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How to Write a Love Song
Hitmaker Diane Warren unpacks the complicated alchemy involved in penning the perfect ballad.
words by T. Cole Rachel, photography by arianna lago
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IF YOU ARE reading this, there is absolutely zero chance that you, dear reader, have not at some point in your life hummed along with, cried to, belted out, or in some way, shape, or form, had a major life experience set to a song written by Diane Warren. This is not hyperbole, just a simple statement of fact. As one of the most successful living songwriters of our time, Diane Warren's cultural reach is nearly unrivaled. Since the mid-1980s Warren has amassed a massive catalog of tunes that includes nine No. 1 songs and 32 top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, with cultural juggernauts such as Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time," Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me," Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart," and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." Her songs have been featured in more than 100 movies, garnering her 13 Oscar nominations (including one this year for "Somehow You Do"), not to mention 15 Grammy nods and six Golden Globe nominations (and two wins). She has written songs in every conceivable genre and format, from '80s hair metal to slinky R&B to voluminous pop, and has served as a go-to writer for the likes of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Mary J. Blige.
While her fingerprints are all over the past four decades of popular music, Warren is particularly untouchable when it comes to penning grandiose power ballads — the sweeping, chest-thumping, cry-your-eyes-out, and burn-your-own-house-down kind of songs that stir even the coldest of hearts. In the hands of the right vocalists, these songs can define entire careers. And somewhere in the world, at any given time, there is a drag queen lip-synching to a Diane Warren song, while somewhere else — right this very second — there is someone driving and singing along to a Diane Warren–penned banger, loudly and outrageously out of tune.
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Diane Warren, with her instruments in one of the many rooms of the studio.
So as we move into February, the most romantic and emotionally charged month of the year, who better to talk to than the legend herself about the objective value of a power ballad, and the power of love. I sat down with Diane Warren and eagerly listened as she spoke about the emotional currency of love songs, the mysterious mechanics of songwriting, and why all the best tunes have at least one thing in common — they make you feel something.
You've been writing songs for a long time now. Has your process changed over the years?
Not really. Basically, I'm in a room by myself all the time. During lockdown, I was like, "Look, I sit in a room by myself. What's the difference?" I'll tell you what the difference was though. I usually have people here working for me, and guess what? They weren't here during the lockdown. I found it to be totally freeing.
Usually I write in my main room, but I have another room with a piano that I'm not usually in because there are people all around there. I was in there too, so I kind of could switch it up, and nobody was there to annoy me, except me. I can annoy myself too. But it was great. I got a lot done, and also it was pretty easy to reach artists. No one was on tour, so I had a lot of Zooms with a lot of artists, and got a lot of stuff done.
I do what I do all the time. I put my blinders on, and I just go to work. That's just what I do every day. I was writing right before I got here, and I'm going to do it again when we're done talking.
So has your creative process become even more insular than it was before?
No, I'm doing the same thing I was doing when I was 15 years old when my dad put a shed in my backyard so my parents didn't have to hear me play the same song over and over, which is what I'm doing when I'm writing. It's no different. I think I'm hopefully better than I was then, but the process is the same. I always say it's simply showing up. So I go to work every day and I believe that the more you write, the better you become. It's like being an athlete; the more you work, your muscles grow. If you want to be in the Olympics you're going to have to practice every day. I practice by writing songs every day and I think I'm writing my best songs right now. It's not like I'm sitting on a beach somewhere waiting to be inspired. It doesn't work like that.
I was 15 years old when my dad put a shed in my backyard so my parents didn't have to hear me play the same song over and over.
Because you've written so many huge ballads and songs about heartbreak, people must assume you are an expert on love. Are you? Many artists are drawn to writing about something for the opposite reason — because they don't know anything about it and they are trying to understand.
I mean, I love what I write and I stand behind everything I write. But in my real life, I don't want someone who's staying awake just to hear me breathe, like the lyrics in "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." If someone were to say that to me, I think I'd be like, "Get the fuck out of here." I don't personally know a lot about love. I know I love my friends and I love my family. I love music. I love my cat. But I'm not the expert at love because I've never really been in it like most people. And it's never been a priority for me.
I know a lot of filmmakers, and often there is this idea when making a movie that there are so many things that have to come together perfectly in order for a movie to work. And if any one of those components is wrong, then the whole thing can fail.
Same thing with songs. Same thing with a hit record. A million things have to go right. Start out with the same metaphor. A movie has to have a great script. It just does. Then you have to build from there. It has to be shot right. It has to be cast right. It has to be promoted right. It's the same with a record. Even if I write a great song, it still has to be produced right. It has to get the right artist. It has to have a machine behind it that gets it heard.
I know it's an imprecise sort of alchemy, but why do certain songs reverberate at the right emotional level for people to connect with them while others don't?
Who knows? I just try to write the best song I can write and then you hope that it finds the best home. I just finished a song two days ago and I heard somebody in my head — I'm not going to say who it was — and I texted that artist. I got together with him last night because I heard him singing it in my head. I usually don't write something for somebody, but this was something I really heard. And literally the day after I wrote it, I was in the studio hearing him sing the song and it was like, "What a cool thing." I think this song with this artist, at the right time, I think it's going to be a massive hit. I'm really glad this artist hit me back because literally as soon as I finished the song, I texted him like, "I know you don't really do other people's songs, but you kind of need to hear this one."
As a songwriter, do you have to divorce yourself from the song at a certain point and just let it go out into the world?
Yeah, you kind of have to. But, and also when I give up a song to an artist, I'm not always there in the studio with them. Sometimes I am. Sometimes I'm not. I have to realize that that song is their record now. I'm such a control freak with the songs, so sometimes when artists are doing vocals, I don't even go in the studio. I'll be down the hall because I'll be like, "No, that's the wrong melody. You're not singing it right." And no one wants to hear that. At the right time, I can say something if it's integral to the song, but mostly you do have to realize that it's the artist's record at that point. I might have written the song, but then it becomes theirs. And so there's something about letting go in that.
One of Diane Warren's special chairs takes the form of a boxing glove.
There are songs of yours that are so iconic that they will be a part of the popular consciousness forever. But there must be a lot of songs you have a fondness for that never became hits, where you think, "Why not that one?"
I have lots of them. I have so many, I don't even know where to start, but one just popped into my head. I did a song for the Pet Shop Boys called "Numb." That is one of my favorite songs. And people love the song. Just because something isn't a top 10 record doesn't mean the song doesn't have a life. You don't always realize that songs reach people and touch people and change people and make them feel better in ways you might never know. So some song might not necessarily be my biggest hit, but still be something that really had an impact on people.
I have a song called "Painted on My Heart" that the Cult did. I love that song. To me, that should have been a bigger hit than "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." But you never know. There's a lot that goes into it. Maybe the record label didn't get behind it like they should have. That's happened a lot of times too. You never know.
You're also someone who has worked in every possible genre.
I work in all genres. I've even worked with rappers. I worked with Snoop and got him to sing on a song called "The Good Shit," which became "The Good Good" because he didn't want to say shit, which was really weird. I got censored by Snoop. But I write in every genre, whether it's country, R&B, rock, classical. I've done a lot of stuff in Latin music. I'm kind of all over the place, which I love.
To me, there are two genres — it's either good or bad.
Were you that kind of music listener when you were a kid?
Yeah, because I got to grow up in the best time ever to grow up — in the '60s. And I also have older sisters, so I got to listen to all of their music. When I was growing up, the radio was everything. Top 40 was everything. It was Motown. It was Frank Sinatra. It was the Beatles. It was everything. It was Marvin Gaye. It wasn't so rigidly formatted. I do think it's interesting that kids now are kind of returning to that way of experiencing music. They listen to everything. That's why there's no such thing really as genres. To me, there are two genres — it's either good or bad. But to answer your question, I was always a sponge. I'm a sponge now. Everything that I hear kind of comes into my music. I'll write a ballad and end up with rap phrasing in it. I'm like, cool, that's interesting how that popped in there.
Is there such a thing as a perfect song?
I hate perfection … except in the songs. It's really weird. I want my songs to be perfect, but I don't want the records and recording to be perfect. I like the messes and mistakes that make it feel human. If it's an emotional performance, even if it's not exactly perfect, you feel it.
It doesn't matter what it is, even if it's the most commercially popular song in the world, as long as it's infused with some sort of genuine emotion when you hear it.
Yeah. That's the thing. It's really about that. You've got to feel something. And I love great records and great production stuff, but the song has to be there and it has to make you feel something. The songs that last are the ones that make you feel something. They'll make you feel something now and they'll make you feel something in 50 years.
A note, found in the piano recording room.
Sashimi, the studio cat Diane Warren found in the streets, poses atop the studio equipment.
I thought that was what was so interesting about the reaction to the Beatles documentary. It not only reignited something about why those songs were so meaningful, but to see how they were actually made — that they didn't just emerge fully formed — was somehow shocking.
Yeah! Also it's like, wow, real musicians, real songs. I am lucky enough to have worked with two Beatles on my songs. I've worked with a lot of amazing people, but to have two of the Beatles … you know, if you had told the childhood version of me — and I was lucky enough to have seen the Beatles twice, thanks to my older sisters, at the Hollywood Bowl — I just would never have imagined it. Like, "Holy shit, there's two Beatles on my song." The Beatles documentary is great to watch because there are no computers. They are actually playing real instruments. What a concept, right? There's a lot of writing now that is all computerized. Not that you can't make a good song that way, but sometimes I'm kind of shocked that I'll have somebody come in and they don't know what a chord is. It's kind of mind-boggling. But then there are also great musicians. I was just talking to my engineer about how weird it is when someone is a really good musician. It's weird that it's weird.
When your whole life revolves around making music and working with musicians and singers, how does that affect your relationship to listening to music?
Well, I listen to be aware of everything because I work with a lot of these artists, so I have to do that. But it's hard for me to listen as a listener because I'm always analyzing stuff. And when I'm at home, I don't listen to music because I'm doing it all day long. The last thing I want to do is go home and listen to more music.
How do you feel about people covering your songs?
I love it. You know what I love doing? I love going on YouTube and hearing different covers of my songs. Last week someone tagged me in this really great version of "Blame It on the Rain." I hit this guy back and I'm like, "Put this shit out because this is cool. And that is a song that could be a hit again." He flipped it. It was really cool.
You recently put out your first proper solo album, which has a million amazing people — Celine, John Legend, Ty Dolla Sign, Maren Morris — performing your songs. As a songwriter, do you ever have performer envy? Did you ever want to be the person up there onstage? Songwriters don't always get the same attention the performers do, obviously.
Yeah, but we're not supposed to. Look, I'm lucky that some people know my name as a songwriter, but I don't mind if they don't because that's not my job. I'm not the star. Even on my record, I wasn't used to having my name being before the artist's names. I'm happy if it's just their name. But I guess it's my record so it kind of had to be there. But when I first wanted to be a songwriter, it was all about who was in the parentheses on the 45s singles — back in the days of dinosaurs, when there were 45s singles. I would see those little parentheses where the songwriter's name was, and that's what I wanted to be. It wasn't the name on the front of the record, it was the name in the parentheses. It's fine with me.
A big emotional ballad? I fucking love writing that.
It's also cool, as a songwriter, that you've been around long enough to see your songs interpreted by multiple people.
That's the cool thing. And some people will go, "Oh, well someone else did that song. I can't do it." I'm like, "That's stupid. Just make it your own." For example, Beyonce did my song, "I Was Here," and people really love that song. It became a graduation anthem, which is ironic since I myself basically dropped out of college and barely graduated high school and was kicked out of two junior highs, but that's a whole other thing. Anyway, Beyonce recorded this song originally and then Dame Shirley Bassey covered it. The versions are totally opposite. Beyonce's version is so good. And then I heard Shirley Bassey [and] I'm like, "Fuck, that's just great." It's coming from a different place because with Beyonce, it's like, "I was here, I lived, I love." It's almost like what she's going to do. And Shirley Bassey's version is like looking back on her life. And it's so powerful. I'm like, "I got fucking Shirley Bassey singing my song." It's pretty fucking cool.
Your work will always be connected, in some way, with Celine Dion. How do you feel about that?
She is incredible. And I remember even when I first worked with her, she didn't speak English yet. She was young. And I remember that she wouldn't talk when she was making a record, she'd write things down. She values her instrument and she works hard at it. She's one of the best singers ever, and I've been lucky to work with so many great singers. I think Celine has done 18 or 19 of my songs at this point and some of the best ones, in my opinion, weren't even the big singles.
So, back to love … are big power ballads the sweet spot for you?
I can't say that I don't love writing a big ballad. A big emotional ballad? I fucking love writing that. But when I write one of those, I have to write something opposite to it afterwards. But yeah, there's nothing better than a big fucking heartbreaking ballad. I have to admit that. And I've still got a bunch of them up my sleeve.
Diane Warren's Most Iconic Anthems
Editor T. Cole Rachel revisits some of the biggest hits and a few deep cuts from the songwriter's storied career.
"Rhythm of the Night" — DeBarge
Not only is this song Diane Warren's first big commercial hit, it's also just one of the most effervescent pop songs of the mid-'80s. If you were lucky enough to be in elementary school at the time, there is a high probability that you may have roller-skated to this song or gotten down to it at a school dance. When El DeBarge advises you to "forget about the worries on your mind, you can leave them all behind," you do it. Backed by a vaguely calypso-sounding beat, everyone — including my adolescent self — felt like kicking up their neon-clad feet. Already a classic, this song got a bump recently after it became a running reference on "RuPaul's Drag Race" due to the fact that one of the contestants bore a striking resemblance to a young, mulleted El DeBarge.
While almost no one remembers this song was originally the theme song for a 1996 movie called "Up Close & Personal" starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford, few humans who lived through the '90s don't know the song itself. The perfect marriage of performer and songwriter, "Because You Loved Me" sold over six million copies worldwide and was No. 1 in the United States, Canada, and Australia for what felt like years. Only someone with a voice as big as Celine Dion could convincingly sell an equally large sentiment as: "You were my strength when I was weak / You were my voice when I couldn't speak / You were my eyes when I couldn't see / You saw the best there was in me / I'm everything I am because you loved me." Pop grandiosity at the highest level.
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" — Aerosmith
Another movie-related anthem, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was recorded by Aerosmith in 1998 for the soundtrack of the sci-fi doomsday movie "Armageddon." Warren had originally envisioned the song as another possible hit for Celine Dion, but now it's hard to imagine anyone but Steven Tyler mustering the appropriate amount of bombast to send this rock ballad into the stratosphere. Not only did this song once again jump-start Aerosmith's career (giving them their first and only No. 1 song here in the States), it went on to be No. 1 in Australia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Austria, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. A hundred years from now people may not remember the killer asteroid movie that spawned it, but there will still be someone trying to sing it in a karaoke bar.
"Un-Break My Heart" — Toni Braxton
Even if Toni Braxton had never recorded another song but this one, having created "Un-Break My Heart" (and the hyperdramatic video that accompanied it) would have been enough. An inspired collision of singer and song, the larger-than-life heartbreak of this track ("Un-break my heart! Un-cry these tears!") is the kind of thing Diane Warren does better than anyone else. The song, in which Braxton pleads with a lover to come back and fix all the damage they have created, is still one of the best-selling singles of all time, having moved over 10 million copies worldwide. As a woman who has been profoundly wronged, Braxton sells this howling heartbreak at an almost operatic level, which is why this remains one of the most iconic R&B songs of all time.
"Blame It on the Rain" — Milli Vanilli
The story of Milli Vanilli is both sordid and sad — these '80s style icons and smooth pop operators were stripped of their Grammy when it was revealed that they didn't actually sing on their records, an offense that seems almost quaint now in retrospect. Regardless of whose voice is actually singing on this track, "Blame It on the Rain" is, was, and will always be one of the great singles of its time, a globally ubiquitous pop song all about accountability and admitting that a wrecked romance is actually all your own fault.
"Have You Ever" — Brandy
People should never be allowed to forget that in the late '90s there were few stars bigger than Brandy. This song, included on her 1998 sophomore album, is not only a crown jewel in Brandy's catalog, but also one of Warren's most affecting R&B songs. The sound of pure yearning, "Have You Ever" is equal parts missing the person you can never get back and mourning a love you can never seem to find. "Have you ever loved somebody so much it makes you cry?" asks Brandy. Yes, we all have. This is also the ultimate sitting-alone-in-your-bedroom-thinking-about-your-crush song. Essentially, perfect.
"I Get Weak" — Belinda Carlisle
After stepping away from the Go-Go's to pursue a solo career, Belinda Carlisle basically managed to dominate the planet in 1987 with the monster hit "Heaven Is a Place on Earth." As a follow-up, she released "I Get Weak" — a no less stellar pop single. "I get weak when I look at you, weak when we touch, I can't speak when I look in your eyes" sings Carlisle in a song that delivers all the emotions required of an '80s power ballad, tailor-made for slow dancing at a prom. Fun fact: The video for this track was directed by actress Diane Keaton, and featured model Tony Ward, who would later make everyone swoon in Madonna's "Justify My Love" video. Also, I owned this on a cassingle, which in retrospect feels appropriate.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Whipsnade Zoo's keepers began the mammoth task of counting every animal for their annual stocktake
In Pictures: Zookeepers complete the annual stocktake at Whipsnade Zoo
One, Zoo, Three…
Thursday, 6th January 2022, 5:20 pm
Whipsnade Zoo's keepers began the mammoth task of counting every animal for their annual stocktake today (Thursday).
Home to more than 9,500 animals, zookeepers at the UK's largest zoo gathered their clipboards and calculators, to take stock of each invertebrate, bird, fish, mammal, reptile and amphibian.
Keepers have to count every single animal in the zoo; from three, boisterous, Amur tiger brothers, to hundreds of fragile butterflies.
The zoo's group (also known as a 'conspiracy') of ring-tailed lemurs were curious about the activity, while its 'waddle' of penguins happily got in line to be counted in exchange for their favourite fishy treats.
2021 saw the conservation zoo celebrate the birth of rhinoceros calf Nandi, who was counted alongside her "crash" of Southern white rhinos.
Several, recently-hatched, baby chameleons, had to be added to the zoo's official records, as well as hundreds of Critically Endangered and Extinct-in-the-Wild freshwater fish, bred at the zoo's aquarium and freshwater conservation breeding centre.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo's animal manager, Matthew Webb, said: "Today marks the start of the annual stocktake, where we make sure every animal is recorded as part of our official zoo license requirements.
"We'll also share the information with other zoos around the world, as the numbers are used to plan the conservation breeding programmes for endangered species.
"Some species are easy to count, but others can be tricky: our Aquarium keepers sometimes take still images of the tanks so they don't count the same fish twice, while our almost 200 deer have to be counted with a lot of stealth and a lot of patience!"
The information is shared with other zoos around the world via a database called ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System), where it's used to help manage the worldwide conservation breeding programmes for endangered animals.
1. Annual stocktake
Counting the camels
Photo: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
Counting the white rhinos
The zoo's penguins happily got in line to be counted in exchange for their favourite fishy treats

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I'm not experienced in C, qt and cmake.
May main goal is to build it myself and run it on Ubuntu.
I were trying to build it on Ubuntu, but I found out, that those libraries cannot be installed by simple "apt" command. I tried with ubuntu's libraries, but (for example) after install "libssl-dev", cmake I installed the newest Fedora, then using yum I installed libs and built project successfully.
After that, I copied binaries to my Ubuntu system, but I couldn't run it. A lot of shared libraries are missing on my Ubuntu. Also qt version of my Ubuntu is older than used to build on Fedora.
Compiled version downloaded from github "releases" tab for Ubuntu works well.
Do it makes sense to build under Fedora and run under Ubuntu?
Can I somehow force "make" command to include all those shared libraries and qt-related libraries to project?
If not, maybe I can install yum on Ubuntu and then I could easily install recommended libs?
Does it makes sense to build under Fedora and run under Ubuntu?
No don't try it. At least not like that. You can sometimes get away with migrating between "sister" distributions (eg: between Debian, Ubuntu and Mint, or between CentOS, Fedora and RHEL). But when crossing between the major forks you will almost always encounter the problems you have seen such as mismatched library versions.
It's actually possible to copy all the shared libraries across manually and use those. The only challenge might be different kernels between them. But I don't recommend this. You wouldn't ask make to do this. Find the executable or .so built by this project and check out what libraries it needs using ldd. You would need to put these in a directory and set LD_LIBRARY_PATH before running. Again this is not advisable.
That's an even worse idea. I would hate to think how the two systems might fight and screw up your OS.
If it really won't build raise an issue on github.
The packages will most likely exist for Ubuntu but you might need to investigate the name of the packages as they will be different under Ubuntu compared to Fedora. For example libssl-dev.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged ubuntu fedora compiling cmake or ask your own question.
How to build a tool with specific libraries without breaking Fedora?
Is there any automatic tool for installing required libraries to compile a program from source?
Minimal Linux distribution with large repository?


text:
git clone https://github.com/http2jp/hpack-test-case.git
git clone https://github.com/http2jp/http2-frame-test-case.git

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This week we welcome Nelson Beckford, Senior Program Officer for Strong Communities at Saint Luke's Foundation, as guest blogger.
Promote democracy, inclusion and social cohesion allowing people from various socio-economic backgrounds to share common ground to celebrate, recreate, to remember, to reflect or protest.
Define a city or neighborhood, think Golden Gate Park, Public Square, Washington Square Park – the spaces are reflections of the values, culture and history of a place. Ditto with the simple neighborhood park.
Promote active living; when people live close to a park or trail, they walk more.
These are just a few of reasons that drove the Saint Luke's Foundation along with Philanthropy Ohio to form the Public Space Community of Practice. The members represent the full spectrum of public space work from funding, research, land disposition, land acquisition, planning, design and programming. The goal of the group is broad but simple: to reflect and learn from the multiple efforts happening in Cleveland around public spaces.
We opened our first gathering with this check in question: "Public Spaces are important because____." From there we did some context setting, framing and highlighted public space efforts happening at various scales and across sectors, from a memorial pocket in honor of a police officer – Derrick Owens – killed in the line of duty, to a large-scale intergenerational playscape. We also gave a sneak preview of the landmark research effort – National Park Study – conducted by City Parks Alliance, the National Institute for Health and the RAND Corporation.
Stay tuned for more information and/or opt in for one of the few remaining seats available on the Philanthropy Forward '17 "Why Parks Matter" learning tour where we will explore parks and public spaces that work and those that could better serve their nearby residents. If you haven't registered, click here to sign up.
I challenge foundation staff and board to reflect on how our work (regardless of type of funding priorities/focus) touches on or is influenced by public spaces. As a member of society, take a moment to think about the value you, your family or neighbors get from the public spaces. Discuss.
Register for the Philanthropy Forward '17 conference at http://www.philanthropyforward.org.


Non-elasticated and in natural alpaca wool, these 2 x 2 rib SockShop of London Comfort Cuff Ribbed Alpaca True Socks are designed for calf to toe comfort. Alpaca's natural warmth, lack of lanolin (unlike sheep's wool) and bacteria resistance makes it a great choice for healthy feet, and the non-elastic Comfort Cuff legs are perfect for anyone with poor circulation for pressure sensitivity. Hand linked toes for smooth seams mean a comfortable wearing experience without rubbing from lumpy seams.
These wool rich, UK-made SockShop of London Comfort Cuff Ribbed Alpaca True Socks have added nylon to enhance the natural durability of alpaca and increase the lightness of the socks. The colours available are the natural colour of the wool taken from the animal.


Peterson Trucks is your top source for the truck parts you need, when you need them. We specialize in International Truck parts, and provide parts for all makes of trucks in your fleet. We work hard to get the parts you need fast. If what you need is not in stock, we can access the International Truck world headquarters inventory within just one day.
The Parts Department is now open on Saturdays at the San Leandro, Eugene, Salem, Portland, and Albany locations. For more information, please contact us: 510.618.5590.
Peterson offers an extensive parts delivery system that places virtually every customer within twenty minutes of a parts drop. Simply order your parts by phone or online, and pick them up at your nearest drop location.


text:
The Stig Revealed | Behind the Scenes | Top Gear
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I bought a HotLine Water Pipe Heater from you 2 years ago for my animal waterers. We just went through that Polar Vortex here in Wisconsin (2019).
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So trouble-free, we've bought 11 HotLine Sewer Pipe Heaters!
If you're counting on snow to insulate water and sewer pipes, it's all about depth. But what if you don't get enough snow?
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There aren't many things in life more horrifying than starting a load of laundry in your washer and watching— (and smelling!) — raw sewage come up through your basement floor drain.
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Cooling towers are used to remove heat from high-rises to oil refineries to power plants. If located in a region that freezes, cooling tower water supply lines can freeze causing problems for people and industrial processes.
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I did a talk 2 years ago at CEU about igniting passion, moving forward with your ideas and challenging the status quo.
Life can give you a lot of lessons, especially when it hits you hard and bring you down to your lowest. I've failed a lot in my life so far, I have failed a lot of people, I failed my subjects, I failed companies and businesses, I failed myself. And so far that's where I've learned a lot of my lessons, that's where I experienced growth. I use my past failures as lessons not only for myself but for my students as well.
If we allow the next generation to fear failure, then how can we grow? If we exchange pain every time they fail instead of helping them extract the knowledge and experience from it then what do we gain? Our society has been very brutal when it comes to failure, we don't allow everyone else leeway when it comes to mistakes and we have found ourselves at a point where everyone is just afraid.
We need more people who would help our children face failure and to learn from them. To take risks and to enjoy learning. We need them to see that failing doesn't mean that you should give up or that it's GAME OVER. We need more people to see failure as a stepping stone to becoming better.
I teach computer science, the exciting kind. We talk about fundamentals of programming and apply it into web technologies, game development and mobile applications. I am inspired everyday by my students, I don't burn myself out because I find purpose in it, I am teaching because I believe in the next generation. Who knew?


Comments: installation accompolished as intended;workmanship was good.
Comments: Extremely professional. Excellent product. Delivered on time. Excellent installation.
Comments: This was a great company to work with. They were fast and professional. We hired them to fence in our trash area and they made several good suggestions. Installation was on time and went very smoothly. We will hire then again!
Comments: Great company i think because of the people, from the salesman to the workers. My gate looks beautiful.
Comments: Himco was great! They were able to quickly and expertly complete the work on the weekend when school was not in session. They went the extra mile to ensure that the fence wascompletely safe and secure as it was installed to protect the children at a pre-school. Himco even custom made some barriers to prevent the small children from squezing through two small openings that could not be secured by regular fencing. Himco left the job site clean and free of any debris that the children could hurt themselves with. I highly recommend this company.
Comments: Dennis was prompt with calls to visit job and timely with his proposal. He actually saved us money by recommending a repair instead of a complete replacement.
Comments: Did a good job, was some what late on instill date due to miss messerment on there part, but overall did a great job, and looks great!
Comments: they explained everything, there were there when they said they would be and they gate looks great. good job.
Comments: Very experienced and knowledgable. Their recommendations of the possible options for our project were very helpful.
Comments: Came to house and provided an on the spot estimate for a new security gate. Gate was just what I was looking for and installation was completed in about 1 1/2 hours. Gate is attractive and very functional. Installation team was quick and cleaned up after the install.
Comments: Very professional. Timely estimate (on the spot). n I had m;ultiple estimates for the job and unfortunately his estimate was not the one I chose for the job.
Comments: The price was reasonable. the installers showed up on time and did a good job.
Comments: They responded by phone with in 30 minutes to my request. They were also very good to come out and give an estimate on short notice. I only had one available day and time because we were still in escrow and had limited access to the property and Himco made the time to give the estimate.
Comments: We were able to get our gate installed earlier than promised. That really helped since we have a three month old puppy who could get under our old gate. The job was done well and in a timely fashion. We are pleased with the result.
Comments: excellent service. very good turn around time and great installation. I am very happy with the fence.
Comments: Project is ongoing. So far so good.
Comments: Quick, professional and a real quality job.
Comments: Denis came out and listened to what we wanted. Other contractors wanted to build us that gate that they wanted and not the simple gate that we wanted. They came up with a pleasing design. It was built quickly. The installation was tricky because our driveway was at a slope.They stuck with it and came back several times until it was right. We now have a nice looking automatic gate for a reasonable price. The workmen were hardworking and skilled. The office was professional and would call back when we had questions and concerns in a timely manner.
Comments: Had put electric fence in , works great and not rusting, they do a honest job at a fair price., and stand behind the work, I will use them for surveilance as soon as I save the whole amount. Should be within next 6 - 8 weeks.
Comments: Excellent. Showed up on time and finished project early. Would definitely use them again.
Comments: Himco worked with me to bring in the installation date so that the next contractor could finish their work.
Comments: The gentleman who came out for this company was extremely professional and helpful and would consider them for future work. The price was a little over our budget at the time. Thanks for the helpful website.
Comments: Jeff from Himco gave us an excellent service, we will reply back after the job is completed.
Comments: Arrived on time and did excellent work , they were very efficient. They were also friendly and took pride in a job well done. I highly recommend Himco for wrought iron pool fences.
Comments: They were very nice and very fast and did a great job. They explained about letting the cement set and the paint on the metal dry. I appreciate their good work.
Comments: Overall was good, they rushed me to sign up all the paperwork but that's a classic from any sales person who i have to say was prepared and answered technical question in a fair manner. Installtion was done by very knowledgeable as well as professional workers and technicians. it took them 3 days (i was told less than 6 hrs by the sales man) but they did a great job and they all at Himco were very professional customer service wise.
Comments: From the salesman to the installers -- they were professional, punctual, clean and best of all they took the time to tie up my plants so they would not be damaged. I was apprehensive about not being home while they knocked down my old wrought iron fence and installed the new one, but my worries were for nothing. I would highly recommend them to others.
Comments: I have not started the project as yet. I plan on using them.
Comments: I highly recommend them to anyone. They were simply wonderful and their price was excellent. The quality of the work is outstanding, and the workmen who came to the house were knowledgeable, friendly, and courteous. I will definitely work with them again in the future.
Comments: The job has not started but will shortly. The bars cannot be installed until after all windows have been replace. However, the representative of HIMCO showed me quality products which I liked.
Comments: The wrong locks were installed, but I have been told they will remedy that situation quickly.
Comments: I was quite pleased with the installation of my new wrought iron gates. I noticed that Himco either threw in an extra touch on one of my gates or it was a mistake. Thank you for doing such a wondeful and professional job.
Comments: The service was great. This was the easiest house project to date I have done with a company.


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January 2012 East Africa Visitation Trip Report
"And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them" – Mark 16:20
In Badagari, Nigeria, a new church standing on the border between Benin and Nigeria welcomed me and pastors from three
other countries. Some of these pastors came from churches with traditions and songs vastly diverse from our typical Lutheran heritage. Here traditions were shared while unity was preserved. As the words of F. Pieper reminded this group, "The unity of the church consists in it's holding fast to the Word of Christ and its division consists in departing from that word." Unity was sought and maintained in truth while all other diversity was a source of joy.
Conference in Kitwe Zambia
In Ethiopia, Pastor Ohlmann and I had a short layover. We were there barely long enough to sleep and enjoy a fresh brewed cup of Ethiopian coffee.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a land of extreme poverty and strife. In the north, dwindling remnants of their last bitter civil strife continue to flutter. How sad it is that this same trouble should have found a place within the church. Yet, despite our ugliest sins the Lord brings His life. Here where once we were hindered by familial fights the Lord sends out His servants. Muzukuza and the ELCC are reaching out through five districts and 31 called servants as far away as Kinshasa. Yumba and the CCLC are exploring new areas to the south, even crossing the border into Zambia. Here in Kitwe eight congregations eagerly desire instruction, asking as did the Ethiopian, "How can I [understand], unless someone guides me?"
members in kitwe
Further south in Lusaka, Zambia, we are greatly encouraged to find that those whom we have trained are not content to receive and sit, but being filled with Christ are compelled to go and give. Ibrahim, who has worked closely with Pastor Nathanael Mayhew in Tanzania, took the initiative and traveled to a distant and foreign land to bring the Gospel to these people. Far from home and family Ibrahim teaches a handful of prospective future pastors, wanders in destitute villages giving short devotions from house to house, and visits the sick at AIDS hospitals bringing those who mourn with sadness the comfort of release. " . . . and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
Continuing south we stopped briefly at Mosi-oa-Tunya, that is, "the Smoke that Thunders" and saw the raw power of Victoria Falls where each second 100,000 cubic feet of water pour over the cliff and send mist and spray 1,300 feet into the air. Yet, even this awesome sight cannot compare to the power encountered further south in Bulwayo, Zimbabwe. Here a group of 15 young men by the power of the Holy Spirit without Lutheran pastors or Bible schools recognized the truth of Scripture and reached out, seeking to learn and grow in that understanding. Although Pastor Todd Ohlmann and I only had two days to spend with these young men, Pastor Mark Gullerud has been corresponding with them for the last year with materials, guidance, and encouragement.
– Missionary Matthew Ude


With all these stockings I've been making, I guess I should show you the ones that started all this.
Is this thing not awesome?!
She also made everyone in her extended family a stocking. As the years went on, she either loosened up her grip or started using larger needles, or possibly both, but the stockings got progressively bigger with each new family member. The joke was that she liked the new ones better so they got bigger stockings. When she passed away two years ago, she had several stockings in progress. Those were given to the intended people to finish or have finished.
This is one lady I am sad to have never known.
When Jellybean came along, I knew he needed a stocking. I knitted lots of things for him before he was born. A hat, mitten and sock set (that he outgrew in the womb,) a pair of warm wool pants (that I never put on him, for some reason,) and a jacket (that he DID get to wear a lot!) I've knit him several hats and another wool coat, but I hadn't yet made him a stocking. I was too scared of color work.
There are so many designs to choose from out there. I was stuck in analysis paralysis for several months, just trying to pick out a design. I finally settled on a snowman from Annie's woolens.
I made a few mistakes, but it was so much fun! I decided to make one each for my husband and myself. I really like the holly pattern Doug picked out for his stocking. It's a classic.
I picked out the moose for myself. That one was so off-the-wall, I figured it suits me just fine.
I do have a confession, though. I am considering remaking the stocking for James. His was the first I made, it was quite the learning curve, there are mistakes that are very noticeable to me and I hadn't yet designed the train stocking. I am thinking of doing another stocking in the train pattern for him. If not this year, then maybe next year.
At any rate, we all have stockings and I will be so proud to hang these up at Christmas!
Hey Abby! Didn't know you were so crafty!!! Love it. I have been wanting to have a Christmas stocking made for Ouida Mae. My mom had one made for me when I was small. It has a Santa on it and the beard is (?) angora or something fluffy. I would gladly pay you for making one for OMB. The snowman/woman one or a dog (?) would be great! Love ya! Thanks, Dar.
I think my husband's stocking is probably the same pattern as the one you mentioned. Very vintage!
Great post. Doug's Aunt sounds like someone you would have had a connection with. I love the history behind your stockings.


You will further explore the concepts of sociology by focusing on respectful interactions when caring for clients of all cultures. Emphasis will be given to providing culturally respectful care to clients of Aboriginal ancestry across the lifespan. Diversity within the Aboriginal culture will be explored.


In this episode, Matt puts on his writing cap and provides updates on some of his writing projects. He discusses the ups and downs of trying to break through as an author as well as a few of his novels. Learn a little about the publishing process and why the 1998 movie Dirty Work plays a prominent role in one of his in-progress books.