It was fitting that the latest TMS/TMS row began with an article in the Times before being fuelled by Twitter. At its base, much of the Test Match Special team's hostility to the Sofa upstarts comes from a misunderstanding of new media and the opportunities it provides.
As this and the many other blogs and podcasts are testament to, technology has merely provided a wider space than the pub for non-professionals to air their views. Often they're inane, often they're unoriginal and often they're brilliant. Always, though, they're driven by nothing beyond a love for the game and maybe a taste for the weekend-cricketer type spotlight.
It is a trite point that can't be made strong enough. Thankfully, Gideon Haigh's recent Bradman Oration was a timely manifesto for the value of amateur cricket. Amateurs are the 99% who love playing, watching, writing and talking about the game but don't get handsomely paid to do so.
Haigh's focus was on club cricketers but he could easily have extended it to media. On Twitter and on the blogs there are people discussing, enraging, engaging and informing; spreading their love of cricket because they simply can't stop themselves. The idea that they have either the desire, or capacity, to be "predators" is odd. Moreover it speaks of a strange logic where promoting the sport is a zero-sum game.
Clearly, as cricket's highest level, pushed by walls of cash hungry for returns, gets ever more commercially glamourised, it is dragging establishment media with it. One result is a trend to homogenise the voice of sport. Generally male, generally well-known and generally sanitised. For every Ian Ward or Nasser Hussain there are many more ex-pros like Danny Morrison* and Brad Hogg, hammering out clichés and hyperbole as freely as limited-over sixes.
Another is that broadcast media especially can lose its reflective instinct. Mark Taylor is both a Channel Nine commentator and employed by the ACB, while the BCCI employ Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri who uncritically peddle endless outrage and hot air. In England there was a clear rupture in how media insiders and outsiders treated the Kevin Pietersen affair, with the more nuanced and balanced accounts coming overwhelmingly from outsiders.
Yet what matters most about the professional fetish is that it distances the game from its roots among the many. Which brings us to Test Match Sofa. Beyond a core group of participants scraping a living from the Sofa's Cricketer ownership, it runs on devotion. Dark rooms, early starts, and no Tweetpics of the pressbox spread, theirs are the voices of the amateurs.
The flourishes, digressions and dependency on listener contribution (via Twitter) often makes the Sofa's commentators seem more human than the in-joking TMS team. And the plurality of ages, genders and ethnicities makes a welcome change from the standardised sound of the pros.
Yet equally there are times when the Sofa's one-speed irreverence misses the hum of Test-match tension that TMS captures so well.
There is no way that the Sofa could replace the older TMS, which makes Agnew and CMJ's outrage all the more puzzling. For a game that jostles at the margins for attention of Britain's sports-mad public, the greater coverage and variety that the Sofa provides can only enhance the ECB's product, not dilute it.
Professionals, with their insider experience and at-the-ground insight will always be a necessary part of the media landscape. It's just that now, helping and prodding them along, the rest of us can join in.
It is difficult to see who gains from Kevin Pietersen's ongoing expulsion from England colours, but it is clear who has won: management. By slapping down the maverick, the ECB have shown exactly where power lies in English cricket.
Call it the Moneyball effect but never – in what's actually a rather brief history – have cricket's managers been held in higher regard. This is much less an era of player power than it is one of managerial power.
The Moneyball story – of a coach who used expert skills to reconceptualise his sport and build an (almost) champion team from scant resources - is now familiar. The broad idea was that by focusing more on processes and less on outcomes – and finding the stats to help that end – coaches could devise new strategies that make all the difference. The old-wives intuition of gnarled ex-pros was outdated and for real insight into the workings of a sport a new breed of rational, coaching-course-trained technocrat was necessary.
Interestingly, the visible effects of the Moneyball generation have so far been felt much more keenly off the field than on it. There have been no especially revelatory tactics or unexpected selections. Bowling dry in a free-scoring era helped England climb the rankings but it is was hardly revolutionary. Similarly the Taylorist attention to detail saw England's fitness and fielding improve, but did not transform the game.
Instead, as the Pietersen episode shows, it's the power granted to managers that has been the real consequence. Resources are made available for all manner of different specialists, and coaches can make demands on their national boards that were never possible even 15 years ago. Flower, as coach, is given far greater scope to shape the team than any senior player has. That may well be fair, and Flower's on and off-field history shows he is a deeply impressive man, but perhaps management in general should be treated with more caution.
Is it too simplistic to ask which of Pietersen or Flower has contributed to more England victories? Perhaps, but looking beyond cricket we see how thoroughly ingrained the cult of management is. The extraordinary reaction to Steve Jobs's death last year was emblematic of it. Rather than it being the team of researchers, designers, App developers, or indeed the fingers of suicidal Foxx-con workers that were credited for creating Apple's products it was the 'genius' of Jobs that had to be celebrated.
The belief that in the heads of coaches lies insights that nobody else can muster makes their influence enormous. Players have been emasculated to the point where they are reliant on experts for everything.
The wider effect of the subordination of players to management is making them more equal with each other. To 'buy into the approach', as managers love putting it, is to agree to relegate your own desire to that of the manager's. Why? So that everyone 'pulls in the same direction'. By extension when somebody, as Pietersen did, undermines the management structures he undermines the principle of unity-from-above.
The balance of power between different fractions of a collective – be it a cricket team or a company - is always unstable. Different environments at different moments will favour different groups but, judging by Pietersen's situation, the current consensus leaves management untouchable.
A week ago I wrote how fans develop strangely meaningful relationships with players. Tom Maynard's death, at 23 years old, brought that home horribly.
It has forced perspective on a community - sports lovers – who often lack it. For his close friends and family, losing Maynard must be a deep, personal tragedy and incomparable to what those on the outside will feel. Foremost, it is desperately sad that a man has died so young.
Yet even when confronted by cricket's ultimate worthlessness, it is still cricket that makes Maynard's death matter for many. The majority of people know Maynard only by his cricketing personality. And his was magnetic.
He had glittering talent, a spark of cockiness and a future wide open. It's sad that someone bursting with potential will never get a chance to realise it fully. It doesn't make his untimely death any more or less of a tragedy than anyone else's, but it does make the cricketing family mourn a stolen future.
I remember watching him against Sussex a few weeks ago, trying to pull Surrey out of a first-innings muddle by nonchalantly advancing down the crease at 90mph James Anyon. It was typical of him.
Maynard was the sort of cricketer that made you want to watch the game because you could never play it as easily as he could. I'll miss him because of that.
Maybe the cliché is true and cricket does actually give a compelling window into the minds of those playing; or maybe it's just because it takes so long, but as England's series against West Indies showed, the relationship between players and those watching them is oddly meaningful.
Neither Tino Best nor Graham Onions know who I am but their return to Test cricket was genuinely pleasing. Likewise I don't know Marlon Samuels, but his charisma and class were bright spots in a dank month. Even Dinesh Ramdin, a fairly anonymous sort, delivered an unforgettable moment. The series proved how, even where teams are mismatched, the fortunes of individual players can create real entertainment.
It's worth reflecting on when thinking about Ramdin's A4 scribbling. It was his first Test series in two years. Having played professional cricket since he was 18, his Test runs are the barometer by which most people, and to an extent even the man himself, will judge his life. That scrawled response to Viv Richards' barbs was testament to how important his hundred was. Not for the team performance, nor for a financial gain it may help secure, but for something more fragile, his self-worth. It cannot be easy for West Indian cricketers playing out their existence in the shadow of a gargantuan past. It makes the ICC's fine all the more staggering. Of all things bringing the game into disrepute, a player's desperate pride should be the least of its worries.
Samuels is another who has faced criticism. His murky history has included bookmakers, chucking and years of squandered talent. Having remembered his debut series against Australia 12 years ago, and the promise it held, it was fantastic to see him succeed this summer. His runs were enjoyable not just for their style and their match importance but also because they were his redemption. That he also spoke a dialect humans, and not PR executives, could relate to made him all the more magnificent.
Samuels's series-long asversary, James Anderson, was rested for the final Test. It meant Onions returned to the side for the first time since his career was almost ended by a back injury. After the first day he tweeted: "Today has been a special special day, I've had the most unbelievable support over the last 2 years to get me to put the 3 lions on again.." It was a testament to the personal that underpins the professional. Having reached the pinnacle of his career in 2009, he suddenly faced the possibility of losing his livelihood altogether. Watching the fruition of months of rehab made a dead Test matter more.
And then there was Tino. For two years he has pined on twitter, pleading anyone who would listen (and plenty who would not) for another chance with West Indies. His jubilant, delirious comeback was something we could all celebrate.
It's these individual stories that get contextualised through competition. While closely-fought contests are obviously the most enjoyable, sometimes it's nourishing just to share in someone else's personal fulfilment.
Like your favourite childhood meal or that desperately meaningful teenage film, there is something about formative memories that make them the most poignant. West Indies' 1st Test defeat was hardly pulsating cricket but watching a struggling team scrapping to pick itself up off the mat did stir bittersweet recollections of England's 90s woes.
Myopic and Anglo-centric though that is, it is an interesting thought. Back then England were the team playing under the shadow of its past; where the names of former legends weighed heavily on a group of young, inexperienced players. Cricket in 90s England felt uncared for, unfashionable and in a state of unflinching decline.
So throughout the Lord's Test, I kept asking myself just which 90s period were West Indies in? Alec Stewart's prim yes-men? Nasser Hussain's early streetfighters? Or how about the first throes of Mike Atherton's leadership?
It's difficult to place but the approach Ottis Gibson and Darren Sammy are adopting – with senior players dumped in favour of a brick-by-brick rebuilding – reminded me of the time the sides met in 1994.
"Young Lions are going to go" sung the Skysports intro music to that series ("back to the pavilion," my brother used to add). Atherton, in his first full series in charge, was without Graham Gooch who had top-scored the previous Ashes summer but opted out of touring. Likewise, Mike Gatting and John Emburey were left out as a Atherton backed a clutch of youngsters - including Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe, Mark Ramprakash – to tour the world's best team.
The 1st Test, on a Sabina Park flyer, was not unlike this one at Lord's. England mixed talent with brain-fades to slide to an under-par, though not disastrous, 234 batting first and conceded a first-innings deficit of 173. An innings defeat looked distinctly possible at 63 for 4 but England fought to 267 on the back of Hick's heartbreaking 96, leaving a small target that West Indies knocked off easily enough. Defeat, sure, but not humiliation and enough for genuine positivity about the youthful project.
Through the series England were maddeningly inconsistent with an innings defeat the next game and that horrorshow finish to lose a match they had dominated in Trinidad. The stunning victory in Barbados ("historic," I remember Willis repeating on commentary) followed by a draw in Lara's first world-record at Antigua was enough for Atherton to recall: "I was happy with my efforts on the tour... The team was beginning to take shape in my mind. New Zealand were soon to arrive in England and I felt sure it was the perfect opportunity to achieve some long overdue success."
Yet by the following winter, England's new 'supremo' manager-selector Ray Illingworth, had lost patience with Atherton's ideal and the young lions were exchanged for old soldiers. Back for the Ashes came Gatting and Gooch, who both retired by the series' conclusion as England slumped to a 3-1 loss. It took another four years - and a plunge below Zimbabwe and New Zealand in the Test rankings - before Hussain and Fletcher finally turned England's tide.
Gibson and Sammy's stated aim is to restore pride in West Indies cricket. Their rush to do so has left some high-profile casualties. It was sad to hear Ramnaresh Sarwan talk about how managements' public criticism of his attitude had broken him. Clearly in form Sarwan would add much more than Kirk Edwards. But Gibson and Sammy's thinking – a star team over a team of stars - is right and progress is being made in a way that has not happened before.
The flashes of promise in West Indies barren recent years have been on the back of outstanding individual feats. Lara in the 2-2 draw against Australia in 1999, Jerome Taylor's freak spell to flatten England ten years later. This time, after fight against India, Australia and again at Lord's, the progress feels deeper.
The limit, though, seems to have been reached. Thanks to the impoverished and incompetent WICB, gifted players are missing, itself a significant block to improvement. Yet it's also Sammy's ability, as batsman, bowler and captain, that his holding his mission back. Atherton in 1994 was the best player in the team and if supported could have led a youthful team forward in his image. Unless Sammy can improve, his lack of class will eventually undermine both his authority and the values he and Gibson are looking to instil.
When the fall-out happens, though, West Indies would do well to avoid the tried-tested-and-failed approaches of the past. It's up to the younger players being trusted by management now to carry the fighting attitude forward.
Sat among pensioners, loners and pigeons at The Oval, Surrey's Championship outing against Worcestershire didn't feel like a typical gathering of anti-establishment agitators. The rumbles of discontent from members sounded familiar perhaps, the polite cheers less so. Yet the spectacle we were witnessing – four-day domestic cricket – was as brazen a two-fingers up at the ruling ideas of the day as any Occupy protest.
The hackneyed view of the Championship is that it replays a lost era of pastoral England. At 122 years old, people often see it –to mangle Derek Birley – as an institutionalised anachronism. Some hail this as its virtue, dialing down the pace of life at a time when everything else seems to be speeding up. Others vilify it as irrelevant for the very same reason.
But the Championship is no relic. A glance at the first few scorecards of the season show wickets and boundary boards clattering rapidly. The rate of scoring is as unmistakeably modern as the batsmen's inability to tough it out on lively wickets. Similarly the way the game is covered – online radio, live blogs, Tweets – is more contemporary than dated technologies like television or print media. We know vast numbers follow the games online – one day perhaps they can prove as economically valuable as TV viewers.
Yet what's radical is the experience of the sport itself. A game sprawling four days is entirely antithetical to the commercial interests that rule our age. A marketeer likes few things more than an easily-digestible, quick sell. It is why Twenty20 is the era's golden goose. That does not make it bad – Twenty20 is extremely watchable – but its slavish compliance with the commercial rulebook makes it deeply conservative.
Like most big-budget blockbuster entertainment, the way Twenty20 is sold is also rather patronising. The entertainment industry – which Matthew Hayden will tell you is where cricket squarely belongs – thrives on making passive spectators of us all. Rather than trust us to participate in making our experience of the sport we love, the kings of commerce prefer to spoon feed us every step of the way. Cricket's natural cadence – where pauses outstretch action – gets disrupted by a chaotic cocktail of cheap stimulants. Crack go the fireworks, up go the cheerleaders' legs, "phew" go the money men. By preventing supporters from filling cricket's empty spaces ourselves, we become disenfranchised from the game.
The Championship, though, demands more of us. Unlike other forms, there are no commentators selling products, or dubious governments, mid game. Neither do they script our emotional reaction to every passage of play. In between deliveries, overs, sessions and innings we are instead left to muse. Sometimes about what we've seen, often not. With no visual or aural noise demanding attention when the action pauses, two people can sit a row apart and spend entirely different days at the cricket. That's a fundamental challenge to business ideals that prefer homogeneous, interchangeable experiences that market easily.
That the Championship is unique in this regard is less conspiracy and more cold calculation. Shorter cricket is 'what the market wants'. But there is a danger of misunderstanding the market 'forces' the game cowers to. The market has no force of its own. It doesn't even exist. Instead it takes players, TV companies, administrators, sponsors and countless other groups to make it. Currently these groups shovel plenty into promoting limited-overs cricket and very little into even protecting – let alone promoting – the longer game. They have no confidence that the sport itself is strong enough to carry its own weight.
Nobody, of course, admits this. Instead administrators point to market research that becomes like an unknowable Big Brother we must obey. Yes, cricket's governing bodies need to find ways of listening to fans but surveys are a sham democracy. They are neither empowering nor always effective.
In a different sphere, Apple's overwhelming success makes them a favourite of business gurus, yet they avoided market research when developing their products. "It's not about pop culture, and it's not about fooling people, and it's not about convincing people that they want something they don't," Steve Jobs once said. "You can't go out and ask people, you know, what's the next big [thing]." Similarly US TV network HBO – makers of The Sopranos and The Wire - shunned the easy route their competitors followed and instead developed unfashionable, quality programmes that they are now lauded for. There is a lesson in that.
There is much about the County game that remains entrenched in the past. It is dominated, on and off the field, by privileged white men. Though crowds grew last year they remain small and don't reflect the demographics of the country nearly fully enough. These are challenges administrators, players and minority communities themselves must take seriously. Yet cricket is entertainment and like all forms of entertainment is says something about the society it's in. Far from nostalgia, the Championship should be celebrated for its unique progressiveness.
Today 25,000 people around the world will die needlessly of hunger, while three billion people will scrape less than $2 to live off. Today Sri Lanka play England in a Test match. It is obvious and frustratingly trite to point out that sport doesn't matter. Of course it doesn't. Except that millions of people believe it does. The countless number following the Colombo Test will smile, scream, tut and cheer because of it.
Those of us who do believe that it matters are not just a brazen minority with a skewed sense of perspective. By investing meaning in the teams we follow we form a community that, in the case of international sport, helps keep the precarious idea of nationhood alive. When a Dhoni six prompts the same delight for a dalit woman in Bihar as a Mumbai executive, a kinship forms that momentarily gives India a common bond. It's why the cliché about sport and politics not mixing misses the point entirely. Sport is politics.
While the Ten Sport commentary may insist otherwise, politics and sport are deeply intertwined in Sri Lanka's current Test series against England. The cricket is happening in the midsts of a recent genocide. Channel Four's Killing Fields unearthed serious evidence that 40,000 civilians, mostly Tamils, were systematically murdered in the final weeks of Sri Lanka's civil war. The government accused is intimately tied to the Sri Lanka cricket team, even affecting - as we saw last summer - the make up of the side. When you add that SLCB's corruption means some of the world's best cricketers are not being paid on time you have a strong case that international cricket should not be supporting the regime by touring.
But that would miss sport's significance. In Kumar Sangakkarra's brilliant MCC address last year he recalled his shock at meeting a soldier who told him: "It is OK if I die because it is my job and I am ready for it. But you are a hero and if you were to die it would be a great loss for our country." It again sounds like an absurd lack of perspective.
Yet as Sri Lankans – and many others - are discovering to brutal effect, holding the idea of a nation together is incredibly difficult. Different histories, classes, ethnicities, religions and genders have to be subsumed under an identity strong enough, ultimately, to override all others. When American schoolchildren swear their allegiance to the flag each morning it's a nod to just how much work goes into keeping the imagined community alive.
Angelo Matthews, the Sri Lanka vice captain, has returned from injury for the second Test. Matthews is the highest-profile Tamil in Sri Lanka cricket since Muttiah Muralitharan retired. His presence is practice, however fleeting, of the ideal of a diverse country unified by common interest. When Sinhalese and Tamil supporters cheer for Sri Lanka cricket, they stick a finger in the eye of the forces that aim to rip the nation apart. It's why cricket must continue to be played in the country.
The recent cricketing boycotts have been precisely because diversity was sucked out the 'national' team. South Africa refused to allow the idea of a multi-racial nation be demonstrated by a multi-racial cricket team and were rightly boycotted. Discrimination happens, of course, in far more subtle and bureaucratic ways: you only have to think of Australia's inability to find non-white players and England's inability to find cricketers from less privileged backgrounds. Equally the fact Matthews is Sri Lanka's only Tamil player and was himself brought up in a Sinhalese area shows that significant obstacles exist. But directly blocking an ethnic group is different and Sri Lanka's government are yet to do that.
This isn't to say that calls for reform should be ignored. Ten Sports' continual promotion of Sri Lanka tourism and its studied indifference to the political context is difficult to stomach. A board as cash-strapped as Sri Lanka's are in no position to make demands of a TV company. Likewise the ICC and the other member nations' total silence over the SLCB's endemic corruption is a disgrace.
Yet those are off-field matters. National identity is about more than administration. It's about people who never meet sharing the same symbols and experiences and feeling united because of them. As the national sport, cricket is a vital part of that.
In Ed Smith's What sport tells us about life he regales a set of familiar sporting stories to pontificate about the world as he sees it. It's lovely writing and the kind of armchair-academic fun that made Malcolm Gladwell a millionaire. England's recent 3-0,0-4 desert turnaround against Pakistan probably doesn't tell us much about life but it did get me thinking about the peculiar nature of economic regulation.
After England's catastrophic second-Test defeat in Abu Dhabi, Andrew Strauss wondered whether his side would have fared better if they had fewer overs to chase the 145 needed. As it was, they had around 130 overs, spread across two days and a target that was neither close to dash for the line nor far off enough to resist trying. With no scoreboard pressure to force their hand, the batsmen floundered and Pakistan were able to spring a stunning victory.
In the one-dayers, England's task was much more defined. They twice set and twice chased targets successfully. The lack of close-in fielders and the 10-over limit to Saeed Ajmal helped unclutter their minds, but the main reason they coped so easily was that the rules and regulations of ODI cricket did most of the mental hard work for them.
The limit of 300 balls, two (newly restricted) Powerplays and a clutch of other rules meant the batsmen had all the tools they needed to guide their innings. Unlike in Tests, where the match spreads out in front of you as a vast, uncharted terrain, the regulations of the limited-overs game map out the land ahead of you and hands out a compass for the journey.
That's not how mainstream economists see things though. In a world dominated by their dubious beliefs, regulations are viewed as restrictive: pesky obstacles on the path to the free market at the end of the rainbow. To them limited overs mean limited freedom.
The opposite is in fact true. Though it may not seem it, what regulations help direct us towards matters far more than what they stop us doing. Think of drinking games. Yes, the rules control when you can't drink, but much more importantly, they decide exactly when you should. Similarly when lobbyists and governments design regulations they shape what businesses can do much more than what they can't.
Take England's batting in the opening ODI. They had to decide what a decent target was but after that the rules almost dictated the correct approach to take. Halfway through England's innings if Alastair Cook had targeted 270, he knew England needed 157 more from 150 balls, with eight Ajmal overs to go and eight wickets in hand. There's a lot there with which to develop a strategy. If Cook's innings slowed, for example, the 'asking' rate was on hand to remind him it's probably time to risk that slog-sweep.
Long-form cricket offers no such relief. You're left isolated, trying to decide when to do what. In the one-day series Cook's strike rate was 88.98, in the second-Test chase Cook's seven runs took 15 overs. Everyone watching knew paralysis would be fatal. England's batsmen may have known it too; Pakistan's captain, bowlers and fielders certainly did. Yet against inspired opponents in unfamiliar conditions England's minds scrambled as taming the great empty space of Test cricket proved too demanding.
Regulations – whether in sport or economics – help people make decisions. It's why Test cricket – a game with fairly few - is less predictable than the shorter forms. It's also why 'experts' like the Economist miss the point so spectacularly when they moan about prohibitive regulation.
There was a lot to enjoy about Pakistan's shockingly straightforward victory in the first Test. Saeed Ajmal bewitching England's batsmen into submission on a first-day pitch was a highlight. But for a team celebrated for their volatility, it was Pakistan's stubbornness in pursuit of victory that impressed most.
It has been Misbah-ul-Haq's way since he took over as captain after the spot fixing debacle. While victories against Test cricket's weaker nations showed promise, to outdo England - at their own conservative approach - was something to cherish.
Though Andrew Strauss may be reluctant to admit it at this precise moment, he has something of a kindred spirit in Misbah. Both give the air of enlightened bureaucrats, mucking in stoically for the greater good. Both claimed the captaincy at moments of relative turmoil but Misbah has had little of the structural support Strauss enjoys. Pakistan's backroom organisation has been improving, but it's been Misbah alone whose forged unity and discipline on the field.
It's the first time England have been up against a side prepared to match their pragmatism shot for shot. Or leave for leave. England have climbed the rankings by being prepared to dial down the pace of the game at a time when the rest of the world seemed intent on hurrying it up. Bowling 'dry' was matched by Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott laying sturdy foundations with the batting equivalent.
But in the first Test Pakistan too resisted all frivolity. After bundling England out in less than a day it would have been easy for their batsmen to come out trying to dominate and kick home the advantage. But that might have let England back into the game.
Instead openers Mohammed Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar calmly negotiated the new ball - England's biggest hope - before Younis Khan, Misbah himself and Adnan Akmal all made solid contributions. By nudging and tucking their way, at 2.82 an over, to a 146-run lead, they effectively closed the door on England.
Though Pakistan's bowlers hardly needed patience - the tourists were too generous for that - they were still miserly. Misbah set low-ego fields, just as Strauss might have done, and allowed England to make the mistakes they seemed intent on.
In the past England could have taken hope from the fact a crushing Pakistan win could easily be followed by a clanging defeat a week later. Team Misbah may prove a far more robust outfit.
If India's recent troubles show anything it's that life up top is precarious. All the sweat exhausted inching to the summit can rapidly feel wasted tumbling back down again. As Graeme Swann looks ahead to the first Test against Pakistan, it is something he might reflect on.
More than anyone else in the England side, he has had to struggle to get to where he is – the world's best-ranked spinner in the world's best-ranked side. But when reaching the top is greeted with a shower of rewards, it is easy to forget just hard that journey is. Fine margins separate the best and dropping even an imperceptible level - think Rob Key relaxing a fraction against Damien Martyn - can leave you grimly exposed.
Be it the prickly autobiography, the out-for-Christmas DVD or the fact that, over the last three series, his 40 wickets have come at 35.22, Swann gives the impression of a cricketer just off the boil. His rise has closely followed England's and as he and the team enter a two-year period that will go a long way to defining their history, he needs to prove his focus is fastened to the task at hand.
After a forgettable performance - along with the rest of the team - in the ODI series India, Swann has started this tour being outbowled by Monty Panesar. He is clearly one who enjoys his standing as England's best and if that rivalry doesn't sharpen him then lining up against Saeed Ajmal should.
Ajmal has blossomed under Misbah-ul-Haq and - with 50 at 23.86 - was Test cricket's leading wicket taker in 2011. Like Swann, he is a mischievous type and, armed with the best doosra in the game, is the main challenger to Swann's top-dog status.
With vapid pitches and cloudless skies expected in Dubai, Swann's role in a four-man attack is the most important in the team. Ajmal, likewise, is the key Pakistani threat. England's tail, already weakened by Tim Bresnan's absence, has been central to the team's resilience. The lower-order, from Matt Prior down, have bailed England out on more than one occasion. Ajmal, though, has the variations to run through them. Swann's importance won't just be with ball in hand.
How Swann fares will give a good window into the how firm a grip Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss have on the mindset of the squad. All the right noises seem to emerge from press conferences, with every player on message with platitudes about 'new challenges' and the like. But under bright sun and in a bare stadium, just how driven the side are will be revealed.
Both Swann and England will do well to leave UAE with their lofty reputations intact.


text:
Saving it and making it safe
June 16, 2019Article, Business, Frontpage, Opinion, Politics18 comments
Wellington.Scoop
The chair of the Wellington branch of the Institute of Architects has stated a strong case for keeping the Central Library and not demolishing it.
Writing in the DomPost this week, Angela Foster said it was concerning that the option seemingly favoured by the council was the most extreme one – demolition.
We don't know who is advising the mayor and council. But I hope someone in the civic circle is making the point that it is possible both to save a building and make it safe. Any decision about the fate of our main library should take into account the true value of the building and the real costs of the alternative solutions – destruction and replacement, or retention and rehabilitation.
And she went on
The Central Library is important for several reasons. For a start, it is that relatively rare thing – a genuinely popular public building. It is liked and admired because, for nearly 30 years, it has combined functional excellence and formal appeal. The building's row of nikau columns is an iconic urban feature and perfectly expresses Wellington's image of itself as a serious place with a fun side…
While the Central Library is significant because of what it is and who designed it, there's another reason to value the building. It's an outstanding example of the architecture of its era, a postmodern milestone in the continuum of Wellington architecture that stretches from the mid-19th century to the present day. Knocking down the library would be like ripping out a chapter in a book. The removal of the building would leave a hole in the city's heritage.
Demolition, she said, would also incur an inevitable environmental cost.
Finding a way to save the Central Library would be a good start for the council on its urgent journey to a carbon-free future.
There's another issue, too, which some people are starting to discuss. It's the council's sudden decision to close the building. In Palmerston North, they've also got a seismically challenged library, but they're keeping it open. The Manawatu Standard reports:
The heritage building, which has housed the library for more than 22 years, meets only 20 to 25 per cent of new building standards, a detailed seismic assessment has shown. But for now, the library and its George St tenants' doors remain open for business, most of them saying they are not worried about the label. Notices will go up at the doors to warn people it is 10 to 25 times more likely to fail in an earthquake than buildings meeting 100 per cent of the new standards.
Options for Palmerston North's library building include strengthening, partly demolishing and retaining the heritage facades, demolishing and rebuilding on the site, or building somewhere else. The council's chief executive says the library is the most popular service the council provides and the public will be consulted before decisions are made.
The architecture of Wellington's Central Library
Harry M, 16. June 2019, 13:51
I would say it's safe enough for use, no building is going to be safe in a large earthquake. The Council seems to be always choosing the most expensive option for ratepayers.
Helene Ritchie, 16. June 2019, 14:11
Our library, a civic hub with multiple uses, must be fixed, saved and opened again. It is an essential part of our civic centre, the heart of the Capital.
A Capital without this Central library is symbolic of a Capital which has lost its soul.
Polly, 16. June 2019, 15:28
Couldn't agree more Helene, the Library is a civic hub not to mention Clarke's Café! So quiet and loved by Wellingtonians and visitors. And to think we almost lost the Town Hall.
michael, 16. June 2019, 19:12
WCC does not seem concerned about protecting Wellington's heritage. Check the WCC Planning for Growth scenarios to note how the questions were guided towards stacking as many people as possible in the city throughout Mt Cook, Te Aro etc. So, don't be surprised if developers start bulldozing down character homes to put up soul-destroying high-rise buildings. And even the homes that survive are likely to be dominated by huge buildings around them which will destroy the character of the city. [It's encouraging to note that Andy Foster lists 'character protection' as one of the council's concerns.]
Andy Foster, 16. June 2019, 20:41
Hi Michael – personally I think protection of heritage is enormously important. So is heritage character. Different councillors will have different views. Iona is also a strong advocate for heritage. I brought in the pre 1930s protection rules in the first place, initially for Thorndon, Aro Valley and Mt Victoria and the later to Newtown, Mt Cook and Berhampore. It was because there is such a high degree of character coherence (generally approx 90% of dwellings are pre 1930) and these suburbs add so much to Wellington's special character. Changes should be made only with care.
The pre 1930s rules don't prevent demolition, but do require resource consent before demolition is allowed. Anybody seeking to demolish a pre 1930s building in those areas needs to demonstrate that what they propose to build is going to fit in with / enhance the streetscape. That has certainly been a critically important protection.
Kind regards, Andy
Donald T., 16. June 2019, 22:15
Why no protection for Erskine College? Wasn't that building heritage listed?
Independent, 17. June 2019, 3:52
Andy the library is not pre 1930! It's less than 30 years old.
michael, 17. June 2019, 9:49
The answer is very simple – ensure the council legally protects our iconic buildings and areas (such as the library and civic square) for future generations, and we will stay the "coolest little capital in the world"
Tony Jansen, 17. June 2019, 12:38
This Mayor and many of the councillors have adopted a policy of appeasement to major developers, and demolition by stealth or inertia. Erskine is a case in point. The Chinese Embassy site another. Civic Square will be next unless the citizens of this city get energised and stand up to our City Council.
As for the Planning for Growth survey… biased, double barrel questions, ridiculous pathways and choices that prevented any reply other than the one the Council was looking for. It was insulting to see this trotted out as an example of engaging with the public.
No wonder people cannot be bothered engaging with this Council. I have not seen something this unprofessional put into the public sphere for eons.
To be honest I'd give a formal warning to all involved. Disgraceful.
Marion Leader, 17. June 2019, 12:39
Has the Chapel at Erskine been reinforced yet?
KB, 17. June 2019, 13:01
Are we seriously discussing whether a building from the 1990s is a heritage building and so shouldn't be demolished? It has been established that the building is a death trap in a large earthquake. Demolish it and rebuild it to match the current look for those people (including myself) who like the current building. Then you have the best of both worlds – a building that looks identical to the current one, but has the improved engineering to make it well above 100%+ of the building safety code. If the current building can be retrofitted to bring it up to the same safety standard as a new build, then fine do that. If not, simply demolish and rebuild, seems obvious. Either way you end up with an identical looking building – so please chose the option where people are less likely to get killed please. No one sane thinks 30 year old bricks are more important than human lives.
Tony = absolutely agree with you. The questionnaire was biassed, but this was about being able to say they consulted the public. Last year was the same thing for the Annual Plan = so nothing changes. The proposed removal of the Dixon Street/Victoria Street little park consultation is a prime example. The consultation in April about removing the park occurred AFTER they gave Willis Bond resource consent to build on it in 2017 . . . . another pointless exercise for the public who believed they were having a say!
CPH, 17. June 2019, 21:16
Based on how long it's taken the WCC to finally get around to doing anything about the Town Hall, I predict it will be five years before they stop wringing their hands and a full decade before they manage to take any action. The sea level rise will have swamped the place about ten minutes before the official reopening, given that the glaciers move faster than the council does these days.
Northland, 17. June 2019, 23:32
Is this building really a 'death trap' (KB)? It was considered safe up until only a few months ago. How can our imprecise knowledge and science of building earthquake resilience ever really arrive at a definitive judgement?
There is a risk presented by this building sure, but (1) the margin of error in quantifying the risk is huge (apparently, we've gone from 'completely safe' to 'death trap' in 30 years) and (2) how does the risk stack up against other risks people encounter in their daily lives e.g. driving, crossing roads, living in damp / cold and underinsulated homes etc etc.
It's either suddenly become dangerous or not, or there's a hidden WCC agenda for its future.
Good points Northland!
This building, our loved library, went from not earthquake prone to "death trap" overnight!
Thirty years ago it was built in accordance with the then law and complied, as it does today. Even the heavy books did not budge it or its floors through the many earthquakes since.
The new earthquake danger identified in the library was due to the discovery of a flawed construction method identified for the first time following the Kaikoura quakes (see the Stats NZ Building where the concrete floors collapsed.) The re-rating is most definitely warranted – you won't find any qualified engineer arguing that fact.
Bernard C, 18. June 2019, 14:28
With its "fit for purpose" construction, it was not damaged by the Kaikoura earthquakes.
Ray Chung: Good article Judy. A historical house at 36 Central Terrace has been demolished to build 11 town ho...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Glen B Powell Music
Music sheets
Albums/Collections
by glenbpowellmusic	on 7th April 2020 7th April 2020
glenbpowellmusic.net/songs/gethsemane/
I have played this song about Jesus' prayer in the Garden and abandonment on the cross every Good Friday since 1983 when I wrote it as an 18 year old. Often that has been in a church service, but sometimes just for my own spiritual engagement with this time of year.
In 1996, I finally got around to recording the audio. My good friend Ian Baldwin helped me record a solo album (No Secret Message). But this song took some effort. Through another friend, we were given access to a beautiful grand piano (can't remember whether it was a Bosendorfer or Yamaha) at the Hills Centre. Ian set up our portable studio (on permanent loan from one Fraser Tustian), played around with getting a bunch of microphones to capture the tone, and then I sat down to play.
The entire song was in my head, with a little room for improvisation. However, when I played a technically correct take, it ended up sounding too tame. If I went for emotion and power, there would always be a bum note or slip that ruined the recording.
That night Ian won the Nobel prize for patience and my wife Ruth won the Nobel prize for encouragement. With both of them urging me on, I kept going for it until finally we captured something that more or less did the song justice.
So the song has been around in a recorded form since 1996. It's now 2020 – so time for a lyric video that might be useful for churches gathering online for Easter during the Covid-19 pandemic.
My in-laws, Ron and Margaret, provided the main photographs of olive trees at Gethsemane taken during their visit in 1991, including the one that appears to have a manic face in the trunk. They also provided the photo of the cross and stone tomb. These were supplemented with a picture I took of the fists in the air at a Prophets of Rage concert, and a fire lit for my team by the wonderful folk of Wagga Uniting Church. My friends Rev Dr Ian Robinson and Rev Dr Rob McFarlane also generously provided images of olive trees from Gethsemane, and I hope to one day join one of their expertly guided tours of the Holy Land.
I hope you encounter something of the historical Jesus and the living God as you listen to the tune.
One note about the lyric. The chorus, Eli, Eli, lema sabacthani means "my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and reflects what Jesus is recorded to have shouted while on the cross. This version is from Matthew's gospel, and there are quite a few variants in different Bible translations. Biblical scholars would not pronounce the phrase as I have done here, but no one knows – and I didn't know any Biblical scholars back in 1983 or 1996! So I'm not losing any sleep over that…
Why write new worship songs?
by glenbpowellmusic	on 21st February 2019 21st February 2019
I have never felt completely comfortable writing songs for others to sing. There is a particular skill set in writing songs for corporate singing and it has never come naturally to me.
However, as my wife has led worship in our congregation, the difficulty in finding songs on some themes became really clear. There are gaps. Not complete vacuums perhaps, but some themes are much more common than others.
Then our pastor preached five brave sermons in a row, which provided inspiration. I found myself inspired and scribbling lyrics on the back of church bulletins.
That triggered my recent attempts to write for collective singing in worship.
Some songs are simply worshipful. For example, a favourite Psalm is Psalm 121.
Other songs are intentionally written into 'theological gaps'. For example, I think we live at a time when God is calling us from a focus on personal salvation by 'grace through faith not works' (Ephesians 2: 8-9) to salvation into lives formed around our God-given purpose: 'we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do' (Ephesians 2: 10). Good works may not save us, but given we are saved into a life of God-intended good works, it is disastrous to believe they should be avoided.
Songs which aim to address this gap created by a focus on our personal salvation without enough attention to the life of good work that we are saved into, include Citizens of Heaven and Trinity of Love, while The Way By Grace draws attention to the message of Ephesians 2:10.
Similarly, there are parts of the Church which tend to withdraw from 'the world' – while other parts envisage engagement with the world as the role of individual disciples rather than the corporate Body of Christ. Jesus came to establish an ekklesia – an outward focused purposeful gathering, not an oikos – a private household. But churches tend to be more like the latter, with the work of mission left up to individual disciples.
The gospel of the New Testament was about being saved into a world-saving movement where we, the Church, participate with Christ in God's reconciliation of all things rather than being saved from the world (e.g. 2 Corinthians 5: 11-20). While individuals can testify and witness, there is a role for the collective voice in confronting today's powers and principalities.
All are Welcome is a song which welcomes visitors and newcomers into the body of Christ and its mission as world-changing movement rather than a private worship club in fearful retreat.
Unbreak Your World is another song that addresses these themes, as well as the above-mentioned Citizens of Heaven
Light a Candle is a Christmas song which works as a Christmas carol but expands the focus from 'cute baby who will save us from our sins' to one which emphasises the world-saving movement of reconciliation which we are saved into.
https://www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/philippians/passage/?q=philippians+3:14-20
https://www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/ephesians/passage/?q=ephesians+2:10-20
Time to launch
by glenbpowellmusic	on 30th January 2019 31st January 2019
Christmas 2019, my wife Ruth gave me the gift of a website for my songs. She has invested a huge amount of time, love and effort to give me a place to upload some of the songs that I've been writing since I was a teenager. She also dug into her secret archive and found a few artefacts – from beer coasters with lyrics on the back, to scraps of paper with scribbled chord charts.
I wrote a lot of songs on beer coasters. Most of them – like this one – never saw the light. Although I don't mind the line "I'm not going to put my faith in wishful thinking".
There's a few different sections – and different categories of song. Audio files, lyric sheets, chord charts, some lead sheets and a few videos. Also a bunch of photos snapped along the way, either by us or by people in an audience.
In recent times, I've been writing songs for churches to use in collective worship. This is my current hobby – trying to write songs that can be sung by congregations, experimenting with different genres and exploring themes which are less common in the Church. Some of these are 'works in progress' and will evolve and be updated over time.
There are songs that were performed by the band I spent more than a decade in with my siblings. Other songs have only ever been performed live, or are from the solo album I did in the 1990s. (There are also songs in Ruth's archive that should never have been written and never made it as far as a performance.)
The site will grow over time. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to drop me a line with comments, questions, or requests.
Song notes
by glenbpowellmusic	on 26th December 2018 31st January 2019
Thanks for visiting! I will use this blog to reflect on the process of song-writing, reflect on both old and new songs, and thank some of the remarkable people who have aided, assisted and inspired me along the way.


Planning your Bachelorette party in Denver, Colorado this year? The mile-high city is full of great cuisine, delicious beverages, and plenty of adventure. We've put together some ideas of where to go and what to do for your bachelorette party this year.
Start your day with the best pancakes around, and some mimosas of course. Snooze: an A.M. Eatery has got you covered for brunch on your weekend. There's always some crazy pancake concoction on special, as well as all the breakfast spread you can think of. The joint started in Denver, Colorado almost 12 years ago and the popularity has spread across America's West, with locations in California, Arizona, and Texas now.
Spend one of the 300+ days of sunshine in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Idaho Springs is just 30 minutes west of downtown Denver, and is one of AVA Rafting & Zipline's outpost locations. You can indulge in all levels of whitewater rafting on Clear Creek, soar along the cliffside on our Zipline tour, or really challenge yourself on the Via Ferrata course. If you're looking for a little bit of adventure for your bachelorette party, call AVA today to set up a thrilling excursion and make your weekend memorable.
You're guaranteed to be ready for a cold brew after a Rocky Mountain adventure, so head just a quarter-mile away to Tommyknocker Brewery for a thirst-quenching beer or two. You can explore the historic mining town of Idaho Springs after and take a walk down it's quaint Main Street before heading back to the city.
Upstairs Circus is a great place to create handcrafted projects and memoires while having some local handcrafted brews. With cheese trays and mocktails for those not partaking in the adult beverages, this place really is remarkable for everyone. Pick from 25 plus of their master piece options to create at your own pace. This is yet another great bonding activity for you and your bachelorettes.
After you head back to your hotel to throw on some heels, you're probably ready to hit the town. There are plenty of incredible restaurants scattered across Denver to grab a bit to eat.
Let loose a bit at one of the many bars and nightclubs across the city. There are plenty that offer bottle service to make you feel really special for your bachelorette party and plenty of unique cocktails across Denver to keep you going after a day of adventures.
Call AVA's adventure specialists today to help you sort out your bachelorette weekend in Colorado. We'll point you in the right direction!
*Featured image courtesy of Howl at the Moon Denver.


Bush Business Furniture 400 Series 48W x 30D Table Desk with Hutch and 3 Drawer Mobile File Cabinet #400S178SG. This Bush Business Furniture 400 Series Table Desk with Hutch and Storage combination inspires creativity with a sturdy construction, user-friendly features and refreshingly contemporary looks. The Table Desk mixes open metal legs with a wooden work surface, providing space to spread out and ample legroom. Sturdy legs boast a welded steel tube construction, while the thermally fused laminate finish and impact resistant edges fend off damage. Adjustable levelers compensate for uneven flooring. The Hutch features open space for books or knickknacks and two doors with self-closing hinges. A 3 Drawer Mobile File Cabinet rolls wherever you need it. Two box drawers store office items, and a full-extension file drawer glides on smooth ball bearing slides for an easy reach to the back. 400 Series comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. American made with U.S. and imported parts.


With six of this year's 10 World Triathlon Series races now done and dusted, we take a look at how the table stands – and how the Brits are faring.
In the women's Columbia Threadneedle Rankings, Gwen Jorgensen has built up 4000pts thanks to five wins in five races this season, her latest win being London just a few days ago.
Her nearest rivals are fellow American Katie Zaferes (3645pts) and New Zealand's Andrea Hewitt (2910pts), while fast-rising US athlete Sarah True is fourth with 2632pts. In fact, the Stars and Stripes have now earned 12 of the 18 women's medals awarded in WTS races so far this season.
Jorgensen isn't expected to race at the next three WTS races in Hamburg, Stockholm or Edmonton, instead saving her strength for the final in Chicago this September. This means Zaferes could win the series if she were to win the Grand Final and Jorgensen finishes outside the top five.
The only Brit in the top-10 is Vicky Holland (1386pts), whose efforts earned her a win in Cape Town. Other Brits include 2013 world champ Non Stanford in 38th place with 567pts, Helen Jenkins in 43rd with 501pts, super swimmer Lucy Hall in 48th with 409pts, WTS debutante Emma Pallant in 49th with 397pts, and last year's title contender Jodie Stimpson in 49th (230pts).
Special mention should go to Sophie Coldwell, who had a day to remember at her WTS initiation in London last weekend: she put in a strong swim and cycle to be among the lead group of seven going into T2, then blew through transition so fast she led all athletes onto the run, eventually finishing 27th. The final British lady is Jessica Learmonth, who's in 81st position with 83pts.
After his antics in London last weekend, Alistair Brownlee now has 2340pts and sits in fifth place – despite only having raced three times so far this season. Younger brother Jonny is in seventh place with 2186pts, thanks to his two wins (Gold Coast and Auckland) in four races so far. Jonny also took fifth in season opener Abu Dhabi, while a puncture in London meant he finished a disappointing 42nd.
Series leader to date is 2014 champ Javier Gomez (ESP) who has amassed 3507pts from five races – though has only won one of them (Yokohama), an unusually low strike rate by his standards. Spain's Mario Mola (2979pts) and Fernando Alarza (2961pts) round out the top three. South Africa's Richard Murray is also enjoying a strong season, sitting in fourth with 2340pts thanks to three top-five finishes (Gold Coast, Cape Town and London).
Other Brits include Adam Bowden in 20th position with 865pts, Mark Buckingham in 26th with 710pts, Gordon Benson in 47th with 374pts, Tom Bishop (who fought valiantly in London to tow Jonny Brownlee back into contention after his puncture) in 53rd place with 314pts, and Grant Sheldon in 98th position with 45pts.
The next stop on the World Triathlon Series is Hamburg, Germany on July 18th over the sprint distance, where Jodie Stimpson is expected to make her long-awaited return to the WTS circuit after injury. The full WTS calendar can be found here.
The full Columbia Threadneedle Rankings can be accessed here.
Who do you think will win this year's series? Let us know in the comments below!


The X-ray Crystallography Condition Screening Core Technology Center provides state-of-the-art, high-throughput, crystallization services to all institutions. The full-service core offers access to sophisticated equipment and technologies, and technical assistance in sample preparation. The facility will provide screen preparation, plate setup, and optimization of the resulting crystals. Our high-throughput core can produce 18,000 experiments in a single day. We work in conjunction with the X-ray Crystallography Technology Center, which collects diffraction data and screens crystal quality.
UV/vis microscope identification of organic and inorganic crystals.
In order to ensure quality, kits are dispensed as needed. While walk-ins are welcome, appointments will be given priority. Walk-ins can expect a variety of broad screens to be available, but if something specific is required, make an appointment. Trip scheduling, randomized spikes in popularity, and back-orders affect inventory, so check if you need a specific screen. If it is not back-ordered it will be made ready in 24 hours. Over 30 labs are served. You are not guaranteed an appointment. If no time slots are available we will schedule your appointment for the next available slot, since this will affect the quality of service provided to others. Hours of operation are between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
We understand that samples may misbehave. Solubility and stability issues are common problems for our users. If this happens, please text Michael Collazo at (805) 982-0606 with an estimate of when you may be ready or an appointment cancellation. Do not show up late with sample that is unstable needing immediate attention. You may arrive in the middle of another appointment and your sample may go to waste. For unstable samples, it is also a good idea to leave me a way to get a hold of you quickly if the sample becomes unmanageable during the experiment. Some samples form solid gels. Others deposit inconsistently when unconventional solubilizing agents or dyes are used. If you are unreachable, we will proceed with the experiment using our best judgement. Also understand that other users have to troubleshoot and may run a bit late. If you have an unstable sample that will not last five minutes in solution, text Michael Collazo at (805) 982-0606 to make sure everything is ready before you dissolve your sample.
Internal users: If your recharge number changes, please notify Michael Collazo ASAP.
The Crystallization Facility has a large library of commercial kits on hand.
TTP LabTech Mosquito nanoliter-scale liquid handlers generate hanging and sitting drop crystallization experiments.
The three-drop pattern (pictured right) requires 40 ul of sample and produces 288 unique conditions 210 nl each. For initial screening we typically recommend a three-drop pattern that varies protein:chemical concentration to increase the chance of obtaining crystals.
After a sample is received it is prepared immediately. A total of 2,880 conditions only requires 400ul of sample.
The minimum volume required to set up a single drop experiment is 15 uL (100nl sample: 100nl crystallant).
A basic Requirement for macromolecular crystallization is sample purity better than 98% as detected by SDS gel and/or Mass Spectroscopy. The presence of secondary bands in the gels or other contaminants will decrease the success rate. The optimal protein concentration is around 10 mg/ml but other concentrations can be accepted as long as the technical staff is notified. The normal turn around is 24 hours. Special optimization conditions may require more time. We recommend to filter the sample shortly before the crystallization trials starts.
WYATT DynaPro Plate Reader II for evaluation of sample prior to setting crystallization plates.
TTP LabTech Mosquito nanodispenser robot capable of setting hanging and sitting drops at a rate of 288 conditions every 2.9 minutes.
Tecan Genesis 200 to prepare crystallization kits and to generate optimization conditions.
Korima PRS-1000 UV microscope capable of distinguishing organics from salt crystals.
Emerald BioSystems Crystal Monitor microscope workstation with automated image capture.
Tecan TEMO for mother-daughter replication and to dispense solutions from commercial kits.
Commercial Screen Formulations available in 96 well format.
The crystallization facility at UCLA is funded by the DOE and is the most cost-efficient means of high-throughput screening in the United States.
The Crystallization Core is open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Mon-Fri, excluding holidays.
The Crystallization Core collaborates with the Protein Expression Core and X-ray Crystallography Core to offer the advanced technology and expertise our users rely on.


One of the most powerful moments in my weight loss journey happened during the first week. Once this happened my outlook on everything changed. I felt relieved. I felt hopeful. I felt happy.
I discovered that I was my biggest weight loss challenge. Not a diet. Not my busy lifestyle. Not the food. Not my treadmill. Me. I was the one who was preventing myself from losing weight.
I remember feeling shocked when I realized that I was in control. This actually happened after I completed my food overhaul and discovered I was eating 3000 or more calories a day in what I thought to be "healthy foods". This was a huge eye opener and for the first time it became clear my weight gain had everything to do with me.
For so long I focused my weight issues on everything but me. The diet didn't work. No time. Can't give up pasta. No energy. I just had a baby. I just had another baby. I work full-time. The list can go on and on. While these circumstances do play a role in losing weight, at the end of the day it came down to the choices I made. Period.
I chose to eat that extra serving. I chose to sleep in instead of exercising. I chose to not prep my food for the week. It was all on me.
This is a hard concept to swallow because no one wants to believe his or her failures or challenges are because of the choices they make. I know I didn't. We don't want to believe we are standing in our own way.
But we are. We are 100% responsible for our actions – good and bad.
After the shock went away I began to feel liberated and excited because I knew taking control over my weight and life was a reality. All I needed to do was take responsibility for my actions and get out of my own way.
The best way to do this is to change your mindset. Instead of looking at all the reasons why you can't lose weight think about the one reason why you can. That reason is YOU ARE IN CONTROL. If you struggle with mindset then this post is a must read – it's one of my best.
Here are some examples of changing your mindset.
I can't exercise because I don't have the time.
I have a busy schedule but because exercise is a priority to me I am going to fit in ½ hour of exercise 3 days this week. I will exercise at home either before work or right after. If I get really busy then I will do a few exercises in my office during lunch. To make it easier I will have all my exercise gear ready the night before. Here are my rules for keeping exercise a priority.
I can't eat healthy because I love pasta too much.
I am going to look for and/or create healthy pasta recipes. This will help me develop and keep sustainable healthy eating habits because I will not feel deprived of the foods I love.
It is hard for me to eat healthy because I don't have time to cook.
I am going to put together a meal plan and prep some foods for the week on Sunday. Having healthy foods ahead of time will help me eat better during the week. Check out my healthy meal planning guide for tons of tips and resources. Or my meal prep page for all my best meal prep tips.
My medical condition keeps me from exercising and/or losing weight.
I am going to research and put together a list of exercises I can do and foods I can eat. Then I will schedule time every week to complete those exercises. I will also prepare my foods ahead of time so it is easier for me to grab a healthy meal or snack when I need it.
My life is so stressful and busy I have no energy to worry about exercising or eating healthy.
Exercising and eating healthy helps me perform at my best. It brings out the best version of me. Therefore, I am going to make it a priority. I will plan ahead of time so I am prepared to exercise and have the foods I need to fuel my body. Also, I will take time to get my hot zones under control so I don't feel so overwhelmed. This my best weight loss advice for dealing with hot zones.
I could go on and on. The point I want you to take away from this is your mindset and the actions you choose will make all the difference in creating a healthy lifestyle and losing weight.
The goal is to be solution-focused. Don't throw in the towel because you feel losing weight is outside your control. It's not. You have complete control over the decisions you make. Take control back.
I am not saying this is easy. Taking responsibility for creating change in our life is often very difficult. It first requires recognizing a change needs to happen and that you are responsible for those changes. Then you need the discipline to create and sustain those changes. However, keep in mind change does not need to happen overnight or all at once. Sustainable change takes time and it is a process.
My piece of advice is to be patient with the process and create weight loss systems that focus on the habit and not the scale. In the end healthy sustainable habits are what keep you going.
Here are some resources to help with creating new habits.
All my recipes have make ahead tips. View my recipes here.
See my weekly exercise schedule for ideas.
These are just some of the resources I offer on Organize Yourself Skinny.
The last thing I will say about taking personal responsibility for your weight and life is this… There is no greater feeling in the world than when you can experience and witness the results of all your hard work. You develop a confidence that trickles into other areas of your life. You feel like you can do anything and that is because you can.
Always keep going. Don't ever stop. You can do this!
Tammy, I'm the 'I cant do this because of my medical conditions.' So pray for me I am going to get over this of using my medical problems as an excuse.
Wow this is SO true! I just had the same "ah ha" moment the other day when I realized that it's all on me and how I plan out my day. What a great reinforcer it was to read this post at random!
Very, very motivating! Thank you.
I really like your website. I like the planning of this site and weekly meal plans etc. I am losing weight and like to be fit and healthy. I have lost about 20 lbs and can lose 5 more. Then I plan to maintain, maintain, maintain.
For your activity, you are not getting enough calories!! Your body is hoarding calories because it thinks you are starving it!!
Walking doesn't burn as many calories as you might think. Depending on how much you weigh, walking for an hour might only burn 100 calories (the number of calories in about a tablespoon of peanut butter).Try weighing and measuring and writing down all the foods you eat for a week to determine if you're genuinely eating 1200 calories per day. Sometimes we estimate, and we are not correct… Be sure to include snacks. You could also be on medication or have a condition that's causing you to retain water. If that's the problem, then you need to chat with your doc. Being a vegetarian doesn't automatically make you thin. Vegetarians still eat eggs and cheese and butter and nuts (not to mention sugar!), all of which are calorie-dense foods. Unless you are extremely short, you should be starving.
This is sooo true. Brown rice still has a bunch of calories, even though it's good for you! A pound is 3500 calories. To lose a pound, you have to either burn or cut 3500 calories. Because it's a lot of calories, it's best to do it over time, so you maintain your health. It's important to know your basal metabolic rate (just Google it for calculators), which is the amount you need to stay exactly the way you are, doing nothing but breathing 🙂 Mine is 1315, so I can lie around all day and eat 1315 calories and not gain (or lose!) any weight. 1300 calories is nothing–4 oz of chicken and 1 cup of rice and you're already up to 450 calories. It's amazing how many calories are in simple foods! Analyzing your diet and calculating what you take in in terms of calories is key. You also need to know how much you need to eat, and make sure that your activity and your intake balances out (roughly). Most of us aren't lucky enough to recline on a chaise lounge all day, so you need to figure in your activity, and boost your calorie intake based on that. I eat a lot more than 1300 calories per day, but I also am pretty active, chasing after my dogs, running, and just walking around at work. Some days I am over what I need, some days I am under. I am (finally!) getting the knack of figuring this out without writing it down all the time and running the numbers. But knowing the numbers is definitely step 1 in figuring out your weight loss plan! Exercise is helpful, but ultimately, it's what you eat that makes you gain weight.


text:
Il premio Compasso d'oro 1962 è stata la 7ª edizione della cerimonia di consegna del premio Compasso d'oro, l'ultima sotto organizzazione della Rinascente.

Giuria
La giuria era composta da:
 Giulio Castelli
 Franco Momigliano
 Augusto Morello
 Bruno Munari
 Battista Pininfarina

Premiazioni

Compasso d'oro

Note

Compasso d'oro

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Because Psychedelics heighten perception almost immediately, users quickly shake off the deadening effects of habit.
Users may also temporarily lose their inhibitions as well as their ability to filter out or ignore certain stimuli, finding themselves extremely open to novel perceptions that may lead to unexpected observations, connections, serendipities, insights, and epiphanies.
Properly setting the environment of the "tripper" therefore, can serve as a modulator for those insights.
Pay attention to this notion because understanding this point is crucial to the entire argument of programming these experiences: the extreme "suggestibility" and "openness" of the user during a psychedelic state means that one's measured choices of "set and setting" could be utterly transformational, and might include, for example, using the crescendo of a Hans Zimmer soundtrack to make the user understand the nature of being, or bringing the user's attention to a specific Dali painting might convey the entirety of the human condition, or reading lyrics from a Pablo Neruda poem could utterly shatter and reconstitute that person's entire worldview on love.
The idea is that one can literally "steer" awareness towards transformative encounters and ecstatic revelations. There have been accounts of how a single Ketamine trip will cure even the most extreme cases of depression.
This suggests that through the careful use of these substances, informed by scientific, medical, and shamanic knowledge, our stubborn defense-mechanisms, and our thick-skinned ego-identity, is dissolved, enabling a meta programming of the software of our being. Writer, physician, neuroscientist and philosopher John Lilly called it "Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer". Mindware upgrades. The implications are unprecedented.
We can imagine all sorts of novel coming-of-age rituals designed for transformation, psychedelic educational experiments, and even entertainment possibilities that push the envelope of experience.
In his book on shamanism, the historian of religion Mircea Eliade described various "techniques of ecstasy" that essentially helped mediate our encounters with the sacred. Though Eliade was critical of and misinformed about psychedelics, numerous scholars make the case that the origins of many of the world's religions are richly embedded in the ritualized use of these sacraments, along with other techniques of ecstasy such as chanting, fasting, drumming, dance and meditation, all of which can act as passports to the numinous.
Today we are seeing a renaissance in the study of these plants and chemicals. Organizations like MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) are working with researchers and governments to investigate the therapeutic potential of medicines such as MDMA, or Ecstasy, which is being used to alleviate such psychological problems as PTSD, Depression, and many other ailments. The results have been staggering.
Johns Hopkins University recently administered psilocybin, the active chemical in magic mushrooms, to patients dealing with terminal illness. The effects seemed to reconfigure their entire perception of death, giving them peace.
Much like riding a rocket ship into orbit will shift an astronaut's perspective so dramatically that he or she may experience the often reported "Overview Effect," a sort of techno-scientific spiritual awakening—the effect of which can utterly transfigure their psychological point of view—so too do psychedelics seem to trigger an analogous change in perspective, a kind of "orbital position," that changes our sense of the big picture, and that can be as significant and profound as an orbital flight.
Although not usually included in the same category as LSD and psilocybin, Marijuana "fuses cognition and dream" and idealizes or "archetypilizes" perception, wrote author David Lenson, and is perhaps the most popular of what Doyle calls "ecodelics," mild enough that most users seem to be able to manage the experience without much difficulty.
David Lenson: "Every object stands more clearly for all of its class: a cup "looks like" the Platonic Idea of a cup, a landscape looks like a landscape painting, a hamburger stands for all the trillions of hamburgers ever served, and so forth," he writes.
Today, America has hit a tipping point in its mainstream acceptance of marijuana as both a medicine as well as a recreational pastime.
Here too, we are seeing focus being placed on what we might call the curation of experience, with a particular premium placed on set and setting. Because marijuana consciousness is (like all ecodelics) so sensitive to the context in which we ingest it, it is no surprise that states like Colorado are seeing the emergence of a high-end pot culture: curated dinner parties, specialty concerts, and other discerning cultural events carefully designed with cannabis intoxication in mind are opening up a blank canvas for "experience design" that works in concert with the sensibilities of marijuana intoxication.
Cannabis, like other mind-altering plants and chemicals, creates what Doyle calls "infinite resonance with set and setting" so that both the expectation of the user, and his associations, will respond to the context in which he or she partake in the drug.
By changing the cultural context in which marijuana is used, you change the very nature of the marijuana high itself.
Flow Kana is a new medicinal cannabis delivery startup in the San Francisco Bay Area that wants to change the relationship between the patient and her cannabis medicine. Everything from the design of the web app, to the user-experience, to the aesthetic framing in which the patient interfaces with the transaction itself, has been designed for a particular experience, that is, to elicit a particular flavor of consciousness.
Flow Kana also serves as the first farm-to-table model in the industry, according to its founder Michael Steinmetz. By connecting patients directly to farmers, Steinmetz aims to re-contextualize the entire relationship between the patient and his medicine, and in doing so, perhaps impact even the nature of the medicine's effects.
But what about recreational users who don't suffer from a particular affliction? As legalization momentum continues to spread, what new cognitive thrills await the inner-space community?
This change in perception creates all kinds of creative, theatrical possibilities and subjectivities. Entire new ways to program and design experience emerge.
Immersive experiences designed for turned-on brains, such as guided hikes with carefully curated soundtracks and soundscapes, could offer "cognitive ecstasy" on- demand: A Joseph Campbell-esque, artfully constructed Hero's Journey of self- discovery and illumination could become a premium commodity, like a Spa for the mind, and could be designed to deliver cognitive effects that would do for our spirit what five-star spas do for our bodies.
We could see the rise of boutique movie theaters with vaporizing rooms for filmgoers to prime their brains with cannabis for enhanced cinematic immersion.
Interactive theater experiments, like Punchdrunk's Sleep No More, could encourage participants to smoke some marijuana before the show, rather than have a cocktail. The overwhelming sense of presence and subjective intensity that would ensue will surely jolt jaded theater goers from feeling like "they've seen everything before," into feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole.
Beyond the therapeutic and medicinal potential of these cognitive tools for those suffering from a host of maladies, shouldn't we all have the freedom to probe the perimeters of our minds, to mediate our own ecstasies, in safe, controlled settings?
Haven't our greatest innovations, our greatest adventures as a species come about thanks to individuals who dared to think differently?
It has been written that "reality is tightly coupled to perception"—change perception, and change reality. David Lenson wrote: "Drugs may encourage the idealist notion that by changing the way perception is received and processed, an individual can actually change the world…in the '60s Jerry Rubin said "every time I smoke a joint, it is a revolutionary act" I believe we need to reframe the way we think of drugs. We need a new story. A new conversation.
Beyond Psychedelics: Flow States, Super-focus and Living your Bliss.
Moving beyond the psychedelic experience there is the question of integration, the takeaway so to speak. We've gotten the message, processed the insights, and now what? Many artists, musicians and elite athletes who have found their way, (with our without psychedelics), talk about "the flow state," a kind of super-focused "zone" associated with extreme virtuosity, creativity, and "no-mind"; a state of ultimate performance where passion and skill meets the opportunity to express itself. This highly-sought after modality is as elusive as you might expect, yet recent advances in our understanding of the chemistry of lived experience are allowing us to peek beneath the lid, so to speak.
Practices of mindfulness such as meditation, curating our environment, and self-inquiry are the next step for many to "raise their stage," but the Flow Genome Project brings a technological focus to states of flow. By leveraging the latest brain-mapping technologies and insights into neurochemistry and behavior, Kotler and Wheal have a developed a program to supercharge flow states and decipher the science of human performance.
Transhumanist Philosopher David Pearce says we shouldn't stop there. He advocates for the development of a cocktail of psycho-pharmaceutical technologies, brain drugs, that build and improve upon psychedelics and performance enhancing drugs. Cannabis breeders such as DJ Short might add that they have been working on this cocktail for some time. Pearce's online treatise, The Hedonistic Imperative, calls for the use of such bio and nano-technologies to upgrade our Darwinian brains and usher in a new kind of consciousness: "gradients of bliss" inconceivable to us except in the briefest of mystical epiphanies.
Reblogged this on Darwins Desciple.


Skyllete Airlines is an airline in Triumph in the Skies II. It plays a larger role than its past counterpart Solar Airways. Skylette Airlines is based on Hong Kong airways, the sponsor for the movie. In the movie Skylette was sold to Branson were it would get a redesigned image. The term Skylette means Small Sky.
The only known fleet aircraft are A330s.


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Q: C# or other: while loop to update inputs and process? I am developing a monitoring/control software that, basically, reads inputs (via network modules) and generates events after processing them.
While input can depend on communication speed, and can be ran in multi threading, processing is basically a continuous loop, basically:
while (true)
{
    readInputs();
    process();
}

this seems to be pretty straightforward but, as you can imagine, cpu will be at 100%.
And if you want to have other loops running, mainly for timed events.
So, while processes can have a sleep at the end, the timed events can't.
My question is: what is the best way to have inputs collected and processed, without having the app to eat full cpu cycles?
Update 1:
The application is multithread and has an user interface.
Timers are applied to update the user interface (from the shared memory - processed stuff and input status).
While loops are used for input read and processing.

A: The best way, in my option, would be to use a timer and call those two functions every second - or more frequently if required, but it depends how much work they do.
For example:
System.Timers.Timer timer;

void SetupTimer()
{
    timer= new System.Timers.Timer();//create timer
    timer.Elapsed += new ElapsedEventHandler(OnTimedEvent);//attach event handler
    timer.Interval = 1000;//set to fire every 1 second
    timer.Enabled = true;//starts the timer
}

void OnTimedEvent(object source, ElapsedEventArgs e)
{
    DoTasks();
}

void DoTasks()
{
    readInputs();
    process();
}

You could also add an isBusy flag to ensure that if the tasks are still being processed when the next timer elapsed event occurs then it wont run them again, of course it depends on your exact needs. For example:
bool isBusy = false;
void DoTasks()
{
    if(isBusy)
        return;
    isBusy = true;
    readInputs();
    process();
    isBusy = false;
}

A: While is not a bad idea here but you have two problems.

1) CPU last
2) maybe software hanging while reading/writing
to solve the first problem just give some sleep to the current thread.
while (true)
{
    readInputs();
    Thread.Sleep(300); // more then 100
    process();
}

To solve the second problem by reading and writing with SpinWait.SpinUntil
I hope this will help.
Greetings

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Ascending Butterfly: Thank You + Not quite the way I had in mind to lose more weight!
Thank You + Not quite the way I had in mind to lose more weight!
1. An Open Letter to New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, (and to New Yorkers) and . .
2. Wordless Wednesday: More Prayers!
4. Today's HA! HA! Moment!
5. Happy New Year Butterfly!
I was so surprised and they defintely lifted my spirits, including the messages of support from the group too! And a visit from one of the members of the groups where we got to meet IRL (in real life) for the first time was such a wonderful surprise!
And another amazing surprise was that the Latina Bloggers Connect crew created a chip in account to help with my Medical Expenses, donations have started to come in, and honestly it all brought tears to my eyes. I'm usually the person who gives, and at first was a bit uncomfortable with the idea. But I realized that this isn't a time to worry about pride, but to worry about my health. This gift allows me to focus on my health and not worry so much about bills. It's not just the donations that have come in, but many being from perfect strangers with messages of support and encouragement that have really touched me.
My articles about my harrowing experience at the hands of a hospital have had an amazing trickle effect even I didn't think about, be it from reading my article, or donating to my chipin, people have shared THEIR stories with ME. Horrible medical experiences, their own medical challenges, or those of someone they love, and all the stories have been so moving!
And a special thanks to each and every one of you who have contributed so far!
Now me being the cheeky person I am and having the wicked sense of humor that I do, I have to share I have lost more weight since all this craziness began. The almost two weeks under heavy meds made food pretty un-appetizing and now clothes and even underwear are very loose on me, not the way I had in mind to loose more weight this year! But I guess I have found one positive in all this negative. Last year I slowly lost almost 26 pounds. And this year with this medical struggle I'm losing even more weight. So unlike most, I've kept the holiday pounds at bay! But not in a way I'd recommend of course.
DO - Visit them. Hours are insanely slow when your life screeches to a halt.
DON'T - Give them the 'poor baby' look. I'm not saying lie and tell them that they look fab, they don't need or want that either, but the 'poor baby' look makes people want to scream.
DON'T - Over tax the patient, don't bring them stress, theirs or yours.
DO - Leave after a reasonable amount of time. The person may feel like they have to keep up energy they really don't have to make YOU feel comfortable.
DO - A little recon, find out if they can have flowers (not all units allow the patients to have them in their rooms. My unit did NOT allow flowers in the patient's room which I was super bummed about.) Things most patients will always need: PJ's, toiletries (invariably you will forget something that they don't have), lotions (your skin ends up feeling like sandpaper in there), treats (waiting on the food tray to arrive is nerve wracking, many times you don't get what you want, it tastes awful and you end up hungry way before the next tray is set to arrive). So once you find out what they can have and can't have, be sure to bring treats or food, it will be greatly appreciated.
DO - Ask about the patient's care with the patient and the team, patients who are being looked after get better care. period. Make sure enough people are visiting that patient so the hospital staff knows you will notice anything out of place or any negative treatment or problems.
DO - Keep in mind the patient's schedule is no longer their own, they often have to take tests so may not be in their room, and when they just get back to the room be it after surgery or after testing, they are exhausted. If they fall asleep, LET them sleep and come back to visit at another time.
Right now it takes so much extra time to do things I normally never had to think about, but I'm actively working at keeping my spirits up and remaining inspired.
If I can keep my spirits up despite my current challenges, so can YOU!
FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored Post. I am choosing to thank the online groups that sent cheer my way during a very difficult hospital stay. I was under no obligation to do so and all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
Hope Everything works out for you in the long run - Hang In There. There is a reason and an end result in everything that happens.
I hope your stay in the hospital gets better.
There are doctors and nurses that have more compassion elsewhere. New York doctors and nurses are way too stressed out.
Thanks Amber, everyone in the hospital needs a support system that's for sure, look what happened to me even though I did have one!
Awesome support. I will definitely keep you in my prayers.


text:
Benriach Distillery, located in the heart of Speyside region of Scotland, was founded by John Duff in 1898. However, the distillery's story is not without its twists and turns, as it was one of many that fell victim to the Pattison crash of 1899 and was forced to close just two years after opening. It remained dormant for the next 65 years, until it was finally restarted in 1965. Despite being part of Seagram's Classic Malts range, it struggled to gain recognition among whisky drinkers. In 2003, it was bought by the Benriach Distilling Co. and under the leadership of Billy Walker, it has become a strong performer on the global market. The distillery was acquired by Brown-Forman in 2016, and it is now back in full production, with the floor maltings reopening in 2013. Benriach renewed its core range in 2020 with two ten-year-old and two twelve-year-old, each of those in peated and unpeated versions. We'll be reviewing the latter two, the Benriach Twelve & Smoky Twelve.
Benriach, Distilleries, Scotland, Whisky 12yo, Benriach, Review Leave a comment
7th January 2023 7th January 2023 Coldorak
Kavalan is a Taiwanese whisky distillery that was founded in 2005 by Mr. Ting, Chairman of the King Car Group, which is known for its production of food and beverages, as well as its involvement in transportation and renewable energy. Located in Yilan County, Taiwan, Kavalan takes its name from the indigenous Kavalan people who have lived in the area for centuries. The distillery is known for using locally grown barley and water from the Snow Mountain and Central Mountain Range to produce its whiskies, which are aged in a variety of barrels in a hot and humid climate. It is worth noting that Kavalan whiskies are often bottled at a young age due to the rapid maturation process that is induced by Taiwan's climate. But in this review, we will be tasting a 12-year-old Kavalan 2008 Conquête whisky that was selected by LMDW.
Distilleries, Kavalan, Reviews, Whisky, World Kavalan, Review, Single Malt, Taiwan Leave a comment
31st December 2022 Coldorak
We were talking recently about secrets and transparency in the whisky industry… And it's not just in Scotland, it happens elsewhere as well. For instance, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, that we've reviewed quite a lot of whiskies from in these pages, has bottled several batches of secret Irish whiskey. In today's case, some Irish single malt. And with the age of these whiskies, we might have a good guess about which distillery is behind the Irish Single Malt Whisky #2 distillery at TBWC…
Bottlers, Bushmills, Distilleries, Ireland, Reviews, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Undisclosed Ireland, Whisky Ireland, Review, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Undisclosed Leave a comment
Last year in December, we briefly mentioned Le Gus't when we reviewed a Tomatin they bottled for La Confrérie du Whisky. Le Gus't / Cave Conseil is a French off-licence and independent bottler located in the south-east of France, in Manosque first, but they also have a few shops around Marseille. They became an independent bottler in 2013 when their team went to Scotland to taste and select casks, and they started with a 1999, 12-year-old Bowmore very well received. We're trying today two undisclosed Speyside 1988 from Le Gus't, Selection XVIII and XXVI, as each of their bottling is numbered. Rumour has it that they both may be secret Mac***…
_Blended Malt, Bottlers, Distilleries, Le Gus't, Macallan, Reviews, Scotland, Whisky Independent Bottler, Le Gus't, Macallan, Review, Secret Speyside, Speyside Leave a comment
GlenDronach Grandeur 24yo Batch 9
Grandeur is a term that refers to the quality of being grand or impressive in size, appearance, or manner. It often implies a sense of splendour or magnificence, and is often used to describe things that are grand in scale or opulence. Grandeur can be applied to a wide range of subjects, from architecture and art to natural landscapes and events. It means something is impressive and awe-inspiring. High-end whisky is often associated with grandeur due to its luxurious and refined nature. Premium and aged whiskies, in particular, are often described as having a sense of grandeur due to their complex and rich flavours, as well as the impressive appearance of their bottles and packaging. GlenDronach distillery used Grandeur as the name of one of their expressions from the Special & Limited Releases range, so let's see with this GlenDronach Grandeur batch 9 if the qualificative is deserved.
Distilleries, Glendronach, Reviews, Scotland, Whisky Glendronach, Review, Single Malt, Whisky Leave a comment
Kilchoman Club 6th Edition 2007
22nd December 2022 22nd December 2022 Coldorak
It's our first time reviewing a Kilchoman on this humble blog. To be honest, up until now whisky coming from Kilchoman was not to my taste, I always found some off-notes (for my palate), something that didn't suit me. But I'm always trying to stay open-minded, and so when I found a sample of Kilchoman in my whisky and spirits advent calendar, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give another go at this distillery. So let's introduce them, and review a Kilchoman 2007, bottled for as the Kilchoman Club 6th Edition.
Distilleries, Kilchoman, Reviews, Scotland, Whisky Advent Calendar, Kilchoman, Review, Whisky Leave a comment
Aberfeldy 15 and 16-year-old
Aberfeldy Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located in the town of Aberfeldy, in the heart of Scotland's whisky country, Perthshire. The distillery was founded in 1896 by John Dewar & Sons, and it is now owned by Bacardi Limited. Their core range goes from a 12-year-old to a 21-year-old, and Aberfeldy is also the core of Dewar's White Label blend. Let's review the 16-year-old from the Aberfeldy core range and put it against a 15-year-old Exceptional Cask.
Aberfeldy, Distilleries, Reviews, Scotland, Whisky Aberfeldy, Review, Single Malt Leave a comment
Balcones 2017 Archives
Balcones is a Texas based whisky distillery, doing all sorts of whiskies: Bourbon, Single Malt, Rye, Corn… They don't take themselves seriously and don't bother with regularity about ABV, taste or whatever. They do what they want, how they want, whenever they want. Let's hope that now that Diageo bought Balcones, they won't castrate the spirit (pun intended) and let them continue going free. In the mean time, Archives, the indy bottler branch of the famous whisky database and online shop Whiskybase, bought a few casks from 2017 and bottled them in their Venomous Snakes series, so let's try one of those three Balcones 2017 from Archives.
Archives, Balcones, Bottlers, Distilleries, Reviews, Whisky Archives, Balcones, Independent Bottler, Review, Single Malt Leave a comment
Creations 1996 Cadenhead's
The Cadenhead's Creations range consisted of small batch blends, blended malts, and blended grains, with a maximum of 3 casks used in each blend. Sometimes, these were single cask releases. Featuring an old style dumpy bottle, this range saw twenty releases until 2019, when it was stopped. The Creations range included a variety of ages and the strength of each bottling was determined solely by taste. The Cadenhead Creations range was known for being particularly innovative and interesting among Cadenhead's releases. These bottlings were not chill filtered or artificially coloured. We're reviewing today one of them, the Creations 1996 Light Fruity Syrupy.
_Blended Malt, Ben Nevis, Blair Athol, Bottlers, Cadenhead's, Distilleries, Reviews, Tomintoul, Whisky Ben Nevis, Blair Athol, Blended Malt, Cadenhead's, Independent Bottler, Review, Tomintoul Leave a comment
First Four 'The Dava Way' Bottlings
15th December 2022 21st December 2022 Coldorak
You have probably heard of Dunphail distillery, a soon-to-be distillery located a few miles south of Forres, in Speyside. Dunphail has been founded by Dariusz Plazewski, who already founded the deservedly hyped Bimber Distillery in London. Whilst Dunphail is not yet producing, and thus not making money (except by selling in advance founder packs and casks shares), they decided to add an independent bottling branch to the distillery. This branch is called The Dava Way, named after one of Scotland's many long-distance walking and off-road cycling routes, between Forres and Grantown-on-Spey, and passing less than a mile from Dunphail distillery. My good friend Matt McKay, who started as director of communication for Bimber, is now also the Director of Whisky Creation and Outreach at Dunphail, and selected the first four 'The Dava Way' bottlings. Until Dunphail has a regular revenue, The Dava Way will allow Dunphail to gain visibility and help the operational revenue. Matt reached out to me to offer to send me samples of those bottlings, and obviously I could not refuse!
Benrinnes, Bottlers, Dailuaine, Distilleries, Glen Elgin, Reviews, The Dava Way, Undisclosed Orkney, Whisky Benrinnes, Dailuaine, Glen Elgin, Highland Park, Independent Bottler, Review, Secret Orkney, The Dava Way Leave a comment


Hello, I'm Robzie. I'm a marketing geek, community builder, podcaster, and advocate for being human in the digital sphere. Austin has been my home since 2012, and I'm never, ever leaving. Because we get tacos for breakfast. Seriously, they didn't have those in the Midwest.
After spending over two years helping MarketingProfs coordinate attendee acquisition and engagement for their annual conference, B2B Marketing Forum, I decided that I wanted to help create a community feel for marketers right here at home. And thus, Keep Marketing Weird was born.
Feel free to email me with questions, comments, emojis, or funny gifs. Or if you'd like to be a guest on the show, or suggest one. I'm all ears.
Thanks for helping keep it weird here, y'all.