text:
Change is a fact of life. Nowhere is this more obvious in a medium where the very thing we make is completely intangible and malleable: software development. There is almost nothing that is impossible in software–there are only limited resources.
This malleability has been one of the reasons for the enormous pace of change we’ve seen in computers in the last half century, but at the same time it’s been a stumbling block to true engineering practices.
NASA’s awesomely rigid development practices for the Space Shuttle software (see the Manager’s Handbook for Software Development on the Book list) resulting in extremely high-quality, virtually bug-free software (at a very high price).
For most of us, neither extreme is appropriate. Deciding the right balance of change control is a hard problem, but it’s not impossible. Still, some organizations manage to do so badly at it that it deserves to be studied and dissected.
In October 2007, GAO reported that changes to requirements had been a contributing factor to both cost increases and schedule delays experienced by the FDCA [Field Data Collection Automation] program. Increases in the number of requirements led to the need for additional work and staffing. In addition, an initial underestimate of the contract costs caused both cost and schedule revisions. In response to the cost and schedule changes, the Bureau decided to delay certain system functionality, which increased the likelihood that the systems testing…would not be as comprehensive as planned.[…] Without effective management of these and other key risks, the FDCA program faced an increased probability that the system would not be delivered on schedule and within budget or perform as expected. Accordingly, GAO recommended that the FDCA project team strengthen its risk management activities, including risk identification and oversight.
The Bureau has recently made efforts to further define the requirements for the FDCA program, and it has estimated that the revised requirements will result in significant cost increases.
As with many government projects, there is enough failure to go around. The key idea I want to focus on is a failure on the part of the government agency and on the part of the contractor implementing the technology to adequately plan for change.
With that (admittedly harsh) assumption, it’s apparent that the agency failed to adequately plan, think through requirements, and communicate effectively to the contracted company. On the developer’s side, it’s apparent they didn’t have effective mechanisms for handling changes.
Making changes is hard or impossible.
These two principles are fundamentally in conflict. On the one hand, the developer must know that changes are going to occur: sometimes large changes. They can plan for that from the code level up to their organization and processes.
On the other hand, the client, must realize that they can’t just suggest a change at the end of the project and expect it to be thrown in and work correctly.
The tension between these two principles implies certain practices and expectations on all parties, which in an ideal world would lead to a successful outcome more often.
The developer, knowing that the client does not understand the full set of requirements up front, designs their system in a way that can easily handle change. This means modularity, this means testability. From details as small as designing methods to operate on Streams instead of filenames, to as large as easily reusable components.
The first step is a change in mind set: an acceptance that change will occur, and that it’s ok. When I first started development, frequent changes really frustrated me. Sometimes they still do, but I’m getting better (I hope). Once the mind is malleable, practices can be implemented to handle it effectively.
Test-driven development (or at least full unit testing). In this day and age, with how easy it is to accomplish this, is there a good reason not to do it? I’m not convinced by many arguments against unit testing. A full suite of unit tests gives you confidence in your code, and the ability to safely refactor even large portions of your program. Full TDD I could go either way.
Constant refactoring to fit the best design possible (within reason. Obviously, there is no “best” design). Software, like everything else in the universe, obeys the law of entropy. Without constant maintenance, it will degrade. Designs degrade as you add on to them. Classes degrade as you stuff them full of things. Don’t stand for it–take the time to make things neat. Get some good books on refactoring if you don’t know how to start.
Highly Modular. Apply all your OO-design skills here. It matters. Cohesion and coupling really do matter.
Small, frequent iterations. Most software systems these days are too big and too complex to understand at once. Iterative development is the key to success.
Strong source-control practices. Does this even need to be discussed? If your organization doesn’t have good source control, you’re doing software wrong.
Communication – The key to any relationship, whether personal or corporate, is communication. The right amount should be discovered and adhered to. It should probably be slightly more than you’re comfortable with (since many developers would rather not talk to anyone ;).
Simplicity – I believe that the single hardest thing to do in developing software is to manage complexity. It’s requires more brainpower and creativity than all other activities. Coding is easy. Coding so that it is easy to understand a year from now is difficult. If the design is needlessly complex up front, then change is that much harder to implement. Always remember that software complexity increases exponentially.
Courage – Stand up for correct principles. Don’t allow politics to interfere with what needs to be done. Don’t be afraid to change the design if it needs to happen. Change coding practices as needed. Never be afraid of the truth–just deal with it.
Respect – Both sides need to remember that the other is expert in their domain. Humility is key.
Responsibility – this is something I fear is lacking much in government. Everybody needs to take responsibility for their part. This implies accountability. This can be shared responsibility at some levels, or the-buck-stops-here responsibility at higher levels. If no one is responsible, nobody cares if it fails. Courage is a prerequisite to this.
Jeremy Miller (The Shade Tree Developer) talks a lot about processes and practices and it is a very good read.
Unfortunately, there exists an attitude at many companies that it’s better to milk the clients for as much money as possible rather than do the hard work of getting a good process.
It is easy to program. It’s painfully, mind-bendingly, insanely difficult to design software. So difficult, in fact, that no one can do it well. The sooner everybody understand that, the sooner we can get started with real work. Good design is thought-work, iterated over and over, added to experience and analysis.
Some details are easy to change. Others are fundamental to the structure of the building. By way of metaphor, changing your mind about a house you’re building to suggest a stone facade instead of brick is relatively easy. Deciding you would like to have ten stories added onto your house changes the game significantly. Now you have to build a completely new foundation.
A client who wants software done and doesn’t want to end up paying an extra $3,000,000,000 for software should understand that critical requirements can’t be left until the product is being delivered. “We didn’t think of it before” is not a good excuse.
A client who understands this will realize how critical initial requirements are and ensure they’re communicated clearly. Most of all, they don’t wait around twirling their thumbs, only to reject the system when it’s done because it doesn’t meet their requirements. They will insist on periodic feedback and demos to make sure things are going the right way.
The responsibility for huge failures is on everybody’s shoulders. I believe that it can often be traced back to an unwillingness to face up to the truth, lack of responsibility, and misunderstanding the nature of the project.
There is a fundamental truth, however, of all projects: there exists at least one change that is too large to do. Maybe the Census required that change–I don’t know. I do know that if both sides follow the best practices they can, the number of must-fail changes can be minimized.
That said, here’s why I refuse to believe the census project wasn’t sorely mismanaged from the outset by all sides: FedEx, UPS, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, and dozens (hundreds?) of other companies have built enormous and complex systems for managing large databases and mobile platforms involving thousands of partners. It is ridiculous to me that they could not have built a system for our government quicker, cheaper, and less epic failure than the one they got. If the Census is fundamentally more complex than the problems they deal with, someone please let me know.
The ability to adapt to change is critical, not just for software developers, but for everyone in our society. Technology, events, trends, and money all flow so quickly now that those who can adapt quickly will succeed.
It’s not just software companies that need to adopt sound development practices. There will always be companies that build out our infrastructure (Microsoft, Google, Cisco, etc.), but in the end every company will be a software development company. Disregarding good practices because “we’re not a software” does not work anymore. It’s not true. You are a software company. We all will be.
If a lot of this seems idealistic, that’s ok. I wish the world were like Star Trek as much as the next geek, but I realize that there are a lot of motivation$ out there. The world is what it is, but if we aren’t trying to improve it by working towards a standard, then what’s the point? We can improve it. There is no excuse for such catastrophic wastes of time, money, and effort.
This entry was posted in Software Development and tagged adaptability, census, government, management, programming, unit testing on June 12, 2008 by Ben.
Every few months, our Senators and Congress-men and women debate taxes and whether or not to raise, lower, keep them steady, or blame others for doing so.
The main thing that I notice during this ridiculous political fights is that nobody ever talks about the most basic financial wisdom: Spend Less Than You Earn. Why doesn’t this apply to governments as well as individuals? Most people in Congress are very wealthy and presumably understand basic financial principles of wealth-building quite well. So why can’t they all exercise restraint and simply spend less? Raising taxes to cover budget shortfalls makes me very nervous because there is no amount of money that cannot be overspent! Raising taxes is not a real solution, just as earning more money isn’t a solution to your bad spending habits.
This entry was posted in Thoughts On Tech and More and tagged government, money, responsibility, taxes on July 26, 2006 by Ben.

lowercased:
change is a fact of life. nowhere is this more obvious in a medium where the very thing we make is completely intangible and malleable: software development. there is almost nothing that is impossible in software–there are only limited resources.
this malleability has been one of the reasons for the enormous pace of change we’ve seen in computers in the last half century, but at the same time it’s been a stumbling block to true engineering practices.
nasa’s awesomely rigid development practices for the space shuttle software (see the manager’s handbook for software development on the book list) resulting in extremely high-quality, virtually bug-free software (at a very high price).
for most of us, neither extreme is appropriate. deciding the right balance of change control is a hard problem, but it’s not impossible. still, some organizations manage to do so badly at it that it deserves to be studied and dissected.
in october 2007, gao reported that changes to requirements had been a contributing factor to both cost increases and schedule delays experienced by the fdca [field data collection automation] program. increases in the number of requirements led to the need for additional work and staffing. in addition, an initial underestimate of the contract costs caused both cost and schedule revisions. in response to the cost and schedule changes, the bureau decided to delay certain system functionality, which increased the likelihood that the systems testing…would not be as comprehensive as planned.[…] without effective management of these and other key risks, the fdca program faced an increased probability that the system would not be delivered on schedule and within budget or perform as expected. accordingly, gao recommended that the fdca project team strengthen its risk management activities, including risk identification and oversight.
the bureau has recently made efforts to further define the requirements for the fdca program, and it has estimated that the revised requirements will result in significant cost increases.
as with many government projects, there is enough failure to go around. the key idea i want to focus on is a failure on the part of the government agency and on the part of the contractor implementing the technology to adequately plan for change.
with that (admittedly harsh) assumption, it’s apparent that the agency failed to adequately plan, think through requirements, and communicate effectively to the contracted company. on the developer’s side, it’s apparent they didn’t have effective mechanisms for handling changes.
making changes is hard or impossible.
these two principles are fundamentally in conflict. on the one hand, the developer must know that changes are going to occur: sometimes large changes. they can plan for that from the code level up to their organization and processes.
on the other hand, the client, must realize that they can’t just suggest a change at the end of the project and expect it to be thrown in and work correctly.
the tension between these two principles implies certain practices and expectations on all parties, which in an ideal world would lead to a successful outcome more often.
the developer, knowing that the client does not understand the full set of requirements up front, designs their system in a way that can easily handle change. this means modularity, this means testability. from details as small as designing methods to operate on streams instead of filenames, to as large as easily reusable components.
the first step is a change in mind set: an acceptance that change will occur, and that it’s ok. when i first started development, frequent changes really frustrated me. sometimes they still do, but i’m getting better (i hope). once the mind is malleable, practices can be implemented to handle it effectively.
test-driven development (or at least full unit testing). in this day and age, with how easy it is to accomplish this, is there a good reason not to do it? i’m not convinced by many arguments against unit testing. a full suite of unit tests gives you confidence in your code, and the ability to safely refactor even large portions of your program. full tdd i could go either way.
constant refactoring to fit the best design possible (within reason. obviously, there is no “best” design). software, like everything else in the universe, obeys the law of entropy. without constant maintenance, it will degrade. designs degrade as you add on to them. classes degrade as you stuff them full of things. don’t stand for it–take the time to make things neat. get some good books on refactoring if you don’t know how to start.
highly modular. apply all your oo-design skills here. it matters. cohesion and coupling really do matter.
small, frequent iterations. most software systems these days are too big and too complex to understand at once. iterative development is the key to success.
strong source-control practices. does this even need to be discussed? if your organization doesn’t have good source control, you’re doing software wrong.
communication – the key to any relationship, whether personal or corporate, is communication. the right amount should be discovered and adhered to. it should probably be slightly more than you’re comfortable with (since many developers would rather not talk to anyone ;).
simplicity – i believe that the single hardest thing to do in developing software is to manage complexity. it’s requires more brainpower and creativity than all other activities. coding is easy. coding so that it is easy to understand a year from now is difficult. if the design is needlessly complex up front, then change is that much harder to implement. always remember that software complexity increases exponentially.
courage – stand up for correct principles. don’t allow politics to interfere with what needs to be done. don’t be afraid to change the design if it needs to happen. change coding practices as needed. never be afraid of the truth–just deal with it.
respect – both sides need to remember that the other is expert in their domain. humility is key.
responsibility – this is something i fear is lacking much in government. everybody needs to take responsibility for their part. this implies accountability. this can be shared responsibility at some levels, or the-buck-stops-here responsibility at higher levels. if no one is responsible, nobody cares if it fails. courage is a prerequisite to this.
jeremy miller (the shade tree developer) talks a lot about processes and practices and it is a very good read.
unfortunately, there exists an attitude at many companies that it’s better to milk the clients for as much money as possible rather than do the hard work of getting a good process.
it is easy to program. it’s painfully, mind-bendingly, insanely difficult to design software. so difficult, in fact, that no one can do it well. the sooner everybody understand that, the sooner we can get started with real work. good design is thought-work, iterated over and over, added to experience and analysis.
some details are easy to change. others are fundamental to the structure of the building. by way of metaphor, changing your mind about a house you’re building to suggest a stone facade instead of brick is relatively easy. deciding you would like to have ten stories added onto your house changes the game significantly. now you have to build a completely new foundation.
a client who wants software done and doesn’t want to end up paying an extra $3,000,000,000 for software should understand that critical requirements can’t be left until the product is being delivered. “we didn’t think of it before” is not a good excuse.
a client who understands this will realize how critical initial requirements are and ensure they’re communicated clearly. most of all, they don’t wait around twirling their thumbs, only to reject the system when it’s done because it doesn’t meet their requirements. they will insist on periodic feedback and demos to make sure things are going the right way.
the responsibility for huge failures is on everybody’s shoulders. i believe that it can often be traced back to an unwillingness to face up to the truth, lack of responsibility, and misunderstanding the nature of the project.
there is a fundamental truth, however, of all projects: there exists at least one change that is too large to do. maybe the census required that change–i don’t know. i do know that if both sides follow the best practices they can, the number of must-fail changes can be minimized.
that said, here’s why i refuse to believe the census project wasn’t sorely mismanaged from the outset by all sides: fedex, ups, amazon, wal-mart, microsoft, and dozens (hundreds?) of other companies have built enormous and complex systems for managing large databases and mobile platforms involving thousands of partners. it is ridiculous to me that they could not have built a system for our government quicker, cheaper, and less epic failure than the one they got. if the census is fundamentally more complex than the problems they deal with, someone please let me know.
the ability to adapt to change is critical, not just for software developers, but for everyone in our society. technology, events, trends, and money all flow so quickly now that those who can adapt quickly will succeed.
it’s not just software companies that need to adopt sound development practices. there will always be companies that build out our infrastructure (microsoft, google, cisco, etc.), but in the end every company will be a software development company. disregarding good practices because “we’re not a software” does not work anymore. it’s not true. you are a software company. we all will be.
if a lot of this seems idealistic, that’s ok. i wish the world were like star trek as much as the next geek, but i realize that there are a lot of motivation$ out there. the world is what it is, but if we aren’t trying to improve it by working towards a standard, then what’s the point? we can improve it. there is no excuse for such catastrophic wastes of time, money, and effort.
this entry was posted in software development and tagged adaptability, census, government, management, programming, unit testing on june 12, 2008 by ben.
every few months, our senators and congress-men and women debate taxes and whether or not to raise, lower, keep them steady, or blame others for doing so.
the main thing that i notice during this ridiculous political fights is that nobody ever talks about the most basic financial wisdom: spend less than you earn. why doesn’t this apply to governments as well as individuals? most people in congress are very wealthy and presumably understand basic financial principles of wealth-building quite well. so why can’t they all exercise restraint and simply spend less? raising taxes to cover budget shortfalls makes me very nervous because there is no amount of money that cannot be overspent! raising taxes is not a real solution, just as earning more money isn’t a solution to your bad spending habits.
this entry was posted in thoughts on tech and more and tagged government, money, responsibility, taxes on july 26, 2006 by ben.


text:
Cross-cultural: what does that mean to you? What’s included and how does it affect internal cooperation and business relationships? Different cultures are not only based on nationality. Interacting with others, both internally and externally, plays a key role in determining what people think about the company and what impact this has on the people involved. We’ll discover together what to focus on, so everyone you work with can benefit from our insights and become more successful.
In the workshop we will examine different cultures and experience for ourselves through examples how culture influences us. You will be able to look at culture in your company based on these suggestions and introduce improvements to make sure that culture and communication work with you and for you. You’ll receive practical tips and ways to implement new ideas to make your communication more efficient and effective.

lowercased:
cross-cultural: what does that mean to you? what’s included and how does it affect internal cooperation and business relationships? different cultures are not only based on nationality. interacting with others, both internally and externally, plays a key role in determining what people think about the company and what impact this has on the people involved. we’ll discover together what to focus on, so everyone you work with can benefit from our insights and become more successful.
in the workshop we will examine different cultures and experience for ourselves through examples how culture influences us. you will be able to look at culture in your company based on these suggestions and introduce improvements to make sure that culture and communication work with you and for you. you’ll receive practical tips and ways to implement new ideas to make your communication more efficient and effective.


text:
Individual giving is not just for big organisations offering 'popular' art forms. During this AMA conference 2014 session, David Byrne of New Diorama Theatre in central London, and Jane Rice-Bowen and Kate White – Joint Chief Executives, National Centre for Circus Arts - shared their experiences of fundraising in smaller organisations offering contemporary art experiences.
Artistic and Executive Director of New Diorama Theatre, David Byrne is a playwright and theatre director.

lowercased:
individual giving is not just for big organisations offering 'popular' art forms. during this ama conference 2014 session, david byrne of new diorama theatre in central london, and jane rice-bowen and kate white – joint chief executives, national centre for circus arts - shared their experiences of fundraising in smaller organisations offering contemporary art experiences.
artistic and executive director of new diorama theatre, david byrne is a playwright and theatre director.


text:
Inspirational Entrepreneurs From Forbes’ 30 Under 30 | Jarvis Buckman | Director of Special Situations at Parabellum Capital, LLc.
Every year the world sees new entrepreneurs stepping into their respective industries, attempting to better the world with an invention, product or company. And every year, many of those entrepreneurs manage to breakthrough into their industry to create something truly impressive. And, in order to recognize their accomplishments, Forbes compiles an annual list of the top 30 entrepreneurs in multiple industries, all under the age of 30. I wanted to share a few of the most inspirational entrepreneurs from the list.
I’ve spoken a bit on fintech and new technology in the financial sector in past blog posts. Since it has become such a huge topic these past few years, it only makes sense that one of the entrepreneurs that I would mention be involved in the still emerging industry. Matthew Humphrey is one of the featured members in the Finance 30 Under 30 list. As CEO and cofounder of LendingHome, Humphrey created the company in an attempt to simplify the often complicated world of mortgages. Not only is his startup gaining popularity—handing out a whopping $1 billion in loans—but this prodigy was also able to attend college at the ripe age of 13. And if LendingHome continues the way it has been, Humphrey has a bright future ahead of him.
Allen Brouwer – BestSelf Co.
Allen Brouwer cofounded BestSelf Co. in order to inspire others to become successful. He did this at a time when he himself was struggling. He and his cofounder, Cathryn Lavery, were attempting to get their respective businesses off the ground. After multiple meetings with high-profile businessmen and women and entrepreneurs, they still could not achieve the success they were looking for. From their struggle came BestSelf Co., which creates journals and materials intended to inspire and assist anyone to set clear goals for themselves in order to achieve success. Brouwer was able to create a stable and successful business by helping to inspire others.
With a total of 600 entrepreneurs from varying industries, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list is a fantastic expose on the future leaders of the world. These three are only a small amount of what the full list has to offer. For even more inspiration from each of these individuals’ stories, be sure to check out the list on Forbes.

lowercased:
inspirational entrepreneurs from forbes’ 30 under 30 | jarvis buckman | director of special situations at parabellum capital, llc.
every year the world sees new entrepreneurs stepping into their respective industries, attempting to better the world with an invention, product or company. and every year, many of those entrepreneurs manage to breakthrough into their industry to create something truly impressive. and, in order to recognize their accomplishments, forbes compiles an annual list of the top 30 entrepreneurs in multiple industries, all under the age of 30. i wanted to share a few of the most inspirational entrepreneurs from the list.
i’ve spoken a bit on fintech and new technology in the financial sector in past blog posts. since it has become such a huge topic these past few years, it only makes sense that one of the entrepreneurs that i would mention be involved in the still emerging industry. matthew humphrey is one of the featured members in the finance 30 under 30 list. as ceo and cofounder of lendinghome, humphrey created the company in an attempt to simplify the often complicated world of mortgages. not only is his startup gaining popularity—handing out a whopping $1 billion in loans—but this prodigy was also able to attend college at the ripe age of 13. and if lendinghome continues the way it has been, humphrey has a bright future ahead of him.
allen brouwer – bestself co.
allen brouwer cofounded bestself co. in order to inspire others to become successful. he did this at a time when he himself was struggling. he and his cofounder, cathryn lavery, were attempting to get their respective businesses off the ground. after multiple meetings with high-profile businessmen and women and entrepreneurs, they still could not achieve the success they were looking for. from their struggle came bestself co., which creates journals and materials intended to inspire and assist anyone to set clear goals for themselves in order to achieve success. brouwer was able to create a stable and successful business by helping to inspire others.
with a total of 600 entrepreneurs from varying industries, forbes’ 30 under 30 list is a fantastic expose on the future leaders of the world. these three are only a small amount of what the full list has to offer. for even more inspiration from each of these individuals’ stories, be sure to check out the list on forbes.


text:
We recently got to spend some time with Producer, Ichiro Hazama and Game Director, Takeo Kujiraoka in Singapore to find out more about Square Enix's upcoming fighting RPG, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.
Ichiro Hazama is a Square Enix veteran, having joined as a Project Management Staff member in 1998 starting with Final Fantasy 8. Since then he's been involved in numerous Final Fantasy titles and progressed upwards into the Producer's chair. Along the way he also created the well loved off-shoot title called Theatrhythm that hosts the myriad of iconic songs and themes from the series.
Takeo Kujiraoka is an upcoming member of Square Enix, having a hand in the battle planning for the first Dissidia as well as designing the battle system for Final Fantasy XIII-2 and now holds the Directors role for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.
IGN SEA: How did the idea of a 3v3 battle system come about when the PSP version was a 1v1?
Kujiraoka: When we were working on the new Battle System for Dissidia NT, our aim was to incorporate the gameplay of the older titles along with having teams of 3 to 4 characters. The end result of this is what we have in Dissidia NT right now.
IGN SEA: The PSP version had a very strong story bringing the characters together, how do you incorporate the story with a 3v3 battle situation?
Kujiraoka: In Dissidia NT, there is no Story mode like in the previous games. Instead now based on the amount of points you earn from battles, you can unlock and view story cutscenes.
As you slowly uncover the different story nodes along the way, you'll uncover the the big picture of where the story leads. Also in uncovering these story nodes, boss fights like Summons will block your way and you must defeat them to continue the story. This adds some more excitement to the game as you'll be fighting the Summmons themselves as bosses instead of alongside them like before.
And all this is playable offline for players to get to experience a more in-depth feel of Dissdia NT. The story is revealed from characters who move in smaller routes that branch out giving players the choice to see how one character's story unfolds first before moving to the next. And at the end of the whole story, you'll get to battle a strong being.
IGN SEA: With the game already being very competitive, what do you think of it being an esport?
Hazama: No doubt about it, we are very interested in the esports aspect of Dissidia NT, I'd like to make that known. However when the game goes on sale, esports is not something we can push out from Square-Enix, this will have to come from the Dissidia community of players and fans, they'll need to want it and push for it to develop into an esport. Depending on what the response and reactions are from the fans, we'll try to support it in as many ways as we can, and we look forward to it.
IGN SEA: Is the single player mode more of a tutorial to drive people to multiplayer, or do you see it as something people can sink their teeth into for much longer?
Kujiraoka: The game has been tuned and balanced to the 3 vs 3 concept, and it is still possible to play 1 vs 1 in the "Room Match" option, but I do wish for people to try out the 3 on 3 multiplayer mode more.
Initially we got a lot of questions from players who played on the PSP versions and we received plenty of comments about this change from 1 vs 1 to teams of 3, however I am very confident in this change and for those who are uncertain or don't like the change, please do try it out for yourself first, we hope you'll share in the fun and excitement.
IGN SEA: Individually, who is your favourite character and why?
Hazama: Characters from FF14, in particular Y'shtola. I use her quite often because her class is Marksmen and she can use long range attacks, and has quite a variety of moves which makes her very unique and interesting to play.
Kujiraoka: I have a habit of always changing characters as and when I play, I would recommend new players to try out Final Fantasy 4's Kain, as he carries a lot of the basics found in Dissidia NT incorporated into the character. If you are unsure on which character to choose or where to start, Kain is the best choice. After which if players start to try the other characters and find them more interesting, I would be very happy. This is the recommended way to try Dissidia NT.
IGN SEA: If you could add any FF characters into the game who would it be? Why?
Kujiraoka: I have actually been asked this a lot, and I have mentioned many different characters in all of them. Right now, I'm thinking of pushing for Final Fantasy XIII-2's Noelle because he's a very speedy character and has a very cheerful and sunny personality and I believe he can play a very huge part in Dissidia NT. He could also have some very interesting action moves in the game.
Hazama: I too have been giving many different names along the way. I want to see FF X's Auron in the game. I like to see more strong, mature and seasoned tough guys. I would really like to see him in the game.
IGN SEA: Aside from Dissidia, what are your favourite FINAL FANTASY games?
Hazama: It's not a very played title right now, but I love Final Fantasy 6. I love the way how each character's individual story is developed as well as the overall storyline. Each of the stories are beautiful and it was this game that inspired me to join Square-Enix.
Kujiraoka: I have so many different memories from the different titles, but the game that gave the most memorable moments are from Final Fantasy IX. It was the first MMORPG that I ever played and it was full of so many interesting elements and everything was so new for me. I made friends with so many other people online which gave me the inspiration to add in the interaction of having different players control different characters and interact with each other in Dissdia NT. And this is something that players who enjoy MMORPGs can enjoy in this game as well, I really recommend it.
IGN SEA: Any message for the IGN SEA community before we wrap up?
Kujiraoka: This is my first time in South East Asia and in Singapore, I wish for all the players in the region to try the game and have a feel for it. I'm very confident that the 3 on 3 battle system will be enjoyable and hope for everyone to enjoy the game. Thank you very much.
Hazama: Through the promoting of Dissidia NT I have been to many different countries have been under the care of IGN from everywhere. Thank you IGN. We are both very confident in Dissidia NT, it's very interesting and this type of game isn't very common for Square-Enix to publish, especially from the Final Fantasy series with this kind of gameplay. It's very different from the previous titles. It's also my first time in Singapore and it's been a great experience getting to meet and play with so many players from different counties and also getting to meet all the different IGN editions, thank you very much.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT will be getting a world wide release on January 30th for the PlayStation 4.

lowercased:
we recently got to spend some time with producer, ichiro hazama and game director, takeo kujiraoka in singapore to find out more about square enix's upcoming fighting rpg, dissidia final fantasy nt.
ichiro hazama is a square enix veteran, having joined as a project management staff member in 1998 starting with final fantasy 8. since then he's been involved in numerous final fantasy titles and progressed upwards into the producer's chair. along the way he also created the well loved off-shoot title called theatrhythm that hosts the myriad of iconic songs and themes from the series.
takeo kujiraoka is an upcoming member of square enix, having a hand in the battle planning for the first dissidia as well as designing the battle system for final fantasy xiii-2 and now holds the directors role for dissidia final fantasy nt.
ign sea: how did the idea of a 3v3 battle system come about when the psp version was a 1v1?
kujiraoka: when we were working on the new battle system for dissidia nt, our aim was to incorporate the gameplay of the older titles along with having teams of 3 to 4 characters. the end result of this is what we have in dissidia nt right now.
ign sea: the psp version had a very strong story bringing the characters together, how do you incorporate the story with a 3v3 battle situation?
kujiraoka: in dissidia nt, there is no story mode like in the previous games. instead now based on the amount of points you earn from battles, you can unlock and view story cutscenes.
as you slowly uncover the different story nodes along the way, you'll uncover the the big picture of where the story leads. also in uncovering these story nodes, boss fights like summons will block your way and you must defeat them to continue the story. this adds some more excitement to the game as you'll be fighting the summmons themselves as bosses instead of alongside them like before.
and all this is playable offline for players to get to experience a more in-depth feel of dissdia nt. the story is revealed from characters who move in smaller routes that branch out giving players the choice to see how one character's story unfolds first before moving to the next. and at the end of the whole story, you'll get to battle a strong being.
ign sea: with the game already being very competitive, what do you think of it being an esport?
hazama: no doubt about it, we are very interested in the esports aspect of dissidia nt, i'd like to make that known. however when the game goes on sale, esports is not something we can push out from square-enix, this will have to come from the dissidia community of players and fans, they'll need to want it and push for it to develop into an esport. depending on what the response and reactions are from the fans, we'll try to support it in as many ways as we can, and we look forward to it.
ign sea: is the single player mode more of a tutorial to drive people to multiplayer, or do you see it as something people can sink their teeth into for much longer?
kujiraoka: the game has been tuned and balanced to the 3 vs 3 concept, and it is still possible to play 1 vs 1 in the "room match" option, but i do wish for people to try out the 3 on 3 multiplayer mode more.
initially we got a lot of questions from players who played on the psp versions and we received plenty of comments about this change from 1 vs 1 to teams of 3, however i am very confident in this change and for those who are uncertain or don't like the change, please do try it out for yourself first, we hope you'll share in the fun and excitement.
ign sea: individually, who is your favourite character and why?
hazama: characters from ff14, in particular y'shtola. i use her quite often because her class is marksmen and she can use long range attacks, and has quite a variety of moves which makes her very unique and interesting to play.
kujiraoka: i have a habit of always changing characters as and when i play, i would recommend new players to try out final fantasy 4's kain, as he carries a lot of the basics found in dissidia nt incorporated into the character. if you are unsure on which character to choose or where to start, kain is the best choice. after which if players start to try the other characters and find them more interesting, i would be very happy. this is the recommended way to try dissidia nt.
ign sea: if you could add any ff characters into the game who would it be? why?
kujiraoka: i have actually been asked this a lot, and i have mentioned many different characters in all of them. right now, i'm thinking of pushing for final fantasy xiii-2's noelle because he's a very speedy character and has a very cheerful and sunny personality and i believe he can play a very huge part in dissidia nt. he could also have some very interesting action moves in the game.
hazama: i too have been giving many different names along the way. i want to see ff x's auron in the game. i like to see more strong, mature and seasoned tough guys. i would really like to see him in the game.
ign sea: aside from dissidia, what are your favourite final fantasy games?
hazama: it's not a very played title right now, but i love final fantasy 6. i love the way how each character's individual story is developed as well as the overall storyline. each of the stories are beautiful and it was this game that inspired me to join square-enix.
kujiraoka: i have so many different memories from the different titles, but the game that gave the most memorable moments are from final fantasy ix. it was the first mmorpg that i ever played and it was full of so many interesting elements and everything was so new for me. i made friends with so many other people online which gave me the inspiration to add in the interaction of having different players control different characters and interact with each other in dissdia nt. and this is something that players who enjoy mmorpgs can enjoy in this game as well, i really recommend it.
ign sea: any message for the ign sea community before we wrap up?
kujiraoka: this is my first time in south east asia and in singapore, i wish for all the players in the region to try the game and have a feel for it. i'm very confident that the 3 on 3 battle system will be enjoyable and hope for everyone to enjoy the game. thank you very much.
hazama: through the promoting of dissidia nt i have been to many different countries have been under the care of ign from everywhere. thank you ign. we are both very confident in dissidia nt, it's very interesting and this type of game isn't very common for square-enix to publish, especially from the final fantasy series with this kind of gameplay. it's very different from the previous titles. it's also my first time in singapore and it's been a great experience getting to meet and play with so many players from different counties and also getting to meet all the different ign editions, thank you very much.
dissidia final fantasy nt will be getting a world wide release on january 30th for the playstation 4.


text:
The TSG MatchPlay Championship ran similarly to an FA Cup style knockout with participants arranging each round of matches at a course of their choice.
With clubs in the Crown Golf offering preferential green fees at its venues including Hampton Court GC, Chesfield Downs GC, throughout the summer for TSG members.
The finalists Dave Short (Essex) and Ollie McCormack (London) both worked their way through a field of 64 to secure their place at Pine Ridge, having played six matches across the year.
In addition, the two losing Semi-finalists Brigitte Lockwood (London) and Andy King (Kent) competed in the third-place play-off.
The final began with Short (11 Handicap) going 3up after three holes, meaning veteran TSG match-player McCormack (10 Handicap) had a mountain to climb to get the game back.
After a valiant effort, McCormack pegged two holes back only to lose them again by the turn.
The pair then played the first hole again, twice, before Short holed out for a Par to clinch victory!
Meanwhile, the third-place trophy went to Kent TSGer Andy King, who’s game was settled on the 17th.
TPC Sawgrass GC is in the southeastern United States located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
It is the HQ for the PGA America and annually hosts The Players Championships.
Each year BIGGA members can apply for the opportunity of a lifetime, joining the golf course maintenance team at TPC Sawgrass.
Greenkeepers from around the world get the chance to be part of ‘The Players’ backroom team and BIGGA (The British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association) has revealed the first two members who have been selected to take part in the John Deere TPC Sawgrass Volunteer Programme for 2019.
In total, six BIGGA members will be selected to take part in the event, with one selected from each of BIGGA’s five regions and a sixth being selected from the ranks of international members.
Following the final day’s play, before heading home, the greenkeepers will get the opportunity to hit the 17th hole’s famous island green.
But why is this Crown Golf News?
One BIGGA member selected from over 5,000 applicants, is Andy Copeland (above left) from Chesfield Downs in Hertfordshire.
Andy recently had an up-close look at course preparations for another massive tournament, being invited along with other greenkeepers to visit Le Golf National ahead of the Ryder Cup.
Andy will be out there volunteering for the full duration of the tournament helping to set up the golf course for play.
Since his arrival in June 2016 to Chesfield Downs GC, the course has seen vast improvements under his leadership of the course conditions.
And the Greens that have been quoted as ‘Best in the Area’ with nothing but positive comments coming from all that play the course.
Andy has created a team around him that share his passion and are striving for the same goals as Andy sets himself.
In 2019 The Players Championship will return to its former March date, necessitated by the shift of the PGA Championship from August to May.
However, with another link to The Social Golfer, head greenkeeper at Cleethorpes Golf Club (and Event Director at this year’s TSG Charity British Inclusive Golf) Matthew Shaul (above right) has also been selected to take part.

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the tsg matchplay championship ran similarly to an fa cup style knockout with participants arranging each round of matches at a course of their choice.
with clubs in the crown golf offering preferential green fees at its venues including hampton court gc, chesfield downs gc, throughout the summer for tsg members.
the finalists dave short (essex) and ollie mccormack (london) both worked their way through a field of 64 to secure their place at pine ridge, having played six matches across the year.
in addition, the two losing semi-finalists brigitte lockwood (london) and andy king (kent) competed in the third-place play-off.
the final began with short (11 handicap) going 3up after three holes, meaning veteran tsg match-player mccormack (10 handicap) had a mountain to climb to get the game back.
after a valiant effort, mccormack pegged two holes back only to lose them again by the turn.
the pair then played the first hole again, twice, before short holed out for a par to clinch victory!
meanwhile, the third-place trophy went to kent tsger andy king, who’s game was settled on the 17th.
tpc sawgrass gc is in the southeastern united states located in ponte vedra beach, florida.
it is the hq for the pga america and annually hosts the players championships.
each year bigga members can apply for the opportunity of a lifetime, joining the golf course maintenance team at tpc sawgrass.
greenkeepers from around the world get the chance to be part of ‘the players’ backroom team and bigga (the british and international golf greenkeepers’ association) has revealed the first two members who have been selected to take part in the john deere tpc sawgrass volunteer programme for 2019.
in total, six bigga members will be selected to take part in the event, with one selected from each of bigga’s five regions and a sixth being selected from the ranks of international members.
following the final day’s play, before heading home, the greenkeepers will get the opportunity to hit the 17th hole’s famous island green.
but why is this crown golf news?
one bigga member selected from over 5,000 applicants, is andy copeland (above left) from chesfield downs in hertfordshire.
andy recently had an up-close look at course preparations for another massive tournament, being invited along with other greenkeepers to visit le golf national ahead of the ryder cup.
andy will be out there volunteering for the full duration of the tournament helping to set up the golf course for play.
since his arrival in june 2016 to chesfield downs gc, the course has seen vast improvements under his leadership of the course conditions.
and the greens that have been quoted as ‘best in the area’ with nothing but positive comments coming from all that play the course.
andy has created a team around him that share his passion and are striving for the same goals as andy sets himself.
in 2019 the players championship will return to its former march date, necessitated by the shift of the pga championship from august to may.
however, with another link to the social golfer, head greenkeeper at cleethorpes golf club (and event director at this year’s tsg charity british inclusive golf) matthew shaul (above right) has also been selected to take part.


text:
What a week I have had, full of highs and lows I can tell you!
Whilst I didn't have any one particular 'special' occasion, I did have plenty of days where having maximum protection was essential, truth be told every day is a moment that matters to me, so I was relieved to have a deodorant that I could rely on. I normally use Dove Maximum Protection and I was a little nervous switching.
My week involved a press day up in London - although the weather was not as warm as it has been, the tube is still pretty hot and sweaty, I could feel my face sweating but my body was as cool as a cucumber and dry too, thank you Sure!
When I was up in London I took the opportunity to have a look around the streets behind Oxford St and Regent St. Heading past the London Palladium, finding my way to Liberty London and their wonderful floral displays and finally on to buzzing Carnaby Street. If you are in London, look up and marvel at the architecture and the intricacy of the the buildings - I found this amazing clock with the words 'No minute gone comes ever back again, take heed and see ye nothing do in vain' on an arch bridge by Liberty London. Wise words, pretty apt I think!
I attended the opening of the Daisy Marc Jacobs Tweet Shop Pop-Up Store which involved more tube travel, rushing to get there in time and standing under hot lights.
I met up with friends for a day out and we enjoyed some ice cool coffee drinks from Starbucks. Another day involved a play date with friends and our kids, I took the opportunity to have a go on the trampolines. It has been many years since I have done that :) Such fun.
Sadly my documented week hasn't had such a glamorous ending to it, life doesn't work like that does it?
The last few days have been spent caring for my 6yr old son who has been really quite poorly with a sickness bug. He has barely been able to keep water down and I have been stressed out worrying about him and not sleeping myself. I will admit to getting really tearful and all emotional (I blame the lack of sleep!) so I dug out the Lavender and Lime Lily Flame candle that promised to float the day away and the bottle of Bach Rescue Rememdy and took the opportunity in a brief lull of the storm to calm and relax myself, before it all started up again (which it did).
I had no idea how good Bach Rescue Remedy was, it helped that night and I took it again the next morning, I was able to take on the day with renewed life and resilience in me. So good.
So there it is, whether it was for Work, Leisure or Pleasure -Sure Maximum Protection was a reliable deodorant and frankly in the Summer that is standard requirement, so full marks that it was as good as my usual deodorant and it had a clean, fresh scent that I really liked.

lowercased:
what a week i have had, full of highs and lows i can tell you!
whilst i didn't have any one particular 'special' occasion, i did have plenty of days where having maximum protection was essential, truth be told every day is a moment that matters to me, so i was relieved to have a deodorant that i could rely on. i normally use dove maximum protection and i was a little nervous switching.
my week involved a press day up in london - although the weather was not as warm as it has been, the tube is still pretty hot and sweaty, i could feel my face sweating but my body was as cool as a cucumber and dry too, thank you sure!
when i was up in london i took the opportunity to have a look around the streets behind oxford st and regent st. heading past the london palladium, finding my way to liberty london and their wonderful floral displays and finally on to buzzing carnaby street. if you are in london, look up and marvel at the architecture and the intricacy of the the buildings - i found this amazing clock with the words 'no minute gone comes ever back again, take heed and see ye nothing do in vain' on an arch bridge by liberty london. wise words, pretty apt i think!
i attended the opening of the daisy marc jacobs tweet shop pop-up store which involved more tube travel, rushing to get there in time and standing under hot lights.
i met up with friends for a day out and we enjoyed some ice cool coffee drinks from starbucks. another day involved a play date with friends and our kids, i took the opportunity to have a go on the trampolines. it has been many years since i have done that :) such fun.
sadly my documented week hasn't had such a glamorous ending to it, life doesn't work like that does it?
the last few days have been spent caring for my 6yr old son who has been really quite poorly with a sickness bug. he has barely been able to keep water down and i have been stressed out worrying about him and not sleeping myself. i will admit to getting really tearful and all emotional (i blame the lack of sleep!) so i dug out the lavender and lime lily flame candle that promised to float the day away and the bottle of bach rescue rememdy and took the opportunity in a brief lull of the storm to calm and relax myself, before it all started up again (which it did).
i had no idea how good bach rescue remedy was, it helped that night and i took it again the next morning, i was able to take on the day with renewed life and resilience in me. so good.
so there it is, whether it was for work, leisure or pleasure -sure maximum protection was a reliable deodorant and frankly in the summer that is standard requirement, so full marks that it was as good as my usual deodorant and it had a clean, fresh scent that i really liked.


text:
[ingestion, storage, client] The string prime.
The prime sub-type of deviceEvent represents a user's priming of either an insulin infusion line/tubing used with a traditional insulin pump or the priming of an insulin delivery cannula used in all insulin delivery devices (i.e., both traditional insulin pumps and tubeless patch pumps like the Insulet OmniPod insulin delivery system). To "prime" and infusion line or cannula is to fill it with insulin either while disconnected from the user or in preparation for insertion in order to ready the device to delivery programmed doses of insulin.
[ingestion, storage, client] String encoding the target of the priming action.
The primeTarget field identifies the object of the priming action - either tubing for an infusion line prime or cannula for a cannula prime.
Most commonly, tubing and cannula prime events will occur as a pair separated only be seconds or minutes. Note, however, that many combinations of prime events may occur in a real user's data "in the wild." For example, no priming events will appear in the data of an Insulet OmniPod user, as the device's automatic cannula prime prior to pod activation is not logged. And among traditional insulin pump users, priming behavior varies considerably. Those who use steel cannulas must prime the cannula along with the tubing, as the steel cannula is not separable from the infusion line, and so only tubing primes will appear in the data. Other insulin pump users may change the infusion site without changing out the insulin reservoir and infusion line at the same time, in which case a cannula prime may appear independently of a tubing prime.
Where available in the data, the volume of a priming event should be included as a value in insulin of expended in the course of the priming action.

lowercased:
[ingestion, storage, client] the string prime.
the prime sub-type of deviceevent represents a user's priming of either an insulin infusion line/tubing used with a traditional insulin pump or the priming of an insulin delivery cannula used in all insulin delivery devices (i.e., both traditional insulin pumps and tubeless patch pumps like the insulet omnipod insulin delivery system). to "prime" and infusion line or cannula is to fill it with insulin either while disconnected from the user or in preparation for insertion in order to ready the device to delivery programmed doses of insulin.
[ingestion, storage, client] string encoding the target of the priming action.
the primetarget field identifies the object of the priming action - either tubing for an infusion line prime or cannula for a cannula prime.
most commonly, tubing and cannula prime events will occur as a pair separated only be seconds or minutes. note, however, that many combinations of prime events may occur in a real user's data "in the wild." for example, no priming events will appear in the data of an insulet omnipod user, as the device's automatic cannula prime prior to pod activation is not logged. and among traditional insulin pump users, priming behavior varies considerably. those who use steel cannulas must prime the cannula along with the tubing, as the steel cannula is not separable from the infusion line, and so only tubing primes will appear in the data. other insulin pump users may change the infusion site without changing out the insulin reservoir and infusion line at the same time, in which case a cannula prime may appear independently of a tubing prime.
where available in the data, the volume of a priming event should be included as a value in insulin of expended in the course of the priming action.


text:
Art Gallery Cards: One Page Wonder--Wonder!!
Last Thursday's One Page Wonder workshop was such fun! I provided an inspiration sheet but my talented stampers just took off on their own and let their creative juices flow! We enjoyed a relaxed afternoon and the good company of enthusiastic stampers! Thank you, Jane, Dara, Nancy, Sydney and Mike! Here are just a few of their creations!!

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art gallery cards: one page wonder--wonder!!
last thursday's one page wonder workshop was such fun! i provided an inspiration sheet but my talented stampers just took off on their own and let their creative juices flow! we enjoyed a relaxed afternoon and the good company of enthusiastic stampers! thank you, jane, dara, nancy, sydney and mike! here are just a few of their creations!!


text:
Should you Borrow Money to pay for Medical Care?
In the UK medical care is provided for free, but there are private hospitals where you can get treatment should you want to. Some people take out insurance, either individually or through their employer to have access to this private care and others will pay for treatment as and when they need it. The advantages of paying are that you can get treated more quickly and some people feel that they get a better quality of treatment as well. Some treatments such as some fertility treatments and cosmetic surgery procedures are not available for free and so have to be paid for.
We may have different reasons for wanting private medical care. It may be that we want children, want to change how we look, want to be out of pain or want to have a condition treated more quickly so that we can be well again. All of these not only have physical implications but also emotional ones and if we are emotional in a situation it can be difficult to make wise decisions. This is why if you are thinking of borrowing money for medical care of some sort, then it would be good to discuss it with friends and family first.
It is worth thinking about the consequences of being in debt as well as the consequences of the treatment. You will of course expect to feel a lot better health wise as a result of having the treatment or you will gain emotionally from having children or feeling that you look better. However, you will g into this happier phase in your life with a debt hanging over you.
Having debt is never easy. You will always know that you owe money and that you should be earning more or spending less to pay it back as quickly as you can. Some people feel it is a big burden for them and always fear the debt hanging over them until it is paid off. Others will feel more relaxed towards it but may still worry about having the money available to repay it when necessary. It can be difficult finding that extra money each month to make the necessary repayments.
If you are recovering from medical treatment, whatever it might be that you paid for, you may not be able to work. You may be able to take some sick leave, but you may not get sick pay or only statutory sick pay which may mean that you are short of money. It could be that you miss out on overtime extras or on call money which would mean that your pay is lower until you have recovered. This means that you will need to be finding extra money to make repayments on a loan when you have a lower income and so it could be extremely difficult for you to manage financially.
Stress is also a really important factor to consider. When you are recovering you will not want to expose yourself to unnecessary stress. There is evidence that stress can slow healing, can lower the immune system and cause inflammation in the body. This will not be good for anyone who is trying to improve their health and so it is best to avoid it if you can. If you have a loan to repay and you are concerned about the cost of borrowing and how you will manage the repayments then you could easily become stressed. Therefore you need to consider how you will feel about borrowing and how you will manage the repayments before borrowing the money to make sure that the stress does not cause problems for you.
It can be very difficult deciding whether to borrow money is the right thing to do in any circumstances. In this situation it can be even more difficult to make a decision as you need to think about whether you could wait and have the medical treatment for free and whether you think you could cope better with that than the stress of borrowing money. If you are having a treatment that isn’t available for free then you have to decide whether you can wait and save up or whether you want it right away. Think about whether it will be better to wait and not have the stress of the loan or have the treatment and try to manage the stress.
Is it a good idea to get a Store Card?
Is it Worth Avoiding a Loan When Interest Rates are High?

lowercased:
should you borrow money to pay for medical care?
in the uk medical care is provided for free, but there are private hospitals where you can get treatment should you want to. some people take out insurance, either individually or through their employer to have access to this private care and others will pay for treatment as and when they need it. the advantages of paying are that you can get treated more quickly and some people feel that they get a better quality of treatment as well. some treatments such as some fertility treatments and cosmetic surgery procedures are not available for free and so have to be paid for.
we may have different reasons for wanting private medical care. it may be that we want children, want to change how we look, want to be out of pain or want to have a condition treated more quickly so that we can be well again. all of these not only have physical implications but also emotional ones and if we are emotional in a situation it can be difficult to make wise decisions. this is why if you are thinking of borrowing money for medical care of some sort, then it would be good to discuss it with friends and family first.
it is worth thinking about the consequences of being in debt as well as the consequences of the treatment. you will of course expect to feel a lot better health wise as a result of having the treatment or you will gain emotionally from having children or feeling that you look better. however, you will g into this happier phase in your life with a debt hanging over you.
having debt is never easy. you will always know that you owe money and that you should be earning more or spending less to pay it back as quickly as you can. some people feel it is a big burden for them and always fear the debt hanging over them until it is paid off. others will feel more relaxed towards it but may still worry about having the money available to repay it when necessary. it can be difficult finding that extra money each month to make the necessary repayments.
if you are recovering from medical treatment, whatever it might be that you paid for, you may not be able to work. you may be able to take some sick leave, but you may not get sick pay or only statutory sick pay which may mean that you are short of money. it could be that you miss out on overtime extras or on call money which would mean that your pay is lower until you have recovered. this means that you will need to be finding extra money to make repayments on a loan when you have a lower income and so it could be extremely difficult for you to manage financially.
stress is also a really important factor to consider. when you are recovering you will not want to expose yourself to unnecessary stress. there is evidence that stress can slow healing, can lower the immune system and cause inflammation in the body. this will not be good for anyone who is trying to improve their health and so it is best to avoid it if you can. if you have a loan to repay and you are concerned about the cost of borrowing and how you will manage the repayments then you could easily become stressed. therefore you need to consider how you will feel about borrowing and how you will manage the repayments before borrowing the money to make sure that the stress does not cause problems for you.
it can be very difficult deciding whether to borrow money is the right thing to do in any circumstances. in this situation it can be even more difficult to make a decision as you need to think about whether you could wait and have the medical treatment for free and whether you think you could cope better with that than the stress of borrowing money. if you are having a treatment that isn’t available for free then you have to decide whether you can wait and save up or whether you want it right away. think about whether it will be better to wait and not have the stress of the loan or have the treatment and try to manage the stress.
is it a good idea to get a store card?
is it worth avoiding a loan when interest rates are high?


text:
Shimla, Jan 14 (IANS) It was a bright sunny day in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, with temperatures remaining below the freezing point in many places in the state after three days of continuous snow and rain, a weather official said here.
Rain and snow are likely to continue in the state till Tuesday, the Met Department official told IANS.
Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, was the coldest at a minus 12 degrees Celsius. It saw mild snow.
Kalpa, around 250 km from here, recorded a low of minus 8.2 degrees Celsius. Temperature was 1 degree Celsius in Shimla and 2.8 degrees in Dharamsala.
Manali, which recorded a low of minus 5 degrees Celsius, saw two cm of snow.
The road link to towns in upper Shimla, which were cut off following the snow, was restored by Sunday evening, the official said.
The snowy landscape in Shimla largely melted but will stay in its nearby spots such as Kufri, Chail, Fagu and Narkanda for two-three days.

lowercased:
shimla, jan 14 (ians) it was a bright sunny day in himachal pradesh on monday, with temperatures remaining below the freezing point in many places in the state after three days of continuous snow and rain, a weather official said here.
rain and snow are likely to continue in the state till tuesday, the met department official told ians.
keylong, the headquarters of lahaul-spiti district, was the coldest at a minus 12 degrees celsius. it saw mild snow.
kalpa, around 250 km from here, recorded a low of minus 8.2 degrees celsius. temperature was 1 degree celsius in shimla and 2.8 degrees in dharamsala.
manali, which recorded a low of minus 5 degrees celsius, saw two cm of snow.
the road link to towns in upper shimla, which were cut off following the snow, was restored by sunday evening, the official said.
the snowy landscape in shimla largely melted but will stay in its nearby spots such as kufri, chail, fagu and narkanda for two-three days.


text:
Last edited by Johnysmoke on Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Still have a Mega Bullitt S, gets used more than the Megatron.
If you had an Optimus Prime I would be all over it.

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last edited by johnysmoke on sat jun 11, 2016 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
still have a mega bullitt s, gets used more than the megatron.
if you had an optimus prime i would be all over it.


text:
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday… reunited with family… everyone wearing cozy sweaters and sipping simmering drinks… platters full of roasted (or fried if you’re from Mississippi 🙂 turkey… bowls of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and, of course, dressing. We catch up on everyone’s year, celebrate the new ones (so grateful for our new one this year!) and remember the ones who have left us for a better place.
I love Thanksgiving because the act of giving thanks is something that should be celebrated… celebrated daily. To give thanks reminds me that I am so unworthy of all that my Lord has blessed me with. To give thanks teaches me to be grateful and most of all to be giving. To give thanks blesses me and stretches me.
a roof over my head, Muddy’s cupcakes, sweet tea, Lydia’s grandparents, my favorite pillow, beautiful music, my sister and brother and cousins who are like sisters, antique shopping with Heather, getting to work with Amber and Liz, my church Highpoint, peanut M&Ms, Blue Bell’s new Caramel Turtle Cheesecake ice cream, bubble baths, exersaucers that keep baby girl happy while I cook dinner, my new little rosemary bush in the kitchen, the Bible Matt gave me at our rehearsal dinner, 2 crazy fun dogs, one adorable baby girl and my best friend to enjoy it all with.
And of course… the One who so richly blesses me and loves me even though I most definitely do not deserve it. To my Lord and Savior, thank you, Father, for loving me and for saving me. I don’t want a day to go by that I don’t thank you for giving me life and life more abundant.

lowercased:
thanksgiving is my favorite holiday… reunited with family… everyone wearing cozy sweaters and sipping simmering drinks… platters full of roasted (or fried if you’re from mississippi 🙂 turkey… bowls of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and, of course, dressing. we catch up on everyone’s year, celebrate the new ones (so grateful for our new one this year!) and remember the ones who have left us for a better place.
i love thanksgiving because the act of giving thanks is something that should be celebrated… celebrated daily. to give thanks reminds me that i am so unworthy of all that my lord has blessed me with. to give thanks teaches me to be grateful and most of all to be giving. to give thanks blesses me and stretches me.
a roof over my head, muddy’s cupcakes, sweet tea, lydia’s grandparents, my favorite pillow, beautiful music, my sister and brother and cousins who are like sisters, antique shopping with heather, getting to work with amber and liz, my church highpoint, peanut m&ms, blue bell’s new caramel turtle cheesecake ice cream, bubble baths, exersaucers that keep baby girl happy while i cook dinner, my new little rosemary bush in the kitchen, the bible matt gave me at our rehearsal dinner, 2 crazy fun dogs, one adorable baby girl and my best friend to enjoy it all with.
and of course… the one who so richly blesses me and loves me even though i most definitely do not deserve it. to my lord and savior, thank you, father, for loving me and for saving me. i don’t want a day to go by that i don’t thank you for giving me life and life more abundant.


text:
Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. friends! I hope your day is full of good food and loved ones. I'm going to celebrate tomorrow with family coming up to Victoria from Seattle, but for today I'm working and thinking of how grateful I am for knitters and my designer colleagues. This community is something I couldn't have dreamed up. Not only do I get to interact with kind and enthusiastic knitters who use my patterns and attend my workshops, but I'm also among professionals who value collaboration and support. I'm so thankful for the encouragement and advice that has been given to me freely since I was a brand new designer.
to get your discount), and goes through November 30. But it isn't just the sale that's fun! There are also a huge number of Knit Alongs happening in the group and there will be so, so many prizes.
My sale bundle includes 16 of my most popular patterns (you can see a few of them above) and you can check out the whole bundle here.
I'm hoping to get a little gift knitting in myself, and to make the experience a little more relaxing, I'm planning to knit from friends' patterns rather than designing my own. Part of the goal of the GAL is to allow designers to promote each other, so here are the patterns I'm hoping to knit and gift.
I tried this hat on at the local Victoria launch party for Within, a new book fromShannon Cook and Jane Richmond, and it had just the perfect amount of slouch and texture. I may leave off the pom pom, but I feel like it'll be a really fun and fast knit. It's called Tread and it's by Shannon Cook, and lucky us, the pattern is in her GAL bundle! (Though I'll admit, I do already have the book in print. It's gorgeous. Go look!) While I haven't knit it yet, I have had a good look over the pattern and it seems really straightforward, with lots of gorgeous images, three sizes, helpful hints, and links to additional resources. I also love a good, clean layout and it really delivers!
The other pattern I'd like to knit up is the Cayucos Shawl by Stephannie Tallent. I just love the texture in the body of the shawl and that cabled/lace edging looks so fun (and gorgeous!) I also had a good look at this pattern, and I was so impressed! The pattern includes instructions for three gauges (lace, DK, and worsted), a single-color and two-color versions, and the texture and lace instructions are given in charted and written instructions. The pattern has all these great extra helpful things too, like a special chart and written instructions for swatching, tips for using up whatever quantity of yarn you've got on hand, and a clear description of how the construction works. I'm thinking I'll do mine in a woolly neutral.
Don't forget to use the code giftalong2016 to get the 25% discount and please post in the KAL/CAL forum threads, and use the hashtag #giftalong2016 for your social media posts.

lowercased:
happy thanksgiving to all my u.s. friends! i hope your day is full of good food and loved ones. i'm going to celebrate tomorrow with family coming up to victoria from seattle, but for today i'm working and thinking of how grateful i am for knitters and my designer colleagues. this community is something i couldn't have dreamed up. not only do i get to interact with kind and enthusiastic knitters who use my patterns and attend my workshops, but i'm also among professionals who value collaboration and support. i'm so thankful for the encouragement and advice that has been given to me freely since i was a brand new designer.
to get your discount), and goes through november 30. but it isn't just the sale that's fun! there are also a huge number of knit alongs happening in the group and there will be so, so many prizes.
my sale bundle includes 16 of my most popular patterns (you can see a few of them above) and you can check out the whole bundle here.
i'm hoping to get a little gift knitting in myself, and to make the experience a little more relaxing, i'm planning to knit from friends' patterns rather than designing my own. part of the goal of the gal is to allow designers to promote each other, so here are the patterns i'm hoping to knit and gift.
i tried this hat on at the local victoria launch party for within, a new book fromshannon cook and jane richmond, and it had just the perfect amount of slouch and texture. i may leave off the pom pom, but i feel like it'll be a really fun and fast knit. it's called tread and it's by shannon cook, and lucky us, the pattern is in her gal bundle! (though i'll admit, i do already have the book in print. it's gorgeous. go look!) while i haven't knit it yet, i have had a good look over the pattern and it seems really straightforward, with lots of gorgeous images, three sizes, helpful hints, and links to additional resources. i also love a good, clean layout and it really delivers!
the other pattern i'd like to knit up is the cayucos shawl by stephannie tallent. i just love the texture in the body of the shawl and that cabled/lace edging looks so fun (and gorgeous!) i also had a good look at this pattern, and i was so impressed! the pattern includes instructions for three gauges (lace, dk, and worsted), a single-color and two-color versions, and the texture and lace instructions are given in charted and written instructions. the pattern has all these great extra helpful things too, like a special chart and written instructions for swatching, tips for using up whatever quantity of yarn you've got on hand, and a clear description of how the construction works. i'm thinking i'll do mine in a woolly neutral.
don't forget to use the code giftalong2016 to get the 25% discount and please post in the kal/cal forum threads, and use the hashtag #giftalong2016 for your social media posts.


text:
Douglas Macgregor, a retired US Army colonel, author and geopolitical analyst, has challenged claims by President Trump's opponents, including leading House Democrat Nancy Pelosi, that Washington's decision to pull out of Syria was a "Christmas present" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Macgregor reasoned that the US withdrawal, hastened by Turkish threats to invade Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria, led the Syrian government to regain control over the area.
"Now we have created an enormous problem for Mr. Putin, because Mr. Putin has cultivated the Turks. Mr. Putin has also cultivated his Iranian and Syrian allies. He's got to make a choice – does he allow the Turks into Syria? Then he loses his position with the Syrians and the Iranians. So the notion that Mr. Putin has somehow or another 'won' something is absurd. This has been a very clever move on the part of the president," the former army officer argued.
"The truth is that by getting out of the way, we have eliminated the consensus that was holding these various diverse partners together. There is no reason why the Turks, the Russians, the Iranians should cooperate at all, and that's a good thing," Macgregor insisted.
Commenting on the US analyst's predictions, Russian military observer Alexander Perendzhiev said that Macgregor was engaging in wishful thinking, rather than cogent analysis. "
Just because the US says Russia will quarrel with its allies, this doesn't mean that this will happen, because the withdrawal of US troops from Syria is not a sufficient cause; other laws are in place governing relations" between Moscow and its partners, Perendzhiev noted. Furthermore, the Russian analyst pointed out that if Washington really believed that a "clever" US withdrawal would prompt Russia and its allies to descend into a conflict over Syria, US officials, analysts and pundits certainly wouldn't go around talking about it in public.
Turning to the Washington establishment's resistance to Trump's plans, Macgregor noted that most Pentagon officials opposed Trump's withdrawal from Syria "are products of the Clinton-Bush-Obama era" with "a lot invested in this."
"And remember that the people who live in the seven zip codes in and around Washington, D.C. have all become millionaires as a result of their 'investment' in these failed operations…You put the two together and you have a lot of resistance to ending something that's been profitable for them. It hasn't been profitable for the American people; it's been a disaster – trillions of dollars in debt over the last 17 years, thousands of people killed and wounded, and for what? The answer is – not much," the commentator stressed.
On December 19, President Trump announced that the US would be withdrawing its troops from Syria over a period of several months. According to Trump, the US coalition's mission, the defeat of Daesh (ISIS)*, had been secured. Trump's announcement prompted a series of high-profile resignations at the Pentagon and State Department, with Defence Secretary James Mattis announcing that he would step down at the end of next month.
"The US has had a presence in Afghanistan for 17 years…And almost every year it says it is withdrawing troops from there. But they are still there. We don't see any indication of the US withdrawing troops yet, but I accept that it may be happening," Putin said.
*Daesh (also known as ISISI/ISIL/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia.

lowercased:
douglas macgregor, a retired us army colonel, author and geopolitical analyst, has challenged claims by president trump's opponents, including leading house democrat nancy pelosi, that washington's decision to pull out of syria was a "christmas present" for russian president vladimir putin.
speaking to fox news host tucker carlson, macgregor reasoned that the us withdrawal, hastened by turkish threats to invade kurdish-controlled areas in northern syria, led the syrian government to regain control over the area.
"now we have created an enormous problem for mr. putin, because mr. putin has cultivated the turks. mr. putin has also cultivated his iranian and syrian allies. he's got to make a choice – does he allow the turks into syria? then he loses his position with the syrians and the iranians. so the notion that mr. putin has somehow or another 'won' something is absurd. this has been a very clever move on the part of the president," the former army officer argued.
"the truth is that by getting out of the way, we have eliminated the consensus that was holding these various diverse partners together. there is no reason why the turks, the russians, the iranians should cooperate at all, and that's a good thing," macgregor insisted.
commenting on the us analyst's predictions, russian military observer alexander perendzhiev said that macgregor was engaging in wishful thinking, rather than cogent analysis. "
just because the us says russia will quarrel with its allies, this doesn't mean that this will happen, because the withdrawal of us troops from syria is not a sufficient cause; other laws are in place governing relations" between moscow and its partners, perendzhiev noted. furthermore, the russian analyst pointed out that if washington really believed that a "clever" us withdrawal would prompt russia and its allies to descend into a conflict over syria, us officials, analysts and pundits certainly wouldn't go around talking about it in public.
turning to the washington establishment's resistance to trump's plans, macgregor noted that most pentagon officials opposed trump's withdrawal from syria "are products of the clinton-bush-obama era" with "a lot invested in this."
"and remember that the people who live in the seven zip codes in and around washington, d.c. have all become millionaires as a result of their 'investment' in these failed operations…you put the two together and you have a lot of resistance to ending something that's been profitable for them. it hasn't been profitable for the american people; it's been a disaster – trillions of dollars in debt over the last 17 years, thousands of people killed and wounded, and for what? the answer is – not much," the commentator stressed.
on december 19, president trump announced that the us would be withdrawing its troops from syria over a period of several months. according to trump, the us coalition's mission, the defeat of daesh (isis)*, had been secured. trump's announcement prompted a series of high-profile resignations at the pentagon and state department, with defence secretary james mattis announcing that he would step down at the end of next month.
"the us has had a presence in afghanistan for 17 years…and almost every year it says it is withdrawing troops from there. but they are still there. we don't see any indication of the us withdrawing troops yet, but i accept that it may be happening," putin said.
*daesh (also known as isisi/isil/islamic state) is a terrorist group banned in russia.