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| Spoiler Alert!
"Oh, and one more thing: Some of these pages may contain spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie, try not to ruin it for yourself.".
|Hair Color
|Dark Brown
|Vanessa Hudgens
Blondie is a main character in Sucker Punch. She is of Native American descent; this is supported by the design of her costume and her use of a tomahawk.
Blondie is the "tough girl" of the group, projecting confidence and looking at the others with an air of suspicion. In the brothel reality, she is slower than the other girls to warm up to newcomer Babydoll, snidely remarking that "She's no virgin," and dissing the more emotional Amber for feeling sympathy for the new girl. Still, once Babydoll pitched her escape plan, Blondie quickly signed aboard, accompanying the girls on two missions and proving herself a formidable fighter.
However, despite her tough shell, Blondie proved to be the weak link in the group, cracking under the pressure of keeping the secret of the escape plan from Blue's questioning. She tried to open up to Madam Gorski, but Blue interrupts and gets her to tell him everything. As Blue threatened Gorski in the dressing room with a gun to her throat, Blondie lost it, bursting into tears and confessing that she was only trying to help by revealing their secret. Blue executed Amber in front of the other girls, and then shot the blubbering Blondie for being a snitch.
Physical appearance
Despite her name, Blondie has long, curly black hair. Blondie is also one of the more curvaceous of the girls, but still a toned professional dancer.
Blondie may not have any living family, though she treats the other girls like sisters.
Blondie and Amber have a close relationship. It was Blondie who helped bolster Amber's courage when she had to steal the lighter from the despicable Mayor. But Blondie can be snippy, as when she told the overly empathetic Amber, "Nobody felt sorry for you."
Sweet Pea
Blondie, like the other girls, looks up to Sweet Pea as the oldest and de facto leader.
Even though Rocket and Blondie are never seen having any real conversations, it can be assumed they value each other, since Blondie has accepted her as friend.
Baby Doll
She is wary of Baby Doll from the start, but comes to accept her as the ringleader of the escape plan and helps her, fighting alongside the other girls.
Madam Gorski
Blondie trusts Madam Gorski -- since she decides to open up to her dance teacher about the stress of the escape plan. In return, Gorski exhibits motherly love toward Blondie when she finds the girl crying in the dance studio outside her office, and again when Blondie and Amber are killed.
CostumeBlondie, like the others, wears dance rehearsal clothes around the brothel, including a leotard, tights and a sweater. When going into battle she favors leather and corsets. Blondie's costume fits into a steampunk design, featuring a black bodysuit with plunging neckline and zip front closure, faux leather brown glovelettes with long fringe detail and faux leather belt with matching fringe. She keeps her long hair piled high on her head, adorned with a set of goggles she never wears over her eyes.
Main Article: Blondie's Weapons
Fighting Style
Despite her courageous façade, Blondie's underlying fears and insecurities motivate her every move, prompting her to plunge headlong into battle. She is the rugged individualist. Whether she's using a tomahawk or a heavy machine gun, Blondie frequently goes it alone in combat.
Photo Gallery
Film portrayal
Blondie is played by Vanessa Hudgens.


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Purchase: Backbeat Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Backbeat, a bio-pic about the earliest iteration of The Beatles—well, The Silver Beatles, actually—came out in 1994, and at the time, I remember thinking: wow! What a movie! So cool, so uber-hip as to be so different from what was happening at the time. I've re-watched it since and all I can really say is, in deference to the aging process, the accents are good, especially the guy who played George Harrison. In fact, all the portrayals are good: Lennon is brooding and nasty, Paul is smiley, yet focused. George is quiet. Then there's Pete Best, the world's unluckiest drummer, but the focus of the film, Stuart Sutcliffe, the "lost Beatle" or the "5th Beatle", who left the band to become a painter and then tragically died from an intracerebral hemorrhage is the central story. The injury was the possible result of a vicious beating he took, and a kick to the head, in one of the Beatle's many misadventures in Hamburg, Germany, where they cut their teeth as a bar band pre-1964 and their history-making splashdown in America to start the British Invasion. The film's focus is on those wild times, as the Beatles sorted out just exactly who they were, and the irony of seeing them portrayed as pre-icons, unaware of what was to come, makes for interesting watching. And the fact that the film devotes most of its image making to Sutcliffe and his relationship with photographer Astrid Kirchher, lends to the air of mystery around just who the Beatles were before they become the biggest celebrities in history.
Sutcliffe died a year after leaving the band, at the age of 21, after having secured a scholarship to attend the Hamburg School of Art. Pete Best was replaced by Richard Starkey…the rest is history.
It's sad to think of what could have been when one discusses Sutcliffe (or Pete Best, for that matter). An artist first, Lennon convinced him to join the band and play the bass, which Sutcliffe had absolutely no talent for whatsoever. But, he looked cool, and in a band as image-conscious as this, that counted for a lot. In fact, it was arguably Sutcliffe that inspired and invented the Beatle's image—point in fact: he was the first to wear a mop-top; the others were copying him. Same with the Beatle boots and the duds. But, with Lennon, McCartney and Harrison being as talented as they were, tensions were bound to arise—the looks would only get them so far. Seriously, think about it: The Beatles started out like any other pop outfit: thriving, rocketing to fame on their carefully cultivated image and the devastating good looks. But, they surpassed the look and did something as yet really unachieved at that time in pop/rock music, which was make music.
Music, as in italicized music, asterixed music, real music*.
The level of talent, of song writing and composition skills, has rarely, if ever, been matched since by a pop band. So, good looks, mop top haircuts, and those Chesterfield suits with the velvet collars and the drainpipe pants, would have only taken The Beatles so far if not for the god-given musical talents. Imagine a history where the Beatles were a relegated to a few oldies hits, dusted off on classic rock radio, never achieving Abbey Road, or Sgt. Pepper's, because they were kind of Justin Beiber, or something even less, a factory made hit, here and then gone. Pop music is more flash than it is bonfire. The Beatles remain an ever-growing phenomenon not because they were among the first, but because they deserve, perhaps, had to be that.
The movie itself, as I said, is…OK. It's a nice period piece, full of authentic sets, haircuts, and great wardrobe. It shows the tensions in the band, defines the personalities that would go on to be more legendary the real, and depicts Paul's anger and dislike of Sutcliffe, knowing he was better on bass than the aspiring art-school aesthete.
But, it is the soundtrack that we will end on. Produced by Don Was, and featuring a veritable all-star line up including Dave Priner of Soul Asylum (huge at the time the movie came out); Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs; Mike Mills of REM; Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth; and a young kid named Dave Grohl from a little band called Nirvana. The album is a vanity project of sorts, with ace musicians, wildly popular at that particular juncture, covering, in a most un-ironic way, their roots. The music that Beatles started out with was and remains some of the most enjoyable ever written: 2-minute, whip crack rockabilly and soul numbers that really, though covers themselves at the time, were the very earliest traces of rock n roll. The DNA of the genre, if you will—what made rock n roll a cultural force, and not just a local southern radio oddity named after a slang term for sex, with a fast backbeat and a quicker guitar riff and shuffle.
This modern day crew cuts a fantastic, hyped up and warp-speed collection of such tunes as Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly Miss Molly", "Twist and Shout", Chuck Berry's "Rock 'n' Roll Music" and "Carol" and the Berry Gordy penned, "Money", perhaps the most recognizable of the later Beatle's hits.
The soundtrack is well done, recorded crisply and full of a buoyant, joyous energy. And like its predecessors, it clocks in at under a half-hour—those 2-minute pop classics, all jangle guitar, shotgun snares and ripping vox are a thing of the past, sadly. I remember thinking of the album as a nice little novelty, a different kind of sound from musicians who I loved at the time, doing far different sounding music than what was popular (Greg Dulli, in particular, is in excellent form—but, then, the Afghan Whigs were really just a hyped up, angry soul band…).
For me, having grown up on The Beatles and studied them deeply well before I even got out of middle school, the soundtrack was a lark, a fun reinterpretation. But, for a lot of people my age, in the confused post-Nirvana (Cobain committed suicide just about a week after the soundtrack came out), still growing grunge and alterna-revolution, the soundtrack to Backbeat was kind of a text book, a primer for what came before and laid the groundwork for the rock 'n roll that was happening now (well, then actually…).
The thing itself, rock 'n ' roll, is constantly changing, but its roots, as open to debate of ownership and origin as they are, remain solid. The place rock music came from is sacred, a spring or an oracle, still able to mystify. Going back, regardless for the reason, proves, like all good art, that reinterpretation, not necessarily reinvention, will keep the thing perpetually alive. And kicking. Hopefully to a kicking backbeat…

subset: commoncrawl


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The way we homeschool, the First Day of School really doesn't mean anything. It's some arbitrary day, set amongst many other similar days, in which you feel with some confidence that we have moved beyond that to this. It's not even grade-level marked, because grade-level means nothing in homeschooling. But it does mark a freshness, a newness that kids all over the world recognize. Except we don't go school shopping and don't have to take insane amounts of school supplies to drop off with the teacher. Instead, we buy books and online course registrations.
I think I've said before that we don't really take summers off, because the teenlet needs to continue learning. Boredom, according to professionals who have worked with him, is his greatest enemy. But this year, the teenlet wasn't completely on board with not getting a summer break. After all, his friends were available more frequently, and he wanted to be available when they were. This is a teenage characteristic, a sign of growth and maturation - the increasing importance of friends over family - and I want to support that maturation, even though they only play video games and that drives me crazy, especially on a nice summer day. It's the common bond they have; I don't want to break it.
So we made a deal - as he finished an online course, we would not start a new one to replace it, with the exception of the Coursera course he wanted to take that went through June and July. This was an experiment for us - this gradual lessening of coursework. And he never really got to zero.
Our experiment was a success. Granted, we had a rather amazing summer, with lots of visitors (international, and more local), with camps, and our family vacation to Alaska. So we didn't have very many days when something unique wasn't happening. He did not have a lot of opportunities for boredom.
And that made for an almost-real "first day of school" this week. I say almost, because he hasn't exactly finished Trigonometry - he still needs to take the final. And he started a new course through Coursera last week, and another new one this week. He will start Calculus later this month, and physics will start in October. Writing will come, too, when I figure out how I want to approach it. So I guess we're on a rolling start.
When most people ask what grade he's in, I say, "Chronologically, he's in 8th grade." Most people don't pursue it further, and that's fine with me. I don't really know how to explain why he's so far advanced in his courses without seeing "that look" in their eyes - that look that says they think I'm either making it up or completely delusional about his ability. So we just stick with 8th grade.
So, I guess you can say that we have moved beyond 7th grade, and entered into 8th. But that isn't really descriptive of anything in his case, except a number that only relates to how long he has spent on this earth and nothing about his experience or what he has learned.
A gifted individual is a quick and clever thinker, who is able to deal with complex matters. Autonomous, curious and passionate. A sensitive and emotionally rich person, living intensely. He or she enjoys being creative. -definition of giftedness written by the Netherlands Study on Giftedness in Adults
Friday, September 6, 2013
Our First Day of School
3 comments:
We say 4th grade. Even he has deliberately asked me to never discuss anything having to do with learning or academics because of "that look." It is nice to hear of someone speak of it, instead of just completely ignoring the fact we don't fit in anywhere at homeschool group.ReplyDelete
I've often thought that homeschooling is the way to go, though I don't know if my husband will agree. That would require me to be a SAHM for more than the first year, which we argued and finally agreed upon. My husband doesn't like the stress of being the sole financial support for a wife and child.ReplyDelete
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Stellar Bounces With The Market — Not So Impressed (XLM)
BITTREX:XLMUSD Lumen / US Dollar (calculated by TradingView)
3039 views
Hi friends! Welcome to this update analysis on Stellar! Looking at the four hour chart, we can see that a breakdown has occurred, from the head and shoulders pattern. The dip didn't quite reach the bottom of the ascending broadening wedge , but it was very close. Across the crypt space, I see a very similar theme today. A rapid selloff occurred, which sent prices tumbling. Then, practically all of the cryptocurrencies that I follow, bounced hard, on high volume , with with a strong bullish shift on their respective MACDs, and each one has formed a bull flag . Looking at XLM here, we can see that the bull flag peaked, and found resistance at the neckline of the head and shoulders pattern. The bull flag suggests that we are likely to break to the upside, and retest the neckline resistance. I've got to say, I like the bullish reaction, and I definitely expected it, as prices approached the bottom of the wedge . However, a small bounce into a bull flag doesn't erase the severe damage that has been done. The bulls have their work cut out for them, if they want to regain control of this market. Looking at the MACD , you can see that it is trying to form a bullish crossover, but that hasn't actually happened yet. In order for that to happen, we'll need this bull flag to breakout to the upside. Although the bounce is nice to see, I've got to be real with you. There is a massive amount of overhead resistance, and not much downside supprot. On the upside, we've got the 618, which XLM is all over at the moment, then the head and shoulders neckline, then the 50 EMA (in orange,) the 200 EMA (in purple,) and the 50% retrace. Below us, we have the bottom of the wedge , and then the 786. Clearly, the path of least resistance is still down. As I'm writing this, the current candle is trying to breakdown from the bull flag . Be very careful here. If the flag breaks down, the bottom of the wedge will be tested, and probably broken. This market is very weak, and there isn't much follow through on this bounce. On the contrary, this could be a longer-term low. We have to watch what happens with this flag to know for sure. A breakout, which takes us above the head and shoulders neckline, would be a very bullish sign. However, a breakdown from the flag, which appears to be happening as I write this, will be a very negative sign. Be on guard! A test of the bottom of the wedge , and a subsequent breakdown may be imminent. If you recall from my previous posts, I've been saying that the ascending broadening wedge pattern is a bearish pattern that normally produces a breakdown. We may see that very soon.
This has been your not-so-humble market wizard, droppin' knowledge like bombs in this place! Please follow, comment, like, and share on social media. Good luck trading everyone!
***This information is not a recommendation to buy or sell. It is to be used for educational purposes only.***
-MPC loves you-
This has been your not-so-humble market wizard, droppin' knowledge like bombs in this place! Please follow, comment, like, and share on social media. Good luck trading everyone!
***This information is not a recommendation to buy or sell. It is to be used for educational purposes only.***
-MPC loves you-
This is why buy and hold is the BEST play. Last few 4hr candles showed us that the market can move and correct faster than anyone of us could react. Buy the FUD and hodl.
Hi, what impact do you estimate in the market if suspicions of the Tether affair are confirmed? Tks
crypto_ham gusccbb
@gusccbb, It could be a long recovery back up to 10k again if thats confirmed, just rumors have shook the newbies to the cryptospace
BTC has broken your 8600 line so if its going to $5K it will drag down the whole market I would think..
crypto_ham almccann
@almccann, exactly what MPC said, sell and buy at bottom. its following his charts %100
MagicPoopCannon almccann
@almccann, BTC and the whole space looks nasty. It looks like more downside is coming.


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blog - hooray! There's a good possibility I'll be re-visiting some of the pubs and/or festivals that I've been to during the last 12 months but hopefully I'll come at them from a different (geographical) direction or at least for a different reason. This year for the Braco Festival I'd looked at the public transport timetables and decided that the most interesting option was get the train to Gleneagles and then walk the 8 miles or so to Braco via the Perthshire town of Blackford.
View Blackford in a larger map
Outward transport was as follows:-
  Train: Glasgow Queen Street to Gleneagles (10:10)
Quite a few people left the train at Gleneagles Station - a mixture of golfers, shoppers and an up-market Hen Party, but no-one seemed to want to walk up to the busy A9 dual carriageway (there were a lot of courtesy mini-buses about but I didn't manage to blag my way onto any). I needed to cross the A9 but instead of trying to dodge 4 lanes of 70-mph traffic I decided to walk a few hundred yards to the Gleneagles-Glendevon flyover. Just up from the north side of the flyover I found an open gate into the Gleneagles Golf Course and the maze of paved golf cart paths. Taking meticulous care to observe golf etiquette (I dread to think what the green fees are at Gleneagles) I walked along the 3rd hole of PGA Centenary Course, crossed the fairway at the 4th and found the marked path to Blackford at the left side of 4th green. The well trodden path took me past a number of farms and out to the minor road into Blackford just before the huge Highland Spring Water bottling complex.
Also made in Blackford is a beverage with slightly more alcohol content than pure H2O, malt whisky crafted in the small, independently owned Tullibardine Distillery, which even today seemed to be busy with deliveries and tours.
Attached to the Distillery is the Tullibardine Visitor Centre where the different types of tours can be booked and there's also a shop & café housed under its flowing lines.
They weren't running a 12noon tour (and I wasn't going to wait around for the next one) so I had to content myself with having a look around the shop. I'm not really that big a whisky fan so I wasn't going to buy a expensive malt without a fair amount of research, but it was good to also see bottles of Thistly Cross Cider available and a well stocked display of Tullibardine 1488 Whisky Ale and other Tullibardine-branded Ales (Strong, Traditional & Blonde) - all brewed by TSA. The 1488 Whisky Ale is matured in Single Malt Tullibardine casks and isn't bad at all, but I'd have to say that I don't think the beer and the whisky complement each other to the extent as, for example, Harviestoun Old Engine Oil & Highland Park do in the different variants of Ola Dubh. Of the other Tullibardine beers the Blonde Ale is probably the best - quite sweet and fruity and just a hint of whisky in the after-taste.
The Vistor Centre is part of the new Eaglesgate Retail Village with a Baxters food/soup shop & gift hall and also some clothing/fashion shops. It always seems pretty busy whenever I've stopped and I guess the distillery tours helps bring in the coach parties.
Outwith this new centre on the main street in Blackford is the well-maintained Blackford Hotel.
I entered through the side entrance on the left and into the Bothy Bar and found a fairly small, modern, but still quite homely bar (and completely spotless), with a centrally located pool table.
A single hand-pull was dispensing Inveralmond Thrappledouser (there were also a number of Orkney & Houston pump-clips dotted about) so I ordered this and the soup-of-the-day. It's a nice bar with a St Johnstone FC signed shirt & crest, a large Bells whisky mirror (not a Tullibardine one!), juke box, fire & hearth, and a very confusing double mirror in one corner of the room. There was also a more formal lounge/dining room at the front of the hotel. The carrot soup was absolutely fine and set me up for the next stage of my walk to Braco.
I'd noticed a path sign-posting Braco Road just before the Hotel so I took this and walked over a small burn to the main Glasgow to Aberdeen railway line. This was one of those Stop-Look-Listen and then open-the-gate-and-walk-over-the-railway-as-fast-as-possible-in-case-you-get-hit-by-a-train-doing-100mph crossings - I've never liked these!
The path then rose to give great views of Blackford, the Strathallan glen and the Ochil Hils.
Thereafter I followed a single track road for some distance towards Braco. It's a fairly decent walk with some panoramic views, lots of game birds flying low (Grouse & Ptarmigan, still present in numbers even after the 'Glorious' 12th) and the surprisingly large (and very busy) Trout Fishery at Orchil Loch.
Just before Braco I came to the site of the Roman Ardoch Fort, which I've had a look around before. Not a lot seems to change here (which I guess is good) but at least this gave me a chance to take a better picture.
Braco Village Hall was hosting the Real Ale and Music Festival and looking pretty much the same as last year, although the doorman seemed to have shrunk somewhat.
As always the organisers had everything setup in good time and it was great to chat some people I'd met before and some new folk who were helping out. There were 10 hand-pulls available with TinPot Brewery providing a Raspberry Cider (of unknown abv, but it was pretty lethal), a 'standard' Stout, Gold Pot 70/-, 80/- Pot, Marmalade Pot and 2-off Ardoch Fort, as well as Fyne Ales Hurricane Jack, Williams Brothers Birds and the Bees and Tryst Carronade. I think there were more TinPot beers than last time due to some issues with the trade/retail pricing of some of the other beers.
The specially brewed Ardoch Fort was excellent - golden, quite bitter, but refreshing with a great citra hop aroma and taste - not quite a Fyne Ales Jarl but not bad at all.
They try to have some young kids playing music in the early afternoon (before the main bands in the evening), but a lot of the parents had been delayed by an accident on the road from Glasgow to Stirling, so instead there was only a single wee lad playing guitar - he was great.
The way the bus times had worked out this year meant that I had to get the early bus back to Dunblane - a real pain. However this did give me the chance to drop into the Dunblane Hotel before the train arrived.
The bar didn't have any hand-pulls so I headed into the fairly busy lounge where
Deuchars, Schiehallion, and TSA Gold Bullion were available. The bar area was busy with regulars chatting away and waiting for the football results, but it wasn't a problem getting served and I chose the TSA Gold Bullion since I hadn't tried it before.
I didn't stay in the lounge but instead headed out to the riverside beer garden - this really is quite excellent - lots of nice green foliage and the sound of running water from the Allan.
However I couldn't say the same for my TSA Gold Bullion - it was terrible. Yeasty, thin (wishy-washy would be the term) and in need of some decent conditioning so rather than struggle with it, I poured most of it into a nearby flower-bed! If only the lovely Ardoch Fort that I'd had at the Braco Festival had been available.
Return transport:-
  Bus: Braco to Dunblane (Stagecoach 47, 15:27)
  Train: Dunblane to Glasgow Queen Street


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So it's time for vacation and it's also my sons birthday weekend. I am ready for Disneyland! Made leis for my sons and I got the cool idea to make their own autograph book from pinterest
My kids are super excited
Materials: a ringed notebooks
A picture of mickey
And stickers
Super easy I had to use package tape because I didn't get to laminate it but I'm sure it will still work.


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Keep it Simple.
>> Tuesday, November 22, 2011
If you are anything like me, you might be slightly freaking out that Thanksgiving is this week. Which means Christmas is soon to follow.
We are still trying to get through our Halloween candy! :)
Trying to make time or keep up with crafting and scrapbooking during the holidays can be a little tricky with all there is to accomplish! Let me share with you my secret: keep it simple.
My husband and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary last week-- it's obviously something I wanted to document. I usually spend quite a bit of time on my layouts, but with last week's schedule that wasn't an option-- so I challenged myself to keep it simple.
I used one photo and layered a variety of papers from the Head Over Heels collection (love!). I even used the (short) journaling and title from a recent blog post. Easy!
So the key is to keep it simple. And when you do, you will be amazed at how much you will get done even during this busy season!!
Lily Bee Supplies Used:
Head Over Heels: Smitten, Courting, Swoon, Crush, Dreamy, ABC Stickers
Lovely: Chipboard Stickers


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November 3, 2014
By Daniel Fitzgerald
Felman asks for more time to study EPA emission changes
NEW YORK - Felman Production LLC has requested an extension to the public comment period for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed changes to federal emissions regulations.
The EPA's proposed amendments to national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants could force multimillion-dollar upgrades at Felman's Letart, W.Va., silicomanganese facility and Eramet Marietta Inc.'s ferromanganese smelter in Ohio (amm.com, Oct. 23)
Felman has requested via its attorney that the public comment period be extended to Feb. 3, 2015, from Nov. 20, 2014, to provide more time to review the proposed changes. "The recent supplemental proposal represents Felman's first opportunity to review EPA's re-analysis of the data, and much of that analysis was only made available a few days ago," attorney Laura K. McAfee told the EPA.
"We believe this extension is necessary to allow for a full and fair review of the available data, including the additional test results that (Eramet Marietta) has agreed to provide, and that it will still allow EPA sufficient time to review all comments and finalize the rule pursuant to the schedule imposed by the court," she said.


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May 8, 2011
Alexei Yagudin, Revolutionary Etude
Alexei Yagudin, Revolutionary Etude SP (2001 World Championships)
***** - Transcendent
It's interesting how some of the greatest programs are programs that never quite manage to win a major championship. Michelle Kwan's Dream of Desdemona and Taj Mahal, for example, are criminally underrated, and Stephane Lambiel never won anything major with Poeta (with the exclusion of the 2007 Grand Prix Final, which was debateable anyways). For Alexei Yagudin, his programs during the 2000-2001 season--Revolutionary Etude and Gladiator--are a perfect case in point. The 2000-2001 season was quite the lost season for Mr. Yagudin, as it was the season in which he lost every tête-à-tête with his up-and-coming rival Evgeni Plushenko and suffered a foot injury to boot. Yet his programs this season were absolutely superb, arguably surpassing even the famous Winter and The Man in the Iron Mask, both excellent programs that were cemented into iconic status with his victory at the 2002 Olympics.
Take Revolutionary Etude for example. This short program is the perfect polygamous marriage between skater, music, choreographer and circumstance. Normally orchestral arrangements of solo piano pieces tend to be overblown and superfluous, but this particular arrangement of Chopin's Revolutionary Etude suits the power and passion of Mr. Yagudin's skating splendidly and lends a certain gravitas to the program that may not have been quite possible with the original piano arrangement.
Revolutionary Etude starts off with a certain expectant tension with the big guns--quad toe-triple toe, (giant) triple axel--relentlessly building up to what is choreographically the highlight of the program, the footwork sequences. And what a highlight they are. The footwork is relatively simple and repetitive but it's executed superbly, done with such flow and speed (something that is sadly lacking in much of the ungainly CoP footwork we see today, but that's a tale for another day). More importantly, it's also incredibly well-matched to the drive of the music, the steps coming rapid and sure like the punishing rhythm of a heartbeat electrified by sheer emotion and energy, exactly what the music demands. And as Mr. Yagudin lands that triple lutz, racing onto the homestretch, one realizes that the ABC commentary after the program is completely and utterly right. This program isn't just about the elements, or the choreography, or the music, or even about winning the competition at all, really. Revolutionary Etude somehow, by sheer force of will, transcends all that and instead achieves a higher purpose. It's about Mr. Yagudin sending a message to that mulletted upstart nipping at his heels, to the judges, to former coach Alexei Mishin, to all the doubters and naysayers who watched him struggle all season, to even the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune--the message being of course, I'm Alexei Motherfucking Yagudin and I am the greatest skater in the world!
And after watching this program, I cannot help but believe him.
4 comments:
- MissLyrataMay 12, 2011 at 2:37 AM
Lol, Morozombie, I love that line in bold—that seems to be EXACTLY what he was saying, particularly at the end!ReplyDelete
You are so right about Yagudin's Revolutionary Etude and Gladiator; both were gorgeous programs which showcased his strength and passion, and it's a shame they coincided with Yag's pre-Olympic slump. I agree with you about the footwork in R. Etude—simple by CoP standards, but it has not only musicality, but fantastic energy and flow! That's something many CoP step sequences have lost, IMO. I sometimes wonder how Yags would have fared under this system, but then I realize I probably don't want to know.
I have to say, Gladiator was a particular favorite of mine, so perfectly suited for Yagudin's passionate style. I did like both of his Olympic year programs as well, though.
And I agree that Lambiel's Poeta was another example of a fabulous program that never quite reached its potential technically. A real shame that he was so plagued by injuries (and that danged triple Axel)...
- prettykeysMay 17, 2011 at 1:08 PM
This is a great post. Alexei Yagudin's "Gladiator" LP is my favourite program of any male figure skater. He had a breathtaking combination of passion, artistry, athletic talent, and competitive heart that I can't find in any other skater (not even in the splendid Stephane Lambiel, although he is, in my opinion, a better show skater).ReplyDelete
I miss Yagudin terribly.
I miss Yagudin and I miss Lambiel, this program is one of my personal favourite and I love the fact that they both could risk and stake for the love of skating (something that the fabulous Plushenko never tried: he only risks when he feels sure enough. It's easy, therefore, to be successful when you compete, if you compete just when at 100%).ReplyDelete
I don't think that Lambiel is more a show skater, I think it's one of the best skaters ever, we are talking about different kinds of skating: there's the more athletic one, and the one with more artistry and musicality in it. Lambiel had everything: fludity, elegance, jumps, musicality, power, spins, footworks. His jumps were awesome, high, with perfect landings, and it's a shame that at some point (too soon!) injuries weighted down on his quads and his axels (damn triple axel, I've suffered for years everytime he tried it, but I loved to notice how much commentators were also struggling with him) because he wasn't just a "show skater", just because he is also fun to watch.
I'm sorry I talked a lot about Lambiel, I just thought that you said everything about Yag. Beautiful post, actually.
- AnonymousJuly 16, 2015 at 8:03 AM
I watched this. Thank you! Yagudin is fantastic.ReplyDelete


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A few weeks ago, James Healy, my colleague at The Conversation, alerted the team to the following tweet from Kent Beck.
Fast forward to the present and I find myself reflecting on Ruby Conf AU, held on the Gold Coast recently.
My gut feeling is that the conference would score fairly well if evaluated against Kent's criteria. But us programmers are analytic beings, so let me reflect on the talks and see how well they stack up.
Whilst there were many excellent talks amongst the 24 that were included, I'm going to pick some of them that resonated with me and place them each in one of Kent's categories.
Gradual refactoring, as illustrated by Katrina Owen in her One Undo talk, is a vital aspect of working in small increments. Katrina showed us an example of how to initially place some poorly optimised code under test and then progressively improve it by teasing out the abstractions. To me, it was a brilliant example of how to "remove duplication and improve names in small cycles", as Joe Rainsberger would say.
To work in small increments, refactoring as you go, requires effective testing strategies. To this end, Tom Ridge gave a thoughtful talk which focussed on the readability of RSpec code. In Explicit Tests Tell a Better Tale, he challenged us to consider how our choices in our RSpec usage affect our cognitive load.
I could have categorised the talk by Elle Meredith as honest, which undoubtedly it was. However, my first inclination about Elle's talk entitled Feedback Matters was that it was foremost about being kind. As Elle's talk emphasised, giving and receiving feedback in the right spirit with careful attention to how it affects people is of utmost importance to software development teams.
Ernie Miller struck a chord with his Humane Development – Empathy talk. I'm looking forward to seeing his slides and watching the video to see what else I can glean from what Ernie had to say. But I do recall that I found myself thinking, how good is it to hear someone talking about empathy in the context of software development!
Adam Cuppy may have posed the question, What If Shakespeare Wrote Ruby? and arguably provoked thoughts about abstract commonalities between Shakespearian and Ruby patterns. However, to me there were overriding factors that lead me to unquestionably consider his talk as kind. For one thing, this professionally trained actor provided the opportunity for the organisers to schedule his talk as the second last in the conference. A masterstroke! Secondly, Adam describes himself as a Master of Smile Generation. I rest my case.
Jeff Casimir opened the conference with a talk that unquestionably fitted the "honest" bill. Sharing his experiences in the context of 10 Years and 10 Mistakes set a nice tone for the conference. I found it to be a refreshing approach. We all learn from our mistakes but it takes a certain degree of intestinal fortitude to get up on stage and honestly talk about all the ways you have goofed up.
Debugging Diversity, presented by Dan Draper and Catherine Jones was without a doubt an honest appraisal of the challenges that face the Australian tech community with respect to increasing the opportunities for people who don't fall into the "white male" stereotype that is predominant.
Given the seriousness of the diversity challenge in tech, it was pleasing to also listen to Jess Rudder give her perspective on the topic. Her presentation, Diversity in Tech – It's About More than Just the Hiring Process, hit home, focussing on a critically important aspect. The fact that so many women choose to leave the IT industry points to a problem that the community needs to address.
We were privileged to hear Senator Scott Ludlam present the closing keynote of the conference. Honesty is a word that leaps out when I reflect on Scott's talk, How the government broke the internet. The importance of an honest approach to the Internet and democracy, that is. As Scott illustrated, we certainly cannot assume government honesty when it comes to privacy for individuals and transparency of governments.
I guess it's fair to say that Paulo Perrotta presented about "details". After all, his talk delved into Refinements, a Ruby 2 feature. However, when you consider that Paulo's talk was entitled Refinements – the Worst Feature You Ever Loved, you get an idea that this Italian has a devious sense of humour. And so it proved. To me, this was a great example of the importance of presenting a technical talk as an entertaining story.
When I reflected on what André Arko had to say, I admit that I hesitated about where to place his talk, or talks. His official talk was entitled Security Is Hard, But We Can't Go Shopping, in which he shared with the audience the importance of handling security vulnerabilities. I guess it's fair to say that's an explanation of details. However, that wasn't the end of his message. André went on to talk about Ruby Together, which to me sits squarely in the honesty category.
Of course, the talks were only part of the conference. I love the way RubyConf AU has evolved to feature plenty of social activities. My impression is that our international guests particularly appreciate these, especially those on the Saturday morning. Kudos to the conference organisers, Jo Cranford, Rob Jacoby and Trish Jacoby, together with the volunteers for their thoughtfulness and kindness.
I think my selection of talks bears out my contention that the success of Ruby Conf AU 2016 coincides with the fact that many of the talks fitted in with Kent's idea that a good conference focusses on small increments, kindness and honesty.
I had the privilege of listening to and meeting Ed Kmett at the YOW! conference in Sydney last December.
Whilst Ed's Functionally Oblivious and Succinct talk was undeniably impressive, it was his Stop Treading Water: Learning to Learn (download slides: 43MB) keynote which struck more of a chord with me.
I found the whole of Ed's keynote fascinating. I love philosophical talks like this that provoke the listener into tangential thinking.
Ed drew upon a variety of references to shape what he had to say about how we can better learn. I liked his emphasis of the importance of revisiting something you have already learned, ideally when you're just about to forget it, and improving your understanding by exploring the topic in more depth.
As a case in point, I've forgotten the details of what underpinned this point in Ed's talk. Revisiting his slides, I now recall that he presented a hypothesis known as the forgetting curve which was developed by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885. Ebbinghaus showed that there is an exponential loss of memory unless information is reinforced. This leads to the idea of using the spaced repetition learning technique to achieve iterative deepening of knowledge.
Another aspect of Ed's talk that struck a chord with me was when he spoke about the need to be careful with jargon.
To quote from his keynote:
If you use jargon, always be willing to explain what it means.
Ed reminisced about answering questions in maths exams at school when the answer was obvious to him. This brought back memories of my own. Why bother going through all the intermediate steps to show how the answer could be derived when you could work it out in your head?
Getting back to Ed's talk, he also alluded to how the work of French Mathematician Jean-Pierre Serre was taken to a higher level of abstraction by Alexander Grothendieck. Whereas Serre presented brilliant yet concise proofs, Grothendieck was renowned for his mastery of explanation.
What Ed had to say about the benefits of explanation set me thinking about how this applies to activities in software development, especially within a team.
Here are some examples.
An aspect of the Agile approach to developing software has been the reaction against Big Design Up Front. However, in my humble opinion, this has often been an over-reaction.
Sure, it can be crippling to the flow of developing software to spend a lot of time designing before writing code.
However, taking the time and putting in the effort to explain your intended design early can reap dividends. It may simply involve a small group of people discussing some rough design diagrams on a whiteboard. Or it may be an asynchronous discussion, perhaps including sketched diagrams, in a GitHub pull request2. Explaining a design idea to your colleagues can often save much time and effort if it reveals a better approach before significant time and effort has been invested in coding and testing.
Spreading knowledge throughout a software development team is, in my experience, more important than often fully appreciated.
In the day to day work towards delivering new features and getting the things done that the business needs done, one thing that can get left behind is the effective transfer of knowledge about the domain and how applications and technologies support the domain.
A potential antidote to this effect is for more deliberate effort to be put into explaining various aspects of what members of the software development team are doing.
Where it is recognised that one developer is the only team member with a thorough understanding of one critical system, sub-system or technology, a lunch-time talk could provide the opportunity for others to learn from the expert developer's explanation. Alternatively, details of an approach to developing a feature could be elaborated on within a GitHub PR. Or perhaps explanation could be provided in an online question and answer discussion within whichever online communication tool the team is using.
The important thing is the preparedness of everyone in the team to share their knowledge for the good of the team as a whole.
A third example of the benefits of explanation in the context of programming, and one of my favourites, is what I refer to as explanatory debugging.
Have you ever found yourself stuck when trying to debug a software problem? I know I have on many an occasion.
At times like this when I have swallowed my pride and asked for a colleague to help, what happens next can be uncanny. Once I have their attention, I begin to show my colleague the code and explain the problem to them. It's amazing how many times I don't even get to finish explaining the issue before I see the source of the problem. To me, this scenario is one of the most powerful examples of how pair programming can work well. The simple act of explaining the problem so often quickly leads to a resolution.
In a nutshell, being prepared to explain your reasoning is powerful. If you consider your reasoning to be important, taking the time and effort to share it will most likely lead to a better shared outcome.
And, on that note, I would like to thank Ed Kmett again for his thought-provoking keynote!
1 Many thanks to YOW! for permission to reuse this photo.
2 I intend to say more about effectively using Github PRs in another post soon.
Yesterday I had the privilege of presenting my Loving Legacy Code talk at RubyConf Australia 2015 in Melbourne.
My motivation for giving the talk was to share some ideas about how to learn to love legacy code more.
Rather than going into a detailed outline of what I spoke about, let me say that, in essence, I was encouraging developers and managers to approach the challenge of working with legacy code with helpful techniques and a good attitude.
Along the way I spoke about how to identify pain points, effective testing, refactoring towards simple design and tool support to help the fallible brains of developers.
But I guess I wanted the main takeaway message to be this:
Respecting the people who have been involved with, those who are currently working with and those who will in the future be affected by the codebase will make you feel better about the code.
Hopefully the ideas I shared provoked some in the audience to think more about how they might enjoy and gain satisfaction from the challenges of working with legacy code.
Unsurprisingly, the ideas presented weren't all original!
So the main point of this post is to acknowledge those who have inspired and helped me and to provide links to resources that I drew upon for the talk.
I would especially like to thank and acknowledge my colleagues at Blake eLearning, especially Dan, Dave, Josh, Lachie and Martin, who did me the honour of listening to me practice my talk and gave valuable feedback. I would particularly like to thank Navin, who generously shared both his viewpoint about some specific legacy code and some more general insights.
I am continually grateful to those who have taken the time to write about issues relating to working with legacy code. Here are a few resources that I drew upon for my talk.
I've enjoyed the conversations that have been prompted by my talk so far. Hopefully they will inspire me to write and talk more about specific aspects of working with legacy code.
And, of course, improve my own capacity to love legacy code more.
The time is getting closer.
In a little over three weeks I'll be speaking at RubyConf Australia in Melbourne. To say I'm giving a lot of attention to preparing my talk is an understatement.
It has been a while since I spoke at a conference and, even though I have since spoken at many user group meetings and other tech events such as Rails Camp, I am very conscious of the need to improve.
The point of this post is to acknowledge how much I am appreciating the wonderful speaking.io site that Zach Holman has curated. I recall seeing Zach speak at YOW! a few years ago and marvelling at his seemingly effortless delivery. Now I am very grateful for the tips that Zach has provided. Hopefully I'll do them justice.
For now, if you need to prepare a talk, I thoroughly recommend Zach's speaking.io site.
I'd better get back to my slides.
"That's wrong!", interjected a member of the audience.
I was taken aback. I had suggested the following definition of the Single Responsibility Principle.
"A class should do the smallest possible thing; that is, it should have a single responsibility."
At the time, all I could respond with was: "well, that's one definition". In fact, this quote was taken verbatim from Practical Objected-Oriented Design in Ruby by Sandi Metz. The purpose of my talk was to use Sandi's excellent book to generate discussion about better OO design in Rails applications. Fortunately for me, those present at the Sydney Ruby meetup (or "rorosyd" as it is affectionately known) responded well and all ended well.
However, the experience left me pondering.
Several weeks later, I had the privilege to listen to Kevlin Henney talk about deconstructing the SOLID design principles (pdf) at the YOW! software development conference at UNSW in Sydney.
Kevlin is an Englishman who delights in the proper use of the English language. Very early in his talk he questioned the use of the word principle in relation to SOLID design. Kevlin suggested that the word pattern was more accurate. As he illustrated his point by referring to the Oxford English dictionary, it was hard to mount an argument against his criticism.
Focussing on the so-called Single Responsibility Principle, Kevlin started with the Wikipedia entry. After all, it appears first in a Google search and how could it possibly be wrong? Interestingly, the entry is both potentially misleading and illuminating. It defines SRP thus:
"Every class should have a single responsibility, and that responsibility should be entirely encapsulated by the class. All its services should be narrowly aligned with that responsibility."
This is not so different to Sandi's definition. However, the same Wikipedia entry also notes that Robert C. Martin introduced the term, going on to say that:
"Martin described it as being based on the principle of cohesion, as described by Tom DeMarco in his book Structured Analysis and Systems Specification."
Here is where an exploration of the language behind the description of SRP gets interesting. Kevlin referred to Glenn Vanderburg's article on cohesion. Glenn relates that he has had most success in explaining the term cohesion in terms of it's etymology. In short, cohesive things belong together as opposed to those that need an adhesive to glue them together.
Bearing this in mind, let's read what Robert C. Martin says in 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know:
"One of the most foundational principles of good design is:
Gather together those things that change for the same reason, and separate those things that change for different reasons.
This principle is often known as the single responsibility principle, or SRP. In short, it says that a subsystem, module, class, or even function, should not have more than one reason to change."
In other words, responsibility is equated to having only one reason to change. As someone else present at my rorosyd talk said in response to the first interjection, "it depends what you mean by responsibility". Reflecting on the language used, however, leaves me thinking that the term "single responsibility" is not as helpful as the word "cohesion" when discussing good software design.
The whole of Kevlin's talk was both thought-provoking and entertaining. He concluded by suggesting five alternatives for the SOLID principles that all begin with the letter C. In the place of SRP as the first "pattern" was Cohesion by Usage.
Kevlin's talk has caused me to reflect on the importance of language in the context of software design.
What have I learned?
It also occurs to me that we need to guard against the increasing tendency in this day and age to only read short chunks of text. TL;DR is no excuse for those striving to be better developers.
In closing, if you've read this far, I'll leave you with a recommendation. If you ever get the chance to see and hear Kevlin Henney talk about software, grab it with both hands.
We are on the home stretch!
Just over a year ago I made a commitment to ensure that the inaugural Australian Ruby programming conference would become a reality. Next week, in Melbourne, it will.
RubyConf Australia 2013 will kick off with a day of workshops on Wednesday before more than 350 delegates gather at the conference to hear speakers present a variety of Ruby-related talks on Thursday and Friday.
With less than a week to go, you may wonder why I have chosen to devote time to a blog post now. You'd think I would be flat out doing last minute things in preparation. Of course I am, but I guess I thought it would be therapeutic to spend a few minutes sharing my reflections about organising the conference.
I won't go into exhaustive detail now but I do want to emphasise several factors which have underpinned the conference organisation. Without them, I doubt we would have got to where we are today without much more pain.
That's it for now. I'm not sure how insightful that was for you. It was somewhat cathartic for me but not as helpful as the drinks at the conference closing party will be.
Wish us luck!
Perhaps I needed time to reflect on such a wonderful conference.
Ever since the YOW! Developer Conference in Melbourne last December, I've been meaning to share some of my impressions. It may be three months down the track but I'm finally getting around to it!
The conference deserved praise for many reasons but I'll narrow it down to some brief reflections on five talks that impressed me for different reasons.
A small percentage of Rails developers have the opportunity to work in teams developing large, enterprise-scale apps. A not insignificant number of aspersions have been levelled at Rails, claiming that it can't scale. So it was refreshing to hear Neal Ford talk about Rails in the Large, based on his experiences leading a team that has built arguably the biggest Rails app in the world.
Neal's invigorating talk reviewed the lessons learned in the project such as effective testing strategies. For example, he unsurprisingly impressed the audience by relating how, with the help of UnitRecord, the team was able to run just under 9,000 tests in 41 seconds! Neal described other testing techniques as well as strategies for aspects such as continuous integration, effective communication in a development team and automation. Crucially, he emphasised ingenious ways that the team kept a sense of fun to the fore at all times.
There were many more nuggets that this talk contained. If you get the chance to hear Neal speak I thoroughly recommend it.
I cannot find the words to adequately describe the gem that was the 50 in 50 keynote by Guy Steele and Richard Gabriel.
So I'll keep my reflections brief. Wise, well-informed and witty, this talk by Guy and Richard was rich in its perspective of the often weird and wonderful paths that computer languages have followed over the last 50 years. A perfect tonic to prepare us for the conference party!
Getting a message across through dry humour is a gift which Eric Evans demonstrated amply in his talk entitled Strategic Design: Avoiding Responsibility Traps.
Eric led the audience through a story about several sub-optimal scenarios that can eventuate when a software development team is faced with the challenge of augmenting a legacy system. His key messages included the importance of distilling the core domain, using context mapping and building an anti-corruption layer. Eric's parting recommendations were to:
And, of course, to make use of his book, Domain-Driven Design, even if only to read Chapter 14.
I love the tagline on Jason Yip's blog: "Making software is about making people." So true.
Jason's talk, Row Together, Row in the Right Direction, Row Faster: Improving alignment and throughput in software development, tuned into vital aspects of collaboration, whether at the level of a team, department or organisation.
After setting the stage with a few amusing but relevant anecdotes, Jason expanded on his contention that groups of people maximise their collective effectiveness by:
Jason emphasised that what he had presented was intended to be more of a useful metaphor than the result of rigorous analysis. It would be interesting to see Jason's observations validated by quantitative research. Meanwhile, I'm glad I listened to Jason's typically thoughtful, entertaining and thought-provoking talk.
As someone who, when first exploring object-oriented programming cut his teeth on Smalltalk, I was fortunatate to be able to listen to Dan Ingalls reminisce about his Forty Years of Fun with Computers.
It was amazing to listen to Dan speak so humbly about his experiences when they included working with Alan Kay and attending lectures given by Don Knuth, not to mention being the principal architect of five generations of Smalltalk environments. Regardless of all his achievements what shone through above all was his enduring sense of fun. I won't attempt to describe the specifics of Dan's talk. Suffice to say it was a privilege to be there and a special way to end the conference. If you get the chance to hear Dan speak, grasp it!
Dan concluded his talk with this wonderful advice:
"Keep things simple, general and flexible and you'll have fun."
So there you have it. Five of my favourite talks from the YOW! Australia 2010 Developer Conference.
Belated congratulations to Dave Thomas and Lisa Cumes from Bedarra Research Labs for attracting such a superb collection of speakers covering a broad range of topics. The whole conference was a blast and I certainly wholeheartedly recommend the 2011 edition to other Australian developers.
Thanks to Dave Thomas the JAOO conference was recently held Sydney again. As he was introducing himself before his talk about Application Development and Deployment in the Cloud, Dave remarked that "he was responsible for all the bad things about JAOO". Not much fell into this category and I'm sure Dave was responsible for many of the good things, such as attracting many excellent speakers.
As expected Dave demonstrated his vast knowledge of software and gave me much to ponder concerning likely trends over the coming years.
Among other talks that inspired me at JAOO were both Avi Bryant's talks, especially his "Speeding Ducks" talk about how it is possible to improve Ruby's speed through the use of techniques such as native code generation and inline caching. Patrick Lindsay's title for his iPhone dev talk was, as he would freely admit, somewhat misleading. He did cheat a little to enable him to finish building his app within 45 minutes! Glenn Vanderburg's talk about Fuzz Testing has encouraged me to give Tarantula a try.
So far I've given a few examples of technical talks at JAOO that I valued. The presentation that inspired me the most was one by Linda Rising entitled "Hardwired for deception means trouble with estimates!" Linda built up her argument by providing examples of studies that have shown how we "naturally deceive ourselves and others – constantly". Linda left it until the end of her talk to relate these findings back to software development but by then the message should have been clear to anyone who was prepared to accept the evidence:
"A strong tendency to ignore previous feedback and persist in overconfidence in their own estimates have been observed in software development."
As Linda concluded, the only sensible way out is to follow an Agile approach that uses small steps, experimentation, a preparedness to learn from both success and failure, involves others and incorporates retrospectives and openness.
I love learning technical stuff about software development but always find it refreshing to hear people-focussed talks from experienced practitioners like Linda Rising.
The fifth Australian Open Source Developers' Conference was held last week in Sydney. In addition to helping organise the conference, I was fortunate enough to be one of the Ruby presenters.
Naturally, these slides were designed to assist my presentation rather than contain all the content. Indeed, the inclusion of some of the slides may beg some questions so I thought it may be helpful to add some explanation here.
Each of us programmers is on a specific journey, especially when it comes to testing. Early in my professional career I was taught how to unit test program modules written in PL/I. However, the drivers for those tests had to be written in Job Control Language (JCL) – an experience I am not in a hurry to repeat.
Many years later, having escaped from working on mainframes, I discovered JUnit. This was a fundamental tool in my early experience of test driven development and refactoring. When I began exploring Ruby and Rails, I was eventually introduced to autotest, which I considered another quantum leap forward in the realm of automated testing.
In 25 minutes there was obviously a limit to the number of Ruby testing tools I could cover. So, having quickly explained the benefit of autotest and touched upon Test::Unit, I moved on to describe some tools that I have used in the last year.
To make sure the audience was still awake, at this point I showed a cute photo of our family dog. My lame excuse was that he exhibits a wide range of behaviours and RSpec is all about specifying behaviour. My main example of using RSpec was for specifying a controller. This led on to a brief digression into consider what makes a good test and the use of mock objects to isolate unit tests and make them faster by avoiding unnecessary database I/O.
I was pleased to be able to include Cucumber, Webrat and Selenium in my talk. It's only fairly recently that I started using Cucumber in conjunction with Webrat or Selenium and I'm impressed. As Mike Koukoullis showed in his subsequent talk, developing with Cucumber is a very powerful approach, which fosters clear description of intent before development of any feature.
Speaking of other talks, Alister Scott used a lightning talk to share his enthusiasm for Watir, which looks like a good alternative to Selenium.
After briefly relating the motivation for developing alternatives to relying on fixtures for test data, I described Machinist, an elegant tool recently developed by Pete Yandell. When used in conjunction with Sham, Machinist provides a neat way of generating "blueprints" that can be used in Cucumber steps.
I briefly mentioned JavaScript unit testing tools that are the subject of a blog post by Dr Nic as well as touching upon Shoulda, which is well written up by Dave Thomas.
To round out my talk, I thought it was important to offer a few philosophical thoughts. In a nutshell my view is that, whilst it is important to remember that automated testing is just one of many error removal approaches, we can all benefit from investing in automated testing.
In my case, as well as practicing using these tools, I'm also looking forward to reading the upcoming title The RSpec Book by David Chelimsky and others.
Jerry Weinberg advice agile australia birdsnest bundler capgun capistrano collaboration community conferences consulting continuous integration css databases deployment design development approaches dsl estimation explanation flow i18n jaoo javascript reflections lambdas learning legacy legacy apps mental health mentoring ncdu non-determinism osdc pdf peopleware permanent roles planning prawn programming pull requests rails railscamp rake rbenv refactoring resources rorosyd rspec ruby ruby australia ruby tracker rubyconf_au rubygems rvm scopes speaking standups stress syntax highlighting tdd teams testing twitter bootstrap unconference wds08 web design writing xml yow


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The first thread I noticed was by Zach Spangler titled My Hubpro experience - Views are now
"... About 10 percent of what they used to be! They removed all relevant pictures, removed 50 percent of my text, and changed almost everything else. My top gaming article is now averaging 40 views a day when it used to get 300 - 400!"Yikes!
Moving on, I noticed that Paul Edmondson added a post to his Update on the Site Move forum thread. I was amazed at his ability to fit 608 characters into a 3-paragraph blurb that tells you, well, nothing.
Here is what he had to say. I added my thoughts bolded, italicized, and in square brackets:
"I want to give a little update. The site is still moving over and settling in. We are noticing that several pages [How many pages? 3 or closer to 3,000?] are acting like Google lost them.
We've seen a number of pages go through this [How many? 2 or closer to 20,000?], but it eventually gets worked out and the page [A Freudian slip? ONLY one page now?] returns to it's [sic] previous ranking position. [Not their previous ranking positions?]
My best guess is that in Google's massive infrastructure, data hasn't been fully updated to all the places Google uses to serve a query. [Genius, never would have imagined that!]
This is a pretty major move [Really? Perhaps you were obliged then to provide Hubbers with 7 days notice then, Paul – as stated in your Terms of Use.], so I think we just need to give the pages that are straggling some time to get fully processed. We will keep you updated as we see things get processed."
You can't make this stuff up. Click to enlarge.
|Satirical cartoon of Paul Edmondson explaining how pages can
"act up" and "straggle" © 2015 RoseWrites / All rights reserved


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2017 has been a busy year, busy enough that I've let slip work on this blog so i'm sorry its been silent for a while. So where to begin?
Back home and refreshed after the UK trip, ready to inflict some education we do a seminar on the principles behind Lanseta Serrada or filipino knifework using the principles of tersiya serada kadenilya y espada y daga.
As well as had the opportunity to meet up with an old friend, not the old guy. Always good to meet up Shaun!
Visiting Training Group Leaders
As the BER months come around so do some old students. Angelo Garcia, DC Training Group Leader and Eldad Jaeger of our Hongkong Group were in town to get training upgrades… sabich. Time flies when your having fun and we do get a lot of that as we spent nearly every day of almost as month just smacking each other around. I think these 2 just fell in love. Can anyone say Whirlwind Bromance?
Lightning Scientific Arnis in the USA
MKG Seattle
So I'm Stateside in October checking up on how we Lightning is doing in Houston, Dallas and Seattle and the looking is good. That sounded weird. Seeing lots of growth in skill and understanding and that LSAI is developoing firm roots in these communities. Thanks go to the efforts of Robert Montifar in Texas for rounding them up whipping them into shape. Same goes to the MKG Seattle peeps and the hard work of Bryce Tillet and Vince Beltran through the gudance and mentoring of Guro Andy Wilson, MKG Seattle Head Honcho and Owner. Special thanks goes to Czar who keeps me well fed and comfy!
Visiting Guests and Friends
I can't be abroad all the time so its always great when people come over. We had a visit from the guys from the BKMO – British Krav Maga Organization. Looking to working together more with Wayne Edwards and company again!


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Since Spring has sprung, I wanted to share some beautiful tulipieres and a little history. At the height of "tulip mania" in the mid 1600's when 1 tulip bulb cost as much as 1 oxen or 1,000 pounds of cheese, these delicate flowers could not be put in any vase. Holland's tulip fiends collaborated with Delft to produce what we know as the Tulipiere, an uber vase designed to show off a bunch of precious flowers to their best individual advantage...and so the tulipiere was born!
Beautiful tall tulipiere's in this amazing teal and white room from Anthony Baratta
Beautiful blue and white tulipiere from Carolyne Roehm
Large white tulipiere from Tobi Fairley
Modern style Coral type tulipiere from Phoebe Howard
Earthenware Tulipiere's from The Federalist
Artichoke Tulipiere from Museum Selection
Italian hand painted Stacking Tulipiere from Elise Abrams Antiques


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55 days later in the expedition, reaching Baima Snow Mountain - Northern Yunnan Province, western China. I recorded 4370 meters where I camped free for the night, entertained Chinese visitors in a truck loaded with tea (university students locked in the back, and a mad driver that danced Kung-Fu like Bruce Lee (Liu Shao Long), ate marshmallows cooked on an open campfire , another campfire in the morning to warm up, enjoyed everything!
No worries. Just remember that durability is more important than sophistication especially if you are in the wilds. Any advice, apart from this, is useless as you will develop your own methods, equipage, and philosophy as you proceed. You will however find that eating, FOOD, will become an insistent preoccupation. Seat, tyres, food, in that order, are probably the pressing concerns of any long-distance cyclist and if you read accounts written by those who have done long trips these are abiding issues.
If you prepare some good documentation, I have a pal who still keeps his hand in the bicycle world, a former racer, shop owner, friends with most of the early bicycle pioneers, now living in Montreal who might be a good person to send footage. When the time comes, I will be glad to provide introductions.
You must remember that in this place, and in the sort of job we are doing, most people are really not 'here,' it is just an adventure, and the usual social mechanisms are not operating. People who race bicycles are a different breed from those who like to go long distances, much like comparing sprinters with marathoners: the subject is the same, the philosophies differ.
Good luck. Don't expect things to go as you plan. Enjoy the people as much as the act of riding. Be prepared for serendipity. There is something about long distance bicycle travel that brings out the best in most people.
Let me be perfectly candid about riding bicycles long distances, which I have for quite some time: it is not a question of technology. Fancy equipment, electronic gear, all of it is useless if you have a flat tyre or bust casing, no food, a bum seat, busted spokes, bent rims, no brake pads, and so on. It is doubtful that you will be able to find much in the way of spares in Tibet, or even in many places in rural China that will fit or may be adapted to your relatively modern equipment. If I had to take any electronic equipment on a long trip by bicycle it would be a smart phone and that helmet camera, and nothing else.
The practical concerns are tubes, tyres, spokes, reliable stove that burns anything (fuel oil, kerosene, yak piss, etc.), a supply of quick energy food (dried meat, etc.), good containers for water, clothing that is durable but warm, a proper sleeping bag, etc. You can pick up things as you will along the way. My guess is that you will find yourself figuring out what you need or don't need and jetissoning the dross, to mix a metaphor.
Don't worry about the 'cycling community'; that is a lot of bollocks. If you do decent touring you will find the 'real' riders. People who ride with sag-wagons and hotels are not in the same category. Living off the land, or riding rough, this is true bicycle touring if such a thing exists. The closer you are to being 'with' the bicycle rather than 'on' the bicycle, the nearer you draw towards what is important. Riding in this fashion is a bit like being the original wanderers we were before plants and animals were domesticated in Mesopotamia. The tendency you will have with trailer is to accumulate rather than discard, but weight will tell you the importance of what you carry.
Good luck, again, and take it easy.


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Lexing XieProfessor, Computer Science
The Australian National University.
I'm also affiliated with CSIRO Data61, formerly known as NICTA.
I lead the ANU Computational Media Lab - http://cm.cecs.anu.edu.au
Contact: my firstname dot lastname at anu dot edu dot au
Research OverviewMy research focus broadly on innovative use and design of machine learning algorithms and systems, especially on structured and multi-relational graph data. Several areas of recent work include:
Selected Recent Projects


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Parent Guide
Find out more
Take a look at our centres and courses for your child's PGL trip. Choose from the following options:
Can PGL cater for special diets?
Yes – if we know requirements in advance we can provide for most special diets. We ask Party Leaders to inform us of any dietary requirements no later than two weeks before travel (for nut allergies, as early as possible before travel). We can arrange for our chefs to contact parents directly to discuss any concerns they may have. We may occasionally ask parents to provide some items that are hard to get hold of locally, particularly overseas.
Take a look at our sample menus:
There are freshly-prepared hot or cold options available at every mealtime and a self-service salad bar for children to help themselves to as much salad as they like at lunch and dinner. Homemade soup is available most days and there is plenty of bread and fresh fruit available, as well as hot and cold drinks.
Fussy Eaters
We know that some children are very particular about what they eat and if the menu doesn't suit, we can provide alternatives to ensure no-one leaves the dining room hungry. We do often find, however, that children are more likely to try new things at PGL that they wouldn't normally eat at home - it's all part of the PGL experience!
Get in Touch
Call us on 0333 321 2116


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There are no exact % of cross-reactivity between these two species.
Bla bla bla
The cross-reactivity between pollen species of one genus is in general extensive and t3 is a good marker for all species in the Betulaceae genus. Probably none of B. Nigra sensitized patients would be missed with t3, but there are no data to confirm this since IDD have never produced any B.Nigra ImmunoCAP tests.
As in all diagnostic testing, the diagnosis is made by the physican based on both test results and the patient history.


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Statement from Senator Barbara Buono on New Revelations in George Washington Bridge Scandal
Senator Barbara Buono released the following statement on the new revelations in George Washington Bridge scandal:
"Right now, we have no idea how far this scandal goes. The Governor has created a culture where cavalierly endangering citizens' lives to exact political retribution is an acceptable form of governance. It's beneath the dignity of his office and a breach of New Jerseyans' trust.
"Everyone who had knowledge of the closing should be terminated immediately and the Department of Justice should conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether other towns in New Jersey suffered because the Governor wanted to get revenge."


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An admitted gay and ex-drunk, he has the power to shock
Based on Monty Python's own credo that "the more seriously people take things, the more potential there is for comedy," the British satirical group's current movie, Life of Brian, ought to be an unmitigated howl. It is—though the shrieks it provokes are as much of outrage as glee. A merciless parody of biblical epics, it portrays the life of reluctant messiah "Brian Cohen," a neighbor of Jesus chosen to "save Israel by ridding it of the scum of non-Jewish people." Within six weeks Brian not only became the top grosser on the weekly Variety charts but also grossed out most organized religions. Already banned or picketed in some areas of the East, Brian beards new controversies this week when it premieres in America's so-called Bible Belt. Not the least of the sacrilege to some church leaders is that Graham Chapman, 38, who is cast in the title role as Brian of Nazareth, is a recovered alcoholic and avowed homosexual.
"The film is not against religion," insists Chapman, a quietly tweedy actor-writer who wonders why people "think that whatever God they believe in doesn't have a sense of humor." To him, "Brian is a go against those who use religion to be hostile and murderous." (He includes in that category the IRA.) Indeed, the six-member Monty Python group rejected initial plans to satirize Christ when they found Him in their research to be "rather a nice guy" whose ideas "weren't what we wanted to make fun of." Still, that would not conciliate clerics in the face of Brian lines garbling the Sermon on the Mount's lessons into "blessed are the Cheesemakers" and "the Greek will inherit the earth." The Roman Catholic archdiocese of New York condemned it as a blasphemous "mockery of Christ's life," the Lutheran Council agreed, and three rabbinical organizations have declared the film "a crime against religion."
Quite aside from the current controversy, Chapman admits that for him Brian's frantic eight-week filming in Tunisia "was an incredible testing time." Some months before, he had to be hospitalized when he first tried to kick his four-pint-a-day habit. "I couldn't start the day without a gin and tonic," he says. "As a medical man [he is a licensed doctor], I began to fear for my liver. The withdrawal was remarkably unpleasant," he recalls. "I found I had been calling on my crutch, my drinking, long after the original cause for it, my shyness, had passed. Dealing with homosexuality was not nearly the struggle that giving up liquor was." Indeed, confirms fellow Python, Eric Idle: "When Graham was still drinking and before he had come to grips with his homosexuality, he used to crawl around the pubs trying to kiss all the men and insult all the women. It was quite a sight to see."
The son of a police constable in Leicester, England, Chapman followed his older brother in the study of medicine. But as a Cambridge student he seemed more devoted to rugby ("difficult to play when you are drunk") and the Footlights Review Society, the undergraduate humor ensemble, where he met future Python John Cleese. After Cambridge, as an intern in London, Graham and several buddies spent so much time at the local pub they decided to buy it. "Just by taking our patronage there we could make money on the place," he says. Chapman and Cleese, who studied law, then took off for Ibiza. There they wrote a script optioned by David Frost (a Footlighter two years before their time) and contemplated their futures. "I wanted to be a doctor because I thought I could help people," says Graham. But he found writing "therapeutic," a better way to heal thyself.
Working with Frost—then producing a program of sketches and satire for the BBC—brought Chapman, Cleese and fellow Cantabrigian Idle together with Oxonians Michael Palin and Terry Jones in 1965. By 1969 animator Terry Gilliam had come over from Minneapolis, and the group concocted Monty Python's Flying Circus. The name was sheer invention, as was their TV show, which developed a devoted following during its five-year BBC run and later helped bring new audiences to PBS channels in the States.
During the last five years the troupe has reconvened for the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Chapman played King Arthur), sold more than a million records and 1.5 million books—thus driving Chapman into L.A. tax exile. His base is a rustic Laurel Canyon chalet, which he also uses as an office. The screenplay he is now writing at the suitably murky poolside is titled Yellow Beard. "At first it was difficult to get used to the relaxed atmosphere," he says. "But now I've settled into a nice routine." Apart from occasional socializing with Ringo Starr, singer Harry Nilsson and their ladies, and appearing (with Brian film clips) on NBC's Sunday Spectacular this week, Graham maintains a more professorial than Pythonesque regimen. Take heed, though. Another Monty Python movie blunderbuss begins scripting next month (target undefined). "There was—and still is—so much energy in the group," Chapman says modestly. "The sum of the constituent parts is so much stronger than the individuals."


text: Your gut is home to trillions of good bacteria that thrive on the foods you eat. Good bacteria aid in digestion and boost your immune system. Bad bacteria can cause bloating and gas. When your gut is healthy, it helps your entire body stay healthy. These gut busters are destroying all those good-for-you bacteria.


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This post was originally meant for Friday, but my excitement has me posting today. I also had a little extra time on my hands since my mom picked up my son for the day.
This is a recipe that I made for my husband, he is a big fan of anything orange. I wanted to make him a drink that resembled an orange creamsicle popsicle (wow, say that 3 times fast!). This drink has a silky texture and is flavored with Oranges, vanilla ice cream, and cream soda…. can you say YUM??
Orange Creamsicle Float
Ingredients for 2 (16oz) Floats :
1 orange
1/4 Cup orange soda (chilled)
1 Cup vanilla Ice cream
Cream soda (chilled )
In a blender add juice from half the orange (about 5 oz), 1/4 cup orange soda, and 1 cup vanilla ice cream. Blend till smooth. Pour half the blended mixture into one(16 oz) glass and the other half into another (16 oz) glass. Fill the glasses with cream soda and top each glass with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, garnish with an orange wedge.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. This post does, however, contain ads that I will receive commission for if clicked. This post may also include affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."


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Limited Number of Discounted Halfway Jam Passes Now Available
Rarely do you have the opportunity to save this kind of money on live music of this caliber, but for a limited time you can get $99 three-day Halfway Jam passes for only $59 bucks! We're talkin' Loverboy, Ratt, Tesla, Survivor, Great White, Steelheart, and more.
We are now just two weeks away from three days & nights of great rock, July 25, 26, and 27 just up Highway 10 in Royalton. A limited number of single-day tickets are also available at a discount. Get em' while they last!


text: We specialize in wholesome homegrown fruit & vegetables & fun-filled family memories! Apples & Fresh Cider, Caramel Apples, Pumpkins, Corn Maze, Hayrides & more! May your time at Beasley's be long remembered! Beasley's Orchard began in 1946 when Milton and Irene Beasley purchased the farm. They raised livestock (hogs, cattle and chickens) and grain. The family which included three children, Shirley, Sharon and John, also enjoyed gardening and tending a small apple orchard. One year, an over abundant garden prompted sales out of young John's little red wagon, which was set up next to the nearest road, US 36. Over the years, the family business evolved from that first sale of tomatoes! Crops that are now produced each year for wholesale and retail sales include: Apples, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Peppers, Eggplant, Squash, Cantaloupe, Watermelon and Pumpkins. The barn that houses the market was built shortly after the Civil War using classic peg and beam construction. It has been used for every aspect of farming including: hay storage, dairying, pork and poultry production, horses and now a retail market, apple packing and cider mill. Special features of the farm include the "Heartland Apple Festival" held the first two weekends in October and a U-pick pumpkin patch accessible by hayrides every weekend in October. Customized fruit baskets and shipping boxes are available throughout the holiday season. May your time spent at Beasley's be long remembered!


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- Five Things You Should Know About Windows 7 Security
(PC World)
- Motorola Droid multimedia dock and car mount get priced
- Motorola Droid: The Early Reviews Are In (PC World)
- Ubuntu 9.10 Released
- Android 2.0: The iPhone killer at last?
- Why Verizon's Droid Isn't an iPhone Killer
(PC World)
- Ubuntu 9.10 Officially Released
- HTC Hero to get Android 2.0
- Motorola DROID Event: Browser and Google Navigation
– I've been looking for functionality like the dock for my iPhone, but I haven't even been able to find a decent Clock Radio that will use the iPhone as the Alarm clock. On top of that, adding the car kit in will be an excellent feature when combined with Google's new GPS software.
– Looks like most people LOVE the new Droid from Verizon. I'm anxious for the 6th of November, so I can run down to my local Verizon store to check it out. I won't be able to buy one, but at least I can hold it in my hot little hand.
– Today is the DAY!! Get your copy of Ubuntu 9.10 today!
– Looks like more Android on the way. Is Apple shaking in it's little space boots yet?


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Ballet DVD I previously reviewed Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker ballet DVD and hosted a competition to win a copy of the DVD. When I was contacted about reviewing and hosting a competition for the latest ballet DVD, Prima Princessa presents Sleeping Beauty I couldn't wait because I know how much Beth loves her first… Read More →
Ballet DVD – Nutcracker for Kids Competition
Beth loves jumping, singing, acrobatics and of course like most little girls Ballet! I was very excited about receiving this Ballet DVD to review as I could just see her dancing around the front room while we were watching it. I wasn't wrong, the first time we watched it together and she gave it full… Read More →


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November 28, 2012 (CHICAGO) --Boxer Mike Tyson's one-man show ''Undisputed Truth'' is coming to Chicago for three nights only from Broadway.
Broadway In Chicago announced the shows Wednesday as part of a national tour, which will stop in Chicago February 15-17 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph St.).
Helmed by director Spike Lee and producer James L. Nederlander, the tour is set to begin in February 2013. Tickets for the Chicago shows will go on sale to the public on Friday, December 7.
"Iron Mike," will kick off his 10-week tour with a two-night engagement at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis February 12 ?13. The three-month tour will visit more than 36 cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington D.C. For ticketing information and a full list of cities, visit: www.facebook.com/MikeTysonOnTour.


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Order Form and Instructions
The Federal Zone:
Cracking the Code of Internal Revenue
Printed 11th Edition
Quantity Description Price Total
-------- ------------------------------ ------ ---------
autographed hard copy of Volume I
________ shipped via Priority U.S. Mail @ $154.95 _________ *
autographed hard copy of Volume I
________ shipped via Express U.S. Mail @ $169.95 _________ *
TOTAL AMOUNT Prepaid and Enclosed in cash
or "blank" U.S. Postal Money Order:
* Each autographed copy will also ship with a certified copy of:
"31 Questions and Answers about the Internal Revenue Service"
Name: _______________________________________________________
Location: _______________________________________________________
City: _______________________________________________________
State: __________________________ Postal Zone: ______________
Country: _______________________________________________________
Email address: _________________________________________________
Please mail orders via first class U.S. Mail, with proper postage
and with full payment prepaid and enclosed, to:
Supreme Law Firm
c/o Trustee
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Winston 97496
Oregon, USA
A "blank" U.S. Postal Money Order leaves the "PAY TO" line blank,
allowing us to negotiate this form of payment with total freedom.
Postal Money Orders with any text in the "PAY TO" line will be
returned to sender.
Please know that United Parcel Service cannot ship to a USPS post
office box, although many private mail services do accept UPS
shipping. If a post office box is shown in the "SHIP TO"
location, we will ship via U.S. Mail, regardless.
If you enter a valid email address above, we will confirm the
receipt and shipment of your order with a message to this email
Volume I contains the Preface, Introduction, Chapters 1 thru 13,
and Conclusions, but no appendices. Appendices A thru Z are
available for free from the Supreme Law Library at Internet URL:
Hard copies of the appendices can be purchased by special order.
Thank you very much for your continuing financial support.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ Paul Andrew Mitchell
Paul Andrew Mitchell, B.A., M.S.
Private Attorney General
to Table of Contents for
The Federal Zone : Eleventh Edition


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look up
Honestly. I mean it. You may see some interesting stuff. Like this. Inside one of the bigger stores at Hötorget. Unless you're too busy shopping to notice?
PUB (map) 21 December 2009
by Bernt Seipl (click photo to enlarge) at 05:15
Labels: pixels by bernt
It's always nice to look up! And even better when you get a good view.
I like the blue but what is it?
Halcyon: Yes it is nice to look up once in a while. If you don't, you miss out on so many things that might be there. This was one of them.
Lena: It's just the ceiling that was illuminated. It cought my eye when I stepped in.
Love this shot :-)
Tinse: Thanks. I had to beg nicely to take it. Since it's inside a store and security was watching, I didn't just want to take the shot.


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Editorial via Talenthouse
The International Canadian Fashion Showcase (ICFS) is launching a Creative Invite to find a designer to join The 2013 International Canadian Fashion Showcase on Sunday June 30th in Toronto.
With the support of adidas eyewear, ICFS producers are looking for another fashion designer to showcase their collection. The designer will be required to showcase at least 12 pieces at the upcoming show in Toronto, Canada.
This event is specifically designed to give both emerging and established designers a significant level of exposure. A wealth of designers from Canada, the Americas, the Caribbean, the UK and more will join this platform and the selected designer will be able to promote their collection in the presence of fashion industry decision makers, attending fashion press, buyers as well as consumers.
How to participate..
Designers are required to submit example work from an original designed collection
International Canadian Fashion Showcase's Choice
The Winner & or winners as chosen by the members of the ICFS board will have a chance to showcase @ the 2013 International Canadian Fashion Showcase Sun June 30th in Toronto Canada.
One winner will also receive $250 USD courtesy of adidas eyewear.
People's Choice
After reviewing the highest voted submissions, the host will select collaborator(s) who will receive a 2-month Premier profile placement on our many media pertners web siteslifestyles magazine & Direct Music TV America.
The highest voted participant will receive $100.
Get Involved
Submit by: May 24, 2013
Vote: May 25, 2013 10am PST - June 1, 2013 10am PST
Winner(s) Announced: June 7, 2013