Human diversity and inclusion are two of the most powerful tools we have to solve the tough problems that have been eluding us -- for the simple reason that no one person can have all the information and experiences and insights within her or himself alone to crack through the barriers that have been blocking us. Whether social, political, environmental… we are in desperate need of paradigm changes, and we know from history that paradigm changes don't come from the insiders.
But our skill sets for capitalizing on diversity and inclusion are among our worst, overall. We do a terrible job of using those benefits. Our deep-seated assumptions about who has relevant knowledge and who doesn't, whose voice should be heard and whose should be held in a box labelled "input or "research, " who should make the decisions and who should accept them and go along with them….
Our assumptions are outdated. They have been wrecked by poor use. They lack legitimacy in a world that senses, that knows, that there is a big something missing.
But we don't have the skills and the language and the systems to pull that something missing out into the open.
So the block continues to grow, and the problems continue to fester, across nearly every aspect of the modern world.
Corporations seeking big breakthroughs find very few of them, despite millions of dollars and hours spent chasing them.
Small businesses and entrepreneurs flounder in mental isolation, spending precious years on solutions that don't accurately fit the kind of problems that matter.
Nonprofits and other organizations that are trying to solve tough problems cannot get past twiddling at the edges, or they limit their impact to one small corner of the world and fail to spread to the extent of the actual need.
And governments, everyone's favorite whipping post, struggle to provide what they need to provide in a poisoned environment, in part of their own making.
In a world that has so many unmet, acute, urgent needs - needs that solving would unlock real value -- why aren't we doing it?
Some pundits may pin it on human self-centeredness, or Machiavellian political urges, or the fact that new ideas are just hard. But we've done hard and noble and groundbreaking things before. We're doing them now -- just not enough and not fast enough.
The root source of our current blocks isn't technical - we have technologies that our grandparents could not have imagined. It's not strictly political - governments have driven great strides in human health and well being in the past 200 years. And it's not that people have somehow fundamentally shifted from effective to floundering: despite the hand wringing in the daily news, we know that there's nothing new under the sun in human behavior and morals. Across the millennia to today, what we're seeing is mostly variations on a theme.
The core difference now is that the issues that bedevil us lie beyond the scope of what we could address with our Industrial Era tools -- specialization, hierarchy, efficiency, professionalism. The biggest issues facing us cross a range of scientific or technical bailiwicks, demonstrating the most need at the intersections of the topics that we have carefully divided from each other by degrees and professional memberships.
And increasingly, the division between the human mind and heart -- the emphasis on rational solutions over intuition, intellectual solutions over the human need for solidarity and stability, analytical and design-informed methods of problem-solving -- all of these create magma domes under our collective rational exteriors. Those divisions threaten, they sow fear, they further block real solutions, they twist decision-making and solution-doing in ways that can undercut more than they solve.
The core challenge in front of us in the new economic/social/cultural era that is dawning is to take apart our no-longer-necessary blocks and learn to harness human creativity, human learning, and the full range of human insight in ways that we have not before. This means that our basic methods for how we do the work of advancing humanity is going to have to become very different, just as the skills we used to harvest rye in the 1600s bore little resemblance to the Ford assembly line of the 1910s. That's the kind of profound everything-change we're going to have to undergo.
But we don't have a few hundred years to fight through the transition this time. Between global warming and global urbanization and a host of other significant challenges, our window for a successful transition is a whole, whole lot shorter.
I don't know how to solve those global challenges, but I have learned that the best way to find genuinely new solutions is most clearly seen at the opposite end of the scale from the global: in groups of people who bring the most diverse possible range of skills, experiences, outlooks and perspectives to work together in in true collaboration - I often say co-creation. These are the kinds of teams that find, understand and figure out how to use the treasures in the spaces in between our individual domains.
But we don't do that by the seat of the pants. We aren't genetically wired or culturally acclimated to work with people who are different from us. Both our in-bred defensive mechanisms and our cultural learning actually pushes, hard, against that kind of openness. We came up as tribal people, after all, and Us vs. Them lies deep in our psyches.
But us vs them looks pretty likely to take us all out, if we don't learn to work around it.
We've done this before - agriculture, formal education, social niceties, riding a bicycle, all required us to work around our urges and assumptions and long-learned behaviors from earlier eras. And often those long-learned behaviors had to do with fear of others. We can certainly do it again.
But co-creation with diverse people is a learned skill, not an innate talent. If we truly intend to capitalize on our potential, to find the solutions to the tough problems, we can't keep doing it the same way. We need to build, learn, teach and use new ways of working together. And we have to replace our old methods with the systems, the processes, the paradigms that reinforce this new approach. And that's not just an exercise for the classroom, or the corporate office, or for the city council chambers. It's in all of them, across all of them.
We can do this. But we have to start. As soon as we can..
Anticipating what the future will look like has seldom been harder to do, and more important all at the same time. In an era of unrelenting change and few certainties, trying to predict what next year holds might actually be harder than predicting the longer term. The foreground, contrary to our usual assumptions, becomes hazier and harder to differentiate than the future.
Stowe Boyd of Workfutures hit this issue at the beginning of January, and in the process he put his fingers on a few of the most crucial elements of that longer-term view - the elements that we here often describe as keys to a Future-Ready Workforce (and that I describe in the upcoming book Everybody Innovates Here) as the characteristics of the Fusion Economy).
Making these kinds of changes in the fundamentals of how we work isn't easy - it requires us to challenge our assumptions constantly, to adapt, to grow in ways that we never thought we would have to grow. And that means that our personal short term, and that of our businesses, become messy and confused and contradictory as well.
But it's becoming increasingly clear what the business (and person) of the future has to be able to do, and our key challenge at the moment is to get there.
Human-centered not role-centered. We lose a great deal when we limit people to only thinking about or acting on a limited set of activities in business. A machine press operator can have a brilliant insight that saves the copy millions, and a field sales lead can come back from a meeting with a customer suggestion for a breakthrough new product. But not if they are punished for stepping outside the painted lines on the floor. People can be larger than their job descriptions, if we let them.
Open not closed models of thinking and operations. This means a 'yes, and' mindset, where we consider alternatives rather than rejecting them because they are novel. This means activity rooting out systemic anti-creative and anti-curiosity patterns in business dogma. It means embracing Von Foester's Empirical Imperative: Always act to increase the set of possibilities.
Fast-and-loose not slow-and-tight operations. Agile, flexible, and adaptive methods of organizing, cooperating, and leading are needed. A less bureaucratic management style would increase innovation, and lead to building business operations around experiments rather than only well-established processes.
Heterarchical not hierarchical operations. The bronze age rule of kings, supposedly selected by the gods and legitimized by their personal charisma has led to terrible results, with narcissistic sociopaths all too often calling the shots. The occasional Steve Jobs or Yves Chouinard does not disprove the problems inherent to top-down-only organizations, especially in a time of great change and uncertainty. Organizational structure is another means to the ends that companies are created to effect, and serves as a powerful barrier to change when treated as sacred and inviolable.
Forward-focused, not tradition-bound. We need to adopt a new paradigm for business, one that explicitly breaks with a great deal of what passes for conventional wisdom, organized around new science, new forms of social connection, and leveraging the possibilities in the points made above. And science is not standing still, so we must incorporate new understanding into our work and the operations of business.
This is what we designed Econogy to build - in new professionals, in businesses and in communities. The foreground is sometimes hazier than we'd prefer, but we're moving toward that future - faster and faster.
We didn't anticipate these kinds of changes, certainly not in any kind of systematic, rigorous manner. We didn't challenge our own assumptions, or those of the elected officials and citizens we were working with. We assumed that the future would look basically like a variation of the past. Especially when that past had been good to us, ourselves.
The only difference between making these mistakes in urban planning and doing that in your business is that planners can see the impacts of the choices we helped form all around us. We work in one of the most complex fields you can imagine - the ecosystem of people. And we're often not the only decision maker, and usually not in ourselves the most powerful one. But we only have to drive down a street with an objective eye to see the impacts of the decisions we helped create.
Our areas of expertise are probably among the next in line.
Our best hope of breaking the hold that our expertise has on us comes from working with as many and as varied non-experts as we can get. And "working with" means working with-- not listening and then discarding, not relegating to the corner, but putting them at the center of the process.
That does NOT, however, mean that we just do whatever they say. In the Fusion Era, the knowledge and insight that we used to call expertise has a critically important role: we become the facilitators of these new solutions. We former experts are the ones responsible for asking the right questions, guiding the conversations, making sure participants have the best available information. We have to use our knowledge and depth to call attention to the risks that unintended consequences pose. And most importantly, it is our job to shepherd the participants to the best solution that we can develop, together.
We have to learn this new approach like we learned any new skill, back in the days when we were learning new skills all the time: by careful practice, by intentional repetition. Despite what some of us were taught, it turns out that we are perfectly capable of learning new skills -- we just need to do the practice that allows our brains to rewire.
In the book that I am finishing up, tentatively titled Everybody Innovates Here, I am asserting a new vision for innovation in the dawning era, what I have taken to calling the Fusion Age. My premise in the book is that, given what we need to do to thrive in this emerging economy, our scattershot efforts to build systems to support or enable innovation are not adequate to the challenge ahead of us. And I lay out as clearly as I can what a better system would look like.
which is a pretty common problem. But sometimes the cuttings have value, too.
The premise here is: How should the physical spaces in which we innovate be designed differently? "Physical spaces," in this case, run the gamut, from co-working offices to innovation districts. The book gives definitions of each of these, identifies the roles that they can and should play in the larger innovation ecosystem, and analyzes where the ways we currently use these spaces, and programs, fall down.
So whether you are developing a single coworking space or a multi-block innovation district, what design elements will help it accelerate innovation?
Maximize flexibility, for now and for the future. The fact of the matter is that at this point in history, we don't know a lot about what the future of work, innovation and entrepreneurship will entail. Just in the past few years, we have largely eliminated the need for internet cables, HDMI cords, desktop monitors, storage space for binders and books, and many other elements that were necessary even in the early internet stages of business. Some features, like wet labs or commercial kitchens, require equipment and plumbing that needs to be installed in a fairly permanent manner, but how do we anticipate the businesses, coordination practices, technology, etc. that we will need to accommodate within our district in ten or 15 years? Some architects are already building with modular elements, convertible furniture, multi-use surfaces and other elements. Do more of that.
Emphasize small spaces. Years ago, a member of a start-up accelerator told me that the organizers of his program intentionally designed the space so that each team, each fledgling company, had slightly less space than they would prefer. That caused some stress, but it also led to a sense of interdependence - crucial for new innovators to understand so that they continue to break free of the Lonely Genius mindset.
Enable creative thought with private spaces. Creativity and innovation necessitate both social interaction and private reflection and processing. Most accelerators and co-working spaces and the like provide huddle rooms and little closets for private phone calls, but these are hardly spaces designed for deep thought. Many innovators would probably benefit from a convenient space that allows them to step away from the intense interpersonal world for some private thinking. A walking trail, a meditation space, even no more than a designated quiet room could provide a great benefit, especially for innovators who are introverted or, like many who experience Asperger's syndrome, find constant interpersonal interaction stressful and exhausting.
Provide and value protected spaces. Every innovation organization says that they want to increase the diversity of their participants, but that requires more than just throwing them into the mix. If you are not part of the majority culture, you may live in a world of heightened insecurity. Was that a racist slight or just an innocent joke? Is there something in how I am asking questions that they are finding intimidating or strange, or am I over-reacting? There's some kind of unspoken rule about how people interact at that event, and I feel like I'm missing something important. For many people who are not in the majority, the interaction-intensive space of an innovation community can be laden with uncertainty and exhaustion. This is a delicate balance to strike -- no one wants people who are already conscious of their other-ness to be singled out, or treated as thought they had some kind of stigma that requires special treatment. But it may also be important for members of a minority population to be able to convene and learn from sharing experiences with their peers, away from the actual or perceived judgement of the majority population. Having a comfortable huddle-type room set aside, outside of the usual meeting scheduling, for anyone to use may enable people who are in minority groups develop and maintain the support networks that they need. But this space should not be glass-walled like many huddle rooms, or the participants may feel more than ever like they are under a microscope. But don't make it the broom closet, either.
Design Visitability. If we are going to assert that the most effective innovation requires the broadest possible range of participants, then we have to make sure that our spaces throw up as few physical road blocks to particpation as possible. For a person in a motorized wheelchair, that step between the two old buildings that you combined to make your co working space may mean that they literally cannot enter half the building. For a person with auditory sensitivity, the level of echo in your hip post-industrial conference room may mean that all of your public events are off limits. Even if few of your full-time participants have mobility or sensory or cognitive differences, keep in mind that people will come to your buildings and participate in your events on an occasional basis, and that throwing up a barrier to even the occasional visitor may mean that your participants lose an insight or an opportunity that they will not find if they only interact with people who have the same abilities as they. Widening the scope of the innovator logically requires a visitable building.
Spaces that reinforce the culture and mission. Many dedicated innovation spaces include photos of participants, motivational sayings, and other elements that try to convey the possibilities of the work going on. But these often just scratch the surface, especially if we are serious about not just doing any innovation, but doubling down on innovations that can have a significant impact on the community or the world. What can we do with our spaces to continue to drive that sense of mission? To engage the members in exploring the horizons? What about rotating art exhibits from the local college? Photos and stories of people who need innovations? Statistics? Places for participants to write their goals, visions, motivations, in a place where they will see what they wrote regularly?
Designing for innovation is not about meeting a certain chic aesthetic, or creating something that supposedly screams "exciting" or "innovative!!!!!!" And can become accustomed to unusual things pretty quickly, so novelty isn't going to help the spaces facilitate meaningful innovation, especially not over the long term. But design that enables flexibility, supports the involvement of the widest possible range of people, accounts for the varying dimensions of creativity and helps participants keep their eye on the bigger purpose of the work will create a setting that helps innovation flourish.
I don't think that purpose-built innovation space is necessarily needed — and I'm not convinced at all that kegerators, foosball tables, bright colors and high top tables have any impact on whether meaningful innovation happens within a space or not. So much of what we associate with innovation is trappings, window dressings, designed to signal that This Place is Different without doing anything to directly accelerate humans trying to innovate. And, like so many other issues in innovation, that's a factor of us not thinking very deeply or critically about how innovation happens, and how spaces can help or hurt those efforts. But we know enough about people - the source of innovation - to be able to do much better.
When you find two articles in one week, in the same respected publication, that make such different proclamations about the same thing, there's something interesting going on.
How can design thinking both deserve accolades and apparently fall short at the same time? It's not a case of good or bad, It's a case of whether you are looking at it from the end of the Industrial/beginning of the Fusion era boundary, or whether you are thinking in New Economy, Fusion-era terms.
Traditional problem solving =Identify, analyze, create and apply solution at top, apply down.
In traditional problem solving methods (think scientific method or conventional top-down management), the entire process - from identifying the problem through rolling out the solution - is done by, or under the direct control of, a Leader - an expert, a senior person, the boss. With the exception of any research that's beyond one person's capacity, the entire process springs fully-formed from the mind of one person, or a small group of like minded and like-authorized people: the Leaders, the Experts.
Part of the breakthrough of design thinking was the idea that an intellectual Leader-driven analysis doesn't always generate the most appropriate solution, particularly when the people who need the solution are in any way different from the Leaders. Design thinking emphasizes a deep and multi-dimensional understanding of the person for whom the solution is being deployed.
Design thinking supplements - and sometimes replaces - the conventional abstract analytical methods with striving to empathize with the person who will use or be impacted by the solution. What do they encounter? What do they experience that won't show up in words or numbers? How do they grip the device? What visual improvements will lessen the sense of stigma that's preventing some of them from using it?
A designer coming from this tradition will use the tools of an ethnographer as much or more than an artist or a biologist. They'll do the same physical work as the subject. They'll dig deep into the family and community context that shapes that experience. They'll closely observe body language and other non-verbalized tools. They'll process the information using methods that put insights into the lived experience at the center, even if quantitative data couldn't measure it. And they will share learnings and initial concepts with the people that they are designing for, repeatedly.
Design thinking= Embed/empathize, synthesize (different tool set that relies on intuitive sense of resonance and pattern more than data), designers create/apply solution.
It would be hard to say that this isn't a more humane way to solve problems. The huge negative impacts, the unintended consequences and damage - caused by dangerous 19th-century industrial looms, 20th-century failed public policies for third world poverty, and everything in between - can trace its root back to the arrogant assumption that Leaders knew how to design the thing right, without understanding the experience of the people who would be using it.
So Design Thinking represents a significant step toward solutions that are more likely to work for the people who most need them to work. Design Thinking recognizes that the "experts" don't have all the information necessary to create an optimal solution, and that lived experience, including the emotional and subjective, is important to whether a solution works or not. If we are perceiving that the Fusion Age will require greater reliance on human creative and integrative potential, and networked rather than exclusively top-down problem-solving, then Design Thinking represents a beneficial method for unlocking more beneficial human creativity.
But this is where the "Fundamentally Conservative and Protects the Status Quo" part comes in.
Design thinking privileges the designer above the people she serves, and in doing so limits participation in the design process. In doing so, it limits the scope for truly innovative ideas, and makes it hard to solve challenges that are characterized by a high degree of uncertainty — like climate change — where doing things the way we always have done them is a sure recipe for disaster.
In other words, Dr. Iskander asserts that traditional "expert-ness," at its core, is ill-suited to solving high-uncertainty issues -- the kinds of issues that seem to be of paramount importance, certainly in this moment at the beginning of the Fusion Era. And that Design Thinking doesn't do enough to change the equation. The thesis: even if you're engaging more actively with the subjects of your design work than you would have in the Industrial Era, your status as the "expert" is blocking us off from some portion of the innovation thinking that we need. If we are truly going to figure out solutions to our most urgent and vexing problems, we have to engage the inherent expert-ness of the people closest to the problem -- even, and perhaps especially when, our cultural knee-jerk reactions prevent us from seeing them as Experts.
It's an extension of the common critique levelled at Industrial Era top-down solution design: you don't know what you don't know, oh Expert, and you're blocking us all from impactful solutions as a result.
Years ago, I wrote a rather emphatic piece on how one of the paradigms of the New Urbanist planning and design movement had made colossal mistakes because he relied on his own "genius" and only grudgingly included the required public feedback in his plans. He asserted that designs would be much better if (I'm paraphrasing) the public would just get out of the way and let The Master do his work.
This history is exactly why Duany is wrong about the importance of public participation. Public participation is important not just to try to get people to go along with our vision, to give us a chance to yell loud enough to drown them out, or to allow us to demonstrate the superiority of our Grand Vision over their piddling little concerns. When residents resist a new development – even when they supposedly "don't like change" – it doesn't take many questions or much effort to develop a real understanding of their concerns and their point of view.
We fail consistently to realize that the locals are there every day and we are not. Local residents have a level of detail and a critical perspective that can make the difference between whether a proposed project supports the health of the community or creates a new burden….
Understanding the real reasons why people oppose a project requires the willingness to do so, the humility to listen, and the internal fortitude and self-assurance to admit that possibly, oh just possibly, we don't know everything that there is to know. That is the real mark of wisdom.
If the people who live around a proposed development oppose a development, chances are those people know something that is important to the health of their neighborhood and the larger community. If we think that we know more than to have to listen to them, then we are no better than little Napoleons in big capes, creating monuments to our hubris that our children and grandchildren will have to clean up. The lessons of the damage caused by our ignorance are already all around us.
So we need a new set of methods, a Design Thinking 2.0, that meaningfully engages the insights of the people who are closest to the challenge we are trying to solve, and engages them all the way through, not just at the beginning or at a few special feedback points.
But how do we do that? It will take new methods, new systems, that we are just starting to figure out. More on that soon.
In the upcoming Everyone Innovates Here book, I found myself grappling with what to call the emerging economic/cultural/technical era that most of us feel that we are entering. I decided that the term that worked the best for me was the Fusion Age, but I only briefly unpack that in the book -- I needed to lay it out enough to make the case, but not end up down a futurism rabbit hole. We are still squinting through the mist at this point, and I'm sure the name that the historians use won't settle in place for a couple of decades yet.
But I think it's important for all of us to be thinking hard about what seems to be coming and how that is already beginning to change how we work and communicate, and even think. As I do spend some time on in the book, a variety of pressures are pushing us to make that transition faster than we probably would if left to our own devices.
Labor-> Problem solving. The Industrial Era depended on a plentiful supply of labor who could be trained, coerced and structured to deliver products efficiently (hence, the assembly line). Fusion Era challenges appear to lend themselves less to the application of routine, infinitely repeatable processes, but they depend on the ability to generate creative solutions to problems. Businesses increasing prize problem-solving and teamwork over most other skills, even though systems ranging from education to human resource management still often resemble Industrial Era counterparts.
Supply chains -> Networks. Industrial-Era businesses typically relied on a daisy chain of suppliers -- and when possible, they directly controlled the entire chain - for example, U.S. Steel's control over everything from the Minnesota ore fields to the ships to the steel mills. By contrast, even our early Fusion Era businesses are counseled to focus only on their "core" business -- they rely on an extensive network of vendors, and may not even own their own office buildings.
Protocols -> Adaptive systems. Industrial-Era businesses and organizations tended to rely on codified processes -- manuals, procedures, regulations. Fusion Era organizations appear increasingly likely to rely on adaptive and evolving processes, such as the Holacracy method adopted by companies like Zappos that are trying to keep a competitive innovation edge in a field experiencing rapid evolution.
Defenders -> Belayers. Much has been written about what "modern" leadership should look like, and those writings bear little resemblance to the Organization Man of the 1960s. One way of thinking about this transition: traditional leadership derived much of its command-and-control approach from a responsibility to defend the organization from challenges, whether from outside or internal, that threatened or challenged the organization's structure, culture, norms, etc. Contemporary leadership approaches are focusing more and more on enabling and empowering employees -- like a belayer on a climbing team, whose job is to make certain that the climber can reach the pinnacle.
Buckets -> Currents. Industrial-Era processes tend to group things, separate things, classify things. Again, the traditional assembly line gives us our best mental image of that -- men in the town where I grew up spent years executing the same step in the manufacturing process, like installing a fender or cutting hot steel into specified lengths, over and over again. Manufacturing made an early shift to the Fusion Era on this front, with team-based methods and systematized quality control becoming the norm from auto manufacturing to paper mills by the 1990s. Now most manufacturing processes have a team that follows the product through much, if not all, of the production system together.
Sole source -> Aggregator/Curator. In the Industrial era, most of your information came from a limited number of sources: one or two newspapers, three TV channels, perhaps a couple of magazines or the occasional club meeting presentation. We are acutely aware at this moment as to how that has changed, as formal and informal sources across the spectrum have exploded. One of the most profound long-term implications of this appears to be the rise of the curator/aggregator function -- the vetting, packaging and presentation of sources. On the surface, this can look like a return to the older form, but the role is significantly different, as the curator depends on its reputation for selecting correctly and does not directly control the editorial. The proliferation of professional conferences, sometimes targeting very narrow verticals, appears to speak to this emerging Fusion Age role.
Efficient -> Resilient. The Industrial Age, perhaps more than anything else, prized efficiency. The entire purpose of the assembly line, the paper mill, the mega-farm, the state education system, was to gain efficiencies, both in terms of speed and in terms of consistency and predictability. But as writers such as Nassim Taleb have demonstrated, efficiency comes at a cost: the more efficient a system is, the more fragile it is. A system that is designed to optimize efficiency depends on a complex chain of elements designed to fit precisely….but if one piece fails, there is no backup. And in a world of high unpredictability, resiliency arguably matters more than optimal efficiency.
I will unpack the ramifications of some of these shifts in upcoming posts. But these shifts drive Econogy's mission: we understand that we need new ways of working, learning and collaborating to thrive in the Fusion Era, and that is true of experienced professionals and students alike. The sooner we learn to Create Fusion in our work and our communities, the sooner we will overcome the most stubborn of our current challenges.
This article is a draft excerpt from the upcoming book Everybody Innovates Here: Developing a higher-impact, more sustainable, more effective system to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship. Click Here to learn more about the book and sign up for updates.
In 2013, I wrote a book called The Local Economy Revolution that described how conventional economic development and urban planning methods were failing to create the kind of communities we need in the emerging era. In 2015, I wrote a book called Crowdsourcing Wisdom that addressed one of the core failings I had identified: a systematic failure to meaningfully involve everyone in a community in making decisions about their communities' futures.
It came from the opportunity to build groundbreaking new systems that could enable the change I'd been grasping for.
Over the past 2 years, I've seen close-up what systems for accelerated innovation can do. I've watched people who haven't yet finished college equip a business to raise millions in investment. I've seen 60-year-old founders' eyes open wide when they're shown a solution they had never considered — by a team whose average age is 24. I've watched an overlooked neighborhood discover its hidden assets and find its authentic voice.
And we've worked with innovators across the spectrum, across silos and across the country to learn more about new ways of working and doing, better and faster.
We need much more innovation, from the grassroots to the corporate, and from the social to the technical. And we need that innovation to get out of the local test, the pilot stage, much faster and better than its often does.
We need, as a culture, to get much better at innovation if we want to have half a chance of meeting the stunning array of challenges in front of us.
We have been leaving innovation too much to chance for something that we need so much. We've relied on magical thinking, unquestioned rules of thumb and feel-good anecdotes, and we've gotten haphazard results, at best, as a result — haphazard results that waste much of our best assets.
more intentional effort to not only start more, but enable every start to reach its full capacity, locally or globally.
We're glad you're along for the journey.
For my Econogy co-founder, Owen, and I, the purpose of Econogy has been to accelerate innovation for the places and people we care most about. That includes universities and neighborhoods, businesses and nonprofits, wealthy and disadvantaged, students and seniors. We focused our first two years on building a new machinery of innovation: a system for unlocking the capabilities and lack of barriers that one overlooked source of innovation — young adults — bring to problem-solving.
We found that a support structure that combined diverse teams, clear processes, and high-stakes stretch challenges resulted in practical but innovative solutions to problems that had no cookie-cutter answers. From both a business and a human development standpoint, the results were better than (I, at least) anticipated.
We then tried the same methods with adults of varying ages faced with creating strategy for their community's future, and we had similar results.
When teams use explicit structured processes to evaluate choices and make decisions, they are more likely to succeed — and when leaders assume that the team will take care of itself, the team is more likely to fail.
Creating useful solutions to problems that do not have direct precedents require a fundamentally different approach than simply tweaking things that have been done before. And being too familiar with the things that have been done before can be like a pair of blinders, making it impossible to see feasible alternatives that fall outside your expectations.
At Econogy, these experiences gave us proof of concept on something bigger: we had a small but accumulating body of evidence about how we could enable people to accelerate innovation.
For someone who had spent over 20 years trying to improve problem-solving in communities as a downtown revitalization, urban planning and economic development specialist, this was the kind of insight I'd been looking for. You see, I'd become trapped by my conventional understanding of how economies and teams work, too.
Before co-founding Econogy, I had written a lot of lines in a lot of blogs and articles and books about how local economies needed to change, and how the ways we were pushing that to happen weren't working. I had spent hundreds of hours with tech startups, mom and pop shops, universities, microentrepreneurs, and the organizations that try to take care of them. And I knew we needed something different.
After two years of working out the mechanisms for supporting diverse team innovation, and combining that with decades of experience with economic and community support organizations, we think that most cities need empowered innovation districts to accelerate innovation across the complete economic and community spectrum.
There's a lot of different kinds of organizations in this process, and they go by different names in different places. So for sake of simplicity, we're going to call all of these organizations Innovation Systems.
An Innovation System, as we are describing it, is a program, a place or a group of programs and places that play a role in generating more economic activity from the people who are in a community. These might include anything from a tech accelerator to a regional rural entrepreneurship collaborative, from a university advanced manufacturing initiative to a class for African-American urban residents.
That's a radical statement, in case you didn't notice. Historically, we have carefully parsed these segments apart — tech programs over here, Main Street business owners over here. We differentiate them based on how much money they might make, where their clients live, where they will have their shop, whether we designate them as having a "social impact," and more. And yes, they will have certain needs that are specific to their unique situation.
What we find over and over is this: Innovators and entrepreneurs are often more similar than different. They all need help innovating. They all need help getting out of their own paradigm. And they can all learn from each other.


July 2013: A series showing Dublin youths taking advantage of the unusually good weather by jumping into the Liffey from a restaurant roof on the North Wall [Swai,The Campshires, North Wall Quay]and from the roof of another building close the Custom House quay.
Jumping from roofs has been a minor problem for business owners along the North Wall for a number of years but for some reason it is only this year that it has attracted media attention. When I took this photograph and the associated short video clip there was a camera crew on the river and it is becoming obvious that the media reaction is now encouraging and increasing the activity in question.
Because of the anti-social behaviour in the area coupled with the downturn in the economy the owners decided to close at the end of 2013. I must admit that I was more than a little bit disappointed.


"It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease.
There's a new trend happening on the internet, and it's been catching on like wildfire. It's called, "Simplicity" and it's making a come back in the digital world.
At the beginning of 2018, there was chatter among some of the well-known bloggers/writers that I follow, saying they wanted to take their businesses back down to a more simple format, less tech, less social media, more service to the people on their lists. Less fuss, more time for themselves and more service to the people that follow them.
Can I say I love all of this!
What has happened to me personally, without social media, is more of a desire to connect face to face with friends and family, to teach more workshops and to share more through my writing. I don't worry about the number of subscribers or people finding out about my workshops; I'm of the belief that people will find you when they need what you have to offer.
To some this may sound lame or a wrong business model, but it gives me the ability to change, tweak and take my time building what I want to develop without worrying about posting on FB, tweeting it out on Twitter or keeping track of "likes" and tags.
Simplicity is where Zen Chick started, and that is where I will stay, making my life and hopefully yours a little more simple with my words and suggestions.
So ditch social media? That choice is yours, and I'm not here to make you feel guilty, but ask yourself how much simpler your life might be if you have a little more of your time back? Try a short sabbatical from social media and see how that feels, if it feels good then go a bit longer.
Connect with your friends, face to face more often, make dinner plans, go for coffee, get with your tribe. We are all herd animals, we need our peeps, and we need to connect on a physical level. Having a little more time in your life can make that possible.
Now, let me hear from you, how else could you simplify your life, what is one other little change you could make to add more time and less stress? Sharing is caring, and we all need to learn from each other so please share in the comments and share this post with someone in your life.


text:
El reciclaje de vidrio es el proceso mediante el cual se convierten desechos de vidrio en materiales que servirán para la creación de nuevos productos.

El vidrio es un material totalmente reciclable y no hay límite en la cantidad de veces que puede ser reprocesado. Al reciclarlo no se pierden las propiedades y se ahorra una cantidad de energía de alrededor del 30 % con respecto al vidrio nuevo. Este reciclaje permite reducir la cantidad de residuos que luego se llevan al vertedero, lo que supone un ahorro tanto de materias primas como de energía respecto a la fabricación de vidrio a partir de materias primas nuevas.

En ciertos casos el vidrio es reutilizado, antes que reciclado. No se funde, sino que se vuelve a utilizar únicamente lavándolo (en el caso de los recipientes). En acristalamientos, también se puede aprovechar el vidrio cortándolo nuevamente (siempre que se necesite una unidad más pequeña).

En los lugares donde se implementan programas de reciclaje de vidrio, se pueden encontrar contenedores especiales para vidrio en lugares públicos.

Ventajas del reciclaje de vidrio

El reciclaje del vidrio supone un menor uso de recursos y materias primas que la fabricación de vidrio a partir de arena de cuarzo, cal y sosa.

Cada kilogramo de material reciclado puede ser nuevamente reutilizado y reciclado. El vidrio es un material ideal para ser reciclado, ya que puede reciclarse infinidad de veces sin perder sus propiedades.

El uso de vidrio reciclado ayuda a ahorrar la energía de su producción (hasta un 60 %), es menos costoso, ayuda a reducir los residuos finalmente enviados a las plantas de residuos y vertederos y reduce el consumo de materias primas.

La mayor parte del vidrio reciclado se puede utilizar para hacer nuevos envases semejantes a los desechados. Además, una pequeña proporción se utiliza para la fabricación de otros materiales de construcción, como ladrillos, cerámicas, asfaltos, etc.

El vidrio reciclado requiere 26 % menos de energía que su fabricación desde cero y reduce en un 20 % las emisiones a la atmósfera de la fabricación, contaminando un 40 % menos de agua, lo que equivale a ahorrar aproximadamente 1,2 kilogramos de material virgen, así como cada tonelada de desechos de vidrio que se recicla evita que 315 kilogramos de dióxido de carbono se liberen a la atmósfera durante la fabricación de vidrio.

Origen del residuo de vidrio

En los hogares podemos encontrar envases de vidrio para alimentos y bebidas, así como frascos de colonias o cremas.

En los comercios, tanto para bebidas como para higiene: bares, hoteles, cáterin...

En edificios municipales y eventos públicos.

En la industria, las fábricas de bebidas tienen cierta cantidad de botellas dañadas o no aptas que deben ser recicladas.

En el año 2012, se reciclaron en España más de 1 145 400 toneladas de residuos de vidrio, según el INE

Procedimiento

En ocasiones los diferentes tipos de vidrio son químicamente incompatibles, por lo que se requiere una selección previa a su procesado. Por ejemplo, el vidrio resistente al calor como el Pyrex o vidrio borosilicatado no debe ser colocado en el contenedor de reciclaje de vidrio, ya que únicamente una pieza de dicho material alteraría las propiedades de viscosidad del fluido en el horno, en el momento de volver a fundir la mezcla.

Para su adecuado reciclaje el vidrio es separado y clasificado según su tipo, normalmente asociado a su color, por lo que una clasificación general es la que los divide en verde, ámbar o café y transparente.

El proceso de gestión sigue con una separación de todo material impropio, como son tapas metálicas y etiquetas.

Seguidamente el vidrio, ya limpio, se tritura formando un polvo grueso denominado calcín, que sometido a altas temperaturas en un horno, se funde junto con arena de cuarzo, hidróxido de sodio y caliza para fabricar nuevos productos que tendrán idénticas propiedades con respecto al vidrio fabricado directamente de los recursos naturales.

Reciclaje de vidrio en Europa
 El reciclaje de los envases de vidrio comenzó a reglamentarse por la Unión Europea a partir de 1994, mediante la Directiva europea 94/62 relativa a los envases y residuos de envases.

Según datos de 2009 facilitados por FEVE comparando el consumo de envases de vidrio con la recolección y / o con aquella parte de la colección que es enviada a reciclaje, el porcentaje del vidrio recuperado alcanza picos del 90 % o más (hasta un 96 %) en Austria, Bélgica, Países Bajos, Suecia y Suiza. Con la excepción de Grecia y Chipre, casi todos los países europeos llegan a un ratio de recogida / consumo de al menos un 20 %. La relación entre recolección / consumo en los países más grandes de Europa es:

Alemania
En 2004, Alemania recicló 2 116 000 toneladas de cristal. Están disponibles botellas retornables (Mehrwegflaschen) de vidrio o plástico (PET) para algunas bebidas, especialmente para cerveza y agua con gas. El depósito por cada botella (Pfand) es 0,08-0,15 €, comparado con los 0,25 € para botellas de plástico reciclables pero no reutilizables. No existe depósito para botellas de vidrio que no son reutilizadas.

España

La Directiva europea 94/62 relativa a los envases y residuos de envases, supuso la promulgación en España de la Ley de envases y residuos de 1997. Dicha ley, que promueve la creación de sistemas de gestión integrada (SIG) supuso la fundación de diversas entidades especializadas en el reciclaje selectivo de los residuos mediante el sistema de responsabilidad ampliada del productor, la colaboración de los entes locales y la participación ciudadana. En el caso del vidrio, la principal SIG es Ecovidrio, que gestiona el reciclaje del vidrio en la mayoría del territorio español.

Reino Unido

Los puntos de recogida de vidrio, conocidos como Bottle Banks son muy comunes junto a los centros comerciales, en desecherías y en los vecindarios del Reino Unido. El primer contenedor de vidrio fue introducido por Stanley Race, caballero de la Orden del Imperio Británico, por aquel entonces presidente de la federación de fabricantes de vidrio británica, y Ron England en Barnsley el 6 de junio de 1977.

Los bancos de vidrio, normalmente se encuentran en los puntos de recogida junto a otros desechos reciclables como papel, metales y plástico. Las desecherías locales y municipales normalmente tienen un punto central para todos los tipos de desecho en los que se encuentran grandes depósitos. En el Reino Unido hay alrededor de 50 000 contenedores de reciclaje de vidrio. y 752 000 toneladas de vidrio se reciclan cada año.

Usos secundarios para el vidrio reciclado
En el Reino Unido, la industria de reciclaje de vidrio no puede consumir todo el vidrio que se ha ido acumulando a través de los años, principalmente debido a diferencias en la coloración entre el vidrio disponible y el que se consume. El reino Unido importa mucho más vidrio verde en forma de botellas de vino del que consume, llevando a un exceso para reciclar.

El exceso resultante de vidrio verde, puede ser exportado a los países productores, o utilizado localmente en la creciente diversidad de usos secundarios para el vidrio. La empresa que gestiona los puntos de recogida, Cory Environmental envía vidrio del Reino Unido a Portugal.

El uso de vidrio reciclado como un agregado al cemento se ha vuelto popular, con investigaciones a gran escala llevándose a cabo en la Universidad de Columbia de Nueva York. Esto incrementa la apariencia estética del cemento. Según se ha investigado, la adición de vidrio al cemento incrementa la durabilidad y resistencia del cemento, así como el aislamiento térmico. Mercados secundarios para el reciclaje de vidrio pueden incluir:

 Productos de aislamiento;
 Vidrio en productos cerámicos de sanitarios;
 Vidrio para la fabricación de ladrillos;
 Vidrio en césped artificial;
 Arena para los búnkeres de golf;
 Fregaderos y mesas de cocina;
 Sistemas de filtrado de agua;
 Vidrio como material abrasivo;
 Vidrio como agregado en materiales de construcción.

Véase también
 Gestión de residuos

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 "Plant Chops Old Bottles For New", agosto de 1949, Popular Science Artículo sobre los rudimentos del reciclaje de vidrio (inglés)
  Reciclaje

Gestión de residuos
Vidrio
Vidrios
Producción de vidrio

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
What is the best way to hunt black bear?
What is the best time of day to hunt black bear?
How do you successfully hunt bears?
What is the best round to kill a black bear?
Where do you shoot a black bear when hunting?
Are black bears aggressive?
What to do with a bear after you shoot it?
Where do you aim on a bear?
Can you hunt bear without baiting?
What is the minimum caliber for black bear?
What caliber do you need to kill a black bear?
Will a .45 stop a bear?
Time of Day: If you are hunting in the fall, chances are, you will spot a black bear at any given time throughout the day. However, as a general rule-of-thumb, the best time to hunt black bear is in the morning or early evening when they are most certainly on the search for food.
Bear Baiting Tips
Put bait near field edge where the bear will have to come out into the open. You want a location with a water source nearby, since bear will be looking for water after hibernation. Smelly, rotten meat is a great bait option. Bears have great noses and can smell up to 2 miles away.
30/30 is not just a proven bear killer, it is probably the most-proven bear killer. Select a quick-expanding bullet for this kind of hunting.
Aiming towards the center-mass of the body cavity is important, I like to shoot about 4 to 5 inches back from the shoulder on a broadside bear. Bears have soft skins and the rib bones are fairly light. The biggest threat to penetration is the front shoulder—stay away from it.
IT IS INTERESTING: How do you train a dog to kill a fox?
In most cases, black bears are relatively shy, only acting aggressively as a last resort. Nevertheless, the most effective way to avoid a bear attack is by preventing encounters in the first place. Just because black bears can be less dangerous than other large carnivores doesn't mean fatal attacks don't happen.
Get a lot of fine salt on the hide as quickly as possible, if you are planning to keep it. This will help set the fur and make for a better mount. DON'T put the hide in a plastic bag or container! If possible and legal where you're hunting, skin the bear on the spot, then quarter it and remove the loins.
A bear's most vital area is an 8″; circle behind the front shoulder. The best shot opportunity is a broadside shot or "quartering away" for penetration into the vital organs. To take your shot, wait for the bear to step forward with the near side leg exposing the heart/lung area.
Use the wind to your advantage.
Just like in deer and elk hunting, playing the wind is the key to success when hunting black bear. Once you spot a bear, be sure that the wind is in your favor. If the wind is in your favor, your chances for success go up exponentially.
44 Magnum is the minimum for charging bears, many others have opted for a Glock 20 in 10mm Auto and, interestingly enough, passed right by the . 357 S&W Magnum. Several folks have even successfully killed bears with a 9mm. While a well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the .
IT IS INTERESTING: How much does a Maine moose hunt cost?
For a bear cartridge anything equal to or more powerful than a . 41 Magnum or . 44 Magnum will be fine. Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods.
In general, the . 45 acp is a poor choice for bear defense. The round is slow, fat, and has fairly poor penetration on tough-skinned animals; however, some people carry . 45 acp with modern +P ammo and hardened bullets for bear defense.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
"Kryptonite" is the debut single of American rock band 3 Doors Down. It was originally released as a demo for local play by 97.9 WCPR-FM in Biloxi, Mississippi, then was picked up by several radio stations during November and December 1999 and was officially serviced to radio on January 18, 2000. The song first charted on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, reaching number one for nine weeks, then hit number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart for 11 weeks. It also reached number one on the Mainstream Top 40 chart for five non-consecutive weeks, number four on the Adult Top 40 chart, and number three on the Billboard Hot 100, the band's highest-charting single on the listing.

Composition and inspiration
The song was written by the band's vocalist and drummer, Brad Arnold, in a mathematics class when he was fifteen and was one of the first songs he ever wrote.

About the song's meaning, Arnold has said:
"That song seems like it's really just kind of like asking a question. Its question is kind of a strange one. It's not just asking, "If I fall down, will you be there for me?", because it's easy to be there for someone when they're down. But it's not always easy to be there for somebody when they're doing good. And that's the question it's asking. It's like, "If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?" It's asking, "If I'm down, will you still be there for me?" but at the same time, "If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?" That's kind of asking, "If I'm doing good, will you be there for me? Will you not be jealous of me?" That's the basic question that song's asking, and maybe throughout the years of singing that song, I might have come up with more meanings for it than it actually might have originally had."

The band gave their demo tape to local Mississippi radio station WCPR-FM who started playing the EP version of "Kryptonite" and it became the No. 1 requested song on the station for over 15 weeks. The station's program director sent the song to manager Phin Daly who in turn showed it to Bill McGathy, his employer at In De Goot Entertainment. The band was booked in New York to perform a showcase at the CBGB music club. Daly told HitQuarters: "Once they got on stage and started playing, it was apparent the magic was in the music. So we moved to sign them."

Music video
Directed by Dean Karr and filmed in March 2000, the music video presents an old man who was a big-time action hero on 1950s TV. The scene cuts between the band hanging around on the roof of the apartments where the old man lives, spying on a man harassing a woman. When the man drags her away, the old man dons his superhero suit and follows. In between shots of the old hero chasing the bad guy and failing to protect himself against a group of goths, the band is shown playing in a club (the Cowboy Palace Saloon in LA) with several other elderly people dressed as caricatures of comic villains. Several of these people are seen riding a mechanical bull during the final chorus. The video comes to a close when the old man dives through the skylight and catches the bad guy off guard, possibly knocking him out by falling on top of him. The video ends with the old man smiling, giving a thumbs up to the camera, having successfully completed his mission.

Live performances
"Kryptonite" was first performed live in Pascagoula, Mississippi on January 15, 1997. As of April 1, 2019, it has been performed 493 times, making it the most performed song by 3 Doors Down.

Track listings

European CD single
 "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:56
 "Smack" (LP version) – 2:29

German CD single
 "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:56
 "Wasted Me" – 3:11
 "Life of My Own" (live from Atlanta) – 4:36
 "Kryptonite" (acoustic) – 3:49

European and Australian maxi-CD single
 "Kryptonite" (LP version) – 3:55
 "Wasted Me" – 3:11
 "Duck and Run" (LP version) – 3:52
 "Kryptonite" (video) – 3:53

Personnel
Personnel are taken from the US promo CD liner notes.
 Brad Arnold – vocals, drums, lyricist, composer
 Matt Roberts – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, composer
 Chris Henderson – rhythm guitar
 Todd Harrell – bass guitar, composer
 Paul Ebersold – producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

See also
 Kryptonite
 Superman in other media
 Pocket Full of Kryptonite

References

1999 songs
2000 debut singles
3 Doors Down songs
Republic Records singles
Song recordings produced by Rick Parashar
Songs written by Brad Arnold
Songs written by Matt Roberts (musician)
Songs written by Todd Harrell
Superman music
Songs about fictional male characters


text:
Q: Deployed app to jetty, getting a error: /var/cache/jetty/tmp/jsp I am trying to deploy my web app to jetty.
I installed jetty on ubuntu 10.04.
At first I was getting a no jsp support, so I edited the /etc/default/jetty file and added jsp to the extra arguments option.
Now I am seeing this in the jetty log:
cat out.log
0 [main] INFO org.mortbay.log - Logging to org.slf4j.impl.SimpleLogger(org.mortbay.log) via org.mortbay.log.Slf4jLog
57 [main] WARN org.mortbay.log - EXCEPTION
java.io.FileNotFoundException: /var/cache/jetty/tmp/jsp (No such file or directory)
    at java.io.FileInputStream.open(Native Method)
    at java.io.FileInputStream.<init>(FileInputStream.java:137)
    at java.io.FileInputStream.<init>(FileInputStream.java:96)
    at sun.net.www.protocol.file.FileURLConnection.connect(FileURLConnection.java:87)
    at sun.net.www.protocol.file.FileURLConnection.getInputStream(FileURLConnection.java:178)
    at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLEntityManager.setupCurrentEntity(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLVersionDetector.determineDocVersion(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XMLParser.parse(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xerces.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source)
    at org.apache.xerces.jaxp.SAXParserImpl.parse(Unknown Source)
    at org.mortbay.xml.XmlParser.parse(XmlParser.java:188)
    at org.mortbay.xml.XmlParser.parse(XmlParser.java:204)
    at org.mortbay.xml.XmlConfiguration.<init>(XmlConfiguration.java:109)
    at org.mortbay.xml.XmlConfiguration.main(XmlConfiguration.java:969)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:616)
    at org.mortbay.start.Main.invokeMain(Main.java:194)
    at org.mortbay.start.Main.start(Main.java:534)
    at org.mortbay.jetty.start.daemon.Bootstrap.start(Bootstrap.java:30)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:616)
    at org.apache.commons.daemon.support.DaemonLoader.start(DaemonLoader.java:177)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


J Barlow Servicing has been offering Kirby Vacuum Cleaner Service & Repairs in Manchester since 1979. A former authorised Kirby Service Centre for fifteen years, Barlow′s are now an independent specialist who strive to achieve repeat business and customer satisfaction.
Full strip down & Diagnostic.
Replace faulty or worn parts on customers request.
All necessary components greased and lubricated.
All work & Parts fully Guaranteed.
Duncan Shirkey... "Really impressed with the quality of care and service from J Barlows. Well worth the trip over the Pennines for Kirby repair and full service. The vacuum is working as good as new even though it's 24 years old. It had several issues, all sorted by the professionals. These guys really know their trade and I will defiantly be back in the future. Thanks to all the staff!"
Dave King... "Gave Barlows an opportunity to mend our ageing Kirby that has been serviced elsewhere until last year. The machine was returned working and like new. The cost of the work was half the cost of what we normally paid. Very Highly recommended"
Arthur Edisbury... "J Barlow's has a great team of guys, total professional who know their job backwards, really very pleased with the repair and advice. All done at a common sense price. Well worth the 14 miles to see them"
Robert Cranston... "Great Service from staff who knew their stuff. Great explanation of the problem and great advice for future use of machine. Prices were very good and all work warranted for 12 months. It was a shame I had to drive a round trip of 120 miles but well worth it. Thanks a million"
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Many of our customers call into our shop to have their Kirby's Vacuum Cleaners serviced while they wait, we have ample free parking right outside our door and we are easy to find. Our service takes approximately 45 mins to 1 Hour and we also find customers take advantage of our central Manchester City Center location to do a little shopping. Just 2 mins around the corner from us on Cheetham Hill Rd is Manchester Fort retail park which hosts many top retail outlets including lots of cafes and restaurants, so by the time you've had a cup of cappuccino or even had a bite of something to eat your Kirby Vacuum Cleaner will be ready for you to collect.
Call us on 0161 792 4118 to make a prior booking (we are also open Saturday 9am- 1pm).


text:
Q: Preencher input com result de function javascript Estou usando a seguinte função para validar o CNPJ no Input:
function FormataCnpj(campo, teclapres) {
    var tecla = teclapres.keyCode;
    var vr = new String(campo.value);
    vr = vr.replace(".", "");
    vr = vr.replace("/", "");
    vr = vr.replace("-", "");
    tam = vr.length + 1;
    if (tecla != 14) {
        if (tam == 3)
            campo.value = vr.substr(0, 2) + '.';
        if (tam == 6)
            campo.value = vr.substr(0, 2) + '.' + vr.substr(2, 5) + '.';
        if (tam == 10)
            campo.value = vr.substr(0, 2) + '.' + vr.substr(2, 3) + '.' + vr.substr(6, 3) + '/';
        if (tam == 15)
            campo.value = vr.substr(0, 2) + '.' + vr.substr(2, 3) + '.' + vr.substr(6, 3) + '/' + vr.substr(9, 4) + '-' + vr.substr(13, 2);
    }
}

function validarCNPJ(cnpj) {

    cnpj = cnpj.replace(/[^\d]+/g, '');

    if (cnpj == '') return false;

    if (cnpj.length != 14)
        return false;

    // Elimina CNPJs invalidos conhecidos
    if (cnpj == "00000000000000" ||
        cnpj == "11111111111111" ||
        cnpj == "22222222222222" ||
        cnpj == "33333333333333" ||
        cnpj == "44444444444444" ||
        cnpj == "55555555555555" ||
        cnpj == "66666666666666" ||
        cnpj == "77777777777777" ||
        cnpj == "88888888888888" ||
        cnpj == "99999999999999")
        return false;

    // Valida DVs
    tamanho = cnpj.length - 2
    numeros = cnpj.substring(0, tamanho);
    digitos = cnpj.substring(tamanho);
    soma = 0;
    pos = tamanho - 7;
    for (i = tamanho; i >= 1; i--) {
        soma += numeros.charAt(tamanho - i) * pos--;
        if (pos < 2)
            pos = 9;
    }
    resultado = soma % 11 < 2 ? 0 : 11 - soma % 11;
    if (resultado != digitos.charAt(0))
        return false;

    tamanho = tamanho + 1;
    numeros = cnpj.substring(0, tamanho);
    soma = 0;
    pos = tamanho - 7;
    for (i = tamanho; i >= 1; i--) {
        soma += numeros.charAt(tamanho - i) * pos--;
        if (pos < 2)
            pos = 9;
    }
    resultado = soma % 11 < 2 ? 0 : 11 - soma % 11;
    if (resultado != digitos.charAt(1))
        return false;

    return true;
}

chama a mesma dessa maneira:
<input ID="txCNPJ_cad_emp" name="cnpj" class="form-control" placeholder="Digite o CNPJ" onkeyup="FormataCnpj(this,event)" onblur="if(!validarCNPJ(this.value)){alert('CNPJ Informado é inválido'); this.value='';}" required autofocus></>

Se o CNPJ for inválido ela me retorna um alert, porém, ao invés de exibir um alert eu preciso que ela altere outro input
<input ID="txCNPJ_cad_emp" name="cnpj">

colocando no mesmo a mensagem de erro: "CNPJ inválido".

A: Substitui o alert por atribuição do valor do campo:
<input ID="txCNPJ_cad_emp" name="cnpj" class="form-control" placeholder="Digite o CNPJ" onkeyup="FormataCnpj(this,event)" onblur="if(!validarCNPJ(this.value)){this.value = 'CNPJ inválido'; this.value='';}" required autofocus>

Note que na condição true está setando valor vazio this.value='';. É assim mesmo que pretende?

A: Sugiro remover o teste de retorno de evento declarado direto no elemento pra ficar melhor pra ti visualizar:
<input ID="txCNPJ_cad_emp" id="cnpj" name="cnpj" class="form-control" placeholder="Digite o CNPJ" onkeyup="FormataCnpj(this,event)" onblur="verificarValidacaoCNPJ()" required autofocus></>

Também alterei um pouco o HTML pra adicionar um id, já que ambos os elementos (inpt do cnpj e da msg de validação) tem o mesmo name.
Tratamento na função chamada no onblur:
function verificarValidacaoCNPJ(){
    var valCNPJ = !document.getElementById("cnpj")? "" : document.getElementById("cnpj").value;
    if(!validarCNPJ(valCNPJ))
        document.getElementById("txCNPJ_cad_emp").value = "CNPJ inválido";
    else
        document.getElementById("txCNPJ_cad_emp").value = "CNPJ válido";
}


text:
Afghanistan, Media, Middle East, Politics and Political Attention
Reporters Sans Frontières Protects Afghan Journalists
In some of the world's most vulnerable regions, journalists face prominent hurdles as they fight for their freedom of expression, an integral right preserved by the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Reporters Sans Frontières has been taking action in protecting the liberties of journalists, specifically female ones, and their freedom of speech so as to combat the threat of violence against journalists in Afghanistan.
In March 2017, the organization opened the "Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists," while in November, it held a training and advocacy visit to support safety within the field. Facing intimidation from the Taliban, as well as social pressures, women reporters encounter many obstacles in their pursuit of the truth, making such efforts essential.
In 1985, Reporters Sans Frontières, or RSF, was founded by four journalists in Montpellier, France with the intention of defending freedom of information and investigating violations across the globe. RSF has written to authorities and challenged governments that have put these rights in jeopardy, as well as supported journalists who have been imprisoned or exiled.
The non-governmental organization aims to construct pluralistic political systems and champion the right to seek factual material without hindrance; interestingly, the group also promotes the presence of watchdogs that have the ability to question corrupt authority.
RSF and the Media
Among other activities, RSF provides press releases about media freedoms in a variety of languages, generates awareness campaigns, and offers assistance and legal aid to endangered journalists. A report from Radio Free Europe stated that 2017 was one of the most violent years for journalists in Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, 20 journalists and media workers were killed, with 169 threats made to reporters.
Mistreatment of Female Journalists
RSF attributes much of Afghani conflict to civil war, with many intimidations and deaths coming from the Taliban. As a result of such in-fighting, the country has seen the rise of many "black holes" in information.
For female journalists, the situation is particularly perilous, as many have been confronted with the threat of attack or silencing. In many cases, and often as a result of such treatment, social pressures discourage women from becoming journalists, as their families may impress upon them the dangers of the profession.
Women experience harassment in the workplace as well as patriarchal standards, and the number of female journalists in Afghanistan has decreased since 2015.
Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists
In March 2017 on the eve of International Women's Day, RSF opened the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists — Afghanistan's first center for the protection of female journalists' rights. Based in Kabul and headed by Afghan journalist Farida Nekzad, the center provides a forum for women, combats discrimination, calls for equal rights and wages, advocates for better work conditions and prevents abuses.
The Center has offered support to reporters working in war zones, as well as organized seminars on physical and digital safety. The center will lobby the government to call for workplace safety and talk with families about their perceptions of female journalists.
Uniting Journalists
In recent months, Reporters Sans Frontières has been making stronger efforts to protect the rights of female journalists in Afghanistan. From November 22, 2017, the organization held a training and advocacy visit that focused on women journalists.
It organized seminars in Mazar-i- Sharif, Herat and Charikar, and even held a special seminar in Kabul for women reporters in conflict zones. At the meetings, journalists spoke about their experiences being threatened by armed non-state groups and the necessity of self-censorship.
Through the visit, RSF was able to unite journalists and create a discussion on the safety of reporters, with 65 journalists from 60 Afghan media outlets attending.
A Culture of Tolerance
Journalists in Afghanistan are met with a treacherous socio-political climate, facing the threat of violence and risking the loss of the right to expression. With its endeavors in the country, Reporters Sans Frontières has sought to protect the integrity of these reporters, support their safety and promote a culture of tolerance and freedom of information.
Efforts such as the foundation of the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists and RSF's seminars can enable greater independence of the media going forward.
– Shira Laucharoen
March 17, 2018 /by Borgen Project
Tags: Female Journalists, Protecting Journalists, Reporters in Afghanistan, Reporters Sans Frontières
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg 0 0 Borgen Project https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg Borgen Project2018-03-17 01:30:562018-03-15 21:52:16Reporters Sans Frontières Protects Afghan Journalists
BUILD Act Introduced to House Committee on Foreign Affairs Electrification to Reduce Poverty in Africa


What does OAML stand for?
(2) Establish the Oklahoma Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fund for use in conducting the Oklahoma Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program.
Mike Kastl, director of the Oklahoma Abandoned Mine Land (AML) reclamation program; Dean Spindler; Browse ZoomInfo's business people directory.


text:
Q: Can an XSLT Transformation in Java Output Warning on Invalid Tags I'm using XSLT to translate some XML into HTML.  The XML was not created by us and follows a long and complex schema with many custom formatting tags that need to be transformed into the appropriate HTML elements.  When I transform it, tags that are not valid HTML are getting silently dropped.
For example,

(1) something something <PRTPAGE P=\"783\"/> something else.

Becomes:

(1) something something  something else.

Is there a way to output some kind of warning when a tag like PRTPAGE is dropped?
Since the schema re-uses the same tag names for multiple purposes, it's hard for me to figure out what tags are valid inside the one I'm transforming.  I'm thinking that there may be some tags that require their own transformation rules and these warnings can help refine the XSL.
This is my XSL so far.  I'm using the built-in javax.xml.transform.Transformer to do the transformation.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE stylesheet [
        <!ENTITY mdash  "—" >
        ]>
<xsl:stylesheet
        xmlns:xsl=
                "http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
        version="3.0"
>

    <xsl:character-map name="cm">
        <xsl:output-character character="—" string="—"/>
    </xsl:character-map>

    <xsl:output use-character-maps="cm" method="xml" />
    <xsl:template match="//E[@T='03']">

            <xsl:apply-templates/>

    </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

A: This was a bit too long to write in comments, but if XSLT is dropping elements, it is because you have not added any template to explicitly copy them. When XSLT selects an element for which there is no matching template, then it uses its built-in templates which skip over elements, and only copy their descendant text nodes.
What you could try doing, is adding a generic template to your XSLT to match all other elements, and use xsl:message to write out a message listing the element name
  <xsl:template match="*">
    <xsl:message>
      <xsl:text>Dropping </xsl:text>
      <xsl:value-of select="name()" />
    </xsl:message>
    <xsl:apply-templates />
  </xsl:template>

(Note that I don't know anything about the javax.xml.transform.Transformer to say how you can actually read these messages).


text:
IMO Expresses Great Sadness Over Nyerere Casualty
Wärtsilä Inaugurates Upgraded EGC Test Facilities In Norway
Industry Wants Low-Cost Ship 'Breaking' Yards Outside The EU – NGO Shipbreaking Platform
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has expressed his great sadness over the recent casualty of the Nyerere, a domestic ferry flying the flag of the United Republic of Tanzania and sailing on Lake Victoria.
Image Credits: imo.org
"On behalf of the IMO membership, the Secretariat and myself, I would like to send our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of the crew members and passengers who perished in the accident, as well as those who remain missing. I would also like to commend all those involved in the rescue operations," Mr. Lim said.
"While it is too early to fully evaluate the extent of the incident, I look forward to knowing about the investigation process and reporting thereon, in due course, so that the Organization can do whatever may be necessary with regard to the safety of passenger ships not covered by SOLAS, in order to reduce the chances of such a tragic event happening again," he said.
Secretary-General Lim was speaking to delegates at the opening of the IMO Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments (III) (24 September). IMO has commissioned a one-minute animated IMO ferry safety video, which can be shown in ferry terminals and on national TV channels.
Press Release: imo.org


We have several 'pes-cetarians' for Thanksgiving and will be having a whole roasted salmon along with the turkey. I'll be loosely stuffing it with fresh herbs & citrus & tying it with butcher's twine.
It was caught by one of the guests and is currently thawing. I haven't weighed it yet, but with head and tail it just fits diagonally on full sheet pan.
Any 'rules of thumb' on baking time & temp?
The rule is 10 min per inch of thickness. But just use as a guideline, I start checking fish for doneness early. And I remove it when barely done, as it will cook further as it rests.


SAN DIEGO, Calif., Jan. 14, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has announced the appointment of Bill Lamison as Vice President, Underwriter. He will join the company's established business banking team and will be responsible for structuring, analyzing and underwriting commercial credit for new clients as well as managing an existing portfolio of customers.
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Dec. 19, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has announced the appointment of Joshua Mello as Managing Director. He will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of commercial clients in the greater San Diego region.
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Nov. 26, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has announced the appointment of Juliana Rowland as Managing Director in Orange County. She will be responsible for cultivating new client relationships for the Bank with a focus on Orange County's business community.
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Sept. 18, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, is pleased to announce that Helen Johnson has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Loan Administration Manager.
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Sept. 4, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, has named Soly Cangarlu Vice President, Branch Manager. She will be responsible for developing client relationships and expanding the bank's presence in West Los Angeles.
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Aug. 30, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTC Pink: BCAL / OTCMKTS:BCAL), a community business bank headquartered in San Diego, is pleased to announce that Laura H. Araluce has joined the company as Vice President, Branch Manager. She will be responsible for growing Bank of Southern California's presence in Orange County.


Stuck on which shoes to invest on this winter?
Yes, the footwear of the wild west has made a return.
They have been a strong trend of 2018 and they aren't going anywhere.
Fringe, velvet, feathers, sequins are all huge this season. Perfect for the office Holiday party.
Channel your inner Cher and nail the Clueless look with some plaid shoes.
Think supersize, the bigger the better.


I know I've posted about the cool calendar functions in Storybook Creator before, but now that we don't have updated content from CM available, we have to be a little more proactive.
You have some sweet functionality in Storybook Creator that will allow you to modify the calendar blocks on any calendar templates you may already have, so it doesn't matter what year they are set for.
If you are ready to get to work on some calendar Christmas presents (like I am), check out the quick video below to see how you can do it.
I will update this with the screenshots and how-to soon, but didn't want to wait to get it posted. Hope you have fun with it … this has been one of the most fun features of Storybook Creator. Love it!


The world in Abandon Ship is in turmoil. Since the collapse of a dominant faction, lawlessness prevails.
Into this vacuum a new power is rising: The Cult of Haliphron.
The Cult worship ancient sea monsters. Their ultimate goal is to consume the entire world, bringing enlightenment to everyone, whether they want it or not.
The origins of the Cult and the main character's connection to them are explored in the game. For now, it's enough to say that the Cult is after you and will stop at nothing until you've been brought back into the fold.
From small vessels through to the largest Man O' War, the Cult Fleet will constantly hound you.
Each Cult ship is captained by a Cult Leader, one of the true fanatics to the cause.
They will never surrender, or give up.
Fending off a boarding action by Haliphron.
The Haliphron are man-sized aquatic creatures. Still regarded as mythical in some areas (parents tell unruly children to behave "or the Haliphron will get you") – they are a very real threat, and the reason many lone sailors disappear on dark and stormy nights.
As the Cult has gained dominance, these creatures have returned in force and actively hunt you. They can swim through the water, boarding your ship without warning.
Haliphron have even been known to wait on Cult vessels, diving into the water and swimming across like a torpedo, to board unsuspecting ships at long range.
Even upon death, the Haliphron can be deadly. Special red-skinned variants can explode into a pool of acid upon their demise; a dangerous parting gift to non-believers.
The Kraken represents the top of the food chain in the world of Abandon Ship. When the Cult resurrects one, it kick-starts their takeover attempt. After all, with a mythical sea monster prowling the waters, who can stop them now?
In the game, the Kraken is one of the creatures that hunt you. Initially, you do not have the means with which to kill it, so have no choice but to escape and flee.
If you can acquire the right tools to make it surface, you can finally go toe-to-tentacle to decide who rules the waves.
While the Cult is not the only adversary you face in the game, they are an ever-present danger. In some areas, after a certain amount of time, they will dispatch either a high-level ship, some Haliphron or the Kraken to chase you. You can delay this by defeating Cult vessels, or if you decide to flee these events, they will hone in on your position faster.
Pursued by a Cult ship.
Once you reach a certain part of the story, there are many Cult targets to take out, from Ports you have to liberate, to vessels carrying slaves. Do you take out their crew, or sink them, thus condemning their innocent human cargo to a watery grave?
Right from the start of development, we knew we wanted to include battles against giant sea monsters. The Kraken was always our first choice of monster to create because that mental image of a giant cephalopod taking down a ship is a very evocative one.
At the same time, we were thinking about a mechanic where the player would be boarded unexpectedly from the sea. We knew we wanted the feature, but needed a dressing for it. This train of thought led to a race of squid-like bipedal creatures. There was also a desire to have a faction that would serve as the primary antagonist throughout the main story, and these different elements came together to form a Cult that worshipped these grotesque monsters.
Without revealing too much about the story, you can probably guess it has some Cthulhu-esque influences. The Cult worships these aquatic beings, that are off-shoots from a larger monster (the Kraken). If you've been paying attention to our previous trailers, you'll have seen us hint at something bigger, too.
When it came to finding a suitable name for the Cult, and the creatures they worshipped, we went through the Latin names of deep sea creatures. Once we had pulled out a collection of names that sounded ominous, we put them through the "what comes up in Google Images if you search for this term" test. When designing creatures, we've always thought that if the results are a good approximation for the idea in your head, it's a compelling result.
We then embarked upon creating concept art for these, the results of which are shown below.
Concept art of a Cult Leader, flanked by Haliphron.
One last warning about the Cult. Even when you think you defeat them, they have an uncanny knack of coming back stronger. As you'll find out, there is certainly more to the Cult than it initially appears.


I love Greece. For the past 6 years I have spent each summer in the Greek Islands. I love the simplicity of life, the slow pace and the true feeling of having your energy revived.
Here are some posts about people, places and living in Greece.
Claire Lloyd and partner Matthew Usmar Walkswithdogs left their busy lives behind in London and moved to the Greek Island Of Lesvos. This interview is about the change and living on a Greek Island.
Not only is Claire Lloyd a super talented photographer but she creates beautiful homes.
A Greek Island Dream House: A peak into the beautiful guesthouse of Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Walkswithdogs.
We are constantly searching for the quietest, least touristy Greek Islands. Sifnos was a favourite.
Beautiful barren Amorgos was one of my first Greek Island love affairs.


Over the past few years I have developed experience in different areas of audio engineering and post-production, from videogame audio to theatre shows, from movie soundtracks to sound design for media, and more.
I love to adapt myself to each individual project, I'm creative and enthusiastic about getting involved in new works, so I'm very much open to chat about your project, and discuss the best approach for you.
If you are interested in exciting customised audio, then feel free to check out my portfolio; I look forward to beginning a successful collaboration with you.
A: At the moment I'm perfecting my sound design showreel, as well as creating audio material for Game developers (Unity Asset Store). I'm also producing a few different tracks for different projects, one involves EDM beat-making, another will be more of a Hard Blues track, and so on. I like to have always lots of different activities on-the-go, it keeps my creativity up and running!
A: During my four university years of Music Technology, I believe I developed a pretty efficient sharp hearing, that allows me to get a nice and wide mix, as well as a very open creative aesthetic, which makes me aware of the infinite potentialities of sound; in other words, my products relies upon any sound event that I can put my hands on.
A: Although this may differ depending on the nature of the work, I generally start by dropping on an empty project some fresh basic ideas that I think may incorporate the nature of the production. Later I develop this into a finished proper product. I try as much as I can to obtain a good and clear balance at earlier stages, as I believe the most important aspect of my work is to make sure my client is happy and share my vision of the creation from the earliest stage of work; in order to do so, I prioritise clearing up and avoiding confusion. Consequence to this is paying very accurate attention to clients feedback, which I believe can be converted efficiently in creativity fuel to craft an amazing product together.
A: I work in different work-stations: the studio where I work as a sound engineer consists of an Allen & Heath analog desk, JBL Speakers and iMac. My home studio is a vintage LEM analog desk, a macbook pro plus a Samsung Hd Monitor, M-Audio BX5 Speakers, and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Interface. To this I add my guitars (Acoustic Takamine ETN10C, Hollow-body Ibanez AS73G-NT) and my valv amp Bugera, plus my M-audio midi controller and lots of other instruments and pieces of equipment.
A: Hire me for customised audio and I guarantee you absolute professionality and immediate response on communications. My biggest inspiration is to create something innovative, incredible and this will be my approach to your website.
A: I love working always on something different, I love being involved in works that I believe are somehow giving something to someone; I love to express my creativity and I feel honoured to have even one person listening to it.
A: Justin Vernon. His diversity as an artist fascinates me and I'm more and more amazed by any product he releases. I wish I could spend a couple of hours watching him in the studio messing about with a couple of tape machines and a vocoder.
A: Soundtracks and sound design for media, such as films and games. Audio-visual projects, commercials, corporate videos, audio-branding.
A: Due to my passion for music, I'm constantly looking for fresh listening; this keeps me really updated about which sound is trending. Because of this I end up having an overall clear understanding of music sub-genres and scenes, and I can use this knowledge to maintain my product original and interesting.
I am available for freelance work. If you have got a project idea in your mind simply drop me a message here, I'm happy to discuss together the best approach for your project.


One of the perks of working for a big company is that they pay for me to not be fat. Even better, they pay for me not to be fat downtown. As of right now the only gym (at least on a large scale) is the Y and I love it. It's right at Locust and Clinch, easy to find and easy to walk to.
Built in 1927, or something like that, the downtown Y is in a current state of regeneration that puts any of its suburban peers to shame. The building is classy and convenient, the facilities are newly renovated and top-of-the-line,and the staff is friendly, but not pushy.
They have rooms for yoga, spinning, weights of course, an indoor pool (that I love) and a sauna and steam room. This is the grown up Y. No kids are ever there and the demographic is 25+. Some of the best points are the towel service (which no other Y around here has) and the way the building still has the feel of its 80+ year history.
There are new flat screen TV's everywhere if you need a distraction, plenty of classes and trainers to help, if you need the motivation, but most importantly there is convenience and solitude in this place where you can work out and not have to impress everyone around you. So when you feel the guilt of that 3rd dark beer or the happy hour nachos, give the Y a call. Oh and you get a discount for living downtown if you join, that's cool too.
Yeah, but unfortunately their membership prices reflect just how top-of-the-line their stuff is. I've been working out at 180, behind the Holiday Inn on Papermill, and it's got all the same features for a significantly smaller fee.
i feel your pain. the downtown y was awesome for me... while my company was paying for it. that perk got axed and the membership fees were too much for me to handle on my own.
We joined the Y after my hubs got the Diabetes diagnosis... best move we could have ever made. Love the facilities, the great staff, the new equipment. The Y Rocks!!!
Looks sweet. I've been wondering how all that renovating was working out.
I love the downtown Y. I have been a member for 2 years.
I enjoy the spinning classes, especially the ones that Emily and Christal teach.
I also enjoy Darryl's pilates class. It's, and no offense meant to Darryl, a little geared toward beginners, but he is great and it is a great stretch.
There ARE kids at the downtown Y! My friend AFP's son did the kid program and now works out next to his mom. I love how family friendly the place is.
Finally, I see Dr. Corbitt for chiropractic needs. His office is at the Y. His wife, Sandra, is a great masseuse. She has hours there too.
over 47% of families who are members or who receive membership services, are on scholarship or receive financial aid from the YMCA.