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Twice yearly, Change Elemental staff participates in a retreat to connect with each other, reflect, and co-create the future that we want, together, living into our shared vision and dreams. At a recent retreat, our team created space for each of us to explore our individual purpose, values, and gifts, how they connect to the organization's purpose, and how we can bring them more fully in support of our collective vision and values. Facilitated by Sharon Bridgforth and Omi Osun Joni L. Jones of Our Next Now, we practiced new ways of being and doing together by embracing the many ways we make meaning of the world while exploring what brings us joy and purpose in this work. Reflecting on this powerful experience, which included energizing art-making, writing prompts, storytelling, movement, and other creative practices brought to us by Sharon and Omi, the Learning and Practice Pad was inspired to create more space for play, fun, and creativity as we continued to learn and explore our purpose and practices within the organization. (The Learning and Practice Pad guides ongoing organizational learning in support of experimentation and practicing the elements of a thriving justice ecosystem. Learn more about our Pads and shared leadership structure here. Some questions that guided the Pad:
- How might we expand our creative practices to deepen our reflections and insights about what guides us in living our vision today?
- How might we sense what's important to us more fully?
The Learning and Practice Pad—Elissa Sloan Perry, Alison Lin, Monica Tyran, Natasha Winegar, and Mark Leach—shared stories of mentors and individuals who have inspired us and lifted up the importance of creative wisdom, play, and fun in learning and reflection, including clarifying purpose and values. After Monica Tyran shared about her experience creating a "sense diary," the Pad decided to facilitate this creative process with the entire staff to capture noticings that may be reflective of what we hold deeply within us. Collectively, we have been exploring our individual purpose, values, and gifts, how these connect to the organization's purpose, and how we can bring them more fully in support of the vision. We saw the sense diary process as an experiment to more deeply explore our individual purpose and values.
The sense diary process comes from Sister Corita Kent's book, Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit. It's described as "a valuable record of sources and resources. A tool that enables us to become aware of and retain detail often lost or imperfectly remembered." The Sense Diary helps you see the interrelatedness of things and how specifics from one subject may apply to the next—it helps you sense what is important to you over time.
Sense Diary Exercise
What we did
For one week last spring, everyone on staff created a sense diary to continue connecting to our innate creativity to make meaning of our purpose and values (individually and collectively). Here's how it works:
- Choose a container to use to create your sense diary (i.e. sketchbook, Padlet, whatever feels easiest to access daily, etc.)
- Each day, create an entry. You can include:
- Songs you like/heard that day, books to be read or books you have read, film/movies seen or to be seen.
- Fun facts about subjects that interest you, found online or in reference books.
- New words, words with descriptions, single words that have a ring, wake you, or that make you want to do something, funny words, mysterious words, or words that feel strange to speak.
- An image or multiple images!! No Limits!
- Date each journal entry.
Some tips to make it easy:
- Connect your collection to your everyday routine…what are you reading, hearing, seeing?
Once the week of collecting/gathering in the diary was over, each person picked one or two diary entries that stood out the most to share with our team. As we went around in a circle, the person sharing did not say anything or share any words as to why they chose that particular entry. Staff members would look and offer short reflections on the entry shared, typically just one or two words that came to mind, adding layers of meaning-making that the person may not have sensed themselves.
What we learned
This process felt like a reimagining of what connecting and learning about one another could look like amongst us when we engage our creativity, artistic wisdom, and intuitive wisdom. We were able to see each other and ourselves from different perspectives that felt refreshing and new, especially for staff who've known each other for years. We all enjoyed the process of collecting images, words, music, poems, etc., and, ultimately, seeing ourselves in the collection of what we take in, appreciate, and absorb in our lives on a daily basis. We deepened our sense of what is important to each of us – what energizes and guides our decisions and actions, what is important to us, and what gifts and wisdom we bring to this work. It also planted some ideas for the Learning and Practice Pad to continue to design and foster more creative experiences to live – not just talk about – into our vision and values today while embracing new and remembered ways of being and doing, and seeing the threads that connect us, individually and collectively.
Try it out!
Now it's your turn! We invite you to create your own sense diary, a creative daily practice that releases and expands deep thoughts, ideas, feelings, and ways of being, becoming a beautiful record of moments in time that offers insights into what is important to you over time—your purpose, values, and gifts.
Collage credit: Monica Tyran
2 thoughts on "Cultivating Purpose: A Creative Practice of Noticings, Reflections, and Sensing"
As some who has been journaling for decades as well as creating vision boards, I LOVE this idea of doing this activity to build community and deepening relationships!
Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you Veronica! I'm so happy the sense diary exercise connected with you and if you interested to find other journaling ideas, you should check out Sister Corita Kent's book, Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit or Lynda Barry's book, What It Is.


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Murdannia brownii Nandikar & Gurav;
Plant for ID: I have confusion with this Plant Murdannia ??? (Commelinaceae)
Some of the Morphological charachters shows smillarities with Murdannia pauciflora Wight. But there is an confusion with bearded fertile filaments and habit. On the other hand the same species cosidered by Rolla Rao and Kammathy as a Murdannia wightii having glbrous filaments and blue coloured flowers. I also search original citation of Robert Wight but it couldn't match with that. So anyone can having information about above plant then please reply. If it is possible then help me out by providing the original citation M. pauciflora (Wt.) G. Brukner in Engl. & Prantl. Pflanzwenfam. ed. 2. 15a: 173. 1930. M. wightii Rao & Kammathy, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburg 25 (2): 184. 1964. Murdannia brownii
a picture for ID : Attachments (1). 6 posts by 3 authors.
Please Help Me out
For its Identification Its seem to Murdannia versicolor but i m confused with an Murdannia pauciflora Photograph taken at Morjai platue Gaganbawada along with same Coloured Vegetation of M. lanuginosa Murdannia lanuginosa : 6 posts by 3 authors.
Murdannia lanuginosa
family Commelinaceae
kaas plateau
third week of october 2016
Attachments (3) For me its Murdannia brownii. Thank you … I shall surely read up on this

subset: commoncrawl


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One easy butterfly feeder will take a paper plate or, if you like, something a little more permanent. Butterflies like over-ripe and rotting fruits and vegetables. Simply put old fruit and vegetables from your kitchen on the plate. The more colorful it is, the better. Butterflies like color. You can even decorate the plate with old plastic flowers or fruit to add color if you like. Then simply place it on a fence post or hang it from a low branch on a tree. Butterflies will come to feed and you can watch. Be sure to take away dried or moldy food. Butterflies like it moist.
Another feeder is made using butterfly food. This one takes a little more effort but it is still not difficult. Take 4 parts water and one part sugar. Boil until the sugar has dissolved. Let the mixture cool then absorb it with a paper towel or sponge. If you serve it in a shallow container like a plate, just lay the paper towel or sponge on the plate and place it in with your flower garden or on a fence post. If you like you can place colorful rocks or even fruit on the plate too. That gives the butterfly a landing spot.
An old canning jar with its lid makes a good feeder. Use a colorful sponge that has been soaked with butterfly food. After you have poked holes in the jar lid with a nail, place the sponge and any remaining food inside the jar so the sponge seals the holes. You don't want the food to drip onto the ground. Hang from a low branch on a tree.The nice thing about a jar is that you can get creative with the way to make the bright colors. Crayons and paint are two things to use.
Those brightly colored sponges that you see in the dollar store will come in handy. You can soak several (maybe one for each child) and hang them from a tree. They will look like pretty decorations even before the butterflies find them. Hooks for Christmas tree ornaments make good hangers.
A fun feeder for the little ones is to place a bucket or coffee can filled with gravel or small rocks in a hole. Then fill in the container to the top and over with mud... nice wet mud. If you have old fruit, put some at the edge. Butterflies, especially the males, like mud and will hover to give you a good show. Make sure to keep it wet.
I love watching butterflies flit from place to place and so do most children. If you purchase a butterfly field guide, it can also become a learning experience for all. Have fun.


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Life sciences companies need abundant high-quality master data to drive innovation, improve analytics and develop new commercial models. Watch this on-demand webinar to explore how to drive relationships with high-quality master data and simplify and accelerate MDM programs. Plus, you'll get a free demo on ZS and Informatica's MDM solution made specifically for life sciences companies.
Our solution can help you:
- Achieve time to value in as little as three months with pre-built, configurable components
- Spend less time finding and fixing data with contextual data stewardship, task prioritization, efficient workflows and automation
- Create a shared view of trusted, actionable HCP and organization data for use in analytics, operational applications, data science and AI
- Map, manage and make visible your continuously evolving customer relationships


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• ON THIS DAY IN WCW HISTORY (March 6, 1993) – WCW Power Hour
On this day in 1993, Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling aired an episode of their weekly TV show 'WCW Power Hour'.
This episode featured pre-taped matches & storyline segments on the road to the "WCW Slamboree 1993: A Legends' Reunion" PPV.
The card can be found below:
– The Wrecking Crew vs. Joe Cruz & Brad Anderson
– Van Hammer vs. Fred Avery
– Cactus Jack vs. Tom Zenk (TV Title Tourney 1st Round)
– Johnny B. Badd vs. Chris Benoit (JIP)
– Shane Douglas & Ricky Steamboat vs. Steve Austin & Brian Pillman
• Complete WWE SmackDown Results
Below are the complete results from tonight's go-home edition of SmackDown for Elimination Chamber 2020:
– nWo appears on "A Moment Of Bliss". Kevin Nash says if Roman Reigns wants to beat Goldberg he needs two things: Scott Hall and a cattle prod. Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn, & Cesaro interrupt. Sami mocks Sean Waltman and refuses to fight them and make them relevant. Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman comes out and takes out Nakamura and Cesaro. Sami runs off after using Alexa Bliss as a shield.
– SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley & Sasha Banks def. Naomi & Lacey Evans
– Sheamus def. Apollo Crews
– Daniel Bryan challenged Drew Gulak to a match at Elimination Chamber
– Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville def. Carmella & Dana Brooke
– Bray Wyatt says if it wasn't for John Cena the Firefly Fun House wouldn't exist, and The Fiend won't be so forgiving at WrestleMania
– King Corbin was talking about his WrestleMania 36 plans backstage and Elias interrupted him
– Heavy Machinery def. The New Day in the Gauntlet Match
– Heavy Machinery def. Lucha House Party in the Gauntlet Match
– Heavy Machinery def. The Usos in the Gauntlet Match
– Heavy Machinery def. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison in the Gauntlet Match (Miz & Morrison beat them down after the match)
– Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode def. Heavy Machinery to win the Gauntlet Match and will enter the Elimination Chamber Match last
WATCH: Mandy Rose's Perfect Butt:


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Posts Tagged
Samsung Africa Conference 2011 comes to Nairobi, Kenya.
This is excellent news and I only just found out today its happening next week. Samsung is hosting the second edition of its Africa Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. I attended the first edition of the same last year in Johannesburg, South Africa and its a dazzling 5-day continental business extravaganza
ICANN 37 (finally!) makes it to Nairobi.
Its finally here! ICANN 37 will be happening in Nairobi next week between the 7th and 12th of March 2010 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC). There have been so many concerns that ICANN 37 may not have made it to Kenya after all the security warnings that kept


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IndoBuildTech Digital Fair has been running for 12 days with many inspiring brands, architecture bureaus, virtual professional seminars and talk shows as well as product presentations, workshops and distributor gatherings.
We express our deepest gratitude for the collaboration that has existed for the past twelve days. Thank you to the supporting associations, media partners, host partners, exhibitors and all visitors who have supported and enlivened the First Digital Fair of Building Material and Interior in Indonesia – IndoBuildTech Digital Fair 2020.
Hopefully this digital fair will provide great uses and impacts for the building materials and industry in Indonesia, as well as a solution for everyone who needs it. See you at the next event series of IndoBuildTech.
Stay safe and healthy, Optimisme Untuk Kembali Berkarya!


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Houston Escorts and Huston Courtesans
17/12/2019Escorts in Houston, TX
Houston, TX brings you the hottest escorts in H-Town
Right off the Gulf of Mexico lays Houston, the largest city in Texas and fourth largest city in the United States. Houston is home to a large array of Fortune 500 companies including several energy, manufacturing, transportation, and oil companies.
Houston is a city loaded with wealth and these people flock to Houston's rapidly expanding bar/club scene, which up until the past decade, was very limited and poor. Houston Escorts If you are looking for someone to accompany you for a night in Houston, consider hiring an escort in Houston. Several high class escort companies in Houston can pair you up with an escort in Houston to accompany you on your evening or night out to your desired destination and provide you with an enjoyable, fun evening in Houston.
Houston is a big city with so many different types of bars, clubs, and restaurants to explore. If you're new to the city, are visiting for a few days, or just want to have a quiet night with someone new, a Houston escort is the perfect way to spend an evening.


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I'm not one to get excited about point releases, but for a new product like tsElements, I'll make a very large, symmetrical point poppin' exception.
TsElements 1.1 is the first update for the new surfacing tool which allows import of.obj and T-Spline Rhino surface files directly into SolidWorks. I swear they've mixed magic with mathematics to do what they're doing. Now they've added a few small features and a few bigs ones to bridge the T-Spline/SolidWorks surfacing gap, plus they're being a model of maintenance support to all the software vnedors pushing out pay-to-play updates. Take a look at this…
- Symmetry is now preserved when importing .tsm files
- You can now select import units in T-Splines Options or during import
- Better handling of units and better feedback when models are too large
- Import options are remembered between sessions
- Added Zebra Stripes display button to the T-Splines toolbar
- Added Box Mode display button to the T-Splines toolbar
- Better support for UVN triad mode when modifying the surface
- Selections can now be cleared by pressing the escape key
- Many bug fixes, speedups and improvements to the T-Splines engine
Also, one other piece of news: we have elected to not charge maintenance with tsElements. When you purchased tsElements you were informed that one year of maintenance came for free with your purchase. We have changed this policy to mirror our T-Splines for Rhino product upgrade policy. You will get free upgrades for all point releases of the product (i.e. tsElements 1.1, 1.2, etc.) but whenever tsElements v2 is released, that will be an optional paid upgrade. Technical support remains free with this product.
Hint, hint to SolidWorks and all the other subscription service hooligans charging for point releases. Way to go T-Splines.
You can view more on the release in the tsElements forum. You can get the latest tsElements for SolidWorks 1.1 version here and you can get a new free trial here.


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Semi-automation of various foundry equipment, both on and off the melt deck, has been available for more than 15 years, including melt shop computer control, automated material preheating and charging, and automatic pouring systems, as well as many others. However, in the past, the area on the melt deck immediately adjacent to the furnace has always been the most challenging to automate, leaving the furnace operator in a most vulnerable state. The operator is exposed to the risk of molten metal splash areas and water/molten metal eruptions. With the ARMS™ (Automated Robotic Melt Shop) System, the melt deck can be automated, protecting melt deck personnel from these hazards.
This fully integrated system effectively achieves melt shop safety by completely automating the melt deck and relocating the furnace operator to a control room, away from the most dangerous areas. All controls for these automated systems are located in the room, overlooking the melt deck, and the room also contains controls for the furnace induction power supply, and the melt shop computer control systems.
From the control room, the furnace operator remotely controls the movement of the material handling systems, furnace, furnace cover, and slag cart, and initiates the various pre-programmed operations of the robot. Multiple closed-circuit video cameras capture operations on the melt deck and display the images on monitors located inside the control room.
Charging the furnace is a particularly hazardous operation for melt deck personnel, with the constant risk of splashing and explosions caused by moisture getting under the molten bath surface.
Manual charging is slow, labor intensive, and dangerous, but remotely controlled, mechanized material handling moves charge material quickly, efficiently, and more safely. These systems also enhance safety by allowing melt deck workers to be away from the furnace or behind protective barriers during charging. Remote charging from inside a control room is now commonplace, effectively minimizing the furnace operator's exposure to this hazard.
Dry charge materials are crucial to worker safety, and charge preheating and drying systems are designed for maximum energy efficiency and long system life, significantly increasing productivity in melting operations. These systems help to deliver charge materials to the furnaces as required safely and rapidly, complementing melt deck automation.
When charging is completed, computers with furnace load cell feedback and kWh input can calculate the temperatureof the melt, call for more charge to be added, and prevent temperature overshoot of the melt. Many foundry workers believe these computers to be a luxury; others believe them to be a necessity.
Automated computer control systems, such as Meltminder® or Melt-Manager® Plus®, assist the operator, and avoid accidental superheating of the metal bath, thus saving energy, extending lining life, and increasing safety by minimizing the chances of a runout occurring. Computer control systems also log key operational data and help with various functions, from charge makeup to running sintering programs.
One of the biggest contributors to melt deck productivity and personal safety is the ARMS System. A robot is operated from the control room, performing many duties to tend to the melt: removing slag, taking temperature measurements, taking melt samples, adjusting chemistry by introducing additives to the melt, and bath ground testing.
The robot, upon operator selecting a task on the control screen, begins its fully programmed work by selecting one of five tools from the "Smart" tool rack: slagging tool, thermocouple lance, sample lance, bath grounding probe and a trim material pan. Sensors are used to tell the robot which tools are available.
Another advantage of automated systems is the energy savings that are created. The fast pace of the robotic operations minimizes the time required for the lid to be open, thereby minimizing one of the biggest energy wasters in melting.
After the charge is completely molten, metal is delivered to numerous types of automatic pouring systems. Automatic pouring systems increase casting production and enhance casting quality, while keeping foundry workers at a distance. These advanced systems provide the pouring performance they need to keep pace with automated flask and flaskless molding machines and the precise control required to meet the highest standards of quality. Automatic pouring helps foundries increase productivity, reduce scrap castings, reduce operating costs and improve worker safety.
There are many labor-saving features available to promote safety and efficiency, such as furnace lining push-out systems. They contribute to melt shop automation by speeding up lining removal and limiting the personnel's exposure to refractory dust.
Automated furnace operations offer a variety of important advantages. Automated processes are precisely repeatable, ensuring consistency and improved productivity melt after melt. Better working conditions, with the most dangerous tasks performed by a robot and other automated equipment, make it easier to recruit and retain foundry workers. But, the primary benefit provided by automated equipment is greatly enhanced worker safety. This allows managers to remove the furnace operator from the most dangerous areas near the furnace, decreasing the potential for injury to their most important asset.
Charles H. Fink is the vice president of sales - North America with Inductotherm Corp. Visit www.inductotherm.com |


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I seem to have regained my sewing mojo and have quite a few projects either completed or in the works this Saturday. Today I mailed off a needlebook that I made for the Sewn Spaces Swap on flickr. My partner requested the color "rainbow". Fortunately I had some triangles that were from a baby quilt years ago. Yes, I saved them! I just needed to cut a few more fabrics to add some more color and then pieced them last night. I prefer sewing half-square triangles but these didn't stretch along the bias too much. I did trim them after sewing and that helped a lot. It's all surrounded by white fairy frost - love that fabric! I used Sew She Sews Quilted Needlebook Tutorial.
Once that was sent off in the care of our neighborhood post office, it was time to get cracking on the DQS11 cathedral windows. Over the last few days I cut, sewed, and folded the brown blocks. Then it was time to begin the hand sewing. So far I'm only half way done with the center of my design. After that I'll still need to make the border blocks and special end blocks. It's a good project to work on while watching TV with Steve. This morning we watched the F1 qualifying. (Yes, we're big F1 fans here.)
In the middle of all of this action I've done a load of laundry, filled the dishwasher, and set the sewing machine to embroider the 1st of the last two fascinator hats for two of my blog buddies. Wow! I feel like I've accomplished a lot today. Oops, now it's time to take Fearghus for a walk around the block. (He's sitting outside my studio at the baby gate giving me 'that look' and whining.)


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Match Report
I have been a Ploughman for 22 years now and within that period there have definitely been seasons where Sunday's opposition from Putney CC would've provided a pretty competitive fixture for The Plough's Sunday XI. These, however, are extraordinary times and the Club is in such rude health, that even if Putney had pitched up with a side similar to the one that narrowly beat us by five runs earlier in the season, I still believe we'd have won comfortably. There are more guns in our ranks right now than your average Walmart in Texas! One of whom produced a special innings for a special occasion…
Honoured, as ever, to be asked to Captain a Ploughmans side, Sunday's affair had particular resonance as it was my 400th match for the Club. When written down like that it does seem quite extraordinary and the fact that two of the current squad have achieved such a feat tells you a) how much we love cricket and this Club in particular and b) how tragic we must really be to not have found something better to do with our lives. Seriously though, 400 matches is something I am immensely proud of but is testament to what a great place The Plough is and, in particular, the fabulous people I've shared so many cricket fields with over the years.
The simple truth about Sunday is it was a mismatch. I don't want to be too disparaging or disrespectful of the opposition but they were the archetypal lambs to the slaughter in a wholly one-sided affair. They really didn't help their own cause with some bang average captaincy, ordinary bowling and below par fielding but, by the same token, we didn't allow them to do anything else. We could've been even more ruthless but they are a good set of lads who just found themselves having one of those days… We've all had those.
I opened the batting alongside Max Gumpert, keen to prove I could also score runs from higher up the order but ended up playing second fiddle to a very special knock from Max. He took a couple of overs to get settled (and blow away his hangover) before launching into a full on nuclear assault of their bowling. As mentioned in the post-match interview, he plays good bowling well but he absolutely murders average bowling. The hundred partnership came up in very little time as Max, playing proper cricket shots throughout, launched the ball to all corners of DSG. It just seemed sensible to keep giving him the strike! He reached his hundred with the score on 131 (making me look decidedly pedestrian in the process) and then, after a cursory thought towards us setting the highest ever 1st wicket partnership for the Club, opted to try and whack every single delivery for six or four. He was eventually caught by the keeper off a top edge in the 19th over but had scored 130 runs off 77 balls, including 18 fours and 3 sixes. I've witnessed some of Ploughmans' greatest knocks and this was right up there with the best of them. A truly staggering innings from a seriously good cricketer. I'm just so glad he's scoring hundreds for us not against us now!
Unfortunately for Putney, there was more to come…
I accelerated in the hunt for my own century but fell 15 runs short playing a lazy shot (to a terrible delivery), caught at cover. After which, the oppo enjoyed their best passage of play for the afternoon, picking up the wickets of Adam Barraclough, David Graydon (who used to play for Abdul Aziz, for those of you who remember them) and Akash Rajput, all reasonably cheaply. Sadly for Putney, the towering figure of James Tisato was in at the other end. Saturday Captain, James, has been stoic in the face of yet another injury that has robbed him of time on the cricket field this year but the fact that he continued to turn up to support, score and be a thoroughly good example to all whilst we all raised hell around him is to be commended and certainly shouldn't be forgotten when people deliberate over their Clubman of the Year award. His patience was rewarded… and some! Unfortunately dismissed the day before (when he wasn't even supposed to be playing) he couldn't have dreamt of a more favourable attack to face to get him back in the swing of it. Good things come to those who wait, however, and you do, of course, still need to cash in when the opportunity arises and Tis did that with aplomb, reminding us all of his enduring class in the process. The final over of the innings was the cherry on the cake as he was literally gifted an additional 20 runs but, frankly, he deserved those. We finished on 348 for 5 (yes, that's the correct way to display an innings) off 40 overs and Tis had 85 of those from just 49 balls faced. In all honesty, we could've made 400+ but that seemed a little awkward and unnecessary.
Putney had no reply and the game was most certainly done and dusted by the time they'd lost 3 wickets inside the first 3 overs, including a suicidal run out by their opener who hadn't even faced a ball at that point. The combination of good bowlers hitting the seam and (possibly) a wearing pitch used twice in two days saw the ball move around prodigiously making Tom Parrish work pretty hard with the gloves on behind the stumps. Matt Bolshaw was his usual metronomic self from one end, to which the opposition batsman simply had no answers. He took 4 wickets without breaking sweat (one of which courtesy of an excellent low catch off a bottom edge by TP) and, despite the chance for a deserved 5fer, I simply had to remove him from the attack just to ensure we'd get a bit of time in the field.
Matt Hopper was at the other end and he bowled well enough, although seemed to struggle with his length more than usual. A solid-looking 57 run partnership for the 7th wicket developed and gave me the opportunity to get a few other guys into the game… Nigel Stephenson (who tried a few new variations on a good day to do so) got through his full allocation but without taking a wicket. Simon Carson tried a bit of (really decent!) off-spin for a spell of 5 overs and really should've bagged a wicket after a sharp catch from Tis at slip that was inexplicably not given out. Newbie David had a go too and bowled a really tight line with good gas and picked up two wickets, one bowled and the other an excellent catch by Baz, who had to turn around and dive to catch a ball that went over his head. Then Akash showed some promise with a very tidy spell of left arm finger spin and he too bagged a wicket. All the while, 'Bush' had been waiting patiently, fingers crossed, hoping for a second spell. As the 9th wicket fell, I offered him his final three overs to try and get that feted 5 wicket haul. Which he'd have done if only he knew how to bowl at the stumps! Eventually, impatient for post-match beers, I brought myself on and removed the Number 11, caught and bowled, with just the one delivery. Perhaps a fitting way to end the day.
The Putney lads were very gracious in defeat and congratulated us on our performance as we shared in a little tradition of theirs – post-match shots!! My thanks to our supporters on the day, particularly Inca, who liked my new hair. My only regret is that with the children and dog in tow I couldn't stay longer and drink the various jugs of beer that were bought. No doubt there will be plenty more opportunity for that, however.
I'm already looking forward to 500…
Plough on
TL x


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Behold the Lamb
This Sunday, we will celebrate Resurrection Sunday, while others in the world will celebrate Easter. Resurrection Sunday is a great time to rejoice in the Risen Saviour, who conquered death and hell. Hallelujah!
Mankind dies because "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", the Bible says in Romans 3:23 KJV. Death, however, could not keep the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, because he was sinless. When we repent of our sins, believe the gospel (the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ), and receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, we live eternally and are victors over death and hell, too! Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
John the Baptist said of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29b KJV. Have you allowed Jesus to take away your sin or are you still trusting in yourself or some other manmade system or method for salvation? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? If not, please settle this most important matter today. For more information on how you can know for sure that you are saved eternally, go to christianlifecoachtools.com and contact us. Where you'll spend the rest of eternity depends on it, my friend.
Resurrection Sunday reminds me of the blessed day when all of God's redeemed will be raised to live forever with the Lord. As Christ has risen, we shall rise! "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Revelation 7:17 KJV What a blessed hope! The Bible says, " He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20 KJV. Amen and amen.
May you and yours have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!


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iPF Noob
Greetings! I've been using my iPad 1 for well over a year and I still absolutely love it. While I've figured out a lot of the tips and tricks myself I always find myself coming back to this site when I'm stuck so I thought it best to join. I also have the iPhone 3G (I'm waiting for the contract to be up so I can upgrade without spending a bunch) and quite a few various iPods around the house. And I love the iMac wide screen I have upstairs in my office. But enough about me - I'm off to the forums!


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Sony Ericsson expands in-house manufacturing capacity in China - Beijing established as technology, design, manufacturing and sourcing center
Beijing and London, 13th December 2005, -- Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications has received Chinese Ministry of Commerce approval to take control of Beijing Suohong Electronics Co. Ltd. (BSE), a Sony China controlled manufacturing facility, by raising its share holding to 74.5%. The BSE site, which is 60% dedicated to the outsourced assembly of printed circuit boards for Sony Ericsson, will become an in-house manufacturing facility. Sony Ericsson will increase its stake in BSE from 10% to 74.5% through the acquisition of Sony Chinas shares; local minority shareholders will remain unchanged.
Going forward BSE will work in strong cooperation with Sony Ericssons majority owned Beijing SE Putian Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. (BMC), located next door, to maximize economies of scale and develop a fully integrated manufacturing process from printed circuit boards to product customization.
In addition, Sony Ericsson today announced the establishment of a Software Testing Center and a Creative Design Center in China, and its commitment to increase sourcing from suppliers in China and Southeast Asia.
These combined actions will create Sony Ericssons first multi-functional base that includes research, design, development, manufacturing and regional sales and marketing. The base will act as a powerhouse for the companys future growth and development not only in the key economic region of China, but also globally, said Sony Ericsson President Miles Flint. The China telecoms market is one of the fastest-growing and dynamic in the world, and is a key market for Sony Ericsson. Todays announcement illustrates the companys long-term commitment to China and the Chinese market, as well as the desire to increase global manufacturing capacity in order to support an expanded product line-up going forward.
Since August 2002, when the company first established operations in China, Sony Ericsson has focused on building its presence in this highly competitive and strategically important market. The BSE acquisition will further strengthen supply chain, expand the companys in-house manufacturing capabilities for the global market and complement existing in-house manufacturing at Beijing SE PUTIAN Mobile Communications Co. Ltd (BMC). The establishment of a Creative Design Center will result in more products optimized for the Chinese market. And, the creation of a Software Test Centre, focusing on function and system testing, will build a global testing hub that serves all Sony Ericssons Development Units. The long-term aim is for the majority of Sony Ericssons testing to be conducted at this Centre in China. In addition, the company is committed to increasing local sourcing from China and Southeast Asia to support these activities.
In the past four years, Sony Ericsson has invested 60 million USD in China, and established a strong sales and marketing presence, in-house manufacturing, and Development Unit China, one of five global development units. The company does business with approximately 150 local suppliers from across China; in 2004 local sourcing reached more than US $1.2 billion in value to the local economy, with a localization rate for parts and components averaging 80%.
Sony Ericsson has established itself as a major force in the Chinese telecommunications industry by working closely with operators, distributors and retailers. In 2004, the BMC manufacturing facility became the largest export company in Beijing and supplied approximately 1/3 of global Sony Ericsson volumes.
Outline of BSE Ownership Interests:
Previous ownership:
New ownership:
Sony China 64.5%
Sony Ericsson China 10%
Sony Ericsson China 10%
Sony Ericsson 64.5%
Beijing Beiyou Telecommunication Technology Co. Ltd 19.5%
Beijing Beiyou Telecommunication Technology Co. Ltd 19.5%
Beijing Electronics Holding Co. Ltd 5%
Beijing Electronics Holding Co. Ltd 5%
Beijing Tianzhu Airport Industrial Zone Industrial Development Co. Ltd 1%
Beijing Tianzhu Airport Industrial Zone Industrial Development Co. Ltd 1%
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications serves the global communications market with innovative and feature-rich mobile phones, accessories, PC-cards and M2M solutions. Established as a joint venture by Ericsson and Sony in 2001, with head quarters in London, the company employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide, including R&D sites in Europe, Japan, China and America. For more information, please visit www.SonyEricsson.com
- Contact Information
- Sony Ericsson Corporate Communications (London)
- Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications
- Contact via E-mail
This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


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I've written a few posts recently about how online physiotherapy can help, but I'm now getting questions about the logistics: how exactly does it work, and how do you access it?
How to book a session
The first step is simple: call my team on 0207 175 0150! Reece and Tasha will be able to ask you all the things I need to know: what's the problem, and how and when did you do it (if you know). They'll take your name and email address, and they'll book you an appointment in my diary.
The next thing that'll happen is that you'll get two automatic emails from my clinical notes system, which is called Jane. Jane is specifically designed for medics so it is super encrypted and safe; and it has an encrypted video system within it which is how we talk to each other.
Create an online account
The first email is welcoming you to my clinic, and asking you to create a secure online account and complete an intake form – this is where you add your phone number and address, go through some consent forms, and complete some questionnaires so that I can understand a bit more about the state of your health.
The second email confirms the date and time of the appointment, and goes through the process. You'll need to wear comfortable clothing so that you can move around when I ask you to, and ideally you'll have a computer with a webcam, on which you can use the Chrome browser. Jane doesn't currently work with phones or iPads, and it doesn't seem to like Safari or Firefox browsers very much; but if that's a problem, then just let me know and I can switch to using Zoom. I'll also ask you to make sure you have enough space around you so that I can see you move.
How to join the treatment session
You'll receive a reminder email with a link to your appointment, 30 minutes before the session. Please do log into your Jane account a couple of minutes early, as there is an extra online consent form that you need to tick before the session, which will start as soon as I "arrive".
We will then go through a physio session: talking about your current issue, your medical and injury history, your health etc; then I will ask you to do some movements so that I can work out what the problem is likely to be, and how best I can help. If you have someone in your home with you who is happy to help (and obviously if you are happy with this too!) then I may ask them to act as my "hands" during the session, or teach them how to help you. The sessions are around 30 minutes long, but I'm leaving a bit of "give" in my diary so that if there are any tech issues, nobody gets short-changed.
What happens next?
At the end of the session, we will discuss what needs to happen next – whether that's exercises, possibly combined with hands-on treatment performed by you or by someone you live with – or whether this is potentially something more serious and you need a scan of any sort. I will write up a report for you, and make you a video or two to remind you of any exercises I may have recommended; and we will agree on when we want to follow up.
How to pay
Payment is by credit card – I will ask you to give me your credit card details, exactly as I would if you were in clinic with me. You will get an emailed credit card receipt; if you are claiming back from your health insurer then please let me know as I can get my PA, Sarah, to send a formal clinic receipt specifically for that purpose.
And that's it – I look forward to seeing you in my virtual clinic! But if you have any questions, please email my team and we'll be happy to answer.


text:
Growth & Customers
Ditching addiction, building a business and giving back
Jason Millar lost himself and his business through addiction but kept pushing and found faith led him back to himself, his barbershop and success.
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Jason Millar didn't have the easiest start growing up.
He and his little brother were in and out of children's homes and foster families, after their mother, who was an alcoholic, could no longer care for them.
After an attempt to run away from the children's home, Jason's younger brother Wayne, was struck by a car and killed in front of him. Although Jason's child-infused optimism kept him pushing forward and staying positive, he never really came to terms with the awful things he went through.
He went on to pursue his dream of becoming a barber and soon found success after opening up his own barbershop. However, that all came crashing down when Jason's partying habits of taking cocaine, quickly became an all-consuming addiction.
This is Jason's story of how he overcame his addiction by finding faith and how he now uses his business to teach others both work and life skills, as well as giving back to his community in any way he can.
Here's his unfiltered advice below:
- Your inner child optimism can help you cope with trauma
- Working for free will get you the experience and exposure you need
- Having the right energy and mindset will attract customers
- Your own difficult experiences can help you to deliver better customer service
- When working hard leads to you to playing even harder
- Underselling your business is heartbreaking, but sometimes it is needed for a fresh start
- Ending addiction isn't as straightforward as selling your business
- Finding a community in faith and ditching addiction
- Self-reflection can be a good form of therapy
- Teach not only trade skills but life skills to your employers
- Helping others to believe in themselves will get you out of bed in the morning
- Never forget your roots—use your business to give back to disadvantaged backgrounds
- Running online courses and featuring on the big screen
- How having a mentor can help take your business to the next level
- Connecting with your staff and helping the homeless
Your inner child optimism can help you cope with trauma
Kate Bassett:
So Jay, you had a really difficult start in life.
You said, "If people had gone through what I've been through, they would be in jail, or they would be dead."
Can you share your childhood story with us?
Jason Millar:
So, from a young age, I was with my mother. She was an alcoholic, and we went through some tough times growing up, me and my younger brother.
Some of the stuff that we've been through as young children, adults were living through that at such young age. At four or five, I was going to P1, Primary One school, being sent to school with no food and like stuff for your break that normal kids would be sent to school with for like a lunch and a break.
Because of the place that my mother was in, she never sent us to school with a break. God love her too, because she was an alcoholic and she was going through different things with different demons and stuff.
From a young age, I was growing up walking to school from our house, was nearly like a mile and a half, and I was only in P1.
So there were some hard times, really hard times when you look back, and think to yourself, "I would never want my kids to go through what I went through."
Then I was put into different children's homes and foster parents where my mother obviously couldn't look after us anymore, so we were taken over.
One thing that sticks in my mind was when the police came to take us away. We were probably five and six, and my brother run away from the police. There was a policeman and a policewoman. My younger brother bit the policewoman because he didn't want to go.
We were put in the children's home twice. We'd then come out, and we were then put into another, like foster care. It was another home with other children and stuff there. And then that must have passed, and we were back in the children's home again.
And then we had actually run away from the home one night.
My brother wasn't even meant to come with us, and there was like five or six of us. And we had actually taken some of the pennies, there was only like 50p's and 20p's, from the office. I was eight at the time, and my brother was a year younger, well, 13 months younger.
And we actually ran away, got on the train, and went to Carrick, which is about eight miles away. And the school had gravel ground, like gravel patches at the back. And we walked across the back of the gravel patches, and we jumped the fence.
And as we jumped the fence, my brother run out in front of a car and was knocked down and killed in front of me, just there and then. It was just crazy how everything in your life that you grew up, with your younger brother being so close.
A year before my mother died, she said to me, "Make sure to look after Wayne," which is my younger brother.
And all there in that split second, it was all just taken away.
Going from the children's home then, after that, I was actually fostered by my uncle, after all that had happened. It was actually a few family members that actually tried to foster me after it happened, and I went to live with my uncle and auntie.
This probably, obviously put me and helped me have a bit of stability in my life that I'd never had going from different houses and children's homes and stuff.
Kate Bassett:
That was such a traumatic upbringing for you, especially that moment of watching your brother being killed.
How did you get through those first few months after that?
Were you able to turn to your uncle and family members for help?
Jason Millar:
I think whenever it all happened, looking back now, I never got any counselling or anything at all or any support. I think the thing that probably saved me was how young I was at the time.
Because I was so young, I think that's what actually helped me.
Obviously, it was a horrific thing that happened, but I think just getting by and thinking to myself, I was going to be fostered and everything else.
It's like the inner child, how young you were, you're just thinking to yourself, it's something bigger. Even now, even when I wrote my book and stuff, you look back and think to yourself the mindset that you had. It's like mindsets that people have now.
When I was a child, I just went, "Everything's going to be alright." I was often thinking, "Something better is going to coming up," but you were just dealing with it self-consciously.
Kate Bassett:
Actually, that optimism you had as a child probably got you through what was a really traumatic time.
Working for free will get you the experience and exposure you need
Kate Bassett:
And you partly found relief from your profession. I know you've been a barber for the past 16 years.
Started out working for free, sweeping the floor, making coffee.
What made you turn to that profession?
Jason Millar:
I think the reason that I turned to it, I always wanted to do it. And I was in the army, and I was cutting hair there, and I always wanted to do it. I always put it off because I didn't have the confidence to do it.
Then I went and worked in a barbershop in Northern Ireland. I started there. I went to do a trade test. A trade test is you go do a haircut to see if you're good enough.
Prior to this, I was actually cutting hair and charging, and I was doing ok. And I went and done the trade test, and when I walked in the shop, it was amazing.
And I went and done the haircut, and they came back to me and said, "You weren't good enough. You didn't get the job."
And I went, "What do you mean?"
So three weeks' later I sent them an email survey saying, "Please keep me in mind if there's any other further stuff that comes up."
So three weeks' later, by chance, I got an email from one of the owners asking me to come up. And I knew the woman when I walked in, and she was smiling. She says, "I've got an offer for you. I'm going to give you a job, but I'm not paying you." And I said, "No problem."
So I actually went and worked there for probably seven months for free, doing all the chores and everything else. But I'm glad I did it because it helped me become the barber I am now.
Whereas if everything came too fast, it wouldn't be any good.
I think it put a lot of foundations into the way I am now, whether it's like cleaning toilets or making coffee or customer service or whatever it is, it really stands by you later in life when you're actually cutting hair.
Having the right energy and mindset will attract customers
Kate Bassett:
Yeah, you had to really roll up your sleeves, do a bit of everything and work really hard.
And you did work your way up to manager. How did you build up your clientele and your reputation?
Jason Millar:
I think building up my reputation was a lot of hard work.
At the time, there were times that I actually worked there and didn't have enough money to get my bus fare. You had to get two buses to where it was, and I actually had to walk from where I lived at the time, which was probably eight miles or something around.
But all wee things like that and me doing it and becoming the manager for House of Fraser was a big, big stepping stone in my career because with what I learned very early on, people might not remember your name, but they'll always remember what you made them feel.
So I always applied that to every single thing and just worked and worked and worked. And it's got to be where I am today with so many clients and everything that I'm doing.
And I think when you have that sort of mindset, and you have that sort of energy, everything else attracts to you because obviously, the sort of way you're thinking and the way you're treating people and the way you're trying to give people a good service, it all ties in together.
Your own difficult experiences can help you to deliver better customer service
Kate Bassett:
I mean, so much of that profession does rely on customer service.
Do you think you brought a different kind of empathy and energy given your background?
Jason Millar:
Definitely I think because of what I've been through. It's like if somebody says to me, "You've done really well or whatever," I can't really take that on board because of the childhood I had.
I feel like I don't deserve people bigging me up or giving me compliments, because obviously I've been through a hell of a lot.
And obviously, as a child growing up with not very much, it gives you the sort of mindset like, "I just have to keep going. I just have to keep patient, patient and patient."
And I certainly felt like Peter Pan at the start when I was doing it. I never grew up. I only grew up really later in my barbering career, whereas at the start I thought to myself, "Just keep pushing yourself."
When working hard leads to you to playing even harder
Kate Bassett:
And you did keep pushing yourself and were doing really well.
So, what is it that made you turn to drugs?
Jason Millar:
I think the reason that I turned to drugs is because I thought because I was working so hard and the money that I was making, that I deserved this. And I just got out of control.
At the start it was going out partying and everything else and taking a bit of coke here. I think my personality is like a productive personality where I can work loads, but on the other hand, if you're going to work as hard, you're going to play harder.
And then the two of them don't mix, with how much money that I was making at the start.
When I opened Jay's Male Grooming in 2012, it was crazy money that I was making compared to what I was making working for the barbershop.
And the partying was just, little by little, the cocaine, I just couldn't get enough. Nothing was ever enough for me. It was just party, party, party.
And obviously everything around you is just like a sandcastle. It might not be next week, it might be in five years' time, but eventually everything's going to come down around you.
Whether it be your workers, your family, your support, your marriage or whatever, everything's going to definitely take its toll.
Underselling your business is heartbreaking, but sometimes it is needed for a fresh start
Kate Bassett:
And at what point did everything around you fall down?
What was the lowest point, and how did you then start to turn your life around?
Jason Millar:
The thing for me was, I was going between £2,000-£2,500 and sometimes more, sometimes a little bit less. That's what I was making at Jay's Male Grooming, having five people working for me.
Everybody really, as I said at the start of the interview, the goal from here was zero to hero, whatever way it was going to be. At the start, it was zero to hero.
Whenever that all came down, and I sold my shop, the big thing for me was I sold a really, really successful business for very, very little money. The reason I'd done that was because I was hitting the self-destruct button.
And I was offered over £50,000 a couple of years before, and I think I sold the business for just under £6,000, and that was with everything in it.
But that's the sort of mindset that I was in. I just felt like it was a failure, and a lot to do with the way I was thinking about taking drugs and everything else.
And I remember my wife Orla pleading with me and crying, saying, "Please don't sell this. Please don't sell this."
And I just wanted to get rid of it because I created this monster, and I needed to get rid of it as well, because it was so successful and there's so many people coming in the shop and everything else.
It took me so much to build it up, but to get rid of it, it was hard, but it was good because it obviously had to happen. But the lowest point was obviously selling that business for such little money with every single thing in it.
But obviously, because of my actions of taking drugs and everything else, because you can't be like a workaholic and then doing that as well and thinking that you're going to give people a good service.
And people can see it. They can see that there is something wrong.
Ending addiction isn't as straightforward as selling your business
Kate Bassett:
Do you think you associated your business then with that downfall and the drug addiction, and you just wanted to completely cut that lifestyle and start again?
Jason Millar:
Whenever I was living that lifestyle, whenever I cut it away, there was part of me thought, "If I can give this away, the shop and everything else and the money and everything else, maybe it'll come to an end."
But to be honest, when I sold the shop, it wasn't the end.
I mean, it just didn't get me off drugs. I was in so many dark places. And once I took that, at the start the way it makes you feel and the way it makes you feel at the end, how much it can infiltrate your mind and think to yourself, "I'm alright," but you're not.
And little by little, it's taking its toll. It's like cutting your big toe off and still walking about whilst you're bleeding, and your life's just bleeding out.
And going from that and everything else, and I had a bad fall. I was taking drugs one night, and I had a fall out of a third-story window in a hotel. I broke my wrist, I had broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and 150 stitches in my leg. And even all that didn't stop me.
This is why I've done talks for young males that are going through depression. And I've stood on top of a stage and told them even after all that I went through, it still didn't take stop me from taking cocaine.
And I've stood there, and I've told them all that you can think to yourself that you're going to stop doing drugs because of things like that, and the things that happened to me, but that didn't stop me.
There's a big, big problem because at the end of the day, if you're not going to stop after something like that happens and something so serious. The wound of my leg was opening right up at the outer side of my right knee. You could actually nearly see the bones. It was madness.
The thing about all that and the mindset that I was in, it was just like it wouldn't have bothered me if I had died because I was just in such a bad place.
No matter what I was taking, the cocaine, it was just making me really, really agitated. It was making me very anxious. It was making me very paranoid.
And no matter what anybody would've said to me, they're like, "You're alright. You're alright."
But I wasn't. I was far from all right. It was just a really, really bad place I was in.
Finding a community in faith and ditching addiction
Kate Bassett:
So, what did it take then for you to stop the drugs? How did you stop that addiction?
Jason Millar:
The way I stopped it, I was in the laundry shop close to my home, the valley laundry shop and I bumped into one of my friends, Ricky Malone. And it's crazy how it happened.
He walked past me, and then he walked back and shook my hand, and we got talking.
And he says, "Hi, how are you?" and all this. And I took his number. And that night he sent me his testimony.
He'd done an Alpha course with the church, and I remember reading it. I remember sitting on the sofa looking at it and going, "I would absolutely love to do something like that."
So Ricky invited me to go on the 12-week Alpha course with the church, and I went and attended that. And I missed one week of it, and at the end, I ended up getting saved by a fellow called Michael Wiley, who is an absolute gentleman.
So, the answer to your question about how did I get off it, I'd done an Alpha course, and I just started walking with God, and that's the only reason.
That's the thing that can get through to people, because a lot of people don't even believe me.
I can see it because of how I handled it, I was drinking, doing drugs and partying. And they're going, "There's no way."
There's actually people, men, or women, that have run out the church to speak to my pastor and say, "Is it definitely Jay, the one with the tattoos? Is that the one you saved?"
It just shows you on the outside looking in, how bad people thought my drug addiction was.
It's probably taken me a long time to accept and speak openly about it, actually. But if I can help anybody else, that's what I'm really driven to do, and that's why I've done many, many talks in front of a lot of people.
Kate Bassett:
Do you think for the first time you felt like you had that support and community around you that perhaps you didn't have growing up?
Jason Millar:
Yeah, that's actually a good point.
Obviously, growing up as a young fellow, with everything I went through, I never had any support, I didn't have a counsellor, or anyone throwing their arm around me and showing me that everything was going to be okay.
I can't even remember, as a child, anybody hugging me and saying, "I love you." And I have children myself. I have four boys and three girls.
And at the end of the day, it's literally like I'm breaking generational cycles, which I'm very aware of now with the stuff like the drug taking and getting out clean and doing what I'm doing now.
Self-reflection can be a good form of therapy
Kate Bassett:
And Jay, what prompted you to write a book about your experiences, and how hard was that process?
Jason Millar:
I was actually going to write a book 10 years prior to me writing a book, and it was for all the wrong reasons.
I was writing the book just because I thought, "I'm doing so well and everybody's going to want to know why."
And really, it's about how God works in your life, and it shows in what he's done for me.
For me doing that book, I had to dig in really, really deep into all of my feelings, and I never thought, until I had actually done it, what I was going to be dragging up, and all the things I thought I'd actually dealt with but hadn't.
And it's been very, very good because I've sold over nearly 600 copies now, and with the life I've had and the amount of people that have reached out to me about the positive of the impact of doing that book. But even with how hard it was, it's been unbelievable.
Kate Bassett:
Was it hard for you to write that book? You mentioned that you never had any kind of counselling.
Was writing the book almost like a therapy session in itself?
Jason Millar:
Yeah, definitely. Because whenever you're saying all these things, you're going, "Did I actually go through that?" It's nearly like a dream.
I'm coming up to 41 now, and that stuff all happened obviously when I was such a young age. You're going like, "How did I get through all that?"
But it was very, very good for me accepting the things that I've been through and seeing it all for what it is and for a long time, a really long time, I'd blamed myself for letting Wayne come with me and getting killed.
And obviously, by accepting everything, I realised it was always going to happen. I couldn't have done anything about it.
So, for a long period of time, I was carrying that about with me, about what happened. And me taking the drink and drugs and everything else, a part of me was probably being childish and selfish and thinking to myself, "Well, look what I've been through. I deserve to do this."
When realistically, I needed to stand up and accept everything for what it is and be accountable for what's happened in my life.
Teach not only trade skills but life skills to your employers
Kate Bassett:
So you got your life back on track. You started Jay's Barber Club. And you also have a training academy for anyone who wants to learn the trade.
What made you launch that?
Jason Millar:
So, from my opening my own barbers in 2012, I was always teaching people. I taught my workers, and then I give them the job. I didn't really bring anybody in to work that wasn't trained by me.
So then about four-and-a-half years ago, I launched the barber club where I was teaching in my CV shop in Belfast. Then it was just too small, and now we've got a proper academy where I train them and not even just train them, I try and mentor them life skills as well.
Because as soon as they walk through the door, I can sort of know who's who and what they're going through, I can realise if people are having a hard time.
And I've helped many people, and I'm very, very grateful that the people that are on the course aren't just here to learn about becoming a barber. They can learn so much more.
And the thing I'm very, very excited and grateful for is, there are so many people on the course. At the minute, there are 30 people a week on my course, and they come from everywhere.
There are people from Scotland, Romania, everywhere. And by opening my academy, I can actually give people jobs as well.
So there's a lot of people that are super grateful, and they text me all the time and say, "Jay, I'm so grateful for you giving me this chance." And all I say back to them is, "Just keep pushing. Just keep pushing."
Not to be that chap that's sat here going, "Here I am, doing really well and helping people." I don't mean to be arrogant.
It's just because of what I've been through, I can't accept that praise, all that. See if I can get these people, and what I am doing is helping them and lifting people up as much as possible.
Helping others to believe in themselves will get you out of bed in the morning
Kate Bassett:
Is that what motivates you and gets you out of bed every morning?
Jason Millar:
Yeah. Me getting out of bed in the morning, it's like when people play a match on a Saturday, they might get butterflies in their stomach, and that's exactly the way I feel if I'm going to work on a Saturday because of how busy it'll be.
It helps me get up in the morning, because I know so many people are there looking up to me, and these people are on my course, and they know my story too.
So there are people that are booked on this course because they've read my book. And at the end of the day, everybody's going through their own challenges.
Everybody's going through life. And people think life's easy because they're on social media. They're on all sorts of platforms thinking, "I want that life." But they don't realise that's fake. It's not real.
And I think people that are on the course, they literally look at me and go, "Flip me. He's real, and he's been through it."
And that's what gives me the fuel, not anything about the money, it's about helping people, because there's so many people out there. At my academy, I have skateboards and each skateboard says, "Believe in yourself."
And I tell all of them when they first come on the first night of the course, "Everybody put your hand up and pat yourself on the back because the hardest thing on this course was to come tonight, because you're obviously nervous, and you're scared."
So it's all these small things to take out, just to try and help people. That helps me too because, at the end of the day, I'm grateful I can be in a position to help so many people.
Kate Bassett:
Jay, do you feel like you believe in yourself yet? You said it's really hard still for you to take compliments and accept the success of your business.
Jason Millar:
I definitely do believe in myself, but I just believe I can keep pushing myself. And whether that's come from me having such a successful business in the industry, or because of where I was mentally with drinking and drugs, and then where I am now, I 100% believe in myself in every way.
But the thing is, the mindset and the flow that I'm in now is because of how good the business was and, more or less overnight, it went away.
So now it's like I'm in the boat going, "I will never let that happen to me again, never. And I will do whatever it takes just to keep on the right track."
And if that's helping people along the way or lifting people up, then that's what it takes.
Never forget your roots—use your business to give back to disadvantaged backgrounds
Kate Bassett:
You talk a lot about lifting other people up. I'd love to know your advice for other business owners on how they can support people from disadvantaged backgrounds and really break that glass ceiling.
Jason Millar:
The thing about helping other business owners, I think there's probably a lot of people out there would love to do it, but they don't know how to go about it.
So I think maybe getting the knowledge and what you're actually wanting to do or having to focus or having to plan or sitting down. If there's anybody I can help along the way in business, I will, and I'll help them bring people in.
I've actually been asked to go into a local deal and teach as well, but because I'm so busy, I can't really commit to it because realistically I'm working nearly six days a week.
I'm off on a Wednesday, which is today. After this podcast, I'm going into Belfast. And I cut hair for the homeless, and I've done that for maybe 18 months.
And if I don't go, they actually text the pastor and say, "Is Jay coming today? Is Jay coming?"
So stuff like that where if other business owners maybe had a bit of knowledge of either reaching out to somebody, maybe helping other people, they'll be very, very humble for doing it.
Running online courses and featuring on the big screen
Kate Bassett:
And you mentioned that you are never going to stop pushing yourself.
So what is your vision for Jay's Barber Club and the academy? What does success look like for you?
Jason Millar:
So I opened the barbershop in an area which is very challenging for some people in Belfast. So I put that, my business, in Belfast, and trying to give them a really, really good service for smaller money than Belfast c ity centre.
So then I cracked that because we're flooded and really, really busy in there. Then I opened up the academy, and the academy's really busy.
So my vision for the next five years is to, which I've already started, is to do online courses. So I've filmed all that. It's cost a lot of money to do it.
I've got a mentor, Daniel, who is very, very supportive. So I've got a successful mentor. We meet up once a week, and we go through different things and where we're going to go and write stuff down and have a bit of a head-to-head on what we're doing.
And from meeting Daniel about nine, 10 months ago, I've actually filmed all my online courses. I've got 10 modules and going forward with that, it's just starting to get that in front of people, so we can sell it.
And I've got good news about my book as well. They're going to make it into a film, and it's going to be made into a play as well. So there are exciting times ahead.
So it's going to be amazing whenever all that comes, because if you're thinking positively, and you're focused on the right things, anything's possible.
Kate Bassett:
That's amazing. Who's going to play you in the film?
Jason Millar:
I'm not too sure about the film, but in the play, in the grand opera house in Belfast, the boy that's going to be doing that is, I don't know if you know the grandad that's in the TV show, Derry Girls? It's his son that produces it, and he makes plays.
But he actually sent word through one of my colleagues, "Would Jay be willing to stand onstage and speak?" So I don't know if I'll be involved in it or not.
So it'll be challenging, but at the end of the day, you have to do these things. You're not going to grow if you're comfortable all the time.
Kate Bassett:
Exactly. You have to keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
How having a mentor can help take your business to the next level
Kate Bassett:
Speaking of which, you mentioned your mentor. How did you meet him, and what have you learned from him?
Jason Millar:
Daniel and I met through one of my clients that I was cutting hair for a long time ago. And when I was cutting this client's hair, he told me that, he says, "You need to contact Daniel and go and speak to Daniel. He's amazing. He's amazing."
And I let it slip. It didn't happen. Maybe a year and a half ago he was in Dubai, and he sent me a message out of the blue. I'd sent him a message probably months before, asked about was he still doing coaching and stuff?
And I never followed up because I'm so, so busy and everything. Just life gets in the way. And he sent me a message and said, "Hey Jay, it's Daniel. I'd love to have a Zoom call. I'm in Dubai."
And I was like, "What? What's this about?"
We had the meeting, and then he came back from Dubai. He actually lives in Northern Ireland, and I went and met him. And he says, "You've got amazing energy, and I think we should work together."
And ever since, everything that's happened for me, from then to now, has been unbelievable, really, really good, because I have an online shop, have an online presence now where I never had before.
Yes, I had Facebook. I had social media. But I never had a place where people can go buy my clothing or my hats or like clothing ranges and stuff, or my books and my online courses as well.
So there's really been a really, really positive impact from I met Daniel, obviously from a business point of view as well.
Kate Bassett:
And do you think having a coach has changed the way you run the business?
Jason Millar:
100%. Because the way I run the business now and meeting Daniel, it shows me how I didn't run the first business very well when I had the first shop.
And now that I'm doing it, it just shows you how much of a well-oiled machine it is. I'm very, very strict, but I'm very, very fair, because at the end of the day, I wouldn't ask any of my workers to do something I wouldn't do.
Every morning at half eight, we go and clean the shop all together. And I think they respect you more. But as you said, the mindset with meeting Daniel and people like him, it's madness the difference of where you're thinking is at.
Connecting with your staff and helping the homeless
Kate Bassett:
What are some of the other disciplines you've put in place to make sure the business does run like a well-oiled machine?
Jason Millar:
I make sure that the shop's always spotless, that all the bills are paid, and just having face-to-faces and having team meetings with my workers to make sure that they're happy, making sure that the clients are all happy as well.
Because at the end of the day, what I tell my workers all the time when we'll have team meetings, "It's all right to get the top. It's even harder to stay there."
So, at the end of the day, don't be ever thinking that you just haven't made it, because you haven't made it yet. Because I'm living proof that anything can happen if you take your eye off the ball or whatever.
So you need to keep pushing yourselves and just the small things like that, and the cleanliness of the shop and just all the different tips that we would do with the clients of actually getting new clients in, like referring friends or going around to colleges offering free haircuts.
I volunteer in a palliative care hospital for end-of-life patients.
So a few months ago I put a Facebook video out of me, asking other barbers, to jump on board in place. "Can anybody help me with this? Because I can't do it all myself."
And I ended up with about 15 other barbers in a group chat.
So now I can work. I made sure the video said that I wasn't trying to get them to just and come work for me. I just want this to help me, help others. There's so many homeless people in Belfast. There are so many aspects to it and so many people that need their hair cut.
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And check out Jay's book for more on his life story.
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Helping Her Walk Again
At the request of her son, we provided financial assistance for the hip replacement surgery of Mrs. D.M. Somawathi, of Bibile, Sri Lanka. As she was unable to afford this operation previously, Mrs. Somawathi suffered with pain and poor mobility for several years. We are glad to report that the operation was a success and she has already fully recovered. The Somawathi family met Bhante Y. Wimala and expressed gratitude for helping their mother walk again. As always, we are grateful to all the friends who support our efforts to help people like Mrs. Somawathi.


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Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: eBook • Pages: 254
Published: September 22, 2015
Publisher: 47North
Source: NetGalley
Seventeen-year-old Smitha's wealth, status, and beauty make her the envy of her town—until she rejects a strange man's marriage proposal and disastrous consequences follow. Smitha becomes cursed, and frost begins to encompass everything she touches.
Banished to the hills, hunted by villagers, and chilled to the very core of her soul, she finds companionship with Death, who longs to coax her into his isolated world. But Smitha's desire for life proves stronger than despair, and a newfound purpose gives her hope.
Will regrets over the past and an unexpected desire for a man she cannot touch be enough to warm Smitha's heart, or will Death forever still it?
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I totally loved this book! It may very well make my Top 10 of 2015 list.
I don't know if this was based on a fairytale−if it was, it's not one I'm familiar with. But the rhythm and cadence of the story is very reminiscent of some of my favorite classic fairy tales. Although the concept of a girl whose touch freezes those who get too close makes Disney's Frozen immediately leap to mind, this is not at all the same story. It reminded me a bit of Beauty and the Beast in reverse, with some aspects of Hans Christian Anderson's Snow Queen and the Norwegian tale of East of the Sun and West of the Moon thrown in. But Holmberg has used just a few elements from each of those stories to create something that was new to me and completely captivating.
This is the tale of a beautiful but very vain girl (we'd call her narcissistic, today), who has the unpleasant experience of being cursed when she cruelly rejects the wrong guy. At first, you really feel like she deserves it. But as time goes by and you (and she) realizes all the implications of the curse, you begin to feel some pity for her. That quickly changed to admiration for her determination to survive.
At one point, I actually had a lump in my throat. I don't want to give anything away, but I was swept away in the unfairness of her punishment and her subsequent heartbreak. And yet, she soldiered on.
The plot was interesting, and while I knew from the moment Smitha was cursed how it would most likely end, the journey was absolutely worth it. The pace of the story is slower than most modern YA literature, but the descriptive language puts you right there in the story with Smitha. I could see the wonders of the desert city, smell and taste the foreign spices, and most of all, feel the freezing wind and snow that constantly surrounded her.
The writing was beautiful, lyrical−the type of writing that weaves a spell around you and traps you securely in the imagery. The narrative voice is similar to Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George and Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, both of which I loved dearly.
Followed by Frost intrigued me with the very first sentence of the Prologue, and then that next paragraph soundly hooked me:
I have known cold.
I have known the cold that freezes to the bones, to the spirit itself. The cold that stills the heart and crystallizes the blood. The kind of cold that even fire fears, that can turn a woman to glass.
Here are a few other examples of the beauty of this book:
Homes both large and small stippled the scooping valley like scales on a fish: white, bronze, beige and flax. … My own home in Euwan would have stood out like a fish in a tree in this city…
My cold heart splintered more with each passing day, until I could feel its shattered pieces rattling down my rib cage and settling somewhere in the hungry pit of my stomach.
It was the sort of music that could coax life into even a slow-beating heart like mine, the kind you could taste just by breathing.
Beautiful! For me, it added to the richness of the story without slowing it down.
Followed by Frost is marketed as a Young Adult Fantasy and I would have no problem letting a teen read it, although advanced readers will better appreciate the writing style. There is one swear word. Violence is negligible−Smitha is chased by hunters with dogs, sees corpses in a mountain pass (eww, but not descriptive), and a few punches. Steamy kisses when Death tries to seduce her and a scene where the man she loves is not wearing a shirt. Overall, it's mild and I'd feel fine letting 14+ read it. In my opinion, this is also a strong crossover book that will appeal to adult readers, as well.
I give it a solid 5 stars! It doesn't come out until September 22nd, but it's on pre-order at Amazon. Available in print, e-book, and audio.


text:
The Love Potions
From Antiquity, intoxicating fragrances have been used to excite the object of our affections, and enhance sexual intimacy.
When you breath in aromatic oils, they travel through your olfactory system to the limbic portion of your brain, which controls your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and sexual impulses.
Aphrodisiacs create a euphoric state and stimulate sexual pleasure through their powerful influence over mind and body.
Our Luxurious Love Potion massage oil is available in two Erotic blends…Love Potion #17 and Love Potion #23
Love Potions
Tantalize your senses with the luxury of exotic fragrance and the exquisite sensation of silky smooth skin.
SUTIL Love Potions contain ethically cultivated essential oils from aromatic plants with aphrodisiac properties.
"10 ways to use our SUTIL Love Potion Massage Oils"
Order from our partner FUN FACTORY
Love Potion #17 4oz. UPC 181167000260 Love Potion #23 4oz. UPC 81167000277


text:
2020 Newest HP 14 Inch Premium Laptop, AMD Athlon Silver 3050U up to 3.2 GHz(Beat i5-7200U), 8GB DDR4 RAM, 128GB SSD+500GB HDD, Bluetooth, Webcam,WiFi,Type-C, HDMI, Windows 10 S, Black + Laser HDMI
(as of – Details)
Laser Direct sells computers with professional upgrade and customization. The manufacturer box will be opened by our engineers for customizing and testing. Defects & blemishes are significantly reduced by our in depth inspection & testing.
Key Features and Benefits:
CPU: AMD Athlon Silver 3050U 2.30GHz Dual-Core Processor (1MB Cache, up to 3.20GHz)
Memory: 8GB DDR4 RAM
Hard Drive: 128GB SATA M.2 Solid State Drive+500 GB HDD
Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit in S mode
Display: 14″ HD NON-TOUCH SVA Anti-glare Micro-edge WLED-backlit Display
Screen Resolution: 1366 x 768
Backlit Keyboard: No
Ports: 2 x USB 3.1,
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C,
1 x HDMI,
1 x RJ-45 Connector,
1 x Combination Audio Jack
Video: AMD Radeon Graphics
Audio: Stereo Speakers
Media Drive: Multi-format SD Media Card Reader
Optical Drive: None
Wireless Connectivity: Realtek RTL8821CE 802.11b/g/n/ac (1×1) and Bluetooth 4.2 Combo
Built-in HD Webcam with Microphone: Yes
Battery: 3-Cell, 41 Wh Lithium-ion
Bluetooth: Yes
Weight: 3.3 Pounds
Color: Jet Black
14″ HD NON-TOUCH SVA Anti-glare Micro-edge WLED-backlit Widescreen (1366 x 768) Display
AMD Athlon Silver 3050U 2.30GHz Dual-Core Processor (1MB Cache, up to 3.20GHz), AMD Radeon Graphics, Performance is similar or better to AMD Ryzen 3, 7th Gen i5, 8th Gen i3 series
8GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM Memory for full-power multitasking; 128GB Solid State Drive + 500GB Hard Drive Disk; No Optical drive
2 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x HDMI, 1 x RJ-45 Connector, 1 x Combination Audio Jack, 1 x Multi-format SD Media Card Reader; Wireless-AC and Bluetooth 4.2 Combo; Windows 10 Home 64-bit in S mode


text:
Summers Gun
This monograph features individual works and installation images from Summers Gun, Hesidence's 2015 exhibition at CANADA. Summers Gun is the final installment of four distinct bodies of work which Hesidence structured around an exploration of the seasons. The book presents the Summers Gun paintings along with twenty five pencil drawings, as well as documentation of the artist's previous series Maritime Spring which was exhibited in the 55th Venice Biennale. Also included is an interview between Hesidence and the artist Jason Fox.
Published by: CANADA
Design: Frances Perkins & CANADA
© 2016 CANADA and the artist


text:
Selling Bubble Gum For A Living
I was out on a date the other night with my wife, and after a few particularly spicy servings of curry she left craving Juicy Fruit — you know, the bubble gum that I could had sworn was a victim of the new millennium. Weird, but whatever.
Well, we managed to find a pack at a nearby grocer and the craving was subdued (and a lot of failed attempts at blowing bubbles were made by me). But this article isn't about bubble gum. Instead, it's about the psychology that went into craving gum and then ultimately swiping a debit card.
That pack of gum was what's called an impulse buy. It didn't affect my wife's and my finances in any meaningful way, and we're not going to miss the few bucks we spent picking it up. No mental overhead went toward debating the pros and cons of buying that pack of gum.
Now, had we left the Indian restaurant and she turned to me saying, "Brennan, I really, really want a new MacBook Air," the night would have gone a bit differently. Where spending a dollar on gum has no bearing in my budgeting, spending a thousand or two on a laptop does.
And let's pretend I had no knowledge of Apple as a brand. Would this laptop work the way we needed it to? What was the likelihood that it would break the next day? How right is this laptop for me and my family?
It's all about risk
With any transaction, there are two types of risk. First, there's the money risk — Am I going to get more value out of this than the money I put into it? And second, there's the product risk — Is what I'm being sold really what I'm getting? Am I being duped?
As the sticker price of the product moves north, the more these risks become a factor in the buying cycle. But you knew that. We all know that.
However, I see a lot of people who try to sell stuff online put together an ebook, a course, or a membership site and after driving traffic to it (and often times at a cost), they're left wondering why sales were so poor or non-existent.
Sometimes, it might be the product. But more often than not, it's the way they go about selling the product. They're asking strangers to go home with them on the first date, which statistically tends to have a high risk of failure.
Digital courtship
My premium product is something I call the Consultancy Masterclass. It's $1,799, and sells out almost every time I host the class.
I like to say that the fact that it sells out has little to do with the copy or design on the sales page. I could drive all the paid traffic in the world to the sales site for the class, and I'd likely make zero return.
And I'm by no means an expert copywriter, nor have I discovered some secret sauce that allows me to sell thousand dollar products where others struggle to sell stuff for $10. What I have done, though, is court my customers.
The lifecycle of a Masterclass customer is generally something like this:
- Reads an article of mine and takes my five day free course. They're also now on my newsletter, and getting free educational content each week in their inbox.
- A little later, picks up my introductory book (generally through a little autoresponder nudging on my part), "Double Your Freelancing Rate" for $49, which for a B2B transaction is practically like buying a pack of Juicy Fruit.
- They manage to raise their rates and end up netting thousands of dollars in new revenue, and internalize that by spending money on Brennan, they netted a huge return.
- Later on, they'll pick up my second book (again, after being gently nudged through some autoresponders — more on this in a second), which helps consultants become better at sales and marketing. This book can cost a little more: the packages range from $49 to $249. And then, once again, they derive an ROI (e.g. they get a new client or two through some of the tactics I outline.)
- Next, they discover I teach a two day intensive course which involves a lot of individual coaching from me. It's almost $2,000, but so far they've made thousands of dollars from our relationship.
- It's a no-brainer. Remember: spend money, make money. I've been courting them for months, and we have a very healthy, and very mutually beneficial relationship.
The idea is that I'm aiming to offer my best products to those who have had the best results. You can get an email with brand new content from me each week for free, and this is where all of my customers start and stay. But a segment will self-select to dive deeper into one of the topics I cover, like value-based pricing. They'll pay $49, and walk away with more value than they put into it. And then an even smaller percentage will opt to dive even deeper into pricing and the mechanics of running a consultancy, and they'll pay close to $2,000 for group access to me. Finally, my customers who have had the best results self-select to pay $24,000 a year for 1-on-1 access and accountability each week.
Free -> $49 -> They learn and net an ROI -> $249 -> They net an even greater ROI -> $1,799 -> etc.
Ramit Sethi, the NYT best selling author of "I Will Teach You To Be Rich", takes a similar portfolio approach to his products. The majority of his audience finds him either through his $4.95 book or blog, but through — as one commenter pointed out — a "Choose Your Own Adventure" style of interconnected autoresponders, he's able to channel his audience into the funnel that makes the most sense for them and their goals.
His products range from a few hundred dollars to his $12,000, in-person workshop, which he only offers to his most valuable and most successful customers.
The importance of the followup
There's a clearly defined funnel in my product business. Entering the funnel involves joining a free email course of mine or a newsletter, which is something that everyone is talking about nowadays.
But what isn't always discussed, which is instrumental in the success of my business, is what happens after someone buys from me.
Where the typical progression might be: Public blog post -> Email course opt-in -> Hard sell -> Product sale, I've tacked on autoresponders that fire after a sale which are meant to telegraph customers from one stepping stone to the next.
Let's say you're on my list, and my initial set of autoresponders drive you toward checking out my first book. After you buy that first book on pricing, I'm not done. I've established cashflow — you're not a newsletter subscriber any longer, you're now a customer. And my primary goal is to make sure that the customer experiences and, more importantly, realizes that they've made an investment and not an expense.
So right after you buy that first book, I'm going to send out timed emails that offer additional perspectives on what the customer is likely digesting at the moment in my book, and establish a standing offer to help however I can. The emails make it clear that I'm not looking to have a one-night stand with my customers: "Have you done X yet? OK, what's stopping you? If you're stuck, here are some resources. Still stuck? Reply."
The results of these followup autoresponders have been outstanding, for both the success of my customers and the balance of my checking account. I've been able to effectively glue my products together, with next to no continued input on my end.
Automate all the things
The single best way to move people toward paying for your monthly membership site or buying your premium course is to deliver a lot of free value (through blog posts, newsletters, email courses, and downloadables) that steers people toward your products and asks for the sale only when it's time.
And don't leave your customers out in the cold — followup up with them and help them make the most of your products, and they'll come back for more.
The best part is, the majority of this can be done using a cheap ConvertKit account and some Zapier hooks between whatever you use to sell your products and your lists.
Once you have the right processes in place, you can spend more time doing what you do best — talking to your customers about their particular situation. Much of my time is spent each week in my inbox, responding to emails that came about from machine-generated emails to my customers, but in the last year alone resulted in $324,073 in product sales — with almost half of that revenue coming from my most premium products that only 2% of my customer base bought.
Brennan Dunn has helped over 10,000 freelancers learn how to avoid the mistakes he made while growing his freelancing business to an agency. Over the next few months, he'll be sharing more of the tactics he uses to automate the sales of his products and services with his newsletter.
Earn a living doing something you love.
Grow an audience and get paid for your work as an independent creator. Fizzle is where creators come to learn, share and make progress toward their online dreams.
I've taken a lot of courses and been involved in several paid communities since I started my business, but I've never ever felt like anyone CARED as much about seeing my reach my goals as the Fizzle Team. They show up for me as much as I show up for myself. Thank you SO much, you guys!
Claire Pelletreau
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