When you decide to live life on your terms it is inevitable you will come up against roadblocks.
It is during these challenging times when we often feel most alone, doubt ourselves, or question giving up. However brief they may be, how we handle these moments shapes our entire existence.
When we look at others we tend to see either struggle or success; we don't often see an honest "before and after" of their journey. Today we see both sides.
The variety of answers surprised me. Some share details of their struggle while others focus on how they overcame it, the lessons they took from it, or the belief that kept them moving forward. If you read between the lines, you'll discover that each answer contains a powerful insight into the personalities and beliefs behind these successful location independent entrepreneurs.
Below are their answers. You can follow all the contributors on twitter here.
"One moment? Man, I wish there was only one moment, but honestly, it happens all the time. Self doubt is an entrepreneur's toughest challenge, but can also be their greatest strength, because once you push through that cloud of doubt, or have that first success, its total euphoria!
The one time that really sticks with me is one year in to building my website. I had built a site that was gaining major traction in my niche. Email sign ups were pouring in, readers were engaging with myself and each other, and everything was good. Even the money.
I had built my site on a win-win situation with affiliate sales. I was promoting products that I used, genuinely believed in and helped my readers achieve their dreams of free travel.
I was finally making it on my own, doing what I wanted to do, making decent money in the process, and helping others.
And then, in one day, my affiliates pulled out. Completely. My income went to $0 in one fell swoop, and even though I still had all my readers and my site, I was now forced with a decision.
Either give up on my dream and go back to a regular job or change course, figure out another way to monetize my site, and keep plugging along.
After a few days of punching pillows and being pretty pissed off, I decided that, while I was pretty bummed about how things had played out, I'd be even more bummed if I went back a "normal lifestyle".
I'd had a taste of what I wanted, an fully mobile, entrepreneur lifestyle, and I'd do anything to get that back.
I asked readers what they wanted to learn, looked at what I could offer that wasn't already out there, and built a product that would be MY OWN, and that no one could take away from me.
It wasn't easy, it wasn't always glamorous, but I scratched and clawed to make it work, and slowly but surely, that product gained traction, and brought me back to the level I was once at.
And now, guess who wants to work with me again? That same affiliate company! Now it's me in the driver's seat, steering my own destiny. And isn't that what we all want?
London is an expensive city to live in, money was always tight, especially in the first couple of years of my business. With a bank at my overdraft limit, I decided I could write a book, self-publish and invest the money in an idea I'd had for an app.
I predicted I'd make around $6000 from book sales, which would be plenty to invest in the app, that would make me more money. My route to riches was assured. Except of course it wasn't! The book sold around $2000 so I couldn't invest in my app.
I considered giving up. I cursed my planning, my audience for not buying, my idea. However, I had a deep belief people would love the app, so I cut back my expenses further, hustled, waited and got it done.
"There was a moment after I'd lived in Christchurch, New Zealand for a few weeks when I realized that I wouldn't be able to continue running my branding business — the business that was funding my travels — while living there. The internet was just too slow and expensive, and I couldn't send the big files I needed to send, or reliably Skype with my clients. The result was a massive change-up in my business model (you might even say my career), but for months I just sat on my hands, unsure which way to turn or how I would continue to make a living. It was a scary moment, and though I knew I'd make it work somehow, tendrils of doubt were definitely creeping into my decision-making process for several months as a result.
Why or how did you keep going?
For about a year before I started Uncaged, I knew I had to create it, but it sounded like a pipe dream. No one I told really understood my vision, and even I doubted if I could really make it work. I'd always lived a life of travel and adventure, but could I really keep that up AND make some good money doing it? I'd never really had a real job, and I was always hustling to make enough money to buy the next plane ticket.
It eventually got to the point where I had no choice but to make it happen. I couldn't handle the thought of getting another job, and I knew it was now or never. I immersed myself in the work of other people who were doing similar things to what I wanted to be doing. I learned everything I could, and I went for it.
And it actually worked. Holy crap. I still wake up sometimes and it doesn't feel real that I work for myself, that I can pick up and go to another country tomorrow and it will be business as usual. And it happened way faster than I thought it would when I finally committed to going all-in.
To be perfectly honest, I have moments where I question myself even now. I think no matter it is you are doing with your life there will be moments where you wonder what it would be like to be doing something else. I've often felt the most doubt and fear over what I'm doing as a nomadic digital nomad when I've hit rock bottom. For instance, there have been times when I'm barely able to make it out bed after getting food poisoning in developing country. Other times, I've struggled with monthly earnings online and wondered if this nearly slavish obsession I have with trying to make this self-employed gig stay afloat is even worth my effort. I keep going because I'm passionate about travel, photography, writing and making videos.
Even though I work longer hours than I have in any other job, I get a real sense of satisfaction from what I'm doing now with my life. It can be a struggle at times but I wouldn't have it any other way. Right now I feel as though I'm pursuing my dreams, and even though I have moments of doubt, I feel confident in the direction I'm heading.
A few months after I emptied my bank account to pay off my college loans, quit my job, and moved to Austin, I came home one night to find my apartment building engulfed in a 30 foot wall of flames. I lost everything… But I knew I wanted to do something great with my life. Instead of focusing on the pain of loss, I promised myself to move forward by improving myself, serving the world, and doing something truly great.
I had my sink or swim moment very early on in my business. I set it up a few days before I got on a plane to travel the world.
Three months into my trip, my savings had nearly run out and despite a good education and work experience, I couldn't find employment abroad.
Do I head home? Do I borrow money from my parents? Do I give up? Maybe it was pride or just tenacious self belief but the answer to these questions was no.
I stayed in a cheap hostel, ate bread with what was effectively plastic cheese and powered through, working late into the night annoying my fellow dorm mates with my laptop light.
Then it finally happened… I started making money online. I didn't go home. I didn't need help, and four years on, I'm still travelling the world and have just released my first book.
The road is paved with entrepreneurs who gave up. Figure out how much you want it, hustle, achieve and then pour a little out for your fallen homies.
When I first left Canada after university to move to Japan, the decision was easy because I didn't have a career, house, family or anything holding me back. I still had fears of the unknown, but they were largely overblown. Even before the Internet, it wasn't that difficult to relocate to the other side of the world.
Years later, when I was making the plan to leave Japan and embark on a new career, I was married and had a great lifestyle. There was much more to lose.
It was very difficult to sell our business, house and car, as well as, get rid of all of our possessions. My wife and I had a great lifestyle and good income so giving it all up for something unknown and risky wasn't easy. In fact, it took us several years to finally commit to the decision to leave Japan and begin a life of travel. We weren't feeling challenged by our business, so we often talked about doing something new, but it took a long time to get the courage to act.
Anyone doing something new is going to have doubts and fears. Expect that going in. Whether you are thinking of starting your own business, changing careers, running a marathon, or going on a round-the-world trip, you are going to have uncertainty and doubt. That is the very nature of doing something new and challenging. You can't predict the final outcome in advance.
To make matters worse, your friends and family are unlikely to support or believe in your goals. They will often think you are crazy for trying to do something new and out of the ordinary. This is completely normal. You can't expect support and encouragement from people who haven't done what you are planning. They are more afraid than you are. That's precisely why they don't act on their dreams and goals.
The remedy is to surround yourself with people who have done what you want to do. With the Internet and millions of blogs, it's easier than ever to find communities of adventurers that have done exactly what you are planning. Finding and connecting with those people will give you the courage and advice to move forward.
Personally, blogging was absolutely essential for my journey. Beginning my JetSetCitizen.com website connected me with dozens, and now hundreds, of like-mined travellers and digital nomads that were living the life that I wanted.
I think we all know what we need to do to accomplish our goals, the problem is that we are not 100% certain it will work, so we hesitate. Knowing that hundreds, or even thousands of others have overcome the exact same obstacles, provides the confidence to do the necessary work towards our own dreams.
In my case, it ultimately took a public declaration on my website that I was going to change countries and careers within one year to really force me to take action. After that post, back in 2009, I finally started the preparations to leave Japan.
I don't think blogging is a very good way to make money online, however, it's a fantastic tool to connect with others that are pursuing the same goals and it helps to keep you accountable.
I think it's important to remember that it's easier than ever to do anything you want, anywhere you want. Our grandparent's didn't have anywhere near these options. Whether you want to film a movie, write a book, record a CD, start a business or travel the world, there are no barriers. With a laptop computer and an Internet connection, you can do anything you can imagine.
We have one life to live. We can either challenge our misguided fears now, or we can build up a lifetime of regrets. There is not a single day that goes by when I'm not thankful for the life I now have. We live in amazing times. Don't waste this opportunity because of unfounded fears or self-doubt.
If you're aiming to do anything worthwhile, count on it being bloody difficult. Actually, hope that it is difficult. How ungratifying would it be if it was easy? Where is the growth in easy? The biggest growth comes from the most challenge. There is a fine line between those that give up when it appears the hardest, and those that continue on. Fact of the matter is that, nobody who ever 'made it' gave up. If they gave up, we never would have heard of them. And its been proven countless times that on the path to success, in any endeavour, the hardest part comes just before the biggest breakthrough.
For me, reading the book 'The Slight Edge' helped me with that a lot. And Seth Godin's 'The Dip'.
I'm not sure if I've really doubted myself too much with the goals that I've had. There's been times when what I was doing wasn't working and I simply decided to change my approach. I'm not sure if you'd consider that "giving up", but rather making an intelligent decision to shift gears and pursue other opportunities that have greater potential.
I can remember getting crushed by Google last year with some of their updates that affected some of my sites. I was down about it and tried many things to attempt to recover my sites back to where they were. Some of it worked, some didn't, but that experience taught me an important lesson: diversify your income streams. I also learned how the internet is always adapting and changing, which means I need to adapt also. It ultimately forced me to look in different directions and try something new. I learned better ways to do SEO and other ways to make money online, which has made me more successful today.
There have been many many moments when I've been down… And nearly out. Times where I feel like selling it all off cheap, giving up on the dream. This is usually driven by a feeling that I can't make it over a major challenge the company is facing, usually financially related. The biggest tool that gets me through these times is strategic planning and positive self talk. I find that without clarity on your long term goals, and understanding on how your daily tasks are in alignment, big challenges can feel like too much. Secondly, I find the negative self talk can creep in, and you have to shut that out quickly. I simply give myself a mental pep talk over and over, until the negative self thoughts are gone. Nobody but you ever hears this internal dialogue (fortunately), because even though it is true, it sounds pretty stupid to tell yourself you are money and can do anything you set your mind too.
My vision and dreams were more powerful than my fears.
The closest I came to giving up my initial travel dream, which was to circle the globe without getting on a single airplane, was about halfway through.
I was at the Kenya/Ethiopia border and on bad information from the US Embassy, I didn't have a visa, as I was told I could get one at the border. I got there via a grueling two-day cargo truck hitchhiking effort and the only way back to Nairobi was the same way, or getting on a small plane to do it. Luck and fate ended up conspiring to help me out, in the form of a group of South African and British motorcyclists, one of which was in the same situation as me.
I'm not sure what I would have done without their help, but I certainly thought long and hard about my failure at that point. Fortunately, I made it into Ethiopia in the end, and eventually around the world.
One time it happened was several months after quitting my job. It was the middle of a recession and my grand plans for the 'can't fail to get hordes of interest' ideas were, in fact, failing to get hordes of interest.
I was in a cafe and I literally could not think of a single thing I could do to make money come in. Like, nada. I'd created the website, tweaked it a billion times and (surprise surprise) sticking up flyers wasn't getting anywhere. Honestly, if I'd had a job offer there and then I'd have taken it (luckily the job offers came before and after that time, and I turned them down!).
How did it turn around? Because I was so stubborn (aka persistent) I kept putting myself out there in unusual ways to get work in my old field as well as my new one, and focused on what I could do to help other people and organisations make things work for them, how I could contribute to them (rather than hack away at building a platform one client at a time by shouting into the void!). That approach wasn't an overnight thing but honestly it was much faster than tweaking my logo and sticking up flyers for another 2 months! Making those connections (focusing on helping others) was a key turn around. The other thing I did differently was focus on the two things I loved the most: speaking and writing. Instead of just doing conventional marketing I looked at ways to do more of those two, and a lot of my growth came from there. Within a year I was earning as much as I had been back in that 'good job'.
It's not just you, and if what you've been doing hasn't worked, look at your existing skills and strengths and see how you can use them to help others rather than relying on the same old things everyone is doing.
I am watching the clock count down. About 3 weeks ago I quit my day job to work for myself on my own software projects. The plan is to give up the paycheck and try to support myself with consulting while my new site, BloggerBridge.com, ramps up. Walking away from a real paycheck at a company that you think will be successful can give you a few sleepless nights. I am trying to change my lifestyle to have some more location independence to be able to say "yes" more often when people offer me free trips to Poland, New Zealand, the Canada Rockies, or the Caribbean (all of which I have turned down this year).
There is a better than even chance that this will fail and that I will fall on my face but I have failed before and it is not a permanent situation. As I recently wrote about on my chris2x.com blog, I have spent 18 years at Silicon Valley startups. One failed so badly (went from so much promise to out of money) that we made it onto a list of 30 biggest failures in the (now defunct) Byte magazine. That failed startup led to 7 job offers.
For me, I think the scariest moments or the ones filled with the most doubt were actually before I'd even started this lifestyle. For months I questioned whether or not I should leave my job and start my own business. All the uncertainty terrified me.
However once it happened and I started the path towards entrepreneurship, while there are absolutely difficult days, my life was so much better. I was traveling, having adventures, but most importantly, I was making progress on the business. Because I had so much more time, it was easier to feel like I was making forward progress – and as long as you're making forward progress (or at least feeling like you are) it's easier to have faith you're doing what is right.
When I started out learning to make a living online I had doubts all the time. One day I would be super excited about a new idea I had and the next day things get overwhelming and I would feel like giving up again. In retrospective what kept me going were all the small successes along the way. Take one step at a time, but always keep the big picture and your goals in mind.
In February of 2011, I had one of the worst nights of my life. I remember tossing and turning all night, battling panic attacks and gasping for air, because the doubting voice in my head told me that I was going to fail at my first product launch. I was two weeks away from releasing my first big product, and the voice in my head had me convinced that I would fail, and that I'd always be a failure.
I thought about packing it in. In fact, I thought about closing my entire business because I was so scared. However, at the advice of my friends and those closest to me, I carried it through to completion.
The result? Hundreds of thousands in revenue, happy affiliates and customers, and world-wide recognition as the expert on my topic. It was then that I realized that fear is a muscle – you have to face it and defeat it over and over again until you develop the skill set to let it drive you.
I've had many of these moments and have overcome them different ways each time. This story comes from a few years back.
I was working as a freelancer and still struggling. It's Saturday evening and the weather is just miserable. Dark clouds, drizzling rain, cold enough to be uncomfortable yet not like a romantic Christmas cold you get bundled up for and almost enjoy.
I was at home thinking about my situation and suddenly was overcome with emotions. Where was the light at the end of the tunnel? Something has to change or I'm not going to make it.
I knew I needed to make a serious change in my life because I couldn't handle the stress much longer. The clear decision was to "Call It Quits" and move back home for a bit while I look for a job.
Lucky for me I was a few glasses of wine into the evening and wasn't seeing "clear". So instead of calling it quits I decided to up the ante and booked a one-way ticket for Costa Rica.
When I took off I had less than a month's living expenses…I was going to sink or swim. It was a huge risk…and it paid off.
When things got hard I had plenty of opportunities to raise the white flag. To retreat. To turn my back on the life I really wanted. I'm sure you'll have the same opportunities. Ignore them.
Don't ever, ever think going for it, going after what you really want, will be easy. But it will always, always be worth it.
In April 2012, a few months into trying to turn my blog into a business, I got pretty discouraged. It was WAY harder than I had imagined, and I just wasn't seeing results as fast as I'd hoped.
I never really thought of giving up to be honest though. My whole journey online has been based on the idea that the only way I'm going to fail is if I give up… and early on I committed to NEVER giving up, no matter how hard it was.
The biggest way I got myself out of this funk is that I learned to be more in the present (after reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle) and moved to Boulder to be in a community of entrepreneurs. Close support of people who really understand what we're going through is key… especially in those tough times!
Self doubt, which mere mortals like myself have certainly experienced, stems often from the story we tell ourselves. This story of why we are not good enough or why we shouldn't do something, is often an illusory inferiority reinforced by society and trapped by our own minds.
If they judge you, it's because they don't want to judge themselves. They laugh, because they know your balls are bigger than theirs, and you failing would make them feel better about themselves.
After all, you tried, and they didn't. Otherwise, they'd understand. Anyone who has walked the path knows that pain is progress. Surround yourself with the right people. They will encourage you to embrace your fear and to grow and push your comfort zone. Most importantly, just do something. Anything. Make that leap, and fail more often. Believe in yourself. Good luck.
THANK YOU TO OUR INSPIRING CONTRIBUTORS!
In sharing your stories, you demonstrated an incredible level of trust, openness and wisdom. You have given us the insights and inspiration to shed self-doubt and work through our challenges.
Readers, now it's your turn. Please share at least one comment below. Every word you share adds to our community.
Share This Resource. Did any of the stories above provide inside, inspire you, or spark new ideas? If so, please take 2 seconds and share this with others so they can feel the same. Just use the Facebook and Twitter share links to the left or below.
If you like this article you will also enjoy Why We Want To Be Part Of Your Life, The Rules, and The Dream Big Manifesto.
Dan – lots of men on that list!! Where are all the women? Or do you think that it's less likely for women to be location independent?
I'm really not sure from a statistics point of view. In terms of the article, it's more a reflection of the people I know plus a much lower response rate from the girls than the guys.
I do know one thing, there are a lot of very eligible bachelors very keen to meet nice location independent women!
What do you think? In your experience is location independence geared more for one gender than the other?
Guess being a young, single, child free guy might make location independence a tad easier than most other demographic groups (or way easier), however, I'm on my way back to that world in a couple of months as a 51 year old woman with my partner and two teenaged kids 🙂 As part of the international homeschooling/unschooling community, I'm aware of a number of women out there raising their kids location independently. It's got a different vibe than most of these guys you know, but it's a great, free range family life.
I would love to meet/talk to these women raising kids location independently. Of three kids, I have one 12 year old left at home.
That's great Heather! I totally agree that my demographic, and that of many of those featured in the article, has the "easiest" route to location independence but that doesn't mean it is the only route. The message I want to spread is that anyone can life the life they want. This article is about overcoming the challenges that will come with that. I look forward to hearing more about your story.
Awesome post man! I'm totally digging your blog, too!
Its a product of 21 awesome people. Thanks for your kind words.
Thank you Dan, I love to see and hear stories of location independence.
You're very welcome. What's your plan for location independence? I'm sure your 12 year old would gain a lot from travelling.
Thank you for your honest and inspiring contribution Sam! It was great to read and I know lots of people will benefit from it.
Hi Helen, Thanks for your comment. I believe it is possible to make money in almost anything. I also believe that it is much easier (aka less stressful) to make money in some areas than others. I imagine there is a market, I do know a lot of people who dream of working on board cruise ships, and of course millions travel on them as well. I don't know enough about the cruiseship industry or your experience to give a concrete answer. If you haven't already, opt in to my email box that says "Want to be location independent". There are a few lessons around value and the nature of getting paid that I think will be valuable for you.
Helen, why don't you start a "Who Done It" murder mystery on the ship, get people to pay you each night to participate. I would pay $50.00 to do that, possibly more.
I was led to your amazing blog by my friend Colin Wright. I found this posting to be wonderfully inspirational and have nominated you for my "Very Inspirational Blogger Award" featured on my site. I know it would be very time consuming to undergo the rules of the award but I just wanted to let you know that you have inspired me and I have subscribed to your blog and look forward to your updates.
A wonderfully thoughtful post, so many perspectives to appreciate. I especially enjoyed JET SET CITIZEN's sober view on Blogging's power to connect people and the realities of making a solid income with it.
So much of storytelling is about facades, Its nice to be reminded that we're all living the dream in some respects but might not always realise or appreciate it because we focus on what's missing instead of what we've already achieved or even began with. Great post.
Thanks for sharing this insight, it's a powerful one.
Thanks Chris. I've retested the twitter links and them all work for me.
It's great so many young people are location independent, but it would also be nice to hear from older ones. There are MANY people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and older who are full-time wanderers and entrepreneurs. And, yes, more women, too.
I totally agree! Actually, my second or third coaching client ever was a wonderfully adventurous woman in her 60s. Do you have a story of full time travel to share?
Dan, I love your focus and contribution to the many ways humans can choose to live life. I continue to grapple with all of the societal conditioning that is put on us as we go through life. I have to tell myself that it's still possible to break free of the golden handcuffs – and MUST treat my ideal passion as just as or MORE important than how I am currently making money. I feel like the further you stray off course of your passion the more difficult the road back to our Truth. Keep Up the Awesome Work and Inspiration.


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The New 110,000 SF High School will include instructional spaces, staff collaboration, special needs instruction spaces, career technology education, science labs, art room, music room, physical education, performance spaces and health services.
New Construction of a 13-story, 145,000-SF, Class A office building. Entry plaza includes outdoor deck, retail spaces, leads into coffee bar and huddles. Six levels of parking with electric charging stations, rooftop terrace, on-site gym Building will house the South by Southwest corporate headquarters.
New construction of 183,864 SF ambulatory clinical facility. Once completed the facility will provide space for a new outpatient clinic, laboratory, radiation treatment, surgery suite, women's health center, infusion treatment, cytology and a pharmacy.
110,000 SF, four story facility containing numerous classrooms and labs for the nursing department, the health and human performance department and the biology department. Project features include simulation space, numerous classrooms and labs, a gymnasium, conference rooms and administrative spaces.
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I can't believe I need to write this story in the year 2017. "If it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true." If your daddy never told you that before, then I guess this article is for you; for the rest of you, this is just a free refresher course.
Ever since the second human being appeared on the earth, one has always been trying to rip off the other. PT Barnum wasn't the first to figure that out, you know, "a sucker is born every minute." From snake oil to pet rocks, pyramid schemes, the lottery, and all the other get-rich-quick deals out there, real estate with no down payments…right?
Been to Las Vegas lately? What's the old saying, "Vegas was built by LOSERS"?
There are a few evils being perpetrated on the naive consumer in the A/V industry, and all industries I suppose. This is nothing new. I opened my first retail store in February 1973 in Mar Vista, California, called The Audiophile. Living in our greedy flesh is this demon that thinks we are going to get something for nothing, or close to it. Our greed, or stupidity, gets the better of us and thinks people are mostly honest…Oh Me! There are those lurking in the weeds waiting to pounce. They usually are not dressed in little red suits with a pitchfork and a tail; no, sometimes they appear to be very legitimate operations. Some are the criminal element among us. But it is the appearance that is deceptive. Legal, oh sure! Nobody needs a gun to rip you off today.
Okay, where am I going with this? One can make millions on our stupidity, greed, and laziness. At the rate of birth described by Barnum, you get the idea. Let's start with the ugliest of these scams and one I consider downright criminal. I had received more letters and calls over these forty years concerning an age-old scam. Here is how it played out.
As I mentioned earlier, I owned a retail store in the early 70's, and it seemed like a week never passed that I didn't receive a phone call like this: "Hi, I just bought a pair of 'Studio Monitors' or 'Acoustic Monitors' and wondered, first, if you have ever heard of them, and second, do you repair them?" Oh no, another victim! The story was always the same. I was at the shopping mall, gas station, parking lot, or wherever, and this guy approached in a van, station wagon, panel truck, or whatever, and had an overstock of speakers from the factory/distributor that he needed to sell at below his cost. His boss needed to move these quickly. Hmm! Now, most of us know that Rolex salesman when we see him, but this scam has been going on now for the 40-plus years I have been in business. It has changed slightly today. Back in the "Old Days," you might get that box home and find rocks in it. Today, you find a product in it, but what have you purchased? Again, years ago, you got paper-thin cabinets, a 12-inch 12-way with few or zero motor structures (magnets), no crossover networks, and just plain garbage speakers. They might be worth about $50 and were sold for hundreds, thinking they were worth thousands! OUCH!
Here is the difference today: While the presentation is still about the same, the product has changed radically. With the manufacturing capability of the offshore companies in China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and even Mexico, and labor at pennies a day allowing products to be produced at a fraction of the cost here. For years, the products from these countries were unacceptable. But as we all know, most everything we purchase today is made offshore. Quality has rocketed, and even the well-known brands we have come to recognize have retreated to manufacture elsewhere. So, with the copy ability our foreign friends have perfected, it's hard to tell the impostors from the real McCoy. Today the shysters are on the web, looking like the rest of us trying to manufacture and sell quality, American made products. Some are hiding behind old American names we recognize from our youth that have gone out of business and have been resurrected off shore.
He doesn't drive a van anymore, he has instant access to you on the internet! You come calling him because the price looks great, the pictures look good and the scam is that he is promoting it as a $1,500 "leather" recliner at some ridiculous price, like $499. No one calls and tells me how bad this stuff is, they just want to vent because they want to think they got a $1,500 chair at $499, and their friends are laughing at them and the chair is falling apart. Or, the company isn't there to take care of the problem. Greed? Look, you got a $499 chair for about what it was worth. Did you check them out, compare it to the other options out there, and study the market…? NO, you just wanted a DEAL!! Hope you don't do your medical, dental, financial shopping the same way.
"Pssst, hey, need a root canal?" Years ago, one of my employees had his uncle, the car mechanic, pull his wisdom teeth. Need I tell you about his emergency room experience after that?
One day the furniture industry picked up an A/V magazine in the late 90's and discovered that home theaters were the rage. PremiereHTS and a few other veterans from the A/V industry introduced this category. Hmm…if we put a cup holder in the same old junk we sell at your local discount furniture barn, we can pass it off as high-end theater seating. Better yet, we can probably really fool these dealers and consumers because they don't understand the furniture business. Like the 1/4-inch speaker cabinets with nothing in them, lurking under that vinyl, "Pleather" cover, is cheap pressed board, cardboard, staples, blown-in poly-fil, and nothing else. Haven't we all owned bad furniture at some point? STOP THE MADNESS! Cheap Charlie's Bargain Basement furniture outlet, the Internet hustlers, J.C. Pocket Change, and Big Box Club Warehouses all might not be the place to buy that quality seating to match your new theater…you think?
But isn't a chair, a chair, a chair, you ask? Yeah, and a Rolex and a Timex are watches. Again, do a little research. Leather, frames, mechanisms, foams, and construction vary tremendously. Ever sit in a high-quality piece of leather furniture…WOW!! Your theater has two ends, the front and your rear end. Pick a killer projector/screen combo and great seating, and then figure out the middle match with a professional.
Am I getting through to you by now? This is a serious investment, and we spend a tremendous amount of time in front of that investment. You will get years of enjoyment out of money well spent. Nobody saves any money when next year you're out replacing your mistakes. Don't get me started on wire and interconnects!!


text:
Q: How to use wildcard in PHP query I have a table filter feature in PHP club membership webpage. I made it so the user can filter the table and choose which members to display in a table. For example, he can choose the country or state where the member is from then hit display. I am using a prepared statement.
The problem is, I need to use wildcards to make the coding easier. How do I use a wildcard in PHP MySQL query? I will use wildcards for example if the user does NOT want specific country but instead he wants to display all members from all countries.
I know not specifying the WHERE country= will automatically select any countries but I already constructed it so each controls like the SELECT control for country already has a value like "CA" or "NY" and "*" if the user leaves that control under "All Countries". This value when submitted is then added to the query like:
$SelectedCountry = $_POST["country"];
sql .= " WHERE country=" . $SelectedCountry;

But the problem is using WHERE country=* doesn't seem to work. No errors, just doesn't work. Is "*" the wildcard in PHP MySQL?

A: The * is not a wildcard in SQL when comparing with the = operator. You can use the like operator and pass a % to allow for anything.
When doing this the % should be the only thing going to the bind. $Bind_country = "'%'"; is incorrect because the driver is already going to quote the value and escape the quotes. So your query would come out as:
WHERE country ='\'%\''

The = also needs to be a like. So you want
$bind_country = '%';

and then the query should be:
$sql = 'select * from table where country like ?';

If this were my application I would build the where part dynamically.

A: Using * in WHERE clause is not right. You can only give legit value. For example:
// looking for an exact value
SELECT * FROM table WHERE column = 'value'

// you can also do this when looking for an exact value
// it works even if your $_POST[] has no value
SELECT * FROM table WHERE column = 'value' OR '$_POST["country"]' = ''

// looking for a specific or not exact value
// you can place % anywhere in value's place
// % denotes the unknown characters of the value
// it works also even if your $_POST[] has no value
// results will not be the same when you're using AND or OR clause
SELECT * FROM table WHERE column LIKE '%val%'

A: I think below link can solve your problem.
Just have a look and choose what you need.
Thanks.
http://www.w3schools.com/sql/sql_wildcards.asp

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Matthew Whiteside – Classical Next
Download full works list
Matthew Whiteside is a composer based in Glasgow nominated as 'One to Watch' in the Herald's Culture Awards
2016. He writes music for concert, film and collaborative installations while often-using live electronics. Whiteside has been commissioned by Scottish Opera to write Little Black Lies, a new short opera with words by Helene Grøn, for 2018 and he is currently working with filmmaker/chorographer Marisa Zanotti developing a new installation piece with Magnetic North.
He has received international performances including Dublin's National Concert Hall, Glasgow City Halls, Salem Artworks in New York and the Belfast International Festival at Queen's and has been commissioned by Cottiers Chamber Project and Lorimer Productions for Cappella Nova and co-commissioned by sound festival and R-Space gallery to collaborate with Dominika Mayovich to create an interactive sound/art installation.
Whiteside Solo for Viola D'amore and Live Electronics, recorded by Emma Lloyd. was described as having the overall effect of 'one of meditation – a Japanese stone garden whose raked ripples have been brought into sound' by Musicweb International and features on his debut album Dichroic Light released in 2015 and supported by Creative Scotland. The album was the subject of two episodes of exploration on CyBC, Cyprus, as well as broadcasts on BBC 3, BBC 6 Music, Lyric FM, Ireland, Radio Horizon, South Africa, and WFMT, USA among others.
He composed the music for The End of the Game, Michael Palin's Quest for Artemisia, broadcast on BBC 4 during Christmas 2015, and has scored two feature films (Anna Unbound and The Loudest Sound).
Matthew also programmes and produces The Night With… putting interesting music into informal spaces.
www.matthewwhiteside.co.uk www.facebook.com/mwhitesidecomp www.twitter.com/mwhiteside
Jump to: Scores Electroacoustic
Subscribe to Matthew Whiteside's mailing list
Scores - click links to jump to embedded scores with recordings
Full works list
Always Ever Unknowable (2016) – vocal trio, choir, trombone quartet
Dichroic Light (2011)– cello and electronics
Exhibition Music (2015) – violin, viola, cello, 2x bass clarinet
Laya (2010)– soprano saxophone, piano, viola, cello
Quartet No. 3 (2011) – string quartet and electornics
String Quintet (2015)
Solo for Viola D'amore and Electronics (2015)
The World in an Oyster, An Oyster in the World (2011) – Piano trio
Three Pieces for Bass Clarinet and Electronics (2014)
Ulation (2012) – viola and electronics
Well, Well, Well (2013) – alto flute, viola and double bass
Wondering, Wavering, Willing (2010) – violin and guitar
Always Ever Unknowable - vocal trio, choir, trombone quartet
Repercussive - Symphony Orchestra
Quartet for Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass
Exhibition Music - violin, viola, cello, 2x bass clarinet
Ulation - viola and electronics
Well, Well, Well - alto flute, viola and double bass
Dichroic Light - cello and electronics
Three Pieces for Bass Clarinet and Electronics
Solo for Viola D'amore and Electronics
Wondering, Wavering, Willing - violin and guitar
Quartet No. 1 - string quartet
Quartet No. 3 - string quartet and electronics
The World in an Oyster, An Oyster in the World - piano trio
Laya - soprano sax, piano, viola, cello
Matthew WhitesideFollow
Matthew Whiteside@mwhiteside·
Well this is interesting news for the centre of Glasgow. Buchanon Galleries possibly being torn down https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgows-buchanan-galleries-demolished-under-22829087?fbclid=IwAR29jjq8AEJ-s-vaFlc6dWSqRTYcg4odrXvaMswPhnyHoOv-y_9Q0yyyFxQ
Retweet on TwitterMatthew Whiteside Retweeted
Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA)@TheSMIA·
💡 JOB OPPORTUNITY 💡
📢 @creativescots' seeking a Communications Contractor for an integrated digital, press and PR communications campaign to celebrate 20 years of the Youth Music Initiative.
ℹ Apply before Friday 21 January 2022 at 17:00 👇
https://www.smia.org.uk/opportunities/job-opportunity-communications-support-for-youth-music-initiative-creative-scotland/
🕷 Sarah Dacey 🇪🇺@sarahdaceyuk·
Currently searching for new rep for voice & harp or guitar and struggling, way more than I think I should be... Anyone have any recommendations? Composers, hit me with your stuff!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Olcay Sert
Olcay Sert's personal website
Journal Articles & Book Chapters
Plenaries/Keynotes
Invited lecture/seminar/workshop
Forthcoming/ in press
Gynne, A., Larsson, M. & Sert, O. (forthcoming, 2022). Digitaliserad reflektion och lärares agerande i klassrumsinteraktion. In Nordin, A. &Uljens, M. (ed.), Didaktikens språk – om skolundervisningens mål, innehåll och form. Gleerups.
Sert, O. (forthcoming, 2022). Conversation Analysis in TESOL. In Dikilitaş, K. & Reynolds, K. (eds.). Research Methods in Language Teaching and Learning. Wiley.
Sert, O. & Amri, M. (2021). Learning Potentials Afforded by a Film in Task-Based Language Classroom Interactions. The Modern Language Journal. 105 (S1), 126-141. DOI: 10.1111/modl.12684.
Duran, D., & Sert, O. (2021). Student-initiated multi-unit questions in EMI classrooms. Linguistics and Education. 65, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2021.100980
aus der Wieschen, M. V. & Sert, O. (2021). Divergent Language Choices and Maintenance of Intersubjectivity: The Case of Danish EFL Young Learners. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 24(1), 107-123.
Bozbıyık, M., Sert, O. & Dilek Bacanak, K. (2021). VEO-integrated IMDAT in pre-service language teacher education: A focus on change in teacher questioning practices. In Seedhouse, P. (ed.). Video Enhanced Observation for Language Teaching: Reflection and Professional Development (pp.97-116). London: Bloomsbury. [Recording from the hybrid book launch event in Newcastle]
Sert, O. (2021). Classroom Discourse and Interaction – a field in transformation. In Dippold D. & Heron, M. (eds.). Meaningful Teaching Interaction at the Internationalised University: From Research to Impact (p. xv-xix). Routledge.
Sert, O. (2021). Transforming CA findings into future L2 teaching practices: Challenges and prospects for teacher education. In S. Kunitz, N. Markee & O. Sert (Eds.), Classroom-based conversation analytic research: Theoretical and applied perspectives on pedagogy (p. 259-279). Springer, Cham.
Markee N., Kunitz S., Sert O. (2021) CA-SLA and the Diffusion of Innovations. In: Kunitz S., Markee N., Sert O. (eds) Classroom-based Conversation Analytic Research (pp. 1-18). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52193-6_1
Sert, O. & Aşık, A. (2020). A Corpus Linguistic Investigation into Online Peer Feedback Practices in CALL Teacher Education. Applied Linguistics Review. 11(1), 55-78. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2017-0054
Hırçın Çoban, M. & Sert, O. (2020). Resolving Interactional Troubles and Maintaining Progressivity in Paired Speaking Assessment in an EFL Context. Papers in Language Testing and Assessment. 9 (1), 64-94. [click to download]
Duran, D., Kurhila, S. & Sert, O. (2019). Word Search Sequences in Teacher-Student interaction in an English as Medium of Instruction Context. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1703896
Duran, D. & Sert, O. (2019). Preference organization in English as a Medium of Instruction classrooms in a Turkish higher education setting. Linguistics and Education. 49, 72-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2018.12.006
Sert, O. (2019). Mutual Gaze, Embodied Go-aheads, and their Interactional Consequences in L2 Classrooms. In J. K. Hall & S. D. Looney (Eds.). The Embodied Work of Teaching (pp. 142-159). Bristol: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788925501-011
Walsh, S. & Sert, O. (2019). Mediating L2 Learning Through Classroom Interaction.Second Handbook of English Language Teaching. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58542-0_35-1
Sert, O. (2019). Classroom Interaction and Language Teacher Education. In S. Walsh & S. Mann (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teacher Education (pp.216-238). New York: Routledge.
Sert, O. (2019). The Interplay between Collaborative Turn Sequences and Active Listenership: Implications for the Development of L2 Interactional Competence. In M. R. Salaberry & S. Kunitz (Eds.), Teaching and testing L2 interactional competence: bridging theory and practice (pp.142-166). New York: Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781315177021/chapters/10.4324/9781315177021-6
Somuncu, D. & Sert, O. (2019). EFL Trainee Teachers' Orientations to Students' Non-understanding: A Focus on Task Instructions. In H. T. Nguyen & T. Malabarba (Eds.). Conversation Analytic Perspectives on English Language Learning, Teaching, and Testing in Global Contexts (pp. 110-131). Bristol: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788922890-007
Çelik, S., Baran, E. & Sert, O. (2018). The Affordances of Mobile-app Supported Teacher Observations for Peer Feedback. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning. 10(2). 36-49. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJMBL.2018040104
Sert, O. & Balaman, U. (2018). Orientations to Negotiated Language and Task Rules in Online L2 Interaction. ReCALL. 30(3), 355-374. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344017000325
Seedhouse, P., Balaman, U., & Sert, O. (2018). Editorial to the special issue 'Conversation analytic studies on teaching and learning practices: International perspectives'. Hacettepe University Journal of Education. 33 (1-3). http://dx.doi.org/10.16986/HUJE.2018038792
Sert, O. (2017). Creating Opportunities for L2 Learning in a Prediction Activity. System. 70, 14-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2017.08.008
Balaman, U. & Sert, O. (2017). Development of L2 Interactional Resources for Online Collaborative Task Accomplishment. Computer Assisted Language Learning. 30(7), 601-630. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2017.1334667
Balaman, U. & Sert, O. (2017). The Coordination of Online L2 Interaction and Orientations to Task Interface for Epistemic Progression. Journal of Pragmatics. 115, 115-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2017.01.015
Sert, O. & Li, L. (2017). A Qualitative Study on CALL Knowledge and Materials Design: Insights from Pre-service EFL Teachers. International Journal of Computer Assisted Language Learning and Teaching. 7(3). 73-87. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJCALLT.2017070105
Balaman, U., & Sert, O. (2017). Local contingencies in L2 tasks: A comparison of context-sensitive interactional achievements across two different task types. Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature, 10(3), 9-27.
Çimenli, B. and Sert, O. (2017). Orientations to Linguistic Form in Meaning and Fluency Contexts in a Turkish as a Foreign Language Classroom. In G. Schwab, S. Hoffmann and A. Schön (eds.). Interaktion im Fremdsprachenunterricht: Beiträge aus der empirischen Forschung (pp. 17-32). Münster: LIT Verlag.
Sert, O. (2016). L2 Classroom Interactional Competence. In Inan-Karagül, B. & Yüksel, D. (eds.) The Theory and Practice of English Language Teaching (pp. 304-317). Kocaeli: KÜV Yayınları.
Sert, O. (2016). Sınıf İçi Etkileşim ve Yabancı Dil Öğretmeni Yetiştirme [Classroom Interaction and Foreign Language Teacher Education]. (Ed.) Akcan, S. ve Bayyurt, Y. Türkiye'deki Yabancı Dil Eğitimi Üzerine Görüş ve Düşünceler (s.14-30). İstanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınevi. [yazar kopyasını indirin / download the author's copy]
Sert, O. & Jacknick, C. (2015). Student Smiles and the Negotiation of Epistemics in L2 Classrooms. Journal of Pragmatics. 77(1), 97-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2015.01.001
Ziegler, G., Durus, N., Sert, O. and Family, N. (2015). Analysing ELT in the European Arena: Multilingual Practices. In C.J. Jenks and P. Seedhouse (eds.). International Perspectives on ELT Classroom Interaction (pp.188-207). Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan.
Sert, O., Balaman, U., Can Daşkın, N., Büyükgüzel, S., & Ergül, H. (2015). Konuşma Çözümlemesi Yöntemi [Conversation Analysis Methodology]. Mersin Üniversitesi Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi, 12 (2). 1-43.
Sert, O. ve Balaman, U. (2015). Çevrimiçi Görev-Temelli Etkileşimde Ortaklaşa Bilgi Yapılandırmasının Konuşma Çözümlemesi ile İncelenmesi [A Conversation Analytic Investigation into Co-construction of Knowledge in Online Task-Oriented Interaction]. Mersin Üniversitesi Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi, 12 (2). 45-72.
Sert, O., Bozbıyık M., Elçin, M. ve Turan, S. (2015). Standart Hasta – Tıp Öğrencisi Etkileşiminde Ön Bilgi İddiaları ve Etkileşimsel Sorunlar [Displaying Prior Knowledge and Emergent Interactional Troubles in Patient-Medical Student Interaction]. Mersin Üniversitesi Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi, 12 (2). 45-72.
Ziegler, G., Durus, N. & Sert, O. (2013). Plurilingual Repertoires in the ESL Classroom: The Case of the European School. TESOL Quarterly. 47(3), 643-650. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tesq.123
Sert, O. & Walsh, S. (2013). The Interactional Management of Claims of Insufficient Knowledge in English Language Classrooms. Language and Education. 27(6), 542-565. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2012.739174
Sert, O. (2013). 'Epistemic Status Check' as an interactional Phenomenon in Instructed Learning Settings. Journal of Pragmatics. 45(1), 13-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2012.10.005
Sert, O. (2013). Jenks, C. J., Transcribing talk and interaction: Issues in the representation of communication data. Discourse Studies. 15(3). 353-355.
Ziegler, G., Sert, O. & Durus, N. (2012). Student-initiated Use of Multilingual Resources in English Language Classroom Interaction: Next-turn Management. Classroom Discourse. 3 (2). 187-204.
Sert, O. (2012). Speaking. In E. Gursoy and A. Arikan (eds.). Teaching English to Young Learners: An Activity-based Guide for Prospective Teachers (pp.165-188). Ankara: Eğiten Kitap.
Sert, O. & Seedhouse, P. (2011). Conversation Analysis in Applied Linguistics. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language). 5(1), 1-14. http://www.novitasroyal.org/archives/vol-5-issue-1
Sert, O. (2010). A Proposal for a CA-Integrated English Language Teacher Education Program in Turkey. Asian EFL Journal (Special Issue on English Language Teacher Education and Development: Issues and Perspectives in Asia, ed. Eva Bernat). 12 (3), 62-97
Olcay Sert, Powered by WordPress.com.


text:
Q: Skew line in the torus animation I want to draw the following situation on Latex, but I don't know how!
In the bottom of the page, a torus with a "moving" irrational dense winding line, like in this video
And above this torus, I need a cube with a "moving" dense pipe (cylinder).
Where the line in the torus and the pipe in cube move at the same time and speed.

A: Compile
\documentclass[tikz,border=3.14mm]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.16}
\tikzset{declare function={torusx(\u,\v,\R,\r)=cos(\u)*(\R + \r*cos(\v));
torusy(\u,\v,\R,\r)=(\R + \r*cos(\v))*sin(\u);
torusz(\u,\v,\R,\r)=\r*sin(\v);
vcrit1(\u,\th)=atan(tan(\th)*sin(\u));% first critical v value
vcrit2(\u,\th)=180+atan(tan(\th)*sin(\u));% second critical v value
vtest(\u,\v,\az,\el)=sin(-vcrit1(\u-\az,\el)+\v);
disc(\th,\R,\r)=((pow(\r,2)-pow(\R,2))*pow(cot(\th),2)+%
pow(\r,2)*(2+pow(tan(\th),2)))/pow(\R,2);% discriminant
umax(\th,\R,\r)=ifthenelse(disc(\th,\R,\r)>0,asin(sqrt(abs(disc(\th,\R,\r)))),0);
}}
\pgfplotsset{visible stretch/.style={restrict expr to domain={vtest(atan2(rawy,rawx),%
ifthenelse(veclen(rawx,rawy)>\R,asin(rawz/\r),180-asin(rawz/\r)),\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgfplots/view/az},\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgfplots/view/el})}{-0.05:1.1}},
hidden stretch/.style={restrict expr to
domain={vtest(atan2(rawy,rawx),%
ifthenelse(veclen(rawx,rawy)>\R,asin(rawz/\r),180-asin(rawz/\r)),\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgfplots/view/az},\pgfkeysvalueof{/pgfplots/view/el})}{-1.1:0.05}}}
\newsavebox\Torus
\sbox\Torus{\tikz{\pgfmathsetmacro{\R}{4}
\pgfmathsetmacro{\r}{1}
\begin{axis}[colormap/blackwhite,xmax=1.1*(\R+\r),xmin=-1.1*(\R+\r),
     ymax=1.1*(\R+\r),ymin=-1.1*(\R+\r),zmax=1.1*\r,zmin=-1.1*\r,
   view={40}{60},axis lines=none]
       \addplot3[surf,shader=interp,
       samples=61, point meta=z+sin(2*y),
       %surf,shader=flat,
       domain=0:360,y domain=0:360,
       z buffer=sort]
       ({torusx(x,y,\R,\r)},
        {torusy(x,y,\R,\r)},
        {torusz(x,y,\R,\r)});
\end{axis}}}
\begin{document}
\foreach \X [count=\Y] in {-20,-15,...,90}
{\begin{tikzpicture}
\pgfmathsetmacro{\R}{4}
\pgfmathsetmacro{\r}{1}
\begin{axis}[xmax=1.1*(\R+\r),xmin=-1.1*(\R+\r),
     ymax=1.1*(\R+\r),ymin=-1.1*(\R+\r),zmax=1.1*\r,zmin=-1.1*\r,
     view={40}{60},axis lines=none]
     \addplot3[very thick,samples y=0,domain=-25:\X,smooth,
     samples=6+5*\Y]
        ({torusx({sqrt(30)*x},x,\R,\r)},
        {torusy({sqrt(30)*x},x,\R,\r)},
        {torusz({sqrt(30)*x},x,\R,\r)});
     \node[opacity=0.8] at (0,0,0) {\usebox\Torus};
     \addplot3[very thick,samples y=0,domain=-25:\X,smooth,samples=6+5*\Y,
     visible stretch]
        ({torusx({sqrt(30)*x},x,\R,\r)},
        {torusy({sqrt(30)*x},x,\R,\r)},
        {torusz({sqrt(30)*x},x,\R,\r)});
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}}
\end{document}

with pdflatex and convert the resulting pdf file out.pdf with
convert -density 200 -delay 34 -loop 0 -alpha remove out.pdf ani.gif

to get this animated gif:

The pdf file has a much higher quality, the quality of this is due to upload restrictions. This is one of the frames generated:


Are you an educator, heading back to another year of teaching and need a little inspiration? — or do you know a teacher that is back in the classroom after summer break? Then this awesome little video is for you. It's the latest from "Symphony of Science" and it features our friend Dr. Jeff Goldstein and a speech he made at the National Science Teachers Association Conference this year, "Science – It's Not a Book of Knowledge … It's a Journey." Dr. Jeff is a science educator and planetary scientist and is the Director of National Center for Earth and Space Science Education. He is passionate about teaching and is admittedly "emotional about science," as we all should be.
Prior to retirement from teaching, this was always a fun time viewing exciting, inspirational videos and keeping that excitement for 180 days.
Let's listen to something else.


Home bethesda fallout fallout 76 mmo MMORPG one x ps4 RPG vr Xbox Fallout 76: Enough with the hatred! The real review.
Fallout 76: Enough with the hatred! The real review.
OK I know what you're thinking. This is just another review that is going to throw around taglines like, Fallout is dead, Fallout 76 is a lie, Don't waste your money!
If you've come here looking for that, sorry to disappoint. today I want to point out the features good and bad and what does Fallout 76 need to do to fulfill The Tod's dream of a long surviving online experience.
Fallout 76 is a prequel to every other Fallout game ever. Vault 76 is the first to open letting its dwellers out into the wasteland. It is up to you to blaze a trail through the wasteland along with your fellow vault dwellers.
While there is a thinly veiled story to begin your journey, there isn't much to go on, but the setup is the important thing to remember. You are the first vault to open making you the sole group of survivors on the surface.
Unfortunately the decision to remove all NPC's means you miss out on the meaningful interactions. Instead you are chasing voices of the long dead via holo tapes and minimal interactions with robots who really just speak at you not too you.
The main story is told by following markers point to point and reading journal notes to progress to the next marker.
Fallout 76 is more aimed towards a cooperative PVE game. The single player campaign is borderline boring on your own and playing with a group is where it shines.
So far in my time in the wastelands my interactions with other players has been minimal. Only in the first stages of the story has anyone wanted to group up, outside of that my style of play has me on a much different track to other players at my level. the world however does suffer from a sense of emptiness. More players in the same server would be a bonus especially given the size of the map.
PVP is near on non-existent it's there but the only way to initiate it is if both parties agree via an in game PVP request. Damage dealt to another player without agreeing to PVP is so small it is almost pointless.
Overall interaction with other players has been pretty positive without the usual griefing that can be a staple in online only games.
Visual there is not really any difference than Fallout 4. Other than a different colour pallet you're not going to be blown away. The staples are still there, a beautiful array of lighting and a varying landscape just ripe for exploration.
Gameplay is as you would expect from a Fallout title. First person or third person is available and it works well enough in either.
The usual glitches still seem to be there, walking on air, glitching and hitboxes out of whack, nothing game breaking, just the usual.
Game breaking though are the noticeable frame rate dips and freezes. Lag is forever present and sometimes bad enough to freeze the game and boot you altogether.
Enemies respawn way to quickly, sometimes in front of your eyes, meaning you are forever killing the same things over and over again just to loot a town.
Camp building is about as frustrating as can be with a controller and each time you log in requires you to re-build. It is really there for those that enjoy the building from Fallout 4 and given it is now portable and able to be built just about anywhere.
The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. makes a return with a twist. Leveling up gives you a pack of random perk cards to assign. The new system is flexible not locking you into a specific build type. This will be frustrating for some as the perks you receive are completely random.
If you're looking for something new or Fallout 5 you need to look elsewhere, but that doesn't mean Fallout 76 isn't a good game, in fact far from it.
Remember Fallout 76 is all about the exploration, after all you are the first vault to open after the bombs drop. Team up with friends and explore together, take risks and just have fun. Without this teamwork the true soul of Fallout just isn't here.
Unfortunately my time in the wasteland hasn't grabbed me enough to put Fallout 76 in front of other titles for a piece of my time. I'll check in now and again, but it won't be nearly often enough.
For Fallout 76 to survive the world needs to evolve with the player base. There is no point if 12 months down the track we are still wandering around a wasteland devoid of any life. If Bethesda are serious about this being a long term Fallout experience then as we explore and liberate areas, settlers need to move in. I can see Fallout 76 becoming something similar to ESO but with nukes.
Fallout 76 is a great base for what can grow into a great online gaming experience. I just hope that it does.
Xbox One S used for review.


Place Talks continues on Thursday the 14th with talks by Jenny Odell and Livia Foldes!
Sunday February 17: Wiki-a-Thon in the Library! (noon to 5) Hosted to Niki Korth! This event "brings together curious knowledge and cultural workers to create and improve Wikipedia articles and enrich other Wikimedia projects" This event is open to all but RSVP is requested (click here).
The evening of February 28 the Library will host an event to celebrate the publication of the 3rd volume of The Encyclopedia Project, co-edited by longtime Library friend Miranda Mellis…. [https://publicationstudio.biz/books/encyclopedia-project-vol-3/].


Threading is an ancient Middle Eastern technique that is becoming common in the United States with threading shops popping up in every big city as we speak. Many of the top beauty editors in NYC get their brows threaded rather than waxed.
New York's premier destination for all your threading and beauty needs. Professional threading studio located in the heart of east village St. marks place offers variety of services. The studio is dedicated to provide superior services in beauty care and their ultimate goal is to give their clients an unparalleled experience.
Our studio have built a loyal following by making the warm and inviting atmosphere of their studio as important as the services they offers which includes, Threading, Waxing, Facials, Henna Tattoos, Eyebrow & Eyelash Tint and Eyelash Extensions.
Love tattoo but don't want to go through the painful process of tattooing? Then try our herbal henna tattoo which is completely painless and safe.


We're gonna have a little fun this week.
You see, next week is my birthday.
Christmas time is quickly approaching.
Also, I have a lot of cookie recipes that I've made and need to share.
To start us off, a cookie-like breakfast recipe.
Technically they're muffins, but trust me...they're almost cookies. Like...eating cookies for breakfast prob. would be just as acceptable as these muffins, but since they're muffins they're breakfast food and you don't feel as guilty for eating them in the morning. Ya know?
Soft and fluffy, like a muffin.
Oatmeal, chocolate chips, and all the brown sugar goodness of a cookie.
There's really nothing not to like about these.
Optional: coarse/turbinado sugar, to sprinkle.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
In a bowl or measuring cup, combine oats and 1/2 cup milk. Let soak 5-10 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk egg and brown sugar until smooth and caramel colored.
Whisk (or use an electric mixer to beat) vanilla and butter into the egg and sugar until smooth-there may be some small chunks of butter, though.
Mix flour, oat mixture, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the large bowl.
Stir in the rest of the milk until smooth.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into each lined muffin cup. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.
Bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean.
Ohhh just pretend it is!


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Steiner Management AB
Review of the book: ITER - The Giant Fusion Reactor
by Michel Claessens
It´s a thrilling, informative and important book. A splendid story-telling about fusion science, energy and sustainability at the arena of global politics and science.
I invite every student in technology, environmental science, political science and philosophy and of cause every politician to read the book and reflect. What do you think? Can hydrogen fusion, naturally occurring in the sun, be replicated on earth? Is it entirely possible that fusion energy will change the course of civilization?
I think that everyone who reads the book realize how such an extremely complex and long-lived project is now halfway constructed, and how determined the scientist and politicians behind the fusion story are and have been. A story started by Soviet and Western scientists discussing their fusion ideas in Harwell 1956, followed by President Ronald Reagan, USA and Secretary General of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev setting up a joint program for fusion energy in1985. Afterwards you embrace the goodhearted policy, (think you) understand the science behind and how the scientists theories and arguments differs. That's really good pedagogics!
The headlines and contents are highlighted by relevant critical questions which pull your attention to continue reading. The disposition and the easy readable text gives you a glimpse of each step for- and backward, both in science, policies and funding. The author highlights the importance of the new project- and construction-oriented ITER Director General Bernard Bigot who, when appointed in 2015, took a lot of good and critical decisions i.e. reserve fund, risk management and human resource policies. His new management got the whole ITER ship on its right keel again. Thanks to him!
The chapters about management, safe and clean environment, commercial potential and communication are the most important as they talk, question and address young people for their opinions.
How a future fusion power plant will work is described in just 9 lines on page 62-63! That gives us, without a technical or scientific degree motivation to continue the reading. We recognize words like Tower of Babel, High-Tech Meccano, Holy Grail and Biggest Puzzle combined with references to classics like Galbraith. That gives us self-confidence. But it´s not necessary any longer to avoid the nuclear word. The "radioactive" generations are all soon retired. Today Radio Active is a commercial radio station in Sweden.
Technology diplomacy is really a good expression of how ITER is created. A patient and trustful 35 years of cooperation have just passed halftime in constructing the ITER facility. Another 15 years or more will follow. In the meantime 7 members representing 35 countries and 4000 employees are building global bridges over different policies, cultures, languages, religions and values. That's in my opinion the greatest ability of ITER worth to be inherit.
Will fusion become commercial? Does it means that the "gain factor" has to be a multiple of 10 (10-fold return of energy), or is it enough with 3? Well, there are already high-profile investors putting billions in the embryonic market of fusion reactors. Among them Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and 13 companies are at stake. The new born European company Renaissance fusion (www.stellarator.energy) aims to put fusion electricity in the grid by 2032. What a trademark! Will the billionaires succeed? High risk in long-term investment? They have made it before.
The book gives me an association to the famous words of President J.F. Kennedy: We are going to the moon not because it´s easy, but because it's hard. I also associates to the Nobel Prize´s idea "for the greatest benefit of all mankind". It's a duty for us elder to communicate this great ongoing science story and inject hope for young people. If we want a more sustainable future it´s time to start LISTEN TO THE SCIENCE and discuss how we going to do. Take part of ITER - Read this important book!
I´m proud to notice two Swedes who in an early stage contributed to ITER:
IAEA´s former Director General Sigvard Eklund (1911-2000). He was one of the few who was convinced that fusions activities needed to be coordinated at the global level.
Swedish minister of education and research 1998-2004 Thomas Östros. At the Council of EU ministers in 2000 there was a technical proposal enabling the EU to take part in the ITER negotiations. Only the Swedish Minister encouraged at that time the EU to commit to ITER.


The delete command "del" now has a switch "/s" that provides for deletions in subfolders. Thus the commanddel /s myfolder\* will delete all files in myfolder and all files in any subfolders of myfolder. Note the convenient asterisk wildcard "*", which allows for multiple deletions in a single user operation. Together with the switch "/s", a single "del" command can clean out Temp folders and do other useful housekeeping chores. Another switch "/f" will force the deletion of read-only files. If you are sure about what is being deleted, add the "/q" switch to run in quiet mode so you aren't asked if you really want to delete for every single file. Because of its power, this extended del command has to be used carefully. Any files deleted this way do not go into the Recycle Bin but are permanently removed.
To delete only files with a particular extension EXT, use the commanddel /s myfolder\*.ext Note that this command will delete all files of a particular type in a folder and all its subfolders. One example of its use is to get rid of all temporary files with the extension TMP.
The command "rmdir" or its twin "rd" are also expanded compared to the old DOS version. To remove folders (directories), use "rmdir" (just "rd" will also work). Folders must be empty before they can be deleted. However, there is a switch "/s" for deleting subfolders and with this switch files are also deleted. It is like the old command "deltree". The command rd /s myfolder will remove "myfolder" and everything in it. Adding the switch /q for a "quiet" mode is also possible.
Options have also been added to the command for making folders. The command "mkdir" or "md" can now make a whole tree. For example, consider the commandmd new\new1\new2 This will create a folder "new" with a subfolder "new1" that in turn has a subfolder "new2".
For copying large numbers of files or backing up a large folder, the command line is often the fastest and easiest way to go. The command "xcopy" is a very useful and powerful command for this purpose. (The old DOS also had an "xcopy" command but it sometimes had trouble with long file names. The XP version has no such problems.) "xcopy" comes with an alphabet soup of assorted switches that give it great versatility for use as a file backup utility. Enter "xcopy /?" in a command prompt to see them all. For example with the switch "/d:[mm-dd-yyy]" only files changed after a given date are copied. A command that will copy all files from the folder myfolder that have changed since June 1, 2003 to the folder mybackup is given byxcopy myfolder mybackup /d:06-01-2003 If no date is specified the switch "/d" will copy all files that have changed at any time.As is true in general, if there are spaces in a name, the path and file name have to be enclosed in quotes. Adding the switch "/s" provides that subfolders and their contents will also be copied. Other switches provide for read-only and hidden files. Altogether, there are something like 27 command line options for xcopy. More information is on this page.
How to list files with "dir"
The "dir" command is not new but it remains one of the most useful for average PC users. If you have ever wanted to make a list of all the files contained in a particular folder, you will have discovered that the Windows GUI provides no easy way to do this. It is very straightforward, however, when using the command line. The command "dir myfolder" will list the files and folders contained in myfolder. Again, there are switches that provide for various modifications of the command. For example "/h" will show hidden files and "/s" will list the contents of sub-folders in addition to those of the main folder. Of course, the normal output of the command is to the screen. To output to a file instead of the screen, the command isdir myfolder >listmyfolder.txt where ">" is the redirection symbol. The file "listmyfolder.txt" will be created by the command. Output can also be redirected straight to a printer on the LPT1 port but I think it is better to first create a file and then print from there if hardcopy is desired. These lists can be a lot longer than you might think. (These days most printers are on USB, anyway.) This use of dir is also available in Windows 98/Me.
The dir command can also be used to list only files with a given extension. For exampledir myfolder\*.doc /s >listmyfolder.txt will list all Microsoft Word files in myfolder and its subfolders. This form of the command will also list all the directories and sub-directories. If you want a list of filenames only, add the switch /b. The filename will include the full path.
Renaming a a large number of files can be tedious. The command ren (also written rename) is somewhat limited but its ability to use wild cards can sometimes be useful. The basic command is ren file1 file2 The renamed file has to stay in the same folder as the original; this command cannot move files to another folder. The wildcard capability can be used to change the extension of all files of a certain type. Thus ren *.txt *.doc will rename all text files to have a DOC extension.
The command "move" takes a file from one folder and puts it in another. Its ability to use wild cards makes it useful for moving all the files of a given type to another location. A command of the typemove /y folder1\*.mp3 folder2\will move all MP3 files from folder1 to folder2. The switch " /y" is used if you want to prevent the system from asking if it should overwrite existing files of the same name. To prevent overwriting, use the switch "/-y".
Changing file attributes with "attrib"
Another older command that I find handy is "subst". There are certain folders that I use over and over and I like to have ready access to them. One way to do this is to use the command "subst" to assign a drive letter to a folder. Since drives are at the top of My Computer and any folder trees in browse lists, it makes the folder very easy to get to. To map the "Z:" drive to a folder "myfolder", entersubst z: myfolder Unless you are working from the parent folder of "myfolder" you will need the full path for it. The assignment only lasts until the user logs off or the computer is shut down so I have a one-line batch file in my Startup folder that reinstitutes the assignment.
There are so many commands that we can only give the briefest sketches here. A list of some that I think might be useful on home computers is given here. I urge you to look into as many as possible since I feel you will be surprised at how useful some can be. For example, there are a whole host of commands for checking network functions and for use on the Internet. (Many have names that begin with "net…") There are new ones as well as versions of the well-known commands such as "ping" and "tracert". As more and more people have home networks, these commands are assuming greater significance to the average PC user. Go to this page for more discussion of some networking commands.
Average PC users are not always comfortable using the command line and I have used VBScripts to wrap some of the examples discussed above with an easy-to-use graphical interface. Description of the free scripts and instructions for their use and downloading are at a sister site.


Books about adventure, travel, and high suspense. Pirates and military men, cowboys and women in love. Here you'll find spacemen on Mars and lost civilizations. You will discover books about strange events and wild cliff-hangers. Enjoy these books of action and adventure.
Books about adventure, travel, and high suspense. Pirates and military men, cowboys and women in love. Here you'll find spacemen on Mars and lost civilizations.


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Home / Tech / News / The Inflatable Trump-Chicken, Return of the Mooch, and the Week's Biggest Online News
The Inflatable Trump-Chicken, Return of the Mooch, and the Week's Biggest Online News
admin August 14, 2017	News Leave a comment 288 Views
In science news, our nation has accelerated its hell-in-a-handbasket journey such that it can cover a decade's worth of entropy in a mere half-year.
https://twitter.com/OliverSava/status/895814058951266306
Which makes sense, given that Donald Trump is actually talking as if nuclear war isn't entirely off the table right now. In fact, we should probably just stop talking about this and move along, lest certain bellicose politicians be reminded of certain cartoonishly aggressive stances. So, gang, what happened online this week?
The Chicken and The Eggs (This Pun Would Work Better If Anonymous Twitter Accounts Still Has Egg Avatars)
What Happened: We regret to inform you that your animalistic avatar of the Resistance has been stolen by the enemy.
Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports
What Really Happened: This one might work best if we start without any context. It was, after all, the way that most people found out about it in the first place:
https://twitter.com/RebeccaShabad/status/895353049501372417
https://twitter.com/brycetache/status/895408366574600192
Yes, there really was an inflatable Trump chicken on the White House lawn. His name is Donny and—of course—he has a Twitter account.
Perhaps surprisingly, he's not a commentary about Trump's increasingly hawklike stance, but about Trump's reluctance to release his own taxes. Regardless, a funny thing happened on Twitter: the chicken got co-opted (coop-ted?) by Trump supporters:
https://twitter.com/American1765/status/895453110864420865
https://twitter.com/thedonaldreddit/status/895634318952865793
https://twitter.com/PrisonPlanet/status/895591934613348353
No, really; there's a collection of the pro-Trump chicken memes on Breitbart of all places. The internet is a weird and wonderful place.
The Takeaway: Look, someone had to say it:
https://twitter.com/taradublinrocks/status/895421870979375104
Hell Hath No Fury Like a President's Threat
What Happened: No big deal, just the President of the United States promising to rain down "fire and fury like the world has never seen" on another country, which is totally normal and not terrifying at all.
What Really Happened: If there's one thing you really want to hear the President of the United States say when he's talking about a foreign adversary with nuclear capabilities threatening the U.S., it's promising "fire and fury" if they don't shape up. Who even says such things, anyway?
https://twitter.com/kurteichenwald/status/895011562473369601
https://twitter.com/owillis/status/895015491319861248
Yes, Twitter was appropriately impressed by the warning, as you might have imagined.
https://twitter.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/895023713002958854
https://twitter.com/joeltyler_/status/895117742872956932
https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/895239386199097344
However, it did play well to a certain audience. (Which wasn't anyone in North Korea, of course.)
https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/895020208066252800
https://twitter.com/ArizonaKayte/status/895037523075792896
https://twitter.com/cvpayne/status/895230999533154305
After it was said, many started to wonder just how official the language was. After all, did the U.S. military really want to be promising potential pre-emptive strikes on other countries? Turns out, probably not.
https://twitter.com/PhilipRucker/status/895291931458142209
https://twitter.com/jdawsey1/status/895310022502219776
The Takeaway: Days later, as the world was ready to perhaps back down from the posturing, the President decided to go in a different direction, suggesting it wasn't "tough enough" and tweeting… well, this:
Yup, we're all going to die.
Return Of The Mooch
What Happened: After a media silence as brief as his tenure as White House Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci returned to the public eye with a tweet that probably sounded better in his head.
What Really Happened: Hey, guess who's back? Anthony Scaramucci, onetime White House communications director and permanent punchline, who prepared for his big return to television with a tweet that tried to set the agenda and … well, let's just see what happened, shall we?
https://twitter.com/Scaramucci/status/895446138467172352
Sure, that's a handy 1990s reference potentially lost on the younger readers in the audience (Spoiler for the Clinton scandals if you're curious), but what did it actually mean?
https://twitter.com/rolandscahill/status/895446761376010241
The problem is, it's not actually that simple:
https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/895447227400716288
https://twitter.com/PrincessSoupCan/status/895454724702392320
There are, of course, some problems with the analogy, as others were eager to share:
https://twitter.com/SuzanneKelleher/status/895447693446852609
https://twitter.com/jonathanchait/status/895447321747623940
But wait! Who would know about this better than a certain political icon from the 1990s? (No, not Hillary Clinton; what, you think she's that desperate to promote her new book?)
https://twitter.com/MonicaLewinsky/status/895625851760504832
Yes, that's right—Monica Lewinsky herself ended up commenting on the tweet, leading to the most unexpected, wonderful thing online this week: A miniature Monica Lewinsky appreciation revival:
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/895666677018378240
https://twitter.com/jonronson/status/895704183432634368
https://twitter.com/arig49324897/status/895736513425813505
The whole thing, of course was exactly the kind of thing reporters wanted. Could this be the rare political story in which everyone win? Except for Anthony Scaramucci's self-respect, that is?
The Takeaway: Hey, I wonder how the Mooch is preparing for that Stephen Colbert appearance, anyway?
What Happened: During a sexual harassment trial, Taylor Swift takes a stand on the stand, and the internet is divided about just what that means.
What Really Happened: So, Taylor Swift is currently in court with a sexual harassment lawsuit against a DJ that groped her. Because she's Taylor Swift, it's something that's been getting a lot of attention, and stirring up a lot of passion online:
https://twitter.com/MOGirlProbs/status/895134583339048960
https://twitter.com/shadesofslaylor/status/895680957721620480
https://twitter.com/KieranGormley_/status/895682759489933313
https://twitter.com/kimbann/status/895610769588580353
Swift's fearless testimony has been drawing attention, as well, deservedly:
https://twitter.com/Clayton_Sandell/status/895670919888121856
Of course, again because she's Taylor Swift, the haters have also come out with a passion, and it's been… well, pretty gross, really:
https://twitter.com/TaylorMasaryk/status/895068726332194817
https://twitter.com/rexcunningham/status/895624100923805696
https://twitter.com/EmitSky/status/895654328484102146
If only there was a pithy way to respond to that kind of crap…
https://twitter.com/laurenduca/status/895737568242712576
Oh, that'll do it.
The Takeaway: No punchline this time, just this simple summation of the whole thing and its wider cultural implications:
https://twitter.com/alilutz96/status/895531110389747712
Throw Out Your Arms For A New Sound
What Happened: Think you've heard the last of lazy millennial memes about avocados? Not so fast.
What Really Happened: Hey, fellow kids! Time Magazine is totally on your wavelength and, like, groks what you're all talking about!
https://twitter.com/TIME/status/895372882594983936
"Hold my…" what? From the article itself, ""Hold my avocado" is a riff on two things. First, it takes advantage of the 'hold my beer' dialogue construction that's become an internet joke to represent how politicians, brands, or other entities play a race-to-the-bottom game of putting their feet in their mouths."
Admittedly, the idea actually came from a tweet, but does that mean that Twitter was ready to accept the phrase? All together now: NOT! SO! MUCH!
https://twitter.com/evepeyser/status/895642796668801024
https://twitter.com/MorganJerkins/status/895643823581298690
https://twitter.com/jcobevans/status/895644091051941888
https://twitter.com/HeteroMLGVet/status/895692196896268289
So, while Time tried to use Twitter as a barometer for millennial tastes, it became a laughing stock across the internet. This truly is the circle of life.
The Takeaway: But has anyone given any thought as to the real reason Time was trying to make this latest fetch happen?!?
https://twitter.com/fartyowls1/status/895658268302782464
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Increased scrutiny seen to benefit B Corps
Posted on December 8, 2017 December 14, 2017 by anchorhost
Members of the coLAB team, from left Kate Gallagher, Courtney Rinden, Caitlyn Bordon and Bree Gillespie hosted a celebration Nov. 29 to commemorate the company's certification as a B Corporation. Based at Lancaster coworking space the Candy Factory, coLAB is a consulting firm that helps nonprofits. – (Photo / Amy Spangler)
The owners of The Stroopie Co. didn't need a label to let customers know they wanted to make more than profits and cookies. But they decided to pursue one anyway.
The business, which bakes and sells crispy Pennsylvania Dutch cinnamon cookies, was founded in 2008 with a mission of providing employment to refugee women. Jennie Groff and her husband, Jonathan, doubled down on that cause when they assumed ownership of the business in 2010, even taking the top prize in The Great Social Enterprise Pitch, a local competition for socially responsible businesses.
The Groffs decided to take the company's mission one step further by becoming a certified Benefit Corporation. The certification, also known as B Corp certification, comes from B Lab, a Philadelphia-area nonprofit that combs through companies' operations for evidence of socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
The Stroopie Co. is now one of 56 Pennsylvania businesses to boast B Corp certification. The Groffs see the recognition as a formalization of their for-profit company's commitment to a cause.
The certification, though, exists outside of any legislative framework and carries no direct legal or financial benefits. And business owners that opt to pursue it have to pay fees based on the size of their company and, in many cases, commit dozens of hours to the application and documentation process. They must also adopt enough B Lab-approved procedures — like offering employees paid time off for volunteering or creating written policies for prioritizing local vendors — to receive the requisite 80 of 200 possible points on B Lab's assessment.
The commitment needed to pass muster with B Lab — on top of the fact that certification carries no promise of financial benefits — might be why The Stroopie Co. is one of only four midstate businesses that can boast a B Lab seal of approval. Other companies have gained certification over the years but were not recertified, another level of scrutiny to which B Corps have to commit every several years.
The expense in time and resources has not dissuaded the Groffs. Nor has it dissuaded a growing number of other business owners, mostly in Lancaster County, from chasing the B Corp label. At least 70 businesses in and around Lancaster have taken an initial assessment this year, with hopes of either becoming fully certified or at least learning some good business practices from the process.
Many feel that adding an additional layer of scrutiny to their practices is simply the right thing to do.
"These businesses we have in our hands are incredible gifts to nurture and use well," Jennie Groff said. "This is just one more way we can do that."
Good for business?
Central Pennsylvania's other three certified B Corps are consulting firms Work Wisdom LLC and coLab Inc., and painting contractor Two Dudes Painting Co. All four companies are based in Lancaster.
Leaders at these businesses said they, like Groff, felt that B Corp certification provided an extra layer of authenticity to social and environmental practices they already had in place.
Two Dudes is the oldest and largest of the midstate's B Corps, with 53 employees and a history dating back to 1987. Company co-founder Peter Barber started pursuing the B Corp certification around early 2016 before receiving the official approval in September of that year.
The biggest hurdle in the certification proved not to be implementing major policy changes, but rather documenting informal practices and principles that already existed, Barber said. The company, for example, had a general preference for local vendors before starting the certification process, but had no written buy-local strategy. It also tried to save energy where it could, but had never formalized a framework for doing so.
"There's nobody out there that's going to tell you their business doesn't care about the community, they don't care about their workers. Everybody is going to talk the game that they're doing that kind of stuff," Barber said. "How do you create very definitive standards?"
Kate Gallagher, CEO of coLab, and Kedren Crosby, president of Work Wisdom, say they had similar experiences.
Both consulting firms were founded specifically for the purpose of creating positive social impact — coLab through consulting services for nonprofits, and Work Wisdom through consulting services for socially responsible organizations. But putting everything into writing, they said, took time.
Crosby estimates the process took her company about four months from start to finish before it received certification this past March. Gallagher's firm, which was already legally structured as a benefit corporation at the state level, received its certification this November after several months of trying to find time for the process while juggling all of the other obligations that come with running a business.
That's not to say they did not have to make any changes. Gallagher, for example, added a money-back guarantee into coLab's contracts — a big step for a consulting firm that might devote months of services to a single client.
Gallagher, Crosby, Barber and Groff all say the process was worth the effort — and not just for the privilege of putting a B Corp certification logo on their websites.
While Two Dudes cannot attribute any increase in business directly to its B Corp certification, Barber said, the process of taking B Lab's assessments and learning how to formalize certain business practices likely made the company more efficient.
"Has it gotten us more work? I don't know," Barber said. "Has it made us more profitable? It may have."
B Corp certification also adds a layer of formality to a company's business practice if it ever needs to bring on new investors or sell to a new owner, Groff said.
On top of that advantage, the label has given Stroopie an avenue through which to share its story with other companies looking to make a positive impact in their communities.
"I kind of have a family of other businesses that are working toward similar things," Groff said.
Lancaster leads the way
All four of the midstate's B Corps call Lancaster County home. The Lancaster area, in fact, ranks second in the state for total number of B Corps. Only Philadelphia — which hosts 25 — has more.
The nonprofit ASSETS sits at the hub of much of the county's B Corp buzz. The Lancaster-based organization, which offers business development programs focused on addressing social disparities, has been educating the businesses with which it works about the certification, encouraging them to at least go through B Lab's initial impact assessment.
The free assessment is catered to businesses based on factors like size and industry and generally takes between one and three hours to complete, according to B Lab. It gives companies a framework through which they can start thinking about ways to improve their social and environmental impact — even if full certification is not in the cards.
The assessment is also a key tenet of B Lab's Measure What Matters program, which provides guidelines for organizations like ASSETS that want to help businesses find quantifiable, concrete ways to increase their positive social and environmental impact while increasing profits.
ASSETS hopes to see 10 percent of Lancaster County's 12,000 to 15,000 businesses take the assessment in the next three to five years, said Craig Dalen, a former B Lab employee who now serves as ASSETS' director of impact business strategy.
Dalen also hopes to see between 120 and 150 businesses go on to gain full B Corp certification.
It is a lofty goal, but one Dalen feels confident Lancaster County's businesses will meet. The county already has a strong record of corporate responsibility, he said, as evidenced by companies' contributions to events like The Extraordinary Give, a countywide effort that raised more than $8 million for local charities in November.
Dalen knows the full certification process can feel daunting, both to small business with few resources to spare and large companies with complicated procedures that might take significant time to change. But he feels confident businesses will rise to the challenge — for the sake of both their communities and their own bottom lines.
B Corp versus benefit corporation
Not all B Lab-certified B Corps are legally structured as benefit corporations, and not all benefit corporations are B Lab-certified B Corps.
Business owners can structure their companies as benefit corporations or benefit LLCs under Pennsylvania law, in much the same way that they can choose to be S corps, C corps, sole proprietorships or any other kind of business.
Legally defined benefit corporations must submit annual reports to shareholders outlining the ways in which they contributed to the public good. These reports are also shared with the state, making them a matter of public record.
The benefit corporation structure is available only at the state level, and only in certain states. Companies registered as benefit corporations in their home states have to register under different business structures — like LLCs or C corps — at the federal level.
B Lab's B Corp certification, on the other hand, is a label that has no ties to a business's legal structure. It is similar to the LEED certification for environmentally friendly buildings in that it is connected not to legal requirements but rather the standards of a non-governmental nonprofit.
B Lab strongly encourages its certified B Corps that are not structured as benefit corporations to pursue becoming one in states that offer the option to do so.
Lancaster B Corps
The Stroopie Co.
Description: Cookie maker with an emphasis on hiring refugees
Number of employees: Seven
B Lab-certified: May 2016
Two Dudes Painting Co.
Description: Commercial and residential painting company
B Lab-certified: September 2016
Work Wisdom LLC
Description: Consulting firm with a focus on workplace culture
Number of employees: Zero (Six consultants provide services as independent contractors)
B Lab-certified: March 2017
coLab Inc.
Description: Consulting firm with a focus on nonprofits
Number of employees: Four
B Lab-certified: November 2017
Business owners can take B Lab's free impact assessment test at bimpactassessment.net/assets. Creating an account on the site will also put the test taker in touch with ASSETS, which can answer further questions.
ASSETS is also hosting a series of seminars over the next several months focused on socially responsible business practices. More information is available at assetspa.org.
ASSETS works primarily with companies in Lancaster County but is also able to provide guidance and resources to businesses in other parts of the midstate.


Project CATCH partners met again at the 6th international meeting in Nida, Lithuania at 8-9th November 2018.
At the meeting the results of joint work of the project partners were presented. This is particularly about the already prepared website http://www.fishingsouthbaltic.eu/ and the program of the final conference of the Catch project that will take place in Poland in the seaside town of Dźwirzyno in April 2019.


Place one tea bag in a single serve pot. For best results, use a prewarmed pot.
Pour boiling water over the tea bag. Cover pot and allow to steep.
Recommended steeping time: 3 to 5 minutes or to desired strength. Allow customers to serve from pot.
Serve with a wedge of lemon on side of cup as garnish.
Place one tea bag in a cup. For best results, use a prewarmed cup.
Pour boiling water over the tea bag. Allow to steep while in transit to the table.
Recommended steep time: 3 to 5 minutes or to desired strength.
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