain the nature of depression and the existing array of treatments in
order to disabuse potential consumers of mental health services of the
currently dominant view that depression is a biological disease/disorder that
is best treated by medication, and to persuade them to make use of behavioral
therapies instead. It is to be "a primer on depression--an objective
evaluation of what has been said about it and the truth about treatments
available for it." (p. xiii) After reading the book, depressed persons
presumably should be able to make better-informed, scientifically based and
validated choices about treatment. The work is principally aimed at that body
of potential consumers but is also "directed at professional caregivers
who either make referrals for the treatment of depression or are providing such
treatment....[and at] readers who are concerned about health care in the United
States and how the health field has come to be dominated by the pharmaceutical
industry and managed care." (ibid.) The intended audience covers a wide
spectrum indeed.
Myth's major thesis is that the widely sanctioned and
implemented pharmacological approaches lack credible scientific theoretical and
experimental support, but that such support is available for a variety
of behaviorally-oriented approaches that are putatively based on scientifically
validated learning theories and confirming outcome studies. "Good science"
is the one and only benchmark--a credo often called "scientism". To
make their case the authors: 1) present a critique of
biological/pharmacological frameworks and approaches, drawing on key
publications (e.g., Valenstein's Blaming the brain [1998]; Kirk and Kutchins'
The Selling of DSM [1992]); 2) explain psychology as science, especially
its learning theory (principally: conditioning and its contextual aspects); 3)
describe the several major variants of therapy based on this theoretical
framework and cite supporting scientific evidence of their efficacy ("claims
[of efficacy are] supported by data... behavioral treatments [are] derived from
many years of good research" [p. xiv]); and 4) offer critical and highly
negative comments that support their rejection of the remaining major
alternative treatment framework, psychodynamically-grounded thought and its
allied practices (pp. 13, 93-95, 136-137), largely on the basis that it is
authors consider why the pharmacological treatments of depression and the
neurobiological theories on which these are based so clearly have won the day.
They point out, quite correctly in my view, that research results that run
counter to these beliefs simply make no impact on the true believers, on those
scientists who are convinced ab initio of the inviolable truth of their
neurobiological-clinical theories, findings, and philosophical presuppositions
(typically, unstated and unrecognized), and, furthermore, that powerful
interests (primarily the pharmaceutical and insurance industries) back
biological belief systems for financial reasons. I would also add that many if
not most mental health consumers (and their families) like simple, quick and
passive fixes that hold all blameless thus turning a blind eye to individual,
family and societal pathological dynamics, and so do other important players:
physicians, politicians, law enforcement agencies, school systems, just to name
a few. Now, one of the ironies in what I see as a mediocre, simplistic, limited
book is that in their own way, Myth's proposed behavioral alternatives
can be seen as suffering from many of the same kinds of major drawbacks. Its
authors are true believers too. They, too, elide the voluminous, compelling
literature critical of their belief system (see, for example, the later works
of Sigmund Koch, or Raymond Tallis's critical analyses) which has accumulated
over more than half a century; those critiques remain invisible in their book.
And they, too, advocate mechanical, mechanizing, relatively simple, quick,
externally administered and passively received treatments that claim to be
effective on the basis of published "scientific research", findings
that adverse critiques reveal to be suspect, to say the least.
extensive literature supporting psychodynamic alternatives and criticizing
behavioral approaches is considered superficially and then disdainfully
dismissed. Old, familiar charges are revisited: psychoanalytic theory lacks
scientific credibility, no experimental evidence is offered in support of its
treatment methods, the framework relies on anecdotal evidence, the therapy is
long, expensive, inefficient, often unsuccessful, and so on. Psychodynamic
thought is disparaged, sometimes by the use of scare quotes that imply that a
concept or term is at best suspect--e.g.: "some treatments are aimed at
changing 'intrapsychic processes' ... [or at] 'uncovering' hidden psychological
processes" (p. 94). In these ways any and all potential consumers are
encouraged to indiscriminately steer clear of psychodynamically-oriented
treatment approaches. Are these hoary criticisms really valid? It takes a good
deal of intellectual work and clinical experience to see their limitations (not
that psychodynamic thought and practices are without their own severe problems--for
decades, my own published work certainly has been severely critical of both).
At any rate, the knowledge and understanding of psychodynamic thought and
practice exhibited by the coauthors is marginal. For example, they seem unaware
of what I see as perhaps the most important contemporary critique and
alternative approach coming from within psychoanalysis itself, namely, Paul
Gray's and his followers' work on Close Process Listening.
Myth has other clinical and philosophical significant
shortcomings. Examples of important clinical shortcomings of the
promulgated approach are: 1) It is a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores
the issue of what I long ago called the matter of "targeted referrals".
Myth strongly implies that all depressed persons seeking therapy should
opt for a behaviorally-based treatment, but I have argued that ideally,
patients should be matched to treatment modality on the basis of sophisticated
clinical thought (although, sadly, it must be granted that for many reasons,
for far too many would-be patients the authors' advocated approaches may be the
best of a bad lot). 2) It misleads its readers by falling in with the defensive
view that "depression" or dysthymic mood is something like a foreign
object, an alien, unwanted element or symptom rather than an important,
meaningful aspect and manifestation of one's makeup. 3) It is an instrumental,
dehumanizing technique that treats the person/patient as one functional
component in a depersonalizing behavioral learning "system", as a
mechanism that mediates between input and output "variables". Within
this setting it counts on self-mastery, self-manipulation (those deceptively
simple sounding but highly paradoxical terms) to remove or suppress the
supposedly alien aspect: behavioral approaches show "what you can do to
overcome these [depressive] negative feelings" (p. xiv). The person
becomes fundamentally split and fragmented into the "good" part that
does the controlling, and into the "bad" part that needs to be
squelched, or eliminated altogether. 4) It assumes without further ado that "getting
rid of the symptom" is equivalent to regaining mental health--a
questionable, simplistic assumption. Is being "happy" or at least "not
depressed" really a healthy way of responding to living in a highly
pathological, self-destructive society (see, for example, Joel Kovel's, James
Hillman's, or Morris Berman's critical writings)? 5) By its total reliance on
normal scientific logic and methodology, behavior theory and therapy ignores
the infantile aspects which are invariably present in persons, aspects that not
only have their own peculiar logic and in that sense are "irrational"
but that also resist basic change via therapies based on ordinary rationality
(e.g., behavioral therapies).
I add that these and similar objections are likely to be dismissed out of hand
by behaviorism's true believers? Again: typically, neither they nor their neurobiologically
oriented cousins can take any fundamental criticisms of their frameworks
to philosophy, especially philosophy of science: the book exhibits a
truly appalling lack of awareness of the profound philosophical difficulties
that issue from its basically logico-positivist philosophical stance,
difficulties that have been identified and analyzed in a huge corpus of
philosophical critiques. The difficulties to which I allude include those that
derive from the book's implicit Cartesian substance dualism; from its
unexamined operationalizing of psychological phenomena; from the partitioning
of psychology into a disjunct theory/practice dichotomy; or, from its reliance
on "objective observation" and concomitant linguistic descriptions of
psychological phenomena. Furthermore, the authors do not seem to realize that
not only have their kind of logico-positivist positions been severely called
into question for a long time now, but also that they have been largely
abandoned within contemporary natural science itself. Psychologists are lagging
behind; they still tend to operate in a philosophically Newtonian world. One
therefore ought to ask not only whether applying such a rigorously and rigidly
positivist framework to psychopathologies (or to psychology in general) is defensible,
but whether it really is the only legitimate, defensible option? I do not think
so; elsewhere I have suggested a radical alternative: a praxis--based
admittedly, objections may be made to these claims and criticisms; let me anticipate
two obvious ones. First, one can legitimately complain that I have made a lot
of unsupported criticisms and claims. To adequately support these, however,
would take volumes as I have shown over decades in my own publications. I would
be pleased to furnish a short list of key references to any interested reader.
Second: One might well ask, Is it fair to expect authors of this kind of a book
to be able to avoid the assorted shortcomings which I have pointed out? For
example, should and can such authors be expected to be familiar with the
relevant works and critiques of Continental philosophers, or of radical critics
of our society who call the goals and means of the entire mental health
movement into question? (The book does reference a work of one such critic, the
strident Thomas Szasz's The Myth of Mental Illness, in Appendix D, "Suggestions
for further reading" [p. 149].) I think that they should be, but of course
I also realize that according to that expectation most mainstream clinical
works would fall short, or even should remain unpublished. So, does that mean the
we shouldn't expect these kinds of clinical books to be sufficiently deep and
knowledgeable? To be adequate? (which raises an important and puzzling
pragmatic question: sufficiently deep, sufficiently adequate for What?)
Do we not need to offer potential consumers of the mental health field, to the
mental health professionals themselves, and to concerned others a richer,
sounder, less provincial, superficial view of "mental health", of psychopathology,
and of psychotherapy? a more deeply human, meaningful vision? I suppose the
answer depends on one's value system, and I leave it to the reader to decide.
© 2006 Louis S. Berger
S. Berger's career has straddled clinical psychology, engineering and
applied physics, and music. His major interest is in clinical psychoanalysis
and related philosophical issues. Dr. Berger has published 6 books, including Introductory
Statistics, 1981; Psychoanalytic
Theory and Clinical Relevance, 1985; Substance
Abuse as Symptom, 1991, and most recently, The Unboundaried
Self, as
well as several dozen journal articles and book reviews. His book Psychotherapy
As Praxis was reviewed in Metapsychology in January 2003. He lives in rural
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