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Debut Solo Albums From Singers Of Great Bands
Each morning the birthday section of the local newspaper prints the names of the famous people who were born on that particular day, and there is almost always a prominent musician listed among them. In some cases the editor finds it necessary to mention the band name, as the musician probably is not known to many people who might know the group.
Yesterday the paper listed Steve Vai, an esteemed but not widely recognized guitarist. For some reason none of the bands Vai worked with accompanied his name, even though that information might have helped music fans more clearly identify him.
His most famous collaboration cane through rock legend Frank Zappa, but Vai worked with many noteworthy artists during the decades that followed. My first introduction to Vai came through David Lee Roth, after I purchased the former Van Halen singer's first solo album Eat 'em and Smile.
Steve Vai had a huge role in that album, but it still ended up with a lukewarm reception. Most fans of Van Halen, like myself, were disappointed by Roth's first solo effort.
He was not the first singer of a great band to release a debut solo album that failed to live up to expectations, and here are ten others.
Mr. Bad Guy by Freddie Mercury
Queen's front man took a disco approach to his first release without his three mates, so fans of vintage discs like A Night At The Opera and Sheer Heart Attack were bound to be a little disappointed. The album does have some tracks that have aged well, such as "Man Made Paradise" and "Living On My Own."
Self-Titled by Ian Hunter
After the final two delightful Mott the Hoople records, Hunter did manage to score a hit by himself with "Once Bitten Twice Shy." Few of the other songs here, however, meet the standards his band had established.
The Night Fly by Donald Fagen
"New Frontier" was a huge hit and most of the songs have endured, yet as a whole this collection pales to the discography of Steely Dan.
Beatitude by Ric Ocasek
It sounds like something his band The Cars might have done, only it clings too closely to a new wave sound that was already fading.
I Can't Stand Still by Don Henley
People who liked both the rock and the country phases of the Eagles probably felt some regret when the singing drummer filled his first disc with mostly unremarkable pop tunes like "Dirty Laundry."
Self-Titled by Eric Carmen
Carmen played power pop like "Go All the Way" with the Raspberries, only to do a complete one eighty all by himself on songs such as "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again."
Schemer Dreamer by Steve Walsh
The energetic stage leader of Kansas broke out on his own to release an album with just seven songs, one of which was a cover of Elvis Presly's "That's All Right."
Daltrey by Roger Daltrey
Busy with starring in the rock opera Tommy and singing most of the songs for the Who, Daltrey probably had limited time to spend on this solo release.
Pictures At Eleven by Robert Plant
He would enjoy much success as a solo artist later on, but this initial release kind of went over like a lead zeppelin.
Face Value by Phil Collins
"In the Air" was a huge hit, but the record veered too much from the work Collins did with Genesis in the early years.
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How Copying Your Favorite Guitarist Harms Your Guitar Playing
Copying your favorite guitar players does not necessarily make you a better guitarist. Some great guitar players use inferior techniques even when they are proven to be inefficient.
Question: "Tom Hess, so why should I play any differently than my favorite guitarist? If it works for him, it must work for me… right?"
While some guitarists are able to play well using inefficient technique, this doesn't mean you should do the same. Copying inefficient playing habits from them harms your guitar playing and keeps you from reaching your musical goals as fast as possible.
Here are a few things guitarists do that harm your guitar playing when you copy them:
Wrapping Your Thumb Around Neck While Playing
A lot of popular guitar players keep their thumb wrapped around the back of the neck while they are playing. Copying this prevents you from being able to play scales, arpeggios or licks that require stretching to play frets that are far apart. This also puts a lot of unnecessary strain on your fretting hand/wrist. Instead of wrapping your thumb around the neck, keep it around the middle of the back of the neck.
Wearing Your Guitar Very Low
It is popular among guitarists to wear their guitar low while standing. Playing guitar very low while standing makes it more difficult to play accurately. This occurs because you are unable to keep your thumb below the top of the neck. It forces you to bend your wrist, neck and back in ways that can lead to injury over time. By simply raising your guitar, you make it easier to reach notes and play accurately with less stress on your body.
This approach can also be practiced while sitting down. Simply sit with your guitar strap on to get used to how it feels. This way, when you play standing up it is easy to do because you are already used to the feeling of where the guitar sits around your shoulders.
Exclusively Using Alternate Picking
Some great guitar players exclusively use alternate picking in their music. Copying this prevents you from playing fast and clean by wasting tons of movement. Learning how to use directional picking saves a ton of movement in your picking motion and makes playing fast and clean feel effortless. Directional picking uses either alternate picking or sweep picking to reach the next note in the shortest possible path.
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Eleven Hit Songs Made Into Movies
Bohemian Rhapsody is the title of the upcoming Queen biopic, named after the band's most well-known song. Other films about music artists have used their most popular song for the title, such as Mamma Mia about Abba and "I Walk the Line" about Johnny Cash. Famous songs have also been used for titles of movie concerts by certain groups, such as Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same and The Last Waltz by the Band.
In most cases when the two productions have the same title, the film has very little to do with the song. For example, the film American Pie has no relation to the Don McLean song, nor does Pretty Woman bear any resemblance to the hit by Roy Orbison.
Occasionally, hit songs have born such good story lines that they film makers have actually transformed the lyrics into a movie. Here are eleven examples of songs that were later made into films.
Convoy by C.W. McCall
Kris Kristofferson was chosen as the star of this picture about a gang of truckers who use their CB radios to form a mighty coalition against corrupt practices of highway policemen.
The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia by Vicki Lawrence
The Peach State is the obvious setting for this tale of murder, romance, and police malpractice, based on the song that reached number one a few years prior.
Harper Valley P.T.A. by Jeannie C. Riley
Barbara Eden stars as the sexy blond mother who gets fed up with the hypocrites in her small town, just like the main character in the famous song from the Sixties.
Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbi Gentry
Of course the Tallahatchi Bridge would be included in the film, for it served as part of the chorus in the song about a secret affair and its mysterious aftermath.
Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn
Since the tune was autobiographical, it made perfect sense to assign it as well to the Sissy Spacek movie about the country legend 's life.
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
The made for TV movie, starring the singer himself, did not have anywhere near the success as the number one record.
Hurricane by Bob Dylan
Ruben Carter suffered from false imprisonment for murder, an injustice that Bob Dylan made into the biggest hit from the Desire album. Three decades later, the story of the heavy weight champ was made into an unforgettable film.
Tom Dooley by the Kingston Trio
Murder serves as the backdrop for this folk classic, which quite naturally fit into a Hollywood Western.
Pretty Boy Floyd by Woody Guthrie
He was a gangster whom Woody painted as a Robin Hood in the song, which twenty years later was developed into a script.
Copa Cabana by Barry Manilow
Rico and Tony get into a fatal fight over Lola the dancer in both the song and the film, the former of which has been far more enduring than the latter.
Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie
Everyone's favorite Thanksgiving song is nearly as long as (but much funnier than)/the movie itself, which appeared a few years later with Arlo himself as the star.
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Songs That Mention Politicians In Their Titles
Few of us want to hear politicians, and not many want to even hear about one. Occasionally, however, hearing the name of a governing official is actually joyful, because the reference comes in a song.
Here are fourteen of those, all mentioning a politician or government leader.
Harry Truman by Chicago
President number 33 succeeded Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but his biggest honor may be having one of America's most successful bands pay musical homage to him.
Here's To the State of Richard Nixon by Phil Ochs
John Lennon was not the only popular songwriter on the alleged enemies list of the only President to resign while in office, for the anti-war singer Ochs made Nixon unhappy with ditties like this one.
Abraham, Martin and John by Dion
Many years had passed since his "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer" dominated rock radio, so this track about a trio of civic leaders served as somewhat of a comeback for Dion.
Eisenhower Blues by Elvis Costello
T-Bone Burnett worked with Costello on King of America, the folksy acoustic record from which this retro track spawned.
Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation by Tom Paxton
What the President actually said to the nation was less important than the fact that it was so cleverly satirized in this track from one of Bob Dylan's folk peers.
Little Hitler by Nick Lowe
Germany's notorious leader is used as a symbol in this track from Rock and Roll Jesus, which later inspired friend Elvis Costello to record "Two Little Hitlers" for his Armed Forces album.
Joe McCarthy's Ghost by the Minutemen
Senator McCarthy is still remembered as the politician who led to the blacklisting of any prominent person rumored to have leanings toward the left of the political spectrum during the Red Scare.
Say Ho by Scott Miller and the Commonwealth
Born in Tennessee, which is where Miller hails from, San Houston went West to help Texas achieve prominence.
Churchill's Speech by Iron Maiden
That Great Britain's Prime Minister would appear in a song should not be surprising, except that he is mentioned in one by an American hard rock band.
Mandela Day by Simple Minds
The revered President of South Africa can be found in a lot of songs from the Eighties and Nineties, but the New Wave band is the most famous to put him in the title.
Che Guevara Tee Shirt by Richard Shindell
Part of the New Folk movement along with John Gorka, Shindell could write poignantly about personal topics as well as political.
White Bones of Allende by Tom Paxton
Back in the Sixties earlier had skewered LBJ, but a decade later Paxton praised a Latin American leader.
The Ballad of Spiro Agnew by John Denver
Most of Denver's politics were confined to environmental issues, but he did call out the Vice President of Nixon on this classic tune.
Poor Napoleon by Elvis Costello
An Englishman showing sympathy for a French emperor probably would not have happened a hundred years before, but this case appeared in 1986 on Costello's Blood and Chocolate album.
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The Effect of Digital Technology in the Music Industry
Nowadays, teenagers are living constantly surrounded by technology even if the younger generation may not see it, technology has had an impact on the world as a whole. The widespread use of digital technology in the music industry has allowed consumers to reproduce digital versions of copyrighted song inexpensively with the help of many software and websites.
The growth of downloads and exchange of music are held responsible for the decrease of music sales since the end of the 90s. Information and communication technologies, and especially the internet, changed the logic of consumption and the process of producing music.
One of the biggest challenges for the music industry was to deal with the invention of the MP3 file. This file came into life between 1996 and 1999 and since then, piracy became more and more important. The MP3 file enables people to save files on computers and share music with anyone in the world.
Asides this, YouTube which is the third most visited website in the world behind Google and Facebook houses 100 hours of video every minute. One of the major fact to keep in mind is that YouTube is paying artists and music labels. We also have other channels like Vevo.
On April 28, 2003, Apple released the iTunes store. The iTunes store which has more than 500 million users in 119 countries has more than 25 billion songs. Nowadays, artists make most of their money by touring and selling music on iTunes.
Even though digital technology have had bad effects on the music industry, new devices appeared and helped the music industry. These days, the industry is stimulated, thanks to the competition created by Spotify or even SoundCloud which enables to display music and protect copyrights for free or at a very low price.
Entertainment has been a popular tool for over a decade ago with popular musicians at the centre stage with names like 50 Cent born 'Curtis James Jackson, The Notorious B. I. G born Christopher George Latore Wallace, D. M. C born Darryl Mc Daniels, 2Pac born Tupac Shakur, LL Cool J born James Todd Smith and a host of other prominent foreign musicians who have really proved to the world at large what music entails.
They inspire young and upcoming artists on the rudiment of music and on the need to see music as not just a career but as something to relieve the body from stress and to liven the soul. The entertainment industry the captured the mind of the populace by promoting arts and culture and then lifestyle.
Prominent among whom is Celine Dion, a Canadian Singer who was born on 30th March 1968 into a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec. She first gained international recognition in the 1980s by winning both the 1982 Yamaha world popular song festival and the 1988 Eurovision song contest where she represented Switzerland. She released several English albums along with additional French albums.
Micheal Jackson
Also, we have the American singer Micheal Joseph Jackson, a song writer, dancer, who was one of the most popular entertainers in the world and was the best selling music artist during the year of his death. He was born in August 29, 1958.
Nowadays with the influx of several artists and with modernization, entertainment have taken a new dimension with more of the cinema, open shows, mall entertainment, amusement parks where notable musicians thrills large audience to delectable fun. It has become more of competition these days with all artists trying to live up to expectation in order to capture large audience compared to that of the olden days where competition is at its lowest as artists inspires and instills more of moral in the mind of the audience
In conclusion, the digital technology has impacted greatly on the music industry and given the enormous contribution to the industry, we can deduce amidst its disadvantages that the digital technology has made music reachable to the people at the grassroots at little or no cost thus making them have access to music at any day and at any time.
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Nine Music Artists Named After Attire
Always a painful undertaking, my bi-yearly trip to pay my insurance bill did have a pleasant consequence today. A conversation with my agent about music, prompted by the tee shirt I was wearing, eased the fact that almost three thousand dollars would be deducted from my already meager savings.
Since he recognized the Elvis Costello album cover on my chest, the agent told me he liked most of the early records like My Aim Is True, Armed Forces and Get Happy. He then explained that he once played drums in an Elvis Costello cover band, and he in particular loved to play "Watching the Detectives."
That long extinct band lasted just a few months, he said, and as far as he knew there were no other such groups around. When I got home I made an unsuccessful internet search for that band, which he had identified as The Red Shoes after one of Costello's most famous characteristics.
That name made me think of other groups who referred to themselves as articles of clothing or accesories. Here are the nine I came up wth.
The pop quintet hit it big with "Hey There Delilah" and they have been releasing power pop records like Big Bad World ever since.
The Jo Boxers
"Just Got Lucky" has endured as their most recognizable songs, many of which sparkle with that New Wave sheen from the Eighties.
Hollywod Argyles
Singles like the one about a cave man named Alley Oop made a star of this guy whose name is associated with socks.
Los Straightjackets
These guys were the dominant instrumental guitar band of the Nineties, cranking out albums blending metal, rockabilly and jazz.
Denim would seem a more likely pants material to inspire a band name, but this acid jazz quartet went with an even heavier material.
Nina Persson fronted this Swedish band who had consistent chart success in the late Nineties, topped by "Lovefool."
PETA might not be big fans of these "Pretty In Pink" musicians if their name did indeed refer to clothing or something to be worn.
"Radar Love" made the Top Ten" but the Dutch rockers had to wait another twenty years to reach that mark again, when they scored with "The Twilight Zone."
Boots Randolph
Saxophone was relatively unknown in country music before Randolph showed Nashville that brass could enhance honky tonk tunes.
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Music Gear Shopping – Understand It Better Before the Purchase
Are you planning to buy a music gear for your music loving friend? Does your studio need a brand new music gear for better sound and practising? Go through this article to know more about different music gears and tips to buy the best.
There are different types of music gear ranges that benefit your studio and practices. Portable keyboards are available in the market, which can be used wherever you want to play them. They have inbuilt speakers so there won't be a need for any extra instrument to hear them. Some portable keyboards are both speaker attached and computer connectable as well.
Another useful gear is the drum mics. There are drum mic kits, which contain more than one microphone with accessories like clips, cases, etc. They are more affordable than buying single ones. These mics can also be used for different instruments. Both condenser and dynamic type microphones are available in the market that can be used for live performances and studio recordings respectively.
Electronic drums are most beneficial for drummers, who want to privately enjoy the sound. They have headphone attachments so that you can enjoy your own creation without the embarrassment of others hearing them. They are quieter than the acoustic drums, which makes every situation a perfect time to enjoy your own drumming without disturbing others.
With the amazing electronic drum of yours, a drum monitor or drum amplifier is the best gear you can ever have. It is also advisable to use an alternative to these amplifiers due to their versatility. Products like keyboard amplifiers, powered PA speakers are the most common alternatives used. However, it is not advisable to use a guitar amplifier or bass amplifier, as it does not reproduce the exact sound produced by a drum. It is more appropriate to find a portable and less weight amplifier so that you can carry them around.
When all of your instruments are ready to play, then you need a recorder. There are digital multitrack recorders available in the market that help you to record the music tracks. The desktop digital multitrack recorder has all the facilities like recording mixing and reproduction of your music all built in them. Portable or handheld multitrack recorders are convenient as they can be carried easily in your bag or even in your pocket.
While selecting a multitrack recorder we should check how many tracks it can record simultaneously and also the number of tracks it can mix. If the manufacturer lists the track recorder as 8 tracks, then the maximum number of tracks it can mix is 8. Handheld ones can be used in outdoor recordings, rehearsals, live performances, etc.
Another gadget you need for recording is a good audio interface. Single and double channel interfaces can be used for indoor recordings as the vocal and instruments can be recorded separately and mixed. Even 4 channel and more types are available in the market for better productions.
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Things to Consider When Buying Your First Guitar
So, you've decided to take the plunge and learn the guitar! Congratulations! Perhaps an early daunting prospect in this venture is actually purchasing your very first guitar. It's easy to be a little unnerved by the high price tag carried by even seemingly "middle-of-the-road" types of instruments. Many newcomers to the guitar are not quite reassured they will have the perseverance to stick with the instrument and justify the initial sticker shock of their first guitar. I have had many beginner guitar students come through my studio for guitar lessons in Surrey and Langley, and I thought I would share a few bits of advice for those looking to purchase their first instrument.
First things first, we have to ensure that the instrument we purchase is playable. Guitar is a very mechanically challenging instrument, especially when we are getting our start, so we want to make sure the instrument is not going to 'fight' us as we train our fingers to create music. Being at one with your instrument is such a liberating feeling, and becomes very difficult to unlock if we are playing an instrument that is not comfortable to play. It's for this reason, that I generally don't advocate going extremely cheap on your first guitar. It may be tempting, for example, to purchase an acoustic guitar for $50 from a department store, but this will not aid our learning process.
I would suggest that a beginner avoid purchasing a used instrument, unless they have a very experienced player who can accompany them to check over the guitar before purchasing. There are a lot of finer details that we want to ensure are in check when purchasing a used guitar – they are quite temperamental instruments – and these details are going to be very difficult to spot for someone new to the instrument. If cost is prohibitive or you/your child are not 100% sure guitar is going to be for you, I highly recommend renting your instrument. For example, Long & McQuade ( https://www.long-mcquade.com/ ) has some great monthly rates for very nice instruments available.
Try to shoot for an instrument that is visually appealing to you. It's likely that there is an artist that inspired you or your child to learn guitar. Wouldn't it be fun to play an instrument that resembled the guitar that this artist plays? Think of you/your child's favorite rock, acoustic, blues, or jazz guitarist. Yes, established artists play high-end instruments, but chances are there is an entry level option with an equivalent visual aesthetic crafted for someone just like you! A perfect example would be the Squier 'strat' or Fender Stratocaster style guitar. A common beginner package is a complete kit containing an electric guitar, small amplifier, and accessories usually for only a couple hundred dollars! Brands such as Yamaha have great entry-level models of Acoustic guitars as well.
These are my main thoughts for beginners looking to purchase their first guitar, or purchasing their child's first guitar. If we're able to purchase or rent a guitar that is playable, in great physical condition, affordable, and one that we can get excited to play, we are already on the fast track to success on learning this great instrument!
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Seven Best Songs Of Seven Minutes Plus
"Hey you, don't make it bad" was unnecessary advice for aspiring musicians, but record companies also once insisted, "Don't make it longer than three minutes." If it exceeded much beyond that length, a song had no chance of becoming a hit.
Fortunately, The Beatles shattered that theory exactly fifty years ago, when they scored a huge hit with a song that ran twice that long. "Hey Jude" had a running time of over seven minutes, yet it still managed to reach number one and stay there for a record eight weeks.
In the fifty years since Paul McCartney wrote that long chart topper, many songs running well over that traditional three minute mark have become big hits. In fact, one that ran longer than eight minutes even hit number one a few years after "Hey Jude."
Not only does "American Pie" by Don McLean have the longest running time ever for a number one hit, but it contains a record number 980 words in its lyrics. That total is more than three times than that found in "Hey Jude."
Here are seven of the other best tunes that play longer than that now fifty year old classic by The Beatles.
Cowgirl In the Sand by Neil Young
Checking in at over ten minutes, this track from Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere is highlighted by several guitar jams.
Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
Even though this standard from Led Zeppelin IV never made it to number one, it has become more well-known than either "American Pie" or "Hey Jude."
Desolation Row by Bob Dylan
Robert Zimmerman always had a lot to say through his songwriting, and he uses over eleven minutes to make his point on this closer from Highway 61 Revisited.
I Just Sit There by Sonny Bono
His only solo album opens with this fourteen minute track, which criticizes everyone from politicians to movie stars to The Beatles.
Danse With Me George by Ambrosia
Chopin and his romance with author George Sand was the inspiration for this criminally underrated epic from the group's second album, Somewhere I've Never Travelled.
Us And Them by Pink Floyd
Anyone looking for the dark side of the moon could wait for it while listening to this psychedelic single, which runs nearly eight minutes.
Deacon Blues by Steely Dan
When Donald Fagin says "Sue me if I play too long" in the last verse, he falsely assumes that someone would find this Aja hit's length unacceptable. Most fans wish it went on even longer.
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An Examination of Carbon Fiber Bows
All stringed instrument players know the importance of a good bow. But how do carbonfiber bows stand up to Pernambuco, Brazilwood, fiberglass and composites?
The history of fine violins, violin making – and violas and cellos for that matter – is rich with craftsmanship applied to all-natural materials, varying types of wood, horsehair and natural varnish to be specific. So it may seem almost heretical to talk about manmade materials such as carbon fiber for use in fine music.
Chalk it up to human ingenuity that, sometimes, what is manufactured from minerals and other resources can serve an artistic purpose. This is not to say that carbonfiber bows are perfect substitutes for wood bows – they are not – but for several reasons the manmade material is embraced by serious musicians, either as their primary bow or as a backup for certain kinds of playing.
Ask around at your preferred violin shop – they may well have clientele who use wood and carbon fiber, depending on the occasion. Even the most traditional violin maker will stock these carbon fiber bows in their shops.
Here are the advantages carbonfiber bows have over their wood (Pernambuco, Brazilwood) and other synthetic material (fiberglass or composites) counterparts:
Sound – Serious musicians almost universally prefer the Pernambuco bow for a richer and more nuanced timbre or resonance. But some will keep a carbonfiber bow for outdoor playing, or for playing within a large orchestra; they save their wood bow for chamber music where the violin, cello or viola voice is more pronounced.
Sturdy yet lightweight – As a manmade material also used in sports (e.g., carbon fiber tennis racquets), it should be obvious that carbon fiber bows can stand up to rigorous handling (e.g., travel). They are also considered strong at the tip and some prefer it altogether for playing.
Resilient to humidity and humidity changes – Organic materials such as wood will expand and contract, depending on the relative humidity of where it is. This is a problem for musicians who might travel from arid Los Angeles to perform in humid Washington, DC, or from climate-controlled rehearsals to outdoor events on sultry summer nights. A wood bow would expand with humidity, requiring adjustment of string tension – but a carbon fiber bow would be unchanged.
Reasonable cost – Expect to pay about $300 for a carbon fiber bow, give or take. The price is largely stable because it doesn't depend on rare wood availability.
Sustainable – Both Pernambuco and Brazilwood come from Brazil, but deforestation there has severely cut the supply of the former and had the effect of driving the price up. Brazilwood is a term for a range of woods and as such they are in greater supply. Purchasing a carbon fiber bow could be considered an act of preservation of the Pernambuco tree (note: the Brazilian government is working to save the species).
Not to be confused with fiberglass and composites – These are the lowest cost types of bows, encouraged for beginner students or more casual players.
Factors affecting the choice and preference for a bow type include the instrument itself and the musician. Darkness and lightness of sound, speed of play, weight and balance all factor in. The best advice is to try both wood and carbonfiber bows to get a sense of the differences and similarities.
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Ten Best Bands Named After Water Creatures
How Does Music Affect Your Body and Mind?
Why You Need Ear Training Skills To Become A Great Guitarist
British Film Studios
Rock Stars Start With Cold Calling
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Na James Bishop| Former atheist Lacey Sturm is someone familiar with pain and suffering. Perhaps for listeners of alternative music in the 2000's the band Flyleaf will ring a bell. Their hit single, I'm So Sick, is telling in and of itself that there was a great deal of underlying pain (1). Others may be more familiar with their other hit All Around Me. The lead singer of these songs was Sturm.
When she was a teenager Sturm fell into a deep depression as she saw no purpose or reason for her life. She says that this was a direct implication from embracing atheism as a worldview, "When you're an atheist, if life gets too hard, there's really no reason to keep going…"
"In that moment," says Sturm, "the day that I had planned to commit suicide, I realized this encounter with God was so much more real than anything that I'd ever heard from anyone… It was my own experience" (3).
1. YouTube. 2011. Lacey Sturm's Testimony. Inapatikana.
2. Fox News. 2014. Christian singer Lacey Sturm: God saved me from suicide. Inapatikana.
3. Klett, L. 2014. 'Flyleaf' Singer Lacey Sturm: 'God Miraculously Saved Me from Suicide.' Inapatikana.
4. Furches, J. 2016. Lacey Sturm: Suicidal Atheist becomes Christian rock star. Inapatikana.
This article was originally featured in the tovuti ya James Bishop na lilichapishwa na kibali.


text:
//===-- SystemZTargetMachine.cpp - Define TargetMachine for SystemZ -------===//
//
//                     The LLVM Compiler Infrastructure
//
// This file is distributed under the University of Illinois Open Source
// License. See LICENSE.TXT for details.
//
//===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//

#include "SystemZTargetMachine.h"
#include "SystemZTargetTransformInfo.h"
#include "SystemZMachineScheduler.h"
#include "llvm/CodeGen/Passes.h"
#include "llvm/CodeGen/TargetPassConfig.h"
#include "llvm/Support/TargetRegistry.h"
#include "llvm/Transforms/Scalar.h"
#include "llvm/CodeGen/TargetLoweringObjectFileImpl.h"

using namespace llvm;

extern "C" void LLVMInitializeSystemZTarget() {
  // Register the target.
  RegisterTargetMachine<SystemZTargetMachine> X(getTheSystemZTarget());
}

// Determine whether we use the vector ABI.
static bool UsesVectorABI(StringRef CPU, StringRef FS) {
  // We use the vector ABI whenever the vector facility is avaiable.
  // This is the case by default if CPU is z13 or later, and can be
  // overridden via "[+-]vector" feature string elements.
  bool VectorABI = true;
  if (CPU.empty() || CPU == "generic" ||
      CPU == "z10" || CPU == "z196" || CPU == "zEC12")
    VectorABI = false;

  SmallVector<StringRef, 3> Features;
  FS.split(Features, ',', -1, false /* KeepEmpty */);
  for (auto &Feature : Features) {
    if (Feature == "vector" || Feature == "+vector")
      VectorABI = true;
    if (Feature == "-vector")
      VectorABI = false;
  }

  return VectorABI;
}

static std::string computeDataLayout(const Triple &TT, StringRef CPU,
                                     StringRef FS) {
  bool VectorABI = UsesVectorABI(CPU, FS);
  std::string Ret = "";

  // Big endian.
  Ret += "E";

  // Data mangling.
  Ret += DataLayout::getManglingComponent(TT);

  // Make sure that global data has at least 16 bits of alignment by
  // default, so that we can refer to it using LARL.  We don't have any
  // special requirements for stack variables though.
  Ret += "-i1:8:16-i8:8:16";

  // 64-bit integers are naturally aligned.
  Ret += "-i64:64";

  // 128-bit floats are aligned only to 64 bits.
  Ret += "-f128:64";

  // When using the vector ABI, 128-bit vectors are also aligned to 64 bits.
  if (VectorABI)
    Ret += "-v128:64";

  // We prefer 16 bits of aligned for all globals; see above.
  Ret += "-a:8:16";

  // Integer registers are 32 or 64 bits.
  Ret += "-n32:64";

  return Ret;
}

static Reloc::Model getEffectiveRelocModel(Optional<Reloc::Model> RM) {
  // Static code is suitable for use in a dynamic executable; there is no
  // separate DynamicNoPIC model.
  if (!RM.hasValue() || *RM == Reloc::DynamicNoPIC)
    return Reloc::Static;
  return *RM;
}

SystemZTargetMachine::SystemZTargetMachine(const Target &T, const Triple &TT,
                                           StringRef CPU, StringRef FS,
                                           const TargetOptions &Options,
                                           Optional<Reloc::Model> RM,
                                           CodeModel::Model CM,
                                           CodeGenOpt::Level OL)
    : LLVMTargetMachine(T, computeDataLayout(TT, CPU, FS), TT, CPU, FS, Options,
                        getEffectiveRelocModel(RM), CM, OL),
      TLOF(make_unique<TargetLoweringObjectFileELF>()),
      Subtarget(TT, CPU, FS, *this) {
  initAsmInfo();
}

SystemZTargetMachine::~SystemZTargetMachine() {}

namespace {
/// SystemZ Code Generator Pass Configuration Options.
class SystemZPassConfig : public TargetPassConfig {
public:
  SystemZPassConfig(SystemZTargetMachine *TM, PassManagerBase &PM)
    : TargetPassConfig(TM, PM) {}

  SystemZTargetMachine &getSystemZTargetMachine() const {
    return getTM<SystemZTargetMachine>();
  }

  ScheduleDAGInstrs *
  createPostMachineScheduler(MachineSchedContext *C) const override {
    return new ScheduleDAGMI(C, make_unique<SystemZPostRASchedStrategy>(C),
                             /*RemoveKillFlags=*/true);
  }

  void addIRPasses() override;
  bool addInstSelector() override;
  bool addILPOpts() override;
  void addPreSched2() override;
  void addPreEmitPass() override;
};
} // end anonymous namespace

void SystemZPassConfig::addIRPasses() {
  if (getOptLevel() != CodeGenOpt::None)
    addPass(createSystemZTDCPass());

  TargetPassConfig::addIRPasses();
}

bool SystemZPassConfig::addInstSelector() {
  addPass(createSystemZISelDag(getSystemZTargetMachine(), getOptLevel()));

 if (getOptLevel() != CodeGenOpt::None)
    addPass(createSystemZLDCleanupPass(getSystemZTargetMachine()));

  return false;
}

bool SystemZPassConfig::addILPOpts() {
  addPass(&EarlyIfConverterID);
  return true;
}

void SystemZPassConfig::addPreSched2() {
  addPass(createSystemZExpandPseudoPass(getSystemZTargetMachine()));

  if (getOptLevel() != CodeGenOpt::None)
    addPass(&IfConverterID);
}

void SystemZPassConfig::addPreEmitPass() {

  // Do instruction shortening before compare elimination because some
  // vector instructions will be shortened into opcodes that compare
  // elimination recognizes.
  if (getOptLevel() != CodeGenOpt::None)
    addPass(createSystemZShortenInstPass(getSystemZTargetMachine()), false);

  // We eliminate comparisons here rather than earlier because some
  // transformations can change the set of available CC values and we
  // generally want those transformations to have priority.  This is
  // especially true in the commonest case where the result of the comparison
  // is used by a single in-range branch instruction, since we will then
  // be able to fuse the compare and the branch instead.
  //
  // For example, two-address NILF can sometimes be converted into
  // three-address RISBLG.  NILF produces a CC value that indicates whether
  // the low word is zero, but RISBLG does not modify CC at all.  On the
  // other hand, 64-bit ANDs like NILL can sometimes be converted to RISBG.
  // The CC value produced by NILL isn't useful for our purposes, but the
  // value produced by RISBG can be used for any comparison with zero
  // (not just equality).  So there are some transformations that lose
  // CC values (while still being worthwhile) and others that happen to make
  // the CC result more useful than it was originally.
  //
  // Another reason is that we only want to use BRANCH ON COUNT in cases
  // where we know that the count register is not going to be spilled.
  //
  // Doing it so late makes it more likely that a register will be reused
  // between the comparison and the branch, but it isn't clear whether
  // preventing that would be a win or not.
  if (getOptLevel() != CodeGenOpt::None)
    addPass(createSystemZElimComparePass(getSystemZTargetMachine()), false);
  addPass(createSystemZLongBranchPass(getSystemZTargetMachine()));

  // Do final scheduling after all other optimizations, to get an
  // optimal input for the decoder (branch relaxation must happen
  // after block placement).
  if (getOptLevel() != CodeGenOpt::None)
    addPass(&PostMachineSchedulerID);
}

TargetPassConfig *SystemZTargetMachine::createPassConfig(PassManagerBase &PM) {
  return new SystemZPassConfig(this, PM);
}

TargetIRAnalysis SystemZTargetMachine::getTargetIRAnalysis() {
  return TargetIRAnalysis([this](const Function &F) {
    return TargetTransformInfo(SystemZTTIImpl(this, F));
  });
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ancient & Classical
Representation (Philosophy)
Inside an Ancient Assyrian Palace: Looking at Austen Henry Layard's Reconstruction
by Ada Cohen and Steven E. Kangas
University Press of New England, 2016
eISBN: 978-1-61168-998-3 | Paper: 978-1-61168-997-6
Library of Congress Classification NA190.C64 2017
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC
One of the best-known images of the ancient Near East is an intriguing nineteenth-century color lithograph reconstructing the throne room of an Assyrian palace. Executed shortly after the archaeological rediscovery of Assyria, a land theretofore known only from the Bible, it was published by the most famous among early excavators of Assyrian ruins, Austen Henry Layard. Over time and despite criticisms, the picture has shaped the understanding and reception of ancient Mesopotamian architecture and architectural decoration. Inside an Ancient Assyrian Palace studies this influential image in depth, both at the time of its creation in London in the eventful year 1848 and in terms of its afterlife. A hidden inscription reveals unsuspected contributions by the renowned architect-designer Owen Jones and his colleague the architect-Egyptologist Joseph Bonomi. Also unexpected is the involvement of an enigmatic German artist who later emigrated to America and whose previous career in Europe had been lost to scholarship. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of art history and the ancient Near East. It will also be of relevance to museum visitors and others interested in the ancient world in general, in the art of the nineteenth century, and in design and historical reconstruction.
ADA COHEN is a professor of art history and the Israel Evans Professor in Oratory and Belles Lettres at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire. STEVEN E. KANGAS is a senior lecturer in art history and Jewish studies at Dartmouth College.
List of Illustrations • Preface • Acknowledgments • Introduction • Layard's Victorian Palace? • Floor with Puzzle • Colored Drawing and Lithographic Plate • Plate 2 and the History of Art • Notes • Bibliography • Index
See other books on: Ancient & Classical | Architecture | Historiography | Inside | Representation (Philosophy)
See other titles from University Press of New England
Nearby on shelf for Architecture / History:
eISBN: 978-1-61168-998-3
Paper: 978-1-61168-997-6

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Man accused of shooting Lincoln mother of 5 sentenced to prison
Rashaun Jones, 28, who authorities said shot his girlfriend, 25-year-old Davonnis Wilkinson, several times at her home near N 1st and Superior Street last year, was sentenced Thursday on a number of charges.
Thursday, July 11th 2019, 12:32 PM CDT by Brent BonFleur
A man has been sentenced for the shooting of a Lincoln mother of five.
Rashaun Jones, 28, who authorities said shot his girlfriend, 25-year-old Davonnis Wilkinson, several times at her home near N 1st and Superior Street last year, was sentenced Thursday on a number of charges. All said, he faces between 53 and 61 years.
Police said Jones and Davonnis have five children together, and three of them were home when Wilkinson was shot on Sept. 9. Investigators said the shooting likely came during an argument the couple was having.
Wilkinson, walking with the assistance of a cane, was with family in the courtroom Thursday. She read a victim impact letter before the sentencing, in which she said "I want you to cry like I cried."
Wilkinson, who suffered critical injuries in the shooting, said she is sad that she's physically unable to swim with her kids and has had to relearn to read and walk again. At one point, doctors recommended removing her from life support and called her recovery "miraculous."
The judge agreed with prosecutors that Jones should be given a lengthy sentence to help protect Wilkinson and her children, as the two had a long history of domestic violence.
Wilkinson told a Channel 8 Eyewitness News reporter in the court house that she "felt nothing" after the sentencing was read.


Public Libraries in Anderson, California - Public Libraries in Anderson, CA: Yellow Pages Directory Inc.
Public libraries exist in most places in Anderson and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population and to address the public's information needs generally. Public libraries are generally funded from public sources in Anderson. Originally, libraries were started with a donation, an gift or were bequeathed to various, parishes, churches, schools or towns, and these social and institutional libraries form the base of many academic and public library collections of today.
Public libraries primarily focus on popular materials such as popular fiction and movies, as well as educational and nonfiction materials of interest to the general public; computer and internet access are also often offered within the library in Anderson.


Next message: [Cdt-l] Snow in CO?
We're looking for recent reports of trail conditions (especially snow depth) on the CDT in CO--we plan to hike ~250 miles south from Steamboat Springs area, starting Aug 16.  Any information would be appreciated.


You've done a hell of a work! Thousands of hours spent in research, meeting boards, sitting in front of the laptop, you gave so much of yourself to this, and you know it is great, but you need to convince others too. A presentation! That is what you need! Some people hate them (even seasoned managers), some adore them – this usually depends on their skills when making one. Whether you are a member of the first group or the second one, there are some general rules that you should stick to.
This is always good, not only in the presentation department. This is a good life principle that you should stick to. Passion is what attracts people, even if they don't understand you - they connect with your energy. When you speak through your emotions, the audience sees that, and can relate to you; they believe you. No one will pay attention if you make some mistake – they will be drowned by passion and fully focused until the end.
Never complicate! The more you do, the better the chance is that something will go wrong. Choose your message. Keep it brief and simple, and stick to it. People like simple things.
There is something contagious about a smile. It brings a smile in others, it wakes positive emotions, and we are most attracted to positive things. People, in general, remember only the good things in their life and forget the bad. That is sort of an evolution thing that helps us strive through the life. Let them remember you in a positive atmosphere.
Although it sounds simple, it isn't. Many presenters fail in this. The audience likes eye contact, they easily connect to you and the subject of your presentation. That will also help you because with it, you will have a feeling that you are talking to individuals and not to hundreds of strangers.
The first impression is crucial – ask any expert about this. You must grab audience's attention. Don't let them get bored and lose interest before you even started the presentation. It is always a good idea to say something funny, or something that is going to make them pay attention. Entertain them, be creative!
Tell a story. Humans are attracted to them. Try to make your presentation sound like one. That way it will be easier for the audience to remember you. Don't hesitate to use a whiteboard; there is a wide range of them. Amuse and entertain the crowd. Most people are visual, so give them what they need. Visual stimulants that will help them memorize your presentation. Focus on the characters, and add unexpected twists into the plot. Here's a nice tip: change the pace of your story – it'll help keep people interested.
Voice is not that important in communication because it affects only one of five human senses. That is why it is important to provoke as many senses you can, to draw a bigger attention. When talking strictly about voice, you should change its speed, or tone, to emphasize certain parts of the story. Make it more appealing to the audience.
Three quarters of communication happen in a non-verbal sphere. Your body language is crucial. If your speech is not followed with proper gestures, face mimics, etc., it doesn't matter what you say – you won't be convincing to the crowd. Move around the stage, show gestures, don't be stiff. Your presentation will look much better, and draw a lot more of people's attention.
Take a big breath. Relax and enjoy your time. When you are nervous, you make mistakes, you can't follow the plan properly, and your whole body language sends an unconvincing message. That is not something you want. If you manage to relax, your presentation will surely look much better. You will have better interaction with the audience and, all in all, a better presentation, which is your primary goal.
I hope you enjoyed this article about how to conduct a successful presentation in the workplace.
Interested in more articles about sales and social selling?


text:
Shindigger
Beats, Pies and Life: From Groovy Tunes to Delicious Desserts, Everything Is Just Divine
By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay • 10/08/13 7:58pm
Divine.
To Shindigger, Nile Rodgers has never ceased to be relevant. The legendary producer was a founding member of Chic—a band that's one of our personal faves—and we'll go to our grave clutching other Rodgers projects, like Diana Ross's Diana, Sister Sledge's We Are Family and Madonna's Like A Virgin. For those with shorter memories, Mr. Rodgers has surged back into the mainstream this summer with chart-toppers for Daft Punk. And for those with even shorter memories, the dance music genius was just in New York for a charity event benefitting his We Are Family Foundation.
As bartenders mixed sturdy cocktails, a stream of socialites trickled into Cipriani on 42nd Street. There was Amanda Hearst, Kelly Killoren Bensimon and actress Jo Champa. Eventually, everyone sat down to an intimate dinner, a live auction and a rare performance by Mr. Rodgers. Maybe it was our nerves at meeting such a hero, but we couldn't get anything juicy out of the groovy Mr. Rodgers.
"It is very inspiring to see great names such as Susan and David Rockefeller and Girard-Perregaux uniting to support We Are Family Foundation," he said of the evening's sponsors.
So the quotes were canned, but the food was delicious. And by the time desserts hit the table, diet-conscious guests shimmied onto the dance floor as Q-Tip manned the ones and twos.
For those with more classical musical tastes, the New York Philharmonic also just celebrated its fall gala with Yo-Yo Ma, who gave an opening-night performance in Avery Fisher Hall.
"We'll be hearing some Piazzolla," Phoebe Tudor, NYPH's gala co-chairwoman, divulged to Shindigger. "It reminds me of our family's trip early this past summer when we got to experience fall in Argentina and even take a tango lesson."
Ms. Tudor and her husband, Bob, were part of an impressive array of high rollers who turned out for the event. "This is a great mix, isn't it?" cooed another gala co-chair, Antonio Quintella, chairman of Credit Suisse Hedging-Griffo.
Meanwhile, Special Events Committee Chairwoman Karen LeFrak had autumn on her mind. "This is the start of the cultural season in New York," she proclaimed.
Ken Buckfire, gala co-chairman and an investment banker, agreed with Ms. LeFrak. "New York is a world city and has always blended culture into its own distinctive culture," he said. "This concert is a great example of what New York has always done best."
The black-tie event brimmed with sophistication—and with desserts! Restaurant Associates's sugary finale in the tent of Josie Robertson Plaza was a real showstopper: crèma catalana with orange caramel, orange segments and zest, and chocolate-dipped almond cookies.
"What would you have served at the gala?" we asked Fernanda Capobianco, owner of Vegan Divas, a few days later at a launch for her forthcoming cookbook.
"Chocolate liégeois with tofu tahini ice cream," she replied. "It's a very elegant dessert in a glass, and you can see the layers of it."
"Think more fashion," we begged, needing something a bit lighter for maintaining a svelte figure.
"Well, I would serve all the desserts gluten-free, since most of the fashion people are gluten-free these days," Ms. Capobianco responded. "Gluten-free raspberry cheesecake served in the glass, because it's very light and tasty."
One person who would have never shied away from a good dessert is the documentary subject of I Am Divine. The New York premiere of Jeffrey Schwarz's stupendous new film about the iconic actor, singer, drag queen and John Waters muse Divine was held at BAM's Rose Cinemas in
Brooklyn. The film focuses on the camp star's rise to fame and gives a detailed backstory into the man behind the façade, born Harris Glenn Milstead.
While the documentary was amazing, the so-called after-party felt a bit too much like a John Waters film.
"The place was packed with old gays who just wanted to talk about themselves," meowed one attendee. Nonetheless, the documentary was worth our while. And a significant portion of Divine's story rings true today, with America's ongoing plight of bullying.
"As a teenager, Divine was bullied mercilessly," Mr. Schwarz explained. "When he met John Waters, he was able to take all that trauma and channel it into the Divine character and throw everything that people made fun of him for back in their faces." Mr. Schwarz claims profiling Divine gives people hope that anything's possible. "It's kind of the ultimate 'it gets better' story."
The must-see documentary is full of hilarious anecdotes and moving struggles of the actor. "Divine wasn't a drag queen. He was a character actor who played female roles," said the filmmaker, who was surprised to learn about different aspects of Divine's life, like his high school girlfriend, Diana.
"They dated for about seven years," he said. "Divine, who was still Glenn, took her to the prom, did her hair and makeup and told her how to dress. She was really smitten with him, in a very sweet high school puppy-love kind of way."
As with any documentary, pieces got left on the editing-room floor. "There are so many hilarious and legendary stories about Divine," Mr. Schwarz went on. "You'll have to wait for the DVD to find out about Divine being a suspect in a murder case, his adventures in Provincetown with Holly Woodlawn and how his high school girlfriend came to terms with Divine's new identity."
Shindigger will be ready to watch those tasty moments, dessertspoon at the ready.
Filed Under: Entertainment, Shindigger, New York Philharmonic, John Waters, Daft Punk, Nile Rodgers, I am divine
SEE ALSO: This is The Facebook Effect


text:
Q: how to empty a directory in c# xaml metro style? i have this c# code and i want to delete a certain sub directory in Documents Library. However this produces an error because the directory is not empty. I hope someone can guide me on how to do this.
thank you for any prompt reply.
StorageFolder storageFolder = KnownFolders.DocumentsLibrary;
var queryResult = storageFolder.CreateFolderQuery();
IReadOnlyList<StorageFolder> folderList = await queryResult.GetFoldersAsync();

 foreach (StorageFolder folder in folderList)
    {
       await folder.DeleteAsync();
    }

A: You could use the StorageFolder.GetFilesAsync() to obtain a list of all the files present in the folders and delete them prior to deleting the folders since there is no way in the DeleteAsync() method to specify subfolders and files.
More info: StorageFolder class | MSDN

A: Hope this may help.
 public async void deletefile()
        {
            StorageFolder sourceFolder =  ApplicationData.Current.TemporaryFolder;
           // sourceFolder = await sourceFolder.GetFolderAsync("Test");
           // await sourceFolder.DeleteAsync(StorageDeleteOption.PermanentDelete);

          // var files = await sourceFolder.GetFilesAsync();

           IReadOnlyList<StorageFile> folderList = await sourceFolder.GetFilesAsync();
            if (folderList.Count > 0)
            {
                foreach (StorageFile f1 in folderList)
                {

                    await f1.DeleteAsync(StorageDeleteOption.PermanentDelete);
                }
            }

           //StorageFile retfile = await ApplicationData.Current.TemporaryFolder.GetFileAsync("MysoundFile.mp3");
           // if (retfile != null)
           // {
           //     await retfile.DeleteAsync(StorageDeleteOption.PermanentDelete);
           // }

        }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Christian Abductions and Forceful Conversions to Islam
The Christian Association of Nigeria or CAN has warned about the increasing number of abduction and forced conversion cases involving female Christians in the northern region of the country. The organization also urged authorities to carry out the necessary operations to stop the violence and other anti-Christian activities in Nigeria.
The CAN made the statement after it was confirmed that Ifesinachi Ani, the 16-year old Christian girl who was abducted in the Federal Capital Territory, was forcefully converted to Islam.
As reported by Information Nigeria, Ani was taken about six months ago in Abuja. Since then, authorities have not been able to deliver helpful information to Ani's family regarding her whereabouts. But then, on Sunday, local news agency The Authority was able to confirm that Ani's abductors were able to brainwash her to change her personality and religion. This is according to an investigation conducted by the agency.
After hearing that her daughter is now a Muslim, Ani's mother said that her Islamic teacher might have something to do with her disappearance and conversion.
"Immediately my daughter came in contact with this (teacher) Baba Abdul who stays near us, her attitude changed suddenly," she said in a statement. "I could no longer understand the character of my child."
"She started to tell lies and disrespect me to the extent that I almost went mad," she added. "It was four before they took my daughter away from us that I discovered what was happening."
Ani is only one of the victims of abduction and forced conversion in Nigeria, according to CAN, which consists of the 19 Christian states in Nigeria. It is believed that abductors use a variety of techniques, which includes hypnotism and other forms of trickery, to turn their victims against their religion. According to sources, their ultimate goal is to abduct as many teenage girls as they can to marry them off to Muslims. As noted by Yakubu Pam, the chairman of CAN, the Nigerian government must do everything that it can to protect the country's Christian population from both local and international forms of persecution carried out by Boko Haram and supporters of other Islamic extremist groups. "The church is really concerned and we are pleading with the government if they can put every leadership on alert, particularly, our traditional leaders and security agencies so that they can control such an ugly issue that has been taking place here in the north," he said according to The Cable.
Labels: abduction, Christianity, conversions, forceful, islam


text:
import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
import { Http, Response } from '@angular/http';

import { Specialities } from './speciality';

@Injectable()
export class SpecialityService {

    private specialityUrl = 'api/specialities';

    constructor(private _http:Http) {}

    getSpecialities(): Promise<Specialities[]> {
        return this._http.get(this.specialityUrl)
        .toPromise()
        .then(response => response.json().data as Specialities[])
        .catch(this.handleError);
    }

    private handleError(error: Response) {
        console.error(error);
        return Promise.reject(error.json().error || 'Server error');
    }
}


Session II of Love and Relationships!
The Biblical principles in this study are the template for showing us where our focus is to be!
One of the best activities I ever did when I was a Youth Pastor was taking youth to Rest Homes. I would assign to each of them an elderly person to interview. They would find out what was important in that person's life, what they learned, what they would have done differently. Did they have regrets? Did fear keep them from making good decisions? Did they throw away what was important, such as friends, a spouse, or children? Then, we would discuss their findings, and determine what they could learn and apply to their lives. I would ask them to think about what they did not hear the person say that could be important.
During these countless interviews, over a span of twenty years, I never encountered a person who regretted spending too much time with their family, not having enough time for their hobby, or needing more money. In fact, after interviewing congressmen, industrialists, tradesmen, clergymen, businessmen, mothers who had never held a job in society outside the home, and many others from all walks of life, the biggest regret expressed was spending too much time at work to make money. They regretted the distance between them and their children, the lost relationships with friends, the spouse they let go, and they wished they had a better disposition and personality. They all wished they could live their lives over, spending more time with relationships, keeping their friends, and not losing out on what they finally figured out was important in life!
It is my goal that we can carry out our lives with the right mindset of what is really important in life, so we do not end up in loneliness and regret. I wanted to let those youth know while they were still youth that they do not need to wait until they reach the age of seventy or eighty to see life in the right perspective; they can do it now. We do not need to miss out on what God has for us. We do not need to spend all of our energies chasing after what is fleeting while ignoring what is good.
Most young people do not look up to see what is really important; therefore, confusion and dysfunction have taken over their mindsets. Most live in the world of coffee houses, clubs, internet dating, singles clubs, and personal ads. These things have become cultural icons, and are booming in our society. People are dazed and confused on who and what to look for in finding friendships and intimacy. Even the quest to find the love of one's life can be all consuming. This boom has even infiltrated the church, as we can easily see countless ads for Christians seeking Christians, and Christian dating services on the Web, radio, and newspapers. There are even personal ads in church bulletins. As people are so busy in this fast-paced society, there seems to be no time to date or even to make friends. There is no time to look up and see God's plan. Of course, in saving time by not looking up, we just end up spending decades in wrong choices and dysfunction. This mindset translates to all of our relationships, and cheapens them-from the office to the bedroom. Too many of us are seeing the world and love through glasses of the wrong prescription!
Perhaps people have been hurt, and do not want to do as they have done before. Many are fed up with the traditional dating scene, and are searching for an alternative; perhaps this is true for you. If you think your busyness keeps you from finding the right people, once (and if) you do find someone, will you have time for a relationship? Almost certainly not! Something or someone needs to change. That someone is you, and that something is your attitude and outlook on life. No, we do not like to hear those words, do we? But, we do need to hear them. I know I do!
The answer is not in the latest fad, or service, it is in getting our priorities straight, then seeking out relationships! If your call and desire is to have a committed relationship, you will have to make room in your life for one. That means you will need to be willing to prepare yourself, emotionally and mentally, with the right Biblical attitude and mindset. If not, then you will be gambling with the second most important decision and choice you will ever make. And, when it comes to a marriage, your choices and attitudes will have lasting repercussions for many people, and for many generations to come. It will become a crapshoot with much greater and higher odds for the "house" than for you, where the "house" is a regretful and discontented life.
We all desire and seek love and companionship to fill that empty hole we think we have. For some singles, this is the driving force in their life, as it was for me at one time. Yet, as Christians, our primary purpose in life is to grow in our relationship to our Lord. We need to serve and glorify God, and fulfill the call and the destiny that He gives us. This also translates into who we are and how we should be in Christ. This is true in the arena of all relationships, even for finding the "love of your life." Thus, we need to find out what God's plan is for relationships, and then follow it. It seems simple on the surface, and it really is. The problem is that we have clouded God's plan with our superficial culture and desires. We seek that crapshoot rather than the stability of impacting faith and Godly values.
The goal--from finding friendships to finding the "love of your life"--is to live in undivided surrender and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Lord, meaning that He is in charge of all areas of our lives. He is our first and primary love! That means your life must reflect the glory of God, and serve as an example in a world of temptation and evil. Since He represented us in life and death, and imparts to us His grace, this is our driving force, our number one reason in life and in eternity to come. Because of what He has done for us, we should have the desire to assemble our lives to glorify Him. That means to also strive to the best of your ability to achieve fullness in relationships. We have to be willing to take this to heart: His Will supercedes ours, as His is the best, whereas our will and desires are limited in our understanding and knowledge. By surrendering our Will to His Will, we can build a foundation of trust, reliance, and obedience. These actions become the foundation upon which to build the rest of the house of character, values, and fortitude, where a Christ-centered relationship can live and grow.
You will then be able to make healthy and wise decisions because the Lord, through His Word and the Spirit, is your Guide, as opposed to what the media, friends, your passions, and emotions may dictate. Because you are seeking His truth, you will be able to discern who is right for you. Following these timeless Biblical precepts will help you make the right decisions, and avoid making the wrong ones. If for some reason you decide God's ways are not for you, be fore- warned, as you will lose yourself into the maze realm of wrong decisions and you may never receive what He has and what is best for you. Thus you may face the unpleasant prospect of venturing into a life of misery and strife. So, why do that?
We need to learn four primary attitudes that lay the foundation for building effective relationships. These are like the footers to a skyscraper-massive, concrete platforms where the steal girders that hold up the entire building are placed. Just like the crossbeams that are bolted and welded on those girders, each of these aspects needs to be bolted upon one another. Each one produces the next one and is dependent on the previous one, thus they all work synergistically tighter, and together, to form us into the Person God has called us to be. These lay the groundwork for constructing the character, maturity, and willingness to make right decisions and to continue to assemble those relationships in the right direction. These will be the foundation to understanding God's Will. The remainder of the precepts we investigate will build the skyscraper of relationships.
1. What are some of the key words from these two passages, that jump out at you?
2. What roles have surrender, and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ played in your relationships?
3. What role should it play?
4. What would your relationships look like if your life was centered on these Scriptural precepts?
5. What blocks these precepts from working in you?
6. What do you need to learn here?
Two penetrating questions that have pondered humanity since the dawn of time are, "who are you?" and, "what do you want?" These form the foundation of the disciplines of philosophy and religious studies, affecting the humanities, sociology, and, of course, psychology. These questions fuel what directs us, and who motivates us to do what we do and to be who we are. This is the meaning of life stuff. Through understanding Christ and who we are in Him, these two ageless questions come alive to help sustain us and direct us in the right direction. As a result, we will center our motivations and directions on Him, on what is perfect and pleasing, and not what we think. Our answers will only serve to get us lost. However, the key is to understand the answers to these questions that Jesus asks us in His Word. If we get the answers wrong, we get lost in that maze of life; if we get them right, we stay on the right path. Are you thinking, hey, that is not fair, or, is life just a big test? Take this to heart; you have the answer sheet--His Word. He has written the answers in creation, in our hearts, and revealed them in His Word. We have no excuse not to know, but because of our fall, the fog of our Will and desires obscures them from view.
Take comfort in the awareness that God is not hidden, nor, is His Will so mysterious we cannot find it. God's influence, glory and presence are all around us; this is called "mediated revelation". This is not pantheism, which teaches that everything is God, that creation itself is God. Rather, God is all present, "omnipresent", and we have no escape from Him. He reveals His presence to us in countless ways.
These meaning of life questions also mean that we as humans are religious by nature and seek a higher purpose and order. God uses that nature to make Himself known. "Immediate revelation" means that God plants an innate sense of who He is in each of us, even without the Bible or missions (Psalm 19; Isaiah 44:9-20; Acts 14:8-19; 17: 16:34; Romans 1:18-23; 2:14-15; Colossians 3:5, However, remember that missions and evangelism are still a mandate from our Lord!) Coupled to God's revelation in nature and in our hearts, we have "special revelation," which is the Bible that God directly inspired, and is the ultimate source and superintendent of the original manuscripts, without any error. He used humans as the authors, and as a tool, a word processor. Thus, this gives us His Will for our faith, and practice of life, duty, law, grace, His plan, and our purpose (Psalm 119; John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
Why the theology lesson? We have to know from whence our direction in life comes. This is foundational for all aspects of who we are, what we do, and where we are going. What motivates us and creates in us our actions and behaviors will translate in our relationship with God and how we are with those around us. If you do not get this, that God has a plan for you, you will have tremendous issues and obstacles that you may never climb over to become the person that God desires and calls you to be. The best plans and the best adventures and contentment and joys we can ever have in life can easily be missed because we have become stubborn, and refuse to look up at Him.
Here comes some more theology, essential theology to know so you can get yourself on the right path, to know God better, and to receive His direction.
Throughout recorded human history, humanity has gathered for trade and protection, as well as for organizing the gathering of food, for hunting, and for forming relationships within a structure, which translates into control and government. The word Kingdom, in the Kingdom of God or Heaven, means government; it is the need to be organized for purpose and direction. Some people lead, others strive to obey, while others seek to destroy. That is a result of our fallen nature and criminal element. Nevertheless, we need leadership and direction to succeed in building a society, and building relationships. Biblically, we are called to have a civil government and obey it-within the parameters that there is actually only one true government and leader-and that is, God. This means we are to yield to the implementation of our God's "Lordship," that He is our King, hence, the name, "Kingdom of God." He is sovereign; He is the absolute monarch of the universe. His rule is absolute. When we refuse to be governed and controlled, anarchy and chaos will result because of our sinful nature, and will cause harm to others (Romans 1:21). Thus, it is our responsibility to obey God, and the others who have responsibility over us (Romans 13:1-7).
This theme, the Kingdom of God, is found throughout Scripture, and links the two Testaments. It exists now with God's reign of His people, and it will come in the future (Psalm 10:16--18; Daniel 2:44; 4:34; Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 3:1-12; 4:23; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 11:20; 16:16; 17:21; 22:16-30; John 18:36; Acts 20:25; 28:23-31; Colossians 1:13; 28-29; Galatians 3:16; 26-29; Ephesians 2:11-18; 3:6-15; Hebrews 1:8-14; Revelation 5:9-10; 7:9; 17:14; 19:16). Yes, a lot of Scriptures, indeed; now you can start to see how important this is!
John the Baptist announced the Kingdom to us, with a sense of urgency, at the inauguration of Jesus' ministry on earth. It is now in its beginning, and will be fulfilled, as Jesus said, in the future. Thus, it is already running, and there is more to come with Christ's second coming. Exactly what, we do not know; we only have a glimpse. What we do know is that it will be consummated.
Jesus preached the Kingdom of Heaven, which is here and is to come (Matthew 3:2; 4:23; 5:3,10,19-20; 6:10; 33; 7:21; 10:7; 13:24-47). The term, the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew, is the same thing as the Kingdom of God in the other three Gospels. They both mean God's rule and sovereignty. They point to our eternal future and the church today. Matthew used the expression, Kingdom of Heaven, almost exclusively, whereas the other gospels use the term Kingdom of God. The distinction lies in who the audience was. The Jews, to whom Matthew wrote, were reluctant to say the name of God because of their high reverence for His name. To the Gentiles and Greeks it did not matter. The Kingdom of Heaven will culminate with our Lord's second coming, bringing in a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13-14; Revelation 21-22).
What does this boil down to? Our task in the church is to proclaim Christ as Lord, and His character, righteousness, peace, and joy, all by the Holy Spirit. This will effectively be the catalyst to build quality, lasting, and effective relationships. The "coming of the Kingdom" in the Old Testament meant that a new stage in God's redemptive plan was coming--CHRIST. For us, it means our personal identification and relationship to our Lord and Savior! Our need is to bow to His Lordship for our betterment and growth! This will keep us going on the right path through that dark, foreboding maze of the pandemonium of life!
1. What are some of the points in this section that have gotten your attention, and, why?
2. "Who are you?" and, "what do you want?"
3. What does poor in Spirit mean to you?
(Poor in Spirit: (Psalm 9:18; Romans 9:30-31) may conjure up ideas of physical and social poverty, but it actually means total dependence on God, realizing our sinfulness (Psalm. 40:17; 86:1; 109:22; Jeremiah 22:15-16)! Poor in Spirit means to be humble and surrendered, where we do not look to ourselves, but to God. It is the realization that we are sinners, having no righteousness of our own. We are saved by the grace and mercy of God alone (Isaiah 57: 15; 66:1-2; Luke 18:13; Galatians 2:20-21: Ephesians 2:8-9)! The cure to physical and spiritual poverty is the realization of what really is important, and who we are in Christ!
4. How can the Lord's Prayer be a focus for your life?
5. Jesus places a premium to do His will! So, what is His will?
Did you know God's Will is not about programs or activities; it is not about jobs, school, or what color socks to buy? It is about our growth and maturity in Him. His will is for us to know Him, make Him known, and grow in Him. Yet, few of us Christians place our efforts there; we focus on careers, power, and various opportunities-all of which are important. However, that is not what He considers premium!
6. What do you consider premium?
7. How does understanding the Kingdom of God translate to how you live your life?
8. The Kingdom of God means our yielding to our God's "Lordship," acknowledging that He is our King. What does this mean to you? What should it mean?
9. What does this section boil down to? How will it be the road to understanding your purpose in life?
10. Why would understanding our life's purpose help us in love, and relationships?
Pray as a group and individually at home about how what we talked about can make you a changed person, so you can apply these precepts to all of your relationships!


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Happy New Year! I love January because with the new year comes new beginnings and renewed hope that this year will be better than the last.
I'd love to ____, but I just don't have the time.
I know I should ____, but I just don't have the time.
Yes, we are busy. We are probably busier than any generation before us. But I believe to the core of my being that we are never too busy to do what we really love to do. We are never too busy to do what will bring meaning and purpose to our lives.
For the most part we are busy doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons. We waste time. We get distracted. We lack focus. We do low value tasks just to cross them off our list. We do dumb things that are self-defeating.
So, to kick off 2010, I'm going to do a series of blog posts titled Things You Don't Have Time NOT to Do.
These will not be little time-saving tricks like "how to cut your grocery shopping time in half" or "37 dinners you can make in 10 minutes." I'm going to write about things that require some up investment of time up front, but in the long run save time in the long run a lead to a more fulfilling life doing the things you'd really love to do.
What is it for you? What would you love to do or know you ought to do, but think you're too busy to try?


text:
// Copyright 2017 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.

package org.chromium.chrome.browser.contextualsearch;

import android.text.TextUtils;

import androidx.annotation.VisibleForTesting;

import org.chromium.base.CollectionUtil;
import org.chromium.chrome.browser.contextualsearch.ContextualSearchFieldTrial.ContextualSearchSwitch;

import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.Locale;

/**
 * Implements a simple first-cut heuristic for whether a Tap is on an entity or not.
 * This is intended to be a proof-of-concept that entities are worth tapping upon.
 * This implementation only recognizes one simple pattern that we recognize as a proper noun: two
 * camel-case words that are not at the beginning of a sentence, in a page that we think is in a
 * Roman language that uses camel-case for proper nouns.
 *

 * This is not a robust implementation -- it's only really suitable as a strong-positive signal
 * that can sometimes be extracted from the page content.  This implementation uses the CLD to
 * determine if the page is really in a white-list of languages that uses camel-case for proper
 * nouns, and excluding German because it capitalizes all nouns, and excluding languages that do not
 * have clear word-breaks. Leveraging an on-device entity recognizer is another natural extension
 * to this idea.
 *

 * The current algorithm is designed to have relatively high precision at the expense of very low
 * recall (lots of false-negatives, but patterns that are "recognized" should usually be entities).
 * To handle the low recall we pass a separate signal to Ranker to let it know whether the page was
 * even eligible for this kind of entity-recognition.
 *

 * We implement suppression, but only really apply that for testing and interactive demo purposes.
 */
class ContextualSearchEntityHeuristic extends ContextualSearchHeuristic {
    private static final int INVALID_OFFSET = ContextualSearchContext.INVALID_OFFSET;

    // Languages are ordered by popularity, and vetted with a simple web search for capitalization
    // rules.
    // Do not add German!
    private static final HashSet<String> ROMAN_CAMEL_CASE_PROPER_NOUN_LANGUAGES =
            CollectionUtil.newHashSet("es", // Spanish
                    "en", // English,
                    "pt", // Portuguese
                    "ru", // Russian
                    "fr", // French,
                    "it" // Italian
                    );

    private final boolean mIsSuppressionEnabled;
    private final boolean mIsConditionSatisfied;
    private final boolean mIsContextCamelCaseForProperNouns;
    private final boolean mIsProbablyEntity;

    /**
     * Constructs a heuristic to determine if the current Tap looks like it was on a name or not.
     * @param contextualSearchContext The current {@link ContextualSearchContext} so we can figure
     *        out the words around what has been tapped.
     */
    ContextualSearchEntityHeuristic(ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext) {
        this(contextualSearchContext,
                ContextualSearchFieldTrial.getSwitch(
                        ContextualSearchSwitch.IS_NOT_AN_ENTITY_SUPPRESSION_ENABLED));
    }

    /**
     * Constructs an instance for testing.
     */
    static ContextualSearchEntityHeuristic testInstance(
            ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext, boolean isEnabled) {
        return new ContextualSearchEntityHeuristic(contextualSearchContext, isEnabled);
    }

    /**
     * Constructs an instance of a {@link ContextualSearchHeuristic} that provides a signal for a
     * tap that is probably on a proper noun in a language that uses camel-case capitalization of
     * proper nouns.
     * @param contextualSearchContext The current {@link ContextualSearchContext} so we can detect
     *                                the language and figure out the words around what has been
     *                                tapped.
     * @param isEnabled Whether or not to enable suppression.
     */
    private ContextualSearchEntityHeuristic(
            ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext, boolean isEnabled) {
        mIsSuppressionEnabled = isEnabled;
        mIsContextCamelCaseForProperNouns =
                isContextCamelCaseForProperNouns(contextualSearchContext);
        mIsProbablyEntity = mIsContextCamelCaseForProperNouns
                && isTapOnTwoCamelCaseWordsMidSentence(contextualSearchContext);
        mIsConditionSatisfied = !mIsProbablyEntity;
    }

    @Override
    protected boolean isConditionSatisfiedAndEnabled() {
        return mIsSuppressionEnabled && mIsConditionSatisfied;
    }

    @Override
    protected void logResultsSeen(boolean wasSearchContentViewSeen, boolean wasActivatedByTap) {
        if (wasActivatedByTap) {
            ContextualSearchUma.logTapOnEntitySeen(
                    wasSearchContentViewSeen, !mIsConditionSatisfied);
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void logRankerTapSuppression(ContextualSearchInteractionRecorder logger) {
        logger.logFeature(ContextualSearchInteractionRecorder.Feature.IS_ENTITY, mIsProbablyEntity);
        logger.logFeature(ContextualSearchInteractionRecorder.Feature.IS_ENTITY_ELIGIBLE,
                mIsContextCamelCaseForProperNouns);
    }

    @VisibleForTesting
    protected boolean isProbablyEntityBasedOnCamelCase() {
        return mIsProbablyEntity;
    }

    /**
     * @return Whether the tap is on a proper noun, based on two camel-case words mid-sentence.
     */
    private boolean isTapOnTwoCamelCaseWordsMidSentence(
            ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext) {
        // Check common cases that we can quickly reject.
        String tappedWord = contextualSearchContext.getWordTapped();
        if (TextUtils.isEmpty(tappedWord)
                || !isCapitalizedCamelCase(tappedWord)) {
            return false;
        }

        // Check if the tapped word is the first word of a two-word entity.
        if (isTwoWordCamelCaseSpaceSeparatedEntity(contextualSearchContext, tappedWord,
                    contextualSearchContext.getWordTappedOffset(),
                    contextualSearchContext.getWordFollowingTap(),
                    contextualSearchContext.getWordFollowingTapOffset())) {
            return true;
        }

        // Otherwise the tapped word needs to be the second word of a two-word entity.
        return isTwoWordCamelCaseSpaceSeparatedEntity(contextualSearchContext,
                    contextualSearchContext.getWordPreviousToTap(),
                    contextualSearchContext.getWordPreviousToTapOffset(), tappedWord,
                    contextualSearchContext.getWordTappedOffset());
    }

    /**
     * Considers whether the given words at the given offsets are probably a two-word entity based
     * on our simple rules for capitalization: both camel-case and separated by just a single space
     * and not following whitespace that precedes a character that commonly ends a sentence.
     * @param contextualSearchContext The {@link ContextualSearchContext} that the words came from.
     * @param firstWord The first word of a possible entity.
     * @param firstWordOffset The offset of the first word.
     * @param secondWord The second word of a possible entity.
     * @param secondWordOffset The offset of the second word.
     * @return Whether the words are probably an entity.
     */
    private boolean isTwoWordCamelCaseSpaceSeparatedEntity(
            ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext, String firstWord, int firstWordOffset,
            String secondWord, int secondWordOffset) {
        if (!isCapitalizedCamelCase(firstWord) || !isCapitalizedCamelCase(secondWord)) return false;

        if (!isWhitespaceThatDoesntEndASentence(contextualSearchContext, firstWordOffset - 1)) {
            return false;
        }

        // Check that there's just one separator character.
        if (firstWordOffset + firstWord.length() + 1 != secondWordOffset) return false;

        // Check that it's whitespace.
        return isWhitespaceAtOffset(contextualSearchContext, secondWordOffset - 1);
    }

    /**
     * Scans previous characters starting from the given offset in the given context.
     * @return Whether there is whitespace that doesn't end a sentence at the given offset.
     */
    private boolean isWhitespaceThatDoesntEndASentence(
            ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext, int offset) {
        int whitespaceScanOffset = offset;
        while (whitespaceScanOffset > 0
                && isWhitespaceAtOffset(contextualSearchContext, whitespaceScanOffset)) {
            --whitespaceScanOffset;
        }
        return whitespaceScanOffset > 0
                && !isEndOfSentenceChar(contextualSearchContext.getSurroundingText().charAt(
                           whitespaceScanOffset));
    }

    /**
     * Determines if the given character is used as an end-of-sentence character when followed by
     * whitespace.
     * Warning! This functionality has not been verified in languages other than
     * English, even though we do apply it for a wide range of languages from our white-list for ML
     * purposes only.
     * @return Whether the given character is often used to end a sentence when followed by
     *         whitespace.
     */
    private boolean isEndOfSentenceChar(char c) {
        return c == '.' || c == '?' || c == '!' || c == ':';
    }

    /**
     * @return {@code true} if the word starts with an upper-case letter and has at least one letter
     *         that is not considered upper-case.
     */
    private boolean isCapitalizedCamelCase(String word) {
        if (TextUtils.isEmpty(word) || word.length() <= 1) return false;

        Character firstChar = word.charAt(0);
        return Character.isUpperCase(firstChar)
                && !word.toUpperCase(Locale.getDefault()).equals(word);
    }

    /**
     * @return Whether the surrounding text has a whitespace character at the given offset.
     */
    private boolean isWhitespaceAtOffset(
            ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext, int offset) {
        if (offset == INVALID_OFFSET) return false;

        Character charAtOffset = contextualSearchContext.getSurroundingText().charAt(offset);
        return Character.isWhitespace(charAtOffset);
    }

    /**
     * Detects the language of the Context and returns whether that language uses camel-case for
     * proper nouns.
     * @return Whether the language of the Context uses "camel" case (mixed upper and lower case)
     *         for proper nouns.
     */
    private boolean isContextCamelCaseForProperNouns(
            ContextualSearchContext contextualSearchContext) {
        return ROMAN_CAMEL_CASE_PROPER_NOUN_LANGUAGES.contains(
                contextualSearchContext.getDetectedLanguage());
    }
}


John Register remembers it vividly.
As he pulled up to his house, riding in his friend's pickup truck, the snow began to fall. He walked in his house, located in Orange County, Virginia, to see his mother standing in the kitchen, holding mail from Radford University. It was his official acceptance packet.
John's mother was the first in the family to find out, and she immediately shared the good news with John's father.
He was up on a rooftop, trying to finish his work as the weather was worsening. He answered his phone, and the words "John got into college!" landed on his ears.
He froze, forgetting that he was supposed to finish working on the roof. The tears fell as he realized his dream of seeing his son receive a college education was coming to fruition. John is the first member of his family to attend college, which made the moment even more special. "To me, going to college is a privilege," John said.
John made the transition to college life well, and his first year at Radford University was smooth sailing.
Even so, he had to adjust to being responsible for his own schedule and no longer being able to eat his mom's home cooked meals.
Sophomore year, however, was an entirely different experience.
"Sophomore year was a real struggle, because my study habits hadn't caught up to the difficulty of the classes," John said. He was not performing well academically and had to face that reality with his academic advisor, Melanie Butler.
Even under the burden of academic adversity, John didn't relent.
"I've always been one of those people that if I fail at something, I'm willing to try harder, I'm willing to make it work," John explained. In the days and weeks to come, he revised his approach to studying and implemented systems to hold himself accountable for his academic success.
Sophomore year was a turning point for John, a moment in which he realized that his Radford chapter was up to him to write and create.
"One day, it dawned on me that people are successful, because they went and took chances and made it their own. I thought to myself, I'm going to make a difference," John said.
To truly own his Radford experience, John got involved both on and off campus.
As part of VA 21, John travels to Richmond once each month and attends a leadership summit over the summer. "It taught me how to advocate on behalf of myself and other organizations," John explained.
John was also involved in politics and began working in support of multiple campaigns with an impact on the local region. John had a direct role in working to ensure the maximum turnout of voters made it to the polls during recent elections.
John also takes advantage of many on-campus opportunities to engage, learn and grow. He attended events as part of the Women's Entrepreneurship Week and actively participated in the recent Retention Summit.
John also traveled to Richmond for Advocacy Day to represent Radford University alongside his peers, faculty and staff.
John is an active member of the Radford University community.
John's Radford experience had its ups and downs. He overcame the challenges that being a first-generation college student presents. While his experience wasn't easy, it's been real.
"To know the journey he's had, he will be a student I will never forget," Melanie said.
John learned that being an engaged member of the Radford family and surrounding community is critical to his success.
"Responsive. Resilient. Real." is an online story series published by Radford University that began in spring 2019. The ongoing series celebrates the Highlander spirit of students, faculty, staff and alumni by sharing their unique stories and their strong sense of Highlander pride. Through being responsive, resilient and real, Highlanders are making a positive impact and leaving a lasting legacy on our campus and in communities around the world.